Character: Be Exact

Few months ago, a brother from USA emailed me about his possible visit to India and perhaps, a church visit to our locality. I replied him in a way of invitation to make sure that he does visit the church for blending. Last month he mailed me again of his flight itinerary, and the day before yesterday, he mailed me a confirmation mail of his imminent coming with flight schedule. My reply was very ambiguous in that I did not mention specifically if I should pick him up from the Airport or he should take a cab to come to the Google location I sent him. I assumed that he would call me and then I would decide if I should pick him or let him take a cab. For I was not too sure, if the flight will land in time, or if I would be engaged in church activities since the day being the Lord's day when I generally am spending time with the saints and new ones. 

Yesterday, about four thirty in the afternoon, his flight arrival time, I happened to be free. So I decided to pick him up with another brother, and mailed him of my decision. We did go to the Airport to pick him up, but we vainly waited for over an hour. Though I kept checking my mail, I did not receive any reply as such. Finally, to make things clear, I went online to find out his possible contact number through which we communicated over the phone. Yes, only to learn that he had taken a cab when we went to pick him up. He forgot to check his mail, and so my ambiguity taught me a lesson: Be exact!

As I drove back, I kept thinking to myself how absurd I was. Had I been precise and exact in my words I would not have wasted time, energy, and money. I kept chastening myself and laugh at my own silly-folly blunder. But it was a precious lesson to me. Yes, I did make a mistake, and Lord used it to teach me a lesson: Be exact! 

What a lesson! I think I will never forget this in my life. Yes, this precious lesson on character: Be exact!

By the way, I could enjoy a time of personal and sweet fellowship with a brother who recently has been revived and recovered by the Lord. Save for this absurdity, I would not have time to fellowship with a dear brother as we rode together to and fro from home to Airport for about an hour, and also led him to come with me for a Life-study meeting, and also encouraged him to come for fellowship every morning. The Lord even used such silly stupidity to gain something good out of it.

Lord, grace me to be exact!

Experience: Stack Overflow

In computer science, a stack overflow is an undesirable condition in which a particular computer program tries to use more memory space than the call stack has available. In my experience of life too, this has been my experiences these days. Generally, I maintain a record of some specific experiences of Christ in my blog. But these days there are too many experiences, every day new experiences of Christ noteworthy, and very busy with the church life to the extent that I could hardly find time to note them down. It's a good news, as the experiences are much more than what I can really record. A spiritual "stack overflow!"

The Lord is so good to us as the church, and to me as His child. My days are now filled with many experiences of Christ as life. The church life is becoming very enjoyable and busy for me. New ones are being brought in, new homes opened, new believers and new contacts pouring in, and the word of God is being proclaimed actively through meetings, and over social media platform. I feel I am beginning to realise that I need more time to serve the Lord by serving the church in serving the saints and seekers. Besides, my official duty of at least eight hours a day, and also some time for family, now time has become much more precious.

Not to boast nor to take pride in, but an honest testimony of facts, the Lord been blessing my family with much more time with Him in family morning revival and prayer, in office prayer and life-study pursuit, Bible readings, home meetings with new ones and saints' homes, church meetings, and family night prayer. To me, these are not religious duties, but blessings from the Lord, privileges untold, we are blessed with. To quantify the quality time spent with the Lord, it is now on the average of three to five hours a day out of the twenty-four hours the Lord gave us every day. Though we may still have our own weaknesses and shortcomings, I focus not on them any longer, but on the feeding on the word of God and prayer time; life ultimately will overcome all weaknesses and shortcomings. And I am beginning to see changes in me, in my family, and in all the saints who are with me. Life meets every need! Stack overflow is a good spiritual sign for it is synonymous to "Life Overflow!"

Lord, grace us ever, to be overflowing with Your divine life. Outwardly, it may be "stack overflow", but inwardly, it is "life overflow!"

Salvation: Stranger to Brother!

As usual, as the church, we go out to preach the gospel regularly on Saturdays. It was on the 17th of this month that we preached the gospel in a park again. On the average, we could preach the gospel to about 10 to 15 people within a span of one and a half to two hours. We were so glad that the Lord reserved some of His remnants to listen to our gospel preaching and even opened up their hearts to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We were driving back after the gospel preaching when two sisters told me about their contact whom they met at the park. From the description of the contact, I felt deep within my being that we should try to meet him again. One of the sisters took an appointment to meet him over WhatsApp and we went to his hotel.

Our initial introduction was more of an investigation as our new one is a foreigner who was on his business trip to India. All his queries were clarified, and I began with the importance of man in the sight of God. As I began to explain the mystery of human life he was so interested that he changed his position of sitting opposite me to just beside me, to pay a closer heed. His facial expression all proved that he was very seeking and wanted to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as I spoke, the other sisters and a brother were praying inwardly. The more I spoke, the more he became excited and interested. Then I also shared from the gospel of Mathew 13, the parable of the Sower with my personal testimony of salvation. After all the gospel preaching and sharing of testimony, he was so open that I requested him if he would like to receive the Lord in prayer. To this, he replied in the affirmative, in fact, with my willingness to the tune of indicating "why not?"

