Next, we need to learn to use the Bible and spiritual publications to nourish people. From the time we begin to contact people, we must learn not to speak idle words, common words, or our own words. The best thing is to read a good book, especially the Bible. The Bible is the world-renowned classic of classics and is the highest book in the human race. Although people may not believe it and may even oppose it, they still would admit that the teachings in the Bible are the highest. When you go to contact someone, you should open the Bible and read a few verses to him. It is especially good to read our Recovery Version because there are footnotes for all of the crucial verses. When you read the important verses to someone and then read the footnotes with him, he will definitely be touched. Once he is stirred up inwardly, you can then explain the footnotes to him, and he will surely be receptive.
Besides the Bible, we still have many spiritual publications such as The Mystery of Human Life. This title elicits respect, and the content is not something common. It is not about going to heaven; that is too shallow. The Mystery of Human Life is the key to open up people’s hearts. This booklet stirs up people’s interest, causing them to want to read it, to discover something uncommon and to see the mystery of the four keys. Whether you read it to a person or he reads it himself, you need to observe his facial expression. Once you detect that there is an opening in him, stop reading and ask him directly how he feels. Then ask him to pray with you. Once he prays in the name of the Lord, he is saved. However, there is another half step, the other foot, which is baptism. At this time, you must quickly get the water ready, not giving him any chance to have second thoughts, and baptize him immediately. As soon as he is baptized, it is as if you have made a contract and had it signed. Later, when you meet with him in his home, you must continue the use of the Bible and spiritual publications. When you are meeting in the home meetings with him, you must observe in what areas he is lacking. Once you sense the lack in a certain area, you must immediately find pertinent messages and go over them with him to nourish and to perfect him.
Among us are a large number of spiritual publications, close to one thousand, on all kinds of topics. Every message is appealing. We need to choose appropriate publications and carry two or three with us. We also need to prepare ourselves by finding a few suitable verses; this is to learn how to use the Bible. Then when you go to the next level of visitation, you should not begin with idle words but rather say to him, “This Bible verse is very good. Please read it.” According to my experience, eight out of ten people after reading it would say, “I want to buy this book. I want to have this Bible.”
There are two other matters we need to learn: to teach the new believers to sing hymns and to teach them to pray. We all know that however Christian meetings are conducted, four things are involved: the Spirit, God’s word, hymns, and prayers. Ephesians 5:18 and 19 say, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord.” Verse 18 mentions the spirit, and verse 19 mentions hymns. When we are filled with the spirit from within, we use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to speak, sing, and psalm to one another. The emphasis here is not on psalming but on speaking to one another. Speaking to one another indicates that this is in the setting of a meeting. Perhaps you may say that this is a husband and wife speaking to one other at home. Even so, it is still in the setting of a home meeting. As soon as a husband and wife speak to one other, there is a home meeting. What is the content of their speaking to one another? It is the Lord’s grace. How do they express it? It is by speaking psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In addition, we should also have singing and praying. When these four things are used together, the meeting will definitely be living and wonderful.
We should have the exercise of these four matters not only in the home meetings but also in the big meetings. In our big meetings we do not have adequate exercise of these four matters. We are especially inadequate in the exercise of our spirit. When the church in Los Angeles met at Elden Hall, from 1967 to 1970, whenever the time to meet approached, the saints would begin singing as they walked down the street. In those days the meetings started while the brothers and sisters were still at home. The saints began their meeting before they left home, singing and praying. The meetings officially began at 7:30, but before 7:00 the saints would enter in groups into the meeting hall, singing and shouting with spontaneous praying and reading of the Word. Nowadays, the brothers and sisters probably are not accustomed to this. Some may even disdain it, asking, “Why is there so much noise? Is this worshipping God? Isn’t this shouting and yelling like a ball game or a concert?” However, the Bible clearly says that we should shout for joy and praise loudly before the Lord (Psa. 96:12; 98:8; 132:16; Isa. 12:6).
For our spirits to be released, we cannot behave ourselves too properly. Our proper behavior easily kills our spirit. Of course, we should not be wild and crazy; this results in disorder and the loss of self-control (Acts 19:23-40). However, to be quiet is dead; it is not right. To shout and jump in a disorderly way is “crazy”; it is also not right. It is not a matter of being quiet or of shouting and jumping but of the release of the spirit. If the spirit is not released, it is wrong; if the spirit is released, it is right. Once the spirit is released, people are enlivened, and the meeting is also living. If the spirit is not released, people are deadened, and the meeting is also dead. When some people walk into a meeting, they give others the sense that they are icy cold, like blocks of ice from the Arctic Ocean. In such a case, the whole meeting becomes cold. There are others who walk into the meeting and cause the whole meeting to be warmed up. Therefore, the condition of the meeting depends wholly on our individual condition.
As it is in the big meetings, so it is in the home meetings. It is especially the case when we go to visit others in their homes. Each household has perhaps only three or four people, or at most, five or six. If you are one who is filled with the Spirit and overflowing with the Spirit, as you enter a home, everyone will be able to “smell the holy wine” on you and be affected by your passion. You will sing hymns with enthusiasm, read the Word with enthusiasm, and speak with enthusiasm. Your enthusiasm will touch others, move others, and cause the entire home meeting to be living.
The Spirit, the Word, prayer, and singing are the four crucial elements of a meeting. Not only should we know the Bible, know the spiritual truths in our spiritual publications, and exercise to have a burning spirit, but also we need to learn to sing good hymns. Regarding these four items of the Spirit, the Word, prayer, and singing, I confess that I can boast in the first three items, but I am short in the matter of singing, for I cannot carry a tune. Strangely, however, it does not matter even if you are off key; you should simply exercise to sing loudly. Sometimes your singing is wrong, but those who are musically gifted can correctly learn the song after following you for a while. As he is singing correctly, you are also in tune. Perhaps the elderly saints would say that this is asking too much of them, even to the extent of killing them. We should not be afraid. Doing something that “kills” us may turn out to be life-saving to us. When we do it, it works. Thus, we need to learn to sing hymns earnestly.