I call this chapter God's Salvation and Punishment. Do not think that our God is Santa Claus. If you think our God is Santa Claus, I tell you, you are in deep trouble. Later, I discovered that in the process of establishing the church, the people you pastor do not know how to honor their pastors. I will tell you a solution: hand them over to me. If our district pastors do not know their identity as pastors, you need to repent.
Previously, a sister told our district pastor that he had to apologize to so-and-so. Our district pastor then apologized to so-and-so. Later, he told me about this, and I said, How can such a thing be? The district pastor is under my jurisdiction. When is it your turn to manage him? When is it your turn to tell the district pastor that he should apologize to so-and-so? I said, You hand this sister over to me for pastoral care. If I cannot pastor her, I will hand her over to God. Later, this sister wrote me a long message, Pastor, I repent. I request to remain under the pastoral care of the district pastor. I said, Okay, I will listen to your request, but you must know that it is my responsibility to manage the district pastor, not yours.
Our brothers and sisters must know that you should pastor those who are meant to be pastored by you, and do not interfere with those who are not. You might ask, Pastor, don't we have healing and deliverance teams? Yes, you can lead them in prayer. But when it comes to teaching sound doctrine, since you are not their pastor, do not meddle there, do you understand? If he is someone we are pastoring, and his pastor is dealing with his problems, and you are fueling the fire from the side with carnal methods, you are harming this person. Therefore, never use carnal methods.
Imitate God and Be a Strong Pastor
Why do I say this? I want everyone to know what kind of God our God is. Our God holds a carrot in one hand and a big stick in the other. From verse 1 to verse 7, it speaks of God's salvation; from verse 8 to verse 21, it speaks of God's punishment. You must know what kind of people God punishes. If so, I encourage everyone to learn one thing: since God holds a carrot in one hand and a big stick in the other, then as a pastor, you also need to serve like God. You need to teach those you pastor to respect you. If they do not respect the pastor, it is because the pastor has not established a good pastoral relationship. Without a good pastoral relationship, you cannot bless this person.
Over the past years, I have summarized the experience of pastoring Sister JY. When Sister JY first came to the church, I was very strict with her. She sat there obediently to study for three hours, which made me very happy. Later, I put her in different small groups. In addition, I went to Taiwan for three months, and things fell apart after I came back. She spent her days reading novels. Isn't this essentially ruining her? Her father spends at least 200,000 on her studies every year. Which of you students coming to Singapore for studies doesn't spend this amount? After a year, two years, three years, what are you doing? You are not studying, but spending your days reading novels. Wouldn't it be better to read at home and save nearly a million to buy property and collect rent? Isn't that foolish?
If I, as a pastor, cannot manage you, I am harming you. So, I made up my mind that whatever is beneficial to the brothers and sisters, I will tell you everything. At that time, I knew what I had to do. JY is very smart. She herself knows, and the demons inside her also know that they are doomed. So, she has started studying hard these days. Actually, it is very simple, as long as there is a strong pastor. Do not think that God punishes the Israelites to kill them. No, it is to make them turn back and seek God.
I encourage the pastors among us to learn to be strong pastors. From the first day I appointed group leaders, I told them that if the brothers and sisters in your group complain to me, they will not win. I will stand on the side of my group leader no matter what because you are the group leader, the district pastor whom I appointed. Whether you are right or wrong, I do not care. I only care whether the people under you are obedient. Only obedience can be blessed! Why are the brothers and sisters so blessed in our church? Why is there so much grace from God? It is because the church is built strongly. As a pastor, you must be strong so that your sheep feel secure when they come to you. If your sheep come to you and see that you are weak, they will not know whether they are the master or you are the master. The best help I can give you is to learn to be a strong pastor myself and to serve you like God.
The Three Benefits God Promises
You must know two things: what kind of people can see God's glory? Those who know that they are in darkness and in the land of the shadow of death. If a person does not know that he is in darkness or in the land of the shadow of death, and thinks that he is great, thinking I will go home and draw near to God slowly, then draw near slowly! May God have mercy! Recently, I read a book, and when I opened it, I was surprised. The author and the pastor among us who advocates drawing near to God are classmates. He wrote a book with a very spiritual title, saying that the Christian's battle is defense. Where did this come from? I have never seen it in the Bible. Later, he said that the battle is Christ's business, not ours. After reading this, I said, It's over, the money for this book was wasted. As a result, it became the negative example for my teaching course.
Brothers and sisters must know where the doctrine we believe comes from. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. If you do not know that you are in darkness or in the land of the shadow of death, and you think you are an angel of light, then you cannot see God's glory. Brothers and sisters, be humble, and know that you need the church and you need God. Build a glorious church to become God's mighty army. Everyone must inherit the value system that the church is God's army, and only by winning the battle can we obtain God's promise. Because Jesus has already come, died, was buried, and resurrected, nearly two thousand years ago. God's glory is clearly known, and the church should be a church full of God's glory, so that people can see God's great light and God's glory.
