Believing in the Lord, Rooted in the Bible

A key characteristic of the Book of Hebrews is its mention of fundamental faith concepts, which are severely lacking in our generation. Jack Ma once said: Today's skills are only an inch high but a mile wide, whereas the market needs skills that are an inch wide but a mile high. For instance, if a blade is an inch thick, can it still cut? It becomes a hammer. But if you can sharpen the blade well, it becomes very effective.

Many things in this generation are part of a fast-food culture, even believing in Jesus. This is because the most popular thing in our generation is a gospel without sacrifice. Brothers and sisters, consider this: when someone comes among us unwilling to pay the price, we know whether they have true faith. When you first arrive, we don't immediately accept you; instead, we have you take the 101 course, and then read Genesis, taking notes. These are actually ways of training people to pay the price.

Concepts are the Most Basic Things

When we believe in the Lord today, we must clarify many concepts related to faith. It's not enough to say you were saved in a certain year and think you are truly saved. The Bible doesn't say that, especially the Book of Hebrews. We must clarify these things.

Today, I want to lead everyone to clarify the concepts in Hebrews one by one. If your concepts are unclear, it will be difficult to continue believing. If you don't understand the concept of building an airplane, it will either not fly, or if it does, it won't come back down. If you don't understand the concept of exams, you will likely fail. If you don't understand the concept of coding, you'll produce buggy code. If you don't understand the concept of building a house, it will collapse.

If you don't understand the concept of being a person, how can you be one? You'll be like an animal. You'll live like an animal. Like our puppy, if I give it a drumstick and then take it away, it snarls. That is how animals behave. Brothers and sisters, whatever we do, the concept must be clear. The Bible has made it all clear. If we don't read the Bible carefully, can we still be Christians?

Practice: From Infants on Milk to Adults on Solid Food

A year ago, a brother came to our church with failing eyesight. A year has passed, and his eyes are better, but he hasn't finished reading the Bible. He might not be good at reading the Bible, but could he listen to it? Yet, this brother hasn't even listened. Unclear concepts are the root of all confusion.

Hebrews clarifies many concepts. It spells out all the things related to a person's faith – what we believe, what we do. We must clarify these concepts before we can put them into practice. When I ask you questions, and you can't answer, what is the problem? If you stand by the swimming pool, only listening to the instructor and watching demonstrations, but never practicing in the water, you will hardly learn to swim.

So, I'll tell you again, it might not be useful, but I will patiently keep explaining. Based on your learning level, you should be eating solid food, but it seems you still need milk. Why eat solid food? To grow and mature. As Christians, we must strive for maturity. I listened to some sermons and found the concepts a bit confusing. But I try to clarify every concept, leaving no room for ambiguity. You should inherit this character of mine: strive for maturity, strive for clarity, strive to implement, strive to live out the exceedingly great and glorious salvation God has prepared for us.

There are many concepts in the Book of Hebrews. I have summarized them as follows: angels and the Son, salvation, man, suffering, unity, death, faithfulness, the house of God and the church of God, hardened hearts, rest, the Word of God, weakness, perfection, maturity, apostasy, patience, hope, promise, fulfillment, covenant, tabernacle, high priest, sanctification, sin, salvation, victory, backsliding, faith, assurance, promise, paying the price, discipline, holiness, sexual immorality and worldliness, an unshakable kingdom, reproach, imitation, doing God's will, accountability.

There are nearly forty concepts listed. Everyone should remember them, as they are very important. When mentioned, you should know what they mean.

Explore What We Can Do, Not Just Wishful Thinking and Empty Talk

A sister often listens to my sermons and shares them with others. She is planning to visit a child who dreamed of going to heaven. I wonder what the purpose of visiting that child would be. I wouldn't go. There is much confusion in this generation; people are interested in hearing about heaven and hell, but what do they do after hearing?

When I study Paul's letters, especially Hebrews, when do you see Paul talking about God's throne, or the temple being filled with smoke or mist? Paul didn't talk about going to the third heaven and seeing secret things. I find the character of Paul in myself: so what if you preach, what then? The Bible does have many Old Testament prophets, and later John, who saw many things.

Brothers and sisters, can we make a few efforts? First, strive to clarify the concepts; second, strive to implement these concepts in your life; third, strive for maturity.

