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In the first six chapters our fellowship will mainly be to gain spiritual understanding. The purpose of this fellowship is not to discuss certain matters or to set up a training but rather to provide an opportunity for us to come together and fellowship concerning the work and the service. I am also burdened to fellowship concerning the building up of the church, our spiritual pursuit, and the supply through the ministry of the word.
According to my disposition, I am inclined to labor for a long time in only one place. In relation to our disposition, regardless of how much we experience salvation, God does not intend to annul our disposition. This is the reason that Paul’s Epistles have Paul’s flavor and that John’s Epistles have John’s flavor. The writing of the apostles was out of the Holy Spirit, but it has their flavor. Even though we usually associate disposition with naturalness, the Lord does not intend to annul the disposition of the people who are in His hand. The Lord desires that man be mingled with Him and yet maintain the distinctiveness of man.
After I graduated from school, I worked in one company. Many of my schoolmates and friends encouraged me to look for a better job, but I did not want to change where I worked. I worked in the same company for six to seven years before I began to serve full time. I worked in only one place until I served the Lord full time. Likewise, wherever I served, I labored diligently; I did not move from place to place.
I was in northern China for a long time, but I labored only in one place—the church in Chefoo. The more I labored, the more work I saw that needed to be done. Then one day the Lord raised up circumstances that sent me to southern China. I then labored for a long time in the Shanghai and Nanking areas. Again, if not for the circumstances, it is possible that I would still be in Shanghai. The more I labored, the more I felt the need to labor, because there was much to be done. But God raised up circumstances that did not allow me to continue to labor there.
Under the Lord’s arrangement I had to travel back and forth between two or three different places. Even though I traveled from one place to another, the Lord rarely led me personally. Most of the time the Lord raised up circumstances that forced me to move, or the senior co-workers charged me to move. Hence, I always felt dissatisfied because I expected to stay in one place for a long time and concentrate my energy and strength to labor and build up a local church as a strong model.
The Lord’s arrangement in various circumstances over the years compelled me to travel often. I once fellowshipped with the responsible brothers that I hoped to remain in Taipei and not travel for a long period in order to build up a model, because the condition of our district meetings is not what it should be. This is mainly because of a shortage in the supply and the leading in the ministry of the word. It seems as if the church is a shell, and there is a shortage in content. Even though there are more than twenty district meetings, the content of these meetings needs to be enriched and strengthened. In a certain sense, they are more impoverished than before. Therefore, there is the need for a supply from the ministry.
In the past the elders in the church in Taipei were willing to receive my help. However, after they received the help, the result they worked out was different from what I envisioned. To illustrate, the brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia have a good recipe for breakfast pastries. But when we follow this recipe, the breakfast pastries that we make are raw and unattractive. This shows that it is one thing to have instructions, and it is another thing to have the skill to follow the instructions. For example, after hearing messages concerning the enjoyment of God, the brothers tried to lead the saints in this matter. Yet somehow their practice turned out to be different from what it was supposed to be. This is similar to the Chinese saying, “He painted a tiger, but it turned out as a dog.”
The church in Taipei is a large church with about two thousand saints in the meetings. The greatest shortage is that the elders’ administration of the church is poor and weak. The saints lack color and energy, but this is not because the brothers have made mistakes. It seems as if the saints have not eaten for days, or they do not receive adequate nutrition from their food. Undoubtedly, the saints are weak because they lack a supply from the ministry.
The elders, the responsible ones in the district meetings, and the full-time serving ones have tried their best, but there is still a lack. This is the reason that I want to stay in Taipei for an extended period. I would rather sacrifice the work in other places in order to remain here and work together with the elders. I do not want to merely give them instructions. I want to work together with them and guide them.
A church as large as the church in Taipei has many needs, but the brothers and sisters who serve in Taipei do not have the skills to meet these needs. It seems as if we are building a house without the proper skills. We have labored in Taipei for many years, but the result of our work is poor and weak. Even though we may not be blamed for the shortage of our work, we cannot deny that it is poor and weak.
I have considered this problem before the Lord from many angles. On the one hand, because I could not be here continually, there has been a lack but not a loss. On the other hand, my frequent travels overseas have deepened and broadened my spiritual insight. If I had not traveled all these years, my spiritual insight would not be as sharp as it is now. A person who stays in one place for a long time can see only a partial picture. If I had stayed in one place, my understanding would not be as deep as it is now. On the one hand, my absence was a lack, but on the other hand, my traveling has enabled me to have a broader view and a deeper and higher realization. I feel that this gain is worthwhile. Therefore, I want to fellowship my observations with you. You may not feel the same as I do, because we are looking at things from different angles. Nevertheless, I want to fellowship my impressions.
