The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

God's salvation must come from the root of Jesse. To understand the root of Jesse, one must realize that salvation is achieved by God step by step. So, what is the root of Jesse?

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David (Matthew 1:2-6).

Within the entire family of Jesse, salvation comes from this lineage. In other words, the Old Testament consistently recounts the stories of these individuals. The genealogy of Jesse, David, or Jesus shares a common thread: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, followed by Tamar, Hezron, Perez, and so on. Noticeably, three particular women are mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. We must understand that within this family, God's salvation is passed down through individuals like Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, gave birth to Perez, who continued the lineage. These individuals inherited a mission and a Mingding Destiny, a crucial component of God's salvation.

That is to say, a critical component of God's salvation is given to those with a mission and a Mingding Destiny. Conversely, it is impossible to receive God's salvation without these. The salvation of Jesus Christ, as we have often discussed in the past, is often cheapened, but in reality, Jesus' salvation is a precious and noble grace. Some may think, I believe in the Lord, and I can go to heaven after death, yet live a miserable life. This is unacceptable. While alive, one must learn to emulate Abraham. This path was established by Abraham, and Isaac, Jacob, and Judah continuously passed it on. These individuals came into the world with a mission, including Ruth and Rahab, who were not Israelites, one a Moabite and the other a Jerichoan, yet they were both people of great faith.

The root of Jesse reveals a characteristic of God's salvation. Why do I emphasize the importance of living out God's mission? Finding your Mingding Destiny is crucial. Your Mingding Destiny is the destiny of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Tamar, and so on, down to David. You will find that these individuals were people of great faith, and their faith will profoundly impact you, even beyond what we can understand from reading the Bible. For example, we may not understand how Judah's encounter with Tamar, resulting in a child, led to inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus, or how Jacob deceived his brother for the birthright to obtain the Mingding Destiny.

The Spirit of God Will Rest on Him

We recently discussed the importance of being clever and astute, topics closely related to the Spirit of God. If the Spirit of God rests on him, he will have the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Indeed, salvation is a spiritual matter, closely linked to the Spirit of the Lord resting upon a person. We see from the New Testament until now that we are still in recovery. Why do we want every new person who comes to the church to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Because that is what the Bible says.

Some may say, I have the Holy Spirit within me, and so did Peter, yet he was weak. They waited in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they gained power. Salvation and the Spirit of God are inseparable. Once salvation loses the Spirit of God, it is no longer authentic salvation. When Isaiah wrote the Book of Isaiah, he mentioned: First, salvation is the root of Jesse; second, the Spirit of God will descend upon him. Then he says:

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist (Isaiah 11:3-5).

This is not only about Jesus but also about His Church, meaning the Church must possess these divine qualities.

When the Spirit of God Descends, People Are Given Certain Characteristics

Our Jesus is certainly not Santa Claus. If the gospel you preach is the gospel of Santa Claus, you are inviting a curse! Because the entire Bible does not mention Santa Claus. Six hundred years before Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah said:

but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked (Isaiah 11:3-4).

Righteousness is a characteristic of God, and the Church must walk on this path. If a church has the power of God, it will never compromise. In our church, you will find that we do not compromise. This is the salvation and power of God. If the Church uncompromisingly deals with these things, then:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6-9).

As the waters cover the sea, when the Spirit of God descends and you have an uncompromising heart, you will find that the people in the church are transformed. This is a characteristic of God's salvation. Humans have a beastly nature, which is of the flesh. Why do people become frantic, hurtful, and harmful? Because there is a beastly nature within them. Therefore, salvation is about dealing with the flesh, using the Spirit of God to prevent the evil of human flesh. Brothers and sisters, we must know that on the Lord's holy mountain, nothing will harm or destroy, because the Spirit of God can deal with the things of the flesh in people. The most important lesson in a Christian's life is to deal with the things of the flesh, which is difficult to do by human effort. If it were not for the Spirit of God, how could Sister LN have given such a wonderful testimony? Because the Spirit of God was working in her.

Being the Remnant

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people. (Isaiah 11:11)

Verses 10, 11, and 16 of Isaiah 11 all speak of the remnant, the remaining ones. What does it mean to be the remnant? We are the remnant; those who leave the church do not count. Our promotion of the uncompromising establishment of a glorious church is not my idea; it is God's original intention, the inherent characteristic of God's salvation. If you have found favor with the Lord, are you among the remnant? If not, you are outside of salvation. The remnant implies:

There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt. (Isaiah 11:16)

