Fresh Speaking
(Nancy's notes from Message 1, Apr. 03, 2010)
Matt. 2:11 "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
Col. 2:2 " that their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
v.3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Matt. 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
13:45,46 " Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
2 Cor. 4:7-12 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you."
We should all be encouraged by the working brother's labor (about 40 of them) and the Chinese speaking 10 month trainees. Our intention is to bring these ones into an active participation of the church life. They all give us such a feeling that the churches are very hopeful.
The labor in China - 4 years- has been a great struggle. After 4 yrs. about 70 full-timers pioneering and laboring in many cities. I am thankful to the Lord for what He is doing abroad. Such marvelous works!
Now here in the U.S. - I am puzzled and a little bit upset. "Lord, are You really trying to cover up and leave us alone? So many have given their lives for so long and suffered so much. Remember the good times? So living and joyful. How come You are taking all this away? Causing us to be despised and full of grief. " I am very concerned for the churches in the U.S. Especially the ones where I have served. "Lord, remember when it was so sweet? When the doors were open?"
The Lord says, "Yes, you were happy, But is that what I wanted? Have you ever asked Me?" We have a healthy process, but did we obtain the goal? These are two different things. Do we know what is in the Lord's heart?
One brother was so excited about a beautiful meeting place. Another brother was so happy - he went to theological school.
The Lord says, "You are very happy, but what about Me?" Do we ever ask the Lord? Even as human beings, in a marriage, you want to satisfy your spouse.
The Lord will do everything for your profit. Yet this is not the unique element in His heart. If you have a diamond, you make create a setting with small diamond chips and white gold or yellow gold band. But without the diamond the setting is nothing. How often we like the setting and forget the diamond. We like the frame and forget the picture! Christ is everything to you. Praise the Lord! Enjoy Him! But many times we enjoy the things of Christ and forget Christ Himself.
Col. 2 - The apostle Paul had very strong labor. What a struggle. This was so - (1) their hearts may be comforted. (2) they could be knit together in love. and (3) have the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ. When I (Paul) fight for this, your heart can be comforted. The Lord begins by making you very comfortable, happy. If you touch Him your heart is comforted and you are also knit together in love. In love, many other things disappear. We are so different in disposition, yet somehow we can be knit together in love. Our knitting together is so that we can have the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ. This is so profound. This needs to be opened up - unveiled. "God, why do You do all these things for me?" It is so you can be knitted together in love.
Then go another step - the full understanding of the mystery. There is something hidden in God - the treasure - Christ. Christ is the treasure of wisdom and knowledge. All the wisdom and knowledge is in Him. Without Him - no existence of creation. With Him all is ours!
Wisdom - God's economy
Knowledge - know how to carry it out
Christ is the sole treasure of God. In Him is God's economy and the way to carry out God's economy. He is a treasure. We like many things. God only loves one - His Son. All things are hidden in Him. When I give myself to the Son, I am brought into God's economy and learn to carry out His economy. After all the suffering, we are comforted, knit together and are in God's economy.
(Nancy's notes from Message 2, Apr. 03, 2010)
Matt. 2:11 - the wise men opened their box of treasures -
3 treasures: gold - God Himself
frankincense - resurrection of Christ
myrrh - death of Christ
Col. 2:2 Comforted, knit together in love - to be knit together basically means you lost your identity. No longer an individual but part of the over all presentation or picture.
Firstly you have (In Col. 1) a servant of the Lord to fight for you. You need Christ as the comforting element in your life. He put himself in the front line to fight for us, so that we could be comforted and knit together in the church life. Even the apostles needed the saints to be brought into something. Unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ. God would say "Everything I do is for this One - Christ - the treasure." God's economy, purpose, eternal plan is in Him and the way to accomplish or carry out His economy is in Him. God has all wisdom and prudence in carrying out His economy.
Matt. 2 - treasure box
You never know what is in that treasure box. All that you need. Includes the best medicines to heal you. He is the all-inclusive One. Not "I take medicine" but I take Christ!"
He is the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge.
Matt. 13:44 Treasure hidden in a field - found and hid - past tense. He already found this treasure. Even when man fell, He had found it already. Satan thought he had won a victory when man fell, but God would say "I have found the treasure already, I just haven't bought it yet." For joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. He is so happy! sells and buys is present tense. Abraham, Issac, Jacob, etc. all suffered a lot for the land. Satan comes in to say a lot, but God would say "I found it already" This treasure was hidden for 4 thousand years. This was to prove this is the real treasure. He used so many years to show how precious is this treasure. You must have dirt to show the preciousness of gold. The Lord has a treasure - He is so happy. If man did not fail there could never be such a treasure. "I have to wait 4 thousand years, through everything human beings can try: culture, education, computers, ipods! You used to go to theaters to find Satan. Then Satan came into your home (TV). Now Satan can be in your pocket (ipods). The Lord says "this makes the treasure even more precious."
