I. Introduction

Good day to you all! Today marks the first Sunday of the new year. Last Sunday, we spoke about Being Filled with Hope. This Sunday, I declare to you that all you hope for shall come to pass! Today's topic is The Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. These are powerful words indeed! Where do they come from?

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)

About a dozen years ago, I led everyone in studying the Book of 1 Samuel. The Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground! This statement resonated powerfully within me, profoundly so! Do you know why it was so impactful? Because in the past, we often received teachings emphasizing God's sovereignty, portraying us as mere puppets. This verse, however, turned much of my past understanding upside down. Why? Because God ensured that none of Samuel's words fell to the ground; everything he said came to pass. Does this mean God provided Samuel with a PPT to recite, and upon completion, God fulfilled it? No, it was Samuel who actively spoke. When I came across this exciting verse, I declared, I want to be a person like that!

Everyone aspires to be such a person, with no words falling to the ground. Let us practice this today. Repeat after me: I also want to be such a person! A characteristic of mine is that I often declare my desire to be such a person. When I read about Abraham in the Bible, I said, I want to be like Abraham! Do you know why? Because God's words to Abraham were extraordinary: Those who curse you, God will curse; and those who bless you, God will bless. This is quite something! Then God said he would become a blessing to all peoples on earth. After reading this, I felt that being like Abraham in this life would be incredible, and I wanted to be such a person.

Later, I read about Isaac, who was also remarkable, offering himself as a living sacrifice. Abraham was ready to burn him on the altar, and Isaac was joyful, not tearful. I said, I also want to be like that! But my father was not Abraham, so he didn't have the opportunity to offer me up. Later, Isaac lived a good life, reaping a hundredfold harvest. I said, I want that too! Then I read about Jacob, and I said, I want to be like Jacob! Jacob was also quite impressive. Joseph was even more so, and I said, I want to be like Joseph! Later, I read about Moses, and I said, I want to be like Moses! Don't you think my life is interesting? It is.

I wouldn't say, Oh, if only I could meet Samuel, how wonderful it would be to have him pray for me to receive five million. Do you all know this joke about the five million? Let me explain it again, in case you don't get it. Some people say, Teacher, can you pray for me? I ask, Pray for what? They say, Ask God to give me ten million, so I can donate five million. Later, I thought, if they want to donate five million, that is quite good. Then they said, Actually, it's not necessary to bother so much. Just ask God to give me five million directly and God can directly keep that five million. This is the joke of the five million. Some people want to find someone like Samuel, while others want to be someone like Samuel. So today, my goal isn't for you to find a Samuel, but for you to become a Samuel, and not to be an Abimelech, that’s secondhand and not much use. Wouldn't it be better for you to become Samuel yourself? It would save me the trouble, and also this joke about the five million.

Some people ask me, Aren't you tired? Sometimes I feel a little tired. But then I think, it would be meaningless not to be tired. Do you know what I mean? Every morning, a bowl of rice is placed in a small window. It's not tiring, you eat and lie down to sleep, one room, one hall, one toilet, all inside, and a small window, you don't need to go out. What is that? That's prison. Tired? Not tired, just staying there. Sentenced for twenty years, you stay inside for twenty years, sentenced for ten years, you stay inside for ten years, not tired, but how meaningless is that? Whether it's tiring or not is not important, what’s important is that it's good to be such a person. I want to be such a person, a little tiring is okay, but living a colorful life, with so many stories that I still repeat them. If I had no stories, how repetitive would it be?

Many years ago, when I read this verse in the Bible: The Lord let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground! I said, I want to be such a person! As soon as I closed the Bible, a sister came in. She looked at me, and I looked at her. She said, Teacher, I'm looking for a job. I said, What's your current salary? She said, A little over two thousand.” I said, Find a job that pays three thousand five. Now, how much is the difference between a little over two thousand and three thousand five? I'm telling you, finding a job that pays three thousand five is impossible, but she actually found one with a monthly salary of three thousand five. At that time, I thought, I should have said four thousand, or five thousand? Or even ten thousand? Later, I thought, it's safer to say three thousand five to be more conservative.

