Introduction
Good day to all, we now embark on a new series, entitled The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why this series? Because the last one was on Signs Will Follow Those Who Believe. You may ask: Teacher, why haven't I seen any? Well, do you believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Many believe, but not in the Gospel of Jesus Christ; they might be worshipping some deity in a temple. If signs do not follow, doesn't that highlight the problem? The problem lies in not getting it right.
Many who believe do not see signs following; what follows instead? Doctors, hospitals, diseases, disasters, hardship, and poverty. What has happened? Are those who believe destined for calamities? It turns out they have believed the wrong Gospel. It is crucial to understand that preaching the wrong Gospel invites a curse, and believing the wrong Gospel also invites a curse. Why believe the wrong Gospel? It's rather bizarre. We have believed in a so-called gospel that is not the Gospel at all; it's bad news, a message of woe. How lamentable!
Be careful not to believe the wrong Gospel. You might be following Kazuo Inamori, Tseng Shih-Chiang, Zhou Wenqiang, or even Dong Yuhui. Which one do you follow? Can signs follow such figures? You may journey with Yuhui, but not with God, and perhaps even with misfortune. That will be quite a burden.
Who then is leading us astray from the Gospel? Many brothers and sisters have told me: Teacher, when I first believed, God bestowed many blessings. So, how did those blessings vanish as you continued in faith? I tell you, you are like the Galatians. What kind of people are the Galatians? They initially received grace but then turned to a different Gospel. They were unaware that a substitution had taken place, a ruse where Jesus was replaced by something else. If you believe in this replacement, what can you expect? Hence, we need to recalibrate.
Yesterday, a sister contacted one of our pastors, saying that after listening to my teachings, she realized what believing in Jesus truly meant. Her mother's vertebrae had been fractured, with a significant piece missing. She prayed for her mother, and miraculously, her mother was able to walk normally again. She then went home to serve her father as I had taught, and her father also received grace. She is quite intelligent, a graduate of a prestigious university.
So, the Gospel is truly wonderful! Just put it into practice, and it will surely work. Signs will follow those who believe—believe what? Believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe in the Gospel, not a message of woe. The Gospel is truly good. Therefore, starting this week, we begin a new series called The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This series might span ten or even eight sessions, as I systematically explain what the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is and what we believe in, hoping to provide clarity.
Recently, I felt quite troubled. Why burden myself with such a difficult topic? Today's topic is The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Me, which is notoriously difficult to explain. Nevertheless, we will clarify as much as we can. The Gospel of Jesus Christ begins with the Spirit of the Lord being upon us. God will once again have mercy on His people in this generation, restoring the Gospel of Jesus Christ, allowing His glory to fill the earth and be manifested in us, according to His glorious power.
How blessed we are to have the opportunity to participate in God's project! God is my project manager; He manages things exceedingly well. I abide in Him, doing what He does, becoming a vessel to manifest His glory. What God intends to do in this generation exceeds our expectations.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus Christ; the Spirit of the Lord is upon the Apostle Paul; the Spirit of the Lord is upon Timothy; the Spirit of the Lord is upon you; the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. We are to proclaim good news: release to the captives, freedom to the oppressed, sight to the blind, and mobility to the lame. Wow, with God, our opportunity has come.
Too many are corrupting the church and leading people astray from the truth of the Gospel, causing them to believe in a false gospel. This is not unique to our era; it has been happening since ancient times. If you read the Book of Galatians, you will see that the Galatians of that time heard the Gospel preached by the Apostle Paul and received many blessings. Later, another group came, purportedly from Peter and James. Could Peter and James be preaching a false gospel? Perhaps.
Paul was furious, saying, You should have stayed in Jerusalem; why did you come to Galatia to cause corruption? The people thought they were experts. As a result, they believed a false gospel, causing the Galatians much suffering. Paul asked, Have you suffered so many things in vain? There was death, healing and exorcism ceased to be effective, and there was much suffering without glory. That was not bearing the cross for the Lord but bearing the curses brought by a false gospel. It is utterly detestable.
