Aligning with God's Will vs. Pursuing One's Own Desires

Often, people are unaware of what they are doing. Take the Jews, for instance. Moses gave them a statute allowing divorce, requiring a certificate of divorce for the wife. Husbands, too, could be divorced by their wives. These issues highlight that in making choices, individuals often act according to their own desires. The question then arises: do you choose in accordance with God's will, or your own? Jesus stated, From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. (Mark 10:6-9)

Moses pointed out a crucial aspect: God's original intent was for two to become one. Why then do people often fail to achieve this unity? Because that is adultery. To choose God's will is to live in holiness, and to live in holiness is to relinquish one's own desires. Thus, Jesus said to them, Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. (Mark 10:11) This is severe! Adulterers cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

As we discuss Heaven and Hell, we understand that one's choices today determine their ultimate destination! Later, Jesus added, And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery. (Mark 10:12) When two people are together but unable to unite, the cause lies either in one person's issues or in problems between both. Such problems lead to relational breakdown. God's initial intention in creating male and female was for them to fulfill a mission. When a family loses sight of God's mission, it becomes vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. Failing to seek God's will is perilous. Throughout life, one must choose God's will. Departing from God's will results in a deficit of God's glory, and a loss of the meaning of life.

Do You Prefer Simplicity or Complexity?

As people navigate the trials of society, their thoughts and intentions tend to grow increasingly complex. Children, in contrast, are simple, with less inner contamination. It is rare to see children requiring deliverance, and if they do, it is often passed down from their parents. Children possess a trusting heart, whereas adults' thinking becomes more intricate. In our lives, those who can simplify complex problems are remarkable. To make a simple problem complex is foolish. In reality, Heaven is a simple matter: just have a childlike heart, trusting in God wholeheartedly. Once we begin to walk the path of simplicity, things become very straightforward.

God intended for us to lead a simple life. However, as people gradually become tainted by the world, they complicate simple matters. Many times, people are preoccupied with anxieties about the future. Therefore, Jesus said, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26) So relinquish your anxieties, and you will thrive.

Do You Choose the Easy or the Difficult Path?

It is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, because people tend to rely on wealth. Who then can be saved? Jesus said, With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. (Mark 10:27) With God, it is easy. God governs His Kingdom, and He determines who enters. For God, it is effortless, but for us, it is difficult. Similarly, when given a choice, will we choose to trust in God? Bringing the likes of Jack Ma into God's Kingdom is not impossible; they need God's blessing even more. Many such individuals exist in God's Kingdom, and they share a common trait: having reached the pinnacle, they remain lost. They, of course, have a clearer understanding of money than a poor young man. Therefore, it is not difficult for God to transform a person. We must have the mindset to serve both the high-end and the low-end. Even if it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, we must still bring the wealthy into God's Kingdom, because we rely on God!

What You Shall Forgo or Attain

In the Kingdom of God, we have a choice: whether to relinquish certain things or to gain certain things. What exactly do we relinquish? In truth, God wants us to relinquish all that we possess; when you relinquish, you shall attain. How marvelous! This is a crucial fundamental principle of God's Kingdom. God wants us to learn one thing: with God, all things are possible. Therefore, you will not suffer loss by relinquishing for Him. By relinquishing everything for the sake of God's Kingdom and the Gospel, you will receive a hundredfold return. Why must one endure persecution? Understand that persecution is a blessing, an environment that allows our faith to be tested, and the Kingdom of God is accessed through faith in God.

However, many who are first will be last, and the last first. (Mark 10:31) The glory of the latter days will surpass the former. The glory that God will reveal in the twenty-first century will surpass that of the previous era. Continually surpassing the frontrunners is perfectly reasonable. Therefore, Jesus and Peter said, Do not think too highly of yourself; though you have relinquished all to follow Me, those who come after you will still surpass you.

Choose Death or Life

The Kingdom of God has one characteristic. Paul said: always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:10) To be resurrected, one must first die; it is a tragic thing if a person refuses to die. Today, we must make a choice in such matters. Wasn't it mentioned earlier to endure persecution? At this moment, let persecution lead to death, and be resurrected from death. In life, people often encounter despairing situations, which are when you experience the great power of Jesus Christ.

The brethren overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Jesus Christ, for the third time, foretold that He would suffer death and rise again after three days. Resurrection is good news; resurrection is victory. It is a sorrowful thing if Christians cannot overcome. When Christians encounter challenges such as humiliation, persecution, and hardship, there is no other option but to choose victory. If you trust in this almighty God, there is no victory that cannot be won; with God, all things are possible. You can triumph even from death; starting now, prepare yourself to overcome all despairing situations. Rely on God, and things will become simple.

Choose Greatness or Smallness

Everyone's glory is different; I encourage everyone to start having such a longing, never to come before God and be put to shame. When we come before God to receive praise, we should receive even greater blessings. The days on earth are but a few short decades; if one wastes all the weighty, incomparable, eternal glory that is achieved, one will regret it. Everyone should have an aspiration for the Kingdom of God, to occupy a high position in the Kingdom of God.

And whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.(Mark 10:43-45)

To be great, one must be at the very bottom, to give his life as a ransom for many. Therefore, our church promotes service through sacrifice, which will make you great in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said: to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. (Mark 10:40) Are you willing to become great as Jesus said? As long as you are willing to be the servant of all, God will prepare. Therefore, brothers and sisters, have great aspirations for the Kingdom of God, wanting to sit on God's left and right sides, start summoning the courage to serve, do not be afraid, you will still be resurrected even if you die, and living with such a mindset is truly remarkable.

In summary: Do you want to choose to be great in the Kingdom of God? If you want to choose, you must have a vision. Many of us are blind, like Bartimaeus, and we must also call out to Jehovah! Do you want to be great in the Kingdom of God, to obey God's will, and live a simple life? Start believing that God is a God of all possibilities, relinquish some things, it all lies in your choice. Can you see clearly the needs and conditions of this generation, see that God is calling us Chinese in this era to rise up and take the baton of the Gospel to bring the Gospel back to Jerusalem? So this blind man said: I want to see. Jesus said: Your faith has saved you. As long as you believe and pursue, you will attain.