Introduction

We have completed our study of Matthew Chapters 5 and 6. A key lesson is the importance of a framework for thinking! Having a framework for thinking is critical. Take Beijing: it has six ring roads. Understand the layout, the roads running east-west and north-south – and you are not likely to get lost.

In a modern city, first master the subway system, understanding how each line connects. This is crucial. To grasp a city’s transportation, begin with the expressways or elevated expressways, then consider the smaller roads. This framework approach is generally sound. But starting with the small roads? You might never figure it out. Just as you map a few alleys, new ones appear, or a building goes up beside them, quickly overwhelming you.

Reading the Bible requires a similar framework. Do not get bogged down in details from the start. You may recognize each word, but miss the overall message. Grasp the entire content first, then delve into each section and verse. This will make you discerning. I often ponder how to guide our brothers and sisters to become discerning. The first step is to adopt this framework for thinking! With a framework, you can see what has happened and how to respond. Without this higher-level thinking, relying on single verses, you will struggle. A single question can throw you off.

With this framework in mind, Chapter 6 discusses two kingdoms and two pursuits, while Chapter 7 presents two foundations and two outcomes. Does Chapter 7 seem simpler now? It should! The content is now connected. In my generation, we had a saying: The main rope is lifted, and the net opens. When untangling a large net, avoid grabbing the thin ropes or mesh. This only makes it worse. Find the thick ropes along the edges, lift one, and the entire net is neatly straightened. Focus on the main points, and you will not get lost.

Christians Must Learn to Value Outcomes

Chinese Mingding Destiny emphasizes outcomes. Is losing money in a venture good? No! Yet some persist, which makes no sense. Christians who disregard outcomes become foolish; they must value outcomes. If the results do not resemble those of Jesus, there is a serious problem. We must judge the foundation by the results and the results by the foundation. What is that foundation?

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus was a carpenter. Carpenters in that era could make anything from stools to houses. The Forbidden City, for example, is entirely wood. Ancient builders were essentially carpenters, who were also architects. Jesus was an architect. I also enjoy woodworking. If the foundation is flawed, or the plans are incorrect, assembling the cut wood becomes very difficult. In woodworking, even a centimeter off can prevent a fit.

You must do it to understand it. I cannot teach you to swim by the pool. Teaching you to practice on a bench will never work. We can both lie on benches, exhausted, paddling, lifting our heads, gasping for air – but it is useless. You must jump into the water to learn.

I often hear people say, I used to ride a bicycle, but I have forgotten. I reply, You never truly learned. If you learn, you will not forget. Or, I used to swim, but I cannot anymore? Nonsense. If we build a house, we do not forget how. They never really learned it in the first place.

Many current schooling methods are problematic. Much of what is learned is useless, perhaps for life. A mother, two decades later, teaches her child calculus. The child asks, What is this good for? The mother replies, It is useful, important. I have not used it in twenty years, but I can still teach you. The son then asks, You have not used it in twenty years. What can I do with it today?

We face a serious issue: diligent study without practice. Deng Xiaoping, the architect of China's reform and opening, wrote plainly, It doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. If a cat cannot catch mice, is it still a cat? Deng said, Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Whether something is right or wrong depends on the outcome. A cat that catches mice is a good cat; one that does not is a dumb cat.

Act on God's Word

We must act on God's word. When we act according to Jesus’ words, the results will resemble Jesus. One touch, the sick are healed! Problems are solved! Some Christians read God's word but never act. Why should we act on God's word? Because we see the helplessness of people in hospitals. Faced with the coronavirus, the rhetoric is strong, but the people suffer. Testing positive, they fear the worst, and organs fail within days. How much better to possess Jesus’ power!

Some ask, With Jesus, why need hospitals? Hospitals are for those who do not believe. If we are like Jesus, we will need them less, but I will not stop you from going. Jesus' deeds are good! We strive to do what Jesus did, and many hopeless patients are healed through us! Seeing what Jesus did and taught, we act accordingly. Why must I persuade you to do something so good?

