Chapter 8: Ministering in the Pathway of Life

Bible Reading:

Philippians 2:15-16

1 John 1:1-3

Colossians 3:4, 11

James 1:18, 25

Romans 8:28-29

Genesis 2:9-11

Thanks be to God who, in the past, had raised up three great ministers of the New Testament, namely Peter, Paul, and John. All three were apostles greatly used by the Lord, enough to represent the New Testament ministry. Amazingly, all three ministers preached the “Word of Life” throughout their ministerial lives.

The Acts of the Apostles records that the Lord performed many signs and wonders among the people through the hands of these apostles, which eventually led to resentment from the High Priest and his associates. Consequently, they arrested the apostles and put them in public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail, and brought them out saying, “Go…..and tell the people the full message of this new life.” (Acts 5:20)

Paul was no exception. He told the believers in Philippi, “Children of God… in a… generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, you hold out the Word of Life.” (Philippians 2:15-16) He did not labor or toil in vain. His ministry was with a direction. He visited churches everywhere and proclaimed the Word of Life.

Let us take a look at the Apostle John. He was the last apostle to depart from the world. During his time, the believers had strayed away from the foundations of life, so much so that a great majority of churches had deteriorated and had become desolate. The Lord commissioned him to do the work of revival. Hence, when he wrote the First Epistle of John chapter 1, he affirmed the main theme right from the beginning, “That which was from the beginning… concerning the Word of Life.” This clearly tells us that at that time, the church had already lost the Word of Life and had stopped progressing in the pathway of life. Because of this, he never stopped preaching the Word of Life. His ministry was to restore the Word of Life. In the course of serving the Lord, all the three great ministers preached the Word of Life. This tells us of the need for the church today to walk in this pathway of life.

The “Word” in the “Word of Life” refers to the word in the original text; it also refers to the message. Peter preached the Word of Life; Paul delivered the Message of Life; while John restored the Word of Life. The purpose of delivering the word or the message is so that everyone may put them to practice and be able to live in it. While Jesus was on earth, He once pointed out two paths: “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) This was to guide the disciples on how to walk the pathway of life. It also points out the need for Christians to walk in this pathway of life.

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter stood up and preached the first message which he quoted from the Psalms, saying, “You have made known to me the path of life.” These words spoken by King David indicate that all his life he was one who walked the pathway of life. No wonder God commended him as a man after God’s own heart. His life, work, and ministry had pleased God. From here we see that not only are we to walk in the pathway of life; moreover, we must serve the Lord in this pathway of life. Since this is so, then we must never stray away from this pathway of life in our ministry. Now, where does this pathway of life come from? It is brought about by the word (message) of life, and we walk according to it.

1. What is the Word of Life

   The “Word of Life” is Christ becoming our experience in life. The Gospel of John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “Word” here refers to Jesus Christ. Because verse 14 says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…..full of grace and truth.” Following that, verse 18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but God the only begotten Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” We see here that Jesus Christ was the Word in the beginning, which later became the Word of Life. How come the Word in the beginning later became the Word of Life? Because Jesus Christ, who was in the beginning, not only came to the world as the Word who became flesh, after He had accomplished redemption, He also dwelled among us and became our experience in life. Hence, He is called the “Word of Life.”

   The Word in the beginning is the objective case, while the Word of Life is the subjective case. The Word in the beginning refers to Christ in heaven -- when He dwells among us and becomes the Christ of our life…. He is called the Word of Life. Thus, when the Apostle John wanted to restore the Word of Life, he had this to say, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.” This shows that they had each experienced the Word of Life personally. Christ used to remain on the outside, but now He has become our inner life experience, and we testify of Him. So today, what we preach is not a doctrinal Jesus, not a religious Jesus, not even a historical Jesus, but Jesus who is in my life -- how he dwells in me, so that I may experience Him all my life.

2. The Pathway of Life Points Out How One Can Enter into the Stage of Fullness of Life

   The Gospel of John 10:10 records the Lord Jesus saying, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This means that not only do Christians receive eternal life, they also need to enter into the fullness of the life of Christ. That is why we need to walk in the pathway of life. It is by this pathway of life that our spiritual lives can continue to mature until they reach fullness.

   From the Bible we see that in order to enter into the fullness of life, there are generally three stages to consider. We will use the tabernacle in the Old Testament as representation. The tabernacle represents the church. Every part of the tabernacle serves as a representation of Christ, as well as, the lifetime experiences of a Christian. The entire process of the Church can actually be divided into three stages, these are: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. These three stages also speak of the process of maturity in the life of a Christian.

