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To our brother in the Lord, Mr. Watchman:
We received your answering letter. Thank you. We separated from the Brethren about four months ago. Thank the Lord that He Himself led us this way. We felt quite awhile ago that the Brethren were a denomination in a different form because they have much of the color of the denominations that is contradictory to our faith. At the time we wanted to move carefully, so we prayed earnestly before the Lord and waited patiently for about three years. Although we suspected they were a denomination very early on, we never heard of any precedent of leaving the Brethren. In addition, we also heard brothers in other localities say that the Brethren were not a denomination. For this reason we were forced to go before God to consider our doubts carefully because we were afraid that separating from them would be a careless move which would divide the Lord's Body. Therefore, we patiently waited for the Lord's leading. When the Lord's time came, we could not but obey God and separate ourselves from them.
We never thought that we would first leave a denomination, only to enter another by mistake. We really feel ashamed. Every time we think of it, we break out in a sweat! The second time we left the denominations, the circumstances were even more difficult to deal with. The other party does not understand our faith and suspects that we have entered into a heresy. However, the Lord gave us an opportunity to testify of the truth concerning the church. We did not separate from them over different interpretations of the Bible. We separated because we have clearly seen that Christ is the center of our meetings; the truth is not the center. We discovered that the Brethren have two points of error: (1) They do not allow Christ to be the Head in everything, and (2) they have the regulations of man's will and an invisible organization everywhere.
We thank the Lord that in this experience He showed us what to be careful about. If our flesh is not dealt with by the cross severely, we may also become a different form of denomination! A study of the history of the Brethren shows that they began when many Western brothers left the denominations. They too announced that the denominations were not according to the Bible. Unfortunately, they became an invisible denomination. We confess that the Brethren Church is the best denomination among denominations, but our question is not what kind of denomination it is but whether or not it is a denomination. If a meeting has been stained with any color of the denominations, it is an abomination to God. We should separate ourselves from it.
Thank the Lord, although there are not many people meeting in the Lord's name in Singapore (56 Hsiao P'o Hu Lau Lueh Sha Lu, Singapore), the Lord is to be praised because His light shines on our way. May the Lord Himself lead us from now on so that we do not go astray by mistake. Our present need is the prayers of the brothers. Peace in the Spirit!
Your little brothers in the Lord,Wang K'ai Sen, Chang Chia Chi, Tseng K'ai HaoNovember 16
Dear saints:
We received both The Glad Tidings and The Christian. Thank the Lord for His messages in them. The need in our locality is very great. We hope you can continue to send them. (We need at least thirty copies of each publication. I will pass them out carefully.) May the Lord continue supplying Himself to us. Amen, amen.
I would like to say a few personal words. The Lord Himself has recently cared for many aspects of the work in our locality. We really thank Him for His grace. However, there is still much need. We ask you all to pray for us. Recently, I have been very weak physically. I feel in particular that I cannot keep up. I am in the mountains for a short rest. Soon I will have to return to my place of work. I hope you all will pray for me both in the meetings and individually. I also hope you will pray even more for the work so that the believers may be perfected and sinners may be saved and added to the Lord's church daily.
I hope that Brother Watchman can come for a visit and help us. Please pray for this so that the Lord's will may be done. Amen.
The time is pressing; the Lord is coming quickly. The fiercer the battle, the greater the tribulations. We should be watchful and pray, endure, and be bold to be overcomers waiting to be raptured. Greetings to Brothers Watchman, Kuang Jung, Shou Ling, and Witness.
Your brother,Simon Meek October 6
To my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Shou Ling:
I have twice received your letters; in my earthly loneliness, I have received comfort by the Lord's grace so that I could taste "gaining a hundredfold" in this life.
By the Lord's love I have received a copy of the book Worshipping God. Please do not send me another copy. I have already read it, and it gave me much help concerning the truth of the Lord's table. For this reason, whenever I thank the Lord, I often remember Sister Lee, the author. The brothers in this locality desperately need the help of this book so that they can truly worship the Lord. If they do not get it, they will be, as I used to be, Christians who have never worshipped God.
It has been two months since I moved to Chu Chi. I went to the denominations and testified. The Lord allowed me to gain a few brothers and sisters for fellowship. I used to misunderstand others and think that they stole sheep; now I am being misunderstood by others. It is really too bad that I am not worthy of being misunderstood. If I were, I think that in that day I would rejoice at being misunderstood!
The newly gained brothers and sisters are willing to tear down what they had before and build anew, but they are not very clear about the truth of regeneration. They are as I used to be. They want the doctrine of Jesus but not His person. They want the grace of salvation, but they do not want the Lord who loves to give grace. You know how immature I am — I am not being polite. Although it is not a matter of the blind leading the blind, it is a matter of the newly born leading the newly born. There are many things I cannot do, so I can only testify something of my salvation. For the rest, I keep the teaching: "Let your yes be yes, and your no, no." I also have learned the secret of saying "I don't know" from Mr. Chang who begot me in the gospel. I once heard him say that he was going to travel for the work and intended to ask Mr. Nee for explanations to some matters of the truth in preparation for dealing with difficulties. Mr. Nee told Mr. Chang that he needed to take a few "I don't know's" on his trip. This secret often becomes the answer in our prayer meeting — every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00.
Chu Chi is the central point of the Hangchow-Kiangsu Railway. It has a population of five hundred thirty thousand. The history of the denominations here is like that of Hangchow, but there is not a real, pure church to this date. The most marvelous thing is that the denominations in Chu Chi are almost finished for various reasons: The mission boards have stopped sending funds; some have gone bankrupt; people are worshipping in their homes because they have left the denominations over man's will; some denominations have also closed their doors for lack of attendants to listen to the preaching. There is a Jesus Church in the city — the biggest and — that has already sold its meeting place for thirty thousand dollars to an individual for his business. There is an Anglican Church, a Seventh-day Adventist Church, and a Catholic Church, but none have many members. Furthermore, it appears that most of the members do not have life. They come flushed with wine, and their cigarettes never leave their mouths. Some of their members even smoke opium, having come to the hospital to be cured. Those who worship on the Lord's Day are mostly people hired by the denominations. They are there in body but not in soul. Some glance sideways, while others take naps. They take up the collection in two western metal plates. The noise is really loud, but if you look inside, there are only copper pennies, no silver dimes. I have heard that the most they collect is half a dollar or twenty or thirty cents. At first they thought that I was a member of the Anglican Church (although I clearly stated that I left them); therefore, they hoped that I would go back there, and they often asked me to go there to testify. However, recently they have paid attention to my actions, and their welcome is changing to a refusal. I have heard that several pastors have criticized me as being one of Nee's group. They say we only speak of salvation as a present matter and do not speak of works, causing people to become arrogant and complacent. They say people are vulnerable to our teaching and can easily become poisoned; furthermore, they say that the ones who are led astray are always the best members of the denominations. Once a member of the group passes through, they steal the cream of a meeting and establish their own church. Therefore, once they learn about me, I cannot testify there. I am now meeting in a brother's house. This brother often criticized the denomination, so he gave up his position and left them long ago. The denominations do not care about him.
According to one brother, there are thirty or forty people who meet every night in Yang Chiu Nu's home in Plum Hill, about ten miles outside the city. The Yang home in Village 18 has a meeting of thirty to forty believers. The Chu and Chen homes in Village 19 also have more than fifty people meeting together. They all left the denominations because they were not satisfied. They now meet in their own homes to worship the Lord. They meet on the Lord's Day to sing hymns and pray. There is no responsible person, nor is there a preacher. Although they feel that the denominations are wrong, they do not understand the truth concerning the church. I have heard that they often come into the city to invite zealous preachers to their meetings. They take care of food, lodging, and other expenses for the trip. In Hung Li in Hsu Village there is a brother called Chou Tien Tzu. He does not read very much, nor has he believed in the Lord for very long, but his faith is very good. He often prays for people and heals them. Wherever he goes, the sick are healed. Now there is a group of twenty to thirty completely new believers who have risen up to meet, sing hymns, and pray. We really see that the harvest is great but the workers are few. Brother, please pray earnestly before the Lord of the harvest that He would send out workers to reap the harvest. In the few places I mentioned above, there are very few brothers. There are mainly sisters. The sisters have heard of Miss Peace Wang and hope that she could come to help them. Until we meet again! May your body, soul, and spirit be healthy in the Lord!
Your little brother,Yu Hsiung FeiNovember 23
Note: Brother Yu used to live in the brothers' apartment in Shanghai. He has fellowship with us. He is now working in the County Hospital in Chu Chi.
To the Lord's faithful servant, Mr. Nee:
Although your name is misunderstood among the public, may the Father God greatly bless you. Amen!
I am not writing this letter to apologize to you, nor am I trying to comfort you, but I want to testify concerning the Lord who loves sinners with His marvelous salvation, glorious freedom, and inscrutable guidance.
When my two younger brothers began pursuing and desiring the Lord, they were cheated by the miserable gospel of relying on works, keeping commandments, and hoping they might be saved. Their experience hindered me from knowing God; I had difficulties with the true gospel and could not be born easily into the Father's house.
Ears to hear the truth, eyes to know God, and a mouth to drink spiritual milk are all part of the uncreated, spiritual life which God gives, just like our human life. This life is very important. We must first receive the promise by faith that it would be produced — this is regeneration! If a person does not know whether he is saved, this proves he has not been born into God's house. How can he receive the Father's inheritance, let alone represent Christ while living on the earth, fight with the powers of darkness, shut the mouth of the enemy and those who would take revenge, fulfill God's will, or satisfy God's heart's desire?
It is more difficult to preach the gospel to people in denominations than to any other kind of person because you must first tear down before you can build up. I used to be a member of the denominations. Thank the Lord for His enlightenment. I was baptized into His name in June of this year and have partaken of the Lord's table. I have also seen that the denominations are the fruit of the flesh, are sectarian, and cannot be counted as the church of God. Furthermore, there is no way to correct them. God has already rejected them. They are filled with incurable darkness. We can only "come out from their midst" (2 Cor. 6:17)! Therefore, I left the yoke of the denominations in July. I remember that I did not want to leave at the time because of human affection, but God always gains the victory. He used strong words to lay hold of me so that I could not get through, including Luke 16:10; 12:47, and James 4:17. For three weeks I could not finish writing my letter of resignation, but I finally obeyed and sent it by registered mail. Before I came to Shanghai someone told me, "You can go to hear preaching anywhere in Shanghai, but you must stay away from Mr. Watchman Nee and his group because they make a business of stealing sheep with their knowledge. You must be careful lest you stumble." I was so foolish that I did not know who you were then, but this was a strong introduction. Oh, we cannot be separated from the love of God! After coming to Shanghai, I asked whomever I saw whether they were related to Mr. Nee or knew him.
What inscrutable leading! One day I accidentally met a sister who had left the denominations and was walking in the same way as you. At first I was afraid of her because of the bondage of Satan. Now I often remember her as my Martha and Mary. She was the first person to pray for me before the Lord, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick!" (John. 11:3). The Lord sent His servant to me so that I would understand that salvation is by grace, not by works, that it is a present matter, according to Acts 26:17-18, which says, "I send you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
If Moses had not been misunderstood by the Israelites, he could never have brought God's chosen people out of Egypt. If your name had not been misunderstood, I could never have been led to know God. We should thank the Lord that He has fed us bread until we are full! May the Lord bless this loaf.
May the brothers and sisters in the Lord thank God unceasingly whenever they hear of or encounter a situation in which an individual or a church is misunderstood or persecuted, because the Lord is again using His marvelous salvation, glorious release, and inscrutable leading to call His children out of darkness. The Lord is Victor. His will will be done. In Him is the yes. All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, just as the persecution of the saints in Soochow and Hangchow turned into a victorious miracle.
I am only a newborn babe. I am weak and powerless. I hope that you will instruct me with Christ's love, so that I do not shame the glory of God. May the Lord bless you. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Amen! Greetings to the brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Respectfully from your little brother,Yu Hsiung Fei
To my dear brothers in the Lord, Shen Ting Ling and Mark Shen:
It has been two or three weeks since I parted with the meeting in Hangchow. First I went from Hangchow to Shanghai where I took a steamer to Foochow. In Foochow I finished my business at home and took Chiu Hao, Chiu P'ing, and Chiu Ch'ing to Ku T'ien. Last Saturday (the third) we had a funeral service and buried my father outside of the city. Because of this, I have not had any free time until today to write letters and communicate with you about some of our family matters and the condition of the meeting in Ku T'ien. I pray that God would direct me as to how to arrange my future so that I would glorify Him in all things. This sudden blow was really from the hand of Satan, but he who relies on the Lord will overcome all things. After boarding the steamer in Shanghai, I was not well physically. I got a cold and became seasick. It is difficult to travel alone. But thank the Father God for His care. It did not rain while I was on the boat; therefore, I was able to rest even though I had to sleep outside. When I got to Ku T'ien, some bandits had been on the rampage. A few days before I arrived, bandits and soldiers had been fighting there. On the day I traveled, however, everything was peaceful. It really was the protection of the Father God that I arrived home safely. My family had prepared everything for me, so the funeral was taken care of smoothly. Everything that I went through on this trip saw the care of God.
