The Church: A Place of Enrichment

I was deeply moved by everyone's testimonies the other day. Especially the youngest sister among us, only ten years old, who spoke on stage without fear, like a little adult. Trained in the church from a young age, she will surely achieve great things. I recall when I was ten, I would tremble when speaking in public. I believe the church is a place that not only shapes one's spiritual life but also cultivates practical skills. I am very grateful; God's grace is countless.

Speaking candidly, I truly don't know how we would cope without God. Without God, those testimonies and problems we discuss would be left to fate, with no solutions. But today, we see God in our midst, His grace in those seemingly hopeless situations. For example, Brother WX testified last Sunday about bringing his angina problem before God and finding resolution through prayer, his angina healed. Without faith, what would one do about angina? I honestly wouldn't know. He is particularly grateful, not only for work-related matters but also for experiencing God's grace in all aspects of life, big and small.

If one experiences God's grace daily, is there a need for corruption? No, because all our needs are met in the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we should be thankful in all things, good or bad. Someone who develops angina might say, God, why did I get angina? and then suffer even more, perhaps dying from the pain. But if, with a grateful heart, one says, My God is a God of love, a God of healing; my God provides for all my needs, I offer you my gratitude. By your stripes, I am healed. In the name of Jesus, I command the angina to completely subside. Through prayer, healing comes. Gratitude is key to experiencing grace.

Scripture

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Prayer

Lord, we offer you a heart of gratitude, asking that in 2015, you bestow even more grace. Lord, today is the last Sunday of 2014, and we thank you for the immense grace we have experienced throughout the year. Lord, we thank you for all the wonderful things manifested among us; thank you for your healing; thank you for your blessings; thank you for all kinds of grace. Lord, we pray that in 2015, you will add more grace, enabling us to experience all your wonderful grace and to bear beautiful witness for you in this world. Lord, grant us the faith to pray and wage spiritual warfare, that we may pray without ceasing and give thanks in all things. Lord, may we receive all that you have promised, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Background of the Scripture

In fact, if we read 1 Thessalonians chapter one, we will find that both the first and second chapters describe the persecution Paul experienced in Thessalonica. As an apostle preaching the gospel, Paul established a church in Thessalonica in just two weeks. Some locals persecuted Paul, forcing him to leave. From our perspective, we see Paul being forced to leave, but from the locals' perspective, they saw Paul, the evangelist, running away with his tail between his legs. Isn't the God you trust in powerful? Where is the God you preach? These words are very destructive.

An unbeliever can always find a thousand reasons to explain such events. This very young church, only two or three weeks old, faced immense persecution after Paul left, with members even imprisoned. Paul deeply missed them, remembering that he had already been imprisoned in Philippi for casting out a demon, beaten with rods. In the middle of the night in prison, Paul and Silas sang hymns of praise to God, and the entire prison shook violently, the doors opening on their own, and Paul emerged from the prison. Later, the jailer was baptized because of these events (see Acts 16:26-33).

Although Paul was released, the persecution did not stop. He faced persecution everywhere he went in Thessalonica, a very difficult situation. Later, he went to Athens to preach the gospel, continuing downward. What do we see? We see that Paul's experiences are hard to believe. People often say, Isn't the God you serve all-powerful? Isn't the God you serve the true God? Doesn't He have all kinds of promises? With this in mind, Paul wrote a letter to the church in Thessalonica, to strengthen their faith.

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

So, when Paul was in Thessalonica, these believers experienced very difficult situations in their lives, but Paul prayed for them, and things turned around very quickly. Then these people followed Paul to believe in Jesus Christ. But these people are chosen by God; because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. So you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. (See 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8)

So, the whole region knew that the church Paul established in Thessalonica in just two or three weeks had endured immense persecution, yet their faith did not weaken but became stronger in Jesus Christ, receiving the joy given by the Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful thing. Experiencing great persecution, yet feeling joy inside, is remarkable. Therefore, I tell you: the miracle of experiencing Jesus is that even when the outside world is in turmoil, the joy the Holy Spirit bestows upon us cannot be taken away. Many of us may be like the believers in Thessalonica, often experiencing persecution, but the joy within cannot be taken away.

For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. Before we came to you, we had been mistreated and shamefully insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. (1 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

He was persecuted in Philippi, and then in Thessalonica, he still dared to tell them God's gospel in the face of strong opposition. This was an immense battle. I tell you, the battle Paul spoke of was not a human battle but a spiritual battle. Our encouragement does not come from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick anyone.

