Adieu, My Neighbour...

Last Tuesday morning my wife informed me of my neighbour being taken to hospital on a car in a very serious state. I simply reckon it must have been a heart attack and after the consultation with the doctor, proper medication must have been given and nothing to worry as such. But on the same night, I saw an ambulance parking on their courtyard, and in the morning the next day, throng of people crowed their house. By that time I guestimate that he must have passed away. Yes, I guessed it right.

Later, I visited the bereaved family to enquire and console them. They simply explained the reason for the death was an impromptu heart attack, the first and the last. The decease was the elder brother of  a joint-family and a wealthy and religious man. He had been taking a walk almost daily with his wife as we could see them go out. Death had caught him so suddenly. Irrespective of how much care one has taken on his health or well being, when the time come, it just came. A very natural death but very untimely and unexpected.

 

This news has left a deep impression in me, and in our morning prayer and pursuit, I chose a hymn, Life at best is very brief.  https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1043

Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf,
    Be in time!
Fleeting days are telling fast
That the die will soon be cast,
And the fatal line be passed,
    Be in time!

Be in time! Be in time!
While the voice of Jesus calls you,
  Be in time!
If in sin you longer wait,
You may find no open gate,
And your cry be just too late:
    Be in time! 

Fairest flowers soon decay,
Youth and beauty pass away;
O you have not long to stay,
    Be in time!
While God’s Spirit bids you come,
Sinner, do not longer roam,
Lest you seal your hopeless doom,
    Be in time! 

Time is gliding swiftly by,
Death and judgment draweth nigh,
To the arms of Jesus fly,
    Be in time!
O I pray you count the cost!
Ere the fatal line be crossed,
And your soul in hell be lost,
    Be in time! 

Sinner, heed the warning voice,
Make the Lord your final choice,
Then all heaven will rejoice,
    Be in time!
Come from darkness into light;
Come, let Jesus make you right;
Come, receive His life tonight,
    Be in time!

The fellowship and prayer we had was on the need for urgency in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing people to salvation. Especially the ones we cared for and who are not yet saved. 

Since the time we moved to the house where we are right now, the first burden I had was to pray for the salvation of our neighbour in our community. We did have a good relationship as neighbours but not dear enough to freely go and preach the gospel. When his son got married, a brother and I attended his marriage and gifted the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. That was best gift I could think of. Thereafter, thrice I had met him for some enquiries, and in of which a brother, who is also my house owner, preached the gospel to him.

Something has been hindering us from freely and directly preaching the gospel, though we have been praying from them quite often. When the sad news of his demise was known, I could simply call, "O Lord Jesus!" Now, the burden is on the family members of the bereaved. Only the Lord may grace us to preach the gospel and bring them to salvation in a cordial way, and not to regret until another death strikes.

We did attend the "prayer meeting" for the deceased. We could only let our neighbor know that we do care for them and did our best to maintain a cordial relationship. Much more than this, the gospel has to preached as much as we prayed for them. Lord, save them!

Life, indeed, is very brief. I must aggressive labor to preach the gospel and bring sinners to salvation. This incident is a wake up call.

As for now, adieu, my neighbour...

But not another one without the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proper Pattern

1 Thes.1:5-7 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, even as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became a pattern to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Note from the Holy Bible, Recovery VersionThe apostles not only preached the gospel; they lived it. Their ministering of the gospel was not only by word but also by a life that displayed the power of God, a life in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance of their faith. They were the pattern of the glad tidings that they spread.

1 Thes.2:8-9 Yearning in this way over you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail: While working night and day so as not to be burdensome to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

2 Thes.3:9 Not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves to you as a pattern that you might imitate us.

The Holy Word for Morning Revival from "Cooperating with the Heavenly Ministry of the Ascended Christ" Week 3, The Pattern of the Apostle Paul in Cooperating with Christ's Heavenly Ministry to Shepherd people for the Building Up of the Body of Christ has left a deep imprint on me, of my need to be, if not yet, a proper pattern. Only the Lord knows if I have been a proper pattern or not. If to my own judgement, I may be far off, but I deeply long to be a proper pattern to the saints, seekers and sinners alike. With this longing I also have deep realisation that I cannot be a proper pattern by myself, for the only proper person is the Lord Jesus Himself, and without Him living in me and through me I have no way to be a proper pattern to any one, not even to myself. This message has been a classic message on being a proper person.

God cares for our person more than our work. In fact, our person is the Lord's work. Without our person being proper, the Lord's work we do can never be proper. The Lord Jesus Himself has set a perfect pattern, the apostles followed the pattern of the Lord, and now is our turn to be that pattern to the men of our generation at this time wherever the Lord has placed us.

