The Elder's Book of Cherishing

Indiana · 10-14-2009, 08:20 PM

http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...Cherishing.pdf

At the end of their lives and ministries, both Watchman Nee and Witness Lee exhorted the elders to shepherd and oversee all the saints, WL saying,

27. "...the impact that this little bit of concern, prayer, and visiting affords is far more powerful than ten messages.”

28. “Care can touch people’s feeling in a far deeper way than messages can.”

http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...Cherishing.pdf

Chefoo Revival through Shepherding
http://www.blendedbody.com/_cl/_audi...EldersEval.mp3
http://www.blendedbody.com/_cl/_audi...009-Chefoo.mp3

From in the Wake of the New Way

"What The Recovery Needs"

From the beginning of brother Lee's ministry in the United States clear to the end of it, although we heard marvelous things, we heard comparatively little about love. Near the end of his ministry, however, he did speak more concerning the need for love among us. He said, "In the last few years, we have appreciated the Lord's showing us the high peak of the divine revelation. My concern is that although we may talk about the truths of the high peak, love is absent among us. If this is the case, we are puffed up, not built up. The Body builds up itself in love".

He actually began to speak in this way starting in 1988 and, intermittently, to the end of his ministry, addressing the elders on a number of occasions more definitely about this need. He said, "according to my observance throughout the years, most of the co-workers have a human spirit of "power" but not love. We need a spirit of love to conquer the degradation of today's church…this is what the recovery needs." He also stated, "only love prevails" and that "love is the most excellent way". He said it is the way to be an elder or a co-worker, and that it is the way to handle the saints. He proclaimed that it is the way to do everything and to be anything in the church life.

It was about this time that he looked back over his church life experience and recalled that his best days were in Chefoo. He said that that was his most prosperous, fruitful time in the church due to the love and the practical shepherding of the saints. He testified that it was the shepherding that brought in the blessing. Although he had shared so much with the saints on the revelation of life in the scriptures throughout the years, he said that even the gospel of John, a gospel on life, needed the last chapter on shepherding to make it meaningful. The shepherding is needed to bring the loving seekers of God into the corporate relationship of God and man.

The Revival In Chefoo

Our brother seems to have pondered the non-encouraging results of the Lord's new move and the damage that had been done, having summed up his feeling in an elders training, testifying that the result of his labor in the United States had not been satisfactory. In fact, it had been “disappointing”. He also testified that his work in both Taipei and the Philippines never brought "satisfactory results", and that only one place had done so where he had labored -- "Chefoo, my home town." He was locked in by the war then and could not leave to minister to the churches. So, he gave his full attention to the needs in his locality.

An extremely vital practice in Chefoo was for the leading shepherding ones to meet for hours and consider all the “difficulties and deficiencies” among the saints in their locality, then find a way to meet the need. He said, "This fellowship was not superficial, but deep, getting to the bottom of things." Brothers, as well as sisters were there, and they fellowshipped, prayed, and coordinated in oneness with the Lord for the shepherding of all the saints. As a result, the morale in that place was high and the real one accord was produced that made an impact on their city. This caused a revival to break out that lasted for ten years. They were the real spiritual parents taking care of the spiritual welfare of their spiritual children.

The Church Family in Chefoo

The church in Chefoo was like a family. It was a church family with an atmosphere of a spirit of love prevailing there. The love inspired the people and motivated them. Love kept people in the church, and love brought new ones in. This church family experience was their oneness providing the Lord a base to move in their locality.

Besides being one of the shepherding ones visiting the saints in their homes regularly and when there was special need, a young brother Lee liked to have meals at the meeting hall and invite ten or twenty brothers and sisters to come and eat. During that time he would talk to them one by one. In this way he made contact with every one of the few hundred brothers and sisters. He said that by sitting down with them, chatting with them and getting acquainted with them he could get a clear impression about them and their need.

In Chefoo there was no centerpiece, no special group as a distraction from the fundamental need to care for the members equally. The ministry was in place with no special emphasis on it or allegiance to it. All the leading ones gave their attention, time, and energy to the Body. Thus, the one accord was struck. Their increase came due to the love and the one accord! They had the same care for the rickshaw boy as for the banker, the same love for the coolie and his wife as for the "promising ones." It was their family. The Lord poured out His blessing on this!

Today, we all need to be in a strong church family and deal with any atmosphere of a spiritual institution or education center. That is, we should have an atmosphere of a spirit of love prevailing, not just of spiritual seeking and of learning the deeper truths. We should notice if a brother or sister hasn't been meeting, or if they are having difficulty. Our thought is often about certain members that because they aren't meeting the church standard and expectation, maybe they're just not for the church. That wasn't the apostle Paul's thought. He said to "uphold the weak". They are our brother or sister, and they are necessary family members.

