Bible Reading: Judges 13:1–12 — Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’” Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.” And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!” So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.” Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?” Judges 13:19–20 — So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Judges 13:24–25 — So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. Another Revival The Bible speaks repeatedly of the Lord sending down fire to revive His people. This holy fire of revival symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Every time the Holy Spirit moves on earth, it brings a fresh revival to God’s people. This morning, we turn our attention to the flame on the rock at Zorah. We see that during Israel’s time in Canaan, the people often abandoned the Lord. When they forsook Him to serve the idols of the land, the Lord handed them over to their enemies. We’ve previously mentioned the revival during Gideon’s time, but not long after, the people again turned away from the Lord. This illustrates how, in our journey of following Christ, our spiritual condition often fluctuates—revival followed by failure, failure followed by revival...The Book of Judges recounts this cycle of Israel’s history: repeated failures and repeated revivals. The passage we just read speaks of Manoah and his wife giving birth to Samson. When Samson grew up and emerged, he once again brought revival to the people of Israel. Israel Under the Oppression of the Philistines In Judges 13, it says that the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. During Gideon’s time, they suffered cruel oppression under the Midianites. Now, they endured the harsh rule of the Philistines for forty long years. This was the consequence of God’s people straying from Him—they fell into a life of bondage and painful affliction. Brothers and sisters, think back: when we drift away from the Lord, don’t we also fall into a state of bondage and lose our freedom? As it is said in the Gospel of John, “...whoever commits sin is a slave of sin”  (John 8:34). To depart from God is to fall into sin, and the result is bondage to evil, domination by the flesh, and the encroachment of death. Such a person loses freedom and peace, and naturally cannot rejoice or praise. Let us examine ourselves: from the beginning of the year to its end, have we truly lived in freedom, release, and praises? If not, it may indicate that we’ve been bound—perhaps by sin, perhaps by the flesh, or even by the shadow of death—leading to a life of painful struggle, without joy or peace. God Chooses Vessels for Revival So how can we break free from the oppression of the enemy and experience revival? Remember this: it is not by our own strength that we revive ourselves, nor is there any method that can bring revival. Revival comes solely from God. This time is no exception—God Himself chooses the vessel of revival to restore His people. The Man from Zorah The passage we read earlier shows us that God chose a man from Zorah. The name “Zorah” means “a place of leprosy.” From a spiritual perspective, each of us stands before God as one afflicted with leprosy—defiled, corrupted, and unworthy. Yet God seeks us out, revives us, and even uses us to bring in revival. It is not because we possess any virtue or qualification to be used by God, but because of His merciful and gracious choosing. We are descendants of Adam, a rebellious race—all spiritual lepers! Just as the Lord prepared Moses for His use by first commanding him to put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, this reveals that whatever comes from man is leprous. Later, the Lord cleanse him. So before God, we are all leprous—unclean and defiled. From the inside out, from head to toe, we are utterly corrupted and spiritually repulsive. Yet God still chooses us, just as He found Manoah in Zorah. He chose Manoah so that he and his wife would give birth to Samson. This shows that the work of revival is initiated from heaven. It is governed by God, controlled by His throne. In the ministry of revival, man is forever powerless. Manoah’s Wife Not only that—Manoah’s wife was barren. If she could not bear children, how could she possibly give birth to Samson? This further emphasizes that revival is utterly impossible through human effort alone. Therefore, the Lord chose Manoah’s wife—who was barren and unable to conceive—to bring forth Samson as His vessel of revival. This was to make it abundantly clear to us that revival is entirely the work of the Lord. It is born out of His merciful and gracious election, according to His divine will, and accomplished through vessels fashioned by His own hand. The Flame on the Rock of Zorah Brings Faith and Trains Samson to Usher in Revival On one hand, God chose Manoah’s wife in Zorah to give birth to Samson. On the other hand, He used the flame on the rock of Zorah to strengthen the faith of Manoah and his wife. This empowered them to obey God’s command and, after Samson was born, to raise him in full accordance with the Lord’s instructions. As a result, Samson was able to fulfill God’s calling—serving as a judge of Israel for twenty years, repeatedly defeating the Philistines, and time and again ushering in revival for the Israelites. From this, we see that the flame on the rock of Zorah was a crucial key to ushering in revival. Now, let us consider: How can we draw forth the flame on the rock of Zorah today—so that faith may give birth to a “Samson,” and raise him to maturity as a judge, bringing revival to God’s people? Reverence Toward the Lord When Manoah’s wife encountered the Angel of the Lord, she attentively listened to His words, treasured them in her heart, and then went to tell her husband. This was an expression of reverence toward the Lord, just as it is written in the Book of Malachi: “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another” (Malachi 3:16) And what about Manoah? He, too, feared the Lord. After hearing his wife’s account, he prayed to the Lord. Because of his reverence, he sought the Lord in prayer, saying: “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born. ” (Judges 13:8) His desire to follow God’s will and obey His commands clearly reveals his heart of reverence. Moreover, when the Angel of the Lord was about to depart, Manoah tried to detain Him, further showing how deeply he and his wife revered the Lord. Dear young brothers and sisters, one of the most vital virtues for every Christian is the fear of the Lord. This is especially true for young believers. So, what does it mean to fear the Lord? To fear the Lord is to have a heart that dreads offending Him. When the apostles went out to preach, they faced opposition from the authorities who forbade them. Yet their response was: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) This shows that they feared offending God more than disobeying men. That is the essence of reverence. We should adopt this same attitude: to fear grieving the Lord, to fear causing Him sorrow. Some Christians say, “What’s the big deal if I sin? Failure isn’t that serious.” But they forget that God in heaven grieves over them. As it says in Genesis 6:5–6 : “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually....and He was grieved in His heart.” If we do not fear the Lord, we cause sorrow to His heart. Therefore, we must fear Him. As parents, we can somewhat understand this: when our children are disobedient, unruly, and defiant, our hearts are deeply grieved. How much more must our loving Father in heaven grieve when we disregard His will? I often observe that some young people, though they have believed in the Lord, show no reverence toward Him. When they speak about spiritual matters, their tone and attitude are no different from when they speak about worldly things. Their approach to church gatherings and service is equally casual and indifferent. Why is it that our student evangelism bears so little fruit? It is because when you speak to your classmates about salvation, your demeanor is no different from when you joke around with them. But if you truly feared the Lord, then when you speak of Jesus Christ, your words would carry sincerity and urgency. Your classmates would sense the reality and importance of what you’re saying. And through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they might be moved to repent and believe in the Lord. Today’s Christians are far too casual. For example, during the breaking of bread, many brothers and sisters sit and chat idly. Normally, when we come to such a gathering, we ought to begin with personal silent prayer, saying: “Lord, I come to remember You. If there is any sin in me, please shine Your light upon it and forgive me.” Otherwise, when we partake of the bread and the cup, we are eating and drinking judgment upon ourselves. As Scripture warns: “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) This applies to all gatherings. We come to meet the Lord, yet some treat it lightly—dozing off or engaging in other distractions. May the Lord grant us a heart that fears Him, so that our worship may be acceptable to Him. There was a servant of the Lord from whom I received great help. Every time he prayed, he knelt down—regardless of whether the ground was clean or dirty. He simply knelt and prayed. This, too, is an expression of reverence toward the Lord. If we have truly received grace and live a life that fears the Lord, it will ultimately usher in revival. No Wine or Strong Drink The angel of the Lord instructed Manoah’s wife: “Do not drink wine or strong drink.” This command signifies a life not given to worldly indulgence. In today’s world, where material abundance surrounds us, we are permitted to enjoy what God has graciously provided for our needs—but we must not become lovers of pleasure. Take this example: Suppose your parents build a house with a garden, a swimming pool, and all kinds of modern amenities. You may enjoy these with a heart full of thanksgiving, without rejecting them as worldly. After all, they are part of the Lord’s provision. On the other hand, if you live in a small, humble home, you should still give thanks and praise to the Lord for what He has measured out for you. Whether our circumstances are abundant or modest, we must thank and praise Him, for all things work for our good. Those who love worldly pleasures respond differently. When things are lacking, they complain. For instance, we are now staying in a hotel prepared by the Lord. Most things are well arranged, but due to a shortage of sofa beds, you may have to sleep on a wooden board. In such a situation, can you still say, “Lord, I thank You,” and remain joyful in your heart? If sleeping on a wooden board makes you unhappy, then you are one who loves worldly comfort. Manoah, his wife, and their son Samson lived by the principle of not drinking wine or strong drink—meaning they did not pursue worldly pleasures. Currently, I’m staying at a brother’s home. In summer, the upstairs gets very hot in the afternoon, so the room is equipped with an air conditioner. I use it without feeling I’m indulging in worldly pleasure, because it’s a proper provision arranged by the Lord. Six or seven years ago, I stayed in the same brother’s house in Manila. Back then, there was no air conditioning, and the afternoons and evenings were truly hot. I shared a room with another brother, and because of the heat, we laid mats on the floor and slept there—joyfully. We thanked the Lord when we had no air conditioning, and we thank Him now that we do. Whether our bodies are comfortable or not, we give thanks just the same. This is what it means to not love worldly pleasure. We use what the Lord provides, but we do not cling to it. That is the meaning of “do not drink wine or strong drink.” We know that drinking wine can lead to addiction—today a little, tomorrow a little more, and soon you cannot do without it. Likewise, worldly pleasures can become addictive and captivating. Therefore, not loving worldly enjoyment is what it means to abstain from wine and strong drink. Dear young brothers and sisters, in this age of intense temptation and deception, cultivate the habit of not drinking wine or strong drink. Do Not Eat Anything Unclean The angel of the Lord further instructed: “Do not eat anything unclean.” This command signifies the need to reject all sin and defilement. Young brothers and sisters must especially take heed—for today’s world is saturated with evil, immorality, and corruption. The Word of God also warned us: “An evil and adulterous generation…” (M atthew 12:39) Many sinful and impure things—lustful desires, selfish cravings, and corrupt influences—can lead to spiritual decline when we see or hear them. Therefore, we must completely reject these things. They are unclean, and to accept them is to consume what is spiritually defiled. The result? We cannot bring forth a “Samson”. To give birth to "Samson", we must not only abstain from wine and strong drink (worldly pleasures), but also from all that is unholy and impure. We must guard our hearts against the love of worldly enjoyment and be vigilant against the invasion of sin and defilement. Offering the Young Goat as a Burnt Offering Manoah’s offering of the young goat as a burnt offering is a picture of our own experience of consecration. For Christians to bring forth the fire of revival, offering ourselves is indispensable. And this offering is not a one-time act—it must be repeated, renewed, and sustained. Just as fire once fell upon the burnt offering before the tabernacle, now we see the flame on the rock in Zorah consuming the young goat. These signs reveal that revival fire always comes through offering ourselves as living sacrifices. Offering ourselves to God must be a daily, ongoing, and ever-renewing lifestyle. It is not enough to have once surrendered, living in continual consecration. Dear brothers and sisters, though you may have offered yourselves to the Lord in the past, perhaps you have lost the lifestyle of consecration. And so, your revival has ceased. May the love of the Lord stir us again to offer ourselves afresh, so that the fire of revival may continually ignite our spirits and burn brightly upon our lives. Offering the Grain Offering This time, Manoah offered both a burnt offering and a grain offering together. He did not offer the grain offering alone, because it contains no blood, and thus cannot be accepted by God on its own. This is God’s ordinance, without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore, the grain offering—symbolizing human conduct—must be presented alongside the blood-bearing burnt offering, which prefigures Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. The grain offering represents the flawless earthly life of Jesus Christ. During His thirty-three and a half years on earth, God observed Him closely and found Him altogether beautiful and without blemish. He never erred, and He fully manifested the living God. His radiant character drew people to follow Him. His divinely approved, true, good, and beautiful way of living was the grain offering presented before God. How Do We Experience the Grain Offering? The grain offering especially refers to our daily walk. By grace, God has sent the fire of revival upon us and it is burning among us. But how much this fire burns and how long it lasts depends on the quality of the grain offering we present in our everyday lives. We must pay close attention to this. Without a life of grain offering, the fire of revival may burn briefly, but it will soon fade. We do not desire a revival that only ignites us for a moment on the mountain of Baguio, only to vanish after we descend or after a few months. What we long for is a fire that continues to burn—spreading through every corner of the church, touching every brother and sister, and even sweeping across the entire island of the Philippines. For the Lord has promised that this fire shall burn from Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth . Fine Flour The first ingredient of the grain offering is fine flour. The word “fine” speaks of something soft, even, and well-refined. In our conduct on earth, we must not be harsh, coarse, excessive, or lacking—we must be gentle, balanced, and consistent. I once heard a seasoned and respected pastor say to a group of ministers at a spiritual retreat, “Don’t keep talking about being spiritual and forget to be human. We still need to be human!” His words revealed a misunderstanding of what it means to be spiritual—as if spirituality meant becoming angelic. But the Word of God shows us that a truly spiritual person is the most balanced and refined—living a life that expresses both God and authentic humanity. It is the heavenly life manifested in earthly living. The Lord Jesus, during His thirty-three and a half years on earth, lived the most balanced and refined life—just like fine flour. This time, we’ve come up to the mountain and received revival through the Lord’s mercy. But after going down—whether at home, in school, or at work—we must continue to express that same gentleness and balance. That is the fine flour of the grain offering. Mixed with Oil, Pour Oil, Anointed with Oil The second ingredient of the grain offering is oil. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Some grain offerings are mixed with oil, others have oil poured or anointed upon them. Mixing with oil refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It means that the Spirit of the Lord lives within us, continually anointing, shaping, and blending our lives. Every time we obey the Spirit, it’s as though another measure of oil is mixed in. When He prompts, we respond. When He restrains, we stop. When we follow His leading, we live the life of a grain offering mixed with oil. To have oil poured or anointed upon us speaks of the Spirit’s outpouring and filling. We must continually seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This was the life of Jesus. Hebrews 9:14: “…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God…” From the moment Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, He was filled with the Spirit. For thirty years, He lived in quiet obedience at home, following the Spirit’s anointing—living the grain offering mixed with oil. At age thirty, when He was baptized in the Jordan, when He came up from the waters, the Spirit of God descended upon Him, poured on Him. God has anointed Him with the oil of gladness more than His companions. From that moment, Jesus was not only filled inwardly but also anointed outwardly. His entire being—inside and out—was filled with the Holy Spirit. And He lived His life in the Holy Spirit. This is the grain offering life of Jesus: mixed with oil, poured with oil, and anointed with oil. We too must live this way—fully yielded to the Spirit, inside and out, living a life of grain offering mixed with oil, poured with oil and annointed with oil. Without this, the fire of revival cannot descend. Even if it does, it cannot endure, nor can it be sustained and move forward. Dear brothers and sisters, when we received grace, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within us. He is alive and teaches us in all things. We must listen carefully. Years ago, while ministering in a certain place, a blind brother asked me, “What is the most basic lesson for spiritual growth?” I replied, “The most basic and essential lesson is to obey the voice of the indwelling Spirit—the anointing’s teaching. Whatever He tells you, do it.” He took this to heart and placed a box of matches in his pocket. Each time he obeyed the Spirit, he would place one matchstick in his pocket as a marker. One morning, in his morning watch, the Spirit prompted him: “Your wife was very tired yesterday. You woke up earlier—go wash the rice for her.” He obeyed and placed one matchstick in his pocket. Then he knelt down to pray. The Spirit said, “Your child left the shoes messy last night. Go tidy them.” He obeyed again—second matchstick. Then, “Pray for Sister So-and-so; she hasn’t been attending meetings.” He knelt and prayed—third matchstick. “Pray for the pulpit.” He interceded fervently—fourth matchstick. “Wake your children.” He did so—fifth matchstick. By Saturday evening, when he stood to testify, we learned he had obeyed the Spirit around forty times that day. We couldn’t help but worship and praise the Lord with joy. This is the grain offering. This is the life of one who offers it. Brothers and sisters, ask yourself: how many times in a day do you obey the Spirit’s voice? In a week? Some may not have obeyed even once. Some perhaps not in a month—or even a year. No wonder the church lacks revival. May the Lord have mercy on us. The Spirit’s outpouring and filling symbolized by pouring of oil also was mentioned by Peter on Pentecost. He quoted the words of the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh…” (Acts 2:17) If you and I are human, then God will pour out His spirit on us. This is God's promise. Just as we receive forgiveness once we believe that Jesus bore our sins on the cross. It’s not a special privilege—it’s a normal experience. God never create difficulties for His people. His salvation and gifts are by free and simple to receive. I once spoke with a learned man—full of knowledge and intellect—but he could not grasp the simple truth of Jesus bearing our sins on the cross. As Scripture says: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” For us, it's simple— believe and we are saved. Receiving the Spirit’s outpouring is just as simple. I once believed it was difficult, having read misleading teachings. But I later discovered that receiving the Spirit is as easy as receiving the cleansing of Christ’s blood—just believe. May the Lord pour out His Spirit upon us in these days, that each of us may receive Him fully. This is the experience of the grain offering: mixed with oil, poured with oil, and anointed with oil. The Covenant of Salt The third element of the grain offering is the salt of the covenant, which points to the eternal work of the cross. The work of the cross is eternally unchanging —this is what the salt symbolizes. Our acceptance of the cross is not limited to the day of our salvation; rather, it is a daily experience from the moment we are saved until the day we meet the Lord. In the simple aspect, this means daily cleansing through the precious blood. From deeper aspect, it means daily surrender to the cross, allowing it to put off our old self. We know that the blood Jesus shed is the seal of an everlasting covenant, granting us eternal forgiveness of sins. As Jesus said during the Last Supper with the disciples: “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) Thus, the salt of the covenant refers to the eternal redemption accomplished by the cross. We must draw near to the Lord daily, seeking cleansing through His blood. On the other hand, we must also take up the cross daily, denying and rejecting ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) It's bearing the cross daily, not a one-time event. It is a continual experience through which we, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh. (Romans 8:13) In this way, the fire of revival within us will not be extinguished. Frankincense The fourth element added to the grain offering is frankincense, which symbolizes the resurrected life of the Lord Jesus. From the day we were saved, the resurrection life of Christ has been within us, leading us daily to overcome death. As Paul declared: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9 ) Oh! Here is a man named Paul—he lived above his circumstances and triumphed continually. Death could not hold him; hardship could not defeat him. This is the power of resurrection life, prefigured by the frankincense. In the book of Acts, even when Paul was imprisoned, he could still praise and sing hymns. (Acts 16:25) And when Peter was imprisoned, he rejoiced, saying they were counted worthy to suffer. (Acts 5:41) All of this is a marvelous and glorious manifestation of Christ’s resurrection life.This is the experience of frankincense in the grain offering. No Leaven Allowed Fifth, every grain offering presented to the Lord must be without leaven. Leaven symbolizes sin, and Christians are called to live lives free from sin while on earth. 1st John chapter 3 verse 9 says, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” This is a special exhortation to young believers: be vigilant—do not allow leaven into your life. The grain offering speaks of our conduct and character. Sometimes, out of fear of offending classmates or friends, one might compromise and fall into sin. That is how leaven enters. I thank the Lord for His keeping grace. When I was in school, I had two or three close friends—closer than even my own siblings. At the time, none of them believed in Jesus, and I had not yet experienced spiritual revival. We were very close. Later, after I was revived by the Lord, they came to invite me to watch movies during summer break. Refusing once or twice was easy, but saying no every time was difficult. But because leaven could sneak in when I watch movies. So I told them plainly: “I’m sorry, I’m a Christian. The Lord Jesus does not permit me to watch movies. Please forgive me.” At first, they didn’t accept it. But eventually, they had no choice but to respect it. That was a choice to reject a life with leaven. Brothers and sisters, in our daily walk, sin can creep in when we are not careful. When temptation comes, if we accommodate social expectations or follow worldly customs, sin enters immediately. You cannot say, “They’re just classmates,” or “These are dear friends visiting from afar, just this once won’t hurt.” Nor can you excuse yourself by saying, “Lord, forgive me, just this once.” Do not give sin any room. Remember, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. That’s why leaven is absolutely forbidden in the grain offering. No Honey Allowed The sixth principle, in the grain offering is “For you shall burn... nor any honey..." (Leviticus 2:11) This is a crucial point, yet one often overlooked by many Christians. Honey, which gives sweetness, symbolizes excessive emotion. Human beings are emotional creatures, and life inevitably involves emotional relationships—between friends, parents and children, spouses, and fellow believers. These connections are often sustained through appropriate affection. However, honey here refers to excessive emotios. Anything in excess becomes harmful, so it is with emotion. Over-involvement or overly intimate relationships can be likened to honey. Once this “honey” enters, spiritual things begin to deteriorate. In fact, honey can be so overwhelming that it causes the complete loss of spiritual vitality. In the early stage of my spiritual revival, I was fervent—zealous for the Lord, pursuing Him, preaching the gospel, and full of His presence. But after a while, honey crept in. Excessive emotional entanglements entered my life, and soon my spiritual appetite and experience began to fade. This was a season of failure following a great revival. That period of spiritual decline lasted more than half a year. I had no interest in reading the Bible, prayer lost its flavor, meetings and service felt dull, and my spirit was heavy. It was as if everything spiritual had been ruined. Young brothers and sisters, be especially watchful—do not let honey enter your life. When emotional indulgence floods in, it signals the bankruptcy of your spiritual treasure. Outwardly, you may still pray, attend meetings, and serve, but you know that the Lord is already at a far distance. And if that’s the case—what revival is left to speak of? Baked, Roasted, Fried Lastly, whether the grain offering is baked, roasted, or fried, each method of preparation involve fire, which symbolizes enduring fiery trials. The Lord may permit problems in the family where relationships feel strained. Perhaps your parents don’t understand you, or your children fail to honor you. Maybe there’s discord among brothers and sisters in Christ. It could be financial hardship, setbacks in your career, or painful blows from people, circumstances, or environments that feel unbearable. All these are the baked, roasted, and fried grain offering. May the Lord preserve us, that we might receive grace to live out the life of a grain offering. When we do, the fire of revival will continue to burn brightly among us. <-- Back Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: Judges 6:1-6 — Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,  and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Judges 6: 11-21 — Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall [c]defeat the Midianites as one man.” Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.” So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Judges 6:24-27 — So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:34 — But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. The Lord Revives His Work Through the Vessels in His Hand This morning, we will reflect on the second flame of revival—the fire on the rock at Ophrah. The fire on Ophrah's rock points to key elements of revival. Before God revives His people, He first chooses a group of vessels to usher in that revival. These chosen vessels are often in a state of discouragement and despair. Thus, the Lord sends down fire to rekindle them, that they may be renewed in strength, receive His commission, and become witnesses for Him. Gideon serves as one of the finest examples among these vessels. Israel’s Bitter Oppression by the Midianites After journeying through the wilderness and entering the land of Canaan, the Israelites soon forsook the Lord their God, bowing instead to the idols of Canaan. In response, the Lord handed them over to the Midianites, allowing them to be oppressed and ravaged. Similarly, when we turn away from the Lord, He may allow suffering and trials to come upon us, causing us to endure various forms of hardship and sorrowful living. Devastation of the Harvest Not only so, but whenever the Israelites sowed their crops, the Midianites would come and destroy all the produce of the land. In the same way today, the enemy—Satan—seeks to utterly ruin the spiritual nourishment of Christians, preventing them from living a healthy spiritual life. So, what does it mean to have our spiritual nourishment destroyed? For example, when you and I were first saved, we loved reading the Bible and had a deep desire to pray. Our spiritual appetite was strong, and our capacity to receive was rich and full. But what about now? Due to Satan’s destructive interference, we suffer from spiritual indigestion, losing our appetite and attraction to things spiritual. Reading Bible no longer stirs interest—eventually, we stop reading altogether. This is falling into the enemy’s scheme and submitting to his oppressive influence. We know that our spiritual food comes from God’s Word. If you cease to read His Word, naturally, you are left without nourishment. Or perhaps, you continue reading the Bible outwardly, but it has become a routine religious habit, devoid of genuine life supply. You receive no satisfaction. There’s no difference between reading and not reading. Some may not read the Bible at all anymore. This shows that the spiritual food has been completely destroyed by Satan. Let me ask you—not how many meetings you’ve attended, nor what services you’re involved in at church—but have you been receiving spiritual nourishment in these recent days? Do you still enjoy reading God’s Word? Does it satisfy your inner being? In meetings, whether during the Sunday morning message or Thursday evening Bible sharing, have you received supply through the messages or fellowship of the saints? Do you sense the Lord speaking to you? If not, it may be that your entire spiritual appetite—the field God has cultivated in you—has already been ravaged by the enemy, leaving you with no spiritual nourishment. Extreme Poverty Because of the Midianites, the Israelites became exceedingly impoverished. This illustrates the spiritual poverty of believers whose spiritual appetite has been ruined. Unable to absorb God’s Word, they lack spiritual supply and experience severe spiritual deficiency. When giving testimony, they have nothing new to share—only recounting their salvation years ago or other outdated stories. There’s no fresh experience, no forward progress in spiritual life. Brothers and sisters, if we find ourselves in such a pitiful condition, the Lord begins seeking a Gideon. Threshing Wheat in the Winepress At a time when there was no food across the land of Israel, Gideon was found threshing wheat in a winepress. Although the Israelites had cultivated the land in Canaan, the Midianites had ravaged all the harvest, leaving nothing to gather. Naturally, with no one threshing wheat, there was no reason for anyone to press grapes in the winepress either. Yet in this hidden moment, Gideon secretly sowed grain, secretly harvested it, and was threshing it in the