Introduction

To learn to discern the signs of the times and to be prescient are essentially different facets of the same endeavor. When we observe certain events unfolding, we can anticipate further developments. Everything happens for a reason. As Christians, we must be able to foresee the consequences that will follow certain events. When you develop this ability to observe, you can immediately adjust your course accordingly.

Many are unable to foresee the future or observe the present situation, making it difficult for them to live abundantly. The Christian faith is one of foresight and prescience. By observing the signs and understanding spiritual laws, one can know what will happen, even more accurately than fortune-telling. Training someone to be astute primarily involves developing their judgment of future events. The past is gone and cannot be changed, so there is no need to judge it. But if one wishes to live well in the future, they must have a clear vision of the future by observing the present situation.

Someone once posed a question to me: If a coin is tossed and lands on heads fifty consecutive times, what will the next toss be? Some would guess heads, others tails. I said I would guess heads. When asked why, I said I was looking at the trend. If it has been heads fifty times, it is likely to be heads again on the fifty-first. According to probability, after fifty heads, the probability of tails should be higher, at least fifty-fifty. But that is not necessarily the case. So why learn to discern the signs of the times? Because by observing current events, one can make a judgment about the future. That is what it means to be prescient.

I have been pondering how to train brothers and sisters to be astute. I long for the members of our church to become astute, but I have been stuck, unsure of how to do so. I have been exploring, and I am not entirely satisfied with the answers I have found. I believe there are better answers. But learning to discern the signs of the times has a profound impact on brothers and sisters, so I am sharing it.

Learning to discern the signs of the times is not my idea; it comes from Jesus. When you learn to discern the signs of the times, you will have a clear judgment about the future. I will share something interesting. When I began to study what would happen in the next twenty years, I came to the conclusion that I saw the development trends of China and even Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The US presidential election was tumultuous, and Trump was elected. Later, in my study, I concluded that the next twenty years would be China's transition from a developing country to a developed country. The previous twenty years saw China move from poverty to a moderately prosperous society. When we see such a situation, we must make a judgment about where we should go in the future.

Perhaps you think my judgment is a bit worldly, but I do not particularly care whether it is worldly or not. I have observed that where Christianity flourishes, there also prospers. Europe flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries because it was a nation that spread the gospel. In the twentieth century, the United States was strong because it was a nation that spread the gospel. In the twenty-first century, it is the generation of Chinese people spreading the gospel, so China will become strong.

I am very fortunate to be a Chinese person living in this generation. The situation for Chinese people in this generation is different from what it was a hundred years ago. A hundred years ago, the Chinese were the sick men of East Asia, constantly oppressed by the world powers, losing every battle. It was China's most humiliating era. In our generation, brothers and sisters must learn to discern the signs of the times.

Brothers and sisters, we must learn to be wise. If you are wise, you will become more and more prosperous. We must also examine where the Spirit of God is working. Wherever the Spirit of God is working, quickly follow the Spirit, because wherever the Spirit is, everything will rise. It is the same with making friends. Do not make friends with those who are deeply cursed, and do not associate with their defilement. You may ask if it is that serious? You can experience it slowly.

Do not ask me to analyze this scientifically with quantitatively. I can't. But I have learned one thing: I can discern the signs of the times. I have seen that those who associate with those who are deeply cursed do not live well, but those who associate with those who are blessed live well. This is what I discussed in my Course 201, the story of Abraham and Lot. Lot lived very well when he was with Abraham, but after he left Abraham, he was finished, losing everything.

So you see, before Lot was under Abraham's covering, he was blessed. When he went to Sodom and Gomorrah, his experiences were terrible. The first encounter was being taken captive. Fortunately, Abraham led his refined and well-trained 318 household servants and rescued Lot. But Lot did not discern the signs of the times! He only had money in his eyes.

I think this has a lot to do with Lot's wife. When marrying a wife, marry someone with spiritual insight who can discern the signs of the times! So Lot later lost everything. Who was to blame? It was related to his inability to discern the signs of the times. All he saw was the Jordan River plain, which was very fertile, but he later lost everything. So today, brothers and sisters must learn to discern the signs of the times and have prophetic insight.

