God's Love: Marriage Ceremony

A new family that has been contacted through door-knocking, and in whose home we have been enjoying a home meeting for months now, need special attention in regard to the marriage of the son. All that I know is that they got married legally at the court of law and the family wanted a special meeting of prayer and celebration. Through the shepherding of the church here in Gurugram, they have come into the church life and started attending the Lord's table meeting. 

Last Lord's day, a brother and I were invited to attend their family gathering hosted with the burden of the son and daughter-in-law's wedding ceremony. We fellowshipped, prayed, and felt good to attend and help them in whatever way we could as cherishing and nourishing to the entire family. 

As we arrived at the venue in Noida, we were welcomed by the family, and the father and aunty fellowshipped with me the tentative proceedings of the meeting. Since nothing was formally planned for the meeting, we worked it out in fellowship. The Lord led us, and the meeting was blessed with the word of God to the entire family.

Two main messages, though short, were released. One, related to what marriage is according to the Bible and its purpose. This was released by my brother. And I released my burden on God's love. 

The strongest and best relationship between husband and wife is that of love. But not merely human love, but God's divine love. No human life can love without the divine love within that human love. Human love has terms and conditions, and perhaps, warranty and guarantee. But all these will fail one day, if not for God's love covering the marriage. My burden was released in twofold. 

First, the husband and wife should love one another. But that love must be of God. They both should and must love God, and with the love of God, love one another. 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. 

Second, my burden was also for the family, the majority of whom are not yet regenerated by believing into the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I began with the new commandment God gave to man to love one another.

John 13:34-35A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another. 

And I further expounded that God is love, and only with the love of God, we can love one another. Therefore, I preached the gospel of the love of God. "In this, the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him. Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins." I also encouraged the entire family to believe into the Lord Jesus if they have not yet. "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God."

With the word of God ministered, we prayed for the newly wedded couple and joined them in the feast that followed. The father and mother, and the husband and wife, were so thankful that at such a crucial phase of their life, the Lord introduced them to the church. We hope and pray that the Lord would continue to shepherd them and make them all pillars to bear the Lord's testimony in Gurugram.

May God bless the couple, and the family!

1 John 4:7-21Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been begotten of God and knows God. He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him. Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God has loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit. And we have beheld and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. And we know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. In this has love been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of the judgment because even as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has punishment, and he who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God love his brother also. 

The Most High is the Ruler

The whole country is now gripped by the revocation of Article 370 and 35A. All news and all heads now turn to Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). As a citizen of India, like it or not, I should be aware of what all these meant. In fact, a few days ago, there was news of scrapping this special status given to J&K. And it sent a warning to all settling there. The actual scrapping of this special status was done yesterday when the bill was introduced in the parliament and passed thereafter. Since then, all commotions, news, opinions, debates, on this sensitive issue engulfed the entire country. This is in the political atmosphere in the realm of the secular world, and in the country, I live in. I have no comment on neither the pros nor cons, but I do know and understand one thing: God is still on the throne.

When the news was spread and panic gripped the minds of the people there, the same message was sent to one of the WhatsApp group of which I am a member.  Though the message was posted with a burden for prayer, the tempo of the message showed signs of troubles lurking in and terror knocking at the door. immediately, I felt the need to counter such emotion with the word of God. I posted the following message:

The Most High is the Ruler 

Let us pray according to the word of God. God is in control, He rules. He knows best, and He will do what is best. Many things we don't know, much less, we understand; but one thing we do know and understand, God is still on the throne. 

No matter what, all that are happening and will be happening in our country is for the Lord to gain His divine purpose and accomplish His will on the earth, even in our country, and even through us, if we are one with Him.

Nothing to worry, nothing to panic. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in J&K, and for His move and testimony there.

Jesus is Lord! Christ is Victor! Amen!

Daniel 4:17This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that he living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men.