A living testimony is the need of the day. The apostle could boldly say, "you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake" because they lived out Christ, the proper and perfect pattern. And with such living, the apostles, especially, Paul shepherded the saints with his very own life. The best way to shepherd people is by being a proper pattern to them, in words and in deeds. Paul did exactly that by living out Christ. And the same must be done by us, especially me, to live out Christ and be a proper pattern.

The best quotes are directly from the ministry books published by Living Stream Ministry from the title book mentioned above.

1. The apostles were struggling and speaking the gospel to the Thessalonians in the boldness of God (v. 2).
2. The apostles were free from deception, uncleanness, and guile (v. 3).
3. The apostles were first tested and approved by God and then were entrusted by Him with the gospel; hence, their speaking, the preaching of the gospel, was not of themselves to please men but of God to please Him; God proved, examined, and tested their hearts continually (v. 4; Psa. 26:2; 139:23-24; 2 Cor.1:12; 6:6; 7:3).
4. The apostles were never found with flattering speech or with a pretext for covetousness (1 Thes. 2:5):
5. The apostles did not seek glory from men (1 Thes. 2:6a):
6. The apostles did not stand on their authority or dignity as apostles of Christ (1 Thes. 2:6b):
7. The apostles cherished the believers and yearned over them as a nursing mother would cherish and yearn over her own children (1 Thes.2:7-8; cf. Gal. 4:19; Isa. 49:14-15;66:12-13):
8. The apostles not only imparted the gospel of God to the Thessalonians; they also imparted their own souls (1 Thes. 2:8):
9. The apostles considered themselves as fathers in exhorting the believers to walk worthily of God, to have a walk that will enable them to enter into the kingdom of God and usher them into the glory of God (1 Thes.2:11-12):

I am literally running out of words to add anything further. The truth is complete and the need of the hour is the experience of this truth. I have seen and witnessed people who serves the Lord and who are either a proper pattern or the opposite. The result itself, to the eye witnesses of the world, is obvious. Words cannot commend further than deeds. And such an exemplary living is the living expected and required of the believers today. 

Thank God, there are brothers and sisters who are still alive and are matching such a pattern as revealed in the Bible. I praise the Lord for them and pray that all the saints can be living out Christ to be proper patterns for the world to see. The world is yet to see the living out of Christ among Christians today. Only if Christians are serious about their Christian lives and desperately seeking the Lord to live out Christ, the world would watch in wonder, and many will be saved from world to bear the Lord's testimony.

It has been my prayer that all the Christians would be revived and renewed to take Christ as our lives and living, and live out Christ to be proper pattern to the people around us. Such living is the God-man living that every Christian should live out. It has been my prayer that I live out Christ as my life and be a proper pattern; not only me, but with all my family, and with all the saints in my locality, and even globally. This is what the world is waiting for.

Lord, grace me to live You and be a proper pattern.  

Shepherding Over Phone

Tapping the power of modern technology I have been using phone as a means of shepherding people whom the Lord has brought under my care. This month was kind-of intensive in this shepherding care. Three particular cases are worth mentioning as there has been God's hand behind the scenes.

Case #1

A brother called me up when I was in Allahabad concerning his mother-in-law who had serious health issue and was hospitalized. Though it was surprising, to me it was God's sovereignty. Not that I rejoiced in her illness, but that it was a channel for good. As far as I know, this was the Lord's doing; and I encouraged my brother to visit and pray for her. Perhaps, this might be a time of reconciliation and beginning a new chapter in their relationship as it was somewhat strained by misunderstanding. This was also related to his family life, and decision made by his wife and in-laws did not seem to go in line with the word of God, concerning the choice of work place and caring for children. I just prayed over the phone and encouraged my brother of what would be best to do in this situation; to first of all pray and then visit the ailing mother-in-law, and take care of the family as an exhorting father.

Case #2

Another brother had called me up again and again with a question on assurance and security of salvation as he had fallen into a grave sin of adultery. He had repented and confessed his sins to the Lord but the guilt within him did not die so soon; he had become a victim of Satan's accusation again and again. I had to spend time with him over the phone explaining the preciousness and effectiveness of the blood of Jesus Christ, and to pay heed to the word of God and not on the enemy's accusation. I later discovered that he had not be praying personally nor reading the Bible regularly. Every time he called I encouraged him to spend enough time in prayer, even quantify with at least an hour a day, and also read the word of God daily, at least a chapter a day. I appreciated his genuineness, but I need to lead him to pray and come to the word regularly. Many believers have fallen to become a victim of Satan's subtle accusation based on past sins, and perhaps, even present weaknesses. Every time he called, after fellowshipping we prayed over the phone and he testified of how much he has been encouraged.

