New Beginning 2025

As we met for the church blending today, the Lord led us to pray-read and memorize two verses on being renewed day by day and being in Christ, a new creation.

Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

The burden of being renewed in the mind through the renewing and nourishing word of the Lord was the Lord's speaking as we began our new year. Therefore, the church's burden of practicing the God-ordained way of preaching the gospel and begetting new ones, a life of pursuing the truth for our inward constitution, and strengthening our prayer life for the filling of the Spirit was all for the building up of the Body of Christ for the preparation of the Bride to bring the Lord Jesus back. This ministry of the word was substantiated by hymn #16 Our Father as the evergreen, and prayer for growth in life hymn #1132 Lord, teach us to pray, and hymn #1240 Deeper, deeper, in the cross of Jesus.

Based on Ephesians, we also delved into the matter of the grace of God given to all the saints in line with the talent the Lord gave to each one, at least a talent.

 

To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad. Matthew 25:15

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians 4:7

So, all the saints were exhorted to make use of the grace the Lord bestowed upon each one of them, at least the one talent, for the building up of the Body of Christ. All life practices are for the growth in life individually and corporately for the building up of the Body of Christ. There may be some gifted ones, and there may be the joint of the rich supply, but all these ones' function is to supply out from the Head Christ, through the gifted members, to the many members unto the building up of the Body of Christ. For this purpose, we are Christians practicing the church life on this earth today. Ultimately, to fulfill God's eternal purpose.

Ephesians 4:11-16

And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error, But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.

Then, we concluded our blending with prayers for the renewal of our minds, for our growth in life, and for the building up of the church. And we all feasted together in love. May the Lord blend and build us up for His Body more and more this year 2025.

What a blessed blending-building beginning!

Blessings in 2024

 He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

Generally, on the last day of the year, the 31st of Dec, we meet to share our testimony of God's blessing received during the whole year. This time, we encourage all the saints to prepare to share their top portion of blessing. As we met, all the saints, not one exception, shared the rich blessings they received from the Lord during the year. I rejoiced at learning about the experiences and enjoyment of the saints as they testified of what the Lord has been doing in their lives. Though outwardly we did not achieve the increase in the number of saints added to the church that we planned for last year, I definitely see a tremendous increase in the enjoyment and experience of Christ in the saints. I praise the Lord for the transformation work the Lord has been accomplishing in the lives of the saints in the church here. Despite the difficult situations we have been going through these days in North India, the Lord's hand and His blessings have been following us. Substantial growth in life and visible progress in the saints' lives have encouraged me a lot. To my own observation, the progress of the church has been satisfactory for the last year.

As for me, one experience that has been very significant is the increase of Christ and the decrease of my self. In many aspects of my life and service, the Lord has been stripping me layer by layer. My self has been touched so deeply that I could even feel the hurt it afflicted in me. The dealing of the self through the cross of Christ was wonderful yet it was also painful. But the grace of the Lord was also sufficient to enable me to bear the dealing of the self. To me, this is the greatest blessing of the year, the dealing of the self, resulting in Christ's increase and I decrease.

Besides, another blessing that I treasure is the beginning of my daughter and son learning to spend personal time in prayer. This year, the Lord graced my children to start going out for personal prayers, and that too regularly. With my son, we started to out together for prayers; first personal and then corporate. This year, this was started and I pray that we can continue to go out together for prayers regularly.

Another blessing noteworthy to me is our family trip to Singapore and Taiwan in the month of June. The Lord visibly manifested His loving care for our family in meeting all the practical needs of our family's foreign visits. He even provided a financial offering that my children could witness with their own eyes, the Lord's bountiful supply. This transpired in Singapore when we received offerings in Singapore Dollars and Taiwan Dollars. Then, in Taiwan, we received even more Taiwan Dollars and US Dollars. My children witnessed the Lord's provision in a visible way that strengthened their faith. I believe the Lord showed them the lesson of learning to live by faith, depending on the Lord for everything all the time, not depending on what we already have. This is a spiritual seed sown into the hearts of the children; letting them see a pattern of faith and living by trusting in the Lord.

