Introduction

Today, I want to share a topic with you, titled To Forsake in Order to Gain. This spiritual principle is exceedingly important for us. Last Sunday, we discussed an excellent topic called Loving God with All Your Heart. However, when the word love is mentioned, it is often shrouded in misconceptions. For instance: I love you, therefore you must listen to me; I love you, therefore you cannot love others; I love you, therefore you are mine. As a result, love becomes a source of great suffering, leading to melancholy, like Lin Daiyu. Or it becomes a cycle of loving and being loved, ending in a tragic state.

Some couples, after getting married and living together, end up becoming mere roommates. Later, they become even less than roommates. Before marriage, they loved each other deeply, but after living together, the love dissipates, replaced by hatred, turning them into enemies. The so-called love in this world is essentially mutual constraint, which is not true love. Today, in Jesus Christ, loving God with all your heart means giving. Many may say, This is not cost-effective at all!

A sister I minister to had some minor confusion about loving and serving God. She felt it was tiring and demanding, sacrificing many things and restricting her freedom. This confusion arises from a failure to understand that forsaking leads to gaining. Today, when we serve you, we cannot do other things. We cannot be driving sports cars, enjoying saunas, or indulging in leisure during the time we are serving you! If we devote all our time to God, it means we cannot spend any time driving sports cars, enjoying saunas, or traveling. This is what it means to forsake!

Forsaking for God is definitely not a disadvantage. People can choose to forsake or not, but I choose to forsake for God. I know that forsaking for God is a very shrewd choice because, in Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual principle. When it comes to forsaking, we must be careful. For example, the Bible says, Forsake houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children, and lands. Then you turn to your mother and say, I have forsaken you. Isn't that just looking for trouble? Some people do not understand that this spiritual principle is about gaining.

Today, everyone's focus is on gaining. God's intention is actually for us to gain. Some people believe to an extreme degree, returning home and saying to their mother, Who is my mother, who is my father, who are my brothers and sisters? Only those who do the will of my Father in heaven are. As a result, her mother picks up a stick and is ready to beat her.

Today, brothers and sisters, we must know that this is about gaining. In reality, the disciples of Jesus Christ were often confused. Jesus was going to Jerusalem to be crucified on the cross, to suffer, to be betrayed. The disciples felt this was unacceptable. But they forgot the last thing Jesus Christ said: To rise from the dead! Rising from the dead means changing from corruptible to incorruptible. Isn't becoming incorruptible better? Changing from an unglamorous body to a glorious body, how wonderful is that!

Today, brothers and sisters, in the faith of Jesus Christ, we must clearly know that our God does not want us to forsake, but to gain. Forsaking is merely a means of faith, a method. Gaining is the objective!

In my mind, I have basically forsaken everything. You know, I forsook my mother, but many might say, You haven't forsaken her. Don't you often pray with your mother and take good care of her? But I would never forsake Jesus for the sake of my mother. But I would forsake my mother for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Today, I will also share a testimony with you, which is quite remarkable. Just last week, a few days ago, it was really frightening. My mother and another sister were making dumplings for everyone. I saw that the sister was not doing it correctly and not trying to figure it out. So I scolded her. My mother was unhappy. Why scold her like that? Actually, that sister is my disciple, and I have always been training her as a disciple. But my mother had never seen this before and felt, What are you doing? As a result, my mother began to discern good and evil, and this discernment brought in demons.

My mother suddenly had a crooked mouth, slanted eyes, drooled, and was in a stroke-like, dying state, constantly rolling her eyes. It was very frightening! Later, we prayed and cast out the demons together. If I did not have this strong heart, this mindset of forsaking my parents, then I would have panicked like an ordinary person, started crying, calling an ambulance... My faith would have completely collapsed, and that would have been terrible!

As a result, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, I cast out the demons, and my mother quickly recovered completely. She was able to run around on the ground again! Half an hour earlier, she was almost gone! Then she completely recovered! Later, I took everyone out to eat, and my mother was sitting in the back seat. A few minutes after driving out, the demon returned. Again, her mouth was crooked, slanted eyes drooled, she rolled her eyes, and her whole body stiffened... It was a scary sight. While I was driving, I immediately reached out with one hand and grabbed her thigh, because the demon in her was residing in her thigh, and continued to pray and cast out the demon. It was truly strange. She was clearly about to breathe her last, but her hand was very strong, grasping my hand tightly, not allowing me to grab her leg. Later, we quickly found a parking lot and continued to pray in the parking lot. Finally, my mother recovered again.

