Family Fellowship

With the dawn of the new year, the Lord burdened me to spend more time with those within my family circle and those who are staying with my family. Though there are saints waiting for visitation and shepherding, I was so busy with my official responsibility that till date I could hardly find time to visit them. Repeated request for visiting them were postponed to an unknown date, I don't know when. Now the case is that there are too many seekers and saints waiting for shepherding. In the midst of all these I gave my priority to those who are in my own family, and those who are with me in the same house. 

One by one, I fellowshipped and prayed with them. All of them need special attention and shepherding. One of them, a young one preparing for her Board exam, the other two in the midst of struggling for survival spiritually, as they had been through severe turmoil and hardship in their personal lives. Now I pay special attention to these ones first. First thing first, and the rest will be taken care in due time. 

In personal fellowship, I am beginning to understand their real situation; their struggles in life, their feelings about things and the way to help them. I have to sincerely confess that I cannot help them at all, but shepherd them to turn to the Lord who is the good Shepherd and can truly render special care. Till date, what I can at the most do is, pray, and pray and pray. That's all I  can do and nothing more. While at home or abroad, I would pray personally and with my wife for all these dear ones. I truly have come to the point of utter helplessness in helping these ones with their situation except to pray with them and pray for them. 

Now is the time for yet another exercise of faith, first of all to have faith in the Lord and have faith in the prayer I am offering. My deep concern is, if I cannot be a blessing to my own household how can I be of any blessing outside? As much as the Lord's life grows from within, so much more His shepherding from the family, then to the others.

Family fellowship is as important as any other fellowship of the church and with the saints. I must not be overtly spiritual to assume that all is well at home as long as I take care of the saints outside family circle. Perhaps, there may be exceptional cases, but family life must never be neglected nor sacrificed for the sake of "shepherding" outside. Not that the saints should not be shepherded, but that family must not and never be neglected. Serving ones of the Lord must learn this, and must learn it thoroughly well for the sake of the Lord's testimony as a family and then as the church eventually.

Lord, shepherd my family. Yes even the extended family and also all the saints in the local church to be Your testimony.

Three Brothers

There are three brothers serving full time in the literature service from whom I draw a spiritual lessons of prayer in faith and prophesying in faith. These brothers had served full time in the past and left, for the reasons best known to them. Nevertheless, they could not be aloof for long and now they have all come back to exercise their gifts in their respective service recently. 

About a year ago I was in our Chennai office when I fellowshipped with the serving ones to pray for those who had left the service. I remember telling all the saints in faith that they should pray for these ones until they were recovered back to their normal function in the Body. When speaking such, I exercised my faith and told them that they all would be recovered back. Even challenged them to pray that they should be recovered back before the end of that year. That was last year, 2016.

These three had their own stories and valid reasons for leaving their services. But one thing they perhaps did not know was, they were chosen by the Lord and that in wanting to pursue their own career the Lord was giving them a "wilderness" training. I believe they must have had a "wilderness walk in the valley of the shadow of death" and learned that they had no way to go on in their darkness. Until one day the Lord's light dawned on them and they were gradually recovered back to their respective service in the Body. What a mercy! 

Sometimes, such experiences are needed to learn lessons of life. When brothers' fellowship meant nothing to them and they were lost in their own world, the Lord had to deal with them inwardly, deeply and thoroughly. But the mercy of the Lord never fails, in time, He perfectly does what He needs to do. 

This time round, when I met all the three brothers, I just praised the Lord for His sovereignty and thanked Him for His multifarious wisdom. I did get time to fellowship with these brothers and all of them testified in joy to be recovered back. Praise the Lord! 

Now, in their coming back, "home coming", they are more exercised and serious about their service before the Lord. May the Lord preserve them to exercise the gift given to them and function normally in their portion in the  Body. 

This is no mere lesson of comeback story, but a lesson of faith, a lesson of prayer and prophesying in faith. Had there not been some to pray and even intercede on their behalf, I seriously doubt if they ever would be recovered back. For some reasons, the Lord has given me this special burden of praying for the recovery of many saints who have gone astray, both in the spiritual world as much in the religious world and the physical world. 

I believe in my prayer, else I should not pray a vain and hopeless prayer. And since the Lord graced me the faith to pray, I must faithfully pray to move the hand of God. And pray and pray until I see the result of the Lord's answers to the prayer, like these three brothers and the many more to be recovered.

