Brother Andrew Yu

In Memory of Brother Andrew Yu

With Br. Andrew Yu, 11 July 2016, LSM Campus, on Monday morning after serving one's fellowship.

I first met Brother Andrew Yu in person on 3rd July, Lord’s day morning at a restaurant in Anaheim over breakfast where I presented the budget for the Recovery Version translation in 6 Indian languages. The meeting was all related to the translation project and I did not have any personal fellowship, it was an official meeting as we prepared for the colossal work of translating the New Testament into 6 languages simultaneously. This is, by far, the most any literature center has taken up a project. Everything, to me, was the Lord's sovereignty and it is He who has been leading us through and through all this years. 

After the semiannual training, on the 11th of July 2016 I was invited to attend the serving ones' fellowship at LSM Campus on Monday morning. After the pursuing on a chapter from The Character of the Lord’s Workers, brother Andrew Yu spoke and surprised me. He said something like, "Today we have a brother from India and he will share with us his testimony; how he got saved, how he came to the church life, and how the propagation in India is going on, and how the distribution of the ministry books is done in India." I took that as the Lord’s arrangement and exercised my spirit to speak though it was an impromptu announcement. Then I testified of how the Lord saved me, how the Lord led me to His recovery, and how the Lord blessed His move in India especially through the distribution of the ministry of the word.  After my testimony and sharing, brother Andrew Yu encouraged all the saints present in the meeting to pray for India. After the meeting I went to greet him, shook hands, and took the photo together. That was perhaps the only personal interaction I had with him.

On 20th Dec 2020, I was at court premises in Gurugram, stamping and notorising the copyright agreements signed between LSM and the translators in India when I saw a message from my wife about brother Andrew Yu being taken to glory. I felt sorrowful for the great loss yet I thanked the Lord for such a faithful brother who indeed has been a pattern to many young serving ones like me. May the Lord continue to raise many young serving ones who would be faithful, diligent, and prudent in service, especially in the literature service.

Today, I received a message from Brother Jerusalem about Brother Andrew Yu's memorial day service which I attended online, being held by the Gospel Work in Taiwan. I was amazed at the capacity and gift our brother had in his lifetime. His service, to my understanding, is a fruitful one spanning the whole globe. His burden to propagate the ministry of the word, and his labor to bring out the Collected Works of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and his burden to defend and confirm the truth are proofs of the special gifts the Lord had bestowed upon. To me, its glorious! I am glad and feel blessed to have such a pattern to learn from. I would personally thank the Lord for such a brother who had gone before me. Praise the Lord!

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with you all.

Philippians 2:17

For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure is at hand.

2 Timothy 4:6

 But you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, endurance. 2 Timothy 3:10

These are the Bible verses that describes him best. Some of the exerpts from his memorial service are below:

In 1994 Brother Lee had the burden to publish the journal Affirmation and Critique to defend and confirm the pure and orthodox truths among us for the English-speaking Christians. Brother Andrew immediately invited some Chinese-speaking co-workers to participate in the writing of the Chinese edition of Affirmation and Critique. As he had been nurtured by Brother Lee over a

long period of time, Brother Andrew had a deep knowledge of Brother Lee's inner burden and was thus always able to carry out his burden strongly and absolutely.

In 2000, in a fellowship with the co-workers in Taiwan, Brother Andrew earnestly said that he had no thought of reputation and position and only hoped to follow the ministry singleheartedly, and he vowed to remove all stigmas and accusations against Brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee during his lifetime. Eventually, our brother truly spared no effort in this endeavor until his death. For the defense and confirmation of the truth, Brother Andrew encouraged co-workers to endeavor to attend any truth seminars or theological forums held in China. In addition, he also encouraged brothers in other countries to hold similar forums and invite scholars from different fields to participate in the discussion. This caused people from various backgrounds to have a reversal in their understanding regarding the orthodoxy of the theology in the Lord s recovery.

With regards to the completion of the entire set of 62 volumes of The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, and the entire set of 138 volumes of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, Brother Andrew not only was tireless in the areas of planning, coordinating, and supervising, but much more, he was personally involved in the areas of collecting the materials, editing, translating, and publishing. Take The Collected Works of Watchman Nee as an example, Brother Andrew went all over the world to search for and collect materials. As long as there was any clue of where the materials were, he would not give up. After the Chinese version of The Collected Works of Watchman Nee was published, there was the need to translate it into English. At that time, it was not easy to find someone who was fluent in both Chinese and English and could properly translate Chinese into English both faithfully and elegantly. Without any hesitation, Brother Andrew took up this enormous burden. Regardless of how busy his service was, he set the goal for himself to translate 30 pages a day and thus tirelessly and diligently completed this difficult task. Actually, oftentimes he worked late into the night, without sleep or rest.

Another exceprt from Brother Andrew Yu's testimony:

I remember this story. So, going back to the matter of buying the air-ticket, bro. Lee did not respond to that brother’s question. But in the following week, in a fellowship with a number of brothers, he mentioned about living by faith. The week before when the brother asked that question, bro. Lee did not reply. One week later, what he spoke was the answer. I also received an answer. That is, to serve the Lord we need to live by faith.

When the working ones hear about living by faith, they will turn pale. But our Lord is the All-mighty One who is real and living. He is living to bro. Nee and bro. Lee, and He should also be living to you. How far your faith is, how much His faithfulness will be manifested. Serving the Lord is like this. It is impossible to be rich. It is also impossible to starve. These two lines summarize my testimony. That time bro. Lee told me, “You consider so much and still you are not clear. For me, in two weeks everything is clear.” That time, my wife was still working. So her earning is a “reserve” to me. I also have one year of savings. So I thought, I would take one step at a time. I did not announce that I became a full-timer. I only gave all my time privately. One time, bro. Lee said next to me and said, “How come you still have not made it clear?” I felt very ashamed, seemed I was still dragging along. Anyhow, some people ran faster, some went slower, the Lord did not mind. Some people struggle for three years or five years, and the Lord still bears. The important thing is to follow the Lord’s leading and not arrangement by people.

That time I spent all my time to help bro. Lee. But bro. Lee is not my Lord. Only the Lord Jesus is my Lord. When I can give my portion I give and serve Him. No matter what we do, we are serving the Lord, and we are responsible to Him. Then the Lord will be responsible for us. We are the same as Peter. We do not have faith. That’s why the record in John 21 is very human. It is the test that we often face. Anyway, Jesus is Lord.

In 2004 I fell sick. At the end of that year, I counted, from 1979 (when I started to serve the Lord privately) until the end of last year, I have served the Lord for 25 years. At 3 a.m. on 1 January 2005, I woke up and prayed to the Lord, “Lord, in the past 25 years, it was so valuable. Along the way, you have been holding my hands, it was so sweet. Outwardly I was serving people and things, inwardly I was serving You. Lord, I did not have any interest in this world. I consecrated everything to you. But if you have mercy on me, I pray that you can give me another 25 years, so that I can live another 25 years of such a worthwhile life. This is my only hope.” I don’t know if the Lord heard my prayer. Anyway, it is His mercy that I can serve Him until today. I thank the Lord from the deepest part of my being. My fellowship ends here.

