Alright, let's delve into 1 Timothy, Chapter 4. Still a challenge, this chapter. The title: "Be a Good Minister of Jesus Christ."

Timothy was dispatched to minister to the church in Ephesus. Upon arrival, he found a congregation of diverse individuals, all quite vocal. Some were elderly women, almost like Grandma Liu from the Dream of the Red Chamber. In their presence, Timothy felt overwhelmed, as if the old women were the purveyors of truth. A most precarious situation.

After arriving in Ephesus, Timothy wrote to Paul, detailing the various difficulties he encountered. Paul responded, instructing Timothy on how to proceed. Timothy found some advocating against marriage. Be wary, for this is the doctrine of demons. Others were dictating what foods could and could not be consumed.

The church also had its share of fitness enthusiasts, some with well-defined abdominal muscles, others running marathons, all in peak physical condition. Timothy, in contrast, was somewhat pale and had a delicate stomach. You see, all sorts were present. Some suggested Timothy should focus on physical training. These matters provided Paul with an opportunity to advise Timothy: "Be a Good Minister of Jesus Christ."

Of course, besides the musclemen, there were also those with ample girth, resembling Michelin tires, enjoying their meals heartily. Can a Michelin tire be a good minister of Jesus Christ? Yes, but they must have substance in their minds, not just in their flesh.

Beware of Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Demons

To be a good minister of Jesus Christ, we, brothers and sisters, must be vigilant. If you are a junior pastor, or a pastor overseeing many, as a minister of Jesus Christ, you directly confront seducing spirits and demons, formidable adversaries.

Do you imagine seducing spirits and demons to be like those in horror films, a skull in a white robe floating through the air with a "boo," scaring you witless? Demons do not manifest in such a way. That is not demonic; that is Halloween.

So, what do seducing spirits and demons do? I tell you, they meddle with marriage. When marriages lead to tragedy, they advocate against it, forbidding certain foods, pushing this agenda. They say marriage is forbidden. Brothers and sisters, I have never said you cannot marry. If you wish to marry at seventy, do so. If you do not, then don't. If you wish to marry at twenty, do so. If you do not, then don't. It is your decision. It has no bearing on sanctification.

And you know, this prohibition of marriage brings with it a host of other issues, pushing things to absurd extremes within the church. Another matter perplexes me greatly, related to marriage. After marriage, people engage in that act, do you understand? Is that not normal? Is that not God's creation? It is. Yet, they oppose God.

Being a pastor is not easy, because you must contend with these doctrines of demons. Some come and say, "Pastor, I am..." I ask, "What is it? Speak plainly, what is the problem?" They say, "I have committed sexual immorality." I ask, "How so? Did you sleep with someone?" They say, "No." I ask, "Then what happened?" They say, "Pastor, I... my sexual organs responded."

Tell me, how do you address this? If there is no response, is that not a medical issue? I say, "If there is a response, there is a response. Would God create something that does not respond?" They say, "No, but I also have that." I ask, "Which?" They have a habit of masturbation.

This confounds me. I searched the Scriptures and found nothing on this matter. Yet, many consider it a sin, and many churches condemn it. If you go to a charismatic church, they have a form to fill out before deliverance, listing sins to confess and renounce.

Have you played this game? If so, I tell you, it is dangerous. Many items on that list are not found in Scripture. After confessing and renouncing these things, what happens? I ask you, how much pressure does that create? People begin to feel defiled.

Not only do they forbid marriage, but they also prohibit anything related to sex, advocating abstinence. Can you abstain? If so, I congratulate you. Confessing is useless. Some type: "Pastor, I have confessed this." It is useless! I prefer to be blunt. Is it not useless? I return to Scripture and find no such teaching in the entire Bible.

Furthermore, the church has many dietary restrictions. This is forbidden, that is forbidden. Some only eat organic food. What is organic? Food grown with natural fertilizers. If you examine organic plants, they are often fertilized with manure. My goodness, they focus on such trivial matters, forgetting our God.

I tell you, I studied what Jesus said, and He said food cannot defile a person. It enters the mouth and is expelled into the latrine the next day, is it not? It is the thoughts and intentions of the heart that defile a person.

For example, some believe renovations are dangerous due to formaldehyde. One sister entered our newly renovated house and exclaimed, "This will kill you! The formaldehyde is deadly!" Thankfully, we are still alive. People love to talk about such things, like food not meeting standards or being toxic.

