Shepherding by Waiting without Words

As I have been shepherding some new ones and in the process the Lord has been teaching me more and more lessons on how to care for the saints. One important lesson I have been learning these days is, to wait and pray. Oftentimes, I wanted to say something to the ones I have been shepherding, but the divine instruction is, to wait and pray. This lesson is not so easy to learn when the ones you care for are not doing well spiritually. Naturally, there is a sense of responsibility to do something with the view of shepherding them. But that's just the natural man. This lesson of self-denial and learning to wait is not an easy lesson to learn. Yet, the Lord in His faithfulness has been teaching me this lesson. Wait without saying a word and just pray for the ones you care about.

Sometimes, it would be much easier for me to simply wait and pray if I had no words to say. But when I know things so well and I have words in abundance, yet the Holy Spirit is forbidding me to say anything, it was rather difficult to simply wait and keep mum.  This is the lesson of the cross every shepherd needs to learn. Sometimes, the best shepherding is by not saying anything, but waiting and praying for the ones under my care.

I have been regularly calling up at least seven new ones on a weekly basis to shepherd them. Some of them are responding very well to my shepherding care, yet a few others are closed, at times making it hard for me to contact them. Even if I want to talk to them, visit them, or even pray with them, if they do not open up, I just cannot do anything. That's when the lesson of waiting comes in. Of course, waiting with prayer.

This reminds me of a hymn that I used to sing when I was in college with a couple of other brothers in the Lord. Teach Me Lord to Wait

Teach me Lord to wait down on my knees
Till in Your own good time You answer my pleas
Teach me not to rely on what others do
But to wait in prayer for an answer from You

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings as eagles

They shall run and not be weary

They shall walk and not faint

Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait

Teach me Lord to wait while hearts are aflame
Let me humble my pride and call on Your name
Keep my faith renewed, my eyes on Thee
Let me be on this earth what you want me to be

There's a time and a season for all things
You promised in Your word to answer my pleas
I'm crying to You, Lord to grant sweet relief
Oh, Lord remove all my unbelief

Stuart Hamblen

The ones under my shepherding care the ones my "teachers" too. They have been teaching me life lessons. The more I care for them, the more lessons I learn from them. I believe the Lord also uses them to train me. Even their closeness or openness is used by the Lord to train and perfect me. Ultimately, I am the one shepherded by my shepherding others. This lesson is not easy to learn. 

Shepherding by waiting without words. Teach me, Lord, to learn this lesson well.

Shepherding with the Right Word

Sometimes shepherding with too many indoctrinated words may not be the right word to shepherd those who are in need of shepherding. Some people just don't need too many unnecessary words. What they need is just the right word. Perhaps, it may even be just a few words. 

Col 4:6Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Eph 4:29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

I have been learning this lesson of shepherding. Sometimes, out of burden, I spoke things too much. Sometimes, too many words spoilt the shepherding. Now, I have been learning to shepherd people with the right word. If need be, more words. Words are needed, but the word must be seasoned with salt and the word must be full of grace anointed by the Spirit to minsitry life to the recipient of the speaking. 

One sister I have been shepherding has completely closed herself. Though I spoke free and frank words to hear with much warning and encouragement, it looked like she just could not take it any longer. She seems to have done what I have warned her of. She even started avoiding me. Perhaps, scared even to hear anything that I would say. This was a good lesson for me in shepherding people. The Lord just showed me that without Him as the Shepherd, I cannot shepherd anybody. Every attempt at my shepherding for good just turned out to be just the exact opposite of my intention. So I decided to keep quiet and wait for the right word.

Things did not go well with this sister. Especially in her studies and exams. The marks she got were far below her level. I knew why all these happened to her. She completely lost that blessing of God for the obvious reason. So she needed much prayer support and shepherding with the proper word at the proper time. So, I waited and waited for the opportunity to shepherd her. When things did not turn out well with her, the Lord just gave me a few words. Those words were sufficient to shepherd her. 

In fact, in reply to one of her text messages, I simply wrote two sentences. I believe, that sufficed.

Only God can bless. Only God is the Blessing.

