Church Life in Taiwan

Since the time Br. Witness Lee was burdend by the Lord to come back to Taiwan and reconsider the practices of the church life especially in the matter of the God-ordained way, there has been a new revival among the churches in Tawian. The God-ordained way, gradually, was also introduced to other countries including mine. In India, we have been very much helped by the brothers from Taiwan in the practice of the God-ordained way. Many new things we have been learning and learning are from the local churches in Taiwan. This time round as I visited Taiwan, I could see with my own eyes what the Lord has been doing in this small country for His recovery worldwide. Thank the Lord for such a vessel whom the Lord can use for the furtherance of the gospel and the ministry of the age for the accomplishment of His heart’s desire!

The fellowship of the brothers concerning their church life practices were so very encouraging. I was very much touched by the way the saints prayed, coordinated, and propagated in their respective localities and also gained the increase. The children work, the teenagers and young people work, the college student service along with student centers, truth pursuing using Life-studies daily, and also the gospel preaching and community propagation. O, too many things to learn from! Without the Lord’s special grace, I wonder if I can even partake of it in any one of these services. My comment will be like the qeen of Sheba commenting on Solomon and his kingdom.

And she said to the king, The word that I heard in my land concerning your deeds and your wisdom is true, But I did not believe the words until I came and my own eyes saw. And indeed the half was not told to me; your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report that I heard. Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants, who attend you continually and hear your wisdom! Blessed be Jehovah your God, who has delighted in you and set you upon the throne of Israel. Because Jehovah loves Israel forever, He has made you king to execute justice and righteousness. (1 Kings 10:6-9, RecVer)

The increase of the church in Taipei especially is breathtaking. About 15,000 saints are regularly partaking the bread on the Lord’s Day is surely God’s blessing. The church life itself will number to about 30,000. As I visited different different meeting halls, some old and some new, I was enthralled by the way the church progressed even physically. Spiritual progess also affects the physical things. Though meeting halls in big city like Taipei even at posh areas are outwards matters, but it surely does reflect the spiritual conditions of the church. 

The hospitality given to the visiting saints, this time from India, was very warm and sweet. They do give hospitality to saints from all over the world. The love, care, and concern the saints showed towards their guests were amazing. I was one of the guests. In fact, I received hospitality in five different localities at five different homes in a week. The saints just poured out whatever they have for the visiting saints. In fact, my whole family is being lodged in a 3 BHK house owned by the church in Taipei, Hall 5.

The lovefeasts were all no less than a five star hotel buffet meal. In fact, my brother-in-law gave our family a lovefeast at the best and biggest five start hotel in Tainan. The meals provided by the saints were more in variety and taste than the ones I ate at a fve star hotel. I really mean it.

The gifts the saints gave to us and also the offerings, all these proved their love towards the Lord. For, loving the Lord truly is reflected in loving the saints. And loving the saints is reflected and manifested in outward things too.

Besides all these, the prayer support from the churches in Taiwan and the yearly visitation by some brothers and saints added to the burning fire of the church life positively. What a blessing!

What more can I say? Now is my turn to take this pattern and be a pattern in return to other saints in India, especially in my locality. O what a church life! Hallelujah for the Lord’s doing in, among, and through the churches in Taiwan!

Lord, continue to bless Your move in Taiwan.

Lord, Thank You for the pattern of the church life You set up in Taiwan!

Lord’s Days in Taiwan

In the past three weeks of my visit to Taiwan, I enjoyed attending the Lord’s Table Meeting in three different localities; the church in Taoyuan, the church in Hsinchu, and the church in Taipei. In all these three meetings I partook of the bread with the saints and enjoyed blending as one bread in the one Body of Christ! Nationality no bar, race no bar, language no bar. We all are indeed members of one another! 

