I. Introduction

Today, I will be sharing with you Destiny Personality Series 02: Understanding. Do you realise how good this topic is? If you understand what you learn the moment you start school, and understand what you are doing the moment you start working, wow! That is truly excellent. Understanding this topic is really good; we must be clear-headed people.

An old pastor once told me many years ago: Pastor Liu, the church you build is a concrete manifestation of your personality. The kind of person you are will determine the kind of church you build. At that time, I did not quite understand what he meant, but now it seems to be true. Why did I establish Chinese Mingding Destiny? Establishing Chinese Mingding Destiny came about many years after I had been building the church. I am truly grateful to God, as He began to reveal the words of the Bible to me one by one. Why establish Chinese Mingding Destiny? Because there were too many confusions in me. Do you know why people like to listen to my sermons? Because I address the confusions that many Christians have. Why are the confusions that cannot be resolved elsewhere resolved here with me? Because I myself had so many confusions back then, and I went in search of answers.

I tell you, there are so many confusions that if you are in church today, you will surely say: God, where have you gone? Such sentiments are common. But because I am a seeker, I am truly grateful to God that these confusions have been resolved one by one. This is a method, an academic approach. You know, when it comes to projects, people often say: This approach is academic, this person is academic. Why is that called academic? It means he is classically trained! Implementing things rigorously according to the classics, that is what's called academic. We are not seminary-based. Have you noticed that after graduating from a seminary, you might end up with even more confusion! Because I myself attended seminary and I know this.

We have a sister whose mother attends another church. Some people say: It's quite interesting, this mother and daughter. Later, this sister came to me and I asked: What's wrong? She said: I'm worried my mother will get cancer. I said: How can going to church lead to cancer? She said: In my mother's church, among those of similar age to her, one was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, another was diagnosed a month or two later, and recently another was diagnosed. I'm afraid it will happen to my mother too.

Upon hearing this, I thought, oh my goodness, what a commotion! The most detestable thing is, you know what? That pastor is extremely busy, visiting this person today, visiting that person tomorrow. Unlike me, when I go there, I say: Tell me how you got cancer? Oh, this and that. I say: Is it like this and that, is it? Then I say: This is called a curse, get out of it quickly! That's what I would do. Why do I do this? Because I understand, and understanding is very important! They don't do it this way. When they go, how dare they say it's a curse? They would say: Ah, this is a blessing in disguise. In my heart, I think: If I give you one, would you want it? Later, someone actually got one. Do you know that the proportion of pastors getting cancer is not low? So churches create many confusing things.

Brothers and sisters should know why I am academic. I really want to understand, because I truly have a rigorous learning method and a rigorous attitude towards scholarship, which they call a scholar. And I really like reading the Bible. When I was a layman, I read many copies of the Bible until they were worn out. These things are not in the Bible! Some people say: Oh, he is Job. They even comfort him! I say: Forget it, he’s not even close to Job, so don't call him that. If that's Job, I don't think we'll be going to heaven. These people just don't understand. Job recovered. As for him? He slowly ascended to heaven too, eventually ascending to the Western Paradise.

I am a person who likes to get things clear. If I don’t understand, I feel uncomfortable. I don’t like to talk nonsense. Ponder on this slowly. Sometimes I bring up Lao Tzu or the Tao Te Ching, not to make you feel anything in particular, but to make you transcend Lao Tzu. What I mean is: It is a tragedy for people not to understand and to talk nonsense. Especially for pastors, it is a real tragedy to talk nonsense in hospitals. I would say: Oh, why do I still not understand? Others are not like that. Those I have met all feel that they understand everything. But I feel that I don’t understand. Because I don’t understand, I want to get it clear, so I seek, and I find. God is truly a faithful God.

If we were to list all the confusing things in the church today, the things that need to be understood, there would be many, many to resolve. Let’s just say: Oh, when I die, I’ll go to heaven. I look at it, and it doesn’t quite look like going to heaven. I wonder what it really is. Later, I re-sorted everything: salvation, redemption, healing and deliverance, faith, shepherding, anointing, the church, what spiritual gifts are, curses, blessings, what the gospel really is, healing the sick and casting out demons, all these demons, spirits, angels, so many questions I sorted them all out again. I tell you, this matter of going to heaven is quite interesting. If someone's surname is Xia, and they name themselves Heaven, what will happen to Xia Heaven? After studying the matter of going to heaven, I found that the Bible really says very little about it.

