Fellowship with In-Laws

Fellowship at Lamka

With much burden for the saints, as usual, I visited the church in Lamka. The brothers came together the same night I arrived there for a special time of fellowship. The burden the Lord imparted to me was to take care of the growth in life, especially in truth pursuing and constitution coupled with a proper God-man living. Besides, I also clarified a misunderstanding brought in by some religious fanatic proclaiming that obtaining a national identity number, AADHAAR, is obtaining the mark of the beast, 666. I encouraged the brothers not to be tossed by every wind of teaching. We then concluded the fellowship with a verse from the Bible and prayed together.

Ephesians 4:14-15That 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.

The next day I was fully occupied with family visitations; altogether four families were visited, the closest ones, to my understanding. Later in the night we had a fellowship with the church on the all-inclusiveness of Christ. I released my burden at length expounding

Deuteronomy 8:7-9For Jehovah your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of waterbrooks, of springs and of fountains, flowing forth in valleys and in mountains; A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees with oil and of honey; A land in which you will eat bread without scarcity; you will not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you can mine copper.

The saints' responses were so positive and many of them were blessed as they testified after the ministering of the word.

The next day though I intended to leave, I stayed back due to a road block. That gave me even more opportunity to meet four more families, two of them were new, and they later became so open for home meeting. One family especially had been questioning us about our faith as it did not fall in line with many religious practices like Christmas, Good Friday, Ester Sunday, etc. That gave me the ground to open up the Bible and show to them the real significance of the Lord's incarnation and crucifixion, with an emphasis on His resurrection to become the life-giving Spirit. After bringing out some crucial truths, the brother who doubted us commented that we were much more orthodox than the so called mainline churches. Thus, he became very open to us and to the truths of the Bible.

That was the visit to Lamka. I could release my burden for the saints and the new ones.

May the Lord recover all of them for the Lord's testimony in Lamka.

Fellowship at Chandel

This Locality has been in my heart for years now as I used to spend my vacation with my dad as he was posted there while I was in school, and college years too. Though the church in Chandel was raised up few years ago, the saints went through a lot of opposition from the main line churches. Moreover the timing for the local saints to rise up and bear the testimony has not yet reach to fruition. The result was that of maintaining the status quo of a church life by one family. It has been going on this way for years. Last year I did try to visit them but it did not work out. And this year the Lord gave me the opportunity.

I was at my mother's quarter in Leikun, a few kilometres away from the town. I spent time time fellowshipping with my mom who works as a nurse in the defence deployment there. I was in touch with the brothers and they came to visit me. 

The point of fellowship the Lord gave me was on being equipped with the truth. I was so burdened to minister to the brothers the importance of a proper constitution of the word of God and a proper living testimony as Christians. It was not a matter of what high peak truth you profess to preach and propagate, but more of what kind of Christian life you live and what testimony you bear. The brothers were so touched by what the Lord burdened me to fellowship with them in love in a way of shepherding. They themselves acknowledged how they were short in the matter of truth pursuing, constitution, and God-man living. I did give some real life examples and testimonies to strengthen my burden.

The next day they invited me to meet up with some seeking believers in town. A Catholic politician and a Baptist officer were my first time to meet, the friends of our brother. I knew nothing about their background, but the moment I saw them my burden was to minister on the need of growth in life with some relevant Bible verses. Though the friends questioned me on the matter of truth and practice of righteousness I used Bible verses to answer their questions. They were so supplied by the word of God quoted to meet their need at the proper time. At the end of the meeting, they were really humbled and subdued and accepted my proposal; first they should spend adequate time with the Lord in the Word and prayer, and they also should spend time with one another for prayer and fellowship. The meeting was so rich as the Lord's presence was felt richly. May the Lord gain them all for His testimony there.

In the evening I also spent time with the executive members of a religious organisation and expound the matter of God's creation of man for His expression and representation on the earth through the church. After the fellowship they acknowledged that they we were mistaken to reckon us as propagating "false teaching." Now that they came to know the orthodoxy of the Bible we uphold, they feel that the misunderstanding of the church life by the denominations as "anti-Christ" was a gross error on their side, and also the lack of proper explanation of the truth from our side. Anyway past is past. At least now that they were clear, the brothers should go on without any fear to bear the Lord's testimony. 

