Two Onesimus's

Onesimus was an useful vessel to Paul and to the Lord despite his black background. I already have one whom the Lord gifted to me to shepherd and care for. Through many ups and downs, he still is my Onesimus. And now the Lord is adding another Onesimus. Its not my choice to accept or reject, rather it is the Lord's blessed gift.

A brother was in a very desperate need for wholesome shepherding. Again because of the many distressful and inexplicable experiences he had been through since his first failed marriage, he was in the depth of depression and often lost his mental balance. Now he is facing another marital disaster, and history seems to repeat itself. All these bitter bombardments blasted and bruised his brain. 

But he is a very dear brother in the Lord, who loves the Lord, and is beginning to intensely love the Lord all the more through all these sufferings. He has survived serious series of legal battles and are now in the verge of another series. Be it fate or folly in his decision making, only God knows. But the fact is, he's been mentally, physically and financially drained off. And the fact that he is still a brother does not change. No matter what he has gone through, no matter what his problems may be, he is still a brother, in fact, a very dear brother. I begin to love him all the more, then when he was much better off. Despite his dire strait of human hardship, he still is a brother. So I must receive him and shepherd him in all possible way. He, thus, has been added to our family as another Onesimus.

The two Onesimus's are now with our family, and in fact, they are blending with us so well, so far so good. These two are suprisingly of two opposite nature, origin and character, almost in every respect. One from a high caste, very well educated, intelligent and very qualified person, and the other almost the exact opposite. But praise the Lord, through inexplicable circumstances, they both ended up to be a part of our extended family. This arrangement was never forethought, it just transpired in time, and me and my wife can only amen. This, to me, is meeting the need of the moment. Else, where else they will go?

I have been learning many new and deep spiritual lessons through these two Onesimus's. The lessons were learned through their problems. They were helpless, and I in their midst, to shepherd them, turned to Lord and the Lord taught me some deep and precious lessons which, I believe, can never be learned otherwise.  It even revolutionized my living and ways of shepherding. I have been praying for people to be saved and shepherded, and the Lord gave me brothers who are saved and are need of shepherding; not in a way of once or twice meeting in a week with some prayer and pursuing, but in a way of living together with him. Perhaps, this is the best way of shepherding, and I am learning it, and I guess, I am loving it too. I have been doing it in the past too, but this time in a more matured way. Praise the Lord for this opportunity!  

Today, as I was spending time with the Lord in prayer, He impressed me deeply with shepherding and perfecting these two Onesimus's. Doing a background check, they both are literally helpless and hopeless, and their own relatives have literally gave them up. But the Lord's speaking to me was, if I cannot shepherd hopeless and helpless ones to become hopeful and helpful ones, I am useless. This was a very strong word from the Lord. My innate reply was that the Lord would shepherd me and them together and make us hopeful, helpful and useful. Sometimes, the speaking of the Lord is sudden and shocking, yet soothing and shepherding too.

Though I deem myself unworthy, I trust the good shepherd to shepherd all of us. These experiences, perhaps, may be my "Tale of Two Onesimus's." 

Lord, shepherd us all, and turn us- 

Our helplessness to helpfulness,

Our hopelessness to hopefulness,

Our uselessness to usefulness.

And dear Lord, do these to us.

Amen. 

Life Lessons

What has transpired of me, I do not know. Whether for good or for bad, only God knows. I seem to have changed in the way I do things and deal with business affairs. By and large, I have been a very soft person, always graceful to others even at the cost of misjudgment. I always like to be gracious to others as much as I could and defended their cause if questioned. But things seems to have changed. I hope for the better. 

In official matter, I think I ought to be strict and straightforward. Often many have taken advantage of this, which definitely has a kickback. But recently, I learned my lessons of not to be too soft. When duty demands it I have to be tough, yes, real tough. But there must be a striking balance between being soft and being tough. I am learning this lesson, and hope I learn it well. 

A brother who has come for food and shelter has often taken advantage of me. As he took me for a ride I had to help him learn his lessons as well. So whenever necessary I was strict with him. In matters related to handling his finance, time management, cleanliness and discipline, I was strict and demanded that he adhere to it, should he desire a help. Brotherly love cannot be taken for granted, and "it's OK" attitude must be rectified. So I spoke a strong word to this brother to take care of his things and his living. Though I spoke such a strong word, deep within my heart I wish he would learn his lesson and be normalised and be established as a proper man. Even with such words, my heart yearns for him, that he be established and "pillarised" to bear the Lord's testimony. 

