Good day. Let us turn to the minor prophetic book of Nahum. This short book contains only three chapters, and what is it about? It speaks of those who attack Jehovah will be utterly destroyed. To whom did Nahum declare this? To the people of Nineveh. Some of you may not know what Nineveh is, but I will explain it shortly.

Nahum declared to God's people that Assyria, the most powerful empire of that era, was like the United States today, the most powerful empire. It possessed the most advanced weaponry and the most brutal tortures in the world. This was Assyria, which had destroyed Israel, the Northern Kingdom.

Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, two belonged to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and ten belonged to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Assyria was able to destroy these ten tribes of Israel, but it could not destroy the two tribes of Judah. Why? I will tell you later.

Jehovah God Reigns in the Kingdoms of Men

Do not think that God does not reign in the kingdoms of men. You must know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. When we read history, a king is deposed, and another is raised up. There are many interesting stories in this, and we have read these storybooks since we were young.

When Liu Bang attended the Hongmen Banquet, we thought he was very clever. He was almost killed by Xiang Yu but was not. He said, I need to use the restroom. In today's terms, that means he would not be coming back. Why? He fled. Once Xiang Yu wanted to kill Liu Bang again, it became difficult.

Brothers and sisters, I must tell you, do not think it was Liu Bang's talent. It was that God wanted to choose someone to be king in that generation. You will find that some people just cannot succeed, no matter what they do, because God has not arranged for them to be king. For others, God has arranged for them to be king, and strangely, no matter how they are plotted against, they are not killed.

Liu Bang escaped death so many times that we cannot understand it. Do not be confused. In the kingdoms of men, there is a mighty hand reigning, and that is the hand of our God. Many of our brothers and sisters think this country is very powerful, and that country is very powerful. This is very strange.

In this generation, a country has become powerful. The same ethnic group was very weak a hundred years ago. We often call it national destiny. You will find that it is the same with people. Inexplicably, when luck comes, it is not your ability. Inexplicably, you work hard and earn money. Some people work hard and end up with debt. Things in this world are beyond human imagination.

You ask me, What exactly is going on? It is that Jehovah God reigns in the kingdoms of men. Jehovah God reigns in the destinies of men. This is very interesting. You say, Wow, I know my God. I please my God. I only please my God. I fear nothing. You will find that nothing happens.

I find this very interesting. Some time ago, a brother lost his job. In this era, it is very difficult to find a job after being unemployed. It is difficult to even get an interview. Then his pastor and co-workers advised him, Just trust in God properly. He said, How can I trust in God properly? He used to listen to Bible studies, and you could say he listened, but he was absent-minded. He seemed to trust in God, but his trust was absent-minded. Do you all understand what I am saying?

You must be wondering, Does trusting in God really work? Now that he is unemployed, he has begun to trust in God properly. A small change occurred in his heart, and what happened? His former boss contacted him, and he found a job. How coincidental! Do you think that was a coincidence?

Today, I must tell you, whenever you are at odds with God, you will suffer, no matter how powerful you are. Whenever you walk with God, you will be blessed. This is a miracle. Never rely on your own strength, do not rely on your own wisdom, do not rely on your own ability. After you rely on them, you will prove that you are really incapable. After you prove this, you will end up proving that you are a pile of dog excrement.

Therefore, in a person's life, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, three times poor and three times rich, that is how one lives to old age. But I tell you, those who trust in Jehovah God lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). Do not think that just because the Assyrian Empire was the most powerful nation of that era, God did not reign in the Assyrian Empire. God reigns, and the Assyrian Empire cannot escape God's grasp. Therefore, today, God will utterly destroy those who oppose Him.

You say we are God's people, and God disciplines us. But when God disciplines us, you must not play with fire before God. I am not trying to scare you. Why did our God raise up the Assyrian Empire? Because the Israelites, the Omri dynasty and the Ahab dynasty, had forsaken God. Therefore, God sent the Assyrian Empire to destroy Israel.

If you look at the Jews today, you will not find the tribes of Dan and Issachar. Those ten tribes are all gone; no one knows where they went. The Jews today are actually the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The other tribes were destroyed and are gone.

