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Question:What is the cause of poverty in the life of a Christian? How can a Christian have a reserve before God?
Answer:In Revelation 3 the Lord said, "You are...poor" (v. 17). These words were addressed by Him to the church in Laodicea. This poverty implies that nothing had been laid up in store. It implies not merely a momentary lack but a continuous lack.
Many brothers and sisters have a fundamental problem: They are maintained by the experience of special grace. This is a serious problem. They are dependent on temporary supplies of grace; they do not have the revelation which they saw "thirteen years ago." We have said before that God's work in our lives is wholly a work of grace. If He removed His grace from us, our lives would be an utter void. This is a fact which we need to recognize. Nevertheless, it is also a fact that God does not want to see His children to be devoid of any deposit of grace. He does not want them to be dependent on interventions of special grace in order to be kept in His will. It is not well-pleasing to Him if His children live from hand to mouth on special grace. He desires us to have a rich deposit of grace.
Many people have no such deposit. Consequently, the Lord told us to fast and pray. In Matthew 17:21 the Lord said that some demons could only be cast out by prayer and fasting. He told the disciples that they needed to have special prayer and fasting, without which they would not have the needed power. Christians whose loins are not girded, who are unrestrained, and whose spirits are wild have no choice but to live by special dispensations of grace. If we have just come to the Lord, it is understandable if we live by special grace; but if we are still dependent on such grace after we have believed in the Lord for a year or two, this indicates a state of poverty and sickness. This poverty is the result of living by special grace without having any extra or reserve grace.
What is wealth? Wealth is the reverse of poverty. Being spiritually wealthy means to have a reserve of grace before God and not to rely on special grace. Poverty is banished by the surplus of grace within.
The other day a few of us talked together about Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. For my part I believe that the greatest revelation of life in the entire New Testament is in the Epistles to the Corinthians.
First and 2 Corinthians have their place; they are the only two Epistles that show us the man Paul. In his letter to the Romans he unfolds the matter of salvation in a profound way, and in his letter to the Ephesians he brings forth the deepest revelation. All of these things are from God. However, if we want to know Paul the person, we have to come to 1 and 2 Corinthians. Only these two books give us a clear understanding of Paul; they open up his very own person to us.
Many people cannot minister the word of God apart from inspiration. If at any given time they have no fresh inspiration, their words stop. The source of their ministry of the word is their inspiration. It is a fact that we need inspiration if we are to have a ministry; there is nothing wrong about this. Please bear in mind the fact, however, that inspiration is not given to us in a stream of unbroken continuity. Even in the case of the first twelve apostles and in the case of such a person as Paul, inspiration was not continuous. In one instance he said, "I have no commandment of the Lord" (1 Cor. 7:25a). He did not have a word from the Lord; the Lord did not say anything. The Lord did not say it; he said it. In other words, he did not have revelation, spiritual inspiration, or any fresh word from the Lord.
But there is something amazing here. Paul said, "But I give my opinion as one who has been shown mercy by the Lord to be faithful [or honest]" (v. 25b). Paul was expressing his own judgment. What a terrific thing to do. Over the past nearly two thousand years, theologians have been afraid to touch these utterances of Paul, but Paul knew what he was saying. When he was without immediate inspiration, he was still able to speak.
To speak without inspiration would be presumption on the part of others. Others have no word when they have no inspiration because they do not have extra reserves of grace. God only gives them enough grace for today. This kind of person does not have a word when they do not have immediate inspiration because they rely on special grace to meet the present need. Without special grace, they have nothing to say.
Here, however, we have a man who had a word without immediate inspiration. Paul's word was God's word. The Holy Spirit chose the word and put it into the Bible; we believe this was God's arrangement. Paul repeated several times that it was his word, not the Lord's. When he spoke, however, he indicated that the word did not seem to be his word, and he concluded with this remark: "I think that I also have the Spirit of God" (v. 40). It is very precious. He was unconsciously moved by the Holy Spirit. Some people are always ready to affirm that the Spirit is moving them. I am afraid that the very fact of their experience of immediate inspiration from the Holy Spirit betrays their shortage of a reserve. It is better to be moved by the Holy Spirit with no consciousness of the fact. Shallow people often doubt that they have not been moved by the Holy Spirit, while those with reserves doubt that they have indeed been moved, asking, "How can I say this is not the Lord's word? This is the Lord's word."
We find a basic principle here. Paul had something other than immediate inspiration. He had a deposit apart from immediate inspiration. He had this deposit because for many years he had followed the Lord; he had been restricted; he had avoided sin and failure. For years he had learned to fear the Lord. Over these years, things were collecting within him. Although he did not have any immediate inspiration, he still had things to say. These were his reserve, or in other words, his riches.
No other Epistles unveil the person of Paul to us as his letters to the Corinthians. He tells us that he is only expressing his own judgment; he has no specific inspiration from the Lord. Yet we discover that what he uttered is actually a revelation to the church. Here is a man speaking his own words, and they are recorded in the Bible as the word of God. This touches the highest peak of the New Testament, where a man has been edified, carved, purified, and constituted by God to such an extent that his word becomes God's word. This is wealth. And this is an inward reserve which is the result of God's many years of work on Paul. Special grace cannot bring one to this peak.