I am about to visit nearly every major city on every continent except Australia. A number of these cities do not have a church that we know of; nevertheless, I would like to visit these cities. Most of the cities have local churches.
The visit by T. Austin-Sparks at the end of 1955 was a notable event among us. Before his visit we did not have official fellowship or contact with any Christian group in the West. Brother Nee visited the West, but almost no Christians from the West visited us. Brother T. Austin-Sparks’s visit and his fellowship gave us many impressions that caused us to pay attention to the direction and the work of the Lord in the present age.
In July and August of last year Brother Austin-Sparks called an international conference in London and insisted that I attend. My absence disappointed him. The conference began in London, then it went to Denmark, and finally to Scotland. Only twenty-five to twenty-nine people attended the meeting in Scotland, which was a meeting of co-workers from various places. It was not a gathering of all the saints. America, Europe, India, and other places in the world that know something of the way that the Lord is taking were represented in the international conference. But there was no one from the Chinese-speaking areas of Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This disappointed Brother Austin-Sparks because he wanted some believers from these areas to attend the conference.
A brother with whom I labored previously sent me a substantial amount of information concerning the conference. Brother Austin-Sparks also sent me a detailed letter about their meetings and about his feeling concerning the meetings. In addition, I also received a letter from a Western sister who is a co-worker. Hence, I know what took place in the conference from these three sources.
Brother Austin-Sparks led the attendants to see and to study the way that the Lord is taking in this age. He said that the churches and even the work in every place should be the same and that we should have the same vision and know the way that the Lord is taking in this age and the work that He is doing. He also said that if we see the way that the Lord is taking and the work that He is doing, the churches and the work will be the same. In his letter to me Brother Austin-Sparks did not write about the result of the meetings, but he clearly said that very few among the brothers have a large capacity. The brother who labored with me in the past wrote that Brother Austin-Sparks spoke of Taiwan numerous times during the conference. He hoped that the co-workers from some places, particularly from India, would pay more attention to the work in Taiwan.
The Western sister described the meeting that took place in Scotland. Her letter indicated that the attendants felt that the work at Honor Oak needs to be balanced. Her words were rather strong. She said that Honor Oak “only gives and does not receive”; that is, they only give to others; they do not receive from others. If they do not receive, they are not balanced. We should not have the thought that the goal of my travel is to balance others. This is not my intention. I am merely fellowshipping concerning the spiritual condition of different places.
The majority of Christian groups in the West, except for Catholicism, are fundamental. Two Christian groups are quite influential. One group is represented by the Keswick Convention, which is renowned among Christians in the West. This convention may be the largest gathering of Christians from all over the world. Besides the Brethren and us, who take the way that the Lord is taking, zealous Christians and Christian workers from all over the world, including Africa and Australia, are desirous to attend the convention. Any preacher who becomes a speaker at the Keswick Convention is considered to be very good, because this opportunity is not given to many. This shows how influential the Keswick Convention is among Christians in the West.
The other influential group is the evangelicals. The Christians in this group are concerned with the spread of the gospel. They are content to labor together for the spread of the gospel, but they do not stress the truth. The evangelicals can be subdivided into three groups, the largest group being the missions. The most influential mission has been China Inland Mission, which focuses on preaching the gospel in foreign countries. After the political situation changed in China, however, China Inland Mission ceased its work in China and is no longer as influential. It is a top mission that was highly esteemed in the hearts of Christians during the past fifty to sixty years. Another mission is the Oriental Missionary Society founded by Charles E. Cowman, whose wife wrote Streams in the Desert. Other mission groups are the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which was founded by Dr. A. B. Simpson, and the Baptist denomination. These are very good missions that send missionaries to preach the gospel overseas. They are admired and respected by Christians in the West.
Another evangelical group focuses on domestic gospel campaigns. The believers in this group do not belong to any mission; instead, they act individually. There are at least ten evangelical revivalists in America, and the most famous is Billy Graham. These brothers are mainly concerned with preaching the gospel domestically. Once in a while they may travel abroad, but their primary work is within their country. They feel that they should not evangelize foreign countries when their own country is a land of Gentiles. They feel that since the number of believers in their country is decreasing and the number of unbelievers is increasing, they should preach the gospel to their countrymen instead of in a foreign country. Hence, they promote gospel campaigns in their country.
