Learning to Have the Spirit of the Ministry (3)

Remember the ones leading you, who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their manner of life, imitate their faith - Hebrews 13:7.

I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love, being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace - Ephesians 4:1-3.

Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease admonishing each one with tears. And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my needs and to those who are with me. In all things I have shown you by example that toiling in this way we ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive - Acts 20:31-35.

Whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ; for which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power - Colossians 1:28-29.

We must learn to have the spirit of the ministry. In this we have Brother Lee as a pattern. If we desire to serve the Lord as a prophet and as an oracle of God, we must follow the brother the Lord has placed before us.

When we minister, we should exercise neither a spirit of conquest nor a spirit of compromise. Instead, we should have the spirit of the ministry. This is for the benefit of the recovery, the perfecting of the saints, and the supplying of life. It also provides support and guidance.

What kind of person a prophet is will determine what kind of spirit he has. The spirit of the prophet should be characterized by a conscience that leads his soul, causing him to live in the operation of the Spirit through his spirit so that the divine attributes might be manifested.

A Spirit That Manifests The Divine Attributes
When you speak, the divine attributes should be manifested. You must have a spirit that displays the divine attributes.

What kind of spirit manifests the divine attributes? A spirit of agape love, the love of God. It is a spirit of righteousness and a spirit of holiness. It is also a spirit that brings the saints into light.

Please notice that I do not say that it is a spirit of light. Light kills and terminates everything negative. If you were such a light, no one would dare come near you. You should instead have a spirit that ushers others into the light.

If you possess such a spirit, then you, as such a minister of God's word, become a transcendent person. Through your speaking, others will be able to touch the divine attributes and experience the transforming work of the Spirit. They will witness the constituting work of the Spirit and its fruit.

When you are someone in whom the divine attributes are constituted, as you speak you will exhibit love, righteousness, and holiness. The more you speak, the more others will be brought into light. This is not an easy exercise.

As you begin to learn to prophesy, you will likely concentrate on your utterance, how to release your spirit, and your burden. These are basic exercises, but what I am referring to here is much deeper.

If you desire to be a prophet, you must learn to be one with the ministry. This is not an easy task. We are thankful to the Lord, however, for giving us a minister with such a rich and heavenly ministry. He has continually been infusing us with the heavenly revelations he has received. As a result, the Lord's recovery has been enabled to go forward.

Do not assume that you can be a prophet if you merely memorize and repeat some portion of an outline. This is not what it means to be a prophet. (Of course, if you have no ability to memorize or repeat, that is to your detriment.)

We must understand that the riches released by the Lord's servant are spiritual. They are released by a person who is full of divine life and attributes. As we are learning to prophesy, we must get into his riches, and we must also learn from him to have a spirit that manifests the divine attributes.

The Constituting of the Divine Life
We must allow the Lord to transform us, work on us, and constitute us with the divine life to the extent that the divine love, righteousness, and holiness become our constitution. Furthermore, we should be able to infuse light into others. When people contact us, they should be brought into the light through our prophesying and ministering.

As we are following the Lord, we must not look down on our speaking. We should not think that the Lord would use us simply because we are able to repeat the words of the Lord's servant or memorize his outlines. No! We ourselves must be constituted with the divine life. We ourselves must be spiritual. We ourselves must be of God. And we ourselves must live according to the divine nature.

The realm of what we consider must be high, for everything that comes from God is high. We must struggle to live out the revelation we have received. Since it has come from the Triune God, it is something profound. We possess high revelations, therefore we should possess high expectations, expecting that those we minister to will be brought into the economy of God.

The person who speaks with the divine attributes is a spiritual man, a man of God. He lives in the divine nature, and as a person who is one with God, the considerations of his heart are not common, for he has received transcendent revelations.

How can you become such a person with such a ministry? The more you live in the divine attributes, and the more divine life and divine constitution you possess, the higher and more profound will be your prophesying. Brother Lee's messages are not merely the product of research and development; they issue from the constitution of divine life.

Experiencing the Work of the Divine Life
The Lord's servant feels that what is urgently needed today among us are the substance and reality, produced through the operation of the divine life. The divine life within us will work and produce something of substance. This is the transforming work of the Triune God in His economy. We all need to experience this transforming work, and the church needs to witness the operation of the divine life.

If you desire to be one with the ministry, you have to dig into the riches of the ministry and become acquainted with them.

On the one hand, we should study the riches, and on the other hand, we must know how to live before the Lord. We have to contact Him, meet with Him, fellowship with Him and get close to Him. We must allow the Spirit to work on us, and we must experience God continually so that we might be constituted with the divine life. Such a divine constitution will issue in a spirit of the divine attributes. This is the way to experience being constituted with the divine attributes.

We should have a spirit that transmits the divine attributes. We should tell the Lord, "Lord, I ask that You would work on me to make me a person full of the divine riches. I desire to be spiritual. I want to be a man of God and to live in the divine nature with high expectations and high revelation. I desire to be one who can supply others, bringing them into God's economy." Such a person is truly a servant of the Lord.