That night I had fellowship with the lone family who stood for the Lord's testimony and encouraged them to spend more time in the basic practice of the God-ordained Way and an exercise of a God-man living. We then had prayed together and took rest. 

The visit to Chandel was quite fruitful. May the Lord strengthen the saints and bless His testimony in Chandel!

Fellowship at Imphal

It was my younger sister's marriage that brought me back home to Imphal. Though it was supposed to me a family visit, my fellowship with the saints was inevitable. Once I met the saints in Imphal, the word of God just flowed forth like rivers of living water. 

The first fellowship was in the morning when we had a meeting arranged for the my villagers for my sister's marriage. Though it was all an impromptu arrangement, the brothers from the churches in Imphal and Lamka were the source of encouragement and strengthening. When the program was scheduled, I wished and longed for the brothers to be present. Few minutes later they arrived and it was such a relief and joy. We prayed together and fellowshipped for the meeting, with the brothers taking the lead in prayer, speaking, and gracing the meeting. Though I myself was not very clear what to speak, when it was time for me to speak, the only thing I could do was simply preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can testify, it was the Lord behind the scene as many of my villages are yet to believe into the Lord; in fact, we have been praying for their salvation. That gospel message, perhaps, was the first public gospel preaching in a very conservative religious society that my villagers are trapped in till date. May the seed of the gospel sown into them bear fruits one day!

The following Lord's day was very timely for me to release my burden during the prophesying meeting. Though I did not intend to release any specific burden, the general burden of the church led me to minister the word on the line of being measured in the Body in coordination and oneness. One of my cousin brothers seemed to have some misunderstanding regarding the way my sister's marriage was carried out. Though I had no intention to bring this matter up, as I began to speak, I spoke on the matter of the Lord's sovereign arrangement of everything in the Body for the Body. Even as  the elder brother of my younger sister I had no say in what the church had arranged for my sister's marriage in Delhi. I simply amened what the brothers had arranged and it turned out to be very good. The Lord's blessing and sweet presence was there in the meeting, and many saints testified to this fact. 

The point was, in doing anything and everything, it must be by prayer and fellowship in the Body as we are just a member and only Christ is the Head. As such I claim no authority over anybody even on my sister's matter though I have the right to. In the Body, everything is done in fellowship and coordination. After the meeting, my cousin understood the matter and the hidden issues were resolved. And the saints were supplied to with this testimony of being a member of the Body in reality.

Besides, the brothers had arranged for a time of fellowship with the young people for Lord's day afternoon when I ministered on "time with the Lord by calling the Lord's Name, prayer and reading the Bible," and on the next Lord's day again on "Loving the Lord." Another two significant fellowship was in the home of a sister who lost her husband where we encouraged her with the word of God. She even decided to open her home for home meeting and it was carried out a week later. Another meeting was with a police officer who had misunderstanding on the ministry and tried to convince a brother to leave the way of the recovery. With this brother, I shared my testimony as he wanted to know how I ended up in the ministry of the age, the following week on my request he shared his testimony too. Then I shared on the importance of growth in life for a normal Christian life and the orthodox way of meeting as the church on the ground of oneness for the Lord's testimony. 

The fellowship at Imphal was very timely, sweet and fruitful. May the Lord continue to bless the saints in Imphal.

Marriage Message

As soon as we, my younger sister for whose marriage meeting we came and my niece, arrived Imphal, the burden of the day was on how the marriage should be conducted. A healthy discussion at length took place, looking into the minute detail of marriage arrangements, keeping in view the practices of the family and the consideration of the village we hail from. I kept my calm and allowed the Lord to work in His own way.

