Hear in Heaven Your Dwelling Place; Hear and Forgive

Good day, everyone. Today we continue our study of 1 Kings, Chapter 8. The theme is: "Hear in Heaven Your Dwelling Place; Hear and Forgive." This chapter is too long to digest in one go, so we have divided it into three parts. Today, we examine verses 22 to 53.

Having our prayers answered is a critical, non-negotiable matter. When I first started the church, I must admit I was arrogant—unbearably so. I visited local churches, one after another, and thought, "What they preach is inferior to my own understanding." But that was not the real issue. The most damning thing I observed was this: their prayers were simply not answered.

You must share my view on this. What is the root cause of unanswered prayers? Today, we look at Solomon’s prayer, where he asks God to hear from His dwelling place in heaven, to hear and to forgive. Many of us have come to accept unanswered prayers as a normal state of affairs. But as I searched the Scriptures, I found a clear, undeniable fact: Solomon’s prayer was answered.

Solomon's Understanding of Yahweh God

Solomon saw the glory of God fill the temple. Imagine that feeling. If you were Solomon, having spent years accumulating materials, shedding sweat and tears to build this temple, and then seeing God's glory descend—you would pray: "God, I thank You! All my labor was worth it!"

Let me tell you, human beings are prone to hubris. This is why we say Solomon was exceptionally wise. How wise? After God's glory filled the temple, he did not let it go to his head. He remained sober. "Hear our prayer, hear and forgive, in Your dwelling place in heaven." This reflects not only his understanding of God, but his realistic assessment of human nature. The fatal flaw of human beings is that they do not know their own limits. Solomon, in his wisdom, knew exactly where he stood. When the glory of God filled the temple, his immediate realization was this: the God I know not only brings glory, but also brings calamity.

I tell you, all the problems in this world are tied to one single issue: curses. When it comes to knowing God, I had my own observations when building the church. If a church grows from five people to fifty, does it feel good? Yes, of course. Then, in the blink of an eye, it grows to five hundred, and then five thousand. Do you know what happens next? I am speaking from hard facts, though I will not name names. The pastor starts flying around the world to preach. Booking him becomes an ordeal; you have to schedule two years in advance.

Suddenly, the church grows to twenty thousand. He begins to believe he has done everything right. He becomes a world-renowned pastor, leading one of the top churches in Singapore. He is invited to speak at pastors' summits, leadership conferences, and even major corporations. He thinks he is formidable. But his prayers will not be like Solomon's. What did Solomon ask for?

"When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers." (1 Kings 8:33-34)

Human beings are easily carried away by success. This is true not only for pastors but also for entrepreneurs. Today, a sister shared with me about a businessman whose clients were all billionaires. Ten years later, many of them have vanished—bankrupt, ruined, gone. Ten years ago, they rode the wave of economic reform, and they mistook market momentum for personal genius. They did not realize they were merely pigs caught in a strong wind, lifted off the ground. They thought they could fly; they thought they were eagles. They did not know they were pigs. Once the wind died down, and with all their self-inflation—gaining fat instead of muscle—how could they fly? Even an eagle burdened with fat struggles to fly. Ten years later, they are gone.

If we observe closely today, people often think too highly of themselves. The moment you attribute success entirely to your own credit, you are ruined. Why? Because God detests pride. This applies to us as well. Shouldn't we learn from Solomon's wisdom? I may not have much wisdom, but if you ask me to be a world-famous pastor, I will decline. I have no desire for fame. Today, I shared with a co-worker: "I have made a decision after reading Solomon's prayer. As long as I live, I will continue to serve the most humble people in the church. I will never say, 'The church is too big, we have too many branches, I have no time to cast out demons.' If you do not cast out demons, the demons will cast you out." What kind of God did Solomon know?

"Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day." (1 Kings 8:23-24)

Do you see Solomon claiming credit? No. Yet, Solomon did many things right. Every detail was planned by him, but was it not the hand of God that brought it to pass? When he faced insurmountable problems, his only recourse was to kneel and seek God, repeatedly. Then God opened his mind, enabling him to solve those massive challenges. Was it Solomon who solved them, or God? It was God, plain and simple.

"Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.' And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father." (1 Kings 8:25-26)

Let me ask you: if God is such a God, and Solomon prayed with such humility, shouldn't we be even more humble before Him? A pastor leading a church faces immense temptation. A church of fifty thousand members collects hundreds of millions in tithes annually. Imagine the temptation faced by a pastor managing hundreds of millions of dollars. He becomes, in effect, a successful businessman, and that is where the trouble begins.

