Introduction

Good day to all. Let us turn to 1 Samuel, chapter 26. The theme of this chapter, like the preceding ones, we will derive directly from the Scripture. The theme for this chapter comes from the last sentence: You shall do great things and also prevail! Now, examine yourselves to see if you are individuals capable of great deeds or merely capable of small tasks. I often say that if a person's heart resembles a peanut and their mind a walnut, they are incapable of great things, their eyes seeing only sesame seeds, green beans, and trivial matters. Be careful, and understand in your heart whom you should emulate. Saul said to David, You shall do great things and also prevail! These words came from the mouth of Saul, who was pursuing David.

Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David; you shall do great things and also prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. (1 Samuel 26:25)

Those Who Do Great Things and Prevail Can Distinguish Between Opportunity and Trial

I have seen many people act rashly, as if something is amiss in their thinking. Some often feel they have found a great opportunity, not allowing others to speak against it. Years ago, a friend told me he received an email from someone claiming to be an Arab prince, saying his family had a great deal of money but needed a lawyer to access it. This con artist asked my friend to fund the lawyer, promising a large share once the money was obtained. My friend wired over hundreds of thousands. Back then, though I wasn't sure if I was particularly clever, I felt that making money wasn't so easy. Something didn't seem right. I advised him not to be fooled, but he said he had flown to Spain and met lawyers and bankers in a financial building, convinced it was genuine.

Later, this friend suddenly vanished. The hundreds of thousands he wired weren't all his; most were borrowed. In the end, he ran away, never to be seen again. If indeed he was scammed, he wasn't just back to square one but to the Stone Age. Yet, he believed it was a golden opportunity. If you often say, This is an opportunity, and it truly is, you are likely not someone who does great things. How many people were deceived by P2P schemes in recent years? All those foolish, with walnut-sized minds and peanut-sized hearts, uneducated and unable to recognize a true opportunity. Easily swayed by scammers, easily fooled.

David is a fascinating person. The last time Saul relieved himself, David cut off a corner of Saul's robe but did not kill him. Later, David was in dire straits, facing starvation. It was truly a matter of life and death. David thought to seek food from Nabal's household, but asking for food for six hundred men was no small matter. Including women and children, there would be several hundred to a thousand people. Each person eating a pound a day would amount to a ton. David had it tough; his servants were insulted by Nabal when they asked for help.

Then Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” (1 Samuel 25:10-11)

David was angered by this and set out with his men, armed, to kill Nabal. This was shedding innocent blood, just because David was refused food and insulted. This was not the way. Fortunately, Abigail stopped David before he could kill Nabal, and David suddenly realized his error.

And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” (1 Samuel 25:31)

Having experienced these events, David suffered much. This time, Saul came again. David had not killed Saul last time but let him go. Now, the same situation replayed. It makes one wonder if David's decision last time was a mistake. Saul had said he would not pursue David, so why had he returned? Now, David had another chance to kill Saul with one spear thrust, as Saul was sleeping.

So David took the spear and the jug of water beside Saul’s head, and they went away. No one saw or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. (1 Samuel 26:12)

God caused Saul to sleep deeply, and David could have easily killed him with one spear thrust. Human thinking is interesting. Most people would feel that if they missed the chance last time, here was another chance. If one's mind is not sharp, one cannot do great things or prevail. They would be confused. Was it a mistake not to kill Saul last time? So God delivered him into David's hands again? Many would think so. However, in my view, this was a temptation, not an opportunity. If it is not an opportunity, it will not become one even if it appears a thousand times. Our brothers and sisters must understand that some things are not opportunities, even if they appear multiple times. If it wasn't an opportunity last time, why would it be this time? People's minds fail them here.

I encourage you to cultivate the habit of doing great things and prevailing. I should have some qualification to speak on this, as I enjoy doing great things. I do not hesitate to say that I dislike doing things in a constrained or uncomfortable way. Perhaps this is my Mingding Destiny: if we do something, let's do it big, not just kill Saul. Be a person who can do great things, one who blesses this generation! Since we are alive, we should be people who prevail. God loves a heart that prevails and desires to do great things. If a person's heart is the size of a peanut, they will only think of doing small things.

