Study of the Word: One Accord

Today, as we participated in the training for the elders and responsible ones, we were blessed with the Lord’s up-to-date speaking on the one accord. This matter is so deep and profound. Though we may not claim that we have been perfected into oneness, by the Lord’s mercy, we have been graced  and blessed in the church life to see this vision of one accord and practice it. By and large, we have been practicing this one accord and are being perfected in this matter gradually. The Lord’s speak was so rich and for the sake of remembrance and reminder, the crucial points have been recorded here. These are what we are learning and the vitally needed for the church life to accomplish God’s eternal purpose.

These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14, RecVer)

And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart, (Acts 2:46, RecVer)

And when they heard this, they lifted up their voice with one accord to God and said, Sovereign Master, You are the One who has made heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them, (Acts 4:24, RecVer)

And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders took place among the people; and they were all with one accord in the portico of Solomon. (Acts 5:12, RecVer)

Negative Satanic One Accord 

But they cried out with a loud voice and covered their ears and rushed upon him with one accord. (Acts 7:57, RecVer)

But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up against Paul with one accord and brought him to the judgment seat, (Acts 18:12, RecVer)

And the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus of Macedonia, Paul’s traveling companions. (Acts 19:29, RecVer)

If we practice the principle of the Body, we will have the one accord, for the one accord is the Body. The practice of the genuine one accord is the application of the oneness. The practice of the church life must be in one accord. The blessing of God can come only upon a situation of one accord, the practice of the one accord. Blessing and one accord are interchanged, meaning, in one accord we are blessed and if we are blessed we will be in one accord. 

These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14, RecVer)

One accord refers to the harmony in our inner being. The Greek word homothumadon, homo (same) and thumos (mind, will, purpose), denotes a harmony of inward feeling in one's entire being. This is a crucial and deep experience.

And I say to you that every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36, RecVer)

May the Lord deal with every idle word now than before the judgment seat. Our words have been recorded. 

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 18:19, RecVer)

When we have the one accord, we become a pleasing melody to God. Peace, blessing, and pleasing melody to God are the results of being in one accord. God enjoys this melody. 

And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42, RecVer)

And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart, (Acts 2:46, RecVer)

The practice of the oneness is according to the apostles' teaching. The apostles' taught the same thing in all the places and continuing in this one teaching will keep the saints in one accord. 

In the practice of the one accord, the following crucial points must be prayed for and practiced.

One Spirit With One Soul

Only, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, that whether coming and seeing you or being absent, I may hear of the things concerning you, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel, (Philippians 1:27, RecVer)

Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing, (Philippians 2:2, RecVer)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:5, RecVer)

I exhort Euodias, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2, RecVer)

We should think with the mind of Christ and speak with the mouth of Christ, the Head. In this way, we will think the same thing and speak the same thing. The only way to do this is by allowing Christ to make His home in our hearts. For this, we need to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Our heart has a lot of things in it. It must be dealt with and allow Christ to make His home. Christ must have an acces to our heart.

One Heart and One Way

And I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. (Jeremiah 32:39, RecVer)

One heart to love God, to seek God, to live God, and to be constituted with God for one expression, and one way, the inner law of life, are required for the one accord.

One Scale in the Church Life 

You shall not have in your bag differing weights, one heavy and one light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, one large and one small. A full and righteous weight you shall have, and a full and righteous measure you shall have, in order that your days may be extended upon the land which Jehovah your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 25:13-15, RecVer)

There should just be one scale to measure myself and others. What I condemn in me must also be condemned in others, maintaining the one scale. Better not to have any scale, neither for myself nor for others. Only God can judge righteously. Leave every measurement to God. 

One All-inclusive Vision

Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; / But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18, RecVer)

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

We all must be governed by the same one vision thoroughly, the vision of the age. Even a different vision in minor point can destroy the one accord. 

Therefore, we should all voice the same thing, trumpet the same thing, teach the same thing, and be in the same practice.

O what a speaking of the Lord! How blessed we are even to have heard such a speaking. Based on this, the Lord will also grace us to practice the one accord. 

Lord, preserve us in the one accord.

Family Gospel Trip

Since persecution against the gospel of Jesus Christ has become rampant in North India where anti-conversion bill has been passed and misused by some fringe groups, we have been cautious in the way we carry out the great commission. Despite this restriction, we have been praying fervently and continue the sheperding of the warm doors who have known us and whom we have been shepherding. Alongside, we still carry on the gospel responsibility in areas we deem safe. Despite the quieting of the outward gospel move in my locality for the time being, I still have the burden to preach the gospel wherever the Lord opens the door. Thanks to the five weeks of gospel move in six select cities in India, one of which is my neighbor, Delhi.

Last Saturday, my whole family along with a teenage brother, we went to Dwarka More to participate in the gospel move. Initially, it was a challenge to bring my whole family for the whole day as my children have school homeworks to complete. Yet I told them, the priority for the day is the gospel and school works can be done later. Finally, they all agreed. And we spent the whole day with the trainees and the saints in West Delhi, pursuing, praying, fellowshipping, going out for the gospel, and my wife and daughters helping in cooking for the saints. And in the evening we had a gospel meeting where we all participated with the trainees and new ones. 

I personally enjoyed going out with the trainees as we met a married couple from Nigeria who came to serve the Lord in India. Through the fellowship, some key points of truth were brought out. The brother we met, though he claimed himself to be an "apostle", I addressed him as a "brother" and later clarified to him that we are all brothers in Christ, and that there is no ranking among believers. In our meeting he brought out three points which gave me the ground to minister the truth. 

