Introduction

Reading Proverbs makes one wise, and the difference between being wise and unwise is vast. After reading Proverbs chapter 11, one might find it a bit disjointed. Why? Because it covers a wide range of topics, making it difficult to identify a central theme. While there are various ways to find a theme, I encourage everyone to learn to identify keywords. If a word is repeated frequently, it indicates its importance. For example, in Genesis chapter 1, you'll find phrases like God said, and it was so, and according to its kind repeated, highlighting their significance.

Besides repeated phrases, repeated content is also crucial. This is the main point we need to grasp, a concept I often refer to as the framework. Once you learn to grasp this concept, finding the theme becomes easier. Using Genesis chapter 1 as an example, the concepts God said, God saw that it was good, and it was so, and according to its kind form the basis of a framework that reveals the chapter's main theme. If you learn to do this, studying and learning become simpler. This ability to learn comes from careful reading, observation, and thinking. This approach is quite straightforward.

Another example is Proverbs chapter 11, which we are studying. This chapter discusses how different actions lead to different outcomes. We call this a pattern. Identifying these patterns helps you understand what is being conveyed. I tell you, the theme of Proverbs chapter 11 is: Carefully observe the end of people’s conduct, because it's all about how different actions lead to different outcomes. I hope all our brothers and sisters can become observant and wise, knowledgeable individuals. If you are not observant, you won't see the patterns of events, or the end of people’s conduct. Eventually, people end up doing things their own way, and when the consequences come, they are powerless to change them.

Carefully observing the end of people’s conduct is a concept that runs through the entire Chinese Mingding Destiny system of theology. How did the Chinese Mingding Destiny system come about? It’s about grasping the patterns and essence of things; understanding what God is telling us when we read His Word; grasping the themes and concepts; grasping the relationships between concepts; building a complete framework; and grasping the basic laws of things. Can this not make one wise? Surely it will! How do people become foolish? It's because they think partially and in isolation; they look at problems partially and in isolation, and that is why they become part of the problem.

We can make a bold statement: we are about to bring about a transformation in Christianity. Why? Because the devil has made Christianity very partial and isolated, sometimes even lagging behind atheism in its understanding of problems. A rigid, isolated, and partial way of thinking in Christianity leads to absurd conclusions when viewing issues in a partial, isolated manner. These ideas are extremely prevalent in contemporary Christian theology, to the point where people have forgotten what the Bible says, focusing only on what others say, and falsely believing it's what the Bible says. How challenging would it be to change this? Regardless of the era, the belief, or the person, looking at problems partially and in isolation is always a foolish way of thinking.

Do Not Use Double Standards

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1 )

My mother always told me not to cheat people with the weighing scale when doing business. The weighing scale is used for measuring things. In ancient times, weighing scales were expensive, so most families didn't have them. Many merchants cheated by tampering with the scale. This is tragic! People are unaware! Why? Because the weighing scale has a counterweight and a tray. On the side towards the tray, there is a hook to hold by hand. When weighing, you put the item in the tray and move the counterweight to the one-pound mark. If the scale balances, the item weighs one pound. However, if your counterweight is slightly smaller, the weight of the item will be completely inaccurate.

I had a maternal uncle who was a businessman. His family had been doing business since before the liberation and was very wealthy. This uncle of mine suddenly died one day in the 1960s. There weren't many cars on the roads those days, yet he was hit by a car. How strange! And this uncle's wife, my aunt, suffered from shortness of breath her whole life, struggling to breathe, and passed away at a young age.

Some years ago, someone in our family was possessed by a demon. When I was casting out the demon, the demon told me: Your maternal uncle, everyone says he was killed by a car, but I was the one who killed him. And his wife's breathing problems, I also caused that. I have a logic: if people do bad things, the demons will definitely come back to them. Sure enough, the demon said that the reason for doing this to them was because they cheated with the scale in their business. Later, I casted out most of the demon. And the relative who was possessed by the demon was the one who did business. Remember, doing business is very spiritual because the only standard in doing business is whether you make money or not.

It's bad news if God hates someone. If you observe carefully, people in this world like to use two different sets of weights. A couple, who are my friends, often quarrel. The wife is a graduate of a prestigious university, and she's not unintelligent. One day, after a quarrel, she complained to me that her husband looked at her problems with a microscope, but looked at his own problems with a magnifying glass. A thousand-fold microscope combined with a tenfold magnifying glass makes for a difference of ten thousand-fold. People don't see the log in their own eyes, but see the speck in their brother's eye. That's called double standards. Not only people do this, but nations do too!

