Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Before we know it, we are already in Hosea chapter 13. In fact, the Old Testament revolves around the same few themes. The sins committed by the Israelites and the paths they took serve as excellent mirrors for us Christians. Their actions and those of contemporary Christians are equally incomprehensible. When faced with real-life situations, people tend to behave similarly to the Israelites. The theme of this chapter is Besides Me There Is No Savior, meaning that you shall acknowledge no God but Yahweh your God, for there is no other savior.

Since the Time You Came Out of Egypt, I Have Been Your God

But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. (Hosea 13:4)

Whether in our generation or in the days of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, there were many gods who did not save people. Do not accuse God of being unfair for only saving the Israelites. All who have experienced God's salvation, who have been brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, from then on, Yahweh God is our God. Do not claim that you have not experienced God; there are few Christians who have not. After God has brought you out of the house of slavery in Egypt, Yahweh God is from then on your God. You must know that besides God, there is no savior, a weighty statement.

It would be deeply problematic if you were to treat something else as your God, as your savior. Everyone must understand that God is choosing these people, allowing them to experience His power, yet they turn away from Him. Is this rational? What surprises me is that people can let go of everything except God. I am not saying this for you to emulate me, but rather to imitate this character, to have the understanding of God as your savior. God is the God who saves us. Since the time we came out of Egypt, God has been our God. It would be good if these words could be imprinted on your heart.

I was baptized in 1992, but in fact, I had already believed in the Lord for half a year before my baptism; they call it making a decision. In the years since believing in the Lord, I have not missed a single Sunday, because I recognize Yahweh God as my God and Jesus Christ as my savior. Since coming out of Egypt, I have held tightly to my God, which is why I am blessed. Unlike some people who abandon God as soon as something happens, I do not know why these people have so many issues, so many problems, so many obstacles. In their eyes, everything is a problem except God. Having experienced God, yet treating Him this way, do you truly regard God as God? If you do not regard God as God, then you must carefully read Hosea chapter 13.

Hospitals, lawyers, golden calves, your business, job, family, and everything you have—none of these are your savior. Your exodus from Egypt means that God has brought you out of the house of slavery, and from then on, you have embarked on a high-risk path, which is that you can no longer have other gods. All Israelites who came out of Egypt and replaced God with anything else will see their sorrows deepen. How deep must it go before you repent?

No Matter How High Your Position, You Will Die Serving Baal

When Ephraim spoke, people trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died. (Hosea 13:1)

Why do people worship Baal? If you want Yahweh to be your God, you cannot serve both God and Mammon. People worship Baal because they think Baal is important. So, what is Baal? It is your throne. Jeroboam was an Ephraimite, the first king of Israel, and he made a golden calf and worshiped Baal. Although we know that we will all eventually die in this world, we still treat the trivial matters of our present lives as our goals, including placing great importance on your business, job, family, and children, which is called serving Baal. If you serve Baal, you will die, a very serious statement. Adam and Eve would surely die if they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That statement is equally serious. It’s not that others serving Baal is okay, but you serving Baal is not. Actually, those people were already dead to begin with.

Why do people worship Baal? Know that worshiping Baal is a serious matter, especially for Christians, who find it very effective. If you have needs and are willing, you can try it out. Worshiping idols can turn many things around, but God has sentenced you to death. If your reaction at this moment is that you do not want to try, then congratulations. Christians, those who trust in God, will also encounter difficulties. If you cannot see through life and death and the matters of this life, if you cannot take the glorious crown in eternity as the goal of our race, you will surely worship Baal, and Baal will take care of you.

However, once a Christian embarks on Jeroboam's path, they die, and the spirit of death begins to work in them. The higher one's position, the more likely they are to worship Baal. You may not understand this because you have not reached that position. Know that in high positions, you have to manage many things and have no time to serve God. For example, the Sabbath must be set apart as holy, and the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, Pentecost, and so on must be observed. Serving God is not easy, while serving Baal is much easier. God is a jealous God. When your position becomes high, you will find that you are too busy and easily push God aside, making Him step back. God stepping back is a life-threatening matter, because when God's Spirit departs, the spirit of death comes. If you have not experienced enough of the spirit of death, try hard to walk this path; it is not fun.

Jeroboam, in his high position as the king of Israel, bearing the responsibility of leading the Israelites, first considered the GDP, the economic development, and how to rule these people, how to ensure that the Israelites paid the taxes they should. This became paramount, because people without money find it difficult to serve Mammon. A wealthy man named Ma once said that even if he was given five hundred million—in fact, even if he was given one hundred million—he did not know how busy he would become.

