Third, to breathe in the name of the Lord Jesus is not only to breathe in the Lord as air, but to drink of the pneumatic Christ as the living water (John 4:10, 14; 7:37-39). Hence, He is not only our life and our air, but also our living water.
In addition, we can eat the Christ who is in the living word of life as the spiritual food. The Lord said in John 6:63: “The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” It is this Spirit and this life that enables us to have the supply of the spiritual life. Second Timothy 3:16 also tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed. The word of God is the breathing out of God. What He breathes out, we breathe in. In this way, we will receive the supply of life.
Although the Bible contains many teachings and exhortations, when we receive them, we must first receive their supply, and then receive their teaching. Most people receive the teaching first. This is wrong. The Bible is the breath of God. It contains God’s own element, and it is for our supply. In Romans 10:5-8 Paul quoted the word of the law in Deuteronomy 30:12-14. There he applied the word of the law to Christ, because although it was the word of the law, it came out of the mouth of God, and Christ is the One who came out of God. Hence, the written word of the Bible and the living word of Christ are both the word of God. When the Lord Jesus was tempted, three times He quoted the word of Deuteronomy to oppose Satan. He told the tempter that man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). God’s word can nourish man, because God’s word is simply Christ.
Hence, when we read the Bible, we must first exercise our spirit to call on the Lord’s name before we read. In this way, our spirit will receive the supply from Christ. Then when you try to understand the meaning of the Lord’s word, you will receive more, because Christ will not only supply your spirit, but He will also open up your understanding and will enlighten your mind to comprehend the meaning of God’s word. In the end, the supply you receive will not only be in your spirit, but will also be in your mind, emotion, and will. This is to eat Christ as the spiritual food.
Moreover, Christ is also the true vine. We are the branches of Him, the tree. When we abide in Him to enjoy all His riches, we will grow in His life. When we breathe Him in, eat Him, and drink of Him, His divine dispensing will enter into us to become our air, our living water, and our spiritual food. In this way, we will be able to abide in Him to enjoy the bountiful supply of Him as the vine.
From this, we can see that breathing, eating, and drinking Him is a kind of dispensing. Abiding in Him to absorb His riches is also a kind of dispensing. During the day, whenever it may be, as long as we turn to Him, His dispensing will go on within us.
For this reason, from now on, we have to change our concept. Not only can we pray-read two verses in the morning, but during the whole day we can always call on the Lord’s name. As soon as we contact the Lord’s word or call on His name, the supply comes. This is all the more necessary in the marriage life. No two persons living together can avoid problems. Therefore, I must tell you a spiritual principle: every time the other party makes you unhappy and causes you to lose your temper, you should tell yourself to call on the Lord Jesus first. This is the all-inclusive dose. The minute you call “O Lord Jesus,” all the tempers are gone. Whenever we have any problem, the best way to deal with it is to call on the Lord.
If you ask me why I am so healthy, I can tell you that I always do one exercise, which is to walk around a little after I eat. Just a few steps render me great help. The same is true with our spiritual life. In the midst of our busy work, if we would stop for a while and would call on the Lord a little and think of Him a little, we would be strengthened. One hymn says that if we would say just a word to the Lord, everything would be well. Every time we encounter temptation, we need only to say a word to the Lord, and everything will be well. Whether it is the wife that is angry with the husband, or the husband that is wronged by the wife, there is no need to say even half a word to each other. As long as we say a word to the Lord, the temper will be gone. This is real and practical. We must not be affected by some teachings that say that one must fast or abstain from sleep before something will happen. All we need to do is to simply and consistently call on the Lord. Spontaneously, there will be a supply from the Lord’s life. If we call on the Lord’s name all the time, breathe Him in, drink Him, eat Him through the word of the Bible, and abide in Him to receive His supply, we will grow in the life of God.
When we enjoy and apply the divine dispensing this way, five results will be manifested. First, out of us will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38-39). Second, we will bear fruits of life (John 15:5, 16a). Third, we will feed the lambs in the flock (John 21:15; 10:16). Fourth, we will become the bride of Christ, which is the Body of Christ as His increase (John 3:6b, 29-30). Fifth, we will become the organism of the processed Triune God to express the Triune God Himself (John 15:1, 5, 8). This is our Christian life. It is also the church life.
(A message given by Brother Witness Lee in Kota Kinabulu, Malaysia on October 25, 1990)
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