Introduction

Good day to all. I am once again publishing a theological paper. In the past, I delivered twelve lectures on "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." Now, I will begin with "The Gospel of Apostle Paul." The Gospel of Apostle Paul is consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, belonging to the same system. The first lecture of "The Gospel of Apostle Paul" is titled "Baptized by the Holy Spirit," and its theme is "Blessed Together with Abraham Who Had Faith." You might ask: Does this have anything to do with the Holy Spirit? I will explain the connection to you shortly.

"Blessed Together with Abraham Who Had Faith" is actually part of a longer sentence from Galatians 3:9. The preceding phrase is, "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." However, to shorten the title, I reluctantly removed "they which be of faith." Fortunately, although it is not in the title, it is present in the content.

How important is this theological paper? It has influenced many to be blessed. This logical system is not new; it has been consistently developed over time. The Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a continuation of Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ. Having spoken on "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" and "The Gospel of Apostle Paul," please do not misunderstand, because believing in the wrong gospel brings a curse, and preaching the wrong gospel also brings a curse. This generation truly needs blessings, the blessings of Abraham.

When we mention the word "blessing," the most common image is the 福 character pasted on doors. When I was young, my family would paste the 福 character upside down during the Lunar New Year, a homophonic pun for "福 arrives." But did we see the blessing? No, we did not. In my childhood, after my younger siblings were born, my family became very poor, unlike before. Previously, my father would ride a bicycle, which was like a BMW today. I would sit on the small seat, and my father would take me out to eat at restaurants; it was wonderful.

As the family's financial situation worsened, we could not afford good food. Every year during the Lunar New Year, my parents would earnestly place all their hopes for blessings on New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year. On New Year's Eve, everyone would prepare to welcome the God of Wealth, but nothing happened. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, a 福 character was pasted on the door, but did the blessing arrive? No, it did not. Then, we would start burning paper money, with my father writing one hundred million, two hundred million on the paper. Did we receive blessings? No blessings. This happened year after year, every year the same.

It was not until I believed in the Lord that I understood what a blessing was. Then, I brought this gospel to my family, and my parents were blessed along with me, finally understanding what blessings were all about. Some might ask: Were you so effective when you first believed? Intellectuals like to understand things clearly when they believe in the Lord. So, I knew about Abraham from the beginning because I read Genesis the most. God said to Abraham: "That in blessing I will bless thee." That is why I brought the gospel to my family, and I was deeply comforted because my family received blessings.

However, many Christians do not understand why they are not blessed. I have seen too many instances of not being blessed in the church, and no one cares about it. If you are among us, I must care. If you are not blessed, do you know what I will say? I will tell our small group leaders: "Look at their financial situation; they are definitely not blessed. Look at their health, full of illnesses; they definitely have '嘎嘣儿' in their heads." Do you understand?

There are too many such instances of not being blessed. One fifth-generation Christian, when we mentioned financial and family blessings, said: "My family has been Christian for five generations, and we have never heard of blessings." Then what do you believe in? Is it the gospel? It sounds more like a "woe-spel."

Some time ago, he was struggling to find a job. He would fail every interview, causing him great anxiety. Why? Because he was studying in the United States with a Chinese passport, and his visa had a time limit. If he could not find a job, he would have to pack up and leave. Then his pastor came to me and asked: "Teacher, why is it so difficult for him to find a job?" I said: "There is probably one reason: he does not give offerings." Besides not giving offerings, there is another more serious problem: he is works-based.

A person who is faith-based is blessed, while a person who is works-based cannot be blessed. So now you all know, the reason Christians are not blessed is because they are works-based! They boast in their works, using works as the standard of measurement. All these works-based Christians live under a curse. Because no matter how good you are in your actions, you cannot be justified before God.

Once a person is works-based, with that mindset, they live under a curse, because all who rely on the law are under a curse. I encourage everyone to read Galatians carefully after I finish preaching. I am currently speaking on Galatians chapter 3. These works-based Christians, their families have been works-based for five generations. Can you imagine how severe the curse is?

Later, he finally found a job in California, USA. American Christians have a view that California is a very immoral place, like the deeply sinful Sodom. They feel that the place is not good. Then this fifth-generation Christian faced a dilemma: "I found a job in California, should I go?" "I don't really want to go; there are many disasters in California." With so many people in California, why would disaster only befall you? I think the root of the problem is being works-based.