Just like the mission groups that go abroad, these brothers do not care about anything else. They make a concerted effort to preach the gospel. Wherever they go, they require all the Christians, regardless of their denomination or sect, to cooperate, work, and pray together. Before they go to an area, they send a team to prepare the atmosphere by advertising their gospel event on billboards and in newspapers. When the atmosphere is ready, they arrive with a support group and hold a large gospel meeting. They do not emphasize the truth, the ground of the church, or the way of the church, nor do they discern these matters. They only make a united effort to preach the gospel. This group is prevalent in America.
A third evangelical group uses healing to preach the gospel. However, in most cases this is not divine healing. Most of the people whom this group claims to heal are not really healed. When I was in Manila, I attended this type of meeting because many brothers and sisters went there to be healed. Divine healing must not be based on feeling. It must be based on medical facts. A person who is sick with a fever may claim to be healed because he feels better after a preacher lays his hands on him. Feelings, however, are not sufficient evidence of healing.
A brother in Manila had a Christian neighbor who had a stomach disease and therefore went to a “divine healer.” After the healer laid his hand on the neighbor, he felt better and stood up to testify that he was healed. When he went home, however, the pain in his stomach returned. Some among us may have gone to be healed by these preachers, but they were momentarily healed psychologically rather than physically. In conclusion, the evangelistic groups send missionaries to foreign countries, unite to preach the gospel to their countrymen, and preach the gospel through “divine” healing.
The two major Christian groups in the West are the Keswick Convention and the evangelicals. But these two groups are actually interconnected. One of the past chairmen of the Keswick Convention was also the president of the China Inland Mission. These two groups lead Christians in the West. In the recent two to three years these believers have strongly opposed Brother Austin-Sparks’s fellowship in Honor Oak. They even printed their opposition.
In Hong Kong I read a book which said that Brother Austin-Sparks says that the believers need to know the Body and that a believer who does not know the Body has not entered into the Body. The book refuted this statement and asked whether a person could be saved without entering into the Body. The influence of these statements in Christianity is serious. The book concluded that the teaching from Honor Oak is heresy, because a person who is saved has the life of Christ and is therefore a member of Christ. It also asks whether anyone can say that a saved person has not entered into the church or the Body, and concludes that anyone who teaches this teaches heresy. Christianity in the West has reached the point of absolute hostility toward Brother Austin-Sparks and Honor Oak, regardless of how congenial he is in his attitude and how cautious he is in his speaking and his work.
The brothers in the Far East have not taken the time to know the situation in Christianity. They know only how to work, lead meetings, give messages, and visit people. They do not care about other things. Christianity, nevertheless, is determined to oppose us. Their opposition toward us is more severe than their opposition toward Honor Oak. The believers who take the lead to oppose us are the missionaries from the China Inland Mission. Outwardly, they do not express anything, but inwardly, they oppose us.
The Western missionaries from the China Inland Mission oppose us when they come to the Far East. After they lost the field in China, they began to work in the Chinese communities on the islands near mainland China—from Japan to Southeast Asia. These missionaries no longer establish their own churches; instead, they help existing Christian groups. If the Baptists, the Presbyterians, or the Methodists invite them to give a message or to labor, they are willing. But they do not receive a salary from any group, because they are supported by China Inland Mission. This was not their policy and goal when they were in China. This is my analysis, not a criticism.
For many years we nullified the ground of organized Christianity in our attitude and our way, because of the light that we received. Hence, the missionaries in China Inland Mission feel that we are the least cooperative group and the most exclusive. They feel that they can work in any place, but we feel that they cannot work with us. Although we are diametrically opposed in our ways, it is not our intention to oppose them. Nevertheless, they feel that our attitude is an obstacle to the goal of their work in East Asia and in the Far East. Therefore, they take the lead to oppose us.
In expounding the truth, the heart and attitude of a believer must be proper. In addition, his words must be appropriate. This is a serious matter before God. Every believer will be judged by God. Whether or not a believer’s argument concerning the truth is right, his heart, attitude, and words must be proper. He should not criticize others in a casual manner, nor should he make false and inaccurate statements. In 1939, after we published messages on the truth concerning the kingdom, someone put out a book to strongly oppose us. The author of the book slandered us and said that “those who advocate entering into the kingdom say that it is possible for a saved one to be in ‘the dark hell.’” When we refute someone’s statements, we should use their terms. We should not create our own terms. We have never used the terms the dark hell or the black hell.