A friend who sells building materials shared with me the formaldehyde ratings, from zero to three. He said that boards with formaldehyde resist termites. People care about these things. In my opinion, identifying good and evil with colleagues, arguing with your mother, fighting with your father, or bickering with your husband generates far more formaldehyde than an "E1" board. E1 cannot compare to identifying good and evil, let alone E2 or E3. It is more like E100.

Therefore, as Christians, especially as ministers of Jesus Christ, we must beware of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)

Let us read further to understand what constitutes the doctrines of demons.

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:2-5)

Do you understand now? We love to focus on a multitude of things. Where does this come from? From demons. I tell you, all medicine has some toxicity, whether Chinese or Western. Is the toxicity significant? Yes, but it is used to combat illness. Taking medicine and getting injections daily, is that not life-threatening? They are not afraid. It is difficult to avoid falling for these schemes.

Once, I ministered to a sister who came to me for deliverance, staying with me for half a month. Every morning, I saw her take several small packets of powder from her bag. Thankfully, they were yellowish, not white, which would have suggested something else. She tore them open, poured them into a cup, added hot water, and covered it. I asked, "What is this?" She said, "Organic food, powders made from various beans." I discovered it was very expensive, a multi-level marketing product. Had she investigated it? Health food? What health? She had been consuming it for a long time with no benefit. Her ailments were healed through my prayers, not through that stuff.

The doctrines of demons are abundant. For example, after healing and deliverance, some insist on cleansing prayers. Some say, "I have not had cleansing prayers!" They believe everything except the power of God. In the church, the doctrines of demons are everywhere. Is that not deadly? Some deliverance pastors only eat organic products. I think, organic or not, just eat. I do not care much about it. But others are different; they care deeply. They must live well. Yet, those who seek to live well often do not outlive me.

Therefore, be careful. As a minister of Jesus Christ, do not get caught up in marriage, food, and other trivial matters. That is not the truth. Remember, demons do not appear as skeletons to scare you. Demons operate in everyday life.

Reject Profane and Old Wives' Fables

Especially you, young ministers and deacons, brothers and sisters, reject profane language. The secular world is powerful. Who is behind it? Demons. When Timothy arrived in Ephesus, the church was heavily influenced by secular language. Once you establish a church, you must be highly sensitive to secular language. What is secular language? It does not teach you to kill or set fires, but much of it is corrupting, along with old wives' fables.

How can I give you an example? There is much that is secular in the church. Once, I attended a church course where the leader spoke at length about his grandmother, a devout Buddhist, whom he greatly admired for her piety. What was he saying? Was she truly pious? Yes, but then he spoke of learning about Jesus Christ from his grandmother's piety. My goodness, what was that? A lament.

When Timothy arrived in Ephesus, how much secular language was there? The church judged him, saying, "Timothy did not finish university. He follows Paul. What can he achieve?" Timothy heard this and thought, "I need to get a degree, a doctorate." I am telling a Timothy anecdote. He asked Paul, "Should I return to the Pharisees and get a degree?" How corrupting. Timothy felt he needed a doctorate to minister effectively, a worldly logic, the customs of this age.

What did Paul write in Ephesians? He wrote of following the customs of this age, obeying the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the evil spirit in the air. How powerful. The customs of this age corrupt so many. Reject profane language. We do not know why Paul wrote this, but secular language must have entered Timothy's heart. Otherwise, why would he need to reject it? Paul told him, "You cannot go down this path!"

There were even more old wives' fables. An old woman looked at Timothy and said, "Your baby fat has not faded yet." Timothy immediately felt self-conscious. Do you know what baby fat is? When a bird hatches, the corners of its mouth are yellow, indicating immaturity. The old woman thought Timothy was inexperienced. "I have more experience than you." These old women are formidable, saying, "Timothy, it is not as you say, it is like this." This immediately deflated Timothy.

Although Timothy was a deacon, what happened? We see between the lines that he may have had a girlfriend whose family included such an old woman, a great talker. Timothy was deflated by her fables. The old woman said, "Timothy, listen to your wife. If you listen to your wife, you will have money." She spouted such things. If you search online, you will find northeastern grandmothers with elaborate and captivating tales, saying, "Those who fear their wives will prosper." Who is this old woman? Perhaps his girlfriend's grandmother. This is rejecting profane language and old wives' fables.

As Christians, we accumulate bits and pieces of garbage, making it difficult to be ministers of Jesus Christ. Do not even think of ministering to old women; they will lead you astray, listening to doctrines of demons. The old woman says, "If you want to be my granddaughter's husband, develop your muscles. Take off your shirt and show me your abs. Oh, only three abs." What can Timothy do? He goes to the gym and works out every day.

