Introduction

Let us turn our attention to Matthew Chapter 21. Last week, while examining Chapter 20, I experienced a minor revelation. We discussed a crucial truth: Serving God is itself a reward and a grace. Simultaneously, we began promoting the enjoyment of serving God within the church. If you do not enjoy it, you will complain. Take, for instance, the individual who entered God's vineyard to work, lamenting his day-long toil under the scorching sun, only to grumble that those who worked a mere hour received the same wage. This person considered entering the workforce early a hardship, while viewing late entry as advantageous.

Consider this, what are we to do in this world? It is not to be served, but to serve, that is our purpose. Why do we call it Chinese Mingding Destiny? The goal of our Chinese Mingding Destiny is to serve others, which in itself is a profound grace. Some always think serving others is hard work, because they do not see service as grace.

We title this chapter People Bearing Fruit for God. Bearing fruit for God is a blessed thing, bringing you God's glory and authority. Bearing fruit for God garners you more from Him. If we adopt an attitude of service, we will surely become wealthy. If one is filled with a mindset of poverty, constantly desiring to be served, wanting to enjoy without labor or contribution, is that not inviting God's wrath? We come into this world, and decades pass in the blink of an eye. In old age, what stories can we recount? What fruit can we bear for God? If we bear no fruit, trouble ensues, and curses befall us!

The theme of this chapter is the people bearing fruit for God. Why choose such a theme? Because the entire passage revolves around this, continuing from the previous chapter. The preceding chapter stated that we come into this world not to be served, but to serve. If we serve others, it is as if we are serving God, bearing fruit for Him. You will undoubtedly enjoy it and receive more, for God never takes back what He gives us. What does God take away? From those who bear no fruit, those who occupy land but achieve nothing.

The Parable of the Vineyard: Bearing Fruit for God is the Most Important Thing in Our Lives

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd, because the people held him to be a prophet. (Matthew 21:33-46)

Jesus told a parable and also revealed the conclusion to them. If people are unwilling to bear fruit for God, He will take His kingdom from them and give it to a people who can bear fruit. God created a beautiful environment, entrusting it to man's management, but in managing, people forgot who they were, forgetting they came naked from their mother's womb. We all come naked and leave naked, unable to bring or take anything. When you come into this world, all the sunshine and rain are already here.

What are people here for? If one does not understand what they are doing, toiling relentlessly, thinking it is all their own, the end is death through overwork. Including the chief priests and Pharisees who killed Jesus, they are no longer in this world today. What did they accomplish? They killed Jesus, gaining only curses. We must understand man's existence in this world, knowing that God created a beautiful Earth, placing man here to enjoy labor, and man is to bear fruit for God.

Actually, God does not need these fruits that much. Why does God collect these fruits? Because they belong to Him. After collecting these fruits, God gives more to those who labor. There is a parable of five thousand talents; the one who received five thousand earned five thousand, possessing ten thousand. And then? God added another thousand to him. God took away the one thousand from the one who had one thousand and gave it to the one who had five thousand, so this person had eleven thousand.

In other words, God collects and then adds to us. Do we have this wealthy mentality? Are we willing to be a people who bear fruit for God? The fruit we produce from serving, God will return to us. God grants us victory and bestows crowns of glory upon us. And we only did one thing: willingly obeyed God's will. We originally served through God's power, and the result of service is that God adds to us again.

Do not think that God wants to take something from us. God constantly adds, God constantly multiplies for us, God only wants us to live prosperously. We see those tenants taking the fruit into their own hands. The people sent by the owner were beaten and killed one after another. He sent more, and they killed more, until God sent His own son, Jesus Christ, and they killed Him as well.

Why did they do these things? Because they had a wrong concept, thinking this land belonged to them. Like buying a freehold land in Singapore, thinking the house on this land is inviolable, thinking this land belongs to you forever. Although it is a freehold, can you live forever? Living to be a hundred or eighty years old is good. Some always think living to be a hundred years old is good, but not many in this world can live to be a hundred.

