Time in a Train

What do you do when you have so much time? The best thing I can think of doing is, read the Bible. That's what I actually did when I had so much time sitting in the train waiting for my destination. Initially, I thought I made a mistake by taking a train journey to attend the Serving Ones Training in Angamally, Kerala. The train journey is about 50 hours with delays. I thought to myself, if I had taken flight I could have saved two full working days when I could accomplish so much work. I almost regretted taking train. However, I accepted the situation arranged by the Lord. When my train ticket was booked, I thought I could change it to flight later. However, I did not feel good about it as there were other saints with whom my train ticket was booked. So, I decided to take the train journey. 

The first day was mostly rest as I had to complete all my works before I travelled. So, I did not have sufficient time to rest the previous night and we needed to leave by 3:30 AM to catch a morning train. Then, after sufficient rest, I continued to enjoy my  daily schedule of prayer and Bible reading in the train itself.

The following day, I had more time as I already rested sufficiently. Then, I decided to simply read my Bible. So, I read, and read, and read for hours the old testament and completed the books of Genesis from where I left off. Then, I had a time of prayer inside the train, releasing all the burdens the Lord blessed me with, in prayer. Then, again I continued to read the new testament, on and on until I completed the gospel of Matthew from where I left off. Then, a time of prayer with my family over the phone. And it was then time to rest.

So, no time was wasted. All the time I had, I used it for prayer and Bible reading. In between,  fellowshipping with the saints. Therefore, my train journey became meaningful and fruitful.

This train journey, though long, was really a good one. I had enough time to rest, which I would never had otherwise. And I can speed up my reading of the Bible as I have a goal to achieve. Thank the Lord for this over fifty hours of train journey. Time well spent in the train.

New Normal Life

Should the Lord grant me a century lifetime to live, I have lived almost half of my life. In these four decades and more of my human life, I have learned a lot. From the past, from the present, from failures and from successes too. Life is about living and learning to live. The only question is, what is the scale with which your life is measured. Is it ethic, or religiosity, or spirituality? Borrowng from the Scriptures, the best life to live is, Christ. 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21, RecVer

Living Christ is the standard for a normal Christian life. In fact, to be a Christian is to be a normal human being. For without Christ, life is abnormal, no matter what standard one lives. Only Christ is the normal life. 

In Christ, everything of humanity and divinity is encapsulated. Loving what or who to love, hating what or who to hate, Christ is the standard. Love or hate outside Christ is just human feelings. Therefore, the normal Christian life is to live Christ in His divinity and in His humanity. A life in Christ is perfectly human and completely godly. 

But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10, RecVer

By the grace of God I am what I am. It is His grace that has been keeping me thus far. I have been learning to take Christ as my life. While in the ministry journey, I was fully occupied with the ministry I was involved in. While at time, I was also fully occupied with my responsibility as a father. While at the office, I was also fully occupied with my official responsibilities. There was no time to waste. Life, to me, was indeed worth the living.

The past few months, I was fully occupied with carrying out responsibilities; official, of the church, and of my family. From morning to late night, all my time was occupied. I was glad that the Lord enabled me to accomplish everyday my daily schedule. My personal time with the Lord in the word and prayer, time with my family, time with the saints for the church life, and all official works were all well spent day by day. This all were due to the grace of God specially bestowed upon me. Praise the Lord!

For instance, the last few days before I ventured off for another ministry journey was noteworthy. So many things came up that I needed to finish before I travel again. I had only three days from the time I came back till I needed to leave again. On the Lord's Day, as usual, I was fully occupied with the church meeting in Gurugram and brothers' fellowship in Delhi. On Monday and Tuesday, I had to complete all the pending official works along with taking care of the family's needs. Somehow, I determined in my heart, I would complete it, and I did so. Finally, everything that needed to be done was done. At times, I wandered how such accomplishment was possible in a few days. It was the grace of God. This is by Christ's life. This is what I call, the new normal. A balanced life between office, church, and family. That's why, I call this life, a normal Christian life, as it is possible only in Christ, by living Christ. 

May the good God grace me to live Christ as my life day by day all the days of my life.

