A Word of Love

TLFisher · 03-20-2011, 11:49 AM

I have recently read Witness Lee's short book on A Word of Love to Elder's, Co-workers, Lovers, and Seekers of Christ.
Having been impressed with this book, I considered when this word was released, how was it received? Was it a word to be taken superficially? Meaning a word to be spoken, but not to be applied. The word was mean to exhort, encourage, and not be just another message.
Witness Lee speaks of having a shepherding spirit in chapter 2:

"If we lose this spirit, whether we are elders, co-workers, or serving ones, we are finished. This is the main reason why we are so barren, bearing no fruit for so many years. Recently a brother went to care for a couple, but he did not have this spirit. He visited them no more than ten times and became disappointed. Since the couple had no heart for this brother, he reported that it was useless to visit them further. When Pastor Yu visited me, I did not care for him, but he continued to come for three or four months, week after week. We need to have this spirit. We all have to change our concept. Therefore, we need discipling. We have too much of the natural thought. We need to be discipled to have the divine concept, the concept of the Father’s heart and the heart of the Lord Jesus, who came to save sinners."

What is the natural concept? What is profitable and what is not. In our natural man we're too busy. A need to remain occupied. If you visit someone and there's no instantaneous positive reaction, it's a waste of time. In the next section brother Lee spoke of labeling and ranking people. This is precisely what happens when you decide who and who isn't a waste of time. In retrospect we were all a waste of time, but in the gospels we read what God did by sending His Son who in His perfection took all our sins upon the cross.

I appreciate Witness Lee's A Word of Love, but I sensed it was a word taken lightly. I have been noticing for some time when we're in the meetings, there's passivity; an expectation we're the church and if you want to meet with as the practical expression of the church in this city, here we are. No concept of going after people, but in our meetings sitting on our hands waiting for them to come to the local churches. That is why someone such as myself was dormant for 7 years before anyone bothered calling, much less visiting. Even 15 years later A Word of Love hasn't changed the culture about visiting people. To suggest such a concept the response might as well been, "brother you're asking too much". When we're talking about elders and co-workers, they shoulder a greater burden than the average saint. If they're willing to bear resposnsibility, why has it been asking too much to visit people? There has been a corresponding reaction to the lack of visiting people. That reaction becoming the community type churches being much more attractive with their discipling culture. In this present day community type churces are better equipped to meet the needs of the general brother and sister.

03-20-2011, 11:49 AM	#1
TLFisher Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Renton, Washington Posts: 3,545	A Word of Love I have recently read Witness Lee's short book on A Word of Love to Elder's, Co-workers, Lovers, and Seekers of Christ. Having been impressed with this book, I considered when this word was released, how was it received? Was it a word to be taken superficially? Meaning a word to be spoken, but not to be applied. The word was mean to exhort, encourage, and not be just another message. Witness Lee speaks of having a shepherding spirit in chapter 2: "If we lose this spirit, whether we are elders, co-workers, or serving ones, we are finished. This is the main reason why we are so barren, bearing no fruit for so many years. Recently a brother went to care for a couple, but he did not have this spirit. He visited them no more than ten times and became disappointed. Since the couple had no heart for this brother, he reported that it was useless to visit them further. When Pastor Yu visited me, I did not care for him, but he continued to come for three or four months, week after week. We need to have this spirit. We all have to change our concept. Therefore, we need discipling. We have too much of the natural thought. We need to be discipled to have the divine concept, the concept of the Father’s heart and the heart of the Lord Jesus, who came to save sinners." What is the natural concept? What is profitable and what is not. In our natural man we're too busy. A need to remain occupied. If you visit someone and there's no instantaneous positive reaction, it's a waste of time. In the next section brother Lee spoke of labeling and ranking people. This is precisely what happens when you decide who and who isn't a waste of time. In retrospect we were all a waste of time, but in the gospels we read what God did by sending His Son who in His perfection took all our sins upon the cross. I appreciate Witness Lee's A Word of Love, but I sensed it was a word taken lightly. I have been noticing for some time when we're in the meetings, there's passivity; an expectation we're the church and if you want to meet with as the practical expression of the church in this city, here we are. No concept of going after people, but in our meetings sitting on our hands waiting for them to come to the local churches. That is why someone such as myself was dormant for 7 years before anyone bothered calling, much less visiting. Even 15 years later A Word of Love hasn't changed the culture about visiting people. To suggest such a concept the response might as well been, "brother you're asking too much". When we're talking about elders and co-workers, they shoulder a greater burden than the average saint. If they're willing to bear resposnsibility, why has it been asking too much to visit people? There has been a corresponding reaction to the lack of visiting people. That reaction becoming the community type churches being much more attractive with their discipling culture. In this present day community type churces are better equipped to meet the needs of the general brother and sister.