Watchman Nee Quotes
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"People shall never enter the kingdom of God through our encouragement, persuasion, argument, inducement, excitement, or attraction; entrance can be gained only by new birth, by nothing less than the resurrection of the spirit."
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"It is imperative that man receive God's life. The way of salvation cannot be in human reform, for "death" is irreparable. Sin must be judged before there can be rescue out of death. Exactly this is what has been provided by the salvation of the Lord Jesus."
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"'nothing is ever wasted on the Lord."
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"Love flows from the denial of the self life."
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"The nature of God's love is unchangeable."
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"Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves."
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"God does not delight in our cowardice and withdrawal."
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"Actually, only God can satisfy a Christian's heart; man cannot."
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"You and I must be perfectly willing to part with anything at any moment. It matters not whether I leave two thousand dollars or merely two. What matters is whether I can leave what ever I have without a twinge of regret."
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"He does not want our heart to be attached anywhere because He wants us to serve Him freely."
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"Unless self love is abandoned the believer shall forever shrink back when called actually to take up the cross for Christ."
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"Spiritual advancement is measured by faithful obedience."
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"I want nothing for myself; I want everything for the Lord."
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"Never adopt an attitude of indifference, for if you do you will suffer for it."
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"Separation to God, separation from the world, is the first principle of Christian living."
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"One gains by losing self for others and not by hoarding for oneself."
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"By accepting His death as our death we enter into this union with the Lord."
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"the character of the world is morally different from the Spirit-imparted life we have received from God."
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"We may love to say many things, but if these are not uttered in the Holy Spirit it is better to say nothing."
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"The flesh makes self the center and elevates self-will above God's will."
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"Christians should never initiate anything presumptuously on the basis of need, profit, or merit."
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"Fellowship means among other things that we are ready to receive of Christ from others. Other believers minister Christ to me, and I am ready to receive."
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"The greatest negative in the universe is the Cross, for with it God wiped out everything that was not of Himself: the greatest positive in the universe is the resurrection, for through it God brought into being all."
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“How true it is that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit intellect not only is undependable but also extremely dangerous, because it often confuses the issue of right and wrong.”
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“Genuine spiritual knowledge lies not in wonderful and mysterious thoughts but in actual spiritual experience through union of the believer's life with truth.”
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Frequently many children of God turn within themselves, that is, they look into their soul to determine whether they have peace, grace or spiritual progress. This is most harmful and is not of faith. It diverts them from gazing upon Christ to looking at themselves.
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Human nerves are rather sensitive and are easily stirred by outside stimuli. Words, manners, environments and feelings greatly affect us. Our mind engages in so many thoughts, plans and imaginations that it is a world of confusion... The Lord Jesus implores us: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29). If we are favorably inclined to yield to the Lord, to take up His yoke, and to follow Him, our soul shall not be aroused inordinately.
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"Soulish Christians generally bend to certain directions. Most of them lean either towards emotion or towards reason."
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The God Who can change a sinner into a Christian by giving him His life can
equally transform the fleshly Christian into a spiritual one by giving him
His life more abundantly.
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"We must have a spirit of power towards the enemy, a spirit of love towards men, and a spirit of self-control towards ourselves."
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"Let us recognize this one thing: burden is the secret of prayer. If a person does not feel within him burden to pray for a particular matter he can hardly succeed in prayer. In a prayer meeting some brothers and sisters may mention a great many subjects for prayer. But if you are not touched inwardly, you cannot pray."
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"But when the cross is working deeply a believer comes to know himself. He realizes how undependable are his ideas, feelings and desires."
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"Revelation is the first step to holiness, and consecration is the second. A day must come in our lives, as definite as the day of our conversion, when we give up all right to ourselves and submit to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ."
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"For years, maybe, you have tried fruitlessly to exercise control over yourself, and perhaps this is still your experience; but when once you see the truth you will recognize that you are indeed powerless to do anything, but that in setting you aside altogether God has done it all. Such discovery brings human striving and self-effort to an end."
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"It is imperative that believers recognize a spirit exists within them, something extra to thought, knowledge and imagination of the mind, something beyond affection, sensation and pleasure of the emotion, something additional to desire, decision and action of the will."
