Introduction

Investment, returns, and the love of money are not necessarily intertwined. We harbour many misconceptions, and investment and returns have a profound impact on our faith system. The most thankless task recorded in the Bible is the discernment of good and evil.

Long ago, I encountered a sister who, while pregnant with her second child, discovered her husband was having an affair. In a fit of anger, she immigrated with her child. Over two decades later, the child had grown up, and the sister was plagued with ailments. She sought me out for prayer for healing and deliverance. Unaware of her family's history, I mentioned that the issue was related to her husband and brother, and the sister broke down. She had spent over 20 years living in bitterness and unforgiveness, resulting in her poor health. I advised her to view everything as good. The sister retorted, If you were a woman and your husband ran off with another woman, would you see it as a good thing? I replied, Do you think everyone in the world is like you? I believe everything happens for good. Consider the cost: you've been bitter for over 20 years, resulting in illness. Is that a good thing? Isn't that punishing yourself doubly?

Many of us engage in thankless tasks, including some leaders. Recently, I served several individuals in a state of frenzy, constantly lamenting, I'm going to die. What is the return in that? None! People are most inclined to do things that yield no returns. Ecclesiastes is a book I wish everyone would read. Do you want to make a losing proposition? Do you want to be a fool? Often, people are needlessly distressed—there are too many such instances.

Our God favours investment and returns. Not long ago, I met a sister who had a few million in her possession. One day, the Holy Spirit prompted her to purchase a house in a remote, barren area, effectively throwing three million away. Upon inspection, I saw no potential for return. She claimed the Holy Spirit led her. When does the Holy Spirit inspire someone to make a losing investment? God values returns.

The testimony shared earlier, about resigning from work and doing nothing at home, was supposedly prompted by the Holy Spirit through her pastor to wait upon God. Waiting upon God, in that context, is a misguided notion. While the Bible mentions waiting upon God, it does not imply inactivity and idleness. What good is sitting and waiting for death? The Bible teaches us to be shrewd, and a critical aspect of shrewdness is investment and returns.

Upon hearing the words investment and returns, people often behave erratically, falling prey to scams involving millions. Do you truly understand what investment is? Investment, with its potential returns, also carries risk. In the Bible, our God often uses returns as a metaphor: a seed sown in good soil yields thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold harvest. Thus, God loves returns.

Recently, I experienced internal struggles due to a skewed perception of God. I viewed businessmen negatively, assuming they prioritized profit and were inherently dishonest, harbouring within me erroneous notions. However, God favours businessmen. In God's temple, there are two pillars, one named Jachin and the other Boaz, representing the priest and the businessman, respectively (refer to 1 Kings 7:21-22). Businessmen are intelligent, and if you enjoy doing business, you will inevitably become more astute because you value returns. The most foolish are those who disregard returns. If one disregards returns in one instance and then in another, then one's entire life will be devoid of returns. How can one then survive? Many of the Bible's parables involve returns and money. God's most brilliant creation is the seed, as it can yield thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold return, giving it immense potential. If you are a very religious person, you might find what I am saying difficult to accept, but it is based on the Bible. Let us turn to the scriptures.

Scripture

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five talents more. So also, the one with two talents gained two more. But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

Yesterday, a sister told me that, after reading this passage, she wondered what the darkness into which the useless servant was thrown represented. I am not particularly interested in researching it. I do not want to be a lazy and wicked servant, nor do I want to be cast into darkness. I want to enter the light, to come before God, to be like the one with two talents and the one with five. Do you want to be wealthy? The poor become poor without doing anything. I want to be wealthy, and some will say that I love money and that this is prosperity theology. I do not care whether it is prosperity theology; I want to earn those two and five talents, to be God's good and faithful servant, because I want to manage well what God has given me.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, come and destroy all the religious notions within us, and re-establish in us a renewed understanding of your words of knowledge. Personally open our minds, and let us know how important investment and return are before you. Let us be faithful and good servants, and let us do our best in the things that are assigned to us, so that we can become more people who manage the things you have entrusted to us. Lord Jesus, we must be faithful in small things, we thank you, Amen!

