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Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 2:4; 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:2, 15
In the fresh leading that we have received of the Lord, our first step is to learn to visit people by door-knocking. This is not door-pounding but door-knocking. Door-pounding implies a rough attitude, whereas door-knocking indicates a polite visit. The first thing with door-knocking is to talk to people about the Lord, to speak the gospel, to lead them to pray and receive the Lord, and then to baptize them. Before a person is baptized, we need to tell him clearly that as we baptize him, we will be immersing him into water, which signifies that we are immersing him into the Lord (Gal. 3:27). Through this, he will experience dying and being buried together with the Lord (Rom. 6:3-5). He was formerly outside of the Lord, but now through baptism he becomes one who is in the Lord. Not only so, we are also baptizing him into the Triune God, that is, into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19) as well as into the church, the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). This Body is joined to the Lord as one spirit (6:17). Hence, through baptism, we put him into the Lord’s death, into the Lord, into the Triune God, and into the church, the Body of Christ. He by faith receives the Lord; we by faith baptize him. This is the simple meaning of baptism.
Many times when we preach the gospel to people, it is not the listeners but we who do not believe. In our hearts we may say, “This is too fast; it is not going to work.” To be sure, then, it does not work. Such is the way in which faith operates. When faith says, “It is done,” God says, “Amen; it is done.” Our God is amazing. Sometimes He does not say Amen right away. He may wait five days before saying, “It is done.” However, this does not mean that nothing is happening during those five days. Rather, He works continuously until it is done. This is to bring people to salvation and unto the Lord. Therefore, we all have to learn to only believe and not fear.
After we help someone to be saved, we must grasp the opportunity to set up a time with this new believer for another meeting. The next time that we visit him is to establish a meeting in his home. This is because the target of our gospel is to gain not the individual alone but rather the whole family as the unit. The multiplication by families is inexhaustible. A Chinese proverb says that cousins span three thousand miles. There are cases of Chinese people immigrating to America, getting their citizenship in five years, and then bringing over their wives, children, parents, siblings, and other relatives. With the son comes his parents and children, with the daughter-in-law, her parents, and with the siblings, their wives. In a few years the whole family has immigrated to America. We must preach the gospel in the same way—not to only one individual but to the entire family. As soon as his home opens up, all his close and distant relatives will come along. Thus, the multiplication of the gospel is without end.
For this reason, after helping a person to start having meetings in his home, we need to remind him after one or two times, “Brother, you have received the grace of the Lord and are overflowing with joy and blessing. However, God does not want to bless you alone. He also wants to bless your household. He has poured Himself not only on you. He wants to flow into your whole family also. This is marvelous, so you must not hoard this heavenly grace to yourself, not letting it go. You should propagate this grace to your whole family, including all your distant relatives, by delivering it to their homes.” We need to exhort him in this way. However, we should not expect results the following day. Of course, we also should not be in unbelief but should admonish him steadfastly and continually until he is touched. In this way, within just two or three years, his relatives and friends will become linked to us, becoming our gospel targets.
What should we do in the home meetings? Generally speaking, there are only four things in the Christian meetings: the Spirit, the Word, singing, and praying. The most important of these four is the Spirit. Where the Spirit is, that meeting is living; where the Spirit is not, that meeting is dead. Meeting by meeting we should become more living. The more we exercise our spirit, the more Spirit we will have, and the meetings will become more powerful. In the past, influenced by our naturalness and the poison from traditional Christianity, we always made God’s salvation altogether a religious ceremony. As a result, the meetings became dead and tasteless.
