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Hebrews 8:11 records: “For all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” This means that the New Testament has a distinctive feature: every person who is born again can directly know God. Therefore, knowing God becomes an exceedingly important matter for every Christian. The content presented in this book is written with the hope that it may contribute to our knowledge of God. May the Father, through His Spirit, lead us into a deeper and broader knowing of Him. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Chapter 1 Abundant Forgiveness Chapter 2 Abundant Grace Chapter 3 Abundant Lovingkindness Chapter 4 Abundant Compassion Chapter 5 Abundant Life Chapter 6 Abundant Word Chapter 7 Abundant Power Chapter 8 Abundant Wisdom Chapter 9 Abundant Salvation Chapter 10 Abundant Provision

Bible Reading Colossians 2:3 Psalms 32:2 Isaiah 55:7-8 Hebrews 8:12 Luke 23:34, 43 Matthew 18:21-22, 26-28 Introduction Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” Hebrews 8:11 also records, “For all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” These two passages speak of three levels of knowing God: Knowing God’s acts, His ways and Himself. In the lifelong experience of a Christian, God’s leading moves us forward step by step. First, He lets us know His acts; then He brings us further to know His ways; finally, He leads us to know His very person. And the most precious of all is knowing God Himself. This is just like a child gradually growing up under the care of his parents. In infancy, he only senses the parents’ love through feeding and nurturing—this is the parents’ acts. But when he becomes a child, he learns that when he lies, fights, or does wrong, his parents discipline him—this is understanding the parents’ ways. When he grows into adulthood, he knows his parents even more deeply. Without a word spoken, just by a glance or a gesture, he understands their thoughts and intentions, because he has come to know their very person and comprehend their nature. Likewise, as a Christian slowly matures, his knowledge of God must broaden and deepen. We come to realize profoundly that God is truly infinitely rich, immeasurably abundant, a God whom we can never fully know in one lifetime, nor exhaust in all our experiences. Speaking of God’s abundance, Paul says that he was commissioned to preach to the Gentiles “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” His lifelong calling was to proclaim Christ’s unsearchable riches—meaning that the God we believe in is an abundant God, and His riches are unsearchable. Though His riches are unsearchable, we may still, through the Bible, catch a faint glimpse of them—only a tiny fraction. Now we will attempt to explore these riches from ten aspects: Abundant forgiveness Abundant grace Abundant lovingkindness Abundant mercy Abundant life Abundant Word Abundant power Abundant wisdom Abundant salvation Abundant provision Because God is far too abundant—beyond measure—we must first confess that what we touch is only the most superficial outer layer. Abundant Forgiveness Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let him return to our God...for He will abundantly pardon.” The phrase “abundantly pardon” in the original text means rich, overflowing forgiveness. When we truly return to God, His forgiveness of our sins is never reluctant, never forced, never unwilling. His forgiveness is abundant—wide in scope, universal in quality, and overflowing in measure. This is why it is called “abundant.” Because God Himself is infinitely abundant, within Him there is a rich fountain, a rich power, and rich reserves that continually overflow. Even in the matter of forgiveness alone, He desires to show that His pardon is exceedingly abundant. Concerning God’s abundant forgiveness, Scripture gives several descriptions. Forgives All Iniquities Isaiah 55:7 speaks of God who “abundantly pardons.” This means that no matter who you are, no matter what sins you have committed—whether many or few, great or small, light or heavy, past or present—He forgives. This is why His forgiveness is truly great. Sometimes during national celebrations, a president may issue a special pardon: those sentenced under three years may be released, those with five‑year sentences may reduced to two, while political offenders may be excluded. But God’s forgiveness is not divided by category, nor distinguished by severity. As long as you sincerely confess your sins before Him, He forgives all your sins. How broad and universal this abundant pardon is! Truly, it is an abundant forgiveness. Psalms 103:2-3 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases," Here we are told that because God forgives all our iniquities, He also brings healing to all our diseases. 1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.Colossians 2:13” Then verse 9 continues, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Here the apostle John testifies that the power of the precious blood can forgive all sins and cleanse all unrighteousness. Colossians 2:13 says, “He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” Here the apostle Paul testifies that God’s forgiveness includes all trespasses—whether offenses against God or offenses against people. Every trespass is forgiven by Him. Our trespasses may be more numerous than the hairs on our head, yet He forgives all of them. Oh, how abundant God’s forgiveness is—broad, and perfect. Regarded as Without Sin We are people deeply corrupted by sin, yet God looks upon us as though we were without sin. Psalm 32:1–2 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” David personally experienced God’s forgiveness. He says that when transgressions are forgiven, sins are covered, and God does not count them as guilt—God regards the person as though he had no sin. Such a person is truly blessed. Paul said of himself that he was the chief of sinners; we are even greater sinners. Yet God counts us as though we were without sin. Oh, how deep, how wide, how magnificent is God’s forgiveness—what a richly abundant forgiveness this is. Today, in many countries, those who commit major crimes—especially political offenders—are often placed on a government blacklist; even the crimes of ordinary offenders are carefully recorded and kept on file. But God treats repentant sinners in a completely different way: He actually regards us as though we had never sinned. God's forgiveness is truly amazing, transcendent, and abundant! Once, a young man committed a crime and was arrested by the police. His mother went to the police station weeping, pleading with the officers: she asked them to punish her son if necessary, but begged them not to record his crime on file. Oh, how numerous our sins are on the record. Yet God regards us as though we had no sin. By His own blood, He wipes everything away, leaving not even the slightest trace behind. Oh, how perfect and abundant is the forgiveness of God! In the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, they repeatedly rebelled against God. By the time they reached the plains of Moab, King Balak of Moab sent messengers to invite the prophet Balaam to come and curse Israel. Balaam went, and from the mountaintop he looked upon the congregation of Israel. Yet according to the Lord’s instruction, he spoke words that seemed completely contrary to the facts—words of blessing: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.” (Numbers 23:21) In reality, before the Israelites arrived at the plains of Moab, they had already rebelled against the Lord more than ten times. They had worshiped the golden calf and provoked the Lord to anger; had Moses not interceded for them, they would have been destroyed. Later, when they reached the border of Canaan and sent twelve spies to scout the land, ten spies brought back an evil report. The people wept bitterly, lost their faith, and even wanted to return to Egypt. The Lord became exceedingly angry and intended to destroy the entire congregation, leaving only Moses and his descendants. Thankfully, Moses interceded, and the Lord turned away His wrath. Clearly, in God’s eyes the Israelites were exceedingly sinful. Yet when they arrived at the plains of Moab, the Lord expressed His heart through the mouth of Balaam, saying: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel” This means not a trace of iniquity, not a thread of wickedness—in God’s eyes He regarded them as though they had no sin. This reveals how transcendent, how complete, how abundant God’s forgiveness truly is. Scarlet Becomes White as Snow Isaiah 1:18 says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." The sins we have committed are like scarlet, It's God’s forgiveness, through the precious blood of Christ Jesus, washes us clean until we become white as snow. And what else is whiter than snow? White as snow speaks of a whiteness that cannot be surpassed—white to the fullest, white to the end, white completely and perfectly. Some of our brothers and sisters have moved to the United States and Canada. In Canada, half of the year is snowy. Sometimes, even when the weather is beautiful, the whole land is still covered in ice and snow. When the sun shines upon the snow, the reflected whiteness is so intense that one can hardly keep their eyes open; you must wear dark glasses. This shows just how exceedingly white snow truly is. God’s forgiveness turns our sins—sins as scarlet as crimson—into snow‑white. Not even a trace of shadow remains, not even the slightest speck. God’s Word goes on to say, “Though your sins are red like crimson, they shall be white like wool.” This means that the sins we have committed—though as red and vivid as crimson—will, through God’s forgiveness and the cleansing of the precious blood, become white like wool: pure, clean, and without any adulteration. No Longer Remembered Not only so—God’s forgiveness is also a forgiveness that remembers no more. Hebrews 8:12 records: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” This means that God forgives to such an extent that He no longer recalls the sins we have committed, no longer brings them to mind. He does not look at them anymore, does not think about them anymore, does not mention them anymore. No wonder Micah 7:18-19 says, "Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea." Although we have committed so many sins, God’s forgiveness is abundant. He tramples all our iniquities under His feet—meaning He no longer sees them. And casts all our sins into the depths of the sea, where they disappear without a trace, leaving no mark behind, completely unseen and utterly gone. Psalms 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." East and west are completely opposite directions, and the ends of the two can never be measured. How far apart are east and west? It cannot be calculated—it is an immeasurable, invisible infinity. When the Bible speaks of God’s forgiveness being so abundant, it says that as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. This is a forgiveness that our sins are completely unseen—no longer thought about, no longer remembered. Once, a married couple came to me because they had been fighting. The husband said his wife nagged endlessly, to the point that he could not sleep. Immediately the wife interrupted, saying that a few years earlier, when she was sick, he was the one who kept nagging nonstop, chattering without end…Brothers and sisters, we tend to remember other people’s faults with great clarity—we hold on to them tightly and never forget. But God’s forgiveness is entirely different: He does not think about our sins anymore, does not remember them anymore. He lets them pass completely and utterly wipes them out. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. See how rich, how abundant, how immeasurable God’s forgiveness toward us truly is. Forgiving Our Enemies This is something exceedingly difficult for us to do. Ephesians 2:1–5 records that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, by nature children of wrath. Yet God forgave us and saved us—this is forgiveness extended to enemies. When the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The Lord Jesus was crucified without cause by those who were utterly unreasonable, yet He spoke words of grace—words of forgiving His enemies. This reveals yet another facet of the richness of God’s forgiveness. Dear brothers and sisters, our forgiveness toward others is often limited. Some people are easier for us to forgive, while others are truly difficult. And forgiving an enemy—how hard that is! Do you have an enemy? If someone speaks badly about you behind your back, or openly insults you, you may very likely hold a grudge, remembering it for years. Now imagine this: one day that person’s son succeeds academically or prospers in business and builds a beautiful house—can you genuinely say, “Thank the Lord”? On the contrary, if his son fails in school or his business collapses, you might hear the news and say, “Praise the Lord, he deserved it! God has avenged me!” At such a moment, it becomes clear how unwilling we are to forgive our enemies. How difficult it is to forgive an enemy! Yet God's forgiveness is so abundant that He forgives even His enemies, and He teaches us, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Immediate Forgiveness Furthermore, how rich God’s forgiveness is! When we confess our sins to Him, He does not delay, reconsider repeatedly, or tell us to wait. Rather, He forgives immediately. When the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross, a criminal was crucified on each side of Him. One of them said to the Lord, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) He imagined that perhaps many years later—maybe decades, hundreds of years, or even thousands of years later—when the Lord would come in glory and reign in His kingdom, the Lord might then remember him. But the Lord Jesus answered, “Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) “Today” means now, meaning I forgive you this very moment. I remember you today, no need to wait for the future. This reveals that the Lord’s forgiveness is instant, and His salvation is instant. Thanks to the Lord! From God’s side, He is waiting—longing—to forgive us. The Gospel of Luke records the story of the prodigal son. When the son squandered his wealth in reckless living and had spent everything, he reached the end of himself. In that desperate condition, he finally came to his senses and returned to his father’s house. The Bible records: “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) The father saw his son first while he was still a long way off. He ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him. This shows the richness of God’s forgiveness: God is waiting for us to turn back so He may forgive us. He longs to forgive us, and He forgives us immediately. Dear brothers and sisters, in these days, if you have sinned against the Lord or drifted far from Him, you must recognize that God’s forgiveness is abundant. He is waiting to forgive you, and He desires to forgive you immediately. Do not be afraid. Do not delay. Repent, and believe in the Father’s love. Return to Him quickly and confess your sins before Him. He will forgive you at once and you will experience the peace of being forgiven. Infinite Forgiveness From the infinite forgiveness God grants to man, we also see how exceedingly abundant His forgiveness is. Matthew 18:21–22 records: "Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” The Lord’s forgiveness does not stop at seven times, but extends to seventy times seven. The number seven represents completeness within time; multiplying it by seventy expresses forgiveness that is unlimited, boundless, and without end. Dear brothers and sisters, suppose someone speaks ill of you behind your back. Later he comes to ask for your forgiveness, and you forgive him. But the next day he comes again and says, “I spoke badly of you once more; please forgive me again,” and you forgive him again. After a few days he comes yet again and says, “I spoke badly of you behind your back; please forgive me once more.” At that moment you might say, “Why do you keep speaking evil of me behind my back?” A few days later, the same thing happens again—he has spoken ill of you and comes seeking forgiveness. What would your attitude be then? You might begin to doubt whether his repentance is sincere. You see, our forgiveness toward others is often limited. But God’s abundant forgiveness is truly unlimited. To make us recognize God's infinite forgiveness, Jesus continue to say, "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down [a]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him." (Matthew 18:23-34) The king’s cancellation of the servant’s debt of ten million talents shows God’s unlimited forgiveness toward us; but the servant’s refusal to release his fellow servant from a debt of ten denarii reveals how base and narrow our forgiveness often is. May the Lord have mercy on us, and cause us to see that since God has forgiven us without limit, we also ought to forgive—generously and spaciously—all who have sinned against us. Eternal Forgiveness Thank the Lord! God’s forgiveness is an eternal forgiveness. This reveals yet another characteristic of His abundant forgiveness. On the night the Lord Jesus was betrayed, He took the cup and said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28). The word covenant means something that never changes; it speaks of God’s everlasting forgiveness. Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord’s forgiveness toward us is forever and ever. It is not for merely a few decades, a few centuries, or even a few millennia, but for generation after generation—unchanging through all eternity. How immeasurable, how boundless, how inexhaustible this forgiveness is! From God’s abundant forgiveness alone, we can already see how exceedingly abundant our God truly is. The Attitude We Ought to Have Lastly, we must speak about how to receive and experience God’s abundant forgiveness—that is, the attitude we ought to have toward His abundant forgiveness. Our purpose in helping everyone recognize God’s rich forgiveness is absolutely not to encourage people to sin, nor to lead anyone to become a person who does not fear God. Rather, we want everyone to see that since God’s forgiveness is so rich, we should not be content with our present condition, remaining poor and weak Christians. Instead, we should richly experience God and become rich Christians. Since God has such abundant forgiveness, how then should we take hold of it and experience it? Accept the Salvation of Christ Ephesians 1:7 says: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins," This shows us that God's forgiveness of our sin is based on the redemption accomplished by Christ through shedding of His blood on the cross. Therefore, we must come before the Lord and receive the redemption of Christ. Confess our sins Because God is light (1 John 1:5), when we turn to the Lord and receive Him, we are enlightened and begin to see our sins, our defilement, and our shortcomings. Naturally, we will then confess our sins to God. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we fulfill confession, God fulfills forgiveness. If we do not confess, we cannot experience God’s abundant forgiveness. Therefore, if we humbly acknowledge our sins, God will surely cause us to experience His abundant forgiveness. Forsake our Sins Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” This verse tells us that we must not only confess our sins, but also forsake them—and then we will receive mercy. A person who truly repents, turns to God, and receives Christ’s redemption is certainly one who acknowledges his sins. And one who acknowledges his sins is also one who forsakes them. Therefore the Lord says, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). This means that a person who truly repents is one who turns to God and receives the Savior. He not only confesses his sins before God, but also bears fruit—forsaking sin and living a holy life.

