Introduction

Good day to all! Today, I am sharing with you a very, very important topic, which is: The Pure Gospel! This is the second lecture in the series on the theology of the Apostle Paul. I tell you, the theological system of the Apostle Paul is very, very good. Because it works!

Nothing in this world is more detestable than falsehood. Do you agree with this statement? For example, if someone's mother is sick, there are children at home, and they are very poor. They finally manage to scrape together some money to buy medicine, but it turns out to be fake. Wouldn't you say that those who sell fake medicine are despicable? As a result, the child's mother takes it and it is truly life-threatening! When you think about it, isn't the most abominable thing in this world falsehood? A false gospel is even more detestable! Fake banknotes? After working hard for a whole month, the salary received turns out to be counterfeit money. Alas, how upsetting! Imagine selling a batch of goods and receiving fake money in return. When you go to the bank, they won't accept it for deposit. You've lost both the goods and the money. False things in this world are too detestable!

Nowadays, it's hard to tell what is real and what is fake. For example, I have a friend, and I even treated him to a meal once. His father suddenly discovered a shadow in his lung and was rushed to the operating room. It was a real hospital with real doctors, but they did something unbelievable: they cut open his father's abdomen and, like butchering a pig, searched for the shadow in his lung. Huh? The film showed a shadow, but why couldn't they find it in the lung? All they saw were healthy lungs!

Then they came out of the operating room and said, We need to discuss this with your family. We cut here and pulled there (like selling pork) but couldn't find the shadow. The film showed it, though. So, should they cut it or not? The family made a decision: cut it. After the surgery, who could they reason with? They cut away a healthy lung! Oh well, since they had already opened him up, they just went ahead and cut it. These were real doctors from a real hospital, but they did something truly deadly.

I have a relative who had an even more interesting experience. He was a farmer. His three children took him to the hospital, where they cut open his heart and performed heart surgery. From then on, he could no longer work in the fields. When I saw him that year, the incision on his chest was still oozing blood, even after two years, and he had to change the dressing frequently. He said to me, What's going on? I don't understand. I was farming peacefully, and they insisted on taking me to the hospital to cut me open. Look at me now. I also wondered what was going on. Was it a real doctor or a fake doctor? A real hospital or a fake hospital? It's truly deceptive!

Some things are even more perplexing now. Some people are truly male, while others are falsely male. Some people are truly female, while others are falsely female. Isn't that frightening? You go to the restroom, and you don't know if what they have is real or fake. If you go in and it turns out to be fake, wouldn't that be a disaster?

In this matter, to be a Christian and turn out to be a fake Christian, to believe in the gospel and end up with a false gospel, to be an apostle of Jesus Christ and become a fake apostle, to be a master and be a fake master—isn't that a tragedy? It is extremely harmful!

Today, I just learned of a testimony, a very interesting one. This testimony was very, very long. We have revised it quite a bit for today. But I will briefly share her testimony. She was born into a Christian family. She believed in the Lord from a young age and experienced many changes, joys, and sorrows in the church. Seeing her peers being more diligent in their faith motivated her to be even more zealous. She received relatively traditional teachings in traditional churches, such as Do not love the world and Strive to serve the Lord. Everyone considered full-time ministry to be the best expression of love for God. If someone spent time focusing on studying, working, and providing for their family, they were deemed as loving the world.

At that time, she also aspired to serve God full-time in the future. When she went to college, she wanted to devote herself to full-time ministry. She didn't study diligently and didn't put much effort into finding a job, thinking that looking for a job was loving the world. As a result, after graduation, the school ordered her to move out, and she had no job prospects. She thought, It doesn't matter, I'll be serving God full-time anyway. Day after day, she was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Is that how a Christian family should teach? Thankfully, Jesus wasn't a half-baked carpenter. What happened? She ended up going to get a doctorate. Hey? Why aren't you serving God full-time? If you're serving God full-time, why are you getting a doctorate?

