Bible Reading: Revelation 21:1-2, 5, 10; 22:20   Ministering in the Attainment of the Testimony of the Fullness of Christ For the concluding message, we will refer to the book of Revelation as background for our message regarding the way of ministering. Awaiting the Return of Christ The last chapter of the book of Revelation written by the old Apostle John concludes with the words, “Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20) This points out another way of ministering, and this is ministering while awaiting the return of Christ. This is also one of the attitudes every Christian ought to have. In today’s Christianity, whenever we mention awaiting the Lord’s return, every person has his own viewpoints and opinions. Some make their explanations based on the Four Gospels, while a few on the Epistles. Now, how do we make ourselves ready to welcome the Lord’s return? Thank the Lord, the book of Revelation sums up the entire Bible by telling us how to await the Lord’s return. A Bride Beautifully Dressed Awaiting Her Husband Early on, we read Revelation 21 where it mentions the coming down of the new heaven and new earth. There is a Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Here, it tells us that when the Lord Jesus comes again, He will be the Groom and the church will be His bride. In a wedding ceremony, the bride has to be beautifully dressed before the groom comes to marry her. The Lord Jesus is already prepared and has long been waiting for the bride (the church) to be beautifully dressed. In other words, the moment the church is ready, the Lord Jesus will come right away to take her. As mentioned here, how then can the bride be beautifully dressed? This is explained by way of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The Appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem Once the Holy City (the bride, the wife of the Lamb) comes down out of heaven, it signifies that the church is fully prepared, and Christ will return. Therefore today, no matter what we do to get ready for the Lord’s return, whether through preaching the gospel, edifying the saints, or being filled with the Holy Spirit, they can all be summed up to the appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Today, the reason why the Lord Jesus keeps delaying His return is because the church has not yet attained to the condition of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The Testimony of the Fullness of Christ What does this Holy City, the New Jerusalem signify? We must understand that every part of this city, the New Jerusalem, signifies Jesus Christ. This city reveals the greatness, power, holiness, authority, glory, riches, and beauty of Christ. In other words, this city manifests the complete fullness of Christ. City symbolizes testimony; because Jesus once told His disciples saying, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) It means that the testimony is not to be hidden but must be seen by all. Therefore the Holy City, the New Jerusalem symbolizes the testimony of the fullness of Christ being manifested in the universe. If we read Revelation 1, it first records the appearing of the seven lampstands, thereafter, these seven lampstands shine out Christ, the Son of Man. Its spiritual meaning is that the church must reveal Christ, so that people may see Christ and gain Christ. This is the divine commission of the church in the end times. Serving in the Direction of the Testimony of the Fullness of Christ However, when we get to chapter 2, we see the conditions of the seven churches. Apart from the church in Philadelphia, the rest of the churches have shortcomings, weaknesses, and failures. This tells us that the churches failed to measure up to God’s standard, and had deteriorated and had become desolate. Therefore, in order that the church may be blessed, the Holy Spirit must do the work of getting the church back to God’s standard again. Hence, throughout the ages, God, through His Son Jesus Christ, has been constantly doing the work of restoration, establishing churches and building them up so that churches everywhere and throughout the ages may direct their goals toward the New Jerusalem and may continue to do the work of building up until the will of God may be fully realized. This is the significance of the appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Then, the Lord Jesus will return. How to Usher in the Appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem How then do we serve the Lord? Thank the Lord, the book of Revelation again points out a way, which is to serve the Lord so as to attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ. In these end times, we must set our sights on the goal that God has instructed us, in order that we may attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ. May churches in all places find favor with the Lord and be led by Him to manifest the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Thank God, the Lord Jesus Himself made the promise saying, “I will build up the church.” This signifies that in order to attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ, everything has to be done by the Lord Himself. On the other hand, after He ascended on high, He sent down the Holy Spirit, and through His workers, He established the church. At the same time, He raised up all the saints to do each one’s work of building up the church. As far as experience is concerned, how do we usher in the appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem? The first part of Revelation 21 mentions the way to usher in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We shall refer to this Holy City, the New Jerusalem which John saw,  as background to our message while we discuss some important experiences in ministering to the attainment of the fullness of the testimony of Christ. Christ as the Head Who Leads Revelation 21:5 says, “He who was seated on the throne said.” These words tell us that Christ, who was seated on the throne, had come out and had spoken. Its spiritual meaning is that Christ is the Head who leads. This is the first point essential in the attainment of the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Christ is the Head – Seated on the Throne “Throne” is the king’s seat. “Seated on the throne” means the king is sitting on his throne and ruling with authority. Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” Brothers and sisters, any church that has Christ seated on the throne is a church that directs its goal toward the testimony of the fullness of Christ. May I ask if the church you are serving is one in which Christ is the head? Is the Lord seated on His throne?  Giving Out Orders – “Said” “He who was seated on the throne said.” The word “said” denotes giving out orders. Therefore if a church has the throne of Christ, then Christ will speak in that church. Today, there are some churches in which the moment you set foot inside, you will encounter the kingship of Christ; it makes you not dare to behave casually. However, there are also quite a few churches wherein the moment you enter, you will notice that here and there, man’s viewpoints and man’s opinions thrive, propositions vary, and things are in total confusion. I hope that through this, the Lord will restore us back to the Bible, and with a reverent heart, we may learn to listen to the Lord’s voice and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. While the Lord Jesus was on earth, He once visited the home in Bethany. There Mary, Martha, and Lazarus received Him. It was indeed a beautiful and inspiring picture, particularly when we see Mary sitting down at the Lord’s feet listening to Him speak. O, the most important thing in the church is none other than to let Jesus speak and express His heart’s desire. Martha was not aware of this at that time, she figured that doing the external chores was what mattered most. Receiving and serving the Lord out of a sincere heart is indeed important, nevertheless, the most important and greatest blessing is to allow the Lord to speak. Therefore in order for a church to be built up, the first and foremost thing is to let Christ be enthroned and be the one to speak, because the church is the place where the Lord speaks, directs, and gives out orders. Let us look at the recordings in Acts 2:1-2. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound… came from heaven.” That sound from heaven was the special characteristic of the church. If no sound came from heaven, then no church will possibly be birthed. It is that sound from heaven that shook men’s hearts and caused man’s natural self to fall prostrate before God. The sound from heaven also denotes that the One seated on the throne is speaking. This is the first characteristic of a church that desires to attain to the testimony of Christ’s fullness. Hence, in ministering, we must learn to fear the Lord and not to speak casually nor give opinions as we please, nor to make out any plans or strategies on our own. Instead, we must come before the Lord in total humbleness, learn to listen to His voice, and wait for Him to speak. In the last days, God speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:2). Where the Lord speaks, there the will of God is. At times, God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Acts 13 records that when some prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:1-2) Hence, in ministering, it is a must that we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit speak. If the church is led by the Holy Spirit, only then will it be able to enter into the fullness of Christ. Then in Acts 15, when problems arose in the church ministries, the Bible records, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” (v. 28) This means that the feelings from the Holy Spirit are expressed through our lips. This way, the decisions that we make become an actual reflection of the Holy Spirit’s decisions. O, this is a church where the Holy Spirit speaks. Hence, the letters written to the seven churches in the book of Revelation all conclude with the same statement:  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This tells us time and again that the church is not only the place where the Lord speaks, at the same time, it is where the Lord expresses His will through the Holy Spirit. Because of the Lord’s mercy, from the day I was called to serve the Lord, I never stopped learning how to obey the teachings of the Anointing. I must admit that for the first ten years, I incurred a lot of shortcomings and weaknesses. Each time we met to discuss matters at great length, because of differences in opinions, we often hurt one another’s feelings and ended the discussion on a sour note -- making it hard for the parties involved to step down with grace. Did we pray? Yes, we prayed. What message did we preach? We preached Christ enthroned and Christ as Head of the church. However, when it came to ministering, Christ was no longer the head but I was. Thank the Lord, after a while, I was able to obtain the Lord’s favor again and was led out of that congregation. He let me encounter difficulties in my ministry that made me feel so helpless such that I have to come before Him with bended knees several hours a day. I experienced continuous emptying by the Lord for several months before I finally came to touch the throne and understood what it meant to let the throne voice out and let the Lord speak. It was at this time that the Lord gave me a great spiritual turnaround in my ministry. At the same time, the Lord called me to put up an assembly in Taipei. At first, there were only a few people, but gradually it grew. Although the scale was not really big, it allowed me to learn one vital lesson, and that is, to fall prostrate and listen to the voice from the throne; at the same time to allow Christ to be the Head, thus entering into the actual experience of listening to the Lord speak. Before I decide on anything, I would first wait before the Lord, seek Him time and again, and inquire from Him the things I ought to do. When the Lord told us to preach the gospel, the co-workers and I would kneel down before the Lord and inquire about how we should preach, where we should preach, and when we should preach. This waiting and inquiring went on for a week or two, until finally we were able to attain clarity from what seemed so unclear before. Indeed, when we preached the gospel, many were saved. Again we fell facedown before the Lord and inquired, “Lord, when will the baptism be?” Step by step, we learned to obey the leading of the Lord and were able to experience a little bit of what it means for the church to enter into the fullness of Christ. Renewal by the Holy Spirit Revelation 21:5 says, “Behold! I am making everything new.” This tells us that the way to attain the testimony of the fullness of Christ is to accept renewal by the Holy Spirit. As far as representation is concerned, we notice that in the middle of the great street of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, a river of the water of life flows out from the throne of the Lamb into the entire city. Spiritually, this refers to the renewal by the Holy Spirit. In terms of spiritual experience, the day we were saved, we already obtained the washing of rebirth, nonetheless, we still have to continue receiving the renewal by the Holy Spirit without any disruptions. (Titus 3:5) A church that is not renewed by the Holy Spirit will become like the church in Laodicea. When you enter, you will encounter a deathly silence, full of worldly smell. On the contrary, when a church is renewed by the Holy Spirit, the moment you enter, you will discover that it is full of life and vitality, and overflowing with spiritual and heavenly atmosphere. Whether it is meeting together, having fellowship, singing hymns, praying, etc., the Holy Spirit is doing its work of renewal in that church. Behold! The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, in it everything has been made new. Let us take a further look at the conditions of a church that is being renewed by the Holy Spirit. Get Rid of Staleness – Bring Forth Freshness The human body that God created has a specific law called metabolism. If metabolism fails, the whole body becomes weak, withers, and dies. People who have kidney disease have poor blood circulation in their bodies, therefore a machine is needed to purify the blood. Because the moment the body loses its metabolism, it will die. In the same way, the church is the body of Christ. If there is no renewal by the Holy Spirit or if there is no spiritual metabolism to get rid of staleness and usher in freshness, the church will not only fail to progress, even spirituality will no longer be present. Therefore, it is a must that the church receives renewal by the Holy Spirit. Get Rid of Old Ways – Usher In New Ways What is the condition when one experiences renewal of the Holy Spirit? As far as experiences are concerned, it is to pray in the Holy Spirit, read the Word of God with one’s spirit, listen to the message (word) and be renewed by the Holy Spirit. All the ministries and activities of the church must never lack the renewal of the Holy Spirit in order for it to become a church that serves in the new ways of the Spirit. This is the work that the Holy Spirit wants to do. The assemblies in each locality, when first raised up by the Lord, have freshness indeed. But after five, ten, fifteen or more years have gone by, they gradually become stale; even ministering becomes traditional. Bible study becomes routinary. During Sunday morning worship, people pay ear service to the messages. If busy, one simply excuses himself from attending prayer meetings. Very rarely does one share in the Bible study meetings. Ministering gradually falls into a pattern of habit, tradition, and obsolescence. Romans 7:6 says, “By dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” This means we must serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Today, although churches of Christ around the world have obtained new life from the Lord and a new position, yet they are retreating to the ministry of the Old Testament times. The New Testament ministry is one that enters into the testimony of the fullness of Christ -- by enabling people to meet the Lord. However, to be able to reveal Christ, one needs renewal by the Spirit to get rid of the old way of the written code and tradition. The so-called “serving in the new way” does not mean displaying new tricks. The question is about whether or not the ministry has the free leading of the Holy Spirit. Because our Lord Jesus is forever fresh and the work of the Holy Spirit is always onward, therefore we must serve in the new way of the Holy Spirit. In terms of experience, if the church is one that has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, not only have its viewpoints changed, even its methods have also changed. Some Christians who have been saved for thirty years come to the meetings every Sunday and listen to the messages; however, when they go home, they totally do not give any thought to spiritual matters; later, by coming under grace, they received renewal by the Holy Spirit; Jesus has now taken His rightful position in their lives and the world has gone out from them. Now, they come every Sunday morning to listen to the message, in the afternoon they join the small group meetings in pursuit of the Lord; they also join visitation groups and go out to preach the gospel; they rid themselves of their past old habits. They no longer follow the trend of this world, instead, they are mindful of heavenly and spiritual matters. They now follow the Holy Spirit. Christ is All Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” (Revelation 21:6) The significance of this statement is so rich and full. “Alpha” is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, just like our letter “A” in the English alphabet. “Omega” is the last letter in the Greek alphabet, just like letter “Z” in the English alphabet. These two letters encompass all the letters of the alphabet. Spiritually, it means that Christ is all. Christ is the Alpha Christ is the “Alpha” denotes that Christ is the beginning, the initiator, and the author.  Therefore, all life, work, and ministry in the church must be initiated and begun by the Lord. Anything that is not begun by the Lord will not be accounted for, because the Lord Himself warned us saying, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” (Matthew 15:13) Every time we touch on this very serious matter, I feel very ashamed deep within because in our everyday living, even in our work and ministry, there are many matters wherein we are the ones initiating. The Lord, who is the Alpha, tells us that He is the Beginning as well as the Author. Christ is the Omega Not only is Christ the Alpha, He is also the Omega. “Omega” speaks of Christ as the Finisher. All the ministries in the church must be finished by Christ. They must never be accomplished through man’s ability, wisdom, or methods. It was because of this that Paul rebuked the believers in Galatia saying, “After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3) There was one time when I went back to Taipei. Right after my preaching, a sister came and talked to me. She had invested a large sum of money to open a restaurant, but her business did not go well; in fact, it was getting worse. She prayed, but the Lord did not listen. Time and again she confessed her sins, but the Lord still did not open a way for her. She now plans to close down her business, so I asked if she had inquired from the Lord before she opened the restaurant, but she could not answer me. All of a sudden, she was brought to an awakening by my question. I told her, “Since you were the alpha, the Lord will let you be the omega as well.” From here, we can see that if it is not the Lord who initiated the beginning, He will not take responsibility over the finishing. This same principle holds true in our various ministries. Not only that, even if Christ had done the beginning, we still need to look upon Him to do the finishing. Some brothers had been preaching the gospel for a long time without seeing any results. This is because they did not let the Lord be the Alpha. It does not mean that we need to do all the good works and all the good deeds. Indeed, we must work hard and not be lazy, nevertheless, we have to let the Lord be our Alpha. At the same time, we must be careful to allow Him to be the Omega by completely relying on Him to accomplish it. Christ is All Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. These first and last letters encompass all the other letters. The spiritual meaning refers to Christ, who is all and in all. Brothers and sisters, in the eternal plan of God, Christ is to be the all. Hence, Colossians 1:18 says, “And He is the Head of the body, the church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” A step further, we see in Colossians 3:11, “but Christ is all and in all” meaning, He is in all and He encompasses all. In terms of experience, the ultimate finality of our life, work, and ministry is Christ becoming our all. Such is the way to attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Therefore, whether we fail or we triumph, may the Lord open the eyes of our inner being so that we may truly see Christ to be our all. What is the church from a corporate point of view? Its significance is that Christ is the content of all things. Speaking from personal experience, we are saved by first listening and believing in the gospel, then knowing that Jesus is the Savior, and acknowledging that He is the Son of God and that we are sinners deserving doom and death. We thus call on the Lord Jesus and consequently, He comes into our lives and fills us with peace and joy. Then as we move another step forward, we experience Jesus to be our Shepherd. When I am in lack or in need, I would call on the Lord, and He would provide for me in due time. I also experienced the Lord to be true and living. Gradually, I came to experience His presence in my prayers. He often talks to me and I become aware that He is not only alive, He also leads me personally by His hand. At the same time, through the Holy Spirit, He often teaches me on what I am or am not supposed to do. So gradually, I came to know that Jesus is my Shepherd. Since the Shepherd leads His sheep out, He walks in front of them. The sheep listens to the Shepherd’s voice and He calls them by name. Slowly, as I attended meetings, I heard from the messages that Christ is my all. At first, I felt that this is something so mystical. Later, because of the emptiness within, I wondered if perhaps listening to music would brighten up my mood. So I turned on the music recorder and felt somewhat soothed within. However, deep within my spirit, I still had the feeling of dissatisfaction. Helplessly I came before the Lord praying, “Lord, I feel so empty within.” Amazingly, while I was praying, joy and glory filled my spirit. Only then did I truly experience Christ to be my contentment. He alone is the reason for my joy. In the past, I thought that material pleasures are joy to me, but now I realized that they are all but smoke and clouds that pass me by. They simply disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Later, I discovered that I have a very bad temper. When ministering with others, I often lose my temper. I found it really hard to change myself. Until one day as I entered into praying in the Spirit, I felt that the Lord was in me and I in Him; the great love of the Lord encompassed me inside out. The urge to lose my temper fell off my mind that day. It was then that I discovered that Christ had become my life. From that day on, step by step, I experienced Christ to be my strength, my rock, my fortress, my light, my peace, my joy, and my all… This is true not only for individuals, but for the church as well. David, in his old age, wrote a psalm saying, “Lord, You are my Lord.” David had experienced Christ to be the Head. “Apart from You, I have no good thing.” Meaning, Christ is my all. "The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.” Whenever we replace the Lord with money or other material wealth, we tend to become worrisome and anxious. The moment you let your children take the place of Jesus, they will not only disobey you, but will hurt your feelings; because God has designated Christ to be our all and to be the church’s all. So how do we attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ? We have to allow God to work in us to an extent that every bit and every drop is all about Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit and Life Revelation 21:6 says, “To him who is thirsty, I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” This spring symbolizes the Holy Spirit and life. Spring water flows without ceasing and is abundant without limit. This signifies the fullness of the Holy Spirit and of life. Therefore, to drink from the spring of the water of life means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and life.   Brothers and sisters, in order to attain to the fullness of Christ, the church needs the filling of the Holy Spirit and life. Life is the content, therefore, this life needs to grow and must be in balance with the Holy Spirit. Today, there are churches that give undue emphasis to the filling of the Holy Spirit, yet neglect the growth of life. It is because of the Lord’s mercy and grace that we have been able to give equal importance to both life and the Holy Spirit. This is because we are walking the pathway of life and we are pressing on in accordance with the Holy Spirit, so that life and the Holy Spirit may overflow in the church. Let us take a look at the book of Revelation. From the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, there is a river of life flowing down. This river of life symbolizes the flow of the Holy Spirit; in it  is the fullness of life. The river in Ezekiel chapter 47 and the river in Revelation chapter 22 are two distant rivers having close similarities. Both rivers are flowing down with trees on both sides. Trees symbolize abundant life. The bounty of life has reached a point where twelve kinds of fruit are yielded every year. There are twelve months in a year. Twelve is a number denoting fullness. Yielding fresh fruit every month denotes life in its fullness. I wonder if our brothers and sisters from overseas have tasted the world-famous Philippine ice cream called Magnolia. Magnolia produces a flavor of ice cream every month. The tree of life yielding twelve kinds of fruits in a year implies abundance and denotes freshness. The book of Ezekiel gives a more detailed recording of the river. Wherever the river flows, there will be large numbers of fish. Fish symbolize believers who are saved. This depicts the constant increase in the number of people being saved in the church. Thank the Lord for His blessings. For the past three years, although we did not hold any specific large scale gospel crusade meetings, yet because the fullness of the Holy Spirit and life has filled the church, the Lord added to our numbers daily those who were being saved. On the contrary, if a church has only a handful of people joining the meetings, how can the testimony of the fullness of Christ be known? It does not mean that having a great number of people is all that matters, but rather, it is whether or not a church is concretely manifesting the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Praise the Lord, in a span of three years, our branch in Manila had more than one thousand baptized believers. In May, another baptism will be held. I hope that before long, all the seats in the newly expanded assembly hall will be filled to overflowing. Just like what the book of Ezekiel describes about the large numbers of fish; that the number of people being saved will keep on increasing. We notice the presence of fishermen as well. This pertains to the increase in the number of those being called to serve the Lord full-time. All these speak about the condition of the filling of both the Holy Spirit and life. May the churches in every locality be filled with the Holy Spirit and life. Brothers and sisters, today, if we fail to walk in the pathway of life, we tend to drift away easily. “Life” is the central thought in the New Testament Bible, particularly in the entire Gospel according to John, which expounds on “life.” Therefore, we ought to minister in the pathway of life, so that we will be able to attain to the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Overcomers Revelation 21:7 says, “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” It means that this group of overcomers are the ones who will inherit the riches of the New Jerusalem. Who does the Bible refer to as overcomers? They are those whom the Lord has called; those who are representatives of the church. They represent the church in sufferings. They are also those who bring about the accomplishment of God’s will. The Calling of the Overcomers Revelation 2 and 3 talks about the time when churches become desolate, this is when the Holy Spirit repeatedly mentions the phrase “he who overcomes.” From the church in Ephesus up until the church in Laodicea, the Holy Spirit has been calling for overcomers. In the same manner, the Lord is repeatedly calling for the overcomers in the church today. Just when a great number of Christians have fallen weak, have failed, have backslidden, or have become untrue, there will be a group of Christians who will still follow the Lord from beginning till end, and remain faithful in serving Him. When others have become desolate, this group of overcomers continues to move forward. When others have no concern whatsoever for the church, zeal for the Lord’s temple continues to consume this group of overcomers. Overcomers Signify the Suffering Church Overcomers also represent the church that suffers in order to fill up what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. (Colossians 1:24) Jesus Christ had already accomplished redemption on the cross for us today, and we need not do anything more; nevertheless, He still left something for the church. This implies that He expects the church to suffer with Him so that the church may grow. 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) Therefore the church has to have a group of overcomers who will be representatives of the church in suffering. Any church with people who are willing to represent the church in suffering for Christ will certainly achieve progress, attain abundance, and make continuous advancements. On the contrary, if one cannot find people in a church who are willing to suffer for the Lord, then that church will remain outside the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Of course, we are not supposed to brag of ourselves as overcomers while others are failures; nevertheless, we must not allow ourselves to fail because failure is abnormal. Today, many Christians have a wrong concept: they regard failure as something natural while being overcomers as something hard to achieve. They are not aware that failing is abnormal, while overcoming is normal. Our Lord is an overcomer and we have become overcomers with Him. Hence, there is no reason for anyone to fail. Overcomers are the representatives of the church. They represent the church in suffering in order to fill up what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, so that Christ may be formed in the church. Therefore when you and I experience the cross and accept its tearing work, then life will emanate from us, just like what Paul said, “Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” Paul was an overcomer. Because he suffered much for Jesus and for the church, as a result, life continued to flow out from him. The life that he imparted had offered help and provision to all the saints. During these last days, God is calling on overcomers to suffer with Him, so that they may enjoy glory together with Christ in the age to come. Overcomers Usher in the Accomplishment of God’s Will Overcomers eventually usher in the accomplishment of God’s will. They are people who accomplish God’s will. In terms of Old Testament representation, the 600,000 Israelite soldiers and the 2 to 3 million people who came up out of Egypt did so with great strength and vigor. They helped the elderly and supported the young in walking through the wilderness. However, in the end, those who were twenty years old and above perished in the wilderness, except for Caleb and Joshua, who led the next generation of Israelites into the beautiful land of Canaan. The beautiful land of Canaan represents the fullness of Christ. Who were those able to make it into the land of Canaan? Undoubtedly, only Caleb and Joshua; they were the ones who followed the Lord wholeheartedly -- year in and year out through thorns and brambles, they experienced tremendous sufferings. They represent the overcomers who ultimately led the generation after them to enter into the fullness of Christ, thereby accomplishing God’s will. May all of us be Calebs and Joshuas who will bring the church to enter into Christ’s fullness. A Full Knowledge of Christ Lastly, John was led by an angel to a great and high mountain where the Holy City, the New Jerusalem was shown to him, enabling him to touch on the content of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit Reveals Christ Revelation 21:10 records, “And He carried me away in the Spirit and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem…” The words “carried away in the Spirit” refers to obtaining the revelation by the Holy Spirit; while “the Holy City, the New Jerusalem” signifies the testimony of the fullness of Christ. Another way to put it is that it is the enlargement of Christ. Jesus took on flesh and became a Man. Now that this city has appeared; it means that Christ has enlarged. Being carried away in the Spirit and seeing the city means the Holy Spirit has revealed Christ. The words “showed me” means having obtained revelation and knowledge. Spiritually, it means that when we obtain revelation from the Holy Spirit, we will have a full knowledge of Christ. Now, how do we attain to the fullness of Christ? We need to come together and pursue to know Christ until we have obtained a full knowledge of Him. Brother Sparks once shared this testimony on the pulpit: One time, while he was having a conversation with Brother Meyer about Jesus Christ; he failed to notice that the sky outside has turned gray, and it was almost time for the meeting to start. As they were discussing and sharing about Christ, they became more and more engrossed, because they had come to touch not only on the fullness of Christ, but also on the glorious eternity. As a matter of fact, there is no concept of time in eternity. Nevertheless, since it was about time for the meeting to start, they could do nothing but to part ways, yet carrying with them the hope that in future eternity, they would get to know Christ in the resurrected body and in time eternal. O, how immensely great Christ is! Today our physical bodies live but for a few decades only. How, then, can we know Christ fully? May the Lord be gracious to us so that in the days to come, we may diligently pursue to know Him more. Comprehend How Wide, Long, High, and Deep Christ is Together with All the Saints Here, it tells us that the Christ whom John knew was an enlarged Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he said that Christ has unsearchable riches, so wide, so long, high, and deep; in other words, without limit and without end. Therefore only when saints throughout the ages and throughout all generations come together will they be able to understand Christ. Why do we need to assemble together? So that together with all the saints we may understand the width, length, height, and depth of Christ and His unsearchable riches. Let us take the Bible study meeting as an example. We thank the Lord that during the past two years, the Thursday night Bible study meeting in our church in Manila has been enjoying the Lord’s mercy and grace. Brothers and sisters scramble and vie with each other to share about Christ, and time is usually not enough for all the sharings. In this meeting, everyone points out a little bit of his experiences, enlightenment, or principles he receives concerning the Christ he has known. You display the riches of Christ; he also displays the riches of Christ. This way, everybody contributes a point or two of what he knows about Christ; and through mutual fellowship, everyone gets to appreciate and enjoy the fullness of Christ. O, dear brothers and sisters, after this special conference comes to an end and all of us return to Manila, there will be two nightly meetings, one each on Saturday and Sunday, where representatives from the localities of the churches overseas will come together and share their knowledge of how wide, long, high, and deep and how precious Christ is. By sharing our knowledge about the fullness of Christ with one another, Christ, whom God has filled, will in turn fill us too. Attaining to the Testimony of the Fullness of Christ Ephesians 4:13 says, “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” It means that if the whole church knows Christ, this church will grow and mature until it finally attains to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. That is also the time of the appearing of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Christ is in the church, and for the fact that we know Him, we will gradually mature until we have attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, which is depicted by the bride beautifully dressed who had attained to the testimony of the fullness of Christ, and then, Christ will return.  --- E N D --- <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry"