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. (1 Thessalonians 2:4-5)

I find it remarkable that, even after seemingly running away, he still wrote such letters to the Thessalonians. Because the Thessalonians did not consider Paul's departure a disgraceful act. Paul continued:

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were not. (1 Thessalonians 2:6)

Paul defended himself, showing how much he loved them. Although they were persecuted, Paul still wanted to tell them this to strengthen their faith. So, when Paul speaks of these things, if you continue reading, you will find that Paul's purpose in writing is to prevent anyone from being shaken by various afflictions.

The hardships we encounter in life cannot separate us from God, for even in suffering, God's grace is still manifested in our lives. So Paul said, When I left later, I waited anxiously in Athens.

This was written after he left Thessalonica. Then he sent Timothy and Silas to do some work. They brought back good news from Thessalonica, telling Paul that the believers there were all steadfast. Although they experienced some persecution in their lives, their faith was very firm. Paul then wrote this letter of gratitude—1 Thessalonians.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

If you were in such a situation, what would you do? Would you say, God, are you still an almighty God? What are you doing? Did you go on vacation? Did you go for Christmas? Many of us have such ideas. As soon as something happens, our faith immediately weakens.

One thing we often cannot escape is battle. Even someone like Paul battled constantly, let alone you and me. We must walk this path of battle! Paul said, I wanted to return to Thessalonica several times to see you, but Satan hindered me and prevented it from happening. Paul did not say what hindered him, perhaps illness or other events, but he simply could not get up and return to Thessalonica to see his beloved disciples.

If someone encounters a little difficulty and immediately begins to walk the path of unbelief, that is not a path at all. I hope everyone can be like Paul and the believers in Thessalonica, choosing to trust in God even when bad things happen. What we are experiencing today is really not much of a persecution compared to what the Thessalonians experienced. Why did Paul say these things? I think this is worth pondering.

God's Will is Good

Why did Paul say this? Because God's will is good, which is what Paul believed. The things that happen in the spiritual realm are very real and complex. When we read the Book of Daniel, after Daniel kneeled down and prayed for 21 days, the angel sent by God stood before him and said, Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

What can we imagine this saying? It is saying that the things we experience in our lives are directly related to the dark forces in the air. It is not that God does not hear your prayers, but that there are hindrances from dark forces. Later, Michael, a powerful angel, helped him, and this angel finally came to Daniel's side. Then he delivered good news to him, telling him the revelations he had received, conveying God's faith.

If Daniel had given up after praying for the first day without seeing anything, then this angel would not have been able to come to his side. Because people must pray without ceasing, our prayers on earth can determine the victory or defeat of battles in heaven.

So, to this day, we see that the gospel Paul preached is still a gospel of battle. The demons that Paul encountered when preaching the gospel in that place were very, very powerful. How do demons work? Demons work through people to do corrupt things, including dragging people into prison, accusing them, and threatening and enticing them in various ways. In this situation, Paul said, In the face of strong opposition, I dared to tell you his gospel. Then he said: For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. (1 Thessalonians 2:18)

You must know that demons will hinder us. Today, you and I are in this great battle. There is an interesting phenomenon: the churches we built before had no glory of God at all, all were corrupt, and demons never hindered us. Who wanted to be baptized? It was very simple, nothing happened, no hindrance at all. But today, if we lead anyone to be baptized, it is full of hindrances, but we also see the glory of God. At that time, our brothers and sisters in the church felt nothing when talking to their unbelieving family members. But today, among us, talking to family members will cause some inexplicable conflicts, which is a battle in the spiritual realm.

The Root of the Problem is Ourselves and the Dark Forces in the Air

So today, we must open our spiritual eyes to see that many of our problems today are not to blame on God, but to blame on the environment in which we live, which is full of various spiritual forces of darkness. God is still a good God, God's promises are still faithful, and everything God created is good. It is just that people have messed up this world. Even if people are like this, God still sent His Son Jesus Christ to be incarnated and crucified for us, so as to bring us into eternal life. The God Paul believed in is that no matter what happens, he believes that my God is good, my God is a God of love, my God is a God of healing, my God is a God who gives me everything I need in life. Paul has such faith, and the facts have also proven it.

Therefore, in Paul's letters, he often wrote: Always rejoice, with hope, pray constantly, fight constantly, because the God we believe in is good. The problems we are in cannot be blamed on God, those problems did not come from God, but from human sin. So brothers and sisters, we must have some deep reflections on the problems in this world, don't blame God whenever you encounter something. God, where are you? God, what are you doing? Our concept must change, because when we ask such questions, we are falling into the devil's trap, and we have no strength to fight.

God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

However, God created mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes. Observe this world closely; isn't it filled with humans and demons? The evil desires within people, coupled with the demons of this world, have led to the corruption behind all the problems we see today. Therefore, even when we encounter unpleasant situations, we should learn to imitate Paul, rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all circumstances, because God is good. Although problems exist, our God is a good God, and His faithfulness never changes.

