Shepherding according to God

1 Pet. 5:2 - Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God; not by seeking gain through base means but eagerly. 
Note from the Recovery Version: I.e., according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory, not according to man’s preference, interest, and purpose. 

These days shepherding has been the main concern among all the churches and among all the serving ones here in India. I have also been so much burdened for shepherding. Though I have been shepherding I am not too sure if it was according to God. The phrase, "according to God," is what matters most to me. 

As I was spending time in the Word of God on shepherding, studying different scripture portions with prayer, I was so enlightened to see the importance and depth of shepherding, and how it is closely related to carrying out the Lord’s testimony and fulfilling His eternal purpose on the earth. 

In fact, the same week's morning revival also was on the same burden. The ministry helps me a lot in my understanding of shepherding. 

A light on "according to God": God is well known by His divine attributes of love, light, holiness and righteousness. To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to His love, light, holiness and righteousness! This sentence itself is a yardstick to check the genuineness of my shepherding thus far. Since God’s love is unconditional and eternal, my shepherding should also be such. I was exposed at the choice I used to make for who and on what condition to shepherd. It is truly easy to choose the good sheep for shepherding. But in many cases, what I have are only bad sheep and black sheep. Thank God for this revelation. 

I am glad that the Lord gave me a particular sheep that need special attention and care all the time. He's been given up by his own relative too. Somehow, I have been graced to shepherd him, not by weekly visit or giving messages, but by living together with him. When things were not good, the Lord reminded me "to shepherd according to God" with much love and tender care. Come what may, shepherd his soul until full grown and maturity in life. 

Similarly, the Lord's speaking is the same for all that I have been shepherding, both individuals and families. Which means, I must take God as my life and living to be able to shepherd according to God. Under the life dispensing of God, with His divine light shining, and His divine love flowing, in His holiness and righteousness, in oneness with Him, the shepherding work of the saints must be carried out. In this way, the Body of Christ will be builded up to fulfill God’s eternal purpose. 

The following Lord's day, I released my burden to the saints in the church in Gurgaon on being under the Lord's shepherding and in turn carrying out the work of shepherding according to God.

Praise the Lord for this commission of shepherding according to God!

Lord, train me to be a shepherd according to God. 

An Army Officer

A Colonel's wife, whom the Lord introduced in Gurgaon for fellowshipping on the word of God, introduced another officer who is a seeking sister at the moment posted in Guwahati. When I was in Guwahati during the training for serving ones, she tried to contact and visit me but we eventually met after the training on the Lord's day. 

She was so joyful to meet with us though it was her first time. Her testimony of joining our prophesying meeting was awesome. She said, "I felt like entering into paradise with all the saints in one accord saying 'amen' to one another's speaking, with many 'hallelujahs and praise the Lords' ." I was so joyful to hear such joyful words from a new one,a nd that too who joined our meeting for the first time.

Later, over lunch with a brother and I, we had a fellowship that lasted for six long hours. Initially, I listened to her of all that she had to say about her life, the sufferings she went through, how she got saved, baptised, and her experiences with different other Christian groups, the persecution she faced from her family as she is the first and only one who was saved so far, and her hunger for fellowship on the word of God. Then, I fellowshipped at length on the basic of a Christian life, as simple as reading the word, calling upon the Lord's Name, which she urgently needed, prayer, and fellowshipping with the saints in a local church. 

She was so joyful, and in between, to my count, she was in tears at least thrice, for the joy of meeting with fellow believers who fed her with the healthy teaching of the word of God.

Surprisingly, just before I left Guwahati, she came to meet a local sister that I introduced her to. That made us meet one more time as I was lodge in the same saint's house. I strengthened the burden for her to pray for her family salvation and gifted two books, The Economy of God and Enjoying the Lord through Prayer and the Word. It was so joyful to witness new ones enjoying fellowshipping on the word of God and prayer.

The next day as I left for Guwahati and was praying for all the new ones, the Lord burdened me specifically for this army officer who needed proper shepherding. Then I wrote the following message for her spiritual exercise. 

Reminder : Exercise for God's Army
1) Love the Lord Jesus Christ; our first love toward the Lord must be our best love for Him.
Matthew 22:37 - And He said to him, “ *You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.*”
Matthew 22:38 - This is the great and first commandment.
Matthew 22:39 - And the second is like it:  “ *You shall love your neighbor as yourself*.”
Matthew 22:40 - On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. 
Both commandments, the commandment to love God and the commandment to love man, are a matter of love. Love is the spirit of God’s commandments.

