We love the Lord! I was encouraged by my sister to attend the full-time training, and the Lord shepherded my heart to come to the training. Christ in His second appearing will be as a morning star for His overcomers, who are watching for His return. The Lord spoke to me by this word regarding the training, many years later, even though I forgot that He called me. Praise Him, He never forgets! So I fellowshipped with the brothers, in tears, that I want to be useful to Him in His hands for Him to have a way to come back! On that day I made a firm decision to give two years to the Lord.
I thought two years was too much, but now, being in my third term, I realize that it is not too much. The days are evil, we need to redeem the time and buy the oil. Being in the full-time training is the best opportunity to redeem the time and buy the oil! Before I made this decision, I had a great job and I had almost everything I needed, but I was not satisfied.
Paul’s experience and testimony were also my experience; I count everything to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my lord, that I may gain Christ. In the training, the Lord really perfects us in life, function, and service. For us to be useful to Him, we need to be trained. Every day we develop good habits such as reading the Bible, praying, getting into the word of God, and knowing His heart. Everything is open to us today, we just need to get in.
What greater thing is there than to know His heart? Nothing compares to Him! His heart’s desire to train us and gain us as His bride, for He wants to come back. Rev. 21:2 says, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband! My prayer is, Lord, prepare us, prepare our heart, refresh our consecration for Your coming back, and make us part of Your bride.
Testimony from a sister in her third term in the FTTL – the Full Time Training in London
I grew up in a Christian home, and everyone around me was a believer. Therefore, I heard about the Lord from a young age, and I knew that God loves me and wants to give Himself to me and for me to give myself to Him. In my last year of doing my bachelor’s degree, the Lord placed me in a particular locality in Switzerland, where my love for Him was rekindled. Through a brother there who spoke to me about the training, the Lord called me. His calling was like that in 1 Kings 19, where Jehovah passed by the prophet Elijah and there was something like a fire, an earthquake, and great wind, but Jehovah was not in these things.
Even though this environment came to Elijah, the Lord was not the source; rather, it was God’s enemy. In my experience coming to the training, when the Lord called me, there was a reaction from the enemy in my environment.
After I returned to the Netherlands, I had to finish my bachelor’s degree and complete my thesis, and there was a struggle within me whether I should go to the training or whether I should pursue a master’s degree. Jehovah is in the quiet and in a gentle voice, this is how God works. He does not openly display Himself; He didn’t do this to me. He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. By listening to His voice and hearing His heart’s desire for me, I was still not willing to come to the training. I told Him, Lord, if You want me to come to the training, I need You to finish my degree.
But God is faithful. While about to finish my studies, I still signed up for 2 master’s programs and also for one week of short-term training. In the training, the Lord spoke to me that life grows by regulation. If I want to grow in the divine life, I need to be under some kind of regulation to receive help in the form of training. By casting all my anxieties on Him, I could come to the Full-Time Training in London. Don’t think that you need to give Him two years to Him; what He wants is our heart. He wants us to be open to Him. He wants us to spend time with Him, especially in the morning.
The training is an environment where we can know our Lord Jesus. Especially in the morning time, I had considered it as a duty, but I can testify that duty is changed to delight and prayer into praise! Consider the training. Come to the Lord, He’s the Good Shepherd, He knows His own and we know Him. By His calling, He will lead us. We can just listen to His quiet voice. Phil. 2:13 says, It is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.
