Introduction

Good morning. Starting this week, we will embark on a new series, drawing from the Book of Lamentations. The very mention of Lamentations suggests it is not a pleasant subject, as it often involves suffering, death, or impending doom. The title for this series is taken from Lamentations 1, "The Lord has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger."

The purpose of addressing this topic is not to inflict suffering upon you, but to help you avoid finding yourselves in such a state of affliction. Witnessing such suffering can be deeply disheartening. I am not God, and I cannot alleviate the pain He inflicts. Therefore, it is crucial not to accumulate wrath for yourselves. Cultivate a greater reverence for God in your daily lives.

Someone once asked me: Teacher, you say I should fear and revere God, but isn't fearing God a negative thing? The truth is, if you do not fear God, you will fear everything else. If you fear God, you will fear nothing else, isn't it? It is not that fearing God is inherently negative; you should naturally have a sense of fear.

As I share this topic, I want to convey a stark reality. You see, even long-time believers, when faced with illness or calamity, find that their prayers seem ineffective. There may be slight progress, but it is always interrupted by minor setbacks, various obstacles, and disruptions. It is as if an unseen hand is orchestrating their suffering.

In such situations, these individuals often question God, asking, "Why is this happening? God, why is this happening?" The reason is that the day of God's fierce anger has arrived, a day beyond remedy. If you understand this, cultivate reverence for God in your daily lives. Do not trifle with God, do not play games with Him, do not play hide-and-seek with Him; it is futile.

The Israelites, the Jewish people, provided us with examples and models thousands of years ago, lessons we should strive to avoid repeating. This scenario continues to unfold today: God's fierce anger causing continuous suffering. The topic I am addressing is not meant to frighten you, but to urge caution. To avoid such a day, I have been consistently reminding you in my prayers, Bible studies, and sermons. Do not play a game with me, saying, "Teacher, I renounce this curse." You cannot renounce it. How can you renounce it? It is not a curse; it is a warning, a caution against heading down that path.

Some people, from their youth until the age of fifty, accumulate debt and develop illnesses. Why? Is it not because of the path they have chosen? They have made few correct choices in their lives, either choosing to be deceived, choosing to be taken advantage of, or impulsively seizing what they believe to be an opportunity, only to find themselves burdened with debt and famine.

Can such a situation be remedied? Despite their age, they still do not walk the righteous path. Do not ask, "Why is this happening?" I tell you, God might well ask you, "How did you end up here? What are you doing here? How much suffering have you endured?" It is because they do not know how to diligently observe and obey, how to revere God.

If you knew that revering God is valuable, you would have revered Him long ago. It is because you believe that revering God is worthless that you have walked into God's wrath, isn't it? Years ago, a preacher came to me, filled with malice and suffering from cancer in his abdomen. I truly wanted to share the Chinese Mingding Doctrine with him, but he did not listen. He thought he was doing well and boasted before me.

He came to me hoping that a master could guide his son. He was particularly fond of his son, showing favoritism, even though he had raised a wayward child. He returned home, still a well-known preacher in his area, and developed cancer. I tell you, before he died, his abdomen was enormous, filled with cancer. Imagine the suffering he endured. He lay there groaning, and his family found the sound unsettling. But I can offer you a reminder: if you witness such a situation, or if passersby see such a condition, understand that it is the day of the Lord's fierce anger, causing suffering unlike anything you have ever seen.

Why? Because of sin. Even in such a state, they are still playing a charade. When other brothers and sisters come to visit, he becomes animated, and after he speaks, the brothers and sisters feel that this preacher is glorifying God, enduring under God's fierce anger. But I tell you, as soon as his family leaves, he reverts to his groaning.

Our brothers and sisters must begin to learn, learn what? Learn to revere God. Do not be unafraid. If you are not afraid, I will be afraid for you. I fear nothing except God. Unlike some who fear everything but God, I am the opposite. I tell you, in every era, God's hand remains in control. God's hand covers the heavens. From eternity to eternity, He is God. This is why Moses, in Psalm 90, describes people as often living under God's wrath in this world. Look around you, see what Christians are doing. May God have mercy.

There are countless similar examples, such as prayers being ineffective. I tell you, prayers being ineffective is one thing, but every time I pray for them, the things they say are worldly. Where does the illness come from? It comes from loving the world and indulging the flesh.

As a result, when you love the world and indulge the flesh, God sees Satan walking back and forth before Him. "Satan, what have you been doing lately?" "Oh, I often go to the hospital." "What do you do there?" "I collect money." "Have you seen that person?" "Go ahead." And the demon goes. Why does God allow this? I tell you, God has no choice. Even after seeing so many stories, people still lack reverence.

