How to Attain Life

Do We Understand the Meaning of Life?

And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)

Jesus said: “Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?” (See Mark 8:17-18). Jesus used a series of questions to point out the spiritual blindness of people: Are you still not awake? Do you still not remember? Emphasizing these things again and again, how do you still not understand? Jesus lamented that people simply die like this, one generation comes and another goes, and they do not even think it is a problem.

Jesus Christ Came to Break the Curse of Death

Some tell me that birth, aging, sickness, and death are merely the natural laws of humans, but Jesus Christ came to break this curse of death. God did not originally design the natural laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death; God's original design was for us to attain life. There are many different interpretations of attaining life. What is the life that Jesus spoke of? Jesus not only spoke of earthly life but also spoke of eternal life, certainly not worldly wealth. We can look at some people revealed in the Bible; they were more concerned with the peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Different views and interpretations of life lead to different ways of living in this world, resulting in a corrupt way of life.

Recognize the Power of Jesus, Put Down Your Worries

Reverse the Concept of Worrying Within Us

Today, we must begin to change the concept of worrying within us. Jesus performed a miracle, feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and four thousand people with seven loaves, yet people did not understand after seeing it. If you possess Jesus, who fed four thousand people with seven loaves and five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, then do you still need to worry about your life? There is absolutely no need to worry.

However, people simply cannot come out of this kind of worry because the focus of people’s lives is eating and drinking, thinking that people cannot live without eating and drinking. These are actually people's inherent worries. If you and I have seen the miracles performed by Jesus but still feel that we must do something to survive, then that is truly fatal. I have never seen a person who completely dedicates their life to God not being able to survive or begging for food. For He is the master of the universe, how could we lack anything? Seeing the miracles performed by Jesus, but people are still thinking in their minds, what should I do with only one loaf of bread in my hand? The hardness of people's hearts truly shocks the heart of Jesus.

Are you still not awake, still not understanding? Are your hearts still hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? The feeding of five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish had just happened, and not only were five thousand people fed, but twelve baskets of leftovers were collected. After the seven loaves were distributed and eaten, seven baskets of leftovers were also collected (See Mark 8:17-21). After seeing this miracle, do you still worry? The reason you worry represents your logical system. Actually, you need to put down the worries in your life; there is no need to worry at all.

Those with God Will Surely Live Well!

When brothers and sisters have children, even while the child is still in the womb, we worry about what to do about the child’s education in the future. In my opinion, children are naturally provided for, coming into the world with their own rations.

There is a couple who raised five children while pastoring a very small church, and they certainly do not lack food or clothing. When I went to Taipei in April, I met them; they live very freely. Some people would think, how can you raise five children, what about their future education? How can there be no need to worry? A Pastor Zheng who used to work with me saw me studying the Book of Romans online and said: Isn't this the person I know? Back then, their salary was also very low, working as pastors in the church, but their three children also graduated from university, and they lived a good life.

Some have great wealth but are plagued by disasters; some are penniless but live very freely. In fact, if a person understands the true meaning of life and truly sees through it, they will surely live well, because they have God! Those without God do not know how to live, nor will they see through it. However, those of us who have seen the miracles God has performed among us, how can we still not understand?

Put Down the Worldly Concepts You Hold Tightly

There was a brother who had a salary of two thousand dollars and was about to lose his job. At that time, his wife was also pregnant, and the situation was not good. However, God remembered his needs and blessed him with a job of four thousand Singapore dollars. This incident made us know that it is not because we have any ability, but because God works to sustain us in difficult situations. Among the couples in our midst, be sure that you can still raise five children, each child comes with their own rations, even raising a whole row is no problem, and then perhaps your home will become a church.

We will find that the greatest confusion of people is for the necessities of life, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Jesus came to eliminate this confusion within us. However, some people refuse to have this confusion broken, and even though they themselves know that holding on to these worldly concepts is wrong, they are unwilling to put down these worrying concepts and are unwilling to believe that God can transform their lives.

Miracles of Jesus

Later, Jesus came to Bethsaida and performed another miracle. In the Gospel of John, there is a man who was born blind, and Jesus healed him so that he could see. As a result, the Pharisees questioned him, how did your eyes get better? What kind of person is he? Then the blind man said a truth: I was born blind, and that man healed my eyes, how can you not know who he is? The Pharisees said: This is a sinner, and he still comes to teach us? (See John 9)

It is really strange, if we are the Pharisees today, imagine that seven loaves can feed four thousand people, and five loaves can feed five thousand people, then this person must be God! Seeing this blind man being healed, you must understand one thing: That is, all our diseases can be healed by Jesus Christ!