Praise the Lord for the year 2024! As the church, we had a consecration prayer and we entered the new year 2025.

May this year be a continuation of the blessings received in the previous year. May the Lord continue to increase in me and that I may decrease until Christ fully saturates and gains me.

Listen to the Saints

One time I heard a testimony of a brother who was serving in a country but was not able to go on as he did not know what the Lord was leading him for. In his desperate need, he fellowshipped with a coworker who told him to listen to the saints if he did not know how to lead the saints. Later, he opened up to the saints and listened to the saints. Sure enough, as the brother fellowshipped with him, he got the Lord's leading by listening to the saints.

The Lord is the Head of the Body and He is also the Body of the Head. He leads as the Head and He also leads as the Body of the Head. Therefore, the Lord's leading also comes through the saints in many cases. This time I had a wonderful experience of listening to the saints and knowing the Lord's leading by doing so.

Two weeks ago, we brothers in the church in Gurugram were not able to come together for a proper fellowship due to some brothers unavailability. So, we did not plan anything to make use of the holiday on the 25th Dec. For sure, we do not celebrate the religious ceremony. But we wanted to make use of the day and invite the saints, especially the new ones, for a time of fellowship and gospel preaching. But nothing was decided. Only on the previous Lord's Day, two sisters came to fellowship with the brothers after the meeting enquiring about our plan. We brothers then had an impromptu fellowship over the phone to consider and decide the matter. Therefore, through fellowship over the phone, the matter was decided. Thanks to the sisters who had the leading and led the brother for further fellowship. Through this fellowship, a one-day gospel meeting was arranged and around a dozen new ones turned up for the meeting. 

Two brothers preached the gospel and led the new one to call upon the Lord and two brothers fellowshipped on the matter of Christian living after receiving the Lord. The young people functioned in leading the hymns and serving in practical matters. Though I myself had no plan to participate in any activity, at the end of the meeting, I felt the need to give the conclusion. Therefore, I concluded the gospel meeting and also the fellowship meeting with a word of prayer.

Again, last Saturday, in our brothers' fellowship we made a plan for the year-end meeting on the 31st Dec night. But we were not clear on what we should do on the 1st of Jan 2025 as this is another public holiday that we can make use of. Last Lord's Day, we opened the matter to the saints to consider together as the church. Then, through the fellowship of the saints, the matter was clear that we should conduct a meeting for the church blending and visitation to the new ones' families.

These two experiences the Lord gave to show us how to follow His leading by listening to the saints when we ourselves did not have any leading.  Later, in the night as I was spending time with the Lord in prayer, the Lord gave me some practical details as to how to conduct the meeting. Then, in fellowship with the brothers again, things became very clear and planning was done accordingly. The messages posted for the meetings are below.

Testimony of God’s Blessing, Fellowship and Prayer Meeting

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Date: 31 December 2024

Time: 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Venue: DLF-1 Meeting Hall

Lovefeast Dinner: 7:30 PM to 8:15 PM

Testimony of God’s Blessing: 8:15 PM to 9:30 PM

All saints can prepare to testify the top portion of the blessing of God received in 2024 for 3-5 minutes each.

Fellowship of Burden and Prayer for 2025: 9:30 PM to  10:00 PM

Should any saint wish to stay back for prayer or fellowship, the meeting hall will be open till midnight.

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For those who wish to stay back on 31st Dec., after 10:00 PM.

Tea/Soup Break

Corporate Prayer on Specific Burdens: 10:15 PM to 11:00 PM

Personal Prayer: 11:00 PM to 11:30 PM

Corporate Consecration Prayer: 11:30 PM to 12 Midnight

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Church Blending and Gospel Meeting

Date: 1 January 2025

Time: 12 Noon to 1:30 PM

Lovefeast Lunch: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Please feel free to invite your friends, colleagues, relatives, and new ones and confirm how many will come.