I am not brainwashing you; I want to help you avoid walking into the day of God's fierce anger. It is not suffering that humans can endure. So I think, what can I do? What can I do? I will increase the demands on them, push them to Streams in the Desert. If that does not work, I will kick them out. Why? I hope they will think about changing themselves.

In the end, I tell you, sometimes I feel helpless. I say, you do not need anything; you just need the Japanese devils. When the Japanese devils come, one whip will make everything work. Indulging the flesh will no longer be a problem. When the Japanese devils come, when God's wrath erupts, it will be far more effective than me kicking you out.

I tell you, the Israelites still sing Lamentations during festivals. Why? To remind themselves, though it does not seem very effective. The logic of this world is too powerful. The larger demons in this world have rarely been defeated. But if you can overcome them, the angels in heaven will rejoice for you.

I tell you, serving people can be frustrating. But I am not the first. Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet, the prophet of tears. The tears he shed could not be collected in a mineral water bottle, but would fill a steel basin.

So I tell you, the day of God's fierce anger is very effective, so effective that people suddenly become much more aware. Jeremiah personally witnessed the destruction of Judah and the captivity of many people. Do you know what the captivity was like? They were tied in strings, bound to the hooves of horses, and forced to walk hundreds of kilometers. Their feet were worn out, but they had to keep walking. It was a miserable sight. Jeremiah saw it, like seeing the Japanese devils, treating those people the same way the Japanese treated them.

Before the destruction of Judah, Jeremiah had been suffering for many years. From the time he was called to be a prophet, he stood there every day, shouting that disaster was coming, that everyone should revere God, that God's fierce anger was coming, and that everyone should repent. But some said, "Do not talk nonsense. Look how well we are doing. Yesterday my stock rose by twenty percent." That was their attitude. Can your stock rising by twenty percent stop God's anger?

If a person's heart belongs to the old horse, to this world, it will be enough to make you suffer. I tell you, being a prophet is very painful. I can understand that. Some of our brothers and sisters, I cannot do that. If you cannot do that, what will you do? You have to walk into this corruption. Walking into corruption cannot be stopped.

There is a movie called "Manhunt," and in the building, do not look to either side, keep walking forward. Why? Because he knows some secrets, and they treat him like a madman. If you keep walking forward, you will disappear into the blue sky. I tell you, I serve many people, and I can only watch helplessly. Even now, I am worried about some brothers and sisters. I truly do not want the day of the Lord's fierce anger to come upon them, and of course, I do not want that day to come upon me.

Moses saw that people often live under God's anger. You must know that Moses said he himself lived under God's anger. What qualifications do you have to think you are good? Jeremiah was the same. Moreover, Jeremiah, in that situation, just wanted to tell these Jews, tell the people of Jerusalem, from the king to the nobles to the officials, that they could not go any further. If they went any further, they would disappear into the blue sky.

But they did not listen. As they walked, the king of Babylon came. The king of Babylon beat them badly. People ate their own excrement and drank their own urine. And those Israelite people, you give me your son to eat, and I will give you my son to eat. It was terrible, wasn't it?

So I tell you, being a prophet means crying in your heart before the day of God's anger comes. With clear eyes, seeing through spiritual eyes, you see this and begin to suffer. Lamentations is written in this way. The Book of Jeremiah describes in several chapters Jeremiah's constant warnings to the Israelites, the people of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. But no one listened. "Are we not serving God well? Is there anything wrong with our faith?"

In the Northeast dialect, they would say, "Jeremiah, give it a rest. Stop nagging. Go home and take a break." Perhaps some were annoyed and grabbed him, beat him up, and took him to the police station, beating him black and blue. But the man did not listen. I tell you, being a prophet is truly painful, constantly shouting "Be careful, be careful, be careful, revere, revere, revere," but people do not listen.

Jeremiah lived in this predicament. Later, the Babylonians came and destroyed Judah, and in his pain, he wrote Lamentations. It was a lament for the Jews. Prayers were ineffective, nothing was effective, except one thing: letting them suffer a little. Do you understand? If you could fear God, that would be good. If you fear everything but God, that is a problem. So, if people have no fear, what will become of them? If you do not beat them for three days, they will lift the roof tiles. Do not step on the red lines set by God; it will lead to death.

I see some people leave the church and live well. I agree that they are doing well because it has nothing to do with God. If they are God's people, I tell you, the day of God's fierce anger, the suffering you endure, is not something normal people can see. Passersby will say, "What is this?"

