Life Lessons: Ordinances and Shepherding

For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, and might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it. Ephesians 2:14-16

Ordinances

The primary source of the divisions among Christians throughout the centuries has been ordinances. We may trace these ordinances all the way back to the time of Babel. From the time of Babel, mankind has been divided by ordinances concerning the ways of living and worship. One of the main elements of ordinances is language. As we all know, the division of the peoples at Babel was related to differences of language. There are many other ordinances concerning practices. The practices of baptism, the way a Christian group meets, the way they worship and pray, and many other practices. All these ordinances must not be the cause of division may Christian. What is important is Christ, the one new man.

Today morning I saw a message from a brother that I have been shepherding for years. He texted me about his baptism which should have been a thing of joy. But my reaction was somewhat negative. As I went before the Lord to pray and consider, the Lord rebuked me in not being joyful at my brother's baptism. In fact, the Life-study message on ordinances spoke to me in a fresh way. I felt like the Lord rebuked me saying, "You are not joyful about your brother's baptism because he was not baptized by you? Or because he was baptized by a sister who first led him to the Lord? You think that he should be baptized by you and just by some "leading brothers?" You are holding to your own concept, that is ordinances." Then, I repented before the Lord. I was exposed of how I was unconsciously holding on to ordinances. My ordinances may be according to my understanding of the "proper teaching of the Bible." Nevertheless, it is still an ordinance. It was a big blow to me and a great deliverance from my own ordinances. Praise the Lord that a brother whom I have been shepherding has been baptized! And I am being delivered from my own good ordinances!

Shepherding 

Another matter the Lord clarified by doubt was on shepherding the new ones. Some of the new ones are yet to be delivered from idolatry as they are from such background and some are in a live-in relationship, which we have advised them strongly to not continue and get married properly. 

According to the teaching of the New Testament, there are four things which we cannot tolerate: idolatry, fornication, division, and the denial of the deity of Christ. Romans 16:17, “Now I beg you, brothers, keep a watchful eye on those who make divisions and causes of falling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them.” In 1 Corinthians 5:7-11 Paul deals with fornication and idolatry. In verse 9 he charges the saints “not to company with fornicators.” Fornication damages humanity, and idolatry is an insult to God. Although Paul was liberal with respect to doctrine, he would not tolerate anything related to fornication or idolatry. His word about these things is strong and definite. In Titus 3:10 Paul says, “A man that is factious, after the first and second admonition, reject” (Gk.). A factious person is divisive and sectarian. After such a one has been admonished once or twice, he should be rejected if he continues in his divisiveness. There can be no compromise or neutrality. Therefore, regarding idolatry, fornication, and divisiveness Paul was very strict, and we must be strict also. According to the Second Epistle of John, we see that we must also reject those who deny the incarnation of Christ. Verse 7 says, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” This verse indicates that even in the first century there were certain ones who called themselves Christians, but who did not confess that Christ was God come in the flesh. In other words, they denied the fact that Christ was God incarnated.

According to the truth objectively, the new ones we are shepherding them must be helped immediately lest they be cut off from the fellowship as some of them are still holding onto their past background of idol worship. And some are still in their live-in relationship which is another form of fornication. As I was considering in the light of the word of God and also in the light of shepherding the new ones, the Lord showed me a new light. I must pray and shepherding these new ones to the extent that they fully leave idolatry, and they also fully come out of fornication. Instead of applying the teachings to them, I must shepherd them that they are not barred from the fellowship because of their sinful past. The solution is not in applying the doctrinal truth to them, but to shepherd them that they grow in life to come out of their sinful past lifestyle. What a relief the Lord gave me this morning!