winepress. This scene speaks to the reality that, while many of God’s people today are enamored with the world and indulging in the desires of the flesh—losing interest in meetings, service, prayer, and Scripture—God finds a Gideon. This morning, the Lord is searching among us for a Gideon once more. Who Is Today’s Gideon? It is the one who sows in secret, who threshes alone in the winepress—whose spiritual roots run deep, and whose spiritual fruits are hidden. For example, when reading the Bible, this person receives nourishment from God’s Word—sweet and joyful—not only satisfying themselves, but also nourishing the brothers and sisters they fellowship with. That is today’s Gideon—faithfully threshing wheat in the winepress. Brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus is seeking such people. May each of us respond to that call and become a Gideon. Some were Gideons in the past—let them continue to be so. Others were not, but let them be one today. May the Lord have mercy on us, so that not only do we read His Word each morning here in the mountains of Baguio, but also continue reading after we descend. When you draw near to the Lord, His presence will be with you. And your heart will be good soil for His Word (the seed), capable of yielding fruit a hundredfold, abundantly supplying others. Discouraged and disappointed in the Lord's sacred commission When God found Gideon, what was his condition? Scripture tells us that he was deeply discouraged and disappointed regarding God's work and the divine commission. He had no faith and did not dare to accept the calling. When the angel of the Lord said, “ he Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor ” Gideon responded without faith: “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? " Because he did not sense the Lord’s presence, he had no confidence in the divine calling. Similarly, when the Lord entrusts us—to believe in Him, walk the path of revival, bring revival to the Church and across the land—we too respond with timidity, unbelief, and helplessness. Like Gideon, we say: “Lord, if You are with us, why are we facing such difficulties?” All we have is discouragement and despair! Our spirit becomes weary and faint! Gideon then said, "And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” In Gideon’s eyes, he could no longer see God’s works, so he naturally didn’t dare to accept the commission. Thus, he lacked the faith to take up God’s calling. He felt the Lord was not with him and saw no miracles. He believed the Lord had not stretched out His arm and was so discouraged that he thought they had been forsaken by God. But the Lord further commissioned him: “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Gideon replied again: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” This clearly shows how passive Gideon was before God's commission. Even though God longed to use him as a vessel of revival, Gideon was a man completely lacking in faith. And likewise today, when God desires to use us to manifest His work of revival, we too shrink back in fear like Gideon. The Fire on the Rock of Ophrah Brought Spiritual Courage and Revival—Empowering Testimony and Victory over the Enemy Praise the Lord! Here lies a tremendous spiritual turning point—the fire on the rock of Ophrah. This fire brought revival to the disheartened and despairing Gideon, renewed his strength to accept God’s commission, enabled him to bear testimony, and empowered him to overcome the enemy. Hallelujah! Right after the Lord had spoken, Gideon prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them under the terebinth tree and presented to the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of God told him to lay the meat and the unleavened bread on the rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the Angel of the Lord reached out His staff and touched the meat and bread. Fire came out of the rock and consumed them completely. The “rock” is a symbol of Christ, and the “fire from the rock” represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from the ascended Christ, manifesting His marvelous works. The burning of the meat and bread signified God’s acceptance of Gideon’s offering. Thus, Gideon experienced a dramatic spiritual breakthrough—his discouragement and despair vanished like mist, and he was spiritually revived. Later, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he blew the trumpet to summon the people. Through Gideon’s hand, God delivered Israel and subdued the Midianites. He became a vessel used by God to bring revival to His people. The Lamb Placed on the Rock Dear brothers and sisters, Gideon did not possess great strength or courage by nature to save the people of Israel. He was, like us, exceedingly weak—lacking ability, boldness, and faith in the Lord’s calling. Yet the fire on the rock at Ophrah stirred him to rise up, bringing him revival and a spiritual turning point. Thus, Gideon became a vessel for God's work of restoration. May this fire on the rock of Ophrah also burn among us, ignited by the Holy Spirit given through Christ, so that we too may be revived and experience a spiritual turning point. How was this fire brought forth? There are three key aspects to note: First, offering the Lamb. Gideon placed lamb meat on the rock—this symbolizes Christ as the accepted sacrifice and also Christ as our life. Just as the Israelites ate the lamb when they left Egypt, we too must experience “eating the lamb”—receiving Jesus Christ as our very life. Before the Israelites ate the lamb, they had to apply the lamb’s blood on their doorposts (Exodus 12:7). Only then could they eat the lamb with unleavened bread. Today, we must first experience the sin offering, repentance of our sins and let the blood of Christ cleanse us of all our sins. Then we can accept Christ as our life. As Colossians 3:4 declares: “When Christ who is our life appears...” This is a glorious salvation. The Israelites could walk out of Egypt into the wilderness because they had eaten the lamb—drawing strength for the journey. To leave behind worldly entanglements and walk the spiritual path, we must live out “Christ is our life.” He is our strength, our driving force inside, leading us along the heavenly, spiritual path of the cross. There was a young brother, a college student nearing graduation. Since believing in the Lord, his heart was full of joy, and his perspective on life was completely transformed. He thirsted deeply for the Lord, pursuing Him earnestly, and had wholly dedicated himself to serve the Lord for life. While still studying, he also devoted time to spiritual learning. He joined morning prayer groups, went to class afterward, and spent all available time at the meeting hall reading the Word, praying, and seeking the Lord. This is a vivid testimony of Christ as life—overflowing with divine energy and spiritual vitality. Dear brothers and sisters, those who let Christ be their life walk in spiritual strength. They serve tirelessly, love Biible reading, cherish prayer, fear the Lord Jesus, love fellow believers, gladly serve, and joyfully love others—displaying the beauty of Christ in every moment and circumstance. If Christ is our life, we can walk the heavenly path. Or else how much we serve the Lord, care for others or how heavy the burden we bear, we are still weak to go forward. "Christ is our life" is the experience of offering the lamb on the rock. Only when He truly becomes our life, we can overcome worldly currents, the bondage of sin, earthly temptations, and even the power of Satan. We gain strength upon strength, running on the way to Zion. As the Word of the Lord promises in Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV): “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;They shall mount up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.” In this situation, the fire of revival will ignite naturally and powerfully. Unleavened Bread on the Rock Secondly, offer unleavened bread. On that day, Gideon offered lamb meat and also unleavened bread. Then fire came out from the rock and consumed both the meat and the unleavened bread. Unleavened bread symbolizes a life without sin. If we live a sinless and holy life, it will also bring forth the fire of revival. On one hand, we let Christ be our life; on the other, we let Christ be our holiness, enabling us to live a holy life. First Corinthians 1:30 says, “Christ Jesus, who has become...from God...our...holiness..." We have no holiness in ourselves, nor are we capable of being holy—it is God who makes Christ our holiness. Praise the Lord! When the Lord Jesus enters, His holy life dwells within us, and all that is defiled and unholy is driven out by that holy life, allowing us to live a holy life day by day. Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, you must be holy, because the Lord’s word tells us: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14), for God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Our spirit is a holy spirit, and the triune God we believe in is the Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit—entirely holy. This meeting on the mountain is a holy assembly; we are a group of saints set apart. But in reality, are you and I living in holiness? Let me ask: Is our hair holy? Is our face holy? Is our clothing holy? Is our whole body holy? Are our words, attitudes, lifestyle, and actions holy? If not, if we have not offered unleavened bread, then we can not expect the fire of revival to descend. The fire of revival absolutely requires us to offer unleavened bread and live a holy life. That’s why Romans 12 begins with consecration and then immediately tells us, “Do not conform to this world” (Romans 12:2). Praise the Lord—yesterday, one brother obeyed. He felt his hairstyle was inappropriate, so he went and got a haircut. May our clothing, speech, attitude, and especially our intentions and motives all be holy—our entire being holy. Then the fire will descend, and we will see revival in the church. The main reason the church is not revived today is partly due to the invasion of sin, but even more so due to the subtle infiltration of worldly unholiness. If we are willing to thoroughly judge and cast out sin and worldly defilement, making the church holy, then we will immediately see great revival—and we will all be revived. Recently, we’ve been helping people who hear the gospel to be baptized. We found a young man who had just come to faith. Not only did he offer lamb meat, but he also offered unleavened bread. In the past, to make money, he would socialize and often take influential people to night club. But after hearing the gospel and accepting Jesus as his Savior and life, he felt deeply troubled and uneasy when he considered going to night club again. So he resolved to earn less money rather than lead people into sin at the night club. Brothers and sisters, here is someone who, after believing in Jesus, offered unleavened bread. The holy life within him compelled him to overcome an unholy lifestyle. In this adulterous and evil generation, not only is dancing sinful—even listening to worldly music is unholy. We should sing spiritual hymns as much as possible—the more we sing, the more joyful and liberated we become. It refreshes us, lifts our spirits, and brings release. As for popular secular songs, they should not be sung. Young people may carelessly sing them, and some may not sing outwardly but hum them inwardly. Then there’s television—I’m not saying all TV is off-limits. News, weather reports, educational science programs, or sports broadcasts—I wouldn’t say you can’t watch those. But many other programs will leave you unable to pray. Some unholy and defiled content enters your mind through your eyes and settles in your heart, making you an unholy person. So we must be very careful. Anything that makes us unholy must be rejected. If we truly offer both lamb meat and unleavened bread, we will surely invite the fire of holiness to descend among us. Pouring Out the Broth from the Pot Thirdly, pour out the broth. The angel of God instructed Gideon to pour out the broth from the pot, because offerings never included broth. Gideon obeyed the Lord’s command and poured it out. This symbolizes the need to empty ourselves of human talent, strategies, proposals, regulations, opinions, and preferences—all of which are like broth. Only when these are completely poured out can the holy fire, the consuming fire, the fire of revival descend. “So he said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ’ says the Lord of hosts.” — (NKJV) May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to deeply understand this truth: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit." (Zechariah 4:6) The work of the Holy Spirit is only manifested in Christ as our life and in a holy lifestyle. It is never revealed through human talent, power, or methods. The Holy Spirit does not endorse “man-made” efforts. He only reveals His wondrous power and incomparable glory in “God-ordained” works. May all who desire to serve the Lord come to see this divine principle. Jehovah-Shalom After Gideon witnessed the fire coming out from the rock at Ophrah, he cried out, “Alas… I am undone…” But the Lord comforted him, saying: “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it "Jehovah-Shalom" , meaning “The Lord is Peace.” This altar became a sign of testimony—a witness to the fire that came from the rock. It was the visible mark of Gideon’s encounter with the divine. Dear brothers and sisters, we are all witnesses of Christ on earth today. But can we become testimonies of the Lord’s peace, stability, and victory? The key lies in the fire that comes from the rock. When the work of the Holy Spirit comes upon us, the altar of Jehovah-Shalom is raised, and the Lord’s testimony is revealed. Wherever the Holy Spirit is at work—wherever there is fire—there is testimony. Where the Spirit is absent, there is no true testimony. At most, there may be altars built by human effort, but they are not altars of witness. When heavenly fire descends and the Holy Spirit works powerfully, the altar that is raised becomes Jehovah-Shalom—an altar of testimony. It declares that the Lord gives peace, the Lord preserves, the Lord watches over, and the Lord blesses. In all things, He takes full responsibility. Tearing Down Baal’s Altar and Cutting Down the Asherah Pole After Gideon built the altar, the Lord spoke to him that very night, commanding him to tear down the altar of Baal and cut down the wooden image beside it. Gideon obeyed the Lord’s command. This act symbolized the destruction of the enemy’s stronghold and a great spiritual victory. When our Lord Jesus was on the cross, He triumphed over the one who held the power of death—the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) The aged Apostle John declared: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) Moreover, God entrusted authority to the Church, that whatever the church binds on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever thhe church looses on earth will be loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 18:18) And indeed, on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended, revival fire came from heaven. The Church triumphed gloriously. In the name of the Lord, the gospel was preached, and three thousand souls were saved and baptized in one day, delivered from Satan’s dominion and transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Signs and wonders followed, and Satan was put to shame and driven back. Thus, the Book of Acts records the Church’s victory over the enemy: “But the word of God grew and multiplied.” (Acts 12:24) “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” (Acts 19:20) The Spirit of the Lord Came Upon Gideon Later, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, entrusting him with the mission of revival. Gideon accepted this divine calling, blew the trumpet, and gathered the people of Israel to deliver them from the hand of the Midianites. His entire life became devoted to the work of revival. Today, the Lord also desires to fill us with His Spirit, that we may be used to join in the ranks of His revival work. May the fire that fell on the rock at Ophrah—the fire that gave Gideon spiritual courage, revival power, and the ability to bear witness, overcome the enemy, and fulfill his divine calling—also fall among us today! <-- Back Next Chapter -->

