THE PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR THE DISTRICT SERVING ONES
SERIES THREE
PRACTICAL SERVICES
Message Eleven
Blending Activities
1 Cor. 12:24 But our comely members have no need. But God has blended the body together, giving more abundant honor to the member that lacked.
Acts 2:46 And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart.
THE NEED OF BLENDING
FOR THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
The thought of blending is very strong in the Bible. In the Old Testament there is a type of the blending for the fulfillment of God’s economy. However, if we read the Old Testament only in letters, we will not be able to see it. This type of the blending is strongly referred to by the apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 10:17 Paul says, “Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread.” Paul’s thought of the church being one bread was not his own invention; rather, it was taken from the Old Testament. The meal offering in Leviticus 2:4 consisted of cakes made of fine flour mingled with oil. Every part of the flour was mixed, or mingled, with the oil. That is blending. Paul tells us that the church is a bread, a cake, made of fine flour. This fine flour comes from wheat grains, and the wheat grains come from the one grain of wheat, which is Christ. John 12:24 says that Christ is the one grain of wheat who fell into the earth and died and grew up in resurrection to produce many grains, which are we, His believers. We are the many grains so that we may be ground into fine flour for making the cake, the bread, of the church. Here we can see the thought of blending in the Bible. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “The Practical Points concerning Blending,” msg. 2)
God Having Blended the Body Together
God has blended the Body together (1 Cor. 12:24). The word blended also means “adjusted,” “harmonized,” “tempered,” and “mingled.” God has blended the Body, adjusted the Body, harmonized the Body, tempered the Body, and mingled the Body. The Greek word for blended implies the losing of distinctions. One brother’s distinction may be quickness, and another’s may be slowness. But in the Body life the slowness disappears, and the quickness is taken away. All such distinctions are gone. God has blended all the believers of all different races and colors. Who can make the blacks and the whites lose their distinctions? Only God can do this. A husband and a wife can have the harmony in their marriage life only by losing their distinctions.
In order to be harmonized, blended, adjusted, mingled, and tempered in the Body life, we have to go through the cross and be by the Spirit, dispensing Christ to others for the sake of the Body of Christ. The co-workers and elders must learn to be crossed out. Whatever we do should be by the Spirit to dispense Christ. Also, what we do should not be for our interest and according to our taste but for the church. As long as we practice these points, we will have the blending.
All these points mean that we should fellowship. When a co-worker does anything, he should fellowship with the other co-workers. An elder should fellowship with the other elders. Fellowship tempers us, fellowship adjusts us, fellowship harmonizes us, and fellowship mingles us. We should forget about whether we are slow or quick and just fellowship with others. We should not do anything without fellowshipping with the other saints who are coordinating with us. Fellowship requires us to stop when we are about to do something. In our coordination in the church life and in the Lord’s work, we all have to learn not to do anything without fellowship.
Among us we should have the blending of all the individual members of the Body of Christ, the blending of all the churches in certain districts, the blending of all the co-workers, and the blending of all the elders. Blending means that we should always stop to fellowship with others. Then we will receive many benefits. If we isolate and seclude ourselves, we will lose much spiritual profit. Learn to fellowship. Learn to be blended. From now on, the churches should come together frequently to be blended. We may not be used to it, but after we begin to practice blending a few times, we will acquire the taste for it. This is the most helpful thing in the keeping of the oneness of the universal Body of Christ. Today it is very convenient for us to blend with one another because of this modern age with its modern conveniences.
Blending Together, We Have the Cross and the Spirit
When we blend together, we have the cross and the Spirit. Without the cross and the Spirit, all that we have is the flesh with division. In ourselves it is not easy to be crucified and to do all things by the Spirit. This is why we must learn to be blended. Blending requires us to be crossed out. Blending requires us to be by the Spirit to dispense Christ and to do everything for the sake of His Body.
We may come together without much blending because everyone stays in themselves. They are afraid to offend others and make mistakes, so they keep quiet. This is the manner of man according to the flesh. When we come together, we should experience the terminating of the cross. Then we should learn how to follow the Spirit, how to dispense Christ, and how to say and do something for the benefit of the Body. That will change the entire atmosphere of the meeting and will temper the atmosphere. Blending is not a matter of being quiet or talkative but a matter of being tempered. We can be in harmony because we have been tempered. Eventually, the distinctions will all be gone. Blending means to lose the distinctions. We all have to pay some price to practice the blending.
