Introduction

Reading Provers makes one wiser. People are wise or not, the result is too far different. You may think it is a little messy after reading Proverbs chapter 11. Why? It talks about a lot of different things and it is kind of hard to find a theme in it. We can use different ways to find a theme, for example, by looking for repeated words. If the words keep repeating, then they are very important. When we read Genesis chapter 1, we see these words are repeated many times: God said, it was so, according to their kinds.

Other than looking for repetitive sentences, it is also important to find repetitive content. These are the main topics for that chapter, which we call framework. Once you understand the concept of the framework, then you can easily find a theme. If you do this, it will become easier when you read or learn something. I learned to study like this after carefully reading, observing, and thinking. It is pretty straightforward.

Then let’s see Proverbs chapter 11. It says： different people do different things and have different results. We call this pattern, a rule inside things. We can summarize Proverbs chapter 11 as this: Look closely at the end of being human. Because it says about different people doing different things, then having different results. I wish you could learn how to observe and become a wise and knowledgeable person. If you don’t observe, you can not find the rule of things, you can’t see the result of a person. Then you will do things in your way. When the end comes, you don’t have a chance to overturn it.

Carefully observing the result of being human runs through the system of Mingding theology. How did Mingding theology come? It came after grasping the rule and essence of things. You need to figure out what God is going to tell us after reading Bible, then find the theme, grasp the concepts and the relationships between the concepts, then establish a framework and find the rule inside things. You will become wise after you do this. Why did people become stupid? Because they observe and think of things in a one-sided and isolated way. That is a big problem.

I can boast a little bit here: we will lead a Christian reformation. Why? Because Christian theology looks at things one-sidedly and independently. Sometimes it is not even as good as atheism. It is absurd if we use a one-sided and isolated way to think. But these concepts are very popular and common in Christian theology. Many people take these concepts for granted and forget what Bible says. They don’t bother to verify them by reading Bible. Whatever age, what kind of religion, or what kind of person you are, it is stupid to look at things independently and one-sidedly.

Don’t use double standards to see people

The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. (Proverbs 11:1, NIV)

When I was a child, my mom always told me that as a businessman, you should not cheat people with dishonest scales. In the old days, the scale was a very expensive thing. Ordinal people didn’t have a scale at home. Then the businessman will cheat people on their weight. This was a tragedy. Why? Because the old scale was like this: one side was a weight, another side was a tray. Then the businessman used a hook to grasp the rod of the scale. When weighing, the businessman put goods in the tray, then he moved the weight to make both sides balance, then he could read the scale on the rod and know how much weight the goods were. If they used a little smaller weight, then the customers had to pay money for not enough weight of goods.

I had an uncle who was a businessman. His family did business before the revolution and was a wealthy family. My uncle died suddenly in the 1960s. There were not many cars at that time but he was hit by a car. And his wife, my aunt, was always short of breath. She had a very tough life and died at a young age.

A few years ago, there was a person in my family who was possessed by impure spirits. When I drove out the impure spirits, the impure spirits told me: your uncle didn’t die of a car accident, he was actually killed by me. Same for his wife, it was also me. Then I know this logic: If people do bad things, impure spirits will come to them. The impure spirits told me why he did this because my uncle cheated people on the scale.

And the person who was possessed by impure spirits was also a businessman. We should remember that doing business is a spiritual thing. Because the only criterion for doing a business is to make money or not to make money.

If God detests a person, then he is in trouble. If you observe the world carefully, some people like to use different scales. There was a couple who were friends of mine and often quarreled. The wife graduated from a famous university and was not silly. One day, after they finished quarreling, the wife complained to me that her husband always used a magnifier to find her problem, but used a zoomed-out lens to see his problem. It is a huge difference. People can’t see beams in their eyes but see the thorns in other people’s eyes. That is a double standard. The same thing happened to people. But also happened to counties.

Dishonest scale was detested by God. People thought to take advantage by using dishonest scale. But actually it is not. Accurate weight was delighted by God. If people use a standard for themselves and another standard for other people, then it will ruin them in the end. People are short-sighted and don’t care what God thinks if they just want to take advantage.
Once they do this, they will be detested by God and tragedy will happen.

If a person often think others owe him, which is also a double standard. If you have a higher standard for yourself, and a lower standard for others, you won’t feel bad. A person felt bad because he thought others owed him.

Rare people will feel sad because they owe others. Most people will keep quiet if they take advantage of others. They won’t say loudly they are not comfortable with what they did. If it is so, they will feel bad if you ask them to give what they owe to others.

One day, a sister felt very bad. One of her friends told me she felt bad because she thought she couldn’t do things properly. I said: No if she really thinks she can’t do things properly, she can start to learn and try to do things properly. We can also teach her and help her. Actually she thought we owed her. Her friend was surprised by what I said. I said: She won’t feel bad if she owes it. She only feels bad if she thought others owe her. It is easy to resolve this problem: remove the beam from our eyes, then look at the thorns in the eyes of others.