Bible reading: Luke 12:49 — “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! " Leviticus 9:22–24 — Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. INTRODUCTION The Whole Earth Needs Revival from the Holy Spirit The main topic for the message in this special conference is: “The Fire of Revival.” Today, churches across the globe share a common longing for revival. Whether in the life of an individual believer, a family, or a congregation, there is an urgent desire for spiritual renewal. Yet revival is not something that can be orchestrated by human hands. It is entirely under the sovereign power of God. It cannot be promoted or encouraged by man—it must be initiated, propelled, and completed by God Himself. When God stretches out His mighty hand, revival comes. Therefore, we can only look to Him to send down the fire of revival to awaken His people. In Luke 12:49, the Lord Jesus Himself said, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled." This fire was poured out at Pentecost—it is the fire of revival, the fire that burns, bringing renewal to believers, families, churches, and even the whole earth. Scripture records many instances where God sent fire to revive His people. In this series, we will examine six Old Testament types, each with its own background and perspective, to see how the Lord uses revival fire to lead His people into revival. We will also look at the true essence of revival as revealed in the New Testament at Pentecost. Chapter One: The Fire Before the Tabernacle This is the first Old Testament type of revival fire recorded in Scripture. Though familiar to many of God’s people, it is foundational and cannot be overlooked. For the sake of brevity and clarity, we will touch on it concisely. The People Complained When the Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, they sang and rejoiced because of the great deliverance the Lord had worked for them. This foreshadows how Christians, after believing in Jesus and being baptized into His name, experience the joy and peace of salvation and respond with praise. However, after journeying three days into the wilderness, the Israelites became thirsty and found only bitter water. They began to complain. This illustrates how Christians, soon after beginning their spiritual journey, may encounter hardship and begin to murmur against God. In the second month after leaving Egypt, they arrived at the Wilderness of Sin and complained again due to hunger. They said, “In Egypt, we sat by the meat pots and ate our fill. Now we’re in this wilderness, and the whole assembly is starving!” Likewise, many Christians, after believing in Jesus, find they can no longer enjoy worldly pleasures—movies, gambling, dancing—and begin to resist moving forward, even grumbling. Soon they faced thirst again, again they argued, and complained, and then they had to fight the Amalekites. Yes, brothers and sisters, this path is full of trials. It strips away earthly pleasures and carnal comforts, leading to frequent complaints. Later, at Mount Sinai, Moses went up for forty days and nights. When he delayed in returning, the people assumed something had happened to him and asked Aaron to make a golden calf to worship—greatly offending the Lord. Similarly, many Christians, after following the Lord for a time, begin to drift, setting up idols of career, status, and wealth, losing their single-hearted trust in God. This provokes the Lord’s anger and brings His discipline. The People Rejoiced At Mount Sinai, Moses led the people to build the tabernacle according to the Lord’s command. When it was completed, the people gathered before the Lord. The Bible said Aaron offered the sin offering, burnt offering, and peace offering, and "the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell facedown." (Leviticus 9:22–24) The Fire Before the Tabernacle — Bringing Joy, Encouragement, and Revival to the Israelites Ever since the Israelites left Egypt, apart from the joyful singing on the far side of the Red Sea, their songs had ceased. From that moment until they reached Mount Sinai, their joy had vanished, and their hope had disappeared. Walking the wilderness path was not a choice—it was a necessity. There was no other way forward. So they walked the road chosen by the Lord reluctantly with long faces, stiff necks, heavy steps, and burdened hearts. But this time, when fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat, the people saw it and rejoiced. Because of God’s presence, they fell facedown in worship. Their former complaints turned into shouts of joy. Their inner state was completely transformed, and their attitude underwent a 180-degree shift. Where once they were full of their own opinions, preferences, and decisions, now they bowed low before the Lord. Brothers and sisters, this is the blessed state of the people touched by grace, this is the revival brought by the fire from heaven. This fire of revival lifted the people out of hardship, suffering, discouragement, coldness, retreat, stagnation, and unbelief. It gave them hope, encouragement, courage, faith, and strength to rise again, renew their strength and walk the path ahead. The Start of Revival Now let us see how God brings down the fire of revival. Leviticus 9:22–23 shows us that this fire of revival was brought forth through three offerings. The first was the sin offering; the second was the burnt offering; and the third was the peace offering. Sin Offering How does God grant us revival? The first step is leading us to offer the sin offering. Jesus became the Lamb of atonement, bearing our sins. His blood cleanses us from all sin—this is the experience of the sin offering. In Old Testament times, when God's people sinned, they had to bring a bull, sheep, or dove to the altar and lay their hands on the animal’s head before offering it. This signified that the person was a sinner, and that their sin was transferred to the animal, which would then bear their guilt. As the animal’s blood was shed, the sin was covered, and God would no longer judge the person. This was known as presenting a sin offering. Yet the true sin offering is what Jesus Christ accomplished. So when the Lord Jesus came to earth, John the Baptist testified of Him, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus Christ came as the Lamb for atonement, offering Himself on the cross and shedding His blood to redeem us. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." Praise the Lord Jesus Christ—He became our sin offering and bore our sins. This is the starting point of experiencing revival. Thorough Confession 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This word is spoken to all Christians, whether newly saved or those who have been saved for many years, we all have sin—so the issue of sin must first be resolved. If sin is not dealt with or thoroughly acknowledged, revival cannot happen. Praise the Lord! If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Revival begins with confession, so it must start from the sin offering. Many brothers and sisters have grown up through Sunday school or children’s ministry, yet have never truly encountered the Lord. I was one of them. I had heard all the stories—how Moses led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness and into Canaan; how Jesus multiplied bread, healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed many signs. I even recounted these stories to others. Yet I had not been revived by the Lord—still loving the world and still seeking sinful pleasures. Then one day, the Holy Spirit moved me to kneel before the Lord and confess my sins from the heart. Under the illumination of His light, I saw my sins. The wrongs I had committed since childhood came flooding back—anger, fighting, stealing, lying, deceit, unrighteousness—sin upon sin playing before me like scenes from a film. The Spirit of sorrow worked deeply in me, stirring a heart of repentance. I couldn't help but weep bitterly, confessing each sin before Him. I don’t even know where the tears came from—they flowed endlessly like a stream. From that moment onward, I experienced tremendous revival. I was completely transformed. Walking felt like flying—every burden of guilt had fallen away, and my soul was instantly filled with peace, joy, lightness, and transcendence. Like a bird soaring above the clouds, or a fish swimming freely in the ocean—truly, I felt liberated and free. Not only was my spirit joyful, but even the environment around me seemed renewed. Everything appeared especially bright and lovely—as if the whole earth and everything in it was harmonious and kind. Brothers and sisters seemed even dearer and more lovable. So, dear brothers and sisters, now that the Lord has led us to Baguio, let us, under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, thoroughly confess our sins, ask the Lord for forgiveness, and sincerely offer the sin offering—so that heaven's fire may descend and bring revival among us. Meeting the Lord Today, many people are unwilling to fully confess their sins because they have not truly met the Lord. Whether you’ve been baptized, attended worship services, or regularly pray and read the Bible... the issue does not lie in these religious practices. The real question is: Have you ever truly met the Lord once? The clearest sign of someone who has met the Lord is surrendering to Him. When Saul encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, he fell to the ground. Likewise, if you encounter the Lord, you will see yourself as a sinner—and that realization will cause you to fall before Him (not the outward being, but inner being). You’ll be compelled to confess your sins before God, just like Saul. If you have experienced this, then it proves that you have received grace. Otherwise, you have not yet met the Lord, I am concerned for you—because the wrath of God still remains upon you. Continued Confession of Sin Dear brothers and sisters, why does God require us to confess our sins? Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.“ Isaiah 59:1-2 also says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you,s o that He will not hear." Romans 6:23 further declares, “For the wages of sin is death.” These verses clearly reveal that once a person sin, if it is covered up rather than confessed and forsaken, he will not prosperity. Sin separates us from God and causes Him to hide His face, refusing to hear our prayers. In such a state, spiritual revival is impossible—what remains is spiritual deadness, because the consequence of sin is death. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). This profound moment reveals that when Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all humanity, the holy God saw the burden of sin upon His beloved Son and had no choice but to forsake Him. What a solemn truth this is! Therefore, whenever sin enters our lives, God immediately becomes separated from us—He sets us aside. Only through continued confession, relying on the blood of Jesus, can all barriers between us and God be removed. Brothers and sisters, we must welcome the light, sternly judge sin, confess it, and forsake it, so that the precious blood of Jesus may continually cleanse us. For “if we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Burnt Offering The second offering that brought down the fire of the tabernacle was the burnt offering . Burnt offering symbolized Jesus Christ offering Himself on the cross to God as a sacrifice pleasing to Him. Ephesians 5:2 says, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." However, from our experiential standpoint, the burnt offering speaks of us offering ourselves to God in Christ, in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Brothers and sisters, each one of us must offer ourselves to the Lord—because this is what delights His heart. When Aaron offered the burnt offering before the tabernacle, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. The burnt offering symbolizes our consecration, while the fat points to glory. The fire coming out and consuming the burnt offering and fat illustrates that God accepted the offering, and that all glory belongs to Him. No wonder 1 Corinthians 6:20 declares, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." How we long to be moved by Christ’s love—because He redeemed us at great price, may we willingly and joyfully offer our bodies as a living sacrifice unto Him. Then the fire of revival will come down, bringing in revival within the Church. Peace Offering The third offering that brought down the fire before the tabernacle was the peace offering . This refers to Jesus Christ offering Himself, so that through Him we might be reconciled to God. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Brothers and sisters, through the cleansing power of the precious blood and our self-offering in Christ, and by being reconciled to God through Jesus, we draw ever closer to Him. The deeper our union with God, the stronger the fire of revival that descends from heaven. It burns with increasing intensity—growing stronger, brighter, and spreading wider. The Fire of Revival During the Welsh revival, a servant of God greatly used by Him—Brother Roberts—was a man drawn by the Lord into a life of prayer. He prayed for several hours each day, experiencing the full cleansing of the precious blood and offering himself wholly to God. Through such prayer, he entered deeper union with the Lord. As a result, the fire of revival was brought down and spread across every corner of Wales, eventually igniting an unprecedented revival throughout the region. A few years ago, the Lord led a few of us to begin gathering for meetings. We started in a humble wooden hut under very limited circumstances. Outwardly, it was discouraging—especially when compared to another group we had been part of, where the gatherings were much larger. The contrast was stark. Yet once we truly obeyed and followed the Lord in gathering, He quickly led us into a life of prayer. We were often illuminated by the Spirit, confessing sins and offering the sin offering. We were stirred by His love to offer ourselves in burnt offering, and thus entered deeper communion with God through the peace offering. We prayed in the morning, prayed in the afternoon, and even prayed at night—spending several hours in prayer daily. We truly experienced the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. Then the fire from heaven came down! The Holy Spirit was richly poured upon us, accompanied by signs and wonders, greatly encouraging us. Though we often placed limitations upon the Lord, His mercy prevailed. Several hundred people have already been baptized. God did not regard our weakness and failure, but remembered the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering offered through His Son—and He sent down the fire of revival. May this gathering on the mountain once again stir the Lord to rain down His revival fire! <-- Back Next Chapter -->