Regarding the condition of the meeting in Ku T'ien, God has really begun a good work there, adding saved ones to the church. Although the denominations have used all kinds of methods to stop the meeting, they have been unable to do so. The meeting place is at 1 Pao Hou Alley. Some new brothers, Cheng Tao Kung, Yu Chung Chang, and Chou Hua Nan, and Brother Chen Pi Ying are temporarily living and working together there. In Chao Ku School there are twenty or more new ones who desire the Word. These three new brothers testified to almost every one of them. Through Brother Chen's teaching and the Holy Spirit's own work, several are preparing to obey and be baptized, but they are afraid that the authorities in the school will not permit them. The rest of the students are not able to come and listen to the Word. There are one or two teachers who have a good foundation; the rest also desire the Word. May God Himself work. We also ask you brothers to pray. Yu Hsing and Yu Ching are two girls' schools. The principals of these schools do not let the students come to hear the Word, but several people are trying to find a way to come secretly. The work of Satan behind the scenes is very strong, but the Lord is the Victor. I believe that the Lord will open the way in these two schools. The brothers in the meeting plan to have a Bible study for new ones during the winter vacation. They are still praying about it and looking to the Lord to lead them in everything. I do not know whether the brothers who will come to visit south China can also come to Foochow. If they can, perhaps they can also visit Ku T'ien in northern Fukien and testify for the Lord. There are about ten brothers and sisters in the table meeting. May the Lord bless them and quickly increase their number. How is Brother Ting Ling's health? If you have time, write me a letter and tell me, and I can pray for him. Every time I pray, I do not forget your health and spiritual condition. Brother Mark, what work have you found? I hope you will tell me. I hope, brother, that you patiently and quietly wait in Shanghai. On the one hand, you can receive the truth, and on the other hand, you can learn the truth and learn to serve the brothers. Please greet Brother Tu for me. I have been very busy, but I asked a brother concerning the condition of the church in Foochow, and he said that the meeting in Shio Er Jien Pai has improved markedly. Now there is also a brothers' meeting. They want to do everything openly and bear the responsibility together. Brother Chen Ke San stands in the same position as we do concerning the truth, but he is still waiting. Brother Chang Ch'i Chen does not dare to completely disavow the truth concerning head covering either. May the Spirit of God move them so that the meeting in Foochow will not be separated from the Body. There are not many brothers in the meeting in the Inner City who understand the truth, and there is no one to testify for the truth. Sister Lin Tuan Yu has testified among the sisters. However, as I returned through there today, she seemed very weak. A group of brothers accused her because they thought that what happened in the meeting in the Inner City was the result of her maneuvering. Therefore, she has stopped meeting. I exhorted her a little that one should always testify for truth and that she should not worry because the Lord knows all things. Brother Hsu's will is very strong. His heart will not change even though he and his relative Ch'ung O are the only ones meeting in his home on the Lord's Day. I really thank the Lord that there is a brother who stands firm for the truth. I hope the brothers pray for the work in the city. Although I am in Ku T'ien, I do not forget God's work in Foochow. When I began my trip from Foochow, Brother Hung Kuei came to see me in Brother Shao Hua's home. We walked and talked together. We really could not bear to part. Our eyes were filled with tears. He hoped that Brother Mark and I could teach and guide them after we returned from Hangchow. But now there is no one there, and he is very sad. Brother Chin went to Professor Sung's "Revival Meeting" and offered himself to the evangelistic band. Brother Hung Kuei exhorted him, but he would not listen. He was very impatient, and I did not have time to explain the truth. It is difficult to describe all these situations. I talked to Brothers Wei Kuang and Wei Kuei all night, and they did not want to let me go. It seems that in the Inner City, the sheep are without anyone to care for them. I do not know whether or not Brother Chan has returned home or the condition of his health. Has he improved in the truth this time? Has he come to a decision? How is Brother Nee's health? How is he doing in the work after being newly married? Have there been any storms from the outside? I hope that God gives us grace regarding every truth so that we can carry it out. I will tell you the rest later. Peace and progression!
Your brother in the Lord,Chung Ch'un KengNovember 5
To my dearest brother in the Lord, Mr. Nee:
Thank the Lord who cares for us! When I did not have a place to live in August of last year, He suddenly prepared a place in P'o Nan Shih Yang of P'ing Yang for me to live. There is no meeting here in the Lord's name, but there are a few brothers who live with me. Every evening we meet, and I speak something of the truth to them. We have been doing this for about a year. After the brothers received a little light of the truth, they still went to the denominations, but they felt that it did not help them as much as it once did. They wanted to leave the denominations to meet in the Lord's name, but there was no one to bear the responsibility (because I travel often). I was afraid that they did not have the assurance of the truth and were only leaving the denominations to follow their emotions, so I was not really confident about them. I could only place this matter in the Lord's hands.
Thank God! He has recently led a brother, Yang Shih Ch'ing, to move here. He walks in the same way we do and is very gifted. The brothers prayed about this matter earnestly, and the Lord's grace worked in their hearts; they really saw the error of the denominations. They boldly left the denominations and began to meet in the Lord's name. Although the so-called pastors and teachers in the denomination tried to hold them back with warm words, they could not make them look back.
Thank God! He causes His children not to fear angry looks, rolled eyes, or rudeness but to only care about faithfully going on for the Lord. Our first meeting was in September. There are now seven brothers and sisters in the table meeting. There are more than twenty people who come to the other meetings. Although they have partially obeyed the truth, their spiritual life is still weak and immature. Please ask the brothers and sisters who fellowship with us in the Lord to pray for them. Peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Ts'ai Ch'iSeptember 16
Peace to the beloved brother in the Lord, Brother Nee:
Thank the Lord. He Himself led us to leave the denominations in the past. Now He has given us light again to see the deeper truth that our meetings should have the Lord as the center. We cannot have any name but the Lord's name. For this reason, we who walk in this way feel in our prayer that the Lord will have a meeting that is directly in His name in Southeast Asia. We should obey the Lord to accomplish His will. There is now a meeting in Singapore. According to the Lord's arrangement, we may be able to have a meeting in the Lord's name in two months. Since the work has just begun, we hope to have a gifted brother come and bear the responsibility, one who can edify us to be useful to the Lord. We have now placed this need in prayer! We hope that you, brother, also pray for this!
There is one matter that needs your help. Brother Chang You Ts'ung from the meeting in T'ung An Wu Ni, Fukien province has moved here recently with his family. Brother Chang feels that there are not enough brothers who can bear the responsibility in Southeast Asia. His son, Brother Ling Chen Kuo, studied at, but did not graduate from, the Hunan Bible School. Brother Chang has told him to leave Hunan and go to Shanghai to live with you for a time. He hopes to go to the next Overcomer Conference in Hangchow. He will have a letter of recommendation from Brother P'ei Jan. Please examine him when he arrives in Shanghai. If you think he has received a gift from the Lord and can be edified, please edify him in the matters of the truth and help him grow in spiritual life so that he can be a useful vessel to the Lord. We are enclosing a check for thirty dollars in this letter. Please keep it and give it to Brother Chen Kuo when he arrives in Shanghai to use for his expenses. Thank you for the favor. May you receive your rightful reward before the judgment seat of Christ! Peace in the Spirit!
Your brother in the Lord,Yang Chien Hsiung
Greetings in love to my brother in the Lord, Mr. Watchman:
I really miss you because we are so far apart. I often think of writing you, but since my business is very busy, I do not have time to put a pen to paper and communicate with you. I am very sorry. I can only fellowship with you in my prayer before the Lord. I listened to messages for six or seven years, and I was a preacher for one year, but I still did not know whether or not I was saved. Fortunately, you came to Changchow in 1928 to lead a meeting. I went to the meeting with my wife. We were touched from beginning to end and we knew about salvation for the first time. We were so happy in our hearts that we wept. I stood up in the meeting to testify and consecrate myself for the Lord's work. However, our economic situation was very tight because we were very poor and I had been a preacher for one year. Therefore, I went into business. I wanted to have some savings for our family before I began to work by preaching full-time. I was not able to do what I wanted after consecrating myself in the meeting because of my home situation. Fortunately, I began working for the Hsia Yu Feng Bank the year before last. They are closed on the Lord's Day, so I could use the time to help the church in Amoy and comfort myself some. But since coming to Shih Ma Wai City to work last year, I have had too much to do. I do not have any time from morning to evening. I cannot take a break on the Lord's Day either. My heart is suffering greatly. If I do not get out of business, it will be difficult for me to work for the Lord. But I feel that I cannot do this because my family is still very poor. Consequently, I have placed this matter before the Lord to ask for His leading. At the same time, I am asking you, brother, to trouble yourself and give me some guidance. This is my hope. I have received much benefit from your teaching in The Present Testimony and Notes on Scriptural Messages. I have also come to know the condition of the meeting in Shanghai through them and that the Lord has raised up many of His children to obey Him in every place. I rejoice much because of this. I received a card on the twenty-second of this month that said you had been married on the nineteenth on Tung Chieh Road in Hangchow. I was very comforted to know this. I only hate that I did not find out sooner; therefore, I was unable to make preparations to attend the ceremony myself. (Parts omitted.)
If you are willing, please give me some advice. This is my greatest hope. I am so full of emotions that it is hard for me to say everything. I will tell you more later. Peace in the Lord!
Greetings to the brothers and sisters in the Lord!
Your little brother in the Lord,Wang T'an Ch'i
Mailing Address: Yu Yu Bank, Shih Ma Wai City
Greetings to Mr. Nee and the brothers and sisters
who meet on Hardoon Road:
Mr. Witness Lee arrived in Sha Chiang at 8:00 p.m. on the thirteenth and spent the night in the brothers' meeting place in Fang Yen. At 6:00 a.m. on the fourteenth, he took a small boat to Wu Shih Ling and walked fifteen miles to Ts'ao Hsi where he had lunch in a brother's home. After 2:00 p.m., he went on by sedan chair. It was pouring rain and stormy; the curtains on the sedan chair were soaked and even Mr. Lee's clothes and shoes were wet. In addition, the mountains were high and the slopes were steep. The sedan chair was tossed and pulled by the winds. The bearers of the chair almost fell down several times. This journey was long and continued until the end of the day, and it became dark on all sides. It was difficult for the bearers to take each step. If the Lord's grace had not sustained, the danger would have been unimaginable. We arrived in Fan Shan a little after 8:00 p.m. The brothers welcomed us with much love. The next day we went from Fan Shan to Ma Chan and met with the brothers for a short time in the afternoon. In the evening we had a fellowship meeting. The formal meetings did not start until today. About six hundred people attended the meeting. Mr. Lee is bearing the responsibility for speaking the messages. He speaks two times a day. Today he spoke on how the believers should love and serve the Lord. Many brothers and sisters were very touched that they did not have a heart that loves the Lord. They wept. Starting tomorrow he will speak a series of messages on the Body of Christ. We expect that the loving Lord will bless us greatly through these messages. We will tell you the rest later. Peace in the Lord!
Your brothers in the Lord,Lin Sheng Wu, Chen Ch'ing Fa, Su Ti Sheng,Ts'ai Ch'i, Chin Tze FangSeptember 18 at 10:00 p.m.
Greetings to Mr. Nee, Mr. Kuang Hsiung, and Mr. Shou Ling:
Our brother Mr. Witness Lee has already finished the work in P'u Men Ma Chan. This time he preached messages along two lines: the Body of Christ and the truth of the gospel. Thanks be to God the Father. He really blessed us through the truth that was released; many brothers and sisters learned what the Body of Christ is all about. They also learned that being joined to Christ is so practical. Many people came to listen to the word this time. More than four hundred brothers and sisters slept in the meeting place. Together with those who did not sleep and eat here, there were more than seven hundred. This was a great conference such that P'ing Yang has never seen before.
Brother Lee spent the entire strength of his spirit and body in this conference. He spoke twice each afternoon and evening; each time he spoke for almost two hours. When the evening meetings were over, he would sit outside under the stars with twenty or thirty responsible brothers surrounding him and speak about all the points of the truth and the matter of the church. The benefit we gained from these conversations was greater than what we received in the formal meetings. On the morning of September 26, he left Ma Chan, but it was 7:00 p.m. when he arrived at a place near Chiang Nan Road. He spent the night in a brother's home. Although Brother Lee was physically tired at the time, he still forced himself to keep going. He passed through the localities of Yi Shan, Fang Yen Hsia, and Feng Chuan on the way back to fellowship and converse with the brothers. This made him even more tired. The situation was so bad that he became sick with a headache and fever in Feng Chuan. Fortunately, the Lord's grace protected him; he began to get better last night. He felt somewhat better this morning. Brother Lee was very impatient to get to Hangchow to attend the conference, so he did not want to stay any longer. He left Feng Chuan at 6:00 a.m. and planned to get to Wenchow in one day. However, when he arrived in P'ing Yang, the little steamer that runs along the river had already left; he had to stay at Brother Ts'ai Ch'i's house. Whether or not he can go to Wenchow tomorrow all depends on his health.
In conclusion, Brother Lee's sickness came from the following natural causes: (1) On the round trip from Chiang Nan to P'u Men and P'u Men to Chiang Nan, he encountered rain and stormy weather; (2) there was too much work so that he was overtired; (3) the places he stayed were not quiet, and the food was not suitable to him; (4) our hospitality was insufficient; we did not meet his needs. These causes weakened our brother, so he returns with sickness. Our hearts are so ashamed! We really blame ourselves! We are very foolish and thickheaded. We do not know how to serve the brothers. Brother Lee forgives us because of the Lord's love. He has not blamed us. We hope that you will remember our immaturity and not blame us either. Peace in the Lord!
Your brothers,Yang Shih Ch'ing, Ts'ai Ch'i, Chen Ch'ing FaOctober 1
Greetings in love to my dear brother in the Lord,
Mr. Yueh Chiao:
My home received both your card, dated August 9, and your letter, dated August 14, a long time ago. I left my home in the middle of July to travel and only returned yesterday, so I am answering them after a long delay. Please forgive me in the Lord.
You asked about Mr. Su Sheng Ch'uan of Yi Shan. I will speak a few direct words in the Lord. Superficially, he appears to be walking in the Lord's way, but in reality he is going in the opposite direction from the truth. This person is a great hindrance to us in the work here. Please do not publish his writings in Collection of Newsletters or send him Collection of Newsletters. He is speaking about his personal matters and not about the meeting in Yi Shan.
About three weeks ago, four co-workers and I sent a long letter to Mr. Nee and Mr. Lee about the recent condition of the work here. We addressed the letter directly to the editor of Collection of Newsletters. Have you received it yet? I am worried about it.
Two weeks ago I read the Newsletter Paper and discovered something called, "The Condition of the Nondenominational Churches in Fu Ting, Tai Shun, and P'ing Yang." It was signed by Brother Wang Yu T'ing and myself. After reading it, I did not know what to think. I wondered whether Brother Wang Yu T'ing had really sent this news to that newspaper. I think that many of the brothers and sisters who walk in the way with us must also have had suspicions after reading it. I met with Brother Yu T'ing later and learned what really happened. Some brothers from Tai Shun and Fu T'ing wrote letters to Brother Wang telling him about the condition of the churches there. I also wrote a letter to him telling him about the condition of the work, and at the end of the letter, I told him about the beginning of the meetings in a few places. Brother Wang put these letters together and sent them to the editor of Collection of Newsletters. But the mailman was very careless and he delivered the letters to the office of Newsletter Paper. The editors of the paper deleted all the portions that described the grace of God and that would edify the brothers. They only published the hard words about leaving the denominations and thought it was church news. I do not know what their motive was in doing this! Whether they are trying to slander or praise me, it is not important. The most important thing is that I hope the brothers and sisters who walk in the way with us know what happened in this instance and do not have any misunderstandings. Please send me a regular subscription to The Glad Tidings. Peace in the Lord!
