Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Let's turn to Acts, chapter 17. Time flies, and we are already more than halfway through the book of Acts. We will be moving at a faster pace in the remaining portion. Have you noticed that on a three-hour train ride, the first hour seems the slowest, but after an hour and a half, the remaining time passes quickly? It's the same with life. The first half of a life of seventy or eighty years seems to drag on, but the latter half flies by. Childhood days seem long, and we eagerly await the New Year, but the year feels endless.

As we read Acts, chapter 17, I've noticed that Luke never expresses his personal opinions. He doesn't write about what he thinks is good or bad, because whose opinion matters is not important. Luke eventually became a respected historian. Sima Qian, who wrote Records of the Grand Historian, and Sima Guang, who wrote Zizhi Tongjian, were both historians. Luke can be considered one too, roughly from the same era as Sima Qian.

A historian shouldn't judge what is good or bad, or it would turn into an argumentative essay. A historian shouldn't make things up but should subtly incorporate their views. Luke does this subtly as well. Historians generally have a distinct characteristic: they don't directly express their opinions, but their views are evident between the lines. Sima Qian did the same.

Acts chapter 17 is about how debate cannot replace faith. I may not be good at many things, but I can still learn. So, I have finally figured out Luke's point. Consider whether it's true: People debate back and forth, but it's all useless. I don't particularly enjoy debating.

If you ask me why I believe in Jesus, my answer is, I am willing! Someone might ask, Why do you like curry? The answer is also, I am willing! There's no real reason; asking why spoils it. Saying I am willing solves many problems. Never argue with people because you will lose faith in the process. It's not that you gain faith after arguing, but it's about willingness. Some people ask, Did God call you to serve Him? I say, I don't know. Others ask, Why do you serve God? My answer is still, I am willing! This simple willingness can frustrate them and leave them speechless.

As the saying goes, A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy my willingness. Who can interfere? Some are willing to play mahjong, while I am willing to serve God. Some are willing to complain, while I am willing to say edifying words. If you are not offended after hearing this, it means we are on the same side because we both choose the path of faith. People debate back and forth, exhausting themselves, but it's all in vain. Therefore, we must never argue with others.

In the end, after all the arguing, if people don't believe, no matter how well you argue, it's useless. What should you do then? No matter who the other person is, even if they are family or your closest loved ones, arguing is pointless. Proving things over and over won't make them listen. You might exert all your strength, but they casually dismiss it, saying, That's just coincidence. What can you prove to them? So, don't argue with people. Just say, Actually, I just believe blindly. And they just disbelieve blindly, that's all. Either way, we're just messing around blindly, but my blind messing around seems better.

Actually, we don't know many things. If someone asks, Have you been to heaven or hell? You can answer, I don't know because I haven't been there. How honest! Once you go, there's no coming back. Occasionally, I might joke that I traveled from the Song Dynasty. People seem more accepting of the term traveling through time. If they don't believe it, so be it.

Paul, the Orator

Paul was trained in debate. If he participated in a middle school debate competition, he would definitely win. Students of Gamaliel were all talented, like those who studied for a doctorate under Yang Zhenning. By the way, if you can study for a doctorate under Yang Zhenning, you immediately have connections. Speaking of Gamaliel's students, they are as remarkable as the Ph.D.s Yang Zhenning produced. Yang Zhenning's students were carefully selected, one in a hundred.

When pursuing a doctorate, never choose a lousy advisor. Choose a great one. In such cases, a good teacher produces a brilliant student, but the key is that a renowned teacher has an impressive network. We are lucky to be on Paul's team; the connection is strong. Paul studied under Gamaliel, and after believing in the Lord, he became a first-rate speaker. When we read Paul's epistles, they are expansive and not as simple as what I preach. Sometimes, Paul's teachings are difficult to understand.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? (Acts 17:16-19)

Indeed, Paul was an orator. He preached the word of God, and even the Areopagus knew. You might think the Areopagus is nothing special, but those who could speak there were not ordinary people. The Areopagus was like today's TED; only outstanding individuals can speak on the TED stage. It's not a platform for ordinary people. Paul stood on the Areopagus' stage, like Soong Mei-ling addressing the U.S. Congress in English, which was remarkable. If an average person tried to speak in the U.S. Congress, they would be kicked off the stage before they even got up there. They wouldn't even let you shine the shoes of the speakers.

Then they took him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. (Acts 17:19-22)

Paul gave an excellent sermon, but it was like casting pearls before swine. Even if you play music for a cow, it might understand, kick its legs, paw the ground, and shake its ears. But preaching to the Athenians in the Areopagus was worse than playing music for a cow. My point is that Paul was an orator, and wherever he went, he debated with people.