Scripture

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?" (Lamentations 1:12)

Prayer

God! Let each of our brothers and sisters receive these words from the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. Let us always have a heart of reverence, always revere You, and not step on the red lines You have set. Let us stay away from sin. Open our minds so that we do not rush madly on the road to destruction, and save us from all this corruption. Give me the strength to overcome the world, give me the strength to overcome the flesh. I earnestly pray to You, thirst for You, and need You. God, help me, save me from Your anger. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture Background

In Lamentations chapter 1, Jeremiah saw the Babylonians coming, wearing military uniforms. I describe them as if the Japanese devils had entered the city. They burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. The women and nobles in the city all suffered. I tell you, the Babylonians were quite kind to Jeremiah. Why? Because Jeremiah constantly promoted the Babylonians. "The Babylonians are coming, but they have not come yet. The Babylonians are coming, but they have not come yet." This time, the Babylonians came, they really came, burning, killing, and looting.

The "I" in Lamentations is not Jeremiah. This "I" refers to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be mistaken. Both "he" and "I" refer to them. So Jeremiah wrote a lament, which should be like our hymns today, with melodies that can be sung. So Lamentations has become a very necessary message for this era. What kind of message is needed?

"How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave." (Lamentations 1:1)

Where has your glory and wealth gone? So Jeremiah saw this and wrote a song. Lamentations has about five chapters, all of which are song lyrics. As a result, the tragic situation, the situation of God's fierce anger, is described clearly, so that in later generations, every brother and sister, every believer, learns to sing Lamentations.

Should our brothers and sisters also write a Chinese Mingding Lament? Thank God, I do not want our brothers and sisters to enter into lamentation. Why? Singing more lamentations will prevent you from entering into lamentation, and your heart will begin to become a little clearer.

What did Jeremiah see? He saw the city full of people, weeping bitterly at night, with tears streaming down their faces. This was the people of Israel. They could not be comforted, and no one comforted them. Then he said, "God, comfort me," but there was no comfort. "God, can you give me comfort?" No. "God, can you make me feel better?" No. "God, everyone is sad and suffering." Why? Imagine the Babylonians trampling the entire city, burning, killing, and looting. How can you not suffer at home when there is burning, killing, and looting everywhere, and every family is dying?

Jeremiah could see all this in visions before. He was not just suffering now, but had been suffering for many years. Finally, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled. I ask you, would Jeremiah be happy that his prophecy was fulfilled? He would not be happy. How could he be happy to see his own people in this situation? The city was full of people in scorched yellow uniforms, with cloths tied behind their hats, burning, killing, and looting. There was no way to stop it.

At that time, when the Israelites, the people of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem heard that these prophecies Jeremiah had spoken had finally come to pass, they were filled with fear because of Jeremiah's foul mouth and the curses he had unleashed. They thought, "If he hadn't cursed us, we wouldn't be in this predicament. It's because he wrote the Book of Jeremiah that even Babylon knows about him." "Eh, I renounce this curse in the name of Jesus," but it's no use. Renouncing the curse in anyone's name is futile; you brought it upon yourselves, didn't you?

Throughout the entire kingdom of Judah, in all of Jerusalem, how many people truly believed that this day would come? Come to think of it, in previous years, no one believed that the real estate market in China's first-tier cities would be in its current state. Everyone thought, "Oh my goodness, buying property guarantees profit!" When it suddenly arrives, you're a bit shocked, aren't you? Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we must listen more to the words of Jeremiah. Jeremiah the prophet was a true prophet. Jeremiah wrote Lamentations after the disaster had already struck; that's the situation.

So, we began to ponder why. Because in the land of Israel, there was someone who wanted to become an internet celebrity, but no matter how they prayed, it didn't work. There was a quite popular influencer who went to see some White Dragon King and Black Dragon King – even in the land of Canaan, there are dragon kings. After seeing them and getting things sorted out, they suddenly became incredibly popular. Oh my, their clicks and traffic soared; it was amazing.

The Israelites saw this and thought, "Wow, that stuff works!" Everyone must understand that if you truly love money, you go and worship the God of Wealth. If you really want to become a super popular influencer, you can go to Thailand and have a look. If a person just loves money, is greedy for wealth, and comes into this world solely to make money, isn't that "man dies for wealth, and the bird dies for food"? Man dies for wealth, the bird dies for food, and what happens? Then they come to believe in the Lord. What are you doing believing in the Lord? If you were a Gentile, no one would care if you practiced those evil arts. As for whether they later become big, strong, and end up in jail, that's another matter.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, people must love God and fear God. Those who fear God lack no good thing. Don't dabble in this and that. Actually, you haven't carefully examined things. After careful examination, I tell you, worshiping idols, you want money, but that money also carries disaster, doesn't it?

