Church in Khawlian

A few months ago a new local church was raised up by the saints in the church in Churachandpur. Last week as I was visiting Manipur, on the 27th Oct, the Lord’s Day Meeting happened to be the combined meet at this new local church. Though it was a distance of 100+ kilometers from my home, and needed to travel through a narrow road on the hills with a travel duration of 4+ hours, I took it as the Lord's arrangement and attended the meeting.

The leading brothers requested me to minister the word of God just before the meeting began. I looked to the Lord for His speaking. The Lord's leading was on three burdens.

Firstly, on the grace of God manifested among the saints and the churches in Manipur. I truly saw the grace of God and also the move of the Holy Spirit among the saints; they have been rooted and grounded in Christ and I could see a great hope for the churches there. Besides, I also could foresee many new ones coming into the church life as I myself had been meeting with a good number of them during my few days stay at Imphal. 
Acts 11:22-23And the account concerning them was heard in the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to pass through as far as Antioch, Who, when he arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain with the Lord with purpose of heart. 

Secondly, there is a need for the reality and practicality of the one new man by putting off the old man through the cross and putting on the new man by the renewing of the Spirit of the mind. This state is highly concentrated with many ethnic groups; the Kukis, Paite, Nagas, Manipuris and a host of tribes. Even though most of them have embraced Christianity, the complete deliverance from tribalism, culture, custom and practices are still a far fetched dream. The gospel preached to them from the beginning did not really help them overcome the old man. The need for further salvation in life through the growth in life is the urgent need. This, I believe, only the Lord's recovery can effectively do. 
Ephesians 4:22-24That you put off, as regards your former manner of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit, And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. 

Thirdly, I released my burden on the need to be revived and live an overcoming life everyday. The first gospel to Manipur was brought by missionaries in 1910. A Gospel centenary had already been celebrated, and many revival meetings have been conducted, but where are the fruits of revivals today? Revival is not a occasional matter, it must be a daily matter. Therefore, I released my burden on the need and urgency for daily revival. Practically, I encouraged all the saints to first contact the Lord in the morning to be revived everyday by using the HWMR in the best way to be revived in reality. I warned the saints not to do anything before being revived first in the morning. Besides, I encouraged all the saints to spend at least an hour in prayer out of the twenty four hours God gave everyone everyday. In this way the saints can be revived and live a prophesying life.
1 Corinthians 14:3-4But he who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men. He who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but he who prophesies builds up the church. 

These were the burdens the Lord released for the churches in Manipur this time. Following this, many saints stood up and prophesied on how the Lord convicted them and spoke to them of this urgent need. May the Lord bless the saints and the churches in Manipur! 

The background story of how this new church in Khawlian was raised up was amazing. A few years ago, two brothers used to pass through this village on their way to visit new localities for propagation but they never stopped by this village. One day, a sister in this village saw a dream of two brothers flying pass by this village and never visiting them. In her dream she wished that they be visited. Later, because of their desperate situation in the denomination they were in, they contacted a brother whom they knew from long before. Through that contact, the church in Khawlian was raised up. Praise the Lord!