Introduction

Good day, everyone. We continue our study of the Book of Exodus, and before we know it, we have reached Chapter 15. We study it chapter by chapter, and over the years, we have found that we have read the Bible quite thoroughly. The Book of Exodus is full of wonderful stories, making it easy to read. I want to tell everyone once again that when reading the Bible, be sure to read what the author wants to say. Because there are many people who read the Bible out of context, which is quite detestable. When we read, it is normal if we cannot find the theme right away. Sometimes, it takes me a long time to find it, and it really gives me a headache!

So what is the theme? The theme is the point that can connect the entire chapter. I have summarised the theme of the Book of Exodus as the army of Jehovah came out of Egypt, which is what Moses wants to tell us. Would Moses forget this when he wrote Chapter 15? Of course not. From Chapter 1 to Chapter 15, it is all about the army of Jehovah came out of Egypt. These stories are so wonderful, we see how powerful Jehovah God is! What is Chapter 15 about? I give the theme of this passage as Jehovah is a warrior, His name is Jehovah. Why don't I use something else? Because the phrase Jehovah is a warrior is particularly good and can connect the entire Chapter 15. We must know that Jehovah God is a fighting God! Jehovah God is highly skilled in martial arts, and strategy and wisdom come from God.

When I was young, my parents said a word that was quite interesting, called "炕头王" (kangtou wang - king of the kang). The meaning of "炕头王" is: a child is nothing when he goes out, people don't think much of him, and he doesn't think much of himself, but when he returns home, he becomes powerful, showing off to his parents, and his abilities are great. People in Yunnan call it "门槛猴" (menkan hou - threshold monkey), and some call it "窝里横" (woli heng - bully at home), which doesn't sound very good, meaning that they are not good outside, but very tough at home, either to their husband or wife!

What surprises me is that the Israelites were afraid of the Egyptians, they became weak and helpless when they saw the Egyptians; but our God could defeat the Egyptian Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt, yet they were not afraid of God. Did they not know that our Jehovah God is a warrior, that Jehovah God is the God who defeated Pharaoh? Everyone must think about this, especially in the army of God, don't be a "炕头王".

There are many "炕头王" among us Christians. They are so scared when they go out to cast out demons, but they fight and compete with each other in the church. They are really a dragon at home and a worm outside. This is all reversed. We should be warriors fighting outside and models of loving each other at home. Like me, I am generally okay at home, but I am powerful when I go out! So, we cannot be tough with God, we must first know God! The purpose of Moses writing the Book of Exodus was to let the Israelites know God, but they did not know Him.

Jehovah is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. (Exodus 15:3-8)

Our Jehovah God is not a "窝里横", nor a "炕头王", nor a "门槛猴". Jehovah God is incredibly powerful when striking enemies, and at home, He is grace and love. We need to ponder slowly why Moses and the Israelites sang to Jehovah in the beginning? Because they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and saw with their own eyes that the water stood up like a wall, like a fish tank without glass. If people see this, they will know how powerful God is. If there is a title of War God, it must belong to our God Jehovah! If such deeds are made into stories to tell future generations, it would be very shocking.

The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. (Exodus 15:9-10)

Don't mistakenly think that God is Santa Claus, not daring to drown you. Know that this seawater was separated by God. How did God separate it? God said, Moses, lift your staff towards the sea and walk into the sea. This one sentence separated the seawater all at once. It's really amazing! When have you ever seen Pharaoh do this? Can he separate the seawater? No, many Egyptians died miserably later.

The Egyptian Pharaoh did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. He thought this was a natural phenomenon, that if you can pass, I can also pass. He simply did not know this was God's plan. God is a warrior, you cannot provoke Him! If you are on the side of the Egyptians, you will receive the wrath of Jehovah; if you are on the side of the Israelites, you will receive grace and love. Can you have good fruit to eat if you go against God?

The Art of War says: fire and water are powerful weapons of war, without the need for swords and spears. These Egyptians were still repairing their chariots, but God used water to flood the land in an instant. Even if you drive a Hummer, it is useless to drive into the sea! Although this Egyptian Pharaoh was also good at fighting, even if he came, there would still be no way.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. (Exodus 15:1-3)

These Israelites did nothing. Moses just raised a staff and overcame the Egyptians. God is too powerful! After the Israelites crossed over, they were very excited, and Moses began to sing to praise our God. We used to think that the Egyptian Pharaoh's clothes, the sword in his hand, the horse he rode, and the chariot he sat in made him look very powerful, but in front of God, Pharaoh was nothing.

Jehovah God fights and triumphs for us, we must greatly praise and extol our God. Moses was truly convinced this time! Jehovah is a warrior, this is our understanding of God. So how should we fight? In fact, it is to trust in Him. Jehovah God can help us cross the Red Sea as if walking on dry ground, and also defeat our enemies.