A group of elders may meet together often without being blended. To be blended means that you are touched by others and that you are touching others. But you should touch others in a blending way. Go through the cross, do things by the Spirit, and do everything to dispense Christ for His Body’s sake. We should not come to a blending meeting to be silent. We have to prepare ourselves to say something for the Lord. The Lord may use us, but we need to be tempered and crossed out, and we need to learn how to follow the Spirit to dispense Christ for His Body’s sake.
When I was only about twenty-seven years old, a church was raised up in my hometown. I learned to do everything through the cross and by the Spirit to minister Christ for His Body. Because I was young, I prayed the prayer of Solomon: “Lord, give me the wisdom to go out and to come in before Your people” (2 Chron. 1:10), and the Lord answered me. Through the years I have learned to be blended among the saints. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “The Divine and Mystical Realm,” ch. 6)
THE KEY TO SERVE—BEING BLENDED IN SPIRIT
Whether or not we can be in one spirit is the key to serving in a locality. The most important thing is being blended in our spirit, not discussing how things should be done. When there is blending, it is possible to take some action. An army must be one before it can be dispatched into battle.
If the brothers in a locality cannot be blended in one spirit, they may be polite in dealing with each other and be able to shout slogans outwardly, but the situation will be altogether futile and political. Satan knows these things the best. When we do not have the one accord, he will regard us as a joke and say, “Even I know that you are not one. What work can you do?” One time we were casting out demons, and the demon spoke of our failures and asked, “Do you think that you can cast me out?” We immediately prayed for the Lord to cover us with His precious blood. We must see that we are in a war. The brothers in each locality must be blended in spirit. If we cannot be blended in spirit, living in spirit will be only a slogan.
The Brothers Needing to Be Blended with Each Other
The brothers serving in various localities must not have preconceived notions that the older ones are unwilling to follow but that the young people are willing to follow. We should never have such thoughts. We must treat the older ones and the young people in each locality the same and lead them step by step. We must not regard anyone as an outsider, and we must not distinguish between the older ones and the young people. We must lead both the young people and the older ones into serving.
First and foremost, we must be blended in spirit. If the brothers have many talents yet are not blended in spirit, it will be possible to do only a shallow, superficial work. We will not have a way to do a thorough work that builds up the church. If those who are taking the lead are not blended with each other, how can they build up the church? Instead, they will become hindrances that keep the Holy Spirit from moving forward or from working in a deeper way. Consequently, the advance of the work will stop. The brothers must be blended with each other.
Blending Being the Life Pulse of the Church in Its Going Forward
Today the Lord’s way is not with spiritual giants but with every brother and every sister, because each one is a member in the Lord’s Body. It is a fact that some members have more function in the Body, but there are no giants in the Body. In the Body everyone is a member, and every member must be blended. Whether or not a church manifests a condition of being built up and coordinated together depends entirely upon whether the brothers can be blended in spirit. Without being blended in spirit, our messages and fellowship are completely useless. Having fellowship in spirit, being blended in spirit, entering into the feeling of the Body, and spreading the work according to the feeling in the Body are the most important matters.
Blending is the life pulse of the church in its going forward. If the brothers in every locality cannot be blended, it will be very difficult to advance to have a deeper work. Being blended is not a matter of giving people doctrines. If the brothers can only present doctrines when they meet in a locality, they will only promote doctrines. Rather than presenting doctrines, we should have fellowship and contact with others in spirit, supplying life to them in the spirit so that they may see something.
