God's Election and Man's Choice
Good day to all. Today, we delve into the second chapter of Exodus. It begins with a rather intriguing narrative.
"And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child."
"And the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:1-10)
We often encounter similar tales. Consider Liu Bang, the Han Dynasty emperor, and how he ascended to the throne, initiating the great Han Dynasty. Our modern-day Han ethnicity traces its origins back to the Han Dynasty. The crux of the matter lies in how certain individuals inaugurated a dynasty, a generation.
Moses, in penning Genesis and Exodus, essentially chronicled his own journey. God sought to lead His army out of Egypt, necessitating the selection of a general. Bear in mind, it is easier to find a thousand soldiers than one general! God elected the soldiers, but the choice of a general proved arduous. One Moses emerges every 3000 years, one David every 2000 years. This chapter essentially recounts how Moses was chosen.
I tell you, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and you and I were chosen, each with a remarkable story. Some ask: Why did God choose Moses and not me? In truth, God has already chosen. He desires a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand like Moses, but in the end, only one Moses was found.
Today, we discuss: What kind of person, what kind of destiny! Who determines this destiny? God does! Initially, I considered titles like "God Remembers His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" or "God Watches Over the Israelites." However, "What Kind of Person, What Kind of Destiny" seems more apt. Moses had the destiny of Moses! This title may dampen your enthusiasm, as it may suggest a less-than-ideal fate. But that is not the case! The quality of your destiny hinges on your perspective.
Today, brothers and sisters, we must recognise that each of us has a story. Though God may not have chosen you to be Moses, He may have chosen you to be a clan leader; or a commander of thousands, hundreds, fifties, or tens; or perhaps He has chosen you to directly enter the Promised Land. There is a time for your election. In essence, God has chosen many.
Originally, God chose Adam and Eve, decreeing that they be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and govern it. However, they engaged in what God forbade, forfeiting their divine destiny, resulting in dire consequences! Today, we discuss "What Kind of Person, What Kind of Destiny," which is quite intriguing. If God has chosen you, have you squandered your divine destiny? We do not know; that depends on your choices.
Today, we must recognise: What kind of person, what kind of destiny. From birth, Moses escaped death due to God's election, while many infants born on the same day perished. Born on the same day, yet with different destinies! Did God not oversee this? This is what it means to have different destinies!
We are alive today due to God's protection. Have we forfeited the destiny and election God bestowed upon us? Many have. Moses was not only raised by his own mother from a young age, but she was also compensated for it. Meanwhile, the child next door was killed. Where is the justice in this? This is what it means to have different destinies.
You cannot argue with this. I do not know if you should. But I do know that you are listening to my sermon, which means you are still alive, are you not? Some parents, seeing their children's actions, lament: Why did I not strangle you at birth? But they did not, and you remain. But what have you done with your life?
Moses grew up in Pharaoh's palace, receiving his mother's education from a young age. His mother often told him: Son, you are specially chosen by God. Thus, Moses knew his destiny from childhood, knowing that one day he would lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Though raised in the palace, Moses always remembered: I am a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though I am in the palace, my heart remains with God! This is Moses.
Suppose there was another, let us call him Modong, also placed in a basket as an infant, and found by Pharaoh's daughter, who also arranged for his mother to raise him. What is the difference between Modong and Moses? Suppose Modong, upon growing up, thought: I grew up in Pharaoh's palace; I must not let anyone know I am an Israelite! I must not kill Egyptians; I must live well, grow up well, for my life is precious.
Originally, Modong was also chosen by God, but he did not fulfil his calling. Only Moses did not forget he was an Israelite. He pondered: Why did I survive? Why am I alive today? Because God protected me! Moses had the concept of God's protection from a young age, resolving to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He waited year after year, finally seizing an opportunity: he killed an Egyptian for mistreating an Israelite. Bear in mind that even a prince cannot commit murder! When this was revealed by his own people, Moses fled.
