Introduction

The topic I will be addressing today is Receiving the Benefits of God's Kingdom. The testimonies you have heard today are all testimonies of receiving benefits from God. Even our rising up to serve is to gain benefits from God. Our lives, without purpose, can live out God's glory through serving Him. People ought to live a fulfilling life! If one lives only to eat and drink, and then dies, living miserably and conflicted is a tragic thing.

In fact, the idea of gaining benefits in God's Kingdom has been erased in the minds of many Christians. For example, a person may not realize that believing in the Lord brings benefits. We Chinese have a strong tendency to worship idols, thinking that God needs to eat or drink something. This approach might work with idols, but it is inappropriate with God.

Your way of thinking must be adjusted according to my teachings. Some people have come among us, saying, Pastor, I will help you build the church. I was puzzled upon hearing this. I think this is a fatal concept; it is not that we help God build the church, but that we come before God to receive benefits. Our attitude when we come before God determines what we can receive. If we think we can give something to God, it is difficult to receive benefits from Him.

What exactly is the gospel we preach? The gospel is the good news of receiving benefits! Do you think this is too utilitarian? Shouldn't I come before God to receive benefits? Am I supposed to come before God to receive harm? If so, what are we treating God as!

We Chinese must get rid of the bad habit of idol worship, treating the true God as an idol, which is itself a bad habit. God often challenges idols that have mouths but do not eat, have eyes but cannot see—idols carved by human hands. If we worship God as an idol, we cannot receive from God.

After hearing so many testimonies, we should carefully reflect on what exactly has happened in this church. We have not done anything novel; we have simply restored the original teachings of the Bible. We do not come before God saying, God! What can I do for you? but rather, God, I come before you to receive your benefits, to receive the salvation prepared for us!

Today, when we come before God, we must know our purpose—that we need God. The first day I walked into the church, I knew that I was not capable and that I came to seek God's help. I knew that God is the greatest God in the universe, and I needed to receive benefits from Him. We need to earn money, need health, need joy and happiness, need prosperity in all things, success in all things—these are all our needs.

Where do these come from? They all come from God. So, the first time I came to the church, I called out to God: God, come and help me. I think this is the right attitude. We must please God. The Bible says:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

You must believe that there is a God, and that He rewards those who seek Him. How well this verse puts it! If your attitude is: I just want to do something for God, that is the greatest humiliation to God. Believing in God means believing in a good God, believing that our benefit is not outside of God. This is why you can hear so many testimonies among us.

The Father's Love and the Free Lunch

A child's father did not believe that coming to church could bring benefits, did not believe that there is a free lunch, and thought that I must have some motive. In fact, the opposite is true. His own daughter came to Singapore to study, costing 200,000 RMB a year, which was paid by this father. What was he after? He was after nothing, simply because she is his daughter. Is there a free lunch in the world? This is a free lunch, because he is her father.

Today, we must realize that our relationship with the Heavenly Father is a relationship of love. He is my Heavenly Father, and it is only right to receive benefits from Him. If we receive benefits from others, I think my Heavenly Father would be angry. We must know that in a relationship of love, there is a free lunch, but in a relationship of transaction, there is no free lunch. People in the world take tuition fees from their parents, let alone that we are receiving benefits from the Heavenly Father!

I asked a child if she received a scholarship. The child said she received a dad scholarship. This was her dad's, and her dad was willing to provide for her education. So we must believe that our Heavenly Father loves us. Today, this pure gospel must be restored.

Scripture

Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks; foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame there will be a double portion, and instead of dishonor they will rejoice in their inheritance. Therefore in their land they will possess a double portion; everlasting joy will be theirs. (Isaiah 61:5-7)

Prayer

Brothers and sisters, we come before God and see that God, through the prophet Isaiah, tells us: You will receive a double portion of good. If we believe that we come before God to receive benefits, then I believe we will receive benefits. Because we are priests of the living God, we have a direct relationship with God. Let us pray together:

Lord, renew our minds, and in this Chinese New Year season, Lord, let us know that in You, we are to receive benefits. Lord, You love us, and while we were still sinners, You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that we would not perish but have eternal life. Since You have given us Your Son Jesus Christ, will You not also give us all things with Him? Lord, we come before You with this kind of faith, to declare that the bondage of poverty on us will be removed, and the diseases on us will be removed!

