Chapter 03 - We Do As God Says
Many people love the Lord, but loving the Lord means acting according to His word. To God, obedience to His commands is far better than sacrifice. In the Book of Samuel, did Saul obey God's commands? Perhaps he obeyed half or ninety-nine percent, but that is not what God wants. God wants people to implement His word one hundred percent.
God's requirements of us are actually very simple. For example, regarding the city of Jericho, God said to kill all the living creatures in it, including the livestock, and to dedicate all the spoils to God. But Achan secretly kept some of the treasures for himself, and as a result, the Israelites suffered a defeat (Joshua 7-8). This is a very serious problem! We must know what God says and then act accordingly.
In 1 Samuel 15, Saul made a grave mistake. God said: You must kill all the Amalekites, including all their livestock; do not leave a single one alive. But he saw that the sheep and cattle were good and spared them. Keeping the sheep and cattle was not a big deal in itself, but God had clearly told him otherwise, and he deliberately disobeyed God's word. When we read the Bible, we must understand the essence: if a person wants to deliberately disobey God's word, he can always find a reason. Saul thought the sheep and cattle were good and could be used as sacrifices to God, which sounded good, but it violated God's word (1 Samuel 15:2-23).
There are several principles when reading God's word: The first principle is that you should act according to what God says. For example, when Moses built the tabernacle, if God said fifty tent pegs, then it had to be fifty, not one less. We do as God says, and if we deliberately disobey God's word, there will be no good outcome!
I have met many pastors who read the same Bible as I do. The number of times they twist God's word is quite obvious. For example: Do not seek the Holy Spirit, because evil spirits may come. There is no such statement in the Bible. How dare he say such a thing? The Bible says that signs and wonders will accompany those who believe, and if there are no signs and wonders, it is because of their unbelief. Jesus said: These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons. Yet they do not drive out demons. Are these people not clearly opposing God!
If we carefully examine the church, this situation is very common. I often meet Christians, like a sister whose former church would sit in a circle to eat, with each person praying for five minutes. With ten people, that's fifty minutes, and they all pray the same thing. Don't you find it strange? Even general common sense is being violated. God has never required this.
The Pharisees clearly had this kind of situation. What is keeping the Sabbath? God said that keeping the Sabbath means keeping the Sabbath, worshiping God properly. If one sees a sheep falling into a well, and a person is about to die, can one ignore it? But when Jesus took care of it, they wanted to kill Jesus. What kind of people are these? They discuss together what is called keeping the Sabbath? Walking one mile is keeping the Sabbath, walking two miles is not keeping the Sabbath. God never said that. There are many such things now. For example, at Christmas, the church focuses on rehearsing programs, while the more important thing is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Many people do not do these things, and these are real problems.
In our generation, there are many strange things. For example, a sister has shoulder pain, bloating, sleep paralysis, and dreams of dead people. Does anyone really care? Rehearsing programs, singing hymns, leading the choir – don't they find this strange? Isn't God asking us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God? What Jesus did is very different from what some pastors do. I once asked myself: When Jesus comes again, how will He view this?
I used to love the Lord very much. My work was particularly busy at that time, and I spent all my vacations not on travel, but studying at a seminary. I thought I could gain something from studying, but one day I asked a theology professor: If Jesus came among us, how would He view this? The professor said: I am not Jesus, how would I know how He views it? From then on, I stopped going, even though I had paid the tuition.
Receiving Healing and Loving Mercy is God's Will
We must know how God sees things. Reading God's word means walking with our God; our thoughts, ideas, and viewpoints must all be the same as God's. Is what God tells us so difficult to understand? It is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. It is God's will for us to be delivered and live in health, so we must live in God's will. Those theologians say that Paul also had a thorn in his flesh. If Paul only had one thorn, and you have so many thorns, why not remove them? Does God want us to live like hedgehogs, with many thorns on our backs? That is not God's will.
God does not like His people to live in pain, entanglement, and discomfort. But today I am surprised to find that many pastors are completely unaware of this. Several years ago, when establishing the church, I knew that God's will was for us to be healed. I made up my mind: if this sister/brother is not healed, we will not stop praying.
Two years ago, there was a sister named HJ who had a malignant tumor in her lower abdomen that looked like cauliflower. She came to our church, and we began to pray for her all day long. We ministered to her for two months without stopping for a single day, praying until 12 midnight, even 3 or 4 in the morning. That was in early 2015, and the church only had 40 or so people. Even after removing the newcomers, we were quite busy every day. Her synovial sarcoma, which was the size of a fist in November, became the size of an egg after two months, and after another month, it became the size of a quail egg. That is how we ministered.
