I was born into a Christian family, and I received Christ at the early age of eight or nine. Although it was many years ago, I can still remember the day that I first opened my heart to the Lord Jesus. How wonderfully He cleansed me of my sins and filled me with joy and peace within! As good as my initial experience of salvation was, the next twenty years of my Christian life were very difficult for me. I attended a Christian college and eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Physics. Although I tried to live a good Christian life, I was deeply troubled by my failures and was dissatisfied. Finally, I reached what I would call a dead end in my Christian experience, and I truly did not know how to go on.
At that juncture the Lord had mercy on me. He brought me into contact with some believers in a local church in California. What impressed me about these people was their simplicity and genuineness, their experiential knowledge of Christ, and their understanding of the Bible. I had never met a group of Christians who loved the Lord so deeply and were so absolute in giving Christ the preeminence in their lives. I began to read books by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and through the ministry of these two men the Bible gradually became an open book to me. For the first time I gained a clear understanding of such important matters as God’s eternal purpose, Christ’s redemption, God’s full salvation, and the building up of the church. I saw that God created me with a human spirit and that the very Christ whom I had received twenty years before had come to dwell in my spirit (2 Timothy 4:22). Through the fellowship in the church I learned how to contact this living Christ in my spirit and how to enjoy Him and live according to Him and not according to a set of religious teachings or practices. This was a great help to my Christian life.
I have met with the local churches and have been under the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee for more than a quarter of a century now. I met my wife in the church, and we have been happily married for more than twenty-three years. Without the fellowship of the believers in the local churches and the help of the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, I would not be able to live the satisfying Christian life and family life that I now live. Surely the Lord has had mercy on me! May all the glory, honor, and praise be to Him forever and ever!
Bob Danker