This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral teachings given in 1991 in Manila, Philippines, during weekly Sunday afternoon studies of the Gospel of Luke with a group of young brothers and sisters who loved the Lord and were devoted to pursuing Him. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and study the Scriptures. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently study the Bible, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual lives may become ever more pure and abundant. I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states:   "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" .   In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Luke - Chapter 1 Luke - Chapter 2 Luke - Chapter 3 Luke - Chapter 4 Luke - Chapter 5 Luke - Chapter 6 Luke - Chapter 7 Luke - Chapter 8 Luke - Chapter 9 Luke - Chapter 10 Luke - Chapter 11 Luke - Chapter 12 Luke - Chapter 13 Luke - Chapter 14 Luke - Chapter 15 Luke - Chapter 16 Luke - Chapter 17 Luke - Chapter 18 Luke - Chapter 19 Luke - Chapter 20 Luke - Chapter 21 Luke - Chapter 22 Luke - Chapter 23 Luke - Chapter 24 Reflections After Reading the Gospel of Luke Key verse:  “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.” Reflections: The remarkable characteristics of the Lord Jesus as a Servant include the following: (1) Humbling Himself to Become a Servant  (Phil. 2:6–8) He did not present a background that would cause people to honor Him. He did not highlight a birth or life story that would make people respect Him. He only mentioned that He came from Nazareth—using despised Nazareth as His background (Mark 1:46). (2) Serving Through Prayer Praying in the wilderness before dawn  (1:35) (1) Drawing near to God at the best time of the morning. (2) Fellowshipping with the Father in the quietness of the wilderness. Going up the mountain to pray  (6:46) (1) Drawing near to God from a transcendent position. (2) Fellowshipping with God in a heavenly and spiritual realm. Serving through prayer (1) Ministering to God. (2) Seeking God’s will. (3) After knowing God’s will, being sent out to work. (3) Enduring Suffering and Labor He did not give a Sermon on the Mount, farewell discourse, or long teachings—His recorded words are few. The Gospel is filled with accounts of healing, casting out demons, and miracles—His works are many. He rose before dawn to pray in the wilderness, even neglecting meals—suffering and paying the price to serve faithfully. (4) Serving Faithfully Words such as “immediately,” “at once,” “soon,” “straightway,” “instantly,” and “without delay” appear forty‑three times, describing the Lord’s faithful and diligent service. (5) Hiddenness When helping people, He often said, “Do not tell anyone”— recorded four times: (1) Cleansing the leper (1:44) (2) Raising Jairus’s daughter (5:43) (3) Healing the deaf and mute man (7:36) (4) The Transfiguration (9:9) The poor widow who offered two small coins—her name is not recorded. The woman who anointed the Lord with ointment—her act must be remembered, yet her name is not mentioned. (6) Obedient Unto Death Driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (1:12). Praying in Gethsemane, desiring the Father’s will (14:36). Before Pilate, He answered nothing (15:4–5). Obedient unto death, moving the centurion to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (15:39). (7) Emphasizing the Gospel in Serving Humanity Jesus preached, saying that people must repent and believe the gospel (1:15). Leaving all for His sake and for the gospel (8:34–35; 10:29–30). The preaching of the gospel must also recount the story of this woman (14:9). Going into all the world to preach the gospel (16:15). Notes Teachings already explained in the Gospel of Matthew may be applied to the Gospel of Mark. To avoid repetition, they will not be explained in detail again in this book. For topics previously covered in Matthew, the Gospel of Mark will be explained from a different perspective. The aim is to use simple and accurate explanations to highlight key points, guiding readers to grasp the principles of Bible reading — to understand the light, spiritual principles, and insights in Scripture, and to apply them in daily life, work, and ministry. <-- BACK to New Testament

This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral studies on the Gospel of Mark, conducted every Sunday afternoon in 1973 in Manila, Philippines, together with a group of young brothers and sisters who loved the Lord and were devoted to pursuing Him. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and study the Scriptures. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently read the Bible, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual lives may become ever more pure and abundant. I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states:   "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" .   In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

This book is based on oral Bible study sessions on the Gospel of Matthew, conducted by the speaker every Sunday afternoon in Manila, Philippines, in 1974, together with a group of young brothers and sisters who were devoted to the Lord and earnestly seeking Him. These studies took place . The recorded notes have been slightly refined and compiled into this book as a reference for Testimony Bible Reading. May the Lord grant wisdom and the spirit of revelation so that, as readers diligently study the Scriptures, they may receive greater light, teachings, illumination, cleansing, and nourishment from the Lord, leading to a purer and more abundant spiritual life! I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" . In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

This book is a transcription of the speaker’s oral study of the Gospel of John, conducted every Sunday afternoon in 1983 in Manila, Philippines, together with a group of young brothers and sisters who loved the Lord, were consecrated to Him, and earnestly sought Him. The recorded notes have now been lightly edited and compiled into this volume as a reference for those who desire to witness and learn through Bible reading. May the Lord grant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that as readers diligently study the Scriptures, they may receive richer light and instruction from the Lord, and be enlightened, cleansed, and nourished—so that their spiritual life may become ever more pure and abundant! I. Introduction to Testimony Bible Reading Over generations, books on biblical interpretation have accumulated, becoming a precious spiritual heritage for the church. Whether for foundational faith or the edification of truth, they provide rich nourishment and guidance to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16  states:   "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."  This verse tells us that Scripture originates from God's inspiration and serves to teach, correct, and guide believers into righteousness, enabling them to grow in spiritual maturity and be prepared for good works—this is the fundamental understanding of the verse. However, if we delve deeper, we discover that the phrase "All Scripture is inspired (revealed) by God" carries a profound and elevated meaning. It speaks of God’s eternal plan, His will, and His purpose, which He desires all believers to pursue, understand, and ultimately fulfill. To accomplish God's eternal plan and fulfill His heart’s desire, believers need to advance in spiritual growth through Bible reading. The maturity of a Christian’s inner life, the increase of Christ's stature in the church, and the victorious testimony of individuals and congregations all require further strengthening. Thus, learning how to read the Bible in a way that daily provides spiritual nourishment and enables spiritual growth is a pressing priority for believers today. John 6:63  records: "Jesus said, 'The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.'"  This verse clearly explains that the Lord’s words are meant to supply spiritual life. Just as the Israelites were sustained for forty years in the wilderness by manna, believers grow and live spiritually through God’s Word. The prophet Jeremiah once said: "Lord God of Hosts, when Your words came, I ate them; Your words were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name."  (Jeremiah 15:16) Again, this shows that Scripture is God’s Word—it is spiritual food, life, and strength, allowing believers to grow spiritually, live powerfully, and have the strength to overcome. John 5:39  records Jesus Himself saying: "You study the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me."  This reveals that the Bible is a testimony to Christ’s divine and supreme authority. First, through the Word of God in the Bible, we receive eternal life. As 1 Peter 1:23  states: "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." Second, through the word of God in the Bible, we live out the testimony of Christ. When God's Word enters the believer, it becomes life—this life is the life of the Son of God, which grows within and manifests Christ, and be a testimony of Christ. This way of reading the Bible—where believers are transformed to live out Christ's testimony—is called "Testimony Bible Reading" .   In other words, Testimony Bible Reading  means r eading Scripture to receive divine illumination and apply spiritual principles to a believer’s daily life, work and service, knowing Christ, experiencing Christ, and ultimately living out Christ. II. Basic Principles of Bible Reading A. Understanding the eternal nature of the Bible God is the eternal God (Psalms 90:2) An eternal plan as blueprint Revealing the Bible through the eternal Spirit The Bible transcends time and space and is applicable in every era and place B. Understanding the present nature of the Bible God is the eternal God, yet He is also the God of the present. With God, there are no time limitations—everything is "now".  (Hebrews 13:8) Every part of the Bible is applicable to present-day spiritual experiences. C. Understanding that the content of the Bible is Christ The Bible is the manual that reveals God's Son, Christ  (Luke 24:44-45 ). The central figure of the Bible is Christ. Through explicit texts, prophecies, symbolic representations, historical narratives, and poetry, the Bible expresses Christ. D. Understanding the infinite spiritual meaning of the Bible  (Ephesians 3:8) The Bible contains literal facts. Spiritual meaning is revealed through these literal facts. Because Christ is spiritual, heavenly, eternal, and infinitely rich, the Bible’s spiritual significance is also limitless E. Understanding that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11) The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; therefore, only the Holy Spirit can interpret it. Knowing Christ requires revelation, so interpreting the Bible also requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit  (John 15:26). III. The Spiritual Principles and Application of Testimony Bible Reading A. Clearly understand the literal meaning of the Bible Understand the literal meaning of the Bible Comprehend the spiritual significance of Biblical text B. See illumination and spiritual principles with the revelation of the Holy Spirit Receive the illumination given by the Holy Spirit through the literal text of the Bible. Gain revelation from the Holy Spirit through biblical facts to understand spiritual principles. C. Apply the illumination and spiritual principles in life, work and ministry Apply the literal meaning of the Bible in daily life, work, and service. Practice the spiritual significance of biblical texts in life, work, and service. Apply the illumination revealed by the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. Apply the spiritual principles received through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in life, work, and service. <-- BACK to New Testament

Bibile Reading: Galatians 3:14 — "...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Joel 2:28-29 — "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those days." Isaiah 44:3 — "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;" Zechariah 12:10 — "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Ezekiel 1:3 — "...the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there." Ezekiel 1:4 — "Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire." Ezekiel 3:22 —   "Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.” Acts 2:1-4 — "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:23 — "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;" 30-31— "David...being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption..." 36 — "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts 3:13-15 —  "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses." Acts 4:25-26 — " who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage,And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand,And the rulers were gathered togetherAgainst the Lord and against His Christ.’" Acts 5:31 —   "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." Acts 10:36, 42 — "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all...And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead." Romans 5:5 — "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Titus 3:5-6 — "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior" The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the action of God’s eternal will If the Lord is willing, starting from tonight, we will have four messages in our meeting which is to continue the work the Holy Spirit over the past month or two. On one hand, this is to help brothers and sisters continue to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and walk on the path of revival. On the other hand, this is aimed to speak more deeply with brothers and sisters regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may lead us into a deeper level of understanding and experience. To begin, we must first consider how the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is positioned in God’s own perspective. Please take note that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an ordinance that proceeds from God’s eternal will; it is the action of His eternal purpose. The Blessing God Promised to Abraham Galatians 3:14 says, " ..that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith ." The ‘promised of Spirit’ mentioned here refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because the Lord Jesus Himself said in Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you . " And indeed, on the day of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. According to Galatians chapter 3, we see that this outpouring of the Spirit was something God had already promised as early as the time of Abraham, around 2000 B.C. Therefore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an ordinance long established within God’s eternal plan. When Jehovah promised Abraham, "In blessing I will bless you" (Genesis 22:17), Abraham did not yet know what this blessing ultimately referred to. It was not until the apostle Paul received revelation from the Holy Spirit that he told us in the book of Galatians that this blessing refers to the Holy Spirit poured out after Christ’s ascension. From this we can see that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not an impromptu action of the Lord; rather, it is an act that proceeds from God’s eternal will. It was promised to Abraham around 2000 B.C., began to be fulfilled at Pentecost, and was later revealed through Paul as the blessing God had long intended. The Prophecy of the Prophet Joel Not only so, God also spoke through several prophets to foretell the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, further confirming that the outpouring of the Spirit truly is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will. First, more than eight hundred years before Christ, the prophet Joel prophesied, saying: And "It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; .... And also on My menservants and on My maidservants. I will pour out My Spirit in those day" (Joel 2:28-29) In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, this prophecy was indeed fulfilled. The apostle Peter stood up and quoted the very words spoken by the prophet Joel concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17–18). Thus, God not only promised Abraham; He also revealed to the prophet Joel long beforehand that the Holy Spirit would one day be poured out. The Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah Next is the prophet Isaiah. More than seven hundred years before Christ, the Lord raised up Isaiah to speak repeatedly about the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 44:3— which is also the very promise God has been working among us this year in the Philippines— is a clear example. The Scripture says: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;" Here, the ‘water’ is a type of the Holy Spirit (John 4:14), the ‘streams’ also symbolize the Holy Spirit (John 7:38), and even the ‘blessing’ refers to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:14). All of these point to the outpouring of the Spirit. The reason God revealed to the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament era that one day the Holy Spirit would be poured out was to show that this is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will. The Prophecy of the Prophet