These words were more than sufficient to take care of her situation and the inner emotional complications she has been embroiled in. Now, I just wait for the Lord's further word. I pray for her daily and leave her matter to the Lord. 

May the Lord's perfect will be done in her life. May the Lord grace her day by day with Himself as her life supply.

Shepherding at the Right Time

The combined Lord's table meeting of the church in Bengaluru on 21st July was the right day for a brother to be shepherded. He was none other than the first new one I brought to the Lord after I consecrated my life to serve the Lord and joined the full-time training in Chennai. Initially, I did pay much attention to him in helping him deal with some of his personal matters in life. But as time went by, he slipped out of my shepherding hand as I moved to the North and he continued to stay in the South. On and off, we were in touch for fellowship and prayer. However due to certain situations, he has been facing complications in his marital life, and he has been forced to contact me for fellowship and prayer.

In fact, a week before I met him, he called me for an urgent fellowship concerning his marital complication. I could offer no help. I could only pray for him and pray with him. There were things beyond my capacity. Though he requested me to talk to his wife and his sister for some of his complicated family issues, I just did not have the peace to do so. For, deep within I discerned that he was also on the wrong side. He needed to learn his lesson as well. I cannot come in between their family matters like gum to patch up their broken relationship. In every human relationship, all the parties need to be consulted. Everybody knows how to present their own case and present it so well that the other parties always seem to be on the wrong side. I have long learned this lesson well. Therefore, I do not jump into to patch up relationship without giving all parties involved a careful hearing first. 

On the Lord's Day, he came for the meeting. In fact, we also sat together in the same row. That was the Lord's sovereignty. After the meeting, he and I had a good time of fellowship face-to-face and one-on-one. I did not plan this, but the Lord did. I waited for the proper timing and the Lord gave that time. It was just the right time. I was able to shepherd him and fellowshipped with him point by point. The Lord gave me the discerning I needed to shepherd him. So, whatever feeling the Lord gave me, I spoke faithfully. And he accepted all that I said. I had no confirmation from anyone about his situation, but as the Holy Spirit gave me the discernment, I spoke point by point and he accepted that all that I spoke about him was indeed true. He testified that he was also wrong on his side and that he made a mistake, a big mistake, in dealing with his wife and his younger sister. 

At that juncture, I gave him a word of love and shepherding to help him turn to the Lord. In fact, I encouraged him and showed the way forward for him is just one way. To love the Lord, fear the Lord, and spend time with the Lord and His word and be with the saints. Apart from this, I warned him, I have no other solution and I have nothing else to say. The ball was on his court whether to follow the Lord or do his own will. Through the free and frank fellowship, he was able to see who he really has been all this while. The Lord enlightened him and he did repent for all his misdeeds. I also encouraged him to be in constant fellowship with the saints, enjoy morning revival daily with a brother, and be in the church life in Bengaluru. That's all the message I got from the Lord. And with that, we prayed together.

That was the shepherding at the right time for this brother which the Lord had sovereignly arranged. May the lord continue to grace him, shepherd him, and fully recover his life first, and then his family for the church life.

Bengaluru: Combined Lord’s Day Meeting

On the 21st of July, the church in Bengaluru conducted a combined Lord's table meeting in the venue where the proofreading was held. Prior to this, the leading brothers came for fellowship on this regard and we all agreed to hold the combined meeting of the church. The venue has given us a hall and lovefeast for the same without any extra charges from what we already paid for the volunteers. It was indeed a time of wonderful blending together at the start of the proofreading project.

The brothers fellowshipped that two of our visiting brothers from abroad minister the word for all the saints. the church has been pursuing on "fellowship" to help all the new ones with regard to what is fellowship in the Body. Therefore, the brothers coordinated well to release the burden on "fellowship." 

Romans 12:4For just as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function.

One crucial point I learned from this fellowship on "fellowship" is that, though we all are members of the same Body, we all do not have the same function. This is a colossal truth I just got enlightened with. Therefore, it is imperative for me to know that I am a member of the Boyd and at the same time, as a member I have my function in the Body. Likewise, others too have their own function. So, we all do not have the same function. Since we do not have the same function, we must recognize and honor the function of other members of the Body and receive help from their functions. If this truth of the Body is realized by all, there will be no problem with the fellowship in the Body of Christ. 

