Shimla: A Revisit

Acts 15:36Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brothers in every city in which we announced the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.

The burden to revisit Shimla after we first visited for the distribution of the ministry of the word a year ago came up in a fellowship two weeks ago. I felt it was the Lord's feeling and burden expressed in the Body. Though I initially intended not to, I amened the Lord's leading. Then I contacted the contacts in Shimla and other cities and started praying for this revisit. City by city, the seeking contacts replied and we came up with a plan to visit Shimla first, then Manali, then Kullu, then Mandi, and perhaps Chandigarh as well. 

The key contact in Shimla is a brother whom we met last, just before we left the city when we first visited. We spent a solid hour of ministering the word on Christ and the Church and introduced the ministry books to him. He was the main seeking one among all that we met. Therefore, he was contacted, he responded, and we visited him this time. 

Our brother gave us hospitality in his meeting hall and did his best to make us happy. He took us to the best tourist spots in Shimla for sightseeing. While we were in Army Heritage Museum, we had a fellowship on how the Lord brought us together and that he needed to take the stand for the Lord's testimony in Shimla. He seemed to have understood his need for taking the stand for the Lord's testimony and is open for fellowship and perfecting. He confessed his need and how he has been praying for transformation. In fact, the Lord has been burdening him for chain prayer throughout the day with some of the believers, and also recently had 120 hours of fasting prayer. He also acknowledged that the Lord has sent us to him, to meet his need and prayer for transformation. 

As he took us to different places, we also fellowshipped along the way. He testified to us how the Lord saved him through the miraculous healing of his mother from a cancerous tumour through the prayer of a pastor, and that healing led him to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ, be baptised into His name, took Bible training, served full time with a pastor for five years, and finally, started his own ministry. 

The Lord also has been leading him all these years and the ministry literature we distributed helped him realised his need for deeper and inner transformation. At this juncture in his spiritual journey, we met again. May the Lord fully recover him and the believers with him for His testimony in Shimla. 

Last Lord's day, he requested us to minister the word. A brother and I fellowshipped and prayed for the release of the word. Therefore, we shared on the basic of a Christian life: the mystery of human life; the assurance, security, and joy of salvation; the precious blood of Christ; the key to enjoy the Lord; and the importance of reading, knowing, and experiencing the word of the Lord. 

I was burdened to minister to the whole congregation of about forty believers on the spiritual significance of the word of God. Beginning with Psalms 119:105 and John 6:63, I released my burden to help them receive the Spirit and Life through the Word. I expounded John 6 on how the Lord charged us to work for the Food that does not perish, but fills our hunger, quenches our thirst, and gives eternal life. This Food is the Lord Jesus Christ as the bread sent from heaven, the living bread, the bread that gives life, and the living bread. This bread must be eaten daily by coming to the word of God and I encouraged every one to eat this bread through the reading of the word and praying the word daily. 

After we ministered the word, the brother testified of how much the Lord loves them by sending us to them to minister the timely word to the congregation. We trust the word of God will continue to work in them and bless the congregation for His testimony in Shimla. 

May the Lord recover His testimony through His chosen ones for the church in Shimla.