Introduction

Good day to all! We are examining 1 Samuel chapter 12. I encourage everyone to actively contemplate what 1 Samuel chapter 12 is truly about and to connect the entire passage. This is my golden rule for studying the Bible. Please do not focus solely on individual trees and miss the forest. We must avoid isolating a single verse for exposition, as its significance may diminish when detached from the broader context. Let us integrate 1 Samuel chapter 12 from beginning to end. I will attempt this, though it may not be definitive, but we can collectively consider its validity. I propose the theme: It is futile to obey false gods that cannot save.

The Logic of Israel's Desire for a King is Absurd

The Israelites' desire for a king is based on peculiar logic. Why do I say this? Ponder it. During all these years, when have they ever prevailed through a king? These people are odd. Consider their words: Because Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, has come against us, therefore you must appoint a king for us. Your sons do not walk in your ways, therefore you must appoint a king for us.

They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; so now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” (1 Samuel 8:5)

Let us consider whether these two matters are related. When has God not saved Israel when they turned to Him? When has God ever failed? God has never failed! God is always effective! I believe the underlying logic is exceedingly strange. In my ministry, I have observed many peculiar phenomena. What is this peculiar phenomenon? It is that people who intend to go east instead go west; people who seek to recover money instead argue and cause others to withhold it; people who aim to accomplish something instead ruin it. Have you seen such foolish people? My point is: We aim to achieve a goal, yet our choices lead to something else entirely. Regardless of the goal, these people insist on acting in a certain way, and the whole logic is utterly bizarre. This way of thinking is not just a one-off for the Israelites; it has happened countless times.

What is the logic behind Israel's desire for a king? Yet God actually granted them a king. God said, You want a king? Fine, I'll give you one. Do you know what? Many Christians today are like this. Many Christians go around giving testimonies about how faithful our God is! God is thinking: What on earth is wrong with these people? Have you ever experienced such situations? I suspect so. People just love to go their own way and insist on acting on it. God says: Okay, if you want to go that way, go ahead! If you want to do that, do it. Then they thank God. What are they thanking Him for? In my ministry, especially within the church, I have encountered so many baffling things. The logic of Israel's desire for a king is similar. Consider it carefully.

Learning a Lesson from History

Samuel recounted history to them, allowing them to hear the problems with their logic. Have you noticed? Samuel's words are quite practical! If God has always been effective, why would they want to appoint a king? If God frequently failed, then we might appoint a king or change the system. I tell you, if you are a blessed person, you will be blessed in any nation, did you know that? If you are cursed, you will be unlucky under any system.

Our generation is engaged in a contest of systems. In some eras, when people met friends for dinner, they would immediately blame the system for any problems. People love to attribute problems to the system. But is it related to the system? Actually, it is not related to the system. Here, Samuel recounts history to them, using history as a mirror to examine their internal logic. The fundamental problem is not the system; it never is the system.

When I returned to China that year, I found that many people told me about system problems, but I never believed in system problems. I only believed that one person was blessed and another was not. But the problem arises: people in this world love to attribute problems to the system. In fact, as long as you carefully and closely examine historical evidence, it proves that all problems have little to do with the system. Actually, we can learn a lesson from history, and our brothers and sisters in the church should stop talking about system problems. You must listen carefully; you can be blessed under any system, do you believe that? Under any system, you should learn to be a good citizen; under any system, you can be a blessed person; under any system, you can be someone who creates value.

I have believed in the Lord for several decades. In my summary, including reading the Bible and historical accounts, let's talk about this system issue. This so-called capitalism... have you ever seen capitalism? Whether it's socialism or capitalism, I tell you: in capitalist countries, some people are blessed, and in socialist countries, some people are also blessed; in capitalist countries, some people are cursed, and in socialist countries, some people are also cursed. Regardless of the system, even in feudal or slave societies, some people are blessed and some are cursed. In any country, some people are blessed and some are cursed. So everyone should think carefully, why do people believe these things? Because people love to obey false gods that cannot save.