Even now, such corrupting gospels are still being spread, falsely claiming to be the true Gospel. Is the Spirit of the Lord upon them? It seems more like an evil spirit. Yet, they consider themselves orthodox. Some stand on the podium proclaiming themselves as such. Does merely claiming that make it so? However, God has given us a challenging task—not to challenge them, for that is not our intention. We must receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not a false substitute.
Where does the Gospel of Jesus Christ begin? It begins with the Spirit of the Lord being upon us. Many years ago, I fought this battle. One sister's story is very representative. She suffered from depression since middle school. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, phobias—mental illnesses are very painful. Why? Because she was oppressed by demons. She had many voices speaking to her internally, using the second person. Isn't it strange to hear a voice inside your head addressing you as you? It's very wicked. Then she went to church.
After attending church, her insomnia improved, her depression lifted, she felt much joy for three months. A sister said: God will surely heal you. Then, the church began putting her through their 101 Course, which was not our 101 Course. It involved bearing the cross, theological views on suffering, and a lot of talk, after which depression returned, insomnia returned, everything returned. Oh, what suffering!
Later, she found a job in Singapore. There are many adherents of such gospels in Singapore. Calling them was useless. When she called me, I ministered to her, casting out demons because her symptoms were worsening. One day, her mother came to Singapore to visit her, and she made a phone call to one of the pastors from her former church in front of her mother. That pastor was terrible; instead of releasing faith, he released corruption. He said: A brother in France went to a charismatic church and went mad.
The sister was terrified upon hearing this, and her face became distorted and evil. Her mother was frightened, saying, How come my daughter turned into a demon after talking to this person? Her mother encouraged her, You must go and see a pastor immediately!
That day, I happened to be praying in the church when she arrived, looking dazed and frightened. I prayed with her for one hour, two hours, three hours—my goodness! There was no improvement. I am flexible in my approach, so I thought: If we continue like this, it will be debilitating. What should I do? I suggested going down for a cup of tea or coffee to refresh ourselves.
As I walked out of the church door, I turned around and said: Sister, you will be delivered today! I must cast out this demon! If not today, then tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then I will dedicate myself to this. My God is a God of deliverance! My God is a God who sets people free! As it turned out, I didn't even drink much water before returning. As soon as I came back, the demon started trembling, and at the start of prayer, it manifested, screaming loudly. Her mother held her while she rolled on the ground.
Thank God, my faith was steadfast. I knew the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and He would deliver the captives! I saw the sister delivered and tears streamed down my face. There were no tears before deliverance, but I persevered until deliverance came. Later, many people learned the saying, Persevere one minute longer than the devil. This is good, but it must be understood with discernment.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to preach the Gospel to the humble, to heal the brokenhearted. He has anointed me, giving me this destiny to proclaim release to the captives and freedom to the oppressed. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me tell you good news: no one among us will go mad. Those who are mad among us will be delivered, depression will be healed, skin diseases will be healed, and even cancer will be healed.
So, what is the issue? The issue is that this Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not preach a Gospel of oppression that causes people to relapse into insomnia or depression. Our Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said that signs will follow those who believe. That comes from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is upon us, preaching a Gospel of deliverance. The spirit of the devil is upon people, preaching a Gospel of bondage that is not Gospel at all.
When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, He instructed, Wait in Jerusalem; do nothing until the Holy Spirit, promised by the Father, comes upon you. Then you will receive power. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. What Gospel is that? It is the Gospel of the Spirit of the Lord being upon us.
It is good to have the Spirit of the Lord upon us; it is what we need most in life. Brothers and sisters, I remind you again: we need the Spirit of the Lord most in our lives. Be filled with the Holy Spirit every day, and then receive power to be witnesses for the Lord. This is why the early church, like the Apostle Paul, would ask everyone he met, Have you been baptized? I have been baptized in the name of Jesus; I have repented. Then Paul would ask, Have you received the Holy Spirit? You will find this pattern in the Book of Acts.
However, many churches now only perform water baptism, but our Lord Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, so we must continually emphasize this. Why have some churches abandoned the practice of receiving the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit can set us free. The devil has spread a lie, saying: Believe in the Lord, repent, and the Holy Spirit will dwell within you. The Scripture does not say that. In the Scripture, after people were baptized in the name of Jesus, they were asked if they had received the Holy Spirit.
