Chapter 3: Ministering in the Lord's Blessing
- Zion Jeng
- 7月29日
- 讀畢需時 22 分鐘
已更新：8月3日
Bible Reading: Luke 24:48-53
For people who served in the church for a long time, and for those who saw results in their ministries, together they share a common feeling --- that in matters of service, it is not by hard work that one gets results. In the same token, even fasting or praying the whole night does not necessarily bring results. The reason is that for a ministry to be fruitful, it is not entirely by ourselves, but by the Lord’s blessings.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 9:16 that, “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Therefore in serving, we really have to look to God for His mercy and blessings. Perhaps we have been serving for quite a number of years, but have not seen any visible results, we then need to go back before the Lord and accept His light, correction, and modification.
Luke 24 records that before the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, He gave the disciples the commission to be witnesses for Him. Hence, “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” (Lk 24:50-51) This means that the disciples, in the Lord’s blessings, must be witnesses for Him to the ends of the world. From here we could see that the Lord instructed the disciples to serve under His blessings, in order to accomplish the mission He had given them.
What is Meant by the Lord’s Blessings
What are the blessings of the Lord? A great majority of the Filipino-Chinese society regard money as their goal in life. That is why some brothers who made huge amounts of money can afford big mansions. As thanksgiving to God, they prepared love feasts and invited brothers and sisters of the church to attend. Those who were invited would congratulate the brother saying, “Indeed the Lord has blessed you greatly.” Although large houses or mansions are considered blessings from the Lord, we must bear in mind that the Lord’s blessings are not measured in terms of worldly and materialistic things. Seriously speaking, earthly blessings are transient, limited, and amount to nothing; only spiritual and heavenly blessings are what the Lord values much the same way as we would treasure them; because only spiritual blessings last forever. Therefore, we shall refer the Lord’s blessings in the perspective of the spiritual, the heavenly, as well as the works of the church.
In matters of ministry, what are the blessings of the Lord? We shall mention two aspects to explain the matter.
What the Lord Bestows Surpasses the Fruits We Deserve
Deuteronomy 32:30 records, “How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?” Logically speaking, if one man chases a thousand, two men should be chasing two thousand, this is the expected result. Who would have thought that these two men not just chased two thousand but ten thousand. Ten thousand is eight thousand in excess of two thousand. From here, we could see that the result of having an excess of eight thousand is due to the Lord’s blessings.
There was a young sister who prayed for her classmate every day before the Lord. Praise the Lord! On the first day of the gospel meeting, her friend got saved and at the same time met the Lord. On the second night of the gospel meeting, this friend who was saved not only came by herself, she even brought along her three friends. When the gospel meeting ended, I was there on the platform calling for those who wanted to receive Jesus. Her three friends came to the front to express belief. Here we see that at first she prayed for one classmate, but the Lord blessed her and the one became four. Thank the Lord! On the day of baptism, all her four friends arrived. This is what is called the Lord’s blessings. Her diligence would have earned her one friend, but on the day of baptism it became four. This is a result that surpasses what one deserves.
Oh! Our God is so great and so rich! He not only wants to work with us, He also wants to add to us His blessings so that our service may bring results that far exceed what we deserve. No wonder the hymn goes,
Jesus, Thou alone art worthy,
ceaseless praises to receive,
for Thy love, and grace, and goodness
rise o’er all our thoughts conceive.
Hallelujah! Our Lord is not only the Lord whose presence is with us, He is also the Lord who works with us; moreover, He is the Lord who blesses us!
The Lord Bestows Bountiful Results
In ministry, we often encounter weaknesses, loopholes, and inadequacies, yet the Lord bestows bountiful results. These bountiful results that the Lord gives are actually His blessings.
On the day of Pentecost, 120 disciples were filled by the Holy Spirit. Later, they served in one accord in preaching the gospel. Peter preached about Jesus Christ who was exalted by God and was made both Lord and Christ. When the congregation heard this, they were cut to the heart in repentance, and 3000 were baptized. 120 people led 3000 to be baptized. This is indeed God’s bountiful blessings. After a while, another 5000 believed on the Lord. This is serving in the Lord’s blessings. May the Lord be gracious to us so that we may experience serving the Lord in His blessings.
