Introduction

Good day to all. Today, we delve into the fifth lecture of The Art of Living, focusing on conduct and action. The matter of conduct and action is complex, demanding a strategic approach. Many aspire to dwell on the moon, yet remain earthbound; yearn to become the local magnate, but to no avail. Method is key; achievement is the measure. Thus, people are drawn to fanciful aspirations, keen on uttering slogans, and eager to clench a fist in resolve. However, such gestures are futile. Merely desiring to enter Tsinghua or Peking University is insufficient. Hence, we must address the methods of action and conduct.

I. Method and Methodology

Throughout history, the absence of guiding methodology has led to negligible accomplishments. We have previously emphasised the significance of theoretical grounding in government and party construction. Theory, in essence, is a philosophy, a fundamental principle guiding our practice. Consequently, many gravitate towards Mao Zedong's On Contradiction, seeking to grasp the principal contradiction. They also favour On Practice and On Methodology. Indeed, our great leader, Chairman Mao, articulated a methodology: how to execute a matter. I cite this as an example to underscore the paramount importance of guiding principles. Do you possess such principles? Without them, all endeavours are in vain.

In training our brothers and sisters, I find it exceedingly arduous, for they often fail to grasp the core and crux. Their discourse veers astray; they speak of east when addressed on west, yet remain convinced of their rectitude. They digress ceaselessly, exhausting all involved; their utterances run amok, and their actions follow suit. This stems from a lack of mental methodology, a deficiency in guiding principles. The Art of War, for instance, offers a clear set of guiding tenets. Aspiring to Tsinghua or Peking University mandates fundamental learning principles and methods. Otherwise, one labors in vain, expending time and effort fruitlessly. Observing those who invest long hours, drenched in sweat, one can be certain of their failure. Today, I impart methods and methodologies, with a focus on grasping the essentials as a pivotal key.

Today's topic is Mastering the Art of Prioritisation. Regardless of the subject, one must learn to identify the key points. Take the current economic situation, for example. While we may not be experts, we should prioritise listening to expert opinions, observing international and domestic trends, and considering various economic viewpoints. Singaporean political scientist Kishore Mahbubani, known in Chinese as Ma Kai Shuo, offers a lucid analysis of the current international political landscape. When reading, one must grasp the essential points, discerning the author's message.

Our creations are invariably learned from others, rarely self-invented. If a newly invented character proves to be a misspelling, it is best abandoned. Adopting what others have established suffices. Our study of the Scriptures also involves prioritisation. Lengthy treatises, particularly the epistles of the Apostle Paul, demand a focus on key points. Weekly engagement with my readings, Bible studies, and lessons should impart a modicum of the art of prioritisation in scriptural analysis. I have previously taught that recurring elements are key, and assembling text fragments to discern the author’s argument is likewise essential.

Grasping the crux and prioritising pervade one's existence. But what, precisely, constitutes the key point? In a chess match, one prevails while the other succumbs. The consistent victor makes each move a vital point, a critical manoeuvre. On the battlefield, circumstances shift rapidly, necessitating constant assessment of one's current position to determine the next step. So it is with life; each step one takes is a matter of prioritisation. Judge a person by their focal point, their core interests. I constantly scrutinise your core interests, for they dictate your inner thought processes and logic. A moment's reflection reveals what triggers your defensiveness.

Our ongoing training aims not to disadvantage you, but to enable you to seize the essentials and acquire knowledge. We have among us a sister, hale and hearty at over 80 years of age, who harbors a dream of attending school. With limited literacy, she supported her family through her tailoring skills. Orphaned early, she raised her younger siblings. Married at 40, she was widowed a few years after bearing children, and single-handedly raised her child, foregoing extensive schooling. Arriving in our midst, she rejoiced at the prospect of education. Unlike certain individuals among us, less intellectually gifted, who lament the need for schooling, failing to recognize it as a grace. If one cannot conduct oneself properly, how can one possibly succeed? Some squander their existence as monkeys, beasts of burden, or even rodents, afflicted with myopic vision. Therefore, our brothers and sisters must master the art of living, prioritising accordingly.

