Home of Grace for Christ Workers (English)

Story Of Olive Zhang — Told by Dr. John Sung

Preface

The Miraculous Effect of Praying Together in Unity

The story of Olive Zhang tells us how important it is for God’s children to pray together earnestly in unity! The effect is amazing! Just as the first Pentecost, a group of people about one hundred and twenty joined together for a time constantly in prayer in Mark Tower, which brought amazing effect.  Just as the Scriptures says:  “In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest?” (Isaiah 29:17)  “Till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.” (Isaiah 32:15)  With this story, may the Holy Spirit stir up God’s children to pray persistently in one heart! Only by faith, praying according to God’s promise, not looking at the environment, not by sight, you will see the work of the Holy Spirit and the miraculous effect in His time. (It is suggested that Christians join together to read a passage or a chapter of the Scripture to know God’s will, then pray together.)

How potent it is by joining together and grasping God’s words in prayer

There was a man named Olive Zhang, who lived on the mountain of Olives. He had four friends, who always prayed with him on the mountain of Olives. Their names are: Extracting Oil, Planted before God, Oil Circulation and Seven Lights Glowing. His four friends were with him from morning to night. There was a desert down the mountain where one could seldom see a soul. Five of them plowed, planted olive trees, read the Bible and prayed on the mountain. They transformed all the secular chores into spiritual services. Everyday they lived the kind of life that transcended the world. One of the peaks of the mountain of Olives was called Instructing Peak. Olive Zhang and his friends always had fellowship up there. Together they studied one chapter of the Bible, which was read aloud by Extracting Oil. Then Planted before God prayed, Oil Circulation said Amen, Seven Lights Glowing chanted, and Olive Zhang recorded every details of their fellowship. This mysterious group always gathered at the Instructing Peak and prayed. Their spiritual fruits could not be understood by others.

One morning, Extracting Oil recited Psalm 23, Planted before God prayed according to Psalm 23, and Oil Circulation said Amen all along and Seven Lights Glowing chanted joyfully. Olive Zhang recorded everything. No one knew what had happened to those seven churches down the mountain on that very day.

There were seven churches around the mountain and they all experienced miracles on that day. The Church in Ephesus suddenly regained their first love and saw God’s miraculous love on them. They truly understood that the Lord was their Shepherd and they should not be in want. The Church in Smyrna had been under severe afflictions, but all of a sudden she entered His rest. Truly they understood these words: “He makes me lie down in green pasture, he leads me beside quiet waters.” The Church in Pergamum had a sudden revival and forsook the false teaching of Balaam. They consecrated themselves and truly experienced the meaning of: “He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness.” The Church in Thyatira came to great awakening and disassociated with Jezebel: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” The Church in Sadis woke up suddenly and were comforted by the Lord’s rod and staff. The Church in Philadelphia on the verge of destruction was anointed by the Spirit. Truly they ate the feast before their enemies and were anointed with oil. The Church in Laodicea experienced a sudden revival. They entered God’s grace, enjoyed the heaven feast and never wanted to leave: They would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. As soon as Olive Zhang was informed of the revival in the seven churches down the mountain, he and his four friends focused more on the work instructed by God and lived a godly life.

12 Qualities

— Extract from an open letter from brother Song to Pastor Schubert

Servants of Today Desired by God

Since I moved to the mountain, I have had more time to focus on praying. And so I have entered a deeper fellowship with God in the Spirit. Once when I was praying, God clearly told me that the time for the revival of the churches in China has arrived. During those 113 days of praying, God has truly led me to advance in the Spirit step by step. Surely, I have seen, heard and gained in the Spirit what I have never had before. For years, I have regarded the work of preaching as the crucial service to God. But now, I regard praying as the most important part in serving God. I also recognize that the spiritual range of praying is immeasurable. In this letter, I would like to share with you what I have understood from praying in the Spirit regarding 12 qualities God’s servants should have in the end time.