Daniel 4:25You shall be driven out from among mankind, and with the beasts of the field shall your dwelling place be; and you shall be made to eat grass as bulls do and shall be wet with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you come to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills.

Daniel 4:26And in that it was commanded that the stump of roots of the tree be left, your kingdom will be assured to you after you have come to know that the heavens do rule.

Daniel 4:32And from among mankind you shall be driven out, and with the beasts of the field shall your dwelling place be; you shall be made to eat grass as bulls do; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you come to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills.

God has sovereignly made me a citizen of India. And I can only pray for the ruler of this country as the Bible instructed me to do so. My opinion does not really count. When God allows things to happen, He knows why. Time will tell, and I will know it in time. Whatever happens, He wants to fulfill His purpose on this earth. Its a wake-up call for all, to turn to the living God. 

May God gain India for His testimony! God bless India! 

Spiritual Lesson: Full-Timers Training

In the recent full-time serving ones training, the Lord's speaking was, "Being Governed by the Vision, Living Christ, and Being Trained to Take the New Way." These series of messages were apt to the core, meeting the timely need of the churches in India. It also touches me very much as this applies to me as a full-time serving one, and as also as serving one in a local church.

Few things that impressed me deeply are:

The Line of Life

The need to care for the testimony of life, not merely outward work or movement, and the care for the person who does the work rather than the way he carries out the work. In this regard, the experience of Christ as life is of utmost importance. The Lord's recovery is for the fulfillment of God's economy which is in life. All the persons involved and the works done or ways taken must be in the line of life. For this, there must be a rich experience of Christ; even all the serving ones and the saints must be filled with Christ as life. There must be the depth and riches in the experience of Christ. Without the experience of Christ, all our works and ways are empty and void. The Lord does not need another group of degraded Christians with human works which will not and cannot fulfill His heart's desire. 

The Vision and Nature of the Lord's Recovery 

Our vision is the building up of the Body of Christ to bring the Lord Jesus back, and the nature of the work we carry out must be golden as we bear the testimony of Jesus as the golden lampstand. Anything sort of this is not what the Lord wants.

The two main aspects of the Lord's recovery are its ground and its content, or reality. The ground of the Lord's recovery is the genuine oneness, and the content and reality is Christ as life. All the saints need to see that life is the unique way to build the church on the ground of genuine oneness; life is Christ Himself, who is the building material, and oneness is the ground.

Taking the New Way

Training is necessary for the taking of a new way so that we may have a thorough change in our way of meeting, service, work, gospel preaching, and proclamation of the truth. There is also a need to evaluate and improve the way we preach the gospel, conduct home meetings, group meetings, and district meetings. These things may not sound spiritual and it even looks like outward methods, but without the proper care for this new way, there is no way to advance, be skilfull, and be proficient. One very touching thing is the matter of maintaining proper and regular statistics of the church. Many times we made a vow to the Lord, even prayed with much burden, asking the Lord for the increase. But without proper planning, there is no way to fulfill the vow. Statistics is a good way to plan and achieve the vow that has been made.

Prayer, Spirit, Word, Home, and Living Witness

Above all, to experience all the above points there must be a lot of prayers; our prayer life must be strengthened. There must be the inward filling and outward filling of the Spirit in all our services, and there must be the bold proclamation of the word of God. The practice of the church life must be from house to house, and we all should be living witnesse of the  Lord in His move.

And when they had so besought, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31

These are the main spiritual lessons learned in recent training. May the Lord grace all the serving ones, and me, to learn this lesson personally and bring it to the benefit of the saints in my locality.

Spiritual Lesson: North East

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

The North-Eastern(NE) part of India is my native place. Since the Lord's recovery came to NE India, though my service is in the literature service and I am serving in the Northern part of India, I still do have a burden for the Lord's move there in the NE. Though I hardly participate in the practical fellowship in that part of the Lord's move, my prayer and burden have always been there. At least I am doing my bit, in praying for the churches and the Lord's move in the NE, in my personal prayer life and in my family prayer.

