Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision for Ministry

Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision for Ministry

(Some points taken from Bro. Bakht Singh’s Messages in 1970’s Holy Convocations’ Family prayers)

Ø "Make sure that you have a clear spiritual experience of the risen Lord Jesus. Then you will have authority to talk about Him and pray in His Name."

-Many ministers of God called as Pastors and God Servants now-a-days don’t have this experience but have knowledge about Jesus Christ which they obtain by studying the Bible and preach to the believers according to their own understanding.

Ø “We see how God’s servants were being hindered from giving the word of God with power and boldness. In verse two of Acts 6, there is a solemn warning given to God’s servants. “... It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables”. We, servants of God are called to be His mouthpieces. We have to devote sufficient time in prayer and then give God’s word with authority, power and boldness. The enemy was trying to draw the apostles into a service, which was not meant for them. At that time they had the heavy responsibility of expounding the Word of God with power, instructing the believers, warning them, encouraging them, strengthening them and teaching them. Such ministry is necessary all the time. Then only we can see real growth in the believers in every place. But we find these days, that many God’s servants are slowly drawn away from real ministry and are occupied with other things. Gradually they cut short their time of prayer and God’s Word. The enemy can enter in through many ways. One can be drawn away into many worldly affairs by fellow-believers.”

Ø “The apostles asked the believers to find seven men full of the Holy Spirit to look after the widows (Acts 6:3). When we face any difficult situation in the church, we should pray. Then God will give the answer. The apostles could have said, “They are widows, so we must help them”. Thus they could have been drawn away from their real ministry, but as they began to pray together, God gave the answer. They were to look for seven men, full of the Holy Ghost for that job. In answer to prayer God raised up seven men. We cannot take for granted that without our prayer God would raise up such men. We have to pray as a church, “Lord, give us men full of the Holy Ghost to feed us and look after us”. That is how through prayer and oneness divine order can be brought about in our midst. “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). God did not allow the enemy to deceive the apostles, or hinder them from their ministry of giving the word of God and prayer. It was after much prayer and careful ministry of God’s Word that God raised up those men.”

Ø “Some servants of God expect God to work without giving God’s word and praying for the people. Rather than giving God’s Word, they give their own word. Because they have not prayed sufficiently, they do not have God’s message. They cannot say, “Well, we don’t have a message.” So, without a message from God they stand before the people and go on saying whatever they like. They begin with a story and then they go on to say many things condemning and rebuking them. Is that a message? They think, rebuking and condemning people and telling stories is sufficient. They will not confess their own barrenness. They spend much time in looking after their children and other worldly activities. They do not wait upon God for a long time for their message and that is why they are dry spiritually.”

-We (every person in the church together) need to pray as a Church to send us a God Servant who is full of Holy Spirit so that he could do the ministry more effectively which is acceptable to God.

Ø “When Moses wanted to be a leader himself, he failed (Acts 7:29). But when he humbled himself, God made him a ruler. Those who want authority, fail God. But when God distributes authority, you will be filled with the Spirit day by day. But you have to wait for God’s time. Then He can help you and use you.”

-Eldership in a church is not much about an Authority but more importantly a Responsibility.

Ø “Those who are proud of their country, position, family, community and wealth are very dry spiritually. That is the main cause of strife in many places.”

Ø “It is only by remaining as one family, that we can enjoy divine favour and God’s blessings. Every believer is equally precious before God. That is why the testimony of baptism is very important. Only at that time can this truth be brought to us in reality. We as God’s servants should take more time and diligently teach people about baptism and make sure that they are spiritually joined with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. When they are baptized into one body they are no more Jew or Gentile, high or low. This should be our daily experience and not for some time. But that is only possible when we give the Headship to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ø “It is by obeying God’s commands that God’s servants will receive His message.”

Ø “1 Cor. 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified”. That is the secret of knowing how much life is flowing from us. Do not go by their names or what they say, but go by the life of Christ. God’s Word says, “...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). In the same way, becoming a member of some denomination is also wrong .If you become a member of a denomination, it means, you are a part of all their teachings and practices. It is an unscriptural practice. You are a member of the Lord Jesus Christ. All other names bring division. Some are called by the name of a country or a person or a doctrine. That leads to division and strife. We see how in the early church these names brought much division”

Ø “In the early Church the Gospel spread through persecution. Even so, today if the believers suffer joyfully, they not only grow spiritually, but the Gospel also will spread. Wherever there is no suffering or persecution, there is no growth. Instead there will be strife, division, parties and hatred.”

