Becoming Pillars

And he formed the two bronze pillars; eighteen cubits was the height of each pillar, and a line of twelve cubits encompassed each pillar. And he made two capitals of molten bronze to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the second capital was five cubits. There were nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals that were at the top of the pillars, seven for the one capital, and seven for the second capital. So he made the pillars; and there were two rows of pomegranates around the one network, to cover the capitals that were at the top of the pillars. And he did the same for the second capital. And the capitals that were at the top of the pillars in the portico were of lily work, four cubits in diameter. So then the capitals that were on the two pillars were above and close to the bulge that was beside the network. And there were two hundred pomegranates, in rows around both capitals. And he erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. When he erected the right pillar, he called its name Jachin; and when he erected the left pillar, he called its name Boaz. And at the top of the pillars was lily work. And the work on the pillars was completed. 1 Kings 7:15-22

Footnote from the Recovery Version on pillars. 

The two large pillars set up by Solomon in front of the temple were a striking feature of the exterior of the temple. In the Scriptures the pillar is a sign, a testimony, of God’s building (Gen. 28:18-19a, 22a; 1 Kings 7:15-22; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 3:12). That there were two pillars here (two being the number of testimony) indicates that these pillars stood as a testimony, like a signboard, of what God’s building is. The names of the two pillars (v. 21 and notes) testify that the Lord will establish His building (cf. Matt. 16:18) and that genuine strength is in the building (cf. Eph. 3:17-18). In typology, bronze signifies God’s judgment (Exo. 27:1-8; Num. 21:8-9; John 3:14). The temple’s two bronze pillars signify the Christ who was judged by God and who became the supporting strength of God’s dwelling on the earth (cf. Rev. 1:15 and notes 1 and 2). This Christ should be experienced by the believers in the church life and should be wrought into them to constitute them pillars to support God’s building. 

Footnote from the Recovery Version on Eighteen. 

Eighteen cubits (the height of each pillar — v. 15; 2 Kings 25:17) is half of three units of twelve cubits (the circumference of the pillar). The number three signifies the Triune God, and the number twelve signifies the mingling (multiplying) of the Triune God (three) with His creature man (four). It signifies further that this mingling is complete and perfect in God’s eternal administration (cf. note 12 2 in Rev. 21 and note 2 4 in Rev. 22). Thus, if we would be pillars as a testimony of God’s building, we must first judge ourselves under God’s judgment (bronze — Matt. 16:24; Gal. 2:20) and then be filled, saturated, and permeated with the Triune God. That each pillar is a half indicates that no matter how completely we are mingled with the Triune God, we are not complete in ourselves; we need others to match us (cf. note 16 1 in Exo. 26). 1K 7:15 3 each Lit., the one pillar…the second pillar. 

Footnote from the Recovery Version on capitals. 

The two bronze capitals covered the tops of the pillars. The total height of each capital was five cubits (v. 16; 2 Chron. 3:15), divided between the base (three cubits — 2 Kings 25:17) and the two bowls on top of each capital (2 Chron. 4:12). The number three here signifies the process of resurrection; the number two, a testimony (Deut. 17:6); the number five, the bearing of responsibility (see note 2 1 in Matt. 25); and the number ten (the combined height of the two capitals), fullness in bearing responsibility. The bowls were the glory, beauty, decoration, and crown of the capitals. They were covered with nets of checker work (like a trellis) and wreaths of chain work (v. 17). These signify the complicated and intermixed situation in which those who are pillars in God’s building (Gal. 2:9; Rev. 3:12) live and bear responsibility. Lilies were on the nets (v. 19), and two rows of one hundred pomegranates were on the wreaths (v. 18; 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chron. 3:16; 4:13). Lilies signify a life of faith in God (S.S. 2:1-2; Matt. 6:28, 30; Gal. 2:20), and pomegranates, having many seeds, signify the expression of the riches of the divine life. 

A life of faith that expresses the riches of the divine life is the issue of the experience of Christ’s crucifixion in and through the complicated and intermixed situation (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7-18). In spiritual significance, the bowls of the capitals are a testimony (two) indicating that those who place themselves under God’s judgment (bronze), counting themselves as nothing, are able to bear responsibility (five) in full (ten) and express the riches of the divine life (pomegranates) in the midst of a complicated and intermixed situation (the checker work and chain work) out of the process of resurrection (the base of the capitals, three cubits in height) because they do not live by themselves but by God (lilies). A believer who is a pillar as a sign of God’s building must bear the testimony of living by faith to bear responsibility and express the riches of life through the process of resurrection under the crossing out of the checker work and the restriction of the chain work. 