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful pattern of a propagator of the ministry of the word!

Prayer of the Age

Last Lord's day I was asked to lead the saints in PSRP on the message on the prayer of the age just before the actual meeting began. The brothers who were assigned for the work could not make it at the last minute. So I and another brother had to take up the assignment impromptu. No issue at all. I took it as an opportunity to handle the word in season and out of season. By the Lord's mercy, I have the grace to be able to take up impromptu assignment even at the spar of the moment. Years of learning the truth in the church life have made this possible. The key point in the ministry of the word is the Spirit. As long as I exercised my spirit the word will be living and full of life supply.

The prayer of the age is the prayer of the church as the Body of Christ, the prayer that exercises the authority of Christ as the ascended Lord and Head of the Body, for the fulfilling of God’s economy—Isa.45:11; 62: 67; Ezek. 36:37; Matt. 18:18, 19. This is a direct quotation from the ministry outline. I was so enlightened to see the point in praying the prayer of the age. The principle of the prayer of the age is; firstly God has a need, then, He reveals His need to men who are one with Him and could discern His will, then such men pray back the will of God to God, and finally, God answers the prayer made according to His will. Here, the underlying point is, "God's will."

Now, many Christian misquoted the verse in the gospel of Matthew: 

Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. Matthew 18:18-19

There is a need to pray a prayer as taught by the Lord Jesus, but not merely in being in harmony. Many Christians simply pick the point, "if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens." So they bring out their own will, share with other Christians and claim this verse. But they forgot to see the previous verse which says, "Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Here, the point again is, we can bind and loose on earth what God wills to bind and loose in the heavens. The will of God is predetermined. We have to exercise to be one spirit with the Lord to discern the Lord's will. And based on that discernment, we pray accordingly in harmony. Then, God will definitely aswer such prayers.  This is the principle of prayer and is also the prayer of the age.

This is a new light for me. Not merely praying in harmony with my fellow believers for whatever I want. I must first discern God's will, then pray in harmony with my fellow believers, then God will definitely answer such prayers. Two more examples are noteworthy:

When Moses was on the mountain, the Israelites won every time he raised his hands, and the Amalekites won every time he lowered his hands (Exo. 17:9 11). Who decided the victory at the bottom of the mountain? Did God decide or did Moses decide?...We have to see God’s principle of work and the key to His move. God cannot do what He wants to do unless man wants it. We cannot make God do what He does not want to do, yet we can stop God from doing what He wants to do. The victory was decided by God in heaven, but the victory was decided by Moses before men. Truly, God in heaven wanted the Israelites to win, but if Moses had not raised his hands on earth, the Israelites would have lost. When he raised his hands, the Israelites won. The earth controls heaven.

God has a purpose to increase the number of the house of Israel so that the Israelites would increase like a flock. Those who do not know God will say, “If God wants to increase the number of the Israelites like a flock, He could go ahead and do it. Who could stop Him?” But Ezekiel 36:37 says that God must be inquired of fi rst before He will accomplish it for them. This is a clear principle: Even though God decides on a matter, He will not do it immediately. He would increase the house of Israel only after they inquired of Him. He wants the earth to control heaven. (The Prayer Ministry of the Church, pp. 138-139)

This lesson on prayer has been so fresh to me. I shared it in the brothers' fellowship yesterday, and today I shared it in the prophesying meeting too. I am glad I am learning this lesson now. I need to pray in harmony with my fellow believers; not what I want to pray for but what God wants me to pray for. This connects my prayer to my being. My living should be in oneness with God to discern God's will. Only when I am one with God then can I pray the prayer of the age. Therefore, to pray effectively, I must be a man of prayer, one with God.

Lord, gain my life and my prayer life to pray the prayer of the age according to Your will.

A Young Couple's Baptism

In a metropolitan society like Gurugram where young people are flocking the city for jobs, it has become a trend for lovers to live together without getting married. Live-in relationship has become a new normal for the secular people. When the saints go out to preach the gospel, a good number of such couples were contacted, preached the gospel to, and introduced to the church. This is not the first time I come across such case. 

The Lord has sovereignly brought them to the church and whom the Lord received who am I to not receive? I was reminded of Peter's experience in Acts 

And on the next day as they were journeying and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray around the sixth hour. And he became very hungry and wanted to eat. And while they were preparing, a trance came upon him; And he beheld heaven opened, and a certain vessel like a great sheet descending, being let down by four corners onto the earth, In which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of heaven. And a voice came to him: Rise up, Peter; slay and eat! But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything common and unclean. And a voice came to him again a second time: The things that God has cleansed, do not make common. And this occurred three times; and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven.  Acts 10:9-16

Yes, I am personally very much aware that such a live-in relationship is sinful. But when they were brought into contact with the saints, the gospel has to be preached and the truth announced. That's what I did. When I met them the first time I could not find time to preach the gospel. Later when they came on the 25th December for the new ones' meeting, in fellowship with the gentleman I realized that the Spirit has been working in his life, even leading him and his friend to meet with the church again. Though they moved away to another city after they first came, they came back as the job promised to them was not working out. Their coming back and joining the meeting was the sovereign arrangement of the Lord. 

In our small-group meeting, we ministered the word of God to him and led him to the Lord. Sensing the need to help him further in his spiritual journey, I explained to him the seven important aspects of baptism using relevant Bible verses and encouraged him to consider the word of God carefully. Two days later, today he and his friend came for the meeting. In fact, he came prepared to be baptized. After the meeting, we led him to baptism. Praise the Lord he was baptized!

After his baptism, I fellowshipped with them about the need to set things right before God and man. On the one hand, God is a God of love, grace, and mercy, and on the other hand, our God is also a God of righteousness and holiness. In a way of shepherding I  fellowshipped with him and his girlfriend the need to set right their live-in relationship into proper marriage life. In fact, they both agreed that they should be indeed legally and properly married. They are waiting for financial stability and family approval. I made it clear to them that they already crossed over to the limit of relationship an unmarried couple should maintain. Therefore, they need to set their relationship right at the earliest. I had no intention to tell them this but the Lord led me to teach them the truth in a way of shepherding to lead them in the proper path. They both confessed their sins and wanted to set things right. I spoke what I need to speak and left the decision to them. May the Lord lead them through and through.