Some pastors have even said, "Even God has to say sorry to me." Is that not fatal? God apologizing to him? That is a recipe for absolute ruin. The Lord God we know does not tolerate any compromise. You cannot bluff your way through. It is not what you think that matters; it is what God thinks. If you think you are a good person, but God sees you as a sinner, your opinion is worthless. If you feel aggrieved, but God says you have no right to be, your self-pity is useless. In fact, that grievance does nothing but invite sickness and demons.

To know God, to know the Holy One, is understanding. To know the Lord God is wisdom. But how much do we truly know Him? It is lamentable. After years of believing in the Lord, you are still the same old self. Every time you speak, it is your own human logic. Which of your words is actually God's word? Yet, during cell group or pastoral zone meetings, you speak with high-sounding words, only to collapse the moment trouble strikes. Why? Because you do not know God. You pay lip service to knowing Him, but if God does not know you, you are in deep trouble. Therefore, understand this: God keeps His covenant and mercy with those who walk before Him with all their heart.

Solomon's Understanding of God's Temple

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive." (1 Kings 8:27-30)

This passage is a sharp wake-up call. If heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain God, do we honestly believe that if we build a small church, God will come and dwell in it? Is that not absurd? Solomon built the temple with all his heart, soul, and strength according to God's will, yet even that was insufficient. How can God dwell in a temple built by human hands? Do not value the temple above God. If you do, you are thinking with worldly logic, which is utterly useless.

The temple in Jerusalem we read about later was rebuilt by King Herod over forty years after Solomon's temple was destroyed. He poured immense effort into it, but did God dwell there? No. Why did Herod build it? It was a political tool. Was it built according to God's will? No. Yet its destruction was entirely according to God's will. Who destroyed Solomon's temple? King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. Who brought them? God did. And who destroyed Herod's temple later? The Roman legions. Not one stone was left upon another. These are the hard facts of history.

Therefore, we must humble ourselves. Does God truly dwell among us? If heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain Him, how much less the buildings we construct? We must adopt this attitude. We have no right to be arrogant, and neither do I. If you ask me, "Pastor, how did you acquire such wisdom?" I will tell you: by submitting to God. We must learn from Solomon. I cannot say whether our church will become a mega-church in the future. Frankly, I do not envy that. What I see in those mega-churches is that they turn into mere social clubs. If you lose the presence of God, what is the point of it all? That was Solomon's realistic understanding of the temple.

Why did he add "forgive"? Because of the suffering we endure today. None of us are like Joseph. Not one. Who can claim to be like Joseph, sold into Egypt? No one. Even without being sold into Egypt, we struggle with judging good and evil. If we were sold into Egypt, we would probably seek revenge with swords and guns. I tell you, human beings have a great deal to learn.

Neighborly Disputes

"If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness." (1 Kings 8:31-32)

In neighborly disputes, everyone believes they are in the right. What happens next? They come to the temple and take an oath. But taking an oath is a serious matter. Does the Ten Commandments not forbid bearing false witness or taking false oaths? People take oaths that only favor themselves. Once they do that, I tell you, the curse runs deep. It will not be cleared even after three or four generations. This is the harsh reality of spiritual law.

So, very often, we think we can get away with taking small advantages in this world, believing that making a casual oath does not matter. Some even go into the temple and make oaths, thinking it is fine to take advantage. But what happens after you take that advantage? God will repay him according to his deeds. In fact, the Bible shows us many instances where we suffer unnecessarily, simply because we judged others, and God judged us by the very standard we used. Is this clear? You judge others, thinking it is a good bargain, that you have gained an upper hand. But God will judge you by your own standard. Is that not a disaster? It is a massive disaster.

If you observe this world closely today, you will see many terrible, unfortunate things happening one after another. Let me tell you, you do not even know where these misfortunes come from. There is only one solution to stop this cycle of misfortune: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Let us ask ourselves: have we loved Him? Some will say, "Pastor, I love God so much. I want to dedicate myself completely to Him and live my whole life for Him." It sounds wonderful. But when the crucial moment comes, they fail completely. It turns out to be mere lip service. They are like a cheap two-cent teapot—all talk and no substance.

God searches the hearts of men. If you truly love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, would you end up entangled in disputes? You would not. For instance, in the Old Testament, when someone's ox gores another person to death—let me tell you, the ox has eyes, the demons have eyes, and God has eyes. It is only man who is blind. Why did this misfortune fall upon him? Why was he the one hit?