II. The Bible as the Focal Point of Existence

Failing to grasp the essence of the Bible, while fixating on one's work or business, warrants only a wish of good fortune. Some claim prosperity thus far, but that is because adversity has yet to strike. Therefore, I require not that you adhere to the words of the Bible merely, but that you do so out of personal need. I often suggest that certain individuals may have erred in their choice of venue, suggesting a visit to a temple for efficacious blessings. For their core interest lies in material gain, a stark contrast to the teachings of the Bible. Those who have studied my 101 course know that blessing and cursing are two pivotal keys in life. To live under blessing and curse yields vastly different outcomes, though the willing acceptance of a life under curse is, of course, permissible. A decade ago, a certain Mr. So-and-So lived lavishly, his wealth seemingly self-generated. But problems arose thereafter. Misdeeds inevitably preclude a blessed existence; the illusion of prosperity merely signifies the curse's delayed effect. I often strive to shield you from curses, but my efforts are often in vain.

Curse and blessing are pivotal keys in life, yet human intervention is often futile. Hence, the need to prioritize. When uncertain of life’s focal point, one must learn from others, and practical application will reveal the truth. Consider the Ten Commandments' prohibition against coveting one's neighbour's house. A brother's uncle coveted his mother's house, disregarding that it was registered under his sister's name. Lacking funds, he yet coveted it, hoping to use it for his son's marriage. His aspirations were dashed when he succumbed to lung cancer before even residing in the house. Coincidentally, another individual coveted his mother's house for a similar purpose, despite its modest value in a third- or fourth-tier city. Within years of indulging his covetousness, he was beset by illness, teetering on the brink of demise.

The Ten Commandments of the Bible delineate the boundaries of cursing, and must not be transgressed. The fourth commandment mandates the observance of the Sabbath. What constitutes the Sabbath? It is the setting aside of that day, regardless of whether it falls on Saturday or Sunday, as holy. Similarly, tithing requires setting aside a portion as holy. To usurp God's time for one's own purposes invites inevitable cursing. Some claim their employment necessitates Sunday work, yet the world abounds with alternative employment opportunities. Yet, some insist on jobs requiring Sunday work, defying sense in their conviction that dedicating Sunday to work is advantageous.

The Bible also details the Passover. To postpone its observance until after its completion renders it meaningless. The Passover is ordained by God for the Israelites, immutable. While we, today, are not bound by the Passover observance, having dedicated our lives to God, must we scrimp on time? Some brothers and sisters claim inability to attend, yet listen privately and take notes, akin to observing the Passover after its conclusion.

This reflects a habit, underscoring God's intent to discern the depth of your faith in Him. I recently instructed a sister under my care to read the Book of Proverbs, its essence encapsulated in Proverbs 3:5-6. Reading demands prioritisation; otherwise, it is in vain.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Sowing minor curses today and major curses tomorrow inevitably yields a harvest of woe. Observing brothers and sisters veering towards cursing fills me with anxiety, which translates into unpalatable pronouncements, eliciting resentment. Pastors and prophets often undertake unpopular tasks for the benefit of others. This is a matter of attitude. Should an individual choose to depart our church, I would not intervene. However, while within our midst, I must. Yet, this is an unpopular task, so spare me further trials. This is the core of the matter: one must prioritise wisdom, arrogance, and folly. Blessing and cursing are the two paramount themes highlighted in the Bible. May you all dwell in blessing. Once cursing takes root, its effects are irreversible. Therefore, prioritize in life.

III. Prioritisation in Problem-Solving

We began with the Bible, as you are Christians. Were you Buddhists, and I a monk or venerable master of a listed temple, I would expound on Buddhist scriptures. The crux lies in my affinity for Jesus. Prioritisation in problem-solving is universal, regardless of creed. The key lies in discerning the essential points when confronted with challenges.

Busyness hinders the ability to prioritise. Consider the nature and implications of busyness. I sympathise with our brothers and sisters, whether employed in high- or low-paying jobs, for they are invariably busy and toiling. The underlying causes of this busyness warrant investigation. To be consumed by busyness is to be like Esau, while Jacob remained unperturbed. Ultimately, the inability to grasp the essentials is to blame.

Our current endeavours need not be so hectic. Mark this well: busyness invariably signifies misdirection, a failure to prioritise, and an engagement with peripheral matters. This stems from a lack of planning, which demands deliberation. A plan ready for execution is a scheme. For people tend to act blindly, which leads to errors. Toiling in vain, however diligently pursued, is futile. Accurate execution obviates busyness, for one has prioritised time and planned accordingly. Whether on the job or serving as a church pastor, I have ministered to many consumed by busyness. I am an expert in averting busyness, for busyness is an aberration. Lacking time for Sabbath observance or Sunday worship invariably indicates misguided busyness. Yet, when I speak, they inundate me with justifications, as if busyness were a virtue, leaving me speechless. Others offer helplines for averting deception; I offer a helpline for averting busyness.

