Some churches are filled with God's glory, manifesting His power; others are extremely desolate, with no presence of God to be seen. What is the reason for this?

I hear many people professing to be devout Christians, I believe in Jesus, yet the lives they live are not victorious or prosperous at all; there is no dignity to speak of! They merely have a form of godliness, godly behavior, but lack faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit. They are merely living dead, relying on works. What can one accomplish by relying on works? Only by being revived in the spirit can one truly live, and only through rebirth can one see the Kingdom of God!

How can we be victorious? When we face trials, experience numerous difficulties, and feel utterly exhausted, can we maintain our faith to the end? Can we endure with patience in order to receive the glorious crown in eternal life? Can we pay the price and never give up in order to obtain our Mingding Destiny? Can we avoid indulgence in worldly pleasures when we are prosperous and not forget the initial fervor to serve God? Can we remain vigilant in the face of temptations, keep our eyes open, and overcome the schemes of the devil?

When darkness comes, and gloom covers the earth, and great disasters are imminent, shall we escape from the catastrophe and enter the ark prepared for us by God? Shall we remain vigilant, pray constantly, and not forget to examine our initial intentions? In this chapter, God continues to reveal to us the characteristics of a victorious church. He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches! If you have the aspiration to build a victorious church, this chapter is written for you!

The Fifth Church: Sardis

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. (Revelation 3:1)

It is the Spirit of God that makes a church alive. The church cannot live by works; if it is based on works, it has a name that it is alive, but it is dead. The church is a group of people gathered in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of God operates in the church and in the relationship between brothers and sisters. If faith is dead, the person is dead, and there is no presence of God.

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. (Matthew 24:34-35)

Believing in Jesus requires believing in the word of God. The Bible says that heaven and earth will pass away, but the word of God will not pass away. What Jesus said to us is very important. Jesus said to pray and be vigilant, including two aspects: first, to seriously study the word of God rationally; second, to restore the power of the church in the spirit.

I believe in Jesus does not necessarily mean that you are alive or dead. Only by being revived in the spirit can one truly live, and only through rebirth can one see the Kingdom of God. We must be vigilant and pray to escape the great tribulation that is to come. Vigilance and prayer are closely linked, and prayer is closely linked to praying in the spirit and praying with understanding.

It is important for the Spirit of God to operate in the church. The church began to be built from the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended. The descent of the Holy Spirit is closely related to the establishment of God's church. The Acts of the Apostles describes churches with great power. Today, we see churches without power, which have a name that they are alive, but they are dead. Without the presence of God, there are no miracles of God; without faith, there is no presence of God; without faith, they have a name that they are alive, but they are dead. We must be vigilant and pray, praying for the Spirit of God to descend.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' (Acts 1:4-8)

The gospel preached by the Apostle Paul is a gospel filled with the Holy Spirit, and the gospel preached by the Lord Jesus is also such a gospel: filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving the Holy Spirit, the descent of the Holy Spirit. We must read the Bible clearly. When the Apostle Paul preached the gospel, he would ask them, Have you received the Holy Spirit?

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. (Acts 19:2)

Receiving the Holy Spirit is very important, and it is consistent from the Lord Jesus to the Apostle Paul. One hundred and twenty disciples waited for the Holy Spirit under the leadership of Mark. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not automatic; it requires earnest and urgent prayer.

And He said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:5-13)

Vigilance means being vigilant in prayer.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13)

A person who is not vigilant in the spirit is like a virgin without oil in her lamp (see Matthew 25:1-12). If a church does not pray, it is dead. Before 2011, our church did not value prayer, and it was dead. Later, we imitated the Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ and began to pray in tongues extensively. Today, we preach the gospel with great power, the victorious gospel of Paul.

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:5-6)

Confessing the name of Jesus cannot be done by the flesh; Peter denied the Lord three times by the flesh. If one does not confess the Lord to the end, one is not known by the Lord. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit and renewed, one is powerless, having a name that one is alive, but is dead. What the Holy Spirit says to the churches is to become victorious. The Holy Spirit makes us alive, and building a church must be a church that is vigilant in prayer. In the past, we used our public holidays for fasting and prayer, and at that time, we turned from death to life. May God remember our dedication.

The Sixth Church: Philadelphia

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. (Revelation 3:7-8)

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. (Revelation 3:10-11)

The church in Philadelphia is the one holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, which has already opened doors that no one can shut. That is what God opens and shuts for us, and no one else can influence it. You will see those of the synagogue of Satan come and bow down at our feet. Victory comes from our keeping the word of patience, and God will surely keep us. But now many people do not talk about patience, because people feel uncomfortable in patience. What is patience? Patience is paying the price, which is to always maintain faith. No matter how difficult, do not give up; true faith is the faith to persevere to the end.

