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The first stanza of Hymns, #806 reads, “Break Thou the Bread of Life, / Dear Lord, to me, / As Thou didst break the loaves / Beside the sea; / Beyond the sacred page / I seek Thee, Lord; / My spirit pants for Thee, / O Living Word.” This hymn may have been written by the Brethren because it contains types and figures. For instance, stanza 1 says, “Break Thou the Bread of Life, / Dear Lord, to me; / As Thou didst break the loaves / Beside the sea.” Stanza 4 says, “Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, / To me, to me, / As Thou didst bless the bread / By Galilee.” This kind of imagery is similar to what can be found in Brethren hymns. This hymn contains a crucial point that shows the kind of person we should be and the kind of attitude and desire we should have, if we desire to seek the word of the Lord.
This hymn also shows that the writer was not seeking mere biblical doctrine but the Lord Himself. Hence, the second half of stanza 1 reads, “Beyond the sacred page / I seek Thee, Lord; / My spirit pants for Thee, / O Living Word.” Then the second half of stanza 3 says, “Show me the truth concealed / Within Thy Word, / And in Thy Book revealed / I see the Lord.” The author of this hymn was not seeking doctrines but the Lord Himself in the Word.
Stanza 4 reads, “Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, / To me, to me, / As Thou didst bless the bread / By Galilee; / Then shall all bondage cease, / All fetters fall, / And I shall find my peace, / My All in all.” Everyone who seeks to prophesy, who seeks the Lord’s word, should learn of the spirit and attitude demonstrated in this hymn. We need to see that we are not seeking the truth as doctrine or as letter. Instead, we are seeking the Lord of reality, the Lord Himself.
We may all be familiar with 1 Corinthians 14:26, yet this verse is difficult to apprehend. Paul says, “What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” Here, psalm does not refer to a hymn like those in our hymnal but to a long poem. According to history, the apostles came out of the background of Judaism and were able to quote long poems from Psalms. Thus, the Greek word for psalm refers to a long poem from Psalms. This verse also says that each one “has a teaching, has a revelation.” A teaching pertains to a teacher, and a revelation pertains to a prophet. Verse 26 goes on to say, “Let all things be done for building up.” Building up can also be rendered as “edifying.” This means that our speaking should edify the saints individually and the church corporately; it should edify the individual members as well as the whole Body.
Has is a crucial word in this verse. Brother Watchman Nee rightly explains this word. He says that has means that we do not wait until we come to the meeting to have something but that we prepare something before we come to the meeting. Over twenty years ago, when we were speaking messages on this topic, we saw the type in the Old Testament (Deut. 16:16-17). When the children of Israel went to the feasts in Jerusalem, God charged them not to go empty-handed. Everyone who went to the feasts had to bring with him the rich produce of the good land, whether it was oxen, sheep, pigeons, barley, grains, or fruit. A person could not come empty-handed (v. 16). Going to the feasts without empty hands is equivalent to has in 1 Corinthians 14:26. Every Israelite was required to have something to offer to God, whether an ox, a sheep, pigeons, barley, grain, or fruit. This indicates that our speaking in the meetings should not be an instant speaking but should come from the riches that we have prepared beforehand.
The type in Deuteronomy 16 clearly reveals that before coming to the meetings, we should all prepare something, just as the children of Israel did not go to the feasts empty-handed but brought with them the produce of the good land. Moreover, they were required to prepare the produce properly, bring it to Mount Zion, and offer it in the outer court of the temple. This is clearly spoken of in the Old Testament. Every time we come to a meeting, we must prepare beforehand, praying to the Lord to see which portion of the Word can be offered before God for the enjoyment of God’s people; this is how we should prepare.
Furthermore, we noticed that the word has appears five times in 1 Corinthians 14:26. Has does not refer to something miraculous, such as a sign or wonder. Has implies that something is obtained through labor and preparation. In the Old Testament the children of Israel obtained the rich produce of the good land by labor. The produce did not grow by itself simply because God sent the rain. Although a large part of the produce was the result of God’s work, if the children of Israel did not plow the ground, cultivate the land, rear the oxen, sheep, and pigeons, and plant the fruit trees, where would the produce come from? Hence, although it is absolutely true that God blessed them, that God sent the rain, and that God caused the land to grow fruit, all of God’s activities required the cooperation of human labor.