First, God’s desire to save men, and I added on the need for growth, to bring the saved believers to the full knowledge of the truth and explained in detail what spiritual growth is in realtion to the full knowledgeof the truth..

This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4, RecVer)

Second, the kingdom of God based on righteousness and holiness. Here, I used the verses in Genesis when God began to exercise His righteousness in driving the fallen man out of the garden of Eden and guarded the way to the tree of life with God's righteousness, holiness, and glory. And expounded in detail God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory being Jesus Christ Himself and only in Him we can be righteous, holy, and be in glory.

Then Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to work the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24, RecVer)

Third, the brother we met, according to his religious concept spoke about "heaven at last" as his theme for his Christian service. Without contradicting him, yet wisely using the topic to minister the truth, I ministerd on our need to be brought into the experience and enjoyment of heaven by being brought into the reality of the kingdom in Christ in our spirit day by day, today, and in the coming millennium kingdom, and then in the New Jerusalem. 

We began our fellowship in prayer and ended also in prayer. It was a wonderful time of fellowship on the truth for the couple from Nigeria and also for the three sisters and one brother who are under training. It was altogether a new experience of propagating the truth especially among Christian leaders and workers.

After the entire day schedule, a brother invited us to pay a visit to their home nearby and then we came back home after 10 PM. We left our home after 10 AM and came back after 10 PM, a twelve hour, one whole day well spent as a family for the gospel in Delhi.

O what a blessing to be able to participate in the Lord’s move! I have attended many such, but as a family this was one wonderful memorable experience! 

Lord, bless Your move in India, especially, North India, and strengthen Your testimony!

Couple Fellowship on Love

On the 1st of April, a few days ago, two young married couples were invited for a time of fellowship over lunch lovefeast. In fact, the plan was originally for a couple who just got married last Saturday. However, a brother texted us of accommodating another couple who visited India from South Korea for a day of fellowship. The Lord sovereignly arranged the day for a particular time of fellowship.

The couple from Korea came in the morning and joined the daily morning pursuing. Though I had official works to attend to, I realised that I need to spend time with them. I believe it was the Lord who brought them for a special fellowship, all the way from South Korea to India, at the ministry literature office in Gurugram.

As I fellowshiped with them, they opened their personal and marital issues one by one. The Lord gave me the discernment to understand what they have been going through. They have been married for two years but have experienced an extreme hardship in their marriage life and in their business to the point that they even contemplated divorce and suicide. Yet, the Lord preserved them and brought them to India, perhaps for fellowship, to recover their marruage life for the church life. 

The anointing of the Spirit was so rich that as we fellowshipped, rivers of living water flowed forth among us all. The Lord supplied them with the timely word for them to have a new beginning in their Christian life and marriage life for the church life. Some practical points for fellowship were, spending time together as husband and wife in prayer everyday in addition to their personal prayer time, reading the word of God daily to be renewed in their mind and ward off the attacks of the enemy with evil thoughts, pursuing the ministry even with the Holy Word for Morning Revival, and to be in fellowship with the church wherever they are. These basic daily practices fellowshipped to them gave them the way to go on.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17, RecVer)

Besides, as usual, I shared how the Lord also blessed my marriage life by taking care of these basic Christian daily practices. I also addressed their business crisis by letting them know that all things worked together for good for their transformation and conformation to the image of the Son of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers; (Romans 8:28-29, RecVer)

As they also opened up about their marital issues, my fellowship was to help them know they human love is weak, the only love that is genuine is God’s divine and eternal love. I fellowshipped with them to love the Lord Jesus first and that the divine love would fill them to enable them to love one another with the divine love. There is no real love without the divine love. The world is full of broken and bitter love that ended up in divorce and separation among married couples, despite being outwardly rich, famous, and beautiful. 

This fellowship opened their eyes to see things in a new perspective. They were so filled with joy and happiness. They even confessed that though they did not plan to meet me, nor did they plan to come to India, the Lord brought them for this fellowship. Then, we all offered thanksgiving and prayed together.

This couple, having enjoyed the fellowship so much, even requested if they could stay overnight. In fellowship with the brothersin Delhi, we welcomed them to stay overnight. I also led them to join the church group meeting, Life-study pursuing, and the saints in Gurugram prayed for them. Later, as I dropped them to the guest room, I prayed together with them showing the way they need to practice praying together daily.

During lunch time they also joined the fellowship with another newly married couple when the Lord led me to fellowship on loving the Lord after we sang hymn 171, Lord Jesus Christ our hearts feel sweet, based on Psalms.

Whom do I have in heaven but You? / And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth. (Psalms 73:25, RecVer)

When the world is fooling around with April Fool, we who love the Lord fellowship around with the Lord and His love as the center of our fellowship. 

Lord, bless these two couples and all the married ones in the church for Your testimony!

Hebrew Learning: Midway

This month was very productive as far as my Hebrew learning was concerned. In the past months, I was so busy with official work, family life and church life. I was so concerned that I lagged behind too much in my Hebrew learning as I was not able to cope with the tight schedule I was limited to. At one point, I even thought of quitting altogether. The learning seemed so tough, with much study and concentration required. Besides, I am not a translator anyway. I even used to wonder why on earth did I ever enroll in this Hebrew course. In fact, I even though of writing a letter to my instructors to forgive me for my slow progress and request them to give me more time to cope up with it. Thank God I did not do that. But anyhow, I am already a student, and I cannot quit now. I must keep sailing on.