You will notice that some groups' expressions change at the mention of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because it involves evil spirits. At the mention of the Holy Spirit and exorcism, their expressions change. We had a brother who attended a particular church in America. His family was facing many problems, and the church did little other than refer him to doctors or offer a mere Oh, I will pray for you.
After hearing our teachings, he felt that this was the truth, this was the Gospel, and he began to speak about it in his local church, perhaps moved by the Spirit of God. As he preached the Gospel of being filled with the Holy Spirit, the pastor began to stop the brothers and sisters in the church, saying, Don't contact him, don't contact him. When he returned to the church, he found a banner hanging that read, Speaking in Tongues is Forbidden. My goodness! This is a typical modern day Pharisees.
You must understand that what they are doing is a clear violation of Scripture. Will God not curse such actions? Surely He will, and they will be the ones to suffer. You know that the early church believed in four steps: first, repentance; second, accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; third, baptism with water; and fourth, receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit. These are the four steps. As for this other church, they only do water baptism. Can that bring power?
Jesus said: Wait in Jerusalem; do not go anywhere, but wait for the Holy Spirit promised by the Father. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will receive power. However, they are preaching a Gospel without the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord being upon us is the most crucial part of the Gospel! It is the source of miracles! We believe in the Gospel of the Spirit of the Lord being upon us; we believe in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus being resurrected from the dead; we believe in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus baptizing us with the Holy Spirit.
You do not need a university degree; someone with an elementary school diploma can read and understand the Bible. Just read it literally, and you will understand. However, many groups distort the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a powerless Gospel. So, brothers and sisters, you must know that receiving the Holy Spirit is the best thing. Open Luke 11:5-13:
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the friend inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me; the door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:5-13)
The best gift is the Holy Spirit. How do you ask for the Holy Spirit? Like asking for bread. Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. And suppose the friend inside answers, Do not bother me; the door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
So, the disciples waited in Jerusalem, having read this passage and heard Jesus' teaching, and they prayed there, Fill me with the Holy Spirit, fill me with the Holy Spirit for about ten days. If you have what it takes, try spending half a month there praying Fill me with the Holy Spirit. What will happen when the Holy Spirit fills you? You will receive power.
So, what does God say? Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened to you. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
Many churches say, Oh, be careful, an evil spirit might come if you ask for the Holy Spirit. What nonsense is this? Jesus already knew they would say such things, so He recorded these words in the Bible. However, they do not read the Bible properly, nor do they want to.
Casting out demons relies on the Spirit of God; otherwise, there is no power. Speaking in new tongues relies on the Spirit of God; handling snakes relies on the Spirit of God; God accomplishing His salvation in us relies on the Spirit of God; ascending spiritual peaks and knowing the truth of God rely on the Spirit of God. Entering into the truth with the Spirit of God, ascending the peaks of spiritual truth with the Spirit of God—everything relies on the Spirit of God. That is the key to the Gospel!
Brothers and sisters, do not say, Oh, Teacher, what you said sounds just like Kazuo Inamori's 'Living Way' and 'Working Way'. Can that be the same? It is the Spirit of the Lord upon us; that is the essential difference. So, brothers and sisters, what happens when the Spirit of God descends upon us? When the Spirit of God descends upon us, demons will come. You may ask, Will demons not come when the Spirit of God has not descended upon us? Demons are too lazy to come.
Having dealt with demons, I understand their thinking well. They look and say, Ah, these are all people in the kingdom of the devil; no need to bother with them. Just have a lesser demon watch over them. However, as soon as you believe in the Lord and receive the Holy Spirit, here comes a big demon. What for? To tempt you and test you. If you fail the test, the Gospel becomes a stumbling block. So, Luke writes in the Gospel of Luke that many will fall, and many will rise.