Do not think that God will not utterly destroy people. It is normal for God to destroy some people. Who told you to be at odds with God? Who told you to attack God? If we carefully read the Old Testament, you will find that God will destroy some people. What about Korah and his followers? They were all destroyed. What could you say? To whom could you reason?

No matter what situation you are in today, learn to fear God and learn to trust in God. I tell you, God will surely be gracious to you. Therefore, those who trust in God do not have this thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. We are always east of the river. I am not sure whether east of the river is better or west of the river is better, but everything is always fine. If the east side is good, He will always be east of the river; if the west side is good, He will always be west of the river.

It is extremely dangerous to be at odds with God. If a person serves God, do not be afraid of the powerful. You see how powerful Assyria was. In that generation, one thing was very amazing: the Assyrian Empire wanted to destroy the Kingdom of Judah, but it could never destroy it. The people of the Assyrian Empire were very fierce. They came to attack the Kingdom of Judah, but who repelled the Assyrian Empire? It was God, not the Kingdom of Judah.

Therefore, I tell you, if God does not permit it, not a single hair will fall from your head This is a concept I have to drill into my Children Church kids - Mingding Destiny (命定神学). We are often afraid of this and afraid of that. Why are you afraid of that? Some people are afraid of their bosses. I find it very strange. Why should people be afraid of their bosses? Is your boss not also in God's hands? Should you not fear God? If you do not fear God and are at odds with God, can you be well?

Do you want to be like the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Judah? The Kingdom of Israel was at odds with God, and as a result, God raised up the Assyrian Empire and destroyed Israel. The Kingdom of Judah was even weaker than the Kingdom of Israel. Its territory was small, and it had no high-end weapons, but the Assyrian Empire could not destroy it. I must say that we do not need to be afraid of anything; we only need to fear God. As long as we trust in God and fear God, we do not need to be afraid of anything.

Think about it. Is there anything that our God cannot do? Would our God allow others to deal with His people? If your boss wants to deal with you, he may be the boss today, but who knows about tomorrow? Before the Kingdom of Judah was destroyed, the Assyrian Empire was destroyed first. Remember, you must not be at odds with God. If you are Jacob, others cannot touch you. Whoever touches Jacob is cursed. If you are Abraham, others cannot touch you. Whoever touches you is cursed.

We are always east of the river. Judah can still observe its festivals and fulfill its vows. When the Assyrian Empire sent out 300,000 troops, it was a dark and frightening sight. What could they use to resist? Do not be afraid. Today I can tell you that in this world, you do not need to be afraid of anything. Even if someone shouts at you, you do not need to be afraid. Although he is here today, we do not know if he can outlast you. A person who trusts in God can outlive many people. The Kingdom of Judah outlived the Assyrian Empire. Always remember that Jehovah God reigns in the kingdoms of men.

If God does not permit it, not a single hair will fall from your head. Therefore, for a Christian, the key is not anything else; the key is God. If you do not please God, God may use Assyria to deal with you. If you please God, even if Assyria is powerful, it cannot do anything to you. That is the key. But many people do not know this. They are afraid of everything, but they are not afraid of God. I am very puzzled. If you do not have this heart of trust in God, then that is the tragedy of your life.

God's People Do Not Need to Fear the Powers of the World

Do you need to fear the powers of the world? You do not need to fear them. I tell you, you only need to fear God, you only need to trust in God. Throughout the ages, no dynasty has been able to destroy God's kingdom or destroy God's people. Do you know how big Nineveh was? It was in the days of Jonah, who was a hundred years before Nahum. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to declare God's judgment, and as a result, the people of Nineveh repented. This repentance was extraordinary, and God regretted not bringing the disaster He had prepared. That was in the time of Jonah.

Nineveh was a very large city. When the Israelites arrived in the Nineveh Empire and saw it, they were amazed. The square could accommodate 100,000 people. After entering the city, the gate was as large as Tiananmen , and they walked hundreds of metres before reaching Duanmen and Wu Gate. After passing Wu Gate, they saw the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which was a very large place. What happened? People were afraid, and that was bad. Nineveh really did not outlast Judah.