They also joined the church's PSRP session, after which I spoke to them again. To my surprise, I discovered that the lady was only child baptized though a confessing believer. Then I spoke to them about the meaning of believing and baptism. I led them to the word of God in Mark 16:16, the importance of genuine believing first, and then proper water baptism. To clarify the truth further, I led them to read through The Mystery of Human Life and expounded them  God's plan, God's creation of man with three parts -body, soul, and spirit; man's fall, Christ's redemption, repentance, confession, believing and baptism, and the need to grow in life by daily spending time with the Lord in prayer in the word, and to be in constant fellowship with the church. Then the girl who was only child baptized decided to be baptized properly. Therefore, we gave her baptism as well. Thus the couple got baptized on the same day today.

May the Lord grace them to continually feed on the word and grow in life to be remaining fruits in the church life.

Recover Your Brothers

My brothers, if any one among you is led astray from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

Since the Lord saved me by His grace and has been leading me by His grace, I have been enjoying His grace day by day. Though I did not have a notorious background, I have this sense within me that I was as bad as any sinner, at least in my inward being. Some people were expressly bad but I was also bad though not expressed outwardly. As I have been learning and growing in grace, I have come to a point to declare that I am nothing without the Lord's grace. The sense of my sinful flesh has alarmed me daily how much I need the Lord. Therefore, I have no ground to condemn anyone for whatever reason anymore. Even when I see a heinous criminal, I was simply reminded of my own fate if not for the Lord's mercy. I am as bad as any sinner if not worse, except for the Lord's grace and mercy.

Having this sense of the Lord's saving grace, I am very sensitive to the feeling of the weaker saints. When the saints backslide or become rebellious, my heart ached and cried out for them, and I prayed to the Lord desperately for their recovery. Only the Lord's love and saving grace can recover them and even revive them. Therefore, I open myself to the Lord to learn from Him and gain His wisdom to recover my brothers who have turned away from the truth.

A brother in Ludhiana, Punjab, has been in touch with me recently. He has been completely cut off from any fellowship in the Body and has also been going through many family, financial, and faith issues that shook his whole being. But the moment he started calling me for fellowship, I took it as a grace from the Lord to shepherd him and recover him. Through gradually shepherding he has come back to the fellowship and began to join meetings online.  He has also been recovered in his personal spiritual life and began to regularly contact the Lord, pray, and read the Bible. In fact, right after our fellowship, I encouraged him to look to the Lord and learn from Him what needs to be learned. The Lord has been very merciful to him, not only that he is being recovered, but he also got a job during this pandemic time. In fact, it came to him as a surprise. The Lord loves him and is shepherding him. Now he is back to normal in his Christian life. Praise the Lord! 

A brother from Korba, Chhattisgarh, has also been in fellowship with me. Through his ups and downs, I did my best to stand with him and strengthen him. In fact, when he outrightly rebelled against the Lord's recovery and abused some of the brothers I reckoned him as a brother who really needs an urgent and tender shepherding. Despite the brothers' negative reaction towards him, I picked up the burden to shepherd him. To bear a brother's burden is not that easy. I could feel the pain and hardship he went through the bitterness and anguish that befell him. I sympathized with him and did my best to lead him to prayer and the word of God. 

In fact, when he came and stayed with me for a week, I took care of him as my "newborn baby" spiritually. I literally had to care for him physically for his food, lodging, and even washed his dirty clothes. I did it as a brother shepherding another brother and also learning to give hospitality to the saint. The Lord was gracious to me to be able to care for him when his own family members and the saints were scared of him for his aggressive and hyper behavior. But praise the Lord, the love of God and the grace of Christ can heal and recovery anyone, however serious the case may be. Now, this brother has been shepherded to some extent and has realized all his missteps he took in his life. I am glad that now he has become very sober and understood the lesson the Lord is gracing him to learn, "the breaking of the outer man" that he may be completely gained. Now and then we have been fellowshipping and praying together. Praise the Lord! 

A brother, who is also my cousin, has been undergoing the problem of telling lies and getting money for drinking. Since childhood, he has been stung by this intoxicant. Out of love and burden to shepherd him I have been very gracious to him. Though I knew for sure what the outcome would be, whenever he asked for money I still gave him. He has been not keeping his words time and again, but when he came back and apologized for his misdeed, I simply forgave him. My only concern was, he is also a brother in the Lord, maybe a little weaker, and keeps falling now and then, but he is still a brother in the Lord, no matter what. I have been serving him by love and by grace. A few days ago he came to apologize to me for his lies and wrongdoings. I believe the Spirit has convicted him and chastened him. When he came back, I forgave him and he was being recovered to his daily function.  Praise the Lord!

All these recoveries are of the Lord's. His grace showered upon me has been gracing me to grace them to enjoy the Lord's grace. I, in no way, intend to take any credit for their recoveries, but the experiences I have with them are truly noteworthy.  Moreover, the word of the Bible just confirmed the experiences I just have been enjoying.

My brothers, if any one among you is led astray from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

Execute Justice and Love Mercy

He has declared to you, O man, what is good; And what does Jehovah require of you, But that you would execute justice and love mercy and walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

These days as I have been considering how to take care of an erring brother in his official service in financial mismanagement, I cannot simply overlook the matter, nor can I take strict action legally. I have no choice but to bring the matter before the Lord in prayer as to how to handle this properly. After a long pray-and-wait, in fellowship with my brother who coordinates with me in overseeing the official matter, I brought it to fellowship with another senior and more mature brother. Even as I brought it for fellowship, I look to the Lord that my personal subjective feeling should not override the decision to be taken. Nor should I take side in presenting the matter, rather I should present the fact as it is and let the Lord speak through the brother's fellowship.

In the fellowship, I presented the matter with as many facts and detail as I could present. Then, we decided that the offender still have to righteously pay back all the misappropriated fund he owed to the office. I consulted with our Chartered Accountant on how to record it in our account book. A few days later, the matter was taken up in the board meeting of the company where I presented to the board the action to be taken and further official consideration if any. I also presented the need to take care of the brother in question as he would be completely relieved from his official assignment once his final pending work is submitted. Therefore, on the ground of humanity, we all agreed to pay him three months' salary to take care of his need so that he could move on in life. This decision, I can testify, is truly the Lord's. On the one hand, there is an execution of justice by allowing the offender to pay up for all the misappropriated fund and relieve him from all official duty, yet on the other hand, showing him much grace and mercy by giving him a three-month salary and still allowing him to pay back his dues at his own time and at his own capacity. Of course, this comes with a condition that he cooperates in our official decision that he also returns back all the office items in due time. 

