Shepherding Over Phone

Tapping the power of modern technology I have been using phone as a means of shepherding people whom the Lord has brought under my care. This month was kind-of intensive in this shepherding care. Three particular cases are worth mentioning as there has been God's hand behind the scenes.

Case #1

A brother called me up when I was in Allahabad concerning his mother-in-law who had serious health issue and was hospitalized. Though it was surprising, to me it was God's sovereignty. Not that I rejoiced in her illness, but that it was a channel for good. As far as I know, this was the Lord's doing; and I encouraged my brother to visit and pray for her. Perhaps, this might be a time of reconciliation and beginning a new chapter in their relationship as it was somewhat strained by misunderstanding. This was also related to his family life, and decision made by his wife and in-laws did not seem to go in line with the word of God, concerning the choice of work place and caring for children. I just prayed over the phone and encouraged my brother of what would be best to do in this situation; to first of all pray and then visit the ailing mother-in-law, and take care of the family as an exhorting father.

Case #2

Another brother had called me up again and again with a question on assurance and security of salvation as he had fallen into a grave sin of adultery. He had repented and confessed his sins to the Lord but the guilt within him did not die so soon; he had become a victim of Satan's accusation again and again. I had to spend time with him over the phone explaining the preciousness and effectiveness of the blood of Jesus Christ, and to pay heed to the word of God and not on the enemy's accusation. I later discovered that he had not be praying personally nor reading the Bible regularly. Every time he called I encouraged him to spend enough time in prayer, even quantify with at least an hour a day, and also read the word of God daily, at least a chapter a day. I appreciated his genuineness, but I need to lead him to pray and come to the word regularly. Many believers have fallen to become a victim of Satan's subtle accusation based on past sins, and perhaps, even present weaknesses. Every time he called, after fellowshipping we prayed over the phone and he testified of how much he has been encouraged.

Case #3

Another brother too called to confirm to me last week that he wanted to meet me as he has been convicted by the Lord for his straying away from the proper practice of the church-life. He expressed his deep longing to come back and be recovered for the Lord's testimony. It seemed he has been deeply convicted by the Holy Spirit that he wept before the Lord and prayed to be recovered back. He even wanted a proper baptism as he felt his life, all this while, has not been as it should have been. To me, all that who called for fellowship, I considered dear and would do my best to help in all possible ways. 

By all means, at all times, shepherding has to be carried out. There are many sheep in need of proper shepherd. Though the Lord is the only proper Shepherd, He shepherds through his shepherds whom He has been shepherding. I believe, I am one of the sheep the Lord has been shepherding so that I could in turn shepherd other sheep in need. 

Praise the Lord for the good Shepherd who has been shepherding me and others, even gracefully through me. 

Lord, Thou art the good Shepherd, shepherd me to shepherd others as Thou would.

Lesson from My Niece

Two years ago my niece came to stay with us for her schooling. Though she is my niece, I reckon her as my own daughter and a sister in Christ. She has been blessed by the Lord with good grade and has been a blessing to our family as well. I used to encourage her to study well and wished that she could get into the best college in New Delhi for her college education. But the recent turn of events has shaped my mind in caring for people. 

As a brother, guardian-father, and well-wisher, I deeply desire her to get into the best college in Delhi University. But the cut-off were so high that she could not get the desired subject and the desired college until the third cut-off list. When she finally got one, it was in the top-eight college in DU for her subject. I was a little disappointed and she could not into the college I wished her to, but later accepted the fact and realised that God knows best.

One Lord's day she prophesied in the prophesying meeting too that the Lord dealt with her and gave her the college in south though she wished to be in the north. The Lord is sovereign and amening His arrangement is a great blessing. 

This incident has even changed my view and hope for her. She must continue in her studies, be in the church-life, be trained in the truth for two years, and follow the Lord's further leading.   

Sometimes, when our wards and children are good in studies, its tempting to have a bright academic dream for them without any thought of them needing the Lord more than just a good career. Often, our consideration is education, job, and marriage, first. And much later, serving God or being for the Lord. I am no victim of such dreamer. But the Lord adjusted my thinking, view, goal for my own wards and children. All these things are needed, but the Lord must be first; and through all these things, the Lord's purpose must be served.

This is a simple yet crucial lesson that I learned from caring for my niece. Now the Lord has been blessing my children too academically. I need the Lord's grace to care for them according to God for God's eternal purpose.

