Shepherding Inoculation

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:15   

In shepherding the new ones, there is a need for inoculation too. On the one hand spiritual feeding by the rich supply of the divine life through the word of God is a must, yet on the other hand, there is also a need to warn and preserve the saints from wrong and unhealthy teachings, especially the teachings that are extra-biblical and out of the way from God's divine economy.

One such family is under shepherding in the church in Gurugram. This family has veered off to Mormonism through their relative who was a member of the Mormon in Europe. When the family was contacted I presented the truth by answering their questions on the Trinity. Since then our fellowship was off and on. Whenever I visited them, I did my best to shepherd them in life using the word of God. Every visit was a wonderful time of fellowship on the word of God. But I hardly touched this matter of heretical teachings or cultism. My burden was simply to supply life by ministering the word.

Now the Lord has gradually been recovering this family into the church life. And since they have a touch of Mormonism, some of us brothers fellowshipped to help this family. I myself did some personal research on Mormonism or the Latter Day Saints. With much prayer, fellowship, and considering before the Lord, especially the past week, we felt peaceful to present the truth in a way of shepherding. 

Yesterday, in the home meeting with this family, the message we pursued together was on "The Word of Life". As we fellowshipped over the word of God, we read and pray-read the following verse:  

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16   

After our pursuit of the lesson I felt the inward leading to speak a healthy and frank word on the need to avoid any extra-biblical teaching, especially from the Book of Mormon. I also quoted from the Articles of Faith written in 1842 by the Prophet Joseph Smith, 13 statements that explain the basic doctrines and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aritcle Number 8 states, "That the Bible and Book of Mormon are both divinely revealed scripture". This is a gross heresy to even dare to equate the Holy Bible with the Book of Mormon. I also pointed out some crucial extra-biblical teachings and practices including the Mormon's view of salvation, their understanding of heavens, the Temple Rituals, to name a few, as researched by other biblical researchers from www.equip.org. 

Having mentioned all these, I made it very clear to the family that my burden was to shepherd them as fellow members in the Body of Christ into the proper and healthy teaching of the Bible with basic and necessary spiritual practices and to avoid anything that deviates from the orthodoxy of the Bible. With these shepherding fellowship, we all prayed together.

By the way, this family enjoyed the weekly home meeting for months altogether now. Both husband and wife also started coming for the Lord's Table Meeting. Therefore, I have the peace to touch this matter now. I also deem it necessary and the time indeed has come. This is like a doctor diagnosing a patient and dealing with things that need to be dealt with for the sake of the health of the patient.

Shepherding also includes a healthy yet painful inoculation. The Lord has been gracing me to learn how to shepherd by feeding as well as by inoculation. I am glad that I am also learning by doing and doing by learning. I need to be diligent to present myself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth. And this is one such opportunity. 

May the Lord fully recover all these new ones and shepherd them into His flock.

Channel of Blessing

Philippians 1:21-25For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live in the flesh, if this to me is fruit for my work, then I do not know what I will choose. But I am constrained between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for this is far better; But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.  And being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of the faith.

God's central work is to work Himself in Christ into His chosen people, to constituted them with Himself that they may become one with Him. God's desire is to gain us. He is not after our works, He is after us. Once He gains us, we become His works. Our person is more important than our works. What we are is far more important than what we can do. After all, what matters most is our person. If we are proper, whatever we do will also be proper. But to be a proper person, God must gain us first. To gain us, He is working in us by dispensing His life in all possible ways; through His speaking in the Son through the word, through our fellowship with our fellow members in the Body, through us passing through circumstances, through persons, matters and things.

Once our person is gained by the Lord, we become God's works. Whatever we do, wherever we are, whenever we work, God has a way to work through us. Then we can become a channel of blessing. 

Paul's testimony to the church in Philippi is very striking. Though he could have preferred to be with the Lord and rest eternally, his burden for the saints outweigh his personal choice. He would rather remain in the flesh for the sake of the saints for their progress. This proofs his being gained by the Lord and his usefulness to the saints and the churches. In fact, he became a channel of blessing to the saints and to the churches.

Well, this is Paul, the Apostle of the Bible. What about us? What about me? Today, can we say the same as Paul? Are we a blessing to the saints and to the churches? Are we a blessing as we ought to be? These are questions we are poised to ponder upon.