Why did I give that example? Because people like angels and think they are powerful. A few days ago, a short video was released showing a church praying, and someone filmed many bright, shining things like doves in the video. Everyone was excited, and many Christians forwarded it.

It turns out that this is not just happening in our generation, but also in the earliest days of Christianity, in the generation of the Apostle Paul. Someone would say, Wow, I saw an angel yesterday! as if it were a big deal. Think about it today: who is greater, angels or humans?

Your Identity is More Honorable Than Angels

Angels are servants, whether fallen or unfallen, they are here to serve humans. Angels were not created in God's image, but humans were. God never gave the future world to angels to govern; God gave the whole earth to humans to manage. Humans are called sons of God. Today we must know that humans have God's image. What is salvation? Salvation is God restoring the glory and image of God in which He originally created us.

The Kingdom of Heaven, Only Those Who Strive Can Enter

If you see someone who is very颓废 (I am unable to translate this word as it is inappropriate within a theological context) and says they can go to heaven after death, ignore it, because it is not reliable. The key is that we live out God's glorious image on earth. Some may disagree with my view, and think of the thief who was crucified with Jesus and entered paradise with Him.

I can't control if you want to live like that, and I don't want to argue with you. I'll just give you one sentence: may God have mercy on you. I don't want to live my whole life like a thief. What do I want to live like? I want to live out God's glorious image before I am nailed to the cross, before I am imprisoned. This is my desire. I desire to strive for maturity while I am alive.

I strive for maturity, not saying, Oh, I'll go to heaven after I die. There are no losers or undesirable things in heaven; heaven is full of sons of God. There is a bit of strictness in the gospel that I preach. I believe that our God's standards have never been lowered. If we do not strive, it is difficult to come before God. Therefore, Jesus said when He was on this earth that the kingdom of heaven is entered by those who strive. It is written:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. (Luke 10:27)

Not doing things as a Christian in a lackadaisical manner, but with a striving attitude. If you love the Lord with a lackadaisical attitude, isn't that deadly? And you still think: after I die, I'll go to heaven. If I can't get into heaven, it's okay to just wander around outside the gate. Many people have this loser mentality.

Do we have this loser mentality among us, brothers and sisters? Do we have a mindset of worshiping angels? Always saying: Oh, I dreamed of the Lord Jesus; oh, I dreamed that an angel spoke to me. You might as well tell yourself: I will strive to understand God's word, I will strive to implement God's word, I will strive for maturity.

Do Not Neglect God's Great Salvation

Can we enter into perfection? The entire second half of Hebrews talks about how God will help you enter into perfection, but not if you have a stiff-necked heart, always thinking you are correct and that your standards are the world's standards, and if others disagree, you don't accept them. How can we avoid having a hard heart? The Bible is written clearly in black and white, and it wasn't written by me. Can't we have an open heart and read it carefully together?

Brothers and sisters, let us not neglect such a great salvation, which allows us to become worthy on earth, and to live out God's glorious image, the same radiance that shines from Jesus Christ. We also rely on Jesus Christ to strive for maturity, to become sons of God, and together with the Lord Jesus Christ, enjoy the exceedingly great and beautiful glory that God has prepared for us. Some may ask: do you really know? I can only say: I know by faith.

Brothers and sisters, we must all know that our God is the God of the living. This salvation is not just for going to heaven or hell after death, but to keep and follow God's way while you are alive. We must know: we will manage what God has created in the future. If you can't do anything now, how will you manage in the future? We all have God's glorious image, and as long as you strive to pursue it, there is no problem.

A few days ago, an auntie who couldn't read or type made a great determination to learn and practiced using her mobile phone to type with all her might. In a few days, she was able to type a long paragraph, which really surprised me. I truly admire our God! What is impossible with man is possible with God.

As long as you rely on this God with faith, those who cannot read will be able to read, and those who do not understand will understand, because God will restore the image in which He created you, so that you can manage all that He has created. What a great salvation! If you only care about eating, drinking, and having fun every day in this world, and feel that doing anything is difficult, and complain about paying the price and suffering a little, how will you do the work God has arranged for you in the future? You really can't do it.

Strive to Enter God's Rest, to be One with God

When our thoughts and intentions become more and more like God, we will be one with God. We, this group of people who are one, become the body of Jesus Christ, the church of God. Being one is being sanctified. Striving to enter into perfection is being sanctified. Striving to enter into perfection is being completely one with God, a process that will actually involve suffering. Why suffer? Because we have to deal with our flesh. Overcoming our flesh is called victory.