Let us examine the root of the problem today, which is the greed and selfishness within people, combined with the dark forces in the air. How many of us can see the work of these dark forces? When you see someone with cancer, I tell you that dark forces are at play. If you see someone living in poverty and destitution, it is the work of dark forces. If you see someone involved in drug trafficking, imprisoned and sentenced, that is also the work of dark forces.

There was a brother whose family wanted to introduce him to a potential partner for marriage, but he refused to go on the blind date. As a result, his father, after having a bit of alcohol, came home and smashed his computer. What did we see? We saw the person's character and temper. It looks like an individual, but open your spiritual eyes. You will see that those who corrupt people in this world often do so through their own family members. Strangers on the street generally cannot corrupt you. From now on, I encourage everyone to give thanks in all circumstances. It's not that God doesn't save us; it's that God saves us. However, God also wants us to rise up and fight. Recently, we have had a very clear vision. Later, as I prayed, I realized some issues. Many of our brothers and sisters are suddenly without work, or suddenly facing this or that problem, showing a very weak side in their lives.

Later, I prayed, God, why are these brothers and sisters experiencing these things? God gave me a revelation that it is the work of the dark forces behind their families operating in their lives. I tell you, a person living in this world will experience several kinds of corruption:

First, the dark forces of their family. You must fight and be victorious over the dark forces of your family, overcoming these forces. Second, the dark forces of the area of land where you stand. This area is like the Persian Empire, which had a Persian mold. Each different city has different smaller molds. Therefore, everyone's location will be controlled by the demonic dark forces of that place. Today, you will see that people in different places have different personalities, which is because the dark forces of that place carry such attributes. So today, if we begin to fight, we must know our problems, and the targets of our fight are the dark forces of our family and the dark forces of the area where we are.

Today, I was sharing with a brother, and I said that you have many shadows of your father on you. This is the transmission of the dark forces of the family. This kind of transmission brings subtle thoughts and ideas, just like that, without even realizing it. Therefore, coming to church is to face the battle against two kinds of dark forces: first, regional dark forces, and second, family dark forces. So we must rise up and fight, instead of complaining. We must rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.

We must rise up and fight, pray without ceasing!

Paul said that praying without ceasing is to rise up and fight, because if you do not fight your problems, the devil will not stop attacking and corrupting you. If you say, Devil, don't bother me, and I won't bother you, that is not how it works. Whether you provoke him or not, he will come to corrupt you. I think we don't have much choice today. There is only one choice, which is to target these demonic dark forces. How Paul fought back then is how we fight today. How Paul was strong and courageous, not retreating even in the face of persecution, is how we must be today.

Our eyes often fix on things in this world, and then we are corrupted by the dark forces of this world. People live in a state of dissatisfaction most of the time. Then they conclude that they should just live like this, that living badly is better than dying. In the end, they are just living a wretched life, which is not a good way to live. But today, I am prescribing a way out for you, which is to rise up and fight, pray without ceasing, and pray wherever you go, praying for victory in the battle. These corruptions in your life will be completely removed. There are two aspects to our prayer and battle: the first aspect is to deal with the evil desires within ourselves, and the second is to deal with the demons outside, dealing with the evil desires and weaknesses inside.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)

We do not know how to pray to fight, thinking that if we say, Lord, give me a job, we will get a job. The Holy Spirit will guide you how to fight against those demons who steal your life and blessings, who control the dark forces of your family. We do not know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's will, the Spirit knows very well how to pray, and then leads us to prayer according to God's will.

If a person does not understand praying in tongues, does not know how to pray in the Spirit, they have no ability to fight. There was a sister who had been a believer for some time, but she had no feelings, and she was very weak inside, very tired. Then she observed me online for a while, and recently started following us. Last week, she followed me to pray, and then I led her to be filled with the Holy Spirit. After she prayed in tongues, she experienced a wonderful joy inside. When she shared with me, I was very grateful. This is how to pray, because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God's will. How can we not see the results? And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

So, brothers and sisters, we must change our minds. Although there are hardships in life, can you transform these hardships into benefits for your life? The key lies in whether you always rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. If you are about to lose your job, thank God, pray without ceasing, targeting those dark forces, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, continue to fight, and you will see that your job is the least of your problems. When we think according to human logic, we often fall into a very helpless state. Paul knew who he was fighting against, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Put on the full armor of God, and rise up to fight

