Faith and the Power of God
Abstract: As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. You must remember this, brothers and sisters! Either you rely on your own unreliable abilities, or you rely on the mighty arm of Jehovah God. Before the age of 28, I relied on myself. It wasn't that I couldn't survive, but at best, it was just existing. I didn't even know why I was living. Many frustrations. Many entanglements. Many problems. After the age of 28, I believed in the Lord. I began to learn to live by the power of Jehovah God. When a person's heart changes, becoming a heart that aligns with the Bible, the result over the past twenty years has been joy, peace, and victory! The arm of Jehovah God has never been shortened! The more faith you have, the more power and grace you draw upon. Looking back on the path I've walked, it can be summarized in one word: God! This is not just my own exclusive experience. All who have such a mindset in their hearts see the power of God!
1 Review of last Sunday's topic: The arm of Jehovah is not shortened, that it cannot save!
Let us review the content of last Sunday's message. The topic last Sunday was: The arm of Jehovah is not shortened, that it cannot save.
God was deeply saddened to see the Israelites repeatedly turn away from Him! Generally, people in the world who do not know God do not consider whether they are turning away or not. God does not concern Himself with them. But God's chosen people, who had experienced God's power and had been saved by God time and time again, still did not understand that God's power could solve all of man's problems. The sadness in the heart of God, who sits on the throne, is unimaginable. In God's eyes, it was so foolish, so ignorant! What were the Israelites thinking? They were saying that Jehovah God no longer performs those earth-shattering deeds among us as in ancient times! Look at what is happening before our very eyes, isn't that proof enough? Our nation is repeatedly threatened by the great powers, and God has not saved us. Our neighbor, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, were not those ten tribes destroyed by the great powers? God is no longer working! His power is not effective! It is unreliable. As a result, God called out to His people through the prophet Isaiah: The mighty arm of Jehovah God is not shortened, that it cannot save! But it was because of the sins of the Israelites that God was separated from them! Their sins caused God to turn a deaf ear to their prayers. It turns out that God has requirements. If you want to draw upon the power of God, you must turn away from sin and live a holy life! Part of living a holy life is to set apart the Lord's day as holy! It cannot be taken for one's own use. Anything that belongs to God, if we take it for ourselves, we are cursed.
What sin is God referring to? The Israelites were unwilling to set aside time to worship God! In Isaiah 58:13-14 it says: “Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
Did you hear that? On God's holy day, do not delight in doing your own work, regard the Lord's day as a delight, and call the Lord's holy day honourable! On this day, do not attend to your own private affairs, do not follow your own desires, and do not speak your own words! That is to delight yourself in the LORD. Jehovah God will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth. Why were the Israelites unwilling to take time to worship the Lord? Because they felt it was a waste of time! Because the Israelites felt it was better to use that time to earn money and to relax.
The Power and Blessing of the Lord's Day
Thank the Lord that the brothers and sisters among us regard the Lord's Day as a delight, completely dedicating the Lord's Day. Our church's Lord's Day is a six-hour gathering. Basically, it is the entire Lord's Day. The amazing thing is that even newcomers feel this way, which we never dared to imagine before. This is also God's own leading. As a result, the facts have proven that because of such dedication of time, the mighty arm of Jehovah has been manifested to us! Not only have our brothers and sisters begun to live comfortable lives, but Jehovah God has also made us the head and not the tail, above and not beneath! On Thursday, I met a brother, and God has really blessed him. Many year-end bonuses, able to leave work on time, and a salary higher than those who spent tens of thousands of dollars studying for a degree. He told me that our God is really powerful! What does powerful mean? It means that the arm of Jehovah has not been shortened! The things God is doing among us are too wonderful! No matter what happens, when we pray and cry out, we see God's response. No matter what difficulties we face, when we pray and cry out to God, God gives us the strength to overcome! Every newcomer experiences God's miraculous work among us. The mighty arm of Jehovah God has never been shortened! Thank the Lord, may He be glorified among us!
A few days ago, I met a brother who attends another church. I shared this passage of scripture with him, and I also shared the glory that God has manifested among us. As a result, he told me that the Sunday service at his church is only one hour long! The sermon on Sunday is only 15 minutes long. I asked him why, and he said that people are very busy. There are many things to do. Don't say it, I really don't know how to preach a 15-minute sermon. I wonder what these people save this time for. Would we be at a disadvantage if we set aside the Lord's Day for the Lord? Can't God's mighty arm save us from all difficulties? Many people take the time of the Lord's Day to enjoy themselves, to go to the beach, to travel, to go to karaoke, to play ball, to exercise, to work. What is the result? As a result, people fall into the situation of the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel in Isaiah's time. When they encounter enemy attacks, they are defeated by the enemy. The money earned from a year of hard work ends up in the hands of the enemy.