A Poignant Parting

It was in December 2016 I met a brother after over one and a half decade, when we had sweet time of fellowship amidst the critical health issue his wife was facing then. Eight months later, with a brother and myself, I met his wife again when she was quite normal and could sit and converse. I remember, We fellowshipped on "Calling upon the Name of the Lord." Another few months later, I could meet only the brother as her health became even more critical, she was in the ICU. As a brother I had been encouraging him to leave all to the Lord as He knows best, and just trust in Him. Often we prayed together over the phone and even arranged a fasting prayer for her health with a couple of other brothers. Only to finally learn that she went to be with the Lord. I was not very surprised though I wish her a complete recovery. I did go to meet the brother and had a word of prayer, but what else could I do? I had no words, but encouraged him to amen whatever the Lord did as He knows best. I sincerely had nothing to say, but prayed for him. When all the condolences and funeral services were over, he sent me some photos of her grave. My deep feeling before the Lord was messaged as thus. 

Dear Brother D...., 

One thing we do know amidst the multitude of mysteries, He is God and He has the supreme sovereignty over all, not excluding​ our lives. Only He knows why He did things the way He did. And, is and ever He will be who He is. He is God, and we simply say amen to all His deeds, though many times, painfully, perhaps, even with bitter tears. Despite such, we still worship Him for He is God. 

May we experience grace in hard times as this, and gain Christ. Blessed shall we be, if we are graced to trust Him, and experience Him deeply even in sickness as much in health, in poverty as much in riches, and even in death as much in living. 

Much grace to you my beloved brother. Remember, the God who takes also gives much more, in His time.

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. 2 Tim. 4 :22 

Let us consider the death of Rachel as well in the light of the Word. 

The Death of RachelGen. 35:16 - And they journeyed from Bethel. And while there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth; and she had hard labor.
Gen. 35:17 - And while she was in hardest labor, the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for now you have another son.
Gen. 35:18 - And as her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
Gen. 35:19 - So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
Gen. 35:20 - And Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave, which is there to this day. 

Note from the Holy Bible Recovery VersionRachel was Jacob’s natural choice according to his heart’s desire (29:18-20). The death of Rachel was the loss of Jacob’s natural choice. This was a deep and personal dealing for Jacob. Jacob lost Rachel, but in the process he gained Benjamin, who was a type of Christ.

“Rachel” had to die so that “Benjamin” could be born. In the same manner, God will eventually take away our natural choice so that we may bring forth Christ for His expression. God’s goal is not to make His chosen ones suffer loss; it is to bring forth Christ through them.

It was a poignant parting, but we can learn and learn and gain Christ. I am aware over FB post that today there was a memorial meeting at his locality. Despite all the pain, parting while on earth is just a matter of time. Mostly sad, yet in the Lord, all is for good.

In fact, one night I could not sleep, and as I was praying for my dear brother, two hymns came to mind which were written based on similar poignant parting. One being, "It is Well" by Horatio Spafford and the other "Day by Day" by Carolina Sandell. The Lord gives and the Lord takes in His time. Though a poignant parting, amidst the pain, it is the Lord's pleasure to do so. And having grace and accepting the fact with thanskgiving is a blessing.

New Testament Recovery Version India

Nehemiah 8:8   And they read in the book, in the law of God, interpreting and giving the sense, so that they understood the reading.

Today, the 11th of January 2017, after two and half days of fellowship and training with brother Kerry S Robichaux and Joel Oladele, with thirty serving ones mostly translators in six different Indian languages, namely Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Mizo and Kannada, and this after more than two and half years of Greek learning, having passed through four major exams, and all qualified to translate the New Testament Recovery Version from the Greek to the aforementioned six Indian languages, the actual translation works have thus begun. Hallelujah! 

This is truly the hand of God; the prayer of the saints in India and abroad, blessed by the God of blessing, and honored and confirmed by the Body; this historic move of the Lord, the Head of the Body, in union with the members of His Body have truly indeed begun. From man's point of view, at least mine, it's a dream come true. Safe for the Lord's leading, this could never have transpired. And to this I say, amen, praise the Lord! 

Step by step, I could in detail recount of what the Lord has been doing. Though not a translator myself, by His sovereign mercy, I have been graced the honour of coordination with a host of brothers for this glorious project. With many uncertainly in the past yet full of faith and hope, I have been graced to sail along the courses of the tough terrain of Greek classes. Often, burning midnight oils, many times at the verge of giving up, yet the Lord has graced us through to the point of being "qualified" to translate from the Greek, at least in the eyes of our teacher, but not to my self assessment. Since no student can be greater than his teacher, our teacher must be right, so are his decision, faith and trust. We sail along with him, and here we are, ready to set sail on on the vessel of "Recovery Version" for another five years "New Testament" journey. Bon voyage? Only the Lord as the Captain must sail us through the stormy winds, heightened tides, flashing lightnings and sounding thunders to complete the voyage He has begun. We trust the Lord as the Alpha is the Omega as well. Lord, grace us and lead us through to the end. Amen. 

