I. Introduction
Good morning! Today, I will be speaking on the topic, God is the God of the Living. This is a fundamental tenet of Chinese Mingding Destiny. The logic that God is the God of the living is crucial. Why is it so important? Because it is often preached in churches that one goes to heaven after death. One goes to heaven after death, but lives like a ghost. This is why I decided to build a church, because I often see that the church does not solve the problems of the living, but only focuses on what happens after death. My logic is simple: I want to find a God of the living, not a God who sends people to heaven after death. This issue often causes confusion for many Christians.
Once, I visited a city and a local real estate businessman invited me to stay at his hot spring villa and asked me to dinner. I am the kind of person who can adapt anywhere, and those who are with me often experience such grace. People tend to honor me, although I do not solicit such honor. During dinner, he asked me a question. He said, A pastor came to our church and preached that out of a thousand people, 999 would go to hell and only one would go to heaven, a one-in-a-thousand chance. Are you that one in a thousand, or one of the 999? He clearly disagreed, and he held his own views. I said, This is something I have not experienced. How would I know? What if I go there and cannot come back? I am a straightforward person who speaks plainly. I said, Next time you see this pastor, ask him if he has been there. If he has not, then he is just talking nonsense.
I like to speak only about what I know, which perplexed him even more. Is it two in a thousand, five in a thousand, or one percent? I said, It is not like that. I will tell you my answer, and you may not agree, but that is alright. I said, When people live like Jesus, they go to Jesus; when people live like ghosts, they go to the ghosts. He said, I have never heard that before. I am telling you, if this is your first time hearing this from me, you truly have not heard it before, because most churches out there do not preach what I preach. My logic system is quite different from theirs. And he replied, That is a good answer. I said, Brother, God is the God of the living!
In today's church, many people are like blind men touching an elephant. Are you familiar with the story of the blind men and the elephant? A group of blind men touch an elephant. One touches the elephant's leg, hugs it, and says it is like a tree; another grabs the elephant's tail and says it is like a rope; another touches the elephant's ear and says it is like a fan; another touches the elephant's tusk and says it is like a stick. This is problematic. What does the elephant really look like? These blind men are formidable. They sit together and argue, saying the elephant is like this, the elephant is like that, fighting to the death. It is quite interesting; everyone is very willful.
People's faith in the Lord Jesus can also be similarly perplexing. Jesus is like a tree, Jesus is like a stick, anything goes. Are these not blind men? When you open your eyes and look, you realise how absurd your previous understanding was. I believe that this is how people read the Bible, interpreting it according to their own preconceived notions, resulting in all sorts of interpretations. The Sadducees, Pharisees, Friends of Christ, and Presbyterians all have their own interpretations. I establish a church with a systematic theological framework, which becomes Mingding Destiny. Without a system, it is like blind men touching an elephant.
When people talk about heaven, they only talk about going to heaven after death, or going to hell. Do they really know? They have never been there, so how would they know? Then they make a mess of things in this life. They think that since they will go to heaven after death, but can they really get there? If heaven is full of such people, I would not want to go. When one says that God is the God of the living, living with such seriousness, when God asks them to do something, they say, I have entrusted it to God. Finally, God entrusts it back to you, and you entrust it back to God, going back and forth. When one says that God is the God of the living, living with such exhaustion, is this not like blind men touching an elephant? When one says that people need to grow, growth becomes a pressure. Some people say, Pastor, I have been feeling terrible lately because you talked about growth, and I do not know what to do. I say, Then just do not grow. What is the point of growing if it has become a curse? It is because there is no system, taking things out of context, like blind men touching an elephant.
What prevents people from growing? Why is there no system? What prevents people from establishing a complete system is self-righteousness. If you touch the leg, you need to keep touching downwards. If you stop at the upper leg, it is just a tree. You need to touch everything to create a complete system. How lazy you are, grabbing onto the upper leg. Some people spend a lifetime touching the elephant's leg, some spend a lifetime touching the elephant's trunk, which is still alright. But what if someone spends a lifetime touching the elephant's rear? And you cannot even say anything. If I say, You are touching the elephant's rear, they will say, You cannot say that. Some people just do not establish a system, and you cannot say anything. The reaction is, Because of what you said, I do not know what to do. How vexing! It is not that you do not know what to do because of what I said. You need to continue exploring and figure things out, then you will understand, and once it becomes a system, you will understand.