After Being Blessed by the Lord, the Limited Becomes Unlimited
From the ministry of the church at Pentecost, we see that nothing could be better than to minister in the Lord’s blessings. Because once it has been blessed by the Lord, the limited becomes unlimited. As a matter of fact, very often, and sometimes even for a long period of time, our ministries do not see the blessings of the Lord. Where do the reasons lie?
When Placed in Man’s Hands, The Lord’s Work Becomes Limited
The reason a lot of ministries today do not bring about the Lord’s blessings is because the Lord’s work is placed in man’s hands insomuch that the unlimited becomes limited. For instance, if church leaders or co-workers take church matters into their own hands, then no matter how busy they run about and serve tirelessly, not only will they fail to bring about blessings, it will forever be limited. Take my case for example, presently I am in charge of the Young People’s Ministry. If I were to take the Young People’s Ministry into my own hands; say, I wanted to do this, I also wanted to do that, in fact, I wanted to do everything. If this is the case, then the Lord’s work will become limited. What, then, is the meaning of having the Lord’s work in man’s hands?
Serving By Our Own Methods Means Taking the Lord’s Work Into Our Own Hands
In the church, everyone must receive his own share from the Lord. Each must stand at his own post and be faithful to the Lord. Some are entrusted with more, while others with less. Some have greater responsibilities, while others have less. Oftentimes when serving, we love to do things by our own methods. This is what is meant by taking the Lord’s work into our own hands. Let us take for example the youth ministry in our church in Manila: Some co-workers are responsible for the high school group, some the college group while others, the career group. Some of the sisters are in charge of the sisters’ meeting while others, the Sunday school ministry. The key lies here: When you receive an entrustment, do you come before God to seek and inquire what you ought to do or do you carry out the ministry according to your own intelligence and capability? If we do it our own way, it means that we are taking the Lord’s work into our own hands. In other words, whenever we serve according to our own will and method, then we are taking the Lord’s work into our own hands.
Ministry that Measures Our Own Benefits is Taking the Lord’s Work Into Our Own Hands
“To Measure” means to consider or to calculate. Those who consider their own gains or losses and calculate their own honour or disgrace in the ministry are known as taking ministry into their own hands. Naturally, this will not bring about any blessings. Under the Lord’s light, we need to acknowledge that it is not the Lord who withholds His blessings from us, but rather it is man’s difficulties that obstruct His blessings.
The Lord’s Work Becomes Unlimited When Committed to the Lord for His Blessings
In ministry, if we have learned how to commit the Lord’s work to Him for His blessings, then what is limited becomes unlimited.
Ministry that Allows the Lord to Decide is a Ministry that is Committed to the Lord
When serving the Lord, if we learn to completely commit the ministry from our hands to the Lord’s, and allow Him to decide, then it is a ministry that is committed to the Lord for His blessings. Just like on the day of the Wedding at Cana, Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Mary came to Jesus and said, “They have no more wine.” As soon as Mary voiced out her opinion, Jesus was impartial in answering her, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Right away Mary knew that in matters of serving, man’s ideas and viewpoints must not be present. So she said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
Jesus assumed His lordship and said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water to the brim.” They did according to what the Lord said. Furthermore Jesus said, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
Again they did according to what the Lord instructed, and indeed, the water turned into the best of wine. O! The entire situation had changed: humiliation turned to glory; defeat turned to victory; shortage turned to excess. As long as it has been blessed by the Lord’s hands, what is limited becomes unlimited.
Therefore, in matters of serving, we really need to learn to commit our ministry, which is limited, into the blessing hands of the Lord, from whom unlimited results come.
A Ministry Committed to the Lord is One Having His Interests as Premise
A person who consecrates himself to live for the Lord must have in mind the interests of the Lord at all times and in all circumstances. Particularly in matters of serving, he should consider the Lord’s interests as his premise instead of his own. This is a kind of ministry that is committed to the Lord for His blessings.
