Introduction of the Holy Bible Recovery Version

Two whole days, 18 and 20 Dec, I spent with the brothers in Aizawl to meet with the key Christian leaders in Mizoram whose head quarters are located in Aizawl. A brother who has been serving as a distributor for the ministry books in Mizoram had made all the necessary appointments.

As Christian brothers, we were welcomed wherever we went and whomever we met. We met with the leaders of the following Christian groups:

• Salvation Army
• Baptist
• Presbyterian 
• Pentecostal
• Holy Church 

The Lord gave me the timely word to speak to all the Christian leaders I met. As I introduced the Recovery Version, the anointing of the Spirit was richly felt; He gave the proper utterance, the right verses to quote, and the striking footnotes to show. All Christian leaders we met were so impressed by the two significant features of the Recovery Version; accuracy in translation from the original Hebrew and Greek and the 15,000 extensive footnotes that serves as study notes. Along with the English Bible, I also introduced the upcoming Mizo New Testament Recovery Version. One manager of a Baptist book room purchased 100 Holy Bible, Recovery Version, 50 leather-bound and 50 hardbound. Other Christian leaders have promised to bring it to their committee meeting for the final order.

The Mizo Bible has resulted in the gospelization of the entire Mizo population. The Mizo Recovery Version will result in the churchization of the Mizos. Only the Lord can do this through His living Word. 

May the Lord bless the Mizo speaking Christians with His timely and living Word.

Home Meeting at My Classmate's Home

One of my high school classmates has become the first woman to clear Mizoram Police Service and now has been posted as the second-in-command of the Mizoram Armed Police. She has been revived by the Lord a few years ago and since then she has been an ardent lover of the Lord Jesus Christ.

While I was in Aizawl, she invited me over to her home for dinner. There I went along with three saints to fellowship with her and some of her Christian partners. Initially, I was only on a listening mode to listen to what she had to say or her friends she invited had to say. After listening to them, I had the leading within to share my portion as well.

I shared on the leading by the Lord’s presence with His pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night; the leading by the Spirit during normal times signified by the day and the leading by the Word of God during hard times and dark nights signified by night. This led me further to testify on my own experiences of Christ in my academic career, God’s calling, marriage, and serving in the ministry.

We had a wonderful time together, feasting on Mizo cuisine, and also prayed for the whole family. I also gifted my classmate with The Orthodoxy of the Church, Raising Up the Next Generation for the Church Life, and a couple of Rhema Set 1 in Mizo.

I introduced her to a sister in Aizawl for the follow-up shepherding, and the Christian partnership team she was associated with, to a brother in the church life.

I have the faith that the Lord’s hand would follow his speaking and pray that she and her whole household would be shepherded into the church life in Aizawl.

Lord, bless my classmates' family along with her friends.

Fellowship with the Saints in Aizawl

On the Lord's day, 19 Dec 2021, I attended the Lord's Table Meeting at Aizawl. It was such a blessed time to fellowship with the saints by partaking of the same bread and wine. It reminded me of the first time I broke the bread with the saints in 2007. It was their first meeting after being recovered into the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Since then, they have been in fellowship with the whole Body in the Lord’s recovery. Looking back, it has indeed been the faithfulness of the Lord that has preserved His testimony in Aizawl. The saints have thus been constituted with the truths and have grown so much in life. 

After the bread breaking meeting, the saints gathered together for a time of fellowship on the word of God. Though it was meant for the young people, the saints also attended the fellowship. The main burden the Lord gave me to release was on "the presence of the Lord" using verses from Exodus on Moses' conversation with God.

“Now therefore if I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know now Your ways, that I may know You, so that I may continue to find favor in Your sight. Consider also that this nation is Your people. And He said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. And he said to Him, If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:13-15, RecVer)

The burden released was on the need to be in the presence of the Lord all the time. As Christians, we need to seek the perfect will of the Lord in every matter great or small. For the young people, they must consecrate their life to the Lord; their academic career, future job, and even marriage. I released the burden with my own testimony in my studies, in serving the Lord, in my marriage, and in my recent ministry journey to Madhya Pradesh and North East India. 

I had the peace from the Lord to encourage the saints to pray for the upcoming proofreading work of the New Testament Recovery Version Bible in Mizo, and to read through the Holy Bible at least once in a year and also read through the Mizo New Testament with the footnotes after it is printed.

Later, some saints testified of how the Lord has spoken to them through the fellowship. This was indeed their timely need. 

In a similar manner, the fellowship with two brothers' family at their homes for a dinner also resulted in enjoying the Lord’s timely speaking. 

When we are one with the Lord, He speaks His word in the most timely way. We should always be exercised to be one with the Lord in our living and let the Lord live in and through us.

