Lesson on Gospel Preaching

Two weeks ago, after the prayer meeting of the church on Saturday afternoon, I decided to take a brother along with me to shepherd a brother who is very new in the Lord. I decided to use the gospel preaching time to shepherd a brother. And I had my preference of a brother to coordinate with. Though outwardly everything seemed to be fine, I did not follow the proper leading of the Lord through the leading of the spirit in the fellowship of the Body.

As we went to meet the new brother, first of all, we violated the proper practice of shepherding by being late to meet him. That itself killed the mood of shepherding. Secondly, we should have been preaching the gospel instead as the church has scheduled that time for gospel preaching. Thirdly, we did not exercise our spirit that we ended up speaking human words with human opinion. The result was obvious. There was no life supply and the new brother could not enjoy the shepherding, leave alone the enjoyment of the word. Everything seemed to turn upside down. I learned a very important spiritual lesson.

These mistakes from our side also exposed the true condition of the new ones we were shepherding. His faith itself was not very solid and stable. I could see his real condition in hi faith and I could also see what a shortage I have in my shepherding. His act definitely was condemnable as he compared and equalized Jesus Christ with other gods, and even questioned our authenticity. He has been at best misled or at worst poisoned by the right-wing philosophy concerning Christ. That was a big eye-opener for me. Oh, how much prayer I need to pray for him and his growth in life, and how much shepherding need to be rendered to him in a timely manner. What a lesson for me! 

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful spiritual lesson on shepherding and gospel preaching!

Seeing the Vision

Proverbs 29:18a  Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; 

Seeing the vision of the age is of utmost importance to follow the Lord and stay in the church life for the building up of the Body of Christ. Without such a vision, people may come to the church life in the Lord's recovery but such people will not last long. For them, it is just another Christian group. They must have like certain truths or certain saints or certain practices, but unless they see the vision of the age, the vision of the Body of Christ, the vision of God's economy, they may not stay long. Only the vision of God's economy can preserve us in the church life. 

Save for this vision, any person, matter, or thing can easily distract people from leaving the church life. Without the vision, they will compare the saints and the church life with other Christian groups on many aspects, and based on their analysis they will decide on which one is better for them, even for spirituality's sake. I have witnessed a few cases like this int he past, and I am still witnessing today. 

Believes who do not see the vision of the body will not last long in the church life. Due to their lack of vision, they will exercise their mind and even become biased in their openness to the saints and to the truths. By the Lord's mercy, I have been grace to see the vision of the age in 2003 after much prayer and study of the word. Once the vision is clear, there is nowhere else to go. 

John 6:67-69 Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Besides, once the vision is clear to a person, he or she will be very open to the ones who saw the vision. Till then, there will be a doubt on the teachings, practices, and the saints themselves. This matter is of utmost importance. To see this vision, the Lord only has to open the spiritual eyes of the people. It may come by teaching or revelation or vision, but it must be from the Lord. O how I pray that my fellow believers in Christ would all see the vision of God's economy revealed int he Bible especially through the epistles of Paul. This vision pertains to Christ and the church.

Concluding...

Acts 16:9, 10 And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: A certain man, a Macedonian, was standing and entreating him and saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. And when he had seen the vision, we immediately endeavored to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to announce the gospel to them.

The leading of the Lord needs a discernment. As we fellowshipped around these verses, I was very deeply impressed by the depth of the word of God. An elderly and spiritual brother helped us to dissect the word of God and discern what the will of the Lord is. 

In this case, a vision appeared to Paul, "he had seen the vision" yet the word says, "we immediately endeavored to go forth." The transition from "he" to "we" confirms that though Paul had seent the vision individually, he must have brought into fellowship with the brothers. Perhaps, there was a thorough fellowship and prayer concerning the vision. And then they finally concluded in one accord. 

What Paul had seen individually was concluded corporately by the brothers including Paul. Therefore, through fellowship, they concluded what the Lord wanted them to do. This is a marvelous principle in the New Testament concerning discerning the will of God.

This interpretation of the word is supported by the following verses.        