We Christians live in the logical system of this world, which is not the faith of Abraham. Without the faith of Abraham, and being works-based, trying to please God through actions, only results in curses. The root cause is unbelief. They call themselves Christians but do not understand the source of blessings. If we do not understand that our God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, how can we be blessed?

So, to be blessed, we must receive the blessings of Abraham. We need to learn the faith of Abraham and emulate the faith of Abraham. But there are many in this world who criticize Abraham. I tell you, those who criticize Abraham are cursed; be careful. Brothers and sisters, the most terrible thing for Christians is to be works-based, not only not being blessed but also being cursed. That is fatal, really worse than not believing.

There was a sister who developed breast cancer after believing in the Lord for many years. You know, that thing grows into a rotten mass, oozing pus and blood, sometimes even spraying outwards; it is terrifying. As a result, the local pastor led three to four hundred people to pray for her, but the more they prayed, the worse it became. This pastor is quite lovely, often listening to my Bible studies and sermons. But their teachings are often works-based.

I give everyone a reminder: if you are a preacher, listen carefully to this sermon. You must get out of being works-based, or you will be miserable. Do not think that you are diligently keeping and obeying God's word; you cannot obey it. Because if you are not faith-based, being works-based itself is under a curse. When people live under a curse, demons legally dwell in them. What can you do?

What if prayers are not effective? Her pastor was quite clever and compassionate, so he brought this sister to us. Our leaders began to minister to her, and she is now recovering quickly. This process of recovery is actually also a process of removing the "嘎嘣儿" in her head. Her head was filled with a lot of works-based teachings she had received over the years, because she thought being works-based was self-evident.

Once, her family was setting off firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, and when she saw them, her temper flared up, and she argued fiercely with her family. She angrily called her pastor, who said: "What kind of logic is this?" and scolded her. Setting off firecrackers has no impact on you. You already have breast cancer, yet you are still so stubborn. Why can't you set off firecrackers? Because her pastor said it was not allowed. Why can't you set off firecrackers? I still cannot understand many Christians' strange ideas.

As a result, her pastor scolded her, and she realized that what she was doing was wrong. Later, her relationship with her family gradually began to recover, getting better little by little, and now the cancer is almost gone. In the past, when I led prayers, I often received requests, "Teacher, pray for my breasts, they are red and swollen." It would be better if you directly said breast cancer, but it doesn't matter, it must also be healed. Why? Because this place is faith-based.

Anything that is works-based is deadly! They still wonder why she is not getting better. Because being works-based is the fundamental problem. You must know that the Chinese Mingding Doctrine is a theology that brings people into the blessings of Abraham, with the faith of Abraham as the model and object of emulation.

There was a sister who had a church at home. This couple had a child, who was originally a normal child, but after being raised in this home, they turned the child into a mentally ill person. This couple prayed for people, led Bible studies, but many things inside them were works-based, not faith-based. I tell you, many people build churches, but their minds are very dirty.

When I was building a church in the early days, a brother came to Singapore to study. He said: "Pastor, my parents also want me to become a pastor." I said: "That's great, why do your parents want you to become a pastor?" He said: "Pastor, you know in our hometown, many pastors build big houses." How strange does that sound?

So, whether it is building a church or doing anything else, we do not know and cannot examine their inner motives, but the gospel they bring out has problems. In fact, once such people lead a church and preach a works-based gospel, it is very troublesome. All preachers listen carefully to what I say, be careful, you will know by the results.

Many preachers do not put in the effort to study God's word, but are busy serving, and while serving, they feel they are great, making a great sacrifice and contribution for God. You may not hear the problem, thinking they have indeed done great things. But this is a serious problem. Once you think this way, you enter into works-based thinking and into the curse of works-based thinking. I tell you, being a preacher is not a casual profession; it is a very serious profession, not to be taken lightly.

How do faith-based people think? Faith-based people believe that serving is a grace. If you do not know that serving is a grace, then do not serve, until now there are still some among us who feel that serving is a contribution. Do not think that I am talking nonsense, serving is a grace, serving is not a contribution.

Some say: "Look how hard I work to serve you, why are you still like this?" You do not need to boast about this, there is no need. So, whether you are a Christian, a pastor, or a pastor building a church, entering into a curse is just a matter of a thought. If you still do not know that serving is a grace, then do not serve anymore, it is better not to serve.

