Being a Witness

Acts 1:8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses… unto the uttermost part of the earth.
26:16 …I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen Me and of the things in which I will appear to you.

This is one thing every genuine believer must do: Witnessing. This has also been my prayer that the Lord would grace me to be His witness wherever He leads me: To the believers, witnessing the all-inclusive Christ in His subjectivity as I enjoy and experience Him; to the unbelievers, witnessing His resurrection and ascension unto their salvation. 

Yesterday, right after the blending and training of the brothers, I had a marathon meeting with three families in a row. In all these meetings, the Lord graced me to be His witness in the things He has shown me and taught me. 

A Brother, My College Teacher 

For over an hour, I was with my ex-teacher and his wife in their home. Our meeting was filled with testimonies of what the Lord has been doing in my life. Point by point, I testified of how the Lord blessed my family in spite of all the attacks from the enemy especially related to my family excommunication due our faith and stand for the truth. I testified of the Lord's blessing my family in our human living, children's education, and His blessings in my literature service. All the fellowship were of being a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

A Meeting with an Uncle's Family 

A very senior uncle and his wife whose home was my first home in Chennai some nineteen years ago when I came to the city for my Master's degree. They considered me as their spiritual child and every time I visited them, we had fellowship on the word of God. This time too, he asked me to minister the word. I fellowshipped on "The Nazarite Vow"  from Numbers 6. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Nazarite who was absolutely sanctified and separated to God. Such a vow includes abstaining from the worldly entertainment and earthly pleasure, submitting to authority, overcoming spiritual death, and separating from natural affection. The only way one can be such a Nazarite is by being one with the Lord, by enjoying the richest grace of God and the sweetest love of God.

With this ministry of the word, on his request, I offered a prayer to the Lord concerning the family and his visiting guests. 

A Family Visit 

A distant relative whose family has been settling in Chennai for many years has invited me for a dinner. It was the first time I am meeting his family and his four children. My burden was simply to visit them and increase our bond. It was only because of his query that I had to speak the truth on Christ and the church. His questions paved the way for me to speak biblical truths. I had gifted him three ministry books: The Economy of God, The Basic Revelation in the Holy Scriptures, and The Orthodoxy of the Church. My burden was that the Lord would grace them to see His heart's desire one day through the ministry of the word. We then had dinner together and I left. 

These were the marathon meetings I had after the training. I was glad that I could meet all these families as the Lord burdened me. To all these families visits, the Lord graced me to be a witness wherever He led me. 

Brothers Blending

Two days were sanctified for the coming together of the responsible brothers of all the churches in India to fellowship and blend with brother Ron Kangas. Due to visa related issue brother Ron Kangas could not make it to India this time, though we still could fellowship with him on video conference for an hour's session over Skype. Nevertheless, the brothers' coming together was not hindered. We still met and fellowshipped together and entered into four selected messages from the Crystallization-study of Numbers. It was a wonderful time of blending. 

Thirty years have elapsed since the first church in India was raised up. Thirty years after, the Lord has blessed His testimony in India abundantly. I am blessed to be graced to be a part of the Lord’s move and blessing in India, so are with all the saints in India. The constitution in the being of the brothers have been much strengthened throughout the years. The supply from the Body in the form of trainings, perfecting, fellowships, visitations, blending, etc., have helped us, the saints in India, a lot. For this, I worship the Lord. The Head, Christ, shepherds His Body through His Body!

As we brothers were being gathered together, we enjoyed the Lord's shepherding through His speaking. All the brothers were and are one. The oneness among us has been perfected throughout the years. This oneness is of no man's creation, it was and is the Triune God dispensing His rich life into each one of us in the ministry of the word through the ministers of the word in this age. We are arriving at the oneness which the Lord had prayed for in John 17, and sooner we would be graced to have been fully arrived. O, how I long and pray for that day!

The brothers bearing responsibility in various different functions in the Body for the one Body have also grown much more. Fifteen years I have been graced to enjoy the church life in India. All these years, I have seen the Lord, the Captain of the "ship" in India, sailing through storms, thunders, lightnings, and perhaps, a couple of Tsunamis. Dangerous rocks and icebergs on the path of the voyage, with some deadly sharks squeaking and sneaking threatening an attack to our voyage, yet all to no avail. Our Captain has sailed us through all thick and thin, rain and shine, day and night, safely to the shore. Now we are in the land, conquering the goodland for the building of His dwelling place. 

The past two days, last weekend, I could testify as an eye witness, of the glorious blending and oneness among the saints in India. We have been gradually brought into the oneness we have been learning and pursuing for, for years. As we gathered together, the deep feeling within me was, as described in: 

Psalms 133Behold, how good and how pleasant it is / For brothers to dwell in unity! It is like the fine oil upon the head / That ran down upon the beard, / Upon Aaron’s beard, / That ran down upon the hem of his garments; Like the dew of Hermon / That came down upon the mountains of Zion. / For there Jehovah commanded the blessing: / Life forever.  

