Give Them Food

They all wait for You, That You may give them food at the proper time.  Psalms 104:27

This morning in my study of the word of God, the Lord spoke to me in a very definite way that I must give spiritual food to the people in need at the proper time. I have been in contact with a good number of Christian all over India. Many of them I have met during the distribution trip, and a good number of them are my Christian contacts for the past over twenty years. In my locality in Gurugram too, there are a good number of Christian contacts who are on the way to the church life. In fact, at some point, a couple of months ago, I kind of gave up on many of these contacts assuming that they were not interested in the ministry of the word as I could not see the result I expected from them. So to many of them, I have stopped sending ministry messages and also stopped contacting them.

Now, with the commencing of the Memorial Day Conference online today and the conference being open to all Christians, I picked up the burden to invite all my Christian contacts again. Perhaps, this is the Lord's arrangement for them to have a taste of the ministry. I have the confirmation within with the Lord's speaking that I need to give them food. Irrespective of how they feel about me or how I feel about them, the Lord has spoken that "They all wait for me, That I may give them food at the proper time."

Like a mother feeding her babies in a timely manner, I must continue to feed all those the Lord has given to me as contacts with the healthy spiritual food. That's my responsibility. And I must do it faithfully as a faithful and prudent slave.

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

One issue I have with me is, I always look for visible results from the ones I am caring for. Yes, there must be results of shepherding.  But that must be in the Lord's timing and in the Lord's way.  The word spoken to me is that I must give food at the proper time as they all await for the food without mentioning anything of the outcome. I simply must leave the matter of the results to the Lord and just be faithful in what I am called to do.

Lord, grace me to be Your faithful and prudent slave to give food to your children at the proper time.

Golden Dream

I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, Saying, What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, And in the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.  Revelation 1:10-13

The Church, the Body of Christ, the one New Man, the Bride of Christ, is being expressed in the localities where the saints are as the many local churches. These local churches are the practicality and expression of the one unique universal Church. These churches are the procedure for God to fulfill  His eternal goal. They are not the end but the means. And these local churches are the golden lampstands while viewing in the spirit according to God's view. This is the view the apostles had in the New Testament, and many brothers have had in the church history, including Brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. This is the view that we must have today. And I also have this view since the Lord brought me into the church life in His recovery. Now, this has become my vision, my burden, and my dream. In fact, my "golden dream!" The dream of the golden lampstands all over India! The dream of India being brightened by the shining of the golden lampstands! Therefore, I am serving with this dream with my fellow brothers in coordination.

The golden dream has been burdening me so much for states in India where there is no golden lampstand raised up on the proper ground of oneness in fellowship with the Body. For this, the Lord has placed me in the literature service and allotted my portion in the distribution of the ministry of the word by travelling places, especially to these localities where there are seeking believers without a proper standing for the Lord's testimony. Since 2006, I have been touring different parts of India, wherever the Spirit led me. By 2019, all the important states, districts, cities, towns, and villages have been visited with the ministry literature distributed, and the seekers fellowshipped with and met. Whatever ministry books have been distributed, I reckon them as "ministry seeds" sown into that locality, waiting for it to grow and bear fruit one day. 

Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow…into the good earth and yielded fruit, coming up and growing; and one bore thirtyfold, and one sixtyfold, and one a hundredfold. (Mark 4:3, 8) 

The sons of peace, the Lord's remnant, whom the Lord led me to, were followed up in prayer and shepherding them with excerpts from the ministry portion now and then. Some of these "fruits" were gathered weekly and monthly for prayer and fellowship. I have been graced to spend time with a group of brothers and sisters from Nagaland, praying weekly for the Lord to raise up His golden lampstands. As we have been praying, we could gradually see the hand of the Lord moving, gathering and recovering His remnants.  I trust the Lord that He will accomplish His work in due time. The golden dream for Nagaland will be fulfilled soon!

In the state of Meghalaya too, the Lord is gradually recovering His remnants. I have been praying with some key brothers weekly and in fellowship with some brothers monthly. This is the Lord's work and He will accomplish it in time. The golden dream for Meghalaya will be fulfilled soon!

Similarly, in the state of Odisha, Chattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, regular morning revival, ministry pursuit, fellowship and meetings have been going on in full swing now. It is just a matter of time when the Lord will raise up His lampstand in all these states where there is no lampstand yet. The golden dream for Odisha, Chattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand will be fulfilled soon!

The Lord also gave a brother in Madhya Pradesh with whom I have been praying and pursuing the ministry together. Just yesterday, another brother from Rajasthan called to fellowship his hunger and thirst for the word. Now he is also in the list of seeking contacts I have been sending ministry excerpt regularly.  Thereby adding two more states, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to the golden dream.

Meanwhile, the Lord has been working among the brothers who have already taken the stand on the ground of oneness to build up the local church. This important matter of learning to build up the local church has been going on since the Lord initiated it through a matured and elder brother whose fellowship has always been very enlightening, edifying, and perfecting. I myself am blessed and graced to be one of the trainees, learning from this brother.

How to build up a local church? A proper christian living, a living that enjoys Christ being expressed in the local church is the first step to building up. For this, there must be the daily feeding on the word of God to be constituted with the word and even become the word of God. This is the "word becoming flesh and taberncaling among us, full of grace and reality."

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality. John 1:14

This will result in the church expressing God through the saints who are constitued with the word. There will be a practical expression of grace and reality. This is the sign of the church being builded up. Another sign of being builded up is the sweet coordination among the saints especially the brothers. There will be a peaceful coordination among all the brothers in mutual submission, the elder ones to the younger ones and vice versa, which will command the blessing of God and release the flow of living water to, among, and through all the saints. Which will also become a pattern for and to the new lampstands to be raised up. There will be the shining of the local churches as the golden lampstands. This is the golden dream!

Lord, raise up Your golden lampstands all over India! Lord, fulfill the golden dream in India!

