Introduction

Just before my Bible study, something quite remarkable happened. But for me, it wasn't really that surprising. The story goes like this: one of our sisters has an elderly mother who needs a wheelchair. One of her legs is weak and heavy to lift. Thank God! For years, I've been pushing the granddaughter and daughter of this elderly woman, saying, Pray for your grandmother's leg, and pray for your mother's leg. Our sister would say, No, there's an iron plate in my mother's leg! Can that iron plate hinder God's work? No, it cannot.

So, when this elderly woman came to me, her leg had to get better! And I kept pushing her granddaughter, You must pray for your grandmother's leg! She replied, Hold on a minute! I was puzzled, What are we waiting for? I didn't care; I just kept at it. Deep down, the elderly woman was very eager! Since she was so eager, what were we waiting for?

As it turned out, the timing was just about right. When I pushed again, she said, Could you please pray for my grandmother? No problem! I enjoy doing that. In just a few moments, the leg that couldn't be lifted could now be lifted. Great! After a little more effort, they went home. Later, they sent me a video; the elderly woman was already slowly strolling on the ground.

Possessing a Character That Dares to Ask

What's the meaning of this? One must dare to ask. If you dare to ask God, God will dare to give! What we need today is precisely this kind of character. Many brothers and sisters lack this. The fifteenth chapter of Joshua is quite interesting. I won't go through all the place names with you one by one. If you ask me how to explain them, I wouldn't know how. Let's not talk about what we don't know; let's talk about what we do know.

When I looked at this chapter, there was a short story in the middle. Caleb said to Joshua, Give me this land, but it was full of giants, the descendants of Anak, no joke. The Anakites stood there, and we looked like grasshoppers. We looked at them, then at ourselves, and we also felt like grasshoppers. That was the situation. Yet, they were going to attack that land.

There was a place called Debir, inhabited by formidable people. Caleb was quite interesting. He said, Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give him my daughter Achsah as his wife. I guess Achsah must have been quite beautiful. If a daughter is beautiful, that's also a blessing. Achsah must have been both virtuous and beautiful.

What's this story about? When Achsah got married, she persuaded her husband to ask her father for a field. Her husband must have captured Kiriath Sepher. Who captured Kiriath Sepher? It was Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother. Othniel was also a man of character. Caleb, if you give me your daughter, then I want her!

What's the theme of Joshua chapter 15? Dare to ask! You must dare to ask! If you dare to ask, God will dare to give. Do you believe that? I'm speaking quite practically. Many of us don't dare to ask, as if we want something but are afraid. One must dare! Othniel said, I will go! and captured the city. Daring to ask is the most important character trait for a Christian. The daughter dared to ask as well. When she got married, she asked her father for a field, and she wanted the best, the upper and lower springs. That place was good! If you ask me, should you ask God for something? I absolutely dare to ask.

What kind of character does our church have today? Our church has a character of daring to ask. If people ask what you want, I want to be like Jesus. Isn't it great to be like Jesus? Is there anything better? In the evening, while I was praying for the leg of that elderly woman, others were recording and taking photos, as if angels and heavenly hosts were all around me, and reporters from major newspapers and websites in the sky were all taking pictures, watching a story of God manifesting His glory.

I think this wasn't just about an elderly woman getting up and walking; it was about God's promise being fulfilled. No matter how many promises God has made, in my heart, they are all faithful. I said, I dare to ask. If people dare to ask, God really gives! So brothers and sisters, should we develop a habit? Look at Achsah; she dared to ask, asking for the best piece of land. Did she think before asking, What if he doesn't give it to me? Whether he gives it is his business, but whether we ask is our business.

Othniel dared to ask for that land and captured Debir. That was a difficult war! After asking, he gained a precious wife, Achsah. This Achsah dared to ask, and Othniel gained double. One part was his own in the tribe of Judah, and the other part was what his wife Achsah brought from her father. What kind of person is this? I find that those who dare to ask are formidable.

What do I want? I want all of God's promises. As long as God has promised it, I want it all. You say this couple is too greedy? Wanting the best land? What about others? That's their business. As for the promised land, I want it! Whether they give it or not is their business, but we must have this kind of mindset. All the land, cities, and villages that cannot be listed were taken by those who dared to ask. Do you understand? You must dare to ask! If you don't dare to ask, hiding in the back, you'll be last in line. And you speak in a soft voice, I want... I want this piece of land... Then people don't hear you. Sorry, no.

God's Intention Is for Us to Obtain

In both the Old and New Testaments, those who dared to ask obtained. There was a blind man in Jericho. When Jesus passed by, he shouted, Son of David! making so much noise that his throat was almost broken. Then Jesus asked, What do you want? He said, I want to see! Actually, it would have been great to ask for more than just to see. Whatever you ask for, you'll get.

