Introduction

The 20th chapter of Genesis, which we are studying, is quite interesting and also somewhat controversial. I have titled this chapter "The Benefits of Being a Prophet." The benefits of being a prophet are significant. If there were no benefits, who would want to be one? From this chapter, we can see that Abraham and Lot experienced completely different circumstances while sojourning. In contrast, you will find that all of Lot's investments were reduced to nothing, his family was scattered, and he only managed to escape to the mountains with his two daughters. In contrast, Abraham, no matter what, had God's protection. In this chapter, God calls him a prophet, and a prophet has God's protection and presence.

The Prophet Has God's Protection and Presence

Abraham, as a prophet, had a distinct characteristic: he did not walk down the street shouting that he was a prophet. He was very low-key about his prophetic role, not proclaiming it everywhere. Some people think that if someone is a true prophet, they could get rich just by fortune-telling. He could have called Abimelech over for a fortune-telling session, telling him that he was a prophet. But that would have made him a fortune-teller, not a prophet. Abraham was a prophet because he had God's presence, and everything he did was protected by God.

He and his wife Sarah had just heard God tell them that they would have a child next year, and they were to name the child Isaac. Then God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. When He destroyed them, Abraham looked toward the south and saw smoke ascending. Then they moved their entire family to the south, seemingly moving towards Sodom and Gomorrah. But none of this matters. What matters is that Abraham was a prophet, and wherever he stood, even if it was Sodom and Gomorrah, he would be fine. But if Lot were there, it would be a different story.

Abraham saw God burn Sodom and Gomorrah with fire, and he moved south to Gerar. When Abimelech, the king of Gerar, saw Sarah, he was captivated by her. Although Sarah was 90 years old, she had been aging in reverse since she was in her 20s. A 90-year-old woman who looked like a beautiful girl in her 20s. Abimelech was not foolish; if Sarah looked like a 90-year-old woman, he would not have been interested. He only wanted to take her home and possess her because he saw that Sarah was a timeless beauty. So, being a prophet not only has benefits, but even the prophet's wife ages in reverse. This is a miraculous thing.

"And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife." (Genesis 20:1-3)

This story gives us an amazing insight: Abraham was very blessed, with a timeless beauty accompanying him throughout his life. At 90 years old, she looked like she was in her 20s, truly possessing a captivating beauty and graceful figure. If you are a sister, becoming a prophet will make you a timeless beauty. You don't need plastic surgery or hyaluronic acid injections. So, start desiring to have a Mingding Destiny, like Sarah, and become a timeless beauty.

This is not an exaggeration. I have personally seen sisters among us who have also aged in reverse. As they grow older, they become more and more beautiful because they have become female prophets. There are benefits to being a female prophet. A sister once came to our church who, although not very old, had a very ordinary appearance, and the marks of time were already on her face. Plus, she messed around with her face, resulting in a face full of acne. She used many skin care products, but they didn't solve the problem. This was indeed a distressing matter.

Some sisters, after coming to our church, began to be joyful and stopped causing trouble. Before, when they had nothing to do, they would always find fault, and the marks of time would appear on their faces. After coming among us, they began to grow more and more beautiful, sweeter, and more attractive. It turns out that Sarah aging in reverse is not so far-fetched. In photos taken in the 1950s and 1960s, the sisters were all without makeup. Later, there was a term to describe them: natural beauties, who were good-looking. The reason is simple: life was simple back then, not as stressful as it is now. Some people feel that coming to Chinese Mingding Destiny also requires doing homework, and as pastors, we have to do public lectures, which is very stressful.

Back then, there were no filters or beauty enhancements in photos, all were natural beauties. Back then, if a person became a prophet, they would become a timeless beauty now. A prophet has God's protection and presence. Don't just hold up a small flag and shout that you are a prophet; shouting loudly is useless. When you look, there is no presence of God, and you look anxious. Tell the brothers and sisters some good news: there are benefits to being a prophet. Not only can the sisters age in reverse, but the brothers can too. Moreover, the benefits of being a prophet are more than just these. You really can't say for sure what will happen in a person's life, and a prophet has God's presence. Some people say: they don't know how to be a prophet. That means they need to study hard, love learning, like working, and love working. But that's not the case; that's just a byproduct.

