In this morning’s training meeting, I would like to fellowship these matters with you clearly. You need to realize that the genuine Christian meeting according to God’s New Testament economy is one where every believer uses the spirit to speak the Lord’s word as soon as he arrives at the meeting. You may say that this matter has been tested successfully in our training laboratory. Now we must carry out this matter among the brothers and sisters. This requires that all of us be diligent to lead them and teach them.
John 1:1 says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, who is the Triune God. Chapter six, verse 63, continues to say that the word the Lord speaks to us is spirit. Therefore, the Word is God, and the Word is also the Spirit. Then 7:38 says that once we believe in the Lord, we receive the Spirit; the result is that there are rivers of living water flowing out of us. The rivers of living water are the Lord’s words that are flowing out unceasingly. These three portions of the Scriptures show us that the Triune God as the Word becomes the Spirit to enter into us. When we speak the Lord’s word with the Spirit, He will flow out from within us. Moreover, since the Triune God is the Word, Romans 10:8 says that this word is near us, in our mouth and in our heart.
This is a very weighty and real fact. Nevertheless, our realization is not adequate. We still think that God is great, holy, and lofty; how could He be with us in such a simple way? Actually, to us the Triune God is just like air, being with us in every place at every time, although we are not conscious of Him. This is a miraculous normality. It is very miraculous, yet very normal. For God to be with us is extremely simple; He is in our mouth and in our heart.
Since this is a fact, then we should be filled in spirit with the Triune God, as recorded in Ephesians 5:18, so that out from within us can flow rivers of living water. How do these rivers of living water flow out? This is through the speaking to one another as mentioned in verse 19. With what should we speak to one another? With psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Throughout the years many experienced ones among us have spent a lot of effort to compile many psalms and spiritual songs. These are printed in our hymnal and are ready to be used, without the need at any time for us to compile or to consider. For example, Hymns, #501, says:
O glorious Christ, Savior mine,
Thou art truly radiance divine;
God infinite, in eternity,
Yet man in time, finite to be.
Oh! Christ, expression of God, the Great,
Inexhaustible, rich, and sweet!
God mingled with humanity
Lives in me my all to be.
You can see that these words are so brief, yet to the point. You can say that every word is golden. None of us is able to utter such a word. However, now we only need to open up the hymnal to speak and read to one another just like the way we use the Bible. In this way through our speaking with the spirit, the Triune God who fills us within will flow out like rivers of living water.
I have already pointed out that Ephesians 5:18-19 and Colossians 3:16 are sister portions. Ephesians speaks concerning being filled with the Spirit, and Colossians speaks concerning being filled with the word. These two are one thing. When these portions of Scripture are put together, they prove to us that our speaking the Lord’s word with the spirit is to flow out the Holy Spirit. The word and the Spirit are one. For this reason, every one of us, especially the trainees, from now on should have much practice to speak the Lord’s word with the spirit just as we would practice calligraphy or piano. Once you enter into the meeting, regardless of whether it is a home meeting, a small group meeting, or a large meeting, you need to open your mouth and speak the Lord’s word with the Spirit. When a brother comes to the meeting, suppose he opens his mouth and says, “Praise the Lord! John 1:1 says, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’” Another sister may follow and say, “In the beginning, in the beginning, was the Word...” There is no need to have a person find a particular topic to speak to the others. Every portion of the Scripture is usable because all Scripture is God-breathed. Every chapter is the Lord’s word; every verse is life. Someone may select Matthew 1:1, saying, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham.” Every one should be living, and every one should speak the Lord’s word in the meetings. From now on, we all need to exercise to speak the Lord’s word with the spirit. We may use the Bible to speak, or we may use a hymn to speak. It is not too difficult to do this well, as long as everyone is willing to practice sincerely.
Sometimes we may feel the need to learn some truths; then we may use the Life Lessons or the Truth Lessons. But there should not be one person speaking and the rest listening. It is necessary for every one to practice releasing the spirit, speaking the Lord’s word to one another. You need to realize that after we have changed the system, our responsibility will be very heavy. It will still be necessary for the main part of the brothers and sisters of every meeting hall and district to take the lead to speak the Lord’s word with the Spirit, and also to do their best to lead others to practice. In this way, our meetings will become living and will be able to entirely replace the meetings of one person speaking with the rest listening.
A message given by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei on October 20, 1987.