Another incident was when our office gas company worker unduly asked for service charge when no service was done, and when I requested him to replace the gas pipe he put aside by saying it's OK, but he said it needed to be replaced in his first visit. This outright lie I could not tolerate and refused to pay the service charge for no service. He threatened to cut the connection, but I retorted that he change the pipe first. Then in fits and fear he left. Later, I thought to myself, am I so tough? I did feel sorry for the strong word I uttered, yet at the same time, I felt it was necessary for me to exercise in such way to deal with money-monger. 

Another case was with my own family, when to discipline my children I began to be strict with them. Often I did use strong words of rebuke and chastening. And oftentimes with punishment. Though I did all these outwardly, my inward being was yearning for them that they be disciplined and be God-man children. As and when necessary, I exercised strict discipline upon them. Sometimes, I often do the same to my wife in few matters, not much, even as she does to me a couple of times. We love each other and chastened one another. 

By all these experiences I am learning to handle matters as it should be. But I am willing to be corrected or adjusted. This experience is not so sweet, but needful for my growth in life. These are what have been transpiring these days. Hope it all will work out for good.

Lessons of life are for all man;

For all sinner and saint

Amidst its pain and gain, 

They must be learned now and then, 

In this journey of life, till the end. 

Ghaziabad

Last month in a Christian Expo, I met a brother who impressed me much, both in spirit and in the body, with whom I also fellowshipped twice, and he showed much interest in the ministry of the word. My first impression was, perhaps, he must be the one for the Lord's testimony in Ghaziabad? Only God knows. 

Few day back, with a brother we went to visit him at his house in Ghaziabad. When I heard his sharing on his feeling concerning "feet washing" in John 13, I took the opportunity to minister on the same subject. I ministered on love as the basis for feet washing, accompanied with humility and being judged by God to be able to wash the brothers' feet. Yet for such,  one must have the basin with water for the washing. We read the Bible verses with footnotes from the Recovery Version of the Bible. Water here signifies the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), the word (Eph. 5:26; John 15:3), and life (19:34). These are what we need to wash our brothers' foot with. Without the Holy Spirit, the word of God and the divine life as the "water" first being constituted in us, how can we washed our brother's feet. Here lies the necessity for a proper and normal Christian life. And this matter of foot washing should not be a ritual nor a ceremony, but a daily living for fellowshipping with God and with one another. 

Later, we fellowshipped on Christ and the church with personal experiences of Christ and the church life. I personally have a very good feeling about this brother, especially in the matter of his hunger for the word of God and purity to stand for the Lord's testimony. 

Though there are other people we could have met, but this brother was the one so far we had much peace to meet with. If there are more whom the Lord has chosen, time will manifest them one by one. 

Only God knows who a person is and what his future holds; I can only look to the Lord and pray that He may gain him for His testimony in Ghaziabad. By the way, this is one of the cities in National Capital Region, for which we have been praying for the Lord's strong testimony. Perhaps, this is an answer to our prayer for Ghaziabad. May the Lord gain His heart's desire. 

Poignant Politics

Of late I have been feeling the air of politics regionally, nationally, and even internationally. Generally, I used to be aloof from all political influence. Gradually, I was burdened to pray for the rulers  of the nation. And often I follow the current affairs in the light of the Lord's move on the earth. 

Meddling in politics itself will be a far cry, but I do pray that the Lord’s chosen ones be rulers to run the nation for the sake of the gospel. But one danger I just discovered was the evil of politics. It can just divide friends and families alike, including brothers and sisters even in the church. 

Most recently, I was hit inwardly by this matter of the venom of politics. It was one Lord’s day when a sister stood up and shared her views concerning a certain President-elect in support of his rival. It was so ugly and the feeling was nauseating. Though we may have inclination towards certain party or candidate but that should never be a topic for the brothers and sisters to debate. It's terribly loathsome. Every citizen of a nation has the right to vote, and let that remain democratically exercised in a secret ballot, and not in the church. Satan is so subtle to use politics to divide the church of God. And we must no be ignorant of his scheme. 

