Reading Through the Word

Since my childhood my grandpa inculcated in me the habit of reading the Bible. That habit has been strengthened since Jesus came into my life personally at the age of nineteen. Prior to this, I had been reading the Bible regularly. However, since my regeneration I have been reading through once a year. The Lord's words are amazing, every time I read again and again, it has always been a new and fresh revelation. The word of God has been my guidelines of life and service in my Christian life in the church life.

Last year, on this day, the church in Gurgaon gave out a sheet for reading through the word in one year, a daily schedule. The Lord has been so gracious and merciful to me and enabled me to read through the text for this year. This is in addition  to my daily reading which is more of an in-depth study with the footnotes of the Recovery Version and pray-reading. What a blessing to be able to listen and hear what the Spirit has to say to me!

Though it is just a reading through, the word is the word, and it is living. Often times it sounded like a "ritual" but the word has a way to enliven even when it seems like a "ritualistic habit". Still, to me, much much better than not reading at all. Reading the word, in whatever way, is better than not reading at all. So keep reading it, whether you enjoy it or not, whether you understand it or not. Some how, the Lord will speak using the word. This is my simple comment from the many years of reading through the word of God.

Wherever I go, whomever I met, this has been my encouraging word to the saints. I am so blessed to read through the word of God again. I pray for more grace this coming new year to be able to read through the Holy Bible yet one more time.

Lord, thank You for your Word. Grant me more grace to read through Your Word, understand them, eat them and live because of them again.

Year End Blessing

At the fag end of this year it is very encouraging to receive fellowship and phone calls from the saints who have received so much spiritual blessing in this year 2014 which the Lord grace me to be a shepherd to them in some way or the other. All glory to God for His marvelous works, and much more for gracing me to be able to co-work with Him, even with a "worm" like me.

Two sisters just called up for prayer over the phone as they wanted to give thanks to the Lord and pray for a renewed and revived new beginning in the coming year 2015. I was so shepherded by their spirit with which they prayed to the Lord; with all their hearts and with thanksgiving, making their prayers and petitions known to God. What a blessing to be a blessing to other through the blessing of God! These two sister are from a Gentile background, very educated and well placed in the professional career, and thus far, they have been loving the Lord Jesus Christ so dearly and pursuing His word diligently. They are also very burdened for their spouses and family members. May the Lord grant all of them a household salvation!

Another two sisters whom the Lord blessed so much also called up to fellowship concerning all the spiritual blessings they have received in this year. Especially with their being recovered in their Christian life and church life. And the enjoyment of the ministry of the word, and how spiritually revived and enlightened they are with the help of the ministry of the word through their online readings.

Zephaniah 3:9 

For then I will change the language of the peoplesInto a pure language That they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, To serve Him with one accord.

This promise from the Lord is literally being fulfilled. The languages of the peoples have been changed into a pure, divine, heavenly and spiritual language. Yes, even my own language has changed!

Besides, there are over a century experiences and enjoyment of the Lord this year 2014 as they have been blogged in this humble and simple blog, "My Goodland : Experiencing and Enjoying Christ."

To God be the glory, great thing He hath done!

Great things He has taught us, great things He hath done!

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Give Him the glory; great things He hath done!

Fanny Jane Crosby's hymn is apt for "thankspiration!"

1	To God be the glory, great things He hath done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life our redemption to win, And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
	Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,   Let the earth hear His voice; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,   Let the people rejoice; Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,   And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
2	Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
3	Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see. https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/39

Divine Protection

Our very unexpected third child named Christy is very special in many sense. Her coming has changed many things in my married life, and even in my spiritual life. She indeed is named rightly, Christy, for she is a true picture of my experiences of Christ.

Two very miraculous incidents thus far have made me aware of the specialty of this child. For she is under "divine protection", though indeed, we all have been under the "divine protection" from many dangers, especially me, escaping three death incidents. 

