Let me give a testimony of our experience in Taiwan. When we first arrived in Taiwan, we found it to be a backward, primitive island. Nevertheless, we began to speak according to our vision. There were many missionaries there, especially those from the Southern Baptist denomination. With the mainland of China lost, they invested a great deal of money in their work on the island of Taiwan. Although we were small in number, we spoke according to our vision. This speaking of the vision caused trouble, for it stirred up opposition. Some said, "Are only you the church? What do you mean that you have the church life and that we don't?" Our speaking was strong. We published books and a little magazine entitled The Ministry of the Word, which has had more than three hundred issues. Today, through this magazine, we are still sounding the trumpet. During the past twenty-eight years, we have done a great deal of speaking. Our speaking has caused trouble, and we have suffered much opposition as a result.

However, whether the missionaries agreed with us or not, they eventually were subdued and had to admit that ours was the best work in Taiwan. In the church in Taipei alone there are more than twenty-three thousand members. Before our dream began to be fulfilled in Taiwan, we suffered a great deal. Although we suffered criticism and defamation, we never stopped speaking. The more others tried to keep us from speaking, the more we spoke. We kept on speaking ourselves into trouble.

As we have seen, Joseph firstly spoke himself into trouble. But later he spoke himself out of trouble and into the fulfillment of his dreams. All this happened through his speaking. Both the trouble and the fulfillment came by speaking. It is the same with us today. When we speak about the glorious church life, some may shake their heads in unbelief and wonder whether this can be worked out in the United States. Some have even said that it is impossible. But it did work. During the past fifteen years in the United States, this dream has been fulfilled.

I first saw this vision fifty years ago, and wherever I have been—in China, in Taiwan, or in the United States—I have spoken according to it. Whoever has said no to this vision, to him it has been impossible for it to be fulfilled. But to those who have said, "Yes, it is possible," to them it has been possible. The more we say that the church is glorious, the more glorious it is. I believe strongly that the church in Anaheim will be glorious, for we shall speak ourselves into this glory. Be prepared first to speak yourself into trouble and then to speak yourself out of trouble and into the fulfillment of your dreams. These three things will happen to us all.

Some of you may be familiar with a slanderous book called The God-Men. The preface to this book was written by a man by the name of David Adeney, whom I met more than twenty years ago when he was engaged in a student work in the Far East. He appreciated our meetings, and he sometimes attended the Lord's table meeting in Hong Kong. Once he came to Taiwan to carry out a work on the campuses. He came to realize that our work at National Taiwan University was better than the work of others. Because our gospel preaching was so prevailing, he admired it. One day he came to see me and told me that our work on the campuses was very good and that he wondered whether or not we could work together. I told him that I respected his work for the gospel and that, as far as the gospel was concerned, we could work together. However, I pointed out that his goal was different from ours. The goal of our preaching was to build up the local church, but his preaching eventually would help the denominations. In our conversation I was very frank with him. I said, "Brother, you need to see clearly where we are and where you are. We have two different goals. Our goal is to build up the local church as the Lord's recovery; and your work would eventually help the denominations." In our conversation, according to what he told me, I said to him that he was out of Babylon, but only halfway to Jerusalem. He was not yet in Jerusalem. Recently I received a note from a young brother telling me that this Brother Adeney had told him that in Taipei I once had said to him that he was out of Babylon, but not yet in Jerusalem. I was pleased to hear that he still remembered this word.

It is difficult for me to believe that such a brother, who expressed himself to me in a very nice way, could write the preface to the slanderous book entitled The God-Men. If I were speaking with him face to face, I would say, "Brother Adeney, don't you believe that we are God-men? How could you write a preface to a book defaming us in this matter?" In his preface he gave people a vague, ambiguous, negative impression about me. I feel very sorry for him that he became involved in such a defaming work.

All this trouble has come from my speaking. The opposition from Melodyland and the Bible Answer Man is the result of my speaking. Today I am still speaking myself into trouble. The more opposition there is, the more I speak. I am still speaking, and I intend to speak even more. I may speak myself into trouble, but the ones who oppose this speaking will suffer loss because of their opposition.

Suppose when the cupbearer and the baker told Joseph about their dreams, he did not have the faith or the boldness to interpret them. Joseph could have said, "You know, friends, more than twelve years ago I had two dreams. I interpreted these dreams, but even now I still have not seen them fulfilled. Now I don't know whether those dreams were real or not. I dare not say." Many who saw the vision of the church during the past fifty years held an attitude similar to this. Some said, "Brother Lee, we dare not say that what you are doing is wrong. We also have seen something like this, but we're not sure about it. Time will tell." If Joseph had expressed such an attitude to his companions in prison, nothing would have happened.

What do you suppose would have happened if Joseph had been uncertain in talking to Pharaoh? Suppose Joseph had said, "Pharaoh, I have had some dreams, but they have not been fulfilled. My interpretation of the chief cupbearer's dream has been fulfilled, but I don't know whether my dreams will ever be fulfilled. However, if you like, I will interpret your dreams for you." If Joseph's attitude had been like this, Pharaoh would have sent him back to prison. He would not have wasted his time with Joseph. But, although Joseph's dreams had not been fulfilled, he was bold to tell Pharaoh that God would give him an answer of peace (41:16). We all must learn to do this. Because of the vision, I cannot remain silent. When I speak, I am restful, joyful, and happy. The more I speak, the more released I am.