That's how people are. Deep down, they still love the world, and they are misguided by a false gospel. The result is even worse. Many people can't graduate with a doctorate. During her doctoral studies, whenever she thought about getting her doctorate, she thought about serving God. But when it came to actually serving God, she couldn't do it and went back to loving the world. Yet, she wasn't qualified to love the world. She was conflicted and miserable, so she scrolled through short videos, day after day. As a result, demons came upon her. Demons ran around in her body, and she couldn't control herself. She couldn't control the time she spent watching short videos at all. As a result, she became worse and worse! She had no job prospects, and she couldn't graduate with her doctorate. She had a whole bunch of problems. Demons were running around inside her—this is real. Don't think that just because you're a Christian…

Someone once left me a message. What did it say? He said, Teacher, if a Christian has God dwelling in him, can a demon also dwell in him? The question is, who is dwelling inside? We don't know. If it's truly the Holy Spirit dwelling inside, shouldn't the person be like Jesus? But no matter how you look at it, they don't resemble Jesus. So, what is dwelling inside? He couldn't explain it either. Then he asked me, How did the demon get in? Well, you didn't let Jesus dwell inside; you didn't let the Holy Spirit dwell inside; you didn't let the Holy Spirit be your King; you didn't follow the Holy Spirit. So, what happened? He even asked me, Isn't what's inside me bigger than what's outside? How could a demon get in? I said, What's inside you? You need to ask yourself that. He was dumbfounded!

As a result, she came to know Chinese Mingding Destiny. The person who asked the question also came to be among us, and this doctoral student also came to be among us. Did you think the demons would let you go? They wouldn't let you go. What a misfortune! If you believe in the Lord and still experience misfortune, you need to reflect carefully on what you believe in. Is it really the Lord? What are you really believing in? It's completely inconsistent with the Bible. The Bible is right in your hands. If you read it carefully, you'll know that something is wrong. Have you noticed that if you pay a little attention, you'll know that something is not right?

I really think it's a tragedy. We in Chinese Mingding Destiny spent a lot of time ministering to her. Oh my, the amount of garbage inside her! When her pastor contacted me, I was overwhelmed by the garbage in her mind. Sometimes, when I talk to their pastors, I really feel like a pastor of little faith. I say, Oh, let's just give up on this. She kept asking those silly questions. I really found it annoying. But surprisingly, after being tormented to the point of despair, she actually changed a little. After changing a little, she started looking for a job and actually found one.

God truly showed her favor. She has a job. I tell you, it's hard not to be blessed among us. Because she was cursed by a wrong belief, I deeply know that believing in the wrong gospel brings a curse, and preaching the wrong gospel also brings a curse. So, what should you do? Who told you not to read the Bible carefully? Who told you not to believe properly? When you read the Bible, you insist on reading the Book of James. When you read the Bible, you insist on reading 1 Peter and 2 Peter. You don't read the many letters of the Apostle Paul carefully. Galatians is a book about the pure gospel!

There are many stories like this. If I were to tell them all, I would have many to share. Some time ago, a preacher came to us. He preached and preached until he became depressed. He became depressed from being a preacher. When he came to be among us, we didn't care about anything and just started ministering to him. As we ministered to him, oh my, the amount of garbage in his mind! What were they believing in? It was completely inconsistent with the Bible, obviously inconsistent with the Bible. I really think they should go back and read their elementary school textbooks. Don't you know that some people are so poor that they're practically broke, and they still feel proud, saying, Now I'm so poor that all I have left is spiritual. But in reality, they don't have any spirituality either. They just think they have it.

There's another thing that's even more troubling. If I were to give examples, I could give a whole bunch. I'll pick a few to share with you: There was a sister from Shanghai. She was from a local church in Shanghai. When this sister from Shanghai came to be among us, oh, what a tragedy! Everything she said was filled with tears. When she gave birth to her first child, she prayed and the child was born with cerebral palsy. The pastor's wife told her to keep praying. When she gave birth to her second child, it was also born with cerebral palsy. I wondered what to do. Listen to me: The pastor's wife said it was okay, to keep praying and give birth to a third child. The third child was slightly more normal. But whether that slightly normal child will be able to go to school in the future is still unknown.

As a result, she went to ask the pastor's wife again. The pastor's wife said to keep praying, and God will definitely give you a good inheritance. So she gave birth to another child, and it also had cerebral palsy! The ratio of children with cerebral palsy went from two to one to three to one. When she came to be among us, I was outraged at this kind of church and this kind of gospel!

So, the one selling fake medicine doesn't say that the medicine is fake. The person buying the medicine asks how much the medicine costs, and the seller says it costs ten thousand dollars for one injection. Then, the seller leans in and whispers in the buyer's ear, Be careful, this is fake medicine. Does anyone sell fake medicine like that? No one sells fake medicine like that. No one takes counterfeit money and says, This is counterfeit money. They all say, This is definitely real. I swear to heaven that it is definitely real and definitely works. The more worldly people guarantee, the more trouble there is.