This time, a brother who serves in the overseeing of the Lord's move came to fellowship with me concerning some situations of certain brothers who serve there in the NE. I look ed to the Lord to consider the matter the brother had fellowshipped. Though I did not get involved directly in the Lord's work there, I amened whatever he had fellowshipped.

Another brother who has been serving full time there also requested for a personal time of fellowship. He openly poured out what has been his concern regarding the situation of the churches in the NE. He knows many of the detail as he has been serving there. His fellowship was to consider to fellowship with certain brothers and that certain misunderstandings be sorted out. Besides, he also fellowshipped on his personal matters. The same brother came for another time of fellowship a few days later, with many burdens. Though I also fellowshipped some of my feelings, I knew the best way is to bring all the matters to the incense altar, to the Lord in intercessory prayer.

  

A leading brother from the NE also came to stay with me for two nights after the full-timers training. He requested for a time of fellowship concerning what has been going on there. He also fellowshipped the same matter that has been a concern for the brothers there in the NE. Though I also offered some fellowship based on what I have been made aware of, I told the brother, we must pray for His testimony and move in the NE. So we prayed together. The following early morning when I went to drop him to the Airport, all the way as I drove, we prayed and prayed for the Lord's glorious testimony in the NE.

What all have been fellowshipped to me by the brothers is a reminder of what the Lord prophesied in Matthew 16. There is a revelation of the building up of the church, and there is also a revelation of what Satan tries to destroy the building of the church. To the brothers, I fellowshipped that the Lord is wanting to bless His move and testimony in the NE, therefore, the enemy hates it to the uttermost. The enemy has been subtly trying to bring in discord and confusion among the brothers and he has been attempting to destroy the Lord's testimony. He is trying to sneak into the coordination among the churches and the brothers. This is what I understood clearly from all the fellowship I received from the brothers, and I conveyed the same to them. 

Therefore, I fellowshipped with the brothers that we should not allow the enemy to do what he intended to do; we must stand up against the enemy, stop his work, and regain the lost ground. I even suggested if the brothers could come together; pray together and fellowship together, and even serve together. All misunderstanding must be wiped away through mutual fellowship. Where there is a need for confession and forgiveness there must be confession and forgiveness. Offenses should not be allowed to mar the fellowship of the brothers in any way. 

Though this is the recent development I received from the brothers, I am not discouraged. Rather, I am very much encouraged. Because the kingdom of Satan has been shaken, he is trembling, and he is doing his bit to frustrate the Lord's move. Praise the Lord!

One thing is sure, "the gates of Hades cannot prevail against the built-up church!" I am looking got the Lord in intercessory prayer for His testimony all over the NE. As the Lord leads I would bring the matter in fellowship with all the brothers concerned and follow the Lord's leading. I could already see in faith, golden lampstand brightly shining all over the NE!

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Lord, bless Your move in the NE! Christ is Victor! Jesus is Lord in the NE!

Spiritual Lesson: Fellowship of the Lord's Work

The Lord has been faithfully shepherding the saints in India since the very beginning of His work thirty years ago. The Lord has faithfully been sending faithful and prudent stewards from different parts of the world especially Taiwan. Though I do not know much about the detail of His move in India, I am, for sure, one of the beneficiaries of the brothers' faithful labor in His vineyard in India. Yes, I am very much blessed to enjoy the fruits of the brothers' faithful labor in India! I am also being graced to be shepherded by many brothers in Indian and also from Taiwan and Canada. I have no word to thank enough, and I have no way to pay them back even if I wanted to. I can only praise and worship the Lord for His grace and mercy upon me. The faithful brothers who have been laboring in India are my patterns; I look to them for fellowship and for guidance.