   1. A Steadfast Life (Outer Court) – Christ as the Foundation

      A steadfast life can also be termed as a life with foundation. Hebrews 6:1 tells us, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation.” This means that the foundation has already been laid. Therefore, in the life process of a Christian, the first level is to live a life with foundation. Due to the fact that a large number of Christians did not lay any solid foundations, their spiritual lives have not been steadfast.

      Paul in I Corinthians 3:11 said, “…the foundation that had already been laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This clearly tells us that both the church and a Christian’s spiritual life are built upon only one foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. After you and I have believed in the Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ enters into us and becomes the foundation of the pathway of our lives. This foundation itself is steadfast, firm, unyielding, unshakeable, and is already in us. This life of Jesus Christ is unchanging. Although heaven and earth change, Jesus Christ never changes. Peter described the life of Jesus Christ as a life that is imperishable. Grass withers and flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord (Word, Life) stands forever (I Peter 1:24-25). It means that this life transcends time and space; it is steadfast, firm, and surpasses heaven and earth.

      Now how do we build a steadfast life? We will simply mention three things of concern. First is prayer. Prayer is similar to an infant breathing. Once we are saved and born again, Jesus Christ enters into us…so does His life -- just like a baby who has just been born. Upon birth, the first thing the infant needs is to breathe. If a Christian lacks prayer, he is like an infant who has breathing inadequacy.

      Second is reading the Bible. Reading the Bible is like an infant feeding on milk. May I ask each of you here if you have already established a life of morning devotion – reading the Bible, praying and drawing near to the Lord? Third is assembling together. Assembling together is like a child living a family life. We are the Lord’s sheep. Sheep need to stay in the sheep pen and come in and go out together with the Shepherd, Jesus Christ. This refers to living a life of assembling together. All these are the basic experiences a Christian ought to have in order to live a steadfast life.

   2. A Growing Life (Holy Place) – Christ As Life

      After building a solid foundation in life, this life needs to climb up another level. Hence, when the spiritual lives of the Hebrew believers had stopped growing, the apostle wrote a letter to them saying, “Let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity.” This clearly explains that they need to enter into a life of fullness and attain spiritual heights. “Not laying again the foundation” implies that the foundation has already been laid. It means that you already have a life of constant prayer, reading the Bible, and assembling together. Nevertheless, you still need to continue progressing. We call this stage of progressing as the life that is growing -- just like Christians who, in the Outer Court, are now progressing into the Holy Place. We call this the process of growth. Brothers and sisters, we need to be Christians who grow.

      1. Obeying the Holy Spirit

         After a Christian has firmly established a life of prayer, reading the Bible, drawing near to the Lord, communing with Him, and fellowshipping with believers, he still needs to enter into a life of growth. In this regard, I would like to speak about three essential experiences. First is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to abide in the Lord according to the teaching of the anointing. Christians in the first stage experienced Christ abiding in us, while Christians in the second stage experienced ourselves abiding in Christ. Romans 8:5-6 says that, “Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”  Therefore, if a Christian listens to the teachings of the Anointing, he will be kept. On the contrary, if a Christian does not listen to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, he will suffer loss.

         Twenty years ago, there was a brother who was going to take a plane flight from Tai-Chung to Taipei. Very amazingly on that day, an inner voice told him not to go. He obeyed the inner teaching and did not go. Just as the plane was flying in mid-air, it burst into flames and everyone in that plane perished. News had it that Malaysia’s tycoon, Mr. Lu Yun Taw also perished in that flight. Hence, we must take heed to obey the Holy Spirit’s voice.

         A sister in Mainland China testified that one evening while she was sound asleep, the Holy Spirit suddenly woke her up and told her to quickly get out of the room. Without a doubt she got up, put on her robe, and walked out from her room to the living room. Shortly after, there was a loud bang and down came her ceiling. If she had tarried and did not obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, she will surely be smashed to death by the ceiling beams. The voice of the Holy Spirit (the teaching of the Anointing) is not a doctrine, but a pathway of life. A Christian who obeys the voice of the Holy Spirit shows that his spiritual life is growing. Have you already entered the stage of growth? A person who lives in constant fellowship with the Lord will be able to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. How wonderful that is! It is indeed glory increasing upon glory.