Honor Thy Brother

Love one another warmly in brotherly love; take the lead in showing honor one to another. Romans 12:10

Last Friday we had the church's gospel meeting as usual. I have been graced to coordinate all the practical arrangements for this gospel meeting. Each time the assigned speaker has to prepare the PowerPoint presentation of the gospel message and another brother does the Hindi translation and then sends it to me for finalization. When I received the file, I felt like redoing the entire presentation. The reason being, raw data was sent to me. Topic and main points with subpoints were not categorized at all; it was just the entire message. I was considering for a moment if I should redo the whole presentation again. I was hoping that the brother could have done a better job. 

As I turned to the Lord and consider how to handle the matter, the Lord impressed me deeply to honor what my brother had done. It was his turn for preaching the gospel message and it was his preparation. Why should I change according to my taste? I simply should learn to honor his work. And perhaps, work on the design instead of changing the content.

So I redesigned the entire presentation without changing anything on the content except some punctuation corrections and came up with a very elegant and professional presentation. I myself felt the anointing of the Lord as I read through the entire message and experienced the wisdom of the Lord in redesigning the presentation.  I felt very peaceful to use this for the gospel meeting.

When the gospel meeting started, the brother began to present the gospel message slowly and steadily and I steered through the PowerPoint in pace with his preaching. There was the Lord's anointing in the speaking. After the gospel meeting, I was surprised by the number of attendance and also the feedback from the attendants. One attendant asked for the entire presentation as he felt blessed by the brothers' speaking.

After the gospel meeting when I spent time with the Lord, the Lord spoke to me this verse in Romans 12:10 "Love one another warmly in brotherly love; take the lead in showing honor one to another." I must learn to honor my brother and also honor the work he has done despite my own feeling or opinion. I must learn to coordinate with my brother and blend to serve together in oneness. After all, it is the Lord who blesses, depending upon how blended and built up we are in oneness with one another. 

Later, I was also led by the Lord to share this presentation with the church members for their perusal; for their gospel resource, and even to share with their gospel friends.

Hence, two important spiritual lessons were freshly constituted into me: Take the lead in showing honor one to other and serve in coordination, then the Lord's blessing will be upon our services.

Escape from Vanity to Reality

King Solomon and David had discovered, after all their kingly experiences of the world and all its glory, that everything under the sun is vanity of vanities. This vanity was caused by Satan's injecting himself into man as sin and since then, the entire creation is subject to vanity. Human life at its best is also under the slavery of corruption. There is no exception even to the believers. That being the case, is there any hope left at all to the fallen mankind and the corrupted creation? Yes. Because God also created man with a spirit and put eternity in his heart.

He has made everything beautiful in its own time; also He has put eternity in their heart, yet so that man does not find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

The eternity God has put in man's heart is to seek and long for God Himself. Not knowing God's desire for man to seek God is due to man's ignorance that issues in seeking for the temporal things to satisfy the eternal longing that only God as the eternal One can satisfy.  This is an escape route from vanity to the reality that is eternal.

This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk in the vanity of their mind. Ephesians 4:17 

The way to escape vanity is by learning Christ and be taught in Him as He is the reality.

But you did not so learn Christ, If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him as the reality is in Jesus. Ephesians 4:20-21

As believers in Christ Jesus, it is very much possible to live in the reality because we are already in Him. 

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20 

It is only a matter of turning to Him and taking Him as grace. So day by day, we must enjoy grace by turning to Him and exercising our spirit to experience the reality in Jesus.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 

By learning Christ as the reality the will of God in gaining the sonship is also being accomplished.  The entire creation is now eagerly awaiting the revelation of the sons of God, for the full sonship to be accomplished among God's children. As genuine children of God, we have received the sonship in our spirit. Since then, sonship is being gained in our souls through the different experiences we undergo day by day. Then finally, even our mortal body will be fully redeemed. Thereby, our entire being, spirit, soul, and body will gain the sonship. This is the full sonship that we eagerly await.

For the anxious watching of the creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, In hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now. And not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19-23 

Today, we can escape from vanity to reality by enjoying Christ as grace. In the process, God will gain the sonship in our souls and ultimately, one day, the full sonship will be gained, fully brought into reality.

This is the Lord's speaking these days in the church that we all have been experiencing... Escaping from the vanity of our mind to the reality in Jesus, eagerly awaiting the full sonship. Grace upon grace be upon us for this...

Report on Ministry Distribution 2021

On 19th April 2021, a brother messaged in our coordination app (MSTeam) if we would like to write a report on the distribution in India in the recent past. I took that as an opportunity to learn to write as a fellowship to the Body concerning the Lord's move in India through the ministry literature distribution. I brought it to prayer and considered carefully what to write and what not to write within the 2000 words limit. Then, felt led by the Spirit, I drafted a mail and sent it to the brother I am coordinating in the literature service. He commented that the article was good and recommended copying the brothers serving in the work in India while sending it. That comment triggered within me the need for further fellowship with the brothers serving in the work in India as distribution is also a part of the Lord's move in India. Though we serve distinctly, we all are in the one service, in the one work. Therefore, I wrote to the brothers and waited for their confirmation. Though the confirmation did not come as soon as I expected, it came a week later with one word to add, which I missed out on. Meanwhile, the Lord inspired me to add one more paragraph concerning being shown mercy to witness the works of the Holy Spirit in India. Then, it was sent to a brother who requested it. The report was published on Having This Ministry- A Digital Newsletter from Living Stream Ministry in the first issue, May 2021 

A Report on Ministry Distribution in India - May 2021 (lsm.org)

The original draft before editing for publication is below:  

Distribution Report India 2021

Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow.…into the good earth and yielded fruit, coming up and growing; and one bore thirtyfold, and one sixtyfold, and one a hundredfold. Mark 4:3,8

As sowers, the serving ones have been distributing the ministry literature all over India. Since last year, the Lord has begun to manifest the “fruits coming up and growing” of the ministry "seeds" sown especially in the Hindi speaking region of North India. Many seeking Christian groups have taken the stand for the Lord's testimony in their localities based on the truths they have learned from the ministry books, especially The Normal Christian Church Life and The Glorious Church, and are now in fellowship with the established local churches in the Lord’s recovery. As evident from the fellowship with the key leaders of these groups, the level of truths in them have grown much. The ministry literature does the work of reconstitution and recovery inwardly, and outwardly to follow suit for the establishment of the practical church life.

