Shepherding Lesson: Pay the Price

One Lord's day afternoon, a sister requested me if I could go to visit a new family, her associate in the past who recently had contacted her and showed signs of seeking and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. The said family lives a little far from the place we are. To visit this family would require the paying of a price. Since I wanted my wife to come along, we made arrangements to keep our children in a saint's home; moreover, they would be writing their exam the following day. The travel to that place is over an hour. Besides, the cost of driving over there also has a toll fee up-and-down on the national highway. Plus, we just had our Lord's day meeting from 9:30 AM till 3:30 PM and without break, I need to go again which would bring me back home only after 9 PM. There definitely is a price to pay. This is a shepherding lesson.

My wife and I and a sister, we all went to visit the family, paying the price of time, energy, and money. To me, this is how we serve the Lord. The supply to meet all these needs comes from the Lord. And the Lord has been faithfully supplying all my needs.

Initially, I asked the brother to share his testimony which he did for over half an hour. After getting to know who he is and what his spiritual need was, I shared the very basic of God's plan in creating man with body, soul, and spirit, with the processes God passed through to redeem man, and how man could cooperate with the Lord's redemptive work by believing into Him and baptizing into His Name. This brother had a lack in understanding the need for baptism; therefore, I was burdened to present the truths about baptism with all the relevant Bible verses. My burden was to help him know and experience the reality of spiritual baptism as well as water baptism. I simply presented the truths of the Bible. It is the Lord who would open up his mind to make him understand. With such speaking, the brother opened up to study and pray to seek the Lord's speaking on baptism. After the burden was released, we all prayed together. He became one of my shepherding contacts. 

May the Lord give me the wisdom to shepherd him according to His way that this family would become a remaining fruit for the Lord's testimony here in the church in Gurugram.

May the Lord also grace me to pay the price, whatever the cost, to shepherd His sheep who are lost and longing for a proper shepherd.

Shepherding Lesson: All Members Functioning

The recovery of the function of the members of the Body of Christ is one of the greatest recoveries in this age. Many Christian groups have fallen into a clergy-laity system where mainly the priests' functions and all the rest are mere spectators. Such degradation kills the functions of the member of the Body of Christ. There is a great danger in the churches in the Lord's recovery too, to unconsciously slip into this kind of hidden clergy-laity system. The churches in Taiwan have been helping us in India to recover the proper practice of the God-ordained way, especially to recover the functioning of all the members of the Body, including sisters, young people, and even children. Every member has their allotted portion in the Body. 

These days I am very glad to see the saints functioning in the local church I am in. This has been my prayer and burden that more and more saints would function in practicing the God-ordained way; of preaching the gospel and bringing new ones into salvation, then following them up on a home meeting, to shepherd them, perfect and built them up to be functioning members in the Body of Christ. 

Daily, the Lord has blessed us with different homes for home meetings and group meetings. A few years ago I was mostly the only one who ran around almost daily to shepherd different families. Gradually, the Lord has raised up many brothers and sister to do the same works I used to do. I am especially glad that the sisters are functioning much these days. Now even without me, the saints can go on taking care of the meetings. 

A couple of sisters have been organically formed into a vital group to pray together and also to labor together in shepherding new ones. I am especially glad that my dear wife is one of the active and functioning sisters. At least in three regular home meting, she has been very active with a couple of other sisters. I don't need to even bother what's going on. I trust the Lord has anointed them to take care of these families. Whenever my wife shared to me about how the Lord spoke in the meeting she attended and how she was functioning, I was very happy. I am very glad that she functions so well, coordinating with the Indian sisters; in fact, she has literally become more Indian than me now. The Lord indeed called her fro India. 

The Lord has comforted me and my burden for the Lord's testimony in my city has been lifted with the functioning of many saints. The Lord's leading these days is to grow downward in our hidden life with the Lord and to grow upward to bear fruits. Yes, even to bear abundant and remaining fruits. Through the shepherding lesson the Lord has taught us, especially me, I can see a bright hope for the Lord's testimony here in the church in Gurugram.

Lord, continue to bless Your testimony here in the local church! With every member functioning; the children, the young people, the working saints, and all the brothers and sisters, bless Your church in Gurugram!