There was a time when a pastor was building a church, and he invited another pastor. Why did he invite this pastor to be a pastor in his church? Because this pastor had a Methodist background. If you don't understand what Methodism is, there's no need to understand. Methodism has a management system, and Catholicism also has a management system. Today's churches are in such a chaotic state that it's dazzling. This person building the church wanted to inherit the Methodist system. I also wondered why this person would believe in this stuff. What problems can the Methodist system solve? It can't solve any problems. Anyway, I don't like it; I just like to look to my God, and I know my God is effective, and nothing else is effective. There are so many of them: Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Evangelical.

Then he brought this pastor to see me. When we met, I wanted to shake his hand, but he ignored me. All I heard was a thud as he sat on my sofa, then he frowned, clasped his hands together, and started praying under his breath. I have a bit of a temper, and I really wanted to kick him out. I thought to myself: Oh well, there's no payback in kicking him out, so let him have his fun. He fussed around for twenty minutes, so I asked the pastor who brought him: What's going on? He said: They're always like this. Later I thought, this is quite interesting. Later I learned that he wanted to introduce the Methodist system into his church.

Our brothers and sisters must know that if you are listening to me on the internet, on YouTube, I must tell you: Only building a church according to the truth revealed in the Bible is effective. But many people don't believe it. To this day, people love to learn the superficial and don't like to learn the essence. People love to obey false gods that cannot save. Do you think that system is a false god? Yes! And various systems are not very useful.

Many people especially like big-name pastors. I just refuse to do that stuff. What's the point of doing that? I don't want to stretch my hand out so far. I just want to lead everyone to trust in God. You must not trust in me, trusting in me would be troublesome. You come a long way to see me just because you treat me as a master, as a false god. That's troublesome, and the trouble isn't with me, it's with you. So everyone must know that the Israelites loved false gods that cannot save, and in the end, they brought so much trouble upon themselves. So what exactly is the logic revealed in the Bible? I'll read it to you:

Samuel said to the people, It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. (1 Samuel 12:6)

Moses once held up a bronze staff in the wilderness, and later people took that staff and worshiped it. What's wrong with people's brains? I find it very interesting. In the days of Moses and Aaron, it was the Lord God who led them out of Egypt. No matter how powerful Pharaoh was, could you stand against God? The Lord God is more powerful than Pharaoh! Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan; it was God who fought for them before the Israelites, and finally drove out the Canaanites. It wasn't because Joshua was powerful, it was because God was powerful. Everyone must know this.

But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hands of Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. (1 Samuel 12:9)

This is written in the Bible; all things are under God's control. If you get cancer, you must know that it is God who did it. If you say God did it, and then you come to me to pray, am I God? If God put cancer on you, and then I lead you in prayer and the cancer goes away, how could that be? So I must tell you that you get cancer, it's God who gave it to you. You get this disease, that disease, it's all given to you by God. Why? Because people like to worship empty gods.

Everyone must know that false gods that cannot save are useless. For example, relying on personal connections, money, work, business, relying on everything, all of them are false gods that cannot save. Then think about it, and these people often come to attack them. Cancer comes to attack you, it's brought by God; enemies come to attack you, it's brought by God. Why? Because people deviate from God, and life is not easy. So we must learn a lesson from history. Do you still trust in God today? Although I don't stop you from seeing a doctor, if you like to see one, go ahead. But if you put your hope in the doctor, can the doctor save your life? Can the doctor really save your life? You have to think about it. The woman in the Bible who had been bleeding went through enough suffering at the hands of doctors and spent all her living, and then she touched Jesus and was healed.

If a person can know the true God in this life and then break away from those false gods that cannot save, that would be so great. You must become smart. Look at these people, again and again, and then they abandon the Lord God again, and God delivers them into the hands of the enemy, and they call upon the Lord God, and then they are saved again. Then, after being saved, they worship those false gods again and are delivered into the hands of the enemy again; then they call upon God again, and God saves them again. That's roughly the history. If Christians enter this cycle, I see it as a path to destruction. What can you do? As a result, what does Samuel say?

Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely. (1 Samuel 12:11)

We must learn a lesson from history. Among us, let me give a practical example. Before, I ministered to him. After the ministry, did he get better? He got better faster than with medicine. Next, he still trusts in doctors, so go ahead and rely on them. What does it matter to me? People are just stupid. What can I say? If I say any more, people will say: Look, he's against me seeing a doctor. Why am I against you seeing a doctor? It's not like I'm paying for it. But everyone must know, when has God ever failed? He's always effective.

So brothers and sisters, let's learn a lesson from history. Until Samuel's time, God often saved them from the hands of their enemies on every side, as long as they learned to fear the Lord their God. Then learn to willingly serve their God and learn to serve Him honestly and wholeheartedly. You must remember how great are the things He has done! Has history proven this? It has proven it. Why do you forget as soon as something happens? How many times have you forgotten? Why is Samuel qualified to say these things? Do you know what Samuel said earlier?

Here I stand; testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to close my eyes? (1 Samuel 12:3)

A person like Samuel is not greedy for your money, so shouldn't you listen to what Samuel has to tell you? Samuel tells you these things, not for your sake. Today, many people talk about things. I tell you, people today like to rely on empty things. The doctor-patient relationship in this generation is not very good. Later, the doctors all became smart. If a 10-dollar medication can cure the disease, the patients are not willing to take it, because they think the doctors didn't prescribe them good medication. So the doctors are forced to follow the patients' preferences.

History repeats itself again and again. Brothers and sisters must know that people cannot obey the false gods that cannot save. If you obey the false gods that cannot save, what will happen in the end? Then the true God will send an enemy to ruin you. Why do people like false gods that cannot save so much? Why do the Israelites like this so much? Sometimes it's a system problem, sometimes it's this problem, sometimes it's that problem, sometimes they want to appoint a king. Actually, there is only one problem, which is that people obey the false gods that cannot save! Today, we must fear the Lord, serve Him honestly and wholeheartedly, and remember how great are the things He has done for us.

Brothers and sisters, understand that Chinese Mingding Destiny does not like to set up idols, does not like to make people go to vain false gods; a vain god is useless. I want to tell everyone, why is Chinese Mingding Destiny faceless and nameless? I do not want to spread my name; I want to tell you that I am not God. Do not come just to worship masters. When I see people worshiping masters, my heart is in turmoil. How is it that you do not know the God who can heal you? Brothers and sisters, you must know, why did we live those past years? This matter has not been properly addressed, so as we try to sort it out, we like to rely on this, rely on that, rely on a whole bunch of things. Learn a lesson from history; your little history can also prove that there are not many among us who have not experienced God.

So, brothers and sisters, gradually begin to shed this. I do not want everyone to worship masters, and do not be blindly superstitious about Chinese Mingding Destiny; you can only trust in God. Chinese Mingding Destiny is just a truth, telling you how to trust in this God. Do not think: It is good that I am in a victorious church! That is making the victorious church a vain god, and that vain god that cannot save people is meaningless. I want everyone to slowly ponder what I am saying. I have seen through this matter, and I do not want to do these things. Why? Because some people build churches, and as they build, they turn the church into their curse and control. They turn the church into their family business, and it becomes a job, just to live! Then God repeatedly delivers people to their enemies. Brothers and sisters, understand that God sends both blessings and curses.

Do Not Think That God Establishing a King for the People Is a Good Thing

Do not think that God establishes a king for you, God agrees with you, lets you experience it, lets you try it, and then you thank God, God has established a king for us! If you have this kind of thinking, then it is troublesome. God establishing a king for you is establishing a king, but you still cannot obey that vain god who cannot save people. Is that king a vain god? Systems are also useless, kings are also useless; only one thing is useful. Everyone must pay attention to what I am saying.

