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The Lord is worthy to be praised. He has gradually begun to call His chosen children into His name in Hangchow where the church is in such desolation. On March 19 of last year, we had three brothers and two sisters. We came together in Ch'ing Chun Road to begin to pray that the Lord would establish His table. Then we met every Lord's Day to pray for this matter. In April two more brothers entered into our prayer. Then Brother Chang Kuang Hsiung came from Shanghai to Hangchow for other reasons. He spoke three messages in the meetings. Sister Peace Wang also moved her household to Hangchow for personal reasons and did some work among the sisters. In this way our numbers gradually increased. Because the light which the brothers had received was not the same, we waited until October 22 to begin breaking the bread and remembering the Lord.
There is one matter which we especially want to thank the Lord for. When Brother Luan Hung Pin received the Lord's call, he boldly and decisively moved out of the Kwang Ch'i Hospital to bear the responsibility for the work. Hangchow desperately needed that type of worker at this time. The Lord's preparation is truly marvelous.
On December 3, one brother and two sisters were baptized. They were all newly saved. On April 15 of this year, four brothers and three sisters were baptized. Two of the brothers were board members of the Anglican Church. They love the Lord very much and were baptized to obey Him. The rest are all newly saved. Our meeting already has more than twenty brothers and sisters who break bread together. Although many in the denominations do not understand, there are also others who have come to our meetings to see and have said afterward, "The Lord really is with you." We praise the Lord more because of this.
At the end of May, our meeting place moved from Tao Mao Lane to 321 Tung Chieh Road (at the end of Hua Ts'ang Temple Lane). This building is very big. It can seat five hundred people. But because we are renting it together with the brothers, the meeting only uses a small portion.
Now we have a perfecting meeting every Lord's Day at 2:00 p.m. We have the table meeting at 4:00 p.m. On Friday evenings at 7:00, we have the prayer meeting. We soon plan to begin a meeting for brothers' fellowship and a gospel meeting on the Lord's Day morning. There are gospel meetings at 30 Chiu Fan Shu every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30. These meetings will all gradually witness the Lord's grace. We believe that the Lord has truly begun the work of revival in Hangchow. Honor and authority be to the Father God. Amen!
Ch'iu Ch'ung ManJune 13, 1934
(This letter is Hangchow's Mr. Juan Ch'i Yu's answer to Mr. Ch'ien Yi K'ung.)
Greetings to Brother Yi K'ung:
I have received your letter. I am very grateful you remembered me.
Please pay attention to the fact that I have not left the church; I have only left the sectarian denominations. I have not been exhorted to by man but have been directly led by the Holy Spirit. I did not leave the denomination because of some opinion but because of obedience to God's command.
My main reason for leaving the denomination is that in the denominations the organization is contrary to the command of the Bible. Man has taken over the Lord Jesus' authority. Man's way has taken over the work of the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit cannot operate freely.
Now in Hangchow, there are brothers meeting in the Lord's name according to the examples in the Bible and in obedience to God's commandments. They do not have the name of Little Flock. This name was added to us by others. We absolutely do not acknowledge it. We absolutely cannot acknowledge it, because the term little flock refers to all the believers from the past to the present and in the future. In other words, Little Flock refers to the true church which includes all the people in the Lord who are in the whole world both Chinese and foreign, both past and present. Therefore, the meeting in Hangchow can only say that it is the brothers in Hangchow meeting in the Lord's name. It does not have the name of Little Flock.
Since the little flock is the entire church, then the entire church is the little flock. There is only one church on this entire earth. The present so-called churches can only be called a denomination or a mission. Our building at 321 Tung Chieh Road in Hangchow can only be called the place where the brothers in the Lord in Hangchow meet in the Lord's name. Our meeting is completely according to the Bible and follows the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we do not have any names among us, nor does anyone dare to replace the Lord's holy name with his own name, because the Lord is our everything.
Mr. Watchman Nee is one of our brothers and a brother in the meeting in Shanghai and one of the workers. He is not the chairman. To say that Mr. Nee is the chairman of the Little Flock is others' common assumption. Not only do we not acknowledge this, but he also does not acknowledge it. There is no chairman among us to lead us to do something. This is because our chairman is the Lord Jesus Himself.
The church is not a chapel, nor is it a place, a name, or an organization. It cannot be dictated by tenets of faith. It is all the people in the Lord.
The churches which most people talk about now have given in to the world, so they can only be called denominations. They are not called the church. We have left the denominations because they are hated by God.
In conclusion, whatever name and organization are not in the Bible, we should not have either. Whatever the Bible commands, we should obey. We cannot avoid criticism. It comes because others have not seen clearly! I will again clarify the little flock as follows:
The little flock is not an organization of man, nor is it a special name. It is how the Lord Jesus, when He was on the earth, referred to all those on earth who believe in Him and have life. When you compare the number of those who believe that Jesus is the Christ with the number of all the people in the world, it really is a little flock. There are one billion nine hundred million people on the earth. Of this great number, there are only six million (according to a certain Westerner's statistics) who are truly saved. When you compare six million with one billion nine hundred million, is it not a little flock?
Furthermore, the two words little flock were not created by us, nor did we choose this name. The Lord Jesus called the ones who believed in Him a little flock. I fully believe that the words spoken by our Lord Jesus cannot be wrong. What do you think?
According to the Bible, a Christian who has received the Lord Jesus as his Savior and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, no matter where he is or what he does, is a member of the little flock in God's eyes. In other words, whoever is not in the little flock does not have life, because a saved person can never get out of the flock. Please pay attention to the fact that this is not my word. This is a fact that the Lord Jesus has established.
