About My Beloved Wife

I just arrived at the meeting hall of the church in Taguig in Metro Manila for the international training of the brothers. It was the 4th of October, my first night in Philippines, as I could not sleep I decided to read my Bible from about 11 pm through the midnight onto the next morning. And as I slept by about 1 am or so, a surprise thought engulfed my mind. Whether I was attacked by the enemy or was it the Lord trying to tell me something, I did not know for sure. I was deeply saddened by the voice I heard and the vision I saw. I literally could not agree with it, much less accept it. I struggled to fight against whosoever initiated this matter. In fact, I rejected it outrightly. But if it were from the Lord, I begged the Lord to give me the grace to accept it. Ultimately, I had only one answer, should it be from the Lord. The answer would always be "amen" as long as it is from the Lord. I only need His grace.

The vision of the night was that my beloved wife will be taken by the Lord. At the very thought of this, my tears started rolling down and I wept alone in the middle of the night. I had not wept for years altogether. I was heart broken and begged the Lord to take this cup away from me. I began to reason with the Lord, why should He take what He gave? 

It took us many years to build up this marriage relationship and now we have been blended as one. I could open up to my wife almost any matter and we understood each other, our strength as well as our weaknesses. She is my backbone and without her my life is finished. The reason I could serve the Lord the way I do is because the Lord blessed me with a beloved wife who is my better half. She takes care of the family matters while I travel to different parts of the country and abroad for the Lord’s work. She has the maturity to take care of all family matters in my absence. She also has the heart for the Lord and fully supports me in my serving the Lord. In fact, she is the reason behind my being able to serve the Lord. The Lord blessed me with her to be my coworker and vital partner. Even I became one flesh with her that I could not function if not for her function in the family. Therefore, I need her very much for my Christian life, church life, and service life. At this moment, I pray that the Lord would preserve her and that if the vision be of the Lord, I reason with the Lord for a reconsideration. Nonetheless, let the will of the Lord be done.

That said, may the will of the Lord be done. He knows best. I am only commenting on the dream or the vision I saw.

Perhaps, the Lord is just testing me and preparing my being to love and spend more time with my wife. Either way, the Lord's will be accomplished in me and us together foe His purpose. This is the only reason we live on this earth, for God’s economy. 

Lord, preserve us for Your divine and eternal purpose.

Training in Manila, Phillipines

The Lord has opened the door and graced me along with other brothers from India to participate in the International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones in Manila from 5th to 7th Oct 2023. Fifteen brothers from India participated in this training along with some two thousands plus from over forty seven countries. The Lord's speaking this time was on Living and Serving According to God’s Economy Concerning the Church.

The Lord has been speaking for three continuous days, message after message, dispensing His divine being into my being. Each message has a specific point that touched my heart so deeply. The Lord's speaking has been so fresh and new again. Though I exercised and prepared myself to prophesy in the six English speaking messages, I could actually prophesy only on the fifth message on how to conduct myself in the house of God. The key points I prophesied were, the need to love the word of God and know the word as to know how to conduct myself in the house of God. I must also be governed by the two principles of honoring the headship of Christ, especially when brothers and sisters come to fellowship with me regarding their situation. I should not simply give my opinion or give direction to them. Rather, I should direct them to the Lord. Besides, I must bear the word of God, be constituted with the word, and be in the healthy teaching. By and large, in a generic sense, I must live and walk by the Spirit. This is how I need to conduct myself in the house of God.

In the three group study sessions, I enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and blending with the brothers from the Phillipines, Ghana, and Los Angeles USA. Since I was made the group leader to help the brothers, I made sure that we all exercised our spirit to pray, study, fellowship, and share. I did my best to be a pattern in sharing and fellowship. As the Lord led me, I also shared some of my experiences in the matter of gospel preaching, the shining of the glory of God, being a pattern for others to see, and the church being the house of the living God. In all the fellowship and sharing, I enjoyed blending with the brothers. What a wonderful time of training, fellowship, and blending!

On the last day, we had a time of dinner fellowship with the brothers from LSM, and on the following Lord’s Day we attended the Lord’s Table Meeting with the saints in the church in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Phillipines. And in the evening a dinner fellowship with a mature and senior brother at a hotel. Thus, the three days of training and fellowship were very fruitful for the Body and the time spent together with the brothers was precious. More training, more fellowship, and more blending. This is the way the Lord can build up His Body. 

Lord, thank You for the training! May You continue to carry out Your perfecting work in all of us until You fulfill Your heart's desire.

Being Ashes

“And he shall take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar toward the east, in the place of the ashes.” (Leviticus 1:16, RecVer)

Ashes in the Bible indicates the result of being burnt as an offering. Meaning, the Ashes confirms that the offering has been accepted by God. Which further means that the one being offered is completely put to death and issues in resurrection. 

The past few weeks, especially, the past few days, the Lord has been gracing me to experience Him as my burnt offering. It was not an easy experience though. For, without the Lord’s special grace, it would have been impossible for me to even be an offering, much less being burnt to ashes. I could have felt being rejected. But under the Lord’s light, I could see the invisible sovereign hands of the Lord Jesus, touching me and perfecting me. Be it in the matter of coordinating for the seekers conference, or the remark by the brothers on the report to the brothers, or the direct message from the brothers concerning an article I drafted. They were all used by the Lord to deal with my self and to perfect me. These were all the experiences the Lord blessed me with, so that I can gain Him and experience Him as my burnt offering; to be burnt to ashes.

These ashes are resulting in transformation to make one more and more precious, even to become as precious as the New Jerusalem. The ashes of the burnt offering are placed towards the east, alluding to resurrection. Therefore, anyone who experience becoming ashes experience resurrection as well. Being burnt in crucifixion will always result in transformation to ashes in resurrection. 

Today evening, as we were accommodated in the meeting hall of the church in Taguig, Phillipines, I met a brother with whom I could fellowship experientially on the matter of loving the Lord with the first and best love and giving Him the first priority. He was so touched by the fellowship and testified that even before the training began he has already been trained and received the message already. We had a wonderful time of brotherly fellowship. Perhaps, this is an issue of becoming ashes after being burnt. 

I need more and more experiences of being burnt to ashes. In fact, this should be a daily and continual experience in my whole Christian life. I dare not say that I have become ashes already. In fact, I am just beginning to experience being burnt. This experience of burning should continue all the days of my life until the Lord comes back. I need more grace to be on the line of experiencing Christ as my burnt offering and being burnt to ashes day by day. 

Lord, grace me to experience being burnt to ashes more and more, day by day..

A Visit to Singapore

I have been hearing about Singapore since my childhood as a clean city, well developed, and having one of the best education systems in the world. In the past, I wished to visit this country one day and even I tried once but could not make it. This time, at the Lord's perfect time, I came along with brothers from India on our way to attend an international training in Manila, Phillipines.

On the 2nd of Oct, we arrived Changi Airport at about 6:30 AM. A brother from the church in Singapore picked us up and drove us to the meeting hall of the church. We took some rest and had a time of fellowship over lunch with some elders of the church. Which was then followed by a sight seeing visit to Asia's largest bird sanctuary, Bird Paradise. Later, we had a time of rest, then dinner, and a time of fellowship with the elders and responsible brothers of the church in Singapore.

A brother who fellowshipped with me concerning a sister proposed to me in 2005 was one of the coworkers serving in the church. It was a surprise meeting him after 17 years. He was so excited to know about my well being, of my family, and also in my service. Since I was asked to share what the Lord has been doing in India through the literature service these days, I gave them a glimpses of the Lord’s move through the literature service, especially in North India.

During the fellowship, as the key brother started his fellowship he mentioned his involvement in my marriage as he also attended my wedding in Taipei in Jun 2006, as a little connection he has with India. As the brothers in India presented their potion of fellowship, at the end, I was requested to share two matters. 

First, I gave a testimony of what the Lord has been doing in North India terming it as the Lord’s specific leading. I testified further how we prayed and followed the Lord’s specific leading to introduce and distribute the ministry of the word in North India. And how the Lord blessed His move and reserved His remnants, and also how He led us to those seekers who were and will be introduced to the churches and the work for follow-up shepherding.

Second, on the request of a brother, I reported about the ongoing crisis in Manipur; my view and understanding about the situation there. 

The next day, after enjoying a "Pig rib soup" breakfast, we visited the Gardens by the Bay, then had a Thai-Malaysian lunch, and a visit to SEA Aquarium.

In the evening, we enjoyed lovefeast fellowship with the saints in the church in Singapore and attended the combined prayer meeting of the church with a fellowship on the Lord's move in India. Though I was not prepared to share anything as the arrangement was such, still the brothers called me to share. With no preparation to share, but an impromptu sharing, I exercised my spirit to testifying of what the Lord has been doing in North India for the distribution of the ministry literature among seeking believers. I began by sharing that we carry out the Lord’s move by prayer, Spirit, and the word. And testified further of how the Lord specifically led us step by step to meet with Christian leaders in new states, cities, towns, and villages. And how these seekers were supplied with the ministry books and then followed up for shepherding. 

In all these, I have been experiencing the burnt offering and that the experience of burnt offering should be continual. Last week, I had this experience of being burnt. And now, the Lord showed me further that I should continue to be burnt. This is the reality of blending; through the cross, by the Spirit, for the building up of the Body of Christ!

After two days, we were dropped off at Changi Airport and spent about an hour touring the airport, taking photos with the brothers at the Jewel, and then departed for Manila, Phillipines. 

Thus, the visit to Singapore ended with memorable experiences, both physically and spiritually. The Lord's timing is always the best. The Lord's arrangement is also the best. 

Lord, bless the church in Singpaore!

Being Discerning

“Indeed, My Servant will act wisely and will prosper; / He will be exalted and lifted up and very high.” (Isaiah 52:13, RecVer) 

The spirit of wisdom and discernment is from God. The only way to be truly wise is to be one with God. What He is, is what I should be. His thoughts my thoughts, His mind my mind, His will my will, His words my words, His ways my ways, His work my work, and His walk my walk. In such oneness, I can exercise His wisdom.

Through many experiences in my Christian life, I have faced failures, rejections, oppositions, and even false accusations. I have been learning to take everything as from the Lord. Such experiences in life make me grow in life too. Along with this growth, comes wisdom and discernment. I in no way claim to have become wise, but I do experience exercising wisdom. Experiences with people have taught me a lot of life lessons. Especially, the bitter and difficult experiences truly trained me to be more wise and discerning. Now, to some extent, I can testify that the Lord has granted me some wisdom and discernment concerning persons, matters, and things.

A brother called me recently and offered himself to serve full-time in the literature service. Right away I knew his intention was not pure. In fact, he was simply looking out for a means of survival. I immediately confronted him about his offer and that he did it only for money. Though he tried to deny it, but that was the fact. I spoke boldly and straightforwardly and even used a strong word. My intention was to help him realize his heart was not pure and his intention was not right. I could see things clearly even through him. I only hope that he humbles himself and simply follows the Lord's leading for all his financial needs. In fact, I never was like that. I generally would talk politely and use my natural human politeness. But the time has come now to stand up and call black as black and white as white.  I believe this is what I really should be by this time. I can remain the same year by year. I must also grow in wisdom and discernment.

Likewise, I have been experiencing complex situations now and then. But I took them as lessons from the Lord for me to learn. Yes, learn to be wise and discerning by turning to the Lord deep within concerning those situations, considering carefully how and why it happened. I have been graced to be touched by the many brothers and sisters around me, in the church life, and within my family circle. Because, when I prayed for wisdom, God gave me problems to solve.

Now, when seekers call me for any help, especially financial help, I direct them to trust in the Lord and not in me. May the Lord grace me to learn from Him and take His wisdom and discernment as mine.

Being Burnt

May He remember all your meal offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah Psa. 20:3 

Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. Lev. 6:11 

The Lord Jesus is the reality of the burnt offering in Leviticus. He was accepted by God as the most absolute One. Today, we are His duplication and His many brothers. As such, we must offer ourselves up to God by taking Christ as our burnt offering. Only then, our offering will be accepted by God in Christ. 

The Hebrew word translated “accept” in Psalm 20:3 actually means “turn to ashes.”  The Hebrew word rendered “accept” can be translated not only as “turn to ashes” but also as “accept as fat,” “make fat,” and “be as fat.” For God to accept our burnt offering means not only that He turns it to ashes but also that He accepts it as fat, something that is sweet and pleasing to Him. For the burnt offering to be turned to ashes means that God is satisfied and that we therefore may be at peace. If we understand this, we shall realize that in our Christian life there should be a lot of ashes. In Leviticus 6:11 once again we see that the ashes were not thrown away. This indicates that we should treasure the result of our offering of the burnt offering to God. We should never throw it away. In God’s eyes, the result of our burnt offering is highly regarded.  The result of our being a burnt offering will be something that carries out God’s New Testament economy. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 57-58)

The Lord has been gracing me to enjoy "being burnt to ashes" these days. A few days ago a brother replied to an email report I sent to the brothers. Since he named me as one of the recipients, I reckoned it proper to take the matter before the Lord in prayer and in the spirit of meekness, reply to the email, accepting the very points he pointed out. 

As far as I am concerned, I am carrying out my responsibility to report to the brothers what the Lord has been doing in North India these days concerning the literature service the Lord has apportioned to me. I had no intention of show-off or exposing myself as I had already settled this matter of myself being nothing. Now, the matter is of faithfulness and responsibility. So all the reports I have been preparing are not for myself, but for the brothers and for the office I am serving in, perhaps, "an official duty," may be the appropriate description.

But when there seemed to be a misunderstanding, it was an experience of being burnt. As I considered the matter prayerfully before the Lord, I realized that the Lord was leading me to the experience of being burnt to ashes. So, after prayer, I replied to the email and acknowledged my oversight. I also apologized for the misunderstanding I might have caused and echoed his comment on my need to be more blended for His building. Then, I had much peace in my being and realized that this was the experience of being burnt to ashes.

Then, another experience followed. After working on an article requested by the brothers for a newsletter concerning the Spirit's move in North India through the ministry of the word literature journey, I sent it to the brothers in my country for their fellowship and feedback. Though I could have bypassed it and sent it to the one who asked me for the article, I have learned the lesson that I must fellowship with the brothers in my country while reporting anything pertaining to the country. In this way, I could be in a proper fellowship and under the covering of the brothers. 

The brothers messaged me that I should "hide myself" which I felt I already did as the report had no mention of who the person concerned was. Moreover, they also mentioned that I needed to get the help of my coordinating brother, which I already did. In fact, the article was first sent to him, and I also incorporated his suggestion to add an introductory paragraph and change the whole narrative to the third person. According to his fellowship, I made the changes and sent the article. The two points comment of the brothers were actually taken care. Nonetheless, I took this experience as a lesson of being burnt again. In my prayer that followed this incident, not really because of this incident but my usual and regular prayer time, I looked to the Lord and experienced the matter of being burnt again. 

The Lord's hand always follows His speaking. And I have been graced to enjoy the Lord as my burnt offering. Though the enemy injected negative thoughts into my mind, I turned to the Lord, took Him as my grace, and experienced the cross to be burnt to ashes. 

Lord, grant me the grace to experience You as my burnt offering, even being burnt to ashes, to become useful for Your building.

Being Hospitable

 Be hospitable to one another without murmuring. 1 Peter 4:9

Two weeks ago we had a North India Seekers Conference and Blending in Delhi and Gurugram. A group of seekers from different parts of North India came to attend the meeting. The arrangement was that the seekers stay in the homes of the saints. But there was a group of brothers who wished to stay together in one place. Since it was their first time to join this kind of conference, the only suitable place for a group of seven brothers and two sisters for hospitality was the meeting hall of the church. Therefore, the arrangement was made for them to be given hospitality in the meeting hall and I needed to take care of them. The venue for the meeting was in Delhi but the place of stay was in Gurgram, a distance of about one and half hour journey. It was not convenient at all for me in a very practical sense. But since that was the arrangement, I took that as the Lord's arrangement and looked to the Lord for grace to fulfill my responsibility well. 

Since I knew that this was not an easy task to handle by myself, I fellowshipped with my coordinating brother that dinner could be corporately made for all the new ones who were given hospitality in Gurugram. In this way, the burden was distributed to other saints too. It was such a release to share the burden with the members of the Body. In this way, I am learning to be hospitable. Otherwise, though I have the heart, I could not really be hospitable by myself. Even giving hospitality needs coordination in the Body. 

This time, the new ones also brought their pet rabbits along with them. This made the room smelly and dirty. Yet, in giving hospitality I need to accommodate them all, no matter what they brought along with them, or whatever or how many languages they had. Even for their travel expenses, I was quite concerned but the Lord made ways to meet the need for all the expenses, both for the traveling and food. 

What I ultimately learned was, that I should not reject hospitality simply because I think I cannot give it. But I must exercise to be enlarged in my heart to receive whatever the Body in fellowship has arranged. The Lord knows my capacity and He will allow what He feels best. So I simply must accept the arrangement of the Lord and learn to be hospitable. In myself, I am not a hospitable person. But in the Lord, I am, as the Lord's life is a life of shepherding that shepherds people, especially the saints. Therefore, I can be hospitable. And the Lord gave me the opportunity to learn this lesson on hospitality.

Lord, make me hospitable to all Your children and to others according to Your arrangement.