A Living Testimony : I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

A week ago I received a post about the author of a very well known song, "I have decided to follow Jesus!" The story, I believe, was genuine and authentic, and was so touching and living that issues in two things in me. 

First, I was so convicted of my lack of burden and prayer for my tribesmen in my village who are still unbelievers and modernly pagan, still in the same part of India where the story originated from. Though I had this burden before the reading of the story below, it enlivened my burden and I started praying and interceding for my own native people.

Second, having received good and heart-touching story, I forwarded to many Christian contacts and some others too. The response was amazing. Many replied to the post of how much they were touched by the Lord. Two significant reactions were:

One brother translated the whole story into Mizo and post it on Facebook and sent it via WhatsApp. I was just left to my guess, to how many he must have sent it out.

Another sister and her husband testified to me, almost in tears, how the Lord touched them through the story and their faith in the Lord was greatly strengthened.

The story goes...

"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" is a Christian hymn originating from India. The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Garo, Assam, north-east India.

About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. 

The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A man’s strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered.

Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary shared gospel and a man, his wife, and two children believed in Jesus. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christ.

Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years.

He said:"I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back."

Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”

But the man said these words in reply:"Though no one joins me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back."

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”

In the face of death the man said the final memorable lines:"The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back, no turning back."

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some remarkable power behind the family's faith, and I too want to taste that faith.”

In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!”

When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. The tune for the song was given by Sadhu Sundar Singh few years later when he stumbled upon some historical literature and read about this incident during one of his travels to the North East.

This is one of the most powerful songs composed by a man who gave his life for Christ, which became the reason for the salvation of the whole tribe. The tune given by a man who forsook everything in his life for the sake of Christ. The combination of both these great lives makes this song filled with vitality to generate more followers of Christ even today.

Need Versus Want

Needs are necessities that must be met and cannot do without them, whereas wants are desires or wishes that are optional and one can do without them. These two matters have been trying hard to balance these days in my cognitive weigh scale. It was a good time experiencing the Lord to know and follow His feelings.

Recently I sensed a need that would save my time and ease my life. But upon consideration and researching online whether to buy the thing or not, I finally concluded that that I can do without it, and would not invest so much for that automatic thing for which I can do manually. Similar case arose when my dad called me to send some thing for him. Immediately I decided to buy what he asked for, clubbing together with a gift for my wife. But as I was about to buy, something within me struck me to reconsider it before I buy, that prompted me to pray and discern the Lord's feeling. 

Quite amazing, as I brought the matter before the Lord in prayer, my mind was very clear that I do not need to venture to invest that much amount for such things which are just wants and not needs. It was a great salvation indeed. My mind was changed by simple prayer. In fact, I was saved in this matter of wants. But to the matters of needs I do not need a second thought too much, for needs must be met somehow.

In fact, as I reconsidered the matter, I reckon that I would not be at peace at all if I ever went ahead with what was only wants and not really needs. This taught me a wonderful lesson in life, especially as children of God to live a life worthy of His calling; simple living, not indulging in luxury, yet having all that are needed.

Even the children of the world are wise enough to distinguish the difference between the two and live accordingly, why not the children of God? A very deep lesson in managing one's finance and a litmus test of our heart whether we are influenced by the glamour and glitters of the world. 

This matter is also of great economic concern for the economist: One important idea in economics is that of needs and wants. Needs would be defined as goods or services that are required. This would include the needs for food, clothing, shelter and health care. Wants are goods or services that are not necessary but that we desire or wish for. For example, one needs clothes, but one may not need designer clothes. One does not need toys, entertainment, gems, etc.. One needs food, but does not have to have steak or dessert. One does not need glamorous trips, mall shopping, etc..

It is a salvation indeed to discern and cater to needs in life and not indulge in wants which often is a temptation linked to lust and covetousness.

Lord, preserve me from lures of wants, and provide all my needs.

Saved by Grace

On 31 May 2015, I blogged concerning the salvation of a new one;  http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/2015/05/saved-by-grace.html. That was an incident of some people being brought to salvation. That was indeed a salvation by grace. But that is not all; salvation by grace is being enjoyed and experienced day by day, and will be, in the whole course of our Christian life. 

Salvation by grace is not just a one time matter; in fact, it is also a daily matter. This truth has been a theological debate for centuries for some unwarranted "orthodoxical" zealots. The first experience of being saved by grace was undoubtedly the salvation from eternal perdition which is reserved for Satan and his followers including all the unbelievers; for the greatest sin is a sin of unbelief, not believing into Jesus Christ as the Savior. However, every truth of the Bible has two sides, not contrary to one another nor contradicting in any way, but a complement to each other, if not a supplement. Paul gracious talked about "daily salvation" in Philippians 2.  

