Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Starting this week, we will begin our study of the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus is a rather difficult scripture to study. Why study this book? Recently, I have come to feel that studying Leviticus will have a positive impact on the healing and deliverance work we do. The content of Leviticus mainly discusses how to be a priest, or rather, how priests should serve God.

If you were to ask me to define a theme for our study of Leviticus, I would probably set the theme as: Set apart as holy to God! Why this theme? In fact, the two most important things in a person's life revolve around blessings and curses. We have previously studied Deuteronomy, and the textual volume of the study material was quite large, so we divided it into two volumes called "Blessings and Curses." Deuteronomy speaks of blessings and curses, which are the two most important things in a person's life.

Where does the root of solving the problem of blessings and curses lie? It lies in this Book of Leviticus. Leviticus mainly talks about being set apart as holy, that is, dedicating something to God is called being set apart as holy, and dedicating yourself to God is called being set apart as holy. So the word "holy," in English, means that everything dedicated to God is called holy. What is unclean? Everything that does not belong to God is called unclean. I think the being set apart as holy that Leviticus speaks of is the most fundamental concept of healing and deliverance. This time, I would like to give an overview of Leviticus, and starting next week, we will study Leviticus chapter by chapter.

Regulations for Offering Sacrifices

Leviticus is roughly divided into several sections. The first section is about the regulations for offering sacrifices, that is, people should offer sacrifices, and how they should be offered. In fact, are these regulations for offering sacrifices still relevant today? They are still relevant today. In fact, among Christians, the issue of offering sacrifices, such as tithing, has a wide variety of teachings; the teachings on thanksgiving offerings are diverse; the teachings on building temple offerings are diverse... And besides these, there are others, such as prayer, which is similar to offering sacrifices.

Today, what we offer is not the slaughter of cattle and sheep, nor the offering of pigeons or young birds. Today, we offer prayers. Although the offering of sacrifices has been simplified to the point of prayer, many Christians today cannot even maintain prayer, let alone meet the complicated requirements of the Old Testament.

Why do Christians today face many difficulties? Prayers for healing are ineffective, a lot of money is spent in hospitals, and then they turn around and ask God, "God! Why don't you heal me?" Sometimes we often ask, "God! Why don't you heal me?" Why not ask, "Oh, did I not offer the sacrifices correctly?" Some full-time workers and pastors in the church feel that they are not at fault when they encounter many difficulties. But I tell you, God will not make mistakes, and demons will not make mistakes; it is we ourselves who often make mistakes!

Regarding the regulations for offering sacrifices, how should we offer them? Do we implement them according to the teachings of Jehovah God? Offering sacrifices is a very important matter. In the process of offering sacrifices, there are burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings, a whole bunch of explanations. Did Moses get it wrong in the Old Testament, or did God get it wrong? Neither of them did. It was supposed to be like this.

It was only later that Jesus Christ became the sacrificial offering for us, becoming our sacrifice. Our Lord Jesus offered Himself to God, actually opening up a higher path, which is to offer our whole body and soul as a living sacrifice to God. In fact, the standard of the New Testament is much higher than the standard of offering cattle and sheep in the Old Testament. That is to say, the central idea of the regulations for offering sacrifices has not changed, but Christians today have changed it. In fact, after changing it, do you think God has suffered a loss? God has not suffered a loss; it is these Christians who have suffered a loss.

The teachings of the Chinese Mingding Doctrine in various aspects have many differences and changes from the teachings of traditional churches. Whether it is a quantitative change or a qualitative change, it is quite obvious. Is it good or bad to have high demands on Christians? Of course, it is good! Many brothers and sisters actually suffer losses in churches with low demands. Why? Because they cannot pray for healing when they are sick, and they cannot deal with anything, because they have committed a serious problem in the entire regulations for offering sacrifices!