The first case was when she pulled a very heavy almirah door and the heavy door came tumbling done upon her, but some object refracted the path of the heavy door fall and she escaped unhurt, except the fearful baby screaming. Later, I went to check the fallen door and I was shocked how such small and weak one year old baby could pull down a heavy door firmly attached to it bases. I had fixed the door myself and tried pulling it down but could not. In fact, the same door has been used by her elder brother and sister and me and my wife many time, even before she was born! But we never felt any sign of lose connection or something of sort. Nevertheless, she could pull it down! I still could not figure it out, how, even with a handle broken. That heavy door could have killed her or harm her at least, but praise the Lord for the "divine protection". The Lord is our real Proctector.

Another case was when she woke up unnoticed one fine morning and pulled down a decorated wooden stand divider. This of course, she can easily pull it down as it has no firm base to stand upon. But the mystery was she was unhurt, and the wooden stand broke with a loud thug, she only cried in fear. When my wife reported this incident to me, initially I though it was very normal for children to walk around and pull things down. But later, a deeper thought enlightened me about the Lord's divine protection.  The falling of things were acceptable, but the fact that she was protected from being hurt was scientifically not reasonable. 

These two incidents enlightened me more of the unseen world where a battle is ever raging between God and Satan, and that sometimes involves the saints on the earth. Satan hates us and wants to do away with us by all means, but he cannot, for the Lord is with us and He has been giving us "Z" category security. That "Z" stands for Zoe, the divine life. Praise the Lord for the divine Zoe protection!

Note : Z Security is the highest security given to the top VVIPs of India.

Divine Move : Jaipur

We have been frequenting this pink city, Jaipur, for the past eight years for the raising up of the Lord's testimony. All these while, I have learned something very very subjective, deep and personal from the Lord. They are:

Not grieving the Holy Spirit : Somehow, somewhere, sometime, I felt we have grieved the Holy Spirit in the way we used to carry out the gospel preaching. Even especially in contacting fellows believers in the denominations. Perhaps, in words, or in deeds or at least in our attitude towards them. May the Lord forgive us, and especially me, if such is so and train me not to repeat the same.

Keeping the One Accord : Oneness and one accord is the key to all the spiritual blessings in the New Testament. This is very true in my little experience in the gospel work here in Jaipur. At one point of time we were in one accord laboring specifically on one group of believers whom we felt was the chosen one of the Lord for His testimony despite the outward practices. But somehow, we lose the one accord to follow suit, and that deflated the inflated burden. Since then, my burden too was deflated and a span of a year has elapsed. 

The Lord's Timing and the Spirit's Move : This time, having the right hand of fellowship from the brothers, we started off again from where we left last. Amazingly,  I was praying and considering to contact an old contact, a brother. And as I contacted him, his impromptu reply was (paraphrasing), "Brother, I just have been thinking about you since the last two days." In fact, the last two days were the time I was praying and considering too to contact him. Finally we met, and the fellowship was so sweet; ministering the word with living testimonies and a heartful reception of whatever was ministered. Later, as I went to stay overnight for fellowship, the Lord's speaking was very rich and timely. He has been though some serious trials and half-anxious, was exercising his faith. The visit and fellowship was so timely, and I felt the Lord has somewhat been through into him to be shepherded into the fellowship and oneness of and for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Meanwhile, another brother who was very much in my heart and mind was contacted. However, due to his ongoing busy schedule we could not meet as scheduled. But the Lord was sovereign. Even as I was desperately praying, even by fasting, for the Lord's work and His testimony, he called me at the last minute, on Lord's day morning, for ministering the word in his congregation, and further apologized for his busy schedule, not being able to meet. With the answered prayer, we all went and the Lord poured out His rich speaking. This meeting was followed by further fellowship and the Lord is leading us towards the next step. 

Now, we humbly submit ourselves to the Spirit's leading, neither to turn right nor left, but following absolutely His leading hand, step by step for the church in Jaipur. Apart from the Lord's "divine move" we have no "move," only in His move we will move. And the glorious church will be recovered in due time.

Divine Warning

Last night as I fellowshipped with a brother whom the Lord called to serve full time, the speaking of the Lord was very timely to me as well. The speaking of the word again and again was a blessing and a salvation. As servants of the Lord we were warned of five important items.