Since the day I came into the church life in His recovery, stepping my first foot in the full-time training, then after the completion of the two years training, I started learning how to serve the Lord wherever He apportioned my service to be in. I have been so much graced, yes, much more blessed, all these years. Many times, I have no words to thank the Lord enough. Many times I even feel unworthy for all that the Lord bestowed upon me. In all these years, the Lord has been teaching me to serve in coordination and in oneness with all the brothers. It is such a blessing to simply learn from the brothers and follow their leading as the Lord anointed them for taking the lead in His work in India. Sometimes, I received specific help from the brothers, adjusting me in my person and also in my service. What a mercy to have brothers who would love and care for me and even train and perfect me! Praise the Lord!

This time in the full-timers training, I have been graced to be able to fellowship with the brothers concerning His move in India. We fellowshipped and prayed together, looking to the Lord for His leading us in various aspects of His move in India.  Through our face to face fellowship, our coordination became sweeter and sweeter. The Lord is blending us together for His move! The morale of the brothers here is very high. Though we do not have senior brothers as we used to, the Lord is blending us and faithfully leading us in fellowship. The oneness and one accord which commands the Lord's blessings is indeed among us! 

Besides, a couple of brothers from Taiwan and Hong Kong have been visiting us, and they have been carrying out the work of perfecting among us. I personally can testify of how much spiritual help I have been receiving from the brothers. They may or may not be aware of it, as I hardly reveal to anyone. The Lord's special anointing is upon these brothers and every time they came, the perfecting work they carried out was exactly what we need, especially I need, at that time. I never told them my situation, but the Lord knows it all. Therefore, it was the Lord's speaking through them. Praise the Lord for His move in India.

Lord, bless Your move in India! India for Christ and the church!

Gospel Preaching: Opposition

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 29:19

This is the great commission the Lord commissioned to all His disciples before He ascended to the Father. In obedience to His great commission, as a Christian and as the church, we would weekly go out to preach the gospel at least for an hour or two. This has been going on in my locality for years in one particular park, The Leisure Valley Park. Here, people from all over Gurugram come for a time of relaxation or an evening walk. People are at ease and have time to pay heed to the gospel preaching. It is also a good training ground for gospel preaching. I have brought my whole family, new ones, and young people to come along with me to preach the gospel. Within a span of an hour or two, the Lord would grace me to preach to about 5 to 15 people. Most of them would listen to the gospel, and many would even call upon the Lord's name and pray with me. This is the general experience whenever I would go there to preach the gospel. It is indeed a good spiritual ground for spiritual learning and exercise.

Two weeks ago, as I and two other sisters in my team were preaching the gospel I received a phone call from another team who called me to inform that someone had threatened them to stop preaching the gospel and leave the park immediately. I simply replied back to go-ahead to continue to preach the gospel. A few minutes later, the same person who opposed my brothers in the other team came to meet me and threatened me to stop preaching and to leave the park immediately. He further threatened that he could call other people to kick us out. I looked at him and told him that we are not doing anything evil, we are simply sharing the word of God, the Love of God to people. But he insisted that we are Christians and that we are influencing people to become Christians. I calmly replied to him that people need the love of God, the life of God, the peace of God,  and I am simply proclaiming the true and living God. 

Later I receive a phone call again from a brother in the other team requesting me to take precaution and leave the park for the safety of the two sisters who were with me. In case this opposers tried to harm our sisters, it would be wise to protect them. Then I listened to my brother's fellowship and decided to go back. As we walked back the opposer also left us. 

As I was walking towards the exit gate of the park, I saw the same opposer walking around. Deep within I felt I should not shy away or walk away just because of this threat. I prayed within and exercised my spirit to speak to him and make him understand. I waited for him to walk closer to us, and then I approached him. I tried to reason with him calmly and peaceably that I am proclaiming the love of God. I even asked him, "Don't you believe in God?" As I began to speak sense into him, he became afraid; his visage changed, and he walked away and finally ran away from me, shouting, "I am not interested!"