Bible Reading: Romans 12: 4-8 I Corinthians 12:13-27 Ephesians 4:11-13   “Ministering in Coordination with the Church” is an important topic because it is the key to the rise or decline and success or failure of the church. If the coordination of ministry within the church is strong, the church will flourish. On the contrary, if coordination in the church ministry is weak, the church will decline. The Church is the Body of Christ; We Must Minister in the Body Today, we believe that many young Christians in the church do have a direct relationship with the Lord in the vertical context. However, they are generally ignorant of the horizontal context, which is their relationship with the church. Because of this, a common behaviour existed, which is, after baptism, they neglected living a corporate church life of meeting together, such that they gradually wandered away from the church, and slowly began to fall away into loving the world and deserting the Lord. The elderly believers are no exception either. The key in determining how useful we may be in the Lord’s hands lies in whether or not we live a church life and minister within the body. Believers are Members of Christ’s Body and Must Not Depart from the Church “The church is the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 1:23) This clearly tells us that Christians altogether comprise one body. Whether Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 or Ephesians 4, these three areas in the Bible speak separately about the exercise of gifts in serving the Lord. However, a common factor exists, in that all of them mention the words “the body of Christ.” This means that no Christian should depart from the body of Christ. Take for instance our human body, if the foot should say, “Since I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it cannot for this reason cease to be part of the body. (I Corinthians 12:15) This means that not a single part of the body can detach itself from the body. The moment any part of the body detaches itself from the body, it will surely dry up and not survive. Likewise, the moment a Christian detaches himself from the church, he will surely grow weak and fall away. An interesting news article once appeared in a newspaper in Taiwan about a certain hospital’s postsurgery system of trash disposal. A foot, after having been amputated from a person’s body, was carelessly dumped into a trash bin. This system of improper waste disposal had led to many controversies in the medical world..... The instant a foot gets detached from the body, it becomes a dead part and eventually turns into waste. From here we could see that when a Christian departs from the church and gets detached from the body (church), although he may still maintain a life of private prayer and reading the Bible he has, in fact, lost his spiritual functions, and has gradually become spiritually destitute until he eventually dries up. This is similar to a branch being cut off from the grapevine. It withers away and gets thrown outside. It loses its function and can no longer bear fruit. Hence, Christians must live a church life and serve in coordination with all the saints; otherwise sooner or later, they will fall away, encounter failures, and become desolate. In 1953, I went to the Philippines for the first time to have fellowship with the church there. There was a young brother who went to see me several times for spiritual fellowship. However in 1961, when I returned to the Philippines hoping to see him again, I did not get to do so. I heard that he had left for the United States to pursue further studies. Nevertheless, every time I visited the Philippines, I always thought of him. Thank the Lord; I finally got to meet him again in Manila. We were so glad to see each other, we shook hands enthusiastically. In our fellowship, he recalled the time he went to the United Stated some 20 to 30 years ago to study:  He stayed in the school dormitory, and when Saturday came, he would go and stay at the home of a church co-worker and have spiritual fellowship with him. The following morning, being the Lord’s Day, he would attend the church meeting, after which, he would return to school on Monday. For a year he lived a normal Christian life. Nonetheless, before long, due to a hectic study schedule, he only attended the Sunday morning service and went back to school in the afternoon. Shortly after, his church meeting attendance was reduced to only once every two weeks, then once a month, then once every three months, and finally to just once in a long while. Because he had missed out on the meetings, he was not able to withstand temptations and enticements. He first learned to smoke...… then he continued to fall away until he no longer prayed nor read the Bible. Dear brothers and sisters, we are situated in the latter part of the century where pits, snares and temptations abound in the society we live in. Anyone who departs from the church and isolates himself will, sooner or later, stumble and fall away. I hope those brothers and sisters who had been attending meetings in the past will be all the more eager to attend meetings when you return home from this conference. Quite a few only attended the Saturday youth meeting, while others have given up coming to the meetings due to some home trifles. This kind of Christian, undoubtedly, does not have any spiritual foundations. Every Sunday morning we need to join the Breaking of Bread and fellowship with all the saints. We also need to attend the Sunday Message Service to receive spiritual nurturing. From the messages we heard, we need to digest them through prayers. Furthermore, we must participate in the ministries of the church, otherwise we will easily be ensnared by sin and the world to the point of falling away and encountering failure. If Christians do not take part in church ministries but listen to sermons alone, they will not be able to digest spiritual matters and their spiritual lives will not make any progress. Only when one takes part in the ministry will he gain true spiritual knowledge and experience to enter into the fullness of Christ. Here it talks about the body ---- on the one hand, it implies that we must not leave the church lest we fall and end up in failure. Members Depend on One Another to Minister, Survive, and Grow On the other hand, the body depends on its members serving in coordination with one another in order to survive and grow. The members depend on one another to survive. I cannot do without you, and you cannot do without me. Just as the feet cannot do without the hands, so the hands cannot do without the feet. The members relate with one another and do each one’s respective work in order to grow. Hence, Christians must participate in the ministries to carry out their functions; each person must exercise his gift(s). On the contrary, if a Christian does not serve, he will consequently ruin the body. Brothers and sisters, I hope your spiritual eyes will be opened by the Lord to truly see the severity of not serving. Do not think that it does not matter if you do not serve, anyway there are so many people in the church, it makes no difference having one less person like me. We need to know that the Lord uses the body as an example when referring to the church to imply that every member must be closely related and mutually dependent on one another for survival. I need you, and you need me. We help each other perform our functions. This way, the body will stay healthy, survive, and grow. No wonder Colossians 2:19 says, “..… connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.” Japan is widely recognized as the most outstanding nation in the world. They are top in the world when it comes to cooperation. The education system of that country is quite different from that of other democratic nations. The success or fall of a nation does not happen overnight. It requires twenty years or so of hard work and toilsome cultivation. From the most basic elementary education all the way up to college, there must be quality education in order that its people may render rightful contributions to society. Japan’s education gives tremendous emphasis to cooperation. I can still remember vividly that during our elementary school days we had a subject called Moral Cultivation which focuses mainly on the moral values of life. There was a particular topic that explained the importance of cooperation by using the body as an illustration. I would like to mention its main message: Once upon a time, the four extremities and the five organs of the body held a conference together. The feet said, “I am situated at the lowest part of the human body which is just too much for me. Every day I come in contact with the dirty ground while the entire weight of the body is pressed upon me. I want to excuse myself from walking today.” Upon waking up, the feet lay in bed and refused to move. The clock struck seven, then eight, yet it remained in bed and refused to get up. Nine o’ clock…ten o’ clock, the stomach began to grumble and protested to the mouth saying, “Why have you not delivered food to me?” The mouth replied, “Because the hand did not pass any food to my mouth.” So they questioned the hand, “Why did you not send food to us?” The hand replied, “The feet refused to walk. My hands are too short to find its way to the kitchen and get food.” Oh, the moment the feet decided not to move, the hands were not able to work too, the mouth was not able to chew, the stomach was not able to digest, and consequently, the entire body went limp and lay in bed all day. When evening came, the stomach cried of hunger and pain, then they all came to their senses and said to the feet, “Look, because you refused to walk, thinking you’re taking a rest, let’s see if you’re able to walk now.” With much confidence, the feet made an effort to move, that’s when it realized that its strength was all gone because the body had not taken any food or water all day long. Beloved brothers and sisters, this lesson had taught students the value of cooperation and the importance of doing one’s own duty. The feet have to walk, the hands have to get food, the mouth has to chew, the stomach has to digest, the intestines have to absorb.... when the whole body moves in consonance with all the parts, it will stay healthy. Today, quite a few places in the world are adopting this principle found in the Bible. The Scripture wants us to learn to serve as one body in the church, and this pertains to members serving in coordination with the body. If the feet refuse to move, the whole body will be affected. Even if the feet were to walk to where the food is, yet if the hands refuse to move, or the mouth refuses to chew, or the stomach refuses to digest, altogether they would impair the wellness of the entire body. In other words, as long as there is one member that refuses to cooperate, then the law of the body will be broken. Brothers and sisters, from here we could see that each one of us is a member of the body. If you do not serve, your individual losses may be just a small matter to reckon with; however if the law of the body gets broken, then it becomes a very serious problem. I hope that through this, we will all come to a renewed understanding that the church is the body of Christ, and that we ought to serve in coordination with the body. None of us can do without serving. If you do not serve, not only will you fall into spiritual destitution, you will also not make progress, while at the same time, suffer losses and impair the survival and growth of the Body of Christ. The Church is the House of God; We Must Minister in the House Once a person believes in the Lord and is born again and baptized, then he is born into God’s household. From thence on, he must live a life in the household of God. During Paul’s final years, he entrusted Timothy his commission. In his epistles to Timothy, he wrote, “If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God.” (I Timothy 3:15) This means that Paul wanted Timothy to remain in God’s household and to live a church life. If I am delayed, you must remain in God’s house. This is my command to you: Do not depart from God’s house, which is the church; you must remain in the church, live, and serve together with others. While Jesus was on earth, He once told a parable, “A father had two sons. The younger son took his share of the estate, left home, and set off for a distant place. He squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, he began to be in need.” In the same way, each of us Christians has received from the Lord our share of gifts (inheritance). However, if you run away from the church, you will discover that your spiritual condition has become destitute. Thank the Lord the younger son later came to his senses and said, “My father’s house has a lot of food to spare, do I have to starve to death here?” Brothers and sisters, from here we could see that if we leave God’s household (church), our spiritual life will become desolate and impoverished just like the prodigal son who was later dressed in rags;  our testimony will suffer failure and bankruptcy. Hence, Christians not only must live in God’s house; they must also serve in consonance with others in God’s house. Moses was faithful in all God’s house. (Hebrews 3:2) A faithful servant is one who is faithful in all God’s house. We are merely little servants of God; that is why we must learn how to be faithful in God’s house. The brother who led the singing earlier once had an unpleasant encounter in serving. He felt so bothered within, he no longer wanted to serve. With a heavy heart, he went home. Since it was a Tuesday and there will be a prayer meeting later that evening, he struggled whether or not to attend. In the end, his decision to attend the prayer meeting took the better of him, so he went back to the meeting. Praise the Lord, he met the Lord in that meeting. He confessed and repented before God and was filled and renewed by the Holy Spirit. He was strengthened within. Two days later during the Thursday night Bible study, he testified how he had fallen weak and had contemplated not to serve any more. However when he returned to the prayer meeting, he experienced once again a spiritual turnaround. He discovered the preciousness of living a church life. He made the decision to remain in God’s house and to serve Him all his life, and never to leave the life and ministry of the church. We Need to Serve in the Church for It to be Built Up Now is the age of the Holy Spirit, as well as the age of the church. After the Lord ascended to heaven, all His works are centered upon the building up of the church. Apart from building up the church, the Lord had no other works. Although Christians may take part in many areas of ministry, all these sum up in the building up of the body of Christ. The topic for this year’s special conference is also “The Building Up of the Body of Christ,” because the heart of the Lord is in the church. Zechariah 1:14 says, “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.” Jerusalem and Zion are both symbolic of the church. This means that although the Lord is in heaven, His heart is tied up with the church. Brothers and sisters, today if we want to satisfy God, we must commit ourselves to the building up of the church. Therefore the building up of the church can never be confined to one solitary action, but through every one of us serving in coordination with each other. The Lord Walks the Way of the Church The book of Revelation not only speaks about the future of the church, it also prophesies about the things that will come to pass during each period. The second and third chapters record the letters written to the seven churches. Each of the letters closes with this same phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) This means that the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church. It is true that whenever we draw near to the Lord, He speaks to us; even as we move about, the Holy Spirit is also speaking in us. But most importantly, the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church. When John wrote to the seven churches namely, the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, he ended all his letters with one same phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.” This implies that the Holy Spirit sees the church as one unit; and when God speaks, it is therefore directed to the church. Today, the path that the Lord walks is the path of the church because He regards the church as a unit. Since we walk the path of the church, we must, therefore, minister in coordination with the church. God’s Blessings are Found in the Church The Letter to the Ephesians is a book that speaks about the church. It mentions the place of the church in God’s plan. Ephesians 1:3 says, “… who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Meaning, the church is where we receive God’s blessings. If we are in the church, we become people who are blessed. For instance, we see rains falling outside. Suppose we take a cup and place it outside under the rain, the raindrops will immediately fill up the cup. However, if it was only a small piece of glass sheet, even though the rain falls hard on it, it will not retain much water except for a few droplets on its surface. However, if this piece of glass sheet is shaped into a cup, then it will be able to collect an entire cupful of rainwater. The riches in this cup can then be shared by all. Likewise, the blessings of the Lord are found in the church. The church is the vessel that receives God’s blessings --- in it are the riches of the Lord. Therefore, we must serve in the church in order to inherit the riches from the Lord. The moment we depart from the church, we will not be able to enjoy His riches. Walking in One’s Own Way Causes One to Lose the Lord’s Rich Blessings No matter how great a person’s gift may be, as long as he walks his own way, he will gradually discover that the Lord’s blessings are no longer with him. In view of the Lord’s mercy, over the past three years, we were blessed with more than 1,000 newly baptized brothers and sisters. We did not invite any so-called evangelist or well-known preacher. Our young people were the ones who preached the gospel in their respective groups. The young brothers and sisters shared their personal testimonies while the young co-workers gathered the nets upon conclusion. In every baptismal meeting, there were more than a hundred, sometimes even more than two hundred, who came to be baptized. These are the bountiful blessings of the Lord found in the church. The Body of Christ Will Be Built Up If All the Saints Serve Together in the Church The reason we mention ministering in the church is because when all the saints minister together in the church, the body of Christ will be built up. Ephesians 3:18 says, “… together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” It means that, when all the saints fellowship and minister together in full coordination, the body of Christ will be built up, and the church will be filled with Christ. When the Apostle Peter talked about the church, he said, “We are like living stones being built into a spiritual house.” (I Peter 2:5) We (little stones) are being built up. If we are placed outside, we remain a single piece of stone and may become a stumbling block to others. However, if we are placed in the church in order to be built up, we will become a spiritual house. How lovely this would be. The Bible says that, when Solomon finished building the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Likewise, when Moses went up the mountain and drew near to God, his face became radiant --- which shows the glory of God being manifested through his face; yet God’s awesome glory is that which fills the temple (church). As individuals, we may undeniably be spiritual, but since God’s glory is that which fills the church, we must therefore minister in coordination within the church. One will be Kept if He Serves in the Church Another point is that we must expose the schemes of the devil. All through the ages, the devil has been trying in countless ways and with utmost efforts to destroy the church. Satan is like a roaring lion that prowls around looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8) Who are the ones it devours? They are those who run away from the church and walk their own ways. Matthew 18:18 records, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Here it tells us that the authority of the church overcomes the power of Hades. When Peter obtained the revelation from Christ, the Lord took a step further by revealing to him saying, “The gates of Hades cannot overcome her (church).” It means that apart from the church, no individual authority can overcome Hades. Therefore, we must not depart from serving in the church if we are to be kept by the Lord. What the Apostle Paul had preached was no exception. In Ephesians 6:11 when he mentioned about ministering in the body, he said, “Put on the full armour of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes…” This means that the entire body of brothers and sisters has to put on the full spiritual armour in order to fight against the devil – not as individuals, but as a church. That is why if you and I were to depart from the church, then our protection is gone and we will become easy prey to Satan, the roaring lion. We, therefore, want to remind Christians over and over again that it is a must that you attend Sunday church meetings and not to absent yourself casually, to live a church life, and to participate in the various church ministries. You might, perhaps, wonder if the church has that much ministries for you to get involved in. Let me tell you this, the ministries in the church are widely varied. Prayer alone is one ministry that has no end. Simpson, a servant greatly used by the Lord, once said, “Prayer is the highest ministry,” meaning, of all the ministries, there is none that surpasses prayer. You must know that your prayer ministry is nobler than my preaching ministry on the pulpit. Praying out loud in the meetings is also ministering. Singing hymns is also ministering. Saying “Amen” out loud is also ministering. These are some of the most basic forms of ministering. Also, the visitation of saints, testifying, evangelizing…. and the like are all ministering. We ought to serve in the church in order to be kept. The Ministry of the Church is the Ministry of Coordination in the Body Since we are going to serve in the church, how then do we do it? Romans 12 mentions the gifts of life (grace). This means that once we are saved, we have obtained the Lord’s life (grace) and we all have our share of gifts; so it is but natural that we serve the Lord.  Romans 12 Talks About the Ministry in the Body of Christ--- Each Member Fulfills His Part Romans 12:5 says, “So in Christ we who are many form one body with many members, and each member belongs to all the others.” This means that we are the body of Christ; in the church, we interact with one another as members --- everyone standing in the position of a member--- in one’s own designated position, and exercise his gifts in serving the Lord. Suppose you are a hand, you will use this hand to get things and do work with it. Suppose I am an ear, then I will perform my function of listening. Suppose he is an eye, he will carry out his function of seeing. Everyone must faithfully exercise the portion of gifts he receives from the Lord. Perhaps you may wonder if you any have gifts at all, do not be anxious about what gifts you may or may not have. Even though we have no idea what gifts we may have, yet the most important thing to do is to participate in the church ministries. This is similar to a fruit tree. Before the fruit tree grows big, it is hard to tell whether it is an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree, or a plum tree. Nevertheless as time goes by, it starts to grow leaves and bear fruits. Now you can tell what tree it is. Therefore, all you need to do is pray, give praise, learn to visit the saints, preach the gospel, and actively practice sharing your insights and inspirations; after a while, your gifts will be revealed. If you do not serve, then your gifts will never be revealed. Romans 12:15 also tells us that each member belongs to all the others. Meaning, we must work in consonance with others to fulfill each of our roles. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, or encouraging, or teaching, he must work at it with all his heart. If it is contributing to the needs of others, or showing mercy, or leadership, and the like, he must be faithful in doing his share of these functions. I Corinthians 12 Talks About Members Serving In Coordination I Corinthians 12 talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit which may also be called the miraculous gifts. In other words, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then our gifts will be revealed. The gifts mentioned here put emphasis on the aspects of work and power, but more specifically, it talks about God who arranges each of us to be a part of the body.  God Has Arranged the Parts of the Body Just as He Wanted Them to be Look at verse 18, “In fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” Perhaps God has arranged for you to be the hands, for me to be the feet, and for him to be the ears….. the Lord thus arranged us according to what He wanted. We simply do our share of the ministries in accordance with His arrangements. In actual practice, the leaders in the church ought to take special care when assigning ministries. They must never make arrangements at their own discretion, but rather they must learn to submit before the Lord, wait upon Him, inquire of Him, and assign ministries in accordance with God’s will. On the other hand, when brothers and sisters accept arrangements, it is very likely that we may not be pleased about it. However, you need to learn to accept the tearing work of the cross and God’s work of building you up. It is by serving that we allow Christ to increase in us. Believers Must Accept Arrangements and Minister in Coordination Actually, ministering in itself is not an objective, but a process; through ministering, I may decrease and Christ may increase. This is the objective in ministering. In the church, there are many areas wherein one can minister. For example, every year we hold baptismal meetings. There are different kinds of assignments in the baptismal ministry. Some are assigned the ministry of overall servants while others as ushers, name tag writers, number assigners, or back-up helpers for the wiping of faces, changing of clothes, arranging of slippers, and the like. There was a year when I assigned a brother to be the overall servant in a baptismal meeting. He, in turn, assigned a brother to take charge of the picking up of wooden slippers. A few years later, I assigned this brother to be the overall servant again. This time around he told me, “It is fine with me to take this assignment as overall servant, but as to the other services, may I request you to do the assigning for me?” I asked him why. He replied, “That year when you assigned me as overall servant, with no bad intention at all, I assigned a brother the task of picking up the wooden slippers. He misunderstood me, thinking that I humiliated him by assigning him to do such a demeaning job. He was furious at me and was not willing to forgive me from that time on.” Beloved brothers and sisters, if everyone behaves like him, then the entire congregation will bear grudges against me. When I assigned a certain brother or sister as overseer of a room that is hot, humid, and void of fresh air, they would probably hate this Brother X, wondering why he is dealing with me in such a way. “This kind of assignment is a torture to me…” Actually, every kind of service assignment is the Lord lifting us up. On the contrary, if everyone is not willing to accept service assignments like picking up slippers, wiping the floors, overseeing the rooms, and the like, not only will we encounter difficulties in holding baptismal meetings; in fact, every baptismal meeting will end up with misunderstandings and grudges among brothers and sisters. After going through more than ten baptismal meetings, there will be tens of people who have held grudges in their hearts. Therefore, brothers and sisters, every time we do service assignments, let us put ourselves in others’ position and show consideration to the overall servant. If everybody protests and is unwilling to accept assignments, how could one do according to his ability and build up the body of Christ? Hence, I Corinthians 12:18 says, “.…just as God wanted them to be;” meaning, the Lord has sovereign authority in His arrangements and eternal insights. His arrangement is the best and the most beneficial to us. Therefore in ministry, there is no position or rank --- whether high or low, noble or degrading. A spiritual man who cleans the washroom is still spiritual. On the contrary, if a carnal person should lead the church, that church is bound to be carnal. Therefore, do not question whether a ministry assigned to you is high, low, noble, or degrading, but rather what kind of an individual you are. Ephesians 4 Talks About How Workers Prepare the Saints for Works of Service Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Meaning when co-workers lead in the church, they must hold steadfastly to this principle of ministry:  to prepare God’s people for works of service. For a church to be strong, the greatest factor lies in its strong array of coordination among co-workers, elders, and deacons; and next to that, how all the saints serve together in coordination. In some churches, even though there are no formal titles given to co-workers, elders, and deacons, there is in fact a group of people who are serving faithfully and diligently. Just like in our branch in Manila, there are quite a few elderly sisters who, although they do not carry the title of deaconship, yet have manifested the functions of a deacon in their services. If a church has only a line-up of titles for its elders and deacons, yet people who enter that church cannot see the believers’ love for the Lord, or consecration, or diligence in serving, then that church has no future at all. On the contrary, if a church has a group of elders and deacons who lead all the saints to serve together with oneness of heart, then that church will surely make progress. I hope the leaders in every local church will delegate ministries to all the saints, enabling them to all come out and serve. Do not make assumptions that a certain brother is not good enough, or a certain sister is not capable enough, thus depriving them of any ministries. It is precisely the fact that they are not good enough or not capable enough that they need to learn. If they are good and capable, then there is no need to teach them. Delegate ministries to those who are incapable, and their gifts will be revealed. The leaders, no doubt, must display wisdom when assigning. The more accomplished saints on the other hand, need not decline out of modesty, but must be aware that once you decline, you will end up being a spiritual waste product. Hence, nobody can claim that he is incapable, because as long as you have the life of the Lord in you, your capability to serve is innate. Hence, through accepting assignments and learning, you will be made perfect. After World War II had ended, we recall how the United States had allotted funds to aid countries in the East like Japan and the Philippines. However, thirty years later, Japan had grown more powerful with each passing day while the Philippines had regressed. One of the main reasons is that Filipinos were generally sloppier in character and less willing to work hard unlike their Japanese counterparts who were more diligent and more willing to endure hardships. What is even more pathetic is the fact that recently many Filipinos not only refuse to work, they even go on strike everywhere. Today, a certain textile factory goes on strike; tomorrow a food company would follow suit; and still another day, a car manufacturer’s employees would stage a walk-out…. On the streets, strikers in groups lingered here and there carrying picket signs and placards, while the Japanese toil hard all day and all night. No wonder these two countries show very sharp contrast in terms of prosperity versus poverty. Dear brothers and sisters, the rise and fall of our church depend on whether or not all the saints are willing to accept assignments and diligently offer their share of services. Relying on the co-workers alone to serve is a sign of abnormality in the church. Today, many churches depend on their pastor alone. To understand the will of God, there must be a general mobilization of all the saints and the entire church body must serve. Learn to Minister in Coordination with the Church Lastly, let us look at how we can put these into practice as we learn to minister in coordination with the church: Hold Fast to Christ the Head This year, the slogan “Christ is the Head of the Church” (Colossians 1:18) is displayed in the assembly hall of our church in Manila. This verse says explicitly that if we want to serve in coordination with the church, the first step is to maintain a normal relationship with the Lord, which is to let Christ be the head. Not only in our individual ministry do we directly accept the Lord’s leading and let Christ be the head, but in our ministry as a church, we must all the more hold fast to Christ, who is the Head. If an individual or a church loses sight of this basic principle, he would surely deviate. This is analogous to the five sense organs and the four extremities in our body. How are they able to work together so naturally and harmoniously? The eyes see, the ears hear, the nose smells, the mouth speaks, the hands hold, the feet walk...