Introduction

The Gospel of Matthew, penned by a Jew familiar with Jesus' history, offers a unique perspective. As an eyewitness, Matthew's account is readily accessible to Jewish readers. However, for others, a basic understanding of the Old Testament is helpful.

Let us examine the first chapter of Matthew. To recap, it begins with Abraham's lineage: Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judah, and so on, down to David, then to Zerubbabel, and beyond. To those unfamiliar with the Scriptures, these foreign names can be a tedious read. When I first embraced the faith, I confess, I often skipped over these passages.

But note this. These recorded names are significant! From Genesis onward, these figures are chronicled throughout the Old Testament leading up to Matthew's Gospel. After the genealogy, Matthew's first chapter recounts the circumstances of Jesus Christ's birth.

God's Presence: The Key to Problem Solving

A woman named Mary, Jesus' mother, found herself pregnant before marriage. Speculation is needless; we cannot travel back two millennia to investigate the conception. Scripture tells us she conceived of the Holy Spirit. An unmarried, pregnant young woman faces societal challenges. Her betrothed, Joseph, upon discovering this, considered quietly dissolving the engagement, assuming the child was not his.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:20-23, NKJV)

Remarkably, Joseph heeded the message. Modern individuals might question the validity of a dream. Yet, Jewish tradition places deep significance on dreams.

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25, NKJV)

This concludes the first chapter of Matthew. Upon reflection, despite the familiarity of the story, I pondered: what is the core theme? I realised it is this: God is with us. Crucially, humankind's fundamental predicament lies in being severed from God.

God desires to be sought after. He is present with those who seek Him. A prevailing deficiency today, is that people do not recognise their human limitations, overestimating their capabilities. Yet, can they truly resolve the problems they face? Truth is, humans can only solve a limited range of issues.

Many were brought low by the coronavirus. Some believe they can overcome it. But the perplexing disappearance of the SARS virus in 2003 remains a mystery. Did we truly conquer it? If SARS resurfaced today, would we be better equipped? I am not convinced. The next iteration of coronavirus could be as devastating as SARS. We must acknowledge our human limitations and avoid self-deification, for that only leads to hardship.

We, as believers, must acknowledge our human nature and our need for God. Our fundamental challenge stems from our estrangement from God. Jesus, the Immanuel, signifies God's presence with us. This is immensely positive. With God's presence, would the coronavirus remain a problem? Assuredly not.

Some may argue that instances of virus outbreaks within churches suggest otherwise. However, it is critical to ask: is God truly present in those situations? If He were, would such events transpire? The concept of God's presence with humanity is well-documented in scripture. The critical question is: with whom does God reside? This is a vital point. If God were with you, would you be experiencing such difficulties?

I have encountered a sister in Christ on the internet who is struggling terribly. What is the value of such a life? The suffering arises precisely from the absence of God's presence. Refrain from assuming that God dwells with everyone. It is not so. We must discern with whom God resides, and strive to emulate them.

If we become such people, mirroring Jesus' actions, how powerful would we be? Did Jesus succumb to the coronavirus? Was He defeated by it? Did He perish from a forty-day fast? No! To have God's presence is supremely good. When reading Scripture, pursue God's intentions! Therefore, let us define the theme of this chapter as God with Us or The God Who Is with Us.

This discussion must begin in the Old Testament.

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build Me? And where will be My place of rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine's blood; he who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations, so will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because, when I called, no one answered; when I spoke they did not hear, but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.” Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.” (聖經 Isaiah 66:1-5, NKJV)

What kind of temple can we build for God? God laments: Where will be My place of rest? Does God need rest? Yes, He does! What constitutes God's rest? God's rest is found in His presence with humanity. God is uneasy when severed. Due to His profound love for His creation, God is with the poor, contrite, and those who tremble at His word. If we establish a church void of God's presence, we engage in hypocrisy, choosing our paths and facing our deepest fears.

If we all had God's presence, what power we would possess! The question is: do you and I tremble at God's word? If we do not tremble at God's word, but instead at trivial daily occurrences – a harsh word from the boss, strained relationships, or noisy children – many things unsettle us. What could we do to tremble at God's word? Because they chose their path.

Without trembling at God's word, one will experience their fears. I delivered a sermon titled Trembling at God's Word. If we all tremble at God's word, we will experience God's presence. With God's presence, even under pressure as a prime minister in Babylon and Persia, Daniel thrived because he possessed greater wisdom. Is God's presence not the key to solving our problems?

