Ministry of the Word in Jammu

Jammu, the northernmost state of India and often torn with terrorism; this is the first time we ventured into northernmost belt with the ministry of the word. When the proposal came for the first time, the instant speaking of the Lord was just to follow the brother who made the proposal and arrangement. My response was immediate, and since then we have been praying for the distribution in this state.

Though the arrangement was to be made by someone, till last moment it did not work out in two places. Nevertheless the Lord made a perfect arrangement for our stay in Jammu. The first day we attended a conference with the Christian leaders on the importance of Christian literature. When it was my time came to share the word, the Lord gave me the timely word to minister at length on the origin and importance of the publication work beginning with God Himself as the Word, the publication of the Holy Bible, and also the need for a properly translated and interpreted word. I also ministered on the line of the progression of the divine revelation even though the sixty six books of the Bible are already completed. 

Right after the  sharing, a seeking brother came to fellowship with me about how much he enjoyed the word I had just spoken and invited me to his home. Later, in his house we had three hours of fellowship. He seemed to have left the denomination and began fellowshipping with about seven families. he vaguely remembered the book by Watchman Nee, "The Orthodoxy of the Church." He was very interested in the matter of the church as mentioned in the Bible. Besides, he also ordered some ministry books. The next day, he called me up to say "thank you" and also ordered the Recovery Version of the Bible. May the Lord gain this brother and the believers with him for the testimony in Jammu.

Another spectacular incident was a meeting with a well known Christian leader in town with his son who is a part of a next generation youth group. After introducing the ministry books in a way of life, his concluding response was that he needed all the books. As I was burdened further to introduce the Life-study of the Bible, he immediately order the whole set too. Likewise, all the Christian leaders we met were quite open to us and the ministry. We only pray that the Lord would open their spiritual eyes to see the vision of God's economy and serve the Lord in oneness for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Another notable event was a meeting with a youth group who were burning to bring forth one million "students missionaries." They seemed to have seen a vision from the Lord concerning their burden. But as they requested me to speak, the only burden I had for them was, to help them with the basic. Besides sharing my testimony, I encouraged all of them to spend much time in prayer and the study of the word. To me, without the basic, "visions" are just fantasy dream with some spiritual flavor but mostly religious and often superstitious. Young people need to be solidly grounded and founded on the word of Christ. 

Overall, it was an amazing experience to this city; especially because the ministry of the word has reached the northernmost part of India! Our prayer is, "Lord, raise up Your testimony in Jammu!"

Fifteen Years After

After fifteen years the Lord brought me to a brother who had been very instrumental in the earlier days of my Christian life. Though after five years of being with him in the same fellowship, the Lord led me further to come into His recovery of the church life. Though I love him as a christian brother, and still honor him till today as one of the spiritual brothers from whom I received much help, still because of the vision of the Body of Christ and His recovery, I could no longer be a part of the group that I used to be. I sincerely have no grudges against anyone, but the vision of the church has not allowed me to be a part of any denomination. In spite of all the spirituality in that group, the Lord led me on to higher ground for the building up of the Bdy of Christ. No any spirituality is for the Body of Christ. I had to follow the Lord as He led me and not linger on to something that might replace the Lord. Though I left the group, still I maintain a brotherly fellowship as much as practicality allows. Given it to my choice, I would never have left that group. But I must follow the Lord, on and on.

Last week, the Lord sovereignly arranged a situation in which I and two other brothers had to stay in his house in our distribution trip to Jammu. It was after a decade and a half that we met again. The Lord faithfully have been keeping him and blessing him in his endeavor to serve the Lord as a pioneer in Jammu. What an exemplary life he lives as far as pioneering for the Lord is concerned! His labor and faith in the Lord is amazing. And the Lord has been blessing him too. 

One night till past midnight, we had a wonderful time of fellowship; sharing and testifying mostly of what the Lord has been doing in my life. I felt peaceful about sharing at length to him as I felt he needed to know too what the Lord has done. All these things were my first time sharing to him, and I felt that was the way I could honor him as my spiritual brother. After such sharing, he invited me to give my testimony to the congregation the following Lord's day before he ministered the word. I did so willingly and thanked the Lord for all His leading.