With regard to our meeting in Hangchow at the present, the hymnal we use temporarily is called the Little Flock Hymnal. You cannot say that because we use this hymnal, it proves that we are the sect of the Little Flock and you are the sect of the Big Flock. Please pay attention to one matter; there is no church aside from the church. In the church there should be no sects. Whoever is sectarian, whether in organization or in concept, is manifesting division. Paul said that sectarianism is out of the flesh. I dare to testify in the Holy Spirit that this is against the Bible and is hated by God. On this earth, there can be differences of nationality and race, but in the church of God, there should not be sects or divisions. Once there are things of the flesh, such as self-exaltation, undisciplined ideas, special names, special fellowship, special tenets of faith, etc., it divides the Lord's Body. We need to know that the Lord Jesus is the Head of the church (Eph. 1:22). The church includes all those believers from all times and all places. We are all members one of another. All the members are in the church. This church is the mystical Body of Christ. On the earth, this church is what the Lord Jesus calls the little flock. The little flock is not worldly people; it is those people whom the Lord Jesus redeemed with His precious blood. Peter, John, Paul, you and I, and all the saved ones on earth right now and in the future are in it. Although this flock is small, it includes all those with life. In conclusion, any Christian with life is already in the little flock. Therefore, we should obey the Bible and do our best to pursue holiness and peace to maintain the oneness given by the Holy Spirit. The life which we live on the earth should glorify the Father. I will not say anymore. I bless you with this.
Your brother,J'an Ch'i YuJune 20, 1934
Dear brother:
I have not written for a long time. I think of you often! During this time, I have been living a life of warfare in Peking. Although I have failed many times, I believe that God is causing me to learn some lessons. Truly, I now see that to begin to overcome, we must first overcome the flesh. At the same time, He has allowed me to see that Satan is real and active here. Thank God, He wants to lead us to overcome!
I am not confused inwardly now. I have had the experience of Habbakuk 3:16-19. Because of this, I am not in such a sad and distressed condition as I was before. Truly, thinking of myself all the time is the most miserable thing. May God cause me to forever escape from this cursed self. Brother, please instruct me and pray for me!
Miss Miao came from Tsinan to Peking a few days ago. There will probably be a few days of women's meetings, but we do not know how the Lord will lead them.
Mr. Chi, who once wrote an article about correcting the name of pastor and teacher, recently got smallpox in Jehol and died. This event really awakened me to take advantage of today to labor more for the Lord, to watchfully prepare, and to wait to see the Lord's face! (Parts omitted.)
Now I will speak of the meeting in Peking. I can tell you a little of its condition. Thank God, there has been some revival recently. The brothers bear more of the burden. Those outside the meeting here think that this meeting does not allow outsiders to come to the meetings. I do not know why they have this thought. On top of this, our furnishings are not adequate. We do not have many chairs, so some do not want to come. Thank God, He adds the number of saved ones to us. Some brothers and sisters will be baptized soon. There are many difficulties here, and I cannot relate to you all of them. May God cause us to live more according to His will and to please Him! Please pray for us unceasingly!
How is your physical health? I often think of you! Greet Brother Witness. I do not want to say too much. I greet you with this. Peace in the Lord.
Your little brother,Chung ChiehJune 8, 1934
Dear brothers in the Lord, Watchman and Witness:
I received your letter and read it. After receiving your exhortation, I will do my best to live up to your high expectations. But my knowledge is shallow, and my language ability is not so good. I do not know if I can attain to your hopes.
Thank the Lord, there was a baptism meeting recently. Three or four people were put into the name of the Lord. Sister Miao might do some work next week. She still has not been able to decide. I hope you will pray for the meeting in Peking!
If the Lord allows, perhaps there will be a few days of conference meetings at the beginning (or end) of July. May the Lord especially bless this conference so that it will be able to touch people's hearts, causing them to obey the truth and be gained by the Lord. This is the first struggle. I hope you brothers pray much for us so that the Lord will use me, this weak and ignorant little one, to revive His own work.
Have you been busy with the work recently? Have people been sending articles to Shanghai? I think of you often! Greet the brothers and sisters for me! I respectfully bless you. Peace in the Lord!
Your little brother,Chung ChiehJune 18, 1934
Peace in the Lord to Brother Chieh Mei:
The year has passed quickly since we parted at the port in Ch'ang-ch'un. Thank and praise the Lord for leading me on to His proper track. But I am weak and have failed God. Because I cannot even care for myself, I do not have the strength to help others. I am not the only one like this; most of the brothers here are in this condition. We are really shallow and do not have many roots. Brother Chiang Shun T'ien is the only one who leads the meetings. Brother An has returned to the country. The most important thing is for some to come to help us and support us on our way. I heard that Brother Watchman Nee is now in Shanghai. Brother Nee promised before that he would come here to see us. Now we are truly hungry and thirsty for his coming. May the Lord accomplish this by sending him here quickly. I also ask you to visit our brother and invite him personally for us, since you are near to him. Ask him to remember us in the Lord and to come quickly. This is our strongest hope. I ask that the Lord keep you in peace. I also greet all the brothers in Shanghai with peace.
