Seeing Through What Living is All About

In summing up my past pastoral experiences, I have found that the most effective solution to problems is to impart vision and dreams. When God created man, He placed something special within him; that is, when there is no vision or dream, life becomes very dull. Once a person despairs and feels there is no future, problems abound.

Among us, many have this or that ailment. We minister to them, and after a few days, the ailments return. What is the reason? It is all related to vision and dreams. One must figure out how to live this life; if not, it is a tragedy. One must know what living is all about. I ask everyone, what exactly is living all about? Everyone looks at each other, probably unable to articulate it clearly.

Recently, many have been studying this matter of living. The comedic maestro Zhao Benshan said that living is just hustling, but he didn't quite grasp what living is all about. People think that having money, buying a plane, is the answer, but then they find that the plane is a money pit. This is just hustling. If you search online, you'll find a poem written by someone called “Living is Just Hustling.” But he still hasn't figured out what living is all about.

When I was young, I asked what living was all about. I didn't get it, so I just lived on. Living is just living, which is no answer at all. You want to live well, and so do I, dreaming of it. But just dreaming of living well is not enough; one must know how to live well. So the question of what living is all about is very intriguing.

Recently, many are focusing on getting into university and investing. As a result, when the stock market crashes, many jump to their deaths; when the property market collapses, many jump to their deaths; when they don't get into university, many jump to their deaths. These things happen a lot. Some time ago, I saw a news report about a person who earned a doctorate and returned from the United States. Upon returning to his hometown, he saw that his classmates were driving luxury cars and living in mansions. He felt a pang in his heart, as they did not study as well as he did, but now they were doing better than him. As a result, he developed a strange illness called mental illness. Later, he killed his parents and then committed suicide. He did not succeed in killing himself and was arrested. Upon questioning, it turned out this was the reason.

Brothers and sisters, based on my experience in ministry, the key is to resolve what people are living for. If this matter of living is not understood, then tragedies will abound. Today, if you are riddled with illness, or even if just one part is ill, it is enough to suffer. It's like a car; if one part breaks, it is quite serious. If a person's part breaks, that is also quite serious.

Recently, isn't organ transplantation quite fashionable? The trade in organs is rampant. Why? Because many people have liver failure; when a part breaks, they have to find a replacement. If someone could invent a liver or lung from a pig that works well, they would become rich because pigs are easy to raise, but people are not. This matter is a bit difficult.

Where is the problem? Why does it break down? To this day, it has not been figured out. All illnesses progress from virtual to real. What is a virtual illness? It is when a person has no vision or dream, no hope or expectation, and no future. They will feel uncomfortable inside, and that discomfort becomes a real illness, causing this and that to break down.

Living Requires Vision and Dreams

In my experience in ministry, I will share with you the most precious thing I have. This most precious thing is called vision and dreams. Vision and dreams give people hope; in fact, people need vision and dreams to live.

In my early years, when I was a child, several kids would wear open-crotch pants, play with mud, make a mud doll, and smash it to see whose opening was bigger. The one with the bigger opening would get more mud, just a little more mud. It wasn't that significant, but it was fun. If you look back today, the games we played as children were quite enjoyable. But when I look at the children of today, I feel a bit sad. Because our era was full of dreams; communism was our dream. Regardless of whether the dream was real or fake, people in that era, despite wearing ragged clothes with bright cuffs and collars, lived with hope.

After the reform and opening up, people were consumed by money. One day, I was on a train, and an old woman across from me lamented: In the past, we didn't have enough to eat or drink, but we had a sense of purpose. Now we have plenty to eat and drink, but life is meaningless. She raised a truth: If a person does not have correct values, living will definitely be difficult. No matter what, I must tell everyone what living is all about: Living is vanity of vanities.

