Introduction

Good day to all! Let us delve into Exodus Chapter 26. In earlier years, I would skip this chapter entirely, as I found it perplexing and difficult to comprehend. However, with the passage of time, as we examine Chapter 26, we discover that it possesses distinct characteristics.

The first characteristic of God's design is its specificity. All of God's descriptions are articulated with clarity, to the extent that we can render them into engineering drawings. For instance, in the construction of the church, has God provided a clear description? God's description is exceedingly detailed and clear, specifying the materials, dimensions, and quantities required. It also elucidates how each component is connected to another, with particular emphasis on the junctures between elements, which are critical. The method of finishing and joining determines the refinement of the craftsmanship.

The second characteristic of God's design is its focus on key points. As a craftsman myself, I have observed that poorly finished edges detract from the overall appearance. Have you ever seen trousers with frayed edges? They are invariably hemmed. Whether it be an object, a renovation, or a craft, the finishing is paramount. To illustrate, consider the installation of flooring. Upon reaching the corner of a wall, a gap inevitably appears. How is this addressed? By installing skirting boards, which serve to enhance the overall finish. I have come to appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship of our God. Indeed, we should emulate these methods, focusing on the critical points.

The third characteristic of God's design is its exquisite nature. The entire process of God's design is characterized by refinement, devoid of any crude or unsightly elements. The fourth characteristic is God's instruction to employ skilled artisans in His work, those with dexterity. The theme of this chapter is: God's design is specific, exquisite, and grasps key points, these are the characteristics of God's design. Consider that three thousand five hundred years ago, in that era, to produce something of this nature and to this degree was truly remarkable! The question then arises: where in the wilderness could these materials be found? Where could the tools be located? Where could the skilled artisans be recruited? The challenges are manifold! But God assuredly provides!

We observe an intriguing characteristic: Moses' encounter with God on the mountain lasted a full forty days and nights. How much was imparted during that time? A great deal. Why then was it not all recorded? Because he documented the essential elements, while much remained unwritten. Had everything been included, the Bible would be of immense volume! Imagine forty days and nights, at a rate of ten thousand words per hour, amounting to two hundred and forty thousand words per day and night, and nine million six hundred thousand words over forty days and nights. How could one possibly record all of that?

Avoid Asking Foolish Questions

Brothers and sisters, consider this: why did Moses never question God's reasons for doing things in a particular way? To ask such questions would be indicative of foolishness. It is imperative to understand that when learning, posing a multitude of "why" questions from the outset is characteristic of the intellectually curious. Although a book entitled "One Hundred Thousand Whys" exists, incessantly asking "why?" can lead to foolishness. God instructs to do this, to do that, to do the other! One should simply do this, do that, do the other! Heed my counsel. I say to you, some individuals approach Bible study by constantly questioning the reasons behind everything. Why use sealskin? Why fifty pillars? Why overlay with gold? Such questioning leads to foolishness.

Why does God not reveal everything to us? Were He to do so, the situation would be exacerbated! Already there are nine million six hundred thousand words; were He to explain the reasons behind everything, there would be ninety million words, which would be overwhelming. If, upon asking a question, God were to provide an explanation, and you were to then pose another "why" question, where would it end? Nowhere. Remember, God instructs us to build in this manner, and we shall build in this manner! Moses was a wise man, but I am aware that some believe themselves to be wiser than Moses, wiser than Solomon, even wiser than Jesus. Have you encountered such individuals? Allow me to provide an example as to why I find such individuals distasteful.

In the IT industry, I can say with certainty that my understanding is profound. In essence, I have thoroughly researched each task I undertake, encompassing what to do and how to do it. One day, a recent graduate, being a member of the church, was assigned a position through my arrangement. Within months, the manager lodged a complaint, stating: "Boss, I instructed this employee to perform tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, but he only performed tasks 1, 3, and 5, omitting tasks 2 and 4." I summoned the employee and inquired as to why he had not followed instructions, only performing tasks 1, 3, and 5. He responded, "Why should I do that?" I was nearly speechless, unsure whether his behavior stemmed from his faith or predated it.