We must first be blended with one another in spirit. Then we should have much fellowship to bring everyone into the spirit for a deeper seeing. The brothers and sisters will slowly see the same vision and enter into the feeling of the Body. If we only talk about new methods or new doctrines, we will incite opinions, which some will approve of and others will oppose. We must avoid causing this problem. The brothers should not go to various localities to promote doctrines but to look to the Lord to supply the saints with life and to help them see what the Lord wants today. (CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 2, “Serving in the Flow of the Age,” msg. 5)
It is common today that in the local churches what we can see is mostly the “church” in its meetings, activities, works, and services. But we cannot see much of the reality of the Body of Christ in resurrection, that is, in the Spirit, in the pneumatic Christ, and in the consummated God. So there is the need for us to endeavor to be absolutely in the resurrection life of Christ. We need to endeavor to reach in the church life the highest peak, today’s Zion, of the reality of the Body of Christ until we consummate in the New Jerusalem, including Zion. Dear saints, this is our need. To have the blending is to meet this need. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “The Practical Points concerning Blending,” msg. 2)
OUTDOOR BLENDING AND BLENDING IN CONFERENCES
Based on our past experience, the most effective way to work on the campuses is through summer and winter camps. When we go to a campus, we can contact many gospel friends. Rather than seeing them go to movies or dance parties on the weekend, we can invite our gospel friends, saying, “We have a mountain camp with a garden and dormitories. Let us go and stay there for a day.” If we bring them to the mountain and walk and fellowship with them, they will surely be saved. We will build a baptismal so that they can be baptized as soon as they are saved. Every week we can bring people in groups up to the mountain. Out of ten that we bring up to the mountain, surely seven to eight will be saved and baptized. This plan is surely worth promoting. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 6: The Increase and Spread of the Church,” msg. 8)
Taking Students to the Mountains on Holiday
Based on our experience in the United States, we can take the junior-high-school and the high-school students to the mountains every six months for a conference. Such an activity would need the support of the church. The saints’ children, who are saved, can also coordinate with us. We must entrust the newly saved ones to our children who are students. Some of the newly saved ones are their classmates, and it will be easy for our students to converse with them. In America we conduct mountain trips every six months. We can hold a mountain trip every three months to have a greater impact. A mountain trip should not be long; it can last for a holiday or a weekend.
Having such a place available for the young people will make everyone happy, and its effect will be beneficial. We can take the teenage saints, those in junior high school and high school, to the mountains. Even their gospel friends can be saved on such a trip. We can arrange activities for them, and we should set aside three periods of time to teach them something. In two days we can have six periods. Even a naughty child can be saved on such a trip. The mountain trip can be regarded as a kind of incubator. After staying in the incubator for three days, everyone will be changed. In the United States a teenager was saved during a mountain trip and stopped smoking. Such a change is applauded by every parent. We should do this work earnestly, and we should be even more aggressive with the college students. Presently, in the United States the work with the high-school and college young people depends on these conferences.
Such conferences uphold our young people. We must work in the junior high schools, the high schools, and the colleges. Every college campus on the island of Taiwan must have a gospel work so that the students who are saved in high school can be worked on for another four years. By the time a person who is saved in junior high school finishes college, he would have received at least seven years of cultivation in the truth, and it will be difficult for him to fall away. If we can weave such a gospel net in the junior high schools, the high schools, and the colleges all over this island, it will uphold all our saved young people.
We need to take the college students to the mountains many times, at least twice a year. The mountain trip can last longer than the trip for the younger students. The conference for the junior-high-school students can be two to three days, but for the college students it is best to have at least one more day. There should be a college conference during the winter holidays and during the summer vacation. The college conference should be by region. The churches in northern Taiwan can have a joint college conference, the churches in central Taiwan can have a conference, and the churches in southern Taiwan can also have a conference. Every region should have a college conference instead of one large conference for the whole island. A large conference will use too many resources and will not be as fruitful.
Bringing Saints to Participate in the Conferences
The practice of the saints in Brazil is quite good. For their gatherings, they purchased a piece of property that is about one hundred acres. In order to do a long-term work, we need property. If it is not easy to find such a place in the city of Taipei, it is better to look in the suburbs. Every six months there should be a weeklong college conference. Not more than two thousand college students can gather together for a week and be trained in life, truth, and the gospel. We do not need to have only one speaker for the college conference. Several co-workers can coordinate together for the speaking. We have much material that can be used. If we have a proper place, we can be certain that we will have results. All those in the college conference will be fed spiritual meals for seven days and will be satisfied. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 5: Concerning Various Aspects of Church Service,” msg. 2)
THE BLENDING IN LOVE FEASTS
Having Love Feasts all the Time
It is scriptural for believers to come together often to eat. When they come together to eat, it is easy for their hearts to be kindled and for their spirit to mingle together in fellowship. In Acts 2, at the beginning of the church life, the believers came together often to eat. Eighteen years ago in North China, I experienced this all the time. When the brothers and sisters come together in joy and bask in mutual fellowship, much profit and blessing follow. Therefore, I encourage the brothers and sisters to have love feasts all the time.