Brother Watchman Nee was a great spiritual man. In the first page of his biography were written these words: “I ask everything for the Lord; I ask nothing for myself.” This clearly speaks of him as a man who has the Lord’s interests as his premise in ministry. For the sake of the Lord’s interests, he was willing to pay for whatever cost it takes. No wonder he became a great spiritual man who brought about the shifting of times. He brought great blessings to the church in the modern times. Due to the Lord’s blessings, the fruits of his ministry showed that what was limited became unlimited. He was like a kernel of wheat buried in China (being martyred), yet he offered tremendous help to Christians around the world and bore much seeds in the process. May the Lord have mercy on us, so that we may see our gains and losses as nought, while learning to serve the Lord, all for His interests.
After the Lord Blesses, the Limited becomes Unlimited
Let us take a look at the story of how the Lord Jesus fed the five thousand. That day, the Feast of the Passover of the Jews was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test Philip. Philip answered Him, “Loaves for two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, that each may have some little portion.”
Right away, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother spoke up, “Here is a little boy who has five small barley loaves and two small fish; but how far will they go among so many?” However when the five loaves and two fish which were limited in the child’s hands were handed over to the Lord’s hands, the Lord looked up to heaven, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered the pieces that were left over by those who had eaten, and filled twelve baskets. “Twelve” symbolizes the perfection and the fullness of eternity. This means that with any ministry that is blessed by the Lord, not only does the limited become unlimited, even the ministry itself possesses eternal value.
The Lord’s Blessings are Found in the Church
Our Lord is a God who delights in bestowing blessings. He is so eager to bless our ministry. Therefore let us take a step further to determine what position we ought to be in order to receive the Lord’s blessings. Just remember that the Lord’s blessings are found in the church.
The Eyes of the Lord are Fastened on the Church
Among the four gospels, only the Gospel of Luke records that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He went to the opposite side of Bethany and lifted up His hands and blessed the disciples. (Lk 24:50) The word “Bethany” means House of Figs, which refers to the house of Israel, which also symbolizes the local churches. Bethany also comprised the characters of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. This family received Jesus and served Him --- which denotes the ministry of the church. Here it mentions that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He went to this place just across Bethany. This speaks of the fact that although He was ascending to heaven, His eyes remained fastened on the church. He cares for the church, and His heart is in the church. Zechariah, the Old Testament prophet said, “Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion’.” (Zech 1:14) Both Jerusalem and Zion are symbolic of the church. The Lord being “very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion” speaks of how much the Lord cares for the church. His eyes are continually fastened on the church.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts, he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at the table exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. Here the temple symbolizes the church. At that time, the Bible specifically records that His disciples recalled that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Jn 2:13-17) From here we could see that the eyes of the Lord are continually fastened on the church, and His heart remains securely tied to the churches on earth.
Even after He had ascended to heaven and entered into glory, the Lord still keeps His eyes fastened on the church. Hence, the first chapter of Revelation makes its purpose clear right from the beginning. It speaks about the Son of Man walking among the golden lampstands, whose eyes were like blazing fire that continually looks upon the church (Rev 1:13-14). It repeatedly speaks of how the Lord’s eyes are looking intently at the church.
The Lord’s Blessings are Found in the Church
When Jesus ascended to heaven, “He led the disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany, there He lifted up His hands and blessed them.” (Lk 24:50) Why is it that the Mount of Olives is not mentioned here? Jesus actually stood on the Mount of Olives when He ascended to heaven. (Acts 1:12) The angel said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” When Jesus comes again the second time, He will return to the Mount of Olives. However the Gospel of Luke specifically records this as the vicinity of Bethany. All the words found in the Bible have their profound spiritual meaning. Bethany symbolizes the church. Jesus went out to the vicinity of Bethany and there he lifted up his hands and blessed the disciples. Clearly this tells us that His blessings are found in the church. If we want to be in the Lord’s blessings, then we need to serve in the church.
Is this not so? Quite a few brothers and sisters who loved the Lord with a pure heart may not necessarily be eloquent; they may not have special gifts; in fact, their knowledge of the Bible may be quite limited; yet they served together in the church, and wonderful blessings came upon them: The number of people who were baptized increased, as did the number of people who served. These are not the works of men; they are all blessings from the Lord -- because the Lord’s blessings are found in the church.
