Foreword

The Book of Numbers recounts many instances of the Israelites provoking God, resulting in plagues and deaths, continuing until Chapter 26. In Chapter 26, another census of those able to fight is taken. Where did those who died in Chapter 25 come from? They came from the preceding chapters, involving a prophet named Balaam. Who was Balaam associated with? With Balak, the king of Moab. Balak was acutely aware of the effects of blessings and curses. A person under a curse cannot prevail, while one who is blessed is invincible in battle.

Therefore, we must today understand clearly the importance of blessings and curses. King Balak of Moab sought to have Balaam curse the Israelites, but he could not. The words from God were all blessings for Israel. Balak was confused about blessings and curses, thinking that sacrifices could bribe Jehovah God into cursing Israel. But our God is not like that; He does not accept bribes. Balak did not understand the key to curses and blessings, but Balaam did. Balaam knew that if the Israelites disobeyed God's word, they would be cursed. There would be no need to fight them; God's anger would cause many deaths.

Our God Controls Blessings and Curses

Balak listened to Balaam's plan. What scheme did Balaam suggest? He suggested that Moabite women should seduce the Israelite men into sexual immorality. After committing sin and engaging in sexual immorality, they would entice the Israelites to worship idols. This was a clever move. Therefore, we must know for certain that blessings and curses are controlled by our God. If you diligently obey the word of Jehovah God, you will be blessed. If you do not diligently obey, you will be cursed. Our enemy, the devil, is well aware of this strategy.

What did the devil do in the early days of Adam and Eve? He seduced Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden. Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, and as a result, they were cursed. So we can clearly see that today the devil still tempts people to sin and forsake God. People who sin, forsake God, and worship idols invite deep curses. The devil is very clear about this, and so was Balaam. If we Christians do not understand this logic, that obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses, then we are in trouble. That is to say, Christians fear only one thing: disobeying the word of Jehovah your God.

Can the phrase disobeying the word of Jehovah your God make our brothers and sisters take it seriously enough? I have come to understand gradually, because when I read the Bible, I discovered that all the words of the law written in this book call you to fear Jehovah your God, His glorious and awesome name. If you do not carefully follow His words, God will bring on you and your descendants terrible and prolonged disasters and serious and lingering illnesses. He will also inflict on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded. And He will bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.

So today, brothers and sisters, begin to understand that if you have many illnesses, and they are terrible, prolonged, lingering, and serious, you must know that this is closely related to disobeying the word of Jehovah your God. The devil cannot defeat us, but if he can tempt us to sin, he can easily defeat us. Of all sins, idolatry is the most deadly.

Many sins are related to sexual immorality and idolatry, which bring deep curses. I encourage the brothers and sisters among us, especially those with many physical illnesses, to choose to come out of the curse. If you carefully follow God's word, you will be blessed; if you do not carefully follow it, you will be cursed. So the devil knows very well that they cannot do anything to us directly, but they can tempt us to sin.

From the days of Adam and Eve to today, this trick has never changed. Do not think that our God can be served casually. Our God is a jealous God, and He will by no means clear the guilty. He punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him. So the curses of this world all come from God. Who's scheme did the Israelites fall into? They fell into Balaam's scheme, and together they committed sexual immorality with those women. Then those women invited them to offer sacrifices to their gods. This very act caused the Lord's anger to burn against the Israelites.

Our God is a Jealous God

The Moabites did not need to attack the Israelites. They only needed to entice them to sin and offend God. Through this, we deeply understand that our God is a jealous God. Do not think that you are Adam or Eve, and then you can eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat it, you will surely die. If our view of this matter is not adequate, it is very dangerous. So when we see people living with serious illnesses, we must know for certain that either they themselves or their ancestors have disobeyed the word of Jehovah God. Now, brothers and sisters, see what God does.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people and kill them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” (Numbers 25:4)

Do you know who is related to people's sins? Leaders are related. If the leaders manage strictly, the situation of sinning below will be better. If the leaders are loose, the situation of forsaking God and rebelling against God below will be very serious. Today, brothers and sisters, you must know for sure that the requirements in our church are very high, and the requirements in our church are also very strict. Because we deeply know that if our brothers and sisters do not carefully follow God's words, you will not be blessed. So we teach everyone the word of God again and again.

