One in Christ

Eight years I have been married to my beloved wife, yet our parents have never met. But this time the Lord led all of us to meet and live together for a couple of days. Similar case as this is very unusual, but in the Lord everything is working out at the perfect time.

A union of two different families from two different nationalities and two different races and culture is possible only in Christ. My "in-laws" are my "in-the -Lord", and in the Lord, there is oneness, for the Lord is only one. 

How much have the Lord accomplished in us, I do not know. Yet what the Lord has done is really marvelous. In Christ, we all get along, understand one another and are blended in the Body.Reviewing of all that the Lord has done, I marvel in wonder the great things the Lord has done especially in my family. Everything is a blessing; be it spiritual, physical, psychological or even financial, the Lord's blessings are upon us. What a grace, what a mercy! I have no word to thank the Lord enough.

Personally I have not done enough, to both our parents, in an outward way to specially accommodate them or cherish them during their stay with us. I don't even know what is the best way to give hospitality to them. But normally, I just live out as usual and let them join in the flow of our family life in India. The Lord is gracious to arrange circumstances where we can all experience the real Indian life of serving the Lord, and the real church-life here in Gurgaon with the saints visiting and inviting us for love-feast and fellowship. Few occasion of outing, and a memorable family photograph with a banner "One in Christ". What more can I expect? To me this is sufficient- a normal and simple living together in oneness in Christ.

Now with three children, none of them was planned, the Lord just gave us by surprise. And all of them are growing in the grace of God, and sometimes, I still soliloquies , "Am I dreaming? Or are all these for real?" Just to wake up from mind's sleep and exalt in praise to the sovereign God, "Yes, all these are for real! It's all the Lord's blessings. And all for the Lord and His economy". Yes, all for the Lord, and we are " One in Christ" for Christ and the church.

Thank You Lord, for my family, making us One in Christ! Preserve us ever in this oneness.

Completely Destroy

Deuteronomy 12:2 You shall completely destroy all the places where the nations whom you will dispossess have served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every flourishing tree.
3 And you shall tear down their altars and crush their pillars; and their Asherahs you shall burn with fire, and the idols of their gods you shall cut down; and you shall destroy their name from that place.

The most up-to-date speaking of the Lord to me personally these days is to "completely destroy" anything that is NOT in line with the Lord's holy nature and divine life. There are many things that are good in the eyes of man, even very much appreciated and longed for, but these things may not necessarily be from God or of God. On the contrary, it may turn out to be so evil in the eyes of God that they need to be dealt with thoroughly and even be destroyed completely.

In my recent experiences of life, I have been dealt with on certain matter that has it valid points and condemn-able points. With the pros and cons balancing in my soulish weigh-scale, at times they were condemned yet other times were justified. This inward struggling has eaten up some energy and time. Nevertheless, I am glad I have such an experience of learning some deep lesson of life, without which my learning would be incomplete.

The Lord have been so gracious to me that He is patient in waiting for me to grow and mature to be able to handle such situation. Very recently, a couple of days ago, the speaking of the Lord was very definite and strong; it was, "completely destroy". Besides, I must be willing to submit to the Lord's speaking to completely destroy anything that hinders the Lord's move in and through me. In oneness with the Lord's speaking, the Lord further confirmed His speaking in the Body through the holy word for morning revival on the matter of "subduing my will" as blogged in "Union of Will"- http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/2015/01/union-of-will.html.

On hearing such a direct word from the Lord, I praised God in solemn wonder, that He knows me and loves me and wants to train and perfect me for His purpose on this earth. O it was a such a blessing to receive the Lord's speaking. Yes, to be one with His speaking, I must be fully subdued in my inward part, especially in my will to be one with God in His will manifested through His speaking. O the grace for me to enjoy and experience the Lord to such an extend that i am fully one with Him to carry out His will and completely destroy all that is not according to His will.