God Loves People to Do Things for Returns

What is the Lord Jesus using for an analogy? Some people say that this is not an analogy for money, but an analogy for talent, because they were given silver according to each person's talent. Then I am curious as to why they were given silver after they were given talent? It won't work if there is only talent without silver. Making money isn't worshiping Mamon, do not misunderstand the words of God, there are many ways to misunderstand. There are some people who say: this isn't a analogy for money but an analogy for something else, then we take the example of silver, five thousand makes five thousand, two thousand makes two thousand. If people want to manage the things that God entrusts to us, then they have to manage them well, so how can they manage them well? Is burying one or two thousand in the ground considered management? Money depreciates. Someone did the math that 39% of Jesus's analogies had to deal with money; nearly half or more had something to do with returns, however, I don't know if the statistic is right.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:8)

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30)

These are the returns that God does not like people to do without returns. I was recently examining a person, waiting to see if her work had a return, then yesterday there was a person whose child was in the forth or fifth grade, her energy made it so she didn't need help managing? I went right to question her about it and she says they were doing house chores, what chores are in a three person household? I stabbed at her spine and stimulated her. I want to train her and the returns from education are extremely high, if I am the one that trains her well, then I can say before God: God, look at how well I trained her, she can do things with returns. God will then say: you are a loyal and well-intentioned follower, you were loyal in these small things so I will let you manage even more things.

Investment is Risk and Faith

God does not like religion, God likes things with returns, you must ask yourself if you grew this year? When I went to pick up the sister who I was going to testify about today, on the car I went and gave her a stab: Sister, since you prayed for your dad last time, he has gotten a tiny bit better, but it has been nearly half of a year now, have you had any growth? In my eyes, there has been no change, half a year has passed with no change, one year has passed with no change, how arduous must it be? Her dad always lost balance, and always pulls out a knife to try and stab other. Senior dementia is difficult to manage, however I have explored a path for her, talking to empty air at night is more than concerning, but actually there is a ghost inside, getting rid of that ghost is all that needs to be done. Then the mother and daughter took over my work, one is the elderly's daughter, one is the grand daughter.

For me, I just make things with returns, getting rid of the ghost is all I concern myself with, getting rid of the ghost and waking people up is all I should worry about, then all they would need to do is listen to my preachings. What is cerebellum atrophy? What I did today reverses many peoples' concepts, so that is the risk I want to take. The returns I want to get is for their problems to be fixed.

I am inclined to do new things, I have this faith, so I bless them, it's a type of risk. Today, we siblings in Christ, when I preach about investment and returns, where can they harvest if they don't plant? If you don't plant in the spring, how can you harvest in the fall? Everything is a type of risk, I invest with these people, I cast God's seeds for his kingdom, and I have to face a risk, but the risk will have to face a lot of obstacles, the biggest obstacle to worry about is the traditional concept obstacle, the biggest obstacle to worry about is the religion obstacle, therefore, investment is a type of risk as well as a type of faith.

I have this type of faith in my heart. God is with me and if I cant do it, that means my God is able to do it. Jesus gives an analogy of investing and returns, if you bury five thousand in the ground and don't use it then you cant have any returns. You have to have the concepts of an accountant if you have money, an accountant speaks of the present value of money, in English, it's called Present Value, and that was created by Huang Shi Ren (黄世仁). We hate Huang Shi Ren, but his concepts about money are all correct. Two thousand dollars from ten years ago and two thousand dollars today are definitely different. Money changes, so you have to invest that's how.

Establishing a Master's Mindset

I've observed something intriguing: those who have been business owners are reluctant to return to being employees. My aim is to train our brothers and sisters among us to adopt the mindset of an owner. We have a sister who is a business owner, and she frequently comes to do carpentry and renovations. I often hear the sound of money entering her account on her phone. I often imagine if our brothers and sisters could be like her, that would be wonderful.

