I. Introduction

Today, I will share stories with you, but whose stories? Stories of those who please God. In the Bible, there are many who please God and many who provoke His wrath. We must discern what kind of person you want to be today. You must know: The most foolish thing a person can do is not to know what God hates and then to become the kind of person God hates, which is a tragedy. You must know how we should live. If our way of living is not right, we must change it.

Later, I discovered how Christians have become so selfish. Even some non-believers have said to me: Oh, your Christians are so selfish, and your God is not much better. I asked why they said that, and they replied: Look, your Christians sin, then pray for God's forgiveness, and they are forgiven. Then they continue to do wrong, they continue to sin, and after doing bad things, they say, 'God, forgive me.' You see, people have become like this. So many Christians have disgraced God. Can they have a good life? It makes people feel that even God is disgraced. Actually, many times we do not know how to live, but if you compare those who live well with those who do not, you will start to think: Ah, what kind of person should I be?

Starting this week, for the following period, we will talk about the theme: People Pleasing to God. Today, I will talk about the first person, Nehemiah. Before I talk about Nehemiah, I want to establish a general framework for your understanding, lest you may not know. I want to give you the idea today that the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament is a very good mirror for us. Please write in your notes: In the Old Testament, the history of the Israelites is a very good mirror for us Christians. But in the Old Testament, we will find that this God seems to have fought a losing battle, again and again. It is really not easy.

I want to give you a historical overview: the Israelites are probably one of the more intelligent people on earth. Many people think that the Israelites were chosen by God. Who are the Israelites? The Israelites are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They all honor their ancestor Abraham and think that Abraham was very good, but they do not follow Abraham's way. What to do? History has recorded that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. That was three thousand five hundred years ago. As a result, six hundred thousand Israelites who could fight with swords died in the wilderness. Why? Although they were descendants of Abraham, they did not follow Abraham's way. This is very interesting. I am a descendant of Abraham, but I do not follow Abraham's way. As a result, that generation all died in the wilderness.

Did God make a mistake? Let's not discuss whether God made a mistake or not. Let's just take this as a mirror: Ah! That generation provoked God's wrath, did not please God, and all died in the wilderness. So today I ask you: Do you want to live like that? Do you want to make the same choices as them? If you make the same choices, you will be a Christian who dies in the wilderness. Later, after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Joshua led them to the land of Canaan, the promised land of God, after forty years.

After being brought to the promised land, these Israelites could not see God's promise in the promised land and were constantly bullied by the surrounding people. They would be maltreated. After decades more went by they would begin to turn back to God, what logic is this? When they turned back to God, God saved them. After they were saved, they began to live a good life, and after living a good life, they abandoned God again and then lived a miserable life again. They lived their lives in a vicious cycle like this. How far did their lives go on like this? It was until many prophets came out in Israel. Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah that we read, and Jeremiah, were all prophets of that era, including Elijah and Elisha in the Book of Kings. These were all the prophets raised up by God, and they are all unique figures! As a result, the Israelites still lived their small lives, and God did a major thing.

Three thousand five hundred years ago, the Israelites left Egypt. Two thousand six hundred years ago, that is, nine hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, Israel was completely destroyed. It was destroyed, that is, about two thousand six hundred years ago. Why was it destroyed? This is because people always want to live a small life. Wasn't I just telling you this when I led the prayer? People always want to live better, just wanting to live well themselves, and as a result? As a result, they do not live well. Always wanting to live their own lives, living and living, making money, living their lives, making money again, and then currying favor with those in power, marrying them, doing business, making money, and people suddenly fall into this pit. In fact, the Israelites fell into this pit not once or twice, but almost every time. Every time they fell into this pit. As a result, Israel was destroyed two thousand six hundred years ago!