The ministry distribution has played a vital role in opening up the country for the Lord’s move; breaking up the fallow ground, tilling it, and sowing the seeds of the ministry. Below are few instances testifying to this fact.

North India

In the month of February 2021, the ministry books were exhibited in the largest Christian festival held annually in Chhattisgarh. Many of the Hindi-speaking Christian leaders who have already been enjoying the ministry books have visited and purchased all the newly released publication in Hindi to the point that the books brought for exhibition ran out of stock on day one itself. Despite the ongoing pandemic, they invited the brothers and gathered the believers in the city for a physical gathering after nine months of lockdown just to meet and fellowship, in addition to arranging a Zoom meeting for those who could not be present physically. 

In a town in Odisha, a group of Christian leaders came to listen to the serving ones concerning the ministry books. Though they had some negative presumption before, after listening to the serving ones’ presentation of the truths for two days, they affirmed the orthodoxy of the teachings, testified of the new lights they have seen concerning Christ and the church, and planned for a visit to see the church life.

In another town, a group of Christians who have been reading the ministry books expressed their longing to fully take the stand for the Lord’s testimony on the local ground of oneness based on the truths they have learned from the ministry books. One of the key brothers, a well-known local tribal leader who left the denomination after he tasted the ministry, expressed his deep desire and burden for the truth to be made known to many of his relatives and fellow Christians. He and a group of believers are now under constant fellowship and shepherding, awaiting and preparing for the establishment of the local church in their town.

The ongoing pandemic, though disastrous, has paved the way for a good number of seekers who read the ministry books to begin to experience the practical church life, virtually though. They started pursuing the Holy Word for Morning Revival, and pursued The Life-study of Revelation. A brother, who is an elder in a Christian group, testified that despite being an elder for a couple of decades, never understood nor enjoyed the word of God as much as he does now after tasting the ministry through the ministry books. He and his family are under regularly shepherding.  

South India

In the South where Christian population is higher, the ministry books in vernacular languages have been introduced and distributed on a regular basis by touring Christian villages, towns, and cities, alongside visiting theological seminaries and supplying the Christian bookstores with ministry books. The ministry books exhibitions have been conducted in big Christian conventions where many seeking pastors, priests, and people have come to know and taste the ministry. Some popular titles among the seekers are God’s New Testament Economy, The All-inclusive Christ, and The Economy of God by Witness Lee; and The Spiritual Man 3 vols, The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit, and The Character of the Lord’s Worker by Watchman Nee. Through such tours and exhibitions, a good number of seekers are now fellowshipping with the nearby local churches. In fact, the ministry literature serves a pivotal role in ushering the Lord’s remnants into the practical church life as envisioned in the books. 

West India

The Lord has reserved hundreds of seekers in different villages, towns, and cities, who have been the beneficiaries of the ministry books. When the saints took a distribution trip in February 2021, many of them were discovered in clusters spread over different districts of Maharashtra. The ministry books exhibitions and seminars were held in a couple of these localities where these remnants were contacted and brought under a regular shepherding with the saints in the nearby local churches. 

Prominent Christian Leaders

Another burden in the literature service is to clear off the "negative tag" on Brother Witness Lee's ministry among some Christian groups. Beginning this year, the serving ones have started reaching out to the key Christian leaders, who are nationally, even internationally, famous and have a nationwide influence. One such leader was met in March 2021, and the ministry of brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee was introduced. He was impressed by the real-life testimonies of the saints and churches who are beneficiaries of the two brothers’ ministry, to the extent that he publicly introduced and recommended the ministry books to his congregation and invited the visiting brothers to minister the word in their Lord’s day meeting. Besides, the ministry books were distributed to many of the missionaries serving in the organization. 

In New Delhi, a prominent Hindi Christian publisher and literature organization has started accepting the ministry books after many years of subtle resistance. In January 2021, when the manager learned about the depth of the ministry teachings and heard the testimonies of the saints who have been enjoying the ministry, opened up and requested for all the publication in Hindi to be exhibited in their bookstore. This openness has brought a staff of the bookstore to be in fellowship and under shepherding of the saints in the local church, and also opened the door for many Christians to know and taste the ministry through their bookstore. 

This is a joyful testimony of the serving ones who have been graced to serve in coordination, oneness, and fellowship with the Body. This report is an answer to the Body's prayer, experienced by the unprofitable slaves who witnessed the works of the Holy Spirit, and are in fellowship with the brothers overseeing the Lord's work in India. Finally, the promising seekers who have been discovered were deferred to the co-workers for further follow-up shepherding and reaping for the Lord’s testimony. 

Prayer Burden

Pray for the Lord's continual shepherding of all these ones who have been enjoying the ministry for their growth in life and full recovery into the fellowship, oneness, and blending of the Body of Christ for the establishing of the local churches. 

Preserve Me, O God!

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. Psalms 16:1

The Psalmist had prayed for the Lord's preservation, being fully aware of his vulnerability to the attacked of the enemy that came through many channels. The attack could be physical, psychological, and spiritual. 

Today as I was studying the word of God on this Psalm, I was deeply impressed by the same prayer. In fact, this has been my prayer in a very intensified way ever since the pandemic struck last year. Despite all the precautions and SOPs rolled out by the government, the ultimate protection comes only from the Lord.  This, therefore, does not mean that I can be careless in taking care of my health. No. I must do all that I can, and still seek the Lord's protection. This prayer became very real and strong these days, especially in the ongoing second wave of Covid when many children of God have also been infected with it and a good number of them have succumbed to it already. 

