Morning Nourishment

Week 5   Day 1

Heb. 1:1-2 God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son…
Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life;…the words which I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life.
It is a punishment not to have God’s speaking. In the days of 1 Samuel 3, the Word of God was rare. That was a punishment to the family and house of Eli the priest. When you are under God’s blessing, God will be speaking every minute. God’s speaking to you proves that you are under His blessing… Is God speaking to you? That means that He is real, living, and moving.

The living God imparts Himself into us by speaking… God wants to transfuse Himself into us. This is mainly accomplished by speaking. The more He speaks to you, the more His divine element will be imparted or transfused into your being… Once you hear His speaking, you can never be the same. (Life-study of Hebrews, pp. 21-22)

Today's Reading
When God speaks, the light shines. The first element with God’s Word is light… There is no need for you to expound it or interpret it. The light shines, for the Word bears light. The divine Word is the best illuminator, the best light-bearer… We can all prove this by our experience. Whenever we hear His Word, we are under His shining, and this shining brings us light. With this light there is the understanding, vision, and the proper wisdom, knowledge, and utterance… When you have light, you have the seeing power, the view, and the vision. When you have light, you have knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. This gives you utterance, and you cannot be dumb.

 

 The Word also brings us life. The Lord Jesus said that the words He speaks are spirit and life (John 6:63). “In the beginning was the Word… In Him was life” (John 1:1,4). In the Word is life. When you touch the Word, you are enlivened. Today so many are living because they are filled with the Word. I am so happy to see that in this age, an age full of evils, the young people have sold themselves to the Holy Word. To so many of you the thing most precious in your heart is the Word. This is a good sign that the Lord is moving among you. His speaking is with us, and His Word is in us. Today everyone in the church life is bubbling because of the Word of life. We have the living Word.

 

The life that is in the Word includes a great deal. It includes holiness, love, humility, kindness, and patience. Life includes all the divine attributes and all the human virtues… Do not try to be humble, for humility is like a bird. If you try to catch it, it flies away. Do not try to love your wife or to submit to your husband. You cannot do it. Simply take the Word. The Word brings life, and this life will issue in love and submission. Humility, love, and submission are all found in this life. We cannot acquire these virtues by our effort or work. They are all in the divine life. How can we have life? Simply take the Word and life comes. When life comes, every good thing comes with it. In this life is the humility and beauty of a human being. Since God created man in His image, there certainly is beauty in humanity. But this beauty of humanity can only be found in the divine life, and the divine life is in the divine Word. When the Word comes, life comes, and beauty comes with the life. Look at the church people; everyone is handsome and beautiful. If the same people were not in the church life, they would have the appearance of scorpions, turtles, or monkeys. I have truly fallen in love with the church people. Even the older ones are so lovely. This beauty, this loveliness, comes from life, and life comes from the Word. When God speaks, life is there. This life is so rich. (Life-study of Hebrews, pp. 22-25)

Week  5   Day 2

Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
Acts 4:31 …They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

When the Word comes, it also brings power. The Word brings light, life, and power. When we preach the living Word, the power is there. This power is not the instant power; it is the constant power. It is not the mushrooming power; it is the growing power… What we are doing in our labor is like sowing a little carnation seed… Gradually a green sprout appears. Eventually, it blossoms, produces seed, and a second reproduction occurs. This is the power of life.

 

We like to see the Word being sown and grown in the church field. Year after year it will grow and reproduce… Nothing will last so prevailingly as what is in the churches. It will be prevailing, and it will endure forever because the power here is nothing other than life. This life comes from the Word. The Word brings in life, and life remains and reproduces… I… have the complete assurance that the Lord’s recovery in this country [will] still go on because it is not a movement of man’s doing. It is a move of the divine life growing. The seed has been sown here, the Word has come, and life is here… Where the Word is, there is power in life. (Life-study of Hebrews, pp. 25-26)

 

Today's Reading
Since God is a speaking God, when He created man in His image, He created man with the ability to speak just like Himself. Not only do we have [God’s] image in love, light, holiness, and righteousness, but we also represent Him and have His image in our ability to speak. According to Genesis 1:26, God created us not only that we might have His image but even more that we might rule for Him.