Zechariah We may also cite the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah from the latter part of the Old Testament. More than three hundred years before Christ, the prophet Zechariah received revelation and prophesied, saying: "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication…" (Zechariah 12:10). This means that when the Holy Spirit is poured out, the result is that we will pray to the Lord. This promise was indeed fulfilled. The entire book of Acts is filled with prayer, because when the Holy Spirit was poured out, people were moved to earnest supplication. This again shows us that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is part of God’s eternal will, foretold long beforehand through many prophets. A sister once came to ask me a question. She said that after receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the previous night, she went home and prayed six times before morning. She wondered whether such an experience was right or not. I told her it was a very good experience. For the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of grace and supplication, and the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that people pray fervently. The Spirit places a burden of prayer within a person—no wonder she prayed six times in such a short period. The Prophecy of John the Baptist Finally, we come to John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament. Standing at the junction between the Old and New Testaments, and serving as the forerunner of Christ, he spoke even more clearly and definitively about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When he bore witness concerning Jesus, he said: "He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11). This too is a prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit. And indeed, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, tongues as of fire appeared (Acts 2:3), fulfilling this prophecy. God used the prophets of the Old Testament to speak repeatedly about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we might see that this outpouring is an action that proceeds from God’s eternal will. It was meant to prepare the hearts of those who would come later, so that they might be ready to receive this exceedingly great blessing. The Charge of the Lord Jesus Finally, we must quote the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every word He spoke is important, but the words He uttered after His resurrection and just before His ascension are especially significant. For He had to make absolutely clear the most crucial matters before returning to heaven. At His departure, He charged the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5). Before the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out to labor, they first had to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Was the three and a half years of training from the Lord still not enough? Did they still need to receive the outpouring of the Spirit? Indeed, from the outward view, the outpouring of the Spirit is for receiving power. But the deeper reason is this: receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is part of God’s eternal will, and we must honor and accept God’s eternal purpose. From all the evidence mentioned above, it is clear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an action within God’s eternal will. Therefore, we hope that every brother and sister will not take it lightly, but rather value it and receive it with humility. May the Lord have mercy on us. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Began at Pentecost and Continues Until Christ’s Return After speaking about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as an action rooted in God’s eternal purpose, we must also mention that the outpouring of the Spirit began at Pentecost and will continue until the Lord returns. Today there is a mistaken teaching among some Christians who think that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was something that happened only in the early church and has now become merely a part of history. This view is completely contrary to the facts. From the entire book of Acts, we can clearly see that the outpouring of the Spirit began at Pentecost and continues unbroken until Christ comes again. First, we see that at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out, and about one hundred and twenty disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4). A few years later, through Philip, the gospel reached the city of Samaria. After many believed in the Lord and were baptized in water, the apostles Peter and John came and laid hands on them, and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 8:17). Not long after, when Peter was sent to preach in the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit again came upon them (Acts 10:44). Later, Paul was called and sent to labor in Asia. When he arrived in Ephesus and laid hands on the twelve disciples there, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 19:6). By that time, more than twenty years had already passed since Pentecost. Moreover, the book of Acts ends without indicating that the Spirit’s work had ceased. This shows that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has not stopped; it continues without interruption until the Lord returns. The Spiritual Significance of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is both an action rooted in God’s eternal purpose and something that continues until the Lord’s return, we must ask: Why did God ordain this matter? Within God’s eternal will, what profound, unfathomable, vast, and wondrous meaning does the outpouring of the Spirit contain? This evening we will present three deeper, higher, and richer aspects of its significance. Carrying Out God’s Eternal Will Upon the Vessel The first point is this: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit being poured upon a vessel, and from that moment on, He carries out God’s eternal will and exercises God’s sovereign authority upon that vessel. The purpose of the Spirit’s outpouring is to execute God’s kingship upon the vessel so that God’s will may be carried out. This is the first and most important emphasis. The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel The passage we just read—Ezekiel 1:3—says, “ The Spirit of the Lord came upon him .” In the original Hebrew, it is “ the hand of the Lord came upon him .” The Bible translates it as “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” but according to the original wording, it is “the hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel.” If we take the original text literally, we would have to imagine: the Lord, who is in the unseen heavens—how long must His hand be to reach all the way down to Ezekiel? Clearly, the “hand” mentioned here refers to the Spirit of the Lord. Yet the revelation of Scripture intentionally uses the expression “the hand of the Lord.” This means that when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon a person, it is as though God’s own hand has come down and been laid upon that vessel. We know that the hand of God is a hand full of power, a hand that rules over all things, a hand that holds unlimited authority and acts according to His own will. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, it is God’s hand being laid upon us. From that moment on, God carries out His sovereign authority upon us through the Holy Spirit—His hand—upon this vessel. Throughout the entire Bible, many instances of the laying on of hands are mentioned, and the primary meaning of this act is union. Thus, when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us—when the hand of the Lord rests upon us—it signifies that God has united Himself with us. As a result, God’s own sovereign authority is exercised in our lives, directing, governing, and ruling over us. Although at that time God could not yet carry out His will freely on the earth, once His hand came upon Ezekiel—once the Spirit of God was poured out upon him—it was as if God were declaring: “Ezekiel, from this moment on, you no longer have freedom. You may no longer hold your own opinions or make your own choices. You must submit entirely to My sovereign authority. I will direct you and govern you. From now on, you will act according to My will.” From that moment forward, Ezekiel no longer had personal freedom. His whole being was led and governed by God. Wherever the Lord told him to go, he went. Whatever the Lord told him to speak, he spoke. Whatever the Lord commanded him to do, he did. His entire life—his words, his actions, his movements—was no longer his own. He was completely constrained and controlled by God. Thus, we see that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries a deeper spiritual meaning: it is the execution of God’s sovereign authority upon His vessel according to His eternal will. Today many believers readily accept the teaching that the indwelling Spirit governs our whole being, yet they still have questions about the outpouring of the Spirit as the execution of God’s sovereign authority upon His vessel. Therefore, we must add further explanation. In the book of Ezekiel, some passages speak of the indwelling Spirit. For example, Ezekiel prophesies that God will give us a new heart and a new spirit, and that the Spirit of the Lord will dwell within this new spirit to enable us to walk in His statutes. This refers to the indwelling Spirit, as foretold in Ezekiel 36:26–27. But what we are considering tonight is the Holy Spirit being poured out upon a person. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel, it was the hand of the Lord resting upon him. The result was that God gained Ezekiel as His vessel, and the Spirit of God governed and directed Ezekiel according to God’s own will. In summary, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is God laying His hand upon us so that He may gain us as vessels fully governed and directed by Him. This truth was fulfilled even more clearly on the day of Pentecost. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples at Pentecost When the day of Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit was poured out. It was like a mighty rushing wind that filled the house where they were sitting. Then tongues as of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2–4). The result of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the disciples was that they spoke according to the utterance given by the Spirit. It was not that, after the Spirit was poured out, each person spoke whatever he wanted, freely expressing his own thoughts. No, absolutely not. The outpouring of the Spirit resulted in speaking according to the Spirit’s intention. This alone is sufficient proof that the purpose of the Spirit’s outpouring is to govern a person—that the Spirit may carry out God’s eternal will and exercise God’s sovereign authority in that person. This is one of the clearest examples. James says, “If anyone does not stumble in words, he is a perfect man” (James 3:2). Our words represent the whole of our living. On the day of Pentecost, the result of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was that they spoke in other tongues according to the utterance given by the Spirit. This means that the outpouring of the Spirit causes a person to no longer live or act carelessly, but to come under the Spirit’s governance—to conduct oneself according to the Spirit’s intention. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries a deeper meaning: it brings in the Lord’s sovereignty. The entire vessel is gained by God, and the Holy Spirit executes God’s authority upon that vessel according to His will. Dear brothers and sisters, our experience also tells us that whenever the Holy Spirit is poured out and fills us, it is always when we are humbled, bowed low, and fallen before Him. It is when the Holy Spirit establishes the kingship of Christ and fully governs and directs us. May we all allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to carry out God’s will in us. Imprinting God’s Eternal Will Upon the Vessel The second meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is that God lays His eternal will upon the vessel—that is, He entrusts His eternal purpose to this person. Brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the revelation of God’s will to us. God causes us to see His great and glorious purpose, so that we may live within His will. Ezekiel Saw a Vision In Ezekiel 3:3, it first says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel. Immediately afterward, in verse 4 and onward, it describes how he looked and saw the likeness of a throne above the living creatures, and above the likeness of the throne was something like the appearance of a man. This was Ezekiel beholding the vision of Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to stir us up or create excitement. Its deeper meaning is to bring us into the sight and understanding of God’s eternal purpose. Ezekiel Heard the Lord Speaking When we read Ezekiel chapter 3 carefully, we find in verse 22 another record: “The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me…”  This shows that when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us, God speaks to us. God speaking means that He is revealing His will to us. Therefore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to give us power, nor simply to produce outward manifestations or allow us to receive certain blessings. The outpouring of the Spirit has a deeper purpose—to bring us into the sight and understanding of God’s eternal will. Once Ezekiel saw God’s will, he lived within that will, was used by God, and eventually wrote the book of Ezekiel. Peter Received the Revelation of the Fullness of Christ We can also see a striking example from Peter. In Matthew 16, while in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Peter—through revelation given by God—declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the central revelation, and Jesus was certainly pleased to hear it. But immediately afterward, the Lord began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day. Peter then took the Lord aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “ Lord! This shall never happen to You ” (Matt. 16:22). Jesus turned and said to Peter, “ Get behind Me, Satan! ” From this we see that although Peter had received revelation from the Holy Spirit—recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God—he had absolutely no understanding of the cross. He had revelation concerning the reigning Christ, but he had not seen the suffering Christ. Therefore, he tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Not only so—John 6 records Peter saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” He had set his heart to follow the Lord. He even declared, “Even if I must die with You, I will never deny You” (Matt. 26:35). Yet in the end, in the courtyard of the high priest, he denied the Lord three times before a servant girl. And when the Lord rose from the dead, Peter had already taken the disciples back to fishing, until the Lord sought him out and brought him back. Although Peter had received revelation, what he lived out was still unstable and wavering, because the revelation he had was partial. He did not yet know the suffering Messiah, nor did he understand the fullness of Christ. But remember—when the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were gathered together in one place. The Holy Spirit was poured out. Peter was filled with the Spirit, and the entire Scripture was opened to him. God’s eternal purpose and the fullness of Christ were unveiled to him. How different Peter was after Pentecost compared to before Pentecost! By Acts Chapter 2 In Matthew 16, Peter did not recognize the suffering Messiah. He did not understand the cross, and therefore he tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. But in Acts 2, the Peter who stood up on the day of Pentecost suddenly understood. The result of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon him was that God’s will was laid upon him—imprinted into his very being. In other words, the outpouring of the Spirit opened to him the eternal purpose of God. Thus, on the very day the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the entire Scripture—God’s eternal purpose—was unveiled to Peter. When he stood up to preach his first message, he first explained that the outpouring of the Spirit was not drunkenness, but the fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel. Immediately, he spoke forth the revelation from the book of Joel. Then he went on to explain the meaning of the cross. In Matthew 16, Peter was completely confused about the cross. But in Acts 2, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, the meaning of the cross was opened to him. He proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ: “ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ” (Acts 2:23) He now understood that Christ’s crucifixion was according to God’s determined purpose and foreknowledge—part of God’s eternal will. The Peter who received the Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost had the eternal purpose of God unveiled to him, and he was able to explain the meaning of the crucifixion of the fullness of Christ. Next, the Psalms were also opened to Peter. He could quote the Psalm to proclaim the resurrection of the fullness of Christ. In his first message he said concerning the Lord Jesus: “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ” (Acts 2:27) He explained that this was the fulfillment of David’s prophecy regarding the resurrection of Christ (Psalm 16:10). We also see that Psalm 132 — concerning Christ’s ascension, enthronement, and kingship—was opened to him. He quoted verse 11 regarding Christ’s enthronement, and then boldly declared: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36) From this we see that God’s eternal purpose was opened to Peter. This is the goal the Holy Spirit’s outpouring seeks to bring us into By Acts Chapter 3 Dear brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not merely to give us some outward form of spiritual service. It carries a far higher meaning—to lay God’s eternal purpose upon us. After Acts chapter 2, the outpouring of the Spirit did not stop. Likewise, Peter’s revelation did not stop. His understanding of God’s eternal purpose and of the fullness of Christ continued to advance and expand. By the time we reach chapter 3, when Peter rises to testify for Jesus, he does not simply repeat what he preached in chapter 2. Instead, he bears a further testimony. He says: “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our fathers—has glorified His Servant Jesus…” and “You denied the Holy One and Just… you killed the Prince of life.” (Acts 3:13–15) Peter’s proclamation of Christ did not remain at the level of Acts 2. His light kept advancing. His knowledge of the fullness of Christ continued to increase. Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, with God’s word opened to him, Peter stood up in chapter 3 and, when speaking of the Son of God, declared that He is the Servant whom God has glorified, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of life whom they had killed. The Christ Peter preached was a progressing Christ—a Christ revealed in ever-expanding fullness. By Acts Chapter 4 By chapter 4, Peter faced persecution from the rulers, elders, and scribes. After he was released, he immediately gathered with the disciples to pray. While they prayed, Psalm 2 was opened to them. Peter prayed, acknowledging that those who persecuted Jesus Christ were actually fulfilling what God’s hand and God’s purpose had predestined to occur. He then quoted Psalm 2, saying: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed. ” (Acts 4:26) Peter declared that God’s Son, Jesus, is the Anointed One — the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 2. God has already set Him as King upon Zion, His holy mountain. Peter was able to connect the Psalm to the ascension of Jesus, proclaiming that God’s Son is the Anointed Christ, the One in whom God’s entire plan and eternal purpose are centered. God has anointed Him and entrusted everything to Him, that through Him God’s plan and purpose might be accomplished. Peter’s revelation had expanded even further. As we read Scripture, we see that Peter was continually filled with the Holy Spirit, continually experiencing the Spirit’s outpouring, and his revelation never stopped advancing. For the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is to cause a person to see God’s great and eternal purpose—and to live within that purpose. By Acts Chapter 5 In chapter 5, Peter again faced persecution. Standing before the council, he proclaimed Christ once more. This time he spoke even more boldly: "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior" Here, Peter gained yet another fresh understanding of the Christ he preached. His revelation and experience continued to advance. Brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit comes, He always leads us into the fullness of God’s purpose. Praise the Lord! By Acts Chapter 10 When Peter went to Cornelius’s house to preach the gospel, the revelation of Christ he proclaimed was even broader. He preached that Jesus Christ is Lord of all (Acts 10:36) — the One before whom the entire universe must bow, acknowledging Him as the sovereign Lord over all things. Finally, he declared that Jesus is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). Christ is the standard of all judgment. Peter’s message continued to rise higher and move forward. Dear brothers and sisters, in Peter we truly see that the result of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was like what Ezekiel experienced: the hand of God laid upon him, claiming him as a vessel and exercising kingship over him. At the same time, God’s eternal purpose was imprinted upon him—opened to him—so that he lived within God’s will. In the same way, the deeper spiritual meaning of the Spirit’s outpouring for us is no exception. Perhaps after hearing these messages, you might ask: “That sister was recently filled with the Holy Spirit—then let’s have her explain God’s eternal purpose to us.” or, “That brother was powerfully filled with the Spirit last time—let’s invite him now to give us a detailed exposition of God’s eternal purpose. Let’s see whether he can explain it or not. Otherwise, how can we know whether God’s purpose has been opened to him?” Brothers and sisters, the unveiling of God’s eternal purpose does not come merely through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We also need to experience the deeper work of the cross, and we must become thoroughly acquainted with God’s Word—truly understanding the Scriptures. If from the beginning of the year to the end, we have not even read through the Bible once, and we rely only on the Spirit’s outpouring — almost like depending on dreams and visions — how can we possibly understand God’s eternal purpose? God does not work in that way. God desires that we become deeply familiar with His Word, and that we ourselves undergo a substantial experience of the cross. Then the Bible becomes a living book to us, and only then can God’s eternal purpose be opened to us. Therefore, if a brother is very familiar with the Scriptures and has also experienced the work of the cross, even if he has not received an obvious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he can still clearly expound God’s eternal purpose. For when the Spirit of revelation comes, He will open these things to him. On the other hand, if a brother or sister has experienced a powerful outpouring of the Spirit but is unfamiliar with the Scriptures, then it is impossible for them to understand God’s eternal purpose. The Spirit of revelation must work through the Word of God in order to reveal God’s eternal purpose to us. If we are people who know the Scriptures well, who have also undergone a deep experience of the cross, and who already possess some revelation, light, and understanding of God’s will—and then we also receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—then God’s Word will be opened to us even more. We will gain a deeper and broader understanding of God’s eternal purpose. The Work of Inner Transformation Regarding the deeper spiritual meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we must add one more point: The outpouring of the Spirit is not something that comes and goes for a moment. Each time the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, the result is that our spirit is opened afresh. The impurities within our spirit are cleansed, giving the indwelling Spirit more ground and strengthening His function within us. He works inwardly to transform us, so that this vessel may be aligned with the will of God. Strengthening the Function of the Indwelling Spirit Remember this: there is never a single instance of the Spirit’s outpouring that remains merely on the body without touching the indwelling Spirit within. Only those without experience would say somethig like that. The Holy Spirit never pours Himself out casually upon the flesh. Whenever the Spirit is poured out, it is always at a moment when our heart and spirit are aligned toward the Lord. If our inner being is not turned toward the throne, the Spirit will not be poured out. But when our heart is truly directed toward the Lord on the throne, the Holy Spirit comes upon us. As a result, the Spirit connects with our inner being—He touches our spirit—and our inner spirit overflows. Naturally, the function of the indwelling Spirit is strengthened. For example, His functions such as: Conviction (John 16:8), sealing (Ephesians 1:13), Putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13), burning and cleansing (Isaiah 4:4), teaching (1 John 2:27), revelation (Ephesians 1:17), comforting (John 14:16), bearing fruit (Galatians 5:22)—all these operations begin to work more powerfully within us. Through them, the Spirit performs His transforming work, changing us inwardly so that we may live out God’s will and be aligned with His purpose. This is the deeper, higher, and fuller meaning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pouring Out God’s Love Into Our Hearts Romans 5:5 says, “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” This means that the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that we truly come to know this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8) Oh! brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, He often vividly sets the cross of Christ before our eyes. Our hearts are stirred by the love of the Lord, and we offer ourselves to Him. Our hearts are melted, our first love is rekindled, and we willingly deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Him. Thus, the outpouring of the Spirit also brings the great love of the Lord into us, transforming our inner being—turning us from hard, rebellious, selfish, self‑seeking people into those who are tender, obedient, self‑denying, and living for the Lord. I recently met a brother in Cebu who often experiences the outpouring of the Spirit. He told me personally that whenever he sees a picture of Jesus on the cross in the marketplace, tears flow down his face. In the breaking‑of‑bread meeting, he often weeps with gratitude as he is moved by the Lord’s love. Whenever I fellowship with him, I sense a spirit that deeply knows the love of Christ. The Renewal of the Holy Spirit Finally, we must mention one more work of the Spirit’s outpouring—the renewing work that makes us spiritual . Titus 3:5–6 says: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior . ” Here we see that the rich outpouring of the Holy Spirit is for our renewal. When we were saved, our spirit was made alive and we became a new creation. But as time goes on, through the assaults of sin, the influence of the world, and the disturbances of the flesh, we can become old, dull, and weighed down again. Yet the result of the Spirit’s outpouring is that our spirit — whether in fellowship, intuition, or conscience—is awakened and made more sensitive. Even the mind of our soul is renewed. In this way, our inner being is gradually transformed and renewed, making us truly spiritual. In summary, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit carries at least these higher, deeper, and richer spiritual meanings described above. May the Lord lead us out of superficiality and into deeper experiences, so that the spiritual significance of the Spirit’s outpouring becomes the personal experience of each one of us. This is the higher and deeper revival. <-- Back 　 Part 3-2 -->

The Fire of Revival (1) The Fire Before the Tabernacle The Fire on the Rock at Ophrah The Flame on the Rock at Zorah The Fire on the Threshing Floor of Araunah The Fire Before the Temple The Fire on Mount Carmel The Fire of Pentecost The Fire of Revival (2) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Part 2) The Law of the Holy Spirit The Law of the Holy Spirit (Part 2) The Fire of Revival (3) The Spiritual Significance of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit The Double Portion of the Spirit and the Way of the Cross Using Spiritual Gifts and Yielding to the Anointing The Holy Spirit and the Word of God <-- Back

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 4:1-7 — A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” Romans 1:14 — "I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise." 1 Corinthians 12:8-13 — "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." 1 John 2:27-28 — "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." The Widow of the Prophet's Disciple in Debt In this special series of meetings, our burden is to fellowship with the brothers and sisters about how to move forward after receiving the Spirit’s baptism and being filled with the Holy Spirit. But since some among us have not yet received the Spirit’s baptism, tonight’s gathering has two purposes. The first purpose is to help every brother and sister be revived by the Holy Spirit. If anyone has not yet received the Spirit’s baptism, we hope you will seize this opportunity to receive it.The second purpose is to speak about how, after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit, we should enter into deeper experiences. Therefore, in the first half of the meeting we will still touch on receiving the Spirit’s fullness, and in the second half we will speak about how to go forward. The story we just read in 2 Kings 4 describes the wife of one of the sons of the prophets. She came to Elisha and told him that her husband had died, and that the creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves. She asked Elisha for help. Elisha asked her, “What do you have in your house?” She replied, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Elisha then said, “Go and borrow vessels from your neighbors—do not gather just a few. Then go home, shut the door, and pour the oil into those vessels.” After the vessels were filled, she was to sell the oil to pay her debts, and the remainder would be enough for her to live on. We want to use this story to speak about how to receive the Spirit’s baptism, and how—after receiving it—to use our gifts and obey the anointing’s teaching. The Widow First, this story identifies the wife of the son of the prophets as a widow, because her husband had died. This symbolizes the identity of Christians in relation to the world today—we are like widows. A husband is the support of his wife; and for us believers, the Lord Jesus is our support. But as far as the world is concerned, since the Lord Jesus was crucified and has ascended to heaven, He is no longer physically present on earth. Therefore, in the eyes of the world, we appear to be like widows—people without visible support. In Debt This widow had two sons. In the Bible, the number two represents a testimony. The sons she bore signify her life; therefore, her two sons symbolize the testimony of life. The fact that the creditor came to take her two sons as slaves shows that the outward demands of the work are far too great, and our small measure of life‑testimony is truly unable to meet those needs. Paul said, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and unwise” (Romans 1:14). The Greeks were the wise and cultured; the barbarians were the uncivilized and rough. Whether wise or unwise, we owe them the debt of the gospel. Today, we Christians owe a debt of gospel to the entire unbelieving world—to every class, every people, every nation. Yet the little bit of life‑testimony we possess is far from sufficient to meet such a vast need. The Oil Filling the Vessels Elisha came and brought the solution—the oil filling the vessels. Through Elisha’s help, all the vessels the widow borrowed were filled with oil. She was then able to sell the oil to pay off her debts, and the remaining oil was enough for her to live on. Thus, the entire problem was completely resolved. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The vessels filled with oil represent believers receiving the baptism of the Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. As a result, we are able to meet the outward needs of the work. This is not something we produce ourselves; it is the Lord supplying us, and we simply pass on what we receive from Him. There is no burden on us—we only need to bring empty vessels and continually receive from the Lord, and we will be able to meet even the greatest needs. This is not laboring for the Lord in our own strength; it is the outflow of His grace. It is truly grace freely given. The widow received the abundant oil freely, and then she sold the oil to meet every need. In the same way, today we must freely receive the grace of the Holy Spirit in order to meet the many needs around us. Now let us briefly look into how we may receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit so that we may be equipped to meet every need. Shutting the Door The first point is that we must "shut the door " . Only after the door is shut can we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit symbolized by that jar of oil. During my recent trip to the South Island, I prayed together with the brothers and sisters to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. Many were filled with the Holy Spirit, but some did not receive. One of the reasons was that they had not “shut the door.” After we reminded them, they shut the door—and one after another, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to “shut the door”? It means that our hearts must be shut off from the outside world—from all outward circumstances—and be joined only to the Lord, communing with Him face to face. Only then can we receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit. There was an evening meeting in which everyone was praying to receive the Spirit’s fullness. One brother was especially eager to be filled. He prayed, “Lord Jesus, tonight if You do not fill me, I will not let You go. You must fill me!” Yet after praying and praying, he still did not receive. Why? Because he had not shut the door. While kneeling in prayer, he heard someone in front receiving the Spirit’s fullness. Immediately he opened his eyes to see who it was. “Oh—it’s Brother Chiu!” Then he closed his eyes and continued praying. Soon he heard someone behind him receiving the Spirit’s fullness. Again he turned around to see who it was. “Ah—it’s Brother Wang!” Then he closed his eyes and prayed again. Throughout the entire time of prayer, his head, eyes, and ears were extremely busy—turning here and there, looking at this person and that person. Sometimes he used his ears to identify voices: Who just received the Holy Spirit? In this way, his heart had “windows” open on all four sides—front, back, left, and right. He had not shut the door. No wonder one person after another was filled with the Holy Spirit, yet he still received nothing. The next evening, after we reminded him, he prayed, “Lord, now I am shutting the door. No matter how much the people beside me are filled with the Spirit, no matter how loudly they shout, I will not pay attention to them.” And he truly ignored everything around him. He prayed face‑to‑face with the Lord alone. Sure enough, that very night he was filled with the Holy Spirit and was exceedingly joyful. Dear brothers and sisters, if we want to receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must shut the door. We must shut out sin, the world, work, anxieties—everything earthly and external—and commune with the Lord alone. When the Lord brings us to the point where we are unaware of who is beside us or what is happening around us, in such a condition we are quickly filled with the Holy Spirit. Empty Vessels The second point is to bring empty vessels. As the hymn we just sang says, we must empty ourselves. An empty vessel is not only empty on the inside, it must also have no lid on top. If a lid remains, no matter how much the Holy Spirit is poured out, He cannot enter. The lid must be completely removed. There must be no barrier, no covering, nothing standing between us and the Lord. We must be fully open, emptied of everything. All distracting thoughts, including any preconceived ideas about the Spirit’s outpouring, any negative impressions, incorrect views, or fears—everything must be poured out. Only then can the Holy Spirit fill us. A few years ago, on a Saturday morning, I personally experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That morning, the Spirit moved me to pray like this: “Lord, I want to empty everything—my old concepts, my opinions, my teachings, even the things I consider most correct. As long as something hinders the Holy Spirit from coming in, I want You to empty it out. Remove every blockage.” As a result, I was greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a clear example. Pouring Out the Oil The third point is pouring out the oil we already have. Every believer has a “jar of oil” within — the Holy Spirit we received when we born again. This indwelling Spirit is that jar of oil. Only when this oil is truly poured out can the fuller outpouring and overflowing of the Holy Spirit come in. What does it mean? It means that in prayer, our spirit must break forth. Many people pray with their mind—using reasoning, thoughts, and mental effort. I am not saying that God does not want us to use our understanding; rather, I mean that prayer must begin with the feeling in our spirit, and then flow through the understanding. That is prayer that comes from the spirit— prayer that is true, sincere, and arises from the deepest part of our being. Such prayer is the pouring out of the oil. And when the oil is poured out, the Holy Spirit naturally fills us. During my recent time in the Southern region, there was a brother who liked to pray with his mind. He prayed from creation to redemption — thinking as he prayed. His entire prayer came from his head. As a result, he prayed for several days and still was not filled with the Holy Spirit. That day, I finally helped him by saying, “Stop praying with your mind. Pray from your spirit.” So he prayed, “Lord, thank You. I will no longer pray with my mind — I will pray with my spirit.” He had prayed only a few sentences when he was filled with the Holy Spirit! This shows that when the oil in the jar is poured out, the vessels are filled. Brothers and sisters, today many Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit—not mainly because of sin. (Of course, sin does hinder the Spirit, but once we ask the Lord’s blood to cleanse us, that hindrance is removed.) The greatest obstacle is the activity of the mind. The mind becomes such a powerful barrier that the Holy Spirit cannot fill us. Therefore, we must pray from our spirit so that the Holy Spirit may fill us. When we say the spirit must come forth in prayer, it has nothing to do with the volume of our voice. For some people, their spirit is released only when they pray loudly—then let them pray loudly. There was a brother who felt embarrassed to pray loudly, so he held back. Because he would not release his prayer, he sought the Spirit’s fullness for a long time and still did not receive. Later, when he attended a meeting elsewhere, he finally opened his mouth and prayed loudly. Immediately he was filled with the Holy Spirit. But for others, even when their prayer is not loud, their spirit still comes forth, and they too are greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. There was an elderly sister whose prayer was very soft. One day she came to us for prayer. Though her voice was gentle, her prayer came from the depths of her spirit. Instantly she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Filling the Vessels with Oil On that day, the wife of the son of the prophet poured out a single jar of oil, and as a result, all the empty vessels were filled with oil. This shows that when we pray out of our spirit and in truth, something marvelous happens: our spirit touches the fullness of the Holy Spirit, bringing in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and filling our whole being.　 We should also briefly mention the relationship between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Outpouring refers to God’s side — it begins with God. He sends down the Holy Spirit, and this is called the outpouring of the Spirit. From our side, the result of God pouring out the Spirit is that we become filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, in John 7:38–39, the Lord Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus said this concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. From this we see that after Jesus ascended and was glorified, He poured out the Holy Spirit. As a result, those who believe in Him are filled with the Spirit and rivers of living water flow out from within them. Acts 2 also says that the Holy Spirit came “as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting” (that is, the Holy Spirit was poured out)… “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2, 4). In Acts chapter 4, when the apostles were persecuted, they prayed with one accord.“when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:31). The shaking of the place shows that the Holy Spirit had been poured out; as a result, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This shows that when the outpoured Spirit meets the spirit within us, our whole being is filled and begins to overflow. This widow originally had only one jar of oil, yet when she poured it out, the oil filled all the empty vessels. This signifies that the Holy Spirit within us, when released through prayer, meets the Spirit poured out from above, and the result is an overflow of the fullness of the Spirit. Normally, the widow’s oil should have been exhausted after pouring into one jar. But once she began to pour, it brought in the unlimited. In the same way, the little measure of the Spirit within you and me—when released through prayer—draws in the outpouring of the Spirit, filling us without limit. Thus says, “God does not give the Spirit by measure.” Now let us take a moment to speak about how we should go on after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit. As yesterday’s message emphasized, those who are filled with the Spirit must live under God’s sovereign authority, absolutely allowing the Holy Spirit to rule and establish the Lord’s kingship. We must continually enter into revelation through the Lord’s word, understanding God’s eternal purpose and growing in an ever-increasing knowledge of His Son. Furthermore, we must accept the inward transforming work of the Holy Spirit so that we may live out God’s will. Selling the Oil to Repay the Debt There are two other very important matters revealed in the story of the widow whose vessels were filled with oil—matters we must pay special attention to. The first is selling the oil to repay the debt. When the widow’s vessels were filled with oil, Elisha told her to sell the oil and pay the debt. What does it mean to? In the Bible, when buying and selling are mentioned, they often refer to the exercise of spiritual gifts. We surely have not forgotten the parable spoken by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25. First, He spoke of the ten virgins, teaching us to be like the five wise virgins who prepared oil in their vessels—that is, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately following that is the parable of the talents: one servant received five talents, another two, and another one. The one who received five talents went and traded with them and gained another five. The one with two talents did the same and gained two more. But the one with one talent dug a hole and hid his master’s money. When the master returned, he took the one talent away and gave it to the one who had ten, and the servant was left with nothing. This teaches us that after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us spiritual gifts. Although the gifts given to each person differ in measure, the Lord requires only one thing—that we trade with what we have and gain more. In other words, we must diligently exercise the gifts we have received. This exercise of spiritual gifts is what it means to sell the oil. And why do we sell the oil? To repay the debt .  Brothers and sisters, the people around us are our creditors. Look at our neighbors— many still do not believe in Jesus. Some families among us still have unsaved members. We owe them the debt of the gospel, and we must sell the oil to repay it. In our cities, millions of souls are still unsaved; even more in remote places. How great is the need for us to sell the oil and repay the debt of the gospel. Among believers, many are sick and need our prayers; many are spiritually weak and need our help; many have stopped gathering and need our visitation, support, and restoration. Should we let them drift away on their own? These needs are placed before us, waiting for us to repay our debts. Can we still harden our hearts, caring only for ourselves and ignoring them? How do we repay the debt? By selling the oil. When we exercise our spiritual gifts to serve these people in need, we are selling the oil and repaying what we owe. If we do not do this, the work of the Holy Spirit will stop. We must sell the oil and repay the debt. There was a young brother who attended a summer conference where the Holy Spirit was richly poured out upon him, bringing a great spiritual turning point. After returning home, he said he needed to sell the oil and repay the debt. That very day, he exercised his gift and ministered to his family, laying hands on them and praying. As a result, his family members were also baptized in the Spirit, and the whole household rejoiced greatly. Concerning the gifts of the Spirit, the first part of 1 Corinthians 12 lists nine spiritual gifts: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are all distributed by the Spirit as He wills. When a person is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, it is very natural for him to receive a portion of spiritual gifting. If we continue to use these gifts, we will be like the servants who received five and two talents—the more we trade, the more we gain. The more we exercise our gifts, the more skillful and enlarged we become. But if we do not use the gifts we have received, we will be like the servant who hid his one talent in the ground. Not only will the talent be taken away, but we ourselves will suffer loss. To strengthen our faith and encourage us to use the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, Paul, after listing the nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, immediately says: “ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free... ” (1 Cor. 12:13). This means that the result of being baptized in the Spirit is that we become one Body. Each of us is a member, and we must live out the testimony of the Body of Christ. A crucial key to this is that every member must exercise his or her spiritual gifts. Therefore, Paul continues by saying… “much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” (1 Cor. 12:22). This means that every gift each person receives is extremely important. We must never despise the smaller gifts. Not only so, Paul goes on to say, “And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty” (1 Cor. 12:23). This shows how earnestly the Lord desires that every member value the gift he or she has received. We must never belittle our own gift as insignificant and therefore neglect it or leave it unused. May these words stir us to exercise our spiritual gifts so that we may sell the oil and repay the debt. There was a brother who served the Lord and who, on this occasion, was greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. I encouraged him to sell the oil and repay the debt—to make full use of the spiritual gifts he had received. He obeyed the Lord’s leading and actively exercised his gifts. Previously, he had no interest in preaching the gospel. Whenever gospel was mentioned, he felt no burden at all; he preferred spiritual pursuits such as prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship. But recently, he has been leading brothers and sisters to preach the gospel on Saturdays, preaching again on Sundays, and even going out to visit people. Thank the Lord—he is now actively using his gifts, and using them in many different ways. On one occasion, when we were helping brothers and sisters by laying on of hands, I invited him to come and join us. Wanting to exercise his gift, he stepped forward and laid hands on a sister. Immediately, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon her in a powerful way—she began speaking in tongues and praying. Praise the Lord! Another afternoon, a sister’s young child suddenly fell ill with a fever. He went to visit them and, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, commanded the sickness to leave, laying hands on the child and praying. A few hours later, the fever truly subsided. Thank the Lord! This is what it means to sell the oil and repay the debt—to use one’s spiritual gifts to serve those in need. I sincerely hope that every person here will rise up to exercise your gifts and minister to others. Although our goal is not merely to do work, the Holy Spirit must have full authority among us. The gifts He distributes to each member of the Body of Christ must be exercised. When everyone fulfills their function, the testimony of the Body of Christ can grow and take shape. Just as our physical body must move—hands must work, feet must walk—so that the body may be strong, in the same way, since we have been baptized by the Spirit into one Body, we must diligently use our spiritual gifts. This is what it means to sell the oil and repay the debt. The church must use all kinds of spiritual gifts to repay the debt of the gospel to sinners, and to repay the debt of service and supply to the saints. In short, we must sell the oil and repay the debt—only then can the church maintain revival. Living on the Rest There is one more thing. Elisha said to the wife of the prophet’s disciple, “And you and your sons live on the rest.” What does “the rest” mean? It refers to the Holy Spirit who never leaves us, who remains within us, the indwelling Spirit of truth who abides with us forever (John 14:16–17). The aged apostle John called “the anointing which abides in you” (1 John 2:27). To “live on the rest” means to live daily under the teaching of the anointing. For example, in eating and drinking, in daily routines, in how we treat people, in our living, our work, our gatherings, and our service—everything is regulated by the teaching of the anointing. If He prompts you to cook, you cook. If He leads you to buy certain groceries, you buy them. If He urges you to wash clothes, you wash them. If He directs you to do a certain task, you do it. If He moves you to visit someone or preach the gospel, you go and do it. To follow the anointing in all things—this is what it means to "live on the rest". Of course, the scope of the anointing’s teaching is vast and comprehensive. It teaches us “in all things,” and therefore it is sufficient for us to live by for our entire life. Thank the Lord. During our recent time in the Southern region, we had meetings almost every night. Because the electricity supply there was weak, the larger fluorescent lights were difficult to turn on. So each evening, before anyone turned on the lights, we would switch on the power early while the electricity was still stable, so that all the lights in the meeting hall could come on. One afternoon, we turned on the switch, but one of the lights did not turn on. I said to a brother, “What should we do? We don’t know how to fix it." We really hope that a certain young brother could come—he knows a little about electrical things. While we were speaking about this young brother, he walked through the door. I said, “What a coincidence—you came at just the right time.” He replied that while he was at home, the Lord moved him to come to the meeting hall. He asked the Lord, “What am I going to the hall for?” The Lord simply said, “Just go.” He arrived precisely when we needed him to repair the light. Very quickly he fixed it. He rejoiced, and we rejoiced with him. By obeying the anointing, he experienced the living guidance of the Lord—so satisfying, so sweet. We who watched were also encouraged and strengthened. Brothers and sisters, from morning to evening every day, we must obey the anointing’s teaching in every matter. Especially after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, if we are not faithful in this, the outpouring of the Spirit may gradually lose its effect. The messages in these days have emphasized how to walk forward in a practical, grounded way. On one hand, after receiving the outpouring and fullness of the Spirit, we must sell the oil and repay the debt—diligently exercising our gifts to serve the brothers and sisters and the sinners around us. On the other hand, we must also live on the rest —faithfully following the inward teaching of the anointing in our daily conduct. This is what makes a Christian steady, balanced, and truly spiritual. Then the fire of revival will not die out; instead, it will burn hotter and brighter—until that day. <-- Part 3-2 Part 3-4 -->