After recovering, she told me that when her mouth was crooked, her eyes slanted, and she lost consciousness, she had actually been taken away by Lao Ma! She had been taken twice that day! She had been taken to Lao Ma's cave, where the water was ice-cold. When her mouth was crooked and her eyes slanted, it was not really her. Her spirit had been taken away, and the demon was in her body! Otherwise, how could she have lost consciousness, but her hand was still so strong, knowing that I was grabbing her, and preventing me from grabbing her?

I am sharing this testimony to say that if I did not have the mindset of forsaking, I would not have been able to get my mother back. I put God first in my heart, and everything else, even my mother, I put in a secondary position. As a result, the devil was defeated. With the mindset of forsaking, I actually regained my mother.

In the past two days, a peculiar change has occurred. My mother's condition has improved significantly, not just a little bit. For the past two years, we have been praying. It turns out that we have been fighting with the devil all along. Along the way, if I did not have this mindset of forsaking, and I did not care what happened to my mother, I truly would not have been able to overcome! So, forsaking is the only way to gain! Let us look at today's scriptures, in Matthew 19:27-29.

Scripture

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:27-29)

Prayer

Lord, give us a heart to gain today. Let us clearly know in our understanding that you want us to be above and not below, to be the head and not the tail, to abundantly gain all the promises you have given us in the Bible. Today, let us emulate Peter, having a heart to gain, forsaking everything to follow you. Please, according to what you said in Matthew, let us gain a hundredfold on earth and inherit eternal life. Let us engrave these words in our hearts and strive to put them into practice. Amen!

Background of the Scripture

Some people preach the gospel by saying, Believe in the Lord and carry the cross. If I heard this, I would think, The burden of my work is already so heavy. Why carry the cross? You carry it! This is not the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel is gaining promises. If I were to preach the gospel, I would say, Believing in the Lord is good. Believing in the Lord allows you to gain a hundredfold! This sounds like a good thing.

Some people talk about the gospel as if it is something painful. Our generation must remove the misconceptions of faith and gain a hundredfold. This is not prosperity theology. We must see what the Bible actually says. Jesus said in the Bible that those who forsake everything to follow him will gain a hundredfold!

Let us look at the background of today's passage. This passage is in Matthew 19. This chapter tells the story of a man who came to Jesus earlier and asked Jesus, Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? Actually, what this person wanted to ask was how to gain eternal life. Jesus answered, Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments. This person thought that he could only gain eternal life by doing good deeds. But Jesus told him to keep the commandments. What commandments?

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 19:18-19)

Parents among us can rest assured. We teach brothers and sisters to honor their parents, not to forsake them, but to gain them.

Then the young man said, All these I have kept. What do I still lack? Jesus answered,

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

When the young man heard this, he was troubled: What? Sell my treasures and give them to the poor? And follow you? Looking at you, you don't seem like someone worth following. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Seeing this, Jesus said: It is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, it is very difficult for people to choose between money and Jesus! Jesus continued:

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26)

Then Peter quickly followed with a sentence:

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:27-29)

This is well said! This is about telling us to forsake. What can we gain by forsaking everything? We can gain a hundredfold and gain eternal life. Actually, this passage also appears in Mark. Mark chapter 10 also talks about another piece of information:

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” (Mark 10:33-34)

The disciples did not listen to what Jesus said. Actually, Jesus used his own example when talking about forsaking. Jesus said that he would completely give himself up in order to accomplish the salvation of this generation. He said, I will completely give myself up, and in the future, I will definitely sit on that glorious throne. If you are willing to give up like me, you will also sit on the glorious throne with me!

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with; (Mark 10:35-39)

Today, brothers and sisters, we often think that everything is God's grace, that after believing in Jesus, we don't have to do anything and we can sit on God's glorious throne. If you really believe it, if you really want to sit on God's glorious throne with Jesus Christ, you must know what the cup you drink is, what the baptism you receive is.

Today, brothers and sisters, we must begin to know the spiritual principle that forsaking is the only way to gain. If you ask me, Why is it that my mother gets better after you pray for her, but my mother doesn't get better after I pray for her? You must love God with all your heart! Loving God with all your heart is not about focusing on gaining something from God. It is about focusing on completely dedicating yourself to God! Willing to forsake for God!