It is a great grief to me that I frequently meet brothers and sisters who are so dependent on special grace that between the periodic help these experiences bring, their words and state of mind lapse into that of a non-Christian. What a poverty-stricken state this reveals! Once this kind of person lacks an incoming supply, he is empty. I readily acknowledge that we all would be utterly destitute if God's grace were removed from us; but it is also true that something of God's grace can be constituted into our very being. God's reserve deposit in man is also a fact. Some people live from hand to mouth, spending whatever comes in to meet their expenses of the moment. They cannot withstand trials.
What are trials? Trials are times when it seems that God does not care for us, listen to us, or fellowship with us. Madame Guyon understood trials best. Spiritual trials are times when it seems that God has covered His face and shut His mouth, when it seems that He will not answer or make a sound, when it seems He is so quiet that there is no God in heaven at all. These times of trial immediately separate those with reserves from those with none.
A poor person lives by the joy of prayer and sustains his living through the freshness of the Lord's table. Whenever he does not have these, he fails for the week because he cannot go on, and he stumbles. Many people rely on special grace for their entire life and for all aspects of their living; they do not have reserves.
Some people, such as Madame Guyon, go through trials for months at a time. During the trials the entire world may appear so confusing that it seems as if there is no God. A person with inward reserves of grace will be manifested by such a time. He will pass the test. He has something inside that is sufficient. This something is called wealth. This is the wealth that the Lord spoke of to the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:18a).
In summary, poverty is a lack of reserves; wealth is having reserves. We mean, of course, spiritual reserves.
How can we be inwardly wealthy with reserves? This is a question of fundamental importance. Permit me to say a very straight word to the younger brothers. No matter who you are, none of you are really wealthy. Perhaps you think you have become rich. But accumulating wealth requires time. Those who have spent time before God might have some riches. Those who have not spent time without a doubt are poor. It is impossible for young people to be wealthy. Time is an important factor. Formerly we were of the opinion that some of the young people were ahead of the older ones in basic spiritual matters. When we recently touched some deeper matters in Foochow, we discovered that many of the finest young brothers were unable to grasp the most practical matters. I appeal to you young ones to check how much you have accumulated in spiritual reserves. I am afraid you only have the tiniest of reserves. Do not be proud. Being proud is sheerest folly. You must realize that a long course still lies before you. You must be constituted with and established by the Holy Spirit in this course day by day. Time is a matter of primary importance. No one can skip over this consideration.
Second, we must go through various experiences. Many people have spent much time before God, but they have not passed through many experiences before God. If one wants to become rich, he must spend time before God, and he must pass through many experiences before God. The experiences one has to go through are the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Some people have been Christians for eight or ten years, but it seems as if the Holy Spirit is very lenient with them. It seems that He does not discipline them or even pay attention to them. It is as if the Holy Spirit does not want to concern Himself with their affairs. Other people, however, are taken in hand and not let off; they are severely disciplined by the Holy Spirit. It does not seem to matter what some people do, because the Holy Spirit does not speak to them through their situations or their consciences. Their situations do not give them much trouble, nor do their consciences. Even though these people have the benefit of the passage of much time, they do not learn much from God because they are not restricted, carved, hindered, and chastised enough. Therefore, they are not rich before God. For this reason, let us not be dismayed by the difficulties we face before God. Every one of these situations adds to our wealth. The fewer problems we have, the less we will have in reserve, and the fewer words we will be able to share with others. No one can have a word without experience. Our wealth in the Word and our service to God's children are in proportion to the experiences we go through. Our supply comes through the lessons we have learned before God. This is not something that doctrines can give to us; nor is it something that commentaries on the Bible can give to us. It is something we learn when the Holy Spirit leads us in our daily walk.
Therefore, I hope that we will not be slack in our daily experience in learning to follow God. In all the disappointment and disillusionment we face, let us recognize the Lord's severe dealings with us. Let us bow before Him in gratitude and worship Him, acknowledging that His purpose in all these things is to enrich us and to lead us to abundance.
A certain brother thought that he was quite strong in faith until he fell ill. Then he began to learn the real meaning of faith. If we have never been poor, we do not know how to look to the Lord. If we have never been ill, we do not know faith. If we have never had problems, we do not know true worship. If we are without experiences and have not learned anything, we are poor. Anyone who tries to avoid difficulties is a poor person. Everyone who asks for easy circumstances is poor. If we want progress, we must ask for some situations to pass through. The more we want to learn, the more we must experience. Our hope, our faith, and our submission all come into these different situations to edify us and bring us through. If we have one more situation added outwardly, we will have one more item of spiritual wealth added inwardly. We must realize that every situation we encounter is for teaching us something, no matter how hard it is for our flesh or how much we dislike it. We must bow our head and say, "This is a chance, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, a hard-to-come-by opportunity! Lord, I thank You!"