After the destruction of the country, the gold used in the temple built by David was tens of tons, hundreds of tons, and all the gold, silver, and copper utensils were taken to Babylon. The important and influential people in Israel were also taken to Babylon. Among them was a man named Daniel. Daniel was very pleasing to God, and I will tell you about Daniel later. As a result, Daniel became the prime minister of Babylon. This child was very powerful! Daniel recorded in the Book of Daniel is really amazing! Daniel knew that God had long had a revelation. What revelation? You have to listen to me, I will tell you the history a little bit. I am not a historian, but you have to know the ins and outs of this matter, and you will not be confused.

Near the end of the seventy years, Daniel served as prime minister in Babylon for three or four dynasties. This Daniel was really amazing! He served as prime minister for four consecutive emperors, second only to one person! Daniel often prayed for the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. As a result, the State of Israel, which had been destroyed two thousand six hundred years ago, saw the first group of Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple two thousand five hundred and thirty years ago! Who issued the decree? It was the emperor who issued the decree. The emperor issued a decree saying: You go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Amazing, right? This is the wonderful work of God! Behind this, God is in control!

Everyone knows Zerubbabel written in the Book of Haggai, if you have read the Bible once, you will not be unfamiliar, but it does not matter, just listen to me if you have not read it. Zerubbabel brought a large number of troops, who had been arrested by the Babylonian emperor and taken to the Babylonian Empire, and brought some of them back. What did they do? They carried the emperor's decree to rebuild the temple and restore a God-centered life. As a result, Zerubbabel returned. If you read the Book of Haggai, you will find that the return was a grand return, but after returning, the Israelites lived their own lives again, which is really ridiculous!

As a result, God raised up the prophets of the time, Haggai and Zechariah. Haggai was in that generation, constantly urging the Israelites to rebuild the temple. God’s temple is desolate! It is difficult for the Israelites to see blessings. So the crops they harvested, when they looked at them in the field, they could harvest ten dou, but when they cut them down, they could only harvest five dou, and when they threshed the grain, only three dou were left. These Israelites were also very strange.

God arranged a time for them to return to Jerusalem, but as soon as they returned to Jerusalem, they immediately began to live their own lives, buying fields and properties. Anyway, it was all about making money. People easily fall into the trap of money, and they easily lose their eternal hope. They just did not follow Abraham's way, including Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest at the time. God finally brought them back, but people fell into the trap of money again, and they fell into the trap of living a small life. The couples lived very lovingly, how could they have time to build a temple, right? The work at home cannot be finished.

As a result, as they worked, Zerubbabel's generation almost restored the temple, but after seventy years, it was over again, and the entire temple was desolate again. Oh, I just think these people are so stupid! They just do not know that without God's blessing, it is too difficult. They all live small lives. As a result, after another seventy years, Zerubbabel worked in vain! As a result, the local people returned to the state of the destruction of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. Alas! God is working hard, it is really not easy to be God! I sympathize with our God! I say to God, you are really not easy. You say, just crush them to death, but you do not crush them to death, and then you help them come back with great difficulty, and they become confused again. I just think these people are really interesting. As a result, God raised up another person named Ezra. During this period, everyone must know that God also raised up a person named Mordecai, recorded in the Book of Esther. At that time, the Israelite race was almost exterminated. There was also a person named Mordecai among those who returned. As for whether this Mordecai and that Mordecai are the same person, we do not know, and we do not want to investigate. His passion was dashed when he returned. From the destruction of Israel to the generation of Daniel, and then seventy years later to Zerubbabel, leading the Israelites back. Zerubbabel was the governor in that place, a senior official, a feudal official, like an emperor, building temples there.