No one preaches a false gospel and says it is a false gospel. No false apostle says he is a false apostle. Everyone says they are real. The real Monkey King says he is real, and the fake Monkey King also says he is real. It's hard to distinguish between real and fake. It has been that way from ancient times until now. The real becomes fake, and the fake becomes real. If the fake becomes real and the real becomes fake, then everything is chaotic.

So today, brothers and sisters, after listening to what I have said, you may say, This guy's preaching is alright. I need to make it clear to you that it is hard to distinguish between real and fake. Can you distinguish between them? Of course, you can. If you compare a counterfeit bill to a real one, you can definitely tell the difference. So, a false gospel is extremely harmful. Later, I discovered various gospel movements in the church. I have researched them a lot. Later, I found that there is no use in researching those things. It is enough to research and find the one that is correct. Someone asked me, Is this a false gospel? I said, I don't know. Is that a false gospel? I said, I don't know. Then what do you know? I only know which one is real. Isn't that enough? Why should we care about so many fake ones? It is enough to know which one is real. Today, I want to talk about this matter.

Think about it, what the Bible says is very interesting. You cannot add anything to this gospel, nor can you take anything away from it. You must know that from Moses speaking in Deuteronomy to the old John speaking in Revelation, nothing can be added or subtracted. Nothing can be added or subtracted from this pure gospel. How do you distinguish between them? It's easy to distinguish. If there is something extra or something missing from the money that is used to identify its authenticity, then isn't it fake? The gospel is the same. You cannot add anything or take anything away. If you add something or take something away, then there will be trouble.

So, there is one thing that the Apostle Paul was constantly arguing about. Do you know what he was constantly arguing about? Have you read the Bible? The thing he was constantly arguing about was circumcision. It sounds troubling to talk about circumcision. Why? Because it involves surgery on the male genitalia. I think God is too humorous. This surgery is quite troublesome. Why is it troublesome? Because the surgery involves cutting off the foreskin of the male genitalia. If you need to check whether someone has gone through circumcision to get into the church, then that is quite troublesome. How do you check that? At the entrance, everyone takes out their genitals to show whether they have been circumcised. That is too much!

If all the churches today checked whether you have undergone circumcision, do you think that would be funny? That would be very funny. God is humorous. The surgery is done in a place that cannot be shown off. It is very private. That is very difficult. I don't know how to check it. Thankfully, we don't check that. But many people take pride in circumcision. You know that many Pharisees at that time required Christians to keep the circumcision. The Pharisees whom Jesus hated mixed into the church, and the church began to change. The Pharisees mixed into the church and added something to the gospel. They added a small surgery. Believing in the Lord is not enough. You still need to have a small surgery to cut off the foreskin on the male genitalia. Otherwise, you are not considered to have believed in the Lord!

What kind of thing is that? I find it very interesting. From Abraham onwards, the Israelites accepted circumcision. Abraham believed in the Lord before he accepted circumcision, and he believed very well, and then he underwent circumcision. Someone typed a message saying that there is no need to check. You get a certificate of circumcision, with a QR code that can be scanned. That is a good idea! Then in the later years of Israel, what did circumcision prove? Circumcision proved that the history of Israel is the history of circumcision. All the Israelites kept the circumcision, but later Israel was destroyed, and Judah was also destroyed. So, what happened when circumcision went to the point of provoking God's wrath? In fact, circumcision is ineffective.

It became troublesome when the Pharisees mixed into the church. Circumcision was brought back again. Circumcision was originally not part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ never talked about it. Who opened the door for these Pharisees? It was Peter who opened the door for them. It is very interesting. Let me briefly say that the loss of the pure gospel started from Peter. The restoration of the gospel started from the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Peter opened the door for these Pharisees. A large group of Pharisees poured into the church. The Pharisees were very good at pushing for elections. The election came up at what level is? Peter was even afraid of these Pharisees in the church. My view is that how did he get to be an official? It is required to keep the circumcision.

Why did Peter opened the door for the Pharisees and let them to enter the church? because he is a good people! He was hoping the church have a lot of people, he has a misunderstanding about the revival. His misunderstanding is a lot of people is good, until today, Church is still pursuing a a lot of people enter the church, this idea is pretty popular. But my way is just the opposite. I don't do Peter's way. When I see a group of people want to enter the church, be careful! be careful! Pharisee is coming! What is Pharisee? Pharisee is just sheep in wolf skin. If he can't be a wolf, he will be a weasel take the sheep skin.

