The Church Life by Ron Brubacher

Title of this volume: The Church Life 1ª Edition: July 2012 Translated with permission of Editora Árvore da Vida Published by Editora Árvore da Vida in Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian and German. All rights reserved by Jasper Life Publications 725 Viscount Road London, ON, Canada N6J 4G9 Phone: (519) 472-0350 http://jasperlife.com ISSN 1920-8510 Printed in Brazil

Bible Quotations All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

Other versions of scripture are indicated as follows: NKJV NU‑Text New King James Version variations according to the twenty-seventh edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament and the United Bible Societies’ fourth edition ASV American Standard Version DBY Darby Translation lit. Literal translation

ENJOY! Individually 1. Meet with the Lord early in the morning. 2. As soon as you rise, before doing anything else, take a breath of life, deeply calling on the name of the Lord, “Oh Lord Jesus”. When doing this, drop all your cares, fears, sadness and sin, and receive the Lord Jesus as life, joy, peace and encouragement. Call “Lord Jesus” several times throughout the day. 3. Read the verses given each day in order to have a complete idea of the subject to be covered. Remember that the Bible explains the Bible. 4. Prayerfully read the verse suggested each day. To do this, each word ought to be repeated, emphasized and proclaimed without haste, as if one were chewing. Do not read the verse too fast, but spend time on each word. In this exercise, do not worry about understanding the verse, but “eat” it, taking it by faith as spiritual food. 5. Underline and highlight the phrases and words in the explanatory text that most impress you. Pay special attention to the Key Point. This point will function as a key to unlock the spiritual significance of the text. “Digest” it during the day, repeating it to yourself. In this manner, the text that you read in the morning will be your spiritual food all day long. 6. Share what you gain with those you are related to at home, at school, at work, etc. They need the life that you receive through the word.

ENJOY! In Small Groups 1. Daily Food is an excellent tool for small groups meeting to study the Bible. These small groups may be informal and be characterized by mutual care among the members. 2. A small group meeting can be formed of household members, relatives and neighbours, friends who live nearby, classmates, or work colleagues. 3. Try to meet regularly with members of your small group meeting in order to read Daily Food together. 4. When together, read the suggested passages for each day and prayerfully read the verse of the day. 5. Try to apply the Key Point to your daily life and its difficulties, and to your personal and professional life. Make the word of God applicable to your living. In this way everyone can actively participate and be mutually edified. 6. Take the opportunity to pray together for individual needs or problems. 7. Whenever possible, bring guests to your small group meeting. Then more people can be supplied by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word.

May you all receive life abundantly!

the editors

PS: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to look at the Additional Reading suggested at the end of each week. It is very helpful.

CONTENTS Week 1 – Message 9 The Church Life (Matt. 16:24-26) The Practical Living of the Church........................................................... 7 Beware of Leaven..................................................................................... 10 The Salvation Experience of Watchman Nee’s Family........................... 12 The Revelation Concerning the Oneness of the Church........................ 15 My Experience of Salvation and Coming to Brazil.................................. 17 Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom Throughout the Whole Earth.... 19 Living Out the Gospel of the Kingdom................................................... 22 Week 2 – Message 10 Being Perfected for the Work of the Ministry (Eph. 4:11-12) Being Perfected to Reign.......................................................................... 28 Being Perfected to Perfect Others............................................................ 31 Being Perfected Day by Day..................................................................... 33 The Gospel of God Is for Our Perfecting................................................. 36 The Importance of Closely Following the Lord....................................... 39 Being Perfected by Hearing and Practicing the Word............................. 42 The Priority of Those Who Desire to Be Perfected................................. 45 Week 3 – Message 11 Gifts, Minsitries and Operations (1 Cor. 12:1-6) The Complete Work of the Cross............................................................ 50 Receiving God’s Life and Allowing It to Grow........................................ 52 The Two Requirements to Reign............................................................. 55 Gifts, Ministries, and Operations (1)....................................................... 58 Gifts, Ministries, and Operations (2)....................................................... 60 Reward or Discipline................................................................................ 63 Living in the Spirit, Denying the Self, and Trading the Talents.............. 66 Week 4 – Message 12 Love is the Most Excellent Way (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:13) The Structure of the Christian Life......................................................... 70 Love Is the Expression of the Divine Life................................................ 72 Being Perfected By Practicing Love......................................................... 74 The Way to Be Perfected......................................................................... 76 The Preaching of the Gospel Is the Flow of Life..................................... 78 Love Is Patient......................................................................................... 80 Bearing One Another In Love................................................................. 82

