Ministry of the Word: Mathura

After the serving ones training on the first weekend of May, I personally wanted not to travel anywhere due to the heatwave raging in North India. In fact, the temperature is increasing by the day from 40 degrees Celsius to 48 degrees Celcius as of today. A week ago even when the heat was 40 plus, I inwardly wish not to travel in this summer heat. But thank God for my brother who has the burden to make use of the days after the training!

On the first day of the training, I had a fellowship with my brother and gave him a proposal to go to Agra-Aligarh and other places or to Unao, as Pilibhit is not feasible then. Later in the evening, I tried calling up the contacts in these places, but to my surprise, one from Unao did not even bother to pick up the call. Whereas the one from Aligarh picked up the call but told me that he is quite busy this month and that he could make some arrangements in the latter part of the month, thus leaving me no other option. It seemed like all the doors were closed.

But on Friday night after I came back from the training, I went before the Lord desperately to listen to what God had to say about our planned trip with no destination. As I was praying, the Lord spoke to me stating that I simply need to fellowship with a brother who came from Mathura as we could not visit him and the believers yet, though we planned to.  The next day, Saturday, during the tea break, we were sitting together at a table where I proposed to the brother in Mathura how he felt if we were to visit Mathura and the nearby areas. His immediate response was with an exclamation, "Brother please come!" Then and there he made phone calls to his brothers, and other contacts near Mathura confirming our visit and made all arrangements. Then in a few minutes, everything was made ready.

Therefore, after the training, we booked a cab and traveled to Mathura on the 9th of May. The moment we arrived in Mathura, the five key brothers came together to fellowship with us. We fellowshipped at length on the ministry concerning Christ and the building up of the church. We also did a little inoculation work as one of the brothers was a little distracted by certain Christian teaching. So we emphasized the need to stay in the central line of God's economy and be one with Christ in building up His church today. The fellowship even extended till late at night with all the family members in the brother's house where we were given hospitality.

On the 11th of May, in the afternoon a gathering was arranged. As the believers and new ones gathered together, we felt best to lead them to enjoy the Lord in the way of calling, praying, and pray-reading.  I personally was burdened by the Lord to lead them to enjoy the Lord in hymn singing, so I taught them to sing three Hindi hymns; Glory, Glory to the Father; Christ Liveth in Me; and Father God Thou Art the Source of Life. With every hymn in Hindi, I led them to sing line by line and they followed me, and then we all sang together. All the saints and new ones exercised their spirits and also their voices to sing along with us. Therefore, we all enjoyed singing hymns. After every singing, there was a spontaneous declaration of the lines followed by prayers. In fact, we did not teach them this, but they have picked it up from the brother who came to join some of the meetings in Gurugram and New Delhi and also from the online meetings. 

Then, we ministered the word of God on loving the Lord, helping them to tell Him that we love Him. And the way to love the Lord practically is to love the word of God. Therefore, I emphasized the need to read the Bible every day, if possible, at least 2-3 chapters of the Old Testament and 1-2 chapters of the New Testament. In that way of reading, the entire Bible can be read through in a year. Then, I was burdened to lead them to pray-read the word of God. After explaining the biblical meaning of pray-reading, I chose John 6:63 and pray-read with all of them in Hindi. The word of God became so rich as we pray-read over this verse again and again. The saints and the seekers were all charged up spiritually. When the word filled them, the Spirt also filled them, for the Lord's words are spirit and are life.

Jn 6:63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

After such an enjoyment of the word, we prayed and ended the meeting. But the saints and seekers were not leaving the meeting place. Then we were told that 10 new believers wanted to take water baptism. These ones were baptized on the rooftop of the brother's house. There was no gospel preaching specifically, there was no teaching on baptism, and there was no plan for such a baptism except for the two who wanted to be baptized from before, but the remaining eight were out of the Lord's move in and through the meeting. When the Lord is appreciated and enjoyed, the spirit is touched, thereby leading to salvation!

Now the believers in Mathura have been learning to practice the church life in the way of the Lord's recovery on their own initiative. I personally was surprised yet happy to notice that the leading brothers have truly learned from what they have seen being practiced in the church in Gurugram and New Delhi. The way of meeting, though outward, they find it best for the building up of the believers, with all exercising and speaking the word of God. The way the brother took good care of us also was a reflection of what he has seen and learned while he was given hospitality in Gurugram.

May the Lord preserve them, and perfect them for the proper practice of the church life in Mathura!. Praise the Lord!