A Pleasant Trip

My travel to Chennai two weeks ago was a very pleasant trip. According to my plan it should have been next month. But the Lord knew the best and I was "forced" to travel. Though initially very reluctant, but I gave circumstances the chance to proof if I should travel at all. The chances were, firstly, if I could get a confirmed train ticket. Surprisingly, within a three weeks time, I got confirmed tickets. And secondly, this travel should not coincide with any spiritual event. While going through my schedules and church calendar, everything fell in line. The two conditions were met. And it was thus planned.

Though it was summer season and my train was a SL Class(non-AC), nature cooperated with the itinerary. On the night I left New Delhi for Chennai, the weather was so pleasant and the path of the train journey had all experienced a cool rainfall. Physically, it was such a pleasant trip. Similar was the case on my return journey. In fact, I was sent off with a well wishing downpour from above.

Throughout the whole train journey, I enjoyed spending time with the Lord in prayer, a good physical rest too and much more, some solid time of pursuing the ministry books.  In fact, I had been longing for this for months as I was always busy at home and in the office. While on the journey back, apart from solid time spent with the Lord in prayer, I was on the same berth with a PhD IITian, a devout religious scholar. The Lord gave me wonderful opportunity to witness to him about the true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ. I preached the gospel with my life changing testimony. And committed him to the Lord for the further follow up. At least, the seed was sown, only God will now have to cause the growth. Later, he was added into my special personal prayer list. To me, by faith, he is already my brother and a believer. Time will confirm; how, when and where, only God knows.

Besides accomplishing all the main objectives and beyond for the very purposes I visited Chennai, the Lord graced me to experience and enjoy Him in a very special way all throughout the journey. It was such a pleasant trip indeed, both in the physical realm and also in the spiritual realm.

God's plan and sovereign arrangements are always the best. No matter how odd and untimely it may seem to be in mere mortal eyes, His ways are always the best. And following Him as He leads the way is a pleasant life journey. 

Where Jesus is, there is joy and pleasure! A pleasant trip is a trip ordained and led by the Lord Jesus Christ!

An August August

It is an august beginning of the month of August. About more than half a year ago, in my visit to Chennai, I somehow was led to look for land to invest on it, though I did not have anything to invest at that moment. My intuition revealed to me vividly that I would be investing about a million INR on land. I even went to look for plots on sale in the vicinity of the area where the literature office is located. But only to be disappointed by the unimaginable high pricing. And I almost gave up even the thought of it any longer.

Half a year later, I was miraculously led to a brother whom I led to the Lord ten years ago who is into real estate. He introduced me to his company's newly launched project. Though I did not take any step then, later, after much consideration, prayer and fellowship, I and my wife has the peace to go ahead, which we did. For the Lord has blessed us sufficient for the intuitively led plan of investment.

Just yesterday, I landed in Chennai again and finished the whole process of registration. Every step was sovereignly ordained by the Lord. It happened step by step and so smoothly that I hardly can believe that it really did happen. Though this is a mere physical land, the hand of God behind the scene is quite amazing. It is indeed an august moment to experience the Lord's blessings again.

Besides, on my previous trip, the gospel on love, light and life preached to a colleague on a way to see the aforementioned plots indeed believed and promised to get baptised. As promised for baptism, if I ever come back again for the land acquisition, the said sister got baptised as prayed for and planned. Even this too happened so smoothly that I can hardly believe my eyes. It is inwardly assured that all these were sovereignly predestinated by the Lord; all happened in the nick of time.

What future may hold is all upto the Lord. But the blessings of the Lord is bountiful and often miraculous, though there is hardly any miracle per se. The spiritual blessings of the experiences and enjoyments of the Lord through all these minute physical things too are marvelous. These are but small concrete incentives that complements the Lord's spiritual blessings. With all these experiences in these days, at this month, is indeed an august August. 

For all these and many more blessings to follow, I worship the Lord and all His ways of blessings. An august August to begin with.

Experience : Tree of Knowledge

Today the Lord gave me an experience of the tree of knowledge, which is deadness and darkness, for a while. 

A month ago I had so much peace and joy to invest on plots in NH4 and I did so with much prayer and in  oneness with my wife. Everything was so joyful at the very thought of it, and in the very act of executing the planned investment, including all the payments and registration processes. It has been a joyful moment and it should ever be. 

