I. Introduction

Good morning, everyone! Today, I'd like to share a paper with you, and I am sure it will have some new insights. Over the past years, each Sunday's sermon has essentially been the presentation of a paper. Recently, for the past few months, I've been keen to turn the sermons into storytelling, and thankfully, there has been some progress. Today’s paper is very theological, which limits the storytelling. Nevertheless, listen, and grasp as much as you can.

The word election causes a great deal of confusion. People ask: Am I chosen by God? Am I not chosen by God? Many are perplexed. Today, I begin a new series called the Theological System of Apostle Paul. The Theological System of Apostle Paul is, in fact, the system of our Chinese Mingding Destiny, because Chinese Mingding Destiny is not a new invention, it's merely a change of terminology. Understanding the theological system of Apostle Paul brings us to Chinese Mingding Destiny, so this is a continuation. If Apostle Paul were Chinese and lived in this era, I suspect he would have chosen such a name.

Paul did not follow Jesus. He was probably seven years younger than Jesus, and when Jesus was preaching the Gospel, Paul was in Jerusalem. What was he doing there? He was working on his thesis, pursuing his master's and doctoral degrees. He was two years younger than Apostle Peter. They were almost contemporaries. While Peter was following Jesus, what was Paul doing? He was writing his thesis; he didn't have time to pay attention to Jesus. He was following a very famous academician of the Academy of Sciences at that time. Don't be confused by academician of the Academy of Sciences; that era certainly had similar eminent academic institutions. This person was called Gamaliel.

Gamaliel was remarkable. Whoever studied theology under him would become famous and influential, like pursuing a doctorate under Yang Chen-Ning today. That connection would open up opportunities for you. Amazing! No wonder Paul didn't pay attention to Jesus; he was too busy. Gamaliel was so famous. Who was Jesus? Besides, God had not called him at that time; even if He had, he wouldn't have followed. Thus, Jesus called a large group of people, like Peter, James, and John. Therefore, when Jesus was crucified, Paul didn't care much. He did not bother about it. When Apostle Peter became an apostle, he did not really know what was going on.

Later, when Stephen was persecuted and stoned to death, Paul, then called Saul, felt that the heresies had finally been defeated. He regarded Stephen as a practitioner of Falun Gong, and he thought that the heresy must be eradicated; otherwise, those who followed Jesus Christ would trample on the laws of Moses, which was intolerable. The Pharisees at the time considered themselves orthodox, and Paul thought he was orthodox, but later it turned out to be heterodox. Today, many people think they are orthodox but are actually heterodox. How did he become chosen and used by God? Paul had the characteristics of Mingding Destiny. We discussed many characteristics of Chinese Mingding Destiny in a series recently. These characteristics are very important. Election is one of the most important concepts in Paul's theology, and everyone must know that we are chosen by God. This must be recognized.

If we do not understand election from the perspective of Apostle Paul, we will simply say, It is God's sovereignty. Have you heard these arguments? I can do nothing. But that is pointless. It is not like that. Why was Apostle Paul chosen? Because Apostle Paul had the characteristics described in Mingding Destiny, which is extremely important! Some people then ask: Why did God choose him and not me? What nonsense is that? It is the devil speaking.

If you possess such characteristics, God would gladly raise up another Apostle Paul. The more, the merrier. Is there ever too much? Never too much. If you read the Bible, never think that God is stingy. God wants a large number of people to become Apostle Pauls. What is wrong with a large number of people emulating Jesus? Copying Jesus presents no problem for us here.

Outside, they wouldn't accept it. They would say, Who do you think you are? Wanting to be like Jesus? Look at yourself! They cannot accept such a thing. I say that it brings about a new Christian reformation. Some people respond with dismay, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with this. Is this not God's will?

I tell you, in Paul's era, before he was chosen, Peter, James, and John had already secured their positions tightly. But in the end, he was still raised up by God. In such a difficult environment, don't think that Apostle Paul immediately became an apostle. He started with small acts of service. After hearing this, you will have faith: Oh, it's like that. God doesn't allow people to secure positions, and I don't want to limit your development. I hope you can become someone like Apostle Paul.