Ø “We have to give God’s word to all people. But some people want to have special ministries. They want to work only among the students of universities. Others want to work among educated people or people in high positions. Others want to work among the poor. That is how they become limited. If you think only of a special class of people and spend more time on them you will be limited in God’s sight. In God’s work we cannot make distinctions or difference. We have .to give God’s word to all people, whether they are rich or poor, high or low, educated or uneducated. Then we will find uniform growth among the believers.”

-This is the True Ministry, The Church Ministry, Paul’s Ministry, Peter’s Ministry, Timothy’s Ministry, Apostles’ ministry, Bro. Bakht Singh’s Ministry.
Ø “If you want your ministry to be effective, you have to serve all people equally with no distinction of caste, education or riches. We should not be governed by education or position. After all, they receive the same salvation. We have to be very careful and not show any partiality in the Lord’s work.”

Ø “Believers are supposed to help one another without any worldly organization, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Ø Acts 13:1-3, we see how they began to pray and as they prayed, God separated Barnabas and Paul to take the Gospel to Asia and Europe. As they prayed, God’s heavenly plan was shown to them by the Holy Spirit. Unless there is a burden for prayer God cannot show us His plan.

Ø “By prayer the early Church began to grow spiritually. That is the secret of the early Church. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness... But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 4:31; 6:4). By perseverance the early believers were able to defeat their enemies.”

Ø “The enemy’s attack on the believers is to make them cut short their prayer time. They are busy with other things and have no time for prayer. They pray but for a short while. That is why the enemy gains ground. The early Church overcame the enemy by prayer.”

Ø “In Prov. 3:5,6 we read, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”. Learn to depend upon God for spiritual things. Do not depend upon your cleverness, wisdom or experience of any kind. We have to claim God’s strength, grace, and wisdom for every small thing. It must be a daily practice. Then you will see God’s hand upon you, and recover every loss.”

Ø “Howsoever clever, gifted, or educated we may be, we cannot trust ourselves. We make many mistakes in our lives. Many great men made great mistakes in their lives. They were carried away by fame and name. People may talk about God’s will like a parrot, but they do not know what God’s will is. Going by God’s Word we have to wait on Him and persevere to know His will.”

Ø “We need much patience to wait upon God to hear His voice.”

Ø “We have to wait till we have every evidence to prove that we are in God’s will and God’s plan. When God speaks there must be clear inward registration. We have to hear God’s voice. We should not be carried away by only one test. We need to have every evidence to know God’s will. The first great proof is the inward voice of God, which means to have a consciousness of God’s presence. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace” (Isa. 32:17). To feel God’s presence in a greater, growing way, we must be in God’s presence for a long time. We should not be governed by the first registration but we should have the registration many times. We must enjoy the inward peace, great peace, multiplying peace and heavenly peace. According to Psa. 119:165, it is great peace which creates in us a growing love and consciousness of God’s own presence in our lives. The peace of God and the presence of God go together (Psa. 16:11). If you desire to know God’s will do not go by one evidence only, but have all other evidences. Even though you may have peace for some time, you may be led in a wrong way and you may be deceived. There will be growing consciousness of God as you pray.”

Few words:

When we say ‘Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision’ some people think that we are forgetting God’s name and glorifying Bakht Singh’s name more than Him. But when we look to Bible, Lord Jesus Christ He himself called God’s law as ‘Law of Moses’. Does it mean that Jesus is honouring Moses than God? In New Testament the author of Acts (Holy Spirit) says in Acts 2:42 ‘Apostles’ Doctrine’. He could have said ‘Jesus’ Doctrine’ or ‘God’s Doctrine’ or ‘Jehovah’s Doctrine’. Does this mean the author or Acts (Holy Spirit) is glorifying Apostles above God? Certainly not. Similarly we say ‘Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision’ to be more specific about a genuine and perfect doctrine, since now-a-days there are number of doctrines in the name of Jesus which are not according to the Word of God, that’s all. Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision is indeed Apostles’ Doctrine which is Jesus’ Doctrine. Those who do not know what Apostles’ Doctrine is, will never acknowledge Bro. Bakht Singh’s Vision. We need to pray for them so that their spiritual eyes are opened.
We have to build our church on these four spiritual walls according to Acts 2:42:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
1. Apostles’ doctrine
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of Bread
4. Prayer without ceasing
Even if a single aspect of above is missing, a church is incomplete.
This is what Bro. Bakht Singh has done. He established his ministry exactly according to Word of God and obeyed God’s Word fully.
 For this reason we should have Apostles’ Doctrine i.e. obey God’s Word fully (more specifically Acts of Apostles).
 We must have Fellowship with one another not only on Sundays but as often as possible.
 We must have Breaking of Bread as often as possible because bible says in 1 Cor 11:25 “This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” So, we have Breaking of Bread on every Sunday. Those who do not have it on every Sunday are not obeying God’s Word fully in this regard.
 Finally Prayer without ceasing is very important for the growth of church. We must have Personal Prayer, Family prayer, Church Prayer, Sisters Prayer and Responsible Brothers’ Prayer as Bro. Bakht Singh has done.

