Brotherly Fellowship

Last week in Bengaluru, the Lord granted me the blessed opportunity of fellowshipping with different brothers. He supplied the life in our fellowship and we had such a wonderful brotherly fellowship. Though it was an official trip, it turned out to be more of spiritual fellowship. 

• After a decade long the Lord brought me together with a brother who was my close academic friend, a prayer partner, spiritual companion and now a fellow member in the Body. The Lord was faithful to lead us through in various stages of life, and led us out from the division and religion of Christianity to Christ Himself and the glorious church life. Though a decade has elapsed, still our relationship in Christ is fresher than when we were a decade ago, as student friends. 

• A fellowship with my cousin was also quite timely. Though I was instrumental in shaping his career and laying his spiritual foundation, we have long been out of touch. However, the seed of life once sown cannot die, for eternal life never dies. The spiritual growth may be hindered and delayed, but the life can never die as much as God cannot die. My main burden was to reestablish his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and restore his normal Christian life and also perhaps, recover him for the church life. Only the Lord's grace and mercy can do this. After an hour long fellowship I gifted him for his pursuing, The New  Believers' Series, 3 Volumes, with a strong emphasis on his personal time with the Lord in prayer and the reading of the word of God and also, perhaps, the fellowship with the fellows members in the Body. Then I prayed for him.

• A fellowship with another brother elder to me, at least in age, was very straight forward, for I could succinctly discern his urgent and timely need. Though he has had various experiences of the Lord, his life and living has a lot of instability.  My simple fellowship was, that he should be first disciplined to read and eat the word of God everyday and be constituted with Christ  as the Spirit in the word. And also be disciplined to live a life of prayer, faith and trust in the Lord for all his needs, physical, psychological and spiritual. Such a dear, humble and simple brother, I admire in these aspects. May the Lord gain him fully.

• A fellowship with my fellow brother in my official responsibility was more of a testimony than a "fellowship" per se. The Lord's anointing was simply to testify of all the goodness and greatness of the Lord. I testified of how I came into the literature service and all the experiences of trials and testings the Lord graced me through, and how he further blessed me in many areas of my life. The burden to him was more of an encouragement in serving the Lord and being faithful in every matters, small or great, to man even as much as to God.

• A sweet flow of life on the experiences of the Lord's blessings and the conditions to receive such blessings was with another brother with whom I coordinated for literature distribution in the past. He was such a good shepherd that the Lord blessed him with the blessings of the sheep he has been shepherding. He is a clear testimony of a good shepherd. The saints just loves him. 

• Besides, the Lord also granted more brotherly fellowship with few other brothers which I have been missing for years altogether. There was a joy indeed in this kind of fellowship-brotherly fellowship; full of life supply, full of shepherding and even perfecting.Praise the Lord for brotherly fellowship! The more the better!

Glorious Ending

The quality and outcome of a man's life is determined primarily by the last stage of his life. As in Jacob's life, at the age of 147, he manifested such a glorious testimony of being a "blesser". He blessed and blessed; he blessed Pharoah, his twelve children and also Joseph's two sons. And finally had a glorious ending.

Though I am still in the middle age of my life, I pray and hope for such a glorious ending. If, perhaps, the Lord tarries further even till my last breath, I desire the Lord's mercy and grace to be humbly granted a glorious ending with full growth and maturity in the divine life.  

These days, as I encounter many situations especially among the elder brothers who are physically full grown, perhaps, with grey hair, my prayer for them, as much as it would be mine too, that the Lord may grant them more years, if He wills, otherwise, whenever he pleases to take them, let it be a glorious ending. Not that I do not want them to live longer, but that their lives be full of the manifestation of God's glory. O how I wish this for all the saints too.

I seriously hate the enemy's work of attacking the senior saints and make them a cause of concern. Sometimes, seniority is a big danger, as they tend to think they are learned and often presume to be perfect in whatever decisions they make or whatever things they do. And the further danger is in being set, unchangeable, inconvincible and sometimes stubborn. May such never occur in the the church life in His recovery.

What a blessing to be in the midst of the senior saints who are full of life; who have been transformed and dealt with, and have been filled with the divine life! Such are the treasure and blessing of the younger generation. From whom we can learn, of whom we can be perfected and to whom we can fellowship. 