Last week I was freshly impressed by the truth concerning being a pillar in the temple of God. The picture of the two pillars in 1 Kings 7 is marvelous. It is indeed full of spiritual significances. The design is not merely for strength and beauty, much more it has many other minute detail that a believer has to experience in order to be established and strengthened to become a pillar to bear the Lord's testimony.

My burden for the week's prophesying was on being a pillar, for which I also release my burden. The Lord in His sovereignty also arranged many circumstances, to train and perfect us. As man, we were all created out of clay. From the time we believed into the Lord Jesus Christ, the divine life came into us. Since then growth and transformation began and is still going on. In this process of transformation, God allows all the necessary persons, matters, and things to touch our being. All our natural man that needs to be transformed has to to be transformed. For this, we have to be an open vessel, receiving the divine dispensing of the divine life in the midst of all the suffering caused by the circumstances the Lord put us in. Often these circumstances are hard to bear, yet they are needed. For it is only through such that our self, flesh, old man, and natural man will be crossed out and be fully be reconstituted with the divine life.

I very much appreciated the significance of nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work. Without a proper revelation, these complicated situationss may just be a nuisance and can become redundant experiences. But with the proper view, these are precious experiences of the cross for our transformation. In the midst of all the complications, one can turn to the Lord, apply the cross through the Spirit, and come out of the complication victoriously. The chain works also functions as a tool to restrict us in many areas of our lives with the view of gaining Christ and be transformed.

With much burden, I released my burden on the significance of the pillar and encourage all the saints who have been going through complicated situations to look to the Lord for grace and be established and strengthened to become pillars for the Lord's testimony.

Thank God, He is faithful to carry out His intention. Come what may, He will accomplish His will in me as I also open myself to Him, giving Him the full ground to do whatever He wants to do. He is the Alpha, He is also the Omega. What He started, he will complete it.

Lord, gain me fully for Your divine purpose. Gain me to be Your pillar along with other saints. Amen!

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: Bhopal

Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh has been in our hearts for a decade now. We had visited this city a couple of times fourteen years ago.  But so far, nothing solid as far as the Lord's testimony is concerned has been established yet. The ones we used to contact were too much into today's trend of Christianity. Therefore, I did not even have the heart to visit the same group. 

The Lord wanted to have a new beginning. Therefore, He gave us a contact from this year's Christian books exhibition in Chattisgarh. A brother who visited our store and purchased the ministry books was in contact with me. While planning for this city, I messaged and called him about our plan. He responded in a very positive way saying he would make an arrangement. Yet I did not contact him until we actually were to visit the city. The reason was, our contact in Ratlam had promised to make arrangements for our hospitality yet that did not work out. but a Christian leader was introduced instead who made all the practical arrangements for a one-day seminar with the Christian leaders in Bhopal, and not for the hospitality. I simply trusted the Lord that He would make the necessary arrangement in time.

Two days before we visited the city I called up the brother whom I met in Chattisgarh. He promised that he would give us hospitality. Meanwhile, I literally could not recognize him except that I had his number on my phone. While on the train from Ujjain to Bhopal, he called me and confirmed that  a hotel was booked and also sent a car to pick us up from the station. I was in awe as I could not recollect who this brother was. Initially, I thought he must be a Christian leader, but it appeared that he must have been a businessman. Anyway, we simply followed his message and phone call instructions.

When we arrived in the city, a car picked us up from the train station and dropped us at the hotel. He lodged us in a very nice hotel. After we cleaned up, had our lunch, we went to visit him by the car he sent to pick us up. Only when we were on the way, I finally could recognize who he was. He turned out to be a seeking brother who runs a business to serve the Lord. We were very impressed by his testimony in that he helps a good number of people for the sake of the gospel through his business. As we fellowshipped at his office, he and a few other brothers were so touched by the first burden we shared, "Calling upon the Lord's Name." In fact, we all called upon the Lord's name in his office and they all enjoyed it so much.

Later, he requested us to speak to the believers he has been shepherding online. While the three days and nights we stayed in Bhopal, we were given the opportunity to minister the word of God to the believers online, most of whom were new believers and brought to the Lord by these brothers.

Though we had a one day seminar with the pastors in the city, our burden was fully on the group of believers led by this brother. While we were in the city, we could minister to the group four times online. The messages released were very basic, giving them the view of God's plan and the pracdtical ways to fulfil God's plan through the life practices of calling upon the Lord's name, prayreading the word of God, seeking the Lord's will, etc.. They were so much shepherded, and the brothers became so open to us, to the extend that even after we left the city, they still requested us to minister to them online. Now myself and other brothers committed one day a week each to shepherd them, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays night.

