Shepherding: In Grief

Last Saturday morning I received a message about the demise of a brother's younger sister. On enquiring further, I found out that he was in New Delhi in the hospital where she passed away. Then I fellowshipped with him and decided to pay him a visit. But due to my daughter's schedule at school, I could not visit him immediately. Nevertheless, it turned out to be better off to visit them in the condolence meeting that was conducted in the afternoon.

Since he is one of the leading brothers in the church in Lamka, I also fellowshipped with the brothers in New Delhi if some could also join in attending the condolence meeting at least. Brothers immediately made arrangement for three more brothers to join me. Then we all four attended the meeting held in Delhi.

I took the initiative to inform the saints in the WhatsApp group and posted the following.

Comfort One Another, and Build Up Each One the Other
Brother M's younger sister had gone to be with the Lord. The Lord knows her time, and therefore, for us as believers, it is not a thing of grief, for we have the hope of glory in Christ Jesus. Let us comfort one another and build up each one the other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do.

From the many testimonies of her children and the other believers, it was testified of how she loved the Lord and the Word of God, of how she brought her five daughters by herself as her husband had also passed away many years ago. Brother M testified of how he shepherded them to call upon the Lord’s name and led them to touch the Lord through morning revival whenever they were together. 

Much grace to all the family members.

Brother M would be hosting a meeting tomorrow for all the relatives, friends, and well-wishers at his home in Lamka. May the Lord be with our brother in his testifying and ministering the word to all, that Christ may be magnified.

Let us pray for the family.

That was how a brother in grief was shepherded. He himself testified of how it was so good for brothers to be with him and visit him during this time of grief. We could not do much, but our physical presence with him was by itself a shepherding. This is a human care in the humanity of Christ; visiting one another and comforting one another in time of pain and grief. May the Lord strengthen our brother and make him a shining testimony to all his relatives.

Shepherding: USA Visit

For over a decade I have been visiting a family in Gurugram. Though they have a strong root in the main denominational churches, husband to one and wife to another. From the very beginning, my burden was to simply shepherd them by paying them a visit for a short while fellowship on the word of God and prayer. This visit has been going on for years and they began to enjoy the Lord too in a deeper and sweeter way. Gradually they also lean towards the church life as seen in the Bible. Though they have not fully come into the church life, they remain good brothers and sisters with whom we have regular weekly fellowship in their home.

Recently their son has got admission into one of the universities in California, USA. As a brother, I deemed it good to help them in all possible ways. So I introduced them to the saints in the churches in California, mostly in Fremont and San Lois Obispo. They did visit the churches and the saints gave them hospitality. My only desire was that they could be shepherded practically in the church life and be fully gained to bear the Lord's testimony wherever they are. I definitely should not be narrow-minded with the thought that "they are not fully into the regular church meeting yet." Perhaps, through this shepherding, the Lord would shepherd them into the practical church life. 

This incident was a good test for me to exercise a shepherding life even to those who may not fully be one with the ministry yet. They are all genuine believers in the Lord. They may not fully agree with the practices of the local churches as yet, but our relationship in Christ despite the minor differences in our understanding, beliefs and practices could not nullify our relationship and fellowship in the Body of Christ. I definitely pray and wish that they be fully gained for the church life, but I leave that to the Lord, who knows best how shepherd people into the church life. I have done what I felt I am supposed to do as a brother who cares for them. Even after this visit, only the Lord knows what stand they will take, but my attitude should be to continue to shepherd them in all possible ways. Shepherding new ones is a life lesson to learn lifelong. Still, I would humble myself before the Lord that I would be able to shepherd as the Lord would want me to shepherd.

One day I hope the shepherded ones would be full grown in Christ unto full maturity and be pillars to bear the Lord's testimony wherever the Lord placed them. With this one goal, as the Lord grace me, I will continue to shepherd whoever the Lord burden me with.

May the Lord shepherd us all into His heart's desire.

My Friend's Family

One of my best friends from high school days, who motivated me to be a studious student, be academically competitive to ambitious in studies as a student, has been posted in Siliguri. I felt it best to pay him a visit once all my burdens were released in regard to meeting Christian leaders for the introduction of the ministry of the word. It was surprising that I could visit them in all the three cities they had been posted so far. When they were in Kolkatta, I visited them with a brother from Chennai, and we gave our testimonies of salvation. When they were in Guwahati too, I visited them again when I fellowshipped with them at length on the truth concerning Christ and the church. This time, the visit also had a very special significance spiritually.

