Our failure to give Christ the first place in all things – our failure to love Him with the best love and appreciate Him – brings in desolation and degradation. The problem of desolation can be solved by Christ being appreciated and exalted by God’s people (see Psa. 80:17). When Christ is enjoyed, appreciated, given the first place, given the preeminence in all things – when He is properly appreciated and exalted, the house and the city of God can be maintained, preserved, and built up! Our not giving Christ the preeminence and our not appreciating Him is the cause of our failure and desolation. [read more online]
a genuine church is a meal offering church life with the fine humanity of Christ
Today we were specifically appreciating the wonderful, fine, gentle, balanced humanity of Jesus. The fine flour is the base of the meal offering, and it typifies the fine and balanced humanity of Christ. Our humanity is rough – though outwardly we may seem to be “a nice lady” or “a proper gentleman”, and though we may behave nicely toward the ones around us, our humanity is rough. Only Christ is gentle, fine, balanced, and right in every way. While He was on earth everyone tested Him, from His brothers, His fellow countrymen, the Pharisees, the priests, and even the Roman officials – there was no fault or blemish found in Him! [read more online]
a genuine church is enriched in Christ, awaits the Lord’s unveiling, and enjoys Christ
This is what we aspire to, and this is what we live unto, that we may be confirmed until the end unreprovable – in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ! For this, we need to daily grow in life! A genuine church is in a daily process of growth in the divine life – after its initial receiving of grace, the church enjoys grace and trusts in the God who is both the Alpha and the Omega to finish what He has begun in them. God gives us grace and it is He who will also confirm us in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ – He is the giver of grace and the completer of our growth in life at the end. Lord, grow in us daily! [read more online]
qualifications of a genuine church: the church of God enjoying grace upon grace!
One particular aspect I was encouraged with is that a genuine church accepts and welcomes everyone who calls on the name of the Lord – who is THEIRS and OURS! Jesus Christ belongs to and is in all the believers, and He is our all-inclusive portion – we are those who call on the name of the Lord in every place! Oh, Lord Jesus! We flee youthful lusts and pursue with those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Wherever we are – at home, at work, cooking in the kitchen, walking on the street, shopping, driving, traveling, resting, working, playing sports, jogging, etc – we CALL on the name of the Lord, who is OURS! [continue reading online]
the believers are living letters of Christ for others to read and know Christ in them
Day by day, as we get into the Word of God and as we are under the speaking of the Word of God, Christ is being written into every part of our inner being to make us His living letters! What is a letter of Christ? The apostles’ ministry writes Christ into our being and inscribes us to be Christ’s living letter, so that others may read and know Christ in us and through us. As we spend personal time with the Lord to enjoy Him and “being written on by Him” and as we meet with the believers to write Christ on one another, we become the living letters of Christ to express Christ in all our being! [continue reading this portion]
being the captives of Christ in His triumphal procession scattering His fragrance
In our experience we all have to admit that many times Christ is captive to us, and we “defeat Christ” by living in our natural man, in our flesh, and guided by our self. We may not have problems with sin or with the world, but the question is, Who is Whose Captive? This is why we all need to pray, Lord, make me Your captive – never let me win! Defeat me all the time! The Lord doesn’t need “spiritual giants” but He needs little captives, those who have been defeated by Christ and who are subdued by Him. We need to cooperate with the Lord’s defeating work by praying in such a way, so that He may have a gateway to enter in and defeat us all the time. [continue reading online]
being a laboring farmer and an unashamed workman cutting straight the word of truth
The word of God is like a grain of wheat – it dispenses God as life into us to nourish us. Also, the Word of God is like a fire and a hammer to purify us and break down our self, our natural life, our flesh, our lusts, and even our concepts (see Jer. 23:28-29). As laboring farmers, we diligently and patiently minister the Word of God to people for their growth in the divine life. In all our contact with the saints, we should be pure and have only one motive – ministering Christ to them so that they might grow in life in the Lord (1 Tim. 5:1-2). [continue reading online]