"But that you would execute justice and love mercy and walk humbly with your God." In fact, the Lord spoke to me this verse directly as the decision was taken; the Lord confirmed the decision of the brothers in my time with the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Later in the night when I conveyed the decision made to the brother, he was filled with peace and joy. He narrated to me all the pains and sufferings he went through and how the Lord still loves and shows mercy to him. He told me that he confided in me as a brother and that he would cooperate in all official decisions taken. Now that the matter concerning him was officially cleared, he expressed his gratitude. The extra and special grace offered monetary to him is the Lord's shepherding care for him and his family in the midst of his financial turmoil. Besides, he felt very happy that he could fellowship with me as his brother in the Lord though he felt that many brothers have left and deserted him, including his own so-called "spiritual father." My innate reply was, "Brother, we are brothers in the Lord." I told him that he is free to call me any time for fellowship and prayer. He was so relieved and we prayed together thanking the Lord for his mercy and grace and looking to the Lord to be faithful in our responsibility. He himself decided that he would call me regularly for fellowship and prayer.

As the Lord burdened and led me, I also transferred an offering to him that was channeled through me. In all these, I could experience the sovereignty of the Lord and personally experienced and enjoyed the Lord's rhema word, "execute justice and love mercy." 

Praise the God of justice and the God of mercy! I need both; in dealing with myself and also with others - execute justice and love mercy. 

Children's Education

Train up a child according to the way he should go; Even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Education is an all-round development. A human being is of three parts, body, soul, and spirit. To educate a person is to educate him in his three parts. Most people focus only on the soul's education. The secular and academic education is mostly of the mind and the body. There hardly has been any system of education developed for spiritual development. Therefore, to give a complete education, the three parts of man must be paid attention to, especially the spirit which is the most important part of man.

Physical education is being gained as a person grows physically in age and lives in a society imbibed with rich culture and tradition, or in other words, in a civilized society, then it naturally develops. For fine-tuning, special physical training on specific skills may be given from time to time based on the need and the interest of the person himself. One particular skill that I and my wife gave to our children physically is cycling. During the pandemic, we both took time out to train our children how to cycle. To our surprise they all learned cycling so fast, starting with our son, then our youngest daughter, and finally our eldest daughter. Now, cycling has become a part of their fun and exercise time. Similar skills have been imparted in sports; badminton is one of our family's favorites which we all could play together as a family. I consider all the physical housekeeping works of cleaning their dishes, sweeping and mopping the floor, folding their clothes, cleaning up their bed and study tables, cleaning toilets and rooms, etc.,  and learning to cook are other physical education we have been imparting to our children,

On the academic side, we have given our best for their learning. My wife has been very strict in overseeing all our children's academic learning. Daily she spends time with all the three of them and makes sure they learn their lessons well and are also well prepared for exams, not to merely pass, but to secure the highest mark possible. By the Lord's mercy, all the three have been doing very well in their studies. They have developed the habit of studying and doing their works daily. All of them are laboring hard to finish all their assignments and projects on time. As we care for their academic excellence, we also prayed for the Lord's wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to be theirs, and that all must their learnings must be ultimately used for the Lord's service one day. 

Last week our son and daughter earned an award each from the school for their outstanding academic performances for the year 2019-2020 in their respective classes. My son was awarded, "All Round Excellence" and my youngest daughter, "Academic Excellence and First Position." We thank and praise the Lord for blessing our children with academic excellence in the midst of unbelieving students and teachers. All glory to God! Besides these, they also brought home certificates for performing well in extra-0curriculum activities. Our son and youngest daughter are interested in Maths and Science Olympiads and Quizzes, and our eldest daughter is interested in arts and English literature. Within our capacity, we have given our very best to our children with the view that they all will be useful to the Lord, to serve the Lord, and bear the Lord's testimony one day. 

Much more, we pay very much attention and importance to our children's spiritual education as well. Daily, we taught them to call upon the Lord Jesus's name, pray and read the Bible, attend our family prayer, pray-read and memorize and recite Bible verses, and attend important church meetings with their children meeting. All the education in the body and soul is 100% incomplete without the education in the most important part of human being, the human spirit. Therefore, as parents, we pay much attention to our children's spiritual education. This most important spiritual education has been neglected the most in the world, either ignorantly or rebelliously. This, Christian parents must pay heed to.

Education means all-round and all-inclusive learning and development. No part of man can be left unattended. The spirit and the soul and the body must all be taken care of and trained. And the goal of such all-round development is that man will become a vessel useful to God, to contain God, and to express God.

As parents, our utmost responsibility to our children is, train them up according to the way they should go; according to the way of the Bible.

Lord, grace us to be a proper God-man parent.

Take Action

Today's fellowship on the vital group and the need to take action in contacting people is very timely. In fact, this is what I need today. The truth and practice of the vital group have been heard and known at least doctrinally, but now is the time to take action. Othersiws, all the truths will just remain as it is, and nothing will happen.

Brother Witness Lee gave testimony that some thirty years ago he took action before the Lord not knowing what would happen. But as he took action and moved to the USA, the Lord raised up many local saints to migrate and took the way of the Lord's recovery.

Some excerpts from his speaking:

TAKE ACTION

You should just take action. The result depends upon His blessing. Throughout the years this has been my loving prayer: “Lord, I trust in Your mercy. I trust in Your blessing. I trust in Your presence. I trust in Your word. I trust in Your Spirit. I don’t have any trust at all in myself, in anything else, or in anyone else.” We all need to pray such a prayer. 

CONTACT PEOPLE 

We must have an interest in people. We must love people and like to talk to people. Doing and learning. Always contact people in a spirit of prayer.  In order to live a normal Christian life, three things are very much needed: (1) seeking after the Lord, (2) coming to the meetings, and (3) going to contact people. 

This timely speaking of the Lord applies to me in many aspects, not limiting to the church services that I am involved in. But it is also the timely speaking of the Lord for my official service as I always considered and reconsidered before taking any action. I need to carefully consider every decision I would make and any action I would take. But that should not weigh me down, making me a mute spectator of the present situation. I need to take timely action. In fact, I am learning this lesson as well in coordination with the saints serving with me. The same applies to my family matter in taking care of my children and the family members with me.

But the people who know their God will show strength and take action. Daniel 11:32b

I thank the Lord, He is speaking to me and leading me day by day to take action. Praise the Lord!

Master Delays?

But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know. Matthew 24:48-50

Today morning as I was reading a verse and the ministry portion, I was so convicted by my improper attitude toward the Lord's coming.  The Master delaying and the response of the slave exposed the true color of the unfatihful slave's inward being. I could see myself as this one.  To say in our heart that our Master delays is to love the present evil age and not to love the Lord’s appearing.

[In Matthew 24:48 the slave said], “My master delays.” The slave believed that the Lord was coming again, but he also believed that He was delaying His coming. Anyone who does not believe that the Lord is coming quickly is an evil slave. The reason for the slave’s mistake, according to what the Lord said, is in verse 48. Even though with his mouth he said that the Lord would come quickly, in his heart he still considered that the Lord would delay. This kind of person is in peril. If one does not take the attitude that the Lord will come quickly, he will not be watchful.