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In order for the inner man to be strengthened with power through the Holy
Spirit, the children of God must discharge their responsibility. They need
to yield specifically to the Lord, forsake every doubtful aspect in their
life, be willing to obey fully God's will, and believe through prayer that
He will flood their spirit with His power.
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"That strong self-assertive will of mine must go to the Cross, and I must give myself over wholly to the Lord. We cannot expect a tailor to make us a coat if we do not give him any cloth, nor a builder to build us a house if we let him have no building material; and in just the same way we cannot expect the Lord to live out His life in us if we do not give Him our lives in which to live. Without reservations, without controversy, we must give ourselves to Him to do as He pleases with us. “Present yourselves unto God” (Romans 6:13)."
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Showing posts with label Watchman Nee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watchman Nee. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Friday, October 28, 2011
Watchman Nee was probably the major vessel used by the Lord to plant Christianity in China.
In his early years he was of great consternation to Margaret (M.E.) Barber, who was concerned he was seeking after far too much head knowledge than experience of the Lord.
According to Nee, Barber was probably the one Christian who gave him the most help.
After some time, and as he matured, Nee's experience caught up with his head knowledge, as he began to be persecuted by institutional Christianity because of his stand on the church.
Most importantly, Nee started to experience more and more the shared sufferings of Christ, and in the area of brokenness he had a lot to say, as these couple of videos confirm.
He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison for his faith in Jesus Christ.
In his early years he was of great consternation to Margaret (M.E.) Barber, who was concerned he was seeking after far too much head knowledge than experience of the Lord.
According to Nee, Barber was probably the one Christian who gave him the most help.
After some time, and as he matured, Nee's experience caught up with his head knowledge, as he began to be persecuted by institutional Christianity because of his stand on the church.
Most importantly, Nee started to experience more and more the shared sufferings of Christ, and in the area of brokenness he had a lot to say, as these couple of videos confirm.
He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison for his faith in Jesus Christ.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Most believers don't know that Oswald Chambers, who wrote the most popular devotional of all time named "My Utmost for His Highest," was highly influenced by the writings of Jeanne Guyon and Fenelon.
In the June 16 entry in the devotional, he comments on a couple of things that are very insightful and needful for the times we live in.
Commenting on laying down our lives, he correctly identifies the difference between that "heroic" dying that everyone remembers, and the day-to-day laying down of our lives in the quiet obscurity, which most of our lives are.
What Oswald Chambers says is it's far easier to die in that heroic way than to walk the daily path of life in this way before the Lord and toward our brethren.
Chambers adds, "We are not made for brilliant moments, but we have to walk in the light of them in ordinary ways." He refers to Jesus not having these types of moments, other than possibly the transfiguration, which was only witnessed by three men.
I might add when he came in riding on the donkey and was hailed as the King, may have been another moment, but even there strong opposition happened as He humbly rode in the midst of the people. It wasn't exactly the things made of kings which the world would have wanted.
When John said "we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren," he wasn't speaking of that very public and heroic way that disciples like Peter envisioned, but rather, again, the daily laying down of our lives for one another.
This reminds me of the very godly sister named Margaret Barber, who had a profound effect on Watchman Nee, and by extension, an untold number of Chinese believers of that day, and many more long past her and Watchman Nees deaths.
Barber was stationed at one town in China, and opposition from Christians arose, and she refused to harm Christ and His testimony in any way, so she moved to a tiny little village, where she worked unto the Lord in obscurity, although many of those used by the Lord would travel there to get her input and insights.
There she battled for Watchmen Nee and others having an impact on China for Christ by pushing them to knowing Christ experienctially, rather than primarily as an intellectual knowing and understanding.
She didn't attempt to gain attention, and other than maybe a dozen pages of writing about her, there is almost nothing known of her life on earth for the Lord, yet she had an extraordinary spiritual impact - the only one that really counts.
You can only have that by laying you life down for others and not looking for the attention so many others crave when they're working and living unto Christ.
Remarkably, very few believers are willing to walk this quiet way before the Lord, simply living unto Him and pouring themselves out daily for their brethren.
We need far more of this among believers today, and hopefully those that may discover this little encouragement will find it within themselves to lay down their lives for one another on a daily basis and in a way that desires no attention or need for being acknowledged.
