Oneness in Psalms 133

Psalms 133

1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity! 

"Behold," is the first word mentioned in this verse. The word, behold, has a connotation of perception, something visible, recognizable, or atleast spiritually discernible. 

That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me. (John 17:21, RecVer)

The oneness of the believers must be visible that the "world may believe." For the world to believe, the world must see the believers in oneness. This is the testimony of Jesus. The one new man the Lord created at the cross is the church, the Body of Christ, where there is no distinction between believers. For all are one in Christ.

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, (Ephesians 2:15, RecVer) 

In this one new man, there is only one Person, Jesus Christ. This implies that the oneness of the believers is the living out of Christ. No more of the old man, old creation, flesh, world, Satan, sin, sins, culture, religion, concepts, etc., but only Christ and Christ alone. 

Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all. (Colossians 3:11, RecVer)

Today, this oneness is recovering among the believers. And one day, the Lord will fully recover the oneness that He prayed for in John 17. And the world will see it. Behold!

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity! 

Psalms 133

2. It is like the fine oil upon the head that ran down upon the beard, Upon Aaron’s beard, That ran down upon the hem of his garments; 

The fine oil is the Spirit of God, the consummation of the processed Triune God, inclusive of all that God has passed through in His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and descencion in His infilling and outpouring Spirit into the spirit of the believers. This Spirit of Christ, the anointed One, is the reality of the anointing ointment in Exodus 30. 

23. You also take the finest spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred fifty shekels, and of fragrant calamus two hundred fifty shekels, 

24. And of cassia five hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 

25. And you shall make it a holy anointing oil, a fragrant ointment compounded according to the work of a compounder; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 

Today, all the genuine believers have received this anointing Spirit by virtue of the divine birth. Therefore, one has to proactively abide in Christ, the anointed One, to live and walk by the anointing Spirit Who will bring in the reality of oneness among the believers.

And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know. (1 John 2:20, RecVer)

And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in Him. (1 John 2:27, RecVer)

In this anointing, no flesh has a part in it. The flesh is the root cause of division. Anything of the flesh and anything done in the flesh is an anti-testimony of oneness. Everything of the anointing Spirit and everything done in the anointing Spirit is a testimony of oneness.

Upon the flesh of man it shall not be poured, nor shall you make any like it, according to its composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. (Exodus 30:32, RecVer)

Therefore, from Christ the Head and the Anointed One, the anointing Spirit flows to all the members of the Body, the church, and testifies the oneness that the world can behold. 

Psalms 133

3. Like the dew of Hermon that came down upon the mountains of Zion. 

For there Jehovah commanded the blessing: Life forever. 

The dew is the fresh and refreshing grace of Christ that the believers enjoys day by day by being in oneness in the local churches. The mountains of Zion are the many local churches of the one unique universal church with Christ as the unique Head of the church. When in oneness in the local churches, the believers enjoys the grace of Christ that enables them to be in oneness, and this oneness in turn enables them to enjoy the grace of Christ. This is a cycle of grace and oneness, the dew upon the mountains of Zion. On the mountains of Zion is the dew and the dew is on the mountains of Zion. More grace more oneness, more oneness more grace!

Praise the Lord for this revelation of oneness, based on the anointing Spirit that the children of God can enjoy as grace enabling them to be one. And this oneness of the builded Body of Christ is visible that the world may behold. And upon this Body of Christ, the believers in oneness, God commands the blessing, life forever!

Continuing Acts

Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered. (Acts 28:31, RecVer)

The book of Acts still continues with the believers carrying out the proclaimation of the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered. For over the past two thousands years, this proclamation has been continuing as the "continuing Acts of the believers" today. In this continuation, all the genuine believers who are one with Christ in His heavenly ministry are proactively participating in writing the divine history within the human history. As we live, we are writing our history. The question is, is the history that one writes a part of the divine history? To be a part of the divine history, the human history must be in sync with the Lord's move to carry out God’s divine purpose on the earth. For this, one's living must be Christ's living again on the earth, one's doing must be the Holy Spirit's act in him and through him, and the goal of such a living is the doing of the will of God on the earth unto the glory of God. Such a living is a living in the oneness of the Body of Christ and a move in the Body of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ for the preparation of the Bride of Christ to usher in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!

For such a divine move, one must take action in time and not be passive any longer. There is no more time to waste. More than two thousand years have passed, and I believe, our brethren in the past had done their best. Now, the baton has been passed on to us, and believers of this generation must proactively take action by offering themselves up willingly for the Lord’s move today. The need of the hour is to take action.

Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your warfare, In the splendor of their consecration. Your young men will be to You like the dew from the womb of the dawn. (Psalms 110:3, RecVer)

First, by consecration, consecrating our lives to the Lord. Only then, the Lord will have a free way to work Himself into and and work through us. Following this consecration, all the practical details of daily living, gospel move, shepherding, perfecting, and building will follow suit. Then, the churches will witness revival not only of the outward manifestation but also the inward reviving, enlightening, enlivening, and energizing and proactively continue the book of Acts, chapter by chapter, verse by verse; year by year, day by day; and continuing till the Lord’s coming again in carrying out the great commission.

Lord this, I have consecrated my life to the Lord, my family, and all that the Lord blessed me with, to continue the book Acts, proactively writing the divine history in my human history. 

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)

Complicated Cases

The Christian life is a complicated and complex life as God is leading His children into perfection to be the same like Him in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. By human birth we are sinners yet by divine birth we are children of God. Now, as we are living and walking the Christian path ordained by God, we pass through many complicated cases and complex situations for our learning, training, and perfection. As students have to pass through normal attending of classes, doing home works, studying, and writing examinations, and be promoted to the next level of education, so also we, as children of God in the school of divine-human incorporation, pass through many complexities and complications. These are all for the shedding of the fleshly and natural constitution and the gaining of God through the cross by the Spirit until we are conformed to the image of the Firstborn Son of God. Therefore, all the complications are complements from God, His caring us to comply to His Christ, culminating in Christ-likeness.

Today, I was enlightened concerning this complicated case while pursuing the ministry portion as quoter below.

PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LINE OF LIFE AND THE HIDDEN FLOW OF LIFE

The growth of any kind of life toward maturity always involves complicated situations. These complicated situations are not a hindrance; instead, they are helpful. Outward situations do not matter. What matters is whether there is a hidden flow of life.

In the church we must have a pure motive and grow properly. We should never become old quickly or wither away early. We must make sure that we do not have any impure motives. If we have an impure motive, we will wither early, decay early, and fall off early. This is to give up on ourselves. If we grow properly, we will age slowly. Furthermore, we will spontaneously become a proper older saint who nourishes and takes care of the younger saints in the church.

Excerpt from The History and Revelation of the Lord's Recovery CWWL, 1981, vol. 2

In the evening, a brother and I fellowshipped on this matter that how we, as children of God, are going through complicated cases. It takes a revelation to see the wise hands of God in our situations; work life, family life, and church life. The sovereign God used people at the office, perhaps the boss or peers or subordinates; at home, the wife or children; and at the church, the brothers and sisters. From all angles, through all kinds of people, God is leading us through difficult and complicated cases to perfect us day by day. This is the fulfilment of the checker works and wreath of chain works in the design of the temple on the top of the two pillars, Jachin and Boaz. Through all these complications, we turn to the Lord desperately,  trust in Him in simple faith, and enjoy His grace day by day, and be beautified to conform to His image for His expression.

May the God of glory daily conform us to Christ His Son through all complicated cases He caringly allow us to pass through.

Blessed Trainings

This month has been blessed with training after training. On the secondth week, there was a three days of webcast ITERO training in Delhi followed by the next week's five days of fellowship with a senior coworker who has been shepherding us for over a decade now. The former training was a daily commuting from home to Delhi, and the latter, a five days in-house fellowship in Hyderabad. In both cases, I personally have been very much blessed and supplied with the rich speaking of the Lord. In the former training, I was deeply impressed by the truth concerning one accord and in the latter, two key points impressed me so deeply. 

First, we must realise that we are at the end times and whatever the Lord had prophesied are being fulfilled one by one, including persecution, afflictions, and sufferings of the believers. Second, I was deeply impressed by the way we need to take to keep the oneness in the Body of Christ especially in the light of Psalm 133 and take the way of prayer, Spirit, and the Word. For both cases I composed a hymn each based on the truth I received from the brother's fellowship. I also shared twice, being moved by the Spirit; first on coordination and then on grace.

These days I also have been studying the history and revelation of the Lord’s recovery. I used to wonder what would have been the experience of the training conducted by Br. Watchman Nee at Kuling mountain. Perhaps, in principle, we also have been in the same training a century after, under the same ministry, now here in India. We enjoyed a very strong yet sweet corporate prayers together with all the brothers in every session. As the Spirit flowed forth, there were overflow of life through the ministry of the word. Every brother had the freedom to speak forth as the Lord led. No specific topic for the meeting nor for the speaking but the Lord continued to speak according to our need. Many brothers have testified of what the Lord has been doing in their inward being; dealing with the self, the natural man, opinions, concepts, and the issues related to coordination among the brothers. Many deep things that pertains to the brothers, especially their person, have been touched. The Spirit spoke through the fellowship and bring to light the hidden things of darkness and dealt with each one according to each one’s condition. Truly, this was a real.perfecting training. 

