I want to emphasize our need to bring all our work into fellowship with the one leadership in the work of the Lord’s recovery. What is that leadership? Without doubt, I can say that I believe it is the fellowship of the blended co-workers within the Lord’s recovery. It is this that has replaced Brother Lee’s leadership in the work in the Lord’s recovery. I strongly believe that today the leadership in the work that was with Brother Lee has been replaced by the blended co-workers. A short time before Brother Lee left us to be fully with the Lord, he wrote “A Letter of Fellowship with Thanks” on March 22, 1997. In it he said, “The Lord has shown me that he has prepared many brothers who will serve as fellow slaves with me in a blended way. I feel that this is the Lord’s sovereign provision for the Body and the up-to-date way to fulfill His ministry.” Brother Lee said, “The Lord has shown me.” Soon afterward, as I mentioned on February 10 or 11 in the co-workers meeting, Brother Lee invited a small group of brothers to pray and fellowship with him three mornings a week until he was no longer able to participate due to his illness. In those times under his leading we prayed together, fellowshipped together, and wrote and read outlines together. I firmly believe that these times with Brother Lee were his training us to serve in a blended way. I do not believe that he was appointing anyone to any position or that these brothers were the only ones who should serve as the “blended co-workers.” But I do believe he delivered to us the principles by which the blended co-workers, if raised up by the Lord, should serve in the work of the Lord’s recovery.
Praise the Lord that today He has enlarged the circle of the blended co-workers to even include some brothers from Taiwan such as Paul Wu and Hubert Lin. I believe especially in the areas of the earth where Brother Lee directly carried out the work of the Lord’s recovery-China, Taiwan, Philippines, and the surrounding countries, North America, Central America, Europe, Australasia, and Africa-it should be carried out under the leadership of the blended co-workers. Every brother who serves in this way must be in thorough fellowship with the other blended co-workers or he will surely carry out a “work within the work” or “another work” within the Lord’s recovery. Both types of “work” are damaging to the one work of the Lord’s recovery and may become a factor of division within the Lord’s recovery.
May the Lord perfect our oneness and our fellowship within the work so that none of us will become one who serves the Lord in the one work within His recovery in a damaging or divisive manner. I believe the Lord wants such a situation on this earth among a group of blended co-workers. I hope that each of us will continually practice this blending. If the Lord gives one of us or several of us together some particular leading, let us bring that leading into fellowship with this leadership today. At least we can ask for a time of fellowship with all the blended co-workers and those who have the time and opportunity can come together to fellowship with us. If we practice this way no one will be surprised or “shocked” when they hear of some service being carried out by any of us in the work. We can even send an e-mail to the other co-workers asking for their fellowship regarding a particular matter. By this way we will always be further enlightened, adjusted, confirmed, and strengthened regarding any matter in the work. As Brother Lee has said, “The more fellowship, the better.” If our service is the Lord’s work and not our work, we will surely fellowship more and more, not only with those who “follow us” as an individual but with those who are our “peers” in the Lord’s work. However, we can never practice this fellowship as outlined above without a revelation in spirit that has become a vision to us and the touchstone for all our labor.
I thoroughly enjoyed the participation of everyone in our fellowship and co-ordination on February 10-11. One brother said to me after our time that it was much better than several years ago. However, I hope we can make more and more progress and go on further and further in building up our service in the Lord together. I also feel that all the above should be practiced even though we may communicate and serve among the saints in different languages.
May the Lord bless all our service in Him.
Benson Philip ( February 29, 2004.)