 

He created us that we might represent Him. The most important requirement of a representative is that he must be able to speak. If today someone sends a representative to us, yet this representative, being dumb, is not able to talk, then in the end no agreement can be reached since there is no possibility of having any discussion… Today we can represent God because we can speak… We can speak because we are like God.

 

God created man with two outstanding features: one is that He created a spirit within man, and the other is that He created a speaking organ for man. We need to know what kinds of words God wanted man to speak when He created man with the ability to speak. Did He want man merely to speak the words of man? God created man to represent Him. A representative should speak the words of the one he represents. As God’s representatives, we represent God; therefore, we must speak God’s words. We have to speak for God and speak forth God; this God is the word.

 

After being regenerated in our spirit, we the saved ones are the children of God. As such, when we open our mouth, it ought to be God speaking; we speak whatever God speaks. Since we all have been begotten of God, within us we ought to have the “God” tone; whatever we speak, we speak about God. In America there are people of different colors… Among these races, the Asian people are difficult to distinguish outwardly… How then does one tell the difference? It is by listening to their speech. Once they begin to talk, we know then that this one is Chinese and that one is Korean… We speak the words of the one of whom we were born. Since we were born of God, naturally we speak God’s words. Since God’s word is God Himself, when we speak God’s word, we speak God. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “Speaking for God,” pp. 203-207)

Week 5    Day 3

2 Cor. 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
13 And having the same spirit of faith according to that which is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak.
Christians today have paid much attention to the speaking in the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians. But to my knowledge, no one has ever paid much attention to the speaking by the spirit of faith.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul speaks of the treasure in earthen vessels, the very Christ as the radiance of God who was radiated into his being. Following this, he says that the putting to death of Jesus was working on the apostles and that the life of Christ was manifested in them (vv. 10-11). At this point he mentions the same spirit of faith [v. 13]. In the ancient time the psalmist had the spirit of faith (Psa. 116:10). Now the apostles also had the spirit of faith. They believed, therefore they also spoke… They spoke their experience. It was not just a certain doctrine, a certain point concerning the Triune God, but the experience of the death, life, and resurrection of Christ. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Divine Speaking,” p. 301)

 

Today's Reading
Even though Paul was not speaking with his tongue, he was speaking by his pen. When he was writing, he had the spirit of faith. He wrote with boldness, with the spirit of faith… This makes quite a difference. Regrettably, in many of the meetings the dear ones who share speak in [a] poor way. When they speak, there is no spirit. When they speak, there is no faith.

 

About one hundred years ago Henry Alford wrote concerning the spirit of faith: “Not distinctly the Holy Spirit,—but still not merely a human disposition: the indwelling Holy Spirit penetrates and characterizes the whole renewed man.” What is referred to here as the human disposition is actually the human spirit… The Holy Spirit mingles Himself with our human spirit. The spirit here is not only the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit with our human spirit (Rom. 8:16).

 

Marvin Vincent in his word study of the New Testament follows Henry Alford, saying the same thing: “Spirit of faith: not distinctly the Holy Spirit, nor, on the other hand, a human faculty or disposition, but blending both.” He uses the word blending. There is a blending between the Holy Spirit and our human spirit. This is what we call the mingled spirit. We have the mingled spirit of faith.

 

Faith is a wonder, a miracle, within us. Every genuine Christian has such a wonder, a miracle, within him… We have illustrated this by the action of a camera. The camera has a lens outside and film within. Opposite the camera there is scenery. Also, light is needed. When you click the shutter, the light shines onto the film. There is an exposure, and a picture is produced. This exposure describes the operation of faith. We are just like a camera. The gospel described in the New Testament is the scenery, the Holy Spirit is the heavenly light, and our spirit is the film. When you hear the speaking of the gospel once, twice, even four or five times, there is a click within you. Whatever is described in the speaking would then be in your spirit. No one could ever remove it from you. That is faith.