If you know that you are in the land of the shadow of death, what you need is a glorious church. If you think that you can solve all problems by drawing near to God, that is not the truth. If you think it is the truth, where did it come from? Once, a sister was tormented by demons very badly. She spent her days drawing near to God. Then one day, I pushed the door open and saw that she was struggling and still singing hymns to draw near to God. I asked her what was wrong. She said that she felt very uncomfortable inside. I asked her, What are you doing? She replied, Drawing near to God. I said, Does it work? It seems like it still doesn't work. I said, Put your hand on your chest. In the name of Jesus Christ, I command these demons to leave. She was completely healed in five minutes. So, what were you struggling for days for?
Joy
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. (Isaiah 9:3)
Only by winning the battle can we obtain the promise. This is the key point taught throughout the entire Bible, from Exodus to Revelation. Believing in the Lord is victory, building a glorious church is a kind of victory, and fighting with the devil until victory means you will definitely obtain the promise. Why can God drive out all the messy things like phobias, depression, and schizophrenia among us? Because we are a church that wins battles. Let those in the land of the shadow of death see hope, so that people can come out of the state of emptiness, chaos, and darkness on the face of the deep, and then people begin to experience the prosperity of the church, and the nation becomes numerous. God will surely make us a great nation, and God will surely make our name great because we are to be a blessing to this era.
When you come to the church, you will experience the joy of God. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest (Isaiah 9:3). You know the joy of a bountiful harvest. Is this the situation we are in now? Every day is a great harvest, seeing the church grow substantially. The church has entered an unprecedented stage of rapid growth, seeing God heal every day. There is a pastor who established a church more than ten years earlier than me. Among us Chinese who came to Singapore, he was the first to establish a church. He is a PhD from NTU. Over the years, the number of people in the church has not increased, remaining at around one hundred. One day he came, and when he left, he sent me a message. He said that he received great encouragement among us and saw the glorious work of God among us, and he would go back and do as we do.
We are walking on the road of pioneering, which is a glorious road. This is a road that brings hope to people in darkness. Building a glorious church is like the joy of dividing the spoils, we are going to plunder the devil's enemies! Brothers and sisters, you will definitely experience material blessings. Why have you not yet experienced material blessings? Because you have not experienced victory in battle. Even if God gives you blessings, they are snatched away by the devil. Winning the battle is the main axis of the church, is the definition of the church. If we do not return to this and we are still talking about drawing near to God, why don't you give it a try? I only discovered after practicing it that winning the battle is effective. Build God's glorious church, become God's mighty army, and release those who are captive and oppressed. Of course, we will also draw near to God, but that is not the most important truth. This is one of the three benefits of the gospel we preach—joy.
Burdens Will Fall Off
For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. (Isaiah 9:4)
Burdens will fall off! You will definitely experience miracles when you come among us, that is, the phobias, depression, cancer, etc. on your body will be healed. If you say, Pastor, I don't have time, I say, You will definitely have time because your burdens will fall off. How can a person whose burdens have fallen off not have time? The efficiency of what we do is multiplied, so how can there be burdens? If you are doing scientific research, God blesses your scientific research, and you will soon get the results of the scientific research. For example, I am learning to write programs. I don't understand the professional terms of those programs at all, but today I understand them and I can write them clearly and understandably. Some people say, Pastor, you have the energy to write programs, you might as well do pastoral care well. I hope to lead everyone on a road of continuous renewal, continuous improvement, and continuous innovation. Why start writing programs? Because the church is going to implement a substantial increase in the efficiency of pastoral care.
God Becomes Our Victory
Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. (Isaiah 9:5)
God triumphs for us, so why wear bloodied garments? No need. The church's destiny is to be a glorious one, for Jesus Christ has come, if only you dare to rise up. Why will such things be burned? Because the church becomes a victorious one. Past disgrace shall turn to glory, the days of shame are gone; today is the day we avenge ourselves against the enemy.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
A child is born to us refers to Jesus Christ. Our God, full of zeal, will accomplish this. He looks down from His throne in heaven, seeking vessels He can use. I thank God that I am His vessel, and you are too. He will accomplish His good will in us. In days past, God has wrought exceedingly wonderful grace among us. By year's end, we will have six full-time staff. Now I am privileged to work alongside two full-timers, but for five years, I worked alone daily, sitting in the office, looking at empty spaces; that's how the first five years went.
Do you find me resolute? Because I have a glorious hope within me. This glorious hope is to build a church filled with God's glory, to bring hope to those living in the shadow of death. I simply did not dwell on matters like having lunch alone, praying alone; you might find it dull. But in my room, there's a display screen, a computer, and a multitude waiting for me to minister to them remotely.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. (cf. Isaiah 9:7)
God will accomplish exceedingly wonderful things among us. Namely, three benefits: First, joy; second, burdens lifted; third, God becomes our victory. Jesus Christ has come; do you dare to claim God's promise? If so, God's glory will surely descend upon us. Whoever comes among us, no matter how demonized, will be set free. You can be freed because, before you came, there was a group of people who were willing to lay down their lives for God.
