Winds of Teaching

That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error. Eph. 4:14 

Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things. 1 Tim. 1:3 

All teachings that are different from the unique revelation of God’s New Testament economy are considered by the apostles as winds of teaching. The winds of teaching are negative warnings to the churches to be aware of, as such has a subtle intention of creating division in the church. For the building up of the Body of Christ, healthy teaching is of utmost importance. Satan, in his subtlety, twisted the healthy teaching of the Bible and used the teaching to produce different teachings other than God's economy as winds of teaching to accomplish his evil intention of tearing down the building of God. 

If anyone teaches different things and does not consent to healthy words. 1 Tim. 6:3 

The importance of teaching can not be undermined, the Lord himself charged us to teach. But what teaching?

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

No church can be built up without the proper teaching. Christian groups emphasizing much on gifts and charismatic experiences only stirred up the emotion of the believers. This never builds up. Only healthy teaching builds up the church. Therefore, many Christian leaders realized this and started to bring their teachings. But we must discern what kind of teaching. Only the healthy teaching of the apostles build up the church and keep the churches in oneness. Else, it may just be winds of teaching. These teachings are not necessarily wrong teaching nor heretical, but not healthy for the building up.

What then is the teaching we have to teach? The apostles' teaching.

Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God's economy, which is in faith. 1 Tim. 1:4 

Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles, that he may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose. Titus 1:9 

And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42  

Excerpt from The Intrinsic and Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, Message 5, Outline I, A, B, C.

The teaching of the apostles is the entire teaching of the New Testament as God’s speaking in the Son to His New Testament people—Heb. 1:1-2.

The teaching of the apostles is the unique, divine revelation of God’s New Testament economy from the incarnation of God to the consummation of the New Jerusalem—John 1:14; Rev. 21:2.

The teaching of the apostles is the holding factor of the one accord, causing us to have one heart, one way, and one goal—Acts 1:14; 2:42a, 46a; Jer. 32:39.

The main content of God economy is Christ as the mystery of God, and the church as the mystery of Christ. Any teaching that does not bring us to Christ and build up the church is not the healthy teaching. We must avoid all different teachings other than God's economy, concerning Christ and the church. Any teaching, even a scriptural one, that distracts believers from Christ and the church is a wind that carries believers away from God’s eternal purpose.

This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. Eph. 5:32 

One erroneous and subtle teaching is the autonomy of the local churches which was taught with an intention of isolating that local churches from the oneness and fellowship of the Body of Christ. The local churches are the expression and manifestation of the Body of Christ in every locality and are all organically related to one another. The local churches are just the procedure for God to gain the one universal Body of Christ. Therefore, there cannot be the autonomy of the local churches.

To avoid the winds of teaching we need to grow in life to be able to discern. For this, a proper and sharp understanding is needed. First, we must know what is real and genuine; having a thorough knowledge of what the proper teaching is. Know first what is real, then you will be able to discern its counterfeits are. Then, we must uphold the faithful word, the healthy teaching of the apostles.

Therefore, we must know what the healthy teaching is, and we must also know what the winds of teaching are. Having known the right and the wrong, we must also pursue the growth in life, uphold the healthy teaching, and speak and teach the healthy teaching.

Lord, preserve me and all the saints to have proper and healthy knowledge of the healthy teaching and be aware of the winds of teaching. We are for the building up of the Body of Christ. Preserve us, Lord! 

Helping Hands

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,  when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come back;  and tomorrow I will give it— when you have it with you.  Proverbs 3:27, 28

There are certain people, even among Christian brothers, who just need help and would contact me only when they really need help. Well, I am always ready to help them if it was within my capacity to do so. In fact, I have been doing my best to help people, firstly as a Christian, secondly as a slave of God, and thirdly as a human being. Well, my intention in helping people is with the view that they will also be blessed by God. I do not merely want to do a charity like any other "good" human being. Everything that I do must be with a purpose. The purpose is clear to me; it must mean something to God. If my helping hand is not contributing to God in fulfilling His plan in any way, my helping hand would just be futile. I should not be an instrument of the devil even in my so-called helping hands. 

These days, two brothers have been contacting me because they really need my help. In fact, I have been contacting these ones for shepherding and had spent my time and energy to shepherd them in the best possible way I could. Actually, they received my shepherding for their own benefit, professionally or for their personal need. I knew that as well. But my intention was to shepherd them that they may grow in life and be useful vessels to the Lord with the hope that they can even be built into the Body life. Anyhow they just need my help for their own benefits. At some point, I lost contact with them to the point that one of them even did not bother to receive my call or reply to my text messages for weeks in a row altogether. Nevertheless, I still am open to them should they need anything from me.