Abraham took Sarah and wandered abroad, constantly dismantling and moving tents. They had just settled down when they had to move again. Raising cattle, sheep, and camels, all this was actually very tiring, but Sarah did it with great joy, and you couldn't see a face ravaged by time because she was a prophet. If you go to Outer Mongolia and Inner Mongolia and look at those who live in tents all day long, they look a bit anxious. The ravages of time are really written on their faces. Such a difficult environment did not destroy the appearance of Abraham and Sarah. That's quite remarkable. Work hard, be diligent, and don't shout. This couple opened up mountains and built bridges along the way.

Whether opening up mountains or building bridges, there is God's presence and protection. If a person has God's presence and protection in their life, you don't have to fear anything; just walk boldly. So Sarah hummed a tune while doing farm work, grazing sheep, and dismantling and setting up tents. She was very skillful and did a lot of work. I am wondering how to speak in a way that makes everyone desire to be a prophet. It sounds like I am doing sales, but it's not really. This is giving away the gospel of Christ for free. Don't think that if you become a pastor or pastor's wife, you will have God's presence. These are two different things. Even if you engrave the titles of pastor and pastor's wife on your face, you may not be able to engrave God's presence. God's presence will have confirmation.

Although Abraham and Sarah wandered abroad, time could not take away the benefits that God would give them. Ponder this: when I say to declare the vision and mission of Chinese Mingding Destiny with me, this vision and mission are secrets. If you are always thinking about protecting yourself, but God does not protect you, you cannot protect yourself by your own efforts. You must begin to desire God's presence. When Lot, old Eli, and King Saul lost God's presence, they all became tragedies. So, brothers and sisters, don't get it wrong.

With God's presence, there will naturally be beauty and wealth, and God's presence is more than just these. What a person needs most in life is God's presence. Don't lose God's presence. Abraham would rather not go to Sodom and Gomorrah to live a good life than lose God's presence. Even if you walk in the desert, with God's presence, there is no problem. This story uses facts to show us the reality and beauty of God's presence.

When they arrived in Gerar, Abimelech took Sarah away. Abraham outwardly did nothing, but we will talk about this later. Many sisters inexplicably hate Abraham because they don't understand what Abraham did. If you really marry Abraham, you have to learn Sarah's ways. If you were Sarah and Abimelech took you away and you saw that your husband Abraham did nothing, you would complain about what kind of man your husband is, not caring that his wife was taken away.

That would be wrong. The ravages of time would then creep onto your face. Sarah was taken away, so she was taken away. She had God's protection; it was okay. She and her husband were both prophets, and with God's protection, there was nothing to fear. A dream solved the problem. God's solution to the problem is truly amazing. It would be too difficult to solve this matter on one's own.

"And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine." (Genesis 20:6-7)

God said to Abimelech in a dream that Abraham was a prophet and that Abraham would pray for Abimelech. It wasn't that Abraham was holding up a small flag and shouting there. It was God who told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet. This is very important. Many people declare themselves to be prophets, but they have no presence of God at all. Shouting in the streets is useless. Like us, begin to desire God's presence, be a prophet, and a dream can quickly solve the problem.

"Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid." (Genesis 20:8)

Abraham, as a prophet, had God like he had strategic nuclear weapons. But if there is no presence of God, this matter would be difficult to handle. As a result, his wife easily returned, and he received silver, livestock, and a lot of other things. Not only that, but Abimelech had to ask Abraham to pray for them.

"And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved." (Genesis 20:14-16)

What Kind of Person Can Be a Prophet

Since Abraham stepped onto the stage of history in Genesis chapter 12, whether he went to Egypt or Gerar, he received the honor of the king of that place. Wherever he went, people knew Abraham's name. In the Middle East, from Syria to Egypt, wherever people could reach, Abraham's name was proclaimed because God made his name great. But you need to know what kind of person Abraham was, otherwise you can only slowly struggle on your own, and in the end, you won't know whether you are Lot or Abraham. Later, you will create a hybrid "A-Lot," like someone who is sub-healthy.

