1. Prawn
   “The day of red is the time of grief.”
   Normally, prawns are grey. But once they’re cooked, they turn red. The colour red often represents a joyous occasion; full of warmth and joyousness. But the red of a prawn signifies its death - full of sorrows. Many people aren’t willing to be ordinary men. To 大红 (be popular), they use unscrupulous means.

Such people ought to listen to the prawn. The day of my red is the time I should grief. The words spoken by the prawn serves as a warning to people who try to be popular through unscrupulous means.

During a celebration, a man suffers a heart attack. A day of joy turns to grief.

Others just receive a promotion or strike it rich. But then meet with a car crash. A joyous day turns sad.

Such people really go through what the prawn says.

There’re too many unpredictable things that happen in our daily lives. The life of Man is truly unpredictable.

Jas 4:13-15
A man can plan his steps to go here or there, they can also arrange his time to do this or that matter. But a man cannot control his life. What our lives will be like tomorrow, we know not. We don’t know whether tomorrow or accident will arrive first. If the accident arrives first, will we tomorrow still arrive? Even if tomorrow arrive first, will accidents happen in the tomorrow? We don’t know what will happen tomorrow but we know if the Lord lives, we will live. What’s important in a Man’s life is to trust in the Lord and not himself. Because a Man’s life is like vapour that vanishes at any time. Nonetheless God has promised us eternal life. Therefore don’t aim to be popular大红 in this life, aim for eternal life.

1. Crab
   “I have been a tyrant my entire life. But there will come a day I’ll be tied up.”
   When we go to the market or to a restaurant, we can see each crab is tied up.

A famous artist in China, qibaishi, drew many realistic portraits of crabs. But one special trait about these portraits was that their title was “to see how long you can remain as a tyrant”. The background of this is that at that time, it was a period of anti-Japanese war. The Japanese wanted qibaishi to join them; to specially paint for them. Qibaishi rejected but they exerted pressure on him. He had no choice and acceded to them. He drew crabs. 4 crabs. Why? Because in Chinese sounds like dead crabs.

History tells us that the Japanese in China eventually surrendered. The words of the crab tells us not to be a tyrant, because there will come a day we receive our punishment.

Judges 1:6-7
To cut off the thumbs and bug toes of war captives was a very cruel punishment. It wasn’t just humiliating, it was inhibited them from picking up weapons, losing their war capabilities. Adoni-Bezek was really something because he defeated 70 kings. He had their thumbs and big toes cut off. He behaved in a tyrannical way. No one did anything to him. He didn’t believe good begets good and evil begets evil. He kept being victorious. He didn’t receive any retribution. So he continued in his ways. Finally he received his just desserts. He was captured and his thumbs and big toes were cut off. He said, “As I have done, so God has repaid me.” Man can be tyrannical. But one day you will be bound.

Gal 6:7-9
Paul says that God is not to be mocked. Why would men mock God’s punishment? Because they see those who have done evil don’t receive punishment, and good don’t receive reward. On the contrary, evil people become more bold. Those who do good lose heart and give up doing good. Consequently they don’t believe in the judgement of God. That’s why Paul reminds them not to deceive themselves. Your conscience reminds you there IS a judgement. Your eyes see the facts also. You see that what is sown, that you will reap. Therefore let us not grow weary while doing good. If we do good, we will receive a reward from God. Let’s not

The crab says, “I have been a tyrant but one day I’ll be bound.”

1. Egg
   “I can become food. I can also become a life.”
   If an egg is cracked from the outside, it can become food. Fry, steam, roll 滚蛋, wan dan LOL
   When an egg is cracked from within, it gives forth a life. We see a chick come forth. This is a amazing miracle.

When we break it open, it’s just egg yolk and white. But if we incubate it, a chick comes out.

Because we see this as too common, we don’t see it as a miracle. Our bodies are like the egg. Our bodies can be a vessel for food; we can use it to eat drink and be merry and then 完蛋die. But also can be vessel of life abide by the will of God receive eternal life from God.

Rom 6:13
If we present our bodies to sin, we become an instrument of unrighteousness. Eventually we’ll be judged and forsaken by God. But we can also present our bodies to God to befomebisbtrgkenys of righteousness to be received to the heavenly kingdom.

There’s hence a need to self examine. Are we instruments to food or righteousness? God has granted us this body and life. What do we use our bodies for?

If the egg is cracked from within, life comes forth. But for life to come forth, it must have sufficient nutrients. If nutrients within the egg is insufficient or denatured, the chick that doesn’t receive enough will have a different life. It may be a stillborn. Or it doesn’t have enough strength to break open the egg, suffocates inside and dies. The life inside becomes dead 死蛋

A Christian is reborn/has new life through the precious blood of Jesus. But this new life requires nutrients to grow. Spiritual nutrients are the words of Christ.

When Paul left Ephesus with tears he warned them to beware of ravenous wolves who would come in. In the last 3 years he had expounded the word of God to them so that their spiritual lives would grow. Really?

