Introduction

Good day to you all. Let us turn to 1 Samuel, chapter 19. I trust that after reading it, your attention will be captured by Saul, your eyes fixed upon him. Saul has experienced much – demons descending upon him, the Spirit of God alighting upon him, and moments of prophetic utterance; quite a spectacle indeed. While the previous chapter spoke of David’s shrewdness, what is this chapter truly about?

In this world, God has created a curious phenomenon: many come into this world merely as foils, to accentuate those whom God favours. We may study Saul, but not to emulate him. Surely, no one desires a demon from Jehovah to descend upon them, leading to a form of schizophrenia. Some delve deeply into the study of Cain, but I question why they seek such thorough understanding. I believe we ought to study those whom God favours. Of course, we should be aware of those instances that display God's wrath, but there is no need to exhaustively study the paths of error.

It is akin to playing chess: do not spend all your time analysing incorrect moves; there are countless wrong steps. It is the correct ones we must study. Or consider programming: do not pore over incorrect code, for even a single erroneous character can cause the program to fail. And certainly not when numerous characters and sentences are wrong – the potential for error is vast.

Therefore, we must cultivate the habit of learning only what is right. My intention in belabouring this point is to direct your gaze towards David. Not only David, but also Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even Noah – there is much to learn from such figures. Let us title this chapter Spiritual People Never Discern Good and Evil, where the spiritual person, of course, refers to David. Has it occurred to you that all of this is orchestrated by God, to see if David is one who discerns good and evil? Both 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel chronicle God’s search for vessels pleasing to Him, after His own heart. If He finds one that does not suit His purpose, He discards it. Like buying a bowl that proves impractical; we discard it because it is of no use to anyone, a mere piece of refuse.

This chapter speaks of David's refusal to discern good and evil. David was but a young lad, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years of age. But let us not underestimate the young; for as the saying goes, the child is father of the man. If one is fond of discerning good and evil from a young age, engaging in rivalry, envy, and comparison – the common envy, jealousy, and hatred, causing inner turmoil – then one may be a Saul. Do you realise the danger? Such behaviour can invite a demon. It is better to learn from David.

David is Qualified to Discern Good and Evil

This matter of qualification, or lack thereof, I have spoken of many times. Often, people are not qualified to discern good and evil, yet they consider themselves quite remarkable. David, however, is qualified. No one in the Israelite army could defeat Goliath, but David could. In other words, if David could defeat Goliath, he could certainly defeat Saul, or any member of Saul’s army. Yet David does not attack his own people; he only attacks the enemy, repeatedly achieving meritorious service for Saul. Even when Saul becomes deranged and seeks to kill him, David returns to serve diligently.

When enemies once again attacked Israel, it was David who led the troops to fight on Saul’s behalf. Thus, he is absolutely qualified to discern good and evil. Having achieved so much, why then does Saul seek to kill him? David had been anointed by Samuel; God intended him to be the future king of Israel, to succeed Saul. David was absolutely qualified to revolt. The path was laid out, all preparations were complete, awaiting only a proverbial stone from heaven to strike Saul dead. Thank God, what a fine design! Yet the stone remains absent, and to add insult to injury, Saul seeks to kill him. How vexing!

Did you observe David’s response? His reaction is beyond the capacity of ordinary men. I doubt my own ability to match it. David, the spiritual man, is truly remarkable; I am filled with admiration. God, if I could but emulate David in my life, it would be a testament to Your grace and mercy. Both valiant in battle and a loyal, courageous subordinate, he is also a fine king, and exceptionally shrewd. Skilled in warfare, and exceedingly capable in battle, he is truly astute.

In our view, David could have eliminated Saul and ascended to the throne himself. He could have led the nation to its zenith. This was David's Mingding Destiny. Yet David did not do so; his Mingding Destiny did not unfold in such a manner. The reason is clear: David is an intelligent man of knowledge, with a profound understanding of spiritual principles.

Let us together examine David’s actions. What would we do in his situation? Would you discern good and evil against one who seeks to bless you? When no one pursues you, yet you feel aggrieved by the discipline of your pastor? One must ponder these matters. Indeed, I have observed that many among us are foolish in that they lack the very qualification to discern good and evil, yet they believe themselves superior. We must understand that the existence of many serves merely as a backdrop to spiritual people.