(1) Be completely dead to the world: A servant of God needs to completely die to the world, the flesh and himself, so that “I” no longer live, but the Lord lives. To live is Christ, as Paul said, and “I” die is a gain.

(2) Receive revelation from the Lord: A servant of God is not only a preacher but also a prophet who prophesies. Moreover, Christ is not only revealed in him, but also formed in him, and living in him.

(3) Comprehend the whole Bible: A servant of God does not use human wisdom to read the Bible or study it by theological knowledge. He “eats” the Scriptures so that he fully absorbs God’s word, which sanctifies and transforms him inside out.

(4) Hear the gentle whisper in prayer: A servant of God is to understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is to receive revelations from God. He is able to demolish the power of darkness, and has an intimate fellowship with God in the Spirit, face to face. He is to dwell with the Lord in the Most Holy place and to partake of His intercession. He must receive the divine power from God to demolish every trick of Satan.

(5) Be saturated with the Holy Spirit: A servant’s feet are to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that he will run the path of obedience. His knees are to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that he can pray unceasingly and rejoice in God. His waist is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that he dares to witness to the truth boldly. His hands are to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that the signs of God fully accompanies him. His mouth is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that his testimony is powerful and cuts to the heart of people. His eyes are to be saturated with the Holy Spirit that he can make righteous judgments about all things. His ears are to be saturated with the Holy Spirit that he can hear the gentle whisper of God. His face is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit that his face looks like the face of an angel. His head is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that he is without prejudice. His heart is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit so that he has the same mind of the Lord. His whole body is to be saturated with the Holy Spirit, just as Peter, whose shadow could heal people.

(6) A burning love for the souls: The heart of a servant burns with anxiety whenever he sees an unsaved soul. He has such an extreme love for the souls that he imitates the Lord by laying down his life for the flock. He is willing to lose the whole world in order to win the souls back for the Lord. Paul regarded preaching the gospel as paying back a debt. He said: “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Paul even used his own hands to make tents for his co-workers, so that they could pay back the debt of the gospel.

(7) Exalt the gospel of the cross: Many people despise the preaching of the gospel because they think it is not a crucial but an initial step. Therefore, they turn to philosophy, the basic principles, human tradition and laws to build up the tower of Babel. However, the gospel of the cross is the power of God. It is only by exalting the cross, that we can draw all the peoples to turn to the Lord.

(8) Have a group fellowship in the Spirit: God’s power cannot be manifested without the prayer in the Upper Room, the believers joining together in prayers. The Lord commanded the disciples to wait for the promised gift with one heart in Jerusalem before He ascended to heaven. Because of the praying in the Upper Room, the disciples received the outpour of the living water, and the streams of living water flew from within them. Although no one preached the truth about the Church, during that time, it was still established. Though no one urged people to go to far away places to preach, there was Antioch. No one preached about sending missionaries to the wilderness, but Philip went to the desert and fought the good fight. Even though no one sought to speak tongues, they all spoke tongues of nations. Though no one mentioned about the life of fellowship, they truly loved one another. Though there was no one preaching about miracles and signs, all of these accompanied the disciples. No one preached about the community welfare fund, yet they still helped the needy. Whatever they gained in the Spirit was through constant, united prayer in the Upper Room.

(9) Carry the cross willingly: A servant is to take the path of loneliness willingly. He is to arm himself with the attitude of suffering and not to be ashamed of the gospel. He is to become like the Lord in His death. So that his death may bring Life to many people. He, then, is to go to the Lord outside the camp willingly. He is to seek not fame or wealth, but to take shelter in the Lord. He breaks his jar of clay so that the name of the Lord will be honored. The more an olive is pressured, the more oil it gives. In this way, the more a servant is pressured to pray for the church, the more the church shines.

(10) Be discerning of and demolish the devil’s tricks: A servant is to have the Spirit of distinguishing so that he can recognize the devil who masquerades as an angel, false prophets and the false Christ. He is to stand in the watch tower and stand in the breach of the church of the Lord. Whatever he binds on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever he looses on earth will be loosed in heaven. He is the pillar of the church. He stands firm on the truth without swaying from it and defends for the truth bravely in such an era which ignores the truth.

