1. Man Lives by Real Hope

Today I will be speaking on the topic of Bringing Hope!

My favourite topics to speak on are faith, hope, and love. Why do I like speaking on faith, hope, and love? Because these can enable people to live well. If you want to receive a blessing from me, then come and receive the faith, hope, and love in my heart. The reason a person can receive blessings in the church is because the church imparts faith to him. When he has faith within him, he will begin to have the strength to overcome his difficulties!

Because I love God, I shepherd God's flock. When I started as a pastor, I began to seek God: What does it mean to shepherd? I had believed in the Lord for more than twenty years, and although I was familiar with the word shepherding, it was not until I became a pastor that I realised I did not understand what shepherding meant at all. I used to think that shepherding was just visiting: the pastor going to your home with some fruits and gifts, and chatting with you. But when I knelt down to pray, God told me: Shepherding is about building people's faith and giving them hope! If you love someone, you give him hope; if you love someone, you impart faith to him. This will give people the strength to overcome difficulties!

Once, a brother came to me, greatly devastated, almost unable to go on. All kinds of blows had befallen him. If it were me, I would have been close to collapsing as well. Later, I gave him hope and faith, I led him to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and led him in prayer. Afterwards, his situation completely turned around!

Do you know what the first sentence of Genesis is about? It's about hope!

Yesterday, Sister Xiaoqi came and said that her memory was not very good. I asked her to read Genesis Chapter 1:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3)

I asked Xiaoqi to memorise these words. She said: I already know this passage! But she did not know the meaning of these words. We must know what this sentence is about. This sentence is actually saying: When a person is in a state of formless and empty, darkness over the surface of the deep, he must know that we have the image of God. When the Spirit of God begins to move, we begin to declare that there should be light, and this person begins to have hope! His difficulties immediately become a small pebble!

Once, a Christian from a traditional church was working on a project, and had made no progress for three years. He came to me, so I led him in prayer in the spirit, and in prayer, he saw a vision: a small person, like an ant, was pushing a cart of stones as high as a three-story building. I told him this vision and asked him what it meant. He said: This is the state of my business! No progress for three years! I said: You must know that I will lead you in prayer, and your business can be turned around, do you believe it? He said: I believe! So I continued to lead him in prayer. I saw another vision: the small person, like an ant, quickly grew bigger and became a giant, and with a whoosh, pushed the cart of stones and ran!

When there is hope and faith in a person's heart, his difficulties become smaller. At this time, you must believe that God is a God who makes people abound in hope! He will enable you to trample on all difficulties!

That evening, the brother told me that the bank had called him and said that the difficulty that had been holding up his project had been completely resolved. I thank my God, what could be more exciting than this? For this brother: he only experienced the resolution of the problem; but for me: I experienced the faithfulness of God. I know that the God I believe in is a God of great power, a God who gives people hope! This hope is the hope that leads people into eternal life!

Why is it so important to share hope? Because hope is the meaning of a person's life. Losing hope is losing the meaning of life. For example, the Gaokao, such hope can enable him to persevere. The road of life needs hope. Before the reform and opening up, my family was very poor. My parents had to borrow money to make ends meet because of life's needs. In my era, we ate 窝窝头 (wō wo tóu), which were as hard as bricks.

In those days, my parents often said: In another five years, the children will be grown up, and things will be better. They lived with this hope. Although they were poor, they lived with great enthusiasm. My father led several of us, pushing a cart, picking up bricks, and coming back to build walls. But after five years, life improved, and people were not happier. They sought after other hopes. A fulfilled hope becomes meaningless.

Later, my mother opened a small shop, from 3 am to 10 pm. Looking back now, it was really too hard. My father has been gone for seven years. The question is, do you want to live like this? One hope is realised, and then there is another hope. Today I want to give you a hope, a hope in eternity.