When I see a lot of people pour into the church, I always tell my pastor, to be careful! Why? because I know how it works. But a lot of church, even theology school, when they have the topic about church revival, they always bring out Peter, they will talk about 3 thousands people believe in Jesus, is it really? I can see at least two thousands and nine hundred people are Pharisee. that is why they have the power. This circumcision become a false Gospel truth, it is a extra one to add on. Thanks God have Apostle Paul, or we got to give out this circumcision certifications. If you don't have one, you cannot enter the church, those Pharisee are so powerful!

So, Peter and James played a significant role in those years, and the Apostle Paul also played a very important role. What was it? One messed up the gospel, and the other restored the purity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you read Galatians, you can discern that flavor between the lines. Why did the Apostle Paul chide Peter severely in Galatians, accusing him of hypocrisy and such? Because he was indeed preaching a false gospel.

Today, everyone knows that Chinese Mingding Destiny is inherited from the Apostle Paul. The Chinese Mingding Destiny we speak of is actually the theology of the Apostle Paul. We have given the theology of the Apostle Paul a nickname today called Chinese Mingding Destiny. Chinese Mingding Destiny deeply understands Paul's theological system, and Chinese Mingding Destiny deeply understands the words of Jesus Christ. So how can this be judged? See if it resembles Jesus or not. Paul did not give Peter any face at all, truly unable to give him face or James either. He spoke powerfully, saying, Those who seemed to be important added nothing to me; they were of no particular importance. That is the gist of it. My theology comes from the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Where is the problem? The true gospel must be effective! Gospel, gospel, it is not a 霉音 (unlucky sound)! If you preach 霉音, that's an unlucky sound. Today we preach a blessed gospel, a blessed sound, blessed good news. Today we restore the theology of the Apostle Paul. Actually, in the history of Christianity, Martin Luther did not do a good job in reforming the church. That he could achieve that much from such a low and impoverished position. In fact, he did not understand the theology of the Apostle Paul either; what he said was not correct. Today, our brothers and sisters must know that the theology of Jesus Christ is an effective theology. If it's ineffective, it must be wrong; it has to be effective! So there are also ineffective ones among us, why? Because they create their own set of rules! Can their own set of rules be effective? So sometimes, we feel it's a bit difficult for everyone to receive a true theology. Why? They don't want to put in the effort, don't want to read, don't want to figure things out.

Some people even type and ask me: Aren't 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and James part of the Bible? Yes, they are, read them carefully! The problem is: if a person has a rigid logic, then just follow it! What I want to tell everyone today is: why do you say this is also in the Bible, but it's a pit? Why is that? This is very interesting. Today, don't listen to what people say; watch what they do! Can someone who has ruined a church's words be trustworthy? No. Can someone who built an airplane that won't fly be trusted to talk about how to build airplanes? No! But the churches built by the Apostle Paul are full of God's glory, so can they be trusted? Yes. Why was the Apostle Paul chosen? It's because of a simple thing, Peter messed up the work, and God said: forget it, I'll find someone else. Can you understand that? It's simple.

You know that the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul has no hypocrisy. Jesus Christ spent a long time saying, Woe to you, hypocrites, woe to you, hypocrites! Did you hear that? Are you a hypocrite, or someone who pursues being like Jesus Christ? These Pharisees pursue outward appearances. Peter is definitely the king of this hypocrisy thing. If Peter said, I'm the second-best hypocrite, no one would dare claim the top spot. Can you believe that? If you want to believe Peter, then believe him, don't argue with me; I won't argue with you either. Because the Bible is in your hands and mine. How you read it is up to you.

This generation has seen too many tragedies of Christians entering a wrong gospel, being cursed for believing in the wrong gospel. This generation has seen too many tragedies of poverty, too many tragedies of misfortune, all tragedies of believers. Once someone came to me and asked, Teacher Liu, I ask you, my uncle has been very unlucky since he believed, what's going on? Why? Because his daughter came to the church, and he felt that believing was bad. I said, Is your uncle the standard for believing? No, he believed in the wrong thing; who knows where he believed. What is a church? There are many churches; the Church of Satan is also called a church!

Every generation, past generations and today's generation, needs the pure gospel of the Apostle Paul. Thank God! We are inheriting the theology of the Apostle Paul today. If you want to cling tightly to the theology of Peter and James, okay! You can wear out your knees kneeling, see if that works! I think our brothers and sisters are beginning to understand gradually that if you are a Pharisee, be careful today; I will definitely kick you out; I won't care about the numbers at all.

