Experiencing Christ in Home Meeting

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a sister whom I visited about five years ago. It was a surprise call from her after a long long time. And over the phone, she seemed to be desperate for fellowship and invited me to visit their family in Gurugram. Since I was caught up with many pending works I could not visit her family as I should earlier. But on the following Saturday, I was praying if I should visit her family. In fact, I also brought the family matter for prayer in the church prayer meeting. Then, I felt I should visit her as the matter seemed to be urgent. Therefore, with two sisters and a brother, we went to visit this family.

As expected, they have been in a very desperate situation mostly related to money. But we were very careful not to touch money matters in our dealing with people. As we listened to all the couple had to pour out, their needs seemed to be very genuine but a very big need.  Instead of dwelling on the outward objective money need, I felt led by the lord to preach the gospel to the husband and his sister as they were not yet saved though they professed to believe into Jesus through the many difficult circumstances that have been going through. 

The words the Lord gave me were from John 3 on the life of Nicodemus on the need for a person to be born anew. 

But there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This one came to Him by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.
Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?
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.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born anew.John 3:1-7 

These verses were very apt for the family. They were good and religious, but what God needs is a God-man born of God. Using these Bible verses, especially vv. 3 and 5, I led them to pray to receive the Lord as the husband gave me his consent with all willingness. I was surprised that he willingly prayed to receive the Lord by praying the sinners' prayer along with his sister and the whole family. Then, to help them further, I also explained the truth concerning baptism as the need for genuine believers. No matter what their decision may be, I must be faithful to the truth of the Bible. I must not withhold anything good from those who seek to know God and the truth. Nevertheless, the choice was entirely left to them. I preached, prayed, led them to pray, and presented the truth of the Bible concerning believing and baptism. The decision is theirs completely to take. Then, a brother who came with me also shared on the need to take Jesus into their boat. After which we all prayed together and left. 

Since we all had the feeling to invite them for a meeting, we invited them and also helped them to pay for their transportation as they expressed their helplessness in financial matters. The whole family came for the meeting and they all enjoyed it very much, especially their two daughters. A few days later, they came to visit us and we had further fellowshipped on experiencing the true and living in meeting all our needs. This time, the husband testified of how he had been experiencing God and how his faith had grown so much. But due to the present situation they were in, they decided to wait for baptism. 

Thank God that somehow we were able to visit them and had fellowshipped with them. From our side, we had done our best to minister Christ to them and it is up to them to decide when they would willingly take water baptism. 

May the Lord supply all their genuine and legitimate needs.