Take Heed
Sep 2009 · Christian Fellowship Publishers
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266
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About this ebook
“The spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of demons” (1 Tim. 4.1). In the light of this solemn word from Paul, therefore, a good minister of Christ Jesus ought, as the apostle had charged Timothy, to “put the brethren in mind of these things, . . . for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee” (vv.6,16). At the time of the two lengthy Workers Training Sessions that were held in 1948 and 1949 at Kuling Mountain (near Foochow, China), brother Watchman Nee felt the need not only of equipping young workers to better serve the Lord but also of helping them in their spiritual life and knowledge. On the one hand, he gave talks on many weighty subjects such as Spiritual Authority, the Ministry of God’s Word, etc. But on the other hand, he in addition touched on some quite elementary and yet fundamental matters such as are found in the Basic Lesson Series he gave that are instructions for new believers; and he gave many other basic presentations. For brother Nee realized that Christians can only build the weighty things upon the elementary things. If the foundation is rock-like, the building will stand; if, though, the foundation is sandy, the superstructure will collapse. How tempted we Christians are to hotly pursue after the weighty yet woefully neglect the fundamental. New believers need instruction not only in what are the truths; they likewise need it in what are not. The latter instruction is to keep us from falling, even as the former is to keep us growing and maturing. This present volume deals exclusively with the elementary though nonetheless quite fundamental issues of the Christian life. Part One of the book, entitled “Warning and Encouragement,” includes messages on the following variety of subjects: A change in Valuation, A Change of Behavior, How to Distribute Tracts, Forgive One Another, Our Attitude Towards Our Earthly Country, Waiting for the Coming of the Lord, Martyrdom, Idol Worship, and The Judaizers. All nine of these subjects were presented as messages by the author at the aforementioned Workers Training Session that was held in 1949. Notes were taken down in Chinese by a brother in the Lord, and are now being translated and published in English for the first time. To round out Part One further, two other messages, originally appearing as published articles, and entitled (1) Walk in the Will of God and (2) How to Know the Will of God, have been added. These two articles, too, are being translated and published in English for the first time. All matters need to be understood and to become settled issues in the early years of our Christian life. Otherwise we will not be able to make much progress spiritually. They are given here with the sole purpose of helping new believers to walk in truth and love, without any intention on the part of the author to be negative in his presentation of them. May they serve as both warning and encouragement. Finally, to complete the teaching of the present volume, twenty-seven short articles written in Chinese by Watchman Nee during 1925 and 1926 have been brought together to form Part Two, “Admonition and Discipline.” They, like the contents of Part One, are being translated and published in English for the very first time as well. Though set down and published long ago in China, their value has nevertheless increased rather than decreased with the passage of time. Indeed, these articles can be invaluable to new believers at all times, they being the very admonition and discipline of the Lord. Such practical exhortations as are found in these short writings by the author are crucial to Christian growth. May the blessed Lord use them to guide His children in their heavenly pilgrimage on earth.
About the author
Watchman Nee was born in 1903 in Swatow, China as an answer to his mother's prayer. Having already borne two daughters, she prayed that if God should give her a son, she would give him back to God. As the boy grew up, he showed every sign of promise except he had no interest in things spiritual. It was not till he was seventeen years of age that he was met by the Lord. He knew at that time that he must accept Christ Jesus as his Savior, yet he struggled over the necessity of surrendering his life to the Lord. The love of Christ finally overwhelmed him and he capitulated to Christ. This was on April 29, 1920. He had such a love for the Word of God that he studied it almost incessantly, so within a very short period he had read the whole Bible several times. He began to witness for Christ to his school mates and soon earned the nickname of "the preacher". In searching the Scripture, he (with a few other believers) discovered 'the simplicity and purity that is towards Christ.' He determined to follow the Word of God explicitly and nothing but the Word. In 1927 he began his life work in Shanghai, where he was able to practice the vision which the Lord had shown him in the Word. He understood that the eternal purpose of God is Christ and His Church. Through the mighty working of the Holy Spirit and the faithful ministry of this servant of God, this testimony spread over the vast land of China. In 1949 the Communists took over China. Knowing what would be waiting for him back home, he nonetheless felt strongly his responsibility toward God and His Church. So he returned to China from Hong Kong in 1950. In April of 1952 he was seized and put in prison. He was later falsely accused as a master spy and was sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment. In prison he was not allowed to do anything but what was assigned him by prison authority. At the expiration of his sentence term, he was not released, and the news arrived quickly that he died faithful to the Lord.
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