Many Stumble and Rise Because of Jesus Christ

Let us examine Isaiah Chapter 28, where we grasp a crucial point: the stumbling stone and the saving stone. The Lord we believe in is both a stumbling stone and a saving stone. If you think this concept of a stumbling stone and a saving stone is merely an Old Testament idea, I assure you it is not; it is also in the New Testament.

A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for (1 Peter 2:8).

This is well stated. In Luke Chapter 2, an old prophet lived to 84 years old, and God did not allow him to die until he saw the Messiah, Jesus Christ. While Jesus was still in his mother Mary's arms, being brought into the temple to thank God, the old prophet Simeon, upon seeing the child, said: This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall and rise... (Luke 2:34). Some might say: Our God is a God of love, why would He cause many to fall? This is stated in the Bible; do not question it excessively. Just know that many will stumble because of Jesus Christ.

...and to be a sign that will be contradicted, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35).

Then he could peacefully depart to be with the Lord. The Jesus that the old prophet saw was an infant, yet he prophesied such things. If we have a clear understanding of the Old Testament, you will know that our God both curses and blesses; our God both punishes and bestows grace; our God is both a consuming fire and love. We, brothers and sisters, must have such a concept. Therefore, when reading Isaiah, you will not be confused: Christ is both a stumbling stone and a saving stone.

For Whom Is God a Stumbling Stone?

For the first type of person, it is those who pursue worldly pleasures. It is stated at the beginning:

Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards... (Isaiah 28:1).

What does Ephraim mean? To prosper in the place of suffering. Ephraim should have been a prosperous person, as his name means to prosper in the place of suffering. Israel was the northern kingdom. When Solomon sinned, God divided Israel into two kingdoms: Judah and Israel, the southern and northern kingdoms. The southern kingdom was left with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while the other ten tribes were cut off to become the kingdom of Israel, the northern kingdom.

Who was the first king? He was from the tribe of Ephraim, meaning God once had a beautiful Mingding Destiny for the tribe of Ephraim. However, Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim, did what? He erected a golden calf in Samaria for them to worship. Why worship a golden calf? Because he was short-sighted, not knowing that worshiping a golden calf would lead him into sin. Therefore, the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel all worshiped golden calves; most of them were not good kings.

Using Worldly Things as a Crown Will Lead to Utter Ruin

So, the drunkards of Ephraim are those who love the world. Because of political reasons, they compromise God's word; because of economic reasons, they compromise God's word; because of the love of the world, they compromise God's word. Why are they called drunkards? Chinese people and Israelites have many similarities, one of which is that they both love to eat. After returning to my country, meeting with middle school classmates involves eating and drinking, and meeting with elementary school classmates also involves eating and drinking, drinking a lot, drinking until dizzy. One classmate, after drinking at night, needed to be taken home, and the driver said, Get in the car, I'll take you home. Where do you live? He replied, I don't know. So the car drove around aimlessly. What am I saying? Drinking is a very interesting thing; it's supposed to be a happy occasion. After drinking, one becomes dizzy, and enjoys this high feeling.

What do drinkers like? They like to boast about things at the table. Some boast about having several girlfriends; their boasting is quite shocking to me. Some boast about having many houses, etc. These people are called arrogant drunkards. They can drink wine and eat meat, so they must have some money, and it is because they have some money that they boast about their achievements as if they were crowns. At the dinner table, they are all trying to glorify themselves, but some do it differently. They bring up bad things, thinking they are good, but to me, they are not. It's really strange; some people treat such things as crowns. Such people will surely stumble on the rock that is Jesus Christ, and will be utterly crushed.

Coveting the World Leads to Losing God's Beautiful Promises for You

Do not think that coveting the world will have good results; those who covet the world die miserably. Recently, I have been preaching on the Book of Kings, and soon there will be many instances of doing evil in the eyes of the Lord; he is a bad king. Looking at those bad kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, worshiping golden calves and such, they ended up miserably. One king was quite interesting; he leaned against a railing, which collapsed, causing him to fall and be half-dead, and he died not long after. It's truly meaningless for a king to die in such a way.

Why is that? Because he was a drunkard of Ephraim, pursuing enjoyment. Some time ago, I saw some brothers and sisters who had left our church; they were quite lovely. What did they film? They filmed themselves eating hot pot together. Then one person waved his arms while speaking. Although I couldn't hear what he was saying, I found it quite interesting. Do not think that God once gave you beautiful promises; you know that Ephraim once received Jacob's blessing. Jacob blessed Ephraim above Manasseh, even though Ephraim was the younger son, Jacob gave him a greater blessing.