Being Measured by God's Building

You, O son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, that they may feel humiliated because of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern. And if they feel humiliated because of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, the arrangement, its exits, its entrances, its whole design, and all its statutes — indeed its whole design and all its laws; and write them down in their sight, that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes, and do them. This is the law of the house: Its entire area on the top of and all around the mountain shall be most holy. Indeed this is the law of the house. Ezekiel 43:10-12 

In our recently concluded training for the full timers in India, one particular message touched my inward being so deeply: Being Measured by God's Building. Though I heard this term before, never I did I get the revelation nor the experience as deeply as this time. The Lord instructed Ezekiel to describe God's hours to God's people. For what? So that they would be measured by God's house and be ashamed of their iniquities. The house of God has always been God's desire from eternity past to eternity future. All that matters to God is His house. Today we are His household members, and as such, we must be fit in into His house, His building. 

Since we are God's house, our living must match God's house; God's house is holy, so must we be. Spirituality in all its genuineness is the fitting into God's house. What God cares for is not spirituality nor morality, but His own house. When we are measured by and fit into God's house, we definitely will be spiritual and moral, and much more, be builded up and fitly framed in the Body. In the house of God, no one members stands out, much less, stand alone; all members are rightly fitted-in in their own position and in their own rightful function as ordained by God who owns the house. 

To the top of the entrance, both in the inner house and outside. And on all the walls all around inside and outside, by measurement, Were both carved cherubim and palm trees. And a palm tree was between two cherubim, and every cherub had two faces.Ezekiel 41:17, 18 

In the house of God we are the "wood" that are fitly framed. But not a mere wood as it is; it is a "carved wood," not a plain smooth wood. This wood signifies the humanity of the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ who is now in us, the members of the house of God, as our life and hope of glory. We must indeed be "carved" and experience the Lord's crucifixion through various trials and testings to be transformed and bear God's glory, as signified by the cherubim, and also bear Christ's victory, as signified by the palm trees. To be thus carved is not an easy lesson to learn, but the grace of God is sufficient to enable to go through all necessary dealings and bear God's glory and victory in humanity.

For such necessary experiences, one must be in the Body life; the Body life is the greatest test of spirituality. Our spirituality is tested in its genuineness by the Body life. Therefore, as members fitted in the Body, we need to be Body-conscious, to care for the felling and peace of the Body. In all functions, we must function within our measure and never go beyond it, and function in mutuality and interdependence, caring for the growth and building up of the Body. As such we can become overcomers; the overcomers see the Body, know the Body, care for the Body, honor the Body, and do the work of the Body; they keep every principle of the Body of Christ.

in my experiences these days, the lord is sovereignly measuring me by His house. It is no longer, "Thus spake the Lord!" but, "Thus spake the Lord through the Body!" It is also no longer my own spirituality, but spirituality in the Body for the Body. It is no longer my own victory, but the victory in the Body, with the Body, through the Body, and for the Body. It is no longer my own glory, for I have none; but the glory in the Body, with the Body, through the Body, and for the Body.

Lord, measure me by Your building, and make be Your overcomer; who see the Body, know the Body, care for the Body, honor the Body, and do the work of the Body, and keep every principle of the Body of Christ. Amen.       

My Sister's Marriage

As prayed over, fellowshipped, and planned, the 29th of July 2017 was sanctified for the "Marriage and Testimony Meeting" of my younger sister Kim's marriage to brother Thangboi Lunkim. This has become a significant event in our family life, church life, and also for the church in New Delhi and Gurgaon, for the fact that it was done fully in fellowship of the church brothers in a best way possible as brothers so desired without family nor social nor cultural interference or mixture. It was more of a model set for saints and seekers alike as the testimony of Christ and the church as typified by the bride and the groom of the marrying couple, with focus on Christ as the center. This arrangement has brought me new experiences too in my personal life very deeply.

As a brother, in fact, an elder brother of my younger sister, I wanted to bear the entire responsibility with a say in what and how the marriage has to be conducted, but the Lord led me to an experience in which I had to simply submit to the brothers' arrangement in all practical matters. I had my opinion and consideration, but the Lord led me to just swallow them all and say amen to the brothers' arrangement. All arrangement was done by the church brothers and my participation was just to participate in the meeting. To deny my self, opinion, and natural man was such a release, and I enjoyed all what the Lord has done.

