【Original Audio Bible Study Recording - Mandarin Version - Theme: Not One Thing Left Undone - Sharing on August 21, 2019】
Implementing God's Word Without the Slightest Neglect
Let us examine Joshua Chapter 11. I have observed that the brothers and sisters possess a commendable ability to grasp the central theme. The theme of this chapter, as you have rightly summarised, is: He left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. (Joshua 11:15). In truth, if one could execute 80% of what God commands, that might still be acceptable; perhaps there are those capable of achieving 90%. However, to execute 99% would be considerably challenging. To leave not one thing undone is truly a tall order! For much of what resides within us stands in opposition to God's commands.
Take myself, for instance. If I were Joshua, I might find God's command somewhat troublesome. I would ponder: Why sever the horses' hamstrings? Are horses not exceedingly useful? The most critical question for us as preachers today is whether we can completely rely on our God. Why do we harbour so many reservations, rendering us incapable of fully trusting in God? It stems from a worldly value system. I have come to realise that this worldly value system is exceptionally potent! What constitutes this worldly value system? It encompasses reliance on chariots, horses, muscle, strength, ability, and the multitude of people... many of us still cling to these notions.
This worldly system appears entirely reasonable, thereby presenting us with immense difficulty: If we were to truly emulate Joshua, leaving not one thing undone, you would discover that it is exceedingly challenging! We selectively heed what aligns with our reasoning, disregarding what does not. Such is the propensity of man. For instance, in our church, some brothers and sisters have remarked: Pastor, we thoroughly enjoy your sermons! I have listened to this sermon of yours, and that Bible study of yours... They often add a caveat: However, there are aspects with which we do not concur. Upon hearing this however, I generally grasp their intended meaning. Of course, I do not claim that my words are the very words of God, but rather, that their thought processes are particularly intriguing.
Observe what Joshua accomplished, leaving not one thing undone, executing everything regardless of its perceived rationality. This is indeed a challenge! For example, in the context of church construction, nearly everyone I encounter asserts: To build a church, one must have people! To build a church, one must have money! Such individuals are deeply apprehensive of losing members or contributions. But what does church construction truly necessitate? Not these; it is God! If we construct a church replete with people and money, yet devoid of God, what are we truly accomplishing?
Should you inquire: Why are there so many miracles and wonders manifested in your midst? Why is God manifestly present with you? In addressing this matter, one must examine the underlying logic system within our hearts. Recall my early days of church construction, which were far less prosperous than today. I possessed neither people nor money; truly, I lacked everything. Save for a heart of pure reliance on God, I possessed nothing! But I resolved: Even should the church dwindle to a mere single member, I would still adhere to God's word. I resolved to seek God, to comprehend the meaning of His words, and to execute all that God commanded.
Is this undertaking arduous? Indeed, it often presented perplexing dilemmas. For instance, should one dare to request tithes from the impoverished? That was a genuine struggle! I jest not. Even now, as I reflect upon it, my heart palpitates. For at that juncture, it truly seemed impossible to persist! But the days passed. Today, I extend no leniency! Spare me your justifications; God declares that those who do not tithe are thieves. It is exceedingly straightforward: to not tithe is to be a thief.
If you do not tithe, then what is your purpose here? In those days, I lacked the audacity; had I demanded such, would not all have departed? Later, I steeled myself to demand it of the people, leaving no aspect of God's word undone. And what transpired? God is indeed faithful! Are those impoverished individuals of yesteryear still impoverished today? I assure you, they are not; they have all acquired property and thrive abundantly. Did I harm them by demanding tithes in those days, or did I aid them? I aided them, of course!
Some time ago, an individual left a message on our church's donation page: This is a swindler! This is a cult! This is extortion! Let him speak as he may; whether I am such is another matter entirely. Our brothers and sisters must understand: Even should you wish to donate, I may not necessarily accept it, let alone if you do not donate. If you donate, you must comprehend the significance of tithing. Should you not comprehend the significance of tithing, I beseech you, do not donate rashly. Would not such rash donation be an affront to God? Would not such donation become an accursed thing in God's eyes?