Canada: Fellowship

In Canada, I was given hospitality in a brother's home. The very day I was brought in to their home, our fellowship began with testimony as they wanted to know my testimony. Since they asked, I testified to them of all what the Lord has done in my life; His saving me, calling me to serve, leading me to His recovery, my marriage and family life, and my service in India. The family was so encouraged to hear the goodness and greatness of the Lord in leading me all this while. Our bonding and fellowship as brothers and sisters became so sweet from the very first meeting. In fact, it is the same divine life of God flowing among us.

I attended the prayer meeting of the church in Surrey. The leading brothers requested for a sharing of the Lord's doings and blessings in India and then asked all the saints to pray especially for India. The prayer meeting on that Tuesday night was fully for India as we are all in the same Body. This is the oneness in the Body, the feeling and care for one another was just being manifested!

Two brothers and I went to fellowship with the sister of a brother who had gone to be with the Lord. We had a time of fellowship with our sister who was recovering from her paralysis. The Lord has sovereignly been preserving her all this while. She has two other sisters as helpmates; they help each other in their daily living. Our sister prayed to the Lord for some signs if He remembered her concerning her desire, that brothers from India should contact her. It was during that time that I contacted her for a visit after the summer training in USA. Then, we ended up in her home, fellowshipping with her face to face. That surely was how the Lord answered her prayer. The Lord is the Lord and He does things in the way He deems best. To His ways and His works, we can only say amen and worship Him.

We also had a time of fellowship with a brother of Indian origin who was instrumental in sending ministry books to India that later on became useful in beginning to raise up the Lord's testimony in India. Thirty years have elapsed since then, and from the first local church in India till date, after thirty years, the Lord has raised up 183 local churches in different parts of India. And the first international training in India will be held in the latter part of this year. 

Canada sure does has a connection with India. It was indeed a blessing to be able to visit this country and fellowship with the brother whom the Lord used to sow a seed of the ministry in India and also a sister whose husband was the one instrumental in gaining an Indian brother who latter was burdened to send the ministry books to India that raised up the first local church in India! 

The Lord's ways are mysterious and marvelous. I simply worship Him for who He is; He is God and is being very good at being God!

Canada: Churches Visitation

I received the burden to visit Canada and prayed about it as the brother, RF, who used to coordinate with me went to be with the Lord last summer. At that time, though I planned to attend at least the memorial day service, I could not make it as it was impossible to get Canada visa from USA within a few days. This time I proposed to the brothers coordinating with me to visit Canada, but I did not receive a response initially. I waited and waited until it almost became late to make a decision and apply for a visa. Finally, I let my brothers know what was on my heart about visiting the brother's family especially his wife. I deemed it proper to pay the family a visit as we would already be in the USA; traveling further to Canada is just another step. Finally, all the brothers agreed, the visa was approved, and the plan was finalized.

The Lord was truly behind this plan. Once the plan was made known, two brothers from Canada called me, welcoming me before I even began the journey. Then while in the USA, during the Summer Training, a leading coworker in Canada met us and welcomed us stating that everything for our visit has been arranged. The brothers were eagerly awaiting our visit to Canada. I was surprised at such a response from the brothers. I just felt like, "Who am I to be welcomed in such a way?" My intention was a simple  brotherly visit to the bereaved wife of a brother who went to be with the Lord. But he Lord planned something much much better; everything for our fellowship, blending, learning, and perfecting.

The moment we landed at Vancouver airport, two leading brothers came to pick us up and took us to the visit the key brothers and the meeting halls in the church in Vancouver, the church in Richmond, and the church in Surrey. The wonderful hospitality of the brothers deeply touched me. As we went around to visit the meeting halls of the churches, I was deeply moved by the wisdom the brothers had in taking care of the Lord's testimony in their cities. No wonder, the Lord planned this beforehand, for me to learn from. I was taken aback in wonder and worship the Lord for His recovery.

The lunch lovefeast fellowship in one of the finest Chinese Hong Kong restaurants in the city with the brothers in the churches there and the fellowship we had was unforgettable. The brothers' demeanor and the spirit of fellowship and brotherly love were so sweet! This wonderful hospitality humbled me yet encouraged me very much, and I count it all blessing. The Lord's hand was behind all these arrangements. Praise the Lord for the Body!

May the Lord continue to bless His testimony in Canada!