Do you know what Apostle Paul said? Apostle Paul said: "I am a sinner, what merit or ability do I have to have such grace to serve this great God." Brothers and sisters, you must know that mixing in church circles is useless. Anyway, I do not mix in church circles; there is no use in mixing in that stuff. Our brothers and sisters must figure this out clearly.

There was a healing and deliverance team from Shanghai, and someone invited them to smear blood and do other things, and pray in circles around the house. What is the use? There is no use. Always remember, if the disease comes from God and is related to a curse, what is the use of doing these things? You must completely change from the root, removing the works-based root in us.

Last year, a co-worker suddenly ran away, and I thank God he ran away. Why? He did not inherit my teachings. He was serving there, and I did not drive him away, but God drove him away. Do not think that what I am saying will hurt anyone, I am not afraid, whoever wants to be hurt can be hurt. So, I took over the people he used to serve. Although I do not have enough time to serve, I serve accurately.

Yesterday, I called to minister to this small group leader, and he told me that his work pressure was great. I thought it was great, his responsibility had increased. I said: "What about the salary?" He said: "More than ten thousand." You know, how big of a jump is it from five thousand to ten thousand? In a third or fourth-tier city, not many people earn ten thousand. My goodness, he has become a principal. I am very happy, this pressure is good, because there is money to be made. He said: "Teacher, the pressure is also great." I said: "That's okay, I'll teach you how to manage."

You know, in the beginning, his salary was one thousand, and in recent years it has "噌噌噌" increased to three thousand, five thousand, and ten thousand. I think God is so amazing, I especially like this kind of testimony. Because I do not think poverty is the blessing of Abraham, I do not think poverty is good, I think poverty is not good. If you think poverty is good, then you can have more of it.

I was very happy, yesterday after I finished the phone call, I jumped out of my room. Oh, this is worth celebrating, how great! His status in the family has also increased. You know, he used to issue ball cards at the badminton hall, all growing up in the church. If you are a graduate student, a master's student, your future is even more limitless, grow well. I tell you, you must obtain the blessing of Abraham!

The day before yesterday, I called again to minister to the people I shepherd, a small group leader. I said: "How is it now?" He said: "Teacher, my salary this year is six thousand more than last year." In this economic environment, the salary has increased by six thousand, oh, pop the champagne. He said: "Teacher, you know, my previous pastor left. He told us not to love money so much, not to love the world so much."

What does my love of being blessed have to do with loving money? Can't I love being blessed? I do not like poverty, I do not like loving money, but I do not like not being blessed. He said: "Teacher, since you took over shepherding us, it's not that our level has increased much, but it's just very good." Someone also typed in the group saying: "My salary this month is one thousand more than last month." Congratulations, pop the champagne.

So, all who have the same faith as Abraham are blessed together with Abraham. In the past few years, I have found that some people are serving with a false mask, thinking that serving will bring blessings, that's bad. Thinking that serving will bring blessings, do not believe this nonsense anymore. Serving is a grace, not using serving to exchange for blessings. It is using the faith of Abraham in you to exchange for blessings.

As a result, he was serving while being very tired, and I saw that he was very attentive and hardworking, but there was only hard work, no merit. Can works-based serving have merit? There is no effect, and then he began to have bad luck. Do not be afraid of what I am saying. If you want to serve, serve with the mindset that serving is a grace.

If you serve with the mindset of contributing, you are doomed, and will soon be under a curse. As a result of this curse, things go wrong, business suffers, everything fails, and you end up in debt. When we encourage them, saying, "Relax, sister, don't worry about this, don't be like that," and after much comforting, they stop serving. Once they stop serving, their business picks up. Why? Because they return to faith, come out of the works-based system, and things improve significantly.

Another sister used to preach in a local church before joining us. Thinking she loved God deeply, we had her serve. But as she served, things went wrong, and she became increasingly cursed. I said, "Quick, stop it." She thought serving was a contribution. Once she stopped, things started to improve, her business grew, reaching 300,000 a month, and she gradually entered into blessing.

I tell you, when you come before God, you must come with heart and sincerity. Playing games with God, adopting a works-based approach, is worse than doing nothing. The church isn't short of people to serve; it's a place for dispensing blessings. The church doesn't really need it, and neither do I. Some might ask, "What will happen to Chinese Mingding Doctrine without you?" That's God's work, not ours. Understand? It's the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of the Apostle Paul, not my Gospel.

Some criticize the Apostle Paul, but he asked, "Was I crucified for you?" No. "Was I scourged for you?" No. "What have I done for you? I merely received some grace from God." Even the Apostle Paul said that. What am I then? Just a sinner who has received immense grace, allowing me the opportunity to serve God.