I wrote a book called Walking Out of a Vain Life, which is a study of Ecclesiastes. I think I wrote this book well. Although I am not old, I understand what living is all about better than those who live to be seventy or eighty. If people can walk out of a vain life, that is powerful. If we recognize that all things are vanity, wouldn't it be easy to deal with? For example, some people feel that their life is ruined if they don't get into university. They feel they have no future, but in reality, the connection between getting into university and the future is not that strong.

Some time ago, we ministered to a young brother. I taught him an English word, and he remembered it five minutes ago, but forgot it completely five minutes later. I advised his mother not to bother with it and to learn something useful first. But his parents disagreed and insisted on sending him to school to learn this. His parents believe that if he doesn't study hard, he won't have a future.

In Singapore, children like to work in offices, but office salaries are actually quite low, and there is not much of a future. In developed countries, high-level white-collar workers earn money, but low-level white-collar workers don't earn as much as high-level blue-collar workers. For example, unclogging toilets in Singapore can earn 200 Singapore dollars. In Europe, the United States, and Canada, mowing lawns also pays well.

How much do people really understand about living? There are some people I really don't understand. My brother's child spends money to go to university and then works in Shanghai, but his parents still have to give him money to survive. If this matter of living is not understood, isn't that a tragedy? We must understand!

In my pastoral work, I often say:
What exactly is the matter?
It's about getting into university.
Living is a very simple matter. People can live well even without going to university.
That's not necessarily true.

I see many people who did not attend prestigious universities and are still living well. For example, Jack Ma did not attend a prestigious university. Those powerful people are people with vision and dreams. For example, Wang Jianlin once said: First, set a small goal, first earn a hundred million. Although they are not Christians, what they say is not necessarily that bad. Someone said: Dream of a thousand roads every day, but take the same road in the morning. This describes young people who don't do practical things.

Today, we must know that many problems are related to our lack of vision and dreams. It's not that many people don't have vision and dreams, but that vision and dreams are often shattered. For example, some people become mentally ill when they fail to get into university, or collapse when they fail to earn a hundred million. This is still not understanding what living is all about.

Establishing Heavenly Vision and Dreams

Today, I tell you that the best thing is heavenly vision and dreams. Because when people live to old age, they end up with dementia, so what are they living for? Today, we must walk out of a vain life and establish a Godly dream, which is called Mingding Destiny. I came into this world, and I must live out the meaning of living. What is the meaning of my living? Everyone must gradually adjust our inner values. What exactly are people living for? This is crucial!

Some time ago, we were ministering to a child who thought 5 + 4 = 9 was great. Now, after making a few deliveries, he doesn't know who he is and starts to float. Subsequently, we discussed with the child's mother about dismantling the child’s worldly logic system. It is crucial to dismantle worldly logical systems.

His story is interesting because I trained him for a long time. This child initially found a job at McDonald's. His mother said, Sweep the floor. The child said, I work at McDonald's; can I sweep the floor? . Some people don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, this is crucial. What exactly is living all about? It's not surprising that people don't understand what living means, for one does not recognize the true face of Mount Lu, simply because one is in the mountain.

If God did not tell us how to live well, we would not know ourselves. If people use their own ideas to search, they simply cannot understand. It's like a computer; it cannot figure it out on its own. Ask the person who made the computer, and you will understand. We humans were created by God on this earth, and we must ask God what He created us for.

You can have vision and dreams. But what if your dreams are different from what God created you for, what happens when your vision and dreams are shattered? I know what God created me to do on earth, and I came into this world to fulfill God's plan for me. This is called Mingding Destiny. Once I know God’s vision and dreams for me, it is not me who accomplishes it, but God. This means heavenly dreams and visions can never be shattered. Especially by understanding God's Word and doing it, it is so good! We will see people living in prosperity.

Some people say, That's not necessarily true; the preacher next door doesn't live very well. I tell you, The preacher next door is not the standard; I don't know if he has done according to God's word. If a person does according to God's word, he will definitely live out the glorious image of God. The most crucial thing for people is to live neither human nor ghostly.

