Overcomer's

25/07/2023

Amen

25/06/2023

13/11/2022

NEEDING TO BE DEALT WITH TO BE BUILT

Every person who has been saved, who loves the Lord, who pursues after Him, and who has seen God’s vision will have the clear realization that to properly be a Christian he must be built together with his fellow Christians. Previously, we were sinners who belonged to the world and needed to be saved. Now that we have been saved, we need to take a further step to be built into the church. To be built does not mean that we merely pursue the Lord, love the Lord, and are spiritual but that we also commit ourselves into the hand of the Lord, allowing Him to do the work of trimming and dealing in us so that we may become material fit for God’s dwelling place. This is similar to the building of a house. The materials may have been purchased, but before the actual building can begin, the craftsmen must do a considerable amount of work on the materials first. If they are dealing with stones, they must do some knocking, chiseling, and carving of designs. If they are handling lumber, they must do some sawing and planing so that the lumber will fit the required measurements. After the materials have been properly worked on, then they can be put together according to the blueprint and be built into a house. This is a very simple illustration.

Just as a builder buys the building materials, so God has bought and redeemed us with the blood of His Son to be materials for His building. Some of the materials are large, while others are small. Some are like stones, while others are like lumber. After obtaining the materials, God brings them to the church. On the one hand, the church is a home, but on the other hand, the church is a factory where God works. The first thing God does is to work on the materials with an ax, hammer, knife, and chisel. He cuts away the excess parts and planes the rough surfaces.

While we are under these kinds of dealings, we may be very troubled and may sometimes be full of complaints. Hence, some may begin to doubt and ask, “When we heard the gospel, we were told that after we were saved, we would have peace. So why is it that we have no peace now?” I remember when I was young and newly saved, I was very zealous to preach the gospel everywhere. One time I met a friend who was having difficulties, and I told him, “You have to believe in the Lord right away. You truly need the Lord. You are suffering so much, you are physically sick, and your situation is difficult. You can have peace only by believing in the Lord.” Thank the Lord that he believed in the Lord and that the Lord was merciful toward him. He soon recovered from his sickness, his situation also improved, and he truly had joy and peace.

Some Christians are full of enjoyment when they first believe in the Lord. Soon afterward, however, they again experience trouble in their lives and changes in their circumstances, and their faith gradually wavers. Sometimes they would come and ask me, “Mr. Lee, the gospel that you preached to me was true in the beginning, but now it is no longer true. May I ask you why it is that the more I trust in the Lord and the more I pray, the more the difficulties increase? It seems that the Lord Jesus does not hear my prayers or solve my problems. What is the matter?” Then they would further question me, saying, “Could it be that the Lord in whom we have believed is not real?” I would say, “Of course He is real!” Then they would say, “Since He is real, how can He bear to see us suffer? If this is so, then is it true that our Lord does not have love?” Whenever they asked this, I was unable to answer them, and even I began to doubt. I thought that since it was so troublesome to believe in the Lord, perhaps we would be happier as unbelievers.

Sometimes I would go to some old preachers for help. They explained to me that God often has to discipline and chasten us because we make mistakes. At first I thought that this explanation was correct, because it seemed impossible for us children of God to never be wrong. Sometimes we are wrong in our attitude, and other times we are wrong in our words. Our God who is also our Father loves us, so He surely chastises us and disciplines us when we are wrong. Therefore, we should take His discipline willingly.

Gradually, however, I discovered that sometimes He would chastise me when I had done nothing wrong. Sometimes I had obviously done nothing wrong, and my condition before God was very good, yet problems still came to me repeatedly. Again I was perplexed. I asked myself whether or not God would discipline and chastise me even if I had not sinned. I could not understand this. At that time I was altogether groping in the dark since I had never heard a message concerning building and had no proper person to help me.

