Life Lesson: Missed Flight

Two responsible brothers from the church in Gurgaon were supposed to attend a training on church administration in Taiwan. I personally was very burdened to perfect more brothers to bear the responsibility of the local church I am in. In fellowship, two brothers were proposed and all arrangement including flight tickets and visas were done. But there were few important things that were not well taken care, which later came to light, and eventually became lessons for all of us to learn. 

Firstly, the seriousness of this training was underestimated. Though a very important training and a very important trip for the church as well as the brothers, hardly any prayer was offered on the same. Nor was there any subsequent fellowship following the decision taken. Though the saints knew about it, not many really cared for it. This was the big mistake I and the brothers have made. 

Secondly, the financial arrangement was all initially burned by the church, as the training is for the church purpose. Though we fellowshipped with our brothers to participate in the expenses as much as they could, only the Lord knows the deep intention of the brothers themselves. Whether they were willing to bear the entire expenses, paying the price for the Lord's sake, or taking things for granted. I felt in this matter also, all of us need a deeper lesson to learn. 

Thirdly, it concerns the matter of oneness among us brothers who made the decision and also the oneness of the travelling brothers with their wives and families. Though we all noted our head on agreement with a resounding "amen" I am not too sure whether we all brother had the same burden and oneness in all matters regarding this trip. 

These three crucial factors were worth considering as far as we the brothers in the church were concerned. Personally too, I learned some deep lesson from the Lord in this regard as I was the one who first raised the toss. My intention itself need to be dealt with. Perhaps, my intention was good in sending the brothers for such training, but the way it was proposed and carried out might have been natural in that it was not taken seriously. 

The result was amazing; the two brothers missed the flight. The flight timing was kind of tricky as it says 10 Nov, 00:05. We all were of the assumption that the flight was on 10th midnight. But, a closer look at it revealed, it was on 9 Nov night, passed midnight. 

Though the brothers did their best to suddenly reschedule everything on 9 Nov, it was one day too late. Though rebooking of new flight could have been done, it was Rs. 40,000+ too expensive. Finally, the trip was cancelled to the utmost disappointment of the all, especially the brothers. But later we all learned our lesson the hard way round with much sober mindedness. 

Few days later as we were enjoying a group meeting in one of the brothers' house, a brother who missed the flight, the Lord's speaking was very fresh: Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

I believe, when opportunity like this comes up again, things would be very different. We have learnt our lesson and we will not take things for granted anymore. 

El-bethel

Genesis 35:7And he built an altar there and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother. 

El-bethel, God of the house of God, signifies the experience of God as the Body, the church, the house of God. This corporate experience of Christ in the church is a much higher experience of the Lord than a personal experience of the Lord individually. Jacob, a representative of all the believers, had both the experiences, beginning with his individual experience, and then progressing to the corporate experience. This is exactly what many believers have been experiencing, especially those who progressed in their Christian lives and proceed further to the Body life. 

Our Christian life is not merely for salvation, nor for spirituality alone, but for the building up of the Body of Christ. Salvation experiences must lead one to spiritual growth, development, and maturity for the building up of the Body of Christ. Else, the fate of such spirituality without the Body nor for the Body will be a conglomeration of divided individual spiritual zealots. God is not after a collection of giants, not builded nor blended, but after the builded Body, that He can indeed be El-bethel. 

Once I cared for my salvation so much, and God graced me the wonderful salvation. Then I sought for spirituality with all hunger and thirst, God has been gracing me that too. Now, my burden is, based on the salvation and spirituality I have been graced with, I am for the building of God's house. Throughout the ages, many lovers and seekers of the Lord have spent their whole being for spirituality, this of course, is much better than worldliness, but is not sufficient for God to accomplish His purpose. Only Bethel, the house of God being gained, and God being the God of Bethel, El-bethel, can fulfill God’s heart's desire. 

This is the need of the age, and only the recovery of the Body life that builds the Body up as the Bride of Christ can only bring the Lord back. My Christian life, my church life, and my service must be for this. 

As we were enjoying this truth in a fellowship of the brothers in the church in Gurugram, we brothers testified whole heartedly and thanked the Lord for gracing us to see the vision of the Body, and live in it. And how we wish that all the believers too see such a vision of the Body and be for the Body of Christ. 