Your little brother in the Lord,Chen Ch'ing FaSeptember 8
To my elder brother Watchman:
After arriving in Swatow, I looked back on the past few days. There was a great struggle and wrestling in my heart. I am such a failure. I am so weak and faithless. I have told many people to trust in the Lord, but I myself did not! I am really abominable! After meeting and speaking with you twice, I will never forget the lessons I learned. When Brother Chung Chieh and I arrived in the port of Swatow, we did not do many things, but we first bowed down before the Lord with the brothers and sisters to learn to rely on the Lord. We were just as a serving maid relying on her mistress. May the Lord edify us through the work.
Brother Chung Chieh is really a dear brother. Before now I did not realize how dear he was. He has learned more before the Lord than I have. There are many areas in which I cannot catch up with him. He and I are more and more in one accord. The innocent spiritual condition of the brothers and sisters here makes me not want to go home. Peace! Brother Chung Chieh greets you.
Your brother,Kuang HsiungNovember 20
Greetings to Brother Watchman:
Brother Sun Shao Shan returned to Hangchow. He informed me that you wanted me to quickly prepare for the trip to the south and inquired about Brother Chen Fang's recent condition. I should have given you a timely answer, but there was nothing moving in me, and I had not yet prayed about the matter. In addition, I had a fever; therefore, I have delayed until now in replying to you.
I have already received an answer before God concerning the trip south: "Hear Him." But I do not think it will be easy for me to leave in the next few days because there will be a baptism meeting in Hangchow on the twenty-fifth. Therefore, the earliest I can come to you is after the twenty-sixth. What do you think?
Brother Chen Fang has completely left the denominations and found a house in Hu Shu new port. He is in the middle of preparing to move! The house has four big rooms. Brother Chen will live in one of them, Brother T'au Ch'un Yen will live in another, two brothers who are in business have rented another, and the assembly has rented the fourth. They are preparing to begin with a prayer meeting there. They will still crowd into Tung Chieh Road for the table meeting. If possible they will preach the gospel to outsiders from there every Lord's Day morning. But they must put everything in the Lord's hands.
We are very confident about Brother Chen's future because he is very clear that the way he is going is God's will. He is also clear that God the Father is leading him to come out and walk this way.
Brother Yu Hsiung Fei sent a letter from Chu Chi a few days ago and said that God has raised up two brothers who obey God in Chu Chi. They are now with him in one accord and have begun to meet to pray and wait for God's will through the prayer.
The elderly brother, T'ien P'ing Fang, sent a letter from Tientsin recently reminding us to remember the work in Manchuria.
Brothers Chin, Chen, and Ts'ai of P'ing Yang and Brother Hung Lu Ch'un of Tai Shun have sent letters saying that they were protected by the Lord; they have arrived home safely.
Sister Wang arrived safely on the express train in Hangchow last night. My fever has become better in the last few days. Chih Hsien and the brothers and sisters in the meeting are all healthy. Please don't worry about us! Peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Philip LuanNovember 21, 1934
Dear Mr. Nee in the Lord:
Yesterday I sent two drafts of articles concerning the question of head covering and one notebook. I hope you can check them and correct them for me. There are many mistakes in the second article. It would be best if someone could copy it over after you have corrected it.
Last week I started to compile and translate the record of the last conference. It is very strange, and I do not know why, but this time there are more difficulties than usual. I had originally decided to spend two or three days transcribing one message so I could finish it in two months. But as I have been writing, many unexpected things have occurred. I am barely able to put a message together in four days. It has become a great strain on me. I feel that I cannot use my brain. I cannot remember anything, and it is hard to focus my thoughts. I do not have any strength in my prayer either. My whole being feels weak, and I do not have mental energy. I cannot resist all these conditions! Before, I only had to resist with some strength, and then my energy would return. Nothing works now, it seems as if there is not even the slightest bit of warmth. In my heart I want to do this, but something hinders me. The worst thing is that I have forgotten many of the things that I used to remember. Nevertheless, I think that I will be able to do it well, Mr. Nee. I will need your help, however, to get through this difficult situation. I must not fail in this matter, no matter what. I hope you will give me some leading to get through this kind of situation.
I received the 1913 and 1914 issues of The Overcomer from England a few days ago. I finally obtained the books that I wanted for so long. I am really happy! May the Lord allow me to gain the riches from it.
Brother Shen Wei Chih came to Hangchow to rest. The three of us live together. Every day he helps me do some transcribing work. Peace through the winter!
Your little brother in the Lord,Hsin YiNovember 8
Greetings to Mr. Nee:
A few days ago Miss Lee and the sisters passed through Nanking on their way to Hankow. I went to the boat to see them. I heard that you were sick, and I wondered whether you had gotten better. Thank God for His grace, I received much spiritual training in the last conference at Hangchow. Of all the conferences we have had over the past few years, the last one was unprecedented. I constantly thank and praise the Father God! Although I constantly fail, He is never willing to let me go. His holy hand is always stretched out to deal with me. I have been in Nanking for more than six months. A few sisters meet together on the Lord's Day to pray and read the Bible. After coming back from Hangchow, I planned to terminate this sisters' meeting to wait for the Lord's time to bring brothers to Nanking. I also planned to do some individual work so I did not announce that we would meet again. But the sisters came of their own accord; for the last three weeks we have had sisters' meetings. I heard that the Chin Ling Men's Seminary has some brothers who love the Lord, who want to invite you to Nanking. There is a Brother Wang among them who was clearly saved through you. He once told a sister that if you could come to Nanking to meet in any place, they would have many people who would come to hear you. (Their students often ask, "What should we preach when we go out?") The sister told me this later, and I have prayed for this often since then. On the twenty-ninth Sister Rachel Lee told me on the boat that you bear the responsibility for the regions of Chenkiang and Nanking, so I mentioned this matter to Sister Rachel Lee. If you can come to Nanking, we invite you to stay with us. It is very convenient. The meeting place can hold fifty to sixty people. This is my respectful report.
There is another question that I hope you can answer. A sister used the train with a free ticket. After she was enlightened, she decided to pay back this money. According to the principles of the Bible, property should be returned to its rightful owner, but the person who got the free tickets for her is a member of a denomination who is in the middle of committing a great sin. If she gives this money to him, he would not give it to the government or the railroad, and it would give him more opportunity to sin. Although this sister was saved when she used a free ticket, she had not consecrated herself. Now all that she has is given to God, so this amount is consecrated. Whom should she return this money to? Please advise us. This sister will also add a fifth part so that the total comes to about one hundred fifty dollars. Where should she send it? We are waiting for an answer. Peace in the Lord!
From,Yu Su ChenNovember 7
Use a post office money order and send it in a double registered letter to the Railroad Authority. Enclose an explanation: She rode the train on a free ticket which was obtained unlawfully. Since she has believed in the Lord Jesus and has been saved, she knows that this is unrighteous. In addition to the amount of the tickets, she is adding on twenty percent interest and returning the money. She does not need to mention who got the free tickets for her.
To Brother Watchman who helps me to rely on God
and teaches me how to walk in the way of obedience through his publications in the Lord:
In the ninth issue of Collection of Newsletters, I read a paragraph you wrote concerning this publication that closely matched what I had felt in my heart for a long time. This spring my life was dry and withered, so I had the idea to put away my Bible and was in a dilemma. I wanted to go into the world, but nothing could satisfy my heart. I wanted to take up the cross, but I was weak and powerless. I was really without the strength to live but not able to die. Even when the brothers who are in one accord exhorted and comforted me, it did not work. I passed through half a year in this half-living, half-dead condition. But through all this, the light of the truth of leaving the denominations and being baptized was not quenched in my heart. When I was the weakest, I continued to receive Collection of Newsletters and I felt the burden and strength in my heart to write the letter that was published in the ninth issue as "A Letter from Dairen" telling you of my condition and asking for your prayers. After this Brother Luan (Hung Pin) was led by the Lord to stay with us for three days on his way from Chefoo to Changchun. He baptized me and through the Bible helped me to know how to go in this way and how to read the Bible to cultivate life. I was helped very much. When it was time for the conference in Hangchow, I decided to quit my job and attend the meetings without caring for anything else. As I was about to leave for the conference, unexpected frustrations stepped in that made it impossible for me to go. I was very bothered about this and complained that God did not listen to my prayers. Then I thought that no matter what, it must be God's good pleasure, so I submitted. Thank God, I gained joy and peace from this which continues to this time. I also came across The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life and read it with much interest. The doctrines concerning life in it were very clear. Now I can read the Bible and pray with peace in my heart. If I have time, I testify some or fellowship with the brothers by letter. I do not pay attention to sins. I pursue holiness by the Lord's Word. For example, if I read in James 3, I would be circumspect in my speech. If I read Proverbs 3:27-28, I would give what I have according to my strength. In this way I am led by the Lord through each day.
I am now going to stop living with my elder brother. I often ask the Lord to give us a proper way to divide our inheritance. I have found the secret of escaping greed in Luke 12:13-15. Thank God, my brother has become closer to me recently.
With regard to the matter of consecration, I feel that everything is the Lord's. Are only giving money and preaching the gospel consecration? In my view, it seems that the greatest consecration in the Bible was when Joseph offered his grave to the Lord, because although the worldly people will give something to the poor, no one is willing to sell his burial plot. However, the Lord's crucifixion is already over, so what can we offer up now? Please take the trouble to answer in Collection of Newsletters. I bless you with peace. Please greet all the brothers and sisters!
Your little brother in the Lord,Chiang Ch'uan Ch'ing
Consecration does not only refer to preaching or giving money. You must receive God's choosing and calling before you can be a preacher. Similarly, you must have the ability to give before you can actually give. Consecration is to give yourself to God to do His will. The meaning of consecrating yourself is to give your all, whether it is time, money, talent, occupation, family, or all aspects of your living and place it completely in the Lord's hands, following God's will in all your decisions. Hence, consecration is not just becoming a preacher or giving money. The only proper consecration of a Christian is the kind in which your whole life and living are consecrated to do God's will.
Greetings in the Lord to Brother Watchman Nee,
Brother Chang Kuang Jung, Brother Witness Lee,
and all the brothers who bear the responsibility of the eldership:
I have met a person named Shang T'ien Hsing (James). What kind of person is he really? He came to our locality when Brother Lai Chi Ho and I were not home, so the brothers received him. Later they were a little worried after hearing the things he said; Brother Ch'ai called me and Brother Lai home. Brother Lai and I first asked him whether he had a letter of recommendation. He said he did not. He only had a letter of recommendation from a brother in P'ing Yang who does not meet in the Lord's name. (It was from a former pastor in a denomination in Sze Hsi.) We quizzed him several times, and he seemed to keep something back in all his answers. He did not really come to the point of our questions, and he seemed to say yes and no at the same time. I thought he was a Seventh-day Adventist, but he also seemed to be like a person from Zion's Church.
The topic he preached was "Returning to Zion." For this reason, we dared not receive him. (His goal was to have a preaching meeting among us.) A few brothers disagreed and argued that it was wrong for us not to receive him. They spoke many words of misunderstanding. Please tell us about his work, denomination, and the details of his living so that there will be no misunderstanding among the brothers.
We have heard that he has some drafts ready and is preparing to put out a publication called The Preaching Paper. He also recorded the names and addresses of our brothers in his book. We also heard that he did some of the same work in P'ing Yang and Wenchow. This matter is very crucial, so for the sake of the Lord's love, we ask the brothers who are ahead in the Lord to remind, teach, and help us who are behind you, lest we receive one who should not be received. Until we meet again!
Your brother,Huang Lu Ch'uanNovember 11
With respect to Mr. Shang T'ien Hsing, we only want to say this: He advocates the doctrine of keeping the Sabbath, emphasizing the law and the doctrine that a person is not saved once for eternity. In summary, he is not one who walks in the same way with us.
To my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Nee:
I really am like a wounded soldier who has fallen near the line of battle in a remote border region. I am both fearful and sober! The sound of the battle is close. Although the battle is not yet fierce, my boldness for battle has already vanished. This has caused me to become nervous. I am afraid that I will shame the Lord's name! I do not know what more I can do than to look to Him for these days. Oh, I am so weak and ignorant. I am also in such a solitary, cold, and remote situation. I do not know to what extent I will fail!
I have gone to a high place a few times and looked out to see the environment around me. It is as if the wind and snow in the wilderness have pierced my skin; I shiver with cold and shake. I look at my inward faith, which is so weak that I have almost been disappointed to the point of retreat. Oh, if His love had not given me a little warm strength and encouragement, I would have fallen into the disqualified crowd long ago. My cry is, "Lord, all else is up to You; just grant me one thing: to hold on and endure to the end of the road so that even if I die it will be in glory!"
There have been a few times that it seemed as if I had no hope to continue working, so I asked God "not to send me." I never received any answer, however. On the contrary, I felt as if the burden were heavier. So I dare not move loosely. Brother, think about it; this environment is so difficult to bear! What sickness is it?
It is the same with my prayer. I only feel the "need," but when I kneel down, I "cannot" open my mouth; I can only sigh. It is as if I have the burden to pray, but I do not have the unction to pray. Sometimes I do not even have the burden to pray. What is this? Is it the separation of sin? Is it the attack of the enemy?
From the time I left Shanghai until now, I have not broken bread once, nor have I prayed with brothers in the way. The brothers I have met have either had their faces toward the world or their hearts toward another spirit. Oh, this condition makes me cry. Although it is possible to remember the Lord alone, it is not as meaningful as when brothers "dwell in unity"! I can say that the former is less than one ten thousandth as meaningful as the latter.
I returned to Ting Hai this time because my mother is sick. There was a group of so-called Christians who asked me to preach to them. I preached the gospel to them in the beginning. There was much grace, so they felt very satisfied. When the cross gradually became manifested, no one was willing to receive it. It was as if they did not even have the heart to pursue the crown behind the cross. Man's heart is only to receive the blessing, not the Lord who gives it! According to their opinion, "Being spiritual is important, but the flesh is also needed." Oh, what kind of a saying is this? But thank the Lord, those with ears really heard. There was a "pastor" among them who was touched by the Lord in his heart. He saw that his work in the past was just straw and wood. He also saw that we should only honor the Lord. He has set his heart and his will. Now he just desires the time of the Lord's glorious appearing. May the Lord keep him and allow him to realize his desire to go to the conference in Hangchow. He is a brother with a good foundation and talent. He is also the product of Shanghai and Kiangsu.
