Itanagar: Preparing the Vessels

A brother and his wife who both are professors in a reputed engineering institute in Itanagar gave us enjoyable hospitality during our distribution trip to the city. This brother and I had been to the same full-time training together some sixteen years ago. We both came from the same evangelical background from which the Lord graced us to move forward further for His testimony. We both were called to serve full-time and even consecrated our lives to serve the Lord. Yes, we are still serving the Lord full-time now, as He graces us one, we will do so until His return or until we fall asleep. But the way He carved our paths is different. He led me to serve in a full-time way in the publication work and him as a full-time professor in an institute. But we both are serving the Lord through our respective fields.

Besides enjoying fellowshipping with his family, the Lord opened the door to fellowship with their relatives at different times.

Doctors and Professors  

One evening, we visited their sister to get to know her as it was my first time to meet her. I was informed that she was not open to the ministry at all and even she strongly opposed the brother and sister standing for the Lord's testimony. It was a second "knocking" to see if we could at least fellowship. Initially, she really was not interested to fellowship with us. But as I began to converse with her, I discovered that she had been a class-mate during her medical studies of one of my best school friends. Using that connection, I interacted with her and she became more open. She asked a question on the "Tabernacle" in relation to today's "churches." That gave me the ground to minister the word a length.

Using the Bible references to "tabernacle", I began from God's plan in Genesis 1:26, tracing the history of Israel all the way from Egypt to Canaan, with emphasis on the tabernacle, temple, the Lord Jesus Christ, the believers as the church, the dwelling place of God in spirit. This was to clarify the truth concerning Christ and the church, the Body of Christ. I also recommended two books for her to study, The Normal Christian Church Life, and The Orthodoxy of the Church, both by Watchman Nee and gifted a copy of the latter.

On another night, we visited the same house again and met the husband of the sister. Though he professed to be a believer, the fact was, he became a "baptized believer" to get married to the sister who was a Christian. His faith was shaky and he himself doubted his own salvation. Moreover, he was not serious about his faith either as he has been waiting for the time when he will have the inward urge to really devote himself to God. 

I took his stance as an opportunity to share the gospel by using my own testimony of how I encountered the living God at the age of nineteen while at college. I also expounded the truth concerning salvation using John 3, the life of Nicodemus and emphasized on the need to be born of God in the spirit. Later, another brother continued the sharing by showing him the way to experience the living God by calling upon the name of Jesus using the Bible verse from Romans 10: 8-13.

The couple is doctors and now medical professors as well. To me, the two would be gained by the Lord for His testimony as I view them in faith.

Father and Mother

Though we had no intention to meet the father and mother of our host, we still got to meet them as we drove near their house in a bid to avoid the city traffic while on our way to distribution. With much joy, they welcomed us as the friends of their eldest son. We encouraged them to love the Lord and opened their home for Bible studies and prayer meetings once the construction is over. I believe that the parents' home is prepared by the Lord for His testimony.

Ministry Station and Truth Book Room

Our brother also showed us the plan he has for constructing a library and book room for many seekers to come and receive healthy spiritual food. This he did out of his burden, he designed and built it with his own expenses, all for the Lord's testimony. 

Overall, what I could see clearly is the preparatory works for the Lord's testimony in Arunachal Pradesh. The Lord is preparing and perfecting His building materials, both organic and physical, for His strong testimony. The state, though it has been witnessing thousands of indigenous people turning to Christ, they were mostly influenced by the pentecostal movement of signs and wonders. There is a great need for the supply of the healthy word of God. Only the ministry of the word in the Lord's recovery can meet the need. For this, the Lord has been preparing our brother and sister; saving them, giving them good families, jobs, properties, all for the Lord's testimony. Now, our burden is that the Lord will raise up His lampstand by 2020.

Lord, bless Your move in Arunachal Pradesh, and establish Your testimony in Itanagar!