Even today, there is a place called Nineveh, but it is a ruin. If we go to these tourist sites, you will find that this civilisation is a ruin and that civilisation is a ruin. They are all ruins. Have you seen the ruins of the Roman Empire? The Roman Empire, which had grown so large, is also a ruin and has not been preserved. Why have these civilisations become ruins? Civilisation becoming a ruin is not called civilisation; it is called civil darkness. Therefore, God's people do not need to fear these things.

I can give everyone some confidence. This is the most important thing: do not be afraid. God's people, if God does not permit it, no one can do anything to you. God raised up the Assyrian Empire, not for any other reason, just because it was a tool in his hand. Why are you afraid of it? God raised up the Assyrian Empire, not to destroy Judah, but to punish Israel. As a result, after the Assyrian Empire destroyed Israel, it became arrogant and did not know its place. Nahum came to declare the destruction of Assyria.

Later, who destroyed the Kingdom of Judah? A nation called Babylon. Babylon destroyed Assyria, but the Kingdom of Judah at that time followed the path of the Kingdom of Israel and was destroyed by Babylon. Who destroyed Babylon later? Persia destroyed it. This is the history of the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, and the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was very powerful. You ask, Who is Persia? It is today's Iran. Persia also failed.

God raises up one nation and then raises up another nation, raises up one empire and then raises up another empire. Everything is under God's control. I must tell you that the reason why the United States has been powerful for the past two hundred years is because of what? Because of God's hand. If the United States declines, that is also God's hand, God's work. Remember, nothing can reverse God's will.

What does God raise up a nation for? If God wants to raise up a nation, He wants to deal with God's people. Therefore, God's people have only one choice, and that is to trust in God properly and fear God. Do not get it wrong. If a person does not know how to trust in God and does not know how to fear God, but insists on opposing God, is that not just asking for trouble? You do not need to be afraid of anything; you only need to fear God.

People must know that earthly power is nothing more than God wanting to raise up something to deal with those who do not rely on God's people. If God's people do not rely on God properly, God will surely let you serve those enemies who come to attack you. This is no joke. People's eyes are skewed. People's eyes only see, Wow, this is powerful. Recently, do people think that GPT and AI are very powerful, and Deep Seek (深度求索) is powerful, but they have forgotten to fear God?

Therefore, people must dismantle that thing inside little by little. Never forget the pain once the wound has healed. This is very sad. Recently, you will find that a small virus or a flu can take people's lives. Then think about it. If a person's life is gone, how much money you have, how powerful you are, how famous you are, it is all useless. What about avian flu or swine flu? Oh my gosh, this is deadly.

Replace our internal logical system with trust in God and fear of God, and we will lack no good thing in this life. Therefore, this is something that people must know their place and really know how powerful God is.

Knowing the Acts of God

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon fades.

The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. (Nahum 1:2-6).

You see, nothing can stop landslides, tsunamis, and wildfires. You say: Who started that fire? Angels started the fire. Who told you to rely on the powers of this world, to rely on the vain money of this world? Then you say: Where did the tsunami come from? It came from God. Don't ever think that the tsunami was caused by ghosts; it was caused by God.

You say: Is our God such a God? Isn't our God loving to His people? Don't be mistaken; He takes vengeance on His adversaries and keeps wrath for His enemies. The Lord God is slow to anger, but when He is angry, then trouble comes, mountains collapse and the earth cracks. Oh my, floods and earthquakes are all the acts of God. With these acts, people realize their insignificance. After a few years, their faith begins to swell again, and they don't know the immensity of the universe, thinking they are so great.

Whoever feels great has not been able to endure. They are very good at chanting slogans, but a small virus can knock them down. A tsunami comes and people are gone. What can people do? People can't do anything. So, you must know the acts of God and not be an enemy of God; you must know that you are a person.

If you still don't know that you are a person, then you will become a beast. If you know that you are a person, you will also say: I need a God. If you feel that you don't need a God and feel that you are very powerful, I tell you, a small virus will knock you down. A small fire is so evil, who can stop it? No one can stop it.

But if you are God's own, as far as God is concerned, don't let God stand on your side; you had better stand on God's side, do you understand? You have to say: Oh God, I am one of us. God says: Ah, yes, yes, you are one of us. When you come to God, even the way you walk is different. Don't come to God foolishly and arrogantly. It's like a small ant raising its arm and saying: I want to do this and that. What do you want to do? Step on it and crush it to death.

