The second matter is this—“We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company” (Psa. 55:14). Before we come to the meeting, it is good to have some fellowship. We can say to others who live nearby, “Brother, are you going to the meeting? Good, let us go together.” Perhaps you are surprised that there is such a verse in the Bible. Yes, it is there: “We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” It is so good to hold sweet counsel with brothers and sisters on the way to the meeting, to fellowship or to praise together in anticipation of the coming feast. This is the second way to prepare ourselves and to come to the meeting. In so doing, our hearts are turned to the Lord and our spirits are refreshed and released. The Psalmist also says, “I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1). When he heard others saying, “Let us go to the meeting,” he rejoiced—this is the sweet counsel.
Thirdly, we should not go to the house of God individually, but in company if possible; not just one by one, but group by group. The Psalmist said, “For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God” (Psa. 42:4). And again, “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord” (Psa. 122:3-4). We need to practice this. Even in coming to the meetings we need some kind of coordination; we need to come together in company. Just consider how the ancient saints conducted themselves in coming together. I do not know why they were so much better than we are today. They went in company, they attended the congregation in multitude. How pitiful and poor when I go my way and you go yours. Why don’t we go to the meetings together? I tell you, it really helps. This is a real testimony to the enemy and our neighbors in the world who are watching.
Fourthly, we need to come to the meetings with a voice of joy. “I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday” (Psa. 42:4). We need not wait till we enter the meeting hall before we shout our Hallelujahs and sing our praises to the Lord. While we are walking, while we are driving, while we are still on the way, we should begin. This is the way we should come to the meetings—with a voice of joy. It is rather difficult, however, for you to do this by yourself. If you come individually to the meetings, you may easily be quenched and defeated. You need a company, you need a multitude. Perhaps four or five of you can come together, shouting, “Hallelujah! Amen! Jesus is Lord!”
Fifthly, not only come with rejoicing, but also come with thanksgiving and praise. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psa. 100:4). Before arriving at the meeting, while we are still on the way, how good it is to begin to offer our thanksgivings and praises to Christ. Thank and praise Him for the precious blood which cleanses you from all your sins and shortcomings. Thank and praise Him for all He has been to you today. Thank and praise Him for all that He will do in the coming meeting. By so doing, you will be well prepared. This should not be abnormal, but our normal experience.
Sixthly, we have to give glory to the Lord, we have to glorify Him on the way. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name...and come into his courts” (Psa. 96:8). We have to let others know that we are on our way to the meeting. This is a real glory to the Lord’s name.
Seventh and last, we must come with some offerings, either burnt offerings or other offerings. Psalm 96:8 says, “Bring an offering, and come into his courts.” We all need to come to the meetings with something of Christ as the offerings that we may offer to God. None of us should come empty-handed.
By these seven ways we may prepare ourselves for the meetings. We need the love of the meetings, we need the sweet counsel or fellowship, we need to come in company with a multitude, we need to come with a voice of joy, we need to come with thanksgiving and praise, we need to come giving glory unto God, and finally we need to come with our spiritual hands full of offerings to be offered to God. I beg you to put all these things into practice.
If you get into the Word of God and compare what is there with what exists in today’s Christianity, you will be amazed. It is absolutely different. The proper Christian meetings do not require the forms, the gifts, and the teachings as much as a daily life and walk in the spirit, a life of taking Christ as everything by the exercise of our spirit. The proper Christian meetings require this kind of preparation, plus the seven items we have just mentioned. As far as the Word of God is concerned, this is simply the normal way for Christian meetings, but as far as Christianity is concerned, this is certainly novel and revolutionary. We must be those who keep the Word of God. Brothers and sisters, if we come to the meetings prepared in such a way, we will be in a sense “noisy” people. We will be those who continually make noise by singing, praising, and testifying. If we come to the meetings with such preparation, how could we keep ourselves silent? Our spirits will be strong, uplifted, released, and releasing others all the time. Are you dumb and silent, flat and out-of-it, when you come to the meeting? If so, it is because you have not had this kind of preparation. If everyone is like that, of course, the meeting will really be dull and dead. In that case, you need some actors. The speakers become actors, speaking something for your entertainment. What a poor meeting, and what a shame to the Lord!
Let us come to the meeting prepared to demonstrate our spirits so boldly that Satan will be put into the corner, the Lord will be exalted, God will be glorified, all the saints will be edified, and the newcomers will be attracted, caught, and built up in the Body. Let us look to the Lord, pray much, and even claim this matter for the recovery of the church. I do believe the day will come when there will not be much speaking in our meetings as far as messages are concerned—most of the time will be for the demonstration of the spirit. Everybody, at least to some extent, will demonstrate his spirit in praising, testifying, and sharing.
Let us take these seven points, pray-read all these verses, and see what the Lord will do. Remember well that all these verses speak of how the saints in the ancient time came together. Today we should have more than this; today we should outshine them. Will you seek by the Lord’s grace to come to the meetings in such a way? If so, the meetings will be greatly uplifted and improved.