- This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
John 2:11 NASB
Foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant -
these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. The Sovereign Lord declares - he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.
Isaiah 56:6-8
- Wikipedia states:
Watchman Nee (倪柝聲 pinyin: Ní Tuòshēng;, 1903–1972) was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th Century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China[1]. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded the The Church Assembly Hall, later which would be also known as the "Local churches" (Chinese: 地方教會).
Watchman Nee became a Christian in 1920 at age 17 and began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary M. E. Barber, who was a great influence on him.[2]Through Miss Barber, Nee was introduced to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him and his teachings.[3] Nee attended no theological schools or Bible institutes. His knowledge was acquired through studying the Bible and reading various Christian spiritual books.[4][5] During his 30 years of ministry, beginning in 1922, Nee traveled throughout China planting churches among the rural communities and holding Christian conferences and trainings in Shanghai.[4] In 1952 he was imprisoned for his faith; he remained in prison until his death in 1972.[6]
Nee Shu-Tsu (Watchman Nee) was born in Foochow, China. Nee's grandfather, Nga U-cheng, born in 1840, was a Congregational preacher of the American supplies commission. He died in 1890. Nee's father was Ni Weng-Sioe (W. S. Ni), born in 1877, and the fourth of nine boys. He was an officer in the Imperial Customs Service. He died in Hong Kong in 1941. Nee's mother was Lin Gwo Ping (Peace Lin), who was born in 1880. She died at the age of 70, in 1950.
When Nee was 17 years old (1920), and still a student, he went to hear an evangelist by the name of Dora Yu, who charged the people to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, a call that Watchman Nee accepted.[7] From that day on, he consecrated himself completely to Jesus Christ and to the preaching of the Gospel in China[8]. After his conversion, many of his class-mates were converted due to his testimony and consecrated living.[9] During Nee's college years, Miss. Margaret Barber, an independent British missionary was his teacher and mentor. She treated him as a young learner and frequently administered strict discipline.[10] Miss Barber died in 1930 and left all her belongings to Watchman Nee.[11]
Watchman Nee became intimately familiar with the Bible through diligent study of the Bible using various different methods.[12] His development was strengthened by the influence of Jessie Penn-Lewis, Robert Govett, D. M. Panton, G. H. Pember, John Nelson Darby and many others, reading as many as 3,000 books from various authors since first century.[13] In the early days of his ministry he spent one-third of his income on his personal needs, one-third on helping others, and the remaining third on spiritual books.[14] He had an ability to select, comprehend, discern, and memorize relevant material, and grasp and retain the main points of a book while reading.[15] In his gospel preaching and ministry, Nee always stressed more on the "inner-life" issue in a believer's life rather than the "outward-work".[5] Nee claimed that to be a Christian is altogether a matter of the divine life.[16] He believed that a belief is not a religion, and therefore he did not establish headquarters or create a hierarchy of leadership positions in the church.[17] He once stood up and said against a certain collected assembly:[6]
"You may well have light and truth, but knowledge alone will benefit you nothing."
Today many of his written books are published in English, although most have been translated from Chinese. He published regular articles in his own magazine, with The Present Testimony and The Christian being some of them.
The Normal Christian Life
Probably the best known book of Watchman Nee's is The Normal Christian Life. It was based on talks given by Watchman Nee at the time of and subsequent to his trip through Europe in 1938-1939. It expressed theological views on the first few chapters of the New Testament book of Romans. In the later sections of the book he presented his views on what the normal Christian life should be.