… Undoubtedly, these five organs and four extremities are all controlled by the head. It is the head that directly controls the entire body --- not just one organ, but the entire nervous system --- not just the extremities and sense organs, but all the internal organs as well. Brothers and sisters, whether or not we can serve together harmoniously in the church, and whether or not we can be fruitful in our ministries, depend on whether or not we hold fast to Christ the Head. For a ship to sail securely in the vast ocean, it needs to rely on the compass, because only the compass can guide a ship to sail in the right direction. Once, there was a ship that hit a boulder. It was said that there was the presence of a mineral reef near the coast, which produced a magnetic force that altered the direction of the needle in the compass. Due to this slight deviation of the compass needle, the ship hit the boulder. Spiritually, if our relationship with the Lord is not accurate, there will certainly be discord in the ministries down the line. Therefore, we must hold firmly to this fact: that we must learn to submit ourselves before God, hold fast to the Head, and allow Christ the Head to take control and lead the church. I remember once not long ago, while walking to the Soler assembly hall, a group of people suddenly came running toward my direction. I realized then that there was a mentally deranged person who was throwing stones at passersby. Mentally deranged people are people whose nervous system are in disarray and are no longer controlled and ruled by the head. Likewise, when we minister in coordination with one another in the church but do not hold fast to the head, then things will surely go wrong. On the contrary, in the event that differences in viewpoints, opinions, and suggestions do arise, nonetheless, if everyone submits and holds fast to the Head, I believe everything will be readily resolved. Because Christ is the Head, all difficulties will be dispelled. Accept Assignments and Fulfill Individual Tasks Early on, we read in I Corinthians 12:18 that God had arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. This means that God, by His sovereign authority, assigns each of us to be a member of the body to carry out our respective functions. For this reason, we must learn to accept assignments and to work together in consonance with others. In terms of experience, if a responsible brother assigns me to do gospel visitation, I will accept. When he assigns you to shepherd the saints and you obey, then this is right. If he assigns you to be with someone whose personality is different from yours, but then you show resentment by refusing to serve, then you are rejecting his assignment to you. If you just take a look at the Lord Jesus while He was on earth, whenever He sent out His disciples, it was always in twos. This indicates that the disciples accepted assignments to work with one another. (Of course, another aspect of this spiritual implication has to do with testimony.) May the Lord allow us to see that we who are redeemed by His precious blood are brothers and sisters in the Lord, why then can we not love one another? The great love of the Lord is in us, enabling us to love the unlovable. Therefore in serving, let us learn not to insist on our personal selections, but to accept assignments, so that each one may perform his own part. This is similar to a symphony orchestra wherein there are trumpets, flutes, cellos, violins, etc. Suppose the conductor assigns you to play the flute but you refuse and, instead, insist on blowing the trumpet just because blowing the trumpet easily attracts more attention than playing the flute. As a result, everyone scrambles to blow the trumpet --- I want to blow the trumpet, you want to blow the trumpet, he wants to blow the trumpet. Imagine what will become of the entire situation. The orchestral concert will never get to play successfully. On the contrary, if I play the flute, he plays the violin, you blow the trumpet, and someone else plays the cello… then when all kinds of instruments come together and play, the music will sound so harmoniously splendid. O, how beautiful, how magnificent! Have Concern for Each Other I Corinthians 12:25 records, “So that there should be no division in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” This means that when everyone is standing at his own position, serving in coordination with the church, there is a tendency for us to virtually distance ourselves with one another, even to the point of doing things independently. Therefore, we must learn to show concern for each other. For instance, when the foot gets bitten by the mosquito, the hand automatically reaches down to slap the mosquito. It will not wait for the skin to get swollen before it hits the mosquito. This is called having concern for one another. In serving with coordination, we must learn to be considerate of others, to show concern for them, and to give others the benefits. This is the virtue of serving. Not only would this enable all of us to be in harmony with one another, but also to love one another. Care for the Feelings of the Members Lastly, I would like to remind everyone about a specific point recorded in I Corinthians 12:26. It says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Meaning, we must show concern for the feelings of the members. When everybody stands at his position serving the Lord, and someone conveys his inner feelings, then you ought to take heed, give consideration, and offer help. During the time of the apostles in the early church, when 3,000 were baptized and added to the church, all the believers were together and had everything in common. However, after some time, some of the men complained because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. When the apostles knew about this, they immediately decided to choose seven deacons to look after the food distribution work in order that they may devote their attention to prayer and ministry of the word. The apostles then chose seven men to be in-charge of the food as their way of taking care of the feelings of the members. On the contrary, if they did not care for the feelings of the members, this will eventually become a loophole that will give the enemy the opportunity to attack, and the church will be distracted and destroyed. May the Lord give us a sensitive spirit and lead us into learning to minister in coordination with the church, holding fast to Christ the Head, accepting assignments in fulfillling our respective duties, having concern for one another, and caring for the feelings of the members. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. A Mature Life (Holy of Holies) – Christ is All Mature Christians have the three following main experiences: 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) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Learning to Minister in the Pathway of Life Lastly, let us see how we can learn to minister in the pathway of life. 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. 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. 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. 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. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading:    Matthew 16:21-25 John 12:24; 15:2 II Corinthians 4:7-10   When the epistles in the New Testament mention about matters of serving the Lord, the first main point speaks of our need to minister in the grace of the Lord. If we read the epistles again carefully, we will discover that the word “cross” appears all across the epistles. The second point, therefore, concerns our need to serve the Lord through the tearing work of the cross. Every time we make mention of the cross, we easily connect our thoughts to the great redeeming love of the Saviour who shed His blood and gave up His life for us. This has always been our usual experience. However, there is a deeper aspect to the cross which involves the tearing down of man’s natural life so that Christ may be ushered in, thus allowing God’s will to be done. Therefore, the cross becomes a very important experience in a Christian’s spiritual life. First of all, we will look at the importance of the cross. Why must Christians experience the cross? Man’s Soul-Life Centers on the “Self” and is in Enmity with Christ After the fall of man, the soul takes control of our lives. What the worldly people term as mind (soul) actually coordinates with our body. Because the center of man’s life is his “self”, therefore he is selfish, thinks highly of himself, is self-confident, self-righteous, self-loving, self-pitying, etc. In everything, he cannot get away from his self life. At the same time, this “self” life is in enmity with Christ. If the “self” life is not done away with, you and I will forever become obstacles to God and will, in no way, be able to serve the Lord. Regarding the “self” life, there are at least three manifestations. Man’s “Self” Loves to be King and Refuses to Let Christ be Enthroned Because God created all things, in His eternal plan, He had appointed His Son Jesus Christ to have supremacy in all things and to be the center of the universe. Hence, in God’s eternal plan, no one else can be enthroned. In the whole universe, there is only one throne allowed. Why can’t two thrones exist at the same time in the universe? Because the book of Revelation shows us that after God’s will is finally accomplished, only the Lamb of God will sit at the throne. From here, it clearly tells us that there will only be one throne in the universe. However, after the fall of man, the soul-life wants to occupy the throne and become king. If there are a thousand people, then there will be a thousand thrones. No wonder the universe has become too disorderly. For this reason, God’s method of saving is to use the cross as the solution to tear down man’s thrones. We will first take a look at the condition of man desiring to be prominent as king and thus, not allowing Christ to be enthroned. After man’s ancestors have fallen, they turned God’s order upside down. God’s arrangement was for the spirit to control the soul and the body. However, after man had fallen, his “self-life” which is the soul-life, acted out and assumed kingship, thinking how nice it would be if there is no God in the universe, so that he himself may be the king. This is the manifestation of the soul-life. When we read the Old Testament Bible, we discover many places where men became king; the most concrete example being the story of the Tower of Babel. During that time, men came together and discussed with one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…” (Genesis 11:4) From this historical fact we see that man wants to be prominent, to take his seat on the throne, to be king, and to rule over everything. This was indeed a great rebellion in the universe. Let us take a look at the book of Esther where there was an Agagite named Haman. This man Haman represents the flesh. From Haman we see many sides to the manifestation of the flesh, one of the greatest was requiring men to bow their knees to him. When Haman was informed that all the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down to him except Mordecai who neither knelt down nor paid him honour, (Note: Mordecai was a Jew and apart from God, he will not bow down to any person or any image) Haman was so infuriated that he devised a scheme to kill Mordecai as well as all the Jews in the country. Through this, we clearly see that man’s “self-life” is the spirit of kingship. In order to uphold his “self” in the highest position, he becomes unscrupulous by using foul means. This kind of soul-life that wants to be enthroned is indeed terrifying. Although we have believed in the Lord and have been saved by grace, and all of us have entered into the new creation; nevertheless our self life, because of its desire to stand out, still needs to be dealt with by the cross. We can see this condition in the church of Laodicea from the book of Revelation. The word Laodicea means opinions of the common people, which implies democracy. If a church is filled with men’s opinions, viewpoints and suggestions, naturally it has no room to accommodate Christ. As a result, the Lord said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Revelation 3:20) When man gets enthroned, all that the Lord Jesus could do is to stand outside the door and knock. No wonder when the Lord Jesus was on earth, He did not evade the Pharisees, but directly reprimanded them for desiring the most important seats in the synagogues and the place of honour at banquets. This tells us that man’s “self-life” loves to occupy the throne. Men’s Opinions (Ways) Represents the “Self,” Resisting God’s Will In the universe, God has His eternal plan. Through the course of time, His will needs to be done on earth. However, because of man’s opinions, ways, and designations that stand in the way of God’s will, they have become obstacles to God, such that God’s will cannot be done. We must know that the greatest difficulty in any church ministry is man’s opinions. In the ministry of the church, the most terrible thing that could happen is when man’s opinions emerge. Any church which has the most in terms of man’s opinions will result in the Lord standing outside the door. How do we know that man’s opinions (methods) emerge from the “self” (soul) life? Matthew chapter 16 records that day when the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was about to go to Jerusalem to suffer many things and that He will be killed and on the third day be raised to life, Peter immediately rebuked Him saying, “Never, Lord!” Hebrews 10:5, 7 records, “When Christ came into the world, He said, ‘God, sacrifices and offerings you did not desire…’ Then I said, ‘Here I am --- it is written about me in the scroll --- I have come to do Your will, O God.’” Here it clearly says that the Lord had been doing the Father’s will all His life. In order to do the will of God, He needed to go to Jerusalem. But Peter rebuked the Lord saying, “Never.” This sincerity expressed by Peter showed his immense consideration. However, the Lord immediately reprimanded him saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” From here, we repeatedly see that man’s opinions are extremely terrifying. When man’s opinions come out, they stand in contrast to God’s will. When man’s methods come out, they hinder and resist God’s will. Hence, the Lord told the disciples who were following Him that, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself.” Meaning, he must put down his opinions and viewpoints, and deny himself. Because in ministering, man’s good intentions and superior opinions are but hindrances to God’s will. Man’s Strength Represents the “Self” and Resists God’s Great Power Galatians 5:17 says, “For the sinful nature (flesh) desires what is contrary to the Spirit.” God’s plan is carried out through His power (Holy Spirit) in the course of time. However, man, in the natural strength of his flesh, emerges in order to resist it. From here, we could see that the strength of the “self” resists God’s power. Let us look at Abraham, the forefather of faith, who was led by God to considerable spirituality. When God’s will was for Christ to be born out of Abraham’s descendants, He promised Abraham a son, Isaac. (Genesis 15:4) However, after a year had passed, even two, until the time he was old, Sarah remained barren. Later when Abraham could wait no longer, he listened to Sarah’s advice and begot Ishmael through her maidservant, Hagar. After this incident, God hid himself from Abraham, because in God’s will, Abraham’s descendants must be born of Sarah. During that time, God had intentionally made Sarah give birth only when she was old and past child-bearing age, in order to show that Isaac was begotten out of promise, and that he was a gift from God. However, Abraham could not wait and he begot Ishmael through Hagar. This is the display of man’s natural strength. As a result, the Arabs who were the descendants of Ishmael, have been in constant enmity with the Israelites up to the present time. The Israelites were subjected to constant harassments by the descendants of Ishmael. This actuality shows us that man’s strength always hinders the power of God. In short, man’s soul-life centers on the self and is in enmity with Christ. On one hand, man’s self wants to be king, while on the other hand, man’s will (method) hinders the will of God. Moreover, man’s strength resists God’s mighty power, thereby, intercepting God’s will on earth. The Cross Tears Down the Throne, Methods, and Strength of the “Self” As to the difficulties that man had given God, God’s way of salvation is through the tearing work of the cross. Often when we break bread, sing praises, and pray, we only mention the aspects of the great redeeming love and the precious blood on the cross. Seldom in our praises and prayers do we praise the cross of Christ for its work in tearing down our throne, our methods, and our strength. Here it tells us that our knowledge with regards to the tearing work of the cross has lagged very far behind. I hope that through this message, we will be brought one step closer to knowing, as well as experiencing, the tearing work of the cross. The cross is a very broad topic. We have seen all too many books authored by Madame Penn Louis, Brother Sparks, Brother Watchmen Nee, etc. Today, we simply cannot use one session to finish discussing this topic. Hence, we will be mentioning only the most central point and how to put it to practical use. Now we shall take a concrete look at the tearing work of the cross. The Cross Puts an End to “Self” and Ushers in the Reign of Christ Just before His very last moment on the cross, Jesus cried, “It is finished.” These words tell us that the cross puts an end to all that is of man. It means that each of us has been crucified with Christ and our “self” has been done with on the cross. However, in terms of subjective experience, the cross has another practical side to it. In terms of objective reality, when Jesus was crucified, we were also crucified with Him. As long as we believe, know, and accept, then not only did the precious blood of Christ cleanse us from our sins; at the same time, the “self” is also crucified with Christ. From now on, we receive the effectiveness of the precious blood and we also experience the “putting to death” by the cross. From the perspective of the practicality of the cross, the Lord will arrange people, events, and things to come our way to cause us to suffer shame, pain, losses, and blows, etc. All these things are to deal with our “self” and to cause us to step down from our thrones. A person who comes under the pressure of another person for a long time will gradually realize that the cross has but one purpose, and that is to tear down the throne of the “self” and to put an end to the self-life, eventually ushering in the reign of Christ. Hence, Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) In the Old Testament, Jacob was a typical example of someone who had a lot of methods, someone who was full of schemes, selfish, and crafty. Years later, while in his uncle Laban’s house, he went through twenty years of toil and pain and was completely subjected to long periods of the tearing work of the cross. In the end, he was completely transformed. When he came to Peniel, an angel of the Lord came and touched the socket of his hip, which caused his hip to be wrenched until he became limp. Since then, his name was changed to Israel. “Israel” means prince, which also means to reign. Hallelujah! Through the tearing work of the cross, Jacob finally allowed Christ to be king. The Cross Puts an End to Men’s Ways and Allows God’s Will to be Done We have already shared about Peter. That day, when he gave consideration to man’s suggestions and ways, he refused to let Jesus go up to Jerusalem to suffer many things. After Jesus had rebuked Peter, He said to the disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Here, it tells us that the Lord taught Peter what denying oneself is about. It is to deny one’s own opinions and ways. This is the significance of carrying the cross. “Carrying the cross” is doing away with man’s ways and putting an end to man’s self. Therefore, whenever man’s ways take center stage in his service to the Lord, subsequently creating conflict of opinions and viewpoints, he must first learn to put down his suggestions, viewpoints, and opinions. Only by denying ourselves and carrying the cross can God’s will be carried out through us. From the recordings in the Bible, we repeatedly see that every time Peter was to make an opinion or give a suggestion, the Lord immediately interrupted him. In the four Gospels, there were at least three times that the Lord Jesus wanted Peter to learn to refrain from voicing out any suggestions and opinions. It was not until the Lord Jesus had resurrected and ascended to heaven did He commission Peter. True enough, when the day of Pentecost came, Peter and the eleven apostles were all filled with the Holy Spirit. When Peter stood up to preach his message, he mentioned Christ who was crucified. (Acts 2:23-24) He esteemed the cross very highly. No wonder when the Lord was on earth, He personally taught Peter and all the disciples to carry the cross. Even after the Lord had ascended to heaven, He continued to teach them and to reveal to them the significance of the cross. Hence, the day before Peter went to the house of Cornelius to preach the gospel, the Lord made him see a vision. Something was lowered to earth --- it was a large sheet that contained all kinds of four-footed animals as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” At that point in time, Peter’s old concepts and viewpoints had remained, that was why he replied, “Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” Immediately a voice from heaven corrected him saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:9-16) Time and again, Peter was corrected through the workings of the cross, and he had experienced the doing away of his own suggestions, methods, subjective opinions, and stubbornness. We are able to see that the cross tears down man’s throne and puts an end to man’s ways. Therefore, we must remember that any person, thing, event, setback, or unpleasant encounter that comes our way are all crosses being put to actual practice, and we should never take them lightly. The Cross Puts an End to Men’s Ability and Manifests God’s Power The fallen man not only delights in being enthroned and giving out opinions, he also relies on his own ability to do things. This natural ability poses a great difficulty in serving the Lord. Hence, I Corinthians 1:18 records, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” This clearly tells us that one great power of the cross is to save us and to put an end to our natural ability. Hence, in ministering, if we do not accept the cross, then there is no way we could serve the Lord. Zechariah chapter 4 records that when the prophet saw the vision of a solid gold lampstand with two olive trees by it, he asked the angel what they were. The angel answered, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:3-6) The “gold lampstand” represents the church as well as each individual Christian. This lampstand was made of solid gold, meaning it had undergone refining. This refers to the purifying work of the cross; it purifies man from all impurities, and gets rid of his natural ability; thus, making him to be like pure gold. Next comes the hammering stage. This is another step further in accepting the deeper workings of the cross until the gold lampstand is revealed. In terms of experience, we must first accept the purifying work of the cross, next we must go through the deeper workings of the cross so as to put an end to our natural ability, and finally we need a supply of olive oil to shine forth our light. Olive oil represents the Holy Spirit of life. Here it also points out the way to serve, which is to accept the purifying, pressing, and dealing of the cross, so that we may be able to serve by the Spirit (power) of the Lord. Only then can we allow God’s power (Spirit) to be projected through us. Thank the Lord that although man’s ability hinders God’s work, but through the cross, the Lord tears down man’s ability so that the great power of God may be manifested. Ministry that Does Not Go Through the Cross is Ministry of the Flesh and Will Not Be Approved by God When a person is saved by grace, although he had received in him a life of ministering, nevertheless he still needs to learn to accept the cross, otherwise when ten or twenty years have gone by, just because he did not accept the tearing work of the cross, he will not only pose a great difficulty to the church, at the same time, his ministry will not be approved by God. I hope that through this message the Lord will speak to me, as well as to anyone who cares to listen with all attentiveness. In many instances, whenever the message of the cross is preached in the pulpit, brothers and sisters in the audience tend to pinpoint their judgments on others. “Today, the words from the pulpit are exactly what this brother needs to hear; or, this definitely hits the mark on that sister’s problem; or, Lord, please open his (or her) ears so that the church may be spared from all the troubles he is causing.” Oh! Does one not know that those are precisely the words he himself needs to hear? We hope that the Lord’s mercy may come upon us so that we may humble ourselves and come to seek Him saying, “Lord, have mercy on me. May the words from the pulpit come upon me. In the past, I lacked a great deal of the workings of the cross, yet I hope that through this I may be able to take in your words and experience a spiritual turnaround.” How, then, do we know that a ministry that does not accept the cross is a ministry of the flesh? Let us take a look at the Corinthian church that had been fully equipped with eloquence, knowledge, and gifts. Whether in evangelizing, prophesying, performing miracles, or speaking in tongues – clearly the church abounded with every special kind of gifts. Unfortunately, though the gifts were present, the cross was not. Hence Paul said to them, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly --- mere infants in Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:1) Meaning to say, their spiritual lives were that of infants and were quite immature; besides, their ministries were of the flesh. Therefore, if we do not accept the cross, we will become a church that is of the flesh, and we cannot perform any spiritual service. That was why Paul made a loud appeal to the Corinthian church by emphasizing, “I resolve to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2) Furthermore, he mentioned about how terrible the service of the flesh is. I Corinthians 3:12-15 says, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” “Wood, hay or straw” signifies man’s natural life. It refers to that which is of the flesh. After the fall of man, Genesis 6:3 tells us, “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal (fleshly)…’” Hence, anything that comes out of man is of the flesh, and is rejected by God. In terms of representation, whatever is of wood, hay or straw will be burned up, which means that ministry that does not go through the cross are activities of the natural man; they are of the flesh and will not be approved by God. Ministry that is of the natural life, just like man’s opinions and methods, are not founded on God’s will. Since they do not conform to God’s will, they are all but hindrances, obstacles, and destructions in God’s sight. Hence, the Lord Jesus gave us this warning in Matthew chapter 7, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-32) Here, it clearly tells us that giving your all in ministering, to the extent that one’s body is sweating all over, yet not going through the cross, are merely ministries of the flesh and of man’s nature. God says, “Away from me!” This tells us that God will never give His approval to this. May the Lord be gracious to us, that when we minister in the days to come, we will pay careful attention to the will of God (passing through the cross), so that the Lord will not be faced with any more hindrances. Ministry that Goes Through the Cross is a Spiritual Service and is Approved by God Now we will present two kinds of ministries before you, one of which does not go through the cross while the other does. May each of us examine our hearts to determine which of the two our ministry belongs. Does my ministry undergo setbacks, attacks, and difficulties? Under circumstances like these, do I accept the cross repeatedly and continue serving? If somebody criticizes or passes judgment on me, or when opinions differ, do I remain obstinate, insisting on my own opinions and remaining passive, refusing to move forward, and outrightly rejecting the cross? How do we know that the ministry God desires are those that have gone through the cross, since this is the only spiritual service that He approves? For this, we would like to give some concrete examples to provide further explanations: A Living Sacrifice (Accepting the Cross) is What Pleases God When Romans 12 mentions about the entire church serving through the use of gifts, the first verse says, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Here, it says that if we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, this is a spiritual act that is pleasing to God. What is a living sacrifice? In the Old Testament time, sheep and oxen were offered as sacrifices. This signifies that Christ offered Himself up as a sacrifice to God for His pleasure. In terms of spiritual experience, it implies putting our own selves in the position of the cross. On the other hand, when referring to the physical body, I, as an individual, am still a living being. That is why we call ourselves living sacrifices. This service is pleasing to God, and such service is considered a reasonable act. Furthermore, it says that we must exercise our gifts according to the level of our faith. If it is serving, let one serve with all his heart; if it is teaching, let one teach with all his heart; if it is encouraging…..and so on, one ministry after another. However, the first and foremost requirement is to be a living sacrifice. Being a living sacrifice must come first before the exercise of gifts. In other words, ministry that undergoes the dealing of the cross is the order prescribed by God. In terms of the Old Testament symbolism, after the judgment of the flood was over and the new heaven and new earth appeared, the first thing Noah did after he came out of the ark was to build an altar and offered sacrifices. The Bible especially records, “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart, ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man…’” (Genesis 8:21) From the fact that Noah built an altar and offer sacrifices pleasing to God, we are reminded that we have to first undergo the cross before we can come out to minister. True enough, there is pain in accepting the cross; nevertheless, for every pain that we go through, God is pleased; for every loss that we suffer, God is pleased; for every decrease in our “self-life”, God is pleased. The song goes, Thou hast made Thyself more precious Than all else to me In the place of what Thou takest Thou dost give Thyself to me. In the Second Forty Years of His Life, Moses Experienced the Cross, While in the Third Forty Years, God Commended His Ministry as “Faithful” Moses was no exception. During the first forty years of his life in Egypt’s palace, he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, whether military, politics, economics…...he proved himself to be exemplary in both literature and military skills. He felt that he can now lead and rule over God’s people. Little did he know that when he came out to serve the people, he was met with rejection, and was later forced to flee to the Desert of Midian for forty years. Thanks be to God, in the second forty years of his life in the desert, he continually accepted the cross. I believe if someone would ask Moses what he had learned and what he had done during the forty years of his life in the desert, he would certainly say, “I learned one lesson, and it is called the cross.” Oh, during his forty years in the desert, no one remembered him. Gone were his throne, his methods, and his strength… After forty years of dealings by the cross, God’s calling finally came to him. God called him saying, “Moses, Moses, I will send you to Egypt to lead my people out.” Moses said, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? I am slow of speech and tongue.” Forty years ago, he was powerful in speech and action. (Acts 7:22) Now, forty years later, he became slow of speech and tongue. This is the tearing work of the cross, in order to do away with man’s eloquence, knowledge, ability, methods, and strength, prompting Moses to acknowledge that he is naught. The cross takes man to the position of nothingness. What is real ministry training? Training is not something that turns you into someone capable of doing all things. How about preaching the gospel? I can do it. Visitation? I can also do it. I can even edify the saints. My Bible reading is full of light. I can preach with style..…all these are simply not. Training is about accepting the work of the cross; just like Moses, who was led by the Lord through the second stage of forty years of his life. He was completely struck down by the Lord, and was made to admit that he was nothing. After Moses went through the work of the cross, God led him through the third forty years, whereby he was sent to lead His people out of Egypt. Indeed, Moses went in obedience to the command of the Lord, and led the people to come out of Egypt. Through forty long years in the wilderness, the journey was indeed rough and difficult. How was Moses able to lead the two to three million Israelites? The Bible records the rebellion of the people for ten times. If Moses had not undergone the forty years of life in the Desert of Midian, he might either roll up his sleeves and beat these people up, or he might just walk out and leave them alone. Thank the Lord! Forty years of going through the cross had made Moses fall facedown before the Lord through each adversity. The outcome of such ministering prompted God to commend Moses in Hebrews 3:2 saying, “He was faithful in all God’s house.” May the Lord have mercy on us, so that we may learn to accept the tearing work of the cross each day and allow our ministry to be pleasing to Him. Aaron’s Budding Staff May Serve How, then, can we distinguish and prove that going through the cross is a spiritual service pleasing to the Lord; while not going through the cross is fleshly service and does not favour the Lord? Aaron’s budding staff is the most obvious example. When Moses served as leader, his brother Aaron also served with him. During that time, a group of leaders disagreed with them by refusing to accept God’s order of hierarchy among His people. In this regard, the church ought to take special precaution because God has His order of hierarchy in all the affairs of the church. However, a group of leaders who were unsubmissive in their hearts attacked Moses and Aaron saying, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” All noises imply that they had been fighting for positions. This is often the condition of the present-day churches all around the world. When the days of serving the Lord get longer, then fighting for position, power, and glory may result. When that group of people refused to accept the leading of Moses and Aaron, God told Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Place them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony.” Amazingly, the next day, when Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony, he saw that only Aaron’s staff had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced almonds, while the others were dry. By this, God revealed that Aaron’s staff had resurrected and possessed life. The fact that God had vindicated Aaron’s staff proves that Aaron alone may serve, while the remaining eleven staffs represent men’s natural life, which had withered and had become desolate. Nevertheless, only one of the staffs went through one night (the cross), and finally sprouted and blossomed (resurrected). Having God preserve the budded staff of Aaron in the Ark clearly tells us that going through the cross is a spiritual service favoured by God. The Cross Produces a Life of Service and Makes Christ Increase Since we cannot serve God with our natural life, how then can a life of service be produced? Thank the Lord, John 12:24 says, “If a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it will produce many seeds.” The Lord Jesus spoke of Himself as a kernel of wheat. Saints are also kernels of wheat. However, if this kernel of wheat does not fall to the ground and die, it remains a single seed. Only when it falls to the ground and dies… which implies going through the cross… can it then produce many seeds, thus imparting life and allowing Christ to increase. Hence, in serving the Lord there is no other way apart from accepting the cross, because true service and true spiritual life are rendered only by way of the cross. In terms of experience, how do we allow this kernel of wheat to fall to the ground and, thereby, produce many seeds? Only through accepting the cross and dying to self will Christ be able to fill us. This is the law of life, as well as, God’s way of salvation. Therefore, we must cherish the cross, because the cross not only produces a life of service, at the same time, it allows Christ to increase. Early on, we read in John 15:2 which says, “… cuts off every branch… that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit…. prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Symbolically speaking, each believer is a branch. Whenever we preach the gospel, lead people to salvation, share in meetings, give provisions to people, then we are branches that bear fruit. When branches begin to bear fruit, the Lord will do His work of pruning (the cross) in us, so that we may bear more fruit (produce a life of service and allow Christ to increase). Just like grape cultivation that is currently very popular in Taiwan. Not only does the volume of grape production increase each year, the quality of the grapes improves as well. Why is this so? It is because plant specialists continually pay attention to improving its breed and quality year by year. Through continuous corrections and pruning, these plants bear fruits in abundance. From here, we could see that if we do not accept the cross, then we cannot produce a life of ministry. If there is no cross, then there is no way one can minister. The Bible tells us that Joseph was a branch that bore many fruits. He went through long periods of experiencing the cross. At home, he was hated and envied upon by his brothers; later in Egypt, he suffered many injustices and adversities. He experienced the cross. In the end, he became the governor, providing food so that all the people in the land may live. Learning to Serve in the Tearing Work of the Cross Every time we serve the Lord, we ought to examine our hearts. Have I been torn apart by the cross? One year may have gone by, and am I still unbroken and undisturbed? Two years have gone by, and am I still my old self? Or have I shown great changes? Today, it may be quite easy for us to serve in the Lord’s great love; indeed we need to serve in the great constraining love of the Lord, because love is the motivating power in serving Him. Nevertheless, it is equally important that we accept the pruning and tearing work of the cross so that Christ may increase in us. Therefore, we shall mention three more points to make us learn all the more diligently. Offer Our Bodies as Living Sacrifices, Fully Exercising Our Gifts Romans 12 mentions that when we serve, we must first offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Next, each must perform his respective function and exercise his gift. Therefore, every time we serve, always remember that we are a living sacrifice. Before a bull or a lamb becomes a burnt offering, it has to go through the process of killing, cutting into pieces, and then burning. Killing, cutting, and burning all signify the experiences of the cross. This is like encountering blows, pain, tearing up, losses, difficulty, shame, unfavourable circumstances, etc… yet we are still able to gladly accept them and remain enthusiastic in serving the Lord. Submit Under God’s Mighty Hand I Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” If God is gracious to you and me, He will certainly put us in the midst of difficult circumstances that will give us a hard time. During this time, we must rely on the Lord’s grace in order for us to submit ourselves under His mighty hand. Hence, whatever things that come to us are of God’s mighty hand because the Lord has established His throne and His kingdom rules over all. Any person, event, or thing that comes our way has passed through His mighty hand. Therefore, in the midst of adversities, we must not blame anything above or anyone below; instead, we must humble ourselves. This is what is meant by accepting the tearing work of the cross. The hymn says, Do you falter then, or, true to death, Just die on the cross in the way, Till the fulness of life from the Living One Is filling you day by day? The miracle that involved David killing the giant enemy Goliath is so well-known throughout the world. David did not only accomplish a great deed for the Israelites, his heroic courage has been highly admired and greatly respected by people all through the ages. However, with such a great character as David, we noticed that he too had learned the lessons of the cross in great depth. David was still a young lad when the prophet Samuel anointed him as king. Not only was he kept from reigning immediately as king, he was sent by God to the working field of the cross to enter into a much deeper experience of the cross. After David was anointed king, he was antagonized many times by King Saul’s pursuits and attacks; and he lived the life of a wanderer without any permanent place to stay. In this present time of the twentieth century, few people understand the sufferings of a wanderer. Thank the Lord! Yesterday the pumping station of the dams in Baguio City broke down and we were waterless. Brothers and sisters woke up early this morning to find no water coming out of their faucets. At noon, when they turned on the faucet again, there was still no water. Although we did not grumble out loud, yet we were beginning to feel irritated within. Why is there no water yet? We kept waiting until dusk, and still, not a drop came out. Although we did not speak out, but were we not grumbling within? The brothers and sisters from overseas were very polite. When I saw them I asked how they were doing. All of them replied, “We are fine. We are fine.” This is the acceptance of the cross. I hope it is not only in Baguio that we accept the cross, but that all through our lives we may accept the cross. David was assigned to a life of painful wandering. He knew deeply that this was the mighty hand of God. That was why when he wrote Psalm 39:9, he said, “I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for You are the One who has done this.” He neither complained about Saul’s unreasonable treatment against him nor did he resist Saul’s unreasonable intimidation toward him. He kept submitting himself under God’s mighty hand. No wonder he was enthroned as king. For us, although the lesson of the cross is so profound and extremely hard to learn, may the Lord be gracious to us so that we may altogether come to learn of it until we master it. Ministering by Grace Amidst Difficult Circumstances II Corinthians 4 mentions that we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. This “treasure” is Christ Himself. It is the Lord’s power of resurrection. He is the source of our provisions. Therefore, we can rely on this source of grace: though we are hard pressed on every side, we are not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Meaning, in whatever difficulties we are in, we have already overcome. Because by the grace of the Lord, through every difficult circumstance, we may accept the tearing work of the cross and continue to serve Him. May the Lord lead us and make us minister in the tearing work of the cross, which is pleasing to Him. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading:              I Thessalonians 5:28 II Peter 3:18 Romans 4:4-6 II Corinthians 8:9 John 1:14 II Corinthians 12:9-10 Introduction Thank the Lord, this year His leading has allowed us to hold the first Overseas Special Conference. I sought and waited before the Lord as to what message He would like me to share in this conference. The Lord gave me a clear burden to speak about “The Way of Ministry.” The Lord Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the Way.” As far as the principle of ministry is concerned, Christ is our way. Nevertheless, in the actual ministry, have we really made Christ our way? In the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, practically every book mentions about the matter of ministering. In last year’s Conference, we had adopted the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as background for our messages in regard to the way of ministry. Although the central points discussed in each of the messages were different, the nature of the contents, however, was one and the same, Christ Himself. For instance, the people in Southern China eat rice. Although a lot of Chinese eat rice by boiling them, some also eat them in the form of porridge, while others steam them and make them into rice cakes especially during occasions like New Year….… Regardless of the way they cook and eat them, they are all derived from rice. The same is true with our ministry to the Lord. Whether it is preaching the gospel, visiting the saints, edifying the saints, or building up the church, etc., we have but one way: Christ alone is our way, and He alone is our method. Our messages for this special conference are taken from the Epistles and the book of Revelation. Both the spiritual meaning and contents for our messages have been extracted from these books. With reference to the Way of Ministry as mentioned in the Epistles, the book of Revelation, the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles -- in which areas are they different from one another? Both the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles emphasize the universality of the testimony as well as the expansion of work, while the Epistles, beginning from the book of Romans to the book of Jude, including the book of Revelation, emphasize on how this testimony is to attain to the realm of fullness. Now we will be using the Epistles as background for our messages on how we can minister to the Lord so that the testimony may be established, and that the church may be built up. The importance of building up the church is so that God may work in us, and that we may be dealt with and be built up by God. Therefore, much attention will be given to the aspect concerning life, particularly to the inward workings of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, the expansion of work and the universality of the testimony emphasize mainly on the aspect concerning gifts, particularly to the outer workings of the Holy Spirit. Concerning the building up of life, most of the things mentioned in the Epistles are from Paul’s experiences in serving the Lord; because Paul’s ministry had attained to God’s standard, particularly in his later years, when he was about to bring to completion his commission, he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7) Hence, his ministry had served as model and example for all of God’s children throughout the ages. At the same time, most of the Epistles in the New Testament were written by the apostle Paul in accordance with the will of God. We cannot mention them book by book due to limited space, but we will simply sum them up by touching on the most essential points regarding how we should minister so that the testimony of the Body of Christ will be built up. The first message we would like to share is about Ministering in the Grace of the Lord. If we carefully read the Epistles written by Paul, we will discover that at the end of each Epistle, he usually writes the words, “May the Grace of the Lord Jesus be with you always.” Sometimes he used “goodness,” and other times “grace.” Although the Chinese translations may differ from case to case, nevertheless they all refer to grace. Because Paul often mentioned these words when concluding his Epistles, he had, in effect, pointed out the way of ministry, which is, ministering in the grace of the Lord. In other words, for every Christian to serve the Lord and to build up the church, he must do so in the grace of the Lord. Regarding how one can minister in the grace of the Lord, we will mention five important points:  What is Grace? Early on, we read in Romans 4:4, “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.” Just like among us, there are some sisters who work as school teachers. Suppose she was hired at a salary of P2,000 a month, as long as she reports for work and teaches her class at the designated time every day, when payday comes, she will surely be given P2,000 even without asking the school authorities because this is what she is entitled to receive. If the school pays her P200 less and she gets only P1,800, then she has all the right to demand whatever money is lacking because this is what she is supposed to get. Therefore when a man works, his wages are credited to him not as a gift, but as an obligation. God Did It for Me What, then, is grace? It is receiving freely without working for it. There are two explanations for grace. Outwardly speaking, it is God who is doing all the work for me, be it preaching the gospel, visiting believers, sharing in small group meetings, etc. Outwardly, it may seem that I am busy serving the Lord, but actually it is God who is doing all these for me. This is called grace. Brothers and sisters, in learning how to serve the Lord, we must know that God is doing everything for us. It is not I who can do anything, because any work done by me -- by my own strength, or by my wisdom and ways, is not counted as grace. Grace is God doing the work for me. We have young sisters among us who have just graduated from college and are now working as kindergarten teachers. We even have one who is a kindergarten supervisor. When a 4- or 5-year old child goes to kindergarten school, what does he do in class? Does he not merely eat, drink, and sing? These fun activities are even graded by the teacher. At the end of the semester when the report cards are given out, the child proudly shows it to his mother saying, “Mama, I did well in school.” His mother takes a look and indeed his grade shows a 99. O, the kindergarten student simply eats, drinks, plays, and sings, and gets a grade of 99. This is called grace. How incredible they think they were for getting a grade of 99 just by eating, drinking, playing, and singing, completely ignorant of the fact that the cookies they ate in school were prepared by the teacher; the milk they drank were mixed by the teacher; the singing, playing, and dancing were all taught by the teacher; and the children didn’t have to do anything at all. This is called grace. Thank the Lord! In serving the Lord, all is of grace. Everything is prepared by the Lord Himself for us. However, those who are ignorant and whose spiritual eyes are not yet opened tend to think that it was due to their efforts. You have to know that if the Lord takes back His Holy Spirit, no matter how busy you work from morning till night, you will still not be able to save a single soul. Christ as My Provision Within What is grace? Outwardly speaking, God is doing the work for me. Inwardly speaking, Christ is my provision. Jesus Christ is my source of provision within. The Gospel of John 1:14 says , “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us… full of grace and truth.” Here, it tells us that Jesus was the Word who took on flesh and came to the world to bring us abundant grace from God. Hence, when we believe in Jesus, the Word who became flesh, He also dwells in you and me. He provides for all our needs, so that we may experience Him. Christ, who is in you and me, becomes the source of provision. This is grace. Hence, Madam Guyon once wrote a song that goes, “Christ could have been born in Bethlehem for a thousand times, but if He does not live within your heart, salvation remains unaccomplished.” I remember the time when I was ministering in the southern region of the Philippines more than ten years ago. One day, I saw a store sign on the street that says “XX Father and Son Company.” It was a company put up as a partnership between a father and his son. I felt quite amazed because in Taiwan, I have never seen such kind of name. I found out later that this has to do with a father who made so much money from business that he wanted to hand down the inheritance to his son. So he put up a father-and-son joint venture corporation, with the son as the general manager and the father as chairman of the board. I immediately related my thoughts to the present time wherein Jesus and we (all the saints) have also entered into a father-and-son joint venture corporation to serve God together. Thank the Lord! The inheritance of our physical father is that of a limited corporation, but the inheritance of God, our Father in heaven, is an unlimited corporation because God’s riches are immeasurable. I believe the father-and-son corporation in the south certainly involved an enormous capital. As the general manager, the son takes charge of the business. It does not matter if he makes money or not. Even if he loses a million pesos, the father, who is a multi-millionaire, will certainly pay for his son’s losses. However, if he earns money, then that is even better. Since the father is a rich tycoon, he can provide for his son’s needs without limit. The son needs only to put his best into the business. The father does not care if the business loses money, as long as his son learns the skills of doing business. Let us take a look at the son, from the time he emerges from his mother’s womb to the time he is grown up, his father has been earning money to nurture him, to bring him up until he becomes an adult. Furthermore, his father provides him with abundant capital to start the business. The son inherits all these from his father; therefore the father is the son’s source of provision. This practical example illustrates how Christians minister in grace, which means that we are in partnership with the Lord. We work as general managers and the Lord’s boundless grace is our source of provision. Therefore in our lifetime, the first and foremost thing we have to acknowledge is that, the Lord is our source of provision in order that we may serve Him all our lives. It is by Grace that Believers are Saved, become Victorious and Grow Today, many Christians have the misconception that after a person gets saved, he simply waits to go to heaven. He is ignorant of the fact that after he is saved, he needs to continue his pursuit for spiritual growth and learn to serve the Lord. Being saved by faith is but just an entry point. Saved by Grace Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Here it tells us that we are saved through faith, not by works. Is not this so? Has anyone among us who believed in Jesus ever purchased his rebirth with money or obtained salvation by works? No, not one. We are saved through faith. Any Christian, regardless of how great his sins may be, as long as he believes in the Lord, will be forgiven. As long as he believes, he will receive salvation. Since we have all experienced God’s gift of salvation, I need not mention it again. Victory by Grace In II Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul mentioned a thorn in his flesh that caused him much suffering. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take this thorn away from him. In the Bible, the number “three” speaks of an important juncture, just like the Lord Jesus who prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Paul pleaded three times with the Lord to take away this thorn in his flesh, the Lord answered him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (v.9) Here it tells us about a spiritual principle, and that is, Christians gain victory by grace. No wonder Paul went on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.” Formerly, these troubles were overwhelming, but now they have become my delight. Because the Lord’s grace is sufficient for me, by grace I am able to transcend and live a victorious life. Several years ago, I was able to visit the great city of New York for the first time. A brother took me to see the World Trade Center. It was a tall, majestic, and steadfast building whose top reached to the skies — a 110-storey skyscraper. We lined up with the crowd and took the elevator. It was not long before we got to the top floor of this tall building. As I stood on top of this gigantic building and viewed the entire great city of New York, I was amazed at the greatness of its architect. What amazed me more was the daily crowd of people who go up and down uninterruptedly to view and admire this huge structure, without even one of them taking the stairs from the ground floor all the way to the top. Brothers and sisters, I believe if someone would climb up ten flights of stairs, he will surely be out of breath. If he would climb fifty flights of stairs, I am sure he would be wailing out loud. But today, there are many Christians who rely on their own determination to live a victorious spiritual life. No wonder they get tired of being Christians and they no longer want to serve the Lord. Why is that? Because they feel that it is too much trouble for them. They are the ones who rely on their own efforts to climb up the skyscraper on foot, completely ignorant of the Lord’s grace that abundantly provides for them.  The Lord had accomplished everything for us, and all we have to do is to take the elevator to get to our destination. From this, we could see that it is neither by gritting our teeth nor by clenching our fists in sheer determination that we overcome sin, the world, and the flesh, but entirely in the grace of the Lord by which we gain victory. Growth by Grace Spiritual growth is not an exception. II Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Paul also said, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (II Timothy 2:1) These tell us that it is not by law nor by one’s own self, but rather by grace that one gets to become a Christian. By grace, one is victorious, and by grace, one grows. Most of the Chinese homes in the Philippines have maids. Some girls as young as 12 or 13 years old were hired as house helpers at a monthly rate of 400 to 500 pesos. All that the maid does is work hard and be fed. With the passing of time, she grew up from a 12 or 13- year old to an 18 or 19- year old adult. All throughout this period, she gets paid while working, at the same time she also grows up from being fed. This, however, is not considered grace. Such is not the case with children. The moment they came out of their mother’s womb, they were nurtured. From age 1 to 2, then to 10, and all the way until they reach 20 and become adults, all the food, clothing, shelter, and the things they need, had been provided by their parents. Growing up in such a way is called growing up in grace. Up to this point, we cannot help but praise the Lord with a loud voice because we all grew up in grace. It is the grace of Christ that causes us to be saved, to overcome, and to grow. Hallelujah, what a grace! What a blessing! Serving by Grace to Fulfill Our Ministry God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt for the purpose of serving Him in the wilderness. We who are redeemed by the Lord, likewise, have a divine commission, which is, to serve the Lord. But how do we fulfill our commission of serving the Lord? We must know that it is absolutely by grace that we can fulfill such a commission and entrustment. This is something very important which we must bear in mind. If everyone ministers by grace, we will certainly see the great blessings of the Lord. Last year, we mobilized the entire body of the church into ministry, and all the saints responded in one accord. Some assumed the burden of visitation, while others assumed the burden of preaching the gospel..…. Because of God’s mercy, over the last three years, more than a thousand people were baptized. This is the Lord’s blessing. However, there were some who, after a month or two of visitation ministry, grew tired and stopped doing visitations; while others, though putting pressure on themselves to keep going, had eventually lost their momentum because they did not know that they should rely on the grace of the Lord to fulfill their commission and entrustment. Because of this, we would like to mention two points. Serving by Grace will Enable Us to Overcome Weaknesses The Lord’s leading in each one of us is to bring us to the point of admitting our own weaknesses. A person who possesses spiritual fervor, or who has gifts, or who relies on his own fleshly nature to do things, will never admit his failures. He is unaware that his gifts were given by God. Hence, the Lord has to lead him to a condition of weakness and allow him to fail repeatedly, so that in the end, he cannot but admit that he is truly helpless. Right at that moment, the Lord will give you and I sufficient grace to undergo a spiritual turnaround, so that we may turn from relying on our fleshly nature to relying on His grace. The thorn in the Apostle Paul’s flesh made him aware of his own weaknesses. It also made him wonder how he could fulfill the ministry and accomplish the commission given him. But the Lord answered him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then understood that God’s good will was to lead him into experiencing weaknesses so that he may yield himself completely to Him, so that he could no longer make resolutions on his own but totally surrender himself to the Lord. Immediately, he experienced the Lord’s grace and strength resting upon him. Hence he went on to say, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Cor. 12:10) I remember many years ago on the day just before the summer conference, I suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous; my stomach ached so much and I had diarrhea. At that moment I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, have mercy on me! I will be taking a long ride up the mountain early tomorrow morning to speak at the conference.” Halfway through my prayer, I vomited again until there was nothing left to vomit, and I felt even dizzier. I was completely drained of energy to vomit. I was not even able to go back to my bed to rest. Suddenly, the verse from II Corinthians 12:9 surfaced, “My grace is sufficient for you.” I placed my hand over my forehead, not only was I feeling dizzy, I also had a slight fever. However, the word of the Lord is powerful. The following morning at six, by the Lord’s grace, I was able to take the bus to Baguio. Halfway through the journey, I felt a lot better. When we arrived at Baguio, I was totally healed. Not only was I able to stand at the pulpit to preach, I was able to fulfill my ministry in a much better way than before. May glory be to God who bestows all grace! Although each person’s encounters and experiences are unique, God eventually uses difficulties to force you to a point where you want to let out a long sigh and no longer feel like serving Him. However in the midst of sufferings, persecutions, and hardships (as though you have come to a dead end), His grace suddenly comes on you and me to enable us to undergo a spiritual turnaround, so that we may serve Him by grace. Every time you feel like you are unable to continue serving Him, that is, when the Lord is leading you to the end of the road, right at that moment, you praise Him by faith saying, “Lord, I rejoice for you have brought me to this dead end, I know that now is the time to serve you by grace, now is the time to fulfill my ministry.” Serving by Grace will Enable Us to Overcome All Difficulties “Weakness” is internal while “difficulties” are external. Yet, we all need grace to continue serving. The Apostle Paul told us in II Corinthians 8, “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy……” “Most severe trial” refers to the condition of being in desperate straits with no way out. In terms of experience, while ministering together with others, you’ve probably met some brothers and sisters who were not of one mind with you. Opinions differ and disputes prevail – such that you are unsure of whether to advance or retreat and you are unable to decide on which is right. Thank the Lord! Our church in Manila has been kept by the Lord. Everybody worked together in one accord in expanding the church. Some offered money, while others, time….. It was indeed very well-coordinated. However, all of us must be ready for possible difficulties ahead. As we work together in the ministry, if, and when, our opinions are locked in a stalemate, let us remember the grace given to the Macedonian churches, in that they had overflowing joy amidst their most severe trial. From the example stated above, we see once again that grace enables us to overcome difficulties. There is a hymn that goes like this: The cross that He gave may be heavy, but it never outweighs His grace… I am satisfied to know that with Jesus here below, I can conquer every foe. This is like ship in the vast ocean; when the tide recedes, the ship gets stuck in shallow waters and cannot move. But when the tide rises, it buoys up the ship and allows it to flow back on the water, and no boulder in the ocean is able to deter it. Hence, it gets to move forward freely. This is also true in the pathway of serving the Lord. Just like the ship which advances with the rising tide, we too are able to serve the Lord by His grace. If you and I do not rely on the grace of the Lord, then it will be difficult for us to move forward even one single step along this pathway of ministry. In Paul’s experiences of serving the Lord, he said this of himself, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them --- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (I Corinthians 15:9-10) This clearly tells us that indeed all the apostles worked very hard, nevertheless Paul worked harder than all of them. “Yet not I (Paul), but the grace of God that was with me.” When it comes to the sufferings Paul had gone through in II Corinthians 11, we cannot bear to read on. He said, “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold… ” However, he said, “Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” Paul was a true model of someone who served by the Lord’s grace. May the Lord be gracious to us and lead us into learning to serve by His grace as we fulfill His commission to us. The Principle of Serving by Grace --- Allowing Others to Gain Through Our Nothingness Look at what Paul said about the principle of ministering by grace in II Corinthians 8:9. He said, “..…the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” It says here that Jesus Christ is an abundant God. All the fullness of God dwells in bodily form in Christ. (Colossians 1:19) He is the treasury of riches without limit. However, when he came in the flesh to this world for our sakes, He was born in a small, crude, and lowly manger. Since childhood, He was brought up in a carpenter’s home in Nazareth. For 33 years, not only was he deprived of a comfortable and luxurious life, He was even humiliated and despised, mocked and rejected… for our sakes. This speaks of the grace of Jesus Christ. He became poor so that we may become rich. Here it shows us the principle of serving in grace, which is, through our nothingness, we enable others to gain all. Therefore in our ministry, if we stand in the position of having nothing, if we stand in the position of being poor, and if we look at ourselves as nothing, having nothing, and capable of doing nothing, as a result, others will be able to gain all. In simple terms, we enable others to gain all through our being nothing. This is the principle of grace. The moment we think that we have, then others will not gain any help from us; because the principle of grace is that you must stand forever in the position of nought, so that the Lord may manifest His all. The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:5-8 concretely mentioned how Jesus stood on the principle of grace. First, it mentions, that Jesus who was equal in glory with God, did not hold on to such equality, but made Himself nothing, meaning, He regarded Himself as totally nought. Furthermore, He willingly humbled Himself, taking the very nature of a servant. Not only that, He stood in the position of a sinner and submitted Himself unto death. O! Death means there is nothing left. Because this kernel of wheat had fallen to the ground and died, it produced many seeds, thus imparting boundless life to all. From here, we could see that as we minister, we must ask for the Lord’s mercy and grace so that we may learn to keep standing in the position of nought. Sometimes when I encourage brothers and sisters to share a few words in the meetings, they declined by saying they have nothing to share. I said, “Hallelujah! This is good.” If you have nothing, then the Lord will have His way. If you think that you have something, I would rather that you do not share. Because the principle of grace is that through our nothingness, others may gain everything. This is one who has full understanding of the way of ministry. The moment you think that you already have, then you have already fallen out of grace. We have to forever stand in the position of nought because that was also the first step that Jesus took: He humbled Himself and came to dwell among us, full of grace and truth. The second step was He emptied Himself so that others may receive provision. Jesus poured out His life, he shed His blood on the cross. The result is that we may have eternal life and have it more abundantly. Through emptying Himself of everything, He enabled us to richly gain all things. This is the grace of Jesus Christ. Not one of us is an exception. If we always see ourselves as nothing while relying on His grace to minister, we will discover that through us, many people will gain help and provision. After the People Power Revolution in February last year, Mrs. Aquino took office as president of the Philippines. Upon hearing this news, countries all over the world were concerned about her policy of running the nation. A reporter from Taiwan once interviewed the lady president, “Being the newly elected president, may I ask who had influenced you the most?” In return she asked the reporter, “Who do you suppose it was?” The reporter replied, “I guess it had to be Cardinal Sin.” She said, “No.” “Then who was it?” She said, “Someone you will never expect -- a Catholic nun by the name of Christine Tan.” She came from a well-known wealthy family and grew up in comfort and luxury. After her father died and left her a vast inheritance, she sold everything and distributed them to the poor in the slums. From then on, she stayed and suffered with the poor. Before Mrs. Aquino was elected president, the two had maintained close contact with each other. Because she sold off all her possessions and had given up her dignity, this had deeply moved and influenced the president. Hence, Mrs. Aquino has willed that in the future, if ever she will be elected president, she will look after the needy. When ministering, whether or not we can impart life and allow people to obtain help, it has nothing to do with our gifts. Christians nowadays give so much importance to eloquence. As long as they can collect testimonies, stories, and illustrations that sound interesting, then match them with Biblical truths to form a piece of sermon, they can go anywhere to speak. In our case, we do not take the pathway of gifts but rather, the pathway of life. We impart life and Christ to others. Our pathway is based on the principle of grace, and on how we impart life to people. We stand firm on the principle of grace, and constantly put ourselves in the position of nought, so that through our nothingness we enable people to gain all, to gain everything. Learning to Minister in the Grace of the Lord Since serving in the grace of the Lord is so important, how then, in the practical aspect, do we enter into serving in the grace of the Lord? Entering into the Ministry of Grace by Faith Romans 5:2 tells us, “We have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Here, it clearly tells us that first of all, it is “by faith” that we can receive grace from the Lord. I believe no one here is not capable of doing this. Is it not so? If we have to pay a price, who then can serve? Hallelujah! It is by faith that we enter into the grace of the Lord, and as long as we do not stay out of grace, then everything will be fine. However, the moment we have doubts about the Lord and our faith wavers, we immediately stay out of the Lord’s grace. Therefore “faith” serves as the most basic requirement. Let us take a look at the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness. The Lord had given them sufficient grace. Nonetheless from beginning till end, they harboured a sinful, unbelieving heart. Hence, they missed out on the Lord’s grace and were not able to enter into rest. (Hebrews 3:17-19) True, they were living under the law at that time, nevertheless the principle of grace was no different.  The principle of grace existed even before the laws were given. By faith Abraham received grace and was justified freely. After him, all of us became the descendants of faith. Like him, we also enter into grace by faith and receive the Lord’s grace by faith.  A Ministry that Boasts of One’s Weaknesses In Paul’s ministry throughout his life, we observe one special quality, and that is, him boasting about his weaknesses. How I wish all of us will boast about our weaknesses because whenever we acknowledge our weaknesses, grace not only flows unceasingly to us, we also receive grace from the Lord in the midst of our weaknesses. In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah, whom God had greatly used, was a warrior of faith. His first training in the lessons of faith occurred in the Kerith Ravine. Day by day God sent ravens to feed him with bread until the waters in Kerith Ravine dried up. The Word of the Lord came to him again saying, “Go at once to Zarepath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” He obeyed the Word of the Lord and went there. The widow of Zarepath was exceedingly poor. It turned out that Elijah was the one who sustained her life. After a long time of training in faith, Elijah’s faith grew. Then God sent him to Mt. Carmel to battle the prophets of Baal. By faith he prayed for fire, and fire fell down from heaven on the altar. Nevertheless, to one’s surprise, after having experienced such great victory in faith, he succumbed to the intimidating statements from the queen and became completely discouraged. Subsequently, he fled from Mt. Carmel to the desert to pray for death under a broom tree. Elijah’s prayer for death under a broom tree speaks of his faith that had weakened. Not only that, “he lay under the broom tree and fell asleep.” (I Kings 19:5) Symbolically speaking, “sleep” implies the end of the natural life. During this time, an angel prepared a jar of water and a cake of bread baked over hot coals, then he woke him up and told him to get up and eat. After he ate and drank, he went back to sleep. The angel came back the second time, touched him and told him to get up again and eat and drink, then he told him, “The journey is too much for you.” Strengthened by the food, he travelled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Thereafter, he anointed Hazael as king of Aram, and Jehu as king over Israel. He also anointed Elisha to be the man who will succeed him as prophet. From this example in the Bible, we repeatedly see that when the natural man is being led by God to the point of weakness, God’s grace will then come and enable us to serve and fulfill our ministry by grace. A Ministry that Relies on Christ as Life Colossians 3:4 says, “Christ, who is your life.” How do we experience Christ as our life? By learning to abide in Christ and allowing Christ to abide in us. To put this to practice, we need to live a life of more praying and drawing near to the Lord. Better still if we could receive revelation from the Holy Spirit so we can see that it is not I, but Christ who lives in me. We must let Christ be our life, our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, our redemption, and our all…… for Him to lead us and to teach us. Humbly Looking to the Lord to Give More   Grace James 4:6 says, “But He gives us more grace.” Meaning, all of God’s riches and grace are to be given to us. However, the words that follow this verse serve as warning to us: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Hence, we must all learn to humble ourselves, come before the Lord and look up to Him saying, “Lord, I need more of Your grace.” This was also Paul’s experience. After he met the Lord on his way to Damascus, throughout his life he never disobeyed the vision that came from heaven. He was constantly controlled by the vision of Christ, until the last years of his life just before he departed from the world, he wrote a letter to Timothy saying, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners --- of whom I am the worst.” (I Timothy 1:15) Here it tells us that from the time Paul got saved until the time he departed from the world, he continually stood in the position of being the worst among sinners; he admitted his unworthiness to serve the Lord. Because he never departed from the position of self-humility, he received the greatest grace, and thus accomplished the commission that the Lord had entrusted him. May the Lord bless His words and lead us to enter into the reality of serving Him in His grace until He returns. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: Acts 1:8 Ezekiel 47:1 Revelation 22:1-2   We notice from the four gospel books that the last chapter of each book always mentions about the Lord Jesus who, just before He ascended on high, entrusted His commission to the disciples. We see a paragraph of words by which Jesus gave important directives as to the pathway of ministering, so that the disciples may put to practice the right way of serving in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. Nevertheless, if we are to take a close look at the pathway of ministering based on the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we need to turn around first and start from the very beginning; because the commission given by the Lord Jesus to the disciples before He resurrected and ascended on high were all recorded at the beginning of this book. Acts 1:8 records that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave this instruction to the disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This verse serves as key to the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles. This key speaks of two matters that are of great significance. First is the commissioning of ministry, which refers to being witnesses for the Lord. Second is that the way of ministry must be in the flow of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the testimony of Jesus Christ must be spread to the ends of the earth. However, the basis for the universality of the Lord’s testimony is through the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles is also known as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit flows down from the throne, with Jerusalem as its origin, then through all Judea and Samaria and later, to the ends of the earth. If we look at the recordings in this book, outwardly it may be about the tracks of the apostles, but inwardly it is the flow of the Holy Spirit. It will, therefore, not be hard for us to understand that the way of ministry is to serve the Lord in the flow of the Holy Spirit. The Flow of the Holy Spirit is the Way of Ministry In order for us to see clearly that the flow of the Holy Spirit is the way of ministry, we will refer to the rivers as recorded in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. Down the Middle of the Great Street of the City is the River of the Water of Life Revelation 22 is a continuation of chapter 21. Revelation 21 records that the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is symbolic of the church. (Rev. 21:9-10) The apex of the city is where the throne of God and the Lamb is. Down the middle of the great street of the City is the river of the water of life. It is as clear as crystal, and it flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. There are twelve gates in this Holy City – three gates each on the east, north, south, and west. All these gates lead to the throne by this great street. Hence, from whichever gate you come, you must stay on this street in order to get to the throne. What is mentioned here as the great street that reaches the throne actually depicts the way of ministry. Therefore, if this street is absent, then there is no way one could reach the throne. There is no way one could serve God. “The river of the water of life flows down the middle.” (Rev. 22:1) This “river of life” symbolizes the flow of the Holy Spirit, and this river of life is situated in the middle of the street. Likewise, the flow of the Holy Spirit is in the center of the way of ministry. This means that as long as one remains in the flow of the Holy Spirit, then he is in the way of ministry. Hence, we can conclude that the flow of the Holy Spirit is the way of ministry. The Holy Spirit that Descended at Pentecost Keeps Flowing Until this Day Praise the Lord! On the day of Pentecost, when all 120 people in Jerusalem came together in one accord to pray, the Holy Spirit descended. From that time on, this river of the Holy Spirit began its flow starting from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  It continues to flow without ceasing to this very day – for more than 2,000 years. If we are dislodged from this flow, then we are not in the way of ministry at all. Hence, we have to value the flow of the Holy Spirit. The Flow of the Holy Spirit Originates from the Throne of the Lord Now then, where does the flow of the Holy Spirit originate? The Holy Spirit has one place of origin, and that is from the throne found in the third heavens. Revelation 22 speaks of a throne in this universe, and that throne is the throne of God and of Jesus Christ the Lamb. It is the place of origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit. In this regard, we shall take a look at the Bible to trace out the origins of the two rivers to serve as symbolisms. The Temple in Ezekiel 47 The book of Ezekiel 47:1-12 mentions a river which symbolizes the Holy Spirit’s flow. The water comes out from under the threshold of the temple and flows toward the east. This temple is the place of abode of God. Our God dwells in this temple in the high heavens. From the recordings found in Ezekiel 47, the point of origin of this river is symbolic of the throne. This shows that the flow of the Holy Spirit has its origin from the throne of the Lord. The Throne in Revelation 22 It is recorded as well in Revelation 22:1 that, “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” This also signifies that the origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit is the Lord’s throne. The river found in Revelation 22 and the river found in Ezekiel 47 stand far apart facing each other, yet in both cases each of these two rivers flows out from the throne of the Lord. These two rivers are, in fact, one and the same river, which implies that the flow of the Holy Spirit originates from the throne. The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1 is about Christ’s Ascension while Chapter 2 is about the Descent of the Holy Spirit As a matter of fact, Acts 1 records that as Jesus was ascending to heaven, they were looking intently up into the sky. Then a cloud hid Him from their sight and they could see the Lord no more. While the Lord Jesus was taken up before their very eyes, suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee”, they said, “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.” After Jesus was taken up to heaven, the disciples returned at once to Jerusalem and prayed for ten days. As a result, chapter 2 records that the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost. How did the flow of the Holy Spirit descend? It was when the Lord Jesus was lifted up and glorified that the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. (Acts 2:33) Once the flow of the Holy Spirit comes down, it rushes onward to every corner of the world. And it remains flowing to this very day! Nevertheless, there is an important principle here that we need to point out. If we want the Holy Spirit to flow in the church, then Christ must be enthroned. Therefore whenever man takes supremacy, or whenever man rules, the Holy Spirit will immediately cease its flow. In terms of experience, every one of you here serves in your local churches. Before you serve, you ought to come facedown before the Lord first and allow Him to be enthroned, because the flow of the Holy Spirit comes from the throne of Christ. Two years ago (1984), around the beginning of September, I had an inner burden to invite all the co-workers and responsible brothers to bow in prayer every Wednesday night. The purpose is to concretely restore the position of Christ as the head. Praise the Lord! After I shared my inner feelings, everyone responded in the spirit. Indeed when everyone bowed down and acknowledged that they are nothing but individuals who had been lifted up by the Lord from the miry clay, and that because of the Lord’s great mercy, we have thus been lifted up to have a share in the ministry. By kneeling down in prayer and waiting on the Lord, the throne of Christ was immediately restored in the church. Hence during the Year-End Conference of 1984, the Holy Spirit worked conspicuously in that during the beginning of 1985, due to the presence of the Holy Spirit’s flow, more than three hundred believers consecrated their lives to the Lord. O! Where Christ is enthroned, there the flow of the Holy Spirit will be. The Holy Spirit Flows Unimpeded by Way of the Cross Once the Holy Spirit flows out from the throne of Christ, we must pay careful attention so that it may flow freely without impediments. The Altar in Ezekiel 47 It is recorded in Ezekiel 47:1 that, “The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.” It mentions here that the Holy Spirit’s flow passes through the altar before coming out. The temple is the origin of the flow where both the most holy place and the throne of the Lord are, afterward it flows past through the altar and comes out. “Altar” symbolizes the cross. To know whether or not the Holy Spirit’s flow circulates in the church depends on whether or not there is the presence of the “altar” in the church. Does one see the cross or not? In terms of experience, the initial step to the experience of the altar is through consecration. For this reason, all the saints need to consecrate themselves to the Lord, for consecration refers to the altar. Do we want to see the flow of the Holy Spirit in the church we minister? The key lies in how many of the saints have consecrated themselves. If the number of people who consecrate themselves keeps increasing, then the flow of the Holy Spirit becomes more powerful while its scope broadens. When the flow of the Holy Spirit goes unimpeded, the presence of the Lord abounds; the co-working of the Lord becomes evident; the blessings of the Lord arrive; and the love of the Lord overflows. Hallelujah! A step deeper into the experience of the “altar” is what is known as death on the cross. Therefore whether or not the Holy Spirit can flow unimpeded in the church depends on whether or not brothers and sisters in the church accept the cross and experience death on the cross. It is true that, today, there are a lot of charismatic movements that are involved with the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, yet after a fleeting moment of in-filling, all is gone. Year after year, there is no growth of life seen. This is due to the absence of the “altar.” What do you call a church with altar? It is when all the Christians accept the cross and are willing to put down their viewpoints and opinions. Like in my case, I am willing to put down my options and benefits; in his case, he is also willing to forsake his authority and glory. When everyone allows Christ to occupy the pre-eminent position, that place will be called a church with an altar. There the Holy Spirit will flow very naturally without impedance. The Lamb in Revelation 22 In Revelation 22, when the origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, what we notice is not the throne of Christ but the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev.22:1) “Lamb” speaks of Christ Jesus who died on the cross, thus depicting one who had been slain, as well as one who had suffered and was sacrificed. Where there are sufferings and sacrifices, there is the cross. Where there is the cross, there is the flow of the Holy Spirit. Acts Chapter 1 where 120 Laid Down Everything and Brought about the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost The disciples along with several women, 120 in all, went to the upper room in Jerusalem to pray, speaks of the experience of the cross. How they forsook everything and prayed persistently in one accord, shows that they had denied themselves, at the same time, had regarded the heart of Christ as their own. As a result, it ushered in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. Psalm 84:6 records, “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” Once again, this shows us that, when all the saints accept the cross and experience being pressed down, being crushed, enduring hardships, being stripped, and being brought to the place of death, then it implies that after passing through the Valley of Baca, that valley will turn into a place of springs. Even the autumn rains cover it with pools, signifying that the Holy Spirit flows freely and gushes out to overflow. Because of the Lord’s mercy, for the past few years, our church in Manila had started learning the lessons of the cross. The first step is consecration. Second is the acceptance of the cross. Everyone learned to bow down before the Throne, lay down his own viewpoints, opinions, glory, and authority, while accepting the Lord’s governance and designation. In the early part of 1985, each one consecrated himself; they offered themselves up to live for the Lord; they accepted the laying of hands by the leaders. As a result, the flow of the Holy Spirit was ushered in, and in a year’s time, more than 300 were baptized. In Ezekiel 47, it concretely mentions the condition of those places where the water of the Holy Spirit flows through. It records that “there will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows, everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear new fruits, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” This water started flowing out from Jerusalem since the day of Pentecost and immediately 3,000 were baptized. Where large numbers of fish thrive, there will be fishermen. It can be said that fishermen are those who are called to serve the Lord full time. When the Holy Spirit works, the church will certainly produce servants of the Lord. I deeply believe that the ministry training we are currently holding is in the flow of the Holy Spirit. After we go downhill and back to preaching the gospel, we will surely see fruitful results. The Bible mentions about the church at the time of Pentecost, how the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Because the flow of the Holy Spirit brings about large numbers of fish, it also causes sinners to repent, to believe, and be baptized. May we become even more humble and bow down before Him, so that through the cross we may put ourselves in the position of death and allow the Lord to take control of our entire being for the flow of the Holy Spirit not to be hampered…Amen. The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Sustained through Prayer and Preaching of the Word We will now go a step further and look into the way of ministry as pointed out by the Lord based on the Acts of the Apostles on how to maintain the flow of the Holy Spirit through prayer and preaching of the Word. Joined Together Constantly in Prayer (Acts 1:14) Acts 1 started off with the recording of 120 people who were joined together constantly in prayer in the upper room in Jerusalem. We have touched slightly on this experience in the ministries of our church. Aside from the prayer meetings held in the different localities on Tuesday nights, there are also small group prayer meetings, co-workers’ prayer meetings, prayer meetings of responsible brothers, sisters’ small group prayer meetings, etc., the purpose of which is, that the Holy Spirit may flow continuously.  Teaching, Fellowshipping, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer (Acts 2:42) When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, the church was formally founded. On that day, 3,000 were saved. Now, how did the 3,000 newly baptized believers receive help to be able to enter into the flow of the Holy Spirit? The Bible says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Naturally the 3,000 newly baptized believers were also brought into the flow of the Holy Spirit. Thereupon, the apostles preached the Word for them to follow, and led them to prayer as well. This is because the flow of the Holy Spirit must be maintained through prayer and preaching of the Word. The more prayer and preaching of the Word, the more outlets of the Holy Spirit there will be. There must be collaboration of prayer with the preaching of the Word. In other words, prayer and preaching of the Word are the driving forces required to sustain the flow of the Holy Spirit. Prayer, Filling of the Holy Spirit, and Preaching of God’s Word (Acts 4:31) Having been freed from persecution, they returned and prayed together in one accord in the homes of brothers and sisters. After they had prayed, the whole place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s word. Here, it mentions again that the disciples did not give up praying and preaching the Word. Prayer and Preaching of the Word (Acts 6:4) The apostles and the church valued the importance of prayer and preaching of the Word. When Satan knew about this, he devised a scheme to destroy the flow of the Holy Spirit by making them preoccupied all day with the distribution of food, thereby neglecting prayer and preaching of the Word. However, just at the right time, the apostles became aware of the schemes of Satan, they told the disciples, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables.” Therefore they chose seven deacons to be in charge of the food. The apostles then devoted themselves to prayer and preaching of the Word. Henceforth, the Holy Spirit was able to continue flowing. Therefore, we must give much attention to prayer as well as to the preaching of the Word. Every Christian ought to preach the Word. In our Bible study on Thursday nights, every believer can actually share what they receive from God’s Word; this is called preaching the Word. Every Friday, the sisters eagerly join in the fellowshipping; that too is preaching the Word. In the Saturday night Youth Fellowship, young people share what they have learned from reading the Bible; again, this is preaching the Word. Apart from these, we also have Sunday message meetings, home fellowships, and the sharing of the Word; all these are called preaching of the Word. This kind of close collaboration between prayer and preaching of the Word will indeed sustain the flow of the Holy Spirit and allow it to flow even more freely. While Peter Prayed, the Holy Spirit Sent Him to the House of Cornelius to Preach the Word  (Acts 10:9) It is recorded in Acts 10 that about noon, Peter went up on the roof to pray, and he saw a vision. The Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men are looking for you, get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them (to the house of Cornelius).” Peter obeyed the Holy Spirit. The next day he rose and went with them to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius. Cornelius was expecting them, and he had called together his relatives and close friends. Peter, thus, began speaking and preaching the Word to them. While he was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. O! Through Peter’s prayer and preaching, the Holy Spirit’s flow had been poured out even on the Gentiles in Caesarea – to the house of Cornelius. The Church Prayed and God’s Word Increased and Spread (Acts 12:5, 24) Acts 12 records that, after James was put to death and Peter was kept in prison, the entire church prayed earnestly for Peter. The Holy Spirit worked, causing King Herod who had earlier murdered James, to be eaten up by worms. As a result, God’s Word increased day by day and spread widely. Due to the collaboration of prayer and preaching, the flow of the Holy Spirit continued to gain forward momentum. After Fasting and Praying, Barnabas and Paul were Sent by the Holy Spirit to Preach the Word (Acts 13:1-5) The flow of the Holy Spirit had a new advancement. Chapter 13 records that in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers who fasted and prayed. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them for.” Thus, Barnabas and Saul were sent out to serve the Lord in the flow of the Holy Spirit. It was here in these different parts of Asia that many churches were founded. From Jerusalem the Holy Spirit flowed out through all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. To this day it is still flowing in our midst. Suppose there was no one who would want to pray and preach the Word, how can the Holy Spirit persist in its flow? How can we be saved today? From this reality, we are able to see that the flow of the Holy Spirit is being sustained through prayer and preaching of the Word. The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Reinforced by Fellowship and Love for One Another This flow of the Holy Spirit not only needs to be maintained, it also needs to be reinforced and spread out. How, then, is the flow of the Holy Spirit being reinforced? It is when all the saints in the church fellowship and love one another. This will, therefore, allow the flow of the Holy Spirit to be like living water that rushes forward and spreads all over the world. How come the flow of the Holy Spirit is being reinforced through the saints’ fellowship and their love for one another? It is because mutual fellowship is a law that strengthens the body of Christ. Also, by loving one another, this flow of the Holy Spirit is being reinforced. We also see how the flow of the Holy Spirit had been reinforced through the fellowship of the saints and their love for one another at Pentecost. This is also the reason why we have to divide the young people in church into many groups, so that visitation may be more convenient and fellowship may be widespread; moreover they may be able to love one another more. This way, the Holy Spirit may flow even more widely and extensively. The 3,000 who were Baptized Had Fellowship with One Another (Acts 2:42) Is this not so? The 3,000 who were baptized on the day of Pentecost had fellowship with one another. Due to the large number of people present, they divided themselves into groups and met together in their homes so as to enable all the saints to have fellowship and to love one another; thus the flow of the Holy Spirit grew stronger. Today, we also follow this Biblical principle that as soon as a person gets saved and is baptized, we assign them in small groups, the purpose of which is to promote fellowship in love. This way the flow of the Holy Spirit may not be diminished or broken off, but rather, be sustained and increased in strength. They Broke Bread and Ate Together with Gladness in the Temple Courts and in their Homes (Acts 2:46) The 3,000 who were baptized broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. They had everything in common, which shows that they truly loved one another. This is the church in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. Where there is true fellowship and love for one another, there the intensified flow of the Holy Spirit will be. Peter and John Went to Samaria to Visit and Have Fellowship (Acts 8:14-17) This flow of the Holy Spirit reached Samaria too. It was Philip who first went to Samaria to preach the gospel. Many believed in the Lord and were baptized, and there was great joy in the city. Peter and John later followed and went to Samaria too. They reinforced the fellowship there and laid hands on those who were baptized. Then the Holy Spirit descended on them. Thus, the Holy Spirit flowed from Jerusalem, and has now reached Samaria. Since then, the City of Samaria had its own large church. Barnabas Went to Antioch for Fellowship (Acts 11:21-26) As we come to chapter 11, we see that the disciples had been scattered by the persecution to different places. The Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas went to look for Saul (who was later named Paul), and together they met with the church in Antioch. Through fellowship and love, the flow of the Holy Spirit had also reached Antioch. Paul and the Co-workers Visited Different Places and Had Fellowship (Acts 15:36) Later, Paul and the co-workers made Antioch their center for ministry. The Holy Spirit not only flowed through Antioch, where they continued to have fellowship and love one another, the Holy Spirit also sent Paul and the co-workers to all the towns where they had preached the gospel in order to visit them, to have fellowship, and to love one another, so that the flow of the Holy Spirit may grow in strength. After we go downhill and back to our church, we have to put each of these steps into practice. We must give impetus to visitation work, in order to bring backslidden brothers and sisters back to church fellowship and love for one another. If the entire church meets together and loves one another, the flow of the Holy Spirit will be reinforced, and will eventually become a mighty torrent. The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Spread Out Through Our Obedience to His Forward Movement The last point serves as our central message, which is, the flow of the Holy Spirit being spread out through our obedience to His forward movement. The Flow of the Holy Spirit Continually Moves Forward The river being mentioned in Ezekiel 47 was only ankle-deep when first measured, which means the water was not that deep yet. After measuring off a thousand cubits, it was knee-deep. After measuring off another thousand cubits, the water came up to the waist. Then again, after another thousand cubits, because the water had risen, and it became a river that no one could cross. This refers to the work of the Holy Spirit as one that continually moves forward without stopping. Anyone who does not follow closely will be weeded out. For instance, if there is anyone who does not attend the ministry training now, do not regard this as something unimportant. Our only fear is that you might not be able to keep up with the Lord’s leading to move forward. We need to understand that the flow of the Holy Spirit is continually advancing. Now, we will concretely state how the flow of the Holy Spirit is spread by way of man’s obedience. The more we obey the forward flow, the more widely it will spread. We Must Be Channels of the Holy Spirit for the Flow of the Holy Spirit to Have a Way Out For the past 2,000 years, this flow of the Holy Spirit has been constantly moving forward. Hence, our spiritual condition cannot but move forward as well. The instant we do not move forward, you and I will be displaced from the flow. How, then, can we let the flow of the Holy Spirit remain among the saints? The key lies in whether or not we (the church) act as channels of the Holy Spirit. If, and when, the flow of the Holy Spirit is in our church in Manila, the Holy Spirit will search for channels. This group meeting here acts as a mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit in sharing the Word; that group there also acts as a mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit. In large meetings, the Holy Spirit also finds oral channels to speak out. As long as the Holy Spirit keeps finding channels, this flow will continue. One by one, sinners get saved. One by one, the Christians are revived. If everyone becomes a channel of the Holy Spirit, as in mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in prayer, mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in visitation, or mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in preaching the gospel, eventually the flow of the Holy Spirit will always find a way out. The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Spread by Way of Man’s Obedience In short, the flow of the Holy Spirit is spread by way of man’s obedience. We shall take a look at the Acts of the Apostles to see how the flow of the Holy Spirit was spread through man’s obedience. The Holy Spirit Descended at Pentecost and They Spoke in Other Tongues as the Spirit Enabled Them (Acts 2:1-4) Acts 2 records that the 120 people who prayed in the upper room in Jerusalem ushered in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They, then, began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This was the first time the church appeared, and she became the channel of the Holy Spirit. This may not necessarily mean that everyone has to speak in tongues, nevertheless we must learn to obey the Holy Spirit and become His channels. Peter was a Channel of the Holy Spirit and 3,000 were Baptized (Acts 2:14,41) During that time, 120 people were all filled by the Holy Spirit. Then Peter, who obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, stood up and quoted from the book of Joel chapter 2 and Psalm 16 to explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to preach the resurrected Christ. Because he acted as a channel of the Holy Spirit, immediately 3,000 repented and were baptized. After Peter had finished preaching, the rest of the apostles also stood up and acted as channels of the Holy Spirit. No wonder the flow of the Holy Spirit kept advancing. Peter Was a Channel of the Holy Spirit, while Ananias and Sapphira Died because They Lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10) Chapter 5 records the judgment by the Holy Spirit. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, kept back for themselves a part of the money they got from the property they sold, and pretended they had offered up all. Peter said to him, “Ananias, why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?” Immediately, he died on the spot. His wife, Sapphira, who was with him in tempting the Lord, also stopped breathing and died. This speaks of the authority of the Holy Spirit which, when exercised in the church, can put to judgment all sins in order for the church to maintain its holiness, enabling God’s glory to fill the church. This is another condition of the church when it follows the forward flow of the Holy Spirit. Philip Obeyed the Voice of the Holy Spirit, Preached the Word to the Eunuch, and the Gospel Spread to Africa (Acts 8:29) The next recording was that of Philip, who ministered in the flow of the Holy Spirit. Philip was enjoying God’s blessings in Samaria when, one day, the angel of the Lord told him to go south to the road – the desert road. He obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and started out. Unknowingly, he met an Ethiopian eunuch. The Spirit spoke to Philip again to go to that chariot and stay near it. Again, Philip obeyed and went. He was invited to go up the chariot so that he may preach Jesus to the eunuch. Later, he even led the eunuch to be baptized. After this, the eunuch went home and took Jesus to Africa. The flow of the Holy Spirit had eventually reached Africa. Peter Obeyed the Voice of the Holy Spirit to Preach the Word to Cornelius’ House and the Holy Spirit Descended (Acts 10:19) The flow of the Holy Spirit is spread through man’s obedience. Acts 10 records that Peter obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and went to the house of Cornelius to preach about Jesus. As a result, the Holy Spirit descended upon all those who listened. Hence, the flow of the Holy Spirit, because of Peter’s obedience, was spread to Caesarea. Paul and Barnabas were Sent Out by the Holy Spirit to Preach to the Gentiles and Establish Churches (Acts 13:1-4) In chapter 13, we read that in the Church at Antioch, there were some prophets and teachers who fasted and prayed. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Barnabas and Paul obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit, and were sent out by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the flow of the Holy Spirit reached the different parts of Europe and the ends of the earth. Dear brothers and sisters, the Acts of the Apostles records the flow of the Holy Spirit beginning from chapter 1 with the ascension of Christ as origin; then in chapter 2, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Thus, the flow of the Holy Spirit started out from Jerusalem, passed through all Judea then to Samaria, and continued to rush forward and spread out. When we come to the end of chapter 28, we could not find any concluding words; this means that all the future churches come under Acts 29 for the continuation of the Holy Spirit’s flow. We hope that our eyes may be opened to see the way of ministry, so that in the days to come, we may all minister (1) in the Lord’s presence, (2) with the Lord’s co-working, (3) in the Lord’s blessings, (4) in the great love of the Lord, (5) in the flow of the Holy Spirit, so that the Lord may have His way without any obstructions! Amen. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: John 21:1-17   We have already mentioned that the Gospel of Matthew points out the need to minister in the Lord’s presence. The Gospel of Mark points out the need to minister with the Lord’s co-working while The Gospel of Luke points out the need to minister in the Lord’s blessing. If we put to practice these three ways of ministry which were revealed to us by the Lord, then the Lord’s work will naturally expand and the church will move forward. However, there is the danger that the church might imperceptibly fall into the ministry and eventually, lose the Lord Himself. When the old Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John, his concluding verse found in chapter 20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.” This verse was meant to conclude his gospel book, yet the Holy Spirit inspired him to write another chapter as supplement. The reason was that before this gospel book was concluded, the Lord Jesus had not yet given His entrustments to the disciples, nor had He pointed out the way of ministry to them. Hence, chapter 21 stands as an independent chapter. This means that the main gist of the Gospel of John is about “faith”, yet its conclusion is about “love.” As a matter of fact, the three preceding gospel books all emphasize on “faith.” One needs faith in order to enjoy the Lord’s presence. Without faith, one cannot expect the Lord’s co-working. One needs faith, all the more, to obtain the Lord’s blessings. Because if there is faith, then there will be the presence of the Lord, the co-working of the Lord, as well as the blessings of the Lord. Nonetheless, how easy it is for one to unconsciously fall into the norms of work. The work itself may become a great temptation to the point that one may be ensnared by it and totally lose the Lord Himself. That is why John took care in reminding us that we really need to minister in the great love of the Lord. The Gospel of John chapter 21 mentions how Jesus had entrusted Peter with the commission of shepherding the flock. This means that He had entrusted the commission of the ministry to His disciples. At the same time, He also pointed out the way of ministry, which is to minister in the great love of the Lord. It is only by ministering in the Lord’s great love that His presence will be felt. Having the Lord as the object of our ministry is to treasure the Lord Himself. It is because we love the Lord Jesus that we serve Him. In other words, it is in response to the Lord’s love that we love Him back and serve Him. Just like during the singing of hymns in our church meetings, when the Holy Spirit pours down the Lord’s great love so densely, all of us are filled with this great love to the extent that we are constrained, we are enveloped, and we are moved to offer up our heart’s desire to Him and say, “Lord, we want to serve You in Your great love.” With regard to how we ought to minister in the great love of the Lord, due to space constraint, we will just be mentioning a few of its contents. Loving the Lord is a Requirement to Serving the Lord John clearly spoke in his gospel that loving the Lord is the most basic requirement in serving the Lord. The reasons are as follows: Before the Lord Entrusted Peter with the Ministry, He Required Peter to First Love Him The Gospel of John 21 mentions how the Lord used His multi-faceted great love to restore the seven disciples who had gone back to the world. These seven disciples had once pledged their desire to follow the Lord all their lives and to serve Him. But after the Lord Jesus was crucified, they were disheartened and their hearts grew cold. That day, at dawn, just when the seven disciples had laboured all night but caught nothing, and were now heading back to the shore, Jesus Himself came and sought them. With a love that loves them in secret, a love that cares, and a love that is full of concern, He stood and waited on the shore ready to bestow grace upon them. Upon returning to the shore, the disciples received provisions from the Lord’s love. They were constrained by the Lord’s great love. They were conquered by His great love. Once again, they returned to the Lord’s great love. It was then that the Lord Jesus entrusted His disciples the commission of shepherding His flock. Peter often acted as the representative of the disciples. Hence the Lord asked Peter three times, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love Me more than these?” For all these three times, Peter expressed his love for the Lord by answering, “Lord, you know that I love you.” The Lord then entrusted him the commission of feeding His lambs, taking care of His sheep, and feeding His sheep. “Three” is God’s number, and it means that one must love the Lord with the love from God, and serve the Lord with the love from God. It is because man’s love changes constantly while God’s love remains the same. For three times the Lord reminded Peter to love Him. This clearly shows that we must serve the Lord with the love from God. Who then are the ones who can touch ministry? Who then are the ones who can accept the commission of the ministry? The only requirement here is that he must be one who truly loves the Lord. The Song of Solomon Reminds Us to Look After Our Own Vineyard The Old Testament book of the Song of Songs speaks of the relationship between the lover and his beloved. The lover symbolizes Jesus Christ while the beloved symbolizes Christians. This pair of lovers who are so intimately in love with each other symbolizes the love relationship between us Christians and the Lord Jesus. From the very beginning of the first chapter, it has been made clear how the beloved was drawn by the love of her lover. This symbolizes that we too are being constrained by the great love of the Lord; we are being drawn by His immense love. The Song of Songs begins with the beloved telling the lover, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is more delightful than wine.” (Songs 1:2) The words “kiss”, “wine” and “love” all describe the fullness of the experiences of love. The beloved then poured her heart out to the lover saying, “They made me take care of the vineyards; my vineyard I have neglected.” Here it speaks of two kinds of vineyard. “My vineyard” refers to the place where our spirit enters into intimate fellowship with the Lord. If our heart treasures the Lord Jesus and loves Him, we will get intimate with the Lord to the extent that the lover (Jesus) belongs to me, and I belong to the lover (Jesus). Remaining in this union of love means that we are looking after our own vineyard. “Other people’s vineyard” refers to the workplace for spiritual ministries, like preaching the gospel, and visiting believers, etc. “They made me take care of the vineyards” implies that the church wants me to serve. Yet “my vineyard I have neglected” implies that I am only concerned about keeping myself busy with the Lord’s work, while neglecting my own private life of drawing near to the Lord, thus losing my fellowship in the Lord’s love. As a result, the beloved said, “Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep.” This means that the beloved had lost sight of the lover. In terms of experience, we have already lost the Lord’s presence. No wonder the Lord specifically inspired the Apostle John to augment his gospel book by writing John chapter 21, in order to remind us that we can only serve the Lord if we are in His love. Because We Minister Out of Love, We Will Not Feel Weary There are some Christians who, as time goes by, feel weary and burdened in their service for the Lord. This is because they have lost their love for the Lord. If we serve Him out of love, we will not feel weary or burdened, instead we will be filled with pleasure and enjoyment. Is it not so? In terms of the experiences of parents, when a baby is born, he cries whenever he wants to be cuddled; he wants someone to change him whenever he is wet. Yet we have never seen parents rebuking their babies when they cry, or beat them when they are wet. On the contrary, the parents patiently coax them, kiss them, care for them, and nurture them with all attentiveness. Unmindful of all the troubles, they patiently bring them up until they become adults. Outwardly, the parents are indeed tired and weary, nevertheless in their hearts there is indescribable pleasure and sweetness. Because wherever love is present, the service is bound to be enjoyable. Similarly, if we serve the Lord because we love Him, we will also enjoy the sweetness (which is the anointing of joy). The Old Testament book of Genesis mentions about Jacob who craftily deceived his brother Esau of his birthright. Because of this, Esau got so enraged he wanted to kill him. All Jacob could do then was to flee to the house of his uncle Laban where he tended his flock and served him. Laban had two daughters. The older was called Leah while the younger, Rachel. Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said to Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” The Bible specifically records that Jacob served Laban seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her (Gen. 29:20). O! Seven years was indeed a long time. In his seven years of service, Jacob was scorched by the heat of the sun by day, and pierced by the freezing cold of the ice by night. He endured all kinds of hardships. Yet because of his love for Rachel, he did not feel the least bit weary. Loving the Lord is the basic requirement in serving the Lord. When we serve the Lord out of love for Him, we will not feel weary. On the other hand, He satisfies us with His love, such that we will gladly and willingly do whatever it takes to serve Him. It Is Only by Ministering in Love that We Can Have Spiritual Provision There are various ministries in the church just like the sharing of the Word, preaching the gospel, visiting believers, shepherding the saints, attending to church secular affairs, weddings, and funerals, etc. The bottom line of all these ministries is whether or not they can provide help and offer provisions to others. There are some whose ministries produce an exactly opposite effect. It not only makes people feel awkward, it even causes people to suffer. Therefore, regardless of whether our ministry is spiritual or secular, they must be done in the love of the Lord. If one does not minister out of love for the Lord, then he is like a hired hand who works only to receive wages. That kind of ministry would naturally not provide life. We would like to mention two principles from the Bible: Love Produces a Humble Ministry “Humility” is a spiritual lesson every person who serves the Lord must learn. It is by humbly ministering that the outflow of life is made possible. The Gospel of John 13:1 tells us, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” This speaks of the Lord’s love as a love that will not let go; it is an everlasting love. Hence, while taking supper, Jesus got up from His meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. “Jesus wrapped a towel around His waist” denotes that He stood in the position of a servant. “Washing the disciples’ feet” demonstrates a humble ministry. O! To think that a master is serving his servants, and a teacher is ministering to his students – this is our Lord. Because He loves us, He serves us humbly. This shows clearly that love produces a humble ministry. I remember back in 1950, I was once invited to attend a church’s love feast fellowship. Before the love feast began, there were some elders who came to wash our feet. I felt amazed and wondered if there was such a practice among believers of Jesus. If I had known about this beforehand, I would have washed my feet first before I went. It so happened that not only did I fail to wash my feet that day, I even wore an old pair of socks. I really felt embarrassed, but the elders’ sincerity in their desire to wash my feet made me unable to decline. At first, I felt very uneasy. But halfway through the washing, I was deeply moved within. None of them was my relative, nor did I have a special relationship with any of them. It was really undeserving of us to have the elders stoop down to wash our feet, but the actions done out of love were so hard for us to decline. That was an evening I will never forget for the rest of my life. O! The love of the Lord produces a humble ministry. How did God’s love come upon mankind? It was when the Lord Jesus who, being majestic and glorious, humbled Himself by willingly taking on the flesh, and did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing and took the very nature of a servant. This is humility. His humility has brought life to us. Because of His humility, the love of God flowed out from Him, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (receives the provision of life). This is a spiritual law. Whether or not brothers and sisters obtain provision from our ministry depends on whether or not our ministry is in the love of the Lord. Bear Much Fruit By Abiding in Love The Gospel of John 15:5 records Jesus telling His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” Then in verse 9: “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” Here it mentions again the subject about “love.” Only when we experience the Lord and truly touch Him can we understand that God is love. Therefore when one does not touch love, there is no way he could touch the Lord. Furthermore it is said in I John 4:16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” It is clear that to abide in God is to abide in love. Very naturally, we will bear fruit to provide for others. Because when we are in the Lord, life will flow out from us. “Bearing fruit” denotes the outflow of life, just like grapes which are the crystallization of life that flows from the vine to its branches. We must remain in the great love of the Lord, that we may provide life. In the Gospel of John, there are many words of spiritual significance which specifically enjoins love and life. This means that we have to learn to minister in love so that life may flow out; only then can our ministry be of spiritual value. Knowledge Puffs Up, but Love Builds Up I Corinthians 8:1 records that “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” This reminds us that whenever we minister, we must never have the idea that knowledge, wisdom, and ability can provide help to others. Knowledge only puffs us up, while love alone makes one humble and provides life. No wonder Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 4:15, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers.” As far as the natural man is concerned, there are ten thousand who desire to be teachers in order to instruct others – this implies that quite a number of people minister based on their knowledge. However, the words “you do not have many fathers” implies that only a handful truly minister out of love. I sincerely hope that we may all learn to serve the Lord in love. III. A Ministry Away from the Lord’s Love is a Fallen Ministry The time when we were saved by grace, we felt how the Lord was so lovely and so sweet that none can compare with Him. We consecrated ourselves to the Lord and expressed that from now on, we will serve Him only. There is the likelihood that after a while, when a big part of our time is spent getting busy with external works, we will gradually lose our closeness with the Lord. Once our intimacy with Him lessens, our acceptance of the Lord’s love eventually decreases, gradually making our ministry become burdensome. O! The moment we forsake the Lord’s love, our ministries will simply become religious activities. Activities that are done away from the Lord’s love are all fallen ministries.   A. The Church in Ephesus was Rebuked by the Lord Because They had Forsaken the First Love The book of Revelation begins with the seven letters that the old Apostle John wrote, the first of which was addressed to the messengers of the Church in Ephesus, saying, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (Rev.2:2-5) Here it shows us clearly that because the church in Ephesus did not minister in the love of the Lord, their ministry was a fallen ministry. Hence, the Holy Spirit admonished the Church in Ephesus to repent and restore their first love, otherwise their lampstand will be removed from its place. The Church in Ephesus started when Paul went there to preach the gospel; the people believed on the Lord and were baptized. Paul also laid hands on them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were indeed filled with the rich presence of the Lord. Later on, with the Lord co-working with them, miraculous signs and wonders followed. Evil spirits were cast out, and the name of Jesus was greatly magnified. Not only that, the Lord’s blessings immediately followed. In a very short time, the church expanded and believers were revived. Many of those who practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. The Lord’s Word spread widely and grew in power. Indeed they ministered in the presence of the Lord as spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew. They also ministered in the co-working of the Lord as mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. They even ministered in the blessings of the Lord as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. However, some time later, because they did not minister in the great love of the Lord as spoken of in the Gospel of John, just before the old Apostle John passed away, the Church in Ephesus had fallen. What is the love which the Church in Ephesus had forsaken? It is the great love of Christ on the cross. Galatians 3:1 says, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” This tells us that when a person meets the Lord and in His spirit sees the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross; it is as if this portrait is being painted live before his very eyes. Having tasted the great love of the Lord who had shed His blood and given up His life, he loves the Lord in return for His great love. This is called first love. During our breaking of bread meeting, as we meditate and reminisce the love of the Lord on the cross, we cannot help but return to the first love, and ever so naturally we love Him back and re-consecrate our lives to serve Him.   B. The Brothers of the Church in Philadelphia Love One Another and are Commended by the Lord Revelation 3:7 records, “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open… ” The name “Philadelphia” refers to brotherly love. The reason the brothers love one another is because they first received the love from the Lord. Not only did the Lord not rebuke them, He even praised them and promised them saying, “Behold! I open a door before you which no one can shut.”   IV. Learning to Minister in the Great Love of the Lord We have already seen the value of ministering in the great love of the Lord. Hence, we need to understand how we can learn to minister in this great love. Based from the Gospel of John 21, we will mention a few points: A. In Response to the Love of the Lord, We Love Him Back That night, the seven disciples went out to fish by the Sea of Tiberias. The reason why they fished at night was because seasoned fishermen knew for a fact that when they go out to fish at night, the instant they light up the lamp, all the fish would come swarming in to where the light is. Thus when they throw down the net, they will get a catch. However, that night the seven disciples laboured all night and caught nothing. Jesus had been standing on the shore waiting for them until daybreak. He had kept a close watch on them in secret, waiting for them to come back to the shore. Sure enough, the disciples returned. Jesus did not rebuke them, but instead, with a voice of concern He asked, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered no. O! Our Lord has a great love that is non-condemning. During the darkest hours, He still cared for His disciples, whether or not they have anything to eat. “Eating” signifies living. In secret, the Lord is concerned about both our living as well as our future. Not only is He concerned about our material living, He is also concerned about our spiritual living. When the disciples answered “no” to the Lord, the Lord did not tarry till the last minute to make preparations. In fact, He had finished preparing a fire of burning coals, fish, and bread at a much earlier time. All these demonstrated the Lord’s warm and providing love. Besides, both the bread and the fish had just been roasted and were still warm. This shows again the Lord’s caring love which is meticulous even to the smallest detail. Just before this, the Lord was asking the disciples if they have anything to eat. He then told them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat to get a catch. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in. The other disciples followed and towed the net full of fish to the shore. The net was full of large fish, 153 in all. Here, it shows us the great providing love of the Lord. If He doesn’t provide, fine; but if He does, it will be more than sufficient. The Bible specifically mentions 153 fish. No wonder the hymn writer told us to count our blessings and name them one by one to see what the Lord has done for us. “Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” When the seven disciples hauled in the 153 large fish, the Bible specifically records, “but even with so many, the net was not torn.” (John 21:11) Common sense tells us that with so many large fish, the net would surely get torn. But, actually, it did not. Its spiritual meaning denotes the great keeping love of the Lord. In the way of ministry, the great keeping love of the Lord also motivates us. Every time we have no reservations of our own, but consecrate our lives wholly to Him, the Lord will surely keep us, because His is the great keeping love. Through his keeping power, we will be kept thoroughly to the end. O! The love of the Lord Jesus is indeed an exceedingly great love! After the disciples had tasted the immensity of the Lord’s great love, not only were they deeply moved, they also found themselves fully dissolved in His great love. When the great love of the Lord descends upon us, who is able to stand up against it? His great constraining love is like a rushing current of water, causing everyone in the way to be washed over by this great love. It enables us to love Him in return, to a point where we no longer live for ourselves, but in all willingness we live for Him who died and rose again for us.   B. Love the Lord Above All Else “When they had finished breakfast…” spiritually it means that they had tasted and were filled with the Lord’s great love. Right away, Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love Me more than these?” The Lord’s meaning was “Do you love me more than the fish and the net?” “Net” symbolizes life’s dependence. Some people depend on money, while some on education, and others on ability and intellect. “Fish” symbolizes life’s pleasures because the fish could be sold, and the money one makes could be used for the enjoyment of life’s pleasures. Peter answered the Lord, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” After Peter received from the Lord His great love, he came to the realization that having the Lord is equal to having all. It also describes how Peter had yielded himself to the great love of the Lord. In the same manner, the Lord is asking you today, “Do you and I love the Lord more than these?” Do you love the Lord more than your family? Do you love the Lord more than your career? Do you love the Lord more than your life’s dependence and pleasures? When Peter told the Lord that he loves Him more than the fish and the net, the Lord said to him, “Feed My lambs.” Following that He said, “Take care of My sheep.” A step further He said, “Feed My sheep.” This implies that the Lord wants us to minister in His great love. It implies that we ought to serve the Lord in answer to the call of His love. Sure enough, after Peter had risen up to this occasion, up until the time he saw the Lord’s face, he never again turned or shrank back; moreover, he served the Lord until the day he was martyred.   C. Love One Another The Gospel of John 13 records that after the Lord Jesus had finished washing the disciples’ feet, He said to them, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) This means that the Lord constrains us with His love today so that we too can love our brothers with His love. It is even more concretely stated in I John 4:20 that, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” Hence, in order to minister in the great love of the Lord, brothers and sisters must learn to love one another.   D. Exercise Our Gifts in Love Praise the Lord! He gives each one of us a special gift. Some share God’s Word on the pulpit while some do song-leading, others go on visitations and shepherding believers, while still others attend to the secular affairs of the church. Each individual stands at his own post serving the Lord. There are even some elderly people who do their least by interceding for others because intercessory prayer is considered the highest form of ministry. Simpson once said that the highest and most powerful ministry is to do things on behalf of others before God (intercessory prayers). Back when I was ministering in Kaohsiung, there was an elderly brother who lived next door to our house. This brother had once taken part in the ministry of copying the translations of the Chinese Bible. When he had reached his 70’s, he could no longer go out to do visiting work, nonetheless he stayed home and interceded for the church day by day. This is a practical example of exercising one’s gifts in the Lord’s great love. I Corinthians 14 talks about exercising one’s gifts during church fellowship. However, let us not forget that chapters 12, 13, and 14 are all interrelated. Chapter 12 first speaks of the nine kinds of gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Chapter 13 speaks of love, while chapter 14, the exercising of gifts during fellowship. We are being taught that after we have received these gifts from the Holy Spirit, we ought to exercise these gifts in the Lord’s great love. If the element of love is taken out, we will merely be a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. May the Lord bless His Word, so that we may return to the first love and serve Him in this love. In the history of church revival, the revival of the brethren in Moravia was about returning to the foundation of their first love for the Lord. The great revival during that time was known to be unprecedented. It can be considered as having reached God’s standard. The brethren’s condition of truly loving one another was similar to that of the Church in Philadelphia. According to church history, whenever the brethren came together and broke bread, they were filled with the Lord’s great love. Even the brothers and sisters came to love one another more and more. They also exercised their gifts in love when serving. Because of this, a large group of the saints accepted God’s calling and was sent to different parts of the world to minister. It was a truly great revival that had never occurred before. John Wesley was greatly edified during the Moravian revival. He once said in his biography that, if God did not commission him to do the work of revival in the churches in Europe and America, he would rather spend his life being with the brethren in Moravia. May the Lord be gracious to us and lead us never to depart from the wellspring of His great love. May He fill us with His fresh love, so that we may keep serving in His love till He comes again! <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

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. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: Mark 16:15-20   The Gospel of Mark records the signs and wonders that the Lord Jesus did, which were greater in number than His teachings. This speaks of Him as the Lord who works. While on earth He once said, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." (John 5:17) This means that the Holy Father is a God who works; the Holy Son is also a God who works. After He resurrected and ascended to heaven, He poured down the Holy Spirit, who continues to do His work on earth. When the Bible describes how the Holy Spirit was sent out to work, Revelation 5:6 tells us, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” “Seven” is a number signifying perfection. “Horn” represents power. “Eyes” refer to wisdom. This signifies that the Holy Spirit works in accordance with His perfect power and complete wisdom. He is all-knowing, all-victorious, and all-perfecting. Clearly, the Triune God whom we believe is a God who works. He continues to work until His will is accomplished. Today is the age of the Holy Spirit. He calls on all the Christians in the church to rise up and serve. To this day the Triune God is at work and He wants His church to work with Him. At the same time, Jesus told the disciples saying, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.” (John 14:12) This means that the disciples (church) are going to accomplish greater things than what the Lord Jesus did. These words eventually came to fulfillment during Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jerusalem, some 120 people who served together in one accord were used by the Lord. In one day alone, 3000 people were baptized. Indeed, what the church had done was far greater than what Jesus did while on earth. Down through the ages, the work that the church had and has been doing keeps on increasing. It was evident that the Lord had entrusted the church with the commission to carry out God’s plan. God had determined that the church must work with Him. This is because God’s will is to be done through the church. No wonder the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 6:1 said, “But as fellow-workmen (church) of God.” When the Lord Jesus spoke the Beatitudes, He once told the disciples who came to Him, saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and in Your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles.’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23) Oh! This is indeed a very serious warning! Because of this, in the Gospel of Mark, the Lord once again revealed to the disciples the way of ministry, which is about the need to minister in the Lord’s co-working. The Gospel of Mark records that before the Lord Jesus resurrected and ascended to heaven, He said to the disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:15-18) Next it also records, “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and was seated at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it. Amen.” (v. 19-20) Here it shows us that the Lord Jesus not only entrusted the disciples with His commission, He also worked with them. It shows us that the way of ministry as pointed out in the Gospel of Mark is actually ministering in the Lord’s co-working. The Lord’s Co-Working is the Source of a Fruitful Ministry Today, although quite a number of churches enjoyed the Lord’s presence in their church meetings, however, after ten to twenty years had passed, the number of church attendees did not actually increase. This is, in fact, ministering in the Lord’s presence as pointed out in the Gospel of Matthew, but not in the Lord’s co-working as pointed out in the Gospel of Mark. Because it is the will of God that His testimony be spread out from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, (Acts 1:8) therefore we must minister with the Lord’s co-working in order that His testimony may continue to spread out. Seven to eight years ago, a group of our newly trained young co-workers went to Cabanatuan to do pioneering work. In the beginning, the Lord truly worked with them. Every time a gospel meeting was held, quite a number of friends came to attend. In a very short time, already a big number of people were baptized, and from there a small-scale church assembly was formally established. Shortly after, some two to three trained co-workers were sent to that place to continue ministering. When the co-workers came back, they reported in unison saying, “Praise the Lord, His presence was in our church meetings.” This went on for a year and every time they saw me they would relate how the Lord’s presence was in their church meetings. I asked them how they knew that the Lord was with them. They related how during the breaking of bread, many of the newly saved brothers and sisters were moved to tears in prayer. There were also many children attending Sunday School. However after another year went by, there was no increase in number. Then another year went by again, and the number of people was found to have actually decreased. Formerly there were close to twenty people attending church meetings, but since the students who had graduated from high school came to Manila to take up college studies, while others had to leave for work employment somewhere; as a result, the numbers dwindled to fifteen only. A short time later, three whose families were non-believers met stiff opposition from their own family members and were thus barred from attending church meetings. Shortly after, some fell sick --- all these led to a continuous decline in number until only about less than ten were left. This is an actual example of ministering in the Lord’s presence but not in the Lord’s co-working. A Fruitless Ministry is Due to Men’s Work Void of the Lord’s Work The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3:5-7 told us, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” “God makes it grow” clearly speaks of the fact that growth comes only from God working with His people. If God does not work with the church, then the church becomes stagnant and stops growing. Hence, for a ministry to be fruitful, the key lies in whether or not God works. If men work but the Lord does not work with them, although outwardly we may bear the testimony of assembling together, yet we may not necessarily see people repent and be baptized, nor will we see people paying the price in serving the Lord. At most, it will just be a meeting that has the Lord’s presence but not the Lord’s co-working. Therefore, not only do we learn to minister in the Lord’s presence, we must also learn to minister with the Lord’s co-working, so that the Lord’s testimony may be spread out by means of this small vessel of ours. Thank the Lord, whether our ministry is geared toward the young people -- such as the high school group, college group, career group, or toward the elderly sisters’ meeting and Sunday School, we noticed that over the last few years, in view of the Lord’s mercy, most had enjoyed the Lord’s co-working, from which the fruits of labour could be seen. Whenever the Lord does not work with us, then we ought to come before Him, seek Him, and fine-tune ourselves; otherwise if we continue to serve, then it will be merely men working. The Lord Jesus warned the Pharisees of His time saying, “Every plant that My Heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” (Matthew 15:13) This means that the works of men will amount to nothing in front of the judgment throne. If the Lord Does Not Co-Work, Our Ministry Will Fail and Will Not Endure In serving, if the Lord does not work with us; or if our work does not produce any results, quite a few believers get disheartened and would simply give up serving halfway through. This kind of ministry that is left half-done will fail and will not last long. Any ministry in which the Lord does not co-work is bound to fail and will not endure – this is what is known as “The ministry of Jericho.” “Jericho” was originally a city with a beautiful terrain. It was richly endowed with natural bounty, and had served as an important entry point to the land of Canaan. Hence when Joshua led the Israelites to attack Canaan, the very first place they attacked was Jericho. After they conquered the city of Jericho, Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: ‘At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.’” (Joshua 6:26) During Ahab’s reign, a certain man from Bethel rebuilt the city of Jericho. As expected, he suffered under its curse. (I Kings 16:34) Hence, the City of Jericho had become a cursed city. During the time of Elisha, the men of the city said to Elisha, “This town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.” “Jericho” symbolizes the flesh. “The water is bad” symbolizes the natural corrupted life of man. “The land is well situated” speaks of man mustering up his own strength to minister, and as a result, his ministry becomes “unproductive.” This means that a person whose life is cursed cannot provide life to others. The fruit of life cannot be reaped through a ministry that is of men. Spiritually, it refers to a ministry that has been abandoned before it reaches perfection, therefore it is not a lasting ministry. Therefore, if a ministry involves men alone doing the work without the Lord working with them, then it will bear no fruit and will derogate into failure and will become short-lived. For example, let’s say you preach the gospel to a friend, this friend expresses belief and he even prays with you. Furthermore, you tell him that he needs to be baptized, and he consents as well. Then the day of baptism comes, but he fails to show up. Then you begin to wonder how much time you have spent praying for him privately and shared the gospel with him openly, and now he sneaks out on you on the day of baptism. The same is true with other ministries, which are similar to the condition of the land of Jericho wherein the produce fell before it ripens. When the Lord Co-Works, the Ministry Will Bring Favourable Results 2 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” “Not in vain” speaks of the Lord’s co-working that brings favourable results. This means that every time the gospel is preached, people get saved; and when believers are visited, they will be built up. This clearly shows that the Lord’s co-working is the source of a fruitful ministry. Let us go back to the symbolic representation of Jericho: When Elisha went out to the spring and threw salt into it, the bad water was healed. “Salt” symbolizes the life of Christ. “Salt being thrown into the water” symbolizes that the resurrected life of Christ has come into our life and has brought healing to our corrupt nature. As long as the Lord works with us, our ministry will naturally bring forth spiritual results. Just like Philip the evangelist who was sent to Samaria to preach the gospel. A large number of people who had been possessed by the demons were freed. Many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. There was great rejoicing in that city. This is how the co-working of the Lord had brought about favourable results. The hymn goes, “Yes, the Spirit dwells in me, the Holy Spirit has worked for me, it brought forth praise within, yes, the Holy Spirit dwells in me.” When the Lord Co-Works, His Deeds Will be Manifested The Lord’s co-working has its evidences and is definitely not an empty slogan; the Lord Himself will manifest His own deeds. Let us recall the time the Lord called the Israelites to come up out of Egypt. Upon arriving at the foot of Mount Sinai, He formally announced to them the purpose of His redemption saying, “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6) As a matter of fact, it was the Lord who called the Israelites to be channels of His will; and it was the Lord Himself doing His own work. Outwardly it looked as if the Israelites were serving God, but behind it all, it was God Himself doing His own work. In a way it is similar to the time when God manifested His deeds in Egypt by sending down the ten plagues that placed the entire land of Egypt under judgment. Exodus 7:5 records, “And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” Apparently, when God manifested His deeds, it involved two aspects of teachings: one was to deal with the Egyptians; the other was so that the Israelites may recognize His deeds. God Had Made Known His Deeds to the Israelites How can we prove that the Lord had worked with the Israelites? Just like Moses when he raised his staff and stretched out his hand over the Red Sea, the waters divided. But the truth behind it was that it was the Lord manifesting His deeds. All night long the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind which caused the waters to divide and the Israelites were able to go through on dry ground. After the Israelites came up out of Egypt, they arrived at the Desert of Sin. God sent down manna everyday to feed them. God also guided them all the way with the pillars of cloud and fire until they entered Canaan the Promised Land. When the people camped at Rephidim, they had no water to drink. God commanded Moses to strike the rock with his staff.  