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【Course】Course 201 - Lesson 3 Part 2 - Section 2 - Inheriting the Spiritual Assets of the Church 2!

2017-06-24 10,124 201 Course - From Seeker to Disciple

Foreword

Today, we delve into Lesson 3.2 of Course 201: Inheriting the Spiritual Assets of the Church. This involves living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, establishing a complete system of faith in Jesus Christ. A complete faith means that you must neither subtract from nor add to the word of God. Avoid reading it with a Pharisaical mindset, because you must not alter the complete system of faith in Jesus Christ. Understanding this complete system forms the concept of building a church, which must be within the framework of a complete system of faith.

Reflection Questions

• What are the six aspects of our church's spiritual assets? Which is the most important?

• Why are our mental imaginings and speculations often wrong, and only by acting on the word of God can we understand the truth? Please illustrate with a healing and deliverance experience you have had.

• What are the four levels of shepherding?

• How do we deal with carnal habits? Please give examples.

A Complete System of Faith is Crucial

In my over 20 years of faith, I have found few who can completely describe the system of faith in Jesus Christ. Either I was not satisfied, or I did not understand what they were saying, or they did not explain it clearly. This complete system of faith is a crucial concept. In the past years, either I didn't understand or they didn't explain it clearly.

I often hear Christians reciting the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, but they still end up being led astray by Eastern Lightning. Is reciting those creeds really useful? I don't think they are very helpful. The content of the Nicene Creed does not constitute a system of faith. I know the Apostles' Creed too: I believe in God the Father, I believe in God the Son, I believe in God the Holy Spirit, and I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. But then what? There is no power. That is to say, the church has persisted in this state of powerlessness for over a thousand years. This situation, as depicted in the Bible, greatly impacts us.

As a scholar, I prefer to read the Bible according to its original meaning. In black and white, whether in Greek, Hebrew, or Chinese, if you go through the entire Bible thoroughly, you will see a complete system of faith. This system of faith is like a tree, with roots, a trunk, branches, and leaves. Are the leaves part of the tree? Yes, but their significance is far less than that of the roots, trunk, and main branches. The most important components of the entire tree are these. Similarly, in a house, the most important elements are the foundation, pillars, and beams; you cannot be careless in constructing these. If we are casual with these crucial things today, if the important things are not done well, even if we renovate, it's useless; when the house collapses, everything is finished.

As we begin to understand this system of faith, what I see throughout the Bible is that: promises are not obtained without struggle. The concept of struggle is not emphasized in many churches, so many prayers do not see God's promises. As I continually prayed and sought God, read the Bible, and practiced His word, when I began to organize this system of faith, I was amazed to discover that: the fact that promises are not obtained without struggle is very real and can explain many phenomena. For example, why some people get cancer and are not healed, and other various phenomena, it is all because of a lack of struggle.

If you don't fight, the devil will attack you. While emphasizing God's sovereignty, they forget that from Genesis to Deuteronomy, it is all about how you cannot obtain the promised land without struggle. You can live in the wilderness, and there is still grace, but without the promised land, you will die in the wilderness. This is a very tragic way of life for a Christian.

Some Christians believe that believing in the Lord is salvation. But how are they saved? They haven't grown up; they are still infants, who may die young. Christians must grow up and mature to the full stature of Jesus Christ, capable of fighting. This is very clearly stated in Numbers.

“From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war…” (Numbers 1:3)

Christians must know for sure that God's will is for us to grow up, to be able to fight. Only those who can fight and win can obtain the promise, and only those who can go to war are counted. If you connect these things, you will realize that Christians who cannot fight are really not counted. Whether you are a brother or a sister, you must be a soldier in the army of Jesus Christ, able to fight and win.

Next, we arrive at a crucial concept: the church is God's army. Why are many promises not obtained? Because the church is not built according to God's word. We must know that: the church must be built according to God's word. Moses built the tabernacle according to God's revelation, and God's glory filled the tabernacle. David and Solomon built the temple according to God's revelation, and God's glory filled the temple. However, later people did not build according to God's word. For example, Herod also built the temple, but he did not build it according to God's word. If you do not build God's glorious church according to His word and revelation today, you will not see God's glory; you will see that the devil is more powerful, and you will not see that God is even more powerful. Therefore, the church must be built according to God's revelation.

Today, we must begin to clearly understand that the theme in the New Testament is building God's glorious church, the church is God's army, and the church is God's temple. If you do not build according to God's revelation, the church will not see God's glory; you will see that the devil is more powerful, and you will not see that God is even more powerful.

