Saved by Grace!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Rom. 2:8

Today as I was enjoying the Lord's presence in my time with the Lord, a sister called me informing of a new one they met in their gospel preaching and that they would bring him over for more fellowship on the gospel of salvation. 

Later, it turned out to be a middle aged man from Punjab from a religious background who had been seeking for God. As the Spirit moved and we preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to him; of how the One and True Living God became a Man in Jesus Christ who died for the redemption of our sins and was resurrected to become the Life-giving Spirit to impart the divine life of God to whoever would believe into Jesus Christ. He simply believed and prayed the sinner's prayer to receive the Lord. On further explanation from the word of God from Mark 16:16 on believing and baptism, the Spirit took control of the situation and led him to baptism. O what a glorious deed it was! Only a sinner saved by grace indeed! We sang this hymn over and over again. 

God has done everything that needed to be done for the redemption of fallen mankind. Only what is required is man's simple faith to believe into Jesus Christ. No merit have none, to deserve God's salvation. But God in His great mercy saved man by grace to those who simply believe. Only the blind religious people have conditions for salvation according to their superstitious and religious concept about God's salvation. In fact, many a times mixing up salvation by grace, with the growth in life that follows salvation; erroneously bringing in the steps after salvation, before salvation itself. O what a grace to be even clear about salvation by grace.  "Jesus hath found me, happy my case;

I now am a sinner saved by grace!"

Saved by Grace

https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/311

1	Naught have I gotten but what I received; Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed; Boasting excluded, pride I abase; I’m only a sinner saved by grace!
	Only a sinner saved by grace! Only a sinner saved by grace! This is my story, to God be the glory,   I’m only a sinner saved by grace!
2	Once I was foolish, and sin ruled my heart, Causing my footsteps from God to depart; Jesus hath found me, happy my case; I now am a sinner saved by grace!
3	Tears unavailing, no merit had I; Mercy had saved me, or else I must die; Sin had alarmed me, fearing God’s face; But now I’m a sinner saved by grace!
4	Suffer a sinner whose heart overflows, Loving his Savior to tell what he knows; Once more to tell it, would I embrace— I’m only a sinner saved by grace!

David's Heart

Acts 13:22

And when He had deposed him, He raised up David for them as king, to whom also He testified and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who will do all My will.

But now your kingdom will not continue. Jehovah has sought a man according to His heart for Himself, and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over His people; for you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you. 1 Samuel 13: 14  

In my pursuit of the Life-study messages on 1 and 2 Samuel, the Lord touched me so much in the matter of "David's heart." David, while being chosen by God was tagged with and whose epitaph today is "a man according to God's heart." Indeed he was, as such a man, he honored God to the uttermost and respected God's sovereign arrangement. Though he was anointed as a king after God rejected Saul, he never fought to claim for the throne. He left the matter of being enthroned, to the Lord in His own time. For fifteen years he had been wandering like an estranged vagabond in his own land where he was anointed to be king, and that too running for his own life as Saul determined to kill him. Although, God gave David the opportunity in which he could strike Saul to death and claim the throne of Israel, he never did it. But he honored "God's anointed" and dared not cast his hand upon Saul.

Later, when God allowed Saul and his son Jonathan to be killed in the battle field, an Amalekite came to bear "glad tiding" of Saul's death according to his own version, expecting a reward from David assuming "his enemy" was killed. But David's reaction was the opposite. He charged the harbinger instead, questioning, "How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Jehovah’s anointed?" 2 Samuel 1:14. And did away with the Amalekite who reported the news of  Saul's tragic death.

Similarly David killed the ones who killed the kinsmen of Saul who thought by so doing, they bore good news to David. In these cases, in  David's heart there was no traces of hatred or enmity towards Saul at all, for whatever reason.Though Saul did his best to kill David, David did his best to preserve Saul. Here we see David's heart.

This matter of "David's heart" was a driven into my heart, to be such a man of God all the days of my life. Today, in my service and in my living, wherever the Lord placed me, I must always honor the Lord's sovereignty and never fight for "my rights." In due time, the Lord will do what He has determined to do. He does not need man's natural maneuvering. though He need man's cooperation. I must be graced by the Lord to be such a man who has "David's heart" too, "to be a man after God's heart." May the Lord grace me so. 

Shepherding : Rewards

The Lord is so human yet divine. He nourishes and also cherishes. Similarly in shepherding there is the cherishing part and the nourishing part.

