Body Life

A decade ago, I had been taught and trained to be a "spiritual giant" as the case is in many inner life Christian groups. No wonder, I used to struggle and strive to become such a one. But the Lord, in His mercy, saved me from this extremist pursuit. Thank the Lord! 

However, having stated this, the basic practices of a Christian living are very much needed as they are the foundation for the stability of a normal Christian life. Nevertheless, all these practices are actually for the Body of Christ; spirituality is for the Body of Christ, otherwise, it is a great threat to the building up of the Body of Christ. A spirituality without Body-consciousness is individualistic and divisive. Church history has proved it. Such partial, incomplete and improper understanding of spirituality does more harm than good; instead of building up the Body of Christ, it tears down what has already been built.

Since the Lord recovered me to the Body life, He has shown special grace to me. All these years, praise the Lord, a decade now(!), many of my self have been stripped layer by layer, including my understanding of spirituality. In no way can I say, I have been fully stripped off of all that need to be stripped off, but for sure, significant stripping have been done. Looking back, I can only praise the Lord for what He has been doing which otherwise would have made me by now a half-baked cake. Having stated thus, I still look to the Lord for more grace to go on in Him, with Him, with His Body.

These days, as to God and as to man, I can humbly acknowledge that I am indeed nothing and can do nothing in myself without the Lord and His Body. Since the Head, Christ cannot be separated from His Body, the Church, I can also not be separated from my fellow brethren. A decade ago, I can spiritually do many things individually and divisively in the name of the Lord, but now, a decade after, I can only depend on the Lord and dwell with the Body and need the fellowship, balancing of the Body in the Body for the Body. Be it personal or corporate matter, I cannot be myself, do it myself any longer. The hand of the Lord is heavy upon me if I dare to be individualistic, because He loves me. I need the Body as much as I need the Head of the Body; for the body is the Body of the Head, and the Head is the head of the Body. The two co-exist as one. What the Head feels, or says or does, the Body feels, or says or does too. Recently, a brother had indirectly indicated that he is fully for the Head, Christ but had some uneasiness with the Body and further indicated that he is only for the Head. To this I retorted back, that I am for both the Head and the Body. For one cannot be sweetly joined to the Head without fitly joined to the Body; to claim royalty to the Head without being in peace with the Body is a paradox. How many of today's Christians who loves the Lord dearly need to know and live in the Body life? Lord, have mercy on us...

Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12-14 are great unveilings of the Body life. To me these are enhanced gospel, not merely being saved from negative things, but even more to be saved into the Body life. These days, I can only praise and thank the Lord for His great mercy shown especially towards me. He saved me from my self pursuit of spirituality and shepherded me into the Body life, living as a member of His Body with many other members, coordinating, blending and building together for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose " Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Ephesians 4:13.

Flow of Life

The church is a miniature of the New Jerusalem and needs to take the holy city as its highest standard. In the holy city as revealed in Revelation 22:1,2 are the throne of God and the Lamb, the river of water of life and the tree of life. These three significant items also comprises the church life today. And these has been my experience in the church life very strongly these days.

Be it a mere group meeting or a church prayer meeting or the Lord's table meeting or a prophesying meeting or training or conference or blending or whatever meeting, as long as it is the meeting of the proper church life under the throne of God and the Lamb, there is always a rich supply. No matter how many joins the meeting or who speaks the word, there is the Lord's anointing. I have been enjoying this anointing very much. Regardless of what truth is spoken, how well or unwell spoken, how long or how short, there is always a rich supply of life.

For this blessings divine, my being sings in praise to the Lord. These days I am so much blessed with the Lord's speaking through the ministry of the word of the speaking brothers. Even the readings of the ministry writings is full of life supply; any books, any chapter, any page, there is the rich supply of life. The fellowship of the brothers on whatever matter is also filled with life. Lord, thank you for the flow of life.

Whatever others say, whether critiquing or criticizing, accusing or excusing, my life experience clearly testifies beyond doubt, the Lord's recovery is truly the Lord's recovery of life, in life and by life. Time and again, the Lord confirmed to me through the objective revelations of the truth and the subjective experiences of the revealed truth, that He is indeed the Head of the church and the proper practice of the church life in the Lord's recovery is truly of the Lord; though there are differences in practices and many outward matters in comparison with other believers, essentially, the Lord's heart is please and His blessings are unsearchable, both abstract and concrete, spiritual, psychological and physical too. 

Even when we few brothers gather together for fellowship on many matters, there is the divine life operating and flowing among us; not a matter of right or wrong, good, better or best, there for sure is the Lord's blessing. O how I treasure this flow of life.

Based on the word, all this is just the fulfillment of the proper church life, a miniature of the New Jerusalem, with the throne of God as the center, and the river of life flowing to supply all the saints in the church and the tree of life for the saints to feed upon.

If I were to jot down all the blessings there will be no end; if I were to write descriptively on the experiences of the Lord's bountiful supply of life, time and energy will not suffice. These are the riches Christ, the Head of the Body, bestowed His Body, the church, with. 

O to be in the church life in the Lord's recovery is a blessing of all blessings! Lord, thank you for Your life flow; preserve me in the church life under Your throne with Your river of life and tree of life.

Better Things

In my study of the word recently the Lord impressed me so deeply and the blessing inexplicable of being a believer today in the new testament. We have all that the old testament believers had and much more, we have the fulfillment and the reality of all the types of the old. Some thing better, yes, better things.