In this life, people must learn how to learn and must establish a system. There is a saying, If you cannot do one thing well, you cannot do anything well. If this phrase is written out and you ask a foreigner to read it, they would be bewildered. What is most difficult is when a person achieves nothing in their entire life. People who achieve nothing in their entire life are difficult to pastor because they are like blind men touching an elephant, they are blind all their lives. What can you do with someone who is blind all their life? Then they come to Chinese Mingding Destiny, and I ask you to establish a system. It is very difficult because you still do it according to your own logical system, touching the elephant for a lifetime.
When I say this, some among us will surely say, Oh, I am the one who has achieved nothing. Now the pastor is talking about me again. Pastor, you are killing me! You have destroyed my faith! Is it what I preached? You never had any to begin with. That is why after touching the elephant for a lifetime, you still have not figured anything out. If you do something, figure it out completely. If you do one thing, do it well, and after you have done it well, you will be able to abstract the learning principles of that field. When you do something else, you can apply those principles.
Today, learn just one thing: God is the God of the living, but be sure not to learn like blind men touching an elephant. A fundamental component of Mingding Destiny is that one must live like God when alive. For example, be filial to your parents while they are alive. Of course, the term filial piety can also be misinterpreted. Today, we must know, who was the book of Deuteronomy written for? It was written for the living. Is the book of Genesis about Abraham after death? No, it is about his life. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are all about their lives. The book of Deuteronomy was written for the living, and blessings and curses are meant for the living; after death, just forget about it.
I have a certain disposition, and now I am a bit puzzled as to where this disposition came from. Sometimes, I really have to say it is Mingding Destiny. Some things I was not born knowing, I really do not know. Our home was not spacious. A mahjong table, four smoking pipes set up. Many people were squeezed inside; it was so cold in the winter, where could you hide? Everyone hid inside. Outside it was minus thirty degrees, inside it was plus twenty degrees, a fifty-degree temperature difference. How would your brain be sharp with people constantly going in and out? That is why there are so many cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases in Northeast China. Of course, this is just nonsense. While they were playing mahjong and smoking their pipes, what was I doing? I would find a small stool and sit in the corner reading. I would think, Whose family has raised such a child? It is very amazing and cute. Then Grandpa Zhao at the mahjong table would say, Look at this child, quite interesting. When I was a student, I was a good student.
Later, I worked in customer service. That was in the 1990s, and I was very good at it. I thoroughly studied customer service . Later, I worked with networks and figured out networks. Later, I dealt with servers and figured out servers. Later, I worked with software and figured out software. Later, I did shepherding and figured out shepherding. Looking back now, I think it was quite interesting what I did back then. Then I concluded that why do people enjoy learning? Because they have grasped the principles of learning. Why do people enjoy working? Because they have done that job well, and when they look back, they know that that is how customer service should be done. If you want me to talk about customer service now, I can talk about it in great detail.
Back then, my English was not good. You had to speak English when working in Singapore. I could not understand what people were saying, and people could not understand what I was saying. How could I live like that? But I learned quickly, and I soon recognised the problem of learning a language. Do you know how I learned a language? I learned like a child learns a language. Many people do not figure it out correctly. Many adults find it very difficult to learn a language. I learned languages like a child. I soon realised that the phonetics, pronunciation, and vocabulary I had learned in school were all wrong. Then I summarised the process as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. I learned English starting from listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Once, a pastor brought back a black child adopted from Africa. When this black child opened his mouth, his Chinese was excellent. Did this black child start by learning Pinyin? No. Did he start by learning to recognize characters? No. If you teach a child Pinyin from birth, they will definitely be confused. So, I first learned to listen, then to speak, then to read, and then to write. Like the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine: inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation, differentiating syndromes and determining treatment, it is just a few things. Like the Chinese words for dryness, dampness, density, and lightness, these are all very high-level summaries. No one teaches a newborn child Pinyin; it is learned many years later. Why can a black child speak Chinese? Because he listens, speaks, reads, and writes. That is why my English quickly improved because I had learned English incorrectly before.