What a blessing to know and live in the reality of the Body life! The Lord speaks and leads  as the Head and also as the Body of the Head. What a precious lesson to learn listiening to the saints! Listen to the saints...

 

Marriage Fellowship

The Lord has finally brought one couple to be in oneness for a proper marriage in the church in Gurugram. We have been praying for many years for the marriages of the single saints in the church, but we were not able to see a breakthrough in this matter. All the proposals we had in the past did not come to fruition due to one reason or the other. With much fellowship, prayer, and consideration we made some proposals but nothing worked out till now. But this time, at least, we can witness a day dawning in the matter of marriage of the saints.

On the 14th of this month, I received an impromptu call from a brother in the church in New Delhi for a visit to the family of a sister in Gurgram for a fellowship on the marriage proposal. Though the sister had been introduced to a brother almost a year ago, the matter was not brought forward until this time as many things transpired in between, even involving the groom-to-be. Now, that things became much clearer, a fellowship was held for the confirmation from the family side for the marriage.

One-and-half-week after, on the 25th of this month, I and my wife along with another couple from Delhi had a fellowship with the family members of the bride and groom-to-be. In this fellowship, the marriage matter was confirmed and the date was fixed. May the Lord lead them through in this matter for the sake of the church and for the Lord's testimony among the young ones. Last Lord's Day, after fellowshipping with the brothers in the church in Gurgram a formal announcement was made for the wedding to be held on the 14th of Feb 2025. 

This matter is significant as this is the first breakthrough in the fellowship in the matter of the marriage of the saints in the church in Gurugram. Now, we pray that the Lord will lead us through and that the marriage can actually happen on the appointed date. Since the matter is a blessing, we also had an open prayer for the couple after the open announcement in the church meeting.

May all the single saints also follow suit that all the unmarried siants can also get married, one by one soon as many of them have crossed their thirties. This for sure will be a sign of the Lord's visible blessing in the church. 

Lord, bless the couple and bless the marriage, head up all the practical arrangements so that the marriage would be a testimony to the saint in the church, especially among the young ones.

Fourth Prison Visit

On the 26th of Dec, along with the saints in the church in Gurugram, we visited the brothers in the prison in Mathura. This was my fourth visit to the brothers. This visit was with an important update for the recent fellowship we had in Chennai. I could not go ahead and execute the fellowship unless I first fellowshipped with my coordinating brother.  

This time, I personally came to fellowship and update important matters related to the official literature service as I fellowshipped with the brothers serving in the work in India last week. This time I updated my brother on the new directors proposed from India. This matter needs to be fellowshipped first for implementing it. Except for the prison wall, I am still serving in oneness with my brother. As usual, I brought whatever important official matters to him and only if we both feel good in oneness and one accord, then only I will take the further step. 

This time, I brought along three saints who came to visit the brothers in the prison for the first time. Since it was my foruth time, I became familiar with the people in the token counter and the street vendors from whom we purchased fruits and drank tea. The imprisonment has almost reached a hundred days now. By now, the saints have accepted the fact and could cope up with the unprecedented situation. The mother and wife of the brothers in the prison were no longer emotionally depressed as before. Gradually, the Lord has been perfecting us to accept His sovereign arrangement. 

Through this situation, the Lord also blended the saints together in maNy practical aspect of the church life. In caring for one another, in physical visits and spiritual prayers, and in bearing the burden for the Lord's testiomny together in North India. Everywhichway, the Lord is gaining us and building us up together in Him, unto His glory.

We still continue to pray for the brothers' release and for the strengthening of His move in North India.

Fellowship with Literature Serving Ones

Whenever I visited Chennai, I used to spend time with the serving ones for a time of fellowship, following the Lord's leading on what to fellowship. This time too, I had one morning time with all the serving ones on the 20th of Dec. In the last visit, through the fellowship, the office ceiling was renovated and health insurance for all the serving was purchased. 

