Learn To Be Poor

Poverty is widely known as a curse, a bane rather than a boon. But this is a great misconception. To whichever angle one may look at, statistically speaking, a man in riches does more wickedness than those in poverty. The poor had reasonable reasons than the rich in their criminal records. Mostly, the poor are the agents of the rich in carrying out the sinful deeds, often to meet their daily needs. By stating this, I no means endorse their evil deeds; I equally loathed both evil deeds of the poor and the rich alike. 

The point here is "poverty" per se in the context of a Christian faith. No doubt, God is a God of blessing. Yet the gospel of God is never a materialistic prosperity gospel. In the contrary, the Lord Jesus inclined His message towards poverty in a positive sense, of not  loving the world with its money and riches. Experiencially, many of the sinful activities are associated directly or indirectly with the believers having "wanted" things rather than "needed" things. For example, a TV or a computing devices of luxurious items, are not basic needs for survival, its mostly entertainment tools; by no means I am saying they cannot be used for good purpose. These gadgets are mostly thieves of times that eats up the soul of mankind leaving one empty and dreadful, and even killing the liveliness of the believers. Hours and hours can be expended on addictions to TV or Internet or Smartphones chats and games, messages and talks. Seemingly feeding the hungry soul but actually draining and starving it. To be stripped of these, when one has the capacity to possess them is a real challenge. In fact, a herculean task, for these are the devil's tools in an immature hands.

One time, a  brother fellowshiped about "learning to be poor." Initially it sounded very strange to my immature ear. I hardly could understand what he meant. My fallen concept was that, believers must prosper and prosper, physically even, as a sign of blessing. But the Lord later chided me of my ignorance. Yes, the Lord's blessings includes physical and material prosperity too, if He may please so, but  not necessarily. In the midst of the Lord 's physical blessings too, one must not be carried away by the riches. Let these not lord over, instead let them be slaves, use them when you need them for good purpose; learn to be stripped of all these. Do not depend on them too much and do not be overtaken by them. Learn to be poor even when you have the riches. Live a simple and humble life, do not be tenterhook by such.

As years went by, I began to understand the meaning of this striking phrase, "learn to be poor." I know how much deception these material riches can mean to me; choking my soul and weakening my spirit. And once hooked, the way out is not easily forthcoming. Even in such abundance or riches, the grace of the Lord must abound so that I may declare as brother Paul, in Philippians 4:12, "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."

Lord, teach me how to be poor, even in the midst of Your blessings bounty.

A Breakthrough

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Recovery Version Note on Labor: Not by our natural life and natural ability but by the Lord's resurrection life and power. Our labor for the Lord in His resurrection life with His resurrection power will never be in vain, but will result in the fulfilling of God's eternal purpose through the preaching of Christ to sinners, the ministering of life to the saints, and the building up of the church with the experiences of the processed Triune God as gold, silver, and precious stones (3:12). This labor will be rewarded by the returning Lord in the day of the resurrection of the righteous (3:14; Matt. 25:21, 23; Luke 14:14).

These verses have been a great source of encouragement to me, time and again. Often times my zeal for the Lord has been sovereignly balanced by unexpected results. Prayers? Yes. There has been a lot of prayers for the church in my locality for the Lord to gain His increase. And also a lot of gospel preaching of all kinds. However, not many solid remaining fruits. Nevertheless, the Lord has gained some solid ones too. But he hope is for more, and more. Often times, I stumbled into Satan's negative poisoning of the mind. But the word of God especially this one is of great encouragement.

These days, in coordination with the trainees in the FTTND we have been visiting open homes in our area. The Lord is seeking out His chosen ones, one by one. Last week, the visit we made was of a very wealthy lady who have been into all kinds of depression. She herself testified of the vanity of the riches of this world. And as she shared her miserable real-life story she sops and wept intermittently. And a couple of times she said she had attempted failed suicide. Our only response was in telling her the gospel of Jesus Christ and leading her to the Lord Jesus Christ, to pray the sinners prayer and receive the Lord. We also helped her to call on the Name of the Lord over and over again. Our only gospel message was, "Only Jesus is the solution to all your problems." 

Later, when we were about to leave she requested us for a cup of tea, that prolonged our meeting with her further. Even during our stay there, her visage transformed gradually. She smiled and kept smiling. Then finally we prayed for her and her family that the Lord may save the whole household for His testimony. We all then agreed to meet weekly for further shepherding. 

