Alpha and Omega: Urgency

Proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching  2Timothy 4: 2 

A week ago I met a brother who was so seeking for the Lord and His feeding in fellowship. For the first time, I met him in his guest house and we had a sweet fellowship for over an hour ministering the Word of God face to face, starting from God's plan in Gen.1:26 through creation, redemption of Christ, a Christian life and a church life. Later, he came to the meeting hall for further fellowship, attended the serving ones' perfecting fellowship on truth constitution and presentation. Then with my family he joyfully came to a group meeting where he played the guitar, enjoyed singing hymns to the Lord and to one another. After which, he and I went to drop another family and then I finally dropped him near his guesthouse with a word that we would meet either on the coming Thursday/Friday. 

On Wednesday he texted me saying he was was sick and weak in his body, and I replied if he needed any help, to which he replied back, that he would be with his brother. After this I could not reach him, I texted him but my mobile flashed a notice that the text could not be delivered. Anxious to find out the reason, I called up his office number, on which he called me from his office before we first met, to hear a shocking reply that he expired. Later, his younger brother called to confirm of the death and nature of death of his brother, and said  he sang and died.

Reflecting a week back, what happened on the 16th September from 2 PM till about 9:20 PM when I was with him, I had a strong feeling from deep within that I should not withhold anything about spiritual matters relating to a Christian life and a church life, I keep ministering the Word in his guest house, in the meeting hall, in the group meeting and on the car, and to all these he responded with much affirmation and interjected many times in between, saying "Yes, brother. Yes brother. This is what I need." He even promised to start coming to the meeting from the 23rd September and that he would purchase the Recovery Version of the Holy Bible and start a new life all over. But alas, he went to be with the Lord on the 22nd. He even regretted that he had wasted so much time and that we would work together with me to visit family and friends he knew, to preach the gospel and do the shepherding. But it's all over in week's time.

Reminiscing all over, I felt inwardly satisfied that somehow by the Lord's leading I did whatever I could have done, though on that day I was so physically tired and thought of resting instead of meeting him. I spoke what I should have spoken, and did what I should have done. Though not a fragment of thought lingered of his demise, but that was what had happened, a surprise meeting and a sudden muting; a sad saga of alpha and omega.

Lord, keep me always alert and living, to proclaim the word; and be ready in season and out of season...

Be Watchful and Faithful

Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:35

Yesterday morning and today morning the Lord spoke to me again and again this verse. Upon praying over I was reminded of my need to be such, to be watchful, faithful and ready all the time. Perhaps, these days I tend to become lethargic? Or perhaps, overburdened or overloaded. It is indeed a good time for spiritual revival again.

At the dawn of today the Lord woke me up, convicting me of my carelessness and reminded me to reconsecrate myself: my time, my energy and my whole being. I was on my knees, confessing my looseness and indiscipline in my time management, and consecrated my self again. Later, He spoke the same verse to me as He spoke yesterday, "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning."

Let your loins be girded: As slaves' loins are girded ever ready to serve his Master, day in and day out, so much the more, I, a servant of the Lord. Irrespective of time or space, rapt attention and readiness to heed the Master's command is deemed honour to the slave. So is to me, as it must be.

Time and again, a trumpet has been sounded of the nearness of the Lord's coming again. But what has been my reaction? Do I budge an inch in response to such a clarion call? The Lord be merciful to me, I am afraid I am numb. Lord, revive me. Apt indeed is the word, and timely the sounding command. "Let your loins be girded!" Amen Lord. By your grace, I gird my loins; make me ever ready. My naturally enthused ethos will never make it;I need the Lord Himself to be my life, living and person. Then and then only, will my loins indeed be girded. So Lord,  let my loins be girded, by You living in and through me.

Let your lamps be burning: The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah- Proverbs 20:27. My lamp is my spirit where the Spirit of the Lord dwells- 2 Timothy 4:22. To keep my lamps burning is to be exercised in my spirit- 1 Timothy 4:7. 

