1.
Psalm 110:3 says, “Your people will offer themselves willingly / In the day of Your warfare, / In the splendor of their consecration. / Your young men will be to You / Like the dew from the womb of the dawn.” This was the verse that touched me most when I joined the high school conference for the entire Taiwan and it was at this conference that I first consecrated myself to join the full- time training. Later however, the desire to join the training seemed to drift farther and farther from my heart. After graduating from university, as I was looking for my direction in life, I consecrated again to the Lord my desire to join the training.
By the Lord’s marvelous arrangement, within the shortest time I entered the military service. During that period, whenever someone asked me what I was planning to do after being discharged, I would always tell him: “I am going to join the full-time training!” I thought nothing could keep me from joining the training.
Yet one month after concluding my military service, I was put to the test. At that time I felt obligated to bear some financial responsibility together with my family, and in fact, I had just gotten a good job opportunity. I seemed to hear Satan telling me, “Go get the job. Don’t go to the training.” As I hesitated, the Lord spoke to me through Romans chapter 8: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! Thank the Lord for He loves me and placed me in a family that loves the Lord. After I had fellowship again with the members my family again, they encouraged me to seize the opportunity to join the full-time training and assured me that the Lord would take responsibility for my entire life.
In the full-time training, a group of companions who love the Lord are running the heavenly race with me, making me more absolute in my consecration to the Lord. Brothers and sisters, we are those who have been called and chosen by the Lord. May the Lord constrain us with His love once more so that we may answer His call and take this robust way!
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2.
Not long after I was saved, I attended a meeting for calling people to the full-time training. That meeting gave me a deep impression in seeing that the way a Christian takes is not the broad way, but the narrow way. Brother Watchman Nee, upon being saved, determined absolutely to serve the Lord all his life. He did not withhold anything from the Lord. To the world, he seemed to have ruined his future, but to us, there is unspeakable glory. Such a pattern touched me profoundly. In the church I saw many patterns of those who love the Lord with a pure heart, and because of this, I moved into the sisters’ house, where the training gradually led me to a definite decision. To serve the Lord was going to be my lifelong pursuit. These processes deepened my desire to join the full-time training, where I could gain more knowledge and experience of Christ, the most excellent One.
However, in my fourth year at college, I was under much pressure writing my thesis, and without enough enjoyment of the Lord, my desire to join the training gradually wavered. At the same time, I was afraid that my spiritual condition could not fulfill the requirements of the training. In the end, I developed a phobia toward the full-time training. This continued until I was in a conference meeting when I read Gen. 17:1. There the Lord said, “I am the All-sufficient God; walk before Me, and be perfect.” I brought this verse into prayer and was enlightened by the Lord. Actually, I had not seen that His supply was all-sufficient. The Lord used this verse to strengthen me: The training is not what I could attain. The important thing is for me to enjoy the Lord and remain under His supplying. Thank the Lord for His bountiful supply to enable me to join the full-time training!
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3.
I graduated from Shih Chien University. I received the Lord after finishing high school and was the first person in my family to be saved.
During my first year in college, I attended a meeting for calling to the full-time training and duly consecrated myself to join the training after my graduation. After that, I moved into the sisters’ house, where the mode of living further strengthened my resolve to be in the training. However, in my fourth year, certain matters caused my spiritual condition to hit a low point, and my desire to join the training wavered. I began looking for a job, and planned to head to work after graduation.
One day as I was singing hymn #344, the words brightened up within me. I realized then that many times I had not acted according to the Lord’s will. I was living the church life by my own means, I chose to forego the training by my own means, and I even sought employment by my own means. I only cared about my spiritual weakness, but I did not care for the Lord’s need on the whole earth. After repenting and confessing my sin before the Lord, He comforted me inwardly, saying: “Since this is according to My will, I will take full responsibility for you.”
Later, I made a phone call to my family members, who were still unbelievers. I told them about my plan to join the full-time training, but they were opposed to it. Nevertheless, a marvelous thing happened after a week when unexpectedly, the Lord arranged for saints in our neighborhood to come and speak to my family about the training. The help from the saints made my family understand better what the training meant, so that they affirmed the training and were willing to let me join.
Thank the Lord for opening the way for me! When we are willing to give ourselves, to care for God’s interests, and to do according to His will, He takes all the responsibilities on our behalf. Thank the Lord for His rich mercy in letting me partake of this glorious full-time training!
