Archives for 1 月 2022
Bible Verses–Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bible Verses–Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.
Bible Verses–Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say to you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Why, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.
How to Give Effective Help and Support to Brothers and Sister: Grasp 3 Principles
By Yinzi
The Bible says, “But the end of all things is at hand: be you therefore sober, and watch to prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:7–10). As servants of the Lord, we should do the church’s work well, help and support brothers and sisters, and finally bring them before God so that they can all obey and worship God—this is what the Lord has entrusted to us. So, how exactly should we support and help brothers and sisters to be in harmony with the Lord’s will? There are three principles that all of us need to enter into.
First, treat brothers and sisters fairly when helping them.
It is written in the Bible, “My brothers, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come to your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And you have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say to him, Sit you here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand you there, or sit here under my footstool: Are you not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” (James 2:1–4). As can be seen from the example in these verses, if we look up to and fawn over those who are wealthy and renowned or those who have gifts, a good mind and a way with words while we disdain and even exclude those who are honest and have no money or power, then doing such things is loathed by God. As is known to us, God is righteous and He treats everyone fairly and reasonably based on principles. So, as Christians we must treat others fairly in accordance with God’s requirements.
Often times, however, we help others according to our own preferences. For example, we are willing to fellowship with and assist those who are to our liking and compatible with us and those who follow our wishes in everything and listen to us, but as for those who aren’t to our liking, and those who haven’t obeyed us and even have dealt with and criticized us, even if we see they have problems and difficulties, we are unwilling to give them a hand, and even though we communicate with them, we carry resistance and dissatisfaction. Such behaviors are not in line with the Lord’s teachings.
The Lord Jesus has said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). The Lord instructs us to love each other and treat others fairly. No matter whether brothers and sisters are to our liking or not, of good caliber or bad, poor or rich, have position or not, and no matter how long they have believed in God, we cannot treat them based on our emotions or get close to this one and distance that one. As long as they truly believe in God, we should treat them as equals. Only by frequently practicing like this and helping brothers and sisters with a loving heart can we earn the Lord’s praise.
Second, harbor right intentions in helping brothers and sisters.
It is said in the Bible, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Colossians 3:22–23). These words say clearly that we should put our intentions right in serving God and helping brothers and sisters. It shouldn’t be done in front of others to gain their praise, but should be done to complete God’s commission and satisfy Him.
Yet how do we practice? From the outside, we appear to actively help and support brothers and sisters when they are negative and weak, and busy ourselves with shepherding and supporting the churches through rain and storm. But actually, we often have incorrect intentions and think inside, “Seeing my behaviors, the brothers and sisters will surely look up to me, praise me for achieving good results in work and having truth, and say that I’m loyal to the Lord and a good servant of Him.” Clearly, our helping brothers and sisters is to obtain their high esteem and praise, to have place in their hearts and make them look up to and adore us, and to establish our own image with them, but not to exalt and testify the Lord and bring them before Him. There are even some people who support brothers and sisters for the sake of furthering their fleshly interests and getting material things. I have heard of such a thing. When a preacher went to a church and saw that the brothers and sisters there hadn’t given him preaching fees, then he was unwilling to give them sermons and simply went through the motions in fellowshiping, but when they offered money, he became very active in fellowshiping. This kind of service is purely for the sake of making a deal and obtaining rewards and interests; it is simply not fulfilling duties to satisfy God.
Thinking about this carefully, in order to save mankind, God came to earth from heaven. He bestowed on man endless grace and blessings, and was willing to sacrifice His life to redeem mankind, to be crucified. God never stops paying the price for us humans and He has never asked for anything in return. As believers in God, we should emulate Christ, and we should put our intentions right and sincerely help brothers and sisters. It shouldn’t be done for the sake of gaining others’ admiration or looking for something in return. Instead, we should willingly pay a price and help others to fulfill what God has entrusted to us. Only in this way will we conform to God’s will and attain His blessings.
Third, appropriate censure and dealing is allowed when helping brothers and sisters.