The slogan, "Exercise your spirit", oftentimes sound too dubious as a fictitious banner to a slothful heart. But this is the very exercise I need now and then and forever. The Lord forgive me for oftentimes turning a deaf ear to such an emergency call.

Remind me Lord, and teach me ever to exercise my spirit and live and walk according to the spirit. Make me ever ready, always watchful, faithful and ready by keeping my lamps burning and my loins girded.

Subdue Me

This morning I was enlightened by the word , " My grace is sufficient for you for My power is perfected in weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9. 

Oftentimes, I desire to be a good brother never making a mistake, in spite of the fact that everyone in flesh and blood, including me, is fallen. However the Lord reminded me of my need to trust in His grace. Sometimes He sovereignly allow problems and mistakes with the sole purpose of dealing with my naturally "good man." The problem exposes me and thereby becomes an opportunity for the Lord to work Himself into me solidly. This was what exactly Paul experienced. He entreated the Lord three times that his thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, be removed, but the Lord's wonderful reply was , "My grace is sufficient for you." 

Likewise, His grace is sufficient for me to go through anything He arranges. Whatever He arranges is for breaking me, blending me and building me with others as one loaf for the building up of  the Body of Christ. This issues in the experience of God as the transcending power in all my circumstances, and thereby enabling me with others to be built up for the manifestation of the church. This subjective experience of the Lord with His subduing power ushers in to live a normal and proper Christian life for the normal church-life. 

When the subduing power subdues my natural man there is no need of outward regulations of dos and don'ts. For I will be ruled by the divine life and all else not Christ and of Christ will be subdued. Then this ruling will issue in the ruling of Christ as the Head in everything and in every believer which further issues in the manifestation of the church, the Body of Christ. However, this need a willing human cooperation with the operation of the Triune God. For this I must be desperate to open to the Lord and pray, "Lord, I need You to subdue me and rule over me in all things."

To Do, and Not to Do

A light dawned on me this morning as I, with the serving ones in our office, delved into the Life-Study of Genesis on the the maturity and reigning aspect of Joseph's life. Joseph, as the issue of his maturity in the divine life truly lived a life under the restriction and sovereignty of God. He learnt well to do what he could not do and not to do what he could do. His feelings for his brethren and even his own father was under strict control; he was not ruled or overcome by his emotion. He was not overjoyed at joyful moments nor depressed at desperately despair moment. He was just fine, fair and balanced as a type of Christ. And was full of patient to wait for the Lord's perfect timing to reveal himself in due time to his family. And his procrastinated revelation was a discipline and lesson of life to his naive, fleshy and fleshly brothers.

To bear the cross is to experience the divine restriction sovereignly arranged by God, and not doing anything what one is able to do in the natural man. This is to experience crucifixion. To be in resurrection is to enjoy the divine anointing and inward strength with the outward ability to do things which one is not able to do, or is impossible, in the natural man. And only Christ is the reality of both crucifixion and resurrection.

Only in the subjective experience of proper growth in the divine life unto maturity can one be such a person; having the power not to do what one is able to do, and having the strength to do what one is not able to do. 

Lord, grow in me that I may mature in Your life to be such a one. 

To do, yea, what is impossible to be done, in myself, but in your strength; 

And not to do, even what I am very able to do, because of the divine restriction. 

Grace me Lord, I pray....

Christ Formed in Me

The speaking of the Lord is so vivid and strong these few days through the holy word for morning revival. Paul was very emphatic when he told the believers in Galatian 4:19 , "My children with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you."

God wants to give us Christ as everything and that Christ be formed in us. But many things in our Christian lives have been everything else but Christ; either they are good or evil, most of them are certainly not Christ. Unconsciously, distractions after distractions blinded us until one day we find ourselves void of Christ. But God's desire is the opposite.

How then can Christ be everything? The Christ we received in regeneration who is in our spirit needs a spreading into our soul. The presence of Christ in the spirit is indisputable fact but how about the same Christ spreading? 

