Near-Term and Long-Term Interests

Today, let us read Revelation 19. For a Christian, this chapter is a moment of Hallelujah! By this chapter, God's judgment begins to fall upon the world. Those remaining in the world at this time are those who hate God. They not only dislike God but also blaspheme Him. This chapter shows us that our God rules with a rod of iron, our God is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Whether for those who believe in God or those who do not, there is a conflict between near-term and long-term interests. Some sacrifice the near-term for the sake of the long-term, while others sacrifice the long-term for the sake of the near-term.

For example, in our generation, mobile phones are constantly being updated and iterated. Over the past two decades, the earliest mobile phones we used, once popular Motorola “bricks”, were replaced by the second-generation Nokia phones. Nokia did very well with these second-generation phones, progressing from large bricks to small matchboxes. Later, Nokia was replaced by Apple's iPhone, the third generation of mobile phones. The mobile phone market continues to be updated and iterated, and it is unknown who will win in the future. Analysing why these companies made mobile phones, the question is: how could the best mobile phone companies in their field eventually make themselves into companies that no one wanted? The problem was that they did not consider long-term interests.

A person's foresight determines their future. If a person only looks at the near-term and not the long-term, they will certainly encounter problems in the future, and the problems will be significant. As the Chinese saying goes: A man who has no distant worries will soon find himself in trouble. But how far is far? Some people can see one or two years ahead, three or five years; while others can only see one or two days ahead and have no long-term plans at all. As a Christian, how far ahead should you look? Or as an ordinary person, how far ahead should your plans extend? This is the question I want to highlight today: How far-sighted are you?

I tell you, if your eyes are fixed on the 30, 50, or 70-80 years that you live, or if you sacrifice eternity and eternal life for those 30, 50, or 70-80 years, you will end up in a miserable state. If your vision can extend into eternity and eternal life, your perspective will be completely different. Therefore, for the sake of this exceeding weight of eternal glory, we often sacrifice near-term interests.

Do not think that you can have both near-term and long-term interests; it is not the case. If we wholeheartedly love the Lord your God and shepherd His flock today, we may have to sleep less, fast and pray at times, and work very hard. At the same time, you can choose to eat, drink, and be merry, travel, work, and make money. So what is God, and where does serving God rank in your life?

God's Judgments are True and Just; Salvation, Glory, and Power Belong to Our God

When you reach Revelation 19, if you are still alive in this world at that time, you will basically be receiving God's judgment. For His judgments are true and just; salvation, glory, and power belong to our God. At this time, the victorious Christians should say Hallelujah! and praise God. Because at this time they will see that God has avenged on the great prostitute the blood of His servants shed by her. The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders said, Amen! Hallelujah!

For true and just are his judgments; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. And again they said, Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah! (Revelation 19:2-4)

I think this is a day of rejoicing and celebration for all who love God; but for the people of this world, the beast, and the false prophets who worship the beast, it is a day of sorrow. If you followed those people, the beast, and the false prophets, and made a choice at that time to survive at any cost; if you were afraid of death and thought it was okay to take the mark, so you could live another day, then at this time your flesh will be fed to the birds of the air. Imagine, the birds coming to eat human flesh, eating it bite by bite; isn't that like being dismembered? It is almost like being dismembered.

Therefore, the flesh of the kings of the earth, the commanders, the mighty men, the horses and their riders, will be eaten by the birds of the sky. All people, free and slave, small and great, whether you are great people or small people, farmers or workers, or businessmen, if you are still on earth at this time, it is a day of sorrow, with absolutely no opportunity. You might say, I want to repent, but no one will listen to your repentance. At this time, your flesh will become food for the birds.

to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. (Revelation 19:18-20)

Today, we must know one thing. If you do not know this while you are alive, it is a tragedy. You must know that human beings are different from beasts. Human beings have eternal life. The spirits of beasts go down into the earth, but the spirit of man returns to God who created us. God's judgment is true and just.

I suppose at this time, some people will still try to distinguish good and evil before God, asking, Why are you doing this? Do not try to distinguish good and evil before God, and do not be sentimental. When you see God judging the whole earth, you will find that God rules the world with a rod of iron and treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. We must have a complete understanding of God. Whether the God of the New Testament or the God of the Old Testament, it is the same God.

In Revelation, the God described here already has the name The Word of God. When the Lord Jesus whom we believe came into the world, He came to save the world, but now He is riding on a white horse, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, and the armies of heaven follow Him. He has a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. At this time, God is the God who judges the whole earth, so brothers and sisters, do not look at this matter superficially. If you look at it superficially, you might think that among these small and great people, there are actually some quite good people.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14)

God's Just Judgement

You cannot look at it from a human perspective. If you look at it from a human perspective, wouldn't these people in the world seem quite good? How can they receive such judgment? God, you are too unjust. Therefore, what old John wrote is that His judgments are true and just. Our God's judgments are completely different from human judgments, so brothers and sisters, we must begin to understand what God's judgments are like. What should our understanding of God be like? Do not think that our God is Santa Claus; our God is King of kings and Lord of lords.

