Introduction
Good day to all! Once again, I am sharing a topic that can bring confusion. You know, pleasing God is one type of person, while incurring God's wrath is another. Looking around, you'll find that this generation is basically made up of these two types: those who please God and those who incur His wrath. This is a perplexing topic, and we'll delve into it, though I may not explain it perfectly clearly. I've noticed that many Christians are very sympathetic to Pharaoh in the Bible. I ask, are you on God's side or the devil's? This kind of situation is quite common.
Once, I went to a bookstore, and the owner recommended a book to me. The title was something like The Prayers of All the Saints. The author was a fairly well-known pastor. Since he recommended it and the title seemed good, I bought a copy. When I got home and opened it, I was very surprised! I didn't know if this author was on God's side or the devil's. What he wrote astonished me. Like many others, he sympathized with Pharaoh, feeling that God was too unfair to him. He said: The devil was the most beautiful angel God created, how can you rebuke him?
This doesn't sound much like the word of God. Do many people have such confusion? God, you created Pharaoh in this way, and then you say he was stubborn! Regarding Judas, the confusion is even greater: God, since you predestined Judas to betray you, why do you blame him? Judas is so unlucky! If you think Judas is unlucky, which side are you on? It seems like you're on the wrong side. Judas was created that way and then betrayed Jesus, and we feel: God, why do you do this? This is quite interesting.
Years ago, a sister would come to me each time with the same confusion: Pastor, am I a vessel of wrath, prepared for destruction? When I heard this, I felt maybe she was. Some people would say: Look at what you're saying, why don't you build up her faith? I say this is building up her faith. She firmly believed that she was a vessel of wrath. God, why did you create me like this? This matter seems a bit difficult to understand. Does God not have the right to create such a person? You must know which side you're on; if you're on the wrong side, it's really a bit of a trouble! Brothers and sisters, it is important to choose what kind of person to be while we still have the choice. Some people discern good and evil with God, and they discern to Judas, to Pharaoh. I must tell you, you're on the wrong side! There are also pastors who sympathize with Esau, who was cursed by God. Why are you on his side?
Let's start talking about the story of Pharaoh. Was Pharaoh unlucky? Put your opinions aside; you need to know that your opinions are not that important. You say: I have opinions. God says: You don't even have the right to offer opinions. If you have opinions, take them to eternity. When you get to eternity, I don't know if you'll still have the chance to offer them. When we read Exodus, Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites as slaves. God sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt to see Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Would Pharaoh agree? That was six hundred thousand laborers, so many people! I tell you, if Singapore's domestic helpers, which are probably only a few tens of thousands, were all recalled to their home countries, Singapore could face very big problems because it cannot do without domestic helpers!
When Pharaoh saw these three million Israelites, six hundred thousand laborers, if they all left, his economic loss would be great. Moses said: Will you let the Israelites go? Pharaoh said: I will not! Then came the first plague. After the first plague passed, Moses said: Will you let them go? Pharaoh said: I still won't, so the second plague came. Isn't this like the way many Christians live? Will you change? No! Then let there be more disasters. Very similar! I think people should never act like Pharaoh again! Pharaoh wouldn't let the Israelites go, so more disasters came. In the middle of those plagues, Pharaoh said: Moses, please plead with your God to remove this plague, and then I will let you return. As a result, when the plague was removed, Pharaoh changed his mind again and still wouldn't let them go.
Has everyone ever wondered what kind of brain this is? I often say this. I am surprised! Why doesn't his brain work? This plague comes, you can't bear it, and then you say: Moses, please help me pray to God to remove this plague. When the plague is removed, you go back on your word, don't you know that God will send another plague? If God sends another plague, what will you do? The brain really doesn't work. You want to keep fighting, keep fighting, God sends another plague, you can't bear it, continue to have Moses quickly plead with his God.