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 21:1— “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel." 1 Chronicles 21:7–18 —“And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.So David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.’And the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,‘Go and tell David, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.’”’So Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Choose for yourself,either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.” Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.’And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the Lord looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, ‘It is enough; now restrain your hand.’ And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.And David said to God, ‘Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep—what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people, that they should be plagued.’Therefore, the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” 1 Chronicles 21:26–28 —"And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.So the Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.” Colossians 1:16–17— “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 — “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” Satan Hates the Revival of God’s People This morning, we will speak about the fire on the threshing floor of Araunah. When David was king, he led the people of Israel to victory over the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Ammonites, and other nations, establishing a strong and powerful kingdom of Israel. With the enemies subdued, peace reigned throughout the land. Yet it was precisely during this time of national prosperity and spiritual revival that Satan’s intense hatred was stirred. He could not bear to see Israel flourishing in revival, so he rose up to attack. This time, Satan did not use foreign nations to wage open war against Israel. Instead, he worked secretly, inciting David’s heart to take a census of the people. In doing so, David greatly sinned against the Lord. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Since God’s blessing is without limit, His people are not to be numbered. But David, provoked by Satan, acted foolishly and counted the people of Israel—thus gravely offending God. Revival Interrupted by Pride, Self-Satisfaction, and Self-Exaltation On the other hand, David’s decision to number the people of Israel revealed the pride, self-satisfaction, and desire for self-exaltation within him. This motive offended God, and as a result, He brought calamity upon Israel. Thus, the revival was interrupted, and its continuation came to a halt. In the same way, when a Christian is experiencing revival—or when a church is being revived—Satan will spare no effort to attack, doing everything possible to lead God’s people into failure. He cannot bear to see believers thriving in revival or churches flourishing in spiritual renewal. When believers are being built up, loving the Lord, pursuing Him, serving Him, and growing in spiritual stature, Satan refuses to remain passive. He seeks every opportunity to strike, especially when God’s people are inattentive or spiritually weak. He launches both open assaults and hidden schemes, using various deceptions and traps to hinder revival—not only stalling it, but causing decline and even spiritual collapse. Therefore, we must be especially vigilant. Whenever we experience even a measure of revival, we are prone to relax, lose watchfulness, and even become proud and self-sufficient. As a result, we fall into Satan’s cunning schemes, and revival is halted, leading to spiritual failure! When the Israelites conquered Jericho, their morale soared, and the people were filled with the atmosphere of revival—for the first great city of Canaan had fallen! Fallen! But when they went on to attack the next city, the small town of Ai, they suffered defeat. This was a painful lesson, a sobering experience that must serve as a warning. The reason for their crushing defeat after the great victory at Jericho was simple: they underestimated the enemy and relied on themselves. They did not seek the Lord before going to battle, nor did they depend on the Holy One of Israel in their advance. Likewise, when a believer is revived by the Lord—burning with zeal, strong in love for Christ, pursuing Him, serving Him—and begins to feel self-assured, that is often the moment when they are most vulnerable to failure in the smallest matters. As we mentioned yesterday, sometimes it’s just a little leaven that enters in, or a single drop of honey. Yet these small intrusions of leaven and honey can lead to the entire revival being stalled, and even to a state of spiritual decline and defeat. The Fire on Araunah’s Threshing Floor — The Restoration of Revival When a Christian or a church falls into failure after experiencing revival, how can that revival be restored? There is only one way: the fire on Araunah’s threshing floor. Though Satan uses every scheme and spares no effort to hinder and destroy the revival of God’s people, God is forever victorious. He continues to move forward, and through the fire on Araunah’s threshing floor, He restores His people from failure back into the condition of revival. After David’s failure, when the revival among the Israelites came to a halt, it was the fire on Araunah’s threshing floor that brought restoration—not only returning the people to their former spiritual vitality, but also laying the foundation for something greater. David, in obedience to the Lord’s command, instructed his son Solomon to use that very threshing floor—where the fire had fallen—as the site for building the temple. From there, the people gradually ascended to the peak of revival. In recent years, many young brothers and sisters have experienced revival from the Lord. At nearly every Baguio gathering, there have been moments of spiritual revival—some great, some small. Yet not long after, many gradually slipped. Some even returned to doing things that displeased the Lord and sinned against Him. So when we find ourselves in such a condition again, how can we be restored? As mentioned earlier, we need the fire on Araunah’s threshing floor. Only the work of the Holy Spirit—symbolized by that fire—can bring us back to our original place of revival. Now, we can look at David’s experience to understand how to call down the fire on Araunah’s threshing floor once more. Humbling Oneself to Receive Discipline and Rebuke After David’s failure, what became most evident in him was his humility in accepting God’s discipline and rebuke. Whenever we fall short, the Lord’s discipline and correction, whether severe or gentle, are always meant to bring us into humility. For God’s work of revival can only be manifested upon a foundation of humility. The Word of the Lord tells us: “God resists the proud,But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) Many times, God blesses us and revives us. Yet, because we cannot bear the weight of His blessing, pride creeps in—our hearts are lifted up, and our spirits become stubborn. This forces God’s blessing to halt, for He can only give grace to the humble and must resist the proud. David was a deeply spiritual man. When he sinned against the Lord by numbering the people, he immediately humbled himself under God’s discipline and rebuke. The Lord sent Gad to present him with three choices of judgment: three years of famine, three months of fleeing before his enemies, or three days of plague in the land destroying throughout Israel. David, being a man who knew God, replied to Gad: “Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” (1 Chronicles 21:13) He recognized his own wretchedness, corruption, and utter brokenness. Apart from seeking God’s mercy, there was no other way forward. Outside of the Lord’s mercy, there is no salvation. David humbled himself, knowing that only by looking up in humility to God’s mercy could the revival be restored. When the angel of the Lord brought the plague, seventy thousand Israelites died. Revival came to a halt, and the nation began descending a sorrowful path. In that moment, David lifted his eyes to the Lord’s mercy and again declared: “ Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great.” His humility reached such depths that, when he saw the angel of the Lord at Araunah’s threshing floor, he and the elders clothed themselves in sackcloth and fell on their faces to the ground. “Clothed in sackcloth” signified deep sorrow and repentance—a visible expression of profound humility. “Fell on their faces” revealed a posture of desperate pleading for mercy and grace. David’s humble acceptance of God’s discipline and rebuke was ultimately accepted by the Lord. There was a brother who, when he first came to faith in the Lord, was in a very good spiritual condition. But after some time, he turned his heart toward the world. Whether indulging in the pleasures of sin or pursuing material desires, he spared no effort in enjoyment and was relentless in his pursuit—not wanting to fall behind others in worldly gain. He continued chasing after pleasure until the Lord’s loving discipline came upon him. One day, while riding his motorcycle, he crashed into a bridge pillar and fell to the ground. His hands, feet, body—even his face—were injured, requiring more than twenty stitches. It was in the hospital that he began to confess his sins and plead for the Lord’s forgiveness. And the Lord, in His mercy, healed him quickly. Yet within a few months, he returned to drinking and resumed a sinful lifestyle. So once again, the Lord’s discipline came. This time, his career suffered a major blow. That was when he truly repented and humbled himself. He knelt down and cried out: “Lord, have mercy on me, have mercy on me. This time I truly repent—it’s not a false repentance. I genuinely return to You. Please forgive me.” Because he humbled himself and accepted the Lord’s discipline and rebuke, revival began to stir in him again. He was then filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to walk in renewed revival. Brothers and sisters, humbling ourselves to accept correction and discipline is a foundational key to restoring reviva l . For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Restore the testimony upon the foundation of God's word Because of David's humble plea, the angel of the Lord instructed Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah. David obeyed and did as Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord. The Threshing Floor of Araunah The reason the Lord directed David to go to Araunah’s threshing floor carries deep significance. At that time, Araunah was threshing wheat—symbolizing the provision of food. This reveals that Araunah’s threshing floor is a place of spiritual nourishment, a place where God speaks. Dear brothers and sisters, whenever we begin to stray from the road to Emmaus and no longer walk the highway to Zion, we must quickly return to Araunah’s threshing floor—to the Word of God—to seek and wait upon the Lord. It means coming before the speaking God to wait and seek Him. Apart from this, there is no other way. You and I have only one destination: to come before the Lord and inquire of Him. For spiritual life, spiritual food, and spiritual words all come from the Lord. In other words, the Lord speaks through the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, and through people, events, and circumstances. There is no second place to go. Therefore, we must return to Araunah’s threshing floor. For example, if you’ve recently felt spiritually cold—living each day in a lukewarm, abnormal spiritual state—then come before the Lord in prayer and say:“Lord, what should I do in this pitiful condition? Now I’ve come to Baguio to attend a special conference. Lord, this is Araunah’s threshing floor. I’ve come before You to hear Your Word. Please speak to me.” When you do this, the Holy Spirit will surely work in a marvelous way, and revival will come upon you. There was a sister who, when she first believed, was fervent in her love for the Lord. But after a period of time, she gradually grew cold toward Him. One morning, the Holy Spirit suddenly reminded her: “Are you going to keep going on like this?” She responded, “Lord! What’s wrong with me lately? I don’t enjoy reading the Bible, I don’t like praying, and I hardly want to attend gatherings. Oh! How did I become like this?” Despite her lack of interest, she began reading the Bible. That day, she happened to read 1 John 4:8–9: "For God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him . ” She was struck by the words—God’s love was revealed to her. She continued reading and came to verse 16: “ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.” These words touched her deeply. In her heart she said, “The Lord loves me like this—I should know it, believe it, and rise up to love Him.”So she rose up—she began attending gatherings, praying, reading the Bible, and even testified in the meetings. She was revived. Praise the Lord! Brothers and sisters, sometimes when we grow cold, fail, or backslide—when we’re walking downhill spiritually—the Lord disciplines us with love to humble us. But He doesn’t stop there. He wants to bring us to Araunah’s threshing floor, to the presence of the speaking God, so we may inquire of Him. Suppose you’re in Baguio and suddenly get a headache, or someone starts sneezing, or another has a fever. Don’t immediately conclude it’s because you didn’t cover yourself well or caught a chill yesterday. No—use these outward circumstances to seek the Lord. Ask Him: “Why do I have a headache, a runny nose, a fever?” The first thing to do is go to Araunah’s threshing floor and inquire of the Lord. A few months ago, while I was in Taipei, something suddenly appeared in my chest area. It hurt when I moved my hand. I immediately went before the Lord in prayer, seeking if He had something to say. The Lord said: “You’ve had a lot of work lately, running here and there, but you’ve spent too little time drawing near to Me. That is a sin.” I said, “Lord! Forgive me. I’ve truly spent too little time with You. My prayers are few, and my work is too much. Please forgive me.” After confessing, I asked the Lord if there was anything else I had done to offend Him. But I felt no further conviction—I was clear. According to the Lord’s word, I humbled myself and confessed. Then, in the name of the Lord, I commanded the illness to leave and the lump to disappear. After praying, the pain lessened in a day or two, and within a few more days, it was gone. Brothers and sisters, when we receive God’s discipline—whether great or small—it means revival is near. At that moment, don’t forget to return to the Lord, to Araunah’s threshing floor, and inquire of Him. If the Lord tells us something, we should do it. Building the Altar David did another important thing at Araunah’s threshing floor—he built an altar to the Lord, following the command of the Lord’s messenger. The altar symbolizes testimony, it refers to restoring the testimony based on the foundation of God's word. When God seeks to restore His work of revival, He must first obtain a group of vessels. Only then will the fire of revival descend upon these vessels, just as fire came down upon the altar. Brothers and sisters, it is my earnest hope that we may all, according to the Lord’s word, become vessels of testimony—rooted in the living word of God and living out the testimony of Christ. Offering the Burnt Sacrifice After David built the altar, he then offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and the Lord sent fire down upon the altar of burnt offering. This morning, we want to spend a bit more time speaking about the burnt offering. Throughout the entire Bible, we see that the fire of revival—representing the work of the Holy Spirit—most often descends upon the burnt offering. We’ve already seen the fire before the tabernacle—it came upon the burnt offering. We’ve also seen the fire on the rock at Ophrah, which burned when lamb meat was offered (which also symbolically refers to the burnt offering). Yesterday, we saw the flames on the rock at Zorah, again burning upon the burnt offering. And this morning, we see that when David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings at Araunah’s threshing floor, fire came down from heaven onto the altar of burnt offering. The Lord commanded the angel, who then sheathed his sword, and the plague was immediately stopped. The hindrances to revival were removed, and the forces that had destroyed revival were eliminated. Thus, the Israelites were restored from their failure—because the fire fell at Araunah’s threshing floor. When the Holy Spirit works, every difficulty—whether personal, familial, in ministry, in coordination—whatever the challenge, it all passes away. Every spiritual plague is completely wiped out. When the fire fell at Araunah’s threshing floor, the plague across the nation ceased, and all difficulties were resolved. But remember: this fire fell upon the burnt offering. The Beginning, Restoration, and Continuation of Revival All Require Burnt Offerings In recent days, many have been waiting for the fire of revival to descend. In truth, this fire has already begun to burn, and many have received it. However, it is not yet widespread—many brothers and sisters remain in a spiritually stagnant state. Therefore, we must earnestly ask the Lord to let the fire of revival spread to every corner of the church, so that every believer may be revived. But let us not forget: the beginning, restoration, and continuation of revival all require the offering of burnt sacrifices. Only then can the fire of revival descend from heaven. Brothers and sisters, each of us must offer burnt sacrifices here in Baguio. Offering Ourselves Repeatedly and More Deeply Scripture shows us that burnt offerings were offered every morning and evening—meaning we must offer ourselves repeatedly and more deeply. Some among us have already made such offerings many times, but we must continue. Others have never offered themselves before, and now is the time to do so. In previous messages, we’ve said that symbolically, the burnt offering refers to Jesus Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without blemish to God—a fragrant sacrifice, pleasing to Him. In our experience, the Lord Jesus also stirs us with His love and leads us by His Spirit to offer ourselves to Him as pure virgins. Colossians 1:16 says: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." This shows that the purpose of all creation is for Jesus Christ. God, in His infinite wisdom, has His eternal plan and ultimate goal. He created humanity and the universe for Christ. We were made for Him. We have to be clear that our shared goal is to live for Jesus Christ, as God ordained from eternity. Verse 17 continues: " And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." He upholds "all things by the word of His power." (Hebrews 1:3) We exist because of Him—not merely to eat, drink, and enjoy life, but to live for Jesus. God appointed Christ to inherit all things, so we must wholly live for Him. Therefore, we must offer ourselves more deeply and completely to live for HIm. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 says: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." Whether from the perspective of creation or redemption, Jesus made and saved us to live for Him. His love—expressed through the cross and His shed blood—compels us. Paul, moved by this immeasurable and unfathomable love, urges us to live not for ourselves but for the risen Lord. So we must offer ourselves again and again. In the Old Testament, when a bull or lamb was placed on the altar, it no longer belonged to itself—it was set apart for God. Today, stirred by the Lord’s love, we place ourselves on the altar as living sacrifices, as burnt offering, offering ourselves to the Lord. Romans 12:1 says: " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." God delights in this. When we offer ourselves in this way, heavenly fire descends—burning in you and me—and the Holy Spirit revives us. Brothers and sisters, let us once again offer ourselves more deeply and completely. Our life has only one meaning: to live for Jesus. Whether studying, teaching, doing business, being a parent or child—everything is for Jesus. There is no second purpose. With this clarity, our goal is firm and unshakable: a lifetime lived for Jesus. Our path is firmly set and unchanging: walking highway of Zion, the heavenly way, the way of the cross. This is the life of the altar, the life of the burnt offering. These recent messages focus on foundations. First is the experience of the sin offering—repentance, forgiveness, and peace through the blood of Christ. Second is the burnt offering—total consecration. Without this second foundation, no amount of teaching will help. If the foundation is not set, there is no way to build. We must first encounter the Lord, repent, receive peace of forgiveness, and experience His precious blood. Only then can we enter into the experience of offering ourselves. Without this second foundation, Christians cannot walk the path properly. Sometimes, God lovingly disciplines us to lead us to offer ourselves. When I was a teenager, I was moved by a sermon and offered myself to the Lord. But soon after, I turned to the world. One day, I became ill—my cheek swelled painfully, and I couldn’t sleep. The Holy Spirit reminded me: I had offered myself, yet I still love the world. I wasn't living for the Lord, but for my own future. I prayed, “Lord, forgive me. I forgot I had consecrated myself. I love the world for my future. Forgive me and heal me, and I will live for You. Whatever You want me to do, I'm willing to obey.” Within days, I was healed. That offering was deeper than before—but still not enough. A few years later, I again pursued worldly status. The Lord disciplined me again, this time not illness but through a life-threatening event. I repented and said, “Lord, this time I truly want to live for You.” He protected me and saved me from the disaster. Later, during a move of the Spirit in the church, the Lord spoke again: "Offer yourself completely, without reservation. Surrender yourself, give up your future and choices. Go whereever I lead you. Do whatever I ask of you. Surrender yourself without condition." I hesitated before the Lord's request, saying, “This is too hard. I have to re-consider.” But one night, the Lord said, “If you won’t offer yourself, I will take your life tonight. Then what future do you have?” Like the foolish rich man in the Bible, who planned to build a bigger barn and store his crops and goods. And he said to his soul, "... take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" (Luke 12:20) Lord Jesus asked me that night, if I lost my soul today, shall I still plan for the future? I surrendered. I said, “Lord, You are sovereign. I give myself to You.” After I surrender myself, His love filled me. I knew He would never fail me. He loves me, His love and grace will not leave me all my life. He is responsible to lead me and keep me. I feel that His love is so great that I bow down on my knees and I offered myself fully, even publicly in church. I knelt and gave everything—my spirit, soul, body, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, my being, possessions, future, life, and family—to Jesus. I wept and offered myself sincerely, without reservation. Dear brothers and sisters, be clear and thorough in your consecration. Mark the time and place of your full surrender. You may realize your offering has not been complete, you still have reservation. It was not an offering without condition. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to lay the foundation and offer the burnt sacrifice—giving your entire future to the Lord. May this offering be made today before the Lord, so that the fire of revival from heaven may come upon us. Offering the Peace Offering To bring down the fire from the threshing floor of Araunah, another offering must be made—the peace offering. The peace offering refers to Jesus Christ offering Himself to God. Through His atonement, He brought peace, reconciling us to God. If we want to bring down the heavenly fire, we must not only offer the burnt offering—giving ourselves completely—but also offer the peace offering, which signifies deep fellowship and intimate union with God. We must live a life of continual communion and unity with Him. Just as a lamp must be connected to a power source to shine, and a fan must be plugged in to spin, all electrical appliances must be connected to power to function. In the same way, when you dedicate yourself to the Lord and are fully connected to Him, the fire from heaven will burn ever more brightly within you. We truly hope that each of us will wholly offer ourselves and come before the Lord, living in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, without any gap from God. May we experience His presence daily, commune with Him through the Bible, through prayer, and sometimes through hymn—living each day in truer, fresher, and deeper fellowship. When we offer the peace offering in this way, the fire from heaven will descend, consume us, and the church will continually be revived. The Foundation of the Temple Later on, it was on the very threshing floor of Araunah—where burnt offerings and peace offerings had been made—that Solomon, David’s son, built the temple. This temple, which symbolizes the building of the church, had its foundation laid on Araunah’s threshing floor, not anywhere else. This means that the church is built upon a group of God’s people who have truly encountered the Lord, thoroughly confessed and repented of their sins, been cleansed by the precious blood, offered themselves as burnt sacrifices, lived in deep fellowship with God, and received the heavenly fire—the powerful working of the Holy Spirit upon them. Only upon such a foundation can the church be built. Without fire descending from heaven, the temple cannot be built. Likewise, wherever the Holy Spirit is not at work, there can be no true building of the church. Remember: it is only upon the working of the Holy Spirit that the church can be built. Wherever the fire of Araunah’s threshing floor is present, there the temple will be established. Decision Dear brothers and sisters, if we desire to bring forth the fire of revival, then this morning we must take one specific action: to offer ourselves concretely to the Lord. This is a solemn moment, and we ask that everyone approach it with reverence before God. Whoever is willing to offer themselves to the Lord—whether it is for the first time, a renewed offering, or one made many times before—if you are willing and joyful in heart to dedicate your entire life to the Lord, please stand. Do not feel pressured; this must be voluntary. If you are willing to offer yourself to God, please stand. Thank the Lord—nearly all of us have stood, willing to give ourselves to Him. And to mark this moment with seriousness, we now ask all brothers and sisters who have stood to kneel in prayer, and formally present yourselves to the Lord before Him. <-- Back Next Chapter -->

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

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

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:15-16 1 John 1:1-3 Colossians 3:4, 11 James 1:18, 25 Romans 8:28-29 Genesis 2:9-11   Thanks be to God who, in the past, had raised up three great ministers of the New Testament, namely Peter, Paul, and John. All three were apostles greatly used by the Lord, enough to represent the New Testament ministry. Amazingly, all three ministers preached the “Word of Life” throughout their ministerial lives. The Acts of the Apostles records that the Lord performed many signs and wonders among the people through the hands of these apostles, which eventually led to resentment from the High Priest and his associates. Consequently, they arrested the apostles and put them in public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail, and brought them out saying, “Go…..and tell the people the full message of this new life.” (Acts 5:20) Paul was no exception. He told the believers in Philippi, “Children of God… in a… generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, you hold out the Word of Life.” (Philippians 2:15-16) He did not labor or toil in vain. His ministry was with a direction. He visited churches everywhere and proclaimed the Word of Life. Let us take a look at the Apostle John. He was the last apostle to depart from the world. During his time, the believers had strayed away from the foundations of life, so much so that a great majority of churches had deteriorated and had become desolate. The Lord commissioned him to do the work of revival. Hence, when he wrote the First Epistle of John chapter 1, he affirmed the main theme right from the beginning, “That which was from the beginning… concerning the Word of Life.” This clearly tells us that at that time, the church had already lost the Word of Life and had stopped progressing in the pathway of life. Because of this, he never stopped preaching the Word of Life. His ministry was to restore the Word of Life. In the course of serving the Lord, all the three great ministers preached the Word of Life. This tells us of the need for the church today to walk in this pathway of life. The “Word” in the “Word of Life” refers to the word in the original text; it also refers to the message. Peter preached the Word of Life; Paul delivered the Message of Life; while John restored the Word of Life. The purpose of delivering the word or the message is so that everyone may put them to practice and be able to live in it. While Jesus was on earth, He once pointed out two paths: “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) This was to guide the disciples on how to walk the pathway of life. It also points out the need for Christians to walk in this pathway of life. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter stood up and preached the first message which he quoted from the Psalms, saying, “You have made known to me the path of life.” These words spoken by King David indicate that all his life he was one who walked the pathway of life. No wonder God commended him as a man after God’s own heart. His life, work, and ministry had pleased God. From here we see that not only are we to walk in the pathway of life; moreover, we must serve the Lord in this pathway of life. Since this is so, then we must never stray away from this pathway of life in our ministry. Now, where does this pathway of life come from? It is brought about by the word (message) of life, and we walk according to it. What is the Word of Life The “Word of Life” is Christ becoming our experience in life. The Gospel of John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “Word” here refers to Jesus Christ. Because verse 14 says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…..full of grace and truth.” Following that, verse 18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but God the only begotten Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” We see here that Jesus Christ was the Word in the beginning, which later became the Word of Life. How come the Word in the beginning later became the Word of Life? Because Jesus Christ, who was in the beginning, not only came to the world as the Word who became flesh, after He had accomplished redemption, He also dwelled among us and became our experience in life. Hence, He is called the “Word of Life.” The Word in the beginning is the objective case, while the Word of Life is the subjective case. The Word in the beginning refers to Christ in heaven -- when He dwells among us and becomes the Christ of our life…. He is called the Word of Life. Thus, when the Apostle John wanted to restore the Word of Life, he had this to say, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.” This shows that they had each experienced the Word of Life personally. Christ used to remain on the outside, but now He has become our inner life experience, and we testify of Him. So today, what we preach is not a doctrinal Jesus, not a religious Jesus, not even a historical Jesus, but Jesus who is in my life -- how he dwells in me, so that I may experience Him all my life. The Pathway of Life Points Out How One Can Enter into the Stage of Fullness of Life The Gospel of John 10:10 records the Lord Jesus saying, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This means that not only do Christians receive eternal life, they also need to enter into the fullness of the life of Christ. That is why we need to walk in the pathway of life. It is by this pathway of life that our spiritual lives can continue to mature until they reach fullness. From the Bible we see that in order to enter into the fullness of life, there are generally three stages to consider. We will use the tabernacle in the Old Testament as representation. The tabernacle represents the church. Every part of the tabernacle serves as a representation of Christ, as well as, the lifetime experiences of a Christian. The entire process of the Church can actually be divided into three stages, these are: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. These three stages also speak of the process of maturity in the life of a Christian. A Steadfast Life (Outer Court) – Christ as the Foundation A steadfast life can also be termed as a life with foundation. Hebrews 6:1 tells us, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation.” This means that the foundation has already been laid. Therefore, in the life process of a Christian, the first level is to live a life with foundation. Due to the fact that a large number of Christians did not lay any solid foundations, their spiritual lives have not been steadfast. Paul in I Corinthians 3:11 said, “…the foundation that had already been laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This clearly tells us that both the church and a Christian’s spiritual life are built upon only one foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. After you and I have believed in the Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ enters into us and becomes the foundation of the pathway of our lives. This foundation itself is steadfast, firm, unyielding, unshakeable, and is already in us. This life of Jesus Christ is unchanging. Although heaven and earth change, Jesus Christ never changes. Peter described the life of Jesus Christ as a life that is imperishable. Grass withers and flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord (Word, Life) stands forever (I Peter 1:24-25). It means that this life transcends