Introduction

Good morning, everyone. The topic I am sharing with you is Creating the Future with Faith! When it comes to this topic, some people ask me, what is your future? At best, my future is an urn. If a person knows that their future is a coffin while pursuing life's goals, isn't it strange to still want to create a better future? Why am I sharing such a topic? Because I want to lead everyone to look at the future from a spiritual perspective, not from a carnal one. If you have a good job and your salary has increased, you may feel that you are living better and better, but are these things what we really want? Is this our future? Isn't our future just a coffin?

Actually, I have some small struggles, because if I am not careful, I can easily turn this topic into a worldly, carnal future, easily leading people to worldly pursuits. Some people, when they hear you tell them to glorify God, think they should do their job well and spend some time getting certifications, but end up having no time to listen to sermons or study spiritual courses. After a while, they come back to me and their pastor, because the demons have come to control them again. Thank God that the demons are driving them towards the kingdom of God; if it weren't for these things, wouldn't they just follow their own goals all the way to the coffin?

Some people, if they can't finish their work in eight hours, they spend ten hours; if they can't finish in ten hours, they spend twelve hours; if they can't finish in twelve hours, they spend sixteen hours. As a result, people live aimlessly in vanity throughout their lives, ultimately leading to a lifetime of entanglement. The future is vanity of vanities; the future is just a coffin. Is it worth spending such energy for a coffin? My other struggle is that when I tell you life is just a coffin, I am afraid you will fall into decadence. You might have negative thoughts, that life is just a dream, so let's enjoy the moment! If you really have such thoughts, it's troublesome, and your future really is a coffin!

So what exactly is the future? The future is a future of eternal life. Man is a wonderful creation, made in the image of God, but because Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, man lost the image of God. Today, some of us are eating baskets and baskets of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, while Adam and Eve only ate one fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, yet they lived to be over nine hundred years old before they died. Now people eat so much of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that it is rare to live to be a hundred years old. Life is really not long!

A characteristic of my recent sharing is that I am working hard to bring everyone to a spiritual perspective, an eternal perspective, to truly live out the glorious image of God, helping everyone to see through life. But seeing through life does not mean not enjoying the days on earth, because enjoying the days on earth is the portion God has given us. The brothers and sisters among us seek our ministry for the sake of work, which is very stressful. What good is it if your salary increases? Once you get busy with work, you forget about God, isn't that troublesome?

Before I believed in the Lord, I had a conjecture that one day when people enter the coffin, will they wake up as if from a dream? From a young age, I felt that life was just a dream, the scenes of which might be too real, but when we wake up one day, will it be just a fleeting dream?

Two months ago, my mother passed away, which had a significant impact on me. I loved my mother very much, but it also woke me up from the dream. A person's life, muddling through from fifty to sixty, from sixty to seventy, from seventy to eighty, and then a lifetime of love, a lifetime of hate, all go into the coffin, exchanged for nothing more than an urn. So life is short, and a person's hard pursuit is like a fleeting dream.

In The Pillow Book, there is a story of a scholar named Lu Sheng, who lived in the Tang Dynasty. Lu Sheng studied very hard, eager to pass the imperial examination, but he never succeeded. This is hard for anyone to bear. That year, Lu Sheng traveled thousands of miles to the capital to take the examination, full of confidence, but his name was still not on the list. Frustrated, he drank a lot of wine, hoping to temporarily forget his troubles. But borrowing wine to dispel sorrow only brings more sorrow, and after waking up, Lu Sheng still had to face reality, after all, life had to go on.

On his way home, Lu Sheng passed through Handan City. After traveling for days, he rested at an inn. In that era, traveling relied entirely on two legs. As he checked in, he happened to meet a Taoist priest, who had just attained magic and saw the desolate Lu Sheng, and was filled with compassion, so he decided to enlighten this poor young man. The Taoist took out a pot of wine and invited Lu Sheng to drink together, and Lu Sheng readily agreed. They drank and chatted, and soon the whole pot of wine was finished.