Your Needs, God Can Also Solve

With God, do you still worry about life? When I first entered a church of about two thousand people in Singapore, I saw many healing miracles in the church. The pastor said, Those who have cancer and have been healed through prayer, please raise your hands. Then a large group of people raised their hands, and I was stunned. Afterwards, there were too many people lining up to give testimonies every month. Due to the tight schedule, they would go down after saying two or three sentences. At that time, I had a very strong shock in my heart, that is, the matter of my illness in this life is solved, and the biggest expense in my life has been removed.

To be rich, one needs to increase income and reduce expenditure. Increasing income means earning more money; reducing expenditure means reducing more expenses. If the matter of disease is resolved, then the biggest expense no longer exists. At that time, my expenses for eating, housing, and living in Singapore were very cheap, so there was no need to worry. At that time, a great desire arose in my heart, that is, I also wanted to be like that pastor, so I set my heart on pursuing such a treasure. Do you know what God said? That is, do not get it wrong; the Bible never tells us to pursue some very empty things. Jesus said: Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1).

I felt that at that time, I was only one step away from that treasure. I had to obtain this treasure no matter what. Today, this treasure of mine has not been fully released, but when brothers and sisters pray with me, I declare: Sister, God will bless you; Brother, God will bless you, and their salary will increase a lot. So, don't worry, if a person can overcome the mentality of worry, he will not live a poor life.

Jesus Christ is the Answer to All Your Problems

For those brothers and sisters who have come to the church and experienced God's blessings but do not understand the meaning of giving, I feel extremely regretful for them, because they do not know what a rich God this is, and all the treasures of the world are in Him! If you are willing to give, how can you not be blessed? Later, I saw many people in the church who did not understand, for example, there was a sister who had been a believer for many years but lived under the curse of poverty and had no way to get out of it. She helped people manage finances and did a good job, earning tens of millions a year.

However, one of her cousins invested in bank financial products through her. Nineteen of the twenty products were very profitable, but only one was not profitable, so she was sued in court because of that one unprofitable product. When she came to me, I said that the sister must be a person who does not tithe, and she broke down on the spot.

People Do Not Understand That Jesus Is the Christ

Only Peter answered and said, You are the Christ. What does Christ mean? Christ is the answer to all our life's problems, the salvation for all our issues. Peter was remarkable here; in his mind, he thought, five thousand people were fed with five loaves and two fish, and twelve baskets of leftovers were collected; seven loaves fed four thousand people, and seven baskets of leftovers were collected. What kind of person is this? And the blind can see as well; who exactly is this? This is God! Then Peter said, You are the Christ!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Overcomes the Curse of Death

Peter began to understand that Jesus Christ is the answer to all our life's problems, but later he didn't understand again. Because Jesus said, I must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (See Mark 8:31) Peter only heard the first part and didn't hear Jesus say that He would rise again after three days. This is tremendous good news: giving you bread to eat so you can be satisfied; giving you healing so you can be released from your sickness.

However, Jesus said, I am the Christ, and I will overcome the death that you have not overcome! People are especially afraid of death; as soon as death is mentioned, it means the end of everything. So when people die, there is crying and lamenting. Jesus spoke of being rejected, killed, and rising again after three days to tell us that He would overcome mankind's most serious problem—death—and show it to us vividly. What is life? Life is overcoming death!

Today, I encourage everyone to see through the matters of life and death, to the point of not caring about it. I don't care if I die, and I don't care if others die. Why? Because this is not something we can control. We need to continuously spread the good news that Jesus Christ has overcome death; those who believe will receive it and be blessed.

Gifts Strengthen People So They No Longer Fear Death

If people carry fear, they have no way to believe in God, so I have shared many testimonies to strengthen people. If you understand what life and death are all about, you will not be afraid, will you? You will prepare yourself well while you are alive. I am constantly reminding everyone to start learning and to thirst for spiritual gifts, because gifts can strengthen people.