If this had happened to Modong, he would have thought: What does it matter to me? So what if they are mistreated! What does the Exodus of the Israelites have to do with me? I am a prince in the palace; perhaps I might even inherit the Egyptian throne! If I were king, would I let the Israelites go? Certainly not! The Egyptian economy relies on the Israelites. These slaves are so useful! They work for free every day, eat little, and are quite fertile.
Historically, there has been a special breed of people called traitors, starting from the time of Qin Hui, and later many traitors helped the Japanese devils. Today I tell you, where there is Moses, there is Modong. We must know that we are all alive today. Do you choose to be Modong or Moses? What kind of person, what kind of destiny! As for those who have died, they do not count. When you are alive, your choice matters.
In fact, life is miraculous, and Moses' life is even more so. If you were also brought up from the water as a child, you can be named Moses, or Modong, or Mobai, or Monan. But what is the problem? The ultimate choice is up to you! I can tell you that since the moment I knew God, until today, nothing can deprive me of my love for God. I simply seek to please God. That is unshakeable!
What does "What kind of person, what kind of destiny" mean? It means that what kind of person you are determines what kind of choices you make! God's election can keep you alive; God's election can bring you to the Egyptian palace; God's election can raise you up to be an entrepreneur; God's election can make you a senior manager; God's election can make you a professional; God's election can also make you a good salesperson.
God gives you many opportunities, but you love the world more! If you make such a choice, then you become Modong. I am very moved by what choices people make. God's election cannot replace man's choice. When I was a child, my mother often said to me: Child, you will be a great child in the future! She would tell me a lot of stories about how I was born and so on. After listening to it a lot, I also felt that I was a great person.
Looking back today, I find that it is indeed true! When I was in my mother's womb, God chose me to be His faithful servant. When it comes to faithfulness, ordinary people cannot compare with me. I can definitely boast! Today, brothers and sisters, you must know what kind of person, what kind of destiny! I tell you, only God can preserve your life, and everything else is the result of your choices.
Today, ask yourself what your destiny is. We should not push the responsibility to God. For example, someone became Pharaoh, ruling the most powerful country in the world - Egypt, and built a great work that is still great today - the pyramids. Going out in a mighty manner, with thousands of troops and horses, copper chariots and iron horses, it is really handsome! A little girl saw the Egyptian Pharaoh on the roadside and thought: How wonderful it would be if I could be recruited into the palace! Many people live in this all their lives.
One of my university classmates became a regional official; another classmate became the chief commander of something; but I became a preacher, and I think it is great! What do we value? Today, brothers and sisters, you must know that what people value determines whether you are Modong or Moses? If it turns into suffering, then it is troublesome.
Today, brothers and sisters, you must know that those who are chosen by God must have God in their hearts! You are chosen by God, but you must choose this word! God chooses you and you choose. In fact, God has chosen many people. He casts a net, and when he pulls it up, he picks out the good ones and puts them in the utensils, and throws away the bad ones. So what is good? Good is choosing to love God in your heart! What are you? This thing is your inner choice.
Today, brothers and sisters, start asking yourself how you choose. I tell you, nothing is better than obeying God's words. A very obvious characteristic of the books written by Moses is that God commanded Moses to do so, and Moses did so! Today, these brothers and sisters, don't say anything else. Those I serve often fall for what my mother said: If you ask him to go east, he will go west; if you ask him to chase a dog, he will catch a chicken. This means that you have to change it for him.
Sometimes I am very emotional. This person is very strange. Why do you ask him to go east and he goes west? Why do you ask him to chase a dog and he catches a chicken? Today we must know that God's words are very clear. Why do so many people not follow them? Why are so many people messing around like this? The Bible is written in black and white. Isn't that what everyone is reading? I emphasize again "election" means that God has chosen and chosen again, and you must also choose! This is a two-way choice.
Later, Pharaoh began to hunt down Moses. Could Pharaoh not catch this little brat? I don't believe it! If Pharaoh wanted to issue a worldwide warrant for Moses, it would not be a difficult task. As a result, Moses ran away. Do you think his two legs could outrun a horse? Unexpectedly, Moses ran past it! After he ran past it, he met his future wife, married her, and had a child named Gershom.