Learning to discern the signs of the times is very important. Never be foolish. Therefore, I hope that all our brothers and sisters will be above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. Being above and not beneath, the head and not the tail, does not only refer to the spiritual realm but refers to the entire life of a person, so I want to share with you how to learn to discern the signs of the times. Let us open the Bible to Luke:

Scripture

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Be careful that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36)

Prayer

Let us pray: Holy Spirit, personally teach us that Your will is for us to be above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. Open our spiritual eyes today and let us see what the signs of the times. Lord, open our spiritual eyes and let us understand Your will. Let us no longer be foolish, but let us understand Your will, which is to prosper us and make us a blessing to all nations on earth.

Lord, we come before You to seek wisdom and understanding from heaven, open our spiritual eyes, let us see what the situation is today? Let us see how the Holy Spirit is working among us, and let us be able to follow You closely; Lord, we thank You, we praise You, because You have good intentions for us. May Your good intentions be fulfilled, and may we all become useful instruments in Your hands, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

The Relationship Between Vision and Blessing

The following point speaks of seeing the signs of this generation. If you cannot discern the signs of the times, what happens? Then abstract something from these situations and make it the basis for your judgment of the future. So, if you are very poor, do not blame others, it is because you did not have vision in the past; if you had vision in the past, you would not be poor today; if you knew how to discern the signs of the times in the past, you would know how to move forward and you would become a blessed person, you would not live in poverty.

So if you are to blame today, blame yourself for not having vision. Lot had Lot's vision, and Abraham had Abraham's vision, but the facts prove that Abraham could see the signs of that generation. The Bible teaches us that when Jesus returns, it will be similar to the days of Lot, Sodom, and Gomorrah. The days of Jesus' return are like the days of Noah.

What is this passage talking about? You will see many things happen when the fig tree puts forth tender leaves, and that generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. So what do we see today, and what does Jesus say?

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Luke 21:29-33)

In other words, from today we must understand one thing: when do the fig tree and all the trees put forth leaves? I have done some simple research on this generation, and the fig tree actually represents the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel puts forth leaves when Israel is restored.

In 1948, Israel was restored after over 2600 years of national exile. After World War II, Israel was restored, which has crucial symbolic significance for Christians, because the Bible says that when that generation has not passed away, the word of God will be fulfilled. So I firmly believe and long for the return of the Lord Jesus. We labor in this world, and although we live well, it is still hard, and we long for the day of the Lord Jesus' return to come soon.

In 1948, Israel was restored, representing the fig tree putting forth leaves, and all kinds of trees putting forth leaves, and we naturally know that summer is near. What does this mean? It means that the day of the Lord is coming! If the day of the Lord is coming, what do you think will happen? It means that the generation described in the Book of Revelation is coming.

The generation we are in today is a generation where the Third World War is about to break out: China, the United States, Russia and Europe are in a military arms race. The South China Sea is particularly tense. We must learn to discern the signs of the times, and in addition to these signs, we must also look at the signs of God's church.

Seeing the Signs of God's Glorious Church

In 1904, the Holy Spirit began to pour out for the first time, in the Azusa Street Revival. From 1900 to 2000, the entire century was filled with magical colors in the history of the entire church. In 1904, the Holy Spirit greatly poured out in South Wales, and later the fire of the Holy Spirit was transmitted to Azusa Street in Los Angeles, USA, and the fire of the Holy Spirit continued to burn there. Later, the healing and deliverance ministries of the 1940s and 1960s all took place during these years. The restoration of speaking in tongues and the restoration of healing and deliverance began to see God constantly manifesting His mighty arm in this generation.

The Excitement of Participating in God's Glorious Plan

If you see the work that God is doing among us today, you will be shocked. I myself am shocked by what God is doing in our church! I began to ponder, what exactly is God going to do? The thing God is going to do is: this generation has not passed away, and God's words and prophecies in the Bible will be fulfilled: God is going to restore a holy, united, and glorious church in this generation.

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in it. In this process, we see that God is going to restore something among us, that is, a glorious church full of God's power, as described in the Bible, will be fulfilled among us. When I first established the church, I was very eager to establish a church that was the same as the one in the Bible. I believe this is the Spirit of God moving me. As time goes by, I began to see that we have a destiny to build a glorious church, a victorious, holy, united, and battle-winning elite church, and every brother and sister must rise up to be an elite soldier.

In the 1990s, there was a man named Rick Joyner. He wrote several books in that era, including two called The Final Quest and The Torch and the Sword. When I read these books, I found that he wrote a passage saying: Although I write these words, I am not the person in the revelation of God's prophecy. Because he could not build the church he saw in the vision. However, such a thing actually happened to us.