Ambition : The hidden desire to become somebody, perhaps, as leader of some sort, even in the Lord's work is a "spiritual cancer." Because of the immaturity of many servants of the Lord and also due to lack of proper vision in serving the Lord, many have fallen into the trap of "leadership" or "position" of some sort. In fact, Christianity has blindly nurtured this kind of self-full leadership of the soulish man, which the Lord commanded us to deny. This is mostly the root cause of myriad of divisions in the Body of Christ; each one wants to have his "kingdom", or his "name" established, resulting in many so called "ministries" and "untamed ministers." Of these, I am no exception. I need the Lord's mercy to be preserved in humility and function as the Lord apportioned me in His Body for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Money or Mammon : Money in itself is sinful and dirty; the source itself is unclean because of the fall of man. However, being a part of the fallen cosmos, the world, we need to use it under the banner, "handle with care". Yes, with much caution and without loving it.

1 Timothy 6: 10 "For the love of money is a root of all evils, because of which some, aspiring after money, have been led away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many pains." History has proven again and again that many servants of the Lord have been befuddled by the love of mammon. The love of God and the grace of the Lord can enable one to love God more than mammon. Offering is a sign of not loving money; perhaps, the more one can offer to the Lord and His work, one will be gradually delivered from the entanglement of mammon. In small thing and in big things, faithfulness in money matter is a great test to all servants of God. To handle money faithfully and accountably even  to a single dime is a remarkable sign of one's usefulness to the Lord. It has been my prayer that I may not love money , but love the Lord more and more each day, live by faith trusting in Him and not even in His blessing of material riches and learn to offer more and more for the Lord's need in His Body and for His work as His as His move on the earth.

Lust : 1 John 2:16 "Because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father but is of the world." The lust of the flesh is in every blood of the fallen human. Even as children of God or even as serving ones of God, the lust of the flesh is still present. In fact, given an opportunity, it can easily be ignited any time. No matter how spiritual on may be, or even mature one may be, as long as one is in flesh and blood in the human body lust is always present, at least in a dormant state. Therefore, the need in avoiding being with opposite sex illegitimately, for whatever reason. In this sense, marriage is a real help and a covering. Many famous and international preachers have fallen into the snare of the lust of the flesh. And I am no exception. I need the Lord's mercy and His blood to cover me from the attack of Satan. The best way to overcome the fleshly lust is to exercise our spirit and live and walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16, "But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh."  

The world :1 John 2:15, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him;"Footnote from "The New Testament, Recovery Version" on "the World : The Greek word is used for different things, as follows: In Matt. 25:34; John 17:5; Acts 17:24; Eph. 1:4; and Rev. 13:8, it denotes the material universe as a system created by God. In John 1:29; 3:16; and Rom. 5:12, it denotes the fallen human race, corrupted and usurped by Satan to be the components of his evil world system. In 1 Pet. 3:3 it denotes adorning, ornaments. Here, as in John 15:19; 17:14; and James 4:4, it denotes an order, a set form, an orderly arrangement, hence, an ordered system (set up by Satan, the adversary of God), not the earth. God created man to live on the earth for the fulfillment of His purpose. But His enemy, Satan, in order to usurp the God-created man, formed an anti-God world system on this earth by systematizing men with religion, culture, education, industry, commerce, entertainment, etc., through men's fallen nature, in their lusts, pleasures, and pursuits, and even in their indulgence in necessities for their living, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation (see note 312 in John 12). The whole of such a satanic system lies in the evil one (5:19). Not loving such a world is the ground for overcoming the evil one. Loving it just a little gives the evil one the ground to defeat and occupy us.
Even good things and necessary things can easily be a part of "the world". Anything beyond one's necessity for livelihood is the world. Food, which is a daily necessity, if overeaten in greed is definitely the world. As with clothing, beyond what is decent and necessary, the fashionable items are definitely the world. Even with education, religion, culture, sports and entertainment, are all the world if used beyond what is necessary. 

What a timely "divine warning." The Lord loves us so much. These were the topics of fellowship with a dear brother. I myself was so much help by my own fellowship. Later, we prayed together for the Lord to preserve us from all these "cancerous" elements which are within us and with us. Lord have mercy on us. 

