Lesson on the Abyss

I am the First and the Last. And the living One; and I became dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever; and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Revelation of John 1:17-18, RecVer

The Lord Jesus Christ, after accomplishing redemption through the cross, went to the abyss, declaring God's victory over Satan and his followers. Then, He resurrected and entered into glory. Today, He is the Living One who has the keys of death and of Hades. As such a One, He is also the victorious One subjectively in the lives of the saints who give Him the full ground. 

Excerpt from HWMR Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (4)  Week 38 “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead”—Rom. 10:7: 

1. In Greek the word rendered as “abyss” is abyssos.

2. This word is used in Luke 8:31 in reference to the dwelling place of the demons—vv. 27, 33, 35, 38.

3. It also occurs in Revelation 9:1-2 and 11 to denote the place out of which the “locusts,” whose king is Apollyon, will come.

4. In Revelation 11:7 and 17:8 it signifies the place out of which the beast, which is the Antichrist, will ascend.

5. In Revelation 20:1 and 3 it specifies the place into which Satan will be cast and imprisoned during the millennium.

6. In Romans 10:7 abyss points to the place Christ visited after His death and before His resurrection, which place, according to Acts 2:24 and 27, is Hades, for Acts 2:24 and 27 reveal that Christ went into Hades after He died and rose from that place in His resurrection.

7. According to biblical usage, the word abyss always refers to the region of death and of Satan’s power of darkness into which Christ, after His death, descended as into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9), which He conquered, and from which He ascended in His resurrection.

The burden in studying and knowing concerning the abyss or Hades is to be brought to the experience of the Lord’s victory that He accomplished at the cross. The experiences of the saints being built up in the Body is the defeat of Hades.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18, RecVer

There are the objective literal abyss and Hades, but the burden is to experience subjectively the overcoming of such a region of darkness in the domain of the devil. In principle, where Christ reigns, there is life, light, victory, and glory. Though Christ is in the spirit of the saints today, the question is, whether this Christ in the spirit also reigns in the souls of the saints. To be in Christ and Christ in us is one thing. Yet, to live in Christ and to let Christ live in us is yet another thing. The need of the time is to let Christ live in us and enjoy the Christ of Christ.

That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, Ephesians 3:17, RecVer

A senior and mature brother had released his burden in the recent training after his many years of walking with the Lord, the need to allow Christ to make His home in our hearts. He even prayed a prayer that can be prayed again and again,  that the Lord may have access to the deepest part of our being. In that way, where the Lord is, there is the victory.

Two weeks ago, I was assigned this message to lead the saints in PSRP on the Lord’s Day afternoon. Initially, I reckon the message as too objective. However, as I studied, prepared, and prayed over the points, the Lord gave me new light. While PSRPing with the saints, I enjoyed the Lord's anointing so much so that the message also touched me so deeply, together with all the saints. As I encouraged the saints, I was also so much encouraged to be fully open to the Lord and give the Lord full access to the deepest part of my being. In this way, the victory of the Lord Jesus as the Living One who has the keys of death and of Hades will be my victory as well. I don't need to fight for victory for it has already been accomplished. I must enjoy that victory by allowing Christ to make His home in my heart.

What a relief to know this truth! What a rest and peace to learn this secret! It's all vain to fight the wrong battle of the self against death and Hades. Even if anyone tries, it will all be futile. If we are wise enough, we will not even try. Instead, open to the Lord, and allow Christ to come and make His home in our hearts. Then, Christ is the Victor will be our victory as well!

Last Lord’s Day, when I gave the concluding words, an echoing of the same burden in the previous week's PSRP, the saints could respond with amens and resonate the same burden as we all have trouble fighting with death and Hades in principle in our daily lives. What a time speaking of the Lord! What a ministry of the word! What a divine dispensing through the word!

Praise the Lord! Christ is Victor! 

Experiencing Christ through Dentistry

In 2023, my dad came to visit us and his dental works was done along with other medical checkups. Since last year, he had been calling me for another visit, to follow up on his eyes and dental works. But due to my hectic traveling schedule, I was able to bring them here only this month after my son completed his Class X board exam.