In Taoyuan, the brothers invited me to break the bread and also to share whatever the Lord burdened me with. I shared on my experiences of the Lord in His sovereignty in arranging all things for my growth in life unto full maturity. And I also released the burden for all the saints to be open vessel to the Lord and function in the portion or the ministry the Lord has alloted to each one. No one should belittle themself or anyone. Each member is precious to the Lord and to His Body. Each one should honor others' function yet not neglecting his own portion. All portions are equally important to the Lord and to His Body for its building up. Then, we feasted together over lovefeast. Afterwhich, we visited an elderly brother of 90+ years to home deliver the bread and wine as he could not attend the Lord’s Table meeting due to ill health and old age. What a Lord’s Day in Taoyuan,  Daxi!

In Hsinchu, a brother and I attended a student Lord’s Table Meeting at the Students Centre Meeting hall of the church. After the partaking of the one bread, as the brothers asked me to share, I shared on the many spiritual benefits I personally have been receiving from the brothers in Taiwan in particular, and also the blessings we have been receiving as a pattern from the churches in Taiwan. I briefly described, event by event, how I experienced the perfecting by the pattern set forth by the brothers in Taiwan in shepherding me stage to stage in my spiritual progress.

In Taipei, when the brothers asked me to share, I shared on the need to guard the good deposit of the truth gained through our pursuing of the truth in the church life. I also shared on my recent experiences of preaching the gospel in Taipei last week and the situation we faced recently in India. And I also encouraged all the saints to love the Lord and preach the gospel. Then I concluded my sharing by thanking the saints for their brotherly love hospitality and requested them to pray for us and for all the saints and the churches in India. Finally, I also welcome them to visit India!

Interestingly, in all the three localities on the Lord’s Days, we enjoyed both lunch and dinner lovefeast. In Taoyuan, with the whole district and a time of fellowship with the brothers. In Hsinchu after lunch lovefeast,  I left for Taipei and met for dinner with my wife's friends at a Japanese restaurant. And on the third Lord’s Day in Taipei, we spent a family time over lunch with Akong and Ama, and in the evening we went for a buffe pizza dinner at Pizza Hut with two other brothers' families whose children grew up together with my children.

In all these days of meetings and feastings,  we all enjoyed the Lord together in the fellowship of the Body. 

Hallelujah for the Body! Praise the Lord for all His blessings! Lord, continue to bless the churches and the saints in Taiwan!

Lesson From a Farewell Meeting

A few years ago, in coordination with the saints from the churches in Taiwan, we preached the gospel in teams by door knocking. One of the families gained and who have been practically shepherded into the church life has a new plan for their family. Since the family was fully dependent on the son's job they had to migrate to another city in Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, as the church we had a time of fellowship over lovefeast on the 1st of June, on a Saturday evening.

The burden was clear: To pray for and shepherd the family, at the same time to show our concern for his siblings who are yet to take the way of the church life. In fellowship, we prepared to share a message on the all-inclusive Christ. When they actually came, the burden the Lord gave was to show them the vision of the good land and the three kinds of eating; the passover for coming out of Egypt, the manna in the wilderness, and the riches of the good land in the good land. The last of this requires laboring on the good land. This is the highest of all the three kinds of eating. The issue of such a labor and eating from the good land is for the building of the temple in Jerusalem where God’s children can worship God and offer their offerings and sacrifices to God. This burden was apt for the new families who joined the meeting. The burden was thus released. The new ones too testified that they had seen a new light concerning the Christian life and the need for the church life. May the Lord recover them all at His time.

The family also testified of their enjoyment of the church life while they were in the church in Gurugram. Now that they are migrating, we all prayed for the family. A family will be reduced as far as the number of the saints regularly meeting is concerned. This brings in the burden for propagation that more families can be shepherded into the church life.

Besides, another local Hindi speaking brother migrated to another state in Himachal Pradesh. Further reducing the number of saints meeting regularly. The situation in the church in Gurugram has been like this over the past decade. It is the church that flows, saints come and go, due to their jobs and transfer of works. 

Though this was a farewell meeting, it was also a wake up call for us to pray and propagate more fervently for the increase by gaining the local ones. These days my burden has been just to pray and look to the Lord for ways and means we can cooperate with His move for His increase, for His testimony.  

