A Graceful Exit

In my post on executing justice and loving mercy (http://palmeichung.blogspot.com/2020/12/execute-justice-and-love-mercy.html), I  mentioned how the Lord led me to be balanced in dealing with a brother and do it so as a serving one. I have prayed for this matter a lot as I cared for that brother and his family. It was indeed unfortunate to go through such a tough situation but the act of misapprorating finance cannot be easily overlooked. Yet at the same time, he must also be shown mercy. 

The Lord has been very faithful and righteous in dealing with a sensitive matter like this. I tread this path carefully with much prayer and fellowship with the brothers with whom I am coordinating. I had been for some time hanging in a dilemma, considering and praying how to deal with it. Officially and as a brother, I need to handle the matter wisely. Therefore after all talks, prayer, fellowship, and consideration, the Lord paved the way for his graceful exit. 

The Lord sovereignly did not allow him to continue as a serving one. I dare not discontinue anyone's service for that matter. I left the final decision to the Lord through the fellowship in the Body. I never practice the secular and worldly principle of "hire and fire." I hope I will never have to do this ever during my service tenure. May the Lord cover me so. I have been carefully considering how to help such a serving one who officially transgressed yet continue to shepherd him as a brother. The Lord in His sovereignty made it very clear and pave the way for his graceful exit.

Without any official "firing," things worked out in such a way that he has been led to another work out of the service domain we are presently in. At the same time, he has obliged to pay the due accrued in his custody. And to take care of his immediate human need, we have gracefully granted him three-month full support to move on. These processes were gracefully carried out and the matter settled once for all. He and the company are both on good terms and there is no bone of contention whatsoever in this execution. 

I practically had to deal with all the matters. Therefore, I have been in communication with him. For the final settlement, all the office belongings were asked to be sent to our head office. For this, I made a favorable decision to help him do so. Once all the office things were received, I immediately released the three full month support and issued his experience certificate for him to move on. And he also started paying back the financial dues he owes to the office. This is how the Lord has been leading in executing justice and loving mercy that led to a graceful exit.

May the Lord be our wisdom in taking care of the saints and the serving ones that the enemy may have no ground in us and in all our dealings in any way. Much grace to us all.

Faithful Word, Healthy Teaching

Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles, that he may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose.  Titus 1:9 

For the promotion of the Holy Bible, Recovery Version, I designed a pamphlet and sent it to the brothers for their comments, suggestions, and approval. A brother wrote back to me to remove the banner that we have been using for a decade, "High Quality Christian Literature." He felt that it was too boastful to say that we have the "high quality" Christian literature. I took that comment as from the Lord and considered to strike it off.

As I considered a substitute for this banner, the Lord lead me to a verse in Titus 1:9 where Paul charged Titus, his young coworker, to "hold to the faithful word"  which is according to the apostles' teaching, which is the content of the New Testament economy. In that way, he exhorted him to stand by the healthy teaching and convict those who oppose. In fact, this verse perfectly describes the literature service I have been apportioned to serve. I felt it was the Lord's leading that He gave such a feeling to a brother to consider the change. And this change turned out to be for the best! Praise the Lord! 

The Faithful Word: The ministry of the word that we are engaged in is indeed the faithful word. Many truths that have been neglected by many Christian preachers and teachers are being propagated with much vigor. The teaching concerning the divine trinity in His essence and economy, the person of Christ with His divinity and humanity, the church in her universal and local aspect, the Christian life in living out Christ, and the practices of the church life in a locality with the practice of the God-ordained way, the Holy Spirit, the Gospel, the New Jeerusalem, etc. 

The Healthy Teaching: The ministry of the word is also the healthy teaching that makes a believer grow in life, nourishes and cherishes him, and equips him with the word on the positive side. And also prepares him to stand against the degradation, false teachings, and opposition from those of the untrained mind. 

Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God's economy, which is in faith. 1 Timothy 1:4

Hold a pattern of the healthy words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13

Therefore, I redesigned the new banner for the literature service in India as "Faithful Word, Healthy Teaching | The MINISTRY of the Word for All."

The Best Gift

A Gift of the Word to Myself 

With the new opportunities and new burdens for this new year 2021, I have decided to buy a new Bible for myself. I termed it as a "gift to myself" for this new year. Though I have a good number of Bibles already, I have been using the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible daily and regularly. Other Bible versions, I use for reference and comparison in  term o f translation.  Every year I have been reading the Bible, day by day. And I have been reading I also used color marking to mark certain Bible verses for my reference. Therefore, my Bible has been "used."  So, I decided to read from a brand new Bible. To approach the word of God in a fresh and new way. Though I have read many times, I do not like to be mentally blocked by what I have already known in terms of truth and revelation. I prefer to have a fresh new revelation. I am approaching it as a new beginner with a clean slate to receive a fresh speaking from the Lord.

A Gif to My Children

In the same principle applied to myself on dealing with the word of God, I did to my children as well. Last year, my gift to my eldest daughter and son was the Holy Bible, Recovery Version, bonded leather.  And to my youngest daughter, the New Testament, Recovery Version. I was burdened to impress into their being from their young age, the importance of the word of God. As I have my new beginning in reading and studying the word of God, I do the same with my children. May the Lord bless us to be a people of His word, a family of the word of God.

A Gift to a Newly Married Couple

Again in the same principle, I proposed that the Holy Bible, Recovery Version be gifted to a newly wedded brother. This is the best wedding gift I could think of. In fact, after the wedding the brother openly testified that he and his wife appreciated the gift of Bible so much. Though they are Christians and have their Bibles already, the wedding gift was very special to them and they decided to make it their "family Bible."

A Gift to New Ones Who Got Baptized

Again, in the same principle, all the newly baptized believers were and are and will be given the Bible. From day one of their Christian life, they are being led to to the word of God directly. That they may learn to read and study the Lord's word and that the Lord may speak to them directly. After all, it is only the word of God that can make them grow and build them up.

And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified. Acts 20:32 

2021 New Opportunities

Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ. Col. 2:16-17

According to the changing of days, months, and years, God gives us new opportunities every day, every month, and every year…

God has ordained days, months, and years for the existence and growth of living things…If the time span of the universe consisted of one long day, there would be only one opportunity for life to exist and grow. Thus, if there were existence and growth during this period of time, there would be existence and growth, but if there were a failure to exist and grow, there would not be another opportunity for life to exist and grow. Thankfully, God has prepared and ordained numerous opportunities in the universe, not just one opportunity. If we experience a failure during one year, there will be another year. If our work is not successful this year, we can start again next year…

We need to consider before the Lord how we have spent our time and the things in which we failed and in which we overcame. We need to consider the areas in which we responded to the Lord’s demands and in which we rejected the Lord’s will. We need to bring our spiritual condition before the Lord in order to settle accounts and have a proper clearance so that we can have a new beginning. (CWWL, 1957, vol. 1, “God’s Need and God’s Goal,” ch. 4, pp. 120-122, 124)

In this light of the Lord giving me new opportunities, as I was considering before the Lord at the end of the last year and at the beginning of this new year, though I resisted making any resolution in my natural man, still the Lord burdened me to consider some aspects of my Christian life, family life, and church life. These are the direct speakings from the Lord. Whether I could make it or not is not up to me. The burden He gave He will definitely accomplish it. In the principle of incarnation, I must cooperate with the Lord in His speaking. 

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure. Ephesians 2: 12-13

For which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power.  Colossians 1: 29

Since the source of the burden is from Him, He will grace me the strength to carry them out. On the one hand, it is I who has to work out my "salvation" yet, on the other hand, it will be done so as He operates in me. With the new opportunities given to me with a new year, I must cooperate with God. The following are some specific points the Lord burdened me to cooperate with Him.