Our operational manual outlines steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. As a recent graduate, you would not comprehend the explanations even if I provided them. Over the years, we have encountered issues that have led us to standardize our work in this manner. Do not question the reasons for working in a particular way; it is simply your job! Why was Moses a wise man? Because he recognized that God had imparted all that was necessary and withheld what was not. Similarly, the Lord Jesus imparted all that we needed to know and withheld what was not. Is that clear? Many Christians prefer to delve into what God has not revealed, insisting on questioning what God has not disclosed, while neglecting what God has disclosed. What should be done with such individuals?

You must begin to understand the subject we are addressing. What kind of person does God favor? God favors those who hear His word and act upon it. To fully comprehend God's design is already a significant achievement! The tendency to ask foolish questions is prevalent among us. Why do people struggle to learn? Because their questions are misdirected. Therefore, God's design is specific, exquisite, and grasps key points, which we should emulate. You will find that God provides exceedingly clear instructions on how to construct ten curtains. I do not wish to elaborate on the precise method of constructing the curtains; rather, I wish to convey the overall characteristics of God's design.

What does it mean to avoid asking foolish questions? It means not grasping what God has revealed, but instead fixating on what God has not revealed. Our task is to diligently comprehend what God has revealed and to recognize what God has not. Even if God were to speak, we might not understand. This is how we avoid asking foolish questions. Has God clearly communicated the construction of the church to us? He has. But why do we not follow His instructions? Because we have our own ideas. Where do these ideas originate? From asking foolish questions and failing to find answers.

I could enumerate such instances for an extended period, but that is not the focus. The focus is that we should emulate Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus Christ, and the Apostle Paul. To comprehend and fully grasp their teachings is already a significant accomplishment! Foolish questions arise when we have not yet grasped their teachings but ask a multitude of other questions. Why do these questions arise? Because we harbor our own ideas. The examples I provide may offend some, but that is acceptable! I will take that risk. If you are offended by what you hear, I apologize in advance! I maintain that what I say is not necessarily correct; perhaps you are doing things more correctly than I am. That is acceptable; I am also learning. This is my perspective.

Did homosexuality exist during the time of Jesus and the Apostle Paul? Yes, it did! Did the Apostle Paul raise a banner and protest in the streets, calling for government legislation? The Apostle Paul did not do so, nor did Jesus. Why then do Christians today engage in such activities? I do not know. I could provide numerous such examples. However, they neglect the most fundamental key points of church construction. Do you know what I prefer to grasp? I prefer to grasp God's design. From whom did I learn this? From Moses and David. What exactly is God's design? We believe in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ declares, "I will build my church on this rock." What is the rock? It is God's truth, God's word. How large is the rock? As tall as Mount Sinai, a massive rock.

The rock of truth is ascended layer by layer, and the church of God is the temple of God, to be built upon this rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Is that clear? Many today do not build upon the rock, but upon sand, and the gates of hell crush them, even to the point of causing cancer. Is that clear? And yet they believe it to be good. I do not understand why this is so.

"I will build my church on this rock, and the gates of hell (gates: original meaning is door) shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

The keys of the kingdom of heaven are crucial, is that clear? The keys of the kingdom of heaven are essential, not unauthorized constructions, which are to be demolished. If you do not build according to God's word, is that not an unauthorized construction? Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, how clear is this declaration! This is Jesus Christ's definition of the church. Later, Jesus imparted many truths. But this single statement defines the church. Can you discern this? They fail to grasp the key points!

God has long ago revealed the key points to us, how the church should be built, and what the church should do. He has communicated this to us, and to what extent? To the extent that it resembles Exodus Chapter 26, where Moses constructed the tabernacle. Moses' construction of the tabernacle was extraordinary. How everything was to be made and assembled was clearly articulated. I ask you, will there be a shortage of materials when building according to God's word? No. Will there be a shortage of tools? No. Will there be a shortage of funds? No. Will there be a shortage of talent? No. Can you comprehend this? If you do not build according to God's word, there will be a shortage of everything, because you are not following God's design.

This is the first point: avoid asking foolish questions. At this point, some may ask: why build a church that binds on earth and is bound in heaven, that looses on earth and is loosed in heaven? To ask such questions is foolish, is that clear? Why? Because it is God's design.

