Introduction

Good day, everyone. Let us turn to the Book of Acts, Chapter 20. This chapter essentially marks the near-completion of Paul’s ministry journey. At this juncture, he is acutely aware that his subsequent ministry will face numerous constraints. While he has penned numerous epistles from prison, this chapter presents a condensed, almost hurried account of his face-to-face teachings and ministrations. One can sense the urgency, understandable given his concern that these individuals are not yet fully mature. Should Paul be absent, they risk being overpowered by demonic forces, even abducted by them.

At this point, every additional word, every additional act of service, becomes crucial, even if it means rising before dawn or burning the midnight oil. The sentiment is deeply affecting. Praise God that in recent years, Paul has trained a multitude of disciples and established numerous churches. Throughout this time, he has diligently toured, constantly exhorting these disciples, providing a fitting culmination to his lifetime of service.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)

After much searching, I have found the theme of this chapter: In everything, set an example for you! Who dares to claim that they set an example for everyone in all things? In truth, one must achieve something, present a certain image. To speak candidly, over these past years, I have been most deeply influenced by Paul’s ministry, and you can often see shadows of Paul’s service in me. Let us consider, if you are willing to emulate Paul, you will discover that your ministry will also resemble Paul’s, and you will set an example for many. This is my hope.

Above all, do not falter along the way. This is far too common in church history. Some abandon their service midway; others begin to establish their own righteousness or cannot endure the hardship; still others covet wealth and engage in devious schemes. I yearn for all brothers and sisters to emulate the Apostle Paul, just as I do, and to emulate our Lord Jesus, even if it means serving through tears.

Exhorting Disciples

Paul exhorted disciples more than anything else. As for how he exhorted them, there is a wealth of Paul’s epistles in the Bible from which you can glean some insight. For example, in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, what he said recorded in letters is not much. Paul spoke very sternly, with a heavy tone, and his exhortations to the disciples were earnest, truly not seeking his own benefit. If you truly learn the essence of Paul, you will find that your mouth is very powerful, and your language style is very sharp. In modern terms, Paul would certainly be a sharp individual. Although Paul’s tone was very heavy, it was filled with love, and in the process of exhorting the disciples, you will find that the most difficult thing to deal with is their carnal nature.

To deal with the carnal nature, two things must be done well. First, do not seek your own benefit. Second, be only for the good of others. Of course, this person is good to himself, according to carnal preferences. And you are good to him, that is, according to the word of God. So the words must be filled with love from God, not acrimony and meanness, which makes people unbearable to hear, because there is no love in them, only pickiness. Although Paul spoke harshly, he was full of love. He served entirely according to God’s will, and he was certainly good at exhorting disciples.

In fact, the Corinthian church betrayed Paul, accusing him of coveting their wealth, but Paul never took a single thread or thread from them. Paul stayed among them for a year and a half and did not covet anything from them, but supported himself and his colleagues with his own hands. Paul is really amazing! As a result, the people of the Corinthian church felt ashamed in front of Paul and felt that it was inappropriate to say that about Paul. Later, the people of the Corinthian church began to turn around because of Paul’s exhortations and, after experiencing conflicts and transformations, embarked on one new step after another. Their relationship with Paul was not that of a master and apprentice, but like that of parents and children.

Paul’s attitude, motives, and methods in exhorting disciples are all well worth emulating. It doesn’t matter if you have never met Paul, if you are served by me, you will find that I have this taste. I speak harshly, but I must be full of love inside, not picky. Even if you discern good and evil, I will not serve you according to my carnal preferences. When Paul exhorted the disciples, he invited the elders and pastors of Ephesus to come, and Luke recorded Paul’s words one by one at that time.

In fact, Paul should have said these words to people in other churches as well. The logic is the same, that is, exhort the disciples to keep and follow the way of God. In fact, it is harmful to follow one’s own preferences. I have been in contact with many people and shed tears for them in my heart. Sometimes I can only watch them hurtling down the road to Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, they themselves do not know the harm of catering to the flesh. They think it is beneficial to them, but the final result will be Alzheimer’s disease.

