Introduction

To offer to God what you deem precious – this has been my guiding principle since I came to the faith. Last Sunday, I spoke about the crucifixion of Jesus. Every time I talk about Jesus' crucifixion, I feel a lump in my throat because God gave us His only Son while we were still sinners. Today, all of our brothers and sisters are healed through prayer, not because of anything else, but because Jesus bore your sorrows and pains; all diseases were laid upon Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must know to offer to God what is most precious.

When I first came to the faith, a sister told me that each offering was painful for her, so she divided her offering into four parts, offering a small portion each week and four times a month. From that moment, I made a decision that I would give it all at once, completely. Offering once can be very painful because the amount is large. But usually, I take what I feel is painful and offer it to God, not only in time and money but even in life itself. Because He is God, it is not that God needs me, but that I need God.

I read the Bible very carefully, and it is clearly recorded that we should offer our most precious things to God. Never give God tips. There are many things that we need to change our minds about. Such offerings are pleasing to God, and offerings are blessed.

One of the children among us, when he reached the age of twenty, still had to count on his fingers for addition and subtraction within ten. I personally trained this child to learn addition and subtraction within ten. But this child was very stingy. Every month, he would take out ten yuan or so, and I don't know how he calculated the money. However, this child's family was very wealthy, and his parents gave him far more money than that. You see, he couldn't calculate the numbers, but he was very clear about how much money he had – a very strange thing.

Such an approach is actually foolish because he does not know that money cannot help him, but God can. So, when I taught this child, I also taught the child's mother how to change the child's value system. Today, whether an offering is worthwhile depends on your calculation. If you think it is not worthwhile, then it is not. But I am willing to offer to God because I have calculated that it is worthwhile. Therefore, we must be filled with the knowledge of God in our understanding.

I often meet some pastors who, seeing the fruit of my service, want to learn something from me – how I do it. If you want to replicate it, do not replicate my methods but my attitude of offering. You must learn to see the root of the problem! Your prayers are not effective, but mine are, because I offer my life entirely to God. Many people think I am boasting, but it doesn't matter; God is my witness.

Yesterday, I ministered to a sister whom I had ministered to a long time ago. She had been on the verge of collapse for the past few months and had been resting at home for some time, which was actually a state of being possessed. When I ministered to her, the demon inside her was still talking to her. When I led her in prayer, she responded to everything I said. She could say anything to me. But when I said, I am willing to give up everything for the Lord Jesus, she stopped talking. Looking at her, her face was full of struggle.

Sometimes we can offer money, but we find it difficult to offer what is most precious to God. Anything you are unwilling to offer to God, you place above God. If you consider your children and family more important than God, God cannot protect your children.

When we interact with God, we must not be foolish. Think about it: you know that God owns the universe. What should you offer Him? Offer Him what you deem most precious. That is why God asks us to forsake this and forsake that – all that we consider precious.

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)

If you cannot see through the things of this life, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus. If you want to be as effective in serving as I am, you must learn not the methods but an attitude of offering.

Scripture

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Genesis 22:2)

Prayer

Lord Jesus, may you speak to us personally and let our brothers and sisters all have a heart of offering, not offering you what we do not deem precious, but offering you what is most precious. Lord Jesus, inspire us today, use your love to inspire us, let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Lord Jesus, help us today and reveal your word to us, let us know that you are God, let us know that we can live a victorious life in this world through you. May your words be engraved on our hearts, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Scripture Background

This passage speaks of God giving Abraham an only son named Isaac. Isaac was given to Abraham when he was old and unable to have children. As time passed, this son gradually grew up. God's promise to Abraham was that through this child's descendants, all nations on earth would be blessed; all nations would be blessed through this child. At this time, Isaac was not yet married and had no children. Then, one day, God said to Abraham, Offer your son as a burnt offering. Isaac was about thirty years old at this time.

I think Abraham had all kinds of feelings, but Abraham was determined to offer this son to God. Can we understand what Abraham was thinking?

For a period, I was studying Genesis 22, and a sister who was severely discerning good and evil heard it one day and didn't say a word. The next day when she came to me, she said, This Abraham is not good. And I asked her why? She said, this Abraham is too bad; he wants to offer Isaac to God without even discussing it with Isaac. Isaac has the right to know, isn't this deceiving his son? What's even more abominable is making his son carry the wood for the burnt offering.

