Double Portion

For there will be peace for the seed: The vine will give forth its fruit, and the land will give forth its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. Zechariah 8:12     Turn to the stronghold, O prisoners with hope. This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you. Zechariah 9:12   

At the fag end of the year, reviewing back what the Lord has done, the most precious thing I treasure of all is the experience and enjoyment of Christ. It has dawned on me that the only thing, yes the one and only thing worth mentioning, worth treasuring, is the gaining of Christ. In fact, there are many other physical and psychological blessings too, but supreme of all is the gaining of God in Christ as the Spirit for the growth in life for the building up of the Body of Christ. This is the real counting of blessings, really worth counting one by one.

Though there were failures, shortcomings, weaknesses, worldliness and sins now and then, though many of what I hoped and longed for has not really been fulfilled, personally and corporately as a church, and many of our prayers still seemed to be not yet answered, still the Lord is faithful and He knows best. In spite of all these unfulfilled hopes, the Lord's word is still trustworthy. 

In my time with the Lord these days, the leading and speaking of the Lord is very specific. Be it prayer or task to accomplish, His leading is very clear. My time with the Lord has a new turn henceforth. No longer beating aimlessly in the air, but point by point, the burden for the coming year has been released. Personally what to accomplish, officially what tasks to carry out, and as a church the leading of the Lord is on the practice of the God-ordained way. Even in our church prayer meeting last night the move of the Spirit in prayer was very specific, point by point releasing of burden with definite goal in 2016. Besides, all our family prayer and my own personal prayer are all very specific and to the point. As the year changes, a new beginning is a blessed visitation indeed.

The faithful promise of the Lord is a "double portion."  "The vine will give forth its fruit, and the land will give forth its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things." And I will restore double to you.

Lord, thank Your for all Your blessings, and for Your promise of double portion blessing.

As a Family

Barely a week after the Lord's speaking and a fresh consecration of me and my family, the Lord grace us to go for gospel preaching as a family in Faridabad last Lord's day. If gospel preaching should have been based on one's condition, I would have stayed back with lame excuses. In fact, I did reason for a while if I should go or not, or wait until next year, that is until next week, as I have many pending tasks to finish. However, as a church we decided to go, and as a family we went. What a glorious day it was!

I enjoyed shepherding three groups of people at three different times sequentially in coordination with a propagation team. Each group had definite need and the burden released was very apt. The first one being a Catholic family, our fellowship was on the Christian life; its biblical meaning and how to live Christ in reality with the basic steps of breathing, drinking and eating the Lord. The Lord's speaking was so rich, I myself was so nourished by it.

The second group was a group of new believers who had questions on biblical truth, in fact, confused by different teachings of certain preacher. The fellowship was very interactive, and we ministered the word alongside answering their questions. These are recently saved believers who need tender care and shepherding. May the Lord bless them to be pillars for the church in Faridabad!

The third group of people was a strong spiritual and elderly group of Christians. To them the Lord's speaking was on a higher realm of  the two aspects of the Spirit-the infilling and outpouring Spirit. And the result of the Spirit's outpouring on the day of Pentecost producing the church in Jerusalem. We delved deep into the intrinsic significance of the church on her local aspect and the works of the ministry that builds up the church, the Body of Christ, contrasting with the work of the gates of Hades which will not prevail against the builded church. Specifically, exploring the destructive work of Satan dividing the believers into different denomination under different leadership and teachings. The fellowship was well received and we had a love-feast thereafter.

It was a wonderful time ministering the word of God!

When we follow the Lamb wherever He leads, the Lord's anointing  and sweet presence is always abiding with us. 

It was a wonderful time indeed, purely the mercy of the Lord that we could partake in His move.

Lord, fully gain me and my family for Your move.

A New Way

It was the 25th December 2015, when in my time with the Lord in the word, He spoke to me from Ezekiel 1:4 about the north wind blowing as the visitation of the Lord to turn me, the Spirit abiding with me as a cloud, the fire burning away anything contrary to God's holy life and nature and then shining forth the glory of God as the electrum. I therefore shared with many saints and seekers on my WhatsApp. It has been my prayer that this word be a reality to me. And the Lord is faithful.

Three days later on the 28th, in my time with the Lord on my knees, the Lord really did turn me. A fresh consecration and a renewed burden to cooperate with His move ensued. The Lord's speaking was very subjective and crystal clear. Burden for prayer was renewed, and the goal for this coming year 2016 personally was made clear. 

Significant ones are the promise of the Lord for an academic research related to the service the Lord has assigned for me in the ministry of the word, in the literature service in general, and in linguistic in particular, in line with the present learning on Greek and English literature for the Bible translation. The university and specific line of research were also made clear. What He had promised concerning this matter of qualification upgradation for the gospel of the kingdom and also professionalism in the Lord's service are beginning to fulfill. This new light dawning was indeed the Lord's visitation; what passed through death is being resurrected, and has brought to me immense joy. Whatever I tried in the past to fulfill this promise was finally fine-tuned and channeled into what the Lord deemed best.

Besides, from the previous of experience of the Lord ushering me to spent fruitful time in the pursuit of the ministry writings, especially that of the collected works of Watchman Nee was further made clear. I thus began the pursuit, and the burden is to finish it in one year, within 2016. And my prayer for those on the prayer burden list to be specifically prayed for in a detailed way until a definite breakthrough in 2016; no more generic prayer, but be specific with goals.

Lord, praise your for Your speaking and turning.

The said speaking of the Lord is from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

Ezek. 1:4 - And I looked, and there came a storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing incessantly; and there was a brightness around it, and from the midst of it there was something like the sight of electrum, from the midst of the fire.