I was so much touched, perhaps, convicted, as I listened to the Lord's speaking through Brother Ron Kangas as I delved into the message of the recent ITERO training. My heart yearned for more grace from the Lord that I could be dealt with in all possible ways to become a channel of blessing to the saints and the churches. As of today, I have no confidence to say if I were a blessing to anyone. Only the Lord knows, who I really am, what I really am, to Him and to the saints. Whether I fall short of the standard of God or not, I do pray desperately, "Lord, gain me! Make me a channel of blessing!"

Hearing testimonies of many brothers, elders and coworkers, not being a channel of blessing scared me to death. Brother Ron was very frank in calling spade a spade and charged the saints to open to the Lord for His divine dispensing and become a channel of blessing, wherever we serve or whoever we serve. Definitely, I do not want to be a burden to anyone nor to any church. Therefore, I must exercise to turn to the Lord desperately and plead for His grace and mercy, that I be trainable, blendable, and buildable in His building work. And become a channel of blessing.

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith,that you, being rooted and grounded in love.

In line with this burden is also the taking of Christ as my person by allowing Him to make His home in my heart, to make my heart His dwelling place where He has the full right to access, touch, and mend every avenue of my inward being. Though I may peculiarly try to reserve some corner in my heart for myself, I must fully open to the Lord that He may gain every inch within me; to let Him work His works into me. Only when He works into me thoroughly and gain me fully, then can He become my person. This is also my need today. 

Lord, make me a channel of blessing! Work into me, gain me, and be my person!

Spiritual Warfare

An important lesson I learned while engaging in the gospel service, was to be faithful and absolute to the Lord's interest first. There has always been a spiritual battle waging between God and His foes. Like it or not, the enemy hates those who are his enemies. Thank God, we are the enemies of the devil as we are enrolled in the army of God.

An appointment was fixed for prayer, but I was distracted by the need in my family to quickly attend to it first before others come for prayer. So I quickly rushed to a market for exchaning a defective ceiling fan in my bedroom as I wanted things to be rectified as soon as it was detected. I could have waited for another day as the time was the time fixed for prayer. My own personal car took over me. What happened later was a big lesson in life.

The shop from which I had to exchange the defective fan squarely told me that I need to wait to get the replacement. What I assumed to be quickly replaced ended up waiting for another week, as each time I enquired, I was told to come the next day. The matter repeated itself until one whole week elapsed. Finally, when I got the replacement, the replacement itself turned out to be defective. Ultimately I had to buy a new ceiling fan altogether after much waiting and bearing the brunt of unrighteous business men.

Put this episode aside, on that day when I rushed to do my own things first when prayer time was already fixed, my car also got punctured in the parking lot. Under the hot sun and humid weather in a crowded marketplace, I had to replace my deflated tyre all alone. Had I just waited for another day and prioritised on prayer I would not have suffered this unwarranted and unsolicited trouble. Thank God for the dealing, and much more for the lesson in life. Never prioritise anything before God!

The following day, the enemy also touch the health of my children. My two younger children felt sick and both had extreme temperature. This time I knew for sure it was the enemy's attack to stop me from going out to preach the gospel or shepherd the new ones. I squarely decided to take care of  God's work first and prayed for my children in faith that the Lord would heal them. 

While I was on a meeting preaching the gospel, my wife called me up expressing her concern for the children and asked if she should go ahead to see the doctor. I told her that she could, but I prefer to take them to the hospital another day when I am available. Later when I got back home, deep within me I just felt the enemy hates the Lord's works so much and attempted thwarts after thwarts to distract me. That night in our family prayer I prayed strongly by faith, "Lord, heal my children. I do not want to depend on doctor and medicines! Lord, heal my children!" 

The Lord is faithful! He answered my prayer. The following day, my two children who were extremely sick the day before with high temperature became extremely healthy with high energy. My wife was also so surprised how things took a sudden turn. In fact, her faith was also strengthened. She even gave her testimony of the Lord's healing the following Lord's day. It was indeed a healing miracle! But I would not be distracted by healing per se. But rather continue to trust in the Lord and follow His leading. 

We have already been engaged in a spiritual warfare. No retreat, no surrender! The battle is raging, and I must continue the good fight until the end. Christ is Victor!

Shepherding Week

Last week, being the last week of the three weeks propagation of GMI, the Gospel Move in India in six cities of India, and since we could not practically participate in those cities, as the local church here in Gurugram, we prayed, fellowshipped, and went out to meet families.

The Lord has opened up five new families and avenues for home meetings and group meetings. There are many remnants the Lord has reserved for His testimony. Through our cooperation with the Lord in His burden imparted to us, we are encouraged and strengthened to carry out the God-ordained way of shepherding.