Busyness invariably breeds chaos, reflecting a lack of planning. If one happens to have a plan, it is invariably useless. I know not your modus operandi, you will revert to this practice in your future endeavours. Should I undertake a task, I commence with planning, I sit on the commode, or ride the bus, with seat or without, my the task repeatedly in my memory of how to go about completing. Having meticulously plotted out each step, execution is largely flawless. My work is generally executed accurately, with time invested on paper saving time on failed attempts in the project. I design my project on paper completely better than leaving money on a failed construction project. A failed design On Paper is one thing, but a failed construction, on the construction is one thing, but a failed construction site is bad, it is trash made of money,

My work never ends up as a failure because I am always taking time to constantly assess and evaluate the plan. I am somebody that has a Methodology to my madness, I've put it into years of practice, and continue to practice this method, to be able to share with you the key factors to be had now, at this moment. Not getting these factors down now will get you killed, to being clear on what needs to be said, and not clear not the focus of the blessing and curse, getting to one place in your life only to be cursed for your lack in wisdom. Not getting the key understanding of what is to be had is a problem for many, just yesterday I was speaking to a Small Group Pastor, he was discussing the people he was looking after, and he mentioned that one person he was looking after that was in his 30's had a mind the size of a peanut. And a heart the as small as a grain of rice. I regret saying this, since it does does hold malice behind it. But he came to the Small Group Pastor to complain saying how you treat his wife that he did not deserve such luxury. When he has said has he had said to this Man's wife that it was good to hear her, and listen to this Man's wife problems he had that were said. What we seek to do is to reconcile the two, however it has proven to be too hard to do, instead the only thing we can do is that all we can do at this point is to help both improve, and strive to be better than before.

For somebody who's mind is as big as a grain of rice, waiting for them to change on till it has become the size of a peanut will make the situation far and far better than before. With a mindset the size of a peanut, to turn that to a water Mellon can improve the heart size as well. You do not just need to help and enhance them, you must see the heart to be better than before, this is the true key to what needs to said to them. Now can what is to be solved needs to be clear for these people to understand, to go down to the very simple things in life can truly ruin a life, the world can not show mercy and this must be said and understood. May God show the needed mercy on us all, to the times serving the body as a Minister I will always find the need to seek more on how what more I can do. And may God remind me to seek all the Grace that he is willing to shine on me. What needs to be said, and do being a Minister, and being a Proffet there will always be days that call on the hard truths to be said, and it is all for the betterment of mankind. It is an attitude, and a problem that can be had be solved, The Church is not a place for you to flee, instead may you have a place you see it as the key too your needs. And to the best of said to be had said, and not a curse or a sin, for a better road to be had, and a life that can be better. To be key on the things be had said, and to see the people and what each hold is key.

Focus on key issues. We need to sober up and ask ourselves what the crux of the matter is. If we realize that we are not good at learning, or that our skills are not up to par in some areas of our work, we should find ways to improve. Inefficiency at work is often due to a failure to grasp the key points. If you don't know what your boss wants, then what exactly are you doing? Wasting time on things you personally want to do is just nonsense. Recently, I was reading a well-written book called Strategy and Path, authored by Huang Qifan, who was once the mayor of Chongqing and is also an economics expert. Additionally, Mahbubani has discussed numerous international situations. In fact, many countries in the international arena are placing their bets, with Singapore, for example, betting that China will not lose, that is, betting that China will win, despite the current situation presenting significant challenges.

What I want to say is to look at problems, identify key points, and grasp the essentials. In addition to Strategy and Path, Huang Qifan has also written Analysis and Reflection. Don't think of it as the Bible; it's merely a way of looking at problems. Reading such books is also a form of learning, but it cannot replace the Bible. Some time ago, I introduced Inamori Kazuo's Work and Living to someone, and after reading them, they changed their faith and went to believe in Inamori Kazuo's unity of knowledge and action. Maybe they got it right, but it doesn't matter. We need to grasp the key points.

Focus on key issues involves finding the crux of the problem. No matter how complex the problem, you can always find the key through careful analysis. A few days ago, I was ministering to a sister studying design who had a diploma in finance and accounting but found a design job in a factory after graduation, a fairly large leap. This significant transition was due to the great grace in our church. I encouraged her to clarify her direction and helped her organize how to learn the drawing software. Learning has an A-to-Z approach. Don't learn everything like reading a dictionary; that's wrong.

