Eliezer, Ishmael and Isaac

Genesis 15:

2 And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what will You give me, for I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?

3 And Abram said, Since You have given me no seed, therefore, a servant in my house is my heir.

4 But then the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This man shall not be your heir, but he who will come out from your own body shall be your heir.

God had promised Abraham that He would bless him with a seed. The promised seed physically was someone to be born out of him. However, he could not believe in what God had promised. He assumed that since he was aged and past fertility period, he proposed Eliezer, his servant, to be his heir. But God emphatically denied and promised that the promised seed must be out from his own body.

Later, in order to help God in fulling the promise, he bore a son out of Hagar, his wife Sarah's maid servant. Though this seemed closer to be his genuine heir in comparison to Eliezer his servant, still God rejected. The promised seed must be born of a legitimate wife, not a maid. However, for that to fulfill both of them were impotent to bear any child. That was a true test.

But the Lord was faithful and He fulfilled His promise in His own time. When there was no way out with all that man could possibly do, God came in and made possible what was impossible. 

Reflecting on this passage, with the help of the ministry of the word, I was so enlightened to see that God do not need anything of what we already have to fulfill His purpose. Nor does He need us to generate or produce something out of our natural strength and ability. What He does need is for us to fully open to Him that He can work Himself into our being. Only what He wrought into our being can be used by Him to fulfill His purpose on the earth. 

Today evening, as I was praying and reconsidering the fruit of all these years of labor in the church, I was very discouraged that nothing significant have happened. However, I was very encouraged in the fact that He would work Himself into me deeper and deeper and gain me more and more. And the issue will be the real Isaac for the fulfillment of God's purpose. In fact, as I was praying all those on the prayer list, the Lord touched me to call some of them, and whomever I called were all preserved by the Lord. They all have gone through certain situations in life, mostly down and negative, but through and through they have learned something of Christ. Their telephonic responses confirmed that now the light is dawning and they are on the path of spiritual progress. Prayer really works. And that too, prayer not of the natural man but those burdened by the Lord; not of Eliezer nor Ismael but Isaac, something truly out of the Lord.

Character Lesson : Exact

Approximation is a thief of accuracy. There has been a trending character among many, not excepting me, of approximating and assuming things. This is a common and normal character widely accepted. However, to the children of God this should not be acceptable. But the fact is, it takes some learning to really be exact and accurate at least in important matters.

I have been learning this lesson the hard way round. By my fallen nature, I approximate numbers and statistic very lightly, and on events and matters, I assume things too hastily. These are character flaws. The Lord recently gave some good lessons of character.

For instance, while reporting for my wife and children to FRRO Gurgaon as every non-Indian passport holders are legally required to do, I assumed that filling for my wife sufficed for the children, thereby I filled an online form for her only mentioning the other three children. Basically I assumed that filling for the mother sufficed that of the children. As I went to the office, registration was accepted only for her, while for the children I had to redo online form filling one by one. Had I done thoroughly for all at the first go, I would have saved a day of redoing for the children as well. I got to learn my lesson well.

Yet again, a brother fellowshipped for a visit to Dehradun without final confirmation of the detail. I assumed everything would be fine and I could just go ahead. In fact, I even fellowshipped with the brothers of going. Later, I discovered that the matter of visit was a proposal and not a solid and serious matter. The Lord exposed me of my looseness in presuming things so soon without waiting for confirmation.

This is a lesson I am still learning. To be exact in figures and numbers, in reports and statistical records and even in finance matter, I must not approximate things and assume anything.

Half a Shekel

Exodus 30: 

12 When you take the sum of the children of Israel, according to those of them who are numbered, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to Jehovah, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

13 This they shall give, everyone enrolled with those who are numbered, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a heave offering to Jehovah.

14 Everyone enrolled with those who are numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the heave offering of Jehovah.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than the half shekel, when you give the heave offering of Jehovah to make expiation for your souls.

16 And you shall take the expiation silver from the children of Israel and shall give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Jehovah to make expiation for your souls.

This morning as we pursued the Life-Study of Exodus, Message 155, I was newly enlightened to see the deeper meaning of propitiation silver offered to Jehovah by the male, of age twenty and above as heave offering as memorial to Jehovah, half a shekle each one, not more, not less.

Half a shekel, is the portion of temple tax given to the Temple as commanded in the book of Exodus, still held valid fifteen hundred years after, even during the time of the Lord Jesus. It was a mandatory tax paid by all the children of Israel who were qualified to be the army of God.