Many years ago, there was a person named Campolo, who died two or three years ago. Campolo wrote a book in his youth called The Church Without A Face. Everyone is like Apostle Paul, everyone is like Jesus Christ. Wow! I think, Isn't this about us? Great! Don't ask God why it was him and not you. You have to possess the characteristics that God loves. Don't say you truly have them! Every time I see Apostle Paul, I think, Isn't that also me?

Being chosen depends entirely on God's favor towards you. If you have the characteristics that God loves, wouldn't that solve the problem? So don't say it's all about God's sovereignty and you can do nothing. Who says you can do nothing? There is much you can do.

There was a sister who did not attend university and worked in a company. The boss wanted to promote someone to be the business supervisor. The boss said: First, a university degree is required. Second, the performance must be good. Third, one must be able to handle interpersonal relationships, and so on. Do you understand? Later, there was an employee, her colleague, who met all the conditions. After one round of screening, two rounds of screening, and three rounds of screening, this sister was chosen. At that time, the sister's spiritual condition was not good, and it is still not good today. She came to ask me: Teacher, should I apply for this? I said: Apply. If she says, I can't do it, then that's it. In the end, she was selected.

Her colleague was excellent in every way and had a university degree. This person was very dissatisfied and asked the boss: Why wasn't it me? The boss replied: I don't like you. Oh my god! It was like swallowing a dung beetle mixed with sausage. It was disgusting. Because you lacked something. Of course, do not be mistaken. We are referring to a sister without a degree. She had only graduated from elementary and junior high school, then she went out to work and drifted around.

So don't be foolish and ask God: Why wasn't it me? How do you know it wasn't you? Better yourself, and the problem will be solved. Not knowing Jesus, not knowing the apostles, seeing God's works and disbelieving, also persecuting the Lord's disciples, can't stop God from choosing you. See what this means? He also did not recognize Jesus, he also did not know Apostle Peter, he also did not know these people, faced with these works and miracles of God, just did not believe. Such a person was Paul, then persecuting the disciples of the Lord, but it did not stop God from choosing him.

You are much better than him, how could you stop God from choosing you? When Peter was in power and served as great apostle, when James was in power and served as great apostle, Paul was just a small believer, that could not stop God from using you, he broke through numerous barriers, and became the most influential apostle in the history of the church. At that time, he could be dismissed anytime or fired anytime. He could be removed from his position at any time, but God used him. Today, telling his story should encourage everyone to emulate Apostle Paul. It is not that one becomes Apostle Paul immediately.

And history often repeats. For example, when Microsoft was just starting, IBM was the world's number one in the field of computers. If IBM wanted to eliminate Microsoft, it could have done so easily with its enormous wealth. But unknowingly, Microsoft grew up. All big companies grow from small companies. A small company that can overcome numerous obstacles must have some character. Every superpower in that generation, when they were occupying positions, the rising country was always being suppressed.

At that time, the British Empire occupied so many colonies around the world. The British Empire's territory was so vast, but the United States began to rise. The United States rose, and times changed. Today, the United States and China are competing. Over the past forty years, China has seized all the opportunities it could and grown to the point where it cannot be destroyed. That is to say, if you are a small person like Apostle Paul, such a small believer, a small pastor, in Peter’s time, you can break through numerous obstacles and become the apostle to the Gentile church, that means you must have wisdom and intelligence. Do you understand?

In the past, Japan was about to overtake the United States, but it failed and fell. How can the top dog let you replace it? In the underworld, can the boss let you replace him? If you are an African lion, will the lion king allow the young lion to replace the lion king? The top dog dislikes the second in command; who allowed you to be second? It is not easy to be the second in command! So even today, there is still a saying: This person is quite 'two!' What does that mean? Quite 'two' means always sitting in the position where the boss is trying to kill you, called quite 'two.' Do you understand? Saying someone is quite 'two' is not a good thing.

In the past few days, I have been thoroughly researching Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul was born in 3 AD. Jesus was born in 4 BC. Paul was seven years younger than Jesus. In 35 AD, Apostle Paul, at the age of thirty-two, began to believe in the Lord. His experience of faith came on the road to persecuting Christians, when he was blinded by Jesus Christ and later believed. So, he believed at the age of thirty-two, and after believing, he disappeared. He preached the Gospel, spoke, and debated, because he was eloquent. At that time, Peter was thirty-four years old, so they were close in age.