Some time ago, someone listened to my English lectures on Genesis. After listening to the first chapter, he said, I have never heard it before. No one analyzes Genesis the way we do in the world. After he listened to it, he brought all his friends who speak English to come and listen as well. My English is really quite good. After he listened to it, he was very excited. So, summarize the principles in this matter, and after everyone listens to it, think about it slowly. The Lord Jesus is alive, He is still saving, still healing, salvation is still effective, because we have established a system, and that system cannot be built on the original foundation. We have a Q&A session, where you can ask any questions, but not all questions can be answered.
Today, we must know that we must return to being like children. To learn English, you must learn from children. In two years, a child's language becomes fluent. Someone argued with me, saying that their child was five years old and still had not spoken. It is not that he has not spoken; it is that he has only listened. So, you need to learn. The Lord Jesus is still alive. You cannot bring the worldly system with you; you must be like a child. Why do children learn languages so quickly? Because children are a blank slate, they do it right. Why do adults find it so difficult to learn a language? Because they do not do it right.
Why do people still believe so slowly? The Lord Jesus said, You must be like children to enter the kingdom of God. Why? Because if people do not return to being like children, how can they deal with things while holding on to their own notions? Some people say, Pastor, you have confused me. Now I do not know what to do. I say, If your system has not been dismantled, how can you do anything? You cannot! Stubbornness must soften. Our God is the God of the living. You cannot follow the worldly logical system, which does not have this statement. If the worldly logical system is mixed with the God of the living, then what will it become? That is troublesome. If God gives you a word for it, it is called adultery.
So, if people are stubborn, they need to soften. People need to know the words of the Bible and know the power of God. God can make the Israelites cross the Red Sea as if on dry ground. Can a road be opened in the Red Sea? It can. God can raise the dead. God can open rivers in the desert. God can give manna in the wilderness. God can provide for us. The affairs of the living are provided by Heaven. What are you anxious about? What are you worrying about? You do not need to worry about anything. Living is a very simple matter. People just like to be anxious. Believe in God. Our God provides for us. Otherwise, try it and see.
Yesterday, I talked about a Malay person. Malay people are remarkable; they really know how to live. When I take the people who come to Singapore to the beach, I see Malay people in groups of three or two having picnics, eating simple picnics, but they live very comfortably. Unlike us Chinese, who desperately earn money and have no time to spend it. We need to learn. Why? People are all provided for by God. Sometimes when I say this, it seems like I am demeaning us Chinese, but do not blame me. What is life all about? A happy life is a happy life. A laborious life is a laborious life. A sorrowful life is a sorrowful life. A worrisome life is a worrisome life. Which one do you choose? By the time you have time to spend money, you are already in a coffin.
Today, you must start figuring out what is really going on. For example, some people realize the truth when they are about to die. Can they not realize the truth when they are about to die? This is no longer important, that is no longer important, nothing is important anymore. As a result, they pray and come back to life, and then they can no longer see the truth. This is important again, that is important again. What kind of mind is this? I am almost worried to death. When you cannot see the truth, you end up with a terminal illness. When you are about to die, you see the truth. After seeing the truth, you come back to life, and then you cannot see the truth again. How many times do you want to go back and forth? You have not done it right. The logical system is a human logical system. If it is a human logical system and you did not do it right before, experiencing things may not necessarily make it right again. Dismantle it. Be like a child. When I was a child, I felt that my mother was very capable and I felt very safe with her.
Today, we brothers and sisters must know that if you want to develop a new area in a place, called an Economic Development Zone or a Development Zone, you must demolish that land. If you just make repairs on it, those will be farmer houses. The small lanes will not allow fire trucks to enter; they can only enter on bicycles. What will you do if you do not demolish it? You have to demolish it. When you renovate, you must summarize. Let me tell you, renovation must start with demolition. If you just make repairs on it, you cannot do it well. Some people do not know that demolition and reconstruction are good. They keep making repairs on it, but its foundation is a damaged foundation. What are you building on it?