In Gospel Preaching: Weekly, I am burdened to exercise to preach the gospel at least for two hours. Whether I meet the new ones physically or not, I am burdened to use all means to preach the gospel. This is also the Lord's leading for the local church I am in. My responsibility is to be faithful to the Lord's speaking by His operation in me.  Week by week, I trust the Lord will grace me to carry out this burden. 

In Fruit Bearing: If I continue to abide in Him and cooperate with Him in carrying out His burden, there will definitely be fruits. I pray and look to the Lord for His blessing as I endeavor to labor in His vineyard, to bear fruit regularly each month. This is a burden, and I believe the Lord will accomplish it by faith. 

In Prayer: In the matter of prayer, this year the specific burden is to spend at least a solid one hour with the Lord daily. This is in addition to the corporate prayer time I have been enjoying with some saints and serving ones daily. As a family, half an hour everyday family prayer to be carried out as well as a continuation from the previous year's burden.

In Studying the Word: I have been reading the Bible daily, and have read through the entire Bible over and over again. Still, this year the added burden is to also study and dwell on the word. In other words, delve into the word, study, and pray over the Lord's speaking through the word. In addition to reading through the text of the Holy Bible, I am also being burdened to study the footnotes in the Recovery Version, at least once a year. In this way, gaining the proper and healthy constitution of the truth. For this, at least an hour daily, I am burdened to spend, in addition to the regular reading through the text of the Bible. Yes, I must continue to finish reading through the Bible at least once a year, and now my extra burden is to also study the footnotes of the entire Bible once a year.

Early Rising: This year a new burden is on the matter of early rising. Unknowingly my life-style in Metro city and especially during the pandemic has gradually led me to sleep late and rise late. This is definitely not healthy, physically nor spiritually. It has been a challenge to adjust my body timing to sleep early and rise early. The famous dictum, "Early to be and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" has been ringing in my ear me as a reminder.  That is the Lord's speaking to adjust my lifestyle.

Family Morning Revival: Though we all have our own personal morning revival and a corporate revival with various other saints, I am freshly burdened for the family revival time. So far I have not included my children in this kind of exercise. Perhaps, the time has come to let them exercise as well. The Lord will grace us through in this matter as well.

These are the burdens to be carried out as the new opportunities the Lord gave me in this new year. And He will faithfully grace me on and one. In 

To You, O Jehovah, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Do not let me be ashamed; Psalms 25: 1-2

New Beginning

The Lord's leading is ever fresh and new. Year by year His leading has been progressive in spiritual matters, especially with me. Generally, during the new year, as would others, I used to make some resolutions and consecrated to the Lord, and tried my best to keep my promises. Well, that may be good but the real execution is where many struggles with, including me. This year, the Lord has delivered me from that kind of mindset where I attempt to do things with my natural strength. I experience the Lord leading me further with the new year. No definite new year resolution yet I have been feeling quite a relief and an inward sense of growth. Not that I would be loose and seek no improvement, but that the progress comes naturally. 

This morning as we brothers met together for fellowship at 6 AM, which began with prayer and pursuing the truth together, I just felt like we were sailing on as a church and as a group of coordinated and blended brothers who are learning to take the lead in the local church here. There was no feeling of carrying out religious duty nor doing our "job". But the presence of the Lord and His leading hand was very evident. We all enjoyed the fellowship of one another in a blended way.

As the church, the Lord's leading has been very evident. Beginning this year a good number of positive developments have happened.

Gospel Preaching 

As the church every Saturday we used to go out to preach the gospel. Since the pandemic struck and due to lockdown, our going out to preach the gospel stopped for the whole year. Despite that, we have been conducting online gospel meetings every week. Now, beginning this year, we recovered back the gospel preaching every Saturday after the prayer meeting for about two hours a week. Today I went with a brother and met three groups of new ones. To one group, I shared my testimony, to another group I preach the gospel and led the new one to receive the Lord by prayer, and again to the other, I made a friendly contact in the way of cherishing. May the Lord continue to grace every saint to preach the gospel for at least two hours a week and bear forth spiritual fruits.