The grandfather of one of our sisters has Alzheimer’s disease. A few days ago, he was arranged to live in a nursing home, but his family couldn’t bear it and insisted on taking him back. On the night he returned home, he accidentally walked out by himself, accidentally fell, and cut a big hole in his eyebrow, which was stitched up six times. That sister drove her grandfather to the hospital to change the dressing. When I saw the photos she sent, I felt very uncomfortable. If you interact with me, or if I shepherd you or exhort you, and I say that you will get Alzheimer’s disease in the future, don’t think I’m talking nonsense, don’t think I’m wronging you. It’s just that if you go down that road, you won’t be far from Alzheimer’s disease.

Now Alzheimer’s disease is a common disease. Unlike in the past, it was rarely heard of. People in that era were very diligent and basically had no time to rest. They were all working, so few people got Alzheimer’s disease. Today’s elderly people have high pensions, and their families and people in nursing homes want them to live a few more years. But he himself knows nothing. In fact, what is the point of living a few more years? This kind of person has a high pension but can’t do anything. He is dementia, cursing, and talking nonsense. Living is just consuming resources.

I have done a lot of exhorting disciples. When I exhort, I speak harshly. Two fellow workers took a sister for training. Before long, her depression relapsed. I quickly intervened to adjust things. After healing, I asked the two fellow workers why this happened. As a result, they didn’t know what they had done wrong. In fact, they were just messing around. If you serve others in this way, more depression will relapse. If people know how to serve and how to train, they will definitely be able to explain why. The two fellow workers must have felt uncomfortable after hearing this, but it doesn’t matter. Exhorting disciples is something we all need to do.

Many Follow

You must know that people like me, no matter where I go, there are always many colleagues who walk with me. Some sisters say that when I get old, do I just like to have many people around me? In fact, it’s not that I need many people when I get old. It’s just that people like to follow me. Because following me can get a lot. If you have Alzheimer’s disease, what can you do by following? If you open your mouth and talk nonsense, it’s better to stay away. Many people follow. By itself, it is the result of serving and exhorting disciples.

After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. (Acts 20:1-4)

Paul took these disciples with him in order to exhort them and set an example for them. Think about it. In that era, whose money did these people spend to follow Paul? Not to mention that era, when I first went to college, buying a train ticket cost half a month’s salary, and a round trip cost me a month’s salary.

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. (Acts 20:13)

No one knows why Paul planned to walk. I guess he just wanted to save a boat ticket. When he got to the point where he had to cross the sea and couldn’t walk on foot, he picked him up and moved forward. Either there were disciples on that road who needed to be trained, or he could save a boat ticket on that road. People like Paul are so amazing, so many people follow him. You will definitely not suffer by following such a person. In fact, I don’t do a very good job of emulating Paul. Before, a sister came to my rented house and asked me if there was a place for her to live. I asked her to deal with it first. It doesn’t matter if everyone is crowded. If it really doesn’t work, I can sleep on the street.

If you want to emulate Paul, want to set an example for everyone in everything, and want to be at the top, you must be a servant of all in everything. People can see it. If the pastors among us really have this heart, they won’t be eating, drinking, and having fun all day long, and they won’t care about shepherding. In the end, they don’t even know what shepherding is, and they even doubt whether shepherding is necessary. For your benefit, I have to say that I hope you can listen to it, otherwise, if you continue to go on like this, are you not walking down the road to Alzheimer’s disease?