So, you need to know why the Israelites worshiped idols: because their hearts were bound by money, their hearts were bound by what they were doing. They wanted to be promoted and become wealthy, thinking that promotion and wealth would bring happiness, but is that the case? No. So, I tell you, people must choose the right path. The path of believing in the Lord has a characteristic: although it may not bring great wealth and status, it will definitely bring happiness. If you can live a happy life, that's great, isn't it?

You think great wealth and status are good, but I think fearing God is better. Because in God's hand, there are both blessings and disasters. Just look at those who please God; how do they end up? They all end up well. So, Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, wanting to pull these people back from their various pursuits, back to fearing God, and escaping God's wrath. Therefore, people must know that you should fear God, not fear ghosts. Don't fear those who can kill the body; fear the One who can kill both body and soul. We should fear Him. Jeremiah wrote these words, and they are truly excellent.

God's Fierce Anger Because of Jerusalem's Sins

God's fierce anger is because Jerusalem and Judah have sinned. Who is in charge of Jerusalem? The high priest, the king of Israel, the Levites, and the officials and nobles are in charge. Those who are doing well manage the country, so I ask you, how do you judge who is doing well? By money. Do Christians judge by money? Isn't that the case? "Oh, he's very spiritual," but is that really the case?

Her adversaries have become the masters, her enemies prosper, for the Lord has afflicted her because of her many sins. Her children have gone away as captives before the foe. (Lamentations 1:5)

Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became like a menstruous woman. All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away. (Lamentations 1:8)

So, I tell you, where does God's fierce anger come from? It comes from people living in sin. What is sin? I tell you, the most serious sins are, first, knowing good and evil; second, indulging the flesh; and third, loving the world. The same old three things. Can everyone remember these three old things? Look, now knowing good and evil has become commonplace. Can that be good? It can't be good. So, if a person lives their whole life under God's anger, perhaps they can still be saved. But if there's not even a bit of anger, God will allow them to sin until they perish.

Fierce anger is because of Jerusalem's sins. So, I ask you, who does this Jerusalem refer to? It refers to the church. Why does the church sin? Because the church follows the world's logic system. Once the church follows the world's logic system, isn't that troublesome? All these things come from loving the world, indulging the flesh, and knowing good and evil. I think we really need to know how terrifying God's fierce anger is. When God sees you doing this, I tell you, the first thing He does is make you suffer. Isn't that bringing disaster upon yourself?

You need to know that she weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her. The city that was once full of people now sits alone. The city that was once great among the nations has become like a widow. The city that was once queen among the provinces has become a forced laborer. Isn't that terrible?

From Formerly Dwelling Above All Nations to Now Dwelling Below All Nations

The Chinese Mingding Doctrine has invented quite a few of these catchphrases. If a Christian fears God and lives in God's righteousness, they will surely dwell above all nations. If you become a Christian and then dwell below all nations, then God's fierce anger is definitely upon you.

Look, the city that was once full of people now sits alone. The city that was once great among the nations has become like a widow. The city that was once queen among the provinces has become a forced laborer. It's bad luck, isn't it? So, from dwelling above all nations to dwelling below all nations. That's what believing in the Lord is like. If you don't believe in the Lord, you won't have these things; these words have nothing to do with you. Lamentations is not sung for you. So, I tell you, Christians must strive to enter into perfection; they must pursue holiness. The title of Christian is not obtained for nothing.

No Comfort

She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:2)

Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. "O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!" (Lamentations 1:9)

They sin against God themselves, and no one comforts them; their fall is terrible. They don't think about their future, and then they say, "O Lord, behold my affliction." This is what I see most often in the church, and I'm puzzled. I'm very puzzled why this is the case. Later, after close observation, I discovered that God's fierce anger is because people sin greatly. There is no presence of God in the church, but there is the presence of demons. Isn't that terrifying? Think about it slowly, observe carefully, and you'll see that the disasters the church encounters in this world should be more than ordinary people.

For these things I weep; my eye flows with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed. (Lamentations 1:16)

This "I" refers to Jerusalem. Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has given a command concerning Jacob that his neighbors should be his foes; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them. Is there any good in this? All the people around you are your enemies; are you still doing well? These are all signs of God's fierce anger.