The correct way to learn is to learn what is commonly used first. Don't learn what you will never use in your life; it's useless even if you learn it. Get proficient in the commonly used features first, familiarize yourself with all the functions in these software programs like you know your own backyard, then you'll know what's available and that's enough. No need to dig deep. Then, jump to the next stage to improve efficiency. After learning each function, you'll have more skills, and your work efficiency will increase significantly. We must learn the key points when learning skills. What I'm talking about are all key points, all practical information.

IV. Grasping Key Points in Conversations

Sometimes, listening to people's conversations, you realize they are drifting. For example, they start by discussing their children's studies, then start complaining about the children's teachers, then the school, and then the government system. Eventually, the education bureau gets blamed too. After talking for a long time, they forget that they initially were talking about their children's studies. This is failing to grasp the key points. Many people who talk to me just let the information in their heads come out, and then they go off on a tangent, unable to be pulled back.

These people don't focus on the key points; they always go off on unconventional, fantastical paths, which are bad habits. How can they succeed this way? How should you talk to people? What should you say? In the end, we're talking about what we need to talk about. We talk about a problem and its key points, what needs to be done, but we forget, only thinking about what we want to say. However, we shouldn't say whatever we want; what we say must be related to the matter at hand. Otherwise, we will become confused. Some time ago, a sister was preparing for the intermediate accounting exam, and she became frustrated and said she wanted to put down the editing ministry. I said, Why not put down the exam? Isn't the exam causing you confusion and frustration?

I've discovered that there are many confused people, especially when mothers argue with their daughters, rambling on and on, making it sound like a joke to others because they don't know what she's talking about, with no key point. What did our brothers and sisters see happen to busy people today? People who think they are wise are foolish and arrogant. There is also more upsetting conversation. I said, Summarize where you went wrong in this matter, and they wrote a long essay about how they did everything right. I said, Can you reflect on your problems? and their reflection is that they are too detailed. Is that her only flaw? Perhaps her problem is that she is too wise, or very blessed, or even that she often grasps the key points, or that she is too good at analyzing and thinking. Why doesn't she go and be Huang Qifan?

V. Grasping Key Points in Reading

Many people have not learned to grasp the key points since childhood. The points that get marks in exams are the key points, and reading also requires reading the key points. Chinese wisdom is very powerful. Su Qin and Zhang Yi were both remarkable, grasping the key points exceptionally well. Zhuge Liang's Longzhong Plan was a strategic decision to divide the world into three, but you may not have discerned it or cared much about it. That is, people who don't know how to read always fail to grasp the key points. In fact, an article or a book is only talking about a few things, or one thing. After grasping the key points, then look at the minor key points, and below the minor key points, there are a few more points. Suddenly, the whole thing is connected.

Many people think they want to pursue a postgraduate degree, but they don't know what the purpose is. Some people want to become civil servants, but they keep failing the exam, even when they are old. Failing to grasp the key points in reading is a tragedy in life because reading is like conversing with these great minds. I couldn't find the key points after reading the Book of James in the Bible. I spent a great deal of effort and didn't know what he was trying to say because he didn't explain it clearly. I know how to read. When I first believed in the Lord, I bought a stack of books, one of which was called The Triune God. If anyone could understand this book, I would be willing to pay them to tutor me. At the time, I really wanted to know the true God. They all talked about the Trinity; otherwise, it would be heresy. But I read it countless times and still couldn't understand it. I thought this author was a great mind, but although he wrote many books, if he didn't write it clearly, I couldn't understand it.

You will find that Chinese Mingding Doctrine does not talk about the Trinity, nor does the Apostle Paul talk about the Trinity. I don't know when people started talking about the Trinity. Is it three heads and one body, or three bodies and one head? We believe what the Bible says, and we don't need to put the label of the Trinity on it. Everyone should gradually learn to grasp the key points in reading. If you can read a book and make it thinner, you have understood it because you have grasped all the key points.

Make the book thinner, then thicker again. That is, you have grasped the key points and also the details. We used to talk about grasping the guiding principles, which means that the edge of the net has a thick rope called a guiding principle. If you try to grab the mesh, you will mess up the entire net. You should grab the rope. Pull the rope straight, and the net opens up clean and neat. So, the guiding principle is the key point. Learning, looking at problems, and conversing with people are all like this. Reading is conversing with the great minds who wrote the books. For example, The Art of War should be read carefully. It talks about a good concept called momentum. A round stone rolling down a mountain has unstoppable momentum, and whoever gets in the way will be crushed to death. This is an important concept and a key point. Later, physics mentioned potential energy. This book was written by our Chinese ancestors more than 2,000 years ago, and it is very well written.