Our speaking in the meetings should come from what we have obtained from God through our daily labor. If we labor on the good land by cultivating the land, trimming the orchard, and rearing the oxen, sheep, and pigeons, we will have a rich harvest. However, if we are slothful, not much fruit and grain and not many oxen and sheep will be produced. As a result, we will go to the feasts empty-handed. Later, the children of Israel offended God, and there was a barrier between them and God; thus, their labor became futile because no matter how hard they labored, God did not send the rain. Without rain, the land could not yield anything. God even sent the wind not only to dry up their fruit but also to dry out the soil.
When I first visited Israel in 1958, I received the impression that the whole land was covered with sand and rocks, which were thoroughly dry because of the wind. Due to the lack of rain, the soil was not able to hold together. On the one hand, there was no rain, and on the other hand, the wind blew continuously. Ultimately, the soil was blown away, and what remained was dry land. Dry land was everywhere. For several hundred years the wind has continued to blow over the land of Palestine, and there has been little rain. After hundreds and thousands of years, the land is as described in Deuteronomy 28:23: “Your sky, which is above your head, will be bronze, and the land, which is under you, iron.” Bronze cannot bring forth rain, and iron cannot yield produce. Olive trees were the one thing growing in that land, and even their condition was poor. The olive trees were small, and they had only a few roots and a few thin branches. In some areas, growing olives was the sole industry.
This shows that, on one hand, we should endeavor to labor, but on the other hand, if we are not right with God, we should not expect to have a rich harvest. This means that although we may exert our effort in God’s word, if there is a barrier between us and God, we should not expect a rich harvest; rather, we will receive nothing. Anyone can read the Bible. Mr. Hu Shih, a Chinese scholar, read the Bible. He was an important leader who introduced significant literary reforms in China in the early part of the twentieth century. He was a person who had read many books. Eventually, he grouped the Chinese Union Version of the Bible with a number of popular books of Chinese fiction; he understood the Bible in the same way he understood fiction. Moreover, he considered the two most well known works of fiction in the Chinese language and the Chinese Union Version as three excellent books that best show the progress of vernacular Chinese. If people understand the Bible in this way, they will not receive blessing. This is why Mr. Hu Shih was never saved.
Although reading the Bible is right, a person must also be right in order to reap the benefits of reading. What kind of book the Bible is depends on the kind of person reading it. Mr. Hu Shih sought for the improvement of vernacular Chinese; thus, the only thing he found in the Bible was progress in vernacular Chinese. He did not see anything else in the Bible. If a person is not right, his heart too will not be right, and as a result, neither his pursuit nor his goal will be right. This makes it difficult for a person to reap anything positive.
If we want to be prophets, we must have a foundation in God’s word; without a foundation in God’s word, it will be difficult for us to speak for God. Moreover, our person must be right; if our person is not right, it will be futile even if we can prophesy well. The prophets need the revelations in God’s word, and the teachers who present a teaching also need the riches of God. When I was newly saved, I was desirous of the truth and tried my best to find books to read. At that time I was a poor student and did not have much money. In addition, I did not live in a big city, so not many books were available; nevertheless, I still did my best to buy books.
When I first began to read spiritual books, I did not have much discernment, and I thought that all the books were good. I read one book that expounded the matter of the leaven in Matthew 13:33. This verse says that leaven was hidden in three measures of meal. The book explained that leaven is the power of the gospel that motivates the democratic nation and society. When I first read this, I felt that it was a good exposition. Gradually, however, as I joined the meetings of the Brethren assembly, heard their expositions, and read their books, I began to realize that the mention of leaven throughout the entire Bible, whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, is always related to something evil. First, it signifies evil; second, it signifies corrupted things, because of the germs within the leaven. This exposition has its scriptural basis in the Old Testament. After keeping the Feast of the Passover, the children of Israel kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread in which they ate unleavened bread (Exo. 23:14-15). In the New Testament the Lord Jesus also spoke regarding leaven, saying, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6). After learning the correct interpretation of leaven, I abhorred the harmful books that I had read. For them to cheat me of my money is a matter of little consequence, but it is a serious thing for them to deceive my mind and rob my energy.