When I lead Bible study, I am mindful of whether so-and-so attends. Often, they do not. Yet when I lead prayer, they appear, requesting prayer for their ailments. Such individuals are lacking. In retrospect, I regret my own discernment of good and evil in such instances; may God have mercy. Yet I am struck by their foolishness: unwilling to live a spiritual life, seeking only a modicum of grace. Crying out in pain, seeking prayer, I suspect that they are suffering from excessive discernment of good and evil.

Now the evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the harp. (1 Samuel 19:9)

Again, an evil spirit descends upon Saul, and David again plays the harp for him. This is indeed meaningful. When Saul is possessed, David continues to cast out demons, a formidable act. Brothers and sisters, I say to you, henceforth, learn from David, who is qualified to discern good and evil, yet refrains from doing so. Many among us lack the qualification, yet persist in discerning good and evil. The difference is vast. David is truly exceptional. The road to emulating him may be long indeed.

David Deeply Understands Spiritual Principles

David deeply understands spiritual principles; this is what it means to be astute. The Spirit of God dwells in David, but not in Saul. You may be perplexed to see, later in this chapter, the Spirit of God dwelling in Saul; but that was for David's sake.

Then he went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore it is said, Is Saul also among the prophets? (1 Samuel 19:22-24)

This was God protecting David, rescuing him from Saul's grasp, causing Saul to be moved by the Spirit of God, stripping naked, and spouting nonsense. David deeply knows the spiritual protocols. A Person is astute only if the person knows the spiritual protocols. If one lacks knowledge of spiritual principles, trouble ensues.

David surely has read Genesis and knows Cain and Lamech. They both share a certain trait, who deal with them will be violently killed by them. David knew that Saul was his superior, appointed by God above him. Saul was not for David to manage. If David thought he could manage Saul, the Spirit of God would depart. Even if he saw flaws in Saul’s kingship, entertaining any notion of getting rid of Saul and taking over, the Spirit of God would depart.

David is acutely aware of spiritual principles. To be shrewd, one must cultivate the habit of understanding matters thoroughly. Not just spiritual matters, but even the mundane affairs of this world. Some handle them haphazardly, without care. But even in such haphazardness, one must be willing to learn. Lacking a learning attitude and acting blindly, if I were David, and you were beneath me, I would certainly discipline you. But if you are above me, I will neither manage nor discipline you. I will let you do as you please, for it is not my responsibility. I will ensure that my duties are carried out correctly.

My point is that the spiritual principle David deeply understands is this: God will surely safeguard those who trust in Him. David shows no mercy in battle against the enemy, but remains thoroughly obedient to his superior. Yet some are inept, excelling only at driving away the pastor. Unable to cast out demons, they oppose the pastor with vigour. Powerless against demons, they have truly never cast one out, but when it comes to arguing with me, they are paragons of contention.

You will find that David never protects himself; he is not the type. Those preoccupied with self-preservation are perilous, for they operate under a certain philosophy: Better that I should wrong the world, than the world should wrong me, denying others the opportunity to wrong them. David knowing the spirtual rules, that all is a tests by God, God will protects David. If God has anointed him as king over Israel, his sits in the throne would come someday. Just like the promise made to Abraham four hundreds years ago would realize, to lead Abraham's descendants to the Promised Land. Our God is faithful.

Knowledge of spiritual principles is what defines shrewdness. A lack of shrewdness leads to a tragic life. Let me encourage you to deeply desire to become astute. How important it is to study the Bible and understand spiritual knowledge! Lacking spiritual knowledge, seeking only healing through prayer, is to misunderstand that truth sets one free, and that understanding spiritual protocols brings freedom. Among our pastors, there are some who lack a Mingding Destiny. We grant them grace as they seek it, without reservation, but we must know who they truly are. The establishment of a church is to bring those with a Mingding Destiny into the kingdom of God, not to cast pearls before swine. When one casts the net, one must sort the good into containers and discard the refuse.

Do not think that you are merely serving these individuals; know that you are serving God, and service to God will surely be rewarded richly. One of our pastors ministered to a cancer patient for four hours, and the patient’s pain subsided, but their folly remained. We can attempt to correct their folly, perhaps that will be the greatest grace for them, and the best training for us. One may also learn from the failings of Cain and Lamech, but without delving too deeply. Learn positively and follow David's examples, and become vessel of God.