When I talk about offering sacrifices, the bottom line is that we cannot lower the requirements for offering sacrifices all at once. In fact, the requirements of the New Testament are higher than those of the Old Testament, aren't they? What is the New Testament? It is Jesus Christ offering Himself as a living sacrifice! I ask you, should Christians offer themselves? It is not killing a cow or a sheep and then being cleansed; it is not! It is dedicating yourself to Jehovah as holy, and then you become a priest of Jehovah God, and you must fulfill the responsibility of a priest for others, and then offer sacrifices, pray, and serve. These are the regulations for offering sacrifices.

The Responsibility of Being a Priest

Chapters 1 to 5 are the regulations for offering sacrifices. What do chapters 6 to 8 talk about? They talk about the responsibility of the priest. Are the pastors in the church today priests, or are the Christians today priests? If you ask me, I tell you that every Christian is actually a priest! But today, Christians push away the responsibility of being a priest completely, and you cannot even demand it. If you demand it, I will leave! I will leave the church!

So in our church, whoever wants to leave can leave. I still demand it! Why? Because the Bible is originally like this. The Bible originally says so. If everyone wants to simplify being a Christian to: Ah, I have been baptized, I have been saved by grace, I have already done this and that, and that's it? I tell you, it is far from over! I also want to tell you that you are still far from Jesus' standard.

I also want to tell you, can your attitude of believing in the Lord really bring you into blessings, or will it bring you into curses? In fact, if a Christian's offering of sacrifices and the responsibilities we bear are not in accordance with God's heart, don't even talk about blessings; it would be good if there were no curses. So the problems on Christians today are very difficult to solve. Moreover, the identity of a Christian is actually a high-risk identity. Should we wake up again? Are the leaders and pastors among us really doing well in bearing the responsibility of priests? In fact, they are still far from it.

Recently, my heart has been quite restless. What is the restlessness about? Because many people among us are still muddling along. Being a priest is easy to fool. Moving the upper and lower lips, talking nonsense, and it's okay. But the problem is, we bear the responsibility of a priest, we offer this sacrifice and that sacrifice. There are regulations for offering sacrifices, aren't there? Especially chapters 6, 7, and 8, which talk about the responsibility of the priest. Have we really implemented the responsibility of the priest according to what is said?

Some people say, "Oh, the Old Testament is just a shadow of the New Testament!" But the problem is, if you can't even compare to the shadow, can you compare to the real thing? So today, don't think that the Old Testament is just a shadow of the New Testament, and the New Testament is the real thing. If the New Testament is the real thing, wouldn't the New Testament be more real and demanding than the model of the Old Testament? Today, you have become a Christian. Have you fulfilled the responsibility of a priest? If you have not fulfilled the responsibility of a priest, then do you need to think about where your future is? Even if you are not a person with a Mingding Doctrine, you still have to care about your own future!

Some time ago, when I was preaching, I criticized a brother. What did I criticize this brother for? Because his grandmother was in pain all over, but he didn't care. If you say he didn't care at all, I would be wronging him. If you say he cared, his grandmother was in terrible pain, but there was no effect. If there is no effect, don't we need to think about why our service is not effective?

After I finished speaking, the following week, he called me and said, "I want to leave the church." Then leave if you want, right? Today, Christians must not push away their responsibilities completely. If you say, "I will just be an ordinary Christian and don't want to be a priest," is that okay? Definitely not. Because a Christian is a priest. You can't say, "I won't be a priest, I will just be a Christian. When I get to heaven, I will be a cleaner." I tell you, there is no such thing. What are you going to clean in heaven? You can't even beat a robot when you clean on earth.

Moreover, I tell you, some of our pastors can't even do the cleaning well. Don't they need to repent? I said, "Clean up this corridor, this dirty place." When I came back to check, oh my goodness, the floor was painted like a Chinese painting. He didn't do less work, and he worked hard, and he felt wronged when I told him. But the fact is that the effect is like this. Why? Because we have not taken on this responsibility. It's not just about cleaning the corridor; the key is whether the result of your cleaning is clean or not.

