The Jubilee

As the church, we have been enjoying the Lord's speaking on the Jubilee. In fact, the Lord is also bringing us into an experience of the Jubilee. 25 December being a holiday, we felt good to make use of the day for the gospel meeting with a theme, "The Jubilee!" Therefore, prayer and preparation followed suit.

I personally picked up the burden to design an invitation card and invite all the many contacts the Lord has blessed the church with, throughout the years of shepherding. Most of the new ones have been invited and prayed for.

The greatest blessing in this kind of gospel meeting is the coming together of the saints for prayer, fellowship, and blending. The first benefactors are the saints and the first beneficiaries are also the saints. Such meeting brings in the blessing of God both spiritually and physically too. The Lord honored our prayer and preparation and brought many new ones to fill the entire meeting hall. The meeting went well. The fellowship and blending after the meeting were even more enjoyable. All the saints got the opportunity to function in their own capacity. It was a meeting in the Body, of the Body, and for the Body.

As I talked to the new ones who came for the meeting, I could sense the Lord's work in each one of them. Each of them has been prepared by the Lord for over a period of time through the shepherding and now awaiting harvesting into the church life. May the Lord continue to work on them and fully bring them into the church life to bear His testimony in Gurugram. The best part is, they are all local people of Gurugram who are Hindi speaking, owning their own homes and are being brought in through the practice of the God-ordained way. In faith, I could see them becoming pillars and pillar builders for the Lord testimony in Gurugram.

This gospel meeting is also an indication of what the Lord is doing in the church and also in the city. The prayer and the labor we have been experiencing are beginning to bear forth fruits. It also shows us that the Lord is willing to bless the church and He is preparing us to be able to receive the blessing He has reserved for us. This is also a sure experience of the jubilee: a time of blowing the ram's horn, a shout of joy and exultation, a time of rejoicing and being in ecstasy for all that the Lord is doing in our lives in the church.

Praise the Lord for the Jubilee in the church!

Gates of Hades

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Mathew 16:18

Note on "Gates of Hades" from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version

Gates of Hades refers to Satan's authority or power of darkness (Col. 1:13; Acts 26:18), which cannot prevail against the genuine church built by Christ upon this revelation concerning Him as the rock, with stones such as Peter, a transformed human being. This word of the Lord's indicates also that Satan's power of darkness will attack the church. Hence, there is spiritual warfare between Satan's power, which is his kingdom, and the church, which is God's kingdom.

These days in the church in our locality, the Lord has been training and perfecting us to build up the church by shepherding the saints. As the building work is progressing, the enemy is not happy at all. He seems to intensify his work of attacking the vulnerable saints. His ugly horns have been raised up and we are not ignorant of his schemes.

This reminds me of a hymn by brother Martin Luther, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".

Stanza:

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.

Last week I could suddenly see a visible attack of the enemy on the saints. A brother was brought down to his bed helpless for a couple of days. Another brother suddenly suffered from severe stomach ache almost making him functionless for a gospel meeting in which he was supposed to give the gospel message. The Lord healed him and he still could give the gospel message. A couple was suddenly attacked with a minor misunderstanding trying to stop them from coming to the gospel meeting. The saints visitation later recovered both of them. A family that came into the church life recently suddenly had a marital issue unheard of among believers to the extent of an outburst of anger and ungodly exchange of words. 

When all these things were going on right under my nose, I simply looked up to the Lord with my brothers and exercised the authority God gave the church to bind the enemy. We fellowshipped and prayed over all these matters. This confirms the word of the Lord Jesus concerning how the gates of Hades could not prevail against the builded church. 

I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens. Matthew 16:19

These are all the necessary experiences that the church needs to go through. The church is real, so is the gates of Hades. The attacks are real, so are the words of the Lord and the saints engaging the enemy in spiritual warfare. Though the church goes through such an attack, I take it very positively and victoriously. The Lord in His sovereignty is allowing things so that He can also deal with the saints and perfect them. 

As I and a brother seriously fellowshipped and considered the matters before the Lord, we realized that the Lord is working in the situation to perfect all of us so that we can be proper vessels to contain the Lord and bear His testimony in this city. The Lord will turn all the schemes of the enemy to display His multifarious wisdom. Praise the Lord!

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Mathew 16:18

Lord build Your church in Gurugram!

A Visit from Shillong

Last week a brother from Shillong called me, informing of his coming to Delhi for fellowship and also for his health check-up. My innate reply was, Welcome!

I have not been in touch with this brother for quite a while now. Since he has become an important personality in Meghalaya politics, I did not bother to call him as I know he would be busy with his official responsibilities. Nevertheless, I have been praying for him and a couple of other brothers, and especially for the church in Shillong, that the saints would be fully brought into the oneness, fellowship, blending and building life with the other local churches in the North East and also with the churches all over India and the world. Personally, my heart has always been there for the church in Shillong.

In prayer and fellowship, an arrangement was made for him to stay with another brother. My burden was that there should be more fellowship and blending with more saints. Though I took him around during the day, his night stay was in a brother's house. The next day, as I went to pick him up, I was surprised with a piece of good news by our brother's experience of the Lord's speaking to him concerning 'life", the divine life of God, the mingling of divinity with humanity, and the accomplished works of Christ at the cross. Therefore, he need not worry or be anxious about anything. But simply be in the jubilee, and be joyful!

As we spend time together on Metro to Delhi for his health check-up, I could release my burden and fellowship with him as a brother; freely and frankly. The fellowship points were those that have been in my heart for years concerning the church in Shillong, and how the saints can grow in the divine life and for the Lord's blessing of the church in Shillong. Though his plan was to go back on Lord's day morning, I felt good for him to stay for a few more days. Therefore, brother stayed back for the Lord's day. The exultation, praising, and rejoicing on the Lord's day meeting was marvelous. This was the first Lord's table meeting he ever attended in the church in Gurugram. We enjoyed a wonderful time of praising the Lord, worshipping the Father God, and ministering the word. In the evening I took him for a home meeting where the Lord's speaking was on the importance of the believers' flocking together as the church. The Lord's speaking was very timely. And the following day I took him for shopping and finally dropped him off to the airport.