1 Corinthians 14:14,15  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing also with the mind.

In our spirit is the discernment of the will of God, and in our soul, especially in the renewed mind is the interpretation of the discernment in the spirit. The spirit of the believers is where the Spirit of God dwells. There, is the leading of the Lord in the spirit by the Spirit. This needs to be interpreted with the renewed mind. Therefore, the renewed mind concluded what the will of the Lord is. Praise the Lord such a fellowship on the word such as this.

This a lesson all the believers must learn in considering the word of God and concluding it. It involves the seeing spirit and the understanding renewed mind. Then follows, the obedient body that follows the Lord's leading. 

Jehovah Remembers

Last Lord's day, a group of brothers came together to pray-read, pray, and fellowship with a visiting elder brother from abroad whose fellowship every time he visited has been very enlightening and life supplying. It was an honor and a blessing to "sit under his feet" and learn many lessons of life. The verses we pray-read seemed non-pray-readable, but as we actually pray-read the Lord's light shown on me and I was very supplied. 

Zechariah 1:1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,

First of all, there is the coming of the word of God. For any spiritual progress there must first be the coming of the word of God, the speaking of God, which is His exposing, enlightening, and leading. In fact, our coming together also brought in the word of God through the fellowship. What a blessing! 

The one to whom the word of God came was Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo. The names of these three persons are very significant spiritually in meaning. Zechariah means, Jehovah remembers; Bechariah means Jehovah blesses, and Iddo means at the appointed time. Putting all the names together, the word of God to me is, at the appointed time the Lord remembers and blesses. 

Now is the appointed time. All the happenings today proves all the more that the time appointed by the Lord has come. This time is for His blessing upon His chosen people. He remembers His people, therefore, He works in the environment to bless. 

No matter what the situation of His children may be, He comes to bless. Though they may be in their low situation standing among the myrtle trees, Jehovah remembers and comes to bless. Hallelujah! 

Zechariah 1:7-8On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, I saw during the night, and behold, a man was riding upon a red horse; and He was standing among the myrtle trees that were in the bottoms; and behind Him there were red, reddish-brown, and white horses.

A note on myrtle from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version 

These myrtle trees signify the humiliated yet precious people of Israel in their captivity. The redeeming Christ, as a man and as the Angel of Jehovah, the embodiment of the Triune God, was sent by God to be with the humiliated people of Israel in their captivity. Christ’s standing among the myrtle trees that were in the bottoms means that He remained strongly among the captured Israel in the lowest part of the valley in their humiliation. As the One on the red horse, Christ, the redeeming One, was Israel’s patron, ready to do anything for them swiftly in order to care for them in their captivity. Christ maintained Israel in their captivity that He might eventually be born into humanity through Israel to accomplish God’s eternal economy. 

Our real situation was not only low, but even sinful. Therefore, the Lord came to redeem us first. Still, we were not fully pure for the Lord, so He further deals with us until we are fully made clean, pure, and complete. In His remembrance of us, He also redeems and transforms us from being red to reddish-brown to white. As such we are being recovered back fully to Him to be His people for His purpose in the earth.  

A note on red from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version 

The horses of three different colors indicate that Christ’s redemption (the red horse) leads the repentant Israel (the reddish-brown horses) to be justified and accepted by God swiftly (the white horses). This vision of the horses portrays the situation of Israel in their captivity. In the eyes of God, Christ the Redeemer was with them taking the lead, and they, God’s redeemed people, were following Him. Because they were God’s redeemed people, they appear at first sight as red horses. But because they were not pure, they are signified also by the reddish-brown horses (the color reddish-brown indicating a mixture). They need to contact God and to be dealt with by Him in order to gain God and be justified by Him and thus become those signified by the white horses. Once they repent, they will swiftly be accepted by God and justified by Him.

Then, Jehovah stretches forth His hands and recovers us to be His dwelling place, His house and His city. And He overflows His blessing all over gain. What a recovery, what a blessing!

Zechariah 1:16-17Therefore thus says Jehovah, I return to Jerusalem with compassions; My house will be built in it, declares Jehovah of hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem. Cry out again, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts, My cities will again overflow with good, and Jehovah will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem.

This is the Lord's speaking to us and to me particularly. At the appointed time, Jehovah remembers and Jehovah blesses! Hallelujah! 