As I considered the cost and the consequences of such, the Lord is very gracious. He knows me and my real condition and spoke further that I can "eat" what my soul so desires, but with a limit to what should be eaten and what should not be eaten.

20 When Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you say, I will eat meat, because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat according to all that your soul desires.

21 If the place where Jehovah your God will choose to put His name is too far away from you, you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock, which Jehovah has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates according to all that your soul desires;
22 Indeed, as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat it; the unclean and the clean may eat it alike.
23 But make sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

This "eating" must conform to God's holy nature and God's divine life; not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of life or not life. Everything done in the Spirit and by the life of God is safe and healthy. All else is wrong and sinful, and do not give room to the enemy to lurk in. All is well in the Spirit, when ungodly things are completely destroyed that I may go on to be one with God in His move on this earth.

Lord, grant me the grace to completely destroy all objects or things or matters that is not one with You absolutely, and grace me further to be so, by being absolutely one with You in Your will concerning any matter.

Union of Will

In my morning time with the Lord, the HWMR portion enlightened me so much, "Union of Will". Prior to this time, it did not impress me so much about the union of will- God's will with my will. Now it has dawned on me that without the union of my will with God's will nothing can solidly be accomplished for God through me.

First, there must be the subduing of my own will. Then, the returning of my will to God Himself and then the union of my will with God's will. Reasons in my mind and feelings in my emotion are not sufficient to practically cooperate with God in His move on this earth. My will must be one with God's will, and then only, there will be a way to carry out God's will.

Even in my experiences these days, this matter is very much confirmed. In my mind I know what is of the Lord and what is not of the Lord. Even in my emotion I have the feeling of the Lord's leading in many small and big matters. But because of my will not being fully in union with the Lord's the knowledge of God's will and even the feeling about it does not really become practical. Yet for this, I must be dealt with and subdued fully in my will that God's will becomes my will in reality.

The Lord Jesus experienced the same when He was on the earth. Whatever He spoke and did was according to what the Father wills. Even His greatest prayer in John 17 is a oneness of will with God, the Father. Even before His crucifixion He prayed that if possible the cup may pass from Him, but not as He will but according to the Father's will. 

Matthew 26: 39 And going forward a little, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.42 Again, going away a second time, He prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done. 

Even the entering into the kingdom of the heavens is not based on what men on earth is doing for God in the heaven, but only those works which are done in union with God the Father's will.

Matthew 7: 21 Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.

What a revelation! What a salvation even to know this mysterious truth! 

Lord, grant me the grace to be subdued in my will. I return my will to You and may Your will and my will be united as one. Let there be the union of Your will and my will.

Be Fruitful and Multiply (2)

From the very beginning of this year the Lord's speaking and promise has ever been, "Be fruitful and multiply". No matter which portion of the Bible I am reading, the word that spoke to me is "Be fruitful and multiply". In fact, I have been feeling barren for not bringing in many sinners to the Lord for salvation. Not that I have brought none, but is not fruitful nor is there much multiplication.

This year, the Lord's promise is definitely of fruitfulness and multiplication. Not by might, nor by strength, but by the Spirit of God. Nor by myself but in the Body, there will be multiplication. The foundation work of reviving the saints by much prayer, coming to the Lord, touching Him and experiencing and enjoying Him has been initiated, and that being coupled with the reading of the word regularly and eating it. With this base, the Lord will work into, and through and out from all the saints.  

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.
Genesis 8:17 c....be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.9:7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, Abound on the earth and multiply in it.
Deuteronomy 7:13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your fresh oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, on the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.

Simultaneously the burden everywhere in the Lord's move now in India is the same; that all the saints in all the churches may be fruitful and that we may multiply. My first propagation of the gospel for this year 2015 was in a new city Faridabad and with a local Haryanvi of a high repute, socially and politically; and also with another one of the same status, a politician. Well begun indeed, and may it so be half-done. I could see the Spirit's move in and through the Body. Jesus is the Lord, Christ is the Victor!