Through this incident, the Lord opened my eyes to see and know vividly that the world is nothing, but vanity of vanities. Furthermore, the Lord confirmed to me that there are so many of this kind of cases, especially in developing country like India and fastest growing city like Gurgaon. Where wealth increases, worries increases too. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of the kingdom of God is the urgent need of the time. And this also confirms that the Lord is bringing us to breakthrough in Gurgaon for His increase.

Gurgaon for Christ!

NE Prayer

A couple of weeks ago, the Lord has burdened us afresh for the strong testimony of His recovery in the North Eastern part of India. Having the same burden, we brothers, biologically from the NE, decided to come together every Thursday morning for a "strong, strategic and specific prayer" over Skype or via Phone conference call. As we began, the Lord's presence was so strong; we released prayers in ascensions for the Lord's move in NE, especially for new cities to be gained for the Lord.

Though predominantly, these are Christian  inhabited areas, yet the true value of a Christian life and normal church life on the ground and fellowship of the oneness of the Body of Christ is scarcely manifested. Hence the need for the Lord's further work of recovery, in addition to the evangelical works done by missionaries pioneered by the sparkling of Welsh revival, a century ago. Those revival of the past must be experience inwarldy and daily, not one a while, but day by day, moment by moment. Merely Christian in names do not suffice, nor in divided groups, however spiritual one is or those groups may be, the Lord's goal of gaining His overcomers and the building up of the Body of Christ must take place. For this reason, the Lord has burdened us, and so we will cooperate with the Lord.

As we began a corporate intercessory prayer, we felt the need to accommodate more burdened saints especially from the NE itself. So another day was schedule on Saturday morning over Skype with the saints from the churches in the NE. Thanks to the technology at hand. Technically the world today is a mere global village at just a click away. And this is for the Lord's purpose, for the Body of Christ.

These prayer-fellowship has brought us together in a more blended and builded way, eventually to be more perfected to express and represent Him. 

Lord, blend us together more, to be joined in soul as much as in spirit, to stand in oneness with You and with one another for Your purpose.

Paul's Prayer, Mine

Colossians 1:10 

To walk worthily of the Lord to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and growing by the full knowledge of God,

Paul's prayer for the Colossians was so deep. As I was reading this portion as my daily bread, I was overwhelmed at the depth and wisdom of Paul's concern for the believers. I took it personally the word as mine own. 

To walk worthily of the Lord : I mused upon this verse over and over again, looking to the Lord for mercy and grace that I may walk worthily of the Lord. Looking to myself I am far too short. My deep inner desire is that I may indeed live such a life "worthy of the Lord." Lord, make me such!

And to please Him in all things,: This is even far more difficult in my natural strength. For this I need the Lord's life; only the Lord within me can please the Lord without. Lord, infuse me with more of Yourself and grow from within my being, day by day, moment by moment.

Bearing fruit in every good work : What are the good works? Recovery Version note: bearing fruit refers to living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and propagating Christ in every respect. This is the real essence of every Christian good work. The living of Christ as Paul wrote to Philippians in 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ." Lord, may I live You daily. Many times I am not; I am too much to myself. I need You Lord. Such living will spontaneously result in expressing and testifying Christ. This is the gospel.  

And growing by the full knowledge of God,: And growing and growing, by the full knowledge of God. 

Though I could not fathom the depth of Paul's utterance, deep within me I enjoyed the word. I know not the proper interpretation and much less the subjective experience, but the enjoyment and the impression it has on me is great. As Paul prayed I pray for myself too that I may "walk worthily of the Lord to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and growing by the full knowledge of God." Amen Lord, amen this word in me. Amen.

Housewife?

Having been blessed by the Lord with the blessing of the womb, my wife and dear children have left for Taipei for the delivery of the the third blessing. Every arrangement is under His divine headship and all thing works together for good for those who love Him.

Since then, I have to do everything of the household chores myself. I started off with cleaning the store room and rearranging things in the bed room and kitchen. Now I have to wash my clothes and make my own breakfast. A temporary switch to a "bachelor's life?" Indeed, it has been a wonderful experience positively speaking, though the I missed my family.

This incident reminds me of my need for more exercise in my character and living. I have been under strict diet with the help of my wife, and now I am to take care of my eating myself, a real test when none can keep guard. This is also her deep concern that I might be out of diet control.

In her absence I have learned to appreciate many things she had been doing for me. So wonderful a wife, and now the Lord is working on me, training me to do the same things my wife used to do. Oh stepping into my wife's shoe as a "housewife?"

Though psychologically I am not emotional at such temporary displacement, nor physically I feel aloof to the goodness of technology that makes the world just a click away, yet spiritually it does matter as my wife always balanced me in every matter. This too is the Lord's arrangement.