After groping in the dark for many years, the Lord gradually led me to know something concerning the church and to see the vision of the building. Furthermore, I experienced coordinating with various kinds of saints among the brothers and sisters, such as the co-workers and elders, the responsible ones of the home meetings and group meetings, the experienced ones, and the younger ones. I saw that all the saints had to serve in one accord and in coordination to be a proper church. Gradually, I realized that to have this kind of coordination, the Lord’s dealing is needed. We need to be dealt with even if we have not erred in any matter. This is similar to the way a house is built. Lumber from Chinese juniper trees is very good. It has neither knots nor blemishes. However, if you measured the pieces of lumber, you would discover that some are too long. Thus, you would need to saw off some parts to make them suitable to be used. If the lumber had any feeling, it might say to the carpenter, “Why are you cutting me? Is it because I did something wrong? Do I have any knots or blemishes? Do I have other problems?” If I were the carpenter, I would tell the lumber, “It is not a matter of whether or not you have made a mistake. Look at how long you are. I want to make you into a doorpost, which is only eight feet high, but you are half a foot too long. What do you think I should do? I need to work on you by cutting and sawing off a piece of you, or else you will be completely useless in the building.” This piece of juniper wood would have no choice but to suffer the pain and allow the carpenter to deal with it as he sees fit.

I use this simple illustration to speak about the building of the church. When we were saved, the element of God as pure gold was added into us, the earthen vessels. However, God still wants us to be transformed into pearls and precious stones. Today technology has advanced to such an extent that diamonds can be artificially produced through intense heat and great pressure. We know that the elementary composition of diamonds is the same as that of common coal, but after going through a long process of being under intense heat and great pressure, the ordinary coal is transformed into a precious diamond. In the same manner, we who are common materials like lumps of clay need to be transformed if we want to be built together in the church. Hence, transformation becomes a big problem to us.

This matter of transformation is not up to us. It is altogether a matter of the Lord’s leading. When we were first saved, due to the Lord’s attracting, we pursued Him, loved Him, fellowshipped constantly with Him, lived in Him, and were willing to give ourselves to Him. As a result, we felt very sweet within. However, for some unknown reason, it seemed that after a while an invisible hand mysteriously came upon us, bringing sufferings. Sometimes the sufferings came gradually, and sometimes they came all at once. We had no way of escape. What kind of story is this? This is the work of God. Our sufferings, which are all permitted and measured by God, put us into the furnace of trials. Sometimes the sufferings are so heavy that it seems that we can no longer bear them, and we may even ask for death. We do not realize that in burning and pressing us, God’s intention is to remake us so that we would be gradually transformed to be suitable for building. Such a transformation is not to make us spiritual for others to appreciate. Rather, it is to make us able to be coordinated, mingled, and built together with the other members. This is the ultimate goal of God’s work.

The Vision of the Building of the Church, Chapter 8NEEDING TO BE DEALT WITH TO BE BUILT

Every person who has been saved, who loves the Lord, who pursues after Him, and who has seen God’s vision will have the clear realization that to properly be a Christian he must be built together with his fellow Christians. Previously, we were sinners who belonged to the world and needed to be saved. Now that we have been saved, we need to take a further step to be built into the church. To be built does not mean that we merely pursue the Lord, love the Lord, and are spiritual but that we also commit ourselves into the hand of the Lord, allowing Him to do the work of trimming and dealing in us so that we may become material fit for God’s dwelling place. This is similar to the building of a house. The materials may have been purchased, but before the actual building can begin, the craftsmen must do a considerable amount of work on the materials first. If they are dealing with stones, they must do some knocking, chiseling, and carving of designs. If they are handling lumber, they must do some sawing and planing so that the lumber will fit the required measurements. After the materials have been properly worked on, then they can be put together according to the blueprint and be built into a house. This is a very simple illustration.

Just as a builder buys the building materials, so God has bought and redeemed us with the blood of His Son to be materials for His building. Some of the materials are large, while others are small. Some are like stones, while others are like lumber. After obtaining the materials, God brings them to the church. On the one hand, the church is a home, but on the other hand, the church is a factory where God works. The first thing God does is to work on the materials with an ax, hammer, knife, and chisel. He cuts away the excess parts and planes the rough surfaces.

While we are under these kinds of dealings, we may be very troubled and may sometimes be full of complaints. Hence, some may begin to doubt and ask, “When we heard the gospel, we were told that after we were saved, we would have peace. So why is it that we have no peace now?” I remember when I was young and newly saved, I was very zealous to preach the gospel everywhere. One time I met a friend who was having difficulties, and I told him, “You have to believe in the Lord right away. You truly need the Lord. You are suffering so much, you are physically sick, and your situation is difficult. You can have peace only by believing in the Lord.” Thank the Lord that he believed in the Lord and that the Lord was merciful toward him. He soon recovered from his sickness, his situation also improved, and he truly had joy and peace.