The elders and the responsible brothers should urge the saints to have love feasts all the time. We have to ask them, “Have you made arrangements for a love feast today?” If they have not, we have to ask if they have a desire to hold such a feast. If they have such a desire, we have to ask them when they will have it. If they have not set a date, we have to ask approximately when they will have it. If they say they will have it in a few days, we have to ask if they can have it the following day. If they say yes, we have to ask whom they will invite. They may say that they want to invite certain familiar ones or certain brothers and sisters. If we feel that this is not wise, we should suggest a few other brothers. In this way, we will help the brothers and sisters know each other and provide them more opportunities for fellowship.
Suppose eighty people come to a gospel meeting and are baptized. If many brothers and sisters voluntarily invite these baptized ones for a love feast, and if each baptized one has five or six people joining him for a love feast, I believe the invited ones will have no choice but to love the Lord, come to the meetings, and remain. The brothers and sisters have to look for and create opportunities for love feasts. They can set up appointments after the Lord’s Day meeting. During the week they should prepare extra seats at home. If our home is open all the time for love feasts with the brothers and sisters, it will be easy for our family members to become saved. Of course, it is not enough for the responsible ones to promote this; they must practice it themselves.
In the church in Taipei, we have pre-printed invitation cards for inviting people to love feasts. If necessary, we can ask the deacons’ office to take the initiative to make arrangements to have love feasts in various saints’ homes. In this way the brothers and sisters can get to know each other, pray, testify, and fellowship during their meal. It is more casual and intimate to eat at home than at restaurants. During the love feasts, we can ask the brothers and sisters to give their testimonies. Some may say, “I am very happy to be invited by our host to this dinner. Since he wants me to say something, I guess I have to say something.” Some may say, “Tonight I am very grateful for your love. I highly treasure your warmth and sincerity in inviting me here. It is not right for me to be on the receiving end all the time; I feel that I have to give a testimony.” Others may say, “I came from a small place, and I am not used to such large gatherings. Please bear with me if my fellowship is not too good.” Whatever the guests say, their hearts will be warmed up and everyone will be refreshed.
Our love feasts should take care of nutrition, not extravagance. If we are too extravagant, we cannot have such feasts often, and some may be too intimidated to come. If our love feast is too sumptuous and extravagant, others will not dare to do the same, and they will be discouraged from coming. Try as much as possible to not spend too much money on love feasts. If we can save a little, we can offer up what we have saved for greater needs elsewhere. We should restrict our spending in everything and should save our money for more important needs in the church. We should not live one day in ease and comfort. We should save as much as we can for the gospel’s sake. We have to conduct love feasts frequently and make this our habit. But we should only serve ordinary food; there should not be any excess. Since we need to eat three times a day, we might as well eat in each others’ homes. (CWWN, vol. 62, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (2),” ch 18)
Not Getting Together for Eating; We Are Coming Together for Blending
The Lord charged His people, His disciples, to love one another (John 13:34). He brought a group of Galileans together to follow Him every day for three and a half years. They dropped their jobs and followed the Lord Jesus all the time. The Lord blended them together. In Acts and the Epistles we can see that the early apostles also carried out the same kind of blending among the saints. I am burdened to help us become blended together. We can do this by three ways: by calling others on the telephone, by contacting others on the Lord’s Day morning, and by inviting others to our home and being invited by others to their home.
We are not getting together for eating; we are coming together for blending. When we come together, we talk about the Lord Jesus, about His holy Word, and about our spiritual experiences. This kind of contact will revolutionize the church. We will convert the church into a new one. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, “The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups,” msg. 6)
Preparing Love Feasts all the Time, More Testimonies Will Come Out
When the Church Comes Together for Fellowship
The best kinds of people to invite to a love feast are gospel friends and saints whom we are unfamiliar with. If brothers and sisters invite the same familiar ones to the same houses day after day, the money spent on these love feasts will be wasted on each other. In reality this money belongs to the Lord. We must invite those brothers and sisters whom we do not know more frequently. Such love feasts are worthwhile. A love feast that is filled with love will incite us to love even more. If the brothers and sisters prepare such love feasts all the time, more testimonies will come out of the saints when the church comes together for fellowship, and they will render more praises and thanksgiving in their remembrance of the Lord and their worship of the Father. Those brothers and sisters who are responsible for the love feasts must remember to remind the saints of this practice. (CWWN, vol. 62, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (2),” ch 18)
Discussion:
1. How to plan and hold blending activities according to the situation?
2. How to invite people to participate in the blending?
3. How to lead the activity flexibly to achieve the goal of blending?