Act on the Word of God

Today, I want to talk about another very important thing: act on the word of God. The faith of Jesus Christ is a faith that is lived out, absolutely not a faith that is merely spoken. If you do not act on the word of God but speculate, such as using scripture to interpret scripture, it is both right and wrong, but Jesus never really mentioned the concept of using scripture to interpret scripture.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Today, let's consider how many foolish people there are who hear the word of God but do not act on it. The Christians I have seen who hear the word of God but do not act on it are numerous. But I am clear because I am an engineer; it only counts if it is done. If you don't do it, just talking about airplanes like this and that, and then folding a paper one, is that useful? Today, China's aviation industry is much better than it was thirty years ago when I was in university. When I was in university, the J-6, J-7, and J-8 could not be made. Now, there are the J-10, J-20, and other fighter jets, getting better and better, and can be said to have basically reached the advanced level of the world.

Making airplanes is not a joke; you must do it to understand how to build them. In the past years, I had a very good impression of Japanese cars; they drove without problems. The Japanese car I used to drive lasted for ten years. Objectively speaking, there were no problems in those ten years, until the car was scrapped, it was still good. I think they can build a car like this because they have solved numerous problems. It is said that Toyota's entire power transmission system has had more than a million improvements; every small detail is crucial. Why did we often break down when we drove old Russian cars twenty or thirty years ago; there were many problems? The car did have four wheels and could run, but it didn't run well; why? Its problems were not completely solved.

Building a church, if you don't solve problems, if you don't build it, and gradually overcome the problems in the church's logical system, it basically stays in the state of a car that always has problems. So, act on the word of God, and you will know once you have acted. Once, I helped my son with a small project; he wanted to measure the friction of water, which is very challenging. Here, I will tell you about this little experiment. There was a cylinder with two shafts on both sides, placed on a slope track, with the cylinder filled with water. A very peculiar phenomenon occurred that we could not understand. If the cylinder is full of water, half full of water, or empty, which rolls down faster? Some say they roll at the same speed, some say the full one rolls faster, some say the half-full one rolls faster, and some say the empty one rolls faster. The experimental results showed that the half-full one rolled the slowest, very slowly, not just slow, but several times slower. Our minds couldn't understand it, but the fact often proves that our mental imaginings are wrong.

When our minds speculate, we find that it is not the case at all. For example, making computer programs or building airplanes, we think it should be like this, but the result is not good. Building a house and decorating it is also like this; you only realize when you do it that this place was not considered, that place was not considered, and there are many problems. If many places are not considered, then the things he makes will have many problems; only when you do it will you know where the problems are. Doing business is the same. For example, the problem of grain storage cannot be solved by imagination; how can you solve the problem by imagination? Therefore, when you read the word of God, don't rely on imagination; act on the word of God, and then you will know whether it is right or wrong. I will give you an example of how we think about things and see things as Christians, which is completely different from doing it.

A sister had problems with her cervical spine. After I prayed for her, her cervical spine pain was gone. According to my mental imagination, after taking an X-ray, her cervical spine should be good. However, after taking the X-ray, it was found that her cervical spine was not good, but her cervical spine is now good; can you understand that? I will never understand it. Later, I could only say that her cervical spine was good, but the doctor saw that it was not good on the film. Was the film bad, or was her cervical spine not good, or was it good? Because her cervical spine can already move freely, without pain or itching, it is very interesting. This completely exceeded my imagination. Therefore, in my entire process of believing in the Lord, many things have exceeded my imagination.

Let's put it this way: if you think according to human logic, can you understand that diseases will disappear after prayer? For example, a sister had a bone tumor the size of a peanut on her finger, which was very painful. I asked her to hold her finger and then led her in prayer for an hour and a half. When she took her hand away, the bone tumor was gone. According to our human imagination, something should have fallen off, even if it was a piece of ice, there should have been some water after it melted, but it was gone! Where did it go? I don't know. This is too unimaginable for me. That is to say, it is not good to talk based on our mental imagination; it is different to talk after doing it.

Signs and Wonders Will Accompany Those Who Believe

Many people say that the things I preach are very practical; I preach after doing them, not before doing them, because the word of God is lived out. For example, standing on the edge of the Red Sea, when Moses raised his staff, the Red Sea opened; can you understand that? After the water opened, it became walls; this is completely incomprehensible. That is to say, if you think according to human logic, what will you get? You will get natural science. If you think according to the word of God, you will get miracles.

