Life Lessons: Shepherding

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only good Shepherd. As His child, I am also learning to shepherd the new ones who are brought under my care. Out of the burden I have for the new ones, I have a soft and tender heart towards all the ones I care for. But oftentimes my natural affection took over the feeling of God, in the past. My own natural goodness has been a hindrance for me in genuinely caring for the believers. As fallen human beings, even the believers expressed their practical needs, mostly financial, and even expected help as a part of shepherding. 

In the past, I have helped a good number of new ones financially as the Lord also provided the sources. But later I realized that they are not very genuine in their seeking "help." They have often taken me for granted just to console and comfort them during their hard times and provided them some help, financially, when they are in need. I have made the mistake of my emotion taking over my spirit. My soft natural heart was so easily convinced to sympathize with them and help with whatever and whichever way I could. Of course from my side, I do it as to the Lord. But later my eyes were opened to see that that may not be the best way to shepherd these new ones, especially those who only expect financial help from me. 

In fact, when I realize that these ones that I have helped in the name of "shepherding" actually are not genuine seeking ones. They took advantage of my Christian brotherhood and played with my emotion. If they were serious and genuine in their seeking they would have fully given themselves to the Lord and even come into the church life by now. Despite all my effort o usher them into the church life, they simply and indirectly proved to me that they are eyeing only for "monetary shepherding." This is a big lesson for me to learn in shepherding. 

Oh how much I need the discerning spirit to discern succinctly from the very first meeting with these new ones! Now I have decided only to shepherd them with the word of God, prayer, fellowship, and in non-monetary matters. If my shepherding with the word and prayer cannot usher them into the church life, my monetary shepherding will never. I am afraid I might spoil them with "easy money." With this lesson learned, I have deleted those new ones' bank account I have saved in my saving bank so that I may not be easily prompted to transfer money. In case the Lord wants me to still help them monetarily, I will do so in cash but after much prayer and consideration as not to repeat the past mistakes I have already commited.

Money is so deceptive. It blinds people's eyes, not the receiver only, but many times even the channel through which the offering was routed.  In the past week, I have heard three different brothers indirectly mentioning their need for financial help. They have not come into the practical church life yet, still, they dared to speak in such a loose way. I guess it was for my learning that the Lord allowed such incidents. Now I am determined not to help them financially at all until the Lord lead me so, and will only pray for them and shepherd them with the word of God.

Only Christ, the church, and the truths should be the goal of shepherding. Even if any new ones are attracted to the church it must be just for the sake of Christ and the truths. My material for shepherding must also be just Christ, the truths, and the church.

Lors, shepherd me so that I can shepherd others in a pure way with the goal of Christ and the church only.

Director's Duties

As a serving one in the literature service which is registered to the Government of India for all legal formalities and conformity to the law of the land, we, a group of brothers, serve together as directors. Even within this group, two directors are mostly in the operation of the company of which my responsibility is to carry out many practical working out of the need of the company. 

Since 2010, I have been brought onboard serving as one of the directors. And since then, I have been learning how to serve as a director. God is my witness, I have never assumed a position of being a director as such in a matter of position to boast or show off before man, but whenever needed I did stand on that ground and do the works that needs to be done, but mostly for official purposes.

These days many of the works of "directing" needs to be done. Since the company has been blessed by the Lord to cater to the need of this country, India, for the spiritual supply of food to all the children of God in at least ten Indian languages and distributing the ministry literature all over India,  many "directorial" decisions have to be taken. In a very practical term, we have had many "brainstorming sessions" to consider and come to a conclusion about some crucial matters. Of course, the difference here is, our brainstorming session has been with much exercises of the spirit with prayer, and fellowshipping matters together with the brothers and then seeking the leading of the Lord in fellowship and oneness to make the final call. Many of my office hours have been consumed on considering people for the service and dealing with almost all practical things of the company.  The Lord has been my wisdom and grace to do all that He wants me to do.