It was in the morning of the day before the scheduled marriage meeting arranged by the bride's side, we decided to conduct a small "sent-off meeting" for my younger sister. Within few minutes, everything were arranged and I also had to speak from the bride's side. The meeting went well with prayer and support from the brothers from the church in Lamka and Imphal. Though no prior arrangement was made, the presence of the members of the Body was such a comfort. I simply relied on them and we coordinated for the entire meeting. Everything fit in perfectly well in time. Praise the Lord! And I ended up preaching the gospel publicly to all my villagers, especially to the village head-men who were specially seated on the font row. Though I did not really intend to do it, the Spirit led me to do so when I actually stood up to speak. This was the first ever public gospel preaching in the history of our village who has been opposing the gospel of Jesus Christ since the very beginning. (I believe the Lord has been answering our prayer for our village, therefore, He led me to preach the gospel in a marriage sent-off meeting!)

For the main marriage meeting the following, we were escorted to the bride's place by a host of twelve vehicles. I was lodged in the quarter of the meeting hall where the marriage was conducted. The night before I was looking to the Lord in prayer what to speaking within the five minutes given to me to speak from the bride's family side, then the Lord gave me the following verses and burden:

Glory to God: Firstly to give glory to God as all things are out from Him as the source, and through Him as the course, and to Him as the goal. I made it clear that the marriage was God's plan for God's glory. 

Romans 11:36 - Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  

We are the Lord's: All the family members and all the believers (about two thousands) attending the meeting are the Lord's. It was not a marriage between Naga and Kuki tribe nor between Palmei and Lunkim clan, but between a brother and sister in the Lord in the presence of the church for the Lord's testimony.

Romans 14:8 - For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s. 

Christ First in All Things: Christ must have the first place in everything; in this marriage, in the relationship between husband and wife, in the family, and in the church. Christ is love, peace and joy, therefore, in Christ, there will be love, peace and joy in the family and in the church.

Colossians 1:18 - And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things;  

Live Christ: Since we are out from Christ, belongs to Christ, and Christ being the Head, we must live out Christ in our marriage life, family life and church-life.Philippians 1:21 - For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  

Family of God: The two brothers who stood with me in ministering the word in this marriage are the church brothers from Aizawl and Lamka. I have no blood relationship with them, but they are my dear brothers in the Lord. Therefore, I reckon them as my own family member in the Lord, and they spoke after me from the bride's family side. Matthew 12:50 - For whoever does the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother and sister and mother. 

This message was loud and clear as I prayed and prepared for the mesaage. The previous night I pray-read these verses, and the light of God shone upon me inwardly. In the middle of the night too, I woke up and prayed over these verses, and in the morning of the marriage day, I enjoyed these verses over and over again. Then when the time came, I simply overflowed the enjoyed of the word of God as my sister's marriage message. This speaking became even more subjective as I shared the same in five different meetings in different localities which I visited after the marriage meeting.

Praise the Lord for His speaking even in "marriage message!" 

Fellowship at Allahabad

It was after the Christian Leaders Seminar that three brothers stayed back to fellowship further with the group whose Pastor was our main coordinator for conducting the seminar. He invited was to minister to his congregation the following Lord's day, each brother ministering the word in one of the three meetings each. As a preparation for what to minister, we fellowshipped and prayed together the previous night. What the Lord burdened us was to minister on strengthening the burden of the experience of the "All-Inclusive Christ." 

Three of us ministered the word in sequence and released our burden. My particular burden for the believers was on the growth in life. As the Spirit led me I ministered extensively with experiences on the essential factors of growth in the divine life. And encouraged all the believers to pursue the Lord in His word unto full maturity. Right after the meeting, a couple came and testified how much touched they were. They even testified that it was their burden for this matter that I spoke out what they had been longing for and even speaking about as they also serves the Lord within their capacity as opportunities arises. They are doctor couple whose husband is working for the military. Despite their busy schedules as Indian Army doctor, they found time to preach the gospel and shepherd new believers. It was also to this couple that I introduced Rhema books and the Recovery Version of the Bible. The brother immediately purchased the New Testament online. 

This one day staying back also gave us the opportunity to fellowship with the main pastor. Few significant things we fellowshipped were: the burden for the distribution of the ministry books all over Allahabad, the burden for sending some twelve brothers for the training to Gurgaon where our training center is, and the burden for conducting seminar in other cities as well.