When I worship with my mother in Ting Hai, we can only weep. She left the sisters in Shanghai, and if she does not return to Shanghai, she will never (while she's on earth) have the chance to take the cup again. May the Lord's truth prosper in the whole earth so that the unwarranted loneliness and remoteness of His children can be reduced.
Tomorrow, if the Lord is willing, I will take the 8:15 train to Shaoshing. There I will learn again from the Lord how to give Him the first place in the work and obey Him in all things. After the conference in Shaoshing, I will perhaps go to Hangchow. Maybe I will be able to partake of the table of love.
May the Lord who loves us protect you in all things. May your spirit, soul, and body be hidden under the blood so that you may not be attacked by the enemy. May the Lord bring the heavenly messages to earth through Christ and His Spirit so that you may have more revelation to tell all your brothers. May the Lord cleanse your mouth and heart so that His all may flow through freely without frustration. I can only exercise my function as a member through prayer to bind and command the enemy.
Please forgive me for writing so much in a letter without order or politeness. This is a little of what has flowed out from within. We have never spoken much. Hence, there is the need of forgiveness. May you be satisfied in the Lord.
Your brother in the Lord,David Hsu,The twenty-fourth
To my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Shun T'ien:
May the grace, peace, and strength of the Lord fill you.
Thank the Lord for His sweet will. He calls His children from hundreds of miles away in Feng T'ien and causes us to submit to the light of the truth. My first two months in Ch'ang-ch'un saw old opinions and prejudices blocking my heart and spirit; there was an indescribable bondage, and I felt much suffering. Looking back now, it was terrible. Thank God, He does not cast us away but gives us revelation in His Word to know our previous errors. It is very dangerous to live according to the feeling of the soul. He has also showed us that He does not want outward activity but inward submission to the small voice in our spirit; He wants us to do what He wants us to do. At the first table meeting, we could not help but submit to Him. The Lord is really among us! Therefore, we uttered cries of joy from our hearts and spirits and do not feel it is a bother to tell you. God's household now has one more obedient child, Brother Chao. We received different direction before, but God has given him extra revelation so that he is more clear and obeys the truth. Praise God, He is not a respecter of persons! We read the letter from you and Sister Chang after the table meeting. When we knew about the topic of the conference in Hangchow, we all simultaneously realized how very important and serious this matter was! In these last days God has allowed His children to see His will and to deal with Satan. We really praise the Lord! He is the Victor. If we stand in Him, we will also be overcomers.
I received your letter of the twenty-fourth on Monday. Brother Liu Wen did not come to the meeting on Tuesday because he had some affairs to take care of; he did not give it to me until Friday. I read it carefully. Thank the Lord for giving us the good news. We remember you often in our prayer. We believe that God will grace you. Tomorrow after the table meeting, we will ask each one to read the portion of the Scripture that God has asked us to read.
Now let me tell you a little about the current condition of the assembly. We read the letter from you and Sister Chang about the condition of the brothers in Shanghai and Hangchow, and we were really ashamed. We know even more that we are weak and do not live out the Lord's love. We can only pray before God that He would give us grace. If God can give this grace to the brothers and sisters in Shanghai and Hangchow, He must also give it to us. After you left, this little flock of children was in fear and trembling before God asking Him to care for our meeting. We believe that our meeting is built upon the foundation of the Lord and that man cannot do anything. Therefore, every time that we meet, the Lord always sends His children to lead. Thank the Lord, in the last month and a half He has given us a quiet spirit so we could still meet. On Tuesdays and Fridays, there are not many people because it is too dark, but the Lord's Day morning meeting is still in the same condition. In the Lord's Day meetings we speak more about the aspect of salvation because there are outsiders. (Parts omitted.)
Thank the Lord, He has graced us in the past. We believe He will continue to care for us. We also believe that one of His servants will come to lead us. (We have given it to God.) All the brothers now realize that the one (you) we relied on before is no longer here! "Arise!"
We hope that the Lord will grace us. After Sister Chang and elderly Mr. T'ien return to Changchun, we would like to continue the fellowship meeting and the meeting to learn to sing hymns. Peace in the Lord! Greetings from all the brothers and sisters who meet in the Lord's name in Changchun.
Your member in the Lord,Lo Ch'un P'uNovember 3
To all the brothers and sisters who have received
the same gracious calling in the Lord:
Grace to you and peace from our Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Christ loves us, died and rose for us, obeyed the Father's will, and delivered us from so great a perdition; He is still saving us and will save us in the future. Therefore, we should give praise, honor, glory, and authority to the Lamb upon the throne forever and ever, amen.
We praise the Lord that despite the failure in the garden of Eden, there is the victory on Calvary. Although Jerusalem is desolated, Zion has already been raised up. The number meeting in the Lord's name in P'u T'ien is very small, and the work is still young, but each believer has had the experience of coming out of death into life, and there is much to tell about the marvelous things which the Lord has done in this locality. Therefore, we now want to report the news concerning this assembly through Collection of Newsletters to the brothers and sisters who care about us. We hope that each reader prays earnestly and much before the Lord for us humble and weak ones, asking the Lord to grace and protect us and to give us the leading of the Holy Spirit as we walk in His way so that we would obey His will and serve Him faithfully until the day of His coming, amen.
In the very beginning there was only a group of women meeting in a sister's house. No men attended the meetings (unless there was a special meeting). Later, the Lord's servants came to preach the Word a few times, and the Holy Spirit of the Lord worked at the same time. A few people in the denominations were touched to know the gospel and to be saved clearly. All the believers felt that there was the need for a brothers' meeting to be raised up. They prayed in one accord to give this matter to the Lord who bears our burdens. Thank and praise the Lord, He heard the petitions of His children and led His servant, our dear Brother Faithful Luk, to move here with his family at the Lord's appointed time (1932) to be responsible for the Lord's work. Before Brother Lu arrived, the believers asked the Lord to arrange and prepare the place and building for a meeting (because there are many denominational chapels, and they are very pretty outwardly). Thank the Lord, His will can never be wrong. What He prepares will always come to pass. He finishes what He has begun. The Lord chose an appropriate location for us and a very good building. (It is at our present address, 6 Riverside.) This place is one where those who love the denominations dare not come. It is a house where the superstitious people in the area dare not live. Nevertheless, our Head, Christ, is the victorious Lord, the Lord of peace. He surprisingly has led us from past to present in this terrible environment. He is also the eternally unchanging God. We deeply believe that He can look after and protect us to the end. After the meeting place was decided upon and the Lord's servant came, we began meeting with the brothers and sisters in one accord in the winter of 1932. We established the Lord's table at the same time, and the lampstand of the truth began to shine forth. The trumpet of the gospel also was blown. This good work was begun by the Lord Himself. Glory to His holy name, amen.
During the first Saturday afternoon Bible study meeting, Brother Luk began by reading the passage in Acts 16:11-15 where it says, "We went..by the river, where we supposed there would be a place of prayer" (v. 13), and also "a certain woman named Lydia." She was the first believing sister in that locality, and she also led her whole household to be baptized into the Lord (vv. 14-15). Brother Luk read this passage which seems to be just like the beginning of the meeting here in our locality. Our meeting place is also right beside the river, and the first believers were a group of sisters who loved the Lord fervently (we are referring to the believers who have fellowship with us).
We thank the Lord for leading us step by step so that we could pass our days in His grace. With regard to the news of the meeting, I think that the brothers and sisters are happy to hear it, so we must tell you something of the condition of our history. We hope you will continue to pray for us constantly. We have told you how the meeting was started. There are a few points to mention concerning our history.
There is a Lord's table and worship meeting every Lord's Day morning at 9:00. We continue with all the brothers mutually exhorting each other in Christ. At 2:30 p.m. we proclaim the truth of the gospel. (In addition to the responsible workers, the brothers also testify or preach the message.) On Wednesday afternoons at 2:30, there is a sisters' meeting. On Wednesday evening at 7:00, there is a brothers' meeting. On Saturday afternoon at 2:30, there is a prayer and Bible-study meeting. On the first Tuesday of every month, there is a combined meeting with the believers in Han Chiang (about twenty miles from here) that is an all-day prayer meeting. Whenever a brother or co-worker from another locality comes here, there are also conferences or other special meetings.
Each believer which the Lord has purchased with the high price of His precious blood has passed through different situations. Some were separated out from the denominations. Some left the sects quietly. Some were disciplined and punished before they turned around. Some were healed and saved from great sickness and difficulties. Some lost their jobs, but gained the Lord. Some were stumbled with coldness, but were revived. Some passed through thirty years of being pastors before they were clearly saved. Some sought the meaning of religion in many different kinds of denominations and were finally willing to obey the truth. Some were enlivened after being dead in sins and transgressions. Some turned from darkness unto light. Some still stand firm despite persecution from their families. Some stand without wavering despite losing their positions. Some have been threatened by teachers, warned by pastors, counseled by evangelists, and advised by co-workers, but they still have not changed. Some have been misunderstood by their relatives and taunted by their friends. There have also been all kinds of attack, opposition, temptation, and shame, which have been overcome by completely relying on the Lord. In conclusion we are what we are today by the grace of God. We thank the Lord and give glory to Him! (1 Cor. 15:10; 10:12).
We know that this truth is blasphemed in every place (Acts 28:22). After we began meeting in the Lord's name, Satan was very unhappy, of course. Therefore, he did his best to oppose us through men. The strongest of this opposition came from the denominations. They opposed us, saying, "These people have come into the sheepfold to steal the lambs. They pull the fish out of our fish baskets." They were afraid that their members who were like sheep would be released by the truth and saved by the gospel. Therefore, they used every method to frustrate people from coming to the meetings. The pastors and people with positions among them also spoke bad things from the pulpits about us. They said that if you want to be scriptural, you should do everything according to the Bible, including wearing Jewish clothing, being baptized in the Jordan River, and breaking bread in that nicely-prepared upper room, etc. This kind of criticism was nothing but Satan's attack through men. We relied on the Lord who loves us, we stood in His victory, and we were not stumbled. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).
(1) Every Lord's Day, twelve brothers and more than twenty sisters meet together to remember and worship the Lord. Approximately one-half had been baptized previously by sprinkling, smearing, or immersion, but after being saved and receiving the leading of the Holy Spirit of truth, they were all baptized into the Lord's name and into the Lord's death, being buried together with Him and resurrected together with Him. Most marvelously, an old gentleman of more than seventy years of age joyfully obeyed the Lord. There are still some people who are waiting for the leading of the Holy Spirit concerning the matters of baptism and the breaking of bread.
(2) With regard to the work, we sometimes go out to pass out tracts and preach the gospel to the unbelievers. Sometimes we preach the gospel on the street corners and speak of salvation to the merchants. Sometimes we go to the prisons or work in the hospitals. Sometimes we go to every house and every place looking for people to preach to. In addition, there are many neighboring villages, towns, and cities that we have not yet gone through completely. Oh, in this great wheat field, "the harvest is great, but the workers few." We really sigh about this! We hope that you will all remember to pray for us that the Lord's Spirit would operate greatly in this area to move people's hearts and revive His work!
(3) It has been two years since the meeting began. Among the believers, one sister has been loved by the Lord and peacefully left this earthly tabernacle to be with the Lord for eternity. The rest have been touched by the Lord's gracious care and strengthened by His power to peacefully pass through these dangerous and confused days. Whatever our case, we all want to praise the Lord for what has passed, and we still want to rely on Him for the future.
A few believers from this locality have recently scattered to Changchow, Hsien You, and Fu Ch'ing because of their jobs. They are doing proper jobs in these counties. Thank the Lord for opening the way for His children, lest they be taunted as "jobless believers." Although it seems that there are more empty seats every time we meet, we believe that the Lord who wants all men to be saved will add more brothers and sisters to us.
In September of this year, two brothers and nine sisters obeyed and were baptized. May the Lord's Spirit continue to work in the hearts of those who are waiting to be baptized and take the table. We hope that they will obey the Lord one by one in the near future so that they will remember the Lord and have fellowship together with us.
In the denominations there are also quite a few who have been helped either directly (through face-to-face discussions) or indirectly (through the tracts or publications), to the point that they can believe God's Word and understand the truth of the Bible. Unfortunately, because of friendship, reputation, authority, position, occupation, or other matters of their living, they do not dare practice and obey the truth to walk in the Lord's way. May the Lord's hand touch these people's hearts and complete the good work He has begun.
This is the general condition of the meeting in P'u T'ien. It is really nothing and is not worth recording, but we have the obligation to fellowship in mutuality in the Lord. Since this is the result of the Lord's labor, we dare to write what we know of these matters. These have really been the marvelous doings of the Lord. We are merely useless servants. "You have also performed all our works for us" (Isa. 26:12). May that which is of ourselves be completely brought to naught. May the Lord only be elevated and glorified here eternally!
Dear brothers and sisters, we have told you our history. For this reason, we would ask you to pay particular attention to the fact that there is a group of immature and weak ones here who have just begun a work. We all need your prayers very much. Therefore, we hope you will pray for us publicly and in private and that you will remember us constantly, mentioning the work here often. This is our last request of you in this letter.
We deeply believe that the Lord who loves to hear our prayers will open His eyes, listen with His ears, and smilingly open His heart of love to receive our prayers in one accord from different localities. Furthermore, He is the faithful, almighty God; He will do everything beyond what we ask or think. We should sing Hallelujah loudly together. Praise the Lord! Amen. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all unceasingly. We bless you with peace, joy, and victory!
Your brothers in P'u T'ien,Tai Hsien Hsin, Chen Chieh P'ingOctober 30, 1934
Mailing address: 6 Riverside, P'u T'ien, Fukien
Peace to Brother Luk:
Since parting I have thought of you in my prayers. I was comforted by receiving your letters. I am happy that Brother Nee has someone to help him but sad that Brother Chung's father had a tragic encounter. It really makes me sad and worried. Members are related to each other, and it is natural for them to express their sympathy to each other.
After the end of the conference in Hangchow, the Lord gained the glory. Although I did not attend, I received the good messages through letters, and they have given me much edification. I agree that it is the right time to talk about the matter of appointment in Shanghai. Of course, we cannot lay hands on others hastily; the matter must be carried out soberly.
There is a good opportunity in Yu Hsi. Brother Wei Chih sent a letter of invitation. We will wait for your return to make the decision. I am enclosing a picture he took so you can see it.