The Dahiyas

This is the family of a sister in the church life. She has been the only believer for decades in her family. From the time she mentioned about her family, we picked up the burden to pray in the church and family prayer meeting. After months of prayer, the Lord opened the door for us to visit the family in Sector 14. Our meeting started off with much friendliness and later took a turn as I personally was burdened to turn the entire conversation to Christ. 

God, was the beginning of the new subject. Then, His creation of man followed by the meaning of a human life and the three parts of man. The Lord gave me the word to minister to the whole family. The Spirit moved and calmed down the atmosphere making it conducive for the preaching of the gospel. After the time of family gospel preaching, the Lord led me to lead all of them to pray the sinner's prayer, confessing Jesus Christ as the true and living God, and receiving Him into their hearts. Later, I also gifted to the father The Economy of God in English, to the mother The Tree of Life in Hindi, and to the sister The New Testament, Recovery Version.

We have done our part of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and now we commit them to God for the household salvation.

The Sharmas

This family has been in contact for over a decade now. The continuity of fellowship and shepherding is quite a challenge. In faith, they have been wavering, and in locality, their proximity to the city is a concern. Neither them nor us could keep our desire of meeting regularly. Every promise made for meeting together ended with no meeting at all. Nevertheless, we trust the living God will recover the home meeting and shepherd them into the flock of God.

The need of this family is to reconstitute them with the truth. For this, I gifted them a book in Hindi, The Glorious Church. Their need is to shepherd them into the proper vision of the church.

The Sahnis

This family was revisited after many months. The main concern for this family is the language in the meeting. They, being ardent Hindi speakers, could not really understand the meeting of the church which has been in English. Language does play an important factor, but the proper shepherding is of utmost importance, yet not negating the necessity of the language too. Hindi language too becomes a factor in the church life. The following Lord's day, we had a fellowship in which we considered the importance and practicality of Hindi meeting for the sake of gaining the local Hindi speakers. 

Now, as the church, we have decided to start a Hindi speaking meeting in their home once a week, with a dual burden of shepherding them and also preaching the gospel in the neighbourhood.

Besides the above, a new home meeting was started in DLF 3 for the seekers and gospel friends contacted during the gospel preaching a few months ago. A new family also came into contact at Palam Vihar where saints have gone to visit and shepherd a family.

Through this one week exercise the Lord is opening up the city of Gurugram for His testimony. Our prayer has always been for the Lord to strengthen His testimony in this millennial city, Gurugram. And our being here is not for ourselves, but for the Lord's purpose of saving the people of Gurugram.

Lord, save Gurugram!

Baptism of a "Life-Insurer"

Three weeks ago, a new one came to the meeting with the intention of selling a "Life Insurance Policy," as he has been working as a manager of an insurance agency. This meeting was recorded in http://palmeichung.blogspot.com/2018/07/new-ones-gospel-preaching.html. After three weeks, the same person came again yesterday, to my surprise. 

As we sat down to fellowship, the first question he asked me was on baptism. Because when he came first, a few weeks ago, I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to him and led him to receive the Lord in prayer, which he willingly did. Thereafter, I also mentioned baptism for the full enjoyment of God's complete salvation so as to be able to be insured lifetime with the eternal life of God, the best life-insurance policy ever. His quest for baptism triggered an alertness within me to treat his visit seriously and help him to be baptised according to the word of God.

To address his concern, I took a Bible and asked him to read Mark 16:16 together with the footnote on baptism as mentioned in the Recovery Version of the New Testament. I also invited a brother to join the fellowship to shepherd the new one into a proper baptism. After an hour long fellowship on baptism, he also clarified few doubts about what would happen and what needs to be done if he would commit himself fully to the Lord and take baptism. Our simple reply was that the Lord as the Spirit within him would lead and guide him. 

After a wonderful time of shepherding in mutuality, we also came to know that the Spirit has been working on him for the past six months. He shared that he used to be an ardent believer in superstition, yet suddenly, six months ago, his sensible mind reasoned with him as to why he needed to wear precious stones as rings all over his hands? The God who hides Himself secretly convicted him about the vanity of his superstituous beliefs which led him to remove all "talsimas" and gemstones rings from his hands. He proudly showed us that his hands were clean now.

He also tesfied how he felt so good in his inward being when he first came and attended the Lord's table meeting. He was so impressed by the way he was treated, and he felt being accepted immediately. He even said that in his business he reads people's mind and knows exactly if people were interested in him or not. In fact, he even boasted that he had met a lot of people already and could easily discern people. In the church meeting too, he could discern that he was genuinely welcomed and accepted. That cherished him so much, that's why he willingly came again.

