Shepherding Call: A Brother

A brother who has been known to me since my college days and who eventually came into the church life is in a constant fellowship with me now and then. For any important matters in personal life, marriage life, work life, or the church life, he would call me for fellowship and prayer. Of late, he has been through a stormy path in her family life. Things are improving even as the Lord has been gracing him to learn the spiritual lessons he needed to learn. 

Today, this brother called me to fellowship about the recent development in his family life and work life. I was glad to hear the good news of the Lord's leading them on and on, and how things have improved by the day. His wife's job has got a posting to her native place for which she could save at least six hours of her traveling time daily as compared to her previous job. The struggle she went through would now be drastically reduced. Besides, they could fellowship and open up to one another as a couple which hardly happened before. Better late than never. The Lord is leading them on and on, step by step, into a sweet relationship and fellowship with one another. Besides, in his work life, he has been facing untoward questionings from his peers. He has been contemplating a change of job. To this, I had a strong burden to share my recent enjoyment of the ministry of the word on God's choice.

I fellowshipped with him about the mistake committed by the two and a half-tribe of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in choosing for themselves, because they had livestock and found a land outside the boundary of the good land. They requested from Moses, to be given of the land which God eventually permitted though it was outside the good land promised by God toward the east of Jordan; this land did not require the crossing of the river Jordan. Though God allowed them to possess the land, it was not God's perfect will for them to possess that land. I encourage my brother to pray and wait until the Lord would give clear cut guidance. The leading must come from the Lord and not out of his own initiation and convenience. The message that I enjoyed so much and fellowshipped with him is this:

Numbers 32:1

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great abundance of livestock. And when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that the place was indeed a place for livestock.

Numbers 32:5

And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not make us cross over the Jordan.

Numbers 32 speaks of the prearrangement of the distribution of the good land.…There is a twofold significance to the arrangement concerning the land east of the Jordan. On the positive side, the tribes of Reuben and Gad highly regarded the receiving of the God-promised inheritance. However, on the negative side, they made their choice before they reached God’s goal, which was on the west side of the Jordan.

When the boundaries of the good land are mentioned in Numbers 34, the land on the east of the Jordan is not included. The best portion of the good land was surrounded by two seas (the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea) and one river (the Jordan River). These three bodies of water signify Christ’s death. Thus, in terms of spiritual typology, the land east of the Jordan was not good enough because it was outside of the realm of Christ’s death. The two and a half tribes chose and thus substituted the second best for the best. Many times we also make our own choices and take the second best as a substitute for the best.

The two and a half tribes made a choice because they had an abundance of livestock and saw that the land east of the Jordan was good for livestock. Having too many “cattle” and “flocks” often becomes a temptation to make our own choice and substitute the second best for the best.(CWWL,1960,vol.1,“Synopsis of Numbers,” pp.172-173) 

Philippians 3:10

To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

The land requested by Reuben and Gad could be reached without crossing the river Jordan. Without crossing the Jordan signifies without having the old man dealt with and buried. Only after we have had the old man dealt with and buried are we in a position to talk about possessing the good land for our enjoyment.

Reuben and Gad did not receive the promise of the good land with the body of the children of Israel. This signifies receiving the enjoyment of Christ separately, without the Body of Christ. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 318-319)

Crossing over the Jordan River denotes passing through Christ’s death and entering into His resurrection and ascension. In addition to typifying the position of ascension, the land west of the Jordan typifies the rich inheritance in Christ. Thus, obtaining “the land east of the Jordan” reaches God’s spiritual goal but not His glorious goal—receiving the rich inheritance in Christ in the position of ascension.(CWWL,1960, vol. 1,“Synopsis of Numbers,” p. 365)

With this fellowship, we prayed together for his family, and also for his job. Ultimately, the whole family is for the Lord and for the church. May the Lord fully gain this family for His testimony!

Shepherding Call: A Sister

A leading brother, out of his concern for a sister, called me to fellowship about her situation. This sister loves the Lord and is serving the Lord full-time. I have known her since thirteen years ago when I was invited to visit a group of Christian who met as an independent local church then, who had turned to the Lord's recovery and are now standing as the local church in that locality. Sovereignly, the Lord has brought her to the training and trained her to do very important work of translating the Bible into her language. She still remains single and is faithfully serving the Lord.

This sister, of late, has been in a relationship with a brother whom the Lord recovered into the church life. For a couple of months now, they have been fellowshipping and have come to the juncture of making the final decision of whether to get married or not. As the matter was brought to the brothers for fellowship, the brothers from the localities of the sister and the brother did not have the peace at all. Though they came together for fellowship, they could not arrive at any solid conclusion in peace. The reason being the past history of the brother concerned. So only, one of the leading brothers called me up for fellowship. In fact, he requested me to call her, as I knew her. I just took the matter to the Lord in prayer and did not call her as yet.