While being together with him, almost during every meal, he and I took turn to testify of what all the Lord has done in our lives. Sometimes of the ministry we here involved in, sometimes sharing from the word of God. The Lord has been working faithfully in both of us. On certain points concerning the church we may have differing understanding, but as far as life is concerned, we are on the same boat.

I sincerely thank the Lord for such a spiritual brother as he. Out of my gratitude to him a and burden for him as fellow Christian brothers, I selected twelve crucial ministry books as a gift with five hymns CDs and gifted to him with each book captioned, "To Br. ...... and family, With Love from Palmei and family" with two Bible verses, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:3,8." I only pray and hope that he also see the vision of the Body of Christ, and be coordinated and blended as one for the Lord's eternal purpose.

This meeting was very impressive as he exhibited a strong testimony on life, and I also presented in words and in gifts (of the ministry books), the issue of life, which is building. Life is for building; building and life must go together.

Only the Lord knows, and time will tell, if our ways will ever meet again, either for a moment or unto eternity. I would rather wish and pray for the latter than the former. That having seen life, we must also be for the building of God.

The Lord's will be done. Lord, bless my brother!

The Lord's Speaking

In three consecutive meetings this week I have received blessing through the timely speaking from the Lord. Time and time again, He speaks and speaks, here a little, there a little, now and then.

Life and Building 

It was in a sister's home with her husband whom we visited, who told us on being asked of his favourite book in the Bible, the gospel of John, that we ministered on "Life and Building" as seen in this gospel. The Word who was in the beginning, with God, and God Himself, incarnated to tabernacle among man, Christ Jesus, in whom was life, and came to dispense life to man that man might be brought to God and become one with God; this life we now receive and are growing in this life with the process of transformation all the way to become living stones for God’s building. That meeting was so rich in truth, and the following meetings would be a regular Life-Study home meetings. Though we did not know what to prepare before we went to their house, in an organic way the Lord initiated the conversation and the home meeting became a truth ministering meeting. This couple being educated and serving as a high ranking officer in the defense service of the government, and also hungering and thirsting for the word of God, the Spirit free spoke the word and without any hesitation we could readily minister even on the deeper truths of the Bible. That minister was not to them alone, but to us as well. Life and building for Christ and the church.  May the Lord fully gain this family. 

Bringing, Blessing, Breaking, and Blending

Matthew 14:16-20But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. And they said to Him, We do not have anything here except five loaves and two fish. And He said, Bring them here to Me. And after commanding the crowds to recline on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve handbaskets full. 

First of all, there must be the bringing of everything we have to God. It's not a matter of quantity, but the quality of the heart that offers everything to the Lord. This is what the Lord desires. Unless we let go of what we have and offer it willing to the Lord, neither should we expect God to bless us. Then and only then, when our all is brought to the Lord, the Lord will bless all that we willing offers to Him. In fact, all that we have are all from God as the real source, bringing back to Him would be the best decision. Once brought to the Lord, He would break them; this is the issue of His blessing and our bringing what we we have to Him. Save for this breaking there can be no blessing. The Lord cannot possibly bless anything of the old and natural man. He has to deal with it in order to be able to bless it. So, the breaking is a must. Following this breaking is a blessing again to others as what has been offered are now miraculously processed and multiplied to meet the need of the multitude. The blessing and multiplication are such that it not merely meets the need but blesses in abundance, to the tune of twelve baskets full extra, implying the Lord's blessing in abundance and completion. This is the key to unlock the blessing of God and be a blessing in return.

Overcoming in Christ

Matthew 14:28-31And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, Come. And Peter, coming down from the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he became frightened; and as he began to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him and said to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? 

Looking away unto Jesus, our faith is firm as we trusted fully in Jesus only. As Jesus walked on water, so also Peter; he actually did walk on the water too, as long as he looked away unto Jesus and trusted in Him. This is the condition: walked on the water and came toward Jesus taking Jesus at His work, trusting Him fully, and having faith in Him. But, when the focus was diverted to the environment or circumstances, however genuine they may be, the looking away from Jesus sank him into the water. Nevertheless, the merciful Lord, still saved him from sinking. Herein is a precious life lesson to learn; look away to Jesus only and you shall walk on water, above all the situation around; but looking away from Jesus and you shall sink into the water, below all the situation around. To be able to live an overcoming life or not rest on our object of looking, "away to Jesus or away from Jesus?" 