A few days later, another sister came in. I figured, here comes another one wanting three thousand five, right? So I did another experiment. My resume preparation is excellent; I can definitely create a good resume. That’s why I do career planning and resume writing. My resumes always get interviews. Both of these sisters' resumes were prepared by me. I asked, What are you doing? She said, Teacher, I'm looking for a job. I said, How much do you make now? She said, A little over two thousand. Here comes another one with a little over two thousand. She said, Teacher, what kind of job should I look for? I said, A job with a monthly salary of three thousand five. As a result, she found another job that paid three thousand five. I was amazed at that time.

Do you think they owe me a lot? My mouth is so powerful! Once I say something, God fulfills it according to my words. Three thousand five hundred dollars is a big difference from two thousand dollars. After paying rent and expenses with two thousand dollars, there's not much left. In terms of the remaining money, it's several times more. So some people say, Teacher, what about my five million? Please say something about that for me. Sorry, the experiment is over. You're late. It would have been great if you had come when I was doing the experiment many years ago. The purpose of me telling this story is not for the five million, nor for the three thousand five hundred dollars. I don't want you to gain something because of what I say. That's meaningless. I want you to say, after I finish speaking, I also want to be such a person!

God let none of your words fall to the ground! To become a person like Samuel, with God's presence, is like having a treasure trove. If you become Samuel, you can do whatever you want at home. Say as many tens of thousands as you want; you don't need to come to me, or ask me. You’ll just be rejected, which would be embarrassing, since I’d see how much you love money. Samuel never asked for those millions. If Samuel had asked for those millions, it would be like when we were kids asking our mothers for two ounces of biscuits. You know how expensive two ounces of biscuits were back then. As a result, the mother would pinch your cheek and say, This is two ounces of biscuits! You say, Mom, I want cake. As a result, the mother would pinch your other cheek and say, This is cake! Do you want more?

Samuel never asked for those millions, or tens of millions, nor did he ask for the company to go public. He played a big game. Some people say, Several hundred million? No, what's the point of several hundred million? Why are you so obsessed with money? Poor thing. Samuel did not fall into this money-grubbing trap. He became the head of Israel, the highest official, the priest. Not to dominate, but to sit above and seek the welfare of the people, to serve them, to become a blessing to many, to enter into God's heart. Unlike some brothers and sisters, who set a small goal a few years ago to earn one million a year, and still haven't reached that number yet. You might say, Teacher, what about the person with the three thousand five hundred dollars? That's all in the past. Why? Vanished into the blue sky. You say, What happened? Did they jump off a building and die? No, they disappeared into the blue sky, poisoned by this world. The experiment is over.

Neither the three thousand five hundred dollars nor the five million dollars is important. What's important is that I proved that my words are efficacious. Today, I must tell you that the blind will see, the lame will walk, those born paralyzed can walk, and those who are paralyzed later in life can also walk! This is what I ask of God, and I tell you, God will fulfill what I say! In the past, those blind who saw again, it was because I said it, and God fulfilled it. Today, after every brother or sister I serve is healed, don't they owe me a favor? My mouth is so powerful! People in the past called it a golden mouth and jade teeth. We can't afford jade teeth, nor can we create a golden mouth, but God will fulfill my words, powerful! What a great relationship to have this kind of arrangement! God says, Go out and serve, and I will fulfill your words. That's a great relationship indeed! Having a Shangfang Sword (imperial sword), it is effective!

In this new year, may God fulfill what you ask for, and may God let none of your words fall to the ground. Amen! Then some brothers and sisters gather together and say, Sister, what did you ask for? Did you ask for millions? Alas, it's still about money. No, it's asking to be a person like Samuel. God will be with you; God will let none of your words fall to the ground. I tell you, you are to be a vessel on this earth that manifests God's glory! Do you want to know what I ask for? In this new year, what I ask for is that everyone can become the Abraham of this generation; that's the starting point.