Your not-so-wise brother,Ou Ya HengMay 19, 1934
To Brother Luan, the co-worker in the Lord:
I received your letter which was forwarded to me from Ch'ang-ch'un yesterday. I was very happy. I really thank the Lord who loves us that He opens doors everywhere and leads us in all places. The Lord is drawing brothers and sisters in your locality to meet in His name. May the Lord release those who have been in the bondage of the regulations of man and lead them into His freedom. May the Lord also personally raise up those who love Him to bear the responsibility for the meetings so that you can hand over the responsibility for the meeting in Hangchow to the local brothers. Then you can come back for the more needed testimony. In March my whole family moved back to Chu Chia Cheng Tze to resume our work in the hospital here. In the future I will not be able to go to Ch'ang-ch'un often. On May 20 we began to have the table meeting here to remember the Lord. Thank our Father God, there are three brothers who are very clear about the truth and who are willing to meet in the Lord's name. There are also a few sisters. I went to Ch'ang-ch'un on June 1 and saw Brother Chiang. They have really been blessed by the Lord there. They have already rented three buildings for their meetings on Hsi Szu Ma Road in Sister T'ien's obstetric hospital. We have notified the government; they also welcome our faith. Brothers T'ien P'ing Fang and T'ien Hsin Wu, from east of Ch'ien Yi, will probably be able to come here for a rest in July or August and will also conduct the Bible study. Perhaps they can go to Hangchow to visit you. In Harbin there is a new Pentecostal group, the Assembly of God, in addition to the other denominations. In their work, they only speak of being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking tongues, and doing miracles. Whoever does not speak in tongues is not saved. (Parts omitted.) Therefore, Harbin desperately needs the light of the truth. I hope that the Lord's time comes soon to release the captives. The work in Manchuria desperately needs the truth. Many people are praying to God to send Brother Nee here. Please remember us and the needs of your hometown before the throne of grace. Furthermore, Manchuria is short in the sisters' work. Sister Miao promised to come here, but she has not written us again. Perhaps she is now working in Peking and Tientsin. May the Spirit of the Lord be with you and the brothers and sisters in the meeting in Hangchow. Amen.
Your little brother in the Lord,An Ching T'ienJune 8, 1934
To the brothers and sisters who pray for us with a pure heart:
Thank the Lord, He has blessed our recent work. I will now report on the beginning, history, and ending of this work. There is much to thank God for. Glory to the One on the throne and to the Lamb.
Before this conference even began, a few of us co-workers and a few brothers and sisters who pray to the Lord met every afternoon at 3:00 to have a prayer meeting to offer specific prayers.
(1) We asked the Lord to give us a work for His own sake and for the sake of the Body and the kingdom.
(2) We asked the Lord to gather those who needed to receive these teachings from His house (the church).
(3) We asked the Lord to work with us to bind the enemy and stop his actions and to release the brothers and sisters who were bound by the enemy.
(4) We asked the Lord to give us an appropriate building where the sleeping, eating, and meetings will not be a problem.
(5) We asked the Lord to supply us and bless our every need in the matters of life, physical needs (money), health, weather, and other necessities.
(6) We asked the Lord to allow us to see Him in everything in the work.
(7) We asked the Lord to capture a group of brothers and sisters to stand firm for Him.
The items listed above were the goal of the prayer in our daily prayer meetings. We prayed for half a month.
We received the Lord's answer, so we decided that beginning April 7, there would be a sisters' work. Beginning on May 7, there will be a conference for all the responsible brothers and sisters from all the localities in northern Kiangsu. We sent letters of announcement to all the localities.
On the one hand, we notified all the sisters in all the localities of northern Kiangsu that whoever could learn to read should come to learn before April 7, and on the other hand, we invited the responsible brothers, sisters, and co-workers to come to Yi Lin on May 7 for a conference. At the same time, we asked the supplicating brothers and sisters to pray for this matter (see Collection of Newsletters, Issue No. 5). Within a few days it was April 7.
There were more than thirty sisters who came from a distance. Together with the sisters from this locality, there were sixty people. We began the work in our original meeting place.
There was prayer every morning from 9:00 to 9:15. From 9:15 to 10:00, they learned to read. From 10:10 to 11:00, they sang hymns. From 11:10 to 11:50, they read the Bible. In the afternoon, they prayed from 2:00 to 2:15. They learned to read from 2:15 to 3:00. They sang hymns from 3:10 to 4:00. They practiced writing from 4:00 to 5:00. There was a meeting in the evening from 7:00 to 9:00. Every day was like this.
There were a total of twenty-four days. In these twenty-four days, there was a prayer meeting every afternoon at 3:00. Some brothers also attended. This prayer influenced the enemy in Hades to do a great work and to open fire in the spiritual realm.
As the sisters' conference was about to end, the enemy caused the children of God to suffer. He made Miss Chin, one of the sisters responsible for the work, sick. But another brother helped, replacing her in the work. A Gentile who was possessed by a demon came. In the meeting, there was a brother who was cheated by an evil spirit. (This brother meets in another locality; he is one in the fellowship, who had come to stay here.) There was the attack of the Gentiles and confusion in the meeting. The workers were weak, and darkness was on all sides. The atmosphere was very tense. But our Lord is the Commander-in-chief. The battle plan did not change; the work went on as usual. In our prayers we added more praise and thanks. We sang songs of victory. Hallelujah, we fought persistently for three days.
The Lord is the Victor! The Gentile demon was cast out. The evil spirit who had tricked the brother temporarily left him. His mind became clear. Miss Chin's illness gradually got better, and she was healed in a few days.
The sisters' work ended on schedule. Most of the sisters who lived far away went home and arrived safely. At the end of the work, four sisters were baptized, and so were four brothers. (The brothers had received the Lord in another work.) The demon completely left the Gentile. Now she comes to hear the message on the Lord's Day. The brother who had been tricked by the evil spirit became completely clear in his mind and told us himself how he had been tricked (explained in another place). He got on the train by himself and returned to his own town. We gained experience in this battle.
When the enemy was roaring, a few of us brothers in this locality (those who pray in one accord) gained a living experience in the matter of spiritual warfare. At the same time, we proved the reality of the truth. Therefore, on May 7 we were willing to serve the brothers in the dormitories.