Rev 2 shows what kind of church Ephesus was.
Rev 2:1-3
Jesus praised Ephesus then. Not only were they zealous in working for the Lord, more importantly, they held fast to the word and didn’t change. People claimed to be apostles and changed the truth, but they spoke words that told people to reject the Lord. The Ephesians were able to discern. There are some who aren’t able to discern, it takes time. But the Ephesians were very watchful. This is closely linked to the fact that Paul sent 3 years to build them up. Of course some members will were led astray. Why was the word of God able to build up some but some weren’t able to be built up? Problem not with the truth but our hearts. Are you willing to use the word of God to establish your faith? If you have the heart, you’ll definitely be serious with the truth. You’ll ponder over the word. You’ll want to ensure whether this word is true or not. If tight, where is it tight? If wrong, where is it wrong? Only if we meditate on this will we be clear what’s right or wrong. Then we can discern and not be deceived. But if we don’t have such a heart and just listen to the words like it’s a story, the word is not able to strengthen in our faith.

The wall is so sturdy because brick upon brick is laid. Needs time and effort. We may have many pieces of bricks but if we don’t make good use of it, how to defend yourself?

We have to put the words of Christ in our hearts. Let our hearts have strength to move ahead or push challenges away.

Some Christians’ spiritual lives are growing. But when they’re surrounded by external factors, they don’t have the strength to breakthrough. The word of life has implanted in his heart yet it’s succumbed by the thorns. It doesn’t have enough strength to breakthrough the thorns. Something very pitiable. Let’s not just cause our lives to grow. All the more we require strength from the Holy Spirit to breakthrough these challenges. Or we’ll lose this life. Like the chick unable to breakthrough the shell and dies.

All eggs laid by the hen are good. Why are some rotten eggs? Food becomes rotten because there’s bacterial growth. An egg is protected by the shell and seems spotless. But if we use a magnifying lens, we see there’re numerous pores on the egg shell. These pores allows the exchange of air. At the same time, it serves as a passage way for bacteria to enter the egg. Inside the egg, there’s also another membrane to protect the inside. But this membrane has times it’s weak or broken, allowing bacteria to penetrate and destroy the life in the egg. Each and every Christian has the life of Christ in us. We have the protection from the word and the Holy Spirit. Why then are we able to be penetrated by heresies? This is something we really need to ponder over.

1 Tim 4:1, 6
When Paul pastored the church, he spoke much about spiritual nurture - how we should love one another and bear fruit of the spirit. But he also spoke stern things - we need to be watchful and diligent in defending the truth so it won’t be changed. These doctrines cause us to worry and wonder whether there’s such a thing. Are there really people among us who will preach doctrines? Isn’t sowing suspicion in us bad? Paul didn’t do this out of his own will but it was the spirit who expressly said this. Many will depart from the faith and take heed of deceiving spirits. These people have the truth but still depart from the faith. We always think that it’s people who are unsure about the doctrines that depart. But this group is a minority, and they won’t cause such a big effect. Them leaving can be foreseen. But when a person serious in the truth deviates one day, many people will be confused and follow him. “We were all taught by him last time. If he thinks something is not good, it should be right. Just follow him.” Destruction will be great. A person who knows the faith and departs will result in a great effect.

That’s why the Spirit warns us in advance so we can be prepared. Therefore when someone departs from the faith, we have to think it through carefully. Yes, he spoke the truth in the past, but now what he speaks has departed from the truth. Will you follow him? Because of emotional ties?

Read v6 again
We think a person is a good minister when he’s humble and has a lot of love. “Other ministers chide me for being unholy. This minister is so nice and says Jesus will forgive me, just need to offer. Jesus tells us to love one another what. So just focus on loving one another. If you keep talking about doctrines and truth, you cause ill feelings! We just need love.” But can loving one another save you? This itself can’t save you. Many people outside show greater and more love than we do. They sacrifice greatly but such a love can’t save them. If it was possible, don’t need Jesus to die on the cross for us. Therefore to be saved we need to abide by the word of God.

Loving one another is just a basic principle in life.

We need to be wary of the doctrines that destroy the truth. That’s why a good minister is one that instructs

True love is not one that just loves the body but also the soul. Therefore to love one another in the Lord is to be able to exhort one another in the word; to instruct one another with the word of God so that we turn back to the right path. Truly valuable love.

To become a chick takes several days. The hen needs to be especially patient and gentle with the egg. If the hen is clumsy, it may step on the egg and kill it. It also needs patience, if not there’s no way it’ll hatch into a chick. For a faith to grow, you need patience and effort. That’s why Paul tells Timothy he has to preach in season and out of season, then the faith will be built up. One thing he also says: use all forms of endurance and teaching, whether to rebuke exhort or comfort, teaching is something not easy. You’ll lose heart and be disappointed. That’s why some give up teaching. But understand: for a life to grow and be nurtured, really need patience and time.

The egg also says, “My mother has to lay an egg each day. Laying an egg, means there’s life. Not laying an egg means no life.”
One day the chick asked the mother of the hen can not lay an egg that day and go out and play.
“I can’t. I must lay everyday.
An egg a day, keeps the chopper away.”
If the farmer doesn’t have an egg, the chicken will be eaten instead.

“Remember this. Your existence is because you have value. You’re gotten rid of when you lose your value.”
A hen that lays eggs has value. But it doesn’t lay eggs, it loses its value.

As a hen, we have to lay eggs everyday.

Luke 13:7
Christians are like the fig trees the master has planted. Fig trees are planted not for their shade but for their fruit. Its value is derived from its ability to bear figs. If it doesn’t bear figs, it’s just using up space and is useless.

“This tree has not had fruit for 3 years. I’ll let it remain for one more year. If not, I’ll cut it up. Why should it use up space?”