Later, some people will upgrade and become Isaac, then upgrade again and become Jacob, then upgrade again and become Joseph, then continue to upgrade and become Moses, Samuel, and later David. My request is a good one! This is doing something big! If we’re going to do something so big, millions or tens of millions sound embarrassing, that shows how stuck we are on money matters. May God hear and may God fulfill! Be bold and do the experiment! Like the three thousand five hundred dollar experiment. Is anyone willing to do the five million dollar experiment? That's okay too. God doesn't really care if He gives you a stack of funeral paper money, or two stacks of funeral paper money, one stack of red, or one stack of green. To God, these are small things. See if it works.

In summary, what’s the key point? The key point is, what kind of person are you? What kind of person do you want to be? If you are Joseph, I tell you, even if you are sold into slavery in Egypt, it cannot stop you from being the prime minister, nor can it corrupt you. If you do not have the destiny of Joseph, even if you are not sold into Egypt, you will still be a slave there, of no use. You must know that it does not matter what you are born as, nor does it matter what you were originally. Before, when I was casting out demons, the demon said, He was originally like this. I tell you, this is a lie. It does not matter what you were originally, what matters is what kind of person you want to be. What kind of person do you want to be today? Draw a picture of yourself in your heart, that is the vision you draw in Jesus Christ!

What kind of person do you want to be? Some people say to me, Teacher, it's a little difficult to be a person like Samuel. Then, you can be Samuel's son. But actually, Samuel's sons were not that great. Don't think that just because Samuel was powerful, his sons were also powerful; it's not like that. I think you should be Samuel's grandson. So, we want to be a person like Samuel today. I cannot do it, but God can enable me to do it. Whether it can be done or cannot be done is not important. God likes this kind of person, and I want to be this kind of person!

Why did God let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground? This needs to be understood clearly. What is being taught today is this. You must listen carefully and put it into practice. It is of no use if you know the next sentence after I say the first. It is useful only when you know what your next sentence is after you say the first. Put it into practice properly. Nothing is impossible. With God, all things are possible. Your faith can move heaven and earth, and your faith can propel the mighty arm of God! Believe when you want to start doing, and persist until you achieve results and become the fruit of faith. Continue believing from one day to the next. If you don't believe one day, continue to believe on the third day; just have that kind of persistence.

II. Scripture

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)

III. Prayer

God, what is it that we ask of You? God, what we ask of You is that we want to be a person like Samuel. God, what we ask of You is that we, this group of brothers and sisters, desire in our days on earth to become like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Jesus, and Paul. God, may Your power be activated in us, may Your power of resurrection from the dead be manifested in us, so that we may be molded into Your likeness. God, may You be with us, may we continuously grow into maturity in You, growing into the fullness of Jesus Christ's stature. Let us continuously strive to pursue, continuously grow, may You be with us, may You let none of our words fall to the ground! God, may You use us to govern Your people, to shepherd Your flock, may You personally raise us up, so as to make us vessels that manifest Your glory. Amen!

IV. Scripture Background

The background of this passage is very interesting. Do you know how many years it took before God was with Samuel and let none of his words fall to the ground? It was after Samuel grew up that God was with him. What about before that? God was not with him. It was not easy for Samuel as a child; speaking more about it might bring tears. Why? Because in Israel, children were weaned at the age of three, and Samuel's mother sent this three-year-old to the temple. There was an old man named Eli, and it is unknown how his wife was. She probably was not very good. A three-year-old sent to the temple, how was he to live? Would old Eli take care of the child? Would old Eli's sons take care of the child? No.

Samuel must have suffered a lot. If this child had a nightmare at night, he would wake up trembling and cry for his mother. Where was his mother? Could a child walk home by himself at night? He couldn't walk back. He didn’t know where the road was. His parents came to see him once a year. His mother felt sorry for him, the child felt sorry for himself, it was not easy. Growing up in the temple at the age of three, the child learned to watch people's eyes and live according to their expressions. This child was clever. One can see a person's future from their childhood self, and if they do not change, they will remain that way.