Besides, there will be recovery of many saints and new ones. I am beginning to witness at lease two already, thus far. One, a doctor brother, who now has come into the church life and started functioning and even joined the gospel preaching; and another a brother who recently repented of his backslidden condition and started coming back to the church-life. I am beginning to see the Lord's miraculous works in India, and also the answers to many prayer points in my prayer list.

Even the way we go on in our church-life, and even in my personal life and family life, the Lord's work is being manifested one by one. His words of promise "Be fruitful and multiply" is being fulfilled day by day. Hallelujah!

In fact, this is a continuation of the burden and promised the Lord gave in 2012 blogged on the same title : http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/search?q=be+fruitful+and+multiply

Lord, make me fruitful and there multiplication of Your mighty deeds in India!

Testimonies of Blessings

The church in Gurgaon today had a "testimonies of blessings" meeting. Two weeks before we had been informing and reminding the saints to write down their testimonies or mail it to the church's email address. But nobody was burdened to do so. Nevertheless, we left the saints and the meeting to the Lord. And today the saints' testimonies were marvelous an wonderful!

The meeting today was one of the richest meetings I ever attended. Almost every saint testified of the major events and blessings in their lives in the last year 2014. I was literally amazed at the saints' rich testimonies and experiences of Christ and how Christ was so all-inclusive and so subjective to them. Some saints testified with tears of their deep experiences of Christ, and gave glory to God.

Often I have been discouraged about the little increase we have had in 2014. Though we were not completely barren, and are blessed with some fruits, I was expecting and hoping for much more. But the Lord just blessed was with what was sufficient; training and perfecting us all the while. Glory to Him for all His sovereignty!

I myself was so busy to count all that the Lord had blessed me in 2014. But the special grace I received was of blogging the experiences the Lord blessed me with on a weekly or monthly basis. On counting all of them, (they are all in this blog) there were 130 (one hundred and thirty) testimonies or experiences of Christ in all! Moreover, as I kept counting some major blessings, I realized the grace of God in gracing me to pray, read the word, shepherd the saints, preach the gospel, offer for the Lord's work in and through the church and the needy saints, I found there are many blessings, even uncountable, unsearchable and unfathomable! Hallelujah!

God is a God of blessings. He blessed us so much spiritually and physically too. Often, spiritual shortsightedness blinded me to see the Lord's blessings. Actually, the Lord has blessed the church in Gurgaon a lot, mostly spiritual and very deep. All the saints are truly experiencing Christ subjectively. Even a sister who came for the first time testified of the strong move of the Spirit in each saint and in the meeting today. This itself is a testimony of blessing. 

Lord, grant us more of the experiences of Christ in this year 2015.

Gospel Experience : Faridabad

Deuteronomy 9:
1 Hear, O Israel! You are about to cross over the Jordan this day in order to enter in and dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities that are big and fortified up to heaven,2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom you know about and of whom you have heard it said, Who can stand before the children of Anak?
3 Know therefore today that Jehovah your God is the One crossing over before you as a consuming fire; it is He who will destroy them, and it is He who will subdue them before you, so that you may dispossess them and destroy them quickly, as Jehovah has said to you.

The promises of the word of God are literally true and are fulfilled in due time. This was the Lord's speaking to me yesterday morning. As we went to preach the gospel in a posh community in Faridabad, the word of the Lord was literally fulfilled. Before setting out for the gospel preaching, in our team we prayed and prayed over these verses and enjoyed the word of God. We claimed the promises of God, especially on those phrases like "enter in and dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities that are big and fortified up to heaven,  A people great and tall and Jehovah your God is the One crossing over before you as a consuming fire; it is He who will destroy them, and it is He who will subdue them before you."