I thank God! Because God is using us in this generation, God is revealing to us in this generation, allowing us to know the pure gospel of the Apostle Paul, bearing the mark of Jesus Christ on our bodies. Maybe some people, I tell you, they bear the mark of a senior monk, but not the mark of Jesus Christ. When we read today's scripture, you will find that today's scripture is the same as last Sunday's.

II. Scripture

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

III. Prayer

God! Today, let us open our spiritual eyes and see the mysteries of Your gospel. God! Today, let Your Spirit open our minds within us and let us know Your word and the mysteries of Your gospel. God! Today, let us come out of these wrong gospels and completely reject these lies of the devil, and begin to restore the pure gospel of the Apostle Paul. God! Today, work on us and let us be more like You, let us be vessels that manifest Your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

IV. Scripture Background

Many people say, didn't we talk about this scripture last week? Last week, we talked about God's Election. I used the same scripture, but today, we are talking about The Pure Gospel. Why do we say this? Because not only in the days of the Apostle Paul was the gospel passed down as 霉音 (bad news), and 霉音 was passed down as the gospel, causing confusion. Some people preached it wrongly, so today we must talk about the pure gospel. I once wrote a book, many years ago, called The Pure Gospel, which is a study of Galatians, a very thin booklet. But I was very, very satisfied with that booklet. Why? Because many years ago, when I was studying Galatians, that was when the prototype of Chinese Mingding Destiny began to take shape.

IV. Background of This Scripture

Today, we are looking at this scripture from the perspective of the pure gospel, last week was from the perspective of election. Actually, this is a very strange thing. How could he leave Paul's gospel so quickly and believe in a different gospel? Today we must be careful! What is the gospel that one believes in? It is important to ask oneself. How could they leave Christ who called you so quickly and follow a different gospel? How could the Galatians be so quick? Because a person of reputation came, and who is this person of reputation? This person of reputation is probably related to Peter and James, because later it was these people. Why do I say this? Because their influence was too great. One was Jesus' biological brother, and the other was a disciple who followed Jesus. They certainly have more leverage than the Apostle Paul!

That is to say, people judge people according to their appearance. Why? One followed Jesus, Paul, did you follow Jesus? No! I followed Jesus, so what I preach is definitely purer than what Paul preaches! Does this sound right? It is right! But there is a problem, this problem is coming. You followed Jesus, but did you really inherit Jesus? This person of reputation in Galatians is those people of reputation. These people of reputation are Peter and James and those people in Jerusalem. What did they preach? They didn't preach anything else, they just added a procedure, performing circumcision on the male genitals. What is so alarming about adding this procedure? Because adding this procedure completely destroys the foundation of the gospel. So the foundation of the gospel is very crucial!

Some people felt that in Acts chapter 15. At that time, Peter and James did not think much of Paul. They thought: you just go preach to the Gentiles. What good can come from the Gentiles? All the good stuff is among us Jews! As a result, it was later discovered that this was not the case. All the good material was among the Gentiles, and there was nothing good among the Jews. As a result, they messed up their own church. So how do you know that it’s almost ruined? Getting poorer and poorer.

Later, Jerusalem became so poor that the Apostle Paul had to bring donations to support the church in Jerusalem. This Paul is amazing! Why? Why did the church in Jerusalem send people to that area of Galatia? I think there are several reasons to speculate: one reason is that they made the church in Jerusalem poorer and poorer, so should they go to Galatia to gather some fans? Is there this suspicion? Maybe.

After arriving in Galatia, the Galatians asked: which gospel is true, the one you preach or the one Paul preaches? He said: Paul's is fake, Paul's apostle is fake, Paul's gospel is also fake, ours is the pure one. Do you think this is corrupt or not? This is Peter who followed Jesus Christ! And this is Jesus' brother. And then I tell you, one must preach circumcision! What is the difference between your gospel and his? My gospel has circumcision! Paul's does not have circumcision! Hey, one more function! Do you feel that this is familiar? One more circumcision sounds better than one less! At least sex is more hygienic! What is this nonsense? It sounds very powerful, with an extra layer of protection.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

Oh, this is harsh! What can an angel from heaven do? Even one from heaven is accursed. Jesus' brother, Jesus' brother is the same; his name is not mentioned, so why? In fact, it is to grab fans. Is this hateful or not? If you draw a snake and draw feet on the snake, doesn't it become a four-legged snake? Is a four-legged snake still a snake? My snake has feet. So the fight between true and false apostles began, and the fight between true and false gospels began from then on. Why? Because behind it are dark forces, spiritual dark forces are manipulating it. In fact, the whole history of the church is actually a very sad history.

