Heaven on earth

God’s building is through Christians’ experiencing in their living:

heaven on earth
eternity in time
divinity through humanity

rainbow through rain
God’s supplying through God’s purging
throne of flowing water through throne of consuming fire
the good land through the wilderness of soul

inward joy despite of outward suffering
inner peace despite of outer tribulations

God’s kingdom out of human race
new creation out of old creation
God’s economy out of Satan’s chaos
reality out of vanity

the Last Adam out of the first Adam
resurrection out of death
germination out of termination
return out of captivity
recovery out of fallen conditions
oneness out of divisions
overcoming out of degradation

Jesus is Lord!

No longer I, but Christ

Please enjoy the singing of Galatians 2:20.
http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=ns&n=16

It's no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me.
It's no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me.
He lives, He lives, Jesus is alive in me!
It's no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me.

現在活著不再是我，基督在我裡活著,
現在活著不再是我，基督在我裡活著,
祂活, 祂活, 基督在我里面活,
現在活著不再是我，基督在我裡活著。

It shows that God desires to reduce us, replace us, revive us, recover us, renew us and reconstitute us. The Christian journey is a process of metabolic transformation, which requires our full cooperation (2 Corinthians 3:18). May we decrease, as God increases in us (John 3:30). Amen!

Universal Fellowship

In the book of First Corinthians, Paul tried to address many problems in the church in Corinth. But how was this epistle concluded? The conclusion was the fellowship, both spiritually and financially, of the Body of Christ (Chapter 16).

In Chapter 16, Paul connected the church in Corinth which was in Achaia (today's Greece) with the churches in Galatia (today's northern Turkey, in v1), the church in Jerusalem (in Israel, in v3), and the churches in Asia (today's southern Turkey, in v19). It was a universal fellowship, the circulation of the Body of Christ!

Perhaps I can say that a healthy local church would stay in the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Or you may say that staying in the fellowship of the Body of Christ will make a local church healthy.

Though the administration of a local church is local, the fellowship and the testimony should be universal. This is the normal church life. On one hand it is dear and near, but on the other hand it is broad and far-reaching.

P.S. You may think that Paul's effort was not a big deal. It was a huge deal nearly 2000 years ago! Who would have such a view and practice 2000 years ago?

谦让宜人 (Forbearance)

谦让宜人就是： Forbearance is:

柔和，却不软弱； Meek, but not weak;
坚毅，却不刚硬； Strong, but not stiff;
喜乐，却不轻浮； Joyful, but not loose;
庄重，却不刻板； Weighty, but not rigid;
恒忍，却不生怨； Long-suffering without murmuring;
负重，却不焦虑； Yoked without anxieties;
有能，却不骄傲； Capable without pride;
积极，却不心急； Active without haste;
宽容，却不纵容； Forgiving without spoiling;
建造人，却不控制； Building up others without controlling;
成全人，却不结党； Perfecting others without forming parties;
受限制，却不狭窄； Being limited without becoming narrow-minded;
灵火热，心思清明； Burning in spirit with a sober mind;
不偏不倚，各方均平。Adjusted and balanced in all manners of life.

谦让宜人就是神的自己显在人性里 (腓立比書四5)。
In fact, forbearance is God Himself expressed in humanity. (Phil. 4:5)

B-M-C

The Body,
the ministry,
and local churches

The Body of Christ is so wide that it is available to all nationalities, skin colors, cultures, and social positions (Matthew 22:9), but its entrance is so narrow that nationality, skin color, culture, and social position can NOT come in (Colossians 3:11).

Here is a shorter version:
The Body of Christ is so wide that it is open to the whole earth (Acts 10:12), but its entrance is so narrow that NO earthly things can come in. (universal access with heavenly constitution)

Since the goal of the New Testament ministry is to build up the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12), it should have the same characteristics.

Since a local church is part of the Body of Christ expressed in a locality, it should also have the same characteristics (except that the access is limited by time and space, but the fellowship should be universal).

Hymn #598 (English #824) also conveys the same thought.
http://www.witness-lee-hymns.org/hymns/H0824.html

DNA

A blood sample taken from my right arm should be the same as a blood sample taken from my left leg. A DNA sample taken from my right arm should be the same as a DNA sample taken from my left leg. Why? Because they are in the same body with the same circulation.

When you touch my right arm, you are touching me as a person. When you press my left leg, you are pressing me as a person.
(Acts 9:4~5)

The Body of Christ is the same. (1 Corinthians 12:12) All local churches should be identical because they have the same source and are in the same flow. When you touch a local church, you are touching the Body of Christ. When you nourish and cherish a local church, you nourish and cherish the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:16, 5:29)

However, when you touch a Christian group or a so-called "local church" but can not sense the reality of the Body, what should you do? I don't know. Go to the Head and ask Him to place you as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 5:30)

UC & LC

UC = universal church (Matthew 16:18)
LC = local church (Matthew 18:17)

The UC is the spiritual reality of the Body of Christ.
The LC's are the practicality of the UC.

There is only one UC in the universe. When the UC comes in contact with the earth in a given city, a LC comes into existence as a representation, or miniature of the UC, whose essence is always one and will remain one.

Without LC's, the UC would have no practicality. Without the UC, a LC would have no reality.

Since a LC is a representation of the UC, she should be identical to all the other LC's in essence (gold), expression (lampstand) and function (shining).

Since a LC is a miniature of the UC, she should provide her members an entrance into the UC and help them enjoy the reality of the Body.