Lord, You are the God who heals us, the God who blesses us, the God who leads us out of all poverty. Lord, we thank You, we praise You, let us see that You are the God who gives us benefits. Lord, in You there is no lack. Lord, we cannot give You anything, but we come before You to receive Your benefits. Lord, we thank You, we praise You, Lord, raise us up in this era to continuously spread Your benefits, let the gospel we preach be like the gospel preached by Paul, let the gospel we preach truly be the salvation You have established;

Lord, we thank You, we praise You, we come before You to receive eternal happiness. Lord, we thank You, may You grant such grace today, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Blessings Are in God

During Chinese New Year, we always talk about blessings, blessings, but where are the blessings? Blessings are in our God. But what do some people preach in the gospel? They preach the doctrine of bearing the cross. Is there a problem with this? There is no problem with this teaching, but the interpretation is problematic. This is a fatal misunderstanding. Many think that bearing the cross is an extra burden.

Misunderstanding the Cross and God's Blessings

For example, I often meet Christians who have cancer and are suffering greatly, and then their wives also get cancer. Then I tell them that they are living under a curse. They say they are not, and that they are bearing the cross. I wonder if this is bearing the cross or what? I think many Christians with lumbar problems come to church, and this is their cross. Later, some develop cervical spondylosis, and the neck is also their cross; then they get headaches, and headaches are also their cross; then they get cancer, and cancer is also their cross. My God, this cross seems to be quite tormenting.

Is this still the gospel? Actually, this is not the gospel. I think these words really humiliate God. Would God really give us such things? I wonder what kind of God our God is? What exactly is the meaning of bearing the cross that Jesus talked about? Brothers and sisters, you must come out of this misunderstanding. If you already have these problems, you must know that by Jesus' stripes we are healed. Jesus has already borne the stripes, so we must be healed. Such things happen countless times among us.

Actually, ministering to non-believers feels easier than to someone who has been defiled and polluted. Why? Because a believer who has received wrong teachings is very stubborn about those errors, making it particularly difficult to minister to them. Therefore, everyone must know that our God is a good God, and when we come to God, we receive His benefits. But if you have a wrong teaching inside, it will indeed be very difficult.

We must realize that the cross we bear is light and easy, and that it is the key to solving our problems. Why? Because the cross deals with the sinful desires of our flesh. In fact, the root of all our problems is our sinful desires. If you nail the sinful desires of your flesh to the cross, for example, nail laziness to the cross, nail sickness to the cross. The sinful desires of our flesh are the source of all our burdens.

I tell you, nailing to the cross is very effective. Nailing to death our carnal sinful desires is itself a deliverance. The cross is not about bearing the cross and living in great pain! I tell you, if you truly bear the cross of Jesus Christ, the Bible says, My burden is light! Jesus said that His burden is light and His yoke is easy, because He is gentle and humble in heart. See how well the Lord Jesus speaks!

The Lord Jesus never said to let us bear the cross, bear it… If we feel that believing in the Lord is an extra burden, this will create great trouble. Think carefully, we learn mathematics, physics, chemistry, English, and then we read the Bible, oh, this homework is not finished, and my pastoral leader gives me homework, recording a small video or something, and doing something else, oh, it torments people. After finishing it, oh my god, I'm going to die.

Interpreted according to human reasoning, it really is like that. But what is the reality? The reality is that you are constantly pursuing spiritual life. Now let me tell you, God will bless the work you do with your hands. Today we must realize that when we draw near to God and love God in this way, and then read His words, it is releasing us from this burden.

Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks; foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers. (Isaiah 61:5)

Let them do the hard labor, and many people will come to help you do the hard labor. So brothers and sisters, I may not be able to explain all these words clearly at once. But I will tell you, what Jesus preached must be good news. In Luke’s Gospel it is recorded:

The True Meaning of the Cross and God's Grace

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He said to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Let me tell you, our God releases us to be free, brings freedom to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, proclaims good news to the poor, sets the oppressed free, and proclaims the year of the Lord’s favor. What great grace this is! Let me tell you, this is the good news of freedom! So today we must realize that the doctrine of bearing the cross that we preach is good news, it is the gospel of freedom.

The cross can set us free, and nothing in this world can oppress us anymore or make us live in suffering. So I often tell brothers and sisters that our church solves many problems, problems that the world cannot solve. First, medical problems; second, economic and financial problems; third, educational problems, and many more. I think our God is a God who enables us to live prosperously, absolutely not an extra burden for us.

If God helps you, who can stand against you? That God who created the universe and still upholds all things with His mighty arm, and all things are in His hands. All things is not just the solar system, not just the Earth, but many, many galaxies are in His hands. We on Earth are like dust particles, not even as significant as dust particles in the solar system. God can manage the entire universe, can He not manage our little matters?

Don't underestimate God! If we have God, and God is pleased with us, if God helps us, who can stand against us, don't you think so? This is a very simple principle, so today, never treat God as an extra burden. Everything is easy in God's presence and can be solved. If you have significant problems in your life, learn to believe in God, and God will surely help you and solve your problems.

Today I'll give you a small testimony. One family among us had a business that was a complete mess around this time last year. Although they have not completely come out of this trouble and still face many challenges, their business has been very prosperous this year. Why? Because God helped him. Did he find those businesses himself? No, those businesses were brought by God.

So brothers and sisters, if you are living under toil and heavy burden, you need God. You don't need to treat God as an extra burden. God will be your help, God will be your refuge, God will set you free, and the burdens on you will fall off.

The Cross Is a Cross That Sets People Free

So what exactly is the cross? The cross is a cross that sets people free, and our sins are attributed to Jesus Christ. Why can't we live well? Because we have sin on us. If you try to pay the price for your own sins yourself, you simply cannot afford it, meaning we live under the oppression of this world our entire lives.

Receiving the Benefits of the Gospel and the True Meaning of the Cross

If we receive the salvation and redemption of Jesus Christ, our sins are attributed to Jesus Christ, and we immediately become righteous. Because we believe, our cross is a sign of atonement, and our cross is the key to dealing with our flesh. You must know that to indulge the flesh is death. Today I tell you that many people among us suffer from mental illness, depression, and what causes these diseases? It is because their parents indulge their flesh.

Today, I am not teaching you to discern good and evil or to blame your parents; the past is past. Start walking a prosperous path today, and start dealing with your own carnal sinful desires. Reject laziness, and reject those who like to blame and criticize. I tell you, getting cancer is not bearing the cross, having a herniated disc is not bearing the cross, having insomnia and headaches is not bearing the cross, you are bearing your own sins.

So Paul wrote very clearly in his epistles that in 1 Corinthians, many people eat and drink their own sins, and many die as a result, and ultimately their lives are not good. What exactly is the cross? The cross is the source of our victory and the path to our freedom. So never get this wrong. Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 6:

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

Hear this! **Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters, but the new creation is what counts.** For those among us struggling with mental health issues, I tell you, the key is to be a new creation. The world has already been crucified to you, and you to the world. What does it matter? We are dead to the world, and the world is dead to us. What does it matter? We are all crucified.

Therefore, I urge you not to misunderstand the doctrine of the cross. If we have ailments, I tell you to nail them to the cross, to crucify the passions and desires of our flesh, all of the devil's footholds, and thus obtain the benefits of the Gospel. So today, we must seize the benefits of the Gospel; this is the perspective of Jesus Christ.