That's why Abraham was so remarkable! His faith was of that kind. I will strive to make two things clear: Abraham's faith and Abraham's blessing. I long for more people to understand the Gospel of the Apostle Paul, to escape the curses of poverty, disease, and works-based systems.

Brothers and sisters, put the Book of James on the blacklist first, because it is works-based. He claims it's not works-based, but he equates works with faith, which is a ridiculous logic. Jesus never said that, nor did the Apostle Paul. Faith is faith. Let's look at Galatians 3:1-14.

Scripture

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:1-14)

Do you know? Last time we talked about "receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit," this passage concludes by saying that through faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit, which is a great grace. If people lack faith to receive rewards and blessings, they will receive curses.

Prayer

God, open our eyes today. If God can open the eyes of the blind, open our eyes today. As the Apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians, rebuke us little Galatians today. God, lead us out of ignorance today, let us open our spiritual eyes and see that those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham.

God, we thank you for your grace, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, through the redemption of Jesus Christ, you have opened a path of faith for us, so that we can have the faith of Abraham and receive the grace of Jesus Christ. God, open our minds, let us come out of the curse of works-based systems. Let us receive the blessings that Abraham received, let us receive the promise that Abraham received, in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Scripture Background

This passage is excellent. I encourage everyone to go back and read it three, five, thirty, fifty, three hundred, five hundred times. You might ask, "Why read it so many times?" Because it is of utmost importance. How much is this passage worth? It is priceless. Because the Apostle Paul wrote Galatians, we now have this pure Gospel, otherwise, it would have been defiled beyond recognition.

A long time ago, I wanted to write a book called "The Pure Gospel," which would be a study of Galatians. The book was about fifty to sixty thousand words long, a thin booklet, but it contained a pure Gospel. Fortunately, the Apostle Paul stood firm at that time, otherwise, things would be very troublesome now.

Who preached the Gospel to the Galatians who believed in the Lord? It should have been the Apostle Paul, who established the church. Later, people from Peter and James came and said, "No, no, you must observe and obey." Does that sound right to everyone? Doesn't the Bible, Deuteronomy, say to observe and obey? As a result of observing and obeying, everyone began to practice circumcision, a small operation on the male genitals, and then they started to struggle.

Some people became confused, "Should we sacrifice a lamb?" "Should we observe Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles?" It was extremely chaotic. We Christians observe the Lord's Day, while they observe the Sabbath, and the whole church became confused, and everyone went back into the law. The Bible does tell us to keep the law, otherwise, why would God give us the law? Does everyone have this thought? Yes.

Then there are things like, "You must not commit adultery, you must not eat blood," and a whole bunch of other things, and everyone is dumbfounded. Being dumbfounded is no joke. In the spiritual realm, something happened: once people deviate from the path of faith, they no longer put on Jesus; no longer putting on Jesus, they are no longer righteous in God's eyes; no longer being righteous, they are evil and then cursed; and being cursed, demons come and make them suffer.

I must tell you, if you are suffering, there are two possibilities. The first possibility is that the devil is attacking you, and you are suffering a bit. This attack is because you love God, and there is glory in it, but this situation is not common; the other situation is that you are under a curse, and demons legally come to torment you, and then you feel bad.

As a result, the Galatians were suffering and in pain, and they asked the Apostle Paul, "Why are we so miserable? We used to pray and be healed, but now not only are we not healed, but we are getting worse and worse." Getting worse and worse, isn't that what they deserve? Deserved. Brothers and sisters must be careful, these people are deceived and suffer. If you are deceived, deviate from the path of faith, and enter into a works-based system, you deserve to suffer.

You come to me and say, "Teacher, I hurt here, I hurt there, I feel bad here, I feel bad there." I say, "Let me think, let me see if I can diagnose you." Ah! There's a "click" in my head. I just knocked out that "click" for you yesterday, how did you pick it up again today? Oh, I'm so impressed.

So this matter is troublesome, and Paul wrote Galatians. Why? To correct their works-based system. Remember, all who boast in works, who boast in observing the law, are under a curse. Does everyone also feel that there is something wrong with this? Of course, what is being preached now is not ordinary doctrine, you must keep it in mind. Paul wrote Galatians to explain whether it is works-based or faith-based. Being works-based sounds reasonable, but it is useless.

