Introduction

Greetings, everyone. Today we continue with our series. It has been an excellent journey, and we have already reached the fifth sermon. Today, I present the fifth paper in our series on "Wisdom, Folly, and Madness": To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy.

You see, many things in life require scientific validation. King Solomon conducted a massive, unprecedented experiment. Scientists run experiments, record data, and publish papers. But today, we have a problem. When you cannot get the desired empirical data—especially in biology, which is notoriously difficult—some resort to falsifying data.

They fabricate results, hoping to secure a prestigious fellowship in the Academy of Sciences. But then, a whistleblower—someone who failed to complete his PhD—emerges. Armed with artificial intelligence, he scans these papers, exposes the fraud, and brings down several academicians and outstanding young scholars. It is a ruthless but necessary cleanup.

Falsifying data might bring temporary gratification, but when exposed, the embarrassment is absolute. How do you recover from that? You cannot simply go back and redo a PhD. It is impossible. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we must understand that scientific experiments must be grounded in hard facts. If you fabricate data, there is no science to speak of.

Solomon, however, conducted a truly magnificent experiment, and he recorded his findings in the Book of Ecclesiastes. What is the core thesis? To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Solomon denied himself nothing his eyes desired or his heart lusted after.

Yet, once he obtained everything, he realized—as many of you might have—that it was utterly meaningless. He wrote it down himself: it was all "vanity of vanities." Ultimately, true joy comes only from God. He ran the experiment on a grand scale. You and I do not have the resources to replicate Solomon's scale, but we can run our own micro-experiments in our daily lives. You will quickly find that acquiring material things, in itself, is ultimately hollow.

Just yesterday, I met two PhDs in biology—Eastern scholars, of course. The moment I made a proposition, they immediately asked: "Where is your experiment? Where is your control group?" Let me give you an example. I suggested to them that physical exercise does not necessarily guarantee health or longevity.

I argued: look at flies and mosquitoes. They exercise vigorously, flapping their wings constantly, yet their lifespan is incredibly short. On the other hand, the tortoise moves at a glacial pace, almost like practicing Tai Chi, yet it lives for centuries. The scientists immediately dismissed this as pseudo-science. I admitted I am no scientist; it was merely an intuitive observation. They corrected me, explaining that a proper scientific comparison requires taking a thousand flies, letting one group fly freely, while confining the other thousand in tiny boxes to prevent movement, and then comparing their lifespans.

I had to concede. They are indeed scientists. They rely on rigorous methodology. I proposed several other theories, and they kept asking for experimental proof. Without it, my theories were useless in their eyes. In front of real scientists, mere opinions without peer-reviewed papers or comparative data carry no weight. It was a humbling experience, but highly instructive. Science requires reproducibility and statistical significance.

But when it comes to human existence, I have done some empirical observations of my own. Take cancer patients, for instance. They are rarely happy. Why? Because they are convinced they are in the right. Even if their logic is warped, they believe it absolutely. Now, when those scientists challenged me, I did not argue. I conceded immediately. When you yield, there is no friction; it is like punching cotton. No one gets hurt.

I find Solomon's experiment highly relevant. I conducted my own observational study on cancer patients over years of ministry. The data is consistent: almost all of them believe they are "good people." Not only that, they harbor a deep resentment, believing the world has treated them unfairly. This internal friction eats them alive.

The scientists I spoke to immediately grasped the core issue. The root cause of their suffering is not merely that they think they are good, but the internal bitterness and emotional knot that results from it. If a person does not suffer from self-righteousness, they would not feel this resentment. If I know I am flawed and have wronged the world, why should I feel bitter when things go wrong? But when you believe you are righteous and others owe you, bitterness is inevitable. I call this the "cancer personality." It robs people of joy.

Upon closer observation, I realized much of human striving is indeed vanity of vanities. Even in my youth, I recognized this. People often wonder why I live so light-heartedly. It is because I do not insist on my own rights or my own logic. When misery knocks, I kick it out. I do not, like some people, systematically destroy my own joy.

My conclusion is simple: life is ultimately about perception. Call it philosophy or empirical observation, but I have no academic paper to show for it—though I do deliver a "paper" here every week. When a man finally lies in his coffin, can he say, "I have lived a full life, filled with joy from birth to death"? To find joy in one's labor is a gift from God.