An Individual’s Ways May Not Bring About Great Blessings
The ways of an individual are not the ways of the church. Although you may have a certain gift, but if you are not in the church, then no apparent results will be seen. I remember during my younger years when I began serving, for a time the so-called “Liberal Preaching” was very popular. Who would have known that “Liberal Preaching” was for people who were not willing to learn life’s lessons. These people went around different places. If the work in a place is hard, they will move to another place. If brothers and sisters in that place do not show enough concern, they will move to still another place. People who choose to preach liberally will never get to learn the lessons of the cross; naturally, they will never become spiritual all their life.
Ministry in the Church Brings About Blessings
The blessings of the Lord are found in the church; no wonder Psalm 128:5 tells us, “May the Lord bless you from Zion.” It means that the blessings of the Lord can come upon men by way of the church. Hence, the church ministry often brings about great blessings.
Our church puts emphasis on the ministries of the entire corporate body. For the last ten years or so, the Lord had allowed me to serve in the youth ministry. My inmost being was very clear that our ministry cannot rely on any great gifts an individual may have. For this reason, every time we preached the gospel, we didn’t invite evangelists from outside, rather, the entire body of brothers and sisters took part. The youth ministry is divided into three groups, namely, the Career Group, the College Group, and the High School Group, with each group working in coordination with one another. At the end of every month, the church would hold a gospel meeting. We usually started off with prayer to inquire of the Lord, then we proceeded to make arrangements as to which brother will lead the songs, which sister will play the piano, which brother or sister will share their testimony, and finally, who will preach the gospel, and thereupon, conclude the meeting. Each group was handled by its numerous service personnel. Thank the Lord! Because the Lord’s blessing is found in the church, when the time of baptism came, more than ten people were baptized. For the past two years, due to the work of the Holy Spirit, more than a hundred were baptized in each baptismal meeting. Last year alone, there were more than three hundred who were baptized.
Do not think that this is an easy task. Many years ago, all the churches in the Philippines grouped together to hold a great evangelical crusade at Luneta. They took special effort to invite a world-renowned evangelist. Half a year before the actual event took place, his team of evangelical forerunners came over to do decorating and mobilizing works. Special groups were assigned to oversee such tasks as counselling, publication, ushers and usherettes, etc. At long last, the evangelist arrived. The evangelical crusade took place in a huge open-air field to a crowd of 120,000 people. The local overseas Chinese churches were fully mobilized to attend the crusade. However when the time for baptism came, to one’s surprise, the turnout was exceedingly few. With such enormous spending, the harvest seemed comparatively small. If our entire church were to work closely together to preach the gospel, I believe we will bring about much greater blessings.
Learning to Serve in the Lord’s Blessings
Lastly, we will take a step further by finding out how we can learn to serve in the blessings of the Lord. Here we will mention four points:
Consecration without Reservation
Where there is consecration without reservation, there the blessings of the Lord will be. Therefore in matters of serving, we must first find out whether or not we have thoroughly consecrated. If the Lord does not bless me, I will come before His presence and ask Him to search and try me to see if there is anything that I have withheld from Him? Genesis 22 records how the Lord put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” Abraham heard the Lord; without delay he got up early the next morning, took Isaac with him and set out for the place God had told him about. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay Isaac. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.” (Gen 22:12)
Because Abraham did not withhold his one and only beloved son from God, this eventually led him to greater blessings. Let us look at the recordings in verses 16 to 18, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this.…I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.…and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Based on spiritual law, consecration always comes first before blessings.
We notice a similar principle in the New Testament. One day, there was this little boy who brought with him five loaves and two fish. Andrew might have possibly said to the little boy, “Little boy, the Lord Jesus wants your five loaves and two fish.” Thank the Lord! As soon as the little boy knew that it was the Lord Jesus, he immediately offered up his five loaves and two fish. If it were you and me, this may not necessarily be so, will it? Perhaps you may think that if I offer up my all, then I will have nothing left. In that case I will just give half of what I have. We must know that the moment you and I are completely depleted, then blessings will come. Just look at the little boy who gave his all to the Lord without reservation --- exceedingly great blessings followed. Five loaves and two fish indeed satisfied the five thousand, and with it came twelve basketfuls of leftovers.
