Introduction

Today, before the Bible study, I was excited again because I saw the theme running through Hebrews chapter 11. When I grasped the theme, I walked as if I were one of the richest men in the world. As we read Hebrews chapter 11 from beginning to end, you will see a sentence repeated again and again in this chapter, and that sentence is the theme the author wants to highlight. Brothers and sisters must know that faith has assurance, and today I define the theme of this chapter as: the assurance of faith and the hope that has assurance.

Sharing Promises, Sharing Assurance

There is a very clear concept in me that when we choose to believe, God will give us very clear assurance. If our faith has no assurance, how long can our faith last? Actually, it really can't last long. Almost all of us brothers and sisters have experienced God and the assurance of faith.

There was a sister with demons running wild in her, and we often needed to take her to pray, sometimes praying until two or three in the morning. After praying, this sister was healed, experienced God, and had assurance inside her, but the key is whether there is eternal hope after having assurance? In fact, many people do not have eternal hope.

What exactly are the assurance of faith and the hope that has assurance? Just now our sister shared about the hope in eternity. Today I tell you, no matter who you are, as long as you are among us, if the hope you carry is different from the hope written in the Bible, whether you have obtained assurance or not, you can leave with grace. Because you don't really need God, what you need is your children's studies, your work, money... Today I want to tell you that everything in this world is vanity of vanities.

This evening, I communicated with a brother who is very accomplished in academics, and he shared with me his small ambitions in the world. It is good to have ambitions, for example, some people's ambition is that I really want to become the richest man in China. The ambition to become the richest man in China is very good, but the key is China's richest man, SO WHAT? (What's the point of being the richest man in China?)

Our great Chairman Mao wrote a poem like this: It is a pity that Emperors Qin and Han lacked literary talent; Emperors Tang and Song were slightly inferior in elegance. The proud son of heaven, Genghis Khan, only knew how to bend his bow and shoot eagles. All are past, to find truly great men, look to today... We think Qin Shi Huang was very good, but he died in his 50s. Even if you become Qin Shi Huang, you still have to die. Even if you become Qin Shi Huang, you cannot get the hope of eternal life. When a person reaches the position of Qin Shi Huang, what he desires most is eternal life. Imagine if we die today, can your child's degree help you? Doctorates, Masters... haven't they all been controlled by demons? What qualifications do you have to build your hope on this world?

Moreover, among our brothers and sisters, especially those I serve, I will spend all my energy to serve them, and I will tell them, brother (or sister), how I serve you today, you must serve others in the same way in the future. Do you think I am morally kidnapping brothers and sisters? No, I hope you can see through all the things in this world like we do. If you see through all things, will you live like this now? You won't live like this!

Therefore, brothers and sisters must know that we never kidnap anyone, but if you are not of one heart with us to build God's glorious church, I am embarrassed to kick you out, so you should quit the group yourself. Because I don't kidnap anyone. I ask you to serve, not because I want to get any benefits from you, but because you need to grow from serving.

Man's Life Is Vanity of Vanities

If you think your children's studies, your work... are very important, then you take your hope and go, and I will take my hope and go. I serve everyone with such a high price, even when my work in the world is surrounded by enemies, I still serve like this. Why do I do this? Everyone must know the reason, because everything in this world is vanity of vanities!

If people don't know that this world is vanity of vanities, and think that living is very real, then you live realistically, and then you will see how disasters come upon those who once lived very realistically. Today at noon, I talked with a scientist in Silicon Valley, USA, who works in artificial intelligence for an hour and a half, because I know very well what kind of faith she has inside. She has great sympathy for those who cater to the flesh, and she also has great sympathy for those who love the world. She thinks she believes in the Lord, but her 8-year-old child has lupus erythematosus (lupus erythematosus is a very serious immune system disease). Do you want your children to be like you in the future, clinging to this world, but this world uses pain to sting you?

I want to tell everyone that it is difficult to persevere to the end if faith has no assurance. Everyone sees miracles and wonders following us, because our God has given us the assurance of faith, so that we can run on the road of faith, straight into eternity. If faith has no assurance, no proof, believing in the Lord today, nothing happens; believing in the Lord tomorrow, nothing happens; next year, the year after that, still nothing happens, then I really can't persevere. But I thank my God, because my God is with me!

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. (Mark 16:17-18)

Brothers and sisters must know that faith has assurance. Otherwise, we will not be able to persevere to obtain the final promise. The ultimate promise is to enter eternity and be with our God.