Yet, many spend their entire lives in anxiety and conflict. When they draw their last breath, their eyes remain wide open in regret. It is a tragedy. What I am sharing with you is not empty rhetoric; it is tried and tested in my own life. I practice what I preach. If it works, I tell you; if it doesn't, I tell you as well.

Therefore, who can rob me of my joy? Do I have difficult moments? Of course. But I defeat the misery; I do not let it extinguish my joy. Many people lose sight of the fundamental purpose of living: we are meant to live joyfully. Scripture tells us that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please Him. Without wisdom and knowledge, joy is impossible.

Consider those in business. They start with nothing, grateful for a simple ten-dollar bowl of noodles. But as they chase wealth, they forget that simple joy. Once they become rich, that same ten-dollar noodle bowl no longer satisfies them. They get caught up in networking, customer acquisition, and scaling up. It becomes a grueling, miserable grind. They lose their joy, and in the end, they get cancer. As the Scripture says: "To the sinner He gives the work of gathering and heaping." What a precise description.

They fit the description perfectly. The seat of the sinner is a miserable one. Without wisdom, joy is unattainable. People lose perspective, making their business their god, only to forfeit their lives for it. What is the point?

Once, someone told me, "Pastor Liu, we must scale up, we must grow stronger!" He thought bigger was better. I thought to myself: scaling up often leads to prison. I want no part in that. My goal is joy, and no one can stop me from choosing it. If you dig a pit for me, I will not jump in. If you set up a ladder and then pull it away when I climb, I would be a fool to ascend. I choose joy. Even in church planting, some pastors build churches only to end up deeply stressed and miserable. I find this incomprehensible. Why do the work of God only to become anxious?

Some even try to test me: "Pastor Liu, what will happen to the Chinese Mingding Doctrine after you die?" Why should I worry about that? Once I am gone, it is in God's hands. My focus is to find joy in my labor today. That is what matters.

When it comes to joy, who can surpass me? Do I have multiple wives or concubines? No. Then why am I joyful? Because I do not chase those vanities. I am a practical man. I observe and test my own internal state.

In the early 1990s, I did not own a car. I thought having a car would be wonderful—going for picnics, road trips, and so on. So, I ran an experiment. Three days after getting my license, I bought a second-hand car. I bought a tent, a picnic table, a portable stove, the whole set. The salesmen in that circle painted a beautiful picture of outdoor living.

I used them twice and never went back. Pitching and packing up the tent was a nightmare. Cleaning the mud off it was exhausting. I realized that drinking a cup of coffee at home felt exactly the same as drinking it by the beach. Eventually, the gear sat in my car until I threw it away as trash. It was meaningless.

When you don't have it, you crave it. But once you do, the novelty fades. I rarely drove the car; it just sat downstairs. Yet, I made sure I got my money's worth. I used it to drive to remote industrial parks to buy materials for DIY projects. I saved a fortune doing my own home renovations—doing a hundred-thousand-dollar job for twenty thousand. That was satisfying.

It is the same with housing. People buy a house, decorate it with plants, and think it will bring permanent happiness. Within three months, the feeling is gone, and you are left with the chore of watering the plants. The peak of happiness is actually during the process of designing and renovating—the labor itself. Finding joy in the labor is indeed a gift from God.

Therefore, the church must be a place that teaches people how to live and how to find joy. Living is a profound science. You must run your own micro-experiments. I tell you this: whenever you replace God with anything else, your sorrow and labor will multiply. If your business, your money, or your family becomes your god, your misery is guaranteed.

If love is your god, and you chase after a passionate, earth-shattering romance, you end up like Romeo and Juliet. Others pursue the same, and they end up like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. It is a mercy they never married. Had they married, the romance would have died, and the story would lose its charm. Therefore, let us be clear: what is the purpose of your life? Do you understand this?

If your boss gives you a highly challenging task, do it with joy. If he does not, do it with joy nonetheless. Do you understand? If you are to clean toilets, clean them with joy. If you are to sweep the floor, sweep it with joy. If you are an engineer, be a joyful engineer. If you are a scientist, be a joyful scientist. Why? Because this is a gift from God. Is that not so?

You must acquire wisdom—the wisdom of joy. Brothers and sisters, you must obtain this wisdom of joy. Let me tell you, to the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. The crux of the matter is that you must be a person who pleases God. One of my co-workers once said to me, "Teacher, we must never incur God's wrath; at all costs, we must please Him. Our very lives depend on pleasing God."

