● The first gospel harvest meeting in 2012

At the beginning of 2012, some college saints received the burden to preach the gospel and this developed into a larger event, a gospel harvest meeting for the whole church. On January 14, starting at 4:30 in the afternoon at Palmer Secondary School, about 40 gospel friends came to hear our songs, testimonies, and message of salvation.

A day before the meeting, snow was on the ground in the lower mainland, but the roads were clear by Saturday afternoon, and Richmond was bathed in the afternoon sun. More than 240 saints participated in the event. Many brought friends; two brothers served as emcees; two homes were opened for baptism; more than ten served the meals. Testimonies came from newly baptized saints, as well as from younger, middle-aged, and older saints.

The message was centered on man’s need and God’s need and the meeting of these two needs to arrive at the highest purpose of the universe. Many gospel friends expressed a desire to attend the meetings and to study the Bible with us. Two new ones were baptized that evening.  May the Lord continue to supply the saved ones through the saints’ shepherding and cause His Spirit to move within those who have heard the message, so that in the coming days, they will also get saved and be ushered into the church life.

Meeting starts with singing gospel hymns

Meeting starts with singing gospel hymns

Have testimonies by saints

A dinner as a time for sharing of spiritual 

● The 13th term of the Chinese-speaking new believers' truth-perfecting class started on September 18, 2011

2 Tim 2:4  (God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.

By the Lord’s leading, the 13th term of the Chinese-speaking new believers' class started on September 18, 2011. For the past 5 weeks, we thank the Lord that new ones and gospel friends have come with a spirit of hunger and thirst after righteousness. The new ones not only have the pursuing and enjoyment of the pure word of the Bible, much more they also have the release and exercise of the spirit. Shown here are some photos of the class in session, a demonstration of Christ by the new ones.

 

For the members to realize the truth thoroughly, the class assigned homework by some of Q & A. There are some of homework the members finished as below:    

Q: According to the Bible, after we get saved we need to clear the past.  What are some categories?  Do you have such testimonies?


Answer:  The targets of clearance of the past:  unrighteous things, improper things and old living.  In the past because of work I often had to dine with customers, sing karaoke with friends, and play mahjong.  Before I was baptized I felt going with the trend was normal.  After I was baptized I felt this was not pleasing to the Lord, and I didn’t feel comfortable, so eventually I left the habit.  Thank the Lord, it is the mingling of the Spirit that has warned me. (Brother)

Answer:  Unrighteous things, improper things, and old living.

Before I knew the Lord, my eyesight had been set on the world’s riches and fame, such as a good degree, a good job, and making a lot of money.  But after knowing what kind of life a Christian should have, my old living was changed.  My priorities have also changed.  The things I care about now are different from before.  Now I just want to follow the Lord and live the church life. (Sister)

 Answer:  In the past, I was pursuing name, fame, riches, vanities, liking brand names and cars.  These are all improper things.  Regeneration brings a new life and a new living to people. I am no longer the I from before.  I will forsake the vanity of the world and take the new way of serving the Lord. (Sister)

Q: How does a Christian receive the supply of the divine life from daily living?  Please use related verses to explain.

Answer:  1 Thess.5:16-19 “Always rejoice, unceasingly pray, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.”  This is the real reflection of our daily living.  To receive this life, and to enjoy the Lord’s divine life supply is fulfilled through calling on the name of the Lord.  We Christians daily use our spirit to call on the Lord, unceasingly exercise our spirit cause our spirit and the holy spirit given by the Lord to mingle together.  The two spirits become one spirit.  Through this,  it is the daily receiving of the divine supply in our daily living.  Rom 10:12b having the same Lord.  He is rich to those who call upon Him.  So the simplest way to receive the divine life supply most directly is to call upon the name of the Lord. 

                                   

Q: Is calling on the name of the Lord according to the Bible?  Please explain according to footnote one of Acts 2:21

Answer:  It is according to the Bible.  Calling on the name of the Lord started in Genesis 4:26 with the third generation of mankind, Enosh.  Ever since then, many people in the Old Testament called on the name of the Lord.  Isaiah also told those who seek God to call upon Him. (Isaiah 55:6)  Enjoying God is having God as our joy.  Therefore God’s children need to call upon Him daily. (Psalm 88:9)  In the New Testament, Peter mentioned calling on the name of the Lord on the day of Pentecost.  This fulfilled the words of Joel.  Calling on the Lord is most needed.  (1 Cor. 1:2)  In the New Testament economy this is the main way to do things.  It enables us to enjoy the processed triune God that we can be saved (Rom 10-13).  Both the New and the Old testaments prove calling on the name of the Lord is according to the Bible. 