He will rule them with a rod of iron, and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.(Revelation 19:15)

He rules the whole earth with a rod of iron, and He will manifest His wrath and judge with very severe judgment. Who will He judge? He will judge the beast and the false prophets of the beast, and those who worship the beast. Why do people worship these things? I tell you, basically it is to live better while alive, so they worship these things.

To sacrifice eternal life for this life is a great tragedy in life. To live for this life, to live for vanity of vanities, that is a tragedy. Today, brothers and sisters, you must establish the concept of eternal life no matter what; you must establish the concept of long-term interests no matter what; you must begin to know that these things the Bible predicts will come to pass in this world; you must know that our God is a God who manifests His

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## Love God, then Keep His Commandments

We must be clear about this matter of loving God. Loving God means voluntarily keeping His commandments. When the Lord's Day comes, one will be very eager to gather, loving God by keeping the Sabbath and observing God's statutes and commandments. Those who hate God, carnal people, cannot keep God's commandments and ordinances. Carnal people will not please God, nor will they delight in God's law. Carnal people are at enmity with God. How can a person who is at enmity with God receive God's blessings and be saved?

We must enter into Jesus Christ in repentance, knowing that the past roads were all wrong, and today we must walk a heavenly road, beginning to learn to love God and keep His commandments. Our King of Kings is Jesus Christ, whose garment is stained with blood, the blood of victory in battle, the blood of God's judgment on the world.

In this passage, God greatly manifests His wrath. The Bible records this passage not so much for us, but to remind us, telling us future things so that we may take warning and not fall into future judgment. Do not worship the beast or its image for short-term gain, or receive the mark of the beast.

However, why do some people still do such things? Because they live to live. Even those who live to live will not be able to continue living at that stage. God will strike down these people with the sword of His mouth, which is the state of the end of the world. Therefore, from the sounding of the seven trumpets to the rapture of the church to meet the Lord in the air, the time is about two or three years. At most, people can eke out an existence for two or three years, which really has no great significance.

**And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)**

## Live for God, and Strive for Eternal Life

We need to start thinking about who we are living for. Living for oneself is just eking out an existence, which has no great significance. Living for God, striving for eternal life, the result will be completely different. **The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not judged by anyone. We must resolve to be wise, to see our vision further, all the way into eternity.**

Looking all the way to Revelation Chapter 19, will you still love your work? Will you still love the world? Some people feel that they cannot live without work? Feel that they really want to start a family, really want to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. When you start pursuing these things, God is no longer the most important thing in your life. If God is not the most important thing in your life, your family, children, and work begin to become the important things in your life. If a person does not have eternal life, even if he grasps all things in this world, then that person lives only vanity of vanities.

Recently, many people have been listening to my sermons online, and they are also sighing that living is a very simple thing. For people who have God, living is really very simple. **If we have eternal life, the things of this life will not become our bondage. We are the children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we become the armies of heaven following Him, and living becomes a very easy thing.** But some people find living very difficult. Without God, living to live is a kind of sadness.

At this time, Hallelujah, the price I paid for this exceeding great glory is extremely worthwhile! **We know by faith that this day will surely come. The momentary, light affliction we suffer today has already worked for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. We must begin to joyfully welcome the Almighty to reign, and then reign together in the world, in complete unity with God.**

**And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Revelation 19:5-7)**

## On That Day, Heaven and Earth Will Praise God's Name

We must fear God, the marriage of the Lamb has come! The church is the bride of Jesus Christ, and the complete unity and perfect love relationship between the church and God is finally revealed. Do not think that when Paul wrote about marriage, he was writing about earthly marriage relationships, but referring to the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ gave Himself for the church, He loves the church, so we must build a holy, unified, and glorious church. Many people think they are the bride, but they are not, it is the church.

When Jesus Christ reigns on earth, the victorious church is the bride of Jesus Christ, reigning together. Let us look forward to such a day coming, serving God in this world, and beginning to live out the image of Jesus Christ, fully manifesting the image of Jesus Christ in us. Through the redemption of the Lamb, we come before God, and ultimately build a glorious church, becoming the bride of Jesus Christ. On that day, heaven and earth will praise the name of our God.

The prayer that the Lord Jesus taught us is finally fulfilled!

**After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)**

In Revelation Chapter 19, the Lord's Prayer that we often pray is finally fulfilled. We cry out to God: Hallelujah, our Almighty God reigns! Do not turn the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a cheap gospel, it was bought with the blood of the Lamb. **The glorious church ultimately becomes God's glorious bride. On that day, heaven and earth are praised, and we can say on earth: May all people honor your name as holy, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!**