Do you understand? Do not forget to throw yourselves completely into joy. You might think "throwing yourself" is only for hard labor, but no, throw yourselves into joy. How do you find joy? By relying on the Word of God. Is that not so? Keep and obey His commandments. Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying His voice? Let me tell you, if you carefully obey God's Word, you will surely please Him. And when you please Him, you will certainly receive wisdom, knowledge, and joy. I thank God that in building the church, I have my own clear logic. Why? Because I have seen many build churches only to end up in utter misery. There is constant infighting—like dragons and tigers fighting. What is the point of that? Is that God's command? Certainly not. Therefore, we must please God. If we are to build a church, we must build one that is holy, united, and filled with God's glory, strictly according to His Word.

So, have I not thrown myself into joy? Indeed, I have. Be joyful in whatever you do. You might say I have a natural talent for being a preacher. When I was in school, I was joyful and carefree. When I worked, I was joyful and carefree. After I believed in the Lord, I was exceedingly joyful. To know God and to believe in Him wholeheartedly—how wonderful that is.

Let me tell you, some people live such conflicted lives after believing in the Lord. They attend services as if they are doing the pastor a favor. I am not like that. For decades, I have not missed a single Sunday service. Is that not remarkable? Why? Because I want to please God. And when I please Him, I receive wisdom, knowledge, and joy. And guess what? Before I was forty, in my thirties, I became a senior executive. How excellent is that?

Even if you do not care for the executive title, surely you appreciate the salary. It was a high salary, and life was good. Later, when I lost my job, I still had my God. I remained joyful, and it was wonderful. Do not forget, brothers and sisters, the ultimate experience of life is joy. Do not ruin yourselves.

Scripture

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)

Prayer

Oh God, let us, your brothers and sisters, rejoice together in You today. God, let us resolve to be people who please You—our sole purpose is to please You. God, grant us wisdom, knowledge, and joy from You. Deliver us from the bondage of sinners and from all this painful toil. Let us see clearly the essence of life, and realize that we need You to live. God, lead us to victory, and utterly destroy those dark forces that seek to rob us of our inner joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Background of the Scripture

Let me tell you, today's topic is excellent. I particularly enjoy preaching on joy. Take Solomon, for instance. Do you think he built palaces simply because he liked them? No, he was conducting a grand experiment. My personal guess—though he did not explicitly state it—is that after he finished building God's temple and established order in his kingdom, he decided to write Ecclesiastes in his old age. He wanted to conduct a scientific experiment: to acquire everything his eyes desired and his heart fancied, just to see if it brought joy. So, he began his experiment. But he reminded himself to keep a clear head, guided by wisdom. He knew he was conducting an experiment and must not become the victim of his own trial. Solomon kept his wits about him.

What was his first experiment? Alcohol. He drank. Whether it was Erguotou, Vodka, Jiannanchun, Wuliangye, or Maotai—he drank it all. Wine cheered his heart. And after that? Well, it was decent enough. Drinking seemed fine.

Then he moved to the next experiment: grand construction projects. He built houses for himself. But let us be practical—how much space does a man actually need? Whether it is a villa of one hundred, three hundred, or six hundred square meters, you can only occupy one room. If you gave me an entire building with over a hundred rooms, I would be terrified. What would the other rooms be used for? I am not running a hotel. It is frightening.

But Solomon had a massive household, unlike me. With so many people, he launched massive construction projects. He built, landscaped, and planted vineyards. He planted fruit trees of all kinds, dug reservoirs for irrigation, and built waterworks. Then he bought male and female slaves. With so many properties, you need manpower to maintain them. That was no issue for Solomon; he had the money.

He acquired herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. But look here, livestock must be fed. When cows and pigs are hungry, they make a terrible racket. They are living creatures. Let me advise you: avoid keeping living things if you can. If you miss a single feeding, they suffer. If you have a pet dog and want to travel, you must send it to a pet hotel. It is a constant headache. They bark and whine. And then you have to manage the servants: "Have the cows been fed today?" It was exhausting for Solomon.

Next, he accumulated silver and gold. He reminded himself, "I am conducting an experiment." He collected precious stones, jade, gold, silver, antiques, bamboo carvings, ivory carvings, and paintings. He amassed treasures. He acquired male and female singers, and many concubines. He concluded: "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil."