I shall append a statement to the website: If you do not comprehend the significance of tithing, I beseech you, do not donate. We have upgraded once more! Years ago, I boldly demanded tithes, but now, if you are unworthy, you need not donate. What does this signify? It signifies that we are truly not reliant on money. Initially, the church's construction was hampered by a lack of both people and money, but I possessed a resolute heart: to construct a church imbued with God's presence; to execute all that God commands.
Among us are also preachers, and if you are listening to these words, I must provoke you with a few remarks: Do you truly execute all that God commands? To this day, the preachers I have encountered are remarkably miserly! Always seeking to exploit advantages, seizing every opportunity. In my ministry, I do not haggle with you over offerings. But as a preacher, to be perpetually meticulous, calculating every angle to economise, such a mindset cannot construct a thriving church, for your very being is imbued with a worldly logic system!
We must genuinely contemplate, what is the God we serve? The God of heaven and earth, the Creator of the universe. Many nurture a few petty spirits, sometimes effective, sometimes not; utter nonsense! Ultimately, they render themselves utterly miserable, occasionally seeking my assistance to exorcise demons.
Demolishing the Value System of All the World
The difficulty lies precisely here, in what resides within our hearts. The reason for Joshua's prowess lies in his wholehearted following of the Lord his God, as did Caleb, who wholeheartedly followed the Lord their God. This quality of wholeheartedness is extraordinary! To what extent of wholeheartedness? To the extent of leaving not one thing undone. Therefore, among us, whether you are a Christian, a leader, a pastor, or a listener on the website, I encourage you: Trust wholly in the Lord God, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall never suffer loss, you shall never be put to shame!
Why do so many problems befall preachers today? Because the things residing within their minds are lethal! I led a sister in prayer, who had formerly served actively in another church. Upon joining our midst, her worldly value system had not yet been cleansed, and she was preoccupied with securing a stable dwelling. From a human perspective, this is such a normal requirement! Consequently, she frequently experienced excruciating rib pain in the middle of the night. As I led her in prayer, her cries of pain were terrifying! Seeing her in such a pitiful state at that time, should one speak the truth to her? I cared not for such considerations! I resolved to vanquish this worldly value system within her.
In truth, life is a simple matter. What is so remarkable about sleeping on the streets? China has bathhouses; one can bathe and sleep on the streets without fear. Upon hearing this, some retorted: Why do you not sleep on the streets? Actually, if it were truly necessary to sleep on the streets, I could indeed sleep soundly; I simply do not care! A critical matter for man is the ingrained tendency to rely on something. Of course, we are not idly seeking to eradicate all these matters, but rather, what truly resides within our hearts.
I said to this sister: Even if there remains but a single breath, one must emerge from the house, even crawl out. Why insist that she emerge from the house? Because I had been praying for over ten hours, yet she had not improved; my heart was truly distressed. She suffered, and I suffered as well; she suffered physically, while I suffered emotionally! Perhaps you say: She is suffering so greatly; how can you still demand that she emerge from the house? How devoid of compassion! Fortunately, this sister was also resolved to contend with this worldly system. She staggered out, biting her teeth, crawled into the car, and drove to an open space. At a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, she remained there and prayed with me. As she prayed, progress was made! Truly effective! Glory to God!
Later, this sister emerged from the car, strolling about while praying, and loosening up even more; not merely a little, but truly loosening up considerably. Later, upon returning home and sleeping, she was completely healed! I thought to myself: Man's reliance on the world, on houses, on cars, is truly dreadful. There is a saying in China: To possess a car and a house, and to have lost one's parents, is a good condition for marriage. But these are all worldly systems! This sister is now completely healed, glory to God!