By reading church history, we know that the best European architecture from the Middle Ages was the cathedrals. These are steep and pointed on the outside and dark and gloomy on the inside. The use of stained-glass windows creates a sense of subdued lighting so that a person on entering feels solemn and reverent, being afraid to sit improperly or even to take a breath. This is Satan’s way of killing the believers’ function. The record in the four Gospels reveals that in His ministry, the Lord preached to people primarily in the wilderness and secondarily in the homes. One of the first homes used by the Lord was that of Matthew the tax collector. As a tax collector, Matthew was a vile sinner in people’s eyes, yet the Lord called him. After he was touched and saved, the first thing he did was immediately to open up his house for a feast, inviting all his colleagues and friends to come and eat with the Lord Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they murmured to the Lord’s disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners?” When the Lord heard this, He turned and gave a word of reprimand to them (Matt. 9:9-13). The Lord also ate in the homes of at least two other Pharisees. One occasion is recorded in Luke 7:36, and the other in Luke 11:37. In addition, the Lord feasted at the home of Martha and Mary, went to the home of Peter’s mother-in-law, and visited many other homes to heal the sick and preach the gospel.
When people enter a cathedral, they become solemn and reverent but do not feel secure. However, when they enter a home, instead of fear they sense the warmth of the home. Therefore, we must understand that the traditional way of church services in Christianity is of the devil’s teaching with the aim to kill people so that their mouths are shut. The Bible shows us that when the believers come into the meetings, they should have their mouths wide open and must speak. If we were to have a meeting here today, then even before the leading ones arrive and before anything has been written on the board, we ought to have our mouths opened to praise, to sing with rejoicing, or to pray aloud. Surely in this way the meeting will be living.
If a Christian never opens his mouth or functions in the meetings, he will become a dead member. My wife once said that if I do not speak for a month, my legs cramp, my back aches, and I do not sleep well. Therefore, she told me, “You need to hold conferences frequently. As soon as you open your mouth, your legs have no cramps, your back stops aching, you sleep well, and you have a good appetite.” This is the normal condition of a Christian. Some elderly ones in their eighties are not able to do anything. They cannot understand much, they are often forgetful, and they are afraid of getting lost when they leave the house. Because of this, they lock themselves at home every day. Today not only do I not get lost, but I can still remember verses from the Bible very well, and my mind is very lucid. This is because not only do I have the Lord in me, but I also exercise my spirit often, release my spirit, and function.
I was born into Christianity, under bondage there for more than twenty years. Once I jumped out of that sphere, I never wanted to be in it again. We oppose the way that traditional Christianity meets. (But this does not mean that we can be unrestrained.) Christians are living and joyful; therefore, we do not want dead silence in religion. We hope that the sisters serving to play the piano would come early to every meeting. In this way, when the saints arrive, they can call hymns and begin to sing. Hymns are the easiest way to stir up our spirit because they are the expressions of the poets’ sentiments. Take, for example, “Give up the world, Christ to obtain” (Hymns, #1025). In the summer of 1948 I was in Shanghai, busy and tired from the work. One day some co-workers and I arranged to go to a park for a rest. It was then that this hymn was written. Whenever we sing this hymn in the meetings, our tiredness easily goes away, and our spirits are refreshed. Sometimes you may be the first to come to the meeting. Even though you are only one person, you can start a hymn, playing and singing to yourself. As the brothers and sisters arrive one by one, they can join you in the singing. In this way the meetings spontaneously will be enlivened.
There is no set agenda in the meeting. After singing, the saints can share from their enjoyment of the hymn and then read a few verses from the Bible, speaking and declaring aloud one to another. It should not always be the same few elders doing the reading, for in doing so, they are going beyond their duties and functioning as “priests” in your place. The brothers and sisters must all exercise to function organically in the meetings, singing and reading the Word in an organic way.