(11) Work with the Body of Christ to spread the gospel with one heart in love: A servant is to stand firm with other servants of God in one Spirit. He does not build up the tower of Babel for himself nor does he quarrel or form division. Rather, he is careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. So long as the Lord’s gospel is preached, he is content. He contends with others as one man for the faith of the gospel, regardless of his life.

(12) Pray, watch and wait for the Lord’s coming patiently: A servant of God does not turn his eyes to the darkness and loneliness in his life; rather, he has faith, hope and joy in various trials. Because of his faith, hope and joy, he sings to the Lord songs in the night and is faithfully to the point of death.

Everyday I pray to God for the churches in China and other countries: I ask God to train as many as possible of these kind of servants—approved by God and not ashamed. The kind of servant God has helped me to understand through prayer for the past one hundred or so days. When a missionary retreats to a solitary place, he will also see what I have seen and understand what God wants him to understand.

An oral account of John in the Lord’s bosom [Oct. 224, 1941]

(Extract from an open letter from brother Song to Pastor Schubert.)

Follow the Footsteps of the Lord — Extract from an open letter from brother Song to Pastor Schubert

(Extract from the writings of brother Song)

The Lord gave me a long-term rest and allowed me to go through many trials and suffering. During that period of time I could not help but be downcast. But as I look back now, it was all the grace of God. Thanks be to God. He put me in a cold hospital, a solitary place, where I led a lifeless and lonely life, so that I would draw nearer to God. Because of His great love He put me in a situation where I would gain many precious insights I would not have been able to gain otherwise. Though the sufferings of my trials is beyond the description of words, my advancement in the spirit during this period of time is also beyond the description of words. Therefore, brothers and sisters be prepared for suffering and follow the example of our Lord. He came to this world and left the footsteps of suffering, so that all who desire His revelation will follow in His steps willingly and happily.

(1) Footsteps of poverty: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests. Though the angles reported the good news for Him, there was no room for Him in the inn. He was born in a manger when He came to this world. O Lord, we are willing to imitate you, to have no place to lay our heads. We only pray that you find rest in our hearts.

(2) Footsteps of fleeing: Soon after our Lord was born into this world, he fled to Egypt on a cold night and stayed there as an alien to escape from the murderous schemes of the devil. O God, guide us with your revelation to follow you in the footsteps of fleeing.

(3) Footsteps of hiding: Look, how your Lord of Creation hides Himself. He, the Son of God came to this world as a lowly carpenter of Nazarene, a labor of heavy work with little wages. He worked with cold knives, saws and wood every day. With the little wages He earned by sweat, He helped support His mother and the other children in the family. O God, grant me patience to follow the Lord in the footsteps of hiding.

(4) Footsteps of waiting: He Himself waited patiently until it was God’s time. He waited until John the Baptist had prepared a way for Him and was put in prison. And He waited until He passed the test of holiness in the desert, then He came out to preach the good news. O God, help us and grant us endurance to follow the Lord in His footsteps of waiting.

(5) Footsteps of solitude: We usually want to work in big cities or places of strategic importance. But the Lord who loves us preached the gospel of God’s kingdom in the simplest parables to the ordinary villagers by the Sea of Galilee for many years. As a result, the people living in the land of darkness and the shadow of death saw a great light. It was in the desolate desert, that He performed the miracle of multiplying the bread. He preached the wonderful message of living water beside Jacob’s well. O God, help us to follow the Lord in His humble footsteps of solitude.

(6) Footsteps of unknown: Praise the Lord! He did not preach in the big temple or advertise for Himself. Rather, it was outside the small house of Peter that He healed many broken-hearted and expelled demons from many people. He preached to the thirsty who were in that little house and He healed a paralyzed man. He commended a Canaanite woman on her faith at a secluded place of Syria. Outside the village of Bethsaida, He healed a blind man. He also healed an invalid, who had been sick for thirty-eight years, and He left immediately, so as not to receive the praise of men. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of unknown.