We frequently encounter confusion: if I do not resolve my work issues, who will? It is not I who will solve your problems, but God. God needs rest. Mankind's rest is found in the presence of God. God's rest is found in His presence with mankind. Man and God are perfectly unified. This is God’s marvelous plan. Why did God create mankind? After God created mankind, God and mankind were perfectly unified. God's presence with mankind is an act of love, bringing God immense satisfaction. Humanity's presence with God, and God's presence with humanity, brings humanity immense satisfaction. We Chinese have a saying Unity of Heaven and Man, which implies that unity with the heaven is the most supreme and most beautiful realm. We achieve the unity of heaven and man in Jesus Christ.

I received a message about a church where numerous members contracted the coronavirus. Many prayed for scientists to swiftly develop a remedy. In the midst of prayer, they sensed something amiss and began to fight, leading to many healings. This is not novel in our midst. Observing God's miraculous works among us reveals the immense goodness of God's presence. Personally, I find it challenging to imagine a life devoid of God's presence. How wonderful it is to have God's presence, where problems cease to exist!

Jesus came to earth to fulfill a Mingding Destiny, the plan of redemption – God's presence with us. Did God dwell with us until Jesus' arrival? Very few, indeed. The Lord Jesus, through incarnation, was born among us in the same way as us. The virgin birth is incredible, but predicted by Genesis to Matthew.

To understand God's methods, we must walk with Him and tremble at His word. We must know God. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, but two thousand years have passed. How can we verify the Bible's truthfulness, or Matthew's Gospel's relevance? Simple: while we cannot verify Mary's conception through the Holy Spirit, we can witness the fascinating phenomenon of being able to accomplish what Jesus did if we have God’s presence.

Jesus' deeds remain unparalleled. For instance, He resurrected a child from death. Despite the existence of numerous masters, none have achieved Jesus' feats, which surpass our imagination. Jesus came to enable us to resemble Him, paving a new path of life and truth for us to follow.

Trembling at God's word motivates us to seek resemblance to Jesus. Instead of pursuing miracles, we seek to emulate Jesus, pleasing God. Upon God's pleasure, He indwells us, and our words are fulfilled by God. Our relationship with God is exceedingly good, and truly incredible to have God's indwelling presence.

God Works According to a Plan

I frequently observe online posts expressing a desire to be like Jesus. While commendable, mere hope is insufficient. We must not only know God but also understand His methods. God works methodically, through people, and through prophetic pronouncements, revealing future events. Since God wants to enlighten us about things to come, we must avoid elation when encountering matters like the Mars boy, because God has told us in the Bible long ago. From Genesis to Revelation, the history of humanity has already been stated clearly. Our Jesus Christ is the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning, and the end, and all things shall be united in Christ. Those who are not in Christ will be thrown into the sulfurous lake, like garbage.

First, God adheres to a plan. Second, God chooses individuals through whom to execute His plan. Third, God reveals these events through prophetic pronouncements. Fourth, God orchestrates everything during the execution of the plan. Whether in the days of Adam and Eve or Noah, God orchestrates everything. Just as we prepare for a child's arrival upon learning of a pregnancy, so too does God. Our God, during our creation, predetermined everything. Similarly, upon Jesus' arrival, He orchestrated everything. Since you and I collaborate with God in this world, He will meticulously orchestrate everything; therefore, what do we worry about?

Speaking of God's method of working, we must be familiar with God's method of working. After we have cognitive knowledge of God's ways of working, we will be able to walk with God, to work with God, and to live with God. God works according to a plan. Careful study of Genesis reveals a meticulous plan for each day – the first day, the second day, the third day, categorizing everything accordingly. If humanity is willing to collaborate with God, they would adopt a methodical approach rather than acting impulsively.

Be cautious of preachers who rely solely on the Holy Spirit as inspiration, because our God does not operate through impulsive inspirations. While inspiration exists, during the time of Paul, we were instructed to have full knowledge of God in our understanding. Our understanding should be clear. We must have sufficient faith in our understanding to be able to describe and clarify matters. We must comprehend God's methods intellectually, mentally, and emotionally. Then, we can discern how to emulate God, rather than acting haphazardly.

If Noah's family had entered the Ark, would God dozed off, causing them to become mummified, and upon awakening, discover that the Ark was lost along with the family? Of course, this is a joke. God is always taking care of His people, and God's plan is always well-designed with detail. When to enter the Ark, when to exit the Ark, what to do upon exiting – everything was meticulously planned. Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us cultivate the habit of planning.