Where did this child come from? Hannah could not have children, so she prayed for a child in the temple, and she dedicated this child to God. Did this three-year-old miss his mother and cry? Yes, he cried. Did he shed tears? Yes, he shed tears. What to do? Endure. I know about this, relying on others, enduring it, which shapes a person's character. People's characters are molded; few are truly natural, but natural also accounts for a portion.

The child would say to his mother when he was with her: Mom, I want milk, I need to pee. But could you say anything once he got to Eli? There was no one to call. Later, he learned that it was better to be well-behaved in this kind of environment. Eli's two sons were quite unruly. They could have kicked little Samuel, and little Samuel would have to get up, wipe his tears, and continue to live. Did he have the ability to distinguish good from evil? If little Samuel clenched his fists tightly, thinking, When I grow up, I will kill you all! That was not what he thought. He learned to be well-behaved, he was clever to avoid getting beaten up.

He was called around, asked to pour tea, asked to grab a fork. The child developed a good set of skills. Living in the temple society at the age of three was not easy. This child was very cute, clean, neat, clever, and quick-witted. If he saw something was not right, he quickly ran away to avoid getting kicked.

Just like that, old Eli said, Samuel, come here! Samuel came over and asked, Teacher, what do you want me to do? Old Eli said, Oh, I forgot what I wanted you to do. Go back. A moment later, he called again, Samuel, come here! Samuel came again and asked, Teacher, what do you want me to do? Old Eli said again, Oh, I forgot what I wanted you to do. Sometimes, old Eli coughed up phlegm in the middle of the night and shouted, Samuel, come here! Samuel came over. I'm telling you, it's very uncomfortable to be woken up in the middle of sleep. How often did little Samuel go through the day of just lying down and not sleeping yet? Very often.

Some people say: How do you know that? How would I not know that? Because later, God called him that way too. Why? Because when God called him, he thought it was old Eli calling him. No matter when old Eli called him, little Samuel appeared before him right away, ready to do anything. This kid was amazing, trained from a young age. Old Eli called him three times, and he came three times. If it were a child who had not been trained, his character would be ruined, and he would get a temper. With an ugly face, he would chase God away. What God's presence? He would be ruined! Old Eli said: If you hear somebody calling your name again, that is God talking to you. Then you tell that God says: Speak, for your servant is listening! Then when God called to him again, little Samuel truly said just that: Speak, for your servant is listening!

And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” (1 Samuel 3:11-14)

Now, would Samuel have the courage to tell old Eli what God said to him? Old Eli said to Samuel, Come here. What did god say to you yesterday? Would he dare to say that? If Samuel thought to himself: I think it's better to make up a lie. Then he told old Eli: God says, I want to bless you! That would be bad; you cannot make things up. You say what God wants you to say. Is it risky? It's risky. If the end of this makes old Eli kick him far, not just three meters, but maybe five meters!

But Samuel was too awesome. From a young age, he developed a skill, he observed the issues in Eli's home. He knew that God would curse Eli's home, and Eli was not a loyal priest. So, little Samuel clenched the fist and began to think: I will become a loyal priest! When he was being bullied, he clenched his fist, and said: I will be like Joseph! They all survived like this. So, people need to train themselves. Samuel received a punt, Samuel clenched the fist, and said: Dear God, I will emulate Joseph! Samuel grew up just like this.

I tell you, in this life, if you clench your fist when you're bullied, thinking, Just you wait! You're finished. Wait for what? You're waiting for the ghosts to be with you. When you were young, you learned to discern good from evil from your parents, clenching your fist and saying, I'll go to college in the North Pole! Go do research in Antarctica then! Or Egypt. Young Samuel developed a whole set of skills, and one trait was: I want to be a faithful priest! Amazing. Today, brothers and sisters, listening to my sharing, how do you clench your fist? Many people still discern good from evil with their parents. How can they get along with others? Everything has a reason. So later, God examined young Samuel, and He could use him. Samuel grew up, and God was with him, and then young Samuel received the highest reward, which was that every word Samuel spoke came to pass!