I began to discover that our entire church-building process was almost exactly the same as the concepts and circumstances described in The Final Quest and The Torch and the Sword. I guessed that the vision that God revealed through Rick Joyner more than twenty years ago was referring to us. I was very excited. This generation has not passed away, and God's promises will be fulfilled. It turns out that God wants to do such a thing in this generation. What do you do before it is accomplished? Build a church full of God's glory. The day of the Lord Jesus' return is very near, and the church must become a holy and glorious church, without diseases such as curses.

When I was reading the book of Ephesians, when I read about the glorious church, I found that the things described in it had a very wonderful characteristic, that is, compared with today's church, it is not like it at all. It turns out that God's intention is to build the kind of glorious church described in Ephesians on the day of the Lord Jesus' return. Oh, I was so excited after reading it. It turns out that I am the person who does this, the person who does this.

So brothers and sisters, the church will become more and more glorious on the day of the Lord Jesus' return. This generation is becoming more and more corrupt, but the church is becoming more and more holy and more and more glorious. Everything will pass away, but the prophecies God has in Bible will all be fulfilled. Then I began to feel very excited, because this thing actually fell on us!

Recently, when I was investigating the signs of this generation, I found that God was guiding us step by step. I began to see what God was doing. I began to ponder, where will God lead us? While I was pondering, I followed the Holy Spirit's touch step by step until today. Today, our testimonies are endless. Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday are only a day or two apart, but there are endless testimonies.

Seeing God's Work and Spiritual Principles

We have so many meetings. These testimonies are signs, so many testimonies! So many people are healed! I think what does this sign of testimony want to tell us? It tells us that the day of the Lord Jesus is near, and we are to build a holy, united, and glorious church. The signs of the church are constantly revealing to us. So how many years are left in our generation? Actually, there are not many years left. I am doing my best to promote brothers and sisters to be willing to commit themselves, to lay down their lives, and to do these things. When I am promoting, I actually have a very clear vision in my heart - to work for the eternal God.

When you see such a scene, are you still busy with money? Do not be busy with money, money is not the key to solving your problems, money is not the key, and neither is work. Although God will bless your work, that is not the key. You must begin to learn to see the spiritual scene and the spiritual principles of the scene. I tell you, the spiritual principles of seeing the scene are more accurate than fortune telling.

I usually see some newcomers, and from the way they talk, I know what is happening inside them. Then the problems I point out are more accurate than they themselves imagine. Why? Because I have learned to see the scene. Do you want to know what the spiritual principles of seeing the scene are? If you see this, you will know that. For example, if you see someone indulging in the flesh, you know they will die miserably in the future; if you see someone discerning good and evil, you know they are deeply oppressed and will get worse and worse; if you see the nature of a slave in someone, even if they are believers, you know they will die in the wilderness.

Therefore, today we spare no effort to break this slave nature and shape a person's character and faith. We use great force to promote such things. Because if you do not change, you will not enter the Promised Land. So everyone must begin to learn to see, to see what? Where the Holy Spirit is working, there will be revival.

I like to examine some very interesting things. For example, the rate of urban population growth is an indicator. How is the economy of this place, or its industry? First, look at the population growth, and second, look at the population growth number. You say, Pastor, aren't you talking about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus? Whether the Lord Jesus comes again or not, we still have to live realistically. This is the principle I ask everyone to look at things with.

Why? Because the Bible tells us to be above and not below, to be the head and not the tail. I often talk about the logic of rats in toilets and rats in granaries. Many people, after understanding, quickly began to change. Never live in a place where even birds don't shit. Someone asked, Why was Abraham in a place where even birds don't shit? Pastor, are you contradicting yourself? Remember! I also look at another thing: the degree to which this place is open to the Spirit of God.

Remember! The degree to which the people in this place are open to the Spirit of God is very important! The books I write are constantly given away for free. So what is the Christian faith? Faith is blessing others, not a selfish faith, but a faith that is given out. When you see God's presence, you see strength, prosperity, and abundance, and you also see victory. So Abimelech clearly saw that God was with Isaac, and he came to sign a covenant with Isaac. You cannot bully me, nor can your descendants bully my descendants. You see how God exalts us.

