The Joy and Blessing of Offering

Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you by example that toiling in this way we ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

1 Corinthians  4:7 For who distinguishes you? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though not having received it?

Job  1:21 And he said, Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, And naked I will return there. Jehovah gives and Jehovah takes away; Blessed be the name of Jehovah.

All that we have we are from the Lord; He is the source of all blessings and supplies. He has been faithfully supplying all our needs great or small, even beyond what we can ever imagine. He provides richly according to His riches much beyond our mere human needs. As a loving heavenly Father, He blesses us freely and gives abundantly. To all His goodness and greatness, we can only thank and praise Him. 

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

When such a loving Father has bestowed upon us His blessings richly, offering Him back from what He has given is the least, we, His children could do. This is exactly what my wife and I have been graced to do.

We have been graced to offer the three plots of residential land that we purchased a few years ago in Chennai for the present need of the land that the churches in India are purchasing for the blending and training of the saints in the churches in India. Therefore, we mailed a brother personally:

Dear Brother .....

As the Lord blesses, it is our blessing and honour to be graced to participate in the Chennai Land Project. As this is also our consecration to the Lord through the church in Gurugram as our family offering, it will be helpful to know the value as valued by the brothers for our information to the church. 

Amen to whatever the brothers' valuation of the plots is. Please do let us know the valuation to be informed to the church in Gurugram.

May the Lord gain us much more even through this experience.

In Him,Palmei & JaneIt is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35b  

After several months, I received a fellowship from the brothers that the lands could not be sold at the present time and they plan to transfer it to the church society. The actual need of the moment is cash that can be used for the project. I told the brother that I can offer cash instead, from another investment after prayer and fellowshipping with my wife. 

We did have a fellowship and we agreed in one accord to offer cash instead, from another investment, then we transferred the money online, and wrote a mail to the brother again.

Dear Brother .....

As per the fellowship of the brothers that you conveyed to me during the SOT in Trivandrum concerning the three plots of  VIP Housing Urban Grounds 2 that we offered for the Chennai Land Project, that it could not be sold at this time and the consideration to transfer the land to the church in Chennai society. We felt good to pay cash directly instead, as our burden is to offer for the Chennai Land Project. Though the amount in cash we have from another investment is not as much as the three plots purchased value, still to meet the need and also to fulfill our consecration to the Lord, we have transferred Rs. ----------------

All that we have is from the Lord, and we count it all joy and blessing to be graced to participate in the Lord's move in India.

May the Lord gain us much more even through this experience.

In Him,Palmei & JaneIt is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35b  

Thus in this way, we have been graced to experience the blessing of giving from what the Lord has blessed and given to us. In the word of Job, Jehovah gives, and we give back to Jehovah, blessed be the name of the Lord. 

Gurugram Propagation: Open Homes

1 Timothy 2:3-5This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 

God desires all men to be saved and for this He needs us, the believers, to cooperate with Him in His gospel move. For this very purpose and burden, as the church in Gurugram, we formed teams and went out to door-knock houses in selected sectors-55,56,57, Suncity, and DLF 3. Our schedule in door-knocking was consistent for a month with the coordination of the trainees from Taiwan and India. The Lord indeed bless such a coordinated move in the Body and graced us with some open gentile families.

A husband of a family who has a Christian mother but has been married to a non-Christian wife who has been inclined towards idolatry has been maintaining his Christian touch a secret. Yet in time, the Lord discovered him through the door-knocking and he revealed his true identity. Since then, we have been been having home meetings in his home. 

The first time we went, we preached the gospel right away and led them to call upon the Name of the Lord. Then, we requested if we could meet them again and again. They were open, therefore we went and read the Bible together with them regularly. So far, until Mathew chapter 6 has been read and studied. When we were in chapter 3 on the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ we expounded the truth concerning baptism. They even agreed to be baptised. Yet a very subtle opposition from the enemy stopped them. We did not push it further, instead continue to shepherd them through the study of the word and leave baptism for a proper time. May the Lord save this family. 

A family who had a miraculous connection with the Lord Jesus was met. The mother in this family had a mouth cancer for which she was operated. While on the process of operation, according to her, she died for a while, saw her soul left her body, and was taken up to heaven to meet the Lord Jesus. Yet, she came back to life and the vision she saw disappeared. Since then, she and her husband has a hidden thirst to know more about Jesus. They even had been to a Christian group for a while which they left as they were hurt by the Pastor's preaching against idolatry which made them close completely for any further Christian meeting until we met them again through door-knocking.

With this family we had a good number of meetings in their home. We preached the gospel and they believed into the Lord Jesus Christ and called upon His name. They also came once for a meeting, and we had Bible studies in their home. This family confessed to us that they are seeking and searching for the reality of God and they are very inclined towards the Lord Jesus. They wanted to study more and would like to embrace the Lord with the whole household. May the Lord save this family. 