Self Knowledge and God's Light

Another light the Lord showed me today morning is regarding my service. As I considered my past years of service, I felt very disappointed that I did not fruitfully bore forth fruits, according to my estimation, considering the length of my service so far. This is my own self-knowledge from self-examination, At that juncture, the Lord's light shown on me through the PSRP session we just had on the Crystallization-study of Job. The Lord showed me how I need not be like Job who cursed his birth, who dwelt on his excellent past, and willing to die to escape the Lord's stripping. Rather, I should follow the pattern of the apostle Paul who lived Christ, who left everything of the past behind, good or bad, stretching forward to pursue and gain Christ, dying to live Christ and being filled with joy and rejoicing and preferring to live for the saints' progress and joy of their faith. With this light, I was very much comforted and learned my lesson to let go of everything of my own feeling and continue to faithfully serve the Lord.

These are the life lessons the Lord taught me today, regarding ordinances, shepherding, and concerning myself. Praise the Lord!

Gospel: First Fruit of the Year

At the beginning of this year, the Lord burdened me as He also burdened the church with the gospel. It has been my prayer since then that every month I can bear at least a fruit. And this year, as a family we can gain one whole local family for the Lord's testimony in Gurugram. From day one, and from the first week, I did my best to cooperated with the Lord's move in going out to contact people at least for two hours a week. I trust the Lord will continue to grace me week by week, and month by month.

Today morning, I was burdened by the Lord to call up one particular new one whom I met a few years ago during door knocking. I have been trying to contact him on phone and tried to meet him physically last year but it never was carried out. Today as I called him, he agreed to meet up at his house in the afternoon at about 4 PM.

Then, I was busy with phone call prayer with some saints that went on and on for almost an hour. As I was praying with a brother and a sister, the Lord burden me so much about this new one that I made an appointment with. I prayed deep within that this one would hear the gospel and receive the Lord today. Even as I prayed for him inwardly though I was on a call with the saints, a call came seven times from this new one, trying to contact me. I did not pick the call as I did not want to disturb the ongoing call with the saints. Right after the two phone call prayers, I called the new one back and he said he was ready to come and meet me instead of I going to meet him. Therefore, I immediately decided to pick him from a Metro Station as he did not know how to come to my home.

As he came home, the Lord led me to invite him for a meal as it was lunchtime,. Though my family did not prepare enough food for him too, we made a quick egg-corn fry and a small pot of rice. Then, we ate lunch together. It was during this lunchtime that I preached the gospel to him. As we ate our lunch we also ate the word of God. As we finished our lunch, I led him to receive the Lord by praying the sinner's prayer.

He is a lawyer by profession and also needs help in his career as the present pandemic has very much affected his profession. I told him that the best I can render is spiritual help in which he can contact God directly. Only the blessing of God counts in whatever we do. He agreed to my statement that apart from God there is no blessing. Therefore, I explained to him further how to contact God in our spirit and this is a very personal, private, and intimate matter, just between him and God. I also explained to him that this has nothing to do with religion. It is rather a personal spiritual relationship with God. I encouraged him to read the New Testament in English and Bengali, his mother tongue, for three-fold benefits. Firstly, for his spiritual nourishment and growth. Secondly, for his understanding of the word of God. And finally, to hone his language skill as he could possibly be a translator for the ministry books from English to Bengali.

After the personal gospel preaching and his prayer to receive the Lord, his visage changed and he became very serious about God. He expressed his eagerness to read the Bible and also to be able to translate one day if he was qualified to do so.  We both agreed to meet often, and perhaps, pray together as often as possible, even daily. Then I went to drop him.

The Lord has given this new one for my shepherding. May the Lord grace me to shepherd him that he can enjoy God's full salvation and become a useful vessel to the Lord. As his name is, so shall he be anointed of the Spirit of God!

May the Lord preserve him for Him alone, and bring him to experience and enjoy His full salvation, and even to become a serving one, one day. 

