Q1: How can one better practice in understanding and spiritually?

In understanding, it is about the Word of God. One must have a clear understanding of the Word. For example, a verse in the Bible:

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues (Mark 16:17).

In understanding, it is difficult to say that we understand. Do we really understand? Only by truly doing it will we understand. To know God, we must live out His Word. One might think they know, but many words have not been put into practice. Only through practice do we realize that the literal understanding is very different.

There are many such examples. For instance, we read God's Word and judge whether it fits our logic according to our own understanding. If it does not, and we do not practice it, we might say that miracles are gone. Why not first consider what kind of faith believers have? In fact, faith is an autonomous choice in understanding. Practice knowing God's Word, first choose to believe in God's Word, and then implement it. This will lead to a deeper understanding of God.

When we read the Bible, each passage has a theme. If one can understand what the whole passage is about, it will be of great help. Only by understanding the overall meaning can we truly understand. Many people only see the trees and not the forest. If someone does not understand, they will narrowly talk about one thing, but they are not sure if what they say truly reflects knowing God. It is like speaking in tongues. If it is taken out of context, it is difficult to understand, unless one systematically studies the Bible.

How then do we practice spiritually? When we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf, constantly filling us, resulting in a great spiritual uplift. How do I know if I am spiritually uplifted? Because we open our spiritual eyes and see according to God's Word, gaining spiritual power.

Q2: How to better practice faith?

Everything is practiced from small to large. In the practice of healing and deliverance, some say that a cold is not important, just take some medicine, no need to pray, wait until I have a serious illness, such as cancer, an incurable disease, then I will pray. If you do not deal with a cold, can you get better when you have cancer? That is impossible.

Practice faith from small things. Understand God's Word in understanding, and you will find a simple thing—imitate Jesus. What Jesus did, we do, should not be wrong. What He did not do, we do, that is problematic.

Faith comes from hearing God's Word. Implementing God's Word, do as God says, that is very powerful. Practicing faith is constantly practicing in small things. As God does, so we do. Even a cold can be prayed for. Enhance faith practice, faith starts from small things.

Everyone must start adjusting, practicing faith in small things. This is an important fundamental principle. Half of what the Lord Jesus did on earth was preaching the Word of God, and half was performing miracles, healing the sick. So we must also begin to practice faith in healing and deliverance, this is a good start.

Q3: What is the true tabernacle that God has given us?

The tabernacle is the place where God dwells, the place where man meets God. The true tabernacle is the place to worship God and offer sacrifices to Him. Today, the church is the true tabernacle. You might ask, is the church necessarily God's tabernacle? In worshiping God, we must know that the church is the body of Jesus Christ. God wants to use the church to make His wisdom known to people. The tabernacle in Hebrews is talking about the concept of the church.

Q4: Is a deacon in charge of royal power?

A deacon is responsible for serving God's work.

Q5: How to distinguish God's temptation from God's curse?

This is not elaborated in the book of Hebrews. When something bad happens to us, we need to see if it is God's temptation or God's curse. For example, the problem of cancer, is God tempting us? Temptation itself is a wrong concept, it is God testing us.

The curses brought in the Bible are obvious. A curse is a problem that accompanies a person and cannot be solved until destruction. Deuteronomy chapter 28, after verse 15, is all about curses. You will find that those that match up are God's curses. Some people say that getting cancer is a test from God, but in the Bible, we do not find God testing people with such things. I have not found Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob being given such things by God. Even if there was no concept of cancer at that time, we do not see God giving them such tests.

God's curses are obvious, and are clear in the Bible, severe and prolonged illnesses, and great and lasting disasters are all curses. We must begin to understand that disease itself is a state of curse. Where does the curse come from? Curses come from our violation of God's Word.

If a person encounters poverty and lack of prosperity in life; on the other hand, physical illness, these are all signs of a curse. Blessing and curse are two things we must recognize.

Q6: From what aspects can we assess whether a person is faithful?

When you wrong someone, but they still do not change their mind about God, that is a faithful person. Like Joseph, he was sold into slavery in Egypt, but he still did not discern good and evil, and still believed that God would accomplish a good plan in him. You might ask if Joseph encountered a curse when he was sold? In fact, he was just made a slave, and God was still with Joseph. Whatever he did, he prospered. Conversely, a person who is cursed will not prosper.

I often do one thing, which is to test whether a person is faithful. Wrong him once and you will know. I often use these methods. I often scold some people severely, and then I look at their reaction. If the reaction is very negative, I know that this is not a faithful person. In fact, in a person's life, faithfulness is a very important quality.

We shepherd God's sheep, and we know that sheep have a very good characteristic, they will always follow the shepherd. But we have not heard of anyone raising a pack of wolves, or ungrateful people. We call ungrateful people wolves, I think because many times, if there is food, they will follow you, and if there is no food, they will not follow you. This is the concept of faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Examining a person's faithfulness is a very important topic.