Some Christians are full of enjoyment when they first believe in the Lord. Soon afterward, however, they again experience trouble in their lives and changes in their circumstances, and their faith gradually wavers. Sometimes they would come and ask me, “Mr. Lee, the gospel that you preached to me was true in the beginning, but now it is no longer true. May I ask you why it is that the more I trust in the Lord and the more I pray, the more the difficulties increase? It seems that the Lord Jesus does not hear my prayers or solve my problems. What is the matter?” Then they would further question me, saying, “Could it be that the Lord in whom we have believed is not real?” I would say, “Of course He is real!” Then they would say, “Since He is real, how can He bear to see us suffer? If this is so, then is it true that our Lord does not have love?” Whenever they asked this, I was unable to answer them, and even I began to doubt. I thought that since it was so troublesome to believe in the Lord, perhaps we would be happier as unbelievers.

Sometimes I would go to some old preachers for help. They explained to me that God often has to discipline and chasten us because we make mistakes. At first I thought that this explanation was correct, because it seemed impossible for us children of God to never be wrong. Sometimes we are wrong in our attitude, and other times we are wrong in our words. Our God who is also our Father loves us, so He surely chastises us and disciplines us when we are wrong. Therefore, we should take His discipline willingly.

Gradually, however, I discovered that sometimes He would chastise me when I had done nothing wrong. Sometimes I had obviously done nothing wrong, and my condition before God was very good, yet problems still came to me repeatedly. Again I was perplexed. I asked myself whether or not God would discipline and chastise me even if I had not sinned. I could not understand this. At that time I was altogether groping in the dark since I had never heard a message concerning building and had no proper person to help me.

After groping in the dark for many years, the Lord gradually led me to know something concerning the church and to see the vision of the building. Furthermore, I experienced coordinating with various kinds of saints among the brothers and sisters, such as the co-workers and elders, the responsible ones of the home meetings and group meetings, the experienced ones, and the younger ones. I saw that all the saints had to serve in one accord and in coordination to be a proper church. Gradually, I realized that to have this kind of coordination, the Lord’s dealing is needed. We need to be dealt with even if we have not erred in any matter. This is similar to the way a house is built. Lumber from Chinese juniper trees is very good. It has neither knots nor blemishes. However, if you measured the pieces of lumber, you would discover that some are too long. Thus, you would need to saw off some parts to make them suitable to be used. If the lumber had any feeling, it might say to the carpenter, “Why are you cutting me? Is it because I did something wrong? Do I have any knots or blemishes? Do I have other problems?” If I were the carpenter, I would tell the lumber, “It is not a matter of whether or not you have made a mistake. Look at how long you are. I want to make you into a doorpost, which is only eight feet high, but you are half a foot too long. What do you think I should do? I need to work on you by cutting and sawing off a piece of you, or else you will be completely useless in the building.” This piece of juniper wood would have no choice but to suffer the pain and allow the carpenter to deal with it as he sees fit.

I use this simple illustration to speak about the building of the church. When we were saved, the element of God as pure gold was added into us, the earthen vessels. However, God still wants us to be transformed into pearls and precious stones. Today technology has advanced to such an extent that diamonds can be artificially produced through intense heat and great pressure. We know that the elementary composition of diamonds is the same as that of common coal, but after going through a long process of being under intense heat and great pressure, the ordinary coal is transformed into a precious diamond. In the same manner, we who are common materials like lumps of clay need to be transformed if we want to be built together in the church. Hence, transformation becomes a big problem to us.

This matter of transformation is not up to us. It is altogether a matter of the Lord’s leading. When we were first saved, due to the Lord’s attracting, we pursued Him, loved Him, fellowshipped constantly with Him, lived in Him, and were willing to give ourselves to Him. As a result, we felt very sweet within. However, for some unknown reason, it seemed that after a while an invisible hand mysteriously came upon us, bringing sufferings. Sometimes the sufferings came gradually, and sometimes they came all at once. We had no way of escape. What kind of story is this? This is the work of God. Our sufferings, which are all permitted and measured by God, put us into the furnace of trials. Sometimes the sufferings are so heavy that it seems that we can no longer bear them, and we may even ask for death. We do not realize that in burning and pressing us, God’s intention is to remake us so that we would be gradually transformed to be suitable for building. Such a transformation is not to make us spiritual for others to appreciate. Rather, it is to make us able to be coordinated, mingled, and built together with the other members. This is the ultimate goal of God’s work.