We have already seen that the Spirit, the Word, singing, and prayer are the four crucial elements of the meetings. The meetings of the Christians are all related to these four matters. When you have these, the meetings spontaneously become living. The first two of the four are nouns, while the latter two are from verbs. We have the Spirit and the Word of the Lord, and in the meetings we must exercise to sing and to pray. I do not sing very well, but I like to sing because it fills me with feeling and enjoyment. When I sing, “In tenderness He sought me, / Weary and sick with sin,” the feeling is so sweet. This was exactly my condition sixty-one years ago. I was weary and sick with sin, gambling, watching Chinese opera, and playing soccer to the extent that I could go without meals. At that very time, “In tenderness He sought me, / Weary and sick with sin, / And on His shoulders brought me / Into His flock again.” Therefore, every time I sang this song, I was full of sentiment. Sometimes I would even be moved to tears and would pray with a grateful heart, “Lord, I truly praise You. Formerly, I was in a dunghill, and I was a vile sinner, but You delivered me out of that situation. You even gave me the ministry of Your word. I am truly unworthy.” I praised Him while weeping before Him.
Specifically, the Word is the sixty-six books of the Bible. We realize from experience that for us to have the Word, we must conscientiously study the truth and then use the truth to teach. In every home meeting, we need to present some items of the truth to the new believers for fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, or even longer. How do we do this? We have many booklets, mostly extracts from the Life-study of Romans, and we have four volumes of the new Life Lessons, which are very suitable for newly baptized ones to read. We can read the first lesson, “Knowing That You Are Saved,” with the new one for him to become clear that he is saved and thus be confirmed in his faith. We do not need to finish the entire booklet with him at once—perhaps half would be sufficient. Then we can tell him, “Brother, when I leave, you can continue reading the other half with your wife and your children. I will leave with you two or three more booklets. When you have time, you can read them also.” Then the next time you visit him, you can read another lesson. This is the way to teach the truth.
However, do not have a set way. Perhaps after a few lessons, you can stop and switch to other booklets. We should have read all the booklets with titles such as The Law of the Spirit of Life, The Three Laws in Romans 7, Christ Living in Me, The Triune God and the Tripartite Man, and How to Receive the Processed Triune God. All these titles are very attractive. Each time we go to a home meeting, we should bring seven or eight of these, and depending on the situation, pick one out for the new one to read. In this way he will receive the truth and have the deep impression that, since we have booklet after booklet of uncommon titles, we are not a simple group of Christians. Once he reads them seriously, the truth will get into him.
Moreover, the most important thing that we should always have with us is the Recovery Version of the Bible so that when needed, we can read a section of the Word and the footnotes with him. Once he hears it and reads it, he will be captured, able to know Christ in an accurate way, and understand the grace of God and the salvation of Christ. Spontaneously, he will be drawn to receive the truth. Then not only will he welcome you to his home, but he also will desire that you come more often. After a period of time, he will become perfected to the point that you can take him a step further into Truth Lessons. The contents of Truth Lessons are not as easy as that of the booklets. The lessons are not only well edited and complete but are also rather extraordinary. Hence, when we are about to teach, we need to spend some time in preparation to find an appropriate way to help the new one get into them easily.
One matter we need to take heed to is that when we first start to meet with a new one in the home meetings, we must not rush to speak about the church. This is because it is a complicated matter, not easy to understand or to get into. The new one has just been saved; we should not trouble him with this matter but first establish him by using the new Life Lessons. Wait until he has some knowledge of the truth and a foundation in the Word; then take him on a step further. As we speak, we should exercise wisdom. Do not speak directly about the church, but rather indirectly tell him of the joy we have in our daily church life, giving him an inkling that will motivate him to be drawn to the church life. Even if the new one were to ask you first, “What is the church life?” still do not say too much. Rather, according to his condition, take him on slowly. If you say too much, he may not be able to understand. As the saying goes, “Haste makes waste.” This means that it is best to do things slowly and not be in a rush. If within a month you cannot speak to a new one about the truth concerning the church, then wait for half a year. If you still cannot do it in half a year, then wait for one or two years. You must wait for the opportune time to unveil the truth to him little by little.