But the attack of the enemy was eminent. Though I intend to keep this matter personal, but the brother who helped me in all the processes leaked the news in joy to other brothers when we met them. Though it has been a joyful news indeed, to be able to own lands here, the enemy was not joyful at all. He incited all negative thoughts in comparison with some other subordinate deals. With all these thoughts on the tree of knowledge killed my spirit almost. I was filled with doubts and darkness for a while. But as I knelt in prayer, the Lord reminded me that everything I did was in utter consent and agreements to all terms and conditions laid down by the company even before I ventured to invest on it. Everything I did was with full agreements on all the terms and conditions and payments plan. The Lord reminded me that I should not pay heed to all post thoughts and analysis based on the tree of knowledge of good and evil, right or wrong, but to the tree of life that led me to do the investment. Even if I had been cheated, though not, the God who led me through is the God of righteousness and I should not worry a bit. Even if something has gone wrong without my consent, I should not bother a bit. For the Lord is the sovereign one who rules above all.

After this prayer, the attack of the enemy on deadness and negative feelings left me completely. When it should be a joyful day, the enemy wanted to turn it into a dreadful day. I must never eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but always of life. It was indeed a sweet experience to un-experience the the experience of the tree of knowledge. Always eat and live by the tree of life.

Time with the New Ones

Under the banner of service in the Body, often I reckon shepherding can be done by any member. Yes indeed, but the there is a point to remember. Once we beget spiritual babies they are literally and spiritually our spiritual babies. Just like a mother begets a child and nourishes the child, we must nourish our children. Though all mothers knows how to nourish their own children, they may not be able to nourish the children of others as  good as they nourish their own children. The same case applies with our spiritual babies.

The Lord has been blessing and gracing me to nourish some spiritual children. But as time went by, more spiritual children were added and I could find no time to care for them adequately. Slowly I brought in some brothers to coordinate with me to carry out the shepherding and gradually I backed out so that they could continue, and I can beget more children. This process went on for quite sometime. But the time came when those brothers could not continue with it for some reasons. So I have to pick up the burden all over again. 

The last three weekends was on revisiting and reviving these new ones. It was such a grace to be able to shepherd new ones of various kind. The wisdom and the grace of the Lord is required, without which, instead of shepherding they would be starved spiritually. One deep lesson I learned, the care that a mother can give, no one else can give. Our spiritual children must be shepherded by us, as much as possible, until they grow to maturity when they can shepherd other in turn as we do. I lack in shepherding them unto maturity, so when I handed them over to other saints to follow up it did not work.

The time spent with the new ones was joyful and fruitful. Besides, as we went out to preach the gospel the anointing of the Lord was so sweet. Whomever we met were sons of peace; we preached the gospel and they received the Lord. It was such a blessed time spending with the new ones. More lessons I need to learn is how to make all these new ones a solid remaining fruits for the church. This matter, the Lord has to train and perfect me.

Lord, make me a faithful and fruitful shepherd.

The Call of the Needy

Yesterday was a day I set aside for a "holiday" of rest after lunch. The whole week I have been so busy and the only time I could steal out for myself was on Saturday after lunch. As I was eating my lunch I received a phone call from a sister who is a younger sister of one of the brothers in the church life. In fact, it was surprising to receive such a call as it was very unexpected. As I attended the call, it was a request for an emergency fellowship for something that the sisters have been going through. Without much further consideration, the Lord impressed me deep within that this is the call of the saints in need and as a responsible brother I must  take it seriously and attend to the call for fellowship. Then I decided to visit them and did visit them.

The Lord has been leading them through various thick and thin, and they were at a juncture where they desperately needed a help, though the nature of their problems were physical, but their intrinsic need was a spiritual supply.  After listening to whatever they were going through I fellowshipped with them the Christian life as a meal offering life as in Leviticus 2, and the need to be mingled with God more and the need to be baked in the oven to be a cake for the meal offering that would satisfy God and the offerer. The fellowship was so anointed and sweet that it went on and on. When I finally felt the burden within me has been dispensed, we prayed together and I left. It was four hours of fellowship.