In some session, we had prayers and overflow. In other sessions, we had fellowship from the brothers. And in all the sessions, we followed the Spirit's leading. The Spirit in the spirit of the brothers decided what to fellowship, how long to fellowship, and when to stop. In all the sessions, the spiritual atmosphere was very high and the seven Spirits of the Lord intensified His move inwardly in the being of the brothers. O what a fellowship! O what a training! It was indeed a time of spiritual health check-up and a time to take necessary remedial steps. What a mercy of the Lord indeed that we brothers in India could be so blessed through the Lord’s visitation! Praise the Lord for such a fellowship!

Life Lesson: Hospitable

Be hospitable to one another without murmuring, (1 Peter 4:9, RecVer)

The Lord has been shepherding me these days and training me to be hospitable in taking care of the saints. This is one lesson in life that needs to be learned in humanity. The apostle Paul in his writing mentioned being hospitable as one of the characteristics of an overseer or learning to oversee as a shepherd of God’s flock. This requires sacrifices and paying the price in shepherding the saints. Thank the Lord that He has been gracing me to learn this lesson gradually. 

Last Saturday, Lord’s Day, and Monday evening, three evenings in a row, I had the privilege of accompanying the saints for a time of lovefeast. In all these cases, I was supposed to attend to something of my personal needs but I was forced to deny my own plan and follow the saints to accompany them for fellowship and learn to be hospitable. Initially, my inward being was a definite no to the proposals for dinning out as I had some matters at hand to accomplish. But as the saints fellowshipped with me and invited me, I simply gave up my feeling, plan, and paid the price to follow the the saints. I took the Lord’s grace to go against my own interest and blent with the saints.

The first invitation was from two brothers one of whom wanted to give a treat to the children and his host's family. At the last minute, I was invited along. For the sake of the brothers' feeling and and also for my children's sake who were invited, I joined along. This gave me the opportunity to fellowship with a visiting brother and share my testimony too. In addition to the rich food, we had a sweet spiritual fellowship and brotherly time together.

The second invitation was by a brother with whom I have been in fellowship, shepherding him in his marital issues. Since the time he faced a crisis, he has neen confiding to me personally about his deep personal matters. As I felt led by the Lord, I fellowshipped with him his need to establish and strengthen his personal relationship with the Lord. In fact, I had the freedom to tell him that the Lord allowed his circumstances to wake him up, revive him, and recover him back to Himself. I even had the assurance to declare by faith that once his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is restored, all the "problems" will be solved. We also prayed together and this encouraged him so much so that he proposed for a dinner lovefeast. I had no choice but to comply to it. So, we enjoyed a wonderful time of cherishing one another over a meal; his family, a brother, and myself.

The third invitation was from a family who came to visit India and has been in fellowship with my wife. Initially, I had no intention to accept the invitation as I was busy with some important official works. But later, I realised I should not reject the invitation. So, I still finished my works and joined them later. Though late, I did not miss it. It was a time of cherishing for the family.

These are three incidents that transpired recently. The Lord used these to train and perfect me, especially in learning how to be hospitable, accommodating, pliable, and willing to sacrifice my own schedule in order to meet others' need. In serving the Lord, I am not my own. The Lord’s will and His arrangement I have to follow. And I am learning to adjust to whatever the circumstances are, for the sake of shepherding.

May the gracious Lord continue to grace me to learn to be hospitable and shepherd the saints who the Lord brings to me.

Engagement Testimony

Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36, RecVer)

God is sovereignly working inwardly and moving outwardly in the lives of the saints. I am pleased to witness God’s working in one of our young brothers who has been brought up in the church life. His life is in the Lord’s hand and God has bestowed upon him much grace. I do believe, this is also the Lord’s answer to the prayers of his parents who consecrated their lives and their children to the Lord. This is indeed a testimony to the young people, especially to those who have a bright future in the world. This young brother got engaged to a sister who also consecrated her life to serve the Lord. 

Yesterday, the 13th of April, we had an afternoon time of fellowship with the brothers in the churches in Hyderabad, Delhi, and Gurugram along with the families of the future bride and groom. The fellowship was to mainly consider the way forward in the wedding testimony meeting and the meetings for the families thereafter. In fellowship, the Lord made in clear the dates for holding all these events and the appropriate venues. Nobody knew what will transpire after this fellowship. No preconception about anything as such was there as far as I am concerned and tiehr brothers testified of the same. But the matter was brought in prayer and in fellowship. Therefore, the matter was truly out from the Lord, and through the Lord, and definitely will be unto the glory of God.