In God's house are all God's children, all God's victorious children. Where are those who are not victorious? Those who are not victorious are those with hardened hearts. I tell you: as long as you have faith and trust in God wholeheartedly, God will surely make you victorious. This is the salvation that God accomplishes in us. We must fight in this world, which is a battle between the spirit and the flesh. You must rely on the Holy Spirit to mortify the evil deeds of your flesh. That's why you have to suffer a little.

Today we are building God's glorious church together. Why are we united together? Because we strive together, we deal with our flesh together, we build God's house by relying on the Holy Spirit together, and we fulfill God's Mingding Destiny and mission together. I tell you: God is really great! For the next few Sundays, I hope a brother can come on stage to give a testimony.

In May, one of our brothers came to see me. At first, he didn't really trust me, and was even a bit doubtful. So, he bought a plane ticket, flew a long way, and I received him. After I shared with him, he realized that what I said really didn't deviate from the Bible. It's okay if some things are not quite right; let's understand and explore together.

Soon, he returned to where he worked and listened to my recordings again and again, and transcribed my teachings into Cantonese. This brother really paid the price! Today he sent me a message, saying: God is really faithful! I am not a college graduate, just someone without much education, but recently my leader approached me and wanted to promote me to management, with different benefits in all aspects. It was like a pie falling from the sky. God is pouring out blessings on him, and his salary has increased.

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Be Faithful Stewards of God

Is this our own ability? No, it is God who enables us. Of course, you might say, what does it matter to receive blessings in this world? Actually, you cannot say it doesn't matter; it is part of our experience of abundance in God, because God wants to appoint us to manage what He has created. Today, let us begin to manage what God has entrusted to us. In the process of management, you are a steward. Therefore, faithfulness is very important. Faithfulness and hardness of heart are completely different. Faithfulness is doing what God says and implementing it.

We must replace the hard heart within us with a faithful heart. Faithfulness is faithfully believing in God's words, faithfully implementing God's words, and faithfully managing what God has entrusted to us. We must know that the price we pay is in Jesus Christ. Paying the price in Jesus Christ is called faithfulness. Do not misunderstand; faithfulness and hardness of heart are vastly different. Don't be fooled by the one-character difference, because those with hard hearts die in the wilderness, becoming people whom God abhors.

Today, you must diligently observe God's actions among us. One after another, people are healed. One of our sisters said, Can we not share testimonies of healing and deliverance anymore? It seems like we are talking about it every day; after hearing it so much, we don't even feel it anymore. I said, Yes, then today we will talk about how to enter into management roles. There are many blessed brothers and sisters among us. God truly blesses those who love Him, which means we must not harden our hearts, as in the wilderness when they provoked Him to anger and tested Him.

In that place your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' (Hebrews 3:9-11)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must understand what death is all about. Some will say, Oh, don't we know what death is? Haven't we seen people die? Death is just that; aren't people dying in hospitals every day? But is the death in hospitals the same as the death spoken of in the Bible?

Our Lord Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Could this not overturn your concepts? If this concept cannot be overturned, are you not a hard-hearted person? Therefore, all of our brothers and sisters must not be constantly confused in their hearts. We must see the matter of death clearly, see the hope of eternal life clearly, see how to live clearly, and not be hard-hearted.

Today, brothers and sisters must begin to understand the concepts in the Bible. After understanding them, if you faithfully implement God's words, you will surely see God pouring out blessings upon you. You will definitely have a certain state within you, and this state is called rest, this state is also called God's presence with you. What could be better than working with God? To work with God, to walk with God, means that everything you do will be blessed. Today, diligently read and understand God's words, diligently implement God's words, and diligently enter into completeness.

Completely Remove the Hard Heart

People cannot enter into rest, which means they cannot work with God, nor can they walk with God.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12)

Ignoring God's salvation is very serious; it is a curse in itself. Do you understand? It's not that God hasn't shown you; God often shows you. Has God not shown you enough things among us?

There was a cancer patient who almost died in our home at the time. She was lying on our sofa convulsing. We prayed for her and she recovered. After recovering, her heart did not soften. Often, she continued to discern good and evil, which is really fatal!

