1. Theme: Expanding One's Territory

Why do people suffer from mental illness? It is because their territory is limited. Raising one's territory is about personal growth. People must grow and elevate themselves, their vision, and their territory, no matter what. Elevation is the best solution to problems.

Different heights, different capabilities. Raising one's height solves one's problems. When you elevate your height, improve your skills, you will solve your problems. When you enhance your territory, you will suffer less hardship and adversity. The same people and events elicit different reactions. It is crucial to know your position, where you stand. Varying degrees of understanding and reactions to situations indicate different heights and levels of a person.

2. Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

4. Those Who Can Reverse Destiny Are Honorable

Those who can reverse destiny are honorable. Jabez reversed his painful destiny. From a young age, he understood the importance of his name, and the profound impact it had on him. It was because of the longing within him; those who do not accept fate are honorable. Jabez had an immense, yearning heart, a desire to reverse his life.

Unwilling to accept one's fate, even at a heavy price, to reverse one's destiny, God will regard you as honorable, as high.

Abram changed his name to Abraham, and then his destiny changed. Jacob's name was also changed, and his destiny also transformed. Jabez's name means pain, because his mother bore him in great pain. To be called pain throughout one's life—what an impact on this person. Some have wonderful names, but Jabez had such a name. Although names are important, they cannot compare to the longing in Jabez's heart. He did not accept fate. He had a longing within him, a desire for God to reverse his life. Last week, I heard the testimony of a sister, a sister from the countryside. After a period of shaping in the church, she longed to reverse her life, and her work improved greatly. Her performance this month reached ten thousand yuan. I think she never thought she would earn that much. Like Jabez, those who do not accept fate are honorable, as was Jacob.

Brothers and sisters, whether you were born in the countryside or raised in the countryside, without good education or parents, it doesn't matter. Nothing can stop our desire to reverse our lives, our desire to become honorable, knowing that our God is a God who hears prayers. What God is looking for is not what this person's parents are like, but whether this person has a desire for transformation in their heart. I have always longed to transform this era, to transform this desolate era. What kind of God is our God? In the emptiness and chaos, He created the heavens and the earth. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, He sent Jesus Christ to sacrifice for us, to save sinners.

Many years ago, I had a difficult time in Singapore. At that time, I relied on myself, and my faith was completely shattered. I was looking for a God who could reverse my life. I had such a desire. I asked a friend, Can my situation be changed? He said, No, because this is what you cultivated in your previous life. I did not understand. I refused to give in. I believed in my God who answers prayers. The other day in Yantai, I ministered to a sister whose legs were ice-cold and hard. How could such legs soften, how could they get better? My coworker held her legs, and we prayed together fervently, and then they softened. Thank God! In the past, when I experienced such things, I would cry. My God is such a wonderful God. As long as we pray, God will answer us.

Today, brothers and sisters, can you know that we have a rich and glorious image? Do not say that I am a child from the countryside, without good education or good parents. It is not like that. You must have a longing in your heart, a longing to reverse your life, to restore the honorable and glorious image within us.

Jabez didn't have a good name or mother, but he refused to give in. He prayed and called upon God, believed in God, and was transformed by God.

5. Seek God and Believe in God

In suffering, one can choose hope; in despair, one can choose hope. One can choose hope in any situation. Brothers and sisters, let the Spirit of God move there. Then begin to believe in God, seek God, because destiny is in God's hands. Because nothing can stop us from believing that God will reverse our lives. Our God sees us as precious and honorable, because we have faith, and God sees those with faith as precious. Brothers and sisters, begin to have faith, believe in God.

I have a very important concept in my mind: if I haven't gotten it right, I know I haven't gotten it right. The Bible is all about stories of life transformation. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Jacob's life was transformed from the younger son to the elder son. Joseph's life was transformed from a slave to a prime minister. It does not matter whether it is gold or stone. Therefore, stone can be turned into gold, and gold can be turned back into stone. What we are doing is a great business—the philosopher's stone. Our big boss is the God in heaven. This is such a wonderful thing. What a pity if one's life cannot participate in this great business of enabling people to live out glory.

I thank God. Can brothers and sisters know today that you have an honorable and glorious image on you? You must restore this most precious image of God. Stop complaining that you cannot compete with others in connections or talents. Begin to long for the transformation of life, and God will answer you.

Jabez was born with a painful name, but he was not willing. He wanted to reverse his destiny, and God answered him. Destiny can be changed! As long as you seek God and believe in God.

6. What Did Jabez Ask For?

First, Bless me indeed. This is Jabez's prayer. No one asks for curses, only blessings. In the early days of building the church, I met a young man who said, I really want to experience being possessed by a demon. Later, he was really possessed by a demon, and it was very tragic. This demon was asked for by himself. Some people ask, Experience difficulties. What is the point of asking for this?

Hardship is not something to be asked for. We are to transform people's lives, to move people from curses to blessings, from poverty to wealth, from sorrow to joy.

Second, Enlarge my territory. This is also Jabez's prayer. Our territory, attitude, height, and vision determine our entire life. The effects of one's life come from the heart. One's thoughts, intentions, territory, and attitude will determine the kind of life one lives. People's eyes are not the same, and what they experience may be the same or not the same. People must have vision, a high territory, and a good attitude. What your thoughts and intentions are in your heart determines the kind of life you will live. Your vision and attitude toward life determine the results you will live out.

Everyone's eyes are different. Although experiences are the same, what the eyes see is different. People must have vision, height, and attitude in order to have a broader territory. The height of one's attitude determines the height of the person.

