Live-in Relationship?

A couple was contacted by the saints and started coming to attend the Lord’s table meeting and other regular meetings of the church, as they are already believers. Yet, they have not been living the normal Christian life for years. So, having realized the seriousness of relationship between male and female who are not yet married, as responsible brothers, we decided to help the couple and shepherd them for their going on in their Christian life and church life. As they were being shepherded, it was brought to my notice about their joblessness and financial difficulties clubbed together with the live-in relationship they have been in for a couple of months now. In fellowship we, brothers, felt good to shepherd them in a very practical way.

First, we decided to help meet their basic need for essential items, especially, food. So we offered Rs.5000 which can last for a month for their food. Due to the present pandemic, they have been jobless for months and complete broke. The church responsibility is to take care of the needy ones, believers and unbelievers within our capcity. 

Second, we went to fellowship with the couple and shepherded them in a way of revealing to them the proper relationship to be maintained between male and female. Yes, they are boy friend and girl friend living together which is very common in a metropolitan society. And in fact, this has been an acceptable norm in this evil and sinful generation. But the word of God cannot be compromised. So we fellowshipped with them and offered to help them to legally get married and be a proper testimony in the church. While fellowshipping all these, never we did in a way of accusation though we condemn the immorality, we would rather shepherd the ones involved in it, to sin no more. However, we did not impose anything legally but gave them the opportunity to make their decision based on the truth of the Bible.

I personally am glad to come across such case, as I must learn in coordination with my brothers how to shepherd new ones with such background. As we spoke to them, we also showed them the way for them to grow in life, to enjoy the word of God, to pursue the truth, to learn to practice morning revival, to pray, to be in fellowship with the saints, and to be blended in the Body. The church is a home for the spiritually homeless, a school for spiritual education, and also a hospital for spiritual healing. With love and care, and yet with the reverential fear of the holy and righteous God, the new ones have to be shepherded. And that's the lesson I have been learning.

This indicent reminds me of John 8

John 8:3-11

3. And the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 

4. They said to Him, Teacher, this woman has been caught committing adultery, in the very act. 

5. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do You say? 

6. But they said this to tempt Him, so that they might have reason to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote with His finger on the ground. 

7. But when they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. 

8. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

9. And when they heard that, they went out one by one, beginning with the older ones. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman stood where she was, in the midst. 

10. And Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? 

11. And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. 

It is easy to religiously fall into the trap of Satan when new ones with such sinful background would be brought into the church. Without knowing the Lord in a very experiential way, it is tempting to fall into moral ground and apply the comandment of God legally. Yes, sin must be condemned, but sinners must be loved and shepherded. This is a precious lesson in shepherding the saints while bearing responsibilities in a local church.

1 Timothy 1:15

Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. 

The Lord's heart has always been to save sinners.

Mark 2:17

And when Jesus heard this, He said to them, Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 

May the Lord shepherd this couple and gain them!

First Home Meeting in Coonoor

Today being Lord’s day I attended the church service where my brother and their family members have been meeting with for decades. Though it was a very traditional religious meeting in Tamil, I still chose to attend it as I felt necessary at least to meet with the believers on the Lord’s day. I always do my best to attend the meeting especially on the Lord’s day wherever I travel. If there was no local church raised up yet, I chose any Christian group where I could attend, whether invited or not. All the children of God,  irrespective of their denominations, are my brothers and sisters in the Lord. They all meet and do things as per the vision and revelation they have seen. Only if the Lord allows me to minister I would most gladly do it, otherwise, I simply maintain the relationship in Christ and extend a welcome hand of fellowship to all children of God. 

In the meeting as I entered, I saw a notice commanding, "Switch Off Mobile". My conscience touched me to obey the command that I willingly submit myself to. And also I listened to the Tamil message though I did not understand it at all. I willingly came to attend the meeting and I must submit to the authority I entered into. There is authority everywhere, and as a child of God I must respect God appointed authority. I faithfully followed the order of service during the meeting though I understood hardly anything. It was my rightful duty to submit. They have done their best according to what they have understood, and since I willingly came ot attend their meeting, I must also willingly submit to all the decorum of the group. What a lesson the Lord taught me! Though I did not understand the Tamil message, the Lord taught me a very important message.