God is raising us up in this generation. In fact, there are probably not many people who have exposed Peter and James in this way while reading the Bible. Today, we really thank God that God has raised us up in this generation, so that we have received such a revelation, and exposed the hypocrisy of the false gospel from the inside out. Brothers and sisters, you are blessed! Why are there curses on several generations of Christians, and in Christianized families, what is lived out is a wretched life, and God's presence cannot be seen. It is because of that curse. This is the curse of the New Testament. If people believe in the wrong gospel, they will be cursed, and if people preach the wrong gospel, they will also be cursed. Everyone should be able to see many examples. Why did I start a church and start Chinese Mingding Destiny? Because I saw too many sad things in the local church! Completely inconsistent with the Bible, obviously inconsistent with the Bible, but we can't say it! Right? It's not my business to go on stage and say this gospel is wrong. I don't want to cause trouble for myself! I don't do that! I don't build on other people's foundations; I build my own.

Thank God that God has chosen me to do this. God chose the Apostle Paul in that generation to preach a pure gospel, but God is allowing us to continue to fulfill God's will in this generation, and to restore God's pure gospel. The church in Galatia was corrupted, and the church in Corinth was corrupted by the same group of people. And in Galatians and Corinthians, whenever Peter is mentioned, this matter is inevitably related to Peter. What is false is still false, and what is true is still true. Don't think that I am fighting fakes today; I am letting everyone know the truth. There is only one pure gospel, and that is the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul. If you are willing to follow Peter, and willing to follow James, I congratulate you, I wish you good luck.

V. The Foundation of the Pure Gospel 1: Faith

Much of what I wanted to say has already been said, I will say it again later, but it is very important. Although it is not very interesting, and it is also boring, it is still very important. Do you know that within the gospel today, you can distinguish two things, one is based on works, and the other is based on faith. In the traditional church, you often hear: this brother has a very good life. Is this familiar? I said, how did he have so good a life? You see him come to arrange benches on Sundays, and then he is very conscientious and enthusiastic in the church, and then he drives people to pick them up and drop them off, is this what you call life? I don't know what kind of life this is! Because in this situation, we may be judging people using laws and regulations, and judging them based on their actions. If you were to judge people based on their actions, then that would be troublesome. This person also makes keeping the law the foundation. Then all who rely on observing the law are under a curse.

Among us, I have a colleague who is a very smart child. It was interesting when he was in his original place. The head of their church died of cancer. Later, the one who was with him was pushed to the position of head. After he was pushed up, he suffered from stomach bleeding, and then he couldn't do it, and it was over. Later, this group of people also wanted to push him to that position, and he said: I won't do it. Whoever does that will be unlucky! You see, the first one died of cancer, and the second one had stomach bleeding. We also served the one with stomach bleeding, and then he found us online, and now the service is very good! What's the problem? He has no stomach bleeding! It is clear that there is something wrong with him. If serving God results in cancer. Serving God and results in a brain tumor. Serving God and results in stomach bleeding, this is not right! He came among us and received the gospel based on faith, and the gospel based on faith is very interesting. When the Apostle Paul was writing Galatians, he mentioned something very interesting, you may not have read this, I read this, I will tell you, what does Galatians talk about? In the third chapter of Galatians:

Galatians, who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? (Galatians 3:1-4)

Perhaps the subtlety has escaped you. When the Galatians shifted the foundation of their faith to works, stomach ulcers arose, brain tumors manifested, cancers appeared. These are my conjectures, for many suffered greatly, and Peter and James urged them to persevere. But is it a matter of mere endurance? I believe this toxin remains prevalent in the church today. One who embraces a flawed gospel, deviating from faith to works, is cursed. Do you grasp this? All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse.

I contend that Abraham's faith is the paradigm we should emulate. Chinese Mingding Destiny not only dismisses Peter and James but, more significantly, also diminishes the Gospel of Paul. Crucially, it obscures the essence of Abraham's faith. If my meaning is unclear, I will seize every opportunity to clarify it, for it is the cornerstone of the Gospel, the essence of faith. Simply put, God has little need of our meager offerings. He sustains the universe with His omnipotent hands. What need does He have of your deeds? Your role is to believe, to trust Him wholeheartedly, is it not? Thus, I submit that Genesis is the very bedrock of Paul’s theology.