Footnotes from the Holy Bible Recovery Version

Ezek. 1:4 1 wind As with the entire Bible, the book of Ezekiel uses visible, physical things to signify spiritual things. The storm wind here is a figure of the powerful Spirit of God (Acts 2:2, 4a). In the Scriptures the wind has both a negative and positive significance. In its negative significance the wind is a symbol, or sign, of God’s judgment upon man (Jer. 49:26; Rev. 7:1). In its positive significance the wind symbolizes the blowing of the Holy Spirit upon man or the descending of the Holy Spirit upon man to cause man to have God’s life (37:9-10; John 3:6-8; Acts 2:2-21). The storm wind here has this positive significance.

Ezek. 1:4 2b  north  Job 37:22;  Psa. 48:2;  Isa. 14:13;  cf. Jer. 1:14From the north means from God (Psa. 75:6-7a; Isa. 14:13). Whenever God visits us and revives us, His Spirit blows on us like a mighty wind to bring a spiritual storm into our life, into our work, and into our church, causing us to be dissatisfied and concerned about our spiritual condition and to have a turn in our spiritual life.

Ezek. 1:4 3c  cloud  Exo. 19:16;  24:16;  2 Chron. 5:14;  Psa. 97:2-3;  Ezek. 10:4The cloud here is a figure of God as the Spirit abiding with His people and covering them in order to care for them and show favor to them (Exo. 13:21; 40:34-35; Prov. 16:15; 1 Cor. 10:1-2). God comes to us as the wind, but He stays with us as the cloud. Together, the wind and the cloud are an indication that an important transaction is about to take place between God and man.

Ezek. 1:4 4  fireThe fire seen by Ezekiel signifies God’s burning and sanctifying power (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29). Whenever God visits us, His holy fire comes to consume in us everything that does not match His holy nature and disposition. This burning fire also causes us to be enlightened concerning our spiritual condition before God. The more the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in us, the more we are purified and enlightened.

Ezek. 1:4 5d  electrum  Ezek. 1:27;  8:2Ezek. 1:45 [1]  Following the rendering of the Septuagint and the Vulgate; others translate, glowing metal. “An unknown substance; some think a mixture of gold and silver” (Darby). Gold signifies the nature of God, and silver signifies redemption. The electrum, composed of the elements of gold and silver, signifies the Lamb-God, the redeeming God (see note 15 in Rev. 22). That the glowing electrum appeared from the midst of the fire indicates that the burning of the divine fire is for the manifestation of the electrum.

Ezek. 1:4 5 [2]  The spiritual history of a normal Christian should be a continual cycle involving the experience of God as the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. The more we experience the wind, the cloud, and the fire, the more the electrum is constituted into our being, making us a people who are filled with the Triune God and who manifest His glory. The issue of the spiritual transactions involving the blowing wind, the covering cloud, and the purifying fire is the glowing electrum—the radiant expression of the redeeming God.

Lord, blow upon us as the north wind, abide with us as the cloud, burn and sanctify us by the fire, that we may glow forth Your glory as the electrum.

Blending on 25 Dec

Do not learn the way of the nations ...for the customs of the people are vanity. Jeremiah 10:2-3 
So then let us keep the feast, not with old leaven ...but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truths. 1 Corinthians 5:8 
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.1 Corinthians 10:14

When the Christian world is following the custom of the nations and celebrating so called "Christmas", as a church we chose to come together for blending, perfecting and pursuing the Lord, for the fact that it was a holiday time. We had truth education for the saints and new ones who are not clear about what the word of God says.

For two hour we pursued some messages on the leaven of Christmas as truth education, clarifying why as Christians we cannot partake of the abomination of the denominations. The Lord has charged us to remember His death and look forward for His coming again, but not His birthday. And more so, the Bible is completely silent about the date of the Lord's birth and there is no record of the disciple nor the believers ever celebrating Jesus' birthday. History only tells that such leavens were introduced by the Roman Catholic Church and carried forward by the Protestants. And today, many Christians have been deceived in religious blindness into the soulish, if not fleshly, celebration of an extra biblical abomination. Some genuine believers must have silently thanked the Lord for His incarnation and saving grace, but the majority are on a wanton festive celebration mood of man's making giving more rooms to the birth of the devil in their lives than Christ. God forbid.

We utilized the day for blending with the saints, giving testimonies and preaching the gospel to new gospel friends. It was a day well spent. The saints were happy; being cherished and nourished. Besides condemning the many leavens brought into Christianiy and educating and inoculating the saints, we enjoyed the ministry of God's word on the significance of the Lord's birth:

The true significance of Christ's birth is God became man (through His incarnation - John 1:1, 14) that man may become God (through our regeneration to become His sons - John 1:12-13) in life (1 Pet. 1:3) and in nature (2 Pet. 1:4) but not in the Godhead (1 Cor. 8:6). 

