Special Gifts

Since the beginning of this year 2020, I have been considering what best gifts I could give to my children. To my best knowledge, I have trained them to read the Bible every day. In fact, my son and daughter, have completed reading through the Bible for the first time in their life in 2019. Now, my youngest daughter who is six years of age is reading with my wife. They have been reading the word of God from the old and torn Bible that I and my wife have been using for years. As I consider over and over again, I decided to gift them the best gift, the Holy Bible and the best Bible, the imported leatherbound Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

Though the Bibles are quite expensive, and perhaps, the most expensive gifts I would have ever given to my children so far. But it's worth it. This is a life-time investment on all my children. Gifting them with the Bible and helping them read, understand, and live according to the word of God is the best inheritance I can possibly pass on to my next generation. With this inward decision, the Lord also provided enough offering for me to be able to purchase these special and worthy gifts for my children. I have done this in fellowship with my beloved wife as well.

In the gift, I have printed the following Bible verses as a reminder of the importance of the word of God.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Today, being the physical birthdate of my eldest daughter, I reckon it best to gift them the gifts today, to all my children. So that all may have the same feeling of being gifted, not just the one whose birthday occurs.

Another reminder from the 16th President of the United States of America on the Bible is"

“In regards to this great Book [the Bible], I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.” ― Abraham Lincoln

May the Lord grace all my children to be God-men children on whom dwells the word of God richly, and may they grow, build-up, be perfected by the Lord through His word and become a man of God completed, fully equipped for every good work.

Just Help!

A good number of seekers have been in touch with me for years now. Though I have a burden to shepherd them, I cannot go beyond their own willingness. I cannot force myself to shepherd them unless they willing invite me or at lease welcome me. In fact, these ones were open to me as their brother and yet they have issues with some other saints in the church life. Therefore, they have not fully come into the church life nor did I try to bring them in. I also have been doing my best to shepherd them whenever there is an opportunity and wait for the time the Lord would release them fully for the church life.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Proverbs 3:27   

Sometimes, in my narrowness, I wondered if I should continue to spend time with these ones. At times, I questioned if they were just trying to use me for their own gain? But I have been mysteriously led within not to close the door for these ones even if they do not fully come into the church life nor are fully agreeing with the ministry of the age. Nevertheless, they are all my brothers and sisters in the Lord. I still must be in fellowship with them and be available for any kind of help, if need be. 

Recently, each of them has expressed their need for help. A family requested me to help their son's admission for a college program in Canada. So within my capacity, I did my best to help them. But I kept my intention pure; my only goal was to help them because they needed help and the Lord has placed me in a position to help them. Whether they come into the church life or not through this helping hand, it's all up to the Lord. I must just help.

Another sister came for fellowship and expressed her hunger and thirst for the word of God. Though she has not yet fully come into the church life, she has been using the ministry material for her own benefit. She basically wanted to start her own ministry getting help from us in the matter of the truths of the Bible. I still received her and her husband when they came for fellowship, and also granted her request to be included in the morning truth pursuing over Skpye though she is not an official staffer. It just helped.

Another sister also has been helped whenever she requested it. Especially when her son went to USA for his studies. Though they never came into the church life and even dared to disagree on some truths and practices of the church life, still as a Christian brother, whenever they requested for help, I still did my best to help them; even recommend their son to the saints in a particular locality in USA. I just helped.

And I believe, my attitude should be proper in helping others; not helping others for some private gain or a quid-pro-quo deal. I just helped because they are my brothers and sisters, they needed help, and the Lord graced me to help them within my capacity.

This is another life lesson I have been learning; not to be narrow in helping others who may or may not agree with the teachings I believe or the practices I practice. Therefore, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so" has been a key supporting verse in helping the needy brother and sisters.

Yes, just help when the brothers and sisters need help, and the Lord has blessed you to be able to help. Just help!

Ministry Journey to Bilaspur

A yearly Christian Mela has been conducted in the outskirt of Bilaspur city where Christians come together for meetings and exhibitions. The ministry of the word has found its perfect spot for ministry display in this Mela. A few weeks ago I came to attend this exhibition with five brothers. It was my first time to attend such, and that too for just one day. And in that one day, the Lord has brought a good number of seeking Christians to receive and buy the ministry books.

In the previous exhibition, a group of seeking believers have been discovered who took the stand for the Lord's testimony as "the church in Bilaspur." In between, there were some misunderstand and turmoil among the brothers and there was no follow-up. On our last day in the city, I requested the brother who knew them, to make a call just for a short brotherly visit. In fact, I told them we should pay them a visit just to say "Hello!". They were more than willing to welcome us and waited for us one Saturday evening. 

