Many of us must have a question: Why did the Israelites, who experienced so much grace from God, whom God brought to a land flowing with milk and honey, allowing them to eat their fill, still go and serve other gods? When we read Deuteronomy, we see that the blessings God prepared for us far exceed what we could ask for or imagine. The answers to all our life's problems are in Deuteronomy.

Why did the Israelites abandon God? This is perplexing. The things God does among us are also earth-shattering. Many people in life have experienced God, yet some still say, I have never experienced God. Today, we are not so different from the Israelites.

Why the Israelites So Easily Abandoned God

Reading this passage carefully, we see that the Israelites really did easily abandon God. Today, I want to share with you from a deeper level why the Israelites so easily abandoned God. This chapter opens with Moses handing over authority to Joshua. Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)

The Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:23)

He said to the Israelites:

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and play the whore with the foreign gods of the land into which they are going, and will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ (Deuteronomy 31:16-17)

Later, what did He say?

For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel. (Deuteronomy 31:20-22)

We see a very stark contrast. God said to Moses and Joshua: I will be with you; I will never leave you; do not fear or be dismayed; I will be with you and never forsake you. To the Israelites, He said: I will forsake you and hide my face from you. What are Moses and Joshua trying to say by writing this? The difference between these two kinds of people is too great. We must know that on this path of faith, life and death, blessing and curse, are all in a single thought. Do you have Mingding Destiny or not? Do you cater to the flesh or to the Spirit? Do you walk the path of faith and love for God, or the path of law and regulations? Are you a carnal person or a spiritual person? Do you have the heart of a servant or have you received the heart of sonship? Do you live for yourself or for God? Do you fear God or fear people? Do you love God or love the world? Do you think your life is empty? If you think your life is empty, you will love God; if you think your life is very real, then it will be difficult for you to walk the path of blessing.

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, (Deuteronomy 30:19)

This word is not far from you, it is in your mouth and in your heart. On this path of faith, if we walk the path of loving God, everything becomes easy; but if we walk the path of keeping rules, it will be very difficult. We find that if a person loves the world, he cannot love God. If a person feels that life is very real, he cannot enter into Mingding Destiny, because he thinks it is so good to have money and to live well, but in the end, his life is really not that good.

This morning, as I led in prayer, there was a sister who had a very serious illness with fluid accumulation in her abdomen, and she asked me to pray for her. I am very familiar with this sister. She is filled with things that cater to the flesh, loving the world and loving money, and she insists on living. She lives in this kind of state of mind. Because she lives with such thoughts and intentions, she lives out such a result. If she continues to live this way, she asks me to pray for her to be healed so that she can continue to live. She herself does not understand why she wants to live, but she always feels that living is better than dying. But I feel that dying is better than living. People often say, A living dog is better than a dead lion, and there is a lot of truth in that statement. But none of us can live forever in this world. Except for those who walk with God, everyone will die, one hundred percent.

I hope that the thoughts in the minds of our brothers and sisters will be completely changed. If you look closely, you will find that a person who believes in the Lord not because he loves God cannot continue on this path; one who does not think that this world is empty cannot continue on this path; if you see all problems and are afraid, and do not fear God, you cannot continue on this path. When something bad happens, they blame God: Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? They think that these evils have come upon them because God has forsaken them, but they do not feel that they have forsaken God. They are a rebellious and stiff-necked people who do not agree with God's words.

To Set the Mind on the Flesh Is Death, but to Set the Mind on the Spirit Is Life and Peace

In Deuteronomy 31:19, God said: Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. Originally, the Israelites were very much focused on the flesh. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Do you believe in the Lord according to religious rules, or do you believe in the Lord according to the leading of God's Spirit? Remember: all who rely on works of the law are under a curse! If we rely on our flesh to keep the law, and rely on religion to keep the rules to believe in the Lord, we cannot continue on this path.