Hebrews 11:40

40 Because God has provided something ²better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

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40² The Greek word means superior, nobler, greater; hence, better. It is used thirteen times in this book: the better Christ (1:4), better things (6:9), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (twice — 7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24). (The other instance is in 7:7, where it is translated greater.) All these better things are the fulfillment and reality of the things that the Old Testament saints had in types, figures, and shadows. What God provided at that time was a picture of the things concerning us, the things that were to come in the new covenant and that are the true and real things, better, stronger, more powerful, nobler, and greater than their types, figures, and shadows. The Old Testament saints, who had only the shadows, need us for their perfection that they may share with us in the real things of the new covenant. Why, then, should we leave the real things of the new covenant and turn to the shadows of the old covenant?

http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=7451

Some thing better, yes, better things, these are the blessings of being a believer today! As a brother and I visited an elderly couple whose daughter and son-in-law were instrumental in bringing me to the Lord, they asked me to minister the word. So impromptu was the request, that I ran out of words. But the Spirit inspired me instantly to minister what I had enjoyed the previous day. That was this "better things." 

Praise the Lord today, that I am not only of the new testament time, but also living in the new testament age. Many today are new testament believers with old testament beliefs and practices. When we have better Christ (1:4), better things (6:9), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (twice — 7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24) what more do we need? Christ is the reality of all these! Especially in the Lord's recovery in the church life today, all these are spoken, ministered, dispensed and being lived out. Not a boast, but declaring the fact, I am really blessed in the church-life today! May the Lord preserve me by His mercy that I enjoy the reality of all these better things of God, Christ and the Church for the fulfillment of God's eternal economy. 

Mahanaim

Song of Songs 6:13

Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may gaze at you.

Why should you gaze at the Shulamite, As upon the dance of two camps?

"Two camps" in Hebrew means "mahanaim." Jacob, after he met the angels of God, divided his wives, children and the rest of his possessions into two camps, or "two armies" (Gen. 32:1-10). On the one hand, Jacob was so afraid of his brother Esau that he made two camps, as a cleverly defensive tactic in case he was attached. It shows his helplessness, weakness and dependence on God who can only protect him. Yet on the other hand, having two camps signifies being a testimony; dancing between the two camps being more than conquerors in the Body life.

As I studied this verse, with the help of the notes in the Recovery Version, the Lord enlightened me of two things. 

Firstly, I am weak in myself. I can do nothing and even if I were to do something, it will be all out of fear and helplessness. So my only refuge is the Lord Himself who is my Protector and Strength. In fact, all the days of my life, I must take this position, recognizing my weakness and always depending on God for everything. Only by this utter dependence on God, can I become one with God to be His army to fight against His enemy unto victory. 

Secondly, though I am weak, I am a member of the Body, I am not alone, I am among the two camps of women and children, the feeble ones trusting the Lord. And also a part of the two camps, I am a part of the testimony of God. I not only conquer, but am more than conqueror in the Body life with the other saints.

As days go by, the deeper I realize the practicality of this verse. Often I groan in my weaknesses depending on the Lord, and often I rejoices in the strength of the Lord. Though weak, I am strong. At times, I too make my camps as a defensive tool, yet amidts the camps I dance in victory rejoicing! On the one hand, I am weak and need the Lord, and yet I am one with Lord and am victorious in Christ the Victor! Like the Shulamite, As upon the dance of two camps, gaze at me Lord!

These Hands

Acts 20:

34 You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my needs and to those who are with me.

35 In all things I have shown you by example that toiling in this way we ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

In Acts 18:3b "they were tentmakers by trade", revealed what Paul did to make a living mainly so that he could serve the Lord without being a burden to the church nor to the saints, and yet be able to support the needs of the weaker saints. What a testimony! 

As I read this portion of the word and also from the message spoken by brother Watchman Nee in Church Affairs, Chapter 11,  the Lord enlightened me to see the proper way and attitude of serving the Lord. It is not for living that we serve the Lord, nor as a profession as in any secular job. We serve the Lord because we love Him, we love Him because He first loved us and has chosen us. We have no other option, even if there are many; we have no other way among the many ways; because the Lord has chosen us and captured us by His love. 

Since we love Him, we serve Him; and yet we are still man in the flesh with many physical, psychological and spiritual needs as any living and normal human does, so as not to stumble for these needs, we labor, even much more than any others, with "these hands" to make a living so that we can serve the Lord whom we love to the uttermost.

"These hands" also was a testimony of Paul; he kept himself pure in his motive in material needs in not being burdensome to and dependent on somebody else for his living, not that he did not have faith to trust in the Lord for his needs, but that in the principle of incarnation, labored as a tent maker to meet his basic physical needs and that of the needy saints with him. It was God who gave him the strength and the blessing to labor with his hands. 

Having spoken to by the Lord, it is my heart's desire too, as Paul, that as much as the Lord blessed, I would willingly labor with "my hands" trusting in the Lord to bless the fruit of "these hands" labor to supply the basic necessity and serve the Lord with all purity. This is not "not to have faith" but the exercise of faith to "till the ground that God may send the rain." Far be it from me that my service be dependent on or burdensome to some, instead I be a blessing to others both physically and spiritually, trusting in the Lord and having and exercising faith to bless and provide all my needs through "these hands." Having expressed this, it is upto the Lord to ultimately decide how I may serve Him. My faith, my trust, my provision, my Jehovah Jireh is and always will ever be God and Him only.

With all purity in heart, I may serve Him, laboring with "these hands" as He so ordained and blessed that the word of the Lord be fulfilled in me too that "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Naming Children

Unexpected and unprepared we were for the third blessing of the womb, yet the Lord was the Lord and His way always were His ways and we just said "amen."

The Lord has taught me a lot of lessons through His blessings unsearchable. I, in my immature discernment, thought it sufficient for just two but the Lord knew best. He gave us one more beyond our expectation and perception. One the one hand He dealt with my thoughts and  on the other hand, He blessed us richly. A double blessing indeed! Through this He taught me a life lesson that "He is the Lord, and He ever will be and that I just trust in Him and fully depend on Him only."

When I got engaged to my wife out of God's sovereign will, she expressed her concern that she might not be able to bear a child. But my apt and innate response was that I would marry her not for a child but for the Lord's sake. It was upto the Lord whether we would ever be parent or not. The Lord was faithful and gracious. Now He has blessed three to the one who would physically not bear one, for health reason. God was and is above medical sciences.

