This what I treasure the most after this two years of the training is that I could know the Lord, know His heart toward us, and began to TRUST the Lord (Isa. 41:10) and LOVE HIM afresh (Rev. 2:4). I felt not only restored and shepherded by the Lord, but I could also see more of what is ON HIS HEART. Now I can also say the words of one of the hymns, “God has dream… – Now it is my dream, my vision and life to be”. The Lord longs for a building – He longs that we will be built up in Him [continue reading online]
using the keys of the kingdom to lock the subjective gates of Hades and build up the church
Matt. 16:21-26 shows us not only the subjective gates of Hades coming in to frustrate the building up of the church but also the keys of the kingdom of the heavens which lock these doors and release the building up! We need to use the keys of denying our self, losing our soul life, and taking up our cross! Denying the self mainly relates to our mind, since the self is expressed through the mind with its opinions. Taking up the cross is related to taking up the will of God and not our own will. Losing our soul life is related to the enjoyment of the soul, the pleasure – we need to seek God’s pleasure and His enjoyment!
a trainee’s testimony – we need to develop deep roots in the Lord by spending time with Him
As Christians we are like little plants – we don’t have much power, but if we have deep roots in Christ we will be unshakable, immovable. Sometimes our roots are in something else than Him. As a result, we are easily shaken, and with any small situation we are blown off. Our roots may be in our campus work. It might be somewhat successful, with some promising contacts, but as soon as they begin missing the meetings or making excuses to have appointments we will collapse and be blown off. We may be enjoying the Lord, but as soon as we suffer some persecution from those with whom we study or work we are rapidly blown away. We need to be rooted in Him, but how? [continue reading online]
the way to build up the church as the kingdom of God is death and resurrection
What is the way to build up the church? As revealed by the Lord in Matt. 16:16-18 and then in 21-26, the way the church is built up in a practical way is through death and resurrection. The Lord Jesus builds up the church through His death and resurrection – if He would have not died on the cross for us and if He would have not resurrected, there would be no church. It is the same with us today – if we do not die to ourselves and if we don’t live the resurrection life in the church life, we do not build up the church. [continue reading this article online]
having a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom by growing in the divine life
The Bible clearly says that if we are faithful to grow unto maturity and live the kingdom life today we will receive a reward from the Lord at His coming, but if we do not grow and develop now, we will receive a dispensational punishment. Let us look at the reward and run forward with endurance – let us live in the reality of the kingdom today by allowing the divine life to rule and reign in us! If today we live in our spirit, in the reality of the kingdom life, we will be rewarded by the Lord at His coming with a rich entrance into the manifestation of His kingdom! It is then that we will inherit the kingdom of God, who will be our reward. [continue reading this portion online]
the reality of the church life today is the kingdom of God in this age
Praise the Lord, the church life today has as its reality the kingdom of God, but by simply “being in the genuine church life” we may not necessarily be in the kingdom of God. We are in the kingdom in reality only when we live and walk by the spirit (Gal. 5:25). If we live, walk, behave, and have our being in ourselves as the old creation, we are not in reality in the kingdom of God even though outwardly we may be in the church life. Only when we live, walk, behave, and have our entire being altogether in our spirit are we in the church as the kingdom of God! [continue reading online]
being a Christian Student on the campus – eating and drinking Christ, and staying in the Body!
As a Christian living in this current age, sometimes we might experience a failure of our spiritual life. Sometimes we might trip and fall a bit. Just remember the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Just remember that even the apostle Paul said “Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected” and then the next phrase says, “But I pursue.” Yes! We can pursue! We have the right to pursue our precious Lord! Pursue Him with the saints! Let us forget the things behind, stretch forward to the things before, and pursue toward the goal together to the New Jerusalem. [continue reading this article online]