One fine morning, this sister gave me a call. I was glad that she called as I was still wondering when to call her and what to say. Deep within, I also had the same feeling as the other brothers. Not a feeling of peace as far as her proposal to get married to this brother was concerned. 

As we fellowship[ped over the phone, I got some facts from the sister about the brother. She was quite aware of it, and he did not have a good testimony at all in the past, nor in the present. The only qualification he has is, he is a brother and that he is available for marriage though he already married at least twice. I even warned the sister, not to catch hold of any available person just for the sake of getting married.

Out of deep concern, I fellowship my feeling to the sister. First, she should consider her calling and service in the church for the Lord in a full-time way. Now that she has been serving faithfully, "Will this decision to marry the brother affect her calling and her full-time service?" Very likely, and negatively.

Second, history repeats itself. A person's being and constitution is more important than what he can do or promised to be or do. Life growth needs time and takes a lot of time for transformation. The enemy can as well use him to stop her function forever. We should not be unwise in making a decision though it is very much needed. What if the past life returns, as with a couple of some other brothers the same locality? Her function will be hindered, if not stopped. 

Thirdly, I told her frankly, she deserved much more than what is presently at hand. I am being pure and frank to give her a clear picture. 

Fourthly, I told her the feeling of the leading brothers in the brother's locality and her lcoality is very important. The brothers represent the Lord. Their feelings are the Lord's feeling. Since they all do not have a peaceful feeling, I told her that she better discern the leading of the Lord. The brothers would not stop her if she insisted to go ahead and get married to the brothers in fellowship. But I warned her to be aware of God's permissibe will, but choose God's perfect will. 

And finally, I gave my testimony of how the Lord led me in my marriage and how the Lord has been blessing my marriage life and family life. Then, we prayed together over the phone that the Lord would not allow anything that is not from Him, and that His perfect will be accomplished.

I had a sweet peace and joy  as I fellowshipped with. As I fellowshipped, I even felt the Lord's presence was so rich. Words came out as a flow of living water. And I believe the sister will conser the matter carefully. May the Lord bless our sister.

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: HP

On the invitation of a brother and in sweet fellowship, I joined the brothers who are on a literature journey, a revisit of the seekers discovered through the distribution journey. Initially, I was very hesitant as my schedule was so tight. After the international training, I need to travel to the North East for some specific fellowship, and in between, I need to join the brothers in their revisit of the seekers. After much consideration and fellowship, I was confirmed within that I should join. Therefore, I joined the brothers.

In Manali, the Lord did a special work of clarifying the confusion brought into the minds of the seekers by some believers who have heard about the accusation against the ministry and the ministers of the age some forty years ago. The misaiming and defaming of the ministry in America in the late 70s were dug out by some negative ones to even prevent the seekers from coming closer and further to the truth. Yet, this brother with a positive attitude and open heart brought forth the matter for clarification. One night at dinner time, we went through the history of such attacks and clarified to him in detail. Besides, I also sent some useful links on the confirmation and affirmation of the ministry. Besides the defense of the truth, we also help the seekers to dive into the riches of the ministry, especially in the pursuit of the life-studies of the Bible, through online reading and by listening to the life-study radio broadcast. This visit was like an inoculation visit for the sake of the seeking believers. 

One evening we had a meeting on the need for and the way to grow in life for the building up of the Body of Christ in Ephesians 4. May the Lord recover these seekers for His testimony in Manali!

In Kullu, a sister and her son with a brother who has now started to serve in the Hindi translation met with us. We had a sweet time fellowship over lunch. The Lord has been preparing these seekers for His testimony in Kullu. The leading of the Lord in me was not so much to ministry to them as I used to do in the previous two visits. But this time, I had to listen more to what they had to say. I listened to all that they have to say concerning their burden and struggle, and of course, the Lord's provision in hard times. Listening to them intently was the way I could shepherd them this time. I could better understand their real situation now.  Deep within, I even wanted to render some financial help, but I restrained myself, for now, to not give a wrong impression. I then decided to fellowship with other brothers first and later, necessary help can be rendered in a proper and hidden way. I gifted the mother and son, a set of Shepherding Materials 6 volumes, The Normal Christian Church Life, and The Orthodoxy of the Church. I also invited them to come for training someday. May the Lord continue to preserve them for his testimony in Kullu!