2) Eat the word* of God daily.
John 6:57 - As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. 
The best way to eat the Lord in the word is by reading and praying,  pray-reading, the word of God.
Reading the Bible is a battle. But you are the winner, only if you fight. *Be disciplined, and read the Bible daily and diligently*. God will speak to you through His words, and that will be your reward!

3) Exercise your spirit to pray unceasingly. 
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Unceasingly pray. 
1 Timothy 4:7 - But the profane and old-womanish myths refuse, and exercise yourself unto godliness.
1 Timothy 4:8 - For bodily exercise is profitable for little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the present life and of that which is to come. 
The best way to pray is to call upon the Lord's name: Lord Jesus Christ! Breathe yourself out and breathe Christ in. At all times; good times or bad times, sad times or happy times, just call on the name of Jesus silently or out loud. That will be your daily salvation. 

4) Exercise your faith, claim the promises of God, and command God according to His Words.
Isaiah 45:11 -  Thus says Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel and the One who formed him, Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And concerning the work of My hands, command Me. 

5) Pray for your family salvation until all of them are indeed saved. Yes, all of them. Including your friends, colleagues, seniors and juniors in your profession.
Acts 16:31 - And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.

6) Meet and fellowship with the believers in the local church. 
Hebrews 10:24 - And let us, consider one another so as to incite one another to love and good works,
Hebrews 10:25 - 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. 

7) Alert! Beware of false teachers and fake churches who do ministry for themselves; their own name, fame, glory, money, and their own ministry. Genuine ministry causes spiritual growth with the help of the above six exercises, and builds up the believers for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Ephesians​ 4:11 - And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers,
Ephesians​ 4:12 - For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ,
Ephesians​ 4:13 - Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Ephesians​ 4:14 - That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error,
Ephesians​ 4:15 - But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ,
Ephesians​ 4:16 - Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. 
(All Bible verses and notes are from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.)

A Brother's Marriage

On an invitation, and the care and concern for a brother I decided to attend a brother's marriage in Tezpur. When the matter was first brought up, my main concern was the fellowship in the Body and the oneness among the brothers concerning the marriage. And I told the brother, "I am for the Body and if all the brothers feels good about your marriage and me to minister the word as requested I would gladly do it. But everything must be done in fellowship." Few weeks alter, when the brother confirmed again, my burden was mainly to shepherd him and his wife to be, and release the word of God for the sake of the seekers for the lord's testimony in Tezpur. 

It was 9th of May, my first time to visit this city. A warm welcome with a good hospitality was in place. The next day, the 10th of May, the wedding day, the burden the Lord gave me was to minister on three lines. But I was not clear how to word them properly. Only when I was in the wedding meeting waiting for my turn to speak, the Lord gave me clear words. When my turn came for ministering the word of God, I ministered and later texted the saints who were praying for this meeting. 

Dears Saints, 

Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayer. 

The wedding meeting of a brother went well. The ministry of the word was on three lines: The Meaning of a Human Life as there was a sizable attendants of unbelievers, The Meaning of a Christian Life addressed to the attendants of believers, and The Meaning of a Marriage Life specifically addressed to the bride and the groom along with all the married attendants.

Besides, we had fellowship with some seekers and ministry books distribution. 

Pray for the couple, brother T_____ and sister J___, that they may love Christ and the church and love one another, be one with the Body and one with one another, for the Lord's testimony in Tezpur.

Overall, my main emphasis was on Christ and Christ alone. A human life, Christian life, and marriage life must be centered on Christ. Else all are vanities of vanities. I also strengthened the point on consecration as a couple to the Lord from day one of marriage life,  loving Christ as first and best love and loving one another, and praying and reading the Bible together as a couple and as a family too. Besides, marriage is for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose and is just a symbol of Christ and the Church. 

After the meeting, quite a number of attendants from the bride and bridegroom's side came and appreciated the timely message delivered. It was all the Lord's speaking as I was graced to be a channel.  

May the Lord bless the couple and gain the church in Tezpur! 

A Visit to Shillong

Shillong was never in my itinerary this time. Though I have been very burdened for the saints and the church there, I did not deem it right to visit without a proper fellowship from the brothers there and also from the brothers overseeing the Lord's work in that region. I was glad to meet two of the responsible brothers who attended the training in Guwahati. 

One day during the training break, one of the brothers from Shillong came to me and said, "Brother, the saints in Shillong came to know about your being in Guwahati and they invited you to visit them!" It was a surprise and a shock to me. My simply reply was, if the brothers really felt I should visit, only in fellowship, I can: Yes, after proper fellowship with all the brothers concerned. Even after this, I still did not think I should indeed visit as I thought I was not prepared and did not make any plan either. 