As God's children, we are in the world, but we are not of the world (John 17:11,14). If we make a clear-cut separation from the world, we will live a sanctified life (1 Thes. 5:23) and a holy life for the church life. Jesting and revelry in paganistic Christmas celebration will put our holy life under siege. Idolatry is a serious sin. To participate in Christmas celebration is an abomination that the Lord hates. Christ is the reality of all feasts; we do not need the shadow because we have Christ as the reality (Col. 2:16-17; John 1:14b). As the world celebrates the day of the unconquered sun god, we have Christ as the true Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2) who has conquered Satan, world, sin, and death. We want Christ, but not the 'mas', the mixture. Christmas is a leaven added to the meal by Christendom (Matt. 13:33). In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul admonished us to purge out the leaven and instead keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the continuation of the Passover (Exo. 12:15-20). It lasted for seven days, a period of completion, signifying the entire period of our Christian life. It is a life-long feast that we must keep with unleavened bread, which is Christ as our nourishment and enjoyment. Only He is the life supply of sincerity and truth, absolutely pure, without mixture, and full of reality. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired for a possession (1 Pet. 2:9). In this age of apostasy the Lord is calling us, the overcomers, to come out and be separated from the world and from the degraded Christianity that is full of mixtures (2 Cor. 6:17), and not to participate in her sins that we might not receive her plagues (Rev. 18:4). The Lord's promise to the overcomers is to give them to eat of the hidden manna (Rev. 2:17). If we love the Lord and forsake the world and its enjoyment, we shall surely enjoy the Lord in a subjective and transcendent way. 

Prayer: A Release

These days the Lord recovered my prayer for many new ones on my prayer list. For many of these, it was a burden on my side. And I have no solution as to how to help them effectively in their many complex situations. Many of them seemed to be embroiled into their own matrix of problems; sometimes it made me wonder why on earth there are too many problems, especially to these ones whom I care for.

But a definite time of prayer and presenting these ones one by one to the Lord was such a great release. I felt like every one prayed for is also being answered already. Such a release in prayer was so soothing; the act of prayer itself is the answer to the prayer itself. What a blessing to be able to pray for others!

Besides, there are famous and high profile people in India whom the Lord burdened me to pray for. These ones have been flashed in the national news almost everyday. My only prayer for them is for their salvation at the moment. I have no idea what would befall them. But praying for them as the Lord leads is quite a release in my spirit. By the way, I have not voluntarily picked up these names for prayer, it was the Lord's burden bestowed upon me at different times for the past seventeen years of my Christian life. And I find joy in praying for them. Now and then, I would pray for them, leaving the timing of the answers to the Lord's sovereignty.

Personally and corporately as a church, I would encourage all the saints to pray and pray and pray. To this effect, I would even encourage them to maintain a schedule for daily prayer and even record the quality and length of prayer. Some vaguely say "pray unceasingly" but never prayed even intermittently. Some even spiritually say, "pray in spirit all the time" but never maintain a scheduled habit of prayer life. Some even carelessly say, "how long a prayer is least important, but the quality" but these ones hardly know even how to pray continuously for a mere one hour. 

Prayer must be practical, not doctrinal. We must get into the "business" of prayer where time is solidly invested and our spirit exercised and released. Quality always comes from quantity. Therefore, I would insist on the time/length of prayer too. If the time spent is not important, Moses and the Lord Jesus need not spend forty days and forty nights in the presence of the Lord, and that is 960 hours! Can't they shorten it into just few minutes and get the quality answer likewise? But the Bible did not say that, nor God did not do that. Time spent is definitely important, not just for an answer to the prayer, but to be in the presence of the Lord! If Moses and the Lord Jesus Christ had to spent so much time, how can we excuse ourselves? Well, it may not be forty days and forty nights, but at least an hour a day, minimum, the more the better.

Lord, make me a man of prayer.

The Ministry

The one and only God has a plan and is carrying it out today, by His divine life with His divine truth, in the one ministry to accomplish His one goal of building up His one unique Body. It is the Lord's pure mercy to see this and dive into it. Though many may disagree and argue at length trying to justify their "ministries" besides the one ministry, the Lord God indeed has one and only one ministry of building up His Body; all the other so called "ministries" should be a part of this one ministry. Else, it is no ministry of the Lord at all; at best it is their own personal ministry and at worst their own business entity. 

Fiveteen years ago the Lord mercifully introduced me to the ministry. It took me two long years to pray and study the word to confirm its authenticity. Through various experiences and revelation in the word of God, I was delivered from the clutches of religion, man made organisation and self-imposed spirituality. At that time, many dear brothers in the Lord were saddened by my decision and action. In fact, many "concerned brothers and sisters" have tied their best to stop me from leaving the denomination, and much stronger, opposed my entering into the church life to enjoy and experience Christ corporately for the building up of the Body of Christ. The stronger the opposition, the stronger the Spirit's move within me. Thank God, opposition and false accusation only help me walk the narrow way, treading up hill all the while, but very rewarding, for they are eternal and divine in its true value.

It was indeed an adieu to many brothers temporarily. Well that temporary moment lasted about a decade or so only. All the following "blackmailing, backbiting, rumors of half truth etc.," were just the marks of the cross I have to bear even till today. Praise the Lord for that honor and privilege! Nevertheless, the Lord knows what I am up to, my heart and my intentions are pure before Him, and I am ever open for His chastisement if I ever go wrong. His grace and mercy follows me all the while. 

Now the Lord has recovered the fellowship with those brothers again, after a decade. They themselves have now testified that I did the right thing when I left the denomination we were together with. I never tried to convince them nor justify myself. But only ministered the truth of the word of God whenever opportunity arises. Many of them have by now realised that a Christian life is a life of living Christ, and a Christian life is for the church-life to build up the Body of Christ which is the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). In fact, the Lord in His sovereign mercy is now leading many of them into the narrow of the ministry. Not my work, but the Lord is leading them. Now our fellowship in prayer are sweeter and many of the misunderstanding that clogged our fellowship and friendship are cleared off layer by layer. Though some have asked if they also should just leave the denomination too, my only reply was, "look to the Lord and may the Lord lead you". I offer my time for fellowship and prayer over the phone or face to face, mostly sweet, intimate and long. For I want them to be fully clear of the what the ministry is, and that their taking the way of the ministry be out of their answer and obedience to the Lord's word and leading, and no human's hand be involved. Besides, they themselves have to pay the price of following the Lord. This is genuine and proper. 