Philippians 2:1212 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, ³work out your own⁴salvation with fear and trembling;

---

Note 3: I.e., carry out, bring to the ultimate conclusion. We have received God's salvation, which has as its climax our being exalted by God in glory as the Lord Jesus was (v. 9). We need to carry out this salvation, to bring it to its ultimate conclusion, by our constant and absolute obedience with fear and trembling. We have received this salvation by faith; now we must carry it out by obedience, which includes our being genuinely one in our soul (v. 2). To receive this salvation by faith is once for all; to carry it out is lifelong.  

Note 4: Not eternal salvation from God's condemnation and from the lake of fire but the daily salvation that is a living Person. This daily salvation results from taking the very Christ whom we live, experience, and enjoy as our inward as well as outward pattern. The main elements of this salvation are Christ as the crucified life (vv. 5-8) and Christ in His exaltation (vv. 9-11). When this pattern becomes the believers' inward life, the pattern becomes their salvation. Only this would make the apostle's joy full.

In ch. 1 salvation comes through the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, but here salvation comes from the operating God within us. The operating God is actually the Spirit of Jesus Christ. In both these cases salvation is a practical, daily, moment-by-moment salvation. The constant salvation in 1:19 is one in which a particular believer is saved from a specific encounter in a particular situation; whereas the constant salvation in 2:12 is one in which any believer is saved from ordinary things in common situations in his daily living.

Since few days ago I have been experiencing the matter of "saved by grace" again and again. Though I was already saved, I am still experiencing the daily salvation. Though I am unworthy and fails in may areas, still the Lord is gracious enough to save be by His grace day by day.  

The testimonies of my neighbor and a brother was very humbling to me in a positive sense. Even in my short comings which I was very conscious of, the Lord is even using that as a testimony to my unbelieving neighbor. Hearing such a word was so encouraging  on the one hand yet very humbling, for I know my weaknesses too well.  Even a brother on whose house I am staying on rent gave a wonderful testimony which I inwardly felt "I don't deserve it at all." Perhaps, they both have seen something I have not seen. Or perhaps, my vision need to be broadened to see in a wider way. Whatever it may be, it is the Lord's grace, and I am being saved by grace. This indeed is a daily matter.

Not just a one time matter, nor just a sinner getting saved only, but our being saved day by day from many things other than Christ is also a "saved by grace" experience.

Lord, grace me the daily salvation; from all things other than You and to live You only and daily.  

Joy of Salvation

When I was regenerated of God's divine life way back in December 31, 1997, I was flooded with the joy of salvation. Especially when all burdens and load of cares, burden of sins rolled away, and was washed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, my joy knew no bound, even sleep was not reckoned; everything was bright and shining, it seemed as though there was no night, but only bright shining days. The word of God was so clear, prayer so sweet, fellowship so enjoyable..... The joy of my salvation was extremely marvelous, miraculous and mysterious, yet so subjective and real. And that joy was not just a "born again" matter only but a joy that indeed lasts forever. Now and then, the joy of the Lord is filling me in varying degrees.

Recently as me and my wife have experienced, the joy of salvation is not merely confined to personal experiences alone. In fact, these joy is shared commonly by all stakeholders; the saved ones, the one who is instrumental in this salvation, the angels in the heaven and the Lord Himself. 

Last week, the Lord gave me and my wife, a new believer each to shepherd. In my time of shepherding with a new brother in the Lord, his relative of a native Gurgaon was introduced to me, which subsequently led to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and him receiving the Lord. What a joy it was to witness a sinner being saved! It was not merely my own salvation that brought the joy of salvation, but the leading of man to the Savior commanded the same joy.

Sovereignly enough, the Lord also brought a new sister to my wife, and she started shepherding her, another decent educated lady of a native Gurgaon. In our night family prayer, my wife could not help but fellowshipped with me, with joy bubbling, how the Lord led her to shepherd this new sister with the word of God and prayer. We both shared the joy of salvation the Lord had blessed us. This joy is also 'shareable' in fellowship. Not just my own salvation joy, nor merely of leading others to Christ, but also of a fellow member in the Lord leading people to Christ. The joy of salvation is common in all cases. This joy is of the Lord and blessed are they whom He chooses to partake of it.

Such is the sweetness of the experience of salvation, the special visitation of the Lord, the joy of salvation. O how I wish this be all the believers' experience day by day when we are all fully mingled with the Lord in absolute oneness and lost in His presence. That day is coming soon...