Abraham's time - to come to the Lord not so impressive. Today, to drop everything and come to the Lord is much more impressive! He sold all that he had to buy the field. The treasure is the church, His organic body. He has long endurance to get what He is after. He came as a man - not as God but as a son of man. He was judged by the people and abused by the people as a man. He did this to buy His treasure. By no means are we worth it, but in His wisdom we are the treasure already. He never wanted us to be qualified. We are the treasure. We are the pearl. He is a merchant always paying a price and exchanging. not just a man now, but a merchant. That treasure is composed of many pearls.
Pearl means overcomers - those seeking the Lord for the church life. "I like to hide in the wounded Christ". He paid a price for us, we lost our ownership. We live in the "Oyster" now. We are 100% in Christ, enjoying His life secretion. Found, went, sold all, bought - all are past tense. We love the Lord and pursue the Lord, yet the Lord says it is all past tense. In His knowledge all is accomplished. He died for the church. He already accomplished it!
(Nancy's notes from Message 3, Apr. 04, 2010)
This treasure is a treasure box - all the treasures of wisdom (God's plan) and knowledge (the operation). Do not pay attention to the operation, but to the operator. We don't understand the doings, but we trust Christ. Are you able to separate God Himself and His doing? We go through so much, but there is a person behind all the things we experience. Christ is the treasure box. Within Him is all wisdom and knowledge. He established His economy and He is the one who carries it out. We struggle through our experiences, yet later we thank Him. "That was just what I needed". This is knowledge.
Matt. 13 - Hidden treasure. He hid it so long, so eventually through much "preparation", the treasure becomes so precious. The church is the unique treasure. He sold all and bought it. Christ paid the price for us. Then He became everything to us, making us an organic treasure with Him.
The kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls . Are you beautiful? In this treasure He is looking for many beautiful pearls. Make-up - is outward beauty. The pearls have an inward, organic beauty. You young people are so beautiful. When we get old - what can we do but become ugly?
Pearls display the beauty of Christ. They match Christ. Genuine pearls have an odd shape. Cultured pearls are very round, having only an outward beauty. If you put a marble into the side of an oyster and wait maybe 1/2 year, it becomes white from secretion. This is a cultured pearl, not organic.
Many may be outwardly spiritual - carry a Bible, dress a certain way. This is man made. Young saints, you may be a little odd shaped, but this is not man made. This is organic. So precious!
Everything was done by Christ. We must respond to Christ, but then we realize everything was already done by Christ, including all my vows. The little imperfects become so perfect in the New Jerusalem! Not round like ping-pong balls. Nothing natural. Odd shaped. He loves our little bit of odd shape. This is where the Lord proves His organic life. I am old now. I am not beautiful, but I am beauty. God has produced a pearl, full of secretion of the divine life. God has made us beautiful pearls.
The price has already been paid. "Having found that one pearl" - not just one unique pearl - we all can be that pearl. "He went and sold all" - He died and paid the price already, but we need to respond to Him.
One treasure - many pearls.
Treasure - He already got it.
pearls - He gains one by one.
"Lord, You bought us Make us a precious pearl." Humanity (sand) is always there, but His life secretion perfects us. We never are that capable, but we give ourselves to hide in Christ and become a beautiful pearl.
2 Cor. 4:6 "Because it is the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
God desires to speak - to shine. In this shining you don't just get light, you get the knowledge of the Glory of God. All the things you receive and enjoy must be focused on the face of Jesus Christ. Everything must bring you to the face of Jesus Christ or it is nothing. So much truth? Miracles? Good testimonies? This satisfies you, but God would say "Where is Christ?"
The face of Jesus becomes the treasure in earthen vessels. Within us we have a treasure. We are earthen vessels, but within is a living Christ. The face of Christ is this treasure. When Christ disappears, treasure never works, we are defeated. When we come together, the treasure rises up - we see Christ's face!
2 Cor. every way afflicted - every side is hard around us. Surrounded with trouble. Lord would say "I will come and persecute (hammer you) but not forsake you. You think it is all over. You are cast down and can't get up or you will be persecuted back down. Yet for some reason we are still here. When you have the face of Christ, nothing can bother you.
"Bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus" - when I experience death, people see life! What a Christ! When put to death for Jesus sake, the life also of Jesus is manifested. My difficulties cause me to bring life to you! "Lord, I am willing to experience death with You, that the body may receive life!"