Christ should occupy every avenue of our soul too--mind, emotion and will. Our mind be Christ's mind or vise versa; and the same with our emotion and will. Christ must be thoroughly mingled with our mind, emotion and will. Christ not only be in our mind but also our mind, Christ not only be in our emotion but also our emotion and Christ not only be in our will but also our will. Then this will issue in the formation on Christ in our life.

By the Lord's mercy, as He leads us to this stage, Christ will be in us and in our living and expression as the testimony of Jesus. 

Lord I long to be such. Grow in me, fill me and saturate me. Lord Jesus I need you.

Content

Today's morning revival was very enlightening. As I and the brothers pray-read Phil. 4:11-13 "Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack. I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.", I enjoyed the speaking of the Lord in the experience of Paul. In fact, I am experiencing it these days.

By the Lord's sovereignty, I always believe in the unsearchable riches of Christ bestowed upon His children, us, not according to our need only, but much more according to His riches. And He is faithful to His word. And it has been true with me and my family since the day I was regenerated. And I also believe in caring for the need of the Lord's work and the saints; sometimes the Lord allows poverty among some saints for some reasons. And as much as the Lord provides and blesses, it is a pleasure to share with others and care for one another not only in words, but in deeds too, especially when it means emptying your pocket. 

It so turned out that I have been emptied out, not because of lack, but because of care for others, especially the saints and the Lord's work. And it is quite an experience to not have when you actually have, for what you have is all locked up with some one or some entities. In reality you have, but in practicality you do not have. And you trust in the Lord for what you have already but not realised. Yes, a true experience, indeed, a joyful one. No worry, no tension, but blissful trust int he Lord.

I have learned? perhaps, I am learning, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content! Lord, teach me more, how to be abased and how to abound; in everything and in all things, .. to be filled and to hunger, to abound and to lack. Lord, teach me these lessons of life. 

Through this experience the Lord is training me NOT to trust in mammon, event in material blessings that come from the Lord. Lest the blessings replace the Blessers. The blessings from the Blesser are for the Blesser Himself through the blessee! This reminds me of a classical hymn : Once It Was The Blessing (Stanza 1)

Once it was the blessing,

Now it is the Lord;

Once it was the feeling,

 Now it is His Word;

Once His gift I wanted,

  Now, the Giver own;

Once I sought for healing,

  Now Himself alone.

All in all forever,

Only Christ I'll sing;

Everything is in Christ,

And Christ is everything.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/513#ixzz23mS4MnzB

Joseph's Dream

Today I enjoy my Life-Study pursuit on Joseph's dream, it was so enlightening and encouraging.

Joseph had a glorious dream which became his vision, directing him and governing him. However, the dream he had was not fulfilled until the time of trial and testing the Lord had ordained for him passed through. That time period between the dreaming of the dream and its fulfillment was a confinement time, a real life perfecting training for Joseph, through which he was prepared to be enthroned in due time. In the midst, he was tested even of the genuineness of his dream. Though his own dream was not yet fulfilled, nevertheless, he was steadfast and interpreted the cup-bearer and baker's dream which were fulfilled within three day's time. He had the faith to speak as per the vision he had, not looking at his own, but rightly interpreted others' dream. And the fulfillment of other's dreams, not his own, was a great confirmation, encouragement and strengthening, especially in his faith.

Andrew Murray once said a word like this: The good minister of the Word should always minister more than what he has experienced. This means that we should speak more according to the vision than according to the fulfillment of the vision. Even if our vision has not been fulfilled, we should still speak of it to others. The time will come when our vision will be fulfilled. Joseph's dreams were eventually fulfilled through his interpretation of the dream of the cupbearer.  http://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?id=220BCC

Lord, make me such a one who would wait upon You, open to be trained and perfected, enjoying Your grace and life supply to  go through every trails ordained for me.And accomplish your will in Your own time.