The Cross and Success

In the latest issue of The Economist , Hong Kong ranked first among fifty countries and regions to bounce back on the “normalcy index”. Meanwhile, some countries are still struggling.

Does it mean that God blesses Hong Kong but not other countries? God is never out of control and there is no coincidence in the spiritual realm. Everything is in God’s will.

Is it a mere coincidence or God’s grace that Hong Kong has come first on the list? There are certainly many reasons for the quick recovery of Hong Kong’s economy, but God’s Grace is the ultimate cause.

When the virus first broke out, God told us that He would prepare everything for us including media equipment and manpower. As soon as the required equipment was in place, the government imposed restrictions on physical gatherings and we swiftly changed to online services and gatherings. When the pandemic started to ease and before the physical gatherings were about to resume, God told us through the Morning Devotion to do as the occasion demanded. The good news that physical gatherings would be resumed with certain restrictions reached us the next day.

Why has God shown grace to Hong Kong? Why does He bless us so much? It is because we are simple and pure – we align with God and follow His guidance in everything. During the pandemic, we gathered all branch churches to go online, brought offerings to God and prayed for the pandemic. God has heard our prayers and protected us. Hence brothers and sisters around the world are safe. Despite the pandemic, we carry on with the Morning Devotion and keep the Lamp going. From the pulpit, we continue to preach the revelation and light in the Truth which reaches all the world.

Some people wrongly think that 611 is preaching “Prosperity Theology”, flaunting God’s blessings. A member wrote to us recently, telling us that after studying our Morning Devotion and preaching of these years, he concluded that we do not preach “Prosperity Theology”. Instead, we preach the whole Bible, covering blessing as well as suffering. Our sermons talk about the way of blessings and that of the Cross.

Is our life in total smooth sailing as soon as we turn to Christ – be successful in courtship, receive a promotion at work and stay away from all sufferings? Certainly not, because everything is in His hands and under His leading.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us cherish what we have now. When the going gets tough, we stand in the Truth and pay the price so that we may overcome adversity. Then we are successful! We stay being “Simple and Pure”. As we continue to follow the guidance and leading of God, we shall surely be blessed.■【2021.07.18】