Page 20 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God
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The Universal Government of God                            19


                The Disciplinary Judgment in the Government of God
                        Beginning from the House of God

            The disciplinary judgment in the government of God begins from the
        house of God. We should not view this just abstractly. In practicality, it begins
        with the house of God, your local church. You should not have the thought,
        “We are exempt. We don’t need any of this.” Only God knows the real situation
        and He has a way to deal with it. After many years of fellowship under the
        wise direction of Brother Lee, and after he went to be with the Lord, the Lord
        led us about 12 years ago to address a certain situation, and none of us did
        this lightly. My point is that starting with that event, I have observed the Lord
        dealing with many situations in churches in His sovereign government where
        there were serious problems, especially among the leaders. I am just in awe.
        I realize that the God in grace and in mercy, is long-suffering and forbearing.
        But He is the righteous God with a government, and when He decides to
        act, nothing will stop Him. This is what we pray for. We would not dare to
        presume to take some kind of action. Who are we? We are nothing. We are
        nobody. He is God, He has a government, and He will exercise this.

            God judges everything that does not match His government. Maybe
        some of us will have the leading from the anointing to be with the Lord
        even this weekend and ask Him, “Lord, am I doing anything contrary to Your
        government? If so, please let me know. Please deal with it now. Not only for
        my sake, but for the sake of the church.” Brothers, we must have no trust and
        confidence in ourselves. Be humble ourselves and say, “Lord, search me. Is
        there anything that does not match the government in the way I’m taking, the
        way I speak, or the way we are leading the church? Lord, it is clear that it has
        to be judged sooner or later. Lord, act now before it is too late for me.” In this
        age we, the children of God, are under the daily judgment of God.

            God uses fiery ordeals to deal with the believers in the judgment of His
        governmental administration, which begins from His own house. The purpose
        of this judgment is that we would live according to God in spirit. This is His
        goal, that we would live according to God. I am thinking of 1 Peter 5 where
        Peter is speaking to the elders because he himself was one, and he emphasized
        shepherding. I treasure this phrase he used: “shepherd…according to God.”
        In caring for saints, I have been made quite aware of how saints have suffered
        when leading ones “shepherded” them according to themselves — their self,
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