Today morning a sister called me to inform me about two new ones, whom I met in one of the home meetings, who were very bothered by Covid as they themselves and their close relatives have been infected with it.  The call was an indirect conveying of a message to me that these ones needed shepherding and that I should shepherd them. This call reiterated and confirmed the need for the Lord's protection.

Observing the situation among the believers who are infected with Covid, one must be saved from any superstitious concept that Christians will all be automatically preserved. Well, that's not quite true. When pandemic struck, it struck all mankind alike as much as the sun shines and the rain falls on the good and the evil, the believers and the unbelievers, and both as men lives and also dies. That said, there is also a special provision for all the children of God. There is a special grace, special protection from harm and danger, even from the present pandemic. For this, one needs to pray for the Lord's protection, "Preserve me, O God!" This is in addition to taking all the precautionary measures, a man's responsibility in human cooperation with the divine protection.

At least twice, to my memory, saints who are serving under the Government of India have called me to check with me about my take on the Covid vaccination. My answere was simply, take it as it is physically needed, but our trust, hope, and faith is inthe Lord, not the vaccine per se. Having done all that are required to do, still our prayer should be, "Preserve me, O God!"

Yes, our body needs to be preserved, much more our soul and our spirit as well. God's purpose must be fulfilled in us and through, for this our body needs to be healthy, our soul transformed, and our spirit exercised. We need the Lord's preservation in our mind to be renewed becoming the mind of Christ, our emotion to love the Lord supremely, and our will becoming one with His will. We also need the Lord's preservation in our spirit, to be ever kept renewed and exercised moment by moment.

Yes, our body, our soul, and our spirit needs the Lord's preservation. For this we need to prayer, "Preserve me, O Lord!"

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 

Monthly Ministry of the Word

I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.  John 4:38

The Lord has been sending us out to different parts of India for the introduction and distribution of the ministry of the word. Wherever He led us, He also prepared His chosen remnants who welcomed us and received the ministry books. These are the ones,  I personally believe, the Lord has given us. Though we did not labor on them from the preaching of the gospel up to where they are now in their spiritual growth, still they, as the children of God, are members of the Body of Christ as I am too,  and definitely need to be brought into the fellowship of the Body. Therefore, the verse in John 4:38 I apply to the service the Lord has sovereignly apportioned to the literature service where I am being graced to labor in coordination with other members of the Body. Yes, the Lord indeed has been sending us to reap where we have not labored previously; we entered to their labor and reap them for God's eternal purpose. "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

It was on the 13th of May, Thursday night that we fellowshipped to have a monthly fellowship with the seeking brothers in new localities who have started taking the way of the biblical standing on the ground of oneness as the local church in their localities. They have been first met through the ministry literature distribution. Some of them have been enjoying the ministry books for as long as ten years now. But for some reason, they have not yet been formally declared as established local churches.  Perhaps, the linking fellowship with the established local churches needs to be strengthened, and the oneness of the Body of Christ in fellowship has to be made more firm. This is one burden the Lord gave me, to hold at least a monthly fellowship to shepherd them into the fellowship and oneness of the Body of Christ.

Last weeks participants were the two brothers I have been praying with every Monday night from Dimapur, Nagaland; a brother who has been enjoying the ministry books for over a decade now from Champa, Chattisgarh where around five local churches are in fellowship; three brothers who have taken the stand on the ground of oneness in Khariar Road, Chattisgarh; a brother from Raipur, Chattisgarh; and two brothers who are taking the stand as the church in Shillong, Meghalaya. That was the first meeting we had, and we have agreed to have this every first Thursday of every month. Perhaps, more and more brothers and sisters may be brought into this fellowship.

The nature, standing, constitution, and fellowship of these local churches should be according to the Apostles' teaching in the Bible. For this, the influence of religion and Christianity must be gradually washed out for the sake of the purity of the church life. Prayer and the ministry of the word can do this work of purification. Therefore, the topic for this meeting is named, "Prayer and the Ministry of the Word." 

But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word. Acts 6:4

Our corporate burden is to bring all dear brothers into the up-to-date speaking of the Lord in His recovery. Therefore, we are dwelling on the subject of one of the annual feasts on "The Intrinsic and Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ." 

May the Lord cause the intrinsic and organic building among us and among the churches these brothers are taking the stand for. May the Lord continue His work of recovery intrinsically and organically unto the fulfillment of His eternal economy.

Fearing God in God's Economy

Fearing God

Fearing God is the first principle for a man to live a normal and proper life. Fearing God on the negative aspects are to be in fear of offending Him, losing His presence now, and losing His reward in the coming age. Fearing God on the positive aspects are to trust in Him, to honor Him, to be in His presence, to live long, to be full of joy and rejoicing with His blessings.

Fearing God by Trusting in God 

Proverbs 3 

5. Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, / And do not rely on your own understanding; 6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, / And He will make your paths straight. 

As one who fear God, we will trust God whole heartedly. We will not lean on our own understanding and acknowledge Him in all our ways. In our personal life, family life, and church life, we will be afraid of our self, of our natural man with all its smartness, and turn away from any human wisdom,  but we will fully trust in Jehovah.

Fearing God by Departing from Evil

Proverbs 3

7. Do not be wise in your own eyes; / Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil. 8. It will be healing to your body / And refreshment to your bones. 

A proper fear of God will keep us away from evils; sins, the world, and Satan himself. This reverential fear of God should be inculcated in all of us, especially the children and young people. It is only this that can save us from the temptations and corruption of this world, especially the influence from friends, peers, and colleagues.

Fearing God and Having God's Intimate Counsel

Psalms 25:14

The intimate counsel of Jehovah is to those who fear Him, / And His covenant will He make known to them. 

In fearing God, we would seek God's will with our whole heart and completely submit to Him and obey His counsel. For all things related to us, we would seek His will and be afraid of our self will. In making decision in life, we must fear God and seek and do only His will. This will be a salvation from wrong wills and a reward to receive God's blessings.

Fearing God by Honoring God 

Proverbs 3

9. Honor Jehovah with your substance / And with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10. Then your barns will be filled with plenty, / And your vats will burst open with new wine. 

