Praise Him!

Last Wednesday morning a brother called me up to present a brief overview of a portion on "Praising" from brother Watchman Nee's book. Though I read this message already, it did not impress me as much as it did, when I read it over and over again. The revelation concerning "praising" never dawned on me before this message sank into my being. 

"Praise is the highest work carried out by God's children. We can say that the highest expression of a saint's spiritual life is his praise to God. God's throne is the highest point in the universe, yet He sits "enthroned upon the praises of Israel" (Psa. 22:3). God's name and even God Himself are exalted through praise". Lesson 16, Messages for Building Up the New Believers, Vol. 1.

The Lord graciously spoke to me through my own pursuit of the message; I was so joyful to learn the hidden depth of the Lord's word in relation to praising Him! Praise Him because He is ever praiseworthy! The message overview was so enjoyable and I myself was very much supplied. Later, I wrote to a brother whom the Lord burdened me to write on the same line: my own enjoyment as a fellowship to him.

Praise the Lord for His sovereignty!

Come what may, we must always praise the Lord. When our prayer seems to be unanswered, or we are unable to pray, we must exercise our spirit of faith and praise the Lord for what He is. No matter what our situation is, He remains the same, He is ever praise worthy. We praise Him not because of our good situation, not even because of the evil ones, whatever may be our inward and outward condition before God and man, He is still and ever praise worthy. For this we must praise the Lord!

When we praise Him as such, victory is ours. The fiery darts of Satan have been poisoning us, nevertheless, its sting can be undone and overcome by praising Him. Sometimes, we don't understand many mysteries in our lives and the environment surrounding us, sometimes we go through much pain and internal bleeding within, which are often hard to share to any one else except to the Lord. But even at such times, we must offer a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Praises issuing out of the pains, hardships, troubles and trials we are going through are the genuine praises as "sacrifice of praises". The Lord is pleased at such praises.    

Tonight as we prayed for all the new contacts and released our burden, the Lord led me minister again on this matter of praising. The result of it was full of praises and hallelujahs! Not because of my sharing, but because of the Lord's speaking and revelation through the word. The prayer meeting reach its peak, and it was a glorious prayer meeting.

Right after this I received a call from a brother who has been through "the valley of the shadow of death" from all angles of life, to the extent that the fellowship was in tears, out of a deep pain within. My joyful encouragement was on the same message of "praising" even in the midst of much sufferings, offering a sacrifice of praise! The fellowship concluded with praises and hallelujahs, for the Lord is sovereign over all and He is ever praise worthy! 

Praise Him! Not just with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; Not just with psalteries and harps and stringed instrument; Nor just with claps and shouts and dances. But much more with tears and pains and agony! That's the highest form of praise, the most genuine praise, straight from the heart; sacrifice of praises!

The Joy of Helping

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Proverbs 3:27

The Lord blessed and graced me to experience this verse and to enjoy the joy of helping others in need, especially, the household of the faith.

As much as the Lord blessed us, He also graced us partake in the joy of helping others. Through much prayer and fellowship, my wife and I, in one accord, coordinated to help our younger brother to start up his business. Years ago it was a "no-no", but now years after, it was all a "yes-yes". For the time is ripe now and he has grown more mature in many aspects of life. Besides the financial help, the greater blessing was that of closer brotherly tie and sweeter fellowship in Christ. Now I can testify in the Lord's grace, that we have a very good coordination for the family affairs and also for the spiritual shepherding of one another.

Another case was a widow sister who was in dire straight of her daughter's education for lack of fund to pay the school fees. When the matter was brought for fellowship, my wife and I, in one accord, decided to meet all her urgent need. Oh it was such a joy to be a channel of blessing, especially to the saints.

Similar case was with another family for their second baby delivery needing help, and yet another two sisters for their business crisis bail out. In all these cases, the Lord placed us in a situation "When it is in the power of your hand to do so", so we grasped the opportunity to "not withhold good from those to whom it is due", so that in helping others, we can share in their joy and enjoy Christ together proportionally.

In fact, in all these cases, we never expected anything back. We leave all to their conscience how and when they will pay back. Righteously they must, but graciously we will not demand. The joy of helping is already our reward! I only wish, we can help all the  more. 

Since it is all out from Him, it all must all be also through Him, and yes, also all unto Him. What a grace to be graced with the blessings of helping, yes, especially to the saints, the household of the faith. 

Lord, grant us more grace for more such grace.

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!