One day, I worked an entire day, utterly exhausted! Upon returning home at three in the morning, just as I was about to sleep, the telephone rang. I saw that it was a sister whom I had led to faith. Special service was required! I immediately rose and answered the telephone. She said: Pastor, my stomach and abdomen are cramping with pain. From her voice, I could tell that she was writhing in agony. I surmised that it must be a worldly system; that old horse had arrived. I prayed for an hour or two, and she was healed. In the morning, she notified me that she was completely healed. That day, I was bleary-eyed with fatigue, but still had to conduct training.
It is exceedingly difficult for man to completely relinquish reliance on the world. If you desire to emulate me, leading brothers and sisters into the Promised Land, enabling them to draw upon God's promises, to trample upon the devilish foe, and to establish a triumphant church, you must possess the resolve of Joshua. Such resolve is exceedingly difficult! At that time, Joshua saw excellent horses and excellent chariots; could his heart not have struggled?
Having fought a hard-won victory, seizing the enemy's tanks and warships, the outcome was to burn the tanks and destroy the warships. Can you comprehend this? I certainly cannot. How could such excellent items be destroyed? But those who trust in God cannot rely on intellectual comprehension. There are many incomprehensible matters. For instance, I pray, and your pain is healed; a moment ago you were writhing in agony, but now you are healed. Can I comprehend this? According to my intellect, I cannot comprehend it, but I know that God can accomplish this!
God Is the One Who Gives Us Victory
We must realise one thing: Who gives us victory? Is it chariots? Is it horses? Is it men? Is it warriors? None of these; it is reliance on God! I reiterate this matter, not to humiliate you, but to proclaim the resolve within me. Despite the fact that I have many co-workers, many of them also fear the departure of those beneath them. They also seek to prove their abilities to me, but such thoughts are futile, for they belong to the worldly system.
I frequently say to them: Do not fear the departure of those beneath you. If we establish a church, even if I am left alone, I shall still adhere to all of God's statutes and ordinances, trusting solely in Him. Upon hearing these words, you may think: You are quite arrogant! What can you accomplish without us? Even without you, I shall be meticulous in observing and adhering to God's word. Is it not through my meticulous observance and adherence to God's word that you have come to be here?
The Israelites fought without chariots or horses. Their victory did not depend on chariots or horses or warriors. It was God Who gave them victory. All battles are spiritual matters! Victory in the spirit brings about our victory in worldly battles. Without victory in the spirit, you cannot prevail in the world. Some desire to learn Bible study from me; it is futile! To learn pastoral care, it is futile! Is it because others are incapable, and only you are capable? No! It is because my inherent character is effective. If you do not possess my character, you cannot accomplish it.
Do you truly dare to compete? Can you truly emulate Joshua, fighting victoriously, cutting the hamstrings of those horses, and burning the chariots? Would it not be advantageous to retain those horses for labour? Would it not be advantageous to retain those chariots for transportation? Can you comprehend this? I cannot. I only know that God said to cut the hamstrings of those horses and to burn those chariots, so we shall act according to what God declares.
If God were to instruct me to do so, I would certainly do so. Why? Because having believed in God, is it not nonsensical to disobey God's word? If we are to believe, let us believe to the core! Why does God often speak to me, but not to you? It is because I heed God's words, while you do not! God instructs you to cut the hamstrings of the horses, but you deem the horses to be excellent. God instructs you to burn the chariots, but you deem it advantageous to retain the chariots for personal use. In so doing, you disobey God. The consequences of disobeying God's word are exceedingly tragic.
When has God ever instructed us that pastors must fear leaders? When has God ever instructed us that pastors must fear members? If you are determined to retain those individuals, you will certainly be dominated by evil spirits. Pastors who come to our midst to listen to my teachings, do not learn Bible study from me, nor learn pastoral care from me. What you need to learn is Joshua's resolve to wholeheartedly obey the commands of the Lord God. Having first possessed such resolve, you may then proceed to learn those other things.
Leaving not one thing undone, dare we declare this? To this day, I am fearfully and tremblingly working out my salvation. As God instructs, so shall we act. For instance, I acted in a certain manner five years ago, but God later declared that such actions were not permissible. Some then question God: Where were You five years ago? God, why did You not inform me five years ago? We then proceed to discern good and evil with God.