From the beginning of building the church, we knew that God's will was for people to be healed. When she was in pain, she would scream loudly, and we really didn't know when the prayer would end. An hour passed, two hours passed, and the pain ended after two and a half hours. I tell you, it was not only the person being ministered to who was experiencing God, but we were also experiencing God. It was so amazing! As long as we make up our minds to do what God wants us to do, we can continue to pray like that.
Now the healing speed is very fast; people are healed as soon as we pray. In the beginning, it would take three hours, five hours. Several years ago, Sister QL had heart failure, and her heart rate dropped to about 20 beats per minute, which was very dangerous. Sister NJ and I prayed for a total of eight hours, and after seven and a half hours, her heart returned to normal. The doctor came in and asked what had happened. My mom said, My son prayed for me and I got well. When we hold fast to God's promises, that is, believe and persevere to the end! We will experience many of God's graces.
No Matter What, We Must Obtain God's Promises
Today, I want to address the issue of pastors cutting corners at every level, unwilling to pay the price. Am I losing out by serving with such dedication? No, I am not! At least I know one thing: God will definitely keep me healthy and alive. People like me in their fifties have children who are only children; will you expect the young couple to serve four elderly people in the future? It would be good if they didn't expect you to. Later, I thought to myself that God is faithful, and we must grasp God's promises no matter what. We push forward with healing and deliverance until today, and I firmly believe that God has solved the most critical medical problems in our midst.
Whether in developed or underdeveloped countries, healthcare is always a thorny issue. One thing worth considering is that one of my classmates is the director of surgery at a very famous hospital in our area. My father died in that hospital. His father was also the director of surgery in that department. He is now in his eighties, but he is paralyzed. Although his father is an orthopedic doctor himself, he cannot solve his own orthopedic problems. He is also a doctor, but he cannot solve his father's problems either. Do you still have confidence in healthcare? I have never had confidence in hospitals. Hospitals only focus on one thing, and you know it and I know it, which is to get the money out of your pocket. As for whether your illness is cured, that is not their concern. You pay when you are healed, and you pay even if you are not healed. If the house is not well renovated, you can refuse to pay the balance. But you can't do that with medical treatment! If treating the liver damages the kidneys, and then you treat the kidneys, you still have to pay them for treating the kidneys, because they have already told you that the medication will damage the kidneys. You have to pay for seeing a doctor and getting well, and you have to pay even if you don't get well.
Today I bring you great news: our God is the God who heals me! As long as you make up your mind to implement it, that's great! Today I challenge brothers and sisters to establish a covenant with God: take the time you would spend sick in bed in your old age to serve God, and live your whole life in God's promises. Today, on the surface, it looks like we are paying a price, but it is nothing. Yesterday I went to bed at two o'clock and got up at four o'clock, and then drove. There were no problems. I don't get beauty sleep, and I don't care about getting up early and working late, and I don't have any problems, right?
Fight in Faith, and God Will Surely Protect You
Obtaining promises is a key concept from Genesis to Deuteronomy. The land that God gave to Abraham was to be taken by Moses and Joshua, who were to lead the Israelites, with real swords and guns, to drive out the people of that place. So I will simply ask a question: Why didn't God annihilate the people of that place and let them walk in smoothly? Why wasn't it that the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant, worshiped and praised, and God drove out those people in front, or those people all died, but instead they had to go in with swords and guns to fight?
God handed over the land and the people on it to the Israelites, but the Israelites were afraid to fight, and as a result, they died in the wilderness. What does fighting represent? It's not a joke! Imagine in a time of war, you are a soldier in the army, and fighting is difficult! The two armies are in a melee, with real swords and guns, and people will really die. So why does God want us to fight? It is to make our faith a faith that is willing to pay the price. Swords and guns have no eyes, but we can say that those who have faith will not die, but those who are afraid are more likely to die. If you fight in faith, can't God protect you? God can definitely protect you.
Why didn't Joshua and Caleb die? Joshua and Caleb faced those giants. Caleb faced the land he received, which was inhabited by giants, the most difficult land to conquer. But Caleb went in, and he, an old man in his eighties, killed those giants, and Caleb did not die. So it is said that those who have faith will not die, and those who have faith will obtain the promises, and this faith is embodied in fighting. If we have faith in God, you must know that it is Jehovah, my God, who fights for us.
Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22)
I have cast out many demons, and I pray for people's deliverance when I cast out demons. Sometimes, I still have to respect the person being ministered to. I asked a sister to throw the idols in her house into the trash, but she disagreed and asked me to send them to the temple, so I respected her and sent them to the temple. Do not be afraid of them, for it is Jehovah, your God, who fights for you.