Everyone must understand, how much evidence of faith do you have? If God gives you very little evidence, then you really need to repent and reflect. There was a brother who came among us a few months ago, and his ankle was repeatedly red, swollen, and painful. He was healed by prayer and came again, and then he was healed again. I kept changing this brother's thoughts and ideas, and I put the hope of eternity in his heart, constantly destroying his dreams in the world.

Brothers and sisters, I will not give you a worldly dream, I will give you a heavenly dream, because this worldly dream is vanity of vanities. If you are among us and still want to carry worldly dreams, then you can leave; if you carry heavenly dreams, we can run together and share the promises. Sharing the promises means sharing the beautiful evidence.

This Hope Is a Hope with Assurance

Today at noon, the North American scientist I served brought her daughter and went to all the large Chinese churches in North America. I was very surprised that she said no one cared about her, no one could serve her, and no one wanted to serve her... I said: In that church, it's strange that you come to me for service.

So why did she come to me for service? Because I have many testimonies of service on the website. Brothers and sisters who have received grace among us, I encourage you again, how I serve you, I hope you can serve others in the same way. Because I want you to know that our hope is not in this world at all. If you still carry worldly hopes, you will not be able to go on, you will leave this church sooner or later, either you leave yourself, or I will kick you out, because among us, there is no one who is unwilling to lay down his life for Jesus Christ.

If you live for yourself, then you live for yourself, and then get the evidence; but we live for the Lord Jesus and get the evidence that the Lord Jesus gives us. That sister told me that the senior pastor of her church had cancer, and that senior pastor told others that God had told him that God would not heal him.

Why is this so? Later, I told this sister about our Chinese Mingding Destiny theological concept. There is a saying in the world that good people are not rewarded, but we don't want to be good people in this world, we want to be people who fight and win in this world and obtain promises. In this world, constantly experience God, because people who have faith in their hearts will definitely get beautiful assurance.

Hebrews chapter 11 is all about the assurance of things not seen. In the past, I often heard people say what faith is, and they told me a verse:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

But I didn't understand, and then the other party still told me:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

But I still didn't understand. Today I can clearly explain faith to everyone. Faith has assurance. Because of the assurance of faith, we can hope for the hope that has assurance. Let's see how the Bible describes it:

By faith Abel brought God a more acceptable offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4)

Is there a testimony? There is a testimony, because Cain found that planting grain was not as blessed as Abel raising sheep. I tell you, God's blessing is absolutely true. Why can Abel's sheep raising be blessed? It's not because Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices, and they were both blessed. Don't think that believing in God will bring blessings to everyone. Actually, it's not. You have to have eternal hope. Abel has eternal hope.

But I know there is God, I must return to God. I am just a sojourner in this world. Death is nothing to me. Food is nothing to me. The best sheep should be given to God, and the best time should also be given to God. Raising sheep is not my Mingding Destiny, returning to God is my Mingding Destiny, so Abel gave the best to God. So what about you? Today I challenge the brothers and sisters among us, how should you respond to God if you are unwilling to give the best to God? I'm sweating for you.

You may become Cain, not because you don't offer sacrifices. You also give tithes, but what do you offer? You are not worshiping God with eternal hope, your hope is all in this world. If your hope is all in this world, how can you please God? If you can't please God, what do you believe in the Lord for? Today I want to destroy all the logical systems of this life and all the worldly dreams among us. These are all vanity of vanities. If you don't agree with what I said, it doesn't matter, find a church that you agree with.

Today, by reading Hebrews chapter 11, we know that Abel offered such a sacrifice and Cain offered such a sacrifice. God warned Cain, why are you like this? If you do well, will you not be accepted? If you are not accepted, how can you live in this world? How many of us have experienced God? Don't say I am morally kidnapping anyone, I am not kidnapping people, I am morally kicking people out. I can't wait to kick all these people out. But, I'm reluctant, I'm afraid I'll make a mistake. We need those who build a holy and glorious church. Those in the church should all have hope for eternity.

Although we don't know how real that eternal hope is, it is indeed a hope with assurance. No matter where I go, I see the assurance of faith following me. How can I, who already has so much assurance of faith, deny that eternal hope? I see God clearly with me, and whatever I serve, no matter what his thoughts are, God bestows His grace and heals them. But still many people leave and continue to pursue their worldly dreams, so be it, I don't want to bring them back again. I never kidnap anyone, I can't wait for them all to leave, so that the church can be holy. Am I forcing you to serve? No, that is God's word, God's word will judge you.