Week 5 – Message 13 Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom - Part 1 (Matt. 3:1-6) The Way to Enter into the Kingdom and Govern with the Lord............ 87 Being Born Anew, Denying the Self, and Being Perfected...................... 89 Repentance and the Kingdom................................................................. 91 Wholly Fulfilling God’s Righteousness.................................................... 93 The Need of Burning the Impurities of the Soul..................................... 96 The Importance of the Baptism with Fire............................................... 98 Preparing Ourselves to Reign with the Lord......................................... 101 Week 6 – Message 14 Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom - Part 2 (Matt. 4:18-19) The Danger of Holding on to Your Own Work..................................... 106 The Danger of the New Religion........................................................... 109 The Death of John the Baptist............................................................... 111 The Danger of Trusting Our Own Ability and Intelligence.................. 114 Jesus Is Anointed the Christ.................................................................. 116 The Anointing Oil................................................................................. 119 Anointed to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom................................... 122 Week 7 – Message 15 Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom - Part 3 (Matt. 10:5-7) Presenting Ourselves as a Living Sacrifice to God................................ 126 Continually Being Saved by God’s Life................................................. 129 God’s Speaking Must Have the First Place............................................ 132 Repentance Prepares Us for the Kingdom............................................. 134 Managing Riches for the Kingdom........................................................ 136 Blessed in Order to Cooperate with God’s Kingdom............................ 139 Having a Joyful Heart to Receive Others.............................................. 141 Week 8 – Message 16 The Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-9) Preaching the Kingdom of the Heavens Is a Special Commission........ 145 The Requirements for Understanding the Word................................... 147 A Proper Heart for the Growth of the Seed.......................................... 149 The Hindrances for the Growth in Life................................................. 151 A Proper Heart Bears Much Fruit......................................................... 153 Sowers and Farmers............................................................................... 155 Purified by the Fire of the Spirit............................................................ 157

Week 1 – MONDAY Scripture reading:

Gen. 4:26; John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 12:3 Read with prayer:

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47).

Soon after losing God’s presence by being cast out of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23), man realized that he could not endure the condition he was in alone and that he needed God. At that time, man began calling on the Lord’s name (4:26), acknowledging that he could not live away from God. It was as if man had prayed: “Lord, I need You for my sustenance. Oh Lord Jehovah, without You, I have neither joy nor peace. Oh Lord, away from You, I have no protection! I need You!” Praise the Lord, for He heard their cry and prayers, bringing salvation to them. In the New Testament, at the very beginning of the church life, we already see the practice of calling on the Lord’s name. The book of Acts shows us that the church in Jerusalem began through Peter’s preaching (2:14-36). His words caused those who were present to remember what the prophet Joel had spoken concerning the events that would take place in the last days. Among other things, that prophecy affirmed that if anyone wanted to be saved, they must call on the name of the Lord Jesus (v. 21). On that

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THE PRACTICAL LIVING OF THE CHURCH

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day, three thousand people were saved and baptized, and began living the church life in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! Those who believed were together and had everything in common, “continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (vv. 46-47). The practice of calling on the Lord’s name was so common among them, that, after a certain time, they were persecuted for this very reason (7:58-59; 8:1-3). The apostle Paul, formerly the greatest persecutor of those who called on the Lord’s name, became the apostle who promoted this practice the most in the New Testament (9:14, 21; 22:16; Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:2; 12:3; 2 Tim. 2:22). Likewise, the Lord’s work among us in Brazil began through calling on His name. Since then, we have called on the Lord’s name, receiving much help and revelation through this practice. When we call on the Lord’s name, we are in the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). This refers to not only the Holy Spirit, but the Lord Jesus refers to it in a special way, as “the Spirit” (John 7:38-39), for it includes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit Himself, along with the full work carried out by the Lord Jesus. The Bible also refers to “the Spirit” as the Spirit of reality, or truth (14:16-17). He is the Spirit of reality because, through Him, everything that God is becomes real to us. Everything that the Lord Jesus accomplished and attained through His human living, death, and resurrection becomes real to us by means of the Spirit. All we must do is call on the Lord’s name and enjoy the riches of God contained in the Spirit (Rom. 10:12). When we call on the Lord’s name, we touch the Spirit and gain life (John 20:31)!