      2. Christ as Our Life

         At the same time, the more we obey the Holy Spirit, the more we will experience that He is there to teach us in all things, so that in all our behaviors and conduct, we may be able to do God’s will in the Holy Spirit. At this stage, Christ has become our life and He is alive in us. Just like what Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) Why is that? Because I have been crucified with Christ, now Christ lives for me, naturally, I have begun to live a victorious life.

         I Corinthians 1:30 says, “…Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” This means that Christ has become our life. We know that each kind of life exhibits its corresponding kind of living habits. The life of a sheep exhibits a clean living, while the life of a pig exhibits a filthy living. When Christ is our life, He becomes our wisdom. Therefore, whether in our studies or in conducting our businesses, Christians need to inquire of the Lord. The Lord will be our wisdom and He will teach us what we ought to do.

         Not only that, Christ is also our righteousness. Based on experience, when you offend someone, something in you simply will not let you go. There are times when you talked excessively, you feel so uneasy within ….. Because Christ is righteous, He rebukes you within, so that our behaviors and conduct will be in conformity with God’s procedure and will.

         Thank the Lord! Christ is also our holiness. There are some Christians who, before believing in the Lord, had the habit of drinking. But now, the mere taste of liquor on their lips makes them feel horrible within. Although the Bible does not literally prohibit drinking, but amazingly, the mere taste of liquor gives them the feeling of defilement. Christ’s holy life simply would not allow this, therefore it causes your spirit to feel horrible. This is the experience of Christ being our holiness.

         Oh, brothers and sisters, a spiritually growing Christian must experience Christ as his life. Not only that, He gives us victory. Hence Christians must not regard failure as something normal. Failure belongs to Christians in the first stage. Once you have entered the Holy Place, you ought to live a victorious life -- since Christians who have entered the Holy Place have already done away with sins, worldliness, traditions, and trends. To be in the Holy Place implies being set apart. Not only have we overcome sins, temptations, and worldly enticements, we have overcome the lust of the flesh as well.

         A sister was fond of eating junk foods. Apart from taking her three regular meals, she still has to eat junk foods. If she does not eat junk foods, she will not be able to get through her day. The urge to eat junk foods had held her captive. One day she attended a meeting and heard that Christ lives in her. Her life changed the moment Christ became her life. Instantly, her bad habit of eating junk foods fell off completely. She now enters the stage of growth, wherein Christ has become her life.

      3. Ministering

         Christians in this stage minister by grace and their ministry progress in the Lord’s grace. I hope all of us are growing Christians, with each one serving the Lord. Parents nurture and teach their children. A child who is one, two, or three years old, is very loveable. When he turns four or five, he starts to go to kindergarten school. Upon reaching six or seven years old, he goes to elementary school. By that time, he already knows how to eat, get dressed, and go to bed by himself; at this stage, the parents feel very much relieved. When he gets to middle school, he starts to help with small house chores like arranging tables and chairs, cleaning doors and windows, washing dishes, mopping the floors, etc. From here, we can see that if a Christian does not minister, he remains to be a little child, because little children are unable to help with the house chores. May I ask each of you here if you are taking part in the church ministry by coordinating with others, such as, fellowshipping, praising, praying, singing, visiting, sharing, etc? If you participate in serving, then you are clearly a growing Christian. Brothers and sisters, the reason we are citing some practical examples and essential points is so that we may be aware that after a Christian is saved, he must pursue the Lord with all his efforts and means. Beginning from the first stage which is the Outer Court experience, he should enter the second stage which is the experience of the Holy Place, and finally the third stage which is the experience of the Holy of Holies, which is also a life of maturity.

   3. A Mature Life (Holy of Holies) – Christ is All

      Mature Christians have the three following main experiences:

      1. Through the Cross Christ is Formed

         In the beginning, Christ, who is in us, was not one with us. But gradually through the work of the cross, the Lord integrates his character in us so that we may, through our ministry, slowly spread the fragrance of Christ and manifest His image. Christians who are at this stage are those who have accepted the cross. Each time the cross does its work in us, the component of Christ increases once. This is how Christ is being integrated in us.

