Introduction

Greetings, everyone. Our weekly Bible study has arrived at Chapter 16 of the Book of Exodus. This chapter continues along the main theme of the Book of Exodus, written by Moses, which is the army of Jehovah God came out of Egypt. We must understand that the army of Jehovah God came out of Egypt entirely by the power of God. Because the Israelites were unarmed and not even close to the same level as the Egyptian army, they could not win in battle and were no match at all. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and God brought them out to be the army of Jehovah God.

Why did God show His omnipotence to the Israelites again and again? God led the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They lived in the presence of God every day, but they immediately fell apart when they encountered difficulties. Later, I gradually understood that the things inside a person are inherent, and sometimes they really don't listen to us. In the process of serving, I often see this situation because people don't have a good memory. Later, I discovered that a person's memory is closely related to the logical system inside them. These Israelites who died in the wilderness had selective memories.

Selective memory is amazing. They forget everything that just happened but remember everything from a long, long time ago. If someone wronged them or took advantage of them, they remember it even after a long time. A thousand good things are undone by one bad thing. In other words, no matter how much grace you give them or how well you treat them, as long as there is one bad thing, they will feel that you have wronged them. I remember the grace that God gave to those who left the church. They have a thousand reasons to leave God and a thousand reasons to complain about God, but they immediately forget the grace they received from God.

What Exactly Does Man Live By?

I like to get to the bottom of these phenomena and dig out the spiritual laws behind them. What are these spiritual laws? It is that what a person lives by determines what kind of logical system they have. The theme of this chapter is man lives by trusting in God. Why is this the theme? Isn't food also from trusting in God? God provides our food.

Once, a man found a girlfriend, but on the day before the wedding, the girlfriend ran away, taking away the little money he had. This man broke down. Later, he met another girlfriend online, but when the woman met him, she asked him how much he earned a month. He said, "I only earn a little over a thousand dollars a month." Just over a thousand dollars! Do you expect to support me? I might as well support you! The girl turned around and left. The boy broke down again, his pupils dilated and he couldn't focus. Later, this boy came to me, and I led him in prayer and deliverance, and it took a lot of effort to bring him back.

God was very gracious to him and later allowed him to find a job with a salary of two thousand. Perhaps thinking he was a potential stock, this girlfriend came back and married him. But one day he came to me crying. I asked him, "Did your mother die?" He said, "My mother didn't die." I asked again, "Then who died?" He told me that no one had died, but his wife was pregnant. I said, "What's wrong with being pregnant? Did she have a miscarriage?" He said, "No, she didn't have a miscarriage." I said, "Then I don't understand, if she didn't have a miscarriage, why are you crying?" He said, "We don't have any money now." They were poor, and their income was in the lower class in Singapore.

This matter is very interesting. People's understanding of living is incredible, but I have a way. This time it's not prayer, because that kind of prayer won't work. The logic inside people needs to be changed. What do people live by? These two live by money. Later, I said to them, "You two listen carefully. This child of yours is coming with provisions. This child is raised by God." In the end, God really raised him, and in the blink of an eye, this child is of school age. So the things in our minds are very dirty. They think that without money, the child cannot be saved, but in fact, the child comes with his own provisions, and isn't he growing up? The things inside people are very interesting. Why cry like a weeping willow for nothing? The dilated pupils were dilated for nothing.

I am very surprised that it is useless no matter how many miracles people experience. They are not living by God in their bones. What exactly do people live by? I can tell you that I live by my God, my God will surely provide, and I will lack nothing in my life. If I cry, my tears are also for the kingdom of God, and my life is in the hands of God. Having lived these decades, if I were to count the grace, I could tell you every day.

Let's challenge ourselves. What exactly do you live by? Do you know why it's called Mingding Destiny? What exactly do you live by? If you rely on TikTok, on some internet celebrity, that thing is quite deadly. Recently, this news I'm telling you is making people panic. A few days ago, a big entrepreneur died, the head of a certain system died, then they found that the head of a big enterprise died, and then they found that another one died. Several people die every second, not just entrepreneurs, but many, many more in the past.

Things of the World Are Unreliable

So what should we live by? We find that nothing is reliable. Then the question comes, what can people live by? The past few days have proven one thing: money cannot save our lives, medicine cannot save our lives, and doctors cannot save our lives. Isn't this troublesome? But now there is hope. You have to dismantle the old logical system bit by bit. If you haven't figured it out yet, follow me and figure it out together.