## A Gospel of Benefits

The perspective of Jesus Christ from Luke 4:16-21 and Isaiah 61:1-7 is consistent, and it is also the perspective of Paul. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians?

> All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:23)

He said that all he does is to allow people to gain the benefits of the Gospel. We are not to burden people with additional burdens. Brothers and sisters, you must understand that within our church, it is a challenge. Why is it a challenge? Because you must dedicate significant time to believing in the Lord. Is dedicating significant time to believing in the Lord an additional burden? No, absolutely not. It is a blessed path because such service is our reasonable duty.

We came into this world to serve God; we did not come to be slaves of this world, but slaves of God. We are God's servants, His priests, priests of the living God, and in this world, we shall receive double blessings! Therefore, brothers and sisters, begin to have a concept of returns. Know that your service to God yields extremely generous rewards. Forget everything else; the savings on medical expenses alone are sufficient for you.

## Living in God’s Grace

In fact, today I tell you that you will see something among us. I have saved money throughout my life, basically spending none. Doctors cannot earn my money, and many others cannot earn my money. Why? Because I am capable. Even the domestic helper cannot earn my money. I do the housework myself, and I do it very well. Why? Because I am receiving double the benefits. I receive a double portion in the presence of God, so this Gospel is a benefit.

Is preaching a benefit so difficult? Isn't it? If you are sharing the benefits of the Gospel with your parents, is it really that hard? It is not hard at all! Directly ask them: How many children do you have? Your parents might say: You are our only child. Can we count on you? I cannot count on you. Then what should we do? They have no answer.

I will give you an answer. Begin to count on my God. My God can save you. I have heard so many testimonies of healing. Would you like to try? Once you try, you will come! It is actually not difficult. Today we are sharing the benefits of the Gospel; we are not sharing additional burdens. Work is already difficult enough, and now there is another job. Studying is already difficult enough, and now there is more studying. It is a terrible burden!

Today, I tell you that there are too many benefits to this Gospel. What are these benefits? I tell you they are all benefits for us while we are alive in this world, but many churches only talk about things after death. We specifically talk about things while we are alive. So, who do you think speaks correctly, them or us?

## God is the God of the Living

Brothers and sisters, think carefully, contemplate deeply! Our God is the God of the living, not the God of the dead. Remember this! Our God is in the land of the living, where we see the grace of the Lord. If it were not for seeing the grace of the Lord in the land of the living, I would not know where I would be. So our God is the God of the living, not the God of the dead.

What can people do after they die? Therefore, David said in the Psalms, who praises you in Sheol? Right? Who praises you in Sheol? No one praises you. While I am alive, I must experience my God. While I am alive, I must receive double the benefits of the Gospel. These are all in our days on earth.

If it is not promised in the Bible, then show me one thing. Show me just one thing. Almost 99% are all about when we are alive, right? Your kneading bowl, in the city, in the field, wherever you are, you are blessed. You are blessed when you go out, and you are blessed when you come in. Aren't these all when we are alive? If you wander around in the city after death, it would be terrifying!

Today you must know that our God is the God of the living. We must never preach the Gospel of how to receive benefits after death. It is very important to receive benefits when people are alive. If you and I, as living people, live like someone who is neither human nor ghost, with constant neck pain, headaches, this ache, that pain, this hardship, that hardship! I do not think this Gospel is a Gospel. And then only after death can we go to heaven.

I am not very interested in that. What am I interested in? Living out the glory of the eternal God while we are alive. This is our church, to see the grace of the Lord while we are alive, to be above and not beneath, to be the head and not the tail while we are alive, to receive the benefits of healing, the benefits of no lack. Our God becomes our refuge, receiving the benefits of blessing, the benefits of prosperity. The work of your hands shall be blessed in the presence of God. Receiving the benefits of freedom, receiving double inheritance, and being protected by God.

## Living in God's Grace and as Priests of the Eternal God

Today, let us take a closer look and read the Bible carefully. If everything written inside is about receiving blessings after death, then I will believe with you. But the Bible clearly writes about experiencing the grace of the Lord while we are alive. Because in Sheol, no one thanks God. Only when people are alive can they thank God.