Praise the Lord for the ministry! 

And much more, for His mercy recovering me into His ministry.

Thus Saith the Lord

"Thus saith the Lord" is a famous dictum among the many spiritual Christians, as they would be led by the Lord in all things they do and say. This has an Old Testament flavor of the Lord's speaking to man and man's only responsibility is to obey "what the Lord has thus saith."

I do have a lot of experiences of the Lord's speaking now and then for matters related to my personal and family life. These are some particular and personal leading of the Lord; more of a step by step leading by the Lord. But there are broader sense in the New Testament  where the leading of the Lord is in the Body, through the Body, by the Body and for the Body. In fact, this is a much higher leading of the Lord, not just individually but corporately.

Many so called "spiritual Christians" are very individualistic today; in fact they are overladen with spiritual pride and selfishness which they will biblically justify it if confronted. At best, they are spiritually proud in their egoist spiritual pursuit, and at worst, selfishly proud in their blindness in religiosity or superstition. Oftentimes mixing up what "thus saith the Lord" with their "thus saith I" according to their whim and fancy. This is a very sad situation of Christianity today amidst the majority of the world and pleasure loving, charismatic and prosperity loving Christians. Satan has subtly intruded his wiles and lies into the so call "churches" of the day. At one end, there are the individualistically-spiritually proud and blind Christians, and at the other end is the world loving senseless nominal Christians. And Satan has his balance of laughing stock gleefully held. 

The panacea for this Satanic subtlety is the Body of Christ. Matthew 16:18b "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." The Lord will build His church composed of coordinated Christians, and Satan will attack it, but to his dismay, he will not prevail against it. This is one of the greatest prophecies of the Bible. And this is being fulfilled in the normal Christian church life today.

The two extremes among Christians as mentioned above is best balanced by the Body life. The individualistically spiritual ones must be balanced, tempered and corrected in the Body, and the worldly ones must be shepherded in the Body too.

Recently, I too had this experience of being balanced by the Body. On the one hand I had a very strong scriptural verses of "thus saith the Lord." Yet on the other hand, in fellowship with members of the Body, I was balanced. Even circumstantial experiences proved it. Had I not been in the Body life, nor listened to the fellowship in the Body, I would have gone spiritually berserk. In another case, in a certain fellowship, initially, I too was not in a positive mood to listen to the fellowship from the Body, and in fact, reacted negatively to certain speaking. However, the life in the Body has a regulation that regulated me. The sense of life in the Body is much stronger than the personal sense of life I had. Had I stood on my own understanding I would be easily misled by my own spiritual pride and blindness. But being in the Body was a "second salvation" from myself. The Lord had mercy on me, and I amen the Body's fellowship. It was in this way how "thus saith the Lord" is really heard and applied. And the ensuing result, the anointing and blessing of the Lord in being one with "thus saith the Lord" in and through the Body.

"Thus saith the Lord" today is genuinely in the Body, for the Body. 

Lord, have mercy on me to heed to what You said in the Body, through the Body and for the Body.

A Choice

Daily, hourly, one is faced with a choice, be it meager or mega, silly or serious, significant or simple, a choice has to be made now and then. God had sovereignly given full freedom of choice to mankind and would not interfere with it a bit, in His greatness. Though He desires man to choose of the tree of life, He would nevertheless, in no way force Himself into man's choice. He waits and waits until man would choose Him only.

My recent experience on trying to venture into research activity was also a matter of choice. If I had to fulfill my academic zeal, I had to invest enough time and energy to achieve what I professionally intend to and dream about. Which would mean a sacrifice of other things that I am already occupied with now. For I am just one man with only one life and I have only 24 hours a day. I cannot double myself, nor multiply my time, I am just an ordinary human, finite and limited. I cannot stand on two opposite weigh scale at the same time and balance it all the way from start to end. I only can make a choice, this or that. Yes, a choice...

When faced with such choice, my innate response was, "Lord, I only choose You and ever will." I cannot even imagine wasting my time in non-eternal things and when there are many eternal pursuits awaiting, being placed in front of me. One of the conditions for a research program was a rigorous course work even to the tune of eighteen months. To this, my simply reaction was, would I invest this many time when I can as well invest the same amount of time and pursue spiritual treasure and earn an equivalent spiritual invisible degree of the same rank, if not more? In fact, this made me reconsecrate my time to finish reading a collection of the spiritual works of brother Watchman Nee and the high peak truths released by brother Witness Lee. If time were to be invested for secular achievement, why not more for spiritual nourishment? The experience was a platform for me to make a choice. And eighteen months later, I would gladly comment, " a choice well made."

So I decided to choose the latter, and would dive into the ministry of the word. Many such cases would occur, I only have to look to the Lord and discern wisely and divinely.

Lord, preserve me to always choose the tree of life and walk in the way of life.

Me and My Family

In the recent coworkers' training held in Gurgaon the Lord's speaking was so intense and direct. Thank the Lord for the faithful ministers of the word who paid all the price to experience the Lord in various places for many years and now shepherding us through their experiences of Christ. No theory, no doctrine, but all life and living experiences. This is indeed the Lord's recovery, full of life and vitality. Many wonderful patterns to learn from. What a blessing to be in the Lord's recovery!