This dialogue is quite interesting. Moses asks: When do you want this plague to pass? If his brain is working, he would say: Right now, quickly, pray to God now! How good it would be to remove it now. But Pharaoh said: Tomorrow. What kind of brain is this? I don't know what evil he's under. It's very strange, he still delays it for a day. Why doesn't he say the day after tomorrow? He is really stupid, still having to endure until tomorrow. After this plague subsides, he still can't do it, still won't let them go. Can you understand the logic system inside him? He must have some unspeakable secrets!
Many of our brothers and sisters are the same. After being ministered to and healed, they continue to incur God's wrath, which I find regrettable. Do you know the final result? God killed all the firstborn in the homes of the Egyptians, both livestock and people, including Pharaoh's firstborn son. Every household in Egypt lost someone! The whole land of Egypt was filled with weeping! Think about it, every household losing someone. They don't have my ability to take life and death lightly. Actually, many of us brothers and sisters are too serious about living. Even if you're serious, it's useless.
At this time, Moses didn't say: Please, please let us go! There was no need to say it. The Egyptian Pharaoh and the people of Egypt said: You leave quickly! Leave quickly! Why didn't you do it earlier? I think that situation should have killed more people than the Nanjing Massacre. A family of five, with one person dying, is twenty percent. If Egypt had ten million people, twenty percent is two million; if Egypt had five million people, twenty percent is one million. The coffin shops were doing great business at that time. Everyone was grabbing coffins, and the coffins were at premium prices. If anyone in Egypt could get a coffin, they had connections and were very powerful. Wouldn't the corpses smell if they were left at home? There was no choice. People who know how to do carpentry like me can make one themselves; those who don't know carpentry just have to wait for the goods to arrive. At that time, they were grabbing coffins. What else could you grab?
This impression is profound enough! Pharaoh let the Israelites go. Later, the Egyptians learned that the Israelites were lost in the wilderness. You dare to touch them when they are lost? Didn't your children just die? Maybe the coffins haven't even been finished yet, and Pharaoh sent troops to chase after them. Are you looking for death? What kind of brain is this! I have never really understood. To be honest, I have never really understood what's inside many people's heads.
Some time ago, many people advised me: Teacher, don't say this anymore. I said: If I don't say it this way, I can't find other words. I'll say it again, what is filling that head? A head full of Jiangmi bars. I'm wondering what these ideas are. Since he can be the Pharaoh of Egypt, he must be a very powerful person. His brain should be working well. How did it become a walnut kernel? And just like that. After Pharaoh chased after them, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, and the Egyptians dared to walk into it as well. As a result, they were buried at the bottom of the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his soldiers all died! I have been wondering, what kind of brain is this?
We talk about God sending both disaster and blessing, God both curses and blesses, and many people can't turn this corner. Later, I also talked about how the theological system of the Apostle Paul is more consistent with that of Jesus Christ, while the theological systems of Peter, James, and Judas are not the same as Paul's and do not seem to be the same as Jesus'. When I said this, many people disagreed with me. I felt, is it that difficult? Maybe I didn't understand it clearly. If you can understand it, explain it to me, help me with some lessons. He couldn't explain it either, so what are you anxious about?
Those people believe that the Bible is inspired by God. Where did the Bible come from? It was after 300 AD that they collected it and put it together. Isn't it still the same thing? Brothers and sisters, you need to know that I once gave a very popular sermon called The Stumbling Stone. Many people don't understand why, if it is not one system, it would be included in the Bible? Isn't this very normal? The gospel of Jesus Christ is a stumbling stone!
We must know that the nature and foolishness of the Egyptian Pharaoh are vividly reflected in people. One sister was very motivated. After listening to my sermon, she went to ask her husband: Did you understand it? Then the couple argued because of my sermon. This argument is good because the couple is pursuing something! They want to find answers, but they are full of confusion. I think it is actually these traditional theological systems that bring a lot of confusion to people, because they don't make sense! Many things don't make sense and are therefore vulnerable. After you listen to the explanation of Chinese Mingding Destiny, you will know that this is how it is. If you can still listen to other things, I thank God.