In 38 AD, Apostle Paul, at the age of thirty-five, went to visit Apostle Peter. You know, we small believers are like me when I first believed; we want to visit some big-name pastor, but after visiting, it's just so-so. At the age of thirty-five, he went to visit the Apostle. At that time, he was a small believer. After this small believer visited, nothing happened; they didn't give him a position, nor did they think he was a talented person; they didn't care. Many people come to find me, there are so many people in the church, tens of thousands, how would I have the time to care about this small duckling? At that time, they were all big-name pastors, very famous.

As a result, in 43 AD, Apostle Paul was forty years old. At forty years old, where was Barnabas sent? He was sent to Antioch. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Why? Because Peter and James were too lazy to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles; they were specializing in preaching the Gospel to the Jews. Why? I will explain later. This Bible reveals between the lines, it was written long ago, but many people do not study this matter. I have studied this matter thoroughly. Barnabas invited Paul, who was then called Saul in the Bible. What did he invite Paul to Antioch to do? To do inconspicuous work, to serve the Gentiles, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul was invited by Barnabas because the Bible says: Barnabas was a good man. Then again, I tell you, when I came out to serve, I also met a Barnabas, his name was really Barnabas, Barnabas brought me into the church, I promise you, he was also a good man, a very good man. I said that it was very magical! So I read with a special feeling.

In 43 AD, he arrived at Antioch, a small pastor in a small church serving a group of people that the apostles Peter and James looked down on, preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, which was amazing. In 49 AD, Paul had established many churches, and there was trouble. The Jews asked the Gentiles to keep circumcision in their belief in the Lord. Why? They thought they were converting into Moses Religion, in fact they were converting into Jesus Religion. As a result, Paul in 49 AD, when he was forty-six years old, did you know? I was also forty-six years old when I came out to establish a church. He went to Jerusalem to have a meeting, what kind of meeting? To solve the issue of circumcision or not. He solved this matter very well. Look, I dug very deep into it, why do I say this is a paper? It has the value of a paper.

In his Galatians, Paul said, I went up in response to a revelation and was not running in vain. Do you understand the meaning of this? That is, if someone dismissed me, I am currently only a small pastor, within their system, inside their organization, they said they are dismissing, then they are dismissing, what can you do? Why? Isn't because you opposed circumcision? I dismiss you for not keeping circumcision. So Paul in 49 AD, when he was forty-six years old, went to see James and Peter, this resulted in the first Christian conference in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts chapter 15. The Christian conference established a very clear direction, Paul got what he wanted to get. Then what did he get? It's about not letting these Gentiles keep the Law of Moses, done!

Who did this result come from? Goodman Barnabas, Goodman James, Goodman Peter, what kind of people are good people? People who do not like conflicts in this matters, who want to please everyone. As a result, what kind of Shangfang Sword did Paul receive? That is, Peter and James went to the Jews, and Paul went to the non-Jews, but did not care if the Jews mixed in, so be it! So the circumcision that the Jews kept had nothing to do with these Gentile Christians. That was when Paul got what he wanted in 49 AD, and he went back happily with much wisdom! He was no longer running in vain, and Paul established his leading position in the Gentile church, it was hard to dismiss him.

Later, Peter went to Antioch and acted hypocritically when he was with the Gentiles. Paul rebuked Peter, Why are you acting hypocritically! That's how good people are, you have to give people face to be a good person. Even Barnabas, seeing Peter pretending, also pretended. He couldn't undermine Peter, right? What kind of people are they? That's how good people are. The words of the Bible are so interesting. It says in the Book of Acts: Barnabas was a good man. I tell you: the Barnabas I met was also a good man!

Between 50 and 52 AD, Paul went to Corinth and stayed there for eighteen months to establish a church. The church in Corinth was established at this time, and he wrote Galatians. Galatians was hitting at the spines of Peter and James, rubbing them hard on the ground. It was not a massage, it was friction! When you read Galatians, you will know. Someone asked me typing a question online: Why did Peter act hypocritically? Because everyone had agreed in the meeting. You agreed to go to the Jews, but here you are, mixing with the Gentiles, isn't that backtracking on your promise? How could they not act hypocritically? So by 52 AD, Paul was forty-eight or forty-nine years old, less than fifty years old, and he wrote Galatians, which is Galatians we read today.