It is not enough to simply serve the church or even to become a "full-timer." We must have such a vision. If we do not serve with such a realization, our labor will be in vain.

There are many Christian groups carrying out many Christian works. What is the difference between them and us? They preach the gospel, as do we. We all pray, and we all sing hymns. In what way do we differ? The main difference is that we in the Lord's recovery try our best to satisfy God according to His purpose. In other Christian groups, they try their best to satisfy people according to their need. Most Christian groups make man the focus, such as when it comes to preaching the gospel. Why do you need to be saved? So that you might be saved from hell and go to heaven instead. Why are you a Christian? So that you might experience peace and blessing. If you are a believer, you can count on the Lord to protect you. It's all about you, you, you! In Christianity, the typical believer is focused upon himself.

In the recovery, however, we talk about God, God, God! Why were we saved? It is for God. Why do we love the Lord? It is for God. Why do we pursue? Why have we consecrated ourselves? Why do we meet together? It is for God. We must learn to live in the divine economy. Then our prophesying will be able to bring others into God's economy.

If you do not possess an adequate degree of divine constitution, you will not be able to bring others into God's divine economy. If you are constituted with the divine life, however, you will be able to bring others to experience this divine economy.

If there is no constitution of divine life within you, don't bother speaking to others about God's economy. When you experience some constitution of divine life, you experience the Lord's renewing, transformation, and conformation. Through this process you experience the reality of what it means to live for God's economy. Your speaking must be backed up by the constitution of the divine life.

A Spirit Exhiting Christ's Human Virtures
Your spirit must exhibit not only the divine attributes, but also the human virtues as expressed in Christ's humanity. The human virtues of Christ include a spirit of love, a spirit that covers the weaknesses of others, a spirit of tenderness, and a spirit of meekness and suffering. If you would exhibit Christ's human virtues, your spirit must be a spirit that testifies love, endurance, tenderness, meekness and suffering.

Testifying the Human Virtues of Christ
When we speak about the divine economy and other things that are divine, the higher we speak, the better. When we speak about human virtues, however, we should be led away to what is lowly.

For example, of the two Greek words agape and philia, philia denotes human love, whereas agape denotes divine love, a love full of content. You cannot have divine love and not have human love. Divine love is transcendent, whereas human love is condescending. In philia there is lowliness and condescension.

Lowliness is not the same as lowness. God's economy cannot be low, therefore the Lord's servants should not be low either.

Some put on one kind of face when they meet a wealthy brother and another kind of face when they see the poor. Some express themselves differently around someone who is accomplished than around someone who is common. The person who exercises in this way is a low person.

You cannot be low, but you must learn to be lowly. You should have a spirit of lowliness and condescension. For example, when you speak, do not think that your message is so high that you must speak everything you have prepared. Even the apostle Paul refrained from speaking at times for the sake of the saints (Heb. 5:11). If he could sacrifice his message, why can't you? If Paul held back something, why do you feel that you must exhaust your "burden"?

In your ministering, you should be full of the human virtues Christ exhibited as well as the divine attributes. You must exercise love, endurance, and lowliness.

One brother once told Brother Lee, "I have never read your Life-Study. I have only read the books of G. Campbell Morgan. I also think that what your co-workers speak and what they feel are two different things." If you were Brother Lee, how would you answer? He did not reply directly, but instead spent time with this brother to help him pray-read. In his exercise could be seen not only the spirit of the divine attributes, but also the spirit of human virtues. He is a person full of tenderness who is able to exercise the love that covers all things (1 Cor. 13:7).

Once I asked Brother Lee if I might stay with him for a longer period of time. He thought for a while and asked, "How are the saints in the Midwest?" I said, "Brother Lee, you don't care about me." He said nothing, but sighed. I felt that I had spoken too much and later apologized. He used the opportunity to point out something for my benefit. I said, "It is you who raised me up. You have to help me correct my faults." He smiled and said, "Praise the Lord. The Lord will do it. He will do it."

The Lord knows how much I love Brother Lee and how much I respect him. He could have answered, "You have been saved for over forty years. What do you still need me for?" That would have been a reasonable reply. However, Brother Lee is full of the divine attributes. When he speaks for the Lord, you sense that he is truly a man of God. There is nothing low about him. When you are with him, you realize something sweet, something of transformation. He is constituted not only with the divine life, but also with the sweet humanity of Christ. His love is without hypocrisy.

What is hypocrisy? Hypocrisy is to do something out of a hidden motive with your own benefit in view. Sometimes brothers exercise hypocrisy when they praise others. One may say, "Brother, you sang very well today. Praise the Lord!" And the other might answer, "Your prayer was wonderful. Hallelujah!" This is hypocrisy, and displays a lack of human virtue. It is political.

If you do not allow the Lord to constitute His divine attributes into you, nor exercise to live out the Lord's human virtues, He will not be able to use you. Without a proper spirit, you cannot function as a proper oracle. You must consecrate yourself to the Lord so that He may constitute His divine attributes into you and so that you may live out the human virtues of Christ.

Speaking People Into the Economy of God

Seeking to Be Spiritual and of God
If you desire to be one with the ministry, you must learn to have the spirit of the ministry. Eventually, you must become a spiritual man, and a man of God.