Mizo Proofreading Preparation

Since the recovery of the church life in Aizawl, the Lord has been blessing the church in a marvelous way. Though the saints have been struggling spiritually and physically, the Lord has been faithful to supply all their needs and grace them on and on. Three sister have been consecrated to serve the lord full-time in the literature service, especially in the translation of the New Testament Recovery Version into Mizo. By the Lord's mercy, the translation has been completed and checking has been going on. The final proofreading work is due on January 2022. It is for this that I came to Aizawl to do the preparatory work.

On the 17th Dec after the prayer and fellowship with the core team for the proofreading work, I inspected all the work that needed to be done. We have done 90% of the work needed and a few things have to be finalized, which the serving one will accomplish them in the following days. By far, I am satisfied with the coordination and preparation.

In the evening we had dinner lovefeast for the volunteers. Then I had a time of fellowship with all those who registered for the proofreading work in Mizo. Three specific points the Lord burdened me to fellowship with them were:

Vision: Everyone need to have a clear vision of the need for the New Testament Recovery Version in Mizo which is for the sake of the Lord's move among the Mizo speaking people. When the Mizo Bible first came, it was for the evangelization or gospel preaching to the Mizos. Now, that most of them have become Christians, there is a need for growth and building of the believers with the proper and healthy teaching of the word of God. For this, there is a need for the accurately translated and properly interpreted word of God, the Recovery Version can meet this need.

Consecration: Having seen the vision, there is a need for the serving ones to consecrate themselves to carry out the vision. The children of Israel consecrated themselves for the building of the temple in Jerusalem because they knew it was for God's purpose and God also gave them a willing heart. Therefore, I called upon the saints to consecrate for the Lord's work and even pay the price to meet the Lord's need. This consecrate requires minimum two weeks of their time and be one with the serving ones to carry out the work.

Coordination: Finally, to practically carry out the Lord's work, there is a need for coordination. Otherwise the vision seen nor the consecration would yield no result. All the detail instructions have to be carried out as instructed just as the children of Israel built the temple as Jehovah instructed them.

After releasing these burdens, I gave time for any clarification, should there be any. Following this, I encouraged a leading brother and the translators to share words of encouragement, and then we concluded it with prayer.

May the Lord bless the proofreading exercise and bring out the New Testament Recovery Version in Mizo.

Brothers Fellowship In Shillong

For over a year, I have been praying with some brothers in the church in Shillong. The Lord has been faithful to begin to answer the prayers for the saints. This time, He arranged a time of fellowship with all the brothers in Shillong. Though the fellowship was planned I really did not know what to speak, how to lead, and what the burden of the fellowship should be. But I simply trusted in the Lord's presence who is the leading.

Once all the brothers came together, the Lord led me to begin the fellowship by prayer and hymns singing. We first sang Hymn 904.  Stanza four described best the very purpose of our visit to the brothers and the fellowship we had with them.

I dwell with the King for His work,

The work, it is His and not mine;

He plans and prepares it for me

And fills me with power divine.

So duty is changed to delight,

And prayer into praise as I sing;

I dwell with my King for His work

And work in the strength of my King.

Then, as we were about to finish the singing, the Lord led me to pray-read Bible verse together with all the brothers. So we pray-read Ephesians 4:

  1 I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

  2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love,

  3 Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.

Then, we fellowshipped on the need to keep the oneness by being filled with God who is the oneness. The practical way to be filled with God is by being filled with the word who is spirit and life. And further ministered on John 17, the oneness in the name of God, through the word of God, and in the glory of God. We also encouraged the brothers to receive help from the ministry which can enable them to enjoy the word and build them up together.

Then, there were responses from the brothers about their enjoyment of the fellowship. I was very encouraged to hear the brothers' sharing on how much they have been helped by the fellowship and the ministry. Deep within me, I had the confirmation that the Lord has accomplished the very purpose for which they brought us to Shillong. Finally, we enjoyed singing together Hymn 1081 on John 17 which was followed by lovefeast dinner.

The burden this time has been released and the goal accomplished. Now, the Lord will work in the brothers and gain them all for His testimony!

Lord, bless the church in Shillong!

Meetings in Shillong

On the 12th Dec, a brother and I arrived Shillong early morning after an overnight journey from Dimapur. A brother received us at the bus stand in Polo Ground. This time, a senior and leading brother was no longer there to receive us as he had gone to be with the Lord. But the Lord has raised up younger brothers to bear the responsibilities of the church.  After a few hours' rest, we attended the first combined Lord's Table Meeting of the church in Shillong after the pandemic. 

While on our way to Shillong, a brother and I were considering what to minister on the Lord's day meeting. I had no clue which specific burden we need to release. I told my brother that he should minister the word first and I would follow him and continue his burden. My only preparation was prayer and to follow my brother's burden. 