Lu Sheng was originally a scholar, not good at drinking, and after a few cups, he became a little drunk. The words of a drunk person are especially true. Lu Sheng said: Why is life so difficult? I have never been favored by heaven, and today I am in such a miserable state. May I ask, who in the world is more miserable than me? After listening to Lu Sheng, the Taoist priest said: I see that you have extraordinary conversation, a healthy body, and no major disasters. Are you still not satisfied? Lu Sheng smiled bitterly and said: How could I be satisfied? Since I was a child, I have been studying hard, thinking of serving the court. Even if I can't be a prime minister, I can be an important official to share the emperor's worries and honor my ancestors. This is the dream of a great man. I am already past thirty years old, but I have nothing. I am not afraid of your ridicule, I even look down on myself.

Having just drunk wine, sleepiness arose spontaneously. Thinking of going back to sleep, the owner of the inn cooked rice, using yellow rice, also called yellow millet. The Taoist priest handed Lu Sheng a pillow with magic power, saying: If you sleep on this pillow, all your dreams will come true. Lu Sheng thought the Taoist priest was comforting him, so he did not refuse. After taking the pillow back to his room, he fell into a deep sleep.

As a result, Lu Sheng had a dream, in which he not only married a beautiful woman, but also passed the imperial examination and was appointed as a magistrate by the emperor. In just a few years, his promotion was like a rocket, and after several promotions, he finally became prime minister. When he was old, he hoped to resign and return home to enjoy his old age, but each time he was rejected by the emperor, who said that the court could not do without him. As a result, Lu Sheng was very depressed, his health deteriorated day by day, and finally he did not resign and return to his hometown, and died of illness at the age of eighty, leaving deep regrets.

I tell you, how real the dream was! At this moment, Lu Sheng woke up and found the Taoist priest next to him. Recalling the dream just now, Lu Sheng said: Life is like a dream, wealth and glory are not necessarily a good thing, I understand everything. Just then, the boss cooked the rice. It took about twenty minutes for the rice to cook from pot to cooked, and Lu Sheng's dream was about twenty minutes, but it seemed to have experienced everything in life, from birth to death. So, the fleeting dream refers to the twenty minutes it takes to cook yellow millet in a pot.

Is life really like this? In fact, this story tells us that a person's life is like this, living to be eighty or ninety years old and then dying. Then everyone posts in their moments: May so-and-so elder go well! What kind of future are you creating for yourself today? Where exactly is your future? Are you going to be the richest man or the poorest man in the world? Either rich or in debt. Even if you achieve fame and fortune, and are busy all your life, what you ultimately get is just a coffin, life is like this.

Having listened to my sharing today, should you wake up from this dream? Among us, there are rich and poor, what is the pursuit of your life in the end? I want to shatter everyone's worldly dreams and rebuild a godly dream, to remember your Creator in your youth, and not to wait until you are old and decrepit to think of God, to think that your future is just a coffin. Remembering your Creator in your youth requires faith, and what is this faith? This faith is built on the fact that a person's life is nothing but vanity of vanities, nothing but a fleeting dream. From today onwards, regardless of what kind of day it is, remember our Creator, because that is the word of God.

You may be confused, teacher, isn't the theme you are talking about today Creating the Future with Faith? Regarding faith, the faith I am talking about is trusting in the word of God, believing that a person's life in this world is nothing but vanity of vanities. When you understand this, you will be released from pressure. Regarding the future, I am talking about a spiritual future, not a future of soaring success in the world.

Scripture

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low—they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.(Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)

Prayer

God, today I ask you to help us, let our brothers and sisters wake up from the dream, let each of us engrave your words in our hearts, let us see clearly through reading the words of Ecclesiastes that a person should remember your words in the days of their youth before their decline, and walk in your will. Let us use our lives to accomplish your will in us, and let us enter into the glory you have prepared with joy when we are old. Lord, when we come before you, may we receive your glorious praise; Lord, today personally reveal to us the glory and future in eternity, so that we can enter eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

What Is Your Goal?

Ecclesiastes is my favorite book. When I have nothing to do, I turn on the Bible study recordings that I have given. I think I speak pretty well. As people live, they become confused. Sometimes people say something that stimulates me, and I feel uncomfortable. Ecclesiastes is particularly mind-awakening. Now I am bringing Ecclesiastes out again. On the surface, it doesn't have much to do with creating the future with faith, but in reality, it has a lot to do with it.