Even if you live to be a hundred years old, what about after a hundred years? After a hundred years, you still have nothing. If we do not understand the concept of living in this world, we will not live well. People always live for themselves, but end up living very poorly, because God takes what He gave you and gives it to those who have. Actually, God does not want you to die. On the contrary, God wants to save you. God does not want you to live in that state.

Serving is the Meaning of Our Lives

Man comes into this world to live for God. Coming into this world to work is originally one of God's designs. God originally wanted us to enjoy working, but many people work in distress and frustration. What kind of fruit does this bear? In Ecclesiastes, if a person enjoys his labor, enjoys the fruits of his labor, that is a gift from God. For example, you write a program, and after writing it, you exclaim, It's really well written! You do a woodworking project, and after doing it, you exclaim, It's really well done! You manage a business and feel very satisfied. If you can be very satisfied, very happy, and very much enjoy your labor, enjoy the fruits of your labor, that is what God wants.

Do you think God really wants something after you do it? What can you do? We work hard in this world, seemingly busy and happy. But actually, the little things you do are not valued by God, nor by the world. Can you do your daily work enjoyably?

Some people are even more detestable, treating serving God as a bitter chore. If you treat service as a bitter chore, you might as well not serve. Recently, we are preparing to promote a policy: if you serve painfully, not enjoying it at all, and do not have enough time, then you might as well not do it. Actually, God does not really need us to work. We are the ones who need to work more. Once people confuse these concepts, how can they live enjoyably? How can they possibly live well?

So what can people summarize in this world? If life is filled with distress, frustration, and suffering, one will not enjoy life. What have we done in this world? Many people create a lot of toil and trouble. But God created man on Earth to live enjoyably. Think about it, if a person is unclear about the purpose of living, then that stone falls on the person, or the person falls on the stone. As long as you oppose this stone, oppose Jesus Christ, you are doomed!

Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. (Matthew 21:44)

Jesus Christ set an example for us. He came into this world not to be served, but to serve. He came into this world, not to enjoy the best food and drink. If your purpose in coming into this world is only to eat, drink, and be merry, then you will fall on this stone and be broken to pieces! Today, observe carefully, do a good survey, do people who eat, drink, and be merry live well? There are many who live in distress and frustration, because emptiness follows eating, drinking, and being merry.

So we need to promote a policy: if you do not want to serve, if serving is painful, then you might as well not do it. Actually, we do not need you to do it that much. We need you to grow in service. If a person serves painfully, this life is like falling on this stone, or being crushed by the stone. Because in the whole process of service, we forget what we are doing, forget that we came into this world not to be served, but to serve. We must understand the purpose of living. If we do not understand, we will live very selfishly. If we only want benefits for ourselves, we will end up living very painfully, unable to bear the fruit that God wants us to bear.

The Parable of the Two Sons: Serving God and Bearing Fruit for Him is the Purpose of Our Lives

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)

Today, let us carefully ponder this passage. God told the elder son, Go and work, and he said, I will not. God said, Go and serve, and he did not go to serve. Later, he thought about why he should not serve, and when he understood, he went. However, the younger son said, Father, I will go, but he did not go, playing false with God.

Bearing fruit for God is very interesting. Bearing fruit is not bearing fruit with empty words, not just talking, but truly serving. If you truly bear the fruit of service, that is what God wants! What is the fruit of service? Letting the captives be released, the oppressed be freed, allowing them to receive grace and blessings from God, bringing people into God's blessings. This is our work, this is what we should do.

Why did the elder son regret and go? He discovered that playing around was pointless. If a person does not need to do any work, can do whatever they want, watches TV for a while, browses their phone for a while, feels bored after browsing, feels bored after watching TV, keeps changing channels, feels bored, and lies on the couch, eventually feeling bored with everything.

When we used to work, we were busy, and after returning home, browsing our phones or watching TV for a while was enjoyable. Now, if you spend all your time watching TV or browsing your phone, you will feel uneasy. We see ourselves as a piece of rubbish, and others see us as a piece of rubbish.

The elder son thought, This life is not fun. Serving is better. So he went to work in the vineyard. Serving itself is a great grace, itself an act of bearing fruit. If we enjoy serving God, enjoy obeying the commands of our Heavenly Father, that is the fruit we should bear for God. Actually, this is very reasonable. We ask ourselves, what is there to play? What is fun?

