Praise is the highest work that can be carried out by God’s children! The Christian life soars through praises! Even in prison and in stocks in Acts 16, Paul and Silas were praising the Lord – their spirits were soaring! We need to learn to take the important step from “praising God when we’re in the mood” to transcending everything by praising God! We should not set our eyes on our circumstances but on the Wonderful Christ – and praise will be rising in our being! Lord, I don’t know what to do in this situation, but my eyes are set on You! [continue reading this portion inspired from the last message in the Crystallization-Study of Psalms(2) by brother Ron Kangas]
our flesh profits nothing: let us turn to our mingled spirit! (2011 winter school of truth)
I really enjoyed the fact that we have the key to both “death” and “life and peace”. This key is non other than our mind. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). The moment I got to know this, I found the answer to lot of problems in my life. Can the flesh do any good to you? No, the flesh cannot do any good for you. The Lord Jesus said “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63). Hallelujah – our flesh profits NOTHING! So if the flesh profits nothing, let us set our mind on the spirit because He gives us life! [sharing by a brother who recently attended the Winter School of Truth – read more online]
the significance of Christ as the cornerstone for God’s building (Psalm 118)
What does it mean that Christ is the cornerstone in God’s building? In the Psalms we see that Christ is the refuge rock, the blessed Rock, the protecting rock, the higher rock, the unique rock, the strengthening rock, the habitation rock, the unfailing rock, the salvation rock, and the trusting rock! Also, He is nine types of stones: the eternal rock, the foundation stone, the living stone, the cornerstone, the precious stone, the topstone, the cleft rock, the crushing stone, and the stone of stumbling! Specifically, brother Andrew Yu was sharing at least 6 aspects in which Christ being the cornerstone is very significant: [continue reading online the six aspects]
What does it mean to give the Lord the preeminence, the first place, in everything?
To give the Lord the first place in our life practically means to repent and do the first works. Rev. 2:5 warns us that if we don’t repent and do the first works, the Lord will remove the lampstand. These works issue from our first love for the Lord – they are a work issuing from a heart filled with zeal for the Lord’s love, and this is precious in the Lord’s eyes. We love the Lord so much that we just do the first works – and they come out of our zeal, our love for Him! In that day, when we will stand before God at His judgement seat, He will appreciate how much of what we have done out of love for Him. Only those things we do motivated by our love for the Lord are considered gold, silver, and precious stones. If we don’t do these works, the Lord will take the lampstand! Whatever we do in the church life, we need to love the Lord and do the first works – and we will be a corporate expression of the Triune God everywhere on the earth as the golden lampstands! [continue reading online – 12 ways we can give the Lord the preeminence in our life]
man cannot be justified out of works of law but out of faith in Christ, in the organic union!
It is so easy to have a low appreciation and view of the truth of the gospel in its basic principle of the justification by faith. We are fallen in our concept, our way of thinking, even in this respect. We need to have an uplifted view of justification by faith – to be justified by faith in Christ, we need to believe into the Lord Jesus out of an appreciation of His preciousness! The speaking of the gospel brings us into a sweet appreciation of the Lord, and we believe into Him! When we call on His name, we are regenerated and we are organically one with Him! In this organic union, God MUST reckon Christ as our righteousness! [continue reading online + comment with your enjoyment of today’s morning revival]
the church life today is the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, a delightful place
The church life has a practical and tangible aspect to it like the meetings, the services, the arrangements, the blending, conferences, etc. But the church life also has an invisible aspect – the reality of the church life is the kingdom of God, a realm where we are ruled in love with life. Here we are under the heavenly ruling and restriction – and at the same time we have real freedom in love, with life, and under light. Praise the Lord, we can exercise our spirit and allow the divine life to rule in us in love under light – and we become part of the enlargement of the kingdom of God on earth, the church life! [read more online]
eating the tree of life and being organically one with Christ as branches abiding in the vine
Even if our life would be perfect, God would not have wanted it – God wants to mingle His divine life with our human life, He wants to be joined and mingled with man to be man’s life and everything! The life we live today as Christians is a mingled life by continually minding our mingled spirit (Rom. 8:6). [continue reading online]