Bible Reading: Hosea 7:8 — "Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned ." Ephesians 5:18 — "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" Colossians 3:16 — "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 — " Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies." Acts 6:4 — " but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Ephesians 6:17-18 — "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." The Path the Lord Walks Today Before we share the message, we would like to give a brief explanation. Last night a brother asked that in these days the Holy Spirit has been poured out among us and has filled us. If this continues, what difference is there between us and the Pentecostal groups or various charismatic movements? For they also receive the outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit, and they actively preach this truth. Are we not becoming the same as these groups? For the sake of the road ahead, we feel we should give some clarification. Therefore, at the beginning we want to offer a brief explanation before we fellowship on this morning’s message. This time, our increased attention to the matter of the Holy Spirit is entirely based on the Word of God. Our consistent attitude has always been this: whatever is in the Bible, we fully accept; whatever is not in the Bible, we completely reject. Everything that is in the Scriptures—not only the literal words, but especially the spiritual meaning expressed through the literal facts—we must receive and make it our experience, so that we may reach God’s purpose. In past days, the message and experience concerning the outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit have been overly neglected in the church. Therefore, this time may be considered a recovery, a returning to make up what has been lacking. It is the marvelous leading of the Holy Spirit, the timely shepherding of the Lord, guiding us to receive the outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit. In this matter, there is nothing special about us. Just as the Lord’s disciples Peter and John experienced it, just as Paul experienced it, and just as the saints throughout the generations experienced it, we also experience it in the same way. As far as the experience itself is concerned, there is no difference at all—it is entirely the same. Take salvation as an example. Today, among the many Christian groups we see, every group has genuine Christians within it. They believe in the precious blood of Jesus and receive the redemption of the Lord Jesus. No matter which group they belong to, the fact of their salvation is exactly the same as the fact of our salvation—the only difference is the place where they gather. Or take baptism as another example. Many Christian groups today practice immersion baptism, and we also practice immersion baptism. As far as the experience of baptism is concerned—being united with the Lord in His death, burial, and resurrection—the way they experience it is the same way we experience it. It is identical. We earnestly hope that all of God’s people on earth may experience the full salvation revealed in the Scriptures, without distinction, all receiving the same grace. This is our heart. And we truly hope that the experience of the Holy Spirit will also be the same—that all Christians on earth may receive the outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit, walk together on the path of the cross, pursue the goal which is Christ, and reach the full stature of Christ. Therefore, it is not that we intentionally want to establish another group, nor that we deliberately want to be different from others. We hope that all Christians in the whole world may receive the same grace, be brought into one in Christ, be brought into one in the Holy Spirit, and together bear a unified testimony in the one Body of Christ. Truly, nothing could be more beautiful or more satisfying to God than this. This is the heart we bear. As to whether this can be achieved—that is entirely the Lord’s matter. The reason it is so difficult to reach this goal today is mainly because some groups insist stubbornly on certain teachings, and some groups have taken an extreme path, going beyond the teaching of Christ. In such conditions, it becomes difficult to bear a unified testimony. Today the church may have thousands of gatherings on earth, yet their nature ought to be the same and their goal the same—that all are led by the Lord, allowing Christ to be the Head, giving the Holy Spirit the authority, and building up the Body of Christ. Setting aside for the moment those groups that reject the filling of the Holy Spirit, even among the groups that do receive the Spirit’s filling, there are differences. Some have received a particular commission, emphasizing divine healing and evangelism. God indeed uses them, and we wholeheartedly praise the Lord for that. Yet they often remain within that segment of experience and do not continue forward toward God’s eternal purpose and His eternal will. Naturally, they stay where they are, and God uses them within that limited sphere to carry out His limited intention. There are others who, out of prejudice, form another group and claim to be the only true church—believing that apart from the early church at Pentecost, they alone are the church throughout all ages and all lands, denying every other church. Their workers do the same: all the workers in the world are not counted, and only their small number are considered the Lord’s servants. Such groups, having taken an extreme path, are truly difficult for anyone to follow. Our heart, however, is to include all Christians — whether Spirit‑baptized or not Spirit‑baptized. As long as they are born again and saved, they are brothers and sisters. We gather together, break bread together, and move forward together. Yet we also hope that the salvation God reveals in the Scriptures, the salvation He desires us to receive, may be experienced by all of us together. Therefore, we help those who have not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit to receive the filling; we help those who have not yet walked the way of the cross to walk the way of the cross together. This is our desire16—not a restriction, not a boundary, and certainly not a regulation. Our measure should include all Christians. This is our attitude. This is the path the Lord is taking today among His people. God Requires Us to be Balanced Christians Now we return to our main subject. This morning is the final meeting of this conference. In the past three evenings we have spoken about the further experiences of the Holy Spirit after His outpouring and filling. This morning we will speak on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Before presenting the main topic, we must first let the brothers and sisters know that God requires us to be balanced. The verse we just read, Hosea 7:8, says: “Ephraim is a cake unturned.” We all know that a cake must be baked on both sides before it can be eaten. It cannot be burnt on one side while the other side remains raw. The meaning is that it must be balanced. In the same way, a Christian, in the lifelong journey of following the Lord, must not lean toward only one kind or category of experience, becoming extreme and losing balance. For example, suppose my two hands—if my right hand is constantly exercised and becomes strong and well‑developed, while my left hand, lacking exercise, becomes thin and weak — such a sight would be quite unattractive. Or if my two legs were of different lengths, my walking would always be unnatural. Or if my eyes—one were larger than the other —it would look uncomfortable. Or if one of my ears were whole and the other deformed, it would also appear unpleasant. Likewise, if a Christian does not have a balanced life, whether from God’s view or from man’s view, he cannot bear a beautiful testimony. A Christian who desires to move forward in a balanced way must first maintain balance in two matters: the Holy Spirit and the Bible — that is, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. These two must receive equal and balanced attention. In the past hundred years, although many Christians have placed considerable emphasis on the side of God’s Word—gaining much knowledge of the Scriptures, producing many writings, and offering much teaching, so that there has been much to read and much to hear—yet the side of the Holy Spirit has been greatly neglected, resulting in extreme lack of experience. Thus, a group of Christians has emerged who are hearers of the Word only, even becoming those who can hear but cannot do, Christians in name but lacking reality. On the other hand, in recent decades, some Christians have seen the preciousness of the Holy Spirit and have actively received the outpouring and filling of the Spirit, continually focusing on the Spirit. Yet they have neglected to be rooted in the Word of God, and thus have gone down another extreme path. Therefore, this morning we must address the matter of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and the need to hold both in balanced emphasis. God’s way of working is through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God First, we must see that God carries out His work through His Spirit and His Word. Throughout the entire Bible we see that God uses two means to accomplish His will: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is the Word of God. God completes His work by means of His Spirit and His Word. Creation We can look at this matter beginning from creation. The opening of Genesis chapter one says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep.” What could be done in such a situation? It continues, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” This is the very first action God took in His work of creation. Concerning the earth that had undergone judgment, this was the work of re‑creation. And the first step was that the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. Then it records, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Here, “God said” is the second step. First the Holy Spirit moved; then God spoke. When the word came forth, the thing was accomplished. From God’s work in creation, we can clearly see that on the one hand God uses His Spirit, and on the other hand He also uses His word to complete His work. Redemption After humanity fell, God had to prepare redemption. And in the work of redemption, we again see that God uses these two means. When God sent His Son to the earth, the Gospel of Matthew records that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. The Son of God came into the world through the Holy Spirit— it was the Holy Spirit who conceived the child in the virgin Mary. But the Gospel of John records, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” Matthew says that the Holy Spirit conceived and that the Son was born from Mary— that the Holy Spirit put on flesh. John, however, says that the Word became flesh. From this we see that in the work of redemption, God uses the Holy Spirit on the one hand, and His word on the other. When we say the Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that is correct; and when we say He was born of the Word, that is also correct. For in accomplishing His work, God operates through the Holy Spirit on one side, and through His word on the other. When the Lord Jesus completed redemption on the cross, Hebrews tells us that He “through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God.” This means that the Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, was nailed to the cross and accomplished redemption. But on the other hand, the four Gospels record that Jesus said, “It is finished.” And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Thus redemption was accomplished. Concerning the completion of redemption on the cross, Hebrews says it was accomplished through the Holy Spirit, while the Gospels record that it was accomplished through His word. Man's Born Again For Christ’s redemption to be applied to us and become our experience, it likewise comes through the Holy Spirit and the word of God. The very first step of our Christian experience of salvation is being born again. John 3:3 says, “ Unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ” Verse 5 continues, “ Unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ” From this we see that born again is brought about by the Holy Spirit. Yet 1 Peter tells us something further: “You have been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.” Here it says that born again comes through God’s living word. These passages are both correct and do not contradict each other. God uses these two means to accomplish His work. Therefore, our salvation is the Holy Spirit giving us birth, and it is also God’s word giving us birth. Lacking either one would be impossible. Shepherding Believers After we are saved, the Lord’s way of shepherding us is no exception. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.” The “green pastures” symbolize God’s word, because grass is the food of sheep, and the food of Christians is the word of God. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “O Lord God of hosts, Your words were found, and I ate them.” When sheep are led by the shepherd to green pastures and be filled, it signifies Christians being nourished and satisfied by enjoying God’s word. On the other hand, the sheep are also led beside still waters. “Water” symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Drinking freely and fully brings rest. A sheep cannot survive by eating grass only and does not drink water. Likewise, a Christian who only listens to messages but has no experience of the Holy Spirit cannot live as a vibrant Christian. Conversely, if the sheep are given water to drink but no grass to eat, they also cannot live. In the same way, a Christian who is often filled with the Holy Spirit but doesn't experience God’s word will also be weak, empty, and spiritually emaciated, unable to live. Our Lord Jesus, the good Shepherd who laid down His life for us, leads us forward as His flock by feeding us with His word on the one hand and supplying us with His Spirit on the other, guiding us along a level path. Brothers and sisters, I do not know whether in these days you have experienced both sides. Perhaps you read many spiritual books and have read the Bible to some extent, but if you have not been filled with the Holy Spirit, then you may be in the green pastures yet lacking the still waters. Or perhaps you are often anointed and filled with the Spirit, yet you neglect God’s word and do not spend time in the Bible to receive spiritual food—then you are missing the green pastures. We must have both in balance; this is the way God shepherds us. Guiding Believers Exodus 13:21–22 says, “ And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” The Israelites’ journey through the wilderness into Canaan is a picture of Christians walking a heavenly path toward the fullness of Christ. The Israelites walked the wilderness road by following the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. The pillar of cloud symbolizes the Holy Spirit; the pillar of fire symbolizes God’s word. These two are the means by which the Lord leads Christians throughout their entire life on His way. Therefore, Christians must diligently understand the Lord’s will through the Scriptures, and also hear His voice through the Holy Spirit. Ask yourself: in these days, have you experienced the Lord’s word guiding you? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit teaching you? If you and I have neither the instruction of the Spirit nor the guidance of God’s word in Scripture, then we are not walking in the Lord’s way. For the Israelites in the wilderness, whenever the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire moved forward, anyone who refused to follow would be left behind and eventually die in the wilderness. Only by continually following the cloud and the fire could they reach the good land of Canaan. Likewise, a Christian who does not receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s word cannot reach the fullness of Christ, but will become a defeated believer—one who falls in the wilderness. Brothers and sisters, may we not treat this as an old, familiar saying that goes in one ear and out the other. Rather, let us engrave it on our hearts, staying watchful and careful to be led by the Holy Spirit and by God’s word. In the seven letters of Revelation, the Lord warns the churches to pay attention to one thing: never carry a name without reality, never lose spiritual substance. If there is doctrine without experience, repentance is needed. The Lord preserved the aged apostle John for the purpose of recovering the desolate church and restoring spiritual reality. When he wrote 1 John, he began with, “ That which was from the beginning....c oncerning the Word of life ” He did not say, “concerning Jesus Christ,” because when the Lord Jesus becomes our experience, He becomes our life. So John continues, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled. ” In the last days, what must be recovered is spiritual reality, not merely doctrine. We must ask: in these days, how many times has God’s word—Scripture—been your pillar of fire? We long to hear from your testimony how God’s word has guided you. For example, before I came to the Philippines this time, I kept asking the Lord what message He wanted me to bring. Please do not think that a worker can easily preach whatever he wishes; it is not that simple. Although I had prepared a series of messages, I felt no inward assurance. So I prepared another message, yet still felt no clarity. Then, one week before my departure, on the morning I was to speak at a retreat, just as I was about to read the Bible, God’s word came: I was to speak on “The Fire of Revival” in the Philippines. Immediately the Scriptures concerning the fire of revival—from the Old Testament to the New—began to shine. I became clear and assured within: God wanted me to speak on “The Fire of Revival” on this trip. This is an example of being guided by the pillar of fire. On the other hand, we must also continually receive the Holy Spirit’s teaching. From morning to evening each day, the anointing teaches us in all things. If in the past month you have not followed the teaching of the anointing, then spiritually you have remained in the same place for a month. We walk the Lord’s way by following both the revelation of Scripture and the Spirit throughout our whole life. There are countless examples of the anointing’s teaching. For instance, during a prayer meeting, when the Holy Spirit moves you and you pray out loud, that is one act of obedience to the Spirit. Or suppose we have an gospel meeting at the beginning of the month, and the Holy Spirit tells you to bring a certain classmate, or a certain gentleman, or a certain lady to attend—and you go and bring them. That is following the teaching of the anointing; that is being led by the Holy Spirit. To set the saints free and transcendent Not only so, for a Christian to be free and transcendent, the Lord also releases us through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. John 8:32 says, “The truth will set you free.” Of course, “truth” refers to the Lord Jesus, yet in another sense it also refers to God’s Word in the Bible. When God’s Word comes, it brings us into freedom. On the other hand, 2 Corinthians 3:17 also tells us, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom .” The Spirit of the Lord is the Holy Spirit. When He comes, He releases us from the bondage of the flesh and from earthly constraints. The Lord’s Word makes us free, transcendent, and victorious; likewise, the Lord’s Spirit also makes us free, transcendent, and victorious. Cleansing the Church The sanctification of the Church is the same. Ephesians 5 says, “To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ” (Eph. 5:26–27). Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit or life. The “word” refers to God’s Word. This means that the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, enlightens us, burns away what is impure, washes us, cleanses us, and removes every spot, wrinkle, and stain until we are made completely holy. Dear brothers and sisters, sometimes we receive the Spirit’s enlightenment through listening to messages or testimonies. Yet even more importantly, we must read God’s Word for ourselves, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us again through the Scriptures. In this way, we are washed with water through the Word. For example, perhaps we have no interest in serving, and we are idle and unfruitful. One day, while reading the Scriptures, we come to Romans 12, and suddenly a verse comes with power: “Do not be slothful in zeal, but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). You are deeply enlightened, and you pray, “Lord, forgive my coldness. Remove my corruption. Deliver me from laziness. Make my spirit fervent to serve You.” As a result, your coldness, laziness, selfishness, and disobedience—your spots and wrinkles—are cleansed away. In this way, the Lord, by His Spirit through the Word of Scripture, cleanses the Church again and again, repeatedly and continually, until the Church becomes holy and without blemish. Reviving the Church Let us take the revival of the Church as another example. The Lord also works through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Today many Christians hold a mistaken concept, thinking that we  can work for the Lord. Yet after serving for a short while, they find themselves exhausted and unwilling to continue. Or at best, they force themselves to serve by sheer willpower. Here we must understand that all spiritual work is done by the Holy Spirit Himself, and it is God who accomplishes His work by speaking. In spiritual matters, human hands cannot intervene; man is absolutely powerless. If this is so, does man then have no responsibility? No—man still has a responsibility: to believe and to obey. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He said, “The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). Whenever God speaks, the work is accomplished, and the Church is revived. On the other hand, God also works through the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit enlightens, He causes people to be convicted concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and they come alive and are revived. At times, when the Spirit grants revelation and shows you the beauty of the Lord, you run after Him. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is poured out upon believers, bringing revival. We must believe in God’s Word and also believe in the work of the Holy Spirit; then we will surely see God’s activity and the manifestation of His glory. At the same time, we must obey what God speaks and obey the voice of the Spirit. In this way, the Lord will display His glorious works. Ezekiel records several visions concerning the revival of God’s people. Whether it is the river that causes everything dry to live again, or the breath that brings the dry bones back to life, both symbolize the work of the Holy Spirit. The river represents the Spirit’s work; the breath also represents the Spirit’s work—God’s act of revival. On the other hand, when God’s Word goes forth, it likewise brings revival, for “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” To be raised from the dead is the greatest revival. Thus we see that God revives His work through the Holy Spirit and through His Word. Bearing Witness to Christ Today the Lord keeps us on earth so that we may be His witnesses, and He leads us through the Holy Spirit and His Word. John 15:26 says, “ When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.. ” Brothers and sisters, when we were still sinners, the Holy Spirit came to convict us concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. He brought us to the Lord Jesus and continually revealed Christ to us—showing us that He is the Son of God, the Savior, and unveiling His glory, victory, beauty, and greatness. He draws us again and again, causing us to run after Him, worship Him, and serve Him. All these are works of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3 says, “That He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Eph. 3:16–17). This refers to our receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When we are filled within, our inner man is strengthened, and Christ begins to rule within us, bringing us under His lordship. This too is the Holy Spirit bearing witness to Christ. Galatians 5 further shows us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are all the very expressions of Christ when He was on earth. When we are filled with the Spirit, the Spirit produces this fruit in us so that we may live out the image of Christ. This also is the Holy Spirit bearing witness to Christ. On the other hand, in John 5:39 the Lord Jesus says, “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” Thus, God’s Word—the Bible—also bears witness to Christ. We know that the Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament introduces Christ. Through its history, types, and poetry, it portrays Christ and prepares the way for His coming. The New Testament reveals Christ. The four Gospels speak of Christ incarnate and His accomplished redemption. Acts speaks of the ascended Christ continuing His work on earth through the Holy Spirit. The Epistles speak of how Christ becomes our life, growing, forming, and being constituted in us through the cross. Revelation speaks of the full testimony of Christ—His complete manifestation. Thus, the entire Bible, the Word of God, bears witness to Christ. God Requires the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to Hold a Balanced and Supreme Place Among the Saints From all the points mentioned above, it is not difficult for us to understand that God carries out His work through the Holy Spirit and through His Word. Therefore, the entire Bible also shows us that God requires the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to hold a balanced and fully superior place among the saints. Being Filled with the Holy Spirit and Filled with the Word of God The verse we read earlier in Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Since God intends to accomplish His work in us through the Holy Spirit—and to bring it to fullness—He commands us to be filled with the Spirit. On the other hand, God also uses His Word to complete His work in us. Therefore, Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” This means we must come before God, open our hearts, and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, while at the same time seriously allowing God’s Word to equip us inwardly. On one hand, we are to be filled with the Spirit; on the other hand, we are also to be filled with the Word of God. By speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with hearts full of grace, we praise and sing to God (Eph. 5:18–19; Col. 3:16). The Moving of the Holy Spirit and the Prophetic Word For the edification of believers, 1 Thessalonians 5:19–20 says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt.” This means that God requires us as believers to honor the Holy Spirit and give Him His rightful place; likewise, we must honor the prophetic speaking, giving God’s Word the same place as the Holy Spirit. For prophetic speaking is the expression of God’s Word. We must receive guidance from both sides in a balanced way, so that we may be built up in a well-rounded manner. The Most Holy Faith and Praying in the Holy Spirit To enable us to stand firm in an ungodly generation, Jude 20 says, “ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit ” Being built up on the most holy faith is to give God’s Word its rightful place. Praying in the Holy Spirit is to give the Holy Spirit an outlet. When both the Word and the Spirit are given their proper place, we experience them working together in a balanced way. Prayer and the Ministry of the Word When the apostles sought to work together with God and fulfill their ministry to the Lord, they said in Acts 6:4, “And will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. ” Prayer signifies being brought by the Lord to a point where we no longer rely on our own methods or abilities, but serve and fulfill our ministry solely by the Holy Spirit. Thus Zechariah 4:6 says, “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” The ministry of the Word, on the other hand, signifies serving and fulfilling our ministry by means of God’s Word. Therefore Luke 1:37 says, “ For no word from God will ever fail. ” This means that when the word that comes from God is proclaimed, the power that accompanies it also goes forth. Thus, devoting ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word shows that both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God must be given a balanced and superior place. The Sword of the Spirit and Praying in the Spirit Brothers and sisters, the Bible place the Holy Spirit and the Word of God before us in perfect balance—even spiritual warfare is no exception. Ephesians 6:17–18 says, “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests .” On the spiritual battlefield, if we are to overcome the devil, we must put on the whole armor of God. This includes taking up the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God—and praying at all times in the Spirit. This shows how crucial the balanced place of both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God is in spiritual warfare. We have briefly shared the importance of maintaining this balance between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. May the Lord lead us to value and experience both the Spirit and the Word in a balanced way, so that He may guide us steadily and securely to continue walking on the path of His revival, pressing on toward the goal, which is Christ Himself. <-- Part 3-3

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-22 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were fromJericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. Then they said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send anyone.” But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.” And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have [c]healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ” So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. The Lord Grants the Double Portion of the Spirit to Equip Vessels for this Age Tonight we will speak about the double portion of the Spirit  and the way of the cross . The double portion of the Spirit that Elisha received is a foreshadowing of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament age—being filled with the Spirit. The phrase “double portion of the Spirit” (or “two-fold Spirit”) refers to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is not merely a small measure, but the Spirit richly and abundantly poured out upon us (Titus 3:6), enabling us to receive Him in fullness. This evening, using Elisha’s receiving of the double portion as our backdrop, we will consider how to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and how we should continue to move forward after receiving Him. The passage we just read from the first half of 2 Kings chapter 2 is sometimes used to describe the four stages of spiritual life. Because it mentions four stations—Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan—some interpret these as symbolic of four phases in a Christian’s experience, showing how one gradually grows and reaches spiritual fullness. But tonight, our message focuses on the double portion of the Spirit. First, we should know that the Lord gives us the double portion of the Spirit so that we may become vessels equipped to meet the needs of this age. Throughout the entire Bible, we see that in every era God raises up a group of people to meet the needs of that particular time. Sometimes they were judges, sometimes prophets, and at other times kings—each appointed to address the unique needs of their generation. Elisha as a Type of the Overcoming Church During the era of the kings, God raised up Elisha to succeed Elijah and to meet the needs of that generation. Elijah typifies the ascended Christ, while Elisha represents the Church—Christ’s testimony on earth—or, more specifically, the overcomers who inherit Christ’s ministry on earth to meet the needs of the age. Just as Elisha continued Elijah’s work and addressed the needs of his time, so also, after Christ ascended, He raised up an overcoming Church to walk with God, to bring in the kingdom of God, and to bear witness to Christ, meeting the needs of every generation. The Sons of the Prophets Could Not Meet the Need of