Our God likes people like that. If you ask me what kind of people I like to be, I like to be the kind of person God likes. I don't like to do what I like. Whether I like it or not is not important.

After reading the Bible, many people say, I feel this is how it should be read. Actually, how you feel it should be read is not so important. What's important is what God wants to say in this passage. When we read the Bible, we must read out God's intention. Reading out your own meaning is not difficult. Reading out God's intention is what's important. You need to know how to be a person, which is actually very simple, because it's about being a person who pleases God! It's great when God is pleased with you!

If you ask me what kind of person I like to be, I want to be the kind of person God likes. What kind of person does God like me to be? I'll be that kind of person. What does God like? God likes people who dare to ask, who have courage, great courage! Don't be a timid person, wanting but not daring to ask.

All of us brothers and sisters must ponder this. From now on, take courage and boldly say in God's kingdom, This land is mine! We've divided up the land on Earth, and we'll divide up the land on the moon too! Do you understand? We'll even divide up a piece of land in the universe, in the heavens. What does this mean? God often bestows according to people's desire! If people don't desire, that's a tragedy!

Look at that elderly woman. Actually, she was full of desire. When I drove to pick her up, I wrongly blamed her, saying how difficult it was to desire. In fact, she had been waiting there for a long time. It's just that we, the brothers and sisters who serve, are either overly religious or afraid to ask. Some even think my faith is great. Actually, my faith is not much faith at all. Faith is just being bold; I dare to ask.

So all of us brothers and sisters, from now on, tell yourselves that God's promises in Jesus Christ, no matter how many there are, are all mine. God's promises, no matter how many there are, I want them all. I'm determined to have them! How great, that's simply a treasure! The lame will walk, the blind will see, the lepers will be cleansed. How great. We are to be a blessing on this Earth! We are to be the salvation of our families. Tell God and then take courage, filled with wisdom from heaven. Face all things and begin to trust God. God will surely give us what we ask for, instead of being timid and fearful in our hearts.

What I've said here mainly covers one point. Why do I say the topic of daring to ask is so interesting? To attack Kiriath Sepher, with so many people, why did only Othniel come to attack the city? Actually, there aren't many people with this kind of character! If there were many Othniels who came out besides this Othniel, the story would have been written like this: since three or five of you have risen up and want to attack this city, we'll draw lots. But in fact, after all that effort, only one Othniel rose up and captured the city. As a result, Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as his wife.

I find it strange that there are many in this generation who don't understand God's intention. What does faith need? Does it need money? If I have a hundred million, I have faith. If I don't have that hundred million, can't I have faith? Actually, even without that hundred million, I can have faith! Having a hundred million, one can also have faith. If I have that university degree, I can have faith. Without that university degree, I can still be a person of faith. Actually, faith is such an easy thing, which is to believe in God's promise.

Brothers and sisters, you need to know what Othniel was thinking in his mind. Actually, he wasn't thinking about anything else, just thinking that Caleb was a formidable person, that he wholeheartedly followed God! The previous chapter talked about him going to Joshua, possibly with many people, going to Joshua and saying that this land was mine, and as a result, he got it. So easy ah. Actually, Debir wasn't the first city that Caleb attacked. There were other cities. He captured cities and seized land. When he got to the most difficult city to attack, Debir, he said, Whoever attacks this city and captures it, I will give him my daughter Achsah as his wife. This is called double! What was Othniel thinking? I want to be a person who dares to ask, I want it!

Daring to ask is very important. This is Othniel's character. What was Othniel thinking in his heart? Othniel's heart was thinking that from his ancestors, from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, then from generation to generation, until his generation, he had seen with his own eyes that Joshua and Caleb, and even that he had seen Moses. The God he had seen was originally this kind of God! So Othniel was extraordinary! He later became a judge of Israel, like the current president, anyway, the greatest.

Caleb was extraordinary. He focused on what the result would be of wholeheartedly following God. Othniel was also a person who wholeheartedly followed God. He imitated whoever he followed. He followed Caleb and imitated Caleb. What was the result? He captured the city and got an extra big gift. Achsah was Caleb's daughter. As a result, he got his daughter. This daughter was also formidable! Not saying, Husband, give this city to my father! She’s not like that. She handled everything clearly, my father's is my father's, and my husband's and mine is my husband's and mine, mine is mine. What was the result? She asked her father for a piece of land and got the upper and lower springs from her father.

Now there are many young people who, after reading this story, exclaim, Ah! Isn't this a good example of mooching off parents! That's not what it's about. People want to manage it well. Some people mooch off their parents to bring disaster. So brothers and sisters, ponder what kind of person this is. When this Achsah wanted this land, how did she want it?