In Mandi, a brother whom I met two years ago came to fellowship with us with his wife. This time, the Lord's leading in me was to listen to them, whatever they have to say. From my side, I only presented them as a gift, two books-The Normal Christian Church Life, and The Orthodoxy of the Church. 

From the time we met at the bus-stand till they left, the brother was narrating to me how much he has been blessed by the ministry books which he brought from us two years ago. He testified that his spiritual life has been revolutionized and that he began to grow much more after reading the ministry books. Now he is so much burden for these books to be made available to the seekers and the churches in North India, especially, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. He even promised that once his current assignment with the Bible distribution is over, he would love to serve with us in the shepherding of the new believers and raising up new local churches. My only response was listening to him intently and amening to whatever the Lord spoke through him. I was so comforted within that through the ministry books, the Lord is going to raise up many new local churches, even this one in Mandi!

The ministry of the word is for all! My responsibility is to sow the seeds of the ministry as widely as possible. In time, the Lord will manifest the fruits of the sowing today. Therefore, wherever I go, I sow the ministry "seeds". And the Lord will cause the growth for His increase, for His testimony!

Fellowship with Brothers from Indonesia

It was during the international training that some brothers from Indonesia heard about the situation in India. They found out the similarity between India and Indonesia in the aspect of the Lord's move and seeking for the increase. In fact, both countries have the same goal of raising up 500 local churches. With this burden that had been requesting for fellowship. Finally one evening we could visit them and enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship with them.

In terms of the age of the brothers, and the number of years, the churches in Indonesia have been in the recovery, we are the ones to learn from their experiences. The churches there have been raised up since the time of brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. And they have a thriving population of the saints in the church life. yet when they sought a fellowship from us, it was a humbling feeling indeed. I personally felt we should learn from them and not vice versa. Nevertheless, we all sat together and fellowshipped.

I began to share the little experiences I have been enjoying in the church life in Gurugram. It was all in the books that brother Witness Lee had spoken concerning the practice of the God-ordained way and the vital group. The vision brother Lee had seen many years ago has now been practiced and enjoyed in the church-life. The experiences of the basic matter of calling upon the name of the Lord, pray-reading the word of God, prayer, gospel preaching, prophesying, shepherding, home meetings and group meetings were very fresh and new. Even as I shared my experiences of these organic life practices, I was bubbling with joy. The Lord had already released the way for the churches to go on, and today we are reaping the benefit of those messages. There actually was nothing new in what I fellowshipped and shared with the brothers. But the experiences were indeed very fresh and new. The ways ordained by the Lord are always living and fresh.

Two other brothers also fellowshipped and echoed the same burden the churches in India have been carrying it out. Basically, our sharing was on two lines: fellowshipping with the Body and coordination with the Body. All that we have been practicing are what we have received from the fellowship of the Body, especially from the brothers from the churches in Taiwan. Besides, the saints from Taiwan came to coordinate with us for the Lord's move in India. Without the fellowship and coordination from the Body, I doubt we will ever have experienced and enjoyed such a wonderful church life. Praise the Lord for the Body! We learn from one another.

It was a wonderful time of blending and fellowship indeed. Brothers have invited us to visit the churches in Indonesia and we also extended our invitation to visit the churches in India. We fellowship and blend and learn from one another. In the Body of Christ, there is no bar on nationality nor race nor culture. We are all parts of the same one new man!

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful time of fellowship and blending! 

Lord, bless the churches in Indonesia and India!

Presentation of the Lord's Move in India

As was fellowshipped in the coworkers' fellowship to present the Lord's move in India, eight brothers were informed to prepared for the presentation and twenty six brother were selected to stand together for the presentation. Since then, we prepared ourselves and had pre-presentation.

After all the nine messages were released in the training for the elders and responsible ones, at the end of the last message, two twenty six brothers from India stood in front of all the brothers and eight of us presented eight important points. The Lord blessed the presentation and we could make the history and present situation of the Lord's move in India made know to all the brothers and to all the saints in His recovery as this presentation was recorded and would be sent to all the churches all over the earth.

Systematically, and point by point, we traced the ministry from brother Watchman Nee's time, of the mentioning of India, and how the first ministry book ever, The Normal Christian Life, was published in India, Mumbai, in 1957. Then, the raising up of the first local church in Trivandrum, Kerala, in December 1988. And then on, how it spread to different parts of India. The presentation also covered the social, economic, and political situation, with the demographic and religious percentage, and the statistics of the local churches with facts and figures. My portion was on the openness of the seeking believers to brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee's ministry in India, and how a good number of churches have been raised up through the ministry books. The figure of trainees who graduated from the training since 1997 till 2019 and the number of full time serving ones was also highlighted. The presentation ended with six prayer burdens for all the saints to pray for, for the Lord's move in India.