A younger couple were open to us in our first visit. They also hailed from a strong religious background. As we started visiting them, we preached the gospel and they believed into Jesus and called upon the Lord's Name. We then began a Bible study in their home until the time of their children's exam and will continue once the exams are over. This family also attended the church meeting twice on Lord’s day. May the Lord save this family.

A family of nine ladies was contacted through door-knocking. In the first three meetings with them, the gospel was preached and all of them believed into the Lord and called upon His name. They also came for a Lord's day meeting. Since they all believed, we also explained to them the meaning of baptism. Later, the male member of the family strongly objected to the gospel and their believing into the Lord Jesus. We do not give up on them, but continue to pray for the household salvation. May the Lord save this family. 

There are a couple of families who have similar stories. Gospel preaching is a spiritual battle; a direct fight between God and Satan. We do not give up on any of this family. We'd rather continue to pray for them until they all are saved, and we baptised, and brought into the church life. 

Our labor and prayer for all these new ones will never go in vain. The gospel propagation in Gurugram is bearing fruits. 

May the Lord gain a strong testimony in Gurugram. 

Chandigarh: A Detour

Chandigarh was not in the itinerary for the ministry of the word literature journey this time. The church was already raised up a few years ago and and the saints are going on in their church life. As we were in Shimla with a brother, he asked me to talk to his sister who received a set of the ministry books in Hindi from him and read it, and was so touched by it. As I spoke to her over the phone, she testified of how much she enjoyed the ministry of the word and that her life has been transformed. At that instant, I told her that on my way back I would pass through Chandigarh and that I could drop by. Her innate response was, "Please come, Brother!" I reckoned that as the Lord's clarion call to visit Chandigarh.

A brother and I arrived late in the night in Chandigarh. The husband of that sister who initiated the visitation came to pick us up at the bus station. He then dropped us to a very nice hotel which he booked for our hospitality, and then took us to his home for dinner. It was over dinner fellowship that the couple testified to us all of how much blessed they were with the ministry of the word. Especially the sister who went on testifying her enjoyment of the Lord through the ministry books in Hindi. She quoted from the books, The All-inclusive Christ, The Glorious Church, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, and The Spiritual Man 3 Volumes. The brother also testified of how he emphasised on the inner life and cared life much more than work. To their fellowship we added that we should live and serve by the principle of life rather than the principle of the flesh. Isaac and Ishmael in the Bible were two examples we fellowshipped on. As the fellowship went on late into midnight we had to pause and decided to continue the following day.

Over the special breakfast sister prepared for us, we continued our fellowship on life and also introduced the ministry books the following day. As the fellowship went on, a good number of young people joined, and our fellowship took a new direction. I was burdened to help these precious young people with the word of God, therefore, we ministered the truths concerning The Ministry of Human Life, The Assurance, Security, and Joy of Salvation, The Precious Blood of Jesus, Calling Upon the Lord's Name, and encouraged all the young ones to live a life of loving the Lord in their young age, to read the Word, pray, and also be studious students to be a testimony among their friends and relatives.

We all sang their Hindi song together, taught them a new Hindi song, "We will sing to the Lord with our spirit," called upon the Lord's Name outloud together, and also prayed together. The presence of the Lord was so sweet and rich, they were so full of joy, and the brother even tried to offer "money" to us which we politely rejected and thanked him instead for his time, and also for the wonderful and lovely hospitality. We had to leave as we need to catch a bus for our way back home, so the brother dropped us to the bus stand. 

What a blessed time of fellowship we enjoyed in Chandigarh! May the Lord continue to work in them and recovery each one of them for His testimony in Chandigarh! 

Prayer for the Nation

1 Timothy 2:1-2I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity.

Our country being the largest democratic country in the world, the attention paid during the national election within and without was noteworthy. We just had an election and the result of the election garnered a mixed responses; some doubting the mishandling of EVM machines tampering it in favor of a certain party, while others were elated to the core of their party's thumping victory win in majority, yet others kept mum in owe of being shattered in their election dream. Only God knows the truth behind all deeds, He will righteously judge in His own time. 

This election was well followed and watched upon. Many prayer groups had been praying for this election, and prayed for the will of the Lord to be done. Though there was a hidden expectation within the people who prayed, as far as I know, we all prayed for God's will. The believers have an inclination towards a secular party as this election was fought on two ideologies: one, fundamental religious nationalist and the other, liberal secular nationalist. Keeping our opinions and views aside, the hard lesson learned was to accept the Lord's final decision. 