The Lord brought us together in this visit. They are open, simple, and pure. Through the proper shepherding, the Lord will recover them for his testimony in Bhopal, and the places they have been laboring on, mostly in Betul. This is the new beginning the Lord is doing for his recovery in Bhopal.

May the Lord gain these brothers and all the believers with them for the establishment of His testimony in Bhopal!

Praise the Lord for the Lord's move in Bhopal! 

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: MHOW

Military Head of War, MHOW also called Mau was about an hour's drive from Indore. Through the contact from Ratlam, a key Christian leader invited us to minister to his congregation and then we exhibited the ministry books. An evening meeting was arranged in a British-era church building where we shared the word of God on God's plan and the need and way to fulfill it by our coming to the word of God daily was ministered. The anointing of the Lord was so rich as we ministered to the believers there. The Lord flowed out His timely speaking and the entire congregation was richly nourished. After the meeting, a good number of Christian came and fellowshipped with me, testifying how they were supplied by such a rich speaking. They even testified that they hardly received such a ministry in the past and the words ministered were very practical and very scriptural. In fact, two young brothers wanted to have more fellowship with me and requested me to include them in a WhatsApp group for the supply of the word of God.

We were given hospitality in a Christian group's campus after a dinner fellowship with the brother who hosted us. Besides all the hospitality, what impressed me most was the hunger and thirst the people had for the word of God esspecially among the young people. Now that the ministry books were distributed, we can only pray and look to the Lord for His hands to follow His words. Perhaps, one day, He will raise up a group of His chosen ones to take the stand for His testimony. 

The Lord had graced us to do all that he wanted us to do. Personally, I was very satisfied and thanked the Lord for all His sovereign arrangements.

Lord, bless Your move in MHOW!

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: Indore

Indore, the city I had the burden to visit for the ministry of the owerd literatrue distribution for many years now, was finally visited. Though the initial plan was to visit the city and meet different Christian leaders for the introduction of the ministry literature, the Lord had the best plan in place. We knew nobody in this city at the very fist place. We only had the burden to visit this city. On the day we planned to visit the city, there was a one day seminar already planned a year ago by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for a leasedership seminar. Our contacy in Ratlam introduced us to the key person of this seminar from whom we got a formal permission to exhibit the ministry literature.

The day we arrived the city we went straight to the venue of the seminar in a Roman Catholic premises. The key people already knew that we were coming and everything was arranged. We only set up the book table and exhibited the ministry books. The organiser, on seeing hte minstry books, requested a copy of all the English ministry books. And on a short while fellowhsip with him I felt that I should fellowship with him furhter. Therefore, after the exhibition, we visited him at his home for an afternoon fellowship.

Though we had a good exposrue to the  Christian leaders in the city with the ministry books, my heart was on the brother who was the key organiser. As we went to visit him, I felt led by the Lord to witness to him and his family of how the Lord led me from my young days. The burden to share my testimony started when he introduced his son who was praying and considering his career. I picked up the burden to encourage him to seek the Lord's will and shared my testimony of how I souhg the Lord's will and how the Lord led me all these years. The Lord anointed the sharing so much so that I flowed out my experiences in a way of ministering life. After the testimony, he asked us if we could stay over and speak to the congregation online, which we readily obliged.

In the online meeting, we shared on God's plan and the need to come to the word and receive the Lord's word day by day. We felt the anointing of the Lord richly as we minstered the word. After the meeting, we had a  dinner love feast with the family.

Thank the Lord, our burden for the city was released! The seeds have been sown and now may the Lord manifest in time through whom He would raise up His testimony.

Lord, bless Your move in Indore!

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: Ratlam

Ratlam was initially not in the plan for our distribution trip. While I was praying one evening with some brothers, I heard a voice with a name similar to the contact in Ratlam. Right after the prayer, I called up the number. To my surprise, the conversation I had was as though he had made all the plans for us and I just needed to confirm it. Besides, he also proposed a day of the seminar at his place and that he would make all the necessary arrangements.

On the 19th Oct, a one-day seminar was arranged for the exhibition and distribution of the ministry books. Our key contact has made all the necessary arrangements and we spoke on three main burdens:

The Christian Life: Purpose

The Christian Life: Growth

The Christian Life: Goal

The Lord's sovereign arrangement was beyond description. He gave us an older brother the day of the seminar, Brother Watchman Nee was introduced in detail together with us. As we spoke, the Lord anointed our words and many of the attendants were touched as they came and fellowshipped with us about their feeling about the seminar.  In one go, we could meet the key Christian leaders without us having to visit many Christian leaders.