Word, Spirit, Word

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16, RecVer

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63, RecVer

The opening of Your words gives light, Imparting understanding to the simple. Psalms 119:130, RecVer

Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16, RecVer

For the building up of the Body of Christ, the saints need to grow. For the growth of the saints, the word of God is needed. Not only the written word in letters but the living word that gives life. For the word of the Lord is spirit and life.

All Scripture is God-breadth. Only the word that is God-breathed can build up the Body. Therefore, the word need to become flesh in the believers. The word must be living and subjective. Only the subjective, organic, living, intrinsic word can truly build the saints for the Body. 

The Bible did not say, all Scripture is profitable. It says, all Scripture is God-breathed, first. Then, the Scripture that is God-breathed, is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

Without first receiving the word of God and enjoying it, the word will remain the word in letters only, at best as knowledge. Therefore, daily, moment by moment, one has to enjoy the word of God, make the word become flesh in him, be filled and constituted with the word, then and only then, the word will become profitable to perfect and complete the man of God.

Once one receive such a living word, it becomes the spirit in him. And the spirit as the word when enjoyed, will flow out as the word. The ministry of the word is the flowing out of the spirit from the living word constituted in the being of the minister.

Therefore, word-spirit-word is what builds the church, Christ Body. For this, the word must be enjoyed day by day. Practical ways like morning revival, reading the Bible, pursuing the ministry books, getting into the Life-studues, etc., help the saints in experiencing the "word, spirit, word" model. If this be the case, all the saints will function as the joint of the rich supply according to their measure, and in so functioning, will also build up the Body of Christ. 

This was the burden the Lord released to the brothers in this country when we gathered for the National Brothers Fellowship. The same burden now is being conveyed to all the saints in the localities in the North. 

By this way, the Lord is building up His Body through the saints who have been experiencing and enjoying the word-spirit-word model.

Lord, build up Your Body and prepare Your Bride for Your soon coming.

Ministry of the Word to Madhupur and Deogarh

Madhupur, a new city was introduced to us by a Bishop in Dumka. It took us about four hours from Godda to arrive here. We took a bus ride for over three hours to Deogarh, and then another auto ride to Madhupur. Since this was all our first time, we had no clue where to get down from the bus even. Much less, where to get on to another bus or train or auto to reach our destination. But we experienced the Lord’s sovereignty in leading us where to get down. We also got an auto carrying goods to take us along to Madhupur. In mysterious ways beyond human imagination, the Lord led us again step by step.

Once we arrived Madhupur, our host sent her driver, who then dropped us to a hotel booked for our stay. Then, her manager, a brother came to meet us to whom we introduced the ministry. After that, we basically took rest.

The following day, we had a time of fellowship with our host, an elderly sister. Upon hearing the introduction of the ministry literature, she purchased all the books we still had with us. Thus, our goods were emptied out there and then.

She then fellowshipped with us about what the Lord has been doing through the ministry she has been involved in for these thirty five years. She invited us again for a time of training all the serving ones with her. Thus, the plan for the next ministry journey was conceived. We commit the matter to the Lord again for His perfect will to be carried out again.

Then, finally, we came to Deogarh, our last stop, from which our flights back home were booked. My brother left earlier for Bengaluru, and I waited for mine to Delhi. 

Meanwhile, another Pastor from Deogarh was contacted and he came to meet me at the Deogarh airport. To him too, I introduced the ministry literature in Hindi and handed him all the remaining free books in Hindi for distribution. As I waited for the flight, I completed all my pending blogs for the month.

In all these places we came.not knowing. Now, the Lord has revealed to us how this state has been preserved for the seed of the ministry of the word to be sown and how He will recover His lampstands all over this North Indian state.

Lord, bless Your move in Madhupur snd Deogarh. 

Ministry of the Word to Godda

As introduced by the Bishop in Dumka, we came to this city, Godda. After a long local bus drive through the dusty roads under the hot sun, we arrived at a school run by a couple with the heart of serving the local people. 