It is a grace for people to believe in the Lord, and those who are faith-based receive the blessing of Abraham. And then what do they receive? It is so that through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the promised Holy Spirit, which is clear evidence, a clear demonstration for you to see. When you are faith-based, the Holy Spirit works in you; whenever you disbelieve, whenever you fall into a works-based system, you live under a curse. This is very serious.

Being faith-based leads to receiving the Holy Spirit, and from then on, what you do is not because of anything else. First, because you put on Jesus Christ, your sins are blotted out, and God considers you righteous. Not because you are truly righteous, but because God considers you righteous. Once you are considered righteous, the curse disappears, and the curse falls on Jesus. Everyone listen carefully, because this doctrine is a bit hardcore, and I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it clearly.

The curse falls on Jesus, and as a result, the demons in you become illegal, and you can drive them out. If the demons in you are legal, they cannot be driven out. This passage mentions what the law is for. I will tell you. God's promise to Abraham cannot be invalidated by the law four hundred and thirty years later. The promise comes first, the law comes later.

So what is the law for? The law is very interesting, I will briefly explain it. Because the law confines people in sin, but the Bible confines everyone in sin, so that the promised blessing may be given to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Do you understand? You say, "I seem to understand, but I don't seem to understand." I will explain it to you.

Moses wrote Genesis, which clearly states that God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This same Moses also wrote the law. Later, Moses clearly stated in the Bible, in the law, "You cannot do it, you cannot serve this jealous God." Facts prove that the Israelites really could not do it, they really could not serve Him. So Moses said, "You cannot do it, and then you will be cursed."

You say, "Isn't Deuteronomy 28 a pit?" It is indeed a pit. If you carefully observe and obey, then this and that will happen; if you do not carefully observe and obey, then this and that will happen. That statement cannot be fulfilled by the flesh, you can only fulfill it by the Spirit. If you do not have the Spirit, you do not have the ability, you cannot do it, so you live under a curse. As a result, the entire nation of Israel was finished, living under a curse. Only those who believed barely made it through, stumbling and falling, until the time of Jesus Christ.

So the law confines people in sin, and Moses, who wrote the law, also clearly tells you, "This is not the way!" This is to force you to the path of faith. If you have not understood Moses' books of the law, from Genesis to Deuteronomy, you cannot understand it. After you understand it, you will discover that Moses wrote to tell you that this road is blocked! Please turn left or right. Turn to where? Turn to the faith of Abraham, only the path of faith can fulfill God's word.

Brothers and sisters, if you can fulfill God's word, it is not by your own strength, but by the grace of God. If you can fulfill it, you have nothing to boast about, because it is the power and grace that the Holy Spirit gives you. Jesus did just that: Jesus bore our sins, carried our curses, and then the Holy Spirit descended upon us, and we received the ability to carefully observe and obey. Moreover, the ability to carefully observe and obey grows little by little through continuous breakthroughs in understanding. So this is why Paul wrote Galatians in response to the situation at that time.

I tell you, did James, who wrote the Book of James, read Galatians? He did. After reading it, he was very angry, and he wrote the Book of James. Because when Paul wrote Galatians, he was very angry, because someone was enticing the Galatians to leave the Gospel of Jesus Christ and leading them into a curse, so Paul was very angry.

If you read Galatians carefully, you will find that it specifically names James, offending him. As a result, James was very angry and wrote the Book of James in response. Look how well he refuted it, it was all in response to Galatians, it was simply tit-for-tat, writing the Book of James, engaging in a war of words with the Apostle Paul in the air.

You say, "Why is it included in the Bible?" Actually, it's very simple. Although it is included in the Bible, are you blind or brainless, can't you read? Don't you know that it is not a unified system? Although James was Jesus' brother in the flesh, he did not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Later, I read the Book of James in more depth, and I didn't understand it for a long time. Later, I understood that if he didn't write it clearly, how could I understand it? If you can explain the Book of James logically, I tell you that you are a divine person, because James didn't even write it clearly. So this matter is very interesting, those who seek will surely be able to understand what is the Gospel and what is not. So the Book of James is not in the Gospel system of Jesus Christ, nor in the Gospel system of the Apostle Paul.

Abraham's Faith

You say, "Teacher, I am also faith-based." But what kind of faith is your faith? Some people mistake disbelief for faith, and faith can be true or false. So what is the standard of faith? The standard of faith is Abraham. Because Abraham found the door of faith, God blessed him.

