top enjoyment of the week: drinking Christ as the living water!

Last week it was indeed a week of drinking! On our other blog there were several articles / posts / portions of enjoyment of the Word that had the topic of: Drawing water with rejoicing from the springs of God's salvation! Hallelujah, we just need to drink! Below are the top portions from last weeks' sharing:

• only by coming to God as the fountain of living waters can we be satisfied fully and become His expression today!
  Though the book of Jeremiah talks about God’s wrath and His discipline / chastising of the people of Israel, what He considers as the evils that His people did before Him is NOT that they didn’t obey the law, or didn’t do this or that – but simply that they left Him, the fountain of living waters, and went to other sources. In His economy, God’s intention is to be the fountain(the source) of living waters in order to dispense Himself into His chosen people for their satisfaction and their enjoyment!
• take the rod(apply the death of Christ to your situation) and speak to the rock(speak to Christ in faith)!
  Today I was reminded of the fact that most of the problems and murmurings in the church life are due to the shortage of the Spirit of life. The people of Israel were murmuring in the wilderness against God and against Moses because they were thirsty – and God did not “rebuke” them or tell them that this is wrong. God knows that we need the supply, we need to drink… We need Christ as the Spirit of life flowing into us and satisfying us all the time! Whenever we don’t drink of Him, whenever we are not supplied with life, we are not happy!
• God is not angry with His people when they are thirsty and complain about it; rather, He cherishes and nourishes them!
  Just like a mother who is not angry with her child because he’s thirsty – but rather she cherishes the child and gives him to drink, so God was not angry with the people of Israel when they were thirsty and they were crying to Him about this – but rather, He assumed the responsibility of supplying them with water.
• The processed and consummated Triune God as the flowing living water is our practical salvation
  How wonderful – today we are being saved by water: we’re saved by drinking the living water as the consummation of the processed Triune God! Just as we shared before, God’s intention in His economy is to be the fountain / the source of living waters to His people, so that they may drink of Him, be filled with Him, and overflow with Him!
• although we have been positioned to drink of the Spirit, we need to be thirsty for God to drink of Him!
  God’s way to accomplish His purpose of having an expression on the earth through us, His Body, is so simple: we just need to eat and drink Christ, be supplied with this processed and consummated Triune God, and what comes out of us will be His very expression!

Amen, may we all continue to come to the Lord today to drink of Him!

The Goal of the Gospel is that loving the Lord Jesus with the first love...

What is the goal of the gospel? Why do we believe in the Lord Jesus? This song, based on many experiences of the Lord and much truth discovered and recovered in the Bible, says that

The goal of the gospel is that
Loving the Lord Jesus
With the first love
We would pour out upon Him
Pour out upon Him
What is most precious to us.
Even our most costly and valuable
Spiritual treasures
Wasting ourselves upon Him

Even the disciples asked the Lord Jesus - Why this waste? Mary poured out her love offering upon the Lord - and to many, this was a waste. We do the same, as a goal of the gospel - we waste everything on the Lord Jesus, whom we love! We treasure the Lord so much that even our most costly and valuable treasures - both physical, psychological, and spiritual - we just waste upon the Lord. He is more precious and more worthy than our experiences, as dear and real they are. We love Him to the uttermost, and for Him we give up everything. This is the Gospel - the Saviour loving us so much that He gives Himself up for us, and the goal is that we love Him so much that we give ourselves to Him and "waste" ourselves upon Him(Matt 26:8).

I love You Lord Jesus, Nothing Compares to You - Howard Higashi Hymn

I enjoy the way the hymn writer describe why he does he love the Lord. He describes the Lord as "the most Precious One", "no other one compares to You". I was really touched by the words "most" and "compare" - "most" is actually the highest description for the things that are compared one to another(not just "more", but "most"), and to compare means to put two or more things all together and see which one is better. When the hymn writer says no other one 'compare' to You this means that he had tried lots of things before. And the conclusion is "No one compares to You" - we really need this kind of experience and growth until we realize and find out that no one actually compares to our Lord Jesus Christ! Sometimes, I myself actually still have someone/some other things on my mind that compete to the lord. While listening to this hymn, it is just like the Lord wants to reveal Himself to me so that I would love Him more -I don't love Him enough, I don't have the right and highest "taste" about Him yet. Lord Jesus, I want to love You more!