For a while, my colleague often said: Animals live like humans, animals give birth like humans, animals die like humans. If people live like animals, isn't that sad? Some people go on blind dates all day long; animals do the same. We often see two male deer fighting in the animal world, which is similar to humans. If animals live like this, and humans live like this, and animals die like this, and humans die like this, then humans are the same as animals. If God lives like this, and humans live like this, we will live like God.

Today, I give everyone a word of advice: you must understand heavenly vision and dreams. This is a little difficult because some people think it is brainwashing. If your head is too dirty, can you live well? Your head must be filled with God's word; do as God says. That is called Mingding Destiny.

You have to look at the results. What do you look at in the results? If you truly implement these words, there is no one who does not live prosperously. Why? Because the Word of God, God's good will, is not accomplished by human strength but by God's accomplishment in us. Once you establish heavenly vision and dreams, all the problems and difficulties in the world immediately become insignificant, and all the problems are immediately trampled under your feet. Isn't that good? I feel great thinking about it.

Dismantling Man's Worldly Dreams

This must start with dismantling worldly dreams. A few days ago, I sent a brother to the airport. He did not know God many years ago, but this young brother was very interesting. He wanted to find a good girlfriend, but his faith would plummet and he would be very miserable as soon as he dated a girl. As a result, he developed severe depression in less than a year of coming to Singapore, which made it impossible for him to study. In those months, according to his own words, he really wanted to jump in front of a train!

Later, he contacted me online. At that time, it was easy because there were only a few of us, and I ministered to each one. I started to receive him, led him in prayer, drove the demons out of him, and restored his normal life. But one thing had to be dismantled: worldly dreams.

This child wanted to stand out from the crowd since he was a child. He came from a humble family, a lower-middle-class family in a big city. Did he succeed in standing out? No, he almost ended up in a mental hospital. Our God is a faithful God. If a person wants to live well, they must have heavenly vision and dreams, and live for God. I often advise everyone, but not many listen to me.

Today, we will talk about how to solve pastoral problems. No matter what, I must tell you that if you still have worldly dreams, visions, and pursuits, I must tell you: Forget it! It's like climbing a mountain, and when you reach the top, there is a cliff with no turning back; you must jump down. In other words, don't create tragedies for yourself in life. The spiritual world is so real.

Once, I saw that my mother's speech was not right, so I laid hands on her and said, Who are you? I drove out the demon, and then my mother's spirit returned. After returning, what she said to me made my back straight with cold sweat. She said, Child, if it weren't for your prayers, I would not have been able to return. I said, Where did you go? She replied, They forced me to climb a mountain, and I climbed two-thirds of the winding road. I would have been finished if I had climbed to the top!

After listening to these words, do you believe or not? Anyway, I have never been there. We have all seen dead people, like my father, who has been gone for nine years in the blink of an eye. People live in the world and then die, don't you know? As soon as you see someone living to be a hundred years old, you say long life, but have you seen someone living to be two hundred years old? You haven't seen it. Living is just living in this way. If you live to be a hundred years old, that's 36,500 days. Time passes quickly. Some people ask me, How long have you been here? I've been here in Singapore for almost twenty years.

What is the pursuit of our life? If people die, living is vanity of vanities. If living is vanity of vanities, it is better to die early than to die late, because dying early is less suffering. But the problem is not that simple. It is the Spirit that gives life, because I am casting out demons every day and dealing with the spiritual realm. Sometimes casting out demons, I will ask: When did you come? The demon will say: I came at noon today. I said what did you come for? I came to see if you were dead. Demons do many bad things, so it is a tragedy if people do not understand the spiritual realm.

Dismantling worldly dreams is to walk out of a vain life. It doesn't matter if you don't believe. The problems that you face today, why are you coming to us for prayer? Because you can't solve them. If the hospital can solve them, why would you come to me? I just drive out the demon behind it, and the illness is cured.

