The normal Christian life

I have just started reading a book by Watchman Nee called The Character of God's Workman. It is one of those books, the reading of which convinced me that indeed, one can read a book only at a proper time in one's life. I remembered that I tried reading one of his books in my 20s and could never get into it. But now, as I read this book of his, everything is so clear, everything is so real and everything is so of God. In the book, Watchman Nee exhorts us to develop qualities that would indicate that one is a workman of God. I thank God that I am already blessed even as I have just read the first chapter. There is so much to absorb and so much to think about, which I would put down in future posts. Tonight, I went to find out who Watchman Nee was and realised through this website what a spiritual giant he was in China.

His background: Nee Shu-tsu, whose English name was Henry Nee, was born of second-generation Christian parents in Foochow, China in 1903. His paternal grandfather studied at the American Congregational College in Foochow and became the first Chinese pastor among the Congregationalists in northern Fukien province. Nee Shu-tsu was consecrated to the Lord before his birth. Desiring a son, his mother had prayed to the Lord, saying, “If I have a boy, I will present him to You.” The Lord answered her prayer with the birth of a son. His father later impressed this point upon him, saying, “Before you were born, your mother promised to present you to the Lord.”

His ministry: Watchman Nee’s rich ministry was the issue of both revelation and suffering. He carried out this ministry by preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, traveling, contacting people, corresponding with people, holding conferences, conducting trainings, and producing publications. Watchman Nee not only spoke frequently both privately and publicly, but he was also a prolific writer. His publications included gospel tracts, periodicals, papers, newsletters, books, hymnals, and a chart of biblical prophecies. His writings are contained in a set of sixty-two volumes, entitled The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, which span from his first publication in 1922 to his final recorded speaking in 1950.

His legacy: During Watchman Nee’s imprisonment he was confined, but his ministry was not bound (2 Tim. 2:9). Under the Lord’s sovereignty, his ministry has spread throughout the entire world as a rich supply of life to all seeking Christians.

His ultimate burden was the spread and the building up of the church as the house of God, God’s tabernacle. Although his own earthly tabernacle (physical body) has been taken down, the building of God obtained through his ministry remains and still is growing and spreading throughout the earth. By the time Watchman Nee was arrested in 1952, approximately four hundred local churches had been raised up in China. In addition, over thirty local churches had been raised up in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Today there are over twenty-three hundred local churches worldwide because of the rich and faithful ministry of Watchman Nee.

To Watchman Nee, his life was a normal Christian life.