The Lord used even his physical health as a channel for us to be able to meet and blend together. Though he came primarily for his health check-up, the Lord used the situation for fellowship and blending in the Body. He himself testified that the Lord's hand was behind all his circumstances. He was so thankful to the Lord for His sovereignty in working all things together for good.

Lord, bless my beloved brother, and bless the church in Shillong!

Lover of Man

As God loves us, we must love God and also love what God loves, man. The most famous and common verse is of God's love for man. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life. John 3:16

As being loved by God and gifted an eternal life, we must love whom God loves too. The same blessing is also available to all mankind. God's redemption accomplished by Christ at the cross is for all. But the entire humanity in the world is yet to hear and understand the love of God. Here is the need for preaching the gospel and letting people know God.

Our Savior God desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4

God's desire to save all mankind can happen only when all mankind hears the gospel and believes into the Lord Jesus Christ. For this, the hearing of the word is needed as a direct result of the preaching of the gospel.

So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Now, all the above Bible verses can become practical only when those who already are enjoying the love of God begins to love man and share the same love story to others who are yet to hear the greatest love story ever told, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lovers of man as God loves them are the need of this end time. Only by this love, one can genuinely reach out to the unreached and share the love of God to them. In fact, gospel preaching is the highest service and the Lord's command:

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age. Mathew 28:19 

As the Lord saves people and brings them into the church, they must be shepherded by supply the divine life of God to them regularly as a mother feeds her own children. Supplying with the divine life and shepherding them is the next greatest command the Lord gave.

Then when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was grieved that He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17

As shepherding work is being carried out, there will be a hundred and one problems that we will encounter. Better to encounter the problems faced by our sheep rather than being busy with our own problems. Any genuine shepherd will encounter this and will shepherd the new ones to go through the situation and come out victorious. While we encounter such problems, we should look to the Lord for wisdom how to tread the path wisely and also look for more grace to be able to shepherd the saints. Some immature and graceless person may ignorantly or arrogantly cut off the saint plagued with problems. If that be the case, ultimately all news ones will be cut off. If need be, if the problems faced by the saints are serious, it is even better to weep for the saints. Instead of weeping for our personal and family matters, weeping for the needy saints and for the advancement of the Lord's work is far more worthy. Our tears should not be wasted on self-pity and for selfish goals. Our tears must be reserved for the Lord's purpose. As much as our time, our energy, and all that we possess are for the Lord, so much more, our tears must be for the Lord. If such is the way we shepherd the saints then there will be many blessings and much increase in the church we serve.

For all these, we must be lovers of man by being lovers of God first.

Lord, cause me to be lover of man.

New Beginning

Our church life and our service life here in Gurugram have been upgraded to a new level. The Lord's leading and blessings are undeniable proofs of the Lord's leading us onward. I am personally thankful to the Lord for His sovereign way of leading us onward. To me what He has done recently is more of a new beginning again. Though we have been in this city for over a decade now, the changes or rather an improvement recently, both physically and spiritually, are significant.

The first thing was the new ones getting baptized. Our plan and goal for baptism at the beginning of the year was 12, targeting one baptism per month. But the Lord marvelously gave us 28 baptisms, 233%! And two new families came into the church life solidly with few individual saints. All these new families are being taken care of in their homes in a weekly meeting. Practicing the God-ordained way works, slowly and gradually as life takes time to grow.

On the service side, the Lord has been leading us. Personally, He has led me to cover all the states of India for the introduction and distribution of the ministry of the word. This year, the remaining states out of the 29 states of Inda which I never visited in the past were all visited. There has been a lot of upgrades in our service both in the translation and distribution service. The most significant one is the translation of the New Testament Recovery Version of the Bible into six Indian languages. The Lord has led us to complete till 1 Corinthians as of now. So far, everything is as per schedule.

Besides, our church meeting hall and office rooms were all repainted and flooring works done, giving a new look and the feeling of a new beginning. Things are improving as time passes on. These are the manifested blessings that we can count on as we count our blessing the Lord has been blessing us with; to praise and give thanks to the Lord once again for everything.

With every new day, new week, new month, and new years, there must also be a corresponding new beginning. 

Lord, continue to lead us on...

A Family In Bengaluru

The Lord has His lovers and seekers everywhere. This one in Bengaluru is unique in a way that he diligently paid the price and pursued the ministry of the word. The first time I met him was a few years ago when he had come to Delhi for his son's MBA program when I delivered to him a copy of the Bible, the Recovery Version. Since then he has been purchasing the Bible, especially, the New Testament, Recovery Version, for his relatives and friends. He has also been purchasing the Life-Study of the Bible book by book for their pursuit of the truth.

The testimony of this brother and his wife is amazing. They both studied the Bible, Recovery Version, with footnotes regularly. Then they also pursued the Life-Study of the Bible-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and few others, and have enjoyed the ministry of the word so much. They testified of how much life supply they received from the ministry and how their understanding of the word of God and their minds have been renewed. They were eagerly waiting for fellowship with the saints who are enjoying the ministry. I was especially glad that they wanted to be introduced to the church in Bengaluru, and were also open for a group meeting in their home at least once a week.

I have fulfilled my burden of meeting them this time and hope that they would be shepherded into the church life. I now leave the matter to the Lord and to the church. I am very hopeful that they would be shepherded into the church life.

This is one of the encouraging testimonies in my literature service. When lovers of the Lord and seekers of the truth are supplied with the healthy word, I feel the Lord has blessed my service and I am also fulfilling the purpose for which the Lord has called me to serve.

The ministry of the word is for all, and my burden and service is to make sure that all the lovers of the Lord and seekers of the truth are supplied with the ministry of the word.

Lord, continue to bless my service in the literature service. 

Fifteen Years After

Fifteen years after, I got to meet an ex-classmate of mine in Bengaluru after one of our trainings held in the city. Fifteen years ago, he was a silent classmate I hardly interacted with. But our relationship as a classmate in our Master's degree is still intact. Now that we all are married and are fathering children, our perspectives in life have changed. Having met him have taught me one important lesson: Obeying the Lord to serve Him is the best decision I have ever made. Meeting my friends at college confirmed my decision all the more.

