Good day, everyone. Let us delve into the sixth chapter of Judges. This chapter is truly remarkable, and I fear my exposition may fall short. I wonder, have you had the chance to preview it? If so, what key takeaways have you gleaned? My method for studying the Bible is straightforward: focus on the essentials. What is the central theme of this chapter? Allow me to offer my perspective, bearing in mind that it is not the definitive answer; your interpretation is equally valid. The theme of this chapter could be titled "God Actually Chose Gideon, Who Served Idols." Gideon, a servant of idols, and let me tell you, a mere glance at his behaviour reveals his idolatrous leanings.

I. Gideon's Family Served the Baal Idols

Gideon's father, Joash, worshipped idols. I ask you, did Gideon ever join his father in idol worship? Undoubtedly, they did so together. Let me assure you, despite God's selection of Gideon to deliver the Israelites, Gideon remained entangled in worldly affairs and a heart prone to idolatry throughout his life. Though he served God, his underlying logic remained rooted in idol worship.

Indeed, not many years had passed since Deborah's death when the Israelites once again engaged in what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Consequently, the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years. The precise duration of this period remains uncertain, but it is evident that it was not long after Deborah's time. Was Gideon aware of Deborah? Yes. Did Gideon's father, Joash, know of Deborah? Joash was also aware, as was the entire history of the Israelites. Why then did they turn to idol worship? How did they invite the idols of Baal and Asherah into their homes?

Such was the state of Gideon's household. Despite the oppression by the Midianites, they continued to worship the Baal idols. Therefore, we begin to question: How did the Israelites allow idols to infiltrate their lives? I tell you, it is because people desire a comfortable life. Who would willingly invite idols into their home and expect to live poorly? No one. People invite idols into their homes with the hope of improving their lives.

From my understanding, there is a prominent entrepreneur whose company ranks among the top 500 in the world, approximately in the top 200. This is a multi-billion dollar empire, and his office includes a large conference room filled with idols. Employees who do not partake in his idol worship find it difficult to rise to senior management positions. This is the reality. Is this boss seeking self-destruction through idol worship? No. What is his aim? He seeks to profit through these idols.

What did Joash and Gideon hope to achieve by inviting the Baal idols into their home? They hoped these idols would assist them in achieving their goals. Someone might say, "I want to build a publicly listed company." Did they succeed? No. If you implore the true God, "Lord Jehovah, make my company a unicorn," I tell you, it will not work! Someone might say, "Lord Jehovah, please help my company go public." God might respond, "Why go public? To siphon money from shareholders?" I ask you, would God assist you in such an endeavour? No, He would not.

Gideon was not young at the time. Gideon and his father conspired to bring in Baal. We observe many celebrities who engage in idol worship. Why? To gain fame and recognition. Joash's family managed this enterprise effectively, with people from their town coming to their home to worship the Baal idol.

Next to Gideon's house was a small shop owned by his family. If you come to worship, you must buy sesame oil. If you come to worship, you must buy paper money. If you come to worship, you must buy incense. Gideon and his father, Joash, turned Baal worship into a business. I ask you, what happens when you turn the true God into a business? It can lead to fatal consequences. I also question, "God, is there truly no one else in Israel? Why choose such a person?"

II. Why Did the Israelites Worship Baal?

Serving idols leads to dire consequences. God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. You know, the Israelites had a penchant for worshipping Baal, which is quite peculiar. I tell you, the evil spirit of Baal is potent, operating in that region, influencing the Israelites. They observed the Canaanites worshipping Baal and enjoying abundant harvests. They envied the Canaanites' success as influencers, their superior lifestyles, their farming, business acumen, and overall prosperity.

I must tell you, we as Christians may not witness great fame and fortune, is it not so? Have you seen Christians achieving great fame and fortune? No. Why is being a Christian so challenging? In truth, being a Christian is a fulfilling way of life, but it is not for everyone.

The Israelites observed the Canaanites enjoying discos and bars. During festivals, the Israelites lacked such festivities. The temples had grand celebrations! Do you know what Asherah poles are? They are symbols of fertility worship. The Israelites were envious.

The Israelites observed Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, and they kept the Sabbath every week. The Israelites thought, "Look how free they are!" Free? Yes, very free. What was the result? The Israelites secretly harboured envy and created their own versions. Did Joash and Gideon's family participate in such practices? Yes, they engaged in lewd activities.

What happened later? Gideon continued his Baal and Asherah worship. He fathered seventy sons. I ask you, who can father seventy sons? Impressive, is it not? Was Gideon corrupt? It is unknown, but he was certainly wealthy. Gideon fathered seventy sons and also took a concubine from Shechem, indicating the idolatrous roots of his family.