Many people do not want the Lord to come quickly. They are afraid that when the Lord comes, He will spoil and terminate their plans. They cannot pray John’s prayer: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus ” (Rev. 22:20). We must have an attitude and a desire for the Lord to come quickly.…If you think that the Lord will delay, He will come sooner than you expect. ( CWWN, vol. 15, p. 302)

I am glad the Lord touched me in this matter now. I confessed to the Lord for my improper attitude and prayed that the Lord would fill me with His love to love Him in spirit and also to love His physical appearing. Loving the Lord's coming would mean my being preparee to meet Him as in Amos.

Therefore this is what I will do to you, O Israel;  And because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel. Amos 4:12

To have an attitude of not longing for the Lord's coming is to be unfaithful slave. Such unfaithfulness would only result in loving the present evil age and becoming numb in one's spiritual sensation. In this consummation of the age, one has to live with the sensation of the Lord's coming. 

All the other unfaithfulness in beating his fellow slaves and eating and drinking with the drunken are the direct result of assuming that the Master delays. No wonder, there are too many problems among God's own children today on this earth. Beating the fellow slaves, not caring for them with brotherly love, and getting involved in the world with the worldy people resulted in grave degradation. Today's children of God needs the Lord's loving visitation, reviving them, shepherding them, and recovering them into his flock, the church life.

The result of this conviction was, I wanted to shepherd a brother who has been going through a very severe dealing from the Lord and has been suffering, as he described over the phone, with family and financial burden. All that I could do is to pray for him, to pray with him, and to help him even financially as much as the Lord allows. Therefore, I requested for his bank detail to transfer an offering that has been channeled through me. When it was brought to my attention of a brother's need, as much as the Lord allows and provides, I would shepherd him. If I love the Lord, I will also love the Lord's sheep. That was what the Lord told Peter to do if Peter truly loved the Lord, to shepherd His sheep. (John 21:15, 16 ,17)

Lord, I love You! Lord, cause me to love You more day by day.

Faithful in Service

Last weekend as I was preparing for PSRP of the message "Being Faithful in Service in the Lord’s Commission and in His Gifts for His Second and Imminent Coming,"  I was very supplied by the Lord's speaking to me to help the saints to enter into the burden. I got fresh light as I went through the points and the Bible verses. Even fresher light dawned on me as I actually led the saints in PSRP yesterday, the Lord's day. In fact, I was the first person to enjoy the Lord's speaking and supply before I could minister to the saints. The word of God is such, "I enjoy first, and then I minister the word to others what I have enjoyed." 

Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Matthew 24:45

All believers are called to be faithful and prudent slaves, to give spiritual food at the proper time. Whenever the Lord brings us into contact with new ones, our main responsibility is to provide food. If we meet an unbeliever, preach the gospel of grace, or if we meet with believers, based on their spiritual condition of the believers, minister the timely word as the Spirit leads. This requires one to be in the spirit and follow the Lord's leading step by step. 

Last night, a brother called in desperation describing to me the pathetic situation he has been going through. A family problem, health issue, and joblessness. He needed fellowship very much that he called me. The moment he narrated his ordeal, the Lord gave me the word to minister to him. After paying careful heed to all that he had to pour out, I led him to the word of God in Joel.

Do not fear, O land; / Be glad and rejoice, / For Jehovah has done great things. Do not fear, O beasts of the field, / For the pastures of the wilderness turn green. / For the tree bears its fruit; / The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. O children of Zion, / Be glad and rejoice / In Jehovah your God. / For He gives you / The early rain in righteousness, / And He makes the rain come down for you: / The early rain and the late rain / At the beginning of the season. And the threshing floors will be full of grain, / And the wine vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. And I will restore to you the years / That the swarming locust has eaten, / The licking locust and the consuming locust and the cutting locust, / My great army / That I sent among you. And you will eat to the full and be satisfied, / And you will praise the name of Jehovah your God, / Who has dealt wondrously with you; / And My people will never be ashamed. 

We read through the verses and pray-read the verses. The word of God spoke for itself. I need not further explain the meaning of the word. My brother was so supplied by this timely word, especially v. 25, "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten." This was the application of being faithful in service, giving food at the proper time.  I only echoed and strengthened what the Bible verse has stated. Then we prayed together. It was such a shepherding to him and me as well.

Similarly, as the Lord burdens, I have been in prayer and fellowship regularly with a brother from West Bengal, with a brother from Himachal Pradesh, with a brother from Punjab, with two brothers from Manipur, with two brothers from Nagaland, with five brothers from Gurugram individually, in a way of shepherding. In this way, the Lord has been gracing and shepherding me to be a faithful and prudent slave to give food at the proper time.

What a grace and blessing to be counted worthy of a faithful and prudent slave! May this grace of the Lord continue all the days of my life.

Ascertain the Facts First

Supposition is a substitution of truths and a thief of thoughts. This is a lesson I learned in the hard way. I have faced needless anxiety and fruitless wish by succumbing to supposition. When I ascertain the truth, my supposition banished in thin air. Facts clarify every supposition and saves from needless speculation.

It all began with a marriage proposal for a brother and sister. I was of the assumption that the brother in mind would definitely like the siter in mind too. The general supposition had been that the duo would make a perfect partner in marriage alliance until the myth was bursted by the needle of fact. To my surprise, the brother had an entirely different view, altogether different from what was generally assumed. He was not at all in favor of the sister we had in mind would match him. I got it all wrong, perhaps. But time will tell if my thoughts were truly of the Lord. If not, I accept my immaturity and would strive to learn better and faster. We now wait to settle this matter soon. My assumption was proven to be deficit of reality. I need a more mature discernment.

Another instance was a half-truth news I heard of a brother from a brother who seemed to have started another literature service in the country in addition to what has already been established. The first time I heard, I was in disbelief as I knew the brother concerned. In fact, I was asked to take action as I am responsible, officially, in the literature service in this country. Deep within me, I wish I could avoid such awkward circumstances to deal with a brother of my father's age and whose spiritual stature is far beyond my reach, as I reckon. I really hesitated to take any action.

I was reminded again and again by a brother to do something as I have the official position and responsibility to do so. I waited and waited until I decided to ascertain the fact first on the 10th of this month. 

As I called up a brother who knew the matter best, the myth was bursted again that the half-truth news was just a thing of the past. Some have circulated the rumor in a bid to defame the brother and demean his function. On ascertaining the fact, I was quite relieved. It was a salvation from falsely accusing a brother for a thing done in the past, not in the present. Yes, he did try something in the past, and that has not continued any longer. Otherwise, it would have been a challenge to face such a senior brother with the official responsibility assigned to me. Now that the fact was gotten, I am quite relieved. Ascertaining the fact saved me from needless speculation and futile imagination.