All the elders in the churches desire that the number of saints in their church meetings would increase more and more. Now in every meeting hall there are full-time serving ones. However, some elders complain that although the full-timers daily report good news of baptizing so many, to this day not a single new one can be seen, and the numbers in the meetings are actually diminishing rather than increasing. Even the full-timers have disappeared; their presence is not visible in the meetings, yet they must be financially supported. Regarding this matter, I would say, be patient and at rest. All farmers know that sowing is not a swift matter. The seeds originally piled in the house can be used to make noodles and bread to last two to three months, but once they are sown, they are gone. However, do not worry; the seeds sown in the fall, after passing through a winter and a spring, produce a rich harvest in May. Therefore, do not say that the seeds you spent money for and have sown are gone. Just be patient for half a year to a year, and you will see the harvest.
Right now, the new way is still in the experimental stage. About ten thousand have been baptized, with at least one-third becoming remaining fruit. However, these will not become remaining fruit in only one day or even in one year. The outcome of the harvest depends upon how much effort we expend. The sowing work itself requires much labor—here a home, there a home, until very many homes in Taipei are gained and baptized. However, to have the harvest, we need to continue to nourish the new ones with the word as milk and to perfect them with the truth.
Nevertheless, even if a new one does not take the way of the church, do not be concerned. He is at least saved and has received some perfection in the truth. Meanwhile, we ourselves surely must live the church life. In our talk, action, and expression there needs to be the outflow of the rich enjoyment of our church life and of the blessings and benefit that we receive from being in the church life. As we talk to the new one about the church, we should motivate him to incline toward this direction. Once there is the inclination, there is the aspiration. However, do not force him. Rather, let him say, “I hope that one day I can go to a meeting with you to live the church life.” When he says this, do not be overly excited and say, “Wonderful! I have been waiting for this for two years.” This is the most foolish response. You should follow up by asking him, “We have many meetings: the prayer meeting, the Lord’s table meeting, the ministry meeting, and the gospel meeting. Which one of these would you like to attend?” Let him choose; do not initiate to choose for him. If you choose for him, then if he goes and finds it tasteless, he will murmur against you.
We should take people on little by little in this way. Whatever is done needs to be in wisdom and according to the spirit. Always seize the opportunity to enlighten the new one. For example, if he chooses the Lord’s table meeting, then you should first tell him the meaning of breaking the bread, the significance of the bread and the cup, and the meaning of the Lord’s table. In this way he will receive the appropriate help so that when he comes to the table meeting, he can enter into it right away. He will taste the Lord’s death and resurrection and will enjoy the riches of the Lord. He will be fully satisfied, and not only will he long to come again, but he will also go back to promote it to his family members and bring them with him.
This is our way of taking people on. If we cannot accomplish this in one year, we will do it in two years. Do not be in a rush. Rather, continue steadfastly in three things: visit by door-knocking, have home meetings, and teach the truth. Do not set a time limit and say that you will take care of a new one for only three months; then if he does not come along in three months, you will abandon him. In our nourishing and teaching of the new ones, there is no need to keep track of time. Regardless of how long it takes, we will continue to lead a new one into the truth. To do this even until the Lord comes back is worthwhile. Some people are peculiar and bent strangely. If you tell such a one to go east, he will insist on going west; if you ask him to go fast, he will be deliberately slow. It seems that he may not change even when the Lord comes back. Nevertheless, you must still wait patiently and continue to maintain your fellowship with him. This is true not only with new ones but also with the believers who do not come into the church life. If we are willing to be faithful in this way, the Lord will surely reward us when He comes back. He will say to us, “Formerly, this child of Mine was not being edified in the truth, but because of your faithfulness, he has been edified.”