Praise the Lord for brothers' blending! Praise the Lord for the oneness of Body of Christ being manifested in India! Praise the Lord for His testimony through His recovery in India! 

God's Provision of Shelter

Ten years have elapsed since we shifted to the house where we are today. For the past ten years we have lived in this house as a temporary tent dweller not knowing when we would shift out. Shifting is very common as ones living in metro city. In fact, the families of the saints who have lived in the same house have all shifted out to different places. For the past decade, and till now, we are the only family staying in this same house steadfastly. 

Though the construction of the house is old and many minors cracks and repairing works need to be done, we simply accept the house as it is. Our goal is not for a good housing or luxurious living, we are content as long as the Lord's work can be carried out in and through the place where we are living. We also do not bother the house owner though it is his responsibility to repair the wears and tears of the building. We have already accepted and adjusted with the true condition of the house.

One thing I pay attention to is, the Lord's presence. So far, this is the place the Lord has granted for our dwelling. To His provision, we amen the Lord's sovereign arrangement. There are at least three fold benefits in this house: the church meeting can be taken care as our house is used for the children's meeting every Lord's day or whenever there is a meeting in the meeting hall, my official literature work can be easily carried out as the office is just on the ground floor, and my children's schooling are aptly suitable in this house as it is nearby the school itself. Moreover, location wise, all that are needed for our family can be easily accessible. And my children loves the house and would not budge an inch if I ever proposed for a shifting; they all have been emotionally connected with it and loves the house.

Since the beginning of this year, many new things have developed. Renovation and repairing works have been going on. Beginning with the new flooring work in the meeting hall, the renovation of the outside wall, beautiful plants and flowers were purchased for the inside and outside of the house uplifting the look and feel of the house, and cleaning and maintenance works are being done now and then. The house has totally gone into complete transformation. 

Sometimes, I wonder why such renovation works were not done ten years earlier, and how it has been done only after ten long years. Perhaps, the timing has come to upgrade our standard of living, at least for the sake of the new ones the Lord would bring in. Amazingly, the Lord has brought in new ones gradually. 

I believe in the Lord's leading even for our family dwelling. In fact, I did plan to shift to a better house with similar rent at least thrice, but the Lord did not allow me to do so. In fact, one evening I was down on my knees praying for the Lord's leading and provision for a new house. The Lord's instant reply was to stay on until He would lead us to shift. Now, I am glad that the Lord's choice is the best. We are at the receiving end of the Lord's blessings; in my official service, church life, in the Lord's move for the gospel preaching and shepherding, and also for my children's education. This house indeed is our God blessed home sweet home. 

The Lord's choice is the best and His leading is always perfect. Even in the matter of housing, as a family, we experience and enjoy the Lord's blessings.

A Group of People

The Lord is moving in, among, and through the believers on earth today. His move is dependant on a group of people who are gained by Him to be fully one with Him. 

The book of Acts reveals such a group of people who live in the divine history within human history as the acting God; they have become God in life, in nature, in expression, and in function (but not in the Godhead) for the spreading and building up of the church as the corporate manifestation of Christ. This group of people are those who are calling on the name of the Lord, suffering on behalf of the name of the Lord, and speaking in the name of the Lord, the name of Jesus. They are living, moving, and acting as one Body; they do everything in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body by rejecting themselves and living by another life—Christ as the divine life; this corporate living of Christ is the reality of the Body of Christ. They also are continuing steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word; effectually living in the apostolic ministry in coordination with Christ as their great High Priest in His heavenly ministry. 

This group of people are the ones who can fulfil the Lord's heart's desire on the earth today. This group of people has three special characteristics, defined in their walk, word, and work. 

Walk: Their living is their walking as God-man, possessing the life of God and living Christ. They are men of prayer setting their mind on the things of God and  depending on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak. They live and walk in the spirit in the Body for the Body. 

Word: They are the ministers of the word too. By the ministry of the word, they impart Christ into others as the heavenly life and power so that they may be sustained with the riches of Christ to live Christ as their heavenly life on earth. They are men of the word of God. 

Work: They serve the living God and live by faith, propagating the resurrected and ascended Christ, saving sinners, shepherding the saved ones, and perfecting them for the building up of the Body of Christ. 

Such is the group of people the Lord is looking for today, through whom He can move and accomplish His eternal economy. These are the words the Lord has been speaking today. Blessed are those who are chosen to be such group of people, and much more blessed are those whose walks, words, and works are one with God. 

Lord, gain us to be such group of people as the continuation of the books of Acts. The meaning of life is to be this group of people who are the acting God on the earth today. 

