Against Heresy

And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the assembly and took a spear in his hand.  Numbers 25:7

Phinehas stood for God as he was one with God knowing His thought fully well, he took action against those who did not obey God's word. Here there is no question of being merciful and gracious, not a question even of tolerance and politeness. When action was needed, those who stood with the Lord took the necessary action right away. 

This is another lesson the Lord is teaching me these days. By nature and as a Christian brother, I am a gracious type of brother. I have been very tolerant of people and things. Yes, this character works well for me in shepherding the saints and taking care of things. But I must also learn the lesson on the other side too, not to be tolerant when the matter or person is against the word of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lion-Lamb; to the enemy, He is a Lion, fierce and victorious, and to the believers, He is the Lamb, meek and quiet. We need to experience both aspects of the Lord.

Yesterday, I had two visitors from a contact whom I came to know through his inquiry for a Hindi bible. When he sent me a message and a YouTube link of their denomination which presents their belief in "God-Mother" and a website link that describes someone from South Korea being the "second coming of Christ" I was provoked in my spirit. So I decided to hear from the person who sent me the link face to face for which also I texted him. He obliged and came to meet me. Two brothers came to meet me.

Initially, I was impressed by their attire, gesture, and "spirituality" of silent prayer as they sat in the living room. I thought they must be those who love the Lord and that I could fellowship with them. But when I listened to them what they actually intended to say, I was very much provoked within as I learned that they misinterpreted the Scriptures to prove a "God-Mother" they believed in that they professed and propagated. I sternly encountered them and told them to their face that they were deceived and trying to deceive others by their own interpretation of the Bible on "God-Mother". I was not convinced at all by the scriptural verses they quoted. In fact, I was reading from the Holy Bible Recover Version of the verses they quoted and understood the proper interpretation with other scriptural references. When I showed to them the interpretation of the verses they quoted, they did not agree and said it was our interpretation.  Later, I questioned them on the second coming of Christ which they claimed had already transpired, and that the second coming of Christ was a brother from South Korea who started the organization. When I asked for proof that he was the second coming of Christ, they show me a prophecy in the book of Isaiah which was actually referring to Christ. I strongly confronted them saying that the prophecy was of Jesus Christ,  not the brother from Korea. They disagreed and they took their ground that they firmly and 100% believed in that brother as the second coming of Christ. I had no mercy and lost all my politeness. I charged and warned them saying, "Please do not be deceived, and please do not try to deceive others!" I also testified to them that they could not deceive me because the Lord has given me an understanding of His word.

As they realized that they could not convince me, one of them stood up and said he could pray for me so that I would not be deceived, and I told the person I do not need his prayer for this matter, and rather that I would pray for them that they would not be deceived as to think that Christ had already accomplished His second coming through a Korean brother. Then, I asked them if they wanted to pray, pray in the name of Jesus Christ, then they denied to pray and left. Nonetheless, I thanked them for visiting me and they also thanked me for allowing them to visit me. But I still gave my parting word to them, that they should not be deceived.

Later, in my Bible reading time, the Lord spoke to me about Phinehas who stood firmly for God and took action. I initially thought to myself if I were a little too rude and too strong to confront them? I even wanted to apologize to them if my behavior was not proper. I went before the Lord in prayer to check if I should apologize or follow them up via text message, but the Lord reminded me of Phinehas. I cannot tolerate heresy and even cultic teachings. If I were to apologize it would mean I regret what I said, but I do not regret what I said, because that was the truth in confronting the erroneous teaching of "God-Mother" and that Christ had already accomplished His second coming through a brother from the East, South Korea. Therefore, I was at peace not to apologize nor to follow up. The matter should just stop there. I believe they have learned a lesson that a brother did not agree with their heretical teachings.

This is the lesson the Lord taught me, to be like the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the aspect of the Lord in His fight against the enemy, in fighting against heresy.

Lord, equip me with Your truth.

Grace Journey

The Lord has been full of grace to His children. I have been enjoying His grace in a very special way especially when I travel for the ministry of the word. This time, after the meeting in Aizawl, as I was on my way to the next destination, Dimapur, I enjoyed a gracious journey.