Reference:

Bro. Bakht Singh’s messages available on http://www.brotherbakhtsingh.com/

Bro. Bakht Singh's Heavenly Vision of the Church

Bro. Bakht Singh's Heavenly Vision of the Church

(I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision)
Acts 26:19

Introduction:

       Bro. Bakht Singh’s concept of Church was the result of his personal experience with Christ. He believed that Christ should be magnified and glorified through the church and that the church was to show Christ’s love, life, liberty and light to the world. He searched the scriptures, asking the Lord to show him the truth for the church, and after waiting on God in prayer and fasting, he received a fresh vision of the church. Some of the salient features of the New Testament Church that Bro. Bakht Singh preached and practiced in this article.
The Concept of the Church:

 The goal of evangelism is the church and the task of the church is evangelism. A major purpose of the church is to show forth Christ’s fullness, unity, wisdom and glory.
 In 1969 Bro. Bakht Singh said to International students at ‘Syracuse University’ in ‘New York’, “Our responsibility is not only to see that men and women come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, but also to disciple them and to teach them about the body of Christ – the church.”
 God’s wisdom will be revealed through the church – not through angelic beings but through the redeemed people of God. (Ephesians 3-9-11)
 The Church is not an organization or an institution but a living organism where the redeemed people of God are spiritually united with Christ as the head.
 Bro. Bakht Singh taught and practiced that the church as a corporate body must be actively involved in evangelism, discipleship, planting of new assemblies and ministering to the needs of both believers and non-believers.

1. Baptism: 

      Baptism must follow repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; it cannot precede them in any form. Water baptism is not to be made a means of salvation or a method of joining the church. Baptism is an outward expression of internal transformation.
2. Laying on of hands:
      Laying on of hands is practiced following baptism just to express and to declare that all such are related them in the “one body” and are children of one God and one Father our Lord Jesus Christ saved by one blood of Lord Jesus Christ. Many have a thought that the laying on of hands might be considered as the way to receive Holy Spirit. Nothing of the kind! All believers belong to us and we to them; there is only one body. All that we do must express this and be true to that fact.
3. The Lord’s Table:
      Bro. Bakht Singh believed in and practiced to weekly observance of the Lord’s Table. (Do this in remembrance of Me. 1 Corinthians 11:25). All believers were encouraged to take part in the Lord’s Table in a worthy manner after examining themselves. (But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 1 Corinthians 11:28). It was another expression of the church as one body.
4. Praying for the sick:
      (Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James 5:14-15)
       Bro. Bakht Singh did not wanted Healings to be publicized or misunderstood as a way in to the kingdom of God or God’s working. He believed that the strongest and clearest evidence of a movement of God was transformed lives.
5. Choosing Speakers:
      No ministry was pre-arranged or pre-planned. Bro. Bakht Singh always wanted the Lord to direct someone with a message for the people through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, those responsible for the meeting met together beforehand for prayer and to enquire of each other as to who had a word from the Lord.
6. The Body life:
      (Christ’s body) Bro. Bakht Singh believed that the Christ is the head of the church and in charge of all the affairs of the local church. Everything should be done for the edification of individual and collective members of the body and the extension of the Kingdom of God. Thus, all believers, especially those in leadership, should seek to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things.
7. Provision of Shepherds:
      Every local church need a shepherd to live among them and be one of them to help them to maturity. These were called of God to serve the Lord full-time both men and women. These shepherds come trusting the Lord with no promise of salaries or human security and have to live together, suffer together and experience the Lord together.