After the meeting I willingly went to my brother's home for more fellowship though not planned at all. It turned out to be the best thing I could have done. I and my brother's father fellowshiped on some very urgent and practical matters: Being revived everyday through calling on the Lord’s name, spending time with the Lord and prayer, and studying the word of God and fellowship. The family with whom I fellowshiped were so supplied. I could foresee this as the beginning of the church life in Coonoor.

A brother asked me a very practical question on how to overcoming an addiction which has been practiced for decades. My simple fellowship was to take care of the intake of the Lord as his daily spiritual food which will energize him and make him grow to overcome the addiction. He was so enlightened by this fellowship. In fact, this is what I learned from years of experience too. Only the Lord is the Overcomer and only by eating Him we can be constituted with His life and nature to be an overcomer. I appreciate his frankness in asking me this question and the fellowship was so sweet.

Later, we had a family time together where I fellowshipped on being revived everyday and the need to grow in life. All the rest will follow suit as a result of our growth in life. Then, we sang Tamil songs and prayed together. It was a sweet and wonderful time of fellowship. I see this as the beginning of the practical church life in Coonoor.

Praise the Lord!

Marriage Meeting and Fellowship

Today I attended the marriage meeting of my brother VJ in Coonoor. It was indeed the Lord’s arrangement that I could make it to the wedding. The marriage was done in a Christian tradition in a CSI church where the family has been a member for decades. All the minute detail of the marriage was carefully crafted and the oneness of the family members in this matter is praise worthy. The entire family stood together for this purpose. 

To the surprise of many, the message delivered by a very senior brother as a wedding message was also on the mystery of Christ. It was yesterday that I ministered in the prayer meeting of the family, the great mystery, Christ and the church. Today, the preacher also touched on the same subject on the mystery of God in Ephesians 5. One thing was clear, the Lord wants to recover His testimony among His many chosen people, the church, as the mystery of Christ. Whether the congregation received the revelation or not, I have no idea. But one thing was sure, indirectly the Lord has spoken that He would gain the couple and the entire relatives for His testimony.

The Scriptures reading portion for the wedding is Psalms 128

1. Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah, / Who walks in His ways. 

2. You will indeed eat the labor of your hands; / You will be blessed, and it will go well with you. 

3. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine / In the innermost parts of your house. / Your children will be like olive shoots / Round about your table. 

4. Thus will the man be blessed / Who fears Jehovah. 

5. Jehovah bless you from Zion; / And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem / All the days of your life. 

6. May you also see the children of your children. / Peace be upon Israel. 

As the Scriptures were read out, verse 5 caught my attention. This blessing is a blessing of the church life. The blessing of God is in the church and from the church. Jehovah bless you from Zion. And the prosperity is also related to the local church signified by Jerusalem. This blessing is for the church life all the days of their life. And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem / All the days of your life. 

May the Lord indeed fulfill His promised blessing upon my dear brother and his newly wedded wife for Christ and His church.

Observing at the family, my appreciation was deeply for my brother's father and mother. Though I don't know them much, I could discern that they sincerely loves the Lord and have brought up their son in the best possible way they could. Simple, sincere, and sweet are the words I use to describe their family. Such seekers and lovers of the Lord surely deserves to see the vision of the great mystery, Christ and the church. May the Lord gain them for His testimony in Coonoor one day!

Tonight at the wedding reception, I could fellowship with the brother and sister as they start their marriage life beginning from today on the matter of being one flesh as husband and wife.

Genesis 2:24

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 

Ephesians 5:28-31

28. In the same way the husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his own wife loves himself. 29. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also the church, 30. Because we are members of His Body. 31. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 

I encouraged and exhorted them to pray together everyday from day one. Prayer preserves the oneness between husband and wife. In fact, the only oneness in the universe is God Himself. Through prayer, the oneness of God can infuse Himself into them and make them one. In this regard I also encouraged them to pursue oneness by all means, and practice it in evey matter big or small, including the oneness in financial management of the family as well. I shared my testimony of how the Lord preserved and blessed my oneness with my wife and how we pursue and treasure the oneness. Besides, I also shared the importance of love who is God Himself, Christ Himself. Apart from the love of God, there is no genuine love. Only the love of God can make them love one another with the love of God unto eternity. Then, having thus released my burden, I prayed for the oneness and love between them.