The author of an article entitled “My Little Testimony” said that he heard a message by a Mr. So-and-so. This “Mr. So-and-so” was me. The author said that the message was about the believers’ accepting the local church’s control in their marriage and that Mr. So-and-so said that if the saints do not overcome, they will go to the black hell. I would like to ask the saints who have listened to my messages whether I ever spoke on accepting the local church’s control or on controlling the believers’ marriage? That article did not contain the truth.
Over the years in Taiwan we have been attacked and severely opposed by other believers because of our attitude and our ground. There is no middle ground. Christians in the Far East have misunderstood our heart and our attitude. In their eyes we “create difficulties” among the believers.
As I observed the situation, I asked the co-workers, especially the senior co-workers, to consider certain things. We can say with a clear conscience that from the time we began to serve the Lord until today, we had no intention to be in Christianity. Neither do we intend to create our own sect. We do not covet anything. We only want to keep a pure conscience and to hold the light of the truth that we have seen. The attitude of Christianity toward us merely causes us to focus on the matters that we received from the Lord. I spent a considerable amount of time before the Lord concerning these matters in order to know how we should proceed.
Just as Brother Austin-Sparks and the brothers who gathered in Scotland carefully considered the way that the Lord wants them to take and the work that they should do, we also feel that we should focus on certain things. First of all, we need to know life. We may be familiar with the word life, but we should not treat life as a term. Next, we need to know the church, and then we need to know the kingdom. These three items are comprehensive. Life is the most comprehensive; it includes the knowledge and the experience of life. We should also have a thorough understanding of the two aspects of the church. We should know the ground and the way of the church and the content and the reality of the church. In addition, we need to know the truth and the reality of the kingdom.
If we, the co-workers, do not have sufficient knowledge concerning life, the church, and the kingdom, we will not be able to meet the need of this age. If we only preach the gospel with zeal and hold revival meetings, just as Christianity does, we will not be able to meet this need. The work that God wants to carry out in this age is rejected by the world and ignored by Christianity. The Protestant denominations have expressed their attitude in their opposition to us. This does not mean that they have not done anything for God. They preach the gospel, but merely preaching the gospel cannot meet the need of God in this age. Therefore, we are forced to rise up to meet God’s need in this age. If we merely have some knowledge of the truth and are zealous for the gospel, this need will not be met. We need a thorough understanding of life, the church, and the kingdom.
Therefore, it is not sufficient for the brothers who labor to merely be zealous for the gospel and have some knowledge of the truth. This cannot meet the need of this age, nor will it meet our own need. There is a situation in our midst that we cannot cope with unless we know life, the church, and the kingdom.
We gave many messages concerning the content and the testimony of the church. The brothers and sisters need to review these messages. Then they will receive new light. When we studied the book of Ephesians, we spoke concerning the content and the testimony of the church. This is the hidden aspect of the church. The messages that were released in the last year mainly covered matters concerning the visible aspect of the church, that is, the ground and the way of the church. We also need to know this aspect of the church.
There is also the truth concerning the kingdom. The chapter entitled “Entering into the Kingdom of the Heavens” in Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, Volume 5 is on the kingdom. Even though this book covers practical matters, it gives a clear presentation of the truth. However, the chapter on the kingdom does not say much concerning the reality of the kingdom. It is focused on spiritual authority. I recently gave a message in Manila on what the kingdom is to the believers, in which I emphasized the reality of the kingdom. Then I gave several messages in Hong Kong concerning what the kingdom is to the church. The messages given in Manila and in Hong Kong provide a thorough explanation of the reality of the kingdom and supplement the chapter on entering into the kingdom of the heavens.
The saints who are co-workers need to know where we are, the situation we are in, what our need is, what our focus should be, and what we should be doing. We can then work out something that will meet our need and also meet the need of this age. We must not merely be zealous for the gospel, have some knowledge of the truth, and give a few messages to help the saints to be zealous, to be revived, and to serve. This is not enough. We must see the crucial matters of life, the church, and the kingdom.
If our eyes are opened to these three matters and we have a thorough understanding of them, our work will begin to meet the need of this age. The district meetings in Taipei lack life, the church, and the reality of the kingdom. This lack cannot be met by a little knowledge of the truth; rather, we need a vision. I cannot force the brothers and sisters to see, nor can I help them see. All I can do is fellowship. May the Spirit operate within us and give us the desire to see these three great visions.