Even in death, be a person who can do great things! Be a person who prevails, who can distinguish between opportunity and temptation. First, be a person who prevails, overcoming each temptation as it comes. As I often say, life is simple. We don't eat or use much in a lifetime.

If a person has no great aspirations, no Mingding Destiny, no vision, no dreams in God's kingdom, no desire to do great things for God, no desire to be greatly used by God, no desire to be a vessel of God's glory in this generation, and lives life in such a way, it is truly a tragedy, their minds filled with insignificant matters.

If I have spoken too harshly, please do not take offense. Our pastoral leaders send many people to be class leaders for the 003 program. I hope to train these people through this role. Actually, I don't need them to be class leaders; it's just that their minds are not sharp, like spoiled paste or rotten eggs. They don't do the work well. Someone submits a first assignment, and they take 50 days to look at it, busy with a bunch of useless things. This is a person who does small things, not understanding that serving God is the great matter. Yet, when they face issues, they put God on hold. Do you believe that when they have problems, God will also take a break?

Their minds are filled with murky things, unable to distinguish between opportunity and trial. They live their lives unclearly and can only be taught slowly. But I am anxious. It is clear that serving God is our life's Mingding Destiny, yet these people treat it as a joke, valuing other trivial matters as treasures. One day, someone called me, asking me to look at the software he had developed, praising it highly. I said, Developing so much must have cost tens of millions, right? He said it cost nothing. I knew it was stolen. When he demonstrated it to me, I recognized an icon on the screen and sent a screenshot to my colleagues. They said it was an open-source project with many problematic elements, yet this person treated it as a treasure.

People who spend their days busy with such things are unlikely to achieve much. Is it an opportunity or a trial? David clearly distinguished. Let us ask ourselves if we can also distinguish clearly. If David had pierced Saul with a spear this time, the battle would have ended, and David would no longer have to flee. He had spared Saul's life last time, and this time Saul came seeking death. David should not be blamed. If David thought, God, I cannot miss this opportunity again. Thank God for this opportunity, his mind would be too small.

Let me clarify that we do not lack class leaders or those who serve. Serving is giving people opportunities. This is not self-promotion, but I truly do not need your service. All the ministries and training are not because we need people to do them, but to train everyone. I told the ministry leaders that from now on, we do not want those who do not want to do it. Before anyone comes, I must first talk to them. If they cannot do great things, let them do small things. We only want people who do great things, so we must distinguish between what is truly an opportunity, and serving God is an excellent opportunity. Whether it is an opportunity or a trial, you must ponder it slowly.

Those Who Do Great Things and Prevail Must Understand

There seem to be few people in this world who understand. So, what must we understand? We must understand that it is a tragedy to live a life without God's blessing, that life and death are in God's hands.

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

God can kill both body and soul, and God can resurrect people from the dead. Ponder this slowly: can we live by God? Those who do great things and prevail must understand that no matter how many times such a Saul appears, even a thousand times, it will not become an opportunity. It is the same with scammers who come before you; even if the same thing happens a thousand times, it will not become an opportunity. Once people are blinded by profit, thinking only of making money and not of losing it, they become confused and cannot understand. How much have you understood? How do you conduct yourself? How do you manage affairs? Do you truly understand in your heart?

A great calamity in this world is when servants ride on horses, and princes walk on foot. That is foolishness. It is a tragedy when people do not know that they do not understand and think they are capable. The office is big, the sofas and tables are big, but their minds are small, which is deadly. Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must pursue understanding in all you do and do everything clearly. Some people earn money without understanding, but whether they make or lose money, they are confused. They live their lives in confusion and are stubborn, which is truly a tragedy.

I have a small request for you: understand things one by one. Do not start another matter before understanding this one, ending up with everything in confusion, living blindly, thinking that blind people live anyway. If you understand everything, you cannot live, but actually, you can live well only when you understand things.