May the Lord bless this couple for His testimony!

The Great Mystery

This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32

The Lord's speaking in the prayer meeting of the family gathering of a brother a day before his marriage is "Christ and the church, the great mystery." This meeting was an impromptu arrangement and the decision for me to minister the word was just arranged the day after I was confirmed to attend the wedding meeting on 28th Nov. Today is the 27th Nov.

It was 23 Nov, last Monday night that I received a message from a brother, who is the bridegroom to be, that he and his dad wanted me to attend the wedding meeting. Though I had no plan to attend considering the situation this weekend with Thanksgiving Conference, Gospel Meeting, Young People Meeting and Young People Gospel Meeting with a pre-training fellowship on Monday and the the Full-timers' training following. On top of all these, the spread of Covid-19 and the risk of traveling added more reasons not to travel, and also with my children exams coming up. But, on that night as I went out to pray as usual, for over an hour I could pray only for one matter, concerning this brother's marriage, and nothing else. I was indeed struggling for sometime until the Lord made it clear to me. Finally, at the end of the prayer I was confirmed deep within that I should definitely attend the wedding meeting, despite all odds. The Lord has a purpose for me to be there, therefore, l decided to attend.

Once I was clear and I told my wife about it, she also agreed in fellowship, though she was hesitant before. Then, I confirmed to the brother. Immediately, travel arrangement were made, though I tried to meet my own traveling expenses, the brother requested me that he would bear all the expenses. Then flight tickets were booked for round trip, Delhi-Coimbatore. And all other practical arrangements were made immediately. All practical matters felt into place one by one.

It was the Lord arranging everything for His divine purpose. As I was informed that I need to minister the word, I looked to the Lord for the word. First, the Lord showed me to minister on a Christian life, then He further showed me on the church, and finally the message with Bible verses became very clear. Then it was very clear to me that I should minister on the great mystery, Christ and the church. The Lord confirmed it during my prayer time and Bible reading time the following days.

A burden brought in the light, and the light developed into a revelation, and the revelation developed into words, and the words into a message. The message was based on these Bible verses:

Ephesians 5: 22-33

Colosians 1:26-29; 2:2; 4:3, 

Ephesians 3:4-6

Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16

Today, as instructed and burdened by the Lord, I ministered the word in a pre-wedding prayer meeting before the marriage. The message was on the mystery of God, Christ, and the mystery of Christ, the church. I expounded on the Christ, the Christian life, and the church. After the meeting, brothers and sisters came to fellowship with me on their being supplied by the ministry of the word. The bride's father came to fellowship with me personally that the moment he heard the word he was so thankful for the timely word. His concept was completely changed after he heard the word. Initially he thought it was needless for a "Pastor" to sermon, but it turned out that a brother ministered the timely word. Another brother came and testified to me that his vision after studying Acts has been confirmed by the message spoken tonight. I promised to introduce him to the brothers in the church in Chennai. 

May the Lord continue to sow Himself as the Seed of the divine life to all who heard the word for His testimony in Coonoor and to all the localities where these relatives have come from.

Praise and glory be to Him!

Politics Divides, Prayer Unites

As a citizen of a nation and as a man with a global view, I have been following closely the current affairs of the world and of my country, India. Sometimes, I confess, I have been too much engrossed in the political news. There has been feeling and thought within me based not the news I have read concerning countries or political parties or politicians. Well, the Bible does tell me to pray for the ruler 

I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. (1 Timothy 2:1, 2)

The charge here is to pray on behalf of kings and all who are in high position, but not to follow them or their ideologies, not to support them nor oppose them, but simply to pray for them for the sake of God's economy. But once the news seeped into me, an innate feeling was developed that affects my views. Well, that may be natural, but of late, the Lord has chastised me to not be too much engrossed in the political affair of the world, except to watch and pray.

In fact, one of the recent trainings has warned me of Babylon in her two aspects, religious and material. The material Babylon is a devilish politics with its source in Satan. My response to such should be to come out of it. As I must pray for the Lord's move even through the world situation and the world rulers, I must definitely be not a part of it, which I tend to, at least psychologically.