Marriage life is a great blessing in disguise; a real-life moulding of an earthen vessel to become vessel of precious stone to contain God as the golden nature and essence to become golden man. And as a part of the process of this moulding, one has to sometimes function as a housewife in outward work in diligence. Praise the Lord for this experience of a housewife!

Jehovah-jireh

Genesis 22:14 

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, as it is said to this day, On the mount of Jehovah it will be provided.

The experience of Abraham in the past is a type of our experience of Christ today. God has been "Jehovah Jireh" to believers and unbelievers alike. There have been uncountable number of incidents in which the Lord has provided my needs, not my wants. Some great and some small, some miraculous and others normal. Recently, the Lord gave me a simple experience of His provision, though not very significant.

I have been using a normal and simple mobile, just good enough to make calls and receive calls, send messages and receive messages. For the sake of shepherding I have been extensively exploiting the technology at hand. But this simple phone did not really meet my need, especially for conference calling, and often time, it hangs and kind of slow. I had been considering to get a smart phone for a while. Just for that matter, I could have just withdrawn money from my bank and buy one, but I did not have the peace to do that. In fact, a brother offered me a good smartphone at a very cheap price of which I was also tempted to buy. But something deep within me did not gave me peace. And later, it did not work out. Again, he offered me another smartphone, a new model with a discounted price. Again I did not have the peace to go for it. Money was not the real issue, rather it was the issue of the inward peace. I declined the offer and yet still was considering to buy one, even the best one available on the market.

At this juncture, I received a surprise call from ICICI bank, where I had an account, informing me that I had won a Samsung Tab 2 during a special offer scheme. Not believing, I retorted back, "Is this a fraud call?" With disbelief, I didn't pay much attention. One time, by chance, I happened to type my full name "palmeichung" on a Google search and came across an ICICI site congratulating me of winning a Samsung Tab! I drilled down to the site and indeed, I really won one. Later, the Tab was sent to me. The Lord gave me what I needed.

Still I did not have the ministry materials loaded and I would not copy it from anybody, fully aware of its copyright restriction. Then I recalled a gift presented to me a year ago by a brother who left India and had given me his old phone with material loaded, which I did not use it for some reason. I relocated the SD card and now I have all that I need; to meet my technological need and also spiritual materials need. 

Though this is nothing compared to many other miraculous experiences, I treasure this as well, as it strengthened my faith in the Lord and encouraged me to love the Lord more, appreciate Him more in His being so subjective, especially in small things. He is the God of small things and big things too. Hallelujah! Jesus truly is the Lord! He is the Jehovah Jireh, who provides, even without asking Him, for He knows all my needs.

Exact

I have been convicted by the Lord in many of my deeds; I am a person of approximation and probability. However, recently the Lord deeply convicted of my need for a change from such improper character. It is not an obvious sin to be on approximation with a lame excuses of "its OK." I had to pay a higher price for this loose character.

I went out to buy a replacement for a sewage cover without measuring the exact dimension. The only thing I knew was it was square in size and approximately 10 sq ft. On this assumption I purchased a 10 sq ft cover. On fixing it to the required gadget, I found it was too small. Then I went to replace with another one by measuring the extra portion with my figures without actual or exact measurement. Lo and behold, to my own foolish wisdom, it was too big again. This incident struck me deeply of what kind of character I possess. Had I measured the exact size I could have got the right one at the first go or at least take another similar cover for reference.

Similarly, I was in a market to purchase a formal trouser. Assuming my size to be 32 inches, of which size  I used to wear, but I have grown a bit since then. I blindly purchased two trousers of the best from a show-table. And I did not bother to try it there and then. When I reached home, again, lo and behold, as I tried my legs into it, I couldn't even squeeze my legs fully in; it was too tight. It should have be at least a 34 inches. 

These two incidents are good enough for a life long lesson on being "exact." Had it not been for these cases, I would never have paid attention to the matter of being exact. Thank God, I at least have the opportunity to learn. Lord, deliver me from my stubbornness and make me learn this lesson well and thoroughly. 

And this reminds me of my need to be exact even in my words. "Yes" for yes and not "may be" or "let's see." And "No" for no and not "let me consider or think about it." No wonder the Lord cannot use me in many of His services for these loopholes in my character. Still, it's not too late. From now on I must learn to be exact in my words and deeds. No approximation, no assumption and no presumption. Just be exact!

Lord, grant me the grace to be exact in every matter great and small; and to be honest, frank and straight forward.