A sister shared that her mother used to suffer from dizziness, but since joining us, the dizziness has largely disappeared! I said, You are blessed! She used to attend a traditional church, but found their teachings inconsistent with the Bible. She searched online and found our Chinese Mingding sermons! She bought a plane ticket and flew for over ten hours to meet me.

She wanted to assess what kind of person I am. There are many骗子 in this generation! Seeing me, she found I had no horns, and engaged in practical work: renovating, training, programming. Although many have been healed through me, I have no religious airs. Some churches are crippled by a coronavirus. Why? They lack power; they do not solve problems. I know pastors whose churches have remained unchanged for over a decade, only with different people. Such churches struggle because their theological systems are confused!

One pastor introduced his mother, who suffered from insomnia for over twenty years. He had prayed for seven years, yet her sleeping pill dosage quadrupled. I prayed once, and her insomnia vanished. How much better to have such ability! This generation needs people like me. Why cannot so many pastors solve people’s problems? They lack what Matthew 7:24 describes: they hear God’s word but do not act. Instead, they speculate and quibble, arguing over Greek and Hebrew trivia, sounding impressive, but their actions do not resemble Jesus. Is that not absurd?

Brothers and sisters, we must rebuild our foundation on acting on God’s word! Two foundations: hearing and doing, or hearing and not doing. Hearing and doing is building on rock; hearing and not doing, speculating, or engaging in other matters, is building on sand. It is deadly! These lead to two different outcomes.

The First Outcome

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

How can one enter the kingdom of heaven without doing the Father’s will, without acting on God's word? Some say: I was saved in 2012! Yet they show no resemblance to Jesus, show no desire to be like Jesus, and simply believe they are saved.

If they do wrong, they say, Lord, forgive me! Then do it again, saying, Lord, forgive me! They are using Jesus’ blood as a cleaning rag. Some unbelievers see this and say, See, that is how believers are. How can I believe? Such behavior causes stumbling. They think Christians can sin, then confess and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. That is too bad.

Is that our God? Certainly not! If you do not diligently keep God's word, the problem is serious. How will you enter God's kingdom? Even if you gain much on earth, without diligently keeping God's word, the result is still deadly!

The Second Outcome

Chinese Mingding Destiny addresses a crucial issue: diligently keeping God's word. There are many words of God in the Bible, so we extract the most important truths one by one. Is prophesying in His name, driving out demons, and performing miracles the most important? No, it is not. The most important is diligently keeping the Father's will.

You can cast out demons, but what then? You may not be someone who keeps the Father's will! Brothers and sisters, do not be misled. Some think that prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles in Jesus’ name makes them unrecognized by Jesus Christ. Not so, if we do not preach in Jesus’ name, it is even worse!

Why does Jesus Christ not know them? Because they do not diligently keep the Father's will. We must grasp God's heart, advancing step by step, building the house on rock. Then the church will surely be filled with God’s glory. The entire New Testament tells us how to build a glorious church of God. Today, many people take verses out of context. For instance, many churches only cast out demons and do not read the Bible. Is that not deadly? The end result is being driven out by demons.

We must learn to obey the Father’s will. What is the Father’s will? It is for us to be a blessing to many on earth. Churches today are disappointing, but that does not prevent us from reading God's word and understanding what God's will truly is. Chinese Mingding Destiny must gradually learn, systematically understand God's word, and put it into practice. Do not trust those who speak eloquently but do not act. As we say in Northeast China, They are like a two-cent teapot, all spout and no substance.

Do not wait until you stand before God, and He says, You evildoers, I never knew you. We must keep the Father’s will. Whether Jesus knows you depends on whether you keep the Father’s will. If you go to church and serve on earth, but Jesus does not know you, how regrettable that would be! You will cry to heaven but receive no answer, and cry to earth but receive no help!