(7) Footsteps of the mountain: We are afraid of going up to a mountain in the darkness. But our Lord usually prayed on a mountain in the night. He spent the night praying on a mountain before He designated twelve apostles. He withdrew Himself to a mountain to pray until the fourth watch of the night to avoid the multitude who intended to forcefully make Him king. To give a special Bible study for His three disciples, He took them to a mountain and revealed to them the wonder of the cross and the glory of His second coming. There are many more experiences on the mountain which are beyond my descriptions, for example, the sermon on a mountain, the instructions on a mountain, and etc.,. O God, help us to follow you step by step in the footsteps of the mountain.

(8) Footsteps of risking one’s life to save people: Right after a serious storm, He went to the tombs to save a demon possessed man. Although already tired, He walked on water in the middle of the night to save His twelve disciples, who were afraid because their boat was being tossed about in the middle of a storm. At another time, amidst a large hectic crowd, He managed to get to the house of Jairus and raise his daughter from the dead. O God, help us to follow the footsteps of risking one’s life to save people.

(9) Footsteps of being misunderstood: He was misunderstood by people in many places he visited. Why did He go to Matthew’s house and eat with tax collectors and sinners? Why did He stay at the house of the rich man Zacchaeus? Why did He eat at the house of a Pharisee? Why did He allow a prostitute to wash His feet with her tears? Why did He wait two days to go to Bethany to raise His beloved from the dead? Why did He allow Mary to break her alabaster jar to anoint Him? Why did He preach to a prostitute by Himself beside a well? Why? O God, help us to be holy and to follow you in the footsteps of being misunderstood.

(10) Footsteps of being detested: Once when He preached in a synagogue, He was almost thrown down the cliff. In many places when he preached, people greeted Him not with applause but with stones. He was indeed a man pushed away by men. He did not come to please men. O God, help us to follow our Lord in the footsteps of being detested.

(11) Footsteps of drinking the cup of suffering: We usually prefer sweet taste, but God only gave Him the cup of suffering, more bitter than anything. He willingly accepted the cup of suffering in Gethsemane. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of drinking the cup of suffering.

(12) Footsteps of being deserted: His own brothers thought that He went mad and did not believe Him. The most beloved disciple betrayed Him. Even His best disciple denied Him. On the night He was betrayed, all of His disciples, whom He had trained for years, deserted Him. Only God was there and strengthened Him. O God, help us to follow the Lord in the footsteps of being deserted.

(13) Footsteps of fulfilling the Lord’s will: Whenever He suffered, He always cited the promises in the Bible to comfort Himself. Whatever God’s will was, He obeyed willingly. As a result, He was sold by Judas and was captured in the garden. Though it was bitter, His heart was content for the Scriptures, God’s will, was fulfilled. O God, help us to follow you in the footsteps of fulfilling the Lord’s will.

(14) Footsteps of being wronged: He was taken before the Sanhedrin to be judged. Many people used false evidences to accuse Him, He made no reply. Though Pilate announced that the Lord was innocent, He was led like a lamb to slaughter and remained silent. O God, help us to follow the Lord to remain silent in the footsteps of being wronged.

(15) Footsteps of Golgotha: That path is very difficult, almost unbearable, for anyone to take. He took it step by step until He got up to the mountain, and there He took our sins upon Himself on the cross.

Thanks be to God because He left so many footsteps for us to follow that I could hardly finish writing them down. In all, His footsteps are the footsteps of the cross, the footsteps of suffering and the footsteps of accepting God’s will. If we follow the Lord in these footsteps on our spiritual journey, we will see the power of resurrection and the glory of His rapture. Dear brothers and sisters, if we do not set up our minds to follow the Lord in these footsteps, as Christians, we will stumble during the end time. Thanks be to God, for He will lead us to follow Him in all the footsteps that He has been through, so that we will be able to boast of victory in Him and spread out the fragrance of Christ.