One of them recently contacted me to proofread the book he is writing on his profession "Memory Mastery." I did my best to help him as a brother. In fact, he is also the one the Lord saved, a local brother, through my gospel preaching. The Lord has been working in him and he can become quite famous in his field. I have also been praying with him that he grows in life, that his family members be saved, and that he would be a pillar to bear the Lord's testimony.  I believe the Lord will do this, even through all the helping hands I have been rendering. In fact, I have been praying for him to be fully established in the faith and be a strong pillar among the local Haryanvi for the Lord's testimony.

Another brother is an elder brother who has been deeply rooted in a systematized Christianity. Once I invited him to join the Lord's table meeting in Gurugram and sent another brother to pick him up, but he convinced the brother I sent to join his own denominational meeting instead. When I spoke strongly about the truth concerning the church, using all Bible references, truth-wise he had nothing to counter it, but his stand on his own ground he would not budge even an inch. But of late, he called me as he needed help to dispose of his used-car whose life is about to expire. I did my best to simply help him as a brother. I doubt he would not have contacted me at all if not for his need for my help to sell his car. Anyway, I still feel I should respect his feeling and help him in whatever way I could.

Perhaps, I also need to learn just to simply help people without any expectation in return. Though I never wanted anything in return physically, I always wanted that whomever I help would draw near to the Lord Jesus Christ, and be blessed by His eternal help. My help should be ushering them to receive the divine help, the help of all helps.

Amen to the proverbs, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come back; and tomorrow I will give it— when you have it with you."

God's Gifts

Behold, children are the heritage of Jehovah, 

The fruit of the womb a reward.  Psalms 127:3

The Lord has blessed me and my wife with three blessed children. Though we never expected to have children when we got married due to some medical reasons, still the Lord blessed us in His time. In faith, I accepted whatever the Lord gifted me with. To me, every good gift comes from the Lord and I received them as God's blessings. My wife is a gift, so are all my children. They have been my joy in the Lord and I only pray that my wife and I can be a proper shepherd to the gifts God have bestowed us with, our children. 

My prayer for them has always been that of the Lord Jesus' childhood testimony: 

And the little child grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:42

As they are growing in grace, I have been praying for the Lord's covering upon each one of them; to be covered from all the attacks of the enemy. That they may grow in the reverential fear of God, in the wisdom and knowledge of God, and that they all become sanctified vessels filled with the word of God and the Holy Spirit to be useful vessels to God. I believe the Lord would hear this sincere prayer of mine for the children He has blessed me with.

All of them have been growing in their academic life normally. So far so good. I am surprised by the pace of growth they have been showing. In corresponding to their age, their learning processes have been laudable. Though they are just 13, 11, and 7 years old respectively, the things they have already learned are amazing. And in many cases, they have crossed over their peers; learning beyond their level. And I am glad that they did it. Praise the Lord!

My first daughter developed a liking for reading and researching. She has been able to work all day long every day to do her school works, all the assignments, researching on her own on the internet, and did not require my help at all. My wife helps her wherever necessary. But mostly she could manage all her works by herself. She also developed a hobby of reading and painting. My son too grows at a normal pace in his studies. And similarly, he likes academic stuff especially Maths, Science, and Quiz on general knowledge. He has also learned and picked up things very fast.  My younger daughter too shows very good progress in her mental development. At her age, she could create her own PPT presentation, made her own stories, and did many things I would not expect from someone of her age.

On the physical activities, they learn whatever they could get hold of. Cycling they all learned it in no time. Music, they all learned it steadily on their won. Keyboard, with the help of my wife, and other instruments like the Ukelele on their own. Once a sister gifted an old roller skate, within few days, by getting help from a YouTube video, they learned skating within our living room. Now they have been so good at it and it has become their good time pass after their class works.

Above all these, we taught them to read their Bible every day, which they all have been reading daily as a part of their life now. And family prayer every night, with prayer for various needs now and then. Gradually, we also pray for their salvation and spiritual growth. We a cautious not to give them any premature spiritual knowledge. We want them to grow and learn in time.

As much as children are gifts from God they must also be consecrated to the Lord for His purpose; in whatever He pleases to use them. As far as I am concerned, I have already consecrated all my children to the Lord already, as much as I consecrated my whole life to serve Him.

Last week on my 43rd Birthday, on the 21st of June, my younger daughter prepared a Birthday Card for me. It was so lovely and it meant much to me a the card is also filled with meanings.  This reminds me of the blessing the Lord has bestowed upon me. The cards are enclosed and the messages are loud and clear.

Praise the Lord for all our children, God's gifts to us! Our family is for Christ and the Church, our gifts to God!
      