Today, I tell you that our God protects us. Even in bearing children, He can cause us to receive benefits. We can receive the joy of the eternal God! When we are alive, we are not afraid of death. What grace this is! Why are we not afraid of death? Because we live in eternity. Our good is not apart from God.

> Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:9-10)

We sing Psalm 16, “Our Good Is Not Besides Him.” Everyone, do not seek anything outside of Jesus Christ or God. Outside of God, there is only control, disease, and suffering. There is nothing good.

But I tell you, if you enter into God and constantly abide under the wings of Jesus Christ, then I tell you what will happen: though a thousand fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, no harm will come near you. See how secure you live.

## The Key to Receiving Benefits Is That We Are Priests of the Eternal God

What is the key to receiving benefits? The key is that we are priests of the eternal God. This is very well said! I tell you, your hands must touch the throne of God, your feet must stand on the ground, and you must bring the benefits of God from heaven to bless this generation. Not because you did something to bless this generation, but because you believe in God, you bring God's benefits to earth to bless this generation. I think the most important thing we can do is bring healing to all.

Today, when we bring healing to all, we receive many benefits. There was an Australian who moved to Australia from Shanghai. His wife had cancer. Yesterday, before the leaders' meeting, I led her in prayer. Are they Christians? They are Christians. But the God they believe in is a God who cannot heal them. They profess to believe in God, but they still rely on doctors to heal them. But yesterday, she told me that the doctors had already announced it, sending her to hospice care. They knew nothing about spiritual matters. They professed to be Christians, but they knew nothing about the spiritual realm.

Today, brothers and sisters, you must understand one thing: the priest of the eternal God is a priest who operates in the spiritual realm. So I told her that the hospice and the tumor hospital are rampant with the spirit of death. Yesterday, I led her in prayer, her faith was already dying. Because the doctor had already pronounced her dead. I rekindled his faith. What the doctor says does not count; our God says it counts. Amen!

Later, I led her in prayer. I started praying from the left hand first. The left hand regained strength, then the right hand regained strength, then the left arm recovered, and the right arm recovered. Her body gradually became comfortable, and then the strength of her left and right feet also began to return. But at this time, I had to stop and began to lead our leaders' meeting. So, brothers and sisters, we must all begin to understand one thing: our God is an omnipotent God; our God is a healing God.

Later, I sent her a message, asking her to register for Skype. Because yesterday I called her to lead her in prayer. It cost me a lot of money to make an overseas call for less than an hour. If he really believed me, he should have called long ago, but he has not called until now.

## The Power of Faith and Identity

I think these people really don’t know that our benefits are all in Jesus Christ. No matter how many promises there are in Jesus Christ, they are always Amen in Jesus Christ. So, brothers and sisters, **you receive what you believe.** What is the difference between a church and us? What is the difference between the Jesus Christ they believe in and the Jesus Christ we believe in? That is, they do not believe in the promises, but I believe, so I receive the promises.

You receive what you believe; you cannot receive what you do not believe. So sometimes some people ask me, why does that church have this and that? **Having this and that does not mean you have everything.** But if you believe, you will definitely receive it. I tell you that those churches receive what they believe.

Because our God is faithful, but if they do not believe those things, they will definitely not receive them. As for me, I believe in all the promises of Jesus Christ. Amen! So today, brothers and sisters, where is the key to receiving benefits? The key to receiving benefits lies in your identity. What exactly is your identity? Are we called priests of the Lord God? Do you know how priests of the Lord God are described in the Old Testament? Priests of the Lord God never rest, diligently tending the lamps before God day and night, managing the temple before God.

So, brothers and sisters, although I have believed in the Lord for more than twenty years, all these years I have hardly rested for a single day. Because for me, I enjoy the abundance in Jesus Christ and I like it. Today, everyone must know that being a priest of the eternal God in Jesus Christ is rest itself! So do you need rest today? Come close to your God, come serve your God. Serving your God is prosperity; serving your God is the key to all things.