Why did the Israelites worship idols? Because the entertainment was appealing. Of course, I cannot be too explicit, but I tell you, it was even more extreme than the red-light districts of Singapore. People worshipped idols for business, farming, and entertainment, and the Israelites could not compete. However, the evil spirits behind it were formidable.

III. The Lord Delivered the Israelites into the Hands of the Midianites

Therefore, we must be cautious and recognize the power of the Lord. God raised up the Midianites and delivered the Israelites, including Gideon's family, into their hands.

Let me reiterate, I do not discourage you from believing in the Lord, but I must tell you that if you are filled with worldly desires, you may live better without faith. Do not believe in the Lord only to envy idol worshippers. Such a life is untenable. Do you understand?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must understand that if you believe in the Lord but are consumed by worldly concerns, God will deliver you into the hands of your enemies, whether Midianites, Canaanites, Jabin, Sisera, or Amalekites. To achieve victory as Christians, we must diligently follow God's path and seek His pleasure. What kind of life do you desire? A life that pleases God or one that pleases yourself? If you seek a life that pleases yourself while also believing in the Lord, you become spiritually adulterous. Is that not disastrous?

The Israelites completed a cycle every few years, similar to an economic crisis. The Midianites oppressed the Israelites, who dug caves and built fortresses in the mountains. Whenever the Israelites sowed their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and people of the East would come up and attack them. They would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza, leaving no sustenance for the Israelites, nor sheep, oxen, or donkeys. They came with their livestock and tents like swarms of locusts. They and their camels were too numerous to count, and they invaded the land to ravage it.

The Israelites were greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and they cried out to the Lord, primarily for a better life. Do you understand? When life becomes difficult, they cry out to God; when life is good, they disregard God. I find this to be a vicious cycle. What is the typical state of someone trapped in such a cycle? It is living for worldly concerns. What happens when life becomes difficult? They turn to idol worship.

I tell you, many Christians are confused. Some say, "Why is my business not as successful as those who worship idols?" I respond, "Then go and worship idols." The goals are different. A believer should not live a self-centred life but a God-centred life. Living for worldly concerns leads to idol worship, which results in being delivered into the hands of the enemy. Being delivered into the hands of the enemy makes life unbearable, leading to cries to God, who then delivers them. After deliverance, they return to worldly concerns, which leads to corruption. Why? Because if one's core interest is this life, it is a tragedy.

Brothers and sisters, you must understand that if a Christian's hope is in this life, they are more pitiable than anyone else. You cannot place your hope in this world, for it offers nothing but sorrow. You must understand this clearly. If you do not understand and continue to live for worldly concerns, you will eventually incur God's wrath. People become confused and question, "What is wrong with living for worldly concerns?"

I often encounter people who have recovered from cancer through prayer, and they ask, "How can I live my life if I believe like you?" I respond, "How can you live your life if you do not believe like me?" They have cancer and still want to live for worldly concerns? I am astonished. When I see those who desperately cling to life, I feel a sense of sorrow.

Recently, there was news that the pioneer of romance novels committed suicide. She was from our generation and was incredibly talented. I even read her novels. Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not fall into this vicious cycle. Death is inevitable, whether you fear it or not. Death is the end for everyone.

Some say, "Teacher, suicide is such a negative term." Why not emulate Nan Huai-Chin, a master who simply stopped eating? Some suggest lying down and refusing to eat. After death, people say, "Wow! He ascended to immortality, achieved nirvana," and his cremation even produced relics.

I tell you, if you despise death and value life, you may begin to qualify as a Christian, and you may choose the Christian path to nirvana. I tell you, if one day you hear me say that I will fast and pray for eighty days and enter nirvana, perhaps I can produce some relics, but they are meaningless. God delivered the Israelites into the hands of the Midianites, and it was a terrible fate.

IV. The Israelites Were Extremely Impoverished and Cried Out to the Lord

If the Israelites weren't so poor, would they have cried out to God? Look at the people among us; how many came to believe in the Lord for Mingding Destiny? It doesn't seem like many. Most were in dire straits, had cancer, or ankylosing spondylitis, and then came to me. When people are happy, they think: "What does God have to do with me?" When people are extremely impoverished, they kneel and pray to idols, but it doesn't work.

Because the god behind the idols they worship is probably a god of wealth. The God we believe in, Jehovah, is a God of war, skilled in battle. If you can't win, even if you have money, it's useless. We must know that money cannot compare to power. Living a comfortable life can never compare to trusting in the true God. At this point, they realize that idols are useless. In fact, worshiping idols is about making the idols listen to them, like: "I want this, you must give it to me, and don't say anything else."