Being known is overrated, and it's far better to live before the Lord in a quiet, peaceful and unpretentious way, than to attempt to be noticed.
Very few people can successfully live in the public eye while maintaining their walk in Christ. And even if they find themselves able to keep away from falling, there is, for the most part, an almost impossible challenge of maintaining a close walk with the Lord, laying down of their lives, and not thinking of themselves as more important than they really are.
Paul was exasperated by this when he wrote letters to the churches, reminding them that men are nothing and Christ is everything. Those with reputations didn't impress Paul, and neither should it impress us - nor should we seek for it.
Far too many believers think of the "ministry" as some type of extra thing they go out and do outside the body of Christ, while in practice it was meant to be a daily sharing of the life of Christ together, where people simply talked about Christ and what He was doing in their lives.
That was really what was ministry, which today has become the disastrous idea of professionalism and being special, rather than being a part of daily laying down of our lives unto the Lord and for one another.
In the June 16 entry in the devotional, he comments on a couple of things that are very insightful and needful for the times we live in.
Commenting on laying down our lives, he correctly identifies the difference between that "heroic" dying that everyone remembers, and the day-to-day laying down of our lives in the quiet obscurity, which most of our lives are.
What Oswald Chambers says is it's far easier to die in that heroic way than to walk the daily path of life in this way before the Lord and toward our brethren.
Chambers adds, "We are not made for brilliant moments, but we have to walk in the light of them in ordinary ways." He refers to Jesus not having these types of moments, other than possibly the transfiguration, which was only witnessed by three men.
I might add when he came in riding on the donkey and was hailed as the King, may have been another moment, but even there strong opposition happened as He humbly rode in the midst of the people. It wasn't exactly the things made of kings which the world would have wanted.
When John said "we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren," he wasn't speaking of that very public and heroic way that disciples like Peter envisioned, but rather, again, the daily laying down of our lives for one another.
This reminds me of the very godly sister named Margaret Barber, who had a profound effect on Watchman Nee, and by extension, an untold number of Chinese believers of that day, and many more long past her and Watchman Nees deaths.
Barber was stationed at one town in China, and opposition from Christians arose, and she refused to harm Christ and His testimony in any way, so she moved to a tiny little village, where she worked unto the Lord in obscurity, although many of those used by the Lord would travel there to get her input and insights.
There she battled for Watchmen Nee and others having an impact on China for Christ by pushing them to knowing Christ experienctially, rather than primarily as an intellectual knowing and understanding.
She didn't attempt to gain attention, and other than maybe a dozen pages of writing about her, there is almost nothing known of her life on earth for the Lord, yet she had an extraordinary spiritual impact - the only one that really counts.
You can only have that by laying you life down for others and not looking for the attention so many others crave when they're working and living unto Christ.
Remarkably, very few believers are willing to walk this quiet way before the Lord, simply living unto Him and pouring themselves out daily for their brethren.
We need far more of this among believers today, and hopefully those that may discover this little encouragement will find it within themselves to lay down their lives for one another on a daily basis and in a way that desires no attention or need for being acknowledged.
Being known is overrated, and it's far better to live before the Lord in a quiet, peaceful and unpretentious way, than to attempt to be noticed.
Very few people can successfully live in the public eye while maintaining their walk in Christ. And even if they find themselves able to keep away from falling, there is, for the most part, an almost impossible challenge of maintaining a close walk with the Lord, laying down of their lives, and not thinking of themselves as more important than they really are.
Paul was exasperated by this when he wrote letters to the churches, reminding them that men are nothing and Christ is everything. Those with reputations didn't impress Paul, and neither should it impress us - nor should we seek for it.
Far too many believers think of the "ministry" as some type of extra thing they go out and do outside the body of Christ, while in practice it was meant to be a daily sharing of the life of Christ together, where people simply talked about Christ and what He was doing in their lives.
That was really what was ministry, which today has become the disastrous idea of professionalism and being special, rather than being a part of daily laying down of our lives unto the Lord and for one another.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Many people today will struggle to comprehend what it was Margaret Barber saw decades ago when she wrote a letter to D.M. Panton concerning Watchman Nee.
For a little background, Watchman Nee was only recently saved when he came into contact with Margaret Barber, a wonderful servant of the Lord based in China. Very little is known about Margaret Barber, yet she was one of the choice believers on the earth at the time.