As a result, after seventy years, it was desolate again, and Ezra returned. This was two thousand five hundred and thirty years ago. Zerubbabel returned two thousand four hundred and sixty years ago. If you have read the Bible, you will know the Book of Ezra and the Book of Malachi. After seventy years, Ezra and Malachi returned again, and the Book of Malachi was written the same as the Book of Haggai. Everyone is only busy with their own small lives, putting God's temple aside. Ezra did not accomplish anything when he returned, but he returned with the emperor's edict and the emperor's command. At that time, Nehemiah was a senior official beside the emperor. Do not think it is a joke to pour wine for the emperor, it is not just pouring wine for the emperor. It is called the wine officer, and when he goes out, he is the governor, a senior official. Nehemiah sent someone named Hanani: You go back to Jerusalem and take a look at what the situation is. Hanani returned and said to Nehemiah:

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3)

When Nehemiah heard this, he sat down and wept, mourned for days, and fasted and prayed before God. Do you understand? I am telling everyone the historical background. As a result, the following things happened, and we will tell this story. Nehemiah was very burdened for the temple, for God's affairs, and for God's people, and he sat down and wept. In fact, he was living well in the palace, eating well and drinking well. Being beside the emperor was to have wind when you wanted wind, and rain when you wanted rain. As a result, he applied for a hard job, returning to Jerusalem, which was not a joke.

II. Scripture

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall, and for the residence I will be living in?” And the king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. (Nehemiah 2:1-9)

III. Prayer

Oh God! Today, inspire our brothers and sisters, let each of us see the desolation of God's temple, and sit down and weep. Oh God! Give us a heart like Nehemiah, so that we can obtain our Mingding Destiny and see God's people being insulted in the hands of the devil, and see the desolation of the church in this generation. Oh God! Raise us up, may we also find favor in your sight, like Nehemiah. Today, raise us up to repair your temple, rebuild your church, and restore the foundations of the church. Oh God! Today, may our brothers and sisters be able to obtain such a heart, may you inspire us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

IV. Background of this passage

The background of this passage is that Nehemiah is going back to Jerusalem. This matter is not a joke, because there is a reason for the desolation of God's temple. God's temple is desolate, and the city gates are destroyed. Who destroyed them? Someone must have destroyed them! If this is the case, the local snakes are not easy to deal with! Everyone should know to what extent the local snakes have been mixed up in this place. There is a person named Sanballat here, and another person named Tobiah. They are both powerful local forces. It is no exaggeration to describe these people as bullies.

This matter is very interesting. There are also high priests in the area. The local high priest is called Eliashib, Eliashib is related by marriage to Tobiah, they are in-law relationship. What is in-law relationship? That is, my grandson married your granddaughter, they are all related. Think about it, Nehemiah is going back to this place to do things, that is not a joke. You really can't do it without some wisdom.

As a result, Sanballat and Tobiah learned about Nehemiah's return. These people see that he is coming back, it's going to be troublesome. Because before Nehemiah returned, Ezra had been working in this place for more than ten years. Ezra went back to oppose this intermarriage taught by the Bible, but he could not deal with it, he could not handle these local snakes, nor could he handle the high priest, because High Priests enjoy some status. Why do they intermarry? The reason to make a living, to acquire more money.

As soon as Nehemiah goes back, these people, threaten. Those local Jews are also in cahoots with them. How to do this work? Nehemiah's work is not easy. The desolation of anything has a reason. Is there a reason for the desolation of today's church? The reason is similar to this. The church does not put God first, but puts human affairs first. People think: People must have relationships to live, relationships with God, what's the use of that thing? That's how they see it in their eyes. Serving God is so troublesome! As a result, Nehemiah is very capable. How capable is he? He restored the city wall in fifty-two days. He organized the Israelites and divided the city wall into sections and completed it in fifty-two days.

In these fifty-two days, do you know how much Nehemiah experienced? When those people see that the city wall is going to be built, did not it block people's way of making money? Sanballat, Tobiah, and these people see that this way of making money is going to be destroyed! Does everyone know what the way to make money is? Doing business in the city, those businesses are monopolized by them. Nehemiah came to build the city wall, but the city wall was demolished by them. How can the city wall be built up? They are just bullying people, so the poor are very poor. Everyone should know that wherever there are these bullies, the lives of the common people are not good, because no one can afford to offend their family. In this place, whoever offends Sanballat and Tobiah will die, and whoever offends the high priest Tobiah will also be in trouble. This place has become a bully on the side.

