Once we see these four matters, we must have much waiting and prayer before the Lord. In our prayers we need not only to pay attention to these four main matters but also to see that within them there are many detailed items.
First, we must pray that the Lord will raise up people to be workers who will consecrate their time to the Lord, lay aside their careers, abandon their future, and give themselves wholly to Christ. After being raised up by the Lord, these people will truly live for Christ and work for Christ, not wanting position, the world, knowledge, or fame. They will care only for the Lord Himself, for His work, for His gospel, for His churches, and for human souls, while setting aside everything else, including their entire future. In order for the Lord’s needs to be met in this large region, there must be a sufficient number of people who are raised up by the Lord to answer His call in this way. We should pray definitely for this.
Second, we should ask the Lord to raise up people who can recognize the needs of the Lord’s work, some who can see that this work requires finances and financial support. May the Lord raise up this kind of people who have lofty ambitions, boldness, and courage to work for the Lord and make money in many ways so that the Lord’s work will not be limited financially.
Today there is a great need for workers, and there is also a great need for money. Everyone knows that in this day and age it is impossible to do anything without workers and without money. Without workers, there is no way to do things; without money, there is no way to move. The need for money cannot be met with only a little offering, nor can it be met by the giving of the brothers and sisters according to inspiration. Rather, it requires a group of brothers and sisters to see the need, receive the burden, and tell the Lord immediately, “Lord, since You have raised up this work and have many brothers and sisters responding by setting aside the world and laying down their future to work solely for You, I must stand up and do business for this need, making money and gaining material possessions to supply the need of Your work.” This must be considered a work, not merely an offering that comes from an inspiration. Rather, it is a responsibility, a job. This way of earning money for the Lord and doing business for the Lord must become a job to some.
People in the world are all earning money for their family, doing business for their children, and making plans for their own future. Everyone in the world is like this. Here among us there should be brothers and sisters rising up to do business, doing it even more successfully and making more money than the people in the world. However, this absolutely must not be for themselves, for their families, for their children, and certainly not for their own future; rather, it must be for the Lord’s work, for men’s souls, for the gospel, for the churches, and for the Lord’s coming kingdom. The Lord must raise up such people. If there is not this kind of cooperation, we can say that the Lord’s work has absolutely no way. Of course, we deeply believe that if the Lord performs a miracle, He can work things out, but the Lord must use man. If the Lord so leads, we must pay more careful attention to this matter in the fellowship from now on.
Third, we should ask the Lord for gifted ones who will administrate the church, shepherd the church, love the brothers and sisters, and love God’s children more than their own families, their own children. If the Lord raises up such people, all the churches also will be raised up. I hope that in every place where the church is, such people will be raised up. These people are what the Bible calls elders. Such elders must be raised up. If there is merely a gospel work but not the administration carried out by the elders, there is no way for a church to become strong. If the elders cannot be raised up, there is no way to push the work forward, for the work is carried out steadily step by step, locality by locality. For example, if the gospel reaches a certain place, some people are saved, and a church is raised up, this church must be handed over to the elders, and the spread will continue. If the elders’ administration is not proper, the work ahead will be easily shaken and dragged down, and there will be problems later on. If the administration in the churches is strong locality by locality, the work ahead will not be dragged down but rather will be strengthened.
For instance, because in the past two or three years the brothers in Taiwan have had sufficient strength, we can go forward and spread the work. We can go forward smoothly because there are not too many problems behind us. If there are problems in Taiwan, we will not be able to go forward; we will only be able to take care of the existing churches. We need the Lord to have mercy on us to help us see that elders must be raised up in the local churches; we need to ask the Lord to truly raise up such people.
In addition, there must also be deacons; there must be many such brothers and sisters raised up by the Lord. This is the fourth kind of people. They love the church, love the brothers and sisters, serve the church, and serve God’s children in the church. This kind of person must be raised up in great quantity—the more the better. According to our observation, there have not been enough of these people in the church in Manila up until now. The more of these people the church has, the better.
Fifth, we should also ask the Lord to raise up young people who have a heart for the Lord. Such young people must be raised up by the Lord as a group willing to be led, trained, and have a part in the coordination of the Lord’s work.
In the development of the Lord’s work every one of these five kinds of people is indispensable. There must be workers raised up for the Lord, money-makers raised up for the Lord, elders raised up for the Lord, deacons raised up for the Lord, and many young people raised up for the Lord. Such people all have the heart to pursue spiritual things, the burden to consecrate themselves, and the desire to serve the Lord. They are willing to be led and trained so that they may be in the church’s coordination. If these five kinds of people all come forth, it will cause us to give the Lord the full praise. Hence, these four main matters and these five kinds of people are the target of our prayers.
We have heard enough messages. Today I hope we can work out some definite things, which should include the carrying out of these four main matters and the producing of these five kinds of people. May the Lord have mercy on us that in these days we would pray for these nine points, praying and waiting on Him again and again. We need to pray at every time and in every place, unceasingly praying and waiting on Him in this way. The One in whom we believe is the true and living Lord. The Bible says that the day of the Lord’s coming is near. If we believe that this is true and trustworthy, our attitude must change completely. You and I must pay attention to these nine points, allowing the Lord to have a clear way, allowing the Lord’s work to prosper, allowing ourselves to be broken, and allowing Him to gain us fully. This is the desire and attitude each one of us should have.