Some children are bad, and when they see an ant's nest, they pee on it, and the ants are flooded. That's also upsetting to people, shouting there, thinking that man will conquer nature. As a result, God sent a small angel, and the small angel is much bigger than you. A bubble of urine is enough for you to drink. Looking closely, who can overcome the mighty God? It seems to be a very great body of flesh and blood. Can it resist the eternal God?

Therefore, be God's own and be a faithful servant before God. People lack nothing good. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. I'm just afraid that God doesn't know you. Sometimes I think people are very interesting. I say: Do you know God? He says: I know God. Now the key is not whether you know God, but whether God knows you.

You say: I know God, God, I'm coming. God says: I don't know you, isn't that a tragedy? Now ask yourself, why does God know you? Everyone is in trouble when they ask this question. If you are not a person of faith, why should God know you? If you are a person of faith, how can God not be with you? Those who believe will certainly have God's presence, and those who believe will willingly serve God.

Let me say it again, people become rich and will not willingly serve the Lord their God, so God lets them serve the enemies that the Lord God sends to attack them. This sentence is very powerful, so later I found out that as the people of the Lord God, don't be like Israel. Israel is often in He Xi, why? God raises up enemies to attack you. If you want to be the people of God, you must be stronger than Assyria.

Why didn't the Assyrian Empire destroy the Kingdom of Judah? It's not that the Kingdom of Judah had so much faith in God, but when compared to the faith in God, oh, God compared it. The Kingdom of Judah compared Assyria, and God destroyed Assyria. This world is not about who is the best, just don't compare with the worst.

My faith is not as good as so many great people, but my faith is not worse than Assyria. If it is worse than Assyria, then it will be destroyed by Assyria. So there is something very interesting, when the lion comes, someone runs away, and someone next to him says: How can you run faster than a tiger? That person said: You don't need to run faster than a tiger, just be faster than you. Do you understand? Don't be the last one.

Of course, this is not good to compare, it is best to love God well. God keeps His covenant and shows steadfast love to those who love Him, and God will punish those who hate Him, to the father and to the son, to the third and fourth generations. Do you understand? Who does God punish? Those who hate Him, three to four generations are given to those who hate Him. To those who love Him, God will keep His covenant and show steadfast love to him for thousands of generations.

Oh, I sigh, what are you doing attacking Jehovah for nothing? Judah's belief in the Lord is not very good, but after Assyria destroyed Israel, it became arrogant and inflated, and slandered God, What is the Lord God? Now this God is here, a God whose territory is larger than the Assyrian Empire, enough for you to drink a pot of it.

Think about it, throughout the ages, when people are arrogant, they don't know the immensity of the universe. You must know the acts of God; God is too great. Never imitate Assyria, when people are mad, the heavens will punish you, really, the heavens will send down disasters to punish you.

I know a preacher whose father is a very interesting preacher, and what his grandfather experienced was very magical. It is the story of the novel To Live written by Yu Hua. His grandfather's family was a rich family in a county town. As a result, during the Liberation War, his grandfather lost his family. He believed in the Lord and held gatherings all day long. As a result, gathering and gathering, half of the family property in the county seat was divided up by the tenant farmers.

His grandfather became a preacher. At the time of liberation, people were going to drag him out and shoot him. Someone said: He is so poor that he only has a thatched cottage left. Why are you arresting him? The person who arrested him said: Wasn't he very rich? That person said: During the three years of the Liberation War, people lost all their money. Where can you reason with someone? As a result, the tenant farmer who divided up their family property was dragged out and shot a few days later.

I know this preacher, and his father is also a preacher. Later, his grandfather was arrested, and someone wanted to sign a death sentence for him. As soon as he picked up the pen to sign, someone came in from outside and said: Your mother is going to die. He went to deal with his mother's affairs again. After a while, he picked up the pen to sign again, and there was a flood again, and he put it away again. After a while, he picked up the pen to sign again, and the Discipline Inspection Commission came and put him in prison.

