"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15
Once there was a painting exhibition. One of the paintings pointed allegorically to a Christian. In the picture there were lying around all kinds of toys which a child loved. Yet that child did not seem to notice any of them; his eyes instead were fixed upon the window before him, and also his hands were stretched forward. Viewing the painting from a distance would suggest nothing at all, but a closer look revealed a beautiful tiny pigeon perched on the window sill. And the caption beneath the painting indicated in so many words that for the sake of wanting that pretty little pigeon the child forsook all the toys. And thus the moral of the picture became obvious: that in order to possess the more excellent thing one must leave the other things. God has not demanded that we cast away anything; He instead puts before us the more excellent. For the sake of possessing the more excellent, we naturally will forsake many lesser things.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 John 2
Monday, May 28, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Meet the Enemy in Secret
"The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." - 1 Samuel 17:37
David was anointed king at Bethlehem, but immediately he returned to his ordinary sphere of life to prove the Lord there. He went back to his flock, not to some special royal training-school. It was 'with the sheep' that Saul's messengers found him; and when his turn came to confront Goliath, the weapons he used against him were those tested there. Of Saul's helmet and sword and mail he said, 'I have not proved them,' and he put them off him again. Instead he chose his shepherd's sling and the stones from the brook, 'that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear.'
There is no virtue in office alone. Mere status carries with it no spiritual power. You need to meet the enemy in secret before you can meet him in public. You need to be in tune with the Spirit of God at home before you can reign abroad. But this is a training-school open to every one of us.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17
David was anointed king at Bethlehem, but immediately he returned to his ordinary sphere of life to prove the Lord there. He went back to his flock, not to some special royal training-school. It was 'with the sheep' that Saul's messengers found him; and when his turn came to confront Goliath, the weapons he used against him were those tested there. Of Saul's helmet and sword and mail he said, 'I have not proved them,' and he put them off him again. Instead he chose his shepherd's sling and the stones from the brook, 'that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear.'
There is no virtue in office alone. Mere status carries with it no spiritual power. You need to meet the enemy in secret before you can meet him in public. You need to be in tune with the Spirit of God at home before you can reign abroad. But this is a training-school open to every one of us.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17
Monday, May 14, 2007
Seek The Favor of God
"Therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself, therefore, and offered the burnt-offering." - 1 Samuel 13:12
We know Saul was rejected by God because he was too zealous, too eager to offer sacrifice, too hasty in prayer. How manifold were his reasons for action; nevertheless, God in the meantime had sought for Himself a man after His own heart and had appointed him (David) to be prince over His people. The man the Lord desires is not one who is so hasty that he cannot wait. If the choice were left to us, we would undoubtedly incline towards people like Saul; for was he not an unusual man? He stood head and shoulders above all the people. Yet God does not seek for an unusual man, but a man after His own heart. May the aim of our service to the Lord not be so much a desiring to do great things so that we as well as others may be pleased, but may it be a touching of the heart of God in order that He may be delighted. Only people such as this will God use. He is looking for such people.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 13
We know Saul was rejected by God because he was too zealous, too eager to offer sacrifice, too hasty in prayer. How manifold were his reasons for action; nevertheless, God in the meantime had sought for Himself a man after His own heart and had appointed him (David) to be prince over His people. The man the Lord desires is not one who is so hasty that he cannot wait. If the choice were left to us, we would undoubtedly incline towards people like Saul; for was he not an unusual man? He stood head and shoulders above all the people. Yet God does not seek for an unusual man, but a man after His own heart. May the aim of our service to the Lord not be so much a desiring to do great things so that we as well as others may be pleased, but may it be a touching of the heart of God in order that He may be delighted. Only people such as this will God use. He is looking for such people.
The Lord My Portion (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: 1 Samuel 13
Monday, May 07, 2007
Right or Wrong
"Whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him twain." - Matthew 5:41
A brother in South China had a rice field in the middle of the hill. In time of drought he used a water-wheel, worked by a treadmill, to lift water from the irrigation stream into his field. His neighbour had two fields below his, and one night his neighbour made a breach in the dividing bank and drained off all his water. When the brother repaired the breach and pumped in more water, his neighbour did the same thing again, and this happened three or four times. So he consulted his brethren. 'I have tried to be patient and not to retaliate,' he said, 'but is it right?' After they had prayed together about it, one of them observed, 'If we only try to do the right thing, surely we are very poor Christians. We have to do something more than what is right.' The brother was much impressed. Next morning he pumped water for the two fields below, and in the afternoon pumped water for his own field. After that the water stayed in his field. His neighbour was so amazed at his action that he began to inquire the reason, until in due course he too found Christ.
'Right or wrong' is the principle of the Gentiles and tax gatherers (verse 46). Not that, but conformity to Him, must govern my life.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Matthew 5
A brother in South China had a rice field in the middle of the hill. In time of drought he used a water-wheel, worked by a treadmill, to lift water from the irrigation stream into his field. His neighbour had two fields below his, and one night his neighbour made a breach in the dividing bank and drained off all his water. When the brother repaired the breach and pumped in more water, his neighbour did the same thing again, and this happened three or four times. So he consulted his brethren. 'I have tried to be patient and not to retaliate,' he said, 'but is it right?' After they had prayed together about it, one of them observed, 'If we only try to do the right thing, surely we are very poor Christians. We have to do something more than what is right.' The brother was much impressed. Next morning he pumped water for the two fields below, and in the afternoon pumped water for his own field. After that the water stayed in his field. His neighbour was so amazed at his action that he began to inquire the reason, until in due course he too found Christ.
'Right or wrong' is the principle of the Gentiles and tax gatherers (verse 46). Not that, but conformity to Him, must govern my life.
A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Matthew 5
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