When we help brothers and sisters with a correct motive, fellowship with them out of love and patiently guide them, some of them can understand God’s will and come out of their negative state. But we all have met with these kinds of situations: Though we have helped and supported some brothers and sisters several times, there is no shift in their state and they still remain the same; some clearly know God’s words and understand how to practice in conformity with God’s will, but they still act willfully on their own initiative, go against God’s teachings and rely on satanic disposition in what they do. When faced with such situations, what can we do to be responsible for their lives? I read the following in the Bible, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:5–6). We can understand from these verses that when we see the problems or shortcomings of brothers and sisters, we should dare to point them out face to face to help them, not hiding these things in our hearts. Even if what we say is unpleasant to listen to and makes them temporarily uncomfortable, it is true love and help for them. I have heard these words from a preacher, “Suppose there is a brother or sister who does not pursue the truth, and is not going the right way. What should you do? You must help this person. This help includes pruning them and dealing with them. It includes censure and criticism. This is the way to help. All of this is love. Is it necessary to coax them along or use a consulting tone? Not necessarily. If there is a need for pruning and dealing with them, do it. Expose what should be exposed. … This is the duty that you should fulfill” (“How One Must Experience God’s Work in Order to Achieve Salvation and Be Perfected” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (VI)). It can be seen from this that helping with love needn’t be speaking tactfully and gently; criticizing and dealing with brothers and sisters according to their problems and shortcomings to make them know their corruptions and shortcomings and understand the truth is also love for them.
We may encounter these situations: Some brothers and sisters are so arrogant and insubordinate to anyone that others feel restrained by them; some trifle over minor matters and can’t be tolerant and patient with others; some judge others behind their backs; some are affected by the influences of evil trends and devote themselves to making money and pursuing the world, thus failing to attend meetings regularly; and so on. When faced with such things, we can gently fellowship with and support these brothers and sisters, and if necessary, we can strictly deal with and prune them to help them know the serious consequences of carrying on this way and understand the Lord’s will so that they can repent and change before it is too late.
The above three principles are indispensable for helping and supporting brothers and sisters. Only by grasping and practicing these principles can we be after God’s heart, and can our helping and supporting brothers and sisters count as a good deed and win the Lord’s approval.
Bible Verse–John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Bible Verses–Hebrews 13:5-6
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.
In a Crisis, Whom Can We Lean On?
By Xinzhi
Believing in God, although I often read God’s word, attended meetings and fellowshiped with brothers and sisters, I had little knowledge of God’s almightiness and sovereignty. When my wife encountered a disaster and was on the verge of death, I saw God’s wondrous protection. Not until then did I have some true understanding and knowledge of God’s almightiness and sovereignty.
A Dangerous Scene
On December 20 of 2014, my son could take care of his daughter on his day off, so my wife and I were idle and then we decided to go to our old home to slash branches. After breakfast, my wife and I went back to our old home by motorcycle. After coming back home, I said to my wife, “The days in winter are short. We must hurry or we can’t do much.” As I said, I put a ladder against a tree and climbed up the tree more than five meters high. As I slashed, some branches fell in the way and my wife pulled them aside. At that time, I was absorbed in slashing the branches without looking down. When I slashed a branch as thick as a bowl in diameter, I suddenly heard Leader Shen not far away shout, “Mou Jing, watch out! A branch is falling down.” Listening to the voice, I looked down, only to find my wife had fell down without movement. I was frightened at the sight. Thinking I couldn’t get down at once, I called to him nervously, “Leader, help!” Hearing my urgent yell, he hurried off toward my wife and supported her. He said to me, “Hurry! Get down! Your wife’s nose, mouth and ears are bleeding! She is dying.” Hearing his words, I was more panicked.
Getting down from the tree, I held my wife in my arms. I saw her nose, mouth and ears were bleeding, and I put my hand under her nose but felt no breath from her. Immediately I trembled with fear, and was much more in self-blame. I couldn’t help crying: “Oh, Mou Jing, I hurt you when I slashed the branches. I’m so sorry. What should I do if you die?” In this crisis, I suddenly remembered I was a believer in God. Why didn’t I rely on God? Then, I prayed to God silently in my heart: “Oh, God! All things are held in Your hands, and whether my wife lives or dies is also in Your hands. May You keep my heart so that I can be quiet before You. Amen!” After praying, my heart quieted a little. Over a minute later, my wife’s mouth lifted and she took a long deep sniff. With her eyes closed tightly, she said in a feeble voice: “Cold … I’m cold.” The moment I saw she resumed breathing, my cold heart got warm immediately. I felt so happy and kept thanking God. Someone beside us said, “Now she has breath. Hurry, call the ambulance.” Someone said, “She is hurt so seriously. What’s more, there’s such a big lump of blood on her head (as large as a small size rice-bowl), and her nose, mouth, and ears all have bled. I’m afraid she’s fading.” Then another one said, “Look, Her breath comes back. Save her. Don’t give up.” All the people that came to our yard were busy for my wife: Some called the ambulance, and some proposed ideas. Seeing this scene, I was moved to tears. I knew that God had heard my prayer, and it was He that used the people around us to help us. Therefore, I offered up a grateful prayer to God in my heart again.