(Kathy's notes from Message 3, Apr. 04, 2010)
Don't pay attention to operations but pay attention to the operator "Christ"
Can we separate God's doing from God Himself.
We may not understand God's doing. But all is ok if we are with God.
God is wise and operative. In wisdom God established His economy. In knowledge He carried it out. Knowledge is for us to realize His wisdom.
The Old Testament is a preparation for the church.
The church is the unique treasure.
Eventually the Lord came and then the universe was ready to appreciate the Lord.
When the Lord dispenses Himself into us we become a treasure.
The church should be a testimony.
God is seeking beautiful pearls. Not one pearl but many pearls. This is us. The treasure is one, the pearls are many.
God wants the pearls to totally match Christ organically from within.
Beautiful pearls are odd in shape. They are not perfect, but they are real.
No longer beautiful, but to be beauty itself, this is what we should want.
Cultured pearls are perfectly shaped like ping pong balls but ping pong balls are hollow.
We should desire to be a pearl of great value.
The Lord died for us, paid the price, bought us already.
One treasure many pearls bought one by one.
Human nature never disappears but the Divine life increases and increases.
Our imperfections help us appreciate the treasure we have within us.
God desires to speak and to shine.
When the light shines we see the glorious God.
When the light comes, it comes with the knowledge of the glory of God. But this is not good enough. All the things we gain and see must be in the face of Jesus Christ. Everything we got must bring us to the face of Christ.
The treasure is Christ
The pearls are bought by Christ
The frankincense is the resurrection of Christ
Everything ends with face of Christ. The value depends on the face of Jesus, the living Jesus. The treasure is the face of Christ the living Jesus. When we have the living face of Christ we have the treasure.
(Debbie's notes from Message 3, Apr. 04, 2010)
The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hid in the field, which a man having found has hid, and for the joy of it goes and sells all whatever he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; and having found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all whatever he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46
In these verses we have the treasure and the pearl. Formerly the brother sharing thought that the treasure and pearl both referred to the church. However, our brother has the realization that the treasure refers to the church and the pearls refer to the individual believers. God desires a treasure – the church. God also desires pearls – the believers . The church is the unique treasure of God. He hid it and sold all that He had and bought it. We are the treasure of God according to Christ. As Christ (the treasure) dispenses Himself into us, we become a treasure. The English translation of verse 45 says that the Lord is seeking beautiful "pearls" - not one pearl, but many pearls. The treasure is one (the church), but the pearls are many (the individual believers).
The Lord is seeking beautiful pearls. The beauty He is seeking is organic and from within. The beauty of make-up is outward. When you wash it, it is gone. The Lord wants the pearl to display Christ, matching Christ, organically from within. If a pearl is natural, it is a little oddly shaped, not like the perfectly round cultured pearl. However, the natural pearl , although oddly shaped, is more beautiful than a perfectly round cultured pearl . Everyone of us are a little odd, yet at the same time the Christ within is beautiful. The whole thing is organic and real, not cultured. The merchant seeks beautiful pearls. "Lord, I desire to be a beautiful pearl, bearing Christ's beauty". Each one of us can be a pearl. All the pearls are bought one by one. The treasure is bought once for all, yet the pearls are bought one by one.
Because [it is] the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in [the] face of [Jesus] Christ. II Corinthians 4:-6
Out of darkness, light will shine. As light shines, you will see the glory of God. All the things you enjoy must be focused on the face of Jesus Christ. Everything you have, unless it brings you to the face of Jesus Christ, it means nothing. For example, our knowledge from the past, unless it brings you to the face of Jesus Christ, it is of no value. If you have the face of Jesus, you have the living Jesus.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the "surpassingness" of the power may be of God, and not from us. II Corinthians 4:-7
We are earthen vessels (we are odd), but within the earthen vessels is a treasure, Christ. When we have the living Christ, we have a treasure! When Christ comes, the treasure is here.
Every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up; persecuted, but not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body; for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh; so that death works in us, but life in you. II Corinthians 4:8-12
We are troubled on every side, but not distressed. Every side is hard, not only without but also within. We are troubled from seven directions, including from ourselves. However, when you have the face of Jesus, not one thing bothers us. There can be so much difficulty, but when I see the face of Jesus Christ, it is ok. We are persecuted, but not abandoned (the Lord is so much with me), cast down, but not destroyed (I am still here). When for the sake of Jesus, I am put to death, the life of Jesus will come out for others. My difficulties cause me to give life to others. "Lord Jesus, I am willing to die with You so that the brothers may experience life".