Today, it is not the Lord who refuses to bless the church, but rather, He could not find someone who truly consecrates himself completely to Him. Where there is consecration without reservation, there the channels of blessings will flow. The Lord is a God who searches the hearts of men. He knows that our inmost being still have some reservations. May the Lord open our eyes so that we may be able to see that consecration without reservation is not a loss, but rather, it brings about great blessings.
Emptied by the Lord
Second, is to be “emptied by the Lord.” Because we have served the Lord for many years, we gradually become “veteran believers.” Whenever there is a special conference, we figure that there is no need to attend, because we had attended so many times in the past. At any rate, if the topic is not about consecration, then it is about the cross, or about revival and the like. Thus we become complacent. We ought to possess this attitude and say, “Lord, have mercy on me, even though I had heard quite a lot of sermons, yet I was not aware that the life I lived out was so superficial; all that I have retained in life are but few and scanty. Thank you, Lord! This time I’m given another chance to attend.” If you and I are not poor in spirit but are conceited and self-satisfied, then there is no way the Lord’s blessings will be ushered in. Because the Lord’s blessings are forever upon man’s “nothingness”, therefore all who are conceited and arrogant, haughty and proud, self-satisfied, or who consider themselves to have already taken hold of it --- the Lord’s blessings will never come upon them. II Kings 4 records that when the wife of the prophet’s disciple and her two sons went inside their house, they shut the door behind them. On the floor were empty jars they had borrowed. The mother poured the jar of oil into the empty jars. As long as she kept pouring, the oil kept flowing out until all the jars were filled. The mother said, “Bring me another jar.” But the son replied, “There is not a jar left.” Immediately, the oil stopped flowing. The spiritual meaning is that the oil of blessing can only be poured into vessels that are empty. As soon as no empty vessel is left, the oil stops. This implies that if we do not empty ourselves, then blessings will eventually cease.
This fact shows that the more we empty ourselves and realize that we are spiritually poor, the more we will receive blessings. The jar of oil in the woman’s hand did not produce oil by itself but rather by the command of Elisha which is symbolic of the Lord’s blessings. When the oil of the Lord’s blessings came, not only were all their debts been paid, they were also able to live on what was left. This symbolizes that not only were all their needs met, but there was still so much left. Hence, if we are to usher in blessings, every time we serve, we have to first come before the Lord and consecrate ourselves completely to Him; moreover, we must be emptied by the Lord and say to Him, “Lord, have mercy on me, I have nothing, I am poor, I am blind, I can do nothing, I only look up to You.” The more we are emptied by the Lord, the more He will bless us.
The Gospel of John 21 records that one day Peter told the six disciples, “I’m going out to fish.” They said, “We will go with you.” Peter may be regarded as a seasoned fisherman, yet that whole night they laboured and caught nothing. Hence they came back feeling dejected. Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them saying, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. Upon admitting that they have nothing, Jesus said to them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” They did as they were told. As soon as the net was cast, they were unable to drag it ashore. It was full of large fish, totalling 153. This speaks of the great blessings of the Lord. Just before the net was filled with large fish, they had to first admit by saying “No.” This shows that man’s self-confidence and complacency has been struck down. Please remember that blessings always come on top of man’s emptying of himself.
Obeying the Lord’s Command
Obeying the Lord’s command is also one of the conditions required to usher in the Lord’s blessings. Obeying command is analogous to a lamp. As soon as you switch on the lamp, it immediately lights up. The same is true when we obey the Lord’s command, His blessings will immediately come upon us.
In serving, even a little action is enough to show how difficult it is for us to obey the Lord’s command. The Gospel of Luke 5 records that one day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water’s edge two boats. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their companions in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats.