After listening, I felt sad for this sister, because what people deem precious is detestable in the eyes of God. People think this is not good, but God thinks this is very good. Abraham and Isaac both think it's fine, but this sister thinks it's not good. So, who is foolish and who is stupid? Abraham is a smart man. Today, we can't even finish emulating him; we have no right to comment whether Abraham did this right or wrong. The whole story is about Abraham offering his most precious son to God.

Do you know why I feel a lump in my throat every time I talk about Jesus Christ being crucified for us? Because from the moment I came to faith, I knew very clearly that it is not that God wants us to offer. If Jesus Christ had not been crucified for us, where would the diseases of those among us today be healed from? That is to say, today we have a God, this God will often test us to see if we are willing to offer what is most precious. Actually, God does not want you to offer to God; God wants you to experience Him offering His only son to us.

Today, all who are healed of sickness, learn one thing no matter what: offer to God what you deem most precious. You cannot not be blessed; what people need most is God. I was a very good student since I was young, but before I came to faith, I proved one thing: my ability cannot determine my destiny; my ability is very limited. I know that ability can never overcome destiny, but I know that destiny is in God's hands. So, when I came to faith, I knew that I would never rely on my own ability, always offer what is most precious to God. When I was overwhelmed with work, I still set myself apart and offered it to God. Whenever there was service, I would put aside my work to serve those in need. One of the most famous cases was a person who had paranoia and was in great pain. After serving her well, I said, Sister, you must rise up and serve. As a result, she said something that left me speechless for a long time. She said, If I don't serve like you, will I not be able to stay among you?

Back then, she could survive because of my service, what qualifications does she have to ask me such a question. I let her serve not because I need her to serve, but because she needs to grow in service.

Abraham walked step by step with Isaac. Abraham's brain was thinking very, very complex, all kinds of struggles. God has promised me that Isaac will be considered my descendants, my descendants are as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. But God wants to offer Isaac when he has no children. God, how will these promises you have made come to pass? There is only one possibility: you will resurrect my child from the dead. He believes that if he offers this child, he can be resurrected from the dead. Abraham was so smart was miscalculated. When he was about to offer Isaac, God said in the sky, Stop, almost offered Isaac as a burnt offering, God prepared a lamb for Himself.

Brothers and sisters, if you want to replicate, replicate this spirit of offering. In the past few years, I have offered a lot, but I have not suffered any loss. God has blessed me too much. Money is a very small problem, but many of us have a poverty mentality. If we serve God with a poverty mentality, can you bear the blessings God has bestowed? If Isaac was unwilling to offer himself, Abraham could not have offered him. Why was Isaac willing? Why was Abraham willing to offer his precious son? Because this is what God wants.

I constantly explore, seek, and understand, and gradually begin to understand, I put their thoughts in me. Abraham believed that living in this world is all vanity, and only one thing is meaningful, that is, living and returning to God. The great figures in the Bible all know clearly that people live and then die, which is meaningless. Why do I serve God so much today? Because I thought from a young age that living is meaningless. Those who have God are smart people. If a person cannot see through the things of the world, he will be bound by business, family, and work.

Today, we must know that the most important thing is that it is meaningless for people to live unless they return to God. A person who does not know that living in this world is vanity cannot serve God. I hope that all our brothers and sisters can see clearly what we are living for. We do not live in this worldly logic system, but live for God and offer ourselves completely. What a glorious, Mingding Destiny.

It is the Spirit Who Gives Life

Some time ago, my mother's palms turned black, and she felt weak all over. I knew at once that it was a demon. So, in the name of Jesus Christ, I cast the demon out. The demon told me that it would seize my mother and put her in a cave, but I told it to return her, and it did. The person was still there, but the spirit had been taken away. It is not the body that gives life, but the spirit. What a wonderful thing it is to dedicate oneself to God.

Abraham's thought was, God's promise will never fail, and his son Isaac will surely be brought back to life. And Isaac also thought that returning to God was an incomparably good thing. Isaac's life was also full of tribulations, with wells repeatedly being seized. Isaac wanted to return to God, not coveting earthly things. I also long to return to God, but I do not know if I can give an account there. Therefore, every day on earth, I serve my God with all my heart and strength. I am a person who dedicates myself completely to God, offering my most precious things to God, because I believe that this world is but vanity of vanities.