A proper fear of God would always lead us to honor Him by offering to Him from what He blessed us with. Most practically, honoring Him through our offering of money, by at least one-tenth of all our income. Besides, we must also offer our time, if possible, one-tenth of twenty four hours a day, for prayer, Bible reading, and other spiritual activities specifically. This will be an honor to God and a blessing to us. Many suffer unnecessary,  especially in their finance, because they fail to honor God in money matter. The best investment and saving plan is to offer to God from what He has blessed us with. It is folly to assume that one can get richer by not offering. Rather, in not offering one will end up wasting money after all. The same applies with our time. Any time that we did not spend foe the Lord or on the Lord would literally be a waste. Beware!

Fearing God by Being in Christ 

Isaiah 11:2

And the Spirit of Jehovah will rest upon Him, / The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, / The Spirit of counsel and might, / The Spirit of the knowledge and fear of Jehovah. 

In the Lord Jesus Christ's human living, as prophesied by Isaiah, He was filled with the Spirit of the fear of Jehovah. Today, He as the Life-giving Spirit is now in us. To live a life of fearing God, we must live in Christ who is the Spirit of the fear of Jehovah. For this, day by day, we need to completely and absolutely open to Him to be filled with Him as the Spirit of the fear of Jehovah.

In such a proper fear of God, we would be one with God in fulfilling God's economy. 

Lord, teach me to fear You, reverentially, all the days of my life.

Truth Lesson: Christ's Increase

What is Increase? What is Christ's Increase? Perhaps, this matter of increase is a great concern to many Christians. No increase is a problem, yet an increase is also a problem depending on what causes the increase. An increase in the number of meeting attendance can be brought forth either by the flesh or by life. Lot had an increase by his flesh, even by sinful incest. That is in the principle of Babylon. The increase we are talking about here is the increase of Christ, through the divine dispensing of the divine life into the believers, for the preparation of the Bride of Christ.

The increase begins with regeneration through the redemption accomplished by Christ which resulted in producing the bride, the Body of Christ as Christ's increase.  This also happens by Christ ministering Himself as and through the word which becomes the Spirit in the believers dispensing the divine life and making them grow from within and bearing forth spiritual fruits without. This is Christ's increase. The same is found in John 3, the Lord's conversation with Nicodemus. This conversation began with regeneration accomplished through the believers' believing into the Lord Jesus Christ who was lifted as a bronze serpent and becoming the Bride, the Body Christ, Christ's increase, which also is being carried out by His speaking through the word of God giving the Spirit abundantly.

John 3

3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 That everyone who believes into Him may have eternal life.

16 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.

29a He who has the bride is the bridegroom; 

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit not by measure.

Christ's increase and His relationship with the church, the Bride, can be seen  can also be seen in the three aspects of Christ

1. Christ as the Redeemer redeemed the church. This happened in the past through the believers' generation. For this, Christ as the Husband gave Himself up for His Bride, the church. (Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her)
2. Christ as the Life-giving Spirit sanctifying the church. This is going on right now in the present time. Christ as the Husband is sanctifying His Bride, the church. (Ephesians 5:26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word)
3. Christ as the Bridegroom will present the church. This will happen in the future when Christ, the Bride, will present His Bride to Himself. (Ephesians 5:27 That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.)

In Ephesians, we can also see the two aspects of Christ's increase inwardly, growing up into Him in all things who is the Head, Christ. And Christ's increase outwardly for His expression,  growing from the Head, causing the growth of the Body.

Ephesians 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.

The Importance of the Word of God for Our Growth

1. John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
2. 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3. 1 Peter 1:23 Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.
4. 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation,
5. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the full-grown, who because of practice have their faculties exercised for discriminating between both good and evil.
6. 2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
7. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

These are the seven ways in which the word of God can make us grow for Christ's increase.

May we all receive the divine life supply through the word of God that can make us grow day by day for Christ's increase.

A Memorial Message

Covid has struck India and many have lost their lives. It did not even spare the saints in the church life nor the serving ones in the literature service. One of our serving ones, brother Kishor Mane, texted me on 29th April 2021 mentioning his situation as he and his whole family were infected with Covid. His message quoted verbatim:

"Brother, though we were taking treatment of medicine but the symptoms were going and coming even for heavy dosage. So mother father got admitted and after two days i got admitted, and now others also are unable to bear, they also will be coming now to get admitted. Sorry brother i was unable to work tor last few days. Please bear with me."

My reply to him was, "Take care of your health. We have been praying for you and your family."

Since then, in our literature office morning prayer and also in our family prayer, we have been praying for his recovery. As days passed by, his situation became more and more severe. A brother then informed me about his falling into depression and health complications. But we kept praying. A few days later, I was informed that his father went to be with the Lord. And after five days, he also went to be with the Lord. Alas, that text message was our last; he was the first serving one whom the Lord took during this crisis. I pray that no more saints would lose their lives due to this pandemic. May the Lord cover us all!

Before he passed away, I had a deep sense within me that he would need financial help. Therefore, I made arrangements to transfer an offering and also his first full-time support since he came to serve in checking the text translation of the New Testament Recovery Version in Marathi. Later, another offering was arranged; this time it was transferred to a brother who was intimately taking care of him and his family.

Today, a day after he went to be with the Lord on the 9th of May 2021, the church in Miraj had arranged a memorial day meeting in which I need to share a memorial or rather a testimony regarding him and his service as much as I know.  Though another brother was to share, he could not make it. Therefore, I had to share on behalf of the literature service. 

Using his testimony, I encouraged the young people to consecrate themselves to serve the Lord, even to learn Greek and be involved in checking the New Testament text translation to Marathi. In fact, today morning in my time with the Lord, the Lord led me to text a brother concerning filling up the gap this brother has left behind. My text reads:

Brother, please pray and consider: if there could be at least two young educated saints who can consecrate themselves to the Lord fully to learn Greek and come in to do the Marathi text checking of the New Testament Recovery Version. Only then we will be able to release the New Testament Recovery Version in Marathi.