In the night, the Christian leaders took us for a dinner love feast when we had a brothers' fellowship. The eldest among them was the key brothers who took the initiative to make all the practical arrangements. Besides, he also gave us the key contact people in other cities or towns we were to visit.  Our responsibility was to cooperate with the moving Triune God and move in His move.

Now having given the ministry books, we pray that the Lord would recover His testimony on th ground of oneness soon!

Lord, bless Your move in Ratlam!

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: Ujjain

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been pursuing the truths and praying with a brother from Ujjain. In our prayer, the Lord burdened us to pray for His testimony to be raised up in Ujjain too, and also for His move all over Madhya Pradesh. The burden that began with his mother's salvation developed into a burden for the whole state. Last month, the burden took a new shape and we prayed specifically for the literature distribution trip.

One lawyer from Ujjain became an initiator for the visit to different parts of Madhya Pradesh surrounding Ujjain as he knew most of the Christian leaders in the Malwa region, being a local himself. Thereby, with his suggestion, we boiled down to seven cities or towns for the distribution-Ujjain, Dewas, Dhar, Nagda, Indore, MHOW, and Bhopal. Later, in my prayer time, I had the leading to call a brother from Ratlam who has been reading the ministry books since January 2020. On calling him up, more light was shed as he himself made arrangements for Ratlam, and more practical arrangements for the distribution in the other cities and towns as well.

Thus, the plan was made, and prayer burdens were sent out.  A brother serving in Rhema and I executed the plan. On the 16th of Oct, we arrived at Ujjain and began the distribution. We spent two Lord's days in the city. The first Lord's day was spent for books exhibition at Masih Mandir on their 75th-anniversary celebration, and the second Lord's day was spent with a Christian group whose pastor we met the day before the Lord's day. 

Among all the Christian leaders we met in Ujjain this brother stood out and we had a very good feeling within us to fellowship with him further. In fact, while listening to his testimony how the Lord called him from Tamilnadu to come to Ujjain and how he lived and served by faith, starting from nothing, and now established a  Hindi speaking congregation impressed me so much. I had a strong feeling within to cancel any other appointment on that Lord's day in order to spend time with him. Even as I considered so, he also invited us to minister the word the following Lord's day. Therefore, on the Lord's day, we visited his congregation and ministered the word of God, and fellowshipped with him over lunch. I believe this brother would enjoy the Lord's grace to take the stand on the ground of oneness for His testimony in Ujjain one day.

Though we met other Christians who purchased the ministry books and the Recovery Version Bible, my inner feeling was so positive for this brother and his group. I even fellowshipped with the brother in Ujjain to fellowship with this group of Christians until the local church is raised up whether through the same group or other. 

By the way, I could also testify and minister to the mother of my brother who hosted us in Ujjain. Though she was deeply rooted in her religious belief, she gave us good hospitality. We prayed for her salvation and the Lord's spirit to move in the family.

Lord, gain Your testimony in Ujjain!

When Nature Obeys

On the 17th Oct, Lord’s day, morning as I woke up, the weather was cloudy and drizzling. It was a perfect weather to spend the day. But we had to exhibit the ministry books outside the largest and oldest Christian meeting hall as we were granted permission to do so in their 75th anniversary celebration. As we were heading toward the venue for the exhibition, I prayed to the Lord that though the weather was pleasant it was not conducive for our books exhibition. I prayed that it should not rain and that it should shine for the sake of the ministry books exhibition. I prayed by faith that it should not rain.

As we reached the venue, still there was no sign of sunshine at all. But by faith we started arranging tables and displayed the books right outside the meeting hall of the church. From morning till afternoon I was standing with the books, exhibiting, explaining, selling, and distributing the ministry books. The Lord answered my simple prayer and it never rained as long as I stood with the books exhibiting. It was bright sunshine, a good number of believers came and saw the books, some purchased the books, and I was more than satisfied for this opportunity to be able to exhibit the ministry books in the heart of Ujjain city. 

In the afternoon when we finished exhibiting, the weather changed to a gloomy sky again. I knew it would rain. The duration for which I asked God to stopped that rain was over. All our work for the day was done. As soon as we finished  packing and was ready to leave, it started drizzling again. Then we could enjoy a pleasant  weather after all our day's work.

When we are one with God in His move, nature is under our control as much as we are under God's control. As Christians, we must always be in oneness with God in His move. All things will then fall in line. All are under God's control. 

Yes, when we obey God, nature obeys us too. For we are for God and nature is for God too. Amen.