Introduction

In the annals of human history, the church holds paramount importance, for it is the very embodiment of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we, as brothers and sisters, must cultivate a profound understanding of the church. God unveils the future to us, with the express purpose of empowering us to build a triumphant church. Martin Luther's Reformation reshaped the concept of the church. Many Christians earnestly seek to draw near to God, yet they neglect the divine intention for the church. Consequently, numerous promises enshrined in the Bible remain unfulfilled in their lives, and their prayers seem to fall short of divine response.

In this day and age, many shy away from building the church, opting instead to construct ministries or pursue independent ministries. However, God's heart is for us to build the church, to shepherd His flock. These novel approaches fall short of His desires. As I delve into the Scriptures, I have come to realize that the overarching theme of the New Testament is not merely love. At times, love can be perplexing. Rather, the New Testament emphasizes the establishment of God's glorious church.

Paul penned numerous epistles, each addressed to a specific church: Ephesians to the church in Ephesus, 1 and 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth, and Philippians to the church in Philippi. Paul's singular aim in writing these letters was to establish God's glorious church.

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)

In essence, we must recognize today that the church is God's temple. This signifies that God's spirit dwells among us, and His glory fills our midst. If we fail to build the church in accordance with God's revelation, we invite trouble. David built the temple based on divine revelation, not on his own whims, but according to God's design. Moses constructed the tabernacle according to the pattern revealed to him on the mountain.

In our examination of the Scriptures, we observe that God's revelation to David concerning the temple extended to the minutiae, such as the precise colors of the threads used to adorn the temple's curtains. Such details were explicit and unambiguous. One might question the necessity for such exacting specifications—why insist on this color thread and that color thread? Let us not dwell on these questions. The crucial point is whether we are building the church according to God's revelation. Only by building in accordance with divine revelation will God's glory fill our midst, and the church will triumph.

The Concepts of Triumph and Salvation

God's intent is to establish a triumphant church. Therefore, we must understand that a triumphant church must be built according to God's revelation. A nation built according to God's revelation, according to His heart, is destined for strength. A family built according to God's will is also poised for triumph. The issue, however, is that these pursuits—nation-building, family-building, business ventures, and career planning—are not of paramount importance, as they are not explicitly addressed in the Scriptures. Rather, the focus is on building a triumphant church.

Paul's epistles were directed to the church, and even in Revelation, the letters are addressed to the church. Thus, the church is of utmost significance. The Bible also affirms that the church is the body of Jesus Christ, the bride of Jesus Christ, and the very desire of God's heart. If you grasp that the church is God's desire, how will you build it? Through personal cultivation, or in concert with your brothers and sisters to fulfill this Mingding Destiny?

God never intended to transform this world. He intends to destroy it and build His glorious church within it. The Scriptures make it clear that this world will become increasingly corrupt, resembling the depravity of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the days of Noah. Similarly, in the end times, we will witness the establishment of God's glorious church, paving the way for Jesus' return. Revelation vividly portrays the state of the end-time church, underscoring that triumph is paramount.

Early in my ministry, when establishing a church in Singapore, I harbored a profound desire for the church to emulate Jesus, to be a triumphant church. Yet, despite my efforts, it remained desolate. Later, through careful study of the Scriptures, I arrived at the concept of triumph. We must now embark on building a triumphant church, as this concept is of utmost significance.

We often hear assertions such as, I am baptised, I believe in the Lord, I am saved! Yet, I fail to see the evidence of salvation in many lives. Thus, I delved into God's heart and discovered that His concern extended beyond mere salvation to the issue of triumph.

In essence, we must recognize today that triumph is paramount! Salvation is triumph, and triumph is salvation. Can there be salvation without triumph? Many assert, Once saved, always saved! You must have assurance of salvation! Yet, where is the fruit of such salvation? I witness the defeat of the Israelites who departed Egypt with Moses, only to perish in the wilderness.

I ponder the fate of those Israelites who perished in the wilderness—did they ascend to heaven or descend to hell? It is impossible to say. However, one certainty remains: they did not triumph. They became a generation that provoked God's displeasure. Since God was displeased with them, could they possibly come before Him? This puzzles me.

My conviction is that brothers and sisters must rise up to live triumphant lives, to strive for triumph in all things. Once the concept of triumph takes root, it is truly remarkable! We must, by all means, become outstanding Christians. We must gradually adjust our understanding of salvation and triumph, and then establish a triumphant church.