All this, said David, has He made clear by a writing from the hand of Jehovah upon me, all the details of the pattern. And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and take courage and do it; do not be afraid or dismayed, for Jehovah God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until the completion of all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah. And here are the divisions of priests and Levites for all the service of the house of God, and with you in all the work will be every willing man with wisdom for any service; also the leaders and all the people will be wholly at your command. 1 Chronicles 28:19-21

 God gave Solomon wisdom to deal with His people and built the temple in Jerusalem.  There are many spiritual lessons I am learning from the Bible concerning Solomon and the way he exercised wisdom and discernment in overseeing the people of God and the works of God. In many matters, I felt like walking on a tight rope as the cases we have been dealing with are very sensitive in nature and can have an adverse effect if not dealt with properly.  I am glad I have a group of coordinating brothers to consider every matter together; we serve in the coordination in the Body. This has been my protection and previlege to discharge the director's duties assigned to me. I can only pray the prayer of Solomon in asking God for wisdom.

Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours? 2 Chronicles 1:10

Lord, give me wisdom, discernment, knowledge, and skill to serve as Your slave to fulfill all the director's duties You have sovereignly assigned to me. 

Lessons on Prayer

To be a man of prayer to pray according to God's heart's desire, one has to learn spiritual principles set up by God; learn the life lessons from the history of the children of God, and also learn from the negative situations among God's children as holy warnings. 

Samuel as a man of prayer had learned all these lessons as he grew up and therefore could serve effectively as a Nazarite, prophet, priest, judge, and a man of prayer. He represented God among God's people and turned the age from the waning and degrading priesthood to the age of the king. In fact, he anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. Such a man, Samuel, approved of God or asked of God, is the need of the age. Today's Samuel is the need now, who would be an overcomer to turn the age. Who can be such?

To be an overcomer like today's Samuel, the first requirement is to voluntarily consecrate as a Nazarite. In this consecration, one has to deal with the world with all its enjoyment and pleasure. This needs a thorough and strong consecration. We live in an age surrounded by the world with all its glories and glitters, only a "Samuel" can overcome its stupefying effects. Then, there is a need for complete submission to God's authority and His many deputies' authorities. Then there must be the dealings with natural affection and abstaining from spiritually dead people. All these, in principle, were laid down in Numbers 6.

Following the consecration, there must be the learning of life lessons in learning to listen to God.

And Eli said to Samuel, Go and lie down, and if He calls you, you shall say, Speak, O Jehovah; for Your servant is listening. And Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then Jehovah came and stood by and called as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for Your servant is listening. 1 Samuel 3:9-10

Learn to listen to God. Do not do anything without the word of God. Besides, Samuel also witnessed all the evils that Eli's sons had committed in the house of Jehovah. He observed the situation, though negative, yet did not rebel against Eli's house, nor tried to bring in revolution, but as he heard from God and saw revelations concerning God's heart's desire, he quietly learned and turned all those things he saw as holy warnings which became a preservation for him for his whole life. With all these spiritual learnings, he was a man of prayer. Such a person can indeed be a man of prayer. He even regarded not praying for god's people as a sin.

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against Jehovah by ceasing to pray for you, but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 1 Samuel 12:23

In line with this, in the church's perfecting training, we also learned some precious lessons on prayer from A Pattern of the Healthy Words, Lesson Twenty, Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.

Col. 4:2 Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.

Phil. 4:6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Mark 9:29  And He said to them, This kind cannot come out by any means except prayer.

The highest and most accurate meaning of prayer is that it is the mutual contact between God and man.

A vital person, an overcomer, is a praying person. 

The vitality is not in your doing. The vitality is in your prayer.

To pray means that we realize that we are nothing and that we can do nothing.

Prayer is man breathing in God, obtaining God, and being obtained by God. 

When some saints hear a word about prayer, they immediately ask how to pray. We should forget about how and simply pray. We learn to pray by praying.

We need to persevere in prayer because almost everything in our environment is contrary to prayer. Only prayer can enable us to go against the current. Therefore, we need to persevere in prayer, to pray persistently.

Before we try to persevere in prayer, we should first make a deal with the Lord concerning our prayer life and make a vow to Him concerning our prayer life. We should set aside definite times for prayer.

Our attitude should be that prayer is our most important business and that nothing  should be allowed to interfere with it.

All the above points were the burden I receive in the last week and shared the same to a group of believers in Madhya Pradesh and also in the church meeting last Lord's day. As I released the burden, it was also a timely word for me as well. In fact, in the prayer meeting last week, we led the saints to have a time of consecration for payer alone, and I myself reconsecrated again pray for at least one hour daily. 