The Israelites were extremely impoverished, and then they cried out to God. What did they cry out for? Still for a comfortable life. Where in the Bible does it say that the Israelites wanted to live a God-centered life? Nowhere. They lived in extreme poverty, and then worshiping idols didn't work. After worshiping, the Midianites came and robbed them of all their money. Alas, their lives were miserable.

Gideon had a knife in his hand, and later we learned about Gideon's knife. So what kind of person was Gideon? The Israelites were extremely impoverished. Before they cried out to Jehovah, Gideon forged a very sharp knife called "Gideon's Knife." He secretly practiced martial arts in his backyard, and his skills became increasingly powerful. Jehovah God humorously said: "Use your ability to save Israel."

Gideon practiced and practiced, waiting for the Midianites to come so he could defeat them, but he found that he couldn't win. So what was Gideon doing then? Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to protect it from the Midianites. Wasn't this harvesting and threshing wheat? After threshing, he would collect it and quickly hide it in a cave. What a miserable life! Can you imagine living like that?

So sometimes I get angry. Why do people have to be at their wit's end before they believe in the Lord? I feel that serving God is, to some extent, quite tragic. Those who live well won't say: "Pastor, I'm here." I would ask: "What do you want?" They would say: "I want to have Mingding Destiny." There are no such people. Instead, someone with cancer comes; someone with ankylosing spondylitis comes; someone in debt comes; someone unemployed comes; someone impoverished comes. Oh my goodness, I say this is quite tragic!

And the problem is even more serious. When people live well, have children, houses, cars, and money, they will say: "Serve God? Say that again." Oh my goodness, can my little heart handle it? May God have mercy! Whether it can handle it or not, it must. Brothers and sisters, never get into this vicious cycle. Why do you have to be extremely impoverished before you cry out to God?

V. God Chose Gideon, Who Worshiped Idols

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. (Judges 6:11)

I ask you, what were Gideon and his father doing all those days? For the past seven or eight years, every time they burned incense and kowtowed before Baal, sometimes hitting their heads until they were covered in blood, it didn't work. When the Midianites came, everything was over. In the eighth year, Gideon and his father discussed at home: "Is this Baal really a god? If he is a god, why doesn't he work? When we invited Baal back then, making money was quite effective! The wheat that grew was all sold."

Gideon and his father said: "We're cunning enough. This doesn't seem like a true god. We should cry out to Jehovah God to live a good life. We made a mistake, worshiping Baal is not good!" Their discussion lasted from spring sowing to autumn harvest. When it was time for the autumn harvest, the Midianites were coming soon. As a result, Joash's son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. He was conflicted, thinking that the wheat might not belong to him. He was thinking of God.

Gideon and Joash began to doubt idols, and then they thought about how Deborah had allowed them to live peacefully for forty years. Now, how did they fall into this life again, being beaten so badly by the Midianites? Isn't the matter of Jabin right before their eyes? I ask you: Aren't the forty years of reform and opening up right before your eyes? I ask you: Did Gideon and Joash remember Deborah? They remembered. At this time, Gideon deeply desired God to choose him. He was threshing wheat while muttering to himself.

If people don't desire God, it's difficult for God to choose you. Even if you are an idol worshiper, as long as you cry out to God, you may be chosen by God. Gideon realized that his martial arts skills were high but useless. No matter how high his skills were, he couldn't defeat the Midianites. Then he thought: "When can I have God's presence and become a mighty warrior like Othniel, Ehud, or Deborah? When can I be like that?"

As soon as Gideon thought this, the angel of God arrived at the oak tree in their home. The angel of God spoke to Gideon face to face: "Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you." Brothers and sisters, we must know for sure that God cannot say these words to you if you don't desire it. You must become a blessing to all the families on earth, unless you are Abraham and you desire this.

Gideon had been longing for it for half a year, from spring to autumn, saying: "I want to worship the true God, I want to serve a true God." Brothers and sisters, we must know, how do we know that Gideon and his father Joash would be like this? Because when Joash saw those people wanting to kill Gideon, the words Joash said, don't think he just remembered to say them today, no.

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his cause shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, let him defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” (Judges 6:31)

These words had been bottled up in his heart for half a year. Gideon was slightly more advanced than his father Joash. He longed to be used by God. I tell you, those who leave the church have also been brewing it for half a year. Perhaps some people among us are still brewing it. Actually, when I see that this guy is about to leave the church, I say some comforting words to him. I say: "Look at the people who left the church, aren't they doing quite well?" In fact, I am relieving his worries, and there is no need to morally kidnap him.