In Danger
After a while, an ambulance came. A man doctor, after asking what happened in detail, came to my wife. He turned on his torch, pulled her eyes open to have a look, and then said to me, “Your wife is badly injured, and her pupils are dilated. There’s little chance to save her. What’s your decision?” At that moment, I couldn’t accept his words. I kept thinking: What can I do? What should I do? At this time, I thought that man’s life is entirely in God’s hands. My wife suffered this disaster; anyone couldn’t decide the result, including the doctor. Then I said decisively, “Please endeavor to rescue her.” Two women nurses got out of the ambulance, and the doctor asked them to give my wife a fluid infusion. They took out a stretcher and gingerly lifted her into the ambulance, and then we rushed her to the hospital. Along the way, with her eyes closed tight, my wife kept moaning. Seeing her suffering, I was worried: She is so badly injured. Will she die halfway? The more I thought, the more scared I was. Thus, I continuously prayed to God to give me faith and strength.
After arriving at the hospital, the chief doctor sent my wife to do CT, and about half an hour later, the diagnosis came out. After looking at that, the doctor immediately arranged my wife to the intensive-care unit. Another doctor told me, “Your wife has a severe brain injury. Her intracranial hemorrhage couldn’t be stopped unless she has a brain operation, but this operation involves great risks and it’ll cost hundreds of thousand yuan at least. You’d better start preparing yourself.” Hearing his words, I was more nervous and disheartened, thinking: If my wife has the operation, where do I find this much money? If not, I won’t be able to bear it. How can I watch my wife leave me forever? At that moment, I was extremely miserable and helpless. So I prayed to God once again: “Oh, God! I can only rely on You. May You open up a path for me. Amen!”
The Dawn in Hopelessness
At 3 p.m., I went to I.C.U. to see my wife. Seeing she closed her eyes tight and groaned all the time, I was very heartbroken and couldn’t help shedding tears. I felt extremely helpless then, so I silently prayed to God again: “Oh, God! When I see my wife in great pain, I’m also in anguish. All I can do is rely on You. God, only You have power and authority. I’m willing to entrust You with her.” After praying, I was somewhat calmed. I was willing to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements, but I was still afraid that my wife would die. Then I remembered God’s words say, “Almighty God is an all-powerful physician!” I was clear that God was guiding me. I believed my wife’s life was in His hands. I dried my eyes, approached my wife and asked her softly, “Do you feel better?” Still with her eyes shut, she said feebly, “My head hurts a lot. What happened to my head?” “It was beaten by a branch. Rely on God.” Keeping her eyes closed, she shed tears and nodded slightly. Considering that she could hear my words, my heart was a little released.
The chief doctor asked me to his office and said, “Your wife has a severe brain injury. In such cases, most of the patients will become vegetables; at best they will suffer brain concussion or become lunatic, or at worst they will die. As to your wife, she has to stay in the ICU for observation for three days and three nights and then we’ll see how things go.” Considering his words, then I thought that it would cost thousands of yuan to stay in the ICU for a day and a night, but how could I afford this? I didn’t know what to do. Then I remembered that all things are in God’s hands. Right! Wasn’t my wife’s life also in God’s hands? At the thought of this, I was much calmer.
Turning the Corner
At 9:30 a.m. the next day, I arrived at the hospital. The chief doctor was going to let my wife undergo another CT scan of the head again. After the diagnosis came out, the doctor told me, “The CT scan confirms that your wife’s intracranial hemorrhage has been reduced and controlled. From the development of her condition, maybe she doesn’t need the brain operation.” When I listened to this amazing news, I was in ineffable joy. I silently offered up a grateful prayer to God in my heart: “Oh, God! It is because of Your marvelous deeds that my wife has improved so quickly. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to You. God, I really thank You. You have kept my wife, and let me see Your great power and see hope.” At this very moment, I couldn’t express my happiness, because I had never thought that for such a severe brain injury, after a day-and-night rescue in the ICU, miraculously my wife should have been better. This was indeed God’s deeds.