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them." (Exodus 2:23-25)
You must know that Moses stayed in the palace for 40 years, and then ran to the wilderness to herd sheep for 40 years, which means that his children should also be in their thirties or almost forty years old. Moses had become an eighty-year-old man, and only then did God begin to use him. Today I am only talking about one thing, which is to see what your destiny is.
The book does not say how Moses survived these 40 years. In fact, these 40 years were very hard. He originally thought that God would use him, but He did not. Moses killed an Egyptian, thinking that he could lead the Israelites out with his status as an Egyptian prince, but he did not. In fact, God does not use these things of the world to accomplish His work. As a result, Moses herded sheep for 40 years, and finally one day when he was herding sheep, God spoke to him. That was in the fourth chapter.
Can we see one thing from this passage, that is, did Moses remember the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in his mind? Yes! Moses knew from his mother since he was a child that he was an Israelite, had a covenant with God, and was going to enter into this covenant with God. But with his own strength alone, even if he was a prince, he could not bring the Israelites out of Egypt, and he had to run for his life himself. So today, brothers and sisters, you must know that Moses killed the Egyptian, which shows that Moses has a personality. This is Moses!
What Kind of Person, What Kind of Destiny, See What Kind of Destiny You Are
Today I want to ask everyone, do we have the same character as Moses in our bones? Did Moses not know that there would be risks in killing an Egyptian? Did he not know the price he would have to pay for killing someone? Of course he knew! The risk of this matter is very high! Today, no matter when, are we willing to pay the price for the Lord at a critical moment? Are we willing to take risks for the Lord Jesus? Will you be stingy with your status? Will you be stingy with your money? If you are stingy, then that is not Moses, that is Modong!
What kind of person, what kind of destiny! Those who were in the same era as Moses, who were strangled to death when they were born, died and died, and God did not think it was a big deal. So what do these people who are left alive do? If their minds are full of worldly things, what kind of destiny do you say that is? In fact, there is no difference between them and those who have died. They are all the same in God's eyes.
Moses herded sheep in the wilderness for 40 years. Before God called him, he already felt that he had no hope, that he would no longer be used by God, and even to the point where he thought he was useless. In the third chapter, we can see that Moses' judgment of himself was very bad. He felt that he was not good, could not speak, and had a lot of problems. But God saw Moses' heart! Later, Moses was very powerful. God commanded him to do so, and he did so! This is not something that ordinary people can do.
Suppose God chose Moses, and God asked him to go east but he went west, and asked him to chase a dog but he caught a chicken, could this accomplish great things? No, God cannot use him! God said to use 50 pegs, 50 ropes, and sealskins to set up the tabernacle. If he used a little less, or used a wild dog skin, would it work? No!
Today, many brothers and sisters have experienced many of God's healings and graces, but they are greatly discounted when it comes to giving. God says one-tenth, and he changes it to five percent himself. There are many such people, too many. But do you know? My giving is only more and not less. I have given a lot of money in the past few years. Then I ask you, is it a loss or not to do this? The reason is very simple, that is, what do people live on!
Moses herded sheep in the wilderness, shaping a character, and this character is amazing. If you accuse our Chinese Mingding Destiny of teaching things that do not conform to the Bible, I will change it, I guarantee to change it! If it does not conform to the teachings of the Bible, why not change it? Maybe you have seen it, but I have not yet seen it; maybe you have received revelation, but I have not yet received it. But the Bible is written in black and white, God tells us how to build the church, and we will build it accordingly.
I don't admire many people, but in the characters in the Bible, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are all people I admire! The most admired is Joseph, and then Moses, Samuel, and David are great men. They have one thing in common, that is, what God says, they do.
Many years ago, I gave a sermon called "All Were Healed." That was not what I said, that was what the Bible said. Someone asked me: Were all healed? Did everyone who came to you for prayer get better? Listen to these words, am I the standard? I am not the standard! I did it and all were healed, that is God's word! Even if I can't do it, God's word still tells you: All were healed!