Don’t be proud

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2, NIV)

There is a Chinese saying: humility makes people advance. As soon as people get proud, then the impure spirits will come to you. So pride is really terrible. Why are the people proud? Because they feel they are superior to others and have more things to be proud. A lot of people live for pride. Once I told a brother in my church: How can you live if you do like this? He said: There is someone worse than me. What a stupid person! Are we going to compare with people who are worse than us? There is a joke like this: A person asks another person how’s going. The 2nd person said he was not good. Then the first person said he felt good because he thought the 2nd person lives worse than him. Pride comes, shame comes!

There is a story in the Bible. King Herod made a speech and the applause lasted for over 10 minutes. Then some people said: This is the voice of God, not the voice of a human. And King Herod also felt so. As a result, he was bitten by a small worm and died. Remember this: when pride comes, then comes shame. In the last few years, when I found I was proud, then the shame came after that. We should be humble people.

Don’t follow the Pharaoh of Egypt who thought he had the most powerful kingdom in the world and nobody could stand before him. But the result was that he had to let the Israelites go out of Egypt. And God made the firstborn son of Egyptians and the firstborn animals die. We should never be proud. That is foolish and ignorant. The result of it is shame. We should boast of God, not boast of ourselves.

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (Proverbs 11:3)

The upright people in God’s eyes won’t use dishonest scales and have no arrogance and pride in their minds. They will walk the path which is pleased by God. Why don’t I use a dishonest scale and be proud? Because I know God detests these. Why should I be an upright person? Because God will guide me. The wicked and the perverse thought they can take advantage, but it will destroy them in the end. This is the law in the spiritual world.

Wealth is useless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4, NIV)

Money is useless when God gets angry. It is not human’s anger, but God’s anger. Just like my greedy uncle, there were not many cars on the street but he was hit and killed by a car. Isn’t it a joke? It was made by impure spirits. Then who sent impure spirits? It was God. Many Christians are very ignorant, they don’t know that impure spirits were sent by God. That is why money is useless when God gets angry. Relying on money is a tragedy.

Maybe my conclusion is not correct. But if you look at today’s newspaper, all the wars are about money. If I were an arms dealer, I would be happy if there is a war somewhere. Once the war begins, I can sell 1000 missiles. If one missile is 100 thousand dollars, I can make half a billion dollars for 1000 missiles. Wars are all tied to money. Why? It is all because of money. But money is of little help when God gets angry. We should have wisdom no matter how messy the world is. That is why righteousness can keep people from death. We are living in a fast-changing world and the change is one we never saw in a century. It will be very messy, brutal, and bloody. Can we still rely on money? No, we can only rely on God. Whoever trusts in God will not be ashamed.

It is useless if you still rely on money. Some people think when they get old, they have to live on their savings money. Even if their children are around., they can’t rely on their children. But we should keep in mind that when God gets angry, money and children will be useless. We can only ask for God’s mercy and grace. Therefore, don’t use dishonest scales, don’t use double standards, and don’t be proud of your money. Guide yourself with righteousness. Don’t be a wick person, but be a person who trusts God.

Wealth is useless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. (Proverbs 11:4, NIV)

Many Christians think they are seeking God’s justice. But actually they are seeking their justice. Many Christians have very strange behavior and they like to participate in the so-called justice of the world. We shouldn’t participate in these because we are pursuing God’s justice. And also there are many Christians who like to do good deeds. There is a place in China called Liangshan, which is very poor. Christians like to go there and give money to the people there. Then the people in that place are just waiting for them to come to give them money. They don’t want to labor and get even lazier. Is this God’s justice? Absolutely not. If you are pursuing God’s justice, you should free them from their curses. Righteousness is not righteousness in the eyes of a human, but righteousness in the eyes of God.

Don’t be selfish and mean

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing. (Proverbs 11:6-7, NIV)

A wicked person’s hope is absurd. Why does he be a wicked businessman when he does business? Be a corrupted official when he becomes an official? Because of the absurd hope he has. From ancient times to today, nobody has been able to remove the selfishness in man. That is why there are still so many corrupted officials today even though some of them were sentenced to death. But if you observe carefully, you will see the corrupted officials or wicked businessmen will be destroyed. Why? Because people are ignorant. Even among us, it is quite difficult to remove selfishness, self-righteousness, and ignorance.

The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead. With his mouth, the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape. When the righteous prosper, then the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Through the blessing of the upright, a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked, it is destroyed. (Proverbs 11:8-11)

All of this says that people will get the result from what they do. We should do things that are right in God’s eyes. If a person read Judges carefully, he will find that the nation of Israel was destroyed because of people’s selfishness. The Israelites were God’s chosen people. They were brought out of Egypt by God and established their country. But in the end, the whole nation was destroyed. Why? Because of the Israelites’ selfishness.

I like watching the election campaign because it likes a carnival. The campaigner stood before tens and thousands of people and made a fancy speech. But the city was destroyed in the end. Not only a city will be destroyed, but also will a nation. Aren’t they all chosen by people? If you look closely and choose a person, then the nation will go downhill. Then choose another person, and the wicked man will cause a city or a nation to be destroyed.