I do not understand the turn of events: first, he threatened me from preaching the gospel, and when I approached him, he ran away in fear. I wondered who threatened whom? Meanwhile, I also noticed that an older man was taking a photo or video recording of my reasoning with him who threatened me. Anyway, one thing is clear; the gospel will be preached and there will be opposition. This is also a lesson to learn in gospel preaching. Not everyone will receive the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But my responsibility and commission is to preach the gospel to people.

For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:16

Lord, grace me to preach the gospel, even in the midst of opposition and rejection. Yes, more grace to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Shepherding Lesson: Rejection

The Lord Jesus Christ was rejected by the very people of His own for whom He came. In spite of all the miracles, signs and wonders, He was still rejected and even put to death. Sometimes this seeming paradoxical incident blew my mind: He came for His own and His own rejected Him?

He came to His own, yet those who were His own did not receive Him. John 1:11

Now, having been serving the Lord by serving people for over a decade gradually make me realize the experience of this verse. Sometimes, I wonder how could people reject Jesus. I can be rejected for whatever reason; I accept that fact, but why the Lord Jesus should be rejected? This thought kept bothering me for a while. Gradually, I began to see the spiritual warfare between God and Satan. Man's position is just neutral, he can choice to be one with God or Satan. And in most of the case, fallen men easily inclines towards Satan. God, in His greatness, never forced people to be inclined towards Him; He simply gave them free will to choose for themselves.

In shepherding new ones, I also began to experience rejection in an indirect way. As a person, as a friend or even as a brother, they like me. But as I have nothing to share but the word of God, some of these new ones showed signs of withdrawal. I have a deep burden for these ones, but I cannot force myself to visit and shepherd them. I cannot interfere with their free will. I have the liberty to shepherd them only if they allow me and welcome me. Otherwise, I can only pray for them until the Lord touches them and they invite me.

Three new families that have been contacted through doorknocking have shown this sign of rejection. Our initial contacts were sweet and wonderful. Every time we met, we sang, read and spoke from the Bible, and even prayed together. As the meeting went on week by week, the Lord also dispensed His life into their being. Yet at the same time, the enemy also tried his best to distract them, frustrate them, and even to stop them from contacting us or us contacting them. But I never would give up easily nor do I intrude into their lives without their free will acceptance. Gradually, they stopped to pick my calls and I find it difficult to even meet them. To me, this is an indirect way of saying "No". I am willing to spend my time, energy, and money for them because the Lord burdened me for them. If I couldn't shepherd them, the only thing I can do is pray, pray, and pray. Perhaps, the Lord wants me to exercise my prayer life more than my going out to shepherd.

A brother who has been pursuing the morning revival with me for a while also face stiff opposition within his being. He, being a Catholic, found himself struggling within in dilemma between catholicism and the church life. A conflict of interest also arose in the matter of worshipping the Lord Jesus directly in the spirit as God is Spirit.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness. John 4:24

In contrary to the burning of candles and "worshiping" through mother Mary, basically an idol according to the pure word of God, the truth here is to worship God in spirit and be in fellowship for the building up of the Body of Christ, the church, not religion. Because of such struggle within him, he requested that we take a break from our regular pursuing and prayer over the phone and even the visit of his home weekly. My prayer and burden for him and his family are for the welfare of their spiritual life for the Lord's testimony. There has been a direct spiritual warfare in the unseen world. I dread not the forces of darkness, I will keep praying for this family until the Lord fully delivered them for His testimony. Deliverance from all religious, superstitious, and fleshly deception is the present need of the family. Even this experience taught me a wonderful and precious first-hand lesson on shepherding-rejection. 

The Lord's grace is sufficient for me to learn the shepherding lesson of rejection. I count this as temporary incident, for the new ones have already received the seed of the divine life. Come what may, they will gradually be recovered; only the Lord knows how and when. Meanwhile, I have been learning my lesson on shepherding-rejection.

Lord, train me and perfect me, and shepherd me in shepherding that I can shepherd others as You would.