The Vision of the Building of the Church, Chapter 8

01/11/2021

Our Need to Labor on Christ as Our Good Land

The surplus of the produce of the good land typifies Christ, and the way to have the surplus is to labor on Christ. Regrettably, some brothers and sisters are lazy. D. L. Moody, who throughout his life brought myriads of people on two continents to Christ, said that he never saw a lazy person get saved. Perhaps he was too extreme to say this, but I can say that I have never seen a lazy person who could be spiritual. A lazy person may be saved, but I am sure that he cannot be spiritual. You can be brought into the good land, but if you are lazy, you will have no surplus. Rather, you will be a beggar. If we are diligent and industrious to labor on the land God allotted to us, we will have much produce from this rich land. This produce will be enough not only for us to live on but also for us to have a surplus.

The surplus is the first tenth, not the last tenth. The Israelites had to separate every first lamb and every first tenth of the produce for the Lord. This typifies that after being brought into Christ, we need to labor on Christ, to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to live by Christ. Some may say that we should not use the word labor because today is the dispensation of grace; they say everything is of grace, not of works. There is no doubt that the good land given to us is a grace. The sunshine, the air, the early rain, and the latter rain are also a grace. However, we still have to till the ground. We cannot say that grace will till the ground for us; grace will never do that. From the very beginning of the Scriptures, after Adam was created, man had to till the ground. We need to till the ground, sow the seed, and reap the harvest. Grace will not do these things for us. We cannot bring rain down from heaven. That is not our ability; that is something beyond our ability. That is truly something of grace. Sunshine, air, rain, and the rich soil are all of grace. However, we must realize that we all have our responsibility.

Every morning we have to rise up early. Not one farmer can be lazy; every one has to rise up early in the morning. If we do not rise early in the morning to spend a little time with Christ, I am certain that when we come to the meeting, we will have nothing in our hand. We will come to the meeting with empty hands. We need to rise up a little earlier, contact the Lord, read the Word, and pray a little to till the ground, sow the seed, and reap the harvest. Some may say that we should not be legalistic in this way. However, we need to be legalistic three times a day in order to eat. We can fast only for a while; if we fast all the time, we will not be able to live.

Day by day we must rise up early to spend some time with the Lord; this is our labor. We have to pray; this is our labor. We also have to exercise our spirit to contact the Lord throughout the whole day; this also is our labor. Moreover, we must deal with many enemies, including the flesh, the self, and the environment. Even our family, friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, classmates, and roommates are problems we have to deal with. We also have to preach the gospel and learn to help others. All these are items of the labor we should have. If we labor in all these ways, we will have the rich produce of Christ our good land. Then when we come to the meeting, we will come with our hands full of the riches of Christ. Because day and night we labor on Christ, we will have a rich produce that is not only good enough for us to live in Christ and by Christ, but also good enough for us to come to worship God. In this way, when we come to God, we come with Christ.

Serving in the Meetings and in the Gospel, Chapter 1

24/10/2021

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24/10/2021

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24/10/2021

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16/10/2021

THE STATUTES FOR INHERITING THE GOOD LAND

Scripture Reading: Num. 33:51-53

Jehovah commanded Moses to say to the people, "When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it" (vv. 51-53). These verses reveal that, after driving out the devilish inhabitants of the land, they were to destroy all the idols and high places, the places where the idols were worshipped. Only then would they be qualified to take possession of the land and enjoy it.

The principle is the same concerning our enjoyment of Christ today. Christ has been given to us as our portion for our enjoyment, yet there is a condition which we must fulfill in order to have this enjoyment. This condition is that we cooperate with God's ordination to drive out everything in us which is other than God and Christ. This means that we must destroy all the idols within us. An idol is anything other than God that occupies us. A degree, a good job, a nice house, a position or rank, a good name—all these can become idols occupying us. We must destroy any idols that may be in us and not leave any ground within us for the worship of idols. Without dealing with the idols in us, we cannot have the genuine enjoyment of Christ.

Some may talk about the enjoyment of Christ, but for them this is merely a slogan. Whether or not we can have the real enjoyment of Christ depends upon the extent to which there is a clearance of our inner being. Today Christ as the good land is in us, but the enjoyment of this good land requires an absolute clearance of anything other than God that occupies us. To give even a little ground to the worship of something other than God will annul our enjoyment of Christ. May we all have a thorough clearing away of every kind of idol so that we can enjoy Christ as the good land.

Life-study of Numbers, Chapter 46