Case #3

Another brother too called to confirm to me last week that he wanted to meet me as he has been convicted by the Lord for his straying away from the proper practice of the church-life. He expressed his deep longing to come back and be recovered for the Lord's testimony. It seemed he has been deeply convicted by the Holy Spirit that he wept before the Lord and prayed to be recovered back. He even wanted a proper baptism as he felt his life, all this while, has not been as it should have been. To me, all that who called for fellowship, I considered dear and would do my best to help in all possible ways. 

By all means, at all times, shepherding has to be carried out. There are many sheep in need of proper shepherd. Though the Lord is the only proper Shepherd, He shepherds through his shepherds whom He has been shepherding. I believe, I am one of the sheep the Lord has been shepherding so that I could in turn shepherd other sheep in need. 

Praise the Lord for the good Shepherd who has been shepherding me and others, even gracefully through me. 

Lord, Thou art the good Shepherd, shepherd me to shepherd others as Thou would.

Lesson from My Niece

Two years ago my niece came to stay with us for her schooling. Though she is my niece, I reckon her as my own daughter and a sister in Christ. She has been blessed by the Lord with good grade and has been a blessing to our family as well. I used to encourage her to study well and wished that she could get into the best college in New Delhi for her college education. But the recent turn of events has shaped my mind in caring for people. 

As a brother, guardian-father, and well-wisher, I deeply desire her to get into the best college in Delhi University. But the cut-off were so high that she could not get the desired subject and the desired college until the third cut-off list. When she finally got one, it was in the top-eight college in DU for her subject. I was a little disappointed and she could not into the college I wished her to, but later accepted the fact and realised that God knows best.

One Lord's day she prophesied in the prophesying meeting too that the Lord dealt with her and gave her the college in south though she wished to be in the north. The Lord is sovereign and amening His arrangement is a great blessing. 

This incident has even changed my view and hope for her. She must continue in her studies, be in the church-life, be trained in the truth for two years, and follow the Lord's further leading.   

Sometimes, when our wards and children are good in studies, its tempting to have a bright academic dream for them without any thought of them needing the Lord more than just a good career. Often, our consideration is education, job, and marriage, first. And much later, serving God or being for the Lord. I am no victim of such dreamer. But the Lord adjusted my thinking, view, goal for my own wards and children. All these things are needed, but the Lord must be first; and through all these things, the Lord's purpose must be served.

This is a simple yet crucial lesson that I learned from caring for my niece. Now the Lord has been blessing my children too academically. I need the Lord's grace to care for them according to God for God's eternal purpose.

Being Measured by God's Building

You, O son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, that they may feel humiliated because of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern. And if they feel humiliated because of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, the arrangement, its exits, its entrances, its whole design, and all its statutes — indeed its whole design and all its laws; and write them down in their sight, that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes, and do them. This is the law of the house: Its entire area on the top of and all around the mountain shall be most holy. Indeed this is the law of the house. Ezekiel 43:10-12 

In our recently concluded training for the full timers in India, one particular message touched my inward being so deeply: Being Measured by God's Building. Though I heard this term before, never I did I get the revelation nor the experience as deeply as this time. The Lord instructed Ezekiel to describe God's hours to God's people. For what? So that they would be measured by God's house and be ashamed of their iniquities. The house of God has always been God's desire from eternity past to eternity future. All that matters to God is His house. Today we are His household members, and as such, we must be fit in into His house, His building. 

Since we are God's house, our living must match God's house; God's house is holy, so must we be. Spirituality in all its genuineness is the fitting into God's house. What God cares for is not spirituality nor morality, but His own house. When we are measured by and fit into God's house, we definitely will be spiritual and moral, and much more, be builded up and fitly framed in the Body. In the house of God, no one members stands out, much less, stand alone; all members are rightly fitted-in in their own position and in their own rightful function as ordained by God who owns the house. 