In order to have the reality of the church life, in addition to calling on the Lord’s name to be in Spirit, we must fight the obstacle we carry within: our natural life, which is our soul-life, our fallen self. As we aim for more of the Spirit to be added in to us, we must lose our natural life, along with its opinions and justifications. If we deny ourselves and apply the cross to our fallen self, we will have no difficulties following the Lord Jesus, and our church life will be wonderful (Matt. 16:24-26). Key-point: Calling on the Lord’s name to gain life! My key-point:

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Question: Why did man begin calling on the Lord’s name?

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Week 1 – TUESDAY Scripture reading:

Matt. 15:9; 16:6, 11; Eph. 4:14-16 Read with prayer:

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ (Col. 2:8). BEWARE OF LEAVEN

As described in Matthew 16:24-26, to live the church life is to follow the Lord. Nonetheless, before bringing His disciples to Caesarea Philippi to reveal to them both the church and the way to live out the church life, the Lord Jesus expressly warned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 6). After hearing Jesus’ words, the disciples thought that He was referring to the fact that they had not brought any bread. Then, Jesus answered, “But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’” (vv. 8-11). Recently, the Lord has also warned us to beware of leaven, especially that which refers to the teachings of men (15:9; cf. Eph. 4:14). In the past, numerous brothers and sisters received revelations concerning the content of God’s Word. Yet, many of them, due to the emphasis placed

on those revelations and different teachings, especially during the eighteenth century and later, have caused many divisions, resulting in countless denominations. Nevertheless, beloved brothers and sisters, we must learn to eliminate every kind of leaven from our midst. We must beware of teachings that divide and cause us to deviate from carrying out Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will. We must seek the truth in love, that is, we must practice the truth that we may grow in the divine life, build up the Body of Christ, and prepare ourselves to reign with Him (vv. 15-16). May the Lord deliver us from the teachings of men and preserve us supplied by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pure Word! Key-point: Being fed by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pure Word! My key-point:

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Question: How can we beware of leaven?

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Week 1 – WEDNESDAY Scripture reading:

Acts 2:38-40 Read with prayer:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). THE SALVATION EXPERIENCE OF WATCHMAN NEE’S FAMILY

We thank the Lord for the many truths we have received through brother Watchman Nee concerning the oneness of the church, as well as the church’s ground that this oneness might be practiced. We can also learn some lessons from his history. Around two hundred years ago, Christianity made its way into China by means of the missionaries sent there from Europe and North America. At that time, nearly all China was under the teachings of Confucius. Although Confucianism itself is not a religion but a philosophy, the Chinese people were under its philosophical influence. Among the Chinese, Buddhism was the predominant religion. The Christian missionaries sent to China certainly had a strong desire to present Jesus to the people of that country in their own language, Chinese. Many of them, however, went beyond preaching the person of Jesus, introducing their own missions and ideals, so that numerous Christian teachings spread among the Chinese people. Some among the Chinese, also joined the missions seeking some financial benefit. The father of Brother Watchman Nee was a rich man, and his mother, despite initially lacking a genuine

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experience of salvation with the Lord Jesus, was part of a Christian group. During their spare time, his family enjoyed playing mahjong at home, which is a table game where four players play for money. Their excuse was that they played the game to make friends, overlooking the fact that the objective of the game is to lust for and get the money of others. Now, since his father was a wealthy man and his mother had been attending Christian meetings, Brother W. Nee would often see foreign missionaries and pastors at his house, who would visit them to try and raise funds for their mission. At times, the pastors would come over while they were playing that game, would enter the house, and sit down in a very humble manner to follow the game. When Brother Neeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother won money at the table, she would give it to the pastor as an offering for the church. Watching the way his mother behaved, W. Nee became quite averse toward Christianity. One day, however, his mother changed. Now, it happened that a beautiful and costly vase at her house had been found broken. When she found W. Nee, he was blamed and severely rebuked by his mother. His attempt to explain that he had not done it was fruitless, and he was very hurt by his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude, increasing his aversion toward Christianity. After a few days, however, his mother came back from a church meeting and approached W. Nee, asking him to forgive her for blaming and rebuking him so severely. Surprised with her attitude, the young W. Nee wanted to find out what had caused such a change in his mother. He then found out that a missionary sister had preached the pure gospel to his mother and that she had received the Lord, which resulted in her desire to ask him