Though a cordial relationship was established, the crucial points are, the seeing of the vision of the Body of Christ, the oneness of the Body, the practice of the church-life for the building up of the Body of Christ. If not for these crucial points there can be a danger of human organization as a repetition of the degraded Christianity. I only hope and pray that they may see the vision of God's economy, Christ and the church, and be for the Lord's testimony in Allahabad city.

Christian Leaders Seminar

"The Ministry of the Word for all!" is the motto behind conducting Christian Leaders Seminar for the first time in coordination with the coworkers and Rhema free Christian books serving ones. This was a well planned event with much prayer and fellowship with all the entities involved. And the first ever of its kind in India with the specific burden of reaching out to the Christians in general by reaching out to the leaders in particular.

The event came into fruition when I first came to Allahabad and met a Christian pastor for introducing the ministry books. As I introduced the ministry books with much burden and the release of the word, he immediately proposed a Christian leaders seminar as a platform for the spreading of the truth. This matter was brought into fellowship and prayer. After several rounds of fellowship we finally concluded for a date and a topic. The topic was, "The All-Inclusive Christ."

Prayer burdens to the churches and preparation followed suit. Then a team of six brothers landed in Allahabad for the seminar. The seminar was attended by over one hundred Christian leaders, Bible students, and seeking believers. Selected messages from the book, "The All-Inclusive Christ" were present in four sessions covering the following points of truth.

• The All-Inclusive Christ- An Introduction, The Goodness of the Land- Its Spaciousness and Ascendancy
• The Goodness of the Land- Its Unsearchable Riches, Water, Food, and Minerals
• Entering the Good Land and Life in the Good Land
• The Issue of the Land-The Temple and the City

There were some genuine seekers who were closely following the speaking; some have taken notes and some later came for fellowship during tea-break and lunch-break. Over all the response was positive and the seminar was conducted as planned. Our burden now is that those who have heard the word and received the ministry books may be graced by the Lord to further pursue the Lord in the word and that the Lord may manifest the ones who would stand for His testimony. 

Personally, I had the advantage of handling every little bit of things from planing to execution, including the budget. My one consideration is, the same could be carried out in a proper coordination in various other cities as well, even perhaps, with a lesser or no budget at all. But the element of paying the price for anything precious cannot be mulled either. Price or no price, the ministry of the word must be spread as the ministry the Lord has blessed us is for all.

This is just the beginning. May the Lord continue to open doors for the spread of the ministry of the word all over India!

Two Brothers' Visit

Today is a significant day and a special day too. Two brothers who have been leading many people to salvation and have been Christian leaders for years came to fellowship with me in Gurgaon. One of them is a brother who has been in touch with the ministry of the age and also in fellowship with me for few years now. 

Few weeks ago he called me, as being led by the Spirit in his prayer to do so, and expressed his desire to come to personally fellowship with me what the Lord has been doing in his lives. My immediate response was that I would also fellowship with the other brothers and let him know when the best time would be. In his fellowship over the phone he expressed in urgency his need to obey what the Spirit had told him to do; to come to fellowship with me and be recovered back into the fellowship of the Body of Christ and also be helped in the matter of baptism. It was rather shocking to me as he has been leading a considerable number of believers and now he wants to set the basic right? I dared not comment anything as I deemed it best to leave it to the Lord. The Lord's will be done.

Yesterday they came to Gurgaon, and today the whole day we had fellowship on various burdens as the Lord led. They joined our Life-study of Matthew pursuit on being a salt of the earth and a light of the world as Christians in the church life in the kingdom of heaven. Later, I ministered to them on the greatest miracle in the whole universe, "God became man to make man God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead," with crucial verses in 1 John 3:1,2; 2 Peter 1:4 and Romans 8:28, 29. We also fellowshipped on the heavenly vision Saul saw in Acts 9:1-5, and Paul's faithfulness to the heavenly vision in Acts 26:19. Then they opened up their main burden for which they came.