Later years
Between the period of 1940-1960, the local church in China underwent many trials and tribulations. Many of these local churches had been founded by Watchman Nee based upon his conviction of "one church for one city or town" on the ground of oneness among the believers. He asserted that geographic boundaries were the only legitimate ground to have different churches to express the one body of Christ on the earth (the local church). He strongly promoted the view that various ways of separating churches, such as apostles and their ministries, spiritual gifts, racial or social status, or different doctrines and missions was condemned by the word of God as division and sin, and as the works of the flesh.[18]
In the period between 1923-1949, more than 700 local churches were created with an attendance of more than 70,000.[19] During the Chinese Communist takeover, these "assemblies" formed the core behind the house municipalities. Through the efforts of Nee and his colleagues, local assemblies were founded all over China and among other Chinese-speaking communities in the Far East. Some of Nee's co-workers in this work later would become known outside of China (e.g. - Witness Lee, Stephen Kaung, Faithful Luke, Simon Meek, and others).[20]
In 1949, Watchman Nee's co-labourer Witness Lee emigrated to Taiwan. In 1952, Watchman Nee was imprisoned by the Chinese government for his faith. He remained in prison until his death twenty years later.[21] Watchman Nee's writings on matters of the individual Christian life have been a source of inspiration to Christians throughout the world, though his writings on the local churches -which he considered to be central to his ministry have been largely ignored by the mainstream Christianity so far.[7]
Persecution and death
Watchman Nee felt led by his belief in God to remain in Mainland China in spite of the threat of Communism, and to sacrifice everything to this end.[22] Watchman Nee was arrested by the Chinese Communists in March of 1952 for his professed faith in Christ as well as his leadership among the local churches. He was judged, falsely condemned, and sentenced in 1956 to fifteen years' imprisonment.[23][24] During this entire time, only his wife was allowed to visit him.[25] In his final letter, written on the day of his death, he alluded to his joy "in the Lord":[26]
"In my sickness, I still remain joyful at heart."
He died in confinement in his cell on May 30, 1972.
Influences
The theological influence of Watchman Nee (English for Nee To-Sheng ), went much further than his own circle reached; not only in his native country China but also outside in other countries.[27] He changed his name to Watchman Nee because he saw himself as someone that stayed up in the middle of the night to awaken men of the coming of Christ.[28] In 1928, Watchman Nee settled in Shanghai where he based his own speaking and publication work, the Shanghai Gospel Bookroom, which published books by Nee and others, as well as some Chinese translations of English-speaking authors - most notably the Christian teacher and writer T. Austin-Sparks, with whom Nee had a very close relationship fostered during his significant time at the Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre on Honor Oak Road in London, England.[29]
Ministry, sufferings, and commission
Watchman Nee's ministry used eight different means to carry out what he believed had been wrought into him by God: preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, traveling and revivals, contacting people, corresponding with people, holding conferences, conducting trainings, and producing publications.
Nee suffered much for his belief that, according to the Bible, denominations are wrong in that they divide the One Body of Christ.[30] Because his firm stand for the oneness of the Body of Christ against the denominations, they caused him much suffering.[31][32] Some denominations despised and criticized, some opposed, and did their best to destroy his ministry.[33] They also spread false rumours about him and misrepresented him to the extent that Watchman Nee once responded,[34]
"The Watchman Nee portrayed by them I would also condemn."
By the time Nee was arrested in 1952, approximately four hundred local churches had been raised up in China through his life and ministry. In addition, local churches had been raised up in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Today the local churches have grown to over 2,300 worldwide through the ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee.
Works
Watchman Nee not only spoke frequently both privately and publicly, but he was also a prolific writer. His publications included gospel tracts, periodicals, papers, articles, newsletters, hymnals, and a chart of biblical prophecies. In addition to publishing various periodicals, papers, gospel tracts, etc, Watchman Nee also published many books for the carrying out of his ministry. Some of these books were messages published in his periodicals and reprinted in book form.
In addition to writing and publishing books and hymnals, some spiritual books in English were translated by him and under his publication ministry through the years.[8]
Published works
In English there are approximately fifty-five books of him available, published through Christian Fellowship Publishers [9], Richmond, Virginia, United States. Another source in English is The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, a 62 volume set covering his entire ministry - published by Living Stream Ministry [35][10] located in Anaheim, California, United States. These are made available primarily from notes taken by students during his many talks and translated by various publishing group.
