The Ministry of the Word Literature Journey to Bokaro

The four days in Bokaro city was initiated due to a big Christian meeting called Prayer Festival of the Jesus Calls. We attended such a meeting for displaying the ministry books. Such meetings are crucial to introduce the ministry books to thousands of seeking believers who thronged the meeting. This time, the attendance ranged from about 10,000 on the first day to 30,000 on the final day. Though majority of the attendants were seeking for healing and some miraculous blessings, there were also a minority group of believers who sincerely sought for the truth of the word of God. For this small group of seekers, it was worth the price we paid to come to attend this meeting.

Initially we had no one who could help us in this city, not even an address to send the ministry books first, as all the contacts at hand turned down the request for help. But as a brother was googling online for "church in Bokaro," a name and a phone number was listed. On contacting that number, the brother surprisingly was very cooperative and took all the pain to receive the books and made arrangement for us in the city.

This brother has become a key contact and helper to make all the practical arrangements for our distribution. His testimony too was very impressive. He was saved while contemplating suicide due to his kidney and liver problem which cost his family their ancestral property and many other expenses. But all the pains and troubles led him to the Lord and now he is serving the Lord according to his capacity. On the Lord's day, he invited us for a breakfast at his home, then to the Lord's day meeting at his home too where he requested me to minister the word. Looking at the believers, the Lord burdened me to share on three burdens:

Loving God

And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; Deuteronomy 10:12

As I ministered the word on loving the Lord, I also shared how the Lord attracted and charmed me with His love that caused me to love Him and consecrate my life to Him. Then, I gave an example from Matthew 26:6-13 of loving the Lord and pouring out the best and all that we have to the Lord who is worthy of such noble deed from His lovers.

Loving God's Word

As one who loves the Lord, he will also love His word. Reading the Bible is not a thing of duty but a thing of beauty to enjoy our beloved's words of love. Using the gospel of John, chapter 6, I expounded that the word of God is the bread of life who is the Lord Himself good for food as the reality of the ancient Manna. Then I encouraged all the saints to read the Bible everyday, even to read through the Bible at least once a year.

Believing and Claiming God's Word

In my fellowship with them I also discovered that all of the saints present there have unsaved family members. Therefore, I fellowshipped with them on believing and claiming the Lord's word in Acts 16:31.

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

Dhanbad
I also planned to visit a nearby city Dhanbad, but due to the upcoming propagation in my locality I had to cut short my trip by omitting Dhanbad. But during the exhibition, the Lord brought a seeking brother who is also an Asst. Professor in Dhanbad. When I introduced the Recovery Version to him he was so impressed and purchased a copy right away. Besides, he was very attracted by the truths presented in the ministry books which he purchased them. The following two evenings he also brought his friends and sister to come and purchase the Bible and books. He became a key contact in Dhanbad.

Besides, some seekers from Rourkela, Odisha and Kolkatta, West Bengal were also gained through the ministry books exhibition. Praise the Lord for His move in Jharkahnd and other parts of North India!  

The Ministry of the Word Literature Journey to Ranchi

A brother who has been working in Bokaro has been so burdened for the raising up of the Lord's testimony in the city. He has done his bit by contacting different Christian groups and identifying the seekers. It was through his invitation last year that a plan was made to visit him alongside our distribution trip nearby his city. Out of his own burden he hosted us in his house and took us around to meet some of the people he had already marked out.

A Pastor who was also from a Brahmin background was so interested as we introduced the ministry books. Out of his hunger and thirst he asked questions which opened the door for our fellowship. Book by book, we introduced the ministry books, and every book we introduced he requested them for purchase. He was so happy that we met him as he was seriously seeking the truth. 

Another Pastor was also so impressed when we fellowshipped on a note from the gospel of Luke from the Recovery Version. With that as an opening, we introduced a couple of other books which attracted him. After the introduction, he placed order to purchase all the books we have selected and grouped them in sets, both by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee in English,  and 15 titles of Hindi books, with the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

Fishermen Bible Study

We were invited to minister the word to a group of seekers who meets weekly as "Fishermen Bible Study" group. We ministered the truth concerning the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and the need for growth in life by breathing, drinking, and eating the Lord through the word. Since some young students were present, I was personally asked to share on my testimony which I did willingly and encouraged all the young people to love the Lord and pursue Him in the word.