There are many people around us who are Christians, but some seem to be protected from trials. This kind of brother or sister has a very peaceful, quiet life, but we immediately sense that the faith, hope, and reliance of these saints are very small and poor.
Therefore, I hope you will listen to my frank words. When you encounter trials, you should lift up your head and praise the Lord, saying, "Lord, You are creating another opportunity within me for me to gain some riches. Everything is working together for good. You are going to produce something in me that others do not have so that I can supply the church." Brothers, do not be deceived into thinking that you will be able to preach by dint of much study. A man can deliver a message, but he does not necessarily have a rich spirit. A man can improve his preaching and increase the abundance of his words, but this does not make him wealthy in his spirit.
Being full of meaningful utterance and being full of the Spirit are two entirely different matters. God is not treating us wrongly when He gives us more trials and difficulties; He is actually treating us very well. He has selected us and has granted us favor by providing us this big opportunity. We must look for this. If we have the light, we should always consider one matter: How many experiences have we passed through before the Lord? Do we have any reserves? It does not matter how proud we are; our pride is worthless. If we have something inwardly, we have it; if we do not, we do not. The more we want to deceive others, the more they will know us. The prouder we are and the more we try to put on a good front, the more we will expose ourselves. Once we open our mouth, we expose ourselves. We should not presume that we can deceive others when our skin feels like Esau but our voice sounds like Jacob. The amount of our spiritual wealth is based on the amount of experiences we have passed through.
Third, finality is essential. It is not enough to go through many experiences. If we have spent the required amount of time and passed through the necessary experiences, we must ask if there has been a result. This can still be a problem. We must reach a place of finality. In carrying out a chemistry experiment in school, there is a principle: "Carry it to its finality." This means we must persist with the experiment until we get a result. Many times things are done but not thoroughly. If the work is not done thoroughly, it is useless. Everything must be thorough.
The Bible makes it abundantly plain that when God deals with a person, He does not let go easily; He does things thoroughly. It does not matter whether cattle are stolen, sheep and servants are burned, the house falls down, or the children die. It does not matter whether there are sores on the body. The lips and tongue must submit and the mouth must be pressed to the dust (see Job 1:6—2:10; 42:1-6). Such a day must come. The Epistle of James uses the word end in 5:11, saying, "...his end from the Lord." Here we see that it is not a matter of the frequency of our trials but a matter of God reaching His end through the trials. Job's sons died. How many sons do we have that we can allow them to die? One person does not have that many sons to lose. This is a very serious matter. Job received a very heavy dealing, but he was still poor. We should not think that God can give us unlimited trials. There was a sister whose husband died, and she was a widow. However, she was very loose in spiritual matters. After she finished giving a testimony one day, I was very bothered inwardly. I spoke very frankly to her and said, "Your attitude is wrong. It is a serious matter that God took your husband away, but you have not learned the lesson! A person does not have that many husbands to lose." Many people want to go up to Kuling Mountain, but we should not think that Kuling is a nice place to go. Kuling is a place of heartless judgment. Your "cow and sheep" can be stolen, your "houses" can collapse, and your "sons" can die, but the matter still may not come to an end. Your entire body can be "covered with boils," but the matter still may not come to an end. This is the meaning of having no finality. A person must pass through many experiences, but there are only a limited number of situations he can go through. If a person does not learn the lessons from what he passes through, he cannot reach the end from the Lord. This means that the Lord will not attain His goal. Please remember that if the Lord does not gain anything, we will not have much reserve. If this is our case, we are just wasting the days, the dealings, the trials, and the discipline! This is a fearful matter. Many people go through dealings, but they become broken, useless vessels when they come out of them. This is like the potter's shop spoken of in Jeremiah 18:4. The floor is covered with vessels that did not turn out properly. Even though the vessels can claim that they have been put into the fire, they remain broken on the floor.
Therefore, our hope is not only that we would spend sufficient time before the Lord and pass through enough experiences, but also that we would become vessels unto glory after we pass through these experiences.
Job did not just pass through experiences. One day God saw that a point of finality had come. There was a new constitution in him; he had changed. This is a matter of fundamental importance. It is not a matter of receiving more life, but a matter of constituting the human life with the divine life.
I will make a statement that I fear is often misunderstood by people: The old man cannot be changed. It is a fact that God has crucified the old man, and it is also a fact that God has put a new life within us. If God took this life away, the old man would still be the old man. However, the Bible also says that man can be changed and that the mind can be renewed and transformed (Rom. 12:2). Please remember that it is not merely the new life within us that makes us different from others; we become different from others by the working of this new life within us. When we live with someone for a long time, we begin to resemble that person. When we live together with God for a long time, it is really strange if we do not change in the slightest. Since the Holy Spirit lives in us, there must be something that we have learned of Him that makes us like Him. This is renewing and transformation.