If you clean it and it is dirtier than before, isn't that terrible? If you are a priest, if you serve and offer sacrifices, and after you are done, you make the whole temple of God smoky, I ask you, will God not hold you accountable? If God holds you accountable, what can I stop? I can't stop anything. Many people like to say, "Pastor, please pray for me quickly!" I said, "How can I pray? What can I do about the disaster God has added to you? I can't go against God!" So, being a priest requires taking on the responsibility of a priest.

I am just giving an overview of Leviticus. First, the regulations for offering sacrifices. Do not lower God's standards. Second, the responsibility of being a priest. I ask you, if you offer sacrifices according to the regulations for offering sacrifices, of course, before the regulations for offering sacrifices, there is also the building of the tabernacle. If there is no tabernacle built by Moses, Moses went up the mountain to face God and received how to build the tabernacle. After it is built, wouldn't there be sacrifices?

After it is built, there will be a lot of regulations for offering sacrifices, and then there will be the responsibility of the priest. Even if you have built the tabernacle according to the revelation Moses received, and then you do not do the priest's job well, what will happen? That is playing with your life! Being a Christian is either blessed or cursed, either blessed many times over or cursed many times more than ordinary people. How many times do you ask me? Seven times! The punishment is seven times! That is why I often say that being a Christian must be a resounding Christian. Don't wander around there.

Offering Sacrifices According to What Jehovah Commanded

If you implement everything according to what Jehovah commanded, what will happen? God's fire will come down from heaven. God's fire will come down from heaven, which means that prayers in this place are answered by God, there is God's presence in this place, and there is the manifestation of God's glory. Do you understand? So, in chapter 9, it talks about God's fire coming down from heaven. Don't you think it is a very wonderful thing to build a church with God's presence?

Don't you think it is a very wonderful thing to build a church with God's presence, and then all the brothers and sisters in the church, all the Christians in this church, are priests of the living God Jehovah, our prayers are answered by God, God's fire will come down from heaven, and miracles and wonders will follow us! We, as priests, can bless the people, and the glory of God will appear to the people. Fire will come out from before Jehovah and consume the burnt offering and the fat on the altar, and the people will shout and fall on their faces when they see it. That is a church where prayers are accepted and answered. Do you want this? Of course, you do! I hope everyone desires to become a priest of the living God, build God's church according to the regulations for offering sacrifices and the responsibility of the priest, and offer to God the sacrifices we should offer.

The Chinese Mingding Doctrine has high requirements for offerings, whether it is time or money. I really don't care if people leave because my requirements are high. Some people say all day long, "Ah! I am very busy with business!" What are you busy with? Is being busy more important than offering sacrifices? Is being busy more important than serving God? I tell you, some of us always say that they are very busy recently and need to ask for leave. Everyone must know that I can really boast about one thing in front of everyone: I am so busy with work that I am dying, but I have never delayed serving. Why? Because being a priest is my responsibility! I know I need God. I know what I need is not that job. What I need is not to please my boss or my clients, but to please my God. As a result, God allows me to not be afraid of harm even when I pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

I will just say this, but don't call me next week and say, "I am leaving the church because your church's requirements are too high." The problem is not whether the requirements are high or low. The problem is whether we can live out God's glory! If the requirements are high in this place, you can live out God's glory, and your prayers are accepted. Isn't that much better than prayers not being accepted? This place has God's blessings and God's presence. Isn't that better than those without God's presence? You save all the time, the requirements are very low, and you mess around there, getting sick all over. What are you going to do? How many of us came here with illnesses? Don't forget when you get better. Many people forget when they get better. After they get better, they start being busy with this and that again. Then you can continue to be busy to death.