A spiritual man and a man of God are not the same thing. It is possible for a spiritual person to be not of God, and it is possible for a man of God to behave in an unspiritual manner. Spirituality refers to substance while "of God" refers to position.

Someone may be spiritual in substance, and yet not be a man of God. He may be substantially full of the Spirit, and yet still exercise according to his own plans and wishes. Such a person is not of God. On the other hand, someone might be of God, having committed everything to God, and may not be spiritual at all. Therefore we must learn to be both spiritual and of God.

The Source of Human Virtues
We must also be constituted with the divine attributes, for divine attributes are the source of human virtues. The more we are constituted with the divine attributes, the more of the divine nature we possess, and the more we can live out genuine human virtues.

Jesus was able to live a life that fully expressed the human virtues because He was fully constituted with the divine attributes. By means of the divine attributes, He lived out a human life that fully exhibited the corresponding human virtues.

Seeking to Possess High Expectations
How can you know whether or not you are a person being constituted with the riches of the divine nature, and living out the human virtues? First of all, it depends upon your expectations.

Generally speaking, Chinese people have higher expectations for their children than American parents. Americans usually want their children to be who they are. If a child likes to play baseball, he is encouraged to pursue baseball. If a child is happy-go-lucky, he is allowed to do things according to his personality. Whether he becomes a janitor or a CEO, according to the American practice, the main thing is that he is happy.

The American culture has found its way into the church life. As a result, it is difficult for me to ask the saints to pursue, for that does not fit their American psychology.

A person with high expectations sees things differently, and so he sets his goals differently. Someone who is a minister and a servant of the Lord should have high expectations as well as being a spiritual person and a person of God living in the divine attributes and expressing the human virtues.

Seeking to Possess High Revelations
You must also have high revelations. If you have high expectations, you are possessed by God to enter into God's economy and to be one with Him. If, however, you do not have high revelations, your high expectations will come to nothing. It is like the person who says, "I want to be somebody," but who has no specific direction. He has a high expectation, but without a revelation, it can only remain an empty wish.

Consider Sun Yat-Sen, the father of the Republic of China. He had the revelation that China should be a country of the people, for the people, and by the people. With this revelation, he did not care whether he would be its president or not. He realized that China could become a strong country if the rail system was developed. Therefore as Secretary of the Railroads he expended a lot of energy to plan out the railroad system. He had a high expectation - that China would become a democracy - but he also had a high revelation which enabled him to exercise for China's benefit.

Needing Saints with High Expectations and Revelations
As long as there is a group of brothers (ministering brothers in particular) who possess high expectations and revelations, the church life can be high, heavenly, and one with God.

If they are short of expectation and revelation, the saints will become occupied with what might cause loss or what might produce gain. Instead of going to the Lord to be charged, some simply go to look up some Greek words or phrases, find out how Brother Lee shared, and then compose a message. A useful person would not do this kind of thing.

Why are we here? We must have a high goal. We are for the Lord's recovery. The Lord's recovery is glorious. It is glorious to give ourselves for the Lord's testimony. We are not swayed by considerations of gain or loss. We are for the Lord's recovery and for His testimony.

We must possess high revelations. Without seeing the high things, we have no way to go on, regardless of how high our expectations may be. We must have the revelation of the Triune God, the revelation of Christ, the revelation of the church, the revelation of the Body of Christ, the revelation of God's purpose and economy, the revelation of eternity, the revelation of salvation, the revelation of resurrection, and the revelation of the New Jerusalem. We must also see the saints around us in the light of revelation.

Seeking to Possess Divine Attributes and Human Virtues
This might be the most difficult lesson to learn if you desire to have the spirit of the ministry. Many have learned from Brother Lee's utterance and his way of serving, but not many have learned from his person. Brother Lee is who he is because of the kind of spirit he has. His spirit is the reality of his ministry.

In order to have the spirit of the ministry, you must be a spiritual person. You must tell the Lord, "Lord, I am here to pursue the truth with the brothers. I do not want to simply learn a lot of ways. I desire to be spiritual. I ask You to allow me to really touch You and see You."

More than this, you must also become a person of God. You have to be filled and constituted with the divine attributes. When you speak, your speaking should be accompanied by human virtues. People should feel you are a person of humanity. You are not an angel, but a human being, a man full of God.

Presenting Saints Full-Grown in Chirst
You must possess high expectations and high revelations. Anyone who does not have high expectations will be destined to live a low life, and anyone who does not have high revelations will be destined to remain common. If you possess high expectations and revelations, you will be able to minister in such a way that people will be ushered into the economy of God. You can see this principle in Paul's labor on behalf of the Colossians (1:27b-29):

…Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ; for which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power.

Paul possessed both high revelations and high expectations. He saw the church and the glory of God's economy. He saw the church as the Body of Christ, and that God's economy was carried out through the church. He labored, however, with each saint in order to present each saint full-grown in Christ. His ministering brought people into the economy of God.

Paul did not fulfill his ministry merely by giving messages. He labored with the saints individually so that he could present every one of them full-grown in Christ.