Can you drink this cup? Can you receive this baptism? God's will is that we drink the cup he drinks and receive the baptism he receives. This is called loving God with all your heart! Seeing these scriptures together, it turns out that Jesus Christ still has a very high demand for us. This demand is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind!

Loving God with All Your Heart Means Willing to Forsake for God

Loving God with all your heart means willing to give for God; loving God with all your heart means willing to forsake many things for God! In fact, there are many pastors in this generation who do not love God with all their heart. Not loving God with all your heart means not being able to forsake many things. A word is very popular in this generation called balance. In fact, the Bible never talks about balance. This is the tragedy of this generation! Today, there are very many pastors who do not love God with all their heart, and there are also very many Christians who do not love God with all their heart. But today, I have made my choice to love God with all my heart! Absolutely no one can stop me from loving God with all my heart. I know that in the long run, I will definitely gain, and God will definitely let me gain, and gain a hundredfold! The rewards are extremely generous!

I don't like doing things that have no returns. Whatever comes into my hands, I will definitely turn it into an asset. The topics I talk about are all rather deep. For example, I say to regard everything as dung and to regard gaining Jesus Christ as treasure. If you really do this, then you are amazing!

Because I am devoted to loving God, I thoroughly enjoy myself in the ranks of pastors. Because I am devoted to loving God, what God has prepared for me is things that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and mind has not conceived. I never thought that my mother, who had Alzheimer's disease, would fully recover. I never dared to think about this kind of thing. It was because when my mother was controlled by Alzheimer's disease, I had to rely on the God who loves me to free my mother. Because I understand things in the spiritual realm too well.

If a person does not regard Jesus Christ as treasure, some pastors' mothers get Alzheimer's disease. If they don't pray, it's okay, but if they pray, it gets worse. That's a problem. Some pastors' mothers suffer from insomnia. If they don't pray, it's okay, but if they pray, it gets worse. This is the problem. The problem is to pat yourself on the chest and ask yourself whether we have forsaken anything for Jesus. If we have not forsaken for Jesus Christ, then it is not called loving God with all your heart.

A few days ago, I had a phone call with a pastor. In fact, when I was praying, I had a prompting in my heart. God revealed to me that he was very tired. I called him, and he was indeed very tired. It turned out that his senior pastor told him: From now on, you are no longer our colleague. All your benefits are cancelled. You can find your own way out! This pastor had served in the church for so many years. What can he do when he comes out? He can't do anything, and he is getting old.

Today, many brothers and sisters do not know why people encounter such things. Actually, we planted them ourselves. So I encouraged this pastor. I said to him: You must love God with all your heart, shepherd God's sheep, and build a victorious church. No matter what bad things happen to us, we can turn them into good things and let God do this wonderful work in us.

Brothers and sisters, no matter what kind of things happen to you today, start by putting your hand on your chest and ask yourself, do I love God with all my heart? Is it clear in my mind, is it clear in my mind, do we really know that loving God with all our heart has extremely rich rewards?

We often make the wrong choices in many things. Do we really think that Jesus Christ is treasure? Do we really think that what we do is pleasing to God? Today, I dare to boldly say that we have eliminated many absurd things in Christianity, such as some people saying, Believe in Jesus and get eternal life, and then they believe in the God of the living as the God of the dead. I have believed in Jesus. I will go to heaven after I die! Then, look at the way she lives, she bares her teeth at you no matter what you do to her, and she is unwilling to give anything for Jesus.

If you cannot experience all the abundant promises of Jesus Christ when you are alive in the world, where can you go after you die? If there is no image of Jesus Christ at all when you are alive, where can you go after you die? Therefore, brothers and sisters today, we must know that the gospel we believe in today, the God we believe in, is the God of the living, and the gospel we believe in is that we live out the glorious image of God when we are alive.

God is a God who gives. Have we really given up our own interests for Jesus Christ? Can we give up our own interests for Jesus Christ? If we can't even do a meeting, what else can we do? In fact, some people really have to work at that time, but isn't the time all arranged in their own hands? They have to arrange to meet with clients at that time. Brothers and sisters today, if you love God with all your heart, being willing to forsake everything for God is a choice with extremely rich rewards.

Speaking of which, many people will say, Then you are the only one who can do it. What you are talking about in your sermon is me, Do you know that? Then it's good that you know it. But if you can really listen to it, you will definitely gain rich rewards. Do you think I am talking sarcastically? No, I am telling you how wonderful God's promises are. You will definitely gain a hundredfold in this world. While we are alive, those who forsake houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children, and lands will not fail to receive a hundredfold in this age and inherit eternal life, and they will also be persecuted.