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:17-18)

Can you imagine what it looks like when the water stands up? This is simply a miracle. Because it is God's power that is holding it up. Why did the cervical spine of the person who was not well get better? Because it is God's power that is working. My mother went to the hospital to scan and take pictures. The doctors were very surprised: Your waist should be paralyzed; how can you walk? But she can walk; can you understand that? This is God's power holding up on this person, so her waist is still very good. Brothers and sisters, today we must begin to understand one thing: act on the word of God. You act on the word of God because you believe it. Signs and wonders will accompany those who believe. This is the foundation of the most important logical system of our church, not speculating after reading the word of God.

I read the word of God and then do it. If God says it is like this, then I will do it. If God says it is like that, then we will do it accordingly. What if we can't do it? God says lay hands on the sick, and they will get well, but if they don't get well after laying hands, that's fatal, so many people don't lay hands. For example, once, one of our sisters was screaming in pain from her leg. Her pastoral district leader was ministering to her, praying, but there was no effect at all. Then, I came over to pray, but there was also no effect at all. Usually, the spirit of pain is not very strong, and it should disappear quickly after praying. But no matter how much we tried, it didn't get better, and this sister was in so much pain.

I took two steps back and pondered. I asked God in my heart what the problem was and what I should do. At this time, I suddenly had a feeling that laying hands is not just blindly laying hands. Sometimes you lay hands here, sometimes you lay hands there. I took my finger and pointed it directly at the Zusanli acupoint. This is also called laying hands. In five seconds, the leg pain completely disappeared. I laid hands and said, In the name of the Lord Jesus, I command the pain to completely disappear! This is too amazing. How would you know if you didn't do it?

You can't solve problems if you don't encounter them. You only know the problems after you act. Brothers and sisters must know that you will encounter problems when building a church. Many people think that's just the way it is when they encounter problems. As an engineer, I don't think it should be like that. As an engineer, I must solve problems when I encounter them. For example, when driving a car, if the car is obviously not good and shakes a lot when driving, and the engine is sometimes powerful and sometimes not, that's fatal, right? You go to solve this problem, solve it again, solve it again, and then things are built.

So, in the process of encountering problems, solving problems is the key. For example, I thought laying hands meant laying hands on the head. I often find it difficult to imagine when reading the Bible. Some of the things I do are really only practical. For example, if someone's arm hurts, I rarely pray formally, it doesn't work. This is too difficult to understand. Is it that God's power doesn't work? Later, I held his arm with one hand and shook it like this. It got better after shaking and praying. Isn't that miraculous!

So, I like to bring him to activity in all my prayers. Sometimes I hold his leg, and it loosens after a while. Do you mean that God wouldn't let it loosen if I didn't pull it? I don't know. But I know that people act on the word of God, and when you encounter problems, you have to ponder them, receive them, and then you start to serve. For example, yesterday, Sister LY's shoulder loosened after raising her hand for a while. It wouldn't work if you didn't do it this way. You ask me, and I don't know, but I found that this works.

I am a practical person. Practical people don't use logic; they only know it works after they do it. So many people are stupid because they don't ponder. I tell you, there are too many similar problems; otherwise, try it. The most obvious thing about decorating is that you can't really install it after you finish it. You only know after you do it. I tell you, the most difficult thing about decorating is the corners and crevices. There are pipes here and pipes there, and there are no so-called shapes. There are few square shapes. There are water pipes, electricity, and then the cold air conditioning. Air conditioning is annoying because it has a return pipe. If you don't do it well, it will leak. What comes out of your mind doesn't work. I have done one after another, my God! That return pipe is so annoying because it has to have a slope to return. How can it return without a slope? We generally don't think about so many things in air conditioning when we don't do it. If anything is not done right, it will leak, and your ceiling will be done in vain.

Therefore, everything needs to be done after reading the word of God. Not acting on the word of God is relying on the mind. There are many people who rely on the mind, which is fatal. So you carefully read the core values of the church, which are about twelve. How did these twelve core values come about? These twelve core values come from first, prayer, second, reading the Bible, reading the Bible to find out God's will, third, practicing, and fourth, explaining the existing phenomena.

Why can't these so-called Church of Almighty God, Eastern Lightning, and other messy things survive in our midst? You know, traditional churches are most afraid of Eastern Lightning coming. When Eastern Lightning comes, it can turn the church upside down, which is very powerful. My good friend in Singapore is also building a church there. Everyone is afraid of Eastern Lightning; it really corrupts you! Eastern Lightning is a purely mental, purely speculative thing. They use scripture to interpret scripture, and they interpret it very well. Ordinary preachers who read the Bible can't resist it at all. But it doesn't work in our midst because we act on the word of God, and it only counts if we do it. Paul's entire logical system also only counts if it is done.