From 52 AD to 59 AD, Paul established churches in various places, and the Gentile churches became extremely prosperous and blossomed everywhere. In 59 AD, he was fifty-six years old when he returned to Jerusalem, and was arrested. His arrest also felt like political persecution. At that time, he was imprisoned in the Jewish region for two years, in 61 AD, he was fifty-eight years old before he was sent to Rome. Then, in 63 AD,he was released. From 61 AD to 63 AD. That is to say, Paul wrote many epistles while he was imprisoned in Rome, which are what we read today. Once I sorted this matter, I can see the Apostle Paul from a small believer, then reluctantly got a position of ministry, and then climbed up this position step by step, and later became the apostle to the Gentiles. As a result, a problem arose when he was serving as an apostle to the Gentiles. At that time, many people did not recognize that he was an apostle.

So when someone is chosen, don't think that they seem to have popped out of a rock like Sun Wukong. Even if Sun Wukong came out of a rock, he still had to learn from a teacher, learn from Bodhi, and then there was Havoc in Heaven. In fact, he was not the first one chosen. Everyone must know this: the first person chosen to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles was Peter. Why did he chose Paul? Because it was too weird for Peter to preach the Gospel to Cornelius. Peter was the leader of the church, preaching the Gospel to Cornelius, and after he came back to the church, the deacons and elders, all these miscellaneous believers in the church said: Hey, how can you preach the Gospel to the Gentiles?

If you read Acts chapter 11 carefully, you will find the whole story is very strange. If I were Peter: Since when it is your turn to ask me? I see? Since when it is your turn to question me? But this Peter is not like that, he explains slowly to them. So everyone will find that I don't bother to explain many things. Why explain things? Nice people explain things! As a result, Paul was still an obscure person at this time, no one cared about him, but God was already preparing him. It doesn't matter if you under someone's authority because Peter said in Acts chapter 11, verse 19 what? Preach the Gospel to the Jews, not to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, a very sharp observation after a careful reading! So, God began to prepare a Paul. Ay, Peter can't do it, he can't be used, he is not smart enough. If you can read a feeling, Jesus Christ feels very hard!

You can read the feeling that Jesus Christ feels very hard! Look, I chose you to be a great apostle, I showed you a vision, and then you preached the gospel to Cornelius, then why didn't you do it? Isn't that weird? Why? Because there is internal pressure! He has to please the people in the church. If he does not please the people in the church, then won't his work be for nothing if these Pharisees leave the church? And the great apostle needs offerings to survive today is not it! That Peter in the old days was rich, why? Because the brothers and sister of the church sold all their land offered it. As a result, Peter did not know the management. That is because they have no knowledge! In the end, he could not write.

And then, I tell you, there are many people that said Paul was not an apostle, where did this rumor come from? It came from Peter and James. Why did it came from Peter? Because Paul's Letter to the Galatians rubbed James, Peter, and Barnabas on the ground 'squeak and squeak'. That isn't giving a massage, it is friction! So the apostle had not followed Jesus, but he himself sealed himself as an apostle! The apostle's title was self-proclaimed by Paul, I, Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ! Something self-proclaimed. Amazing? Amazing! Sometimes I want to seal one myself, but on second thought, forget it.

God is raising a group of people with the similar personality, seal a name with no qualms, the apostle is not a big deal. It’s nothing great, is just a people who is like Apostle Paul. Today, you must tell yourself: you are that Apostle Paul, we all are. I am the one chosen by God, I am the one who will restore Apostle Paul's theology again in this generation, self-proclaimed a title, it says nothing. Today, we are reading scriptures, which is like listening to Yi Zhongtian telling “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, this story is about history.

II. Scripture

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:6-12)

III. Prayer

Oh God! Your will is to raise a group of Apostle Pauls in this generation! Oh God! We are here, may You raise us up! To pay the price of life for You. Oh God, use us, let us emulate the Apostle Paul, and preach Your pure gospel. May this power of the Gospel once again be manifested through Chinese Mingding Destiny. Oh God! Today, let each of our brothers and sisters inherit the character of Apostle Paul, let our brothers and sisters know that we are chosen by You, and that we will become tools to manifest Your glory in this generation. Oh God! You come to reveal us and lead us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

IV. The Background of This Passage

The background of this scripture is very interesting. The background of this scripture is when Apostle Paul had established himself as the leader of the Gentile church not long ago, and his position was not so stable at the time.