[watch this clip on youtube - Nothing compares to You, and read the lyrics + listen to it on hymnal.net]

I love You, Lord Jesus!

I love You, Lord, precious One!

No other one compares to You!

I love You, Lord Jesus!

I love You, Lord, precious One!

No other one compares to You!

Jesus, Lord Jesus,

Dear Lord, most lovely One,

Nothing compares to You!

Amen, Lord Jesus, I love You! [by bro. Howser]

Lord, keep my heart always true to You - love song to the Lord Jesus, by Bro. Howard Higashi

I don't know about your heart, but I can testify that my heart is not all the time seeking the Lord, or treasuring Him above everything else. We need to tell the Lord, based on His Word - Lord, keep my heart always true to You! We love You, Lord, but we can't keep our heart! You commanded us in Proverbs to "keep our heart with all vigilence" - Lord, we would love to, but we can't! Do keep our heart always loving You - a love shining brighter all the way for You! A love so fresh, just like the day I first touched You! O, Lord, a fresh love and consecration to You!

[watch this video on youtube, enjoy the Bible verses, and also read / enjoy the lyrics on hymnal.net.]

1. Lord, keep my heart always true to You,

Never backsliding, always viewing You,

A heart that is pure that sees only You,

A heart that loves You and treasures only You.

Your love constrains me to give my all to You.

Lord, I can't help it; my heart is drawn to You.

Oh what a privilege! I give myself to You!

I love You, Lord, dearest Lord.

I love You! I just love You!

2. Lord, keep my love burning brightly for You,

A love never dwindling always hot for You,

A love, shining brighter all the way for You,

A love, so fresh like the day I first touched You.

3. Lord, take my life, I present it to You!

If I had a thousand, I'd pour all on You!

Nothing withholding, my all is for You.

My life and my future, dear Lord, is all for You.

What can we say, Lord, but - keep our heart all the days of our life open towards You, nothing withholding... we just love You, Lord!

Just one touch of You dear Lord - love song by Howard Higashi

A real treasure in the Lord's recovery today is that He is recovering our first love towards Him. Yes, we love Him, but our love for Him wanes, declines.... and we many times are just like the church in Ephesus - we lose our first / our best love for Him. But the Lord is recovering our first and best love towards Him as we contact Him every day, as we spend time with Him, as we read and pray-read His Word, and as we get into the ministry books - the proper openers of the Bible. Brother Howard Higashi was especially instrumental in bringing us back to our deep true real love for the Lord - especially through the songs he wrote. We are truly being betrothed to Christ as we are in the ministry of this age - we just love Him more and more, so that eventually we just say: "I repent and now return.... grant my heart for You to burn / flame in me this zeal / Lord, be in me so real!" Lord, do continue to recover our first and best love for You!

To listen to this song / watch it on youtube, visit this link, and for the full lyrics and the mp3, visit the hymnal.net page.

1. Just one touch of You, dear Lord,

Just one look into Your eyes,

Just one kiss from You,

You're all I need, my Love.

Let me hear again Your voice.

You are now my final choice.

Speak in love to me.

I'll waste myself on Thee.

Nothing and no one can satisfy me

but You anymore.

Jesus, I love You, my only desire.

Oh Lord, I just love You.

2. Let me touch You as before,

Craving for You more and more,

You're the very best!

I'll drop the rest for You.

Oh, the kisses of Your mouth

Make my lips to praise and shout.

Lord, You're full of grace

Oh, what a taste my Love!

Nothing and no one can satisfy me

but You anymore.

Jesus, my first Love, oh set me on fire

For You, my only desire.

3. Just infuse me with Your eyes.

Oh! This union satisfies!

As I gaze on You.

I'm filled with You, my Love.

Only You alone will do.

I can't make it without You.

Keep me close to You,

Just joined to You as one.

Nothing and no one can satisfy me

but You anymore.

Jesus, I love You, my only desire.

Oh, set my heart on fire.

4. I repent and now return,

Grant my heart for You to burn.

Flame in me this zeal.

Lord, be in me so real!

I repent and now return,

Grant my heart for You to burn.