When misfortune falls upon you, for those who suffer constantly, there is no need to guess: they love money, they love the world, and they do not love God at all. To say they have absolutely no love for God would be a lie, but loving God is the absolute lowest priority in their lives. Therefore, if you want to solve your problems, love God! When we love God, His love is upon us. Look inside ourselves: would we still find fault with others? Would we still pick fights? Would we still stir up disputes? Would someone's ox still gore us to death? Would there still be accidents where you hit someone with an electric scooter, or a car, or someone hits you? Do you understand? Many of these troubles are self-inflicted. A person thinks that after making an oath and taking advantage, he is off the hook. In reality, his troubles have only just begun.

Defeated Before the Enemy

"When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors." (1 Kings 8:33-34)

Why do they suffer defeat? Because their minds are unclean. When a person has many sicknesses, it is because their mind is unclean. But if you refuse to accept this, do not argue with me—go argue with God. If you are stubborn, go ahead and contend with God; it makes no difference to me. But let me tell you, being defeated is fatal. Whether you are defeated in your career or in your business, defeat is defeat.

There was a sister who was furious because someone else got a project and she did not. She believed she was more capable. Does that sound like the language of a Christian? She ended up consumed with anger. And if her depression relapses because of this, it will be even more disastrous. Why? Because her mind was filled only with the project, and there was no room for God. Then she said to me, "Pastor, what more do you want from me? I attend Bible study on Wednesdays, on Fridays, and I listen to your sermon on Sundays. I have wasted so much of my time." Good heavens, as if I am the one who desperately needs her to listen!

We are an online church. We are not like physical churches where setting up a thousand chairs only to have a dozen people show up is an embarrassment. We are online; I am not afraid of losing face. So sometimes I ask myself: do we actually know this God?

If you do not want to know Him, then go ahead and suffer more; it is your choice. How is it that a person is delivered from depression, only to slide right back into it? We dragged you out with great effort, yet you slide back. Is this world really worth loving? Is money so worthy of your devotion? Is this earthly life so meaningful? Is it truly that interesting? Frankly, it is not.

Let me make this clear to you today: even if we were building a physical church and not a single person showed up, leaving me entirely alone, I would still build a glorious church for God. I will never compromise. I do not mean compromising just to survive, but compromising on how we build God's church. I will never tolerate that. Some might ask, "What if someone joins your church and causes trouble?" That is easily solved—I will delete their account, and they will not be able to get in.

Some may say, "But in a physical church, if someone insists on coming in, how can we stop them?" Indeed, that is difficult. What do you do if they insist? But it does not matter. My definition of a church is this: the church consists of those who serve. Those who are merely being served are not part of the church at all. Is that clear? Only those who serve constitute the church. If you just want to bask in the light and ride on our coattails, I do not mind. You can share in some of God's glory, and I will not hold it against you. But let me tell you, even giving tithes and offerings in our midst requires qualification. If you are not qualified, why should I accept your offering?

When the Heavens Are Shut and There Is No Rain

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance." (1 Kings 8:35-36)

If we as Christians are poor and fail in everything we do, what is the reason? It is because our minds are unclean, filled with things that provoke God's anger. Stop making excuses. Do not look for any more excuses. You work extremely hard, but why do you fail? Examine your mind. Although I cannot prove whether you love money, and I have no interest in proving it, the way you live your life speaks for itself. The moment you try to do something, it fails. Others reap a harvest, but you reap nothing; the heavens are shut, and there is no rain. What is the issue here? It is because your people have sinned against You, and You are punishing them.

Let me warn you again today: if your sickness returns, do not make excuses. Some will say, "I was perfectly fine years ago. Look, I was healthy for ten years. Why has it returned? Why has my depression come back? Why is the pain in my back pulling again? The pastor prayed for me before and I was healed; why wasn't it rooted out completely without prayer? Why is my stomach acting up again? Why is my vision failing again?" Think about it carefully: that is God punishing you.

Do not for one moment think that God does not punish. He will not miss a single person. God is never too busy. He only needs 0.0001% of His capacity to govern this entire earth. He governs vast realms—the Milky Way and galaxies beyond. The earth is just a tiny speck. Do you think God's intellect is like yours? Your mind is like a single-core CPU, while God governs the entire universe. He will not let a single case slip by.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we must constantly come before God and ask: "God, I turn back to You. Show me the way to return." Never try to contend with God. Even if you prove to me that you are entirely in the right, and even if I concede that you are right, what good does it do you? I can surrender to you, but God will not. God will punish. How are you going to survive in this world under God's punishment? You might say, "Then I will stop believing in the Lord." But God punishes unbelievers too! Do you honestly think that by not believing, you can escape the hand of God?

