The Divine Stream, by Witness Lee

THE STREAM OF FELLOWSHIP

From this picture of the stream in the Scriptures, we may realize that it is also a stream of fellowship. Consider the situation of the New Jerusalem. In the whole city there is only one street, and in the midst of that street is the stream of living water. By contemplating this scene we realize that this stream is the stream of fellowship. It flows throughout the entire city, and the whole city can only have fellowship through or by this stream of living water. This reveals that the fellowship of the Body of Christ is the stream of divine life. Wherever the stream of the divine life flows, there is the fellowship of the Body of Christ. What is the fellowship of the Church? It is the flowing of the divine life. As the stream of the divine life flows within us, there is the fellowship of the Body among us. This fellowship started from the day of Pentecost, and from Jerusalem it flowed to Antioch, to Asia, to Europe, and then to America and throughout the world. The fellowship of the Body which we are enjoying is such a tremendous thing. We are in this stream of the fellowship of the Body, and this flowing is ever increasing and being enriched. The more it flows, the greater and the richer it becomes.

THE STREAM OF TESTIMONY

Where this stream flows, there is also the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know that this is so? Consider again the situation of the New Jerusalem and suppose that you are one who is coming into the city from the outside. When you enter the gate, you immediately come upon the one street of the city in which is flowing the stream of living water. If you follow the stream, it will bring you to the place where the Lord Jesus is. This means that the stream will bring you into contact with the Lord. In other words, this stream of living water will cause you to know something of Christ; it will testify to you something of Christ. Where could you find Christ? Where could you meet Christ? Here is the channel; here is the way; here is the means by which you can touch Christ, by which you can experience Christ. The testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, is with the very stream of divine life. Where the stream of the divine life flows, there is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we must ask, What does it testify? The answer is most significant. It testifies that there is a Lamb, that within the Lamb is God Himself, and that this Lamb is on the throne. This is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the redeeming One; He is the Lamb of God Who was slain for our sins. He was crucified on the cross, shedding His blood for our redemption. After accomplishing redemption, He was resurrected and exalted to the heavens, to the throne. In the Lamb on the throne is God Himself. These three items are the summary of the testimony of the Lord Jesus—the Lamb on the throne with God in Him. The stream of the divine life brings this testimony to us. It is the testimony of the Lord Jesus.

(The Divine Stream, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)