Fight the Good Fight in Prayer

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector. 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. For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst. Then Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:15-22 

The Lord gave us the step-by-step way in Matthew 18. These steps are to go to the person alone, then with one or two others, and finally to the church. If he would not listen even to the church, would we give up? We may stop with verse 17 of Matthew 18 by simply letting him be to us like a Gentile and a tax collector. If we stop here, however, our group will be reducing instead of increasing. Following verse 17 is verse 18 where the Lord said that we have to learn to bind and to release. We have to learn to pray in harmony for a sinning one. Then the Father in heaven will perform what we ask and will be in our midst. We also have to learn to forgive others countless times. This is the reality of the vital groups. 

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul rebuked the Corinthian believers and charged them to remove an evil one from their midst (v. 13). Paul’s charge was somewhat comparable to that of the Mosaic law in the Old Testament (see Deut. 13:5; 17:7, 12; 21:21; 22:21-22, 24; 24:7). But in 2 Corinthians Paul was tender, cautious, and considerate regarding this sinful person. After Paul told the saints to remove him, he did not have the peace, so he sent Titus to see the situation. Titus brought back the good news that this evil man had repented (7:6-13). Then Paul said that the saints should forgive and comfort this one. Otherwise, they could be taken advantage of by Satan (2:6-11). (Excerpt from The Vital Group, Ch. 1)

These days the Lord's speaking is on the matter of fighting the good fight against the works of the enemy and also fighting for the saints and the church. Yesterday, we had the church's ministry meeting in which we listened to the message spoken by brother Witness Lee on the vital group. Today, in our Wednesday coworkers' fellowship, the same message was played. The Lord's speaking is also being followed by His hands. 

Immediately after I got the light on the matter of taking care of the sinning ones, based on Brother Witness Lee's message, I received a phone call from a brother concerning a new couple who just started coming to the church. Though they are not legally married, they have been living together as a couple. We have already fellowshipped with them to set their relationship right before God and man, which they are willing to do whenever they could as that involved money which they do not have at the moment.  Meanwhile, they were caught red-handed yesterday in a very embarrassing situation of a physical fight due to a relationship issue between the brother and the sister. When another brother narrated to me what he witnessed of the entire situation as we both are shepherding them from the very beginning, I was reminded of the way the Lord dealt with a woman caught in adultery in her very act, and how the Lord did not condemn her but forgave her and asked her to sin no more.  And the message I just enjoyed on the vital group concerning dealing with a sinning brother just matched the experience I am facing with the new ones. 

The light I got from the message is a salvation indeed for me. I was saved from condemning the sinning ones so easily and lightly.  In my natural man, I would react in a way of cutting off the couple from further fellowship who are not morally or ethically up to the Christian as generally understood. I could have easily ended at the verse in Matthew 18:17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector." It is very easy to conclude this verse by dubbing the sinning ones as "Gentile and tax collector." But, I was deeply enlightened to see further, in verse 18, "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." Verse 17 ended so low, yet verse 18 opened up the need to pray with the twos and threes praying an authoritative prayer of binding and loosing such sinning ones.  Such sinning ones should not be given up, but be prayed for, for God to release them from the bondage of Satan who binds them. Only by such prayer in harmony among the vital members, exercising the heavenly authority, can the sinning ones be fully delivered. Then, once the Lord releases them, we have to forgive them, love them, and continue to shepherd them. Then, the sinning ones would repent and be recovered. Even, perhaps, be revived!

Therefore, yesterday when my vital partner called me, my innate response was not to pass any judgement, but to pray a releasing prayer. So we prayed together for the couple. Last night too, I prayed such a releasing prayer for the Lord to release them. Advice and so called "fellowship" will not work when one is under the bondage of Satan. What they need is the Lord's deliverance from the bondage of Satan. And today evening, I called up the brother whose sister had "cheated"  him with an immoral activity that ended up in their fight. I called him to shepherd him, and then prayed for them. 

In fact, just last Lord's day, as a part of caring for the needy saints, a considerable amount of money was loaned to the couple as they lost their job for months now and were in urgent need to pay their house rent. I personally took the burden and fellowshiped with a responsible brother in the church and made arrangement for them financially. A thought passed through my mind if I had done the right thing, but the message confirmed that the needy saints should be taken care of and prayed for. This is how I fight the good fight in prayer and also in deed by practically caring for their need.

