Standing for God on Earth and Overcoming the Temptation of Material Possessions

The history of Abraham rescuing his nephew Lot is full of spiritual significance, and Abraham is a pattern to us today in our life of living by faith. To live by faith doesn’t mean only to live a life of the altar and the tent, fully trusting in the Lord in our consecrated life and living, but it also means that we need to fight for “the brother”!

We have many brothers and sisters in the church life, and sometimes a brother may follow the pattern of Lot – he separates himself from the fellowship and “pitches his tent” in the world. As a consequence of this, this brother is taken captive by Satan together with the rest of the people in the world.

When we see such a situation happening, we should not point the finger or say, I told him not to do this or that – now he deserves what’s happening to him! Rather, as our father Abraham did, we need to pray to the Lord, lift up our hands to God, and intercede for the brother.

We need to fight for the backslidden brother to rescue him from the enemy’s captivity. In Abraham’s experience, he prayed to God and then took the decision to go and fight for his brother, and God blessed him in his undertaking – he won the victory, released his brother, and brought back all the people and their possessions!

On the way back from slaughtering the kings, Abraham was met by Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and peace, and was blessed by him.

Because of Abraham’s victory over the enemy, the whole situation was turned the right side up, peace was brought in, and righteousness reigned. Because of Abraham’s victory for God over the enemy, God could be not only the God of the heavens but also the Possessor of heavens and earth.

When the king of Sodom humbly asked Abraham to give him back the people and keep the riches, Abraham replied in a very pure way something like, My only possession and my only source for riches is God Himself – I don’t need your riches, since God is the One who constantly blesses me!

Wow, what a pure person, what an overcomer, and what a testimony of not loving the material possessions but taking God as the source of blessing!

Standing for God on Earth: God is the Possessor of Heaven and Earth!

Truthfully and according to God, the Possessor of heaven and earth is God. However, because man fell and was corrupted to the uttermost by Satan, God’s enemy, the whole creation is subject to corruption and is under Satan’s usurpation, being under the curse of death until the restoration of all things.

However, as seen in Gen. 14:19 and 22, because Abraham won the victory over God’s enemies and was standing with God on earth, God could be referred to not only as the God of heaven (see 2 Chron. 36:23; Neh. 1:5; 2:4, 20) but also as the Possessor of heaven and earth.

On his way back from the slaughtering of the kings with their armies, Abraham was met by Melchizedek with bread and wine in the valley of Shaveh, a low and humble place, and there he was blessed by him.

Melchizedek said, “Blessed be Abram of God the Most High, / Possessor of heaven and earth; / And blessed be God the Most High, / Who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Gen. 14:19-20).

Whenever a man stands on earth for God, fighting for God’s interest and not agreeing with his brother being taken captive by Satan, God is in reality the Possessor of heaven and earth.

Abraham was an overcomer, and he passed through all the tests. He slaughtered God’s enemies and released his brother from the enemy’s captivity, and God could be displayed and known as the Possessor of heaven and earth.

When we fight for our brothers by interceding one with Christ and then ministering life to them to recover them from the enemy’s usurpation, God is known as the Possessor of heaven and earth.

People will see that all our possessions, sustenance, blessing, victory, fighting, and everything is from God, the One who is not only the God of heavens but also the Possessor of heaven and earth.

Overcoming the Temptation of the Material Possessions

After Abraham was met and blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Sodom also came and, in a humble way, asked that Abraham would give him back the people and he can keep the spoils. Abraham’s response to the king of Sodom shows his purity and his integrity; he said,

“I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, God the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, lest you say, I have made Abram rich.” (Gen. 14:22-23)

If we were Abraham, we would have most likely taken the deal, but Abraham realized that the source for all he has is God Himself. Abraham overcame the temptation of the material possessions, displaying his purity in this matter.

As we enjoy Christ in His heavenly ministry and fight for the brother in oneness with Him, we will be pure in the way we handle material possessions. For the Lord’s move on earth, we need to follow the pattern of Abraham and first of all honor the Lord with our earthly substance (Heb. 7:2, 4; cf. Mal. 3:8-10; Luke 6:38).

We need to give the Lord at least 10% of how much He blesses us with, honoring Him as the source. Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all; we should give the Lord at least a tenth, if not even more.

We are robbing God if we don’t bring the tithes into His house. He even challenges us in Mal. 3:8-10, Bring the tithes into My house, and you will see how I will bless you! The basic principle according to which we manage our finances is by first GIVING to the Lord.

It’s not about investing in this or that but giving! Give and it shall be given to you. We can never outgive the Lord; rather, it is a privilege to give our material substance to Him. The manifestation of our enjoyment of Christ in His heavenly ministry is seen in our handling our material possessions. Our source is God. Our only blessing is God.

For the Lord’s move on earth, we need to overcome the temptation of the earthly substance not by setting a law or making rules and regulations about this but by enjoying the riches of the processed Triune God (Gen. 14:21-24; cf. 2 Kings 5:15-27; 3 John 7-8).

We are not seeking to become rich in the things of the world; rather, by our enjoyment of the processed Triune God, we are being made pure in how we deal with our material possessions by first giving to the Lord!

When we are pure in such a way, the entire situation around us will be rearranged and turned the right side up, and righteousness and peace will be reigning.

Lord Jesus, purify us in our dealing with our material possessions. Our only source of blessing is You. May we be one with You in Your heavenly ministry that we may be pure in handling the material possessions You gave us. Make us cheerful givers, those who first honor You with a portion of what You have blessed us with. Lord, You are the Possessor of heaven and earth. You are our Lord, our source, our provider, and our enjoyment. Keep us enjoying all Your riches in the Spirit.

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Ed Marks’ sharing in the message for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 35 (The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ch. 3), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Genesis (2), week 5 / msg 5, Enjoying Christ in His Heavenly Ministry by Fighting for the Brother.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # We too, Lord, the kings have fought / In the battle all day long; / By Thine intercession, Lord, / We are now victorious, strong. / Round this table here we meet, / We Thy church victorious, / To enjoy the ministering / Of the processed God to us. (Hymns #1111)
  # Come forward now to God through Him, / Ne’er shrink back to destruction; / Come forward now to get the life, / Which brings the proper function; / Come forward now the life to take, / By life His people us He’ll make, / And swallow death forever. (Hymns #1130)
  # O the riches of my Savior- / Nothing less than God as all! / All His person and possessions, / Now my spirit doth enthrall. / O the riches, O the riches, / Christ my Savior has for me! / How unsearchable their measure, / Yet my full reality! (Hymns #542)