Upon closer examination of the Gospel of Matthew, you will find from Abraham to David, it is all carefully calculated. When you read Genesis Chapter 1, it is also well calculated. For instance, in the case of Mary's divine selection and conception through the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t that be troublesome if God didn't have a plan when Joseph was about to divorce Mary? Mary’s husband Joseph was a descendant of David, implying that God had long planned it within the lineage of David, from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to Judah, Judah to Perez and Zerah, then Perez to Hezron, all the way to King David, who begat Solomon, who begat Zerubbabel, who begat Joseph, the descendant of David. God said to him, do not be afraid, but receive your wife. He had already named him Jesus. God's plan is very comprehensive.

If you are aware of God's comprehensive plan, what reason have you to fear? God is fulfilling a prophecy of what the prophets said, A virgin will be pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel. This plan had been around since Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God foretold that the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

In today's generation, most are descendants of men, and are typically named after their father. Jesus is purely the offspring of a woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit; Jesus is different from regular people, as He was born of the Holy Spirit. Later, I would learn that we, too, must be born again in the Spirit and continually restore the image of Jesus Christ. God had a plan since Genesis, which was fulfilled in Matthew. In Isaiah, it was also prophesied:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (which means God with us). (Isaiah 7:14, NKJV)

God Works Through People

A careful reading of the Bible reveals that God works through people. Our God is the God of Emmanuel, God with us. God's greatest joy is to work with us, and for people, the greatest joy is to work with God. God likes to work through people, and to this day, God is still choosing people.

There was a man named Reinhard Bonnke, a German, whom God chose and said: I will choose you to preach the gospel to Africans. He preached the gospel not to one or two people, but to one million or two million people. Reinhard Bonnke was a man of great faith, and he obeyed God's command. One day God told him that he was not the first or second person chosen, but the fourth, because the previous three did not do according to God's word. God often chooses people, but after choosing them, will they carry out God's word? Reinhard Bonnke said to God: Okay, you don't have to look for a fifth, I'll do it.

Later, I discovered that there were also several Chinese Singaporeans who started churches, and I was the fourth one chosen by God. I said to God: God, you don't have to look for a fifth! God wants to raise up a small group of people in this generation to take the truth of the Bible one step further. Today, there are many fallacies in our Christian faith, the biggest of which is not being like Jesus.

Today, we promote being with God, and we are people who are with God, how good is that! However, such a theological system is not very popular. So God wants to raise us up to promote such a theological system, even if there are difficulties, but as long as God is with us, it will not be difficult. The virgin birth can be resolved, so this matter is not difficult either. We should not think that God choosing Martin Luther for the Reformation is the end of the story. No, there is still much to be done! Many Christian churches think that going back to the time of Martin Luther is useful. What's the point? It's better to go back to the time of Paul, because Paul was like Jesus!

God wants to work through people! If God has chosen you and me, and a person encounters such a good thing in their lifetime, it is extraordinary. Among us, do not think that you came among us by chance. I believe that God has a calling on you, and God has a Mingding Destiny on you. God wants to choose you to accomplish His good will, and you will be like me in the future, becoming a model of being with God!

In the past years, God chose Abraham and opened up a path of faith. Abraham is the father of faith. Later, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all models of the path of faith. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. I talked about Tamar's story in Genesis 38. Tamar was a person with a Mingding Destiny, and she is recorded in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The characters depicted in this chapter of the Bible are all very powerful.

Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah (Matthew 1:5-6)

God chooses people, and through these people, the lineage continues. The Bible speaks of the offspring of the woman. In Chinese, there is no concept of singular and plural. Returning to the original text, there is a singular and plural form, which actually refers to one offspring of the woman, referring to Jesus. We are the body of Jesus Christ, we build God's glorious temple, God dwells in the temple, and His glory will fill us.

In the Bible, God constantly chooses people, all the way to Zerubbabel. If you carefully read Malachi and Haggai, you will find that after the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, God raised up Zerubbabel, who is also in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In later generations, God chose Mary. Imagine God telling a young girl to conceive and give birth to a child. Our God is so creative. As a result, Mary actually agreed, which is also a very divine thing! So if you read the Bible carefully, you will find that God does not choose people according to human moral standards at all.

In this generation, God has chosen us again, and some people will ask: How do you know that God has chosen you? Because I believe, I like to believe, and those who have faith speak by faith. How do we know today whether God has really chosen us or not? Don't just listen to what I say, look at what I do. I long to be like Jesus, and God is clearly with us, and then we become more and more like Jesus, and we have more and more of God's presence, which is infinitely good!