Watchman Nee said of her that she taught him more of the Lord than any other person on earth, and Watchman Nee had traveled around the earth and met many great ones of that time.
Margaret Barber wouldn't have cared about any of that, but I only mention it to underscore the situation this letter was written in.
Watchman Nee came to visit Barber a number times, taking advantage of a shelf of books she had. He would even attempt to trick her into giving them to her, and if she thought he wasn't ready for them, he would figure out where to get them elsewhere, even if Margaret Barber didn't approve.
What Barber saw was that Watchman Nee was going to be a major influence in China for Christ, but he was in extreme danger. The danger wasn't in reference to suffering in Christ or the future imprisonment of Nee, rather, the danger was that Nee was focusing on a mental apprehension of the Lord rather than experiencing Him.
Here's a portion of what Barber wrote to Panton:
"Please do not let Faithful Luke & Watchman Nee worry you with letters. It is so good & kind of you to have written once to them. They are likely to be tiresome. They write to Mr. Wright Hay or any Editor whose address they can get & do not understand how precious time is to a busy Editor. For many reasons I think you should not be feeling obliged even to answer their letters. These two young men are in great danger. They have a mental apprehension of God’s Truth which unless lived out will be their peril."
What's amazing about this letter to me is the fact that someone saw the danger at all. Today most believers in contact with someone like Nee would think they were spiritual giants or potential giants because they mentally acquired a knowledge of the scriptures and "truths" concerning Christ.
Barber understood the extraordinary danger Nee was in by pursuing that path, and she graciously pointed that out to Panton.
Again, a reason I think Barber took the extraordinary step of writing this way to Panton was because she saw what the Lord wanted to do with Nee, and if Nee traveled the wrong path, those that followed him would take the same path. She was fighting to see this not happen.
In our day and age of cheap Christianity and self-focused lifestyles, it's amazing to recall this great (in God's eyes) woman of God who saw the extreme dangers that can come about for a zealous believer apprehending truth without practical and experiential living out the life of the Lord.
For a little background, Watchman Nee was only recently saved when he came into contact with Margaret Barber, a wonderful servant of the Lord based in China. Very little is known about Margaret Barber, yet she was one of the choice believers on the earth at the time.
Watchman Nee said of her that she taught him more of the Lord than any other person on earth, and Watchman Nee had traveled around the earth and met many great ones of that time.
Margaret Barber wouldn't have cared about any of that, but I only mention it to underscore the situation this letter was written in.
Watchman Nee came to visit Barber a number times, taking advantage of a shelf of books she had. He would even attempt to trick her into giving them to her, and if she thought he wasn't ready for them, he would figure out where to get them elsewhere, even if Margaret Barber didn't approve.
What Barber saw was that Watchman Nee was going to be a major influence in China for Christ, but he was in extreme danger. The danger wasn't in reference to suffering in Christ or the future imprisonment of Nee, rather, the danger was that Nee was focusing on a mental apprehension of the Lord rather than experiencing Him.
Here's a portion of what Barber wrote to Panton:
"Please do not let Faithful Luke & Watchman Nee worry you with letters. It is so good & kind of you to have written once to them. They are likely to be tiresome. They write to Mr. Wright Hay or any Editor whose address they can get & do not understand how precious time is to a busy Editor. For many reasons I think you should not be feeling obliged even to answer their letters. These two young men are in great danger. They have a mental apprehension of God’s Truth which unless lived out will be their peril."
What's amazing about this letter to me is the fact that someone saw the danger at all. Today most believers in contact with someone like Nee would think they were spiritual giants or potential giants because they mentally acquired a knowledge of the scriptures and "truths" concerning Christ.
Barber understood the extraordinary danger Nee was in by pursuing that path, and she graciously pointed that out to Panton.
Again, a reason I think Barber took the extraordinary step of writing this way to Panton was because she saw what the Lord wanted to do with Nee, and if Nee traveled the wrong path, those that followed him would take the same path. She was fighting to see this not happen.
In our day and age of cheap Christianity and self-focused lifestyles, it's amazing to recall this great (in God's eyes) woman of God who saw the extreme dangers that can come about for a zealous believer apprehending truth without practical and experiential living out the life of the Lord.