May the Lord grace all of us to be a man of prayer, an overcomer, to turn the age to bring in the kingdom of God.

Hannah Ministry

1 Samuel 1:10-18: And she was bitter in soul and prayed to Jehovah and wept much. And she made a vow and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your female servant and remember me and not forget Your female servant, but give to Your female servant a male child, then I will give him to Jehovah for all the days of his life, and no razor will come upon his head. And while she continued praying a long time before Jehovah, Eli watched her mouth. And Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. And Eli said to her, How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord. I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before Jehovah. Do not take your female servant for a worthless woman; for out of the greatness of my anxiety and provocation I have been speaking all this time. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have requested from Him. And she said, Let your servant find favor in your sight. And the woman went her way; and she ate, and her countenance was sad no more.

God needs an overcomer to accomplish His heart's desire. To gain His heart's desire He needs those who would cooperate with Him. Hannah and her husband were the ones who cooperated with God and lived on the line of life despite the degradation they were in. Hannah, out of her much desperation for being barren, prayed, poured out her soul, and asked for a male child. The Lord answered her prayer and gave her Samuel whom she lent to God all the days of his life. Even before she bore a son, she believed in the prophet's consoling words and trusted in Jehovah. She sure is a pattern for us to follow today, in the matter of her prayer life.

The best way to cooperate with God is by our prayers. In the present state of degradation where even the service to God has become stale and waning, there is a need to turn the age. For this, God is working behind the scene. He uses the circumstances and the people around to force us to pray. In the case of Hannah, the Lord shut up her womb and her co-sister provoked her too. That was what made Hannah desperate to pray to God. In like manner, the Lord would allow certain "things" to happen beyond our human understanding to make us desperate and absolute so that we can do nothing but pray. In fact, when He moves to burden us to pray, we might as well lose our appetite and sleep and taste for anything other than to go before the Lord and pray, even with weeping and fasting. In such a way, the Lord can gain our cooperation so that we can bring forth "Samuels" to turn the age.

This Hannah ministry is not merely to save a lot of souls or beget a lot of children, but to bring forth a king with His kingdom. Peninnah brought forth many children but none of them were produced as king for the kingdom of God. Hannah bore just one son, Samuel, who became an age turn, a priest, a prophet, a judge, a Nazarite, and a man of prayer. This is Hannah ministry; the ministry of the New Testament, of the Spirit, of life, and of producing overcomers. To produce an overcomer, there is a price that need to be paid; the price of testing and suffering, persecution and provoking, fasting and weeping, and trusting and waiting.

Gems from Hannah Ministry

Bitterness in soul can be healed by the crucified and resurrected Christ: Bitter in soul in 1 Samuel  1:10, "she was bitter in soul and prayed to Jehovah and wept much" can be linked to Exodus 15:23, "the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore its name was called Marah." In such a bitter situation Moses cried out to Jehovah and was shown a tree, a type of the New Testament Christ.

Exodus 15:25 And he cried out to Jehovah, and Jehovah showed him a tree; and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them.

1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.

When we are in such bitter situation, we simply must turn to the resurrected and crucified Christ, who can turn our bitter water into sweet water.

Psalms 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;  Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge to us. Selah

Male child and the man child: The male child in 1 Samuel 1:11, "give to Your female servant a male child" can be linked with the man-child in Revelation 12:5, "she brought forth a son, a man-child," who brings in the kingdom, "Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ."

The reality of the male child is the man child for God to move to turn the age and bring in God's kingdom. For this, there is an urgent need for Hannah ministry of prayer.

Last Wednesday, the burden the Lord gave me was just this; to minister on Hannah ministry. This was in line with God's economy and also in line with the burden the Lord gave me to release among the seekers in Madhya Pradesh. In minsitering so, I did not minister as a one who indeed have this ministry already, but as a learner, ministering to others as I would to myself.

Lord, grace me to be Your man-child to bring forth Your kingdom in and under Hannah ministry.

Gospel to the Haryanvis

“Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, RecVer)

In 2005 my service was transferred to Gurgaon. A year later, I got married and settled in the city since then for the Lord’s testimony and His move. As the church we have been preaching the gospel in this city among the native people. Though a good number of sinners have been saved and gained into the church life, still the testimony among the local people needs much strengthening. For this, I have been burdened by the Lord. 