Another instance was when I received an intimation from income tax department related to my income tax return filing. Before even reading the mail, I had assumed that I need to go through tax harassment from the income tax department and that I need to get the help of a chartered accountant. I indeed wasted my thoughts in anxiety until I actually opened the mail and ascertain the fact that it was indeed an intimation of confirmation of my filing with no due. What a relief!

Yet another instance was when my neighbor sent me a message one night which put me in dilemma as I thought he was inviting me to attend his sister's wedding party which I would wish to avoid my all means for various reasons. In fact, my wife and I just visited and gifted a wedding gift the night before the wedding in lieu of attending the wedding meeting. But when I saw the message it turned out that he was just checking if water tank could be refilled as it ran out in the night. O what a needless supposition bringing me needless anxiety!

Thank God for this lesson! Now, I must not succumb again to a vain supposition and needless speculation. And I must not allow the enemy to corrupt my mind before ascertaining the facts.

What a lesson! Always ascertain fact first and never speculate.

Call, Call, and Call

The 10th of December was a day of call, call, and call. It all started with my morning prayer when I was burdened to settle matters that have been pending for months. I have been reminded again and again as serving one in the literature service to deal with certain brothers and issues that I officially have the right to do. I have been considering the matters carefully and treading the ground of grace to find ways to settle it graciously. But I have been pushed to take action. I took that action first in ascertaining the facts.

I started a phone call with a brother, that added on another brother to clarify accounting matters of a brother's service that lasted for over an hour. Then, later in the afternoon a call was made to all the serving ones involved in the collection of money in the distribution funtion of the literature service. The call went on for about two and half hours. When finally the concerned person was asked to confirm his handling of payment details by email. Later, in the night, another call was made with two brothers to consider helping a brother who need to settle his legal matter as far as his stay in the country is concerned and his live-in relationship with a sister.

The day was spent with call, call, and call. I took all these as opportunities arranged by the Lord for me to learn how to serve faithfully according to the Lord's apportioning. Since the Lord has placed me in a certain position and function officially and in the church, I must not shy away from my responsibilities nor avoid my responsibilities with the pretext of humility. Doing so would be faking spirituality. Therefore, I took necessary actions.

In fact, I mustered up my courage and exercised the God-given authority to execute what need to be executed. I literally went against my natural being and did things I did not like to do. I would rather be led and told what to do, given my choice. Now I had to take the lead in deciding matters. It was not easy. The Lord trained me to learn my lesson in this matter. I ended up doing which I never wished to do. Perhaps, this lesson has been due to me for long enough. Now, I am learning to exercise the authority God has given me. But I must not go beyond my limit.

Thank God for this experience. Call, call, and call was the action I took to learn my God-assigned lesson. Perhaps, I need to exercise this more in the coming days. 

May the Lord cover me in discharging my duty faithfully yet within my limit. And may He train and perfect me more for His purpose. This call, call, and call experience is a learn, learn, and learn lesson. Praise the Lord!

A Couple's Baptism

Three weeks ago, I was invited by the trainee sisters to visit a family in Sikanderpur. As we went to visit this family, we came to know more about the real situation of the couple. The husband is Polio infected and is a differently-abled person and the wife is in her 7-8 month of pregnancy. They both just lost their jobs and are in great financial need. 

Well, leaving aside the human care for a while, we preached the gospel and led them to the Lord right away as they themselves confessed that they have been seeking a Christian fellowship in Gurugram as they have a very good feeling about the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, they were seeking miraculous healing of the husband's physical disability, that was one reason that drove them to the Lord. Though their initial intention was for physical healing, we made it clear to them that most importantly all men need spiritual healing. Therefore, we preached the gospel, we read through The Mystery of Human Life and they were led to receive the Lord in prayer.

The following week, a home meeting was held in their home, and last Lord's day they came to attend the meeting at the meeting hall. As they were in the meeting hall, I sensed the need to fellowship with them. Therefore, I skipped two Lord's day afternoon meetings just to spend time with this couple, together with a few other saints. Since they were very new, I felt the need to share testimonies of salvation and baptism. I requested a brother and a sister to share their testimonies; how they got saved and how and when they got baptized. Their testimonies were so real and living that the gospel message was made clear through living testimonies. Then I felt the need to clarify the complete truth about salvation and also baptism. Using the testimonies as my base, I developed further on the need for a proper baptism, explaining briefly the significance of baptism.

Deep within me, I had no intention to talk about baptism for at least two reasons. Firstly, they were very new. And it was also their first visit. Secondly, they were both physically challenged. The husband was differently-abled due to Polio and the wife was in her peak pregnancy. But as we fellowshipped on the word of God concerning believing and baptism, the light of the Lord shone on me not to withhold any truth just because of the outward condition. I must be faithful to the word of God and teach the truth completely and faithfully. If new believers decided to receive the Lord and be baptized who am I to stop sinners from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ? So I spoke by faith and gave them the choice, to exercise their own free will. To my surprise, they both agreed and decided to take baptism right away. They even said that their hearts are already opened to the Lord Jesus Christ and they would do anything needful to receive and experience the Lord. 

Thank God, I was defeated in my concept of when to be baptized. The Bible is supreme, "Believe and be baptized and you shall be saved." (Mark 16:16). Therefore, the saints sprang into action to prepare for water baptism. After we all prayed for the couple, they also prayed on their own and both of them were baptized!

Right after the baptism, it was time for the Young People Gospel meeting. Therefore, they also joined the gospel meeting on "Facing Persecution". Perhaps, the Lord is preparing them for any persecution that may come their way because of their faith in Christ. 

This baptism is a special lesson to me as I was about to apply my human concept of "waiting." In fact, the Lord's timing is the best. If anyone believes, he must also be baptized! There are many human concepts creeping in even among Christians that the new ones should wait for the proper time, wait for the proper understanding of the Bible or Christ or the Christian life, and wait until so-called "works of the Holy Spirit" are manifested, and so on and so forth. I myself am one of the propagators of such "waiting-gospel" neglecting the authority of the Bible. Thank God, I could bypass my human thought and concept! Thank God for the word of God that made my understanding crystal clear!

Praise the Lord for this couple's testimony of baptism! A real-life lesson to me!

Building a Local Church

Today morning as we fellowshiped, the Lord’s speaking was so intense and clear on the person of the one who build a local church. It has all to do with the person. No improper person can build up a church irrespective of whatever methods or ways he uses.  The church is a living organism and the building up has to do with the persons who constitute the church and the builders themselves. 

The manifestations of a builded local church are:

1. The saints love the Lord more than before
2. The saints love the word of God more than before
3. The saints love one another and be one with one another more than before 
4. The saints functions for the building of the church 
5. The church meetings will be rich, high, and full of life
6. The church will be filled with men like a flock

If the church I serve do not manifest the above points, the church is not being builded up as it should be. These check points are enlightening to see where I stand in my service. If I lack in any of these, I must go before the Lord and seek for His mercy to deal with all frustrations so that I must be a proper person. The person is more important than the way or the method used as evident from Bezalel, who was a builder, and it has all to do with his person.