Qualifications for Half a Shekle Temple Tax Assessee :

• Male : Male signifies the stronger believers. It is not gender based in spiritual application. The stronger believers are those who are strong in their spirits and actively living out Christ in their daily living.
• Twenty Years Plus: This signifies maturity in life and have grown to certain level as to be able to be formed as God's army. 
• Half a Shekle Silver : A standard temple tax to be offered by those who would be formed as the army of God. This just a small amount, meaning, God's requirement from His children is minimal and is practical for all to offer.
• Heave Offering : An offering signifying the ascension of Christ; to be offered in the resurrection and ascension of Christ typifying the offering of the highest experience of Christ.
• Memorial : A memorial is a pleasant matter. In the sight of God, the half-shekel paid by the children of Israel drafted into His army was a memorial.
• Tent of Meeting : The payment of the half-shekel in Exodus 30 was a kind of tax. This tax was used by God to accomplish two things. 
• First, God used this tax to collect silver for the building up of the tabernacle. From Exodus 38:25-28 we learn that the silver from this tax, the propitiation silver, was used to make the hundred sockets for the pillars of the tabernacle and also to make the caps, the hooks, and the fillets. 
• Second, God used this tax to accomplish the formation of an army. Therefore, through the single matter of the half-shekel payment God did something for the building of the tabernacle and the formation of the army.

Today, the Lord requires that all the believers enjoy Him that we may be "male", strong in spirit and be grown to maturity, attaining the standard age of "twenty and above", spiritually mature enough to be drafted into the Army of God. These entails that every believers live a normal Christian life of eating and drinking the Lord every day and growing in the divine life. And as we enjoy the Lord in such a normal way, we must offer "half a shekle" each towards the "temple" building. This is just a normal and minimal requirement of offering our best experience of Christ as a "heave offering." And such offerings are to be used for the building up of the tabernacle.  

This is the burden these days that all the saints function normally for the building up of the Body of Christ. Each saint offering "half a shekle" emphatically means that each saint function equally, not too much nor too less. Too much functioning may lead to a "clergy" class and too less a "laity", thereby producing the "clergy-laity" system, which is the degraded system of Christianity. 

Each saint functioning is the way for the Lord to fulfill His purpose on earth. This is the Lord's recovery of recovering every saint's function, equally and normally for the Building up of His Body.

Character Lesson : Flexibility

This month the Lord graced me to learn the lesson of flexibility with much patient. I, by nature, am a person with set standards and prefer to do things as planned and systematically and persistently until it is satisfactorily done. Well, that's just I, me and myself. In walking with the Lord, the Lord often bothers me and touches me to be more flexible as per the situation at hand. This month, in almost all my plans to do things, I was adjusted a lot. I am learning a lesson that is not very easy to learn.

I had plans for official works, family matters, church affairs and shepherding and some personal works. None of these worked out exactly as I planned, in timing nor in methods of execution. In every instance, the Lord adjusted me in either the time or the way or in both, how to accomplished them. Often I was tempted to just go ahead and do as I planned but the Lord did not give me peace at all. When I paused and prayed for a moment reconsidering my ways, I was chided inwardly that I rather be obedient to the instant anointing and leading of the Spirit and be submissive to the Lord's leading and be flexible. Finally I succumbed to the inward and innate reaction to all my plans. 

Later, when an opportune time did arrive to execute what I had planned, I discovered the joy of waiting for the proper timing. It turned out that in being flexible in following the Lord for minute and major matters the blessing hand of the Lord was there. In fact, things turned out much better than had I done it my ways and my time. The Lord's timing was perfect and His way, the best. In reflecting back of what had transpired, if I had forced my way ahead, I would have missed all the joys and the blessings the Lord secretly had attached in His ways and timings.

Lord, grace me to be flexible in following You step by step.

God's Blessings

God is the source for every blessing. The blessings of God are always all-inclusive. Spiritual blessings and physical blessings supplements and compliments each other. It would be a paradox if one claims spiritual blessings with no physical manifestation of such blessings in one form or the other. A pauper may praise God for his poverty, but that perhaps, may be a preliminary propaganda and prerequisite for more provisions. Nevertheless, I dare not deny that one cannot be joyful in poverty; for poverty may be of various kind. But in a very real sense, one who is blessed by God cannot be in poverty, for poverty is the lack of something. Any one blessed of and by God is full and rich in spirit, though he may seem to be poor outwardly and he will always be self-sufficient at least. 

The Lord's sovereign blessings upon our family is also very rich and unsearchable. In addition to all the spiritual blessings the Lord has bestowed thus far, He faithfully supplies us according to His riches, much much beyond my mere human imagination, both spiritual and physical. To these, I bow my knees in honor to the source from which it came, God, the all-sufficient One.

My wife and I always keep the principle of honoring the source of every blessing we receive, be it spiritual or physical, be it small or big. In fellowship and in one accord and prayer, we would sanctify the best portion for the Lord, though everything is already from the Lord. Of late, as we did that we were really filled with joy and the burden to give more arose within us. What a blessing indeed to be able to offer from what God has blessed! The more the better, the more the greater our faith grows. I hope I can exponentially increase the amount of offering.