David Never Protects Himself

People discern good and evil because they always seek to protect themselves, to gain something for themselves. David did not argue with Saul, did not question why Saul treated him so. He killed Goliath, and repeatedly played the harp for Saul and cast out demons, never wronging Saul. Yet David did not dwell on these things, did not seek to assert his rights, nor did he protect himself. He just avoids anything bad to happen to him. This is called non-recognition of good and evil. He simply hid, finding a hiding place in the fields to escape Saul. Imagine spending the night in the wilderness, plagued by mosquitoes. Try hiding in a field at night, and you will find mosquitoes landing on your face. A slap covers you in blood. If it were me, perhaps I would complain about Saul; such is my nature.

I confess, my own level is truly inadequate, far from that of David. But I harbour a dream: I long to learn from David. If I were in David’s situation, would I, like David, hide in the fields to escape Saul’s pursuit? Today, we have insect repellent, mosquito nets, and high-tech insect and pest repellents. David lacked these. The next morning, his body would be covered in bites. Though the Bible does not explicitly state this, it is not easy to imagine.

What would you do in such circumstances? Long to kill Saul, to end the suffering? David endured this suffering for more than a decade, until he eventually became king of Israel. For more than a decade, he lived a nomadic existence, sometimes sleeping in the fields, his tears flowing ceaselessly like a broken string of pearls.

I am weary with my groaning; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. (Psalm 6:6)

Even in the face of such grievances, David would never disobey God, for Saul was both his superior and his father-in-law. He would never revolt against Saul and establish himself as king. This is what it means to be qualified to discern good and evil. Those among us who lack such qualification, yet still discern good and evil, how much more wildly would they discern good and evil if they were qualified?

Brothers and sisters, how can a person with a Mingding Destiny ever possibly lead a good life being an obedient Christian? How can persecution prove you are not discerning good and evil as such a person? A person with a Mingding Destiny cannot avoid persecution; suffering grievances is normal. In recent years, I have learned a lesson: seeking the good of others, desiring to bless them, often requires offending them. Offending them results in them rebuffing me, leaving me feeling as if I had swallowed a dung beetle, a truly unpleasant experience.

Now, you should begin gradually, step by step, to emulate David, never protecting yourselves. Observe those who seek to protect themselves: diagnosed with cancer, they seek the best doctors, consume the best medicine, borrow the largest sums of money, regardless of their ability to repay, focused solely on survival. Relying on self-preservation, their hearts filled only with the desire to live, is ultimately futile.

Whether you live to a certain age, it is all destined in eternity. No amount of protection can change that. If you are a Saul, you might have the opportunity to be king for 40 years, but you might not even be a Saul. Isn't that life-threatening? Saul protecting himself and David not protecting himself becomes a watershed moment. One side belongs to those who discern good and evil, and the other belongs to those who trust in God. Those who trust in God will never be put to shame.

God often tests you and me. I thank God that the trials I face are not as great as those David faced, probably because God knows I cannot handle such great trials. But I also thank God that He chose us in eternity to emulate David in this generation. Although we cannot do it perfectly, we know that God tests David and also tests us. Each time we encounter a test, let us become shrewd, deeply understanding spiritual principles, and emulate David.

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (2 Chronicles 34:1-2)

David is truly remarkable. If his martial skills were inferior to Saul's and he dared not kill Saul, we could understand his failure. But in fact, for David to kill Saul would be as easy as taking something out of a pocket, as the storytellers say. It wouldn't even require much distance, just about the distance he was from Goliath. One stone hurled, and it could go from Saul’s one side to the other side. It would be a matter of minutes. David is so powerful, yet he can control himself and not do it. This is truly admirable!

David Knew God Was Testing Him

David did not kill Saul because he knew God was testing him. He absolutely would not offend God. He would not protect himself, nor would he seek any rights for himself, nor would he go to Saul to reason with him. He does not believe in reason prevails everywhere, and even if he had reason, he would not pursue it. He did not want to protect himself. He knew God was testing him, and he only pleaded with God not to take His Holy Spirit from him. David personally saw the Spirit of God depart from Saul and also personally saw an evil spirit from the Lord descend upon Saul. He only cared that he did not become like Saul. The trials God gave him, mosquito bites and insect stings were nothing, and suffering a little injustice was insignificant.