Later, I summarized it in one sentence: People really like to do things that have no return. God! Why were you so hard on Pharaoh? This is unfair to Pharaoh. You hardened Pharaoh's heart, and then you destroyed him. So what if you destroyed him? Do you want to tell God what to do? Do you want to tell God that you should do it this way or that way? Don't say you want to tell God what to do, even if you tell me: Pastor, you should be a pastor this way. I would like to ask: What kind of preaching is that? Why should I do it the way you say? You have no right to tell God what to do! You might have a little right to tell me how to be a pastor.
There was a young man who was going to commit suicide. Later, I ministered to him and pulled him back from the brink of suicide. One day, he walked into my office full of confidence and said: You should be a pastor this way. When I heard this, I thought it was quite interesting! He was going to commit suicide a few days ago. How did he suddenly have confidence? Explain to me why I should do it this way? He looked at me for a long time and couldn't explain why. I asked him: Where did you get this from? He said he read a book. I said: Did you understand it? He didn't understand it either. He didn't understand it and came here to gesticulate. You are quite bold! What kind of brain is that?
No matter how slowly we turn our corners, we must seek carefully and see if what I am saying is true. Don't be ignorant of your own limitations, read a book and think it's pretty good, and then talk nonsense, as if: I'll give you an idea. I really can't stand it! I have summarized a few aspects that I talk about when ministering to people. First, let's not do things that have no return! You tell God how to be God. Do you think there is a return? There is a return, just displaying some of God's wrath. Do you want to be on Pharaoh's side or on God's side? What exactly do you want to do? So don't do things that have no return.
Second, see what you can do? Do what you can do well, and learn what you can't do well. Yesterday, after I finished speaking, a sister said to me: You spoke so well. I regret not recording it. I said it's okay. Whenever you need to speak, you will always have it. Let's learn to do what we can't do! Some people can't do it themselves, and they think they are the standard for the whole world. I can tell you, there are many things you can't do, and there are many things I can't do. Let's learn well and manage well what we can't do. For example, manage well if you don't know how to manage a marital relationship, and manage well if you don't know how to manage a mother-daughter relationship. Don't say that I have done my best all the time. You think you have done very well with that little bit of strength, and you are already the world standard, but you are still far behind. I ministered to a sister, and the things she encountered would definitely not be the result if I had handled them, because I would handle the things she encountered.
Third, how to become smart? Why are we still arguing about the past? Talking about the past history as if it were the family treasure. The past cannot be changed, you cannot go back in time, why are you talking about it? You want to be sad and talk about sad things in the past. How stupid is that! You are already sad, and then you talk about it again. I want to tell everyone, can we use our hearts to create the future? Are there any of us who like to talk about those past histories? Definitely, they just like to talk about those useless things in the past. Who hurt you, how sad you were, talk about it and be sad again, just like talking about the past history. This one is sorry for you, that one is sorry for you, and you talk about it with tears streaming down your face. I just want to say, a hero does not mention his past bravery, not to mention that he is not a hero! I just think it's stupid.
In the future, when you encounter such people, tell them: Fool, stupid. There are many such people! The future is all ruined by him. The past cannot determine our future; we must create a beautiful future. Don't walk into the Red Sea; it is a place where you will die without being buried! You are arguing with God and want to tell God what to do. With your vision, I think it's better to forget it! We can only do one thing, that is, God is pleased with this kind of person, so I will be this kind of person. God! If you want to show your wrath on this kind of person, then I will not be that kind of person. It's very simple! The return is very high.
Some people are accountants and specialize in finance. Can they understand this account? If you understand it, can you listen to my advice? If you are not an accountant, do you know about the return? Many years ago, I knew that I didn't want to wrestle with God, and I didn't want to use my wrist to wrestle with God's thigh. I wouldn't even wrestle with a person's thigh. What's the point of wrestling with it? You like to argue? Arguing back and forth can cause you to get sick. What are you trying to achieve? I am filled with emotion!