When we practice this way, we also break three matters. First, we break the concept of most Christians that people in the Lord’s recovery are reserved and self-confined. In the past many have said that we are stealing their sheep. Rather, we are going out to gain new ones, nourish them, care for them, and build them up. In this case those who criticize us will be silenced and unable to say anything more. Second, we break the “restrictive nature” of the Lord’s recovery and manifest the inclusiveness of the church. Whether or not the new ones come to the meetings is their business. We still include them and week by week continue to visit them and have fellowship with them, teaching them the truth. Although they do not come, if we are faithful to teach, one day their children will come. In the past we have had this kind of testimony of children saying to their parents, “Dad and Mom, we are sorry, but we are going to meet with those brothers and sisters who teach us the truth.” Third, we break the limitation of our gospel preaching by taking the family of the new ones as the unit and becoming linked to all their relatives. Forty years ago, when I was serving in Chefoo, the service of the church grew to such an extent that even the unbelievers would say that to believe in Jesus they must come to our place.
In the full-time training in Taipei, presently there are over seven hundred saints from various countries. Every day they go out to knock on doors in the morning, afternoon, and evening, baptizing at least one person per week. If these seven hundred gain seven hundred homes per week, there will be twenty-eight hundred homes in one month and eleven thousand two hundred homes in four months. With these families as the units and as the connections to all their relatives, there is no knowing how great the increase can be. Not only will the gospel be widespread, but the truth will be able to be preached and propagated continuously. May we all have such a long-term vision to understand the importance of this kind of practice. Hence, we need to aggressively use Truth Lessons and spend the time either to bring people into the church life or to continuously nourish and build them up in their homes. We believe that this labor will not be wasted but will be of great value before the Lord.
The new way is nothing other than to continue steadfastly in these three matters: to visit people by door-knocking, to raise up or establish meetings in the homes of new ones, and to teach the truth. If the new one is willing to come to the church, we will give him more care, but if he is not willing, as long as he does not refuse us, we will still take care of him in a timely manner. The teaching of the truth should be done sequentially and gradually. It cannot be accomplished once for all. It is better to start by having a new one read the booklets, which are easier to digest. After a period of time, when his appetite has been aroused, we can bring him into Truth Lessons.
To teach Truth Lessons is not an easy matter. When some saints hear “Truth Lessons,” their immediate understanding is “to teach.” Actually, there is no need for you to teach, because each lesson is a message, and each message is very rich. What we ought to do is help the new ones read the lessons. This is not to say that there is no need to come to the meetings, that one can simply buy the book and read it at home. In doing this, the proper appreciation or taste will not be developed. In addition, you should not come together and merely have each one read a paragraph—one person reading one paragraph and another person reading another paragraph. That is to read in a dead way, and the more you read, the more you become dead. Hence, the way to read is not simple.
When reading Truth Lessons, the most important thing is to read the outlines. You should read not merely by taking turns but in a living way, using your spirit. Sometimes when you come to an important point and you have some experience, you can give a short testimony in three to five sentences. When you have an appropriate hymn, you can choose to sing a stanza. The most needful thing is to exercise your spirit. Initially, it may be difficult and not very successful. However, if you continue to practice, you will improve.
It is best to have thirty to fifty people in one class that covers Truth Lessons. Not every church has to practice this in the same way. If only a few churches are willing to try, a good practice will evolve, and other churches will learn. Then after a few weeks all will be able to do it. Human beings are very clever; whatever they see, they learn. Some may not participate but only look on. If they receive a supply in the meetings, eventually they will take the initiative to participate. In the process of teaching, there is no one taking the lead to teach. Rather, the saints should read together in a living way, using their spirit. This gives the Spirit the real opportunity to teach us. The experienced saints must be alert to take the lead to emphasize the main points in the reading. The saints who are touched can give a testimony or point out a hymn. At the end you may be inspired to give a concluding testimony. There is no set way—only do not drag out the singing or the testimonies, because people will not be able to bear it. Some saints love to speak endlessly. When this situation arises, a brother or a sister should immediately stop them. It is better that it not be the leading brother who stops them, because the one speaking may be offended. This is an organic Bible reading—completely organic—without anyone being dictatorial or in control. As to home meetings, three to five people can make up one group, being similarly organic, living, and flexible.