When we sent out the letter of announcement about the conference, we did not yet have any assurance about the meeting place. As the sisters' work was almost over, a brother finally was able to borrow a bigger place, which was the place we had specifically asked for in our prayers. It had nineteen buildings; the dormitories, meeting rooms, and dining halls were all in one place. There were no difficulties.
There are more than ten localities in northern Kiangsu with meetings in the Lord's name. With the exception of one or two places who could not come because of obstacles, there were one hundred responsible brothers and sisters from the other localities who came. With the addition of the local congregation, there were a little more than two hundred people. Among these some had overcome everything to come; some put every consideration aside. I really thank the Lord; He can draw people. "My sheep hear My voice." "Where I am, there also My servant will be." This word is true. The people we had notified were not the only ones to come to the conference. Some preachers from the denominations also came to hear the Word.
We met from 9:30 to 11:30 in the morning. There was another meeting in the afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00. In the evening we came together for a prayer meeting from 8:00 to 9:00.
The topic was "The Messengers of the Churches." It covered Christ as the Head of the church, how the messengers should obey Christ, who is a responsible messenger in the churches, the relationship between the messengers and the church, and the messengers and their living. The first few days, Brother Chi Yung Tung was responsible for the messages. The last three days, Brother Chiu Jih Chien spoke on the faithfulness and tests of the messengers and on the responsibility which each person should bear in the local churches. Wu Min Hui spoke a little on the battles of the messengers. I spoke something on the warnings to the messengers and the oneness of the church. Brother Ting Yi Yuan wanted to speak something on the authority of the church, but the hateful enemy frustrated him. When it was time for him to speak, he got sick. (He is well now.)
There was a sudden rain on the night of May 6. On the seventh the weather cleared, and it did not rain until the evening of the seventeenth. Thank the Lord for listening to man's prayers. At the beginning the enemy attacked fiercely, but he failed from beginning to end and did not gain anything. In these ten days of meetings, the atmosphere was very light and full of the power of the Holy Spirit. The listeners were quiet and solemn. This was the Lord binding the enemy, so he did not have the opportunity to manifest his actions.
During this conference all the brothers lived in one place. (The sisters lived in another place; they lived in a sister's house.) All the aspects of the service (down to the lighting of the fire) were done by the brothers together; a few things required great strength, so we hired outsiders for the work. We really saw the Lord with us. The believers "were all together in the same place"; it was very good. Love one another! Each according to his ministry! According to the function of each one member! Serving the Lord and serving the brothers is such a joy.
Aside from the message meetings, there were a few fellowship meetings. They solved quite a few difficulties in the church and resolved barriers to the work. They enabled co-workers to all speak the same thing and to testify to the truth in this generation.
The local brothers served the brothers and sisters from other localities with snacks. Through this they got to know one another and were able to fellowship with one another. "They partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart." The room was full of joy as if the disciples had "seen the Lord."
The conference was over on the seventeenth. Every brother and sister returned to his or her own locality. Only a few co-workers remained to discuss a few matters. Brothers Ting Yi Yuan, Feng Hsien Chih, Chi Yung Tung, Chiu Jih Chien, Chen Yung K'uan, Wu Min Hui, and Wu Wei fellowshipped about the work and about past endeavors and future needs. We give glory to the Almighty for what happened, and we ask God for three great necessities in the future: (1) The meeting in Yi Lin lacks the funds for the purchase of the hall, even though the hall is appropriate; (2) there are many brothers who have lost their jobs, and we need to know how to meet their needs; and (3) we need schools where the children of the believers can study. We placed these three matters in the Lord's hands and looked to His arrangement and will. "We praise Him for what is past; we rely on Him for what is to come." We still ask the dear brothers and sisters to pray for these matters.
I give you this simple report today to lift up the Lord's victory and to establish our faith. May glory be to God, and may blessings of peace be to us.
Your brother in the Lord from Yi Lin, northern Kiangsu,Wu WeiJune 5, 1934
My very dear Brother Hu:
I have now received your letter written May 26. My heart thanked the Lord very much after receiving it because He has His lovers in every place. I really hope the Lord will raise up those who will be willing to pay the price to obey Him. (Parts omitted.)
Brother, we should only care for the pursuit of His kingdom and His righteousness, and the Lord will take care of the rest. Thank God, this is our special blessing.
I really thank the Lord for the work here. He always hears our prayers and always works to save men and build them up. There are newly saved ones and there are seeking ones. But there are quite a few difficulties because Satan is working to sow division among the brothers and the sisters. There is one other thing that I do not know how to deal with today. A brother saw a vision while praying and claims he saw God. He says that he has gained much wisdom and that Paul's experience in the third heaven was not just given to Paul. He has also raised himself up very much. He says that even if he reads the Bible casually, he can know everything because he has great wisdom, and that he can grasp and understand what he did not understand before. Actually, he does not know much. I have exhorted him a few times not to treasure miraculous experiences more than the Word of God. The most marvelous thing is that I recently received the last issue of The Overcomer from England, which also mentioned in its last article that ignorant believers can despise others after having miraculous experiences from Satan. O brother! These truly are the end times!
I am now pursuing the Lord's Word. That precious Word carries power in every sentence. The Lord's Word is firmer than the heavens and the earth. The house built on the solid rock is not the one who can preach, cast out demons, and work miracles, but the one who hears the word of the Lord and does it (Matt. 7:24). Who are the ones who love the Lord? The one who keeps His word (John 14:21, 23). What is the light at the judgment seat? The word of the Lord (John 12:48). May the Lord give us grace to realize that when we give an account before the Lord in the future, it will not be based on our experience of the third heaven but on His Word. May God's every commandment touch my heart. Amen.