Why do you serve God? Because that is your Mingding Destiny. We came into this world to serve God, to pass on this blessing. So today, brothers and sisters, you know the key to being blessed, or the key to receiving the benefits of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is your identity – a priest of the eternal God!

When I was in Taiwan, I met a pastor. He said to me, he is the senior pastor of a large church. He said, You know what? The cell leaders in our church cannot last too long. They collapse after a period of time. I said, That's interesting. Why can't they last too long? He said, Our church's cell leaders have to lead a cell group once a week, and then come to the church for training once, and then come to the church on Sundays. If this continues, they will burn out. They have not rested for a day.

Later, I will tell you what happened. This pastor had water accumulation in his brain due to his wrong way of thinking. When I was talking to him on the phone, he was still on vacation in a vacation home, and he could not rest well no matter how he rested. Why did someone introduce me to him? Because the person who introduced me wanted me to minister to him. I called him from Taipei to Kaohsiung to minister to him over the phone.

I said on the phone: You are the senior pastor of a large church, and I am the small pastor of a small church. I am ministering to you, so I have to be careful. I don't know which words might offend you. Can you share your views with me? He shared such views with me. I said, Pastor So-and-so, do you know what? From my twenties until today, I have not rested for a single day. I have no problems, I am not dead, I am not tired, and I do not know what fatigue is.

Why? Because I am in Jesus Christ, I believe I rest in Jesus Christ. What I need is rest in Jesus Christ, what I need is not rest but rest. Do you understand? So today, brothers and sisters, if I go to rest, rest like him... Although I also sleep, I don't sleep that much. I might be the one with water in my brain.

## Restoring the Purity of the Gospel and the Goodness of God

So today, brothers and sisters, you must know what kind of God our God is. Our God is an omnipotent God. He is looking for a group of people to pass on the pure gospel. Today, if your family receives benefits because of the gospel you preach, I tell you it is not because of anything else. It is because God has done a wonderful work in me. He has revealed His word to me, letting me know that this Gospel is the good that God intended for us, the good that God wants to give each us.

Why are you the way you were in your previous church, but now you are like this when you come among us. It is not because of that way and this way, it is because that is the way Gospel has always been. And that is the way how it presents to humans. We have merely restored the original appearance of God's gospel. Brothers and sisters, begin to believe in God, rest in the arms of the Lord, believe that He is the omnipotent God, that He controls all things, that you do not need to do anything, or do something to be. You must know that you are a priest of the eternal God, and that you live in this world to serve Him.

So today, brothers and sisters, do you know what my purpose is? I hope that you can become a vessel used by God to share His love. Why do our brothers and sisters serves day and night? Why do we not know fatigue? It is not that we do not know fatigue, it is because we know that we receive double benefits in Jesus Christ. We just want to be people who please God. The good news we deliver is a message of blessing, a message of double benefits.

So, brothers and sisters, follow me and run this race together to build God's glorious church. When you see the glorious church being built, I tell you that thousands upon thousands of people will be blessed because of us. Today our church will completely release the power of God’s Gospel. This Gospel is the mighty power of God to save all who believe. Whether you have financial problems, health problems, life problems, or problems in any aspect, there is only one answer: all you need are the good gifts in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let us pray together: Lord Jesus, please reveal Yourself to me, let me know the good that is in You, and that my good is not outside of You. Let me closely follow You, let me serve You, let me be the vessel You use to share the love of the Father. I have come into this world to serve this generation and to be a blessing to this generation.

The church we are going to build is the church You want to build. Lord Jesus, build a glorious church through us so that we can have a profound impact on this generation and subsequent generations. Lord Jesus, give us such a destiny and ambition. Let us just seek You and constantly restore the good that is in You, and constantly restore the purity of Your Gospel, so that Your blessings will span the earth. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that all of this can be accomplished. Amen!