«　WEEK 3　DAY 4　»

　　John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

　　1 Cor. 15:36 Foolish man, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.

　　2 Cor. 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

　　God wants us to go through death first after which He will give others life. We first must pass through the sufferings and the pain before others can have the life. To learn God’s truth, one must stand at the bottom of the river first. The reason the church cannot gain the victory by crossing over to the good land is that there is a shortage of priests who will stand in the bottom of the Jordan. Those who stand in the bottom of the Jordan will create a seeking heart in others. If a truth is deeply constituted in us, it will attract others to pursue the truth…. When we allow a truth to be constituted in us, we are allowing the Body of Christ to grow one more inch. The overcomers are those who receive life from above to supply the Body. (CWWN, vol. 11, p. 766)

　　Second Corinthians 4 shows us clearly that where there is reality, there is the supply…. [Verse 10] shows us that when the death of Jesus is manifested, His life is also manifested. In other words, the life of Jesus is seen in us because the death of Jesus is seen in us. When a group of people knows the death of Jesus, life is made manifest in them. Paul then said, “So then death operates in us, but life in you” (v. 12). In verse 10, he spoke of the manifestation of life. In verse 12 he spoke of the supply of life. When the manifestation is in us, it is life. When the manifestation is in others, it is supply. But the source is the same—the death of Jesus. Therefore, hollow preachings are vain. Preachings that do not touch any reality do not render any supply to the Body of Christ. When the death of Jesus operates in us, the life of Jesus operates in others. This is not a matter of preaching or work, but a matter of the supply of life. Of course, preaching has its use. But if there is no reality behind one’s preaching, there will not be the supply of life. When we have the “death of Jesus” (v. 10) in us, the Body of Christ receives the supply. Where there is reality, there is supply. If we do not know what the “death of Jesus” means and if we have not borne the cross in silence, we do not have the supply. Brothers and sisters, we have to remember that as far as spiritual reality is concerned, no work should be “performed” by us. When we pass through something in a real way, the Body of Christ spontaneously receives the supply. On our side, we should know the “death of Jesus,” and on the side of the Body of Christ, there will be the supply spontaneously.

　　Therefore, there is no need for us to tell others that we are forgiving others. There is no need for us to blow the trumpet and tell others that we are loving them. We do not need to draw attention to our bearing of the cross. If we touch reality, spontaneously, others will receive the supply. It does not matter whether or not we know that others are supplied, and it does not matter whether or not we feel it.

　　If we know what the “death of Jesus” means before the Lord, “the life of Jesus” will operate in the church spontaneously. If it is life, there will be the supply spontaneously. Supply gives life to others; it is not an exhibition of our own work. Supply edifies others, rather than broadcasts our own experience. The most important thing for us to do is have the supply through possessing the reality. Every time we pass through the death of Jesus, there will always be some brothers and sisters who receive the supply of life. There will be no need for us to wait to write an autobiography before others will receive the supply. As soon as we receive life from the Lord, the church will have the supply of life. (CWWN, vol. 36, “The Holy Spirit and Reality,” pp. 243-244)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 36, “The Holy Spirit and Reality,” pp. 243-248