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have consecrated themselves to Baal of Peor.” (Numbers 25:5)

Do you know to what extent our God is jealous? He is so jealous that He will never spare a person's life. So what does the Book of Numbers record? The Book of Numbers records the number of Israelites who could not fight with a knife and died in the wilderness. They could not fight with a knife and were also tricked by the devil, and died in the wilderness again and again, recording the number of deaths. Many people died until all the people of that era died.

Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman to his relatives in full view of Moses and the whole Israelite community, who were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (Numbers 25:6-9)

Just because the Israelites sinned, 24,000 people died at once. Imagine how great a victory it would be for the Moabites to kill 24,000 Israelites in battle. But the Moabites didn't spend a single soldier. They just let their women seduce the Israelites to commit sexual immorality, and then took them to worship idols and eat their sacrifices. Then 24,000 people died. So brothers and sisters, have a clear understanding of sin. All along, people have been tempting people to sin. It is common for women to tempt men to sin from ancient times to the present.

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” (Numbers 25:11-12)

Today, brothers and sisters, know that leaders being strict with those below them is the best protection for those below them. Our leaders are very clear that the first is to break people's bondage; the second is to break people's flesh; the third is to teach the word of God; and the fourth is to lead them to practice the word of God. Our large and small pastors inherit our spiritual assets and then demand them layer by layer. Do not think that it is a good thing for leaders not to care or demand, and then let you fall into sin.

Now, there are many churches that are loose with the requirements for brothers and sisters. If you have a problem, they move their mouths and type a few words, May God bless you. If there is no problem, they are too lazy to type a few words. Brothers and sisters, you must have a clear understanding of spiritual matters. Our God is a jealous God. You must know that curses and blessings come from God. If people worship idols, they will be cursed. You can only have one God, and that is Jehovah your God. In fact, some of us are very sick. Don't think that you can use some things as redemption tickets. It's not possible! If you have idols in your heart, you must remove them. This idol may be your work, some customs of this world, or some things that we value very much. Today, we must be especially careful.

Be A Priest Who Does Not Compromise

Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. This covenant is to him and his descendants as a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” (Numbers 25:12-13)

If it were not for this, the plague among the Israelites would still be rampant. As a result, Phinehas atoned for many sins of the Israelites because he had a zealous heart for God. Some priests compromise, while others do not. You shall serve the Lord your God, and you are a priest before God. If you do not know that God is a jealous God, you cannot serve Him. What do we read in the New Testament? Paul’s uncompromising attitude in the face of any circumstances fills us with awe.

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews also joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? (Galatians 2:11-14)

Why was Peter being a hypocrite? It is really hard for us to understand what Peter was thinking and what he was afraid of. Actually, Peter was afraid of those who came from James. Because James was the head of the church in Jerusalem, Peter was in a very strange state of mind. There was really no need to be so afraid, but Peter was so afraid that even Barnabas joined in the hypocrisy. It is really hard for us to understand what happened. Peter saw those who came from James as a mouse seeing a cat. Originally, Peter lived by prayer and preaching, but he was subordinate to James in the church. Although he was the greatest apostle, he later became James’s subordinate. Peter lived by prayer and preaching, and he was actually taking a salary in the Jerusalem church, afraid that James would fire him.

If a person relies on this for a living, he will be afraid of losing his job. Some people are afraid of their boss because their job is in their boss’s hands. Is this really the case? In fact, our stomach is not our god, so what are we afraid of? Actually, there is no need to be afraid. Paul is uncompromising, with no compromise in his life. Why was Paul uncompromising? Because he did not live for a job, and his job was not based on prayer and preaching. He supported himself and his co-workers with his own hands. He did not need to be afraid, afraid of not being able to preach the pure gospel, and compromising in serving a jealous God. Why did God raise up the Apostle Paul? Because the previous apostles did not have a zealous heart for God. Brothers and sisters, you should all begin to understand Paul and Peter. If you want to read, quote more of Paul’s Bible. Peter is a compromising person, and Barnabas is also a compromising person. But Paul does not care who you are. Those who are famous, no matter who they are, have nothing to do with him.