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 1:9 Titus 3:7 Ephesians 2:10 2 Corinthians 8:2, 12:9 1 Corinthians 15:10 Hebrews 4:16 How the Bible Describes God’s Abundant Grace Whether a Christian can live victoriously and enter into the realm of spiritual abundance depends entirely on how well he knows God. In principle, once a person is saved and becomes a Christian, his knowledge of God should gradually increase until it reaches fullness. Yet in reality, this is often not the case. We must understand that the measure of our knowledge of God determines the measure of salvation we can draw upon, and likewise the measure of His riches we can enjoy. If a son does not know that his father’s vast estate is meant for him, he will not make use of that wealth and will continue living a poor and pitiful life. But if he is fully assured that his father’s abundant possessions belong to him, his entire manner of living will be drastically transformed. In the same way, our God is a God of abundance; yet many Christians live spiritually weak, defeated, and impoverished lives simply because they do not know the riches of God. Therefore, we must come together to behold this God of abundance and see in what ways He is truly rich. Last time, we looked at God’s abundant forgiveness. Now, we will continue by considering God’s abundant grace. If a duck died of thirst while swimming on the surface of the water, that would be utterly ridiculous, even ironic. In the same way, when a Christian is placed within the abundance of God’s grace yet lives a spiritually impoverished, weak, defeated, and even dying life, is this not likewise something both absurd and bordering on irony? The Bible uses many expressions to describe the richness of God’s grace. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” Grace originally was in heaven; there was no grace on earth until the Lord Jesus became flesh and lived among men, bringing grace down to earth. And this grace came to us in “full". Then verse 16 continues: “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” This shows how exceedingly rich and overflowing the grace God gives truly is. James 4:6 says, “He gives more grace.” The apostle Paul likewise says in 2 Corinthians 9:14, “the exceeding grace of God.” Here God’s grace is described not only as more, but as exceedingly great. In Ephesians 1:7 Paul writes of “the riches of His grace.” And in 2:7 he speaks of “the exceeding riches of His grace.” Not only rich, but exceedingly rich—inexhaustible, unending, without limit. By the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy in his later years, he testified, “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me.” Not only rich, but overflowingly abundant. From all these descriptive words, it becomes unmistakably clear how immeasurably rich and boundless the grace of God truly is. Abundant Grace Oh brothers and sisters, when we see from the Bible that God is indeed a God of abundance, we must make every effort to receive the fullness of His grace. Now let us consider how God manifests the richness of His grace so that we may truly experience it. In what ways does He extend His grace to us? We can reflect on this from several different angles. Holy Calling 2 Timothy 1:9 says; "who saved us and called us to[a] a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began." Our calling today is a holy calling—not an earthly summons from a president. A president’s summons is still worldly and earthly, but God’s calling is a sacred calling: spiritual, heavenly, and meant to make us belong to the Holy God. And this holy calling is according to His grace—grace that was given to us in Christ before the ages began, before the world existed. In the eternal ages, God possesses inexhaustible grace. Paul said that he was set apart from his mother’s womb and called by God’s grace. Because this grace is exceedingly abundant, Paul declares in Ephesians: “that you may know what is the hope of His calling!” Dear brothers and sisters, if God were to call us based on our works, then none of us would qualify. We cannot even count how many sins we have committed from childhood till now. If the holy God were to examine our iniquities, who could stand before Him? Thankfully, God calls us according to His grace. Therefore, from God’s holy calling, we can see how exceedingly rich His grace is. Oh—its richness is unfathomable, its abundance immeasurable. Redeemed and Forgiven It is written in Ephesians 1:7: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Our identity was originally that of great sinners, yet through the redemption of Jesus Christ we have received forgiveness. It was not because we paid any price, nor because we had any good works that earned redemption and forgiveness. It is through faith, and it is entirely out of God’s free grace. Therefore, when we experience being redeemed and forgiven, our hearts should be moved by grace to offer praise, saying, Oh! How rich, abundant, and overflowing the grace of God is! Romans 5:20 says, "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" This verse does not encourage us to sin; rather, it shines upon us, helping us see that although our sins are more numerous than the hairs on our head, we have nevertheless received forgiveness. It is entirely by God’s grace. Through this we come to recognize how magnanimous, deep, and profound the grace of God truly is. Luke 7 records a sinful woman who stood behind Jesus, weeping at His feet. Her tears fell upon His feet, and she wiped them dry with her hair. She kept kissing His feet and anointing them with fragrant oil. When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he was displeased in his heart. So Jesus said, “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” This tells that he one who receives greater forgiveness will naturally love the Lord more. The one forgiven little will love little. Therefore, the more a person comes to know the abundant grace of God, the more deeply that person will love the Lord. Brothers and sisters, the reason we often fail to rise up in love for the Lord is that we have not truly recognized our own sinfulness. When we sees that we are not merely a sinner, but great sinners who has nevertheless been embraced by the Lord’s grace, we cannot help but rise eagerly to love Him. Those who have not seen the depth of their sin will not grasp the greatness of God’s forgiveness—and therefore will not love deeply. For he who receives much forgiven loves much. Through the experience of being redeemed and forgiven, we come to know that the grace of God is boundless and immeasurable. No wonder a hymn writer once declared: I am a sinner saved by grace I am a sinner saved by grace This is my story, To God be the glory I am a sinner saved by grace Justified Titus 3:7 says, “that having been justified by His grace.” Forgiveness is passive. Justification is active. Because of Christ, God regards us as righteous, and this grace is exceedingly great! Luke 15 records the younger son who squandered all the inheritance his father had given him. When a severe famine arose, he became destitute, which compelled him to return home, knowing that in his father’s house there was bread to spare. As he returned, the Bible records that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, was moved with compassion, ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him repeatedly. This action shows that the father had forgiven the son, and the son had confessed his sin. Then the father commanded the servants, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger…” (Luke 15:22). Here, the robe symbolizes being clothed with Christ and thus justified by God. The ring symbolizes the restoration of the son’s status and authority. All of this was freely given by the father—pure grace. Thus, our justification is according to the richness of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7). No reason, no price, a grace entirely free. Good Works Not only in receiving salvation—such as in God’s holy calling, in being redeemed and forgiven, and in being justified—we see the richness of God’s grace. Even in living out the Lord’s salvation—such as in doing good, giving generously, enduring patiently, bearing the cross, laboring, and serving—we can also see the abundant grace of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Here we are reminded that our salvation is entirely by God’s grace. Then the passage goes on to tell us why we have received such abundant grace. Verse 10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them..” This means that God gives us His grace so that, on one hand, we may become His masterpiece, and on the other hand, that we may do good works. The “good works” mentioned here are not the moral deeds that the world speaks of. Rather, these good works refer to expressing God’s own nature, manifesting God’s life, because only God is truly good. This verse adds a special explanation: when God calls us to do good, it is what He has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. This means that we absolutely cannot do good by our own ability; rather, it is by God’s preparation—by the abundant grace He has already made ready—that we are able to do good. Our natural disposition is utterly corrupt, and our self‑life is hopelessly selfish; we are completely incapable of doing good. Therefore, it is entirely by the grace God gives that we can bring forth anything good. For example, when guests come to our home, the parents bring out a large tray of candies and snacks and tell the little sister to distribute them to the guests. From the little sister’s perspective, one could say she is “doing good,” but the good she does is simply passing out what her parents have prepared. In the same way, the good we do is nothing more than distributing the rich grace God has prepared. From the many good works done by believers, we can see how exceedingly rich, abundant, and sufficient the grace God has prepared for us truly is. Generosity In the matter of Christian giving, we can also see the abundant grace of God. 2 Corinthians 8:1 says, “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” The Corinthian church had not shown evidence of God’s grace—not because God had not given them grace, but because they did not know how to use the grace God had given them. Therefore Paul wrote to them, saying, “I want to make known to you the grace God bestowed on the Macedonian churches.” Verse 2 continues: “that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy…” (2 Cor 8:2) In great affliction, not only did they refrain from complaining, but they even had abundant joy. This truly is the grace of the Lord. And in "their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part." This is even grace upon grace. Just imagine: in great affliction—when one most needs the understanding and sympathy of others—and added to that, in extreme poverty, urgently waiting for help and relief, they not only received no outside assistance, but instead willingly and joyfully gave to others, not only according to their ability, but even beyond their ability. This is absolutely not something human strength could accomplish; it could only be done through the abundant grace of God. From the generous grace displayed by the Macedonian churches, we see how exceedingly rich, surpassing, and beyond human imagination the grace of God truly is. Dear brothers and sisters, mammon is what most easily touches a person’s heart, making it the hardest thing for anyone to let go of. Especially in times of lack—when one has personal needs—it becomes even more difficult to give. Yet the churches of Macedonia, in the midst of extreme poverty, astonishingly displayed the abundant grace of their generosity. This was because they had received the rich grace of the Lord; relying on this abundant grace, they gave willingly and joyfully, even beyond their ability. From the Macedonian churches’ generous giving, we see how rich, exalted, extraordinary, and magnificent the grace of God truly is—so glorious and worthy of our admiration and reverence. Enduring the Cross When a person is led by the Lord onto the path of life to follow Him, sooner or later the Lord will arrange the experience of the cross for him. Many Christians become fearful and shrink back when they hear about the experience of the cross, because they are afraid of suffering for the Lord. If we speak of believing in Jesus bringing blessing, longevity, and peace, everyone’s face brightens with joy—they love to hear such things. But if we speak of believing in Jesus as accepting the cross, suffering together with the Lord, then their faces fall, they lose interest, and they do not like to hear it. But we must never forget: only through the cross can life reach fullness; only by passing through the cross can one ascend to the throne. Therefore, we must not only accept the cross, but accept it willingly and joyfully. Paul had especially deep and abundant experiences of the cross—some even call him the messenger of the cross. No wonder every epistle written by him, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks about the cross. When Paul spoke of his own experience of the cross, he said in 2 Corinthians 12:7: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh.” We do not know exactly what this thorn was, but it is clear that it was meant to deal with Paul’s pride and to keep him humble. Therefore, it was obviously a kind of experience of the cross—one that naturally caused Paul pain. Because of this, Paul pleaded with the Lord three times for the thorn to be taken away. But the Lord answered: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) It was not by Paul’s own strength that he could accept the cross; rather, it was the Lord’s grace that was sufficient for him. It was entirely the Lord’s abundant grace that enabled Paul to endure the suffering of the cross. When Paul felt weak and unable to bear the cross, that very weakness made the power of God’s grace shine forth all the more perfectly. 1 Kings 17 records how Elijah and the widow of Zarephath survived the bitter drought and famine with only a handful of flour in the jar and a little oil in the jug. When all Israel was struck by drought, the people fell into famine, poverty, and unbearable hardship. God sent Elijah to the home of the widow in Zarephath. With just that handful of flour and that little oil, God sustained them until the rain returned, the drought ended, and the famine passed. The poverty and hardship of famine were a deep experience of the cross. Yet Elijah and the poor widow, relying on the jar’s handful of flour and the jug’s drop of oil, were able to endure those difficult days. This reveals the richness of God’s grace, enabling them to bear the suffering of the cross. Outwardly, it seemed like nothing more than a small amount of flour and a little oil—but these became an inexhaustible source of supply, allowing them to live day by day and overcome the hardships of famine. Hallelujah! God has boundless grace that enables us to endure the cross throughout our lives. Just as the hymn says: The cross is not greater than His grace; the storms cannot hide His blessed face… Dear brothers and sisters, on one hand God places us in an unending experience of the cross; on the other hand, He supplies us with His immeasurably rich grace, enabling us to endure the cross with calmness and strength. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” These jars of clay are us, and the treasure is Christ, who dwells within us as our life. He supplies us with the mighty power of His endless life and grants us His boundless grace, so that we may overcome every experience of the cross—being hard‑pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and more. No wonder Paul also said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) In Paul’s lifelong endurance of the cross, we see how exceedingly rich, surpassing, and overflowing the grace of God truly is. Laboring in Service Paul said in Romans 15:15-16, "because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God." Paul says here that God appointed him to be a servant of the Lord Jesus and a priest of God, and that serving God is entirely because of the grace God has given him. A servant has no freedom of his own, being completely under the Master’s authority. Every Christian is likewise a servant of Christ, and it is also by the grace the Lord has given us—grace so rich that it causes us to willingly and gladly submit ourselves to the Lord’s full authority, allowing Him to govern us strictly. Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “I labored more abundantly than all the apostles; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” This shows that God’s grace upon him was so abundant that it produced labor and service in his life. The reason we labor in service without indulging ourselves, without self‑love or self‑pity, and even sacrifice ourselves for the Lord, is entirely because the Lord’s grace is with us. Beloved brothers and sisters, from the labor and service of the saints throughout all generations—from the patriarchs of old to the believers of today—we see how exceedingly rich, perfect, and marvelous the grace of God truly is. The Throne of Grace What causes us even deeper gratitude and joy is this: when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, the throne He took up is a throne of grace. In the Old Testament, the mercy seat was on the ark in the Holy of Holies; in the New Testament it is often translated as “propitiation,” meaning that God is restoring His people. When we come before the Lord, He is able to recover our weaknesses and failures, because He desires to supply us with abundant grace to fill up all our deficiencies. Thanks be to the Lord—Christ’s present throne is not a throne of judgment, but a throne of grace. Only at the end of the world, when He sits upon the great white throne, will it be a throne of judgment. Today, the throne on which He sits is the throne of grace. Hebrews 4:14 says, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God." and verse 16 continues, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” These verses tell us that the Lord Jesus, having ascended into the heavens, is our exalted High Priest, appointed to bring God’s people grace and blessing. Therefore, we ought to come boldly before His throne of grace, to receive rich grace as timely help. Beloved brothers and sisters, if we desire victory in our daily living and a testimony in our service, here is a secret, a sure and simple path: come before the Lord’s throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace as timely help. The grace given from God’s throne is inexhaustible—always available for us to draw upon, and always sufficient for every circumstance. This shows us that God’s abundant grace is unlimited, unending, and without measure, waiting for all the saints to take hold of it at any time and in any place. The Attitude Believers Aught to have Since God possesses abundant grace and continually supplies it to all the saints, what attitude should we, as recipients of such grace, have so that we do not disappoint the Lord, but instead manifest His grace richly and allow it to flow through us? On the negative side, there are two matters we must guard against and pay careful attention to, which we will now bring up. Not Indulging the Lusts of the Flesh Jude 4 speaks of a group of people who “turn the grace of our God into lewdness.” These are people long ago marked out for condemnation, ungodly in their ways. We must never imitate them. Rather, we must be vigilant and cherish the Lord’s grace, refusing to give ourselves over to fleshly indulgence. Not Receiving the Grace of God in Vain 2 Corinthians 6:1 says, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” This means that we should not merely receive grace, but also live out that grace and bear witness to it—through doing good, giving generously, enduring the cross, laboring in service, and in all things acting in a manner worthy of the grace we have received. On the positive side, there are three matters we must pay attention to, so that our experience of God’s abundant grace may become deeper and more practical. Receiving Grace from Christ John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, ...full of grace and truth..” Verse 17 adds, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” From this we see that if we are to obtain grace, we must come to Christ Himself and receive grace from Him. Apart from Him, there is no other path by which grace can be obtained. Standing in Grace by Faith Romans 5:2 says, "Through whom (Lord) also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” This tells us that the way to enter into grace and to stand firmly upon grace is faith. It is not by relying on our own effort, struggle, or self‑cultivation; simply by believing we may enjoy God’s abundant grace. And through faith, we are enabled to continue standing in this grace and move forward. Humbly Receiving More Grace James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.'” We must take this to heart: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Not only does God give grace to the humble, He gives more grace to those who become even more humble. Therefore, we must strive for humility—pursue humility as much as possible—so that God’s abundant grace may come upon us in even greater measure. Beloved brothers and sisters, water always flows downward. This symbolizes how God gives grace to the humble. In the lowest places, water gathers into pools and even forms lakes. The meaning is this: in the most humble person, the grace God gives will gather and accumulate into a reservoir of grace, becoming a fountain from which rivers of grace flow forth—unceasing, ever‑springing, and reaching all the way into eternal life.