Following this fellowship, we had a time of an hour long meeting to pray for the couple. Two brothers ministered the word on the principle concerning marriage in the Bible. Five brothers prayed for the couple while on their knees, consecrating them to the Lord and eventually blessing them. Then, the declaration of the upcoming events concerning the couple's marriage and following meetings. Finally, a lovefeast for all the attendees of this meeting, the families and the brothers from the churches.

The mystery here is visible in the way God initiated this engagement and how He miraculously worked out the events, day by day, point by point, and bringing it into fruition. Therefore, this was out from Him, and through Him. And, we are and will be taking utmost care, that everything is unto Him.

A few months ago when the proposal was mentioned to me by the brother's father, I immediately confirmed that I had the same feeling for the young brother and sister to be brought together. In fact, one time I was in a car with a couple of saints, one of which was the sister who was engaged with the brother now. I fellowshipped with her as we drove on a busy road of Hyderabad that she should take care of the perfect will of the Lord in her life concerning her future plan for education and marriage. As I fellowshiped, I sensed that she would be a wonderful match to a brother who is now engaged to her. At that time, I had no clue that she ultimately will be engaged to the very brother I was considering her for. But I would not take the first step to initiate anything. I left the matter to the Lord and the brothers whom the Lord would use to initiate the marriage proposal. And, it has been confirmed and engagement done. Praise the Lord!

May the sovereign God continue to work in the lives of all the saints, especially to the young ones concerning their education, marriage, and service that they all be a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Continuing the Ministry

But brothers, look for seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this need. But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:3-4, RecVer)

And when they had so besought, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31, RecVer)

Today, I was invited to minister the word among seeking believers in Madhya Pradesh. It has been months that I kind-of kept away from this online meeting. But I keep myself open to the Lord’s leading in me. So, with a brother as a Hindi translator, I ministered on the fresh bread I enjoyed in the recent training. For continuing the move of the Lord for the spreading of Christ and the building up of the Body, three vital substances are required, Prayer, Spirit, and the Word.

As one who would also be minsiterd to, I ministered the word from the book of Acts, tracing the history of the Lord’s move in His heavenly ministry through the disciples on the earth. Since the day of Pentecost, the Lord’s move has been unhindered with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the faithful believers who were men of prayers and ministered the word with power and authority. The secret to the Lord move has always been these three substances, the three in one move: Prayer, Spirit, and the Word. Despite the many persecution, amidst the sufferings, the word of God grew and multiplied, and the number of disciples multiplied.

And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly; and a large number of the priests obeyed the faith. (Acts 6:7, RecVer)

In the midst of turmoil outside and troubles within, the men chosen to solve the problems among the believers, and the disciples' main work has always been, prayer, Spirit, and the Word. The Lord’s move began this way, and goes on and continues in this way. Prayer, Spirit, and the Word is the one unique way of the gospel move. I believe, this is the only authentic way.

Since eternity past, God has been moving to accomplish this eternal purpose. In time, He was incarnated as a man in Jesus to carry out His earlty ministry and lived a perfect human life, He was crucified to accomplish redemption, He was resurrected as the life-giving Spirit, and He has ascended to carry out His heavenly ministry. Today, the Lord Jesus Christ in His heavenly ministry is continuing His work on earth by gaining a group of people who live in the divine history within the human history. This group of people is continuing the ministry by being one with the Triune God and living out God in fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. This group of people can be described by the following characteretics. 

They are the "acting God". Having been born of God’s divine life and divine nature, they have become God in life, in nature, in expression, and in function (but not in the Godhead) for the spreading and building up of the church.

They call on the Lord’s name as their spiritual breathing as the fulfilment of Joel's prophesy on the outpoured Spirit to be breathed in by the believers for their daily living. They are willingly to suffer on behalf of the Lord's name whenever the need arises and faithfully speak in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

They act as one Body, doing everything in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body. They reject themselves and live by Christ's life.They continue steadfastly in the ministry of the word. They continue to enjoy, live, and proclaim the resurrected Christ. And they live a life of an upper-room consecration. 

This group of people continues the Lord’s move on earth today. I have been graced to know this and I exercise myself to be a part of this group of people for the continuation of the Lord’s move. 

May the Lord preserve me and the saints in the church life here in India to continue in the ministry to the end.