The next day, a leading brother from Shillong invited me again, and later he reconfirmed it through another brother that the saints indeed wanted me to visit. Then I fellowshipped with the brothers serving the Lord's work and also with leading brothers from the North East. They all felt good, and then only I made the decision and visited Shillong. A surprise visit for me and them as well. Nevertheless, God knew best. 

In Shillong, the first thing the saints told me was, "Brother, Praise the Lord! As a church we were praying yesterday for your visit. Now, the Lord answered our prayers." When I heard this I was so moved in my being by the saints' love, and much more by their thirst for fellowshipping on the word of God. 

Later we had long hours of fellowship as the Lord's speaking was so dear and sweet. I texted the local church where I came from as an update of the visit, the date was 8th May 2017:

Dear Saints, 

Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayer. The Lord blessed our fellowship last night with the saints in the church in Shillong. 

We fellowshipped from 6:30 pm till 12:30 am, with three group of saints organically in three informal sessions. And this morning another fellowship over breakfast till 10 am. The Lord's timely speaking was very sweet and rich. 

May the Lord continue to shepherd the saints with the ministry of the word into the oneness and fellowship of the Body of Christ. Amen.

On all organically arranged sessions, the main things fellowshipped were:

• The name of Jesus, how wonderful, powerful, and sweet when we call on Him. I strengthened this burden for all the saints experience and enjoyment of their Christina life. 
• Household salvation, as many saints were the only one saved in their families. The Lord burdened me to share at length with testimonies, the importance of claiming God’s word using Acts 16:31 and Isaiah 45:11. 
• Reading and praying the word of God with an emphasis on daily pursuit of the Lord in His word by regular daily Bible reading and prayer. 

After the fellowship I gifted the saints two ministry books: The Orthodoxy of the Church and Enjoying Christ as the Word and the Spirit through Prayer. 

The next day morning, a sister whom I baptised when I first visited Shillong came for fellowship over breakfast. She was an MD of a Govt. Dept. then,  and now just retired. It was a joy to fellowship on the word of God and testify to one another what the Lord has done and has been doing. 

After all these fellowships, I was clear why the Lord took me there. The Lord knows the best, and I simply have to follow Him step by step. 

Lord, bless the church in Shillong! 

May the Lord gain His testimony all over Meghalaya!  

A Training in Guwahati

Few months ago I received the announcement for the Serving Ones Training in Guwahati. For at least two months I was in dilemma as the timing of the training is colliding with the date line for my house shifting. Moreover, there were other reasons both personal and official that further clouded my sky. The only thing I could do was to bring it to the Lord in prayer over and over again. 

One day a brother called me concerning his marriage to be held right after the training in Guwahati and requested me if I could minister the word of God in his wedding meeting. My only reply was that I would pray and fellowship with other brothers as well first, how they feel about his proposal. Besides, I have the burden for the Lord's move and testimony in the North East. These two matters clubbed together with the need for me to attend the training and also for the presentation of the Recovery Version Bible Translation Project; it all worked together and my sky became clear enabling me to make the final decision. Later, I fellowshipped with my wife of all these important matters, and with her amen, I took the final call. 

Praise the Lord that I could attend this training! In addition to the Lord's rich speaking through the brothers on the need for "our cooperation with the resurrected and ascended Christ", I also enjoyed the fellowship in life with brothers from different localities. Most importantly was the fellowship with our Mizo team and clarifying once for all the hidden misunderstanding among the serving ones. Each serving ones' functions were clearly defined. Another significant matter was the decision of a sister to come to serve the Lord in the literature service full-time. Had I skipped the training all these important things could not have transpired. Praise the Lord, He knows best!

Spiritually too, I learned a deeper lesson of the Lord's working into my inward being. Without any opinion, and accepting the brothers' arrangement in how the Lord's move in the North East has to be taken care, was another precious lesson. The brothers' arrangement was perfect and the Lord has been carrying out His move step by step. Though I may not participate directly, whenever the Lord arranges I can still be a part of it. In fact, in prayer I have been praying a lot for the North East. This time I also could fellowship about gaining and raising up new local churches in Ukhrul and Tamenglong in Manipur; Dimapur in Nagaland; Diphu and Karbianglong in Assam with the leading brothers in the North East. 

May the Lord bless His move and raise up His strong testimony all over the North East! 

The Rainbow

The rainbow in the Bible signifies God's faithfulness in keeping His covenant He made with man. He made a covenant and He is faithful to fulfill it in time. He has chosen and predestinated us unto sonship, and He sure has made us His many sons. He has created us for His expression and representation, and for sure He is working on us and gaining us to express Him and represent Him as the reality of the rainbow; expressing God in His righteousness, holiness and glory. He has purposed us for eternity and indeed we are becoming the New Jerusalem as the eternal consummation of our Christian life and church life as the city of Rainbow, expressing God in full in all His attributes.