USA: Summer Training

This was my third time attending the live Summer Training; this time on the Crystallization-study of Number, 2. This time I was fully prepared to deeply get into the word of God. I had prepared a notebook to capture all the special light and revelation the Lord would reveal to me. From day one, message one, till the sixth-day, message twelve, the last message, I did my best to grasped the main burden in each message and the revelation I got through the brothers' release of the word. During the study time, I did my best to exercise to dive into the truths and prepared myself for testing, if asked at all. Every time I attended the live training, I at least got an opportunity to prophesy in front of all the saints. The first time, I got 10 seconds to declare "the calling of the Lord." The second time, I got 20 seconds to prophesy on "the Jubilee." And this time I got 30 seconds in the testing on the "Christ as Typified by the Bronze Serpent".

A Special Experience

In every message, I was looking for an opportunity to prophesy. And I prepared myself well. At least three times as I decided to go up to the mike to prophesy, the announcement was to prophesy in groups, which I did. Then on the fourth day of our training, the saints from Asia including India were called out for testing. Though I prepared the message and I was not sure which part of the message I would be tested as this depends on when my time would come. I stood there in the line waiting for my time. Generally, I would be ready with sentences to prophesy. But this time my experience was very unique. I keenly followed on what was being spoken from the message point by point as I had to continue the flow of the testing. I had no choice to speak what I wanted, for I could only speak the point following who spoke just before me. It was a wonderful experience.

My turn was to speak on II, C, and D of the message. Just before I spoke my mind was completely blank. All the points that I mentally prepared to speak on all went away. I felt like standing there to offer what I did not have. But I listened carefully to the ones speaking before me and followed the speaking by declaring the wonderful redemption Christ had accomplished at the cross through His crucifixion and resurrection. Then, I followed the ministry speaking in the outline. The ministry became a clear guideline for me to speak. I need not add anything nor subtract anything. I simply repeated and echoed what the Lord had spoken in the ministry. That's exactly what I did. So I declared: 

John 3 reveals that regeneration is not only to bring the divine life into the believers but also to make them the corporate bride for Christ’s increase; as Adam was increased in Eve, so Christ is increased in His bride!

By Christ being lifted up on the cross as the bronze serpent, Satan’s increase has become Christ’s increase, His bride; we who were once the increase of Satan have become the increase of Christ! 

After the testing, the following days and weeks, I thought to myself and wondered, "What had just transpired?" Generally, I would have something to say in addition to the truths. But this time, I had nothing to add to the truths. I could only declare, and even repeat, verbatim, word for word. Then I realized, the Lord has been training and perfecting me to speak nothing but the ministry. I don't need to add anything to make it better or nicer, nor do I need to remove any word. The ministry speaking must be my speaking.  

Praise the Lord for such training in the Lord's recovery! Praise the Lord for such a unique yet wonderful experience concerning the ministry, especially in speaking!

USA: Third Visit

According to the fellowship of the brothers who oversees the service I am serving in, I was invited to attend the Summer Training 2019 in California, USA. Every time, my attending of the training is also for fellowship with the brothers and the co-workers who, in one or the other way, are involved in the coordination in the service. I felt very privileged and blessed to be able to fellowship with a good number of brothers and co-workers in the Lord's move in His recovery. Besides the training, we had a special fellowship on the Recovery Version Bible project to begin soon in Hindi, the preparation and coordination for the upcoming international training for elders and responsible ones in India, and other general services.

The hospitality for me, with two other brothers, was arranged in a saint's home in Irvine. On the day of our arrival itself, we blend in and enjoyed the love-feast and fellowship that was already going in our host's home. The saints were encouraged to hear a wonderful fellowship we offered to them concerning the Lord's move and blessings in India. 

The following day, during our breakfast time, our host asked me to share my testimony of how I came into the church-life, how I decided to serve the Lord full-time, and even how I got married. As I gave my testimony, I felt a deep anointing within me to share some specific experiences. I simply followed the Lord's inward leading and shared some key experiences on the points requested for testimony. As I kept testifying, the son and daughter of our host were listening with rapt attention. And by the time I finished testifying, the son exclaimed, "Thank you for sharing."  I had no idea what was going on in their lives.

A week later, after the training was over and we were about to leave. The son testified to me that what I shared on the morning breakfast time was so touching to him. He said, "You were prophesying about my life." I was shocked by his statement. He then explained that he was going through a very tough time in his life where he had to make very important decisions on his serving the Lord, future plan, and even marriage. All that I testified to him was like a prophecy for him. And by the end of the week after the testifying, he also became clear about his serving the Lord full time, future plan, and even his marriage.