Few weeks later of this particular experience of offering the best portion for the Lord, the Lord poured out additional blessings, again beyond expectation. It just came! Whoever was the channel, the initiator is truly God Himself. Now the matter is how do we faithfully be a steward to the Lord's allotment? This is a reality check. Especially of the heart. I literally go before the Lord in fear and trembling that He may cover me with His blood and grace me to be a proper and faithful steward. That His blessings may be contained and multiplied even much more.

This also is an opportunity to honor my physical parent. Since the Lord called me to serve, only in few occasions I could honor them physically. As and when the Lord blessed, the blessings will always be shared with the saints and also with the family; a proper way to honor our father and mother, even physically.

The Lord is faithful, and He has proved it over and over again. His faithfulness to me is the means for me to have faith in Him, for apart from Him I am just faithless. His appearing even in physical blessings is a way of His imparting His faith into me to have faith in Him in return. 

Lord, thank you for all Your blessings; make me a faithful steward of Your blessings by appearing to me again and again.

Prayer and Burden

The general excuse for not praying is because of the lack of burden. However, in a very subjective sense, prayer generates burdens and burdens are released in prayer. Or perhaps, vice versa.

But what the Lord graced me to experience was that I exercised my spirit to pray and pray contacting Him, the issue of such prayer was always some specific burdens. Last night, as few of us brothers prayed specifically after the regular church prayer meeting, the flow of the Spirit was so strong. As we prayed, the Lord poured out His burden and we spontaneously prayed that burden back to God. The prayer was so sweet, so strong and so specific. In fact, we prayed for seven districts to be raised up in the church in Gurgaon. Indeed, the Lord has already given us solid families in these seven sectors, we just need to pray more and strengthen these families and gain more families for the district meetings.

Never did I think in this way before. Only when we prayed in one accord, corporately as the church, the Lord revealed His burden to us. Since this specific prayer began a few months a go, we could see some "miracles" happening among the saints and new ones we prayed for. The Lord began to deal with the person and the situation surrounding him. More specifically three brothers were gradually recovered back. They started coming for the meeting, opened up their situation for fellowship and prayer, and are being gained by the Lord.

Even as a result of these prayers, seekers from different religions started believing into Jesus Christ and took baptisms.

Prayer is indeed the key to the spiritual blessings. This is the reason why Satan attacks the prayer of the saints and the church very much, making them less and less pray. I personally experience such attacks quite often in relation to my prayer life. Not just to talk about prayer but to pray desperately, even unceasingly.

Lord, make us men of prayer.

Incredible Marriage

Last week when I was still in Taiwan for a family visit, a dear brother mailed me concerning his marriage informing that, in fellowship with brothers in the local church, he felt good for me to minister the word in his wedding. This request put me in a very odd situation as the said marriage was the one opposed right in front of my eyes by a couple who could not digest this kind of marriage, at least for two reasons; difference of nationality and age. When confronted, my only fellowship was that since the duo's decision to tie the knot was from the Lord, who are we anyway to say anything about it, neither good nor bad? In fact, they even desired if I could be instrumental in stopping this marriage. 

Right after such a psychological bombardment, I received my dear brother's email. On the one side was a strong opposition, even hoping that I interfere to stop it, whereas on the other side, a fellowship to give a word of love for this marriage. This incident of two extremes led me to pray desperately to know what the will of the Lord must be.I found myself stuck on the horns of dilemma ; nevertheless, I prayed and prayed and waited to reply until I was fully clear.

When on my way back to India in the flight over Indian ocean by Malaysian Airlines, when the news was high on MH370 suspected to crash into the Indian ocean, I was pondering and praying over this matter of marriage over and over again. Then, deep within me, the Lord confirmed that if a brother had fellowshipped for such an important occasion I should just say "amen!" Later, one of the brothers in new Delhi called to confirm of this matter again and I went before the Lord for a clear word. The Lord's anointing was so sweet. The Lord gave me the following Bible verses, when on my knees praying for what to minister, on the line of  Christ and the Church.

Hebrews 13:4a  "Let marriage be held in honor among all,"

Genesis 2:18, 21-24 This time this is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh

1 Corinthians 11:12 For just as the woman is out from the man, so also is the man through the woman; but all things are out from God.

Ephesians 5:22-33 32 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.

Revelation 21:2 

Revelation 22:17a "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come!"

Revelation 22:20 Yes, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The day indeed came and that was yesterday. My whole being was just focused on one thing that the Lord may minister Himself with a very strong Spirit to those who attended the wedding. The Lord for sure honored the fellowship in the Body and the prayer of the saints. The issue was a glorious wedding with a glorious testimony of the bride and the bridegroom and the testimonies of many witnesses with the rich ministry of the word.

This wedding was truly glorious and incredible, as the duo testified that it was indeed of the Lord's arrangement, seemingly  impossible in man's eyes, especially an "age no bar" case mingled with the divine love. An incredible marriage in an incredible India in an incredible church life in New Delhi indeed! Hallelujah for the God of arrangement! I wish the couple God's abundant blessings....What an incredible marriage!