Conventionally I am inclined to a certain party as a family and inwardly I still support them for their policy on national governance. But now, the opposite party that I would never imagine to support because of their ideology is gaining my attention, not nationally though, but regionally. Some of my distant relatives are themselves office bearers and candidates for the  upcoming election in my hometown. This gave me a new horizon of looking at things; not on the party per se but on the candidate himself. When the old guard and political stalwarts of the party our family supported for years does not perform well and are embroiled in dirty politics, loaded with incumbency and corruption, and they would not pave way for the young generation, then person comes above party. This simple feeling itself is proof of how politics can divide people and be a satanic tool. Lord save me. 

Yes, pray for the rulers and for God's move and have your support expressed in secret ballot but never give room to the enemy to divide. Else it will be a poignant tragedy. As in my case, my acquaintances are in both parties, opposite parties.

Herein, I learned my lesson of not paving way for poignant politics, but be preserved in prayer for the Lord's move. This is a simple lesson I learned in the light of being a man, a citizen of a nation, physically.

The Increase of Christ

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Note from the Recovery Version: The increase in this verse is the bride in v. 29, and the bride there is a living composition of all the regenerated people. This means, in this chapter on regeneration, that regeneration not only brings the divine life into the believers and annuls the satanic nature in their flesh, but it also makes them the corporate bride for Christ's increase. The last two points, the annulling of the serpentine nature in the believers and the believers' being made the bride of Christ, are fully developed in John's Revelation. The book of Revelation reveals mainly how Satan as the old serpent will be fully eliminated (Rev. 20:2, 10) and how Christ's bride, the New Jerusalem, will be fully produced (Rev. 21:2, 10-27).

Acts 2: 47 Praising God and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved.16:5 And so the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

Fruit bearing is one of the matters of concern as far as my service in the Lord is concerned. Which means, there must be growth in Christ by growing in life inwardly and there must also be growth in number outwardly. Else there must be something wrong. And that "something" which went wrong or goes wrong is a grave concern. This is my self assessment as well as from an elderly and more matured brother. I thank the Lord for showing me where I truly stands, so that I may learn and know how to move forward from this point on. This exposition dawned on me my need for serious learning in serving the Lord. I cannot just be barren, that's not only a shame, but a disaster--a spiritual disaster. I may have reasonable and valid excuses, but I will not tolerate the barrenness. Barrenness is a symptom of death. Anything living must grow, both inwardly and outwardly.

Christ increase is not merely measured inwardly. Yes, He definitely must grow, besides, there must be increase in numbers of saved believers, the bride. The increase of Christ is the increase of the bride; the increase of the bride is the increase of the believers in numbers of the regenerated believers. This word of the Lord is backed with testimonies of the early church. "The Lord added together day by day those who were being saved" and "increased in number daily." This is the real increase of Christ. This must be my experience too. Nothing less is acceptable and must not be tolerated.

The message for me and the church I am in is this only, "the increase of Christ." All lame excuses for not increasing according to the word is lifeless. My prayer and the church's prayer has henceforth been for the increase of Christ. All that hinders the increase of Christ must be diagnosed and remedied. Thank God, these days I am in this process and the saints too. May the Lord heal and gain His increase for His testimony.

The increase of Christ is the increase in numbers, which is the increase of the church. Where there is an increase of Christ, there will be the increase of the church in numbers as well. Though all increases in numbers may not necessarily be the increase of Christ, but the increase of Christ must necessarily lead to the increase in numbers. One should not be so spiritual as to focus only on the inward increase of Christ without the outward increase in number. The more the increase in Christ inwardly, there more there will be the increase in numbers outwardly. For when one grows in Christ, he will be burdened to preach the gospel and bring people to salvation. Furthermore, he will shepherd, buildup and perfect the new ones to be the increase of Christ as the bride, the church. This is a normal and proper condition of a Christian life in a normal church life, and this is the fruit-bearing in John 15:4-5, 7-8. 

The outward tangible way of measuring the increase of Christ is the number of the saints in the meeting. Quality comes out of quantity. Without quantity, there can be no quality. It is mere folly to pride on quality when there is no quantum of quantity.