This is obvious. To have God, but not be able to draw upon God's blessings, is the most tragic thing in the world. What is it that prevents people from drawing upon God's blessings and power? It is the mindset within people!
Today I will share a topic: Renewing Our Mindset!
2 Today's topic: Renewing Our Mindset!
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. You must remember this, brothers and sisters! Either you rely on your own unreliable abilities, or you rely on the mighty arm of Jehovah God. Before the age of 28, I relied on myself. It wasn't that I couldn't survive, but at best, it was just existing. I didn't even know why I was living. Many frustrations. Many entanglements. Many problems. After the age of 28, I believed in the Lord. I began to learn to live by the power of Jehovah God. When a person's heart changes, becoming a heart that aligns with the Bible, the result over the past twenty years has been joy, peace, and victory! The arm of Jehovah God has never been shortened! The more faith you have, the more power and grace you draw upon. Looking back on the path I've walked, it can be summarized in one word: God! This is not just my own exclusive experience. All who have such a mindset in their hearts see the power of God!
You must renew your mind! As a Christian, if you do not renew your mindset, you will be cut off from the power of God and will not receive God's spiritual blessings. What a loss! I stand here, repeatedly urging everyone, and I really hope that everyone knows that a mindset that pleases God enables us to connect the power of Jehovah God to my life!
Renewing Our Mindset, Connecting to God's Power
Everyone knows that electricity is a good source of energy. Without electricity today, it is simply a disaster. My family does not use gas. We don't use coal either, and we don't burn wood. My family only uses electricity. Electricity is the cleanest form of energy. With electricity, you must have wires to connect the electricity. Put in a socket, plug it in, and it's ready to use. People lay electrical wires, not rubber ropes or plastic ropes, because they all know that those things cannot conduct electricity. If you connect the power source with a rubber rope, no matter how much electricity there is, there will be no electricity! Our God is the source of all wisdom, power, honor, and glory. But if your mind is not changed, this power has nothing to do with you. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, you must all repent. What is repentance? It is to regret the wrong ideas inside us, and to change is to become new. Only by changing our inner and outer selves according to the way of life that God teaches us can we bring God's wisdom, glory, honor, and power into our lives! As the Lord Jesus said, wash the inside clean. Do not just wash the outside. Although the thoughts in our hearts are invisible, thoughts that please God can cause your life to manifest God's power and God's glory! Wrong thoughts will hinder God's power and glory.
Yesterday, I received a QQ message from a brother in the Lord online. He said that he was about to collapse and couldn't go on. I asked him if he had a church. He said yes. I told him to quickly find his pastor and pray together. He said he had gone, and it was only a little better, but then it was useless. What kind of mindset is this? If it is a little better, then continue to pray! Later I said, then quickly pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you, and he told me that it wouldn't work, as soon as he asked for the Holy Spirit to fill him, evil spirits would come. Look, isn't the mindset inside him the root of his problem? I said, it's not that evil spirits are coming, it's that evil spirits are already living inside you, continue to pray and the devil will leave. But then he said that he couldn't tell which was the Holy Spirit and which was the evil spirit. I thought to myself, who taught this? How can there be so many wrong thoughts! I said, the teachings you have received have many wrong things. Just start listening to the sermons on my website. He said that it wasn't that there was a problem with the teachings he had received, but that there was a problem with his own understanding. In any case, the wrong mindset inside him has led to his current situation. I told him to go find his pastor! Since you believe that what they teach is right, then go and receive it!
The mindset inside people is very important. If there is a problem with the mindset inside people, if there are wrong ideas and wrong thoughts, it will hinder the power of God. Therefore, the Bible teaches us to renew our mindset.
Come, let's read today's scripture.
3 Today's scripture: Ephesians 4:21-24
4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
4 Prayer – Be renewed in the spirit of your mind!
Father, give us wisdom, open our eyes, and enable us to be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So that we may walk in a manner worthy of you, pleasing you in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of you. According to your glorious power, enable us to be strengthened with all might, and may we endure and be patient with joy in all things! Father, we thank you that you have enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light! Thank you for giving us your Son Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of your beloved Son! Today, give us your words to renew our minds, so that we may have your glorious image inside and out!