Until today, my colleagues and I have discovered that playing does not amount to much, is not very meaningful. What do we find meaningful? Serving and solving people's problems is very satisfying. Although it is tiring, it is joyful, because we are bearing fruit for God. We serve many terrible people, but serve them as if we are serving God. That is what God wants. We came into this world not to be served, but to serve. We must grasp this concept.

Why did the tax collectors and prostitutes accept John the Baptist's teachings? Because the tax collectors and prostitutes felt that living every day was pointless, and serving God was better. Today, we brothers and sisters need to change, change our attitude towards service. We must understand that serving itself is the meaning of our lives, that bearing fruit for God is the purpose of our coming into this world. Otherwise, what is our purpose in coming into this world?

For example, the purpose of a pig coming into this world is to be fattened and slaughtered for meat. The purpose of a cow coming into this world is to work. If it is a dairy cow, it is specifically to produce milk. What is the purpose of a person coming into this world? The purpose of a person coming into this world is to be used by God, to bear fruit for God. God wants us to enter the lifestyle He has arranged for us, which is to diligently keep and obey His words.

Some people say, If we diligently keep and obey God's words, how can we live? I think, if they do not diligently keep and obey God's words, how can they live? Diligently keeping and obeying God's will is a blessed lifestyle. This kind of life is quite good! Some people say, Living that way is too tiring! Diligently keeping God's statutes and laws is too tiring and hard! Enjoying the pleasures of sin is better! Actually, the prostitutes and tax collectors discovered that living that way is not enjoyable at all! Later, they turned back to God, served God, and diligently kept God's commandments. This became the meaning of their lives, because they could not live well in any other way. Everyone can gradually verify this.

Serving with Authority Can Certainly Bear Fruit

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the people, because they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (Matthew 21:23-27)

What do we need most in this world? Authority from God. If a person has authority from God, that is authority from heaven! In the spiritual world, one can command the wind and rain, trample and plunder the demonic enemy, and speak with great authority. For example, In the name of the Lord, I command you, devil, to retreat! and the devil will retreat. What is the problem? The problem is that we do not know that authority from God is the most important element in our service in this world!

So in Jesus' ministry, the chief priests, upon seeing what Jesus was doing, asked Him, By what authority are you doing these things? Were not all these things on Earth created by God? Does God not have the authority to manage these things? Although they were chief priests or elders managing the people, they completely failed to understand. They did not understand what? That Jesus could make the blind see, the lame walk, lepers be cleansed, and the dead rise from the dead.

When they saw these miracles that Jesus performed, they did not think they were important. They thought money was very important. How confused is that? Even the wealthy chief priests and elders, if they got cancer, would die miserably, and money could not save them, because money cannot compare with God's authority.

At this time, Jesus said, By what authority am I doing this? I ask you, where did John's authority come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin? These chief priests discussed: If it is from heaven, then Jesus possesses authority. Why did we not believe Him? If it is from human origin, then, because John really was a prophet, we fear the people will stone us. In the end, they said, We do not know. Jesus replied, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The principle is very simple. What on earth was created by the chief priests? Nothing was created by the chief priests. All was created by God. God entrusted these things to the chief priests to manage, but in managing, these chief priests forgot, forgot that God entrusted them to manage. This was something God had already done. God entrusted these things to them, so they could manage them well. As a result, they wanted to kill Jesus. They wanted to kill the Lord who created this world. This is truly extremely confused.

This is the biggest blunder in the history of the world. They proclaimed that they were serving God, but when God came among them, they did not recognize Him. Not only did they not recognize Him, but they also did not know where His authority came from. Is this not an extremely big blunder? Did these chief priests serve or not? I tell everyone, we must be very careful not to serve God in the end and become like these chief priests. That would be fatal! Is it not good to have authority?

God makes the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, and the dead rise from the dead. Today, many chief priests, having seen these miracles, actually call them heresies and charismatic movements. This is truly strange. Does the world not need authority? It desperately does! Many of our problems remain unresolved; we all need the authority of Jesus Christ! Our service should inherently possess authority from God. When people receive the authority of Jesus Christ, they will surely bear the fruit of service.