Therefore, we must take up the full armor of God. Today, do not use worldly things to fight; you must take up the full armor given by the Spirit of God, so that you can stand your ground in the day of trouble, and after you have done everything, to stand. Do not think that there are no tribulations. Until today, some of our brothers and sisters are still in a stalemate in the battle over their parents believing in the Lord. I tell you that in the end, after you have done everything, you will still be able to stand. So Paul said:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:14-18)

So, brothers and sisters, know the key to our problems and the source of our problems. Next, everyone in 2015 should target the dark forces controlling their families and fight against them. If you still have a heart to love your parents and love your relatives, if some brothers and sisters' parents left the world in a very sad situation, that dark force is your enemy, the enemy who took the lives of your loved ones. So, today, do not treat it as a child's play. If your parents are still alive, if you do not fight, those forces will also take the lives of your loved ones. Today, if you fight, perhaps they can be saved. Because the Bible says, one person believes in the Lord, and the whole family will be saved. Some Christians ask if it is true. I tell you it is true. Why isn't it true? Because some people just don't fight. Don't think that what God has promised you will naturally happen if you don't fight. It's not going to happen. That is the mission God has given you. If you don't fight, God will hold you accountable for their sins of destruction. So God clearly begins to reveal to us, letting us know where to fight and who our enemies are. For example, some of us whose parents are troubled by lumbar and cervical spine diseases, that is the dark force of your family. You must treat them as your enemies, not only driving them back, but also bringing your own family into God's blessings.

Give thanks in all circumstances, because God's will is good

Even if there are these problems, we still need to give thanks. Because without God, without Jesus Christ who has done everything for us, without the Holy Spirit He has given us, we would live a very miserable life. Because we have God, we are grateful, because God's will is good. But in this world, we still need to constantly fight. Do not attribute these tribulations to God, but to the sins committed by our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, which allowed the devil to rule in this world. Today, let us live in such an environment, thanking God for letting us be born and come into this world, so that we know what our mission is, so that we know that even if we have these tribulations, even if the feeling of fighting is not comfortable at all, we must still start fighting. Because when we believed in the Lord, we received a joy, and we gave this joy to our family. We received a grace, and this grace allows us to pray and fight through the Spirit of Jesus Christ, constantly overcoming, and allowing our family to enter into grace.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, is God's good will for us. Know that not being grateful is a sin. So today, I ask everyone to write your testimonies of Thanksgiving, specifically recording them. A grateful heart is very important. Thanksgiving not only doubles grace, but also glorifies God, and helps us become a joyful and peaceful person. Such a person is a happy person.

The sin of not being grateful is the ultimate sin

When we come before God, if we are frowning and complaining all day long, even if six billion people come before God frowning all day long, how can God stand it? Our God is actually like people, and He also does not like frowning people. He actually still likes those who come to Him with joy, praising and thanking Him. God is pleased with them, and then He hugs His beloved children in His arms. When our hearts are filled with thanksgiving and praise, our faces are different. How does a person change their bitter face? If you are full of gratitude and praise, even a bitter face will turn into a sunflower face. The reformer Martin Luther said, There is no gratitude in the devil's world. Only complaints and grumbles. So politician Chris Tomlin said, The ultimate sin is the sin of not being grateful.

I have led many people to believe in the Lord, but I have found that there are also many ungrateful people. The sin of not being grateful is a very serious sin. Tolstoy said, A grateful person will be young. People who are constantly complaining and dissatisfied age quickly. And grateful people often have a young face. Compared to the sacrifice of livestock, God is more pleased with our sacrifice of thanksgiving. In the Old Testament, there was a thanksgiving offering and a freewill offering. These are all symbols of what we Christians should be like. So in the song it says, I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves. (Psalm 69:30-31), Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:14-15)

You know, offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God is better than offering money or anything else. Sacrificing with a grateful heart is the most pleasing to God. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. (See Psalm 100:4). Because we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we are receiving an eternal kingdom, an everlasting kingdom, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (See Hebrews 12:28) So the Bible says: Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:23)

Today, I will teach you one thing: if you make friends, you must make friends with grateful people. If someone is ungrateful, you should transform them into a grateful person, and then be friends with them. Brothers and sisters, having a grateful heart has a direct relationship with our happy life. Paul, in that difficult situation, in the midst of great battles, was still able to write these words: Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, this is the will that God has conveyed in our lives. God's will is for us to live a happy life, to be joyful, to be grateful. God's will is that when we return to Him, we are all smiling faces one by one.

Conclusion

Be a spiritual person, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It is not 99 percent thanksgiving and 1 percent ungratefulness, but thanksgiving in all circumstances. So Joseph, whom we like to mention the most, still thanked God when he was sold into slavery in Egypt, believing that this was God's perfect plan to be accomplished in his life, that this was what would make him rise up in his life and make him the salvation of his family, giving thanks without ceasing.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
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