It is very sad without hope. A person can commit suicide because he has no hope. The suicide rate is getting higher and higher. One of our sisters, her good classmate committed suicide. One of our brothers, his roommate greeted him when he left in the morning, and when he came back in the evening, he found that his roommate had jumped off the building and committed suicide. It's really pitiful! Because they have no hope.

Coming to God, this hope is not a false hope. We must live in the glory of God. We must live full of hope. Thank God, I know the God who gives such hope. If I had not met Him, even if I were alive today, I would be a living corpse. Is your hope a real hope? Or is it like my father's hope?

He was poor since childhood and had no money to go to school, so he hid outside and secretly listened. But today we all have the conditions to study hard, but we do not know how to cherish it. People live by the hope of eternal life, that is the real hope. As Christians, if we only have hope in this life, it is sad. I remember a script, there was a rural girl who had a terminal illness. The family asked: What hope do you have? The girl said I want to see the train. The family took her over the mountains to see it. Seeing the train became her hope in this life, it's really sad.

We must share the hope of eternal life. Give the hope and faith of eternal life to your loved ones before they die. Do not say: What are your unfulfilled wishes? What do you want to eat? What do you want to drink? When you say this, you are confirming that this person does not have many days to live, and his only remaining hope is to eat and drink. Brothers and sisters, do not deprive the hope of those who are dying. Even if they leave the world, they enter eternal life with faith.

You must share the hope and faith of eternal life, that is the most beautiful hope, instead of asking him what to eat and what to drink. We must give people hope. If he has a wish, it is to enter into eternal life. I am very grateful to my God, I often do this. A sister's husband is a talented person, very smart, is the champion of Shanghai International Chess, his children are also very smart, 14 years old reading Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 18 years old is already a doctor. But this sister got brain cancer, or advanced stage, the doctor said she only had 15 days to live. He asked me what can I do? All I can do is bring her the hope of eternal life, I lead her in prayer on the phone, while praying, while teaching, distributing blessings and faith to him, that night I prayed, she was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. The doctor knew and felt very strange, then asked him: What happened to your wife? He said: There is a Pastor Liu prayed for my wife!

Why am I so excited? Because she was discharged from the hospital today! She is healed! A doctor declared that a person who would die in 15 days was actually healed! Our God is a God who makes people abound in hope. I can serve this God who makes people abound in hope in my life, not only have hope in this life, but also have hope in eternal life, and become a blessing to all nations. Brothers and sisters, if you do such a person like me, and share your faith, then you will be full of hope! I hope that brothers and sisters will be like me and become a blessing to all nations, and run this heavenly road with me, and build the glorious church of God, and turn people's lives around in this era!

2. Scripture

Let's look at a scripture:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

This scripture is great, Paul wrote it so well, if I were Paul I would write it like this too.

3. Prayer

Lord, you are the God who gives hope. Thank you for choosing me. When your words are released, hope is ignited in the hearts of each of our brothers and sisters. May each of us rise up and become people who spread your word, people who impart hope to others. Lord, may the power of your resurrection from the dead fill us, so that we may abound in hope! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

4. Only the Hope of Eternal Life Can Fill the Human Heart

Brothers and sisters must know that the hope of eternal life is the only hope. Without eternal life, everything is vanity. The author of Ecclesiastes is Solomon, and the author of the book interpreting Ecclesiastes is Samuel - I wrote a book interpreting Ecclesiastes. Solomon was a king for a lifetime before he understood, and I understood without being a king. Solomon was extremely rich in his lifetime, he could have whatever he wanted, but later he discovered that the human heart is as deep as the sea and can never be filled. In fact, only the hope of eternal life can fill the human heart. King Solomon lived three thousand years ago. Today, if we do not stand in a high position, we will never understand.

One generation passes away, and another generation comes. The small house I lived in when I was a child had nine households in a row. The neighbours at that time are almost all dead. Last year, my neighbour next door and his children lived in Hangzhou. As a result, last year he returned to Mudanjiang to see old friends and died from drinking. Life is very ruthless. In the blink of an eye, my father has been gone for 7 years. I say this also to tell my younger brother, he is also very busy. As Ecclesiastes says, life is vanity of vanities, you must use God's eternal hope to fill it.