Living an overcoming life is a matter of faith, trusting in the Lord and looking away unto Jesus. For the only Overcomer is the Lord Himself, and none else. To be an overcomer, the Lord Jesus must be our life and living by trusting in Him, having faith in Him, and looking away unto Jesus. 

These were the timely speakings of the Lord in the home meetings this week. What a grace that the Lord spoke through the Word of God, and I was graced and blessed to relay it to the saints in the home meeting, and in the process, to myself as well. 

Family Blending

It has been a while since we decided to go out as a family during our children's school vacation. For one reason or the other we could not make it until it was the perfect time arranged by the Lord for a visit to a water park. Though we decided for an outing, my beloved wife was so strict to our children concerning their homework that she would not pick a date unless all of them complete their vacation homework. But the fact was, they were given a lot of homework. I myself was surprised by the work load assigned at standard 2 and 4; it seems as though the teacher wanted the students to complete their entire one year course work during the summer vacation. Academically speaking it was good, the students were well prepared to face their subjects, albeit with their own hard work. Sometimes I wonder if the teachers would have anything to teach as students would have gone through their syllabus mostly by the time they would go back to school. Anyway, their homework were done and we could finally go!

Our outing spot was in a place called "Wet and Wild", a few meters away from NH 8 after Manesar toll. We all had time together, playing in the water for over three hours non-stop. Though I played with my children for their sake, I really enjoyed the time together. In fact, I also played the kind of games at their level. It was real fun. Besides, on our way up and down we enjoyed praying together and singing their favorite hymns and songs.

My children’s satisfaction became my satisfaction too, at least in this outing. Had it not been for their sake, I really doubt to have ended up in a water park. Life is so lively with lovely and lively children around. Often in a fit of anger I would warn them of the nuisances they created. But at second thought, this was what they were supposed to do at their age. I am still learning lessons on parenting.

While deeply considering the Lord's arrangement and blessing, I was filled with thanksgiving for the wonderful family the Lord has blessed me with. I feel I am just beginning to learn many things regarding being a father and a husband. Experience indeed has been the best teacher.  

Lord, thank You for the family You blessed me with! Grace us to be proper God-man family, loving You and  serving You as household, all the days of our lives. 

Eleven Years, Forty Less One

Life is going on, yet time and tide waits for none. With all the daily chores and events of life going on and on, it seems as though one day I just woke up from sleep to discover that I am a married man with three children with a blessed God-gifted perfect partner for eleven years, and myself forty less one year younger! Its hard to believe the fact that I am what I am today. I can fully agree with brother Paul when he said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.

I told my wife, all these years of marriage life refreshes us so much that I still feel we are still dating one another. She simply replied, "Still dating with three children?" Our love and oneness has become all the more fresher and newer by the year. Sometimes I still feel as though I am a young brother and having a relationship with my wife and enjoying family life with my children. The Lord has wonderfully and beautifully work out everything good for us. I am running out of words to thank the Lord enough for His sovereignty over our lives.

The only thing I feel I ever did or perhaps, are still doing is, I learn to submit to God's headship and amen all His sayings and doings either directly or indirectly through the members of Hs Body. What a blessed life to be able to learn this important lesson of life. When one submits fully to the Father's wise bestowment, the Father's presence and blessing always follow. As long as I submit to the will of the Father, I am, and will always be the beneficiary of all the heavenly, spiritual, and even physical blessings He has reserved for His beloved children. I humbly feel I am blessed to be such a beloved child of a loving Father.

Even today as I turn thirty nine years, I reckon about half of my life has transpired, if the Lord delays His coming and graces me with longevity. I have no words to thank the Lord enough for all that He has been to me; so sweet, so dear, so caring, and so loving. Even my intimate fellowship with my beloved wife is sweeter and dearer; my prayer time with the Lord is so enjoyable that I received instant light concerning a matter of my further pursuit of academic qualification that has been directionless for many years now.

This morning, our three little children the Lord blessed us with, greeted me with a birthday cake right after our daily morning revival. My wife and them together secretly baked the cake yesterday; so sweet! They all sang a Happy Birthday song for me and made me cut cake.