Out of the Lord's blessings, for joy we named our first baby, BLISS -- a subjective experience of the sweetness and goodness of God. Then, the Lord blessed us a baby boy, knowing truly our heart's desire, and we named him, AMANA -- meaning high peak truth, an objective apprehension of the height of the Lord's marvelous, divine and mystical revelation, and co-incidentally my service to the Lord was also assigned in the literature service in the year he was born. He, as the Head, Christ, apportioned His member as He wills, and to this I say, "Amen!". And then, though we had satisfactorily settled for two, the Lord's blessing was bountiful. He blessed us further with the third baby. We named her, CHRISTY -- a feminine name of Christ, at least to my reckoning of the name, as the realisation of the subjective "bliss" and objective "amana." Christ is the reality of all the subjective experiences and enjoyment of God and of all the objective truths, visions and  revelation of the Bible. So here are God's blessings--Bliss, Amana and Christy.

That's how our children were named.

Lord, as Thou blest, so shall Thine be;

Lord, do Thou what pleaseth Thee.

We consecrate our own and our all to Thee,

May Thy will be done, yea Thine only.

Willing and Working

Philippians 2:13

13 For it is God who operates in you both the ⁴willing and the working for His good pleasure.

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13⁴ The willing is within; the working is without. The willing takes place in our will, indicating that God's operation begins from our spirit (cf. 4:23) and spreads into our mind, emotion, and will. This corresponds with Rom. 8, where we see that God works from our spirit (Rom. 8:4), through our mind (Rom. 8:6), and eventually into our physical body (Rom. 8:11).   http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=6012

The Lord's rhema speaking is so timely and intimate these days. He loves me so  much despite all my failures and short comings. One verse that shines out in my time with the Lord is Philipians 2:13. God operates in me! The Greek word for "operates" has the thought of God's moving, acting and working within us. Here the source of the operation is God, the means of the operation is also God and finally, the goal of the operation is also God! What a God indeed is our God!

This verse encourage me so much so that I even texted to some saints and new ones I am shepherding. Many times there are life's challenges and the task assigned to us on this temporary journey seems tough and mostly uncertain. Yet the word of  the Lord says, He is the one operating; yes operating in me the willing to carry out His will and the strength to carry out what He wills. So it is ultimately He who is the cause of willing and also ultimately He is the means to carry out His will. O what a blessing.

Often I struggled to seek God's will; but actually the "will-er" of the "willing" is God Himself. He operates in me the willing and I need to be exercised in my spirit to be one with what He is willing within me and through me. Even after His will is made known, foolish as I am, I tried to carry out the willing with my strength only to find myself in desperate hopelessness. As He willed, so He worked. He not only wills in me, but also supplies all the strength I need to carry out His willing within me. And all these for His purpose. So, the ultimate goal of everything God does in me and through me or in us and through us is for His purpose. Hallelujah! I need not struggle nor waver in vain. But abide in Him that He abide in me for His purpose. Praise Him!

Lord, thank you for your operation--the willing and the working for Your purpose!

Mending

The recent national conference in Chennai has such an impact on me and one particular speaking of the Lord is the matter of "mending." John was a fisher man who became the Lord's disciple, a witness and an apostle. He wrote one of the gospels and also his epistles carrying out the mending ministry among the believers the enemy tried his best to shift them to and fro with all kinds of fiery darts of false teachings attributing to the degradation of the churches. His mending ministry was the issue of the degradation among the believers.

This applies to me so subjectively as well. I am called to be a fisher of men, as many other believers are, just as much the same as John himself. Fishing is done with a fishing net; the effectiveness of the fish very much depends on the net itself with the fisherman. Both are vitally important. One without the other is useless and both must be in "good" condition, a good fisherman with a good fishing net!

In general, all genuine believers are fishermen, and in particular, I am a fisherman. My person, my living, my very being must be a fisherman. The work I do is fishing and I do the work with the fishing net. If my "fisherman" and "fishing net" are not matching or are not good enough, there will be a problem in my catching "fish," in fact, I may not net a fish at all. To be effective fisherman, my living and my work must be one in the divine profession of fishing. If either of these has any loopholes, it will directly affect my fishing. 

The Lord deeply touched me in this matter. The fact is, I have too many holes in my net. Apart from that, my net is not strong enough to even hold the fish I might have netted in this profession. The timely spekaing of the Lord, "the mending ministry of John" was really amazing. I bow my head to the Lord in absolute reverence that He, the Fisherman, may grant me a net without holes and a net with much strength. And that He grace me in His mending ministry to mend all my holes to be well pleasing to Him in my "fishing." 

My prayer ever since has been that the Lord may mend all the hole in my living, in my character, in my person and being that I truly may be His fisher man. "Lord, mend my net and mend all my holes."

Divine Realm

Since the Lord's mercy led me to the church-life, I have been hearing the phrase, "divine realm" time and again. But little did I realise its true worth. This phrase is so familiar to me that it almost lost its true depth to me. Nevertheless, thank the Lord, the fact was made known to me, at least I am not kept in the dark as far as the truth of the Bible and the divine revelation is concerned.

Of late, the Lord deeply touched me of this matter. The "Divine Realm" is a realm in which a Christian must live and have his being in it. But in my real-life experience I have a very little, in fact, too little experience of the being in the divine realm.

As the majority of the believers do, in longing to live an overcoming life, all this while there has been a struggle to attain to such a living as one would call "spiritual" or "overcoming." But little do I realise the core of the matter. It is not a matter of struggling nor or any human or supernatural effort that can make one overcoming. If the fact is the involvement of one's effort, truly it is not in the divine realm. For a divine realm does not demand anything natural. Once one is in the divine realm, the act to struggle cease, there will be no need to coerce to do anything good or bad. For the divine realm is fully divine in nature and essence, truly of God, in God, through God and unto God.