This month, I had no travel plans. I only took care of the important official work by being stationed at the Gurugram office. In this way, I could focus more on my Hebrew learning. Despite the discouragement within for my inability to give sufficient time for learning, I looked to the Lord for grace and scheduled my time in such a way that I could complete at least one lesson a week. The Lord indeed graced me, and I was able to complete the learning of six Hebrew classes with revision, memorization, and quizzes in a month! What a miracle! The Lord truly grace me well. Except for one quiz, I did fairly well.

Every time I studied and wrote the exams, I prayed to the Lord that His perfect will be done in my Heberw learning. I truly believe He has a perfect plan for me in learning Hebrew, which will be revealed in time. Therefore, I put on my student mode and learned like a student. I did my best and took the exam when I was fully confident that I had learned it thoroughly well. I am not sure what the Lord has reserved for me. But I do believe that through this learning process, I have experienced the Lord a lot. Despite me becoming a father of three children already and running in my mid-forties, still the Lord gave me the grace, wisdom and knowledge to learn a completely different subject, Hebrew, nothing related to any subjects that I learned in the past. Now that I have come to the middle of the entire Hebrew course, I must look to the Lord for another half and sail on until completion. 

Life is a process of learning, growing, and gaining God through whatever circumstances the Lord has placed me in. It is great to take up challenges and face the reality of life. This is the lesson Hebrew learning has taught me.

Lord, grace me on and on that I may be able to read and understand Your word in the way it was written originally in Hebrew.

Services of Serving Ones

The Lord Jesus is the Master, and I have been graced and blessed to be one of the serving ones of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since I got saved in 1997, I have been bearing the burden to serve the Lord in the way I can. In time, the Lord Himself made the way I could serve Him clear to me. In 2003, I received a direct call from the Lord through the word of God to serve Him. 

And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

Since then, I have been graced and blessed by the Lord to go through the full-time training. And He has been training and perfecting me to serve. Twenty years have elapsed since I finished my training and started serving the Lord in different areas and in different capacities. The Lord has been faithful in leading me through and through all these years. To me, it is the sure mercy of the Lord that he has qualified and graced me to serve. In my self, I cannot. It has always been His life in me that enables and empowers me to serve. I have nothing to claim for myself. Nothing to boast, no glory, nothing for myself. It is Him who serves in and through me, fia ny glory, it is god's glory and glory to Him only. 

With these lessons, I also have been trying to help the saints who have the burden to serve. To me, it is impossible for any human to serve the living God without the life of the living God in the lives of the serving ones. This month I had been through a series of fellowship with four brothers. They all have the burden to serve, but they also need help. Serving the Lord is not according to natural ability and strength. It is purely His mercy that one can serve Him. The person of the serving one and the service of the serving ones are one. Without the person being proper, there cannot be the service proper. 

Therefore, in all the fellowship with these four brothers, it was mostly to do with their person and character rather than their services itself. The conditions and regulations given to them in a way of brotherly fellowship were to help them turn to the Lord and depend on the Lord fully so that they can be useful vessels to the Lord. To some, a strict instruction and a tight schedule were given; to others the need for diligence and faithfulness was emphasised. Yet to some, the need for coordination and submission was made known, and to one in particular, the need to exercise his spirit more to deal with his temper was given in writing.  

Before all these fellowships, I spent a considerable amount of time in prayer, bringing these matters to the Lord to get the Lord's feeling so that I may not misrepresent God in any way. Though I may be placed in a position to "decide" things officially concerning the serving ones, as this is one of my official responsibilities, I fear God. I dare not misrepresent God by giving my thoughts and feelings to anyone. I commit all the matters to God in fear and trembling that the Lord's perfect will be done in all these brothers' lives and services. I, too, am just a serving one, just like all the others. It has also been a time of training and learning to deal with people, especially saints, as all these are also brothers in the church life. One particular lesson that all serving ones need to learn is submission.

We need to learn the lesson of submission. Not only do the sent ones need to learn submission, the sending ones also need to learn submission. Only in the spirit of submission will a person hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. We cannot consider that a consensus is the standard for any work; rather, submission must be the standard. We should not send out a brother because we agree with him. Many times, even though we do not agree with the proposal of a certain brother, we still have to give him the liberty to do it. The matter is not about agreeing or not agreeing but about submitting or not submitting. The Holy Spirit can have a way only among the submissive ones. Excerpt from The Present Testimony (4): The Third Overcomer Conference CWWN, vol.11

In this regard, I had a fellowship with a brother whom I felt needed help. In considering his continuation in the service, I prayed over and sent an email to him concerning his coordination and submission and the need to exercise his spirit to deal with his temper as conditions for him to continue. A week later, he accepted the conditions and confirmed that he would continue.

I was particularly thankful to the Lord that He led me through in all these fellowships. I pray that the Lord will preserve them and me, too, that we can faithfully serve Him in fruitful ways all the days of our lives on this earth. This has always been my prayer, too, for myself and for all the serving ones: to be faithful and fruitful and serve in the newness of spirit.

But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter. Romans 7:6

Joy of Giving

Two months ago, when the fellowship on material offerings for the need to meet the Chennai Blending Center construction was released, the Lord gave us the grace and the blessing to be able to participate in His move. The details were posted on the 29th of January. My Goodland: Material Offering: A Blessing

With the offering amount consecrated and transferred immediately after fellowshipping with my wife and having been provided by the lord, I thought my responsibility for the offering participation was over. Generally, I do not like to keep things pending, especially financial matters. Once a consecration was made, it had to be fulfilled. To me, a consecration is like a vow made to God. Once vowed, it must be fulfilled, Otherwise, it would be a serious matter before God. 