Besides overcoming the personnel matter, there are many other factors too. The financial support for this project, the health of all the serving ones both physically and spiritually, the need to meet the lag that would be left when the translators are shifted for this Bible translation project, and a host of other practical things are still a concern. But we trust the living Lord and live and walk by faith, one step at a time. As of now, I have no idea how all the above concerns will be taken care, but I do have the faith that the Lord definitely will take care of all of them. In fact, I personally have been witnessing how the Lord has practically in time met the needs one by one. Recently, I have been witnessing the Lord releasing translators and providing the financial supplies. I simply trust, all the needs God will meet as He has already been doing so. 

Now praying and looking forward, in faith and hope, for the day when the translation of the New Testament Recovery Version Bible project will be completed. And the saints and seekers in India will read the book, in the law of God, the New Testament Recovery Version, interpreting and giving the sense, so that they understood the reading.

Fasting Prayer

And He said to them, Because of your little faith; for truly I say to you, If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21

I used to fast and pray every Saturday night for many years since I got saved. In fact, it had become a part of my life, and in course of time, a ritual rather than a genuine prayer. So instead of a routine ritualistic fating prayer, I continued to pray but not in a religious way anymore. But that also had another side effect of not being regular and persistent. Still I maintain the genuineness of prayer whether by physical fasting or not, but off late, I was reminded of the need for real fasting too.

It was in the recent co-workers' training that the Lord burdened me afresh to maintain a persistent and set-time fasting prayer again, yet not getting into ritualistic practice of religion. The Lord grace me to restart again. It was indeed very refreshing and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This practice must be strictly adhered to, lest the enemy distract us from such persistent prayer.

Yesterday, a dear brother and a friend too, requested a fasting prayer for the recovery of his wife who is unconscious in ICU due to cancer. It has been a year since she was first diagnosed. And in one accord, a couple of brothers and also friends from college days, we decided to fast and pray for this very burden of our brother's wife healing. I personally was burdened to stand in oneness with my brothers and released a strong prayer before the Lord. As I prayed I had a confirmation within that our prayers have been heard. Later, at midnight, I called up a brother and prayed with him over the phone that the Lord must heal his wife. The Lord indeed blessed us with such a faith. In my prayer I told the brother, "we believe in God's word, we trust in Him and also believe in our prayers."

This prayer burden also led us to create a WhatsApp group, "One in Christ," bringing together some brothers for the purpose of fellowship and prayer. 

There are certain burdens that can be released only by genuine fasting and prayer. Though I never would subscribe to the literal meaning of fasting, emptying the stomach or abstaining from food, I sure support the genuineness of prayer rather than the "fasting" per se. Fasting prayer is not an act of religiously duty, mere emptying of stomach, but genuine fellowship with the Lord and praying the Lord's burden back to him. Such genuine fasting prayer must be a practice of a normal Christian life. The more the better, and at least, once a month, and better is, at least once a week. Such prayer times are meant for the Lord and Him alone, in sweet fellowship, praise, thanksgiving, worship, and petition.

The Lord Himself confirmed the need of fasting and prayer when it comes to dealing with the enemy in a strong way for the carrying out of His ministry on the earth. He emphatically stated, "nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

This kind of prayer is also related to the exercise of faith, fighting spiritual warfare, practicing a oneness with the Lord, binding on earth what have been bound in the heavens and loosing one earth what have been loosed in the heavens, for the fulfillment of His will on the earth. 

The question posed now to us is, "When the Lord Himself fasted and prayed, why not we His believers?" If the Lord fasted and prayed when He Himself is God, much more we must fast and pray according to His will!

Lord, grace me to live a life of normal Christian life; even of fasting and praying once a week, all the days of my life.  

A Brother's Dream

On morning I received a surprise message on WhatsApp, and after reading the message, one important thing transpired in me, in real life, which was foreseen by an old friend of mine during college days, a decade ago.

The text message reads:

[14/12, 10:24] : I was dreaming about u

[14/12, 10:43] : I saw that we r staying in some sort of a hostel and suddenly one of the guys went to your room and challenge u for a fight. So there was a fight between u and that guy and I was lying in my room. Immediately, both of you who was fighting came to my room and told me that u guys have to do some rituals to settle the matter. So all of u guys start kneeling down and uttered some words from a language unknown to me. After a while you compromised the matter with that whom u were fighting and handshake each other. While u guys were uttering some word I was so scared that I start praying and holding u and I was so relieved to see u both handshake each other later. After that, both of you left my room and I was alone again. Suddenly one lady came to my room and tempted me to fall into an adultery with her. At that moment there was a hesitation from me but the saddest thing is I fall into the temptation. That very moment I heard my wife calling my name from outside and I left that lady. 