The Wisdom and Preparation to Foresee the Future

Therefore, you must learn to see. If you cannot see, it is really fatal. Do not be ignorant! When you see the healing and deliverance that God is doing among us, what do you see? The healing and deliverance that God is doing among us is simply beyond what I know of any church. Every brother and sister among us prays for others and does healing and deliverance. Even the brothers and sisters who have just come for a few months are effective in prayer. That will bring an extremely strong impetus for transformation, because healing and deliverance are God's will. You will see us entering into God's will.

Seeing God's Will Can Create the Future

When we enter into God's will, you will see God's presence, you will see strength, prosperity, and abundance. Why do many people's salaries inexplicably increase when they are among us? When you are among us, you will see many brothers and sisters who love the Lord, even sacrificing their lives, striving to serve God, and praying for others at a price beyond what ordinary churches can pay. This is how we serve.

Therefore, you will see that our brothers and sisters live well in God's will, and then people will live beautifully. You can also see people in the same way. If you see that someone is stingy, they cannot live well. You know what their future will be like. If you see that someone is generous and open-minded to become a blessing to many people, they will surely become a blessed person.

Therefore, you can know the future of a smart person or a foolish person. So, that is why I want our brothers and sisters to be smart people. Our church is restoring Mingding Destiny; there is no blessing outside of Mingding Destiny. You must enter into Mingding Destiny; you must at least know why you are living. Then you will find that revival is waiting for us ahead, and the reversal of life is clearly manifested among us. Then, you slowly ponder, and you see that these things are more accurate than fortune telling.

People say that you can see what a child will be like at three years old. When you see what this child is like at three years old, you know what he will be like when he grows up. So, today I hope that our brothers and sisters all have this ability of prophetic foresight, that is, to predict things like a god. If you can predict things like a god, can you not live well? Whether a person lives well or not depends on your judgment of the future, not on your judgment of the past. Because the past has become a foregone conclusion, you cannot change it, but you can recreate the future.

Learn to See the Essence of Things

I have met many people who have deep-seated small-farmer thinking, and this thinking deeply affects them. Their vision only sees, and the words they speak are all past injuries. Their minds are filled with nothing else, only with this kind of thing. Do you think this is not fatal? Even the worst person has a little bit of grace, it's just that you don't remember it. If you don't remember these things, it will be of great help to you.

So today, we must learn to grasp the essence of things. What is the essence of things? The essence of things is to see such a scene and know what will happen in the future. If you have learned all these things, and you want to live well in the future, then today you must learn to use what kind of eyes to look at things. Observe more, think more, and learn to grasp the essence of things. Then prepare for yourself in advance, and you will have a judgment about the future, and you will prepare yourself now.

Let's say this: For example, Sister So-and-so, in the future, I have a judgment about my future based on faith, and I will be that kind of person in the future. If you spend all day eating, drinking, and having fun, you will never become that kind of person until you die. If you have a judgment about yourself, start preparing yourself from today. Everyone must know that the judgment of future things is very important.

The Wisdom to Foresee the Future Through the Scene

David and Abraham were very shrewd in judging future things; Isaac and Jacob were accurate in judging future things, and these people became remarkable figures. I hope that every brother and sister among us has this ability.

Accurate Judgment of Future Things Can Escape Embarrassing Situations

Some time ago, when I was reading the Bible, I read about David being in Gath with Achish, the king of Gath. Achish was a Philistine, and David had defeated the Philistines many times when he was young, and the Philistines deeply hated David. As a result, when David was being pursued by Saul, he fled to Achish, the king of Gath. David had a very clear judgment about the future development of things.

One day, Achish wanted to attack the Israelites, who were David's compatriots. As a result, Achish asked David to go with him. Do you think David could say no? As a result, he happily followed Achish to the battlefield to attack the Israelites. But was he really willing in his heart? He was not willing. But he made a very clear judgment about the future of things. Why? Because he knew very well the thoughts of the generals under King Achish. Those generals should not agree to David going with King Achish.

Sure enough, those generals said to Achish, the king of Gath: You cannot bring David with you. If you bring him, he will betray us on the battlefield and become a helper of the Israelites to attack us together. As a result, David had no way to go with Achish, the king of Gath. Why did David do this? Because David's judgment of things was very accurate. He could see what the scene was like at that time. He would analyze it very clearly.