In fact, most of the problems in the Body are caused by some saints who do not know that they all do not have the same function in the Body. Therefore, this resulted in overstepping one's function and causing confusion in the coordination in the Body. O what a lesson on "fellowship!"

In such a blending meeting, I was able to meet many saints whom I never met before. I was even thrilled to meet some new families who eventually came into the church life whose initial shepherding into the church life I was also involved in. At least with two families, the initial introduction of the ministry was directly or indirectly through my function in the Body. This is not a boast, but just declaring the fact of the matter. May the Lord continue to grace these families to remain faithful to the Lord and bring many more new ones into the church life as they have been shepherded into the church life.

The Lord is sovereignly wise in His arrangement of things.  What a blessing to simply receive from the fellowship of the Body! What a timely blending!

Kannada New Testament Proofreading Stage 1

On the 15th of July 2024, the first stage of the Kannada New Testament Proofreading began. A few days before this date, a few of us serving ones arrived at the venue in Begaluru for the preparatory work. Prior to all these, I had been praying daily in my personal prayer life. I did not know how things would go by. I had no idea how we were going to make it through. Therefore, the best I could do was, pray, and pray and pray.

When we had the preparatory fellowship, new things that needed to be done were done immediately. Many unforeseen things cropped up. But in no time, they were all resolved one by one. The venue management cooperated in all that we requested for. Thank the Lord for this coordination! As we were about to begin, a prayer request was sent to the churches.

Prayer Burdens: Kannada New Testament Recovery Version Proofreading Project
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And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands upon us; Indeed the work of our hands, establish it. (Psalms 90:17, RecVer)
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Date: 15 July to 20th Aug 2024
Venue: Bengaluru, Karnataka
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Pray for the Lord to preserve the tripartite being of all the serving ones throughout the entire project. 

Pray for the Lord to bless the proofreading so that anything that needs to be corrected be corrected.

Pray for the Lord to cover and head up all the practical matters; health, travels, food, lodging, venue facilities, weather, and our coordination.

Pray that the Kannada New Testament Recovery Version be printed and distributed on time among all Kannada-speaking Christians and seeking ones and fill this land (Karnataka) with the knowledge of Jehovah.
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To manage the schedule of all the volunteers, we created a WhatsApp group and communicated all information through this medium. The initial and final announcements at the beginning and end of the stage were noteworthy.

Announcement

Date: 15 July Monday

Please be at the dinning hall by 8 AM for breakfast.

Breakfast Time: 8:00-9:00 AM
Proofreading
Time: 9:00 AM

Please be at the Sushil Kumar Rudra Seminar Hall at the basement, entrance is opposite to the reception counter.

Please be on time.

Or service, let us be faithful in that service; (Romans 12:7a, RecVer)

Much grace

Since I needed to take care of many practical matters, I fully and simply trusted the Lord and fellowshipped with my fellow brothers and sisters. As the saints arrived one by one, the Lord enabled us to manage everything without any complication. Though some saints fell sick during the first few days, it was my responsibility to give them timely medical care. A sister fell sick and we took her to a nearby clinic where she was given a two-hour drip. Some other sick saints were given timely medicines. In discharging my responsibilities, the Lord gave me timely help in finding the right clinic and pharmacy to meet all the medical needs on time. Though we had a little rough start, things went on and the project was not disturbed at all.

Since we were short of manpower, we decided to work overtime by extending a session after dinner. Therefore, we worked from morning 9:00 AM till 9:30 PM with tea and lunch breaks in between. The first stage of two weeks went well with this schedule.

Finally, at the end of the first two weeks, the assigned tasks were all completed and the first stage was completed successfully!

Important Announcements

Saints, whoever is leaving tomorrow Saturday, please inform whether you will leave after breakfast or lunch.

For coming Lord’s Day, we may all go to attend the church in Bengaluru meetings, therfore, no lunch will be served in the venue.