Shepherding Calls

Last week I received two calls; one from a sister and the other from a brother. The first call was a report of a certain brother who used to be in the church life and who became negative due to a certain misunderstanding with a full-time serving brother. The result of his disagreement on the matter led him even to speak negatively about the church life, the saints, and even the ministry. The call was basically to let me know the situation of the brother and his family and find ways to shepherd him practically. This brother's wife recently went through a serious health issue and that opened the door for him to be shepherded. Though out of anger he burst out many unnecessary and negative words to the saints, but now the Lord has also dealt with him to realize the mistake he had committed, and that he should be clear about the truth irrespective of someone's reaction to his queries. Having heard this report, we prayed together for the Lord to come in shepherd this brother's family.

After that fellowship, I received an offering to be passed on to the needy saints. Today, as I considered to whom to transfer this offering, the Lord reminded me of this brother. Therefore, I contacted him and transferred the offering, with some cherishing messages. Thus, the Lord led me to practically be able to shepherd his family. This was based on the phone call I received from a sister. A shepherding call!

Another phone call was for a visit of a brother's family for a time of love-feast fellowship with my family. Last Saturday, the family came to spend time with us. We enjoyed the love feast and the cherishing mutual care. At the same time, this family was also in need. First, I helped them to file the sister's income tax which I have been filing for the past few years. Second, they were in need of a new laptop for their children's online class. They did not have enough money to buy a new one. Besides, they also needed a printer for the children's assignments. 

In fact, the past few months the Lord has been burdening me about helping this family by gifting them an old office computer that has not been in use for quite some time now due to its oldness. But I hesitated for some reason. And a printer too, I repaired and tried to use it for my family's need, but somehow I did not have the peace. Therefore, I bought a new one for our family's needs. So this printer was available to be given. But again, I hesitated for some reason.

But when the family came to visit our family, the Lord impressed me strongly that I should offer this old computer and printer as they are not being used anyway. These will be a great help to the family. With that inward prompting, and with the grace I have been enjoying in my official service, I did have the right to give it out. So I gave the old computer and the printer to the family. This was great help and relief to the family as they have been struggling with their finance. This was also based on the phone call for a visit to our family.

These two phone calls accomplished a lot practically in a matter of shepherding the needy saints. What a blessing to be under the Lord's shepherding and be able to shepherd one another! The two calls shepherded me to shepherd others. Thank God for those shepherding calls.

Another Bite?

Last night as I went out to pray, as usual, I was led to take a particular road as I did the prayer walk. As I took the walk and prayed within too, some street dogs barked at me for no reason. I simply ignored them and continued my walk. At one point, I saw three big dogs playfully running around a man feeding them on the street. I was walking towards them as it was my walk-path. Suddenly. these playful dogs turned towards me, ran, and without barking much gave me a strong deep bite on my leg where I have bitten two months ago. Then after the bite, they ran away. I was shocked that they actually bit me. As I observed the bite marks, I saw blood oozing out. I rushed back home and did the cleansing with flowing water, disinfected it, and applied the medicine the doctor prescribed me when I was bitten the previous time. This led me to deep and careful consideration, why?

Perhaps, the Lord must have a message for me to learn from the incident. No incident is an accident with the believers. Every incident is allowed by the Lord and there is a reason behind it. I really looked to the Lord for what could be the lesson I need to learn from this another bite. In the first bite, it was a message from the Lord not allowing me to shift out as the bite occurred when I went to look out for a vacant bungalow for rent. And of course, that also led me closer to my children and drawing their love and affection. This time, I feel the time of my prayer needs to be changed. I prefer the night walk after dinner and family prayer time. Perhaps, the Lord wanted me to spend prayer time in the morning instead and adjust my daily routine a bit. Perhaps, my daily schedule has to be adjusted; cutting off unwanted frustration and developing a new, better, and healthy lifestyle.

Coincidentally, on the same evening, I was assigned to coordinate with a brother to speak a message on "A Time with the Lord" in a seekers' meeting for the state of Karnataka. I released the burden and importance of a Christian needing to spend time with the Lord. Even a set time to touch the Lord in the spirit and enjoy His presence, receive His speaking and release His burden. I also spoke on the matter of spending time with the Lord in the word by way of pray-reading the word of God.  A good number of seekers attended the meeting online. It was after this meeting that another bite from a dog happened to me. It could be interpreted as the enemy hating me to speak the Lord's word, especially on the basic and important practice of spending time with the Lord in prayer and in the word.  And much more hating me spending time with the Lord.

Of course, as a matter of precaution, I called up a brother who is a medical doctor. He medically advised me that I need not worry about this another bite as I had already taken the Rabbi vaccination from the first dog bites. I simply have to treat the wound carefully and let it heal naturally. No matter what, I have to learn what the Lord wants me to learn. Another bite for another life lesson!

Lord, grace me to learn whatever spirutal lesson You want me to learn throught this another bite.