The truth that Brothers P'an and Nee spoke concerning the matter of head covering gave me much light. I do not plan to speak on this matter now. It is equally a lack for the sisters in P'u T'ien and Han Chiang not to cover their heads as it is for the brothers not to take care of things.
I heard that they are planning to start an oil factory in northern Kiangsu and a soap factory in Amoy to help the unemployed brothers. This is really a good move. We can only help with our prayer.
The gifts are for all the churches. Do your best to remain free. Do not worry about me. May the Lord lead you concerning the matters of work and moving your family.
Brother, because of the shining light of the truth, I have entered into a deep valley where it is difficult to move forward or backward. When we were in Ya T'an, I felt that our way and work did not match the truth, so I parted with them and followed at your side, helping you as Timothy followed Paul and learned from him. Now I feel that the way I am taking is right, but because of the light of the truth I feel that the work I am engaged in presently is not right. Therefore, I have shed a few tears of sorrow. The Lord's grace is sufficient for me. I am patiently waiting for His revelation. Please do not forget to help me with your prayer.
It is good that the brothers in Shanghai think I should be responsible for the work in at least two localities. However, the burden for the work in two localities has been given by God to the elders and deacons to bear. Since I am not a local believer nor a gift of a shepherd, I dare not continue the evangelist's work or the teacher's work. According to the principle of work in the Bible, the evangelist begets the children first, the shepherd continues by feeding them, and the teacher continues by teaching them. Later the elders and the deacons rise up to oversee and help them. After this, various gifts often come to work to perfect the saints, allowing the Holy Spirit to pour out other gifts on the local saints so that the gospel will be preached by them to other places. This is the principle of the development of the work. In another aspect, the saints come to understand the truth, know their own gift, and stand in their ministry in the Body in their own position to serve God and perfect the saints. This is the way to build up the Body. If one takes charge of a locality or controls one place, this is the beginning of a sect. It will fall into the danger of collapsing. Brother, this is my ignorant opinion. What do you think? I would be very grateful if you would teach me.
Brother, the two years that I have been in P'u T'ien have been a time of preparation for me to be a useful vessel. On the one hand, I have learned from you, and on the other hand, I have been striving to know my gift. In this time of preparation, I am waiting for God's revelation. I am also testing the result of my labor so that I can serve the Lord well for my whole life. I do not want to run the race in vain or do a vain labor. According to my present endeavor, what position should I take in the Body and how should I function?
Brother, I still have many difficult questions, and I hope Brother Nee can come soon, so I can ask him. Please tell him this and also congratulate him for me and greet him.
Your brother,Tsai ShengOctober 30
During our prayer meeting in the middle of May 1934, the brothers meeting in the Lord's name in Hangchow perceived a hunger among God's children for the truth in our age of desolation, and felt that we should pray that God could have a conference through the Hangchow brothers to serve the brothers and sisters in the various places.
After much prayer, the Lord's Spirit led us, the brothers and sisters in Hangchow, to be of one mind in acknowledging this to be the Lord's will. A brother drafted a plan concerning the date of the conference, whom we would invite to speak, and the plans for every aspect of the conference.
We have been meeting in Hangchow for less than a year, and we do not have many people. There are very few rich brothers among us. In man's eyes it did not seem that we were worthy to hold such a large conference, nor did we dare do it. We are not like other institutions which have an economic supply or other sources of income, nor are we like other organizations which have money prepared for the work. The "offerings" that we receive just barely cover the rent, and there are many unemployed brothers among us who need help. Under these conditions we did not think that we could do it; even the brothers with experience in the Lord thought that it would be impossible.
However, thank God, He is our God and our all in all. Two months before the conference, God gave His promise to the brothers with the words "Jehovah Jireh" and "Abraham believed the God who gives life to the dead and calls the things not being as being." The brothers grasped these two promises and prayed to God. So they decided to have this Overcomer Conference. Our brothers continued to bear the responsibility for prayer for another two months.
Our living quarters could at most accommodate about two hundred brothers and sisters from other provinces. To our surprise, about four hundred registered, more than twice the original number. Shortly before the conference, there was the problem of not having enough accommodations. Thank the Lord, three days before the conference, He gave us a large building that could hold five hundred people. It was more than we expected.
Although not all who registered actually came, there were more than four hundred people at the conference, including those from our province and Southeast Asia. This was something we never expected.
The date of the conference was October 6-17.
The daily expenses for both before and after the meetings and for supplying the brothers were great (for this reason many brothers were worried for us), but God never allowed us to lack in anything. We thank God most heartily for showing us the reliability of His promises. The second afternoon of the conference, we had only ten cents, but we had a large bill that we needed to pay immediately. Praise God, He not only kept us from losing our credibility before man; He also allowed us to see His glory in this matter and comforted the hearts of this weak, useless group of servants. We cannot but thank and praise God, and we also want to thank the brothers and sisters who prayed for us.
During the ten days, the preaching in the morning and afternoon meetings was borne by Brother Nee. The meetings were very good. A separate report will be given of the topics and outlines of the messages.
We have to thank God for many points concerning this conference. There were brothers and sisters attending this conference from twelve different provinces. Although they spoke different dialects, had different ways of living, different personal backgrounds, and different levels of spirituality, most of the people were of one mind in seeking God's eternal purpose, in pleasing God, and in expressing Christ's heart of love in the testimony of oneness. This is the first point for which we give thanks.
The brothers and sisters from the various places were not only served by us but also served us. The Lord used this to teach us, the brothers and sisters in Hangchow, a lesson so that we would know how to serve His members from now on. This is the second point for which we give thanks.
Brother Nee has been physically weak, but during this conference he showed no sign of weakness. Every time he spoke, his spirit was living and his body was strong. The audience was attentive throughout. This is the third point for which we give thanks.
The work the sisters did in serving one another surpassed us, the brothers. This is the fourth point for which we give thanks.
Our brothers were tested much this time with fatalities, physical injuries, robberies, and all manner of trials. Thank God, these did not discourage our brothers; on the contrary, our brothers really saw God's glory manifested through us. This is the fifth point for which we give thanks.
In this conference, God did not just edify us spiritually; He also made our hearts joyful because our Brother Nee was married after the conference (October 19). Elder Brother T'ien P'ing Fang from Ch'ang-ch'un was the witness, while the head of the groom's household, Mr. Nee Wen Hsiu, and the head of the bride's household, Mr. Chang Ju Lin, were the directors of the wedding. More than two hundred people attended the wedding. From now on, our Brother Nee will have the good wife God gave him to serve him. This is the sixth point for which we give thanks.
The preceding few points are a simple record of the conference in Hangchow. May all the thanks, honor, glory, and riches be to our heavenly Father forever and ever, amen.
Your brother,Jan Ch'i YuJanuary 18, 1935
Brother Yueh Chiao:
I received your package of books a long time ago. There were fifty-six books all together, both large and small; thank you. Those books have already been laid out in the Gospel Book Service Room in Yi Lo County for anyone to read. Brother Lee K'o San recently came here from Shun Ning. He comes to the Book Service Room every day to read the books sent by the Shanghai Gospel Book Room.
It is not easy to gain a brother in this place because many people smoke. The tobacco in Yunnan is famous for its good flavor and low price. Business and industry are not well developed in this region, so there is a lot of free time. They have nothing to do all day, so they smoke to pass the time. We have to do two kinds of work here. Before we preach the Word to them, we must first exhort them to quit smoking. If they want to quit, we help them with medicine for quitting smoking. Thank God, the brothers who come to the meetings quit smoking first and then turned to the Lord. Unfortunately, my knowledge of the Bible is very shallow, and I am very busy with official business, so I cannot lead them well. I hope I can leave my position in customs to testify for the Lord full-time. This place is too remote and communication is too difficult, so it is very inconvenient to invite Christians to come here. You can say that no one has been here before. I want to take this opportunity to work a little for the Lord here. I am sending you a check for twenty dollars to be used in the costs of sending the books by registered mail and as a small help to the cost of publication. Furthermore, I plan to print more copies of some of the smaller books put out by the Gospel Book Room. Could you advise me about this? May you have peace in the Lord. Greet Brother Nee and the other brothers for me.
Your brother,Ts'ai Ying MingDecember 8, 1934
Mailing Address: Custom House, T'eng Yueh, Yunnan province
Peace to my brother in the Lord, Brother Luan:
It has been more than a month since we parted on the ship at Shanghai. I remember you every time I pray. Thank and praise the Lord that He led me to Hangchow and caused me to obey Him. I remember how rebellious and disobedient I used to be. Now God Himself has enlightened me so that I completely obey Him. Before I went to Hangchow, I thought, "I definitely cannot enter the `Little Flock' even though I was baptized in Ta Chiang." Brother Chiang Shun T'ien exhorted me to go the meetings in Hangchow, and I said at the time that I would go, but I never went. Thanks be to the Father who loves us. He did not let me go and caused old Brother T'ien P'ing Fang to come to Kirin. He only said one word, and I changed my mind about going to the conference in Hangchow. I used to oppose the "Little Flock" to the uttermost. I did not only oppose it myself, but I also told others to oppose. However, I was very willing to read books by Brother Nee, and I often told others about them, but I was unwilling to go that way. At first I felt that the "Little Flock" was a sect, but now I know that if I call others a little flock, I myself am part of the big flock (the world) and am not saved! Thank the Lord for allowing me to completely understand the meaning of Luke 12:32 in this conference in Hangchow. It refers to all those in the Lord from the past and present and all over the world. They are those purchased by the Lord's blood, all the believers with the Lord's life. It also helped me to understand that sects are a sin which divide the Lord's Body into thousands of divisions. I also understand that the life I used to live, like a life in Haran, was a suffering. Praise the Lord; He caused me to leave these hateful denominations and walk in His way.
After returning from Shanghai, the Lord led three of us safely back to Kirin. We did not meet with any difficulties. After returning to Kirin, we suffered a little. One person came to exhort us, and another person came to visit, and some from the denominations despised us. The Lord led us all through these things. I also went to Hsin Ying Kou Bible Seminary and resigned from my position as a financial board member. Last Wednesday a denomination in Kirin also elected Mr. Hua Su Sheng and myself as deacons. We did not accept. Sister Chang En Chao resigned from her position as a worker in the deacons' meeting last Wednesday (thirty-five dollars a month) so she could walk in the Lord's way. The way is narrow and difficult; please pray for us much.
Three Lord's Days ago I went to Changchun for the table meeting and gave a short testimony. There are three brothers and two sisters in Kirin. We do not have a table meeting yet, but we meet on Thursday and the Lord's Day evening for prayer and Bible study meetings. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings we pray. There are also two brothers from the denominations who come to pray with us. All the denominations in Kirin are afraid of us. They say, "The Little Flock has come, so we must be more careful; they steal lambs like the Seventh-day Adventists." There were a few times when I wanted to send a letter to the denominations in Kirin, regarding my intention to leave the sects, but I have not done it. Brother T'ien said I should wait quietly first. It will still not be too late to wait for Brothers Nee and Luan to come. I am afraid of frustration from the denominations, so I have not done it yet. Tonight is Thursday. During the prayer meeting we received your petition booklet and a letter from Brother Ma saying that Brother Nee's illness was better and that he would come to Manchuria in February. We heard before that he would come in December. Now it has changed to February. It must be February of next year, right? Brother Chiang Shun T'ien's letter said that Brother Nee was waiting to get well from his sickness before coming to Manchuria. I think he must mean that he will come after his illness is better. We are praying unceasingly to the Lord to heal Brother Nee's illness. We also are begging God to take away Satan's frustrations so that you can come quickly. The brothers and sisters desperately need you to come!
Presently we feel very lonely. We really do not want to enter the denominational cathedrals. (Since returning from Shanghai, I have not gone once.) Therefore, the few brothers and sisters really want the Lord to quickly give us a place to meet and to raise up more people to walk in the way with us.
Brother, the work in Manchuria is very critical. We need you brothers to come quickly. We believe there will be a big change in the denominations in Kirin. God will call out His people personally to maintain His testimony. We are looking to the Lord and waiting on Him. We ask Him to arrange all matters. The Lord's grace is sufficient for us. Thank and praise the Lord. Please greet the brothers and sisters in Hangchow for me!
Your brother in the Lord,Luke KuoDecember 7, 1934 in Kirin
Peace to my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Shun T'ien:
I received your letter of January 1 on the ninth. I had already sent a letter on the eighth with Brother Yi Sheng's letter. I sent a letter one day and received yours the next day. Thank and praise our Lord. When I read your letter, it filled my heart with happiness because you and Brother Ma are going to come back soon and because Brother Nee is somewhat better and can go out on the street. I really thank the Lord for this. Although we are not sure when he will be able to come to Manchuria, we do not cease in our prayers. If God wants him to come, he will come. If God does not tell him to come, it would be useless for him to come anyway. We can only pray quietly and wait for God's time. We believe that the lambs without a shepherd here will be cared for by the Lord Himself who is able to send a faithful servant to feed them.
Satan is formally opposing us through those in the denominations. (Parts omitted.)
There were twenty-four people in yesterday's Bible-study meeting (Thursday); among them was a deacon from the denominations. We allow anyone from the denominations who wants to attend to come to this meeting. We pay particular attention to the prayer meeting and the table meeting. We are all well here. Please do not worry about us. May you have peace in the Lord! Please greet the brothers and sisters there for me!
Your little brother in the Lord,Hua Su ShengJanuary 11, 1935
Peace to Brother Shun T'ien who walks together with me in the way in the Lord:
Thank the Lord, He truly and especially loves us; He has led us to walk in the way today. May we all walk in the Lord's will, amen. I went to Chu Chia Cheng Tze a few days ago to visit the brothers and sisters there. I stayed there for four days. Brother An K'o Pai is doing pretty well, but he is very troubled and tempted by the devil. There is a certain man there who uses all kinds of persuasive methods and has drawn several brothers away from our fellowship. Thank God, He is still enlightening them, and a few have already returned. We gave them completely to the Lord and asked Him to take care of them. I came back and stayed two or three days and then returned to Kirin. Brother Luke Kuo and Brother Hua Su Sheng sent a letter asking me to go to them quickly because they had something to discuss with me. Kirin began the Lord's table to remember the Lord on January 6, the first Lord's Day of this year. Fourteen brothers and sisters came that evening. Later, I spoke a little concerning the truth of the table meeting and the responsibility we should bear. Six brothers and two sisters eventually partook of the bread. Thank God, their condition is very good, but there is no one to cultivate them. This is a great need at present. It is the same in Ch'ang-ch'un. (Parts omitted.)