In fact, God has beautiful intentions for us. God raised up Solomon with beautiful intentions, but he later fell. As a result, the kingdom of Israel was divided, and later the northern kingdom of Israel was given to Jeroboam, but he created golden calves. Originally, Jesus had beautiful intentions for Ephraim, but they lost their Mingding Destiny. Brothers and sisters, you must know not to lose your God's Mingding Destiny. You can choose to obey or disobey God's will for you. We must know one thing: even if God is Mingding Destiny, you can still lose it. God predestines and chooses you to enter the kingdom of God, but if you choose to be like Jeroboam, you will also lose God's Mingding Destiny.

Ephraim was originally the greatest among the tribes, because Ephraim's father was Joseph. Joseph was a man of faith, so God blessed Ephraim and Manasseh through Joseph, making them two tribes of Israel. But they lost their Mingding Destiny and worshiped golden calves. So you must know not to think that because God has given you beautiful promises, that the promises are automatically yours. You must overcome! You cannot fall into political, worldly, or economic frameworks, or you will stumble. That is what the drunkards of Ephraim represent.

Later, where did the drunkards of Ephraim build their city? In Samaria! When the Jews in Jesus' time passed through Samaria, they considered it an unclean place. They would go around it, not walk through Samaria; those were the Pharisees. Later, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman at that place about worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth. I think Israelis and Chinese people are very similar, especially like Northeastern Chinese—they won't stop drinking until they're drunk. Good friends, down a glass, drinking until you're dizzy, swaying back and forth. I think in this current age, many people have ruined their livers from drinking, so they can't drink anymore. Some people drink even when their livers are ruined.

Coveting Worldly Things Will Cause You to be Controlled and Fall

Back in my day, there was a classmate who was very interesting. Back when Motorola had the big brick phones, he held one in his hand, so impressive! That thing was worth over 20,000 RMB, when everyone's salary was about 300 to 400 RMB. If you held that thing on the street, no one would dare mess with you. That classmate who first had the big brick phone has already died of cancer. Why? He drank too much.

But now, if you're an ordinary person, doing some business, doing some entertaining, drinking until you're swaying, it's understandable. But for priests and prophets to do this is very appalling to God. After drinking, they say they saw a vision, heard the voice of God, they misinterpret revelations, and miscarry justice. Because all the tables are covered with vomit and filth (see Isaiah 28:7). You can imagine the vomit, how disgusting! It is these kinds of people who will stumble on the rock that is Jesus Christ, who will be utterly crushed. When they act this way, God will deal with them directly.

I give you a suggestion: Our God is our rock, don't oppose God, no matter who else you oppose! I am very clear about this; don't oppose God. We must be smart; we Christians are priests of the living God and prophets of God. Why should we love the world, love it to this degree? You know that in God's creation of man, there is something—what is it? It's that eating has flavor. Imagine if God created man like a snake, so that eating had no flavor—how terrible!

Do you know what the curse God gave to the snake is? The curse God gave to the snake is that it eats dust all its days. You know that snakes have no sense of taste; everything tastes like dirt. Snakes swallow their food whole, swallowing everything into their bellies. Does it have flavor? It doesn't know; it swallows even the fur and skin. But the snake can release a chemical substance to digest what it eats. That is to say, when a person eats food without flavor, that is a very cruel judgment.

God gave mankind the most wonderful organ, the mouth, which can taste food and enjoy delicacies. If you enjoy delicacies, you drink strong wine, and excessively indulge in your sense of taste, then you are in trouble; you will become such a stumbling stone. God gives us a grace called self-control, the ability to manage ourselves. Although He gives you a mouth to taste delicacies, you cannot let your sense of taste control you, and then let you indulge that sense of taste.

God also created several things; God also gives people a wonderful thing, which is sexual enjoyment. But if a person indulges in sexual issues, you will become promiscuous. In fact, God wants people to enter into a wonderful relationship where they can normally enjoy the feelings that God gives to people. People will have feelings, so feelings cannot be indulged; they need to be learned to be managed, and then walk on the right path. Once you indulge, you will stumble on the rock that is Jesus Christ. So we humans have a feeling, and you must use this feeling well. But something religious will turn people from having feelings to not having feelings; that's called religion. A person with feelings is originally a living person; eating has flavor, but it says, No, you can't enjoy your sense of taste. Isn't that strange? Then they eat dirt all day long.