But in the quiet of the night, after enjoying all the wealth and glory of the world, reality sets in. Imagine someone showing him a rare treasure—like a legendary night-glowing pearl. Of course, there was no Empress Dowager Cixi back then, but you get my point. People would boast about their priceless treasures, just like someone today boasting about a stamp worth two million dollars.

In the dead of night, after showing off his collection, he lies in bed and asks himself, "What am I doing?" He has exhausted himself. To collect treasures, you must study connoisseurship. You cannot afford to collect fakes or cheap imitations; that would make you a laughingstock. It is exhausting. Many collectors today are equally exhausted.

Look at me. I travel with just two suitcases—a small carry-on for flights and a larger one for all seasons. Why accumulate so much clutter? If you have treasures, let me look at them, and I will give you a thumbs-up. But I will not collect them myself, because then I would have to serve those objects. That is exhausting. You have to authenticate them, which requires immense effort and expertise. I would rather just be the one who applauds.

When Solomon lay in bed, he asked, "What am I doing? I am exhausted. Who will inherit all of this?" It was all vanity. He had everything a man could ever want, yet in bed, he realized it was all vanity of vanities. Can you understand this? What is the benefit of it all?

Then he felt the sting of his own pride. Why was he proud? Because when guests visited, he would show off his prized possessions and boast. It was foolishness and madness. He turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. What can the man do who comes after the king? Who could possibly replicate his achievements? It was pure arrogance.

Then Solomon fell into despair. Let me tell you, when a person reaches the pinnacle of success, especially as a public figure, life becomes very difficult. Being famous is exhausting. Once you are famous, people scrutinize you constantly, analyzing you like a museum piece. It is highly uncomfortable. Solomon's despair lay in this realization: "As it happens to the fool, so it will happen to me. Why then have I been so wise?" Do you understand what this means? The fool dies, and I will die too. I cannot live forever. Why then did I amass all these things? Solomon conducted the greatest experiment in human history, only to prove that possessing everything is still vanity of vanities.

I will die just like the fool. When the end comes, you close your eyes and that is it. Like the fool, the wise man will not be long remembered. Who will remember? Why bother? Fortunately, he wrote Ecclesiastes, which we can read today.

Had he not written it, Solomon would have no relevance to us. Why should we care about his treasures? Let him collect them. It has nothing to do with us. The truth is, everything under the sun is ultimately meaningless.

When I was a senior executive, I mingled with board members—all very wealthy people. They had private kitchens, eight-hundred-square-meter luxury apartments, and private elevators. It looked magnificent. Dozens of people sat around a massive table. Yet, they all die the same way. When you realize that death is the end, everything under the sun becomes vanity of vanities. As Solomon said, "So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

"I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun." Brothers and sisters, if you treat these worldly things as paramount, and then realize that upon your death they will be handed over to someone else, you will fall into despair.

What is the point of all this hard work? Why exhaust yourself with wisdom, knowledge, and skill? All your days are filled with pain and grief; even at night your mind does not rest. Why? Because you hear a noise in the dark and worry about thieves. It is exhausting. Solomon had to worry about inside thieves. His treasures were priceless. Whom could he trust to guard them?

At night, he would worry: "Is he going to steal my treasure? His look today was suspicious. What if he steals it tonight? Is my treasure even the genuine article, or has it been replaced with a fake?" If you accumulate such wealth, you will inevitably worry like this. You will lose sleep. Then, suddenly, Solomon realized: "Wait, I am conducting an experiment. This anxiety is too real. I must not fall into this trap. I must share the results of my experiment: find satisfaction in your toil, and please God. For to the one who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy." Do not live as a sinner. Do not live for these treasures. Let them be. Their value has nothing to do with you.

Why toil? Why live as a sinner? This is a sobering realization. Your business is not your god. Your possessions must not be your god. If you make them your god, your sorrows will multiply. If you marry a beautiful woman, you will constantly fear losing her affection. You will worry day and night, knowing others are pursuing her. What if someone wealthier comes along? You cannot compete.

Do you understand this? This is generally how the upper echelon of society behaves. In the end, Solomon concluded: there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This, I saw, was also from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can have enjoyment, more than I? Do you get the point? Under the sun, we must eat well. Eating brings joy, does it not? We must find satisfaction in our toil.