This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral study of the Acts of the Apostles given during a period of co-workers' training Manila, Philippines in January 1991. During those sessions, there was a deep sense of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, bringing help to both the speaker and the listeners.. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and study the Scriptures. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently study the Bible, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual lives may become ever more pure and abundant. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Acts - Chapter 1 Acts - Chapter 2 Acts - Chapter 3 Acts - Chapter 4 Acts - Chapter 5 Acts - Chapter 6 Acts - Chapter 7 Acts - Chapter 8 Acts - Chapter 9 Acts - Chapter 10 Acts - Chapter 11 Acts - Chapter 12 Acts - Chapter 13 Acts - Chapter 14 Acts - Chapter 15 Acts - Chapter 16 Acts - Chapter 17 Acts - Chapter 18 Acts - Chapter 19 Acts - Chapter 20 Acts - Chapter 21 Acts - Chapter 22 Acts - Chapter 23 Acts - Chapter 24 Acts - Chapter 25 Acts - Chapter 26 Acts - Chapter 27 Acts - Chapter 28 I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16 states: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63 records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'" This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name." (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39 records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me." This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23 states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading". In other words, Testimony Bible Reading means reading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now". (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ (Luke 24:44-45). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

Bible Reading: Jonah Chapter 1 (whole chapter) The theme of this conference is “Whom shall I send?” The term "send" carries the sense of commissioning and dispatching—being appointed and sent forth. “Whom shall I send?” is the voice of the God in heaven calling to every saint, His own people. In delivering this message, we will take the Book of Jonah as our background. The first chapter of Jonah speaks of God's Calling. I. A Perishing World Awaiting Salvation — The Wickedness of Nineveh The first chapter of the Book of Jonah records that Jonah was commissioned to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire at that time. Yet Jonah disobeyed and fled toward Tarshish. Assyria had once been a great empire, lasting for roughly three centuries (900–607 B.C.). Its population was vast; even those who “could not discern their right hand from their left” numbered more than one hundred twenty thousand (Jon. 4:11). From this, we may infer that the total population of that great city was likely around one million. Because the wickedness of Nineveh had risen up before the Lord, He sent Jonah to that great city. The God we worship is indeed a God of love, yet He is also a God of righteousness. Concerning sin, He must execute judgment. Yet out of His love for the world, He desires that all should repent and be saved, and that none should perish. For this reason, God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim repentance to its people. God’s Judgment upon Sin Concerning God’s judgment upon sin, the Old Testament repeatedly shows us that God never compromises with evil; judgment is unavoidable. In the days of Noah, when the Lord saw that humanity—whom He had created—was filled with violence upon the earth, and that every intention of their thoughts was evil, The Bible records: “The Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was grieved.” Because the holy God cannot tolerate sin, He resolved to destroy that generation with the flood. God does not tolerate sin for the world; neither does He overlook the sin of a single city. Consider the days of Abraham: The Bible records that the people of Sodom were exceedingly wicked before the Lord, and not even ten righteous persons could be found within it. The God who is righteous, holy, and jealous therefore destroyed that city with brimstone and fire. Now there was yet another city—Nineveh—greater than the cities of old. The Lord executes judgment upon the sins of the world, and He likewise judges the sins of a city; He also judges the sins of each individual. Therefore, before judgment would fall, He called Jonah and commissioned him to go and rescue, to restore the sinful great city of Nineveh. The Present World Awaits Salvation From the generations in which God judged sin, we clearly see why God calls man: because the perishing world awaits salvation. This world—our present dwelling place—was created by God and is precious to Him. Yet it is marked by a fearful condition: day by day it moves toward the path of destruction. This world, heading toward ruin, is in urgent need of deliverance. For this reason, God calls people from heaven. When we look at the present age, the condition of human life—its moral decline and corruption—truly mirrors that of ancient times. Each day the newspapers report criminal acts from every corner of the world, seemingly without end. It is as though sin has become common, even fashionable. As the Bible declares: “There is none righteous, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. All have turned aside” (Rom. 3:10–12). In the sight of God, all have sinned and fall short of His glory. Such sin God cannot leave unjudged. Praise the Lord! While we were still weak, Christ came to earth in the fullness of time, taking on flesh, and accomplished redemption upon the cross, bearing the sins of all humanity. This glad tidings—already accomplished—must be proclaimed. We are to declare that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Therefore today, to the world, we preach the gospel of Christ’s redemption; and to Christians who have grown cold, withdrawn, or fallen, we proclaim that the Lord still calls people. He calls them to save a perishing world and to restore a declining church. Even now the Lord stretches out His saving hand toward the world, desiring to show grace to all. This is the backdrop of God’s call to humanity. II. God's Calling -- the word of the Lord came to Jonah The opening verse of the Book of Jonah states plainly: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai” (Jon. 1:1). This reveals that God calls man. The very day you and I believed in the Lord Jesus and received His grace was the day we received God’s call. It was because His call came to us that we repented, confessed our sins, were born again, saved, and baptized into Christ. From the moment God called us, we have borne a sacred commission: to go forth and proclaim the gospel everywhere, making disciples of all nations and baptizing them into His name. This commission does not refer to forsaking all things in order to serve the Lord full‑time. Those who serve the Lord full‑time are individuals whom the Lord calls in a particular way, setting them apart to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. But for the general Christian who has received grace and salvation, the moment he believes and accepts the Lord, the Lord calls him to follow Him throughout his entire life until the journey’s end. Thus, a student may continue studying while being used by the Lord; a teacher may continue teaching while being used by the Lord; even those engaged in business may carry out their work while being used by the Lord. In other words, the Lord calls every Christian—each and every one—to rise up and serve Him. Yet let us ask ourselves: How many times in a week have we been used by the Lord? In a month? In a year? How many believers have we visited? How many souls have we sought to rescue? Today the Lord’s call is coming to you, just as the word of the Lord came to Jonah in former days. Will you obey and respond to the Lord’s call? Are you able to submit to the Lord whom you serve? God Does Not Send Angels to Save a Perishing World We must understand that after Jesus Christ accomplished redemption, He said to His disciples before ascending to heaven: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). From this we see that the Lord chooses to use human beings to continue His saving work; He does not send angels. Indeed, it is not easy to preach the gospel to our classmates, and it is even more difficult to share the gospel with middle‑aged and elderly people. The more materially advanced our twentieth‑century civilization becomes, the more hardened the human heart seems to be, and the more reluctant people are to receive the gospel. Many Christians have likely imagined that if one day the Lord were to send angels to appear in the sky—gliding through the air like airplanes—and proclaim to humanity: “O people, do not continue in your drunken, dreamlike living; you must repent and believe in Jesus,” surely the world, hearing the voice of angels, would repent and turn to God. Yet God does not act in this way. During the era of redemption, God does not send angels directly to save people; He sends angels only to announce good news. When Jesus was born, the angel was sent by God to bring a message to the shepherds in Bethlehem: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). At times, when the Lord’s servants were imprisoned, angels were sent to comfort and deliver them (Acts 23:11; 27:23). For are not all angels ministering spirits, sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:14). God Sends Man to Save a Perishing World From this we see that in God’s eternal ordinance, He has appointed man to proclaim the gospel, visit and care for others, and serve the Lord. In this present age, God sends you and me to save a world that is perishing. Consider the days of Noah: the world was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. When God beheld such a scene, His heart was grieved. Before He determined to destroy all living creatures by the flood, He first sought out a righteous man named Noah. God commanded him to build an ark so that the stream of life would not cease in that generation. Knowing the lovingkindness of God, Noah obeyed the command of the Lord. He preached while building the ark, and he preached for one hundred and twenty years. Oh, how I admire Noah’s perseverance! He preached righteousness for one hundred and twenty years, yet the people remained utterly unmoved. If you and I were to preach for one or two years without anyone believing in Jesus, our legs would grow weary and our hands would lose strength. If we preached for five or ten years with no fruit, our hearts would already be discouraged. If we preached for twenty years without a single convert, we would surely be exhausted and ready to give up. But Noah remained steadfast and faithful, without the slightest hint of slackness. He preached for one hundred and twenty years. This is the faithful servant whom God Himself commends. God Called Jonah Since God has ordained that He will not use angels to save a perishing world, but will instead use human beings, He therefore sent Jonah to save the great city of Nineveh. The opening chapter of the Book of Jonah records plainly: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it’.” From this we see that whenever God calls a person and entrusts him with a commission, He always begins by speaking to that person and giving him His charge. God Calls People to Serve Him Today Dear brothers and sisters, today God still calls, and all who have been saved must rise and be used by the Lord. In the Old Testament, the Lord spoke directly to people; His word came to the prophet Jonah, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it.” In our present age, the Lord uses the message proclaimed from the pulpit and the voice of the Holy Spirit—His inward stirring—to call people to respond to Him and to rise up and let Him use them. III. Man’s Escape — Going Down to Joppa and Fleeing to Tarshish When God called Jonah, Jonah failed to appreciate the honor and instead fled. Little did he realize that if God desires to use us, we ought to come kneeling and crawling to serve Him. Yet man choose to escape God’s call. Scripture records: “But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). Reject God's Call When the word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it,” Jonah instead rose up and fled to Tarshish. This clearly shows that Jonah rejected the Lord’s call. The Lord wanted Jonah to go east to Nineveh, but Jonah went west to Tarshish. Likewise, many Christians today respond in the same way. When the Lord calls, saying, “Brother, arise and visit,” or “Sister, arise and serve,” they not only refuse to visit or serve, but even neglect to attend meetings, choosing instead to sit at home watching television. God moves their hearts to love the Lord, yet they turn to love the world. For the nature of man is to refuse God’s call. Flee From God Not only so, but because Jonah sought to flee to Tarshish, “he paid the fare and went aboard, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). “Paid the fare” means he bought a ticket—spiritually speaking, it signifies paying a price. How true this is of many Christians today. Attending meetings costs nothing, yet they are unwilling to come. Prayer and Bible reading require no money, yet they refuse to pray or read. Even special gatherings require not a single cent, yet they will not attend. In contrast, watching movies requires payment, and they are willing to pay. Sinning often costs money, and they are willing to spend it. But when it comes to loving the Lord and freely receiving His grace, they are unwilling. All this reveals the true nature of man: he would rather fall, pay the wages of sin, and indulge in wrongdoing than freely receive the Lord’s boundless grace. Turning One's Back on God Nineveh lay in the east, the place of sunrise. Tarshish lay in the west, the place of sunset. The Lord wanted Jonah to go east, but Jonah went west. East and west are opposite directions—spiritually, this signifies turning one’s back on God. It shows that Jonah was unwilling to walk in the Lord’s way, unwilling to follow God’s will, but instead followed his own will and fled far away. IV. God’s Discipline — In the Belly of the Fish Since Jonah rejected God’s call, he boarded a ship to flee to Tarshish. Brothers and sisters, when a person turns his back on God, how does God deal with him? How does God bring him back? From the Book of Jonah we see that God stretches out His hand of discipline. Concerning God’s discipline, we must highlight several key points. May the Lord use these as a warning to us, lest we repeat the same mistake. In truth, when a person refuses God’s call and is unwilling to respond to Him, it is simply because his spiritual eyes have not been opened—he has not seen the preciousness of the Lord nor the glory of serving Him. Now let us look at the four steps of God’s discipline toward Jonah: God’s Restraining Hand When God disciplines a person, He does not immediately strike him down; rather, He first stretches out His hand to restrain him. Scripture records that while Jonah was on his way to Tarshish by ship, “the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.” (Jonah 1:4). Clearly, this violent storm was no accident—it arose by the command of the Lord. It reveals the restraining hand of God, indicating that Jonah must not continue on to Tarshish. Dear brothers and sisters, remember this: whenever we turn our backs on God, flee from Him, and insist on walking our own way, the Lord’s first step is to stretch out His hand to restrain us. In our experience, for example, suppose there is a youth meeting on Saturday. You avoid attending and instead go to watch a movie. Yet as you arrive at the theater’s ticket counter, you unexpectedly meet a familiar Christian who greets you, “Brother, where are you going?” At that moment you must understand—this is God restraining you from turning your back to Him. Or perhaps your spiritual life has recently grown dull. You have no interest in prayer, and Bible reading no longer attracts you. Then the Lord sends a believer to visit you, to pray with you, and to draw you back from your coldness. “There was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.” This shows that if you continue stubbornly in your own way, the ship will indeed be destroyed. In other words, this act of restraint carries a danger to life. If the ship breaks, everyone on board would drown in the sea. On the other hand, it also tells us that God’s restraining hand can at times be exceedingly severe. Man Still Refuses to Turn Back At that moment, in order to preserve their lives, the people on board threw the cargo into the sea so the ship would not be weighed down. “But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down and was fast asleep” (Jonah 1:5). This shows us that when Jonah boarded the ship, he did not stay on deck to breathe