In fact, in the days of the Apostle Paul, if you were a slave in someone's house, could you experience God in the process of being a slave? Yes, you could. If you were the master in a slave's house, could you experience God? Yes, you could. If you are married, can you experience God? Yes, you can. If you are divorced, can you experience God? Yes, you can. In fact, these things cannot hinder you from becoming a person who trusts in God! You can experience God in any situation; this is the logic of the Bible.

So some people say: I am a slave in their house; when will this end? Why consider this? Do it well. How can being a slave prevent you from experiencing God? You can experience God even as a slave. What makes us obey that vain god who cannot save people? Brothers and sisters, I say it again, the medical system cannot really solve the problem. But, if you have to say that it can solve some problems, I can say that it can solve some problems; let us not argue. Can it solve some problems? Yes, it can solve some problems. But can it solve all the problems? Absolutely not. Then why trust in this thing? Why not know that this illness on a person comes from God? Why not know that this illness is sent by the enemy to attack us? Because we do not serve the Lord our God with joy and gladness, and then we go to obey that vain god who cannot save people. God sends these things, and we get these illnesses. Do we not know this?

The Lord God says: You want to establish a king! OK! There are many such records in the Bible. Some people say: God, I want this! I want that! I will tell you another vision I had early on. A person prayed every day, asking God to give him a car. Later, he really bought a car. Do you know where he died? He died in the car he bought. He was still giving testimony on the stage, and I was sitting below listening; he thanked God for giving him a car.

Why did I feel so awkward listening to this? Was it God who gave it to him? You only say thank God for the things you value. God can make your business better, but if you value these things, it is very dangerous. Do not think that God establishing a king for you is not evil. What is evil? Worshipping vain gods, worshipping false things, is evil. Do not think that God establishing a king for you is a good thing. So Samuel did one thing at that time: he prayed for thunder and rain on a clear day, and the people were afraid: Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, lest we die!

I ask you, was it useful for Samuel to pray for them? Prayer was of no use. Why was it of no use? Because this generation and the generation of Moses both said: Pray to the Lord your God for us. Do you hear the tone in this? This is not our God, this is your God, lest we die. Still the same desire to live and fear of death, still the same old way, because we have added sin to sin in our request for a king. Do you think they really repented? The root has not changed; it is of no use. Brothers and sisters, if your root has not changed, what are you asking for? What you ask for is merely to live for the sake of living; what you ask for is to avoid death; what you ask for is not to serve God with all your heart, soul, and strength.

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. (1 Samuel 12:23)

Why did Samuel still pray for them? He prayed for you even though it was of no use. Everyone slowly ponders what this means. It was just to comfort the people of Israel, to let them know not to be afraid. Although you have done this evil, forsaken God, and insisted on establishing a king, then gone to obey the logic that cannot save people, obey the vain god who cannot save people, obey the king who cannot save people, and also obey the system that cannot save people, you have done this evil by obeying those things. But, you still have to learn a lesson. Although you have done this evil, do not turn away from the Lord, but serve Him with all your heart. Because turning away from the Lord to obey the vain god who cannot save people is useless.

Until today, everyone must know for sure that I do not approve of Christians going to the streets to protest this and protest that; I do not approve of this matter. I also do not approve of Christians participating in politics. I only approve of everyone being a good citizen, being a person who walks in God's will, being a person who fears God, and no longer trusts in those things. In any environment, you can see God's work, you can see God's blessing, as long as you serve God with all your heart and strength. I am not saying this to speak for the government; I am saying this for everyone's benefit.

Today's Christians are full of enthusiasm for doing these things, as if electing a president, establishing a Saul as king, can save the country. Does everyone find it strange? Is it the same or not? It is the same! Until today, Christians are still like this. Chinese Mingding Destiny is to bring everyone into blessing, do not do this evil, do not obey that vain god who cannot save people; a vain god who cannot save people is of no benefit. Do not believe in these things anymore; just trust in God! Everyone must learn a lesson: just serve the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.

I tell you, although you have done this evil, this matter is not right, but if you are willing to serve Him with all your heart and strength, God will not forsake you for His name's sake. Do you believe it? To be blessed, you are blessed wherever you are; to be unlucky, you are unlucky wherever you are!