Meticulously Observing and Adhering to All of God's Word
What God does not permit us to do, we shall not do. In this battle, God declared that all within the city of Jericho was to be burned, and nothing was to be retained, so we retained nothing, delivering the gold and silver to God, and that was the end of it. Upon reaching Ai, God declared: Divide these spoils. The people then took some of the spoils and divided them among themselves. At that time, God declared to cut the hamstrings of the horses, so we cut the hamstrings. At this time, God declared that the hamstrings of the horses were not to be cut, so we did not cut them. As God commands, so shall we act. This is called meticulously observing and adhering to the commands of the Lord your God.
I am exceedingly grateful that God has not spoken to some among us. If God were to speak to you, yet you did not meticulously observe and adhere to God's word, would that not be a curse? Would you not be akin to King Saul? If you are akin to King Saul, you are mentally ill, and your situation is exceedingly pathetic! Evil spirits invade, evil spirits invade, alas, Saul is rendered utterly miserable!
Not only did God have Joshua hamstring the horses and burn all the chariots, but what else? He left none alive who breathed, regardless of age. I do not understand this either. Isn't this a massacre? Doesn't the scripture say that those who massacre cities are cursed? This is so contrary to human reasoning. According to human reasoning, these people are so pitiful! For example, a mother holding her child and crying, bam! Just like that, killed. Isn't this what the Japanese devils did? But the Bible is written this way, and Joshua did just that.
How much can we understand? Some time ago, I spoke on I had heard of you by the ear, but now my eye sees you, because God asked Job many questions that Job could not answer. If we rely on our understanding of things, we will not be able to move forward. Only trust in God can enable us to move forward, and we will do as God says.
Another question is that people will doubt, did I hear wrongly? Look how pathetic these mothers and children are crying; should we leave them? Did I hear wrongly? There are many such confusions. If you are a good person, I guess you would not be able to do what God commanded. You would not be like Joshua, not even one thing left undone. There are many possibilities that you would not act according to God's word! It is difficult to both serve God and be a good person!
One characteristic of our church is that the requirements are high. What if someone cannot reach them? If you cannot reach them, then it is quite embarrassing! Because Jesus Christ wants disciples, Jesus never wanted believers. If it were all a group of slippery believers, would that be God's will? No. We have been promoting Mingding Destiny. Some people say, what about family life? Actually, I do not know, but that is what God wants, so we require everyone in this way. In fact, as we have walked this path, our family life has been quite good because we have God! God makes us victorious! We listen carefully to what God says, and we no longer rely on chariots, no longer rely on horses, no longer rely on human ability!
Gladly and willingly offer ourselves completely
Another difficult thing is that this is not done for one day or two days, but for many years. Joshua led the Israelites to do this for many years. I dare not boast about anything else; I only boast that the service of our brothers and sisters in the church is truly dedicated. Perhaps you will be fussy: how come I have not seen it? There are many things you have not seen, and I do not need to prove them to you. Such service works for one day, works for two days, but doing it year after year, try it? How is it possible not to affect life?
Doing this is forsaking everything to follow God, like us, not even one thing left undone! By doing this, our brothers and sisters are blessed in every way: blessed in work! Blessed in life! Blessed in business! Why? Because God is present in this place, and a group of brothers and sisters gladly and willingly offer themselves completely. When I say this, it is not for you to seize a handle and question me: didn't you say you have very good customer service? Why don't you come and serve me? I say this to encourage you to participate with us and serve others together with us. Don't misunderstand me!
If the worldly system inside you is not cleaned up, you will not be able to become a blessing to many people, and you will not be able to lead many people into God's promise, because you cannot be like Joshua, not even one thing left undone. I feel that God is full of grace and mercy. Why are those two sisters wincing in pain? I understand God's intention; God wants to thoroughly deal with the worldly system inside them.
