• Bro. Zhanxiang Liu •
Wholly Faithful Servant in God’s House
How Deep and Far the Impact of His Service,
Cannot Forget Even to This Day
Forty years ago, brother Zhanxiang Liu got ill, then brother Gongyi Xu went to Hualien to pick him up to live near Hall Fourteen, Taipei that he may receive medical treatment in Taipei Veterans General Hospital. In those years, hall 14 was a wooden bungalow, few saints attending meetings, yet the brothers and sisters love one another with one accord, often kneeling down to pray and fast. brother Liu and my family had a special mutual affection toward each other. Although he has left us over thirty years ago, we can never forget his service of us, which has been exerting a far-reaching influence upon us. At that time, my eldest daughter Songyin only three or four years old. Every meeting our family sat together, Songyin was always very obedient to sit beside her grandmother, imitating an adult to help her grandmother open the hymn book, pointing to the word in the hymn book with her small finger. In fact, Songyin can’t read yet. When brother Liu saw this, He was always delighted to say, “How sweet picture this is that three generations sing and praise together.” Brother Liu loved Songyin dearly, sometimes we would bring the child to his home to visit him. Brother Liu once reminded me of the crucial importance to teach kids to learn writing from their childhood. Therefore, when Songyin began her study in primary school, I encourage her to practice to write diary. I often bring Songyin’s diary and exercise books to brother Liu to review, he was always very pleased and constantly praised: “very good.” The guidance and support of spiritual elders made me wiser to know how to teach children.
Later my second daughter, Yile was born, brother Liu reminded me that each child’s aptitude and intelligence are not the same. It needs to teach them in accordance of their aptitude. His word influenced me deeply. Definitely, Yile is different from her elder sister. I often had to adjust the pace to observe carefully the need of Yile. I myself cannot meet her need. Hence, I took her to music class, art and craft class, writing class, dance class… to learn. At the beginning, I objected her to attend the dance class. Yet she entreated her father to persuade me. And my consent proved that God had answered her prayer. As her mother, I was moved by my 10-year-old daughter who has a heart to rely solely on God. Until now, dance is still Yile’s one of the favorite sports.
Brother Liu also exercised a deep impact on my spirituality. He knew my father has the gift received from the Lord on the Lord’s word and gospel preaching. Once I stood up to share at the meeting. Brother Liu praised me very much and said that I am very much like my father. He encouraged me to have more fellowship and more sharing in the future. I was moved very much in my heart and bore his word in mind.
Learn Anew, Relearn in Doing Anything
I could still recall forty years ago that brother Liu had just moved to Shipai, Taipei from Hualien, the first time when he stood up to fellowship at hall 14, he said that from now on, he would learn anew and re-learn in everything. As soon as brother Lin heard his word, he was so moved that tears ran his cheeks. Such a brother, faithfully serving the Lord for many years, and getting sick, had to learn anew and relearn in doing anything. He prostrated himself more before the Lord. Once we had a personal fellowship with brother Liu, knowing he had been always interceding for more than two hundred saints. From this we can see that how deep and how wide is his heart of loving the saints. Brother Liu himself suffered a stroke, his wife was also in poor health, and his youngest son was very smart yet always falling ill. Hence, brother Liu often lived in difficult situation. Many years of service and suffering made him go through a good many spiritual warfare and experience. Thanks to brother Liu’s regarding of brother Lin, he was often invited to brother Liu’s home for individual fellowship. Brother Lin was always listening attentively as a companion that brother Liu had a companion in the Lord to fellowship. Brother Lin also received from him many spiritual teaching. During those years, although brother Liu had left Hualien, he missed the saints in Hualien very much, and they had the correspondence with one another. All these letters, dictated by brother Liu, written by brother Lin, and then were signed by brother Liu with his left hand, and then they were sent off. These letters were full of the word deeply concerned with the saints and they were really moving. Forty years have passed in haste, but these events are still fresh in our memory.
Service Being Always to the Best of His Abilities
When speaking of the spiritual warfare, brother Liu said that once there was an evil spirit attacking him one night and troubling him, yet by the might of the Lord he managed to withstand, reproach and beat back the evil spirit. One brother testified that one year saints from Taipei visited Hualien and the churches near Hualien. Brother Liu first went to the airport to pick up the saints, arranged them to stay in a hotel, so busy that he had not gone home to rest until mid-night. Yet when the saints woke up the next morning, brother Liu has been busy preparing the breakfast for them. Therefore, we all were surprised to ask one another whether brother Liu had returned home for a rest last night. From this we can see that brother Liu’s service of the saints was always to the best of his abilities. In those years, at every Lord’s table meeting on Lord’s day, his last prayers always brought brothers and sisters before the heavenly Father. Sometimes he also spoke some word of the Lord especially concerning the Lord’s death and the Lord’s love, which often touched the depth of our spirit and moved us to tears. Therefore, we have been always treasuring to take notes. Brother Liu’s mobility was very inconvenient, his fear of the Lord, his love of the Lord, and his love of brothers and sisters forever etched in our heart, his figure. Songyin often said every time he saw uncle Liu as if she has seen Jesus.
Hall Fourteen in the Church of Taipei
Sister Hemei Lin-Liu
December 22, 2015