So, today David knew the result, and he knew by faith that God would help him through the hands of Achish, the king of Gath. He escaped a very embarrassing situation. Abraham also, Isaac and Jacob, were all such people. Their judgment of things was very accurate. Why? Because they could see the scene. Although Abraham stayed in a barren place, while Lot went to the fertile land of Sodom, Abraham saw the scene far beyond what Lot saw. Therefore, it is very important to have the ability of prophetic foresight for things.

There was a time when I had a conviction that I wanted to study a topic, which was the topic of IT outsourcing. I didn't know what that thing would be useful for me, but I knew it was a development trend, and I went to study it. As a result, when I went to find a job two years later, it became my most advantageous competitive tool. I got that job, and others didn't.

Through the Current Scene, You Must Be Able to See the Future

Through the current scene, the current scene of the church, you must know what the future of the church will be like. You know that at the beginning of last year, or at the end of the year before last, we formulated a strategy for the coming year through the development and scene of the church at that time. As a result, the church developed rapidly last year. Why? Because we know that the scene will determine what will happen in the future. If you know what will happen in the future, and you follow what will happen in the future, you will surely prosper.

At the end of last year, we saw that scene again, and then we made another decision. This year, we will push forward substantially again, and then the brothers and sisters of our church will also enter into great prosperity. You see that in the past few days, the pastoral system of the church has been perfected, and the ministry system has been perfected. Then, this year, we will continue to promote it in this direction, so that every brother and sister in the church will be equipped as a talent.

Then we will train the character of the brothers and sisters, deal with the carnal habits of the brothers and sisters, and then we will begin to require the brothers and sisters to love the Lord and God and give themselves to God. I tell you that when you see such a scene, what will you find? You will find what the scene will be like in the next five years.

Prepare a Glorious Church to Welcome the Lord's Return

So God will let some of our brothers and sisters see visions. I don't think it's strange. In fact, what they saw, I had already seen in my faith. In my faith, we will have many, many places in the future where we can receive the brothers and sisters of our church, and it would not be strange to have hundreds or even thousands of rooms. Today, in such a very simple environment, we constantly receive the brothers and sisters of our church, and then the brothers and sisters are edified and receive grace.

In the next five years, we will establish healthy relationships with people in the workplace, brothers and sisters, and in this society. We will become the positive energy of this society, and we will play a very active role in education and training. We will be the light and salt of this world, and then build a glorious church to prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, which is very important.

So you see that the church has so many testimonies today, where do they come from? They come from the scene we saw before. We have a judgment about the future, we follow the Holy Spirit, and then the Spirit of God works among us, which is too wonderful. It is God's will to be the light and salt in this world. What does it mean to be the light and salt in this world? You will become the positive energy of this society and begin to promote the transformation and change of the entire society. I think this is what we will do in the coming days.

God's Mingding Destiny is to Build a Glorious Church

I would like to make another summary. Today's scene, you may still have desolate parts in that scene. But it doesn't matter, desolation is our challenge, but through the revelation of the scene from the slightest clues, you will see that the church will have a prosperous future in the near future. So I thank God! God lets us participate in such things. Remember, it is not that God needs us to work for Him, but we are willing to work for Him in order to participate in His projects. If our God wants to share His glory with us, we are receiving grace, that is not giving.

So today I encourage the brothers and sisters of our church, don't look at it wrong, but see clearly that in this generation God wants to build a church full of God's glory, God wants to build such a church in this generation, including the online church, this is God's wonderful work. As we continue to move forward, we can see God constantly revealing among us and making more accurate judgments about the future.

Then I tell you, prepare the way for the days of the Lord Jesus' return. So what does the Bible say? The Bible says:

Then he told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Luke 21:29-33)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's words will never pass away. Let us hold on to God's words, and God's promises will be greatly fulfilled in this generation. Christians in any previous generation could not have experienced the grace we are experiencing today. You know that what the Book of Ephesians describes, the church at the time of the Lord Jesus' return, is without wrinkles, without blemishes, and is a flawless church.

Do you have such faith? I have such faith, and I hope that in the days in this world, I can experience God's work. Let the words about us described in the Bible be fulfilled. Then when we see the Lord Jesus coming again, we will joyfully welcome Him, and then we will bring the fruits of our work in the world and continue to enter into eternity with the Lord Jesus, which is a very glorious Mingding Destiny. Amen!