O may, I partake of this joy now and forever!  

A Macedonian Call

Though my plans were already fixed, I was always flexible as the Lord leads. One night I received a surprise call from a sister stating desperately her concern about her family condition whose husband is a brother, perhaps, more than an acquaintance of mine. In fact, a very dear brother in the Lord and a very close friend of mine. Gauging the urgency and need of the call, I prayed over and considered it before the Lord how to render some shepherding, as much as the Lord allows. But left it to the Lord for His confirmation. 

Surprisingly the next day morning the Lord confirmed the call as I was reading the "Macedonian call" in Acts 16, and the lady saved in the obedience of that call was "Lydia". So was also the sister who called me. When I received this solid confirmation from the Lord, I changed my plan and made a plan to visit them for fellowship, prayer and shepherding. Praying and trusting the Lord to speak His timely word for the full recovery of my brother's family for His testimony.

Acts 16:

9 And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: A certain man, a Macedonian, was standing and entreating him and saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple-dyed goods from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things being spoken by Paul.

As planned, I did visit them, all the while, looking to the Lord for His feeling, speaking and leading. As and when I got the opportunity I would minister something of Christ from the word and experiences to them, mostly related to God-man living and the need to be filled with the word and the Spirit; more practically of spending time together as couple to pray and fellowship. Though my experiences were trivial, still I would testify to them and shepherded them. At times, specific and other times generic; here a little, there a little. For about two days and nights I mingled with them, blend with them and ministered to them. We also delved at large on a particular matter of matrimonial concern. Though being a naive myself, still with whatever I have learned and understood, I have faithfully ministered, using some Bible verses with readings from the ministry books. All the time ending in prayer, looking to the Lord for His grace.

The Lord knew how much time I needed to spend with them and He arranged it accordingly. He even had to cancel an appointment with my cousin brother, and even had to delay my return flight ticket at least by an hour, so that I can spent extra one hour in fellowship and prayer before I left. In fact, the last one hour turned out to be the climax of my two days stay there. I enjoyed a lot, I believe, they too.

In factual term, it was indeed a "Macedonian Call." The Lord indeed opened up the heart of a sister and her household! May the Lord fully restore and recover this precious family for His testimony in that city!

Mission Impossible

On March 15, 2012 a brother was baptised whom the Lord led me to meet and preached the gospel to, and who from being a mediocre student hardly succeeded in life before his salvation became a successful person who even went on to  win some 16 international and 6 national records till date and keeps counting; and who was also honored with an honorary doctorate degree by an university from UK in recognition for his rare achievement, and also who by the classification of Indian society belongs to the priestly upper caste. With this brother I have been praying, and also have been praying for him mostly that he may be stabilized to become a pillar for the Lord's testimony in Gurgaon. Whenever he needed help, either spiritually or academically, he would come and we would fellowship, pray and chalked things out together. He is not just a brother whom I am shepherding but also who shepherded me in prayer.

Of late, he had been struggling and fighting against a social evil that is predominant in this part of the world, a caste-system that forbids marriage of different castes. As he had a relationship with a girl of a different caste, out of his love and zeal for the Lord Jesus Christ, he eventually witnessed to her and she even believed into the Lord Jesus Christ. However, he maintained a strict moral relation until he would marry her. For that marriage, which they both hoped for, underwent a fierce spiritual, social and psychological battle. Now and then he would update me of the situation, but we would only leave everything to the Lord in prayer. For graciously we could do nothing but could only pray and pray and pray. Thank God, at least, we were very good at praying as we had no other choice.

Few months ago, on the advice of his friend he came to discuss a plan of marriage even against the wish of the girls' parent. But in spirit, we fellowshipped with him to cancel such a plan, as they were not of the Lord but just human maneuvering. Instead we prayed together and turned to the Lord that He would intervene somehow. He accepted the fellowship and went back satisfactorily. From that day we decided to pray every day over the phone, by all means, and that he also would pray and read the word everyday. Only when he is ready, will the Lord make everything ready. He took the fellowship seriously. 

As we kept praying almost on a daily basis for months, the strong opposition due to inter-caste marriage, which perhaps, was a social taboo for some villagers seemed to grow stronger by the day. Yet, we did not stop praying nor would we give up. We prayed not only for the marriage, but also for the complete salvation of the girl and her whole family, for the Lord's testimony in Gurgaon and Bhiwani. The faithful God knows the best and in time He answered our prayer.