Why resolve these confusions? Resolving these confusions is because Chinese Mingding Destiny wants to solve people's problems. If you get cancer, I want to pull you out of cancer. I am not giving you false comfort to push you into cancer. I want to solve people's problems, not explain them. I don't like to explain problems. Why would I explain that? Come on, let's see what you've got, let's get things done and solve them. If your child has a problem, let's solve that problem; if you have a problem finding a job, let's solve the problem of finding a job.

Later, I discovered that many things are related to blessings and curses. It is really good to be blessed! When blessed, everything prospers. Why do people live under curses? Why do people live under blessings? It is because of carefully obeying and not carefully obeying. If people read God's word but don't understand it, how can they carefully obey it? They don't believe it either. Our God is a God of the living. Later, I discovered that people really need God when they are alive! Victory is closely related to blessings and curses! I tell you, many people think: Ah, God loves the world, God's love is unconditional. But my research results show: Blessings are all conditional. Read the Bible carefully, and see if there is any blessing that is not conditional. They all are conditional. The key point is called victory. So victory is required to enter the Promised Land. This concept is one of the most basic concepts of Chinese Mingding Destiny.

Recently, I have been studying shepherding, wanting to solve people's problems, including physical and financial problems. Then I shepherded and trained small group leaders, big group leaders, training a large group of people to follow me to accomplish God's will. God's will is for us to prosper! God's will is for us to be healthy! Do you have any doubts about that? If you feel that it's not true, that God's will is to kill us in the wilderness, then you are one of God's people who will be killed in the wilderness.

So I think, who doesn't want to be healthy when it comes to the body? Who doesn't want to be prosperous when it comes to finances? But wanting is just wanting, you have to be able to obtain it. Wanting is useless. You say: I really want money, oh God, give me ten million! It’s alright God, if you give me 10 million I will donate 5 million. After praying for a while: God, just give me 5 million is fine, you can keep the 5 million. You say, what is this all about? And he thinks that's a great deal. Do you think God is stupid? Why would God freely lose 5 million on someone like you, without even asking? It's all just trying to pull a fast one, but you can’t trick God! You think you are Zhao Benshan selling crutches? Zhao Benshan can trick people into becoming lame. But with what you're doing, do you think God is a God who can be tricked? What do you want to do? I tell you, I am not God. If I were God, I would give you a few words, since you are praying. I would give you some revelation. If I were God, I would respond: Oh, ten million, how can it be so little? It is too little, how about fifty million. Sure, you can have as much as you want, after you die, I will burn you five hundred billion. Does that sound interesting? How much do you want? After you die, I will burn five hundred billion for you. Five hundred billion is not enough, how about five thousand billion, one banknote being 500 billion. How much do you want? Not enough? Houses and cars can be arranged too, since they are just paper. Just burn them.

So I think, brothers and sisters, you must know, doesn't God see money as similar to joss paper? Talking about burning this and burning that, seeing everyone's interest in typing about that, don’t get addicted! Some even want to burn a mistress. You know, it is a tragedy for our understanding not to be clear! Today, brothers and sisters, it is a tragedy to believe in the Lord but not have clear understanding.

There was a brother who was quite interesting. He said: Teacher, God often gives me opportunities that ordinary people can't see. Oh, he is quite impressive. He often sees opportunities that ordinary people can't see. Are those opportunities? Opportunities that can't be seen, how can they be opportunities? I asked him: What's really going on? He said: Someone asked me to sell this, and I earned a lot of money by selling it. I asked him what happened later. He said: Later, that person asked me to invest, and as a result, all the money I invested got trapped. It wasn't an opportunity at all, it was a trap! What kind of brain is that? Isn't that a well-known trick? Today they let you invest one thousand, tomorrow they let you get back two thousand; then they let you invest five thousand, the day after tomorrow they let you get back ten thousand! At this time, you have to quickly stop, or you will get scammed! As a result, he invested 100,000 all at once, then he couldn't find the person anymore. What kind of brain is that? He even says God often gives him opportunities that others cannot see, are those opportunities? Not understanding is a disaster!