So, when the Holy Spirit comes, the devil also comes to test you. Whether you can overcome the temptation depends on your destiny. How did Jesus Christ overcome it? Jesus said that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Remember the three things Jesus said to overcome the devil. The second is not to test God. The third is to worship the Lord your God alone. Jesus Christ could overcome temptation; can we? We can, but some cannot.
Why do they attach many heretical labels to receiving the Holy Spirit? Because many have fallen because of the Holy Spirit. Actually, they were already falling; they were lying face down and continue to lie face down, they were lying down and continue to lie down, so the Holy Spirit cannot help them. The grace bestowed by Jesus Christ must be cherished well; do not be afraid; in spiritual matters, God has the final say.
However, be careful not to fall into the devil's schemes and not to be tempted. Now you live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. A sister said: Teacher, do you know that I had many blessings when I first believed in the Lord? I said: When did they disappear? She said, They disappeared as I continued in faith. Disappeared as you continued in faith? Wow, you have become a Galatian! Do you understand?
Why a Galatian? Read the Book of Galatians. At first, they received grace and walked on the path of faith, but later they walked on the path of moral teachings, believing away the Spirit of God and the grace. That is what a Galatian is like! However, this does not mean that receiving grace at the beginning was wrong. We should indeed walk in God's grace. Let us look at the scripture, Luke 4:16-21.
Scripture
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He said to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as Your Spirit was upon You, so may it be poured out upon us. Let us preach a Gospel that brings deliverance; let us preach a Gospel that transforms the poor into the wealthy. Lord Jesus, be gracious to us and let this word be fulfilled in our hearing today. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen!
Background of the Scripture
The background of this scripture is very meaningful because the Book of Luke begins with the verse that Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit. I ask you, do you believe in Jesus or the Monkey King? If you believe in Jesus and Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Jesus, the Son of God, still needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit and so do we. How do we get filled of the Holy Spirit? By opening a path. What path? Path for Holy Spirit to fill those who believe.
When does Holy Spirit fill you? Holy Spirit fills you upon return from baptism. What happens after Holy Spirit fills you? He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted for forty days. This signifies that a filling of the Holy Spirit is a dangerous matter.
Actually, Spiritual teaching talk about demons because it is not wrong and without demons there wouldn't be test.
Let us review Jesus. Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit then gets tempted. What about other Christians? Does temptation results in triumph or failure? I am not sure. But when you have heard gospel teaching about Spirit of the Lord is on me you must be cautious because if you are filled with Holy Spirit, then testing will come upon you.
The devil said to Jesus, if thou the Son of God, command the tone to become food. Jesus countered, Man shall not live on bread, alone. God is above food. Did Jesus prevailed? He wins.
The devil didn't stop there, brings Jesus to mountain and shows the Kingdom. Said, I will give this kingdom in return for you bowing before me.. Jesus said, Don't worship any else, Worship God! Did He win again? He wins. Do we have this level of strength? If you do not have this level of power, then it shall be the Spiritual camp.
Then the devil took Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him for a season. Later did he return? Yes, but only for a season.
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him spread through all the surrounding region. When the Sabbath day came in Nazareth, He opened the Scripture and said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” After hearing this, the people questioned His meaning: “What do you mean, fulfilled in our hearing? The Spirit of the Lord is upon You?”
Of course, He had performed so many miracles. Otherwise, would they have allowed Jesus to speak? The carpenter’s son, who had never stood on the platform, now stood there and declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So, coming to His hometown, the main point Jesus wanted to convey was that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, as stated in Isaiah 61:1. I believe that the gospel we preach today must return to “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”; this is crucial.
You might ask, “Is the gospel of Jesus Christ simply the Spirit of the Lord?” No, there is more, which I will explain next week, until the gospel of Jesus Christ is fully understood. This time, the focus is on the Spirit of the Lord. So, this has opened up a very important path for us: the Spirit of the Lord is upon us. This is the background of this passage. Of course, this was early in Jesus’ ministry, when He was just beginning to preach about the Spirit of the Lord being upon Him.