Indeed, the people we met were greater and mightier than us, were great and tall, but the Lord went before us as the Consuming Fire to destroy and subdue them before us. An account of the fulfillment of the Lord's words:

First, we met a well known personality of the city, a social worker and a politician of a grand old national party. He was so seeking and receptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He even gathered his neighbour's family and we ministered the word of God to all of them, and they all called upon the Name of the Lord to believe into Jesus Christ. Later, we gifted them Hindi NT Bible as gifts and read together few verses. Besides, we were also welcomed to visit them again, and even to give more Christian literature for a community library. That was the Lord's doing and the Spirit's move in Faridabad.

later, as we went door-knocking, in my natural concept, I intentionally tried to avoid door knocking a house with a political party's flag who are spearheading religious propaganda with lame excuse of not inviting any trouble. However, one of the sisters in the team asked me if she should press the door bell. I denied my own feeling and asked her to go ahead. Later I joined in to ring the bell myself again. 

An elderly uncle came out and talked to us for a while of all his philosophical and political opinion about religion. But I strongly confirmed to him that we do not believe in any religion but we believe in the true and living God, Jesus Christ, and we have a relationship with God our Father. Meanwhile, I also shared my testimony of believing into Jesus Christ and appreciated him for the good work of welfare development he is involved in. Later, he invited us in, we had further conversation. Though he spoke negatively about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Bible and many Christian activities, my stand was not anything of religion, but of an experience of the true and living God. He gifted me a summary of the Gita, a book which I received as a remembrance of the meeting, and return, I gifted him a NT Bible in Hindi. Before we left, I requested that if I could pray for him, to which he very much obliged. I prayed for him that God may bless him with the spiritual blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ. We became good friends and promised to communicate again either by phone call or by email or  by visitation.

That's how the Lord's promises were literally fulfilled in our eyes. Praise the Lord!

New Year Promises

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God; it is you whom Jehovah your God has chosen from among all the peoples which are upon the face of the earth to be a people for His personal treasure.13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your fresh oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock, on the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.14 You will be more blessed than all other peoples; there will not be any barren male or female among you or among your animals.15 And Jehovah will remove every sickness from you, and none of the evil illnesses of Egypt, which you know about, will He put upon you; but He will give them to all who hate you.

 The Rhema word of the Lord's promises are precious. In Him, His children are holy people. In spite of all our sinfulness, His blood has cleansed us and made us holy by faith in Him. What a promise and what a blessing! Especially to me, a filthy worm and a dung, His calling me "holy people" is a great blessing. In His eyes, we are all holy and I am too.

We are also being chosen; that's why we are saved sinners today! From before the foundation of the world, He chose me in Christ. And His choosing is made manifest again in a definite way again this new year. "Lord, thank you for choosing me; yes, even a sinner like me!" 

And He has made me His personal treasure. Though the enemy tempts me sore to the extend of despising myself to the core as useless scum, I am precious to the Lord. In fact, I am His personal treasure. Hallelujah!

Furthermore He promised to love me and bless me and multiply me. The Lord's promise is that as He loves me and with His love I love Him in return, He will bless me. Yes, His blessing is all that I need. Whatever I do, wherever I am, I need His blessings. In reality, He is the Blessing. Without Him there is no blessing at all. Being loved by Him, loving Him and being in love with Him, I am blessed! And over all these, He will multiply me! In my living, in my service and in my church life, there will be multiplication of His blessings in me. Whatever I do, wherever I am, there will be His blessings, and His blessings will multiply. It will not be just one "me" receiving the blessing, but many others through my living and service.

His blessing will even exceed the blessing of the rest. It is "more blessed than all" blessing that the Lord has promised! And this is an all-inclusive blessings that comprises every heavenly, divine, spiritual blessing and even material and earthly blessings, yes, even both of wealth and health. For He will remove every sickness from me; not merely the physical sickness, but much more, even the sickness of my soul and my spirit, that I may be healthy in my whole tripartite being. 

1 Thessalonians 5:

23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.

As He promised, so shall He do it, as the faithful one, who also will do it.

Lord, thank You for all  Your promises!