Therefore, we hope to learn our lessons, and we hope to arrive at a finality. Hopefully, the time we spend before God and the lessons we have learned before Him will have an end. The Lord put His Spirit inside us to enable us to learn the lessons and reach an end. Only then will the Lord be able to use us to supply others. We cannot obtain this from reading or from listening to Paul; it only comes from learning Christ (Eph. 4:20). We do not do things merely because the Bible says so. We do them because we have learned them for ourselves. We must have this quality before we can serve God and before our words can supply others.
The last thing needed is light. A person who is rich is one who receives much light. We must not just learn the lessons; the Lord must also enlighten us in spirit so that we see what we are learning. We do not merely know that something has happened. What has happened must be molded into a teaching in us. This is the only way we will be able to turn our experience into words to supply others. The situation does not just happen to us. We are able to take what we have learned and supply it to others. When the light comes, we can speak, and our words will supply others.
God often deals with us, but we do not know it. Sometimes, however, we know. This knowing makes the dealing more effective in reaching its end. We can believe and obey because of the enlightenment. Therefore, we can quicken the end of the dealing. Fruit is brought forth, and this fruit is ripened. This is man's end before God. This kind of enlightenment is the eyesalve spoken of in Revelation 3:18. It enables one to see and to shine.
Question:Is the enlightenment which you speak of different from inspiration?
Answer:Yes, it is different. This light comes through revelation; it is an inward light. The basic problem with the inward being is the matter of obedience.
Question:When a situation comes to us, we should submit as quickly as possible, but does this kind of swift submission depend on swiftly acknowledging that this situation is from the Lord?
Answer:Yes, that is true, but it is important for us to understand the meaning of the discipline of the Holy Spirit.
The discipline of the Holy Spirit means that when the Holy Spirit is operating in our outward circumstances to bring us to a particular goal, He is also making an inward demand on us. This operation is called the discipline of the Holy Spirit. If we do not obey, it will not serve His purpose immediately. But even if we do not submit, He will bring us to the point of obedience. A day will definitely come when He will make us submissive. The discipline of the Holy Spirit often brings about our submission. This is not to say that we have the will to submit in ourselves, but we are brought to the point where we obey spontaneously. Brothers and sisters who have believed in the Lord for many years can look back on their lives and count many times when the Lord spoke to them and they obeyed. The Lord spoke again, and they obeyed again. We can all say this. If we look back and think, we can identify many times when the Lord spoke and we had no intention to obey. Yet, in the end we obeyed. This is the result of the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we actually set our mind on disobeying, yet mysteriously, after two or three years of confusion, our resistance fades away, and the disobedience is no longer there. This is the result of the discipline of the Holy Spirit. When we submit by ourselves, the job is done soon. But thank God, even when we have no heart to submit, and there is no faith, we can still be brought to the point of submission. This is a result of the discipline of the Holy Spirit. I often consider the discipline of the Holy Spirit to be a measure whereby He fills up our own lack of submission.
There are two aspects of the discipline of the Holy Spirit. The first is to cause us to submit. God arranges our environment and calls us to submission. The second is the discipline of the Holy Spirit in taking over our submission. We do not have any intention of submitting, but the Holy Spirit works on us to the extent that we submit nevertheless.
There was a brother who loved money very much. The Holy Spirit disciplined him many times, but he still loved money. During the past three or four years, many things came across his way which made him very angry. Today, however, unconsciously he no longer loves money. He has asked, "Must my love for money be given up in a spirit of obedience? What if I give it up in a spirit of disobedience?" I have answered that as long as he has given up his love for money, it is all right. Many times we want to submit quickly, and we ask God to give us grace that we might submit. This is very good. This will cause us to go through less chastisement; it can save us some dealings. We can reach the other side more quickly. But even if we are not that cooperative, He will bring us through according to His good timing as long as we give Him the time. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the inward working of the Holy Spirit is precious, and the outward working of the Holy Spirit through our environment is also very precious.
Question:How can we obey more quickly?
Answer:Sometimes God's Holy Spirit works in us inwardly through His operation; sometimes He works on us through the passage of time. When the Holy Spirit of God moves within us, obedience is instant. But God does not only work through His Holy Spirit within men; He also works in men through the outward discipline of the Holy Spirit. This is not immediate. It is a day-by-day process. He continues this work until one day we are both willing and changed. This takes time however. When we ask God to give us submission, there are two kinds of answers to this prayer: inward operation, which is instant, and outward environment, which takes time. Thus, we are able to submit either through enlightenment or through discipline.