The Training of workers:
      Bro. Bakht Singh did not believe in any formal Bible school or seminary training as a prerequisite for work or ministry of the Lord. He decided to follow the example of Christ who gathered his disciples together before he sent them out. They learned by being with Him for a period of time before he sent them out to preach what they had been taught. This was also the way apostles of the early church did.
Worship:
      One of the unique aspects of Bro. Bakht Singh’s ministry was to teach and to practice Biblical worship. The believers both male and female, were encouraged to worship the Lord audibly one by one because Bro. Bakht Singh believed, on the basis of the Scripture that worship is the spiritual birthright of every believer.
      Sunday morning service would begin with opening prayer by one of the leading brethren, followed by worship or devotional songs that were most often composed by those in the congregation in the local languages accompanied by Indian musical instruments. Then an elder or a leading brother would give a brief exhortation focusing on Christ. Kneeling down one by one, the believers would pour out their praise and thanksgiving. Bro. Bakht Singh had discovered that one of the secrets of developing the life of Christ in the soul and spirit of a believer was through Spirit-led, individual worship in a corporate setting.
Place of Worship:
      Bro. Bakht Singh believed that they should not spend too much money on physical buildings for the service of the Lord. The Lord does not live in temples made with hands; instead redeemed people are the temple of the Lord. Whenever the rented houses become small for the gathering, they built tent-like halls or pandals for the gatherings. He made people to sit on floor mats, native style; and not on western style benches. Bro. Bakht Singh believed that every church was autonomous and self-supporting. He did not believe in centralized control of federation of churches. He believed in spiritual unity and fellowship of all scattered assemblies in India and throughout the world.
Seeking the Lord’s will:
      Before making any important decision whether in relation to the speaker, place or whatever it may be, Bro. Bakht Singh would meet with his co-workers to pray and seek the mind of Christ. Without unanimity they would not act.
Love Feasts:
      One of the salient features of the assemblies was love feast following the Sunday worship service. The main purpose of Love feasts was to provide an opportunity for believers to get together and have fellowship with one another over a meal.
Holy Convocations:
      The Holy Convocations have been one of the Hallmarks of Bro. Bakht Singh’s work and ministry. One of the main purposes of the Holy Convocations was to provide fellowship for the scattered believers who did not have a local church or believers to have fellowship with regularly.
Evangelism, Gospel Raids and Gospel Processions:
      At heart, Bro. Bakht Singh was an evangelist. In order to evangelize people more effectively, Bro. Bakht Singh organized:
1. Gospel Campaigns
2. Gospel Processions
3. Gospel Raids
4. Door to door Visitation
5. Open-air and street evangelism
Relationship with other Mission Organizations:
      From the beginning of his work, he linked with men and women who shared in the vision and mission. He had open and broad heart towards God servants whether they were nationals or foreigners. He also linked with likeminded Western Missions and missionaries. His close working relationship with WEC (World Evangelization Crusade) and OM (Operation Mobilization) is noteworthy.
      In mid-1960’s, the Lord brought George Verwer and OM team and trucks to India to link up with Bro. Bakht Singh’s ministry. The youngsters of OM team worked together with Bro. Bakht Singh in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India.
      He participated and spoke at numerous conferences, groups and churches both in India and abroad. However, when he received an invitation from India or abroad, he sought the will of God whether he should attend and then waited to be led by the Lord. He was extremely busy taking care of the needs of the ever multiplying and growing local churches. Therefore, very often he had to say no to the invitations that came from the other groups or organizations.
Conclusion:
      The Lord enabled Bro. Bakht Singh and his co-workers to implement various aspects of the New Testament Church within the cultural backgrounds of the people of God in India.
      Bro. Bakht Singh wrote in his writings about the church and ministry he had established, “That which would now develop should not be another exclusive body or sect of Christian people, another denomination. It was to be an expression of the heavenly and universal church in its unity and calling. The first thing to be avoided, then was a distinguishing name.
      We had seen that the church of Jesus Christ is already ‘one new man’ (Ephesians 2:14-15)… All believers are already united in the ‘one body’. Any other name other than or additional to ‘Christian’ would distinguish us from other Christians and lead to our becoming another sect. Therefore we name the building only, and would be known as believers or Christians. All believers throughout the world and throughout the ages belong to us and we belong to them.”
       From the above writing written by Bro. Bakht Singh we see that Bro. Bakht Singh never wanted to start a new denomination or new sect but wanted to remind the church the God given mandate “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Matthew 16:15)”
       Bro. Bakht Singh tried his best to do all things in obedience to His will in the light of the Word of God. He also demonstrated that when we do God’s work in God’s way, we will have the abundance of God’s resources to carry out His purposes.


 “Bakht Singh of India: The Incredible Account of a Modern-Day Apostle - T. E. Koshy (Chapter 13, Bakht Singh’s vision of Church)