Not letting this opportunity pass by without knowing the Lord a little more. As revealed in Isaiah, our Lord Jehovah delights in our knowing Him, seeing Him, and hearing Him. Although He hides Himself, we should be those who seek after Him, beholding His comforting face. O Lord, You are my refuge, my covering, the massive rock overshadowing me, and the living stream in which I drink anew. How my heart clings to You desperately, for You are the only tested stone, tried and true.

Listening to Hymn 156.

I have a Friend, whose faithful love
Is more than all the world to me:
'Tis higher than the heights above,
And deeper than the soundless sea;
So old, so new,
So strong, so true;
Before the earth received its frame,
He loved me—Blessed be His name!

We were encouraged to pray read over the outline points from the past training, taking in such subsistence would be quite beneficial.

This was the subject for the past Memorial Day conference. We've watched the first three messages, here are a few highlights from each.

Message 1:
We should know God's central thought, God's central work, and live in the divine romance. God's central thought is His eternal purpose, which is to gain a corporate expression of Christ on earth. God's central work requires our cooperation, for Him to work in us (NOT for us to try and work something out for Him). In order to give the Lord cooperation, we should pray, Lord Jesus make home in my heart, I open my whole entire being to You. Our living is the expression of what we are, we cannot express something we are not. Let's gain Christ! As the Bridegroom, the Lord desires a Bride that matches His love. He will not marry a Bride who puts Him second. First love to the Lord.

Message 2:
Enjoy the Lord by eating, touching, and absorbing Him. To be full of emotion is a sign of life. Just as the Father receiving the prodigal son was full of affection, our God is One full of feeling and we must also be those touched with what is on His heart. He desires men to be saved, our feeling must be the same. We are ugly when we are not in our spirit.

Message 3:
Grace is Christ Himself. Grace is the greatest truth in the Bible. Grace means God is, we are not. We must have this total living of grace, not just when we are in a low situation or problems arise. We also need to know the Body, this knowing is intrinsic and subjective, not merely doctrinal knowledge. Our knowing of the Body depends on our seeing of the vision of the Body. The reality of the Body of Christ is not outward, it is not simply the gathering of saints or reading the same material. Christ is the reality. We have the law of the Spirit of life within us governing and restricting us for the building up of the Body. Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Lord, we consecrate today for the fulfillment of Your eternal purpose. We confess, without You, we are nothing.

The Lord is preparing His ways for His return. Our prayer should be with this in view, the turning of the age, the establishing of the Lord's kingdom on earth, the return of Jesus Our Lord and King. Ups and downs seem insignificant to the economy of God. He has a plan, a plan that has not changed since eternity past, and is carrying it out in us today.

Nearer each day to me, dearer each day to me. Longing for the Lord to be nearer and dearer. Was I not just singing to the Lord this morning? Yet, I feel I have drifted off. To the spirit turn! Never too late to turn back.

Lately I've been appreciating God's Word as a real comfort. Sometimes we don't realize how much we lack until we come to the Word. May we have a real hunger for the Word! Lord, open up our appetite. The Word is near, the Word is in our mouth.

A lot of things are out of our hands so to speak, but we should be men of prayer. Praying, watching, and petitioning to meet God's desires.

I was humming this tune, trying to figure out what the words were. Finally after some searching I found it!

My goal is God Himself

1. My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
   Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
   'Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
   At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.


2. So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
   And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;
   Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
   Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.


3. No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
   No matter though the cost be oft-times great,
   He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,
   The way that leads to Him must needs be strait.


4. One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
   One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;
   My God my glory here, from day to day,
   And in the glory there my great Reward.

We should be those who seek the Lord Himself, not with any intention other than to see and touch Him. Christ is life. He is the gift of life we receive today. In the coming age, He will be life as our reward. In the eternal age, He will be our life supply. May we deepen the sweet flow of life within and hold fast to His Word without. Pressing onand pursuing towards our Lord. Glory to Him!

That's Why I Love Him

What about my sinful past?
And my conscience has no rest.
Deep within I feel the pain.
I'm condemned from all my guilty stains.

O my life of misery,
In this world of vanity,
As I searched for happiness,
My reward I received just emptiness.

God was far away from me,
Great and highest One is He.
Yet You took on humanity.
You came for me,
Hung on a tree,
Bled there to die for me.

That's why I love Him.
That's why I treasure Him.
That's why I give my life and all to Him.
That's why I love Him.
That's why I treasure Him.
That's why I give my life and all to Him.

Romans 12:1
I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

It is not too much to give all we have to the Lord. Soften our hearts that we may see You.