Build According to God's Instructions

In the Old Testament tabernacle, God instructed Moses to build in a specific manner, and it was built accordingly, following God's instructions. I ask you, what is the appearance of the church? You might say it resembles the church in your backyard, the church in your front yard, the church in your village, or the church in the neighboring village. Does the Bible tell us what it is like? The church is the body of Jesus Christ, and the church will resemble Jesus. However, churches today are built in a bewildering variety of styles! Where can one find reason in this? I imagine God in heaven is disheartened. People build churches in a bewildering variety of styles, some calling themselves Reformed, others Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant. My goodness! And then there are independent churches, truly a bewildering array!

I know a pastor who admired the Methodist system of management and invited a pastor who had been dismissed from the Methodist Church to provide guidance to their church, in order to perpetuate the Methodist system. I was perplexed. From the day I became a believer, I have enjoyed studying what the Bible actually says. I have studied the Bible extensively, not just for a day or two. But on that day, when that pastor brought the Methodist pastor to my office, he sat down on the sofa without acknowledging me, without acknowledging anyone, and began to pray. I asked, "What is happening?" My friend told me, "Our pastor always prays for twenty minutes to see what God tells him." My goodness! I hope God does not tell him anything bad about me, as I have many faults.

Twenty minutes is twenty minutes; we will wait patiently. You pray, and I will speak. I wondered where they learned this. So mysterious! Is this how we build according to God's revelation? Did Jesus prescribe the Methodist system? No, it was prescribed by the Methodist Church itself. I am not criticizing the Methodist Church, but rather pointing out that the pastor who was dismissed from the Methodist Church, whether he learned it from the Methodist Church or invented it himself, is irrelevant. Why should we build according to these things?

Recently, a pastor came to me and said that he had been following our website for a long time, although he did not know it was me. He found the content on our website to be excellent. He asked, "Are you not a Charismatic church? You have healing and deliverance, and you understand God's word thoroughly." Because our website contains content from Genesis to Revelation, he was surprised and wondered who created it. Later, he found me and said, "The person who created this is certainly not a heretic! Because what he says and the scriptures he examines sound biblical, but although he sounds biblical, he also has healing and deliverance."

I was astonished. Why does having healing and deliverance make one Charismatic? Why do we engage in healing and deliverance? Because God defines His church as one that engages in healing and deliverance; that is what the church does. God has never instructed His church to protest against the government in the streets. If anyone among us engages in such activities, I will expel them. I do not engage in such activities because God's word has never stated it, nor did Jesus do so. These are all inventions of modern Christians. We need to return to the Bible. Regardless of your denomination or who you are, read the Bible carefully. These things are not found in the Bible!

Paul had many disciples, but he never led Christians to protest, to revolt like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. I do not teach you to do these things. The Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ never advocated for justice, but many Christians today advocate for justice, as if the world would collapse without their advocacy. I am astonished at where these Christians learned this.

Someone who has been brainwashed by Western democratic culture insisted on labeling me, asking who had bought me off. I believe I have been completely bought off by Jesus! We do what God's word instructs us to do, and we do not do what Jesus did not do. To suffer losses and persecution, I accept, because that is what Jesus did. Should I invent another set of teachings, adding a surname and a family name to Jesus, turning Him into Zhang Jesus or Li Jesus? That would be problematic!

Therefore, the church should do as Jesus did. Too many Christians do not resemble Jesus. Why is this so? Simply because they do not follow God's word! Many people today are turning the church into a chaotic mess. For example, "How many years have you been a believer?" "Twenty years." "What have you learned?" "I have learned that I am saved." I said, "Looking at you, are you really saved?" He said, "I do not know, but the most comforting words our church gives me are that I am saved. I feel good, and I feel that I am saved." Really? You must understand that the design of the church is very exquisite and very specific. How the church should do things and what it should do have long been clearly articulated. Build the church according to God's word, and God's Spirit will be among us, and God's glory will be among us.

When I lead in prayer, some do not think what I do is very divine. Indeed, there is nothing divine about it, because God is inherently divine! Someone had a fishbone stuck in his throat, and I often tell people that the fishbone will be healed through prayer. Yesterday, someone actually came to us online, whom we did not know, and said that a fishbone was stuck in his throat. I said that I would lead him in prayer, and later the fishbone disappeared! Diligently implement God's word, and you will find that God's design for the church is very exquisite and specific. God has long ago revealed these key points to us! We simply do not study diligently and insist on learning the wrong things.