As we visited them, the Lord gave me a feeling within to speak the truth on the one new man; the creation of the one new man and the reality of the one new man. The fellowship became so sweet and so strong that the key leading brother took down notes and read all the Bible verses we quoted. After the fellowship and prayer, they requested us if we could stay back on the Lord's day to fellowship with them. My feeling deep with us that I should cancel my trip to the next city and stay back to attend the meeting on the Lord's day. I did not decide it by myself, yet I told the brothers that we could possibly stay back, but we would fellowship and let them know later. Then we left.

As we left I was deeply convinced within that I should stay back. As I fellowshipped with the brothers how they felt about some of us staying back to fellowship with them, they all felt good. Meanwhile, I also checked the status of my train ticket for the next city Raipur. It so happened that among all the train tickets, only my ticket was not confirmed. I took that as a sign from the Lord that I needed to stay back. By the way, I cannot legally board the train without a confirmed ticket. That's how the Lord practically led us.

Two brothers and I attended the Lord's day meeting and ministered the word on the one new man and the way to be brought into the practice and reality of the one new man using Colossians on the need for the arbitrating peace of Christ, the indwelling word of Christ, and doing all things in the name of the Lord: 

3:12   Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, inward parts of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering; 3:13   Bearing one another and forgiving one another, if anyone should have a complaint against anyone; even as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive. 3:14   And over all these things put on love, which is the uniting bond of perfectness. 3:15   And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful. 3:16   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. 3:17   And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The believers were so shepherded; they took down notes and recorded the ministering of the word. After the meeting, the saints wanted to fellowship more and I shared on the grace of the Lord upon me in leading me to serve the Lord. Then we were invited for a fellowship over lovefeast lunch and then departed for the ext city Raipur.

May the Lord fully recover the church in Raipur into the fellowship, oneness, blending, and building up of the Body of Christ!

Ministry Journey to Raipur

A few years ago, a brother from the city of Raipur came in touch with the ministry books. Since then he had been enjoying the ministry and had actively been teaching the believers under his shepherding care concerning God's economy. He read the book in Hindi and re-translated it into Chattisgarhi. In fact, he did it out of a burden for over a year by visiting the believers, house by house, day by day. And gradually they took the stand for the Lord's testimony. Then we visited the city for fellowship.

During that visit, there was a sister who just came to attend the meeting when we were there. One Lord's day afternoon she fellowshipped about how much she received the life supply through our visitation. She even invited us to visit her family and meet her husband who was a medical doctor working in her home town. Though it was not possible for us to visit them at that time, I felt led by the Lord to gift her some books and also requested her to let her husband study them as well. I even forgot about the matter and what books I gave them. But the Lord worked even through the books and something marvelous came out of these little gifts.

This month, we visited this group of saints in Raipur again. The sister who received the books and also gave the books to her husband, both of them have now become the key family and pillar for the church in Raipur. As we fellowshipped, the brother and sister came and testified about how blessed they were through the books. The ministry books speaks by itself. The sister surprisingly exclaimed, "Brother, you prophetically gave those books that brought us into the church life!" The title books which I gave them were:

The Glorious Church

The Economy of God

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Now this couple had shifted from their hometown to this city Raipur, got a new job, and are now standing for the Lord's testimony in the city. Our fellowship with them was full of mutual shepherding. Two nights and two days, we spent with the saints, fellowshipping, praying, and ministering the word of God. We taught them how to sing hymns with proper tunes in Hindi, and also answered some of their doubts on the truths. They also came to visit the church in Gurugram and the church in New Delhi. Through the mutual visit and shepherding, the saints were strengthened and brought into the fellowship and oneness of the Body of Christ.

Praise the Lord for the ministry of the word that shepherded the Lord's lovers and seekers to take the stand for the truth. 

Forgiving Debtors

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Forgiving my debtors in the Lord's prayer became very subjective recently. There are some saints and new ones who borrowed money from meet their urgent needs. Out of a good heart with brotherly love and concern, I lent the money to them. In some cases, it was not even lending, it was money given for a specific purpose but the work was not done, yet the money was not refunded either. In another case, it was a purchase for an urgent need which was done through my account but was never returned back. As I was going through some needs, though the Lord provided it sufficiently, I thought of reclaiming the money owed to me. For a few weeks, I was contemplating and considering the matter of forgiving my debtors. I weighed between forgiving the debts or making them payback in the principle of righteousness, or to simply consider them as a gift or an offering, then the Lord spoke to me with this verse and other verses in the Bible concerning forgiving the needy saints.

The Lord reminded me that He has been providing my needs in abundance. He has faithfully been taking care of all my needs. And I need not ask any of them to pay back their dues to me but leave the matter to them instead. With this fellowship from the Lord, I have decided not to ask any one of them to pay back anymore. In fact, the Lord has been providing all my needs, and that too, much more than what I have given out, I have received in abundance. Therefore the matter is resolved here.