As a result, people are so foolish. After casting out the demons, these people forget God and say: Are there demons? Where are the demons? I really want to beat him up. These demons are not wearing white robes. Behind the illnesses are all demons. If we have experienced so much about the spiritual realm, and many of people’s problems are related to worldly value systems, then why not dismantle them? If we have suffered so much pain and endured so much sin today, why not establish heavenly vision and dreams?

These days, I have heard some strange stories, and I will share them with you a little. This brother read a doctorate, and after finishing that, he read a post-doctorate. Then one day, he got hold of his friend's girlfriend, and she became his girlfriend, with the result that his family were all stunned. They gave gifts left and right, and she took almost more than 300,000 (RMB), then left to study abroad, and got back together with her previous boyfriend.

This brother’s whole life was chaotic. Carrying worldly dreams, wanting to find a girlfriend, and marry a good wife, resulted in being swindled. I don’t know if he cheated her, or if she cheated him. Anyway, he suffered a great loss. I think this thing is very interesting.

Recently, one of my colleague's good classmates suddenly came to him and said that his wife had depression for a year and a half. A lot of money had been spent, but had not been cured. Suddenly, he thought of this classmate who specialises in things related to this sort of thing, and followed me to deal with these difficult and complicated cases. As a result in a few days of effort, the depression was completely cured. She wife can get to know God after tossing about and being worn out for one and half years, but she’s still some way away from disassembling worldly dreams.

It’s like demolishing a broken house. If you don’t demolish a broken house, how can you build a new house? If you repair and patch up houses, it’s not very useful. It’s like you try to renovate it in the place where it already is, it’s better to change everything all at once. This is to say, don’t patch up and repair in the original place, but start a new construction. But it is too difficult, the boy I ministered is recovering well, but has he truly dismantled worldly dreams, and established heavenly dreams? Still very far off. why am I mentioning this thing today? Pastoral ministry is to cause you to grow, and cause you to flourish.

Heavenly Dreams and Visions are the True Solution to Problems

Scripture says:

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

If you diligently keep and follow His ways throughout your life, your enemies will not be able to stand before you. It is not that I am intent on something, nor that I particularly need you to have visions and dreams. However, if you want me to solve your problems, and I do not impart this heavenly vision and dream, and you come to me asking, Can this kind of prayer uproot the problem? I would say, Forget it, this root cannot be removed.

This root is the worldly dream in your mind. If anyone loves the world, the love of God is not in them. If one does not love God, that person is accursed. Isn't your problem coming from a curse? God curses you because you disobey His word. God, please heal him. God says, He should be like this. I say, Have mercy on him. As a result, God shows mercy, but still needs to tell him about the heavenly dream.

Some people feel that prayer is not effective, that it cannot uproot the problem, and that the demon returns three days after being cast out. To be honest, I am also annoyed. Today, after praying, it gets a little better, but it comes back tomorrow, and it comes back the day after tomorrow, again and again. I thought I might as well do something to uproot it completely. Uprooting means changing the way you live. If you want to solve your problem, you must do one thing, which is to impart a dream and a vision.

Now that I've said this, let me reveal a piece of news to everyone. Today is the last lecture on shepherding. In the following time, we will arrange a new course, Living Out Mingding Destiny. After finishing this, our first phase of study will come to an end.

Heavenly dreams and visions absolutely solve problems. The Bible records the story of an old man named Abraham. He was over 70 years old, very wealthy, but lived a meaningless life. Everyone must know that wealthy people often feel that life is meaningless. I used to really want to have a car and drive to the beach for a picnic, set up a stove and grill sausages to eat. How enjoyable that would be!

Then I bought a car, and now it is parked in front of my house. I went once and never went again. It's not that interesting. I also dreamed of owning a plane and flying around. How wonderful that would be. But after having a plane, it's not that interesting either. It's parked at the airport. Afterwards, I summarized a rule. I discovered that if a person lives without meaning, he is not too far from Abraham.