Make no mistake, do not lose your bearings in your hard work. Do not treat material possessions as your ultimate treasure. If you do, what do you become? A mere watchman of those treasures. The fact of the matter is, you are far more precious than any material object. You are created by God; you are a person of great dignity. Your worth does not come from your possessions. I do not become honorable because of a small suitcase.

Our dignity comes from God alone. Solomon understood this well. Do not wait until you are lying on a sickbed, unable to taste anything, when visitors come and say, "Eat whatever you like." What can you eat then? Everything has lost its flavor. What will you do at that point? Therefore, let us realize that God has created something wonderful—our ability to taste and enjoy good food.

Indeed, there is nothing better than to eat and drink. Do not wait until your senses are dulled to realize this. When people ask what you want to eat, you should be able to say, "I have tasted it all. I have enjoyed my breakfast, my lunch, my dinner, and my festive seasons." We must find joy in our labor. We must not become sinners consumed by anxiety and toil, only to leave our hard-earned wealth to others.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, I want to impart a fundamental concept to you: be a person who pleases God. To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. With wisdom, you see things with absolute clarity and live with joy. While you are still able to eat and drink, enjoy your food and drink. When you work, do it with a cheerful heart. When our time comes to close our eyes for the last time, we can say, "I have lived a good life. I have pleased God, and I have received wisdom, knowledge, and joy." We must prioritize joy. Let me tell you, without wisdom, joy is impossible to attain.

We Must Test and Prove It

You must examine the evidence carefully. Do not dismiss it by saying, "It is easy for you to talk, but you do not face the challenges of my job. Try being joyful in my position." To that, I answer with the cold logic of a scientist: if you have not run the experiment, if you have not tested it, your opinion is worthless. You cannot rely on mere assumptions. You must test it; you must prove it.

Do not argue with me. I have tested and proven this. Life is lived through our perceptions, but these perceptions are deeply spiritual. If you tell me, "Pastor, my stomach is bloated," I tell you that is a spirit of bloating. If you say, "My back is tight," that is a spirit of self-righteousness. Do you understand? I am not speaking idle words or offering mere theories. I have put this into practice, and I have proven it.

A lack of joy is a very serious problem. Therefore, let us resolve to be joyful people—invulnerable to external circumstances. No one should be able to rob us of our inner joy. If your boss tells you, "You did this work wrongly," your response should be, "I see. What is the correct way?" Once you understand, you simply correct it. "Yes, boss, I will rectify it immediately."

Do not start by making excuses or shifting the blame. If you shift the blame, others will shift it back to you. It becomes an endless cycle of finger-pointing, and in the end, there is no joy. This is a complete lack of wisdom—it is certainly not the wisdom of God. We must investigate. I want everyone to examine this thoroughly. Compare God's Word with your own ideas, test them, and see which way of living yields better results.

Your own cognitive level is extremely low if you do not elevate it. God's perspective is infinitely higher—as high as the heavens are above the earth. To say your understanding is on the ground is actually a compliment; the reality is that it is buried deep underground.

Hold Fast to Wisdom and Remember Your Purpose

Throughout his life, Solomon knew he was conducting an experiment. He constantly reminded himself to hold fast to wisdom. Whenever he began to drift, he pulled himself back. Yes, he struggled and even despaired, but in the end, he held fast to wisdom.

Do not forget why you are here on this earth. Did you come here to be anxious? Did you come here to suffer or to be tormented by sickness? What is your purpose? Let us be clear: mankind is here to fulfill God's greatest experiment. God wants to save us and give us wisdom. He does not want to rob us of our joy or our capacity for reason. He wants to prevent our corruption and enable us to live in His image. Look back at the past few decades—they passed in the blink of an eye. The next few decades will pass just as quickly. How many decades do you have left? Not many. Therefore, you must hold fast to wisdom.

This wisdom is crucial. The Word of God, specifically the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes written by Solomon, is the source of this wisdom. If you desire wisdom, study these books thoroughly. Recently, a co-worker pointed out the biblical term "scoffer" or "mockers" and the warning not to sit in the seat of mockers. A wise person must know his purpose: did you come to live as a sinner, or to manifest the image of God?

Examine Closely: Are Your Pursuits Your True Goal?