 

Divine Fellowship : Odisha

Last month the Lord led us to meet few brothers in Odisha and fellowshipped on the church as the Body of Christ with detail fellowship on Her standing on the ground of oneness and practices of every member functioning. Since then, one brother was captured by the Lord with the revelation of the truth of the word of God. On the one hand he we was so excited to see such a divine revelation, yet on the other hand, he was stuck up in the old organisational system of denominational Christianity. However, the light in him kept shining brighter and brighter, further inflamed by the ministry books I sent as a gift, "The Life-study of Genesis, 7 Volumes" mingled with his trial translation on the book, "The Glorious Church."     

Now and then, he would call up for phone call fellowship and sharing his enjoyment of the light he received through his reading of the ministry books. Yesterday, he called me again concerning his determination to stand purely for, and as, the church, and his reluctance in continuing to meet in the old-denomination-hierarchical way. However, I fellowshipped with him that he needed to have more fellowship with the brothers who have not fully seen the vision as he has seen. For to keep the one accord is important and that there should be no division among brothers.

Today he called to fellowship that, last night he could not sleep the whole night, after my fellowship to him. He was considering and reconsidering my fellowship with him about his need for fellowship with the other brothers. And today morning with much prayer he went to fellowship with a brother concerning the New Testament pattern of the local church and the spiritual and biblical way of carrying it out in reality and practicality. After that he felt much peace. And I further encouraged him to have more prayer and fellowship, for oneness is only in and with the Triune God; without being filled with God in much and thorough prayer there can be no oneness among even Christian brothers. 

With this "divine fellowship" the Lord will lead those brothers to take the stand on the ground of oneness for the church in their locality as the testimony of Jesus.   

May the Lord raise up His testimony in that locality in Odisha soon!

Divine Language

For then I will change the language of the peoples Into a pure language That they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, To serve Him with one accord. Zephaniah 3:9

Few days ago, the Lord spoke to me in my reading of the Bible the aforementioned verse. A promised He made to change the language of the people, which was a promise of salvation of the Gentiles. After the fall of man into sin, the language of man was a constitution of sins. Basically referring to the sinfulness of the people. Nevertheless, the promise of God was, He will change it.

As we were preaching the gospel and shepherding in Jaipur, almost with hopelessness of the present situation, the word of God was crystal clear and very encouraging. "I will change the language," was a great hope. No matter what the present condition may be, the Lord will change the situation. He will save sinners for His testimony in Jaipur!  

"Into a pure language!" Only the heavenly, spiritual and divine language is pure. Through the redemption He accomplished at the cross, through His shed blood, He changes the languages of sinful people into a pure language, making them His own. Thereby saving everyone who believed into Him. Praise the Lord! Today, as a believer, my language is pure! Hallelujah!

"That they may all call upon the name of Jehovah!" As saved ones, I am one of those who call upon the name of Jehovah. In fact, as a believer, I am a "Jesus caller," the one who call upon the Lord's name. "Lord, Jesus! O Lord Jesus!" And not only so, I am also one of those who serve Him with one accord in the Body of Christ, in the one work of the Lord in this universe. What a blessing!

Last Friday night, after we fasted and pray for the Lord's move in Jaipur, I shared this verse to the saints, and pray-read with them. It was such a blessing. The instant speaking of the Lord was like rivers of living water, supplying all of us. We were not doing any outward work, but we were fully one with the Lord in His move; calling upon His name and serving Him with one accord.

Last Lord's day, the last Lord's day of the year 2014, we were invited by a dear brother in the Lord to ministered the word in his congregation. The instant speaking of the Lord again was the same verse ministered to all the believers there too. A timely word indeed it was, a change from old and sinful to new and saved. This verse was also complemented by Ephesians 5:26, "That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word." The Lord further led me to minister on the need of the constitution of the word of God. The way to be sanctified daily is by coming to the word of God, everyday, reading, studying and eating the word of God.

By this way, the promise of the Lord will be fulfilled in that all our languages will be sanctified to a pure language, to call on the name of the Lord and to serve the Lord with on accord.