He was afraid that this one hundred million would shrink, but he did not realize that even if it shrank, there would still be tens of millions left. This busyness could lead to even the loss of those tens of millions. With more money, management is needed, leaving no time to serve God, and money becomes a curse. Many people think that money is important, as it is real gold and silver, while God is unimportant because He is invisible and intangible. I am grateful that I do not have so much money and do not have to be busy for it. Money is not my master; besides God, there is no savior, meaning that apart from God, nothing can solve our problems.

The answers to all of life's problems are in God's hands, but many people, no matter how much they experience God, still do not know this. A young man's mother had cancer and was healed through my ministry. She then asked me how her child should live if he followed me in believing in the Lord. I said that she had cancer and was nearly dead. If she had not followed me in believing in the Lord, how would her days have been? If people have a little wisdom, they would know with their heels that God is their savior. But many people do not know; they forget after leaving Egypt.

Accumulating Sin Upon Sin by Casting Idols

Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people, 'They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calf-idols.' (Hosea 13:2)

Once people take this life as their goal, they will surely cast idols, because idols are obedient. If an idol is placed in a location, it will not move unless someone moves it. In this generation, the Chinese are the most skilled in following the path of worldly politics and economics. Since ancient times, the ruling class's system of ruling philosophy can be described as highly refined. The ruling class manages the common people by keeping them ignorant, by making them foolish. They create an idol for the common people to worship. After worshiping, the common people become afraid and must continue to worship. This is similar to the golden calf invented by Jeroboam. He said that those who offer sacrifices can kiss this golden calf. I wonder if this will cause infectious diseases. He cast the golden calf because of money. If the common people took their money to Jerusalem, what would become of the kingdom of Israel he governed? In a moment of error, he thought that creating the idol of the golden calf could solve his worries and concerns.

We must be especially careful in the church not to create idols. Some people treat me like a master, but I do not want to be one; I just want to be a small teacher. Some people say that they want to shape me into a world-famous pastor, but I just want to be an unknown pastor. People think I am foolish, but why would I shape myself into a famous pastor? I am not a master, not even a small teacher. Many people treat me like a master and ask me to pray for others. I can pray for people, but I cannot go against God's will. Whether people can be healed is God's will, not something I can decide. Whether master or small teacher, we do not want to be them; we just want to do some small things practically and serve well.

I do not want to cast idols in the church, nor do I want to become an idol. I just want everyone to be able to understand the Bible and become wise. Our church has no idols; it is faceless and nameless. If you have the opportunity, you can come and meet me, but do not treat me as an idol. A sister in our church was on a video call with her mother and insisted that I say a few words to her. Her mother is a member of our church and loves to joke, saying that I am her dream lover, her idol, but I do not have an idol's face. People in Northeast China like to joke; everyone laughs it off. But some people truly treat me as an idol, and that idol must be torn down, or it will be troublesome.

Casting idols is accumulating sin upon sin, but people like to worship idols. I say that you are blessed if you encounter me, meaning that you are blessed to have met me. But some people think that I mean they are blessed if they touch me. Do not come all the way to touch me randomly; that is not what I mean. Everyone must not create idols for themselves. I am just a deacon before God, sent by God to serve, to bring people to God. In fact, your growth depends entirely on God. Do not cast idols, or you will be accumulating sin upon sin. A person who takes this life as his goal is sinning and dies. Not yet fully dead, he commits the act of casting idols, which is accumulating sin upon sin.

God Is the God Who Helps Us

I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. (Hosea 13:5-6)

In the land of drought, people have nothing to eat or wear. Like Jacob, who had a dream in Bethel, he asked God for something simple: give him food to eat and clothes to wear. One day, God will really help you, really give you food, clothes, and hundreds of millions, but then you have no time to love God. All your time is spent managing those hundreds of millions, and in the end, a pile of messy matters provokes God's anger.

You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. (Hosea 13:9)

God is the One who helps us, but we still hide from Him. It is really difficult for God. The Israelites in the wilderness, without food or drink, knew that God was their God, but after having food and drink, they forgot who God was. It is like Nabal in 1 Samuel. David once protected Nabal's sheep and property. As a result, Nabal drank too much wine, and when David's servants went to him, he asked who David was and said that many servants who rebelled against their masters were running around. He nearly caused David to kill him.

People are like this. Of those who have experienced earth-shattering miracles, few remain. Know that I have ministered to countless people. Our pastors have certainly experienced this as well. Everyone can find examples in their own lives. Some people feel that they are their own savior, that the food they eat and the money they have are all earned by their own hard work and have nothing to do with God. People must know that God is the God who helps them, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, who gave them food and drink when they had nothing to eat or drink. Then, when you have food and drink, what should you do?

People Forget God When They Are Satisfied

When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. (Hosea 13:6)

It is incomprehensible why people desperately love the world, running on the road to destruction. I shared many examples of this a few days ago. I do not know how people can live without God. People forget God when they are satisfied, revolving around that one hundred million. Some people do not even need one hundred million; a job with a few thousand dollars can tie them up tightly. They take their work so seriously, but is that work not given to you by God?