May the Lord gain many abled, burdened, and available young educated saints.

This same text was read out by a brother who is his spiritual father in his memorial speech encouraging and calling out the young people to consecrate themselves for the Lord's service especially for the literature service in Marathi. May the Lord indeed raise up many young saints to fill up the gap our brother had left behind.

The following were the points I shared. In fact, the first section I also shared in the literature WhatsApp group as a loving memorial to our brother.

In Loving Memory of Brother Kishor Mane

22 July 2020: Enrolled for Greek online self study. He completed all the assignments on time and passed all the exams. A very faithful, diligent, and fast learner!

16 March 2021: Completed Greek for New Testament translation with 90% score!

1 April 2021: He started text checking of The New Testament, Recovery Version in Marathi.

A Wonderful Pattern in Character: Diligent, faithful, kept the schedule for the works assigned to him.  Soft in heart yet aggressive in learning.

Romans 4: 7-8 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s.

Encouragement to the Young People

May the Lord raise up many young educated and consecrated saints to learn Greek and pick up the burden to serve in the literature service to bring out the New Testament Recovery Version in Marathi.

Pray for Kishor’s family, especially his mother, and also for the saints in the church in Miraj

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 For God did not appoint us to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us in order that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do.

Discipline in Love

Discipline your son, for there is hope; But do not set your heart on destroying him. Proverbs 19:18

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

I love my children, they are God's gift to me and my wife. Since their birth, they have been a blessing to us as a family. In many aspects, they are truly our heart's delight yet not a replacement of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we love the Lord, we also love what the Lord has blessed us with. So, we must be a proper guardian to the blessings of the womb. Children are from the Lord, we are just the guardians to nurture them for the Lord. In our responsibility as guardians, sometimes there is a need for some discipline and correction, whenever the need arises. With my children, mostly they have been doing fairly well. Except sometimes they tend to disobey and need some discipline. There, as a parent, especially as a father, I need to lovingly chastise them.

Some characteristic traits of my children have been manifested in terms of obedience and respect to elders. In this matter, I strongly felt my children need to be taught or disciplined. But I must also be wise in the way I carry this out. I can only recollect how I had been taught when I was young as my children now, ie.., discipline.

Last night, I sensed a very disgusting behavior from my son in terms of attitude and honoring and respecting elders especially his parent. This has been going on for quite some time now. I just could not let the matter go by easily. So I decided to take my son to a task. For a long time, I have not been showing my disciplinary face except for a few words of parental commands, which hardly matters to him. 

Therefore, I wanted to drive deep into my son's heart that I am serious about a proper attitude and respect towards elders which I have been brought up to, all my life. So I disciplined him verbally and with some physical chastisement. Though he could not take it at the moment and tried to fight back, it only strengthened me to intensify the degree of chastisement. Not a physical abuse as such, but a strong verbal correction had brought him to tears. The incident occurred continuously three times in a row as I could not see him subdued but fighting back instead. So each discipline was more intense than the previous one, and I reckoned that as my responsibility towards my son. 

Seriously, I hardly would like to get into this kind of intense discipline, but once I was forced to, I will not give it up until the purpose was met. This may be kind of harsh, but I deeply pray within that this will have a lasting impact on my son and also on my two daughters that they would have a proper attitude and show honor and respect to elders all the days of their lives. For this, I am willing to sacrifice my own face as a "soft father". Let me rather be "hated" for this disciplinary action rather than see my children undisciplined. I was willing to pay the price, and I did pray the price as I felt best. Then, I prayed for all of them that the Lord would also follow my disciplinary actions with His own shepherding. Only physical or verbal discipline without the Lord's following up would lead to nowhere. Therefore, I prayed for all my children.

Perhaps, the action was too tough that my son was deeply hurt and for a considerable length of time, he could not be consoled. My wife and my two daughters went to console him and finally, the matter was settled. But that's not all, I believe, my two daughters also learned the intensity of my action and the magnitude of my intention; I did what I did because I truly love them. I simply want them to be disciplined and be proper in their human character.

The next day, the impact of the discipline was felt. Everybody was serious and the looseness that lingered for quite some time had gone. My children become more serious in their response when matters were addressed concerning them. After my lunch and a short nap time, as I was considering before the Lord about the action I took to discipline my son, I felt good to talk to him and see if there was any grudge between us. Yes, discipline was fine, but how about the father-son relationship after the discipline? Therefore, I went to talk to him and called him to the bedroom for a personal fellowship. I told him that I did what I did because I love him and that I did not want him to harbor any improper attitude towards his parent or elders, and also to learn to honor and respect the elders. He replied to me that he understood my intention. I also asked him if he had any negative feelings against me, yes if any, I asked him to forgive me. To this, he replied, "Maybe." I requested, "Please forgive me, then." And he replied, "Yes." Therefore, we hugged each other; I kissed my beloved son, and we prayed together.

As a sign of comfort and gratitude to him for being able to accept the discipline, I asked him what he would want me to buy. He reminded me that I had forgotten my promise to my elder daughter about ice cream which I promised to treat her with a few weeks ago. Therefore, we both went to purchase a pack of Vanilla and Chocolate ice cream and we enjoyed the ice cream as "our prize for the discipline."

Thus, the matter was settled. I had peace and he does too. I hope and pray that I do not need to repeat the same discipline again ever. Hope this will be the last and that they all will learn the lesson. Right after this incident, my own father called me to check if I and my family were doing alright as he heard of so many cases of Covid in Delhi and NCR. I also could speak to my mom and heard their appreciation for the help, financially, during my dad's sickness a week ago.

May the Lord continue to bless our family. May He make our family a God-man family as I have always prayed for; to fear Him, to love Him, and to serve Him, as a family, all the days of our lives.

Lord, bless our family!