After presenting the full truth of the Bible concerning salvation and baptism, he willing decided to get baptsied. Then, as the church in Gurugram, we baptised him! 

His first prayer after baptism was his expression of thankfulness and love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and for his household salvation. He felt so good that he started praying and calling upon the Lord's name. The first lesson on shepherding we had with him was on "assurance, security and joy of salvation" and "the result of salvation-clearance of the past." He joyfully read the entire truths by himself and we all amened his reading with a little explanation. We gifted him with the New Testament, the Recovery Version, and a complete set of Life-Lessons.

May the Lord make him a remaining fruit for the church! 

Peace, Word, and Prayer.

Three matters that we enjoyed as the church through the Lord's speaking last week are the Peace of God, the Word of Christ, and Persevering in Prayer. My personal enjoyment of these three matters was inclined personally. But on the Lord's day, a brother's presentation of the same matters on the corporate side enlightened me. I enjoyed these truths personally, which is good, but I also have to enjoy these matters in the Body corporately as presented by the brother.

The following messages in the insets are all excerpts from the ministry books, HWMR The Goal of the Lord's Recovery to Bring Forth the One New Man, Week 5, published by Living Stream Ministry. The ministry speaks for itself, and the best way to herald the enjoyment is to simply quote them.

Allowing the Peace of Christ to Arbitrate in Our Hearts

And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15 

We need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts (Col. 3:12-15; Eph. 2:14-18; Rom. 5:1; Matt. 18:21-35). The Greek term for arbitrate can also be rendered “umpire, preside, or be enthroned as a ruler and decider of everything”; the arbitration peace of Christ dissolves our complaint against anyone (Col. 3:13).

If we allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts, this peace will settle all the disputes among us; we shall have peace with God vertically and with the saints horizontally. Through the arbitration of the peace of Christ, our problems are solved, and the friction between the saints disappears; then the church life is preserved in sweetness, and the new man is maintained in a practical way. The arbitrating of the peace of Christ is Christ working within us to exercise His rule over us, to speak the last word, and to make the final decision (cf. Isa. 9:6-7). If we stay under the ruling of the enthroned peace of Christ, we shall not offend others or damage them; rather, by the Lord’s grace and with His peace we shall minister life to others. This peace should bind all the believers together and become their uniting bond (Eph. 4:3).

 It is very likely that I may never fight outwardly with any saint over any matter, but that does not guarantee an absolute peace and harmony with the saints inwardly. Perhaps, we are in the same locality enjoying the church life together. Perhaps, we are even coordinating in services without any friction or division. Yet deep within, we may not have the real oneness and peace in coordination. A good example is that of North Korea versus South Korea. They have been on 'peace accord' or 'ceasefire' for decades. They were never outrightly on war despite the verbal and propaganda threats. But they are not even in absolute oneness between themselves. This is not the genuine inward peace of the Bible, but a manufactured peace in name only. To have a genuine peace, we need to let the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts.   

Letting the Word of Christ Dwell in Us Richly

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col.3:16-17). When the peace of Christ arbitrates in us and keeps us in a situation full of oneness and harmony, we become the place of God’s speaking, His oracle (vv. 15-16; Rev. 2:1, 7). God’s speaking requires oneness; division causes God’s speaking to diminish, even to cease altogether (Lev. 1:1). Since oneness is a necessary condition for God’s speaking, we need to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts (Col. 3:15). For the word of Christ to dwell in us richly means that it has adequate room in us to permeate and saturate our whole being; it is crucial for us to let the word of Christ enter into us, dwell in us, prevail in us, and replace our concepts, opinions, and philosophies (Psa. 119:130; cf. Rev. 21:23; 22:5).

We need to allow the word of the Lord to have the first place in us so that we may experience the functions of the word of God operating within us and ministering the riches of Christ into our being (Col. 3:16). 

The Functions of the Word of God 
The word of God enlightens (Psa. 119:105,130), nourishes (Matt. 4:4; 1 Tim. 4:6), and waters us to quench our thirst (Isa.55:8-11). The word of God strengthens (1 John 2:14b; Prov. 4:20-22), washes (Eph. 5:26), and builds us up (Acts 20:32). The word of God completes, perfects (2 Tim. 3:15-17), and edifies us by sanctifying us (John 17:17). By allowing the word of God to inhabit us, we can become a proper human being, a God-man filled with Christ as the reality of the attributes of God (Col. 3:17-25; Phil. 4:5-8).