I heard that Brother Nee's illness was somewhat better. When will he come to Manchuria? We will give it to God. That is God's business. We only have to bear the responsibility to pray. May you have peace! Greet all the brothers and sisters in Shanghai!
Your brother,T'ien P'ing Fang
To my brother in the Lord, Brother Shun T'ien:
I am very, very sorry because I received your letter from Shanghai a long time ago. The attacks we have received in the last six months have been hard to take. I really know our position now. The Lord places those who obey Him in the battlefield to manifest the victory. When I received your postcard that was sent before you left, I thought that I could go by any means to Ch'ang-ch'un to see you before you left. Then something came up, and I could not go to Ch'ang-ch'un, nor could I answer your letter. My heart was very sad until I received your letter. Then I was somewhat comforted. In these six months there have been many difficulties on all sides. Not only have there been problems in my home, but also the assembly has had some. There were only four brothers to begin with — Brothers Hsiao, Kao, Yu, and myself. (There is another brother, Chin, but he is a worker, so he is very busy and does not come to the meetings often.) In the fall Mr. Kung Hsiang from Harbin came to visit. He is Brother Yu's brother-in-law. He is in the Assembly of God and only speaks about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of speaking in tongues. He came among us and caused much trouble. Ultimately, Brother Yu was drawn off by him to speak in tongues. There was a great problem. He set up another meeting in Brother Yu's house. It hurt all our members. I was very sad because of this. I deeply felt that I have offended the Lord much because I did not take care of our brother in love. Shortly thereafter, the denominations gave us difficulties. They kept distracting Brother Kao so that he suffered much. We were really in danger for a few days. Satan used many different ways to divide our brothers. Finally, Brother Hsiao, Sister Hsieh, and myself gave the whole matter to God in prayer and begged God to protect His children. We deeply believed that God had opened a door that no man could shut and that He would protect us. We asked the Lord to give us strength to overcome this attack. Thank the Lord, we stood firm by His blood. A few days ago I went to Ch'ang-ch'un to visit old Brother T'ien and Sister Chang. I learned about the conference in Hangchow from them. I really thank the Lord that He raised up Brothers Lo and Chao to serve the brothers and sisters. They are very clear about the truth and bear the responsibility of deacons in the assembly. (Parts omitted.)
The assemblies in Manchuria will continue to suffer if gifted workers do not come to lead them. It will not be easy for them to go on either. We entreat the Lord to send Brother Nee to Manchuria soon. (Parts omitted.)
Please greet Brother Ma Mei T'ang. May you be clearly dealt with by the Lord in this time so that you might have more strength to bear an overcoming testimony for the Lord, amen. Please read the entire fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians.
Your brother in the Lord,An Ching T'ienDecember 4, 1934
Peace to my brother in the Lord, T'eng Ming:
Yesterday, Brother P'ei Jan passed your letter on to me, and I got to know that you have placed me in the Lord's love and remember me continually. I really thank the Lord for His grace, and I thank you for your love. I sent a letter to you previously with some old letters that Brothers Wang and Chang of Singapore had sent to me. I think you must have received and read them. The Lord has led the brothers meeting in Singapore to break through the difficult situation caused by problems they have encountered. They have withdrawn from the Gospel Hall, and the Lord has established His table in Brother Kai Sen's home. Before they held their first table meeting, I was led by the Lord to go to Singapore in June and have some deep prayer with Brothers Wang and Chang to seek the Lord's will concerning our future. Our brothers are of the same mind, which is that they really cannot join together with the Gospel Hall. Although the door is the same (referring to the first step of salvation), the way is very different. We take the Lord Himself as our center, not the Lord's truth. The Gospel Hall takes another name apart from the Lord's name; therefore, we are not satisfied and dare not go along with them. Our brothers had some disagreements with the brothers from the Gospel Hall concerning the interpretation of the Bible. If they came out from them immediately, we were afraid they would misunderstand and think that our brothers were dividing the Lord's Body over the interpretation of the truth. They might have placed the burden for division onto our brothers' shoulders. Therefore, we first cleared up the dispute over the truth and then began the table meeting. We continue on by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, lest we fall into error once again. May the brothers and sisters who have the same mind in China pray much for the assemblies in Southeast Asia.
If the Lord is willing, I will probably take Brother Cheng Kai Hao from Jou Pu to visit my brothers and sisters in Sitiawan with me. We want to combine the work in the three localities of Shir Li, Bi Nun, and Sitiawan, making Sitiawan the center of the work. We hope that a gifted brother could come to Sitiawan and serve the brothers full-time so that the brothers in all the localities could receive the Lord's edification. We are placing this matter in prayer and asking the Lord to do it. The brothers and sisters with the same mind in Bi Nun still meet in the Gospel Hall because some of the brothers have not seen that the Gospel Hall is a sect; therefore, they do not want to divide from them. We still need to wait for the Lord's time. My responsibility in the leper colony is not binding. I can go ahead with all work according to the light the Lord gives me. I am now learning the lesson of serving the Lord. It suits me to live on this quiet sea island. The Lord has already begun a good work in Southeast Asia. It will be impossible to avoid battles in the future, but we few brothers in Southeast Asia have not been edified deeply. I am afraid that we will not be able to handle the oppression of our environment. If the Lord does not send someone to bear the responsibility in Southeast Asia, we entreat Him to open the way for one of the brothers among us to go to Shanghai and be trained by the Lord in Brother Nee's place. We hope that the shameful would leave their shamefulness to become holy and useful to the Lord. Please bear the burden to pray for us. Brother Chang Nai Tsung is working in Singapore. If it is the Lord's will, he will live there for some time and serve the brothers. The Lord recently established His table in Jou Fu. A few brothers there testified to His grace. They are now very much alone because they are too far from me. I cannot visit them often. They often go to Singapore and receive comfort and encouragement from Brothers Chang and Wang. The work here really needs your prayers. May our gracious Lord support us in finishing the course He has appointed us. May all the glory be given to His name.
Your brother in the Lord,Yang Chien HsiungAugust 19, 1934
Dear Brother Luan:
Several months have gone by since leaving the conference at Hangchow. My hunger has increased. I received your last letter and have already passed it on to the brothers and sisters in Chefoo. We thank you for giving us a distant hope. We have been calling on God for you in our prayers, asking that your body would be strong and that you would have enough strength to serve our Lord Jesus Christ and the brothers and sisters in all the localities.
We received the petition booklet that you sent us on December 1. Thank you. We really thank the Lord that He truly loves us. We can see so many brothers on the earth. Although we cannot be together in one place, we often meet together before God. When we think of the brothers, we think of Christ; when we think of Christ, we think of the brothers. This is a very sweet matter!
Please deeply thank our dear brothers in the Lord for us — Brothers Lee Kuan Hsun, Ma Ti Sheng, Chang Yang Teh, Jan Ch'i Yu, Yang Chen Chung, and all the other brothers. When I was in Hangchow, I enjoyed so much service from them.
How has Brother Chang Ming Ching been recently? I think of him often. Brother Witness Lee came to Chefoo some time ago (I think you know this) to shepherd the brothers. There was a six-day conference, and the condition was very good. Please remember the assembly in Chefoo especially in your prayer. Ask God to raise up faithful ones to serve the Lord. May you be blessed with peace!
Your little brother,Chao Pi ChenDecember 1, 1934
P.S. The brothers in many localities hope that there can be a conference in Chefoo next summer. Please pray for this so that the responsible brothers would understand more and pursue the Lord's will more. Sister Miao is better now because we anointed her and prayed for her. She is still physically weak, however, but we thank the Lord for this.
Dear Brother Witness:
It has been more than a month since you left Chefoo, and we haven't received any letter from you. We really miss you. You are probably very busy. We are all very well now; therefore, we really thank the Lord. He causes us to see His blessing in everything among us. The atmosphere in the meetings is very free. The brothers and sisters are striving in one accord for the furtherance of the gospel of God. In the last few Lord's Day meetings, we have seen some revival.
On the Lord's Day of January 20, we had another baptism meeting. Five brothers and five sisters were baptized. Two of the brothers were baptized in obedience to the Lord, but they can also be counted as finally being clearly saved. The other three are new believers. Two sisters were baptized to obey the Lord, and three were newly saved. We baptized them indoors because it was too cold outside.
Brother Chung Wen Shao, who used to be responsible in Nanking, came from Tientsin to Chefoo on business. We really thank the Lord that he came with Brother Cheng Liang P'u, who is the younger brother of Brother Cheng in Shanghai. He was also baptized into the Lord this time. They went to Tsingtao around the twenty-second.
Sister Hsia Yu Chieh of Lung Kou came to Chefoo to fellowship with us on January 19. Please pray much for the assembly in Chefoo. Ask the Lord to revive and keep us. May you have peace!
Your little brother,Chao Pi ChenJanuary 21, 1935
Dear Brother Witness:
We received your letter on January 23. Thank you for letting us know how you are doing in Shanghai. We really thank the Lord for loving us so much and giving us His Word. Thank the Lord that we have gained much help and strength. It is really marvelous that the Lord gave Brother Pi Chen a word from two places, but it was still the same word. Not many days after we received your letter, Brother David Hsu in Ningpo also sent a letter with the same word. It really strengthened Brother Pi Chen and made him bolder.
Brother, you know how weak he is. We can only ask you to remember him in your prayer so that God's grace and power can be expressed in him.
We should have answered your letter sooner. Many brothers and sisters were coming and going, and they needed rides to and from the station; there were also many other small matters that took up all our time, so we must ask you to forgive us. Brother Pi Chen will go to Mou Pin to visit the brothers on the third day after the Chinese New Year. (Parts omitted.)
We could not rent the hall on West Road. Some of the brothers suggested we make a big tent that could be moved any time to any place. We are still praying about it. (Parts omitted.)
Your brothers,Chao Ching Hai, Chao Pi Chen
Peace in the Lord to Brother Witness:
We received all the letters you sent us. Thank you very much. I really thank the Father God that when I was suffering in my heart, He caused you to give me a verse from the Bible that really helped me. It was the time Abraham was ninety-nine and Jehovah appeared to him, saying, "I am the almighty God." I was comforted very much by this verse. Every sentence in God's Word is powerful. His promises are reliable. I really thank and praise Him because He is the almighty God. (Parts omitted.)
We had a good conversation with Mr. Wang Kuo Hsiang yesterday. He has obeyed the Lord and wants to walk in the same way we do. This Lord's Day he will be able to break bread to remember the Lord with us. He sang hymns and prayed with us yesterday. When he was praying, he really praised and thanked the Lord through tears! When he was singing, he constantly shed tears. We hope he can really gain the Lord and that the Lord can gain him. We hope that you do not forget to remember the assembly in Chefoo in your prayer. Brother Pi Chen has gone to Mou Pin to give some testimony of the gospel in Brother Wang Hsin Wen's home. From there he will go to Wei Hai and testify. Please pray for him much in the Lord so that the work he does in Wei Hai will be the Lord's will. The brothers and sisters in Chefoo are all in peace. Your family is also well. The wife of the third brother in the Lee family also comes to the meetings. Please do not worry. I will tell you the rest later. May you have peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Chao Ching HaiFebruary 8, 1935
Greetings to the holy brothers, partakers together of the heavenly calling in the Lord, with the brothers who bear the responsibility as elders and deacons. May grace and peace be added to you from our Father, amen.
I received good hospitality some time ago in Shanghai and was given many gifts which were really a sweet savor, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. My God will fill your every need according to His riches, in glory, in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:18-19).
It has been four weeks since I returned to P'u T'ien. I have been able to combine my work with my private affairs. I met with Brothers Ke San and Tsai Sheng in P'u T'ien, Han Chiang, and Yu Hsi. We will meet together for about four weeks. It is a good opportunity; thank the Lord for His grace. I apologize for not writing a letter of greeting sooner! Please forgive me in the Lord! (Parts omitted.)
Please let me know about the condition of the work in Shanghai and Brother Nee's health. May you be blessed with peace, joy and victory!
Your brother,Faithful Luk
Greetings to my beloved brother, Witness:
May the Lord's grace be with you, amen!
I received your letter and read it all. I heard that Brother Teng Ming was seriously sick; how is he now? I am very worried about him. May the Lord heal him!
Brother Nee is away, so your burden must be greater and heavier, but the grace of the Lord is sufficient for you. May the Lord use you much to edify many believers. I am ashamed that I am so useless. Please pray for me much.
Last night I hurriedly translated several short stories. I enclose them to meet my responsibility. Please do your best to edit them. There are places that are not fluent. I know that I cannot avoid them. I would not mind if you laughed at them, because you are beloved to me in the Lord. Please forgive me!
When can you come to P'u T'ien to lead a meeting? There are seven or eight brothers from Amoy who have all signed their names to a letter asking me to come with my family to work in Amoy. My future is unclear, and I do not know where to go. I am sure that the Lord who created me will lead me step by step.
I am not sure about my trip to Hong Kong. I can only place this matter in the Lord's hands. I believe that when it is the appropriate time for the Lord, He will lead us. Has Miss Lee returned to Shanghai? Did Brother Chiang go ahead to Amoy to work? May you have peace!
Your brother,Faithful
To our dear brother in the Lord, Witness:
How is Brother Teng Ming's illness? I hope you can keep me informed so that I will not worry.
When will the second issue of The Christian be published? How much will it cost to order one thousand copies? When can it be sent to me? I hope you will answer me so that I can wire the appropriate amount to you.
Brother Faithful Luk can come to Amoy to work tomorrow. Please pray for this time of work! I will tell you the rest later. May you have peace!
Your brother,James ChenFebruary 8, 1935
Peace to my brother in the Lord, Yueh Chiao:
We weighed anchor on the twenty-sixth and arrived here on the twenty-ninth. God protected us on this trip; the winds and waves were calm on the entire voyage. We did not suffer any seasickness. We really thank the Lord who loves us!
I have no words to express my thanks to you for your loving care in the Lord while I stayed in Shanghai this time. I only hope that our rich God will reward you for your love.
Our three brothers, Watchman Nee, Ma Wen Chia, and Yu Wen P'o arrived here last night. They passed through Han Yang, Changsha, Nan Chang, Shao Kuan, and Chao An on their way to Swatow. It took them twenty-eight days. They were cared for by God along the way and arrived here safely. This is also something to thank the Lord about. They will probably stay for one week. There will be a meeting every night. All the brothers and sisters are very happy.