This time, I fellowshipped with them on the faithfulness required of serving ones in their service to the Lord. I encouraged all of them to be so exercised in their spirit that they would be found faithful by the Lord, especially in taking care of their official duties. Each serving ones needs to record their daily work schedule and serve at least eight hours a working day. In this regard, the exercise of the conscience plays a vital role in the service. I also touched on the matter of every serving one to be faithful to practice the God-ordained way of preaching the gospel. In the South, the state is still very open to the gospel unlike in the North.  So, I encouraged all of them to actively participate in the church gospel preaching, home meetings, group meetings, and the church life in general. Every serving one should be a pattern to the saints. I also mentioned the need to recover their weekly truth pursuing, prayer, and fellowship which they all agreed to do once a week on Wednesdays, and gradually consider increasing the frequency.

This time too, I met the new brother who came to serve in the literature service as a result of the previous visit to his family for fellowship. As the Lord leads, he has been brought into the service. I also had a personal time with a brother whom I had borne in my heart to preserve him in his service despite the serious case that was brought against him in the past. The Lord has been merciful to him and he has been gradually recovered through much prayer, fellowship, and shepherding. I pray that the Lord will preserve him to be faithful to the end.

I regard all the serving ones and honor their portions the Lord has apportioned to each one of them. I also mentioned that I serve in coordination not as a "boss" to his "subordinates' but as a coworker serving in the Body in the publication work for the Lord's move. Therefore, I serve in the principle of mutual trust and respect. In this way, we serve in the Body in coordination, faithful to the Lord in each one's function. 

Lord, bless all the serving ones in Chennai office for the ministry of the word!

Shepherding a Brother

A brother has been calling me now and then for fellowship. As a brother, I did my best to shepherd him whenever he called. This time, since I came down to Chennai, I informed him about the possibility of meeting up and also introducing him to the brothers in the church life in Chennai. But, I left the matter to the Lord and let the Spirit do His work. 

When I was actually available to meet, I did not receive a positive response from him and I could not sense that he was indeed serious or eager to fellowship. Therefore, I did not wish to force myself into meeting him. Instead, I gave him the choice to decide on his own. Only if he was willing would I pay the price to meet him. I left the matter to the Lord. Once my fellowship with the brothers in Chennai ended, I waited for him to make the call.

Since I did not receive a response within the time frame I gave him, i.e., before lunchtime on the 19th Dec, I decided to cancel the meeting and go to a brother's house for hospitality. Only when I reached my accommodation, he called me. Only then, I made the decision to meet him.

We eventually met at a lake he proposed to meet at about an hour's drive amidst the city traffic. Then, we spent time together at a nearby coffee house for fellowship over a cup of coffee. We had about two hours of fellowship, especially on his marital issue, and prayed together. I spoke what I felt was needed to be spoken. I was specific in letting him know that the soul-life has to be denied, the self has to be dealt with and follow the Lord. The soul life has been a great hindrance for many to progress spiritually. The soul life also has been a major issue in his marital issues. Only the mercy of the Lord can lead him through in his matter. I recognized that I was not the one to lead anybody, therefore, I deferred every decision he needed to take by sincerely seeking the will of the Lord in everything about his life, especially his marital issue. Though my fellowship with him may be a little sour and I had to let him know that his soul life need to be dealt with, he also felt a little uneasiness with the fellowship I had with him. I felt that was what he needed at the moment. I cannot be a man-pleaser. I must speak what needs to be spoken without fear. At one point, I even told him to his face that his ego, his self, needs to be dealt with by the cross of Christ. Only when the will of the Lord is made clear, He can follow the Lord's leading step by step.

After this fellowship, I said goodbye to him. Since he is a believer himself, I did not feel the need to follow him up and coerce him for anything. Let the will of the Lord be done in his life. Until he takes a further step for further fellowship, I decided not to interfere in his matter again. I leave him to the Lord.

This is a lesson for me too. To be faithful to the truth and not be a man-pleaser.  May the Lord shepherd my brother and gain him fully for His purpose.