I had done my preliminary research on where and when to do the medical tests for my parent before they came. For the eyes, an eye hospital was already identified. But for the dental works, I had various options. However, I checked with a dentist brother known to me. Upon his advise only, a month's time was scheduled for dental works. In fact, I also tried to check other dentist nearby our residence. By the way, I almost finalised with a new dentist. But at the last minute, after I came to  know about what works need to be done and the cost invovlved in it, I immediately changed back to the brother whom I already know and had done a work with before. Then, the dental works started with this brother.

With this debtist who is also a brother in the Lord, one challenge I faced was driving into a narrow crowded lane to get to his dental clinic and the issue of parking. However, I was able to cope up with the driving snd parking in that crowded place. It was a driving test and experience for me.

The peace and joy within me in working with this dentist brother was the deciding point in coming to him again and again when there are many other dental clinics easily and comfortably accessible to me. Even tbe price he quoted was peacefully acceptable to me. The inward peace was the deciding factor. Whether the rate was high or low was not what concerned me, but the inward peace the Lord gave to me in my spirit was. So, with the challenges, I happily decided to work with this dentist brother.

Both my mom and dad were satisfied with the dental works they received from him. Besides, as a brother in Christ, he did his dentist works with care and concern. It was the spiritual rapport that gave me peace in working with this brother. Almost a month had passed and almost the works were done. Through the process, I experienced Christ in the following aspects.

In following the Lord's leading to work with him when I actually decided otherwise, I experienced the Lord in avery practical and human way. The Lord worked out things and changed my heart to take His way. I learned to give up my plan when I realised God had already planned something better. And once God decided a thing, He also made all things worked together for me to take His plan. That's how experienced Christ practically.

The money that I would spentd on other dentists, now I am spending on a brother for the same work. At least, a brother also benefitted with his decision.

I had learnt important lessons on coordination even in professional works.

And most importantly, I was able to recover back the fellowship and truth pursuing with him. About a year ago, I kind-of gave up on following up this brother for shepherding as he was mostly busy with his works and was already a part of another congregation. But this time, the dental work brought us back together, and recovered our weekly shepherding fellowship. 

Praise the Lord! I simply marvel at how God worked all things together for good for His chidren, especially for me. Praise the Lord for this wonderful experiences of Christ through dental works for my parent.

Shepherding and Shepherding

He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. John 21:16, RecVer

The Lord loves us and we love the Lord too, of course, by His divine love. The reality of loving the Lord is shepherding His sheep. 

These days, though I did not travel for the ministry, I have been very busy in my locality. Personal time with the Lord in prayer and the word, official works on the weekdays, small group meetings during the week and the church meetings on the weekends, and taking care of the family's need, especially caring for my father and mother who are with us these days. Life is truly meaningful and worth the life. Each day, when I reviewed what were done during the day, I was amazed at how much works were accomplished. Sometimes, I could hardly believe that I could do so much everyday. If not by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, it would have been impossible. Praise the Lord!

Some noteworthy visitations were:

Out of burden from the Lord, I initiated a weekly Recovery Version Study time with two different young brothers on the Lord’s Day afternoon and evening. Each time, we simply read a chapter from the gospel of Matthew and then, all the footnotes in that chapter. Then, a fellowship on the crucial points with illustrations and examples. Each session began and ended with prayers. The whole session lasted about an hour each. In that way, the burden for shepherding the young saints was being carried out. May the Lord gain these brothers and perfect them for His testimony. 

A sister has just shifted to a new house. Yesterday, we visited her and enjoyed a time of fellowship over lunch. She invited us a week ago for this visit. She also confirmed to us her deep concern for the things she have been going through. We encouraged her and prayed for her. 

This week too, an old contact contacted my wife and requested if her maid could go to any "church." We just replied that we could pick and drop her. So, today after her maid attended the meeting, we dropped her off and also spent a time of fellowship with her. Actually, we preached the gospel in a way of friendly talk and read a portion from the ministry material online. We believe this was the Lord’s doing to save her and her household. We pray that the Lord would save her and her who family. This was perhaps, the second time we visited after about five years gap. A lot had transpired in her family by then. She has been much open for the gospel now. Lord, save her.