God, the El-bethel, grace us all Your children for Your house, Your heart's desire.

Jehovah-shammah

Ezekiel 48:35It shall be eighteen thousand reeds all around, and the name of the city from that day shall be, Jehovah Is There.  

"Jehovah is There" is the presence of Jehovah Himself with His chosen, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite people to be one entity, a great corporate God-man, the mutual abode of God and man; God in man and man in God. This is the goal of God in His creation of man. And this should be a Christian's subjective experience all the days of his life, and it must be my personal testimony.

Though because of the sin of idolatry, the glory of Jehovah left the children of Israel, the holy temple, the holy city, in the holy land, through the recovery and restoration of the people, the temple, the city, and the land, the glory of Jehovah returned back. Though degraded, through recovery, the restored city has a new name Jehovah-shammah! 

This history of Israel is being relayed in a Christian's life today. And it is my story too. I was enlightened by this picture. For the recovery of the holy temple, there must be first a recovery of the holy land. Which means, to subjectively recover the holy temple in the holy city with the name Jehovah-shammah, the holy land, Christ must be subjectively recovered back in our experience. This brings me into the urgency of enjoying Christ daily in all things. If I do not enjoy Christ, I can never enjoy the church as typified by the holy temple and the holy city. For God to fulfill His plan and for me to a part of the fulfillment of God's plan, I must enjoy Christ, the all-inclusive Christ, with all His riches. 

In the allotment of the good land to the children of Israel, the ones closest to the holy temple are the priests, followed by the levites, then by the workers, and then the royal families, and the rest of the people. The ones closet to the temple, the priests, are the ones who maintain the fellowship between the people and the Lord. In the new testament, the believers are the priests. As such, I am a priest too. But how much I function as priest depends on how near I am to the holy temple, geographically speaking. Likewise, how near I am, or how close my enjoyment of the presence of God will determine my real spiritual function as priest. The more I enjoy Christ, the closer I will be to Him, the closer I am to Him, the more function I will render in my service, and the more important I will be in His purpose. This being the case, I must exercise daily and hourly to enjoy the Lord at all times. 

By this way of gaining the good land Christ, and staying in His presence, Christ and the Church will be recovered in my experience, and I will be a part of the city where Jehovah is There, one with God in His move for His purpose. 

This was my enjoyment, and I shared this truth last Lord's day. And may this be the experience of all the saints. Jehovah-shammah, Jehovah Is There, be my testimony and the testimony of the church. 

This enjoyment, I shared to my brothers today. May the Lord grace us all to recover the good land Christ, live in His presence, and be one with God with a name, "Jehovah is There!" 

Success Message

Few days ago my sister informed me of her being selected for a  coveted and prestigious "Assistant Professor" post under the Government of Manipur. The examination and interview were done almost a year ago, but due to the political-cum-ethnical turmoil, the result has been suspended for long. Meanwhile, she has been already appointed as an ad-hoc post of Assitant Professor in Delhi University, and that too is most likely to be made a permanent post. Yes, it was a good news indeed. Yet, I expressed my feeling that before making any decision, the matter has to be brought to the Lord in prayer and to the Body in fellowship; we are for the Lord, Christ-the head of the Body, and we are also for the church, the Body fo the Head, Christ. Any decision, especially of this nature which will decide one's entire life-course must be thoroughly considered in prayer and fellowship and see the perfect leading of the Lord. Wherever the Lord leads, there we shall go in view of the gospel and the building up of the Body of Christ.

In view of this, I posted a message in our family group for all to learn life lesson; Success Message.

Romans 11:36 Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  

Praise the Lord for our dear Sister Kim's selection for "Assistant Professor" post under the Government of Manipur. This itself is a testimony as it has been gotten righteously on merit amidst the cloud of corruption circumventing the entire political arena where a Govt. job of this nature could have cost a huge sum of bribery if we have to bow to the custom of the nation. That being said, we neither have to assume and jump too quickly and easily to a conclusion that the job has to be accepted. Many would have reckoned it as hitting a jackpot when bright future in worldly eyes could not nor must not be given a miss. To me, this would be kowtowing to the fantasy dream of prosperity. The world does it, does not necessarily mean we, Christians, should do it. 