Opposing Help is Self-Destructive

You are destroyed, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper. (Hosea 13:9)

There is a type of person I will never understand, those who are deathly afraid of those who want to harm them, but bristle and react strongly against those who help them. Others are children of wisdom, but these are children of no wisdom. This is quite common. A sister of ours has an uncle who works in his brother's company. Yet he does not realize who is helping him, and he quarrels with his brother, standing in opposition, forgetting who pays his salary. There's also a particularly troublesome type of person; woe to whoever raises such a son. An elderly woman tearfully mentioned her son, it was a painful subject. When she had him, she was in the prime of her career. Not having time to care for him, she hired a nanny, sending the child to the nanny's home while she worked. Even now, in his fifties or sixties, he still says he was not raised by his mother, but by the nanny. Does he not consider that his mother paid for his care?

Opposing those who help you is self-destructive. It is hard for such a mind not to be ruined. They cannot distinguish who harms them from who helps them. Know that our God is the Savior, and there is no Savior besides Him. He has helped us in the past and continues to help us now, but why have we become like this? Praise God that perhaps you are only occasionally like this. How can we make everyone as clever as I am, trusting in God throughout life? He is my Savior, He is everything to me. If you have such a resolve, wouldn't you be a clever person?

A Child Without Wisdom

Pangs as of childbirth come upon him, but he is an unwise son, for at the proper time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb. (Hosea 13:13)

If a person knows that God is the answer to all the problems in our lives, then congratulations to you. If not, then one acts willfully and foolishly all day long. Foolishly is a standard slogan in Chinese Mingding Destiny, everyone must say it. One look at that brain, foolishly! This is a famous saying in Chinese Mingding Destiny theology, if you haven't learned it yet, you need to learn it quickly. It means that this brain is so stupid that it is incomprehensible. Some pastors say that I always use foul language, like brain filled with diarrhea, foolishly, and other harsh words. Some ask what it means to have a brain filled with diarrhea. If you could open their brains and look, you would see that there is no wisdom.

We must become wise. I once tried hard to teach two sisters the wisdom of dealing with situations, giving them many wise methods. Don't always bicker, grabbing each other's collars or pulling hair, fighting without end. Besides God, there is no savior in this world. That is our God declaring, except for the God we trust in, there is no savior under heaven. God is not only the answer to all the problems in our lives, but also the answer to the question of eternal life. If you still do not know that, then you are a foolish child without wisdom.

People Often Provoke God's Anger

People inevitably provoke God's anger when they frequently act foolishly. God helps you, but in return, you glare at God. Turning away from God, even blaspheming God, and then saying that Baal is good—it is unbearable to hear. There was a cancer patient whose blood oxygen level was rapidly decreasing; another decrease and he would pass away. So I led him in intense, rapid prayer. Although our abilities were not great in those days, after the prayer, the blood oxygen level immediately rose. This was due to prayer, not the doctor's abilities. However, when the old man woke up, he said that modern technology was good. This is the future technology of eternity, but what he said was disheartening. There are many like this, often provoking God's anger.

Where now are your kings, that they may save you in all your cities? And your rulers, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'? I gave you a king in my anger, and took him away in my wrath. (Hosea 13:10-11)

Why did the Israelites want to establish a king? Because they determined that without a king, the problem of the people was a problem of the system. They felt that the theological system was not good, and that only establishing a king would solve it. In fact, God was managing them well. Every time they cried out to God, He helped them, but they felt it was not enough and that they needed a king. So God gave them a king in His anger and took him away in His wrath. All of people's problems are closely related to turning away from God. Everyone must know that your problem is not a problem of the system or the structure, nor is it a problem of being born into a certain family. It is because you yourself disobeyed God.

One day, I rebuked an elderly sister over the phone. Her daughter-in-law had a nerve tumor on her lumbar spine. She wanted to go to the hospital for treatment, but the elderly sister wanted to pray for her instead. There are quite a few people like this. The tumor was on her lumbar spine; if not properly treated, it could cause paralysis. However, she insisted on going to the hospital. The elderly sister prayed for her daughter-in-law, and there was some improvement, but the daughter-in-law didn't see it and insisted that only going to the hospital could heal her. In the future, if you want to serve those who are determined to go to the hospital, don't come to me, even if you pull me into a group—I won't bother with you. Because people want to go to the hospital, we shouldn't ruin their plans.