I ask you, did Samuel ever say something just because he wanted to? Yes, absolutely. He wasn't a puppet. He saw that some of the people of Israel were really struggling, just like some of us here, feeling troubled in their hearts, seeing life as it is, how could people not be saddened? Samuel, through the declarations from his mouth, blessed many people, all spoken in faith. If you don't believe in God, how can you be a priest? I tell you, God in heaven said, I have finally found a faithful priest!

Today, brothers and sisters, you must know that in my heart, I have already told God: God, I want to be a faithful priest before You. I will do whatever You say, and I will diligently carry it out. These are not empty words. At this time, Old Eli's sons were still in power, and Samuel grew up and became a prophet. What was his work attitude and relationship with Old Eli like? Top-notch! He absolutely did not feel that he was already a prophet and become arrogant. Samuel was before Old Eli just like David before Saul. His usual work attitude and understanding of God were simply extraordinary! This is a remarkable person! Unlike some of us, brothers and sisters, I haven't mistreated him, I haven't treated him like Saul treated David, and he's already arguing with me, arguing to the point where I feel conflicted. This is the background of this passage.

V. People All Grow Up

A person is a life, and anything that has life grows little by little. But there are some people who never want to grow up little by little, always wanting to be like a demon, growing up in an instant. If you raise a child in your home, and he grows up to 1.7 meters tall in an instant, wouldn't he need to see a doctor? He's definitely finished, it's a disease. So human life has its laws, and we all need to understand and recognize this, and never expect to grow up in an instant.

In God's eyes, God has arranged things in such a way that things grow through persistent faith. Samuel, through his persistence in faith, from a three-year-old toddler, observing and discerning, all the way to adulthood, constantly clenching his little fist, it wasn't easy. When we were young, we were always clenching our little fists, but when we grow up, we're still the same miserable selves, except for growing older and getting wrinkles, our knowledge doesn't grow. People grow up little by little, and in the process of persistence, some people persist in faith, and some people persist in discerning good from evil. Some people have been persisting in this until they die, these people discern good from evil, everyone is wrong except themselves, they're so great. I'm talking about Old Eli, they're not a church, but in fact, there are also black societies in the church, and some people later repent and become pastors. The church is just a society.

People all grow up, learning is done little by little, and growing up is done little by little. No matter how big of a fatty you are, you definitely grow up ounce by ounce, growing to several hundred pounds, some people a hundred pounds, some people two hundred pounds, heavyweight. So, what is the process of growing up like? Today, I will give you an idea, you must grow up like young Samuel, clenching your little fist and saying: I want to be Joseph! Bang, get kicked. Then say again: I still want to be Joseph! Bang, another kick. It doesn't matter, even if you're sold to Egypt, it doesn't matter. These people are amazing, those who persist in faith are all amazing people!

Sometimes I wonder, what if some people are born without this kind of faith? I don't know what to do. Remember, today I am teaching you, that born-with stuff is not very useful, what you learn later is useful. You have to learn, you have to observe, is it wiser to be this kind of person or that kind of person? A wise man doesn't suffer immediate losses. And always remember not to argue with God, you'll be ruined if you argue with God. Like Old Eli's whole family was cursed, and Samuel's ears rang, everyone who heard it had tinnitus.

The LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. (1 Samuel 3:11)

People all grow up, never pursue things in an instant. Today, let's look at these historical figures, Abraham persisted for more than twenty years, and got Isaac, living as a sojourner in foreign lands, very hard, not easy. Isaac too. How many years did Jacob persist in his uncle Laban's house? He persisted for many years, fourteen years, working for Laban's two daughters for nothing. Later, he persisted for more than six years, that's incredible. Joseph persisted in Egypt for thirteen years. There's no such thing as an instant. If you want to shape your character, it must be done little by little. Making vows is useless, clenching your fists is also useless. Just shape it little by little, in faith, constantly accumulating your experience of pleasing God before Him. So that's how people grow up.