All the ex-classmates I have met so far are all doing well in life. They have all got married and are settled with a good job. Most of them even purchased a house or a land or a piece of property of their own. But they seem to have missed the perfect peace and joy of the presence of the Lord. In spite of a good job, high pay, and all the materialistic things in their possession, they seem to lack what I have been blessed with by the Lord - an inner peace and joy and satisfaction. 

When I met this particular friend, he took no time to reveal all the pressure he has been through at workplace and even at home with his health issue. Immediately, I could sense his need for inner peace and joy which only the Lord Jesus can give. I encouraged him to keep in touch and in fellowship with the brothers in the local church whom I also introduced to him. It was a very timely visit and I could pray for him and his family. By the way, I also took along two brothers from the church to meet him. Perhaps, the Lord would open the door for my friend to participate in the church life. By the way, a group meeting is being held weekly just nearby his house. May the Lord in His time and in His way lead my friend to the full knowledge and enjoyment of the truth. 

The Lord is so good and gracious to me, and He has been faithfully supplying all my needs in abundance; be it spiritual or psychological or even spiritual, the Lord has been so gracious to me. The joy of the Lord is my testimony to my classmates. Before I left, I had the burden to pray for my friend and his family and prayed for them.

I wish and pray that all my classmates, besides being professionally successful, they all also would also love the Lord and be one with Him in bearing His testimony. Hope one day, all the unsaved would be saved, and all the saved would also come to the full knowledge of the truth, bearing the testimony of the Lord Jesus together in the local church. 

Looking forward to the day I would be able to meet the ones I have not met yet even after fifteen years. 

God bless all my ex-classmates.

Perfecting

1 Kings 6:7

And the house, when it was being built, was built of finished stone, cut at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor ax nor any iron tool was heard in the house when it was being built.

Finished Stones 

The stones used for the building of the temple were all "finished stones". The finished stones have all been mined from where they were, perhaps, in a mountain or a valley or a plain or on the bank of a river. They were brought to the quarry where all works of breaking, cutting into a perfect shape for the building took place. There, in the mines and in the quarry, hammer, axe, and iron tools were used to work on the stones to bring it to perfection. Then and only then, they were brought to the site of the temple and were perfectly framed and fitted together, thereby becoming part of the temple. This is a perfect picture of perfecting for the building up of the Body of Christ, the church.

Quarry

According to the Bible, we were made of clay, however, through regeneration and transformation, we become stones for God's building. The significant part is the quarry where the mined stones were processed to perfection.

The Lord has picked us from various backgrounds. Now, wherever He has placed us, He is also perfecting us. Perhaps, at home with wive and children, at the office with colleagues and staffs, in the local church with the saints and new ones. All the happenings in our circumstances are all for the perfecting of us to be the finished stones so that we can be fitly framed into the building of God. 

No Sound

In the site of the building, no noise nor sound was heard. The finished stones were perfectly fitted in their rightful position and there is no adjustment done here. All complaining and murmuring were dealt with at the "quarry" of our Christian life. Only after all the dealings, the finished stones were brought for the actual building of the temple. Therefore, in the proper building of the church, there is no room for "noises and sounds" as the finished stones perfectly fit into one another at their appointed position and function.

What a revelation of the building work is this!

The point at hand now is, as a piece of stone, where are you? At the mine, or at the quarry, or have you been perfected to fit into the building of God’s house at the site of the temple? Consider and know where you are. Perhaps, still in the quarry, as this is the most likely place where we all are right now. All the sound of cutting by hammer, ax, and iron tools proves we are still at the quarry and yet to be perfectly finished.

I confess and acknowledge that I am still in the quarry. The sound of cutting is still clanking within me even if I have started learning to calm down outwardly. The Master Builder is faithfully working on me day and night, cutting and shaping me as He deems best. And I fully open and submit to the Master's faithful hands operating on me, as a Surgeon operates on the patient. Only the Master knows how longer He has to work on me. For His perfecting work, I fully give myself to His wise hands.

Lord, perfect me for Thy building. 

Statistics

Statistics, by definition, is a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data.

It has been a year since the brothers serving the work of the Lord in India has been trumpeting the urgency and importance of maintaining the statistics of the church. I have to confess, I personally was not serious about the statistics of the church I serve, as my understanding of the need for statistics was so vague. My opinion used to be, quantity does not matter as long as we have quality. But the fact is, quality is derived from quantity. If there is no quantity, where will quality come from? Besides, the church in my locality is a small church and it does not warrant detail statistics. But that was my own view.

Now, through the help of brothers from Taiwan, I have been educated to see the importance of maintaining proper statistics. Statistics is not merely numbers on paper. Every number on paper represents the saints. With careful study and interpretation, the real situation of the church is spelled out. It is like the high priest reading the Urim and Thummim and interpreting God’s speaking concerning the Israelites.

By various real-life examples, the Lord has been educating me to maintain proper statistics of the saints in the church in my locality. The result of a student's mark sheet is a numerical record of his or her academic performance. It is a clear pointer to his academic caliber. All parents care for these numbers on the report card of their children. And this is a universal standard of grading in all works of life. So is with spiritual matter too.

God numbered His people, He even has a book called "Numbers". The Lord Jesus too counted His sheep, numbered them and even named them.

John 10:3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Matthew 18:12
What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and seek the one that has gone astray? 

As per the definition of statistics, the statistics of the church is the report card of the church, it spells out exactly the real condition of the church. Number don't lie.

The number of the saints for the following reveals the saints and the church's real condition:

Those attending the Lord's Table Meeting, those who prophesies, those who attends the prayer meeting, those who goes out to preach the gospel, those who goes out to shepherd the saints and new ones, those who pursues the truth by reading the Bible and the ministry books; all these numbers reveal the true condition of the church.

At least, I have been made clear concerning the importance of maintaining proper statistics. 

May the Lord grace me to be a faithful servant-steward in my service to Him in my serving the church by maintaining accurate statistics. 

Prayer

One of the main burdens in the training for the full time serving ones this time at Bengaluru is prayer. Prayer is the key driving force for our Christian life and a Christian work. Prayer must be the first thing a Christian must engage in, before any other services. Prayer must be the source and supply for anything and everything in the Christian life for the church life.