Right there in the hotel lobby, not caring for who were watching at us- other guests, receptionists, and perhaps, the CCTVs, and much more, angels in heaven watching over one sinner receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, I led him to pray. Sentence by sentence, he followed me in prayer in English as I led him to pray the sinners' prayer of repentance, confession, believing and receiving the Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, Lord, and God from thence. After the resounding amen, he was all smile and happiness. I further enquired if he would like to join us for the Lord's day meeting the following day, to which also he replied in the affirmative. Then I promised to pick him up the next day and we left.

As we drove back we simply praised and thanked the Lord with rejoicing. He has been faithful to lead us to His chosen ones. It was a great encouragement to the sisters too. Praise the Lord!

The next day, I picked him up, he joined the meeting in the church in Gurugram, enjoyed fellowshipping with us over lunch, and also participated in the brothers' fellowship. As we just wind up the meeting, the Lord led me again to speak to him specifically on baptism. We read Bible verses on baptism and explained what it is and why it is needed, with all relevant Bible verses. The Lord still kept him open, and he even wanted to take baptism! Later, as the church we gave him baptism. We met him first as a foreigner, a stranger, and now he has become a brother!

He was so happy that he finally found the true and living God in Jesus Christ. By the way, he has been seeking for God by pursuing and studying Buddhism for decade but could not really find God experientially. Here, God has brought him to India, and met the church in Gurugram in the gospel preaching. Praise the Lord!

The whole day and the following day, he was with me; we read Bible together and prayed together. I also gifted him the New Testament, Recovery Version and Life Lessons showing him how to pursue the Lord in the truth. He was with me until he left for his home country, China. Even when he reached home we are in touch. Thanks to the latest technology- distance no bar. He has been asking questions from the Bible he read, especially on Mathew 5. My reply was to lead him to the ministry materials online for his continual feeding. May the Lord make him grow unto maturity and save his entire family!

Seven New Ones

As the church, we have been burdened and are praying for the Lord's blessing even in the increase in the number of saints meeting regularly on the Lord’s day. Though we have many in the home meetings, we are yet to break through in bringing them in to the church life. This barrenness in number is one of the most desperate thing I have been experiencing in the church life. With all that I can, in coordination, I have been fellowshipping this burden for increase with the brothers and with the saints. All the saints have the same burden. 

As the church, we have tried all that we could and are ready to be dealt with by the Lord in every matter of our lives. Laboring and shepherding on the one hand and at the same time looking to the Lord for His blessing. We would not be those who hinders the blessing of God in anyway. If we did, we pray for the Lord's forgiveness and lead us further on. With this new year, we look forward to the Lord's blessing in faith. I personally believe, the Lord has been training and perfecting us before we can command His blessing. And beginning this year, I could see the blessing of the Lord drizzling, and expecting the Lord’s shower of blessing.

Last Lord's day we were blessed with seven new ones, attending the meeting for the first time; either the Table Meeting or Young People Meeting or the Home Meeting. Besides, all the meetings were so rich in the word as the saints prophesied. One sister is from Ethiopia who came to Gurgaon for her father's medication. Other brother has been in touch for a couple of months, and finally he came for the meeting. Two young brothers in whose homes we have been enjoying home meetings started attending the Young People meeting and they enjoyed the meeting. Another sister also came for a visit after we lost contact for many months. And another two young friends came for a home meeting. All these promised to meet again and expressed their desire to join the meeting regularly.

This is very significant to my observation, as the ones we have been praying for and shepherding are being recovered for the church life one by one. I do believe, all the new ones we have been praying for and shepherding in their homes will all be recovered for the church-life.

This is just the beginning of what the Lord is going to bless. Better not count the chicken before it hatch, neither be pessimistic nor optimistic. Keep praying, continue laboring, and faithfully carry out shepherding. In time, the Lord will definitely bless and gain His strong testimony in the church in Gurgaon. These seven new ones are just the foretaste. Manifold showers of blessing is coming soon. 

Family Time

Last Saturday my in-laws, sister's husband and his sister, visited our family for fellowship. We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship, in fact, this was the first ever fellowship after my sister got married. Though they are my in-laws, I reckon them as my own siblings, and my brother and sister in the Lord.