It is not easy to be a good teacher and to expound the teachings in the Bible. Moreover, not everyone can expound the Bible, because the Bible is not an ordinary book to be read and understood by anyone according to his own taste. The Bible has its principles. Thus, in order to speak for God, we need to see the revelations contained in the Bible; then when we teach people, we must take God’s riches as the content and reality in our teaching. Only in this way can people touch God and receive God’s riches in our words. Furthermore, we need to instruct people concerning the ordinances, principles, and statutes in God’s Word; this will constitute a good prophecy.
Psalm 103:7 says, “He made His ways known to Moses; / His acts, to the children of Israel.” This indicates that for a teacher to apply God’s word, he needs to know God and God’s ways. Only then can his speaking minister God to others, open their eyes, and cause them to know the ways of God. God’s ways are the laws, the principles, by which God acts. For example, we know that God is righteous and that He never does things that are unrighteous; this is a law, a principle. If we want to help people to see this principle of God, we should never do anything that wrongs another person. Only when we ourselves have come to know the ways of God will we be able to teach them to others. Hence, a person who teaches and preaches must enjoy God and know both God and God’s ways. Obtaining a basic constitution of the truth does not come simply by linking together a few verses in the Bible prior to coming to the meeting; it does not come so easily.
Prophesying and teaching require us to be persons who know God, enjoy God, and know God’s ways, God’s rules, and God’s principles. We must familiarize ourselves with the stories in the Old Testament so that in these stories we may see God and God’s ways and thus be able to derive messages from them. Then when we speak, we will enable others to realize that God is full of lovingkindness, full of forgiveness, and abounding in grace. In this way we speak forth God and speak God into others for their enjoyment.
Genuine teachings come from our labor in God’s word; nevertheless, this differs from studying hard in school as a student. It does not matter whether the being of a student studying in school is right or not; his results will be fine as long as he studies hard. The school cannot determine that because a student is a thief, he will not do well academically, nor can it expect that because another student is a modest gentleman, he will obtain a perfect score on his exam. The score one obtains on an examination depends upon how much effort one puts in. Even if a student is a thief, as long as he spends time to study hard before an examination, he will be able to earn a good score. In contrast, if a person both steals and spends time studying God’s word, he absolutely will not obtain a perfect score, because his person is not right. His person disqualifies him from speaking concerning God’s ways, because God’s ways are righteous and therefore will not permit any stealing. Hence, when we speak for God, our person must be right.
The requirement concerning revelation is even higher, because a revelation is God making known the intent of His heart. Psalm 25:14 says, “The intimate counsel of Jehovah is to those who fear Him.” Intimate counsel carries a sense of revelation, indicating that if we want to receive God’s revelation, we must be those who draw near to Him. If we are those who draw near to God, contact Him, and are joined to Him, we will be one spirit with the Lord. First Corinthians 6:17 says, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” If we are joined to the Lord in spirit, we will surely receive revelation. Revelation is different from teaching and is deeper than teaching; it requires us to be those who draw near to God, fellowship with God, be one spirit with the Lord every day, and labor on the Bible continually; if we are such persons, God will reveal much to us through the words of the Bible. This kind of revelation does not necessarily come to us in the church meetings but is obtained through our reading the Word and praying at home during our daily living.
Revelation primarily enables us to know the mystery of God, which in the New Testament is God’s economy. This New Testament economy consists mainly of two great mysteries: the mystery of God and the mystery of Christ. The mystery of God is Christ, and the mystery of Christ is the church. Hence, Christ and the church are the two great mysteries in God’s New Testament economy. This is not a teaching; it is altogether a revelation.
A person does not receive this kind of revelation by memorizing the Bible. A person may be familiar with the Bible and adept in linking together verses in the Bible, yet he may not have any revelation or light. We must realize that we will not necessarily have light simply because we are familiar with the Bible. Having light is altogether a matter of our spirit.
The Bible is a great book. Though people may expound it using their wild imagination, it never loses its greatness and authenticity. I was born into fundamental and organized Christianity and read a number of books after I was saved; nevertheless, it was not until I met the Brethren that I began to know some of the fundamental and accurate truths. The truth that the Brethren taught was pure and accurate. This was a great adjustment and cleansing for me, allowing me to become clear concerning all the improper doctrines that I had received. Later, I came into contact with Brother Nee. He was a person who knew the Bible very well. Both of us had contacted what fundamental Christianity passed down.