Everyone, do not think that Abraham's faith is the kind of faith you have. I will give everyone a term called "seeing through life and death." I have found that many Christians do not see through life and death, thinking that seeing through life and death is a very difficult thing. Abraham saw through life and death, so he sought God. Because he saw people being born and dying, people living for only a hundred years or so, and then he felt very despairing. Actually, you should be despairing.

You think that living in this world is very real, you are very excited about this and that every day, but in reality, there is no hope. Have you been to a funeral home or crematorium? Have you seen the cemetery? People die, then they are burned and buried. Now they don't even let you pick up the ashes yourself, they just grab a handful and put them in, you don't even know what's what, and the rest is thrown away as garbage. The final result of a person is a pile of garbage, is there any meaning? There is no meaning.

Those Christians who cannot see beyond their noses, fussing over trivial matters, getting worked up over worldly nonsense. What is the point of all that striving? You strive and strive until you end up in an urn, and all that striving amounts to nothing. How utterly pointless. Abraham's faith was about seeing through all of this.

Why could he see through it? Abraham's brother, Lot's father, had died. Abraham was a wealthy man, he could have sought out the best doctors, telling them, "Spare no expense, just save my brother." I have indeed encountered wealthy individuals who tried just that, but their brothers still passed away. Money cannot buy you life; it is not the deciding factor.

After Abraham's brother died, he grieved for a time, then took Lot in as his own son. He was in a state of confusion, "He is gone, and one day I too will die. Then what? There is no then. What is the point of living?" Abraham was quite wealthy, and the wealthier he was, the more time he had to ponder the meaning of life. Those who are poor are too busy running around trying to fill their bellies to have time to think. Like food delivery riders, they have no time to contemplate life or see through death.

Abraham at this time was pondering, and in his pondering, he found God, and God spoke to him. God said, "Abraham, I will make your name great, and I will make your descendants a great nation. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." This is seeing through. Seeing through life and death is not the end, it is the beginning! Whether you like it or not, I tell you, one day you will die.

"In the name of Jesus, I reject the pastor's curse." No need to reject it, I am speaking the truth, and no matter how many times you reject it, you cannot escape it. "In the name of Jesus Christ, I break it off!" Breaking it off will not prevent death; you will certainly die. Whether you see through it or not, that is how it is. So where did Abraham's faith begin? It began with seeing through. How can you not see through it? Spend a week or two in a crematorium, and you will see through it whether you want to or not.

So that is the problem, Christians take worldly matters too seriously, and it becomes a human tragedy. So many Christian soap operas are the result of not seeing through. But seeing through is not difficult; you do not need some profound theory. Just tell yourself, "One day I will die." Come, take out your calculator. If you live to ninety, calculate how many days you have left. If you are seventy this year, and you live to ninety, that is twenty years, over seven thousand days. How long is seven thousand days? Not long! In the blink of an eye.

The other day we were flipping through an old woman's photo album. At first, we saw her at eighteen or nineteen, then in her twenties and thirties, then in her forties, then in her sixties, then in her nineties, and then she was gone! Gone in an instant. So what are we fussing over? Fussing over this, fussing over that, caring about this, caring about that, all because we cannot see through.

If you cannot see through, how can you have Abraham's faith? If you do not have Abraham's faith, how can you receive Abraham's blessing? When you see through, you realize that one day when you die, everything will be extinguished, everything will become meaningless. What do you seek then? You seek eternal life, you seek blessings in eternity. That is Abraham's faith.

Some say, "I do not want to seek eternal life, I just want to gain something in this life." Then you will only gain emptiness. A ninety-five-year-old has lived for almost a century, which seems long, but in the blink of an eye, it has been almost two weeks since they died. So we are grounded in faith, starting with Abraham's faith, seeking blessings in eternity, seeking eternal life. If a person's life has no eternal life, then everything is a pile of garbage, a pile of excrement. Not just excrement in the head, but the whole body turns to excrement, and in the end, it becomes death. What is the point?

So this faith begins with seeing through life and death, from this starting point seeking God, seeking eternity, seeking eternal life. As a result, God revealed Himself to Abraham, and God wanted to give him this blessing, because his life on earth was meaningless, so God gave him a meaning, so that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham.

What is your reaction to hearing this? "Oh, Abraham saw through, so I will see through too." "Abraham was blessed in this way, so I will be blessed in this way too." "Abraham sought eternal life, so I will seek eternal life too." As a result, Abraham was very well off. Why was this Abraham so rich? Because he was blessed.