The Third Outcome

Scripture:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

When assessing issues, do not look at the surface, look at the essence. In Liaozhai, there is a ghost in painted skin, appearing human but being a wicked ghost inside. What is most prevalent in churches? Wolves in sheep’s clothing! Some pastors shepherd a pack of wolves, and even weasels. How do you know they are wolves in sheep’s clothing? You cannot tell by appearances. Many trees look the same, but their fruit is poisonous!

Good trees bear good fruit; bad trees bear bad fruit. Good trees cannot bear bad fruit; bad trees cannot bear good fruit. We must know where the foundation lies. If it is built on Jesus Christ’s words, hearing and acting on God’s word, you will surely bear good fruit. If you hear but do not act, you will bear bad fruit. Discerning means judging the foundation by the fruit.

Some have a strange affinity for appearances, which is why they are easily deceived. Ghosts are wolves in sheep’s clothing. How can you tell? The sheep’s clothing means they appear Christian, but lack the Christian essence. How can you test it? Christians must be willing to pay the price for the Lord. Keeping the Father’s will, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. If they cannot diligently keep God's will, neither loving God nor loving their neighbor as themselves, even if they appear good, their wolfish teeth will show when their core interests are threatened.

One day, as I was praying, I felt something was amiss. God opened my eyes, and I saw someone in white robes. He came in and sat beside me. I could not see his face, but his hands were like those of a monkey. He said he was Jesus. I saw his strange movements and could not see his face, but I am cleverer than that. No matter who he was, I prayed fervently. As a result, I saw the white robe fall off with a swoosh, revealing the face of a wolf. I commanded him to get out. He thought he could deceive me by disguising himself in sheep's clothing. In the end, he stood up in anger.

Christians first love our Heavenly Father, and secondly, love our neighbours as ourselves. If Christians have no love, it is of no use even if you preach, cast out demons, and perform many miracles in the name of Jesus Christ because the greatest commandment of God is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. If we truly love God, and that is our core interest, then no one can touch it.

If we love God, and God is our core interest, then anything can be touched, but God cannot be touched. Some people allow anything to be touched, except the church and Jesus. At the first sign of trouble, they set Jesus and their service aside. How can these people experience God's grace? So they are all cut down and thrown into the fire, living under a curse.

Observe whether a person truly loves God by seeing if they are willing to pay the price. Some people can be driven crazy by work, but not by believing in or serving the Lord. Some time ago, I ministered to a brother. I asked: Why can’t you remember to call and minister to those you shepherd? He said, I can't remember to call them.

I asked him, Do you forget to call your girlfriend? He said: I can't forget that! I call her every day! I said: Why can you call your girlfriend but not the sheep you shepherd? He said: I love my girlfriend! What a person loves, they will pay the price for. The fruit a person bears can be seen at a glance. So we are not at all worried about these things related to Almighty God because it is difficult for them to survive among us.

We serve practically and pragmatically. For example, if some brothers and sisters encounter difficulties at work, we shape them into talents useful to society. That requires paying a great price! Perhaps there are still those among us who are unwilling to pay the price in the church, and we have not yet filtered them out. Who would dislike our service that pays such a price? Only the devil dislikes it. So we must bear that fruit; if you love God, you will certainly bear the fruit of paying the price.

God wants us to love our neighbour as ourselves, but some people love themselves very much and are particularly selfish. A sister told me that she had seen many Christians - none were the most selfish, but only more selfish. These words are very sad to hear. You know how sad our Heavenly Father must be when He hears them? How can God possibly recognise them in the end? It is useless to just sit in church; you must listen to God's word and practice it.

If we hear God's word and do not practice it, but are hypocrites, is that useful? Bear the fruit that God wants you to bear, and you must have results in what you do! You must catch people like catching fish. Having caught these people, shouldn’t you nurture them? Shape them, so that they grow to the full stature of Jesus Christ. Whether building the church or doing other things, it must be based on doing God's word.