Persevere in Prayer

Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Unceasingly pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

We need to persevere in prayer (Col. 4:2-3). We need to allow adequate time for prayer, which will enable us to absorb more of the riches of Christ as the all-inclusive land (1:12; 2:6-7; 4:2). We need to take time to absorb the Lord, contacting Him in a definite and prevailing way (Luke 8:13; Matt. 14:22-23; 6:6). To meet with God in the morning is not only to meet with Him early in the day; it is also to meet with God in a situation that is full of light; we should go to God alone, without any persons, matters, or things to distract or occupy us (Prov. 4:18; Exo. 33:11a; 34:3-4; Mark 1:35). When we pray, coming forward to the throne of grace, grace will become a river flowing in us and supplying us (Heb. 4:16; cf. Rev. 22:1).

In order to fight on God’s side against Satan, we need to persevere in prayer (Dan. 6:10). As those who take sides with God, we find that the whole fallen universe is against us and, in particular, against our prayer; resistance to prayer lies not only outside of us but even within us (Matt. 26:41). To pray is to go against the current, the trend, in the fallen universe (Luke 18:1-8).

We need to set aside definite times for prayer; our attitude should be that prayer is our most important business and that nothing should be allowed to interfere with it (Dan. 6:10; Acts 12:5, 12). We need to remain in an atmosphere of prayer by continually exercising our spirit (Eph.6:18;1 Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim. 1:7; Col. 1:3, 9). We need to pray without ceasing, to persevere in prayer, keeping ourselves intimately connected to the Lord (1 Thes. 5:17; Matt. 26:41; Col. 2:19). Even in the smallest details we need to inquire of the Lord; to do this is to persevere in prayer and thereby to live Christ (cf. Josh.9:14; Phil. 4:7-8).

Lamb and Loaf

Luke 

22:15  And He said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer,

22:16  For I tell you that I shall by no means eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

22:17  And He received a cup and gave thanks and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves;

22:18  For I tell you, I shall by no means drink from now on of the product of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.

22:19  And He took a loaf and gave thanks, and He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

22:20  And similarly the cup after they had dined, saying, This cup is the new covenant established in My blood, which is being poured out for you.

The regular Life-study pursuit that I am graced to enjoy has been a great blessing to me; in my understanding of the word of God and in my experience of Christ as life. This particular reading on "the Lamb and the Loaf" is a new light dawned in my Christian life. I have never known, understood and enjoyed the truth of the Passover and the Lord's Table in such an enlightening way.

Lamb

Luke 22: 7-18 is a record concerning the eating of the Passover Lamb. In the Passover, the main thing enjoyed by God’s chosen people was the lamb. The meat of the lamb was for them to eat. For redemption, the Lord was offered as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As such a Lamb, He was an individual entity, shedding His blood, for redemption, and as such, there was no concept of feasting nor was their any way for man to participate in the accomplishment of redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus alone at the cross as the fulfilment and reality of the Passover Lamb.

Loaf

Luke 22: 19-20 is a record concerning the eating of the Lord's Table. In the Lord’s table, the main item for us to enjoy as New Testament believers is not a lamb; the main item for our enjoyment is the bread. An individual Lamb was offered for redemption, but the outcome is not the Lamb but the bread, a corporate entity, composed of many grains grounded into flour and baked into a loaf of bread. This loaf is for feasting and enjoyment. This is the issue of the Lord's death and resurrection. In the Old Testament feast of the Passover the enjoyment was of the lamb, but in the New Testament feast, the enjoyment is of the loaf. The Lamb has become a loaf through the process of death and resurrection.

Though the Bible has a complete record of all the detail, the divine revelation to understand, experience, and enjoy such a revealed word of God needs a proper interpretation by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. God can definitely give a direct revelation to anyone who seeks and longs for a revelation of the word, but whether God will grant such absolutely depends on the Lord. In many cases, His Spirit will simply guide His seekers to those whom the Lord has already enlightened. The wheel was invented already, there is no need to reinvent another wheel. In the same manner, I humble myself and simply learn from the brothers who have received the enlightenment and revelation from God. And in this case, I am blessed to learn from brother Witness Lee.

Since this life-study pursuit, my appreciation of the Passover Lamb and the Lord's Table has been uplifted and I believe, my enjoyment of the Lord's Table will be sweeter than ever before. 

Praise the Lord for the Life-study of the Bible! It makes me love to read the Bible much more...