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, and he was commended as one who pleased God. Do you have evidence? Does God walk with you? You see how God walks with us, but who have you walked with? If you don't want to get hope in eternity, just want to get benefits in this life, you will have demons walking with you. How will you live your life then? So today I want to destroy the worldly dreams in these people's hearts again. Is children's homework so important? That's not important! A brother came a few days ago, and his child is in the fourth grade of elementary school, and the whole family is collapsing. Is it interesting? I told him it was not necessary. It's completely unnecessary. Even if you get a good grade, it's still vanity of vanities.

But today I tell you that Enoch was taken away by faith and obtained evidence. Because God walks with him, everything he touches prospers, do you believe it? Everything Enoch touches prospers, because God walks with Enoch. How can there be no evidence for those whom God is with? Today we need to know that if you love the world and cling to worldly things, you will live in sorrow. If you understand, think according to what I said, and read the Bible carefully, not using my words, but using God's words to judge yourself. Then repent from sin and turn back to God.

Later, did Noah get evidence by faith? He did. God was with him, and he actually built an ark. Do you think Noah built it himself? No, it was God who built it together with him. He experienced God every day, and in the end he did not perish with the people of that generation. He built the ark, and God saved his family. Is there evidence? Yes. But, is that eternal hope? No, it is only a part of experiencing God in the world.

Destroying Worldly Dreams

If you are a person of faith, it is impossible for you not to experience God in this world. After experiencing it, you will come to a conclusion: there is God in this world. You must not only believe that there is God, but also believe that God will reward those who seek him. Are you seeking worldly dreams, worldly degrees, or rewards from God? Several doctors who came among us have all collapsed, and because of my service, they have all experienced God. Because God is with me, you have received grace, do you still want to pursue worldly dreams? I'm really surprised.

After ten lepers were healed, only one returned to seek God. If I were one of the lepers, and Jesus healed me, I would realize that this is a treasure! As a result, nine healed lepers ran to pursue worldly dreams. Actually, the proportion of what we have experienced is similar. For every one who stays, about nine are lost. After serving ten people, they received grace, but only one remained. If you are the one who stayed, I congratulate you, you are a treasure in God's eyes. You must have faith and constantly experience the assurance that God gives you. If you can experience God every day, what a wonderful life that is! Don't you long to live such a life? Do you have to live a life that makes you collapse?

Today your child may be two or three years old, and there will still be challenges at this age. A few days ago, I received a large entrepreneur with his two children, one over ten years old and one two or three years old, both very smart. But it made the family extremely collapsed, because the child's studies became a problem for the family. But today we must know for sure that this is nothing. Today, if we have that hope in eternity, how can these things make us collapse. Die when it's time to die, live when it's time to live, but we must experience God in the world, and no things or persons can deprive us of our dreams in eternity. Because the things of this world and this world are passing away, but the word of God will last forever.

If you want to live a wonderful life, there is only one way, which is to constantly experience God in faith, and then build up this eternal hope. This hope is a hope with assurance, how can you go on without a hope with assurance? Living like hell and going to heaven after death, how can such a road be walked? But I tell you, you must be a person of faith in the world, and then see through everything in this world and live out the glorious image of God in the world. I care about one thing, that is, whether each of our brothers and sisters can live out the glorious image of God? Don't live out the presence of demons, but live out the presence of God.

Some people preach the gospel like this: It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter if you live like this, you can go to heaven after you die. I think it's a bit difficult. If you don't get the assurance of faith when you are alive, how can you have a hope with assurance after you die? Our God has given us such great grace, and has bestowed upon us the assurance of faith. Then tell you, see, God is so real, the spiritual realm is so real.

God has manifested Himself in your life again, walking with you every day in this world, and finally leaving this world, God will let you enter into the eternal promise. Although we have not yet received this eternal promise today, because we experience God every day, we cannot deny the assurance in our hearts. Therefore, we believe that one day in the future, we will be able to come before God.