When you vow a vow to Jehovah your God, you shall not delay in paying it; for Jehovah your God would certainly require it of you, and it will become sin in you. 

But if you refrain from vowing, it will not become sin in you. 

What proceeds out of your lips you shall keep and do, as you have vowed to Jehovah your God voluntarily, which you have promised with your mouth. 

(Deuteronomy 23:21-23, RecVer)

Last Lord's Day, we had a time of combined meeting again for the release of the same burden on the Chennai Blending Center offering. Though I felt that I had already offered for this burden, the Lord further confirmed to me that I could offer again. Grace upon grace! While I was fellowshiping with my wife, she also felt the same thing. In fact, she was the one to initiate the additional offering. When the brothers released the burden again, even for an additional offering, immediately I had the burden and clarity from the Lord that I should offer again. The amount of the offering to be made was also very clear to me. In fact, this amount was also already available with us. Once I was clear inwardly, I did not wait and immediately transferred the next day before the month ended. 

This kind of offering, as the Lord provided us the grace, brought me immense joy. It was not an offering of pain. It was an offering with joy! After all, all that I could offer or have are actually all from the Lord. The source is the Lord, so means is also the Lord, and the goal is to the Lord!. There is no need for a struggle or even a so called prayer to consider before the Lord. The matter was very clear. It was also a prayer-answered matter. It just needed to be executed, and so it was offered immediately with joy! Hallelujah! In both cases, short emails were mailed to the concerned brothers. 

The mails written in joy reads...

Dear brothers,

To fulfill our consecration to the Lord, we have transferred Rs. ******. 

Thank you,

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35b

Dear brothers,

In oneness with the burden released for an additional offering, we have transferred Rs. *****

Thank you,

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35b

The joy of giving is the joy of the Lord proceeding from the Lord as the source through His channel unto Him. When the Lord flows, the channel enjoys the joy of the Lord!

Marriage of Serving One

Last Saturday, my family and a group of saints from the church in Gurugram attended the wedding and testimony meeting of a serving brother in the literature service. This marriage finally transpired after a couple of hiccups during the process, with the previous plan cancelled due to the imprisonment of the groom-to-be in a case of persecution based on the Christian faith. Since this brother is a full-time serving one in the literature service, I have had the opportunities to fellowship on multiple occasions concerning his education, service, marriage, financial and other personal matters. Similarly, I had the opportunity to fellowship with the bride-to-be a couple of years ago in Hyderabd, where I fellowshipped the principle concerning seeking and doing the will of the Lord in everything. I had no idea that the two could end up getting married. The Lord is the Lord, and He knows how to be the Lord.

I also had a time of fellowship with this brother one night in Bengaluru when he chanced to stay in the same room I was lodged in. As the Lord led me, I had a few hours of fellowship with him as a preparation for his marriage. I sensed some conflict of interest with his in-laws-to-be, so only I took the matter of his marriage and fellowshipped with him many practical details. Later, when he was imprisoned, I felt that it was the Lord's balancing act upon him. Though the ordeal was fiery and drew out a lot of tears from his family members, that to me was the Lord working in this brother, inwardly reconstituting him and perfecting him in his person, and outwardly, an invisible act of uplifting his image as a brother-in-chain. That complemented the lack he obviously seemed to have in comparison to the more qualified bride-to-be, his fiancee. The Lord had to cancel the first wedding plan as to me it was still immature as far as the persons and timings were concerned. That gave sufficient time for the Lord to work on the couple and their relatives. Much prayer and transformation transpired during the four months delay so that both can be brought to the same platform where the two sides can accept one another without any boasting of their own. The Lord is the Lord. This marriage is a testament to the sovereign act of God.

My portion in this marriage was more of fellowship to the couple. On the wedding day, along with five other brothers, I was asked by the brothers to bless the couple. To me, that was the best part I could do to a newly married couple- Bless them with the blessing of God! AS usual, for all the married couples, I prayed for them that they would love the Lord and love one another and that they would be one with the Lord and one with one another. And this time, I added more to the prayer, that they would also be one with the Lord's move wherever they are and also be one with the church, the Body of Christ, and become useful vessels to the Lord.

Meanwhile, I took the occasion to also meet and fellowship with the relatives of both the bride and groom. May the Lord grace the couple and their families and bless them with Himself and their portion day by day.

Study of the Word: Outer Darkness

The truth concerning outer darkness has been misunderstood by many Christians. Some bluntly refer to it as the lake of fire or the place of perdition. It does not refer to eternal perdition for false believers or unbelievers or heathen, but to punishment during the coming kingdom age for defeated, unfaithful believers. But, on a careful study of the Bible especially in the gospel of Matthew, the confusion surrounding this place, the outer darkness, has been cleared up. I was very much helped in understanding this truth from the pursuit of the Life-study of Matthew, message sixty-six. In the past, when I met with some seekers yet who did not fully agree with the ministry would question the teaching concerning the outer darkness.  They even dared to go to the extent of dubbing this teaching as extra-biblical. Or some even equate this teaching as equivalent to the heretic teaching of the concept of purgatory. Therefore, a clear-cut teaching with Bible verses is a great help to me in my understanding of the Bible. This also strengthened my faith in the Lord and His word, thereby, encouraging me further to pray and live a Christian life as to not end up in the outer darkness.