fresh air or admire the vast ocean. Instead, he went down into the lowest part of the ship. Going “down into the lowest part” signifies moving farther away from God, for the deck is closest to the heavens, while the lowest hold is farthest from them. This illustrates that anyone who tries to flee from the Lord is like Jonah descending into the ship’s lowest place. A ship has many levels, and Jonah went down to the very bottom. Spiritually, this speaks of a downward fall—declining step by step, level by level, until reaching the lowest point. Jonah then “lay down and was fast asleep” in the lowest hold. This signifies a spirit that has grown numb. Many Christians, having run from the Lord’s calling, lose their spiritual sensitivity: Bible reading no longer brings light, prayer no longer touches God’s presence, gatherings no longer stir interest, and their condition becomes scarcely different from those who do not believe. Dear brothers and sisters, how often, when God tries to stop us, we respond just like Jonah—not only refusing to turn back, but even going further away from Him. Many who were unwilling to attend this special conference are much like Jonah, lying down and sleeping in the ship’s hold. “Lying down fast asleep” not only reveals a spirit that has grown numb, but also shows a stubborn refusal to yield. Even as the ship was tossed violently by the raging storm, Jonah remained indifferent—hands folded, pretending not to hear, lying there asleep, unwilling to humble himself before God and confess his sin. Giving Oneself Up in Despair The storm grew fierce and the ship was on the verge of breaking apart, the sailors were terrified, and everyone on board cried out to his own god. They then said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. The people questioned him: “Tell us, who has brought this disaster upon us? What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? To what people do you belong?” Jonah confessed, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” The men became greatly afraid and said to Jonah, “What should we do to you so that the sea may become calm?” At this moment Jonah finally understood that the raging storm was the result of his disobedience. So he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, then the sea will become calm for you.” (Jonah 1:12). The sailors had no choice but to throw Jonah into the sea, and indeed, the violent storm immediately subsided. When the ship was being battered by the fierce storm and raging waves to the point of nearly sinking, Jonah already knew that he was the one who had brought this calamity. Discouraged and despair, he assumed that God had rejected him and no longer cared for him, so he thought it would be better simply to die. This reveals a condition of utter stubbornness—an unwillingness to turn back, preferring to give himself up, abandon hope, and destroy his own spiritual future. Today, many Christians fall into the same self‑defeating attitude as Jonah. Some serve in the church, but after a brother offends them with a single remark, or a sister’s attitude stirs up anger, or they encounter some discouraging setback, they stop serving. They think, “I’ll just attend meetings and be an ordinary believer.” Once, they loved the Lord and pursued ministry; now they neither serve nor seek Him. Oh, we must remember this well—do not, like Jonah, lightly give yourself up, abandon hope, and destroy your own spiritual future. Little do we realize that no one can escape the hand of God. Jeremiah 23:23–24 records: “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” God's Discipline Now let us consider: when Jonah was thrown into the sea, was everything finished? Was his self‑despair the end of the story? Oh, the hand of God is never so simple that a person can easily escape it. Brothers and sisters, from the very day we were saved, God has held you and me firmly in His hand. The Father’s hand is greater than all things; not only can no one snatch us out of His hand, but no one can escape His mighty grasp. David wrote in the Psalms: “You (God) have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, You are there” (Psalm 139:5–8). Truly, when the men on the ship threw Jonah into the sea, the storm immediately became calm. This reflects a spiritual principle: whenever sin is cast out, peace enters in. Yet there is an even deeper spiritual meaning we must grasp. Outwardly it was the sailors who threw Jonah into the sea, but behind the scene it was the disciplining hand of God coming upon him. Dear brothers and sisters, when God calls us, we must not run away. And even if we do run, His persistent love will first reach out with a restraining hand to remind us to turn back. If we still refuse to return, He is compelled to stretch out His hand of discipline—sometimes light, sometimes heavy. There was a sister who grew up in a Christian home. From childhood she attended Sunday school; after she grew older, she joined the youth fellowship. She had once expressed her desire to dedicate herself to the Lord and even served in Sunday school. But after marriage, her heart toward the Lord gradually cooled and drifted away. Although other sisters tried to fellowship with her, she still refused to turn back. Later she discovered that her young son had a problem with his lungs. Soon after, she herself fell ill and had to undergo surgery. Only then did she awaken and realize that this was God’s discipline. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6). God’s love surpasses all human understanding; His discipline is to bring His own people back to Him. God's Hidden Protective Love Hallelujah! God truly is a God of lovingkindness. For “His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for life” (Psalm 30:5). Consider this: when Jonah was lifted up and thrown into the sea, Scripture deliberately records, “the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17). If Jonah had been cast into the sea without that great fish prepared by God, he would surely have perished—either drowned in the depths or torn apart by sharks. Years ago, in Keelung Harbor, fishermen brought back a huge shark. When they cut it open, they found a human leg still wearing a shoe inside its stomach. Whether the person had already been digested or had merely been bitten apart, no one could determine. This shows that if the Lord had not prepared the great fish to swallow Jonah, Jonah would have died long before. And notice: the fish arrived neither too early nor too late. One minute earlier or later, it would have missed Jonah. Oh! This is God’s hidden, protective love—deep, high, and beyond human knowing. Brothers and sisters, you may have forgotten the Lord, but the Lord has never forgotten you. You may be far from Him, but He draws near to you. You may reject Him, but His eyes remain fixed on you. You may not want Him, but He desires to win you back. For the Lord has a hidden love—unchanging, unwavering—preserving you and me at every moment, in every place, through every circumstance. It was not that Jonah possessed anything admirable, nor that he had any virtue worth God’s attention. It was simply that the Lord loved him without cause. No wonder the poet wrote: Lord, when I think of myself, truly there is nothing in me to compare; What do I have that is better than others? What makes me more noble than anyone else, That You should look upon me with favor and delight? I can only marvel in wonder! Therefore, Jonah being swallowed in the belly of the great fish clearly reveals both the disciplining hand of God’s love and the hidden, protective care of God. Thank the Lord! If it were not for His hidden, preserving love today, none of us could stand firm, nor could any of us continue following or serving Him. May the Lord, through today’s message, open our eyes to hear the call that echoes from heaven: “Whom shall I send?” God is searching for Christians—who can be used by Him? When the Lord found Jonah, He called Jonah. But Jonah fled from God’s calling, and God had no choice but to stretch out His hand of discipline to bring him back, and His hidden hand of love to preserve him. Today the Lord is calling you. Will you run away like Jonah? Or will you submit to the One who is your Lord in all things? The hymn says: Can you? Then beloved, Christ just waits for you; Listen for His orders, Glad His will to do; Then when soldiers muster At the set of sun, And your name is mentioned, Christ will say, “Well done.” (Hymn "Can you be obedient" by Margaret E Barber)

Bible Reading: Jonah Chapter 2 (whole chapter) Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling...” This expresses that all Christians are holy brothers and sisters who have received a heavenly calling. Everyone who has received salvation belongs to this group of people who have been called from heaven. Speaking of the church, the church is a people called out from the world. In other words, it is a group whom the Lord Jesus has called out from within the world. Each one of us bears the identity of the “called ones,” yet many people do not live a life that reflects this calling. Earlier we saw that when God’s calling came to Jonah, he actually ran away. He stubbornly went down to Joppa and boarded a ship to flee toward Tarshish. But do we not often do the same? When the Lord calls, we fail to set aside time to visit others; when there is an evangelistic meeting, we do not bring classmates or friends to believe in Jesus. Truly, our spiritual living does not match the grace of the calling we have received. I. The painful cry of one who destroy his own spiritual future -- in the belly of the fish When Jonah fled from God’s calling and boarded a ship to Tarshish, who could have expected that once the ship reached the open sea, the Lord sent a violent storm, the waves surged, and the vessel was nearly torn apart? Yet Jonah, instead of awakening to his condition, remained stubborn and even sank into despair. He told the sailors, “Lift me up and throw me into the sea,” as if determined to destroy his own spiritual future and end his life altogether. But thanks be to the Lord for His manifold lovingkindness. His mercy did not cease. His hidden hand of preserving love had already been stretched out, preparing a great fish to swallow Jonah. Now, by tracing Jonah’s torment inside the belly of the fish, we want to speak about the consequences faced by those who destroy their own spiritual future. Jonah determined to be thrown into the sea From Jonah’s words to the sailors—“Lift me up and throw me into the sea”—we can easily sense the tone behind them. Jonah knew he had disobeyed God and assumed that God would surely abandon him. His will had collapsed; his heart was utterly hopeless that he wished only to end his life. He never imagined that in the very moment of his despair, the Lord had already arranged for a great fish to swallow him. Today many Christians encounter blows they cannot withstand, some within the church, some in their ministry, some within their families. In discouragement, they give up on themselves: they stop attending gatherings, and they cease pursuing the Lord and serve Him. They feel as though Jesus no longer watches over them, and in their disappointment they decide simply to let things take their course, turning toward the world to finish out their lives. Little do they realize that such self‑abandoning thoughts are one of the devil’s methods of sifting believers. Truly, God’s love never changes, and His gifts and His calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Yet we must understand that Jonah, in the belly of the fish, suffered bitterly beyond measure. He could have received forgiveness if he repented on the ship We can well imagine Jonah inside the belly of the fish—surrounded by darkness, unable to move his hands or feet. Trapped within the blood‑soaked, pulsing organs of the fish, the stench was nauseating. Every passing second must have felt unbearably painful, indescribable. In truth, if Jonah had not given up on himself but had instead repented on the ship when the storm first arose—calling upon the Lord for forgiveness—then the Lord would have immediately forgiven him and shown grace. He would have been spared the bitter suffering inside the belly of the fish. Suffering after he tried to destroy his future But Jonah did not do so; therefore he had to suffer the pain of being cast into the sea and entering the belly of the fish. Now we will go on to point out the five painful experiences Jonah encountered as a result of destroying his own spiritual future. May the Lord remind us through these five points, those who refuse the Lord’s calling and give up on themselves to turn back in time, so that they may avoid the suffering of entering the fish’s belly. Physical suffering Consider Jonah when he lay in the belly of the fish—unable to move, groaning in pain, with no way to survive. In Jonah 2:1–2 it is written: "Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said, 'I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me.'" Notice Jonah’s first words: he did not say, “I cried out to the Lord from the fish’s belly,” but rather, “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction.” From this we see that anyone who destroys his own spiritual future will sooner or later encounter the first form of God’s discipline, which is called “affliction”—that is, physical suffering. When I visit young believers in the hospital, the first thing I ask is: “Brother (or Sister), do you know the reason you are lying here in this hospital bed?” Some immediately nod and say, “I know… the Lord is disciplining me.” Then they ask me to pray for them. I always have them pray first. When they begin to pray aloud, the very first thing they do is to repent with sorrow—asking the Lord to forgive how they had hardened their hearts, refused His deep love, and lived for themselves rather than for Him…After they confess, I then lay hands on them and pray. Praise the Lord! He is full of mercy and grace, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He does not always chide, nor does He keep His anger forever. And indeed, these brothers and sisters recovered quickly. I remember a young brother who stopped attending meetings and wandered about everywhere. One day he accidentally slipped from an upper floor and fell, breaking a leg bone. When I heard about it, I immediately went to visit him. I asked whether he wanted me to pray for him, and he was very glad. I said, “Good—pray first.” As soon as he opened his mouth, he confessed his sins: “Lord, forgive me for walking my own way. Thank You for having mercy on me and using this incident to bring me back before You.” From this we can see that anyone who destroys his own spiritual future and willingly sinks into spiritual decline will fall into the hand of God’s discipline and suffer physical pain. Suffering in the soul and spirit Next Jonah prayed, saying: “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.” Here Jonah does not say, “I cried out to the Lord from the belly of the fish,” but rather, “from the belly of Sheol I cried” “Sheol” refers to the place where people go after death. Death brings deep pain to the human soul; therefore, in spiritual meaning, "Sheol" represents the suffering of the inner being. In other words, the pain of the soul is described by the word "Sheol". Dear brothers and sisters, when a Christian tries to ruin his own spiritual future, there will come a day when the Lord’s disciplining hand rests upon him. Not only will he suffer physical pain, but he will also experience pain within the soul. The pain of the soul is a state in which one cannot find rest; the mind cannot settle. During the day the heart is troubled and confused, unable to find direction. At night one tosses and turns, unable to sleep peacefully. The whole day is filled with agitation and fear, leaving both body and mind exhausted. Praise the Lord! On the day we were saved, we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We immediately experienced this: the heavy burdens that once pressed upon both body and soul were lifted, and peace filled us inside and out. The Lord forgave all our sins; He bore all our difficulties; He rescued us from our wandering and set us on the right path. Yet whenever we turn away from Him and walk our own way, the peace in our hearts disappears. Our spirit feels pressed, dry, and without release. Oh, the pain of the soul is far harder to bear than the pain of the body. If such inner suffering continues for a long time, the consequences will be unimaginable. The pain of losing God's presence Look again at verse 4, where Jonah says: “I have been cast out of Your sight.” This plainly states that Jonah was no longer before the Lord’s face. In other words, Jonah at that moment was not in the presence of the Lord. He said, “I have been cast out of Your sight.” “Cast out” means to be expelled, to be sent out. For example, in the Philippines, when a