Exodus 31:2

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 

Footnote from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version

Bezalel was a master builder, a leader in God’s building. His name means in the shadow of God, indicating that as a master builder, Bezalel was a man under the shadow of God’s grace (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10a; 2 Cor. 12:9). Uri, the name of Bezalel’s father, means light of Jehovah, and Hur, the name of Bezalel’s grandfather, means free, noble, white (signifying clean and pure). These three names indicate what kind of persons the builders of God’s dwelling place should be.

To be a builder of a local church we must have a pure and clean spiritual source. No one is born pure and clean. We all have, by default, been impure and unclean. We need to be thoroughly dealt with by the Lord. And God is able to deal with us and cleanse us. Otherwise, we will become a problem in the church. In fact, all problems in a local church is due to brothers who did not learn their lessons well in the matter of being dealt with by the Lord. For the dealing we need the word, the living and operative word. We must open to the Lord’s dealing by amening the word of God. Trust in the heart of God, trust in the word of God, to become clean, pure, white, noble, and free from within from our own evil heart. Hidden love for the world make our hearts impure. The Lord can deliver us from such impure heart. The Lord’s shining light can deliver us from such impurity. 

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

Son of Uri, is to be son of light. The Lord can enlighten us and shine on us as we open to the Lord and the Bible and indeed become the son of light and live under the shadow of His grace.

The way the Lord deals with us today is through His speaking. Therefore, we must come to the word, read and pray-read the word until it becomes our living constitution that transforms our lives.

Lord, deal with my heart and make be today's Bezalel to build up Your church. 

Spread the Truths for the Lord’s Move

Those therefore who were scattered went throughout the land announcing the word as the gospel. Acts 8:4

Migration is for the spread of the divine truths. Abraham was a river-crosser; he migrated from Chaldea to Canaan; we should not be permanently settled; we all should learn to migrate. The more man moves, the more blessing he receives; God blesses the move of people on this earth. If we remain in one place, we will lose the blessing, but if we move, we will receive it. 

As we move along with the Lord’s move, spread the truths; the word of Christ, the word of the Kingdom of God without any mixture. Even limit the use of illustrations and stories so as not to dilute the holy Word while spreading the truths and avoid human knowledge and wisdom. Rather expound the Old Testament prophecies properly in their right significance as in Acts 1:16-20. The Lord’s resurrection must always be the focal point of the apostles' teachings; be a witness of the Lord’s resurrection. We need to learn the word in the New Testament and be saturated with it; thus, when we open our mouths to speak the word will come forth spontaneously.

Acts 6:7

And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly; and a large number of the priests obeyed the faith. 

Acts 12:24

But the word of God grew and multiplied. 

Acts 19:20

Thus, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. 

Only the word of God can grow and multiply, not the Spirit. Therefore, there is a need for our constitution with the word. The genuine, proper Christian life is a life that spends time in the word and enjoys the word of His grace. If we fellowship with the Lord every day, labor on His Word and are saturated with the Lord’s word, live before Him and genuinely live Christ, and take the gospel as our primary occupation, speaking the Lord Jesus to every person we meet, we should each be able to save one person every day. Then, we should be able to spread these divine truths.

Prayer, the Spirit, and the word are the ways we have to spread the truths as we migrate to different parts of the world. We must preach and teach the truths one by one at schools, offices, communities, and wherever the Lord leads us. While spreading the truths, we must do it in a way of repeat reading, emphasize reading, reading in a living way, and in the spirit of prayer with the new ones, not in a way of giving message, but in a way of mutual pursuing. All the saints, young or old, must take this way of spreading the truth. This is the secret of increase; by prayer, through the word, and the spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect model of God-man who is constituted with the word and spoke the word and spread the truths.

My responsibility is to study the word, be constituted with the word, and spread the word for the Lord’s move. Lord, grace me to be such a responsible one.

Prayer for the Lord's Move

Prayer has been an important subject in a Christian life and church life. Today I am freshly supplied with the Lord’s timely speaking again with a view of the Lord’s move in the Body and the significance of prayer. I am convicted of my need to strengthen my prayer life.

The Lord's Move in the Body

These days I have been under the Lord’s speaking in the Full-timers' Training. Point by point, the Lord has been blessing me with His speaking.

A Joyful Baptism!

Last Tuesday I received a phone call from a sister that she would bring a new lady to the meeting hall and that I should be available to meet her. Though I had official works, I made myself available giving priority to what was more urgent. 

A young, smart, and intelligent lady came and I initially talked with her on the subject of her profession and interest. As I could see, she was so happy to discuss the matter that she really liked, her job, her education, and her family matters. After the friendly talk, I felt the need to change the topic and let her hear the gospel. So I preached the gospel in a very simple way using the mystery of human life.

Upon hearing the gospel, she started narrating her encounter with the name Jesus, and how she blindly believed into the Lord Jesus and prayed to Him regularly though she herself was from a Hindu Brahmain background. I was taken aback to hear her testify of her experiences of the Lord Jesus Christ. She made a bold statement, "Jesus is God!" She went on further to confess her faith in Jesus and the comfort and joy she received in praying to Jesus. In fact, she wore a crucifix on her left hand and testified that she have a strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and pray to him regularly.

Still to help her properly, I led her to pray the sinner's prayer and strengthened her faith in the Lord. Observing her real condition, I left that she needed to know the truth about baptism. To my surprise again, she proclaimed that she has been waiting for the day to be baptised. Well then, I told her that if she should desire or choose to, we could help her. She joyfully exclaimed that she wanted to be baptised. So we baptised her. O what a joy to lead people to baptism when they joyfully long for it! Praise the Lord!

This sister has indeed been prepared by the Lord. The Holy Spirit has already been operating in her. It was the ripe time that she came and that she was baptised. She has been joyful through out our fellowship. No wonder, she joyfully took baptism and even became more joyful!

May the Lord preserve her joy and that she be shepherded and grow continually. I gifted her the Shepherding Material and The New Testament, Recovery Version as I could perceive her capacity to receive the word of God. Amen.

An SOS Call

A brother called me up last week out of the blue. Though I was busy with my office work, I felt the need to receive his call. I obliged to the request he made for fellowship. So, he began to open up his personal matters and said that I was the one he felt free to open up to.

For the first half hour or so, he narrated his ordeals of his helplessness in many practical matters of his life. Despite being a medical doctor with Master's degree he could not find any job. In fact, he lost his job due to the pandemic. Since then, he has been jobless and became hopeless. He has been through verbal insult from his own father and opposition from his own wife in many aspects, just because he was jobless. He has been warned of the church life and the reading of the ministry books even by his own wife. On top of that, he also lost his mother during the pandemic. All these added to his woes and worries. So only he called me up for fellowship.