To the top of the entrance, both in the inner house and outside. And on all the walls all around inside and outside, by measurement, Were both carved cherubim and palm trees. And a palm tree was between two cherubim, and every cherub had two faces.Ezekiel 41:17, 18 

In the house of God we are the "wood" that are fitly framed. But not a mere wood as it is; it is a "carved wood," not a plain smooth wood. This wood signifies the humanity of the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ who is now in us, the members of the house of God, as our life and hope of glory. We must indeed be "carved" and experience the Lord's crucifixion through various trials and testings to be transformed and bear God's glory, as signified by the cherubim, and also bear Christ's victory, as signified by the palm trees. To be thus carved is not an easy lesson to learn, but the grace of God is sufficient to enable to go through all necessary dealings and bear God's glory and victory in humanity.

For such necessary experiences, one must be in the Body life; the Body life is the greatest test of spirituality. Our spirituality is tested in its genuineness by the Body life. Therefore, as members fitted in the Body, we need to be Body-conscious, to care for the felling and peace of the Body. In all functions, we must function within our measure and never go beyond it, and function in mutuality and interdependence, caring for the growth and building up of the Body. As such we can become overcomers; the overcomers see the Body, know the Body, care for the Body, honor the Body, and do the work of the Body; they keep every principle of the Body of Christ.

in my experiences these days, the lord is sovereignly measuring me by His house. It is no longer, "Thus spake the Lord!" but, "Thus spake the Lord through the Body!" It is also no longer my own spirituality, but spirituality in the Body for the Body. It is no longer my own victory, but the victory in the Body, with the Body, through the Body, and for the Body. It is no longer my own glory, for I have none; but the glory in the Body, with the Body, through the Body, and for the Body.

Lord, measure me by Your building, and make be Your overcomer; who see the Body, know the Body, care for the Body, honor the Body, and do the work of the Body, and keep every principle of the Body of Christ. Amen.       

My Sister's Marriage

As prayed over, fellowshipped, and planned, the 29th of July 2017 was sanctified for the "Marriage and Testimony Meeting" of my younger sister Kim's marriage to brother Thangboi Lunkim. This has become a significant event in our family life, church life, and also for the church in New Delhi and Gurgaon, for the fact that it was done fully in fellowship of the church brothers in a best way possible as brothers so desired without family nor social nor cultural interference or mixture. It was more of a model set for saints and seekers alike as the testimony of Christ and the church as typified by the bride and the groom of the marrying couple, with focus on Christ as the center. This arrangement has brought me new experiences too in my personal life very deeply.

As a brother, in fact, an elder brother of my younger sister, I wanted to bear the entire responsibility with a say in what and how the marriage has to be conducted, but the Lord led me to an experience in which I had to simply submit to the brothers' arrangement in all practical matters. I had my opinion and consideration, but the Lord led me to just swallow them all and say amen to the brothers' arrangement. All arrangement was done by the church brothers and my participation was just to participate in the meeting. To deny my self, opinion, and natural man was such a release, and I enjoyed all what the Lord has done.

The marriage and testimony meeting was simply, pure, and Christ was put as the focus and center. The brothers' speaking on God is the Blessing was a blessing indeed to all of us, the family members of the bride, and I believe the attendees too are blessed with the word of God. A wonderful love-story was also quoted from the Recovery Version Bible footnote on Revelation 22:17 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who is thirsty come; let him who wills take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 

The entire revelation of the Bible shows us the love story of a universal couple. That is, the sovereign Lord, who created the universe and all things, the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and who ultimately became the life-giving Spirit, is joined in marriage to the created, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite man — composed of spirit, soul, and body — who ultimately constitutes the church, the expression of God. In the eternity that is without end, by the divine, eternal, and surpassingly glorious life, they will live a life that is the mingling of God and man as one spirit, a life that is superexcellent and that overflows with blessings and joy. 

The couple has been blessed with PhD from JNU and in the marriage meeting too, around 15 such PhDs from JNU had attended. I could also speak to some of them and they seemed to be quite open to the truth of the Bible. May the Lord gain them all even through this small window view of the church life in the Lord's recovery.

This morning when I woke up the Lord burdened me to write to the church brothers in New Delhi the following message:

Dear Brothers,

Praise the Lord for the Body! 

We are so glad for the shepherding care you have rendered to brother Thangboi and sister Kim, even in taking care of all the arrangement for the marriage. We ourselves are being shepherded as a family member of sister Kim. When the matter was fellowshipped I personally wanted to bear the entire responsibility, but I was restrained within not to initiate anything nor be opinionated, but to simply and gladly accept the brothers' arrangement and amen it wholeheartedly. Thank the Lord for the Body; I can testify, in this marriage arrangement, I am being measured by the Body. (I worship the Lord for the Body.)  