Then, Apostle Paul was filled with zeal and passion. His enthusiasm was so intense that he persecuted Christians with great fervor. He was very enthusiastic in what he did. That was a basic quality that God chose in Apostle Paul. Therefore, Paul quoted extensively from Genesis in Galatians. See that? Why do we study Genesis in the 101 course? It's because we learn from Paul. Genesis is the foundation of the entire Bible. Because Paul loved to study from a young age and studied under Gamaliel, his knowledge of the Old Testament surpassed that of the average person of that generation. Peter and James, on the other hand, probably did not study hard from a young age. They did not understand Genesis well, and thus, they were truly lacking.

So, what made Paul so remarkable? What made him remarkable was that he knew exactly what the Bible said. Therefore, he was very clear about what God's will was and what was not. As a result, he eloquently wrote Galatians, which strongly criticized Peter. If someone were to use Galatians to confront Peter, saying, Peter, look, why are you still being hypocritical? Peter's face would probably turn red and pale. What would happen then? Peter would have to say, Paul's letters cannot be misinterpreted. You can actually find this statement in 2 Peter. You must not misinterpret Paul's letters. Don't blindly believe what he says about me. See, that's how it is.

So, today, we must understand that for the sake of the pure gospel, Paul criticized Peter and James so thoroughly. I suspect that James, after reading Galatians, wrote the Book of James. He never wrote before, but after being provoked by Galatians, he wrote the Book of James. Look:

For man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:20)

Why? Because Paul displayed such anger in Galatians that when James read it, he felt like he had swallowed a cockroach, or a dung beetle. No, he swallowed a stink bug! Do you know what a stink bug is? It's incredibly smelly; you can't wash the smell off your hands. So, if you read them together, it seems like a response to Paul! Now you understand! In this generation, there don't seem to be many who read the Bible more clearly than we Chinese Mingding Destiny do! We really need this. Next, we will talk about this. Today, we don't have time to talk too much about the pure gospel, but I tell you, Galatians is a short letter written by Paul to maintain this pure gospel, and it is powerful and full of passion. Thank God for Galatians! Otherwise, things would really be out of control today!

V. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Someone Has Lost Their Destiny

You must realize that God's will was for Peter to be chosen to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Cornelius was the first Gentile to believe, through whom? Through Peter. When Peter was preaching the gospel to Cornelius, he saw visions and all sorts of things, putting on a big show, fearing that Peter would not be able to break through the old framework. But what happened? There was a weakness in his character, which was that he couldn't argue with people; he didn't have the substance inside.

So, in Acts 11:19, under Peter's leadership, the church stopped preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. They assigned others to preach; he wouldn't touch this hot potato. See, Peter was God's arrangement, God showed you visions, revealed Cornelius to you, but, alas, he quit. This is very strange and troubling. Why? Because Peter was considerate of people's feelings, liked to pretend, was a little afraid of death, and focused a little too much on family. Is this true? Yes, it's all revealed in his words. Look, what he says is very strange. He says that you and your wife are co-heirs of the grace of life. I have never found these words in other chapters of the Bible, neither in the Old Testament nor in the New Testament.

What does it mean to be co-heirs of the grace of life? There was a prophet whom God arranged to marry a prostitute. Is that being co-heirs of the grace of life? You are you, and your wife is your wife; you suffer on your own. So, focusing on family all comes from Peter. So, being a little afraid of death and pretending, he often praised Lot. Why? Because Lot was Peter's good friend. They were birds of a feather. Lot also listened to his wife and suffered with her. So, this is very interesting. How did it become like this? It's because they lost their destiny.

Today, brothers and sisters, you must inherit my character. What character do I have? I came into this world to serve God. You either follow me or go wherever you want. As for me, I serve my God. This is my life, this is my Mingding Destiny. Don't argue with me; you can't win. Don't use morality to bind me; you can't bind me. So, God raised up Apostle Paul to walk this path to preserve the pure gospel. You must know that Paul's strong character is powerful; God will raise up people with this kind of character in this generation.