What do you think God feels? Of course, you feel uncomfortable. The high priests during Jesus' time were no better. They are all political figures. Everyone should know how difficult is it for a political figure to walk in God's will! How many people are going to mess with you, so some people say: if you move their cake. But Nehemiah returned to Israel, the land of Canaan, to rebuild the city wall. Oh! They wrote letters, many people wrote letters, Sanballat, Tobiah wrote letters, many Jews also spoke well of Tobiah, everything was messed up. Including these Jews were together with them, writing letters to intimidate Nehemiah, Saying Nehemiah was going to rebel. Are you going to build a city wall? Then you want to be the king of one side! Rumors are terrible, but Nehemiah does not take it seriously at all.

V. Why is the temple desolate?

Why is the temple desolate? Everyone is starting to understand, right? Because the local people, those who do business are to make money; the common people are for living. What about the temple? So what? Didn't Zerubbabel just bring it back in the same state? In the end, whatever lives everyone should be living, they will live. Serving God is so troublesome! And what about keeping the Festival of Tabernacles, Pentecost, Passover, and sacrifices? Oh, like David, sacrificing lambs every day, singing hymns in the temple without working, can that be eaten? Look at people's thoughts, it is similar to today. Today, how many people think: Serving God, can that be eaten?

Later I tell you, if you really love God and do according to God's word, some people will call you a great fairy! Even your own family will think you are a great fairy, so you just live like this. The problem is this, God's logical system and man have different understanding. All of mankind’s logic is merely directed towards the political and the economic. The political serves to rule and control, the economic is for money. The way that mankind has been focusing on money for centuries is bound to lead down a tragic path!

People's selfish hearts have not changed since ancient times. Many people have tried various systems. Let's put it this way, have we not seen the collapse of the Soviet Union in this generation? How did it dissolve? It is because everyone has a selfish heart in it. The idea is good, the hope of communism is very good, but people do not cooperate! God's logic system is very good, you see, you serve God well, let the temple prosper, let God be with us, then all problems will be solved, and people will be blessed. Farming, the land is blessed; doing business, the business is blessed. Whatever you do is blessed. But the problem is that people do not believe in this set of things! They just think: Can that thing be eaten?

So the Israelites lived and lived and began to take care of their own homes. The temple, the work, whoever wants to do it will do it! Anyway, it has nothing to do with me, and I still have a lot at home, and my wife and children have to eat something. So the selfish heart of people has not been resolved well since ancient times. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he was the governor, and he could issue orders. In order to satisfy God's heart, Nehemiah became a person pleasing to God. You have to know that people who please God are amazing! If you have God's pleasure, basically no one can resist you. Just be bold and do it! As a result, Nehemiah really made it.

However, Nehemiah succeeded, and it was desolate and finished again in no time. Why? It is because since ancient times, no one has been able to deal with the selfishness in people. Today I tried again. It is hoped the the insidious and harmful roots of selfishness among you will be eliminated, stop thinking about living a small life. Look at the various activities promoted by today's church, I think it is difficult for God's temple not to be desolate! What are they promoting? Promote living a life, promoting family, promoting happiness groups, promoting many of these things. I am not qualified to object to this. But I can tell you that this is not the correct road. There is nothing about this in the Bible. Once one attends to man's desires, how else will they be able to comprehend God's intentions?

God's temple is desolate, it is so in the Old Testament. In the New Testament is it not the same? Later in the New Testament era, the church was involved in politics, and the church was already linked to politics. That will not be good! In the end, as they worked on it, the church eliminated God, drove God away, and invited the demon over. This is how the temple became desolate. Since ancient times, whether it was in the New Testament or the Old Testament era, it was like this.

So today, can our brothers and sisters start to have a little enthusiasm, be zealous for God, and become people pleasing to God? Hearing that the temple of Jerusalem was desolate, Nehemiah sat down and wept. Today, Christians hear that the church is desolate, they eat what they should eat, and drink what they should drink.

But, whether desolate is not, is just creates an environment and screen out the people pleasing to God. Nehemiah, became a person pleasing to God in that era. Daniel, who was about a hundred years before Nehemiah, also became a person pleasing to God.

