We need to take a strong decision to be on the highways to Zion today – we need to pray that the Lord would produce us as His overcomers today! The Holy of Holies is Zion, the place where God is, His presence – and this is what we aim for! We are not satisfied to be “in Jerusalem”, in the general church life, but we want to be on the highways to Zion, on a journey toward Zion, by experiencing the Triune God internally for the Body of Christ in all His consummations! Today, in the church age, we need to be the God-men who are perfected and matured to be Zion, the overcomers, the vital groups within the churches. [read more online]
the picture of the tabernacle shows us that God is enterable: we can enter into God!
Before Christ came, God could only dwell among men, but after the process Christ passed through, by receiving Christ and experiencing Him as all the furnishing of the tabernacle, we can enter into God! The way we enter into God is by having all our problems solved (at the bronze altar) and by being washed to become the new creation (at the laver) – these qualify us to enter into the incarnated God (signified by the tabernacle). We enter further into God by enjoying Christ as our daily supply (at the showbread table), the light of life (at the lampstand), and at the incense altar being accepted by God and having intimate fellowship with God! [continue reading online]
being the seekers of God who care for nothing but gaining God and obtaining God
It is not a matter of “keeping the law”, “doing the right thing and not the wrong thing”, “being good and not being evil” – all these belong to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is a matter of enjoying God, seeking God, obtaining God, and even possessing God as our everything. God wants us to experience Him and enjoy Him to the extent that we honestly and genuinely say, “Lord, I don’t care for anything but the tree of life – I don’t care for anything other than God Himself”. This is what the psalmist experienced, enjoyed, and spoke about when he wrote Psalm 73. [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]
desolation comes in when God’s people do not properly appreciate and exalt Christ
Our failure to give Christ the first place in all things – our failure to love Him with the best love and appreciate Him – brings in desolation and degradation. The problem of desolation can be solved by Christ being appreciated and exalted by God’s people (see Psa. 80:17). When Christ is enjoyed, appreciated, given the first place, given the preeminence in all things – when He is properly appreciated and exalted, the house and the city of God can be maintained, preserved, and built up! Our not giving Christ the preeminence and our not appreciating Him is the cause of our failure and desolation. [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 a meal offering church life with the fine humanity of Christ
Today we were specifically appreciating the wonderful, fine, gentle, balanced humanity of Jesus. The fine flour is the base of the meal offering, and it typifies the fine and balanced humanity of Christ. Our humanity is rough – though outwardly we may seem to be “a nice lady” or “a proper gentleman”, and though we may behave nicely toward the ones around us, our humanity is rough. Only Christ is gentle, fine, balanced, and right in every way. While He was on earth everyone tested Him, from His brothers, His fellow countrymen, the Pharisees, the priests, and even the Roman officials – there was no fault or blemish found in Him! [read more online]