foreigner is caught trafficking drugs, the government arrests him and then punishes him by deporting him—sending him out of the country. That is “casting out.” Now Jonah, though physically inside the belly of the fish, felt that he had been driven out by God. The spiritual meaning is this: he had lost the presence of God. For a Christian, the most precious treasure is the presence of God. As the hymn goes: I need Thy presence every passing hour: What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless: Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness: Where is death’s sting? where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me. (Hymn: Abide with Me by Henry Francis Lyte) Hallelujah! On the contrary, when a person loses the Lord’s presence, he becomes the most pitiful and tragic person in the entire universe. In Matthew 12, the New Testament records a man from whom an unclean spirit had departed. Yet his inner being was not filled by the Lord. So after the demon left him, it wandered about, searching for a resting place. Finding none, it returned to its former dwelling (that man). Before re‑entering, the demon saw that the man’s inner life was empty—like a house without an owner. It then invited seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they all went in and lived there. Scripture says: “The last state of that man is worse than the first” (v. 45). This shows us how deeply Christians need the Lord’s presence. When the Lord is present, Satan cannot easily attack. When the Lord is with us, nothing can terrify us, and no enemy can make us afraid. On that day, the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross by the hands of lawless men to fulfill God's will. As He bore the sins of all humanity upon the cross, “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"—that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). We see here that the greatest suffering Jesus endured on the cross was not the crown of thorns on His head, nor the nails piercing His hands and feet, nor the spear thrust into His side, nor His body covered with wounds and flowing with blood. Rather, the deepest agony was this: on the cross, God laid the sins of all people upon Him, and because of God’s righteous anger, He was forsaken. Darkness covered the land as the righteous God executed judgment. Thus, losing the presence of God is an exceedingly painful spiritual experience. Dear brothers and sisters, pay close attention to the Lord’s presence. Once His presence is lost, the condition that follows is unimaginably dreadful. The pain of struggling and unable to break free In his extreme suffering, Jonah felt as though he had descended to the very depths of Sheol, as if the gates of the earth were about to shut him in forever. Therefore he said: "You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God." (Jonah 2:6). Jonah did not say that God rescued him from the deep sea; rather, he said that God rescued him from “the pit.” The meaning is that the deep sea was like a deep pit. Once a person slips and falls into such a pit, even if he cries out to heaven and earth, heaven does not respond and earth does not move. He only sinks deeper and deeper, unable to free himself. A hunter captures an elephant by digging a deep pit in the forest, covering it with branches and sand, and then driving the elephant toward it. Once the elephant falls in, it cannot climb out no matter how hard it tries. Jonah uses the image of a deep pit to describe the deep sea, expressing his struggling, painful, and helpless condition—a struggle from which he could not free himself. Likewise, when a Christian tries to ruin his own spiritual future, he too will fall into a state of struggling without being able to free himself, experiencing this painful bondage of the soul. There was once a young couple who serves in the church and were preparing to build a family. They felt mutual peace and believed clearly that their union was God’s will. The Lord’s servant conducted their wedding. Not long after marriage, their zeal for serving the Lord declined; soon afterward, because they were busy with their careers, they stopped serving altogether. At first, they still attended meetings regularly, and their life seemed pleasant. They thought their path was correct. Later, however, the brother’s business failed. He fell into heavy debt—as though he had fallen into a deep pit from which he could not free himself. After several years, not only were the debts not repaid, but they grew even worse. Oh! Truly he had fallen into a pit, sinking deeper and deeper, just as Jonah was trapped in the belly of the fish. The only path to deliverance was to look up to God’s mercy. Suffering according to God's time (Prolonged) “The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17). Our God is the Triune God; therefore in the Bible, the number three often signifies God’s number. “Three days and three nights” represents God’s timing. Jonah’s three days and three nights in the fish’s belly show that when a Christian destroys his own spiritual future and the Lord stretches out His disciplining hand, He does not withdraw it easily. The spiritual meaning of “three days and three nights” does not necessarily mean literally three days. Rather, it means God releases only when He considers the time sufficient. Some may be “shut in” for five years, eight years, or ten years. Some may even remain under discipline for long, extended years, and still God’s hand does not let go. Therefore, the moment of release does not depend on you or me; we must wait for God’s timing. May the Lord be merciful to us, and through this remind us once again: when we encounter setbacks or blows, we must never act out of impulse and destroy our own spiritual future. For if we abandon ourselves, the suffering and loss that follow will be impossible to repair. II. Knowing God through suffering The most precious experience for a person under God’s discipline is coming to know God, for knowing God is often learned through discipline. Why does God discipline us? Hebrews 12:10–11 says: “For they (earthly fathers) indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” This shows that God’s discipline is not meant for us to suffer in vain, but that we may know Him through suffering. This is the principle of God’s work. Next, let us consider how Jonah came to know the Lord while in the belly of the fish. Because of limited space, we will present three points only: Knowing God's Lovingkindness Just now we read Jonah 2:2: ““I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.” At this moment Jonah had already experienced that God is full of lovingkindness and that He is a God who hears prayer. Look again at verse 6: “Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God.” The pit is a place without hope. Originally, Jonah should have perished in the sea; yet the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow him, but he didn't let the fish digest him. Truly, Jonah suffered in the belly of the fish, struggling in pain, seemingly unable to survive. But God turned the fish’s belly into a house of prayer, so that in the fish’s belly Jonah came to know that God is a God of lovingkindness who hears prayer, and that He is the Lord who brings his life up from the pit. Hallelujah! Dear brothers and sisters, from this we can see that if we fall into suffering and are able to humble ourselves before the Lord—submitting, repenting, and confessing—we will experience how deeply the Lord loves us. Isn’t this true? Let me ask you: did you feel the Lord was nearer before you became ill, or after you became ill? It was after. Why is that? Logically, it should be when our bodies are healthy, when the Lord is preserving us, when life is smooth and under His care. How is it that after becoming ill we feel the Lord loves us even more? It is simply because through God’s discipline, we come to realize in our sickness how greatly we have failed the Lord and offended Him. Thus we pray, asking the Lord for forgiveness, and we experience that although He already knew our coldness, our changeable heart, and our turning away from Him, He still chooses to love us. When we think of the Lord’s love, we marvel—He truly loves sinners without reason. Knowing God's Almighty Power The Lord is not only a God full of lovingkindness; He is also the almighty God. What is impossible with man is possible with God. Look at Jonah 2:2 and 2:6: “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice… You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.” “Sheol” is a place of hopelessness. Once a person steps into Sheol, he cannot return to the land of the living. Yet by His almighty power, God lifted Jonah out of the pit of Sheol. In terms of our own experience, we too were once sinking in the bitter sea of sin—forever lost, without hope. But thanks be to the Lord! Just when we were discouraged and in despair, He heard our cry, and He stretched out His mighty hand to save us. The Lord saved you; the Lord saved me. When we were drifting in the world, The Lord saved me. Hallelujah! Knowing God's Faithfulness “Faithful” means reliable—never failing. The faithfulness of God tells us that God is utterly trustworthy, keeping covenant and mercy. His promises will never fail; what He has spoken with His mouth, He fulfills with His hand (1 Kings 8:24). Now let us see how Jonah, through his own personal experience, came to know the faithfulness of God. Look at what verse 4 records: “I said, ‘I have been cast out from Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’” Then verse 7 goes further: “When my fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple.” From Jonah’s prayer we see that the holy temple is mentioned twice. In verse 4 he says, I look toward Your holy temple, showing that although Jonah had been unfaithful and disobedient—God called him to go to Nineveh, yet he secretly fled toward Tarshish—now that he had fallen into affliction, he turned his eyes toward God’s temple. His gaze shifted back to the holy place of God. We must briefly explain the background of the holy temple. After Solomon succeeded his father David on the throne, he built the temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. When the temple was completed, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, lifted his hands toward heaven, and prayed. In this long prayer, there is an important portion recorded in 1 Kings 8:30–53. The main idea of this portion of Solomon’s prayer is this: O Lord, if Your people one day rebel and turn away from You—even falling into sin and worshiping idols—so that they are defeated by their enemies and carried away captive, scattered among the nations; yet if, in the land of their captivity, they turn their hearts back to You and pray toward the temple that I have built for Your Name, then You will forgive Your people who have sinned against You, pardon all their transgressions, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who have taken them captive. This prayer was accepted by God. Jonah was a prophet who understood God’s ways. He knew the heart of God, so he held firmly to the faithfulness of God. He went further and declared: My prayer has entered Your holy temple; O Lord, You must hear my prayer. I, Jonah, truly have been unfaithful and have forsaken God. Yet now I turn back in my heart and pray toward His holy temple. The faithful God who made covenant with Solomon will surely keep covenant and show steadfast love. Dear brothers and sisters, from Jonah’s threefold experience of knowing God in the belly of the fish, we are truly encouraged and strengthened to walk well on the spiritual path. As the hymn says: Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord!" III. Surrendering to God Indeed, Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, tasting every kind of torment and suffering—physical, emotional, and spiritual. At last he was subdued. Yet what is even more precious is that he came to recognize the lovingkindness of God: that God answered him and forgave him; that he personally experienced the Almighty God who saved him and set him free. At the same time, he discovered that God is faithful—even when humans are unfaithful, God remains trustworthy. Quite naturally, his heart yielded in willing submission and surrendered to God. Consider the record in verse 9: “But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” Submitting to God's Discipline "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving;" This sentence shows us that although Jonah’s body was still inside the belly of the fish—within the realm of the dead, in the depths of the pit—he harbored no resentment. Instead, his heart overflowed with gratitude toward God, lifting his voice in thanksgiving. This reveals that he had submitted to God’s discipline. He recognized that God’s discipline came from His love for him. Jonah worshiped God’s will as the best, and God’s ways as the most perfect. Fulfilling vow "I will pay what I have vowed. "Every true prophet must carry a deep longing before God: "Lord, according to Your will, I am willing to obey. In Your loving hand, I will submit in all things.” Jonah was no exception. He had once made a vow to the Lord. Yet when the word of the Lord came to him—not to speak to the people of Israel, but to cry out for the salvation of the inhabitants of Nineveh, an enemy nation—he resisted. He regarded the great city of Nineveh not only as Israel’s enemy, but also as exceedingly wicked, deserving judgment. So he disobeyed God’s command and fled toward Tarshish. He did not act according to the vow he had originally made. But now he is fulfilling his vow again before the Lord: “Lord, it is not for me to decide what I want to do, nor where I want to go. I ask You to choose for me. I am willing to follow Your command and surrender to You unconditionally.” Let me ask you: have you not also made vows to the Lord? Some of you made vows in Baguio, dedicating your whole life to the Lord, choosing to live entirely for Him. But what about now? Have you forgotten the vows you once made to the Lord? How I long for you today to awaken—just as Jonah did—to repentance, and to fulfill your vows before the Lord once again. You must understand: God remember the vows you make to Him forever; He never forgets them. Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 tells us: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you have vowed. Better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” IV. Being delivered from God's discipline When Jonah was in the belly of the fish, he repented, surrendered to God, cried out to Him, gave thanks, confessed his sin, made his vow, offered his sacrifice, and lifted his praise. Then God commanded the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah out onto dry land (Jonah 2:10). God withdraws His hand of discipline Jonah boarded a ship to flee toward Tarshish. "The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea” (Jonah 1:4). This was a lighter form of God's discipline stop him. Yet Jonah refused to turn back. Instead, he gave himself over to despair, destroying his own spiritual future, and asked the sailors to throw him into the sea, hoping to end his life once and for all. But unexpectedly, “the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). This was God stretching out His severe hand of discipline. Praise the Lord! When Jonah sincerely surrendered himself to God, “the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Spiritually speaking, this signifies that Jonah had been fully released from God’s discipline. This shows that whenever we sincerely submit ourselves to God, and He deems that the time has come, He will determine to release us—so that we may once again be usable in His hands. God’s purpose in discipline is to prepare and perfect His vessel Lastly, we must clarify an important spiritual principle. We see Jonah suffering in the belly of the great fish, tormented in pain. I earnestly hope you will understand this and not misunderstand—thinking that when God’s hand of discipline comes upon us, it means He has abandoned us or intends to destroy us. On the contrary, we must affirm this truth: if a person runs away from God’s will, his life will never prosper. Know this: when God stretches out His hand of discipline, it is to perfect us, establish us, and build us up. The prophet Hosea says, “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has stricken us, but He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1). This clearly expresses that God’s disciplining hand carries grace, aiming to make us perfect and obedient children of God. https://brozionjeng.wixsite.com/website/post/chapter-3-sent-by-god Thanks be to the Lord! The rebellious Jonah, in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, was ultimately perfected by the lovingkindness of God. Man’s part is to return and surrender to God; God's part is to release and perfect us.