The Lord's Faithful Supply

The Lord speaks through various means, at different times, and in different ways. This time, it was through our pursuit of the word of God. I was deeply impressed by the way the Lord choose, trained, and led His disciples, and perfected them to be His apostles who propagated His very life from Jerusalem and to the rest of the world. This particular portion from the Life-Study of the Gospel of John is amazing:

Lessons from John Chapter 21Excerpt from the Life-Study of the Gospel of John, Message 48 

The matter of our living is very practical. This is why the Gospel of John has this additional chapter. Since we are the sons of God who have been regenerated and committed with the divine commission, the Lord will certainly take care of our living. We must learn the lesson of not giving up the Lord’s commission because of our living. We must not give up the Lord’s burden in order to care for our existence. We are not the people of the world; we are the children of God. We must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then the Lord will add the practical supply to us (Matt. 6:33). He will take care of our need. If we have been truly commissioned by the Lord for His burden, for His work, and for His testimony, we may be at peace and rest assured that the Lord will grant us the provision we need. This is the lesson in this portion of John 21.

Look at the picture once again. The disciples labored the entire night and caught nothing. Then the Lord appeared to them and told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat, and they caught a multitude of fish. Those fish were unnecessary, however, because the Lord had already prepared some fish, as well as some bread, for them to eat. This was not a lesson in words; it was a lesson by miracles. The Lord did not teach Peter and the other disciples by giving them a lecture, a sermon, or a message. He gave them a lesson by three miracles. The first miracle was that seven men fishing the whole night could not catch even one fish. The second miracle was that they finally caught one hundred fifty-three fish in one net at the Lord’s word. The third miracle was that without the fish caught from the sea, some fish and some bread had already been prepared on the land. The Lord taught His disciples a lesson by these three miracles.

The lesson the disciples learned here was that they must take care of the Lord’s commission and trust in the Lord for their living. We must take care of the Lord’s work and testimony instead of our living. If we give up the Lord’s commission to look after our living, we shall fail. In 21:2-14, the Lord gave the disciples a lesson about their sustenance, showing them that their living does not depend upon their natural means but upon the Lord’s will. If we are in the Lord’s will and under His will, He will prepare a living for us even in the impossible places. However, if we take the natural way and go to the sea, that is, to the world, to find employment for our living, we shall be faced with failure. If we have been called by the Lord, we should not worry about our living. The Lord Jesus has a way to prepare fish without fishing. He will take care of our food, for He is the One who calls the things not being as being. The Lord who has called us will take care of our living.

The Lord has used even miracles to teach His disciples of trusting in Him for their living. Never did I see this matter so clearly: the three miracles.

The First Miracle: Professional fishermen fishing the whole night and catching no fish. 

John 21:3

Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We also are coming with you. They went forth and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 

This was the Lord's sovereignty in not allowing any fish to be caught to teach the disciples whom He chose and loved, to let them know that it was Him who would take care of their livelihood and that they simply believe and trust Him at His word and carry out the divine commission He commissioned them. 

The Second Miracle: The Lord commanded them to fish at a specific spot, not caring for the natural and professional logic of where and when fish would be. He is the Lord of the sea and the fish too; at His word, all is well and possible. Obeying the Lord's word is a very important lesson. At His word, a hundred and fifty three fish were caught, and their net could still hold them. 

John 21:6

And He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. They cast therefore, and they were no longer able to haul it in because of the abundance of fish. 

John 21:11

Simon Peter therefore went up and hauled the net to the land full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 

The Third Miracle: Though enough fish were caught at the Lord's word, the Lord did not use any of the fish to feed the disciples but He prepared from His own, bread and fish to feed them. 

John 21:13

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 

When the Lord called a person He takes full responsibility of His called ones. Where there is no fish He can command fish along with bread, cooked and baked, ready to eat. In serving the Lord as called ones, we must simply trust Him for everything. He knows better than we can even explain nor imagine. Our only and simple responsibility is to serve Him as He leads, leaving all the other cares and  concerns to Him; be it our living, health, wealth, family, etc., all to Him. He knows best and He will do what is best. 

Prayer Over the Phone

The Lord's speaking these days has been prayer, among other burdens. Be it personal, or family, or church prayer, the underlining burden for the church is crystal clear: Prayer. In line with this burden, the Lord also confirmed it through the ministry of the word in the pursuit of the morning revival. 

The book of Acts reveals a group of people who live in the divine history within human history by continuing steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word; this is to live in the apostolic ministry in coordination with Christ as our great High Priest in His Heavenly ministry (6:4; Heb. 7:25; 8:1-2). By prayer we set our mind on the things above and become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens; we depend on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak (Acts 9:11; 13:1-4; Col. 3:1-3; 4:2; Eph. 6:18; Dan. 6:10; 9:2-3; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:6). Excerpt from the message The Continuation of the Book of Acts—Living in the Divine History within Human History. 