When I booked the flight ticket from Aizawl to Dimapur a month ago, I had a last-minute change of flight which was due to the fare. When I was about to board that flight I met a sister in the church life who was also boarding the same flight. Had I not made the change of flight before I booked, this traveling together for fellowship would not have happened. The flight duration was short and we were in different seats. When we landed at Guwahati airport, we decided to take a cab together as my destination was the same way as her college hostel. 

The day being Monday and the time being afternoon, I was able to attend the 4:00 pm fellowship online for the serving ones in the distribution. Once I finished the online fellowship, I had more than an hour to fellowship with the sister on some crucial spiritual aspects of the Christian life.  In fact, the highway the cab plied was under heavy traffic jams and that gave us even more time to fellowship.

This sister being a young sister and being in a college, I testified of how the Lord blessed me in my studies and how the Lord preserved me from many distractions of the world on the college campus. I fellowshipped with her as my younger sister in the Lord how she needed to spend time with the Lord in prayer and in the word every day. And how she needed to trust the Lord for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding while at the same time working as hard as she could in her studies. 

Through the fellowship, she too realized that the Lord loves and cares for her. In fact, she has not attended a good number of church meetings for some reason or the other. But she could not escape the Lord's hand following her to shepherd her.  In fact, while I was at Aizawl she did not attend the Lord's day meeting and she missed the message released on that day.  She also confessed that she hardly joined any church meetings. Now that on her way to her college hostel, for over an hour, the Lord had to speak to her about some basic Christan life practices. The Lord has been gracious to her to meet her and speak to her through the sovereign travel plan that coincided with mine. I do believe, she has truly been shepherded. As her name is, her experience is, Grace.

In fact, after the fellowship, she also acknowledged her need to give time to the Lord on a daily basis at least for prayer time, Bible reading, morning revival, and church meetings. She even gave a word to me as a witness that she would begin a new life with the Lord keeping all the points of fellowship in view. I was glad to hear that she could discern what the Lord is telling her. I trust the Lord that His grace is abundant upon her and she will enjoy the Lord's gracious visitation and enjoy the Lord as her grace. As her name is, so shall her enjoyment of the Lord be; grace.

It was indeed a grace journey for the gracious life of a sister.

Acting God

Acting God? This sounds ridiculous! Understanding this phrase is crucial to be saved from being misunderstood. This "Acting God" is not in the sense of an actor acting a role in a play or a movie. The right connotation here is the living out of God in oneness with God to the extent of exprerssing and representing God. In fact, this is the very purpose God created man for.

In Genesis 1:26, God created man in His image according to Himself so that one day man can receive God and express God as acting God.

Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

In the Bible, Moses is a good example of an acting God. He represented God in meeting with Pharoah and had twelve conflicts with him (Exo. 5-13). In the first eleven times of speaking what God asked him to speak, there seems to be no result at all Rather an opposite reaction seemed to occur. But he did not give up and he kept representing God as long as God told him to do. If he were to be so subjective and weigh his action based on the result he could perceive every time he acted out God, he could have been in doubt if God really sent him. The natural response would be, if God sent a person there should be a substantiating result as well. In the first eleven encounters with Pharoah, there seems to be no substantial result according to what God spoke. For God spoke through Moses for the release of His people out of Egypt. But all eleven times a request for release ended up only in the opposite response. But as an acting God Moses did not deter, he faithfully spoke what God wanted him to speak. And at the twelfth time, the great result expected came to fruition. In fact, all the eleven times, God purposefully hardened Pharoah's heart so that He could deal with Pharoah and the people of Egypt including its land. Here is a good example, the Lord showed me how and what I need to learn from Moses.

I have been shepherding a couple of families in Gurugram. I earnestly waited for the result of my shepherding that the new ones would fully come into the church life. Well, that's the goal of my shepherding to anyone. When this goal is not accomplished I tend to give up and questioned if my time spent and labor on the new ones were really worth it, if it were not for the church life. Well, I may be right in my own logical sense, but the Lord chastised and corrected me. I should simply and faithfully continue to shepherd all the new ones as the Lord would. Though I may look forward to the result I must not be result oriented. God has His timing and He is a righteous God, in due time He will give the needed result. Like Moses, I still must shepherd the new ones for ten years, even twelve years if need be. And leave the result to the Lord. He knows best.