Strong church families form the essential base for the one accord. Regardless of the outward activities and move of the Lord taking place in the churches, we all belong to a church family that should be practical in caring for its members. This is where the breakdown has been. A real family takes care of its members, being accountable for each one of them. It is the secret to having morale. A thriving church family affords the Lord a way to move on the earth with joy.

awareness · 10-15-2009, 05:52 AM

Quote:

My concern is that although we may talk about the truths of the high peak, love is absent among us.

Oh boy, another New Way....

countmeworthy · 10-15-2009, 09:03 AM

And why aren't the saints just DOING it spontainiously ? Why do they have to get together and read the HWMR or some Lee message and mention him at every gathering ? Should we not all be exalting the Name of Jesus ? Who cares who initiates fellowship ?

Ohio · 10-15-2009, 01:35 PM

The irony here is just insane -- I was in LC's where love and care and shepherding were abounding, that is until outside interferences -- from both Cleveland and Anaheim -- just about destroyed the morale and cohesiveness of the churchlife.

This was sooooo typical of the ministry of both WL and TC -- disrupt, interfere, and meddle in the local churches -- and then later on inform them that it is just a bloody shame that they don't love each other enough.

TLFisher · 10-16-2009, 10:40 PM

Portions from the article I enjoyed were as follows:

“They need to go to each of the saints’ homes outside [the meetings of the church]. This is why Paul said in Acts 20 that he taught the saints publicly and from house to house and that he admonished each one of them night and day with tears. Paul used both the day and the night.”

“We should not despise the individual contact with people. As long as we do not practice the New Testament priesthood of the gospel by contacting people, one by one, we are still somewhat remaining in the papal and clergy-laity systems.”

“[The elders] should do their best to shepherd and care for the saints. As soon as we hear of anyone sick or of anyone encountering problems, we must be concerned for him, pray for him, and go to visit him. The impact that this little bit of concern, prayer, and visiting affords is far more powerful than ten messages.”

“If we only care for the good ones, it is no wonder that the church does not have the increase.”

“The Lord Jesus was zealous in contacting the bad person [like Zaccheus]. The elders should learn how to help the ones who are not good “