Another group meeting was arranged with the house owner and his family at our host's home. As we began the meeting with singing a hymn on the experience of Christ, the burden within was to minster a basic truth to help them touch and experience the Lord by breathing, drinking, and eating the Lord. 

Another informal meeting with a Pastor and a brother was also arranged where I was asked to expound on the church as revealed in the Bible. I spend over an hour's time to use relevant scripture verses to give a clear picture of Christ and the church. I also had an open and frank fellowship with a brother who is living separately from his wife due to differences in lifestyle, opinion, and belief. Overall, the Lord blessed the visit to Ranchi. 

In my understanding, there are five family that have been contacted regularly. May the Lord raise up the church in Ranchi soon! 

Life Lessons: Missed Train

On the 20th January I was to board a train from Delhi to Ranchi for the first ministry of the word literature journey for the year. Peacefully I was preparing for the trip but I could not accomplish a very important official task of preparing and submitting office budget for the year 2020. For some reasons or the other, the different serving ones could not submit their work report and plan on time so I could not compile together the final budget. My plan B was to take a laptop in my trip and finalise the budget while on the tour. So I made all preparation ready for the journey.

I stared from home well on time, but the cab I booked took me on a round about way besides the traffic snarl due to the Republic Day celebration in the capital city in a week's time. When I finally reached the train station, Hazrat Nizammudin, I could not find my train number displayed on the board. As I rechecked my ticket, I discovered to my surprise that my train would depart from another station nearby, New Delhi station. I just had 30 minutes then, to catch the train at the other station. An auto driver agreed to drive me within the time available. He did his best to drive as fast as he could except that he could not jump the traffic light nor could he drive through the heavy traffic due to re-routing of traffic for the upcoming national event at the national capital. Finally, when I arrived at the train station, the train had left as I was late by 15 minutes. I had not choice but to return back home and book a flight ticket for the next day.

This incident was quite enlightening in at least two aspects. Firstly, I got to be careful and clear about my travel plan in timing and stations as there are about five stations in New Delhi itself. Secondly, I cannot keep it on hold an important office task and I must not take the risk of doing such an important task with some other tasks while on a tour. I believe that for these two reasons the Lord interfered in my schedule and set me right.

With the new itinerary, I could very well and wonderfully compiled and submitted the office budget for 2020, and at the same time I could still accomplish the literature tour on time as I took a flight the next day afternoon itself. The time that would have been spent on the train was now saved just by taking a flight of less 2 hours journey which otherwise would be about 17 hours. Even in this missed train, the Lord worked out the best for me. What a lesson! The Lord is sovereign in all things seen and unseen.

Prophesying Indeed!

It was on the 12th January, Lord's Day, that I prophesied in the prophesying meeting of the church in Gurugram concerning the need to be constituted with the word of God. It was when I released the burden on "Carrying Out the Stewardship of  God for the One New Man" that the Spirit led me to prophesy concerning a sister who was deciding to go back for job after her short-term training. I followed the Lord's leading within me and called named her out and openly encouraged her to continue her training and complete the two-years full-time training. It came as a shock to her and her mother who was also present at the meeting. In fact, the whole church amen such a word to a young sister who just completed her secular studies. The Lord's speaking was very clear.

Later, after the meeting, the mother came and fellowshipped with me about their real situation that made it difficult for her daughter to continue her training. Her husband just lost his job and they were stuck up with a pending loan to payback for their house construction, and despite trying many alternatives, the only solution seemed to be her daughter to work and support the family's need. So it was the circumstance that stopped her daughter from continuing the training. 