Those who pursue things in an instant are deceived, not by people, but by ghosts. As a result, they don't grow up for many years, except for the growth of discerning good from evil and the growth of wrinkles, nothing else grows. You’re still that ignorant, isn't that a disaster? So in the process of growing up, as you grow, you grow up, God is with you, after a series of God's shaping and training. It's not that God is not with you, God is secretly with you, God is secretly watching by the side, testing you once, and testing you again. I can tell you all, in the past few years, it was really not easy for me in the workplace, I suppressed the energy of discerning good from evil within me time and time again. People all grow up little by little, growing in faith, setting a good goal, like Abraham.

VI. Shaping Your Own Character

When people encounter things, this thing is uncontrollable, many things are uncontrollable. But the reaction to that thing is controllable. For example, if someone sells you to Egypt, you can't control it, you have no say. Esau wants to kill Jacob, Jacob has no say, he just wants to kill you, what can you do? If Jacob says, Don't kill me, let's be good brothers. Esau says, No, I want to kill you. Many times, the environment is not controllable. So what to do when the environment is not controllable? When we encounter this kind of environment, our inner reaction, that thing is character.

In the past few years, I have still put in some effort to shape my character. I have a tenacity in my bones, that energy can't be brought down by ordinary things. Later, some people who left the church summarized it for me and said: Teacher Liu, what he wants to do, no one can stop him, he must get it done. What kind of character is this? It is a character that gets things done. Genesis is written in this way, things became so. There are so many things I want to do, shaping my character little by little. After each encounter, it may be difficult, even painful inside, but later I let it become pleasant through my character. Pain and pleasure are very different, character is shaped in this way.

The environment is the basic element of shaping our character. Some brothers and sisters are very interesting, they don't have character in a good environment. I ask you, what will happen in a bad environment? If you don't have character in a good environment, then you'll die in a bad environment, what are you shaping? You'll simply be digested in that blue sky. Therefore, cultivate yourself well in a good environment. Can a good environment cultivate yourself? Yes. If you can't cultivate yourself in a good environment, can you still cultivate yourself in a bad environment? Some people foolishly say: Teacher, I want to go somewhere and find a difficult environment to train myself. I said: Stop it, you can't train yourself in such a good environment, can you train yourself when you get to a bad environment? Young Samuel can cultivate himself in a good environment and can also cultivate himself in a bad environment.

A bad environment requires the kind of faith that is cultivated in a good environment, a little more faith in a slightly worse environment, and even more faith in an even worse environment. That's how it’s trained. If you fail in the first grade and fail in the second grade, can you go to college? I think forget it. So shaping your own character must be done from simpler things, then on more complex things, and then on more difficult things, it must be like this. A good environment is not used well, good cards are played badly, can bad cards be played well? I lamented, as I said earlier, people all grow up. I tell you, God is training each of us, the environment He gives you is to let you train yourself in a good environment, and then make it a little harsher, a little harsher, that’s how it’s trained.

If Joseph was hated by his father at home, I ask you, can he not be hated when he goes to Egypt? People would not be sold to Egypt either. Joseph got along very well with his father since he was a child. Why did Jacob like Joseph so much? Why was Joseph so pleasing to his father? Because Joseph's thoughts were the same as Jacob's, they would always talk about spiritual things, they would talk about things of faith. So young Joseph, before the age of seventeen, became a person who practiced faith with his father, so his father regarded him as a treasure, regarded him as a very lovely son. He thought to himself: I've finally raised a son who is like me, the other sons are silly, why are they so much like their mother? Samuel's sons are just like their mother.

Shape your own character, grow up well, not only keep wrinkles from growing, freeze your age, but also increase our inner character and our inner knowledge of God every day, increase our love of pleasing people and pleasing God every day! If you are pleasing to God, people will also like you. You say: Not necessarily, Joseph's brothers hated him very much. It's enough that his father likes Joseph. Today, brothers and sisters, we must know that shaping your own character, never clench your fists foolishly, using your fists to discern good from evil, exuding the smell of discerning good from evil, think about it slowly.