Today, our brothers and sisters must remove the hard heart within. Don't think that seeing someone resurrected from the dead, or visiting a child in Henan who had been to heaven, makes you great; that's nothing. Therefore, we must believe in God's words, and love our God with all our heart, soul, and strength. Then sin will have no way to deceive us, and our hearts will not be hard or stubborn.

The toilets in our childhood had a big pit, and people would put a stone slab on top, leaving a gap in the middle. If someone stood on it and accidentally fell in, they would be drowned in feces, which was very scary. Describing a person as hard-hearted means they are stubborn and very willful. We also say that the stone slab in the toilet is smelly and hard. But some people's hearts are as hard as the stone slab in our house forty years ago.

Strive to Enter Rest

If we cannot enter into God's rest, isn't that pathetic? Today, we must strive to enter that rest, and strive means to pay all the price we can pay. When we hear God's word, we must know how wonderful God's rest is! It is really very good. How do we know it is good? There is a kind of flat peach that is very delicious. If you don't taste it, how do you know it is delicious or not? I can only tell you that it is delicious; you say, A Manchu Han Imperial Feast is good! But if you don't open your mouth to eat, it is useless no matter how I describe it.

Some time ago, I watched Eating All Over the World programs all over the world, which is called A Bite of China in China. The actor on TV picked up a chopstick, put it in his mouth, and made a very enjoyable expression, and you knew that it was really delicious. No matter what others describe, it is not as good as tasting it yourself. If everyone has tasted the taste of the Lord's grace, the taste of God's good word, and the taste of rest, they will know how wonderful He is. Brothers and sisters must know how wonderful it is to enter into rest.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

How do we enter rest? We enter rest through the word of God. Because:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

God knows your inner thoughts, so do the demons. I don't know if I have made it clear to the brothers and sisters. I am trying my best to make it clear here, but it may still be lacking. I often say that we must have the Tao. There is a difference between having the Tao and not having the Tao, between the great Tao and the small Tao. The Chinese say that a person is powerful, sometimes saying: This person has a deep Tao. My classmates are very interesting. They think that my Tao is very deep, because they don’t understand and don’t know how to describe it, so they say: Your Tao is deep and your magic is great.

I think I am okay, because I have the Tao of God. If everyone also puts the Tao of God in your heart, and listens to Hebrews several times, and then implements some of it, what will happen? You will stand in a very high position and see the things in the world clearly.

For example, when I talk to a person, when I see that the person's core interest is all about money, I will be careful. If you meet a person whose heart is filled with the Tao of God, and he desires to bless you, do you need to be careful of him? What he wants is not money, but whether you are blessed or not. Being blessed is definitely not a deception. We will never engage in a Ponzi scheme. That is not the Tao of God, but the Tao of God is effective.

The Tao of God is Effective

You must know that the Tao of God is effective. Now I ask you: If you don’t value what is effective, and always mess with what is ineffective, what are you doing? You must know that whether a person has the Tao or not is related to the result of his actions. If a person can’t do anything, that’s nonsense, that’s because he doesn’t have the Tao. I have implemented the word of God into my spirit, soul, and marrow. The thoughts in my heart are constantly being cut open and shaped by the word of God, and shaped into a new creation built according to the word of God. Isn’t that amazing?

Therefore, you must know that the word of God is effective. I often meet some people who can only talk but cannot do, and even some pastors are like this. In my eyes, I am unwilling to deal with such people. Some people tell me the disadvantages of speaking in tongues, and count a lot of them. I ask him: Do you speak in tongues? He said: I don’t. I don’t understand why people who can speak in tongues have not made such comments, why are you saying it?

God is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

I think brothers and sisters should pay attention to effectiveness. Recently, a master came among us. As soon as he prayed, a person's depression was cured. He felt that the Tao of God is really powerful and effective. Why was he cured? Because he had the Tao of God. But even if you have the Tao of God, people are still weak. Everyone must know that people will have times of weakness. People are in the flesh, and it is unavoidable that there will be some weaknesses. Many Christians like to say: I am very weak, I am not Jesus, nor am I Paul, can I not be weak? This concept is worthy of scrutiny.

Everyone must know that God is made perfect in our weakness. Trust in Jesus Christ, who is like us, tempted in the flesh, but has overcome. Because He has overcome, let us come boldly to the throne of God, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in times of need. Today, we can boast only in weakness, because God is made perfect in our weakness. Why is this so? This is God's grace. How can you ignore such great salvation?

