Introduction

Let us examine Joshua Chapter 23. The words in Joshua Chapter 23 might seem difficult to grasp. Yet, understanding becomes easy when you recognise it as a warning against the consequences of turning away from God. This warning is not a prophecy of our deviation but a genuine call to understand how Christians should wholeheartedly love God and exercise exceptional prudence.

Within Christian circles, we engage with the same Bible, with no significant disparity, be it in English or Chinese. Provided we avoid hyper-literal interpretations, the essence remains consistent. Hyper-literalism is not the same as exceptional prudence. It often leads to losing sight of the forest for the trees, neglecting the significant for a minute, last-place point – akin to the Pharisees. We must be exceedingly cautious today: doing something completely right is excellent; it is what it means to wholeheartedly love God.

In the previous chapter, two and a half tribes of Israel crossed the Jordan River and returned to its eastern bank. This division occurred because the twelve tribes of Israel received land divided by the Jordan River. West of the Jordan stood the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle of the Lord, the exclusive place of worship.

However, after crossing the Jordan, the Israelites, in a moment of questionable thinking, erected an altar of witness, fearing that future generations residing west of the Jordan would not accept the descendants of the two and a half tribes east of the river.

So we did it out of this concern: In the future your descendants may say to our descendants, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?' (Joshua 22:24)

This structure proved largely ineffective. We scarcely hear of this altar of witness mentioned by Jesus or the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It bears no fruit. What, then, is most effective? It is simple: wholeheartedly love God, exercise exceptional prudence, and we shall witness the consequences.

Wholehearted Love for God Yields Fruitful Service

Within Christian circles, few wholeheartedly love God. I assert this because through my engagements, I have observed people particularly adept at engaging in formalistic practices. Yet, when it comes to doing what truly matters, wholeheartedly loving God suffices. Why are some people's prayers effective? Because they are uttered by those who wholeheartedly love God. Why are others' prayers ineffective? Because they do not wholeheartedly love God. This is a matter of attitude. Thus, whether serving as a Christian pastor or church leader, we observe the fruit of service.

How difficult is it to wholeheartedly love God? Not at all; it is a choice. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let us title this chapter: Warning Israel of the Consequences of Forsaking God. When was this discourse initiated? In Joshua Chapter 23, Joshua, the leader who led Israel across the Jordan for battle, was old and advanced in years. He summoned all the leaders of Israel and exhorted them on the dire consequences of forsaking God.

Overcoming God-Ordained Trials

How did he begin? By reminding them of all that their God had done for them against those nations. He reminded them that the Lord their God was the one who fought for them, lest they attribute it to their own strength or the results of their own battles.

You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. (Joshua 23:3)

I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I have conquered—together with all the land from the Jordan River east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. (Joshua 23:4)

This is most significant. What does it mean? I eradicated a portion and left a portion remaining. Why leave any remaining? This is the ingenuity of our God; our God constantly tests us. Joshua was tested, and had he continued to live, he would have eradicated all the remaining nations.

But the question arises: why did Joshua leave some? The remaining nations were left for Joshua's successors to eradicate because God wanted to raise up future generations to do what? To utterly eradicate these remaining peoples.

After a long period of rest from all the enemies around them, the Lord gave Israel rest. (Joshua 23:1)

This means that we, as Christians today, must be vigilant. Warfare? Ah, it has been peaceful; there has been a long period of rest from all the enemies around us. The Lord God has given us rest... But this does not mean we can cease our efforts. We must continue to fight, driving out those who remain, so that we may possess the land allotted to us as an inheritance.

Indeed, the Christian life is perpetual warfare, without end. Do not presume that we have already achieved victory and are in a good place, or that we have become adept at casting out demons. This means that we Christians must pursue earnestly throughout our lives. Why did Joshua leave these peoples? So that God might test the remaining Israelites.

A Character of Wholehearted Love for God, Careful Observance and Obedience

Why is it often challenging to be a Christian today? Because we frequently endure trials, trials that originate from where? Trials that frequently originate from God.

Do you think these matters were mishandled by Joshua? No. Were they mishandled by the Israelites? Also no. In reality, this is a testing from God. Today, you minister healing and exorcism to our brothers and sisters with great zeal, but I tell you, and I often repeat, you must inherit my character. The church has reached its current state because I possess a heart devoted to loving God wholeheartedly, observing and obeying His word.

Although I am prudent and wholeheartedly love God, it does not mean I will live forever. I have a concern: if God takes me, will you who remain be able to love the Lord your God with exceptional prudence? Will you veer slightly and become tainted by uncleanness? Will you turn away from God?

This matter frequently weighs on my heart because many among us are not exceptionally prudent and are easily led astray. I can grasp Joshua's mindset then: even with his leadership, they still erected altars of witness and other such things... They did not grasp that wholeheartedly loving God is simple—loving God without regard for circumstances or anything else, trusting solely in God, for it is God who fights for us.