Everyone should often listen to my lectures on Ecclesiastes. People are freed from vanity of vanities. If you understand Ecclesiastes, you are freed and will enjoy the days of your life. Some people don't like to work, but after reading Ecclesiastes, I enjoy working, because enjoying work is the portion God has measured out for me. I am pouring cold water on everyone. Some people buy a grave for themselves as an investment when they are not very old. What is this for? After you die, you don't even know if anyone will put you in the grave. What is the goal of a person's hard pursuit in life?

Today I received a sister who came to see me from afar. This sister was not a very wealthy person, but she suddenly donated a lot of money to the church. She didn't have much money, but she donated so much all at once, which scared me. She hasn't worked for a long time and doesn't earn much money, but she donated so much. She insisted that she really wanted to donate. I am very moved; God will surely remember her and bless everything she does. Just a few months ago, I encouraged her to find a better job, and she really found a job with a salary that was much higher than before, and she is very grateful. Although I helped her with writing her resume and submitting it, these are not the issue, the key is that God wants to bless her.

This sister's salary has increased a lot, which is really a good thing, a real blessing. She has more money in her account. She came to see me, and I asked her about her work, whether she had been officially hired, and whether she had passed the probation period? She said that among the people who joined the company before her, one was fired and one resigned, but she was officially hired. This is great, things are gradually getting on track, and I encouraged her to continue studying.

Work occupies a large part of life, but is a person's life just for work? In fact, this is just a small episode. God has solved her problems. The most important thing is whether people believe in God. Some people believe in words, but do not donate. Do they believe in God? In fact, they don't believe in anything. You can carefully calculate the accounts. You used to be able to save 500 RMB a month, and you can save 6,000 RMB a year. If your salary has increased by 1,000 RMB a month, and your living expenses are the same as before, then she will save 1,500 RMB each month. From 500 RMB to 1,500 RMB, it has increased three times. The money saved in a year has increased a lot, much more than the donation.

This sister is the one I lead, she is a little shepherd, and she also shepherds some sheep. She shared her shepherding experience with me, her level of shepherding has improved, and the sheep she shepherded also gave testimonies some time ago. Where a person's goal in life is placed is crucial. This sister has changed her goal in life from a worldly system to a heavenly logic system. Has she suffered? She has not suffered. She has created an eternal future from faith, and she is directly benefiting today. So I often share with people that everything needs faith, that good things are good, and bad things are also good, that our God is a good God.

What exactly is the goal of a person's life? Some people's goal in life is to be the richest man, but they didn't become the richest man and became the richest man in debt. If a person doesn't understand what their goal is and lives one day at a time, will they have a future? No one can control the future. If you encounter cancer, you get cancer, if you encounter ankylosing spondylitis, you get ankylosing spondylitis. What to do when you encounter these things? Isn't that a deserved fate?

We need to think carefully about what the goal of a person's life is. If the goal of a person's life is a coffin, then run desperately towards the coffin. If you want to run like this, no one can stop you. If the goal of a person's life is to live out the glorious image of God, then dedicate our lives to God. This is a huge difference.

When Chinese Mingding Destiny was first established, several brothers and sisters came to serve after getting off work, some by taxi, and some took a taxi home when they missed the last bus. They were all serving frantically, starting early and working late. Our church used to be a physical church. At night, there were not enough rooms, and there were many people in each room. Later, the rooms were made into cubicles. I like their service very much, but I am a little worried, worried that such service will delay their work and study? Those of us are quite ambitious. Usually they work, and in their spare time they also register for university degree courses. They have to study university courses, work, and serve. I feel uncomfortable looking at it, thinking: Is it okay to make people like this? What was the result? As a result, nothing was delayed, and they all graduated smoothly.

At that time, there was another sister who never served. At that time, she also registered for the same course. Some time ago, I found that she has not graduated yet. So what has she been doing all these years? She has paid a lot of tuition fees, but she has not graduated this year. Our sisters have graduated for many years. So at that time, our worries were unnecessary. The problem is not whether it is delayed or not, the problem is what is the goal of the person?

Therefore, the goal of the people I lead in life is to dedicate themselves to God, which is called destiny, Mingding Destiny. If your goal in life is to live your life, then you definitely cannot have a Mingding Destiny; if your goal in life is to find a rich husband, then you definitely cannot have a Mingding Destiny, you are wasting your time following me; if some people's goal in life is to work, then it definitely cannot be like this. Isn't this delaying work? But if a person's goal in life is to serve God, then that is my goal, and I have not delayed anything. The goals that people establish in eternity have a supernatural impact on our present life, and that supernatural impact is very divine.