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is used six times in the Gospel of Matthew. It is used twice concerning the perdition of the false believers (13:42) and the evil heathen (13:50). Matthew 13:42 concerns the tares, the false believers who will be cast into the furnace of fire. The furnace of fire is not the outer darkness, but the lake of fire. Matthew 13:50 concerns the evil Gentiles, the corrupt fish that are equivalent to the goats in chapter twenty-five. They also will be cast into the furnace of fire. Thus, those who perish in eternal fire will weep and gnash their teeth.

#1 Concerning the False Believers

Mt 13:42And will cast them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

#2 Concerning the Heathen

Mt 13:50And will cast them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

In the above two cases, it refers to the place of perdition as the context made it clear that it is for false believers and heathens. 

However, in the following four cases, the place is for the unfaithful, useless, slothful, and defeated believers, a place of dispensation punishment during the millennium kingdom. The distinction made with the context with which these phrases were mentioned clarified the two different places though the same description was used. This requires a careful study of the word in relation to God's dispensation in different ages.

#3 Concerning the Sons of the Kingdom

Matthew 8:12 says, “But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” Because the sons of the kingdom certainly are saved ones, they will not be cast into the furnace of fire. Rather, they will be put into outer darkness. Although there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth both for the ones who perish and for the defeated believers, the defeated believers will not be cast into the lake of fire, but into the outer darkness outside the glorious sphere of the Lord’s presence.

#4 Concerning the One Without Wedding Garment

Matthew 22:13 says, “Then the king said to the servants, Bind his feet and hands, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” This refers to the one who did not have a wedding garment. This, of course, does not refer to an unbeliever, but to a saved one. This saved one will not be cast into the lake of fire, but into outer darkness.

#5 Concerning the Evil Slave

Mt 24:51And will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 

According to 24:51, the evil slave will be cut off from the Lord’s presence and have his portion with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:45-51 has dealt with the slave’s unfaithfulness in fulfilling the Lord’s commission. 

#6 Concerning the Useless Slave

Mt 25:30And cast out the useless slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:14-30 is still needed to deal with the slave’s unfaithfulness in using the Lord’s talent.

By reading all these verses, we see that the false believers, the tares, and the evil Gentiles will be cast into the furnace of fire, the lake of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

However, the defeated believers, such as the sons of the kingdom in chapter eight, those without the wedding garment in chapter twenty-two, and the unfaithful slave in chapters twenty-four and twenty-five, will be cast out into the outer darkness. There, in the outer darkness, they will suffer weeping and gnashing of teeth. This does not refer to eternal perdition, but to dispensational punishment. 

In addition to salvation, there is still the matter of the reward and punishment that will be rendered during the coming kingdom age. If we are faithful to the Lord, we shall be rewarded during the next age. But if we are not faithful to Him, we shall receive punishment. This is very clear in God’s holy Word.

Last Saturday night, I was helped to understand this matter clearly through the Life-study of Matthew message Sixty-Six by Witness Lee. I even shared joyfully with the saints after the study and also repeated the same last Lord's Day during the truth-pursuing session. I owe all thanks to Brother Witness Lee for the ministry of the word that opens up the Bible. Praise the Lord!

That said, understanding the truth is one thing. Based on this understanding, one must be led to live a life according to this understanding. In this regard, I must take grace from the Lord to be watchful in life and faithful in service to be an overcoming believer that I may not end up in the outer darkness.

Lord, grace me and save me day by day to be Your overcomer!

Turning Forty-Eight

Today, my wife turned forty-eight! The best thing I could wish for her is to pray and bless her with the word of God. A few days ago, the Lord gave me some Bible verses for her. I felt these verses perfectly fit the blessing God has bestowed upon our family. Therefore, I made a card using one of these verses for my wife.

For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God; it is you whom Jehovah your God has chosen from among all the peoples which are upon the face of the earth to be a people for His personal treasure. (Deuteronomy 7:6, RecVer)

And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your fresh oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, on the land which He swore to your fathers to give you. You will be more blessed than all other peoples; there will not be any barren male or female among you or among your animals. (Deuteronomy 7:13-14, RecVer)

And it is Jehovah who has today declared you to be a people for His personal treasure, even as He promised you; and that you will keep all His commandments; And that He will set you high above all the nations which He has made, for praise and for a name and for honor; and that you will be a holy people to Jehovah your God, as He has spoken. (Deuteronomy 26:18-19, RecVer)

Coincidentally today too, we had two families visiting us from the South. So, instead of family time outside, we had a time of lovefest with two new families from the South along with some saints in the church in Gurugram. Meanwhile, we had a time of fellowship with the families. The two occasions of hosting guests and also thanking the Lord for another new year were enjoyed together at the same time. Now and then, we have been granted such occasions to enjoy the Lord together with the saints in the church life. Thank the Lord for the Christian life and the church life!

According to the Lord's promises, we have been the Lord's personal treasure, Who has chosen us to bless us. This specific blessing of the womb has been very gracious of the Lord in our marriage life. Before we got married, my wife-to-be then, openly fellowshipped about me not becoming a father if I married her. But my innate reply then was, if the Lord blessed us so, we would become parents, and our marriage life is in the Lord's hand. Nineteen years have elapsed and today the Lord has blessed us with three blessed children! Therefore, the Lord's promise, "He will also bless the fruit of your womb" has been truly fulfilled! And the other promises will also be fulfilled in time as it has already been fulfilled now one by one, "the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your fresh oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, on the land which He swore to your fathers to give you. You will be more blessed than all other peoples."

