OUr Need for much Learning (2)
Reading through the Word of God in this way does not mean that we should read without help from reference books. Without the proper references it is difficult to understand the Bible. We cannot understand the Bible through our own thought alone. Often we may find a word that we do not understand properly. Instead of relying on our own consideration in deciding on the correct denotation of the word, we should consult the proper reference books.
Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” We need to let the word of Christ, the Bible, dwell in us richly.
In order to have the proper knowledge, we must read the Bible, the publications in the Lord’s recovery, and the proper spiritual writings of others. By doing so we will be helped, built up, and equipped not only in life but also in truth. Then our presence in the group meetings will be a great benefit.
Regardless of how much we can do in the group meetings, we will often feel that we are inadequate. This indicates that we all need much learning. In the old way of meeting we came together year-round with little improvement. The meetings were repetitious and uninteresting, and they were full of oldness and staleness. In the group meetings in the new way, it should not be like this. There should be something new in each meeting. However, we should not depend on all the attendants in the group meetings to produce something new. Out of ten attendants there may be only one or two who can cause the atmosphere to be uplifted and refreshing. We must be this kind of person. For this we need not only the proper knowledge but also the experience and the excelling way to present what we have. This means that we must learn.
I do not like to see the churches always remain the same. We need to progress, and we need to advance. We need to advance in knowledge, and we need to advance in the way in which we present what we have. We should not tell people that we have taken the new way, and yet we ourselves remain the same. Concerning life, Paul says, “Walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), and concerning service, he says, “Serve in newness of spirit” (7:6). (CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “The Practice of the Group Meetings”, chp. 7, pp. 47-49)
The church in Zamboanga 