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures. (Acts 17:2)

Paul liked to debate, but debating didn't help those he debated with. However, many who heard him debate believed. Believing or not believing is just a matter of I am willing. Can you understand what he's saying? Try to understand the following scripture.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’; as some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)

Those of us who believe in the Lord feel that what Paul said is good, but upon closer inspection, it is somewhat profound. What do non-believers hear when they listen? If you ask me, if I didn't believe, I would think it's nonsense, especially the part about the resurrection. I've never seen it, so I can't believe it. Although Paul was an orator, he later told Timothy in his epistles not to debate, proving that debate is unnecessary.

Whether or not Paul couldn't control himself, we don't know. I have a habit: when there are many people, I ramble on for a long time, never repeating myself for days. This isn't good, but it's become a habit. Being an orator wasn't something he developed in the Areopagus; he was trained in Gamaliel's school to debate. When the energy comes, he argues with people. Later, Paul resolved the issue that debate cannot replace faith. He wasn't speaking to debaters; everything he said emphasized faith as the foundation.

Debate Cannot Replace Faith

We shouldn't constantly try to prove to our family that Jesus Christ is Lord. It's better to prove that you are a decent person. Don't always think you'll grow wings and become like an angel, flying away. Instead, do some housework and clean up the house. We are not good at debating, either. We weren't trained in Gamaliel's school. If I were to speak, I would only disrupt others.

When someone stands on the stage and loudly proclaims, Only one in a thousand goes to heaven; nine hundred and ninety-nine go to hell, I would raise my hand and ask, Teacher, have you been there? If you haven't, how do you know? Then the teacher's face would turn red and white. I only disrupt because I am an engineer. If I haven't done it, forget it. Boasting about empty things may sound impressive, but I am really bad at debating.

Some people say they have been unlucky since believing in the Lord. I can only tell them they believed in the wrong thing. They ask, Are you sure you are doing it right? I can only say that I am talking about what I have done, while they are talking about what they haven't done. What I do still returns to the foundation of faith. Even if those people can refute others, it's useless. So, we no longer refute or debate; it's useless. Later, Paul said not to argue about words; it proves nothing. How did Paul prove it? Paul proved the truth by signs and wonders.

In earlier years, I wasn't very much like Jesus, and I kept asking God why the word couldn't be proven. Jesus used God's power and signs and wonders to prove that He was the Son of God. If it can't be proven, can it work? So, when I first served, I especially liked to pray for those with back pain or shoulder pain because they would get better after prayer. But it wasn't easy. If it didn't get better in ten minutes, I had to continue praying. As long as the patient didn't give up, I wouldn't give up either.

Sometimes, it's okay if they give me a cold look. I can build their faith. If they want to get better, they keep coming. The pain is in their body, not mine, so why should I give them a cold look? They might be giving me face. If it doesn't get better in ten minutes, it gets better after twenty. If it doesn't get better in twenty minutes, it gets better after thirty. Even if it doesn't get better after thirty minutes, it gets better after an hour. Later, those who gave me cold looks got better and became ungrateful. But we don't prove the word we preach through debate but through God's power. Our faith is here.

Therefore, faith can release God's power. Faith is like a copper wire connected to a power source; it can really make a light bulb light up. If you connect a light bulb to a power source with a rubber band, no matter how hard you press the switch and kneel there praying until next year, the light bulb won't light up. A rubber band cannot release electrical energy, just as without faith, you cannot release God's power. So, debate cannot replace faith.

Actually, everything Paul said was conveying faith. He spoke at length, and some understood while others didn't. Yet, some people believed, and they were all doing well afterwards. When you come to Chinese Mingding Destiny, you might feel that what I say is old-fashioned because I can't debate or refute like Paul did after taking Gamaliel's class. I can only disrupt and complain.

But there's one thing that can't be refuted: what I have done cannot be refuted. Words are useless. Can you refute what I have done? For example, I renovated my house, and it's more comfortable than a hotel. What can you refute? As for the style of the renovation, if you don't like it, that's okay; I like it myself. I don't need your approval. For instance, the DJI drone can fly. What can you refute? Huawei developed a self-driving AITO M7. It's intelligent. Just keep your hand on the steering wheel, and you can drive without worry for a thousand kilometers. It takes care of overtaking and everything else. My point is that they have made it, so don't say it's impossible. Now that they have made it, what is impossible?

Debating can be upsetting. Someone had back pain, and I prayed for them, and they got better. Those around them who didn't have back pain said, That's impossible! I wondered, How can such people exist in the world? How foolish! It has been done, yet people don't believe it. The normal reaction is surprise: Back pain can be healed through prayer? That's amazing! I'll try it someday. Faith is so good! I have concluded that a person without faith is useless. If you feel you lack faith, slap yourself a few times and ask yourself why you don't have faith. You must start building your faith because without faith, you are useless. We must never be useless. Debate cannot replace faith. Do you all understand? Never debate.

