Surprise Brotherly Visit

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

An elder brother came to visit the literature office last Monday.  I was not aware of who he was until he introduced himself. Initially, I was not sure if I should spend time with him as another brother was with him. As a host, I felt my responsibility was to simply give him hospitality by serving him water, coffee, and snacks. But after all these formalities, I felt the need to sit with him to listen to him what he had to say and why he visited us.

He is a doctorate degree holder in a branch of study in Vedanta and a born-again believer from Brahmin background whose close relatives also believed into the Lord Jesus Christ. As from such a background, he went through a lot of persecution from his community yet those did not deter him from following the Lord Jesus faithfully. On the contrary, he became a testimony to many of his community members and has now been serving the Lord full-time though independently. He happened to be a friend of one of our brothers in the church life and has touched some crucial truths the Lord has recovered through the ministers of the age. He was very impressed with some basic fundamental truths on Christ being the life-giving Spirit (1 Corn. 15:45b) and calling upon the Name of the Lord. 

In fact, he has been a freelance evangelist and a traveling preacher who is being invited by different Christian groups nationally. But in his heart, he has a deep appreciation for the ministry of Brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee and to his own testimony, he has been pursuing the truths and ministering the truths to the people he has been invited to minister to.

When he requested for ministry books I displayed a good number of selected titles. On sensing his hunger and thirst for the truth, I felt the burden to gift to him whatever ministry books he would like to read. Though he wanted to purchase, I decided o give him as gifts and pay for him through the offering I received recently. 

As we were fellowshipping, it was lunchtime and I felt the burden to invite him over for lunch. The matter being decided promptly, I felt it best to take him to a restaurant nearby. Therefore, we went and had fellowship over lunch at a restaurant serving Chinese cuisine. Before he left, he also enquired about the Holy Bible, Recovery Version, which I included along with the other books as a gift. He was so thankful for the time of fellowship, the hospitality, and the gifts of ministry books.

I have no idea why the Lord brought him to us and why we had such an impromptu fellowship with these many gifts. I believe the Lord has something to carry out through this newly established brotherly relationship. Perhaps, a breakthrough among our fellow Christians for the spread of the ministry of the word and also for the recovery of the truths among many of God's children. Of course, nothing is an accident in a believer's life. Therefore, in time, the Lord will manifest the reason for this surprise brotherly visit.

Lord, bless my brother and make him a channel of blessing to many of Your seekers and lovers.