After he was put in prison, it was very interesting, people became mentally ill. He didn't do a good job in the political struggle, and as a result, he babbled there mentally ill: My God, he just remembered that there would be a disaster when he signed the word. My God, as a result, he lived in the same prison as this preacher. You say: Isn't God very humorous? The preacher saw that he was mentally ill and asked him: What's wrong? Then after an introduction to each other, this person was stunned: You are the person I want to sign, as a result, this preacher said: There is really a God, isn't it wonderful?

Oh! I tell you, God's people cannot be touched, whoever touches God's people will be unlucky. It's terrible to harm God's people. Theological system is not important anymore, what is important is whether you are an Assyrian or a Judah. Not the Judah who followed Jesus, but the Judah of the Kingdom of Judah. Our God is good, but to those who love Him, He will keep His covenant and show steadfast love to them.

From now on, be strong and throw away those things inside us that anger God, and know the acts of God. Never be an enemy of God, remember, to set the mind on the flesh is hostile to God. So you see, we are God's people, if you are a person of faith, no one can corrupt you, do you understand?

God's Judgment on Nineveh

What do you plot against the Lord ? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time. (Nahum 1:9)

It's not that after being destroyed, it will happen to you again, and then it can be used again, and then one happen again, and another chance, there's no more chances. No second disaster, it will never come again. So the Assyrian Empire shouldn't even think about it. On the day when Jesus Christ comes again, it will not rise up; there will be no second Assyrian Empire.

For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink, and they are consumed like stubble fully dried. From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord , who counseled wickedness. Thus says the Lord : Though they are at full strength and many in number, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.

And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart. The Lord has given a command about you: No more shall your name be perpetuated; out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave, for you are vile. (Nahum 1:10-14)

Anyway, a period has been drawn in eternity, no matter how powerful you are. If we look closely, the Qing Dynasty had its powerful days, the Ming Dynasty had its powerful days, and the Song Dynasty had its powerful days. Even the Qin Dynasty was established and abolished by God in the change of dynasties. You must fear God.

God's judgment on Nineveh is very severe, why? Because they boasted about God there. When you see people competing with God, boasting with God, and being enemies with God, don't even think about it, the judgment on the Ninevites will definitely fall on them. Therefore, people must humble themselves, be humble before God. Don't think you are so awesome, you will find that when you are arrogant, disaster will come.

We don't need to ask where the COVID-19 virus came from. It came from God. Then you say: Who released the virus? The angels released the virus, and a small virus has made the world smoky. Don't be arrogant, be careful. If you observe this generation or all generations, when people are arrogant, they will be judged, and when there are more natural and man-made disasters.

Judah Can Continue to Rely on God

What does God say to these Judahs? God says: Judah, though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. This is very interesting. Now I will break his yoke from off your neck and will burst his bonds apart. Why? Because Nineveh is too bad, boasting about God, speaking arrogant words about God, God will destroy Assyria first.

Judah, although I have made you suffer from the Assyrian Empire, but now it is over, I will destroy it first. What does it mean that I will not afflict you anymore? You must trust in God well, you can continue to trust in God well, you can continue to keep your festivals and fulfill your vows, because the wicked will no longer pass through your midst; he is utterly cut off.

That is to say, the last emperor of the Assyrian Empire was a very arrogant emperor and was destroyed by God. Kingdom of Judah, have you seen it? I can destroy such a powerful empire. What do you need to trust in? You need to trust in God.

People must not envy the strong people in the world. Don't say anything else, just these past few years, so many years have passed in a blink of an eye. In the earlier years, wow, this is Evergrande's real estate, and everyone felt that the quality was very good. Wow, this is Country Garden's real estate, but what about now? Be careful, if you thought it was a famous brand at that time, what happened? It's over. Luckily, I didn't buy it. The pre-sale houses I bought are now unfinished, and you are still paying off the loan.

The things in people's minds must be adjusted, don't be enemies with God. God's days of disciplining you are temporarily marked with a comma, but if you don't turn back to God and continue to envy the powers that be, it is a worldly logical system, and you will fall into the trap sooner or later. Later Judah was also destroyed. When Jesus came, Judah was gone.

Jesus was killed by the Israelites and nailed to the cross. Later, even that Judah, that place of Jerusalem, was still managed by the Israelites, and it was gone, completely becoming the Roman Empire. So our brothers and sisters must continue to trust in God and not be enemies with God.

May God bless everyone, Amen!