Today, we begin to cultivate an owner's mindset. It is my hope that all our brothers and sisters become business owners! An owner embodies a mindset of risk-taking and practicing faith. What God desires is a mindset of risk-taking and practicing faith. As a business owner, you cannot afford to remain stagnant; you must adapt and evolve. God favours business owners. In God's temple, there is a pillar named Boaz, symbolizing a businessman, an entrepreneur.

I also admire business people because they are astute. Having been a boss for a long time, you'll find that communicating with owner is very easy; the bottom line and value of things is very clear. The mindset of an employee is not as good; it is the mindset of a servant, while an owner has a master's mindset. If we cultivate an owner's mindset, you will surely have the opportunity to become an owner. I am also cultivating such a mindset as I desire to become an owner and train our brothers and sisters to do the same.

God Delights in Us Doing New Things

I often wonder, God, why do you favour risk-taking? What if we incur losses? I tell you, we must not incur losses. For our God has a characteristic: He is already there, waiting for you to take the risk. Every experience of practicing faith is God leading us to do new things. Therefore, today, our brothers and sisters must begin to change: returns are a crucial matter. If you do not take risks and sow seeds, there will be no harvest. What if, after sowing the seeds, you encounter famine, floods, or drought? There is complete uncertainty about the future. But the words in the Bible are good!

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. (Deuteronomy 28:12)

If you carefully follow the commands of the Lord your God, he will send rain on your land in its season. Look at what this person does: after sowing the seeds, drought comes. If you do not carefully follow God's commands, all the hidden words in your heart will be revealed. If you carefully follow the commands of the Lord your God, you will reap a reward when you sow seeds.

Blessings Follow the Blessed

I am an example. I invest and have never incurred losses. God is with me, granting me discernment. This is related to carefully following God's commands. Blessed people earn a profit in whatever they do. Blessings follow the blessed. I am a blessed person, and blessings follow me. If you are not a blessed person, how can blessings follow you? Even if what you do clearly yields a profit, it will not work out in your hands. The key is to enter into God's heart.

When we face risks, a lack of faith is a form of fear, and those who are fearful and timid cannot please God. To carefully follow God's commands, you must first be a person of faith. When you have faith, God will manifest His power. One's understanding of God is crucial.

The servant who received two thousand talents had this understanding of God: since you entrusted me with two thousand or five thousand to manage, management means increasing value, increasing value means making money, and making money means having returns. As responsible individuals, we must increase five thousand to ten thousand. We must do business; this is called “management.” We must know that money can depreciate and appreciate. Doing business requires trust in God. With trust in God, He will bless your business, and you will not incur losses. If you are not a person who trusts in God, you may profit or lose in your business. If you are a person who trusts in God, our God delights in returns and loyalty to him. Loyalty is having faith, and God will surely bless what you do.

What if you incur losses? Let me give you an account of my spending. I enjoy investing, and many people are taken aback by how I spend money, saying it's frightening. If the electronic drum set is no longer needed, I will replace it with a Launchpad. If the computer is inadequate, I will replace it with an Apple computer. I do not invest, how can GDP grow? I contribute to the GDP. Although I spend money, what I gain is that my people are trained and constantly doing new things.

People being trained is the greatest capital and return. The servant who used five thousand talents to do business had been trained to encounter issues and resolve issues, as a result resolving the issue makes people intelligent, a return from God. Training the person to have discernment, to see business opportunities, and to do new things.

Those who do business do not like to be employed by others because they all make money. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a saying: The bold are full, the timid starve. During our 1980s, breaking the iron rice bowl and going into business required great determination, and many people lacked the courage to do so, clinging to their iron rice bowls.

Perhaps you are a member of the post-1990s generation, but it doesn't matter, because it is now 2019, and it is still possible to make money in every endeavour. If you think that the circumstances of that time were better that the circumstances of this era is poor, then you are foolish people. Why do I say foolish? A business perspective says Opportunities are always available. If you are an owner, you will surely have an owner's perspective.