This simple exercise of the human spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God in the believers is the key to enter and live in the divine realm. Though I know this key too well doctrinally, immature as I am, I lack the experience of living and walking in the divine realm all the time. This is possible when one is living and walking in the Spirit.

I have been struggling too in my own affairs of life. Though doctrinally I know I should not, but I need the grace not to struggle but simply be in and live in the divine realm. O how much I need the grace of the Lord and the life supply from the Lord moment by moment to live such a life in the divine realm. This is my heart's longing. Not that I have never been, but that how consistently I am in the divine realm. And encouragingly enough, I discovered that the possibility of living in the divine realm is much much more in the Body life, in the church-life with the other members of the Body than being just in one self, individualistically. A decade ago, I was a spiritual giant in myself, but now the Lord blends me in the Body life to live in the divine realm.

One fine morning, the Lord spoke to me that all that I need is just to be in the divine realm. My Lord knows what life I have been going through and His sweet encouraging word is that I must live in the divine realm. When the Lord spoke to me this phrase, I woke up and this phrase has ever been reverberating into my being over and over again. O "the divine realm!"

God's Favor : An Atheist Believed!

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the sight of Jehovah.

In this wicked and perverted generation, the only way to be well pleasing to God is finding favor in the sight of Jehovah. Apart from God's favor, none can stand the wiles of the enemy. 

This matter of "favor" touched me so deeply these days. As I know myself, if not for the favor of God, the grace of God, I would have been worst than the worst of beasts. Learning this lesson, I dare not condemn any soul, however sinful he or she may seem to be, for it is His grace only that I am what I am today.

Last night, four new ones visited us and we had prepared a love-feast for them. One of them was an intelligent engineering student, an atheist or at best, an agnostic. We began our friendly talk on variety of topics with questions and answers on the astronomy, the universe, the Creator of this universe, the plan of this Creator God and the making of man-the trichotomy, the fall of man, the incarnation of the unique Creator God, the salvation accomplished at the cross and resurrection to be the life-giving Spirit, the need of man for God, the way and goal of receiving this God. Through this friendly conversation, the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached. And he specially found favor in the eyes of God; God graced him to believe into Him and was later baptised. Hallelujah!

Actually, no one is an absolute atheist. It's only that he believed in "no God" because he has not heard yet or perhaps, heard about God but have not experienced the true and living God yet. So there is a need for the harbinger of the glad tidings of GOD.

An aspiring astronaut, an atheist and an agnostic, believed and baptised into the Name of Jesus Christ! This is finding favor in the sight of Jehovah. Not of man's planing or doing in any way, but of God. It was neither of the one who preached nor the one who listened, though both are really crucial, but it is of God who shows favor and grace to man.

This is a deep lesson for me, as I reckon myself unworthy of witnessing such a salvation to a one who is entirely new to the Lord Jesus Christ and reckoning myself unworthy of being a channel for Him to verbally speak Him forth, for I know too well my frailty and vanity. No merit to none else, but God. It is God who favors. 

Lord, may I ever find favor in Your sight.

Gospel Preching : Enjoyment

In fellowship in the Body and with the Body, and flowing along with the Lord's present move, I was so blessed and graced to be able to coordinate with the saints and with the Lord in the gospel preaching in Guwahati. Though the city seemed dry and tough and the geographical area new to us, not mentioning of the local language, yet in the Lord's move, it was the Lord's move and what was required of us was just a willing cooperation in the spirit with the Spirit.

From day one, the Lord reminded me and the saints that our gospel preaching is by enjoyment of Christ, hourly and daily. We just rented a lodge and lived a normal life, enjoying the Lord. When we went out, street by street, house by house, the Lord just opened up the gates, the doors and the hearts of people. Especially in my team, there was not one day worth counting as waste. Every time we went out the Lord gave us some good "fishes"; we preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, lead people to call on the Lord's Name to believe into Him and received Him, and some even to baptism. O what a joy! What an enjoyment!

Gospel preaching is by enjoying Christ in our corporate living. Such a living is a real life training in living abiding in the Vine to branch out to bear fruits. 

Though the Lord blessed us in door knocking and bearing some fruits in baptisms and gaining some solid homes to recover the church in Guwahati, the greatest blessing was of the Lord getting through and breaking through in us and among us. 

On the last day, the Spirit's move was so strong that after our normal pursuing, we went into a strategic and intercessory prayers for the the church in Guwahati, for all our contacts, for all the churches in NE and also for the recovery and revival among the saints to practice the God-ordained way of every saints functioning to bear remaining fruits. All of us could testify that the Lord was using that propagation time to perfect us in our living and service, and was taking us ahead "Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Ephesians 4:13.

On To Maturity

Hebrews 6:1

Therefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be brought on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God.

Recovery Version Note 3:

The Lord wants to bring us on, but we must let Him do it. This is our willing cooperation with His gracious work. In order to be brought on to perfection, to maturity, we need to share with Christ in His attainments (1:9; 3:14), to be diligent to enter into the remaining Sabbath rest (4:9, 11), to come forward to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace (4:16), and to feed on the solid food to enjoy Christ as our High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec (5:9-10, 14).

To be born of God is the greatest miracle on this earth, much more, to grow in the divine life of God unto maturity. These days, the Lord is working in me deeply that I may grow. All the experiences and things happening around me proves the Lord's ultimate desire that I grow and grow. Lest perhaps, I fall short of His desire and be left behind. Meanwhile, as growth is a matter of deep concern, there is also another anti-element operating in me fighting directly against the growth process. I easily reckon this as the opposing works of Satan. And oftentimes I find myself entangled in the war between God and His enemy. Like it or not, I am a part of this spiritual warfare. And the victory of the battle through me depends on which side I choose to cooperate. 

When I cooperate with God and give myself fully to Him, I experienced and enjoyed His operation in me and through me, all by His mercy and amazing grace. Yet at the same time, I feel the blinding forces of darkness trying to destroy me at all cost. But the grace of God sovereignly preserves and keeps me. Sometimes I am caught in the two extremes of God's bountiful grace and Satan's torturing darts thrown at me. To this, my urgent need is to cooperate with the Lord in His move to perfect me day by day, until I am fully mature. 