By the way, in the days to come, I will definitely teach everyone how to minister. Hasn't human service been promoted recently? Later, many people signed up to serve, and the arrangement was pretty good! When I went in to listen, all I heard was speaking in tongues. I said, can this solve the problem? Speaking in tongues builds yourself up, which is very edifying for you, but it cannot solve the problem! We must know where the person being ministered to is stuck, and then untie that knot! But this is also pretty good. Everyone serves, and I will correct them. Let our pastors take a look at how they are doing it, and then correct them.
Brothers and sisters, learn a lesson from Pharaoh, who is a typical vessel of wrath. You may have fifty percent of Pharaoh in you, or you may have thirty percent of Pharaoh in you. Then you can change from one hundred percent of Pharaoh to ninety percent, then to eighty percent, becoming less and less. Let us repent step by step, otherwise how much of God's wrath will you have to bear! Is cancer God's wrath? Yes, cancer is definitely God's wrath. People are in pain all over, and all their joints are deformed. Is that God's wrath? Yes! Everyone observes carefully. People who are broad-minded, live happily, and live longer because they are sensible! Many people are not smart on earth, let alone compare themselves in the spiritual realm!
Brothers and sisters, know for sure that what kind of person you become is definitely your choice. We don't know what kind of person God created you to be. If you happen to be created that way, it doesn't matter. Let's stand aside and learn a lesson. God used Pharaoh and the Egyptians to create the greatest courseware in the world, so that we can learn a lesson through this courseware. God used Judas, who betrayed Jesus, to create a very good courseware for us, so that we can know that it is not the right path.
Scripture
What if God, desiring to show his wrath, and to make his power known, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory (Romans 9:22-23)?
Prayer
God, give us wisdom and understanding, let us know how to choose to become vessels that manifest your glory. God, open our spiritual eyes, let us see how wonderful your works are in this world. God, through those vessels of wrath, let us learn a lesson: stay away from your wrath. God, may you have mercy on us and give us grace, let us be able to imitate those who please you, and become vessels of glory in this world. God, may you manifest your glory through us, may your glory fill the whole earth! God, use us in this generation, let Chinese Mingding Destiny bring more grace. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen!
Scripture Background
If you read Romans, you will find that the words written in Romans seem like Paul is asking and answering himself. Actually, it is not. It is Paul answering the confusion of Christians in the Roman church. They had not met Paul, but they knew there was a theological expert named Paul. The church in Rome was full of all kinds of confusion in their lives, because they also didn't know how much had been sorted out from Jerusalem to Rome. That is to say, the entire Gospel system they received had a lot of chaos. So Paul received a lot of the questions they put forward about their disturbances, which also included our disturbances.
After reading the Old Testament, we often feel that there are many problems that cannot be explained. For example, what happened to Pharaoh in Exodus? What happened to the demise of the Israelites? What was the deal with the laws promulgated by Moses? Why is God so unfair? Everyone must have such confusion, don't keep it to yourself. Actually, I guess there are still many people among us who have this kind of thinking in their hearts, but they don't dare to ask for fear that I will scold you. I will be lenient, I will not attack your disturbance. But if you have an attitude of seeking, that is very good.
The confusion of Roman Christians lies in the fact that God is very unfair. How can this be? How could Abraham's descendants crucify Jesus? They are full of confusion. Aren't the Israelites God's chosen people? How did they become a curse? I am asking a lot of strange things. Is it God's wish, or did God design us to be this way, do we become like this? These are all such disturbances. Paul wrote Romans, one of the important concepts is: is this person carnal or spiritual? The carnal cannot inherit God's promise, only the spiritual, those who belong to God, can be counted as Abraham's descendants.
Paul explained these confusions, which was the situation of the Roman Christians at the time. Why is this, why is that? Romans explained very clearly. Finally, Paul said what is the reason for this? Because the gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of faith, not based on works, so those people all stumbled on this stumbling stone. This is a stumbling stone, and those who trust in God will not be ashamed.