My friend has a religious background with the flavour of Judaism though the faith in Christ is still intact. There perhaps could have been some mixture of the Old Testament and the New Testament in their faith. Which undoubtedly could have had an effect on mingling with a Christian with a fundamental teaching of the New Testament. This was the point of fellowship on the fundamental faith of a Christian with my friend's wife. She has been experiencing a lot of reconciling the fundamental beliefs of the Old and the New Testament. Despite other Christian's opinion about her faith in the Lord as she has been married to my friend, she has stood firm and has been learning to balance between the two beliefs. Perhaps, it was for this fellowship on fundamental teaching of the Bible that I could visit the family. I believe so. As the circumstance I was in proved it to be true. I could fellowship at length on the fundamental teaching of the Bible of a normal Christian life.  

Besides, I also could introduce my wife to my friend's wife with the hope that they will fellowship in the coming days. A Christian needs fellowship, and it is through such that she can grow in the Lord. The Lord knew her seeking heart for the truth, and I believe that was the reason why I could visit them. I also gifted them some ministry books on the church for their pursuit. Before I left the next day, we had a short family time of prayer together. I believe the Lord will fully recover my friend's family into the normal Christian life and the church life.

Lord, bless my friend's family. And bless our fellowship in the coming days.

An Opening in Bhutan

An Opening in Bhutan

A brother from Bhutan who also serves the young people and college students in Bhutan was introduced to us. The Lord impressed him with the ministry books and he volunteered to introduce and distribute the ministry books among the students. Besides, we also met with a Bhutanese brother who has been involving in the translation of the Bible into the local languages of Bhutan. The New Testament Recovery Version impressed him so much as it has been done with much accuracy. He even said he would use the Recovery Version as a reference for his ongoing translation.

Ministry of the Word Journey: North Bengal

Jaigaon, North Bengal

A land bordering India and Bhutan is teeming with missions and missionaries, all with the burden of somehow entering into Bhutan with the gospel. We were welcomed by a well-established Christian group and given hospitality with theologians. With our host we had wonderful fellowship on what a Christian life is, and the issue of such a life being the church life. The theologians were appalled with the depth and revelation of the word the Lord blessed the ministry with, supported by the subjectivity of such high peak truths. We were also led to meet the leading and influential Christian leaders to whom the ministry books were introduced.

A Seeking Missionary: A seeking "missionary" invited us for a lovefeast dinner fellowship and testified of how he has been praying and longing for someone to introduce the pure and healthy teaching from the Bible with printed ministry books. He has seen so much confusion among Christianity with different teachings and leadership that leads the believers into  division. He expressed his gratitude to the Lord that the Lord brought us there in answer to his prayer and wanted to pursue the ministry books and also expressed his desire to visit the church life in Delhi and Gurgaon. 

Alipurduar, North Bengal

We were introduced to the top leaders of the Christian groups operating in North Bengal. A leading founder and leader of some 200 “branch churches” was so interested in the ministry books. He placed order for the books in sets, and would mobilize all who are serving with him for the distribution of free Rhema books and tracts. In fact, he testified that he has been praying and waiting for someone to provide healthy teaching from the Bible, and was so happy that we visited him.

Another mainline church leader expressed his desperateness on the state of today's nominal Christians and wanted a revival. The ministry books impressed him a lot and wanted them in Bengali in bulk as soon as possible, as he is the Chairman of many “churches” all over North Bengal, mostly Bengali speaking believers. 

Ministry of the Word Journey: Kalimpong, West Bengal

Kalimpong, North Bengal

The Lord led us to a group of young Christian leaders and pastors, to them we introduced the ministry books. They all were very impressed and took the books and introduced us to the leading pastors in the city. A young pastor on hearing about us, came to meet us and placed order for the ministry books in set. 

The only Christian bookstore in the city on learning about us and the books by Watchman Nee, placed order for the books and made arrangement for us to meet their leading elder. The leading elder testified of how much help he received by reading brother Nee's book since 1977. He loved brother Nee so much so that he loved us too and even requested us to stay with him in their campus. 

House Churches in Kalimpong: A brother who has seen something of the New Testament pattern of the church welcomed and gave us hospitality. With him we had a sweet time of fellowship on the truth concerning Christ and the church. He was so glad that the ministry of the age has reached him. He has been running "house churches" in and around Kalimpong with some 500 believers. He is so burdened to build up the church by perfecting the saints by teaching them in their homes. He also fellowshipped the possibility of conducting training for the believers and the serving ones in the near future.

Ministry of the Word Journey: Darjeeling, West Bengal

Darjeeling, North Bengal

The only Christian bookstore placed order for the books in sets. On the Lord's day, some seekers and pastors came to see the ministry books and they all placed order for the books.

A Seeking Sister in Darjeeling

The Lord brought a sister who loves the Lord so much and has been so desperate to know many "mysteries" in the Bible. She was so excited to learn that many of her questions are actually answered in the ministry books and in the Bible, Recovery Version. She immediately placed order for a set and desperately longed for the New Testament, Recovery Version. We also introduced the online ministry books and online LSM radio program for her pursuit of the truths.