She said, Husband, when you see my father, ask him for a piece of land. Although Achsah just thought that, when Achsah came back riding the donkey, as soon as she got off the donkey, Caleb asked her, What do you want? This hit the mark. I said earlier that my father didn't hear it, how did he know? As a result, this daughter said, Give me a blessing. Since you have settled me in the Negeb, give me springs of water. As a result, her father gave her the upper and lower springs.

Let me tell you, what is our relationship with God? Our relationship with God is that of a father and son. What more needs to be said about a father-son relationship? What's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours—isn't that what fathers and sons are like! I think this matter may sound contradictory as I explain it. Since what belongs to my father is also mine, and what's mine is also my father's, why bother wanting anything at all? But it's not like that. After wanting it, it is registered under your name.

You Ask, and God Gives You Even More

Why did God record this story in the Bible? It's to instill character in people—a truly practical character. Some people are not like that; they just give it to others. I wonder, why do you give it to others? You are so generous, a good person! If you give it to others, it will be taken by them. Never forget, there is a principle in this world called the Matthew effect: those who have will be given more, and from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, each of us must begin to understand God's operating principles. From the beginning of building the church until today, I have asked for no small amount! Having asked until today, what have I gained? I have received extremely generous returns! How wonderful is that! Believing in the Lord should be like this. In fact, whether it's Achsah or others, how many women are recorded in the Bible? Not many, really.

Both Othniel and Achsah are recorded in the Bible. People recorded in the Bible are those with strong character. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph—all were like that. They were not petty people; their hearts were expansive! People won't say, I see through everything, considering everything as dung. Weren't you just saying to regard everything as dung? Why are you talking about this again? Everyone must not misunderstand this point. Why can't you want something if you regard everything as dung? Regarding everything as dung, but treasuring Jesus Christ above all else! Don't just read the first half of this statement; read the second half.

Treasuring Jesus Christ above all else, within Jesus Christ, there are all of God's promises. Since they are all God's promises, then boldly ask for them! Even those things on earth are within the promises of Jesus Christ, can you understand? Although we regard everything as dung, we treasure Jesus Christ above all else, and the promises in Jesus Christ are extremely abundant.

Is it causing you trouble? If it is causing you trouble, let me read another passage to you. Haven't we said that if we give up something, we will gain something? We give up because we regard everything as dung, so we give up many things. What does God say as a result? There is no one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. How authentic is this statement! Isn't it?

We regard everything as dung, but after regarding everything as dung, we are not controlled by anything! But there is not one promise in Jesus Christ that we don't want. We are asking for promises in Jesus Christ, no matter what they are, they are all in Jesus Christ. So, I want to give everyone a concept: when you see a very poor preacher, he probably cannot draw on God's promises, because there is no poverty in Jesus Christ.

You might give me a few examples, saying that there are also poor ones. I might say that's a small probability event! Occasionally there's one. In the Bible, which of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph was poor? None of them were! And David, Solomon—all whom God delights in are not poor. Why? Because heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is on it, belong to our God. How could we live in poverty!

In other words, we must be careful. If he cannot draw on God's promises, that's just a small matter. If God takes away what little he has and gives it to those who have, what kind of person is he then? Wouldn't he become a wicked person? A lazy and wicked servant. We must not be such people. I don't believe we would live in poverty in Jesus Christ. Although we don't love money—what would we love that stuff for? Loving money doesn't necessarily mean you'll have money! But loving God won't make you poor.

Having a Heart that Yearns for God's Promises

So brothers and sisters, what happens to those who dare not ask? Let me clear up a confusion for everyone. What do we mean by asking? Didn't we say before that we shouldn't ask God? That piece of land belonged to Caleb. If you don't ask him to give it to you, what are you doing? Are you saying, Give it to me, you old man, you're going to die! Would he give it to you? Wouldn't that be foolish! That's called being ignorant.

We obtain God's promises because we believe we will obtain them. I never doubt that God has already given us all His promises! We are merely drawing on these promises. For example, By Jesus Christ's wounds, we are healed! Then draw on it! Why ask Jesus to heal me! Heal me! I beg you! I beg you! What kind of talk is that? God has already given it to us.

If there's something God hasn't given us, you must ask diligently! For example, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also promised to us by God, but God needs us to have that yearning heart. Therefore, believing in the Lord requires yearning; don't be lukewarm. Serve the Lord with diligence and fervor. Love God! Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength! Love Him wholeheartedly! That's what the Bible says.

Therefore, we must unload these confusions one by one, and don't misunderstand. For example, asking for the Holy Spirit: Fill me with the Holy Spirit! Fill me with the Holy Spirit! How wonderful is that! Ask God to bless us. If God doesn't bless us, we will never let go, and then we will obtain it! This is called wrestling with God and with man, and prevailing. This is called Israel. Therefore, we must strive to be like Jesus. As long as we are not yet so much like Him, we continue to strive for it, that is the treasure.