Romans and Galatians have cleared up all my confusion. A person who is carnal and sets his mind on the flesh is: living according to the flesh. A person who sets his mind on the flesh will be in such a state.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:15-20)

Brothers and sisters, we must know that this is a peculiar state. I know that you love God in your hearts. But there is a battle going on inside you, a battle between your flesh and your spirit. At this time, do you follow your flesh or follow the Holy Spirit? If you follow the flesh, in a single thought, to set the mind on the flesh is death. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

When we receive God's word, we must know whether you are obeying the flesh and keeping the law, or obeying faith and the love of God to fulfill the law? Keeping the law according to the flesh will lead to a curse, but if you love God by faith, the result will be as Joshua said: God will never leave you nor forsake you, but will be with you until He fulfills what He has promised you. The thoughts in the minds of Moses and Joshua were of love for God. They received the heart of a son. They knew that God is a good God because God gave them good promises. The Israelites did not think that God was a good God. They believed that the disasters they suffered when they abandoned God were because God had forsaken them. They did not blame themselves for forsaking God, but blamed God for forsaking them. They did not agree with God's words, but agreed with the things they could see and touch. Their hearts were stiff-necked, stubborn, and rebellious.

Brothers and sisters, you must know whether you have received the heart of a son or the heart of a servant. If you have received the heart of a servant, you will do whatever I tell you to do. But that is not the case. If you love God, you will know what to do. If you follow the rules, you cannot keep them. Therefore, we must walk the path of faith and the path of love. If we do not have the heart of a son in us, but the heart of a servant, we cannot continue on this path. Therefore, we must know that this path is not difficult to walk, it is not in our mouth, but in our heart.

Moses explained this in Deuteronomy long ago. He said: In the land you will possess, in the land flowing with milk and honey, you will eat and grow fat. We will find that people in life who love to eat, drink, and have fun have more illnesses. That is to say, if you follow the flesh, you will surely die, but if you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, you will surely live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. If you say that you have received the heart of a servant, you will be afraid; if you have received the heart of a son, you will cry out, Abba, Father. You will know how much our Abba Father loves us. No matter what the situation, you must say this. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? We know that Jesus Christ has died for us, and we ourselves are constantly sighing, but we are still waiting for the adoption as sons, waiting for the redemption of our bodies.

Walk the Path of Faith

We must turn from the path of keeping the law and walk the path of faith, the path of loving God, for that is the path of victory. Our God loves us so much. He died for us while we were still sinners. Now that we are no longer sinners, will God forget us? God will never forget us. In fact, living by God is a very simple thing. Therefore, we must deal with the religious way of believing in the Lord.

If some of our brothers and sisters feel that God does not love you enough, and you seem to be keeping rules and feel very tired, and you feel very tired attending meetings all day long, then you must be in religion. The religious way of believing in the Lord has no love and no emotion. Our Christian way of believing in the Lord is to love God emotionally. Loving God means being willing to give time and effort. We are not keeping rules, but faith. We know that the path of faith is the path that pleases God.

I began to understand one thing: What is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What kind of path did they open up? They opened up a path to deal with the flesh, to focus on God's will, not man's will. Jacob and Joseph were both very powerful people. They spared no effort in dealing with their flesh. After Jacob received his Mingding Destiny, he fled, left his father's house, and went with only a staff to his uncle Laban's house. He herded sheep for his uncle, which was very hard work. He lived in the open air for fourteen years, and then herded sheep for himself for six years, becoming extremely wealthy in that area. During those twenty years, he could not go back to see his parents. Did he not miss his parents? Of course, he did! How could he not? But he refused to go back. Why? Because that was something of the flesh.

We must know for sure that Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt, and only nine years later did he see his father and brothers. We must know for sure today that it was not difficult for Joseph, as the prime minister of Egypt, to prepare horses and chariots and return to his hometown to see his father. That would have been a triumphant return. But Joseph did not go back. Why did he not go back after being prime minister for nine years? Because Joseph did not cater to the flesh. He was able to deal with all fleshly concepts in people.

A few days ago, I saw a sister in our midst who has been going back and forth home many times this year. Her salary is not very high, and she spends all her money on travel expenses. I also felt very strange. I said, What are you going back for? She didn't know what she was going back for, but she just felt that she should go back. Today, we must know that we must begin to deal with the bad habit of following the flesh and catering to the will of man.

Why is it so difficult for people to believe in the Lord? Because believing in the Lord is a supernatural faith. If we see what God has accomplished through supernatural faith, it all seems impossible. But in our minds, we more naturally receive those natural things, not the supernatural. Therefore, how easy it is for our brothers and sisters to be carnal and to follow the customs of this world! How easy it is to be deceived by the devil! How easy it is for the church to deviate from the way of God! How easy it is for people to be rebellious and stiff-necked! How easy it is for people not to choose to trust in God!