My innate reply and fellowship to the sister was that if her daughter has the heart for the training the Lord will open the way. And I further fellowshipped that if finance was the only issue, in fellowship with the church, her daughter can be supported by the church. But I definitely encouraged a young sister to join the training even as I would with my own daughter. I even gave a testimony of my own younger sister whom I encouraged to join the training after her Master's degree. After the training she got into one of the prestigious universities of India and completed her M.Phil. and PhD, and right after her academic pursuit, she got an Asst. Professor job, got married, and is now a working sister and a mother. The time invested for the full-time training was never a waste. In fact, it was the best "life-time investment!" When our hearts are for the Lord, the Lord will open all the ways. Then, both mother and daughter said they would consider the fellowship I had with them.

The following day, they came and fellowshipped that they would take the way of joining the full-time training. Then all necessary fellowships were done with the local churches involved, the church in Trivandrum and the church in Gurugram, and also with few other brothers and the training center. 

Yesterday, the 29th Jan, this sister came back to join the full-time training. May the Lord grace her to complete the training and be trained and perfected to become useful vessel to the Lord. This experience was indeed a prophesying.

Pathway of Truth

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105

The word of God is my path and it shall ever be. The word in its written form which has been interpreted through the ministry of the word has been my path since the time the Lord saved me. His words have been leading, guiding, instructing, and feeding me all this while. Through His words I have been trained and being perfected day by day. 

Last night I had a dream which seemed mysterious initially but as I considered carefully, I understood the meaning and thanked the Lord for His revelation. In the dream, there was a long and difficult path that I and other brothers have been traversing. Though the path seems long, rough, and dangerous with its many steep slopes, the pathway perfectly leads to a distant destination. On account of traversing frequently, we, the brothers, have been very acquainted with the pathway.

Then I saw in my dream, a huge flood of water like sea waves overflowing the entire landscape. On the top of the sea of cloudy flood and thunderous storm, a group of mysterious looking precious stones hanging in the sky dropped down one by one until nothing was left and the sky became clear. What all remained was just storm and flood of water covering the the pathway I used to tread. Now, the pathway became invisible as it was fully covered by stormy flood.

Then a group of brothers, two of them leading on the front and the others followed by, all of them at peace and sweetly fellowshipping as they walk along the the invisible pathway as they were all sure of the path, though covered by flood. I could vividly identify some of them. Those on the front, one of them, Samson Samuel, and some among them who followed along were Enoch V, Jacob George, Shibin Matthew, Joshua Murali, Benny, and others. They all walked on the pathway, though invisible, without any fear or doubt. As they walked along amidst the stormy flood, it seemed as though they were walking on the sea, for the path they took were solid yet invisible.

As I pondered on the mysterious sight I beheld, I woke up. For a while I wondered what the dream could have been. It took me not much time to understand the interpretation of the dream.

The dream is about the pathway of the truth, the way carved out by the ministry of the word. As one is constituted with the truth, the truth itself becomes the pathway. This pathway is solid and firm. Those who tread in it do so with full assurance, with much joy and peace and rest. No matter what happens, even under stormy situation when the whole world is engulfed by scary thunder and fearful flood, those who know the word of God and walk in it will peacefully pass through difficult situations at difficult times as though walking on the sea.

I was thus comforted and felt blessed that the ministry of the word has been my pathway. I simply must enjoy and follow the ministry. I must even be constituted with the ministry to be my pathway and my way of living. Come what may, the word of the Lord, my pathway, will lead me on and on unto my destination. 

New Beginning

So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17   

The new year 2020 has been a new beginning indeed. From day one, everything seems to become new at least as far as I am concerned, especially, in my personal spiritual experiences. The change of year has brought in a drastic change in my living and function. Some crucial items I have been wanting to implement in my life the previous years were systematically falling in place this new year. The Lord also moves behind the scenes and works out all things good for me. So far, I have been very thankful to the Lord for this new beginning, and I trust the Lord will continue to grace me to have this new life, new living, new beginning throughout the years, even all the days of my life.

In Shepherding

The Lord has been gracing me, beginning this year, to have a morning revival time with three brothers. One in the morning with prayer, then another one over the phone during lunchtime, and the other one also during lunch break, over the phone. On the one hand, these brothers have been shepherded and yet, on the other hand, I have been very much shepherded too. Each time, I could spend 10-30 minutes with these brothers on a regular basis. My function in the church, mostly in the shepherding of the saints and my own enjoyment of the Lord has increased a lot. Praise the Lord for His grace!