If You Still Do Evil, You and Your King Will Perish Together

If you still do evil, you and your king will perish together. This is a very harsh saying! What people value, that thing is probably your vain god; what people value, that thing will probably become your curse. I read the Bible a lot, so I am very clear in my heart, but many people do not understand what I am doing today. Once, I was talking to a sister, there was a large church with tens of thousands of people, that church was built very large, and then the senior pastor handed over the business to his son, and his son got cancer. Before I even mentioned that he got cancer, this sister said what she was thinking in her heart: Wow! How glorious! A church with tens of thousands of people!

Brothers and sisters, do you know how much the offerings that a church with tens of thousands of people receives are? A lot! Easily hundreds of millions. If people build a church, and as they build, they go into a vain god, it seems like they are serving God, but in reality, all they are thinking about is collecting offerings. You have no idea! Brothers and sisters, understand that God is a God who examines the hearts of people. I also do not want to build something so big; I cannot manage that. I tell everyone! I also do not pursue my name, and I also do not pursue the name of our church. I just hope to be able to preach the word of God purely, so that everyone can fear God because of God's word, and be blessed.

Brothers and sisters, slowly ponder, do not do evil. What is doing evil? It is obeying that vain god who cannot save people; that is called doing evil. Brothers and sisters! Your vain god may be your work; your vain god may be your business; your vain god may be your relationship; your vain god may be your children; your vain god may be your family. You must be careful with these things!

I will ask everyone a question, today's churches like to talk about family, everyone values family very much, then who will serve God with all their heart and strength? They say: Building a good family is serving God. How come I cannot find that in the Bible? What did I find in the Bible? They all cared for their own families, and in the end, they were cursed. You read the Book of Haggai, the Book of Malachi, the Book of Nehemiah, how come I did not see that? I saw that Nehemiah did not care much about his own family either? He was for God, building the walls of Jerusalem, building the temple of God. Is that so?

There was a pastor who showed off his love very well on the internet, and everyone thought it was very good. After a while, a woman came with a child to find him. You say, how do you explain this? In the end, they brought in a group of other pastors to save the day. Annoying! Is that real? Anyway, in this era, everything is fake. I sigh! Just take the brothers and sisters among us as an example, a couple quarrels at home, they are going to Sunday service, they are going to church, as if they did not quarrel at all. They greet each other with smiling faces after entering the church, putting on a good show. After the meeting, they return home and continue their debate. I think, brothers and sisters, if we still do evil, you and your king will perish together; you and your system will perish together; you and your organization will perish together; you and all your everything will perish together. Only trust in this true God! Let us come out of the vain gods today.

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God (Luke 18:29).

This is what Jesus taught! Why do they not talk about it? Then they say: It is not like that, Jesus was wrong. What you say is right! People have established many vain gods! I tell you, if you live long enough, you will definitely see them perish together. In the later history of Israel, they and their king perished together. Only those who fear God receive God's blessing and God's protection.

Let us readjust the logic. If people cannot see through the matter of living, if people have what they want to pursue in their hearts, they are not far from worshipping vain gods. If you value your family more than God, that is a vain god; if you value your business more than God, that is a vain god; if you value your work more than God, that is a vain god. That cannot save you; only God can save you. Obeying the vain god who cannot save people is useless; this logic must be established no matter what.

We want to live well, but do not make living well your vain god. You must know that living is vanity of vanities. Later, I understood God's will. God wants all of us brothers and sisters to be able to fear God, willingly and gladly serve this God; serving this God is an incomparably good thing. Serving this God who can save people is incomparably good. All other things are vain and useless.

May God have mercy on us! May the brothers and sisters be able to remember these words spoken in 1 Samuel 12. From now on, no longer complain about the government; from now on, no longer complain about the environment; from now on, no longer complain about the system; from now on, no longer complain about anything. Just willingly and gladly serve our God. No matter where, no matter in any environment, for God to let you be blessed is not a difficult thing.

May God bless everyone!