Following the elections in India and the USA, I realized that it only brings death and darkness. I should rather simply know the world situation and bring them to the Lord in prayer without following them or supporting anyone or any party. As far as I experience this matter, whenever a political subject is raised among the saints, it definitely leads them to the soul and ends up in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which issues in death, darkness, division, and destruction. I thought I knew how to discern political matters based on my shallow and little knowledge of the word of God, but the Lord proved me wrong. And I am glad He did it, and that's how I learned. I have learned my lesson the hard way. The Lord is the sovereign One. He knows who to let go and who to bring in, who to lift up and who to let down. He knows the best! I dare not be loose in the matter of supporting or airing my political views anymore. I discovered that the saints too who are engrossed in politics ended up in darkness and division. Politics divide, prayer unites! So I must just be doing nothing other than pray for the Lord's move. Praise the Lord for this precious lesson!

Last Saturday in the church prayer meeting here, the burden of the prayer and the ministry portion was very apt. I was so enlightened by the Lord's speaking through the church:

The history of the world throughout the past twenty centuries shows that actually there is an invisible Ruler above the scene…This invisible Ruler above the scene is actually ruling over the entire earth. Who was ruling over the earth during the period of the Roman Empire? Jesus Christ. This ascended Christ was ruling over all the Caesars and later over Napoleon and over all the rulers of the earth. Today He still is the Ruler of the kings of the earth. All the presidents, kings, and prime ministers are under this unique Ruler. He is executing His government through the church, His Body. His ruling is not merely behind the scene but above the scene. The worldly people and even the worldly historians do not realize this. Their eyes are only on the world rulers and the world political situation. They do not have the spiritual view to see that the world situation is under the Head with His Body. The church should not be involved with any politics, but the church as the Body of the Head is used by the Head to carry out His heavenly ministry on this earth. The direction of the situation of the world today depends upon how the genuine church, the proper church, is proceeding on this earth. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” pp. 200-201)

In fact, the church is above world politics and has an immense authority to execute what the Lord has decided from the throne. The genuine and proper church can definitely influence the Lord's move on the earth and can bring in the Lord's kingdom on the earth. Therefore, instead of being carried away by the world situation, prayer must be offered for the Lord's move through the world situation. 

I have learned my lesson and decided not to even psychologically be entangled in politics as I have never physically involved in any politics. My responsibility is to discern the Lord's move through the world situation and pray in oneness with the will of the Lord for the Lord's desire to be fulfilled. What salvation indeed is to have learned this truth!

No politics! Politics divides, prayer unites!

Shepherding a Couple

Yesterday, the trainees brought a couple whom they met in their gospel propagation. As I fellowshipped with them I asked them to introduce themselves and speak whatever they feel like speaking. In this way, I was opening up their being to get to know better. As the sister was sharing her life history, how she served as a missionary a few years ago and had done her theology and is now in Gurugram looking for a job, drifting away from what she used to do before, I had a strong feeling to shepherd her and her friend with the parable of the prodigal son. 

By the way, I freshly enjoyed this parable as I used this parable to share on the loving Father in a gospel meeting just before they came to meet me. I fellowshipped with them from Luke 15: 20-24

And he rose up and came to his own father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him affectionately. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, Bring out quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fattened calf; slaughter it, and let us eat and be merry, because this son of mine was dead and lives again; he was lost and has been found. And they began to be merry. And they began to be merry.

As I fellowshipped on how we were all lost in sin in the world like the prodigal son, in spite of the fact that we are already children of God, the sister was so moved. He was so hungry for spiritual food and received every word I had to minister to them. She even made a video recording on her mobile, which I did not mind, of most of the sharing I had with her and her friend. Because of her seeking heart and hunger for the word, she just drew the word of God out of my being. I could spontaneously flow out the living word as food supply.

Some key points I emphasized were the loving Father's heart towards His children, no matter what His children's situation may be. He just loved them and did not expect anything except their being recovered back from their wandering. I emphasized mostly on the spiritual significances of the best robe, Christ as our righteousness; the ring, the sealing Spirit that restores us as God's own; the sandal, that separates and sanctifies us from the world; and the fattened calf, that fed us with Himself as food for our life and life supply. 