A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. (Proverbs 11:12, NIV)

In this age, we should carefully study the words in the Bible as we are alive. If you look around and look at the situation in the world, then you will see all the words in the Bible will be fulfilled. For example, if you often make trouble for your neighbor, if your neighbor is a boxer, then one day he will punch you. Please don’t do such stupid things.
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe. A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. (Proverbs 11:13-16)

It is useless to get money through violence. According to my incomplete observation, I found out that a family is harmonious because the mistress of the house is kind. If the family is not harmonious, it is often related to the mistress. She will make the family relationship very messy. A lot of stupid women destroyed their own families.

A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble to himself. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. (Proverbs 11:17-19, NIV)

It is all about cause and result. I will remind you not to misunderstand this word: righteousness. The Bible says the righteous will live by faith. Who can be called a righteous man? The righteous is the one who trusts in God.

The Lord detests men of perverse hearts but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. (Proverbs 11:20-22, NIV)

It will be very funny when a pig walks on the street with a golden ring on his nose. If women are beautiful but have no knowledge, then it is a tragedy. We read the Bible to be knowledgeable people. Of course, being a beautiful woman is better than being an ugly woman. But that is not important, the key is whether you have knowledge and understanding inside.

The desire for righteousness ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath. One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly but comes to poverty. (Proverbs 11:23-24)

I like to be a generous person. Then what happens after? God gives me even more. I am not stingy, you must know that excessive stinginess leads to poverty. So brothers and sisters have to observe: Are we too stingy? Am I a generous person? A generous person can build up others. This is a rule.

There was a very stingy man. He has received a lot of grace in our church. Not only he has been healed by us for many of his own illnesses, but also his family has received a lot of grace. How stingy was he? He came to my office and said: I just ate Din Tai Fung buns. What kind of brain he has? Why not bring some to me? Will such a person become rich? No, a such stingy person will live in poverty for his whole life. He is so stingy with people who helped him and gave him grace.

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25, NIV)

Do you know what I do? My job is to give out, nourish people and build up people, which is my core business. My job is not to train somebody to silly person who shouts hallelujah loudly. My job is to train people to be wise. Don’t blame me for describing these Christians as stupid. I am not mean to them, even God will think so.

I know many Christians who are rigid, stingy, and selfish. They also go to church but they never do what the Bible says. You can understand this if you observe. Such people can’t stay among us because our church is a place to bless people, to give out to people. Do you understand this? How can you bless others if you can’t even do what is good for you? Not. This is a place we are going to serve others, not a place to take advantage.

Many years ago, when we started the church, we used roasted chicken, roasted duck, and seasoned beef to attract people. The result was that we attracted a lot of people who just came to church for food. That was useless. Then we changed to boxed lunch, then to a plate of fruit. Then we bought a lot of bottled water and people need to pay one dollar to get a bottle. It was not that I was stingy. We realized that church was a place where we trained people to give.

If you are a stingy person, you will find it hard to stay here longer. Why? Because if you are busy all day with your work, your family, or your grandchildren, you won’t have time to serve people. This is contrary to your goal. So I not only want you to manage your family well, but the most important thing is to make you a person who serves and blesses others. I tell you that if we rely not on money, but on God, we will be refreshed and live an abundant life.

He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:27-28)

There are some newcomers among us. Maybe you pretend to be a Christian before your mom or your family members. That is useless. You need wisdom and understanding in your mind. You will find you are walking to a dead end. Why? Because you only pursue your own benefits, rely on your possessions. Some people are very miserable. They are in their thirties or forties, but they have a big debt. They may not pay off until they are sixty years old. What a tragedy it is!

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more do the ungodly and the sinner? (Proverbs 11:30-31, NIV)

Those who are wise will gain people, not fish. Behold, even the righteous will be judged before God, how can the ungodly and the sinner stand before God? A man should know that he will fall if he trusts his riches. If a person just does what he wants without observing. That will be a tragedy. I will sing him a lament.

He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servants to the wise. (Proverbs 11:29)

A selfish person always relies to his money. To an extent, he will bring trouble to his family and inherit only wind. Then one day, he just jumped from the building and died. We heard many news about this. Our brothers and sisters, we should live a generous life, to live in the image of God. God will be gracious to you when you are alive. When you die, you will return to God. If people live stingy life, they will live in the image of a ghost.

Not only do ghosts come to them, but even if ghosts don’t come to them, God also sends a ghost to them, and they will live under a curse.

Summary

Therefore, I advise you that being generous is not stupid. You are a wise man if you are generous. Some people have been stingy all their lives in the past, they think they can solve problems just to be generous for one day. It is almost useless. I suggest my brothers and sisters be wise people, not stupid people.

If you observe carefully, then one day, you see how there are so many stupid people, and you will know that you have grown up. Actually you were like them in the past, but you didn’t know it. When you stand in a high place and look down, then you understand how funny it was. So we need to be humble, knowing that we can’t do it, knowing that we need God, and then we trust God and run the way of this life.

May the wonderful ending be fulfilled in us. May God bless you all!