The key point of experience in this visit is the experience of the presence of God. In personal testifying, in fellowship with brothers related to my service, and also in general fellowship with some coworkers. In one fellowship with a blending brother MC, a brother RC introduced me to him as an "apostle who traveled to different parts of India for the distribution of the ministry of the word and that he should listen to the distribution testimony." I felt a little uneasy, was deeply humbled, and felt unworthy to face the brother and testify of the Lord's blessings in India. I had no choice but to testify as I was asked. As I testified my spirit was very exercised and I testified within my measure. A similar experience was with another brother KR when I fellowshipped with him about my function and service the Lord measured to me in the Body.

Overall, this third visit to the USA was awesome. The presence of the Lord was very rich and I experienced and enjoyed the Lord in a special and sweet way. Praise the Lord for the Body! Praise the Lord for His recovery!

Lord, bless your testimony, especially in the USA!   

Priest of Jehovah, Minister of Our God

But you will be called the priests of Jehovah; 

People will speak of you as the ministers of our God. 

You will eat the wealth of nations, 

And you will boast in their glory. Isaiah 61:6

It was the 6th July, during my time with the Lord, I was reading His holy word when He spoke to me this word to affirm and reconfirm His calling that He gave on 1st January 2003. I was attending the Summer Training in the USA and was given hospitality at a brother's house in Irvine, California when the Lord spoke to me again in a very specific way about His calling.

Surprisingly enough, the people that I have been shepherding have always like to address me as "Priest" or "Minister" or even "Pastor". Of course, these ones have not yet been fully brought into the church-life. Their understanding of someone who shepherds them is addressed as such. I do not mind being addressed as such, but deep within me, I feel uncomfortable because of the misuse of these titles by many Christians in the denomination. Though these are good, honorable, and respectable titles, I do not feel I deserve them. I always feel comfortable at being simply addressed as "Brother." That sounds sweet and peaceful, and I always prefer and love it that way.

This time around when I visited the USA again for the third time, the immigration officer at San Franciso Airport asked me this simple question as I was about to enter the USA, "Are you a Minister or a Priest?" I truly wondered what made her think that I am a Minister or a Priest. I was in a queue of many other immigrants and this question was asked to me. I was very hesitant to identify myself as a Minister or a Priest, and I always have, yet I had no choice but to reply to her. I answered, "Yes, something like that..."  Then, without any further question, she let me pass into the USA. In fact, the first time I entered the USA in 2016, two immigration officers at Los Angeles Airport asked me the same question with a further query on how I served the Lord in India.

In the eyes of the Lord, the Lord has called and chosen me to serve Him; though I always have the feeling that I don't deserve to serve the Lord full-time. It is His mercy that He called me, and by His grace, He qualified me, and I have been serving the Lord all these years. It is the faithfulness of the Lord whose faithfulness has become mine to be able to serve Him. When He spoke words as, "But you will be called the priests of Jehovah; People will speak of you as the ministers of our God" I simply bow my head in awesome wonder to God and thank Him for gracing me to serve Him.

In fact, whatever the Lord has spoken through His words have all been fulfilling; not once, but all the time. On the spiritual side, I have been called the priest of Jehovah or the ministers of God, at the same, "I am eating the wealth of nations, and am boasting in their glory." For the Lord have faithfully and richly been providing all my needs. Praise Him!

One fine morning a sister, who is the host of my hospitality in Irvine, asked me in the presence of his son who had been struggling to answer the Lord's call to serve full-time, "Brother, you have been serving the Lord for so many years now, do you have any lack financially?" My innate answer was, "No, never! The Lord meets all my needs in abundance!" Then she replied, "Praise the Lord!" I wondered why she asked me such an absurd question suddenly. A few days later, she told me she wanted to let her son know in reality that the Lord is faithful to supply all the needs of the full-time serving ones. That's why she asked me that question intentionally in the presence of his son. Then, I understood. And before I left her home to come back to India, her son, after much prayer and consideration, decided to serve the Lord full-time, and thanked us for being with their family for one week long to be a witness to him.  

Praise the Lord! The word of God is living and true! "But you will be called the priests of Jehovah; People will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And you will boast in their glory." Isaiah 61:6