Bible Reading: Mt 16:21-27
Read and pray: "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the footstool for My feet; what kind of house will you build Me, says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest?" (Acts 7:49)
God wants to take the way of building, but the problem He faces is our person. We are the problem. Those who administrate the church and minister the word are full of problems. Our way and doctrine are not the problem; rather, the problem is our deficiencies. We have reached a critical point in our service.
The church in Taipei has already been here for eight years, from 1949 to 1957. If we continue as we are, our work will not produce results. We will only have endless problems and continuous losses; there will be no increase in blessing. As long as those who serve continue according to the traditional way, our work will have no future. For the sake of God’s building and the future of our work, may the Lord have mercy on us to understand that the problem is not in our doctrine or practice, but in ourselves.
We need to consider the condition of our work and our current situation before the Lord. This does not mean that we should be introspective. We need to be enlightened and receive help through this fellowship. We need to be still before the Lord and allow Him to shine on us, speak to us, touch us, and deal with us. Unless we pass through the Lord's hands that can deal with us, much of our outward activity will be vain and insignificant.
If God does not deal with us thoroughly, His building will not be accomplished, regardless of the methods we use. For God's building to be accomplished properly, He needs to deal deeply with us in the aspects of church administration and the ministry of the word.
In the administration of the church, the brothers who serve as elders need to be personally disciplined. Those who speak on behalf of God also need personal discipline. Otherwise, our administration of the church and our ministering will not result in the reality of building.
May we all have a heart that fears the Lord and is able to realize that the building of the church depends on the person of those who administrate the church and those who minister the word. If we allow God to deal with us, our work will have an impact, even if our method is inferior. Otherwise, our work will cause the building to collapse despite the methodology we use.
Enjoy more: Hymn 236
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