God Reveals Future Events Through Prophecy

The fact that Jesus was to come into the world was actually prophesied by God as early as the time of Isaiah, in the time of Adam and Eve. When it came to Mary, the Bible prophesied: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23). Mary should have known this passage of scripture, and she thought: Oh no! God is with me, what an honor! So Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. God, you want to use me, use me as you please! As a result, God really used her to give birth to Jesus Christ, which is unprecedented.

Actually, the matter of Mingding Destiny is very shocking to me. Why? In fact, Rick Joyner's book The Final Quest is a prophetic revelation. What we are doing today is almost identical to the vision Rick Joyner saw, which is to ascend the mountain of the Lord and enter the temple of the God of Jacob, that is, to continuously climb in the knowledge of God's truth. Until today, we are still constantly climbing, and the power of the battle is constantly being manifested, and the devil and enemy are completely trampled under our feet.

Therefore, the healing and deliverance we do is not the same concept as the healing and deliverance done by ordinary charismatic churches. The healing and deliverance we are talking about is not deliberately mystifying, but the power of God's presence that naturally flows out in the continuous climbing of the peaks of truth. In fact, climbing spiritual peaks is to continuously know God in understanding, and continuously break through! When you keep climbing, you will see the power of the battle constantly increasing. So the brothers and sisters among us are really blessed!

The healing and deliverance we are talking about has a logical system that is in accordance with the Bible. Brothers and sisters should know that the theological system spoken of in the entire Bible is abstracted and summarized one by one, and named Mingding Destiny. The important thing about Mingding Destiny is not the name, but the obvious results when it is implemented. Some time ago, I discovered that Rick Joyner said again: God wants to raise up a small group of people in China to restore the truth of the Bible and remove the fallacies in the Christian faith. And he said it was Chinese.

I said: God! This is so exciting, you have prophesied this! Isn't this referring to us? If you don't think so, it doesn't matter, I think so anyway. Every time I read the Bible and see the light, I am very excited. Until today, every Sunday I try to publish a new paper, and move forward step by step in the truth of God. I never take the old manuscript and read it again.

Conclusion

God reveals future events to us through the prophets, and the brothers and sisters among us should be very excited, because God is using us! We are working with God to fulfill God's Mingding Destiny in this last generation! In that generation, God chose Mary and Joseph. In this generation, God is choosing you and me, because in this generation, God still wants to constantly complete His plan and fulfill His will!

Completing a great plan with God is much better than your work or your business! Your work, your business, your family, will all eventually be gone, but today, if we walk with God, we are participating in God's great plan, what a glorious Mingding Destiny that is! So you need to know that God is constantly prophesying. Brothers and sisters, start to seize this opportunity, because our God's way of working is to choose people and do things through people.

Today, in the process of our exorcism, it is simply invincible, the devil is completely trampled under our feet, and the powers of hell are completely trampled under our feet! When we do this, God also arranges everything for us step by step, so we can move forward with peace of mind! Just like in Noah's generation, God arranged for Noah to enter the ark safely!

In the days of Abraham, God enabled Abraham to safely offer Isaac! In Joseph's time, God enabled Joseph to safely be a slave, go to prison, and later become the prime minister of Egypt! In the days of Daniel, Daniel was exiled to Babylon, and Daniel carefully improved, learned, prayed, and sought God there, and eventually became the prime minister of Babylon.

Brothers and sisters, know that it is such a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to work with God! Why did God choose Mary? Because in Mary's heart, she had long hoped for the glorious coming of God, but she did not expect that what God gave her was really beyond human imagination! Today God wants to do something through us, and this thing seems almost impossible, but as long as we are with God and work with God, God's plan will surely be accomplished!

When we read Revelation and Daniel, God reveals and makes clear to us the things of this generation little by little. When we read these two books before, we read them in a daze. Now, comparing them to the generation we are in today, we know that the day of the Lord's return is really very near! So I want to encourage everyone to participate in God's great plan. God is removing the absurdities in the faith of Jesus Christ in this generation.

Today, there are too many absurd things in the faith of Jesus Christ! I talked about one thing in the process of leading a prayer. A sister had to pray loudly with a loudspeaker, shaking the whole building, and then the property management came to knock on the door, but she felt that this kind of prayer felt good. But in Chinese Mingding Destiny, what we talk about is not feeling, what we preach is faith, because there are too many deceptive things. Today, we must continue to move forward in understanding so that we can take on the Mingding Destiny that God has on us!

May God bless everyone!