Why are we called Chinese Mingding Destiny today? From the very beginning of our establishment, we started like this, and then we found that nothing was delayed. It's really good to have a goal! Then people are not very sick, they save on medical expenses, they donate more, and they end up saving more money. This is a very good thing. Until today, I don't regret it, and all those who have followed us like this do not regret it.

If a person remembers our Creator in their youth, and chooses to remember our Creator before those joyless days come near, then that's great! Don't wait until you are old and decrepit, and the sun, light, moon, and stars become dark, that is, when people see the sun, it is dim before you think of repenting. What will you be able to see at that time? I think it's really good to be young in this life. In the old age, before the days of old age and decrepitude come near, quickly remember your Creator, and then prepare well for your future.

In fact, today I am full of faith in my future, because my faith is built on the word of God. I have God, what am I afraid of? I serve my God wholeheartedly, and in the days of my life, I will fight a good fight for the Lord, I will keep the way He has given me, and I will run the road He wants me to run. I think how could my God not remember me? If God remembers me, wouldn't God remember me even more in my old age?

In my youth, while I am still young and strong, I will remember our God well. This is my goal in life, this is my Mingding Destiny! I am determined to please God!

Looking to the Future from a Spiritual Perspective

When it comes to the spiritual realm, who truly sees it? In reality, people often do not. A few years ago, when I returned to my hometown, a classmate invited me to dinner, and we chatted together. This classmate of mine had muscular atrophy, but after I prayed for him, he recovered. He was quite surprised and then mentioned that his wife had synovitis. Stepping on the accelerator was painful for her knees, making getting in and out of the car difficult. He asked me to take a look and see what could be done about the synovitis.

I took a look and said, Do you have something in your pocket, like a Pixiu? She said yes, so I said, Bring it out, let's get rid of it. She brought one out, and then I looked at her again and said, Why didn't you bring the bigger Pixiu? She asked, How did you know there was a bigger one? I said, I can see it. Then she rummaged through her bag and took out a bigger one, hesitant to give it to me. I asked, Is it okay if I throw it away? She said, Okay! After throwing it away, her synovitis was immediately healed, just like that! Later on, they said I could see things and started treating me like a master.

Coincidentally, a few days ago, she was having dinner with one of my colleagues, taken there by someone else. When they started talking about me, she said, That person is amazing. My daughter-in-law's mother had stomach cancer a few years ago, and he healed her as well. They were really grateful and still remember me. They said, Fortunately, you introduced me to this good friend, or I would have been in trouble.

Today, when we talk about these things, we are using spiritual words to explain spiritual matters. If a carnal person were to see these things, wouldn't that be a problem? Stomach cancer is painful; it's hard to eat, and not eating makes you hungry. Isn't that suffering? Life is hard. Don't even mention the stomach; any problem with the internal organs is life-threatening. I think we need to look at the future from a spiritual perspective.

It is said that people die every second in this world. In this vast world, people come and go. For thousands of years, one generation replaces another, and now it's our generation. Are we just like the people of this world, vanishing without a trace? Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Whether you like it or not, you need to look at the future from a spiritual perspective. If people don't have eternal life, they just die out, which is so despairing! Even if some people are mummified, hoping to be resurrected one day, we haven't seen any of them come back to life.

What is spiritual? It is using the word of God to explain spiritual things. What happens in the spiritual realm determines what happens in our lives. Someone asked me, What should a spiritual blind person do? Then you need to start studying the word of God diligently. When we reach 30, 40, or 50 years old, we almost always experience spiritual things. For example, doing business is very strange; making money in business is closely related to the spiritual realm. Being an actor is also closely related to the spiritual realm; otherwise, why would some actors seek out the White Dragon King?

Spiritual things are real. When we look at things from a spiritual perspective, we see that spiritual things truly determine earthly things. We should remember our Creator in the days of our youth, before the years draw near when we say, I have no pleasure in them, and re-establish our life goals. Seeing into eternity, seeing that this life is vanity of vanities, we should use faith to create an eternal future, which is so wonderful. If we can create an eternal future with spiritual words, shouldn't we live out God's glorious image in this life? So today, we need to change our perspective and not live in confusion.