Bible reading: Jonah chapter 3 (whole chapter) The focus of Jonah chapter 3 is the account of Jonah’s renewed submission to God. Once again commissioned by the Lord, he went to the great city of Nineveh and fulfilled the entrusted mission. There, he was greatly used by God, bringing in an unprecedented revival. At this point, we naturally wonder: since Jonah had disobeyed, rebelled, and even given himself over to despair, why did God not raise up someone else to replace him? Why did God still choose to use Jonah? It is entirely reasonable to say that prophets are raised up by God Himself; therefore, God takes responsibility to preserve them to the end. Even though Jonah failed, God stretched out His mighty hand and would not rest until He had brought His servant back. This is precisely what Romans 11:29 declares: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” I. God's calling is irrevocable “Calling” refers to God’s choosing first, and summoning afterward. So on what basis does God choose us? Romans 8:29–30 tells us: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son; whom He predestined, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified…” This shows that God chooses us according to His foreknowledge—His sovereign, predetermined purpose. Long beforehand, He already knew who would be the vessel He desired to use. And then, from among millions, He chose us; and further, He called us. Thus Psalm 139:16 records: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” This repeatedly affirms that God has long seen the entire course and final outcome of our lives. Beloved brothers and sisters, each one of us who has been called must understand that God has already seen through the entirety of our lives. He has appointed a path for you and me. If we obey the Lord and walk according to His commands, we will be able to complete the mission God has entrusted to us. When God called Jonah, it was not because He did not know Jonah would fail. He already knew long beforehand. Yet because God’s calling is irrevocable. This means that once God has called us, He takes full responsibility to lead us. God did not abandon Jonah because of his failure When God saw Jonah finally surrender, He commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. Did God merely save his life so he could survive? Oh, look at the end of chapter 2: “The fish vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Then immediately, chapter 3:1–2 continues, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city…’” This clearly shows us that God’s calling does not come with regret. As long as you are chosen and called by God to be His heavenly people and to walk His heavenly path, He will preserve you all your life. John 13:1 tells us: “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” “To the end” means not only that He saves us to the end, but that He keeps us by His love to the end. In other words, from God’s side, everything is “to the end.” His salvation is complete. His name is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He cannot deny His own name. If He has called us, He will not abandon us halfway. He will use us and perfect us. Jonah is ironclad proof. He turned his back on God, yet God did not abandon him because of his failure. Instead, the word of the Lord came to him a second time. This clearly shows that God still intended to use him and to complete His work in him. God's calling does not come with regret From the experience of Jonah—the prophet who once turned his back on God yet was later restored, perfected, and used by the Lord—we find deep comfort and renewed trust: “God’s calling does not come with regret.” He will surely preserve and uphold us throughout our lives, enabling us to follow and serve Him all our days until that glorious morning when we meet Him. Now, we will look at one example from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament to demonstrate how God’s gifts and calling truly are without regret. During the era of the kings in the Old Testament , there was a prophet named Elijah. At that time, a severe famine swept across all the land of Israel, and King Ahab sent people everywhere to search for Elijah. Elijah, bold and unyielding, said to Ahab, “Go, gather all Israel to me, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, on Mount Carmel, and let them see for themselves.” So the two sides each prepared a bull for sacrifice, but they were forbidden to light any fire. The true God would be the One who answered by sending fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal cried out frantically from morning until the time of the evening sacrifice. They shouted, raved, and even cut themselves, but there was no voice, no answer, no response. Then it was Elijah’s turn. Calm and composed, Elijah first rebuilt the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He dug a trench around it, cut the bull into pieces, and then poured twelve jars of water over the offering and the wood. When everything was fully prepared, Elijah prayed to the Lord of heaven. And indeed, fire fell from heaven, consuming the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench. When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, “The Lord—He is God!” At that moment Elijah commanded to seize the prophets of Baal and let not one of them escape. The people surged forward and captured them, and all the prophets of Baal were put to death. When this event was reported to Queen Jezebel, she became furious and sent a messenger to Elijah, declaring, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” When Elijah heard this threat, he arose and fled into the wilderness to save his life. After running for a day’s journey, his grew weak, his strength was spent, and he collapsed under a broom tree. There he prayed for death, saying, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” But God’s calling never comes with regret. God let him sleep, and then sent an angel to touch him and wake him. The angel provided water to quench his thirst and baked bread to strengthen him. After Elijah ate and drank, God allowed him to sleep again. A second time the angel touched him, woke him, and gave him food and drink, adding words of encouragement: “Because the journey is too great for you.” Elijah rose, ate, drank, and—empowered by that food—traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached the mountain of God, Horeb. Later, at Mount Horeb, God once again entrusted Elijah with a mission—an even greater and weightier commission than before. Consider 1 Kings 19:15–16: “Then the Lord said to him: 'Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.’” Now consider Peter in the New Testament. Before his failure and fall, he had repeatedly declared his unwavering loyalty to the Lord who loved him. He even boasted, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Yet, unexpectedly, on the very night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied the Lord three times before a servant girl—three consecutive failures, a devastating collapse. I believe that Peter, who had always relied on his own strength, must have been overwhelmed with remorse and grief after such a fall. But the gifts and calling of God never come with regret. Thus, after Jesus rose from the dead, the very first person He made special mention of was Peter. The angel instructed the women, “Go, tell His disciples—and Peter…” (Mark 16:7). During the forty days after His resurrection, the Lord appeared to Peter again and again, strengthening him, restoring him, and drawing him back. Finally, on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, the Lord sought him with a love that pursues, a love that warms, a love that does not condemn, a love that supplies—love in many forms that fully restored Peter. Then the Lord entrusted him once more with the mission of shepherding His flock. And indeed, after Peter turned back, he was greatly used by the Lord. The Lord perfected him, and in his old age his spiritual life reached a glorious maturity and high peak. The Hymn "I Know Whom I Have Believed" says-- I know not what of good or ill May be reserved for me, Of weary ways or golden days, Before His face I see. But I know Whom I have believed, And am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I've committed (or He had entrusted to me) Unto Him against that day. II. God uses those who obey Him It is undeniable that the gifts and calling of God are without regret. But why is it that some people are used by the Lord, while others are not? Indeed, we are all saved by His calling, yet the outcomes are not the same. What is the reason? The key is this: the Lord uses those who obey Him. God entrusts His commission to those who obey When Jonah was cast into the sea, God appointed a great fish to swallow him. For three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, he repented of his former disobedience and prayed to God with thanksgiving, saying, “When Jonah was cast into the sea, God appointed a great fish to swallow him. For three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, he repented of his former disobedience and prayed to God with thanksgiving, saying, “But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; what I have vowed, I will pay.” Jonah’s resolve to fulfill the vow he had made showed his willingness to obey. Thus, Jonah 3:1–2 records: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.’' Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.” “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time” indicates that God saw Jonah’s obedience and deemed him ready to be used. Therefore, God entrusted to Jonah the sacred mission of saving the entire city of Nineveh.” God once again entrusted him with a mission "The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time" “Second time” means he was entrusted again. Indeed, Jonah did not hesitate this time—he obeyed immediately and set out for Nineveh. This reveals a spiritual principle: Whom does God use? God uses those who obey. If you or I do not obey, God patiently waits—He waits until we obey, and then He uses us. Just like that night by the Sea of Tiberias, when Peter was conquered by the Lord’s great love. After Peter declared his love and submitted himself to the Lord, only then could Jesus entrust him with the mission of feeding and shepherding His flock. Later, at Pentecost, the apostles were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter stood up and quoted the book of Joel, explaining that the outpouring of the Spirit was the fulfillment of the prophet’s words. He went further in Acts 5:32, saying of the Holy Spirit: “whom God has given to those who obey Him.” This means: where there is obedience, the Holy Spirit fills. In other words, the Holy Spirit works through obedient people. Brothers and sisters, if all of us obey the Lord, respond to His calling, and allow ourselves to be used by Him, we will soon see His great blessings poured out upon us. The glorious works of the Lord will be revealed in our midst. III. Sent by God Continuing on to verses 3 and 4: “Nineveh was an exceedingly great city—three days’ journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!'” Here we see Jonah obeying God’s command and setting out for Nineveh. Nineveh was an exceedingly large city; it required three days to walk around it. Jonah went one day into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Now we want to highlight three major characteristics of Jonah as one who was sent by God and used by God. These are also the essential qualities required of every believer who obeys the Lord’s calling, is commissioned by Him, and is used by Him. Labor (Hardworking) The Bible specifically records: “Nineveh was an exceedingly great city—three days’ journey in extent.” Let me ask: from here in Los Baños to Manila, how many days would it take if we traveled on foot? If it were three days, then imagine this: the Lord now calls you to go down to the great city of Manila and proclaim, “Forty more days, and Manila will be overthrown.” Would you obey? Today, far too many Christians have a gospel van that goes back and forth to bring them to meetings, yet they still do not come. Some even stop visiting others simply because the gospel van is not available. Oh! We must understand this: anyone who desires to be used by the Lord must possess a hardworking trait. “Labor” means diligence, and it also means enduring hardship. This is a character that anyone who serves the Lord ought to possess. The apostle Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Indeed, at that time Jonah obeyed the command, went one day into the city, and proclaimed, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!” He had only walked a single day’s journey and made his proclamation, yet the entire city repented. Although Scripture does not state this explicitly, it is very likely that the people of Nineveh saw Jonah—who did not mind traveling a great distance, who did not shrink from the hardship of a long and exhausting journey—coming all the way to preach the message of God to them. Their hearts were deeply moved. Those who heard it told others—one to ten, ten to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand, a thousand to ten thousand—until the message spread throughout the whole city. Of course, all of this was the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet one undeniable fact remains: Jonah was a man who suffered for the sake of the gospel. He did not mind traveling thousands of miles; he endured the weariness of the long journey. This surely pricked the conscience of the people of Nineveh. Oh! Here was a man who, for the sake of saving the people of Nineveh, sweat profusely, endured hunger and thirst, and in the end moved the hearts of a city that had been stubborn, hardened, and unyielding. Young brothers and sisters, if you desire to be used by the Lord, you must cultivate from your youth a character that is diligent and willing to endure hardship. Without such a character of labor, not only will you be of little use in the Lord’s hand, but even in society in the future you will accomplish very little. The Bible gives a solemn warning to the saints: “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jeremiah 48:10). This clearly declares that God condemns a lazy disposition; God detests laziness. For example, those who are unwilling to serve, unwilling to visit saints and care for them, unwilling to pay the price—these are all lazy people. May the Lord have mercy and grant us light. As the hymn goes: To the work! to the work! we are servants of God, Let us follow the path that our Master has trod; With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew, Let us do with our might what our hands find to do. Toiling on, toiling on, Let us hope, let us watch, And labor till the Master comes. Faithful Verse 3 says: “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord…” This shows that Jonah recognized and affirmed the word of the Lord—whatever the Lord said, Jonah did. Spiritually, this points to faithfulness in fulfilling what the Lord has entrusted. The Master gives instructions; the servant obeys and carries them out. If the Lord commands me to preach the gospel, I fulfill my duty and go to preach. If the Lord wants me to visit believers, I do not delay but go. “Faithfulness” means not being careless, sloppy, or merely going through the motions. Rather, once we receive a commission, we strive to complete it, not abandoning it halfway. In the Old Testament there is a model servant of the Lord—Moses. Hebrews 3:5 praises him, saying: “Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant.” Moses was able to lead the two to three million Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, around the wilderness, all the way to the border of Canaan because he was faithful to God. His faithfulness reached such a degree that if the Lord Himself would not personally lead Israel into the Promised Land, Moses was unwilling to give up. The background is this: when the people saw that Moses had gone up the mountain for forty days and forty nights, they mistakenly thought Moses was delayed and something had happened to him. So the congregation gathered and demanded that Aaron make a golden calf. This greatly provoked the anger of the Lord. So the Lord said to Moses, “I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ And I will send My Angel before you...for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When Moses saw that God did not wish to personally go with the people, he pleaded with the Lord: Remember that this nation is Your people. “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here..” Later, the Lord granted Moses what he asked for. Oh! Here we see a servant who is faithful to God and faithful in the trust committed to him. No wonder he was greatly used by God and became a spiritual great man of his generation. Bold and fearless In the Old Testament era, many prophets who faithfully delivered God’s message were bold and fearless unto death. Because their faithful warnings were misunderstood as curses, they were hated by kings and slandered by their colleagues, suffering great injustice. They endured not only mental anguish but physical abuse—beaten, thrown into prison, suffering hunger and thirst, tormented in many ways, and in the end giving their whole lives to their calling. Therefore, when the Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh to proclaim, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown,” it was a message of judgment, not a message of blessing. Jonah obeyed God, disregarding the danger to his own life, and went as he was commanded. This shows that he possessed a bold, death‑defying courage. In the days of Abraham, when the Lord saw that the city of Sodom was overflowing with wickedness and