I often see those who I personally train still serving at two or three o’clock in the morning. Often, when a call comes in the middle of the night, you have to serve no matter how late it is. Sometimes, for fear of disturbing others, I would run to the balcony or hide in the toilet to serve. For the sake of God, I am grateful in my heart. Because there is such a group of brothers and sisters who are willing to follow me and walk this difficult road together, this is actually a very beautiful thing. However, some pastors among us just switched to doing other things as they were doing it. The best thing I can tell you is: Don’t offend anyone, and certainly don’t offend God! Maybe you have the guts to offend God, but I really don’t have the guts to offend God, and I don’t want to offend God. Since Paul has set such a good example for us, are you willing to take this road? If you are not willing, then take your own road, and I will never morally kidnap you.

Humility in All Things, Tears in His Eyes

serving the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. (Acts 20:19)

After reading this sentence from Paul, I felt the same way. Do you know what it means to serve the Lord and be humble in all things? Later, I found three people in the Bible, Moses, Paul, and Jesus, who all said that they were gentle and humble in heart. Moses wrote in Exodus that Moses was extremely humble. Paul added a sentence here, tears in his eyes. So why should serving the Lord be humble in all things and with tears in his eyes? Think about it, doing everything as a servant of all. You have to endure the hardships that you shouldn’t endure. The hardships that should be endured must also be endured. The risks that should be taken must be taken, and the risks that should not be taken must also be taken. He suffers more than everyone else, is tested more than everyone else, and is then contradicted by some disciples and sinners. If you consider yourself to be great and care about yourself, then you cannot be humble.

It doesn’t matter if you are contradicted when you are humble in everything. Just treat yourself like a pile of dog feces. Don’t worry about people betraying you. Just treat it as giving grace. That is called serving the Lord. Serving the Lord and being humble in all things means walking according to God’s will, not according to one’s own will. If you don’t walk according to God’s will, don’t humble yourself, and don’t regard yourself as dog feces, you can’t walk this road, because my service is a matter of course. Paul is my example, and I have followed Paul all the way here.

What I talked about in the recordings I played was about going to the vineyard to work. Whether you work for one hour or ten hours, you still get one denarius. If it were you, you definitely wouldn’t do it, but I do it. I work from eight in the morning until I get one denarius in the evening, and I take it happily, because I am not working for that one denarius at all. It is a matter of course for me to work and serve the Lord. Without God’s grace, there would be no me. I was originally someone who deserved to die and was going to die, and God brought me back from the brink of death. Whenever I think of those years from when I didn’t know God to when I knew God, my eyes would get wet. If you have received so much grace from God, do you still have to be calculative about giving a little to serve the Lord? What qualifications do you have to be calculative?

We receive grace from God; however, our lives are all given by God. If you live well and start serving a little, you will boast about yourself. That is not called being humble in all things. So why would there be tears in your eyes? Let me tell you, the tears that Paul shed were for the benefit of others, not for being wronged himself, otherwise it would not be called being humble in all things. For the benefit of all, it doesn’t matter if you are tired. Paul was probably my age when he died. For people at that time, he was already old. But now, this age is not old, and I am even more energetic than young people.

Paul is an example worthy of our emulation, and I am not saying these things to boast about myself. I hope that brothers and sisters will all begin to emulate Paul, so that we can serve together, build God’s glorious church together, and become a blessing to many people. That is definitely something that even angels would cheer for. Serving the Lord and being humble in all things is the example. Some people say that anyone who talks about being humble is not humble. That’s nonsense! When people like Paul say that they are humble, they are actually telling the truth. Pretending not to talk about humility is fake humility. Paul really just told the truth according to God’s will and didn’t take himself seriously at all.

I Never Shrink Back from Declaring Anything That Would Be Helpful to You

You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. (Acts 20:20)

Serving God, especially serving disciples. I never shrink back from declaring anything that would be helpful to you. These are the words Paul said to his disciples and those he trained. The you and they here are different. When I study the Gospel of Matthew, I often distinguish between you and them. If you are with them, I won’t say anything. But if you are with you, then we won’t be evasive. We will say what should be said. What we need to learn the most is to be straightforward. Some people always don’t know what to say. In fact, if you have something to say, just say it directly. People are evasive because there is a hurdle in their hearts. They are afraid of offending people after they finish speaking.

Thank God, those whom I personally train are all good at offending people. If you are also willing to emulate, just be afraid of offending people for the benefit of others. There is nothing you can’t say. So far, none have collapsed. I have dealt with one inborn sin and inner demon after another. Each time, it is a conflict, with tears in my eyes. It is very difficult. Because after saying these things, the other person feels uncomfortable, and I also feel uncomfortable. I don’t know whether they can bear it, but I have to say it. Sometimes, while I am serving, I hang up the phone, and I feel uneasy in my heart, and so I can only pray there silently. May God be the strength in him and be able to be strong. After two or three days, I have to put on a thick skin and ask them how they are doing again. That is how I serve.

I never shrink back from declaring anything that would be helpful to you, but if the logical system inside you is different from the logical system inside me, there will be conflicts. So how to deal with it? You still have to serve people with the heart of serving God, otherwise you will definitely have resentment in your heart. Because if the other person does something wrong to you, you will be calculative. Everyone must learn this sentence: I never shrink back from declaring anything that would be beneficial to people. Don’t be a good person. A good person cannot be a leader or a leader, let alone a pastor. Being a good person is very abominable. If you cater to the meaning of people, you are Satan. If you follow the meaning of people, the devil will not let you go, and neither will God.

Every time I see our brothers and sisters, especially the pastors among us, after walking with me for a while, what is in his heart is completely visible to me, but I don’t feel well in my heart. Sometimes I want to say, how can you be so stupid. Some people, after listening, roll their eyes and wish they could pinch me to death with their eyes. I feel very tired after serving this kind of person a lot, but thank God, I win every time through our God. If you have the love of God, people will definitely receive it. Although your words are heavy, I am always happy for that person when I see them begin to transform and their understanding improves. Especially when our service bears fruit, when you really see his growth and see him cross that hurdle, you will cry again, which is a tear of gratitude.

Not Just Jews, But Greeks Too

testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21)

You must know that the great thing about Paul is that whether it is Jews or Greeks, he knows that he owes them a blessing, so his goal in coming into the world is to repay other people’s debts. Sometimes I think, what is he trying to do? Is he just eating too much? No! It is a debt I owe. We come into this world to bless people. If you come into this world just to eat, drink, and be merry, you are just a pig, or a monkey on Mount Emei. Whether you want to be the senior brother or the junior brother depends on how you choose.

What is the point of eating, drinking, and having fun in this world? Whether you go to West Lake or East Lake, even if you go to the Great Wall, you are just looking at people’s heads. It is really boring. I just want to serve a few people, unlike those who go to see people’s heads, who are exhausted when they come back, and all the money they have worked so hard to earn is spent on hotels. A room in a hotel costs 120 yuan in September, but it becomes 580 yuan during the holidays. If you go once in September, don’t you have to go in October? Why do you have to go during the holidays? You are already poor, and you are still wasting money, so people are really stupid.

Can we, brothers and sisters, begin to emulate Paul? Set an example in all things, and do not discriminate against those being served based on whether they are country bumpkins. I serve bumpkins as if serving God, and even if you are of a higher class, the same approach is applied to you. I have served cleaners as if serving God. Whether you are an official or an entrepreneur, I serve you as if serving a cleaner.

I am not trying to shame you, because we do not discriminate. We do not differentiate based on the amount of your offering, nor do we distinguish between rich and poor, noble and lowly, or different classes. We serve people as if serving God. Among us, there is no high or low status, and it does not matter whether you are from a big city or the countryside. We only proclaim the word of God according to His will. So, if you serve with me, you will notice that if someone's legs are swollen, their feet are placed on your own legs, regardless of any potential foot infections. It is not because they are noble that their stinky feet are held, but because I want God's word to bless people and enter their hearts.