We, Christians, should live by the divine life in obeisance to the Lord's leading and anointing, and not be coerced by circumstances. If every opportunity that comes our way, or perhaps, every success that comes our way, were to be interpreted as the Lord's blessing and leading, I will never be what I am today. Instead, as a master's degree holder in Computer Science, I could have been working as a software engineer working abroad as many of my ex-classmates are now today; some in the USA, UK, or erstwhile in Europe and South East Asia. If that be the case, by now I could have heaved up riches to the praise of the worldly-wise. Thank God, I was not and will never succumb to circumstances sans God’s perfect will. 

God be gracious to us that we become not a prey to the goddess of prosperity or success, but follow and only follow, the perfect will of the Lord. Furthermore, may we be graced to love the Lord more than anything else and always seek the things above; the heavenly, spiritual, and divine things. 

Colossians 3:1-2 If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth.  

Therefore, let us rejoice and give thanks to God, but let us not yet conclude that this success is indeed of the Lord. Out from Him and through Him are all things, so shall it be to Him. In our making decision, big or small, let us always keep this principle in mind: the perfect will of the Lord; not the nature, nor the place, nor the position, nor the salary of the job. Let us pray, and confirm in prayer and fellowship with one another, what the will of the Lord is, as this decision is probably a life-time decision. 

Let the will of the Lord be done. We are not for ourself nor for our family, but for the Lord. With our decision, our lives must be to live to the Lord unto the end and even unto the glory of God. Amen. 

Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s. 

Ministry of the Word to Ujjain, MP

Ujjain, a city of temples, was not in my initial plan for this ministry of the word literature journey. Yet last week I received a call from a brother who lives in the city requesting me if I could visit him as I came all the way to Jabalpur already. After a day of waiting, praying and considering before the Lord, I became clear that I should visit this city too. 

Yesterday morning I came to this city with the plan of just visiting the brother and a couple of Christian leaders and then leave the same day evening or latest by night. Somehow, I could not get a confirmed ticket first for the evening train. On fellowship with the brother, he suggested me to stay for two days at least so that we could meet more people in the city to which I readily agreed. That was the Lord's plan as He had prepared a family for more fellowship, which became clear later. 

Yesterday morning we could meet a leading Christian brother and had a good time of fellowship with him on the ministry books. He was so interested that he wanted to take all the books, but I could not give him as I needed the sample books to show to other Christian leaders as well. While in Ujjain I called up a brother whom I met in Jabalpur if he knew any contact here in Ujjain. He replied that he would introduce a contact. Later, a sister who introduced herself as a Doctor called me to visit her family. After lunch we visited her family, and what happened after that was amazing. 

As my burden was, I simply introduced the ministry books first, then felt led by the Lord, I began to minister on what the Lord burdened me to minister in Jabalpur last Lord's day on Who is Jesus? Where is Jesus? How to experience Jesus? The sister and her parents were so touched by the Lord that they started opening up their family matters; the sister, especially, on her personal matter, as she felt strongly that she should open up. I offered no solution to her problem but encouraged her to bring all her concerns to the Lord in prayer and that the Lord would led her through and through. The fellowship went on for about two and half hours, and they were so touched by the Lord. I also encouraged them to start a regular prayer life personally and even as a family to the extend that I gifted them Life Lessons, 4 Volumes, in Hindi, for them to pursue at least one lesson a week. Later, their youngest son came back from office and joined us. Since he missed out on what I fellowshipped, they asked me to repeat and briefly summarised what I ministered. I did it again repeating all the Bible verses I quoted, this time her father noted the verses down for his further studies. 

When we were about to leave, she testified that she felt the presence of the Holy Spirit visiting their family when we first entered their home. My only comment was, "Praise the Lord!" She also testified that this was the first time in her Christian life that she could open up for fellowship to any one, and she was fed with the rich supply of life. Furthermore, they invited us for a lunch lovefeast the following day.

After this family visit, we went to the mainline church, Masihi Mandir Church, and met all the committee members where we introduced the ministry books. The timing was perfect, though not planned, we should meet all the important people at one go.  

In the evening and the next day morning, my time with the brother was mostly shepherding him to have a proper God-man living with a normal and healthy practice of prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowship. He started reading the Bible and determined to do so regularly, we prayed together, and we also enjoyed morning revival together for over an hour. It was definitely a new beginning for him. May the Lord fully recover His enjoyment of the Lord through the word and the ministry books. 