I have studied Abraham and Lot deeply. Abraham is extraordinary. He really has a Mingding Destiny. He sees clearly all the trivial matters of human life and then desires to enter into eternal life. Those who desire to enter into eternal life have God's presence. If a person only has hope in this life, they are more pitiable than all people. That is to lose God's presence. It's a tragedy.

So, first of all, one must see through. In the past two or three years, I have found that I see through more and more. When I see that some people can't see through, I keep repeating myself to enlighten them because they are uncomfortable if they can't see through. Once the husband and children are not doing well, they start to feel uncomfortable; or if the wife is not doing well, they also feel uncomfortable. Someone invented a new term, "Wife happy then life happy!" If the wife is happy, life is happy. If the wife is not happy, the home is cloudy and rainy. How can such a person be a prophet?

They can't even be a late bloomer, they are just ignorant, which is a tragedy. Therefore, Chinese Mingding Destiny pays great attention to one thing, which is that everyone must see through life. If you can't see through, you can't be a prophet, and if you can't be a prophet, you can't get the benefits of a prophet. In this way, the wrinkles of time will climb onto the sister's face, and the vicissitudes of time will climb onto the brother's face. It all sounds like a tragedy.

I tell you, once a person sees through and then begins to seek eternal life, seek Mingding Destiny, and seek the meaning of life, they will have God's presence. Abraham's greatness lies in the fact that once he saw through, he was not restricted by morality or by people. He only obtained the benefits of a prophet. That's not called restriction! So I cry out to everyone and bear witness, hoping that everyone can know the benefits of being a prophet.

However, some sisters hear "reverse aging" and aim for that. Then it's over. Their minds are full of their faces, beauty, and reverse aging. They forget that it doesn't work. Only thinking about the benefits of being a prophet, you can't be a prophet; only thinking about God's grace, you can't get grace; only thinking about God's blessings, you can't get blessings! You need to know what kind of person can have God's grace and protection. You have to be that kind of prophet, and God will truly be with you. No matter what happens, it cannot stop God's protection on you.

The Prophet's Actions Do Not Affect God's Protection

The prophet's actions are remarkable. In the past, I might have debated with you about Abraham's actions, but today we won't discuss this. Whether he did this well or not, even if Abraham didn't say that Sarah was his sister, God would still protect him. As a prophet, whether he says Sarah is his wife or his sister doesn't matter, God will protect him. You have to believe this. Abraham experienced the same thing when he went to Egypt, just like his experience with King Abimelech in Gerar. It is very far from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran, traveling with a family, and robbers often appear along the way. They don't rob his wife, but they rob all his property. How did he get through it? From Ur to Haran, from Canaan to Egypt, and back to Canaan, and then he met this Abimelech.

The Bible only records these two events. I don't know how many robbers, wolves, insects, and tigers he encountered along the way. Is it because Abraham is more powerful than Wu Song and can fight tigers? That's not the case. It's just that he had God's protection all the way because God wanted to protect Abraham. Where can you argue? Don't get entangled in whether he should do this or that. That's not important. The most important thing is to be a prophet. God let Abimelech return Abraham's wife in a dream. Because Abraham is a prophet, Abraham will pray for him. This dream is very spiritual. So we should no longer get entangled in how to do it. No matter what Abraham does, he has God's protection.

"And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother." (Genesis 20:11-13)

There are many places where Abraham didn't have time to say that Sarah was his sister. The reason why he said she was his sister was because Abraham's wife was too beautiful, a peerless beauty of the time. Some people see this and think that Abraham is too blessed to marry such a beautiful and virtuous wife. It's good to be a male prophet. But don't think this is right or wrong. You must say in faith that no matter what the prophet does, it does not affect God's protection. In the past few years, I have often made wrong decisions, but nothing has happened. It doesn't affect anything.

Moreover, after this incident, Abraham solved the problem of living in Gerar once and for all. Abimelech and the people around him did not dare to touch Abraham. Suppose a robber thought Abraham was rich and wanted to rob him. That night, the robber might have had a dream that we don't know about and no one has preached about. God would also say to this thief that he is a dead man. Abraham is a prophet. If he touches Abraham, God will make this thief die miserably. The robber would no longer dare to covet Abraham's wealth because of this dream.