Not Considering My Life as Dear to Myself, So That I May Finish My Race

And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. (Acts 20:22-23)

Paul knew the risks in various places, and the Holy Spirit told him not to go to Jerusalem, or he would be bound. So why did he insist on going? Because being bound and dying were not factors he considered. We used to think that the Holy Spirit was preventing him from going, but that is not the case! The Holy Spirit told him what would happen in that place. If Paul had considered his life as dear to himself, he would not have gone. But he did not consider his own life as dear to himself, in order to finish his race. In fact, there were dangers in every place he went, and people were plotting to harm him. In that era, he was too famous among the Jews. The Jews all wanted to kill him. At that time, Jews were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, because it was a colony. So Paul's ministry was remarkable because of this, and I am still learning this point. But I also do not consider my life as dear to myself, although I still have a way to go to reach Paul's level.

A person who cherishes their own life cannot serve God, because if they do not cherish their own life, they live in eternity. It is good to live in a different way. If a person's logic is just for the sake of living this trivial life, you cannot serve God. Because living is very important, and living one more day is better than living one less day. Money becomes a constraint, because you need money to live. A person who considers their life as dear to themselves will definitely be greedy for money. Paul wanted to finish his race and bring the offering to Jerusalem. He hoped that James, Peter, and others could take in his words, because they all knew Jesus Christ. Paul was truly teaching the theological system of Jesus Christ. Although he was the apostle to the Gentiles, he was concerned with the kingdom of God. Whether they were Jews or Greeks, he felt that he owed them a debt of the gospel.

This path confirmed one thing: why God was with Paul. For example, when that child fell from the window, Paul fell on him, and the child lived again. At that time, everyone thought that falling from the third floor would surely be fatal, but Paul did something and he came back to life, which greatly comforted everyone. This event showed us that Paul truly had God's presence. To be honest, I am still far from that.

To Finish the Ministry Received from the Lord Jesus

But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

Paul is a knowledgeable man. Once you entrust something to him, if he says he won't do it, he won't. But if he says he will do it, he will do it properly. This is a big difference between knowledgeable and unknowledgeable people. Unknowledgeable people do it for a while and then don't, just going back and forth. But Paul, after receiving it from the Lord Jesus, worked steadily step by step to accomplish the ministry of building the church received from the Lord Jesus. Paul was nominally the apostle to the Gentiles, but in reality, he was the apostle to the entire church. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be faithful to your ministry, be faithful in small things, and be faithful in great things. This is what God wants. If you have listened to my exposition of Samuel, you will know that God is looking for a faithful priest to accomplish the ministry received from the Lord Jesus.

The ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus is to build God's glorious church. Thank God for giving me special grace to create Chinese Mingding Destiny, to restore the theology of the Apostle Paul, or perhaps in terms of pastoral care, I still need to move forward continuously. This is called Mingding Destiny! A person with Mingding Destiny lives for this. Everyone, ask yourself what you are living for? If you are living just to live, you do not need to believe in Jesus, you need to believe in yourself. If you ask me what I live for, from the day I believed in the Lord, I frantically read the Bible. I wanted to see if this thing was a treasure, and later I recognized that it was a treasure.

I do not know if the Lord Jesus has called me, but I did not see the light on the road to Damascus, nor did I go blind. I just felt that I was not doing well, so I started to build a church myself. Some people ask if God has called me to serve Him, and I say I do not know. But I believe that if I continue to walk this path, God will eventually call me. My service is also very peculiar, which is being zealous for God. Later I discovered that God likes this kind of person. I do not know if God has chosen me, but I know that I just like to serve and fulfill the ministry that the Lord Jesus gave us in the Bible, because this is my Mingding Destiny! I am a person who does not have much meaning in living, I only want to accomplish the ministry received from the Lord Jesus.