You must learn to grasp specific key points. If things are vague and unclear, then forget about them! Diligently implement God's word, and God's Spirit will surely be among us. Materials, tools, manpower, and human resources will all be resolved. If you do not build according to God's word, then what are you building? Therefore, my response to the previous pastor was, "Do you think we are heretics?" He said, "Not heretics." I said, "Then thank God! What could we be considered?" He said, "Extreme!" We follow God's word, and we must be extreme!

Can scientific research be conducted without diligence and rigor? Can Newton's three laws be followed without rigor? Can atomic energy, atomic bombs, and hydrogen bombs be developed without rigor and extremism? If you are careless, you might end up embracing an atomic bomb and vaporizing into the blue sky. Would that be acceptable? He said that I am extreme in diligently obeying God's word, which I consider a compliment. I tell you, it is because of this attitude that demons tremble before us. Demons lament, "This fellow is difficult to deal with; it is not easy to deceive him!"

Why must we be specific? Because God is specific in His actions. Why must we be exquisite? Because God is exquisite in His actions. Gradually, you will come to understand that in whatever I do, I strive to make it as exquisite as possible. You must understand that things can only be exquisite when done correctly; when done incorrectly, they will always be unsightly. I can always grasp the fundamental concepts of things, which are very important.

Specificity is an Attribute of God

Have you all noticed that God is very specific in His actions? Because if it's not specific, it becomes vague. Let me explain a few non-specific things; any resemblance is purely coincidental. Some people particularly like to do non-specific things, but I prefer to do specific things. Why do I like to do specific things? Because I like the attributes of God. God is not a God of empty rhetoric; God is not one who shouts "Hallelujah" loudly and then is incapable of doing anything! God's design is very exquisite and specific.

Some time ago, I talked to you about management. Management, this thing, specificity must be deeply ingrained. If what you say is not specific, it likely comes from your own bad habits. Empty rhetoric is like saying, "I want to liberate all of humanity," but you yourself are a mess. "I want to create an Alibaba," but Alibaba already exists, and you spend your days sleeping and vaguely deceiving yourself, not doing anything practical. If you are a boss, when assigning work to your subordinates, you must assign it specifically.

For example, you want your subordinate to build a house, but you don't specify what kind of house or how big it should be. They ask, "How big and how many stories should the house be?" You say, "Whatever!" What kind of interior decoration should it have? You say, "Whatever!" As a result, the next day, the subordinate brings a house and places it on the boss's desk. Upon closer inspection, it's a house for burning for the dead. The boss is dumbfounded. Why? Because the work was not assigned specifically, which leads to trouble.

If you want to teach someone how to do something, you must teach them specifically. I dislike it most when work is assigned non-specifically. Specificity is a very important attribute of management in arranging work. God's arrangements for Moses were very specific. They were not just something God came up with on a whim; they were the result of very detailed design, with all the dimensions specified and defined very specifically. What it should look like, what it should be made of, what materials to use—all were very clear.

Exquisiteness is an Attribute of God

To build the church, work specifically, and the church will be exquisite. We must carefully consider how to build God's glorious church. We must realize that we still owe God a lot; there is still a great deal of work to be done. What do most churches do now? They put on programs for Christmas, but the programs they put on are very crude. Look how exquisite the programs at the Winter Olympics are! The programs put on by churches are unwatchable, and they exhaust people. Let's not even talk about what they are doing; even what they are doing is not done exquisitely, like children playing house. They don't have the talent, but they insist on doing this every day. Don't say that this is not what God wants us to do; even if it is what God wants us to do, we cannot do it this way.

Therefore, our pastoral work is very specific; we must mold our brothers and sisters into people who do things exquisitely. We are still very dissatisfied with our work. Why? Because it is far from reaching the goal of exquisiteness. Why do I often encourage everyone to pursue quantity in their work? Pursuing quantity is a very important logic for achieving exquisiteness. Exquisiteness is an attribute of God. The church is not a place for being crude and haphazard. We are not there yet; we are far from it. But compared to many others, we are much more exquisite. Pastoral care is a very deep field of study. For example, dealing with people's bad habits and dealing with people's flesh are very deep fields of study. Digging deeper and deeper, the amount of work is enormous!

