NOURISHING NEW ONES
Appendix 1：
The Need of the Service of Literature Work
I. The value of the service of the literature work:
A. The extensive and everlasting efficiency——The gospel and truth preaching will have great gas and omissions without the coordination of the literature work. Without literature work, brother Watchman Nee’s ministry will be hardly preached out. The usefulness of the literal material is extensive and everlasting. As for its universality, such as water, it will permeat man’s inner being unconsciously. Sometimes just one message will have great influence on somebody while flowing from hand to hand. The efficiency from the literal materials is also everlasting, not superficial as just listening. One was moved and touched while listening, however after three days the feeling would fade and disappear. But while reading is different. The more you read the more you understand, the deeper impression will be in you. The psychologist discovered that the television is much more progressive than broadcast because the everlasting efficiency of listening is far behind that of watching. Therefore the value of literature work lies in its extensity and durability. Such as Bible, for thousands of years, it has have a unspeakable influence on people.
B. Spreading the divine truth—the churches in the Lord’s recovery profit a lot mainly from this literature ministry, from Shanghai to Nanyang in the early stage, and Taipei, to Nanyang now. The past 30 years, they have be nourished most from this loving ministry. As for the Chinese-speaking church among us, they wholy depend on this ministry. Since 1962, this ministry has come to English-speaking countries. Especially the recent 11 years, as our laboring in this work, the life-study of the whole New Testament was completed, laying a good foundation. Even through what we see is not so complete, but compared with others, what we see is indeed much higher and profounder than the others. Therefore, now even among the western English-speaking Christians, they also begin to use the truth what we see from the Lord.
C. Supplying the bread of life—We cannot come to help them most of time; while the most direct and reliable way is through the literal material as the life supply, to nourish them. It seems very slow, but actually it has a astounding effect even faster than what we can imagine. For example in Mexico, up to now there has already been more than 50 churches raised up, mainly by the literature work; the most benefitted way is to play the video message. We sent the eliminated machine from the ministry station with some video CDs to some locality, and they spread them to many places. Most of the church were raised up by these video CDs. The churches in Brazil were raised up also through the literature work, such as the 80 churches in Brazil and the other churches in South Asia. They mostly depend on the literal materials and the video CDs. If we stop to supply literal materials, without sending CDs out, they would suffer spiritual famine. Therefore, we can see that literature work has a great importance. (Preaching the Truth Faithfully and Diligently—Concerning the Service of Literature Work).
II. The need of the service of the literature work:
Once we gain some new ones, we need to study to find the way to take care of them. I have been considering what materials would be the best to use in the group meetings to teach people. We have both Life Lessons and Truth Lessons. Although these lessons are very well written, I feel that they are not so suitable, because they may be too much for the new ones to digest. Even The Holy Word for Morning Revival may not be suitable for the new ones in the group meetings. It is not good to feed people too much food; we need to give them the proper portions. In Hebrews 5:12-14 Paul mentioned two kinds of food: milk and solid food. We should not attempt to nourish a child with solid food. Hence, we need someone to labor in order to write some suitable materials for the group meetings that will nourish the new ones with milk. In order to have the profitable teaching and fellowship in the group meetings, some materials that can serve as a guideline are needed. I hope that some of the brothers will be raised up by the Lord to compose some proper writings for the group meetings. (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 4)
III. The learning of literature work：
A. In order to do literature work well, first, study hard, and second, take time to modify it.
B. The cultivation and the learning of literary attainments.
C. Study the technique of the classic works.
D. Pay attention to use the proper expression.
E. Don’t be afraid of being slow but of making mistake.
F. Pay attention to establishing proper character.
Appendix 2:
Accompanying Others to Have Morning Revival
I. First stage: initial morning revival:
A. Giving the new ones revelation concerning morning revival (why do we need morning revival?)
B. The preparation for morning revival:
1. pray and look up to the Lord before sleeping at the night before; early to bed and early to rise.
2. Find verses and hymns with partners.
3. Pray-read first until you yourself get light, nourishment, and joy. Pray for the new one that he or she can open and exercise the spirit and for the proper environment.
C. Give the revelation concerning calling upon the name of the Lord (why do we need to call upon the name of the Lord?)
D. Exercise together and give an demonstration of calling upon the name of the Lord.
1. At the beginning call with a loud voice to be released from all the chaos.
2. Use your spirit to call from the deep and from your heart, earnestly and seriously—Lamentations3:55-56
3. Not repeating mechanically but meeting with the Lord with affection and sweetness.
4. Having life and peace.
E. Give the revelation concerning pray-reading.
F. Exercise together and give an demonstration of pray-reading.
1. Teach the basic pray-reading and put in one verse
2. Lead the new one to pray-read word by word in the way of “mouth to mouth”.
3. Or you can read or recite several times before pray-reading.
a. Change the pronouns .
b. Apply to myself and my life.
c. Have a heart-to-heart fellowship with the Lord to absorb the Lord Himself.
d. With a genuine heart and faith being full of assurance.
e. Hold on one moment and then you can touch the Lord.
4. Pray-reading with him with saying amen to each other, joining, and adding to each other. Please remember: you must have inspiration and enlightenment before you can stimulate his inspiration and enlightenment.
5. Pay attention to the new one’s spirit.
a. Whether he uses his spirit or not.
b. Whether there is inspiration or not.
c. Whether there is enlightenment or not.
d. Whether there is thanksgiving or not.
e. Whether there is praise or not.
f. Pay attention to his living application of the word.
II. The second stage: the advanced revival:
A. Encourage the new ones to pray-read personally before the appointed time
B. During the appointment period, share with each other the enjoyment and attainment on the phone.
C. Pray-read this verse with him again, enjoying a richer supply; there is a comparison spontaneously.
III. The importance of drawing near to the Lord in the personal morning revival:
A. There are two aspects of enjoying the Lord: personal aspect and corporate aspect.
B. The corporate aspect causes us to be rich and extensive; the personal aspect causes us to be deep.
C. The corporate aspect is easy to change with the change of the environment; the personal aspect is not influenced by the environment and can be carried out daily.
Appendix 3:
How to Take Care of People
I. The foundation of shepherding —knowing each other:
A. Let him, whom I take care of, to know me:
1. Let him know that I am caring for him, loving him, for his benefit, being reliable and able to shepherd him.
2. It is not a way of doing, but the fact that I am intimate, caring, open, and joyful to him in the freshness of the spirit and life.
B. I also need to know his (the one whom the Lord commit to me) spiritual situation and his need at present.
1. Make a testimony about my salvation.
2. Ask him how he was be saved.
3. The more you help him, the more you contact him, the more you know him, the more you can shepherd him.
II. The precondition of shepherding—cause people to be open, without distance, fear, or worry.
III. The priority of shepherding—the problem concerning eating of the lambs:
A. Be joyful, comfortable, and satisfied while eating.
B. Nourish them with proper material.
C. Pay attention to whether the lamb get nourished and enjoy the Lord or not.
D. Set an appointed time to eat, drink, and enjoy the Lord.
1. The time should not be long; ten minutes is OK.
2. Pray before feeding, and prepare yourself.
3. You spirit must be strict and sensitive.
4. Select one paragraph easy to understand, and fellowship after reading.
5. Be sensitive whether the lamb are interested and have any gains.
6. Extend the time if the lamb get supply.
7. The prayer should not be too long while leading the lamb to pray.
8. Encourage the lamb to pray.