Once I went to buy a house and met a real estate developer. He was a Christian. When we sat down to eat, he asked me if a pastor had told him that only one in a thousand people could go to heaven. The rest would go to hell. He asked me what I thought, and he obviously didn't agree with this view. I said I don't know, I haven't been to that place, but I know that whoever you are like when you are alive, you will go to him when you die. If you are like a demon when you are alive, you will go to the demon when you die. If you are like Jesus when you are alive, you will go to Jesus when you die.

Choose to Emulate Jesus Christ

We must all know, are you really living like Jesus? Jesus laid down His life and offered it to God. Among us, do we have such resolve? Even if you are new here, I have enough patience to wait for you to grow, and I earnestly hope you will grow. But within you, can you begin to build an eternal hope? Do not think that running around in this world for a lot of worldly things—children, studies, degrees—there are countless upsetting matters.

Without an eternal hope, the things of this world are vanity. I may offend many by saying this, may God have mercy. But can you really guarantee that your children will not be disturbed by the devil in the future? Can you really guarantee that if your children study hard, they will have a bright future? Do you really think that it is worth paying such a heavy price for the things of this world?

If it were me, I would rather pay all the costs for God. Because God controls our future. Brothers and sisters, we must know that this world was created by the word of God, and what we see was not created from visible things. If you want your children to have a future, share God's word with them. If you want yourself to have a future, engrave God's word on your heart.

If you hope to live out God's glory, become a creative person today. Creation originates from the word of God, understand? God saw the emptiness and chaos and began creation. The Spirit of God moved there, God began to speak, and the world gradually formed. Things will be accomplished according to what God has said. But if you think that your frantic efforts and hard work can solve any problems, you are at best an Esau. You build frantically, and then God tears down. How tragic it is to oppose God. How terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God!

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

To insult the Spirit of grace, you think, what kind of increased punishment will he receive? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This is the part I missed in the previous chapter. After listening, if you feel a heavy accusation, you don't have to listen, turn it off, but I am speaking the truth. If you feel pricked in your heart and cut to the bone, let the Spirit of God repair you well within. Say, God, come and repair me. I often like to say, God, repair me, repair me well, I long to have your glorious image. Even today I often say, God, come and repair me, if you don't repair me, who will repair me.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. (Hebrews 11:8-12)

No evidence? There is plenty of evidence. Through faith, they experienced God's countless graces.

When Abraham went out, it was really a lot of hassle. Do you think he was tired? Tired. Hard? Hard. Troublesome? Troublesome. Our God really likes to trouble us. If it were not for this hope in eternity, I would have given up long ago. But because of the hope in eternity, I look down on all the troubles in this world. Let it be troublesome, anyway it already is. Why trouble us so much? It is because we live out our faith in God through the troubles. Every trouble is a moment when God personally manifests grace, and every trouble sees God's grace.

Abraham went to Egypt, his wife was taken away, and then obediently sent back. So you see how powerful God is. Returning to the land of Canaan, he experienced great famine and war, a lot of trouble. Lot is not written here. Lot ran to Sodom, because of what? Because he coveted worldly pleasures, he didn't like living in tents. Living in tents is so hard, without sanitary facilities, everything is inconvenient, it is very hard.

But Abraham despised all this. When he came out of Haran, he had a house in Haran, a good life. But he considered everything in this world to be vanity of vanities, so he walked according to the word of God, in order to obtain that beautiful promise in this trouble. Isaac and Jacob also troubled. They were hard, but it didn't matter, because they had a beautiful hope in their hearts. Isaac saw with his own eyes the relationship between his father Abraham and God. Jacob saw with his own eyes how his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac experienced God. They had the assurance of faith. They said to themselves, I also want to get this. I don't want to live and die in this world. I want to enter eternity! Brothers and sisters, can we completely destroy that worldly dream within us today?

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

Did you hear that? If you really heard it, like me, have hope in eternity, look down on everything in the world, what degrees, official positions, money, jobs, bosses, are nothing great. Even your boss is in God's control, what is there to fear?

Start today to raise an eternal hope from within you. When an eternal hope rises within you, tell yourself that I don't want to get anything in this world. I just want to pursue eternal hope. I want to see the assurance of God's presence with me in this generation by faith, so that I can enter into God's presence when I leave the world.

God has prepared a city for us. God is called our God, and God will not be ashamed. God thinks this is an extremely glorious thing. God feels that he has received a glorious praise in us, understand? The reason why our God is called our God is because our God feels: Look, my children in the world are some people the world is not worthy of. These people can live out my presence in this world by faith, and I am glorified by them.