Concerning Step Mom

My dad had been calling me to clarify on the stand he should take based on the biblical truth concerning his marriage to my step-mom. The fact of the matter is, he was married to my step-mom thirteen years before he was baptized. In the church-life, shepherding has been carried out in a way of life with the application of the truth in time. Objective truths should be applied subjectively in life by the leading of the Holy Spirit at the right time. Though I myself had this doubt of a brother have two wives I did not get a clear answer until recently when I prayed over the matter, searched the scriptures, studied the ministry, and also fellowshipped with the brothers.

Now, through the scriptures, through the interpretation of the scripture with the ministry, and in fellowship, the Lord made things clear to me. Since my dad's second marriage was before his salvation, now that he is saved, everything of the past should have been forgiven and forgotten; whatever sins, big or small. In relation to the restitution of the past sins, if the sins involved a person, especially in marriage, it cannot be restituted. Whereas material things can be restituted and must be restituted. So there is no need to let the second wife go back as she has already been married and even bore a grown-up son already. My dad has to bear the responsibility of taking care of them both. The only concern as per the scripture is, he may not be officially appointed as an elder in the church. Nevertheless, he must function as all members of the Body should function for the building up. The matter is clear, and I have fellowshipped with the brothers concerned and also with my family members including my dad. Praise the Lord, this doubt that has been in mind for years, even decades, has finally be clarified! Praise the Lord for the ministry of the word!

This conviction has come after years of enjoying the Lord as a result of the growth in life. With the Lord's speaking through His Word, the matter has been cleared. My burden now is to shepherd my step-mon and step-brother also into the enjoyment of Christ in the church-life. And also to help other saints especially the leading brothers to be clear concerning this matter.

Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 2) Vol. 25: Collection of Newsletters (1) by Watchman NeeThe church cannot help a polygamous brother by doing anything more than forgiving him. When the Lord said that He loved mercy and abhorred sacrifices, He was referring to this matter. If the believers sinned in the matter of polygamy before they were saved, the Lord does not pursue the matter. Because no matter what the sin, whatever was committed before our regeneration is under the blood. Of course, the sin of polygamy is under the blood.

The question that has arisen in the church is whether the concubine he had should be driven out of the house. The Bible gives us some very clear light regarding this matter. Paul told Timothy, "The overseer [the elder] then must be...the husband of one wife...deacons must similarly be..." (1 Tim. 3:2, 8). So we know that among the believers at that time, there were those who were the husband of two wives. For this reason, Paul said that only the husbands of one wife could be elders and deacons. The reason the apostle said this word was to show that if a man had two wives, he could still be a believer, but he could not bear any responsibility in the church.

Furthermore, the sin of polygamy is different from other sins. There are two kinds of sin. One kind of sin can be restituted, the other cannot. The sin of polygamy cannot be restituted. For example, stolen items can be returned to their owner. But if you have married someone's daughter, you cannot return her. Therefore, if you want to send this woman away, you are telling her to be an adulteress. So it would be better if the husband bowed down under God's government and bore this responsibility.

In the Old Testament, David married Bathsheba. God did not tell David to separate from Bathsheba. Furthermore, she bore Solomon. Our Lord Jesus came out of her. Exodus 21:7-11 speaks of the position of a concubine. In this passage, the other wife refers to the proper wife, the maidservant is a concubine. The position God gives the concubine is that her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage shall not be diminished. 

Fellowship with Seekers

The Lord has reserved His remnants all over India. And He knows how to introduce them to the saints for fellowship at the right time. He works in a mysterious yet amazing way to bring the seekers into contact with us. Last week, two groups of seekers were introduced to us and I am privileged to participate in fellowshipping with them.

An Apostle and An Evangelist

A brother who reckoned and introduced himself as an apostle and an evangelist was in touch with me for the past two years. We only fellowshipped over the phone and decided to meet one day. Last week he called me and came with another co-pastor to visit us in Gurugram. 

He was saved from a right-wing nationalist religious extremist outfit. He used to be a key national leader, speaker, and trainer of that outfit that attempts to vainly wipe out Christians in India. But he came face to face with the Lord in a very miraculous and drastic life or death situation that forced me to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ as the true and living God. He has a personal encounter with the Lord directly without any go-between. Since then, the very faith he vehemently opposed once is now the very faith he vigorously preaches. This is a similar case with Saul of Tarsus who became the apostle Paul in Acts 9. 

