Message One of the recent Thanksgiving Conference concerned our need to see the focus of the Lord’s recovery. The vision spoken of in this message is not easily seen, and seeing needs to be followed by experience, which also does not come cheaply. Thus, the speaking brother encouraged every saint to pray in a twofold way. We first need to pray that the Lord would grant us a vision of the Lord’s recovery, and as we begin to see this vision, we need to pray all the more that it would become our experience.
One of the major points in the first message, which was also the first banner of the conference, says, “The unique focus of the Lord’s recovery is the testimony of the Triune God—the corporate expression of the Triune God, the testimony of Jesus.” In Revelation, a book that speaks much of the testimony of Jesus (1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4), the local churches are portrayed as golden lampstands, which are the embodiment and expression of the Triune God (1:11-12, 20). However, in the epistle to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2, the Lord warned that because of their degradation, there was the possibility that He would remove their lampstand out of its place (v. 5). For Ephesus’ lampstand to be removed does not mean that there would no longer be a local church meeting in that locality but that the church there would lose the testimony of Jesus. For this reason, this testimony is the focus of the Lord’s recovery—then and now.
Regarding the way for us to become Christ’s shining testimony, the outline for Message One states, “In Ephesians 3:16-17a and 19b Paul prayed that the Triune God in Christ would make His home in our hearts so that our inner being would be filled into the overflowing of the Triune God for the corporate expression of the Triune God; this is what God wants to recover today.” In order for the church to be the testimony of Jesus—the corporate expression of the Triune God—the saints need to be filled with Him until they overflow Him in everything they do in the church life and their daily life. This overflowing testimony should be evident whether we are ushering in a meeting, caring for the children, at work, or at home with our family. In order to become such a shining expression, we need to be daily filled with the Lord by praying that He would make His home in our hearts more and more.
O Lord, grant us to see and enter into the focus of Your recovery. Fill us to overflowing so that we would be Your corporate expression—Your shining testimony.
With boldness of spirit, we praise the Lord for the focus of His recovery! We pray to the Lord that He would give us ears to hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches.
I am truly thankful for this up to date speaking and faithful word. There is a great need to remain on the central lane and in the focus of the Lord’s recovery! There is a danger if we are not clear on what the Lord desires today. Even with the best gospel preaching, the highest exposition of the Bible, and a very scriptural way to meet, there still remains a peril of emptiness. The church in Ephesus did many things for the Lord, but they still missed the mark! We want the Lord to find more of a substantial expression of Himself within us. For this, our daily prayer should echo Eph. 3:17a matched with S.S. 8:6a!
There needs to be a desperation imparted into us!
Br. Lee wanted us to check with ourself – “How much is my daily life, my service to the Lord, my worship to God, my care of the church, and my fellowship with all the saints in this realization? Am I in such a reality that, even if I talk with the saints about ordinary things, I bear a striking sign that my being, my person, my life, my living is all in this focus of God’s economy? When I preach the gospel, do I preach it in this focus? When I open up the Bible to teach, do I do it in this focus? When I go to shepherd an older one or a younger one, a new one or sick one, a weak one or a backsliding one, is my shepherding in this focus?”
Lord Jesus, don’t allow us to miss the mark! We turn our heart to You. Take away the veils. Even bring us through the second veil. We thank You for the veil being rent. Lord, by Your all sufficient grace bring us through this experience. Fully reconcile us! Keep us living in the focus to bear a living expression of You! Amen Lord Jesus!
Yes! this is our greatest need today. Oh! to live in the focus of the Lord’s recovery. Oh! to bear a living expression of the Triune God. Amen! Amen! Amen!!
I haven’t listened to the audio message yet but from others’ sharing I’m touched that we need to be saved from emptiness, especially after being in the church life for a while. O Lord! Keep us fresh! Keep us seeing AND experiencing what we see!