The other day, when I returned to the office, one of my coworkers told me that our sister Elim went to a kindergarten to work as a cleaner, cleaning the toilets that others were unwilling to clean, and as a result, her name spread throughout all the branches. Why can cleaning toilets make someone famous? Because she showed her height by cleaning toilets. If you see a dirty toilet and are unwilling to clean it, then your territory is low. People's choices are important. Do you think she just cleaned a toilet? No, she showed the height within her through the act of cleaning the toilet.

To evaluate a person, look at what they see. If they see something bad: a toilet, so dirty, how can I use it? Then this person's territory is low. But if they see such a toilet and think: My opportunity has come, I will clean this toilet. Then this person's territory is high. Stand higher, see further, and constantly improve your abilities and efficiency, and many problems will be solved.

Whether you believe in the Lord or not, everyone knows the three perspectives: worldview, values, view of life. The three perspectives represent your view of things. It is crucial whether you see through things or not. A classmate of mine's father had cancer, and he went home to take care of his father, with tears streaming down his face. Why? Because he did not see through life and death. There is also a sister whose father encountered disaster, and she was very painful. If a person's territory is not high, and they cannot see through things, they will be in pain. Life and death, work, family—if you cannot see through them, they will become your bondage and the source of your pain.

Jesus' height is too high. He said, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (See Matthew 12:48-50) He immediately saw through the concept of family. So Jesus said, A man's enemies will be the members of his own household, because family members often bring you pain. But if you have the height of Jesus, and recognize that those who do the will of your Heavenly Father are your family, then there is no pain.

Expand your territory, and there will be no pain. We all need to raise our territory. Territory also represents skills. If you cannot complete your work, simply extending the working hours will not solve the problem. If you cannot finish it, but you improve your efficiency, and can complete the work that used to take ten hours in five hours by improving your efficiency twofold, where is the problem? We must improve our territory.

Why are you so busy? Because your territory is not enough, your efficiency is not enough, your creativity is not enough. Why are you so poor? Because your territory is not enough. Why is your pressure so great? It is still because your territory is not enough. Once I ministered to a sister who was good at putting pressure on herself. Once she was going to attend a technical conference. I used to attend technical conferences often in the workplace, and these conferences are actually nothing. Participants are all relaxed and at ease. But this sister felt a lot of pressure. I told her: Just enjoy these days. She said: No way! I have to share at the meeting! She wrote a five-page speech, but the sharing was only two minutes long. How could she finish it in two minutes? She had to revise the speech. How could there be no pressure? Later, this sister constantly expanded her territory, and as a result, this pressure disappeared.

7. Growth Is Key

Expanding territory is the key to solving many problems. Growth is expansion, and expansion is growth. The work of the church is to make people grow, absolutely not to sing Hallelujah all day long! That is not substantial! The other day, I met someone who bought a barren land. He said: When I was praying, God told me to buy that land. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but I think it is probably a bit dubious. That is very insubstantial.

There was also a sister who wanted to help God by making money herself, but she was trapped. She came to me to pray, asking me: Why does the Holy Spirit often move me at night, asking me to pray for my money? I was just about to fall asleep, but I couldn't sleep, so I got up and prayed. I told her: Sister, the Holy Spirit doesn't do such boring things! That is a demon! Later, sure enough, this sister was deceived by the demon and left, and she did not want our ministry either.

In the church, whether it is pastors, leaders, brothers, or sisters, we all need to expand our territory. Growth is key! You may not have been able to speak before, but now you can speak. You may not have been efficient in doing things before, but now you are efficient in your work. You did not know how to interact with people before, but now you know how to interact with people. You did not know how to do things before, but now you know how to do things. You didn't have a clear vision of life before, but now you have it. These are all expansion of territory!

Expansion is not achieved easily. Expansion will create pressure, and the pressure will be great during the process of expansion. It's like a new balloon that is difficult to inflate. Expanding the territory inside us is a bit painful. But in any case, we still have to expand our territory.

8. Pressure Management

Let me talk about the concept of pressure management: Whether in the church, brothers, or sisters, we all need to expand our territory and constantly grow. The church is a place that enables people to grow. Expansion creates pressure. Expanding our hearts within will have some painful processes. We must solve our pressure. We must find ways to solve problems. Expanding our territory has pressure and hardship, but it is active pressure. Active expansion of our territory is hard, but it is better than passive hardship.

Willing to accept such challenges, your territory will certainly be expanded. Now pressure will make people expand their territory. When the territory is expanded, hardship will disappear because the pressure is gone. We now want to be above and not below in everything. Pastoring is about generating the ability to expand, so now we must all begin to pastor.

No investment, no return. We are people who transform people's lives. First, expand your own life, expand your own territory. Do not ask for hardship or suffering, but ask for the expansion of your territory. Territory is within people, whether there is a desire, hope in God, strong people of faith.

Expansion enables us to avoid hardship and suffering. We now want to pour out blessings. The reason people do not live well is because their territory is not enough. Development is the hard truth.

9. Summary: Be an Expanding Church

Today, we want to be an expanding church, starting with the territory of the church. The territory of the church must be redefined and started anew. We long to be a blessing to all nations on earth, and we must expand our territory to make this slogan a reality. I need our brothers and sisters to expand their territory because this era needs you. I need you, God needs you. From a small wine glass to a big jar. People who do not live well have a very low territory. Small vessels receive small blessings, and large vessels receive large blessings. Development is the hard truth, whether in society or in the church.

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations and make the desolate cities inhabited. (Isaiah 54:2-3)

Active expansion is hard, it is active hardship, better than passive hardship, because expansion is God's will. May God bless everyone and give everyone an expanding ambition.