Lord, grow in all of us unto full maturity till the glorious ending! 

Shepherding Day

Today the Lord, the good Shepherd, shepherded me by bringing many sheep for shepherding. Since, morning when I barely finished my office work, "sheep" after "sheep" visited me for fellowship.

Listening: The first group was three friends, two of whom have already received the gospel. They were all local youngsters, very very promising for the Lord's local testimony. And they were all very talented in their respective profession. Two of them were Engineering students and the other a promising diplomats and social worker having a connection with social and political leader of Gurgaon. 

The way of shpherding to them was just to listen to whatever they have to share. Listening is a very important lesson of shepherding. This is the first character in brother Watchman Nee's book, "The Character of the Lord's Workers". I did not speak much, but I keep listening to them and encouraged them to pour their hearts out. After about an hour's time, the boy who spoke all the time exclaimed that he was so happy meeting me and felt such a peace and release. In fact, the main reason he came was he had a verbal fight with somebody yesterday and since then he was mentally restless. After he came and met me, he felt such a peace that all his worries left him. I only told them without, God life is vanity of vanities and encouraged them to come regularly even for the Lord's day meeting, which they agreed. A fresh and good relationship was established. May the Lord gain them all.

Fellowshipping: Even before the first group left, two dear sisters came over for fellowship. All the fellowship was the pouring out of all anxieties, fear and tensions, choking them at the moment. It was indeed hard times for them, a serious crisis in their business life. However, the Lord allowed it with a good intention of gaining them wholly for Himself. My fellowship to them was on : Psalms 145:17-19 on "calling upon the name of Jehovah" and Proverbs 3:5-10 on "trusting in Jehovah at all times, acknowledging Him always and honoring Him with all things". Later we prayed together, and helped them in all ways possible, even financially. They were so joyful and the Lord has been praised! 

Helping: Again, before the sisters left, another brother came for practical help to break another world record though he already has five world records and six national records to his credit. Besides the physical help, my sincere fellowship to him was that he should read the Bible everyday, which he promised to start from tonight. Though he has been praying a lot, there was a lack in reading the word of God. Later, as I dropped him, he invited me for a snack of pizza where we mutually shepherded one another- a brotherly cherishing indeed. Helped and be helped.

Cherishing: And in the midst of helping the brother mentioned above, another sheep came to meet me. I had a wonderful friendly cherishing talk with him. Even shepherded him in the matter of finding a proper sister for his marriage. He felt so happy and was cherished. He left with much joy and wanted to visit again at the earliest.

Such was the shepherding the Lord shepherded me with. 

Lord, Thou art the good Shepherd, shepherd me daily by shepherding, and to shepherd Thy sheep.

The Body Life

Today is the age of the Body of Christ. As believer, I am a member of the Body too. This truth, to many, is unheard of, and yet to those who know, often is more of objectivity. Blessed are those who know in word and in deed. The subjectivity of this profound truth is unfathomable in oneself, it needs the Body itself to experience its authenticity. Recently the Lord gave me a glimpse of this glorious Body life.

One whole week long I was with the saints in Bengaluru for a World Christian Expo 2014. There had been a lot of preparation and prayer in the Body for some specific burdens to release during this expo. Crucial ones were, promotion of the ministry books, refutation of false accusation, successful distribution business-wise, relational rapport with all stakeholders for Christian literature and finding translators in specific Indian languages. Amazingly, during the expo, all these burdens were carried out. Even, emphatically, point by point, stage by stage, to the end of the expo.

Since day one, as a team and even personally, I enjoyed the presence and anointing of the Lord so much. Every Christian we met and fellowshipped with, was full of life-supply. It was hard to describe how the timely words of the Lord were ministered. The Christian book expo, to me, was more like a Christian high-gospel propagation. Though some came with skeptical mind, questioning us of our orthodoxy in teachings, understanding and practices of the truth, the Lord gave us the wisdom to refute all false allegations and positively minister Christ through the word and with our own life testimonies. To my understanding, the defaming cloud of mindsets were set upright. For after every speaking, most of them ended up buying the ministry books.