“I set My bow in the clouds, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth” -Genesis 9:13
“There was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance” -Rev. 4:3
“I saw another strong Angel [Christ] coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud;and the rainbow was upon His head” -Rev. 10:1

Today, in the local church here we all enjoyed the Lord's speaking on the rainbow. One practical point that we all appreciated and experienced is related to the color of the rainbow. A rainbow can be considered as being produced from the combining of three basic colors—blue, red, and yellow: Blue, the color of God’s sapphire throne, signifies God’s righteousness; red, the color of the sanctifying fire, signifies God’s holiness; and yellow, the color of electrum, signifies God’s glory (Rom. 1:17; 3:21; 10:3; 6:19, 22; 3:23; 8:18, 21; 1 Cor. 1:30). (Excerpt from The Rainbow— the Consummation of the Experience of the Christian Life and the Church Life, Outline II C). Because man has fallen he has fallen short of God's requirement of righteousness, holiness, and glory. But Christ came to fulfill God's requirement of righteousness, holiness, and glory, and He imparts God's righteousness, holiness, and glory into us, the believers. In fact, He has been continuously working on us to dispense more of His righteousness, holiness, and glory until we become Him and express Him in His righteousness, holiness, and glory, expressing Him full as the Rainbow. For this, we need not struggle to become such, but open to the Lord for Him to work on us day by day, moment by moment. He is faithful to make us what he wants us to be.

Last week a brother posted a message in which one has to stay faithful to be of somebody in the eyes of the Lord. My innate response was replying with the following message. By now, I have experienced the faithfulness of God in keeping His children from the very beginning to the end. Though there is a part man has to play on the humanity side, but its more of God's faithfulness signified by the rainbow. 

Phil. 1:6 - 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;

1 Cor. 1:9 -  God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

May we look to the Lord, the Faithful One, for His grace that we may be preserved complete. Let us never trust in ourselves, not even in our own spirituality nor that of others', but only in the faithful Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

1 Thes. 5:23 - And the  God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Watch Your Words

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21  

This well known proverb I have never realised its deep meaning until recently. I have been learning the lessons of speaking the proper words at the proper time with the proper tone. The Lord is gracious enough to let me learn this precious lesson. I had many missteps in using words that I should not, mainly because I did not exercise my spirit in speaking those words. My intention was good yet it did not go down well with the Lord who should have been consulted first before I spoke those words at the first place. Two significant incidents are:

My dad called me for a land purchase at a very good deal, not just for the sake of the land but more with the burden to help someone who is in great financial need. Out of respect for my dad I kind of consented to his request. Few days later when he called again I even promised that I would go for it though I knew I should have prayed over the matter first.

This call had triple effect on my part; to obey my dad, to gain a plot of land, and to help the needy. Nevertheless, I could not make a decision of my own; I had to go before the Lord and fellowshipped with Him and also with my wife though I had said something to my dad already. As I did so, deep within me I had a felling to fellowship the matter with my elder sister too. On such fellowship, my sister had a totally different feeling. This led me go before the Lord and pray over the matter again and again. As I prayed over the matter seriously before the Lord, I felt good not to go ahead for now, and informed my dad to put on hold. After these series of fellowship and prayer, I realised I should not have spoken words of consent to my dad so soon. 

Another case is: A family I used to visit and have some freedom to speak frankly as a brother. This family has not been doing well in their relationship, and the two brothers have been living separately for months now. Nevertheless, I keep visiting these two brothers separately. Somehow, yesterday I spoke to the elder one something related to their family matter out of concern to bring the two families together, at least, to reconcile them. But it did not go down too well with him, and he spoke up to me about the bitter relationship he suffers with the other members. Immediately, my eyes were opened to see the serious of the matter; I should have simply ministered the word and not get into their personal family matter. The mood of the group meeting turned gloom. I later had to apologize and learned my lesson not to repeat the same mistake. Though the ministry of the word and prayer was still carried out, the enjoyment of the meeting was not high enough. 

There were a couple of other incidents in which I spoke in haste and later had to repent for my loose words. At times I had to do things I am not suppose to do just because I had already spoken and promised to do it. And sometimes, it turned out that I was an utter liar by not fulling what I said I would. 

Words can easily kill, and words can also readily give life. It depends on how and when those words are spoken. Death and life are indeed in the power of the tongue. Before making any decision, wait on the Lord until the sky is clear; then and only then, speak. Beware of words released out of emotion, temper, or anger. Be slow to speak, and speak only when you are sure what is spoken is of the Lord. This is a very important lesson for all Christian to learn, "watch your words."

Lord, guard my lips.

Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3