Our responsibility is to be priests of the living God. Our responsibility is to bring God's blessings down from heaven and bless the people. Our responsibility is to bring the sins and sacrifices of the people to God and offer them to God. You say this is intercession. We will not discuss this matter for the time being. If you have confusion, we will slowly explain it when we have the opportunity. When we offer sacrifices, we will see God's presence. This is a victorious church. A victorious church is built according to what God has commanded. Don't pat your head and come up with ideas. Nothing useful will come out of it. This is the third point: Offering sacrifices according to what Jehovah commanded will result in God's presence.

If You Don't Offer Sacrifices According to What Jehovah Commanded, You Are Playing with Your Life

If you don't offer sacrifices according to what Jehovah commanded, what will happen? That is called offering strange fire. After offering strange fire, fire will come out from Jehovah, not that there is no fire, there is fire, and then it will burn them to death. This sounds cruel.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

This passage is written very cruelly, but do Christians or pastors today have this kind of situation that you find incomprehensible when you see it? A good pastor, serving God with love, but many, many problems arise. It seems that it is not demons that are dealing with these pastors and Christians, but God! Fire came out from God and consumed Nadab and Abihu. Did Nadab and Abihu know the responsibility of offering sacrifices? They knew. Did Nadab and Abihu know the regulations for offering sacrifices? They knew, but they messed up when they did it. So in chapter 10, we see that fire came out from God and consumed Nadab and Abihu, and they died. Then, this is what Jehovah said: I must be acknowledged as holy by those who come near me.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: “Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” Aaron remained silent. (Leviticus 10:1-3)

If you want to do the pastor as a job, you can't do it. Why? Disaster will come upon you. Why? Because you are a person who offers strange fire. So today, brothers and sisters, you must know that later someone told me, and I haven't even counted it myself, but among the pastors I know, there are many who have cancer! The proportion of pastors who have cancer is more than twice that of normal people.

Some time ago, a sister came to us. This sister was very interesting. She was actually a very loving sister in the local church. When she served in the church, she hid behind the leader in the front. This leader served very enthusiastically every day, and later got a serious illness, a terminal illness, and didn't know what the outcome would be.

Later, another brother rushed up and replaced the leader in the front. The leader in the front stepped down because he needed to recuperate. The person in the back rushed up to be the leader and was responsible for this church. As a result, not long after, this brother had a stomach hemorrhage. Later, this brother also came to us to pray, and we served him. Later, his stomach hemorrhage got better. But the problem is, did he really understand the regulations for offering sacrifices? Did he really understand the responsibility of the priest? It seems that he still didn't quite understand.

Later, they said to this sister, "Come on, you come and be the leader." As a result, this sister said, "Forget it, I won't do this." She still had a little bit of cleverness, so she came out of that fellowship and then came to us. After she came to us, did she become a priest of the living God Jehovah? In fact, although she had a heart to love God, she lacked that ambition, but recently she has started to adjust well. After a lot of hardships, it has been hard, very hard.

I hope that all the brothers and sisters among us will always remember these two names: Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu were people who offered strange fire before Jehovah and served God according to their own ideas. Jehovah did not command them to do it, but they did it themselves, which is called playing with your life. Therefore, in serving God and being a priest, it is an extremely glorious Mingding Doctrine, and it is also a very high-risk position.

If we neglect such a great salvation, how can we escape punishment? This salvation allows us to obtain the keys to the kingdom of heaven, to trample on snakes and scorpions on earth, to trample on the enemies of the devil, to trample on the power of the underworld, and to release the captive souls. This is a power greater than the power of nuclear power plants and nuclear bombs!

If we neglect such a great salvation, if we serve carelessly, not cautiously, and do not keep and follow the commandments, isn't that playing with our lives? Is it! So you must know that God wants to be holy among those who come near God. You cannot serve God without holiness. How can you become holy? Set yourself apart as holy to God. So don't blame me for not warning everyone. If I didn't warn everyone, the sin is on me, but I have told everyone, and if everyone doesn't listen, the sin is on yourselves, and it has nothing to do with me. So you need to think clearly about what kind of situation you are in.