time and space; it is steadfast, firm, and surpasses heaven and earth. Now how do we build a steadfast life? We will simply mention three things of concern. First is prayer. Prayer is similar to an infant breathing. Once we are saved and born again, Jesus Christ enters into us…so does His life -- just like a baby who has just been born. Upon birth, the first thing the infant needs is to breathe. If a Christian lacks prayer, he is like an infant who has breathing inadequacy. Second is reading the Bible. Reading the Bible is like an infant feeding on milk. May I ask each of you here if you have already established a life of morning devotion – reading the Bible, praying and drawing near to the Lord? Third is assembling together. Assembling together is like a child living a family life. We are the Lord’s sheep. Sheep need to stay in the sheep pen and come in and go out together with the Shepherd, Jesus Christ. This refers to living a life of assembling together. All these are the basic experiences a Christian ought to have in order to live a steadfast life. A Growing Life (Holy Place) – Christ As Life After building a solid foundation in life, this life needs to climb up another level. Hence, when the spiritual lives of the Hebrew believers had stopped growing, the apostle wrote a letter to them saying, “Let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity.” This clearly explains that they need to enter into a life of fullness and attain spiritual heights. “Not laying again the foundation” implies that the foundation has already been laid. It means that you already have a life of constant prayer, reading the Bible, and assembling together. Nevertheless, you still need to continue progressing. We call this stage of progressing as the life that is growing -- just like Christians who, in the Outer Court, are now progressing into the Holy Place. We call this the process of growth. Brothers and sisters, we need to be Christians who grow. Obeying the Holy Spirit After a Christian has firmly established a life of prayer, reading the Bible, drawing near to the Lord, communing with Him, and fellowshipping with believers, he still needs to enter into a life of growth. In this regard, I would like to speak about three essential experiences. First is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to abide in the Lord according to the teaching of the anointing. Christians in the first stage experienced Christ abiding in us, while Christians in the second stage experienced ourselves abiding in Christ. Romans 8:5-6 says that, “ Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”  Therefore, if a Christian listens to the teachings of the Anointing, he will be kept. On the contrary, if a Christian does not listen to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, he will suffer loss. Twenty years ago, there was a brother who was going to take a plane flight from Tai-Chung to Taipei. Very amazingly on that day, an inner voice told him not to go. He obeyed the inner teaching and did not go. Just as the plane was flying in mid-air, it burst into flames and everyone in that plane perished. News had it that Malaysia’s tycoon, Mr. Lu Yun Taw also perished in that flight. Hence, we must take heed to obey the Holy Spirit’s voice. A sister in Mainland China testified that one evening while she was sound asleep, the Holy Spirit suddenly woke her up and told her to quickly get out of the room. Without a doubt she got up, put on her robe, and walked out from her room to the living room. Shortly after, there was a loud bang and down came her ceiling. If she had tarried and did not obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, she will surely be smashed to death by the ceiling beams. The voice of the Holy Spirit (the teaching of the Anointing) is not a doctrine, but a pathway of life. A Christian who obeys the voice of the Holy Spirit shows that his spiritual life is growing. Have you already entered the stage of growth? A person who lives in constant fellowship with the Lord will be able to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. How wonderful that is! It is indeed glory increasing upon glory. Christ as Our Life At the same time, the more we obey the Holy Spirit, the more we will experience that He is there to teach us in all things, so that in all our behaviors and conduct, we may be able to do God’s will in the Holy Spirit. At this stage, Christ has become our life and He is alive in us. Just like what Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) Why is that? Because I have been crucified with Christ, now Christ lives for me, naturally, I have begun to live a victorious life. I Corinthians 1:30 says, “…Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” This means that Christ has become our life. We know that each kind of life exhibits its corresponding kind of living habits. The life of a sheep exhibits a clean living, while the life of a pig exhibits a filthy living. When Christ is our life, He becomes our wisdom. Therefore, whether in our studies or in conducting our businesses, Christians need to inquire of the Lord. The Lord will be our wisdom and He will teach us what we ought to do. Not only that, Christ is also our righteousness. Based on experience, when you offend someone, something in you simply will not let you go. There are times when you talked excessively, you feel so uneasy within ….. Because Christ is righteous, He rebukes you within, so that our behaviors and conduct will be in conformity with God’s procedure and will. Thank the Lord! Christ is also our holiness. There are some Christians who, before believing in the Lord, had the habit of drinking. But now, the mere taste of liquor on their lips makes them feel horrible within. Although the Bible does not literally prohibit drinking, but amazingly, the mere taste of liquor gives them the feeling of defilement. Christ’s holy life simply would not allow this, therefore it causes your spirit to feel horrible. This is the experience of Christ being our holiness. Oh, brothers and sisters, a spiritually growing Christian must experience Christ as his life. Not only that, He gives us victory. Hence Christians must not regard failure as something normal. Failure belongs to Christians in the first stage. Once you have entered the Holy Place, you ought to live a victorious life -- since Christians who have entered the Holy Place have already done away with sins, worldliness, traditions, and trends. To be in the Holy Place implies being set apart. Not only have we overcome sins, temptations, and worldly enticements, we have overcome the lust of the flesh as well. A sister was fond of eating junk foods. Apart from taking her three regular meals, she still has to eat junk foods. If she does not eat junk foods, she will not be able to get through her day. The urge to eat junk foods had held her captive. One day she attended a meeting and heard that Christ lives in her. Her life changed the moment Christ became her life. Instantly, her bad habit of eating junk foods fell off completely. She now enters the stage of growth, wherein Christ has become her life. Ministering Christians in this stage minister by grace and their ministry progress in the Lord’s grace. I hope all of us are growing Christians, with each one serving the Lord. Parents nurture and teach their children. A child who is one, two, or three years old, is very loveable. When he turns four or five, he starts to go to kindergarten school. Upon reaching six or seven years old, he goes to elementary school. By that time, he already knows how to eat, get dressed, and go to bed by himself; at this stage, the parents feel very much relieved. When he gets to middle school, he starts to help with small house chores like arranging tables and chairs, cleaning doors and windows, washing dishes, mopping the floors, etc. From here, we can see that if a Christian does not minister, he remains to be a little child, because little children are unable to help with the house chores. May I ask each of you here if you are taking part in the church ministry by coordinating with others, such as, fellowshipping, praising, praying, singing, visiting, sharing, etc? If you participate in serving, then you are clearly a growing Christian. Brothers and sisters, the reason we are citing some practical examples and essential points is so that we may be aware that after a Christian is saved, he must pursue the Lord with all his efforts and means. Beginning from the first stage which is the Outer Court experience, he should enter the second stage which is the experience of the Holy Place, and finally the third stage which is the experience of the Holy of Holies, which is also a life of maturity. A Mature Life (Holy of Holies) – Christ is All Mature Christians have the three following main experiences: Through the Cross Christ is Formed In the beginning, Christ, who is in us, was not one with us. But gradually through the work of the cross, the Lord integrates his character in us so that we may, through our ministry, slowly spread the fragrance of Christ and manifest His image. Christians who are at this stage are those who have accepted the cross. Each time the cross does its work in us, the component of Christ increases once. This is how Christ is being integrated in us. In 1961, I travelled to the Philippines the second time and stayed there for a while. One time I boarded a ship to Cebu. While on board, a brother who meant well bought balut  (duck egg with fetus) for me to eat. He told me that eating duck fetus benefits the lungs. That was the first time I saw a balut . In it was actually a very tiny duck fetus with black hair all over. I was afraid to eat it but this brother ate it in front of me. The balut  is the egg laid by its mother duck. After the egg has been hatched, the duck fetus is formed. Just like Christ who is in us -- once we have gone through the work of the cross, Christ will be formed in us. “To be formed” signifies a life that has matured. Hallelujah! Allowing Christ to be our life not only makes us strong and victorious; moreover, Christ will be formed and integrated in us. Hence, Paul told the Galatian believers saying, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19) Live Out Christ’s Glorious Image II Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveil faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This means that when we come face to face in fellowship with the Lord, we will be renewed by the Spirit of Christ. Moreover, the inner workings of the cross enable Christ’s glorious image to be manifested and lived out through us. The working of the Holy Spirit, through the integrating work of the cross, bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as described in Galatians 5. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. This is not love that comes from the natural life, but is a divine love, an unconditional love, a love that loves the unlovable. There is also joy. This joy is not found in eating, drinking, or having fun, but finding contentment in the Holy Spirit; it is joy unspeakable and full of gladness. Then there is peace, so that we may live in peace and harmony with one another. There is also patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All these are the manifestations of the image of Christ, which is also being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son. A Mature Life James 1:18 says, “That we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” Just like a mango tree, while some of its fruits have turned yellow, others may still be green. Thus the ripe and yellow fruits will be picked first. We too must enter into a life that is mature in order to become firstfruits for the Lord to enjoy. When Christ comes again, those believers whose lives are mature will be raptured first. Hence, Romans 8:28-29 says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him (those whose lives have matured) ……... predestined to be conformed (or “be molded” in the original text) to the likeness of His Son (a mature life).” Here it tells us that we can all live out the likeness of Christ, and be filled with Christ inwardly while manifesting Him outwardly. Brothers and sisters, how are we to serve the Lord? We must serve Him in the pathway of life. First, we need to take brothers and sisters to walk the pathway of life, so that they may establish a spiritual life that is firm and steadfast; next we must lead them into the level of growth of life; finally they must serve one another until their lives attain maturity. Value the Ministry of Life Over the Ministry of Gifts As you and I walk on this pathway of life and minister with all the saints, we will discover that there are two kinds of ministries in the church. One is called the Ministry of Gifts, while the other, the Ministry of Life. The Ministry of Gifts is About Work Accomplishments After a Christian is saved by grace, he can rely on the Holy Spirit to minister. Through prayers, one can receive power from the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. In general, the early stages of ministry are all about the ministry of gifts. Under the ministry of gifts, as long as one ministers by the power of the Holy Spirit, together with natural eloquence, and add to it diligence, he will be able to produce fruitful work. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He told a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey; who called his servants…To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.” Talents signify gifts. The one who received the five talents gained five more. The one with the two talents gained two more. This implies exercising of gifts in ministry. The one who received one talent hid it in a hole in the ground. At long last when the master returned, he rewarded both the one who received the five talents and the one who received the two talents. He commended them as good and faithful servants. The one who received the one talent and hid it in the ground did not exercise his ministry of gifts; consequently, the master rebuked him and called him a wicked and lazy servant. From here we see that every Christian must do his best in exercising his gifts to serve the Lord. Whether in praying, reading the Bible, meeting together, praising, visiting, or preaching the gospel… no one can do without serving. At the beginning of this year, we shared the message about the “Ministry of the Priest”. We encouraged all the saints to exercise their gifts in serving. Thank the Lord for His grace, everybody responded well. One could immediately notice the accomplishment of works. At present, our church in Manila is divided into five groups. The youth meeting is subdivided into the high school group, college group, and career group. Then, we also have the sisters’ meeting and Sunday school. Recently, we also started the elderly brothers’ meeting. The response was very good and everyone participated in serving the Lord. As a result, we witnessed the Lord’s blessings. Many were saved and this pleases the Lord. However, the ministry of gifts can only attain to a certain limit in the scale of work. Ministry of Life Builds Up Testimony The second kind of ministry is the “Ministry of life.” After a person believes in the Lord and is saved, the Lord’s life enters him and he receives a divine life – a life that is eternal. This life has a capability to serve the Lord. Serving in the Pathway of Life is A Ministry of Life We serve according to this life. Even if we do not have natural eloquence, we can still be intercessory vessels in secret. By interceding for others, though no one sees you, God sees you in secret. This is an example of the ministry of life. Some people have combined gifts and life; of course this is the most ideal ministry. Suppose you do not have any noticeable gifts, nonetheless, through the ministry of life, which is letting Christ be your life, you accept the leading of the Holy Spirit to visit a certain brother; or perhaps you fellowship privately with a certain sister in the spirit, thus enabling her to receive comfort and provision. In other words, ministry of life is ministering in the pathway of life, serving continuously with Christ as our life, and serving the Lord in keeping with this life. A Ministry of Life Flows Forth the Life of Christ A step further in the ministry of life is to flow forth the life of Christ. The Lord once used the vine as an example. Christians are the branches, while Christ is the vine. Only when the branch is attached to the vine can it bear fruit