Living a life in the Lord is a blessed life. Learning to trust the Lord for everything is a blessed life. What a loss could it have been if we had not trusted the Lord and had not followed the Lord denying our natural choices? The Lord has been showing mercy upon us, especially in our married life, and has blessed us richly with all the blessings that I can ever imagine. All the blessings both spiritual and physical we have been receiving these days have all been testimonies to the Lord's faithfulness in His word. Having been graced to learn to trust in Him, obey Him, and follow Him, we have been enjoying the Lord's blessing!

From the very beginning of our marriage life, we have been praying this prayer to the Lord that the Lord would preserve us and grace us to be one with Him and one with one another, and to love Him and love one another. The Lord has indeed answered this prayer.

Lord, continue to bless our marriage life and the family You blessed us with, Your personal treasure!

Brotherly Lovefeast

The Christian life is also a corportate church life. Individually, we are members one of another, but corporately we are the Body of Christ. The church as the Body of Christ is living as the believers that constitute the church are living. Since we are living, we meet, we fellowship, we blend and in this way the Body of Christ is build up. This is mysterious yet real. It sounds doctrinal but very practical. 

In the early days, the saints met from house to house, day by day. That may not be very practical in this age. However, the principle of meeting and fellowshipping goes on as and when time allows. Though not frequently, at least, we meet occasionally. 

Today, and a few weeks ago, we invited some families and saints for a time of fellowship over lunch lovefeast. With the first family, it was more of an introduction and getting to know each other as the family had come on a family visit from Taiwan to New Delhi. We enjoyed a time of fellowship with the family. The children enjoyed the blending time so much so that they wanted to come again.

Today, we invited a brother's family for lovefeast who will be leaving for South India as his service will be more specifically there. He also is one of the brothers coordinating in the literature service. Besides, today happens to be one of our serving ones' last day in Gurugram office as he will be working from home from next week, following which will be his wedding and then marital leave followed by his shifting to the South. At the same time, two mothers who are serving in New Delhi also visited our family for a time of blending. Therefore, today we enjoyed a three in one blending fellowship over lunch lovefeast. 

The Lord has been planning and working out all things good for our own good. What a blessing to be blended together!

In such a time of blending, one thing I appreciate is the sisters' coordination and labor for all the planning and execution of the lovefeast. This virtue of the sisters is what is needed in the church life. The sisters' function is inevitable in the church life. The brothers take the lead and the sisters follow. In this way, the Christian life for the church life goes on; each functioning according to its portion.

In this blending time too, we also prayed for one another, especially for the families we have invited. 

May the Lord lead them, guide them, and bless them! O what a wonderful brotherly lovefeast we enjoyed together today!

Only If God Gives

And command the people, saying, You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Take careful heed to yourselves therefore; Do not engage them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even as much as a footstep; for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. (Deuteronomy 2:4-5, RecVer)

Then Jehovah spoke to me, saying, You are to pass through the territory of Moab, through Ar, today. And when you come near to the children of Ammon, do not harass them, nor engage them, for I will not give any of the land of the children of Ammon to you as a possession; for I have given it to the children of Lot as a possession. (Deuteronomy 2:17-19, RecVer)

These days I have been going through an inward searching and careful consideration of seeking the Lord for everything especially in the matter of shepherding the new ones. Definitely, as a serving one, I do not serve aimlessly. I have a goal in my service. If I were to invest my time and energy on anyone, I definitely would desire to see them in the church life. I do believe, if the new ones were appointed by the Lord for the practical church life, the Lord will definitely bring them in, as we cooperate with Him in laboring on them in shepherding. However, not all that I wish to take this way of the church may not necessary be of the Lord. For those, I need a clear discernment from the Lord. That's why, these days I also put a break on my enthusiasm to call these ones regularly. Not that I gave them up, but that I wait for them to realise by themselves the way they need to take as Christians. I pray for them earnestly and wait for a sign of their willingness to take this way. I cease to take the way of coercing them through my shepherding. Yes, I will carry out my responsibility but I will not overstep my function in trying to bring people into the church life. I pray and am eagerly waiting for them to exercise their free will and pay the price to take the way of life, the way of the church. So, I temporary withhold all my weekly regular calls for prayer with the new ones. Yet I Intensify praying for them in the church prayer meeting weekly and in the family prayer meeting daily. May the Lord lead them to the church life,  if His will be so. I wait for them to take the final call. I feel, I have done all that I could do. 

Today, the Lord impressed me deeply about this burden going on within me from my reading of the Scriptures. 

God specifically told the children of Israel that He would not give the land alloted for Esau and Lot. And that they should not fight with them like they did with the other heathen tribes. Certain portions were already allotted for certain people. It would be disobedience and rebellion to try to conquer these lands which the Lord alloted for others. 

I am learning this lesson now. If certain new ones are not meant for the church life, I must not have any hope on them to be in the church life. I must discern who are ordained for the what purpose. Not every Christian will take the way of the church. I must respect and discern God’s ordination.  What a lesson! I must not unnecessarily put my hope on someone who may never take the way of the church. It is best to leave them where they are. What a release to learn lesson!

Grow in Grace and Advance

And the little child grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and in the grace manifested in Him before God and men. Luke 2:52

Today, our son, Amana, turned fifteen. All these fourteen years the Lord has been gracing him to grow in life. It has been our prayer that all our children grow in grace, in the love of God, and in the reverential fear of God. That they be open vessels to the Lord to be filled and constituted with the word of God and the Spirit that they become useful vessels to the Master God. With this view, we have been doing our best to pray for them and nurture them with a family environment conducive to the growth of all our children. In the sphere of secular academics, in the truth constitution and experience of life, and even in a proper human character, we have been doing our best to provide them with the best we can. We trust the living God Who only can fulfill all that we pray and desire for our children. Having done our best, we commit them to God and for His divine purpose on the earth. 