In fact, a couple of times, I have told the Lord in my prayer that I have consecrated my life for His purpose and if He should so will, I am even ready to give my life for Chirst and the church. One time I happened to express this desire in a time of fellowship to a more matured brother. I was reprimanded by him to have a view that we should expect the Lord’s return and be raptured rather than to contemplate even to be lay down our lives for the Lord. Anyhow, the Lord has implanted His burden into my heart and I am praying for it to be fulfilled in time.

This year a fresh and renewed burden has been conceived within me; to gain the locals, especially, the Haryanvis as I am already here in Haryana. Now, as a family we have decided to pray for the local people every night. Though we have been praying for this burden, now we have intensified this prayer burden; the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Haryanvis and immigrants in the city and state.

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is for all mankind. Many have heard the gospel and believed into it, and many more are yet to even hear the gospel. The Lord has sovereignly brought me and my family and the saints in the church for this purpose. Here we are, to cooperate with God in fulfilling His will. Lord, Your will be done!

Here and there, there are families whom the Lord is gaining. There are contacts and there are gospel friends, but we pray for the families who would see the vision of God's economy clearly and take a firm stand for the building up of the Body of Christ on the ground of oneness.

Caring for My Brother

One evening as I was praying, the Lord burdened me to consider and care for the welfare of my younger brother in the flesh. He has a daughter, of my youngest daughter's age group, and twin sons. 

Last December when I visited home for a few days I saw the actual situation of the education and spiritual atmosphere at my village in Keikhu, Imphal East. Therefore, I fellowshipped with my brother and sister to carefully consider how to take care of the education of the children. If this matter is not taken care in time it will affect their whole life. The best earthly gift we can give to our children is a proper education, academically educated and humanly disicplined, with a normal Christian family life. If these two, spiritual and wholistic education are imparted, what children needs most for their life is set. Upon this foundation, they can develop further.

I brought the matter to fellowship with my wife and prayed for it, waiting for the proper way and time to accomplish this. The Lord even showed me the boarding school where this burden can be carried out. I am familiar with the ones who runs the school and the principal too. As Christian brother, I have a good feeling about the people overseeing the school.

Last week, I was casually informed that my brother's daughter will be admitted in this same boarding school which the Lord showed me. On hearing the news, I felt that the Lord has confirmed the burden He gave me. As to my participation in financing, I am willing and burdend for it, but the Lord indicated that they can bear this burden by themselves lest they would take it too light a thing about their children's education. The parents themselves need to bear the burden and pay the price for the sake of their children's future. Lest the help rendered to the children would not benefit the parent much.

The burden was given and the way to carry out the burden was also paved. When the Lord burdens He also fulfills the burden. Praise the Lord!

Standing with Brothers in Christ

On the 31st of January 2022, I received a call from a brother and a friend concerning his family situation. It was personal and he felt good to confied with me as Christian brother and friend for prayer support. He narrated the matter and I took it to heart to sincerely care for my brother and his wife. I fellowshiped with him the fundamental need for contacting the Lord in prayer and receive His life daily through the word of God. Based on this basic foundation I fellowshiped with him that the Christian life has to be developed further day by day unto full maturity.

I took this call as from the Lord and decided to pray for my brother and his wife. In addition, I have also made arrangement for free Rhema literature to be distributed among the believers in the Army battalion  where he has been posted. When he confirmed the receipt of these books, his wife was also admitted in a clinic for a treatment. I let him know that I have been standing with him in prayer. May the Lord gain my brother and sister for His testimony. 

Another brother also called to fellowship last Saturday on a seemingly better opportunity that came up in his professional career. My only fellowship was to consider before the Lord in prayer and fellowship with his wife and follow the Lord’s inner leading by life and peace. 

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6, RecVer)

I even warned him not to be guided by better job status and pay scale. Only God knows what is best. Besides, I also mentioned to him that this "opportunity" is allowed by the Lord so that he can learn to bring it before the Lord in prayer and follow the Lord’s leading. Whether he stays in the same job or catch this new opportunity, it must be done so with the Lord’s leading and, in the process, experience Christ and gain Chirst. This will strengthen his faith and sweeten his fellowship with the Lord. And with him too, I am standing in prayer.