In the history of Christianity from the sixth century to the sixteenth century, a total of ten centuries, the Roman Catholic Church locked up the Bible, causing the church to fall into the Dark Ages, an age without God’s word, revelation, and light. In the 1500s Martin Luther rose up to introduce some reforms. Prior to Luther, people such as John Wycliffe and John Huss had already begun the work of reformation. The state churches and private churches that were produced by the Reformation were all orthodox. Then in the eighteenth century John Wesley rose up. At the same time, in the southern part of Germany Count Zinzendorf opened his estate to the Lord’s believers because of his love for Him. This resulted in the producing of the Moravian Brethren and brought in a great revival. A century later, the British Brethren were raised up. All the Brethren groups were orthodox. In the interval the mystics were also raised up, and they too were orthodox. Later, William Law made mysticism practical and brought in the matter of the inner life. We have inherited everything orthodox from the past nineteen hundred years.
Bible exposition has its unchanging principles, which have been established through the studies by Bible scholars throughout the generations over the past nineteen hundred years. We must solemnly say that through our collecting and compiling work, most of these riches have been “crystallized” in the Recovery Version of the New Testament. If we read the footnotes of the Recovery Version of the New Testament carefully from beginning to end, we will see that all the principles are contained in it. These principles form the standard that secures our understanding, comprehension, and expounding of the Bible so that we would not stray from the truth. These principles also apply in our expounding of the prophecies, types, plain texts, and history of the Bible. Because the Bible is the revelation of the mystery of God, our application of these principles will preserve us from straying off.
In summary, in order to receive a revelation we must be proper persons. Our being must be right, and we must be those who seek the Lord Himself and are able to teach something. This is the minimum requirement. Second, we must advance further. Not only must we be right, but we must also know the spirit and have deep fellowship with the Lord in spirit. Hence, we need to be teachers who are able to teach something and prophets who are able to speak for the Lord. In prophesying, we speak for the Lord and speak forth the Lord. A large part of prophesying consists of revelation. For example, the praise offered by Mary is a prophecy, but it is also full of light and revelation. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has exulted in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). This word is a word of revelation. If we want to prophesy in such a way, our person must not only be right, but our spirit must also maintain close fellowship with the Lord.
At home most of the married brothers listen to their wives. If their wives are proper, the husbands will be able to serve peacefully. Hence, in the church life it is necessary to lead the sisters well. According to my observation in 1946, the sisters in Shanghai, especially the middle-aged sisters, were more trustworthy than the brothers. This was due to the help rendered behind the scenes by Ruth Lee and Peace Wang. These two sisters helped the sisters in Shanghai to be obedient and submissive. Because the leading sisters overthrew the “nest” of problems, the brothers and the co-workers had no problems whatsoever in regard to the sisters’ service.
Ants have nests, but the ants will leave if the nest is toppled. These two sisters — Ruth Lee and Peace Wang — were skillful in overturning the “nests.” No matter which household had problems, as long as these two sisters handled them, everything was solved. Hence, the work is difficult if no one leads the sisters. The experienced sisters need to be able to lead the sisters and teach them at the same time. Ruth Lee was truly apt to teach. She wrote hymn #127 in our Chinese hymnal. This hymn was written in a skillful and precise manner. From it we can tell that she was a teacher, one who was apt to teach.
If all the brothers and sisters learn to prophesy, it will be a great matter. When they go out, they will all be useful wherever they go. Within half a year, churches will be raised up one after another. In another three or five years there will be churches all over Taiwan. This is what we need today. If we want to gospelize Taiwan, we must carry it out in this way. In order to gospelize Taiwan within the next five years, we need to develop these three matters: the ability to lead, teach, and prophesy. Once we succeed in these three matters, the purpose of the full-time training will be accomplished.
In the early days, when we came to Taiwan to serve full time, we were empty-handed and had nothing. Fifteen years later, however, thousands of people had been saved, and group after group of elders and co-workers were perfected; this was due to leading, teaching, and speaking the Lord’s word.
