Blessings in 2024

 He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

Generally, on the last day of the year, the 31st of Dec, we meet to share our testimony of God's blessing received during the whole year. This time, we encourage all the saints to prepare to share their top portion of blessing. As we met, all the saints, not one exception, shared the rich blessings they received from the Lord during the year. I rejoiced at learning about the experiences and enjoyment of the saints as they testified of what the Lord has been doing in their lives. Though outwardly we did not achieve the increase in the number of saints added to the church that we planned for last year, I definitely see a tremendous increase in the enjoyment and experience of Christ in the saints. I praise the Lord for the transformation work the Lord has been accomplishing in the lives of the saints in the church here. Despite the difficult situations we have been going through these days in North India, the Lord's hand and His blessings have been following us. Substantial growth in life and visible progress in the saints' lives have encouraged me a lot. To my own observation, the progress of the church has been satisfactory for the last year.

As for me, one experience that has been very significant is the increase of Christ and the decrease of my self. In many aspects of my life and service, the Lord has been stripping me layer by layer. My self has been touched so deeply that I could even feel the hurt it afflicted in me. The dealing of the self through the cross of Christ was wonderful yet it was also painful. But the grace of the Lord was also sufficient to enable me to bear the dealing of the self. To me, this is the greatest blessing of the year, the dealing of the self, resulting in Christ's increase and I decrease.

Besides, another blessing that I treasure is the beginning of my daughter and son learning to spend personal time in prayer. This year, the Lord graced my children to start going out for personal prayers, and that too regularly. With my son, we started to out together for prayers; first personal and then corporate. This year, this was started and I pray that we can continue to go out together for prayers regularly.

Another blessing noteworthy to me is our family trip to Singapore and Taiwan in the month of June. The Lord visibly manifested His loving care for our family in meeting all the practical needs of our family's foreign visits. He even provided a financial offering that my children could witness with their own eyes, the Lord's bountiful supply. This transpired in Singapore when we received offerings in Singapore Dollars and Taiwan Dollars. Then, in Taiwan, we received even more Taiwan Dollars and US Dollars. My children witnessed the Lord's provision in a visible way that strengthened their faith. I believe the Lord showed them the lesson of learning to live by faith, depending on the Lord for everything all the time, not depending on what we already have. This is a spiritual seed sown into the hearts of the children; letting them see a pattern of faith and living by trusting in the Lord.

Praise the Lord for the year 2024! As the church, we had a consecration prayer and we entered the new year 2025.

May this year be a continuation of the blessings received in the previous year. May the Lord continue to increase in me and that I may decrease until Christ fully saturates and gains me.