We must cultivate the habit of understanding things, so that when we encounter something again, we immediately recognize it as a trial. This is the second time Saul has run into the muzzle of a gun. If David killed Saul, he could not be blamed. Even if Saul were killed by a spear, it would not be David's intention but an accidental discharge. If David did this, it would mean he did not value Saul's life. Saul was the Lord's anointed, a man of God, and it was not for David to kill him with a spear. Whether Saul died in battle or was struck by God was God's business, not man's, and this must be understood in the heart.

But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (1 Samuel 26:9)

If people are confused in their hearts, they return to square one. If they are confused twice, they return to before Genesis. If they are confused three times, they return to the Stone Age, growing hair on their faces, unable to stand upright, becoming monkeys. But even as monkeys, they are confused monkeys. You must know that it is better to be a clear-minded person than a confused person. Be clear in your heart about what is happening and cultivate the habit of understanding things. Surely many of you have been caught in the trap, living in confusion until now. What should Christians be called in the Bible? They should be called “Confused Disciples.” I have found that the various teachings in the church seem to have renamed the church to Church of Confusion, and Christians have become Confused Disciples, which is unbearable.

To Achieve Great Things and Victory, One Must Uphold Fundamental Principles

Do not ever think that you are incapable of achieving great things, or doubt your ability to do so. If you are accustomed to idleness, waking up one day wanting to achieve great things, only to start doing sit-ups will not work. Having been idle for so many years, suddenly rising up to do great things is not feasible, and then you give up and lie down again. You keep tossing back and forth. A person who achieves great things must uphold fundamental principles and cannot be lazy, as laziness is not the solution to problems. The fundamental principle one must uphold is that God is in control of my life, and He will surely watch over and protect me. Whatever I do, I must do what is right in God's eyes.

To do what is right in God's eyes means never to kill the Lord's anointed one. Regardless of the angle, Saul was David's king, father-in-law, and superior, and he was the Lord's anointed one. He absolutely could not be killed; killing him would be offending God. Because Satan's earliest sin was rebelling against God, he was cast down to become Satan. If you are also a rebellious person, Satan will surely enter you. If David had killed Saul at that moment, Satan would have entered David's heart, and David's life would have been miserable. Not only would he not be able to achieve great things, but he wouldn't even be able to accomplish small tasks. Therefore, uphold fundamental principles, do not offend God, for disobeying God is sin.

David said, As surely as the Lord lives, he will strike him, or his time will come to die, or he will go into battle and perish. But I will never lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get his spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go. (1 Samuel 26:10-11)

David upheld this fundamental principle well. Last time, he cut off a corner of Saul's robe as proof, for which David felt quite regretful. If Saul had suddenly discovered someone with a knife beside him while relieving himself, they would have certainly fought. If, in the struggle, Saul had been accidentally stabbed to death, it would have been a friendly fire incident, which would have been troublesome. Last time, he didn't regret not killing Saul, but rather regretted doing something very disturbing. Cutting off a corner of Saul's robe didn't prove anything, so this time it was unnecessary.

Upholding fundamental principles will make it clear that this is not an opportunity, but definitely a trap. Brothers and sisters, how many times have you pushed God aside and invited doctors to your side? How many times have you tried to save your own life but failed? And how many times have you wanted to give God a vacation when you hear about His affairs? People often fail to uphold fundamental principles. These fundamental principles are all in the 《Bible》. I am leading everyone to study the 《Bible》 so that everyone can understand the fundamental principles in the 《Bible》. People who violate the fundamental principles in the 《Bible》 will not live well. The Ten Commandments in Chapter 20 of 《Exodus》 say that if you covet your neighbor's wife, house, property, servants, or vineyard, you will be cursed.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:17)

These fundamental principles must be upheld. Regardless of whether those things belong to your father, mother, or siblings, they belong to others and have little to do with you. According to worldly laws, you may have a share, but according to God's laws, you cannot covet these things. Because we are people who achieve great things, we will not lack money. Of course, you might say David lacked money; there were definitely times when he lacked money. If you were to ask me to list the fundamental principles, there would be too many to list. I might as well read the entire 《Bible》 to you.