Since God fights for us, He will surely help us drive out those enemies from before us; He will surely cause us to inherit the land; He will surely cause us to possess what is promised. Even when faced with nations strong and mighty, one can still chase a thousand, and none can stand before us. We can chase a thousand!

Because our God fights for us according to His promise—this is the key! Do we truly believe in God? If we truly believe in God, we shall surely be able to chase a thousand! If we truly believe in God, wholeheartedly love God, exercise exceptional prudence, love the Lord our God, and carefully observe and obey the commands the Lord God has given us, without becoming tainted by uncleanness, then that is the key.

Wholehearted Love for God—Not Even a Little Deviation

I believe we should not think that a slight deviation is inconsequential. It is not! We must recognise that the path we have walked has not been easy, marked by sweat and tears.

Some pastors come to me, seeking to learn how we do what we do. They see the results of our efforts, that no demonic enemy can stand before us. When they come to learn, they are eager to learn a method: How exactly do you do it? What kind of group do you use? What kind of videos? What kind of tools? Are these important? These are not important at all.

Sometimes I tell them, You cannot learn it. They ask, Why can't we learn it? I reply, This cannot be learned because you are seeking a method, and that itself is flawed! The method is not difficult: wholeheartedly love God. If you can wholeheartedly love God, what difficulty can there be?

When one wholeheartedly loves God, one will forsake many things. In the New Testament, Jesus says, if you forsake parents, children, spouse, fields, and houses for My kingdom, is this not forsaking everything? Can you truly forsake and wholeheartedly love God? This is a difficult matter, very difficult.

Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:29)

People readily find a multitude of excuses not to wholeheartedly love God, a multitude of excuses to be less than exceptionally prudent. The words of Joshua 23 are not a warning to those who have not entered the promised land, but a warning to those among us who have already entered the promised land.

Fight the Good Fight

Today, although we have not fully received all the promises, we have indeed seen that we have entered the promised land. We have personally witnessed how God manifests His power among us, performing healing and deliverance. Those who have struggled in other churches to receive healing through prayer find healing readily among us.

Recently, I personally witnessed one of our sisters ministering to someone with great toil. She ministered for about 50 hours. The person could not walk. She ministered and ministered, and the person was healed. What is the reason? Because God fights for us.

Why does God fight for us? Because we wholeheartedly love God, carefully observe and obey, and remain exceptionally prudent to this day. The battle is far from over, for of those to be eradicated and those remaining, we have eradicated some, but many remain.

It is God's intention to lead us forward continuously until we utterly drive them out. Our ability to cast out demons should be second to none among the churches—at least in my knowledge, few churches perform healing and deliverance as well as we do.

Today, we begin to gradually form a logical system of healing and deliverance, a system for casting out demons and healing the sick. It is a complete system of faith, not just a method. The key lies in exceptional caution and loving the Lord our God.

Exceptional Caution: Do Not Be Tainted by Worldly Filth

In Joshua chapter 23, what does Joshua warn the Israelites? Even in such circumstances, they must exercise exceptional caution. Joshua is old, about to go the way of all the earth, to depart from this world. Whether returning to God or to his ancestors, he tells the Israelites that they must be exceptionally careful to love the Lord their God.

The path I am leading you on today is like Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. What we see God doing among us today is shocking, beyond our imagination! But have we cut off everything yet? Absolutely not.

What remains? The remaining task is for our brothers and sisters to continue loving the Lord our God, being exceptionally cautious, not turning aside even slightly. For there are still many demons that have not been cast out among us, and more and more people are coming to us, for whom we must continue to heal the sick and cast out demons.

The problem lies in one thing: there are still enemies that have not been cut off. Therefore, within the church, there are still some who carry these spiritual powers of darkness. Their thoughts, words, and deeds are more or less influenced by these secular world influences.

You must not associate with these nations that remain among you; you must not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them; you must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. (Joshua 23:7-8)

What does Joshua say? He says something very interesting: You must not associate with these nations that remain among you. That is, we cannot mix with them. The church cannot mix with these remaining nations. We cannot be tainted by worldly filth. We cannot invoke the names of their gods or swear by them, nor can we serve or bow down to them!

But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. (Joshua 23:12-13)

Only by doing as we have done today, wholeheartedly relying on the Lord our God, do you understand? This is a critical requirement. Think carefully, some of us will fall into this pit. In Joshua 23:12, it says, But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them... Do you see any problem with this?

Associating, intermarrying, and interacting with these people, then you must be certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out from before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the Lord your God has given you.

These are rather heavy words. What does it mean? Once we associate, intermarry, and interact with these people, what will happen? We will serve and worship their gods. Do not think you are so powerful. Never think you are so powerful. Even if you have wisdom like Solomon, if you associate, intermarry, and interact with them, you will serve and worship their gods.