Brothers and sisters, have you found that being able to ask why God is unfair in this world is the first reason why you think God is unfair! People who do not believe in God are the source of all problems. If people believe in God, they know that God both blesses and curses, both sends disasters and gives blessings. We know God and know God, and many problems will be solved. You can choose to be a vessel to show God's wrath, or you can choose to be a vessel to show God's glory. This thing will be resolved at once. Do you want to choose to be a stupid person or a smart person? What kind of person do you want to be? Isn't it very clear?
Someone asked: God, why did you harden his heart? The question of hardening arises. Is God responsible for his hardening? Therefore, Paul says these words:
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (Romans 9:18)
God created an Egyptian Pharaoh, and I will do this to serve as a warning to you. Is there a problem with this? No problem. Out of three million Israelites, six hundred thousand were able to fight, but only Caleb and Joshua entered the Promised Land. God made them wander in the wilderness for forty years. Is there a problem with this? Are you going to tell God how to do things?
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (Romans 9:20)
I guess everyone has complained in their hearts: Why did you make me like this? Are you not satisfied? If you are not satisfied, it is still like this. What do you want? The Romans asked many such questions: Why was it made like this? It just is. Originally, all of this was for one purpose: to constantly know Him, to make God's name known throughout the world. God buried the Egyptian Pharaoh under the Red Sea and killed all the firstborn of Egypt. So what? Do you care about them? God doesn't care, so what do you care about? God has killed many people. Didn't those six hundred thousand Israelites die in the wilderness? Even the Israelites are like this, without thinking about it.
If you want to stand up for injustice, you will also be included among them. Why argue? Can't God do this? After God does this, we have to summarize what the logical system of God's actions is, what kind of people God likes, what kind of people God hates, and what kind of people God loathes. The whole Bible tells one meaning: God created this series of stories to be our warning.
In fact, God did not originally predestine the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years. This was not God's plan, it was Plan B. It means that God's original plan was for them to enter the Promised Land. But they didn't enter, so they deserved to wander in the wilderness. This is Plan B. How many Christians are living in Plan B! Are you living in Plan A, entering the Promised Land, or in Plan B? Let us no longer be confused, but choose to believe, and use your faith to create a beautiful future!
Whether it's Christians in Roman times or Christians today, they often ask some unimportant questions. Can we learn a lesson from these things: I don't want to be a Pharaoh, I don't want to be rigid, I want to be gentle and humble in heart. It's actually very simple. That way you incur God's wrath, this way you receive God's glory; that way you incur God's curse, this way you receive God's blessing, pleasing God. This is a very simple matter, how did it become so complicated? The faith of Jesus Christ is a stumbling stone, and those who seek will find it.
If you read the Bible carefully, you will be full of confusion. Because after Jesus finished speaking, He said: I tell you these things only so that you may understand, not so that they may understand. What kind of God is this? And I just want to use parables to tell you so that you may understand, but they may not understand. After hearing this, are you confused? I tell you, those who seek will find. The faith of Christ Jesus is a stumbling stone. Are there many Christians who seek? Those who seek a little have run to us.
Chinese Mingding Destiny is Chinese Mingding Destiny because we do not live in the past traditions. We read God's words and constantly seek. There are not many who can read the Book of Romans as clearly as Chinese Mingding Destiny. Anyway, I haven't found it; there are not many who interpret the Book of Genesis like Chinese Mingding Destiny; put God's words into practice, let the captives be released, and the oppressed be freed, like Chinese Mingding Destiny, there are not many who have done it to this level!
This is a stumbling stone! If you choose to fall, then you will fall; if you choose not to fall, choose to trust, you will not be ashamed. Some people come to me and say: Teacher, after listening to your sermon, I fell. I said: You have never stood up, how can you fall? Chinese Mingding Destiny in this generation wants to restore the faith of Jesus Christ, return to the years of Jesus Christ, return to the years of the Apostle Paul, this is what we want to do. We also ask the questions that the Romans asked, but we have found the answers according to the words of Paul in the Book of Romans. Paul did not actually answer their questions, but he answered our questions. That is, you don't need to ask, just learn to trust God.