This morning, my Bible reading portion was from Luke 2. It was just apt for me to wish what has been written of the Lord Jesus Christ as for my son. Therefore, I made a card with some select photos and these two Bible verses to remind him of our prayers and wishes for him to grow and advance as the Lord Jesus was. That, he be filled with wisdom and the grace of God, and advance in wisdom and stature, and in the grace manifested before God and men. This exactly summed up my prayer as his earthly father as God for His Son Jesus Christ.

As usual, as a family, we went to eat at the same favorite restaurant, cherishing and celebrating the occasion as the grace of God abounded with us. This was all that we could do, and the rest we leave it to God. May the perfect will of the Lord be done in his life.

As an earthly father and a guardian of the Lord's bestowed children, I have been doing my best to inculcate in all my children, the practice of Bible reading, prayer, trusting in the Lord for everything, and living by faith. I have been doing so not as a teaching but by way of setting up a pattern that they can see and follow. Since many months ago, we have been practicing as a family going out to spend time with the Lord in prayer at a nearby park. Oftentimes, I and my son, go together and pray personally and then corporately together walking hand in hand. That's how I felt the Lord led me to lead my son in prayer life.  There may yet be many other things that I need to lead him to, but what I felt best and can practically do now, I have been doing my best I also enjoyed spending time with my son in prayer. What a blessing to pray together with my son! Meanwhile, I could also fellowship with him on some practical matters related to his life and future plans. May the Lord's perfect will be done in his life.

Lord, by Your grace, may all my children grow and advance!

Trusting God in the Body

Trusting in God is a thrilling experience. In the age of the church, trusting in God is even more practical and detailed. It is one thing to individually trust God and yet another thing to trust in God through the fellowship in the Body. Without a proper vision of the Body of Christ, it is easy to simply trust in God just by oneself, but with the vision of the Body and living in the reality of the body, it is even more experiecnable and practical to trust in God and walk step by step in fellowship with the Body. Christ, the Head of the Body, is one with the Body. What the Head Christ feels and says is what the Body feels and says. This lesson is revealed in the epistle of Paul, especially from the time he was saved in Acts 9.

But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do. Acts 9:6

The Lord has been gracing me to learn to trust in God through the fellowship in the Body these days in many practical matters that I have been involved in. Recently, we have been in fellowship with the brothers for the practical ways to take care of the building facility which was used for the training purposes. Due to the circumstances pertaining to North India, the building has been lying vacant for a couple of months, which even led to the luring of theives to steal whatever could be stolen to the extent that minor destruction of the property began to happen. Therefore, to take care of this facility, we have had a good number of fellowships over the past few weeks. We had considered together multiple options to take care of this matter. Even a couple of families have been considered to hire them as guardians of the facility. One after the other, the ones suggested haves opted out one by one due to reasons of their own. In fact, in all these experiences, we also prayed that the will of the Lord be done. Quite unexpectedly, a family expressed voluntarily their desire to be caretaker of the building. This was followed by a couple of fellowships, and finally, it was decided that this family would be the caretaker temporarily for at least half a year. 

Well, what impressed me the most in all these fellowships was the way the Lord led us in considering this matter together. He led us to trust in Him by trusting in the fellowship of the Body. He spoke to us in the fellowship of the Body. And we had the confirmation of His speaking through the fellowship of the Body. If not for the Body, some personal decisions would have been taken and that may even be of the Lord's will. But the lesson of coordination in the fellowship of the Body would have been missed. Now that it has passed through so many rounds of fellowship, I have learned one important lesson. Trust in the Lord by the Body. What a lesson in the Body! Not simply to trust in the Lord by oneself and let the Body know about it, but together with the Body, we trust in the Lord. What a precious lesson!

In addition to this lesson of trusting in the Lord in and through the Body, I also learned the lesson of committing every matter to the Lord. Ultimately, what the Lord decides from the throne will be what we will decide on the earth. Anxiety and worry should have no place in the lives of Christians. Only what the Lord decides will come to pass. We simply need to learn the lesson of committing everything to the all-sovereign God. 

Now, I have learned to give up my opinion or feelings. Though the Lord may be the one who gave me such feelings and opinions, I should not trust that they are truly from the Lord. I am still a man in the flesh, and it is very possible that my feelings may still be natural. Therefore, though I may still have my own feelings and opinions, I must learn to commit everything to the Lord and let His perfect will be done. And once His will is clear, I must deny my feelings or opinions whatsoever; I must deny myself, drop everything, and amen the Lord's will revealed through the fellowship the Body of Christ.

Lord, preserve me in the fellowship of the Body for every matter in my life and in the church. Trusting in God by trusting in the Body is a mysterious yet wonderful lesson!

Silence Is Sometimes the Solution

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to Him, I charge You to swear by the living God to tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God. (Matthew 26:63, RecVer)

And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, Do You not hear how many things they testify against You? And He did not answer him, not even to one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. (Matthew 27:12-14, RecVer)

Sometimes, silence is the solution to situations. These days I have been through certain situations not of my own nor my family nor my making, but in caring for the saints, the church, and the service I am involved in. In the midst of vagueness without and the absence of peace within, my only reaction has been just to remain silent. Silence is the solution.

While reading my Bible today too, I was impressed at the silence of the Lord Jesus Christ in facing serious allegations against Him. He just remained silent. When He was accused by the chief priests and elders, and even Pilate, He did not answer them, not even one word. In fact, He answered them by not answering at all. Silence was His answer.