A sister, who is a teacher, thought that the principal of the school, who is also a brother, was an amiable person, so she gave him a copy of the Recovery Version and a copy of Truth Lessons. He brought them home, but by coincidence, just before he read them, his parents came to visit him. His father, who was in his sixties and already retired, was then meeting with the Baptist Church and had been invited to teach a Sunday school class. He felt hard-pressed, not knowing what to teach, so he collected materials everywhere. That day when he came to his son’s house and saw the English version of Truth Lessons, he took it and read it. As soon as he read it, he treasured it very much and decided to teach from this book in the Sunday school class. When the principal saw that his father valued and appreciated this book very much, he told the sister who gave him the book. This sister then gave him two more books for him and his wife. One morning at school, the principal asked the sister to come and in tears told her, “I have believed in Jesus for thirty years, but I never knew how the Bible came about. It is by reading Truth Lessons that I now know.” This shows us that Truth Lessons is truly a powerful book for teaching the truth.
May the brothers and sisters understand that the Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the truth. The Lord’s recovery has been among us for sixty-four years. We are not novices. The practice of the new way and the leading in this move today did not come from our imagination but through our experience, our seeking, and our research into history. Therefore, we must receive this new leading. Many elderly saints in Taiwan are accustomed to a big meeting on the Lord’s Day morning with the hope of hearing a good message. When the system changed, we did sympathize with them, letting everyone either register freely for the class on Truth Lessons or otherwise join the big meeting. At first, the big meeting had almost one hundred people, but as the weeks went by, the number of people became fewer and fewer. It was not that they had quit coming, but they had received a taste of the Truth Lessons class, and by that one taste they were caught. Hence, the number in the big meeting decreased, and the number in the Truth Lessons class increased. This proves that Truth Lessons is able to release the truth and build up the brothers and sisters.
I was the first one to speak in hall one of the church in Taipei. From 1949 until today has been thirty-seven years. The year before last, when I went back to Taipei, I said that some of you have been listening to my speaking for thirty-seven years. Back then you were still young brothers and sisters, and most of you were not yet married. Today even your sons and daughters have graduated from universities, and many of them have become elders. Before they were born, you were already listening to my preaching here, but until today you have not graduated from “elementary school.” Why do I say this? The human educational research has worked out a system of six years of elementary school, six years of high school, and four years of college, with a set curriculum every year. A person proceeding through this curriculum in a sequential way will definitely graduate from college after sixteen years and will have systematically assimilated the general knowledge prevalent in the human race. However, we have been speaking to you under this roof for these thirty-seven years, mostly according to inspiration and not in a systematic way. Therefore, although you have been listening to this day, you still could not utter one sentence if I were to ask you to speak on justification by faith. This may be compared to listening to mathematics for thirty-seven years and, even though you know that three plus two is five, when you are asked to go teach others, you do not know how.
We all have to admit that the Lord has given us truths in abundance, and all these truths are pearls and gems. However, we have placed them as “decorations” in our homes, not knowing how to make use of them. If others were to pick up one precious stone, they would treasure it to the uttermost. We, however, have precious stones in abundance like the sand, yet we do not use them, nor do we know how to use them. God has said that He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Not only have we not carried this out accordingly, but we ourselves do not have the full knowledge of the truth. Paul also said to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). To cut straight implies to unfold the various parts of the Word of God rightly and straightly without any distortion, just as a carpenter cuts wood straightly. We have not practiced this in our midst. This is our great debt to the saints.