Abraham only realized that living was meaningless when he became an old man. I felt that life was meaningless when I was very young and had no money. Abraham saw people living and dying, living and lying in coffins. One day, such things would happen to me too. After seeing these things, Abraham felt that life was not very meaningful. The old man began to seek what life was all about, and later he indeed found God.

Genesis chapter 12 records this event. I specifically wrote a Bible study book on Genesis, called Abraham: Opening the Way of Faith (Genesis 12-26). Genesis is really well written. I really enjoy studying Genesis. I could preach for three days and three nights without getting tired.

This old man Abraham sought and sought, and as a result, God opened His mouth and said to him, You will be a blessing to all nations on earth. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Then I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. I will make you a great nation, and I will make your name great. These words are powerful. This is a big deal, because Abraham immediately found the meaning of life.

A Desire to Be a Blessing to Others

Today, I earnestly hope that you and I will become the Abraham of this era. He sought the meaning of human life. If the meaning of our lives is eating, drinking, and having fun, then we are no different from beasts. The way beasts live is to eat and drink, for themselves. All beasts live for themselves.

But humans should live like God, desiring to be a blessing to others. If today you are willing to dedicate yourself to God and serve this generation, you cannot live poorly. The most fatal thing in a person's life, the thing that harms oneself the most, is selfishness. The end of selfish people is tragedy. If a person loves himself, is selfish, and is self-righteous, thinking that only he is right, and feels that everyone in the world is letting him down, then such a person is not far from mental illness.

If you are this kind of person, listen to my advice. Today I am giving you a vision and a dream, which is to become a blessing to others, no longer living for yourself. Some people ask me, how can you live so young at this age? Because I don't live for myself.

I ministered to a person who suffered from insomnia. I asked, How long have you been suffering from insomnia? Then how do you think people should live? He said, They must guarantee at least seven hours of sleep every day. I asked, Have you guaranteed that? No. Then have you taken sleeping pills? Yes, now I take four times the normal dose. I said, What kind of brain do you have?

I don't indulge the flesh in my life. Sometimes I sleep at three o'clock, sometimes at two o'clock, and sometimes I don't even know what time I sleep. I don't care whether I sleep a lot or a little. Eating is one meal when I have one, and two meals when I have two. Isn't life very healthy? Because we simply don't care about this.

I learned about eating from a person. One of us used to live in poverty and only ate one meal a day, and didn't care at all. Now that he is wealthy, he still only eats one meal a day, and his body is as strong as an ox, and he rarely gets sick. I like to do new things, so I also started eating only one meal a day. It saves money and trouble. If I don't have time, I'll skip a meal.

When we face a matter, is it better to care or not to care? Of course, caring is more tiring. It really is amazing. Isn't this very strange? He feels that people must maintain 7 hours of sleep to live. Man is iron, rice is a steel pot, if you don't eat one meal you will be hungry, and then you will get diabetes. But I eat only one meal a day, and nothing happens.

It is not food that keeps people alive. So people who see me say, How do you live so young? I also think I am quite young, with a ruddy complexion, eating less and sleeping less. Some people buy a lot of cosmetics, but her face is not that good, not as good as my old face!

Today, if we have not built up a heavenly vision and dream within us, and seen through this matter like Abraham, you are still living in delusion. How can you live well when you are living in delusion? Abraham's seeking was extraordinary. Therefore, I encourage all of us to begin to seek before God. What do people live for? Who asks this question? We must ask, what are people living for? Eat and sleep, sleep and eat, like pigs, not owning God's glorious image.

Why do I want to tell you about a heavenly vision and dream? A person's vision and dream come from God, and no one can destroy it. But if your dream is worldly, once your worldly dream is shattered, you will either go to a mental hospital, jump off a building, or become decadent and addicted to drugs. Anyway, there will be many problems.