When I was little, I saw my dad burning paper money for my grandfather. My dad wrote a hundred million on each piece of yellow paper, adding as many zeros as he wanted. At that time, I didn't know about inflation. I said, "Dad, can this money be spent?" My dad said, "Yes, it doesn't matter. Anyway, we can write as much as we want." I said, "Add another zero." My dad said, "We can't write any more, we can't spend it all. I said, "If we can't spend it, we can give it to people, right? We have the final say, we are the ones printing the money." There are many people who open banks in the underworld. In small shops in Singapore that sell ghost money, there are baskets and baskets of people who open banks in the underworld. This thing is quite deadly.

Later, I became more and more confused. What exactly do people live by? Until I knew God. It turns out that people live by God, people must live by God, nothing else is reliable. It is said that an internet celebrity has an annual turnover of 30 billion. Yintai Department Store chain has an annual turnover of 29 billion, but a small tax bureau fined her more than a dozen billion. 30 billion, right? Fine her, and then the whole network blocks her. We thought she was so glamorous before, but is that thing reliable? What exactly do people live by? What you live by determines what logical system you have. If a person loves money, you have to stay away from him, because he might harm you one day.

If a person who loves money is a businessman, he is a treacherous merchant. So I am very careful with people who love money, but I am always at ease with people who love God. Those who deceive fellow villagers, those who cheat money, those who cheat sex, the love of money is deadly. If a person who loves money becomes an official, he is a corrupt official. If some people know too much about corrupt officials, your life will be in danger, so try to stay away. Recently, someone put himself on a stove, and it spread all over the internet. Roasted on the stove, like barbecue, roasted alive, it's not a joke. There is also a man who is constantly revealing secrets, all for money, it's hard not to be sleepless every day.

Being Elite Soldiers in the Army of the Lord God

What exactly does man live by? Later I understood, returning to Exodus, that God wants to bring us out of Egypt to become the army of the Lord God. To be in God's army, you must live for God. If you don't live for God but for yourself, you will be discarded. In TV shows about the Kuomintang army, when surrounded, the regimental commander forbids soldiers from retreating, ordering them to charge forward relentlessly. Human logic is deeply ingrained, and people are often harmed by the logic in their own minds. Either be an elite soldier in the army of the Lord God, or be a deserter in the army of the Lord God, the end is execution without mercy, dealt with by military law.

Elite soldiers are to obtain the Promised Land, why? God will surely make us victorious, and God will surely supply our needs. Soldiers do not carry their own provisions; people do not need to supply their own provisions, God supplies them all, and God's supply of provisions will never be lacking. If you are in the army of the Lord God, you will have a completely different logical system. If you live for yourself, you become a deserter when facing difficulties. It doesn't matter, God gives you opportunities. Escape once, escape twice, escape three times, and you eventually become someone God is disgusted with. People accumulate anger for themselves, to the point of provoking God's wrath, and then He eliminates them. Do not think that the Lord God is Santa Claus; the Lord God is exceedingly powerful.

Let us all be elite soldiers together in the army of the Lord God. This is a logical system, but it doesn't sound like logic. Because in the workplace or the marketplace, real money seems more effective than God. When you buy things in a supermarket, you either swipe a card, use your phone, or scan a code. Each swipe is real money going out. Our logic is challenged again; when you have no money to spend, you realize the effectiveness of money.

What do you think God is? So God often tests whether we are serious. God puts you in an environment where there is no food, no drink, no money, nothing at all, and then sees how you react. God looks down from heaven with a group of angels, seeing if this person is foolish or clever. God is testing people. Do not misunderstand; God gives you one chance, two chances, three chances. God continuously reveals His glory to you, reveals His omnipotence to you, continuously reveals Himself, saves you once, saves you twice, saves you three times, and in the end, you are still the same lousy person, isn't that courting death?

Having walked out of Egypt and clearly seen miracles, why don't you remember? Crossing the Red Sea left a deep impression, seeing the water stand up. When have you ever seen water standing up like a wall, not flowing down? It was so shocking that I would remember it for a lifetime. Some people, when facing life-and-death situations, are like that useless kid who cried for days when his wife got pregnant. What kind of promise is that? Not much promise at all.

The logic inside people is terrible. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Do not think that wandering in the wilderness is an easy thing. Wandering in the wilderness is sometimes really like being in the army. How is the army trained? When the bugle blows or the bell rings, no matter if you are showering or using the toilet, you must assemble immediately. God trained the Israelites in this way. There was no road in the wilderness, so God let them experience extreme heat and cold, wind and sun. They had just set up their tents and had to break camp immediately, which was very tiring.