VII. Knowing What Kind of People God Is With

I ask you, did Samuel receive education when he grew up in the temple since he was a child? Definitely received education. Did he read Genesis? He definitely read Genesis; did he read Deuteronomy? He definitely read Deuteronomy, Samuel definitely read the Pentateuch of Moses very well. Did he know what kind of people God likes? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. Do I need to say such a simple thing? No need. So what kind of people is God with? Young Samuel. That's very familiar, simply! Why? A person who doesn't know what kind of people God likes, doesn't know what kind of people God hates, doesn't know what kind of people God is with, and doesn't know what kind of people ghosts are with, that is the tragedy of life!

Today you say: Teacher, I hurt here, I swell there, I can't do it here. Ghosts are with you, enough to make you suffer! Who told you not to know what kind of people God is with? A person's ignorance is a tragedy, the most serious ignorance is not knowing what kind of people God is with, and not knowing what kind of people ghosts are with. Exuding the character of ghosts, the knowledge of discerning good from evil is increasing every day, discerning good from evil can even discern so many tricks, what's the use? Today change a trick, a wave of ghosts come, tomorrow change a trick, another wave of ghosts come. Like what I have been saying more recently, can't poop, can't pee, is that fatal? The ghost that can't poop is here, the ghost that can't pee is here, the ghost that can't eat is here, the ghost that can't breathe is here, the ghost that can't see things is here, the ghost that has tinnitus is here, the ghost that has neck pain is here, the ghost that has back pain is here, and then when you have nothing to do, you fall in the bathroom again, the ghost that falls is also here! How can you live this life?

People don't know, they don't understand the things in the spiritual world, it's a tragedy! Do you know now? You say: I want five million. Then the ghost of five million comes. You ask: What's your name? It says: My name is five million, don't you want five million? That ghost is called five million, isn't that fatal! Can that five million give you five million? That five million says: This is five million! That is the most heavily indebted. People just don't know, isn't that stupid!

Can you become smart today? Today you start growing constantly in faith, shaping yourself to be a young Samuel, shaping yourself to be a slightly older Samuel, shaping yourself to be a grown-up Samuel. Samuel grew up, God was with him, amazing! What he says is the will of God, deeply knowing what he should ask for, asking for the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God. There are two very famous prophets in the world, Moses and Samuel are listed as the prophets most pleasing to God in ancient times, that's amazing! I only have the desire for it, I desire that God remember me, let me start to be a little bit like them, have a little bit of the same flavor, good!

VIII. Knowing That Serving God Is a Sublime Vocation

I ask you, did Samuel see rich people when he was growing up? He saw them. Millionaires came, billionaires came, the richest people in Israel came, those who had large mansions, lived in big villas, lived in large apartments, and had big bathtubs at home came. Samuel carried a small bucket, got some hot water, wrapped a cloth around himself and took a bath. If he saw that someone else had a big bathtub at home, and thought: I'll get one too. That would be bad!

I have to tell you the story of this bathtub, who likes this bathtub? Yesterday I met a rich man, and he told me the story about this bathtub. People who haven't used it, when they see it, they think that a big bathtub is a good thing. How many times have you used it? Rich people haven't used it many times, so if a poor person gets one, that thing is just a white elephant, because they still have to clean it, and they haven't used it many times in their lifetime since they installed it, those who have big bathtubs at home are all like that. Why did this rich man I met know this? He used to have a large triangular bathtub at home, but later he lost it, why? He never used it, and it just took up space. Those who have installed it know, who installs it? Hooligans. If we are smart, we should investigate it, and then you don't have to be a hooligan. When farmers enter the city, they see that big bathtub, how handsome, how glamorous, you take a bath in it, and others watch you from the outside. It's just a decoration, it has no use.

When Samuel saw that someone else had a big bathtub, he thought that carrying a small bucket was good. Why? Serving God is my most sublime vocation! I am not going to be the richest person in Israel, nor a wealthy person in Israel, nor a nouveau riche in Israel. I will serve God all my life! I tell you, you can't even like this job if you don't have what it takes. Someone once said to me: The most challenging job in this world is the president of the United States, and the second is the pastor. I thought about it and thought it was foolish, what was he talking about? The most sublime vocation in this world is the pastor.