This is not my need only, it is the need of all the saints too, especially in the locality where the Lord has placed me. In fact, our church prayer meeting tonight is focused on this matter of growth so much. Almost all the saints cried out to God that we all may grow, for only God can cause the growth. Though there is a need on our side to cooperate with Him too, His mercy is need to be able to do so. 

Even the Lord's speaking to me personally in my personal time with Him in the word is this very matter of growth. Lord, grow in me!

A Dream

Hardly do I have a significant dream, but when I do, I feel its worth pondering over. Dreams could be out of many reasons. Psychologically or physically, what had happened or thought about deeply are often reflected in the subconscious mind of a person as dreams. But sometimes, beyond these two reasons, dreams do occur; possibly from either of the Lord or His enemy. Whatever, any dream that is from the Lord will always be fulfilled and time is the true test of its genuineness.

Last night I dreamt of brother Witness Lee sleeping in a bed in a room and I came into the room to minister to him and with him. Then I woke up. 

Only the Lord knows what this could mean. But the undeniable fact is that I have been so much blessed by the Lord through His humble servant. My enjoyment of the Lord, and love and pursuit for Christ and all the blessings of God I received in my life itself has so much do with the help I received from brother Witness Lee through the ministry of the word, in the principle of incarnation. 

Not a man follower or a man adorer; but the fact is the fact. Brother Lee has made the word of God so enjoyable, make me love the Lord much more than any other Christian minister I could think of could do. Life experiences have proved it time and again. Any minister of the word that can make a person love the Lord to the uttermost and give himself up for Christ and the church can undeniably be a proper minister.  And such minister will always bear the brunt of the enemy's attack yet will always come out triumphant and glorious, even turning the attacks into hot-spots of Christ's victory. This is what I have been experiencing since I came into contact with the ministry God has ordained to His servant. And such ministry which is of the Lord, which is of the Spirit, always ministers the divine life to people and issues in the building up of the Body of Christ. What a blessing to under such a ministry!

Whatever the dream meant, praise the Lord for the ministry through His minister!

Crowd of Cares 2

These days in Shillong I enjoyed the Lord's supply so much. Coordinating with the saints in one accord, the Lord poured out His blessings step by step. Wherever the Lord led us through the Body, we went along with it without any opinion, and received the blessing of the one accord.

My last month's experience on crowd of cares : http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/2013_10_01_archive.html  was a deep lesson of exercising to be one spirit with the Lord. When we actually came to Shillong, all the cares that I had concern for were fully resolved. The Lord's work belongs to the Lord and none can mar.

Meetings by meetings, never were we informed before hand of our need for ministering the word. We just exercised our spirit, lived out the God-man life and whenever we were asked to speak, we just spoke and the Lord anointed it. We didn't know before hand the people we were visiting nor their situation, but the Lord put His words in our lips and the timely words were ministered which later on was confirmed that what we ministered was what they actually needed. What an enjoyment! Word by word, and life followed suit. The saints who received our ministering were blessed and we ourselves were also blessed. Through this, the Lord is building us up into the one Body. Hallelujah!

Our fellowship with the saints in Shillong, with the families in group meetings, visiting the nearby local church too, a village named "Lawbah" on Bangladesh border and Cheerapunji were on the one hand, a special fellowship and blending time with the leading brother and also a church visit for life supply for the fellowship and building up of the Body of Christ on the other hand. 

Crowd of cares were out of genuine concern from a burdened heart. When committing all to the Lord, as the Lord work is the Lord's, the Lord just came in did all they He had to do. Then these cares turned into blessings, Hallelujah!

The Flow, the Dominion and the Church

Psalms 72:8

And He will have dominion from sea to sea and from the River unto the ends of the earth.

The River of the water of life flows from the throne of God to every corners of the earth. This River reaches us, supplying us with the Triune God. And we have been enjoying the divine supply since the day we believed and received the Lord. And this supply flows even through us to others, to water others through our contact with them, through our ministering of the Word of God. Praise the Lord!

This is what we have been experiencing these days as we preached the gospel. First the River flow into us. As we are enjoying this flow in us and among us, it flows through us. This flow is the Triune God Himself. Wherever the flow is, there the Triune God is. And with the Triune God there is the dominion- the authority that subdues everything not Christ. And this dominion will issue in the testimony of the Lord Jesus. What we need to do is to open ourselves to this flow; hourly and daily, abiding in the Lord.

This has been the Lord's instant speaking since the time I left Delhi for Guwahati. Though the propagation was planned already, there was no solid physical arrangement. Besides, from the human point of view, many things were very very impractical and in physical preparedness, we were far away. Firstly, we did not know the local language, Assamese. Second, we did not know the city, where is where, as we hardly were there. Third, is the financial supply as we need to rent for lodging and arrange food for all participants. Anyhow, as I was in the train praying, the Lord showed me the matter of the rivers flowing and watering the dry land; the River is the Spirit who is in us, so as we go to this city it is the Rivers flowing to water this dry land! And wherever this River flows, there the dominion is, for the River is the life of God who in itself is authority to subdue the enemy of God and anything that is contrary to His will. And finally, as the dominion takes place, the testimony of Jesus will be raised up. Hallelujah! This is what the Lord is doing exactly as we are propagating in Guwahati.

As for the language, we easily overcame as the local people either knows Hindi  or English or both. When we went out to preach the gospel, the Spirit spoke the right words to save sinners. As to the city logistic, we just went to a nearby area street by street and preached the gospel. And as to the financial need, the Lord supplies it in abundance through the saints' free will offering. This is a proof that the work of the Lord having its source in God will have the Holy Spirit's supply of power to carry it out unto the glory of God!

This is the Lord's move and we just flow along with the flow of the Rivers of living water.