This Gospel is a Spirit-Filled Gospel
Brothers and sisters, you must understand that this gospel is a Spirit-filled gospel. There are several terms for being filled with the Spirit: first, “filled with the Holy Spirit”; second, “baptized in the Holy Spirit.” Being filled with the Holy Spirit and being baptized in the Spirit mean the same thing. This gospel is a Spirit-filled gospel. Why? Without this step, one lacks the ability. Therefore, I hope all brothers and sisters will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
How can one be filled with the Holy Spirit? By “asking”! The gospel is a Spirit-filled gospel, because only when you are filled with the Holy Spirit do you receive power. Why did Jesus have miracles following Him? Because the Spirit filled Jesus without measure. If the Spirit could fill us without measure today, that would be wonderful.
Why can I read this here? Because that is how it is written in the Bible. It is not as if your Bible and my Bible are different versions, or that I wrote my Bible and you wrote yours. Is that what the Bible is? It is not like that.
I realized that in Jesus Christ, what I needed most was miracles. How can I receive miracles? Be filled with the Holy Spirit. The gospel I believe in is a Spirit-filled gospel. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, we receive power. Where did this start? From seeing the helplessness in the face of illness. I tell you, sickness is a very annoying thing. Who likes sickness? Only someone with a mental problem would want it. But hospitals cannot solve it. If hospitals could solve it, would so many people die?
In fact, today’s hospitals are like vegetable markets, with so many people, why? Because they cannot be cured. Therefore, this gospel heals the sick. When hands are laid on the sick, they will recover. This is good. When did I start practicing this? From the beginning of building the church. Before that, I did not have such a great hobby of constantly seeking out the sick to lay hands on them. There were not so many sick people to lay hands on, and people would not let you lay hands on them. In the church, I would listen to the incoherent sermons and study the Bible.
Why is my Bible so marked up? When listening to sermons, I would study the Bible, taking notes and underlining. After the pastor finished the sermon, I would quote the scriptures he used, and after he finished, I would write my own draft. That is roughly how it was. When it came to small group sharing, after everyone else had spoken, and it was my turn to supplement or share, I would present the draft I had prepared during the pastor’s sermon. I finally had the opportunity to express myself.
Later, when building the church, I saw those who were oppressed and unlucky, and I wondered how to solve their problems. Giving them money did not solve it. Helping them revise their resumes did not solve it. Helping them with this and that did not solve it. Later, I realized something was wrong, so our church changed to a prayer-based church. Miracles and wonders sprang up like mushrooms after rain. Why? Because there was much prayer in the spirit. The amount of prayer was amazing. Why? Because there was nothing else to do but pray.
How can you pray when you have the time? If you pray for an hour without repeating yourself, you will be exhausted, covered in sweat, as if you were writing a manuscript. When I pray in the spirit, I feel that Paul’s prayer in tongues was more than that of all others. This is a good thing. The gospel we believe in is a Spirit-filled gospel. Anyway, I had nothing to do; I had no money to go shopping, and it was not interesting. It was not fun to go out, and there were few people in the church. What should I do with all that time? Pray in tongues.
Sometimes my face would turn red. It was good, otherwise I would feel uncomfortable. I ask you, if there is no one in the church, and you just go to work and come home, what do you do? You feel uncomfortable. When you are uncomfortable, your heart feels like you are living in darkness, a real torment. Now it is good. Why? Because finally, there is time to pray. Before, when I was busy with work, I had no time to pray. I understand everyone. You are so busy with work, how can you be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Once you are filled, it is amazing. Filled every day, filled every day, the Holy Spirit is overflowing everywhere. As a result, miracles and wonders spring up in the church like mushrooms after rain. This person is healed, that person is healed. My goodness, it is so good! So good. When we think back to that time, that fiery passion, I still feel very good today.
There was a sister from Singapore who had the spirit of the Four-Faced Buddha, a very powerful spirit. I don’t know what it was called, but she used to worship that thing. When I was praying for her, I felt something was not right. You know, when I cast out demons, I never close my eyes. You should not close your eyes when you pray either. Why? Because I keep my eyes open.
Then the Holy Spirit said, “Step back two steps.” So I moved back. We were all kneeling on the floor. My goodness, as soon as I stepped back, she came flying from her seat in 0.1 seconds. She was about to grab my face. If I had not dodged quickly, my face would have been scratched. The movement was too fast. Several people were holding her down, but they could not restrain her. She had great strength. A skinny woman whom several strong men could not hold down, she really had strength. After much persuasion and continued prayer, the demon was finally cast out.
The things of the spiritual realm are too powerful. You cannot play with them without being filled with the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, we must pray in tongues extensively, even if we do not have time. This is a great grace because the gospel we believe in is a Spirit-filled gospel.
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit is God’s Best Grace for Us
The Holy Spirit is the best grace our Father in heaven has given us. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is the best grace God has given us. Many people do not know this; they think that believing in Jesus simply means going to heaven. If you really go to heaven, will you find that you have entered the right door? The gospel is not about going to heaven or not, but about living out God’s glorious image while we are alive. If we want to live out God’s glorious image while we are alive, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
I have studied being filled with the Holy Spirit for a long time. You know, when people came to the church, I could talk to them about Jesus, about confessing sins, repenting, and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. But when it came to being filled with the Holy Spirit, they did not understand. No matter how much I explained, it was not clear. Can you explain it clearly? Being filled with the Holy Spirit is like this or that, it is exhausting. Later, I realized something was wrong. I felt that we are not filled with the Holy Spirit because we understand it clearly, but we understand it clearly because we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
If you want to know the taste of an apple, you have to take a bite; if you want to know the taste of a pear, take another bite; if you want to know the taste of durian, just smell it. That is how it works. If I hold a pear here and you have never eaten a pear, how can I describe its taste? It is impossible to describe. Later, I invented a phrase: “Being filled with the Holy Spirit is good, it is very good. Come, pray with me. I open my heart and invite Jesus Christ to come in.”
Recently, an American sister was sharing the gospel with an old man, and she said, “I don’t know how to explain it.” Then our coworker said, “Pastor, can you record a short segment for her?” So I recorded a segment that was about 30 seconds to a minute long: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I open my heart and invite the Holy Spirit to fill me, Holy Spirit fill me, Hallelujah, Holy Spirit fill me.” This greatly improved efficiency. Before, I would explain until I was covered in sweat, but people still did not understand.
Some brothers and sisters are very interesting. They have never been to other churches; they think that all churches are like ours. In fact, they are not. I said, “This is what I invented because being filled with the Holy Spirit is the best grace the Father has given us.” I invented a method: “Oh, it’s very good. Come, pray with me.” I did not explain how it was good, but just said it was very good. As a result, this sister went home and led her father, who was paralyzed on one side, in prayer. I did not understand the details, but it was really good.
From now on, preach the gospel, preach the gospel of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and lead people to desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a great grace, extremely good. My goodness, their inner being begins to change, and they feel really good. You know, the Bible says to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, not to get drunk. We could not understand what getting drunk had to do with being filled with the Holy Spirit. Later, I understood that the feeling inside me after being filled with the Holy Spirit, that comfortable feeling, is like drinking alcohol. That is the comparison.
So I tell you, ask for the Holy Spirit like asking for bread. It is so good. If you want people to pray in turns, the prayer methods of certain groups are very complicated, like writing an essay. One person prays for ten minutes, and when it is your turn, they have already said everything you wanted to say. Do you have to repeat it? It is exhausting. Some people may not seem like much, but they are good at writing prayer essays. This is too difficult for people. How free you are among us! The Holy Spirit lets you be free; it is really good!
The Holy Spirit Guides Us into All Truth
You think it is over? No. If you do not understand in your intellect, the Holy Spirit will still guide you. Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology with a lot of prayer in tongues, but this is not the best. The best is that the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. I feel very proud that, throughout the ages, we are the first to understand Genesis chapter 1. Never before has there been such an interpretation as ours. I do not know if Paul had this interpretation, but it is not recorded in the Bible.
Why? Because we pray extensively, and we lead Bible studies, not knowing how to study. How do you explain Genesis chapter 1? Someone asked me, How do you know this? I don't know, I wasn't there. If you don't know, why are you explaining it? My goodness, I was almost choked. So before people can choke me, I prepare myself. In the past, I was choked until my face turned red and I couldn't speak, not knowing what to say.