They were annoyed to death, and it spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, reaching a consensus that it was more comfortable to be a slave in Egypt. They forgot that this was military training. If these Israelites clearly understood that God was training them, and that they would enter the Promised Land later, what was a little hardship? If you don't train and endure hardship on the training ground, wouldn't you be going to your death on the battlefield? People forgot the Lord God's guidance and only saw the present hardship. The victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was because the Chinese army was formidable, with iron discipline.

Man Lives by Trusting God

The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2-3)

These Israelites did not understand why they lived. When they encountered a little trouble, they complained to Moses and Aaron. When people have nothing to eat, what they live for is revealed. If you live for God, you will say, "I am willing to endure this hardship! Because my God is a good God, He is training me today, and I will accept it gladly, so that He can lead me into the Promised Land." If people live to eat, then they are no different from animals. Once their survival and stomach are threatened, they reveal their true colors, and all their previous virtues disappear. I want to challenge everyone to think about what kind of person you are.

This is how the army is trained! Without climbing snow-capped mountains, crossing grasslands, the 25,000-mile Long March, and moving to northern Shaanxi before finally reaching Yan'an, how could there be a New China today? Victory will inevitably involve a lot of hardship. Although we understand the situation the Israelites faced, we must not be like them. Such people have no promise, all they think about is eating meat.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” (Exodus 16:4)

The Lord God once again proves to the Israelites that man lives by trusting God! It doesn't matter if people lack food, God will surely supply it, and they will not die. But constant complaining and murmuring are not far from death. Each complaint reduces the chance of living. Moses wrote the Book of Exodus not for those Israelites, but after that generation had almost died out, for us who came later.

So the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (Exodus 16:35)

Remember, even if you die, you must find a good way to die! Being struck down by God and dying in the wilderness cannot be compensated by past experiences of grace. The more you experience God's grace, the less you should complain. I see those who complain, those who originally had a deadly disease but were later healed, and then start to feel uncomfortable over minor issues. I know they will eventually die in the wilderness.

The more I look, the more I feel that the number of elite soldiers is pitifully small, the ratio is six hundred thousand to two! Those two people are Joshua and Caleb. It's too tragic! Thank God, the ratio in our church is higher than this. People shouldn't darken their hearts, not knowing that people live by trusting God. When encountering difficulties, they complain; when encountering something unsatisfactory, they can't handle it. That is an incapable person!

Make up your mind to be an elite soldier in the army of the Lord, to accept the Lord God's training. Although that training is arduous, you must accept it no matter how arduous! Because the Lord God will surely supply all my needs, and these can be fully satisfied in God. Observe carefully, those who trust in God will not be put to shame. Did Joshua die? No! Although his throat was parched and his stomach was so hungry that his front stuck to his back, it didn't matter! Continue training. People have the logical system of an old horse, those who live for their stomachs, who cannot endure hunger, and go crazy when hungry. If you are such a person, you need deliverance, you must subdue the spirit of the old horse.

Once a person's logic is to live for God, it doesn't matter if you eat less or sleep less! The diseases of this generation are all caused by eating. What people need most is fasting and prayer. Many children are fat and stupid, their academic performance is poor, they want to sleep when studying, but they become energetic when it comes to eating. They are typical old horses, and these children need fasting and prayer the most.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” (Exodus 16:4)

The Lord God uses food to train them. How to train them? God sends down manna to satisfy their hunger. But that's how people are; now that they have food, they start to worry about what to do if there is no food tomorrow. If God gives it to you now, will God not give it to you tomorrow? What kind of brain is that? God gives it to us now, and God will give it to us tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, because we live by trusting God. God will give us enough grace, reveal His glory to us, let us see His miracles and power, let us see His provision! God has done enough of these things! But the Israelites still complained!

If a person trusts in God, he will carefully observe and follow the Lord God's statutes, ordinances, and laws. Whether business is good or bad, I trust in God, because whether business is good or bad, I am still alive! Yesterday I could live until today, and today I can live until tomorrow! There are many small business owners among us. Small business owners have their own way of thinking; comprador capitalists have their own way of thinking, this is called class. Each class has its own way of thinking.

But no matter which class people belong to, as far as I am concerned today, the world has been crucified to me, and I have been crucified to the world! I am a thorough believer in God, no longer living by the logical system of this world. Even if I die, I will die for God. Living, I am God's person; dying, I am also God's person! Will you still complain when your life is threatened? No! It doesn't matter if you are hungry one meal and full the next.

This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: “Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.” Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. (Exodus 16:16-20)

Will you prepare for tomorrow? If you read this passage carefully, God does not really allow us to prepare for tomorrow. Some people, even if they prepare tens or hundreds of billions, don't they die in their fifties? Qin Shi Huang wanted to unify China, didn't he also die in his fifties? It's useless, what are you worried about? Living is a very simple thing. Of course, if a person has a lot of wealth, it's okay to manage it well and not be extravagant.