Some people live to thirty, forty, fifty, or sixty years old and always use old, incorrect learning methods. They still stubbornly use incorrect learning methods, making repairs on the old. What is the benefit? There is no benefit. If you realize it, thank the Lord. If you do not realize it, that is your Mingding Destiny. I am also very disappointed,. If you do not change, that is your Mingding Destiny. Old things and old fixed ideas are very powerful. Do you know that? How much effort have I spent dismantling the old things inside us? As soon as I am done dismantling, you pick them up again when you go home. As I dismantle on this side, you pick them up on that side. As I give you the antidote on this side, you drink the poison on that side. When will this end? In the end, is this not Mingding Destiny?
Therefore, I have concluded: If you do one thing well, you can do everything well. Do not be someone who cannot do one thing well and cannot do anything well. That is troublesome. Have you dismantled enough today? Not enough. If you have not dismantled enough, you will misunderstand this matter of God being the God of the living. Using God to build a company and go public, try praying about it? The company will not go public, and it will be delisted. The feelings inside us are often wrong. Can we say today, Hey, I have rhinitis. God can open roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I did not do it right in the past. Today I will do it right. My God is the God who heals me. Why have I not been healed? Because I have not done it right.
Plug a rubber band into a power outlet, and there is no electricity. Can a rubber band have electricity? Even if you have the hot and neutral wires connected correctly, it is still just a rubber band. It does not conduct electricity. Plugging a rubber band into an electrical outlet is like connecting unbelief to the throne of God. It is useless! One of our sisters translated our Chinese Mingding Destiny into Korean, but her inherent logical system was so stubborn. I spent a great deal of effort dismantling her old logical system, and as a result, her Korean translation skills improved. How old is she? Over sixty years old.
So, today, do not lose hope. No matter if you are thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, or ninety years old, God is still the God of the living. Amen! God can still open rivers in the desert and roads in the wilderness. Our God is still the God who heals. I must be healed. This is our God! Dismantle what needs to be dismantled, rebuild, and start having a glorious hope inside. Is there hope this time? Is living a simple matter? Living by God, you will lack no good thing!
II. Scripture
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.(Matthew 22:23-32)
III. Prayer
God, You are the God of the living! Today, remove the worries and anxieties inside us, remove the worldly logical systems inside us. I declare in the name of Jesus Christ: My God is still alive, my God is the God of the living, my God still heals, my God still bestows grace, my God is still effective. In the name of Jesus Christ, I reject the worries inside me, reject the anxieties inside me, reject those worldly logical systems inside me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
IV. Scripture Background
After you reject them, you will receive His abundant grace. If you follow the worldly logic and rely on your own hands and swords to live, what will happen? You will be cursed. After being cursed, you will be very tired because you cannot do anything well. What should you do? Start returning to the foundation of faith. When people get anxious, they stop believing in God. Before God opens the Red Sea, you jump in, and you will definitely drown. As soon as I tell you to build your own skills, you get anxious. Why? Because you have lost faith. God is the God of the living. Even if you have not built your skills, you have lived for so many years. The Malay people have picnics on the beach all day long, and they still live well. Some people say, The Malay people's God is very powerful? No, our God also takes care of the Malay people.
What is Jesus talking about today? In Matthew chapter 22, what did Matthew write before Jesus spoke these words? Matthew wrote that Jesus used parables to tell them about the kingdom of heaven. After speaking about the concept of the kingdom of heaven, people misinterpreted it, thinking that it was only about going to heaven after death. Is that the case? The kingdom of heaven can come down. When we are alive, the kingdom of God should descend among us. When we are alive, we can see the kingdom of God. As soon as we talk about the concept of the kingdom of heaven, it becomes all about going to heaven after death and living in the human world. It becomes a mess. Jesus talked about the parable of the kingdom of heaven: receiving grace, eating, drinking, etc. After this event passed, God said a word: Many are called, but few are chosen.