A brother's testimony of following the Lord wherever the Lord led him was very touching. Though his family were not at all one with him at times in following the Lord, he was faithful to the core, even against all odds, including the odd of the family. But he was determined to follow the Lord not by himself but with his whole family; that's what really impressed me. 

He could have left his family and kept moving on sans his family. But he deter not because of his family, nor did he just left his family behind. He bore his whole family in prayer until the Lord finally released all of them, and they served the Lord as a family. That was glorious. In fact, more glorious than without any opposition, especially from family.

This testimony made me consecrate not myself but my whole family as well. As of now, by the Lord's mercy, my family is fully one with me in serving the Lord. But what if one day, they opposes me? Should I just leave my family behind? God forbid. For "me and my family" must serve the Lord as Joshua of the Bible. 

"But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah." 

Joshua 24:15b 

Even in daily oblation, if I may use the word, I must do it not by myself but with my whole family. This is what I need. In prayer, in Bible reading, in pursuing the ministry of the word, in loving the Lord or in functioning in the church, I must not be by myself, but with my whole family. As much as the unit of salvation is household, so much the more, the unit of serving God must be household too. This revelation from the brother' fellowship opened my eyes to see a need for deeper consecration, not merely personally but even as a family. 

Saints of the past have taken this way of serving as a family. Noah, Joshua, Israel were biblical examples and many of my contemporaries too presently.  What a blessing to be able to serve the Lord as a family! Not a family ministry, but serving as a family for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Lord, have mercy on me and my family that we may serve You as a family. 

Three Days and Three Nights

As I was preparing for an interview for a PhD program that I proposed to do, the Lord granted me a wonderful experience of His tender loving care. Somehow I had been waiting for a time when I could finally do my PhD in a reputed university. How spiritual this dream of mine were, only the Lord knows. Nevertheless, my academic zeal had consumed me to prepare well when I discovered that I was selected for an interview. But time was a big issue to deal with. 

Already a father of three, with official, family and church responsibility, at time I wondered how would I ever manage my time to be faithful to all the present responsibilities. This was the very question a brother asked if I ever have to venture into research laboratory. My vague answer was, "let's see..."

Even at the very preparatory level, I was already too busy with many things at hand. I could hardly find time even to prepare for the interview, at least, to brush up the technical knowledge of Computer Science of which I received my master's degree twelves years ago. Then how would it be possible if I really have to research? I was brought in the horns of a dilemma - to do or not to do. 

For three days and three nights I was under intense pressure; I could not sleep well and was very much bothered by this. It was an experience as if I were "Jonah into the whale's belly" for three days and three nights. At times, I would just went out to pray and ask the Lord if it was His perfect will. But the Lord was wise in just shepherding me with neither yes nor no. My act of going to him in prayer was the answer of my prayer. God, perhaps, was least bothered with a yes or no, but His heart was to gain me by all means possible. Whether this way or that way, He has to gain me fully at all cost. At least for this little maturity, I was not troubled whether things go my way or not. 

Finally I decided to give a try, and I did. Then, the Lord really opened my eyes to see the true nature of things, of my self and of what I intend to pursue. A very intriguing question was, would I really be happy as a fish out of the water? Presently, that was exactly my case if I ever have to go ahead. After this experience I decided to spend more time on the service the Lord assigned me at the most and not to take more assignment which may not be healthy at all psychologically, physically and spiritually. 

My hands are already full with official responsibility of bringing up the company I am in, Greek courses going on with five years project of the Bible translation into various Indian languages, the work of shepherding the saints and new ones, gospel preaching and family matters. Only if the Lord graciously give enough time in the future I can consider, otherwise, I had to contently call it quit to my own proposal. It was painful though, but worth the experience. Yes, the experience of a three days and three nights.

Lord, preserve me in Your presence all the time.

The World (2)

As blogged in http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/search?q=the+world, the Lord reminded me over again and again of the stupefying effects of the world. Even the Lord Himself was tempted by the devil, of the world. As the verses below indicates, the kingdom of the world does belong to the devil. So the command, "Love not the world" in 1 John 2:15. 

Matthew 4:9

     8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 And he said to Him, ¹All these will I give You if You will fall down and worship me.

---

9¹ Luke 4:6 says that the kingdoms of the world and their glory were delivered to the devil; hence, to whomever he wills he gives them. Before his fall, Satan as the archangel was appointed by God to be the ruler of the world (Ezek. 28:13-14). Hence, he is called "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31) and holds all the kingdoms of this world and their glory in his hand. Seeking to be worshipped, he presented all these to tempt the newly anointed King. The heavenly King overcame this temptation, but the coming Antichrist will not (Rev. 13:2, 4).

The present situation in the city I live is teeming with the world. The current of the world is directly against the Lord's move. The saints are even affected by the winds of the world blowing stormily at times and silently at other times. As the devil subtly disguises himself in manifold ways.

Yesterday night, a case was brought to my attention in fellowship and for prayer about the situation of a sister who was emotionally tempted to the ways of the world. She have already been undergoing a lot of pressure and fighting a legal battle for survival. For quite sometime, she kept herself aloof and missed the fellowship. However, we have been praying for her recovery and trust the Lord in His sovereign wisdom in caring for His children as the good Shepherd. 

I was particularly glad to learn of the way in which the Lord interfered and blocked a certain relationship; I reckon such interference as the Lord's direct answer to our prayer. No matter how weak the saints may seem to be at times, they are not alone, the Lord and His Body is with them, all the way. Things may turn berserk but the Lord's covering, protection and guidance is ever present. Whatever the world attempts to do, or perhaps, must have done, we are not disheartened, for we have the Lord as our Shepherd. This sister's case is a typical example. On the one hand it exposes the wickedness of the world and yet the Lord uses such to preserve His children and loathe it thereafter.