Fourth Outcome

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

When we act according to God's word, we are wise. There are few wise people and many foolish people. Some people do not know and rush straight onto the road to destruction! Some among us love the world and even think they are loving God. In fact, they love the world very much. Brothers and sisters among us are earnestly exhorting them - this is entering the narrow gate. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who strive. If you do not strive to deal with your fleshly and worldly logic system, you will casually enter destruction. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

How many people are truly willing to crucify the evil desires of their flesh on the cross? If we know that the things that the world cares about lead to destruction, how can we possibly go there? But if we do not know, we will go there like the people of the world. There are a thousand and one reasons to pursue the road to destruction. Shall we enter the narrow gate? Some people like to ask how many people are in our church. If they choose a church based on the number of people, how foolish is that! If you choose based on numbers, there are more people at concerts!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:7-12)

If you are truly seeking, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. But some people are not knocking on God's door but on Lao Ma's door or the fox spirit's door. Ask and it will be given to you, but the key is what are you asking for? If we ask to act according to God's word, how can we not receive? If what we seek is to seek God's truth, how can we not find it? If we knock on the door of eternal life, how can it not be opened? If we seek to receive good things from the Heavenly Father, how can we not receive them? This is the outcome mentioned earlier. If you cannot see God's grace and wonderful deeds in your life, isn’t that courting death?

Joseph, carrying Mingding Destiny, even if sold into Egypt, God was still with him. As a slave, he quickly rose to be the chief of slaves; in prison, he quickly became the prison warden. Although Joseph was a prisoner, the warden put him in charge of everything in the prison. But some people cannot see God with them, only see ghosts with them, and then claim to have faith. What kind of faith is that?

The most important thing for those who act according to God's word is Mingding Destiny, and the most core interest is to come out of a life of emptiness and become Abraham of this generation, a blessing to this generation. if this is your core interest, won’t you receive the best things from the Heavenly Father? Our earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more will our Father in heaven give all good things to those who ask Him? But if you ask for travel, fun, and things to pamper the flesh, what will the Heavenly Father give him?

We need to know what to seek, whose door to knock on, and then seek, knock, understand, and know according to God's word, so that we know God's will. The Heavenly Father's will is for us to be light and salt on this earth so that we can manifest God's glory on earth! If we ask for our own little life all day long, then take your time asking and see what you can get? It would be a blessing to not get COVID-19!

Fifth Outcome

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:2-6)

People's eyes are deadly. If they do not act according to God's word, they do not even know there is a plank in their own eye and will specially pick on the speck in their brothers' and sisters' eyes. Jesus compares them to pigs. If there are those among us who like to be critical, like to find fault with others, and think this is wrong and that is wrong, then repent!

I am rather coarse in my speech, and many people often like to tell me not to talk like that, but I haven't listened much. Please forgive me! I am quite uninhibited and free. I say whatever I want to say, especially liking to say: You’ve got shit for brains! Then everyone feels uncomfortable listening to it. Jesus said, Do not throw your pearls to pigs, lest they trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. Actually, the brain I am talking about may also be a pig's brain. So we must learn to be wise.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was laid on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)

Never build a church that is only superficially impressive, and in the end, God does not recognise you, and ghosts often come looking for you. That would be troublesome! The church has raised a group of wolves in sheep's clothing, and ferrets in sheep's clothing. Then they start judging in the church. In earlier years, our church also came through this. I turned the church into a place to eat and drink. After they finished eating in the church, they went outside in groups of three or five to eat hot pot and then cooked me in it, saying that I was talking nonsense. I tried hard to nurture them, but they cancelled out everything I had done with just a few words.

Brothers and sisters, start to understand. Don't focus on others all day long, seeing whether they are doing well or not. Of course, you have to manage those you shepherd well, but the most important thing is whether we have put God's word into practice after reading it. If you really put God's word into practice, that is amazing!