These three matters are the most important matters related to administrating the church; we must take the lead well, be apt to teach, and be able to prophesy. If we look back in history, we will find that the success of the church depends upon leading, teaching, and prophesying. Whenever leading is lacking, weakness is manifested; whenever teaching is lacking, breaches and leaks occur; and whenever prophesying is lacking, there is no strength. However, when some are able to take the lead, are apt to teach, and are rich in prophesying, the Lord’s work will be strong, and the church will prosper. I hope that the elders will take this word and not merely understand it but strive together so that the church can advance even further.
On one hand, leading is general; on the other hand, leading involves many details. An elder should not be afraid of being capable. For instance, he should not be afraid to know multiple languages. Darby, an Englishman, was competent in English. He was a scholar produced by the Episcopalian Church and translated the Old Testament and the New Testament into three languages — English, French, and German. Moreover, he also knew the two original languages of the Bible — Hebrew and Greek. Hence, he was proficient in all five languages, not just familiar with them in a general sense. He remained single for his whole life, and consequently all of his time and energy were spent on studies and acquiring proficiency in these languages. This enabled him to do the work of translating the Bible. This was not a simple task. Laboring in this way, he became the “king of Bible exposition” in the past two hundred years of Christian history.
Due to certain circumstances I was not able to obtain a college degree; nevertheless, after I was saved, I studied on my own because of various needs. Eventually, what I obtained through self-study exceeded what I had learned in school. This shows that we really need to learn and continue to pursue further studies.
In a sense, there is no need for training centers; I myself have never gone through any training. One time some brothers asked me, “Brother Nee praised you and said that your progress could be likened to flying; please tell us how you ‘fly’?” This question was difficult to answer, because what use would it be for them to ask me how I fly if they would not fly? In fact, all they needed to do was fly. If we want to know how to fly, the best way is to fly. If we try, we will learn to do it. At the beginning we may have no idea how to fly, but we will learn within a few hours. When I was young, I did not learn to ride a bicycle. Later, when I went to Shanghai at the age of thirty, I needed to ride a bicycle for transportation. At that time no one was able to teach me, so I borrowed an old bicycle and learned on my own. When I first tried, I fell, but I tried repeatedly. Through repeatedly getting up and falling down, I eventually learned to ride skillfully. This is why there is the saying “Where there is a will, there is a way.” As long as we have the heart to do something and are persistent in carrying it out, we will succeed.
What lies before us is a great opportunity; the whole earth is our work place. Our only concern should be that of not entering in. If we enter in and propagate, the future will be immeasurable. Hence, whether we are elders or co-workers, we should proceed toward this goal. The co-workers must have an adequate pursuing. If we are inadequate in languages, it will be difficult for us to propagate anywhere. Today in Taiwan, for the purpose of international trade, people regard learning languages as a very important matter. If a businessman wants his products to spread into a certain country, he must at least know the language of that country. If he does not, it will be difficult for him to create business contacts. As a result, some university students in Taiwan not only know English but have also learned Spanish. After they graduate from college, they can enter the import and export trade. Some may even go to South America to do business there.
A Christian from Chile told me that the suit pants and shirt he wore, though bought in Chile, were in fact imported from Taiwan. This shows Taiwan’s position in the international market. This is the world situation. All the more, we must not fail to advance in the Lord’s work. For example, the aborigines and local Taiwanese are all within our reach and need our visitation. It is a shame if none of the co-workers speak Taiwanese. Anyone who has a heart to serve must be able to speak Mandarin and Taiwanese in order to be qualified to be a co-worker. If we do not have this kind of spirit, how can we accomplish anything? Thus, we hope that we would all have an aggressive spirit so that we can propagate.
Although the supply of the word in our midst has been rich, and our spiritual publications have been bountiful, we still need to use some effort to receive the supply. For example, when we eat, we must use a little effort; no one is able to eat for us. In the same way, receiving the supply from God’s word also depends on our effort. Sometimes we may be so busy that we think it troublesome to eat three meals a day. In this respect, our human body can be very troublesome. Not only does it need to eat, but it also needs to get rid of the waste and be maintained in many other ways. On one hand, this may be troublesome, but on the other hand, if we do not serve our bodies well, our bodies will not and cannot serve and work for us.