Few months ago, the Lord graced me and my wife to bear the burden of some saints in their spiritual matters as well as in their personal matters. We did the nourishing of supplying the spiritual fellowship they needed and at the same time we also helped them in whatever way we can, physically, in fact, financially, as a part of cherishing them in humanity and taking care of their urgent physical need. We did it in prayer and in one accord.

Of late, the Lord encouraged us so much witnessing how these ones we were graced to shepherd were turning out to be so useful in the Lord's hand, and instrumental in bringing new ones, unbelievers, into salvation with baptisms. To me this is a "reward" the Lord encouraged us with, to go on shepherding.

In another case, we did our best to help financially a sister for her daughter's boarding and tuition fee as there was the urgent need to prepared for an academic exam. This week I was so encouraged to hear the excellent result this sister had achieved. Though it was a little painful to assist at that time as we ourselves were a little tight financially. However, because of the urgency, we did our best to help. Now, this news definitely is very rewarding, and it was worth the little pain we underwent.

Though the reward of all our laboring in the Lord will be on "that day," still the Lord rewards us with incentives to encourages us to go on serving as priest of the gospel of God, and as royal priest to minister Christ to people in need.

Lord, enlarge my capacity to be able to shepherd more and be shepherded by You more.

Shepherding : A Laboring Priest

Romans 15:16

That I might be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, a laboring priest of the gospel of God, in order that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, having been sanctified in the Holy Spirit.

These days the Lord's speaking has always been on the matter of priesthood. The urgency of being recovered to be a normal and proper priest and the importance of serving and functioning as a laboring priest; on the one hand to come before God and being filled with Him as His holy priest and going to the people to express and represent Him as the royal priest. 1 Peter 2:5,9.

Personally, it is always my prayer and burden that I be fully recovered in my being and in my service as priest. With this, the Lord blessed me with three small groups and two local brothers to shepherd. My main service in this regard is with my wife in praying for these new ones daily, interceding for them that they may grow in life and be shepherded into the church life and even become pillars for the local church here in Gurgaon.

This week, one brother came with his whole lot of problem. My main fellowship was the need for him to experience and enjoy the Lord through the word, in prayer and in fellowship with fellow believers. Problems are just an opportunity given by God as blessings in disguise for us to learn to trust and experience Christ and gain Him all the more. Besides, we worked together for some of his professional works, and he himself determined in his heart to give his first priority to the Lord; in reading the Bible every day, in praying everyday, and perhaps with me over the phone, and coming at  least  once a week for fellowship with the fellow members of the Body of Christ and partake of the Lord's table every Lord's day. It was the grace of God that I can experience something of shepherding.

Similarly, with another brother, I fellowship on some basic truth and experiences of a Christian life as he was from a deep rooted religious background. To undo what had been done and now to be reconstituted with Christ is not an easy matter. There will be some struggles, some confusion for a while and ultimately all the mess will be cleaned-up for Christ's complete and pure expression.

I also have been experiencing being a laboring priest in the home meetings where we pursued the word of God together and fellowshipped on the urgent need of the saints. On truths, on life practices, and some personal matters. Through all these, I am learning to be a laboring priest of the gospel and learning to shepherd. This is just few experiences this week.

Spiritual Warfare

These days I have been experiencing a great deal of spiritual warfare. Many unprecedented things have happened and the tide of life was jolted by a spiritual tsunami. Personally and corporately I felt a strong spiritual tremor in the like of the recent Nepal earthquake, save for the physical destruction by the quake and the aftermath. 

One obvious matter is the attack of Satan upon two brothers who accused each other, standing in their own view point and attacking and not seeing who they were in themselves. Generally, only one who is in the dark sees the one who is in the light, especially, this kind of seeing is mostly negative. Such was the case, recently. Like it or not, I had to be in the meeting with these brothers; patiently listening to each ones' version. In meeting like this, no one admits his fault but present the facts of his "justification." 

After all the humdrum, I finally spoke up to tell the brothers that it was not a matter of who was right or who was wrong, but it was Satan trying to create a scene, to destroy all and divide the oneness of the brothers. My fellowship was, to identify who was behind all these, not a brother, but Satan as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour! Once the enemy was identified, fight against him, not the brother. In terms of right, no one is right, all are wrong for we are not only sinful, but sin itself. So all need the blood of Jesus Christ to wash us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

After this fellowship, the two brothers  exercised their spirit and calmed down. They both confessed their own mistakes and forgave one another. Then we all prayed together for the Lord's forgiveness and covering from the attack of the enemy. In fact, even with tears. 