Paul's letters are most insightful: You must train yourself to be godly. An old woman might say, "How can you marry my granddaughter without a six-pack? You need to work out!" These words alone could send Timothy to the gym. "You're short on cash? I'll fund a coach for you." Heavens! With the money spent, would he refuse? Timothy might just go and chase that six-pack. Ah, I tell you, it's easy to mislead people; he might just go and train.

Paul, hearing this, would object: "Train yourself to be godly."

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. (1 Timothy 4:7-9)

Are these words weighty? Indeed. Whether Timothy took up boxing or ran marathons, we do not know. The old woman might think: "How can you manage? How will you protect my granddaughter? To be my grandson-in-law, you must acquire some martial skills, perhaps at the Shaolin Temple." Going there would only worsen matters.

So, I tell you, brothers and sisters, is this not misleading? Running marathons certainly improves one's physique, and bodybuilders display their muscles on stage. Timothy, in contrast, might have nothing to show. Alas, a servant of Jesus Christ does not need a six-pack or marathon skills; he only needs to train in godliness.

Why godliness, you ask? Simply put, when you are godly and obey God's truth, your physical condition should not be poor. Why? Because you have not mistaken good for evil, indulged the flesh, or conformed to the world's customs. Thus, how many demons can you attract? Not many. But how many do you attract by conforming to worldly customs? Many. And if you attract demons, you will fail in your other goals. Whom will you teach? If you, as a servant of Jesus Christ, promote health products, fitness, or insurance, how can you succeed? It is impossible!

Therefore, physical training is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, promising benefits in this life and the next. If we believe health comes from exercise, we must be cautious. If we think health comes from wellness practices, we must be wary. History shows that many wellness experts do not live past fifty.

One day, a wellness expert, also an official, shared his concepts with his colleagues, detailing how to maintain health, even undergoing blood transfusions, almost to the point of organ transplants—exchanging this and that, all grafted parts. Before sixty and retirement, he died. Those who listened remarked: "Your teachings were nonsense, based on the lies of demons."

So, brothers and sisters, ponder this: we must begin to reject these things and train in godliness. What does it mean to train in godliness? To strive for truth and grow continually. I ask you, how does cancer arise? Did they not maintain their health? Yes. Did they not care for their bodies? Yes. Did they not exercise? Yes. Why, then, did they get cancer? Because their minds were ungodly, filled with worldly doctrines, leading to illness. Now, when ministering to such people, I must reorient myself. Why? Their minds are exceedingly defiled. How should I minister? If you tell them, they become displeased.

Brothers and sisters, we must train in godliness, knowing God in truth. I tell you, knowing the lies of demons and walking in godliness, understanding the spiritual world, you will solve significant problems and surely be healthy.

Our Hope is in the Living God

That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:10)

Our hope is in the living God. Those in the world live in the flesh, concerned only with physical matters and this life. Yet, have they truly gained anything in this life? Not much. Our hope, however, is in the living God!

Why do we labor and strive? They might ask: "Why follow Paul? Become my grandson-in-law; our family has plenty of money." Timothy might struggle. So Paul says: "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

"Why labor so hard when there is wealth? What is the point?" This is critical. Some sisters still harbor worldly notions because their hope is not in God but in finding a wealthy husband, only to become older, unmarried women, filled with despair. They might consider being a mistress, but that is dishonorable. If polygamy were acceptable, they would settle for being a concubine. Those who are eligible are often older, while the young and inexperienced are not interested. How arduous!

Our hope is in God. Do not just listen to my anecdotes; our hope must be in God. A descendant of a famous figure, a university classmate of mine, has been promoting the legalization of polygamy since his youth. Actually, in Malaysia, it is called the "Second Home" program; joining Islam allows polygamy, simplifying matters. Promoting such a movement in China is difficult.

But the Apostle Paul labors and strives; he does not want to be idle but to ensure that the effects of his ministry on earth extend into eternity. Our hope is not in this world but in the living God. Now you see: Timothy's situation was precarious. The old woman is not unrelated to Timothy; her granddaughter might even be a Christian.

I tell you, marrying a Christian is not always the best choice, as Christians are often too tainted. Open your eyes wide when choosing a partner. But let us focus on the Apostle Paul: his purpose in life was not in this world but to be saved by God, awaiting His salvation from the power of darkness, death, and all spiritual wickedness, so that he could boldly come before God and receive His glorious crown.