They have heard how I sigh, with no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my calamity; they are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day you have announced, and they will be like me. (Lamentations 1:21)

Oh, they still hope at this time, hoping that God will punish those who bully and oppress them. I think the most serious problem is actually sin. There is no comfort, and tears are useless. Many Christians also have this situation, and it's very common.

No Warriors Among the People

The Lord has scorned all my mighty men in my midst; he has summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. (Lamentations 1:15)

In the past, when they pleased God, there were many warriors among the people, but now there are no warriors. So, what do you do? It's terrible, very terrible. So, I think these symptoms, brothers and sisters, are God's fierce anger coming upon His people. Don't ever think that these fierce angers, these sufferings, have any glory; there is no glory to be had. Don't get confused.

Suffering for God has glory, but suffering for sin has no glory to be had. There are no warriors among the people, the church is facing a generational gap, and the church is full of the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Oh, they are terribly controlled by demons. So, I think we should raise the standards a bit among us. I don't know if you can reach them, but we still need to raise the standards. Just because you can't reach them doesn't mean you are the standard. Just strive and pursue diligently.

The Good Are All Taken Captive

The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word. Hear, all you peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone into captivity. (Lamentations 1:18)

Many have been taken captive; these words refer to the church. Can the church be good if it sins? God's presence is gone, so those who thirst for God have all left. Some people ask me, "Is this called loyalty or disloyalty?" I say that loyalty has no meaning. Do you understand? I think loyalty is loyalty to God's Word. Without the Word, what loyalty is there? Loyalty is loyalty to God, loyalty to God's Word, God's Dao.

Everyone, don't think that I need your loyalty. I don't really need it. I still think you need loyalty more. You had better be loyal to God's Word, loyal to God's Dao. Do you understand? I don't need you to be loyal to me. I don't want to build a small kingdom, and I don't want to do anything. If we can't build a church, being a plumber is fine too.

I met a friend whose sewer was clogged, and they found a plumber who used a machine to fix it. The reason was that his child put a wet wipe in the toilet, and it wouldn't break down. He couldn't even tear it apart, so it clogged the sewer. Five hundred Singapore dollars, and he used a machine to get it out. I think doing that is pretty good too. But to be honest, if I don't become a pastor, I'll go be a plumber after I retire. Two hours and I'm home, and I can make quite a bit of money in a month. Living won't be a problem.

But now, building a church that has a clogged sewer is troublesome. The good are all taken captive, and the bad are left behind. Isn't that worrying? So, some pastors among us often listen to my sermons. Whether you're building a church or a company, keep the good and discard the bad. Don't throw away the good and keep the bad. Wouldn't that be a big problem?

Priests and Elders Breathe Their Last in the City

I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city while seeking food to revive their strength. (Lamentations 1:19)

Many pastors, when they lose God's presence, become very tired. God's fierce anger includes lack, lacking everything, lacking food and drink. Then they seek food in the city, trying to save their own lives, but they breathe their last in the city. God's fierce anger is no joke. If we dwell above all nations, if we suffer a little for God, there is still comfort. If we still have many warriors among the people, if the good are all kept in the church, becoming a strong army, then you won't lack food and drink.

So, the priests and elders are the leaders of the church, constantly thinking about getting food and drink, but they breathe their last in the city. How did they breathe their last? Babylon came and surrounded the city layer upon layer, and every piece of bread sold was incredibly expensive. Later, they breathed their last and died, finally melting into the blue sky. So, God's fierce anger is not a joke.

Heart Is in Turmoil

See, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns, my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death. (Lamentations 1:20)

The logic in people's heads is all confused, it doesn't work, they don't know anything, they start to get confused, it's very chaotic inside, churning and uncomfortable, confused, extremely confused. Why is this? Because of God's fierce anger. They can't figure out what is a curse and what is a blessing. They also can't figure out what it means to carefully obey God's Word and what it means to fear. They don't even understand what it means to fear God. I tell you, people living under God's fierce anger often don't know, and they end up living a tragic life.

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:12)

Verse twelve is our theme. I want to lead everyone in singing another song, "Have Reverence in Your Heart." This is a song created by Chinese Mingding Music, "Have Reverence in Your Heart." Don't get this wrong. If you're afraid of your boss, that's fear. If you're afraid of death, that's fear. If you're afraid of God, that has nothing to do with fear. That's what it should be, isn't it? That's called reverence.

I hope that after I've finished speaking, it can bring a little shock to everyone. People often live under God's wrath, God's anger. Now, start no longer being angry for yourself, but continue to strive in God's presence. Even Moses thought he was living under God's anger. What qualifications do we have to think we're not bad? Turn back to God and start pursuing diligently.

May God bless everyone!

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