A short while fellowship with a Pastor and city tour of Ujjain's city of temple in the morning was the deal for the morning. A brother and I just exercised our spirits to called on the name of the Lord Jesus out loud as we drove across the city by scooty, claiming the city of temples for God to be the city of God, the city for the Lord's testimony. 

As invited, we had lunch with the family we met yesterday. After lunch, the burden the Lord released was on Matthew 14:14-21 on the feeding of the five thousands with an emphasis on the conditions to receive blessings of the Lord: Absolute consecration to the Lord-of our life and all that we have, acknowledging God as the source of all blessings, being broken by the Lord, and then being blessed and multiplied. The sister opened up further and asked questions that had been lingering on her for many years, like the blood of Jesus, the genuineness of today's tongue speaking and the much misunderstood Holy Spirit's baptism, and certain practices of today's Christians. After answering all the questions with relevant Bible verses, I prayed and ended the fellowship. They requested me to come back and said they would issue a formal invitation for upcoming meetings. Let the will of the Lord be done. Amen. 

Now, I understood why the Lord led me to this city and that I should stay for at least two days. He is sovereign. 

May the Lord gain His testimony in Ujjain!

Ministry of the Word to Jabalpur

This weekend we are exhibiting the ministry books in a large Christian gathering in the city of Jabalpur. Generally, such meetings draws large Christian crowd and we make use of this opportunity to distribute the ministry literature as much as possible and also sought out for seeking Christians as they would be easily identified by their hunger for the word. 

On the first night, Friday, I was at the counter where we displayed our books, when a brother walked up to me and spoke for few minutes. Within that few minutes conversation the Lord touched him and he immediately invited me to minister the word in his congregation the coming Lord's day, which is today. Initially I was wondering how we would distribute books in this gathering as a stall was not booked for us yet, and was wondering what I would be doing for three whole days. But the Lord sovereignly arranged an unused stall for us and we became very busy distributing and meeting people. We met a lot of seeking believers and one such person was the one who invited us.  The Lord introduced this brother to us and established a relationship. Only God knows what has be reserved for His testimony in this city. 

Today morning and last night I was looking to the Lord what to minister. Generally, I would just minister instantly when the time comes but this time I wanted a definite word from the Lord. This morning as I was praying, the Lord gave me a very definite message which later was ministered in the congregation of the brother who invited us. 

The word of the Lord was ministered by answering three simple but very important questions. 

Who is Jesus? Matthew 1:21-23And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins. Now all this has happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” (which is translated, God with us).  

Note from the Holy Bible Recovery Version Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua (Num. 13:16), which means Jehovah the Savior, or the salvation of Jehovah. Hence, Jesus is not only a man but Jehovah, and not only Jehovah but Jehovah becoming our salvation. Thus, He is our Savior. He is also our Joshua, the One who brings us into rest (Heb. 4:8; Matt. 11:28-29), which is Himself as the good land to us.  

Jesus is the Saviour, and He must be our personal Saviour, saving us from every sins as much as from eternal damnation. Jesus as the Savior must be experienced in every aspect of our Christian life, and wherever we are, in whatever we do. Then only can we say that we truly know who Jesus is. Otherwise, it will be just a namesake, and doctrinal knowing of Jesus as anyone would know Him. Even Satan knows that Jesus is the Saviour, but He never believed into Him to be saved!? Jesus also must be the Saviour of our family, as the unit of salvation is household. 

Acts 16:31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household. 

I testified of how the Lord blessed our family in granting household salvation. The size of household salvation depends upon our faith. If our faith is merely close relative, then that's our household. If our faith is larger and greater to include all our relatives near and far, even our entire village or state or country, that much will be our household. 

Where is Jesus? Romans 8:10-11But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. 

Romans 8:34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ Jesus who died and, rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 

On the one hand Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us, or yet on the other hand, He is in our spirit as the Holy Spirit indwelling us. 

We must meet the right person at the right place. The right person in Jesus Christ and He is in our human spirit as a believer. To meet Him, and we simply has to turn to our spirit.

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

How to experience Jesus? Three simply way to experience Jesus is first by simply calling upon His name. At this point, with the congregation, we all called together the Lord's Name, "He Prabhu Yesu!" Second, the Lord can be experienced by simply coming to the word of God and reading, studying and praying over the word of God, daily. And finally, we can also experience the Lord by spending time with Him in prayer. 