Misfortunes

"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—each one aware of their own afflictions, and spreading out their hands toward this temple—then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors." (1 Kings 8:37-40)

Let me repeat this today: God does not make mistakes, and demons do not make mistakes. Only humans make mistakes; only we ourselves get it wrong. Is that clear? You might ask, "Pastor, what about when you fall sick?" I say, "Well, I am a sinner! Do you think I am a saint?" Even Jesus, when He was on earth in the flesh, did not call Himself a saint. As long as we are in this mortal body, we must never use me as the standard.

I am not the standard; I am a prime example of a sinner. I try my best to discipline myself, but sometimes I fail. Look at my temper—it is terrible, and it is a major flaw of mine. Someone once flattered me, saying, "Pastor, do you know that intelligent people always have big tempers?" When I heard that, I thought, "Is that intelligence? That is sheer foolishness." Therefore, I must keep myself under strict discipline. When I see someone doing a job poorly, my temper flares up instantly, and I shout. Then I pray, "God, hear and forgive me. Have mercy on me, and let the Holy Spirit put to death the misdeeds of my flesh." Sometimes, living in this world is truly not easy. It is extremely difficult.

So when there are misfortunes like famine, plague, blight, mildew, and locusts—these disasters and diseases—whether it affects the entire community or a single individual, if they recognize their affliction and stretch out their hands toward God's temple in prayer, whatever they ask for, God hears. Do you know why we build the church? Because we see so many sick people who cannot receive help or ministry, and they suffer greatly. My conclusion is simple: it is because the church is not victorious.

I have always studied the Bible with utmost seriousness. Before I even entered the church, I had worn out several copies of the Bible. I wore out several Chinese Bibles—the pages were falling out, and the covers were ruined. I also wore out an English Bible. After reading them, I came to a profound realization: what is the use of praying in a church that lacks the presence of God? You can all bear witness to this. Were you not unable to find healing for your sicknesses in other churches, only to be healed when you came here? This is not because of anything else, but because this temple has the presence of God.

Therefore, under no circumstances will we allow anyone to alter the fundamental nature of this church. This church must remain holy, united, filled with God's glory, and a victorious, fighting army of elite soldiers. If those who come do not wish to walk this path with us, I will not force them to stay. You can tell me, "If this place won't have me, I will find somewhere else that will." You can play the master and I can play the servant—it does not matter to me. But I will build a church filled with God's glory. I refuse to leave any rubbish within the body of Jesus. I simply cannot afford to offend God.

Why do you come to pray towards this temple? It is because from the very beginning, this church was built with a clear vision and mission, strictly according to God’s instructions. And what is the result? We cannot take credit for it. We have resolved many perplexities within the Christian faith. If you are a pastor and you bring your struggles to me, I can explain them to you with absolute clarity, because we have walked that path ourselves. It was not our own cleverness; it was God’s revelation. We might think we have achieved something grand, but we have not. For instance, understanding that ministry is a grace—not a grand contribution—resolves a great deal of confusion.

When misfortune strikes, you must be careful. You must be conscious of your own sins. If you do not recognize your own guilt, I have no desire to point it out to you. How could I? Recently, there was a case of a slow brain hemorrhage. What could I do? I dared not tell him the hard truth. If I did, he would have turned against me. If a person is conscious of his sin, I will serve him wholeheartedly, as if serving God. But if he thinks he is entirely in the right, I will slip away quietly. He should look for some other "grandmaster"; I am not even a novice. Brothers and sisters, being conscious of sin and lifting your hands towards this temple—these two actions are crucial. When you come to church, lift your hands and pray towards this temple.

Foreigners Coming from Afar

"Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name." (1 Kings 8:41-43)

Solomon was remarkably astute. How did he define this temple? Merely as a place called by God’s name—a symbolic representation, much like how we Chinese set up an ancestral tablet. And what happens? Foreigners come from afar to pray here. Let me tell you, if you are a non-believer who has just joined us, your prayers here will be highly effective. Those who became believers among us can testify to this. If you are one, type it out. Your prayers were answered with remarkable speed. And if you were already a believer from another church, coming here to repent and pray yields immediate results.

Foreigners receive a special measure of grace. They know nothing, but they sense this place works, so they come, they pray, and it works. When I first believed, the church taught a rather absurd logic: that prayers are always answered when you are a new believer. They called this the "honeymoon period," after which nothing works.