I have a story that everyone has heard about three times eight being twenty-three. Two people came before the county magistrate, grabbing each other by the collar. One said, He insists that three eights are twenty-three. I told him three eights are twenty-four, but he insists on twenty-three. The magistrate understood and let the person who insisted that three eights were twenty-three go. This person happily left, living his whole life in the realm of three eights being twenty-three.

The magistrate then turned and beat the person who insisted three eights were twenty-four. The beaten person felt wronged, The calculator shows three eights are twenty-four, why beat me? The magistrate said he actually argued with someone who thought three eights were twenty-three. That's either mental illness or dementia. What's the point of arguing? A beating should wake you up. There are people in this world who think three eights are twenty-two, or even twenty-one. Arguing with them is just asking for a beating. Learn your lesson! What good will come from arguing with a madman?

So, don't do stupid things, and don't argue. If someone asks why you believe in the Lord, just say you're not very bright. Smart people like them don't need to believe. People like me are emotionally weak and looking for something to rely on. They rely on themselves, I don't have that ability. I wish I were as capable as them. They could crawl out of the womb on their own and even walk themselves to the crematorium and put themselves in an urn. After saying that, leave quickly to avoid being beaten. As I said before, I only know how to criticize and tear things down. What you do is amazing, but I can't do it. Paul proved that debate cannot replace faith, it's just a waste of time. If you waste more time, I'll take you to the magistrate for a beating.

From Faith to Faith

If believing starts with belief, then disbelief starts with disbelief. If you don't believe from the start, then you walk the path of disbelief. If you believe, then you walk the path of belief. It's that simple. I tell you: those who believe from the beginning start to experience God. Those who don't believe from the beginning cannot experience God.

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

These are words from Paul, a summation he made later in his life. Our God is so good that even if your faith is just a tiny bit, you will start to experience God, and then experience God again as it grows a little more. Faith is like a mustard seed, and you start to experience God. Who is that person who is full of faith, prostrating every three steps, kowtowing every five, climbing from the foot of Mount Tai to the top with their head looking like a blood gourd? It looks like great faith, but it's not devout enough. When they get to the top of Mount Tai and return home, they still have bad luck, nothing changes.

What's so great about the God we believe in? It's from faith to faith, faith growing little by little. When I first walked into the church, my faith was just temporarily holding onto Jesus' feet, solving the problems I was facing at the time, seeing if I could find a job. If you asked me what I was thinking when I first believed in Jesus, I can only say that I really needed a God at the time, and I was still half-believing. If you said my faith was the faith of a mustard seed back then, that would be praising me.

However, that's how it all works. As you go, you'll find that our God is so good. If you say that when you first enter the church, your faith isn't big enough to experience God, it's because you're not devout enough. When is it devout enough? Some denominations teach that, but the way we believe is from faith to faith. Debate cannot give you faith. Asking this and that, you're taking a path of speculation, and it won't work.

One time, I was eating with a sister, and I found her to be quite speculative. She knew I was powerful in performing miracles. When things got really bad, she asked me to pray, and she got better. An hour before, she was in the hospital; after prayer, she was discharged and went home. Our God is effective. This sister's faith was based on having no other choice, taking our God as a last resort. There are also people whose eyes were about to go blind, grabbed this lifeline, and got better when they came to me.

God has worked so many miracles through my hands, which one didn't start with faith and lead to faith? Faith is definitely not like a mountain; you can't even make your faith like a steamed bun. Not to mention a mountain, it's not even like a small笼包 (xiaolongbao). From a mustard seed to a sesame seed, and then to a小笼包, there's still a long way to go, it's not easy. Starting with mustard seed faith is definitely effective. If you ask me what this path of faith is like, the answer is definitely chosen. I definitely choose to trust in God. Having performed so many miracles, my faith is very strong. From the beginning of believing in the Lord to the present, the grace of God I have experienced is countless. Therefore, brothers and sisters, start walking the path of faith.

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2).

Paul went to Thessalonica and preached, and some people were willing to believe. In fact, Paul stayed in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths, possibly less than three weeks. In such a short time, some people believed.

But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go (Acts 17:5-9).

Among the group was a man named Jason, who hosted the believers in his home for meetings, forming a small family church. These people walked the path of faith. Later, someone reported them, causing the authorities to become afraid. In fact, the authorities were most afraid of political prisoners, fearing they would set up another king, so they arrested Jason. People hid Paul and Silas and sent them elsewhere. Jason was arrested and paid bail to be released.

After Paul left, he was worried, constantly wondering how Jason was doing. He'd only been there for a few weeks, and the people got arrested, fined, and had a lot of trouble. Paul was not only worried about this, but most importantly, he was worried that they would stop believing because of this. Paul then sent Timothy and Silas to check on them. This check led to the writing of 1 Thessalonians.