Whoever sees the plank in their own eye should clean their own eye well. Some time ago, many people with eye problems and ear problems came among us. What problems are these people prone to? They are prone to being critical. Actually, they don’t have much right to be critical, but they are still critical. Isn’t that courting death? If you have problems with your eyes or ears, or your brain is not working properly, you need to read God’s word carefully and then practice it!

Actually, no matter what it is, it is useless if you do not practice it. No matter how good something is, it is of little use if you do not put it into practice. So you need to know that in the same way people judge others, they will be judged. There is a misconception here: Paul often criticised people according to God's word, but that is not judging. Judging according to one's own standards is judging; discerning right from wrong without according to God's word but according to one’s own standards is called discerning good and evil. So brothers and sisters gradually need to understand how important it is to obey the Heavenly Father's will!

Conclusion

Deuteronomy says that if you carefully observe and follow God's decrees, commands, and laws, you will surely experience God's blessings. Why do people not carefully observe and follow? Because people do not believe God's word! If you see many curses on a person, you must be very careful. There must be a lot of evil things inside them because they do not act according to God's word!

It's not that they don't know God's word. Actually, blessings and curses are referring to Christians. People who do not believe in the Lord are already living under a curse, which is normal. Actually, what is written in the Bible is not for unbelievers, because unbelievers do not read the Bible either. It is written for us believers. After we believers have read the Bible, you must decide to do one thing: whether or not to carefully observe and follow!

So think about it, in the church circle, are there more people who act on God's word or more people who do not act on it? There are more who do not act on it! Actually, I am also very worried about whether God will recognise me in the end. So I am careful and fearful, to finish what God wants me to do in this world. Having finished the road that should be travelled; having kept the way that should be kept; having won the battle that should be fought! Then there is a crown of glory reserved for us in eternity. When we come before God in the future, God will surely say: Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share in the glory of the Father and receive this crown of glory!

How many people have such a pursuit? Many people do not understand my behaviour. If a psychologist were to test my behaviour, he would say: You don't seem to be from Earth! Of course, I am not from Earth. I am from the kingdom of heaven! My logic system has been reshaped by God.

In this world, do we consider everything as rubbish? Are we still treating the things of this world as precious things? Actually, I really don't care much about the things of this world anymore. Consider everything as rubbish, only gaining Jesus Christ as the most precious! Having finished God's good will for me in this world, I will receive the crown of glory in eternity when I come before God in the future. Isn't such a pursuit a wonderful thing?

Of course, it doesn't matter whether people understand it or not. Anyway, I have to become more and more like Jesus. What I do is to hope that the brothers and sisters among us can receive grace and edification through me. I long for God to raise up more people like us who run on the road to eternity to gain the crown of glory. I long for our brothers and sisters to be able to build our lives on the rock of Jesus Christ, and never collapse even when faced with storms.

If our short life is busy, tired, and managing, and in the end, all we get is a box of ashes, is that meaningful? It's not meaningful! If you haven't seen the things of this world as rubbish, take your time to see them until you understand! There is a Chinese saying that you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. Do you have to see your own box of ashes before you stop pursuing these worldly things?

Some people ask me: Aren't you tired! I'm fine, I'm not tired! Work, work hard, work like crazy. Then he said: Then don't you rest? I said, when I lie in the coffin, I can rest forever! Isn't that the case? In this world, have we acted out God's way? Have we run this eternal road of glory to gain that crown of glory in eternity? Are we willing to be a blessing to many in this world so that our empty life can live out God's glory and God's splendour?

So let us choose to be wise, stop making excuses for ourselves, and whether we act on God's word or not, carefully observe and follow the Heavenly Father's will, or not carefully observe and follow the Heavenly Father's will, this path is laid before us. You can go according to your own wishes, even if you have a lot of excuses, your work, your family, your children, but in the end, what can you gain?

But if we choose according to God's word and be wise, and give up many things for the Lord Jesus in this world, there is no one who will not receive a hundredfold now and eternal life in the age to come! This is a wise choice! May you be a wise person, Amen!