I ask you, are those whom God delights in doing well? Of course, they are! Daniel served as the Prime Minister for three dynasties and four reigns in the Babylonian and Persian Empires. That's a lifetime of being favored by God! So, brothers and sisters, which kind of person do you want to be? Ask yourselves this question! Chinese Mingding Destiny concludes: Those who are zealous for God's temple and God's church, and offer themselves wholeheartedly, are blessed. There is no blessing outside of destiny; that's where it comes from. As a result, Nehemiah was raised up by God in this generation to be someone whom God delights in.

VI. God Delights in Those with Destiny

Those with destiny have a goal. Nehemiah's goal was to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the city walls, restore God's temple, revive the worship of God, and bring the people of that place back to blessing. Actually, Nehemiah was living quite well in the palace. Wasn't he just looking for trouble? No, he wasn't looking for trouble; this was the purpose for which he lived. Can you imagine? Nehemiah was able to rise to the Emperor's side in Babylon, in the capital city of Susa in the Persian Empire, and become a favorite of the Emperor. How did he manage to ascend?

You must know that no one knows how Nehemiah grew up in his youth, but he didn't suddenly become zealous for God on this day, nor did he suddenly become concerned about God's temple on this day. No. If you go back to the Old Testament, you will find that many people don't change in a day; they have been like this since childhood. For example, Solomon discussed God's temple with David from a young age. What happened as a result? He succeeded his father David as King of Israel. Amazing, right? God was also with Solomon. What did Solomon ask for first when he took over the throne of Israel? How to have the wisdom to manage the people of Israel well, and God gave him wisdom. So, these things are all destiny!

Sometimes it seems a bit difficult. Why is it difficult? Because no one can say for sure why people choose to have destiny. Even today, I must tell you that sometimes it's really not clear how people make such a choice. Nehemiah knew from a young age that Zerubbabel had returned to build the temple. In the days of Ezra, they returned to rebuild it again. By the time of Nehemiah, he was very concerned about this matter. No one can say for sure why he was concerned about it. It's just a choice. In fact, I think a person who loves God is definitely a person who pursues blessings in eternity, and God delights in those with destiny. God doesn't really like beasts; God likes people. Some of the people God created naturally choose to be vessels of wrath, while others choose to be vessels of glory. This is sometimes really hard to change.

One of our sisters, in recent years, her maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents have been blessed because of her. Her grandfather had a disease that allowed him to see many things in the spiritual realm. When she ministered to him, he got better, and the whole family knew. However, her own family, aunts, and uncles, who have seen and experienced many things firsthand, think she's a sorceress. I find it quite tragic. Why would they think this way? People are born this way, perhaps for no reason. Some people care about eternal things, while others care only about the things of this life. Her relatives are suffering from cancer, and another relative's husband has cancer. My goodness, they're living like this!

So you see, there's a reason why people live under a curse! I pray that brothers and sisters can understand one thing today: Outside of destiny, there is no blessing from God. Because God does not like those without destiny, who don't know why they live; that's just living blindly. This destiny is God's will. I think Nehemiah lived with this idea in his heart from a young age. Although he didn't have the opportunity to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, he was very concerned about this matter. As a result, God elevated him step by step. Did you take to heart the phrase God delights in those with destiny? As a result, he was especially favored in the Emperor's presence! The Emperor just liked him for no reason. How can you manage this? It's not that you can please the Emperor if you try; it's just that the Emperor looked at Nehemiah and thought he was a great person. It's like a toad meeting a mung bean, they just clicked. Everything looked good, everything was pleasing, everything was agreeable. You can't help it.