If you ignore it, you will miss the grace, and you may go down to the lake of fire and sulfur and the garbage incinerator. So everyone must know that weakness is not the end, but even if we live in a weak body, we also know that our high priest allows us to live in complete grace. We can strive to enter into completeness by relying on Him, and we must enter into a state of walking with God, no longer a child, not teaching people the elementary principles of God's word, letting people eat it again and again, but in the end, their minds do not grow up, which is a problem.

From the state of drinking milk at the beginning, to eating solid food, being able to grow up on your own, and then teaching others, building up the church, and becoming a Christian who has God's image, you must grow up completely as an adult, and those who cannot fight do not count. In fact, Christians who have just believed in the Lord are spiritual babies. Don’t be happy about how you are. Some people often learn but cannot understand the truth, because they only care about the worldly value system and put their hope in the world.

Imitate Jesus and Constantly Leave the Elementary Teachings

Many of us have been devastated by the world, and the devil disturbs us, and this world disturbs us. We have completely lost hope in this world and no longer put our hope in this world! You may ask me: Why did you just talk about the example of that brother who entered the management level and was blessed? It is a blessing, but we do not put our hope in the world. God will favor us and let us be lifted up above all nations in this world, but we cannot deny that we must enter into a complete heart and imitate Jesus to strive for, to overcome suffering.

Let us imitate Jesus Christ, and constantly lose hope in this world in the suffering we suffer, and like Jesus, we are willing to be nailed to the cross. What God gives us is a glorious body, that resurrected, not corruptible, but glorious, transforming shame into glory. Don't forsake God, but leave the elementary teachings of Christ and constantly enter into completeness. There is no need to lay the foundation again, such as baptism, laying on of hands, repentance, etc. Start to leave the state of just believing in the Lord. The beginning is a state of ignorance. We must constantly climb and improve ourselves in truth and understanding so that we can enter into completeness.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

You must know that our opportunities are very precious, and opportunities are hard to come by. Brothers and sisters, do not stop at the current stage. No matter what stage you are currently at, I will not kidnap you. I don’t want to carry everyone up, I just want to tell everyone: The feeling on the top of the mountain is great! Come quickly, seize the time and come quickly! Climb up. Come on! Everyone come on!

I can only do these encouraging things. I can probably be your cheerleader, but whether you work hard or not is up to you. Therefore, we no longer forsake the doctrine. Some people think that working hard will be hard, but we are more hardship when we are at a lower level. Aren’t we seeking God because we feel hardship? Haven't we suffered a lot and are full of despair in this world before we seek God? Why do you forsake God again and seek the world? It's like a pig that has been washed clean but goes back to wallow in the mud, and a dog that vomits it out and eats it back again. Isn't it very disgusting?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not enter into a curse. If you are willing to receive entering into completeness, you must know that your choice is crucial. Therefore, we with faith,

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12)

Strive to enter into completeness, grow up to adulthood, and be filled with the full stature of Christ.

Run Constantly with Hope

Have you and I received hope and promises today? Not yet today, because we are still in this world, but we carry this hope and God's promises, just like what is written in Hebrews. If we cannot imitate those who run for eternity, we cannot share the eternal promises, just like all those in history who inherit the promises through faith and patience. Therefore, brothers and sisters, if you want to obtain the promises in eternity, that is different from the promises in this world.

In the days to come, when we see God, we will say: God, the road you let me run, I have finished running, the battle you let me fight, I have won, I am here! God will say: You are a faithful and good servant, come in quickly and share the glory with your master! This is such a wonderful thing!

What we experience in this world is just a shadow compared to the promises in the future eternity. Through our experience of God's grace and blessings in this world, let us hold on to the hope and promises in eternity, let us carry this hope and promises, hoping that one day we can receive the eternal reward before God, which is an exceedingly great and eternal glory, so we despise everything in the world.

Everything in this world is nothing great, even if we cry loudly and pray with tears, it doesn't matter; even if we encounter great suffering, it doesn't matter, because we have hope in eternity in our hearts. Our Lord Jesus has become the forerunner and entered the veil, becoming our high priest, interceding for us before God and becoming our help in times of need. May God bless everyone!