Do we have anything more important today than blessings and curses? No. Yes, I know you are very busy. We are all very busy. Some people think I am not busy. In fact, they are wrong. I work from morning till night. If I am not busy, what am I doing? In fact, I am using all my heart and strength to serve my God, and I also hope that our brothers and sisters can know that serving God in this way is a matter of course.

So, you must know how to be a priest, and you must not offer strange fire. This is what was said earlier. First, the regulations for offering sacrifices; second, the responsibility of being a priest; third, priests must offer sacrifices according to what Jehovah commanded; fourth, if you don't offer sacrifices according to what Jehovah commanded, you are playing with your life.

Ordinances Concerning Food

The act of setting apart and blessing is closely tied to what one consumes. Thus, the fifth point concerns ordinances about food. God specifies what is clean and unclean, what is permissible to eat and what is not. Do not mistake this for a lesson in biology; it is a matter of spiritual significance.

I pose this question: Man is created in God's image, but in whose image are animals created? Animals, too, are created in the image of the spiritual realm. Just as there are celestial horses, so there are earthly horses; eagles in the heavens, eagles on the earth; lions above, lions below; cattle above, cattle below; sheep above, sheep below. Are there crabs, snakes, or earthworms in the heavens? Indeed, there are many.

I tell you, everything on earth is fashioned after the pattern of heaven. We are human beings on earth, created in God's image, and various earthly creatures are fashioned after various heavenly forms. I ask you, does the serpent on earth, created in the image of the evil spirit, have any connection to Satan? Satan is the ancient serpent. Is there a connection between the earthly serpent and Satan? Yes, there is. Among the animals God created, the serpent is the most cunning. Is the serpent on earth? Yes. After what was the serpent fashioned? After the spirit of the serpent in heaven.

Therefore, the ordinances concerning food dictate what is permissible and what is not, because God is conveying a spiritual truth. These things carry spiritual implications. I feel this deeply because I often connect seemingly disparate things. For instance, an 18-year-old tragically died in an accident, causing immense grief to his parents.

When reporters interviewed the family, they filmed the boy's room. A rope stretched from one corner to another, laden with various items: snakes, scorpions, and other creatures. I cannot recall the specifics. However, upon seeing these items, I made a connection: could this be related to the boy's death? I believe it was. To fill one's home with things devoted to destruction invites misfortune.

I have come to realize that the relationship between many animals and humans is a spiritual one. Consider the case of a young girl who once loved the Lord but suddenly changed and began keeping a large python at home. This was alarming, as feeding the snake required considerable resources. Yet, no one could touch the snake without provoking the girl's fury. Was this behavior strange? Yes! The girl grew increasingly rebellious and difficult.

Thus, the ordinances concerning food describe the forms of various animals, each carrying a spiritual revelation. Know that God is holy. It is not merely about the physical effects of consuming certain things, but about displeasing God. Why would we not seek to please Him? Pleasing God is paramount. To be set apart, we must understand what displeases Him.

Childbirth as a Profoundly Spiritual Matter

Sixth, childbirth is a profoundly spiritual matter. Why? Because Leviticus states that a woman is unclean for a certain period after giving birth. Why is she unclean after childbirth? It is not that childbirth inherently makes her unclean, but that she is considered unclean in God's eyes at that time.

In other words, uncleanness makes one more susceptible to demonic influence. Both the reproductive system and eating are deeply spiritual matters. Inability to conceive is also a spiritual issue. This is the sixth point, following food as the fifth. The reproductive system and childbirth are spiritual.

Skin Diseases and Mold in Houses as Profoundly Spiritual Matters

Seventh, skin diseases, mold on clothing, and mold in houses are all profoundly spiritual matters. When we discuss these, we may need to consult Leviticus during deliverance ministry. It details the nature of skin diseases, mold on clothing, and mold in houses.