Lord, bless Your testimony in Gurugram. Lord, gain Your increase in Gurugram. Let farewell never affect the number of Your children. 

Gospel Preaching in Taiwan

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19, RecVer)

Gospel preaching is the only and greatest commission God gave to the believers. Any Christian or any church that does not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ has a serious lack in discharging their responsibility. There may be many other activities in the Christian life or church life, but preaching the gospel is the most important of all responsibilities. Satan subtly has successfully diverted the attention of many Christians and churches to things, even spiritual, other than the gospel. A normal and living Christian will preach the gospel. A normal and living church will preach the gospel.

On the first day of our arrival in Taipei, the saints welcomed us with a lovefeast. The day happened to be the meeting of the young working saints. After the lovefeast, I was requested to preach the gospel as some of the attendees were still unbelievers. Therfore, I preached the gospel from the angle of God creating man with a purpose to fill him and that life is vain without God and life becomes meaningful only with God. The one and unique way for life to be meaningful is by believing into the Lord Jesus Christ. My wife translated the gospel message in Chinese. We ended the meeting by leading all the attendees to call upon the Lord’s name and a short prayer.

I have been very impressed by the testimony from the brothers in Taiwan about the way they preach the gospel. During this visit, I desire to participate in their gospel preaching amidst our family's busy schedule in Taiwan. Last Wednesday night, I requested the serving ones if I could participate in the gospel preaching of the church in Taipei. I was informed of a particular district and went to the meeting hall. It so happened that the trainees who used to join the gospel preaching were busy with their graduation meeting. It also rained that day, and not many siants turned up for the gospel preaching. Since I was there, the responsible brother took me to a park where they usually preach the gospel. Not many people were there too due to bad weather. But, we prayed and tried meeting everyone who passed by the park. I also did my best to distribute the gospel tracts.

A brother handed over me a bundle of gospel tracts in Chinese. I determined that I should not go back until I distributed every tract in my hand. Initially, many people rejected the gospel tracts. Since I could not speak Chinese, I tried handing out gospel tract with a smile and a greeting, "Hello, gospel tract for you!"

Despite the many rejections, the Lord prepared a good number of people to receive the gospel tract. To four individuals I was able to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! Though I could not speak Chinese I used English to preach the gospel and a local Chinese brother translated for me. In this way, four new ones were led to receive the Lord in prayer, calling upon the Lord’s name. I was so glad that I could finally preached the gospel in Taipei Taiwan and lead people to pray to the Lord Jesus. 

A week ago, I also joined a gospel preaching in Taoyuan where we stood before 7 Eleven. One person agreed to listen to the gospel. A local elderly sister who was with us led him to call upon the Lord’s name after preaching the gospel. In this way, the gospel could still be preached. May the Savior Jesus Christ save them all!

Thank the Lord, this country is preserved by the Lord for His testimony. There is freedom to preach the gospel and we could freely distribute the gospel tracts. Whoever was not interested, they politely bowed their heads down and said, "Se se." This is very different from my own country. No wonder, this country is blessed by the Lord for His testimony. 

Lord, continue to bless Your testimony in Taiwan!

Birthday Gifts!

Nineteen years ago I first came to Taipei, Taiwan for my marriage. I was twenty seven years old then. Nineteen years after, I came again with my whole family with three children. Today, on my forty sixth birthday, as a family we were accomodated in Taichung meeting hall guest room. We came to this city to meet a brother who was hospitalised for serious health issues and also meet our brother-in-law's family.

This brother who was hospitalised shepherded me as a student before I even came into the church life. His sense of discernment concerning my spiritual situation of inwardly struggling to understand the unique ground of oneness of the church ultimately helped me to see the vision clearly of the Lord’s recovery of the ground of the church which further led me out of the fold into to the flock of the church life. He also invited me to attend a responsible brothers' training in Mumbai even before I actually came into the practical church life in the Lord’s recovery where I saw the vision of the age, the age we live in is the age of the Body so I must be doing the work of building up the Body of Christ according to the book of Ephesians 4. For these two reasons mostly and also due to his critical condition, I deemed it important to visit him at all cost. Therefore, we came to visit him at the hospital while he was undergoing the operation. Though we could not meet him, we fellowshiped with his wife and his son. The Lord enabled us to offer to his wife an offering from the offering the Lord Himself blessed us with. 