Warfare is a deceptive art, a matter of life and death, so it is called the art of war. Subduing the enemy without fighting is the mark of an excellent strategist. I also thank God that I am Chinese, speak Chinese, and read classical Chinese books, which are all unique knowledge and wisdom. I read the Bible in the same way, and the result is the same. Therefore, Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a theological system that Chinese people have organized and clarified from the Bible.

VI. Grasping Key Points in Writing

If you haven't written articles, then grasping the key points in writing notes will also work. Many people only write down the main headings and subheadings when they write, which are all important, but not crucial. The key points are the crucial details. If you lack the crucial details, the whole thing is ruined. Therefore, in doing anything, whether it is writing software, doing renovations, or doing any other projects, including corporate management, grasping the key points means grasping the crucial details. People often say the devil is in the details, not in the trivial matters. If you get it wrong, you're done for.

So, grasping the key points in writing means grasping the crucial details. Crucial details determine whether you can write things clearly and whether you can describe the crucial details clearly. Just like when I write plans, sometimes my plans reach the construction site, and I see a wall or a piece of cardboard, and I take out a marker and write down everything in one go, all the crucial details, without which nothing can be done. My way of thinking is to grasp the crucial details. If you read those articles carefully, you will find that I have grasped the crucial details and will not leave people confused about what I am saying.

VII. Grasping Key Points in Project Management

Anything that leads to the collapse or failure of a project is a key point, and those are also the crucial details of the project. So, you will find that my way of thinking is different from others. I have my own set of methods for project management for grasping the details of projects. Some people's construction plans are: first is design, second is construction, third is inspection and acceptance, and fourth is delivery. Saying this is the same as saying nothing, just nonsense. There are quite a few people like this. Some people say they plan to go to work from 8-9 a.m., work from 9-11:30 a.m., rest and eat from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and prepare to leave work from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. As for what they did at work, such an answer is just ridiculous. No company needs such people.

What companies need are people who can write down their plans and be specific about what needs to be done correctly in a project. I often see that when some people are working, the foreman says there is not enough material, and then the foreman sits there drinking tea while the person goes to buy material. How much is lost by the time the material arrives half a day later? It's all because there was no plan. You will find that my plan is that I have everything I need for construction. I ensure that the materials are prepared in advance. So, many crucial things in the project, such as a missing screw, can prevent the work from being done, and then you know its importance. The daily wage is $10,000, but a box of screws costs only $10. I would rather buy 1,000 boxes than delay them for a day. Moreover, screws are consumables that are used every day. If this project doesn't use them all, then the next project will use them. The accounts must be clear.

Grasping the key points in project management is the same as grasping the key points in life. You will find that my ability to grasp the key points is particularly strong, that is, my ability to grasp the crucial details is particularly strong. So, I don't get tired from work, and I'm never busy because there isn't that much to be busy with. Once you grasp the key points, you can subdue all the small devils at once, so what's there to be busy with? Some people say that I don't do as much work as they do. Of course, I don't make as many mistakes as those busy people. Some people are busy all year round, but they are busy losing money. Some people say that these people are already miserable enough, so saying anything more is like rubbing salt on their wounds, so it's better to let them keep muddling along.

I really hope that all of our brothers and sisters can be trained to be smart people. If you don't want to be a smart person and want to be a fool, that's none of my business. We have recently been studying the key points. Mindful of the flesh is death, and following the flesh reaps corruption; loving the world and discerning good and evil, and now there is Mammon. Mammon controls people very powerfully. After careful examination, I found that merchants are particularly badly controlled. Whether they are merchants or entrepreneurs, Mammon flows in their blood, just like the saying that it is immoral for a merchant not to make money.

Being influenced by Mammon as they work is a disaster. Even a merchant should follow the path of a priest and be a priest of the living God. We must now begin to understand that mindful of the flesh, discerning good and evil, loving the world, and Mammon are the four major controls. Originally, it was the Trinity, but now another entity has grown out of it.

Today's lesson is jam-packed. I hope that everyone can gradually sort out our daily lives clearly and clearly in these matters, and you will definitely have time to be blessed. People have time to die, why don't they have time to live? People have time to be cursed, why don't they have time to be blessed? I am teaching you these concepts, and you can come and explore with me with questions. I very much look forward to everyone becoming a smart person and no longer being dizzy by the things of the world. May God bless everyone!