         In 1961, I travelled to the Philippines the second time and stayed there for a while. One time I boarded a ship to Cebu. While on board, a brother who meant well bought balut (duck egg with fetus) for me to eat. He told me that eating duck fetus benefits the lungs. That was the first time I saw a balut. In it was actually a very tiny duck fetus with black hair all over. I was afraid to eat it but this brother ate it in front of me. The balut is the egg laid by its mother duck. After the egg has been hatched, the duck fetus is formed. Just like Christ who is in us -- once we have gone through the work of the cross, Christ will be formed in us. “To be formed” signifies a life that has matured. Hallelujah! Allowing Christ to be our life not only makes us strong and victorious; moreover, Christ will be formed and integrated in us. Hence, Paul told the Galatian believers saying, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19)

      2. Live Out Christ’s Glorious Image

         II Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveil faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This means that when we come face to face in fellowship with the Lord, we will be renewed by the Spirit of Christ. Moreover, the inner workings of the cross enable Christ’s glorious image to be manifested and lived out through us.

         The working of the Holy Spirit, through the integrating work of the cross, bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as described in Galatians 5. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. This is not love that comes from the natural life, but is a divine love, an unconditional love, a love that loves the unlovable. There is also joy. This joy is not found in eating, drinking, or having fun, but finding contentment in the Holy Spirit; it is joy unspeakable and full of gladness. Then there is peace, so that we may live in peace and harmony with one another. There is also patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All these are the manifestations of the image of Christ, which is also being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son.

      3. A Mature Life

         James 1:18 says, “That we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” Just like a mango tree, while some of its fruits have turned yellow, others may still be green. Thus the ripe and yellow fruits will be picked first. We too must enter into a life that is mature in order to become firstfruits for the Lord to enjoy. When Christ comes again, those believers whose lives are mature will be raptured first. Hence, Romans 8:28-29 says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him (those whose lives have matured) ……... predestined to be conformed (or “be molded” in the original text) to the likeness of His Son (a mature life).” Here it tells us that we can all live out the likeness of Christ, and be filled with Christ inwardly while manifesting Him outwardly.

         Brothers and sisters, how are we to serve the Lord? We must serve Him in the pathway of life. First, we need to take brothers and sisters to walk the pathway of life, so that they may establish a spiritual life that is firm and steadfast; next we must lead them into the level of growth of life; finally they must serve one another until their lives attain maturity.

3. Value the Ministry of Life Over the Ministry of Gifts

   As you and I walk on this pathway of life and minister with all the saints, we will discover that there are two kinds of ministries in the church. One is called the Ministry of Gifts, while the other, the Ministry of Life.

   1. The Ministry of Gifts is About Work Accomplishments

      After a Christian is saved by grace, he can rely on the Holy Spirit to minister. Through prayers, one can receive power from the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. In general, the early stages of ministry are all about the ministry of gifts. Under the ministry of gifts, as long as one ministers by the power of the Holy Spirit, together with natural eloquence, and add to it diligence, he will be able to produce fruitful work.

      When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He told a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey; who called his servants…To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.” Talents signify gifts. The one who received the five talents gained five more. The one with the two talents gained two more. This implies exercising of gifts in ministry. The one who received one talent hid it in a hole in the ground. At long last when the master returned, he rewarded both the one who received the five talents and the one who received the two talents. He commended them as good and faithful servants. The one who received the one talent and hid it in the ground did not exercise his ministry of gifts; consequently, the master rebuked him and called him a wicked and lazy servant.

      From here we see that every Christian must do his best in exercising his gifts to serve the Lord. Whether in praying, reading the Bible, meeting together, praising, visiting, or preaching the gospel… no one can do without serving. At the beginning of this year, we shared the message about the “Ministry of the Priest”. We encouraged all the saints to exercise their gifts in serving. Thank the Lord for His grace, everybody responded well. One could immediately notice the accomplishment of works.

      At present, our church in Manila is divided into five groups. The youth meeting is subdivided into the high school group, college group, and career group. Then, we also have the sisters’ meeting and Sunday school. Recently, we also started the elderly brothers’ meeting. The response was very good and everyone participated in serving the Lord. As a result, we witnessed the Lord’s blessings. Many were saved and this pleases the Lord. However, the ministry of gifts can only attain to a certain limit in the scale of work.

   2. Ministry of Life Builds Up Testimony

      The second kind of ministry is the “Ministry of life.” After a person believes in the Lord and is saved, the Lord’s life enters him and he receives a divine life – a life that is eternal. This life has a capability to serve the Lord.

      1. Serving in the Pathway of Life is A Ministry of Life

         We serve according to this life. Even if we do not have natural eloquence, we can still be intercessory vessels in secret. By interceding for others, though no one sees you, God sees you in secret. This is an example of the ministry of life. Some people have combined gifts and life; of course this is the most ideal ministry.