Besides, the coordination of the saints in the church in Bengaluru was so sweet. The Lord indeed commanded the blessings there, where and when we stood as one Body in one accord. Even the hospitality and the fellowship with the saints was so sweet. Our physical body, though worn out after each day's work, was so nourished with the saints love and care. For we all served together in oneness for the same goal of gaining and building up the chosen for the Lord's purpose.

The sum of all is, it was a move in the Body, with the Body and for the Body. It was a wonderful enjoyment of the Body life. This indeed is the Lord's desire, that not only in occasion such as this, but now and ever, shall our living be, in the body life.

Walk By This Rule

Today morning, our pursuing on the Life-study of Leviticus, Message 25, was very enlightening and very apt. As these days, we are dwelling on the enjoyment of the Lord. However, this can turn out to be just a theological doctrine in knowledge alone without much reality. Enjoyment of the Lord has a condition from our side. Without this special condition, there can be no enjoyment of the Lord. 

Three portions in the New Testament indicate that even in the enjoyment of Christ we need to be regulated. In 1 Corinthians 9:26 and 27 Paul says, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so I box, not as beating the air; but I buffet my body and lead it as a slave, lest having preached to others, I myself should become disapproved.” Literally, the Greek word translated “buffet” means to beat the face under the eye black and blue. This is not to ill-treat the body as in asceticism, nor to consider the body evil as in Gnosticism. This is to subdue the body and make it a conquered captive to serve us as a slave for fulfilling our holy purpose. In these verses we see not only requirements but demands. Here we have the strongest demand of the strongest law.

Galatians 6:15 and 16 say, “Neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.” In verse 15 Paul tells us that “neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” This is grace. Today we do not need circumcision or uncircumcision—we only need grace. But in verse 16 Paul goes on to tell us that the way to receive mercy and peace is to “walk by this rule,” the rule of the new creation. God has saved us to the state and condition of a new creation with Christ as its life. Now we need to walk by the rule of this new creation.

The rule of the new creation will regulate us in the time we go to bed at night and rise in the morning. On the Lord’s Day in particular, the rule of the new creation will urge us to rise up a little earlier, pray for the meeting, and come to the meeting early to meet with the Lord and worship Him.

The reward for walking according to the rule of the new creation is mercy and peace. I can testify that when I walk according to this rule, I have mercy and peace. If we walk according to the rule of the new creation in the way we prepare for and come to the meeting on the Lord’s Day, we will receive mercy and peace.

Walking by the rule of the new creation is a matter of law. In the new creation, there is a new life, and within this new life, there is a new law. This new law is actually the Lord Himself within us, regulating us all the time.

We are God’s new creation, and we have the life of this new creation. With this life there is a regulating law. In our daily living, we need to be regulated by this law.

In Philippians 3:13 and 14 Paul tells us that he is forgetting what is behind, stretching forward to what is before, and pursuing “toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Then in verses 15 and 16 he says, “Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God shall reveal to you. Only this, whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk.” The Greek word translated “walk” here means to walk orderly; it is derived from a word which means to range in regular line, to march in military rank, to keep step, to conform to virtue and piety. Thus, Paul is here charging us to walk in line, in order, and in a regulated way.

These three portions of the New Testament all indicate the same thing—that in the enjoyment of grace we need to be ruled.

Without this "walk by this rule" there can be no enjoyment of the Lord. Even in my own experience, if I do not exercise to "walk by this rule" I cannot enjoy the Lord at all. However, even to "walk by this rule" the grace of God is needed, without which, this is yet again another doctrine. The conclusion of the matter is, we need to look to the Lord for His grace to be able to "walk by this rule" and enjoy the Lord.

Lord, grace me "walk by this rule" and enjoy You daily, all the days of my life!

Trust in Jehovah

Psalms 37: 

3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in Jehovah, And He will give you the requests of your heart.

5 Commit your way to Jehovah, And trust in Him; and He will act.

The burden the Lord has burdened me for the highly academically qualified has been carried out step by step. Last week, the Lord burdened me to meet and fellowship with some of these dear ones. The first two were PhD from a reputed university in India. The main burden of fellowship was on "God's Blessings". And later, the same night, with a couple of gold medalist in their respective subject, one of them a PhD and the other an aspiring civil servant of the highest rank in India. And few days later on, with two more brothers, one a PhD and the other again an aspiring civil servant of the highest rank, as before.

