TESTIMONIES OF SERVING ACCORDING TO THE GOD-ORDAINED NEW WAY
There are two hundred fifty trainees from overseas, one hundred eighteen of whom have requested to stay in Taiwan. They cannot bear the thought of leaving so many whom they have gained through door-knocking and who need care. In one time of fellowship with the elders, a leading brother from America testified that he had attended a few home meetings since coming here and felt that they were very good. Now he does not feel satisfied unless he goes to a home meeting every evening. For this reason, I exhort all the elders and co-workers to taste this heavenly flavor first, to take the lead to go out door-knocking, and to attend the home meetings.
Furthermore, this new way is very effective. Not only are people gained quickly, but many of them also have a strong testimony. An eighty-six year old sister who was newly saved through door-knocking is very thankful that some of the trainees brought the gospel to her. In order to show her appreciation, she has given many snacks to the training center. Some other trainees knocked on a door last week and led the father of that household to salvation. When they went back this week, the son also received the Lord, and the father baptized him. There have also been cases in which the husband is saved one week and baptizes his wife the next week. Moreover, after this last conference meeting, one of the saints from America got lost and asked a policeman for help. All the way to the stadium he preached the gospel to that policeman. After arriving there, the policeman went in with him and was baptized. He also promised to have a meeting in his home. Such testimonies are very encouraging.
There was another sister who went out door-knocking for four days without gaining anyone, but she still went out patiently on the fifth day. On this day she gained a person who was baptized through her door-knocking. In a short time she gradually brought the five members of that family to be saved and baptized. Among these five was one young person who came to see her this afternoon, expressing a desire to attend the full-time training. There is not just one testimony like this; there are many. The young people whom these trainees have brought to the Lord are also willing to be like the trainees and to do what they do. This is a very sweet matter.
EVERYONE BEING A DOOR-KNOCKER
I believe that we all love the Lord and have inwardly aspired to serve the Lord. Now there is a way set before us through which we can realize our aspiration. Perhaps we will not all be full-timers, but we all can be door-knockers. This does not demand a great deal from us. We just need to be willing to go out for the Lord to knock on doors for two or three hours every week. There are one hundred sixty-eight hours in a week, and we need to consecrate only two or three hours, so this price is not too high. Do not think that we are so busy that we do not have time to spare. Actually we usually do things however we want and do not keep track of our time. For example, we read the newspapers as we like, chat with people as we please, and can be on the phone for a long time without feeling that our conversation is too long and without getting tired. It is only when we come to serve the Lord that we calculate the time carefully. This is the stratagem of the enemy.
This is why we must change our concept and act contrary to our natural disposition to force ourselves to set aside two or three hours a week for door-knocking, despite wind or rain. We should go out door-knocking week after week without ceasing. This is not at all a matter of whether or not we have time; rather, it is a matter of whether or not we are willing. If we are willing and if we care for this matter, then we will certainly have time to do it. Everyone likes to be free. Anything that one must do week after week becomes a burden. Even cleaning the house is like this. It takes ten minutes at the most to dust a table and no more than twenty or thirty minutes to vacuum the floor, but we may feel it is a burden to dust even weekly, much less daily. If there is no regulation and we are free to do whatever we like—making phone calls, reading newspapers, and going window-shopping as we please, not having to do a single thing that we dislike, then we will not feel anything is a burden. This is the condition of our natural man, so we truly need a strong turn. If we can all exercise to turn to our spirit and do things according to the feeling in our spirit, we will discover that going out door-knocking really is an opportunity given by the Lord for us to take a deep breath to fill up the empty hole within us.
(The Furtherance of the New Way for the Lord's Recovery, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)