Do Not Be Afraid, for It Is Jehovah, Your God, Who Fights for You
When you are afraid, don't say that the devil knows, even the dogs on the road know! When you walk on the road, if you are afraid, the dog will definitely come and bite you! If you say, What are you afraid of? I'll fix you, it will definitely run away with its tail between its legs. A few days ago, I went to the house of a sister who had just believed in the Lord. She had a small dog at her house. I went in swaggering, and it wagged its tail at me and was well-behaved. But if a person who is afraid of dogs goes in, the dog will bully you. So do not be afraid, for it is Jehovah, your God, who fights for you.
Whether it is speaking in tongues, casting out demons, or laying on hands, any release from fear is not from God. Once I was praying for someone, and his back hurt. When I prayed, my back also hurt. Most people would be afraid, but I was not afraid. I kept praying with that person until my back didn't hurt and his didn't hurt either. That was a battle. There are all kinds of things that happen, and I don't care. If a person wants to realize God's promises, he must not be afraid of death. A person who is afraid of death has no way to serve God. The Bible says this:
Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33)
Believe That You Have Received and You Will Receive
The Israelites faced a fierce battle when they entered the land of Canaan. God had Moses lead the Israelites to win several battles to tell them not to be afraid, for it is God who fights for them! Many people are afraid of ghosts: If I drive out so many ghosts, won't the ghosts want to kill me? But they can't! Because it is Jehovah, my God, who fights for us! Today we read this passage, which records that Moses led the Israelites to make a demonstration for the people before entering the land of Canaan, so that they would know that it is Jehovah God who fights for them, and everything related to God's promises is 100% certain to be obtained.
A brother asked me, Teacher, have any of the things you prayed for not turned out well? I said, Yes, you! Why? Because you ask such a question with a doubtful thought. If you want to be healed, believe. The Foolish Old Man did not know God, but he had faith, and the mountain in front of his door was moved away! Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. That is God's promise. The lesson of faith is very wonderful. Jack Ma, who does business, does well. He does not believe in Jesus, but he is a man of faith. God reigns in this world, and God lets us see that those who have faith will surely succeed.
Practicing Faith in Spiritual Warfare
Faith propels one into spiritual warfare. If you cannot defeat the big demons, start with the small ones. Some are unwilling to engage the small ones and unable to defeat the big ones. The people east of the Jordan River were easily defeated. God used these two kings to seize the cities, letting the Israelites know there was no need to be afraid. God gave a demonstration to ensure certainty that there is no need to fear, for the Lord your God is the one who fights for you. Warfare is the best embodiment of faith.
Regardless of who we are, we must be pushed into the ministry of healing and deliverance to practice faith. Our church has two foundational ministries: healing and deliverance, and the ministry of the Word. The purpose of the ministry of the Word is for brothers and sisters to understand and grasp God's word. Jesus mainly did two things on earth: preaching the word of God and healing and deliverance, these are the most basic. If everyone does these two ministries well, they will gain much. For example, my mother has heart failure. If she didn't have a son like me to heal and deliver her and teach her the Word of God, it would be difficult for her to persevere. Everyone should yearn to participate in such training, to strike at the powers of darkness through spiritual warfare. Jehovah will surely fight for us. Put faith into practice, and you will receive the promise. Within your sight, your family and friends will see God's faithfulness.
God is very humane; He remembers your family. God considered Lot for Abraham's sake, rescuing Lot from Sodom. God will also bless our families through our faith. Arise and fight, practice your faith in the battle, and receive God's promise.
Two tribes were content with what they had and unwilling to fight, but Moses commanded them, Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock may remain in the land which I have given you. But you shall cross over armed before your brothers, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the Lord has given rest to your brothers as to you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you. (Deuteronomy 3:18-20). This shows that people are naturally averse to warfare. For example, when ministering to Sister LHJ, I had to rise early and work late. I needed to prepare my Sunday sermon, and on Saturday at 10 PM, just as I was about to prepare my notes, a sister developed a high fever. If I ministered to her, who knew how long it would take, possibly until the next morning? What about the Sunday sermon? It was a real struggle, but in the end, I put aside the notes and prayed with the sister.