God Doesn't Care Much About the Death of a Pharaoh
God doesn't care much about the death of a Pharaoh, maybe you care about the death of a Pharaoh, because your logical system is not the same as God's logical system. You care about living, God doesn't care much about living, Jesus Christ also died for us. God doesn't care much about the death of a Pharaoh, nor does He care much about the death of so many Egyptian firstborn, God doesn't care much about the death of a Jesus Christ. Why is there such a difference? Because your definition of death is not the same as God's definition of death. Your understanding of the death of Jesus Christ is not quite right. When observing the Holy Communion, you cry as if your father has died. Actually, there is no need for that, it is a victory! Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day, so that we can overcome death through Him!
If the Pharaoh doesn't die this way, he will die that way. Looking around, there are deaths from cerebral thrombosis, deaths from myocardial infarction, deaths from cerebral infarction, deaths from cancer, deaths from diabetic complications, deaths from COVID-19, and many deaths. I ask you, where does the plague come from? The plague comes from God. You still say we pray for the plague. Do you want to go against God? I don't want to explain these things so clearly. I have to tell everyone that God doesn't care about this.
A person dies in their thirties, dies in their forties, dies in their fifties. In your opinion, it is different, but in God's eyes, it is the same. Without the Gospel of Jesus Christ, death is the same; with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, death is also the same. If what you care about is not what God cares about, it is about the same. In fact, God doesn't care so much about you and me dying, so don't stand up for them. There is a problem with the logical system inside you, and you don't know it, so a series of questions like those raised by the Roman church arise.
Is there a problem with God creating a Pharaoh to show His wrath? No problem. Is there a problem with God killing him? No problem. The Pharaoh was so rigid at that time, what can you do? Let's not fall into that. Why did he die like this? It's like you care a lot. If you care, you become God's enemy. You only see so many disasters, why don't you see so much of God's grace? Every time God sends down a disaster, He makes the disaster stay for a very short time, so that people can wake up. If the Pharaoh had said at any time: The God of Israel is the true God! Not only could the Israelites leave Egypt smoothly, but I would also accept this God and let Him be my God. There would be no problem, and all the subsequent disasters would be avoided. The whole Bible would be rewritten, but unfortunately, the Bible is not written like this, he just chooses to be rigid.
We have to know why the Pharaoh thinks like this? He was created like this. If you think like this, it is also like this. If you have studied cancer patients, you will find that the thinking system inside cancer patients is almost the same. I tell everyone that not many cancer patients are healed, but almost every one of these cancer patients has received God's rich grace. Later he died, not because we died, but because he died himself. God sent down disaster and then the Pharaoh said I will change, and God removed the disaster. Did you see this grace? God prefers to give grace.
There was a cancer patient with colon cancer. After we prayed for him, all the symptoms returned to normal, and we couldn't contact him anymore. He thought it was okay, like the Pharaoh? Came back to us a month later, and the cancer came back. You thought that thing wouldn't come back? How stupid! What kind of brain is this? In this generation of rampant disasters, people are following each other with the Pharaoh's logical system. It doesn't matter, so that God's name may be known throughout the world.
God chose Abraham, chose Isaac, Jacob, but have you seen the Israelites? It's hard for you to explain. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Therefore, not all descendants born of the flesh are descendants of Abraham, only those who have the same belief system and the same way of thinking as Abraham are descendants of Abraham. The Romans said: How did the Israelites become like this? They just became like this.
Many Christians go on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, like Muslims going on pilgrimages, praying for Jerusalem! Do you know that this Jerusalem is not the earthly Jerusalem? Many people don't know, they sing about Mount Zion with great enthusiasm! They don't know Mount Zion, they don't know the temple, they don't know that Jerusalem refers to the body of Jesus Christ, the church of God. In this generation, with the Pharaoh's system, caring about what the Pharaoh cares about, there are many such people, and they are called vessels of wrath. You say what to do? You won't change! Seeing the Pharaoh like this, do you choose to do this or do that?