Monday, August 6, 2007
This is a talk given a while ago by Watchman Nee. I think it is one of the most timely or really "eternal" thoughts concerning the Lord in which we need to hear continually until it truly becomes worked within us.
Gary
"Waste" by Watchman Nee
(Mark 14:3-9 NAS)
"And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted? "For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.
But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. "For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me. "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. "And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.""
The Lord has ordained that the story of Mary anointing Him with the costly ointment should always accompany the preaching of the gospel. We know the story well. Judging by the story in connection with her brother's resurrection, we know that the family was not an especially wealthy one.
The sisters had to work in the house themselves, and one of them, Mary, had an alabaster box with three hundred pence worth of ointment in it, and with a stroke she broke it and poured the whole of that costly nard upon the head of the Lord. According to human reasoning it was altogether too much, even for the Lord. That is why Judas took the lead with the other disciples in thinking that Mary was wasting something (John 12:4-5).
Now we come to the word which the Lord wants to emphasize at this time, the word waste. What is waste? Waste simply means giving too much. If a shilling will do and you give a pound, it is waste. If two ounces will do and you give a kilogram, it is a waste. A waste means that you give something too much for something too little. A waste means that the one who is receiving the something is not worth so much. Yet we are dealing here with something the Lord said was to go out with the gospel, wherever the gospel should be preached.
With the preaching of the gospel the Lord is out to have a result that corresponds with Mary's action here: that is, for people to come out and "waste" themselves on Him. That is what He is after.
Now we must look at the question from two angles, that of Judas, and that of the other disciple. They all thought it to be a waste. To Judas, who had never called our Lord the Lord, everything that was poured upon Him was waste. Even water would have been waste. To the world, the service of the Lord, and our giving of ourselves to Him is pure waste.
"Such and such a man would have made good in the world if he were not a Christian," is a sentiment that is frequently expressed. For anyone with natural talents to be a Christian, to serve the Lord, is deemed to be pure waste.
So thought Judas, "We could manage better with the money; we could give it to charity; we could do some social service, we could help people in a more practical way. Why pour it down at the feet of Jesus? As to yourself, can you not find a better employment of your life?"
That is what Judas was thinking, and that is what the world is thinking. It is too much to give yourself to the Lord! But no! When once our eyes have been opened to the worth of the Lord, nothing is too good for Him.
But it is upon the reaction of the other disciples that I want most to dwell; for they affect us more than does Judas. We do not mind very much what the world is saying, but we do mind what those other disciples are saying who ought to have understood, yet did not. We mark that they said the same thing as Judas; and not only so, but they were moved to indignation, saying, "To what purpose is this waste...?"
Now here is the whole question of waste, and of what the Lord is after. Today, even amongst Christians, there can be found much of that spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord, and yet to get as much as possible from Him. The prevailing thought today is of being used, as though that were the one thing that mattered.
That my little rubber band should be stretched to the very limit seems all important. But this is not the Lord's mind. The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough. It is not a question of whether the poor have been helped or not, but of whether the Lord has been satisfied.
The question is not one of working for Him, my friends, but of service to Him, of ministering to the Lord. That is what He is after; that I should give Him my all, even though people should say, 'You are doing nothing!' My service to the Lord is to please Him.
There is many a meeting we might take, many a convention at which we might speak, many a campaign in which we might share, but this is not the first consideration. That my usefulness should be brought to the full is not what the Lord is after, but His concern is rather with my position at His feet and my anointing of His head. What I have as an alabaster box, the most precious thing, my whole life. I give it all up to the Lord. It seems as if it is a waste, but that is what He is after.
May I tell you something?
One thing some of us have come to learn is that in the divine service the principle of "waste" is the principle of power, whereas the principle of "usefulness" is the very principle of scattering. The real usefulness in the hand of the Lord is "waste." The more you think you could do, the more you employ your gifts to the very limit--and perhaps beyond the limit--that you will find to be the principle of the world, and not the principle of the Lord.
I knew a sister in the Lord, now in His presence, who was very greatly used of Him. But my first concern about her was that she did not seem to be being used. Every time I said to myself. Why did she not get out and take some meetings, get somewhere, do something?