You know, there is a very interesting brother among us. From a young age, he was afraid of his wife, and he continued to be afraid until recently. Every time he mentioned his wife, his whole body would tremble. In his entire family, his daughter and himself were all helpless in front of his wife. What happened? A while ago, two months ago, he became strong, and God really helped him. A few days ago, he completely turned things around. Do you know what his wife had driven him to? To the point where he wanted to jump into the Yangtze River! It was really life-threatening! But he became strong. His wife had a fever, and he slammed down and said, Should I pray for you? Or forget it. Later, his wife was in pain and discomfort, and he slammed the phone to her, Go pray with the Whirlwind Prayer! His wife saw that she had no choice, so she followed the Whirlwind Prayer, and the fever went away. She became really obedient.

I tell you, being strong can turn a family around; without strength, there is no way out. It's a path of losing your destiny. So, brothers and sisters, you must know that one of the reasons for being chosen is that someone has lost their destiny. I tell you, Chinese Mingding Destiny is not the first to be chosen. God has actually chosen many, but they lack the qualities that Paul had. Their study of the Bible is not as deep as ours. So, brothers and sisters, think about it slowly.

VI. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Growing Up from a Young Age

Paul was amazing; he was someone who grew up from a young age. You can't be careless when you study from a young age, especially when it comes to the word of God. Why? Because he was a child who grew up from a young age, and he didn't act rashly. So, among us today, if you don't grow up, are careless, muddleheaded, and make decisions impulsively, you need to change slowly.

Look, after he believed, he went to Arabia. What did he do there? I tell you, the scripture we talked about today says that it came from the revelation of Jesus Christ. Look, after Paul believed, he didn't hang out with Peter and them. This is very strange. Why? Because hanging out with Peter would have ruined him, mixing with those who didn't grow up. What did he do in Arabia? He served, prayed, and researched diligently. Later, he reorganized the Bible again. He was familiar with the scriptures from a young age, and his knowledge was very profound. In addition, during those years in Arabia, I guess he was diligently reading the Bible, and God truly revealed things to him. His understanding of Genesis was definitely second to none in that era.

Let me also say a little bit about our understanding of Genesis. I tell you, it's definitely the ceiling, and it's definitely God's revelation. If you listen to me talk about Genesis, if it's not God's revelation, we can't read it, we really can't understand it. We didn't understand it for so many years. But today, I tell you, it's because during that time, there weren't many people in the church, there was no work, and all I did was pray in the office and read the Bible. You have to grow up from a young age. Later, I discovered that I also grew up from a young age.

Then, why did Barnabas later invite Paul to come to Antioch to start a church? The reason is simple: in that era, Paul wrote his papers one by one, and they were related to Barnabas. Why? Because Barnabas took him to see the Apostle Peter. That is, in 38 AD, when Paul was 35 years old, Barnabas took Paul to see Peter and James. You understand? Then, he was not used. I have seen many people; how could I have time to deal with a small fry like you? So Paul left, but he probably wrote letters to Barnabas often.

Barnabas saw that Paul's insights were incredible. Now that he wanted to build a church in Antioch, what should he do? He asked Paul to come and help him. Why? Because Paul's understanding of God's word and the revelation from God were clear and visible. Do you understand? Paul grew up from a young age. Don't be like Peter. I tell you, he knew Jesus Christ and followed Jesus Christ for three years. Jesus was crucified, and he was an apostle for many years. I tell you, if he had grown up a little, recognizing one word at a time, recognizing ten words a day, he would have recognized 3,650 words a year. In three years, he would have recognized 10,000 words. In fact, it's amazing to recognize 5,000 words in a lifetime. Peter didn't grow up. When he was old, after decades, after he could have gotten several degrees, he still had to find someone else. He dictated, and others wrote. This is because he didn't study and didn't grow up. Actually, I tell you, God doesn't really like this.

When you come to Chinese Mingding Destiny, you will find that you are forced to grow up. Many people say that after coming to Chinese Mingding Destiny, they found that they had never written so many words in their lives. Those who couldn't type can now type; those who couldn't write can now write; those who couldn't read can now read. Those who read recognize even more words. You are very busy after you come. Are you busy? Definitely busy. We can't allow you to be idle and scroll through TikTok, not knowing that you are exposing yourself.

So you have to grow up. If you improve a little bit every day, you will be amazing today. I don't allow you to be Peter. If you become Peter, you will become P嘚, and if you become P嘚, even the P is gone, and you are just very 嘚. Can that work? Being 嘚 and silly, is that right? According to what I say, your head is full of shit. How can that work? If I say that, I'm cursing. So, we can't do that. If you want to be 嘚, can that work? We have to give you a Paul, even a young Paul. That's fine, as long as you grow up.