Terry

10-14-2009, 08:20 PM	#1
Indiana Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 707	The Elder's Book of Cherishing http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...Cherishing.pdf At the end of their lives and ministries, both Watchman Nee and Witness Lee exhorted the elders to shepherd and oversee all the saints, WL saying, 27. "...the impact that this little bit of concern, prayer, and visiting affords is far more powerful than ten messages.” 28. “Care can touch people’s feeling in a far deeper way than messages can.” http://www.makingstraightthewayofthe...Cherishing.pdf Chefoo Revival through Shepherding http://www.blendedbody.com/_cl/_audi...EldersEval.mp3 http://www.blendedbody.com/_cl/_audi...009-Chefoo.mp3 From in the Wake of the New Way "What The Recovery Needs" From the beginning of brother Lee's ministry in the United States clear to the end of it, although we heard marvelous things, we heard comparatively little about love. Near the end of his ministry, however, he did speak more concerning the need for love among us. He said, "In the last few years, we have appreciated the Lord's showing us the high peak of the divine revelation. My concern is that although we may talk about the truths of the high peak, love is absent among us. If this is the case, we are puffed up, not built up. The Body builds up itself in love". He actually began to speak in this way starting in 1988 and, intermittently, to the end of his ministry, addressing the elders on a number of occasions more definitely about this need. He said, "according to my observance throughout the years, most of the co-workers have a human spirit of "power" but not love. We need a spirit of love to conquer the degradation of today's church…this is what the recovery needs." He also stated, "only love prevails" and that "love is the most excellent way". He said it is the way to be an elder or a co-worker, and that it is the way to handle the saints. He proclaimed that it is the way to do everything and to be anything in the church life. It was about this time that he looked back over his church life experience and recalled that his best days were in Chefoo. He said that that was his most prosperous, fruitful time in the church due to the love and the practical shepherding of the saints. He testified that it was the shepherding that brought in the blessing. Although he had shared so much with the saints on the revelation of life in the scriptures throughout the years, he said that even the gospel of John, a gospel on life, needed the last chapter on shepherding to make it meaningful. The shepherding is needed to bring the loving seekers of God into the corporate relationship of God and man. The Revival In Chefoo Our brother seems to have pondered the non-encouraging results of the Lord's new move and the damage that had been done, having summed up his feeling in an elders training, testifying that the result of his labor in the United States had not been satisfactory. In fact, it had been “disappointing”. He also testified that his work in both Taipei and the Philippines never brought "satisfactory results", and that only one place had done so where he had labored -- "Chefoo, my home town." He was locked in by the war then and could not leave to minister to the churches. So, he gave his full attention to the needs in his locality. An extremely vital practice in Chefoo was for the leading shepherding ones to meet for hours and consider all the “difficulties and deficiencies” among the saints in their locality, then find a way to meet the need. He said, "This fellowship was not superficial, but deep, getting to the bottom of things." Brothers, as well as sisters were there, and they fellowshipped, prayed, and coordinated in oneness with the Lord for the shepherding of all the saints. As a result, the morale in that place was high and the real one accord was produced that made an impact on their city. This caused a revival to break out that lasted for ten years. They were the real spiritual parents taking care of the spiritual welfare of their spiritual children. The Church Family in Chefoo The church in Chefoo was like a family. It was a church family with an atmosphere of a spirit of love prevailing there. The love inspired the people and motivated them. Love kept people in the church, and love brought new ones in. This church family experience was their oneness providing the Lord a base to move in their locality. Besides being one of the shepherding ones visiting the saints in their homes regularly and when there was special need, a young brother Lee liked to have meals at the meeting hall and invite ten or twenty brothers and sisters to come and eat. During that time he would talk to them one by one. In this way he made contact with every one of the few hundred brothers and sisters. He said that by sitting down with them, chatting with them and getting acquainted with them he could get a clear impression about them and their need. In Chefoo there was no centerpiece, no special group as a distraction from the fundamental need to care for the members equally. The ministry was in place with no special emphasis on it or allegiance to it. All the leading ones gave their attention, time, and energy to the Body. Thus, the one accord was struck. Their increase came due to the love and the one accord! They had the same care for the rickshaw boy as for the banker, the same love for the coolie and his wife as for the "promising ones." It was their family. The Lord poured out His blessing on this! Today, we all need to be in a strong church family and deal with any atmosphere of a spiritual institution or education center. That is, we should have an atmosphere of a spirit of love prevailing, not just of spiritual seeking and of learning the deeper truths. We should notice if a brother or sister hasn't been meeting, or if they are having difficulty. Our thought is often about certain members that because they aren't meeting the church standard and expectation, maybe they're just not for the church. That wasn't the apostle Paul's thought. He said to "uphold the weak". They are our brother or sister, and they are necessary family members. Strong church families form the essential base for the one accord. Regardless of the outward activities and move of the Lord taking place in the churches, we all belong to a church family that should be practical in caring for its members. This is where the breakdown has been. A real family takes care of its members, being accountable for each one of them. It is the secret to having morale. A thriving church family affords the Lord a way to move on the earth with joy.

10-15-2009, 09:03 AM	#3
countmeworthy Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: in Spirit & in Truth Posts: 1,363	Re: The Elder's Book of Cherishing And why aren't the saints just DOING it spontainiously ? Why do they have to get together and read the HWMR or some Lee message and mention him at every gathering ? Should we not all be exalting the Name of Jesus ? Who cares who initiates fellowship ? __________________ Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be *accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,* and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36)

10-15-2009, 01:35 PM	#4
Ohio Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Greater Ohio Posts: 13,654	Re: The Elder's Book of Cherishing The irony here is just insane -- I was in LC's where love and care and shepherding were abounding, that is until outside interferences -- from both Cleveland and Anaheim -- just about destroyed the morale and cohesiveness of the churchlife. This was sooooo typical of the ministry of both WL and TC -- disrupt, interfere, and meddle in the local churches -- and then later on inform them that it is just a bloody shame that they don't love each other enough. __________________ Ohio's motto is: With God all things are possible!. Keeping all my posts short, quick, living, and to the point!

10-16-2009, 10:40 PM	#5
TLFisher Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Renton, Washington Posts: 3,508	Re: The Elder's Book of Cherishing Portions from the article I enjoyed were as follows: “They need to go to each of the saints’ homes outside [the meetings of the church]. This is why Paul said in Acts 20 that he taught the saints publicly and from house to house and that he admonished each one of them night and day with tears. Paul used both the day and the night.” “We should not despise the individual contact with people. As long as we do not practice the New Testament priesthood of the gospel by contacting people, one by one, we are still somewhat remaining in the papal and clergy-laity systems.” “[The elders] should do their best to shepherd and care for the saints. As soon as we hear of anyone sick or of anyone encountering problems, we must be concerned for him, pray for him, and go to visit him. The impact that this little bit of concern, prayer, and visiting affords is far more powerful than ten messages.” “If we only care for the good ones, it is no wonder that the church does not have the increase.” “The Lord Jesus was zealous in contacting the bad person [like Zaccheus]. The elders should learn how to help the ones who are not good “ Terry