Not Coveting Money

I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. (Acts 20:33-34)

Paul said this in front of these people, so where did his money come from? Paul earned it himself. So a person who covets money cannot do this. Wouldn't all the money earned have to go into the investment portfolio? Paul did not leave behind too many things in his life, but he left behind many spiritual assets. So Paul is too amazing. He has the skills, he has the ability. He can speak and he can do, and he has a faithful heart to serve God. This faithful heart to serve God has become the core secret and technique of Paul. He does not covet money, because he himself is money. He does some work, and money goes into his pocket. He does not need money at all, because he himself is money.

Once, one of our co-workers said that others took advantage of me a lot. I said, If they took it, they took it. I myself am money. I am more valuable than money! Some people learned to encourage their students before they take the high school entrance exam, You are more valuable than the score! As a result, after the students were encouraged, they did very well on the exam. If you think you are more valuable than money, you will not treat money as an ancestor, as a god. If you can manage money well, you are more valuable than money, and you will value yourself.

I am doing the work of making you more valuable. This is called pastoral care. I want you all to know that you are more valuable than money. If you are taking the college entrance exam, I want you to know that you are more valuable than the score. Those who work should know that they are more valuable than the job, and those who do ministry are more valuable than the ministry. You are the treasures that God wants. If you are encouraged by these words, why do you still covet money? As soon as you think about money, you ask why you do this, and the answer is always because you can make money. If you emulate me, you will not lack money! If you are still a poor wretch after living for several decades, it is because your mind is filthy and you think money is important.

A person who loves money is a waste! All of us who aim to make money are trash. If you feel uncomfortable hearing these words, you need to know! Don't think that owing a lot of debt and needing money is a reason. Tracing back to the source, why do you owe so much debt? If you want to be more valuable than money, invest in your own growth. You are more valuable than money, so you will not care about money. So a person who serves God must read this passage carefully.

Knowing That We Must Labor in This Way

I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”(Acts 20:35)

Because you are full of treasure. This is not scolding you as a pig, it is saying that everything about you is more valuable than money. If people want to create value, they must exert physical strength. The same is true for pastoring God's flock. There will definitely be labor. But this labor is necessary, which is why I serve with joy, because I know that it is necessary to labor in this way. Let me boast a little here. Compared with ordinary pastors, I alone do the equivalent of what three to ten of them do. Even professional workers may not be able to do the physical work of renovation as well as I do. Not only do I do it quickly, but my mind also reacts quickly. I often do the work of several people alone. I also hope that my co-workers are like me. In fact, they have been trained by me to the point where ordinary people have to admire them. There is no comparison. So it is right to labor in this way, and it is not bitter at all.

I once ministered to a pastor of a large church who had brain cancer. When I asked him why he got this disease, he said that he managed more than fifty small groups in the large church, and a new batch of leaders had to be replaced every three years. More than ten new people had to be trained every year, and he could only rest one day a week. He felt that it was impossible not to get sick like this. In fact, this way of thinking made him feel that he had done a lot of things. I asked him why the group leaders had to be replaced every three years. He said that because the group leaders had to work during the day and come to church on Sundays.

Isn't that what they should do? He went on to say that they also had to lead a small group once a week and go to church for training during that time. The ordinary members of our church spend more time than their group leaders, and they do not have the burnt-out feeling he described. This is a pastor who should be burnt out leading a group of group leaders who should be burnt out. Why are we not burnt out? Because I have the logic and the theory of working, the more I work, the better I live.