for forgiveness. The Chinese missionary was Dora Yu, who had been sent by a Korean mission; the gospel she preached was truly the gospel of forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38-40). Therefore, Watchman Neeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, doing something very rare for a parent in China, was constrained to ask her son for forgiveness. Thanks to the Lord, the gospel entered Brother Watchmen Neeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family, and then reached him, who was very much used by God to present the truths revealed to him by the Lord. Jesus is the Lord! Key-point: The Lord does not give up on us! My key-point: Question: What was your experience of salvation like?

Week 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; THURSDAY Scripture reading:

1 Cor. 12:12-13; Rev. 1:11; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14 Read with prayer: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:4-6). THE REVELATION CONCERNING

The Church Life

THE ONENESS OF THE CHURCH

Saved at a young age, Watchman Nee had a burning desire in his heart for the salvation of his schoolmates. Despite having no specific method of preaching the gospel, he prayed for all and invited them to read the Bible together with him. Then, little by little, the number of people who read the Bible with him began to increase. As a result of his testimony, among a class of nearly one hundred people, only two or three had not been saved. Their meetings took place at the school garden, which caught the attention of foreign missionaries who suggested that they should move the meeting to their meeting places. Those missionaries, however, belonged to different groups: some were Methodists, some Lutherans, some Baptists, and others, Pentecostals. Because of this, the group of brothers and sisters meeting with W. Nee at school was divided among the various missionary groups that were there; that was the end of their sweet fellowship. Watchman Nee thought to himself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why is this happening? We have all been saved and baptized in the Spirit, all into one Body (1 Cor. 12:13). Now, those people

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I have brought to the Lord have divided themselves. The love we preached through the word can no longer be seen and the brethren treat each other as enemies.â&#x20AC;? At that point, he began realizing the importance of the word oneness (Eph. 4:4-6) and saw that, in the Bible, there are no denominations, but only one church in each city, such as the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamos, the church in Thyatira, the church in Sardis, in Philadelphia, in Laodicea (Rev. 1:11; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14), which were all cities in Asia. From that time, he began preaching this, hoping the people would cease defending their own doctrinal banners which divided them, to follow the Lord together. However, he did not get a great response at the time. We thank the Lord that these healthy teachings concerning the oneness among Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children have reached us, so that today, we can enjoy the reality of the church life by living in oneness and loving one another, rather than emphasizing doctrines or teachings that divide us. We have the common faith which makes us one (Tit. 1:4)! Key-point: Living in oneness with our brothers and sisters. My key-point: Question: What is the revelation in Ephesians 4:4-6?

Week 1 – FRIDAY Scripture reading:

Rom. 8:28 Read with prayer:

God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings (Acts 17:24-26). MY EXPERIENCE OF SALVATION

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AND COMING TO BRAZIL

Praise the Lord, for the gospel also reached me one day. I was a successful businessman in the island of Taiwan, yet despite being the owner of businesses, stores, and industries, I still felt empty and aimless. Although I did not know the church, I knew a man named Cha, a believer who would always visit my parents to speak to them about the gospel. Regardless of the weather or whatever difficulties he had, Cha would always come to our house on Sundays. While my parents read the Bible with him, I would spend the afternoon playing games instead. Nonetheless, brother Cha never rebuked me for doing so. One day, while walking through the city of Taipei, I came upon the church temple where Mr. Cha met. They were all kneeling down on the floor as they received a piece of bread. Although I did not know that was the Lord’s Table, I also took the bread and drank of the cup they had.