Triumphant Disciples, Triumphant Church

Triumphant disciples, a triumphant church—these are the keys. My conviction is: if we do something, we must strive to do it to the best of our ability, or not do it at all. I yearn to establish the best church possible. Even if it falls short, we must hold this aspiration in our hearts. This is the pursuit of excellence. I find that many Christians lack this quality of excellence, approaching their faith with a perfunctory attitude. These two approaches are vastly different. We must, by all means, become triumphant disciples.

In the realm of warfare, what is the outcome when an army suffers defeat? They are captured and enslaved by the enemy. This is far from ideal. Our battle against the devil yields the same result. God clearly promises us triumph, so why do we suffer defeat? It is because we have failed to build a triumphant church according to His will.

I often observe individuals busying themselves with building a church, yet falling short in many areas. This is akin to Moses constructing the tabernacle but reducing the number of pegs from fifty to thirty, or shrinking the width of a curtain from one meter to half a meter. This is cutting corners. Many of us today are also cutting corners, which is unacceptable.

Some years ago, China had a term for substandard construction projects: tofu-dreg projects. These are disastrous! If a building is constructed poorly and collapses, many will perish within its walls. Similarly, if a dam is poorly constructed, a flood will breach it and engulf the villages below. We must recognize that a substandard project is worse than no project at all.

If we build the church without adhering to God's word, the consequences are dire, and it is better not to build at all. This explains many strange phenomena, such as pastors contracting cancer. This is a result of cutting corners, of failing to build the church according to God's will, and of misinterpreting the Scriptures, claiming that cancer is a blessing in disguise. In truth, it is the result of failing to triumph. Failure to triumph stems from failing to follow God's word, from cutting corners, and from building a substandard church. Such a church will be easily overrun by the enemy, captured, and oppressed by the devil.

The discernment of good and evil is a grave matter. It is not merely that Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit; many churches today also partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If Adam and Eve died as a result of eating that fruit, so shall we. Therefore, we must break free from this destructive habit.

In the past, we observed the Lord's Day, dedicating the entire day to the Lord. Later, it became half a day. Eventually, it dwindled to the Lord's hour! And even the Lord's hour proved unsustainable, with attendance becoming sporadic. Is this not calamitous? Some pastors even commend American churches for holding one-hour Sunday services, claiming that ours is wrong for holding services for two, or even four or five hours. But we are to observe the Lord's Day, not merely the Lord's Hour!

The same applies to baptism. Initially, it was performed in the Jordan River. Later, it was done in tanks, but tanks were deemed wasteful of water. Then, it was done in basins, and eventually, with cups. Finally, it was reduced to a mere dab of water from a wine cup with a fingertip. If we cut corners in such a simple matter as baptism, can we be relied upon to pay the price in other areas? Brothers and sisters, do not think that we have gone astray. Our costly approach to faith aligns with Revelation. If we shrink from dedicating time to serve, how can we possibly offer our lives when sacrifice and devotion are demanded?

Do not imagine that our Christian faith is a superficial one. Why is God so manifestly present among us? I often tell the brothers and sisters that we have truly discovered a treasure, a treasure that solves our medical concerns. Doctors cannot profit from me, but whether they profit from you depends on your destiny. What destiny? On whether you are truly willing to build His glorious church according to God's will.

Do not engage in personal cultivation, for personal cultivation is ineffectual! For years, from the time of Martin Luther's Reformation until today, we have finally witnessed God restoring the pure truth and the pure gospel of the Bible in our generation. This gospel is a powerful gospel, and we must rely on the Lord to triumph in this life. As we rely on the Lord and build a triumphant church, God's glory will fill our midst. I tell you, medical expenses will be eliminated, the scourge of senility will be lifted, and the time spent on sickbeds will be no more. Some may scoff, claiming I exaggerate. But this is not an exaggeration; it is a living reality among us!

The events that have transpired in my mother's life over the past few months are truly miraculous. She was on the verge of developing senility, but after casting out the demons, she recovered! She was suffering from incontinence, but after casting out the demons, she was healed! She would become breathless after walking only a few steps and would need to rest, but now she can walk great distances without tiring. Though she is older than last year, she is physically stronger. Can you understand? Why is this so? Because of triumph.

We do not live defeated lives as Christians. We do not cut corners. We do not seek to build according to our own whims. Rather, we build according to God's will. As God reveals and instructs us, so we build. This is the key.