David in the Bible set a very good example for us. David was chased and killed everywhere by his master, King Saul. When he had the opportunity to kill Saul, David did not do it. He said that this was not what he should do, he could not kill his master. The master wanted to chase and kill David, but David was still faithful to the master. This is the kind of person God wants.

But some people are good in every way, but once there is one bad thing, everything else is not counted, then this is not a faithful person. Some people, even if they have a thousand or ten thousand bad things, as long as there is one good thing, then remember their grace. This is a very important quality, and blessed people are like this.

Q7: I know that I must strive to enter into perfection, so what counts as striving? What degree counts as perfection? Many times I want to strive but it is difficult to do, what should I do?

God said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. But people do not explain, how exactly to do it with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. To do it with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength is called striving. But some people are in this state. When they are on vacation or unemployed, they stay at home and attend all the gatherings; when they have a job, they are so busy that they do not have time to attend any gatherings. Is this considered striving or not striving? Attending when there is time, and not attending when there is no time, this is called a person who strives to work. Striving to do things is to put things at the highest priority, which means that as long as there is time, then do it.

Everyone's standard of striving is different. I think I am a striving person, but I cannot use my level of striving to demand my mother. Our two levels of striving are different. An old lady in her eighties, her striving cannot be compared to mine. So God specifically uses striving, or to say, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength to require us. That is to say, everyone has a yardstick, and each other's striving is different, there is no absolute standard. Why is there no absolute standard? Because God gives different amounts to each person.

For example, God gave an old woman two copper plates, and she put all two into the offering box. Do you think this is considered striving? Of course. Some people have a lot, great wealth, but when they take it out to give, it is extremely difficult. They are diligent in guarding their money, but hesitate in giving. Although he gives a lot, because he has too much, God may not consider him striving. Because of this, our God does not set absolute standards, and is full of grace and mercy.

So what is perfection? It is like Jesus. As long as you are not like Jesus in any way, you should continue to strive to pursue. You may think this is too difficult to do, what should I do if it is so difficult? Actually, it is very simple, people have a scale in their minds. For example, if you can get 10,000 dollars for free, but at the same time, if you take these 10,000, you cannot take 100,000 dollars. One goes east and one goes west. If you go west, you can get 100,000, and if you go east, you can only get 10,000. Will someone choose the road to 10,000? People who choose 10,000 should have a problem with their brains. Anyway, I will choose the road to 100,000, because 100,000 is bigger!

Why do you think things are difficult to do, because we think this thing is not important. Whether things are important comes from our subjective judgment. If you think that you should live for the Lord all your life, that you cannot live without God all your life, and that you should completely dedicate yourself to God, then what can stop you from striving to perfection? Nothing. But if you do not think this is important, this is just one of the many things in your life, and there are many other things to do, and you only give God a little bit of time left, then your trouble is big. You put God so far behind, where will God put you?

Some people say this when they are serving, I have to go to work tomorrow! I have to go to bed early today, so I cannot serve. Then when you have a problem, you shout: God, the devil is disturbing me, what should I do? God says: I have to go to work tomorrow, I don't have time today. Really like this, what do you do? You are really in big trouble.

Some people will say that God is not like this. I will tell you, how you treat God, God treats you. There are many such records in the Bible:

If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you. (Joshua 24:20)

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-3)

Even though they saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, they tested me these ten times and did not obey me. Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has contempt for me will ever see it.” (Numbers 14:22-23)

If you turn to God, God also turns to you; if you forsake God, God also forsakes you; if you despise God, God will let you be despised. I have calculated this account very clearly in my mind. How important is God! What should I do without God? I cannot count on my sons and daughters. Who else can I count on besides my God? Who can wipe away my tears? Who can give me comfort? Who can help me and be with me when I encounter difficulties? Only my God.

If you do not understand this, it is impossible for you to strive, because you feel that this thing is not important at all, so you feel that you cannot strive, and there are always more important things. Since there are more important things all day long, then you should do it. God is not an important thing. When you look for God, you will also treat you as a very unimportant person. We must know God well in our understanding. People are like this, if they don't know, they can't do it.

Q8: I find Hebrews 7:11-12 difficult to understand. What does it mean that the law must be changed?

It is like God first created a model for man. For example, when buying a house, there is nothing on the property being developed except large pits and a lot of excavators. However, you can see a beautiful model of the building, offering you a choice of homes. But do you sign a contract to buy the model? No, you want the finished house that is exactly the same as the model.

In the Old Testament, the people were under the law under the Levitical priesthood. This was a shadow, a model made according to the heavenly pattern. Now that the heavenly reality has come, the real thing has been fulfilled, it is very different. What is needed is not a change, but a fulfillment. The law is just a shadow, it will eventually become new, become real. It is not changed, but fulfilled.

Q9: Hebrews 2:7-9 says, But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. Does this refer to the devil?