Some subjective experiences are; inwardly, I left certain weight of burden that clouded my sky for the past years have been lifted up. I felt the Lord is leading me to a greater height of experiencing and enjoying Him. Besides, officially some official works that bogged me down the past few days were just solved in no time today itself. And overall, in the weekly coworkers' fellowship it so happened that I had to share an entire message on the Lord's ultimate move and His ultimate recovery. I take this as a message specially for me: God's ultimate move to fulfill His eternal intention is to have Christ as life in us, flowing in us, saturating and permeating us, and making us fit to be built up into His Body for His expression; as members of the Body of Christ expressed as the golden lampstand; this is the preparation of the bride, and this is the Lord's ultimate move, and this is His recovery, and this is the message to me, for me, and the saints!

That's how I enjoyed the day, eleven years and forty less one.

Lord, I consecrate my life and my family to You afresh for Your ultimate move in Your ultimate recovery. Grace me and my family; gain our family to serve Jehovah as God-man family, fruitfully and faithfully, all the days of our lives. Amen.

Grace and Gift

Last weekend two sisters who were so much influenced by the charismatic movement of today's Christianity came with one specific question on the gift of tongue speaking. The topic of tongue speaking has been overemphasized that those who do not speak in "tongues" have been reckoned as "not receiving the Holy Spirit and/or not being genuinely saved." Ridiculous! 

To help the sisters who have been misled by some "pastors," we used the Bible to answers their questions. 

1 Corinthians
12:28  And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
12:29  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all have works of power?
12:30  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret tongues?
12:31  But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And moreover I show to you a most excellent way.

Genuine tongue indeed is a spiritual gift, but it is just one of the many gifts, and not the unique gift. The Bible clearly says, "But earnestly desire the greater gifts." This greater gift is the gift of love in 1 Corinthians 13. And in 1 Corinthians 14, the charge is even more sever, "Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

1 Corinthians 14
14:1   Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
14:2   For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one hears, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
14:3   But he who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men.
14:4   He who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but he who prophesies builds up the church.
14:5   I desire that you all speak in tongues, but especially that you would prophesy; and greater is he who prophesies than he who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, that the church may receive building up.
14:6   But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you, unless I speak to you either in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching?

With all these Bible verses we explained the gifts that we have to desire for, especially prophesying. For prophesying one needs to grow in life, be filled with the word of God, and also be filled with the Spirit to speak God into people. This builds up the church. As we ministered on this line using the word, one of the sisters wept in joy, as she was so supplied by the ministry of the word. The other sister who was so obsessed with tongue speaking finally confessed that her doubts about the confusion surrounding tongue speaking was finally cleared. 

To strengthen the explanation further we also used Acts 2 to explain the real meaning of tongues, not a mysterious sound but a dialect.

Acts 2:11Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the magnificent works of God?

Note on the Recovery VersionGk. glossa, used for two things in this chapter: the speaking organ in v. 3, and dialects in this verse and v. 4, referring to the dialect in vv. 6 and 8. This evidence leaves no ground for saying that tongue-speaking may be merely a voice or sound uttered by the tongue, the speaking organ; it must be a dialect, because what the disciples spoke in tongues (vv. 4, 11) were all different dialects (vv. 6, 8). In this sense, tongues and dialects are synonymous, used interchangeably in these verses.

Besides, speaking in tongues is not the only signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit, the other signs are speaking with the word of God with boldness, and being filled with joy.

Acts 4:31   And when they had so besought, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.Acts 13:52  And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, such question is worth answering for the sake of the edification of the believers and equipping them with the word of God. Many times, not knowing the word of God properly can lead one to some kind of religious bondage. In this case, "tongue speaking" is one bondage the believers are stuck with, either in speaking or not able to speak. The truth clarifies the confusion and sets one free from all bondages.

Another gift that is overemphasized is the gift of healing. Genuine healing is very much there as the Lord Himself is the Physician of physicians. I and my family have also been healed in many cases just by prayer and exercise of faith. But we never boast of it, and hardly I have spoken about it. I also do pray for the healing of some saints and new ones who does indeed receive healing. But this is just a gift, the healer is the Lord through the believers' faith. The healing should never be exalted above the Healer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In my study of the word, a particular verse with footnote is very significant.   