Revelation repeatedly speaks of those who triumph. One might ask, why not write about what happens to those who fail? It is not that way. He wrote to seven churches, not to seven individuals. If he had written to seven individuals, each person could simply cultivate his or her own spiritual life, is that so? Today is the age of building a glorious church. The theological concepts of this age must be rewritten, returning to the Bible, to the state of the church in the era when John wrote Revelation, to the state of the church in the era of the Apostle Paul, and to the state of the powerful church in the Book of Acts.

Our theology is no longer the theology of Martin Luther, for that level is too low. Nor should we revert to the theology of Calvin. We do not return to the theology of Watchman Nee or John Sung. We must return to the Bible, for God is abundantly restoring His word and His glory to the church in this generation. I truly believe that God will do great things among us, exceedingly great things. For through Revelation, He reveals to us the state of those who triumph!

Brothers and sisters among us, it is difficult not to be blessed! The key lies in whether you have become a disciple, whether you are a triumphant disciple. If you are a triumphant disciple, you will witness that all of God's promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, in the church. These promises will come to pass in your life and mine. These are powerful words, this is the theology of Paul.

Today, brothers and sisters must begin to build a triumphant church. There are several things described in the Bible that you should carefully consider. First, Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are written to the messengers of the churches, which in the English Bible are called angels. They are written to the angels of the churches. In Revelation chapter 1, it says:

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20)

Then Paul wrote to the angel of the church in Ephesus, to the angel of the church in Smyrna, and to the angels of the churches in Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The angel is the spirit of the church.

Why write to the angel of the church? I have carefully deliberated, pondered, and prayed, and discovered that it represents the spirit of the church. The angel of the church represents the condition of the church, the soul or spiritual condition of the church. Let me share a perspective with you. Each of us has a guardian angel. When our spiritual life is weak, our guardian angel is weak. If we are spiritually corrupt, our guardian angel is unable to protect us. If we are spiritually strong, our guardian angel is strong.

The Bible makes it clear that this angel is closely related to our spiritual condition. That is, the seven stars are closely related to the condition of the church. Today, if those seven churches have seven stars, what is the state of our church's star in God's hand? That state is our church's triumphant state. Similarly, our church's triumphant state determines the star in God's hand. The spiritual condition of the church determines the type of star. I am open to challenges on this, as I may be mistaken, but it is simply my understanding.

When we are spiritually strong, our guardian angels are also strong. When our church is very strong, our church's guardian angels are also very strong. This is Jesus, our God, writing to the messengers of the churches. God speaks to the spiritual condition of our entire church. A weak spiritual condition in the church is a serious problem. The star and the lampstand are related in that as we strive to build an excellent church, our star shines brightly in God's hand. As Daniel wrote:

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

If you become a builder of a glorious church, leading many to righteousness, you will shine like a star in the heavens. Brothers and sisters, understand that the spiritual condition of each church is in God's hands. Why does God not make us strong? It is not that He does not desire our strength. He longs for our strength. However, the choice lies with you and me, whether we are willing to follow God's word. If we build God's church according to His word, we will build a triumphant church. The church is merely a lampstand. Whether there is light on the lampstand depends on the spiritual condition of your church.

The phrase to the one who overcomes is repeated, indicating that God's intention is for us to overcome. Only those who overcome receive the reward. How can those who do not overcome receive the reward? Brothers and sisters, we must be overcoming Christians to receive the blessings of God's kingdom! If we are being oppressed by the devil, being defeated, it will be wretched. Then you must ask yourself, what am I doing? Brothers and sisters, let us learn to be overcoming Christians so that we can partake of God's rewards. Not only should we be overcoming Christians, but we should also build a triumphant church together, for the church is God's desire.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Do not think that God is only speaking to the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, or the church in Thyatira. God is not just speaking to these individual churches. He is speaking to all the churches.

Today, the churches on earth can choose to be overcoming churches or failing churches. They can choose to be repentant churches, overcoming their bad habits, or unrepentant churches. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must realize that God is speaking to all the churches. What does it mean that God is speaking to all the churches? It means that you can make your own choice between overcoming and not overcoming. When we established the church, I chose to build an overcoming church.