Despite the busy schedule of the family, they gave us a warm hospitality serving us sweets, snacks, and a mutton curry dinner. After the dinner, we were listening mostly to the testimonies of the sister and the brother. They have been through many things in their service to the Lord and to humanity. The Lord has been faithfully supplying them richly so that they could in turn be helping hand to many others in need, mostly in material help.

In fact, there were other guests too who they gave hospitality on the same day and night with us. In addition, on the day we arrived, they were busy helping the local Pators with all legal procedures, of an unknown dead body of a brother transporting back to Kerala. Yet, they still entertained us as their guests.

Though we did not have much time to fellowship, the next day, we somehow met the local Pastor and introduced the ministry literature. And finally, before we left, we also met him at his office and introduced the ministry. This being the case, we felt the burden to gift the Holy Bible Recovery Version and some selected ministry books to the family as seeds of the ministry sown into their family. 

May the Lord recover His testimony in Godda one day.

Ministry of the Word to Dumka

Dumka has been in my heart for many years now, at least a decade, when I first heard about it based on the fact that one sister was gained through our books distribution in Delhi, being from this place. Finally, I got to visit this city for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. 

We arrived the city by about midnight due to the train delay. Our host took care of us so well as we stayed for two days and two nights. Though we had no idea how to carry out the distribution, two full days we were busy meeting Pastors who came to visit us for the books. Instead of us going out to visit people under the hot sun with no transportation facility, the Lord brought people instead.

One Pastor after another, we were connected to different people. Our meeting with one Bishop was noteworthy. As we introduced the minister, we ended up spending over four hours in fellowship with him and his wife. They were so impressed by the depth of the truth and became very open to us. In fact, he further introduced and encouraged us to visit his relatives who are in two different districts. Therefore, two more new localities were added to our distribution list. It was truly the Lord’s sovereign hand behind the scene in all our meetings with dear fellow brothers in Christ. The timing, the place, and the openness, only the true and living God can do this. I reported the matter to the brothers with a message:

Update on the Ministry Journey

After West Bengal, we went to Dhanbad, Jamtala, Chittaranjan, and Dumka. One contact after another, the Lord led us to all these new places.

Step by step, the Lord led us to meet the key people for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. 

In Dumka, Br. P___'s family took care of us very well. Many Pastors came to visit us in their house to receive the ministry books. Seeking Christian leaders and Pastors were very impressed with the ministry literature and purchased the ministry books. We also had a time of fellowship with an elderly couple who have been instrumental in bringing many political leaders and their family to salvation, including ex-CM's family members. He was so excited by the truth we presented through the ministry literature and requested us for at least 3 days seminars on the truth with all the Pastors in Dumka. He offered his meeting hall and accommodation in his campus for all who would join.

The Lord led us further to a new area, Godda. Yesterday night, we had meeting with a couple who have been serving the Lord among the locals. The brother happens to be one of the ministers in the present Jharkhand government. 

Today and tomorrow, we plan to cover Madupur and Deogarh.

Please continue to pray for the Lord’s move in Jharkhand.

Lord, raise up Your testimony in Dumka!

Ministry of the Word to Dhanbad, Jamtala, and Chittaranjan

Though we knew no one in Dhanbad, the burden within drove us to plan a visit to this city. From Asansol, we got a contact, and followed the Lord’s leading one step at a time. In fact, our train ticket to Dhanbad was booked just the night before we travelled. 

In Dhanbad, a young Pastor gave us a warm Jharkhandi hospitality. He also placed for himself the entire set of Hindi ministry books. And through him, we got a new contact in Jamtala. 

The burden to visit Jamtala was conceived when I was planing for this trip. As I looked at the map, this city lies in between Dhanbad and Dumka. Therefore, I deemed it proper to set foot in this city for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. 

As we arrived Jamtala, we were directed to go to Chittaranjan. We had an enjoyable "toto" electric four wheeler motor ride and met two brothers there. We saw the "goodland." They took us for a home meeting where I shared the word in Hindi, basically, the mystery of human life. Then, we board a train to Dumka.

In just one day, all these localities were visited. One after the other, step by step, for the first time, we tread our foot on these "goodlands." 

Every place on which the sole of your foot treads I have given to you, as I promised Moses. Joshua 1:3, RecVer