On the third day, the doctor said, “Your wife is in a stable condition. Through diagnosis and examination, we are sure that nothing is wrong with her nerves, and whatever we asked, she could answer. Today your wife will be transferred to a general ward to be hospitalized for treatment.” Coming to the general ward, I saw my wife had been there. A nurse said to me, “Your wife suffered such a serious brain injury, but she should have such a rapid improvement. This is the first case I have ever seen. It’s really a marvel.” When hearing her words, I was speechless with joy. After the nurse left, I asked my wife how she felt. She said, “My head is still feeling deadly pain. I can’t open my eyes. Once I open them, I will feel very dizzy as if I am floating in the air.” The next day, at 8:30 a.m., the brain doctors all came to examine my wife. They felt her head and carefully checked the injury. The chief doctor said, “Her brain injury is serious. I thought she would stay in the I.C.U. for several days. But I never thought she could get out of danger in only two days and two nights.” Another doctor also said, “Exactly. In most of such severe cases, the patients can be diagnosed after staying in the I.C.U. at least for a week. But she has obviously been better for only two days and two nights. It’s truly a miracle.” Listening to their words, I clearly knew all this was God’s wondrous deeds, God’s great power, and God’s authority.
Thanking God’s Grace
After staying at the general ward for several days, my wife felt much better and she could talk to others. A nurse said to her unbelievably, “You are the first one who has severe brain injury but recovers so quickly. Generally, this kind of injury will take patients two or three months to restore to such a state when they are hospitalized for treatment.” Hearing her say so, my wife secretly thanked and praised God for His mercy and kindness. The seventh day, my wife thought it was inconvenient in all aspects that she stayed in the large hospital and that the fee was high, so she wanted to be discharged and recuperate at home. I agreed with her. Then at 4 p.m., we checked out and went home. When they saw my wife was discharged from the hospital, my neighbors all were surprised and said to me, “Someone said your wife died in the hospital, some said she became a vegetable, and still some said she would become a lunatic. But we never imagined she could recover so quickly, and she even could walk. What a miracle!” I knew that all this was because of God’s care and protection, and no one had the final say.
One day, I saw God’s words say, “I am your rock, your buttress.” “I am your strong tower, I am your shelter, and I am your backup. Moreover, I am your Almighty One; I am your all!” I had seen these words of God before, but I hadn’t had true knowledge. Only through this experience did I have some realization and understanding of these words. I had clearly and truly seen God’s deeds and authority are present everywhere and at all times, and I had seen His almightiness and sovereignty. God was truly my only Backer, my strong tower, and my shelter. As I mulled over God’s words, I recalled this dangerous experience: When my wife was in danger and hovered between life and death, I was anxious and in great pain, and it was God that showed His authority and power again and again and gave me faith and strength so that I could stand up from weakness; when I felt lost and hopeless, God used His words to enlighten and illustrate me and showed me where to go; when I was in tears, it was God that comforted and encouraged me and wiped my tears. Thinking of these all, I deeply felt guilty and indebted to Him, because in the past when I experienced God’s work, I often considered my own benefit merely, without caring for His will; only in danger did I steadily grasp God. I couldn’t help praying to God, “Oh, God! In this experience, I have seen Your almightiness, faithfulness, and Your wondrous deeds. God, You are the loveliest. My wife and I are willing to closely follow You and perform our duty well to care for Your heart and repay Your love. All the glory and praise be to God! Amen!”
Bible Verses–1 Peter 5:6-8
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care on him; for he cares for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
Bible Verse–Proverbs 12:25
Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad.
One Isn’t Following God’s Will Despite Much Work He Does
By Chenxi
It was a summer afternoon. The blazing sun beat down on the ground, and the heat made people feel somewhat suffocated. Cicadas were shrilling tirelessly, causing the people taking their lunch break to be more fretful. Mu Yang came to Zhen Yan’s house to visit him. As soon as he walked into the yard, he turned to speak to Zhen Yan behind him, “Zhen Yan, I come here today to discuss an urgent issue with you!”