Even all the spiritual battle fought in the Body for the saints are more or less related to the world. The new believers that I have been praying for and are shepherding are all affected by the world in some way or the other. But I am not discouraged, for the seed of life in them will grow and overcome ultimately. That's why, I personally do not cease to pray for these new believers, naming them one by one. I don't look at the present situation but to the Lord who can deliver them all unto His glory. I will continue in this way of prayer and the ministry the word that feeds and nourishes the believers. The direct weapon against the world is the word in prayer.

Praise the Lord for the word against the world!

God's Light

In ignorance it is very likely possible to live in one's own cocoon of self; thinking all the while one is on the right track just because of not seeing any other better track. With this, one is easily deceived of his own blindness and is living in delusion without any realization of where he is, what he is and where he is heading to. It takes the mercy of God to be delivered from such self-deceit. This is the state of being in spiritual blindness. The only panacea I see for such case is the Lord's light to shine and expose the true nature of things.

The case applies mostly to spiritual blindness, and the most common victims are those who are independent and individualistic even in their spiritual pursuit and experiences; they are often right in their own eyes as they have biblical verses to back their standpoint, and would not be convinced otherwise, as they reckon it as from the Lord. To me, this is a "spiritual suicide" that many lovers and seekers of the Lord are ignorantly committing just because they do not know the Body nor see the Body nor live in the reality of the Body life. It takes the Lord's light and mercy to restored in the Body.

I am no exception as a victim of such. But the Lord's mercy has time and gain uses the members of the Body to rescue me and brought in God's light through fellowship. Recently I had this wonderful experiences of being self-cocooned and shone upon by God's light. While under God's shining I could see the true nature of things and thanked the Lord that His glorious shining light has rescued me again. This experience made me more desperate for God's light and fellowship in the Body. I reckon this as one of the greatest spiritual treasures God has bestowed upon us today- the church-life in the Body of Christ.

With these experiences, here a little, there a little, the Lord is patiently and gradually recovering the Body He desires so. To be a apart of the Lord's recovery is an untold priceless privilege, an honor and a great blessing. It is the sure mercy of the Lord that the Lord has recovered me into the fellowship of His Body. Hallelujah!   

O the Lord's light shining, how I treasure it! It saves me from myself again and again. This glorious light is a "second salvation" from the self. And how much my heart longs for more of God' light to shine upon me and through me.

Lord, may Your light continue to shine upon me, until my whole being glows with Your light! That I may ever live and walk in the light as Your son of light.

Jehovah is My Shepherd!

PSALMS 23
1 Jehovah is my Shepherd; I will lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk Through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear evil, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, They comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me In the presence of my adversaries; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me All the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah For the length of my days.

Pray-reading this whole Psalms was a very wondering experience of the Lord's shepherding in five stages. Besides, the experiential shepherding in real life, the enjoyment of the word on shepherding by the Lord's word was amazing as we prayed over the word and digested as our spiritual food. 

Later, as we pursued the life-study on Psalms, the revelation and understanding of the Lord's word was even more nourishing. Praise the Lord for the minster of the word who opened up the word of God, especially to me!

This psalm also tells us that Christ's shepherding of us is in five stages. The first stage is of the pastures and the waters of rest (v. 2). Pasture and waters are for our nourishment, including cherishing and enjoyment. The second stage is the stage of the paths of righteousness (v. 3). The paths of righteousness indicate our walk. After we enjoy Christ, are filled up with Christ, and are nourished by Christ, we walk on the paths of righteousness. The third stage is the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4). The valley, the shadow, and death are not pleasant. Christ's shepherding leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. The fourth stage is the battlefield (v. 5), where we are fighting against the adversaries. At the battlefield a table, a feast, is spread for us. Finally, the last stage is to dwell in the house of God all the days of our life (v. 6). Life-study of Psalms, Message 11 

The very speaking of the Lord in the word and in the life-study message was so rich and subjectively, to the extend that I experienced and enjoyed it right away. On the one hand I was shepherded; it became a "fresh bread" to me, and on the other hand, I shared with a couple of believers, and became their "fresh bread" too.  

When two sisters came for fellowship, we dwelt on these words and enjoyed the Lord together in His speaking. Again, a brother called me and my shepherding to him was on the same fresh bread I have been enjoying. And most significantly, the Lord burdened me to share the same enjoyment of the Lord's shepherding to a sister who went through a very very tough time in her life, and even tempted by the enemy to the extent of becoming bitter to certain ones. The negative feeling affected so much that she dwindled in her spiritual enjoyment and almost cut herself off from the fellowship of the Body. But the timely shepherding of the Lord, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, is strong and victorious enough to lead us through to the joy and enjoyment of Christ as grace and life supply. Such was the effectiveness of the Lord's shepherding. 

The timing and experiences were all sovereignly arranged by the Lord and it just happened last week. The issue of the shepherding was, the brother and sisters in fellowship were recovered to a proper and normal enjoyment of Christ personally and corporately in the church-life; for they started coming again for the Lord's table meeting and opened their homes for fellowship, prayer and shepherding.