Healthy Teaching

Titus 2:

1 But you, speak the things which are fitting to the healthy teaching.

7 Concerning all things presenting yourself as a pattern of good works, in your teaching showing incorruption, gravity,

8 Healthy speech that cannot be condemned, that he who opposes may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about.

Footnotes from the Bible, Recovery Version:

The healthy teaching is always according to the truth (1:14) of the faith (1:13). It is the content of the apostles' teaching, the content of God's New Testament economy. It not only ministers the life supply to the believers and heals the spiritual diseases, but in so doing it also brings the church into a sound condition with a good order. Hence, it is very much stressed in these three books, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, books dealing with the disorder and decline of the church.

In my study of the word, the Lord impressed me so much the matter of healthy teaching. Healthy teaching is the teaching of God's New Testament economy, that covers the whole Bible. This teaching is according to truth and ministers life to the believers and heals all spiritual diseases. This healthy teaching keeps the oneness of the Body of Christ and builds up the Body of Christ to bring the Lord back. 

"We are what we eat" is a dietitian's dictum. You eat healthy food, you will be healthy. Just eating is not sufficient, for not all food are healthy. To be healthy, one must eat a healthy food. Likewise, to be spiritually healthy one must also eat healthy spiritual food that supplies life and builds up the Body. The Word of God is the most healthy spiritual food; even the proper interpretation and proper understanding of the Word according to God's New Testament economy is healthy.

Once the eating is healthy, one's living will also be healthy. Eating Christ everyday in the Word will make us live Christ everyday, presenting ourself as a pattern of good works. The only one good is God Himself. When we eat healthy and are filled with the Word of God, our living will manifest Christ as the one who is good, presenting ourself in Christ as a pattern of good works. This will also issue in healthy speech, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Once Christ makes His home in our hearts ( Ephesians 3:17) by our opening to Him, giving Him the full ground, He will constitute us with Himself as the Word which becomes our healthy speech that ministers Christ as life for the building up of the Body of Christ fulfilling God's eternal economy.

This matter touched my being so much that it became my prophesy today in the meeting of the local church in Shillong.

The Doctor's Prescription

Recently the salvation of a Doctor couple taught me a lot of deep spiritual lessons. Right after they believed and got baptised, they asked me what they should do. The reply to this question was easy and instant.

Just as a new born baby need fresh air to breathe in all the time and drink milk and eat solid food as they keep growing, so much the more a spiritual babe needs the same. For a healthy baby, a prescription of a healthy food is a must. Our real Doctor is the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John He revealed Himself as the true bread for believers to feed upon. The prescriptions are :

• Eating Him (John 6:57); He is the Bread of Life (John 6:32-35; 48, 51).
• Drinking Him (John 7:37,38; 4: 14) as the Rivers of living water.
• Breathing Him in by calling upon His name (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13) and praying unceasingly (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Fellowshiping with the believers (Hebrews 10:24-25; 3:13).

In addition, they asked that since they were from a gentile religous background they will be required to participate in idol worship or things that believers would not normally participate in. To this, the answer was that there is no do's and dont's but as one enjoys and pursues the Lord, the Lord will give the grace to overcome whatever is needed to overcome; there is no need to worry about anything, just keep enjoying and loving the Lord, He will take care, in time.

After the fellowship was over, the couple being doctors, reviewed what all they need to be aware of in their Christian lives, the "Doctor's" prescriptions: Reading the Bible everyday; eating Him in the Word, spending time with the Lord everyday by exercising the spirit to breathe and drink the Lord. A good way is to spend 15 minutes in the morning, in the noon time, in the afternoon, in the evening and in the night time. That makes upto one hour and fifteen minutes! And praying together as a couple at least once a day. Fellowshipping in their home at least once a week, to sing, pray, testify and minister Christ to one another.These they reviewed and took it seriously as a "patient" would do to their "doctor." And when we met the next time, they reviewed how they actually did it and received the Lord's blessing.

Though these were the instant words of encouragement spoken to the new believers, it indeed is very much for us the believers too. I myself was refreshed, so were all the other saints. This is indeed the "Doctor's" prescription for a normal and healthy Christian life.

Lord, make me such a lover and pursuer of You everyday.

Commit to Faithful Men

2 Timothy 2:2

And the things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.

The urgent need of the Lord's move in this age is to perfect all the saints. This matter has not boiled down with me so well when I first heard about it. But during this time of propagation in new city, Guwahati, the Lord freshly touched me of the need and urgency for perfecting more faithful saints to do the work I have been doing. If I cannot perfect others, however functioning I may be, I am limited by just me, and there is no other person like me. This limits the Lord's move.

"Commit to faithful men," is a strong phrase. All the saints have at least a talent. All of them need to be perfected to use the most of their talent for the Lord's interest. But they need perfecting. As much as I can preach and teach and perfect others, so much the more, more saints should be perfected to do the same, if not better, as I can. Otherwise there will be a vacuum in my service, a lack and a loophole. Whether I am available or not should not matter anything at all. The age of spiritual giant is gone; today is the age of the Body and the members of the Body must all functions and their functions must be perfected.

As far as time frame is concerned, I have two and half weeks time; half of this is almost gone. Though I am so much burdened and functioning as I could, I cannot stay here longer as I had to go to other places. In one of my morning prayer time, I was so worried about how would the work continue if I go to other places? Then the Lord reminded me to perfect the younger saints that they can do the same thing that I am doing, even that they be able to do better than me. Thereby, starting today, I gave more opportunity for the other saints to exercise and function. And are giving all the opportunities to other saints that they all be perfected and function to build up the Body in gospel preaching, shepherding the new believers and taking care of many practical matters. Oh what a release to learn this lesson; a lesson of committing to faithful men!

Lord, perfect me to commit what You have blessed me with to faithful men that they too may be blessed and be blessings to many more.