Prayer being the current burden, and I believe that it will ever be this burden, realising the importance and urgent need for prayer. The Lord also honors this prayer burden by gracing me to pray and pray and pray. I enjoy praying with my family daily, and also with the serving ones with me. There has been a lot of development in prayer. 

Brothers and sisters from different parts of India called me up and made an appointment with me for prayer. They themselves suggested the day and time for praying with them over the phone. I was surprised by their initiatives and at the same time felt blessed to be able to pray with them, though the burden is mostly on their side; I just join them in, in prayer. 

A brother from Shillong fellowshipped with me to pray with him every Saturday for the saints and the church in Shillong and also for the Lord's testimony to be raised up in different parts of Meghalaya. I felt blessed to stand with him in prayer. In fact, I have the same burden for the Lord's testimony in Meghalaya. It has been such a joy and blessing to pray with my brother with the very same burden I have for years. I truly believe all our prayers have been answered, by faith. 

A sister from Guwahati called me up one morning and simply requested me to prayer with her over the phone. After a short prayer she testified how much she enjoyed praying with me. She even requested that she would call me now and then for prayer. This sister and her husband are both medical doctors and both received the Lord and got baptised when I and a brother went door knocking from house to house few years ago in Guwahati. They have been in my prayer too, and now the Lord opened the door to pray with them over the phone at their own initiation. In fact, I have been praying for them to be established in their faith and that they would be the key family to bear the Lord's testimony in Guwahati. I believe, the Lord is answering this prayer, gradually. 

A brother texted me a couple of weeks ago, a list of days and time for phone call prayer. My simple reply was, amen. Then he called me up at the very time he scheduled for prayer. I just prayed with him over the phone, and I especially prayed that his whole family would be saved and the Lord will raise up the church in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, soon. This is a Hindi heartland and, so far, there is no testimony of the Lord yet. This brother was saved and baptised few years ago in Gurgaon, a very educated man, but the Lord saved him from his strong religious and cultural background. 

A sister who has been shepherded into the church life few years ago called me up now and then for prayer. Prayer with her would last longer as she has a lot of burden to release. My only response was to amen whatever she poured out to the Lord with a lot of burden. Today and the past few days she has been praying with tears as she has been going through a very tough time of her life. I could only sympathise with her and listen to all that she has to pour out. I simply joined in, in her prayer, and stand with her. She felt so comforted after every prayer.

I am glad that the Lord has been blessing me richly with saints to pray with. In praying with them I am being strengthened to pray all the more. I believe in what the Lord burdened me to pray for. Indeed, "By prayer we set our mind on the things above and become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens; we depend on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak."

Above all, the Lord also blessed the church praying meeting richly. The number of the saints attending the church prayer meeting this year, 2019, doubled from January itself with all the saints attending the prayer meeting praying. We changed the way of our prayer itself. We rotate the prayer burden to all the saints attending the prayer meeting, so that each saint will get to pray for each burden released for prayer. By this way, the prayer meeting was uplifted in function and enjoyment. 

Praise the Lord for this grace and blessing of prayer, especially the prayer over the phone!

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Unceasingly pray. 

Good Fridays

The Lord has blessed my family with another new family for home meeting. We have been visiting them every Friday. This family has been a blessing to my children as well. In fact, my children had prayed for new friends, and as an answer, the Lord blessed a new family with two children who can bond with my children in a friendly way. Our visit on Fridays is also a break time for my children to meet new friends and play with them as long as we, their parents, are enjoying the home meetings in pursuing the truth, fellowshipping, and praying. 

There is no better way to spend time with a new family than spending time together in the Lord in shepherding them. This new family had been shepherded by some saints many years ago. For some reason, it could not continue, and there had been a break for a couple of years. Only recently, when I was introduced to the family, the Lord burdened me to shepherd them. In fact, in their shepherding, I am also being shepherded.

Generally, I do not take my wife along for home meetings as she is very busy with the children's education and other household chores. But this time with this new family, she wanted to come along which I felt very good. Besides, my children were also very excited to come along as they found new friends to play with. Though never excepted, this new family is the only family I have been shepherding together with my whole family; with my wife and my children. Therefore, this Friday meeting makes Friday a good Friday.

The family has become more and more open, and the fellowship in their home became sweeter by the week. Last Friday, we were compelled to stay back for dinner and also for more intimate and personal time of fellowship. The father of the family opened up on some of his personal matters. The only way I could respond to his opening up is simply by being a good listener. I dared not counsel him in any of his matter as of now. My burden is simply to feed them with the healthy word of God week by week and allow the word of God to do its work in due time. 

May the Lord work through His word and fully gain him and his whole family for His testimony in Gurugram. Praise the Lord for this good Fridays!