2 Tim. 4:20 - Erastus remained in Corinth, and Trophimus I left at Miletus sick. 

Why did the apostle leave in sickness one who was so intimate to him, without exercising healing prayer for him? Why did he not exercise his healing gift (Acts 19:11-12) to cure Timothy of his stomach sickness rather than instruct him to take the natural way for healing (1 Tim. 5:23)? The answer to both questions is that he and his co-workers were under the discipline of the inner life in that time of suffering rather than under the power of the outward gift. The former is a matter of grace in life; the latter is a matter of gift in power—miraculous power. In the decline of the church and in one’s suffering for the church, the gift of power is not needed as much as the grace in life.

Today, the Lord may bless us with different kind of gifts, including the first of healing. Praise the Lord for those, and they must be exercise properly with Christ as the main focus, the Head, center and circumference, always giving glory to the One who heals. Besides, there is a greater thing we must pay heed to; the growth in life. The growth in life is much more worth and to be desired more than the gift of healing. The apostles did exercised their gifts of healing initially in their ministry and it was needed, but later on, they depended mostly on the growth in life and took the natural way of healing under the discipline of the Holy Spirit rather than an instant healing that may not require any spiritual learning.

Shepherding new ones also has many benefits; not only the ones shepherded were blessed, but much more, the one who shepherds.

Lord, as you may grant us gifts, so much the more, grant us the grace to grow in life unto maturity.

Confession of My Son

Our medical check-up that has been due for long has finally been done today. My wife and I went to the clinic for all the necessary tests after a night long mandatory fast, and we had to go again after our breakfast for another blood sample for yet another kind of test. It was in our second visit to the clinic that we decided to take along our daughter and son as they could be released for the day after their daily home works. After all the checkup, we went to a grocery shop nearby to buy few items for the family. It was during this shopping spree that my son and daughter were spending time on a chewing gum showcase. When I noticed that they wanted a pack of gum I warned them not to touch anything. As children enjoying their favorites they did not walk away after my warning, but they lingered on until we checked out of the grocery.

When in the car on our drive back home, we noticed my son chewing a gum. Immediately we asked him where he had gotten the gum from the store. As we were very clear that we did not buy any gum for them nor did he had any before, we suspect something not right and would not let the matter die down so easily as we wanted our children to grow in fear of God and be disciplined. We decided to teach both of our children a precious lesson of not stealing nor taking anything without permission or without paying for it. 

Me and my wife took turn to question my son and daughter as we wanted them to be truthful and confess if they had indeed "stolen" the gum. Initially my son tried to cover up the matter by saying his sister gave it to him. But as we asked our daughter if she indeed gave the gum or not, she denied blatantly. But on the way we strictly reprimanded them not to take thing that does not belong to us nor that has not been paid for.

The moment we arrived home the conviction on our son was very obvious. He went straight into the room and wept. Still he did not tell the truth that he stole the gum from the shop. Out of deep conviction he decided not to eat lunch along with me, but mourned for his misdeed instead. I decided to leave him alone to let the conviction of his conscience do the work. In fact, I even led him to confess in prayer which he reluctantly did. But later, when I finished my lunch I went to talk to him and led him to pray. He just could not pray, but started weeping. I was glad that his conscience was doing the needed job. Though he wept, still he did not voluntarily confess yet. I would not force him either and wait.

But later, something transpire with him  and his mother, my wife. They both came into the room where I was taking a post lunch nap. My wife told me, my son had something to say. I was glad that he came up to speak to me the truth finally. I embraced him and allowed him to speak. Then he confessed in remorse that he actually took the chewing gum from the store. he wept as he confessed. I was so happy that he voluntarily confessed his sin. In his prayer was the confessing of his sin of stealing a chewing gum, and he asked the Lord Jesus to forgive him, and prayed further that the Lord would make him a  good boy. I too joined him in prayer. 

As a person grows, the sinful nature in within is manifested and the conscience began to work. Right from the time of the realization of this sense, it is best to led one to the Lord Jesus.

"Nip at the bud," an old proverb is a wonder-reminder of dealing with our conscience from early age. Confession must be a daily matter and it must begin at the earliest in life. By this way, one can be preserved from the fallen human nature and his character can be shaped to be a vessel the Lord created one for.