A false balance is abomination to the LORD. People think using a false balance is taking advantage, but that's not true at all. But a just weight is his delight. Brothers and sisters should cultivate good habits. Whether it's conflicts between people, between husband and wife, or between parents and children, the standards are vague. Some have one set of requirements for themselves and another for others, or are critical of both themselves and others. But if you look at the end of these situations, you'll only see ruin. People think they're taking advantage, but if they are shortsighted, they don't care what God thinks. So once people do that, the result is being hated by God, and tragedy occurs.

If a person constantly thinks they owe others, that is also a double standard. If you have higher standards for yourself and lower standards for others, will you feel uncomfortable? People only feel uncomfortable when they think others have wronged them. Few people in this world feel uncomfortable because they have wronged others. If they take advantage of others, they secretly stay silent, and even less uncomfortable. Nobody would make a fuss about being uncomfortable for taking advantage of others. If you really asked them to return the advantages they took, they would be even more uncomfortable.

One day, a sister felt very uncomfortable, and her good friend told me that she was uncomfortable because she often felt inadequate. I said: No! If she really felt inadequate, then she should study hard, work diligently, and we would help her and teach her! Actually, this sister felt we had wronged her. The person who came to ask me said: Really? I said: Who feels uncomfortable for owing others? Actually, she always feels others owe her, that's why she's uncomfortable. People feel uncomfortable because they think they are right, and others have wronged them. The solution to this problem is simple: don't always try to cheat others with the weighing scale, but should always reflect on oneself. First remove the log from our own eye, and then see the speck in our brother's eye.

Do Not Be Proud and Arrogant

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2 )

There is a Chinese saying: humility leads to progress. Once people become proud, God will send demons to deal with you! So pride is really deadly! Why are people proud? Because they feel superior, they have something to be proud of. Many people live for pride. I once said to a member of the congregation: How do you live like this? He told me: There are people worse off than me! Are you living by comparing yourself to someone who is more wretched? There is a joke: someone asked another person if they were doing well, and that person said no. The questioner said, I am relieved! Afraid that others are living better her, hoping that others are living more painfully and miserably than her. No wonder God said, when pride cometh, then cometh shame!

Once, King Herod gave a sermon, and the applause lasted for more than ten minutes. Someone said: Herod! This is not the voice of a man, but of a god! Herod himself also thought so. As a result, he was bitten by a very small insect, and he died! So remember: when pride cometh, then cometh shame! In the past few years, I have found that whenever I am proud, shame follows, a very foolish thing. So we must be humble.

Don't be like the Egyptian Pharaoh, thinking that you are the strongest country in the world, and no one can stand before you, but you watched the Israelites go out of Egypt. God killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, along with the firstborn of their livestock! People should never be proud and arrogant, that is foolishness and lack of wisdom, and what you get is shame. If people want to boast, they should boast in the Lord God!

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.(Proverbs 11:3)

In God's eyes, the upright do not use false balances, nor are they arrogant and proud. These upright people walk the path that pleases God. Why don't I use false balances, and why am I not proud? Because I know God does not like it. Why be an upright person? Because I know God will guide me. And the deceitful, the perverse, think they can take advantage, but the result is that they will destroy themselves. This is how spirit world operates.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.(Proverbs 11:4 )

When God is angry, money is useless. It's not people being angry, it's God being angry. Like my greedy maternal uncle, there were no cars on the road, and he was hit by a car, wasn't that a joke? It was done by demons, and demons are actually sent by God. Many Christians are ignorant and don't know that demons are sent by God. So when God is angry, no amount of money is useful. If you still rely on money, it is really a tragedy!

What I say may not all be correct, but let's take a look at it. Today's wars are almost all about money. If I am an arms dealer, I am happy whenever there is a war. As long as there is a war, I can immediately sell a thousand missiles. One missile sells for $100,000, and a thousand missiles is $100 million. Wars are all about money. Why are there wars? It's all because of money. But when God is angry, money is useless. So only righteousness can save people from death. No matter how chaotic the world is now, brothers and sisters must have wisdom. Because we are born in a time of chaos and have caught up with a major change unseen in a century. This change is extremely chaotic, cruel, and bloody. Are we still relying on money? Money can't be relied on. We can only rely on God! All who trust in God will never be ashamed.