There was once a pastor of a church of ten thousand people who passed on the position of his church supervisor to his son. One of our sisters said: How glorious! After hearing this, I said: What are you talking about? Later I said: It's not glorious, because he has cancer. Let's sort out how the Egyptian Pharaoh incurred God's wrath? To be released, a person must solve the problem of understanding. The Pharaoh's understanding was in trouble because his understanding was worldly. It is normal for you to talk to many people about spiritual things and they don't understand. The spiritual man judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. Do you want to be a spiritual person or a carnal person? Being a carnal person, a worldly person is the Pharaoh.
Pharaoh's Thinking System One: Economy is the Foundation of Rule
What I am saying is that in terms of political economy, any country knows that it is like the truth. If there is an election now and there is an economic crisis, the probability of the ruling party stepping down is very high, because the economy is the foundation of governance. Why did the Pharaoh repent again and again and not let the Israelites leave Egypt? Because when he thought about economic problems, the whole person was not right, and it was the same all the time. You see that the struggles between countries are all for money. One country fights with another country for money. If the national economy is not good, you will lose your position. The problem is, what is the benefit of offering your life for this money? Is there money in the heads of the brothers and sisters?
When you meet, you always ask: Where have you been making money recently? I'm making money here. When you get to Guangdong, China, you sit down and have a cup of tea, and all you talk about is making money. In the end, you make money and become stupid. Do you think that's the case? They are all talking about: Where can I get rich? Everyone is talking about money! All day long they are remembering to make money, and money is the purpose of everything. We have to know that the Pharaoh's thinking system made him pay the price of his life. He paid the price of his life to save his economy. The Israelites left Egypt in a great hurry, without even leavening the bread, and took it with them, so they had to eat unleavened bread on the day of the Exodus. After all the children were buried, the Egyptian Pharaoh thought about it in the palace and turned to money again. Suddenly he reacted, what about my economy? Who will do this work for me? I can't recruit people.
If a business has business but no one comes to do it, and you can't recruit people, are you bothered? Bothered. The Pharaoh thought: No, I have to chase them back. You can't keep them here, can you keep them if you chase them back? How long are you going to go against God? People whose brains are pursuing economics are generally not very good. Have you ever found that people who love money are not particularly smart? You say people are very good at making money, how can they not have good brains? Think carefully, have you heard the saying that people die for wealth, and birds die for food? If people die, what do they want that wealth for? You have to know that this kind of thing is worldly, are we Christians still living in it? Don't we know that God can supply you with everything? Among us brothers and sisters, if you look carefully, how are those who are predestined to live for God doing financially?
If your garbage is removed after coming among us, have you seen blessings in finances? Many people are blessed financially! I don't like them giving such testimonies because I am afraid of leading people into the eyes of money. But if you are led into God's eyes, that is truly blessed! Do people live by money, or by God? In God's blessing, in God's promise, nothing is lacking. If you have a worldly logical system, then it's troublesome, and you will pay the price of your life for it, and in the end, you will get nothing. One of our brothers is a businessman. He went out after coming to Chinese Mingding Destiny; he went in and out again; he came in and out again; it depends on his luck whether he can go out again. It's all because of money. Because when he is busy with work and business, he feels that this is all money, all real money, and he doesn't come.
Pharaoh's Thinking System Two: Rely on Your Own Ability
Looking around, the Pharaoh said, I have the best elite soldiers in the world, well-trained troops, I have the best weapons in the world, I have the best chariots and the best horses in the world, can't I catch up with you Israelites with my chariots and horses? With these mighty warriors, can't I catch you millions of Israelites back? This is relying on your own ability. Do we rely on chariots, horses, people, troops, ability, or God? These two things immediately confuse people. Sometimes they rely on God, and sometimes they rely on themselves, and they are confused in a moment.