Today, the Christian environment is stained with too much filth, and they are all doing their own thing. I believe God in heaven will say this proverb: If you ask him to go east, he will go west; if you ask him to chase a dog, he will catch a chicken! What did Jesus say when He came into the world? How long will I be with you? Jesus was very emotional! People are stubborn and rebellious! Today God has chosen you and me, but the choice is up to us. Do we carefully keep and follow God's words?
So what is your destiny? I now understand what I came into the world to do. Why did God often say through my mother's mouth that I was a great child? Because since the history of Christianity, we should be carrying on the past and opening up the future in restoring God's words! This is a very magical thing! It is because God says so, and I will implement it accordingly, so God's power is often with me. What God has done through my hands is beyond my imagination. Today's Chinese Mingding Destiny started with me.
Take a look today, there are many people who distort God's words. I don't know why these people like to go against God. Why do they want to change God's words? Moses' destiny is so good! He was a prince in Egypt for 40 years, with famous cars and horses, eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks. Later, he went to the wilderness to herd sheep for 40 years, experiencing wind and rain, but his heart never wavered.
Although I am not good, but what God says, I will implement it accordingly. Later, the tabernacle built by Moses was filled with God's glory. I get very excited every time I talk about this! Because the tabernacle built by Moses has been filled with God's glory since history; later, the temple built by David and Solomon was filled with God's glory; and then the church built by Paul was filled with God's glory; now it is the church I built that is filled with God's glory! If we live long enough, I hope there will be a volume of the Bible that talks about our church. It's a little exciting to think about it.
Sometimes I think, where did all this come from? It is because God chose a person, and then this person obeyed God's words. If you receive grace among us today, it is because God has chosen me, and I have also chosen to carefully keep and follow God's words. Do I have times of weakness? Are there times when I am about to be killed by God? Yes! But I have changed now! My heart is soft, no longer hard!
If you have more contact with me, you will know that I am very strong in faith, but I am definitely not rigid in my understanding of other things! I will definitely not be the kind of person who can only accept the truth after suffering enough and suffering enough sins. I don't want to be that kind of stupid person. It's really good to be like Moses!
God is a God Who Works With Man
Has anyone asked the question, why is it necessary to have a Moses? If there were no Moses, would God not act? Don't I often say that God does not lack our plate of stinky tofu? Why bother with a Moses? It's so troublesome! Why doesn't God send two mighty angels to Egypt to deal with things decisively? Making Moses a prince for 40 years, and then spending another 40 years herding sheep in the wilderness, isn't that a lot of trouble? And then God remembers the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then remembers to care for the Israelites. God, what were you doing all this time? Why didn't you care sooner! Actually, this is called working with God!
You must remember this theological viewpoint: the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. What does it mean? God and Gideon's sword work simultaneously! God works through the people He has chosen. Without Gideon's sword, God does not act; with Gideon's sword, God uses Gideon's sword to act. This is God's great plan, God accomplishes His great work through people on earth. Those who work with God and walk with God, God bestows upon them destiny and glory.
Everyone must know how God works! God can still do it without our stinky tofu, but God does not do it that way! We slowly try to understand, in the very place where you stand, God wants to use you to do that work. Can God do it Himself? Of course! But why doesn't God do it that way? Because God wants to give you glory! God wants to share His glory with us! Don't be misled by what I said! God will still choose a person, but before Moses, did God choose anyone else? The Bible does not record anything, only a Moses.
As God commanded Moses, so he did! When I first read the Bible, this sentence was deeply imprinted in my mind. Do you know how I lived out this sentence? Many times I didn't understand before I acted, but I understood after I acted. But many people are the opposite. God tells them to do this, but they say they can't do it, that's nonsense! That's really shaming God! Jesus said,
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." (John 12:32)
Some people, including myself in the past, have said: Jesus is not as attractive as roast chicken, roast duck, and braised beef. Later I discovered that the people attracted by these things are all good-for-nothings, only those attracted by Jesus are treasures. There are five siblings in my family. When we were young, my family was very poor. One of the children asked my mother for a fried dough twist, and my mother pinched his cheek and asked if he wanted it again. He never dared to ask for it again. So when we want something, we also need to enter into God's heart.