As soon as you hear this, your ears perk up. "He was rich, he had money, do you want to have money?" "I want to have money too." "Then do you want to walk that path?" "I want to walk the path of loving money." That is not Abraham's path. Abraham's path is not loving money, but loving eternal life, loving God. So what God has prepared for those who love Him is beyond what eyes have seen, or ears have heard, or minds have conceived.

He had money, and then he felt that life was meaningless, so he went to believe. Unlike some of us, who are running around all day just to make a living, so tired, with no time to think about that. That is what wealthy people think about. That is indeed what wealthy people think about. But why is he wealthy? Because he contemplates the meaning of life. If people do not think about these things, they will be miserable.

The Blessing of Abraham

The blessing of Abraham is extraordinary. What does the Bible say? "Those who curse you, God will curse; those who bless you, God will bless. All nations on earth will be blessed through you." How powerful are these words! As Abraham began to see through and his faith continued to grow.

One day God said to him, "Offer your son Isaac as a sacrifice." To what extent had his faith grown? He believed that if he offered his son to God, God would raise his son from the dead. How would he be raised from the dead? He placed his son on the wood, prepared to strike him with a knife, then burn him, cremate him, and offer him to God, and then God would make that pile of ashes come back to life and become his son Isaac.

What kind of faith is this? I tell you, it is not just because of this, but because God had told him beforehand that it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned, your offspring will be like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. If he burned him, how could he become the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore? It would be impossible. So God would definitely bring him back to life. As a result, God did something even more miraculous than he did. God said, "I know that you are willing to offer your son."

Even more miraculous is that his son was also willing to offer himself. His son, a young man in his thirties, said, "Dad, where is the lamb?" "Ah, where is the lamb? You are the lamb." "I am the lamb? You want to offer me? Hey, you should have said so earlier." The father said, "Hey, I was afraid you would have a psychological burden." "What psychological burden? I have long wanted to return to God." How powerful is the faith of this father and son!

As a result, Abraham bound Isaac and placed him on the wood. It is possible that Isaac even climbed onto the wood himself. Then God said, "Stop!" And Isaac came back to life. Oh, how touching! This is simply an amazing father and son. Then God said, "I will surely bless you abundantly." Everyone must know that blessings come in different sizes. "I will surely bless you abundantly, and your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies." As a result, this word spread far and wide, all the way to Rebekah.

Rebekah was a pure young woman, and she also felt that life was meaningless. She wanted to receive Abraham's blessing, she wanted to take possession of the cities of her enemies. As a result, she married Isaac without ever having met him. Why? Rebekah's brother said, "Sister, go and take possession of the cities of your enemies." He said it as a joke, but Rebekah took it seriously and gave birth to Esau and Jacob.

So we must know that the blessing of Abraham is a great blessing. To take possession of the cities of your enemies means that when the enemies come up against you, they will not prevail. If no one who fights against you in this world prevails, how great would that be? Would you lack money? I think everyone is only lacking one thing, and that is the blessing of Abraham.

If you want to be blessed together with Abraham, you must be grounded in faith. Those who are grounded in faith are blessed together with Abraham, who had faith. This blessing is extraordinary, it cannot be bought with money, it is called victory. If we want to build an elite church, it is a group of Abrahams, a group of Isaacs and Jacobs. We want to take possession of the cities of our enemies, so that in this generation, the glory of God can be seen through the Chinese Mingding Doctrine.

I long for my brothers and sisters to always have such hope, that Abraham's descendants will be like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. I think that the Chinese Mingding Doctrine will have a profound impact on future generations, far exceeding Martin Luther. It is not I who am being Versailles, it is Jesus who is being Versailles.

Because the pure gospel of Jesus Christ will be restored in our generation; the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead will be manifested in the church; the will of Jesus Christ will be fulfilled in this generation, among us. God will build us on the rock, to become a church without blemish, holy and blameless.

This generation really needs the blessing of Abraham. Can you readjust your vision now, not looking at your own small plot of land, no longer looking at the little things in your family? Although the little things in your family also need to be resolved, if you have the blessing of taking possession of the cities of your enemies, you will also take possession of that city gate in your family.