A Future Only Comes From Breaking Free From Myths

Some of us have personally experienced the reality of the spiritual realm. When we pray, the evil spirits manifest strongly. But when we work, we start talking about work matters, what the boss thinks of me, what the boss thinks of that… Is it necessary to care about such things? When work gets busy, we quickly take leave, as if they really need me to write that assignment, leaving a note: I'll make up the notes later. I said, No need, writing that assignment has nothing to do with me!

They have been following me in faith for so many years, but I haven't seen them serve anyone, and their service is inconsistent. If you raise a dog, feed it one day, and then ignore it for half a month, the dog will become like a dog. How can that work? You water a flower regularly, and you have to walk a dog. But if your goal is your work when shepherding a person, how can you possibly shepherd well?

Some people run away when God needs them; such people have no future. When God needs you, you take leave; when you need God, God also takes leave. You ask God, God, where are you? God says, I'm on vacation! Isn't that deadly? A person without a future in the spirit is emptiness to God. God has long told you that everything is vanity, work and life are vanity.

Only one thing is real: living for God all your life, remembering our Creator every day in this world, to satisfy His heart, so that He may reign in our lives and take first place, so that we may obtain eternal life before the days of old age and decline come. Begin to enjoy a lifetime in eternity. Even when those declining days come, our God will surely be the source of our strength. Although the dust will return to the earth, our spirit will return to our God, that is our future. If your spirit does not return to our God but goes to the devil, don't expect to start over when you get to hell.

Today, God's word warns you again and again, what is your work worth? Just earning a few ten thousand dollars, what is money worth? If you think you can't live without money, you have to work hard. If you live for money, isn't that living in a myth? Where do you have a future? Your priorities are all messed up, your faith is all fake, so we all have to examine ourselves well and break free from myths.

Trusting in God's Word Creates a Future in Eternity

Remember, the future I am talking about is not how much money you earn, how much your salary increases, or how good a job you find. What is that worth in eternity? In thousands of years, even if you are the most powerful emperor in that job, does that job have a future? Even if you are the Pharaoh of Egypt, you are just a piece of preserved meat in a pyramid. We must completely destroy the worldly value system. If you really think work is important, you have no future. Because your future is a coffin, and my future is also a coffin, but I trust in God's word and pursue an eternal future.

In this world, my priority is not based on a worldly system but on a godly logical system. God says that life is vanity of vanities, and that is vanity. If you think your work is real, and you don't remember your Creator in your youth, you will know what regret is when you are in pain, but unfortunately, there is no regret medicine in the world.

So today, brothers and sisters, start trusting in God's word. We will act according to what God's word says. God enables us to constantly practice God's word on this earth, and we can constantly practice faith. Your work can be a medium for you to practice faith, but that is not your future; your business can be a medium for you to practice faith, but that is not your future; your future is in eternity, your future is to be united with Jesus Christ. Everything on earth and everything on earth is united with Jesus Christ, and our life enters into unity with God, let the Spirit of God fill us, and build the glorious church of God throughout our lives, let the Spirit of God dwell among us, how wonderful.

Among us, there are those who often take leave from God. Today I have to remind you that either for your children, or for your business, or for your work, or for your boyfriend or girlfriend, or for your husband or wife, you often take leave from God. Do your priorities need to be adjusted? I won't give you the answer, you know the answer yourself. Have you remembered the God who created us? Our God told us His word long ago, do we believe in God's word? A person's life without God is vanity of vanities!

Avoid Falling into the Trap of颓废

People must avoid falling into the trap of decadence. If our goal in life is to pursue living out God's glory in this world and glorify God's name throughout our lives, we will see through, really work, serve, and really enter into eternal life. Decay is not God's will. If you read Ecclesiastes, you will know that it is God's will to enjoy the fruits of our labor in this world.

Today, brothers and sisters, let's all start re-establishing a goal, not taking worldly things as our goal, but taking eternal life in eternity as our goal, glorifying God's name throughout our lives. You will surely become a person with God's presence. If you are a person with God's presence, miracles and wonders will surely follow you, and your service will surely be effective and pleasing to God. You are uncomfortable and decaying because your goal is not in eternity. So no matter what situation we encounter, we often remind ourselves to remember the God who created us, this is our Mingding Destiny.

May God bless everyone!