He must be a person of character, determined to walk in God's will no matter what. He knew that God was testing him and would surely preserve him. Since God had anointed him to be king of Israel, God would surely fulfill it in the future. So, in the depths of my heart, I deeply desire to emulate David well. I am not like some people who emulate David because David married many wives. Emulating that is meaningless. We must emulate David in walking in God's will. Other issues are not a big deal.

If you want to become a spiritual person, you must emulate David in becoming a person with Mingding Destiny. Know that those things God allows you to experience are just tests. If a person knows that the trials they experience in life are actually God's examinations, then that is good.

So, do you know that two books are most crucial in Chinese Mingding Destiny: Genesis and Ecclesiastes. If you cannot see through and understand what it means to live, then you have lived in vain this life, wasting the God-given life. Not that God is gone, but that God has departed from you. If you live in a way that causes God to depart from you, an evil spirit will descend upon you, and those days will truly be difficult. Later, I discovered a secret: Those who have God's presence, those who overcome in God's trials, have one characteristic: they prosper in everything they do. Their resources may not be the best, but they can accomplish extraordinary things because they are spiritual people.

Recently, I met a friend who is a very successful businessman. He discussed some business matters with me and shared an interesting observation. He said that some people can be the smartest in the world and work very, very hard, but they cannot accomplish much. He asked me the reason, and I told him that it is because a jinx is following them. People can do nothing without God's presence because all they think about is money and success. But they do not know what they can do after success, so after success, they only buy a super expensive urn.

Is it not a tragedy not to have God's presence? David has many characteristics that are worth learning. We call them Mingding Destiny characteristics. If you can obtain this kind of character, the Spirit of God will surely dwell in you. Then you will have more of this character. This is called, To those who have, more will be given, and to those who do not have, even what they have will be taken away. This saying is very good; it is called the Matthew effect.

God is testing David, and God is also testing me, and also testing the brothers and sisters, to see if you have a Mingding Destiny character. I hope that all of our brothers and sisters can emulate David with me and build God's glorious church in these last days. We would rather suffer losses and become a blessing to many than emulate Cain and Lamech.

Saul's Foolishness

Let us talk about Saul's foolishness. Do not misunderstand; this is not for you to emulate Saul, but for you to know Saul's foolishness. If you want to be a foolish person, then emulate Saul well. However, Saul's foolishness exceeds the imagination of ordinary people.

Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have been very good toward you. For he took his life in his hand and struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” (1 Samuel 19:4-6)

Here it says that David went to fight again. Isn't it good that Saul has a warrior who helps him fight and can return with great victories? But when Saul heard the people saying, Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands, he was finished! Actually, even if no one said it, these words would still appear in Saul's mind, and that energy would come. I know many people have this energy. If you have it too, then be careful.

And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. (1 Samuel 19:8-10)

As a result, envy, jealousy, and hatred once again summoned the evil spirit from the Lord, and it descended upon Saul. After all that effort, he only achieved the descent of an evil spirit. This is too incomprehensible. When I was serving my mother, I was very confused. I had just driven away Old Ma, and then my mother called Old Ma back.

I asked Old Ma why he came back, and he said that my mother asked him to come and play together. Old Ma even felt wronged. Every time my mother summoned him, she had a good time playing with him. While they were playing, I would come and beat him up. My mother was too bad. Later, I taught my mother not to summon Old Ma again, but after driving him away, she would summon him again, repeating the cycle. It was truly exhausting. But thank God, this process allowed me to have a good relationship with Old Ma. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what Old Ma is.

We must now know that envy, jealousy, and hatred summon evil spirits from the Lord. After Saul summoned the evil spirit, he went crazy again and kept thinking about killing David. Among us, those with malignant diseases and those with long-term stubborn chronic diseases are prone to confusion. Because after you become confused, you easily summon these ghosts. But it does not matter if you summon them. I will just beat them up. Next time you summon them again, I will beat them up again, once every Tuesday. Some people say that because you always beat Old Ma, he dares not be unfriendly to you. But he is helping me work. Brothers and sisters, you must know that evil spirits come from the Lord. Do you not find it very divine?