         Suppose you do not have any noticeable gifts, nonetheless, through the ministry of life, which is letting Christ be your life, you accept the leading of the Holy Spirit to visit a certain brother; or perhaps you fellowship privately with a certain sister in the spirit, thus enabling her to receive comfort and provision. In other words, ministry of life is ministering in the pathway of life, serving continuously with Christ as our life, and serving the Lord in keeping with this life.

      2. A Ministry of Life Flows Forth the Life of Christ

         A step further in the ministry of life is to flow forth the life of Christ. The Lord once used the vine as an example. Christians are the branches, while Christ is the vine. Only when the branch is attached to the vine can it bear fruit naturally. In the same way, when a Christian prays and draws near to the Lord, he is enjoined to Christ the Head; naturally, whether he prays or visits, or comes in contact with people, he will bear fruit and flow out the life of Christ.

         Although there are some brothers and sisters who may not have any apparent gifts, at the same time, the life of Christ flowing out from them may not seem that abundant, yet they could make others feel the presence of the provisions of the Anointing. For instance, during Thursday night Bible study meetings, some people can express themselves eloquently which is truly admirable. Although there are some who may not be that adequate in expressing themselves, yet they are able to share the spiritual insights that truly come from their hearts, then they add to it the testimony of their own personal experiences. This indeed cuts through the hearts of the listeners. They are not touched by eloquence, yet they are able to feel the presence of the Lord and thus receive provisions. This kind of sharing of the word is called the ministry of life. A person with abundant life experiences will be able to discern which is a ministry of gifts and which is a ministry of life. Nevertheless, a big majority of people have a combination of both life and gifts.

      3. A Ministry of Life Builds Up the Testimony of Christ

         However, the ministry of life not only has an outward scope of work, inwardly, there is also the building up of the testimony. In short, the testimony of Jesus Christ is being built up in the church through their ministries. Actually, there is a difference between work and testimony. We have to pay attention to the testimony of the Lord. A normal ministry is one that imparts life along with the exercise of gifts; this way, the testimony of the Lord will be manifested. But today, there is a danger among Christians all over the world that they pay more importance to the development of gifts, at the same time giving undue emphasis to doctrines and ministerial skills, yet neglecting the building up of life. True enough, giving importance to the exercise of gifts may enlarge the scope of work, but this kind of ministry gives increase only to the quantity of works in the Christian religion.

         However, the ministry of life is quite different. The ministry of life increases the stature, as well as, the component of Christ in the church. When the Apostle Paul ministered in Ephesus, he did so in life -- by imparting life and preaching the fullness of Christ. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, the church in Ephesus was built up, then Paul preached to them the Word of Life again. If we read the letters of Paul to the Ephesians, we will see how Paul expounded on the greatest revelation to the church there. To one’s surprise, from the time Paul departed from the world up to the time the old Apostle John was about to leave the world, the church in Ephesus had deteriorated. The ministries had lessened, and they had deviated into the path of the ministry of gifts. Hence, the Lord warned the church in Ephesus saying, “I know your deeds, you have persevered and have endured hardships… and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love.” (Revelation 2:3-4)

         “Love” is life. They had forsaken the Word of Life. When love is forsaken, then there will no longer be life. Life is filled with love, but when you forsake your first love, what remains is merely a few work activities and a few exercising of gifts. He said, “If you do not repent, I will remove your lampstand.” The removal of the lampstand implies the loss of Christ’s testimony, leaving behind just an outer shell of a certain scope of work where people can neither touch life nor come in contact with Christ. May we be warned by the Lord through this, that if we only have the ministry of gifts and not the ministry of life, then there will be no lampstand (testimony of Christ). Hence, not only do we exercise our gifts in the ministry, we must all the more pursue to enter the ministry of life, so that the testimony of Christ may be built up.

   3. We Must Value the Ministry of Life Over the Ministry of Gifts

      Although the ministry of life and the ministry of gifts are both important, still we must give more weight to the ministry of life rather than the ministry of gifts.