Perfecting Training 

We have not been having perfecting training for many months,  again due to pandemic. Even otherwise, the training we have had was mostly joining the training conducted elsewhere. But this year, the Lord is leading us to conduct our owning perfecting training for the local saints. This is a new development too. Praise the Lord. May the Lord perfect all the local saints through this perfecting training.

Brothers' Prayer, Fellowship, and Truth Pursuit 

Though we used to have brothers' fellowship, this year, it has started with truth pursuit on "The Elders' Management of the Church." Local brothers could now share the truth in Hindi and they are being perfected. The intensity of our prayer and the quality of our fellowship has been very much strengthened.

Brother Andrew Yu

In Memory of Brother Andrew Yu

With Br. Andrew Yu, 11 July 2016, LSM Campus, on Monday morning after serving one's fellowship.

I first met Brother Andrew Yu in person on 3rd July, Lord’s day morning at a restaurant in Anaheim over breakfast where I presented the budget for the Recovery Version translation in 6 Indian languages. The meeting was all related to the translation project and I did not have any personal fellowship, it was an official meeting as we prepared for the colossal work of translating the New Testament into 6 languages simultaneously. This is, by far, the most any literature center has taken up a project. Everything, to me, was the Lord's sovereignty and it is He who has been leading us through and through all this years. 

After the semiannual training, on the 11th of July 2016 I was invited to attend the serving ones' fellowship at LSM Campus on Monday morning. After the pursuing on a chapter from The Character of the Lord’s Workers, brother Andrew Yu spoke and surprised me. He said something like, "Today we have a brother from India and he will share with us his testimony; how he got saved, how he came to the church life, and how the propagation in India is going on, and how the distribution of the ministry books is done in India." I took that as the Lord’s arrangement and exercised my spirit to speak though it was an impromptu announcement. Then I testified of how the Lord saved me, how the Lord led me to His recovery, and how the Lord blessed His move in India especially through the distribution of the ministry of the word.  After my testimony and sharing, brother Andrew Yu encouraged all the saints present in the meeting to pray for India. After the meeting I went to greet him, shook hands, and took the photo together. That was perhaps the only personal interaction I had with him.

On 20th Dec 2020, I was at court premises in Gurugram, stamping and notorising the copyright agreements signed between LSM and the translators in India when I saw a message from my wife about brother Andrew Yu being taken to glory. I felt sorrowful for the great loss yet I thanked the Lord for such a faithful brother who indeed has been a pattern to many young serving ones like me. May the Lord continue to raise many young serving ones who would be faithful, diligent, and prudent in service, especially in the literature service.

Today, I received a message from Brother Jerusalem about Brother Andrew Yu's memorial day service which I attended online, being held by the Gospel Work in Taiwan. I was amazed at the capacity and gift our brother had in his lifetime. His service, to my understanding, is a fruitful one spanning the whole globe. His burden to propagate the ministry of the word, and his labor to bring out the Collected Works of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and his burden to defend and confirm the truth are proofs of the special gifts the Lord had bestowed upon. To me, its glorious! I am glad and feel blessed to have such a pattern to learn from. I would personally thank the Lord for such a brother who had gone before me. Praise the Lord!

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with you all.

Philippians 2:17

For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure is at hand.

2 Timothy 4:6

 But you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, endurance. 2 Timothy 3:10

These are the Bible verses that describes him best. Some of the exerpts from his memorial service are below:

In 1994 Brother Lee had the burden to publish the journal Affirmation and Critique to defend and confirm the pure and orthodox truths among us for the English-speaking Christians. Brother Andrew immediately invited some Chinese-speaking co-workers to participate in the writing of the Chinese edition of Affirmation and Critique. As he had been nurtured by Brother Lee over a

long period of time, Brother Andrew had a deep knowledge of Brother Lee's inner burden and was thus always able to carry out his burden strongly and absolutely.