Zhen Yan shut the gate of the yard, and then walked toward the room. Seeing Mu Yang’s anxious look, he said with a smile, “Mu Yang, don’t fret. No matter what has come up, let’s first go into the living room and then talk.”
After entering the living room, they sat on the sofa. Mu Yang took up a fan beside him, and said as he kept fanning himself, “Zhen Yan, we started to believe in the Lord Jesus together when we were in junior high school. It has been over thirty years. In these years we have worked hard for the Lord and preached everywhere. I even gave up my marriage in order to serve the Lord wholeheartedly and resolved to expend for Him my whole life. I think doing so is exactly being loyal to the Lord and following the will of God, and believe that when the Lord returns and sees my contributions, He will surely rapture me into the kingdom of heaven. However, unexpectedly, this morning when we were about to finish our Bible study, Co-worker Li mentioned that we would not necessarily be able to gain the Lord’s approval by dedicating ourselves to Him and making sacrifices in this way. He also said that we only sought to labor hard outwardly, and this was not doing the will of God. At his words, I got so annoyed and had a long debate with him about this. Though I tried my best to refute his viewpoint at that time, after pondering it carefully, I felt what he said made some sense. However, when I think about how we have always considered and practiced in this way for so many years, I still feel there can’t be anything wrong with it!”
At this point, Mu Yang paused for a moment, and then he continued to say, “Well, Zhen Yan, do you think that this problem is very serious? If it is truly like what Co-worker Li said, and practicing in this way isn’t doing the will of God, then will not our decades of efforts be in vain? If so, how can we enter into the kingdom of heaven? The Lord Jesus said, ‘but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 7:21). The Lord’s words are very clear. Only people doing the will of God can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Then, are we really doing the will of God by sacrificing for the Lord like this? I need to quickly make this problem clear, or I will not be able to eat or sleep. Zhen Yan, what do you think about this problem?”
After hearing that, Zhen Yan thought for a while, and then steadily said, “Mu Yang, we all think as long as we work hard for the Lord and forsake everything else, then we are following the will of God, and can enter into the heavenly kingdom. In fact, not only we but most believers in the Lord have such a viewpoint. But is this viewpoint really in accordance with God’s will? Does it conform to the truth? In this period of time, I have always pondered this problem. One day when I was studying the Bible, I saw the words of the Lord Jesus, ‘Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity’ (Matthew 7:21–23). Then I wondered: Why did the Lord say those who preached and sacrificed for Him were evildoers? The words of the Lord Jesus made me reflect on myself: I labored and expended for the Lord all these years. In order to make the church prosperous, I worked among the brothers and sisters, visiting and supporting them when they were negative and weak. However, will I also become the evildoer? To be honest, I really felt worried. In retrospect, I worked, expended, and supported brothers and sisters in the name of the Lord Jesus, but I did not seek the Lord’s intentions before doing these things. Were my words and actions following the will of the Father in heaven? Could I be approved by the Lord? With these questions, many times I prayed to the Lord and studied the scriptures in the Bible. I didn’t get any answer until several days ago when I went away to visit Brother Liu and seek fellowship with him about this. Only then did I come to understand …”
Mu Yang’s eyes lit up at these words, and he hurried to ask, “What did you know? Tell me quickly.”
Zhen Yan said seriously, “We have been blinded by our own notions all these years.” Mu Yang looked at Zhen Yan with bewilderment, waiting for him to go on.
Zhen Yan continued, “We all know of the Pharisees. On the outside they sacrificed, expended, and worked hard for God, compassing land and sea to spread the gospel of God, and often reading the scriptures and preaching to the Jewish people. But all their actions contained their own motives and intentions. When they were preaching, they taught people to hold the tradition of men and abandon the commandments of God. And their spreading the gospel of God was for the sake of their own status and income. In the end, when the Lord Jesus came to work, they not only didn’t lead the Jewish people to keep up with God’s new work, but did their utmost to resist and condemn God’s work. From this, we can see that although the Pharisees outwardly expended for God, they never followed God’s way or put God’s words into practice. They were not at all the people who followed the will of God.