My whole family is well. Please do not worry about us, but continue to pray. Please greet the brothers — Witness, Wei Chih, Chin Chou, and Chin T'ang. May you have peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Chiang Tze HangThe fourth
Greetings to my brother in the Lord, Mr. Witness:
I received your letter of January 29 and read it. Thank you for asking after my health. I thank the Lord for His grace that I have gradually begun to get better. Please do not worry about me. With regard to the present condition of the work in northern Kiangsu, there was an open letter sent from Taichow to Mr. Nee. Have you received it yet? The letter talked about the condition of our work in each locality after returning from Hangchow. Please go to Mr. Nee's home and greet Mrs. Nee; then read the letter. On February 7, we began to have a gospel meeting every morning and an edification meeting for the brothers and sisters every afternoon. There is work in Taichow, Su Chia Tsui, Tung Kou, and Hsin Cheng. I pray that you do not forget to pray for this. May the Lord bless you with peace! Please greet the brothers and sisters who meet in Shanghai.
Your little brother,Wu WeiFebruary 7, 1935
Greetings to our brother in the Lord, Mr. Nee,
and all the brothers and sisters:
We really thank the Lord that in these last days He Himself has worked in P'ing Yang to manifest His truth and cause us to deeply feel the sin of sects, which do not have the real worship. Thank the Lord that He raised up a small number of brothers and sisters to leave the denominations in spirit even though we still met with them at that time. On the Lord's Day evening there are six brothers and sisters who break bread in one accord before the Lord's table. We have done this since the spring of 1934, when the Lord led us to completely separate from the denominations. On the first Lord's Day of the third month of the old calendar, we began to have meetings in the Lord's name in Brother Ma Hsien Yi's home. There were about fifteen men and women all together. Five brothers and five sisters partook of the table. After we had a meeting like this to worship the Lord, we were attacked and persecuted by the denominations. But it was the Lord's will that we follow in His footsteps to patiently stand firm. Brother Su Chih San was oppressed by his father. Sister Lin Chih Ming was misunderstood by her husband. Therefore, we prayed much for this. Thank the Lord, He freed Brother Su to worship the Lord. Only Sister Lin cannot be completely free now. Please pray for her.
In the seventh month of the old calendar, Brother Ma met with great difficulty. His eldest son (fourteen) died suddenly. Thank the Lord, he was already saved. Brother and Sister Ma were very sorrowful. After the Lord comforted them through the brothers and sisters, they were able to recover their former composure. May the Lord's victorious power swallow up the attacks of the enemy and keep the brothers and sisters in the way before them. May He also cause the brothers and sisters to stand firmly on the foundation. Brothers and sisters in the Lord, please do not forget to pray for us. May you have peace in the Lord.
Your little brothers in the Lord,Su Chih San, Liu Hsing Kuang, Ma Hsien YiSeptember 28, 1934
Mailing address: c/o Hsieh Yu Tai, Ch'ien Ts'ang, P'ing Yang, Chekiang province.
Greetings in love to my brother in the Lord, Philip Luan:
(Parts omitted.) I will be conducting a conference in this town from the twenty-fifth to the thirty-first. The first three days will be message meetings, and the last four days will be administrative meetings (all the responsible brothers and sisters from all the localities in this region will be there). Please ask the brothers and sisters in Shanghai and Hangchow to pray for us earnestly. Before this conference, I feel deeply in my spirit that the enemy is attacking us from all sides, both directly and indirectly, visibly and invisibly. It is really difficult to endure this; however, we deeply believe that the Lord Jesus is always victorious. We rely on Him and receive His victory, and we are not frightened in the least. Although darkness surrounds us and the clouds are thick, we know that it will not be long before "the Sun of righteousness" appears. Therefore, we still accept the negative things from the Lord with fortitude and proceed on as usual. Although our hearts are wounded sometimes, our spirits are always rejoicing. May the Father God bless you and us in the last stage of the way so that we would be able to walk well and arrive at God's goal. We would not stay in the world like the two and a half tribes stayed on the east of Jordan.
Your brother,Huang Lu Ch'unDecember 24
To my brother in the Lord, Brother Shih:
I was graced by the Lord to have the opportunity to see you again on Monday. We do not fellowship often because of the Lord's sovereignty and the limitations of our environment and because of the fact that I am too lazy to write. In the Lord's Spirit, however, we have fellowship almost every day.
After seeing you this time, I discovered that the brothers and sisters who meet in Shanghai still care for me and the assembly here in the Lord. I was really touched and grateful. Although I have met with great difficulties and temptations since leaving the denominations, I deeply know that I am walking in the Lord's will. Therefore, my experiences of spiritual joy, peace, and victory are more frequent than before. I know that there is a new battle to fight and a new course to run in the future, but by the Lord's victory, I deeply believe that the Father will give me the grace in the Lord to endure to the end.
This Sunday someone brought Mrs. Ts'ai, who had been possessed by a demon for three or four days, into our meeting. Since becoming possessed, she had screamed and hit people night and day. She could not sleep. It was terrible. Her family was afraid of her. They had done everything that man could do but could not cast out the demon. After she came to our meeting, the demon caused her to have convulsions and then left her soon afterwards. She is saved now, along with her husband and children; the entire family of seven has turned to the Lord. Praise the Lord.
I have wanted to talk with Brother Nee several times, but because I did not know his address or have much opportunity, we never were able to talk to each other. This Monday, you drew a map for me to find his home. I went to find it the next morning, but after looking for forty-five minutes, I could not find it, so I took the boat home at noon.
There will be a conference beginning in our locality on the first day of the Chinese New Year. We would like to invite you and Brother Nee to come to our meetings. The brothers and sisters in our locality would welcome you very much. I have already written a letter directly to Brother Nee. Please invite him again for me. Give me a letter in the next two weeks telling me whether or not you can come. May you be blessed with peace!
Your brother,Chu En ShengJanuary 5, 1935
To my dear brother in the Lord, Brother Wu:
It has been three months since we parted, and I really miss you. I also mention you often before the Lord. How have you been recently? I worry about you.
Since Brother Mu left the hospital and returned home, I have had no news of him. Is he well?
The so-called Christmas is here. It is still the busiest time for the denominations in Nan Chang...Therefore, I did not go there...Actually, you cannot blame them. Were we not just the same before? I really thank God! He has clearly shown an error that has existed for more than one thousand years to a small number of His children. May we not receive His grace in vain but be faithful to Him daily. (Parts omitted.)
I have been constantly praying since I came to Nan Chang, hoping that God would raise up His loyal soldiers to walk in the way with me. I wrote a letter to Brother Mu before with this idea. God also clearly tells us in the Bible, "Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is." It is so pitiful! The church is desolated to the uttermost. This condition is also true in Nan Chang. I have gone to listen to the messages in the denominations a few times, but they all speak..things that are fashionable to men. They do not even have the remembrance of the Lord. My requests are: (1) Please instruct me in love concerning all things related to the "Brethren Church." (2) What are the difficulties in establishing a table meeting? (3) Can questions regarding the church be sent by mail?
There are also some other matters that I would trouble you about: (1) Please greet Brother Chou Wei Ku, Brother Chi, Brother Yang, and Brother Shen. (2) Please find some news about Brother Mu.
I am writing in this year, but you will receive it next year. I ask the Lord to bless us with new life from the heavens in the coming year. May you have health in your body and spirit!
Your brother,Chin Yi MinDecember 28, 1934
Greetings in love to our beloved brothers in the Lord, Philip, Watchman, and Witness:
We think of you often because we are members one of another in the Lord. We are also brothers and are drawn into oneness by the Lord's great love.
Not long ago, we heard that Brother Nee's health was not good, and we were very worried. In our prayer we asked God to heal him quickly. Brother Nee has a commission to preach the gospel, and this is a time when the harvest is great and the workers are few. We deeply believe God will hear our prayer.
Has Brother Witness arrived in Shanghai yet? Since he started out, the brothers in Chefoo pray for him often. We believe that he is very safe in his travels.
The assembly in Tientsin has become more living lately. Brothers Liu Huan Hsin and Tau Meng help us much. Thank God, He recently opened a door for us to preach the gospel. Every Sunday we preach the gospel in the district court jail. Please pray for this.
A friend of the Salt Inspection Office named P'an Yi Yuan received the Lord Jesus as his Savior recently. He has now been transferred to the Tax Department in Nan Hsiang. He will go south soon. When he leaves we will give him a letter of recommendation.
Sister Miao Hai Ch'en of Chefoo was completely healed after the saints anointed her and prayed. She is still weak physically and cannot get out of bed. We ask the brothers and sisters to continue praying in love — the Lord will hear. May you have peace.
From,Chou En Kai, Miao Hai Ch'enJanuary 2, 1935
To my dear brother in the Lord, Yueh Chiao:
I received your letter on the evening of the eleventh and learned of your charge to me to preach the gospel to Mr. Chin Tao Pen. That evening I gave the brothers and sisters the responsibility to pray and ask the Lord concerning His leading. After the prayer meeting on the nineteenth, the brothers decided to go to preach the gospel to him that evening. Thank the Lord, before we got up to leave, he came into our meeting place. He said that he had received a letter from Sister Chin (Mr. Chin's aunt) at 6:00 p.m. that evening, asking him to come. He left his house at 6:20 p.m. and did not find the place until 8:00 p.m. A few brothers and I preached the gospel to him. Thank and praise the Lord, His Spirit began to work in him immediately. He confessed his sins and received the Lord. He came to the Lord's Day afternoon meeting the next day and to the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening meetings. Last Lord's Day afternoon he also came to hear the gospel. After the meeting, two brothers and I went to his place to talk to him. He declared that he was saved by grace. We see that he has really gained life. He has honestly repented and believed. He said that in August and September of last year, he went out every night to gamble, drink, and do all sorts of evil things. He even spent the entire night out. Although he went to the denominational chapels to listen to the messages last year he did not feel that they were interesting; therefore, he stopped going. Now that he has heard the gospel, he spends every evening in his room reading the Bible and praying, except when he comes to the meetings. He is very joyful. This is really a special blessing from the Father. Please thank the Lord with us and tell Sister Chin about this. I will not say anything more now. I will write later. May the Lord's Spirit be with you all!
Your little brother,P'an Huo Ling
Peace to my brother in the Lord, You Yen:
I received and read your letter. We go to Mr. Hsu Hsiao Feng's home every Lord's Day. Sister Hsu has become much better recently. We can say that the Lord's work has a beginning in Tsingtao. We have seen the Lord save some. Brother Ching Ch'ing and I are too weak. He is very busy, and he told me tonight that his stomach illness was acting up. I am too pressured. My brother's illness has already turned for the better. We really want the brothers to cry out to God in one accord for us! (Parts omitted.) May the Lord bless you with peace and goodness. Please greet Brother Lin and Brother Tu for me.
Your brother,Tze ChiehJanuary 8, 1935
Can Brother Nee pass through Tsingtao on his way to Manchuria? We hope he can stay here for a night or two.
Peace to my brothers in the Lord, Brother Tu, Brother Lin, and Brother Wu:
I received your letter. You really were right. We began the Lord's table today. Six people came to the meeting, three brothers and three sisters. We believe the Lord's promise is eternally faithful. He will remember our weaknesses, care for our immaturity, increase our strength, give us wisdom, not leave us orphans, lead us, and keep us. We only have to believe and trust in the Lord and stand firm in this place. As long as we thank and praise Him for His victory, we will be in peace.
Please pray and ask the Lord for the following:
(1) That a door for the gospel would be opened so the number of those who testify for the kingdom would increase.
(2) That those who are already saved would have more heart to love the Lord.
(3) That gifted ones and responsible ones would be raised up.
(4) That He would keep those walking in the way.
(5) That everything of the enemy would be destroyed.
May you have peace in the Lord!
Your little brothers in the Lord,Lo Yung Tien, Chang Yu ChihJanuary 27, evening
Brother Chi T'ang:
Thank you for taking me to the train station recently. Brother Luan and Brother Chen from Hua She came to meet the train when it arrived in Nan Hsin. The train over the river was very crowded, but thank the Lord, we all had seats. When the train arrived in Ke Ch'iao, Brother Chou was waiting to pick us up. We took a paddle boat to Hua She, and my third elder brother was the first to come out to shake our hands and receive us into the house. Our room and board were very convenient. My second elder brother took special care of us. We did not spend any money on the way from Nan Hsin to Hua She. The brothers from Hua She who came to pick us up paid for everything. Therefore, of the X dollars you gave to the Lord, I gave X dollars to Brother Luan. We really thank the Lord.
We had meetings for six days in Hua She, (from the Lord's Day the tenth until Friday the fifteenth). There were three meetings a day. Fortunately, I had Brother Luan and Brother Hsu to help. Tomorrow I plan to leave Hua She and go to Yi Lung. I will probably stay for only four days in Yi Lung, from the Lord's Day the seventeenth, until Wednesday the twen-tieth. Brother Hsu and I will go to Lan Hsi on Thursday.
The brothers in Hua She are very dear. I have seen with my own eyes how much they hunger and thirst. If the Lord sends me again, I will still go there. They really have a great need. I will not go into the condition of the meeting here. May the Lord gain something, and may I be more humble in learning to serve the Lord. Peace!
Your brother,Chang Kuang JungFebruary 15, 1935 in Hua She
Dear brothers in the Lord:
I left Shanghai in a hurry to go to Hua She, so I did not have a chance to ask for a letter of recommendation from you. I am very sorry. I will now go from Hua She to Yi Lung and Lan Hsi. Perhaps I will go from Lan Hsi to Hangchow. Please give me a long-term letter of recommendation so that I can fellowship in any place where there is the Lord's table. I really thank you and hope you can do this. It would be best if the letter of recommendation could be sent to Brother Luan in Hangchow to keep for me.
Thank the Lord, during this trip Brother Philip Luan and Brother David Hsu are both working with me. Please pray for Hua She, Yi Lung, and Lan Hsi. I will be very grateful. Please greet Mr. Lin Kuang Piao, Mr. Wu Hsi You, and Mr. Lin Chung Ch'en.
Your brother,Chang Kuang JungFebruary 14, mailed from Hua She
To my dear brother in the Lord, Mr. Witness:
It has been more than a month since we parted, and I miss you. Thank the Lord, when my younger brother returned home I learned that you received special grace from the Lord and your illness has been healed. My heart is full of joy. May the grace of the Father be with you always so that you can accomplish God's plan in this last age, amen.
My brother and the co-workers were all cared for by the Lord, so they arrived safely home. Please do not worry about them from afar.