It was a waste to live in a small village without anything happening. Sometimes when I went to see her, I almost shouted at her: "No one knows the Lord as you do. You know the Book in a most living way. Do you not see the need all around you? Why don't you do something? It is a waste of time, a waste of energy, a waste of money, a waste of everything, just sitting here and doing nothing!" But she was the one who helped me most of all., The highest thing is not just to be moving about. I do not mean to say that we are going to do nothing, but the first thing is the Lord Himself, not the work. That is what He is after.
So the Lord said, "Why trouble ye her? She has wrought a good work as to Me. The poor you will always have, but you cannot always have Me." The whole point is, What am I going to do to the Lord today? Did those other women who came with their spices to the tomb succeed in anointing the Lord's body? No! He was risen.
Only one succeeded, Mary, who anointed Him beforehand. It seems as if man will say I am wasting my time--but Lord, nothing is too good for Thee! He is worthy to be served. He is worthy for me just to be His prisoner. He is worthy for me just to live for Him. Let others say what they will. Have our eyes been opened to see that working for the poor, working for the benefit of the world, working for the eternal welfare of the sinner, as things in themselves, are not to be compared with the work we do to the Lord, with our being just for Him.
What is your estimate of the Lord?
Then the Lord said, "She hath done what she could." It means that Mary had given her all. That was all she could do, no more; and she did it. The Lord will not be satisfied with anything less. The whole point is a life really laid down at the feet of the Lord, and that in view of His death, His burial; that is, in view of a future day.
Then it was His burial, now it is His crowning day that is in view. He will be acclaimed by all in that day, but how precious, far more precious to Him it is that we should anoint Him now; not with any material oil, but with that which is deepest and, maybe, hard for us to break. The Lord get anointing from us today!
Further, the Lord said, "Wherever the gospel shall be preached, this story shall be told." Why? Because the gospel is meant to produce this. The gospel is not primarily for the satisfaction of sinners. The gospel is preached that everything may be to the satisfaction of the Son of God. Not to sinners first of all, though, praise God, sinners will be satisfied. But supremely it is Christ who must find satisfaction through its preaching.
Once more let me repeat. The whole question for us is simply this: It seems that I am giving too much for too little. That is waste. Others appear to far better advantage than I, though they have given up none of the things that I have. As for me, I seem to meet with all the difficulties.
Continual trial and suffering is what comes my way. Now, am I not wasting my time? If I consecrate myself enough for the blessing, but not enough for the trouble; if I consecrate myself enough for the Lord to use me, but not enough for the Lord to shut me up, it will be all right! Are we not found thinking thus at times? But the principle of waste is that which satisfies the heart of the Lord Jesus. You can get something for yourself out of your consecration, but often real satisfaction can only come to the heart of your Lord when you seem to be "wasting" yourself on the Lord, giving too much and getting nothing back for yourself.
O friends, what are we after? Are we after mere usefulness, as those disciples were? They wanted to make every penny of that three hundred pence go to its full length. They wanted to be used themselves. If only we can please Him, surely that should be enough.
Now the breaking of the alabaster box and the anointing of the Lord filled the house with the odor, with the sweetest odor. Everyone could smell it. Whenever you meet someone who has really suffered; been limited, gone through things for the Lord, willing to be imprisoned by the Lord, just being satisfied with Him and nothing else, immediately you scent the fragrance.
There is a savor of the Lord. Something has been crushed, something has been broken, and there is a resulting odor of sweetness. The odor which filled the house that day still fills the Church; Mary's fragrance never passes away.
Friends, we cannot produce impressions of God upon others, impart the sense of the presence of God, without the breaking of everything, even the most precious things, at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord would have us here, not first of all to preach or to do work for Him, but to create hunger in others. No true work will begin in any life apart from a sense of need. We cannot inject that into others, we cannot drive people to be hungry for God. Such hunger can be created only by those whose lives convey vital impressions of Him.
Oh, to be wasted! It is a blessed thing to be wasted for the Lord. So many of us who have been prominent in the Christian world know nothing of this. Many of us have been used to the full--have been used, I would say, too much--but we do know what it means to be wasted on God.
We like to be always "on the go": the Lord would sometimes prefer to have us in prison. We think in terms of apostolic journeys: God dares to put His greatest ambassadors in chains. "But thanks be unto God, which always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
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