A few days ago, a sister said she lost more than a million. Why did she lose more than a million? It's just because her brain isn't working properly! Because she encountered an opportunity that others could not see, and as a result, she put the money in, and now she is still reluctant to take it out! She said to me: Actually, it's not like I have no money now, there are still a few thousand inside! I said: Then quickly take it out! Don't let those few thousand be gone! How could you have been tricked back then? She said: People said it was the government, can the government deceive people? People said it was the government, and you just believed it? It is so difficult to stop people from making money, to stop them from being deceived, from being trapped! Lazy, greedy for money, and unwilling to get things clear, isn't that a tragedy in life? Therefore, brothers and sisters, start being clear-headed people.

I feel that the things many people write, the things they say, if I were to pick faults, there would be many. Someone said: Teacher, I want to start being down-to-earth now! I said: That's good! How do you plan to be down-to-earth? He said: I want to start preparing to farm! Is farming being down-to-earth? Farming isn't necessarily being down-to-earth. Yes, your feet are on the ground farming, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's solid. I said: What do you want to plant? He said he doesn't want to plant durian, because planting durian takes seven years. I said: Do you want to sprout soybeans? Sprouting soybeans is fast, just seven days. He said: No, seven days is not good, that's not being down-to-earth. What a confused brain is that? He said: I want to grow some fungi. Why? Because fungi are fast, mushrooms grow out overnight. If you don't get it clear, how can you do it right?

Why am I talking about these things? Because I really want to solve these problems, so that people don't fall into these various kinds of confusions and perplexities. Not only the perplexities of faith, but also the various kinds of murky perplexities in life are also resolved little by little. I prayed: God! This is really a great challenge. May God work among us, so that our brothers and sisters can be filled with the full knowledge of God in their understanding. People don't want to get things clear, and they still want to be fast, isn't that a tragedy? Before being clear a few times, they fall in again.

When it comes to the education of children, the perplexities are even greater. Some time ago, a brother said: Teacher, I want to buy a house. I asked him why. He said he wanted to buy a school district house. Do you know that school district houses are twice as expensive as ordinary houses? I find it strange! Let me tell you something straight. Your family is next to that school, but you later see that your child is not doing well in that school, what will ou do? What if they are crushed by others in that school? Isn't your money wasted? Don't outsource these things to the school, the school doesn't solve the problem. Making people smarter, making your children smarter, that's the key! You have to get it clear, don't live in this delusion. Why do I say I am academic? Because I have studied the education system deeply, and I have studied career planning deeply as well. You have to understand, if you don't understand, then it's troublesome.

The Lord Jesus asked his disciples: Do you understand all these things? They said: Yes, we understand. As a result, the Lord Jesus said: Are you also still without understanding? Sometimes they understand, sometimes they don't. What do they understand? When the Lord Jesus was about to be crucified, they were still arguing about who was the greatest! They just couldn't figure it out. I thought Jesus was quite challenged at that time. Compared to that, I feel comforted. Until now, it seems like my disciples still understand, so my shepherding is not bad! Getting it clear is a personality, getting it clear is the personality of our Chinese Mingding Destiny. For example, those who are struggling for their children, if you really understand it, you don't have to struggle anymore; those who are struggling for retirement don't have to anymore, because they understand; those who are struggling for money don't have to struggle anymore. Because in the future, there will be 50 billion or 100 billion, you can write whatever you want, you don't have to struggle.

The husband of one of the sisters, he is not a poor person, he is a rich person. Recently, because he has two children who are working hard, he doesn't have enough money, and he is very worried! I feel that it is quite difficult to live joyfully in this world! No matter how I think about it, I thank my God, because there are not many people as joyful as I am! How much money do you need? Spending the whole day idle and just being troubled, if you continue to struggle, you will become an old man. If you understand, you don't have to tangle with it. You don't have to tangle with your business either. Some people don't want to understand, so they set up a company and then hire some smart people. If you don't understand yet hire other smart people, those smart people will rob your money. If you don't understand, but they do, that's very dangerous! I encourage everyone to be a clear-headed person, living without struggling, because we know that we are all going to die anyway.

We have a series of training sessions, hoping that everyone will be a clear-headed person. Brothers and sisters must know that I’m establishing all the trainings so that everyone can be a clear headed person. A few days ago, a sister was going to open a course. Yesterday she shared her course with me. I asked her how the preparations were going. She said: The preparations are very good! I plan to use Wang Xifeng from Dream of the Red Chamber. Do you know Wang Xifeng? If you know her, you know she is a clear-headed person! That Wang Xifeng is absolutely amazing, very good at speaking! She asked me: Teacher, what do you think? I said: Good! Christians should learn from Wang Xifeng, she is outstanding! After you learn, you don't have to be such a ruthless person, but you have to know that you have the knowledge of ruthlessness, so that others will not get you when they use you! Of course, her approach is a worldly logic system.