If I were to list the worldly systems inside them, there would be many. I not only want to list them, but I also want to list all our brothers and sisters. Do you have an idea inside you: people must have money to live, and to have money, they must work. How can they earn money without work? How can they live without money? This sounds so reasonable, but these are all human principles. People must have God to live!
Your son's depression is healed. We feel that it is a matter of course to have a job. After having a job, we no longer come to trust in God. We cannot control this matter. In fact, it would be better to let him go to the end of his road without a job so that he can turn back to God, but we are reluctant. We ask God to prepare a job for him. After having a job, we put God's affairs last. The worldly system inside people is very common, and many people just cannot understand it.
Many girls, when they see others wearing better clothes, are extremely envious. How beautiful those clothes are! But what happens when you put them on? Nothing much! I have done research on this matter. Some people buy hundreds of clothes and hundreds of pairs of shoes when they have money, and they think about how to match their clothes and shoes every day. What happens later? They are out of luck and fall into loving the world.
It is not easy for us to dismantle this worldly system. Everyone has a love of beauty, is this not normal? It is normal, but this is a worldly system. Breaking the worldly system is really difficult! Isn't it beautiful to wear a gold necklace? Beautiful for what?
If you read the Bible carefully, you will find that many times we do not understand: did God tell Abraham to pitch tents all day long, or was he willing to do so? He just pitched tents all day long, dismantled the tents and left, then built tents again, dismantled them again, and continued to move forward. Isn't this a waste of time? It would be better to find a place and build a city! He had to keep walking and walking, which is really incomprehensible. In fact, I tell you: God made Abraham do this to make him regard the things of the world as temporary dwellings. Just like we rent a house, live in it for a while, and then leave this place and return to God.
Abraham lived this way, but Lot and his wife did not think so. They felt that the days of running around and having no fixed abode were not good. The couple discussed it and left Abraham and went to the plain of the Jordan River. They still felt that it was good to live in brick houses with bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, where they could eat a full meal, take a good bath, and have a good night's sleep. This sounds so reasonable! Later, Lot was miserable. Fire came down from the sky and burned down his house. He lost everything in an instant, but Abraham was still doing well and continuing to move forward.
All the plunder of these cities, and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave anyone breathing. As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses. (Joshua 11:14-15)
Seek God wholeheartedly and implement God's word
In this chapter, why was Joshua able to do it? Because none of these people came to make peace. It is not that Joshua did not have grace and mercy. If there was a Rahab among these people, God would not only save her, but God would also be gracious to her. God does not lack obstinate and rebellious people; God lacks those who seek Him. Those who seek Him lack no good thing.
Even in the land of Canaan, no matter which tribe or which clan, as long as they said in their hearts: I must seek, I must imitate Rahab, and I must learn from the Gibeonites, God would save them from death. But at that time, there was no one seeking, no one coming to make peace. If there were, wouldn't they all have been left behind? Everyone must remember one thing: those who are obstinate and rebellious will die sooner or later anyway. Living to this time is already God's grace.
If we want to emulate Joshua, we must be like Joshua, listening to God's word. If a person repents, why would God deal with him? If a person does not repent, what is the point of keeping him? Therefore, building a church means building a clean, holy, and unified church.
If there are pastors among us, or pastors who listen to my sharing online, I have a suggestion for you here: building a church should be like Joshua, wholeheartedly trusting in the Lord your God, wholeheartedly trusting in our Jesus Christ. Only He makes us victorious! We do not rely on chariots or horses, but only trust in the Lord God. It is this kind of determination that has led us all the way to this day, and it is this kind of determination that has allowed us to see God's work among us.
God is sitting on His throne, searching everywhere in heaven and on earth for treasures, searching for people who can wholeheartedly trust in Him. If He finds them, He will sell everything to redeem us. Jesus came to redeem us. When building a church, do not collect garbage into the church. Because the church is the body of Jesus Christ, not a place to gather numbers. What is the point of staring at how many people are gathering every day? There is no point at all. Therefore, we are determined to build a holy, unified, glorious church that keeps the truth and fights victoriously.