We prayed and the Holy Spirit guided us to understand, Ah, so Genesis chapter 1 is explained this way. Where is this the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth found? John 16:13. We must know that without the Holy Spirit, how can we understand? Why are people slow to understand? Because they lack the Holy Spirit. If our minds are not working well, for example, if a child's mind is not working well, lead them to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit, pray in tongues, and read the Bible, so that they receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
I tell you, the Holy Spirit can reveal truth to you. Can it also reveal mathematics to you? Yes. Can it also reveal physics to you? Yes. Then learning becomes simple. If you want to pass a certification exam, you see a thick book, and everything hurts except your hair. Even your intestines hurt, it's upsetting. Why? Because you are not filled with the Holy Spirit enough. The Holy Spirit wants to be your wisdom! The Holy Spirit wants to be your strength! The Holy Spirit is everything to you! That is amazing.
A rotten person must be lacking in the Holy Spirit, must be praying little. You must pray well. When you pray, what do you pray for? Pray that you understand what God wants to tell you through reading the Bible, and the Holy Spirit will surely reveal it. So Chinese Mingding Destiny is actually a theology of spiritual revelation. I believe, I believe that God will surely reveal it to me. I prayed for a day, nothing; I prayed for two days, nothing. But I believed that my God would surely reveal it to me. As a result, I did not give up for two weeks, and the Holy Spirit revealed it to me.
Why did God make you pray for two weeks? If I had given up after one week, it would not have happened, right? So Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology that is persistent and practices faith, it is extremely good. Read it slowly. For example, if you do not understand mathematics and your mind is not clear, try praying and you will really understand. Do we all know how to raise children now?
We should also pray when doing scientific research. Of course, don't give up tomorrow if you don't get it today. Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology that does not give up. Chinese Mingding Destiny is not Abandon, do you understand? It is not Abandon, it is Abundance. Abandon is to give up. If you open an English dictionary, the first word is Abandon. Abundance is abundance, that is different.
These Galatians stopped believing along the way and went to rely on works-based righteousness, practicing the law and keeping circumcision, doing a lot of tricks. Faith was originally a simple thing, but they had to make it complicated. Brothers and sisters, you must know that with the Holy Spirit, many problems become very simple. Ah, the Galatians made it complicated.
If you look at Little Red Book or the teachings of Zeng Shiqiang or Kazuo Inamori, I don't object, just don't end up with cancer like them. If you are confused, then I will tell you: you are a Galatian! The more the Galatians do, the more complicated it becomes.
The Holy Spirit is Our Strength
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will have strength! You must enter into all truth in the spiritual heights. We just began to enter by the Holy Spirit, receiving the Holy Spirit by faith, being perfected by the Holy Spirit. We entered by the Holy Spirit and understood a little, don't stop, the Holy Spirit will become your strength, and you must constantly climb the spiritual heights. At the beginning of climbing the spiritual heights, it is steep and slippery, and it is difficult to climb. You must rely on the sword of the Spirit to support your body.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is needed at all times. A person spends his whole life climbing spiritual heights, and he must rely on the Holy Spirit. Some people think that what the pastor is talking about is too mysterious. What does it feel like after climbing to the spiritual peak? How did you climb up? They ask my coworkers, Does he have hair growing on his face? Shen Gongbao has hair growing, but being filled with the Holy Spirit does not cause hair to grow on your face. He thinks he is great, but he is actually very ordinary and ordinary. This person cannot be seen from the outside, but the feeling inside is different.
At the beginning of climbing the spiritual heights, the process of knowing God's truth is very hard. At that time, every time I studied a Bible passage and every time I preached a sermon, I was so tired that I would fall on my butt. My heart was not clear, and it was very hard. Now it is actually very hard, and I am always exploring, but I am increasingly relying on the Spirit of God, and I am increasingly relying on God's power. So the Holy Spirit is our sword, and we rely on the Holy Spirit. How do we climb? The process of climbing is recognizing one truth after another.