Labor is normal; is it not normal to labor in service? Laziness is a detestable habit. As a side note, I have found that lazy people struggle to believe, and those who indulge in pleasure find it difficult to believe. They are devoted to their hobbies, while we are devoted to serving and laboring.

I suspect Timothy was looked down upon and lacked inner strength, perhaps being somewhat clumsy. He might have thought: "Becoming a live-in son-in-law might be the best option, freeing me from such labor." But we must remember that as servants of the living God and good servants of Jesus Christ, we must live and labor for this purpose. I am willing! This is my purpose in life. This is what it means to be a good servant of Jesus Christ.

Command and Teach

Command and teach these things. (1 Timothy 4:11)

Paul's demands on Timothy are interesting and challenging. Not only must you understand these matters yourself, but you must also teach and command them, enabling others to understand. Marriage is not a sin, and normal marital relations are not sinful; they are created by God. However, one must have a godly heart.

Do not be concerned about what to eat or drink, nor about worldly things, for they will pass away. Only God is eternal.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. (1 Timothy 4:12-14)

Teach and command. Brothers and sisters, as we train in godliness, we have many stories to tell. We can teach people to discern. Why? Because the Jesus Christ of Christianity teaches us how to live as humans. Do not let this person, filled with God's glory, live inhumanly or like a ghost. Do not become a parasite, becoming a live-in son-in-law with no purpose.

What should we teach people? To live out God's glorious image! Not to live like a Michelin tire or with a six-pack, but to live out God's glorious image. Whether in business or politics, the rules are complex and difficult to escape, but we are freed by grace in Jesus Christ. Why? In Jesus Christ, we lack nothing. Jesus Christ can be taken as medicine, eaten as food, spent as money, and worn as our glorious crown.

Living out God's glorious image, we are no longer controlled by worldly things. Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young. If they say, "You are just a greenhorn," you can reply, "Indeed." Did Timothy know about Qin Shi Huang? No. About Emperor Wu of Han? No. About Genghis Khan? No. Like many preachers, we do not know much about these figures. Those seasoned veterans teach people about Emperor Wu of Han and Genghis Khan. Did they live well? No, they lived miserably.

Genesis 5 speaks of a culture of strongmen, but we have found that being a strongman is not good. We have always admired heroes, and heroic teachings are deeply ingrained, but consider whether you want to be Guan Yu, who was defeated at Maicheng, or Zhang Fei, who died tragically.

What do we teach people to do? To be examples for the believers, setting an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Do you understand? If we are to compare, let us compare our love, faith, and purity. We do not covet wealth, for we do not live for those things. If you work diligently, you will lack nothing. Moreover, God will bless the work of your hands.

Be Diligent, Focused, Progressive, Cautious, and Persevering

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:15)

Be diligent in these matters. Was Timothy not diligent enough? If he were, Paul would not say this. Paul might call and ask, "Where are you?" And Timothy might reply, "Uh... I'm in the park." Paul would ask, "Who are you with?" You must be diligent and focused, so that everyone may see your progress. Do not just sit on a park bench. What are you doing? Are you square dancing?

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

Was Timothy not cautious enough? Yes. Was he not persevering enough? Certainly. Paul says, "Because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." These are weighty words.

If you were Timothy, reading this, you might think, "What's wrong with having a passionate romance? Why must you stop me? What progress?" We do not know what happened later, but Timothy did not leave behind much writing, which is regrettable.

There is a Chinese saying: "Sons should be like Sun Zhongmou." Some might say sons should be like Timothy, but perhaps we should not name them Timothy. God, through Paul, wrote to Timothy, encouraging him to be diligent and not lazy, to be focused and not distracted. Whatever distracts you, eliminate it. To be progressive, not regressive. To be cautious, as some of his teachings were problematic. To be persevering, not trying to become fat in one bite. To be patient, not rushing, lest he serve with struggle. Was his time spent serving or dating? Timothy's girlfriend's grandmother was calling him over for a lecture, while he was listening to Paul's teachings. How difficult!

So, we must be good servants of Jesus Christ, being diligent, not lazy; focused, not distracted; progressive, not regressive; laboring diligently, which is normal; and cautious when teaching, not speaking carelessly. Timothy might have just finished listening to his girlfriend's grandmother and then gone to the pulpit to preach nonsense. We must be persevering. I hope we all learn how to be good servants of Jesus Christ.

May God bless you all!

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