Therefore, we are doing our utmost to change the system. There are three parts to the change. The first change is in “begetting,” in giving birth to new believers—from the traditional way of waiting for people to come to hear the gospel to the way of visiting people’s homes by knocking on their doors to get them saved. The second change is in “nourishing”—from previously going to others’ homes simply to talk lightly to using our spirit to speak the word, sing, and pray in order to nourish and cherish the new ones. The third change is in “teaching”—from the old way of preaching in big meetings according to inspiration to the use of proper instructional materials and teaching in a sequential way. We hope that the brothers and sisters understand these three points and accept them completely. Not only must the co-workers and elders do this, but also all the saints must do it.
Due to the new leading that the Lord has given us, we must have an increased number of saints to shoulder the burden to meet the need. The brothers and sisters must all participate and be willing. However, almost everyone is encumbered, some by their businesses and others by the need to work and also to take care of household matters. Their time is consumed, and not much of it can be freed up. Nevertheless, as long as you have the heart, no matter how busy you are, I believe that you can take two to three hours a week to go door-knocking, to nourish the new ones, and to teach them. This is also acceptable. Once, on a mountain I met a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who is in the real estate business. Normally he is extremely busy, but he made the decision to spend two days a week to go door-knocking. We do not expect that every saint will be like him, but we hope that those who have the heart will go to visit not only the familiar ones but also those whom they have never contacted before.
A brother from Cleveland said that in only a few days they knocked on more than one thousand doors. As door-knocking requires a great deal of manpower, many full-timers need to be raised up. I believe that this is the leading of the Lord and absolutely the best practice after years of consideration. For every local church, there should be one full-timer for every twenty saints. There are over five hundred full-timers now in Taiwan, and the number of applicants exceeds eleven hundred. According to the number meeting in the United States, there also should be five hundred full-timers. Presently, there are two hundred, so there is still a shortage of three hundred. Thus, the need is very great.
In February of this year, we pointed out that some people are job-dropping full-timers, and some are job-keeping full-timers. Every one of us should live entirely for the Lord’s interests on this earth. Although you have a job, you are still working for the Lord. This way depends on your taking what you have received from your job, aside from amply supplying the needs of your family, and offering it entirely to the Lord to meet the needs of the work and of the full-timers. This is extremely important and has a bearing on the speed of the advance and spread of the Lord’s recovery.
The full-time training in Taiwan started on August 12, 1986. In order to be accepted, there are three requirements. First, you must have a college degree; second, you must be single without the encumbrance of a family; and third, you cannot be over forty years old. Thus far, there are five hundred applicants from Taiwan, over twenty from the Philippines, one hundred forty-eight from the United States and Canada, thirty-two from Europe, and four from Ghana, Africa. There are also two language teachers from New Zealand. Today the world has become small, so language has become very important. Hence, in the full-time training there are five foreign-language classes, and there is also a training class for the Chinese language. There are one hundred sixteen teachers taking turns to teach. Generally, one group teaches for a month, and then another group of teachers takes over. In addition, there are twenty to thirty serving ones for special items, such as caring for the medical needs and for the meals in the training center. Thus, there are about seven hundred students and numerous teachers and serving ones residing in Taipei. Hence, this is a great move in the Lord’s recovery. Thank the Lord, once the news of the training went out, churches everywhere contributed much to this work. It is estimated that this training will cost about one million U.S. dollars. The churches in Taiwan will pick up the burden for four to five hundred thousand dollars. This shows us that the weight of the burden requires that all the churches over the entire globe be in one accord to ease the load in a coordinated effort.
Regarding the gospelization of Taiwan, we have a set of plans. Starting from January of 1988, one thousand full-timers will be raised up in Taiwan and grouped into one hundred teams of ten to spread into the villages. Each team will go to a village to knock on doors for one month. At least ten to twenty people will be gained in each village. Then after one month a small new church will be produced. Then two from each team will stay to take care of the meetings, while the other eight hundred will form another eighty teams to continue on to eighty other villages, doing the same thing for a month. By doing this for four months, there will be churches established in all the villages in Taiwan, accomplishing the goal to gospelize Taiwan.