If anyone is leaving on Lord’s Day, you may check out after breakfast itself.

Please make sure to check out with date and time from the reception when you check out.

Please get your travel reimbursement from Sis -----, if not yet.

Plead also text your postal address with pin code and phone number for us to send your Kannada New Testament Recovery Version when it is printed.

Thank you, saints, for your coordination and labor!

_________________________________________________________________

Dear Saints,

Praise the Lord! We have come to an end of the first stage of the proofreading. 

Therefore, we will not come together after breakfast as usual tomorrow morning. To those who are leaving, please make sure to fellowship with one another before you leave and remember to pray for those who are continuing for the second week of proofreading. 

Thank you again for all your coordination and labor!
Much grace to us all.

_________________________________________________________________

Thank the Lord, the two weeks of the first stage of the Kannada New Testament Recovery Version were completely on time.

Church Life: Pursuing the Truth

The church going on in the Lord is very much determined by the leading of the brothers who take the lead in the shepherding of the church. By the Lord's mercy, the church in Gurugram has a good number of brothers who are truly one with one another and are sweetly coordinating in every practical matter. This is one of the secrets to the blessings the Lord has been pouring upon the church. The brothers are truly one in every practical matter. Every time a matter was brought up, though generally proposed by a brother or two, the other brothers followed suit without much opinion. Though there used to be some discussion and fellowship for clarity's sake, ultimately, the thing proposed was agreed upon in one accord. 

In the Lord's move in India, the direction these days has been to lead the saints in the local churches into the truth and life of the Bible through the pursuit of the Life-study messages. This burden was released over a year ago. The practical way has also been chalked out. After much consideration and fellowship, the Lord gave us a way even in Gurugram for the daily pursuit of the Life-studies messages.

On the first of July 2024, we formally started the corporate pursuit of the Life-studies message beginning with the book of the Gospel according to Matthew. We pray that the Lord will be our faithfulness in His truth pursuit until its completion in 2044. Announcement has been made to the church group as follows:

Life-study Pursuit in Hindi and English Online
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Monday to Saturday
Hindi Time: 9:45 PM to 10:00 PM, 15 minutes only
English Time: 10:00 PM to 10:15 PM, 15 minutes only

Start Date: 1 July 2024
Duration: 20 years

Hindi and English WhatsApp  groups have been created and saints have been added. In case you are not yet added kindly inform immediately mentioning which group you want to be in, Hindi or English. 

That by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have written previously in brief, By which, in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:3-4, RecVer)

Thank the Lord, the saints all in one accord embarked on a twenty-year reading plan of the Life-studies of the Bible. This Life-studies pursuit is a study of the Bible using the Life-studies as a study tool. The plan is a daily reading with just fifteen minutes of corporate pursuit. Two groups have been formed, one for Hindi-speaking saints and the other for English-speaking saints. Thus, a new chapter is being unveiled in the history of the church in Gurugram!

Now that the plan has commenced, we pray for the Lord's grace to grace us day by day until the entire Life-studies have been pursued or until the Lord returns.

Two goals I could perceive in this endeavor are:

1. Reconstitute the saints with the truth of the Bible and supply life from the truth of the Bible. The Bible being our unique standard, let us all pursue the truth in the Bible, be constituted with it, and be filled with the divine life.
2. Reading the Bible with the help of the life-studies must be the daily habit of the saints. This should even become a part of our daily life. 

Lord, bless the saints pursuing of Your word, reconstitute us with Your truth and fill us with Your life day by day.

A Brotherly Tribute to Br. Joseph Yang

 Furthermore we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who labor among you and take the lead among you in the Lord and admonish you, And to regard them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, RecVer)

Br. Joseph Yang was specially gifted by the Lord in shepherding the saints and the new ones in a very fine and detailed way, yet all in a hidden way. The Lord sovereignly used him in my life while I was struggling inwardly to take spiritual turns. At some crucial junctures, amidst my inward struggles, on my spiritual journeys forward, he was very instrumental in shepherding me step by step and ushering me into the church life in the Lord’s recovery. Below are some instances where the Lord used him to shepherd me.

