A Digital Newsletter from Living Stream Ministry
Since last year the Lord has begun to manifest the “fruits coming up and growing” of the ministry “seeds” sown, especially in the Hindi-speaking region of North India. Many seeking Christian groups have taken the stand for the Lord’s testimony in their localities based on the truths they have learned from the ministry books, especially The Normal Christian Church Life and The Glorious Church, and are now in fellowship with the established local churches in the Lord’s recovery. As evident from the fellowship with the key leaders of these groups, the level of truth in them have grown much. In India, as everywhere, the ministry literature does the work of reconstitution and recovery inwardly, and outwardly it follows through for the establishment of the practical church life.
Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow…into the good earth and yielded fruit, coming up and growing; and one bore thirtyfold, and one sixtyfold, and one a hundredfold. (Mark 4:3, 8)
The ministry distribution has played a vital role in opening up the country for the Lord’s move, breaking up the fallow ground, tilling it, and sowing the seeds of the ministry. Below are few situations testifying to this fact.
In the month of February 2021 the ministry books were exhibited in the largest Christian festival held annually in Chhattisgarh. Many of the Hindi-speaking Christian leaders who have already been enjoying the ministry books visited and purchased all the newly released publications in Hindi to the point that the books brought for exhibition ran out of stock on day one. Despite the ongoing pandemic, these leaders invited the brothers and gathered the believers in the city for a physical gathering after nine months of lockdown just to meet and fellowship, in addition to arranging a Zoom meeting for those who could not be present physically.
In a town in Odisha a group of Christian leaders came to listen to the serving ones concerning the ministry books. Though they had some negative presumption before, after listening to the serving ones’ presentation of the truths for two days, they affirmed the orthodoxy of the teachings, testified of the new light they had seen concerning Christ and the church, and planned for a visit to see the church life.
In another town a group of Christians who have been reading the ministry books expressed their longing to fully take the stand for the Lord’s testimony on the local ground of oneness based on the truths they have learned from the ministry books. One of the key brothers, a well-known local tribal leader who left the denominations after he tasted the ministry, expressed his deep desire and burden for the truth to be made known to many of his relatives and fellow Christians. He and a group of believers are now in constant fellowship and are being shepherded, awaiting and preparing for the establishment of the local church in their town.
The ongoing pandemic, though disastrous, has paved the way for a good number of seekers to read the ministry books and to begin to experience the practical church life, virtually though. They started pursuing the Holy Word for Morning Revival and have pursued The Life-study of Revelation. A brother, who is an elder in a Christian group, testified that despite being an elder for a couple of decades, he never understood nor enjoyed the word of God as much as he does now after tasting the ministry through the ministry books. He and his family are under regular shepherding now.
In the South of India, where the Christian population is higher, the ministry books in the vernacular languages have been introduced and distributed on a regular basis through our touring of Christian villages, towns, and cities, alongside our visiting theological seminaries and supplying the Christian bookstores with ministry books. Ministry book exhibitions have been conducted in big Christian conventions where many seeking pastors, priests, and people have come to know and taste the ministry. Some popular titles among the seekers are God’s New Testament Economy, The All-inclusive Christ, and The Economy of God by Witness Lee; and The Spiritual Man (3 vols), The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit, and The Character of the Lord’s Worker by Watchman Nee. Through such tours and exhibitions a good number of seekers are now fellowshipping with the nearby local churches. In fact, the ministry literature serves a pivotal role in ushering the Lord’s scattered believers into the practical church life as envisioned in the books.
The Lord has reserved hundreds of seekers in different villages, towns, and cities, who have been the beneficiaries of the ministry books. When the saints took a distribution trip in February 2021, many of these seekers were discovered in clusters spread over different districts of Maharashtra (the second-most populous state in India). Ministry book exhibitions and seminars were held in a couple of localities where these remnants of seekers were contacted and brought under a regular shepherding by the saints in the nearby local churches.
Another burden in the literature service is to clear the “negative tag” on Brother Witness Lee’s ministry among some Christian groups. Beginning this year the serving ones have started reaching out to key Christian leaders who are nationally, and even internationally, famous and who have nationwide influence. One such leader was met in March 2021, and the ministry of brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee was introduced to him. He was impressed by the real-life testimonies of the saints and by the churches who are beneficiaries of our two brothers’ ministry to the extent that he publicly introduced and recommended the ministry books to his congregation and invited the visiting brothers to minister the word in their Lord’s Day meeting. In addition, the ministry books were distributed to many of the missionaries serving in this organization.
One such leader...was impressed by the real-life testimonies of the saints and by the churches who are beneficiaries of our two brothers’ ministry to the extent that he publicly introduced and recommended the ministry books to his congregation...
A prominent Hindi Christian publisher...requested for all the publications in Hindi to be exhibited in their bookstore.
In New Delhi a prominent Hindi Christian publisher and literature organization has started accepting the ministry books after many years of resistance. In January 2021, when the manager learned about the depth of the ministry teachings and heard the testimonies of the saints who have been enjoying the ministry, he opened up and requested for all the publications in Hindi to be exhibited in their bookstore. This openness has brought one of the staff of the bookstore to be in fellowship and under the shepherding of the saints in the local church, and has also opened the door for many Christians to know and taste the ministry through their bookstore.
This is the joyful testimony of the serving ones who have been graced to serve in coordination, oneness, and fellowship with the Body for the distribution of this marvelous ministry. This report is an answer to the Body’s prayer, experienced by the unprofitable slaves who have witnessed the works of the Holy Spirit and who are in fellowship with the brothers overseeing the Lord’s work in India. Finally, always the promising seekers who have been discovered are referred to the co-workers for further follow-up shepherding and reaping for the Lord’s testimony.
This is the joyful testimony of the serving ones who have been graced to serve in coordination, oneness, and fellowship with the Body for the distribution of this marvelous ministry.
Please pray for the Lord’s continual shepherding of all these ones who have been enjoying the ministry for their growth in life and full recovery into the fellowship, oneness, and blending of the Body of Christ for the establishing of the local churches in India.
Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow…He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Mark 4:3, 9)
The saints serving in Amana Literature, India