Officially, I have also been dealing with some serving ones concerning their services. Though I could have exercised official authority to take action, I chose to pray and commit the matters to the Lord. Then, the Lord led me to say nothing and do nothing. So, I remain silent. Let the Holy Spirit work. And He did, as we pursue the truth portion, the message that I considered to speak, the Lord spoke through the ministry of the word. The Lord kept me in silent mode so that He could speak succinctly at the right time. With this, my job was done. Yes, just by remaining  silent. 

Certain other fellowships concerning marriage for a couple of saints also have been going on. Like it or not, I was involved as a brother and a serving one. Though I had my feeling and opinion, I was just led to swallow up my own feeling and thoughts and just be silent. The only unique answer to all the puzzling questions is silence. I just prayed for the Lord’s perfect will to be done in all the cases under consideration. What a release, what a rest, to commit all these complicated cases to the Commander-in-chief, Christ!

Even when the situation of the saints and the church are getting complicated, I and a brother would only bow our heads to the Lord and plead for the Lord’s mercy. We can do nothing. We may fellowship but only the Lord has to work in the lives of the saints. We can warn and fellowship, but it is the Lord’s who can change people's heart and save them from the tactic of the enemy. Therefore, we can only commit them to the Lord and just be silent. 

Silence, sometimes, is the solution. In just being silent, we give room to God to come and do His work.

Marital Fellowship

One burden I have been praying for is for all the married couples to be one with God and one with one another, to love God and to love one another by the divine love of God in Christ. I have learned this lesson from my marriage life. And I believe, this is the lesson every married couple should learn. Otherwise, there is a grave danger of turning away from the grace of God. Of course, for such a marriage testimony, the source of marriage and the foundation of marriage must also be God Himself. With God as the source of marriage with the grace of God to keep the marriage enjoyable, brothers and sisters must take grace day by day, honoring the Headship of Christ and honoring one another as co-heirs of the grace of life.

Husbands, in like manner dwell together with them according to knowledge, as with the weaker, female vessel, assigning honor to them as also to fellow heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7, RecVer)

Recently, a brother and I have been through a couple of times of fellowship related to two couples. One case has been so serious that we know not what to do except to cry out to God for mercy. We cannot act in the flesh as it will only lead to destruction. We can only pray and pray for God to deal with the couples involved. The cases are so complicated that it cannot be even discussed with any other saints nor can we speak to the couples involved directly. These cases are fit only to commit them to the Lord, cry out to God, plead for the Lord’s mercy, and pray and pray. No physical action can be taken in the flesh. Only should the Lord lead, then can we consider to take action according to the Spirit. 

Sometimes, I wonder why I have to face all these complicated situations among the saints, especially among the married couples in the church life. I now expect all these couples to grow in life to the extend of shepehrding other needy couples. Yet now, their marriages are in a complicated situation, I hope not in a limbo. May God be merciful to us. This is a sure sign that we have been very much lacking in the enjoyment of Christ as our life and life supply. This is also a reminder to not take the church life for granted but to exercise daily to enjoy Christ as life. Spiritual exercise is a daily matter. 

Inspite of all the complicated marriages, I have a strong and confirmed feeling within me that Christ is still the Victor in the church and in the lives of the couples in complication. Deep within, I have the assurance that these marriages will be preserved and the Lord will heal the situations among the saints. Though outwardly I am concerned, but inwardly, the Lord’s peace confirmed to me that He will shepherd His children and recover all of them.

I also believe that the Lord allows these complicated couples to come to our lives as serving brothers for us to turn to the Lord and take Christ as our wisdom and discernment in dealing with problems to find the solution in Christ. Praise the Lord!

Lord, preserve all the married couples in the church for Your testimony. 

Marriage Fellowship

These days, there has been fellowship after fellowship related to the marriages of the saints. It is indeed a good sign that marriages are happening among the saints. We have been barren for many years concerning our saints getting married. We have made a couple of proposals in the past and most of them did not work out. But, this year we got one marriage done, and now three more couples are in the process of fellowship. 

Yes, this definitely is a good news that young saints are getting married. But at the same time, these fellowships are not without complications. The past few weeks and still ongoing, I have been involving in a couple of fellowships on the upcoming marriages of three couples. Some are smooth and sweet, while others are complicated and confused. But I am sure about one thing, God's perfect will will be accomplished and in the process we are being perfected. 

Sometimes, I wonder why things are not so easy as it would seem to be. In referring to my own marriage, to me, it should be very simple once it is clear that it is from the Lord. But the cases I am involved in right now, seems to go through tough water. I do not doubt the will of God, but the timing and the way some of these couples have taken are questionable. I only pray that the will of the Lord be done even in the timing and the way the marriages will be carried out. 

As for me, though I personally did not voluntarily get involved in these upcoming marriages, I have no choice but to be with the brothers and be one with them in the fellowship. While attending the fellowships, my best contribution was, to keep praying silently and inwardly while the matters were being fellowshipped. Only when asked to speak, I just spoke what I felt I should speak. But I made it always clear that, despite all the fellowships, the perfect will of the Lord be done.

I am being trained and perfected to serve the saints in this regard. And I am learning this lesson through all the fellowships. One day, my own children will have to face the same situation. I pray that the Lord will preserve all of us just to be one with Him without any opinion other than the perfect will of the Lord. Now, I am in the process of learning to serve in shepherding the saints in leading them to do the perfect will of the Lord.

Lord, head up all the fellowships. Lord, let Your perfect will be done in the lives of all these young couples!