every kind of evil, He determined to judge it with fire and brimstone. Before the judgment, the Lord sent two angels to the house of Lot. Lot sincerely welcomed them, not knowing that the people of Sodom—from young to old—would surround his house, demanding that Lot hand over the two angels. From this historical event, we can imagine that when these two angels entered Sodom, the people were ready to kill them. In the same way, we can easily understand that if Jonah did not possess a boldness that feared no death, how could he dare to enter the wicked, violent city of Nineveh alone, bearing a message of impending doom? Oh, brothers and sisters, anyone who desires to be used by the Lord must not only have a character willing to labor and a heart that is faithful, but must also possess boldness that fears no death. Throughout the ages, tens of thousands of saints have been martyred for the Lord. May the Lord grant us grace, so that we may all have a sincere love for Him—truly asking neither for blessing nor fearing calamity; even our precious lifeblood we would be willing to give for the Lord. The three characteristics of Jonah that we have briefly mentioned above are essential conditions for anyone who is sent by God and used by God. Yet all of these are produced by the grace of the Lord; no one can achieve them by his own strength. Thank the Lord! We deeply hope that the testimonies of God’s witnesses throughout the generations, placed before us, may encourage our hearts. In this conference, the Lord is calling us: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” May every one of us rise up to answer the Lord’s calling, without a single exception, and sincerely say to Him: “Lord, here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) IV. The Whole City Repented When Jonah entered the city of Nineveh, walked a day’s journey, and proclaimed, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” the people of Nineveh believed God. They declared a fast, and from the greatest to the least they put on sackcloth. When this message reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He then issued a decree that all the people of the city—even the animals—were to fast and be covered with sackcloth, and to cry out earnestly to God. Each person was to turn from his evil ways and abandon the violence in his hands. From this we can see that because there was one man who was willing to obey the Lord and be sent by God, the Lord carried out a work of immeasurable magnitude. John 3:34 says, “For God does not give the Spirit by measure.” Since the Holy Spirit is without measure, the fruit of His work is likewise without limit. Look at Nineveh, a city of more than one million people, from the least to the greatest, all repented. This was an unprecedented revival in human history. In Korea, there was a revival where one million people gathered, but regarding the number who truly repented, we do not know. Yet in ancient Nineveh, over one million people repented—this stands as one of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit in the history of revival. The greatest reason was that Jonah was willing to obey. Therefore, we must not be timid or self‑deprecating, nor should we be proud and unrealistic—refusing small tasks and only wanting great ones, willing to be greatly used by the Lord but unwilling to be used in small ways. May the Lord use Jonah’s obedience, which brought repentance to the entire city of Nineveh, to make us all willing to obey Him. I firmly believe that a great number of young people will be revived through our obedience. Because you obey, you will see your classmates receive grace. Because I obey, blessing will come upon the church. Four Steps of Humbling — The King Representing the Entire City Lastly, we look at the scene of Nineveh’s complete repentance to speak of the four steps of humbling in the spiritual experience of receiving God’s grace. When the king of Nineveh heard the message, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”, First, he descended from his throne; Second, he removed his royal robe; Third, he put on sackcloth; Fourth, he sat in ashes. These four steps of humbling also reveal the principles by which sinners are saved and believers are revived. Thank the Lord that He gives us an opportunity to come before Him with a broken and contrite heart. If you feel that your spiritual condition is low, that you love the world; if you hate your own failure and barrenness, if you feel cold toward the Lord; if you recognize how hard and foolish your disposition has been—these are all shadows of the king of Nineveh’s four steps of humbling. Let us go further and look concretely at how the king of Nineveh (representing the entire city) humbled himself. Descended from his throne — Pride and Self‑Exaltation Brought Low The hymn we sang before the message is one that I have often chosen during the summer conferences in Taiwan over the past three years. The first stanza says, “I repent for my past rebellion, resisting the Lord and exalting myself.” Indeed, a person who has not yet been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who does not truly know the Lord in his spirit, is always proud, self‑reliant, and looks down on others. This is the true condition of every one of us—like a king sitting on his throne, ruling over others. Now the king steps down from his throne. This signifies leaving the position of authority; spiritually, it means that pride and self‑exaltation are brought low. In the same way, for you and me to repent thoroughly and confess our sins, the first step is to come down from the throne. I deeply hope that we will no longer sit on the throne, but quickly step down from it. We must understand that there is only one throne, and only the Lord has the right to sit upon it. Yet our “self” has dared to climb onto that throne. May the Lord cause us all to humble ourselves, step down from the throne, and let the Lord take His rightful place upon it. Removing the Royal Robe — Laying Down One’s Glory The king’s royal robe represented glory. Removing the royal robe, in its spiritual meaning, signifies laying down one’s glory and no longer caring about outward dignity. When a person lays down his own glory, God is glorified; but when a person seeks glory for himself, God cannot be glorified. Acts 12:21–24 records this clearly. On the appointed day, Herod (a man) put on his royal robe (man receiving glory), sat on his throne (man occupying the throne), and delivered an address to the people. The crowd shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” (man seizing God’s glory). Because Herod did not give glory to God, the angel of the Lord immediately struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died (man’s glory vanished). But the word of God continued to grow and spread (God received the glory). Putting on Sackcloth — Sorrow and Repentance Sackcloth is a sign of grief. When mourning for a family member, people would wear sackcloth garments and a sackcloth cap. When we grieve and repent over sin, when we become aware of our coldness toward the Lord and feel sorrow, that experience is what Scripture describes as putting on sackcloth. Sitting in Ashes — Humility “Sitting in ashes” spiritually signifies humility. Ashes are the smallest and most useless of things—when something is burned down to nothing, it becomes ash. Therefore, ashes represent reaching the very end, the lowest point. To sit in ashes means to place oneself in the lowest position. In other words, to be in the most humble state is to be in the condition of true humility. Beloved brothers and sisters, may the Lord have mercy on us. Through the king of Nineveh’s four steps of humbling himself, may we all return before the Lord, seek His light, and genuinely experience thorough repentance. For a person to experience revival, there must be complete repentance; wherever there is repentance, there is revival. May the Lord of revival grant us the Holy Spirit—to shine upon us and to burn within us—so that we may grieve and repent over sin, allowing the Lord to manifest His work… Amen. Turning from Evil — Departing from Their Wicked Ways On that day, the people of Nineveh believed Jonah’s proclamation. They all put on sackcloth and fasted; even the king humbled himself in four steps—grieving, repenting, and earnestly calling upon God. The Bible specifically records: “Let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.” Indeed, the God who searches the hearts of people relented, forgave, and showed mercy, choosing not to bring upon them the disaster that would have destroyed them. By all reason, the city of Nineveh should have been destroyed. Yet when they repented, the Lord immediately forgave. Sodom, however, refused to repent, and therefore suffered destruction. God’s all‑seeing eyes search throughout the whole earth; He is the God who examines the heart and the innermost being. Not even the smallest hidden sin within us can be concealed from Him. Proverbs 28:13 tells us: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” May the Lord truly hear our prayers to search our hearts, to test us, to know our thoughts, and to reveal whether there is any wicked way within us. May the Lord cleanses every stain of sin. This is the urgent cry of our hearts…

Bible Reading: Jonah 4 (whole chapter) In this final message, we will speak about God’s refining work. This is a deeper spiritual experience, yet we will try to explain it in simple and accessible terms. We must understand that God’s consistent intention is for His will to be carried out on earth, so that people may turn to Him. Therefore, He uses human beings to accomplish this sacred mission. However, God’s using us is not His ultimate purpose. His ultimate purpose in using people is to fully gain them, shaping us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). He desires to transform us into spiritual people, becoming vessels of honor. This is God’s final intention for man. Thus, while God uses us on one hand, He also stretches out His hand to work on us on the other. This is exactly what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Thus, in Jonah we see that when he was sent by God and used by Him, the entire city of Nineveh repented—turning from their evil ways and abandoning the violence in their hands. In terms of mission, Jonah had completed what God entrusted to him. But in terms of Jonah himself, there were still many natural, fleshly corruptions within him—hidden elements of self and mixed motives that had not yet been fully refined by God, nor deeply dealt with by the cross—he could not yet become a vessel of honor. He could not yet become a truly spiritual man, nor fully manifest the image of the Son of God. For this reason, we must take Jonah chapter 4 as the background to speak about God’s refining work. I. The Hidden Self Exposed Chapter 4 of this book records how the self of the prophet Jonah—his fleshly nature—was exposed by God. Now we will specifically point out the expressions of Jonah’s hidden self and the corruption of his flesh that were revealed, in order to show how the Lord refines our natural corruption and cleanses the impurity of our flesh. This is the experience of God’s refining. When God saw that the people of Nineveh sincerely repented, He could not bring upon them the disaster He had declared. Yet look at what Jonah 4:1 records: “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” This is truly remarkable. Jonah had been greatly used by God; he should have been greatly rejoicing. Instead, he was “exceedingly displeased.” To be “exceedingly displeased” means he was unhappy. And unhappiness is one expression of the flesh. In other words, Jonah’s great displeasure reveals the corruption of the hidden self within him. Unwilling to forgive Indeed, the city of Nineveh was exceedingly sinful and deserved to be cursed. According to justice, God should have executed judgment; He cannot treat the guilty as though they were innocent. Yet when people repent, confess their sins, and turn back, God not only grants abundant forgiveness but also refrains from bringing upon them the disaster He had decreed. When Jonah saw that the Lord had changed His intention, he became upset. This reveals something within the flesh of man: a spirit that refuses to forgive, a disposition that condemns others. This “unwillingness to forgive,” this condemning spirit, is deeply rooted in the flesh of humanity. Is it not so? When someone maliciously slanders you behind your back and you later find out, are you willing to forgive their ignorance and forget their offense? Oh! To refrain from condemning and instead forgive is a very difficult lesson to learn unless the Lord grants mercy. If Jonah had recalled how he himself had once rebelled against the Lord, even to the point of giving up on himself and destroying his own spiritual future; if he had remembered that it was the Lord’s preserving hand that prepared a great fish, and the Lord’s unrelenting love that refused to let him go—giving him the chance, in the belly of the fish, to reflect and realize that the Lord is slow to anger and abundant in mercy and grace, and that God was willing to use him again, or else he would have been buried in the sea. Then he would not have condemned others or refused forgiveness. His heart would have been calm; he would no longer have been provoked to anger. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He told a parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the reckoning, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him. Because he could not repay the debt, the king ordered that he be sold as a slave—along with his wife, children, and all his possessions—to pay what he owed. The servant fell down before the master and pleaded, “Have patience with me, and I will repay you.” The master was moved with compassion, showed him mercy, released him, and forgave him the entire debt. But that servant, upon leaving, found a fellow servant who owed him ten denarii. He seized him, grabbed him by the throat, and said, “Pay back what you owe.” His fellow servant fell down and pleaded, “Have patience with me, and I will repay you.” But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt. Those who witnessed this went and reported it to the master. The master immediately summoned him and said, “You wicked servant! Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?” In anger, the master handed him over to the jailers until he repaid all he owed. After finishing the parable, Jesus added: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matthew 18:35) May the Lord have mercy on us. Through this parable, may He remind us on one hand to examine whether there is within us a spirit that condemns and refuses to forgive. On the other hand, may He draw us before Himself, so that we may be delivered from prideful, restless anger and become people who continually praise and give thanks. Concern for one's own image Jonah saw that the Lord had changed His intention and would not bring disaster upon Nineveh, and he became exceedingly displeased and very angry. The greatest reason for his anger was the “concern for his own image.” The self is always deeply concerned about outward image. Jonah had been sent to Nineveh, and the entire city recognized him as the prophet of the Lord. When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s warning, they repented of their past sins and turned to the true God. God then changed His intention and did not bring calamity upon Nineveh. If, after forty days, Nineveh was not overthrown, then Jonah’s prophecy would not be fulfilled. This would truly damage Jonah’s reputation and affect the dignity of his prophetic identity. Therefore, in order to preserve the sacred status of his prophetic role—in order to save face—Jonah protested and complained to the Lord: "Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:2–3) This shows us that the self in man is concerned with his own image, rather than considering or aligning with the heart of God. May the Lord have mercy on us, so that we may remember the compassion of the Lord Jesus and not be preoccupied with our own image, lest we hinder others from receiving the gospel. Love for oneself Jonah 4:5–6 records: "So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah [b]was very grateful for the plant." Here we see that after Jonah protested and complained to the Lord, he built a shelter for himself so he could sit under it and watch from a distance—waiting to see what would happen to the city. At that moment, the Lord, whose eyes search the hearts and minds of all people, prepared a plant. In a single day it grew tall enough to rise above Jonah’s head, providing shade and delivering him from his discomfort. Jonah “was very grateful for the plant.” This expression of selfishness, self‑interest, self‑pity, and self‑love reveals the fleshly tendency of loving oneself. It also exposes the true nature of the flesh: acting according to one’s own preferences, caring nothing for others, thinking only of oneself. To love oneself (self‑centeredness) and to love others (self‑denial) are as incompatible as water and fire. Those who love themselves make "self" the center of everything—their thoughts, words, actions, and daily living all revolve around their own benefit. Oh! Today this “love of self” hides within both you and me. Therefore, God must refine these things out of us. Not loving God nor loving others Jonah not only failed to love God, but he also failed to love people. Consider Jonah’s words: “It is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:3) This shows that after protesting against the Lord, he sat down to wait and watch whether the Lord would still bring disaster upon Nineveh—only then would he feel satisfied. He did not consider that God’s heart is filled with mercy and compassion. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. How great is God’s love for humanity! Yet Jonah did not align himself with God’s love in saving Nineveh. Nor did he consider the repentance of the Ninevites. Instead, he preferred to see the great city of Nineveh destroyed. Oh! What Jonah’s self revealed was this: he did not love God, nor did he love others. 1 John 4:20–21 tells us: “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” This means that if we truly love God, we will also love others. We cannot see God, but we can see people. Therefore, the evidence of loving God is seen in whether we love others. With this in mind, we ought to earnestly pray before the Lord, asking Him to pour His love into our hearts—so that we may be filled with His compassion and mercy, His kindness and goodness; so that we may be patient, holy, and humble like Him, willing even to save others at the cost of our own lives. Amen. II. God's Refining Work From Jonah we see very clearly how ugly the condition becomes when the hidden self is exposed. Therefore, God must stretch out His refining hand, for only God’s refining can deliver the self. Only by passing through God’s refining can we become vessels of honor that align with His heart—becoming truly spiritual man. Concerning how God refined Jonah, we will present two major aspects: God’s Authority Governs All Things God is in the highest heavens, unseen by our physical eyes. Then by what means does He refine you and me? Psalm 103:19 says, "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” This includes all people, all events, all things—whether visible or invisible. Everything is under His sovereign authority and governance. This truth is clearly seen in the book of Jonah. Let us take a closer look together: in the four chapters of the book of Jonah, how many times does the word “appointed” or “prepared” appear? Jonah 1:17 says, “The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.” This shows that the Lord governs the sea. He commanded the fish to come, and it came to swallow Jonah. The Lord then commanded the fish to go, and it went to vomit Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2:10). Next, in Jonah 4:6–7, we read: “The Lord God prepared a plant…But as morning dawned the next day, God prepared a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.” This shows that the Lord governs the land. Immediately after, verse 8 says: “God prepared a vehement east wind.” Wind belongs to the air, the heavens—thus Scripture plainly shows that the Lord also governs the sky. Sea, land, and sky are all under the Lord’s hand. This means the entire universe is under God’s sovereign authority and rule. Indeed, the Lord is in heaven, and Jonah (like you and me) is a person with flesh, with self, with corruption. Therefore, God appoints—in the sea, on the land, and in the air—various people, events, and circumstances, in many different ways, to refine us. God’s Sovereign Rule Purifies Human Impurities We have just mentioned: How great is the scope of God’s sovereign rule? It encompasses the entire universe. And how vast is the universe? Oh! The universe includes all things. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus Himself said that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will (Matt. 10:29). This means that every person, every event, every circumstance that comes upon us—whether great or small—has passed through the governance of the throne. Therefore, God uses His sovereign rule to purify the impurities within us—our pride, self‑love, concern for outward image, anger, resentment—our natural corruption. He refines all these things out of us. God prepared a worm When Jonah sat under the shade of the plant, satisfied and waiting to see the city’s fate from a distance, unexpectedly God appointed a worm to attack the plant so that it withered. With the plant gone and no shade to shield him, Jonah was scorched by the blazing sun until his head grew faint. This was God’s refining. Praise the Lord for His mercy. In order to refine you and me, He appoints people, events, and circumstances to come upon us. He may appoint strict and domineering parents, controlling you and compelling you to obey. Or He may appoint unrestrained and difficult brothers and sisters, who provoke and reject you, testing your endurance. Even for the elderly, the Lord often appoints hard-headed and unreasonable younger ones, making you helpless and not knowing how to manage them. In short, the Lord determines to appoint situations that feel painful, difficult, unpleasant, or sorrowful to come upon us. Anything that does not touch us deeply cannot be called refining. The withering of the plant was a blow to Jonah. Likewise, sometimes a person’s business fails, or they suffer unjust accusations that cause distress, pain, and exhaustion. We must understand: this is the refining hand of God, removing the corruption and impurities of our natural flesh. Praise the Lord! The apostle Peter tells us: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice...” (1 Peter 4:12) May the Lord, through this word, open our eyes to see that every unusual experience that comes upon us is God’s refining. Moreover, His grace is sufficient for us. As the hymn says: “The cross He gave may be heavy, but it never outweighs His grace. If I gladly submit to His will, all things will become disguised blessings.” God's refining work - God prepared a scorching east wind Following this, verse 8 says: “And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself...” The worm had already destroyed the plant, leaving Jonah without any shade. Now God appointed a scorching, relentless east wind, causing Jonah to burn under the blazing heat until he became faint. This shows God’s severe refining—not only refining, but an even deeper and more intense refining. Jeremiah 48:11 records: “Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.” “Moab,” the descendant of Lot, represents the flesh. From his youth he lived in ease—meaning he had never experienced suffering or hardship. But God says that Moab is like wine left to settle on its dregs, never poured from one vessel into another. In ancient times, there were no filters. The way to clarify wine was to pour it from one vessel into another, leaving the dregs behind. Then the wine would be poured again into yet another vessel, and again the dregs would be left behind. In this way—pouring again and again, the wine would eventually be completely purified from all its sediment. Why did God prepared a plant at one moment appoint, then immediately prepared a worm, and then another time prepared a scorching east wind? It was all for one purpose: to refine Jonah. God appoints people, events and situations to refine us Praise the Lord! If the Lord is gracious to you and me, He will sooner or later appoint a series of people, events, and situations to come upon us. His refining hand never relaxes. He is like a gardener in the vineyard, carrying pruning shears — unhesitatingly cutting, trimming, and breaking, so that the branches may be cleansed and bear abundant fruit. May the Holy Spirit grant us wisdom and the spirit of revelation, so that in the process of God’s refining we may recognize the sovereign hand of His authority, and not become resentful because of the afflictions we suffer. On the contrary, may we offer ourselves to God more completely and thoroughly. For we know that only by passing through the Lord’s personal pruning can we grow strong; only by passing through His trials and shaping can our roughness be transformed into smoothness; only by passing through His refining hands can we become pure and without impurity—becoming a truly spiritual man. Indeed, the Lord did not grow weary of refining Jonah. He repeatedly “prepared” circumstances to deal with him—and Jonah became a spiritual man. III. The Result of Refining -- Becoming a Spiritual Man The Lord’s ultimate intention was fulfilled! When I first read the Book of Jonah, I did not fully grasp it. Later, through the Lord’s mercy, He allowed me to see more clearly. The refining work of the Lord in Jonah not only perfected him — making him a honorable and useful vessel (bringing about the repentance of the entire city of Nineveh)—but through that refining, Jonah also became a truly spiritual man. Oh! God’s great love is truly long, deep, wide and high—so wondrous that it surpasses human understanding. Freed from Self How do we know that Jonah has been freed from the self? After he voiced his complaint to the Lord, the Lord asked him: “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” Jonah replied, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” (Jonah 4:9) This was the last recorded sentence Jonah ever spoke in his life. “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” This shows that Jonah openly admits his anger and allows others to see that there is no goodness in his flesh. Although he is a prophet of the Lord, his flesh is filled with resentment and temper. He does not hide his corruption; instead, he exposes the full extent of his fleshly failure before others. In spiritual meaning, this reveals that Jonah has become a man who has broken free from himself. Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, the larger a person’s “self” is, the more he tries to hide his faults and parade his virtues. But a spiritual man does not hesitate to admit his own corruption. He lets the truth be seen, so that others may know he is nothing in himself—only a sinner saved by the Lord’s grace. He keeps nothing for the sake of “self,” whether position, reputation, or personal benefit. This is true spirituality. As the hymn says: Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way; Hold o’er my being Absolute sway. Fill with Thy Spirit Till all shall see Christ only, always, Living in me. Jonah exposed the full reality of his flesh and humanity without concealment. This shows that he was no longer touched by human glory; he had become a man who had broken free from himself. The Lord had already brought him to the place of “Not I, but Christ, being exalted and loved. Not I, but Christ, being proclaimed and believed. Not I, but Christ, seen in speech and conduct, in thought and attitude." May the Lord also grant grace to us, so that we will not fear His deeper and sharper refining work in our lives. May we truly experience what it means to be freed from ourselves, to lose ourselves in the Lord. No longer I, but Christ living in me. Leaving behind God's love Jonah, after exposing the ugly reality of the “self,” the failure of the flesh—his great displeasure, his anger, even his desire for death—finally chooses to end the book of Jonah with God’s immeasurable, longsuffering love. Look at the closing two verses of Jonah chapter 4: "But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” Jonah deliberately uses God’s own words as the conclusion of the entire book. These words overflow with divine love—God’s compassion for the people of Nineveh, and even His care for the animals. This not only shows that Jonah wanted to leave the greatest message for future generations; it also reveals that a truly spiritual man ultimately leaves nothing for himself, but leaves behind only the great love of God in this world. What is a spiritual man? A spiritual man is one who allows the Lord—the Holy Spirit—to govern his whole being. Naturally, his conduct carries a noble character that inspires respect. Yet in the book of Jonah, we see something deeper: A spiritual Jonah does not leave people remembering how great he was, but remembering the Lord—full of compassion, grace, mercy, and slow to anger. The impression Jonah leaves is one of failure, shame, and lowliness. Only the Lord receives people’s gratitude. Only the Lord remains our everything. Beloved brothers and sisters, Jonah ultimately became spiritual—God had fully gained him. And throughout history, all spiritual people have walked this same path. David’s life is no exception. The Bible praises David as the only one called “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). This shows that David was a spiritual man, one who satisfied God deeply. What is the mark of a spiritual man? It is simply this: people see his sin and failure. Psalm 51 was written after David’s failure in indulging the flesh. It shows that he had broken free from himself. The psalm’s heading records: “After he had gone in to Bathsheba.” This exposes his corruption. On the other hand, the psalm begins with: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness.” What he leaves for others to see is God’s great love and mercy. He truly was a spiritual man. Today, the Lord in heaven still calls: “Whom shall I send?” Will you answer His call? Will you obey His call? All who respond and obey the Lord’s calling—the Lord not only keeps them and perfects them, but also refines them, until they become spiritual people.

This article contains the messages delivered by the author in 1978 during the Special Winter Conference held on the outskirts of Manila, Philippines. The recorded messages have now been lightly edited and arranged for publication, in order to meet the present need. May the Lord bless His word, and may He raise up His saints to be sent by Him, that they may fulfill His commission. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Chapter 1: God's Calling Chapter 2: Man's Surrender Chapter 3: Sent by God Chapter 4: God's Refining

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Luke - Chapter 1 Luke - Chapter 2 Luke - Chapter 3 Luke - Chapter 4 Luke - Chapter 5 Luke - Chapter 6 Luke - Chapter 7 Luke - Chapter 8 Luke - Chapter 9 Luke - Chapter 10 Luke - Chapter 11 Luke - Chapter 12 Luke - Chapter 13 Luke - Chapter 14 Luke - Chapter 15 Luke - Chapter 16 Luke - Chapter 17 Luke - Chapter 18 Luke - Chapter 19 Luke - Chapter 20 Luke - Chapter 21 Luke - Chapter 22 Luke - Chapter 23 Luke - Chapter 24 Reflections After Reading the Gospel of Luke Key verse: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (19:10) Reflections: The Lord Jesus came as the perfect Man, fulfilling God's will in the identity of the Son of Man. His main characteristics as a man is as follows: (1) Mindful of the Fathers' business He went up to the temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve. Sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions He replied to His parents, "I must be about My Father’s business." (2) Obeyed the Law He was circumcised at the eighth day. (2:21) He was presented to God after purification was completed. (2:22-23) His parents offered a sacrifice. (2:24) He went up to Jerusalem at twelve according to the custom. (2:42-43) He obeyed the law for 33 and a half year. He completed the law on the cross. When the centurion see what happened, he said, "Certainly, this was a righteous man." (23:47) (3) Fulfilled the duties of the Son of Man He departed from the temple and went back to Nazareth with His parents. (2:51) He honored His parents. (2:51) Fulfilled the duties of the Son of Man in His family for 33 years. (3:23) (4) Lived a prayer life He prayed eight times. a. After being baptized (3:21) b. Withdrew into the wilderness. (5:16) c. Before He appointed the twelve disciples. (6:12) d. Transfiguration on the mountain. (9:19) e. Prayed in a certain place (11:1) f. In the garden of Gethsemane (22:39-46) g. Commit His spirit in the hands of the Father on the cross (23:46) Three times He taught the disciples to pray. a. Teach the disciples to pray. (11:2-4) b. A fervent prayer (11:5-13) c. Always aught to pray (18:1-8) (5) He was a model role (lead by example) First He provided a model of a prayerful life, then He taught His disciples to pray. He received the Holy Spirit first, then He taught people to receive the Holy Spirit (4:1; 11:13). He obeyed the Law first, then He taught people to obey it. (6) He seek the lost (a sinner's friend) He told a parable about seeking the lost. (chapter 15). Call Levi the tax collector, and dine with sinners and tax collectors (5:27-32). Allow the sinful woman to anoint Him with oil (7:36–38). He praised the tax collector for his humble prayer (18:9-16) Zacchaeus was saved (19:1-10) (7) He did not despise the poor The angels brought good news to the shepherds (2:8-14). His parents offered turtledoves and pigeons. (2:24). He preached the gospel to the poor (4:18). Lazarus, the beggar entered paradise. (16:19-31) Praise the poor widow for offering two mites. (21:1-4) <-- BACK to Luke

This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral teachings given in 1991 in Manila, Philippines, during weekly Sunday afternoon studies of the Gospel of Luke with a group of young brothers and sisters who loved the Lord and were devoted to pursuing Him. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and study the Scriptures. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently study the Bible, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual lives may become ever more pure and abundant. I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states:   "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" .   In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral studies on the Gospel of Mark, conducted every Sunday afternoon in 1973 in Manila, Philippines, together with a group of young brothers and sisters who loved the Lord and were devoted to pursuing Him. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and study the Scriptures. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently read the Bible, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual lives may become ever more pure and abundant. I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states:   "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" .   In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament