Ministry of the Word in Agra

A decade ago, propagation of the gospel was once done in Agra. In fact, a group of saints even took the stand as the church in Agra. But in course of time, due to lack of fellowship and shepherding, the testimony became dimmer and dimmer and the saints were scattered until no solid contacts were left. This is one city we have been targeting for the distribution of the ministry of the word. Though we tried a couple of times in the past, nothing worked. But, this time the Lord has opened a new door!

The opened door the Lord provided us was through the Pastor's monthly gathering in the city of Agra. We requested a time for the introduction of the ministry literature and our request was granted by the Pastors. Therefore, we could attend and introduce the ministry literature. 

Our introduction of the ministry literature was warmly welcomed by all the Pastors. In fact, many of them were new to the Hindi ministry literature. After the meeting, all the books we brought for free and sales distribution were distributed and sold! This was also our final destination in this two-week-long distribution trip to North India.

Initially, we thought we would be free after lunch and if no meeting came up, we would go to visit Taj Mahal. But, once the Pastor's meeting was over we had a Pastor who came at the last minute and through him, a couple more Pastors were introduced to us. Then, he invited us to his home to also meet two other Pastors who are also his relatives. Therefore, we were fully occupied in fellowshipping with them till evening. We could not even find time for lunch. 

Then, finally, on the way back we met another brother who is running a school and an orphanage with his father at his school office. There, we spent a considerable amount of time fellowshipping and introducing the ministry literature. When we were about to introduce the Holy Bible Recovery Version, his immediate response was that he has many study Bibles and commentaries already. In fact, he recently purchased one based on NIV. But when we finished introducing the Recovery Version, he was so excited and immediately requested to purchase one copy for himself. And he commented that he never heard the word of God being expounded in such a deep and detailed way as was being done in the Recovery Version. 

When we finally came back to our place of hospitality and had a late dinner in Mathura, it was past midnight. It was indeed a well-spent day. Though we thought we would have time for some sightseeing, we were fully occupied in the ministry literature introduction and fellowship. No time for seeing the old creation but fully occupied to see the new creation by faith.

May the Lord recover His testimony in Agra soon!

Ministry of the Word in Rajasthan

Last year we visited Bharatpur in Rajasthan bordering Uttar Pradesh where we met a brother who took the lead and conducted gospel meetings among villagers and gained thousands of believers. Yet he did not have a proper understanding of the Scriptures nor any vision concerning Christ and the church. Therefore, we ministered on the truth concerning Christian life for the church life. This time he was busy so we could not meet him, but we met his "second in command" and the main preacher of his group at Sogar, Rajasthan. About ten new believers gathered together for the meeting last Friday, the 2nd of December. 

Initially, we were told that a good number of them were "Pastors" so our ministering the word was on the Christian life of living Christ for the church. But later we discovered that many of the so-called "Pastors" were not even baptized despite the fact that they have been believers for years. For sure, there was a shortage in their understanding of the truth. After a brother finished ministering the word, we took a break and I continued.

The burden the Lord gave me was on helping these believers with the basic truth concerning baptism. So I spent the first half of my time ministering the truth concerning baptism, the seven spiritual significances of baptism. Using relevant Bible verses, I showed them the examples of baptisms in the Bible and the need for a proper baptism on time once a person genuinely believes. I encouraged all those who already believe into the Lord Jesus Christ to also be baptized at the earliest. Then, expounded the truth concerning the church as the kingdom of God, the Body of Christ, and the local aspect of the church. 

The key brother, being a gospel preacher himself, was so much supplied with the ministry of the word as truth, life, and light. He was so thankful that we could visit him and also promised to meet with the nearby local church in Mathura.

The following Lord’s day, this key brother came and attended the Lord’s Table Meeting in the church in Mathura and brought along another leading brother. It was their first time attending the meeting in the way of the Lord’s recovery with every saint participating in prayer, hymn singing, and prophesying. They were so excited that they expressed their desire to meet again soon. In fact, they invited us to visit them again for the ministry of the word.

This is the Lord’s doing! May His hand follow His speaking that all His remnants may be fully recovered to take the stand as local churches in the oneness and fellowship of the Body of Christ. 

Lord, raise up Your testimony in Sogar and many parts of Rajasthan!

Intimate Concern

…You are in our hearts for our dying together and our living together. Great is my boldness toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf; I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction. 2 Cor. 7:3-4

Today morning as I was spending time with the Lord in prayer and enjoying the morning revival time, the Lord spoke a very specific word to me, "Intimate Concern." I have an intimate concern for my own blood relative. That comes naturally. In fact, every normal human being will have an intimate concern for his own family members, irrespective of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  So what difference does it make if I have an intimate concern only for my close family members? 

Recently, I have been very much concerned about my niece and I have been praying for her on a daily basis. And I have an intimate concern for my siblings too, especially when they do not do well in life; I used to pray and intercede for them a lot. I do the same for my own children. These are all very natural and it is common to every normal human being. But the question is, "Do I have an intimate concern for the saints the Lord has blessed me with?" This is a million-dollar question the Lord asked me personally on the last day of my distribution trip this time while I was in Mathura.

The Lord has blessed me with a good number of brothers and sisters for my shepherding care. He even asked me to count the spiritual children He gave to me. I counted a few of them, and I was already deeply convicted for my lack of concern for them. Of late, due to some reason or other, I have even avoided and cut off some of them. The Lord strongly convicted me of how I do not have an intimate concern for my own spiritual children unlike the concern I have for my own physical children. Oh, what an exposing it was! I repented and asked the Lord for forgiveness. No wonder I am not fruitful spiritually. I was so convicted by the Lord today morning and my eyes were opened to see my need to have an intimate concern for my spiritual children. One by one, the Lord reminded me to recover my shepherding of them. 

He even reminded me of three brothers who need to be shepherded urgently. I--n, A----l, and S-----t, these names were spelled out. Though they are not in my locality in Gurugram still they are my own spiritual children. Each of them has something in common, being rejected by their own family members due to their mental and physical state. Oftentimes, violent and abusive, but to me, they still have some sense of "respect" as their brother in Christ. The Lord showed me further that I am the only one who can shepherd these ones. So should I leave them as orphans? Should not I have an intimate concern for them? No matter what their condition may be, they are the children of God and also my spiritual children. So it is my rightful duty and spiritual responsibility to shepherd them.

Therefore, I have consecrated to the Lord to grant me the grace and the wisdom to shepherd these ones and many others. I indeed started texting them and praying for them one by one, and also prepared myself to be able to shepherd them with an intimate concern. Meanwhile, the ministry portion further strengthened this burden of having an intimate concern:

If we have the ability to carry on a work but lack an intimate concern, our work will be fruitless…How fruitful we are, how much fruit we bear, does not depend on what we are able to do. It depends on whether or not we have an intimate concern. Paul was very human and emotional in his ministering of life. Paul was so emotional because his concern was so deep and intimate. Without this kind of concern, we could never be abundantly rejoicing in the way Paul was. Instead, we may be as cold as a freezer, altogether lacking in concern for the saints. Instead of warming up others, we make them even colder. Nothing can  grow when it is in such a frozen condition. We need the weather of spring to come to thaw us out and warm up our life. Once again there is a need for a ministering life. Do you know what a ministering life is? It is a life that warms up others. Learn to warm others. This is to have an intimate concern for them. If we do not have this kind of concern for others, we shall not be fruitful. If I would minister life to the saints, I must have a genuine concern for them, a concern that is emotional, deep, and intimate. I must be so concerned that, at times, I may appear to others to be foolish or beside myself. Only the ministering life enables us to bear fruit. Fruit-bearing is the issue of a ministering life. ( Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 379-384, 386)

Besides, the Lord also gave me a strong burden to help four brothers to shepherd and pray for them that they can recover their marriage life again. Sadly enough, the four brothers really need to be shepherded with an intimate concern to help them recover back their wives. All their wives have left them for reasons known to them best, but to me, as I was told by these brothers, the blame is on the wives. But I have not heard from their wives about these breakups. I strongly do not agree with separation or breakups after a legal and proper marriage. I do believe, in time, through prayer and shepherding, these four brothers will recover back their married life for the Lord's testimony. With an intimate concern, the Lord will grace me to shepherd them unto the recovery of their family lives for the church life.

Lord, shepherd me to shepherd the saints with an intimate concern.

Open Vessel

The last weekend was a Thanksgiving Conference. Since I was traveling, I thought I would missed it this time. But thank the Lord, I still got the opportunity to listen to all the messages from the video archives. I was able to listen to all the messages at different times while I was traveling on road by an SUV while on a ministry distribution journey from locality to locality. Each of these places I travelled to, were about an hour to two hours' time distance. These time intervals were apt for me to dive into the messages. Among all, the last message dispensed so much of life into me. As an open vessel,  I was able to receive the divine dispensing of the divine Trinity through the brothers ministry, and all these are for the divine economy.

Excerpt from Message Six 

Being a Vessel Open to the Lord and Living Ordinary Days in the Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity

An open vessel is doing nothing but keeping itself open to be filled by the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity—2 Cor. 13:14. 

A genuine Christian life is one that loves the Lord and keeps itself open to the Lord and stops its doing—Mark 12:30; 1 John 4:16-21. Then the Lord comes in and does everything; the vessel simply contains the Lord and enjoys the Lord’s filling and doing. We simply need to love the Lord and keep ourselves open to Him, giving Him every opportunity to do everything He wants to do—Eph. 3:17. This is the proper and genuine Christian life—Gal. 2:20. 

We need to receive the divine dispensing little by little, day by day, receiving this dispensing again and again in a slow, steady way—2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 6:11; Psa. 68:19.

As I was enjoying the dispensing of the divine Trinity through the ministry of our dear brother, I was so supplied, strengthened, and encouraged. In fact, I could not even take a break and had to continue receiving the dispensing when I was in a meeting, even when a brother started speaking in a meeting where I had to follow after him. When it was my turn to minister the word, I asked the believers to take a break and sing a song until I could fully receive the entire dispensing of the word through the webcast I was listening to. What I freshly enjoyed, I also ministered to the saints when it was time for me to speak.

My inward prayer now is, "Lord, I open my vesselto You for Your divine dispensing. Keep me open all the time and keep dispensing all the days of my life." Through ordinary days in all my ordinary works, I must open to the Lord. There is no need to seek for miraculous and spectacular incidents to happen. If need be, the Lord may do so in time. But I don't have to look out for such, but simply open myself to Him for His divine dispensing through any circumstances that He may allow to come to me. 

By this way of being an open vessel to the Lord, enjoying His dispensing day by day, I can be constituted with Him and be rapture ready. 

For this, I need to love the Lord more and more each day. In His sovereignty, He will arrange people, matters, and things that will affect me positively with my positve response as an open vessel. Day by day, here a little there a little, again and again, all the days of my life, I will thus be dispensed with the Triune God to become the same as He is, in life and in nature but not in the Godhead, and be thus fully conformed to Him, to be rapture ready. 

Lord, grace me to be Your open vessel for Your divine dispensing all the days of my life.

Ministry of the Word in Kharsia, Chattisgarh

A brother who used to work in Manesar and whose wife was baptised in the church in Gurugram had invited us to visit him and the believers with him in Kharsia. As we planned for the visit to Madhya Pradesh we felt the Lord also has opened the door in Kharia. Therefore, we prolonged our trip and decided to visit Kharsia and the surrounding areas including two district capitals, Raigarh and Shakti.

As we arrived Kharsia, we were accommodated in a brother's home and the family took care of us very well. Another brother had come to stay in the the same house to cater to our needs; to serve us in food preparation and transportation. Since two meetings were arranged on the Lord’s day, we arrived here last Saturday night.

On the Lord’s day, we addressed two meetings. The first one being the one our guest has been shepherding with his father, a Pentecostal church. We ministered the truth and practice of calling upon the Lord’s name, loving the Lord, praying and pray-reading His word, and the need to have a thorough clearance of the past living so that we can be the shining testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second meeting was at Shakti, about an hour's drive from Kharsia. We were late for the meeting, but in the little time we had, we ministered again on the basic of the Christian life; calling upon the Lord’s name and pray-reading His word. We also helped them to pray-read a verse, John 6:63 which everyone enjoyed and memorised. The key brother being so impressed and the believers enjoyed the ministry of the word so much, he invited us again which we did after two days.

The following three days, we went to Dourkot, Raigarh, Chaal, Tamnar, and Shakti. In all these localities we introduced the ministry literature to the Christian leaders, distributed free Rhema books and sold Amana Literature title books. In all the places, the people we met were so impressed by the riches of the ministry we have been graced with. In fact, the brother who took us to all these places testified that when he made a phone call to these ones for our visit their responses were dull and doubted what kind of ministry we would be presenting to them. But as we met them face to face and introduced the riches of the ministry, all of them were so impressed by the ministry we ministered through the literature. Many of them requested for a time to address their congregation and wanted us to stay longer. The brother who made all these arrangements was so surprised at the responses of these Christian leaders; initially not showing any interest and suddenly becoming so interested. 

Four special meetings were arranged in three different localities especially for us to minister the word to the believers in these groups. To all, we followed the Lord’s leading and released the timely word as the Lord burdened. The believers responded very positively and we encouraged them to practice the truth we ministered to them. In two meetings where a good number of young people were present, we ministered on the need to preserve their vessels using Romans 9:21, 23 and 2 Timothy 2:20-22. In one meeting, 2 Timothy 2:22 was pray-read and memorised. I strongly felt the need to encourage young sisters and brothers to look to the Lord for grace to preserve their body undefiled for the Lord’s use. And that they should also have good education for the Lord’s sake, not merely for job or money. Some young sisters who dropped studying decided to start all over again, at least through distant education.

One significant meeting was the last meeting we had in this trip, a whole night prayer meeting. Here, we had ample time as it was a whole night prayer meeting. We began the ministry of the word at 9:30 and concluded at 12 midnight in two sessions. This meeting was supposed to be in the first day of every month, but it was postponed a day to accommodate us. The burden the Lord gave us was "Prayer." Prayer being to absorb God, we helped the believers the way to absorb God by prayer through calling upon the Lord’s name, breathing him. The burden was further strengthened with the need to spend specific time with the Lord daily, using the example of Daniel and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now when Daniel came to know that the writing had been signed, he went to his house (in his upper room he had windows open toward Jerusalem) and three times daily he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God, because he had always done so previously. (Daniel 6:10, RecVer)

The burden on tithing time daily was also emphasized. Since God gave each one 24 hours a day, tithing this time of about 2 hours 24 minutes would be ideal. However, at least an hour must be separated for a time of prayer was strongly emphasized. A young sister on her 12th standard has been practising this and gave her testimony of prayer and Bible reading on my request. Later, I gifted her a book, Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit in Hindi which she also selecetd to purchase. I also gave my testimony to help the believers. In addition, the need for reading and pray-reading the word of God was also ministered and pray-read Romans 8:6 in Hindi.

Now we commit all these believers into the Lord’s hand and may the Spirit continue to speak to them through the word ministered to them and through the ministry literature distributed to them.

Having released the burden this time for the believers in Kharsia and the surrounding areas, we proceeded to our next destination, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Ministry of the Word in Champa, Chattisgarh

A brother who has been enjoying the ministry, especially the Holy Word for Morning Revival and has been shepherding a group of believers in five localities in and around Champa gave us a wonderful hospitality as we visited him in Champa. In fact, I met him first in 2019 at a Christian Mela in Matku, Chattisgarh. Since my first meeting, he has been pursuing the ministry literature. For a few months he participated in the online meeting and has joined some gospel and seekers' meetings. This time the Lord arranged a time for us to meet him and fellowship with him in person at his home.

Once we arrived at his home in Champa, we cleaned up, refreshed, and went for a meeting. About 25 key brothers attended the meeting. As we asked them to share their enjoyment of Christ first, a good number of them stood up and shared their enjoyment of Christ through the ministry of the word, especially from the Holy Word for Morning Revival. I was so impressed by their understanding and enjoyment of the ministry. 

After listening to them, the Lord gave us such a freedom to freely minister on Christ and the church. A brother first shared on the need to enjoy Christ personally and corporately for the church. Then, I followed the same burden and fellowshipped on Acts 9; the testimony of Saul, his salvation, his seeing of the vision of the church as the Body of Christ, and his being introduced to and living in the Body of Christ. We had such a peace and freedom to release the word of God. The Lord had already prepared them and we simply ministered the word as the He burdened us.

The next day we went to Korba and then to Salora where another group of about 10 brothers gathered for the fellowship. We again asked them to share first. We enjoyed their sharing from their experiences and the from their enjoyment of the ministry of the word. Then a brother ministered the word on the need for Christ to make His home in our hearts. The best way to do is by calling upon the Lord’s name, reading the word, confessing our sins and applying the blood of Jesus. Then I followed on the practical way to be filled with the word. I explained and demonstrated pray-reading the word of God to them. We used Ephesians 3:17 to pray-read the word of God. Then, I ministered on the practical way to build up the Body of Christ using Ephesians 4:16. After this, we enjoyed lovefeast together.

My personal feeling is that, the Lord has been preparing these group of believers about 150 of them in 5 localities taking the stand as the local churches. In time, He brought us to fellowship with them and shepherd them. It was like going to "Ceasarea Philippi", where the spiritual atmosphere was clear and we could release the deep truth concerning the building up of the Body of Christ. Since they have been prepared by the Lord, they were so open and hungry for the ministry of the word. Therefore, the Lord had a freedom to speak according to their need. Now the need is to bring them into the fellowship of the Body of Christ with other members in different parts of India.

May the Lord recover them fully into the fellowship, oneness, blending, and building up of the Body of Christ!

Ministry of the Word in Betul, MP

Since our visit to Bhopal last year to a brother who is running a furniture business and supporting a good number of Christian workers from his business proceeds, we have been in fellowship with him and the group of believers he has been shepherding. It has been about a year now we have been ministering the word of God online. This time, the Lord took us to meet these ones face to face.

The moment we arrived at Betul railway station, we were driven to a meeting where believers were waiting for us to minister the word. As usual, a brother and I coordinated to minister the word; he going first, and I followed the burden he released. We ministered on the need to possess a sanctified vessel. Our vessels are easily defiled by sins and the world, therefore, the need to confess our sins and the need to apply the blood of Jesus Christ. These sanctified vessels then need to be filled with the Spirit for which the simplest way is calling upon the Lord’s name, and then the need to be filled with the word of God. The word can make them grow in the divine life. A practical help on the need to spend time reading and pray-reading the word of God was emphasized and illustrated using John 6:63. All the believers exercised to pray-read and recite the verse.

Sarni

We were given hospitality in Sarni at the home of the sister of the brother we are in contact with. With this family too, we spent time fellowahipping on the need to follow the Lord’s leading in every practical matters. In fact, I had the time to spent with his mother and two sisters. I shared my testimony and encouraged them to sanctify their time for prayer, reading the Bible, and also seek the Lord’s leading in every matter. And finally I prayed for them. 

Padhar

For two days, in Padhar, at the home of a senior couple who has been serving the Lord since 1990s obeying the Lord’s call, we ministered the word of God in six sessions. In every session the Lord gave us a particular burden which exactly met the needs of the believers gathered together. In fact, a good number of them were full-time serving ones who takes care of a couple of villages, preaching the gospel and shepherding the new believers.

The Lord’s speaking with this group began with the basic of calling upon the Lord’s name, praying and pray-reading the word of God, confession of sins and applying the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. Then, the seven aspects of the church in Ephesians 1-6, the universal and local aspect of the church in Matthew 16:18; 18:17, the need for oneness among the Lord’s childrenin John 17, and the need to be the testimony of Jesus, the golden lampstand in Revelation 1, 2, 3 were covered. All the believers received all the words with much hunger and thirst, especially the elder and senior brother and sister who were the key leading ones. In the last two sessions, we ministered on the need to love the Lord Jesus Christ above anything, to love Him with the first and best love, and a personal testimony of how the Lord saved me and called me to His service.

We enjoyed a wonderful hospitality of the elderly brother and sister. Since our train was running last by over three and half hours, we spend even more time with the elderly couple and some serving ones.

Alampur 

One morning we went to Alampur village, a beautiful village with few families who believed into the Lord Jesus Christ just about a year ago and has been shepherded by our brother who is in direct contact with us. We ministered on a simply way to touch the Lord through calling upon the Lord’s name and the reading for the word of God. We also showed them how they can contact the Lord all the time by exercising their spirits like the way of breathing by using 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray unceasingly."

With these visits, we have released the burden the Lord gave us for this time for Madhya Pradesh. The word of God is Spirit and Life. Now, He will use His words to continue to supply His children, especially the leading ones, unto the recovery of His testimony one day.

Lord, thank You for blessing Your move in Madhya Pradesh! 

Raise up Your golden lampstands in Your time!