As a result, the Pharisees were confused. They read the Bible and always had the concept of heaven and hell. They had the concept of the kingdom of heaven, but they also had worldly troubles. Why? Because they had to pay taxes to Caesar. Caesar was a Roman, and the Pharisees were Jews. The Jews did not understand why they were a colony even though they trusted in God? Why did they have to pay taxes to Caesar? They were confused and always had this sense of indignation in their hearts. As a result, Jesus came, and after speaking about the kingdom of heaven, they were confused. They thought, If it is so good, why is it like this now? They came to Jesus and asked, Should we pay taxes to Caesar? Then he spends money to hire someone to manage us and oppress us. We are a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
They were very confused and came to ask Jesus. Why? Because they were blind inside. They touched a kingdom of heaven like blind men touching an elephant, and they had many confusions and misunderstandings about the kingdom of heaven. They did not understand it. They were dizzy after reading Genesis, let alone Revelation. Had these Pharisees read Isaiah and Ezekiel? They had read everything, but they were confused after reading them. It is like some of us who did not do well on the college entrance exam and became college dropouts. If those college dropouts retake the exam for another year, they still will not pass. Why? Because they are all confused. They seem to understand, but they do not seem to understand. This is troublesome.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.(Matthew 22:17-22)
Jesus said to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and the Pharisees were even more confused. Later, you should know that I often compare money to unrighteous wealth. If you are still telling me about this money and that money, taking advantage of others, you still regard money as real gold and silver. Even real gold and silver is unrighteous wealth in God's eyes. Do you think it can buy many things? I think it is best to buy your life. It is troubling. Jesus answered so wisely because Jesus' system is a kingdom of heaven system, two kingdoms, two logical systems.
What is money to Jesus? Money is a bastard. If money is a bastard, why did Jesus use the parable of one thousand, two thousand, and five thousand taels of silver? A parable is a parable.
Consider this system; why would they even ask such questions? Because they fundamentally disbelieve, doubting the very notion of resurrection. They present Jesus with a problem that has long troubled them, and Jesus responds, You are mistaken! I tell you, this statement carries immense weight. Some ask me, Pastor, why do I encounter misfortune after believing in the Lord? Why is this happening? I reply, You’ve erred in your belief, you’ve messed it up! This pronouncement is weighty, and I learned it from Jesus. If you've been deceived, haven't you messed up? Thankfully, you're not in Northern Myanmar but in Yunnan, not too far from Myanmar. How did you mess it up? Because you do not understand the Scriptures, nor do you know the power of God. The foundation is flawed!
Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:29-32)
Did Jesus answer the question? Actually, you’ll find He didn’t answer at all. Because you’ve messed it up. If you bring me a problem where three times eight equals twenty-seven, I’ll simply tell you that you’ve messed up, and that’s it. Anything further, you wouldn’t understand. Why? Because the system is wrong. So Jesus spoke about the resurrection of the dead. People are ignorant of what they will be like after the resurrection, and then try to impose their current earthly logic system onto the resurrection. That which is perishable must become imperishable, and that which lacks glory must become glorious. What happened after Jesus Christ was resurrected? After His resurrection, even with the doors locked, He could pass through walls. Are you bewildered now? Able to pass through walls, yet tangible, resurrected from the dead.
We cannot fathom the glorious things even today. How can we grasp them? How can we figure them out? We must believe. Believe what? Believe in God's Word, and then know the power of God, know the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection in us. Can you comprehend the miracles I perform today? Our worship is quite interesting – one person, one hymn, saving a lot of money. I tell you, that’s not about the money. The important thing is for us to establish a new logical system.
Tell me, did the Apostle Paul travel with a band? No. Did he travel with a choir? No. So what did he do? Today's churches place great importance on choirs, bands, stages, lights, and sound systems. Did Jesus' time have these things? No. Did Paul's time have these things? No. We truly need to dismantle the systems within us. We must become like children to build up, like children to see the world anew. One cannot know the true face of Mount Lushan because one is in the mountain itself. If you do not step out of this world to view things from God's throne, you will be confused. Why are you bewildered? Would you be able to face yourself if you weren't?
So the question arises: people must know that Genesis speaks of God as the God of the living! You must build this logic. Abraham is not dead. The Bible says he is dead, but in reality, he has returned to God. Of course, what I’m saying isn’t entirely precise; we're not discussing time here. We must understand today that this becomes a touchstone for our logical system. Your view of money is like the Pharisees, confused throughout their lives. The Sadducees, what about the affairs of those who die, like someone who has many wives in life – with whom is he buried? These are the things we humans care about, but God has no concern for them. So, after Jesus spoke of this, I want to tell everyone today that the statement God is the God of the living cannot be misinterpreted. What is the foundation? The foundation is that when alive, one should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. David also retorted these questions asked by the Sadducees and Pharisees.
Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son? (Luke 20:42-44)
He is David’s Lord, yet also David’s descendant. David’s descendant became David’s Lord. Can you comprehend it? It's impossible to fully grasp. Actually, it’s not difficult to understand; The problem is that people are stuck in a faulty logical system, which makes them confused. It is not because Jesus asked them this question; they were already confused, confused their whole lives. We must resolve this matter thoroughly. If you do not become like children, you cannot continue on this path. God is the God of the living, the God of those who are alive. What are we? He is not the God of those people. We have been transformed into children. You will surely see God's works, because a logical system can be rebuilt from childhood.
V. The Kingdom of Heaven is Real, and Hell is Real
The Kingdom of Heaven is real, and hell is real. How do I know? It is written in the Bible, otherwise how would I know? Where doesn’t my knowledge come from? It is all learned. The Kingdom of Heaven is real. How can we obtain the good things in that Kingdom? We obtain the good things in the Kingdom within Jesus Christ. Do we obtain much of the Kingdom’s good things today? Can it be used as medicine? It is better than medicine. Can it be used as food? It is better than food. Can it be used as money? It is better than money. Can it resolve the problem of death? It even solves the problem of the living.
So today, we must know that the things of the Kingdom are good, otherwise, how could our prayers be effective? Because the grace of the Kingdom descends upon you. I really want to go to Heaven. Today, I must tell you the hope in my heart. I long to return to God. Some say, “What? Do you want to die early?” No, I want to return to God sooner. People think leaving this world is called death. No, it is living. Since we have not been there, how do we know The Kingdom of Heaven is real? Because the benefits of the Kingdom have come down. Today, the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead descends upon me. How could it not be real? Jesus demonstrated the appearance of resurrection from the dead. How could it not be real?
If you do not believe that The Kingdom of Heaven is real, you are a Christian in vain; if you do not believe that hell is real, you are a Christian in vain. If you do not believe, you have no way to experience God while alive and let the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead be manifested. If the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is manifested in us, what else is there to say? All problems are solved. You say: I am very stupid. You will become smart. You say: I am very poor. You will become rich. You say: I have many diseases. You will become healthy. Do you want that? Yes, why not? People want to experience God's grace while alive. What should you do? Chinese Mingding Destiny has pioneered a new path, called building a glorious church. You must obtain your destiny, live for it, and be born for it. Why? Because this is God’s Word, this is God’s logical system.
VI. Dismantling the Confusion Within Us
Why are people confused? Because it is too dirty inside, full of a jumbled mess, a mishmash. If it is a mishmash, how can you not be confused? Have you all eaten Northeastern iron pot stew? Iron pot stew is now very popular. It is when you put everything into the pot. That pot is truly chaos, truly the chaos before creation, mixed into one pot. So today, our brothers and sisters, come out from that iron pot stew. There are many things that confuse us inside. For example: Pastor, I can’t control it. What does “can’t control it” mean? Uncontrollable discomfort, uncontrollable worry, uncontrollable anxiety, and being unable to control being deceived by scammers.
What is that? Because there is still a worldly logical system inside you. You are not dismantling enough. Inside is an iron pot stew, tofu, blood tofu, large intestine, small intestine, fish, everything. Whatever you want to eat, you put it in. How can it not be a mess? Some say: I am confused inside, I don’t know what to do. It is not that you are confused today, you have always been confused. You never knew what to do. Don’t make excuses. Why? Because you are not dismantling enough, you are not like a child. If you are not like a child, how can you establish God’s system? It is difficult for you to establish it. You will suffer more, and even if you suffer enough, you may not have the chance to build it again.
So today, we must dismantle, dismantle all the confusing things of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Even if the Pharisees and Sadducees saw Jesus Christ resurrect the dead with their own eyes, they would not believe. After Lazarus was resurrected, they did not say: Ah, what is this? This is a treasure! No, they said: No, it’s fake. He didn’t die. Nonsense. Even if they saw miracles time and time again and experienced God, if they did not dismantle the old logical system, you have no way to receive it, you have no way to believe, because the old logical system is inside you.