Flame in me this zeal.

Lord, be in me so real!

Jesus, my first Love! Oh Jesus, my best Love,

I now return to You.

Jesus, my first Love! Oh Jesus, my best Love,

I love You. I just love You!

Amen, Lord, I just love You! - you know, we actually are not just believers into the Lord, or His seekers, His disciples, His witnesses, His expression, His testimony, His Body, His reproduction - we are also His Bride, His loving Bride, the ones that, just like the seeker in the Song of Songs, are in love with the Lord, captivated by Him, following Him.... we actually are in a romance with Our Dear Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus, we love You!

There Are Times in my life when my heart is embittered... Yet You're drawing me!

Such a real song, expressing what we go through so many times - we are embittered, our flesh fails, we don't understand what is going on... but the Lord is still with us, drawing us to Him, He is our strength and our portion, and we pray that we would experience Him in all these things we're going through every day... - listen to it online on Youtube or the lyrics on hymnal.net.

1. There are times in my life

When my heart is embittered.

There are questions unanswered,

Yet, You're drawing me

To enter

Into Your blessed sanctuary

And turning my eyes heavenward,

The questions of constant inquiry

Are changed to these words,

2. "Whom do I have in heaven

But You, dear Jehovah.

My flesh and my heart

Constantly fail,

But God's still

The strength of my heart and my portion;

To Him forever I'll draw near.

I've made Jehovah my sweet refuge.

So now throughout the years

3. Turn my view to see You,

How I need to see Jesus!!

Though I don't understand

The ways that You take;

Lord, make me

A babe and suckling always praising.

Enjoying Your worth day by day.

Let each experience constitute me

So Your life I'll display

Amen, Lord, make us open to You so that even in things that embitter us we would open to You and enjoy You, even allow You to grow in us and spread into every part!

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches...

One very practical way to enjoy the Lord is to simply sing His Word! His Word contains the divine life(see John 6:63), and if we use all means to get His word into us, we are being filled with life! This song is so simple yet so sweet - John 15:5, I am the vine, You are the Branches! Listen to / read it online, and enjoy the words below:

Abide in Me, and I in you,

As the branch cannot bear fruit

Of itself unless

It abides in the vine,

So neither can you

Unless you abide in Me.

1. I am the vine,

You are the branches,

He who abides in Me and I in him.

He bears much fruit

For apart from Me you can do nothing.

2. If you abide in Me and my words abide in you

Ask whatever you will and it will be done for you.

When we abide in the Lord and let His words abide in us,

We actually are one with Him as He works within us.

Then when we ask in prayer for whatever we will

It is not only we who are praying

He too is praying, in our praying.

This kind of prayer is related to fruit bearing

and will surely be answered.

3. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and I set you.

That you should go forth and bear fruit,

And that your fruit should remain,

That whatever you ask the Father in my name,

He may give you.

Amen, Lord, we want to be those who abide in You, and who allow Your Words to abide in us!

it was For Her, the Church, His Bride - that Christ willingly died...

A song full of love to the Lord who loved us so much that He gave Himself up for us, even to gain us and make us His bride. It was for her - the church, His Bride - that He willingly died! She, the church, is the joy deep in His heart, His masterpiece, His counterpart...

D Bm

1. Don’t you want to know your God?

F#m G

What’s hidden in His heart for you?

D G

How much He longs for you to come

Bm A

And open up—

D A

To let Him in to every part

A Bm

Let Him reveal what’s on His heart

G A Bm- D

What was the joy set before Him?

Bm D

It was for her, the church—His Bride

G Bm

It was for her, willingly He died

G A

She is the joy deep in His heart

Bm D

His masterpiece—

A D

His counterpart.

2. The Lord chose you to be a part

Of His great plan, His work of art.

What wonder! What a privilege—

To satisfy—

His yearning to share all He is—

Divine, unsearchable riches!

What wisdom, multifarious expressed?

3. As we enjoy and enter in—

To all He is then we’ll begin—

To understand the feeling in

His heart toward us.

What love that motivated Him!

To come to us, despite our sin

Why did He go and sell all that He had?

Why did Christ die for us? Why did God become a man? Why did Christ do all these things for us? Why does He love us? Why does God arrange all things in our environment so that we may return to Him? It is because He wants us to be His church, His counterpart, to match Him fully!