I thank the Lord that Sister YQ is HD's maternal grandmother and XF's maternal grandmother, and she has been very ill in bed with a cerebral hemorrhage for the past few days. Today, I heard the good news that her condition is stable. A person in their nineties will eventually leave one day; even a powerful prophet like Elisha was helpless when he had a terminal illness. There is a time for life and death, and it is also something we cannot control. However, there is one thing we can control: after understanding the matter of life and death, no longer being afraid in our hearts, and then passing on the word of life to them. This Peter said Jesus is the Christ, but then he had a very big perplexity.

Mindful of God's Will, Not Man's Will

After Peter heard Jesus say this, he advised Jesus not to do this. Jesus turned and looked at the disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. (Mark 8:33) Peter, who recognized Jesus as the Christ, still often lived in confusion, minding the things of men. Minding the things of men is Satan; minding the things of God is Jesus Christ. How many of us today are mindful of the things of men, and how many are mindful of the things of God? When you don't understand, you will mind the things of men. You must understand that Jesus said He would rise again after three days, which is great good news; it is God's wonderful plan of redemption.

If you mind the things of men, you will fear suffering; if you mind the things of God, you will joyfully embrace the hope that God brings into your life in the midst of suffering. So, do you choose to mind the things of God or the things of men? Later, I discovered that a person who wants to serve God will certainly experience much suffering. Because if you want to serve God, you must personally taste the fruit of life; you cannot empathize if you have not gone through it yourself. So today, don't be surprised or think it strange why these things happen to someone. We must not look at things with human eyes; we must look at things with God's eyes.

I truly thank God for allowing us to experience many things, because every single thing will become the reason for our victory. When you encounter all difficulties, you must be determined to overcome them. If being determined is not enough, you must exert yourself in your heart, thinking that you must win! Because the Jesus Christ I believe in is the God who rose on the third day and has overcome the power of death; there is no time when there is no victory in Him. Grit your teeth, persevere, and you will see God's glory.

People often mind the things of the flesh, but we must mind the things of God. Looking at the problems of life and death from God's perspective, this is minding the things of God. What does it mean to walk with God? It means having the same thoughts and the same views as God. God said, People live in this world, wandering aimlessly and then dying; this is vanity of vanities. If God said, I brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would serve Me, then I would say yes. If God said, I redeemed you from the world so that you would serve Me, then I will serve God and never look back. This is an important point in a person's life: are you minding the things of men or the things of God?

The Secret to Gaining Life

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

When we let go of ourselves, we gain the life that comes from God. Jesus said, Take up your cross, which means crucifying the flesh within us that minds the things of men. Our nature does not like suffering, but suffering does train our character; our nature does not like being wronged, but being wronged can reveal a person's inner essence; we do not like bad things, but bad things are indeed beneficial to our lives. Take up your own cross and follow God, and remember what God said:

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35)

If you don't care about life and death, then you will surely be able to live! Even if we get a terminal illness, we don't care! We must live out God's glory in the days of our lives. If you are willing to give your life for God and for this gospel, then you will gain life. Life is a connection between your life and God's life; having the likeness of Jesus Christ is life!

Life Increasingly Resembles Jesus

Your life increasingly resembles Jesus; this is life. What is gaining life? It is using all your life to manifest God's glory. If you begin to be willing to offer your life for God and the gospel, then you have saved your life, because God is with you in your life. For example, the plane was originally going to crash, but because you were there, it didn't crash; originally there was a bomb going to explode there, but because you were nearby, it couldn't explode. God can absolutely control everything that happens.

When I went to Taipei, Pastor Zhou Shenzhu was rushing to meet with some pastors of house churches. His entire schedule was packed, and a preacher in his seventies was living very well and was very robust. I thought, I want to be like this when I am old. Since Jesus can heal all people's diseases, feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, and feed four thousand people with seven loaves, then following Jesus will not be wrong.

Conclusion: It Is Not About the Richness of Your Family, But Whether God Knows You

What good is it for a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul? It is not about whether he lives a luxurious life in this world, but if he lives a luxurious life in this world but does not know God, and finally falls into the lake of fire and brimstone and is eternally separated from God, what good is it? When the Son of Man comes in the glory of His Father, He will also regard that person as shameful. This is a key point that God tells us: it is not about the richness of your family, but whether God knows you. If God does not know you, what is the use of gaining the whole world?