This Ecclesiastes Commentary that I wrote is a good book. Anyone who wants to buy it can come to Sister YX. Because this book sees the essence of life clearly, and only by seeing the essence of life clearly can you live well. I hope my younger brother can hear my heart and agree with what I said. I know he agrees, but he forgets when he gets busy. You must recognise the essence of life. If you see the essence of money clearly, God will give you wealth. If you recognise the essence of people, you will seek eternal life like Qin Shihuang and Solomon. There are still people who say that the Japanese are descendants of Xu Fu from the Qin Shihuang era who went to the islands of Japan. But why did Qin Shihuang seek eternal life? Because he saw through the essence of life. Many people think they have seen through it, but they have not actually seen through it.

Why are there corrupt officials? Because they have not seen through life, they desperately cling to the world and become greedy. Do not wait until you become Qin Shihuang to understand the vanity of life. We need the hope of eternal life. An elderly sister in our church, who was over eighty years old, used to worry about who would burn paper for her after she died before she believed in the Lord. At that time, she had not seen through it. But now she lives very happily because she has the hope of eternal life. If you ask me, is there really eternal life? I tell you, there is. If you ask me, have you seen eternal life? I have not seen it, but I have the hope of eternal life. A person with the hope of eternal life lives well. A person with the hope of eternal life can let go of the entanglements of this life, which is great!

5. A God Who Gives Hope of Eternal Life.

We know we desperately need the hope of eternal life. Eternal life is with God; it is in His hands. The Gospel of John records that those without hope of eternal life left Jesus because they only wanted bread, and Jesus did not stop them. But He turned around and asked Peter, Do you also want to leave? Peter replied, Lord, You have the words of eternal life. I will not leave. (John 6:66-68)

Eternal life is with God. To have eternal life, one must know God. My mother is lovely; she received many years of atheistic education but enjoys fortune-telling. Throughout her life, she has encountered many things in the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm operates through words, faith, dreams, and thoughts—these are all spiritual tools.

God is a Spirit. Recently, I resolved my mother's issue. She has been very earnest since believing in the Lord, even taking notes during sermons and gatherings. This time, when I returned to Mudanjiang, I took her to see an old man. The old man was very uncomfortable, saying he had lumbar disc disease. My mother then said, I have it too. In fact, her previous lumbar disc disease had long been healed. The old man would say where he was sick, and my mother would say she had it too. She thought this was comforting him, but as they talked, she became weakened, and her lumbar disc disease recurred. She thought it was just old age. Later, I rebuked my mother severely. Language is spirit; the spiritual realm operates, and my mother's back became problematic again. Later, I realized that my mother was comparing misfortunes with others, thinking that being more miserable than others could comfort them. I told her that building people's faith is the fundamental way to help them.

One sister was severely tormented by evil spirits. Before coming to our church, she knew about dragons because she had dragon marks on her body from an early age. Another sister was raised by her aunt. After her aunt passed away, the evil spirit from her aunt wanted to enter this sister's body. We prayed for this sister, and we saw her back as if it had been whipped. Later, we led her in prayer and she was delivered. These are all things that science cannot explain.

Science can only solve problems in the material world; it cannot explain problems in the spiritual world. God is a self-exalting God, a true God. Why did this brain cancer patient get discharged from the hospital? Because God is a healing God. I write the twelve core values of the church at the end of every book the church publishes. I believe many people recite the Apostles' Creed, but this cannot block the demons of the spiritual realm. Many people are captured by those from Almighty God cult.

God is a Spirit. When He comes upon you, you will receive power and can cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ. Such power of God gives us great hope. God loves us with a true love, and His love allows us to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. With the presence of the eternal God, miracles will surely happen, and God's power will be manifested. But with demons present, one experiences destruction. I encourage everyone to strive to know God, to know this God of eternal life.