Forsake to Gain, and Gain a Hundredfold

This is a great saying, truly getting to the heart of the matter. For those who work the land, the most deadly thing is to deceive oneself. In the spring, when it’s time to till the soil and sow seeds, you sow but a few specks of dust. Then, when autumn arrives, you have gained nothing. So, you cry out to God, “God, aren't you the God who creates something out of nothing? Why has nothing grown in the field, only weeds?” A person reaps what they sow; this is the principle established by God. If you are unwilling to sow the seeds, if you cook them and eat them as food, if you sow weeds, you will reap weeds; if you sow dust, you will reap dust; if you sow curses, you will reap curses; if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. Blessings and curses both come from God; you reap what you sow.

The Bible tells of a wealthy young man who did not know to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. He had a disposition of wanting to offer all that he had to God, considering these things as dung, not treasures. Why would you still care about such things? This wealthy young man was filled with confusion, wanting eternal life but unwilling to sow the seeds. “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” When Jesus truly challenged him on one good deed, he could not do it.

So, brothers and sisters, what is it that you truly desire in your heart? I have encountered many pastors and many Christians who are particularly stingy. The living expenses for the brothers and sisters living together are shared equally, regardless of how much you use. But there was one brother who lived here for a while, and when asked to contribute to the living expenses, he simply refused—so stingy.

Know that forsaking is an investment. If you have money but do not invest it, that money will only decrease. The central bank prints a trillion, and you have less. They keep releasing water; money is illusory. Therefore, one must know to forsake—to forsake for Jesus, to sow these seeds for Jesus, to give up these things. You will only invest if you believe you will gain; you will not invest if you do not believe.

Today, our brothers and sisters must understand that the gospel of Chinese Mingding Destiny that I speak of is a gospel of living out the glorious image of God. If it’s the gospel of living out God’s glorious image, then what is most powerful about God is that He creates seeds. When the seeds God creates are sown, they have limitless possibilities. When a seed is sown, it yields a hundredfold. And if you take ten percent of that hundredfold and sow it again, it yields another hundredfold. That seed is powerful.

In fact, I dislike stinginess. Saving money is definitely not the solution. Some churches, to save money, do not rent an office. They save money, but the church fails. What good is that? On Sundays, they find a place to conduct services, barely managing to gather in a venue. At other times, they stay at home. How can they do anything?

I like grand gestures, not that I am very rich, but I invest in things that I know will bring returns. Some people think saving money is the solution, but I believe investing for returns is the true solution. Money that sits idle and does not grow is useless. Anything that sits idle and does not grow is of little use.

Therefore, today, when we place our relationships with people and our parents in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, we will gain a hundredfold. As an example, haven’t I gained a hundredfold? My mother is healthy at over 80 years old, still able to do many things for me. Compared to a mother with Alzheimer’s who eats Jiangmi Tiao, isn't that gaining a hundredfold, a thousandfold? How can I not thank God?

So, brothers and sisters, know today that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Why do people nitpick? Nitpicking comes from stinginess, from a lack of generosity. I rarely nitpick; when I speak, I want to build up people. I don't often find fault with how people treat me, as if I am being taken advantage of and the whole world owes me something. I never do that.

I always feel that I must give myself away. If I can edify one person, I will. If I can edify two, I will. If I can do one thing, I will never do half. If I can do ten, I will never be lazy and only do five. I have had only one thought my entire life: to completely dedicate myself to God, to be a blessing to this generation.

Have I suffered losses as a result? No, I have not. By forsaking, I have gained. By giving my life to my God, I have gained my life.

Today, if a pastor does not enjoy their ministry, it is because of stinginess. If a Christian does not enjoy their Christian life, it is because of stinginess. Know that it is a principle established by God, with no exceptions, that you cannot live well by living for yourself. In the end, this wealthy young man discussed eternal life and good deeds with Jesus Christ, but when the call came, he was finished.

Are you truly willing to forsake all that you have? If you are truly willing, then you are mighty, and I respect you. But many today are unwilling to forsake, still holding tightly to all that they have, and then saying, “God, bless me!” And God says, “How can I bless you, you stingy person?”