Godly Living

Yesterday, our Lord's table meeting and the prophesying meeting were very special. Though the nature of the meeting was the same as a regular meeting, the content and the feeling of the saints in the meeting took a new turn. I believe it was for the better. The saints' prayers and speakings were very much uplifted in terms of truth and experience. It was not mere empty words but with much feeling and experience behind the words. In other words, it was very genuine. Our praise, worship, thanksgiving, prayer, and prophecy were very genuine; straight from the heart, out of the experiences many have been through these days.

The past few weeks have been intense for many saints as some have been battling with Covid personally or as a family or for some relatives. This second wave surprised the whole country suddenly. Many have been infected with the virus and, alas, many have also lost their lives; thousands and thousands daily, not spacing even the believers.

In the midst of such a pandemic, the Lord has been mercifully preserving all of us. Besides, He has been gracing us to experience Him in a very personal and intimate way. A good number of brothers and sisters testified their experiences during the time they were sick; the new lessons they have learned from the Lord and the new light the Lord has shown to them. A sister even shared with tears, the mercy of the Lord she has experienced concerning her unbelieving mother and father who both were infected with Covicd, and how the Lord miraculously healed them by answering her simple prayer. 

These prophecies of the saints added fuel to the burning fire within me. Therfore, I released my burden on the present pursuit of the truth on "Living a Godly Life" based on selected gems from the book of Proverbs.

To live a godly life, one needs to have the following points experientially:

VISION 

“Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint”—Prov. 29:18a

The governing vision of the Bible is the Triune God working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people in order to saturate their entire being with the Divine Trinity for the producing and building up of the Body of Christ consummating in the New Jerusalem—Eph. 4:4-6; Rev. 21:2, 9-10.

One needs to have a clear vision of God's eternal economy and follow it faithfully unto the end. Without this, even the so-called godly life would be meaningless and goalless.

TRUTH

“Buy truth, and do not sell it”—Prov. 23:23a 

The present truth includes the revelation concerning the eternal economy of God (Eph. 1:10; 3:9), the Divine Trinity (2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 1:4-5), the person and work of the all-inclusive Christ (Col. 2:9, 16-17; 3:11), the consummated life-giving Spirit (John 7:39; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Rev. 22:17), the eternal life of God (John 3:15-16), the church as the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23), and the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 10-11). 

The Lord's mercy has led all the saints in His recovery to take the way we have been taking. We have faced persecution from families and friends, either from the unbelievers or believers or even both. Some even accused the way we take as "heretic" and even "cultic", but the truth is the truth, no matter what people say or think. To be faithful to the truth, the Lord has graced us to pay the price. This is "the buying of the truth." And we must not sell it at any cost, come what may. The Lord may grace us to be faithful and obedient to the truth unto the end.

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19

SPIRIT

“The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, / Searching all the innermost parts of the inner being”— Prov. 20:27

When we exercise our spirit to pray properly, there is a lamp shining—Eph. 6:18; 1:17-18; 5:8-9: 1. As we pray, our spirit functions as a shining lamp, searching all the parts of our soul—Prov. 20:27. The more we exercise our spirit in prayer, the more we are enlightened—2 Cor. 4:6.

With the clear and controlling vision clubbed together with the present truth, we must also exercise our spirit to experience the reality of the vision and the truth. Otherwise, it will just be running after an empty dream; professing good vision and truth, but it will all be dead doctrines and fantasy vision if not in the spirit. Therefore, there is an urgent need to exercise our spirits that the Lord as the Lamp may shine in our spirits as the lamps to enlighten our inner being to be luminaries in the world as children of God.

That you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world. Philippians 2:15

HEART

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, / For from it are the issues of life”—Prov. 4:23: 

The heart is the entrance and exit to our whole being—Matt. 13:19; 15:18-19: We guard our heart by caring for our heart and having a thorough dealing with our heart before the Lord in the way of life; the more we deal with our heart, the more we guard our heart—Psa. 26:2; 139:23-24; Prov. 4:23; Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23; Matt. 13:18-23; 5:8.

Our hearts need to be guarded with all vigilance to not give any ground to the enemy. It is only through this the enemy can intrude into our lives and cause spiritual havoc. Our conscience must be dealt with, cleansed all the time without and condemnation or guilt. Our mind must be renewed day by day, that it even becomes the mind of Christ, clear and sober. Our emotion must be loving the Lord with the first and best love; loving the Lord Jesus only and Him only. Our will must be subdued becoming one with the Lord's will. In this way, our hearts will be guarded and dealt with to become a pure heart to see God and made proper for Christ to make His home.

LOVE

“Love covers all transgressions”—Prov. 10:12b: 

Covering brings in blessing, but uncovering brings in a curse—Gen. 9:22-27 “Love covers all things” (1 Cor. 13:7a), not only the good things but also the bad things.

As children of the Son of God's love, we must be filled with the divine love and let this divine love flow through us to all the people we are in contact with. With such a love, we can cover the shortcomings and weaknesses of our fellow believers. Only love builds up; therefore, we must love one other and build up the church the Body of Christ.

Thus was my burden released. That was one of the best meetings we have ever had this year. I believe more and more such meetings will follow suit. The Lord is sovereign over us all in leading us to live a godly life; arranging even the physical environment to work all things together for our good to gain Him and live Him out as our godly lives.

Truth Lesson: Pillar, a Reward to the Overcomer

In the recent training for the elders and the responsible ones, a message on "The Factor of Living an Overcoming Life in the recovered Church to Consummate the Divine Economy and Become the New Jerusalem" has impacted me a lot spiritually. What I used to consider as an overcomer is not the whole truth at all. Besides, I was also helped to see the factor that can make me an overcomer. Factor is an element contributing to the result. Therefore, I must take care of the factor to meet the end result. 

OVERCOMERS in the Recovered Local Churches

The real overcomer is Christ. The sooner one realizes this, the better.  Now as a believer, I have Christ in me. So the way for me to become an overcomer is by being one with Christ practically in my daily living. 