The devil roams throughout the earth, and if he sees the state of your heart, "Eh? This person's heart seems to be filled with me." He will come in, and you will become the city gate of the enemy, and the enemy will take possession of your city gate. Now we must reverse it, we must take possession of the cities of our enemies. In this generation, the blessing of Jesus Christ must be restored, the gospel of the Apostle Paul must be restored. How is it restored? By receiving the blessing of Abraham, which can come upon us through our faith in Jesus Christ, so that we may receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

You see, if the Spirit of God dwells in us, will we not take possession of the cities of our enemies? If the Spirit of God dwells in us, will we not receive the whole earth? If the Spirit of God dwells in us, allowing the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead to be manifested in us, what other problems are there? There are no problems. There is only one problem, and that is to be in accordance with God's will.

All Peoples on Earth Will Be Blessed Through Abraham

The Jews have always thought that they are a superior race, because they are God's chosen people, and they call Gentiles "Gentile dogs." In the eyes of the Jews, we are all inferior races, not God's chosen people. But in fact, even before there were Jews, in the days of Abraham, God had already preached the gospel to Abraham, saying, "All nations will be blessed through you." So if you want to receive the blessing of Abraham, you must become a blessing to many people. That is the logic.

We are not a narrow-minded faith, not a narrow-minded heart. The Chinese Mingding Doctrine is to bless all nations and peoples on earth. We emulate the faith of Abraham, we receive the blessing of Abraham, that is the key. Do you have such a broad mind? Do you have such a broad vision? If you understand, follow me, and never look at your own small plot of land.

Some time ago, a sister shared a testimony, and I thought it was very good. The new house she rented has a beautiful front yard and backyard, a swimming pool, a tennis court, beautiful trees, and a beautiful house. This is God's grace to her. But I tell you, this grace is to allow us to have the thoughts and intentions of Abraham, to have the heart of Abraham, to have the faith of Abraham, to allow us to become the Abraham of this generation, not to feel great just because we have received so little.

In fact, what God has prepared for us in heaven far exceeds all of this. In the future, we will reign with Jesus Christ and manage this earth. What is that house? What is the Forbidden City? It is nothing. What God wants to give us is beyond what we ask or imagine, blessing all peoples on earth. This is a vision.

The Law of Moses

Some say, "Then what is the Law of Moses?" The Law of Moses confines people in sin, meaning you cannot do it. Why did God do this? Actually, there is no need to ask why, God just wants to do it this way. Because people are bad, people just refuse to walk this path of faith. People have to hit the south wall, hit the north wall, hit the east wall, hit the west wall, hitting every wall. You say, "I have not hit the corners yet." Then hit all the corners, and after hitting them all, you realize that this road is blocked. You are bruised and battered. What does that prove? It proves that I cannot do it.

Brothers and sisters, if you feel that you cannot do it, then you are right. If you feel that, "God, I have not hit the wall yet. God, I do not want to hit this wall. I know that this road is blocked, I know that I cannot do it by relying on the law." Then what do you do? Walk the path of Abraham's faith.

In fact, Moses had already written in the book of the law, saying, "You Jews will be tossed back and forth among all the nations." Why? Because of the curse. I also think that God's choosing of the Israelites, is it a good thing or a bad thing? God chose the Israelites to conduct a very great scientific experiment, tossing them back and forth among all the nations, because they cannot keep the law.

Do not think that just because you are a Jew, you can keep it; do not think that just because you are Chinese, you are great. You must know that on this earth, only through faith, drawing on God's grace, receiving the promised Holy Spirit, can we have the strength and ability to climb the spiritual heights. That is the key.

So what is the law for? It tells you that you cannot do it, so do not bother. When we receive the Holy Spirit and put on Jesus, you will find that you can transcend the law. I tell you, transcending the law is not a difficult thing, because the law is a baseline. Even this most basic baseline cannot be done by relying on your flesh, but if you rely on the Holy Spirit, this is just a baseline, and we will live out the image of Jesus Christ. Amen!

No longer living under the curse, coming out from being based on works. It is impossible to live out the image of God by relying on yourself. Relying on the Spirit of God working in us, putting to death the deeds of the body, this is inseparable from God's promise. No matter how many promises God has, they are all yes in Jesus Christ. This is the gospel of the Apostle Paul. Because the Apostle Paul said very clearly that the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot replace the promise that God gave to Abraham four hundred and thirty years earlier. The promise is much greater than the law.

So when we come before God, we have nothing to boast about, no words to boast about, no deeds to boast about, but only to completely dedicate ourselves to God. It is all God's work, God's grace, that enables us to live out the image of God. Amen!

May God bless everyone! Amen!