There have been some students from a Bible school who have come from quite a distance to study the Bible with me recently. Some of them are quite hungry and thirst much. May God fill them up.
Brother Hu, one as weak as myself, especially needs the prayers of the brothers and sisters. Please greet the brothers and sisters for me.
Your brother,Yu Cheng HuaJune 1, 1934
Peace to my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Nee:
Although I have not communicated with you much since parting with you in Shanghai, I remember you always in the Lord.
Dear brother, I truly thank God always for you. When I pray, I also mention your work for our gracious Lord. May our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and bless your work by faith, your sufferings of love, and your endurance of hope.
Brother, I truly thank the Lord because He is leading us step by step. When I was groping in the darkness, He put me in a lonely, quiet country place. In these two years, He has disciplined me, built me up, and made me learn the lessons I needed to experience in order to serve Him. He really graces me, leads me, and keeps me in His grace day by day. He disciplines me so that I may see my own corruption more and more and see the preciousness that is in Him. The Lord said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." I have only just seen this sentence. It truly is limitless light.
Brother, our heavenly Father is truly the loving Father. He has unlimited mercy and unlimited grace. In the past days, I was discouraged and disappointed many times. Each time He comforted and encouraged me. Although I am sometimes confused and fail many times, He graces me much and has mercy on me so that I will know His love and my hopelessness. The more I think of the love of the Father, the more I feel ashamed of myself.
Brother, I really thank God that apart from the most precious Bible which He has given us, He has given me The Present Testimony and books like The Spiritual Man. To tell the truth, apart from the Bible, I have received much light from these books. Many times when I am touched by what I have read, I kneel down to thank and praise the Father, saying, "God, I thank You because apart from the precious Bible, You have given me this kind of precious spiritual food, The Present Testimony, etc." Truly, since receiving the light of the truth from these books, I could not fail to give thanks for these books and pray to God. May God build up His children more through the messages in The Present Testimony and the books like The Spiritual Man. May He cause His children everywhere to really benefit from the release of the truth. May the Lord bless the messages in these books so that His truth will be realized soon to glorify Him. Amen!
I have added a letter concerning the news of the meeting in Yu Ni and prayer requests for the furtherance of my work. Please publish it for those in fellowship through the Collection of Newsletters. I am not very educated, so mistakes are unavoidable in my writing. If you see a word that should be changed, please do so (or ask the editor to correct it for me). Thank you very much. The Lord be with you.
Your brother in the Lord,Teng Chih Ch'engJune 15
To the brothers and sisters who love the Lord faithfully in every place:
Despite the fact that the world is dark and the church is degraded, thank the Lord that He has chosen and called His children in every place to rise up and testify for the truth. We should praise Him.
Brothers and sisters, since we have received the Lord's love and His light, should we not be in fear and trembling as we carry out the Lord's commission? May the Lord keep us and lead us so that from now on we will serve Him more faithfully and give all glory to His holy name. Amen.
I am sure that all the brothers and sisters care for the condition of the church here. For this reason I am constrained to tell you something of our condition and experience. May we thank and praise God together.
According to the brothers here, our meeting began in the winter of 1928. Brothers Faithful Luk, Wang Teng Ming, and Ch'i Wen Yu came to preach the gospel. Later, it became a place known for the preaching of the gospel. In 1930 and 1931, Brother Ts'ai Chih Ch'ung and I came a few times to preach the gospel. At that time, I had only started to work for the Lord and had not yet received the light concerning the truth of the church. So I did not have the faith to be responsible for the work here. Therefore, I went to Southeast Asia to testify for the Lord's gospel. Later (in the winter of 1931), I was led by the Lord to return from Southeast Asia and attend the second conference in Shanghai. Thank the Lord, I received the truth concerning the church at that conference. Therefore, I began to bear the responsibility for the work here. Although there were people saved at the time, there was not a table meeting yet because there were many barriers. If I remember correctly, it was in the fall of 1932 that the Lord Himself began to work. A few brothers began to feel the need of a table meeting. We began to have a table meeting every Lord's Day. (Before, there had been a few times when two or three had met to break bread.) There were only a few people then (about six or seven). Now more than twenty people have been baptized, and twenty-one break bread together: nine brothers and twelve sisters. (Some heard the gospel and were saved, and some came out of the denominations.) There are more than seventy who come to hear the Word but do not break bread yet. We have three meetings on the Lord's Day. There is a gospel meeting in the morning. There is an edifying meeting in the afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00, and after 3:00, there is a table meeting to remember the Lord. Every Thursday afternoon, there is a prayer and Bible study meeting. There are more than twenty people in that meeting. With the exception of the gospel meeting, the edifying meeting, and the Bible study, which are led by the co-workers, the other meetings are according to the principle in 1 Corinthians 14.
Most of the brothers here are farmers. Some have never been to school. Thank the Lord, they can now read the Bible and Notes on Scriptural Messages. Although some of them have to bear much burden, they are very happy in their hearts and spirits. I cannot refrain from praising the Lord when I see their condition.
Two young brothers have been raised up by the Lord to prepare to work full-time in the Lord's holy work.
Most of the brothers are young. They care for the affairs of the church very much. Presently, there is a possibility that they will bear the responsibility themselves. Therefore, I feel that I should now leave this place and move on to fight the Lord's battle on the front line. May the brothers and sisters who love the Lord pray much for the work here and ask the Lord to keep the saints and lead them into the deeper truths, so they can glorify the Lord's name. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, I now have an important request --when you pray, remember this poor dark region of western Fukien. There is a total of several hundred thousand people in western Fukien who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of our precious Lord.