Every Healing and Deliverance is an Exercise
Of the many people I have ministered to, some are willing to emulate my ministry to others, while others are not. It’s okay for me to minister to them, but they are unwilling to minister to others. For example, recently there was a sister whom I spent much time and energy ministering to, along with her family. She was delivered from the bondage of mental illness. Her grandmother had a stroke and was in critical condition. That day, I was already exhausted from being so busy, but when I saw her come to me, I prayed for her grandmother, and she recovered. But when it was her turn to minister, she was unwilling to serve others, unwilling to pray for others until 2 AM.
People should not be foolish. Know that service is a grace. Don't think that if you don't fight the demons, they won't fight you. There is absolutely no such thing as peaceful coexistence with demons. It's like the Japanese devils; if you are weak, the enemy will bully you even more. Strength is developed in warfare.
Pay the Price to Fight! Cash in on God's Promises
Moses knew long ago that these people were unwilling to fight, feeling content to stay where they were. After wandering in the wilderness for so many years, they finally had a place to settle down and didn't want to bother anymore, leaving the rest to you. As a result, Moses said:
At that time I commanded you: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your valiant men are to cross over armed ahead of your fellow Israelites. However, your wives, your children and your livestock (I know you have much livestock) may stay in the towns I have given you, until the Lord gives rest to your fellow Israelites as he has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan. After that, each of you may return to the possession I have given you.’ (Deuteronomy 3:18-20)
Don't think that the demons have been cast out of us and we have already enjoyed peace, and that the demons in others should be cast out by the pastor. God is very clear about this selfish thinking. Moses commanded them to continue fighting, why? Actually, the reason is very simple: until all the churches are completely transformed. I don't have a selfish thought in me; I hope that the churches all over the earth can prosper. Not only the Chinese churches, but also the English-speaking foreign churches, I hope they are transformed as well. Therefore, the work we have done in the past is not just for our church.
Why do I write so many books, organize and reorganize these Bible study materials, and organize the information on the website so neatly? It is to bless all nations and all peoples, to bless every church, and also for more people to receive blessings. Today, we are not only fighting for ourselves, but also for the brothers and sisters of other churches, so that they too may receive the promised land. It doesn't matter if we are met with cold shoulders or have to hold stinky feet. Whether people want to be served is their business, but I want to walk in God's will. A Christian's lifestyle, a life of warfare that blesses all churches and all brothers and sisters, is very wonderful. The most tiring thing is to sit idle at home. You wake up in the morning with aches and pains. But if you are busy and fulfilled all day, you will be very satisfied.
Every time I hear that other churches use the materials and books from our website, I am especially grateful to God, feeling that this life has not been in vain, and that it is good to live and serve God. Our church's vision is to be a blessing to all nations and all peoples.
We must have this kind of heart: You go to war, whether it is for yourself to obtain the promised land, or for your brothers, that is called working with God. Because our God is a God who fights for us. Jehovah our God has long handed over that land and the inhabitants of that land into our hands, we are just going to take it. Such a simple thing, how can we not do it? We are unwilling to do things that benefit us, but we do a lot of things that don't benefit us, how can we be so foolish? This principle is very simple, we must understand: God has given us that land and the people on that land, we only need to go to war, and we will be 100% victorious.
What a great thing this is! God has given us the land, and God is fighting for us! When we pray and fight for others, the devil's heart is already melted. When we pray, we are simply cashing in on God's promises, it's not difficult at all. If your pastoral district leader or cell group leader serves you in this way, it starts from the pastor. When I had problems, did anyone serve me like this? No! It was truly a tearful struggle. Even today, I still serve with tears in my eyes. But I am determined to build a culture of serving like this: fighting together until we obtain the promised land that God has given us. In fact, being such a leader is quite painful, very hard, but also wonderful and tiring.
From the time I believed in the Lord in my twenties until today, I have not rested for a single day in more than twenty years. Last year, when I went to Taiwan, I met a pastor who served a large church and had hydrocephalus. I had ministered to other pastors, and they were all delivered and thought I was pretty divine, so they asked me to minister to this pastor.
When I was praying, God revealed to me: This is a pastor who is unwilling to pay the price! Although I felt very embarrassed, I still said euphemistically, Let me be so bold as to say a few words to you. Can you share with me what is the most difficult thing you have encountered in your service? He said: The most difficult thing in my service is that I have never rested for a day. I said why? He said: From Monday to Saturday, and even on Sundays, I have service all year round. If our cell group leaders serve like this, they will not last long and will collapse in a few years. They lead a cell group once a week, and they have to go back to church for training, and they have to attend the meeting on Sundays. If you calculate it like this, they don't have a single day to rest, how can their bodies stand it? But is this what the Bible says? No! No wonder you have hydrocephalus and I don't. He also rests on Mondays, but I have never rested, and I work like crazy on weekends and nothing happens. What is the reason for this? In fact, when it comes down to it, this is because people have a mentality of being unwilling to pay the price for service.