Thank God that as long as we dare to think it in our hearts and strive toward the goal of triumph, God will accomplish it. For God is seeking brothers and sisters with this mindset to be raised up to build a triumphant church. Today, we must begin to contemplate this one thing, to contemplate the mindset of triumph. You must have a mindset of triumph. If you do not have a mindset of triumph, you cannot build a triumphant church. For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The result of a man's life is produced from his heart.

Our church has reached this point because, years ago, in a desolate state, we maintained a mindset of triumph. Brothers and sisters, I encourage you, whatever you do, begin with a mindset of triumph. As for doing it well or poorly, that is not the key. The key is a mindset of triumph.

You know, when I was building the church, I knew clearly that I had to do everything well. Initially, every word, every audio, and video on the website was edited by me. I am a very dedicated person. I never cut corners. Thank God, I do not know if God created me this way or if I later chose this way. But I thank my God for giving me this mindset of triumph, for giving me this mindset of pursuing excellence, and then God enabled us to build a triumphant church.

How thrilled I am to see this triumphant state today! Yet, incredibly, some people are willing to leave the church. I do not understand what is so good about the things of the world, what is so attractive that it can cause people to leave the church. They have no eye for treasure! But we must understand that we must have this vision, seeing how precious this is.

This is what God says to the churches. Does God not desire every church to triumph? God desires every church to triumph! If the church does not triumph, you are responsible, and we are responsible. For God has predestined us to triumph. God has prepared each of us to receive the Promised Land. The key is whether you are willing to go in, the key is our mindset, that is, faith. How we believe in God in our hearts is how God will accomplish it.

In the days to come, God will greatly manifest His power among us. God will do marvelous works among us. What God has prepared for us is what no eye has seen, no mind has conceived, and no ear has heard. That exciting era is about to arrive.

The work that we are doing today is to bless this entire generation. I dare to boldly say before God: The revelation that God has given us today will influence the future form of the church. Today, we must take on this Mingding Destiny to re-influence this generation, so that the churches that are built can return to the original form of the Bible, so that the church is filled with God's presence. Today, we must begin to have greater faith. That is why we say that the church we are building today will surpass the early church, that the latter glory will be greater than the former glory.

I am so grateful to God that I can participate in such a project, that I can begin to see how wonderful the things that God is doing among us are. Perhaps many years from now, when people mention the generation in which we live, they will mention us, just as they mention Martin Luther. I believe such things will happen. Because I have personally seen how many brothers and sisters among us are willing to give everything for God, no longer living small lives, but living lives of complete devotion. I am very grateful to have such a group of brothers and sisters, and I believe that there will be more people like us in the future.

Characteristics of the Overcoming Church

The Church in Ephesus: Repent from Where You Have Fallen

The first characteristic of an overcoming church is that of Ephesus.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:2-7)

A characteristic of an overcoming church: Repent from where you have fallen. If we are constantly debunking falsehoods, trying to discern true and false apostles, then we have forgotten our initial goal. What was the initial goal? It was the initial love. The initial love should not be lost because of debunking falsehoods. Today, our church rarely focuses on heresies or spends all day debunking false apostles. What we need to do now is to restore our initial love.

Some may say, You have cast out so many demons, but God does not know you. Is it because casting out demons prevents God from knowing them? No, it is because in the process of casting out demons, they forget their initial love. Today, our brothers and sisters must understand that even while casting out demons, we must remember that our God is love. We do not cast out demons for the sake of casting out demons, but to transmit God's love, to release captive souls, to liberate the oppressed, and to allow them to see the length, breadth, height, and depth of God's love. Know that service within the church is not the most important thing; you are the most important thing.

We may bring about a change in the management system, whether in running a company, a business, an educational institution, or building a church. Talent is the most important thing, not the work itself. Some time ago, I went to that De Sheng Yang Lou, and I asked the boss, What if your employees are under pressure? He said, Then reduce the pressure! I said, What if the work is not finished? He said, If it's not finished, the sky won't fall!

I think we should have this attitude. Let brothers and sisters do ministry, not for the sake of doing ministry, but so that your lives can be built up. Life growth is key, so we are guided by the life growth of our brothers and sisters. Don't forget this initial love. Knowing the hard work and perseverance of your brothers and sisters, you may inadvertently get caught up in a works-based mindset.

We deal with the Nicolaitans, and the Nicolaitans indulge in the flesh. Whoever has fallen from this level, repent and turn to God, and you will enter God's paradise and eat the fruit of the tree of life. People and churches at this level should start running towards the garden of the Father's love. Today, our church must start running towards the garden of the Father's love. When we arrive at the garden of the Father's love, we can eat the fruit of the tree of life, and we will no longer eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will lead us to constantly discern true and false apostles, which does not solve our real problems.