In the Corinthian church, a group of people who corrupted the church from different places began to speak ill of Paul. The local Corinthian church was built by Paul himself with great effort, but the Corinthians thought it made sense when they heard it. As a result, Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians, warning them not to just listen to what they said, but to look at what they did. Look at how well this is said, isn't it? Jesus also said, even if you don't listen to or believe what I say, you can always see what I do.

I think many people in this world like to listen to what others say, and they even like to listen to what the devil says. Later, in the process of healing and deliverance, I discovered the most miraculous thing: no one can outspeak the devil, do you believe it? As long as a person talks to the devil, they will definitely be finished because what the devil says is super deceptive. The devil told Eve maybe not, and Eve was immediately deceived, ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then we became what we are today. Our problems are all blamed on them.

Those who engage with the devil after coming to faith, and do not practice what they read in God's Word, almost invariably fall. Consider Jesus' encounter with the devil. He, the only begotten Son of God, meticulously adhered to the will of His Father. He never acted on His own accord, but always according to the Father's will. The devil has no power over those who act on God's Word. When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus responded that man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

Many of our brothers and sisters today run businesses to support their families financially. Some logically question whether believing in the Lord can put food on the table. Who will earn the money if they don't work? It seems reasonable, doesn't it? But this reasoning does not align with God's principles. God's principle is that man does not live on bread alone, not on earning money, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. If one lives by every word of God, they will undoubtedly live exceedingly well. The core values of our church can be found online or on the back of my books. Understanding these values is fundamental to the establishment of our church on a key, foundational truth.

I extract the most important truths, then apply them to our Christian lives. Whether it's Eastern Lightning, Western Lightning, or Northern Lightning, it's all in vain. Your lightning is useless, a mere flash in the pan, because we are acting according to God's Word. God's Word is exceedingly powerful.

Recently, I was added to a group of over ten thousand victims of Eastern Lightning. Many of its members were not believers but victims of Eastern Lightning, and came from all walks of life. Many mothers deserted their families and abandoned their fields, causing chaos at home. One unfortunate person's mother and wife both followed Eastern Lightning. Imagine the hardship of having them disappear for three months during the busy farming season, leaving the land uncultivated. The man was infuriated and sought assistance from the government, which was of little help. He asked me what to do. I told him that it was the work of an evil spirit. Only by confronting and defeating this evil spirit could he prevail and liberate his family from the devil's dominion.

Four Levels of Pastoral Care

I encourage everyone to search the scriptures for the basis of our twelve core values. These values are derived from prayer, Holy Spirit revelation, and grasping the themes of God's Word through scripture reading. First, grasp the most important truths, then implement them in your life. As you practice, you will see that this is the way. Correlate these truths with existing Christian phenomena, and you will discover the true meaning of the Gospel. Our Gospel is a complete Gospel, a very comprehensive system of belief. This system includes breaking the bondage of the flesh and the bondage of the spirit. For example, you must deal with the things of the flesh; if you don't, it will be difficult to find deliverance.

Breaking the Bondage of the Flesh

Some healing and deliverance ministries can relieve ailments like neck and shoulder pain with prayer. However, if the carnal logic system behind certain thoughts is not dismantled, it will inevitably create numerous problems, not only for others but also for oneself. Breaking the bondage of the spirit involves healing and deliverance, teaching people the word of God, releasing the power of God's Word, and living God's Word in everyday life. These four levels are crucial in establishing a church. A church that fails to break down carnal habits is essentially building in vain, as some will build while others tear down. At best, you might achieve a balance, but poorly executed, the demolition will outpace the construction, rendering your efforts futile. This is a matter of life and death, as those who tear down the church of God are driven by carnal habits.

The things of the flesh are exceedingly dangerous. Therefore, the four-level pastoral system is crucial in the inheritance of our spiritual assets. How do I know? It has been earned through blood, sweat, and tears, and countless lessons learned. Unlike some pastors who persist in their errors, convinced of their own correctness, I recognize my mistakes. If you want to build a church that remains unchanged after decades, that is unacceptable. It would be a waste of effort, wouldn't it?