The Lord's hand does follow His speaking. I am glad I have been graced to fight the good fight for the saints in prayer. 

May the Lord shepherd and release the sinning ones and fully recover them.   

Fight the Good Fight

I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Excerpt from THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, THE CHURCH LIFE, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE AGE, AND THE COMING OF THE LORD, Message 7, Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing. 

A proper Christian life involves fighting the good fight against Satan and his kingdom of darkness and for the interests of God’s kingdom—Eph. 6:10-19.  

To war the good warfare is to war against the differing teachings and to carry out God’s economy according to the apostle’s ministry concerning the gospel of grace and eternal life for the glory of the blessed God—1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12.

Whenever we minister Christ to others, we find ourselves in a battle; hence, we should be soldiers fighting for God’s interests—2 Tim. 2:3-4.

To teach and preach God’s New Testament economy concerning Christ and the church is to war the good warfare—1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 5:32.

To fight the good fight of the faith means to fight for God’s New Testament economy; in particular, it is to fight for Christ as the embodiment of God and for the church as the Body of Christ—1 Tim. 6:12; 1:4; Col. 2:9, 19.

We fight the good fight of the faith not only objectively but also subjectively by laying hold on the eternal life—1 Tim. 6:12.

The above quotes were from the message we dived into last week in the local church here. Yes, a proper Christian life involves fighting the good fight. Many saints enjoyed the Lord's speaking on fighting the good warfare as a soldier of Christ Jesus. I too shared my portion of enjoyment in the prophesying meeting which was mostly on the objective truth side. Little did I realize that I would be experiencing the subjective side as well by actually fighting the good fight for God's economy concerning Christ and the church.

The very next day, which is yesterday, Monday, I had an appointment with a local pastor in Gurugram whom we met over a year ago for the first time for the introduction and promotion of the ministry books. After introducing the books to him, he was very impressed by the depth of the teaching in the ministry of the word. He himself was so much helped by the book, "The Normal Christina Life." Moreover, he was very impressed by the Hindi literature that we brought out as well. Yet, the enemy had interrupted in spreading the ministry further in this city, not through unbelievers and outsiders, but by some pastors from the South who have been mentally blocked by the false accusations of the past.

Yesterday, when I met him, the topic of false accusations came up. Then he openly confessed that he was called "naive" by some pastors in Gurugram when he endorsed and introduced the ministry books to them out of his appreciation of the ministry. It was so shocking to him how certain communities of the so called pastor negatively reacted with atrocity when they heard about Witness Lee. Since then, though he appreciated the ministry so much and even liked us as fellows believers, he had a question mark on us. I am glad this topic was brought up.

Then, I narrated the history of the Lord's recovery beginning with brother Watchman Nee in China, then Witness Lee, and how the ministry has spread to the USA and then to different parts of the world. I also did my best to explain how the false accusation in the USA started and who started and how it spread, and how those false accusations have been refuted and the matter settled. Though opposers will always be there, the defamation tactic of the enemy has greatly been subdued with refutation based on the truth of the Bible.

After a lengthy defense and confirmation of the truth and a good while fellowship, we both prayed together. He was so glad that the Lord had arranged such a time of confirmation of the ministry by brother Watchman nee and Witness Lee. He even requested me to send him the confirmations, statements, and testimonies by various Christian leaders, which I did today by sending them. I compiled together some selected testimonies and statements by theologians, from the CRI, the Fuller Theological Seminary, and the USA Congressional Records and mailed it to him. The Bible verse that the Lord has expressly spoken to me has become very subjective again.

Titus 1:9 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.

The Lord has been gracing me to hold to the faithful word and be exhorted by the healthy teaching. 

May the Lord continue to grace me so as to stop the subtle works of the enemy in opposing the healthy teaching that many of the dear ones in Gurugram and all over India would be supplied and blessed with the ministry of the word which is for all.

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