With all these, the burden I received from the Lord was more or less the same. That they all be blessed of the Lord and be useful vessel to the Lord. For this, they all need the Lord's blessing. No matter how educationally qualified or intelligent they may be, without the Lord's blessings, all their efforts are vanity of vanities. My simple fellowship to them was to look to the Lord for His blessings above all their academic attainments. And to receive such blessings, what they need is to be vessels worthy of the Lord's blessings by living a life of prayer, trusting the Lord, and planning and preparing well. Moreover, to deal with all blockades that might hinder the Lord's blessings in their lives, such as sins, worldliness and not being absolute for the Lord.

Few days later, as I continued to pray for them, the Lord gave me Bible verses to nourish them with. Psalms 37:3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.4 Delight yourself in Jehovah, And He will give you the requests of your heart.5 Commit your way to Jehovah, And trust in Him; and He will act. I texted it to most of them and they replied how much shepherding these verses have been to them especially at the time when they were facing the toughest challenges of their life time. My interceding prayer for each of them was that the Lord may bless them and gain them fully for the testimony of Jesus.

The same thing was applied to my own blood brother. The Lord began to answer these many years of prayer. I had a sweet fellowship and prayer with him over the phone and thanked the Lord for what He has been working into him. More growth in life and maturity has been manifested overtime, and I felt it was the right time to help him even in financial matter for his new business. The Lord gave me and my wife such a peace to render help to our own sibling too. The faithful Lord whom we trust is giving us "the request of our hearts" and "He is working out what we have committed to Him!" 

The Lord, Jehovah, is trustworthy. Trust in Him with full submission, He will entrust you with His commission.

Storm in a Teacup

Years have elapsed since we first came to Gurgaon and preached the gospel in this city. Many have been saved, yet the nature of this city is that of a metropolis where swarms of people thronged from all over India and like modern nomads, none really a permanent or local resident among those whom we have contacted. The thirst for increase has been long pending in the local church we have been meeting. Though many came and went and some were caught by the Lord for His recovery, the strength in number is far too less from the rate of increase of this city's growth. We have had quite a number of gospel preachings and sheperding in homes, but not to our real satisfaction. We believe it has to be much more and we pray earnestly for the same.

These days, the rain seems to be pouring-in in this dry and thirsty land. And the enemy knows it quite well. His main attack is to fight against the church and the saints by all means in all possible ways. Therefore, we are also gearing up with the armor of God for a spiritual battle. Off and on, the battle is raging. As the church, as we prayed, the enemy's silence has reached his limit and began to storm up. This storming up to me is just a storm in a teacup. For he is the defeated foe as Christ is already the Victor!

Tonight's prayer meeting has experienced one such storm in a teacup. With certain brothers opining on what's going one and how we should shepherd or preached the gospel. To me it was all a storm in a teacup. Only the Lord knows why the church we are in is not gaining so much increase as hoped and prayed for. Not that there is no increase at all. In fact, there is a good number of increase. New families and new saints have been added, but our expectation is a big growth, which may not happen as wished. For the Lord knows the best.

To me, the Lord is the Lord of blessings. If He wills, He will bless. Often times, our unprepared vessels are the problem that hinders the Lord's blessings. Perhaps, there are "Achans" who have treasured spiritually prohibited items among His children. Or perhaps, the self, the natural man, sins and the world are still too sticky among the saints. Only the Lord Himself knows. My personal prayer at this time is for the Lord to sanctify each one, deal with each one according to our need and be filled with Him to flow out to others and gain increase.

Opining otherwise on dos and don'ts or whos, whats and hows will not help the saints nor the increase and growth of the church a bit. I firmly believe, as the Lord has been preparing us, in His time He will shower abundance of blessings. And that day is not far from now. So, cheer up. Sail one and continuing enjoying the church-life. 

The enemy's storm in a teacup is a sure sign of the forthcoming fulfillment of the Lord's promised blessings.

Lord, sanctify our vessels to command Your blessings!