You know this from experience. Why does this happen? Because people only care about getting results, not about God's will. That is the crux of the matter. We, who were once foreigners, heard of God's mighty hand and outstretched arm, and our prayers were heard. But there is one vital word here: fear. To fear Him, just as Israel fears His name. Today, people lack this fear. If they had it, would they live such sloppy, undisciplined lives? Sometimes, reflecting on this makes my heart turn cold.

Your People Going Out to Battle

"When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause." (1 Kings 8:44-45)

When we go out under God’s commission to fight, victory is guaranteed because it is God who secures our victory. This is why driving out demons is so effective. But what is the foundation? The foundation is knowing God.

Carried Captive to the Land of the Enemy

"When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them." (1 Kings 8:46-50)

It is not easy to be God. If He shows us a little favor, we become arrogant and self-satisfied. If He disciplines us, we break down immediately. We can neither withstand prosperity nor endure hardship. It is a difficult position for God. If He does not discipline you, you will not repent. If He does, He wonders if you can survive the calamity.

It is a grim reality. As the saying goes, humans cannot handle blessings, but they can endure any suffering. Why must people choose this path? I do not understand why they must force God’s hand to exile them as slaves to enemy lands.

The Israelites were carried off to Assyria; the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon. Why? Because when they were in Jerusalem and Judah, they felt entirely self-assured. What is the use of that self-assurance? The end was disastrous. Have you seen those Western movies where captives are bound to a horse's tail, dragged along, feet bleeding, yet forced to keep walking? There were no high-speed trains or flights. Not even a donkey was provided. It was brutal.

Why do people insist on sliding down into such misery? It grieves God’s heart, but He must execute His will. Remember, if you reach the land of captivity and remain stubborn, refusing to repent and confess—"We have sinned, we have rebelled, we have done wickedly"—but instead complain, "Why is God treating me like this when I have loved Him with all my heart?"—you are living in a delusion. That attitude will get you nowhere. You must constantly remember to say: "We have sinned, we have rebelled, we have done wickedly." There is immense grace in these words. It is through this confession that you will find compassion, even in captivity.

There was an old pesticide commercial with a highly infectious jingle from decades ago that still sticks in my mind: "We are pests, we are pests, oh, oh, oh, we are pests." Indeed, we are not much different from pests. Today, repentance is a grace, brothers and sisters. It is a grace. Do not fear blindness; fear the refusal to repent. If a person sins repeatedly, God will hand them over to the enemy. When that happens, sing that jingle: "We have sinned, we have rebelled, we have done wickedly." I assure you, it is a simple matter for God to restore your sight.

If your physical health or mental capacity is failing today, I tell you: repent. In the past, we cared too much about things that did not matter, obsessing over petty self-interests, bringing misery upon ourselves.

May You Hear Our Prayer

"For they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace. Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God." (1 Kings 8:51-53)

We are God’s people. Lord, hear our prayers. Our pride and self-esteem are worthless. It is far wiser to avoid unnecessary suffering. Do you understand this? Stop insisting on your own rights. When you insist on your own rights, your body will suffer—whether it is your back, your hip, your knee, or your fingers. Why? Because when you argue your own case, you invite the devil in.

Soften your heart. God is a God who hears prayers. It is our stubbornness that blocks Him. It is our sins that cause Him to reject our prayers and even punish us. Take my advice: be sensible, stop arguing your own case, and align yourself with God's Word. You will save yourself a great deal of misery and misfortune. Will you listen to this? I must warn you again: I have received a revelation in prayer that many of your illnesses are going to return, one after another. The reason is simple: we live in grace, yet we offend God.

If your illness is worsening, take my advice and turn back immediately. I truly desire to see every brother and sister have their prayers answered, be healed, and suffer less. Let us save the time we would otherwise spend on sickbeds or in sin, and use it to fear Him. Fear Him all the days of your life, and love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Our self-righteousness is useless. We may think we are holy and upright, but none of it stands up to scrutiny. Put aside what you think is good, examine what is bad, repent thoroughly, and do not provoke God's anger.

Our God is rich in grace and mercy. The Israelites offended Him repeatedly, leading to their exile. Yet, after their exile, God brought them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Even when they offended Him again, His grace and mercy remained. I feel deeply ashamed before God; I do not possess such patience, and I must learn. Remember, God’s grace and mercy are abundant. It is never too late to turn back. Make the decision today to stop suffering under God's punishment.

May God bless you all!