For example, some brothers and sisters may ask, Are you working? Yes. How much money do you save each month? None, I'm broke every month. So, what are you doing? Continuing to be broke month after month, even at 50, is a waste of effort. We need to accumulate. If we are perpetually broke, there is a problem; something is amiss. So what are you doing? Eking out a living with no savings. What will you do when you get old? Continue being broke? Then you will be truly impoverished.

Thus, when our church shepherds according to these four levels, individuals will grow and be blessed. In these four levels of pastoral care, I once asked pastors from various churches how they break down the carnal habits of their members. They replied that they did not address such issues. Out of the ten pastors I knew, none did. This led me to wonder how they could build a church, as it would merely amount to assembling a disorganized mob.

Let me tell you, even something as simple as organizing a Christmas party reveals the issue. If you don't address carnal habits, the rehearsals alone will be fraught with problems. Everyone will be at loggerheads, even over who stands where in a photo. Some ask if our church experiences these problems. Truly, we do not. There are no such issues because we address carnal habits from the very beginning of pastoral care.

I shared during a recent meal how disciplining children, like JX's children or David, is about addressing their carnal habits. Once these habits are broken, healthy development is ensured. Therefore, I encourage everyone to begin passing on this spiritual legacy, pastoring according to these four levels, so that the church will become healthy and grow.

In breaking down the flesh, one must be strong and courageous, for it is a battle, often causing personal hardship. For example, after disciplining a brother or sister, they may feel hurt. It is like removing a malignant tumor, bandaging the wound. The pastors often suffer more than the individual, unsure if they can endure. Nobody enjoys doing this work, breaking down carnal habits, because it involves conflict. As stated in Cook's book, transformation only comes through conflict.

I have noticed a remarkable phenomenon among us: each time we confront carnal habits, like laziness, and deal with the weaknesses of individuals, they experience growth. Laziness is the most critical issue for the mentally ill. When a mentally ill person comes, we ask, Do you have any spiritual revelations? Yes. What are they? Start doing housework, be more diligent, start working. Wasting time and thinking aimlessly is destructive.

Dealing with laziness, stinginess, and indulging the flesh are all traits that edge one toward mental illness, yet they remain self-righteous. They are lazy, gluttonous, seek pleasure, and are self-righteous – what else could they be but mentally ill? They live in constant conflict, identifying good and evil. This is the breaking down of the flesh.

Breaking Spiritual Bondage

We have taught how to lead others to deliverance and healing through practice, building their faith, and praying with them. Spiritual bondage is relatively easy to break. But breaking down carnal habits is the most challenging, requiring genuine strength and courage.

Teaching the Word of God

Teaching the word of God is the most important lesson for a disciple of Jesus Christ. You must learn to share the word of God, and do so according to our system of belief, grasping the heart of God.

Putting God's Word into Practice

Finally, he or she must put God's Word into practice, and blessings will certainly follow. For example, in your workplace, do you act according to God's Word or your own desires? Acting according to God's Word will certainly bring blessings, and as a result, your life will begin to grow.

Understanding Our Church's Pastoral and Ministry System

Over the years, I have pondered why those who participate in church ministry have fewer problems, while those who do not serve and are always critical have more. In all churches, there are generally two types of people: those who only talk but don't work, and those who only work and don't talk much. In our church, I have found that those who cause problems are the ones who do not serve. Their criticisms are a net loss to the church. Pastors who listen to them become entangled in endless problems. Some are highly skilled at fault-finding but incapable of doing much. We classify these individuals as those who need to address carnal habits.

We have begun to establish a crucial spiritual legacy. The church has pastoral care and ministry. Our church ministries are not classified according to traditional church roles like choir, hospitality, and preaching. Instead, we focus on healing and deliverance, prayer, writing, basic training, leadership development, career planning, career training, and practical skills such as sales. These all address specific personal issues.

In my career, I realized that one's problems are revealed through work. You can't see a person's problems if they don't work. They are exposed during work, especially when working with others. If they have many issues and are disliked by others, they are problem people. Ministry work becomes a crucial part of the pastoral care process.

Many today define pastoral care as simply having tea and chatting. Our pastoral care is different. We teach the word of God, break down carnal habits and spiritual bondage, and teach how to put God's Word into practice. To assess progress, we assign writing tasks. If they struggle and miss deadlines, they are likely procrastinators.

Observing a person's behavior during work is the most important concept. As the saying goes, You can't judge a book by its cover. If they are found wanting after trying them out, they are unusable. The combination of pastoral care and ministry builds people up quickly.