The day will come when the church will reach full maturity as depicted in Ephesians 4. Then the church will be without spot or wrinkle or any such things, as mentioned in Ephesians 5. Here are two sides to the work: John wept when he saw that no one was worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5:4). I do not think that we are like John, but readers of the Bible become very worried about Ephesians 4 and 5. It seems as if it is easier to consider stars like figs and hailstones that weigh a talent falling to the earth than it is to think of the church maturing and arriving at the full stature of Christ, no longer having spots or wrinkles or any such things. It worries them to think that the church has to be so holy that it becomes absolutely irreproachable, being able to present itself for open scrutiny and not be found with any flaw or criticism. We see, however, that the Holy Spirit not only works inwardly but also disciplines outwardly to bring us to the point of being irreproachable. How real is the discipline of the Holy Spirit! We struggle to deal with many things, but many things are dealt with unconsciously. Our Lord has arranged all kinds of things for us; He has planned our future. This is truly the Christian gospel! It is marvelous to realize that Christians have the discipline of the Holy Spirit. — Watchman Nee
Recorded by TaoJanuary 20, 1950
Seven or eight years ago, God released messages about "migration" through His servant. Although some brothers and sisters have already migrated from Northern China to the Northwest, most still do not pay much attention to what migration really is. Two or three years ago, God's servants reminded us again. The eyes of a few more brothers and sisters were opened, but the practice seemed to be far away in the unforeseeable future! Thank God that in the winter of the year before last, He began a migration from eastern Chekiang. Last winter, He also began the migration from Shanghai. Even to this day, there are still migrations going on. All the brothers and sisters who take the way of migration sell their possessions, leave their homeland, and move to farming communities where they do not know anyone. What is the purpose of this? While one intention surely is to engage in rural production, the real goal is to share the benefit of the gospel with others.
We see more and more clearly that we must migrate if we want to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. If we want to be released from the bondage of the world, if we do not want to struggle with the world, we must migrate. Furthermore, if we want to really prove our love and willingness to suffer for the Lord and give up everything to follow Him, we must take the way of migration.
Migration is God's heart's desire. It is God's call and our response. When God created man, He wanted man to fill the entire earth (Gen. 1:28). After the fall, man built cities on earth and even the tower of Babel. Then God called Abraham and told him to leave his country, relatives, and father's house to go to the place which the Lord would show him (12:1). We see two signs in the life of Abraham: an altar and a tent. This means that he lived a life of consecration and the life of a sojourner. His desire was to live absolutely for the Lord. His living did not take root in this world. As descendants of Abraham, there is no doubt that we should follow in his footsteps.
In the New Testament the Lord commands us to go into all the world and to preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). He said, "You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and...unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). If this were just for the twelve apostles, the seventy-two disciples, or even the one hundred twenty, how could they complete this commission? Therefore, all of God's children must have a burden and be willing to "go" in response to the call to "proclaim the gospel to all the creation." It is true that our hearts are for "Jerusalem" because it has a spiritual church, life-giving messages, and sweet fellowship. But if we continue to live in Jerusalem and forget God's intention, persecution will come as that recorded in Acts 8, and it will scatter the disciples abroad. It was through such persecution that the gospel went out.
The gospel has been in China for about one hundred years now, but it is only somewhat manifested in the few provinces along the coast. There is still a large area where no one has preached the gospel. There are still so many people who have never heard the gospel. The reason for this is that we are not willing to answer God's call to leave our homeland and families and go to the inland and the frontier lands.
How easy it is for us to fall into Lot's failure! (See Gen. 13:6-13). When we settle down in a place and establish roots, we lose the life of the tent. We forget that we are sojourners on the earth. We neglect the warning that woe will come to all those who are dwelling on the face of the whole earth (Luke 21:35; Rev. 8:13).
We are like those who are spoken of in Deuteronomy 32. The baby eagles do not want to leave their nests; they desire a peaceful life. God, however, has to accomplish His goal. To accomplish His heart's desire, He shakes the "nests" with His hand and forces us to leave the places we love (v. 11). May we have the inward sense to understand God's heart's desire and meet His demands. Even if we do not have a sense and understanding, we should be like the ignorant eagles; we should wake up when God's hand rocks the nests. We should answer His call and take the way of migration.
Only migration will spread the gospel. Only migration will cause us to forsake the world. Migration is the one way to express our consecration and true love for the Lord. Over the past few years, five or six hundred brothers and sisters in the North, in Shanghai, and in Xiao and Shao county in eastern Chekiang have answered God's call to give their all for the gospel. They have migrated to the Northwest and Kiangsi. We can truly testify that God is with those who have migrated. It is a confirmation that this way is pleasing to God! This is the way to obtain God's blessing!
We call on the Spirit of God to open the eyes of all the churches to truly see that migration is God's way for His churches today. We pray that God would touch more people with His love to take the way of migration.
Chang Yu-zhi
The burden for the arrangement of migration is definitely in my heart. An unworthy child as myself has surprisingly begun caring for adult matters. How can I avoid being in fear and trembling! I can only ask God to provide special care for His leading.
I have decided to take care of the arrangements in Kueixi. I ask the brothers and sisters who will be coming to be assured.
From Shanghai I took a detour through Shadi before returning to Yiyang. Because of pressure from many matters, I am very weak physically, and my body temperature has dropped. Although I feel that there will be difficulties in the future, I am not in the least disappointed. I do not lose hope. God will teach me and deal with me through these difficulties.
God sent us out in the migration first for the purpose of serving brothers and sisters who will migrate later. This is really grace to us. It is a responsibility we should bear. This vision has been seen by most of the brothers and sisters in our group.