Offer to God What You Deem Precious

In our church, if you have received grace, it is because a group of people are serving God with me. They all think like Isaac, counting everything as rubbish to gain Jesus Christ as the most precious treasure. We are very clear about how the spiritual realm operates, and we are willing to offer everything we deem precious to God. Today, I am giving you this testimony to encourage you to offer what you deem precious to God, because I know this is a path full of glory. If God did not remember me, my mother would have been seized by demons countless times and would have been unable to live. If my mother is willing to dedicate herself completely to God, what a wonderful thing that would be.

If you find a job and set God aside when you are busy, then that job becomes your god. Can you emulate someone like me, taking time out of busyness to give to God first? If you see through all things, you will definitely make time. If something is important, there will always be time. Brothers and sisters, examine yourselves carefully. Every time I squeeze out time to serve God, I grit my teeth. I am so tired from work that I am often confused, and I often serve until two or three in the morning, going to work again the next morning. It is really tiring. I take time out of no time to offer it to God. I put God first in my life. I want to tell you that this is a glorious path.

In the past years, I have given many offerings. Even when I had no money, I still gave offerings. A widow offered her only two copper coins, and Jesus said that she had given her livelihood to God. Some people give offerings because they have money, while the widow gave her livelihood. In fact, the widow was a smart person. Many years ago, she was a widow without the ability to support herself. She made a decision to offer the remaining two copper coins, and she did not die the next day. Because God provided for her, and she gave the remaining two copper coins again, she lived again on the third day, and continued to live until Jesus sat in the temple.

Why did God not make her rich? But did she lack anything? She was wealthy inside. But everyone must know that some people cannot bear too much wealth. People like Abraham can bear wealth. God knows your limitations and lets you live such a life. Do not think that you must be as wealthy as Abraham. Abraham never valued money.

We must see through this matter of living, and even see through money. We must know that what the widow relied on for survival was God. Everyone must know that we must give God the Isaac in our hearts. Was it money that the widow relied on for survival? No, she relied on God. Abraham and Isaac also lived by trusting in God. What problems can money solve? Just now, one of my classmates went to Africa to handle the affairs of his superior's descendants and was bitten by a local mosquito and died. This young man was only in his twenties. People are really fragile. How can we live without God? We must know that choice is very important.

Willing to Give Life to God is the Beginning of the Revival of Life

We ourselves come from the Lord, and it is only right to offer ourselves to God. Everything was God's before we were born. We must know that offering our lives to God is an incomparably good thing. Many years ago, I hoped that the church would become prosperous, but no matter what I did, it was a desolate scene. I saw other churches on fire, but in our church, it was so bleak, and I envied them. One day, while I was praying, I heard God's word, asking me if I was willing to offer my life to Him. I said to God, God, when I believed in you, I was willing to give you my life. I know that the days on earth are vanity of vanities, and I want to return to you. I am very grateful that you have chosen me and given me such a desire. That was the beginning of the revival of our church, because we were willing to offer ourselves to God, possessing the heart of Isaac, offering our lives to God. Is it a loss? No, it is an extremely worthwhile thing.

At that time, after donating the money in my account to build the church, I only had a few hundred dollars left, but God did not mistreat me. Just like in our church, there are countless people who have been blessed because of giving offerings. God said to Abraham:

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:15-18)

What a great declaration that God will give us great blessings! Healing from illness is receiving grace from God. When brothers and sisters dedicate their lives to God, living for God and dying for God, they will surely take possession of the cities of their enemies. The enemies will be under our control, and they will listen to us. All nations on earth will be blessed through us because we have obeyed God's words. A pastor's mother came to me and said, After listening to your sermon, I can no longer listen to my son's sermon. This is her original words. Because I am preaching about offering our lives as a living sacrifice to God, not a cheap gospel, but striving to pursue until we reach perfection.

Summary

God sees our ambition is to prevent us from perishing, but to have eternal life. God's words spoken to Samuel in the Book of Samuel did not fail. I also want to become such a person. Everyone should also pour themselves out to God, and that will become a blessing to many people. What could be better than this?