We Fight by Relying on God

Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. (Exodus 15:4-8)

Who do we rely on to fight the "老马" (lao ma - old horse)? We rely on God! Who did David rely on to fight Goliath? He also relied on God! In the process of our battle, it is not because of what we said, but because God is fighting for us. Wouldn't these people who died in the sea float up? No, these Egyptians were heavily pressed to the bottom of the sea, without even a chance to float up. This is our God! What does it mean to exert power and show glory? Because He is not being a "炕头王", but fighting for us, showing glory.

So every time we fight, our faith in God determines the fate of the devil and the enemy. Don't be afraid, whether it is a horse, a rider, an old horse or a young horse, if they want to oppose God, then try it! Never go against God! I am really "impressed" by many Christians. They are like slaves in front of the Egyptian Pharaoh; but when they come to Jehovah God, they become "炕头王".

The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ (Exodus 15:9)

Remember, it is not our God who wants to provoke trouble. Once we become Christians, whether you provoke the devil or not, it wants to destroy you. When we want to worship our God, there will be people who try to stop us. One of our sisters was previously in a non-fighting church, and her husband was very supportive and helpful to her; but when she came to our fighting church, her husband began to oppose her. I don't know what he was opposing? When her husband was sick, we took him to pray, and he also experienced God's healing.

To be a Christian, it is not that we like to fight, but that we have no other choice. So once you become a Christian, there are three choices: one is to be a slave in Egypt; the second is to die in the wilderness; and the third is to enter the Promised Land. Those who enter the Promised Land are those who dare to fight. Brothers and sisters, we cannot live without fighting, or the devil will ride on your neck and defecate. The Egyptian Pharaoh is chasing us on horses and chariots, and some Christians will say, just kill me! I can't live anyway. What kind of Christians are these? We must know that our God is a warrior, a God of great majesty, awesome, holy and glorious, worthy of praise and awe, and a God who performs miracles. He stretches out His right hand, and the earth swallows our enemies.

You blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. (Exodus 15:10-12)

We fight by relying on our God. So it is not so easy for the devil to ride on my neck and defecate. I will make it uncomfortable. Christians should not become the devil's mount, but rise up to fight. I tell you, our God is powerful! All things on this earth, no matter what kind of people or power they are, are sesame seeds in front of God. If He says He will flood you with water, He will flood you. This is my God, I will praise Him, and this is also my father's God, I will exalt Him. This is my God, this is the God I praise. I often say, may the God whom I serve with all my heart bless you. My God is so powerful! The devil is nothing in front of my God.

Overcoming the "老马" by Relying on God

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. … Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.” (Exodus 15:19, 21)

The horse is a very spiritual thing. Deuteronomy Chapter 17 mentions that the people must not return to Egypt to buy horses. You can buy cattle and sheep, but you cannot buy horses. Why can't you buy horses? We must know that horses are very spiritual animals, because horses and riders are for fighting. When Genghis Khan conquered the European and Asian continents, he rode Mongolian horses. This spiritual animal, "老马", is actually related to fighting. Once when I was casting out demons, the demon told me that it was "老马". At first, I thought it was joking, but later it kept telling me that it was called "老马". This "老马" is particularly combative, specializing in catching Christians, and after catching them, it tortures them to death.

Once when I was leading a prayer, I found that a friend of one of our members, her child had a car accident and was in a coma. The car accident was closely related to "老马". In the past few years, I have found that people who love cars are prone to attract "老马". In the local church, in just a short period of time, two people died in car accidents, and they were both people who loved cars as much as their lives. It turns out that the car is the horse, and the horse is the car. Cars and horses are very spiritual things. Someone's car crashed into a pillar and caught fire, and someone took a photo and found that in the fire, they could vaguely see the image of a horse's head.

We rise up to fight because we have no choice! Because the devil wants to suppress us. We have suffered enough oppression in the house of slavery in Egypt, and it is not so easy to gain freedom today. Because you are the property of "老马", will it let you be free? So we have to fight fiercely. Later, this evil spirit "老马" said to me that throughout the ages, it has basically never lost a battle, but it was defeated by me. "老马" is the set of things that cater to the flesh and belong to the world. These things always suppress us, so the church we build must be a fighting church.

What do we rely on to fight? We rely on God to fight! How do we rely on God to fight? Jehovah God wants to lead His army out of Egypt. If you want to rely on God to fight, first everyone must be a soldier in the army of Jehovah. How to be a soldier? Can you say to the officer, I want to go on vacation, so I want to take leave! Is that possible? Of course not! Being a soldier starts with running five kilometres on the playground, then slowly to ten kilometres, twenty kilometres, and the weight on the body increases from five kilograms to ten kilograms, and then to twenty kilograms. In many countries, being a soldier is like being a pampered son, how can they bear this? They start to complain! However, this kind of training is necessary, and being a soldier in the army of Jehovah must have the appearance of a soldier.