Initially, we said that we would gospelize Taiwan in five years. Many people said, “How is this possible? Where will the twenty-five hundred full-timers come from?” Thank the Lord for His provision! Through the quality educational system, transportation, and economical establishment of the Taiwan government, Taiwan is now able to produce five hundred full-time brothers and sisters and provide for their support without any lack. Perhaps there is no need to wait until January 1988, but by January or July of next year, 1987, the move to spread the gospel can already begin because many of the full-timers will have had a year of training and will be ready to go. I have also told them that after Taiwan has been gospelized, they will go on to foreign countries, unless the Lord has a special leading. I deeply believe that this tremendous strength will have a great impact in the spread of the Lord’s recovery. This is our long-range view. May the Lord fulfill it!
We have already seen how, after door-knocking and the establishment of the home meetings, we should lead the new ones into Truth Lessons and into the church life. First, we must set up goals, and in carrying them out, we must not be in a rush. Rather, we should slowly and sequentially move forward step by step in a steady way. We may use driving as an example. First, you may decide that you are going to Los Angeles. There are many ways to get to Los Angeles, and they are different depending on the circumstances. According to the weather and the time, you will pick the safest and the least troublesome way. Similarly, there are many ways to carry out the teaching of Truth Lessons. You can teach it home by home, or you can combine three homes and read together. You can have twenty to thirty people or forty to fifty people come together. This all depends on the practical situation. While working it out, understand what is important, pace yourself, move on systematically, and do not be rushed. In this way you will not suffer loss. Hold on to this principle, adapting and making changes according to the situation. You must always know clearly within yourself how to do it and where to start.
We can also learn from one another through much fellowship. However, not every place can carry things out in the same way. Presently, the Lord’s table meeting in the church in Anaheim is not held in the meeting hall. This may be right and feasible, but not every local church can do this. As far as Anaheim is concerned, this practice did not take place due to a moment’s inspiration, nor was it carried out on a day’s notice. This came about after more than half a year of exercise, consideration, and research, arriving at the conclusion to have this practice. We should, in all the churches everywhere, consider and learn what to do according to the situation of each church.
We have also pointed out that our desire is to have one full-timer for every twenty saints who are meeting and to have the place that produces the full-timers provide for their support. However, the situations in the churches differ. Some local churches are strong financially but are unable to produce full-timers, whereas other local churches have plenty of students, with few earning money, and are unable to support many full-timers. Hence, in the matter of finance, may all the churches around the globe be in one fellowship. We do not have a central financial administration, nor do we wish to have central control. The Bible gives us the best example; that is, there should be much fellowship in financial matters among churches and between meeting halls. Those churches that are rich financially should care for the churches that are lacking. The move of the full-time training now and of the expansion in the future not only involves Taiwan and the United States but also India, Burma, and the Arab countries. They are all in this move and should enter into this fellowship.
Looking at the needs in the world, we can do nothing but give our all and be faithful to bring forth one full-timer per twenty persons in order to open up the situation so that our expansion may go forth to meet the need of the Lord’s present move. May we be sufficiently strong in what we do, not cutting any corners or hindering God in any way. If we offer up all our energy and financial capacity, and everyone all over the earth moves in one accord, how much the Lord can bless us! However, we do not have a central administration. Rather, we have mutual fellowship among the localities. May we all learn to have a good practice in this matter. In the Body there is no pressure or coercion. There are only supply and fellowship.
I hope that the brothers and sisters will receive the points fellowshipped in these chapters. The carrying out of the new way ordained by God does not depend solely on the elders and the co-workers. Rather, the whole Body needs to take action—to go door-knocking, to establish meetings in the new ones’ homes, and to continue steadfastly in feeding, building up, and teaching the truths. Furthermore, there should be the continuous spread of gaining new homes, one after another. On the other hand, we should also offer up our finances—not only a part but the whole—in order to produce more full-timers for the move to spread the Lord’s recovery on this earth.