At that very moment I woke up.

I was really really sad. I sat down on my bed and start crying asking the Lord to forgive me. I was praying and begging for forgiveness and weeping on my bed.

Then I heard my wife had also woke up. So I called her to come to my room. She came and I told her everything about my dream. I told her that I have failed the test n I have sin. I told my wife please pray for me.

Dear brother Palmei, back these days I feel very happy and peaceful after confessing all my past sin to my wife. For the last four weeks I so happy and peaceful.

But my dream had made me realised that I have given my heart fully to Jesus. I have just left Him outside my room.

Brother, please pray for me so that I would be string in the Lord.

[14/12, 10:46] : I mean Strong in the Lord

[14/12, 10:51] : My dream made me realise that I have not given my heart fully to Jesus. Instead I left Him outside my room and He is still calling my name.

Please pray for my spiritual life so that I'd  be strong in the Lord.

After I read the message, I called him and we prayed together.

Perhaps, it might just be a dream. Nevertheless, dreams can also be from God or the enemy or from the self. On pondering over it, I realised that there was a message in the dream. 

The date was 14th December, the day in which one of the brothers which I have been so burdened for, won the election as he re-entered politics. There indeed has been a struggling, perhaps, a spiritual fight, for the recovery of the golden lampstand in that city since I first met him and the believers in that locality. At least thrice, I was personally involved in the fellowship of "reconciliation" among the brothers who, for some reasons, have been under the guise of "misunderstandings." 

And when this brother decided to take the way he has taken, I sincerely prayed for him that the Lord would lead him through, and that the church would go on in sweet fellowship with the Body of Christ in other parts of the world even outside of their locality. And when on that day he won the election, I praised the Lord, not for the election per se, but for His leading for His move. This was symbolic of what a friend had seen in the dream.

The later part of the dream may be a matter of concern related to his personal life which also was good as it led him closer to the Lord, and initiated a fresh brotherly relationship with me, and I believe, a fresher love towards the Lord and his wife.

Pressed!

These days the Lord has been dealing with me in a very specific way, in all areas of my life. But His grace is sufficient for me to bear all the precious trials He soverignly arranges. On the one hand I have been deeply pressed, yet on the other hand, I have been experiencing the Lord's perfecting hand in every step, graced with His divine provision to bear His dealings.

My two Onesimus's have been creating a lot of trouble these few days, outwardly speaking. Both of them have been undergoing their worst case and exhibiting extremities in their deeds. Nevertheless, they turn out to be precious lessons for me to learn, in handling them practically. Generally, I have been a quite and patient person, but with these two, I have been exposed of my shortages. I was not quiet nor patient at all as I used to presume. This time round I have said thing which I never used to, and even raised voice which I hardly used to. Perhaps, a training to be more strict and tough in dealing with "disobedient brothers?" and at the same time an exposition of me who needs more learning, perfecting and growth in life. Despite this scenario, I love them both so much, and consider them as God's blessing in disguise, at least to me, if not to my family as well.

Officially, I have made official decisions that put the company I am serving in a very tight spot as far as financial matter is concerned. Yet, those decisions were truly needed to effectively accomplish solid official works. I never remembered having been so bold in making corporate decisions. But those decision are yielding good returns for the company, only "time of return" is the factor to consider. Its like rowing a boat safely to the other side of a stormy and thunderous sea with so much gasps and uncertainties in between. Now, at the fag end of the year, I could foresee sailing through all obstacles. The hand of God indeed is behind the scene. The prize foreseen is worth the prices paid.

Family matters are pressing too. In taking care of the two Onesimus's, the extra burden they brought to my wife and niece, and the anxious concerns for them, and the helpless state they have been into, are pressing too. But these also led me to change my stance towards them and adjusted my life style; which actually is very good for me and my family. So even in these "troubles,"  we are the beneficiaries, especially myself.

Church affairs are even at trying times. We have been busy with our own official and family affairs, and the church affairs are not given proper attention and sufficient time as it should normally be. Besides, we do not have official full timer to fully serve the local church we are in; we are all working saints bearing the burden of the church. Though this fact cannot be an excuse, the increase of the church in numbers is not happening, which we all shamefully agreed. Though our burdens are clears, we have failed in not being able to fulfill it. Or perhaps, the Lord wants us to learn some precious lessons first before He could bless the church? The matter of "not increase in numbers" is definitely and deeply pressing upon me. 

All these "pressings" are persistently pressing me. This reminds me of Simon Peter in John 6, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." I can come only to the Lord, and to Him only I come, in this pressing time. 

66 From that time many of His disciples went back to what they left behind and no longer walked with Him.67 Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away?68 Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.