And they utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it, with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire. (Joshua 11:11)
Here it says that there was not one left. What are you doing leaving those who oppose God in the church? What are you doing leaving the Pharisees? I have a feeling in my heart: many pastors care too much about numbers, and they feel that it is not easy to get someone to come in and it is not easy to keep them, but in the end, they have kept someone who corrupts the church.
God wants us to shepherd God's flock. If you bring a wolf cub to shepherd, then one sheep will be lost today and another sheep will be lost tomorrow, and you still do not know that it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. What are you doing then? Will God not hold you accountable? Therefore, our brothers and sisters, you must know that God often tests us in the church to see if we keep and obey everything He says. The Bible says:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:47-50)
Can you understand? Some pastors do not do this. When they pull up a net, they collect the good into vessels and also collect the bad into vessels. Doesn't this become a junk collection? Isn't that troublesome? The church is the body of Jesus Christ. If you collect garbage, junk, and demons into the body of Jesus Christ, will God not hold you accountable? Is it not right to be cursed?
Brothers and sisters, you may feel that what I am saying is a bit harsh, but it would be good if someone could be blessed by my words. Because the church wants to lead many brothers and sisters and shepherd God's flock, bringing them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Strictly implementing every word that God has said and building a systematic faith, knowing very clearly what God's will is, takes a long road.
I once served a couple who were both church leaders. Once I went to their church and saw this sister walking with a limp, leaning on a crutch. I wondered: both husband and wife are church leaders and often do healing and deliverance, but no one cares about this sister's problem. This sister said to me: my legs ache so badly at night that I cannot sleep and I feel uncomfortable. I said to this sister: in this way, when you cannot sleep at night and you are in so much pain, call me and I will lead you in prayer. This is my phone number.
Later, one night, she called me, and I led her in prayer for two hours, from one o'clock to three o'clock in the morning, and the pain disappeared. The next day, I met them, and I said to her husband: Brother, yesterday I led your wife in prayer. Did it affect your sleep? He said to me: It's okay. It's good for you to serve in this way, but you should seek the kind of effect that can be healed with a snap of your fingers. Seriously, at that time, I really wanted to snap him!
There was another very hateful person who was also a church leader who said to me: Casting out demons? We have all played this game of casting out demons. It doesn't work! After casting them out, they come back, and after casting them out, they come back, so let's just forget about it. What kind of brain is this? It's really full of crap! I said: Do you want to know my approach? Like Joshua: If they come again after being cast out, then I will cast them out every time they come. I don't believe I can't kill you, you little thing!
Do we want to seek healing with a snap of our fingers, or do we want to seek to keep and obey God's word for many years, not even one thing left undone? Brothers and sisters, you must know that God is shaping us, shaping our tenacious character, tenacious trust in God, because God wants to lead us into the promised land.
Summary
Because I cast out demons so much, the demons are terrified when they see me, because inside me is this determination to follow God wholeheartedly, not even one thing left undone, and I will never give up until I get to the promised land. The demon said to me: You can't cast out all demons, can you? This is very interesting. I said: I tell you, I will definitely kill you, do you believe it? This demon quickly wilted. The demon said: If you cast me out, I will come back. I said: I will still cast you out. If you come back, I will cast you out again, you little thing. I can't deal with you? The demons must surrender before me.
This is the determination to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. We no longer rely on chariots, no longer rely on horses, no longer rely on muscles, no longer rely on people, no longer rely on weapons, no longer rely on any methods, but rely on the determination to simply trust in God. Then I tell you, when you study the scriptures, God's revelation will come; when you lead in prayer, God's grace will be manifested; when you lead in healing and deliverance, God will be clearly with you, and you will be able to completely trample on the devil and the enemy. Like Joshua, you will lead many people into the promised land, and then there will be days of peace. How prosperous it is to have victory in battle bringing peace!
May God bless everyone!
Joshua List