Our God will never let you just live in the world, struggle, work hard, let you see nothing, experience nothing, and then die and go to the Western Paradise, not such a God. Our God is so gracious to us that we can live out his presence in this world. Because of this, we are willing to offer ourselves for God. No matter how much hardship we endure, how much hard work we suffer, how much blood we shed, how much sweat we shed, how many tears we shed, it doesn't matter, why? Because we have a hope in eternity.

Restore Eternal Hope

Brothers and sisters, these people in the Bible, enduring imprisonment, all kinds of grinding, being stoned to death, being sawn in two, being tempted, being killed by knives, wandering around wearing sheepskins and goatskins, suffering poverty, suffering, hardship, wilderness, mountains, caves, drifting aimlessly in caves, why do they persist? Because they often experience God. Brothers and sisters, I have also suffered a lot of grievances and hardships in this world, but I know one thing, I am happy to have completed God's will in this world and returned to God. I know that my hope will never be in vain. Because my hope is a hope with assurance.

One day, during a meeting break, I was praying there, and God asked me: Are you willing to die for me? I cried at the time, not because I was cherishing my life, but, I said: God, since you value me, you look up to me, die, I can't wait to die for you, I just don't have the opportunity. Later, God didn't pay attention to me anymore, but this sentence gave me a deep feeling.

Today I challenge everyone, are you willing to die for God? If God asks you one day, don't be confused, know that God has taken a fancy to you, to give you great grace, to make your name great in heaven and on earth. I cried so much at the time, I said: God, I am not only willing, I can't wait to do so.

Do you all understand? If you know why God is so with me, everything I do prospers, because God is with me. Why? Because there is an eternal hope in me, I know very clearly that everything in this world is vanity of vanities, I have no hope in this world, not a single bit of hope. That is why I still serve God wholeheartedly, with all my soul and strength, while working as a senior staff member in these universities.

Anyone who comes to me, no matter how miserable my work is, I take the time to serve them. If I can't finish my work, I work until four in the morning, sometimes until five in the morning, why? Can't finish it, because I am serving some people during the day, why do I serve like this? Because there is no hope in this world.

A sister from Hamburg Lingliang Church in Germany, she had a headache once, saw her mother praying with me, and asked me if I could pray for her, I said yes. I prayed for her for a few minutes, and her headache was gone. She said, Can I ask you a question? I said: Ask. She said: Why are so many anointed pastors coming, big pastors, small pastors are holding healing crusades here, I went to pray and none of them got better, how come it is better here with you? She was surprised. I told her, because I pray for you, if you are not well yet, I will keep praying until you are completely well. So the devil has no way to stand before me, this is our ambition.

I also encourage all our brothers and sisters to have such ambition with eternal hope, because with such ambition, you are not afraid to pay all the price for Jesus in this world. You are not afraid of death, what else are you afraid of?

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

You know our Abraham, he has divine logic in him. He knows that God is a good God. Since God allowed him to have his offspring from Isaac, Isaac has not yet had children at this time, and has not yet given birth to Esau and Jacob. But at this time, God wants you to offer Isaac. He can't deny God's promise no matter how he calculates it. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that his child will be resurrected from the dead. This is the logic of a person who trusts God.

What was the result? God said: Stop. God prepared a sheep for himself to offer up, replacing Isaac's position. Isaac was already in his thirties at this time. A young man in his thirties was willing to offer himself to God, and did not refute his more than 100-year-old father Abraham. Both father and son are very odd people, both willing to offer themselves for God. Abraham offered his most precious thing, and Isaac also offered his most precious thing. The two got complete at the same time. From then on, the two won together, and the two experienced God's great grace at the same time.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has been nailed to the cross for us, why? Because he loves us so much, are we willing to make a decision today to offer ourselves completely to God. I tell you, God must not want to kill you. When we are willing to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God, you will become holy and acceptable to God, and your life will become a wonderful life. Isaac and Abraham both offered their most precious things, what about us, do we still have any reservations?

I am willing to completely offer my wife, children, fields, houses, and all my career for the sake of Jesus Christ. I know I am really such a person. I have offered everything I can for Jesus Christ. Why? Because I have a hope in eternity, my hope is not in this world at all, it becomes what it is today. If you think such a life is wonderful, emulate Jesus Christ, emulate the Apostle Paul, emulate me, and run this heavenly road together, and live out a wonderful life in this world.