Once when I was on a plane, it was very interesting, a pastor I used to know happened to be sitting next to me. We were both surprised when we saw each other. God is so ingenious, when God showed me these things, He let me learn lessons. I said: What have you been doing recently? He said: I am no longer a pastor, I have finally given up this hard job. How uncomfortable I felt when I heard that? Is this a hard job? This is the most sublime vocation! I tell you, among the pastors I know, no one does it more joyfully than I do, they haven't done it well, and they have turned such a sublime vocation into a hard job. Did Samuel think this was a hard job? He didn't think it was a hard job. Was it hard? It was hard, but it was a sublime vocation.

Only this kind of understanding can be recognized. If you don't have this understanding, what are you doing serving God? Like some people say: Look, we pastors can only rest one day a week. I felt so uncomfortable after listening to it. I haven't rested from my twenties until today. Samuel enjoyed serving God, he thought it was a sublime vocation, he thought it was his destiny, his Mingding Destiny. He thought to himself: I was sent to the temple when I was three years old, my mother was ruthless enough, but I thank my mother for sending me to this temple, and letting me take on the responsibility of managing the people of Israel.

Today you know God, you know God, you know what kind of people God likes, you know what kind of people God is with, you know that serving God is a sublime vocation. With God's presence, what else is difficult? Without God's presence, not knowing what kind of people are with God, not knowing what kind of people are with ghosts, and then saying a word to humiliate God, I see that his business will suffer!

So today, brothers and sisters, start to affirm this matter, we are walking a path today, there is a crown of glory reserved for me on this path of service, one day I will come before God and receive His reward, receive His praise. God said: Good child, faithful and good servant. God, may we be able to receive Your praise when we come before You, and become Your faithful priest, this is Samuel's heart's desire. When this kind of person opens his mouth, God says: Okay, I will accomplish what you say for you, because I want to use you, I will accomplish what you say! This is Samuel, do you want to be this kind of person? If you become this kind of person, you have made the wisest choice in the world.

IX. Conclusion

God's presence is the most precious thing in a person's life. We were all people who were supposed to die, people who were supposed to perish, but God has prepared abundant grace for us, so that we can serve God wholeheartedly in this new year, and keep growing. I really hope that brothers and sisters don't stop, maybe you are already tired, it doesn't matter, because you are full of hope, constantly climbing this spiritual peak, climbing up to see God's face, what a wonderful arrangement, what a wonderful plan! May God bless everyone, so that everyone will keep growing in the new year, growing into the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ, the fullness of God's presence, and then God will accomplish everything we say for us. Desire it, wonderful things will come to pass, miraculous things will happen. Amen!

Let's sing a hymn to prepare for today's offering. If you don't understand the meaning of offering, please don't give an offering. Let's yearn for God's glory together. I feel that it is such an honor to know God in this lifetime, to have the glorious hope in eternity, and to know how to live. Later, I really felt that I became a blessing to many people, even to three generations of one family, I became their blessing, it's so exciting to think about it, it's so wonderful to have God. Remember, if you don't understand the meaning of offering, please don't give an offering, God doesn't lack money. If you are willing to give an offering, the best offering is to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, to become a vessel to manifest God's glory, to become a vessel of God's presence.

Lift up your hands and pray: Lord Jesus, I am here, may You be with me, constantly shaping my character, causing me to grow, causing me to know what kind of people You delight in, what kind of people You hate. Let us know what kind of people You are with, today let us begin to enter into Your presence, today let us become vessels that manifest Your glory, today let the fire of Your Holy Spirit come down, constantly shaping us. Lord Jesus, may You baptize us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be shaped into vessels of glory and honor. May You come down and raise us up among us, let us see more of Your glory, more of Your works. God, shape me, use me, how You used Samuel, use us in the same way; how You shaped Samuel, today You shape us in the same way. God, may we also have the mind of Samuel, dedicating ourselves as living sacrifices to You from a young age, living for You. God, hear our prayers, 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 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, forever. Amen!