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The Lord Jesus had already started working within me, but at that moment, I did not know it. At that time, the churches that sought oneness rose up in Taiwan little by little, and I began meeting in one of the meeting places of the church in Taipei. The leading brother of that church was Witness Lee, who had been a coworker of W. Nee in China. During the latter part of the fifties, Brother Lee encouraged us to migrate and bring this gospel of the oneness of the church to other continents. In obedience to that calling, I decided to come to Brazil. Here, there were already some Chinese families from Hong Kong, as well as some from the Philippines and Malaysia, meeting as the church in SĂŁo Paulo. Brother Samuel Ma was among these families, having moved to Brazil from Hong Kong a few years earlier with his family. He wrote an invitation letter to me, encouraging me not to come by myself, but to bring my whole family. So, we came. At that time, the ships to Brazil left Hong Kong once a month, and so we stayed at the meeting hall of the church in Hong Kong. There, we met two English sisters, coworkers of Brother Watchman Nee. They recommended that my family and I adopt western names. Although I have never used this name, they gave me the name John. Then, my wife, my five children, and I traveled forty-eight days from Hong Kong to Santos. We praise the Lord, for everything was under His sovereign arrangement (Acts 17:24-26; Rom. 8:28). Key-point: Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sovereign arrangement in our lives! My key-point: Question: Have you had a new beginning with the Lord?

Week 1 – SATURDAY Scripture reading:

Matt. 14:16; 24:14; Mark 1:32-39; 16:15-16 Read with prayer:

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd (Matt. 9:35-36). PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

Together with other families who had moved from Asia, we began meeting in the city of São Paulo; since we did not know Portuguese at the time, we only preached to the Chinese community. Therefore, though the church in São Paulo grew in number, there were still no Brazilians meeting with us. During the first fifteen years in Brazil, despite having developed several businesses in São Paulo, the Lord led me to visit other cities during the weekends to care for the saints living in other states. Then in 1975, the Lord’s work among us had a new and strong beginning with the Portuguese speaking saints. A group of young Christians in Ribeirão Preto, with a tendency to “hippiedom”, was presented with Watchman Nee’s books on the oneness of the church. Interested in practicing what they had seen in those books, they finally found us in São Paulo and invited us to go visit them. I took the burden to go visit them and, during our first contact, I already helped them to call on the Lord’s name.

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THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH

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Their response was wonderful! During that meeting, those young people began calling on the Lord’s name in such a way that they did not want to stop doing it. They were all filled with the Spirit, overflowing with happiness and joy. Many of those young Christians entered several universities in different cities, where they preached the gospel and helped others to call on the Lord’s name. That was undoubtedly a milestone. This is why I said that the Lord’s work in Brazil began through calling on His name. Since that time, many saints from many cities in Brazil and South America, began calling on the Lord’s name and meeting as the church in their city. Today, this practice has also been taken to Europe, Africa, Central and North America. Praise the Lord! It is important to emphasize that throughout the years, the revelation of God’s Word has not ceased in our midst. Every semester, along with the ministered Word, we receive a practical leading. In the beginning, because of the direction we received from those who were leading the Lord’s work, we used to overly emphasize our own enjoyment of the church. As a result, we would concentrate our activities in the meeting halls of the churches: the messages, the services, the preaching of the gospel of grace; always expecting that other people should meet with us. Even unintentionally, we seemed closed to the fellowship with other Christians. The Lord, however, had mercy on us by helping us realize that we had to repent. With this feeling to broaden our fellowship, the newsletter Tree of Life (Jornal Árvore da Vida) began in 1989. As time went by, the Lord showed us something else: that the church life cannot be for us only. The life that is in us must be supplied to others. Therefore, we began to see the Lord’s will and burden towards people more clearly. He

opened up our eyes to see that the “fields are ready” and that the “multitudes are hungry and exhausted”, and led by the same compassion that moved the Lord (Matt. 9:3538; 14:16; Mark 1:32-39; 16:15-16), He awakened us to the burden of feeding our bondservants with what we have received in God’s Word (Matt. 24:14). Life for all! Unfortunately, many Christians have become stagnant in their spiritual pursuit and grown content with the blessing they have received. Therefore, it is our responsibility to bring life-supplying words to God’s children. We must help them to call on the Lord’s name and to grow spiritually, thus fulfilling the Lord’s will, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. Key-point: Our responsibility: bringing life-supplying words to God’s children! My key-point:

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Question: What can we do to hasten the Lord’s coming?