The People of the Land Do Not Affect God's Preservation

Whether God is with you depends on your own condition. What those around you do has little to do with what you yourself do. The key is to know what kind of person can be a prophet of God. Abraham said to Abimelech that he thought the people of that place did not fear God and would kill him because of Sarah. Later, he discovered that this was a righteous nation, and Abimelech was very righteous. However, whether Abimelech was a good king or not did not affect God's preservation. It does not matter what the people of that land are like; what matters is that you are a prophet. It does not matter what the people around you want to do, nor does it matter much what you yourself want to do. What matters is that if you are a prophet, God is with you and preserves you.

As for what Abimelech would do, even if he did not return Sarah and had decided to keep her, God would definitely have a way to deal with it, and God has many ways. That is to say, many people in this world experience many spiritual things to varying degrees, and we have countless experiences of spiritual things among us. A person, especially a king, or leading a company or a team, often relies on the heavens for sustenance, and many factors are completely beyond human control. A bank with a history of over a hundred years was brought down by a small clerk. A large real estate company in the United States was brought to the point of collapse by a small clerk.

We cannot control many things, and we often feel that this thing was done by so-and-so, and how it was done. In fact, many things are predestined by God in Mingding Destiny and arranged in this way. For example, in ancient times, some people had many people who wanted to kill them before they became emperors, but no one could kill them no matter how they tried, and later they ascended the throne. As long as they did not pass any one of those hurdles, they would be finished. Don't think that person is capable; that is God's preservation. They are not prophets, but if you become a prophet, you will truly have God's preservation.

God Makes Abraham's Name Great

How did God make Abraham's name great? God made all the wives and concubines in Abimelech's household unable to have children; from that day on, all the women in the household stopped menstruating. Abimelech became anxious because people at that time relied on having more sons to maintain their rule and status. God wanted Abraham to pray for him, but as for how long he prayed for him, we do not know. It must have been that Abimelech discovered that the women in his household could not bear children and only got better after asking Abraham to pray, and all the reproductive systems returned to normal.

"Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelech’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah." (Genesis 20:17-18)

Abimelech experienced God through Abraham, and everyone knew that Abraham's God was very powerful. God made Abraham famous in that land. If our brothers and sisters in this era all become Abrahams, your boss will not do anything to you, and you will not need to be afraid. If you are truly Abraham, then your customers will not do anything to you when doing business. Everyone slowly contemplates how great the benefits of being a prophet are. Not only that, whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward.

"Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward." (Matthew 10:41)

In fact, the saying "Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet" comes from Genesis, so I encourage everyone to begin to desire to become a person like Abraham. If you become Abraham, then you will be extraordinary.

Summary

In any case, you must become a person with Mingding Destiny, because outside of Mingding Destiny there is no preservation, no presence of God, and no blessings from God! If you curse Abraham, God will curse you. Those who often criticize Abraham on the pulpit should be careful. Those who curse Abraham will be cursed. As for whether that is cursing themselves, slowly evaluate it. Anyway, many strange things happen to these pastors in this era because they do not emulate Abraham well when they are pastors, and they often point fingers at Abraham, thinking that Abraham should do this, or how could he say that this is his sister when she is clearly his wife? Do you still want to give Abraham ideas? It is best to stay away, lest you be cursed.

"The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

Some things we do not understand, but in the spiritual realm, those who curse Abraham are cursed because the God who curses Abraham will curse him, and the God who blesses Abraham will bless him. It is an extraordinary thing. If you become a person with Mingding Destiny like Abraham, living in this world for the sake of Mingding Destiny, how wonderful it would be!

May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 20 Scripture

20:1 Abraham moved on from there toward the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a time he stayed in Gerar,
20:2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?
20:5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
20:6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.
20:7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
20:8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid.
20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
20:10 And Abimelech asked Abraham, “What were you thinking when you did this?”
20:11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
20:12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.
20:13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him.
20:15 And Abimelech said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”
20:16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver to cover the offense against you; you are completely vindicated before all who are with you.”
20:17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again,
20:18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelech’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.