It is not a question of whether the devil obeys God. The devil is a servant of God. Do not think too highly of the devil. This is about the church, created by God, being the body of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ being the head of the church. Such a perfect and unified creation, a state of unity between God and man, is called all things put in subjection under his feet.

Has this been accomplished now? No, the author had not achieved this when he wrote Hebrews. When will it be accomplished? When Jesus Christ returns and the church is transformed into the New Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the temple of God, the body of Jesus Christ, and also the bride of Jesus Christ. That is a state of perfect unity. At that time, all things will be subjected to God's feet, and God will make known His manifold wisdom through the church.

What does the devil amount to? Angels and devils are both called angels; the devil is also an angel. Angels are also divided into good and bad. God made Jesus a little lower than the angels, which means the church has not yet fully overcome and has not entered into a state of complete unity. Therefore, building a victorious and glorious church is crucial.

Q10: What is true rest? How can one achieve true rest?

The dead lie in coffins, and the living sing of rest, but this is not the rest we are talking about. Hebrews chapter three speaks of rest as being in complete unity with God. Who destroyed the perfect unity between man and God? Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the original state of complete unity between man and God was destroyed.

Restoring this state of unity is called true rest. True rest is achieved through building a victorious and glorious church, with God fully present with the church. What does it take to build a victorious and glorious church? Build it with the word of God.

Q11: What is our relationship with Jesus Christ? Does it refer to the individual or the church?

If it refers to the church, the church is the body of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and the church is the bride of Jesus Christ. It does not refer to the individual. We can establish a relationship with Jesus Christ only through perfect unity with Him in the church. In the New Testament, the church is what God values, and individuals come into focus through the church.

Why is it like this? My simple understanding is that because of the flaws in people, they cannot get along well with God, so how can people get along well with each other? In the church created by God, you will find many conflicts between people because they mutually discern good and evil, and they cannot be unified. They cannot be unified because they are not holy enough, and not holy enough means they are not like Jesus. We lack the character of unity in ourselves.

If we have this character, then it is easy to unite with those who are unified, and we will become very unified with Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is through the church.

Q12: What is the difference between devils and angels?

Devils are fallen angels. The important distinction is between fallen and unfallen. (Why are we still so interested in devils and angels today?) The author of Hebrews encourages you to value the position of man. Devils and angels are merely servants, meant to accomplish God's great plan for man.

Q13: How can a person live out the image of Jesus Christ?

By completely offering oneself as a living sacrifice. Jesus offered Himself completely. The most foolish thing a person can do in this life is to be selfish and stingy, because that is the image of the devil. If you have the image of a devil in you, will you not attract devils?

People are full of their own selfish thoughts, living their whole lives like that, still wanting to live, still loving themselves, and as a result, they live out the image of the devil. How can a person live out the image of Jesus Christ? Complete dedication, completely offering oneself.

Some say they have given offerings, but they do not look good at all. They think that if they have given an offering, God should bless them. In reality, God does not need our offerings. Even without our stinky tofu, God can still cook that dish. Do not think that God needs us very much, it is we who need God. Some people feel great after giving their offering, thinking that giving a tenth was already powerful, and there are even people who give two tenths.

Offering is not that God needs your offering, it is that you need to offer. After offering, you will be blessed, and you can live out the image of God. If you do not even offer money, what kind of Christian are you? Offering is just an entry point. If you read the Bible, you will know that God calls worldly wealth unrighteous wealth. Establish a good relationship with God, and God will receive us into eternal life. Do not wait until money is useless to realize that money is useless. Know that money is useless while you are still alive. Never be selfish or stingy.

Our God is in charge of the universe, He is extremely rich, He will bless whoever He blesses, He will make whoever He makes rich, and He will make whoever He makes poor poor. God manages all these things. After you are done, you tell God, I want to be rich, so I do this and that. As a result, your purpose is impure, and you have done it all in vain.

If you feel that offering is a matter of course, you will truly be blessed after offering. If you feel that offering is a transaction with God, then your offering will not be blessed. God blesses those who are pleasing to Him.

As it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Your purpose is very important. If your purpose is to seek money, then you might as well worship idols. If a person wants to live out the image of Jesus Christ, he must completely dedicate himself. This is what our God is like. A person who lives for himself, lives and dies without meaning. Why do we call it Mingding Destiny? Without Mingding Destiny, where does meaning come from? Once the questions are asked, be sure to implement them well.

A few days ago, I met a young pastor and asked him what his flock prayed for, what were they praying for? For his work, money and performance. I asked if he got something, his answer was that he seemed got something but seemed didn't get something. Actually the way your heart thinks is the way you will live out. You cannot hide from God, nor can you hide from devils.

Is performance really that important? If you please God and offer yourself completely as a living sacrifice according to God's will, God will surely bless you. Imitate Joseph as prime minister, be a little prime minister in the enterprise. It is very important to live out the image of God.