As a result, water flowed out from the rock. These miracles had made known the deeds of the Lord to the Israelites, causing their faith to become steadfast. Those whose eyes were blurred and did not recognize the deeds of the Lord perished in the wilderness due to their wicked heart of unbelief. In those days, there were two groups of Israelites in the wilderness. One group recognized the Lord’s deeds. They knew God, revered Him and followed Him. The other group did not recognize the Lord’s deeds, therefore they failed to know God; they sinned against God and forsook Him. As they journeyed through the wilderness, all around them were thorns and thistles. The days were scorchingly hot while the nights were bitterly cold. The journey was rugged and difficult. The group that did not recognize God’s deeds had forgotten the story of the parting of the Red Sea. They had forgotten the story of how manna was sent down from heaven. They had forgotten the story of how living waters flowed out from the rock. They grumbled and complained. But Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, who recognized the Lord’s deeds considered all these difficulties as nothing. They did not live by sight, but simply believed that God had given them the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey. Similarly, if we do not minister with the Lord’s co-working, as soon as the Lord stops working and conceals His deeds, then the church will lose faith and will fall into failure and desolation. O! Whenever the church does not see the deeds of the Lord, or if the work of the Holy Spirit is not evident, or if the glory of the Lord is missing, then our faith will be shaken and will come to naught. May the Lord remind us that as we serve Him in our lifetime, let us bow down all the more before Him and wait upon Him, so that He may manifest more of His deeds… Amen. When the Lord Co-Works, New Things Are Done Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” It is evident that if we minister with His co-working, we not only see Him manifest His deeds, we also see Him do new things. If the church does not continually see the Lord do new things, then that church does not have the co-working of the Lord. Praise the Lord! Six years ago, the Lord has begun to do new things in our church in Manila. We were able to rebuild a new assembly hall. Last year (1985), He did new things again. Three hundred people consecrated their lives to the Lord and accepted the laying of hands. Besides that, more than three hundred people were baptized. With all these, it is evident that the Lord had been doing new things. May all glory be unto God! This year the Lord has made a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland by giving us another 250 people who consecrated their lives to the Lord. The number of people who were saved in the church kept increasing. The assembly hall is almost filled. We really need to construct an additional auditorium that would take up the fourth and fifth floors to accommodate 1,400 people. Since the Lord has been doing new things, I believe that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. (Philippians 1:6) When I think back to the year 1963, in view of the Lord’s mercy, I saw a great turning point in my ministry. The Lord began to lead me in the lessons of faith. He led me to come out from my former congregation. He also gave me words of promise found in Isaiah 43:19. Although I also preached the gospel, baptized people, and even edified believers when I was with the former congregation, but from 1963 onwards, the Lord had personally led me to a direct knowledge of his deeds, to personally listen to the enthroned Lord giving me His orders, and to personally experience the Holy Spirit speaking. Still afresh in my memory, shortly after I departed from the former congregation; one evening, there was a sudden knock at the door. When I opened the door I saw that it was a sister. I invited her to come in. She went straight to the point and asked me, “Brother Jeng, what are you doing now?” I told her I have just returned from the Philippines. She said that she had been looking for me for a long time, and it was only tonight that she saw me. Then she asked if I will be going back to the Philippines again. I said if the Lord wills, I may be going back and forth between the Philippines and Taiwan. She asked me if I desired to conduct a church fellowship in Taiwan, and if I wanted to do so, I may use her place. Her house was very close to mine, so right away I changed my clothes and went over to see her place. Her living room was very spacious and suitable for church gatherings. In fear and trembling I learned to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The following morning, together with two co-workers, we took the earliest bus to Yang Ming Mountain in Taipei. There we fasted, prayed, and inquired of the Lord. The Holy Spirit filled us mightily and He said to me, “This sister is likened to Cornelius who will send people to you; you have to go down the mountain now and begin the church fellowship.” It was then that I experienced the reality of the Church of Antioch as recorded in Acts 13. While the prophets and teachers were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Hallelujah! After coming down the mountain, we commenced our church meetings. With the Lord’s presence, we prayed everyday for a few hours, and every time we prayed, we touched heaven. In the spirit, living waters like sea billows kept on rolling. This experience kept going on for almost half a year. No wonder the Lord worked with us and manifested His deeds; henceforth, miracles and wonders accompanied us. When the Lord Co-Works, Ministry Will Not Be a Burden Today, a lot of people feel that serving the Lord is a burden. The greatest reason is because the Lord does not work with them. If the Lord Does Not Work, Ministry Becomes a Burden II Kings 4:1-7 records, “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead, and his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.’” “Wounded widow” implies the great variety of needs. In other words, being in debt implies the need for work. Paul said, “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” (Romans 1:14) In terms of experience, the needs of the church are immense. There are plenty of works that must be met, such as paying debts, sharing the gospel with needy friends, saving the needy souls, visiting believers who had stopped coming to church, and looking after those who had backslidden… all these plenteous needs. “Now, his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” “Son” implies life. The creditor coming to take the two boys as his slaves signifies that with so little strength left in our life, we simply cannot cope with such an immense need. In other words, if we rely on our own strength, our ministry in the church will become a burden.  If the Lord Works, Ministry Becomes a Pleasure Praise the Lord! Elisha came. He asked the widow, “What do you have in your house?” The woman said, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a little oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Do not ask for just a few.” Hence, the wife of the prophet obeyed Elisha’s command and borrowed empty jars from her neighbours. The mother and sons, all three of them shut the door behind them, arranged the jars, took the jar of oil in their house and poured the oil into the empty jars until all were filled. Elisha told the woman, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” “Elisha came” speaks of the Lord's co-working. “Keep pouring the oil” signifies that His provisions are endless. “Sell the oil to pay the debts” signifies that once the Lord works with us, we will receive unending grace. He comes to meet all our needs. Whatever debts we may have will be repaid in full. For unbelieving sinners, when the Lord works, they will repent. For believers who had backslidden and had stopped coming to church meetings, when the Lord works, they will be revived with zeal. For those who shrank back and had stopped pursuing the Lord, as soon as the Lord works, they will make haste in pursuing the Lord. “Can live on what is left” signifies that the Lord gives sufficient grace, so that our ministry not only feels burden-free, moreover, our spirit will be filled with joy and pleasure. Is this not so? Because of the Lord's mercy, last year (1985), the Holy Spirit worked in the church. Three baptismal services were held after our church evangelism concluded and a total of more than 300 people were baptized in the Lord's name. With every baptism, all the saints were filled with joy and laughter, and their lips were full of praises. Not only had the ministry not become a burden, it was, in fact, enjoyable. I remember during the first baptism when more than 120 people were baptized, the team of brothers and sisters who were assigned to the ministry of mopping the floor and picking up slippers did not experience any tiredness even after bending down for more than a hundred times. Their faces were aglow with laughter, singing Hallelujah! The Lord had indeed done great things for us. Learning to Minister with the Lord's Co-Working Lastly, I would like to mention how we can learn to minister with the Lord's co-working. Thank the Lord, Mark 16:16-17 are two verses in the Bible spoken by the Lord when He commissioned the disciples concerning ministry. It mentions two important things that point out how to minister with the Lord’s co-working. The Exercise of Faith Verses 16 and 17 mention twice the words “whoever believes.” Verse 16 first mentions “believe and be baptized.” It means that one needs to believe in the Lord and be baptized. Next, verse 17 also tells us, “And these signs will accompany those who believe.” It clearly says that by believing, the Lord will co-work and manifest His deeds, and causes signs and wonders to accompany us. The Lord promised that signs and wonders will accompany those who believe. Therefore if we want to see signs and wonders, the first step is to exercise our faith. True enough, when the disciples exercised their faith, God’s promise came to fulfillment. Verse 20 records, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.” Since the day we accepted the Lord Jesus, faith is present in our hearts. (Galatians 2:20) How then do we exercise this faith? We need to first draw near to the Lord, and He will personally lead us and prompt us. When the Lord prompts us and we obey His promptings, then that is the exercise of faith. Once we exercise our faith, the Lord will work with us and naturally, signs and wonders will accompany us. Because the Lord is faithful, His hands will fulfill what His lips have promised. That year when we were preaching the gospel in Taipei, because the Lord was with us, quite a few friends expressed repentance and desired to believe in the Lord. As we were seeking the Lord’s will, His word came upon us. The Holy Spirit said, “Baptize them next Sunday.” Thus by faith the church announced the news. It was the month of December and the onset of the rainy season, nevertheless our faith was anchored in the Word of the Lord. Our baptismal pool was located outdoors. If it were to rain, then it will be inconvenient for us to baptize. Yet we exercised our faith in prayer. Every day from Monday to Saturday, the rains kept falling. Even on Sunday morning, the rains had not stopped. By faith, we assembled for meeting as usual. By faith, brothers and sisters brought their newly-saved friends with them to the meeting. Then just before the meeting began, the rains gradually weakened. About 9:30 a.m., the rains finally stopped and the sky began to clear up. We started singing hymns. Amazingly, when we started singing the hymns, the sun appeared. Indeed we experienced that when the Lord worked with us, signs and wonders accompanied us. Everyone was overjoyed. Hallelujah! Our God never fails. Make Full Use of the Victorious Authority of Christ Let us take a look at verse 17, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.” The word “believe” denotes the exercise of faith. The spiritual meaning of “In the Lord’s Name” denotes the exercise of Christ’s authority of victory – this is because the Lord’s Name embodies the Lord’s victorious authority. Philippians 2:9 records that after the Lord Jesus had resurrected and ascended to heaven, that “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the Name that is above every name.”  The phrase “the Name that is above every name” signifies the highest name. “Name” represents authority. Jesus receiving the highest name implies the Lord receiving the highest authority. His authority rules over all things in the universe. (Psalm 103:19) Whether things in heaven or on earth or under the earth, they are all under the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, suppose Mr. Reagan, who is the current president of the United States, issues an order to amend the tax system; as soon as he affixes his signature, then the order takes effect immediately. Once his name goes out, his authority also goes out. The same is true with the authority that Jesus Christ receives. It is an authority that covers all of heaven and earth. That is why when we say “In the Lord’s Name,” it denotes that we make full use of the authority of the victory of Christ. This authority produces awesome effects in the entire universe, such as, the sick gets healed, the sinners repent, the believers are revived, and the devil is cast out. The Lord calls us to serve Him, and He has given us such a precious name -- so that we can make full use of His victorious authority. Take for example, when we preach the gospel to friends, first we gather a few people together to pray to ask the Lord to be with us... Indeed the Lord answers our prayers, because many friends came to the gospel meeting. During this time, we exercise our faith in preaching the gospel. And just before the gospel meeting concludes, we also make full use of the victorious authority of Christ (in the Lord’s Name) to call upon friends to repent. Because the Lord works with us, an amazing thing happens: one by one, the gospel friends stand up to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Working with the Lord in Prayer Ezekiel 36:37 says, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep.’” Here it tells us that if the Lord’s will is to be carried out, our prayers will be needed. This is called working with the Lord in prayer. Isaiah 62:6-7 tells us, “ I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” Here it says that if we pray without ceasing, then the Lord will not rest but will continue to work unceasingly, and we too will continue to serve with His co-working. In short, if a church prays often, they will see the Lord in their midst working with them. But if a church does not give importance to prayer, then its ministry is bound to be weak, and surely they cannot expect to have a ministry in which the Lord works with them. May the Lord be gracious to us, so that in the days to come, not only do we treasure the ministry in the Lord’s presence, but we would actually climb a level higher into the ministry in which the Lord works with us. Amen! <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: Matthew 28:18-20   Introduction God’s main purpose in redeeming us is that we may serve Him. However, in terms of experiences of Christians, some have been groping around without finding the right way of ministry, to the extent that their ministry do not produce results. Because of this, some resorted to using men’s ways in place of God’s rules. Some meddle with their own hands instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to work. Some, during the course of serving, encountered difficulties and lost their testimony, so much so that they become disheartened and stopped serving the Lord. Hence in this year’s ministry training, the Lord has given me a burden to speak about “The Way of Ministry.” The background of our message is derived from the first five books of the New Testament Bible. These are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Acts of the Apostles. This was the commission given by the Lord Jesus to the disciples just before He ascended to heaven, in which He specifically pointed out the five ways of ministry. May the Lord bless His own word, so that all of us here may not only be able to have a feel of the way of ministry, moreover, we may also serve Him according to the ways He instructed us, so that our ministry may be one after God’s own heart; at the same time, we may usher in the fruits and blessings of the Lord’s work. Let us first take a look at the Gospel of Matthew. Just after the Lord Jesus had resurrected but before He ascended on high, He instructed His disciples saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:18-19) Here the Lord entrusted His disciples with a divine commission. But how are they able to accomplish such a great commission? It says next, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20) This means that I (the Lord) have taken hold of the great authority to rule the universe. I am with you, and all will be well. All you need is just to go and carry out the commission of making disciples of all nations. In other words, the Lord showed the disciples the way of ministry --- which is serving in the Lord’s presence. I, the Lord, will be your rear guard to the ends of the world. This clearly shows that the presence of the Lord is what the disciples counted on. Why, then, do we need to serve in the Lord’s presence?   The Lord’s Presence is God’s Eternal Thought Towards Man This thing about “The Lord’s Presence” emanates from God’s eternal thought. When we carefully read the Bible beginning from the first book of Genesis to the last book of  Revelation, we discover that God has an unchanging eternal thought which began from the creation, and passes on with time until it reaches future eternity. In it is embodied a consistent thought, and that is, the Lord wants to be with man. Revelation from the Creation After the Lord God had created the universe in six days, He created man and woman in His own image. He then prepared a garden in the east of Eden, and there He placed the man and woman He created. The “Garden of Eden” actually means paradise. The reason it is called a paradise was because the Lord was with man. There is a hymn that goes, “Where Christ is, ‘tis heaven there. And where He is not, it is hell.” No wonder the Garden of Eden was such a nice place --- because the Lord was with Adam and Eve. From God’s creation, we could see that God has thousands upon thousands of angels in heaven singing praises to Him, nonetheless He is not satisfied, because He desires to be with man. Revelation from the Old Testament Later on, our forefathers cannot stand the temptation of the serpent and went against God’s command and ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In so doing, they failed utterly. Out of fear of seeing the Lord, they hid themselves among the trees in the garden. Nevertheless, the Lord Himself went to look for them. He called on Adam, saying, “Where are you?” This clearly shows that God wanted to restore them. Although our forefathers had fallen away and had failed miserably, nevertheless God’s thought of being with man remains unchanged. Because of this, God slaughtered a lamb to redeem the sins of Adam and Eve. He made garments out of the lamb’s skin as His way of restoring His presence with man. During the time of Abel, he offered to the Lord the firstborn of his flock together with its fats. He did this in order to restore his fellowship with God. This signifies that whenever we accept the cleansing from the blood of Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven, and then we can restore God’s presence with us. Following that, Enoch walked with God three hundred years. (Gen. 5:24) Then Noah too walked with God. (Gen 6:9) Once again, this shows us that God’s desire was to be with man. When we come to the period of our forefathers -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph... although each of them had his own respective experiences, yet there is one thing common to all; that is, God wants to be with man. This is God’s eternal and never-changing thought. Later on, God expanded His scope by calling on the tribes of Israel to be His chosen people. He wanted to be with His people. It is clear that God not only wanted to be with man, He also wanted to be with an entire nation. The Israelites, after being led by the Lord out of Egypt, stayed in the wilderness for forty years. There they pitched tents and built the Tent of Meeting. The Tent of Meeting was the place where they served God. It was also the place where God met with them. Whenever Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with him. (Ex. 33:9-11) Finally, they arrived at the Land of Canaan. When Solomon became king, and had finished building the temple, he brought in all the sacred furnishings and placed them in the treasuries. He had the ark of the Lord’s covenant carried to its place in the inner sanctuary. There they sacrificed sheep and cattle. The priests and Levites also consecrated themselves. It was then that "the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God." (2 Chron. 5:14) It was recorded in the opening verse of chapter 7 that "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple." (2 Chron. 7:1) Here it demonstrates clearly that God’s unchanging thought was to be with man. Revelation from the New Testament When we get to the New Testament, just before Jesus was born, "An angel of the Lord said to Joseph, ‘Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ which means, God is with us." (Matt 1:21-23) Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah had already prophesied that Jesus will be born, and His name will be called Immanuel, which means that God wants to be with man. This is the revelation found at the beginning of the New Testament. Furthermore, through His death on the cross, Jesus brought the presence of God to all men (church). Hence Ephesians 2:16 tells us, "And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." This means that God not only dwells in Jesus, He also dwells in the church. The church is the place where the Gentiles and Jews come together. The Gentiles and the Jews no longer have a barrier between them, but are built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. (Eph. 2:22) From the New Testament book of Revelation, we see that God not only dwells in Jesus of Nazareth, at the same time through the redemption Jesus had accomplished, God also dwells in the church. That is why He promised us saying, “For where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them.” (Matt. 18:20) Regardless of when and where, as long as we gather together in the Lord’s Name, the Lord will be in our midst. This is the eternal and never-changing thought of God. Revelation from Eternity The Lord Jesus once promised the disciples saying, “I shall be with you even to the end of the world.” What is the “end of the world” like? Revelation 21 records that when the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven, a voice says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.” (Rev. 21:3) This tells us that in eternity, the Lord will be with us forever. In short, whether it is through the revelation from God’s creation, or revelation from the Old Testament, or revelation from the New Testament, or even  revelation from eternity, it is evident that God’s eternal thought is to be with men. Hallelujah! The hymn goes, “I will forever sing, because the Lord’s presence is heaven. Hallelujah! I will joyfully sing for I will be with Him forever in heaven.” In The Lord’s Presence, We Can Have the Factors Essential in Ministry Why is it that we need to have the Lord’s presence when serving Him? Because not only is the thought that “the Lord is with men” God’s eternal thought; moreover, in the Lord’s presence, we can have the factors that are essential in ministry. Hence, the presence of the Lord is an indispensible factor when we are to serve Him. Without the Lord’s presence, our ministry cannot advance, cannot be sustained, and cannot produce results. Moreover, it can never be complete. With regard to the factors that are essential in ministry, we shall mention at least seven items, as follows: Peace and Joy Where does the root of peace and joy lie? Peace and joy are brought about by the presence of the Lord. People all over the world today look for peace, but how do they obtain real peace? Thank the Lord! The Gospel of John 20 records that after the Lord Jesus was crucified, the disciples were filled with fear and anxiety, and they locked all the doors. They did not know that Jesus had risen. The Lord Jesus put on a resurrected body and appeared to the disciples. The first words that He spoke were, “Peace be with you.” Then He showed them His hands and His side. Both His hands and side bore the wounds of crucifixion. They were the marks of the shedding of the blood, so that sins may be forgiven. This is where peace originates. Oh! When the Lord is with us, there is peace. When the Lord is gone, there will be no peace --- because peace always goes with the Lord Jesus. (John 20:19-23) Joy is no exception. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, the Bible tells us, “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20) Oh! Formerly their faces were filled with grief, but the instant they saw the Lord, they were aglow with laughter, and they had unspeakable joy. Speaking from experience, every time we draw near to the Lord and feel His presence, we immediately experience peace and joy. These are two indispensable factors we should never miss when serving the Lord. How could a person serve the Lord when he harbours resentment in his heart, or when his spirit is undulating and filled with grievances? In order to serve the Lord well, our hearts must be at peace, because strength comes from being at peace. In Isaiah 30:15 we read, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” Whenever your heart is at peace, strength immediately comes. Conversely, if your spirit is in a turbulent state, and you go out to visit believers or preach the gospel, then you will not be able to obtain any results. Whenever there is a violent typhoon, we all know that its wind is powerful enough to overturn a ship in the vast ocean; sometimes even massive bridges are ripped apart by the force of the wind. However, the amazing thing is that in the center of the storm (also known as the “eye of the storm”) is an area of tranquillity. This reality demonstrates that, although outwardly there is force, yet inwardly, there is peace. Therefore when serving the Lord, our hearts must be at peace. Praise the Lord! The Lord’s presence brings peace. Not only that, we must have joy when serving because without joy, our ministry could easily fail. Quite a number of people do not have joy in their ministries. On the contrary, their cries of discontentment can be heard everywhere --- just like the case of Martha. The Bible says that Martha was “worried and upset with many things.” (Like 10:41) It was apparent that she had lost her joy. A ministry without joy will naturally produce grumblings. That was why Martha grumbled against the Lord saying, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister had left me to do the work by myself?” Ah! Because there was no joy in Martha’s ministry, she was worried and upset with many things. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” This means that whenever the joy of the Lord fills us, we will have strength to serve. The background to Nehemiah’s profession of these words occured during the time he was rebuilding the city wall. Because there was so much rubble and labourers were so few, moreover, there were enemies who came to oppose and stir up trouble against them, and even incited others to attack them, thereby forcing them to have half of their men do the work while the other half be equipped with spears. They had to do their work with one hand and hold a weapon in the other. O! What a strenuous and toilsome task. How were they able to accomplish such a great and difficult task? Only by trusting in the Lord from whom they had obtained joy to be their strength. Because the joy of the Lord generated strength that enabled them to accomplish such a daunting task. Brothers and sisters, anyone who rejoices (willingness of heart) will have a productive ministry. Anyone who is under compulsion, my advice would be for you to refrain from serving. Do you wish to serve? Then first make sure that there is the Lord’s presence. If the Lord is with you, then there will be peace and joy. Conversely, if peace and joy are absent, it can only mean that the Lord’s presence has been lost. It will do you well not to touch on ministry for the meantime. However, if your spirit is filled with peace and joy, even if the church did not assign you any ministry, you will voluntarily ask to minister. Guidance for the Way Ahead Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you.” This means that the Lord’s presence guides us in the way that is before us. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years, the Lord was with them guiding the way before them. Therefore when we serve the Lord, we are not without direction, because the Lord Himself guides us. The Lord’s presence instructs us how we should proceed onward. If the Lord is not with us, then we cannot find our way around --- just like a blind leading a blind. The mistake is left uncorrected and we not only fail to measure up to the Lord, we have also done a disservice to brothers and sisters; we even caused ourselves setbacks. Symbolically Exodus 13:21 tells us, “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Here it says the Lord used the pillars of cloud and fire to guide them. Outwardly, it looked like the pillars of cloud and fire were guiding them, but inwardly, it was really the Lord. As long as the Lord is present, guidance will follow. “Pillar of cloud” signifies the Holy Spirit. During the day, when the Lord is with us, He guides us through the voice of the Holy Spirit. “Pillar of Fire” signifies the Bible. At night when the Lord is with us, He guides us through enlightenment from the Bible. In the present-day Christian ministry, how can one experience the guidance that is derived from the Lord’s presence? One aspect has to do with the guidance of the “pillar of cloud”, which is obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The other has to do with the guidance of the “pillar of fire”, which is obedience to the enlightenment from God’s word. The unfolding of God’s word sheds light in order to guide us on how to minister. Shall Not Be in Want Deuteronomy 2:7 records, “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything.” For us Christians who live in this world, serving the Lord is our vocation. Suppose our living is beset with problems, how could we serve the Lord? What is amazing is that when the Lord’s presence is with us, we shall not be in lack --- because the Lord will provide. The Lord will take charge. The Lord will arrange for you and me to take on an appropriate job and income in order that we may serve Him without obstruction. If you encounter needs in your daily living, then you must come before the Lord and seek Him. Because the Lord is our Shepherd, He will tend to us so that we shall not be in want. If you are in want, it goes to show that the Lord is not with you, and the Lord is no longer your shepherd. You have strayed and walked your own way. Just like when a sheep wanders away from its shepherd, it will face starvation. But as long as the shepherd is around, he will surely lead the sheep to green pastures and beside still waters; he will give the sheep its fill and delight -- not just materially, but spiritually as well. Is this not so? If the Lord’s presence is with you, wherever you go, the people you visit will receive provision, the people you preach the gospel to will be saved. On the contrary, if the Lord’s presence is not with you, even if you sweat all day, still you cannot figure out why you fail to provide life for others to be blessed. From this, we can see that serving the Lord does not depend on our efforts or hard work, but the Lord’s presence. Shall Fear No Harm In the matter of serving the Lord, it is inevitable that we will encounter problems. Sometimes we may encounter material losses; at other times we may face intimidations. Because of these, some people may feel reluctant to minister. If I serve this way, I fear that I might offend someone. If I serve that way, I might face oppositions. Even if I serve well, I would still be the object of slander and envy. However, if I do not serve well, I will end up being criticized and judged. I would rather not serve at all. Encountering harm in the ministry is rather common. But as long as the Lord’s presence is with you, all you need to do is be faithful to Him; men’s charges, judgments and attacks would all amount to nothing. David, in his youth, tended sheep in the wilderness. Because the Lord was with him, he was able to kill lions and bears. Later during the reign of King Saul, because the Lord was with him, he was able to kill Goliath -- the fierce enemy whom the entire army of Israel feared -- with just one little stone. Daniel’s three friends were no exception. They served God faithfully and were not afraid of harm. They would rather be bound and thrown into the furnace than to fall down and worship the image of gold. Indeed the Lord was with them, so that they came out of the blazing furnace with not a hair of their heads singed and their robes unscorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. This is also true with Daniel. He did not succumb to the decree of King Darius but remained in his home. With his face toward Jerusalem, he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed to God just as he had done before. As a result, although Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, nonetheless God was with him. God shut the mouths of the lions so that they did not harm him. All these are proofs and examples taken from the Bible. Praise the Lord. Today in serving the Lord, we can likewise experience being unafraid of evil. May the Lord cover us with His blood. Once in Manila while on my way back to the church, I ran into some thieves. These thieves pointed a sharp knife at my chest and my back, after that, they snatched away my watch. But because the Lord was with me, even in the face of danger, I was kept safe and was not hurt. Another time I was at a crossing -- it was already dusk, and there was a slight drizzle. All of a sudden, a thief came up behind me, and with a steel bar in his hand he curbed me in the neck. Praise the Lord for being with me. He enabled me to throw a backhand and fling myself around, and I managed to escape unhurt. What was more evident was this incident that happened around five to six years ago. I went to a newly reclaimed area that was 200 kilometres away from Manila. There I visited a family of believers. Upon walking a few steps into the courtyard, an unchained police dog suddenly leaped from behind and put its front paws on my shoulders. Still at my back, the dog stuck out its tongue and licked the side of my face. O! If it were not for the Lord’s presence, I would have been bitten on the neck. It was so horrible I could hardly imagine. Praise the Lord! He was with me during that critical moment. When the owner saw what had happened, he rushed over and led the dog away. After going through these three dangerous incidents without encountering any harm, I was able to experience that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet I feared no evil, because the Lord was with me. Hallelujah! Glory be to God! Be Strong and Courageous Joshua 1:5-9 records that after the death of Moses, God turned over to Joshua the important responsibility as successor to the ministry. The Lord said to Joshua, “......As I was with Moses, so I will be with you…..Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous..… Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” “The seven tribes of Canaan” symbolizes the dominion of the enemy, the devil. How did Joshua subdue them? Praise the Lord. Because the Lord’s presence made him strong and courageous, Joshua was able to conquer city after city, killing all the southern kings and defeating all the northern kings as well. All in all, he killed thirty-one kings in Canaan and overwhelmingly defeated the enemies. O, where the Lord’s presence is, there is strength --- so that we may serve Him courageously. Today, quite a number of Christians do not first fine-tune their relationship with the Lord’s presence before they do visitation or preach the gospel. Hence, upon noticing a negative facial expression from the party they visit, they quickly retreat and dare not say anything more. They are like weapons made of reeds, rendered useless. If only we care to fine-tune ourselves with respect to the Lord’s presence before we do anything else, then every time we go out and sincerely tell our friend, “Friend, do you know who Jesus is? He is the only Person mankind ever needs..…” you will be strong and courageous in your ministry besides being very fruitful. Overcome the Enemy the Devil Why is it that we need the presence of the Lord in our ministry? Because in serving the Lord, we often encounter the enemy, the devil, who hides behind man. Therefore to overcome the enemy, the devil, we need the Lord’s presence with us. In Joshua 14, we read that Caleb told Joshua, “ Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.” We notice that Caleb did not say, “I shall be able to drive them out”, but rather, “if so be the Lord will be with me, I will drive them out.” (Joshua 14:12, KJV)  Indeed Caleb routed all the enemies. Consequently, Joshua gave the land of Hebron to him as inheritance. Conversely, if the Lord had not been with him, he will certainly be overcome by the enemy. But then, look at this: On the day the assembly of the Israel heard about the bad report from the ten spies, they grumbled to Moses, so that the Lord said, “Every one of you twenty years old or more who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home… your bodies will fall in this desert.” When Moses reported what the Lord had said to the assembly of Israel, they mourned bitterly. Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. “We have sinned,” they said. “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” But Moses said, “Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.” (Numbers 14:41) Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, and the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them all down. It is thus clear that if the Lord is not with us, we will suffer defeat. Based on our experiences, if we do not have the Lord’s presence, our visitation will result in failure. Our preaching of the gospel will be fruitless, and all our ministries will simply be done in vain. Therefore we need to recognize the principle of ministry as pointed out in the Gospel of Matthew, that if we serve in the presence of the Lord, then we will be able to overcome the enemy, the devil. Dispel Sorrow and Death Revelation 21:3-4 records, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.” Here it says that if the Lord is with us, then all griefs, sorrows, and weaknesses will be dispelled. In our ministries, we often encounter difficulties --- they may possibly be our husbands, our work, parents, or children….. In short, these are the things that are likely to give you troubles, making you unable to overcome them.... they may give you unutterable pain, grief, and sadness. At this moment, if the Lord is with us, then all the sorrows and pain will vanish like mist and smoke. Learning to Serve in the Lord’s Presence We have already seen that the Lord’s presence is God’s eternal thought towards men. We also know that if we serve the Lord in His presence, we will be able to make use of the factors that are necessary in the ministry in order to accomplish His mission. In closing, we would like to mention how we can learn to serve the Lord in His presence. Living in Fellowship with the Lord In John 15:5 the Lord said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him....” The words “remains in me” mean to abide in the Lord; they also mean to live in fellowship with the Lord. In terms of experience, it is the life of prayer. Prayer is the path to abiding in the presence of the Lord. Therefore each time we minister, we need to first come and kneel down before the Lord, ask Him to cleanse us with His blood, and allow Him to remain in us… As we keep praying for ten, twenty, or thirty minutes, any moment we feel that the presence of the Lord is with us, then it is time that we go out and serve Him. David Livingstone was a servant greatly used by the Lord in the 19 th  century. He was sent by the Lord to the savages in Africa to do evangelistic pioneering work. Having worked there for 33 years, he led great multitudes of natives to believe in Jesus; he also established many churches. His most prominent feature in serving was living a life of prayer before the Lord. The last moments of his life were spent in prayer just before he was taken up to be with the Lord --- leaving behind a glorious example. While preaching in Africa before his death, his fame had reached England. The English people admired him so much they sent representatives from England to Africa in order to find out how he actually served the Lord. After staying with Livingston in Africa for a while, they went back to England and reported that the special characteristic of Livingston was that he had a “line” on his head that connects him to heaven. This means that he was one who lived in constant fellowship with the Lord. Trusting and Obeying the Lord Matthew 28 records that before the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised the disciples that He will be with them on two conditions: First is trust, second is obedience. The Lord instructed the disciples to “baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism indicates belief, because when a person believes on the Lord, he will be baptized. Next He said, “...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (v. 20) “Obeying (the Lord’s) commands” indicates obedience. From here we see that “trusting and obeying” is the way to maintain the Lord’s presence. I trust the Lord with all my heart because He has absolute lordship. If we trust and obey the Lord this way, then He will be with us to the ends of the world. Therefore the Lord’s presence can only be enjoyed by those who trust and obey. Moses was commended by God as a servant who was faithful in all God’s house. (Hebrews 3:5) This is because he was one who served in the Lord’s presence. When the Lord called Moses to go up the mountain forty days to receive the Ten Commandments, it was the Lord Himself who inscribed the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stones and gave them to Moses. Little did Moses know that when he came down the mountain, the people would be running wild and be worshipping a golden calf. When he saw them singing and dancing, he burned with anger and threw the two tablets from his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. The Lord was even more angered as He said to Moses, “Now go, lead these people to the place I spoke of, and my messenger will go before you.” This means that the Lord was going to send a messenger -- no longer Himself -- to lead them. Moses knew that without the Lord’s presence, then I, Moses will no longer be of use. So he negotiated with the Lord, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15) O! Moses knew that the Lord must personally be with them for them to minister. Before the exodus from Egypt, the Lord called Moses to come before Pharaoh to negotiate for the release of the entire Israelite community out of Egypt. Pharaoh refused. Again the Lord called Moses to go, and again he obeyed the Lord’s command and went. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and like before, he refused to let them go. The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out the staff in your hand.” And he stretched out his staff. Because of Moses’ trust and obedience, he performed ten great miracles that struck down Egypt. Finally he was able to subdue the hard-headed Pharaoh. “Staff” is the symbol of authority. By faith Moses stretched out his staff, and the calamities immediately descended upon the land of Egypt. On the other hand, it also demonstrates his obedience. He obeyed the Lord’s command by stretching out his staff. The reason he negotiated with Pharaoh in Egypt was because he trusted the Lord to be his rear guard. Later when he led the people to walk through the wilderness for forty years, every time they encountered problems, he would fall facedown before the Lord --- this speaks of his total obedience to God. Through constant trust and obedience, Moses was able to maintain the presence of the Lord. He lived in fellowship with the Lord, and ministered to an extent that his face became radiant. (Exodus 34:29) Still he continued to trust and obey. No wonder he was referred to as one who is faithful as a servant in all God’s house. May we value and cherish the Lord’s presence, and together let us learn to serve the Lord in His presence! <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

Preface This book was compiled in response to an invitation from a evangelistic broadcasting company in the Philippines. In the year 1977, the speaker introduced "The Three Stages of the Christian Life" in a concise and straightforward manner through weekly Saturday broadcasts, covering a total of twenty topics. The recorded transcripts have been slightly edited and compiled into this book to meet present needs. May the Lord bless His own message . T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S STAGE I : Stage of Foundation Topic 1 - Born Again Topic 2 - Prayer Topic 3 - Reading the Bible Topic 4 - Assembling Together Topic 5 - Witnessing Topic 6 - Consecration Topic 7 - Purging of Sins Topic 8 - Rejecting the World STAGE I : Stage of Growth Topic 9 - Obedience of the Feelings of the Conscience Topic 10 - Having Fellowship with the Lord Topic 11 - Obedience to the Teachings of the Holy Spirit Topic 12 - The Pathway of Faith Topic 13 - The Life of Loving the Lord Topic 14 - Obeying the Will of God Topic 15 - Serving the Lord Topic 16 - Love One Another STAGE III - Stage of Maturity Topic 17 - Accepting the Cross Topic 18 - The Filling of the Holy Spirit Topic 19 - Christ is All Topic 20 - Christ as the Head <-- Back to "LIFE OF CHRIST"

Bible Reading:   Numbers 20:1~13; 21:4~9; 25:1~9 Joshua 4:8~9; 5:8~9     XX.  Moses acted without authorization (Num 20:1~13) — Knowing the authority of Christ as the Head   [Kadesh] The central message of this conference tells us that along the path of a Christian’s life, there is a definite direction and goal, which is to pursue to enter into Christ’s fullness. The history of the people of Israel as recorded in the entire Old Testament can be divided into three parts. The first was the exodus from Egypt and the entire journey through the wilderness until they entered Canaan The second was the conquest of Canaan, the establishment of the kingdom, up to the time Solomon constructed the holy temple. The third was the captivity to Babylon, the destruction of the temple, and the burning down of the wall because the people of Israel departed from the Lord. Until seventy years later, they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore the wall  In this year’s conference, we speak about the experience of the Israelites in a total of twenty-four stations, beginning with their departure from Egypt until the time they entered Canaan. We have already mentioned that they left Egypt and arrived at Rephidim. Furthermore, they stopped at Kadesh, the border of Canaan, and had a total of nineteen experiences.  Given this limited space, we can only briefly discuss the experience of the last five stations. The people contended for water After the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for nearly forty years, they gathered once again at Kadesh. Because they faced drought, the people and their livestock were thirsty for water. The thirst was so unbearable that the people gathered against Moses and Aaron. They contended with Moses, and said, “… Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?...It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” Moses smote the rock twice At that time, Moses and Aaron went from before the congregation to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and fell upon their faces. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." Moses did as the Lord had commanded him and gathered the congregation together before the rock. Unfortunately, Moses was provoked because of the contention of the people.  He lifted up his hand, and hr struke the rock twice with his rod, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. The Lord did not allow Moses to enter Canaan The Lord only wanted Moses to "speak" to the rock and it will yield its water. However, because Moses was provoked, he struck the rock twice. Spiritually, it means acting without authorization from God. It is not letting Christ have the first place in all things (Colossians 1:18).  It was going beyond the authority of the Head; hence, God severely dealt with this spiritual leader.  The Scripture says, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'"  (Numbers 20:12) From here, we can see that God places strict demands on the spiritual leaders in the church.  The people contended because they had no water. The Lord can tolerate this. But when the leader acted beyond God’s authority, He could not tolerate it. Consequently, the Lord told Moses, “You can only reach the border of Canaan; but you cannot enter Canaan.” Knowing the authority of Christ as the Head The Bible testifies, "And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant..."  (Hebrews 3:5) But man is not God. When Moses was provoked by the people, he went beyond God’s authority. In this incident he did not honor the Lord as holy.  He had destroyed the symbolism in God’s salvation. If the Lord had tolerated this, then the content and essence of salvation would be confounded. Moses struck the rock the first time at Meribah (Exodus 17:1~2), symbolizing Jesus Christ being nailed on the cross. Therefore, when the children of Israel contended this time, the Lord only told Moses to speak to the rock. He did not command Moses to strike the rock. Now Moses smote the rock twice and that was equivalent to crucifying Jesus for a second time. Another very important point is that Moses went beyond the authority of Christ as the Head. Although Moses, in leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and onto the border of Canaan, suffered deprivations and hardships for forty long years, he remained faithful to what God entrusted to him until his death.  Just because of this incident of striking the rock the second time, God did not allow him to enter Canaan. God wanted Moses and all of His children to recognize the authority of Christ as the Head. Indeed, when the Lord did not allow Moses to enter Canaan, this was an immense blow to Moses, something that was very bitter and hard for him to bear. Yet Moses did not resist; neither did he have any grudge or complaint. He was led by God to such a stage that he was exceedingly spiritual. His spiritual life was already mature and had reached Christ’s fullness. That is why the Bible particularly honors Moses as "Moses the man of God" (title of Psalm 90). God was truly gracious to Moses and let him live to a hundred and twenty years old with losing his vigor. Before Moses ended his days on earth, Now the Lord said to Moses: "'Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes....' Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 'Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.' And the Lord said to Moses: 'Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;...And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient...' So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses." (Numbers 27:12~23) Obviously, this historical fact allows us to see that although Moses underwent extreme difficulties for forty years, devoting his body and soul in leading God’s people to the border of Canaan, God did not permit him to enter Canaan. However, he did not have the slightest discontentment or grudge; rather, he wholly obeyed what God had assigned and arranged. With a willing heart, he did not enter Canaan and completely obeyed God’s leading toward him. Particularly, the matter of beseeching God to raise up a successor to lead the people into Canaan portrays that he already knew the authority of Christ as the Head and that His authority rules over all. Moses was a man who knew God.  He was submissive to God’s authority. He recognized that the authority of Christ as the Head must be wholly obeyed without condition. This is also the manifestation of a spiritual life that has reached its peak. There was no unrighteousness in his heart.  He loved the people. As long as the Lord raised up someone to bring the people into Canaan, he would then have peace of mind. No matter whom the Lord raised up to be the leader, he felt satisfied as long as God’s will be done. Brothers and sisters, as our spiritual life grows, and we have more responsibility in the church, we will find that this is not an easy matter. If the spirit is not right and the heart is not pure, one would certainly feel that since I cannot enter, it would be best that nobody else should enter. However, Moses was not like that at all.  Oh!  He certainly was a man who knew the authority of Christ as the Head. The same is the case with David. When he encountered affliction, Shimei came forth, and cursed, and cast stones at him, and all his servants. He cursed David, saying, "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul.... So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!" And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head.” At that time, David not only stopped Abishai from striking back, but he also said, "Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day."  (2 Samuel 16:11~12) This was a man who knew the authority of Christ as the Head. He allows the Lord to sit on the throne and obeys His rule in everything. Colossians 1:18 says, "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."  This means that Christ is the Head of every person, incident, and matter.  We must learn to know the authority of Christ as the Head. We should not dare go beyond the authority but rather surrender to the Lord completely. If you have read the books of Brother Watchman Nee, you will surely discover that he was a man who worshipped God’s ways, which means acknowledging that anything arranged by God is the best. XXI.  Raised up the serpent of brass (Num 21:4~9) — Setting our eyes upon Christ   [Mount Hor to Edom] Thereupon, they came out again from Kadesh.  It is written in Numbers 21:4~5, "Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?...our soul loathes this worthless bread.'" The people  murmured The people murmured because the journey was difficult. Spiritually, it refers to looking at the circumstantial (apart from the Lord) person, incident, and matter and thus failing.  "Loathing this worthless bread (manna)" illustrates that the heart does not want the spiritual and heavenly Christ. This historical fact also demonstrates that in his whole life, once a Christian is not careful and his heart looks apart from the Lord (surroundings), he will take the spiritual and heavenly Christ for granted.  Isn’t this true? Many young people, after being saved for quite sometime, because of lack of cautiousness, are lured by things apart from the Lord.  Since their hearts are not on the Lord, they grow weary of the spiritual life, regarding it as monotonous. In their hearts they say that if it is not prayer, then it is Bible-reading, or fellowship. It is the same routine throughout the years. So it would be better to go out on an excursion or watch a movie. Just like the Israelites in the past, the eyes of their hearts turned back to the earthly. They looked at the circumstances and saw that the way of the wilderness was very far and difficult to traverse. Hence, they loathed the spiritual pathway. Looked upon the brass serpent "So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived."  (Numbers 21:6~8) It says here that "the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died." This explains that God does not allow His people to set eyes upon (look at) any person, incident, or matter apart from the Lord. Therefore, anyone who looked at the way (surroundings) as difficult was bitten to death by the fiery serpent. Spiritually, it implies that those who do not set the eyes of their hearts upon the Lord, but rather on something apart from the Lord will enter into spiritual death. When the people of Israel noticed that many were bitten to death by the fiery serpents, they realized the seriousness of the matter. Thus, they asked Moses to pray to the Lord on their behalf. Moses then prayed to the Lord. The Lord granted them a wonderful way of deliverance. He told Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it upon a pole. It shall come to pass that every one who is bitten, and looks upon it shall live. The spiritual meaning is that those who look upon the Lord will receive life. True enough, when Moses lifted up the bronze serpent of in the wilderness, many of those who were bitten by the fiery serpents and crying in agony looked at the brass serpent on the pole. Amazingly, the poison was gone immediately, their wounds were healed, and they were cured. The "Bronze Serpent" symbolizes Jesus Christ.  The bronze serpent has no poison in itself, demonstrating that Jesus Christ is sinless but takes the image of a sinner (serpent). The bronze serpent put on a pole symbolizes the Lord Jesus being crucified. ‘Bronze’ symbolizes being judged, which means that Jesus Christ was crucified and suffered the righteous judgment of God the Father.  Any man bitten by the poisonous serpent lived if he looked at the serpent of brass signifies that anyone who sets his eyes upon the crucified Christ and believes in Him shall be born again and saved. Not only are his sins forgiven (snake poison is eradicated), but he also receives eternal life (becomes alive). This was also what the Lord Jesus personally told Nicodemus while He was on earth: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14~15). In other words, as we believe in (look at) the crucified Christ, our sins are forgiven and we obtain eternal life. On the contrary, any time you and I do not set the eyes of our hearts on the Lord, we will be weak and defeated.  We have already mentioned that Moses sent ten spies into Canaan to spy out the land. Because their eyes looked at the strong walls of Canaan and the great and tall sons of the Anakim, the faith of the ten spies weakened and they gave a bad report. They failed and died in the wilderness.  However, Caleb had his eyes set at only one place, which was Hebron. Symbolically, it points to the resurrected Christ who had ascended into heaven. His heart was wholly drawn by the ascended Lord.  Hebron thus captured Caleb’s heart. Although Caleb went through severe hardships, encountered opposition, and drifted about alone for forty long years in the wilderness, yet his heart never left Hebron. Until finally, Caleb entered Canaan together with the next generation of the Israelites and conquered the land of Canaan. At this point, Caleb told Joshua: And now behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.  I am still this day strong, as in the day that Moses sent me: just as my strength was then, so is my strength now, for war, both going out and coming in. Therefore, now give me this mountain, of which the Lord spoke in that day; …  And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb for an inheritance (Joshua 14:10~13). Focus on Christ From the time Christ revealed Himself to us, are our spirits inclined unto Him?  The hymn says: Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?  Is not thine a captured heart?  You must recognize Him as the fairest of thousands.  This must be our attitude. King David said in his psalm: "I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."  This means that in our whole life, we must constantly focus our mind on Christ.  If we always look to the Lord, He will then be the King in our lives and make us victorious over death and the flesh. Once, a young brother went to see a servant of the Lord. This brother read a lot of pornographic magazines, so his mind was filled with carnal desires and evil thoughts. Later, his condition was so serious that he had dirty dreams every night during his sleep. He was extremely troubled in his heart. He had prayed many times and asked the Lord to take away these unclean thoughts. He even tried to cast them away in the name of the Lord. However, the old problem remained. This servant of the Lord spiritually experienced. He told the young brother, “Just fix your eyes on Christ. Use some time to meditate more on the Lord’s glory, His greatness, victory, sweetness, loveliness, and beauty. And everything will be fine.” When the young brother went home, he followed the advice of the Lord’s servant. He turned his attention and focused his thoughts on the Lord only.  Amazingly, those uncleanness, vile passions, and lust just shed off unconsciously from then on.  Hallelujah! Therefore, in his spiritual experience during his lifetime, a Christian must constantly fix his eyes on the Lord. The moment your eyes turn back to the world — for example, some businessmen fix their eyes on their businesses, some mothers fix their eyes on their children the whole day, and some servants of the Lord constantly fix their eyes on their service — you will then fall into the artifices of the devil. Our eyes should only be upon Christ Himself. We must maintain this attitude in our entire life. There was an elderly sister whose spiritual experience was very profound. She was Miss (Sister) Hao Siu Eng. There was a period of time that we received her in our home. We did not dare enter her room casually. But we did know that there was a prayer cushion in her room.  She not only knelt to pray but also knelt to read the Bible. On her study table was a frame, in it was written ‘Only see Jesus’.  This shows that her eyes were looking only upon Jesus constantly. May the Lord be gracious unto us that such experience is not only Miss Hao’s but also ours as well. May our lifetime attitude be to ‘Only see Jesus’.  In this way, Christ will become our all.  This is also what John 8:28 says, "Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He."   This means that if a Christian can constantly lift up Jesus and focus on Him in his lifetime, then ‘I am’, that is, Christ is all and in all, will become his experience. XXII.  Fornication and idolatry were punished (Num 25:1~9)—Being filled with Christ  [Shittim] Next, the congregation of Israel journeyed onward from the wilderness until they reached the border of Jordan. ‘Shittim’ was already close to Canaan.  Here, another incident came up. The people of Israel committed fornication with the daughters of Moab. The people committed fornication and idolatry Numbers 25:2~3 say, "They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor." Of course, in terms of symbolism, the spiritual life grows deeper step by step. However, when the people of Israel committed fornication with the daughters of Moab, and bowed down to their gods, this incident greatly offended the Lord. The discipline of the jealous God God is a holy and jealous God. Consequently, the anger of the Lord was aroused greatly against Israel. The Lord said to Moses… And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.” And behold, a man of the children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his brethren. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, and rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.  (Numbers 25:4~9) This historical fact shows that the Lord has a jealous spirit. Our God is a jealous God. He will not allow any person, circumstance, or thing to take the place of Christ.  It is just like a man and a woman who are congenial and deeply in love. Later they got married and become husband and wife. After marriage, if either the husband or wife becomes unfaithful, then that would be a serious matter. The Apostle Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 11:2~3, “… For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ”  This means that the eyes of Christians should only focus on Christ, and their hearts should only have Christ Himself. But now, the person, circumstance, or thing replacing Christ has entered. The people of Israel had committed a sin. In spiritual terms, it refers to replacing Christ with something else. This is one thing that God will never allow. Being filled with Christ Therefore, the Holy Bible particularly recorded that Phinehas killed Zimri and Cozbi (the Midianitish woman) out of jealousy, stating clearly that God does not allow the existence of any person, circumstance, or matter to replace the position of Christ in the midst of His children. The spiritual man David wrote the golden psalm, saying, O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You....Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god."  (Psalm 16:2,4) As the psalmist says: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”  Surely we can have good families here on earth — husband and wife loving each other, brothers and sisters living in harmony. We can also engage in business, and live a life that is above human morals filled with testimony in this society. But what we must be careful of is not to let our hearts be filled with these things. We should not allow these things to take the place of Christ and dominate our hearts. Any time there is a person, circumstance, or thing dominating our hearts, God will certainly stretch out His hand to intervene. I deeply hope that through this message, the Lord will call our attention and fine-tune us once again that we may be like Mary, the blessed woman, who cried to the Lord from the bottom of her heart, ““My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." She placed the Lord in the highest position, and her heart was filled with Christ. XXIII.  Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:14~4:21)—The deeper death of the cross of Christ  [Jordan] The Lord sent Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and walk the path of the wilderness. They reached Kadesh, meaning they already reached the border of Canaan. But because the people did not believe, they unexpectedly turned from Kadesh toward the way to the Red Sea (Numbers 14:25).  From then, they wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years. When they returned once again to Kadesh, they had already been in the wilderness for forty years. Now they reached Shittim and were to cross the Jordan. Crossing the Jordan is a very great experience. Crossing the Jordan symbolizes the deeper death of the cross How did they cross the Jordan at that time?  It is recorded in chapter 3 of the book of Joshua, "So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away… Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan."  (v. 14~17) In terms of symbolism, crossing the Jordan refers to the deeper death of the cross, because the people of Israel first crossed the Red Sea and after that, the Jordan.  Experience-wise, we were first baptized. We have died, have been buried, and have risen with Christ.  As Romans 6:3~4 tell us, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Now, ‘crossing the Jordan’ refers to the deeper death of the cross. It emphasizes putting off the old man and a deeper death to self. It is just like what Paul said in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Setting up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan symbolizes the  burial of all the twelve tribes (Jordan — Christ’s death) Immediately after this, chapter 4 of the book of Joshua records: And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and let each carry a stones on their shoulder, to the place where the priests’ feet stood firm." The stone tablet was set up over there as an evidence for the generations to come, proving that the waters of the Jordan were once cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  In terms of spiritual symbolism, the ‘twelve stones’ represents the whole congregation of Israel.  ‘Setting up the stones in the midst of the Jordan’ represents that all the people of Israel died and were buried with Christ. Twelve stones taken out of the Jordan were set up in Gilgal, meaning resurrection from death and the new creation entering into the fullness of Chris Following this incident, the people came up out of the Jordan and encamped in Gilgal, on the eastern extremity of Jericho. And those twelve stones which they had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal (Joshua 4:19~20). This symbolizes that the whole congregation of Israel had passed through death and resurrected, putting off the body of the flesh, putting on the new man, and entering into the fullness of Christ. The circumcision at Gilgal signifies putting an end to the remnant of the old self Immediately following that:  "At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at [c]the hill of the foreskins."  (Joshua 5:2~3) This symbolism elucidates putting an end to the remnant of the old self. Since spiritual experience proceeds deeper and deeper, it signifies that the flesh has been made pure. Experience-wise, it is dying to oneself over and over again until the time when all the remains of the old self are put to an end. This Christian has already passed through the veil and has entered into the holy of holies, living in a realm of being joined with the Lord and seeing Him face to face. Of course, this does not mean that the root of sin has been removed. Though there may still be weaknesses and failures, but the spiritual life has already attained maturity and reached the spiritual peak. XXIV.   Entering the land of Canaan (Joshua 5:2~12)—Attaining the fullness of Christ [Gilgal] The children of Israel left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, passed the wilderness, crossed the Jordan, and finally entered the beautiful land of Canaan and reached Gilgal. The land of Canaan symbolizes the fullness of Christ The Lord promised to give the people of Israel the good and spacious land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. This is a symbol of Christ’s fullness (abundance).  Because Colossians 2:9 says, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (as represented by the land of Canaan). Attaining Christ’s fullness — Christ is all and in all What then is the fullness of Christ?  It means Christ is all and in all.  In terms of symbolism, the people of Israel entered Canaan and enjoyed the abundance of the good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. There are six things that elucidate reaching the peak of spirituality and the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ. Observing the Passover — Enjoying the fullness of salvation (Christ) The people of Israel observed the Feast of the Passover the night before they left Egypt. Now, they had entered the land of Canaan and they observed the Passover once again.  But this time, the Passover was different from the earlier one. In Egypt, the Feast of the Passover was observed with smearing of the blood and eating of the flesh of the lamb. Now in Canaan, there were no lintel and door posts to smear. This time, in their observance of the Passover, they experienced that Christ is all and in all. In other words, they had already entered into the fullness of Christ.  In this Passover, all the people of Israel enjoyed Christ to be the fullness of salvation. The spiritual symbolism is Christ being the inheritance and delight of all saints. Eating of unleavened loaves — Holy and unblemished The eating of unleavened loaves in the land of Canaan symbolizes attaining the holy and unblemished state. They had wandered through the wilderness for forty years, so sins had considerably been removed and cleansed. Consequently, the eating of unleavened loaves now elucidates the church becoming holy and without blemish. Just like what is said in Ephesians 5:27, "....a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Eating of roasted grain — Life matures Now they no longer ate manna, but they ate roasted grain. They roasted and ate the grains they had harvested. This shows that the grains had ripened. The grains cannot be eaten if they are not yet ripe.  When they are ripe, then they can be roasted and eaten.  Spiritually, it means that those who have entered the land of Canaan are Christians who have abundant life. In John 10:10, the Lord Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  In their pursuit to enter into the fullness of Christ, this is the final state that Christians want to achieve. No more manna — Not being a child, not nursing The people of Israel entered Canaan and arrived at Gilgal. Then the next day after they observed the Passover, the manna ceased. So the people of Israel no longer had manna, meaning they were not nursing babes anymore. They do not need to pay any price for the ‘manna’. They just have to go out to collect and eat. But the grains are produced after toilsome tilling and cultivation. Therefore, eating manna refers to immature spiritual experience. Now, heaven stopped sending manna. This illustrates that the Christians at this time must eat solid food, such as listening to messages regarding the cross and welcoming the experience of the cross. Eating the produce of the land of Canaan — The stature grows up to maturity, eats solid food Children love to drink milk and eat snacks. When they grow up, they like to eat fish, meat, chicken, duck, and various grain crops. Now, The Israelites ate the produce of the land of Canaan, illustrating the spiritual stature growing up to maturity. May the Lord be gracious to us that we may pursue spiritual growth, and grow up to eat solid food until our life attains maturity. Dwelling in the land of Canaan — Having the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Under the leadership of Joshua, the people of Israel entered the land of Canaan.  From then, they considered that land as their inheritance, enjoyed the produce of the land of Canaan, and dwelled in the land of Canaan.  This is a sign that they had attained to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The ultimate church that God wants is one referred to in Ephesians 4:13, "…of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."  Because when the church reaches maturity, she is the bride prepared and adorned to meet the bridegroom (Christ) and to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. Therefore, the church faces Canaan and pursues the fullness of Christ, until she attains to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. --- E N D ---   <-- Back to "The Spiritual Journey