      I Corinthians 12 talks about the nine different kinds of gifts in the church. In fact, our church has a lack of these gifts. Nonetheless, the Corinthian church had enjoyed each of these nine gifts; yet Paul referred to them as infants and worldly. No wonder there were jealousy, strife, and factions among them, because their spiritual lives were immature and shallow. I remember when I was a little boy, I often squabbled with my older brother over trivial things, because we were just a few years apart in age. When I got to elementary school, we did not fight that often anymore. When I got to high school, we stopped fighting. Upon reaching college, not only did we not fight, we loved and helped each other. Although the Corinthian believers were enriched in every way in speech and in gifts, yet their lives were immature. Here it shows us that it is not enough to have the ministry of gifts alone, there must also be the ministry of life. Hence, immediately after Paul had written about the nine kinds of gifts in I Corinthians 12, he went on to talk specifically about love in chapter 13. He mentioned that if he should speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, he is only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. He meant that you must be filled with love as you provide for brothers and sisters. Then, in chapter 14 he explained how one can exercise his gifts. This shows us that we must exercise our gifts in love. Love connotes life. This is giving weight to the ministry of life over the ministry of gifts.

   4. From the Old Testament we see two staffs. One was the staff of Moses, which represents the ministry of gifts. This staff had performed many miraculous signs before the eyes of Pharaoh. How did this staff possess power? Whenever the presence of God is there, signs and wonders will naturally follow. Pharaoh had been the object of punishment quite a number of times by the staff in Moses’ hand. When they got to the edge of the Red Sea, Moses stretched out his staff and the waters parted so that all the Israelites were able to walk through. Later, signs and wonders continued to follow Moses’ staff. When the staff struck the rock, the rock opened up and living water flowed out… It was indeed a great gift.

      The other staff was that of Aaron. It was placed before the Ark of the Testimony alongside the staffs of the leaders of the eleven ancestral tribes. When morning came, all the eleven staffs did not show any changes except for Aaron’s staff which sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds. This staff represents the ministry of life. Later when they arrived at the land of Canaan, Moses’ staff of gifts no longer existed; only Aaron’s staff of life remained inside the Ark of the Testimony. Symbolically, this shows the fact that the ministry of gifts will pass away while the ministry of life will last forever. The ministry of life has eternal value. The ministry of gifts simply passes away after a certain generation. We must, therefore, value the ministry of life over the ministry of gifts.

4. Learning to Minister in the Pathway of Life

Lastly, let us see how we can learn to minister in the pathway of life.

1. Have Nothing to Do with Issues --- Surpassing Reasons

   The book of Genesis records that there were two trees in the Garden of Eden, one is the tree of life and the other is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord prohibited our ancestors from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when they eat of it, they will surely die. (Genesis 2:17) But our ancestors could not withstand the serpent’s temptation. They ate of the fruit of that tree and as a result, they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Later, God placed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. Since then, mankind was denied the chance to come in contact with life again. Thank God, His love endures forever. He does not harbor His anger forever. When we get to the New Testament -- it was through Jesus Christ, who opened a new and living way for us, that men’s entry into the path of life has been restored.

   “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is the tree of right and wrong. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are in contrast with one another. Therefore in serving, we must have nothing to do with issues, nor reason out any way we please. If you eat of the fruit from the tree of life, you will receive life. On the contrary, if you eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will die. In serving, we must be outright in rejecting anything that has to do with  right and wrong, reasoning, or arguments, but must go positively beyond reasoning. Do not touch right and wrong to avoid bringing in death.

   Hence, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples saying, “You have heard it said: ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you….…”  “Eye for eye” and “tooth for tooth” means that when somebody knocks off one of your teeth, you may also knock off one of his. When somebody gouges out your eye, you may also gouge his, because this is within reasoning. However the Lord Jesus said, “But I tell you”, ---- this means that the former falls within the context of the Old Testament law. Since we are now in the New Testament times, our ministry should not be of the law but of life. Therefore, the basis is no longer on reasoning, right and wrong, or good and evil. The more you struggle, the faster the spirit dies. If you serve according to reasoning, your spirit within will die, because the word of God says, “When you eat of it, you will surely die.” So the first step is: Do not touch issues.

2. Have Nothing to Do with the Good and Evil --- Surpassing Morals

   “Good and Evil” refers to the virtuous and the bad. Doing good is a moral thing. However, we cannot minister in accordance with morals. Of course, “evil” is sin and we must never commit sin; but we must not presume that what is good is right. Oftentimes in the church, brothers and sisters may give suggestions out of good intention, however these are not necessarily accepted by the church and would consequently lead to misunderstandings. We must know that we cannot minister on the basis of good and evil because good and evil are simply morals. At most, they are merely standards set by the moral experts. We serve by life, which surpasses the morals of good and evil------this is God’s standard. We, therefore, serve in accordance with the disposition of God.