Likewise, my family has been graced to participate in the small groups meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each group has each own needs. And the shepherding was carried out according to the situation in each group.

Meanwhile, a brother who is in the Middle East, in the midst of the war there, called me twice for prayers this week. He is one of the young brothers shepherded from his young age in the church life here. We prayed together for ourselves, the Lord’s move in India, and the situation in the UAE. It was such a sweet shepherding prayer time.

In this way, the Lord is shepherding the saints and the new ones in His way and at His time. I have been graced to be shepherded along with all these ones. That's why my life has become kind-of busy but enjoyable and very meaningful. I believe this is one of the reasons God had called me to serve full-time. Praise the Lord!

God of Measure Dispensing Zoe-Life

But we will not boast beyond our measure but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you.

For we are not extending ourselves beyond our bounds, as if we did not reach you, for we were the first to come even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ.

We are not boasting beyond our measure in others’ labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance,

2 Corinthians 10:13-15, RecVer

God is a God of measure. Knowing this truth is a great salvation. As I was listening to the message on the apostle Paul's testimony of not boasting beyond his measure God had apportioned to him, my whole being trembled in fear in a positive way, to be faithful within His measure and was being warned not to go beyond my measure. Having known this truth, I should not underfunction nor overfunction. But be faithful within the limit of God's measure.

This revelation is a great relief not to be ambitious of what the Lord has not apportioned to me but be faithful to whatever the God of measure has alloted to me. Such realisation is a great salvation and preserves the oneness in the Body of Christ. 

Though we have the burden to do as much as possible for the Lord, we can only do so within His measure. He limits us through the environment which we accept willingly, though difficult at times, and we also sense His inner peace to be or not to be. Inward and outward, we submit to His sovereignty and amen all that He restricts in His will and way. What a relief to learn to live and serve within the measure of the God of measure!

Zoe-ology

The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly.

John 10:10, RecVer

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the reality and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6, RecVer

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45, RecVer

For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 8:2, RecVer

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:6, RecVer

But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

Romans 8:10-11, RecVer

The God of measure is the God who gives life, Zoe, the divine and eternal life. He dispenses His very life to His chosen and redeemed people first into the spirit, then into the soul, and finally into the body, making the entire tripartite being of man, a man of life. For this, God dispensing has been going on since regeneration. No matter what the environment may be, He always find ways to dispense His Zoe life i to His chidren. The goal of Zoe dispensing is to gain the one new man, the built up Body of Christ, that consummates the New Jerusalem!

Lord, grace us to live and serve within Your measure and receive Your divine dispensing day by day, moment by moment, all the days of life, as men of life, fulfilling Your eternal economy. 

A Special Note on My Wife

House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from Jehovah. Proverbs 19:14, RecVer

Today, my wife enters a new year in her physical life again. As a matter of fact, we generally don't celebrate birthday in a worldly way. What we generally do is, we thank and praise the Lord for His faithfulness and blessings all these years and pray together as a family. The focus on such occasion is Christ who is our life, our living, and our all in all.

In my Bible reading time today, the Lord impressed me with His words concerning my wife from Proverbs 19:14. A prudent wife is from Jehovah! I have been blessed by the Lord all these years with a prudent wife! Together with the Lord's grace and blessings, our family has been under the Lord’s sovereign blessing. Health and wealth may have been inherited as the Lord graciously allows, but a prudent wife is only from the Lord.

On this day too, I thank and praise the Lord for giving me my wife, a blessed favor from the Lord. As a token of gratitude, I purchased a cake of my wife's choice. And to make it more meaningful, I also took her to purchase a new pair of eye glass, the need of the moment, of the best quality available from a lens company. Along with it, I also got a new eye glass for myself, to make it more memorable. In all these practical things, we make life memorable.

Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from Jehovah. Proverbs 18:22, RecVer

Truly, in all these twenty years of our marriage life, I can testify that I have obtained a special favor from Jehovah for He gave me a good and prudent wife. Throughout the years, I have been experiencing and enjoying a wonderful marriage life, together with a fruitful and joyful family life. It has been confirmed to me, time and gain, that my wife indeed has been the perfect will of the Lord for me. Therefore, I exhorted the young ones whenever I was given the opportunity, to seek and resolve to do only the perfect will of the Lord, especially, for their future marriage.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, and praise You for my wife! Continue to preserve and prosper this marriage life all the days of our lives. 

Experience of Christ: Through Board Exams

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to Jehovah. Proverbs 21:31, RecVer

This year, two of our children wrote their board exams for tenth and twelfth standard. They both were very active in the school extra curricular activities during their school days. In fact, I encouraged them to participate in as much activities as possible despite their upcoming board exams. To me, education has to be all-inclusive, not merely studies and marks. School time is the best time in their lives to experience all these. Once they graduate from high school, they will be in a different realm altogether. By the way, they even had to miss some of the second pre-board papers due to the many activities of the school. To me, that was perfectly fine, as they were given sufficient days for studies before they appear for the board exams.

My burden during their board exams was for them to experience Christ in a deeper, richer, and higher way. I have fellowshiped with both of them to trust the Lord, spend sufficent time with the Lord in prayers, and study diligently that they may experience Christ as their wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, and understanding. And in the process, gain Christ richly. Therefore, as my fellowship and my burden was, I also prayed for them very much. In fact, even in the church prayers, family prayers, and personally prayers, they were being prayed for regularly from the start of the first paper till the last paper, which was today.

As the prayers were, the Lord truly graced both of them to write their exams well. In fact, much better than their school exams, and much better than they even expected. Now, that the Lord had led them in their exams, we prayerfully wait for the result. No matter how their results will turn out to be, I told them to accept whatever marks they will score as from the Lord. They have doen their best and we leave the rest to God.

As me for me too, mainly for their board exams, I put on hold all my traveling plans and be with my chidren during this crucial time of their lives. I dropped and picked them in all the days they appeared for the exams, giving them all the fatherly love and care, moral and spiritual support. Their exams were my exams too.

Praise the Lord for this wonderful experience and enjoyment of the Lord through the board exams! Humanly, the best possible was done. They have studied well and prepared for the exams, success and victory the Lord will give. Now, awaiting the divine blessings for their further progress.

Best from Waste

Therefore thus says Jehovah, If you return, I will restore you; You will stand before Me; And if you bring out the precious from the worthless, You will be as My mouth; They will turn to you, But you will not turn to them. Jeremiah 15:19, RecVer

Once in a while when I have time and sensed the need, I would devote myself to doing the household works that I deemed fit. Despite living in a high end community, the house we live in is an old building with zero furniture and many signs of wear and tear are visible. I have tried my best to fix many things myself. In fact, this old house has taught me how to do electrical works, plumbing works, painting works, along with decorating, rearranging, and cleaning now and then. Since the last eighteen years, I have done many things I could, and learned a lot of practical lessons which I probably may never learn if not for the condition of this house. What a blessing in disguise!

A few weeks ago, I receivrd a call from a brother whose acquaintance was wanting to give away a few pieces of furniture. Without any hesitation, I received the offer. That triggered a wave of rearrangements in our house. Some things were worth throwing away, but I reconsidered their usability carefully before disposing them. In doing so, I ended up using them all over again, perhaos, in a different way. I call this act as, best from waste.

In fact, I told my son that I have been exercising God given wisdom to turn seemingly wastefull things to useful furniture. The idea I had when executed indeed became a beautiful thing. So, I took a few hours to execute my idea and gave our house a new look. That gave me immense joy, appreciating the God given wisdom of turning "waste to best."

To me, this is a small domestic experiment. If one can turn waste to best in small things, the same can happen in big things. The principle is the same. Some worthless and useless fellows can also be shepherded and perfected into useful vessels to the Lord. This is the "art of shepherding" that stems from God given wisdom, with exercised spirit and renewed mind.

Therefore, I don't give up many new ones that are seeming "useless" and "spiritually a waste" today, instead I picked up the burden to pray for them regularly. And one day, as the Lord allows, shepherd and perfect them to become fruitful functiong members in the Body of Christ. 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58, RecVer