Fighting in God's Sanctuary

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. (Exodus 15:1-3)

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall on them. (Exodus 15:13-15)

How can we be victorious? We must obey God! The army of Jehovah God must be in the sanctuary of God. The sanctuary of God is the church of God today. If we are built by God, and then build the sanctuary of God, God will be with us. Building God's glorious church, the battle will surely be won. So our God leads His people with love, and His people become His mighty army. This Promised Land originally belonged to us, but now it is occupied by the devil, shouldn't we drive the devil out? So we have become a church that fights and casts out demons.

These residents of Philistia, chiefs of Edom, heroes of Moab and residents of Canaan occupy the place and blessings that originally belonged to us, should we drive them out? If you kindly say, it doesn't matter, people also have the right to survive! Can you do that? Of course not! Does the devil also have the right to survive? If you are very kind and good, and have pity on God's enemies, then you are complaining to God! Once we establish a glorious church and are led by God to His sanctuary, the hearts of the enemies will melt away. These enemies cannot fight with God, because we are God's people and army. I have recently discovered that the brothers and sisters who have come to us not long ago are very powerful in casting out demons, serving and winning battles.

By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone—until your people pass by, Lord, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. “The Lord will reign for ever and ever.” (Exodus 15:16-18)

A Christian who honours God as king, God is our mighty warrior! God is a warrior, fighting for us, burying our enemies in the sea. This is the key to our battle. Why do we keep repeating every day, to build a glorious church! To win the battle! To obtain the promise! That's what it's all about. Because only by honouring Jehovah God as our king and understanding that He is everything to us can the problem be solved.

It is fundamentally unbiblical for the church not to fight. Did those who were slaves in the house of slavery in Egypt, and those Israelites who left Egypt and died in the wilderness, suffer? Yes! Is there any glory to speak of? No! But we build God's glorious church, build God's sanctuary, and God establishes His throne among us, and God will reign forever. He will be my God, I will be His people, and I will be an elite soldier in the army of Jehovah! We suffer for these things, and there is great glory in eternity!

Recently, a sister who believes in the Lord, her child committed suicide and her husband's business failed, and she is living a miserable life! Why is this happening? Because not fighting will attract ghosts! Do you think that if you suffer there, the ghosts will let you go? No! Unless you beat the ghosts down. You deserve to suffer so much in the hands of the Egyptians! Who told you to be a slave there? Hasn't God already redeemed us and asked you to fight? But you pay the price unwillingly, but you are full of enthusiasm for the boss to let you work, that is a typical "炕头王", "门槛猴", "窝里横".

God is our magic weapon for winning the battle! Because our God is a warrior, our God fights for us. But our God keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him, and repays His enemies who hate Him! He will shatter the enemies, show great majesty, show glory, exert power, and burn them like a raging fire. That is why we want to build God's glorious church, and know what a great grace this is.

Becoming Mighty Soldiers in Jehovah's Army

Then Moses led Israel from Mount Sinai through the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:22-24)

To be a soldier in the army of Jehovah God, one must undergo training. Do you know how to train? Marching for three days without water, let's see what you are really like. Is it that God got lost and couldn't find water? No! God wants to see what is in your bones. If you don't scrape the poison from the bone, you cannot become a mighty soldier of Jehovah God. People usually put on a show, but when faced with problems, they reveal their true colors and revert to their old selves. When nothing was happening, the Israelites claimed to be soldiers of Jehovah God, but when faced with three days of training without water, they began to complain to God, lamenting that it would have been better to die in Egypt. What kind of thinking is that?

Training is tough! When there was no water to drink, the throats of Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were also parched. But they had a determination in their hearts: I know that Jehovah God is my King, and I want to go to His sanctuary to accept His challenges and training. What is a little suffering and hardship compared to being enslaved in Egypt or being wiped out by the Egyptians? Do you know how the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt? The Egyptians had guards who would whip them with water-soaked leather if they didn't work hard enough, forcing them to swallow their anger.

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. (Exodus 15:25-27)

Do you think God really got lost and couldn't find water? He could! God's army must undergo training. Their arrival at the twelve springs marked the end of their training. That's how God trains them. So, brothers and sisters, we must all begin to accept training and have the attitude of entering the Promised Land. Suffering for God is glorious suffering, but suffering for oneself out of love for the world is deserved and is a curse. We must begin to make a choice, to choose to pay the price for God.