Evangelist Billy Graham had penned three keys for evangelism: prayer, prayer, and prayer. Hudson Taylor had his share in his China Inland Mission with his famous statement, basically of serving the Lord in China: Only through prayer, what was impossible and difficult at best would eventually be done. All servants of God have one thing in common in their ministries whatsoever, prayer. 

In serving the Lord, the first and foremost matter to be taken care of is personal prayer. This is not a once for all but a daily, moment by moment matter. Without an intimate personal fellowship with the Lord, how would one know how to serve the Lord? Without being one with the Lord in prayer there can never be "serving the Lord". 

Besides, the service to the Lord is a Body matter, there is an inevitable need for the leading and responsible brothers to come together in one accord for prayer. Only by such corporate prayer can the brothers know how to shepherd the church. The strength and weakness of a local church are determined by the degree of the prayer of the brothers who oversees and shepherds the saints in the church. 

And much more, all the saints must too stand together in one accord as the church in the church's prayer meeting. The prayer meeting of the church is one of the most important meetings of the church. The church's prayer moves and directs the hand of God in His move. 

Be it personal, family, service, or church, every matter must be prayed for and prayed over thoroughly first. The speaking of the Lord was and still is very strong concerning prayer. I was deeply convicted of the loopholes I allowed in my prayer life. For whatever reason, I should never compromise on prayer. I was freshly awakened to re-establish a strong and stable prayer life. In addition to the normal prayer life I have, I have been graced to re-establish my prayer life. Besides, I am also being burdened to help the saints and the church in my locality to strengthen our prayer life. Therefore, I posted the following to the church in Gurugram's WhatsApp group. 

Prayer Burdens1 Thessalonians 5:17Unceasingly pray.
1 Timothy 2:8I desire therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning;
Daily Personal Prayer at least 30 minutes daily, the more the better.
Daily Family Prayer at least 30 minutes every day. 
Weekly Church Prayer Meeting: Every Saturdays at 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Dear saints, consider this burden of prayer seriously before the Lord. We all should pray that we have a regular and stable prayer life: personal prayer life, family prayer, and church prayer meeting.
Romans 12:12Rejoice in hope; endure in tribulation; persevere in prayer.
Ephesians 6:18By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.
Philippians 4:6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Colossians 4:2Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.
Much grace to us all.

In order to help the saints practically to have a regular, strong and stable prayer life, I also suggested ways to achieve this, by setting time to pray. 

Set Time to PrayTo pray, we need to set time to pray. Fix a definite time every day for prayer.
For personal prayer, we may consider spending 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the noon time, perhaps after lunch, 15 minutes in the afternoon, 15 minutes in the evening, and 15 minutes in the night before going to bed. In this way, at least 1 hour 15 minutes can be sanctified for personal prayer.
Similarly, we can set time for family prayer; morning, after morning revival or evening, after dinner or before bedtime. If your family are not yet saved, it is good to make an appointment with a brother or sister for phone call prayer.
Do your best to attend the church's prayer meeting on Saturdays.
By these ways, we can sanctify and consecrate our time for prayer. Otherwise, the devil will make you feel busy and eat away all your time.
Lord, recover our prayer life!

Gospel Meeting

It was on the 1st of December that we had our Gospel Meeting after a long gap. Though we preached the gospel, brought new ones to salvation and baptism, and have home meetings regularly, we lag behind in gathering our new ones for the gospel meeting. As a church, we prayed and fellowshipped and felt good to have one. Therefore, all preparation was made ready.

This was like a new beginning all over again. The Lord gave us much peace in our arrangement of services. The sisters all coordinated for the physical food preparation and the brothers for the spiritual food of gospel message. As we have been praying for this meeting, the Lord gave us a very good coordination and also brought a good number of new ones.

The unique nature of this meeting was that the two testimonies of salvation were shared by a sister and a brother who were both saved from a Hindu background and both of them are native Hindi speakers. They both testified in Hindi. That was one key point in the gospel meeting among the local Hindi people here in Gurugram.

Besides, the main message of the gospel meeting was also translated orally to Hindi with the concluding word on leading the new ones to receive the Lord with an explanation on baptism. 

The message was taken from the gospel of John 6 and 7 on taking Jesus into out "boat"  and coming to the Lord to drink of the Spirit to be satisfied. 

John 6:16-21

And when evening fell, His disciples went down to the sea, and they got into a boat and began crossing the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. And because a strong wind was blowing, the sea was churning. Then, when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they became frightened. But He said to them, It is I. Do not be afraid.  Then they were willing to take Him into the boat; and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

John 7:37-39

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 

The hymn on "Coming to the Lord" was sung over and over again as a prayer to come to the Lord.

I hear Thy welcome voice,
  That calls me, Lord, to Thee,
For cleansing in Thy precious blood
  That flowed on Calvary. 

I am coming, Lord,  Coming now to Thee:Wash me, cleanse me in the blood    That flowed on Calvary.

The meeting was truly blessed by the Lord. Out of two gospel candidates who received the Lord, one of them got baptized! 

Though this was officially a gospel meeting, it was also a time for the new ones and the saints to gather together. After the meeting, the saints enjoyed a good time of fellowship and blending over the lovefeast dinner.

Such a gospel meeting should be more frequent and regular as a harvest of the labor on gospel preaching. Praise the Lord!

May the Lord save more and more people for His testimony.

Time with a Brother

Two weeks ago a brother from USA came to visit India for a training class at FTTND. By the way, he also spent a couple of days with the saints in the church in Grurugram. I was privileged to be able to pick him from the Airport, drive him around, and took him to different meetings of the church. In fact, I have been learning how to give hospitality to the visiting saints. I have enjoyed much hospitality in many localities in different parts of the world. As much as I enjoyed the saints' love and care, I am reciprocating the same within my capacity. 