6. Foundation of the Authentic Gospel II: The Holy Spirit

Have you noted the apprehension in some traditional churches at the mere mention of the Holy Spirit? I find this curious. Do you fear the Holy Spirit? Does it imply a doubt in God’s ability to uphold the universe? Why this hesitance regarding the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit can unleash divine power. Once you possess Abraham’s faith, you will discover the capacity to release the power of the Holy Spirit. This Gospel is imbued with potency. We cultivate faith, channeling Abraham's faith. But tread carefully—Abraham's faith is not akin to ordinary belief.

In my view, Abraham's faith is rooted in a profound understanding of life and death. A faith predicated on this understanding of mortality is true faith. Otherwise, your aspirations—I believe I will become the wealthiest!—may lead to financial ruin. With faith akin to Abraham's, one can unleash the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will aid you, becoming your wellspring of strength. The Holy Spirit is thus vital. If you ask me to elaborate on the Holy Spirit, I would say that our prayers today encompass both spirit and intellect. Prayers in the spirit are intertwined with power, while prayers of intellect pertain to our understanding. Both are indispensable. Yet, some question the connection of praying in tongues to the Holy Spirit, demanding discernment as to whether it originates from the Holy Spirit or malevolent spirits. But how can one discern?

The Scriptures offer no guidance on discerning tongues from the Holy Spirit versus evil spirits. However, Jesus stated unequivocally that if you ask the Father earnestly, He will bestow the Holy Spirit on those who ask. Can God not manage these affairs? Traditional churches, mired in flawed doctrines, may perceive them as orthodox. Yet, they extol God's power and sovereignty while simultaneously denying it. What fractured Gospel is this? Brethren, is a Gospel devoid of the Holy Spirit truly a Gospel? A Gospel lacking the Holy Spirit is devoid of power! It resolves nothing.

I often encounter individuals in perplexing situations. Recently, one from Hangzhou approached me, and I inquired: “Why seek me out if you are unwell instead of consulting your church pastor?” He replied: “Our pastor does not offer healing and deliverance to us.” I questioned: “Does your church not provide healing and deliverance?” He clarified: “He only ministers healing and deliverance to outsiders.” Another from Hong Kong lamented that his church only ministers to outsiders, neglecting its members. To this, I suggested, “Simply resign, then you become an outsider. And healing and deliverance can be ministered to you.

Perhaps we can become outsiders, freed from tithing obligations. Favouring outsiders over insiders—what sort of logic is this? I am astounded. Have the insiders already been ensnared, deceived? We need not minister or deliver to them? I offered a counter-strategy: inform your pastor that you are now an outsider. If questioned about your church affiliation, declare yourself a member of Chinese Mingding Destiny. It does not matter if you name my church. Will healing and deliverance be ministered to you then? I doubt it. There is no power.

7. Foundation of the Authentic Gospel III: Promise

Today’s lesson is challenging! I will briefly present the authentic Gospel; the entirety of Galatians expounds upon it. Comprehending Galatians in its entirety presents certain difficulties, but I will construct a framework. The foundation of the authentic Gospel (3) is promise. My friends, you must clearly understand: what is Abraham's faith? He declared, “I am but a man, and I can only receive from God. What else can I do? God has little need of my worthless offerings. I cannot even present myself as an offering to God. If God desires me, that would be exceedingly good!” Why? Because he looked to the promise of God.

I intend to explore Galatians further with you in due course. This letter is of paramount importance. It is not about doing something for God, or exchanging deeds for divine favour. One cannot bargain with God, saying, “God, I offer You this; You give me that. Because I have done this for You, You must now do that for me.” That is a transaction, not a promise. A promise is freely given, an act of grace. Therefore, the Gospel of Paul is one of claiming God's promises. To claim God's promises, one must rely on faith—the faith of Abraham, of not presenting oneself as an offering.

Some wear down their knees in prayer, believing that their calloused knees are proof of something, that God is obliged to grant them something. It is not so. Perhaps they do not think so, but this is how I perceive it. Is claiming God's promise so difficult? It is exceedingly simple. Claiming God's promise is not about outward piety but about building up the body of Christ. The entire New Testament focuses on establishing God's church.

I must inform you why the letters of Peter, James, and Jude have flaws. The teachings therein are not fundamentally about building up the body of Christ, about establishing the church. Moreover, they incorporate strange elements. Not many—even a trace amount of poison can be lethal. That is not within the theological framework of Paul. Establish the church, cultivate the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ, and the body of Christ is the church: establish God's church. Do not mistake a mere sign for the church. The church, imbued with God's presence, can then claim God's promises.