The Pharaoh's set of things is very evil, because the Pharaoh himself has done a lot of Egyptian magicians. They can also turn the staffs in their hands into snakes when they are thrown on the ground. The Pharaoh relies on this system, and he is quite powerful. He relies on his own ability for a while, but also knows the spiritual world. I have asked many people, why do you go to the temple to worship? Aren't you atheists? Why do you go to the temple to worship? They can't explain it either. You say they admit that the spiritual world is real, but they often rely on their own ability. When their own ability is unreliable, they go to the temple to worship again. I think this is a very chaotic logical system.
People have economic strength, and they see that they are very powerful. In fact, sometimes they are powerful, and sometimes they are not. When God takes action, He shows God's wrath; when God withdraws, he immediately forgets, and then goes to do it, and as a result, he is buried in the sea. People like the Pharaoh follow each other. They can't rely on it. This is a tragedy. With that little height, they only think about themselves and don't even understand what it means to be alive, and they don't know God. They don't know when death is coming. Many people don't know that they have six hours to live when death is coming, they don't know that they have a few months to live, and they don't know that they have a few years to live. The things they care about and the things they value are all corrupting themselves.
Pharaoh's Thinking System Three: All is This Life
For them, when they die, the lights are turned off, but they die very quickly. The foundation is the pride of this life. The whole system is very strict and very reasonable. If you talk to a worldly person, everything they talk about is these things. I have always told everyone to see through life and death, because we live in eternal life, we don't care about living one more day or one less day at all. But how many people don't care about living one more day or one less day? They think this world can't live without you, and they think your children can't live without you. In fact, it may be worse with you, because you indulge the flesh and spoil the children. These are all things of this life.
You say they don't know? They live in this life and build a huge tomb. This is full of confusion. Are they stupid? Relying on their own abilities is unreliable, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This is walking the way of Cain, the law of Cain, all are of this life, wanting to live forever, but unable to live forever, so they struggle a lot. In fact, many people who are afraid of death die from this fear of death.
One of the sisters I served, one of her good sisters and she got cancer together, they were cancer friends, and then they relapsed together, just at the beginning of the year. This sister of ours came to me to pray, and her cancer friend went to the hospital and died two months ago. Do you say she was cured to death, died herself, or was scared to death, or afraid of death? This sister of ours is sometimes very fortunate. I think what we care about is this life, and we naturally incur God's wrath, so we die quickly. Can we change the logical system inside us? No longer with the logical system of the Pharaoh's vessel of wrath, but with the logical system of Jesus Christ.
Summary
We must begin to gradually deal with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. These three sentences explain the entire logical system of the Pharaoh. If we cannot destroy this logical system, it is the end of a Pharaoh, a vessel of wrath, adding a little bit of story to human history. People have written Dream of the Red Chamber, and your family can write Dream of the Green Chamber or write Dream of the Blue Chamber. Someone has already written Dream of the Red Chamber, and the Dream of the Green Chamber written by your family is also very fatal! But whether it is Dream of the Red Chamber, Dream of the Green Chamber or Dream of the Blue Chamber, it is the world's tragedy anyway.
Have you seen the people in Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber? Have you seen the rise and fall of a family? Have you seen the history of the rise and fall of a family? Have you seen the smoky things inside? If you see it, you know that it is the work of God. Brothers and sisters, wake up, it is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. Learn a lesson from the Pharaoh, don't become a vessel of wrath, but become a vessel of glory. If you say, I am not a Pharaoh, then forget it! The Pharaoh is still like this, then what about you? If you say you want to be like a Pharaoh, I can't even get in line, then what lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life do you have?
You say I don't like to read Dream of the Red Chamber, and I don't know Jia Baoyu, and I don't know the things of Cao Xueqin's family. It doesn't matter if you don't know, you are not a member of the Jia family, at most, you may be Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. We know that living is vanity of vanities, and we can believe in the Lord well. If you know for sure that living is vanity of vanities, you will not be so serious, not so persistent, and you will solve many problems. There will be less suffering, and people will be healthy. What are the things we care about? We need to rethink and can no longer continue to live in the Pharaoh's logical system.
May God bless everyone!