Q: What would a life of calling on the name of the Lord give us?

1. Calling on the name of the Lord is the way to enjoy the Lord. “But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” We should joyfully call on the Lord.  “So we will draw water from the springs of salvation.”
2. Calling on the Lord’s name is praying with our spirit.  It is our spiritual breathing.” Always rejoice, unceasing pray, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.”
3. By calling on the Lord’s name daily, live and walk by the spirit. (Sister)

Q: Who is the author of the Bible?  How is the thought of this book of books?  Please explain with related verses.

Answer:  The words of the Bible are God’s speaking to man.  We need to use faith to receive every sentence in the Bible.  The central thought of the Bible is to testify for Christ.  Bible is speaking spoken from people moved by the spirit.  The Bible is God’s word, God’s explanation, description and expression.  The Old Testament is composed of words spoken by the prophets according to God.  The New Testament includes words spoken by the Lord Jesus and others are words by the apostles according to the direction of the Spirit.

Q: What help are the Bible for us?  Do you read the Lord’s word often?  How soon do you plan to read it once.

Answer:  The Bible is the Lord’s word.  It is our bread of life.  We read the Bible because through the Bible we can eat God, drink God, absorb God and breathe God. In the pure milk of the word’s nutrient are antibiotics.  They are the nutrient in God’s word.  It is milk for our inner man.  Yes, I often read the Lord’s word.  I have finished the New Testament and Old Testament once.  Now I am going for the second round. (Sister)

Q: What is the benefit of pray reading the Lord’s word?  What is your experience?

Answer:  Eph. 6:17-18 By means of all prayer and petition, receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God.  We pray in our spirit unceasingly.  To pray-read the word of the Lord is to use our spirit to “strike” the Lord’s Spirit.  To pray-reading the Lord’s word is to exercise our spirit.  We use our spirit to contact the Lord’s Spirit so that our spirit becomes one with the Spirit given by the Lord.  When I spend my quiet time pray-reading the word, I feel there is a small voice sending me messages.  These messages go into the deepest part of my being.  I believe this is the moment the Lord supplies His spiritual food to me.  This gives me much enjoyment.

Answer:  We need to receive the word of life through pray reading the Lord’s word.  I contact God Himself, and enjoy God as food.  After I pray read the Lord’s word I learned to be thankful.  I carefully listen to the Lord’s word, and my heart is filled with peace and joy.  Every time I want to complain and raise dispute I would pray read the Lord’s word and listen to the Lord’s word and retract my speech.  

Q: Speak the importance of prayer to Christian life.

Answer:  Prayer is spiritual breathing.  So after calling on the Lord and getting saved, we must unceasingly pray and call on the Lord to receive spiritual air, which is the spirit of life.  It causes our spiritual life to grow and get strong.  Prayer means contacting God in our spirit, to absorb God Himself.  Prayer is the contact of man’s spirit with God’s Spirit.   Through this contacting of God we absorb God into man.   The main focus of prayer is not asking God for things but it is to contact God and absorb God. (Sister)

Q: Being enlightened and confessing our sin has what relationship to growth of life?

Answer: 1. If a Christian wants to grow in life, he must confess his sins thoroughly (toward God and man), and he needs to have his sins forgiven with the precious blood.

2.  Only after thoroughly confessing our sins can our prayer touch God’s will. 3.  We need to seek God’s mercy and ask for the Lord’s enlightenment that we can see our dirtiness, sin, naturalness, and oldness.

Q: Do you have testimony of prayer being answered? Please testify.

Answer:  Soon after coming to Canada, I was saved, and ever since, I have prayed that the Lord would keep me and my brother in safety and dwell here, like our home.  Now that I carefully think about it I suddenly felt the Lord had given me a home.  I lived and settled in God’s house with so many brothers and sisters.  They all surround me, and care for me.  Unknowingly, the great Lord had given me a warm and big family.  Thank and praise the Lord. (Sister)