Time with the brother was a good time of learning for me. Not merely in physical matters of taking care of a "guest" but much more in the matter of spiritual and mutual fellowship. Every time I drove him, we enjoyed praying together for different burdens as the Lord led us to pray. At times, we fellowshipped on different matters and learn from one another. In fact, it was this brother who inspired me in the matter of giving hospitality to the saints. Because he himself was the one who took care of us when we visited California last July. He had been with us and driving us around the entire Bay area of California, and took us to different localities for fellowship, blending, and church visit. I personally was very impressed by his sense of duty and responsibility despite he not even been a "full-timer." He really served us like a full-timer. To me, he was a wonderful pattern in serving the saints and the church, though he himself had not officially served a full-timer. Praise the Lord for such a wonderful pattern; a very human yet divine way in which he cared for us. It was a blessing to learn from him and a privilege to be able to serve him when he visited my locality. 

Praise the Lord for such a brother!

Family Day Out

Last Friday being a holiday for my children, my wife and I decided to take a day out with all the children. The day out was mostly for the purpose of health checkup from Tibetan healthcare center using natural cure technique for healing. I have heard of this technique from different people but have never gone myself. I decided to go and find out for myself by consulting the "doctor" and checking them out. Perhaps, that was the first time all the members of our family did a health consultation. Though we did not have any specific disease, for health sake, we got some naturally blended health products. It was more of a prevention rather than cure approach and backed up with health supplements.

Besides, we also enjoyed a time together over Tibetan meal. Eating out as a family was overdue for our family. We clubbed the matter of eating out and health check-up together and enjoyed a family day out.

Time with the family was much needed. Despite my busy schedule I often need to spend time with my growing children. They are very precious; my wife and I are really blessed with wonderful children. My bonding with my children, especially my son, became sweeter and sweeter these days. The two girls are sometimes too smart to handle; they know exactly how to convince me with what they want from me. Out of my love for them, in most cases, I comply with their "demands" as I deemed them OK for their ages for now. The point is, spending time together with the family is a great joy! Family life is God's gift. Family life also typifies, in miniature, God's big family life- the church life. What a blessing to have a family and be a part of the family! 

God bless my family! God bless the church life!

Afternoon Revival

Two weeks ago, a brother and I visited a new one who has been in contact for the past ten years but has never been properly shepherded nor brought into to the church life. Our visit that day was a turning point for this family, though for me it was my first visit. The Lord used that visit to get introduced to the family and I also invited him to come over to my house for a lovefeast.

A week later, the family came to our home for a lovefeast. Though we met for the first time, the fellowship and bonding were very sweet. Parent and parent with children and children; a wonderful time of bonding and blending! Hope one day, we all will be built up together in the church.

The meeting on Saturday night was so enjoyable that the brother opened up his spiritual situation. It was all very clear that the Lord has been working on him and his family, and the time has come now for them to be shepherded into the church life. The many years of shepherding have begun to yield fruit. I firmly believe, the Lord is faithful to reward all the labor put in by the saints. Discerning his need, I fellowshipped on the matter of the church using relevant Bible verses, briefed him on the church history, expounded some crucial portions of the word on the ministry and the Body of Christ, and also gifted him with a New Testament Recovery Version Bible and HWMR Crystallization-study on Leviticus Vol. 4.

The following Lord's day, the Lord burdened me about this family, especially the brother. I was led to send a text message if I could spend time with him over the phone in the afternoon for an "afternoon morning revival." He replied back emphatically with an agreement on my proposal. Therefore, beginning from the following Monday, I have been enjoying a time of afternoon revival with him over the phone; pray-reading Bible verses, reading through the text of HWMR, sharing and fellowshipping over the crucial points and ending with prayer. To my surprise, the brother's grasp of the truth was amazing; the Lord has already prepared him to receive the ministry of the word. We could easily get into the same flow in our pursuit of the ministry of the word. Most importantly, he amened to all the points of truths and received the word of God as a hungry and thirsty seeker and lover of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am so glad, that the Lord blessed and filled my hands with new ones. In shepherding I am being shepherded. And in such a process, my understanding and enjoyment of the truths have become richer and higher. Praise the Lord for the afternoon revival!

I have been blessed with morning revival in the morning with my family, in the afternoon with a brother over the phone, and in the evening with another brother. Hallelujah, for the revival in the morning, revival in the afternoon, and revival in the evening!

Glory, Glory, and Glory

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me.Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Mathew 5:10-12

It was on the 3rd of Nov 2018 that my father was called by the highest authority in the village, Peikai, to clarify his stand, basically, our family's stand, on the village dictate of everyone participating in the rituals of the tradition and custom of the Rongmei Naga which from ages have been handed down from generation to generation. The Lord graced my father to stand for the truth that there can be no compromise on our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we professed; that we cannot participate in the rituals of the villages whatsoever as we have been saved and have become Christians and have forfeited the old heathen traditional religion of our forefather in the flesh; that we will not and cannot compromise on our standing for the truth; and that the village authority may take whatever action if they deem our faith and standing for the truth of the Bible as a violation of the pagan practices of primitives. The action taken for our stand for the truth was, in a single word, ex-communication. This means that none of our family members can communicate either verbally or in visitation with any of the other villagers and vice versa.  

When the decision was conveyed to me in our family fellowship, my first reaction was, "Glory, glory, glory...to the true and living God!" We have been graced and counted to be persecuted in such a glorious way we do not deserve. The Bible verses that came to me are the Lord's word as quoted above: Blessed are you..., Blessed are you..., and Rejoice and Exult...

I felt like the glory of God has finally been bestowed on our family. I could imagine our two families, my family and my aunt's family, in our village who are in the church life are like to pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night. And that we have come nearer to what the Lord has promised us, what we are and what we should be - the salt of the earth and the light of the world in Mathew 5:13-16.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything except to be cast out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. It is impossible for a city situated upon a mountain to be hidden.
Nor do men light a lamp and place it under the bushel, but on the lampstand; and it shines to all who are in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

I also reckon this incident as a direct answer to our prayer for the salvation of my village Keikhu and my own people in the flesh, the Rongmei Naga. As we have been praying regularly, the hand of the Lord has started to move. This is the first step of separation that is very much needed as we live in the midst of the heathen. What will follow is sanctification by the blood of Jesus Christ and saturation by the life of God. This first step has stamped a clear-cut distinction between the believers and the non-believers. It is like crossing the "red sea" so that there can be no going back to "Egypt." I see this as an answer to our prayer for my younger brother too. What man cannot sanctify positionally, God has to do it by all means. Therefore, whatever has transpired was the Lord's doing; His invisible leading hand behind the visible. 