Take on Mingding Destiny God has Given Us

So brothers and sisters, start to think carefully, what is our core interest? What exactly is your core interest? If your core interest is yourself, then you are an extremely selfish person, and you cannot but be in pain. If you are in great pain, come pray, and I promise you I will be a good shepherd.

The best shepherd is one who breaks the bad habits within you. If I cannot break them, I will tell you that I cannot shepherd you! Because you are disobedient. I tell you what to do, but you don't do it. You just stick to your own ways. You still insist on following me. Why? Because only by following me can you solve your problems. But if you follow me, you must break the flesh. You are willful and stubborn. What to do?

So if you want to solve your problems, you need to remove the root. Listen to my advice. Receive the vision and dream that comes from heaven. If you say that this is a bit uncertain, it is not uncertain at all, because almost everyone who is alive has experienced spiritual things. For example, dreams, can you explain them? Some people say that you dream at night what you think about during the day, but I dream of things that I never even thought of during the day.

This is not the same as the lies we receive daily. No one has not experienced spiritual things. If the spiritual world is so real, why not seek God? Why not seek the vision and dream that comes from heaven? If God's purpose in creating us on earth is a purpose of prosperity, can we not prosper when we enter into His purpose?

So God told Abraham, I will make your name great. But Abraham never wanted to make his own name great. He found the meaning of life, to burn himself like a candle. Ancient Chinese people were very wise, such as a candle burns to ashes, the tears begin to dry, that is the meaning of a candle's life, completely burning itself out to illuminate this generation.

If we are all such people, not living for our own selfish motives, but burning for God to illuminate this generation, then many people will be blessed because of us. That is really great. I think it is really great. I feel that there is no meaning in living if we don't live like this.

People need to know why they live. If people live for wealth, they will die for wealth. Birds die for food. If people live for God and die for God, and we establish a Father-child relationship with the God who controls the universe, then that is extraordinary. Now is an era of relying on fathers. Who can rival us!

So brothers and sisters, start thinking, come out of a vain life, and start living a meaningful life. Let the captives be released and the oppressed go free. When we see the glory of God, they will be blessed because of us and run this heavenly road like us. The glory of God will fill the whole earth in this world!

My real dream is that one day all our brothers and sisters can take on the mission, like Abraham, desiring to be a blessing to others. Such a person is amazing! Some Christians come to me and say that others curse them, and many non-Christians also believe in curses. I tell them, This is really a tragedy. Have you read the word of God? If you are Abraham, those who curse you will surely be cursed.

I think I am Abraham, because my thoughts are very similar to Abraham's. My blood flows with Abraham's genes. Therefore, God will save Abraham's descendants. If I am the Abraham of this generation, those who curse me will surely be cursed by God, so they cannot curse me. True Christians should know that curses come from God. If we establish a good relationship with God, curses will not come upon us.

Curses are because of disobedience to God's word. We live by God's word, so how can curses come upon us? Even if others want to curse us, God will curse them. The most important thing is whether we are Abraham. If you and I are both Abraham, then we will live very well. Those who bless us will be blessed, and those who curse us will be cursed. How great is that?

The key to solving our problems is to receive the vision and dream that comes from heaven, and from then on become a blessing to others, live for God, and enter into the Mingding Destiny God has for us!

From next week, I will start talking about obtaining Mingding Destiny. Mingding Destiny is God's will for us. If you listen this sharing and receive the words, your problems are disappearing. Not only will your problems disappear, but you will enter into God's wonderful will for you and become a prosperous person.

Do we really care about prosperity? We don't care. We care about being a blessing to others! But God will make us a great nation. God will make our name great. God will make us a blessing to all nations on earth. In this generation, we are constantly being raised up by God. In the future, we will be in Africa, Europe, America, Australia. Wherever there is internet, we will be there to be a blessing to the people of that place!

May God bless everyone!