In 2000, in a fellowship with the co-workers in Taiwan, Brother Andrew earnestly said that he had no thought of reputation and position and only hoped to follow the ministry singleheartedly, and he vowed to remove all stigmas and accusations against Brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee during his lifetime. Eventually, our brother truly spared no effort in this endeavor until his death. For the defense and confirmation of the truth, Brother Andrew encouraged co-workers to endeavor to attend any truth seminars or theological forums held in China. In addition, he also encouraged brothers in other countries to hold similar forums and invite scholars from different fields to participate in the discussion. This caused people from various backgrounds to have a reversal in their understanding regarding the orthodoxy of the theology in the Lord s recovery.

With regards to the completion of the entire set of 62 volumes of The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, and the entire set of 138 volumes of The Collected Works of Witness Lee, Brother Andrew not only was tireless in the areas of planning, coordinating, and supervising, but much more, he was personally involved in the areas of collecting the materials, editing, translating, and publishing. Take The Collected Works of Watchman Nee as an example, Brother Andrew went all over the world to search for and collect materials. As long as there was any clue of where the materials were, he would not give up. After the Chinese version of The Collected Works of Watchman Nee was published, there was the need to translate it into English. At that time, it was not easy to find someone who was fluent in both Chinese and English and could properly translate Chinese into English both faithfully and elegantly. Without any hesitation, Brother Andrew took up this enormous burden. Regardless of how busy his service was, he set the goal for himself to translate 30 pages a day and thus tirelessly and diligently completed this difficult task. Actually, oftentimes he worked late into the night, without sleep or rest.

Another exceprt from Brother Andrew Yu's testimony:

I remember this story. So, going back to the matter of buying the air-ticket, bro. Lee did not respond to that brother’s question. But in the following week, in a fellowship with a number of brothers, he mentioned about living by faith. The week before when the brother asked that question, bro. Lee did not reply. One week later, what he spoke was the answer. I also received an answer. That is, to serve the Lord we need to live by faith.

When the working ones hear about living by faith, they will turn pale. But our Lord is the All-mighty One who is real and living. He is living to bro. Nee and bro. Lee, and He should also be living to you. How far your faith is, how much His faithfulness will be manifested. Serving the Lord is like this. It is impossible to be rich. It is also impossible to starve. These two lines summarize my testimony. That time bro. Lee told me, “You consider so much and still you are not clear. For me, in two weeks everything is clear.” That time, my wife was still working. So her earning is a “reserve” to me. I also have one year of savings. So I thought, I would take one step at a time. I did not announce that I became a full-timer. I only gave all my time privately. One time, bro. Lee said next to me and said, “How come you still have not made it clear?” I felt very ashamed, seemed I was still dragging along. Anyhow, some people ran faster, some went slower, the Lord did not mind. Some people struggle for three years or five years, and the Lord still bears. The important thing is to follow the Lord’s leading and not arrangement by people.

That time I spent all my time to help bro. Lee. But bro. Lee is not my Lord. Only the Lord Jesus is my Lord. When I can give my portion I give and serve Him. No matter what we do, we are serving the Lord, and we are responsible to Him. Then the Lord will be responsible for us. We are the same as Peter. We do not have faith. That’s why the record in John 21 is very human. It is the test that we often face. Anyway, Jesus is Lord.

In 2004 I fell sick. At the end of that year, I counted, from 1979 (when I started to serve the Lord privately) until the end of last year, I have served the Lord for 25 years. At 3 a.m. on 1 January 2005, I woke up and prayed to the Lord, “Lord, in the past 25 years, it was so valuable. Along the way, you have been holding my hands, it was so sweet. Outwardly I was serving people and things, inwardly I was serving You. Lord, I did not have any interest in this world. I consecrated everything to you. But if you have mercy on me, I pray that you can give me another 25 years, so that I can live another 25 years of such a worthwhile life. This is my only hope.” I don’t know if the Lord heard my prayer. Anyway, it is His mercy that I can serve Him until today. I thank the Lord from the deepest part of my being. My fellowship ends here.