God's Heart - before the foundation of the world YOU were marked out

A wonderful song we learned in the winter school of the truth regarding the Lord's love and selection of us - it is His mercy and His love, to choose us, select us, love us, and eventually make us the same as He is. There is nothing so high in this universe than giving ourselves for what is on His heart!

D G

1. Have you realized before the foundation of the world

D A

You were marked out?

D G

You cannot escape God’s hand,

D Em A

Even though you’ve tried a number of times.

G A

The more you try, the stronger He grasps you,

Bm E

Wherever you go, He is there!

D G D G

Oh we’ll never rest, ’till we love Him the best,

D G-A D

This lovely One—has us in His heart

2. It is also by Your mercy we’ve seen

Something so deep in Your heart

You came to earth and sold all You had

To buy this great pearl of worth.

Oh save me Lord, from chasing vanity,

From selfish dreams, from all that’s binding me—

There’s nothing so high, in this universe

As giving ourselves—for what’s on in Your heart.

3. You have purposed in time that You’ll build Your church

That nothing prevails over her.

As we flee to meet with the saints,

You’re building Christ into our hearts.

Oh this is not an outward activity!

A meaningful life, one day all men will see—

Oh Lord stir our hearts, to never depart,

To give all we are—for Christ and the church.

Enjoy the song, and.... :) let us love the Lord more! We are on His heart, He loves us, and now - He is in our heart and we love Him + give ourselves to Him and the church!

Lord, You are My Only Goal, I only care for You!

Amen, this is indeed my prayer - Lord, You are my only goal! I don't care for anything or anyone else but You! I never would replace You, Lord, and I would never want to do this - I have everything, Lord, since I have You! The Lord is our treasure, He is the most Precious One, He is the Only One we desire.... Christ is actually the desire of all the nations. People think they want something else like fame, power, money, happiness, etc. - but even when they taste a little of these OTHER things, they are still not satisfied. When we have the Lord, we are happy - we are satisfied! This song expresses this so sweetly... - read the complete lyrics on hymnal.net or watch it on youtube (you can also order the full CD from the NYCYPCD - Splendid Church Life).

1. Lord, You are my only goal!

You're my only hope!

I only care for You!

I never could replace You,

And I would never want to.

I have everything, Lord—

I have You!

2. Lord, I only live for You—

Not anything else!

In everything You're my source;

No more good intentions,

No more right or wrong.

I don't want a "good" life—

I want You!

I say Amen, Lord - I just love You, and You are my only goal! Even when sometimes I don't have You in "full view", I don't pay full attention to You, I still say - Amen, Lord, re-direct my view towards You!

The Goal of the Gospel is that loving the Lord Jesus with the first love...

Wonderful loving song to the Lord - so sweet:

The Goal of the gospel is that

Loving the Lord Jesus with our first love,

We would pour out upon Him

What is most precious to us.

Even our most costly and valuable

spiritual treasures

Wasting ourselves upon Him.

Lord, draw us to love You more. Appreciate You more. Even pour out upon You what is most precious to us. We love You, Lord!

PS. You can purchase these songs - from the www.nycypcd.com website.

This Wonderful Faith and this super-excellent love are of the Triune God...

Wonderful footnote from Paul's Epistle to Titus 3:15 ( Footnote 1 - 4th Paragraph )

This wonderful faith and this super-excellent love are out of the Triune God, who earnestly desires to be joined to us to be our everything. This Triune God passed through the process of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection from the dead, and ascension to the heavens on high and was ultimately consummated as the life-giving Spirit ( 1 Cor. 15:45 ). This Spirit of life ( Rom. 8:2 ), who includes divinity, humanity, and Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension and is the reality of the all-inclusive Christ ( John 14:16-20 ), dwells in our regenerated spirit ( Rom. 8:16, 2 Tim. 4:22 ).

Hallelujah, we have such a faith, and such a wonderful love, since we have the Triune God in us!

A day in the life of training

As young people, and as believers, we need to be trained. The Full-Time Training is one of the best places where we can receive the spiritual training both in life and in service and character and the gospel. Enjoy this presentation :)