The manna that God sent down was only allowed to be collected for the day's consumption, but some people didn't believe it, worrying about what to do if God didn't send it down tomorrow. So they collected two portions, and when they left it until the next day, it grew worms and stank. The smell is very interesting! In my ministry, I have found that people controlled by the old horse emit a stench. Because they live by food, they eat all day long, and that smell cannot be hidden. What exactly do people live by? Once people violate God's word, the old horse comes, grows worms, and emits a stench. This has nothing to do with poverty or wealth. In fact, living is very simple, how much money can you spend?

And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’” So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. (Exodus 16:22-24)

This is not a natural law! Manna collected not according to God's word will grow worms and stink the next day; manna collected according to God's word will not grow worms or stink. How miraculous! But the Israelites just didn't believe it, it's too tragic! In so many years of ministry, I have seen many people who have shocked me. They have experienced God's grace and power, seen God's glory, but when they encounter survival problems, they are finished, feeling that they cannot survive without violating God's word.

A sister once said to me, "Teacher, you can't survive in China without sinning!" What nonsense is this? How can that be? Is God not God in China? Later I found that people who have a logic of sinning in their hearts have this kind of thinking. Some people feel that if I do sales and business, how can I do it without following the world's logic? Then according to God's logic, can't God give you customers? Believe it or not, you can still do business in China without drinking! Drinking or not drinking is not important, act according to your faith! If you really trust in God, many problems will disappear!

Conclusion

I don't want to impose my methods on others, so I often encourage brothers and sisters to implement them according to their own faith. Some things can be replicated, some things cannot, because the faith inside me cannot be replicated. Use as much strength as you have faith! In the end, you still have to understand why you are living and what you are living by. You can't rely on yourself! Christians rely on the wall, the wall falls; rely on the tree, the tree leans; rely on the mountain, the mountain collapses! Some people want to rely on inheritance, but they don't get the inheritance, and they are very conflicted in their hearts! Didn't you live well without inheritance? But they get sick from the conflict, isn't that making trouble for themselves? I am very surprised.

We have God's supply every day! I am living by God now! God will surely supply my daily needs, and God will surely remember me! God will definitely not forget that there is a small me on this earth. Although I am inconspicuous, just a speck of dust on this earth, God still remembers me. Because I am made in His image, I really cannot die. Do not cherish your own life, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God. How good God is! He has the power to hold all things together, but He remembers a small speck of dust like me. He remembers my needs in this life in eternity. God is worthy of praise! I will praise my God all my life, remember my God, until I leave this world! No matter what the situation, it cannot change the faith inside me.

I will always act according to God's word, carefully observing and following God's statutes, ordinances, and laws. No matter what difficulties or situations I encounter, I will never complain! God, You come to train me and test me, I want to be like Abraham, never complaining in the days of my life, no matter what I experience. Even if it is tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword, even death cannot separate me from God's love! I am determined to live by God in this life! God is a faithful God, He will surely remember all my needs! This is what Jesus said:

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)

We are a thousand times more valuable than the birds of the air, how could God forget our needs? I don't want to talk about the sixteenth chapter of Exodus from a negative perspective. Moses and I are here to testify to everyone with all our might! Lay down your burdens, stop worrying, and start enjoying living freely. Worrying is living, and joy is living, why choose to worry? Take care of the troubles of the day, God will surely lead us! Even if we lose a customer, God will surely supply us with another customer; whether business is good or bad, we still live, but nothing can take away the faith and joy inside me, and I will become a person who knows how to live and enjoys living!

Do everything as if doing it for God! Earnestly enjoy the fun of doing everything! People without worries enjoy! No matter what problems you encounter, don't complain, handle them freely with faith! Whether you handle them well or not, you still live! Because we don't live by those things, those things are just toys in our hands. Enterprises, work, and even ministry are toys that God gives you, because we live by trusting God, not by building a church!

I trust in my God, I carefully observe and follow His laws. Whatever God tells me to do, I will do it well! I am just a useless servant, and what I have done is what I should do! God has never treated me unfairly! I wish that our brothers and sisters would all live in prosperity, but there is only one path to prosperity, and that is in God! Be elite soldiers, not deserters!

Deserters have only one way to die, and their families will be humiliated along with them. Trust in our faithful God! It doesn't matter if things in the world are good or bad, because those things cannot affect our mood. Man lives by trusting God. People with this logical system do not complain.

May God bless everyone!