If you still rely only on money, it is useless, money cannot be relied on. Some people are old, their children are not around, and they worry about how to support themselves without money. Even if the children are around, they cannot be relied on. When God is angry, money and children are of no use. Only by letting God have mercy on us and be gracious to us. So don't use false balances, don't use double standards, don't be proud of your money, use the integrity of the upright to guide yourselves, don't be a deceitful person, but be someone who relies on God.

In the day of wrath, wealth is of no avail, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked stumble by their own wickedness. (Proverbs 11:4-5)

Many Christians think they are pursuing the righteousness of God, but in reality, they are pursuing the righteousness of man. Many Christians have a peculiar pattern of behavior, they like to participate in the so-called righteousness of the world. We Christians should not participate in these, we pursue the righteousness of God. There are also many people who like to do good deeds. There is a place in China called the Greater and Lesser Liang Mountains, which is very poor, and many Christians like to scatter money there. They still think they are doing good deeds, but they have corrupted the people there. The people in that place look forward to these people coming every year, and they become lazier and less willing to work. Is this the righteousness of God? No, it is not! If you really pursue the righteousness of God, you should release the people there from the curse. The righteousness of the upright is not the righteousness in the eyes of man, but the righteousness in the eyes of God.

Do Not Be Selfish and Stingy

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own greed. Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. (Proverbs 11:6-7)

All the hopes of a wicked person are absurd. Why do people become treacherous merchants when they become merchants, and corrupt officials when they become officials? It is all because of this absurd hope. Since ancient times and up to the present, no one has been able to solve the selfishness inside people. Those corrupt officials cannot be killed off. But if you observe carefully, in the end, those corrupt officials will also perish, and treacherous merchants will also be destroyed. Why? Because people are foolish. It is quite difficult to solve the problems of selfishness, self-righteousness, and foolishness among us, it is like calling on heaven and earth!

The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead. The godless destroy their neighbors with their mouths, but through knowledge the righteous escape. When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of gladness. Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. (Proverbs 11:8-11)

These are all about people's actions getting corresponding results, so do what is right in the eyes of the LORD. If a person puts in a little effort, he will see from the Book of Judges that people destroyed the nation of Israel because of selfishness. The Israelites were God's chosen people, and God worked hard to bring them out of Egypt to establish their own country, but later they perished because individuals only cared about themselves.

I like to watch elections very much, because elections are very lively, like carnivals. The candidates stand in front of thousands of people to give speeches, talking eloquently, but later the city is destroyed. Not only will the city be destroyed, but the country will also be destroyed. Aren't they all elected by the people? Look carefully slowly: after electing a person, the country goes downhill; after electing another person, the mouth of this evil person will destroy a city or even a country.

Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. (Proverbs 11:12)

In this era, we must carefully study these words in the Bible. As long as you are alive, you still have to open your eyes and look around to see the situation in the world, and you will see that these words in the Bible will be fulfilled. For example, if you provoke your neighbor all day long, and your neighbor is a boxer, one day it will accumulate to a certain extent, and he will punch you. So let's not do this kind of thing.

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe. A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth. (Proverbs 11:13-16)

If you are violent, it is useless to get wealth. According to my incomplete observation, I found that a family is harmonious mainly because the hostess of this family has some kindness. If the family is not harmonious, it is often related to this woman. It is very stupid to make the family restless! Many stupid women personally destroy their own families.

Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. The wicked earn deceptive wages, but those who sow righteousness reap a sure reward. Truly righteous people attain life, but those who pursue evil find death. (Proverbs 11:17-19)

These are all about cause and effect, and I would like to emphasize this word righteousness again, and don't misunderstand it. The Bible says, but the righteous will live by faith. What is a righteous person? A righteous person is a person who trusts in God.

The LORD detests those whose ways are devious, but he delights in those whose conduct is blameless. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. (Proverbs 11:20-22)

This pig makes a hole in its nose and inserts a gold ring, walking on the street, twisting and twisting, it looks very ridiculous. If a woman is beautiful but has no discernment, that is a tragedy! When we read the Bible, we must learn to be discerning people. Of course, it is better for a woman to be beautiful than ugly, but that is not important, whether she has discernment is the key!

The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath. One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. (Proverbs 11:23-24)

I like to be a giver, and what is the result? As a result, God adds more to me. I am not stingy, everyone should know that excessive stinginess leads to poverty. So brothers and sisters, go and observe: do we have this habit of being excessively stingy? Are we givers? Giving can edify people. This is a law!