According to their testimony, they were led by the Lord in prayer that they should come to Gurgaon and meet me and fellowship on their inward situation they have been going through. They narrated the turn of events that actually led them to come all the way from down South to up North. They opened up confessing their lack in the basic matter in their Christian lives; they wanted to be properly baptised. They both have a very strong conviction that they need to do this as they were not helped in a proper way, perhaps, a biblical way in this matter. The case at point being serious, I fellowshipped with another brother to join me in understanding their actual need. We both then fellowshipped with them and ascertain that they were indeed genuine in their fellowship and what they confessed as urgent need. Then we both were convinced that it was truly of the Lord that they should be properly baptised, and we prayed together. In their prayer it was also became clear of what the Lord has been doing in their lives.

In the evening, we made the arrangement, and before they were baptised, they both spend a considerable amount of time in prayer on their knees. They were indeed very genuine and came with a genuine need. Just before baptism I shared on one of the most important aspects yet neglected point of baptism; a baptism into the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12, 13 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether  slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit.

Thus, they were baptised! And the purpose for which the Lord brought them here was fulfilled. Besides, they also wanted to be fully recovered into the fellowship and oneness of the Body of Christ. For this we suggested that we will have more fellowship with other brothers as well and see how the Lord would lead some thirty nine Christian leaders and about two thousands believers in their future course of their lives. Nevertheless, we also frankly told them that taking the way of the Lord's recovery is purely of the Lord's mercy and grace, it entails seeing of the vision of the Body of Christ, paying the price, and even of persecution from fellow Christians who have no vision of the Lord's economy. We even made them clear that not everyone can take this way; and inquired if none of their believers or leader are willing to take this way, will they still take this way? Their answer was in the affirmative, and an emphatic "yes." Time will tell. May the Lord grace them so and recovery all the believers in thirty nine localities spanning two states of India.

For this reason, I term this meeting as significant and special. May the Lord's will be done. Amen. 

Shepherding Care

Last Lord's day was as ordinary as it used to be. But what was special was, after the meeting, as a shepherding gesture I proposed to drive a brother's family back to his home, not knowing what would happen later.

When I drove the family home, I got to meet another spiritually dormant brother who hardly joins the meeting. I could spend some time cherishing him, then prayed with him. This one visit has enthused him to even come for the following week training of the church. It was very unexpected of him, who missed almost every meeting to suddenly turn up for a training, that too, a whole day training on the Crystallization-study of Ezekiel.

Later, with a brother, we went to visit a family who has not been in touch for five years or so. God had sovereignly arranged the visit in such a way that we could meet and spend solid time of fellowship with the entire family. Beginning with the father, then the son and then the mother. It was like a spiritual awakening for the family. All the three of them were very happy that we visited them, especially the father, who himself has been struggling in his life, in spiritual matters. The son wanted to have more personally time of fellowship which we fixed up for the following Lord's day, the mother also wanted to have more fellowship, and the father has already decided to regularly come for the church meeting. They, as a family, however are considering to start a Bible study in their home too as I proposed for their own benefit. May the Lord recover this family. This meeting was supposed to be just thirty minutes, as I proposed, but it turned out to be three hours long. And we did not feel time went so fast.

Later, I met another family again; mother and son. They were very happy with my visit. With few words of encouragement, I prayed with them. Though I wanted to spend more time in fellowship I had to rush to another family meeting.

Finally, I met another family who is undergoing intense mental pressure due to their grandma's hospitalization for almost two months now. It was just a cherishing time allowing the sister to pour out all her feeling, anxiety, concern, and my simple responsibility is to listen patiently to all she said. In that way, the burden deep within her was all poured out and I prayed for the family.

In words or in deeds, whatever the situation of the saints may be, cherishing them with human love and care, and nourishing them with the divine word and prayer, is a good way of shepherding. All the messages that I have been learning in ministry for shepherding has now been carried out one by one in reality. My next challenge is to bring all the saints to do the same work of shepherding care. Not I alone, but with the saints as the church, then the Lord will revive the church and gain a strong testimony, both in quality and quantity.

Lord, thank You for Your shepherding care. Shepherd us further to carry on the shepherding care of the church.     

Subtle Satan

Last week had been an intense attack subtly by Satan. How events unfolded were noteworthy; a life lesson for precaution. All attacks  were very subtle and it went from one degree to another degree. This attacks were mostly to do with my "Onesimus."  