In fact, Jason had plenty of reasons not to believe. Paul came to preach the gospel, Jason followed and believed, and so many things happened, how unlucky! He was arrested, but Paul ran away, not even helping Jason! Paul and Silas were too cunning. But when they looked, Jason hadn't fallen, but had experienced God! Incredible! The authorities didn't do anything to him, nothing happened. Our God is so powerful! If Jason has faith when encountering this little thing, God can definitely handle it. It’s nothing.

Of course, the rest of the story is made up; just listen to it as entertainment. The authorities found that Jason was actually a good person with no criminal record, everything was normal. From then on, they got to know each other and established a relationship. Perhaps one day Jason could explain to the authorities why those Jews came to Thessalonica to accuse Jason and stirred up the locals to accuse him, and why he was okay.

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there also, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible (Acts 17:10-15).

Let me tell you a story, not Jason's story, but our story. If one day I'm called in like Jason, as soon as they ask what happened, I'll explain everything in detail: what Jesus Christ is about, who Paul is, he came to my house and prayed for my sick child, and the child got better right away. If the official happens to have a dying child, he'll immediately grab this lifeline and ask if Paul can be called. I can say: I can do it too, don't worry, I'll pray for the child and he'll be fine. This is how powerful faith is. That way no one can accuse him, because the official also needs God. There are too many people in this world who need God. From faith to faith, it's easy to handle. Our God is really divine, that's why the word God is used so widely now.

Faith Can Release God's Power

Why was Jason okay? Paul sent Timothy and Silas to Thessalonica to see how Jason and the others were, and heard that the brothers and sisters' faith was strong and nothing had happened. Everyone was looking forward to even greater things, namely resurrection from the dead, hoping for when Jesus would come again, being sick of living in this world. They talked about a lot of stories, many testimonies. Therefore, the testimonies of the church established by Paul are something close to what we have now, but we must strive for more.

Brothers and sisters must know that even with a little faith, from faith to faith, a little faith leads to more, don't stop in that place. If you stop at a certain point in practicing faith, it won't work anymore, because God doesn't like us staying in one place. Do you know why believing in the Lord is so good? Believing in Jesus is so good, is there anything better? Believing in the Lord Jesus can release power from heaven. No problem is unsolvable. Our God is guiding us on this path filled with God's glory. Jason's family's faith grew rapidly in half a month, like bamboo shoots after rain. Paul really worried for nothing. So you really don't need to worry about Jesus, God will definitely do well.

We have all made the best choice: the lame can walk, the blind can see, the lepers can be cleansed, and the dead can be resurrected. Our God is the God who created the universe. He does not need human hands to serve Him, nor does He lack anything. He gives life, breath, and everything else to us, creating all nations on earth, and then calling them to seek God. What grace and blessing do you and I have, that we actually seek and ponder and obtain immense grace.

From faith to faith, our life, movement, and existence are in Him. Now we have changed lanes. We used to walk on the path of the world, which is the path to destruction. We are walking on the path of eternal life, we have repented. Our logic system is no longer the logic system of the flesh or the world. We are walking on the path that Jesus Christ has opened for us, a path filled with God's glory in eternity. Wonderful! I long for God's power to be constantly manifested in our brothers and sisters.

A sister was working with another church. Many years ago, she was old and couldn't have children. Later, she came to our church, and after prayer, she became pregnant. Years later, when this sister came to see me, she said that the person who served her back then was just a small eighteenth-tier pastor among us. Now her child is five or six years old. I mean that we should all have a desire to seek God. When running forward on the path of faith, signs and wonders follow. Believers will have signs and wonders following them. God accomplishes things through people's faith, and that faith doesn't need to be too great. However, if a person's faith doesn't grow, it may shrink.

I thank God and encourage everyone, if you want to have a life full of God's glory and become wonderful, be a person of faith. What was not possible before is the past. Now we have faith. I once served a sister who said she only wanted to be a mediocre person for the rest of her life, and didn't want to be someone who pursued excellence. I told her that wanting to be medium before led to becoming scum. People who pursue excellence can become mediocre, so we must raise our faith. Releasing faith, I am definitely good at it. Now this sister is living prosperously: she can’t come see me with less than an O grade in her endeavors in the world.

You must know that I am not someone who became successful overnight. But I assist those average people in becoming successful overnight. No longer be average, lift up your faith. Things you couldn't do before, you can do now; what was not possible before, is now possible; what you feared before, you no longer fear. Because God is with you, you will become a vessel to manifest God's glory. Amen! That's the way Paul preached, so debating in the Areopagus was useless.

Some of them joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others (Acts 17:34).

Originally, among all nations, God had already prepared a group of people who trust Him. God wants to use us to bring these people together before Jesus Christ, build the body of Jesus Christ, and become the temple of God's glory.

May God make us all wise people of faith! Goodbye, brothers and sisters!