Brother, in a place called Hsia Huei Hsiao (about three miles from Hu Shan), there are some brothers, Hsiao Lien San, Chiang Kuo Ch'en, and others. They have received the Lord's enlightenment and know that denominations are wrong. As they have gone on, they have felt more and more that if they did not leave, they would not have peace. Therefore, they recently left the denominations (the Tu Lung Independent Church). They often come to our locality to meet. The way is rather far, and the women feel that it is not convenient. In addition, there are some language barriers. For these reasons they have decided to meet in their own locality. The Lord has arranged a meeting place and some to bear the responsibility for the meetings. The only thing they lack is one with the gift of giving messages, so they often come to ask the brothers from our locality to bear the responsibility for the work there. I do not have any light concerning this matter, and I do not know how to deal with it. (Can we agree to their requests?) Furthermore, can the table meeting be started without sisters? I ask you to give me some clear teachings about these matters so that the Lord's name is not shamed because of my ignorance. May you have peace in the Lord!
Your brother in the Lord,Chou Ta Ch'ing
Dear brother in the Lord, Ta Ch'ing:
I received your letter long ago. I am sorry for the delay in answering; please forgive me in the Lord. According to the principle in the Bible, a local assembly should care for the nearby localities which have assemblies raised up after it (Acts 8:14-15; 11:22-23). Since the locality of Hsia Huei Hsiao is close to Hu Shan and the brothers there want you to help them, you should visit and help them.
It is best if there can be sisters when the table is established. However, it is not necessary in the beginning. When the Lord established His supper, the Bible shows us that there were only the apostles — no sisters — eating with Him (Matt. 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14). Peace.
Your brother,Witness LeeFebruary 18, in Shanghai
Greetings to our brother in the Lord, Mr. Witness:
I am sorry that I have been too lazy to pick up a pen and write a letter of greeting since you left our locality. Because I am not very learned, I am afraid to show you my letter. We are face to face, however, before the throne of grace. We miss you very much. We are sure that you also miss us and care for our locality. Although the brothers here have been enlightened to obey the truth and have learned some about walking in the Lord's way, we are still ignorant in many matters. Therefore, we asked you to come and preach to us and to direct in everything because our spiritual wisdom is shallow and our life is immature. You did not reject us and still loved us in the Lord. You traveled a long distance over rugged mountain roads and came joyfully to teach us. We received much edification. Although the brothers in the denominations do not obey or walk the Lord's way with us, we thank the Lord much for one thing: God has blessed our meeting so that every day our number increases. There are two matters that we do not understand yet; therefore, we ask you to give us some guidance.
A housewife is saved (although her life is not strong), but her husband does not believe and he opposes strongly. He commits the sins of fornication, gambling, and idol worship. Sometimes the husband gets very sick, and the wife invites the brothers into her home to pray for her husband although he does not like this. Can the brothers do this?
I read the book The Assembly Life. I did not understand many portions regarding the appointment of the elders. According to the Bible, the elders are appointed by God. Why does the apostle have to appoint them again? (The answer in the book is that this confirms the will of the Holy Spirit.) Can we skip this step of confirmation? After the time of the apostles, is there the appointment of elders in the church? If there is, are not today's sectarian denominations a tradition that has been handed down? If so, has it become corrupted?
Brother Fan P'ei Chun already asked Mr. Nee the rest of the questions, so I will not repeat them. I am sending this hastily composed letter in hope that you will answer it. If you publish it in Collection of Newsletters, please correct my language and edit the letter. May you be blessed with peace in the Lord.
Your little brothers,Fan Yun Shan, Wen Ching Yi
To my two brothers in the Lord, Yun Shan and Ching Yi:
I received your letter long ago. Please forgive me in the Lord for answering so slowly. The first question you asked is not a matter of whether you can but whether you should. If you have the burden and feel you should pray for that sick man, then you can go.
With respect to the elders in the church, you are right that according to the Bible, elders are established by God and appointed by God through the apostles. God does it because the eldership is an office, not a gift. It is a matter of position, not of ability. A gift or ability can manifest itself; it does not need to be appointed. However, office or position is different; it needs to be appointed and announced to all. The offices in the New Testament — the elders — are not the only ones who need to be appointed and announced. The offices among the people of God in the Old Testament — the kings — needed to be appointed and announced. Saul and David were both chosen by God, and both were appointed and announced by Samuel. As long as it is a position or an office, it needs to be by appointment and announcement. Without this, the authority of the office has no place to rest, and it will be difficult to avoid confusion. Furthermore, God appoints and announces the ministers He has established through men — His sent ones — not only for the sake of establishing the authority of the office, but also for the sake of restricting man's flesh. Unavoidably, some among God's people will act according to the flesh or not remain in their position. The flesh of these ones has not been dealt with. In the church, they like to be the head and control things that they should not — and even cannot — control. Those whose flesh has been dealt with, who are after God's heart, and who can be used by God are often very humble and hide behind others. If God did not use His sent ones who understand His will to appoint and announce those who are useful to Him, it would be difficult to avoid power struggles in the church. In the Old Testament, God originally appointed Solomon to inherit David's kingship, but when David was close to death, Adonijah plotted to usurp the throne before David could appoint and announce Solomon, who was according to God's desire. Later, David found out about this and appointed Solomon as the one whom God had established to inherit his kingship. In this way, Adonijah's usurpation of the kingship disappeared (1 Kings 1). If David had not pointed Solomon out to the people, there would have been confusion in Israel after David's death. God's goal of governing the people through Solomon and building a temple for His name could not have been accomplished. David's appointment expressed God's desire on the one hand and limited the activity of Adonjah's flesh on the other. In the same way, the apostles' appointment of elders expresses God's will on the one hand and limits man's flesh on the other. Therefore, in the church we must appoint and announce the elders that God has established.
Since God left us a pattern for appointing elders, we should do it without having to ask for a reason. With any matter we should only ask, "Did God say this?" We should not ask why God said this. We should only ask what God said, not the reason for what God said. Our greatest right before God is obedience. The patterns that God has left us are all necessary. It is always good, necessary, and acceptable to God if we act according to "the pattern that was shown..in the mountain."
We do not need to worry about whether there is the appointment of elders after the apostles, or if the appointment of elders in today's sectarian denominations is a tradition with them. We are not following the pattern of the church after the apostles' time, nor are we imitating the sectarian denominations of today. We should follow and imitate the church in the apostolic age only. We should follow only the principles given to us by the apostles. We should imitate only the patterns they gave us. We can and should follow only the apostles. We cannot follow anything apart from or after the apostles. The pattern of the church given in the apostolic age for establishing elders is as follows: God first raises up people to be elders in a local church, then He appoints the ones He has raised up through the apostles so that they can be elders to govern that local church. Today in the time of the desolation of the church, we know that there are no more apostles, but we have seen workers who fulfill a small portion of the work of the apostles. They preach the gospel in every place and establish assemblies. We also confess that in the assemblies which stand on the ground of the church today, God will raise up men like elders who can govern the assemblies in the various places. When men like elders are raised up in the local assemblies, the workers, who participate to a limited extent in the work of the apostles, should designate them among the brothers, according to the principle of the early apostles appointing elders. The appointed ones should then bear the responsibility of the elders in that local assembly and govern that local assembly. This is necessary, right, and according to the principle of the Bible. May you have peace!
Your brother,Witness LeeFebruary 19
Greetings to Brother Witness:
I was just thinking of you, when I suddenly received your letter. (Parts omitted.) According to my plan, I intended to go to Shanghai to be instructed, but because of different kinds of frustrations, I am unable to fulfill my wish this week. On the Lord's Day, February 3, Hangchow is having a fellowship and baptism meeting, so the brothers will not let me go. (Parts omitted.) I hope you will pray for me and instruct me. May you have peace! Greet Brother Chang Kuang Jung also!
Your little brother,Philip LuanJanuary 31
Greetings to my beloved brother in the Lord, Witness:
(Parts omitted.) The conference in Hangchow will be from the third to the ninth. Every evening there will be a message for outsiders. On the tenth I must go with Brother Kuang Jung to Hua She and Yi Lung to visit the brothers. For this reason I am afraid I will not be able to go to Shanghai to receive some teaching. I only ask you to pray for these matters. May you be blessed with peace!
Your brother,Philip LuanFebruary 7
To my brother in the Lord, Witness:
May you have peace!
Although the meeting in Soochow is often attacked from every side, thank God that He still preserves His work. On the surface it seems that the enemy is very strong. We are not clear why we suffer these things, but we believe that His actions are never wrong and that we will understand fully later. But, brother, our hearts are almost sinking. On the surface it appears that we are full of failures; we hope that you will help us in prayer. Brother, I really want to see you and gain some help. May you have peace!
Your weak brother in the Lord,Stephen KaungFebruary 15, 1935
Greetings in love to my brother in the Lord, Mr. Witness:
I received your card on January 14. I learned something of your recent travels from it. May the Lord bless your work in Shanghai and all your family in Chefoo. After shaking hands and saying good-by to you in Shanghai, my life and work have been as usual. I travel around to the meeting places in the region of Chiang Nan visiting the brothers. Eight days after the Chinese New Year, there will be an edification meeting for the believers in Shui Shen Yang in Chiang Nan. Please pray for this, that the Lord's Word would run freely without frustration so that God's children may be established by the Lord's Word.
Why has the publication work stopped for so long? I have not seen The Present Testimony or The Christian for several months! I really miss them. If possible, please tell me why so that I will know how to pray. (Parts omitted.) May you have peace in the Lord.
Your brother,Chen Ch'ing FaJanuary 31
With regard to the publication work, please read "News Briefs from Various Places."
Brother Witness:
Since we parted I have been blessed by the Lord. I am thankful that you remember me from such a distance! When I went to Tsinan, I met Brother Liu T'ien Min there. Brother Liu had been to Kuang Jau and Ling Tzu to visit the brothers. He has now returned to Tsinan and will go back to Ts'ou County tomorrow. I was in Tsinan for about three weeks and had a total of sixteen meetings. I want to go back to Peking tomorrow or the day after. At first the brothers in Tsinan wanted me to live there, but Peking kept sending me letters telling me to hurry back. I must first return to Peking to see them and to consider the Lord's leading and arrangement. I hope you pray for me often! (Parts omitted.)
The brothers here have improved much recently and are very living. Among the local brothers, Brother Ts'ao is very solid.
Where is Brother Nee? When will he return to Shanghai? I hope you let me know! When will you leave Shanghai? I pray that you will tell me when The Christian and The Glad Tidings will be published. Greet Brother Ho Yueh Chiao and T'ang Shou Ling. May you have peace in the Lord! Greet all the brothers and sisters for me.
Your brother,Chung Chieh
The seventeenth at 8:00 p.m.
(1) Brother Hu Ch'i P'u and Brother Hu Ch'i T'ang did some work in Hsiao Shan, Chekiang province. Brother Hu Ch'i T'ang preaches the truth concerning the church, and Brother Hu Ch'i P'u preaches the truth about God's will. The brothers there hope that the Lord's servants will go there often to work.
(2) A meeting has begun in Hu Shu of Hangchow. The Lord raised up a few faithful, obedient brothers who were willing to walk in the Lord's way: T'ao Chun Ai, Chen Fang, etc. The condition of the meeting is very good.
(3) Sisters Ku and Tso of the Gospel Hospital in Soochow have been forced to leave the hospital because their firm stand for the truth was unacceptable to the administrators of the hospital. The two sisters now live at 2 Kao Shuai Alley, Soochow. They are very happy to be worthy to suffer for the Lord's name.
(4) Brother Wang Teng Ming had another attack of stomach illness and is in the hospital recuperating. The illness was so serious that he could not eat or drink. He was anemic in addition to having stomach problems. The doctors decided that they had to operate, but they could not because of the anemia. Thank the Lord, there were several brothers who gave blood to Brother Wang because of the Lord's love. Two sisters who were nurses were led of the Lord to go to the hospital to serve our brother. For these reasons he became stronger, and the doctors operated on the ninth of this month. He is better now and can eat and drink. He will soon be able to leave the hospital.
(5) Brother Watchman Nee developed heart disease after the Overcomer Conference in Hangchow. He is physically very weak. He seems to have recovered now and has left Shanghai temporarily to rest. We hope that the brothers and sisters in all the localities will pray for him.
(6) After the Overcomer Conference in Hangchow, Brother Faithful Luk and Brother Chiang Tze Hang stayed in Shanghai for a few days. Chang Kuang Jung and Hsu Chung Chieh went to work in Swatow. Brother Philip Luan also came to Shanghai for a few days. Brother Witness Lee went to Chefoo for a few days. Their present travels can be found in the preceding articles, so we will not repeat them.
(7) Brother Huang Tsai Ch'ing is working in Ningpo.
(8) Brother Chiang Chun T'ien went to Ch'ang-ch'un in Manchuria last month.
(9) Brother T'ang Yen Ming has left Kung Ho City, Tai Shan, Kwangtung province and has returned to his old family home in Lo Ting. His address now is c/o Yi Feng Company, Su Lung Shu, Lo Ting, Kwangtung province.
(10) Brother Hu Ch'i T'ang, a responsible brother in the assembly in Pao Shan, was transferred by his company to Chiang Wan in Shanghai. Brother Chi Yung Feng is now working in Pao Shan.
(11) After the Overcomer Conference in Hangchow, there was a sisters' conference led by Sister Peace Wang. Sister Wang is now working in Soochow.
(12) Sister Ruth Lee and Sister Chang Chi Nien went to Hankow to rest after the Overcomer Conference in Hangchow. At the same time they are doing some work in the regions of Hankow and Changsha. They have already left Hankow and are passing through to visit the sisters in Chiu Chiang, Nanking, and Chen Chiang on their way back to Shanghai. They will probably arrive in Shanghai at the end of this month.
(14) Sister Miao Yun Chun worked in Shanghai after the Hangchow conference and is still here.
(15) Issue No. 37 of The Present Testimony has not been published, because Brother Nee was sick and is now traveling. The Christian was delayed by the registration process and by the preparation of the mailing list. Issue Nos. 2 and 3 will be published as one volume. Issue No. 3 of The Glad Tidings will be published soon, we hope. This all requires the prayers of the brothers.
(16) The Shanghai branch office of the Bethlehem Oil Company in Yi Lin Town, northern Kiangsu, has already moved back to northern Kiangsu. Please send any mail to: Mr. Wu Wei, Yi Lin Town, northern Kiangsu, Kiangsu province.
(1) Whoever has any news of the work, the difficulties, 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.
Shanghai