Some churches don't even dare to talk about tithing, but we in Chinese Mingding Destiny talk about paying the price. If you don't want to offer yourself, what does God want your offering for? We are a place of paying the price! This is a place to become soldiers of Jesus Christ! This is a sanctuary for victorious warfare! This is a place where God is present! Jehovah will reign among us forever and ever!

Do you all know the story of Sun Bin? The most famous teacher in Chinese history was Guiguzi, who had two disciples, Sun Bin and Pang Juan. Pang Juan became a great general of a state, and Sun Bin went down the mountain to join him. Because Pang Juan was jealous of Sun Bin's ability, he had Sun Bin's kneecaps removed, making him a cripple. Later, Sun Bin escaped and became a great general of another state. To lead the army, he used palace maids to arrange formations. When they laughed during practice, he immediately killed one of the maids, and the others knew it was not a joke.

Carefully Obeying God's Word

The law that God proclaimed before the Israelites was for God's army, that is, military regulations. There is no joking in the military! A military has its regulations, and a family has its rules. Establishing a church without military regulations is not acceptable! You can't joke around. Once these military regulations are issued, they are powerful. God said that no work could be done on the Sabbath, but someone went up the mountain to gather firewood and was brought to Moses. Moses didn't know what to do, so he asked God. God said to stone him to death. When we hear this, we feel that letting him off might be okay? But God's rule is that no work can be done on the Sabbath.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:25-26)

Our God is not only a warrior, but He also heals people. So the most important thing for us is to listen to the word of Jehovah your God, which is not a joke. Chinese Mingding Destiny doesn't like to make God look like Santa Claus, soft and mushy. Our God is clean, decisive, and unambiguous. Jehovah God is a warrior, a mighty God, who makes rules and regulations so that we may carefully obey them.

Chinese Mingding Destiny only distinguishes between carefully obeying and not carefully obeying. If you don't carefully obey, then try it and see. The warfare of Christians is different from the warfare of the world. The warfare of Christians is to build God's sanctuary and honor our God in the sanctuary. God is our Lord and our King forever and ever. Our God will fight for us, and we will see how the day of victory comes to us. No matter how powerful the enemy is, God is our King. God has a very close relationship with Abraham: those who curse Abraham, God will curse; those who bless Abraham, God will bless. If our relationship with God can be so close, God will treat us as He treated Abraham.

Many people have diseases. If you are a Christian, you must know for sure that the diseases on your body come from God. You may find it a little difficult to accept. This is because people have not carefully obeyed God's word. Not carefully obeying brings a series of consequences. God says not to love the world, but you are stubborn and think, what's wrong with loving the world? Then go ahead and love it, until the diseases of the Egyptians are added to you. If you can carefully obey, God will not bring on you any of the diseases He brought on the Egyptians, for Jehovah God is the God who heals you. If you can repent today and carefully obey God's word again, the disease can be healed quickly. So the truth can set you free.

Some people think I am a master, and their diseases will be healed with one prayer. But I guarantee that even if they are healed now, the disease will come back later. Because I prayed for them to be healed, but they did not repent. It's like taking an antidote on one side and poison on the other. What can be done? On this side, they received God's grace, and because of God's mercy, the demons were cast out; on the other side, they continued to love the world and summoned the demons back. God says no, and it is definitely no. If you have to try it yourself, then try it well, and you will definitely find many diseases. You must know that our God is a very powerful God! Jesus is full of grace and mercy, but Jesus also said: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out! This is God's attitude toward sin.

Uncompromisingly carefully obeying God's word is the key to victorious warfare. But many churches, including the one I used to be in, were not built according to God's word. That's a mess! After finishing, they come and ask God why this happened. God also wants to ask you why this happened! God led the Israelites to a place with twelve springs and seventy palm trees, after a small training. This is a small demonstration, telling us that it is not that God cannot, but that God wants to train us. God brought us out of the land of Egypt, redeemed us from the world, and will lead us to a land flowing with milk and honey in the future. He does all this so that we can be mighty soldiers in His kingdom, constantly setting the captives free and the oppressed free.

Conclusion

We must honor God! God is great and awesome, most holy and glorious, worthy of praise and awesome, performing wonders. We must be enemies with the devil forever, but never be enemies with God. We will never be a king on the bed, a bully at home, a monkey at the threshold, or a cannon under the bed. We will be mighty soldiers of Jehovah God, completely trampling on the devil and the enemy, uncompromisingly carefully obeying God's word, and building God's glorious church. According to God's revelation, understand little by little, work with God little by little, and fill God's church with God's glory. This life will not be in vain!

Without God, people will find their lives full of toil and trouble, and they will be oppressed by the devil. Today, we will become people who oppress the devil by relying on God. What a great grace that is! Such a life will be wonderful! People have to pay the price in their lives, but what we pay is a price full of God's glory, even if we lay down our lives.

May God bless everyone!