People often provoke God's anger. Everyone must know that no matter what the illness—arthritis, urticaria, eye diseases, cancer, tumors, diabetes, high blood pressure—they are all manifestations of God's wrath. Because people have always loved to worship idols, treating hospitals or anything else as idols, but they cannot treat our God as the Savior. They do not recognize that our God is the answer to all problems, even after experiencing it. People turn away from God, often provoking God's anger—enough to cause you considerable trouble, or even worse. So why do people often provoke God's anger? People carry a strong worldly logic, foolishly becoming examples of a lack of wisdom. It is truly frustrating.

Some say that the pastor is too inhumane, but actually, I am very humane, much more so than most people. If a person wants to trust in God, I can serve them tirelessly, staying up all night if necessary. My humanity is not serving those who often provoke God's anger, because their problems come from God, and the problem itself is a curse. Don't think that I am cold-blooded just because I say these few words. If someone wants to go to the hospital instead of following this path, why should I force them? If you are willing to build a glorious church of God with me, I can serve you without eating or sleeping, because this is God's will. People sin, love the world, and then problems arise. Our eyes must not be fixed on being healed. We have only one Mingding Destiny, which is to bring those who love God into the kingdom of God.

People Must Bear Their Own Sins

Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God, they shall fall by the sword, their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open. (Hosea 13:16)

If you see our time filled with these kinds of things, there is a reason. This is an adulterous age; people want to rely on God but also want to rely on mammon. The chief of adulterers is Samaria. Samaria shall bear her guilt. If you are Samaria, you will see that she will fall by the sword, the little ones will be dashed in pieces, and the pregnant women will be ripped open. What is spoken here later became reality. The Assyrians attacked the kingdom of Israel, and all of Israel became a river of blood; it was terrible. That is bearing one's own sins. When Hosea wrote this, it had not yet happened, and people at the time felt that this kind of thing should not happen, and they were living quite well. By the time the Assyrians came, no one could be relied upon, and the result was tragic.

Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window. (Hosea 13:3)

Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear open their chests. Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will tear them apart. (Hosea 13:8)

This is people bearing their own sins, also called deserved. Do not ask why God is not humane. This is people bearing their own sins; all things are deserved. Whether you listen to it or not, those who accept it, accept it, and those who do not accept it are the same. Except for our Lord Jesus, there is no savior. Those who do not trust in Him will fall by the sword, and those who trust in Him will not be put to shame, for He is the answer to all our problems.

Yet we have not worked hard to read His words and walk in His will. Look at the things you have experienced, and that is enough to prove our spiritual condition. Of course, there are exceptions, like Joseph being sold into Egypt, with God being with him. Besides our God, who else is there? A hymn sings well, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you Besides God, there is no other god. We must not acknowledge other gods, even less follow other gods. We must resolve to follow our Lord Jesus Christ.

Though he may flourish among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord, rising from the desert; and his fountain shall dry up, his spring shall be parched. It shall plunder his store of every precious thing. (Hosea 13:15)

Since the time of coming out of the land of Egypt, He has been our God, and a series of things are spoken of later. But everyone must know that although we must bear our own sins, nevertheless, if we are still willing to turn to God in such a state, God will surely save us.

Even So, God will Redeem

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. (Hosea 13:14)

God will redeem. God has resolved to give His Son Jesus Christ. At the time of writing the Book of Hosea, God had already predestined our Lord Jesus Christ to be born into the world, to die for us, and to die on the cross, specifically to destroy the one who has the power of death. We have already obtained the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by Him, we can overcome the grave and death. In Him, we will be satisfied. In Jesus Christ, however many the promises of God, they are all yes. Chinese Mingding Destiny theology has solved many problems in theory, and has also truly verified through practice that besides our God, there is no other savior. He is our only Savior.

Do you know what problems we have solved? Unbelievers can leave here and not listen, but those among us who believe must listen to what I say. Our God is our Redeemer, He is healing, He is our greatest physician, He is our prosperity, victory, redemption, rock, and refuge; He is our everything. If you can know that God is our everything, congratulations to you! You will pay all the price for this. When you have no strength, He will be your strength; when you are sick, He will become your healing. We, Chinese Mingding Destiny theology, have completely solved the issue of great health. The world's great health is for making money, but our great health makes people truly healthy. In addition to this, we have also really solved the problem of making people smarter. In the past, it was always stumbling, and now I know that God is our wisdom and intelligence, He is our Redeemer.

Pray and read God's word often, and your mind will open. Those who have children at home must let them know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, and there is no savior on earth besides God. God has already prepared the plan of redemption, to destroy the one who has the power of death. There is no other name given under heaven and among men by which we can be saved, only the name of Jesus Christ can overcome the spirit of the grave, hell, and death. This is such a wonderful thing. Some people do not believe, then those who do not believe will destroy themselves, and those who believe will receive abundant grace. Amen! Everyone must remember that besides our God, there is no savior. Amen!

May God bless everyone!