The marriage and testimony meeting was simply, pure, and Christ was put as the focus and center. The brothers' speaking on God is the Blessing was a blessing indeed to all of us, the family members of the bride, and I believe the attendees too are blessed with the word of God. A wonderful love-story was also quoted from the Recovery Version Bible footnote on Revelation 22:17 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who is thirsty come; let him who wills take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 

The entire revelation of the Bible shows us the love story of a universal couple. That is, the sovereign Lord, who created the universe and all things, the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and who ultimately became the life-giving Spirit, is joined in marriage to the created, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite man — composed of spirit, soul, and body — who ultimately constitutes the church, the expression of God. In the eternity that is without end, by the divine, eternal, and surpassingly glorious life, they will live a life that is the mingling of God and man as one spirit, a life that is superexcellent and that overflows with blessings and joy. 

The couple has been blessed with PhD from JNU and in the marriage meeting too, around 15 such PhDs from JNU had attended. I could also speak to some of them and they seemed to be quite open to the truth of the Bible. May the Lord gain them all even through this small window view of the church life in the Lord's recovery.

This morning when I woke up the Lord burdened me to write to the church brothers in New Delhi the following message:

Dear Brothers,

Praise the Lord for the Body! 

We are so glad for the shepherding care you have rendered to brother Thangboi and sister Kim, even in taking care of all the arrangement for the marriage. We ourselves are being shepherded as a family member of sister Kim. When the matter was fellowshipped I personally wanted to bear the entire responsibility, but I was restrained within not to initiate anything nor be opinionated, but to simply and gladly accept the brothers' arrangement and amen it wholeheartedly. Thank the Lord for the Body; I can testify, in this marriage arrangement, I am being measured by the Body. (I worship the Lord for the Body.)  

In the principle of incarnation, we say "thank you" and amen for the "Marriage and Testimony Meeting" on the 29th July 2017. It was truly of the Lord; new ones and saints came and testified to me that it was simple and pure with Christ as the center, and was an eye opening to them. Some sisters even said that they wanted their marriage to be like this marriage. Praise the Lord! Thank you brothers. 

In prayer and fellowship, we feel good to participate in the marriage expenses too. We feel it is also our responsibility to participate too, though the church with all love and care met all the needs in advanced. Please do let us know our portion to participate in the financial matter. Even if we cannot participate at one go, we will pay in installment.

Please do let us know. Thank you once again. Amen.

In Him,

As being measured by the Body, I praise the Lord for this marriage arrangement, and pray that the couple would be pillars for the Lord's testimony in New Delhi or wherever the Lord sovereingly arranges.

Praise the Lord! 

Allahabad Revisit

One evening in my time with the Lord, I prayed for the follow up meeting with the pastor in Allahabad who invited us to shared the word of God in his congregation one Lord's day, who also informed to invite me again for a Christian leaders' seminar, and also for his Bible school graduation meeting. I simply texted him Bible verses with footnote as I did to many other contacts the Lord burdened me for.

Seek God in His Sanctuary, Not Prosperity

Psalms 73:13

Surely I have purified my heart in vain, And I have washed my hands in innocence.

The psalmist considered that he had purified his heart in vain because, instead of enjoying material prosperity, he was plagued all day long and chastened every morning (v. 14). However, the *real vanity is anything besides God. Idols are vanity; material prosperity is vanity; anything other than God is vanity (Eccl. 1:2). A pure heart is one that is set on nothing but God.* The psalmist realized this when he entered into the sanctuary of God. 

Psalms 73:17

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

The solution to the psalmist’s perplexity concerning the prosperity of the wicked was obtained in God’s sanctuary. First, God’s sanctuary, His habitation, is in our spirit (Eph. 2:22) and, second, it is the church (1 Tim. 3:15). Thus, to go into the sanctuary of God, we need to turn to our spirit and go to the meetings of the church. Once we are in the sanctuary—in the spirit and in the church—we will have another view, a particular perception, of the situation concerning the wicked (vv. 18-20). *In our spirit and in the church we receive divine revelation and obtain the explanation to all our problems.

Psalms 73:25

Whom do I have in heaven but You? And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth.

In God’s sanctuary the psalmist was instructed to take only God Himself as his portion, not anything other than God. The one who does not care for God may gain many things and seem to prosper. However, the one who cares for God will be restricted by God and even stripped by God of many things, as was the case with Job (Job 1:6—2:10) and the apostle Paul (Phil. 3:7-8). God’s intention with His seekers is that they may find everything in Him and not be distracted from the absolute enjoyment of Himself. It is not a matter of keeping the law, as in Psa. 1, or of being right or wrong, but of gaining God and keeping God as everything.