When we enter the garden of the Father's love and eat the fruit of the tree of life, we can strike at the devil all the way to his headquarters. Today, as we continue to climb to higher spiritual heights, the effectiveness of healing and deliverance will be so shocking as to be unimaginable. Even in situations where a person's spirit has left their body and their body is being controlled by an evil spirit, our prayers can bring their spirit back and cast out the evil spirit. This has happened among us.

I am so grateful to God. Today, our brothers and sisters must begin to understand that if we overcome, God will give us the fruit of the tree of life to eat. If you eat the fruit of the tree of life, you will be filled with joy. That state is truly wonderful. Have you eaten it? I am still running, and I really want to eat the fruit of the tree of life. All the pan-fried buns, bird's nest, white fungus, and shark fin soup cannot compare to the fruit of the tree of life. That is the result of overcoming. This is the first characteristic.

What is this characteristic? Know that the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands is described as such because such a church will see the Spirit of God moving among us, and the entire church's spiritual condition is in the hand of Jesus Christ, in the hand of the Son of Man! That's great! This is what is about to happen in our time.

The Church in Smyrna: Faithful Unto Death

The second characteristic of an overcoming church is that of Smyrna.

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and rose again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)

Whether you like it or not, you will encounter someone in your life: Satan. Either you become Satan's slave, or you trample Satan under your feet. We must know that Satan's claws will attack us. It says here that those who claim to be Jews are not Jews, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Today, when we build a church, we must build a holy church, not bring the synagogue of Satan into the church. Many things are corrupted from within. The church in Jerusalem brought those who adhered to Judaism and practiced Mosaic circumcision into the church as false brothers. They are not Jews; they are the synagogue of Satan. They are Pharisees who enter the church to corrupt it.

Today, brothers and sisters must understand that when faced with this situation, we must be faithful unto death. Faithful unto death means having a faithfulness that is not afraid of death. Those who are faithful unto death can strike at the devil Satan. Why is our healing and deliverance so effective? Because healing and deliverance is striking at the devil, our enemy. I am not afraid of death. I have a faith that says, Let me die! I don't care about anything; I just engage with the devil and strike at the devil, our enemy.

Even if false Jews, false brothers, sneak into the church and promote works-based and other chaotic things, we only need to know one thing: As long as we have faithfulness unto death, we may be betrayed or whatever, but we don't care. You will receive a reward: You will not suffer the second death. Know that our God is the God who controls history. He is the God who died and rose again, who overcame death. Therefore, we must not be afraid. We must be faithful unto death, fear nothing, and in the future, we can enjoy the glory that God has prepared for us in eternity!

The Church in Pergamum: No Love for the World, No Indulgence of the Flesh, No Love for Money

The third characteristic of an overcoming church.

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword: I know that you live where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your city, where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever hasears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:12-17)

This is talking about building a church where Satan has his throne. It really takes courage. Although some people have been killed, these brothers and sisters are still holding fast to God's name and have not renounced God's way. Today, if we see through life and death, what else do we care about? But you will find that after seeing through life and death, there are still some people who follow the teaching of Balaam.

What kind of person is Balaam? Balaam is a prophet who loves money. One thing that our brothers and sisters must be careful about is not to love money. You may have the gift of prophecy, and God may use you to prophesy and perform healing and deliverance, but must your heart not love the world or love money? If you see Balak's silver and gold treasures, will you then follow Balak? Loving money is very deadly. Balaam loves money, and the Nicolaitans indulge in the flesh.

If people both love money and indulge in the flesh, God will attack them with the sword of his mouth and pierce them to death. Perhaps you will say, Why is God so ruthless? God is that ruthless, so we must repent. One characteristic of an overcoming church is to deal with the Nicolaitans and the Balaamites, and to strive to remove the bad habits of loving money, loving the world, and indulging in the flesh from among us.

I have found that many people like to travel. When I travel myself, disaster always strikes after I return. Once, I had a nosebleed after returning from a trip. Another time, I took my family out to play, and when I came back, I was surrounded by enemies. Later, I realized that going on a trip is too spiritual. Loving money, indulging in the flesh, and eating, drinking, and having fun are all very spiritual things. When I was performing healing and deliverance for my mother, something happened. I asked the evil spirit, Why are you here again? It said, Because QL likes to play, I came to find her to play.