Such believers who are living Christ are the overcomers, who are also the factor that contributes to the building up of the church. It is not merely enough to be in a recovered local church life, the church in Philadelphia, but much more to be overcomers in the church; the Lord is calling for the overcomers. The local churches are the procedures to have the reality of the Body of Christ as the goal. There are local churches that existed yet without resulting in the living of an overcoming life. The local churches are not the factor, but the overcomers in the recovered churches are. These ones will consummate the divine economy and become the New Jerusalem. The church could be empty if it is not contributing to the consummation of the divine economy. In other words, the so-called church could be empty if there are no overcomers. 

The Lord is the Overcomer and He is reproducing Himself in us to make us overcomers in the local church.

Matthew 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector.

The Lord only regards the church meeting on the ground of oneness. In Revelation, it is always “the church in ….” The Lord must recover genuine local churches, or He has no way to build up the church.  As we are in the recovered church, our response should be, “Lord, make me an overcomer.”

To the local church in Ephesus, the Lord said, “Unless you repent, I will remove the lampstand.” This shows that the assembly may still exist as an empty local church without being a lampstand. It is possible for a church to be empty if it exists without the overcomers. The reality of the kingdom of the heaven is the content of the church, which is Christ Himself as our life, as the essence and the substance for us to be the proper church life. Through which we will be build up with the other believers. Without the reality, the constitution, the central work of God, the churches are just empty. Only the overcomers can build up the church that will bring the Lord back and consummate in the New Jerusalem.

REWARD

The principle of reward is, "What we are will become our reward in the coming age."

Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.

To be an overcomer we must eat the tree of life today, not waiting until the next age. The present enjoyment of the overcomers is the reward in the coming age. What we enjoy and participate in today will become our reward in the coming age. 

PILLARS

To be an overcomer is also to be a pillar today so that we can become a pillar in the coming age. Who are these pillars? In Revelation 3:12 the Bible says, 

"He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore, and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My new name."

But in 21:22 it says,  

"And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."

This means the pillars are in organic union with the Triune God Himself. This also proves the fact that the overcomers are those who are one with the Lord Himself. Therefore, if we are overcomers to be pillars, we must exercise to live and walk by the Spirit who is the processed and consummated Triune God mingling with our spirit today. The way to achieve this is by allowing Christ to make His home in our hearts.

Ephesians 3:16, 17 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

And loving Him with our best love; for it is with those who love Him that He comes and makes and abode with him. This aboded is the mingling of God with man. 

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.

Therefore, we are made pillars in the temple of God by living an overcoming life in the recovered church life by allowing Christ to make His home in our hearts, and making an abode with us.

Lord, make me a pillar for the building up of Your Body.

Truth Lesson: New Name

In fellowship with a senior and matured brother, the Lord has given me a new light concerning my growth in life and transformation through the many life experiences He has sovereignly allowed me to go through. As every spiritual experience begins with a revelation, this revelation definitely brings me to a higher experience of life in my walk with God.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it. Revelation 2:17

A Note from the Recovery Version on a "New Name": A name designates a person; a new name designates a transformed person. Every transformed believer, as a white stone, bears “a new name…which no one knows except him who receives it.” Such a new name is the interpretation of the experience of the one who has been transformed. Hence, only he himself knows the meaning of that name.

This new name is not merely the experiences the Lord gives me as I am being transformed. Rather, it is the interpretation of the experiences and learning of spiritual lessons from it. Many, perhaps, every Christian goes through different experiences almost every day. But the question is, Are there any gaining of Christ through the experiences? Are there any spiritual interpretations of those experiences? Or, Are they merely experiences that come and go, having nothing to do with the person who experiences it? This is where many Christian fail in their Christian life. 

There is no accident in Christian life. Everything a Christian goes through has been ordained at best, or at worst, allowed by God, always with a purpose. One has to find out what are the purposes of those experiences. 

Recently, the Lord gave me some precious experiences. As I considered them in this light of "new name", I got revelations of the interpretation of those experiences. The first was related to a dog bite, which changes my lifestyle altogether and brought me closer to my family. Since that incident, I could interpret that the Lord is teaching me to spend more time with my children. In fact, I have been doing that since then. Besides, the Lord used this incident to shepherd me through many saints. The saints that I least expected that they care for me actually care for me. I used to think that my shepherding is from me to the saints. But this time, the Lord showed me that my shepherding is also the saints' shepherding. We mutually shepherd one another. I received the Lord's shepherding through the saints. Praise the Lord! 

Another instance is related to my daddy's operation. This experience has brought my siblings together, to pray together, and to love and care for one another in an intimate way. The Lord definitely gained our family life much more than before. My siblings have been graced to function very well in taking care of daddy. I could only offer from the Lord's bountiful supply and pray for them. But my siblings have practically shepherded daddy so well. The interpretation of this experience is, the Lord has actually answered all my prayers for my siblings and family. They have grown in the Lord much more than before and are bearing family responsibilities practically. I can truly trust them.

The other instance is on a printer purchase for my family's need. Since the pandemic struck India, all my children's classes are online and they need to take a lot of print out for their class works. We have been using the office printer and shared in buying the printer toner. In order to save cost, I was trying to use two old printers. Every time I tried, something went wrong and finally, I gave both the old printers up.  Then, the Lord also provided the needed money to buy a new printer. One day I went to buy a printer but could not get what I wanted. Therefore I resorted back to repairing an old one from the office. It worked for a day, and a problem occurred again. Then I realized that I should not have resorted back to an old printer when the Lord gave me sufficient money to buy a new one.  Even if the printer could be repaired, the Lord wanted me to buy a new one. Besides, the repaired new one can be gifted to a needy brother's family who could not afford a new one. Therefore, I and my wife checked some printers online and bought one. This experience taught me that when the Lord says something I better listen absolutely and not negotiate nor bargain with Him. He knows best, and He does not need my good opinion or suggestions. I only need to obey Him, He knows best.

These three instances are some life experiences whose interpretations are life lessons learned, for my gaining of Christ, and pursuit of Christ. Praise the Lord for this new name! This new name has to be gained now to become so in the New Jerusalem! What has been experienced now will be consummated in the New Jerusalem!