Our day was spent by traveling from Taichung to Tainan by train in the morning, then a tour to Chimei Museum, a visit to Tainan Student Centre, a dinner meeting with my brother-in-law's family, and then a bus trip back to Taipei. 

I rarely celebrate my birthday, and this time too I had no intention of celebration. All my family members knew about this, and all my friends and the saints too knew about this. There was nothing special particularly as such, for to me, with the Lord everyday is a special day already. I do not need to observe a special day, not even my own birthday. But we enjoyed a great family time together, not because it was my birthday but because we happened to travel and visited places together today.

On this day too, as we travelled by train from Taichung to Tainan, as usual, I told my family members to read the Bible in the train itself as we would be busy later. So, we all finished our Bible reading in the train. Besides, the Lord spoke to me very specifically on this day concerning my spiritual situation as portrayed in the Song of Songs.

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree: There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and brought you forth. Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol; Its flashes are the flashes of fire, A flame of Jehovah. (Song of Solomon 8:5-6, RecVer)

In this sixth stage of a Christian life, experiences of life have taught us that we are nothing, we can do nothing, and our only dependence is on the Lord Jesus Himself for everything. So, as we wait to be raptured coming out of the earthly realm being conscious of our utter helplessness and fully depend on the Lord’s preserving power, we maintain our fellowship with Him and always listen to Him.

Coincidentally, today at a five-star hotel in Tainan we had a family dinner together. To my brother-in-law's family, I only gave testimony based on their queries about our life in India. To me, that is the gospel in action. Let the Lord open their spiritual eyes to see God through our testimony. I believe this was the purpose God let us meet today. 

Then, on our way back from Tainan to Taipei at midnight, for about four and half hours bus ride, and another one hour as we waited for a taxi to reach our hospitality home, I enjoyed four messages on The Christian Life, the recent Memorial Day Conference messages. The first two I already enjoyed while traveling from Taipei to Taichung the day before.

Thus in this way, my forty-sixth birthday was fruitfully spent. Based on the Lord’s personal and specific speaking, I also composed a hymn on "Leaning on My Beloved" on this day! 

Lord, continue to work in me and bless all the coming years until You return to rapture me!

Leaning on My Beloved's Arm

On my forty-sixth birthday, the Lord’s speaking to me was very particular and prophetic. As I spent time with Him in the morning, His words were loud and clear. He prophetically spoke to me of my need to lean on Him for all things at all times. The portion of the ministry from the book of Song of Songs came alive! 

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree: There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and brought you forth. Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol; Its flashes are the flashes of fire, A flame of Jehovah. (Song of Solomon 8:5-6, RecVer)

On the one hand, prophesying of what stage of growth in life I should be, at the same time, confirming my present experiencing of Him. What a timely speaking of the Lord indeed! It was absolutely marvelous. What a grace! What a blessing!

Later, as we travelled by train from Taichung to Tainan, after my Bible reading, I composed a hymn in the train itself of my experiences of the Lord. The hymn was titled, "Leaning on My Beloved's Arm".

Experience of Christ

Fellowshipping with Him

Meter: 10.9.10.9 with chorus

Tune: Hymn 558

1)

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord,

Thy love divine is as strong as death.

Thine love eternal, entwined with my love 

Thou art my eternal hope and faith.

Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Psalms 24:8

2)

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Thou, Jehovah strong and mighty!

In Thee is my trust and in nothing else

Preserve me unto eternity.

Philippians 3:13

3)

Pressed beyond measure in this earthly realm,

Come I out of this wilderness.

Forgetting the things which are behind 

Stretch I forward to Thee by Thy grace.

4)

Weak, vain, empty, powerless, and helpless

Humbly I open to Thee, O Lord!

Not my enduring, but Thine preserving

Is my only faith and hope, O Lord!