“That is to say, God’s measure of whether man obeys the will of God is mainly based on whether man follows His way and practices His words. Just like the Lord Jesus required of us, ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words.… He that loves me not keeps not my sayings’ (John 14:23–24). ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment’ (Matthew 22:37–38). From these words of the Lord, we can see that God requires us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind, that is, to seek to satisfy and love Him in everything without our own intentions. Only by behaving like this are we following the will of God, and only in this way can we obtain the Lord’s acceptance. Take Abraham in the Bible for example. When God asked him to offer up his only son, in spite of some reluctance in his heart, Abraham still obeyed and acted completely according to God’s demand without his own choice. Another example is Job. He had been pursuing to fear God and shun evil all his life. When all of his property was taken away by robbers and he lost all his children, Job still extolled the holy name of God, without any complaint. And he never thought that only if he obeyed would God double His blessings upon him. Peter is yet another example. He followed the Lord Jesus all his life and eventually managed to achieve an ultimate love for God and obedience unto death. These former saints practiced God’s words not for the sake of making a deal with God, but in order to satisfy the will of God and love and obey God. People like them are precisely the ones who love God with all their heart, soul and mind as required by God, that is, the ones who follow the will of God.
Comparing ourselves with these former saints and measuring ourselves, we indeed haven’t been able to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and we are not at all the people who obey the will of God. Thinking back, the reason why I chose to give up my job and expend for the Lord was to receive more of God’s grace and use my sacrifice in exchange for the blessings of the heavenly kingdom. My expenditure and toil are adulterated. Plainly speaking, I have been trying to make a deal with God. The Lord observes deep into the hearts of men, so how can He praise my devotion which is adulterated?”
Mu Yang felt Zhen Yan’s fellowship made a lot of sense, and he slowly calmed down. However, he could not fully accept it inside. Zhen Yan read Mu Yang’s mind, and then he took out a book, opened it, and began to read, “Many who follow God are only concerned with how to gain blessings or stave off disaster. As soon as God’s work and management are mentioned, they fall silent and lose all interest. They think that understanding such tedious issues will not help their lives to grow or provide any benefit. Consequently, although they have heard about God’s management, they pay it little heed. They do not see it as something precious to be accepted, much less do they receive it as part of their lives. Such people only have one simple aim in following God, and that aim is to receive blessings. Such people cannot be bothered to pay heed to anything else that does not directly involve this aim. To them, there is no goal more legitimate than believing in God to receive blessings—it is the very value of their faith. If something does not contribute to this aim, they remain completely unmoved by it. … Apart from the benefits that are so closely associated with them, could there be any other reasons why people who never understand God would give so much for Him? In this, we discover a previously unidentified problem: Man’s relationship with God is merely one of naked self-interest. It is a relationship between a receiver and a giver of blessings. To put it plainly, it is akin to the relationship between employee and employer. The employee works only to receive the rewards bestowed by the employer. There is no affection in such a relationship, only transaction. There is no loving or being loved, only charity and mercy. There is no understanding, only suppressed indignation and deception. There is no intimacy, only an uncrossable chasm.”
Finishing reading these words, Zhen Yan raised his head, and looked at Mu Yang, saying, “This passage of words hits the nail on the head. It reveals our purpose of spending for the Lord. We have believed in God and sacrificed for Him with the intention to receive blessings all the time. Then how can such pursuit satisfy God’s will? And how can our toil which is adulterated be doing God’s will?”
At this moment, Mu Yang couldn’t help thinking of the words he himself had just said and came to realize: Haven’t my words already shown my purpose in abandoning everything and believing God these years? I always claimed to wholeheartedly serve God, yet in fact, my faith in God is not for the sake of satisfying God, but is to have a good future and destination. Although on the outside I have preached and done much work in the Lord’s name, all that I have done is for the sake of my personal desire. … Thinking of this, Mu Yang shook his head and said, “Alas, seen in this way, we all have our own purposes in believing in the Lord, and even if we can sacrifice for Him, we do so with the intention to receive blessings and to make a deal with the Lord. What we do has nothing to do with doing the will of God at all! Today, after listening to what you have said, I feel it’s really despicable of me to use my toil in exchange for being raptured by the Lord into the heavenly kingdom!”
Zhen Yan agreed with a nod, “So am I!”
At this moment, the sun was setting, and the scorching sunshine became much softer. Now and then, there was a cool wind blowing, taking away the dry and hot sensation. Mu Yang and Zhen Yan continued their conversation …
Bible Verse–Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he shall sustain you: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
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