What does it really mean to “unceasingly pray”? Does it mean that you have to stop any other outward activity and spend 24/7 in prayer on your knees before God? This natural thought seems rather impractical and intangible, impossible to attain by a human being. Prayer is an activity of our spirit – our mingled spirit prays all the time. To pray is to use our spirit to fellowship with God. Our spirit is always willing, ready to pray, but we need to turn to our spirit and use our spirit to pray! Let us not quench the Spirit in our spirit but allow our spirit to be active all the time by praying unceasingly! [read more online]
the solution to all our problems can be found by entering into the sanctuary of God
Psalm 73 speaks of a man who does his best to keep the law and God’s commandments, who is puzzled and almost stumbled when he sees that he is in suffering and pain while the evil men prosper and nothing seems to bother them. While the righteous man is being plagued and persecuted, going through all kinds of not-so-pleasant things, the evil men prosper. Why is it like this? The psalmist found the answer when he entered into the sanctuary of God – there he perceived their end, and he realized that God is his unique portion and reward! We also need to see this by coming into the sanctuary of God – here we have the answer! [read more online]
the meal offering church life with no leaven and no honey is for God’s satisfaction
With the Lord Jesus there was no leaven (no sinful or negative thing) and no honey (no natural affection, attachment, or preference). Rather, He lived a life of the highest and finest humanity (fine flour) oiled with the Holy Spirit (mingled with oil), having the fragrance of resurrection (frankincense), and living under the cross every day (being salted). This One is our daily food and our supply, our sustenance, and by eating of Him we become His corporate reproduction! We also live a life of the highest humanity mingled with the Spirit, with the fragrance of resurrection, and being daily under the cross. Also, as we eat this One, we will reject any sinful thing or any good aspect of our natural man. [read more online]
becoming the reproduction of Christ as the meal offering church life today
We are slowly and surely becoming the reproduction of Jesus Christ as the corporate meal offering church life! The genuine church today is nothing else but the corporate living of the believers in Christ who are the reproduction and duplication of Christ – it is Jesus living again in His believers. We are imitating Christ in His life by eating Christ and becoming Christ’s reproduction organically. We all are learning to deny ourselves, remaining in Christ’s death, living under the cross, by the power of Christ’s resurrection. When an unbeliever comes in and sees this, he senses that God is among us! Wow, the corporate God-man living, the reproduction of Christ as the meal-offering church life! [continue reading 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]
we are earthen vessels containing a priceless treasure, the Christ of glory!
When God shines on us through the speaking of His Word, the glory of God in the face of Christ is being infused into us to become the indwelling treasure in our spirit (see 2 Cor. 4:6-7; 1 Pet. 3:4). This is so wonderful! We are earthen vessels – worthless, fragile, temporal, ephemeral, and passing away – but we contain a priceless treasure – the face of Christ, the person of Christ, the image of God Himself – in our spirit (2 Cor. 2:10)! There is nothing more precious and valuable in the whole universe than beholding the face of Jesus [read more online]