I won't call to harass you, and I won't morally kidnap you. Instead, I will comfort you. If you bring an idol home, that's great. If God hands you over to the Midianites and lets you serve the enemies He sends to attack you, then cry out to God! Maybe you can get a title like Gideon's? So this matter is very interesting.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand; am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14)

God is so humorous! "Go in the strength you have," this is very interesting. Many people don't know God's heart. How much God hopes that someone will thirst to know Him, how much God hopes to appear to people, how much God longs for people to be raised up and become vessels used by Him. Do you know why? Because this Gideon, although he still has a heart for a comfortable life, he also has a Mingding Destiny to save Israel from the Midianites.

So it's a bit sad! God searched and searched and could only find someone like Gideon. God searched and searched and couldn't find someone like Othniel or Deborah, because He couldn't find them. After searching and searching, He found Gideon, the tallest among the dwarfs in Israel. As a result, there were still idols of Baal in his home. It's very helpless!

Sometimes I think, some of our co-workers say to me: "Teacher, you seem a bit worried lately." I say: "I really am a bit worried. God! May you raise up your people. Even if you are as rotten as Gideon, God will use you." I tell you, start to desire, don't continue to live your own little life, but start to desire to become a ruler of Israel. This is called pastoring! The level of pastoring in that era was just like that.

Why did God choose Gideon? Because Gideon liked to investigate who the true God was. Gideon also influenced his father Joash. He had some influence in his home. He really wanted to investigate who the true God was. Was Baal a god? No. Baal is not a god, our Jehovah God is God. He is the Jehovah God who saves us from the hands of the Midianites and the oppression of the Midianites. Gideon liked to investigate, but I tell you, God is not afraid of people investigating. But if you finish investigating, do you know God's will?

Investigate carefully, and don't play a very evil thing with God. What is that evil thing? If you want money, you are a very foolish person, because the problems that money can help you solve are very few. Can money solve cancer? There is a very rich man in the city, he is a friend of mine. His brother got cancer, and he poured money into it. Later, his brother died, and his family's company collapsed.

Can money solve the problem of cancer? The more money he poured in, the faster he died with the best medicine. So brothers and sisters, we must know that money can solve few problems. Then why do you have to desperately make money? Why not desperately strive for some Mingding Destiny? Why not desperately strive for God's will? So you have to investigate who the true God is.

VI. God Is Not Afraid of People Investigating Whether He Is the True God

If you really investigate whether He is the true God, you can really confirm that Jehovah God is the true God. He is a God of great power, great and awesome. He holds all things with His almighty hands, and He can also hold your little life. So our God does not solve the problems of this life, our God solves the problems of eternal life. If people only have hope in this life, isn't that more pitiful than the dead? Those who know God should regard God as the God of eternal life. Our God is not afraid of people investigating Him.

Gideon was well-trained through worshiping idols. People who worship idols are actually very serious. The angel appeared to Gideon, and his conversation with God was very interesting.

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:13)

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand; am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign to show me that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will stay until you return.” (Judges 6:14-18)

Now we must know, is this the angel of God, or is it God Himself? This is worth exploring. This part of the Bible mentions that it was Jehovah who spoke to him. Do you understand? It was God Himself who came down, oh my goodness! Look, what did Gideon go to do?

Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened bread. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a jar, he brought them out and presented them to him under the oak. (Judges 6:19)

As a result, when Gideon came back, he saw that God was really waiting for him there. God said: "Put these things there." I ask you, what was he going to do by taking gifts to offer to God? He wanted to investigate whether God was the true God. Gideon watched: "Can you really eat this meat? Let's try it."

The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. (Judges 6:20-21)

Gideon realized: "Ah! This is the true God." So our God is not afraid of people testing Him. I can tell you, when worshiping idols, idols also have these tricks. The shaman I saw back then was also very powerful. Then Gideon was very sure, did he have faith in his heart? He had faith. Gideon thought: "I met God! The angel of God actually accepted my sacrifice, He must be with me."

As a result, Gideon went home and did one thing at night. He tore down the altar of Baal and the idols of Baal and Asherah, because he had met the true God. So Gideon liked to investigate God. Brothers and sisters, we must know for sure, do you really want to live a good life? I tell you, following God will definitely lead to a good life. So what is called a good life? Living a blessed life, not starting some listed company and then being forced to commit suicide. What's the point of that? Living a miserable life.