After Indulging, You Will Hate God's Statutes and Commandments

Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children just weaned, now taken from the breast? For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there. (Isaiah 28:9-10)

So they hate the statutes, commandments, and ordinances of the Lord God. If you begin to indulge your flesh, indulge what is inside you that begins to indulge, letting your feelings be constantly magnified, beginning to enjoy these strong wines and light wines, beginning to enjoy this eating, drinking, playing, and being merry. Then they will say, He is constantly adding command upon command, rule upon rule, law upon law, example upon example, annoying me to death! They will feel that these statutes and commandments of God are too tedious, and worshiping God is too tedious.

Thank God! Last night, I talked with the full-time staff of the church, and I was shocked by the amount of time our brothers and sisters in the church spend worshiping God. It's really a lot of time, but is such a requirement excessive? It's not excessive, because we live for this, we are born for this. But these priests and prophets of Israel do not know their Mingding Destiny, and begin to indulge their lusts, indulging in this food and strong wine. When the law, regulation and rules are mentioned, they say they don't have time, they have time to drink and chat aimlessly, but no time to follow God's word. If a person is cursed, it must be from God. Why are they cursed by God? Because they do not carefully observe and follow God's statutes, commandments, and ordinances, causing them to go forward and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken (see Isaiah 28:13). This is the stumbling stone.

I want to give everyone a concept: for those who get cancer, is that given by a demon or given by God? It comes from a curse. A curse allows evil spirits to legally operate in a person's life. These are the great and lengthy disasters, the severe and lasting illnesses, that are brought upon you and your descendants (see Deuteronomy 28:58). It comes from God because they do not carefully observe and follow God's commandments, statutes, and ordinances. What does the Lord say to those who do not carefully observe and follow? Command upon command, rule upon rule, law upon law, example upon example, a little here, a little there (see Isaiah 28:10). That is how He will require you. If you do not listen, He will let you be broken into pieces, snared, and taken.

So many people get serious illnesses, which is actually falling into a snare. We must begin to learn not to be annoyed with the law of the Lord your God. If you are annoyed with God, God will also be annoyed with you, and will add a little here and a little there, making you even more miserable. What does Moses say? He says that this way is not too difficult, it is in your mouth and in your heart. If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, this way is very simple. So you love the word of the Lord your God in your heart, love the Lord your God. This is what the New Testament refers to as loving the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Serve the Lord Our God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Strength

Love God like a young man in love, yearning to see his girlfriend every day. When asked, Do you have time? Are you working overtime? No, I'm not. This is a wonderful feeling because love makes you willing to pay the price. If you don't have love for God in your heart, you'll find it annoying here and there. My district pastor is asking me, the group leader is asking me, the pastor is asking me, and today's sermon is about me again. You'll be annoyed and stumble, thinking, I won't come next time. It's too annoying, having to do writing ministry, healing and deliverance, praying for people. Where do I have the time! If I continue like this, I'll become a full-timer. Actually, we are all full-timers because we love God. So this is a stumbling stone, this is the cause of falling.

Brothers and sisters, do not be unbelieving; start learning to believe, to trust in the word of God, to obey the statutes, commandments, and ordinances of your God, for that is the path to prosperity in life. Brothers and sisters, start believing my words. If you walk the path of prosperity, your business will not suffer. Deuteronomy says, and I repeat, if you are unwilling to serve the Lord your God when you are wealthy, the Lord your God will surely make you serve the enemies He sends against you. Brothers and sisters, I am not foolish; I do not want to serve my enemies. I would rather serve the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and strength.

Being the Crown of Glory and Diadem of Beauty for God's Remnant

In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people; and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. (Isaiah 28:5-6)

These three things are the most important for us. What can you do with your own ability, with drinking and pleasure? The sins you deserve, you will still suffer. But if we are that remnant, those who are left besides those who indulge in enjoyment and pleasure, God will be their crown of glory and diadem of beauty, becoming a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment. If you have a lawsuit, and you fear the Lord your God, then I tell you, the Spirit of God will move the judge sitting in that position, so that his judgment can see your need. Therefore, we must all trust in God, fear Him, and serve Him; we must keep and obey God's commandments and statutes all our lives.

We must turn back the battle at the gate. If your enemy overcomes you, what good is the money you earn? Whether it was later Ephraim or the drunken priests, their end was miserable. Isaiah proclaimed such judgment a hundred years before, but few listened. After hearing it, people felt that this would not happen to them, that this was far from them. When the judgment came, they had no way to avoid it. We brothers and sisters must turn back to God; this is the rock of salvation. Whether you are that remnant determines your future.