This was the message the Lord gave for the seeking believers here in Piparia Khamaria near Jabalpur. May the Lord gain what He has to gain in His time. 

After the meeting we had a lunch fellowship with with our host's family where I encouraged his elder son to study the New Testament Recovery Version Bible. Later,  I gifted a copy to him, and also spoke to him about the importance of preparing our vessels for the Lord's purpose, especially in the matter of education. Furthermore, as the Lord leads, I encouraged him to pursue his PhD and be a professor to serve the Lord among the university students. Our host also expressed his interest to "join" us in the ministry but I encouraged him to read the ministry books first, the book gifted to him: The All-inclusive Christ, The Economy of God, The Knowledge of Life, and The Glorious Church. I further said, after reading these books we can fellowship again and see how the Lord would lead further. 

The Lord was so gracious to lead us in this city, Jabalpur. May the Lord sow Himself as the Seed of the divine life to all the people we distributed the ministry of the word to. 

Lord, gain Your testimony in Jabalpur, MP! 

Budding Rod

Numbers 17:8
And on the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and there was the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi: it had budded; it even put forth buds and produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds. 

 Note from the Recovery Version Bible 

A rod is a piece of dead wood that has not only been cut but is also dried up. Yet such a dead and dried-up piece of wood budded! A bud is something organic, something of life. The budding rod of Aaron typifies not a dead Christ but the resurrected Christ, the budding Christ, who not only buds but also blossoms and bears fruit to maturity. Such a Christ imparts life to others (John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:3). Today He is still budding, and we are the fruit, the almonds, of His budding.

This morning as I was enjoying the Lord through the ministry of the word, I was so touched by the truth of the budding rod. Though I knew the spiritual significance and interpretation of the budding rod, it never became so subjective as it was today morning. The more I prayed over the word the more the Lord's word became subjective to me. 

In fact, I realised there are yet areas in my life I really need a subjective experience of the budding rod. Perhaps, there are areas in my life that need the resurrection life to overcome the deadness and dryness of the rod, and this rod must bud. It also dawned in me afresh the need for the resurrection life of Christ to overcome any negative things; the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. The continual struggling even of the ones under my shepherding can be overcome with the experience of the Lord’s resurrection life as the budding rod. The message today morning was loud and clear: Resurrection, resurrection, resurrection life is the solution, to live an Overcoming Life. 

Four matters that also impressed me are:

Where can the rod bud? Only in the Holy of Holies. Only in this place where we enjoy Christ in God’s presence, we can experience the resurrection life of Christ. To experience the budding rod I must be in the Holy of Holies, in my spirit; this is my sole responsibility to be the budding rod. 

God’s Selection: The budding rod is the basis for God's selection. Similarly, in our lives or in our service, whether we are approved of the Lord depends on whether we are in resurrection or not.  

God's Authority: Authority in our lives or in our service also depends on whether we are in resurrection or not. One must come to the end of Himself for the Lord to exercise His authority in him and through him.  

Resurrection: Resurrection means God is and we are not, God is able and we are not able, with God all are possible which otherwise are impossible, and as such a man must come to the end of himself until God can begin His work in him and through him. Brother Watchman Nee's statement has enthralled me in this regard: The end of man is the beginning of God! 

Resurrection is an eternal principle for our service to God. As God asked Moses to place the budded rod in the Ark in the Holy of Holies as an eternal memorial, so must our life and service be in resurrection ever.  

Numbers 17:10

Then Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you may put an end to their murmurings against Me, and they not die.

Purpose of Resurrection: The main purpose of the resurrection life of Christ experienced is for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. With the resurrection life there is the divine capacity that can do everything for the carrying out of God's economy; to know God, to live God, to be constituted with God in His life and nature to become His increase, His enlargement, to be His fullness for His eternal expression. 

This is my morning manna for today, and perhaps, my manna for all the days of my life. Praise the Lord for the budding rod! And I must experience the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ as typed by the budding rod and produce blossoms and then bear ripe  rod and produce blossoms and then bear ripe almond!

Lord, preserve me in the Holy of Holies, and in my spirit, to ever be the budded rod.