Victory is salvation, holding on to the faith of the second coming of the Lord Jesus, this is true faith. We must all endure, knowing that obtaining Mingding Destiny is not about eating, drinking, and having fun, but about the way of patience. Jacob received a blessing, and for the next 20 years, he lived a hard life in his uncle Laban's house; Joseph received Mingding Destiny and went to the land of Egypt, became a slave, and went to jail, but finally persevered in patience, received a blessing, and became prime minister. Everyone who receives Mingding Destiny must have perseverance.

David was in a state of wilderness, constantly facing pursuit, experiencing thirteen years of patience, without food or clothing, often not knowing whether he would live tomorrow, because Saul was chasing him every day. The temptations and trials that our brothers and sisters face today are far less than those of Jacob, Joseph, David, and even our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul and old John were both enduring and paying a heavy price. Why were they able to persevere in believing in the Lord? Because our Lord Jesus has the way of eternal life.

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. (Revelation 3:12)

If you do not value eternal life so much, you will not be able to go on, and you will not be able to overcome. If we overcome, we will be made a pillar in the temple of God, and then your name and the name of God will be linked together. Just like the name of God we speak of today. Every time we talk about the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, that is whether we can maintain the way of patience in the future and be willing to pay a heavy price on this road, even if it means laying down our lives! If you are such a person and build such a church, you will become a pillar in the temple of God. Such a church will have a profound impact on future generations, until the Lord Jesus comes again, until the new Jerusalem is built. We will be pillars in the temple of God, and the name of God will be written on our bodies.

Brothers and sisters, our most core value is actually called paying the price. If you do not pay the price to believe in the Lord, but only receive grace, that is not the way of patience. Today, brothers and sisters must come out of this lie, that is, why am I so tired? Am I on the wrong path? Has God not called me? Am I zealous for God myself? If I am zealous for God myself, then these things will come upon me, so my service will become so tiring and difficult.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)

This is the way of patience, this is the way of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If you are willing to follow Jesus and walk the path that Jesus walked, we will surely overcome, and after overcoming, we will become pillars in the temple of God. This is not what God said to a certain church, this is what God said to all the churches, if you want to overcome, you must walk such a path.

So today, brothers and sisters, you must know that the road we have come along is not an easy one, it is a battle after battle. Our faith is often on the verge of dying, but in this dying state, we still endure and persevere until we see God's victory in us, which is so wonderful.

I am really grateful to God! In the past three months, we prayed with my mother, and my mother can basically be said to have come out of it today. That was truly a test of faith and patience. We prayed for her to get better and then she would go back, and after going back, we would pray again, again and again. Today the devil came, and we drove it out, and after driving it out, it came again the day after tomorrow, and when it came, we drove it out again.

Although it was very hard, thank God! We constantly persevered and endured, constantly breaking my mother's carnal habits, and constantly changing her thoughts and intentions. In this battle, we saw a great victory. From now on, when dealing with such devils, I tell you, the devils will tremble and be frightened when they see us, because we are a group of people who persevere in God's way of patience. So to build a victorious church, you must have the character of patience.

Brothers and sisters, do you know? The most important character of a person is patience, and the faith of patience is true faith. Because we know how the story will end.

The Seventh Church: The Church of Laodicea

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (Revelation 3:14-17)

You know, some Christians, after experiencing triumph and blessings, quickly fall into a state of being lukewarm. They still believe in the Lord, but in a lukewarm manner. Their lives, though materially prosperous and lacking nothing, are impoverished spiritually, leaving them wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. You see, when a person gains wealth, it becomes a great temptation.

I must forewarn our brothers and sisters that when we begin to be blessed financially, if you fall into a lukewarm state, I tell you that wealth and prosperity will become a great temptation for you.

Building a victorious church will surely bring financial blessings. But after being blessed financially and in health, will you indulge in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, or will you continue to serve God fervently? When a church begins to be blessed financially, the brothers and sisters will also be blessed financially, but the most deadly thing is to become lukewarm. You can’t say that they don't serve God, they do serve God, but when they serve God, there is no fervor in their hearts. The initial zeal and drive are completely lost.

Many brothers and sisters are very fervent when they first believe in the Lord, but as they walk along, they begin to become lukewarm. For those who believe in this way, God will spew you out of His mouth. This actually reads very disgusting, being spat out from God's mouth, like spitting phlegm, spitting out like dirty and filthy things.

If we believe in the Lord lukewarmly and lose our love for God, and then begin to eat, drink, and make merry in this world, I warn you today, if you still continue to indulge in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, you can be possessed by demons again just as you were in the past. I am not joking with you, eating, drinking, and merrymaking is a very dangerous thing, because the demons behind it are very powerful.