Lord, save me from mere spirituality. My need is the increase of Christ in quality as much as in quantity.

Religiosity and Generality

When I was much younger I deeply regarded the religious people reckoning them to be of God. Later, when I was saved, my focus was shifted strongly to spirituality as I reckoned spirituality to be much above religiosity. And as I began to grow more, my spiritual discernment and understanding grew a bit more, and I treasure the building up in the Body of Christ corporately than any mere individualistic spirituality. Still my past background perhaps, might have imbibed in me a scent of religiosity that I probably am not aware of. So the Body exposes me.

It was again an elderly brother whom the Lord used to expose me of my unseen being, at least, to myself. He said I am religious in that I only trusted in God for God to do things. His point was that I should exercise the spiritual gifts of carrying things out without just leaving all for God to do. He further said emphatically that I should cast out demons, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and even raise the death! I got the spiritual significance of the Lord's speaking. In fact, many of my works do not have spiritual effect as it should, in spite of all the labor. There must be a definite result in all the spiritual activities that I have been carrying out, especially in my shepherding of the new ones to perfect them to be pillars for the church. 

Sovereignly, the night before this incident of the Lord's speaking I was also very burdened to for three very seriously sick patients who are my relatives and friends too. One is paralyzed and had given up all medication as it did not worked. The other is a pancreas cancer patient where even the best hospitals and doctors in the country could not help and the chemotherapy did not work but worsen his health. And the last one is a wife of a friend and brother who is also a cancer patient with acute complexity. All of them have given up hope or almost given up hope on any medical treatment whatsoever, but putting their trust in the Lord. I was deeply considering and praying that Lord should heal them. And the next day, the Lord's speaking was that "I should cast out demons, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and even raise the death!" So be it Lord.

  

Besides, I was also rebuked for being too general, I must be specific. In whatever I put my hands on, there must be tangible and definite result. Else, my works be of no good to the Lord and for His move. In fact, even in my words, I have this habit of generalising things. I must be healed of this disease too. My words must be accurate and exact. Lord, grace me so.

Religiosity and generality are the two hidden diseases that the Lord diagnosed in me through the brother who spoke freely and frankly. Praise the Lord for such an oracle of God! And much more praise the Lord that the Lord loves me so much that He exposes me and takes me on a ride with Him, that he would deal with me and perfect me. 

After this experience, my only response in prayer was that the Lord would heal me of all my diseases, and make me healthy and whole to be a useful vessel unto Him. 

Not religiosity nor spirituality but to be built up in the Body! Not generality only but to be specific in all things I put my hands into! Thus, by His mercy, I may learn and learn, and be trained and perfected for the building up of His Body.

Amen, for the Lord's healing touch!                

Completion

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun in you a good work will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus; Philippians 1:6

One of the characteristics of the degraded reformed church is deadness and incompletion. But the Lord promised that what He has begun in us he will complete it. This completion is a necessity for one's growth in life and maturity even unto the bearing of manifested and remaining-abundant fruits. Else I will be a half baked cake, which is no good to man as well as to God.

When I read this verse a couple of days ago, few things transpired intrinsically. First it reminds me of an elderly brother shepherding me by way of "rebuking" in a message directed to me calling out my name, out loud in a coworker's training. Declaring literally that "I am incomplete." It was a momentary shock to me, but I took it as the Lord's speaking and asked the Lord to complete the work He has begun in me. Though painful and bleeding inside, I asked the Lord to hold my hand and lead me step by step until I finish the course assigned for me unto completion. Thank the Lord for such brother who could be the Lord's oracle today. This is what I need today, lest I be doomed in myself. Thank the Lord for the Body, for the brothers and for all circumstances.

Later, one morning when I pray-read this verse, I was so nourished and asked the Lord to complete the work He has begun in me. And also being moved by the Lord I texted it to my younger sister the same verse, whose birthday happened to be on the same day, as my wish for her birthday. And also to another elderly brother whose election for a social post fell on the same day. Later, they both thanked me for the wish. And the latter won the election he contested.

I know I am still incomplete in the sense of the Lord's working in me, growth in life and maturity. So I need the Lord's work to be completed in me. 

"He who has begun in you a good work will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." So be it, Lord! Amen.