We must know that Jesus teaches us to be as shrewd as snakes. Wang Xifeng has many advantages. Why not say be shrewd like an elephant? Be shrewd like a rhinoceros? Why say be shrewd like a snake? Because among all the things God created, the snake is the most devious, the most cunning. If you are not as shrewd as a snake, how can you deal with a snake? If you are not as shrewd as Wang Xifeng, how can you deal with Wang Xifeng? In my opinion, if you can't even deal with that, how can you be qualified to love God? You have to learn to speak, you have to learn to be a person. Don't think that Wang Xifeng is very cruel, you are wrong. You have to have a deep understanding of this person! She is shrewd as a snake, very good at being a person. We must surpass Wang Xifeng, we must start to be able to speak, be able to be a person, how good is that!

A pastor can solve the problems of the sheep. If all you can say is thank God, thank God, what can you do? Not shrewd at all, stupid as a brick, easily tricked into P2P, useless! Then going to the hospital, one cancer after another, quite capable. You have to learn to speak, learn to be a person, so brothers and sisters must know to be a clear-headed person. What is a clear-headed person? It is someone who can understand God's will. And God does not want us to be a foolish person. Maybe you will say: Teacher, I have not been to school for so many years. It doesn't matter, am I not teaching you now? Stay here for a day and attend school for a day, making up for all the years you didn't learn. Start attending university here, how good is that! Settle one thing after another, Wang Xifeng settles many things very well.

Do you know? I admire one person, He Shen. In fact, He Shen did a lot of things! He solved problems. Let's not talk about He Shen being a corrupt official. Let's look at his impressive aspects. The emperor asked him to provide disaster relief, but he did not take good rice, good wine, and good oil to the disaster area, because he knew that these things could not be distributed to the victims. He said: For disaster relief, we don't use rice, we use chaff. Would corrupt officials take chaff? No, so chaff saved a large group of people. He is not just ordinary smart, he understands human nature very well. Today, brothers and sisters, we do not need to learn to be corrupt officials, nor do we need to learn to be ruthless, but we have to learn the ways in which they solve problems. If you want to shepherd, but your mouth is as clumsy as a cotton-padded jacket, who will you shepherd? It will be good if you are not shepherded, and that would be a disaster! Be a clear-headed person!

II. Scripture

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)

III. Prayer

God, today let us all be clear-headed people. When we hear Your word, let us know the mysteries of Your kingdom. God, today open our minds and let us become learners, let us become understanding people, let us become seekers! God, let us bear much fruit for You, let our lives become more and more like You, have Your likeness, and be a blessing to the people of this earth! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

IV. The Background of This Passage

The Gospel of Matthew speaks so well. I once wrote a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew called Two Kingdoms, Two Pursuits. The Gospel of Matthew is not easy to study. I led the establishment of churches for many years before I dared to lead everyone to study the Gospel of Matthew. After studying it, I felt that I spoke exceptionally well. Most people do not get to the point when speaking on the Gospel of Matthew. Some people say: Look how arrogant he is. Let me tell you the truth, you have to let me tell you the truth. This is not arrogance, go and read my Two Kingdoms. In Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew, it is filled with confusing passages. There are not many who can interpret it well, but the whole concept of Chinese Mingding Destiny, operating and establishing churches, is inextricably linked to this chapter.

This chapter is mainly talking about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was actually a Jesus who gave many teachings, and he spoke in a particularly interesting way, using parables to speak to them. Jesus sat by the sea and spoke to them. Think about it, if a large group of us were all by the sea, and I was speaking, how much would I say in an hour? A lot. Jesus spoke about this passage:

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)

Someone asked, Teacher, why do you use parables?

He replied, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (Matthew 13:11)

Doesn't this sound confusing to you? Jesus also said:

For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 13:12)

This is the most famous Matthew effect. If we have, God will add to us; but if we do not have, God will take away even what we have. Do you think it is better to have or not to have? Whether we have or do not have is related to understanding and not understanding! In our church, I often do Q&A. My Q&A is something. If I cannot answer it, I will take it back as a research topic and work hard to study it. Why do people not understand Jesus' words?