Doctor Couple

As the gospel move is going on, we just cooperated with the Lord's move by always abiding in the Lord. The recent training on The Vine in John 15 has a deep impact on me. First, my eyes were opened to see that I am a branch, just "a branch in the Vine", as such my sole responsibility is to just abide in the Vine. As a result of this abiding, the riches from the Vine will supply me and overflow through me to bear remaining fruits.

As the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God began, I personally took care of this matter of abiding in the Lord. In this abiding is rest, joy and peace; there is no struggling nor straining. Based on this experience and enjoyment of abiding in the Lord, I fellowshiped with my fellows branches that "preaching the gospel is by enjoyment of Christ; not by human effort of planning, scheming and struggling." And as branches we enjoyed abiding in the Vine by our corporate living and went out by teams, door-knocking, and the result is wonderful.

In particular, a brother and I planned to go to a place. But since we were new, we could not locate the right locality we intended to door-knock. So we kept driving until we found a parking spot. Then we went door-knocking, house by house, street by street. Many local gentiles listen to our gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and some even called on the Name of the Lord and believed and received the Lord! As we went on and on this way, our final knocking was a surprise warm door.

Initially a lady responded to our door-knocking and spoke to us as stranger. However, as we  preached the gospel she welcomed us in. Then the Spirit move was very intensified within us and we preached the Word more boldly. To our pleasant surprise, we discovered that this lady has been seeking for God and even for a miracle to happen as confirmation of the so called "god" she believed into. Indeed, later, a mysterious miracle happened and the miracle was, we met her, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to her and she received the Lord! Further, we inquired about her family and we decided to meet her husband as well. Later, in the evening, we came again to meet her husband, and another miracle happened. He was also so seeking to know and experience this "god." We preached the gospel to both of them again and helped them to believe and receive the Lord by simple prayer of faith. As per the word of God in Mark 16:16, we explained the importance of baptism as well. The response was so good that we planned for baptism the next day, as the Lord has already prepared His chosen ones.

Following this was all a spiritual battle, I knew this would happen. So we all prayed and bound the strong man as the Body in one accord. As expected, there indeed was a tendency of postponing their baptism for very reasonable reasons. However, having learned from previous experiences, I would not budge an inch to retreat. We just went ahead as planned and started praying a victory prayer. And finally, we experienced the victory of the Lord! They both got baptised! A couple, both doctors by profession, Hallelujah!  Then we had a fellowship on the importance of breathing, eating and drinking the Lord by calling upon the Lord's Name, reading and eating the Word of God and prayer, apart from gifting the The New Testament, Recovery Version.

Praise the Lord! May the Lord gain them fully for the testimony in Guwahati.

Crowd of Cares

2 Corinthians 11:28

….the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches.

Paul’s experiences were hardly to be understood and felt by many believers today, not excluding myself. Never did I realize the significance of what Paul wrote in this verse, “crowd of cares….anxious concern” until recently when I heard about not so good report of a new local church the Lord graced me to fellowship with. One night I was deeply troubled by the “bad news” of that church. However, as I brought the matter to the Lord, the Lord encouraged me that if that local church is truly of Him, a genuine local church, nothing can mar the Lord’s testimony. There may be turmoil or even ups and downs among the saints, but the Lord’s testimony will ever be His testimony, come what may.

For a couple of days, I could not call the brothers for fellowship. But one night I received an email concerning the proposal to visit that church. Immediately I called up the brother and we had a good fellowship; peace was restored within. There are still  misunderstandings on certain matter of doing things, that’s why there is a need for more fellowship among the churches. No room should be given for doubt and suspicion. Trust the Lord and trust one another. Differences in opinion may be there as long as we are human being as we are still all on the process of being transformed.

Pondering over these, the words of Paul, I can understand a little bit. The crowd of cares and anxious concern are genuinely from a heart that cares for the saints and the churches. Otherwise, a step-motherly care will bother not a bit. Genuine care is all that one needs to care for the church.

I now leave all to the Lord, even my care to the care of the Lord. May the Lord do what is in His heart and recover the fellowship, oneness, blending and building of His churches.

The same experiences happen with all the saints the Lord graced me to care for, some new ones, some families and some relatives. The presence of such “crowd of cares and anxious concern” is a manifested sign of genuine shepherding. Minus these, would be an organizational care according to the tree of knowledge of good and evil issuing in death and darkness, a degraded religious way.

Lord, grant me the genuine burden and gracious care to shepherd those You want me to fellowship with.

Watering the Dry Land

Genesis 2:10

And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches.

Exodus 17:6

I will standing before you here upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink…

Guwahati, is one of the target cities for the Lord’s strong testimony to be raised up. A decade has passed by since the Lord’s work in His recovery began. There is yet to be a solid, stable and strong testimony of Jesus to be manifested. Seeds have been shown, prayers have been offered, ploughing has been done and still the harvest is yet to take place. All preparation over the phone seems futile and the spiritual atmosphere seems so dry and barren. However, we don’t go by our own feeling and humanly limited judgment, rather we depend on the Lord and His blessings to be bestowed in time. Sometimes, it seems discouraging, but the Lord is ever my hope, my trust and my strength.

As I was on the train towards Guwahati, the Lord strengthened me over and over again by His speaking through the ministry of the word. Genesis 2:10 “And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches.” The saints going to Guwahati for the preaching of the kingdom of God is a “a river went forth from Eden to water the garden.” Indeed, the saints going in one accord is the flowing of the river to water the dry garden. Wherever the ministry goes, there the speaking of the Lord is and there is the supply of life. And where there is life supply there will be the testimony of Jesus. The saints’ coordination in flowing along with the Lord’s move is the flowing of the river. However dry the land may be, water always can quench the dry and thirsty land and make it fertile for the church tree to grow and flourish and bear abundant fruits.

Exodus 17:6

I will standing before you here upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink… The Lord further spoke that we who cooperate with Him have the authority to stand in oneness with Him and strike the rock that water may gushes forth. So we are here to do the same, to strike the rock with the rod of authority having passed through death and resurrection. And see the Lord’s bountiful supply of grace and life for the Lord’s testimony in Guwahati. Hallelujah!