Consider the United States in the 1920s, right after the First World War. America profited immensely from the war, and its economy boomed, much like our own rapid development in recent decades. A new class of wealthy elites emerged. During this era, famous writers like Ernest Hemingway, who wrote The Old Man and the Sea, came to prominence.

It was the Jazz Age, also known as the Roaring Twenties. It seems some of you are quite well-read; unlike me, as I have little interest in fiction. Besides Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby. I recently browsed through it. Gatsby was a nouveau riche who spent his entire life striving, only to be shot dead because of a woman. Nobody even attended his funeral.

We must examine ourselves: are we like Gatsby, or like the old man in The Old Man and the Sea? What is our ultimate goal in life? Let me tell you my position: I have no desire to chase wealth, fame, or elite status. My goal is simple—I want to be a joyful person. Is that not an excellent goal? I believe it is.

How do I achieve this? I do not want my life to be a tragedy, nor do I want to write stories of sorrow. I want to live with joy as an ordinary citizen. To achieve this, I must please God. Solomon pleased God by building the Temple. I please God by building His glorious Church. When God is pleased with me, He grants me wisdom, knowledge, and joy. The trials I face cannot rob me of this joy, because my purpose on this earth is to live in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Some might ask, "What is the point of that?" Others may build massive conglomerates like Evergrande, while I build something small. Why should I compare myself to them? I do not need their scale. My brothers and sisters, we must understand what truly matters. God holds everything in His hands. He is my treasure. I count knowing Christ Jesus as supreme, and serving Him is my lifelong destiny. This is what we call the Mingding Doctrine.

When my time comes to be laid in a coffin or an urn, my spirit will testify that I lived my life rejoicing in God's gifts, in my labor, in my service, and in building His Church. Some might ask, "How can you be joyful without money?" Let us be realistic: if I please God, will I lack resources? God owns all the wealth in the world. Building His glorious Church will never lack funding. If you think otherwise, your logical framework is fundamentally flawed.

We must re-examine our goals. What is your purpose on this earth? If you want to have a second child, that is perfectly fine and not a sin. But you and your spouse must work hard. What is the ultimate purpose? If you fail to please God, you become a sinner, and God will subject you to painful toil. If your life is filled with endless, miserable labor, there is a fundamental problem.

We must build the foundation of our lives on Jesus Christ. That is my goal. Never treat God as a tool for financial gain. God is awesome and to be feared in His glory. Our ultimate purpose is to return to Him and to live out the image in which He created us.

Pleasing God is the Key

The logic is simple and hard-headed: if you please God, He is with you. If you do not, demons will be with you. If demons are with you, how can you prosper? When you complain of chest tightness, sore throat, hip pain, or cervical spine issues, it is because of demonic presence.

Why are they with you? Because you lack wisdom. You do not know your purpose. You think life is just about existing, which makes you a sinner—and God subjects sinners to heavy toil. If you choose to suffer for your own selfish desires, that is your choice. But I refuse to live that way.

Everything I have comes from God. It is not merely the result of my own labor, but the result of pleasing Him. God's presence brings blessings; demonic presence brings curses. How do we secure God's presence? By keeping His commandments and understanding His laws. This is the core of the Chinese Mingding Doctrine: knowing God and obeying His decrees.

God Gives Wisdom, Knowledge, and Joy to Those Who Please Him

If you possess true joy, you will remain joyful even in times of sorrow. You will have inner strength because God dwells within you. You will be strong and wise. Let us be clear: a life without wisdom is a miserable one.

Look at our crowded hospitals today. Some tell me that Singapore's healthcare is lagging behind China's because China has a larger volume of cases and more experienced doctors. Wealthy Indonesians even travel to China for treatment.

But let us look at the root cause: physical sickness is often a reflection of spiritual impurity. Why choose to displease God? Pleasing God is far better than any insurance policy. Insurance pays you when you are sick; God keeps you healthy so you do not need the payout.

Before this sermon, when we prayed, many of you were healed of your ailments. Is it not a better deal to dedicate your life to God rather than spending your final years on a sickbed suffering from dementia or chronic pain? It is a highly rational choice.

This is why you must study diligently and take notes. You must understand what pleases God. You must discover your destiny—your mingding—and become a builder of His Church. Solomon did exactly this. Did he lack anything? No. God gave him wisdom and knowledge. When you have wisdom and knowledge, you will not lack resources. He will also grant you joy, health, and everything you need.

Amen! May God bless you all!