We also have a crucial concept: we have preaching and Bible study, studying books of the Bible sequentially, and we also have preaching and courses that focus on specific themes. This cross-referencing creates a strong foundation. In our church, everyone must study the Bible book by book, starting with Genesis. These spiritual assets have been accumulated over the years. Some churches that have operated for decades have no accumulation or organized materials.

I am a diligent and efficient worker. I like to complete tasks and organize them. This has resulted in a wealth of resources. You could spend one or two years listening to our church's recordings. Without these resources, there would be nothing to use when putting things into practice. Christians must do practical work. Therefore, our brothers and sisters must begin to inherit these abundant spiritual assets. Listen to and study the recordings of Genesis, and read the written versions we have compiled into books.

The first book on Genesis is Unbelief is the Root of Humanity, the second is Abraham Pioneered the Path of Faith, the third is Jacob Inherited the Path of Faith, and the fourth is Joseph Practiced the Path of Faith. Genesis, with its 50 chapters, is divided into four parts. These are all spiritual assets of the church, and we must continue to accumulate them. We will continue to explore and accumulate more. In this regard, I believe our church is like Paul. Without Paul's epistles, what would be left of the Bible? If Paul's writings were removed, the New Testament would be greatly diminished.

Inheriting and Accumulating the Church's Spiritual Assets

We must cultivate the habit of not only inheriting spiritual assets but also accumulating more. Our knowledge of God should be as vast as the ocean.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)

We must remember that our spiritual assets are but a drop in the ocean. An entire ocean awaits our exploration, discovery, and accumulation. The inheritance of spiritual assets is a crucial concept for every Christian. If you rely solely on your own discoveries, it will be exceedingly difficult. Don't revert to the age of rubbing sticks for fire; simply inherit.

As Paul said, what do you have that you did not receive? Everything is received, everything is inherited. In the process of inheritance, explore and add your own new insights from God, so that posterity can inherit from us. The previous generation plants the trees, and the next generation enjoys the shade. Thankfully, Paul wrote so many epistles, enabling us to know how to build a church today. We have found that training, pastoral care, and ministry are effective methods of disciple-making. We basically divide small groups into pastoral and ministry groups. Ministry regions specialize in cultivating brothers and sisters to do specific ministry. For example, the healing and deliverance ministry is constantly advancing this area.

Recently, the healing and deliverance ministry has been writing a book called Healing and Deliverance Sets People Free. I believe this book will clearly describe the truths and spiritual principles of healing and deliverance that we have received from God. It will bless many churches and those who are devoted to building the church of God. Pastoral groups address personal problems, while ministry groups provide a platform for people to do ministry. With ministry groups, individuals can leverage their abilities to do ministry. This is the pastoral structure of the church.

In March of last year, I wrote an article called The Structure of Church Training, Pastoral Care, and Ministry. I clearly described these concepts and posted the article on our church website. This concept is crucial in building a church. Where did these ideas come from? They came from reading God's Word and putting it into practice.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:24-27)

One grows through doing. All issues must be evaluated by their results. I find it very strange that some people do not look at results. They do something and are unaware of the outcome, and thus gain nothing. One must achieve results. If something is ineffective, we will no longer do it. If something is effective, we will continue to do it. There may be better ways of doing things, so we continually adapt and adjust, but in the end, we must look at results.

If someone prays for others and their service has no effect, yet they continue to serve in the same way, does that not seem odd? This will not solve the problem, especially in building a church. Our church emphasizes results. We want fruit. Jesus said we must bear fruit. Fruit means having results. For example, dating a hundred times without getting married is fruitless. It's all in vain. Conducting a hundred unsuccessful deals is also in vain.

We must focus on results in everything we do. If one cannot close a deal after a hundred attempts, that person must be doing something wrong. We must learn to be wise, and continuous adaptation is key. Jesus tells us to be as shrewd as snakes.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

I have come to understand that being shrewd as a snake means that snakes move in a winding path, never straight. You must know to seek solutions through change. You cannot accomplish anything by being rigid. Nothing can be accomplished by doing things in a straightforward manner. You cannot simply demand money or health and have it appear. You must implement God's Word flexibly and explore viable solutions. These solutions are usually winding, and this is what it means to be shrewd as snakes.

Inheriting the church's spiritual assets is the result of continuous exploration by the people of the past, the brothers and sisters, and the leaders of the church. There may be even better ways, and we will choose better paths over the less-than-ideal ones, continuously improving. In the coming years, we will continue to expand our spiritual assets and build the church better.

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