For those reading this article series for the first time, we have been going through messages given by Brother Titus Chu on the life of Abraham. They were shared at multiple Summer and Winter Vision Week trainings between 2017-2019. This post is the first covering the messages shared during the 2019 Winter Vision Week Training. Also, please keep in mind that the examples given are based on the listeners at the training, but can still be applied to any Christian’s life.
In the first few meetings of the 2019 Winter Vision Week Training, Brother Titus reviewed the story of Abraham up to Genesis 15 (where he had left off previously). In his review, there was a particular topic that he dwelt on: having a piece of land. If you are not familiar with the story of Abraham leading up to Genesis 15, it will help to read through the previous chapters for context.
Having land is the first step in your establishment. Do you know why I don’t trust you? You don’t possess a piece of land. You are good brothers, yet for some reason, you don’t possess a piece of land. Abraham could promise Lot everything because he knew the land is God’s and the land is his. How could Abram rescue Lot after Lot took advantage of him? Because the land belonged to him. You think so much, plan so much, consider so much, dream so much, and even say, “I will follow,” and “Lord, I give You everything.” Yet, you are not trustworthy. One good offer from the world can buy you. One good grade in school can buy you. You have no land.
The Lord called you out. You came out of sin and the world, and you came to the good land, even consecrating yourselves. But, in that consecration, can you be trusted? Do you have land? How many decisions do you make according to your environment and not according to Christ? How many decisions do you make in the name of the Lord but without Christ? I tell you that I don’t know where you will end up. But when you have a land, your life is very settled. You are solid. You can say, “I know what I’m for. I know what my life is for. I have a piece of land to back me up.” When you have the land, only then can you bear children. Without the land, Abram only had Lot who was not his real son. How do you know whether or not you have land? Look at the decisions you make. When you have land, you don’t make decisions based [only] on outward conditions. Every decision you make is according to what you have, according to the top interest of God. Every decision you make is with God’s testimony in view. Like a father for his children, you will pay every price just for the Lord’s satisfaction. This is the character of someone with a solid piece of land. When you have this land, your whole life is different.
Last night, we talked about a piece of land. I said some very honest words: I don’t trust you. Look at all the brothers ahead of you. Just about all of them have been through labors, summer and winter trainings, whatever. They were very much touched and told the Lord, “Lord, I want to give my life to You.” The problem is that they graduated, got married, got a job, had a family, and disappeared. These are all really good brothers, but not many survived.
You know what will happen to a young couple that loves the Lord? In the beginning, they will still love the Lord. Then they get a job and buy a house. Then they find out that they need better furniture, a better car, something better, better, better. For some reason, eventually, they don’t have a church anymore, but when they say, “I love the Lord,” it’s real [to them]. When they drop the church life, they don’t even know that it happened. Most of you do love the Lord, but you yourselves don’t even realize that after the first weekend, second weekend, you just come to the meeting. Eventually, you don’t even make the meetings anymore. You become Lot.
Brothers, do you have a future under your serving one? You have to say, “He loves me, he prays with me, he reads the Word with me, he helps me to be with people, he helps me function in meetings—then the church becomes a piece of land for me to grow in.” Otherwise, I can assure you that 10 years later, you will only have a good job. Do you love the Lord? “Of course!” How many years? “I’ve loved the Lord since I was 5 years old.” Did you grow? “Of course, I’m so tall now!” How about the Lord? “Oh, we love the Lord.” How? “We always remember how He loved us.” How do you love Him? “I work at my job and love Him.” This is a hopeless young man. Can you say, “I have a piece of land. I will not end up with a clinic. I will not end up making a lot of money. I will not end up driving a fancy car. I will not end up with a house people admire. I want people to admire me as a servant of the Lord!” Eventually, a testimony will come in: I did not live a valueless life.
Today, when I talk about this, my heart is aching. This is a hard thing to talk about. When our young people grow up, they say, “I loved the Lord so much when I was young. So many times I made a vow to the Lord, and I’m sure my family is for Christ and for the church, but I don’t know what happened.” You need to be raised up so you can raise others up. You need to properly grow and develop through the older brothers’ care so that you will help younger ones know how to develop and grow. Don’t just preach when the older ones ask you to. Write down a list of the saints. Pray with them. Visit them. Learn to be a real elder. Otherwise, eventually you’ll think you are a pro at preaching without really knowing how to take care of the church.
Abram fought four kings to rescue Lot and made a most prevailing statement: “I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’” (Gen 14:23). He did so well that Melchizedek came and blessed him. Now Abram has done something in which God is not only glorified in the heavens, but God is also honored and glorified on the earth. How many of us can say, “God is glorified on the earth because I am here”? Do you realize that this is a kind of living? It’s very different from just going to meetings and trainings. Instead, my living is so high. I know that if I am here, the Lord will be magnified here.
– Notes from Messages 2 and 3, 2019 Winter Vision Week