Someone asked, How do I climb? I will give you an idea: understand the Gospel of Matthew, understand the Gospel of Luke, understand Galatians, and understand Ephesians. When we were climbing the spiritual heights, we were actually studying one book of the Bible after another. At that time, it was actually very hard in our hearts, struggling in the darkness, not knowing when it would end.
An old pastor gave me a book called The Sacred Anointing, which was written by Pastor Cook of England. That book described the conditions of many churches entering different stages, and I was extremely envious after reading it. Thank the Lord, I am a down-to-earth person. I take one step at a time, studying the Bible, chapter by chapter. I tell you, I am like this, I think one day this mountain will be removed by God, and one day I will stand before God.
Serving faithfully and steadfastly, shepherding faithfully and steadfastly, dividing the spiritual food faithfully and steadfastly at the right time, is very hard in this process, and the heart is not bright. But one day, climbing to Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, suddenly, the inside became bright. Everything that I used to think was a problem was no longer a problem. It was so magical, it was really like the state that Rick Joyner described in Galatians 2:20.
I can only tell you that it used to be very hard, but if you climb up relying on the Holy Spirit, you will one day stand in the Father's garden and admire God's beauty. Jesus Christ overcame temptation, and man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God, overcoming the temptation of the devil Satan is the truth. There is truth in Jesus Christ, there is God's mountain, He came down from above, and He originally wanted to guide us and let us rely on the Holy Spirit to reach His height.
If you are crucified with Jesus Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Jesus Christ lives in me. You now live, not by the flesh, but by the Son of God. Are you worried about living? You don't have to worry about living anymore. Will you be fired by your boss? Will you experience a situation where you can't eat or drink and owe people money? No. In my Father's house, there is extremely abundant grace, and the Holy Spirit will become your strength, with hope, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, and constantly climbing upward.
In your practice of faith, you will find that your view of things changes every day. Why? Because the height is different, to see a thousand miles further, ascend to a greater height. Today we are not climbing the Yellow Crane Tower, nor the Yueyang Tower, but we are climbing the holy mountain of God, and on the top of the mountain is God's holy temple, admiring God's beauty! Go up another floor, and you will have a clearer and farther view, it is extremely good. As your knowledge of the truth increases, you will become more and more free inside, and you will have less and less foolishness inside.
The Holy Spirit Sets Us Free
I recently ministered to some very foolish people who could not understand no matter what I did. What is the reason? Too little of the Holy Spirit, too many worries. The Holy Spirit sets us free, and the truth sets us free. When you don't know the truth at the beginning, the Holy Spirit guides you into the truth, and then guides you into more truth, and then into more truth. How much of God's word you know, how much of God's truth you know, how much of God's freedom you get.
Why are you not free? Because you don't know. I hope that brothers and sisters can be free, because God's truth can make you free. You cannot struggle at a very low level; climb quickly and constantly. When you climb to the level of fraternal unity, the devil's arrows will not hit you. When you climb to the level of Galatians 2:20. Wow, it is not just praying in tongues, but there is God's power in you, and from then on, you preach a powerful gospel.
In the coming years, Chinese Mingding Destiny will influence batches of Christians, causing people to receive the grace of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Those who are bound will be released, those who are oppressed will be free, and the poor will become rich. Everyone, don't be confused, the poor will become rich is the word of the Bible. If you, being poor, become poorer, you must have believed in the wrong gospel. If you used to not be on the blacklist, but now you are on the blacklist, it means you made a mistake in the past, and you must move out of the blacklist. The inside of you begins to constantly climb.
Why do people like to ask those nonsensical questions? Because people are confused and unclear inside, which is a matter of height. The gospel of Jesus Christ that we believe in today is the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Amen!
I hope that one day, we will all be able to praise God's beauty on God's holy mountain, in God's holy temple, and everyone will be able to live out God's glorious appearance. This does not require bowing in small steps or bowing in large steps, God's intention is such. Those who are now living in chaos, laziness, and corruption must continue to be released. Return the garbage inside of you to the garbage, throw what belongs to the sewer into the sewer, throw what belongs to the toilet into the toilet, and dedicate what belongs to God to God!
May God bless everyone! Amen!