You know, there was a pastor who received a revelation in prayer: the devil and his minions were having a meeting, his senior management said: Let's not persecute Christians as we did before, today we will adopt the trick of letting Christians eat, drink, and make merry, let them become rich, let them start to become lukewarm. After a period of time, they found that this method was very effective, because when people are eating, drinking, and making merry, they completely forget that they are poor.

If today's wealth becomes your curse, you might as well be a person who is not wealthy; if today's wealth makes you become lukewarm, you might as well not have such wealth. Brothers and sisters, we must know that people will serve God lukewarmly because they lack nothing. They have everything to eat, everything to drink, everything to play with, and they have many ways to play. But in serving God, there is no enthusiasm, such people are wretched, miserable, poor, and blind.

So what advice does God give you?

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:18-22)

Brothers and sisters, you must see that individuals or churches are going through different stages. What we are experiencing may be the stage of the Church of Laodicea. So I often say in my heart: God! In the days to come, guide us well. I know that you will surely bless us financially. After you bless us, in any case, do not let us lose our first love and zeal, let our prayers and service remain fervent, let us still carry the zeal and love we received at the beginning, let us serve you with zeal all our lives.

I am very clear in my heart, because I have personally witnessed the revival of the church before, and I have also personally witnessed the process of Christians becoming lukewarm after metropolitan revival. In Singapore, it is really too difficult to find a very fervent Christian who loves the Lord. What the fellowships I attend like most is eating and drinking. There is something to eat before the meeting, and then they go to eat together after the meeting. Eating and drinking is indispensable. But these people have completely lost their spiritual power.

Some people say: Look, how much God loves me, look how much money I have made in business. But in serving God, there is no enthusiasm at all. Is that God blessing you? No, that is Satan giving it to you, to corrupt your life. Today, if you want to face the temptation of wealth, you must overcome the temptation of wealth. After you overcome, the reward God gives you is not small, that is, sitting on the throne with God.

Summary: Seven Levels of Overcoming the Church

From chapters 2 to 3, it talks about building a victorious church. In fact, it talks about the seven levels of victory in a victorious church.

The First Level of Victory: The Church of Ephesus

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7)

The letter to the Church of Ephesus, what is that? It is the loss of the first love. In the face of false brothers and false apostles, we must be vigilant not to lose our first love.

The Second Level of Victory: The Church of Smyrna

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:8-11)

From Revelation chapter 2, verse 8 to verse 11, facing persecution, be faithful until death.

The Third Level of Victory: The Church of Pergamos

Faced with the teaching of Balaam, the love of money, the love of fame and fortune, and catering to the flesh, if you can overcome, that is the third level of victory. Everyone knows that it is easy to dodge an open spear, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. The teaching of Balaam actually sounds like there is no problem at all, but the motive is the love of money, the love of the world, and the love of fame and fortune.

If we begin to gain power today, can we uphold God's teachings, avoid the teachings of Balaam, and avoid the teachings of the Nicolaitans? That is, reject the set of things that cater to the flesh and love the world. If we can overcome, God will give us hidden manna, and then give us a white stone, with a new name written on the white stone, just like God gave Jacob a new name, Israel. He wrestled with people and with God and won, so we must begin to see these three levels today.

The Fourth Level of Victory: The Church of Thyatira

The fourth level is that the church faces control. Control within the church is very common. That kind of spirit is called the spirit of Jezebel, which is very famous. We must begin to come out of it, deal with control, deal with adultery, deal with fornication, because people under control will worship idols. We must be a resounding Christian. You don't need to be afraid of anything. You will definitely overcome in the process of breaking through control. You may have faith, love, diligence, and patience, but if you fail in control, you will not be able to overcome.

The Fifth Level of Victory: The Church of Sardis

Without the Holy Spirit, we must begin to thirst to receive the Holy Spirit and live in the spirit.

The Sixth Level of Victory: The Church of Philadelphia

Obtain the word of patience and hold on until victory.

The Seventh Level of Victory: The Church of Laodicea

In times of wealth, come out of being lukewarm, resist the temptation and temptation of being lukewarm, let us open our spiritual eyes, obtain true faith, and become truly wealthy. These are the seven levels of victory for the church.

I remind everyone again, it does not mean that if you overcome at this level, it also represents overcoming at that level. You must overcome at all seven levels. This is what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. If every church can overcome in these seven levels, you will open the gates of heaven, the gates of heaven will open, the trumpets of heaven will sound, and the history of mankind will move forward. Such a church will transform the entire generation, and the entire generation will experience God's wonderful grace and glory. The windows of heaven will open, and the entire generation will be subverted. We will see God establish His glorious church on earth and restore His glory, just like the beginning of creation. Amen!