If a person is willing to completely dedicate themselves, there is no way they will not gain a hundredfold. If they constantly carry the death of Jesus Christ on their body, they will constantly experience the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today, brothers and sisters, if you are willing to turn your family around, to be a blessing to your family, bringing them all into the realm of dedication and into these spiritual principles... I tell you, you must first make a choice in yourself, which is to sow all that you can sow. You will surely gain a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come.

I often hear people say to me, “Pastor, if I only have one sheep left, should I dedicate it to God or keep it?” They think I am talking about offerings, but they do not know that I am talking about gaining. I say, “You foolish person, you are living under a curse and only have one sheep left. Are you still going to walk this cursed path? If a person is selfish and knows good and evil, and even gets cancer, won’t they turn back? Are they still going to walk this selfish path? Shouldn’t they wake up at this point? Already suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, shouldn’t they wake up? Having committed so many sins, shouldn’t they wake up?”

So, brothers and sisters, begin to share this concept of gaining within your family. If people are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus Christ, they will surely gain life, because He is God! Today, be a wise person; do not do things that do not bring returns; do things that bring returns.

To be a disciplined soldier is to make sacrifices. If you do not sweat on the training ground, you will bleed on the battlefield. A disciplined soldier must be trained so that they can kill the enemy on the battlefield. Why undergo training? That is called sacrifice! Why can only sacrifice lead to gain? This is God's principle. Your forsaking is faith! Therefore, God says, When I sit on the throne, you will also sit on the throne with Me, judging the world, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

I have a deep desire within me: that every one of our brothers and sisters can grasp these spiritual principles, no longer be lazy, stingy, or selfish, but begin to willingly and joyfully dedicate themselves completely, longing to sit on the throne with Jesus Christ, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Whether you are a pastor or listening to me online, begin to consider within yourselves what you should do.

I have encountered many stingy pastors, and they have no future because they are not people who forsake. Some pastors come among us, and we do not charge them any fees, but when it comes to giving an offering, it is as painful as cutting out a piece of their heart. How can they possibly have a future? How can they not be poor? It is because they have a mentality of poverty within them.

Some people dream of being rich, but I encourage everyone to begin to be a giving person. Some people often like to come to us and take some free things. When we give out books, they all rush forward. It doesn't matter; if they need it, we will bless them. However, seeing such situations makes me sad. What makes me sad is when these people will become givers, when they will become people who forsake.

When our church was very, very poor, we were still a giving church. Wherever I went, I gave offerings. When we served, and they provided a place to stay, I would double the offering when I returned. For example, if it cost 100 Singapore dollars a night, I would offer 200 Singapore dollars. Why? Because this is gaining! Are we poor today? No, we are not!

Some pastors come among us for training, and after the training is complete, they pat their butts and leave. How can they not be poor? They think they can gain without spending a single penny, as if they have gained an advantage. I am very moved: when will they learn what is in my bones? When they learn it, when will they become a wealthy church, when will they become wealthy pastors?

Seeing the Essence of Worldly Treasures

I really like this saying: See the essence of worldly treasures. Jesus told that young man to sell everything he had and give to the poor. What use are those things? No use at all! How much money does a person need in their lifetime? Not much. Moreover, God's will is not for you to live a poor life on earth. Those riches become our bondage, so God wants to release us from the bondage of money.

It is very sad if we do not see the essence of worldly treasures. I ask you, “If you die, what can you take with you?” Nothing! Since you can't take anything with you, are those things yours? It seems so, but it also seems not. Don't think I'm cursing anyone; I just want everyone to wake up. If we see the essence of worldly treasures, will we still be bound? Will we still be like birds dying for food, people dying for wealth? Where a person's treasure is, there their heart will be also. If your heart is in money and bank accounts, can you live well? If your heart is in Jesus Christ, can't you live well?

Recently, real estate businessmen have experienced a winter. One company is called Zhonghong Real Estate, and the founder is Wang Yonghong. He ran a gas station that was very successful, so he sold the station and bought a large piece of land in Beijing. Twenty years ago, he bought 200 acres of land in Beijing, and a year later, it increased tenfold. He had great foresight, but did he live well? Not really. Recently, Zhonghong Real Estate has faced the brink of bankruptcy. He played disappearing act and disappeared. What awaits him?

I wonder what he is doing? He has been making money, but that money came like a whirlwind and will be swept away by a whirlwind. Does a person need so much? It seems not. It is very sad when people consider making money as their purpose. Because money is not our purpose in life. If we understand that we only need a bed of two square meters and at most a car with four wheels, how much can a person eat in a lifetime? After eating, they excrete it—simply do this little matter.