Examine your house carefully. If mold is present, what does Leviticus say? A particular stone must be removed and discarded, and the wall replastered. If the mold persists, the house must be demolished and rebuilt.

Why? Because evil spirits are present. Consider a haunted house, a place where evil spirits dwell, causing unexplained illnesses and misfortunes. Such houses are spiritually unclean.

Atonement for Priestly Sin

Eighth, if a priest sins, he must offer a sin offering. The offering for a priest's sin differs from that of a common person. If a priest sins against God, there is an ordinance for atonement. For example, Aaron must offer certain sacrifices. A priest who sins must not enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain, before the mercy seat on the ark, lest he die.

Therefore, a priest who sins must offer a sin offering. The text speaks of two male goats, one for Azazel and the other for the Lord. We may not fully understand Azazel, but some interpretations suggest it represents a sacrifice to the devil. A priest's sin is a serious matter, and the goat offered for atonement is a scapegoat.

The Sanctity of Blood

Ninth, blood is sacred. Understand that blood is intimately connected with life; life is in the blood.

Sexual Immorality

Tenth, sexual immorality, sins closely related to human sexual organs, is addressed.

Interpersonal Relationships

Eleventh, our interactions with others must be fair and just. Holiness is closely linked to daily life. To be set apart must manifest in your conduct. If you are habitually greedy, spread gossip, or engage in strange behaviors, you are not set apart.

A series of principles for holy living must be implemented in our lives. If you violate these principles, you will be cursed.

Dealing with Rebellion

Twelfth, how should we deal with rebellious individuals? What is the appropriate response to those who disobey God's word? How should we handle various situations? For example, how should we treat those who do not honor their parents, and how should we treat those who do? We must not misunderstand these matters. Sometimes, elderly parents may act unwisely and require correction. Is this still honoring them? Yes, because they need guidance.

Ordinances of Holiness

Thirteenth, ordinances of holiness are discussed. What is holiness? What is sacred? How does one become holy? Because we are set apart to the Lord, because God is holy, we must be holy. This is a simple principle.

Setting Aside Time

Fourteenth, we must set aside time. The text speaks of observing various feasts: the Feast of Tabernacles, the Sabbatical Year, the Day of Atonement, Pentecost, and many others. Why are people unwilling to dedicate time to God? Because time is money. People love money more than God, so they lack time, striving to earn more and incurring curses and illnesses. Only when afflicted do they remember to pray, but their prayers are often ineffective because their ailments stem from disobedience to God's word.

Finally, our examination will delve into many details, ultimately concluding that those who diligently obey God's word will be blessed, while those who do not will be cursed and punished. This is not merely being cursed, but being punished. A priest who violates God's statutes, ordinances, and commandments will be punished sevenfold. God will increase the calamity sevenfold for those who disobey His word because they are God's priests.

Therefore, we must be careful and learn to set ourselves apart. Setting ourselves apart is the highest principle of Christian living! We must truly understand what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength! If you love God, you will not find being a Christian burdensome. If you still find it troublesome, wait until you endure the sevenfold calamity and see if it remains so! I am not threatening you; this is what God has said.

Conclusion

Therefore, brothers and sisters, if we are experiencing God's sevenfold calamity, we must turn back to Him. If you are a priest facing difficulties, recognize that God is disciplining you. If you believe you are like Job, remember that Job's circumstances are rare. Even David's later trials were consequences of his sins. Today, we must understand that while God forgives Christians who sin, there is a price to pay.

Although God keeps His covenant, we must fulfill our Christian responsibilities. That is the key. Set yourselves apart to God, serve Him alone. This is the Mingding Doctrine that we, in the Chinese Mingding Doctrine, proclaim. What is our Mingding? Our Mingding is the Mingding inherited from Abraham, to be a blessing to many. Do not think that being a blessing to many is mere rhetoric; it is a tangible reality achieved by living according to God's word!

May God bless you all!

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