Testimony for Building Up

God’s desire is to gain a Body for His Son. He does this by gaining His created man to be His many sons who would corporately be built up to be the church, the Body of Christ, for the expression of God. Therefore, He redeemed and saved many created and fallen men throughout the ages, of which I am just one among the many. His saving grace produces many testimonies, in fact, each saved person has a testimony, so do I.

During the two weeks trip to USA, I was given the opportunity to share my testimony of how God saved me. Though I generally do not share personal testimony unless the Spirit led or the saints specifically requested, I had to share wherever and whenever I was led. Therefore, I ended up sharing in a few localities and also with a few saints, though different parts according to the Lord’s inward leading.

At Fremont blending meeting, I testified how I got saved and how I came into the church life. At Sacramento bending meeting, I testified how I got to read the New Testament Recovery Version. At Burlingame blending meeting, I testified how I got saved. In other cities, the sharing was just a few sentences together with introduction. In these meetings, I got to hear the testimonies of other brothers and sisters from India too. It was rather mysterious that we heard one another's testimony in a foreign land, while in our home country, we only fellowshipped non-persobal matters. Anyhow, whether at home or abroad, we fellowshipped and learned from one another.

Four specific fellowshipa on the particular need of the saints were done one on one too. In Fremont, I had a personal time of fellowship with a brother concerning the salvation of his parents and how he should pray and cooperate with the Lord to preach the gospel despite his past history with his father and step mother, and mother and step father. It was a surprise fellowship that just came up and a difficult matter for the brother to digest. Nonetheless, I had to be faithful to the Spirit's speaking within me for him. I believe he will take the fellowship and see the salvation of his parents just as what the Lord had done with mine. I even prayed for the salvation of his parents, both for the real ones and the steps.

In Sacramento, our host family, especially the father and mother of the house were so supplied when I shared what the Lord had done and has been doing in my life, especially on seeking and doing the perfect will of God. The fellowship was so sweet that they wanted to hear more and more, but I had to somehow excuse myself and stopped at a certain point. This family offered a wonderful "meat rib" breakfast as they came know of my preferred meat. I enjoyed their brotherly love offering.

In Irvine during a study lunch break, I had a time of fellowship on following the Lord’s leading even in job-taking service to a brother who I served together with for a Bible proofreading project many years ago while he was a trainee. Now that he is married with two children and having a job, I encouraged him by stating that the Lord’s desire is our person and not our works. The key is on following the Lord's leading as we all serve the living God either with or without job. He was so encouraged by the fellowship.

In Irvine during the lovefeast, a young couple approached me, perhaps, just to greet me. But, the fellowship when on to testimony as they specifically asked how I got saved. I obliged to a member of the Body's request. Then, I was also led to share on important lessons I learned from the Lord in my marriage life concerning loving the Lord and loving one another as husband and wife with the love of God, and being one with God and one with one another as husband and wife are one flesh. And further encouraged the couple to pray together and practice the oneness as God desires so.

Wherever, whenever, and with whomsoever the Lord leads, I must be faithful to testify and exhort for the building up.

And let us consider one another so as to incite one another to love and good works, Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25, RecVer)

What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. (1 Corinthians 14:26, RecVer)