Today I can tell you, you can choose not to dismantle, and what awaits you is dementia, possibly a life lived completely without dignity. Why? Because after dismantling, you must establish a logical system based on God’s Word as the foundation. As God says, so we shall do. There are several people in the Bible who are particularly powerful. One of them is Moses. As God says, so he does. This person is too powerful. There is nothing worldly in him. The worldly things have been defeated, useless, ineffective.
VII. Understanding the Bible, Knowing the Power of God
Who is Jesus? Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating with power that He is the Son of God, setting a standard for us. Can you understand? Immersed in this day-to-day life, with large gold chains, small gold watches, three barbecue meals a day, two bottles of beer to go with it, what hope can there be? Eating barbecue and drinking beer is fine. Fine, how? Understanding the Bible, knowing the power of God, that is the key to solving problems.
Today I tell you, some people can’t defecate, they can’t solve the problem; some people leak stool, they can’t solve the problem; some people leak urine, they can’t solve the problem. There are so many problems, what can you solve? These problems come one after another, so what do you do? You have to rely on the power of God. So what do you do? You have to understand the Bible and know the power of God. I often see people using their own methods to solve problems, and in the end, what happens? It's so miserable! So people must tear down these things.
I ask you, can God open rivers in the desert? Yes! Can God open roads in the wilderness? Yes! Can God let you cross the Red Sea as if walking on dry ground? Yes! Can God let you cross the Jordan River as if walking on dry ground? Yes! Can God turn the impossible into possible? Yes! A little rhinitis, elbow pain, butt pain, leg pain, can’t handle you? You little thing! That night, a phone call came. I said: What’s wrong? He said: I sprained my foot. I said: You sprained your foot in the middle of the night. Where did you go? Did you go to steal something? He said: No, I was going up and down the stairs, and I sprained my foot all of a sudden. As a result, when I looked, my ankle was swollen into a big lump. Then I led him in prayer for ten minutes, and he could jump around. Isn't God powerful? Over the past few years, many miracles have been performed.
Once I was leading prayer, and a limping person came in, his face was twitching from the pain. Then we stopped the worship and I led him in prayer. After one prayer, he was healed. Like today, when I lead worship, it is like this. Our worship is to release God's power! Later, another person came, his face pale, holding his stomach, and he was lying under the table in pain. I said: What’s wrong? Is it menstrual cramps? She was embarrassed to say, and said My Aunt is here. Tell me about menstrual cramps. I led her in prayer, and after a while, she was healed.
You must know the power of God. Don’t look at me as being crude, but I know the power of God. The power of God can raise people from the dead. What else can’t it do? Those born blind can see, those born lame can walk, these little things in your life are nothing, child’s play. Today you must know the power of God. If you don’t know the power of God among us, then you are too deserving of a beating.
VIII. The God of Abraham
Reading Genesis, we examine it the best. What kind of person is Abraham? What is the meaning of the God of Abraham? It means you should do as Abraham did. This Abraham is powerful. He is very wealthy, but he lives a tasteless life. He has tens of thousands of fortunes. He was a well-known patriarch at that time. His servants are probably several thousand people. The team is mighty. He accumulated a lot of property and rectified a lot of houses. Then he felt that it was not interesting to live. If you feel that it is very interesting to live, you are not Abraham; if you feel that it is not interesting to live, you seek eternal glory. This is called the God of Abraham.
This Abraham said that life was boring. His wife said: Why is it boring? What do you lack? He said: Lack of eternal life. Abraham’s starting point is too miraculous. His starting point can be compared to that of the Monkey King. The Monkey King sought eternal life. He is very powerful. If Abraham is not a person who seeks eternal life, that is fatal. Why? You must know that people seek God and may eventually use God as a tool, but Abraham seeks God and wants to understand what it means to live and what the glory of God looks like.