Many believers have fasted and prayed for 72 hours in the beginning of the election and repeated the same towards the end of election and before the counting and declaration of the results. The exercise was good and laudable, as the believers were united together to pray. For whatever matter, prayer is always good. Whatever the result was, still the believers have done their responsibility in prayer. Now that the results have come, we simply just thanked the Lord for His sovereignty. 

Now our responsibility is to exhort that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. Now, whoever party won, as a citizen my sole responsibility is to pray for the rulers that God would give them the wisdom to rule this country and pave the way for the intensified spread of the gospel of the Kingdom, for the salvation of the many unsaved, and for the raising up of His testimony all over the country. 

God bless India! India for Christ and the Church! 

A Surprise Meet

The Lord is the best planner; He knows when to plan, how to plan, and what to plan. More than five years ago a brother was introduced to me with whom I fellowshipped on the truth concerning Christ and the Church. I even gifted him a book, The Normal Christian Church Life, which he obliged to receive with a word of caution, "Only if the Lord leads me I will read," to which I replied back, "Read, only if the Lord leads you."

Few month later he called up to say that he read the book and understood the truth concerning the church and her local ground, one city one church. But he insisted that he was saved in a Christian group which he termed as "mother church" and he'd rather be faithful there. Well, I had no comment on that, but I let him know that he can fellowship with me any time for any matter.

Now and then, we had fellowship on different issues including his personal matters. But we hardly met face to face though we are in the same city. Two years ago we met in a brother's home in Uttrakhand. And this time, we met in Manali, far far away from the city we both dwell. 

Things have changed as he shared some of the things he had gone through in his life. We enjoyed a good time together in Manali. We even visited his wife's house in a village and considered the possibility of preaching the gospel house to house. As we spent time together, we also prayed for the Lord to save the people of Himachal Pradesh, especially the villagers of our brother's wife. One evening, we also met again in a Bible Study session at a church. A brother and I coordinated to share the truth on Christ and the church, and he became our translator from English to Hindi. This was an indication from the Lord that we all have to serve the Lord together in coordination. Our feelings and opinions have to be crucified at the cross and we should simply be blended together into the oneness of the Body of Christ. 

I also invited him to come over for a time of fellowship over a meal when we all get back to Gurugram. Perhaps, the Lord is preparing all of us to be blended and be builded up together. For this, he took us to the mountain for meeting and fellowship. This, for sure, is a surprise meet.

May the Lord recover each one of us for His testimony!

Paul Samuel

A brother whom I met about six years ago in Shillong and who has since then became so dear to me as a brother in Christ, who loves the Lord very much and the ministry of the word, gave me a surprise call on the 25th of this month, May 2019. The call was related to the Lord's special and miraculous gift of a baby boy on the same day morning. With much joy he said I was the first person he called to share the good news and requested me to name the baby boy. My innate reply was, "Praise the Lord!" And to his request for naming the baby boy, I told him it is his baby and he can name him what he feels best. But he requested that I pray about it and give him a name.

For five days I have been considering and praying regarding a brother's request. The Lord convicted me that if a brother has such a request, it must be from the Lord and it is an honor to honor the request of a dear brother. The more I prayed and considered, a light dawn on me concerning the need of the age and to give a name with this background.

In this church age in the midst of degradation, there is an urgent need for the New Testament ministry of building up the Body of Christ revealed through the apostle Paul. Therefore, Paul is a good choice of name with the present burden. The mystery of God, Christ, and the mystery of Christ, the church, was unveiled through brother Paul. And we need such ministry today to hasten the Lord's return to marry His bride, the built up church.

Beside, there is also a need for an absolute consecration to turn the age. As Hannah prayed for a son and lent it to God, a beloved son born to a brother also need such consecration. Therefore, the name Samuel is also a good name.

Though I have these names in mind, I did not call him nor texted him. My feeling was that if this be truly of the Lord, let it be confirmed. Till then, I will wait. Today, the same brother called me again asking if I have settled on any name for his son. It was then that I explained to him the meaning and spiritual significances of these two names and asked him to consider. But his immediate reply was, "Amen!" and requested me to send these names to him.

Later, I complied a collection of Bible verses and footnotes and sent it to him.

Paul Samuel: A Wonderful Name for a Beloved Son

Paul
Titus 1:1Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the full knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness.

Notes from the Holy Bible, Recovery VersionIt was according to the command of God and of Christ that Paul became an apostle. In his earlier Epistles he told us that he was an apostle through the will of God (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1). The command of God is a definite expression, a further direction, of the will of God.