Since the incident, our prayer for the salvation of our village Keikhu and the Rongmei Naga has been much more intensified, with much more faith, and with much more hope. My overall reaction is to simply thank the Lord and give Him all the glory. 

Glory, glory, glory to God the Father who planned,

Glory, glory, glory to God the Son who accomplished,

Glory, glory, glory to God the Spirit who applies.

Salvation to Keikhu! Salvation to the Rongmei Naga!

Coordination in the Body

The most important experience in the recent World Christian Expo 2018 at Mumbai was the coordination in the Body. The church in Mumbai was so burdened for contacting seeking believers in the city. They have been praying for the Lord to gain many more saints for the increase of the church. Christian exhibition that we attended was a good opportunity to contact seeking believers. The church had arranged everything for our hospitality. Besides, some saints would come every day during the exhibition to be with us. Sometimes, they invited us for a meal to their homes, other times they brought a meal for us at the exhibition center, and other time they brought tea, snack, and fruits. We enjoyed the love and care of the saints. Praise the Lord for the Body!

The coordination, love, care, and concern of the saints touched us so deeply. In return, we strongly prayed that the Lord would gain five seeking families. The number "five" was an instantaneous burden the Lord gave us as we prayed in our corporate prayer. Our burden became very strong when we realize the church in Mumbai needs a strong testimony. The city is the financial capital of India, and we have the burden that the Lord must gain a strong testimony in this city.

Faithful is the Lord and He ever will be. As we prayed for five seeking families, the Lord gave us five seeking families for the church to follow up. During the five days exhibition, we know who are the genuine seekers and who are not. There is a principle by which we know the genuineness of a seeker: A genuine hunger and thirst for the word of God, an ardent love for the Lord Jesus Christ and an appreciation for the ministry of the word. Two such seeking brothers came and fellowshipped with us at length. Both had left the denomination they were in before, and both are meeting with few believers at homes and pursuing the word. Both of them also have few other families with them with the same burden. Both of them also meets in small groups in the suburban area of Mumbai, thereby, opening new doors for the Lord's testimony to be raised in two new cities, Besides these two brothers, there are also sisters in three groups, all of them received the ministry books and are open for further follow up. May the Lord gain all these ones for His testimony in Mumbai.

In addition to the seeking believers, there are also seeking unbelievers from Muslim and Hindu background. The Lord brought them to come into contact with us. We preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them. They all heard the word, and two men among them genuinely received the Lord. These two also were gifted with the New Testament Bible. 

We pray that the Lord would fully recover the five seeking families into the church life in Mumbai, and also raise up two new local churches, in Vasai and Virar. Though we did not witness many attendees during the exhibition as expected, we definitely thank the Lord for bringing some genuine seekers whom He has sovereignly reserved. We praise the Lord for all His arrangement. 

Lord, bless the church in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Thane, Kalyan Dombivali and gain the entire stare of Maharastra!

Seeker, Seeker, and Seeker

The Lord has His chosen ones everywhere. It is for this reason that we came all the way to Mumbai to attend a World Christian Expo 2018. Our main burden is for the introduction and distribution of the ministry of the word. It is in an expo like this that the genuine seekers will come to search for what they have been thirsting and hungering for. We are willing to pay the price to participate in such an event mainly to attract seekers to the Lord through the ministry of the word. The Lord knows our burden and has been blessing us too.

Here are seekers who came and found the Lord and His heart's desire.

A Seeking Christian 

A brother who received a book from our stall on the first day of the expo came again to get hold of more ministry books. Besides purchasing a bag full of books including the Holy Bible Recovery Version, I also fellowshipped with him on some crucial aspects of the truths concerning Christ and the church. 

Our fellowship began with "sonship" -being born of God in His life and nature, then "priesthood" -being called to serve as holy and royal priesthood, then "the ministry" -being the perfecting of the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ, "the church" -being the Body of Christ comprising every genuine believers irrespective of time and space with her local expression in a locality, and finally the present day recovery of these truths with its life practices. The seeking brother was so amazed and joyful that he finally found us, as he out of his spiritual draught and desperation, left the denomination he used to be in. Now he meets with few believers at home, following the pattern in the book of Acts. I was so glad as much as he was too, to have met each other. It was definitely for seeker like him that a price need to be paid to receive him into the flock of God. 

May the Lord fully recover him into the church life in Mumbai and may He also recover the church in Vasai, the families of believers he has been shepherding.

A Seeking Muslim 

A group of young men came to our stall and were addressed by a brother, introducing the word of God. When they were done, I got the opportunity to speak to them. One of them introduced himself as a Muslim, truly seeking for the true God. That statement was a shot in my arm. 

I testified of how I found the true and living God at the age of nineteen. I encouraged them to open to God and ask Him to reveal Himself to them. Since He is God, He would definitely reveal Himself. I also told them not to seek God in religion. Religion is serving God without God Himself. Debating over holy scriptures of different religions leads to nowhere. It is only religion that divides people. The true and living God has no religion. He is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the very God incarnate and is now the Spirit to be receivable and dispensable. In Christ Jesus is the answer to all questions on God and in Him is the end of all spiritual search. He must be experienced subjectively, not merely known. And He can be experienced by simply calling upon His name, Lord Jesus Christ, and praying to receiving Him as life and life supply, and believing into Him. The seeking man was gifted with a New Testament Recovery Version. May the Lord save them soon!

A Seeking Hindu 

A young man walked into the expo with a quest to learn something about God. The Lord sovereignly brought him to our stall. He introduced himself as a believer in Jesus but a Hindu by religion. His statement truly caught my attention. On further conversation, I discovered that he is an MBA student from Yale University  USA. Since I know of a professor from Yale University, he immediately requested me to introduce to him and the brothers in Yale at the University or its vicinity. He being so seeking for God, I deemed it best to preach the gospel afresh, and I showed him crucial Bible verses and lead him to receive the Lord. He prayed to receive the Lord and was so happy. A New Testament Recovery Version was gifted to him for his daily study.