Our vision, therefore, is to build a church of disciplined soldiers, resolute in truth, victorious in battle. Not a congregation of Pharisees, with countless wolves in sheep's clothing filling a grand sanctuary. Some may say, “You could not even assemble such a horde of wolves; if you could, you would be impressive.” And label me a sour grapes. I do not deny it for I cannot afford that kind of vineyard. Too deep the curse. It all yours if you want it! The foundation of the authentic Gospel lies in God’s promises. As you delve into Galatians, you will discover that a promise is just that—a promise from God.

8. Foundation of the Authentic Gospel IV: Adoption as Sons and Daughters

Remember, we are not slaves. The authentic Gospel teaches that our relationship with God is that of parent and child; He is our Heavenly Father, and we are His children. The structure of the traditional Gospel is considerably flawed. It warns, “You must not steal God’s glory.” Do you understand what this entails? If I declare, “I prayed for someone, and their fractured bone healed,” they would retort, “You are stealing God’s glory!” I would exclaim, “Has your brain malfunctioned? You are incomprehensible!” I am apt to insult lightheartedly at times. Do you not understand the Scriptures? My glory is God’s glory, and God’s glory is mine. Is there a problem with my being one with God? I received the right of adoption as sons and daughters. I am a child of the living God. What glory am I stealing? Study John’s Gospel diligently; it elucidates the glory of God. You receive glory, I receive glory; the Scriptures are clear.

Therefore, we are not slaves but children of God. We become children through promise, freely in God’s household, not out of fear but out of love for God. Through the right of adoption, we cry, “Abba, Father!” Do not begin as a child of God through the law. Children, in their naiveté, must be disciplined under the law. One cannot become a child of God through the law but through promise, for the promise predates the law. The promise originated in the time of Abraham, and the law in the time of Moses. To whom was the law given? To the Israelite slaves who were freed from Egypt. Having been slaves for so long, they were ill-equipped to be sons and daughters, so they were presented with the law in the wilderness.

If you retain a slave mentality, you will find this path difficult. A slave mentality breeds fear, not reverence, nor the spirit of adoption. As sons and daughters in God's household, we receive the keys to His kingdom. If we are not yet mature, if we are but children who lack understanding, discipline is necessary; we will be punished for our transgressions. We begin as slaves, then we cultivate a friendship with God, and finally, we become children, inheriting God's estate. What, then, is the purpose of circumcision? It is meaningless. One can perform the physical act of circumcision, yet still face national ruin. If one is a recipient of the authentic Gospel, one requires circumcision of the heart, severing carnal lusts and desires.

9. Conclusion: Become a New Creation

Having spoken at length, I hope you have grasped the key points. At the least, I hope you have understood that embracing a flawed Gospel leads to a curse. A flawed Gospel brings misfortune. To summarise: become a new creation. In Galatians, Paul writes:

Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your bodies. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is new creation. (Galatians 6:12-15)

Become a new creation! A new creation is utterly severed from this world. Do not presume that you are severed from this world merely by believing in Jesus. This is not so. If you are merely outwardly a believer but inwardly enamoured with the world, you will fall into misfortune. I aver that there is a curious law at play: a flawed belief in Jesus results in a curse worse than unbelief because an added layer of curse is added.

My dear friends, undergo a radical transformation. May the thoughts and intents of our hearts increasingly resemble those of Abraham, of Paul, of Jesus. Through the cross, the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. The devil and the world should have no claim over me. This is the Gospel we embrace. May God bless you!

Let us sing a hymn as we prepare for the offering. If you are unclear about the significance of giving, do not give! God, may you restore your glorious Gospel in this generation. God, may you usher in a new reformation of Christianity. God, may your glory fill the earth. May your people magnify your name anew. God, may we all echo Paul's words: As for me, the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither this nor that matters, but what matters is to become a new creation.

God, work in me to continually purge the worldly and carnal from within, that I may become a people after your heart, building your glorious church, building the body of Christ, fulfilling your marvellous promises, becoming your children. God, you will lead all your children into your kingdom. God, we are your children today. We claim your promises, receive strength from the Holy Spirit, and live in this world dependent on you. God, I praise you, I love you! I will love you all my life! In Jesus' name, 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 also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. May you all enter this authentic Gospel and receive blessings!