If the Lord blessed me to be on the giving side, that itself is a blessing. Why should I forfeit the blessing by trying to recover what has been owed to me? I better not. With this life lesson, I understood through experience what the Lord has taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

Moreover, my study of the book of Deuteronomy has all the more strengthened and confirmed the decision I have made in forgiving the debtors.

Deuteronomy 15:6   For Jehovah your God will bless you as He has promised you. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

15:7   If among you there is a needy one amidst your brothers within any of your gates in your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart and you shall not close up your hand from your needy brother;

15:8   But you must open your hand to him, and you must lend enough for his need in whatever he lacks.

24:10  When you lend anything to your neighbor, you shall not enter his house in order to take his pledge. 

28:12  Jehovah will open up to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give rain for your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

What a blessing to be blessed to bless others by lending to the needy saints! Lord, grace and bless me ever to lend and also forgive all my debtors.

Crowd of Cares

Apart from the things which have not been mentioned, there is this: the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:28

Serving the Lord is the most blessed service in the whole universe. To be able to serve the true and living God is even the pure mercy of the Lord. In fact, no one is qualified to serve the Lord. It is God Himself who calls, trains, and qualifies His serving ones to be able to serve Him. I don't call myself as qualified in any way, but by His grace, I am indeed what I am. God showed His mercy upon me and is training me to be able to serve Him. He graces me day by day to serve Him. What a mercy, and what a blessing!

These days, the service the Lord called me for is also becoming more and more subjective and real. The burden He blessed me with is also increasing gradually. Even as He draws me with His love, the burden for shepherding His sheep also increases. Loving Him is proportionate to serving him in shepherding His sheep.

Then when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was grieved that He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17

The Crowd of Cares for the Saints

The saints are going through different situations. It has indeed been a joy to have more saints added into the church life. At the same, as they came in, the shepherding on them also is very crucial. The more I get to shepherd them, the more I realize I need the Lord's shepherding. Each saint has their "problems and hardships." Now that they have come into the church life, they need to be shepherded as well. I am glad  I have been graced to bear the burden of shepherding the saints. As a learning serving one, I praise the Lord for the precious lessons of life He has been teaching me in shepherding the saints. A complicated checker work in the pillar of the temple is now what I and the brothers have been experiencing. However complicated the situation may seem to be, the Lord's abundant supply of grace and life will turn the complicated checker works into a beautiful display of the abundance of life.

The Crowd of Cares for the Serving Ones

The serving ones among us also need shepherding. In the Body serving in coordination, some times, our own serving ones are going through a lot of complicated situations too. Family and financial issues are very common among the serving ones too. Such is a case that I have been facing with a serving one. The busy work schedule is another hindrance in the serving ones' enjoyment and function in the church life. This is another common "problem" to take care of. It appears as though al the working saints are going through such a situation. For this, shepherding is greatly needed. And, we brothers have been praying for this earnestly and take measure to handle the situation.

The Crowd of Cares for My Siblings and Relatives

As a brother and a family member too, I also have the burden to shepherd all my relatives. All need shepherding. I feel blessed to be burdened with my family burden too. Though prayers have been offering almost on a daily basis for my family for years altogether now, I am yet to see the full result of the Lord's answer to the prayer. I still keep praying, and as the Lord graces me I also am indirectly shepherding them over the phone. 

As a serving one, the Lord has been gracious enough to bless me with all these burdens for the saints in the church in my locality, the serving ones with whom I am in coordination with, and also my own blood relatives. Gradually, I could understand what the apostle Paul testified in his shepherding the churches: the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches.

For this, I need to spend and I am spending time with the Lord in prayer. All these burdens make prayer life sweeter and enjoyable. I could release with my burden with much feeling to the Lord and experience His prayer in my prayer. Yes, the prayers are seeming for shepherd those in need, but the prayer, first of all, benefited me the most. What a sweet time of prayer with these burdens from the Lord. Answers to these prayers already have been the experience and enjoyment of the prayer itself. Praise the Lord!

"The crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches," are, to me, the blessings of shepherding. And with this crowd of cares, I have been enjoying a lot of prayer time with a good number of saints and serving ones, on a daily and weekly basis. Therefore, this crowd of cares is a blessing in disguise.