Let's examine what happened when the Israelites came up from Egypt. I tell you, many did not enter the Promised Land; only the remnant entered the Promised Land. We must not fall behind or give up halfway. Believe in the Lord and persevere to the end. Only those who persevere to the end are the remnant. For example, the Israelites' exodus from Egypt was also God's election, God's definition to accomplish His salvation in them. However, Korah's rebellion and all those associated with him, along with their possessions, were swallowed up. (Numbers 16:32)

And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. (Numbers 16:35)

Brothers and sisters, rebellion in the church is a deadly matter. Do not think it is inconsequential. Once you lose a heart of obedience, you begin to become estranged from the remnant. When the Israelites complained against Moses, a plague broke out in the camp, killing 14,700 people. If we see that the salvation written by Isaiah has such characteristics, we should all have a heart of reverence. It is by God's grace that we live such days. Why can't we receive it? It is because we have become like those Israelites who died in the wilderness.

Those who died in the wilderness, for forty years, ate manna that God sent down from heaven. Their clothes and shoes did not wear out. That was not God's plan. God's plan was for them to enter the Promised Land, but because they dared not fight, they lost the Promised Land. We are all among the remnant. Do not fear or worry, for the Lord God is our salvation, our shield. What glory such grace is!

Previously, I ministered to one of my classmates who had headaches, back pain, and shoulder pain. I prayed for him for a while, and he got better. This is the powerful salvation, the powerful gospel. If we believe in God, we must believe to this extent. Never believe like the Israelites who died in the wilderness, much less like Korah's rebellion, the Israelites struck by the plague, or the Israelites who complained about the lack of water in the wilderness. We must restore the Root of Jesse, which is the inheritance of the Mingding Destiny of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Tamar, Ruth, and Rahab, all the way to Jesus. Jesus came into the world to gather disciples and fulfill the Mingding Destiny in Him, so He walked the path of the cross, opening up a highway for us. Only the remnant can enter this highway. We must be among those who remain, never among those who do not remain, for those who do not remain all died in the wilderness.

God will use His mighty arm to bring us out of Egypt, to cross the Red Sea as on dry ground. God will lead us on this path. If you have the Red Sea in front of you and pursuing troops behind you, God can still open a way for you. Even though the economic environment is so bad, didn't LN sister still find a good job? Do not forget that this is God's grace; do not focus on your own small lives. We must all understand that this is a highway, and only the remnant can enter. Whether you and I are the remnant depends on our choices. We must reverence God. Under the operation of God's Spirit, God's kingdom is so wonderful that nothing hurts or destroys. Almost all of us have received God's grace, so we must be among the remnant.

Know to Repent and Turn to God

When we walk on a deviant path, God will be angry. But His anger can still be turned away. Do not think that His anger is meant to harm us; He is angry because of our stubbornness and rebellion. His anger is meant to allow us to turn back to Him. When we turn back, His anger will turn away and become our comfort. You can do it once, twice, three times, but too many times and you will die in the wilderness. To know to repent, to know to trust in the Lord, is a kind of wisdom. Why can people persevere in entering into Jesus Christ? Because they are not afraid of death. If you are afraid of death, afraid of battle, you cannot enter.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)

When you turn back to God, you will be saved. For our God is already there waiting for us. When God saves us, we will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation. Drawing water has many interpretations, which is that the Holy Spirit comes to fill us, that God's Spirit will pour out on us, like water filling us. Therefore, we should proclaim His powerful Gospel.

In that day you will say: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. (Isaiah 12:4)

This Gospel is an exceedingly honorable Gospel. The world will say that Isaiah is writing poetry:

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. (Isaiah 12:6)

Why should everyone love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength? Because what He does is very good. Which thing is not good? Even when God is angry, He hopes that we can turn back, not stubbornly and rebelliously continue until destruction.

Trust in the Name of God, Proclaim the Name of God

Our God is the greatest God; what He does is very good. May this matter spread throughout the world. We must rise up, not only experience its goodness, but also spread this Gospel. Because He is the greatest God, do not joke with anyone, especially do not joke with God, because He is a consuming fire. I encourage everyone to develop a habit of reverencing God. Let us consider which thing does not come from God. Why are we still stubborn and rebellious?

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)

Relying on the Spirit of God is wisdom and understanding, is strategy and shrewdness, that is a great road. On this great road, crossing the Red Sea is like walking on dry ground. What difficulties can you not overcome? People often say, If you walk by the river all the time, you are bound to get your shoes wet. But Christians cross the Red Sea as on dry ground throughout their lives—what a wonderful thing! Such a Lord, if you do not trust Him, who do you trust? If you do not proclaim Him, who do you proclaim? Brothers and sisters, we must know the Lord's wonderful salvation, so wonderful that the wolf will live with the lamb. We cannot understand it, but God can do it. If you have a heart of trust in God, miracles and wonders will surely manifest in your life. Because our God is the greatest and most high God.