Saul did not know that God is in control of everything. I deeply know that God is in control. I do not care if one more or one less person dies. I do not care who dies. One day, my mother talked to me about life and death. She thought I would cry and beg her not to die. But I directly told my mother that I do not even care about my own death, so of course, I would not care about her death. She thought I would be like her, but I clearly understood that if I did that, I would be summoning ghosts like my mother. I do not understand human emotions. Everyone must know for sure that ghosts are summoned by people themselves.

People must never summon ghosts again! Every time I lead in prayer, someone complains that they ache here or there. I understand right away that they summoned it themselves. Everyone must recognize their own ignorance and foolishness and know that they have something similar to Saul. If you have suffered enough, then be David. If you have not suffered enough, then continue to be Saul.

I tell you, a spiritual person, although they experience trials, they are not harmed. But an unspiritual person does not experience trials but experiences demons. Experiencing trials can still lead to victory, but experiencing demons leaves no chance to turn over! In fact, the root of Saul is the discernment of good and evil, which makes people very foolish. Therefore, we must truly know God in our understanding!

Remove the Confusion Within Us

First, remove the confusion within us. We must understand that David had a Mingding Destiny and still had to experience these trials because God was testing him. It is normal for God to allow someone like Saul to be king of Israel. Can God not do this? When Saul went to capture David, the Spirit of God moved him. Those whom Saul sent were speaking under the influence as they walked. Some people think that speaking under the influence is great. Why would such people speak under the influence? Saul sent people to capture David, and Saul himself stripped off his clothes and lay there, speaking under the influence.

Actually, this proves nothing. It was God's way of protecting David. Our God is very humorous. I often hear some Christians say that they speak under the influence and are prophets. Does that mean that people like Saul are also included among the prophets? Saul is just a tool, a way for God to protect David. Some people say it would be good if God destroyed Saul, but God does not destroy him. And Saul chased David for so many years, and David remained safe and sound. This is simply divine.

Everyone must be confused about the fact that after Samuel died, Saul was at a loss and found a medium to bring Samuel up. In reality, that was not Samuel at all but a ghost. The so-called communing with spirits is just communing with spirits. Someone asked who the speaker was. Actually, when Samuel was alive, there was a ghost that followed Samuel all day long, watching him every day, and the Spirit of God also followed Samuel.

Some people are curious how I know this. After casting out many demons, I have some understanding of this matter. I really cannot prove it, but that ghost followed Samuel every day, spoke just like Samuel, and knew everything about Samuel. Then, when someone communed with spirits, the ghost came up. We thought it was Samuel, but it was a ghost. After people die, their spirits are not on this earth at all.

Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage to him. (1 Samuel 28:11-14)

I will tell you some interesting stories about casting out demons. A ghost can have many names. One of the most famous is Xiao Qing. There is a Xiao Qing in opera, and there is also a ghost I cast out named Xiao Qing. Actually, it is just that the ghost once possessed a person named Xiao Qing, and later the ghost had the name Xiao Qing. I tell you, the spiritual world is very interesting, and I seem to have some understanding of the spiritual world.

Do not think that speaking under the influence and being filled with the Holy Spirit is very great. In reality, nothing can replace your discernment of good and evil. If you discern good and evil, it is useless even if the Spirit of God moves you. Some people say that when they are filled with the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues, their hands cannot stop shaking. That cannot prove anything, and they still think they are very spiritual. Those so-called jumping around and doing spirit dances still cannot prove anything. Everyone does not need to be confused by these things. Everyone must begin to overcome the discernment of good and evil. This is the main point I want to make.

Can we emulate David in being a smart person, a shrewd person, and a spiritual person? The key is to know the spiritual world, the works of the devil, and never discern good and evil. We must begin to change and be filled with the knowledge of God in our understanding, never violating spiritual laws.

People live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, by the Spirit of God, to become a person with Mingding Destiny is incomparably good. Know God in your understanding, know spiritual principles, and know deeply that foolishness is definitely not the way, and confusion is definitely not the way. Begin to stop pursuing the inspiration of God's Spirit. Saul was inspired because Samuel was there, because God wanted to protect David.

We will share to this point. I will tell everyone one last sentence: Never discern good and evil. Those who are qualified do not need to discern good and evil, and those who are not qualified do not need to discern good and evil even more. If you do not know what the discernment of good and evil is, it is to not care about what is right and what is wrong. Do not always try to protect yourself and always try to reason. That is useless.

May God bless everyone!