This was a thirty minutes presentation in brief, yet to the main points. This painted a clear picture of what the Lord has been doing in India. It was indeed a glorious move of the Lord, and a glorious presentation too, as it was a presentation of the Lord's glorious move. Hallelujah!

God bless India! India for Christ and the Church! India for the Lord's recovery! 

Fellowship with the Coworkers

In every training of the elders' and responsible ones, the coworkers gathered together for a pre-fellowship. It was in such a fellowship that some of us, brothers serving the Lord in India, were invited to attend to present to all the coworkers, the history and present situation of the Lord's move in India. Six of us brothers were invited to fellowship with the coworkers. In turn, and in coordination we presented the history and present situation of the Lord's move in India.

Before we did the presentation, a senior brother who has been fellowshipping with us, introduced all of us, one by one, to all the coworkers. Brother introduced each of us briefly of our background and service. Though we are nothing, brother painted a very wonderful picture of each one of us to all the brothers. Deep within, I felt very unworthy and I felt I did not deserve such a good word. I personally do not feel that competent as was introduced. Nevertheless, I reckon it as how the Lord sees us. In my own eyes, I see myself much much lower. But brother has presented us in a very honorable manner. It was not an exaggeration, he presented the fact as he understood, and he covered our shortcomings as he knows us quite well, yet presented the best of all of us. What a cherishing and shepherding! 

My portion of presentation was on the distribution of the ministry of the word; how the country has been opened to the ministry of the word. I presented few testimonies of the acceptance of the ministry through the distribution in the South, North, and North East India. I also presented on how we prayed, planed, and executed the distribution state by state, city by city, town by town, and one on one. And I also tesitified of how the Lord raised up a good number of local churches through the ministry literature.

After all the presentation, the coworkers had a good feeling and proposed that we do the same presentation at the end of the last message in the training. One brother was so impressed by the testimonies he heard and pointed to me, asked my name and said, "You spoke India to me." The brothers were so glad that they could be briefed of what the Lord has been doing in India since the past thirty years. And on the thirtieth year, an international training could be held in India for the first time ever.

This is the Lord's work and all glory to Him. What a blessing to be in the fellowship of the Body! Much more, what a blessing to be able to fellowship with the coworkers from all over the earth! May the Lord continue to bless His testimony in India! 

A Glorious Training

The International Training for the Elders and Responsible Ones has just been accomplished today at Bengaluru. This was the first time such an international event was held, and that too, after thirty years of the Lord's testimony shining through the 185 golden lampstand all over this country. This was mission impossible made possible through the Lord's answering of the Body's prayer and blessing the fellowship, coordination, and blending in the Body. Behind the scene of this training was the Lord's hand operating through various channels and the Lord's blessing many vessels who labored in oneness with Him and His Body! After all the meetings were over, my innate response was, "Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!"

The planning for this training started last November when I first received a call concerning the legality of conducting an international event in this country with the book room as a legal entity that can formally conduct such a training. Since then, a lot of fellowship and prayer and labor has transpired. At times, much concern, and yet other times, much faith. Teams have been formed to carry out the practical services, and prayer and fellowship covered the entire preparation. Praise the Lord for His sovereignty!

Though I never expected to be a part of the team laboring together in coordination, the Lord graced me to practically serve in the core item of fellowship and handling all the legal signing of documents and carrying out financial transactions for all the expenses incurred for the training. I felt blessed for such an opportunity, yet I also felt unworthy to be practically involved in such an important international event that happened for the first time in our country. All, surely is the Lord's mercy and grace. 

There had been apprehension about this training from different aspects in relation to health, food, transportation, accommodation, and even the ongoing political atmosphere. Despite all these, the Body stood together as one man and prayed in one accord. The Lord came in and did all that He needed to do. All apprehension just helped to prepare all the saints with much prayer. In fact, they were all prepared for the worst. That was a good preparation. And when they actually came for the training, they got the best. All the note of alarms served its purpose and the training was such a blessing.

The Lord's speaking on The One New Man Fulfilling God's Purpose in Creating Man was very apt and timely, especially in this country of multi-lingual, multi-dialect, multi-culture, and multi in almost everything. This country was just the best to release the vision of the one new man which Christ created.

Ephesians 215 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.

Ephesians 4:13 Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Colossians 3:10-11 And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.

Having witnessed such a colossal deed of the Lord and heard such a timely speaking of the Lord, I was simply in awe, praising and glorifying God! To such, my response was, praying with thanksgiving to the God who is God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Praise the Lord for such a glorious training!