Therefore, where a person's treasure is, there their heart will be also. But many people cannot see the essence of treasures. Nothing in the world belongs to you; you cannot take anything when you leave. If that is the case, what are we doing? I will read a passage from the Bible to everyone. I hope that brothers and sisters can understand these things clearly. My mother used to be afraid that people would think that she suffer from Alzheimer's. She would pat her chest and say that she understood everything in her heart, that she must understand the essence of treasures.

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:9-13)

In the eyes of Jesus, worldly wealth is called unrighteous wealth. When wealth fails, that is, when you are about to leave this world, your wealth is no longer useful to you. You cannot bring a large pile of gold and silver to God and say, I'm here, I've come to give an offering. It will not be needed at that time, because in heaven, the ground is paved with gold.

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much; one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If you have not been faithful in unrighteous wealth, who will entrust you with true wealth? If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you what is your own? Especially this last sentence: earthly money is not yours. You may say it is in my bank account, but that is not yours either, because you cannot take it with you. When you leave this world, it will all belong to others. Whether you are Solomon or David, when you leave this world, it all goes to others. It is not yours but belongs to others. God is just entrusting you to manage it; are you faithful?

The money in your bank account in this world is actually someone else's. But if you are a person who wholeheartedly loves God, what God has prepared for you is something that eyes have never seen, ears have never heard, and the heart has never imagined. However, if you manage the money that belongs to others in the world and treat it as your own, and then you do not see through the essence of money, you find giving offerings difficult. How can God give you the blessings that originally belong to you? Some people question after hearing me say this, Hmm? Are you trying to get money? I am speaking the words of God. You must know that the church does not lack money. If you do not understand the meaning of giving offerings, do not give; I will treat the offering as garbage. Because today, we have seen through the essence of treasures.

Today, when we have seen the essence of earthly treasures, when we forsake for God, God adds those good things that were originally prepared for us to us. If those things are given to us, we will not lack in this world! When we leave this world, what will we take to the eternal dwellings?

If you are a stingy person in this world, how can you go to God? You can't! Because there are no stingy people with God. So, I want our brothers and sisters to begin to know today that you cannot worship both God and Mammon; you can only choose one! If you are a very wealthy person, you are deeply bound by money. Know that your money cannot stop anything.

For example, my mother, with her crooked mouth and drool, that is a life-threatening matter! Can money solve it? It cannot! Even if I take a suitcase of RMB, her mouth would still be crooked, and she would still drool! Even if I take a suitcase of US dollars, it would still be the same! It's useless! Many people have crooked mouths, and they just keep getting more crooked. Some people even do for a lifetime and still can't solve it. Therefore, today, we must know for sure that where a person's treasure is, there their heart will be also. If you truly regard Jesus Christ as the greatest treasure, your heart will be in Jesus Christ.

Your hearts are known to Jesus, but what is esteemed by people is detestable in the sight of God. So, we must begin to know that what God hates, we also hate, and what God values, we also value. To live like God, wouldn't that be becoming a living deity?

I hope that all brothers and sisters can be like me. I saw through treasures a long time ago, so today, I am not poor at all. People do not need much in this world, so I do not have a hobby of spending money; I only have a hobby of investing.

Can we see through all of this today? Remove these myths? Worldly money is called unrighteous money; it is someone else's money. If we are faithful in unrighteous money and in someone else's money, God will surely bless you with the true riches that belong to you. What a wonderful thing this is!

Conclusion

Today, begin to make a wise decision. Understand it clearly, not only in your heart but also in your mind. Be a person of understanding, not a muddlehead. Many people die for wealth; how many people live in myths! In fact, living simply is very easy, and living happily is very easy, as long as you are willing to imitate Jesus Christ.

When we imitate Jesus Christ, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, dedicating ourselves to God, longing to gain destiny, to be a blessing to this generation, and to be a vessel used by God, how is it possible to not live well?

What is the use of money? Money is of no use. Do not allow money to bind us anymore, and do not hold back our strength. Although we sometimes feel tired and work hard while serving in Jesus Christ, we are quick to pleasure. This is precisely God's good intention for us. Quick to pleasure, very satisfied! Why? Because God's will is for us to gain a hundredfold in this world and eternal life in the age to come!

May God bless everyone!