Today, as you come to church, are you willing to become someone who, like me, is willing to lay down your life for God, to bring hope to those who come after, to be a vessel through which they see God's glory? If you do not have a vision of building a glorious church in your heart, you cannot move forward. Whatever problems you may have, coming among us, you will see solutions. No matter how long you have been oppressed, God will free you; this is God's marvelous grace.
Three Types of People God Will punish
If such grace has not occurred in your life, I tell you, you are mistaken. You must return to the root of the Gospel, and then these three things will occur in your life. We must plunder the enemy; we must know that God is faithful and dislikes us living under the dominion of disease. We must begin to enter into God's grace. If people do not enter into God's grace, what will happen? Three forms of wrath will befall you. I often see Christians living under God's wrath; they do not believe the Gospel I preach. They think they are very good. I am amazed that, living as they do, they still believe they hold fast to the pure Gospel.
The pure Gospel is not like that at all. Isaiah 9:1-7 speaks of such glorious grace. If you are still in darkness, still in the land of the shadow of death, you need to repent and enter into God's Kingdom. God's wrath is mentioned three times: Yet for all this his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (cf. Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21) Isaiah says it three times, why? Because the people have not returned to him who strikes them, nor have they sought the Lord Almighty. (Isaiah 9:13)
Having experienced so many strikes, and still believing your faith is pure, is to assume that God is illusory. God's promise is for you to enter into God's grace. If you cannot see God's grace, there must be something wrong with your faith. The most serious problem is that the Church is not God's army. We must all be raised up to become God's mighty army. As Rick Joyner wrote in his book, he saw an army full of God's glory, fully armed, invincible, trampling the devil and its enemies underfoot.
Those Unwilling to Rely on God
The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars. (Isaiah 9:10)
What is he saying? You rely on walls, on trees. I’ve known a saying since I was young: lean on a wall, it will fall; lean on a tree, it will tilt. Do not rely on walls, do not rely on trees, do not rely on people, rely on the Lord Almighty. If you have been relying on people, repent now, and God’s anger will turn away. You must begin to seek the Lord Almighty, no longer stubborn and rebellious, relying on many other things instead of God. God has prepared such wonderful grace for you, yet you do not rely on Him; the heavy rod will come down.
Those Who Teach the People With Lies
The elders and dignitaries are the head, and the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. (Isaiah 9:15-16)
Those who think of themselves as leaders, pastors, very important people, who teach the people with lies, lead them all onto the wrong path, unable to see God’s glory, and then they are all led astray. If you are living in ruin, you need to think carefully. This is not my saying; this is Isaiah’s saying. Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows. (cf. Isaiah 9:17) Why do so many pitiable things happen among them? Because they have all gone astray. God cannot pity them. I thank God that I can see God's glory. Many years ago, a prophet gave me a prophecy when I was besieged on all sides, saying that I would pass through the valley of the shadow of death but would eventually see God's glory.
Later, I truly saw God's glory among us. Do you know how enjoyable it is to be a pastor like this? Very, very enjoyable, very, very happy. I think I will continue to do it until I meet the Lord. For everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks folly. Yet for all this his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (cf. Isaiah 9:17) How detestable it is for mouths to speak folly. When I see those foolish people, I steel myself to build the church into a glorious church of God, to transform foolish people into shrewd people. These days I have been training several people. After training them, they come back to me and say, Pastor, you still need to shepherd me. I said, Okay, I will fix your bad habits one by one, so you can become new wine in new wineskins.
Those Who Bite and Devour One Another for Gain
Each snatches on the right, but is still hungry, and he devours on the left, but is not satisfied; each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Yet for all this his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (Isaiah 9:20-21)
In many churches, there are factions and infighting for personal gain (power, fame, status, money). If there is biting and devouring for these things, God’s anger will surely come. Brothers and sisters, let us by no means be foolish. When you see these three things (those unwilling to rely on God, those who teach the people with lies, those who bite and devour one another for gain), you will know that the Lord's anger is about to erupt. You must know how deep is the curse for preaching a false gospel. What is the gospel we preach? To proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
The Church's Work is to Lead People Out of Darkness
If the captives cannot be freed and the oppressed cannot be released, it may be the person's problem, but most of the time, it is the church's problem. Because the church does not have God's glory and is not built according to the standards of God's army. Everyone just plays at superficial things, says nice things, and indulges the flesh, more or less. And you still think your pastor speaks well, that he is very considerate of you. One of our sisters stayed in a local church for many years, and as a result, her son became an expert at playing computer games. Even with a broken arm, he continued to play. Why can't the church release them? Because it does not have God's glory and is not built according to God's teaching.
Speaking only human words is speaking demonic words. Peter said a lot to Jesus. Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. (cf. Matthew 16:23) Thinking only of human concerns is Satan, a very powerful demon. As we read this passage, I want to give everyone encouragement: If we are living in darkness, the church will become your hope, and you will surely come out of darkness.
If you continue to receive a false gospel, you will continue to be a vessel for God to display His anger. This passage is quoted in the New Testament: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given (cf. Isaiah 9:6). Our Jesus has died on the cross. It is a matter of course, a Mingding Destiny, to build a glorious church. As long as you and I have a heart to serve, our church will surely become a church filled with God’s glory.