5)

I love Thee, but my love's not trustworthy 

Only I trust, O Lord, in Thy love!

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord.

Only Thy love can secure my love.

6)

I hold Thee, but my holding strength is weak,

Only Thy strength, O Lord, I depend.

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Only Thy strength holds me to the end.

7)

Mountain of spices, I've prepared for Thee,

All my life of experiencing Thee.

Make haste, my Beloved! O Come, Lord Jesus!

As Thy Bride, we are waiting for Thee!

Revisiting Taiwan: A Timely Pattern

The churches in the Lord’s recovery in Taiwan have been shepherding the churches in India for decades altogether now. This sweet coordination in shepherding between the countries is amazing. Only the divine life with the divine nature in the divine grace in God's divine economy can carry out such a coordination. Just as Paul shepherded his spiritual son Timothy in the aspect of truth constitution, God-man living, preaching the gospel and propagating the truth, so also the churches in Taiwan to the churches in India. This is no cooked up man made slogan, but a declaration of the fact. And the facts subjectively have been experienced and enjoyed by many siants. I believe, I am on of the many beneficiaries.

Since the time I came in touch with the ministry of the age, I have been shepherded step by step by the brothers who served in India and sent by the work in Taiwan. In fact, my first encounter with a brother from Taiwan set the course of my future Christian life and service. The first sentence uttered to me was, "Come to the full-time training." It was a shockingly surprise statement to me. I thought to myself, "Who are you? I don't even belong in your group." For, at that time I had not yet come into the practical churches life in the Lord’s recovery under the vision of God’s economy. Two years later, that prophetic statement became true! I joined the full-time training!

From the very beginning, the brothers who have been shepherding me, especially in the matter of the church life and the practices of the God-ordained way, were all from Taiwan. The first prophetic meeting, a brother from Taiwan. The one who shepherded me into the practical church life, a brother from Taiwan. The teachers in the full-time training center, brothers from Taiwan. The gospel propagation coordination I had been with in New Delhi and Gurugram, the brothers from Taiwan. The sister the Lord blessed me to be my wife, a sister from Taiwan. Thank the Lord for this Taiwan connection!

This time, 8-16 June 2024, about 40 brothers from India embarked on a week long visit to different localities in Taiwan; Taoyuan, Taipei, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu. I was graced to receive hospitality at five different homes. It was quite an experience! The love and care of the saints have been overwhelming! I personally have been love feasting all the way on the rich provision of love feast from the saints. On the practical side, I have also been love learning all the practises they have been practising in their carrying out of the God-ordained way.

As men, we see, observe, and learn from what we are seeing outwardly. But deep within all these, there are deep divine principles which only our enlightened eyes of our hearts could perceive. Therefore, with the excerise of our mingled spirit, we digest them. And by God’s mercy, we may learn and follow them practically. As Paul told his spiritual children, imitate me, it is best to imitate a pattern set up by our spiritual parents, the churches in Taiwan.

This probably is my Sixth or Seventh time visit to Taiwan. Each time, I discovered something new spiritually related to the church life. Each time, I discovered a timely pattern for me personally to learn from and imitate intrinsically.  Each time is like a first time visit in a very positive sense. Thereby, proving itself to be a timely pattern. And each time is the best visit ever. 

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you; Nor did we eat bread as a gift from anyone, but in labor and hardship we worked night and day so that we would not be burdensome to any of you; Not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves to you as a pattern that you might imitate us. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, RecVer)

Praise the Lord that we have a pattern to imitate! Only the fool, blind, and proud people would reckon it as a shame to imitate others. But we, who knows our living God, and we know whom the Lord has set up as patterns for us to learn from and imitate. It is indeed a blessing to imitate a pattern and in turn, become a pattern to others.

Learn from a Pattern

But you, continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from which ones you have learned them (2 Timothy 3:14, RecVer)

Follow the Practices of the Pattern

Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things; for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:15-16, RecVer)

Praise the Lord! 

Lord, continue to bless Your move and Your testimony in Taiwan and India.

Amen!