If a child is not doing well in school, is that our work? Yes! If they are not doing well in school, there must be a problem; they must have bad habits. You must mold them into a person, not into a dog. The church is to mold people into people like God, to be like Jesus. How exquisite a person Jesus was! And the work that Jesus did was so divine that He healed those born blind and lame. Eyes and legs are so exquisite! My prayer for a fish bone to disappear is far from comparable to Jesus! We have not yet achieved this by far; we still have a great deal of work to do, which is to mold our brothers and sisters into the image of Jesus Christ. Why do I do this? Because God's plan of redemption is very exquisite.

Let me talk about the New Testament first; I will talk about the others later. The Old Testament is a shadow of the New Testament. If the tabernacle in the Old Testament was so exquisite, shouldn't we today build the church with an exquisite and excellence-seeking attitude? Of course, these words are for myself and for the pastors among us. Shouldn't we improve the crude things we are doing now? Although there is much less of the smoky and chaotic stuff than before, God's design and God's will are far from being achieved. Let us once again tidy up the things within us and strive again! I encourage everyone to learn to ponder.

Let me tell you something: the incidence of cancer in the church is higher than outside the church. Who has the highest incidence in the church? It is the pastors. I have seen the statistics of those around me, and I have also done the statistics of those around me. What is the reason for this? Because the church has become a place that violates God's word. If you build God's temple, you must build it according to God's word; if you do not build it according to God's word, you are just asking for trouble.

Summary

Everyone must know that blessings and curses are spoken to Christians, not to non-believers. Some people are also confused: after I believed in the Lord, my situation is worse than outside the church. This is very normal. No matter how much courage you give me now, I dare not be non-specific or non-exquisite; I will implement it according to what God says. This is how the Bible is written; we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

In Chapter 26, God once again emphasizes that the tabernacle should be set up according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain:

According to the pattern shown you on the mountain, so you shall set up the tabernacle. “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. You shall hang the curtains on gold hooks, and set the pillars on four sockets of silver. (Exodus 26:30-32)

We will build God's temple according to the pattern God has shown us. You and I may be the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, may be the curtain, may be the gold hook, or may be various materials. Each of our brothers and sisters is the material of this temple. Molding our brothers and sisters into exquisite people is the work of the church and the will of God. You know that Christians being self-righteous is too serious. I constantly emphasize to many people that they must implement God's word well. If a person does not have cancer and is doing well in the church, I dare not say anything, for fear that they will argue with you.

We must know that the church is not a place to collect money; the church is a place to distribute blessings. The church should not lack money, because God will provide personally. If you ask me how God provides, God's way of providing for you is beyond your imagination. If you have doubts, you can try it. If you don't know that God will provide for you, you don't need to give. Do we need to teach some brothers and sisters some skills to make a living? Very much so. We are still moving forward in this direction with all our might. I still need God to provide us with resources so that each of our leaders can become a person who trains people.

One sister found a job, but she didn't pass the probation period because her ability was not good enough. In the past few years, she was too chaotic, unable to read or learn. All of this requires training. God wants to raise up a large number of brothers and sisters, including those who didn't know how to learn before, now they must learn to learn; those who didn't know how to grasp the key points before, now they must learn to grasp the key points; those who were not exquisite before, now they must learn to be exquisite; those who were not specific before, today they must learn to be specific. This is God's will, God's design, and the work of the church.

Sometimes I feel that we have done a lot of human resources ideological work for many companies, because after they come among us, we have fixed their problems of discerning good and evil, interpersonal relationships, and chaos in their work positions. When they return to their work positions, the boss likes them, the colleagues like them, the relationships are good, they work hard without complaint, and their brains become smarter and smarter.

We are not training people to make trouble, fight for justice, or become people who petition every day for twenty years. What is this for? We believe that God is our righteousness. We must deal with the bad habits in people and cultivate everyone to become exquisite people, to become materials for building the temple, precious and exquisite materials. God's glory will surely fill us, because we are building according to God's will.

May God bless everyone!