There was a person who was very stingy. He received a lot of grace in our church. Not only did he get healed of many diseases here, but his family also received a lot of grace. How stingy was he? He came to my office and said to me: I just ate Din Tai Fung buns. What kind of brain is this? Why didn't you bring me a few when you ate Din Tai Fung buns? You are still embarrassed to tell me? He's really an iron rooster, unwilling to pull out a single hair! Will such a person be rich? No! He is destined to be poor for the rest of his life. He is so stingy even to those who have grace to him, even to those who have the grace to save his life.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Do you all know what I do? What I do is to give out, refresh people, and edify people. This is my core business. We are not turning people into stupid Christians who shout hallelujah very loudly, we are training people to be smart people. Don't blame me for describing these Christians as fool, God will have mercy on me for saying this, because God also thinks so.

I know a lot of rigid, stingy, and extremely selfish Christians. They also go to church, but they don't do what God says. Everyone will see it carefully and slowly. Therefore, people like this cannot stay with us. This is a place of giving, a place of blessing, a place of giving out. Do you all understand? If it is difficult to do what is beneficial to yourself, how can you serve others? You can't serve! This is a place of paying the price, not a place of taking advantage.

Many years ago, I used roast chicken, roast duck, and sauced beef to attract many rice buckets, who came to church just to eat. Later I found out what's the point of having so many rice buckets? It's useless! Later, the church only provided box lunches, and the box lunches slowly became a plate of fruit, and then there was no plate of fruit. I wholesale a lot of mineral water, and you have to put in a dollar to get a bottle if you want to drink it. It's not that I'm stingy, this place must be a place to train people to give.

If you are a very stingy person, it will be very hard for you to stay here! One day is just busy with his work, son, grandson those little things, can't afford to pay the price! Why? Because it is contrary to his expected goal, and there is a conflict in time. Therefore, this place not only has to manage the little things in your family, but the most important thing is to make you a person who blesses others. I tell you, if we do not rely on money, but rely on God, you will surely be rich, you will surely be added, and you will surely live a very comfortable life.

Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:27-28)

Some of you are new here, maybe you believe in the Lord may be just doing it for your mother or your family. That kind of thing is useless, you have to have wisdom and intelligence in your mind, and you have to know that the road you took before is impassable, and you will walk into a dead end. Why? Because he only seeks his own benefit and only relies on wealth. Some people are so miserable, they are in their thirties or almost forty years old, and they owe a lot of debt, and they can't pay off this debt until they are sixty years old! What should I do? I don't know, I just watch him anxiously, isn't this stupid?

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! (Proverbs 11:30-31)

The one who is wise saves lives, not gets fish. Look, even the righteous are judged before God, how much more will the ungodly and the sinner be judged? So miserable. Therefore, people must know that those who rely on their own wealth will fall, so miserable! If people do not observe and act blindly and recklessly, that is a tragedy! I want to sing a lament for him.

Those who bring trouble on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. (Proverbs 11:29)

When people are selfish to a certain extent and rely on money to a certain extent, they will bring trouble on their family, and then they will only inherit wind. A person wanders alone on the street with the breeze and bright moon, and sees a tall building and imagines that if he climbs to the top, he will not look to both sides, and if he keeps walking forward, he will be digested in the blue sky. This is a tragedy! When people are selfish to a certain extent, they will harm their own family. Our brothers and sisters must live out the atmosphere, live out the image of God, and God will be gracious to you in this world, and you will return to God when you die. If a person lives in selfishness and narrowness all his life, he will live out the image of a ghost. Not only will ghosts come to you, but even if ghosts don't come to you, God will send a ghost to mess with you, and you will live under a curse.

Summary

Therefore, I advise everyone that being atmospheric is not stupid, it is smart to be atmospheric. Some people have been stingy all their lives, and they think that they can solve any problem by being atmospheric for one day, but it is far from it. I have been atmospheric all my life, and I am still like this today, what can you do if you are atmospheric for one day? Our brothers and sisters should not be foolish, but be smart people.

When you have finished observing, one day you will look up and find that there are so many foolish people, and you will know that you have grown up. In fact, you used to be like that too, but you didn't know it yourself, but when people stand at a high place and look down, it's like watching a joke. Therefore, we must begin to humble ourselves, know that we are not good, know that we need God, and then trust in God well to run the road of this life.

May a good ending be fulfilled in us, may God bless everyone!