Because we rejoice in labor and service, service is rest. The priests in the Old Testament also did not have a Sabbath. They were busiest on the Sabbath, offering sacrifices every day. I told this pastor that I have not rested for a day since I was in my twenties, and I have not gotten brain cancer. Because it is all willing service, this kind of labor is what I like. I like to work, I don't like to play. When I was in school, I liked to study. When I was working, I liked to work. When I was a pastor, I liked to serve. I have lived a very joyful life. What person can compare to the joy inside me? They like to go out and play during the holidays. They are only happy during these two periods of time, and the rest of the time they are frowning. How can they not get cancer like this? Whether it is our brothers and sisters or our pastors and co-workers, you must know that this kind of labor is your blessing, because you have God's presence! Do not imitate the people of the world, and continue to imitate them until you get Alzheimer's disease.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, each one received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:1-16)

We need to know that working is grace; serving is also grace; work is a grace; labor is a grace; our labor is also a grace. Paul set an example by doing this! After studying it thoroughly, everyone will understand. Working will definitely not cause brain cancer, but discerning good and evil may. Laziness can cause cancer, but working will not. This is the so-called saying that lazy people are prone to illness. I have ministered to many people, and there is too much garbage in their heads.

The reason I went to minister to the pastor with brain cancer was because I visited, studied, and visited his good friend's church, and performed a few miracles along the way. A dentist was the leader of their church's small group, wearing a neck brace on his neck and a wide belt around his waist to protect his waist. When I asked, I learned that he felt electrified all over his body and could not lie down. As soon as he lay down, the current would run back and forth in his legs, as if 220 volts of electricity were connected to his body at any time, which was very uncomfortable. I ministered to him and he got better, and he also brought another small group leader who was hemiplegic. Thank God, they got better after I ministered to them. I don't know how they got better, I just explained it to them.

At that time, a demon was lying under his right armpit, and he felt like there was something weighing twenty or thirty kilograms pressing down there. After I ministered to them, their pastor said that if their church had such abilities, it would have been revived long ago. I thought I had this kind of ability for many years, but I had not seen a revival. He saw the number of people in the church, but what I wanted was disciples. He also wanted me to minister to his good friend, the pastor with brain cancer, who could not sleep when he wanted to sleep, and would wake up as soon as he lay down, and would feel sleepy as soon as he worked, which was very torturous. We went to his house to minister to him, and his mental state immediately improved a lot. Unfortunately, he was a very proud person. I left him my WeChat, and I said that this situation would definitely come back next time, and let him come to me at any time, but he never came to me again. He may have felt that my service could not uproot the problem, but he did not know that the root was not in his illness, but in his thoughts and intentions.

This kind of pastor would definitely be rolled by me, this legendary king of rolling, whether it is writing books, serving, renovating, writing software, or doing other things. He kept saying that he could only rest one day a week and still got brain cancer, but in fact he felt that God was too unfair, and then he discerned good and evil with God. There is a logical system inside me, that is, this kind of labor is justified. Some people ask me why I do this, why am I so tired? There is only one answer: I like it! I never complain! The three words I am willing solve all the problems. Everyone, from now on, be a person who is willing in everything.

Setting an Example for You

Don't think that I am not tired. In fact, when I get up in the morning, I will also have sore back and legs, which is not ordinary fatigue. But I cheer up and keep working. I hope that our brothers and sisters and co-workers can take this as an example. I say this not for anything else. If a person wants to serve God and wants to be great in the kingdom of God, he must be the servant of all, then he must work more, suffer more than others, eat less and sleep less than others. This is what ought to be.

You Must Be Alert

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.(Acts 20:29-32)

What I said may touch the sensitive areas of some people, but if you listen to it, you should be alert. You will not be eaten by wolves, taken away by the devil, nor will you turn yourself into a person who is hated by God, and will only be a faithful soldier of God in your life.

Summary

Paul set a very good example for us! Everyone should emulate Paul well. If you are willing to emulate him, you will surely be great in the kingdom of heaven, and receive rich rewards and a crown of glory. If you do not know that it is precious, then I will tell you that it is like receiving a permanent property. Not ninety-nine years, not seventy years, not nine hundred and ninety-nine years, but a permanent property. Start to emulate Paul, live prosperously while you are alive, and become the light of this world! Shine like bright lights, manifesting the glory of God. Amen!

May God bless everyone!