When my brother released the word on the need on abiding in the vine from John 15, the Lord gave me the burden to continue to minister on abiding in the Lord. On the practical subjective side, I continued to minister the need to treasure the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord was richly present with me as I ministered on the presence of the Lord. I also testified of how the Lord's presence led us in all our ministry journey.

In the second session, we ministered on the practical way to enjoy the Lord's presence through the Spirit and the word of God. I released my burden on helping the saints to read the Bible every day and gave an introduction to the Holy Bible, Recovery Version with footnotes. Thus our burden for the saints was released.

In the evening, we visited a brother's family whose father has been an ardent reader of the ministry books. In our fellowship we came to realize that he has been in touch with the present Chief Minister of Meghalaya and that he was being invited for a meeting. Therefore, we feel good to gift the Holy Bible, Recovery Version to the CM. A few days later, he indeed gifted the Bible with a brief introduction on the Recovery Version.

In the same night, we also visited a family whose father went to be with the Lord last year and with whom I had been in contact since the first time I came in touch with the saints in Shillong. In our fellowship, the translation of Rhema books into Khasi was considered and a sister was willing to pick up the burden and bring out the ministry books into Khasi.

In all these meetings, we enjoyed the Lord's rich presence and His timely speaking. May the Lord's hand follow His words and bless His testimony in Shillong.

Ministry of the Word Literature Journey: Nagaland, Kohima

“And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told to you concerning all the things which have been appointed to you to do.” (Acts 22:10, RecVer)

Update: Day 4 (9 Dec 2021)

From Dimapur to Kohima, as we prayed and enjoyed the morning revival; this was the verse the Lord spoke to us. Rise up and go into Damascus(Dimapur/Kohima), and there it will be told to you concerning all the things which have been appointed to you to do.” We came to Kohima not knowing what to do actually, we came just following the inner anointing of the Lord.

Meeting Br. K---- and Br. T---------, two local brothers, was such a joy as we have been praying for this city. 

We could visit three Bible colleges where we were warmly welcomed by the Principals and Deans though we had no appointment. They gave us time to hear us out and even arranged meeting to address the Bible teachers and students. After every speaking, the responses we got were overwhelming. Each of them received the ministry literature and purchased the Holy Bible, Recovery Version.

Holy Bible, Recovery Version for the CM

In one Bible college, a student who approached us for the Bible happened to be one of the relatives of the then Chief Minister of Nagaland. Therefore, we deemed it best to gift the Holy Bible, Recovery Version to the CM through that student. In fact, while in Dimapur as we drove by the CM's house, we just wished that if such leader could get hold of the truths it would have been wonderful. The Lord even fulfilled our "little wish" right away and opened the door to fulfill that wish.

May the hand of God follow the word of God, the Bible, to the CM and all the cabinet ministers and the leaders of Nagaland!

May Ngaland indeed be for Christ and the church!

In the evening, we had a lighter moment of enjoying Kohima's festive carnival where we dined on traditional Naga meal with Br.T--------- in our midst.

Praise the Lord for all these sowings!

Pray for the Lord’s presence and His continual leading and speaking.

Update: Day 5 and 6 (10-11 Dec 2021)

The Lord led us to the key Christian groups and leaders in the city. Though we did not know any one before nor made an appointment, the leaders welcomed our walk-in visit. We could introduce the ministry literature to each one of them, the Angamis, Sumis, and other tribes leaders. Everyone of them received the ministry books for the English readers in their congregation and the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. One group ordered the entire set of Life-study for the church library. Our whole day was spent meeting different groups.

In the evening, Br. K---- and Br. K------- invited us for a dinner love feast at their home in Jotsoma where we enjoyed a delicious home cooked organic food. The Christian love and care was so shepherding especially in the land we have been praying for.  We were so shepherded even by Aunty's encouraging words and prayers for us. After sharing testimony and mass prayers we wind up the day's schedule, and the following day, we left the city with much joy and peace, trusting the Lord's hand for the follow-up of the "very little" we could do.

On our way back from Kohima to Dimapur, we dropped by another Bible college on a hill top where we met the Principal and some students. One Garo student was so interested in the ministry books, who also purchased it, and he happened to be from the same place as that of the present Chief Minister of Meghalaya. In a few month's time he will graduate from his MDiv studies and expressed his desire to serve together with us among the Garos in Tura.  May the Lord gain Him for His move among the Garos.

In Dimapur, we could also visit one more Bible college and a Christian group who both received the ministry literature readily. Wherever we went, whomever we met, the Lord just opened the people's heart for His move.

Finally, as our last visit, we visited Br.S--- and Sis. N----- for a short while fellowship; an ice breaking session, encouraging them to go on in the Lord and to fellowship with the saints regularly in Dimapur.

“And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified.” (Acts 20:32, RecVer)