Some of his best known books are:
* The Spiritual Man
* Spiritual Authority
* Mystery of Creation
* Gospel Dialogue
* The King and The Kingdom of Heaven
* Interpreting Matthew
* Come, Lord Jesus
* The Better Covenant
* Aids to Revelation
* The Overcoming Life
* The Normal Christian Life
* The Breaking of The Outer Man and The Release of The Spirit
* The Song of Songs
* Authority and Submission
Watchman Nee's best known books on "Church", "Church Life", and "the Church issues":
* The Normal Christian Church Life
* Church Affairs
* The Church and the Work: Rethinking the Work
* The Glorious Church
* Further Talks on the Church Life
* The Orthodoxy of the Church
Articles
There are also many books, booklets, magazines and articles published by Living Stream Ministry located in Anaheim, California, United States. Most of Watchman Nee's writings are from his own notes and magazines he himself published. Nee gave great importance to the end-time view of separate rapture and to apostles not exceeding their regional boundary in appointing elders of a locality; e.g., apostles of the churches in Judea, apostles of the churches in Asia Minor, apostles of the churches in Texas; elders of the church in Jerusalem, elders of the church in Ephesus, elders of the church in Dallas. In his later writings, he mainly focused on the Church and the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:23).[36]
Nee's Name
His English name seems to be a literal variation of his Chinese name. 柝 (pinyin tùo) is a Chinese watchman's knocker or plaque, sounded to mark the hours of night. 聲 (pinyin shēng) means sound.[11]
Books about Watchman Nee
* Chan, Stephen C.T. Wo Ti Kau Fu Ni To Sheng [My Uncle Watchman Nee]. Hong Kong: Alliance Press, 1970.
* Chen, James. Meet Brother Nee. Hong Kong: The Christian Publishers, 1976.
* Kinnear, Angus I. The Story of Watchman Nee: Against the Tide. Fort Washington, Pa.: Christian Literature Crusade, 1973.
* Leung Ka-lun. Watchman Nee: His Early Life and Thought [Chinese]. Hong Kong: Graceful House Limited, 2005.
* Watchman Nee: His Glory and Dishonor (Chinese). Revised and enlarged edition. Hong Kong: Graceful House Limited, 2004.
* Lyall, Leslie. Three of China's Mighty Men. London: Overseas Missionary Fellowship, 1973.
* Roberts, Dana. The Secrets of Watchman Nee. Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2005
* Lee, Witness. Watchman Nee: A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age. Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1991.
* (Compiled notes from Brother K.H. Weigh). "Watchman Nee's Testimony." Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1974 (1st edition).
References
1. ^ Chan, Kim-Kwong, and Alan Hunter. Protestantism in Contemporary China. Cambridge: University Press, 1993: pages. 121-123.
2. ^ M. E. Barber, Biography, by James Reetzke, Chicago Bibles and Books
3. ^ Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), by Witness Lee, Living Stream Ministry
4. ^ Melton, J. Gordon: Religious Leaders of America. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991: page. 407
5. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), page. 23
6. ^ Patterson, George. N: Christianity in Communist China. Waco, Tx: World Books, 1969: pages 72-73
7. ^ Nee, Watchman, Watchman Nee's Testimony, Living Stream Ministry
8. ^ Hanks, Geoffrey: Seventy Great Christians. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994: pages. 295-298
9. ^ Compiled notes from K.H. Weigh. "Watchman Nee's Testimony." Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1974 (1st edition)
10. ^ Melton, J. Gordon. Religious Leaders of America. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991: page. 407
11. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), pages. 16-19
12. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), pages. 23-27
13. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), page. 25.
14. ^ Nee, Watchman, Watchman Nee's Testimony, Living Stream Ministry
15. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, page. 25
16. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee: A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, page. 85-86
17. ^ Fu, Tina. "Christians March Across Capital." China Post 4 May 1998: 20
18. ^ Patterson, George N. Christianity in Communist China. Waco, Tx: World Books, 1969: pages. 79-80
19. ^ Kauffman, Paul E.: China Yesterday. Hong Kong: Asian Outreach, 1975: 100-101.
20. ^ Entrepreneur, AC Magazine (1999), Huei Liu, Copyright 1999 AC Media Inc.