 

Now by this faith you could go everywhere to tell people that Jesus is the Savior. One may ask, “How do you know?” You just know. They do not believe it, but you believe… Once this click occurs in you, it remains forever. Now wherever we go, we would tell people that Jesus is the Savior: “He is living, and He lives in me!” In this way you speak by the spirit of faith… Why am I so bold? I have the spirit of faith. I speak, not by my mind but by the spirit of faith. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Divine Speaking,” pp. 301-302)

Week 5  Day 4

Rom. 10:14 How… shall they call upon Him into whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe into Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without one who proclaims Him?
17 So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Speaking by the spirit of faith in our practical life is a great, crucial point. This very particular expression is used only once in the entire Bible. The spirit of faith is a mingling of the Holy Spirit with our spirit. The phrase spirit of faith places the spirit in apposition to faith. Faith is of the spirit. Therefore, the spirit of faith is faith. Our faith is just the mingled spirit. Furthermore, faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the preaching of the word (Rom. 10:14). The very source of faith is the word (v. 17)… The more we get into the Word, the more we will have faith, and this faith is the spirit. Now by such a spirit we may speak the Word that is the source of our faith… The Word produces faith, faith is the spirit, and by this spirit we speak the Word. Our speaking will become the source of faith in others. The faith in them then becomes the spirit by which they speak. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “Elders’ Training, Book 6: The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles,” pp. 486-487)


Today's Reading
According to the context, the apostle’s speaking by the spirit of faith [in 2 Corinthians 4:13] was related to the death and resurrection of Christ. Verses 11 and 12 say, “We who are alive are always being delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death operates in us, but life in you.” Paul spoke his experience of the death and resurrection of Christ. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “Elders’ Training, Book 6: The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul’s Epistles,” p. 487)

 

Faith is in our spirit, which is mingled with the Holy Spirit… Doubts are in our mind… This is why when you preach the gospel, you should not stir up the person’s mind. If you stir up his mind, he would not believe. You should rather induce him to get into the spirit. Then you can complete the transaction… I must… give a living testimony, testifying boldly, “…Oh, the Lord Jesus is living! I want to tell you that He is living. He lives in me. And He was so living yesterday.” Then I would continue to tell you much more by the spirit of faith.

 

This is what the church needs for edification, for the building up… Prophesying, that is, speaking Jesus, speaking Christ, builds up the church. So Paul says, “I would rather speak five words with my mind… than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Cor. 14:19)… The plain words spoken by anyone by the spirit of faith and in the Holy Spirit build the church. Therefore, we all have to practice everywhere to speak. We speak on the street; we speak in the classroom; we speak in the office; we speak at home; we speak to everybody, to all kinds of persons; and, we especially speak in the meetings, even the more in the home meetings. Learn to speak this way. This kind of speaking enlivens, this kind of speaking refreshes, this kind of speaking makes people new, this kind of speaking makes people strong and happy, and this kind of speaking imparts life to others and dispenses the Triune God into the listeners. This kind of speaking will overcome any kind of opposing environment. We must speak—speak in the Holy Spirit and speak by the spirit of faith. If everyone would become a speaker, a speaking witness, the situation would be overturned. This kind of speaking is a strong testimony of the Lord’s recovery. We must not simply have a congregation with a speaker, hymns, a prayer, a speech, and so forth; we must be different. We must be revolutionized to have new meetings with everyone speaking. There should be no chairman, no one presiding. Everyone speaks everywhere, anytime, to anyone. We speak in the Holy Spirit and by the spirit of faith. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Divine Speaking,” pp. 302-304)

Week  5   Day 5

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
2 Tim. 4:2 Proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching.

All Christians have been made the witnesses of Christ. As witnesses, we must be persons…speaking for Christ, telling something of Christ to others… We must be speakers, those speaking clearly, adequately, and definitely for the One we witness. I hope that we all would go out to speak. For example, we can speak something to our relatives. We can tell them something concerning Christ’s death, something concerning Christ’s resurrection, and something concerning the Body of Christ and the local church… We must come back to the Bible and mine the store of the divine riches. Then we will have so much to speak. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Divine Speaking,” p. 295) 

 

Today's Reading
In 2 Timothy 4:2 Paul charges Timothy to “proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season.” When I was studying this verse, I checked with myself as to what word Paul charged Timothy to proclaim… Second Timothy 4:1 is surely a continuation of Paul’s thought at the end of chapter 3. In the last three verses of chapter 3 Paul says, “From a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (vv. 15-17). From these verses we can realize that the word Paul charged Timothy to proclaim was the word in the sacred writings of the Scriptures that Timothy had known from a babe. We all have to get into the Word, into the Scriptures. The charge of the apostle Paul to Timothy was based upon Timothy’s knowledge of the Bible… We must proclaim the word that we have learned from the Word of God. This is what the early believers did in Acts 5:42 when they met from house to house “teaching and announcing the gospel of Jesus as the Christ.” In the home meetings they taught and announced what they had learned concerning Christ.