Chinese Mingding Destiny grasps all the most important fundamental principles. Throughout the entire 《Bible》, God's intention is to build up the body of Jesus Christ, God's church. If people lose sight of this and are busy with their own trivial affairs all day long, then they are not people who achieve great things. It is normal for those who do not achieve great things to encounter lack. **Therefore, fundamental principles must be upheld. David upheld them once again in this chapter because he deeply understood in his heart that as long as he lived, God would surely protect him, which is a fundamental principle.

The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. May the Lord reward everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. Today I have valued your life highly, and may the Lord value my life highly and deliver me from all trouble.” (1 Samuel 26:23-24)

In the next chapter, David took Goliath's sword and ran to Achish, king of Gath, but nothing happened because his life was in God's hands. We often forget this fundamental principle as we live, and we fall into the trap of money, only seeing opportunities and not seeing snares. Therefore, everyone must begin to gradually restore the mindset of doing great things within us and know that those who trust in God lack no good thing; this is what it means to be a person who achieves great things, a victorious person. Victorious people will surely uphold God's fundamental principles, the most important of which is to build God's glorious church. If you do not have the desire to build God's glorious church in your heart, I wish you good luck. The reason is simple: building God's glorious church is a great thing!

To Achieve Great Things and Victory, One Must Not Easily Trust People

I will also give you a heads-up: don't think that because I give grace to this person or that person, that it is easy for me to trust anyone. I can choose to believe you through faith and then give you grace. But don't think that saying thank you, teacher will make me trust you. I don't trust you. When it really comes to your core interests, your face will be twisted, hair will grow on your face, your little canine teeth will grow long, and horns will grow on your head, just like the Bull Demon King.

That is because your core interests have not been touched. Of course, I will not easily touch them, nor will I easily trust people. In short, all my blessings come from God. And I tell you, people who achieve great things do not easily trust people; it is foolish to easily trust people. David did not kill Saul this time, and later Saul also said very pleasant things, asking David to return to be a commander of thousands and continue to live as the king's son-in-law, a royal consort.

Then Saul said, “I have sinned,” he said. “Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. I have been a fool and have been terribly wrong.” (1 Samuel 26:21)

But the question is, can he go back? You have to know what kind of person Saul is. He can be a human today and a ghost tomorrow. Sometimes he speaks human language, and sometimes he speaks ghostly language. At this time, David gave Saul a grace by not killing him. Next time, when Saul remembers, he will start to ponder again: David didn't kill him last time, so this time he probably won't let him off, right? You can't trust such a person. David knew that even if he had a hard time, even if he was homeless or even had to beg for food, he would not trust Saul, a petty person with a narrow mind. Everyone must know that you must never believe what people say; you must look at what people do. Sometimes, touching a person's core interests is a good thing; you will immediately know what kind of person they are.

Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words: If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.” (1 Samuel 26:19-20)

David made a decision, which was that Saul would take Saul's path, and he would continue to wander on this earth. If David went back to Saul today, what would happen if Saul turned into a demon again tomorrow? Better to forget it. Even Saul himself doesn't know when he will turn into a demon; even he himself cannot control it. Many people are like Saul, unable to control themselves, so don't easily trust people. Give the grace you have given to him freely, and don't expect to get anything from him in return. It doesn't matter if you give it away freely again because those who achieve great things and victory can overcome all trials. We don't expect anything in return when we give grace because the 《Bible》 has long told us that after giving, we should not think about taking it back. It has little to do with us whether people are willing to dedicate to God.