Being an owner is not easy. Many problems need to be solved. There are three types of people in this world: entrepreneurs, capitalists, and stock-trading aunties. The greatest difficulty lies in being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs must deal with the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, the Tax Bureau, and the Human Resources Department, and do many things. Why be an entrepreneur? It is very training. If you have the mindset of an owner and of a master, you can manage money well. What happens if the master gives money to the servant and he loses it? Nothing much happens. The master gives out money to let him do business. You say that the five thousand are lost, but in reality, there is no loss. I have learned many lessons. The master will give you another five thousand to manage and to grow. What the master values is you as a person. Those who were given two thousand and five thousand are those who understand the master's heart. The one who was given one thousand buried it in the ground, not knowing God's heart, thinking that the master harvests where he has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered. That person truly does not know God. We must learn to know God and understand God's heart.

Without repentance, one cannot be blessed. God blesses people through the work of their hands, but if a person does nothing, from where will blessings come? The poor are difficult to bless. The poor are like that wicked and lazy servant. Some time ago, I went to view some properties, accompanied by a relatively poor pastor and a real estate manager. I asked him, Have you ever looked at houses before? He said, No, I'm not very interested. As a result, he is now over sixty years old and still does not own a house. He has invested in trips to Israel instead of buying a house. In fact, these investment, summed together, is sufficient for a annual house down payment. When I was speaking with this pastor, the real estate boss next to me stopped talking. Those who do not use their minds and do not invest really need to reflect.

God Does New Things, and So Must We

Our brothers and sisters in the midst of change must also constantly learn. The word "person" is easy to write, but being a person is difficult. Growth means not always doing the same things. For example, my mother is 84 years old this year. I thought to myself that I cannot let her always be like this. I invested in her to do new things and learn how to be a person. She does random things every day, writing the names of dead people all over her palms. I bought my mother a car, which is a considerable investment for me, but I wanted her to do new things. I encouraged her to learn how to drive and expand her range of activities. If there are elderly people in the family, you can let them learn to do new things. Although my mother is over eighty years old, I teach her to learn Taobao and Douyin. In fact, growth at different stages of life is very important.

We should not stop people from exploring new things and gaining more training. In God's eyes, we will become wiser and more valuable. God allows us to grow and learn to manage, so we learn these things. We have eternal life; we do not simply die and cease to exist. We must become managers. God said in Genesis that Adam and Eve should manage the entire earth. In the future, Jesus will bring us back to this earth, and we will reign with Jesus Christ, doing management work on earth. Management means learning to be a faithful and good servant. God's wonderful creation is the seed. The purpose of God commanding Adam and Eve to manage all things is to allow input to multiply and increase. Our constant management is to sow seeds, which will result in tens and hundreds of times the yield in the future.

That elderly dementia patient, his partner in his eighties draw ink paintings, very beautiful,I encourage her to do more things, we must also constantly practice, constantly enjoy the joy of life in the growth, these years we grow every time, constantly joy, no longer tangled uncomfortable, joy is related to growth, God let us rejoice in labor, which is God gives us the copy, you still care about those silver? Invest in the kingdom of God, constantly training people to be blessed, you have grown.

I take my mother to constantly do new things, constantly witness the glory of God, now our church to constantly break the religious control. In the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul did a very good job in the church, and there were also some who only prayed and preached. I later wondered if the brothers and sisters of the church only pray and preach, they often turn into religious people, they will also become dull, we must break through the control of the spirit of religion.

Conclusion

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all people who did practical things. The name of our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Our Heavenly Father is a God who gives us much power to manage. If so, can we make things more rewarding? It depends on our mindset. Do you want to be someone who contributes more to society? If we contribute more to national taxation, and also make many contributions to the country's GDP, how can this be a bad thing? I hope that our lives can manifest God's glory and we become a people after God's own heart. May God continue to bless you all!