naturally. In the same way, when a Christian prays and draws near to the Lord, he is enjoined to Christ the Head; naturally, whether he prays or visits, or comes in contact with people, he will bear fruit and flow out the life of Christ. Although there are some brothers and sisters who may not have any apparent gifts, at the same time, the life of Christ flowing out from them may not seem that abundant, yet they could make others feel the presence of the provisions of the Anointing. For instance, during Thursday night Bible study meetings, some people can express themselves eloquently which is truly admirable. Although there are some who may not be that adequate in expressing themselves, yet they are able to share the spiritual insights that truly come from their hearts, then they add to it the testimony of their own personal experiences. This indeed cuts through the hearts of the listeners. They are not touched by eloquence, yet they are able to feel the presence of the Lord and thus receive provisions. This kind of sharing of the word is called the ministry of life. A person with abundant life experiences will be able to discern which is a ministry of gifts and which is a ministry of life. Nevertheless, a big majority of people have a combination of both life and gifts. A Ministry of Life Builds Up the Testimony of Christ However, the ministry of life not only has an outward scope of work, inwardly, there is also the building up of the testimony. In short, the testimony of Jesus Christ is being built up in the church through their ministries. Actually, there is a difference between work and testimony. We have to pay attention to the testimony of the Lord. A normal ministry is one that imparts life along with the exercise of gifts; this way, the testimony of the Lord will be manifested. But today, there is a danger among Christians all over the world that they pay more importance to the development of gifts, at the same time giving undue emphasis to doctrines and ministerial skills, yet neglecting the building up of life. True enough, giving importance to the exercise of gifts may enlarge the scope of work, but this kind of ministry gives increase only to the quantity of works in the Christian religion. However, the ministry of life is quite different. The ministry of life increases the stature, as well as, the component of Christ in the church. When the Apostle Paul ministered in Ephesus, he did so in life -- by imparting life and preaching the fullness of Christ. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, the church in Ephesus was built up, then Paul preached to them the Word of Life again. If we read the letters of Paul to the Ephesians, we will see how Paul expounded on the greatest revelation to the church there. To one’s surprise, from the time Paul departed from the world up to the time the old Apostle John was about to leave the world, the church in Ephesus had deteriorated. The ministries had lessened, and they had deviated into the path of the ministry of gifts. Hence, the Lord warned the church in Ephesus saying, “I know your deeds, you have persevered and have endured hardships… and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love.” (Revelation 2:3-4) “Love” is life. They had forsaken the Word of Life. When love is forsaken, then there will no longer be life. Life is filled with love, but when you forsake your first love, what remains is merely a few work activities and a few exercising of gifts. He said, “If you do not repent, I will remove your lampstand.” The removal of the lampstand implies the loss of Christ’s testimony, leaving behind just an outer shell of a certain scope of work where people can neither touch life nor come in contact with Christ. May we be warned by the Lord through this, that if we only have the ministry of gifts and not the ministry of life, then there will be no lampstand (testimony of Christ). Hence, not only do we exercise our gifts in the ministry, we must all the more pursue to enter the ministry of life, so that the testimony of Christ may be built up. We Must Value the Ministry of Life Over the Ministry of Gifts Although the ministry of life and the ministry of gifts are both important, still we must give more weight to the ministry of life rather than the ministry of gifts. I Corinthians 12 talks about the nine different kinds of gifts in the church. In fact, our church has a lack of these gifts. Nonetheless, the Corinthian church had enjoyed each of these nine gifts; yet Paul referred to them as infants and worldly. No wonder there were jealousy, strife, and factions among them, because their spiritual lives were immature and shallow. I remember when I was a little boy, I often squabbled with my older brother over trivial things, because we were just a few years apart in age. When I got to elementary school, we did not fight that often anymore. When I got to high school, we stopped fighting. Upon reaching college, not only did we not fight, we loved and helped each other. Although the Corinthian believers were enriched in every way in speech and in gifts, yet their lives were immature. Here it shows us that it is not enough to have the ministry of gifts alone, there must also be the ministry of life. Hence, immediately after Paul had written about the nine kinds of gifts in I Corinthians 12, he went on to talk specifically about love in chapter 13. He mentioned that if he should speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, he is only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. He meant that you must be filled with love as you provide for brothers and sisters. Then, in chapter 14 he explained how one can exercise his gifts. This shows us that we must exercise our gifts in love. Love connotes life. This is giving weight to the ministry of life over the ministry of gifts. From the Old Testament we see two staffs. One was the staff of Moses, which represents the ministry of gifts. This staff had performed many miraculous signs before the eyes of Pharaoh. How did this staff possess power? Whenever the presence of God is there, signs and wonders will naturally follow. Pharaoh had been the object of punishment quite a number of times by the staff in Moses’ hand. When they got to the edge of the Red Sea, Moses stretched out his staff and the waters parted so that all the Israelites were able to walk through. Later, signs and wonders continued to follow Moses’ staff. When the staff struck the rock, the rock opened up and living water flowed out… It was indeed a great gift. The other staff was that of Aaron. It was placed before the Ark of the Testimony alongside the staffs of the leaders of the eleven ancestral tribes. When morning came, all the eleven staffs did not show any changes except for Aaron’s staff which sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds. This staff represents the ministry of life. Later when they arrived at the land of Canaan, Moses’ staff of gifts no longer existed; only Aaron’s staff of life remained inside the Ark of the Testimony. Symbolically, this shows the fact that the ministry of gifts will pass away while the ministry of life will last forever. The ministry of life has eternal value. The ministry of gifts simply passes away after a certain generation. We must, therefore, value the ministry of life over the ministry of gifts. Learning to Minister in the Pathway of Life Lastly, let us see how we can learn to minister in the pathway of life. Have Nothing to Do with Issues --- Surpassing Reasons The book of Genesis records that there were two trees in the Garden of Eden, one is the tree of life and the other is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord prohibited our ancestors from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when they eat of it, they will surely die. (Genesis 2:17) But our ancestors could not withstand the serpent’s temptation. They ate of the fruit of that tree and as a result, they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Later, God placed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. Since then, mankind was denied the chance to come in contact with life again. Thank God, His love endures forever. He does not harbor His anger forever. When we get to the New Testament -- it was through Jesus Christ, who opened a new and living way for us, that men’s entry into the path of life has been restored. “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is the tree of right and wrong. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are in contrast with one another. Therefore in serving, we must have nothing to do with issues, nor reason out any way we please. If you eat of the fruit from the tree of life, you will receive life. On the contrary, if you eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will die. In serving, we must be outright in rejecting anything that has to do with  right and wrong, reasoning, or arguments, but must go positively beyond reasoning. Do not touch right and wrong to avoid bringing in death. Hence, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples saying, “You have heard it said: ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you….…”  “Eye for eye” and “tooth for tooth” means that when somebody knocks off one of your teeth, you may also knock off one of his. When somebody gouges out your eye, you may also gouge his, because this is within reasoning. However the Lord Jesus said, “But I tell you”, ---- this means that the former falls within the context of the Old Testament law. Since we are now in the New Testament times, our ministry should not be of the law but of life. Therefore, the basis is no longer on reasoning, right and wrong, or good and evil. The more you struggle, the faster the spirit dies. If you serve according to reasoning, your spirit within will die, because the word of God says, “When you eat of it, you will surely die.” So the first step is: Do not touch issues. Have Nothing to Do with the Good and Evil --- Surpassing Morals “Good and Evil” refers to the virtuous and the bad. Doing good is a moral thing. However, we cannot minister in accordance with morals. Of course, “evil” is sin and we must never commit sin; but we must not presume that what is good is right. Oftentimes in the church, brothers and sisters may give suggestions out of good intention, however these are not necessarily accepted by the church and would consequently lead to misunderstandings. We must know that we cannot minister on the basis of good and evil because good and evil are simply morals. At most, they are merely standards set by the moral experts. We serve by life, which surpasses the morals of good and evil------this is God’s standard. We, therefore, serve in accordance with the disposition of God. One brother and two sisters in Christ were sent to serve in a newly-opened gospel work field. One day just as they were about to go out for visitation, a sick man unexpectedly came to their door and asked to be prayed over. They were so glad, thinking that the Lord had sent a gospel friend to them. They said to one another, “Let us pray with one heart and ask the Lord to heal this man’s sickness, and perhaps through the gospel we may be able to gain a soul.” Among the three, the two sisters figured that they have to first lead this friend to confession and repentance, otherwise the Lord will not hear their prayers. However, the brother deemed that they must first lay hands and pray for him so that when he gets well, he will eventually repent and believe and accept the Lord. So this brother stretched out his hand and prayed in a loud voice, commanding the sick man to be healed in Jesus’ name. While he was praying, these two sisters refused to say “Amen” because they kept thinking that they had forewarned this brother not to lay hands prior to confessing, and they did not want to have a part in his sin. After praying, the brother complained that they did not respond by saying “Amen” to his prayer. For this, they unpleasantly parted ways. Before long, the two sisters returned and reported the matter to me. After I heard this, I told them, “You have been serving the Lord for quite some time, why did you still eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why quarrel over whether the right thing to do is to lay hands first or to repent first?” In serving, it is not by quarreling but by serving in humility with oneness of heart. Unless it contradicts the truth, otherwise, praying for the sick is not dictated upon by any truths. It is totally through the leading of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus prayed for the sick, He never required one to confess his sins first. Although the book of James tells us that we must confess our sins first, yet this is a matter of inward leading. Why must one insist? Here we see that in matters of serving, whenever we meddle with the good and evil, although outward work may result, inwardly, the spirit is dead. May the Lord show His mercy and grace to us so that in serving, we may learn to have nothing to do with the knowledge of good and evil, but to return to the tree of life (come before Christ), and do whatever He instructs us to do. Must Touch Life --- In Accordance with Christ The Lord Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:38-41) These are words spoken by Christ. We serve according to the word of Christ (Word of Life). The Word of Life surpasses both reasoning and the good and evil, and touches life. Dear brothers and sisters, as we serve in coordination within the church, it is inevitable that differences of opinions may arise, leading to frictions. Once in a while, arguments over trivial matters may occur and quarreling may eventually result, causing one to back out from the ministry. Hence, in serving, we must keep ourselves from touching on anything that has to do with right and wrong, or good and evil, but instead to learn to touch on life. The Lord Jesus Himself had lived a life that surpasses all. We need only to serve on the basis of this all-surpassing life. This is ministry in the pathway of life. In terms of experience, during our service in the church, we are easily surrounded by the pitfalls of good and evil and right and wrong; we may even argue ostensibly for the sake of someone else. All these are but fruits of the knowledge of good and evil, which when you eat of it, you will surely die. Christians need only to touch on life. When something happens or when opinions differ, we have to come before the Lord and inquire of Him through prayer. I firmly believe that all the problems will be resolved readily. At the same time, this is the way to minister in the pathway of life. Serving in Obedience to the Sensitivity of Life Anything that has life has sensitivity. When the life of Christ enters us, we will naturally develop a sensitivity of life. At the same time, life has its laws; so too with the life of the Lord----it also has its law----which leads us to serve Him. In serving, the sensitivity of life speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must be attentive to this sensitivity of life, only then can we serve in obedience to it. This is another way of serving the Lord in the pathway of life. Take for example the case of a mother who was careless in preparing milk for her baby. She mistook salt for sugar and mixed it with the milk. As soon as the infant tasted the milk, young as he was, he knew well to instantly push away the milk. Still unaware that the salt was in the milk, the mother kept coaxing and urging him to drink, nevertheless he spat it all out. Because life possesses the natural ability to discern: Outwardly it is hard to differentiate sugar from salt because both are white in color and finely sized; however, the sensitivity of life causes one to have the power to distinguish. Therefore, Christians who minister must learn to be perceptive to the sensitivity of life, and must serve in obedience to it. Then, imperceptibly, not only do we surpass reasoning and morals, in fact, because of it we may impart life, flow out Christ, and manifest Christ. May the Lord bless His message and lead us all to walk the pathway of life as we minister, so that the life of Christ may gradually fill our entire being, and that Christ may both be manifested and flowed forth. <-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->

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

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

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

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