What we embarked upon as mission impossible took a new turn as we kept praying, trusting in the Lord. Last week, I received a call, heralding me of a sudden turn of event and change of mind by some one who vehemently opposed the marriage due to caste system. The God of impossibility made all things possible, He yet again separated the Red Sea and the way was open. Praise the Lord!

Last Saturday, the 25th of July 2015, the marriage was solemnized. And today, the 27 July 2015, as the church here in Gurgaon, we had a testimony meeting and baptism of the sister who already believed and had been waiting for this day for her baptism, to live a normal Christian life for the church life in Gurgaon.

This is indeed is a mission impossible made possible in Christ through much prayer.

It was a glorious moment both for the couple, and the local church here as a whole. May the Lord fully stabilize this couple and their families for the Lord's testimony in North India! 

Impossibility in man is possibility in Christ for God's economy!

Serve as Slave (2)

In addition to the post on "Serve as Slave" on April of this year (http://palmeichung.blogspot.in/2015/04/serve-as-slave.html), the Lord re-spoke the same thing again. This time with deeper understanding on the truth part and on the experience part as well. 

The motive of serving the Lord as slave is because of love. I serve God because I love God. 

Exo. 21:5-6 - But if the servant plainly says, I  love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free; Then his master shall bring him to God and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

The only pure motive and pure way to serve God is because of love for God and His church and His saints. So because of love, one gives up himself by offering his body as a "living sacrifice" a reasonable service to God (Romans 12:1) with the Lord Jesus as a pattern in Philipians 2:5-9.

These matter touched me so much so that I studied the truth over and over again and wrote a hymn on it. Later, I shared these to the brothers who serve with me in the office and also in the coordination in the Lord's move here. This very hymn is a source of encouragement to me even as I sang the same hymn to myself as to the Lord. 

Prayer and Consecration : Serve as Slave

Dated : 19th July 2015

Touched and impressed by the Lord's speaking again and again on the truth concerning serving as slave, after an in-depth study of the truth, this hymn was composed.

Tune : #1043 “Be in Time!” 

Meter : 7.7.7.3 with chorus

Time: 4/4- D Major

(Exodus 21:5,6)

1         Master, we love Thee o'er all:

      We love Thy church, Thy household,

      We love Thy saints, Thou begot.

      We love Thee!

      In love we'll not go out free,

      But at Thy door we'll stand be,

      Only to listen to Thee.

      O Master!     

            O Master! O Master!

            We love Thee and choose to serve Thee, O Master!

            Bring us to Thy presence dear,

            To heed to Thee, bore our ear,

            That we serve Thee forever,

            O Master!

      (Philippians 2:5-9)

2    Jesus Christ, the Slave-Savior:

      God incarnate, emptied all,

      Humbled on this earthly ball.

      Slave-Savior!

      Found in fashion as a man,

      Unto death e'en obedient,

      Death of a cross for all man.

      Slave-Savior!

            Slave-Savior! Slave-Savior!

            Save us from ourself to serve Thee, Slave-Savior!

            Imitating Thy pattern

            In life, and in spirit burn,

            To serve Thee, our sole concern,

            Slave-Savior!

      (Matthew 24:45)

3    Make us faithful, prudent slave:

      Faithful in things great and small,

      Faithful towards Thee in all.

      Faithful Slave!

      Prudent towards all Thy saint;

      Wise in dealing all affair,

      Timely feeding, proper care.

      Prudent Slave!

            O Master! O Master!

            Make us faithful and prudent slave, Master!

            Faithful to Thee in all things,

            Prudent to saints in feeding

            Healthy food and perfecting,

            All Thy saints! 

      (Philippians 2:5,17; 1 Corinthians 4:1, 6-13; 9:19)

4    Savior, save us from ourself:

      In love to serve Thee as slave

      With spirit of sacrifice.

      Serve as Slave!

      No rights claiming of our own,

      No pride, boasting, opinion,

      But humble and obedient.

      Serve as Slave!

            Serve as Slave! Serve as Slave!

            Make this our reality, Master!

            Grace us spirit of service,

            Grace us spirit of a slave,

            Grace us spirit (of) sacrifice,

            O Master!

      (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Romans 14:7,8)

5    The love of Christ constraints us

      To live to Christ ever thus,

      To serve Thee, Christ, till breath lasts.

      To live Christ!

      All we are, and have, will be, 

      Our spirit, soul and body,

      For Thee, to live unto Thee,

      We offer!

           (Romans 12:1)

            O Master, we offer!

            Willingly, we offer up our body.

            As a living sacrifice,

            Paying our life as a price

            For Thy eternal plan-wise,

            We offer!