21. ^ Melton, J. Gordon. Religious Leaders of America. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991: page. 407
22. ^ Hanks, Geoffrey. Seventy Great Christians. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994: pages. 296-297
23. ^ Melton, J. Gordon: Religious Leaders of America. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991: page. 407
24. ^ Hanks, Geoffrey. Seventy Great Christians. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994: pages. 295-298
25. ^ Lee, Witness: W. Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation, Living Stream Ministry, page. 124
26. ^ Last eight letters of Watchman Nee (from communist prison), [1]eight letters[2]
27. ^ Bays, Daniel H., ed: Christianity in China from the Eighteenth Century to the Present. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1996: page. 311
28. ^ Nee, Watchman: The Body of Christ, A Reality: (1978) CBS, Christian Fellowship Publishers. Inc.
29. ^ J. Gordon Melton: Watchman Nee, The Encycolpedia of American Religions, 5th edition: Gale Research Inc.
30. ^ Lyall, Leslie. Three of China's Mighty Men. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980: page. 141
31. ^ Kauffman, Paul E: China Yesterday. Hong Kong: Asian Outreach, 1975: pages. 100-101
32. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), The Suffering of Watchman Nee, pages. 173-177
33. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age (ISBN 0-87083-625-0), pages. 173-177
34. ^ Lee, Witness: Watchman Nee: A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, page. 177
35. ^ Living Stream Ministry - Publisher of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee
36. ^ The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Publisher: Living Stream Ministry, The Mature Period, 1942-1951 (Vol. 47-62)[3]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchman_Nee
- Ezekiel 36
I will call for the corn and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.
32 I want you to know that
I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!
33 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.
34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.
36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that
I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate.
I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.'
37 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again
I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them:
I will make their people as numerous as sheep, 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts.
So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
v29-38
Luke 1
- Elizabeth ...
Fiilled with the Holy Spirit, in a loud voice she exclaimed: (41b-42a)
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. (42b-44)
Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! (45) - Mary said:
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for
He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. (46-48a)
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - Holy is His name. (48b-49)
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. (50)51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be
merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
even as he said to our fathers. (54-55) - Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
(67)
68 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us- 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace. (78-79)
- Ezekiel 36
"Tell the people of Israel, 'This is what the Almighty Lord says:
I am about to do something, people of Israel.
I will not do this for your sake but for the sake of my holy name,
which you have dishonored among the nations wherever you have gone.
I will reveal the holiness of my great name,
which has been dishonored by the nations,
the name that you have dishonored among them. Then
the nations will know that I am the Lord, because
I will reveal my holiness among you as they watch,
declares the Almighty Lord.
I will sprinkle clean water on you and
make you clean instead of unclean. Then
I will cleanse you from all your idols.
I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit in you.
I will remove your stubborn hearts and
give you obedient hearts.
I will put my Spirit in you.
I will enable you to live by my laws, and
you will obey my rules.
Then you will live in the land that I gave your ancestors.
You will be my people, and
I will be your God.
I will rescue you from all your uncleanness.
v22-23, 25-29 GWT.scripturetext.com
- Ezekiel 36:27 KJV
I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
- John 15:10-11
If you obey my commands,
you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commands
and remain in his love.
I have told you this so
that my joy
may be in you
and
that your joy
may be complete.
- John 14:15-26
If you love me, you will obey what I command, and
I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Counselor to be with you forever -
the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied,
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.
My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But
the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
- Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, trust also in me. John 14:1 - Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and
do not be afraid. John 14:27
John 7
The Jews were amazed and asked,
How did this man get such learning without having studied?
Jesus answered, My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.
If any man is ready to do God's will he will have knowledge of the teaching and of where it comes from - from God or from myself,
he who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but
he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth,
there is nothing false about him.
vs.15,16,18 NIV
v. 17 BBE (BasicEnglishBible.com)
Romans 8:15-25
You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but
You received the Spirit of sonship.
And by him we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit
that
we are God's children. Now if we are children, then
we are heirs.
Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that
we may also share in his glory.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for
the sons of God to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the
creation itself will be liberated
from its bondage to decay and
brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but
we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as
we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope we were saved.
But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have,
we wait for it patiently.
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