I was much shepherded with this new light from the Lord. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul as an acting God spoke God's word with faith despite the circumstances he was in.

Ac 27:22 And now I advise you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
Ac 27:23 For this very night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood by me,
Ac 27:24 Saying, Do not fear, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.
Ac 27:25 Therefore, cheer up, men, for I believe God that it shall be so, even in the way in which it has been spoken to me.

With such confidence in the face of imminent death due to a thunderous sea storm, he spoke by faith the word of God, not his feeling or opinion. He truly represented God as an acting God in the midst of the stormy sea. With these patterns before us, we can as well be the same, the acting God wherever we are. As being born of God, we have God's divine life and nature, the qualification to be an acting God.

1 Co 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
Pp 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This was also my prophecy yesterday in the meeting. The Lord freshly shined on me and showed me what a shepherd I should be as an acting God. Now, my concept has changed, and I would no longer give up on people so easily. As long as the Lord leads me, I will continue to shepherd the new ones, as long as it takes. The result is up to the Lord. 

Just be an acting God. God will do what He needs to do, and I just do what I need to do and be what I should be, an acting God.

Freedom in Christ

Today morning, the Lord spoke to me from Bible verses concerning freedom in Christ by walking according to the Spirit. In fact, last night as one of my school classmates invited us for fellowship over dinner, we had a time of testifying and sharing the word of God. Nine brothers and sisters visited my classmate at her residence in Aizawl. She has been serving as the Second-in-Command of the 1st Bn., Mizoram Armed Police. Out of her burden and love towards the Lord she has been witnessing, counselling, and helping her colleagues to bring them closer to the Lord. She, along with other officers, also are taking care of some of their soldiers tp come out of addiction. They recently concluded a "Camping" for those who needed deliverance from drugs and alcohols and invited us to witness at the follow-up meeting of those who attended the camp.

The Lord gave the burden and the words that I should share in the said meeting today afternoon. As we were introduced, I was requested to share my testimony of salvation which I readily obliged. Therefore, I first shared my testimony of salvation and released the burden the Lord gave me on Freedom in Christ by Walking according to the Spirit. 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with a yoke of slavery again.” (Galatians 5:1, RecVer)

“For you were called for freedom, brothers; only do not turn this freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13, RecVer)

“But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16, RecVer)

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25, RecVer)

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32, RecVer)

“If therefore the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36, RecVer)

“14. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am fleshy, sold under sin. 15. For what I work out, I do not acknowledge; for what I will, this I do not practice; but what I hate, this I do. 16. But if what I do not will, this I do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17. Now then it is no longer I that work it out but sin that dwells in me. 18. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but to work out the good is not. 19. For I do not do the good which I will; but the evil which I do not will, this I practice. 20. But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it out but sin that dwells in me. 21. I find then the law with me who wills to do the good, that is, the evil is present with me.” (Romans 7:14-21, RecVer) 

“23. But I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members. 24. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?

25. Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. 

There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 7:23-8:2, RecVer)

“7. But the profane and old-womanish myths refuse, and exercise yourself unto godliness. 8. For bodily exercise is profitable for a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the present life and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8, RecVer)

I enjoyed the Lord's instant supply of His word as I ministered the word of God. The Lord graced me to testify to the congregation of the secret of living an overcoming life by living and walking according to the Spirit. The main burden is deliverance from all kinds of bondages by turning to the Lord who is in our spirit, and a warning not to try to overcome the flesh by the flesh. Only Jesus Christ is the Overcomer and by being only in Him can we be overcomers too. A simple way to turn to the Lord is by calling upon the Lord's victorious and mighty Name. I myself enjoyed the rich supply of life as I ministered the word of God. I do believe the seed of the word of God has been sown into the listeners and it will bear forth fruits one day.

After the meeting, we still had some time of fellowship with the Commandant where we introduced the Mizo New Testament Recovery Version and explained the significance of Christian literature as a study aid to help the believers enjoy and understand the word of God. Then, we exchanged our phone numbers  for further communication, had a photo shoot, and bid adieu. 