Our fellowship was more of a testimony sharing as the Lord led me to testify of how the Lord has been leading and gracing me to serve Him and what He has been doing in my life. Along with the testimony, I shared the burden on living a life of faith, trusting the Lord for everything; living a life of prayer, and seeking and doing the will of the Lord in everything; and the need to be in the Body and be for the Body in our lives, family, career, and place of stay, all for the Body. These are the major items of fellowship. There are many other subsidiary points besides the main burden. I also poured out my heart that we all should be for the Lord's testimony wherever we are, whatever we do. Success, job, money, etc., are all needed but should not be the main concern. God willing, I even said that my brother can serve the Lord full time as my sister has been blessed with a good job; one can earn to meet family needs and the other can be fully available for the service of the Lord. This is just my opinion, may only the will of the Lord be done. Even the practical matter as we are in city not of our native hometown, I invited my in-laws to come stay with us, if need be. As much as practicality allows, all saints and family members are welcome to take hospitality in our home. We have also been praying that our family should be a God-man family, serving God; our house a house of prayer, a house of fellowship, a house of the ministry of the word where saints, seekers, and sinners would be blessed. And for this the Lord has placed us here in Gurgaon.  We then prayed together and feasted together.

It has been my burden and prayer that all my relatives in the flesh may all be saved and be in the recovery of the Lord for the Lord's testimony. For this burden, we have been praying every night, and strongly believes it is the Lord's will to answer such prayer. Therefore, we would grasp every opportunity which are in line with this burden.

Praise the Lord! In Christ, no more in-laws, but all our relationship must be in-the-Lord. 

Lord bless our family for Your testimony. 

Brothers Fellowship at Hyderabad

Recovery Visits

During this time of visit to Hyderabad, the Lord burdened me to visit a couple of families for the dual purpose of visiting them after a long time and also for shepherding them into the church life by introducing the church brothers in Hyderabad. 

The first family on my list of burden was a doctor's family. I met them for the first time in 2005 when as trainee I went to the most prestigious medical university in Delhi for the preaching of the gospel. Since then, this family has been in touch, of course, off and on, and they even joined the meetings now and then. Now that they are placed in Hyderabad, and that the church is here, I felt it good to introduce the brothers in the church. 

Our fellowship began with a note on the one new man and a review of the recent conference message, the deepest thought in the books of Romans: God became man to make man God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. Then we went on to fellowship the truth concerning the Body of Christ with an emphasis on the oneness and practice of the church life in a local church. Out of burden, I also encouraged the family to open their home for home meeting to which they also felt the need and agreed to it. Now it is up to the local church to consider the follow-up shepherding. By the way, we enjoyed a wonderful grilled and chilly chicken too as our lovefeast. I felt so burdened for this brother's family to be properly shepherded into the church life as I know them as ardent lovers and seekers of the Lord Jesus Christ, besides they being also introduced and tasted the ministry of the word and the church life when in Delhi. 

We also met with a brother who is highly placed in a multi national company who has the heart of the gospel and is burdened to shepherd seeking believers. Though he himself may not regularly join the church meeting, he has been enjoying the ministry of the word and also had once been to the short-term training in Gurgaon. Now, having introduced him again to the brothers in the church, he was willing to coordinate with the saints in spreading the ministry books among the working class of seekers in his company. May the Lord gain our brother and make him a useful vessel unto Him. 

Another surprise meeting was with an Engineer whom I met and knew him way back in 2005 while serving the Lord in the church in Delhi. He enjoyed the church life then, had been to USA twice for engineering job, and was in one of the local churches in USA. Now he is back to India, and testified to us that he also quit his job to serve the Lord full time purely out of burden. To my surprise, he also testified that the Lord led him to serve among the gentiles, mostly the uneducated youth in the outskirt of the city, and also gained a good number of new believers. In fact, he used to fellowship with the church some six years ago and lost touch for some reason. It was a joy that by this visitation a preparatory ground work was done for the recovery of this brother and the group of new believers he is shepherding. 

To this brother, the specific burden I released was on the reality and practicality of the Body of Christ with an emphasis on the need for more fellowship as members in the Body. I also shared some specific points of truth from The Normal Christian Church Life by Watchman Nee and The Genuine Ground of Oneness by Witness Lee, with my experiences of these truths as a personal testimony. The Lord blessed the fellowship and he opened up for more practical fellowship in the coming day. He himself spoke up and requested brothers to visit him, and he expressed his willingness to fellowship and blend with the church. By the way, his mom prepared a tasty local Chicken curry for the lovefeast with a delicious dessert that pleased my palate.  

After all these families visit, I fellowshipped with the brother in the church that the Lord has opened many doors and He is recovering many of His children. In fact, I prophesied to the brothers by faith that God is blessing the church and is going to double the number of the saints in the church this year itself. The brother also testified that all these are indeed God's blessing to the church here, as the church has been brought into more fellowship and blending in the Body. With all these visits, I testified to the brother that my burden was released for this visit. I personally was so thankful to the Lord that I was graced to introduce and shepherd the seekers known to me personally to the church. 

I now pray and believe that all these families would be fully recovered for the testimony of Jesus and the church-life in Hyderabad. O how I long to see them again; they all being in sweet fellowship, oneness, blending, all for the building up of the church in Hyderabad!