Today the sister came to the Lord's table meeting for the first time. Whatever reason that have hindered her from coming before has been dealt with. In fact, her brother and I have been praying for this sister for quiet sometime now. The Lord is sovereign and He did things in His own time. His timing is the best. Had she come before, the feeling and impact of coming to the Lord's table meeting would have been entirely different. Now, after going through many things and learning many spiritual lessons, not just the matter of relationship and fellowship with the Lord but also with the local church according the truth of the Bible, it was mush more meaningful. And I trust their coming is out of the Lord's leading and also the answer to the prayers of the saints.

Fellowship : Prayer and Pray-Reading

The joy of fellowship in not in the act of fellowshipping in an outward way, but the flow of the divine life from the throne and out of the Lamb into us and among us and through us. I have, perhaps, been in many fellowships. But the recent experiences the Lord graced me with the brothers I am coordinating with in the church's service and also in the service arrangement were very refreshing.

As we came together, we prayed and prayed and released our burdens through the release of the spirit. The Spirit's flow was so sweet and strong, and we enjoyed praying together in one accord. Every item we had the burden to fellowshipped about were all prayed for and the burdens were already released. By the time we finished prayer, we all knew, the Lord had answered our prayers and that all the burdens have been released. It was a spiritual and practical fellowship. Mingled with this was a pray-reading of the word of God that added oil to the burning flame. The word of God solidified all the uttered prayers. Besides, it was so soothing and supplementing.

Similar case happened today again in my literature fellowship. Prayer and pray-reading, I found, was the best way to fellowship. In prayer, we released the burden for fellowship, and in pray-reading we documented the released burdens. O what a blessing to recover this way of prayer and pray-reading fellowship. By the time we finished our prayer and pray-reading all we were all very clear what the we should do related to what we we intended to fellowship upon. Prayer and the word made it all crystal clear.

I have just cited the above two incidents, but there were many such cases in the past too. This is one of the precious items the Lord has recovered for His children. Prayer in one accord, the Spirit mingled with our spirits and the rhema word of the Lord as spirit and life are the inevitable ingredients for sweet fellowship. Apart from these, fellowship is just mere discussion of a secular-official board meeting with resolutions democratically or diplomatically passed for many dead agendas. Fellowship is the flow of life from the Head to the members through all the members of the Body. The most effective and enjoyable way is by prayer and pray-reading the word.

Lord, fill all my fellowship with prayer and pray-reading.

Honor Thy Parent

Since the Lord had called me to serve full time I had no choice but to be under the sovereign will of the Father who had called me. Though my parent opposed it to the uttermost, the glorious vision of Christ and His Church captured me; and the burden to be fully in the Master's service even unto death has been my life-long consecration. All these by the grace of God has hitherto being carried out till today. Nevertheless, my responsibility as the eldest son, in the humanity of Jesus could not be overlooked. Whenever, the Lord provided, blessed and led me to, I in oneness with the Lord and my wife, would offer however much we can, as per the Lord's blessings, to my parent; a cherishing in the humanity of Jesus. And so, I remain open to my parent's beck and call. Often, their call is an alert for me to carry out my righteous responsibility which is honorably due.

Recently, the Lord has blessed us so much, and the leading of the Lord was so peaceful to offer to my family through my dad. It was not a less amount monetarily, and in joy with praise and thanksgiving to the God who blesses, we offered. I reckon this as "honoring thy parent." And it was such a blessing to be blessed by blessing our own family with the Lord's blessings.

Once again, the Lord gave us another opportunity to offer to our family's need few days ago. Initially I wasn't sure if we should go ahead with it because I would not do things just because somebody asked me to do it, or I would not help others just because there is a need to help. I would not dare to allow my natural "good man" to do as he pleases. But rather would prefer such good deeds be put to dead and let the Spirit's leading be supreme above all circumstances. But as I went before the Lord, I was reminded of this verse in Ephesian 6:2, "Honor your father and mother.." Then in so doing I felt so joyful to be able to meet the needs of my family through the Lord's superabundant blessings.

Practically, this is just one of the ways we can honor our parents. Honoring may be in different forms, means and ways. It could be psychological, physical and spiritual. It all depends on when and how the Lord leads. 

What an honor to be able to honor our own parent! All and only by the Lord's blessings.