If you take what I say out of context and debate with me, these words are all problems. But because of faith, there is joy and peace from God. With eternal life, there is joy and peace. I have not seen eternal life, but I believe I will receive joy and peace in eternal life.

6. Faith Brings Great Joy and Peace

I enjoy listening to my own sermons. I believe that with faith, there is a future; with hope, one can persevere and overcome; with miracles, life can be transformed. Paul said that through faith, God grants us joy and peace. Living by faith, joy and peace are feelings, but belief is what brings joy and hope. Feelings do not create faith. Faith can create good feelings, but it is not about believing only when there are good feelings and disbelieving when there are no good feelings. Do not care about any feelings; just choose to believe.

The faith of Jesus Christ is not based on feelings but on faith. God will fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Faith can resolve all complex problems. Jesus Christ solved problems through faith. In fact, the world operates through faith.

Last week, the Xiong'an New Area shook China, and people were filled with confidence in it. Real estate there increased fivefold, and the central government even had to stop it. Real estate and the stock market actually operate on people's faith. Through faith, God fills our hearts with all joy and peace. If you have faith, you are an extraordinary person. Extraordinary people all have faith; the difference is what they believe in.

On April 7, there was a China Summit in Norway, where Jack Ma spoke about three I believes. The first believe: women will control the future; the second: small is beautiful; the third: health and happiness are key.

Believing can avoid all arguments: I have no reason, but I believe. Today, we must come out of speculation and believe, not understand. It is not understanding that leads to belief; it is believing that enables understanding. Because of faith, God's Spirit works in our hearts.

Through faith, God fills our hearts with all joy and peace. We must receive with active faith. While we were still sinners, the Lord Jesus died for us; this is what God did, not what you or I did. What we need to do is receive with active faith.

We must know that with a person of faith, God will make you abound in hope, and you can receive the power of the Holy Spirit!

7. Faith Releases the Power of the Holy Spirit

Yesterday, Sister Xiaoqi came among us, and I led her through several Bible verses: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) If you believe in healing, you will surely be healed. The power of the gospel is healing, deliverance, and breaking curses! If you preach a different gospel, you will be cursed.

Healing and deliverance come through faith. Yesterday, in the 201 course on healing and deliverance, I spoke for more than an hour, but in reality, healing and deliverance can be summarized in one sentence: faith. Faith is the foundation of healing and deliverance; faith can make people strong and courageous, enable them to enter spiritual warfare, and deal with the devil, the enemy; faith gives people the hope of eternal life, no longer indulging the flesh, and beginning to offer themselves to God; faith gives people destiny, like Abraham, to become a blessing to all nations!

Faith can realize God's promises. If you only believe in the logic of the mind, you cannot have hope. If you believe in the powerful gospel of God, you will not lose hope in the face of difficulties!

8. Abounding in Hope

I encourage brothers and sisters to abound in hope. Do you see difficulties? But through faith, you can know that there is a path of reversal ahead, an opportunity for reversal.

If you are experiencing all kinds of suffering, it doesn't matter! Through faith, God's power will be manifested, and you will abound in hope! The environment cannot stop you; faith will enable you to transcend the environment. Our God is a God of great hope. Brothers and sisters who are experiencing difficulties, I encourage you to rekindle the faith within you and begin to be strong!

9. Conclusion

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3)

Your environment cannot stop you; faith can overcome the environment, and faith can create the future. The God we believe in is a God of great power. We must become strong again and become people of great power. What is light? Light is hope. Let the Spirit of God move among us. When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he experienced countless hardships. This was not long after he wrote 2 Corinthians. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Even if you encounter great difficulties, know that God will make you abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel we believe in is a powerful gospel, and the God we believe in is a God of great power. Our light and momentary troubles here on earth are working out for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all!

Let us pray together:

In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare: I have great hope in Jesus Christ. No matter what situation I face, all of this will pass! In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare: Through God who loves me, I have great hope. Nothing can separate me from the love of God. By faith, I will persevere to the end and see the glory of God! I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!