The Power of Thought and the Renewal of Life
In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
5 The thoughts inside people are really deadly!
Today, I want to tell everyone about my recent research results: The foundation of life is the thoughts inside people. The mindset inside people is very important! Whatever thoughts are inside, that is the kind of life one will have. Whatever thoughts you have now, that is what you will become next. These are the results of scientific research. I think those who come to hear my sermon today are blessed!
In 1979, Harvard University psychology professor Ellen Langer conducted a study on How the mind can affect the human body. Eight elderly people in their 70s went to live in a rural monastery for a week, and they were given two rules of life. First, it is not 70 years old now, but back to 50 years old, so we must think that we have returned to 50 years old, and then sing the songs we sang when we were 50 years old, listen to the music of that time, and watch the movies we watched when we were 50 years old; second, we must do our own cleaning and washing dishes. No one helps, didn't we do it ourselves when we were 50 years old? In this way, doing their own washing and cleaning, the old people began to feel dissatisfied, it is difficult enough to take care of my own body, and you want me to do the cleaning, I don't even have the strength to hold the broom, how can I do it? However, this is their assignment. Let them think about when they were 50 years old, doing what they did when they were 50 years old. But after a week, they were gathered together for a survey, and the 8 people who had trouble even standing at the beginning, their bodies, vision, hearing, memory, intelligence and grip strength, were all at the level of 50 years old . All said that people who couldn't do it all thought they were 50 years old, and let them do things at that time, and the whole body returned to 50 years old. Thinking that they had returned to their youth to live, their bodies were rejuvenated. The power of thought is so amazing . Therefore, Professor Ellen Langer made such a conclusion on the results of the experiment: What binds us is not the limitations of the body, but our thoughts. It is not that the body has become a 70-year-old man, so he should live as an old man, but because he thinks in his mind that he is a 70-year-old man, the body becomes a 70-year-old man. Those who are 60 years old now should think that they are 40 years old. Those who are 80 years old should think that they are 60 years old. Speak and do things. In fact, the problem lies in the idea. We must watch the change of our minds bring a renewed look! There must be a change of ideas. I am old. I am tired. I have no strength. I want to occupy the corner of the bed. If you think like this, the body will say, yes, this is right, amen . It will be fulfilled in that way. Just think so. If the body follows like that, wouldn’t something big happen? At any time, the devil will seize your thoughts, and then make your life and actions different, because what you think, that’s what you will become.
My mother just celebrated her eightieth birthday. Every time I talk to her, I have to change her mind. When she tells me that I am old today, not as good as last year, etc., I correct her thinking! Thank the Lord, every time I convince her that she is stronger now than before, that is the best blessing! Now you know what is the best blessing for your parents, right? Give them young minds!
The best beauty is the beauty of thought. The best health is the health of thought. You say that changing a person's mind doesn't cost money, it's such a simple thing, but many people just don't believe it. They immediately dismiss it by saying, how is this possible! With one sentence, they make me lose all my power! For him, that is impossible, but for me, that is the truth! These are the results of scientific research, not what I said, but what a Harvard University professor said. In fact, this has already been said in the Bible.
Such things are very common.
The Power of Thought and the Miracle of Faith
I have a friend whose father was a doctor, practicing medicine his entire life. He told her about strange occurrences he encountered in his medical career. There were two patients who went for physical check-ups, but their reports were mixed up. The healthy one received the report of the sick person, and the sick person received the report of the healthy one. Not long after, it was discovered that the sick person had recovered, while the healthy one had fallen ill. It turned out that the thoughts within a person have such power! The sick person, upon seeing the report, told himself he was not sick, and he truly became well! Meanwhile, the healthy person kept saying he was sick, and eventually he fell ill! My own mother experienced this. When I was taking the university entrance exams, the doctors diagnosed her with cancer. She was only forty-something then. As a result, she was bedridden and unable to move. Later, the doctors said they had made a mistake, the cancer belonged to another patient. Immediately, my mother got out of bed and started playing mahjong. Don't misunderstand, we didn't know the Lord then, so the best celebration was playing mahjong. Today, our minds are renewed, and the best celebration is praising the Lord Jesus!
A few days ago, I met a brother, who had recently come to the Lord, eating downstairs. During the meal, he told me, Pastor, I haven't been able to eat much lately. Immediately, I understood. I asked him, How are you feeling? He said he felt a bit unwell. I told him, Man does not live on food alone, but on the word of God. Eat more of God's word, and you'll be fine. Thankfully, he met me. I deeply understand the mystery of thoughts and intentions. Otherwise, he would have started saying to himself, Oh, I can't eat, I'm going to get sick, I can't do this, why can't I eat? I really can't eat, oh dear, what should I do, what should I do? And that would have led to a very serious problem.