Along with the Psalms 23, I, with the saints, also enjoyed the corresponding hymns together with the saints.  Hymn 1170 (https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1170)

1	The Lord is my Shepherd forever,   He maketh me down to lie, He leads me beside the still waters   O how He does satisfy!
	Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life; Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, And I shall feast at the table spread for me; Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life.
2	My Shepherd Himself is my pasture,   My Shepherd, the waters of rest; I eat of His riches in spirit,   I drink, and O how I am blest!
3	My Shepherd my soul is restoring,   My will, and emotion, and mind; And though through the valley I’m walking,   O what a Companion I find!
4	A table prepared by my Shepherd   I feast on and Satan destroy; My head is anointed with oil,   My cup runneth over with joy!
5	And now in His house I am dwelling   Enjoying the goodness of God; My pleasure is far beyond telling,   My pleasure is Jesus my Lord!

Kiss the Son

Kiss the Son

Lest He be angry and you perish from the way; For His anger may suddenly be kindled.Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him. Psa. 2:12

The Holy Bible, Recovery Version footnote

Kiss the Son: Kiss  S.S. 1:2;  8:1;  cf. 1 Sam. 10:1;  1 Kings 19:18

To take refuge in the Son is to believe into the Son, Christ (John 3:16, 36), taking Him as our refuge, protection, and hiding place. To kiss the Son is to love the Son and thereby to enjoy Him (John 14:21, 23). To believe in the Lord is to receive Him (John 1:12); to love the Lord is to enjoy the Lord whom we have received. These are the two requirements for us to participate in the Lord.

Let us be those who "kiss the Son(Jesus Christ)" by loving Him.

Lord Jesus, I love You!

This is in response to the message in WhatsApp about the Paris Attack at a concert singing "Kiss the Devil". My innate response in reading that message was "Kiss the Son," and posted the above message to that extent. Fellow brothers and sisters responded by declaring, "'Lord Jesus I love You!" If the "dead" kissed the devil, we, the saints of God, who are living must kiss the Son, in oneness with the Lord Jesus, who is on a spiritual battle with the devil. Our sincere participation in this spiritual warfare is by simple loving the Lord Jesus, by "kissing the Son."

The devil may have so much influence among ungodly generation today and even gains worship from fallen mankind, still there are the remnants of the Lord Jesus Christ who renders genuine worship to Whom worship is due, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The devil may gain lovers to the extend of popularising it via his rock bands, still the Lord has His redeemed people who loves Him and would serve Him at all cost, counting all as lost, even dung, because they love Him.

We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19); we serve God because we love Him (2 Cor. 5:14). It is the greatest honor to love Him and the greatest privilege to serve Him.

Matthew 26:7-8

A woman came to Him, having an alabaster flask of ointment of great value, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, Why this ¹waste?

---

8¹ The disciples considered Mary's love offering to the Lord a waste. Throughout the past twenty centuries thousands of precious lives, heart treasures, high positions, and golden futures have been "wasted" upon the Lord Jesus. To those who love Him in such a way He is altogether lovely and worthy of their offering. What they have poured upon Him is not a waste but a fragrant testimony of His sweetness. 

Paris, a city of love, must know what true love is. May this city be a city of God's love flowing among her citizens teeming with love, not merely in a romantic sense devoid of God's love, but genuinely loving God, who is Love. This must indeed be a city of love where "lovers kisses the Son" by loving the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paris, a city of God's love; kiss the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! 
Seigneur Jésus Je t'aime!    
Lord Jesus, I love You!

Paris Concert Crowd Was Singing ‘Kiss The Devil’ The Moment Terror Attacks Beganby Geoffrey Grider(Source: http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/paris-concert-crowd-was-singing-kiss-the-devil-the-moment-terror-attacks-began/)

Mere moments away from slaughter, Paris fans at Eagles Of Death Metal concert sang song glorifying the Devil"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)With their hands raised high in the air, Paris fans at the Eagles Of Death Metal concert made the Satanic "devil horns" salute without seemingly a care in the world. Amazingly, the song that was playing the moment the shooting started was called 'Kiss The Devil', and here are some of the lyrics from that tune:"Kiss The Devil" - by Eagles Of Death MetalWho'll love the Devil?Who'll song his song?Who will love the Devil and his song?I'll love the DevilI'll sing his songI will love the Devil and his songWho'll love the Devil?Who'll kiss his tongue?Who will kiss the Devil on his tongue?I'll love the DevilI'll kiss his tongueI will kiss the Devil on his tongue

As the French death metal fans were singing along with those lyrics, offering their love to Satan, the Devil responded as the Devil always does. With death and destruction. Now, you go ahead and spin that any way you like, any way that makes you feel comfortable. But as a Bible believer, I know exactly what happened Friday night at 9:40PM GMT in Paris, France. People asked for a manifestation of the Satan, and guess what? They got one.

It is safe to say that there were just about no Christians at the concert that night, that the vast majority of those people were lost, unsaved people. I wonder how many of them were offered the life-saving gospel of Jesus Christ and turned their nose up at it? Probably more than a few of them. We see it all the time as we street preach in St. Augustine. To most lost people, the Devil is a joke and Hell will be a beer and sex infused party. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Hebrews 2:14 (KJV)

As those people bled and died on the dance floor of the Death Metal concert, they went from singing about the Devil to meeting the Devil face to face. Hell is no joke, it is absolutely not a party, and you do not have to end up there. Click here to read all about a place called Hell that you can avoid by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Friday night they "kissed the Devil", and the Devil kissed them right back. Don't let it happen to you."And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:30.31 (KJV)

Worship and Serve God

Matt. 4:9 - And he said to Him,  All these will I give You if You will fall down and worship me.Matt. 4:10 - Then Jesus said to him, Go away,  Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve".