Today, I encourage our brothers and sisters, how can we trust in God, how can we love God? It is to recognize why we are living! If we cannot figure out why we are living, and we are just living for the sake of living, you immediately enter into the realm of the carnal. Living for the sake of living, desperately living to survive. Whoever endangers your life, you will fight to the death with them. This is the carnal nature of man, which is the nature of beasts. If we are carnal, we cannot keep the law, and we cannot please God. To set the mind on the flesh is hostile to God.

Therefore, the Bible opens up a path for us, which is not to set the mind on the flesh. You know that Abraham's father lived to be 205 years old. It is clearly recorded in Genesis. Abraham was over 70 years old when he left his father, which means that his father was still alive and lived for many more years. We can know very clearly that when his father died, Abraham did not return to his hometown to attend the funeral. We always feel that this seems to be an unfilial descendant. But Abraham knew that life and death are not carnal matters, but spiritual matters. Therefore, we know that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and later Moses and Joshua, who are recorded in the Bible, were not carnal people.

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. On the way to Egypt, Moses took his wife and children. God wanted him to circumcise his son, but he refused to circumcise his son. Why? Because his wife did not agree. As a result, God was going to kill Moses. It is difficult for us to understand that when people cater to the flesh, they are hostile to God, and even Moses was no exception. Later, when Moses' wife saw that Moses was about to be killed by God, she voluntarily circumcised her son, and her husband lived.

In this process, we will see how much God hates people living in the flesh. That is to say, if we can live in the flesh and live for the flesh, that is a natural tendency. But if we want to live for God, we must contend with God and man in order to turn things around. Our natural inclination is to be afraid, afraid of the boss, afraid of superiors, afraid of the living environment. However, we naturally do not like to fear God and revere God. We naturally do not like to deal with the flesh of people. But what God wants us to do is to revere God, and no longer fear anything, do not fear or be dismayed, for your God will be with you.

More Are With Us Than With the Enemy

Yet, when God is with us, we seem unable to see, touch, or grasp anything. But when difficulties arise, we feel their reality before us. Why is it so easy for people to deviate from God's will? Because our human vision is limited to what we can see, and we miss what is unseen.

There is an example in the Bible: Elisha was a prophet. When Israel's enemies, the surrounding nations, came to attack, God would reveal to Elisha: Tell the king of Israel that such and such a nation is coming to attack; prepare well. Their plans are thus and so. The king of the neighboring country thought there was a spy within his ranks leaking information. His servants told him: There is no spy; it is because there is a prophet in Israel living in such and such a place.

As a result, this king led many troops and surrounded the small hill where Elisha lived, making it impossible for Elisha to escape. Elisha's servant got up in the morning, looked outside, and exclaimed, Oh no! We are surrounded by enemy soldiers! He went back to report to his master, It's terrible! We are going to die! Elisha told his servant, Go and look again; those who are with us are more than those who are with the enemy. Then God opened the eyes of his servant, and he saw angels and heavenly hosts encamped around Elisha, separating him from the enemy troops. If these angels and heavenly hosts had not been encamped around Elisha, they would have killed him long ago, without waiting for him to wake up.

Therefore, we must open our spiritual eyes and see that those who are with us are more than those who are with the enemy. We must know that God will be with us, never leaving nor forsaking us. We must not fear or be dismayed. God still reigns in this world; it is just a matter of whether we have the eyes of faith to walk this path of life, choosing between life and death, blessings and curses, walking a spiritual path, a path of faith, rather than a path of the flesh, of keeping rules, of loving the world.

If I know God, and have experienced God, and God has led us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and we often experience God's healing and grace in our lives, even if you have not experienced it, you see it often enough among us. Can we begin to learn one thing: to know for certain that we no longer live by the flesh, but live in this world with the faith that if we die, we die? Death absolutely cannot approach us.

That sister asked me to pray for her, and I rebuked her. I said, How are you? She said, Much better. Still uncomfortable? No, not anymore. I said, Okay, let's pray for and serve the other brothers and sisters next. Today, can we see God with us in faith? Can we be strong and courageous in faith, fearing only our God? If we fear God, we will fear nothing else. If we read God's Word and know that God's Word is such a promise, then we will fulfill it, and we will no longer be a rebellious and stiff-necked people. Then, knowing that God is with us, we will no longer do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord. Doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord is indulging the flesh, is discerning good and evil. It is just a simple principle: do not love the world; if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, and then calamity will come.