In Discerning My Inward Struggles

In 2002, as a student seeking the Lord for His leading concerning the church and not being satisfied with the degraded and denominated system of Christianity, I was spiritually stuck not knowing how to go on. I was desperately praying for a clear sky whether to leave the denomination I was in. At that juncture, I came into contact with the saints and Br. Joseph Yang took a special interest on me. One day, he visited my hostel room and brought a book by Witness Lee, The Genuine Ground of Oneness. He proposed that we read that book together weekly. As we read a few pages in ch.1, my spiritual eyes were opened, I felt light dawning within, and I knew immediately that this book addressed the very questions I had on the ground of the church. After a few pages of reading in turns, he paused, stopped the meeting, and proposed to meet again the next week to continue the reading. Deep within, I saw light dawning concerning the questions on oneness and division. I just tasted something I had been longing for! After he left, I continued reading the book until I finished the entire book. Then I saw the ground of oneness which enabled me to come out of the denomination I was in. My two years of struggling to leave the denomination came to an end. I got the answers! Then, I became very clear about the ground of oneness and fully came into the church life!

In Seeing the Vision of the Age

I was just a Master's degree student in Chennai. Surprisingly, he invited me to attend a "Responsible Brothers' Training in Mumbai" for which he paid the price for my two ways train tickets along with the training registration fee. In fact, I was not qualified for that training as I had not yet taken the way of the Lord’s recovery, much less, a responsible brother. But the Lord used that training to open my eyes to see the vision of the Body as the training subject was on the vision of the age. The messages I heard, the book and the outlines I read were very timely. In that training, I saw the vision of the age, the need to do the work of building up the Body of Christ in this age! If brother had not invited me for that training, I would have missed seeing the vision on time.

In Giving Me Hospitality When I Needed the Most

I just graduated from my Master's degree and I had to leave my hostel. I was wondering where to stay for a week before I went home. I did not have any guts to request for hospitality. Surprisingly, Br. Joseph Yang discerned my need though I did not mention it to him. He invited me to stay with his family. He even came to pick me up from my hostel with all my luggage. Oh, what a cherishing it was for a student to find a home far away from home!

In Genuine Care and Concern

He exhibited a genuine care for me in action. In ushering me into the church life and in shepherding me to join the training, he wanted to confirm my decision before the Lord. One day, he came alone to my hostel room with a lot of burden for me. He fellowshipped with me about the church and the church life, and the need for training to be equipped with the truth. Then, he requested me to kneel down and consecrate my life to the Lord. So, he and I, we both knelt down and prayed a prayer of consecration. First, for me to fully come into the church life. Then, to join the full-time training. I could sense his heartbeat in all his deeds as a serving one who cared for me genuinely. 

In Suppling My Material Needs

While I was serving full time in the church in New Delhi in 2005, brother came to visit me. He enquired about my well-being, shared his recent enjoyment of the ministry imparting what he learned, and prayed for me. Then, he took me to a woolen shop and purchased for me a navy-blue woolen sweater as it was a winter time. I did not mention this need at all to him, he just discerned my need and supplied immediately.

Since he had impacted my life at crucial turning points, I felt so blessed to be shepherded by such a brother. I felt the Lord had sent him to India to shepherd me. Though I received help from other brothers too, his portion was very unique and it came at special times when I needed the most. I praise and worship the Lord for such a member in the Body from whom I receive a specific shepherding at crucial and critical times of my life.

For these reasons, when as a family we visited Taiwan last June 2024 and heard about his ill-health, I determined to visit him or at least his wife, at whatever cost. Though we could not meet him due to hospital restriction for critical patients, at least we met Sis. Marline Yang and their son Zion. I reckoned that as a sign of honor to a brother the Lord had used to shepherd me.

Render to all the things due: …, honor to whom honor is due. Romans 13:7

As the Lord used him as a pattern to me, may the Lord grace me as well to be a pattern to others. All glory to God! 

Much grace to sister Marline and brother Zion.

 

Palmei, INDIA 12 July 2024