If we only engage in empty talk, like the younger son who verbally agreed to go but never did, merely speaking without action is useless. Everyone should ponder this: What kind of service is service without authority? Just preaching a lot of道理, yet failing to bring liberation—is this God's will?

Today, I am very happy because a sister called me. The story she described is what I have been yearning for in my ministry these past few days. I have been ministering to this sister, whose family has formidable demons behind it. I first resolved her issues of mental confusion and constant fatigue. She often felt like she was wearing an iron helmet on her head. Since I last ministered to her, she has been recovering well. Her son, too, had been severely oppressed by demons and recently experienced a significant breakthrough. She hired a tutor for her son, and after the tutoring session, her son lay on the bed, trembling all over as the demon began to manifest. Why? Because the tutor is very effective and has high expectations.

Usually, when we hire tutors for our children, we are conflicted: Should we hire someone who can discipline the child or someone who plays with the child? If they play with the child, the child will be very happy, but they will not be edified, because indulging the flesh cannot edify people! As the child trembled on the bed, she grabbed the back of her child's neck because the demon often hides there. As soon as she grabbed him, her child turned around and choked her neck with both hands, and the sister could not breathe. Instantly, the two began to fight.

In her desperation, she grabbed something and threw it, and instantly, the child became sober. Actually, she was not ministering according to my teachings, because I had long told her to subdue the child. As you listen to my testimony, you must understand that if you cannot subdue the person, you cannot subdue the demon in that person. If you want to subdue the person, there cannot be any bottom line. Ministering to the flesh is not a way to cast out demons.

After the child sobered up, he obediently did his homework with the tutor, and after finishing, he showed it to his mother. The sister was surprised. She told her child what had just happened, but the child said he knew nothing. I was deeply moved: This is a big step forward, finally bearing the fruit of this ministry! If we often minister with the authority of Jesus Christ, we can strike the devil and the enemy. However, many people worry about many things, such as the issue of educating children. If you worry about a whole bunch of nonsense, fearing that you will hurt the child, causing the child to attract a whole lot of demons, you will only make things worse.

I am not encouraging everyone to abuse their children; I am encouraging everyone to subdue their children. Once the child is subdued, obedient, they will receive much grace. This is why those wolf mothers and tiger dads manage their children better and keep them more obedient. Of course, we must have 道理 when we educate! This is authority from heaven, an essential prerequisite for us to serve effectively on earth. If you minister in the manner of a psychologist, what can you minister? If you minister using human methods, what can you minister?

Our enemy today is not on earth, nor is it people, but the spiritual forces that rule this dark world, which are in the spiritual realm. If we want to bear fruit today, we must take up the spiritual authority of Jesus Christ. If service is not effective, the reason is simple: it is not ministering according to God's way. God says you must put to death the flesh, but people like to indulge the flesh. God says you must not discern good and evil, but people insist on discerning good and evil. How can there be results? It would be good enough if it were not cursed.

Cursing the Fig Tree: If You Have Faith and Do Not Doubt, Whatever You Declare Will Be Accomplished

Let us read another passage:

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:18-22)

Jesus cursed the fig tree, and the fig tree withered. How did Jesus explain this to the disciples? The disciples saw the fig tree wither as soon as it was cursed. They were amazed that the words from Jesus' mouth carried authority! Once we minister according to God's way, and serve in faith, we will surely bear fruit.

If we have faith within us, we will have authority from God in our hands and in our mouths. The things we curse will truly happen. We open our mouths and curse the fig tree, saying, From now on, you will never bear fruit, and the tree withers. Jesus used this fig tree to teach the disciples a lesson, a lesson of faith. Many people tell me, How innocent is this fig tree!神 created the fig tree, and God used this fig tree to give the disciples a demonstration. What innocence is there?