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Week 1 – SUNDAY Scripture reading:

Matt. 3:17; 4:17, 23; 6:9-10, 33; 7:21; 9:35; 11:12; 13:11; 21:43; 25:1 Read with prayer:

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him (Acts 28:30-31). LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

Despite presenting the revelation of the church, the first book in the New Testament reveals that God’s focus is His kingdom (Matt. 3:17; 4:17, 23; 6:9-10, 33; 7:21; 9:35; 11:12; 13:11; 21:43; 25:1). The Lord desires to return and establish His kingdom on the earth. Hence, He gave the keys of the kingdom to the church, commissioning us to preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole earth (Matt. 16:19; 24:14). In order to do so, we must go where the people are. This is what we have practiced, hallelujah! Living the church life cannot be restricted within a meeting hall in the cities, or a permanent place for a large number of people. In order to overcome this limitation and reach the largest possible number of people, the Lord has given us two tools: the bookafé and the colportage. The bookafé is an informal place prepared to receive people. There, anyone can come in, have some coffee, and at the same time, be led to the faith by means of the spiritual books available there for reading and buying. At the bookafé, there is also a place of prayer where we can have fellowship

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with those who come in, and present their petitions to God, helping them also to call on the Lord’s name and receive salvation. Our goal is to have at least one bookafé in every neighborhood. If every neighborhood has a bookafé, with the assistance of colporters, many homes will be opened and many sons of God will be awakened to the need of growing in the divine life in order to reign with the Lord. In the book of Acts, we see that many churches began without even having a meeting hall or a temple. For instance, in Philippi, all we see in the beginning is a place of prayer by a river where Lydia was found by the brothers. After that, a jailer received the Lord and opened up his house for meetings (cf. Acts 16:13, 15, 32-33, 40). It is probable that, even the prisoners who witnessed Paul and Silas singing praises to God, the earthquake, and the moment their chains were loosed, without fleeing the prison once released, must have also been saved and opened up their homes. This was the church in Philippi. In addition to the bookafé, we have also the colporters who have been perfected at the CEAPEs (perfecting centers for the propagation of the gospel). A colporter is not someone who sells books in order to make a living. Those who think like this have a fallen and degraded perception of its meaning. In God’s eyes, a colporter is like a high priest who supplies the people with the Urim and the Thummim, that is, with God’s revealed Word. A colporter supplies people with the revealed Word of God through books, thus helping them to know the will of the Lord. Their work is like that of a high priest. Moreover, their goal is not limited to merely putting a book in someone’s hand, but to help them understand what they read, visiting them and even reading the books with them. After that, they will visit their neighbors, friends, and, soon

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enough, there will be a group of people meeting in that neighborhood. By doing so, the colporter is also functioning as an apostle. We have also learned that it is necessary to preach the gospel of the kingdom in other continents to hasten the Lord’s coming. Thanks to the Lord, we have already entered Europe. The Lord has also opened up the work in Africa. In Mexico, as well as in other places, the work has been growing. In order to make the work in Europe viable, where apart from Portuguese and Spanish, several other languages are spoken, we understood the need to begin what we called Project Tongues and Nations, in the city of Goiânia, which is a CEAPE that stresses learning other languages, especially English and French, for saints who have a burden to move and serve in other countries. Yet, among the countries which permit gospel preaching, North America was still missing. Then this year, the president of the United States expedited visas to Brazilian and Chinese citizens, welcoming them to America. This was a sign that the Lord was giving us the opportunity to have a new beginning in that continent. The Lord wants to come back soon and establish His kingdom on the earth; this is why He has been opening numerous doors to accelerate this process. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). It is clear that our commission is to preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole earth. This is the church life the Lord wants us to live! Hallelujah! Key-point: Preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole earth!

My key-point: Question: What tools has the Lord given us lately to carry out His work? Complementary Reading: “Your Kingdom Come” - chap. 27 - Dong Yu Lan.

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“Spiritual Progress” - chap. 5 - Dong Yu Lan.

NOTES