Take Heed

by Watchman Nee, 1991

PART ONE: Warning and Encouragement
1. A Change in Valuation -- Several areas where Christianity brings a change in a person's value base.
2. A Change in Behaviour -- Attitudes which are at the root of a bad temper.
3. How to Distribute Tracts -- A case for using tracts to spread the gospel.
4. Forgive One Another -- An important lesson on the essential attitude of forgiveness.
5. Our Attitude Towards our Earthly Country -- This message attempts to advance the position which was quite prevalent in the early portion of the 20th century that Christians should stay out of politics. A position more consistent with Nee's other messages would be that as with any other aspect of life, Christians should seek God's present guidance in each political situation. A blanket doctrine which prohibits that which is not explicitly prohibited in the Bible cannot claim to be God's will.
6. Waiting for the Coming of the Lord -- A list of what Nee thinks the world will be like when the Lord returns.
7. Martyrdom -- What it is, where it comes from.
8. Idol Worship -- Using the example of Catholicism's worship of the Virgin Mary, Nee discusses how the Church falls into idolatry.
9. The Judaizers -- An excellent message on grace versus the law. Nee uses the issue of keeping the Sabbath Day to illustrate the fact that we are dead to the Law once we are in Christ.
10. Walk in the Will of God -- A list of things which people use to try to determine God's will, and why we should not rely on them.
11. How to Know the Will of God
  - God Is Responsible for Letting Us Know His Will -- God always tells us what He requires of us, for how can we live in accordance to His will unless He tells us what it is?
  - Not Knowing God's Will -- Our Fault -- If we fail to discern God's will, it is because we have allowed some obstacle to block our perception.
  - The Conditions for Knowing God's Will -- The fundamental obstacle to knowing God's will is our own will. We must first cast aside our own preferences and will to do His will.
  - How God Causes Us to Know His Will
    1. The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- We must learn to distinguish between the Holy Spirit's inspiration, the incitement of the soul, and the instigation of Satan.
    2. The Teaching of the Scriptures -- We must see how the unified testimony of the whole Bible does or does not confirm what we think to be God's will.
    3. The Provision of Environment -- Without God's permission, nothing can fall upon us.
  - Special Situations -- When we are unable to discern God's will, our position should be one of opposition to Satan, and submission to God.
  - No Knowledge, No Action -- We must avoid presumptuous actions and wait patiently until we know God's will.
  - Thus Be Delivered from Many Troubles -- Being too busy can be a sign that we are not waiting for God.
  - Small Things -- God's will is not limited to the "big" things.
  - Seek and Do -- The reason for knowing God's will is to do God's will.
  - A Natural Desire in the Heart -- Even if we are not willing to do God's will, we should at least be willing to allow Him to transform our unwilling heart.
  - The Important Question -- Is this the will of God? Is this God's will for me? Is this His time? Is this His way?
  - Final Word -- He must increase; we must decrease.
PART TWO: Admonition and Discipline
1. Humility -- What it is and what it is not.
2. Obedience -- To obey God in all things, death to self is a must.
3. A Righteous Christian -- Be righteous toward self; be lenient toward others.
4. The Manifestation of Life -- A man's true spiritual measure is revealed by how he behaves when no one is looking.
5. Contentment -- Offering all to God.
6. Hiddenness -- Not seeking fame for ourselves, but resting in God.
7. Policy -- Action must result from a proper heart attitude, not from some policy by which we act like "good people."
8. Knowledge and Judging -- When we judge others, we put ourselves in God's place.
9. Quietness -- A quiet life is to be calm in the spirit.
10. A Day Like This -- Enduring the difficult without wavering from God's will leads to the loss of soulish influence.
11. Never Thirsty Again -- If we truly believed His word, we would never thirst.
12. Rest -- Complete confidence in the Living God.
13. Self-Proclamation -- The better we know ourselves, the less we will promote ourselves.
14. Imperfect -- We readily point out the faults of others, but seldom do we acknowledge our own.
15. The Believer's Giving -- God calls us to certain tasks. If we fail to respond, He will still accomplish the task but we will miss out.
16. Busy -- Substitute busyness with prayer, and more will be accomplished.
17. Offer Secular Things -- We can serve God in our secular occupations if we dedicate our efforts to Him.
18. Alone -- Drawing closer to God can sometimes seem like we are separated from all others, yet this communion is most precious.
19. Love the Lord -- Each external deed should be motivated by inner affection.
20. Meditate on Christ -- Learn of the person of the Living Christ from the Scriptures. Use the written accounts to get to know Him.
21. Thoughtfulness -- The working of the Cross in our lives will eliminate our tendencies to be rude to others.
22. Prayer and Desire -- Do our prayers come from the heart, or are they just eloquent speeches for the ears of men?
23. Holiness and Hardness -- Our own holiness should never lack in love and grace for others.
24. When God's Grace Manifests Itself Most -- There is not a moment in our Christian walk when we are not under His grace.
25. Sensitive to Sin -- If sensitivity to sin is lost, our spiritual life will dry up.
26. Read and Pray -- Reading the Bible and praying must be higher in priority than all the things which make us so busy each day.
27. Silent Witness -- Lazarus quietly sat by, yet was a silent testimony to the power of God.

Other Items on Related Topics: giving
That Incredible Christian A.W. Tozer
Orthodoxy G.K. Chesterton