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ (Matthew 13:13-15)

This chapter, Matthew 13, is filled with perplexing statements. You cannot grasp it unless you see it from God's perspective. Seeing it from your own angle will cause problems. If you were one of 'them', you might think: God is too harsh! But is God really that bad? No. Jesus reiterated His parables, entering the house and explaining to His disciples:

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:19-23)

Do you see the importance of understanding? If you do not understand, what fruit can you bear? After hearing, you might think: What nonsense! Can that put food on the table? Among us, I find there are many such odd people! In 2012, a brother's mother had cancer and was near death. After I prayed for her, she recovered. I said: Why not follow the Lord properly? She declined, preferring to go to the church next to her house. Fine, go ahead. By 2014, her son was getting married, and she was failing again, saying: Mother cannot attend. I asked: Why not? Didn't you recover last time? She said: Later, I relapsed, unable to breathe lying down or sleep sitting up, troubled for over two years. I found it strange! After I prayed again, she recovered and attended her son's wedding. Incredibly, she told me: Pastor, if my son follows the Lord like you, how will we live? I questioned her sanity. One cannot but be impressed by her.

This chapter speaks to this very issue: hearing the word and understanding it. This chapter is quite lengthy. Further on, it says:

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:37-43)

So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, (Matthew 13:49)

I have experience with this. Our church has something interesting, echoing the teachings of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew. To build a church, one must establish a holy and glorious church. For the church is the body of Jesus Christ, not the world. The field is the world, where tares and wheat grow together. You will find that I have explained this chapter clearly. The following section is even more interesting:

...which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. (Matthew 13:48)

Casting the net, drawing it ashore, gathering the good into vessels, discarding the bad. Should the church not cast the net, gather the good into vessels, and discard the bad? Some pastors are reluctant to discard! Recently, a preacher shared that after someone he ministered to left the church, his senior pastor called that person back, negotiated, and the person laid down a condition: I will return if you meet my terms. The pastor agreed to everything. Is such a church the body of Jesus Christ? No, it is not.

How does a church become holy? Today, everyone must understand that I deeply comprehend these words of Jesus in Matthew 13. This is a critical milestone in our church's growth: We only want the good, not the bad. Even if we make mistakes, God will correct them, and they will return. Many have returned among us, with strong character, understanding, and walking well. The church cannot take in trash, or it will cause trouble. One day, while casting out demons, the demon began to speak, reminding me of Matthew's words: angels will separate the wicked from among the just. You want to cast the net, gather the good into vessels, but who takes away the bad? I wondered, who are the angels? Also called messengers or angels.

One day, while casting out demons, the demon told me: Pastor Liu, I am helping you build the church. Helping me build the church? Don't be ridiculous. He insisted it was true. I asked how. He said he led away those people from the church. I was shocked to learn who he had taken away! The demon spoke through the person's mouth, who had no idea about those who had come and gone from the church before. The demon clearly named those he had taken away. I was astonished, realizing: Oh! So that's how it is! Therefore, building the church is the concrete manifestation of God's kingdom on earth. This passage speaks to this. I asked if he was preparing to take anyone else away. He said that was a secret.

V. Jesus Uses Parables to Explain the Way of the Kingdom of Heaven

Are these parables important? Yes. Why use parables? These parables divide the people on earth into 'them' and 'you'. Who are 'them'? Those who do not seek. Who are 'you'? Those who seek. Why did Jesus call the disciples aside to explain the parables? The logic is simple: because the disciples are 'you'. Why did these disciples follow Jesus? Because Jesus has eternal life. These disciples seek the way of eternal life. The Bible records this.

To follow God and Jesus is essentially to seek one's destiny in life, which is 'you'. Those without destiny are 'them'. Those who live without knowing why are 'them'. Those who know why they live and are willing to live for God are 'you'. Lest they should understand. Does God truly hope they understand or not? God does not hope. Why not? If He did, He would enlighten them, explaining it all clearly! No. God deliberately does it that way. Why? Because God is selecting treasures from among those He created. God knows what is a treasure and what is not. You did not find God, God found you!

Those who come to Chinese Mingding Destiny all have strong character. Do not think this is a flaw! People of character end up here. Haven't you noticed that you could have survived in your previous churches? But as you survived, you grew increasingly confused, wanting to understand. Seeking understanding, you searched online and found Chinese Mingding Destiny, which resonated with you. You sought understanding. Is it not so?