the Age In the time of the kings, Elisha was certainly not the only one who feared the Lord. There were many sons of the prophets as well. When Elisha was walking with Elijah, the sons of the prophets came out at Bethel. They were well‑versed in Scripture, and their spiritual condition was not bad. They were seekers, genuinely interested in spiritual ministry, which is why they devoted themselves to becoming disciples of the prophets. When they met Elisha, they immediately said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master from you?” This shows that they not only possessed considerable biblical knowledge, but also had a keen spiritual sensitivity. When Elijah and Elisha arrived at Jericho, the sons of the prophets there came out and said the same thing regarding the Lord taking Elijah. And at the final station, the Jordan, yet another group of sons of the prophets came out and repeated the same message. All of this indicates that they were familiar with Scripture and spiritually perceptive — people who feared the Lord, pursued spiritual growth, and were willing to devote their lives to serving Him. Yet the Bible tells us that these sons of the prophets were not the ones who met the need of their generation. Elisha Received the Double Portion of the Spirit to Meet the Need of His Time Although Elisha’s knowledge of Scripture was not necessarily greater than that of the sons of the prophets, and his natural abilities or learning were not necessarily superior to theirs, the fact remains that among all those prophetic disciples, the Lord did not use them to meet the need of that generation. Only Elisha was raised up by the Lord to address the need of his time. What made the difference?Where lay the distinction? It was this: Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, whereas the sof the prophets did not. Because they did not receive the double portion, they were unable to meet the need of the age. But Elisha—having received the double portion—was able to inherit Elijah’s ministry and meet the need of his generation. From this we see that the coming of the double portion of the Spirit is for the purpose of raising up vessels who can meet the need of the age. In the same way today, the Lord pours out His Spirit richly upon us so that He may raise us up as vessels who can meet the needs of this present time. If, after receiving the double portion of the Spirit, we become proud, self‑exalting, self‑satisfied, or complacent, that would be the height of foolishness. Rather, we must recognize that receiving the double portion is for the sake of God’s commission. Especially in these last days, when the return of the Lord Jesus is near, we must not neglect the need of God’s work. His outpouring of the double portion of the Spirit is His call—His summons—for a group of Elishas to rise up as instruments in His hand. Perhaps among us there are many “sons of the prophets,” yet God is not satisfied with that. He desires to call us, to raise us up as Elishas, for only those who carry the double portion of the Spirit can meet the need of this generation. The Double Portion of the Spirit Strengthens Our Accurate Relationship With the Holy Spirit What, then, is the connection between God giving us the double portion of the Spirit and our ability to meet the need of the age? The most fundamental work of the double portion of the Spirit is to strengthen an accurate relationship between us and the Lord. In every case, God requires that each Christian establish a definite, precise, and God‑pleasing relationship with the Lord Jesus. To fullfill this, Elijah waited until Elisha’s relationship with him was fully aligned and accurate before the double portion of the Spirit was given. This signifies that the double portion of the Spirit is meant to confirm and strengthen our accurate relationship with the Lord. Today, if we desire to receive the double portion of the Spirit, the Lord has a deeper and lasting intention for us. He must first adjust us so that our relationship with the Lord becomes accurate and fully in accordance with His heart. Now, by looking at the key points in how Elijah led Elisha into an accurate relationship with him, we will see how the Lord likewise leads us into an accurate relationship with Himself. Called by the Lord The first point is this: we must clearly know that we have been called by the Lord. In 1 Kings 19:19–21, when Elijah came to find Elisha, Elisha was plowing with the twelfth pair of oxen. Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha—this signifies being called by the Lord, receiving the seal of the Holy Spirit, and being counted righteous by God. This was the first relationship established between Elisha and Elijah, and it is likewise the first relationship between us and the Lord. Brothers and sisters, we must be clear: Do we truly know our identity as those called by the Lord? Hebrews 3 tells us that we are “holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling.” Therefore, we are a heavenly people (Phil. 3:20), called to live daily as heavenly men and women, walking a heavenly path, setting our minds on things above (Col. 3:2). On earth we are but strangers and pilgrims (Heb. 11:13). This is the position of our calling, and it corresponds to the relationship between Elisha and Elijah. We must adjust ourselves to this relationship; only then does the coming of the double portion of the Spirit have true meaning. Before the double portion of the Spirit comes upon us, the Lord must train us to have an accurate relationship with Him. Thus, a clear experience of being called by the Lord is the starting point. Following the Lord Wholeheartedly The second point is to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. When Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said to Elisha, “The Lord has sent me to Bethel; stay here.” But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Whether at Bethel or Jericho, Elisha responded to Elijah in exactly the same way: “I will not leave you.” Three times in a row he declared, “I will not leave you.” Step after step, stage after stage, Elisha’s attitude toward Elijah never changed: “I will not leave you.” This is what it means to follow the Lord with an undivided heart. Beloved brothers and sisters, we too must take Christ as our goal and our everything, following Him single‑mindedly. Unfortunately, many Christians begin with great zeal and lofty aspirations to follow the Lord Jesus, but after a few years they gradually grow cold, discouraged, or even stop following altogether. I have often seen many young brothers and sisters dedicate themselves to the Lord during summer conferences, expressing their desire to follow Jesus for their whole lives. Yet within three to five years, they disappear from view. They followed the Lord only for a portion of the journey. I am not saying they will never return to follow Him again, but their path is not like Elisha’s—who followed at every stage, through every stretch of the road, until the very end. When all the adult Israelites who came out of Egypt fell in the wilderness, only Caleb and Joshua entered Canaan. The difference lay entirely in the fact that Caleb and Joshua had a different spirit  and followed the Lord wholeheartedly (Numbers 14:24). This is the very measure Elijah continually trained Elisha to reach, and it is also the Lord’s leading for us today. Being Governed by the Vision of the Ascended Christ As Elisha continued following Elijah forward, they crossed the Jordan River. In the typology of the spiritual journey, this is a major milestone, signifying the cross. But our focus here is on the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, so we must look further ahead. Eventually Elijah said to Elisha, “Before I am taken from you, tell me what you would have me do for you.” Elisha answered, “Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” Elijah replied, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be yours.” From that moment on, Elisha fixed his eyes solely on Elijah. He no longer looked at any other person, matter, object, or circumstance. In other words, his gaze became single—set entirely upon the Lord Jesus. Seeing the Ascended Elijah From a geographical perspective, Jericho is a place of beautiful mountains and flowing waters, a land of pleasant scenery. Had Elisha lingered over the earthly beauty before him, Elijah would have ascended to heaven — and Elisha would have missed it. This shows that Elisha paid a price to follow Elijah. In biblical terms, he regarded the world as refuse in order to gain Christ. As a result, when Elijah was taken up, Elisha saw it. While they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. When Elisha saw it, he cried out, “My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” In the end, he truly saw the ascended Elijah. In spiritual meaning, this is to see the ascended Christ. In other words, the Lord Jesus leads us with the ultimate purpose that we may behold the ascended Christ—that we may be governed by the vision of the ascended Christ. Sooner or later, the Lord will bring us to this point. He will adjust our relationship with Him until we reach this state: being controlled by the vision of the ascended Christ. Only then is our relationship with Him accurate. When the vision of the ascended Christ governs us, the course of our entire life becomes settled. Dear brothers and sisters, when Elisha saw the ascended Elijah, Elijah then let his mantle fall upon him. The mantle signifies the double portion of the Spirit. In other words, when Christ ascended, He poured out the Spirit in fullness upon the church. After receiving the double portion of the Spirit, Elisha did not disobey the heavenly vision. His entire life was lived under the government of that vision. Empowered by the double portion of the Spirit, he remained faithful to the commission, fulfilled his ministry, and completed his course. If the Lord has mercy on us, He will surely lead us along this same path. He will open the eyes of our inner being to behold the ascended Christ, to be governed by His heavenly vision, to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill our ministry, and to meet the need of this age. Tearing His Own Garment When Elisha saw Elijah being taken up into heaven, he tore his own clothes into two pieces. Garments symbolize human righteousness, human conduct, and everything that comes from man’s natural life. Elisha tore them apart. Before the vision of Christ, a person must fall down; the self must be completely torn away. One sees that he is nothing, that he deserves death. This is the result of seeing the vision of the ascended Christ. When Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the high and exalted throne, he cried, “Woe is me! I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:1–5). It was not someone else who was undone—it was Isaiah himself. “For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Before the vision of the ascended Christ, a person must fall down, loathe himself, and judge himself. Such a person cannot stand up again. Paul experienced the same. On the road to Damascus, when he saw the ascended Christ, he fell to the ground and for three days and nights neither ate nor drank. The apostle John was no exception. On the island of Patmos, when he saw the Son of Man walking among the lampstands, he fell at His feet as though dead. This is the condition of one who has seen the vision and is governed by the ascended Christ. Receiving the Fullness of the Holy Spirit When a Christian is brought by the Lord into a vision, from that day on he becomes a person of prayer. For he realizes that apart from the Lord he can do nothing. He sees that whatever comes out from himself is corruption; all he can do is tear his garments in two and repent in dust and ashes. Therefore, he can only pray—letting the Lord work, asking the Lord to carry out His work. Brothers and sisters, anyone who is governed by a vision is inevitably a praying person, and also one who falls prostrate before the Lord. At this moment Elisha rose up and picked up the mantle that had fallen from Elijah. This signifies that from that moment on, he received the double portion of the Spirit—the fullness of the Holy Spirit—and from then he began to fulfill his ministry. This is also how the Lord leads us into a proper relationship with Him: under the governing vision of the ascended Christ, we receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit. Elisha Received the Double Portion of the Spirit and Walked the Way of the Cross After Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, the central characteristic of his entire life’s journey was to walk the way of the cross. Once he received the double portion, he stepped onto a path that was more difficult, more rugged, and one that led him into a deeper experience of the cross. From the Scriptures we see that from the very day Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, every miracle he performed was a foreshadowing of the cross. In other words, he experienced the cross again and again, continually walking the way of the cross. Healing the Waters of Jericho Now let us look at the first miracle Elisha performed—the healing of the waters of Jericho. The Scripture we read tells us that the waters of Jericho were bad, and the land miscarried its fruit. They may have planted many kinds of fruit trees, vegetables, grains, and various crops—there was plenty of produce. But because the water was harmful, all these crops would drop before they ripened. For example, grapes would begin to form, but before they reached full maturity, they would fall off. Or pomegranates would grow larger and begin to ripen, yet just before maturity they would drop. Even grains—rice, millet, barley, and wheat—would fall before they were ripe. This signifies a kind of spiritual weakness. Not only that—people themselves were dying prematurely. This points to a condition of spiritual death. But when Elisha arrived, he took a new bowl, put salt in it, and went to the source of the water. There he cast the salt into the spring, and the waters were healed. From that time on, people no longer died young, and the land no longer miscarried its fruit. The grains and fruit trees flourished and produced abundant fruit. Death was turned into life. Hallelujah! This is death and resurrection—this is the work of Elisha, the experience of the cross. Dear brothers and sisters, the central experience of the cross is the experience of death and resurrection. The way of the cross is to enter into death and then come forth in resurrection. To experience death and resurrection day by day—that is to walk the way of the cross. After Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, he spent his entire life walking this path of the cross. Although he had already experienced the cross when he crossed the Jordan—just as we begin to experience the cross from the moment we are saved—yet after receiving the double portion of the Spirit, we still have to walk a more difficult road, entering into a deeper experience of the cross, continually experiencing death and resurrection. This is the only path the Lord measures out for us after we receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Himself said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. Death and resurrection always bring forth abundant fruit of life. Jericho, which typifies the flesh, was full of weakness and death. But after it was healed by Elisha, it became a place of abundant life. This foreshadows the experience of the cross—it is the way of the cross that Elisha walked. Water Filling the Valley Next, let us look at the story of the three kings joining forces to attack the king of Moab. Because the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel, the king of Israel united with the king of Judah and the king of Edom to wage war against Moab. But when the armies of the three kings were halfway on their journey, both the soldiers and the livestock they brought had no water to drink. They were already on the brink of death. Once again, Elisha appeared. According to the command of the Lord, he told the three kings to dig ditches throughout the valley. A valley is the lowest place—it symbolizes humility and lowliness. Thus, the valley represents the beginning of the cross. But they still had to dig ditches everywhere—meaning to be emptied out even further, pointing to a deeper experience of the cross. As a result, the valley was filled with water. Everyone drank their fill. This was a passage from death into life, from distress into joy—another manifestation of death and resurrection. This was yet another experience of the cross in Elisha’s ministry. The Vessels Filled With Oil Let us continue with the story of the widow whose single jar of oil filled many empty vessels. There was a wife of one of the sons of the prophets whose husband had died, and the creditor came to take her two sons as slaves. When Elisha arrived, he told her to borrow empty vessels and then pour the oil from her one jar into all the empty vessels. Every vessel was filled. She was then able to sell the oil to pay off her debt, and the remainder was enough for her to live on. Preparing empty vessels symbolizes the emptying work of the cross. The vessels being filled with oil signifies the fullness of the Holy Spirit and of life. This too is another expression of death and resurrection. In this way Elisha experienced the cross and continued to walk the way of the cross. The Shunammite Woman’s Son Raised From the Dead Next, we come to the miracle in which the Shunammite woman’s son was raised from the dead. Originally, the Shunammite woman had no child and was barren. When Elisha came, he caused her to conceive and bear a son—this itself was an experience of death and resurrection. Not long afterward, the Shunammite woman’s son unexpectedly died. Elisha came, stretched himself upon the child, and brought him back to life. This reveals even more clearly the experience of the cross—death and resurrection. Thus, through one miracle after another, Elisha demonstrated how he continually walked on the way of the cross. Flour Neutralizing the Poisonous Gourds Next, we come to the account of the sons of the prophets at Gilgal who cooked a stew using wild gourds, only to discover that the stew contained deadly poison. When Elisha arrived, he took some flour and sprinkled it into the pot. Then he told them to serve it to the people, and the stew became harmless. This is life swallowing up death—bringing life out of death. It is yet another experience of the cross, of death and resurrection. Twenty Loaves Feeding a Hundred Men Next, we come to the account of a man from Baal-shalishah who brought twenty loaves of bread made from the firstfruits of barley. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they may eat.” But his servant replied, “How can this small amount set before a hundred men?” Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat; there will even be some left over.” And indeed, the hundred men ate and were satisfied, and there was still some remaining. What should have been insufficient—an embarrassing and difficult situation—became abundant and glorious when Elisha stepped in. This too is the experience of the cross: from shame into glory, from limitation into abundance. It is the work of the cross. Naaman Healed Next, we come to the story of Naaman the leper being healed. Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. After he contracted leprosy, a young Israelite girl directed him to seek healing from Elisha. Elisha told him to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. At first he refused, but later he obeyed. He went down into the Jordan and came up again—seven times in a row. In the end, his whole body was cleansed. The Jordan River symbolizes the death of the cross. His going down and coming up speaks of the experience of death and resurrection. Through this symbolic miracle, Elisha once again showed that he continually walked on the way of the cross. Other Miracles What we have covered so far is already sufficient to show that after Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, he continually walked the way of the cross. The other miracles—such as causing the iron axe head that had sunk into the water to float, bringing shame upon the Aramean army that attacked Dothan, enabling King Joash of Israel to shoot the Lord’s arrow of victory, and even the dead being revived when they touched Elisha’s bones—all describe experiences of death and resurrection. In summary, after Elisha received the double portion of the Spirit, every miracle in his life was a foreshadowing of death and resurrection, revealing that his entire life was a journey on the way of the cross. Therefore, we may conclude: after receiving the double portion of the Spirit, one must walk the way of the cross. Likewise today, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us and fills us, it is to lead us into the experience of death and resurrection—to walk this very path of the cross. Christ Experienced the Cross Through the Eternal Spirit Furthermore, in all the miracles Elisha performed, not one of them was difficult or beyond his strength. Everything he did appeared effortless. This also implies that after receiving the double portion of the Holy Spirit, we experience the cross naturally and walk the way of the cross willingly. Once, a servant of the Lord asked a group of sisters, “Do you want patience?” Everyone answered, “Yes.” The servant of the Lord continued, “Romans 5:3 says, ‘Tribulation produces patience.’” Then she asked, “Do you want tribulation to come to you?” No one dared to answer. This shows that relying on ourselves, it is truly difficult to bear the cross. Dear brothers and sisters, can you or I bear the cross by our own strength? None of us can. When the real cross comes, we all tend to shrink back. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we willingly and gladly take up the cross and walk the way of the cross. This truth is even more evident in the Lord Jesus Himself. Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God…” Here we see that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was able to offer Himself without blemish and experience the cross through the eternal Spirit. It was by the power of the Holy Spirit that He offered Himself to God. The Spirit filled Him and led Him on the way of the cross. The Holy Spirit Poured Out at Pentecost Led the Disciples to Accept the Cross We can also see this truth from the experience of the disciples. Before Pentecost, the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest. For example, the mother of the sons of Zebedee came with her two sons and asked that in the Lord’s kingdom one might sit at His right hand and the other at His left (Matthew 20:20–21). Even as the disciples walked with the Lord, they argued about who was the greatest (Mark 9:34). And even at the Lord’s final meal with them, they were still disputing who among them was the greatest (Luke 22). But when the Lord Jesus was crucified, the disciples all scattered. They feared persecution and suffering; not one of them was willing to face the cross. Yet on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and they were filled with the Spirit, Peter stood up with the eleven and bore witness. Not only did they stop competing for position, but the eleven apostles were of one accord, allowing Peter to speak on their behalf as the mouthpiece, united in testifying to the resurrection of Jesus. On the other hand, they became bold and fearless under persecution from the authorities. Even after being imprisoned and released, they continued preaching Jesus. And when they were flogged, they rejoiced in their hearts (Acts 5:41). This is what it means to bear the cross willingly through the power of the “double portion of the Spirit.” Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit, when he was about to be martyred, knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). This too is the power of the “double portion of the Spirit”—willingly accepting the cross, denying oneself, and walking the way of the cross. Before Pentecost, Peter had vowed to follow the Lord faithfully even unto death. But when Jesus was arrested and put on trial, Peter denied Him with oaths before a servant girl—he fled from the cross. Yet after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon him at Pentecost, he willingly suffered shame, beatings and imprisonment—accepted the cross for the Lord. Therefore, when he was old and wrote his epistle, he said, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Peter 4:14). The “Spirit of glory” resting upon them refers to the outpoured Spirit—the “double portion”—not merely the indwelling Spirit. He meant: because you have received the outpouring and fullness of the Spirit, you are able to endure reproach for Christ’s name and accept the cross. Thus, being filled with the Holy Spirit leads us to willingly walk the way of the cross. Romans 8 begins by saying that the law of the Spirit of life has set us free. Later it says, “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). This also shows that the Holy Spirit leads us into the experience of the cross. When the Spirit works, moves, enlightens, and burns within us, He brings the work of the cross—putting to death the deeds of the body. The Cross Brings Us Into the Fullness of the Holy Spirit God’s Word shows us, on the one hand, that the double portion of the Spirit leads us to experience the cross. But on the other hand, it also tells us that the cross leads us to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The cross brings us daily to the place of death, to the position of “nothingness.” It empties us out. It causes our flesh to be cut away day by day, and our self to decrease day by day. As this happens, our spiritual capacity gradually expands. The measure of the Spirit dwelling in us increases, and the stature of Christ within us grows more and more. Therefore, if a Christian receives the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but refuses to walk the way of the cross, it is because there is still a great amount of flesh within. As a result, the measure of the Spirit’s fullness in that person remains extremely small. For this reason, after being filled with the Spirit, we must all the more allow the cross to empty out the flesh so that the Holy Spirit may fill us more abundantly. No wonder the apostle John says in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” And immediately afterward he adds, “For God gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34). The Way to Receive the Double Portion of the Spirit Lastly, to help brothers and sisters who have not yet received the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit, tonight we want to draw from the picture of Elisha receiving Elijah’s mantle—which symbolizes the double portion of the Spirit—and present one more pathway to receiving this double portion. May the Lord open our eyes so that every one of us may receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit. When did Elisha receive the mantle? It was when his eyes saw Elijah ascending into heaven. That is the secret. When our hearts turn toward the ascended Lord Jesus, when we lift our praise toward the throne, the Holy Spirit is poured out and fills us. The Holy Spirit is not something we beg for—He has already been given. What remains is simply to receive. How then do we receive? We receive by faith. And how do we exercise faith? By praising. Praise is the highest expression of faith; it is victorious faith. So when we praise the ascended Lord, the Holy Spirit is immediately poured out and fills us. The moment we begin to praise, the throne of the Lord seems to be right in our midst, and from that throne flows the living water of the Spirit, streaming down upon us. This is an indispensable experience in revival. May the Lord keep us walking on the path of revival. <-- Part 3-1 Part 3-3 -->

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S John Chapter 1 John Chapter 2 John Chapter 3 John Chapter 4 John Chapter 5 John Chapter 6 John Chapter 7 John Chapter 8 John Chapter 9 John Chapter 10 John Chapter 11 John Chapter 12 John Chapter 13 John Chapter 14 John Chapter 15 John Chapter 16 John Chapter 17 John Chapter 18 John Chapter 19 John Chapter 20 John Chapter 21 Reflections After Reading the Gospel of John Key verse:   But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (20:31) reflections: The Lord Jesus is the Son of God. He came that man may have life. The main characteristics of His testimony are listed below: A. Living a life with God The Word was with God, but the Word became flesh. (1:1,14) The Father is in me and I am in the Father. (10:38) The Son can do nothing of his own accord. (5:19) The Son can only do what he sees the Father doing. (5:19) Not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. (6:38) My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (4:34) B. Love brothers and others Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (13:1) Wash the disciples' feet. (13:4-15) Give a new commandment. (13:34-35) Did not condemn the immoral woman. (8:11) C. Humble Girdled and stand in the position of a servant. (13:4) Wash the disciples' feet (humble) (13:5) Jesus is Lord, Teacher, but still wash the disciples' feet (13:14) No longer called the disciples servants, but called them friends (15:15) D. Santified as holy I sanctify Myself (17:19) Not of the world (17:16) The disciples are not of the world (15:19, 17:16) E. Live a church life The Lord is the shepherd, disciples are the sheep. (10:2-3) Enter the sheepfold (10:1-2) The sheep hear the shepherd's voice and follows Him. (10:3-4) I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (10:10) Sheep will be bring in as one flock and has one shepherd. (10:16) F. Testimony of faith Whoever believes in Him have everlasting life. (3:16) This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. (6:29) If you would believe you would see the glory of God. (11:40) He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do. (14:12) Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that believing, may have eternal life. (20:31) G. Christ is life and all Christ is the light of life. (1:4, 8:12) Christ is the living water. (4:13, 7:38) Christ is the bread of life. (6:35) Christ is the strength of life. (11:25, 43-44) Christ is all. ( ...then you will know that "I am" --- Christ is our all) (8:28) <-- BACK to New Testament

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 1 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 2 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 3 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 4 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 5 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 6 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 7 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 8 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 9 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 10 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 11 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 12 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 13 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 14 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 15 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 16 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 17 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 18 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 19 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 20 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 21 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 22 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 23 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 24 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 25 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 26 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 27 Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 28 Conclusion: Reflection after reading Gospel of Matthew Key Verse:  "The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1) Reflection: Jesus is King. He not only holds the rightful position but also exemplifies the life of a king. Based on the key verse, the characteristics of His kingship are outlined below: A. Wisdom (1 Kings 4:29–34) The first notable trait of Solomon, the son of David, is wisdom, which reveals a king’s life. Solomon’s wisdom was unparalleled (1 Kings 3:12), as seen in the famous ruling where he proposed to divide the infant in dispute. Jesus Christ is full of wisdom: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."  (Matthew 22:15–22) Christ is the answer to all problems: "What do you think about the Christ?"  (Matthew 22:42) B. Authority (1 Kings 4:20–28) Solomon exercised great authority, displaying the life of a king. He ruled over many nations, and peace prevailed in his kingdom (1 Kings 4:21–24). Jesus Christ possesses supreme authority: His teachings were with authority (Matthew 7:29). He healed the sick and cast out demons (Matthew 8:1–34). He calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23–27). C. Peace Solomon’s name means “peace.” He was a king of peace, and his kingdom enjoyed tranquility, demonstrating the life of a king (1 Kings 4:24–25). Jesus Christ embodies peace: He is gentle and humble in heart, giving rest to those who come to Him (Matthew 11:28–29). He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, symbolizing humility and peace (Matthew 21:1–11). Isaiah prophesied that His name would be "Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6)   D. Building the Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1) Solomon built the temple, and God was pleased (1 Kings 8:11–12). Jesus Christ is building His church (Matthew 16:18). Among the four Gospels, only Matthew records Jesus speaking about building the church. Between Christ’s ascension and second coming, His work is to build the church (Ephesians 4:11–13). E. Death and Resurrection (Genesis 22:1–14) Isaac, the son of Abraham, was placed on the altar (Genesis 22:1–14). His offering prefigured death and resurrection (Hebrews 11:19). The life of a king is marked by death and resurrection, signifying complete victory: Like a grain of wheat that dies and bears fruit. Jesus Christ went through the cross, death, and resurrection: He did not resist when arrested (Matthew 26:50–52). He did not come down from the cross or save Himself (Matthew 26:53). He died on the cross (Matthew 27:50). He rose again (Matthew 28:5–6). He received all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18): The life of a king is a life of dominion. His resurrection secured His reign. <-- BACK to New Testament