Do you have this thing? If you don’t have this thing, then what did you come for? Some people say: Pastor, I just want to receive God’s grace. After receiving it, then what? After receiving it, it will be fine. Some people come and say: Pastor, help me pray. I said: What's the matter? He said: I want to take a driving test. I said: Then you could go take a photo with a living person. It is troublesome if a person doesn’t have a photo while alive. You must first seek what Abraham once sought, and if you’ve messed it up, you will not be like Abraham. One correction and you will go to Lamech and Cain’s place. People must have the right perspective while alive, and Abraham is the one who has that perspective. This is the God of Abraham, seeking indestructible glory in eternity when alive. This is the starting point!
Some people I'm just not seeking and it's something that shouldn't be forced, it must come from within. People are ignorant. If they don’t even know what it feels like to have money in this world, then how can they seek that uncorruptible treasure? It is better to seek more money. The pay is too low, two or three thousand yuan is not enough for you to spend. Your mom still has to give you money. The glory of eternity cannot be used as money. Why is this happening? Because there is no hope of eternal glory, and they don’t seek it. They just eat, drink, earn money, work hard, and then perish.
IX. The God of Isaac
Does Isaac need to go through all the torturous searches that Abraham did? No, because Abraham went before him. Isaac was able to lean on the knowledge of his father, telling Isaac: “Son, do you know how you were born? Isaac did not need to go through all that seeking the depths of God, since he was able to see the results of his father’s great labour. Isaac only needed to offer himself up to God, which pleases God. Therefore, Abraham trained Isaac from an early age to take the shoulders of a giant in his walk.
If you saw God’s amazing works and the promises fulfilled in your life, can it be that you still live in the world? You have dismantled near enough all of it at this point. Isaac says to Abraham: “To live is to pass on to God, and to offer yourself is beyond words.” To which Isaac replies: To live is to live for God”. Isaac is truly a sensible child, and Abraham is pleased to have such a child who delights in God, and has his ways set on that same path. Abraham has seen all, and sought after God, and his son delights in the favour of God.
As a result, Abraham held Isaac close and led him step by step, only for the son to say: “Daddy, where is the Goat?”, a tear rolls down Abraham’s eyes, thinking, “You are one, as you were always intended at birth”. Thus Isaac accepts what is to come, and happily places himself on the altar, and is at peace for his entire life. Thus, if a person is willing to wholeheartedly offer their lives to God, there is nothing left to worry for. All authority to God, and God is my God, who is above anything our minds can come to.
Therefrom it is Abraham who begins and leads us on this path to make us a man to be offered up, that the presences of God falls on us, and shines on our way forward. If you say that God is you God, as well as Abraham, who did I offer myself as a living testimony. Therefore, you shall see the Glory of God come and give you life beyond measure.
X. The God of Jacob
It is well to understand that Jacob is the greatest of these men, and there sat with great grandpa on the knee to discuss the matters of living. Jacob then came to know all about Abraham and Isaac, and what they taught. The wonders they encountered, and the promise of Abraham’s legacy. As well as the life of his son Isaac, offered as a sacrifice, and his spirit rejoiced within him! But the elder brother, Esau says: What, is this going to fill our bellies, and put coins in our pockets!. He was never fully invested in the calling of God.
So we are taught, so we now know, that the son seeks to offer himself as Abraham, from the day of birth, so we are known, that the second son of Isaac, is also great, one in the knowledge passed down from great grandpa, one with the faith to stand. Such conviction can undo all born into such family names. The Lord allowed Jacob to return home, a victory! For Jacob knew that his trust went beyond the physical realm.
That being said, you better hear that our God is one of Abraham, Isacc and Jacob. The runny nose means nothing, as you stand within these bloodlines. Let us say this going forward that we take on these great leaders, and follow these great strides. From here on, we do not lose out, and we become blessed by God, and as such are born to live for ever. Amen!.
I pray for and speak out that our God brings up the men of greatness! That we stand as one, and are the great lights of the world!
We can sing a sweet tune together in faith, as the offering is being prepared, and may we remember how long we have fought for this day and this place and the glory! God has been good to us, and to God be the Glory.
Let us, as brothers be willing to give to the Lord, and be blessed as we give, in Jesus mighty name, As this is the legacy of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As we flow along this path, we give back to God. and that which is offered and given is also a future of the giving and blessed, and as we travel these paths, we should always follow them, as Abraham made the foundation, and his blood lies in us. Amen!
Today, do not let us fall in line with earthly possessions.