Not only did the Emperor look favorably upon Nehemiah, but the Empress also looked favorably upon him. I tell you, how could God not control the Emperor? If God wants the Emperor to like you, he will like everything you do. Because you are someone whom God delights in. I hope that all brothers and sisters can become people with destiny, people whom God delights in. When Nehemiah heard about the desolation of God's temple, he wept before the King. Listen to their conversation; he didn't intend to put on a sullen face before the King. If he had put on a sullen face before the King, that would have been terrible! Nehemiah took the wine and offered it to the King, and then said, I have never had a sad face before the King. As a result, the King said to him, Since you are not sick, why do you have a sad face? Why did the King bring up this topic?

The King said to me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the King, “May the King live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (Nehemiah 2:2-3)

The King thought in his heart, Your sadness is my sadness, and I can definitely help you solve it. That last sentence is what I said. You must know that the place where Nehemiah's ancestors were buried was under the jurisdiction of the Emperor. How could the city gates be burned in a place under the Emperor's jurisdiction? How was it being managed? Didn't I send Ezra back more than a decade ago? How did Ezra manage to let it become like this? The Emperor also cared about this matter. You can't deny that this Emperor was quite spiritual. To what extent was this Emperor spiritual? He felt that the great King of Israel, the God of the Israelites, was very powerful. From the Babylonian Empire to the Persian Empire, everyone was talking about the God of the Israelites being God, including Daniel's three good friends. Those stories are wonderfully told! Including how God saved Daniel when he was thrown into the lions' den. Later, King Cyrus sent Zerubbabel back to build the temple. So, the Persian Empire had a tradition of honoring the God of Israel. That's why he sent Ezra back. You see, this matter is also something I cared about! As a result, the King asked him, What do you want? He wanted to go back, and as a result, he took the King's decree and went back. So, having a person with destiny is very important!

VII. God Delights in Bold People

Cowardly people must change no matter what. No matter how timid you are, you must change, even if it means dying. Cowardly people cannot accomplish anything, and God cannot use them. They're afraid all the time, afraid of everything. How can God use someone who is afraid of everything? To what extent should you be bold?

Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem often accused Nehemiah: What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the King? These words sound very unpleasant! These rumors are terrible. Not just once or twice, but clearly wanting to fight the local tyrants and bullies. That's exactly what they wanted to do.

I just want to walk in God's will, I just want to build the city walls, I just want to restore the atmosphere of worshipping God here, I just want to restore this place to being like a temple! I'm not afraid of offending anyone. How can you accomplish anything if you don't offend people? It's impossible to accomplish anything if you don't offend people. Sanballat, Tobiah, and the local Jews colluded, which was very frightening.

For they were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands!” One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in a house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so I would commit a sin by doing what he suggested. Then they could slander me and ruin my reputation. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. (Nehemiah 6:9-14)

Do you see that? All around are landmines. Local prophets, local bullies who deserve to die, local people, so-called other prophets who are just living their lives. What kind of prophets are they? They're just living their lives. If you don't have courage, they're prophets! The prophets have said that you can't do this, but you still want to do it? Aren't you afraid?

Yesterday, I told my colleagues that today I was going to talk about people whom God delights in. Who should I talk about? One colleague said, Teacher, talk about yourself. I found it very interesting after listening to it. Today, I want to say that you really can't accomplish anything without courage. If you ask me if I'm brave, I wouldn't be brave if I didn't believe in God, but those who trust in God won't die. In this era, I don't care about talking to people about this and that all day long. Brothers and sisters must know in this generation that many of these people have been bought by the devil. Why? Because they don't care about God's temple; they care about their own ideas, just living.

So, if you brothers and sisters don't have courage, just trust in God and you will have courage. In the past, you had to please people, but now you only need to please God. You couldn't please this person or that person in the past, but in the end, I tell you, you should still please God! Please God, be a person with destiny, and die if you have to! So, do you know why demons kneel before me? It's because of this courage.

That old horse is very powerful! Living life is all about that old horse. Making money, living life, indulging the flesh, and loving the world are all managed by the old horse. One day, the old horse said to me: Actually, I tell you, I haven't lost a battle in so many years. I said, What's up? He said, I lost to you. How can people win if they are afraid of death? How can people win if they desperately want to live? I tell you, what's my secret? I don't want to live; the sooner I die, the better. So, a person who is not afraid of death is not afraid of anything. What is a person living in eternity afraid of death? Moreover, I have become someone whom God delights in. What am I afraid of? I'm just afraid of not pleasing God.