Where did this large number of fish come from? It was a follow through to the words “because You say so”. As for the disciples who laboured all night, they did not catch a thing. As for people like us, our ministry did not produce any bit of results. Nevertheless, “because You say so,” --- the spiritual meaning implies obedience to the Lord’s command. If we serve in obedience to the Lord’s commands, then there will be blessings from the Lord. We have to pay careful attention to the Lord’s commands. The Lord’s commands are found in the Bible. We must also listen and obey the Lord’s voice through the Holy Spirit. Sister Hou once said, “If a person is serious in obeying the Lord, it would entail that person’s very life.” This is because a man of flesh simply would not obey. A normal Christian needs to constantly hear the Lord’s voice (command). If we obey the Lord’s command, the Lord’s blessings will come at once.
Through this, may the Lord allow us to learn greater obedience to His commands. Because spiritual law has it that if we be responsible to obey, then the Lord will be responsible to bless.
One in Heart and Mind
Lastly, we will mention about oneness of heart and mind. “Oneness of heart and mind” is one of the most important essentials in ministry --- because tremendous blessings are ushered in through oneness of heart. Amos 3:3 says, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” Two people must first be of one heart if they are to go out to battle and walk together. Oneness of heart is the starting point. In the battlefield, oneness of heart must be present prior to going out together. With oneness of heart, one can rout a thousand, while two, ten thousand. The surplus of eight thousand indicates blessings from the Lord.
Let us take a look at the day of Pentecost. Just before the descending of the Holy Spirit and the pouring down of the Lord’s blessings, there were at first 120 who stayed in an upper room in Jerusalem -- praying earnestly in one accord. God heard their prayers. Hence, Acts 2 begins with the coming of the day of Pentecost and the disciples gathering together in one place. The original text says that they were together in one accord. And all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit descended mightily. Furthermore, three thousand were baptized. The blessings of the Lord had come. This is the condition prior to receiving the Lord’s blessings. When all is of one heart and mind, the Lord’s blessings will come pouring down.
Once in a co-workers’ meeting, an elderly co-worker sister happened to also attend. I invited her to give our young co-workers some words of encouragement. She immediately said, “I have been serving the Lord in the Philippines for more than fifty years, I urge young co-workers never to forget learning to serve with oneness of heart. It is only through oneness of heart that we can bring about the Lord’s blessings. If oneness of heart is missing, the Lord’s blessings will leak away.” Following that, she mentioned that once in her middle age, she was sent to the south with five or six co-workers to do church pioneering work. At the start, everyone was one in heart, which was why when the gospel was preached, many people who lived nearby came to attend. Thank the Lord! All at once, many believed in the Lord and were baptized. When the gospel was preached again later, another batch was baptized. During that time, even great sinners repented and believed in the Lord. This, in turn, influenced many others to listen and believe on the gospel. It was a pity though, that good times did not last long. Problems of disunity arose among co-workers. One wanted glory; another wanted his share of credits. One wanted a few benefits; another also wanted some for himself. Gradually things turned unpleasant. Formerly there was harmony in prayer, later, when one prayed, I did not say Amen. When I prayed, others did not say Amen. Because of this, church attendance gradually lessened and the blessings of the Lord were taken back. O! Once disunity sets in, then the Lord’s blessings will depart.
An excerpt from Brother Watchman Nee’s message mentioned that once there were two co-workers who came to Brother Nee to ask him to judge between who is right and wrong. One said that a certain thing is right, while the other said that another is right. After they were done arguing, Brother Nee spoke up, “Both of you were arguing as to who is right and who is wrong. Suppose what you said are both reasonable, then each of you are considered to be ‘right.’ However if the Lord does not bless, even if you are right, what’s the use? What we treasure most are the Lord’s blessings.” O! Is being “right” more important, or is the “blessing” more important? Hence, there are no excuses for not being one in heart, because we will miss out on the blessings.
From here we could see that serving with oneness of heart and mind is tremendously important. May the Lord be gracious to us and keep us so that from this day on, as we serve Him, we may learn more --- not to insist on our own will, not to look after our own benefits, but rather, to serve with oneness of heart, so that the Lord’s blessings will not be hampered, but will flow out more and more, ....and more and more…. Amen.
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