With regard to this matter, I have felt this burden for quite some time. However, in the past, because so many things were happening and because it was my period of training in service to the Lord, the Lord did not open the way to fulfill this burden. Now I feel that the time has come. If the Lord is willing, perhaps between the next two Lord's Days, I plan to go to Lung Yen in western Fukien to pioneer the Lord's work. In the near future, perhaps another brother will be willing to go with me. In that region, there are perishing lambs throughout the wilderness, waiting for people to seek them out. The work of the devil has been increasing daily since the Communist revolution. Therefore, the people in that region are suffering in heart and body. One can imagine the harsh environment they are under. It will be hard to capture the hearts of those in the devil's territory unless we have the Lord's power. For this reason, I deeply hope that the brothers and sisters who love the Lord faithfully in each locality will sympathize with the inward parts of the Lord Jesus more and pray earnestly night and day to labor with me.
There are about one hundred fifteen thousand people in Lung Yen. None of them have heard the Lord's gospel. Although there are two denominations in Lung Yen, there are less than two hundred people who go to them to listen to the Word. When I see such a condition, my heart aches.
According to the flesh, Lung Yen is my ancestral home. In the winter of last year, I went to preach the gospel once with my brother. I went again to the marketplace by myself to preach the gospel over the Chinese New Year. I had more than thirty opportunities to preach the gospel. Praise the Lord, His blessing was with me. Sinners were saved, and the believers became more desirous of the Word. We witnessed some results through these meetings. Now the believers there have a heart for the truth. I feel that at this time, I should do some edifying work among them; if not, I am afraid I will be helping the work of the denominations.
However, the voice of opposition has been raised through the presentation of the truth of the church and baptism. Recently, a Western man (a so-called pastor) wanted the believers to join the denomination. Because I had already preached something concerning baptism, many people were affected. Therefore, this Western man and a few others said that I was welcome to help them to be zealous, but I could not preach about the matters of baptism, etc. If I continued to preach, they would turn against me. This Western pastor used to be a friend of mine, but recently because I have been walking a different way, he began to dislike me. Brothers and sisters, at the beginning I was almost trapped by friendship. Thank the Lord, while the Spirit and my lusts were warring, I read what Paul said to the churches in Galatia: "For am I now trying to win the assent of men or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Christ" (Gal. 1:10). Brothers and sisters, this verse was the strongest help to me to leave the error of tradition, to obey the Lord, and to take the God-ordained way with you.
Brothers and sisters, I not only ask you to care for the pioneering work and to pray, but even more I ask you to pray for me, your weak brother, that I would have the utterance to boldly speak the mysteries of the gospel according to the ministry entrusted to me. Peace in the Lord.
Your brother,Teng Chih Ch'engJune 15, 1934
Peace to Brother Chia Ju:
I received both your telegram and letter and have read them both. Sisters Ruth Lee and Liu Hui Fen both arrived here safely. More than ten people went onto the boat to receive them. The Shantung steamer arrived early Wednesday, so that evening the sisters gathered at the meeting hall for some fellowship. Although there was no message, all the sisters felt very satisfied and happy. On Thursday the sisters received people individually for the entire day. Both those who take the table and those who do not could speak with them individually. In this way they found out the needs of each one and received direction for their preaching.
On Friday and Saturday evenings there were meetings on the topic of general salvation. There were more than two hundred people. Mrs. Nee and Miss Sun P'ei Fen did the translation. (Parts omitted.)
Miss Lee plans to go to Tai Shan for a week after the twenty-sixth. Then she will return to Swatow, from where she will go on to Fukien.
From Monday through Friday of this week, there were two meetings, morning and evening. In the morning, we had a message meeting on a specific topic that began at 9:00. The topic was John 6:63. The evening meeting began at 7:00 and was for answering questions. The sisters asked questions concerning spiritual life and practices. Questions on spiritual life included, "How do we hear God's voice? How do we know God's will? How do we obey? etc." Questions on practices included such things as head covering, not cutting one's hair, etc. There were about two hundred people in the meetings.
God did a marvelous work, and many believers were built up. Thank God. Not long after, ten more people were baptized. Now there are twenty brothers and forty-one sisters who break bread together. May we praise the Father because He has begun a good work in Swatow. All the glory should be given to our Father.
With regards to the building of a meeting hall, we are going ahead with our planning, on the one hand, and asking God for His provision, on the other. In the past month, we have received more than three hundred dollars. Our plan requires two thousand five hundred dollars. We are short about two thousand dollars. But we are not discouraged by the lack. We believe that our God will make it up. It is just a matter of time.
According to Miss Lee's opinion, we can ask God to fulfill our goal in two ways: One is for the assembly to collect the offerings and build the meeting hall --then we would not have to pay monthly rent; the other is for some of the believers (one or a few) to build a simple hall and rent it to the assembly. The assembly would pay monthly rent, but it would be cheaper than renting a place from a Gentile.
It is better to ask the Lord to open up one of these two ways than to only ask Him to open one way. The brothers have no opinion. However God chooses to accomplish His will is fine. What is your opinion? Please tell us what you think.
(Of the two ways mentioned above, the second is better. --Editor) (Parts omitted.)
I have heard that Brother Nee will be going to Kuling in Foochow for the summer. Perhaps he will do some work in Foochow. Is this true? I have only heard rumors. When he comes to Fukien, will he pass through Swatow and go to Hong Kong? Please ask him for me and greet him for me.