Even though I ask so much today, there is still much I haven't asked for! Even though I strive so hard, there is still much I haven't obtained. I must continue to run, continue to obtain. If you are lukewarm, dawdling, and confused, how are you going to manage? You seem like a servant, without the mindset of a master at all. Therefore, let's all begin to adjust.

Striving to Break Through the Worldly Private Plots Within Us

There is something even more interesting. Joshua chapter 15, verse 63 says:

As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out. The Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. (Joshua 15:63)

To this day, until the day this Book of Joshua was written. We wonder, wasn't it taken over? Why couldn't the Jebusites in Jerusalem be driven out? What is the reason? I'll tell you what the reason is. The reason is that the people of the tribe of Judah in Israel had a confusion in their hearts. Their confusion was, Anyway, we already have these lands, let them live here! It's not a big deal. This is called misplaced compassion.

Why did the Bible record this passage? People often think they are full of love, but they violate God's word. In fact, this passage in the Old Testament also foreshadows our situation today. We still have many unconquered territories. There is a great confusion among Christians: The Holy Spirit dwells in me, so evil spirits will not be in me. I often encounter people who say this to me: The Holy Spirit dwells in me, God is my Lord, how could evil spirits be in me?

I say, Get real! Just look at your petty self. One look and I know there are still many worldly things inside you. Do you understand? That is to say, Christians live and live, and then put to death the deeds of the body, one by one, and feel that this is pretty good, it's okay. But there is still a place that has not been taken, so we cannot completely put to death the evil deeds of our flesh. Still leaving such a small piece. You want to ask me, What about you? Me too, to this day, I haven't obtained everything yet! There are still some things that haven't been put to death yet! Haven't returned to Jesus Christ yet.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, don't think I am the standard. God's word is the standard. Some people say, Look, Paul was not healed. Praying for healing and deliverance, it seems he was not completely healed. That's not the case. God's will is that everyone must be healed. Why do we still get sick? Because there are still worldly things inside us. Then someone says, If you still have worldly things inside you, why are you telling us to deal with the worldly system? It's not that I'm telling you; can't I tell myself!

We all need to deal with the worldly system. It's just that I deal with it a little more, you deal with it a little less. Maybe one day you'll deal with it more than me, then you're great, I'm convinced. I also long for our brothers and sisters to drive all the worldly systems out of us, don't leave any! What's the point of leaving any? We can't let Jesus Christ be the Lord and still keep a small private plot for ourselves.

Some people like to keep a private plot and not give it to God. God's promise will not come to that place. To this day, I am still striving diligently. Do you think our faith is real? We believe in the Lord in a real way. People say that this thing of yours is a heresy. Maybe, I am still striving diligently, isn't that great? People say that this thing of yours still doesn't conform to the Bible. Of course there is, isn't there? If we follow the standard of complete conformity to the Bible, every church has a place that hasn't reached it, not just one or two points, some even have a lot.

I often see pastors who lack security. There are many pastors who lack security! What to do without security? He controls. Controlling is just control. He thinks control can control it, but that thing belongs to the worldly system. He uses worldly ways to control. For example, Hitler's management style, the German Nazis were very powerful, especially his SS, but they all lived in a state of being brainwashed, and then pledged allegiance to Hitler, and in the end that's all there was to it.

We need to deal with all these things from among us. To this day, I am still dealing with this kind of thing. Sometimes when leading a group of brothers and sisters to run forward, there are still worldly things! Sometimes when I'm teaching, when I get too anxious, I go out for a walk and bring the fire back down. That thing is not too controllable. Why? Because we haven't gotten rid of that piece of land yet.

That is, the Jebusites still dwell with the children of Judah in Jerusalem. After a while, they harass the children of Judah. I think, why do we keep a little bit? Why did these children of Judah keep a little bit? This is a comparison! Othniel, Caleb—these are people who dare to ask! But among the tribe of Judah, there are always some people who don't dare to ask. Why? Because they either have misplaced compassion, pitying people, or they are complacent, not daring to strive diligently anymore.

Conclusion

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, putting to death the deeds of our body, dealing with the worldly value system within us, that is to conquer cities and seize territories, piece by piece, so that everything within us submits to Jesus Christ, so that the worldly system within us, little by little, city by city, is destroyed and submits to the name of Jesus Christ, and then we ourselves become more and more like Jesus, more and more able, and more and more able to glorify God's name! Then I'll tell you what will happen. A strange thing will happen, that is, we become vessels to manifest God's glory.

May God bless everyone!