Today, I really want to encourage the brothers and sisters of our church: can we emulate us in serving like this? If you serve like this, the devil will definitely be afraid of you. If you don't care about the cost at all, the devil will definitely tremble when you start. As a church leader, this point is very important. So I shared with him the heart of paying the price for service, and I prayed for him, and he was released from bondage, But he still may not agree.
Rest is not the solution, Sabbath is
When I was in Taiwan, there was something a pastor said that I did not agree with. He said: Monday is my Sabbath, I never answer phone calls. If a church coworker calls me, I will tell him: Do you know what day it is today? This is my Sabbath, don't call me. I don't understand his logic.
In fact, rest is not the solution, Sabbath is. What is Sabbath? Walking with God is Sabbath. Sabbath means that it doesn't matter if your body is tired. Someday we will lie in a coffin, and then we will have time to rest. This is a bit mean, but it is also a fact. I have also seen many people lying in hospital beds before they die, and they have the most rest at that time, but it is useless.
Today, let us release the power within us and be full of vitality! If you feel tired, you can rest appropriately, but rest is not the key to solving the problem. Serving God and walking with God, allowing the Spirit of God to work in us, can release the power within us. Although I have not rested for a single day in more than twenty years, I have lived a very wonderful life. Today, we must readjust our concepts and stand up and fight.
Busyness Cannot Solve Problems
Yesterday, there was a businessman from Singapore who encountered something. There is a large office in their company. Every morning when they turn on the computers, a row of computers is turned on, and the last computer trips the breaker when it is turned on. No matter how they turn it on, it trips on the last one. He asked me to pray for him and tell him what revelation this was from God. After praying, I told him: Stand up and fight, you do business all day long, can you stop the demons? If the demons want to mess with you, even electricity, you can't handle it. Just knowing how to be busy with work and business, you can't solve the problem. He actually loves the Lord very much, and leads his employees in Bible study every Friday, but it has been stopped for a long time. After stopping once or twice, he gradually became lazy and was busy with business. Busyness cannot solve problems.
The Kingdom of God is Taken by Force
On March 18th of this year, my younger brother had a car accident on the highway. He was thrown out of the car, the car was wrecked, but he was unharmed. I thank God for this. But the problem is that if you don't stand up and fight, the devil will definitely be able to deal with you. There is only one solution, which is to stand up and fight and obtain the promised land.
The promised land is obtained through warfare. Our country's Heixiazi Island was seized by Russia, and many other lost lands are the result of losing wars. If we could beat them, would we lose land? The Chinese nation, although not a warlike nation, has constantly expanded its territory, from the Yellow River and the Yangtze River to Xinjiang and Tibet. Which piece of land was not taken by force? Which piece of land was given to you by others? Christians are the same, they must fight, cast out demons, and constantly expand the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is also taken by force. You must know that wherever we cast out demons, the kingdom of God will come down. We must get out of the attitude of living a comfortable life.
God Has High Demands for Leaders
Verses 23 to 29 of this chapter talk about Moses not being able to enter that land. God has high demands for leaders. God hates people disobeying His word the most. Why could Moses only see the west of the Jordan River from afar, but not enter that land? In fact, God tells us through this passage: If you are a church leader, you must be even more careful to keep and do God's word, and tremble at God's word, and you must implement God's word. So how did Moses fail to implement God's word? Moses was actually very wronged. The Israelites were difficult to lead, but even so, he could not lose his temper. God said: You are to command the rock to bring forth water. As a result, Moses lost his temper, struck the rock with his staff to bring forth water, and vented his dissatisfaction, and therefore could not enter Canaan.
God has high demands for leaders, just like King Saul. God commanded King Saul to completely destroy Amalek and their property and livestock, but Saul and the Israelites loved Agag, the king of Amalek, and their best livestock, and did not kill them. So God was angry and began to reject Saul as king. Therefore, leaders must carefully examine God's word, and implement it as God says.
Being emotional is deadly. In the past, when I was building the church, I encountered some people who were really hateful, and sometimes I couldn't help but lose my temper, but even so, never violate God's word because of your temper. We must begin to see one thing: God gave the Israelites a demonstration: Do not be afraid, for the Lord is the one who fights for you; at the same time, He gave us a demonstration: Do not be like Moses, who violated God's word and could not enter Canaan. You must strictly implement according to God's word: Do as God says. The staff is the authority that God has given us, and you must not abuse it, otherwise you will not receive the promise.
Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22)