This fig tree is merely a prop in Jesus' hand. He gave a demonstration. If you have faith and do not doubt—that is, if we believe that we hold God's authority in our hands, believe that what we declare will be accomplished, believe that we have received authority from God, and believe that we have come into this world to serve God and be a blessing to many—what we declare will be accomplished. Even moving this mountain into the sea will be accomplished! Do you understand? It is not possibly accomplished or possibly not accomplished, but it will surely be accomplished!

Last week, when I was ministering to this sister, I said something to give her faith. I said, Your child's problem will surely be resolved, and indeed, it was quickly resolved. I believe there are many among us who have received grace because of my words. Don't you all owe me a favor? Actually, it is not owing me a favor, but owing God a favor, which is that we believe that things will surely be accomplished according to our belief.

I said to this sister, Your child is a very smart child and will be a promising child in the future. Everyone likes to hear these words, but I am not saying what she likes to hear. I am truly declaring it with faith that this child will surely be delivered. The results came so quickly! Of course, there may be many battles ahead, but that is okay. We will surely say in faith that this child will become an extraordinary child in the future!

The question lies in whether we have the courage to subdue the child's flesh, not according to the logic of the flesh, but according to the authority that God has given from heaven, according to the promises that God has given from heaven. When God created us, we originally possessed God's glorious image, and we had faith in God. What is impossible with man is possible with God; this is our faith. Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid when you see difficulties. Start having faith, and your faith will solve many problems!

There is a sister whom I have ministered to with great effort. Why? Because from childhood, her mind has been lazy, and she does not know how to study. She finds a job and gets fired, then finds another job and gets fired. How can she live like this? I really want to help her. She appears obedient on the surface, but deep down, she has her own ideas, which is laziness of the mind. What can be done? I started to give her faith.

Why does she not do anything well? Because she has no faith in anything she does, and she has no authority from God. If we have faith within us, even if there are difficulties like mountains, commanding the mountains to move to the sea will be accomplished. If it is not accomplished today, it will be tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then the day after. We persist in faith, like the Foolish Old Man removing the mountain, digging one shovel at a time. God will also send a mighty angel to remove your difficulties, and will not our minds be opened? If our minds are opened, will we not also be enlightened in what we do?

With the promises and authority from God, we can command this mountain to move to the sea. If it does not move today, we persist until tomorrow or the day after! I tell you, we will surely become a people who bear fruit for God. We are used by God and will surely live out the glorious image God created us to have.

The Donkey Colt: Used by God, Sharing Glory with God

It is a glory for people to be used by God. If you ask me why people honor me wherever I go, it is because I am greatly used by God. How can people not honor me? I was originally just a little donkey, but because Jesus used me, I share the same glory with God. Let us return to the first verse of the first passage:

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)

Today, you are a person, not a donkey colt. Even if you are a donkey colt, you are a very humble and gentle donkey. The donkey colt is not a tall, handsome horse, really not what you would call high-end. It is just a little donkey! But when Jesus rode the little donkey into Jerusalem, this little donkey shared the same glory with God when it was used by God. They spread their clothes and branches on the ground, and Jesus rode on the donkey, and the donkey walked forward step by step. This image looks a bit comical and is very different from our concepts. We do not know why He rode a donkey, but the Bible does record that Jesus rode a little donkey into Jerusalem.

Even if it is a little donkey colt, if God wants to use it, it will share glory with God. So no matter what we are, we may be unremarkable, or we may not have outstanding talents, like a donkey colt, and we may not be anything great, but if the Lord chooses to use us, we are willing to be used by the Lord, and we will become people who share glory with God!

Many people like to make a big deal about this topic, so I will briefly explain it. Everything that is created has its place, and everything created has its purpose. For example, a cell phone is used to make phone calls and browse the internet; a computer is used to do what; a car is used to do what… Every thing that is created has the purpose for which it was created. If it achieves the purpose for which it was created, for example, if we are created and we achieve the purpose for which God sent us into the world, that is called bearing fruit.

Why do we call it Mingding Destiny? It is to return to the beautiful plan that God originally wanted to accomplish in us when He created us. What exactly does God want us to do when He places us in this world? If you think that coming into the world is for finding a girlfriend, getting married, having children, raising children, and when the children grow up, you find another girlfriend, get married again, and have more children… and then you die. If you think this is the purpose of your living, you can live that way, but there is no glory in it. Pigs, dogs, cats… all live that way.