Solomon, this is not from this chapter but mentioned later, became the king of Israel. The nation of Israel was very strong, and Solomon was very wise. However, he took many concubines, marrying foreign women, and began to associate and intermarry with them. In the end, even Solomon could not escape this pit: serving and worshiping their gods. As a result, he became a snare, a whip on the back, a thorn in the eye, until he perished.

The history of the Israelites is one of turning away from God, slightly deviating, and being tainted by the world's filth. What I worry about is that everyone cannot continue to inherit my character, to love God wholeheartedly, and to be exceptionally cautious. This path is not easy.

Willing to Pay the Price to Love God Wholeheartedly

Some pastors want to learn from me, but they should not just learn my methods, as those are not very useful. These methods cannot replace one thing: loving God wholeheartedly. You may not know why I love God and serve Him.

To serve God, I have given up so much. Whatever I could give up, I have given up. If anything hinders me from loving God wholeheartedly, from serving Him, from building His glorious church, I will give it up, no matter who it is.

The result is certainly receiving a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come. Seeing the church in its current state, you must know that someone has paid a heavy price for you. Now it is your turn. Have you paid a heavy price for others? Have you learned to love the Lord your God wholeheartedly?

Are you willing to give up some things for God? If you consider Jesus Christ as the greatest treasure, you will surely give up many things for God. If there are still things you cannot give up, you are in trouble. Later, I gradually discovered that what Joshua said was very true. Some girls came among us looking for boyfriends, but they could not find one here. So they went outside to find their own path and left the church.

What will their path be like? They may not feel any signs of destruction, and they may continue to live their lives. But for us, we can see clearly that once they start being tainted by worldly filth, associating and intermarrying with those people, they will no longer serve the Lord our God, and they will not be able to walk this path.

You must know that Joshua's words are not meant to coerce anyone. We must all know that if we are tainted by these things, if we receive all that God has promised, just as the Lord God causes all blessings to come upon us, He will also cause all kinds of disasters to come upon us, until He exterminates us from this good land that the Lord our God has given us.

Do you understand? That is, if someone wants to walk that path, this is not to coerce anyone, but it is indeed what God has said. If people disobey the Lord our God’s commands and serve other gods, worshiping them, the Lord’s anger will be kindled against them, and they will quickly perish from the good land He has given them.

These words are a bit difficult. In this chapter, I do not want to say things that build up your faith. I want to say some things that may not build up your faith, but you must be exceptionally cautious. If we receive blessings from God and then go to walk the worldly path, I tell you, the results are always very tragic.

It is said that some who once followed me in healing the sick and casting out demons, doing many things to serve God, later loved the world and abandoned God. You might think everything is fine in the short term, three to five days, ten days to half a month! But as time goes on, or even longer, what will you see? You will see God's anger kindled against these people.

We have received blessings from God, but we have also received His covenant. We must keep the covenant we have made and closely follow our God, loving Him wholeheartedly. If we forsake Him to serve other gods, worshiping them, I tell you, God's anger will surely be kindled against these people.

Do you understand? Then they will quickly perish from the good land that God has given them. This is what God wants to say in this passage, which is a bit heavy, but you must know that these are the words of God.

Just as every good promise the Lord your God has given you has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all kinds of disaster until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you. (Joshua 23:15-16)

God's Anger Will Be Kindled Against Those Who Forsake Him

This is what Joshua told the Israelites. What I want to encourage you all is to inherit this character, to inherit Joshua's character, to inherit my character, so that we can all love God wholeheartedly. Then I tell you, although this is a never-ending war, we can chase a thousand enemies with the help of God, because God will fight for us. Our God is the one who fights for us.

As long as we wholeheartedly rely on Him and wholeheartedly love Him, our God will surely fight for us. There is still a long way ahead. Will our brothers and sisters be tainted by various kinds of filth? Will you associate, intermarry, and interact with these people around you? Soon you will find that we are being tainted by filth. Even if it is a slight turning away, you will quickly follow that worldly system.

In the path of faith, you must know that our God is a jealous God. If we deviate from God, just as we receive blessings from God today, we will also receive disasters from Him, and then quickly perish from the good land that God has given us. This is the theological system of our Chinese Mingding Destiny.

Conclusion

We know that God brings both blessings and disasters. We know that our God is not Santa Claus. We know that our God is a jealous God, as in the Old Testament, so also in the New Testament. Therefore, today we must be exceptionally cautious and love the Lord our God. It is that simple.

Do not complicate such a simple thing by setting up a confessional platform or something else. That is not really needed. As long as you wholeheartedly trust Him and wholeheartedly love Him, I tell you, not one of God's promises to us will fail; they will all be fulfilled in us. In all our days, no enemy will be able to stand before us, as in the days of Joshua, and as we experience today!

May God bless you all.