Why do we choose calamity? Why do we choose rebellion? Why do we choose to be stiff-necked? Do we not have God's Word to testify for us? Do we not have God's promises? Are not God's promises being fulfilled among us? Are not God's revelations and promises faithful? Why do we still act like slaves?

Today, let us completely break the bondage of religion from within us, completely break the hearts of slaves. We have received the spirit of sonship, so our relationship with God is a father-son relationship. Our Abba Father has prepared such abundant grace and glory for us!

Brothers and sisters, begin to see how wonderful it is within God's promises. Today I say again, we set before you life and death, blessings and curses; choose life. This path is not difficult to walk; it is the path of loving God, and it is in your heart and in your mouth. Believe in and love God in your heart, choose to believe, do not be stubborn and rebellious, and declare it with your mouth, and God's promises will be fulfilled in our lives.

This path is much easier than the path of rebellion; this path is much easier than the path of being stiff-necked; this path is much better than serving other gods, being forsaken by God, and experiencing many calamities and disasters.

We must know for certain that we should imitate Jacob, we should imitate Joseph, we should imitate Abraham and Isaac. Their paths clearly show us that the path of faith is what God has prepared for us.

Today we no longer walk on the path of relying on the flesh to perform the law. It is not about doing whatever you say. It is not just about carefully observing and following the words of the Lord your God, but about loving God. Then all these things are not difficult. Moses wrote so much, but what is most important? It is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

See clearly that our life in this world is vanity of vanities, and know that to come out of this vanity is to obtain destiny. That is the destiny of Abraham, the destiny of Isaac and Jacob.

When we enter this Mingding Destiny, we must pay the price for our Mingding Destiny, and that price is to deal with our flesh, to deal with the passions and desires of our flesh by the Spirit, and then we can live out God's glorious Mingding Destiny in this world, living out His glorious image.

More Than Conquerors Through Him Who Loved Us

Today I am speaking a bit theologically; I should give more examples. But it doesn't matter; let it be theology! When we love God, when we love God with our richest emotions, all this becomes easy. Our light and momentary troubles here on earth will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

For today we live not by the flesh, but by the Spirit; today we put to death the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit; today we live according to God's will. What does the Bible say? I will read a passage from Romans to everyone:

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of your body to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of your body to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:3-14)

Do you understand? Today we must know for certain that we are dead to this world. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. I have died to this world, and this world is dead to us. Sin can no longer reign in us, and death can no longer reign in us.

We no longer fear death; death has nothing to do with us. This tells us that we no longer live in fear, but we live under the grace of God. Today we are living in eternal life, so what is there to fear about death? Are we still clinging to life and afraid of death? Are we still relying on medicine to prolong our lives in this world? Death has been trampled under our feet.

Today we live in eternal life, so leaving this world is far better, to be with God. If you have such a heart, what can control you? What can accuse you? Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

For we know that God is our God, God is our Abba Father, and He loves us so much that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Some people ask me, How can you be so sure? Because I believe. When I believe, I know that the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection will be manifested among us, and our mortal bodies will also be redeemed.

Our Jesus Christ is not a Jesus Christ detached from human life; He will save us from the bondage of the body, waiting for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. How good is this saying! Do you believe, brothers and sisters?

Believe that God loves you, and receive God's love. Turn around and know that we love God, and we who trust in Him will never be put to shame. What abundant grace and glory God has prepared for those who love Him! Therefore, come out of a vain life, do not see this world as so real, but begin to know that life in this world is vanity of vanities.

A long time ago, I admired the IT Four Young Men in Beijing. I really admired them. In their twenties, they were presidents, starting businesses, and earning tens of millions. When I found out, I specifically looked them up online. One of them was named Mao KanKan. At twenty-one, he was a president, starting a business, and earning tens of millions. When I heard that, I thought it was amazing. When I was twenty-one, I was just a young kid, not understanding anything!

But Mao KanKan committed suicide on January 25th of this year. There are many news reports about him online. He was once one of the IT Four Young Men in Beijing. These four young men were all very talented. Mao KanKan died at the age of thirty-five, committing suicide by turning on the gas.

Know that if you love the world, the world will pierce you with pain. If you love God, God will reward you with life, honor, glory, and omnipotence, giving you a crown of glory, so you can live out a beautiful testimony in your life. May God bless you all!