Have a zealous heart for God and learn to emulate Paul. Peter and Barnabas are both compromising people. Barnabas went on a missionary journey with Paul to serve God. Later, they separated because Barnabas often liked to be a good person, but Paul was a truthful person. Paul could not work with the compromising Barnabas and separated because of Mark. Barnabas was the one who recommended Paul, and Peter was the second-in-command of the Jerusalem church, with James as the first-in-command. But the Apostle Paul is an uncompromising person, no matter who it is, he only preaches the gospel and is not afraid of death. God is pleased with those who have a zealous heart for Him!

Brothers and sisters, God has given us many revelations in our church because I serve Him before God without compromise. I do what God says. I have a zealous heart for God. God will greatly bless such people. I hope that all the brothers and sisters among us can have a zealous heart for God. Do not be afraid. Since God is our God, what else is there to be afraid of? Without a zealous heart and with a compromising attitude, it is difficult for God to use you. We all know that the Apostle Peter once led Gentiles to be filled with the Holy Spirit and led Gentiles to believe in the Lord, but later he could not become an apostle to the Gentiles. God could not let him preach the gospel to the Gentiles, but raised up a man named Paul, so that we still have the pure gospel among us.

Brothers and sisters, we must all keep and follow God's Word. As the Bible says, we must do. Those who compromise on God's Word will have serious problems. If you add to God's words at will, you will be cursed. If you subtract from God's words at will, God will subtract your portion. This is a very serious problem. An uncompromising heart is one of the most important qualities of a Christian. Some people are officials in power, and we know what they do in our hearts, but we do not say anything. If we think it is obedience, then we are in big trouble. If we, like Phinehas, indulged the tribal chief, the Israelites would continue to die. Phinehas might have died too, but Phinehas did not compromise because he had a zealous heart for God. He did not compromise and killed the Israelite named Zimri and the woman named Cozbi, and then stopped God's wrath.

God is looking for priests in this generation who have an uncompromising attitude towards God's Word. God is looking for such people, such priests. If brothers and sisters are willing, they should do so. Never indulge in offending some people, but be wise. The devil uses all its tricks to make us compromise on God's Word. In our church, either be a resounding Christian or leave. It is difficult to live in our midst if you want to just get by. We build God’s holy, victorious, and glorious church. The church is the body of Jesus Christ, and it cannot tolerate filth. Have a zealous heart and build a holy church. Arise, believe in the Lord with a zealous heart, and you cannot but be blessed. You will surely become a priest chosen by God, and God will surely give you a covenant of peace because you have a zealous heart for God.

Build God’s Glorious Church with a Zealous Heart

When it comes to implementing some words, we face great challenges. The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. Do you use these words to build the church, never leaving trash in the church? If all kinds of people are kept, they will surely be attacked by the devil. Absolutely cannot have womanly benevolence, otherwise, there is no zealous heart for God. Our church has a characteristic that it never forces anyone to stay. Those who have the same destiny as us will walk together. If you stay with us but do not have the same destiny, you will be very tired and deviate from the way of God. If you are willing to become a priest of Jehovah and build God’s glorious church, then come and join us to become a blessing to all nations.

We really need to wake up. The church is not like taking a bus, with people getting on and off. The church is like taking an airplane, flying all the way to the destination, without stopping casually along the way. Those who come to our church must have the same destiny, the same faith, the same mission, and bear the mark of Abraham. Because God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and our God. Building the church is like casting a net, catching all kinds of fish, collecting the good fish in baskets, and throwing the bad away. Have a zealous heart, do not pursue the number of people, because increasing the number of people cannot build the body of Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, know that our God is a jealous God. Never sin against God, for you must pay the price for your sin. As the saying goes, you have to pay it back when you come out and mess around. We must be determined to be those who keep and follow God's Word, determined to be those who please God, and determined to build God's glorious church for God. For God, keep a zealous heart, never hide garbage in the church, and do not need to pursue the number of people. What you need to pursue is a zealous heart.

If you compete for the number of people, then you are already idolizing the number of people. Some people idolize work, some people idolize building the church, and some people idolize their ministry. No matter what you idolize, you will lose the zealous heart you have for God, which is very dangerous! Therefore, brothers and sisters, our purpose in this world as Christians is to build the body of Jesus Christ, to build the temple of God, and to build it with a zealous heart, according to the Word of God, and God’s glory will fill us.