Thank God! In the region of Shadi and Tangnei this fire (of migration) is burning brightly. The brothers and sisters are prepared to submit. They dare not be as slow as they were before.
Your brother,Feng He-renJanuary 14, 1950
I feel that God is among us. He is leading us step by step. I only want to learn how to serve like Martha and how to fellowship with the Lord like Mary. The day will come when I will spontaneously live out the testimony of resurrection like Lazarus.
I recently spoke according to the burden of my heart and said some words concerning the consecration of material possessions. Thank the Lord! The brothers and sisters offered up even their prized clothing.
Yesterday, the responsible brothers and sisters in our group decided that we will eliminate all inequality in our houses. In the matters of food, clothing, and work all will be arranged according to the Body principle. Thank the Lord! He has given us new grace and has caused us to take a way that amazes the world!
Your brother,Feng He-renFebruary 7, 1950
The locality of Yiyang has made the following arrangements:
1) The food in the Household will be the same for everyone. (Those who are physically weak will have special allotments.)
2) The clothing in the Household will be entirely in the principle of "adorn...in proper clothing." We all have been constrained by the Lord's love to practice the principle of handing oneself over and to have everything in common. We receive items and return them to the saints according to each one's need. We keep the extra to make up the lack of those who have nothing. If there is anything left after the distribution, we give it to the storage service group and then distribute to the saints as time goes on. If some are cold or are ill, we contribute extra clothes to meet their special needs.
3) In the matter of work, we make arrangements according to age, strength, ability, and the gifts which God has given them. From the oldest to the youngest, all have their area of assignment. We hope that none would be idle.
4) Our time schedule is as follows: We have morning watch and prayer from 5:00 to 6:30 in the morning. We eat breakfast at 7:00. We work from 8:00 to 12:00. We eat lunch after work. We work again from 1:00 to 5:00. We eat dinner at 5:30. We meet and read the Bible from 6:30 to 8:30. We turn the lights off at 9:00.
5) We fellowship with the other communities that have migrated out in the following ways: a) We have financial fellowship. b) We help them farm for a short period of time.
Presently, we are a little short in our food budget. This is not a problem. We think it is best to be a little short. Our lack causes God to give us more. It is a way for God to manifest His doings.
The fields in Kueixi are twice as rich as those in Yiyang. Four or five days ago, we went to Yingtan two times to look things over. It has a very good water supply. It has wood, bamboo, and lime, and straw is plentiful. It would be very convenient to build houses there. The soil is twice as rich as that of the fields in Kueixi and three times as good as the soil in Yiyang.
We hope to set things up in one locality after another according to the little light God has given us and to inform you as we go. I often make mistakes. I really need the elder brothers to support me in prayer and give me much direction.
Your brother,Feng He-renFebruary 13, 1950
We want to thank God for showing us the way of migration and for moving a group of brothers and sisters this way. Some brothers and sisters migrated from here to Yiyang and Kueixi on the twenty-third of this month. Before we parted, I felt a heavy burden to speak a word to the migrating brothers and sisters. The main idea is summarized here:
First, "I do all things for the sake of the gospel." The goal of migration is the gospel. The gospel speaks of love, sacrifice, denial of self, and giving. Therefore, after migrating to Kiangsi, all elements of our living, whether clothing, food, or travel, must be in accordance with the main goal of being "for the gospel." Even our loving of one another must be for the same goal.
Second, "unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." If the gospel is to be preached, a great price must be paid. We must be like grains of wheat planted into Kiangsi. We must die in Kiangsi; only then will we be able to bear much fruit.
We are already taking this way. Because of the Lord's love, we are willing to give up a more comfortable life and live for the gospel in a remote area. This is pleasing to God. For the future of the migrations and for the way of the gospel, I feel that I must present a word to you:
First, please do not give the brothers and sisters who migrated from Shanghai special treatment. It is only right that they have the same food, clothing, and lifestyle as the rest of the brothers and sisters. On the one hand, it is good that you showed your love toward the brothers and sisters from Shanghai, but in reality "differing love" is a hateful thing. Furthermore, its influence on further migrations is too great. For the sake of giving the Lord a way, I hope you will not pay attention to personal feelings but will speak the truth in love. I hope you will avoid divisions among you. It does not matter how much education or talent you have. All are brothers and sisters, and all should do the same work and receive the same treatment and care. Only give the elderly and sick extra food and rest according to their needs.
Second, all should labor together, working with their own hands. Do not have some overburdened while others are idle, doing nothing but sitting and enjoying the fruit of others. Work and rest, labor, and enjoyment should all be equal.
May you live out the testimony of the Body so that the gospel may flow out through you. May God bless you!
Chang Yu-zhiJanuary 25, 1950
It is truly God's will to spread the gospel through migrations. Abraham lived a life of migration. He established a testimony in his migrations. I, too, have a desire to migrate. I have handed over the responsibility for the church in Anchang to others, and I feel peaceful and assured. If God allows, my family hopes to migrate to Kiangsi this year. Do the brothers want me to serve in Yiyang or in Kueixi? Please give me direction.