Only by being in Christ the Victor, we can enjoy the freedom in Christ by living and walking according to the Spirit. 

Lord, make be an overcomer!

Tears of Joy

A brother who loves the Lord saw a TV ads scroll about the release and introduction of the New Testament Recovery Version in Mizo. He enquired about the meeting and He attended the meeting which exactly began at 1:00 pm and ended exactly at 3:30 pm as per the schedule on 8th September. He was so much impressed by the way the saints coordinated for the entire meeting. As he ate his snacks after the meeting, one of our brothers met and fellowshipped with him which led to our visiting yesterday and today.

Yesterday, we met for the first time at his house and introduced the ministry literature. He and his wife testified that they love the Lord and have so much been blessed by the ministry of Br. Watchman Nee since he first read The Normal Christian Life. He had also received the ministry books at his office in 2011 when a brother introduced and sold the ministry books in Mizo. Out of hunger and thirst he purchased about 70 different versions of the Bible. His wife too loves the ministry books by Watchman Nee so much. She had been seeking for two books The Glorious Church and The Orthodoxy of the Church. One day she went to a Baptist Book House and came across a booklet, Treasure in the Earthen Vessel by Watchman Nee which she read over and over again to the extent of memorizing the entire content of the booklet.

To such a family, we felt best to start a Bible reading meeting which we did today. The family had invited two other brothers to join the Bible study session. We read the Gospel of Matthew 1 with selected footnotes. After reading certain sections, we gave further explanation which they appreciated so much. Verse by verse and note by note, we read and dwelt on crucial points. They all enjoyed the riches of the ministry of the word so much. In this way, all Christians can function and study the word of God in a better way by themselves in groups and in mutuality.

One of them way physically blind. His testimony was amazing. He testified that the day he became physically blind, his inward spiritual eyes were opened. All the Bible verses he memorized in his childhood and youth became clear to him after he was physically blind. He grasped all the points we read from the Bible verses and footnotes. As he testified of his enjoyment of the ministry of the word, he was overwhelmed with joy that he even shed his tears of joy. He could not control his tears as he testified of his thankfulness to the Lord for revealing the deep and hidden truth of the Bible. 

The Bible is interpreted by the Bible. The footnotes in the Recovery Version is a collection of interpretations and revelations of the Bible verses using many other Bible verses. Therefore, this is reckoned as one of the best study aid to understand the word of God better as it unveils the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The understanding and the enjoyment of this truth bring tears of joy to those understood the real significance of the Recover Version. Today, I have witnessed with my own eyes, tears of joy as a result of enjoying the riches of the word of God.

May the Lord open the eyes of all the readers of the Bible to see and understand the word of God as it should be understood. And may the enjoyment of the understood word of God brings tears of joy to the readers of the word.

Co-working with Christ for the Mizos

Fifteen years ago in 2007, the Lord led me to this city Aizawl with a brother on my second visit and met with a group of believers called TMEF (Truth Mission Evangelical Fellowship) at their head office. Today, along with four other brothers I came to visit the same group again at their new office in Aizawl. In the first visit to this group, the leading brother led me us to a brother who has been the key brother who now has been taking the stand for the church in Aizawl. Today, we met with the President and explained to him the many features of the Recovery Version in Mizo. In the first meeting, the local church in Aizawl was recovered, and in today's meeting the door was opened for the spread of the ministry of the word to all the 10,000 plus seekers who loves to study the word of God. The two visits are for the move of God in His economy through the literature service. It was a joy indeed to witness how the Lord has been moving in and through us for the recovery of His testimony and heart's desire among the Mizos.

I remember, in our first meeting we were asked what we thought about smoking, by the senior Pastor with a coat suit sitting on his office table with a Bible in his hand and a cigarette on the other hand. I still remember, how the Lord strongly anointed me and gave me the timely and apt reply to his tricky question. If I were to say smoking was wrong I had no Bible verse to support my answer as smoking itself was never mentioned in the Bible. Yet if I were to answer in the affirmative, my conscience would bother me, for I knew that smoking was not commendable to the believers. At that juncture, the Lord gave me the word in John 14:26

But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and remind you of all the things which I have said to you.

