Welcome 2015

As the church in Gurgaon, we gathered together for a time together in an all night prayer. The Spirit's move in the prayer meeting and in the special all night prayer meeting was very strong. For a stretch of about five hours the Lord led us through to release burden after burden followed by consecration for the new year.

The burdens were clear and straight forward, very basic, down to earth practices of a Christian life for a normal church life. We enjoyed the Lord's leading and picked up the burdens:

Prayer : The practice of prayer, coming before the presence of God and enjoying His presence, listening to Him in love and following His leading in faith is inevitable, Normally and healthily, at least one hour of prayer in a day should be the portion of grace for every one. The more the better. Besides, receiving burden from the Lord for prayer, and maintaining a prayer book of list of names or burden for prayer. This very much helps in the practice of praying. To pray faithfully, have a set-time for prayer is a great help and blessing. 

Reading the Word : A healthy reading and feeding on the word of God is a must for every normal Christian. Without a proper knowledge and understanding of the word of God, there cannot be a proper discernment of the leading and speaking of the Lord. A thorough understanding and even familiarity with the text of the Bible is a basic requirement for every believer. For this, we have prepared a schedule for reading through the word in a year's time, by reading a couple of chapters daily. 

Gospel Preaching : In being filled with the word and the Spirit, there must also be an outflow for the word. The outflow of the filled Spirit and constituted word is the gospel preaching. By this way, our enjoyment of God in prayer and in His word is balanced; the in-filling is balanced by the out-flowing. This is also a good way for gaining increase; bringing sinners to salvation, making them sons of God!

Offering : A healthy and normal Christian will always honor the source of all blessings, both physical and spiritual. The best way to honor the Lord of blessing is by offering in return from His blessings. This of course is determined by our love to the Lord and faith in the Lord and in the joyful offering with thanksgiving. For God loves a cheerful giver. By this way, God, in the principle of incarnation, fulfill His need for the carrying out of His heavenly ministry on earth today through the believers.

With these burdens we entered into the message by brother Witness Lee, "The Spiritual Significance of Celebrating the New Year," a need to having a new spiritual beginning in Christ every new year, every new month, every new week and every new day. Thus, we entered into the new year and welcomed 2015.

Our prayer and consecration is that the Lord would grace us to carry out every burden He has bestowed upon us, faithfully and fruitfully. 

Thank You Lord for 2014, and grace us through to 2015 again with Yourself as the Blessing! 

The Lord's Move

The Lord's present move in India is amazing! Incredible India indeed, with the Lord’s incredible and inevitable move! In spite of all the slogans and diktats created by some religious groups and politicians concerning “conversion” or “anti-conversion”, none can stop the Lord’s move. For the Lord's move is not a matter of "conversion" nor "anti-conversion" nor "re-conversion," but a regeneration, being "born again" in spirit of the Spirit of God; this has nothing to do with religion, for it is a life-relationship between God and man. The tighter the pipeline for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the stronger the velocity of the flow of the Lord’s move.

Contrary to all the “fear” among the minorities, all the political, social, religious and economical situations have been used by God for the furtherance of His move in India. even much more for the purification outwardly of all contamination among the children of God and the sanctification of the saints.  Hallelujah!

Prior to the propagation going on in five different cities at the moment, the spiritual atmosphere was very dry, dark and destitute. However, the Body rose up in one accord to release strong and specific prayers. Now, as the gospel preaching began and has been going on, the “dry bones” are turning to be “the great Army of God!” As we fellowship concerning the propagation in these cities, my spirit exult in joy and thanksgiving to the Lord of Sabaoth. Every city has testimonies of the Lord’s sovereign hand over all. Many new gentile families are getting saved, hearing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ! “Miraculous” things are happening, indeed, this is the greatest “miracle” in the whole universe; sinners becoming sons of God!

When I was much younger in spiritual matters, I used to dream jealously of the Lord’s “mighty” move with a replication of the “revival” of a mass kind. However, the real revival is a revival within the lives of many. Life always takes time; yes, genuine growth in life is a time-taking process. Life has to have its way by daily nurturing and growth in the divine life. Now, through some experiences of life, and some considerable growth by the Lord’s mercy, I can now see and understand the Lord’s move better in a more matured way. What I have been witnessing today is the real revival; slow yet steady, and small but smooth.

Besides, the Lord’s move is also recovering the lost ones or backsliding ones or even rebelling ones back to the church life! Of this, I am witnessing today. It is also the recovery for the Lord’s children lost in the denominations of degraded Christianity into the normal church life for the building up of the Body of Christ. And also the recovery of the young ones for the formation of the Lord’s Army.

Listening to the brothers’ fellowship of the Lord’s move, I feel so much blessed to be a part of the Lord’s move. Though I may not physically participate with them on the “battle-field” but I am fully one with them in His move. My little participation in ‘prayer, giving and going’ is a grace from the Lord and His blessings. Praise the Lord for the Lord's move!

Life is worth the living for the Lord’s Move.

Lord, preserve me in Your move, for Your move!

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.