In the principle of incarnation, we say "thank you" and amen for the "Marriage and Testimony Meeting" on the 29th July 2017. It was truly of the Lord; new ones and saints came and testified to me that it was simple and pure with Christ as the center, and was an eye opening to them. Some sisters even said that they wanted their marriage to be like this marriage. Praise the Lord! Thank you brothers. 

In prayer and fellowship, we feel good to participate in the marriage expenses too. We feel it is also our responsibility to participate too, though the church with all love and care met all the needs in advanced. Please do let us know our portion to participate in the financial matter. Even if we cannot participate at one go, we will pay in installment.

Please do let us know. Thank you once again. Amen.

In Him,

As being measured by the Body, I praise the Lord for this marriage arrangement, and pray that the couple would be pillars for the Lord's testimony in New Delhi or wherever the Lord sovereingly arranges.

Praise the Lord! 

Allahabad Revisit

One evening in my time with the Lord, I prayed for the follow up meeting with the pastor in Allahabad who invited us to shared the word of God in his congregation one Lord's day, who also informed to invite me again for a Christian leaders' seminar, and also for his Bible school graduation meeting. I simply texted him Bible verses with footnote as I did to many other contacts the Lord burdened me for.

Seek God in His Sanctuary, Not Prosperity

Psalms 73:13

Surely I have purified my heart in vain, And I have washed my hands in innocence.

The psalmist considered that he had purified his heart in vain because, instead of enjoying material prosperity, he was plagued all day long and chastened every morning (v. 14). However, the *real vanity is anything besides God. Idols are vanity; material prosperity is vanity; anything other than God is vanity (Eccl. 1:2). A pure heart is one that is set on nothing but God.* The psalmist realized this when he entered into the sanctuary of God. 

Psalms 73:17

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

The solution to the psalmist’s perplexity concerning the prosperity of the wicked was obtained in God’s sanctuary. First, God’s sanctuary, His habitation, is in our spirit (Eph. 2:22) and, second, it is the church (1 Tim. 3:15). Thus, to go into the sanctuary of God, we need to turn to our spirit and go to the meetings of the church. Once we are in the sanctuary—in the spirit and in the church—we will have another view, a particular perception, of the situation concerning the wicked (vv. 18-20). *In our spirit and in the church we receive divine revelation and obtain the explanation to all our problems.

Psalms 73:25

Whom do I have in heaven but You? And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth.

In God’s sanctuary the psalmist was instructed to take only God Himself as his portion, not anything other than God. The one who does not care for God may gain many things and seem to prosper. However, the one who cares for God will be restricted by God and even stripped by God of many things, as was the case with Job (Job 1:6—2:10) and the apostle Paul (Phil. 3:7-8). God’s intention with His seekers is that they may find everything in Him and not be distracted from the absolute enjoyment of Himself. It is not a matter of keeping the law, as in Psa. 1, or of being right or wrong, but of gaining God and keeping God as everything.

Bible verses and footnotes from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

This pastor replied back with detail of queries for the Christian seminar and later in fellowship over the phone he invited me for his Bible school graduation meeting. In fellowship with the brothers serving with me, I confirmed for the graduation meeting first, and seminar to be considered later.

For two days in my Alalahabad city revisit I was accommodated in an defence service officers guest house suite. The first day I was spending most of my time in prayer and preparation for the graduation meeting. The burden the Lord gave in fellowship with the brothers was to share on the "Heavenly Vision" Saul saw in Acts 9 and what Paul preached further in the book of Acts.

It was their fourteen years anniversary with graduation meeting. The Lord released the word; in response to the pastor's request of sharing my personal testimony as well, I testified of how I got saved and how the Lord called me to serve, and ministered on the heavenly vision of Christ the Head and the believers as the members of His Body. With this I also gifted The Economy of God in Hindi to all the Bible school graduates, 14 of them all.

The following day was a personal time of fellowship with the pastor himself and also a visit to the two Bishops of CNI, one on leave and the other active, to further promote the ministry of the word to all Christian leaders, workers, and pastors. The personal time opened up more detail about the pastor himself and I also spoke more testimonies and truths concerning the church life. Initially I did not reckon it needful to pursue further with big Christian groups, but deep within the Lord told me, whomever the Lord opens, pursue further. Only the knows who are His and who will take the way of the truth in His recovery. After the meeting, fellowship and revisit, I became more clear that the Lord is opening up Allahabad city for His testimony.

When I came back I fellowshipped with the brothers in coordination and we all felt good to pursue further. Now the planning has been going on for Christian leaders' seminar. 

May the Lord gain all our coordination for the spread of His testimony in the Hindi heartland of India!