Opening Channels for Evangelism, Proclaiming God's Glory

For with stammering lip and another tongue will he speak to this people. (Isaiah 28:11)

You must know that if you are not in this, God will find a group of people among the Gentiles. So we must begin to evangelize and bring God's people into God's kingdom. In fact, among the Gentiles, that is, non-Israelites, there are still many who want to know God, and God will use their lips to proclaim glory, to proclaim that this is the rock of salvation.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: “Whoever believes will not be in haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)

The Bible often says that those who trust in God lack no good thing. Do you believe this? Young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. He will watch over us in the land of the living. Brothers and sisters, God is a sure foundation, a precious cornerstone, and we build on Him. “And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; (Isaiah 28:17)” This is a very important concept, that He is the rock of salvation. You and I, whether we belong to this group or that group, you will see.

Do Not Make a Covenant with Death

These people stumble in the delusion of idolatry. “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement; (Isaiah 28:15)” You will find these people very strange; they were originally the chosen people of the Lord God, but they worship idols for the sake of greed for wine and drunken feasting. They say, Let's get along well. I know you are the devil, and I know you are death. I will build a good relationship when I go to your place, so you can take care of me. It will not take care of you, because its nature is death. Brothers and sisters, idolatry is very dangerous, and the security that people seek in idols is very dangerous. People will stumble on the rock of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that those who worship idols will be cursed, even to the third or fourth generation.

When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter. (Isaiah 28:15)

How foolish this is! In the process of serving, I have personally witnessed people taking refuge in falsehood, making lies their refuge, and taking shelter in falsehood. Some brothers and sisters simply do not love God, stumbling on that rock. No glory of God or presence of God can be seen in them; all that is seen is the constant manifestation of curses. Some people will say, I also go to church, and the church I go to is quite suitable for me. I say, Yes, it is quite suitable for you because it is very considerate of the flesh. To be carnally minded is death. A fleshly Christian and a fleshly pastor are well-suited for each other.

Brothers and sisters, do not make a covenant with death, nor make an agreement with Sheol. A pastor who knows good and evil, leading a congregation that knows good and evil, will enter into death. Our church must do its utmost to combat this evil habit of discerning good and evil. If you still have the evil habit of discerning good and evil, do not think it is a joke; reject it completely, because that is making a covenant with death and an agreement with Sheol.

Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter. Then your covenant with death will be annulled.(Isaiah 28:17-18)

This is an invalid covenant. The spirit of death cannot even save itself; what are you doing lying under it? Therefore, everyone must be strong and learn to keep the commandments of the Lord your God. The spirit of death passes through your life every day, plundering you and making you very miserable.

As often as it passes through, it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, and by day and by night. And it will be sheer terror to understand the message. (Isaiah 28:18-19)

For the bed is too short to stretch oneself out on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. (Isaiah 28:20)

Do you want to discern good and evil and make a covenant with death? Do you want to rely on a false thing to replace the faith you have in your heart, or build on the rock of Jesus Christ? Do not start looking for a false thing; that thing cannot solve the problem. These people do not not know the Lord God; they know Him, but they are trapped in this snare, seeking something false. Do not think that God will help you when you fall. You yourself are willing to fall, and after you fall, God will destroy you. This is God's work, achieving His purpose, which is a strange thing.

People pass by the once glorious Temple of Solomon, and some say, Why has the Lord God done this to this temple, to completely destroy it? Because this land forsook the Lord their God, God carried out destruction. But there is still grace in destruction; there will be a remnant of people left; this is the wisdom of God.

This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. (Isaiah 28:29)

Conclusion

Do not think that after you fall, God carries out destruction, and you feel that this is not right, that God is not such a God, that our God should be a Santa Claus, driving a Luto snowplow with a big red envelope on his back, giving out gifts and throwing them everywhere. The child wakes up in the morning and opens his eyes and sees, Wow! A gift bag at the head of the bed, how nice! I tell you, if you are those drunken Ephraimites, those drunken priests and prophets, even if you have the blood of Abraham flowing in your veins, it is useless. What comes upon you is destruction; this is the wisdom of God.

But you and I must make a choice, either among those people or among these people. We are the remnant, those who have not worshiped Baal, nor worshiped idols, nor bowed to this world, nor bowed to the political forces of this world, nor bowed to the political forces in the church. Be someone who never gives up and never compromises. Start walking the path of uncompromising faith.

If you say you do not understand, then say you do not understand. Do not say, It is not like this, it is like that, our God is a God who loves us. Our God's wisdom is not your wisdom; your wisdom is far from our God's wisdom. Therefore, we must wake up and not walk the path of discerning good and evil; not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; not make a covenant with the spirit of death. Because God's work has been established, and God's word has explained, telling us where the path of life is and where the path of destruction is!