Many temptations that befalls men are all planned out. It caught the believers unware if he or she is not living and walking by the Spirit and is not grounded and constituted with the word of God. Therefore, the basic failure of every Christian is do with the basic itself, which are very simple and easy. 

It all began with my cousin brother who missed the morning revival time, which is our regular time with the Lord corporately. Than, he missed out on corporate pursuit of the truth and prayer. Then he even missed out on the regular office service. Finally, he missed out any any meeting, either official, church, or family. I know what he has been struggling with; he simply cannot handle finance. The moment there is cash in his hand he will misuse it to his own ruin. For this reason I did not let him have hard-cash the past few months. But as he requested that he would be able to handle this time, I gave him a chance. Few days later, he fell into the same trap of misusing it.

To help him, I have prayed with him, for him, and done all that I could. I literally am running out of option. I often have also been battling between physical restriction and spiritual solution. Often, I weigh the latter more, believing in the work of the Holy Spirit rather than my own natural help. But I discovered, this alone did not suffice. When the physical restriction are not imposed it is too easy for weaker vessel to fall into the tempter's snare. So I tried both the physical restriction and spiritual means of shepherding him. The two must go hand in hand. As much as we trust in the Lord, there must also be corresponding physical support. Blind trust in spirituality may not work all the time. This is what I have discovered, at least. Praise the Lord for all the spiritual lessons.

When he was fully in a defeated state, I quietly helped him by starving him with the physical abusive substances. Yet at the same time, I helped him to exercise his spirit and prayed together with him. This experience of reviving a weak brother has become my way of shepherding people these days.

As long as the Lord tarries His return and we are still alive on this earth, we have to face the world with all satanic attack. But thank God, Christ has overcame the world with its ruler, Satan. Our only responsibility now is to allow Christ to live in me and through me. 

I have been facing the same spiritual attack upon me, my family, and the church at large too. But the Lord has taught me a lesson of turning to Him in prayer. So I emphasized the importance of the church prayer meeting, personal prayer life, and the basic spiritual exercises like Bible reading, morning revival, truth pursuit, and fellowship with fellow members of the Body of Christ. 

Paradoxically, God allows many such attacks in our lives too; for if He wouldn't, it would never have happened. Since He allows in His sovereignty, there are lessons to learn. Not to let go the lessons is the best spiritual lesson to learn. Through such attacks, learn the lessons and we will be victoriously maturing in life.

Satan may and will subtly attack, for he exists for such, but we must simply take Christ as our lives and our living, and he will be, and simply, a defeated foe. Simple spiritual exercises are the best way to counter the subtle attacks of Satan. One need not be a spiritual giant to be an overcomer, a simple Christian with all the basic spiritual exercises suffice to live an overcoming life.  

Blending Fellowship

Finally, brothers, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, think the same thing, be at peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 

Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing, Philippians 2:2 

I am being graced and being blessed to serve in the literature service in India with my fellow brothers in a way of fellowship and coordination. Though we serve One God in the one flow of the one ministry of the age, we serve in different entities with varying functions and responsibilities. Thank God, as we have been serving in this way the Lord has sovereignly ordained; we serve in fellowship with one another and also in fellowship with some more senior and  matured ones. It was through the fellowship of one such matured brother who suggested that all the literature serving ones and those serving in overseeing the Lord's work should come together and have more fellowship and prayer that we began to meet on Tuesdays for the same.

Last Tuesday we just had the first of such fellowship. It was truly of the Lord that we were grant mercy to find time to fellowship. Our relationship and coordination became very sweet and dear. I can personally testify that it has indeed become sweeter and dearer than when we had such fellowship before. Though we serve the Lord together, sometimes, there were some feelings and thoughts within on some matters that did not harmoniously blend as it should be. It was simply due to the deficiency in fellowship. At some points, difference of entities that we serves seems to work as hidden justified barrier in many aspects of our services. Now that the entities that we are involved in have been growing by the year, and the Lord also has been blessing us more  and more, without a proper and adequate check and balance in coordination, it can subtly lead to discord. Fellowship, prayer, blending and building of the serving ones are the remedy to possible anomaly. The Lord knows best and He arranges such a fellowship. To me, this is a great salvation. 