Those who achieve great things and victory should not easily trust people. If you are going to easily trust, don't think you are just a great philanthropist. Easily trusting is for the purpose of getting benefits from people. Is it to let Saul go back and not forget David's grace so that he can send a few cartloads of grain and provisions to David? This is like seeking a skin from a tiger; it is impossible. This story is told very well. Everyone must gradually be able to discern whether the circumstances before you are an opportunity. We must always understand in our hearts that we must uphold fundamental principles and be able to not easily want to get benefits from others.

Saul is a Person Who Does Small Things

Although Saul was the king of Israel and the Lord God's anointed one, his mind was so narrow. He became what he was, and an evil spirit from the Lord came upon him because of an extremely insignificant matter. Saul is not a person who does great things, nor is he a victorious person. He had a mental breakdown because of one sentence: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.

As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7)

Can you trust a mental patient like Saul? Don't think that there are only two kinds of people in the world: normal people and mental patients. In fact, there is only one kind of person in this world: some people have only 1% mental illness, some have 10% mental illness, some have 30% or 60%, and some have 100% mental illness. Everyone has mental illness, but you just don't know when their mental illness will strike. One thing I can do is to lead everyone to develop the habit of doing great things so that everyone can see into eternity at a glance.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, our vision must change. When our vision changes, our minds will be broadened, and we will understand in our hearts, and then we will know God. That feeling of clarity is too good. If you don't feel well, you have to be careful; you may really have the heart of Saul inside. Don't be so picky; to do great things you have to give things away. I often remind everyone to live with a sense of destiny, to know why you are living, to be able to see the glory in eternity. I just want to bring everyone to that state. Start to broaden our minds, change our thinking, and life will be wonderful. Do you want to live a wonderful life? If you want to live a wonderful life, you must do great things and be a victorious person.

After listening to me, everyone should think carefully about whether this is the truth. When our minds are small, like Saul's, we feel uncomfortable. If you have 90% of Saul in you, then you will be uncomfortable 90% of the time; if you have 90% of David in you and 10% of Saul, you will have clarity and comfort in your heart 90% of the time because even your enemies know that you are a person who does great things.

The devil definitely knows that I am a person who does great things, and I am always alert to myself so that I don't fall into the pit all the time, and I don't accidentally mistake trials and temptations for opportunities. I have learned one thing: Whenever it involves money, be very careful. Therefore, I don't charge money for helping people; it's free. Later, I led a group of brothers and sisters who were willing to give and offer themselves wholeheartedly. With everyone's giving, in God's kingdom, in the spiritual world, we are invincible. Wherever we go, the devil and the enemy are trampled underfoot!

Everyone remember not to be Saul because Saul's mind is too small. Before I end, I will tell you a story. One sister was recently fired because she was 90% like Saul. After she was fired, the supervisor who fired her offended many subordinates. These subordinates united to complain about this supervisor. Those colleagues found her and asked her if she wanted to join them. At this time, she had to decide whether to be Saul or David. This sister actually understood in her heart that she shouldn't do this, but she felt that if she didn't do it, she wouldn't be able to vent her anger.

So she called her pastor, hoping that her pastor would tell her that she could do it, but she also knew in her heart what kind of answer her pastor would give her. In fact, to vent this anger, just find a place to fart. If you use the method of complaining to vent your anger, what you get is God's wrath. The key is, will complaining bring her back to work? Not necessarily! It has nothing to do with her being fired. Therefore, do not violate fundamental principles. You see how easily people fall into the pit. The devil planned a pit and let you jump into it. If you really jump in, people will really fill it with soil and bury you alive. If there are no big things in your heart, only trivial matters, then it is dangerous.

From now on, everyone should develop a habit of victory, a habit of doing great things, and a habit of having a sense of destiny. The previous chapters said, You will surely be king, and the kingdom will be firmly established in your hands, and Whatever you do will be blessed. Don't think this is a joke. This is very likely a million-dollar or ten-million-dollar decision, or even a billion-dollar decision. Everyone has to think carefully. In this chapter, David made another very smart decision. He would never be hot-headed. Even if Saul falls into his hands again next time, it is not an opportunity because David is very clear that God absolutely does not want such a thing to happen.

May God bless you all!