   One brother and two sisters in Christ were sent to serve in a newly-opened gospel work field. One day just as they were about to go out for visitation, a sick man unexpectedly came to their door and asked to be prayed over. They were so glad, thinking that the Lord had sent a gospel friend to them. They said to one another, “Let us pray with one heart and ask the Lord to heal this man’s sickness, and perhaps through the gospel we may be able to gain a soul.” Among the three, the two sisters figured that they have to first lead this friend to confession and repentance, otherwise the Lord will not hear their prayers. However, the brother deemed that they must first lay hands and pray for him so that when he gets well, he will eventually repent and believe and accept the Lord. So this brother stretched out his hand and prayed in a loud voice, commanding the sick man to be healed in Jesus’ name. While he was praying, these two sisters refused to say “Amen” because they kept thinking that they had forewarned this brother not to lay hands prior to confessing, and they did not want to have a part in his sin.

   After praying, the brother complained that they did not respond by saying “Amen” to his prayer. For this, they unpleasantly parted ways. Before long, the two sisters returned and reported the matter to me. After I heard this, I told them, “You have been serving the Lord for quite some time, why did you still eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why quarrel over whether the right thing to do is to lay hands first or to repent first?” In serving, it is not by quarreling but by serving in humility with oneness of heart. Unless it contradicts the truth, otherwise, praying for the sick is not dictated upon by any truths. It is totally through the leading of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus prayed for the sick, He never required one to confess his sins first. Although the book of James tells us that we must confess our sins first, yet this is a matter of inward leading. Why must one insist?

   Here we see that in matters of serving, whenever we meddle with the good and evil, although outward work may result, inwardly, the spirit is dead. May the Lord show His mercy and grace to us so that in serving, we may learn to have nothing to do with the knowledge of good and evil, but to return to the tree of life (come before Christ), and do whatever He instructs us to do.

3. Must Touch Life --- In Accordance with Christ

   The Lord Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:38-41) These are words spoken by Christ. We serve according to the word of Christ (Word of Life). The Word of Life surpasses both reasoning and the good and evil, and touches life.

   Dear brothers and sisters, as we serve in coordination within the church, it is inevitable that differences of opinions may arise, leading to frictions. Once in a while, arguments over trivial matters may occur and quarreling may eventually result, causing one to back out from the ministry. Hence, in serving, we must keep ourselves from touching on anything that has to do with right and wrong, or good and evil, but instead to learn to touch on life. The Lord Jesus Himself had lived a life that surpasses all. We need only to serve on the basis of this all-surpassing life. This is ministry in the pathway of life.

   In terms of experience, during our service in the church, we are easily surrounded by the pitfalls of good and evil and right and wrong; we may even argue ostensibly for the sake of someone else. All these are but fruits of the knowledge of good and evil, which when you eat of it, you will surely die. Christians need only to touch on life. When something happens or when opinions differ, we have to come before the Lord and inquire of Him through prayer. I firmly believe that all the problems will be resolved readily. At the same time, this is the way to minister in the pathway of life.

4. Serving in Obedience to the Sensitivity of Life

   Anything that has life has sensitivity. When the life of Christ enters us, we will naturally develop a sensitivity of life. At the same time, life has its laws; so too with the life of the Lord----it also has its law----which leads us to serve Him. In serving, the sensitivity of life speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must be attentive to this sensitivity of life, only then can we serve in obedience to it. This is another way of serving the Lord in the pathway of life.

   Take for example the case of a mother who was careless in preparing milk for her baby. She mistook salt for sugar and mixed it with the milk. As soon as the infant tasted the milk, young as he was, he knew well to instantly push away the milk. Still unaware that the salt was in the milk, the mother kept coaxing and urging him to drink, nevertheless he spat it all out. Because life possesses the natural ability to discern: Outwardly it is hard to differentiate sugar from salt because both are white in color and finely sized; however, the sensitivity of life causes one to have the power to distinguish.

   Therefore, Christians who minister must learn to be perceptive to the sensitivity of life, and must serve in obedience to it. Then, imperceptibly, not only do we surpass reasoning and morals, in fact, because of it we may impart life, flow out Christ, and manifest Christ. May the Lord bless His message and lead us all to walk the pathway of life as we minister, so that the life of Christ may gradually fill our entire being, and that Christ may both be manifested and flowed forth.

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