I explained further that, today the Lord Jesus Christ as the Comforter is the Holy Spirit who dwells in our spirit. As Christians, if we live by His life, we will know whether smoking is right or wrong. This answer convicted him to the uttermost that his countenance changed at that very moment. Then, he changed his mind and said he knew whom we were looking for. Therefore, he led us to the key brother who has been standing for the Lord's testimony. I believe, our meeting today fifteen years after, will yet be another milestone for the Lord's further recovery of His testimony in Mizoram among the Mizos.

Fifteen years ago in 2007, the Lord led me to meet the key translator of Mizo for the ministry books by Watchman Nee. Today, we came to meet him again and alas, he has been suffering with cancer in his stomach. Nonetheless, his heart for the ministry books was still fresh. Though he could no longer translate, he blessed us that we can continue to translate the riches of the ministry into Mizo. He was so happy that the Mizo New Testament Recovery Version could be released and made available to all God's children speaking Mizo. This too, as usual, he gifted us all with a Mizo traditional shawl each. In a return gift, I felt it strongly that we gifted him a copy of the Mizo New Testament Recovery Version which we did with our signatures on it. 

I am filled with awesome wonder how the Lord has been moving in and through us as the Treasure in our earthen vessel. May the Lord continue to carry on His move among the Mizos in Mizoram and all over.

What a privilege and what a blessing that I could participate in His move, co-working with Christ in His earthy ministry! 

Lord, continue to bless the Mizos with the healthy teaching that they all come to the full knowledge of the truth, a further progress from being saved merely. Amen!

Mizo New Testament Recovery Version

Today, the 8th of September 2022, the New Testament Recovery Version Bible in Mizo was released and introduced at Aizawl. This truly indeed is prayers answered of the Body, by the Body, and for the Body. The Lord has been faithfully leading us from the very beginning of learning Greek to the day it was released and made available for the children of God speaking Mizo language. The chronology of the Recovery Version translation is as below:

• Greek Learning: 6th February 2014 to 16th November 2016
• Translation Fellowship and Training: 9-12 Jan 2017
• Mizo Recovery Version New Testament Translation: 13 Jan 2017
• Completion of Translation: 23 Oct 2020
• Final Proofreading Completed: 5 Feb 2022 
• Mizo New Testament Recovery Version is Available Now!: 8 September 2022

The Lord has been gracing me to be able to participate in all the steps of making the translated Mizo Recovery Version available. I have also been graced to design all the materials needed for the release and introduction of this version. I have had the privilege of designing the invitation card, letter, banner and schedule. In fellowship in the Body, many of these designs have been refined.

The coordination from the saints in the church in Aizawl was marvelous. I only designed the materials and sent to the brothers in Aizawl. They had thorough fellowship and made the  meeting fruitful by carrying out all the practical services.  I only amened whatever the brothers felt best and did whatever I was requested to do. The result is that we could witness the blessing of the Lord in one accord. I do believe, henceforth, the Lord's move would be intensified among the Mizo speaking brothers and sisters with the availability of the New Testament Recovery Version in Mizo.

In my sharing of the introductory word for the publisher LSM, as a serving one in Amana Literature, I shared the need for the Recovery Version in addition to the already existing Mizo translation. Two Bible verses that I shared are in relation to the burden of the literature service are:

Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Mt 24:45

Philip…said, Do you really know the things that you are reading? And he (an Ethiopian eunuch) said, How could I unless someone guides me? Acts 8: 30, 31

As faithful and prudent slaves, we serve to give spiritual food to all the children of God at the proper time. The food we serve also function as a study aid to help believers understand the word of God.

As I was fellowshipping with the local brothers and sisters in Aizawl, I realized how much the Lord loves us and the people of Mizo, and gave His accurately translated and properly interpreted study Bible. I believe this is for the bringing of the people of Mizo into salvation and into the full knowledge of the truth. I also witnessed the Lord's blessing upon all that we did in fellowship. Praise the Lord!

Lord, bless the distribution and the reading of the Mizo New Testament Recovery Version! Amen and amen!