Personally I am not an outspoken person. I have been learning the lesson of obedience, humility, and submission, taking the Lord as all these virtues. But I am not matured yet, and by virtue of my being on the process of growth and maturity, often I tend to go off-track, at least in my feeling or thinking concerning how things should be done. Therefore I need the Body to measure me and balance me. I believe the same applies to others as well. And such blending fellowship balances out different feelings, thoughts, and opinions; and such blending fellowship too will blend and build us into oneness and one accord. I worship the Lord for the timely speaking and leading of the Lord.

We brothers are on our late thirties or early forties, and the responsibilities we bear are great and important, even covering the entire nation. A little misstep or a little discord can damage the Lord's work and His testimony. Therefore, it is imperative for us to be tuned into the same mind, the same thinking, the same speaking; preserving and maintaining the oneness in the Body for the sake of the Lord's interest especially in this country.

Praise the Lord for the blending fellowship! May the Lord continue to grace us to go on in this way of blending, even blended fellowship, for the sake of His testimony and move in India. 

Adieu, My Neighbour...

Last Tuesday morning my wife informed me of my neighbour being taken to hospital on a car in a very serious state. I simply reckon it must have been a heart attack and after the consultation with the doctor, proper medication must have been given and nothing to worry as such. But on the same night, I saw an ambulance parking on their courtyard, and in the morning the next day, throng of people crowed their house. By that time I guestimate that he must have passed away. Yes, I guessed it right.

Later, I visited the bereaved family to enquire and console them. They simply explained the reason for the death was an impromptu heart attack, the first and the last. The decease was the elder brother of  a joint-family and a wealthy and religious man. He had been taking a walk almost daily with his wife as we could see them go out. Death had caught him so suddenly. Irrespective of how much care one has taken on his health or well being, when the time come, it just came. A very natural death but very untimely and unexpected.

 

This news has left a deep impression in me, and in our morning prayer and pursuit, I chose a hymn, Life at best is very brief.  https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1043

Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf,
    Be in time!
Fleeting days are telling fast
That the die will soon be cast,
And the fatal line be passed,
    Be in time!

Be in time! Be in time!
While the voice of Jesus calls you,
  Be in time!
If in sin you longer wait,
You may find no open gate,
And your cry be just too late:
    Be in time! 

Fairest flowers soon decay,
Youth and beauty pass away;
O you have not long to stay,
    Be in time!
While God’s Spirit bids you come,
Sinner, do not longer roam,
Lest you seal your hopeless doom,
    Be in time! 

Time is gliding swiftly by,
Death and judgment draweth nigh,
To the arms of Jesus fly,
    Be in time!
O I pray you count the cost!
Ere the fatal line be crossed,
And your soul in hell be lost,
    Be in time! 

Sinner, heed the warning voice,
Make the Lord your final choice,
Then all heaven will rejoice,
    Be in time!
Come from darkness into light;
Come, let Jesus make you right;
Come, receive His life tonight,
    Be in time!

The fellowship and prayer we had was on the need for urgency in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing people to salvation. Especially the ones we cared for and who are not yet saved. 

Since the time we moved to the house where we are right now, the first burden I had was to pray for the salvation of our neighbour in our community. We did have a good relationship as neighbours but not dear enough to freely go and preach the gospel. When his son got married, a brother and I attended his marriage and gifted the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. That was best gift I could think of. Thereafter, thrice I had met him for some enquiries, and in of which a brother, who is also my house owner, preached the gospel to him.

Something has been hindering us from freely and directly preaching the gospel, though we have been praying from them quite often. When the sad news of his demise was known, I could simply call, "O Lord Jesus!" Now, the burden is on the family members of the bereaved. Only the Lord may grace us to preach the gospel and bring them to salvation in a cordial way, and not to regret until another death strikes.

We did attend the "prayer meeting" for the deceased. We could only let our neighbor know that we do care for them and did our best to maintain a cordial relationship. Much more than this, the gospel has to preached as much as we prayed for them. Lord, save them!

Life, indeed, is very brief. I must aggressive labor to preach the gospel and bring sinners to salvation. This incident is a wake up call.

As for now, adieu, my neighbour...

But not another one without the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.