VII. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Having Zeal

How do you know? That's what Galatians says. Galatians 1:14:

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. (Galatians 1:14-18)

You see what this says. Do you know what it means? He is saying that I was chosen, and I have been zealous for God since I was young, even becoming zealous in persecuting Christians. Later, I served and did things with passion. If you come into contact with me, you will find that I am zealous even when washing the toilet. I wash the toilet with passion.

What I am saying today is really for everyone to hear, because there are some people among us who are careless, so we have to watch them. Late last night, when I was preparing the manuscript, I suddenly remembered and sent a message, urging one of our brothers to grow up, have zeal, think carefully, and figure things out. This is serving with zeal.

I once talked about a pastor who had a brain tumor. I am Reverend Liu, and he is also a tumor Reverend, not surnamed tumor, but later became tumor because he had a tumor. Why? Because he lacked zeal and passion in serving God. Do you understand? Today, let's not be that kind of person. He's a hardcore performer. Pointing at me, that's also a hardcore performer. Don't get me wrong, that's not called a hardcore performer; that's called a passion king, full of passion.

Kazuo Inamori was crowned the hardcore performer of Southeast Asia, and Elon Musk was crowned the hardcore performer of America and North America. These people are all doing things with passion, you know? Later, someone will definitely say that this person is also a hardcore performer, putting me in the hardcore performer category, but I can't compare to them. Who are Kazuo Inamori and Elon Musk? But I have zeal for God, and I am full of passion, including serving with the heart of a father and mother.

Let me give you a few more examples: Last night, I saw that someone was calling, but the phone didn't ring. I missed it, probably because they didn't @ me. Then I called back several times, but no one answered. They were probably asleep. Later, I arranged for someone to see when they could get through and when they could serve. Anyway, I tell you, if I called a pastor at that time, they would still be sleeping. Can that work? Wouldn't that disturb them? You know this situation is quite common.

I once met a pastor. Later, because I was serving outside, I came back late. Because I was living with him, I called him, but I couldn't get through. The next day, I asked him why I couldn't get through. He said he turned off his phone at 10:30. I said, Even if your mother died, no one could find you. Do you understand this? What kind of brain is this? Lacking enthusiasm.

This generation needs passionate service! If you serve passionately, the fire inside you will burn away the tumors! You must understand that passion can really overcome fatigue; passion can overcome depression; passion can overcome sorrow; passion can overcome tumors. I tell you, from my twenties until now, I really haven't rested a day. I don't really like to rest. People who hear this will say, Ah! 996; 007. What? In the past, I rarely slept before 2 AM. Someone says, Hardcore performer, definitely a hardcore performer! But they don't know that I am a passion king. Develop the previous reasons slowly. If you can't develop them, do them slowly.

VIII. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Not Focusing on Human Intentions

You must know how many myths and absurdities in Christianity today are related to human intentions. Focusing on human intentions started with Peter. Peter is definitely second to none in focusing on human intentions. If he is second, no one dares to be first. You must know that he even said this to Jesus. When Jesus was about to be crucified, Peter said, That's not allowed! Jesus said, Get behind me, Satan! You are only focused on human intentions, not on God's intentions. You must not learn this.

You must know that if family values are too strong, you cannot serve God. Because family values are human intentions, not God's intentions at all. You should not find this in the Old Testament or the New Testament except in the Books of Peter and James. You must know that what Jesus said is completely opposite to focusing on human intentions. If you give up what for the sake of the kingdom of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ? Give up your family, give up all your parents, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters for the sake of God, can you understand? If you cannot give up, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Are you not destroying the family?

But today, people exalt family values above God. This is human intention. For example, Jesus Christ wants to give his life, and he says, That's not allowed! This is human intention. So human intention is Satan, and Satan is human intention. Do you understand now? Focusing on human intention is Satan. Isn't this amazing? It's very amazing. How can you be strong if you focus on human intention? How can you not pretend? It's just to give people face. So if you want to be a good person, you can't go on. How can you go on if you are a good person? Let me say a little bit today: Peter is second to none in focusing on human intention. Tell me, what happened after he stopped preaching the gospel to the Gentiles? He was afraid; he focused on human intention. When Satan hindered him, he stopped, so he lost to Satan.