You will find you have many flaws, but Jesus' disciples had even more. Yet, such a person has something called destiny, seeking something, eager to understand it. As a result, you became 'you' in Jesus' eyes. Today, know that you see what people of past ages did not see, but today, you see. You truly see much. Then you become a treasure in God's eyes. I hope everyone knows they are treasures in God's eyes. If we do not know, let us begin to know today. So, using parables, He immediately distinguished the way of the kingdom of heaven, separating 'you' from 'them'.

Over the past years, I have found, as I mentioned earlier, that some people's thinking is very strange. They just want to live a simple life, thinking coming to church wastes time. They forgot about the two instances of being healed from cancer. Many years have passed, and I do not know if they are dead or alive. If you see this, it is related to understanding.

VI. The Matthew Effect

The Matthew effect is: to those who have, more will be given, and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away. Observe carefully. Many come from different churches, impossible to drive away. I wish you would return to your original churches and serve well, but do not go back. Observe carefully. If the pastor of that church does not understand, even the little they have will be taken away. Not taken by people, but by God! This is wondrous. So, gradually come to understand, understanding versus not understanding.

Think: a pastor who does not understand leading a group of Christians who do not understand, I do not know what they will do? If they do not understand but think they do, how will they seek? How can they allow God to give more to those who have? From those who have not, even the little they have will be taken away and given to those who have, so understanding versus not understanding clearly is key!

So brothers and sisters, our church must understand God in every way, must have a deep understanding of the word of God. If you do not understand the word of God, it will not work. This word is constantly poured into you, so you experience God more. Chinese Mingding Destiny is not afraid of people's confusion, only of people not seeking. Not afraid of flaws on people's bodies, only of our hearts being dull, hearing but not understanding. Do not fear the confusion within or the flaws on your body, only fear one thing: do you understand or not? This makes a big difference.

Does God, sitting on His throne, see those who seek? See those who understand? This is key! Once He discovers a treasure, is it difficult to grasp? Not really. Is life with God not good? This logic becomes clear.

VII. Why Do People Not Understand?

Why do people not understand? Because their hearts are dull. What kind of people have dull hearts? Those preoccupied with the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches. Once people focus on this life, on making a living, their hearts become dull, their ears heavy, their eyes closed, unable to see anything. Even after experiencing two instances of being healed from cancer, they still could not understand. Why? Because their hearts were dull. Why were their hearts dull? Because they had preconceived notions and ideas. Once a person has their own set of views and ideas, having chosen those views and ideas, they cannot hear a different teaching of the kingdom of heaven.

Even if you raise the dead, they will deny it. Even if you heal the blind from birth, they will say their eyes were always fine. What is such thinking? Such thinking later crucified Jesus. From this passage to the last, Jesus of Nazareth, coming from His hometown to preach, returned home after some time. They said: Isn't this Jesus? Isn't this the carpenter's son? Three weeks ago, he was here fixing our table legs. How did he suddenly start preaching in the synagogue? How did he suddenly start performing these miracles? Not long ago, half a year ago, he was here fixing our buckets. We bought our table from him. Isn't he the carpenter? It is over. Why is it over? Complete confusion.

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52)

If you receive something new and something old, it depends on what you choose. Jesus is doing a new thing today, but your old concepts, your old ideas, block you, dulling your heart. Can everyone understand my explanation? Why do people not understand? Because there is a heap of old ideas in their hearts. Even after seeing Jesus perform miracles like healing the blind, making the lame walk, cleansing lepers, and raising the dead, if people want to not understand, they still will not understand, because they are trapped by something.

I hope brothers and sisters can escape this confusion: How could this little brat suddenly come out and preach? Such questions. When this generation is dominated by evangelical theological systems, suddenly a Chinese Mingding Destiny emerges, and it seems strange: What is this? Actually, it is merely the restoration of the truth of the Bible, nothing more. Do not be trapped by old ideas. Old ideas are terrifying, like saying praying in tongues is demonic. What does the Bible say? They do not care, because they have believed this since childhood, without reflecting on why cancer goes unhealed among us, why someone is diagnosed with cancer today and another tomorrow. They think it is normal, that is a dull heart.