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey to North India, Chhatisgarh & Odisha

Report: The Ministry of the Word Literature Journey

Raipur and Bilaspur, Chhatisgarh and Khariar-Road, Bagbahara, Kuskela, Titilagarh- Odisha, 5-13 February 2020

And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor. And she said to her, Go, my daughter. So she went. And she came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to glean in a portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family. Ruth 2:2-3

Gleaning from the Fields

Bilaspur, a city that embraces a yearly "Christian Mela" for years has been our field to glean from. For, a multitude of believers throng this week-long religiously painted exhibition mingled with festive mood. There, the ministry of the word has its perfect display, to the joy of the minute remnant of the lovers and seekers of the Lord. It was through this, that at least two groups of seekers have been contacted and are being shepherded, who, at their own revelation and initiative declared themselves as "the church in Raipur" and "the church in Bilaspur." Therefore, our visit this time was to fellowship and shepherd these remnants, and indeed it was a gleaning from the fields.

"The Church in Bilaspur," Chhattisgarh 

In 2017, a couple of brothers received the ministry books through the Christian Mela, and since then, they have been studying the ministry books. Though they read The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee long before, The All-inclusive Christ, The Economy of God, The Glorious Church, The Breaking of the Outerman and the Release of the Spirit, and few other books have greatly shepherded them. In fact, they took the stand on the local ground of the church and called themselves, “the church in Bilaspur” and are inviting us for more fellowship. 

As we paid a late-night visit to these seeking believers at the leading brother's home one evening, the Lord blessed our fellowship on the one new man so much so that they invited us to meet and fellowship with them on the following Lord's day. Though it was not in our plan, we fellowshipped and decided that two brothers stay back to heed to their request and the rest proceed to the next city, Raipur, as planned. 

On the Lord's, we enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship and a rich ministry of the word on the one new man again in a more detail way. The believers truly enjoyed the fellowship and blending where testimonies were shared and more ministry books were introduced, which even led the leading brother to buy the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. After hours of fellowship and lovefeast, we departed with joy even as they invited us to visit them again soon. May the Lord thrust out His workers to harvest and glean from this field. 

"The Church in Raipur," Chhatisgarh

This group of saints who are now meeting as the “church in Raipur” was also discovered through the Christian Mela at Bilaspur in 2017. Since they received the ministry books they have been shepherded so much by the book by brother Witness Lee, The Economy of God. Since then, there has been frequent traffic with other nearby local churches, especially the church in New Delhi and Gurugram. 

Our visit this time was mostly for shepherding, fellowshipping, and blending with the saints for two days. In an organic way, we taught them hymns singing, ministered the word, and clarified some of their doubts and queries. This was also their timely need after the key brother went to be with the Lord last December. May the Lord continue to shepherd and strengthen the church in Raipur. 

"The Church in Khariar-Road," Odisha

In 2014, a brother searching for ‘free Christian books’ in Google found the Rhema books. Since then, he has been reading and enjoying the ministry books along with another two brothers. They were first visited when one of them requested for the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. Since then, they have been daily enjoying the HWMR, Recovery Version, Life-studies, and other ministry books. They also have been meeting regularly on the Lord's day without breaking the bread and reckon themselves as the "church in Khariar-Road," waiting for the right time to break the bread. May the Lord continue to shepherd them and gain their whole families for the Lord's testimony.

One evening, a mainline Christian group opened their meeting hall for the introduction of the ministry books and also to minister the word. The believers, though rooted in their traditional practices, were enthralled by the riches we presented. In fact, we "broke" their religious way of worship in their "worship center" by leading them to sing hymn in a living way, leading them to call upon the Lord's name out loud over and over again, and ministering the word as an "un-ordained minister." The result was, the Pastor himself and the key members were very happy for the living words and testified of their enjoyment. 

Bagbahara, Odisha

A group of seeking believers who received the ministry books a few years ago are being shepherded by the brothers from Khariar-Road. A seeking pastor had arranged a meeting where we ministered the word on The Mystery of Human Life, Calling Upon the Lord's Name, and Pray-reading the Word of God, much to their delight as we showed them the way to enjoy the Lord. May the Lord strengthen the shepherding through the books and through our brothers for His testimony. 

Kuskela, Odisha

A brother, also a Pastor of an independent group, had received the 7 Rhema books and a Recovery Version Bible have been enjoying the ministry all by himself for years. He testified that his whole concept of a Christian life changed after reading the ministry books. He invited us to visit him and the congregation he is shepherding. He was so excited to meet us in person and overjoyed to share his testimony.

May the Lord continue to shepherd him and recover him with all the sheep he is shepherding. 

Titilagarh, Odisha

We met three Pastors, one of whom has already read and enjoyed The Economy of God and The Glorious Church. After we ministered the word using all the four books in Rhema set, these brothers were very interested to pursue the ministry further. In fact, one of them was interested to translate the ministry books into Oriya. May the Lord gain these brothers and the one who has a burden for Oriya translation. 

May the Lord richly bless the sowing of the divine seeds through the ministry of the word.