There was a sister who used to be like that, often scaring herself. It caused many problems. Although she often went to restaurants for good food to nourish her body, she still had many health issues. One moment this was wrong, the next moment that was wrong. Later, she followed me to believe in the Lord, gained the secret of the mind, and her body became well! There are also people who can't sleep, tell themselves, That's it, I'm done for, I definitely won't be able to work tomorrow, I'm dizzy, I'm uncomfortable. As a result, they can't sleep even more. The problem remains there. Actually, not sleeping is not a big deal. Not eating is also not a big deal. Didn't Jesus live for forty days without eating or drinking? Wasn't He still alive? Moses also didn't eat for forty days, probably didn't sleep either, and he was fine! Man lives not on food, nor on sleep, but on the word of God! Indeed, the Bible says it well! Man lives on the word of God. As long as I believe in God's word, God's power will be manifested in me!
6 A person's life is often determined in a moment!
In fact, how a person's life turns out is often determined in a single thought. One wrong thought can lead to a tragic situation! If we read the Bible, understand God's word, and understand the devil's deceptive schemes, and constantly stay alert, we will avoid many errors resulting from a single wrong thought!
The Power of the Mind and Spiritual Alertness
Because Adam harbored wrong thoughts and betrayed God, all of Adam's descendants have lives subject to curses and suffering. God told Adam not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. The foundation of my life is that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil must not be eaten, for in the day you eat it you will surely die. Here, the devil, through the image of a serpent, said, God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. You can become God, eat it. God said not to eat it, but the devil told them to eat it! Who won? The devil tempted Adam and Eve, and won. Why did that happen? Because they used the law of observing with their eyes. They were brought to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then they looked at it. Take a look. It looked good for food, it must be delicious. It was pleasing to the eye, and desirable, it looked like it could make one wise, able to gain wisdom, able to become God. Just like that, there was no need for further thought, a single wrong thought, they instantly lost their reason, they were seduced through the law of observing with their eyes. Eve ate, and gave it to her husband, and they betrayed God. As a result, the history of mankind living under a curse began! What went wrong? Their minds went wrong. Their hearts had the impulse to be like God, not knowing they already had the image of God, and they fell into the devil's trap.
Today, there are many people whose minds have problems. When the mind has a problem, observing becomes dangerous. Because after observing, they buy. After buying, they regret it. It's all about losing the ability to judge in an instant. A sister often went to look at things, resulting in a spirit of poverty in her. She bought over a dozen identical bags. She didn't even know why she was buying them. She just looked, became confused, and bought! That's the power of advertising. Today, people have summarized a rule: as long as you can attract attention and get people to look, you will become wealthy. Money will flow to you! If you keep looking and looking, all your money will flow to them. Of course, this is because the mind has a problem. Thank the Lord, it's a bit difficult for people to earn money from me and my wife!
Although Adam and Eve had strong spiritual abilities and were very efficient in doing things, they lacked the renewal of the word of God within. But today, we have heard His word, received His teaching, and learned His truth. When the devil comes, we will let our thoughts be filtered through the word of God and the truth within us, and we will know immediately.
Thank the Lord, we all know that worshipping our Lord, searching the scriptures, reading the scriptures, and praying are the best investments! And indeed they are the best investments! Our minds must be renewed through the word of God, so that the word of God is always in our mouths, just as Psalm 1 says:
Psm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; Psm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psm 1:3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Everyone must be careful. There are many things that can happen in a moment of error. Joseph's mistress seduced him, but his mind was clear. He chose to go to prison rather than sin! Therefore, he became the prime minister of Egypt. King David, one night didn't read the scriptures or pray, and as a result, he looked and saw Bathsheba bathing! His ears heard the devil's voice, and his mind became confused, and he was finished. As a result, he committed adultery, and later committed murder, and later paid a very heavy price for it! It was just a moment!
Brothers and sisters, we must often meditate on the word of God! Psm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psm 1:3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Renewing the Mind Daily, Resisting Temptation
Why meditate day and night? Because we must be vigilant every day, renew our minds every day, enhance our spiritual abilities every day, and resist the devil's schemes every day! Never have the moment of error that Adam and Eve had, the moment of error that King David had! We must have no moment of error! Everyone must know that a moment of error brings a great price!