At least for these genuine seekers, it is worth paying every price to shepherd them to the true Shepherd and the true living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the flock of God, the church. 

Leprosy in the Bible

The first time I heard about leprosy as a spiritual sin due to rebellion was when a rebellion actually happened in the local church where I was recovered into the church life when I was a student fifteen years ago. Later, through the ministry of the word, the truth and spiritual significance concerning leprosy has become clearer and clearer. My appreciation of this subject became so enjoyable when I entered into the in-depth study on the Crystallization-study of Leviticus and when I studied point by point in the Holy Word for Morning Revival. Every day for the past week as I enjoyed the Lord's speaking I could not help but share it to some select group of believers. Finally, what I shared became a whole message; all credit to the minister of the age who ministered the ministry of the word and the publisher, Living Stream Ministry.

Leviticus 13:2-3When a man has a swelling or an eruption or a bright spot on the skin of his body, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. And the priest shall look at the infection in the skin of the body; and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the appearance of the infection is deeper than the skin of his body, it is the infection of leprosy. When the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean.

Leprosy signifies the serious sin issuing from within man, such as willful sin, presumptuous sin, and opposing God with determination (Lev. 13).

As seen in the cases of Miriam (Num. 12:1-10), Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27), and Uzziah (2 Charon. 26:16-21), leprosy issues from rebellion against God’s authority, against God’s deputy authority, against God’s regulation,and against God’s economy.

In the biblical sense, sin is rebellion; thus, leprosy signifies sin (1 John 3:4). The first case of sin in the Bible was Satan’s rebellion against God; hence, sin as rebellion was invented, inaugurated, by the rebellious archangel Lucifer (Ezek. 28:13-18; Isa. 14:12-15). Eventually, this sin, this leprosy, entered into mankind through Adam, and having entered into man, it issues from within man as many kinds of sins, that is, many manifestations of rebellion (Rom. 5:12, 19a; 7:20). Hence, a leper represents the fallen descendants of Adam, all of whom are lepers; as signs of leprosy, a swelling, eruption, or a bright spot on the skin of one’s flesh signifies man’s outward expressions in unruliness, in friction with others, and in pride and self-exaltation (Lev. 13:2). The condition in Leviticus 13:24-25 signifies that a saved person’s acting by the flesh, that is, his losing his temper, his justifying himself, and his not being willing to forgive others, is a sign of spiritual leprosy.

The Cleansing of the Lepers

Leviticus 14:1-3Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest, And the priest shall go forth outside the camp. Then the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper.

The matter of [the] cleansing [of the leper] is the all-inclusive salvation God has prepared and accomplished for us. Here we see a Christ who is all-inclusive. He has the blood, the Spirit, and everything we need to be cleansed. In Him we have the rich, complete, and extensive provision of God’s salvation. We all need to know this cleansing, this salvation, and experience it in full.

The leper being brought to the priest [in Leviticus 14:2] signifies an unclean person being brought to the Lord. In preaching the gospel we are actually bringing unclean persons, sinners, to the Lord. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 365)

The priest going outside the camp to examine the leper (Lev. 14:3a) signifies the Lord Jesus leaving His original place and humbling Himself to be nigh to the sinner.…

Seeking for Healing and Cleansing from Our Spiritual Leprosy

In Leviticus 14:4-9 we see that the leper who was to be cleansed needed to seek for cleansing before God. This signifies that the one who is sick of the sin of leprosy, although he has been healed by the life within, still needs to have his shortcomings and defilement dealt with before God that he might be cleansed. Cleansing from leprosy requires not only the action from God’s side but also the coordination from our side. As lepers, as sinners, we need to seek for cleansing. Our seeking is our cooperation with God’s grace and love.

Healing and Cleansing

The one who had been healed of leprosy still needed to be cleansed. To be healed is one thing, and to be cleansed is another.

The Process of Cleansing from Our Spiritual Leprosy: Two Living Clean Birds

Leviticus 14:4-5Then the priest shall command that two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet strands and hyssop be taken for the one who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered in an earthen vessel over running water.

These two birds,which are clean and full of life, are types of Christ. Christ is here typified by the bird life, the life that is able to fly in the air above the earth.

Birds

Birds are able to transcend the earth. The birds in verse 4 signify that Christ came from the heavens and that He belongs to the heavens and transcends the earth.

Living

The live birds signify that Christ is full of life. He is living because He is full of life.…

Clean

The clean birds here signify that only Christ is clean and is without any defilement. In this matter, Christ and we are opposite. With us everything is unclean; with Him everything is clean. We are uncleanness, but He is cleanness.

Two

The two birds signify, on the one hand, that Christ died for us that our filthiness might be taken away and, on the other hand, that He rose for us that we might be delivered from our weakness. Christ died on the cross to take away our sins. This is typified by the first bird. Christ rose from among the dead for us that we might be delivered from our weakness by the power, strength, and energy of life. This life is the resurrection life, life in resurrection. It is also the divine life, the eternal, uncreated life of God. We receive this life from the resurrected Christ, who is typified by the second bird. Hence, these two birds signify two aspects of Christ—Christ in crucifixion and Christ in resurrection. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 365-367)

The Process of Cleansing from Our Spiritual Leprosy: Cedar Wood, Hyssop, Scarlet Strands, Earthen Vessel Over Running Water, Sprinkling of Blood

Leviticus 14:5-7And the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered in an earthen vessel over running water. As for the living bird, he shall take it and the cedar wood and the scarlet strands and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the running water. And he shall sprinkle it on the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times and shall pronounce him clean. Then he shall let the living bird go into the open field.

Cedar Wood

Cedar wood (cf. 1 Kings 4:33) signifies the honorable and uplifted humanity of Jesus, which enables Him to be our Savior. 

Hyssop

Hyssop, being one of the smallest plants, signifies that the Lord Jesus was willing to become lowly in His “becoming in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7) that He might be near to man and become man’s Savior (cf. Matt. 8:2-3). 