VIII. Those Who Understand the Word of God Will Bear Fruit Thirtyfold, Sixtyfold, a Hundredfold

Think about it, if you read the word of God, not taking it out of context, but understanding the word of God, you will surely bear fruit, a hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. Think about it, if you hear the word of God, you understand it, you will put it into practice, and you will become like Jesus. The fruit you bear will be what Jesus bore. Jesus bore preaching the gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, plus the way of the kingdom of heaven. What will you bear? Shallow roots, falling among thorns, entangled by the cares of this life, unable to bear fruit.

Today we are talking about understanding, so understanding is important. I hope all brothers and sisters will be people of understanding. Even if someone teaches you to speak like Wang Xifeng, if you still have a heart for the kingdom of heaven, you will not be deceived. Even if you read other things, you will not be deceived, but instead become shrewd as serpents.

IX. The Kingdom of Heaven Only Takes Treasures

I am grateful to recognize this, that the kingdom of heaven only takes treasures. Why did God give me this revelation, letting me know that the kingdom of heaven only takes treasures? I felt the church was taking in everything, but the kingdom of heaven can only take treasures, only choosing the good. I tell you, once the church overcomes, the demons will help you build the church, taking away the bad.

The earliest established church violated the teachings of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus asked the disciples: Do you understand? Peter said: We understand. Did they really understand? The book of Acts says, when Peter built the church, five thousand believed, three thousand believed, bringing in all sorts of messy things, eating and drinking, turning the church into chaos. Was there God's presence? Yes. Was there the demons' presence? A lot. Why not do it according to the word of God? You were with Jesus every day, didn't you hear Matthew? You did, Matthew 13 explained it clearly. As a result, it could not overcome. So the bad was picked away by Lao Ma, and the good was picked away by God. Those who understand are good, are treasures. Those who do not understand, why do they not understand? Their hearts are dull, focused entirely on this life, this world. What about God's glory, God's kingdom? They did not take it seriously at all.

It is important for the church to overcome, as our vision and mission say: to build an overcoming church. The end of the world is, the bad will be burned, the good will shine like the sun. We must understand, become people of pursuit, understand God's kingdom, God's way. Do you all know how heavy a price God paid for us treasures? God sold everything, buying this field, meaning Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, redeeming us with everything He could pay. Are our hearts not moved by God to respond? Knowing we are treasures in God's eyes, must you not become a seeker, a person of understanding?

Mentioning Wang Xifeng from Dream of the Red Chamber confused you? No need to be confused, we learn from her strengths, we set aside her worldly value system, and be a person of understanding. Not understanding other things, but understanding God's kingdom, understanding God's way, understanding God's heavenly teachings, so the church leaves the good and, well, the bad is not welcome. This is Chinese Mingding Destiny. Chinese Mingding Destiny hopes everyone will be a person of understanding. This is the character of Chinese Mingding Destiny: be a person of understanding! How can I be a person of understanding? You seek, and God will surely reveal it to you! If you cannot understand, no matter how you try, that is the problem. Brothers and sisters, take courage, begin to be a seeker, obtaining the heart of Jesus Christ, taking the heart of Jesus Christ as your own, understanding God's heart. How wonderful this is!

Let us sing a hymn to receive today's offering. If you do not understand God's heart, please do not give. God wants to lead us to the holiest place, God wants us to see His glory, to begin to seek. You will clearly know one thing: God is our treasure, and we are also treasures in God's eyes. Be a person of understanding. If you want to manage a business, you must be a person of understanding, managing it clearly. If you do a job, do your job clearly. If you are a student, attend school clearly. If you understand, God will add to you. If you do not understand, God will take away even what you have. This is the Matthew effect. Those who have will be given more, those who have not will have even the little they have taken away, depending on whether you understand or not.

Is seeking God that difficult? God has already shown us His kingdom. What we pursue in our life is God's glory. It is normal to have problems, it is normal to be weak, but can we seek? Be a seeker, gradually understanding any confusion. I do not expect everyone to understand everything at once, but gradually understanding is definitely not a problem. Your intelligence is definitely sufficient.

Raise your hands and pray with me: In the name of Jesus Christ, I will be a seeker! In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare: God will reveal to me! God will open my understanding, enabling me to understand! In the name of Jesus Christ, I reject the world's logical system! In the name of Jesus Christ, I will obtain what Jesus Christ wants me to obtain! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!

I hope brothers and sisters will no longer be confused people. I hope brothers and sisters will begin to tidy up your faith again. You can definitely be a clear-minded person! Amen!