This morning a sister messaged for a shoring on worship and serving God based on Deuteronomy 12:29-31. In consideration and prayer over this matter of worship, I was led to respond. The Lord's word is rich and enjoyable.

Lord, grace me to serve You and worship You. 

Worship and Serve God

Worshiping God and serving God are two sides of the same coin. In worship, we serve, and in service, we worship. To worship God is to serve God. Without serving God we cannot render real worship to God.

The heathens, unbelievers, have their ways of worshiping "gods". Even today, in ignorance, many believers try to "worship" God in the heathen way. Satan subtly tries his best to infiltrate into the believers' worship of God by any entertaining or amusing, if not fleshy or freshly, ways. And alas, many have been ensnared and are deluded to reckon as worship but when in reality is worshiping something else, veiling Christ, the real object of worship.

And in such, a service ensued, which is someone or something other than Christ; an unconscious adherence to what has been worshiped.

What God had warned our forefathers of the old has now become a reality in today's Christendom.Therefore, we must not worship the Lord our God in their way.

Reality Check 

A genuine worship:

• Is in the spirit. John 4:24
• Offers Christ to God for God's  enjoyment and satisfaction typified by the burnt offering. Exo. 20:24
• Offers Christ to God for our enjoyment and satisfaction mutually with God typified by the peace offering. Exo. 20:24
• Exalts Christ and Christ alone, no other name, person, matter or thing.
• Through the altar, the cross, and by sacrifice, Christ. Exo. 20:24a. Meaning, we are redeemed, dealt with and are experiencing and enjoying Christ for God's purpose.
• Is beholding God and feasting on Christ, eating and drinking Him in the word and in spirit. Exo. 24:11, John 4: 10, 14, 23, 24.
• Invites God's blessings. Exo. 20: 24d
• Is in the Body of Christ, the church, corporately. Heb. 2:12
• Is our Christian life of living Christ. Phil. 1:21
• Is our church life, feasting on Christ typified in Exo. 23:14-16 according to God ordained way to fulfill His divine and eternal economy. Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:13-15, Rev. 21:2-3.

Babes and Sucklings

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings / You have established strength / Because of Your adversaries, / To stop the enemy and the avenger. Psalms 8:2  

Babes and sucklings are the simple and pure ones. They are not the weaker ones as in the physical sense of infants. Though weak in themselves but trusting in the Lord; their strength is their weakness in themselves, but strong in the Lord. They have no confidence in themselves but have full confidence in the Lord. They seem ignorant and foolish to the world but their wisdom is the Lord's. Such are the babes and sucklings that impressed me.

As I was studying on babes and sucklings, the Lord renewed my understanding of the word of who the babes and sucklings really are. 

Matthew 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens". 

Notes from the Recovery Version reads, "To be poor in spirit is not only to be humble but also to be emptied in our spirit, in the depth of our being, not holding on to the old things of the old dispensation but unloaded to receive the new things, the things of the kingdom of the heavens". 

To me, babes and suckling are such ones who are humble, emptied in spirit always longing for the Lord's feeding and filling. Not presumptuous nor preoccupied, but seeking, loving and longing for the Lord. Not even counting what have already been gained, but looking forward to the things before. And ever pursuing the Lord even until the end.

Out of such babes and sucklings' mouths, the Lord established strength. True indeed today, in my little experiences of life, I can testify to the same. And the Lord will stop enemy and the avenger through such babe and sucklings!

What a prophesy! What wisdom!

My sincere fellowship to certain brothers who seems to know many divine things, at least in doctrine, is to be humble, simple and pure and come to the Lord, especially to the word, to eat and drink the Lord. Not to question and debate on the word with fellow believers, but to receive life supply from the word. For the Bible is the Book of Life. We must come to the Bible as babes and sucklings.

My heart's yearning is the same as well; to be simple and pure as babe and suckling to receive life supply, yes, even more life supply, from the word of God. Even to this extent, I have fellowshipped with some Christian "leaders and pastors" the importance of being poor in spirit, pure in heart and be as babes and sucklings, always eating and drinking the Lord, learning and loving the Lord, and growing to maturity unto His full stature. 

Lord, make me Your babe and suckling.   

Ministry of the Word

A fellowship from a member of the Body a week ago was indeed impregnated with the word of God as he fellowshipped to us, brothers in NCR, concerning the urgent need to be impregnated with the word of God. 

For his words are: Rule upon rule, rule upon rule; Line upon line, line upon line; Here a little, there a little. Isaiah 28:10 

Day by day, we need to come to the word to receive fresh message from God, digest them, live them out, experience them and minister as a fresh message to others, saints, seekers and sinners. Without the word we cannot be a messenger, for a messenger minsters the word. 

The Lord is faithful to us, and minsters to us the timely word. Besides, He grants us the necessary experiences of life by the Spirit through the word. This, He does in course of time as "rule upon rule, rule upon rule".  Even as the experiences deepens, the Lord dispenses Himself into us, working Himself into us, growing from withing our being and gradually forms "line upon line, line upon line". Ultimately what He does will produce a message to be readable to others and becomes the ministry of the word.

In fact, this experience is subjectively John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality". The word of God is dispensed and impregnated into us, taking the form of a "flesh", in the sense of constitution, and dwelling in us as the fulfillment of Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God".  

By this way, we, the ones impregnated with the word of God "rule upon rule and line upon line" becomes the "word becoming flesh and tabernacling among men" are the messengers of God (Rev 2:1) filled with messages from God to the churches. This function and service of ministering the word is the ministry of the word.

Praise the Lord for the ministry of the word through  a brother who is a minister of the word. 

Lord, make me such a minister as well.