Scarlet

Scarlet, a dark red color, signifies the shedding of blood and also implies kingship (27:28-29).

All of this signifies that in order to cleanse us from our leprosy, the Lord lowered Himself to become a man of high standard but of low status that He might do the will of God and shed His blood on the cross for our redemption, thereby being glorified in His resurrection and becoming the honorable and high King (Phil. 2:5-11).

Earthen Vessel and Living Water

The earthen vessel signifies the humanity of Jesus (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7), and the living water signifies the living and eternal Spirit of God (John 7:37-39; Rev. 22:1); the bird being killed in an earthen vessel over living water signifies that through His death in His humanity the Lord Jesus offered Himself to God through the eternal and living Spirit who was within Him (Heb. 9:14).

Hebrews 9:14How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Sprinkling of Blood

The sprinkling of the blood of the slain bird on the leper who was to be cleansed signifies that the blood shed by Christ was sprinkled on us, the sinners (1 Pet. 1:2), and this sprinkling connects us to Christ, the Redeemer; the sprinkling of the blood seven times signifies the completeness of the cleansing of the Lord’s blood (1 John 1:7, 9).

Leviticus 14:6-7a…signifies that the Lord’s perfect redemption not only causes man to be cleansed objectively in his position, but also causes man to experience subjectively in the Holy Spirit the Lord’s suffering in shedding His blood in His noble, high, and lowly humanity, and to experience His death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification. All these matters are implied in the type. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 368-369) 

The Process of Cleansing from Our Spiritual Leprosy: Washing Clothes and Shaving Hair

Leviticus 14:8-9And the one who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but he shall dwell outside his tent seven days. And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair; he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

This signifies that, on the one hand, a sinner who is to be cleansed needs to experience Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension and, on the other hand, he needs to bear the responsibility himself to deal with and cut off all that is of his old 9living and natural life. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 371)

The leper has to “shave off all his hair…and bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean” (v. 9). The hair, which is something grown out from a man’s body, signifies the difficulties within ourselves. Therefore, shaving the hair means dealing with the difficulties of our own self.This is the work of the cross in dealing with our being. After one passes through the dealing of the cross, his whole being is cleansed in a practical way. This kind of dealing is not once for all; it must be repeated again and again to become thorough.

The shaving of the hair of the leper for his cleansing signifies dealing with the difficulties of the self, which is the enemy of the Body; *the razor signifies the cross* (Lev. 14:9).

Hair

The hair of the head signifies the glory of man; everyone has his boasts in certain areas; some boast of their ancestry, some of their education, some of their virtues, some of their zeal in their love for the Lord; almost everyone can find an area in which to boast, to glorify himself, and to make a display before man.

Beard

The beard signifies the honor of man; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality; they always have a superior feeling that they are above others. The eyebrows signify the beauty of man; we have naturally good and strong points, which did not issue from the experience of God’s salvation but from natural birth.

Body

The hair of the whole body signifies the natural strength of man; we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we are capable of doing all things.

When all the aspects of the self are dealt with through the “razor” of the cross, and when we have nothing and are nothing, we shall be clean (cf. Phil. 3:7-11). We should utterly reject the self by doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit to dispense Christ into one another for the sake of the Body of Christ.

The leper’s shaving of his entire body, washing his clothes, and bathing his flesh a second time after waiting and watching seven days (Lev.14:9) signifies that a sinner who is to be cleansed needs to bear the responsibility for dealing with every part of his natural life and daily walk; this shows that if we deal with our sin and our sinful self seriously, in a definite, thorough, and absolute way, we shall be clean.

The Process of Cleansing Our Spiritual Leprosy in the Church

The house in Leviticus 14…typifies the church as our house, our home, and the leprosy in a house signifies sins and evils in the church (vv. 33-48).…[Verse 36b] signifies that the Lord or the apostle comes to examine. This kind of examination is not a matter of condemnation; rather, it is a kind of grace for healing.…[Leviticus 14:39-40] signifies that after the observation of a complete period of time, if the problem of the church is still spreading, the believer or believers involved in the problem should be removed from the fellowship of the church and be considered unclean, like the outsiders (cf. 1 Cor. 5). This means that when the church is sick of a certain disease, the elders should first observe the situation. If the problem is becoming worse, the source of the problem—the believer or believers who have become involved in the disease—should be removed from the fellowship, the communication, of the church in order to stop the spread of the disease and to eliminate the disease. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 385, 387-388)

Remove

Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take out the stones on which the infection is and throw them away outside the city into an unclean place.

Romans 16:17 Now I exhort you, brothers, to mark those who make divisions and causes of stumbling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them.

Titus 3:10 A factious man, after a first and second admonition, refuse.

The removing of the infected stones after seven days (Lev. 14:40) signifies that after the observation of a complete period of time, if the problem of the church is still spreading, the believer or believers involved in the problem should be removed from the fellowship of the church and be considered unclean, like the outsiders; this is done to stop the spread of the disease and to eliminate the disease (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10).

Replace

Leviticus 14:42 And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other plaster and replaster the house.

Putting other stones in the place of the removed stones (Lev. 14:42a) signifies using other believers (1 Pet. 2:5) to fill in the gap.

Renew

The replastering of the house with other plaster (Lev. 14:42b) signifies the renewing of the church with new experiences of the Lord’s gracious works; this is needed for a new start in the church life.

Break Down

Leviticus 14:45 And he shall break down the house, its stones and its timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall bring them outside the city into an unclean place.

The breaking down of the house after the infection of leprosy returns (v. 45) signifies that if the situation of the church reaches the point where it cannot be cured, healed, that church should be terminated (cf. Rev. 2:5).

Healed and Cleansed

Leviticus 14:48 But if on the other hand the priest comes in and looks, and if the infection has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the infection has been healed.

If no sin is spreading after the renewing of the church with the new experiences of the Lord’s gracious works, the church is clean and has no problem; the whole church needs to be cleansed with the eternally efficacious blood of Christ and His eternal and living Spirit so that the church is fully clean to be the mutual dwelling of God and man (Lev. 14:48-53; Heb. 9:14; 10:22; 1 John 1:9; Titus 3:5; John 14:2, 23).