Jeremiah 6:19 says, Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts. The calamities that come upon this earth are the result of their own thoughts, that is why the Lord brought down the calamities. If you harbor wrong thoughts, wrong faith, and speak wrong words, then negative fruits will surely be borne in your life. The Jewish people suffered calamities because of the fruit of their thoughts.
The key is to constantly renew our minds! Not once a year, not once a month, not once a week, but every day!
Tell the person next to you: You must renew your mind with the word of God every day!
7 Deal with the fleshly, worldly concepts within us, and renew the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man
Ephesians 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Brothers and sisters, human lust is a very deadly thing. Without lust, Adam and Eve would not have sinned. Without lust, David would not have sinned. When people have lust, they will be deceived. We understand many spiritual truths, and if we truly understand, we should know that the lusts that we used to think were normal are no longer normal! Because those are the deceptions of human lust, which corrupt our lives.
Romans 8:5-7: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. It turns out that renewing our minds is to remove those things that cater to the flesh, those things that cater to our own personal matters!
Don't think that if you want to live well, you will live well. All those who live with lust are directly inviting the devil into our lives! Don't think that if you take good care of your body, you will have a healthy body. Only when you are willing to offer your body for the mission of the Lord Jesus, offering your body as a living sacrifice, dedicated to God, and used by God, will you have a healthy body! A healthy body doesn't come from eating, in fact, it doesn't matter if people eat one more meal or one less meal. Don't think that you have to work hard to keep your job, only when you are willing to offer your work to God can you keep your job!
Renewing the Mind, Becoming a New Creation
Adam and Eve committed sin by eating something. As a result, Chinese culture, which we often boast about, is actually a culture of eating. The word eat is very important among us Chinese. It took me many years to change. But it seems that upon careful examination, I still have a bit of that. When I came to Singapore, I discovered that people say it is a food paradise. It's actually true, where there are Chinese people, eating is very important. If a commercial building has a lot of good food, the crowds will come. If there is no good food, the business there will not be good. Let me give everyone a few examples of Chinese eating culture: making a living is called → making a living, a job is called → a rice bowl, being employed is called → getting by, spending savings is called → living off one's capital, doing well is called → being well-connected, taking advantage of women is called → eating tofu, beautiful women are called → a feast for the eyes, being popular is called → being sought after, receiving care is called → eating special rations, disregarding others is called → eating alone, being injured is called → suffering losses, women being jealous is called → eating vinegar, and being lazy at work in Singapore is called eating snake.
David caused himself a lifetime of sorrow because of his own lust, wanting to eat tofu. Adam and Eve entered into the curse because of their own lust, wanting to eat the fruit that God did not allow. Then should you not be vigilant, reject...., learn to eat the word of God, renew the thoughts and intentions within you, renew your mind, so that you have the mind of God, the intentions of God, and the mission of God?
Everyone must often examine their own hearts! Whether you have made the right decision is all because of your heart! Proverbs 4:23: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. When you make a decision, is it because of your own lust? Is it for your own benefit? Or is it for the kingdom of God, for the church of God?
We must deal with lust. I need to nourish my body, I can't bear it if I don't eat well. I have to exercise. I need to sleep well, I will die if I don't sleep well. I have a disease, I haven't been healed yet. I'm old, I can't do it.
Inside and outside (inside is the mind, outside is the behavior)
8 Conclusion: Becoming a new creation, with righteousness and holiness of truth
When the mind is renewed, we have the image of God! We have the image of the Lord Jesus. We can do what the Lord Jesus did. We can perform the miracles that the Lord Jesus performed! Therefore, brothers and sisters, when we pray, we must not only pray in tongues in the spirit, but also pray with understanding. Through understanding, let the word of God become our thoughts, become our minds. I see some brothers and sisters who are always praying in tongues there. There is no reception of understanding, that is wrong. Indeed, we need to pray in tongues. But we also need to pray with understanding! This is the correct teaching. Either just praying with understanding, or just praying in tongues, that is wrong. Recently, my wife has been sending daily devotional scriptures on Line. This is to solve this problem. Prolonged prayer in tongues in the spirit is important, but it can never replace reading the Bible, it can never replace praying with understanding! Praying with understanding, especially with the word of God, can renew our thoughts and intentions. Enable us to be filled with the knowledge of God's will in our understanding.
Therefore, Paul said in Colossians 1:9: May you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding!
Understanding is also very important! Amen. Say to the person next to you: May you be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
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