Later, a miraculous thing happened. In Acts 11, after Chapter 12, Peter was arrested and put in prison. God rescued him from prison, and then Peter went to another place. After Peter left, the church went to James, and James became the rightful leader of the church. What is all this? It's chaotic. Later, in Acts 15, he had completely lost his voice in the church. He was still pretending in Antioch. Isn't this the corruption of focusing on human intention?

IX. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Grasping God's Heart

You must know that the most important concept in both the Old and New Testaments is to build a glorious church. Today, what we grasp is to build God's glorious church, the body of Jesus Christ. All of Apostle Paul's epistles are epistles for building the church. Apostle Paul described salvation clearly, described pastoring, God's power, the powerful gospel of God, and the pure gospel of God clearly. Grab God's heart. Today, everyone must grab God's heart. Today, reading the Bible must be clear that if you don't grab it: The most important thing is to build God's glorious church. Everything else is in vain.

Even today, there are still many theological systems that promote personal cultivation. Personal cultivation, hiding in secret rooms, and a bunch of other things. Actually, Apostle Paul's teachings rarely have these things. What he teaches is to build the church. Because whether it is Mount Zion mentioned in the Old Testament, Jerusalem mentioned in the Old Testament, or Israel mentioned in the Old Testament, so the Old Testament says: Those who pray for Israel will surely have peace. Those who seek peace for Jerusalem will receive God's benefits. It's all these things. What are these things? These refer to the church. So Mount Zion points to the church, God's temple points to the church, Jerusalem points to the church, and Israel points to the church. So the church is the body of Jesus Christ. Building the body of Jesus Christ is the most important truth.

X. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Willing to Pay the Price

Apostle Paul said: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Sometimes when I say this, my eyes will get wet: It is Jesus Christ who lives in me, and I no longer live for myself. So the Apostle Paul's service of paying the price is beyond what people can imagine. He used his own hands to support himself and his co-workers. Can you imagine how much he worked? How much did he serve? How many church epistles did he write? At the same time, he used his own hands to support himself and his co-workers, which is beyond our imagination. He had no fear of death, but lived for God and died for God. This is why I was chosen by God, this is my destiny, there are no small days. Not like those people.

In Paul's letters, we think he is defending himself. Actually, no, it's his heart. He said: Can't I bring a sister with me? Like Peter? Isn't there this qualification? Yes. But for God's sake, I give up. I give up the power I should have. I put down the power I should have. I did this to serve and please God. Sometimes I don't hide it from the brothers and sisters to say this. This is what I often say: I use my own hands to support myself and my co-workers. It's really true.

I hope that our brothers and sisters can all become people willing to pay the price. Recently, I have been pushing the brothers and sisters to serve, serve, why? I hope that the brothers and sisters can become people who can afford to pay the price. Because this is why we live, why we die, and why we are born. This is our destiny. Don't score me, score yourself, let yourself become a person who pays the price. Willing to pay the price and forced to pay the price are completely different things.

XI. One of the Reasons for Being Chosen: Very Wise

You must know that Apostle Paul was full of wisdom in handling his relationship with Peter and James. Although he offended James and Peter by writing Galatians, he had a clear conscience and brought donations to Jerusalem. When he was dealing with James and Peter, because he was still a young child at that time. On the spiritual road, his status in the church was just a small staff member. He went to Jerusalem with revelation to meet them, and he got what he wanted. He was an apostle to the Gentiles, and they were to be apostles to the Jews. It is difficult for us to imagine that a person can still preach the gospel purely and build the church completely under such layers of suppression in the church.

XII. Conclusion:

Imitate Paul. This is what I am telling everyone, not so that everyone can judge what Paul is like. If Paul were Chinese, he would definitely establish Chinese Mingding Destiny. How do you know? Because Chinese Mingding Destiny is Apostle Paul's theology. This generation will see a new change. This new change will be like a spark that can burn the whole world! May God's glory fill the whole earth because of Chinese Mingding Destiny, may God continue to rise up among us, and may the name of Jesus Christ be glorified! In the future, when you and I return to God, we can receive the crown of glory. The temporary and light sufferings in this world can achieve God’s incomparable glory. What a wonderful choice. Let us look forward to that day when this generation can see God's glory. May God bless everyone!

Let's sing a hymn.