The evil spirit was cast out and then came back, cast out and then came back... It was really annoying. I wanted to solve this problem. I wanted to get my mother out of eating, drinking, and having fun. Finally, my mother overcame. Once we remove the indulgence of the flesh, the love of the world, and the love of money from within us and begin to gain destiny, God will give us the hidden manna and give us a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

You know that when we indulge in the flesh, love the world, and love money, we will walk down the wilderness road. In the wilderness, without manna, we will die. When we walk through the wilderness road, we will cross the Jordan River and erect a stone to record what God has done among us, while those who do not repent will be killed in the wilderness.

Why did the Israelites, who came out of Egypt and experienced God's mighty salvation, die in the wilderness? Because they were unwilling to repent. Without repentance, there is no way to overcome. Even if you eat manna, you will die in the wilderness. Today, God gives us manna so that we can walk through the wilderness, begin to inherit the land, and enter the land flowing with milk and honey. We must know that the sword attacks those who are killed in the wilderness.

If you want to overcome, you can go in and inherit the land. If you don't want to overcome, then you will be killed in the wilderness. Which is better for us to do today? What kind of Christians is better for us to be? Of course, to be overcoming Christians! Overcoming Christians suffer less and can inherit the land flowing with milk and honey. At this stage, our God is showing that his mouth has a sharp, double-edged sword. Are you afraid? Anyway, I am very afraid. Brothers and sisters, we learn a lesson from this, which is to be willing to be an overcomer.

At the end of the world, we either choose martyrdom or choose to be raptured. Those who overcome will be caught up into the air to meet the Lord. Those who are left behind have no good choices. If one day you find that there are far fewer people coming to church, you will know what has happened. At that time, it is the generation when the Antichrist reigns. You only have one way to choose: to be martyred. If you do not choose martyrdom, you will be mixed up with the Antichrist, collude with him, surrender under him as a slave, and still die when the end of the world comes.

The Church in Thyatira: Overcoming Control

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze: I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of their ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you):

Only hold on to what you have until I come. To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29)

This reflects the phenomenon of control in the church. If a church enters into being controlled, it is difficult for this church to overcome. The control of the church comes from the relationships between the brothers and sisters in the church. Brothers and sisters must know that there can be no controlling behavior between us, and none of us can deprive anyone of their freedom. Our God hates control, because control can release evil spirits.

I know a church with a very interesting phenomenon. The pastor preaches that this work should be done this way, and when everyone goes back and asks the pastor's wife, she says it should be done that way. The employees in this church ask their pastor: If your and your wife's orders are different, what should we do? The pastor said, Listen to my wife. How difficult is it for the employees below to work!

How can it be like this? Authority cannot be negotiated. Brothers and sisters must know for sure that if you are sitting in a position of authority, you cannot give authority to others. You can't say that what you say doesn't count, but what others say counts. Otherwise, why would you go home and quarrel? Isn't that control?

Brothers and sisters must know that our God's eyes are like flames, and our God does not tolerate sand in His eyes. You may see His deeds, love, faith, diligence, and patience, and that the good deeds He does are more than what He says He will do, but this cannot replace God's hatred of people being controlled. Thank God, today I have not seen the phenomenon of control in our church.

We cannot build a glorious church of God through tolerance and compromise. To build an overcoming church, we must resist this state of control. This state is very deadly. Not only is this true of the church, but also of enterprises. If you see that an enterprise boss's wife is controlling him from behind, this enterprise cannot go on. It's not that behind every successful man there is a successful woman. If it is said that way, it is a kind of control.

So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of their ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Revelation 2:22-23)

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. (Revelation 2:26-28)

Brothers and sisters, if the church has a state of control, you must be careful. Today, many churches are difficult to get out of control. The thing behind control is Satan, that ancient serpent. Our God's eyes are like flames, and His feet are like burnished bronze. Many of our sisters come from such churches, saying that only the few people stipulated can do healing and deliverance, and others cannot do healing and deliverance. Isn't this control? So evil spirits will operate there. How much suffering these brothers and sisters have to endure!

Our God examines our hearts. If our hearts are only for using our authority to control the church, God will completely smash us like pottery! We never control or coerce people, but all those who have a destiny and are willing to break control with us, we will build an overcoming church together.