Battle Fought in the Will

God has given free will to man after He created him, and never will He interfere in man’s will any longer. However, He desires that man chooses Him, eats Him, receives Him, contains Him, expresses Him and even becomes Him. The best He did was to place Himself before man as a tree of life. Nevertheless, He also placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil along with other trees signifying His greatness.

Now, in the universe there are the divine will, the satanic will and the human will. Amidst the two ever battling divine will and satanic will, is the human will. What man chooses to unite with, that will triumph over the other. Today the spiritual battle is fought in the will!

Last Lord’s day, the speaking of the Lord was so vivid; it confirmed what I have been going through. Man’s will decides with whom he wants to collude with. Today, the Lord has revealed His will to us, the believers, so our responsibility is to cooperate with God. Once we exercise our free will to choose God, God will grant us the grace to overcome His enemy, He will strengthen us, fight with us in victory.

The prophesy the Lord blessed me last Lord's day was encouraging the saints to use our free will and choose to eat of the tree of life, live and walk in the line of life, living in the principle of depending on God for everything, treasuring His presence and being one with Him; and actively and aggressively choosing God in the on going spiritual battle.

This week the gospel move in India has commenced in an intensified way. It all now depends on our cooperation with the Lord for His purpose. Whoever chooses to cooperate with the Lord, he will receive God’s bountiful supply and abundant grace to ultimately confirm the victory of the Lord. On the one hand, the battle belongs to the Lord, and at the same time, the realization of the victory is to all who choose to cooperate with God in His move.

Lord, I choose Your will and pledge to cooperate with You in Your move. Grant me the grace and the strength I need.

Hospitality (2)

In May 2012 I blogged on the matter of hospitality, mostly on the truth side of "hospitality." The blog is on this link: http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/2012/05/hospitality.html

Though I am well aware of the truth, I could not really practice it. Viewing my contribution in the church-life on the cherishing side of shepherding in human care, I feel I am an utter failure. This is one of the area I feel I need to improve a lot. And I wanted to fare well in this matter. I have been observing how other saints gave hospitality and how they practically did it. I did admire them and have been hoping that one day I may as well be able to do the same.

The Lord is good. Recently he gave me an opportunity to serve saints from abroad, different saints, coming at different times, almost in a sequence; everything time more service than the one before, including time, money and energy spent. O it was a great blessing and joy to be able to serve the saints and give the best hospitality within my capacity.

Never did I think I could ever give hospitality, but praise the Lord, the Lord graced me this time to do it! With whatever the Lord blessed me with, money, time and energy, I just poured it out for the saints expecting nothing in return, and not even bothering to exposed myself, to spend and be spent for the saints. O what a blessing!

May the Lord broaden my heart and enlarge my capacity even more. The Lord's blessings were very instant. The first visit of the saints impressed me with many life-lessons and has been perfecting me in my area of service; the second visit blessed me with a trustful fellowship in the Body for the Body - more blending and building, and the third visit equipped me with practical services to the point of giving up my personal interest and serve the saints. These indeed are blessings in disguise. The inner joy and peace is inexplicable. 

Paul put it well when he wrote:

Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality. Romans 12:13

Do not forget hospitality, for through this some, without knowing it, have entertained angels. Romans 12:13

Lord, make me such a one--pursuing hospitality.

God's Blessings

Psalm 127:1, 2

Unless Jehovah builds the house, Those who build it labor in vain. Unless Jehovah keeps the city, The guard watches in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, To lie down late, To eat the bread of toil; All the same, He gives to His beloved while they sleep.

These days as many saints including me are praying for the Lord's move all over India and especially the cities the Lord burdened us to go and preach the gospel of the Kingdom, I have been personally looking to the Lord in prayer. The outward environment so far does not seem to go well in line with the burden and goal within. But as the Lord encouraged me deeply concerning His blessing and spoke His rhema words to me from Psalms 127 I resigned myself in Him in utmost rest and bliss.

The work of the Lord belong's to the Lord; He is the husbandman of His vineyard and He knows how to take care of it well. I need not worry nor doubt an iota of His word. It is Jehovah who will build His house; otherwise its all a vain labor. Yes, we need to toil and labor in Him, in His time, in His will and in His way. But not trusting in our own labor but on the Lord's blessings upon our labor in Him. It is indeed vain to rise up early and lie down late, and toil; the Lord gives His blessed REST. What a comfort! 

The city I am burdened for, this time, is Guwahati, the leading city in the North East of India. Many seeds have been sown by way of ministry books distribution, gospel preaching for years, yet still after a decade not a significant and solid pillar for the Lord's testimony in His recovery. The saints' prayers and burden will never be in vain. The divine seed cannot die, it must sprout to be the church-tree!

Initial preparatory work is not very satisfying though. But I cease to see and believe the outward; I'd rather turn to the Lord in trustful prayer. At this juncture of preparation, the word of the Lord is that if He blesses, it will be blessed. The footnotes of the Recovery Version on Psalms 127:2 says, 

"If the Lord does not do anything for us, whatever we do will be in vain. We need to labor in the Lord and by His grace (1 Cor. 15:10, 58; Col. 1:28-29), but what the result will be depends not on our labor but on God's care and blessing. Instead of toiling and striving in ourselves, we need to trust in Him and rest in Him, for He gives to His beloved even while they sleep."

The ministry of the word has supplied me richly over and over again. By the Lord's speaking my faith has been strengthened very much. I am now fully at rest. If the work is of the Lord's, He will accomplish it by all means, come what may. On the contrary, if the work is not of the Lord, I would also be most happy to meet with failure as it is not of the Lord, and I would not bother even, because it is not of the Lord. O what a rest to know and simply trust in the Lord and rest in Him. Yet at the same time, cooperate with Him in His move against all odds.

God's works done in God's way and in God's time will always meet God's blessings.