But if we become people who are used by God and bear fruit for God, we will share the same glory with God like this little donkey! We are fulfilling our destiny, fulfilling the mission for which we came into the world. If we do not know the purpose for which we came into the world, you can live in whatever way you want. You can live however you can. If you originally did not know, but you still do not know after hearing me speak, then just live slowly in your own way. No one is stopping you.

No matter who it is, falling down in the matter of living, in the matter of destiny, will surely be crushed, and crushed very badly. If this stone falls on anyone, they will be smashed to pieces. If the purpose of your life does not align with the purpose for which God created us, you will surely be a person who is smashed to pieces. You will definitely not live well. Some people say, But so-and-so is living quite well! That is because you have not lived long enough and cannot see it. If you live long enough and can see it, you will understand. Or you can go to a cancer hospital and see those people with tubes inserted in them, half-dead from the torture; they also had a time when they lived quite well.

Today, you and I must bear fruit for God. You and I must enter into God's heart, we must enter into God's will, enter into God's plan, be used by God, and fulfill the destiny that God has for us. Then, taking up the authority that comes from God, we will share glory with God in this world. This is the purpose for which God created us! If a computer cannot complete its work; or if a car is made but cannot be driven; if an airplane is made but cannot fly, it is useless. It is a waste.

Cleansing the Temple: Building a Glorious Church, Releasing the Captive, Releasing the Oppressed

Today, brothers and sisters, you must know what we are doing. Today, we are building God's glorious temple, and this temple is God's church. If this is God's glorious church, there will be the authority of Jesus Christ, there will be the glory of Jesus Christ, and there will be the presence of Jesus Christ. Because building a glorious church is the body of Jesus Christ, ultimately coming into perfect unity with God, this temple will surely solve many problems.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.(Matthew 21:12-17)

Actually, the reason God wants us to build a temple is not to collect offerings, not to do business there, not to allow a group of people to sell insurance or do pyramid schemes in the church, absolutely not! How many problems can money solve? So when Jesus came to the temple, He drove out those who were doing business there because they had turned the temple into a den of robbers. What is the temple actually for? The temple is for releasing the captive and releasing the oppressed. Those people came to God's temple with their problems, offering sacrifices to God, and their problems were to be solved. This is why many blind and lame people came to the temple. They were suffering greatly.

Brothers and sisters, can you imagine how a blind person or a lame person lives? It is very painful, really very painful! They came to the temple with their offerings, seeking healing, seeking God. But the high priests, teachers of the law, elders, and chief priests were completely blind to the needs of these blind and lame people. The church today is also like that. There are many such churches! Brothers and sisters bring a lot of problems to the church, but the pastors of the church turn a blind eye to these problems. What they see is people's offerings, what they see is the money in people's pockets. Do you not think this is abominable? Is this not turning the church into a den of robbers?

Today, everyone in our church must be raised up to serve, and everyone must make the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, and the dead rise from the dead. We are a church that solves people's problems, we are a church that restores the glorious image that God created us to have, we are a church that brings people into service, we are a church that brings people into God's plan.

To every brother and sister among us, I declare before you with my faith: You can all live out God's glory, you can all take up the authority that comes from God, you can all bear the fruit that God desires, you can all be a blessing to this generation, you can all be greatly used by God! No difficulty can stop you from entering God's will and living out God's glorious image! Actually, such things are not difficult. Even infants and nursing babies know it, but these teachers of the law and chief priests do not know it!

Conclusion: Being a People Bearing Fruit for God

Today, God wants to perform a miracle in this generation, and that miracle is that God's glorious church will be built up, His mighty gospel will be restored, and the way for Jesus Christ's return will be paved by this group of people. We will surely see God's glory!

Although we will face challenges in our service, we are a group of people who, by God's authority, deal with these challenges. We are a victorious people, we will surely receive God's promises, and what God has promised in the Bible will be fulfilled in us. This is God's temple, this is God's throne, this is God's victorious people. Today, each of us must become a people who are used by God and bear fruit for God. May God bless everyone!