Miss Lee says that Shen Ting Ling is very ill and vomits blood and feels dizzy. Oh, this brother loves the Lord very much. He lives every day on the cross, deals with the self-life, and is always making new progress. We should pray for him. May God preserve his life because both Brother Nee and I want to invite him to Swatow. If the Lord wills, it will be accomplished. I ask you to pray for this matter. I also ask you to wire him $____. I will repay this amount through Mr. Cheng. Please visit him for me and see how his illness is progressing. Ask him if there is anything he wants to say to me. You can write it to me on his behalf. I am afraid that he cannot hold a pen. I am grateful to you for spending this time. I know that God will repay you.
Brother Faithful Luk from P'u T'ien and Foochow has come for three weeks. He will have one gospel meeting here. Last week he went to Yen Wu to preach the gospel. Some brothers went with him. I also spoke for three days. This week he has gone to Fu Cheng. He has already been gone for two days. In a couple of days, perhaps I will go there to speak for a day or two. I do not know if I can or not. The people in the denominations hate me and say I steal lambs, so I am not very free. We only ask God to open the way. I will leave the rest of the matters to my next letter. Health in the Lord to your spirit, soul, and body (3 John 2).
Your brother,Chiang Tze HangJune 19, 1934
To the brothers and sisters in the Lord:
Thank the Lord because in these last days He has personally cared for us small ones. In 1931 the Lord sent His servants to Wenchow to preach about the truth of the church. This enlightened us in regard to the unscriptural nature of the forms and system of the denominations. Although there are quite a few believers in Wenchow, very few understand the truth. At that time, a few brothers began a worship meeting in the South Gate China Inland Mission after they gained the light. They broke bread to remember the Lord every Lord's Day. After a few months, some who were not in one accord in the China Inland Mission rose up to oppose! So we gathered a few of the brothers and sisters who were in one accord and met upstairs in a brother's house in Nan T'ang to worship and break bread in remembrance of the Lord. Thank the Lord; although there were only seven people, the savor among us was very sweet, because the Lord was with us. After a few months of meeting like this, those in the denomination outside the South Gate were afraid that an outward division would hinder the future development of their church. They had a meeting and exhorted us to meet together with them to worship the Lord. We saw that they had a heart for the Lord and thought that perhaps the Lord would raise up His work among them to revive His children. So we began to meet with them. In the spring of 1932, a sister who lived on Chu Kuan Lane of Hsin Ho Street was raised up. She was willing to let us use one of her apartments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Bible study meetings. The Lord also sent a worker to bear the responsibility for this Bible study. Although the location was more than ten miles from our place in Nan T'ang, we felt satisfied every time we went to the meetings there. On the Lord's Day we continued to go to the place outside the South Gate. In August or September, another small number of people in the denomination arose to oppose again. They said that the worship service was too long and that it was too much to break bread every Lord's Day! At the time, we saw that they did not obey the truth, so we separated from them and established the Lord's table in Chu Kuan Lane. In this way we completely separated from the denominations. The enemy did not want us to meet peacefully, and by the spring of 1933, he began a great work among us. A big problem occurred, and we could not continue meeting there lest we offend the Body of the Lord. At that time, the Lord sent His servant, Brother Lai, to help us. He knelt before the Lord with a few of us who were in one accord and asked the Lord to prepare a meeting place for us. Thank the Lord, in April we received what we asked for. We rented three two-story houses at 12 Sha Mao Ho Ta T'ing. Brother Lai and one of the brothers in one accord lived there. Our attendance at that time was low. Brother Lai took charge among us for a few months. At that time, we set the meeting times for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. Around November the Lord also sent His servant, Brother Wang Yu T'ing, to come with Brother Lai to meet with us for four days. We were greatly edified. We really thank the Lord.
In April of this year, the Lord sent two other workers, Brothers Chen Chin Fa and Ts'ai Ch'i, to come meet with us for seven days. They gave us much help. During this time two brothers and one sister were baptized into the Lord's name. Now the Lord has gradually added a number of saved ones to us. At this time there are thirteen brothers and fourteen sisters who break bread together. There are over thirty people who meet together. Recently, the meetings are as follows: Every Tuesday, there is a Bible study; every Thursday, there is a perfecting meeting; every Saturday, there is a prayer meeting; on the Lord's Day morning we worship and break bread in remembrance of the Lord; on the Lord's Day afternoon, we preach the gospel, and in the evening, we learn to sing hymns.
Thank the Lord, through all the ups and downs, He has kept us until today so that we could faithfully follow Him. We have just mentioned something of the condition and the work that the Lord has raised up in our Wenchow. We ask the brothers and sisters in every place to thank the Lord for this and to pray for the work to come, that His will be done among us. May glory, honor, blessing and thanks all be given to Him forever. Amen.
Your brothers,Chang Ting HsiangChang Tsai Kuang
Greetings in love to the beloved brother in the Lord,
Mr. Chang Kuang Jung:
It has been three months since we parted! Thank the Lord! In the days that have passed, the Lord's hand has upheld me and enabled me to stand firm. At times He has even used me to give a small testimony. Although I am very foolish, the Lord is happy to entrust me with a little of His messages here and there. Therefore, I dare not turn my back on the responsibility that the Lord has given me. I can only trust Him, on the one hand, while moving diligently forward, on the other. Brother, please pray earnestly for me because the work of the enemy is especially fierce both in my body and environment. There is no help for me other than from the Lord now. But the Lord's hand is eternally firm. Since He began the work, He will also finish it. Therefore, my heart is still at peace through faith.