God searches in heaven and on earth and finds treasures like us. Brothers and sisters, you must know that you are a treasure! Today, among us, those who are truly treasures must believe that it was not easy for God to find you! God has chosen you, you must say to God with certainty: I am a treasure, I will do as Moses did, I will do as David did! I will build the temple as Solomon did; I will build the church as the Apostle Paul did!
Jesus attracts treasures, roast chicken, roast duck, sausages, and fried dough twists attract good-for-nothings. Whether to be a good-for-nothing or become a treasure in God's eyes, you and I have the opportunity to choose. The great missionary Reinhard Bonnke preached in Africa, and the videos of 1 million people attending the meetings and 5 million people attending the meetings are shocking to watch. He once told a story that left a deep impression on me after I heard it.
One day, God called him to preach the gospel in Africa, and God said to him: Reinhard Bonnke! He replied: Here I am! God said: Actually, you are not the first person I have chosen. Bonnke asked: Then which one am I? God said: Before you, I had already chosen three people, I asked them to go, but they all refused! You are the fourth person I have chosen! Bonnke gave God a powerful answer: You don't need to look for a fifth one anymore! I'll go! As a result, Bonnke accomplished a very great miracle for God in Africa.
Today, when God chooses me, I will not tell God that there is no need to look for a fifth person. I will say: God, raise up thousands upon thousands of people like Moses, like me, who keep and obey Your words; raise up thousands upon thousands of people who imitate Jesus, who imitate the Apostle Paul! God, arise! I think I am more generous than Bonnke! I don't think it's all mine, like I want to take it all. My heart is filled with the kingdom of God.
Do you know what we are doing? In my heart, I am constantly cultivating step by step, doing training little by little. I want to make every one of our brothers and sisters like Bonnke, every one like the Apostle Paul, every one like Jesus Christ. I know deeply in my heart that this is God's will! God has been waiting for us there for a long time! Are we going to respond to God?
Start responding to God today! You say to God: I am Moses, please send me! Although I am not good at anything, I am clumsy and stuttering, and I have herded sheep for 40 years, making myself stupid, but it doesn't matter, although I am not good, but God, you are definitely good! You can definitely use me! As you command me, so I will do! In this way, you will become an extraordinary person. This is your destiny. What person, what destiny, this is our destiny!
Many years ago, someone said to me, you little thing, after all the fuss, you are still just a couple of kittens, just forget it, are you chosen by God? This question almost made me cry, because I myself didn't think so either. Fortunately, there was no 40 years of trouble. If there were 40 years of trouble, that would really wear out the faith. Those years I kept holding on, feeling uncomfortable and wanting to cry, just like that newly invented word "blue and thin, fragrant mushroom".
Some people say that if God really chose you to do this, it shouldn't be like this now! I retorted them, telling them: Even if God has not chosen me, I will persist until God chooses me! Even if God has not chosen me, I will love God to the end! I will also act according to God's word! I will definitely persist until the day God chooses me!
Then they asked me if I had dreams? Do you have visions? Have you dreamed of God speaking to you? Do you have any feelings? Have you seen anything? Have you heard God speak to you? Do you have any confirmation? I told them that there was nothing, it was just wishful thinking. They also said that I was just enthusiastic, pressing a hot face against a cold butt. These words are too humiliating to God. I told them that even if it's a cold butt, I will warm it up. That's how I have character!
Summary
Thank God, God wants this kind of person! Although born without being chosen by God, born as a second son, but can be reversed by faith. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, that's how God chooses people. This faith can shake heaven and earth! It's not that I heard God tell me to do something, but that I chose to do it. I know very well that I was born for this, I came into this world for this, and I am willing to die for this! This is my destiny, what person, what destiny!
So today, being able to see God clearly with me, I am very excited. No matter how big the devil enemy is, they will be defeated under my feet. Devil, don't think about wielding a big knife here, it's useless! All our brothers and sisters must be released and raised up by God. God wants to see you as a treasure. It is not that God has determined everything, it is that God has chosen us, and the choice is up to us. Are we worthy of being the kind of faithful treasures that God has chosen? That is the key! This is our destiny! May God bless everyone!