In spring daylight begins early. One morning, Li Yun saw the door of her daughter’s bedroom opposite was still closed after she got up. She thought to herself: Xiaoyu must have stayed up last night until midnight. She, only 30 years old, is so tired with working that she has no time to study the Bible. She is too busy. She has to go to work early this morning. I don’t know if she has the time to study together with me. Well, I entrust her to the Lord. She folded the quilts neatly, and placed the Bible on the bed. Then she opened the window, and a breeze was blowing against her face. How comfortable it was! In the tree outside, someone’s birds were fluttering up and down, twittering in the cage. Then, her daughter came out of her bedroom, saying: “Mum, you’re up.” Li Yun said: “I’ve been up for a while. Why did you stay up late last night?” Her daughter answered: “I did some reading.” Li Yun asked: “What book did you read?” She answered: “I read a spiritual book.” Li Yun said: “Oh. Let’s get washed quickly, and then read the Bible together.” Then they began to bustle about.
After a short while, they both sat on the sofa. Li Yun asked Xiaoyu with concern: “What time will you go? Will you have breakfast at home?” Xiaoyu looked at her watch, saying: “I will go in 15 minutes. I will have breakfast with the colleagues in my work unit.” Li Yun took the Bible, and began to enjoin her daughter: “Xiaoyu, it’s good for you to read the spiritual book, but we as believers shouldn’t leave the Bible! Because God’s words are all in the Bible. If you want to read spiritual books, it must be based on the Bible. You shouldn’t read randomly.” Xiaoyu took the Bible from Li Yun’s hands, turned to Revelation, and read it carefully. Li Yun felt pleased to see Xiaoyu reading so carefully. While reading Xiaoyu said: “Mum, from some verses in Revelation, why do I feel there are God’s words outside the Bible?” Li Yun suddenly changed her countenance when hearing these words, asking: “Xiaoyu, what did you say? How could there be God’s words outside the Bible? All God’s words are in the Bible. Don’t I know more than you since I’ve read the Bible over 20 years?” Xiaoyu said: “Mum, you are angry after I said only a word. The Bible says: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ (Matthew 5:3). You should be modest, shouldn’t you? I will read the verses here to you, and you see if I’m right. Revelation 5:1-5 say: ‘And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.’ Mum, you see the verses show that there are still the Lord’s words sealed with seven seals. Does that mean that only when the Lord comes back in the last days can the scroll be opened? Then can we say that all the Lord’s words are in the Bible?” Li Yun thought about it for a while, saying: “The pastors and elders have preached that all God’s words are in the Bible, and that the scroll means the Bible.”
Xiaoyu said: “Mum, the verses say that the scroll is sealed and written within and on the backside. But the Bible that we read today is not sealed, and anyone can read it. So I think the scroll is surely not the Bible. There must be something new in the scroll.”
Li Yun furrowed her brows and couldn’t answer the question. She found what Xiaoyu said was reasonable. Then she took the Bible from Xiaoyu and read it carefully. Xiao Yu got close to her, read the Bible, and pointed to a verse, saying: “Mum, look here, ‘And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not’ (Revelation 10:4). Mum, you said that all God’s words were in the Bible. Then how do you explain this verse?”
Li Yun became speechless. She began to blame her daughter, saying: “How can you give me a question after you have read several chapters of the Bible?” Although she blamed her daughter, she found her words were reasonable. Aren’t the voices uttered by the seven thunders God’s words? Since they hadn’t been written, they couldn’t be recorded in the Bible. Where could they be if not in the Bible? What on earth is all this about? Just at that time, Li Yun suddenly thought of a passage of the Bible. She opened the Bible and turned to John 16:12-13, and read carefully: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” After reading the Lord’s words, Li Yun furrowed her brows, looking grave. She looked at her daughter, and seemed to have understood something. She asked her daughter: “Are there God’s words outside the Bible?” Xiaoyu nodded and excitedly said: “Mum, isn’t the Lord reminding us that in the last days, He has words to tell us and wants us to pay attention to listening? These words are definitely not in the Bible. Mum! You pray and seek after the Lord much, and think about it carefully. I must go, or I will be late. See you tonight!” After these words she kissed Li Yun on the cheek naughtily. Then she went hurriedly with her handbag.
After Xiaoyu left, Li Yun walked up and down in the room with the Bible. She read the verses again and again, and she murmured: “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” She also read Revelation 2:7: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the middle of the paradise of God.” Then Li Yun understood: These verses amply prove that there are God’s words outside the Bible. Revelation predicts what God will accomplish in the future. Doesn’t that tell us to listen to God’s words? At that time, Li Yun smiled a big smile. She found that she had gained a lot during the 15 minutes, just as cheerful as Columbus was when he discovered the new continent. She suddenly wanted to tell her discovery to the sisters in the church. So she hurriedly tidied up the rooms, got changed, and locked the door….
by Yang Yang