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful pattern of a propagator of the ministry of the word!

Prayer of the Age

Last Lord's day I was asked to lead the saints in PSRP on the message on the prayer of the age just before the actual meeting began. The brothers who were assigned for the work could not make it at the last minute. So I and another brother had to take up the assignment impromptu. No issue at all. I took it as an opportunity to handle the word in season and out of season. By the Lord's mercy, I have the grace to be able to take up impromptu assignment even at the spar of the moment. Years of learning the truth in the church life have made this possible. The key point in the ministry of the word is the Spirit. As long as I exercised my spirit the word will be living and full of life supply.

The prayer of the age is the prayer of the church as the Body of Christ, the prayer that exercises the authority of Christ as the ascended Lord and Head of the Body, for the fulfilling of God’s economy—Isa.45:11; 62: 67; Ezek. 36:37; Matt. 18:18, 19. This is a direct quotation from the ministry outline. I was so enlightened to see the point in praying the prayer of the age. The principle of the prayer of the age is; firstly God has a need, then, He reveals His need to men who are one with Him and could discern His will, then such men pray back the will of God to God, and finally, God answers the prayer made according to His will. Here, the underlying point is, "God's will."

Now, many Christian misquoted the verse in the gospel of Matthew: 

Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. Matthew 18:18-19

There is a need to pray a prayer as taught by the Lord Jesus, but not merely in being in harmony. Many Christians simply pick the point, "if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens." So they bring out their own will, share with other Christians and claim this verse. But they forgot to see the previous verse which says, "Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Here, the point again is, we can bind and loose on earth what God wills to bind and loose in the heavens. The will of God is predetermined. We have to exercise to be one spirit with the Lord to discern the Lord's will. And based on that discernment, we pray accordingly in harmony. Then, God will definitely aswer such prayers.  This is the principle of prayer and is also the prayer of the age.

This is a new light for me. Not merely praying in harmony with my fellow believers for whatever I want. I must first discern God's will, then pray in harmony with my fellow believers, then God will definitely answer such prayers. Two more examples are noteworthy:

When Moses was on the mountain, the Israelites won every time he raised his hands, and the Amalekites won every time he lowered his hands (Exo. 17:9 11). Who decided the victory at the bottom of the mountain? Did God decide or did Moses decide?...We have to see God’s principle of work and the key to His move. God cannot do what He wants to do unless man wants it. We cannot make God do what He does not want to do, yet we can stop God from doing what He wants to do. The victory was decided by God in heaven, but the victory was decided by Moses before men. Truly, God in heaven wanted the Israelites to win, but if Moses had not raised his hands on earth, the Israelites would have lost. When he raised his hands, the Israelites won. The earth controls heaven.

God has a purpose to increase the number of the house of Israel so that the Israelites would increase like a flock. Those who do not know God will say, “If God wants to increase the number of the Israelites like a flock, He could go ahead and do it. Who could stop Him?” But Ezekiel 36:37 says that God must be inquired of fi rst before He will accomplish it for them. This is a clear principle: Even though God decides on a matter, He will not do it immediately. He would increase the house of Israel only after they inquired of Him. He wants the earth to control heaven. (The Prayer Ministry of the Church, pp. 138-139)

This lesson on prayer has been so fresh to me. I shared it in the brothers' fellowship yesterday, and today I shared it in the prophesying meeting too. I am glad I am learning this lesson now. I need to pray in harmony with my fellow believers; not what I want to pray for but what God wants me to pray for. This connects my prayer to my being. My living should be in oneness with God to discern God's will. Only when I am one with God then can I pray the prayer of the age. Therefore, to pray effectively, I must be a man of prayer, one with God.

Lord, gain my life and my prayer life to pray the prayer of the age according to Your will.