Mr. Chang, I will now tell you some news about Wenchow. The meeting in Wenchow has had a lot of problems from the very beginning. It is a sad story. I am sure that you heard of it long ago, so I will not repeat it here. Thank the Lord! The dark clouds of the past have all passed away. Although man failed, God will never fail. Man can steal his way into the flock, but the Lord's sheep can discern the shepherd's voice from the stranger's. Therefore, beginning last spring, the brothers left the old Bible study place in Chu Kuan Lane and have rented another meeting place at Sha Mao Ho. The Lord really has given us a new beginning. About seventy percent of the ones who were in the old Bible study group did not come over. Although there are not many people, the condition is very pure. Now there are twenty people who break bread together, and they all love the Lord in one accord. On the fourteenth of last month, Brother Ts'ai Ch'i and I were led by the Lord to Wenchow to meet with them for eight days. In this meeting, we saw their zeal, piety, and love. It really moved our hearts. The worries the brothers had regarding the work in Wenchow can now be turned into praises.
We also thank the Lord that He has given us a co-worker in Wenchow. There is a brother named P'an Huo Ling who used to be a useful pastor in the China Inland Mission. In recent years he has read many of the publications put out by the Gospel Book Room, and he has been enlightened by the truth. He did not feel peace in his heart about being a hired pastor in the denominations, so he was willing to leave the denominations and follow the Lord to suffer outside the camp. His wife is very much in one accord. Now they have already moved out of the mission and are renting a house at 36 Hsing Kung Ti at T'ieh Ching Lan. Brother P'an completely relies on the Lord for his living. Please pray for this brother. Ask the Lord to bless his life and work so that he can glorify the Lord much. I will tell you the rest next time! Peace in the Lord.
Your brother,Chen Chin FaMay 4, 1934
Why are we, the church in Ning Hai, in such desolation? Why are the common believers so lacking in the growth in life? Why are the co-workers so weak and without the power of the Spirit in this work? Why are the meetings in every place so cold and scattered? It is because we understand only a little about our salvation. We only ask for peace and blessings for ourselves (both for now and in the future), but we have never taken up the cross to pursue that for which God has called us.
We now ask the Lord to give us a conference of "pursuit" from the sixth until the sixteenth of the sixth month of the Chinese calendar. We have invited a brother who is after the Lord's will and who has given up all for the Lord, David Hsu, to be at the meeting. He will lead us deeper into Christ. All the co-workers in the Lord and whoever has been regenerated and desires to pursue the truth may come to the conference.
The fifteenth day of the sixth month will be a time of baptism. Other matters, concerning bringing mosquito netting, bedding, and eating utensils, are the same as in years past, so I will not go into detail here. We hope that saints everywhere can pray much for this conference of pursuit. May the Lord give you peace in your way.
Your brother in the Lord,Hua Shih Pin
We ask all the brothers and sisters who meet in the Lord's name in all the localities to pray for the upcoming work of the Lord in Hangchow.
Some brothers who are in one accord awaiting the Lord's return feel deeply in prayer that what the church lacks today is not talent, method, or work but a revelation from the Holy Spirit, a spiritual living, and the cultivation of the truth. Therefore, the Father's center and the Lord's work should be the two testimonies that every person with life should know assuredly and should diligently practice. For this reason, in our prayer before the throne of the Father, we have decided to have an Overcomer Conference to support the brothers and sisters in the Lord. We hope to be able to have this conference in the fall of this year in Hangchow. We invite all the co-workers throughout China, those who walk in one accord in this way and who desire the truth, as well as all the brothers and sisters who pursue after the Lord's desire to come to the conference in Hangchow. Barring special hindrances, it will commence at the beginning of October. The conference will last about ten days: The first seven days will be only for preaching the central messages; the last three days will be for separate fellowship meetings among the brothers and the sisters. These fellowship meetings will resolve all kinds of spiritual difficulties and will emphasize the living of the members of the Lord's Body and their testimony of oneness. After the conference is over, perhaps there will be a few days of Bible study. The Bible study meeting is prepared especially for those brothers and sisters who desire to pursue the truth and please the Lord.
Brother Nee has already promised to bear the responsibility for the central messages of the Overcomer Conference. The rest of the meetings will perhaps be borne by other brothers or sisters. But we deeply know that we are weak and useless. If the Lord does not begin working first, we cannot do anything. For this reason, we ask all the brothers and sisters who care for the Lord's work to pray earnestly for this Overcomer Conference and for all the matters related to it. We only hope that our Father will be glorified in His church and in our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen! Peace in the Lord.
Your brother who is taking a pilgrimage in Hangchow,Luan Hung PinJuly 4, 1934
The two brothers, Tsou Ts'ai Kao and Ts'ai Yun Hsien, who were incarcerated for suspicion of committing a crime, were found guilty of carelessness by the judge on May 18. Each was sentenced to three months in jail. They will probably be freed on June 26.
The address of the meeting in Soochow is now 2 Kao Shih Alley as of the end of June.
Brother Chang Kuang Jung left Tsinan on June 30 to return to Shanghai to rest. Brother Chou Hsin Yi is still staying in Tsinan.
We especially ask the brothers and sisters who read this publication to pay attention to one matter. Please do not show this publication to people who are not in one accord with us, lest they use it as material for criticism. (Some have already done this.)
(1) Whoever has any news of the work, the difficulties encountered, the results seen, things to pray for, or other news, please send them as often as possible.
(2) All news should in principle be detailed, true, clear, and edifying. It does not matter whether it is short, long, in common language, or in classical Chinese.
(3) If someone sends you a personal letter that mentions news of a local church, please send it to us so that the brothers in all the localities can know the condition of the Lord's work.
(4) If there is an announcement about meetings or the work, we are willing to print it.
(5) The responsible brothers in each locality should take care not to give this publication to those who do not meet with us. It is best that we do not give this publication to any brothers who do not walk together with us.
(6) Please send all news to: Editor, Collection of Newsletters, P.O. Box 323, Shanghai.
ShanghaiJuly 9, 1934