Your brother in the Lord,Fei Chang-baoJanuary 15, 1950
Thank the Lord! He has led us to peacefully and joyfully perform the first group wedding of six couples. Everything was filled with God's presence! Friends from this region also attended. We did not accept any gifts. We preached the gospel in the afternoon, and ten people confessed the Lord and accepted Him. May the Lord save them.
Shangrao wants us to go there. After we finish the arrangements for a few farms, we will see how the Lord leads us.
He-renMarch 3, 1950
In 1933 God's servant came to Ch'ang-ch'un in Manchuria, and the meetings started. Later, some were raised up in Shenyang and Jilin. In the past ten years the number of assemblies has increased to more than twenty localities.
In 1942 God's servant, our brother Philip Luan, came to Manchuria to make some arrangements. Because of the change in the world situation and the cruel attack of the Japanese, we passed through many trials and tribulations, but we all came through safely.
We were not able to fellowship with the elder brothers and sisters in the inland for some time because communication was blocked. Because of our immaturity and uncertainty in our direction, many brothers and sisters received teachings that appeared to be truth but were not. This occurred because we were starving and had no choice of food. These ones departed from the proper way. With the exception of Jilin and Ch'ang-ch'un, almost every locality was carried away by this deception. These brothers and sisters suffered much for their moment of blindness!
Last summer, the church in Peking sent a brother to visit the churches in Manchuria. He passed through the localities of Ch'ang-ch'un, Shenyang, Jilin, and Harbin, and he met with the saints for forty days. The assemblies in all the localities were much blessed by the Lord.
The brothers and sisters in Harbin suffered much for four or five years because they left the proper way. They turned this time and all were released. They are now very fresh. The Lord's presence is with them in a special way. The Lord is also gradually adding saved ones to the church. The meeting place was too small, and a larger place has been rented which can hold three to four hundred people. The population of Harbin is almost one million. It is an important point in the water and land transportation network in the area north of the Songhua River. It is at present full of needs.
There is also Mudanjiang, a locality along the northeastern border of the country. It is a center of transportation: east to Vladivostok; west to Manzhouli; north to Jiamusi, the mines in the Heligang mountains, the forest regions, and the Heihe border; southeast through Tunhua to Tumen and on to North Korea; southwest to Harbin, Ch'ang-ch'un, and Shenyang. Its produce is abundant, and life is easy. It has a population of almost three hundred thousand. It used to be a Baptist region, and there are many people who love the Lord. Although they are in tribulation, their testimony is strong. They have been reading books from the bookroom for many years. Those who have a heart for the Lord are looking for the way to go on. Once a brother from Ch'ang-ch'un visited them, and everyone was helped through the fellowship in the Lord.
In January of this year, Peking sent a brother to visit all the local churches in Manchuria. He went to Shenyang, Harbin, Mudanjiang, and Ch'ang-ch'un. There were meetings for two months. By the Lord's grace and mercy, every locality received much blessing. There are now thirty localities. Some already have assemblies; others do not have as many people, but they do have prayer in one accord. Only Ch'ang-ch'un, Shenyang, Jilin, and Harbin have the Lord's table. All the churches in Manchuria are now one. The Lord has led us to the way of righteousness for His name's sake. We can only give thanks and praise to Him.
Dalien was not able to send people to visit these places because of barriers to transportation. The brothers sent letters of invitation, and Brother Yuan Zhu-wu and Brother Chin Jia-ye came to attend the meetings. They fully received the Lord's truth and expressed the desire to stand with all the churches on the ground of oneness to serve the Lord. They also consecrated themselves and are willing to follow the footsteps of the flock. After they returned to Dalien, the brothers and sisters willingly received the Lord's truth and obeyed all the Lord's arrangements. They hope some brothers will go and visit them.
The brothers and sisters in Manchuria spiritually have lost much over the past few years. Since the Lord has brought them back to the way of oneness, He will indeed multiply His blessings to them. We ask the brothers and sisters in every locality to pray for them!
On the following page is a map of the churches in Manchuria. Please forgive us if it is not detailed enough!
Fang Ai-guangMarch 20, 1950
We received your letter on January 28. The word in that letter has truly become light to our pathway and strength for our living. Thank the Lord! He dispenses food to the needy at the right time.
When I consecrated myself during the conference in 1948, my desire was to give my very blood to the Lord. There was no such opening in my environment. I desired to shed my blood but did not have anywhere to shed it. I wanted to die but had no place to be buried. Thank the Lord! He is the God who hears prayer. He received my small consecration and brought me to the place He ordained.
"O Lord! Keep my consecration, that I would not be shamed by these words. Lord, You know our weakness and that it is possible for anyone to deny You three times. Lord, I truly dare not trust in my consecration. I put this consecration into Your hands. May You accomplish it. Make me burning but not foolish; make me willing to die but not live lightly. May You gain something in me whether through life or death. Amen."
O brother! My heart feels as if it has been stabbed by a knife! The Lord's love is like red-hot burning coals within me! We will fellowship more later! Tears!