Our God hopes that your life will be prosperous, and He hopes that you will live with joy, and He hopes that you will live in peace, and He hopes that you will live with ability, but there is only one way, which is to be God-centered! Some of us have been deceived, or framed, or are in debt, all because of one thing: not carefully keeping and following God's words.

God is not afraid of people investigating. As a result, Gideon went to tear down the altar of Baal, and he also built an altar to God, and he also prepared the second cow in his family. Their cows had numbers: first, second, third, fourth, fifth. As a result, God said: "Offer the second cow as a burnt offering." You say that a seven-year-old cow is a cow in its prime. Maybe because the first one was a bit old, God didn't want it.

As a result, this Gideon was amazing. Without saying a word, he offered the seven-year-old cow to God. How much does a cow cost in our country now? Now a cow costs twenty to thirty thousand! Gideon was quite amazing, he offered twenty to thirty thousand yuan, and as a result, the next morning, the whole city came to settle accounts with him.

In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has demolished Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his cause shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, let him defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” (Judges 6:28-31)

As a result, Baal couldn't do anything, because God was with Gideon. After this incident, Gideon became famous. People called Gideon Jerub-Baal. This Gideon was even more powerful than Baal! I tell you, at this time, because of Joash's words, the faith of the whole city in Baal was completely destroyed. Originally, these people were also muttering at home: "Hey, what is this Baal doing? Is this Baal in charge? It doesn't work." Hey, Joash said this, and they were still worshiping well half a year ago. Now let Baal defend himself.

As a result, who did these people follow? They followed Gideon. When did they come to follow? They heard that the Midianites were coming. Had they threshed and harvested the grain at home? After threshing the grain, they harvested it. The Midianites were coming! Seeing that they were about to cross the river, they quickly harvested and hid it. At this time, Gideon got the opportunity. Gideon said: "God is with me, brothers, follow me." Several tens of thousands of people came. As a result, when they were about to fight, God wanted to send him to fight. This Gideon actually liked to investigate.

Gideon said to God, “If you are going to save Israel by my hand as you have said— look, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” (Judges 6:36-37)

Gideon thought: "God, you want me to save Israel and fight with these Midianites. How many people are there in Midian? They are like locusts, a dark mass."

And that is what happened. When Gideon rose early the next day, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. (Judges 6:38)

Gideon still wanted to verify, but I tell you, we must not engage in other verifications. Even to this day, I know that verifying this matter is very dangerous. You say how dangerous is it? If it is to verify saving Israel, it is okay. If you want to verify that you are a person with Mingding Destiny, it is okay to verify. But if you ask to verify that this girl will marry you, or let this boy like you, there is really no such precedent in the Bible.

Some people say that Gideon has little faith. Actually, don't be afraid, fortunately he has little faith, similar to me. So Gideon has a chance, do you also have a chance? It seems that you are a little better than Gideon, you don't have an idol in your home, right? If you don't have one, then your chance is greater than Gideon's, but you have to think about seeking who the true God is. Gideon said: "If the wool is dry, the wool is dewy on top, and all the other places are dry, then you sent me." As a result, the next day, only the wool was wet, and the other places were dry.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Let me test with the fleece once more. This time make the fleece dry and all the ground covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. (Judges 6:39-40)

Gideon's faith suddenly soared. This was investigating. God is not afraid of people investigating, but behind this investigation is actually not faith, but a very small faith. Our God does not mind letting you investigate through these things, but does God really like such things? God doesn't really like it. If the Bible liked such things, it would have said it long ago. God hopes that people have faith.

VII. God Prefers People to Have Faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, but is such faith faith? It is also faith. But never use this to make money, and never use this to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, and never engage in childbearing. Don't engage in these things. Do you understand? If you want to engage, then engage in some Mingding Destiny.

God prefers people to believe in Him, prefers people to have faith, and trust in God. God is faithful, whether you investigate or not, God is still faithful. If we have faith, then we begin to live a God-centered life. If we have faith, then we put down our worries, be strong, and become a blessing to this generation, and come out of this vicious cycle.

Our life will not fall into this vicious cycle several times, living a comfortable life, provoking God's anger, doing evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and then engaging in idols, and finally being handed over to the hands of the enemy, and then beginning to cry out to God. After God saves you, then you go back to living a comfortable life. This is a tragedy!

We begin to believe in God. God is not a God who makes us poor and impoverished. God is a God who makes us prosperous. Brothers and sisters, we must believe His words and trust in Him. What is our goal in life? Our goal in life is to live for God. Everything else is vanity of vanities. Amen!

May God bless everyone!