Then, I connected the fattened calf with Christ as food revealed in the gospel of John 6; the Lord as the Bread sent from heaven, the living Bread, the true Bread, the Bread of Life, and the Bread that we must eat; who is Spirit and Life (vv. 32-35, 48-51, 57, 63). A trainee sister also shared her testimony of salvation. After all the sweet and wonderful fellowship we all prayed together. I gifted them the Shepherding Materials in English for the weekly Friday home meeting. 

The fellowship was such a joy and life supply to me as well. As I shared the word, I myself felt the strong life supply to me personally and to the rest of the people present in the fellowship. It was indeed a mutual shepherding. The saints and the new ones were nourished and I was nourished too. I do believe the Lord will continue to preserve them and keep them open for the weekly home meeting and be ushered into the church life.

The same message was also spoken in the gospel meeting of the young people where I gave the concluding word after the young brothers sharing the gospel message. It was indeed the Lord's timely speaking. I too am one of the prodigal sons who came back to the loving Father and whom the loving Father has gracious restored and recovered.

Praise the Lord for our loving Father! May the Lord continue to shepherd them and fully recover them for His testimony. 

Two Brothers

This week, the Lord has begun to practically answer the prayer we offered to Him as the church. Our burden before the end of this year 2020 is to gain 100 saints who are regularly meeting on the Lord's day. So far, we have come up to a little over half the target. In fact, if we were to include all the saints being shepherded regularly, the number would come to 75% of our goal. But our prayer has been to achieve 100%. I personally do not know how the Lord will do this, but I strongly believe the Lord will do it as we cooperate with Him in His move.

On Wednesday, a father and son came to the literature office to look for ministry books in Hindi. While they were browsing through the catalog, though I was in an online fellowship, I felt the need to go and spend time with them who were in our living room. I realized they were sent by the Lord miraculously to bring them into contact with the church here in Gurugram. The son has been looking for a proper fellowship on the word of God though he used to go to one of the denominations in the city. Somehow, he felt the lack of spiritual feeding there. Meanwhile, his father visited him from Nagpur who already has been in touch with the brothers in the church in Nagpur and has tasted the ministry. His father was so impressed by the truth in the ministry and wanted his son to be in fellowship with the church. Through this one meeting, the father and son decided that they should be in fellowship with the church in the Lord's recovery. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to start meeting with us once he comes back from visiting his ailing mother in Nagpur.

A few days later, his father called me and requested me to take care of his son spiritually who has been working in Gurugram. He expressed his desire that his son should be established in the word of God and be in fellowship with us in the local church. I was surprised that though they being members of one of the biggest Christian denominations in North India, they themselves decided to come to the church life. Generally, it has been so hard for some families I know for decades to come out of that denomination as they have "everything" outward for their religious needs. But this father and son have seen something from the Bible revealed through the ministry books and were eager to come into the church life. May the Lord preserve them and shepherd them with his healthy word so that they can be shepherded and built up in the church life here. 

Yesterday, the brother I met two weeks ago came to fellowship with me. He shared how he was impressed by the truths that I shared when I visited him the first time at his home concerning the church as the Body of Christ and the one new man and that how we follow the word of God as truthful and faithful as we could according to the Lord's grace. He was so happy that we met. In fact, in fellowship, we have decided to meet once every week for fellowship, prayer, and the study of the word. He is a local Hindi speaking brother. He has also been serving the Lord according to his own capacity and has been seeking a proper fellowship with a proper church according to the Bible. 

Though I cannot judge a person just by two meetings, still deep within me I have the realization that this is the Lord's doing in answer to the prayer of the Body for the increase. He also shared his burden to serve the local Hindi speaking people in Gurugram. That is also our burden too as the church. Perhaps, this is the way the Lord has opened for His move among the local people as we have been praying. I trust the Lord, He will gain the two brothers, both native Hindi speakers, who love the Lord and have the burden to serve the local people. 

As I fellowship about these two brothers in the brothers' fellowship this morning, we all were filled with joy and thanksgiving to the Lord for His move and answering the prayer of the Body. We all should prepare ourselves to shepherd these two brothers that the Lord may gain them and perfect them for His building work. 

May the Lord grace us the wisdom we need to shepherd them and build them up in the Body life.