 

Paul charged Timothy to be ready “in season and out of season” to proclaim the word. Many times we say… that it is out of season. That is the right time for us to speak… The young ones who are still in school have the most people around them. Every school is a big fishing pond full of fish. This is an environment arranged by God for speaking to others. Students always enjoy listening to their classmates much more than to their teachers or parents… We have to be made the fishers of men, bringing people to Christ and to the home meetings. For this, I do not trust in any human arrangement but in the young saints’ acting, behaving, working, endeavoring, and struggling to contact their fellow students. If we would do this, within a short time many would be baptized and added to the churches.

 

We need to practice speaking… in the Holy Spirit… When you stand up in the meeting to speak, stand up in this way: “Brothers and sisters, let me tell you, I am no longer weak! I am empowered in the One who empowers me, so I can do everything. Formerly, I could not submit myself to my husband. Now it’s easy for me to do it. I am the top wife. Hallelujah, brothers.” This is the best speaking. In every locality some saints have learned to be [in a positive sense] “professional” priests praying whenever the church comes together for the prayer meeting… In the same way, some saints have become “professional” at giving a testimony at the end of the message meetings… We all have to learn to be the “professional” speakers speaking in the Holy Spirit. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Divine Speaking,” pp. 289-291)

Week  5  Day 6

1 Cor. 12:13 …In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body…and were all given to drink one Spirit.
Eph. 5:18-19 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord.

First Corinthians 12:13 reveals that Christ has baptized us in the Spirit into the Body, and now we all are drinking the one Spirit. On the one hand, Christ has put us into the Spirit. On the other hand, we are drinking this Spirit. Therefore, we are in the Spirit, and the Spirit is in us. The result is that we are soaked and saturated with this Spirit. This makes us fully qualified and able to function in the meetings by speaking for the Lord and even by speaking Him forth. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” p. 449)

 

Today's Reading
In Ephesians 5:18 Paul charges us to “be filled in spirit.” As members of the Body of Christ, we need to be filled in our spirit unto all the fullness of God. If we are filled in spirit, that with which we are filled will overflow from within us. We overflow by speaking to one another [v. 19]. If we are filled in spirit unto all the fullness of God, we shall spontaneously speak to one another concerning Christ.

 

Christians must be a speaking people. We should not be dumb, or silent, for the God we worship is the speaking God. Idols, on the contrary, do not speak; they are dumb. In 1 Corinthians 12:2 Paul mentions “dumb idols.” Because idols cannot speak, those who worship idols are also dumb. A dumb god needs dumb worshippers… But our God is not dumb; He is the speaking God. Therefore, those who worship Him must also speak. However, many who attend the so-called services in Christianity do not speak. Instead, they worship the Lord in a dumb way. What is our situation in the meetings of the church? Are we silent, or are we bubbling over with words about the Christ we have experienced in our daily life? In the meetings we should praise the Lord and speak of what He is to us in our experience.

 

Since our God is a speaking God, we as His worshippers must also speak. At times, we should even make a joyful noise to the Lord, as we are charged to do in Psalm 100:1.

 

As we speak to one another of our experiences of Christ, we should not wait for some kind of formal beginning of the meetings. To do this is to remain under the influence of traditional Christianity. If we have been set free from tradition, we shall speak spontaneously as we come together in the meetings of the church. Some may even begin to speak on the way to the meeting. The meetings need to be filled with speaking concerning the riches of Christ.

 

Ephesians 5:19 also refers to “singing and psalming” to the Lord. Such singing and psalming are not only the overflow of being filled in spirit, but also the way to be filled in spirit. Whenever we are filled in our spirit unto all the fullness of God, the first thing we shall do is speak. Then we shall sing and psalm with our heart to the Lord. The way to be spiritual is to speak for the Lord and concerning the Lord. The more we speak, the more we shall be filled in our spirit . However, if we remain silent, we shall find that we cannot be filled in spirit.

 

The more we speak for the Lord, the more our inward being is filled with Him. Often the reason we are offended by others is that our soul is empty. We are not occupied in a proper way. But when we are filled through speaking of the Lord, our being will be properly occupied, and there will be no room for anything negative to come in to usurp us. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 703-705, 707-708)