This brother came to fellowship for two days and joined the meetings on the Lord's day. Seeing is believing. I did not speak much but simply invited him to join the meeting on the Lord's day. I also took him for home meetings, for a time of truth pursing and fellowship on "The Vision of the Age." The Lord spoke to him through his fellowshipping with the members of His Body. I need not say too much. He saw the church life being practiced in an organic way with most of the saints functioning. He was so impressed by our faith, beliefs, and practices. He himself commented that this is the only Christian group he saw practicing the patter as shown in the New Testament. I simply did my best to give him the best hospitality possible; taking care of his accommodation and love-feast, and fellowship. Actions speak louder than words. He was so enthralled and wanted to meet with us again and in fact "tie-up" with us, if possible. May the Lord lead Him and us for His move in India.

A Seeking Couple

A sister was met by one of our brothers at an ATM booth. She then began investigating our faith, beliefs, and practices as she herself was aware of other cult groups operating in Gurugram. When the saints visited her at her home for the first time all her questions and doubts were cleared. Now, a home meeting has been set up in her home every Monday evening. 

Last Monday I was invited to visit the family. It was my first visit and I simply kept myself open to the Lord for His leading and speaking. As I met the couple and listened to whatever they had to say, the Lord gave me a deep feeling within to minister to them the basic of the Christian life by starting off with the mystery of human life, even though they have already been Christians for years. I began with a simple question if they knew that God created man with three parts- spirit, soul, and body. The sister's reply was an emphatic no. Therefore, I used relevant Bible verses to show them the three parts of man, with a brief expounding on the function and purpose of each part.

The couple was so excited and received much supply of life. They testified that though they have been Christian for years now, they have never studied nor understood the Bible in this way. They requested if they could enjoy such fellowship on the word on a daily basis. They even suggested that they would like to come and meet with us on Lord's days even though they have been already associated with another Christian group. I only told them they are always welcome for a fellowship if they would so desire. The choice is theirs.

These two fellowships with seekers were very supplying to me as well. I have been enjoying the ministry day by day, and when there is an outlet to flow out, it was such a joy; to me and to those to whom I ministered. May the ministry of the word continue to supply life to them and to me as well, day by day. May the Lord recover their enjoyment of Him in His word and also recover them for His testimony.

Standing for the Truth

Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge; For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Acts 5:29   But Peter and the apostles answered and said, It is necessary to obey God rather than men.

A brother fellowshipped with me last week about the situation of a new church that was raised up last year. It was the father's family of one of the brothers in Manipur. They were from a Christian background with denominational teachings and concepts.  Through the study of the word of God, that brother and his family with another brother's family finally took the stand for the Lord's testimony in their village. Though only two families, they happily and boldly took the stand based on the truths they have been enjoying.  In fact, they also attended the combined meeting that I attended when I went to visit the churches in Manipur last year.

Last month, this family came to visit our family here in Gurugram. Out of a deep burden for the seeking believers in his village, I selected some of the ministry books from my collection. Though I have already used them, to provide them the means to study the truth, I have given them. Otherwise, buying them would be of great value and they may not be able to afford them all. While the family was in Gurugram visiting one of their sons, I also visited them to fellowship with them on some crucial truths and practices of the church life. Since then, a home meeting has been set up in their son's home here in Gurugram though they already went back to their village in Manipur.

This family in Manipur was forcibly asked by the village authority to sign a document to state that they will not set up another Christian denomination besides the already existing ones, the Baptist and the Catholic. But the brother who knew the truth stood for the truth and was not willing to sign. His standpoint was, "we are not in any denomination, nor starting one, but simply following the truth of the Bible." This matter was fellowshipped with the brothers in the churches in Manipur, and they concluded to leave the matter to the Lord in prayer and not take any action as of now.

As I heard this news, the Bible verses I have been reading these days confirmed the stand of the brothers. A similar situation was faced by the early churches as recorded in the book of Acts. Once we know the truth we must simply obey God and stand for the truth, come what may. The grace of the Lord will preserve the brothers and sisters who stand for the truth.

It is indeed a proper stand to say, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge; For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. It is necessary to obey God rather than men."

Perhaps, more and more testimonies of standing for the truth will occur in the coming days. May the Lord be gracious to all His saints.