After listening patiently to all he had to say, I could sense his problem. Therefore, I fellowship with him of his need for a proper Christian living. He is a dear brother whom I have known for years. So, I told him to take my words seriously and as before the Lord. I told him, "You are the problem!" Initially, he was shocked to hear my frank statement. But then he realized the truth behind my statement. And I pointed out to him some basic points he neglected in his life. No wonder, he was in that helpless and hopeless state.

To start with, I charged him to first spend time with the Lord daily. Yes, even to set specific time to pray daily and count the length of time spent on prayer. Then, I also charged him to read the Bible every day without fail. And finally, I also charged him to pray with his wife daily. All these three practical points he agreed to do, and that he should report to me initially. In fact, he tried and reported to me the following days. 

My only intention was to shepherd him for his own good. And I did so in his own initiation to call me up for help. I was just being responsible to help a brother in need. In fact, he also started joining the online meetings of the church in Gurugram as there has been no meeting since pandemic started in his locality. At least, in this way, my brother can be restored of his spiritual function and be recovered into the fellowship of the Body of Christ which he lost for many years.

That was an SOS call from a dear brother and my sincere and simply fellowship. May the Lord fully restore and recover him for His testimony in Ludhiana where the testimony of Jesus seems to have waned due to the unfaithfulness of certain leading ones and their impure hearts. 

An Unexpected Baptism

A new one was brought to the meeting two weeks ago on the Lord’s day. She was on a friendly chat while I was busy with the young people meeting. Then, the young people gospel meeting followed, which she also joined. Then I felt the burden to preach the gospel to her. So we had a small group gospel meeting.

As I preached the gospel, I was led to narrate the pathetic situation of people today. How helpless man has been because of the sinful nature of Satan being infected into man. Despite being wealthy and famous, many high class people are living in a desperate condition. Some, not knowing the solution to their problems took the short cut of suicide. Some, taming their troubled mind by consulting a psychiatrist and living by pills to ease their anxious mind. While I discoursed on the practical problems, that new lady was so convicted. She immediately confessed that she was such a one and that she really needed help. My help was simple, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only Jesus saves and only Jesus can save.

Then, I offered her the way to receive the Lord if she should choose to receive. I made it very clear that the choice was hers. I only showed her the way out of her present problem. She readily obliged to receive my help. So I led her to pray the sinner's prayer of repentance, confession, and believing into the Lord Jesus Christ. She willingly did according to her own will.

Then, I felt the further need to help her with the full gospel of believing and baptism based on Mark 16:16 and explained to her the importance of baptism. But I left the choice to her and never expected that she should choose to take baptism immediately.

After hearing me speak all this while, she asked a blunt question, "Do you trust people easily? Should people deceive you for their gain, shouldn't you be scared?" My reply was simple and plain. I relied, "Whoever the Lord brought to meet me in the meeting hall of the church or my home or office, I take it as from the Lord. There are thousands and millions of people outside, but only few, in fact, just a handful were brought to me. To such, I have full trust, no matter who they are and what their intentions may be." This reply took her by surprise and her trust in my words grew as I could read from her face. Later, as a sister asked her about what she had heard and about baptism, she decided to be baptised. And we baptised her! Praise the Lord!

This was a very unexpected salvation and baptism. God forgive me if I stated this wrongly. But I really meant it. It was very unexpected, at least to my feeling. Because she had been to many religious and superstitious beliefs and practices. I naturally thought that she would need more time to consider her baptism. But the Lord’s salvation is powerful. She was fully subdue and convinced to be baptised. It was the Lord’s work of salvation. Praise the Lord! I dare not hinder the Lord’s move in a person. So, the baptism was unexpected yet the Lord made it happen. It is indeed the Lord’s desire for all men to be saved! So it was.

1 Timothy 2:3-7

3. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God, 

4. Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 

5. For there is one God and one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 

6. Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to be borne in its own times. 

7. For which I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I speak the truth; I do not lie), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 

Live-in Relationship?

A couple was contacted by the saints and started coming to attend the Lord’s table meeting and other regular meetings of the church, as they are already believers. Yet, they have not been living the normal Christian life for years. So, having realized the seriousness of relationship between male and female who are not yet married, as responsible brothers, we decided to help the couple and shepherd them for their going on in their Christian life and church life. As they were being shepherded, it was brought to my notice about their joblessness and financial difficulties clubbed together with the live-in relationship they have been in for a couple of months now. In fellowship we, brothers, felt good to shepherd them in a very practical way.

First, we decided to help meet their basic need for essential items, especially, food. So we offered Rs.5000 which can last for a month for their food. Due to the present pandemic, they have been jobless for months and complete broke. The church responsibility is to take care of the needy ones, believers and unbelievers within our capcity. 

Second, we went to fellowship with the couple and shepherded them in a way of revealing to them the proper relationship to be maintained between male and female. Yes, they are boy friend and girl friend living together which is very common in a metropolitan society. And in fact, this has been an acceptable norm in this evil and sinful generation. But the word of God cannot be compromised. So we fellowshipped with them and offered to help them to legally get married and be a proper testimony in the church. While fellowshipping all these, never we did in a way of accusation though we condemn the immorality, we would rather shepherd the ones involved in it, to sin no more. However, we did not impose anything legally but gave them the opportunity to make their decision based on the truth of the Bible.

I personally am glad to come across such case, as I must learn in coordination with my brothers how to shepherd new ones with such background. As we spoke to them, we also showed them the way for them to grow in life, to enjoy the word of God, to pursue the truth, to learn to practice morning revival, to pray, to be in fellowship with the saints, and to be blended in the Body. The church is a home for the spiritually homeless, a school for spiritual education, and also a hospital for spiritual healing. With love and care, and yet with the reverential fear of the holy and righteous God, the new ones have to be shepherded. And that's the lesson I have been learning.

This indicent reminds me of John 8

John 8:3-11

3. And the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 

4. They said to Him, Teacher, this woman has been caught committing adultery, in the very act. 

5. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do You say? 

6. But they said this to tempt Him, so that they might have reason to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote with His finger on the ground. 

7. But when they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. 

8. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

9. And when they heard that, they went out one by one, beginning with the older ones. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman stood where she was, in the midst. 

10. And Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? 

11. And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. 

It is easy to religiously fall into the trap of Satan when new ones with such sinful background would be brought into the church. Without knowing the Lord in a very experiential way, it is tempting to fall into moral ground and apply the comandment of God legally. Yes, sin must be condemned, but sinners must be loved and shepherded. This is a precious lesson in shepherding the saints while bearing responsibilities in a local church.

1 Timothy 1:15

Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. 

The Lord's heart has always been to save sinners.

Mark 2:17

And when Jesus heard this, He said to them, Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 

May the Lord shepherd this couple and gain them!