Bible verses and footnotes from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

This pastor replied back with detail of queries for the Christian seminar and later in fellowship over the phone he invited me for his Bible school graduation meeting. In fellowship with the brothers serving with me, I confirmed for the graduation meeting first, and seminar to be considered later.

For two days in my Alalahabad city revisit I was accommodated in an defence service officers guest house suite. The first day I was spending most of my time in prayer and preparation for the graduation meeting. The burden the Lord gave in fellowship with the brothers was to share on the "Heavenly Vision" Saul saw in Acts 9 and what Paul preached further in the book of Acts.

It was their fourteen years anniversary with graduation meeting. The Lord released the word; in response to the pastor's request of sharing my personal testimony as well, I testified of how I got saved and how the Lord called me to serve, and ministered on the heavenly vision of Christ the Head and the believers as the members of His Body. With this I also gifted The Economy of God in Hindi to all the Bible school graduates, 14 of them all.

The following day was a personal time of fellowship with the pastor himself and also a visit to the two Bishops of CNI, one on leave and the other active, to further promote the ministry of the word to all Christian leaders, workers, and pastors. The personal time opened up more detail about the pastor himself and I also spoke more testimonies and truths concerning the church life. Initially I did not reckon it needful to pursue further with big Christian groups, but deep within the Lord told me, whomever the Lord opens, pursue further. Only the knows who are His and who will take the way of the truth in His recovery. After the meeting, fellowship and revisit, I became more clear that the Lord is opening up Allahabad city for His testimony.

When I came back I fellowshipped with the brothers in coordination and we all felt good to pursue further. Now the planning has been going on for Christian leaders' seminar. 

May the Lord gain all our coordination for the spread of His testimony in the Hindi heartland of India!  

Ministry of the Word in Reasi

Reasi, another district in Jammu was not in our plan, but the Lord took us to this city as well. Though to only one Christian group, we had a good time with the father and son who oversee their ministry. Again, it was an amazing testimony to hear from such elderly one who came some four decades ago with a burden and vision. Due to his old age he did not pay much heed to what we have to say, but introduced his son to us.

Our time with the brother was short but full of impact. As we did not have much time, I was given just five minutes to say whatever I need to say. Actually, that morning the Lord spoke to me from Hebrews 9:4 concerning the location of the golden incense altar as mentioned in Exodus and Hebrews. Theologically or textually speaking there seems to be contradiction in the exact location of the alter; one says, in the holy of holies, and the other says, in the holy place. But with God's divine light, this seemingly discrepancy is a marvelous revelation. I shared what I learned from the footnote of the Recovery Version Bible, the ushering of our prayer in the holy place(soul) to the holy of holies(spirit). The brothers were so enlightened to see such a vision and the preciousness of the ministry. Immediately, the pastor expressed his longing to study the word of God more and decided to place order for the Recovery Version Bible.

Besides, he also has been ministering among the youth and run a rehab center. He found it quite helpful for his ministry as well. As the ministry of the word is for all, we were glad that he was open to the ministry and was willing to spread the ministry. May the Lord spread the ministry in Reasi!

Everyday, as I spent time with the Lord in the word, the fresh speaking of the Lord has always been a life supply to whomever I spoke. If I received fresh bread from the Lord, the same bread is fresh to whomever I ministered. This is an un-refutable and undeniable fact. This is one of the reasons why I pay so much attention to spending time with the Lord in prayer and in the word daily.  In fact, on the first day we landed in Jammu city too, the Lord's morning manna was on "Jacob's Ladder" in Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51, on Christ being in the heaven and in our spirit so that we can be organically one with God when we turn to our spirit. This point of truth became a life supply throughout the day to whomever I ministered. The experiences in Reasi and Jammu were such. 

