1. Theme: Serving Jehovah Our God with a Cheerful Heart

Reading the Book of Exodus is like looking in a mirror, encapsulating the life of a Christian. I find that whenever Israel willingly and cheerfully served God, there was glory. Whenever the Israelites were willing to serve God with a cheerful heart, there would be great blessings.

Dying in the wilderness was due to problems with people's thoughts and minds. When people do not act according to their own intentions, God’s glory will be manifested in them. The glory of this latter temple will be greater than the former. It is important for us to know now that building a church that glorifies God is important. We must know that the church is where God dwells.

In 2015, during the most difficult time for the church, facing great difficulties, a young sister had a fever. The pastor and the brothers and sisters prayed for her. It was very hard work, and no medicine or anything else worked. It was over 40 degrees Celsius, which was frightening, but we still believed in God through prayer with faith. Now our church is completely different from what it was then. Now that little pastor can heal with prayer through faith.

Today's church is more powerful and influential than before. No matter what stage we are in, we must understand one thing: to serve our God with a cheerful heart throughout our lives. We have emerged from the hard times then because of faith.

At that time, there were internal and external troubles, and the church faced pressure. However, under such circumstances, a group of us persevered in serving this sister, relying on faith to persevere. I am moved that today, when this sister gets sick, an unknown young pastor prays for her, and she is healed! I am very clear about one thing: today our church is stronger than it was then, we are richer than before, and we have more power and influence. We still have a long way to go on the road to prosperity, but the only thing that leads to lasting blessings is to serve Jehovah our God with a cheerful heart throughout our lives. Choosing to serve God is our only way out.

2. Scripture

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, even though you had an abundance of everything, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. (Deuteronomy 28:47-48)

3. Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank you for letting us endure the difficult days and be blessed in this prosperous season, and for raising up many leaders. May we, as a group, always guard our minds. We have nothing to boast about, as this is the path of truth, the way to peace.

4. First: Awe is a Beginning

Before God prepared to bless the Israelites, they first had a sense of awe. In order to train them, God used many methods. God used the first method to make them wander in the wilderness. The second thing was to promulgate the law, with only one purpose: not to make them die in the law, but to let them know how to fear God and keep His word, and then they would begin to be blessed. The third thing was to make Moses' face shine, so that these rebellious Israelites were afraid to approach him when they saw Moses.

God did something quite creative, but I didn't understand it at the time. However, through prayer, I knew that God was teaching the Israelites something.

Exodus 34 says that because Moses talked with God, his face shone, and the Israelites did not dare to look at Moses. Because the Israelites had just worshiped the golden calf idol, they were afraid of Moses. God also filled Moses with glory in front of the people, so that the Israelites would know how to fear God and would no longer worship idols.

As an elder brother in the church, I have the job of exhortation. I often say to the brothers and sisters I pastor: Learn to instill awe in those being pastored, as that is the beginning for them to walk the path of blessing in the end. Our church is now full of testimonies because we have emerged from the darkness. The days we spent in darkness have taught us to let those being pastored have a heart of reverence for the pastor.

God did this thing with creativity in order to bless people. God did not intend to punish the people, but to bless them. People who hold the golden calf idol cannot serve God with a cheerful heart; people who complain in the wilderness cannot know God. How can one be blessed if one does not serve with a cheerful heart?

Foolish people cannot receive blessings, but we must respect our pastors and let us all have such a mindset and learn to respect. No matter what perspective we are in, pastors deserve to be respected, and little sheep learn to respect. How long God’s eyes and God’s heart stay with us depends on our mindset.

5. Second: Manifesting Glory in a Desolate Land

After beginning to fear God, there is a heart of willingness to serve. When the decision to build the temple was made, the people continuously went to donate. But Moses told them: The materials for building the temple are enough. In the church, we constantly urge brothers and sisters to tithe, but the Bible speaks of cheerful giving, so that Moses called a halt, which is very shocking.

When we study the Bible, we often feel full of faith in God's work. Because in the barren wilderness, God's golden tabernacle appeared, and everything was very exquisite. All kinds of work are admirable. A group of people put themselves forward and were suddenly transformed, turning from complaining people into people raised up by God to accomplish the work of dedication. Time seems to pass for a long time, and they come out of their own selfish desires and offer everything.

The Israelites offered gold and silver. Many people donated until Moses said it was enough. When I read this, I wondered when we could become like this. Today we still have to chase after some brothers and sisters to urge them to tithe, so that they can be blessed, and in the end, we are too lazy to urge them. Today, I say that we must serve Jehovah God with a cheerful heart. If we cannot even pass the test of giving, then forget about it.

I encourage everyone to prepare for Bible study. When I lead Bible study myself, I often feel emotionally charged, imagining myself in the desolate wilderness, seeing the glorious temple of Jehovah, exquisite, beautiful, and full of glory. It's so divine! It's so glorious. How was metallurgy done in the wilderness? I close my eyes and watch a movie. This group of Israelites came out of distress, sorrow, and complaining and became willing to give and serve God with a cheerful heart. It was truly a cheerful heart, so much so that Moses could not take it all. The same group of Israelites, this scene, shows the glory of God.

When they completed God's tabernacle, it was sparkling, emitting seven colors of light. This is the glory of the desolate land. This is what our church looks like. In very difficult days, the pastor preached a sermon on the stage, God is clearly with us. Even if it is desolate, so what? There is a beautiful scenery here, because people are willing to serve God.

The same group of Israelites, they served so willingly, which is the glory in the wilderness. Today, our church is no longer the glory in the wilderness, but the glory above glory.

6. Third: Glory Above Glory

We need to put in, invest, and sacrifice more because we are entering the glory above glory. The days have indeed gotten better, but we still have greater glory to climb upwards. The greatest glory is that each of us is glorious. When reading the Bible, I received a wonderful will from God, which is that God will build His dwelling according to His name.

The glory of the greatest glory in the future is that there will be a group of people who are themselves glory, and this is a dwelling of God built by a group of people hand in hand. God will closely connect us with Himself, which is a state of unity between heaven and man. We are part of God's glorious dwelling, and we become the greatest glory. This is not the glory in the wilderness, nor the glory of David.

God will build His dwelling according to His name. God's wonderful will is that God likes to be with people who are cheerful and willing. In the future greatest glory, God will make us more closely connected with God Himself. The greatest glory is that everyone who holds on to cheerfulness and willingness will be united.

7. Conclusion

We must never lose the heart to serve God with a cheerful heart. Our generation has arrived. Prepared with so many resources, we can do better. Our era of revival has arrived.

On this land, God will prepare more people for us who are willing to serve God with a cheerful heart. We can do better, glory above glory! Looking back on the path we have taken, the past days have been a very difficult road, and we willingly serve our God.

Today we are rich, are we still willing to serve our God with a cheerful heart? If we keep God's statutes and ordinances, we will surely be blessed. Come out of your busy lives and serve our God. We live to serve God! The return for serving God is extremely rich!