This is a spiritual warfare; we are engaging in it day by day, especially these days, in Gurgaon. I felt it very strongly. As I prayed for the saints and the new ones, name by name, each one has different situation, and all are going through some kind of "attacks" from the enemy in many ways; some financial, some relationship, some health and yet some are just misunderstanding. This prompted me to pray more and encourage the saints to exercise their spirit more to be normal Christians in a normal church-life. 

Despite all that the enemy does to engage us in warfare, the Lord sovereignly allows it for our own learning, training, perfecting and maturing. And the spiritual fact is, "Christ is Victor, and Jesus is Lord!" Come what may, Chris is Victor! In all our spiritual warfare, we are already the Victor, for the Victor, Christ, is in us! Hallelujah!  

The Lord's Leading : Flexibility

Last weekend I had planned to go to Jaipur for follow up shepherding. I brought this matter for fellowship and the Lord adjusted this plan. In the principle of the Body it is always best to serve in coordination, not singly but with some other members. But it so turned out that no one was available to go with me. The only way to go ahead was to go alone. I left the matter to the Lord and allowed the Lord to work. In prayer and in fellowship, even with my wife, and even in the circumstances, I could discern that I should not go this time. So I cancelled the plan.

 

The Lord knows best. Because of the cancelled plan I was available for the need in Gurgaon itself. The Friday group meeting was not cancelled, on Saturday we had a very important baptism and were fellowshipping and praying with a saint for some new ones of whom two were also baptised. Besides, there was an urgent call to meet a family with demonic and psychological attack from the enemy which was dealt with and prayed over.

Moreover, as a father of a family I could fulfill my family responsibilities as well. I could also visit my children's school as a family for Parent-Teacher's Meet, and could take my family out to a park, and also for dinner.

I was also available to release the burden of the Lord's speaking for the week in the church meeting. Even a home meeting with a newly baptised believer was not cancelled. I could also visit a family for a group meeting where God spoke on the matter of "God-man."  

If I had gone ahead according to my self determined will, all these things that transpired last week would not have transpired. Worst of all, I would miss all of them and the weekend shepherding would not have taken place. But praise the Lord, in fellowship I was adjusted and balanced. This is the Body life, living and walking in the reality of the Body life!

This is yet another big lesson on fellowship and flexibility as per the Lord's leading. This reminds me of Paul's experience in Acts 16.

16:7   And when they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, yet the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 

Paul did not insist on his plan, instead followed the Spirit's leading that eventually led him to heed to the Macedonian call. This is not to undermine a proper prayer and planning, but in all our plannings, we must be open to the Lord for His adjustment and leading. He knows best.

What a blessed weekend I could enjoy, by heeding to the Lord's leading! 

Lord, keep me open to You always for Your leading.

Hachilah

In I Samuel 26, Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah as he searched and ran after David to kill him. Yet Jehovah would not deliver David at all, instead He delivered Saul to David, and David had the opportunity to kill Saul, if he wanted to. Even his servant advised him to kill Saul, but David, a man after God's heart, honor God's sovereignty and  would not lay his hand against the Lord's anointed.

26:8   And Abishai said to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore let me strike him with the spear even to the ground with one stroke, and I will not do it twice.26:9   But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against Jehovah’s anointed and be guiltless?
26:11  Jehovah forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jehovah’s anointed. 

This portion of the word touched my being so deeply. Here I could see he heart of God in David. How he honored the Lord's anointed even though the "anointed" had totally backslidden. He left the matter of revenge to the Lord.

26:10  And David said, As Jehovah lives, Jehovah will strike him down, or his day will come to die, or he will go down in battle and perish.

Actually, David was also anointed by God through Samuel already, but until the proper time for him to be enthroned as the king of Israel he would not prematurely or forcibly fight for the kingdom. He left the matter to the Lord.

Similarly, there are, and there will be many instances of the like in our Christian life today. But the divine principle is never to fight for one's right and to never take revenge, for whatsoever reason. At the right time the Lord will do His work. Until that time, we must humbly and simply submit ourselves to the Lord at all cost. This is a very deep spiritual lesson.

This is the lesson learned at "Hachilah," the lesson of accepting the Lord's sovereignty, and never to act by the natural man but leave everything to God who is in control.

Lord, may I learn this lesson thoroughly well.