Fellowship: The Flow of Life

Fellowship is the flow of the divine life from God the Father in Christ the Son as the Holy Spirit into all the believers. This fellowship from God passing through the apostles and then to the believers is my portion too. In this fellowship, there is the vertical aspect with God and the horizontal aspect with the believers and is an interwoven fellowship causing the mingling of God and man and the blending of man and man issuing in the growth in life for the building up of the Body of Christ. This fellowship is a circulation in the Body of Christ making the Body alive and revived. It is in this fellowship that all the believers have been called to, including me.

The past few weeks, due to lockdown, we have not been able to meet physically for a one-on-one fellowship. But as we delved into the truth concerning fellowship the Lord opened the door for one-on-one fellowship last week. First, I could fellowship with a brother at his home concerning his family situation and prayed together. We had a brotherly fellowship rending help to one another. The following day, a brother came over to pursue a message on the life-study of Colossians, after which we had an hour-long fellowship. Then the next day, another brother casually came over and we had a time of fellowship on the matter of the truth concerning the bread breaking meeting and the ground of oneness. And last Saturday, a brother's family came and we had practical fellowship, basically helping the family out in their practical needs. 

As the Lord's speaking was on the intrinsic fellowship, He also brought us to practically experience His speaking. According to the truth we learned, we also got to experience it right away in the same week our pursuing was also on the same topic.  His hands followed His speaking right away. What a blessed experience of fellowship in the Body!

In fellowship, the Lord clarified many ambiguous feelings and thoughts in our lives.  Even today, as I had fellowship with the brothers and sisters from Nagaland, the Lord showed us the way we should go on. We prayed and planned for a literature visit to Nagaland, targetting all the Christian leaders in various Christian groups, theologians of various Bible colleges, and seeking believers, to introduce and distribute the ministry literature especially the Holy Bible Recovery Version.  Along with this burden, in fellowship, the Lord also made it clear that the brothers can start planning for the practical need of the Lord's move in  Nagaland. Like setting up a bank account and two brothers responsible for taking care of the burdened saints' offering. In prayer and fellowship, all these practical items were brought forth. I believe this is the leading of the Lord for His move in Nagaland.

May the Lord preserve me in the flow of the divine life all the days of my life, in sweet fellowship in the Body.

Only If God Moves

I have been very burdened for many people and many upcoming local churches. Out of my burden, I have been praying and laboring to shepherding the saints, seekers, and the local churches to be raised up. As I have been laboring on this line, I also met with many mysterious obstacles. At times, the new ones seem very positive, yet other times they seem to show different faces. Sometimes, I was encouraged and other times I was discouraged. Perhaps, I have been struggling in my own natural man to achieve my own heart's desire. Therefore, the Lord began to lead me to a deeper experience of Christ.

Now I learn one very important lesson in shepherding: Move along with God's move if only God moves. If the Lord does not move, I shall not move. If the Lord does not do anything, I shall not initiate anything either. All my burden and labor would mean nothing if the Lord is not the one who burdened me or moves in and through me. I am learning to discern between my own personal burden and the burden the Lord burdened me with. I am learning and learning...

I have a burden for a particular local church to be properly shepherded into the fellowship of the Body. I have been praying and fellowshipping with them for many years now. Though there has never been a direct opposition to my shepherding, I could sense that some saints are indirectly opposed to it. My reaction was to simply pray for them. This reminds me of the apostle paul's experiences in dealing with the local churches. Though he cared for them, they misunderstood his care and often reacted in a negative way. But the apostle Paul exhibited such maturity and grace in handling all kinds of treatment meted out to him, with much grace.  O may I learn from such a pattern!

I have also initiated a weekly time of prayer with some key brothers both in Manipur and Meghalaya. In fact, we started off quite well and regularly. But later, a brother in each state began to not respond to my call for prayer. For some reasons known to them best, they decided to not join our corporate prayer though they promised that they would love to pray when I proposed to them first. I do not understand what concept they reacted to in this way of late. But I kept praying with the other brothers who were open and available for prayer. Perhaps, they have their own personal reasons that I may not need to know. I leave the matter to the Lord. But as for me, I simply continue to pray with whoever is open and available for prayer. Even upholding these brothers who initially prayed with me and back down later. As long as at least one brother is there to pray with me for the particular burden, I will continue to pray and pray.

This is an important lesson I have been learning from the Lord these days. Move, only if the Lord moves. If the Lord moves, do not stop due to opposition or negative response. Continue to move as long as the Spirit leads you. I am engaged in a battle; siding with God against His enemy, to accomplish what He intends to accomplish in me and through me. On the one hand, I do not press too much beyond what the Spirit impressed me with. Yet, on the other hand, I should not back down due to mere opposition from the enemy and his frustrating tactic. I must stand firm in the move of God and move in His move.

Lord, grace me to be one with You all the time; moving only if You move. Amen!