In Function

The Lord gave me, perhaps, he revealed to me with whom I have to coordinate in my specific function in the church. A brother and I started to pray, pursue, fellowship, and shepherd the new ones together since this year's beginning. As we coordinate to pray and fellowship together to take care of new ones, we ourselves are being shepherded very richly.

New Service

A new service was allotted to me; the Young People Service of the church. I used to have a burden for the young ones, yet my burden had diminished for years, as I have been functioning more on the community and working saints. When this burden came to me in fellowship, it was rather a shocking assignment to me. But later, I realized the Lord wanted me to specifically function in this area of the church life. Honestly, I do not consider myself worthy nor do I have any confidence that I will be able to help the young people. Moreover, my burden to date has been more on the working saints.

I began this service by prayer and received this burden as it is from the Lord. My goal in serving young people is to shepherd them even to join the full-time training. At the moment, there are nine young people in the church life. Each of them needs a special care; to begin with, by prayer and then to shepherd them one by one and one on one.

My first action in serving the young people was in prayer and studying the booklet, "How to Lead the Young People".  Then I invited them to my home for a love feast dinner and fellowshipped with them on "loving the Lord", giving them a vision of how precious their youth life is, and encouraged all of them to read the Bible daily, even to read through the Bible this year.

New Ones and New Homes

Beginning this year, some new ones that I could hardly contact them started contacting me. They became so open that I could start meeting them, pray with them, and visit them at their homes. Surely, the Lord is behind the scene in all these. May the Lord grace me to be a faithful and diligent servant and steward.

A man should account us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

May the Lord preserve me in His newness to faithfully carry out His new commission and blessing.  

New Year Goal 2020

As the church when we gathered together on the 31st night for fellowship and prayer, and also on the 28th Dec 2019 in the church service fellowship, the Lord gave us a clear direction for the going on of the church in 2020. The following are the burdens and goals for the coming new year.

INCREASE AND MULTIPLE

And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem(Gurugram) multiplied greatly, and a large number of the priests obeyed the faith. Acts 6:7

One of the key burdens for the increase and multiplication of the saints' enjoyment of Christ and also for the increase in number of the saints meeting regularly. The increase in number to be achieved in two phases: 

New District:  Increase one new district by June 2020

Increase in Saints Meeting Regularly: Each saint bear at least one remaining spiritual fruit and increase the number of regular saints to 100 by Dec 2020.

PRAYER

The practical way to gain such an increase in multiplication is by prayer.  So the burden on prayer was released. 

Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4

We trumpeted the burden to strengthen the saint's daily prayer life; personally, as a family, and even as the church. For this we encouraged the saints to have a Daily Prayer--Personal, Family, Companion,  and attend regularly the Weekly Church Prayer Meeting

GOSPEL PREACHING and SHEPHERDING 

The prayer life has to be followed by going forth to preach the gospel, and as we are blessed with new believers, they have to be shepherded in their homes in the home meetings.

For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:16

But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children. 1 Thessalonians 2:7

For practicality, we encouraged this burden of Regular Gospel Preaching by all the Saints and Shepherding in homes and small groups to the extent that every saint is shepherding and is being shepherded.

TRUTH PURSUING

There is also an urgent need for the saints to be constituted with the healthy biblical truths.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

So we encouraged all the saints to have a Daily Bible Reading with the goal of reading through the Bible in 2020 again as the Lord graced us in 2019.

Besides, we also encouraged all the saints to have a Daily Morning Revival and daily pursuing of the truth through the ministry of the word. Since the recently concluded winter training and the Lord's up-to-date speaking is on the book of Deuteronomy, we have the goal to pursue the Life-study of Deuteronomy, 30 messages in Jan and Feb 2020 as a preparation for the video training by Feb.

And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart, praising God and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

May the Lord bless our goal and grace us to achieve it.