Today, brothers and sisters, you must know that you owe me a favor! You are healed of this disease and that disease, so you all owe me a favor. I don't need you to repay this favor; I need you to make a choice: choose to be someone whom God delights in! Choose to be a person with destiny! Choose to be someone who lives for God, someone who is bold!

Don't think, I've been timid since I was a child. Can't you be bold? Therefore, the Bible does not give cowardly people a choice. I tell you, if people are cowardly, they will be thrown into the lake of fire. You are not qualified to argue with God, just like that. So, you can only be a bold person. Once people see through life and death, once they are as tired of living as I am, then live for God! It's great, incredibly great!

VIII. God Likes People Who Do Practical Things

God likes people who do practical things. It's very interesting. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he went out at night to inspect the city walls. Nehemiah's project management was first-rate. How to allocate work, how to build, how to do it, he was very clear. Why did he become the cupbearer before the King? What does the cupbearer before the King do? When there are difficult things, the King says, Come, Nehemiah, pour me a glass of wine. The King often had worries, things from all over the world, many things that were enough to trouble him. Nehemiah must have had real talent and learning, often giving the King advice while drinking wine, which is what the cupbearer did. God gave him wisdom, and every time, the King solved many of his problems through Nehemiah.

So, when he went to see the city walls, he measured them, and knew exactly how much material was needed. When did he start learning this? He started learning it from a young age. You will find that in the Book of Nehemiah, there are no mystical things, seeing visions, four living creatures, none of these. He only looked at the city walls and the temple, and how much material was needed, and said it clearly. Where did he learn it? In the presence of the King, which King didn't engage in large-scale construction and infrastructure? They all did.

Being a cupbearer wasn't for nothing; he could really explain things clearly. When it came to construction, Nehemiah was first-rate; when it came to fighting, Nehemiah was also very good. Strategizing and governing an area, managing a province as a high-ranking official, a regional governor, was not a joke. As a result, he managed it very well. You must become a person who does practical things. Nehemiah is not only someone whom God delights in, but I also like him very much. If I go to heaven in the future, I will find Nehemiah to sit down and have a drink or something.

Nehemiah's knowledge was still very broad and impressive. So, I encourage everyone not to engage in empty talk, not to develop the habit of empty talk, but to develop the habit of doing practical things. The practical thing you do, rebuilding the city walls, was completed in 52 days in Nehemiah's hands. Ezra worked for more than ten days and didn't do it well. It's not that God wasn't with Ezra, but Ezra was a scribe. In the end, Nehemiah built the city walls and restored the temple, and then invited Ezra to speak from the Bible. Was Nehemiah familiar with the Bible? Yes, he was. Nehemiah was an engineer. Engineers can learn the word of God, but scribes don't understand infrastructure and engineering, so they still lack something. You must know that Joseph in Genesis was a very good engineer, and Moses in Exodus, as well as David and Solomon later, all had engineering backgrounds. Nehemiah was a person who did practical things. The King couldn't manage well without him, so he was transferred back to the King after working for a while.

While all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked the king for a leave of absence and returned to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the wicked thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the temple of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the temple of God, with the grain offerings and incense. (Nehemiah 13:6-9)

Can you understand this? You see, this is a very practical matter, isn't it? It's a very practical matter. He left Jerusalem and managed it for twelve years. After that, the high priest was very confused. You know that the high priests in the years of Jesus were also very confused. There weren't many good high priests. The high priest gave Tobiah a room in the temple. Why? Because he was related by marriage, to do business. This is very interesting. What happened to Israel's economy? I ask you, did the economy improve or worsen? Of course, it improved for the poor people in that area, but it worsened for the rich people in that area because the rich people lost the opportunity to monopolize.