Titus 1:1-3Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the full knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the times of the ages, But in its own times He manifested it as His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the command of our Savior God;

Notes from the Holy Bible, Recovery VersionPaul was an apostle according to four things:(1) the command of God (1 Tim. 1:1),(2) the promise of life (2 Tim. 1:1),(3) the faith of God’s chosen ones, and(4) the full knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness.
The command, on God’s side, speaks for Him and requires something of us for Him. Faith, on our side, responds to God’s requirements and receives His life. Faith is a proclamation that we are unable to fulfill God’s requirements but that God has done everything for us and that we receive what He has done. The life promised by God is what we have received of Him for the carrying out of His demand. It was in this way that Paul was an apostle to administrate God’s New Testament economy.

Titus 1:2In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the times of the ages.

Notes from the Holy Bible, Recovery VersionPaul was an apostle not only according to the faith and the knowledge of the truth but also in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised in eternity. This corresponds with according to the promise of life in 2 Tim. 1:1. In the hope of eternal life means on the basis of, on the condition of, relying on the hope of, eternal life. Eternal life, the uncreated life of God, is not only for us to partake of and enjoy today but also for us to inherit (Matt. 19:29) in its full extent for eternity. Today’s experience of eternal life qualifies us to inherit it in the future. The enjoyment of eternal life today is a foretaste; the inheritance of eternal life in the coming age and in eternity will be the full taste. This inheritance is the hope of eternal life (see note 73 in ch. 3).

Samuel
1 Samuel 1:20And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel, For, she said, I asked for him of Jehovah.

Notes from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version
Samuel: Meaning heard of God, or asked for of God.

1 Samuel 2:11And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to Jehovah before Eli the priest.

Notes from the Holy Bible, Recovery VersionSamuel was of the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-38) but was not of the house of Aaron, the family of the priests ordained by God. Samuel ministered to the Lord as one who was a priest not by birth but by the Nazarite Vow. At the time of Samuel the priesthood of the house of Aaron was utterly fallen. God, however, foresaw the situation. Besides His ordaining the house of Aaron to be the priests, He made a supplement—the Nazarite vow in Num. 6—in case there should be an inadequacy in the ordained priests. When the house of Aaron fell, this supplement was put into practical use. Samuel became a priest by being consecrated, separated, and lent to God (1:11, 28). See note 21 in Num. 6.

Manali: A Revisit

Manali, a famous tourist destination, has welcomed us again this time. We already came to this city and had a wonderful time of fellowship with two brothers. The same two brothers took care of us and made arrangement for various meetings this time too.

Meetings with Students 

One thing that impressed me most was the freedom of the gospel within the school premises. Students were educated with spiritual songs and Bible knowledge. Though I have witnessed prayer and singing of spiritual songs in many schools in different parts of India, this school has done a very good work in sowing the seed of the kingdom of God. I was told that the students here have memorised over fifty spiritual songs and a good number of Bible verses. On top of that, daily school devotion added to the further sowing of the divine seed.

This time we were invited to take devotion of two batches of students during our two days stay here. To a group of Class VIII to X students, I spoke on trusting God and working hard as students, and then prayed for them. And to a group of Class XI-XII students, I gave my testimony of tasting and experiencing God by believing into Jesus Christ and led them to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and God. Then, I also encouraged them to work hard as there is no substitute for hardwork with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Meeting with Hospital Staffs

A morning devotion time was also given to us to share the word and introduce the ministry books to the staffs, nurses, and doctors of a Christian run hospital. The person in authority invited us for sharing the word and opened the door for all staffs to received the ministry books. 

Meeting with a Local Church 

There is a group of believers who meets as a local church here in this city. We were invited to share the word in their Wednesday night Bible study. A brother and I fellowshipped and shared on Christ and the Church, the Christian life and the Church life. Our burden was to help the believers with the meaning of a Christian life which is enjoying and living Christ, and the issue of the enjoyment of Christ is the church life. 

Fellowshipping with Brothers 

We also enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with few brothers. It was a joy to hear the testimony of a brother who enjoyed the ministry so much. Listening to such a brother justified the time, money, and energy spent to come all the way to this hill station for the distribution.

A night of dinner fellowship with another brother on the truth concerning the oneness of the Body of Christ was so precious. We fellowshipped at length and in depth till late night releasing our burden, presenting from the types and prophesies in the Old Testament with the reality and fulfillment in the New Testament, concerning the oneness prayed for by the Lord in John 17 and the need to recover such oneness today. I also gifted to this brother two books on the church, The Assembly Life and The Orthodoxy of the Church, with a New Testament Recovery Version Bible.

Two brothers also invited us to their homes for fellowship. These two brothers married local sisters who are  also saved from gentile background. We got the taste and feel of the local Kulluvi life. Though many of the local people were not yet saved, the few who got saved are faithful to the Lord and are burdened for the salvation of the entire community. 

Praise the Lord for the believers in Manali! May the Lord recover His testimony in this city and save many local people.