Lee Tien-giaoJanuary 29, 1950
Our original idea in coming to Nanchang was to serve with Brother Hsu during the Nanchang conference so that the brothers from Nanchang would not be distracted by anything else. After we arrived, we found that Brother Hsu unexpectedly was unable to come. At first we thought we should return immediately, but inwardly we felt that this would cheat the brothers and sisters in Nanchang. After praying on the spur of the moment, we decided to continue in our responsibility of our service.
We had three fellowship meetings beginning the first day of the Chinese New Year. Thank the Lord! He blessed His children. Many brothers and sisters gained some knowledge concerning the church and consecrated themselves to the Lord. They are also willing to coordinate with the church and to learn to serve the Lord together.
There are almost thirty brothers and sisters here in college. Their spirits are very clean. I hope some brothers and sisters who are strong in the truth would migrate to Nanchang soon to give them some good help.
Thank the Lord! He has heard our prayer and given us some farmland near the Tungjia Railway Station. It is twelve li from Yingtan and eighteen li from Kueixi. It can be reached by a fifteen-minute train ride.
Tien-giaoFebruary 24, 1950
I have been in K'un-ming for almost half a year learning to serve God with Brother Dao-sheng under the leading of Brother Ruo-tien. Brother Ruo-tien is mostly responsible for edification. Brother Dao-sheng and I are responsible for preaching the gospel on the Lord's Day afternoon. We are very busy in the gospel work in K'un-ming. The brothers and sisters are very burning for the gospel. In addition to the large weekly gospel meeting on the Lord's Day, there are two or three home gospel meetings or outdoor gospel meetings. We are doing our best to sow the seeds of the gospel, leaving it to the Lord to do the work of bringing in the harvest.
We went to Mongtze County recently and stayed there for two months. We preached the gospel for twenty days. Some were saved, and they have begun meeting and having the table.
We feel really ashamed that we have not met the people's needs enough! May God have mercy on us. We hope you could instruct us more.
Your brother,Shao-zuFebruary 19, 1950
When I returned from Shanghai, I went home quickly because my father was ill. After several days my father recovered. Then it snowed, and I was trapped in the house. At the time of the Chinese New Year, I touched something of the world which bothered my spirit. Therefore, I left home on the second day of the Chinese New Year and went more than two hundred li to Handao to visit the brothers. At Chingfeng I saw that the brothers were blessed through tribulations, and I rejoiced very much. I personally felt, however, that I was set aside by the Lord.
While I was at the North China Seminary in Teng Shian in 1940, I read The Normal Christian Church Life. Since then I returned to this region to preach the gospel.
In the past two years, I have felt a deep need — I am lonesome and without a partner. I have read the messages in The Ministers concerning the coordination between the co-workers. This is my need. If the work is regional, there must be a local church like Antioch as the center of the work. I feel that it is very difficult for me to be alone here. The churches in this region all need edification for new beginners. The distance between churches is over one hundred li. How can I do the work? How should I choose the way ahead of me? I am praying to see how the Lord would lead. I hope the leading brothers could give me some direction. Oh, I am really not worthy to preach the word!
Your little brother,Wu Tong-tangMarch 23, 1950
(Please refer to the map of the churches in Honan on page 142. — Editors)
After God created man, He gave Adam and Eve the occupation of caring for the garden of Eden. After man fell, God's ordination was that man would eat bread in the sweat of his face. Later Abel was a herdsmen, and Cain was a farmer. As the human race multiplied, different skilled tradesmen developed. Later, men like Abraham, Jacob, and the Israelites were either farmers or herdsmen. This shows us that God's desire is for man to be in a farming or ranching profession. We should produce things by our hand.
In the New Testament the Lord often gave parables about sowers and shepherds. Most of the twelve apostles were fishermen. Paul was a maker of tents, and Luke was a doctor. These all show us the following basic principle: Production through labor increases the quantity or value of the commodity. It takes things from nature and adds labor and strength to give them value. Farming and ranching increase the quantity of a commodity. Tent making increases the value of a commodity. Laboring and practicing medicine require effort and time for wages. A proper occupation for a Christian must be one which requires labor and is productive.
Everyone knows that commerce comes from Satan — it begins in Tyre and culminates in Babylon (Ezek. 28; Rev. 18). Its end is judgment and condemnation. Therefore, Christians should not be engaged in pure commerce. Buying and selling which does not increase the quantity or value of the commodity but only makes a profit through the trade is pure commerce. Pure commerce has only one thought in mind — making money off of people. Thus, it is easy to become evil in heart and in practice. It is not easy to be delivered from money, either. If we want to serve God, we cannot engage in such professions.
We must see that a producer takes something from nature, not from man. A laborer does not take anything from nature, nor does he take anything from man. A person engaged in commerce, however, does not take anything from nature, but takes from man. Our principle is that we must expend energy to earn money. We must increase in physical riches, not in money. Therefore, we hope that the brothers and sisters would do their best to avoid engaging in pure commerce and to find occupations that require labor in production. — Selected
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