Once, just before the Sabbath, when it began to get dark at the gates of Jerusalem, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates to see that no load was brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. (Nehemiah 13:19-21)

Do you see that? Doing business is about making money. If you want to make money, then make money, but leave time on the Sabbath and don't offend God. If you buy and sell things on the Sabbath, how can Israel have time to listen to the Bible? How can they have time to listen to Ezra chattering there? I don't think it's chattering. I think he's speaking well, but those people have hair growing in their hearts. They're shouting outside: Candied hawthorns! Their hearts are filled with candied hawthorns. Steamed buns! Their hearts are filled with steamed buns. How can they listen to Ezra speaking there? I think it's not easy to keep the Sabbath. You have to take people's hearts back from the small merchants and hawkers and bring them back into the word of God. That's not easy! So, God delights in people who do practical things.

How can these economic problems be solved? You must settle these merchants well, otherwise there will be trouble in that place. Do what you should do. In addition to building city walls, you also have to manage the local economy, manage the local people. In addition to that, there are many cases to be judged, so Nehemiah is very capable. He didn't take a salary for so many years. How much gold did he donate? More than we imagine. You must know that Nehemiah took the lead in donating, and the gold he donated was calculated in kilograms. Did he earn his own money? No, the Bible does not record that Nehemiah earned his own money. So, why did Nehemiah have money? Brothers and sisters, you must turn your minds around. It's not difficult for God to give you money, can't God give you money? I can tell you that the church is provided for by God, not by people. The church is not short of money, not because of our brothers and sisters' donations, but because God provides for it. Where did Nehemiah's money come from? Let me say a little bit. For example, the Emperor said, Give this to Nehemiah, and that would be it! If God is pleased, is money still a problem? Money is not a problem at all!

So, brothers and sisters, you must become a person who does practical things, a person who manages. Whether it's managing a province, a city, a small business, or a store, you must have destiny in your heart, your heart must be filled with God's temple and God's destiny. For God, you must become a bold person, even if it means dying for God willingly. This is what I mean by destiny! What is destiny? It is living for God, living for God, and dying for God. This is the purpose for which I came into this world. You can't come for nothing, not like the stray cats downstairs, nor like the stray dogs running on the street. You can't live and then die. No, you can't be like those animals, not like the pigs in the pigsty, nor like the sheep in the sheepfold. Today, we live in God's wonderful plan for us, becoming people whom God greatly delights in. What a wonderful thing this is.

Let's sing a song and collect today's offering. If you don't understand the meaning of offering, please don't offer. The church is not a place to collect money; the church is a place to distribute blessings, a place to obtain destiny. We were born for this, we came into this world for this. We once wandered in this world, without hope, without expectation, but today we have God, we have hope, we know that God sits on the throne in heaven, seeking those whom he delights in.

Are you willing to make a choice today? God, I am willing to be someone who pleases you; God, I am willing to be someone like Nehemiah. In the past, there was no hope, no expectation, just living, even living with a body full of disease. From now on, having known God, God's temple is no longer desolate; having known God, our spiritual state is no longer desolate. God, may you raise up among us a group of people like Nehemiah, weeping for the desolation of your temple; God, open our spiritual eyes to see the desolate state of this generation. Raise us up to see the desolation of the church in this generation; God, let us come out of our small lives, begin to obtain destiny, and let us become people whom you delight in; God, may your temple be filled with glory, may your people no longer be oppressed by the devil; God, may you hear our prayers, hear our cries. Today, I offer myself as a living sacrifice; God, choosing you is the best blessing, send us out, no longer afraid, willingly offering, because you are the God who provides for us!

In the name of Jesus Christ, I break all selfish thoughts in our brothers and sisters' hearts, and I break all thoughts of poverty in our brothers and sisters' hearts! God, you are a rich God, trusting in you is our best blessing, may poverty leave us; in the name of Jesus Christ, may disease also leave us, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are just going to enter into this destiny, to become people who are pleasing to God, Amen!

Our Father in heaven, may your name be hallowed, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, forever and ever, Amen!