All the leading brothers in the churches should study the content of this book so that the churches under their leading might be living. Some elders have said that given the condition of their localities, no matter how much they endeavor, it is difficult to go on. This may be true, but even in such an unfavorable condition, considerable progress can still be made if the elders are willing to endeavor. Let us consider the cleaning of the meeting hall. Everyone can improve the way that it is cleaned. There is room to improve the manner in which the curtains are opened and closed, the doors to the restrooms are pulled shut, and the chairs are arranged in the meeting hall. Perhaps the present condition is already satisfactory; nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. It is always good to make progress. As long as we all have the heart to endeavor, the churches will be able to advance.
Due to the Lord’s grace in the past, there are more than one hundred churches in Taiwan. If all of these churches, regardless of size, would rise up, if the elders would take the lead well and be apt to teach, and if the young ones would strive, be faithful, and prophesy well, the future will be bright. Let us consider the church in Kaohsiung. The situation of this church is very good. If the brothers would resolve to strive together, I believe that the whole church would have a new look within a year and that the number of saints meeting would double. If this does not occur, the brothers who coordinate should come together to fast, pray, and come up with a strategy. They should not let the situation go. Since the Lord has given us so many brothers and sisters who love Him, so many rich truths, a definite ground, and a clear way, we should take the lead faithfully and bring in a flourishing situation. May we not go home and sleep peacefully; rather, let us give our whole being to strive and endeavor. If we do not, even the angels cannot help us.
From now on we need to strive and push toward the goal of taking the lead well, being apt to teach, and prophesying well. The young people should never have differences of opinion or live according to their moods. Instead, they should go on steadily in the church life. I co-labored with Brother Nee for eighteen years. May the Lord cover me with His blood; in those eighteen years I never expressed any opinion to Brother Nee. He used to turn toward me in the co-workers’ meetings and ask, “Brother Witness, what do you think?” I would smile and not say a word. I maintained an attitude of obedience because I was not taking the lead. I simply obeyed; I did whatever he wanted me to do, and I went wherever he wanted me to go. This was my attitude. In those eighteen years I never voiced an opinion. Furthermore, all the messages I spoke in those eighteen years were Brother Nee’s messages. I would even tell the saints the year in which Brother Nee had released the message that I was speaking. I never considered it a shame to speak Brother Nee’s messages; on the contrary, I was proud of it. I am not exaggerating. In January of 1934, after I heard ten messages in a conference in Shanghai, I went back to Chefoo, and by June I had repeated those ten messages. This was how closely I followed Brother Nee in the past.
Today the most damaging things to the Lord’s work in His recovery are opinions and gossip. These things are a big shame to us. Once we have differences in opinion and live according to our moods, it will be difficult for us to continue on in the Lord’s way. We all need to learn to be without opinion. A person who is not taking the lead should obey the directions he receives, and one who takes the lead should provide directions. If we can neither give directions nor follow directions, we are through. I have had many experiences of riding in people’s cars. I have learned not to say anything when a brother is driving. I do not say to go north or south, to turn right or left, or to go fast or slow. The only exception occurred when a brother and I drove from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in the middle of the night during the winter. The brother fell asleep while driving, and upon seeing it, I needed to remind him that for our safety he should not fall asleep. Often people express many opinions while riding in the cars of other people. This makes it difficult for the drivers.
I hope that all the elders and co-workers will avoid expressing different opinions in the work. If all the co-workers, elders, and full-time serving ones avoid expressing their opinions, the churches will be blessed. Where there is opinion, there the church is through; even if the opinion is the greatest and brightest, it is still useless. This can be compared to a chemical experiment; opinion is like the corrupting factor in the experiment. No matter where this factor is added, the experiment is ruined. Hence, whether we are co-workers, elders, or young full-timers, we need to realize that when we serve together, we need to learn to have no opinion. Ahead of us is only one goal. All the elders and co-workers should not have any opinion when they go back to their localities. Instead, they should take the lead well, teach well, and prophesy well. They should also endeavor to labor on the Lord’s word, pray much, pursue the truth, and seek the Lord Himself. Moreover, they need to have close and intimate fellowship with the Lord and live in spirit so that the Lord can give them light and revelation at any time. In this way they will be able to prophesy, to speak for the Lord, and to speak forth the Lord, thereby bringing in great blessings for the church.