Wonderful note from the Recovery Version Bible:

Hebrews 9:44 ¹Having a golden altar and the ark of the covenant covered about everywhere with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna and Aaron's rod that budded and the tablets of the covenant,

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4¹ Regarding the place where the incense altar stood, there is apparently a discrepancy between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Exodus 30:6 says that the incense altar was put before the veil, i.e., outside the veil. This indicates clearly that the incense altar was put in the Holy Place, which is outside the veil, not in the Holy of Holies, which is within the veil. But here it says that the Holy of Holies has the incense altar. Therefore, most Christian teachers and Bible readers have thought that some error or misconstruction must somehow have occurred. But this is not so! The apparent discrepancy has great spiritual significance, as shown by the following points:

(1) The Old Testament record of the incense altar's location implies the closest relationship between the incense altar and the ark of the testimony, over which was the propitiatory cover, where God met with His people (Exo. 30:6). The record even says that the incense altar was set before the ark of the testimony, with no mention being made of the separating veil that stood between them (Exo. 40:5).

(2) First Kings 6:22 (ASV) says that the incense "altar ... belonged to the oracle." The Hebrew word for oracle includes the meaning the speaking place of God. The oracle denotes the Holy of Holies, in which was the ark of the testimony with the propitiatory cover, where God spoke to His people. Thus, the Old Testament indicated beforehand that the incense altar belonged to the Holy of Holies. (Though the incense altar was in the Holy Place, its function was for the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies. On the Day of Propitiation, both the incense altar and the propitiatory cover of the ark of the testimony were sprinkled with the same blood for propitiation — Exo. 30:10; Lev. 16:15-16.) Hence, in Exo. 26:35 only the showbread table and the lampstand are mentioned as being in the Holy Place; the incense altar is not mentioned.

(3) The incense altar is related to prayer (Luke 1:10-11), and in this book we are shown that to pray is to enter the Holy of Holies (10:19) and to come to the throne of grace, which is signified by the propitiatory cover over the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies. Our prayer often begins with our mind, which is a part of our soul, signified by the Holy Place. But our prayer always ushers us into our spirit, signified by the Holy of Holies.

(4) On account of all the above points, the writer of this book had to consider the incense altar as belonging to the Holy of Holies. Verse 4 does not say that a golden altar was in the Holy of Holies, as the lampstand and the table were in the Holy Place (v. 2). It says that the Holy of Holies had a golden altar, because the altar belonged to the Holy of Holies. This concept fits the entire emphasis of the book of Hebrews, i.e., that we should press on from the soul (signified by the Holy Place) to the spirit (signified by the Holy of Holies).

The incense altar belongs to the oracle — the speaking place of God, i.e., the Holy of Holies. The incense altar typifies Christ in His resurrection as the sweet and fragrant incense, in which God extends to us His well-pleased acceptance. We pray with such a Christ in order to contact God that God may be pleased to speak to us. We speak to God in our prayer with Christ as the sweet incense, and God speaks to us in the sweet savor of this incense. This is the dialogue in the sweet fellowship between us and God through Christ as the sweet incense. 

Ministry of the Word in Udhampur

Udhampur, a city of Northern Command HQ of the Indian Army, is where the Lord led us for meeting with the Christian leaders for the introduction of the ministry of the word. Our first meeting was with a Christian leader with whom we spent few hours with lunch.He ws very cooperative that he promised to take these books to various other Christian leaders, workers and believers too. He also happened to be the chaplain of the Christian gathering within the army camp. May the lord use him to spread the ministry even among the soldiers of the country. 

A very significant and notable meeting was with a Christian leader who labor in the field on literature and radio program. With him too we spent considerable time with lunch. He was impressed by the word we spoke and decided to order all our publication to be displayed in his office. 

As such a literary person who was checking the translation of the Bible, I felt led to gift him a copy of the New Testament, Recovery Version. He was very happy for the gift as he deemed it helpful as reference book for his translation, teaching the Bible and preaching in a radio program. he also happened to be a key person for literature works among the Christians all over Jammu.

Though we did not have a concrete discernment of what the Lord wants to do in this city as far as raising up of His testimony is concerned, we do feel content with what the Lord has blessed us with, meeting key leaders and introducing the ministry to them. Perhaps, in time, the Lord will manifest what He desires to do in this city.

One such feeling I had while in this city was, the Lord should gain His armies for His move and I felt the urgency of it with the physical presence of so many armies. I was especially glad that the Lord has gained some high ranking army officers, and many more must be gained. All the contacts that we met in this city were actually given by a sister who is the wife of one such army officer, and she was saved in this very city. I even texted a sister who is also an army officer posted currently in the North East about the need for the Lord to gain the believers to be the Army of God. She immediately replied with a confirmation that we are indeed, as the saints of God we are the armies of God too, with a smiley.

Lord, gain Udhampur, and gain Your Army!