First of All, Pray

“I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God,” (1 Timothy 2:1-3, RecVer)

In the recent training for the elders and responsible ones, I was so touched by the burden of prayer. In fact, as the message was just released in Manila, Philippines, I sent a WhatsApp message to some groups I have been on, of this verse to first of all pray. Later, as we did the study, and also entered into the video training in Delhi again, I noted some important points in this message as below.

As we are learning to serve, we must take care of the most important thing first. First of all, we must pray. To have an unprecedented breakthrough, to have a genuine revival, we must first of all pray.

Prayer should be our living. During the pandemic, we have picked up the burden of praying for at least 100 days, but this should not merely be a movement, but it should be our living. And this prayer must continue all the days of our lives.

Prayer should be a ministry. In Acts 6, the apostles declared, “But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4, RecVer) Yes, there is a need for the ministry of the word but what is most important is prayer. Prayer is a ministry, not merely an activity. We need to give ourselves to pray first. 

Prayer is a work. Prayer is more important than the work. We must stop all activities and learn to pray. Prayer is a petition, not a performance, not even to deal with a problem, but to petition, intercede, and thanksgiving. Our responsibility even extends to praying for those in the high authorities that we may live a tranquil and peaceful life for the sake of the church life to fulfill God’s economy. 

Prayer is a prerequisite for anything or any activity. Prayer should also be our life and living. A proper church is a praying church. Then, our church life will be living, vitalized, and uplifted. Let us be warned not to do anything presumptuously. A decision made apart from the Lord, be it small or great, should be condemned. Turn all the talking into prayer, and then the local church will be transformed.

“I desire therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning;” (1 Timothy 2:8, RecVer)

“Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The petition of a righteous man avails much in its working.” (James 5:16, RecVer)

Hands are for doing which signifies our living. If we do not have a holy living we cannot pray. Our holy and pious living is the base for us to be able to pray. Then, our prayers will be effective and God will hear. Our church life will be rich and strong. Prayerlessness is a sin. For shepherding or administration of the church, prayer is required. We must also be regulated in our daily living. We will be wild without regulation; we must be regulated in our mind, emotion, and will and be a man of prayer. By prayer, we can shepherd the saints as we are able to read the saints through our prayers, and then we can bear the church on our shoulders. 

“Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving,” (Colossians 4:2, RecVer)

We must be willing, empty, and be a man of prayer to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill for the noble work of building up the church.

Lord, make me a man of prayer.

Being a Family Man

Marriage has indeed changed me for the better in every aspect of my Christian life and human life. Surely, when God said it was not good for man to be alone, it definitely bears a connotation of perfecting a man. I believe there are precious lessons of life that a man can learn only in marriage. No mere teaching but lessons learned in practical family life over a period of time. In fact, the lessons intensifies and the learning maturised with children in the family. The Lord has been gracing and blessing me in my marriage life too. I have been learning more and more lessons as my children grows up and as my marriage life matures. I am gradually learning to be a family man!

Daily prayer and Bible reading have been one of our family life practices. Even when I traveled I did my best to still pray with my wife and all my children, one on one, and one by one. This is one of the best way I find to be in a faithful and good relationship with my own family members. And when I travel places, my heart has always been on getting the best I could to bring home back. Mostly, some eatables my children would love. Rarely I bought a souvenir. Once in a while, I bought special gift for my wife. Otherwise, I brought home back the "spoils from the battle fields," the best eatables from the "good land" the Lord led me to.

This time too, in Manila and Singapore, I took out time and went for shopping. Even as I did so, what occupied my mind was just my family. Not what I like, but I would think of what my wife, son, and daughters would like. So, I purchased variety of food items, local to the Phillipines, Singapore, and Taiwan and those stuffs that were not available in India. I loved to spend for my family and it was a joy to do so. As long as my wife and children are happy, I am happy, for my happiness is in their happiness. This is my simply "family-funda." Besides, the saints are in my mind and I would love to give them some gifts too, including the college students that I am serving. My heart is filled with saints, family, and people. The Lord has enlarged my heart so much. And He has also enlarged my capacity to meet the burden He bestowed upon me. Though I am naturally a person who does not like to go shopping, much less spending, now I have to, for the sake of my family and also the saints I care for. This is being human and also being God-man. More precisely, I am becoming more of a family man.

What a blessed human life! What a blessed family life! What a blessed church life! Complete lessons of this human life are learned in being a family man. 

Lord, thank You for my family! Lord, continue to bless my family! All these for the church life, for the building up of Your Body!

Lord's Move in Asia, Phillipines

The Lord has been moving in Asia and I am glad to be a part of the Lord’s move. The past two days, I was graced to attend the Lord’s Move in Asia conference at Taguig, Phillipines. I was encouraged to hear what the Lord has been doing in the continent of Asia. As the brothers presented the country report, I was amazed at the way the Lord has been doing His work. To such works of the Lord, I can only worship and praise the Lord for His move. Hallelujah!

The release of the burden for the saints serving in these Asian countries were very timely too. Message after message, I was supplied richly with the healthy teaching of God’s economy. It was indeed this faithful word, healthy teaching, along with proper practices of the church life that brought in the Lord’s blessing among the churches in Asia. No one can claim any credit as it has always been the work of the Holy Spirit through faithful men who have been coordinating with the Lord in His heavenly ministry among which I am also one of the many saints participating in His move in coordination. What a glory, what a grace that His move also has reached me and that I can move along with the move of the Lord!

This time again, as it was during the international training three days before, in every meeting, I received the Lord's supply of His timely speaking. In fact, I also took key important notes and prepared myself to share in each meeting. However, I was able to respond in the open sharing on the seventh message on the way for the spread and increase of the church life by prayer, Spirit, and the word of God. My sharing was on the need to realize and exercise to be one Spirit with the Lord in planning for the Lord’s move. I must be active, strong, and take action in oneness with the Lord. Then, pray for the very plan that was made in oneness with the Lord, and then trust fully in the Lord’s faithfulness to bless. 

By the Lord’s mercy, I have also been able to experience this very way of prayer, Spirit, and the word of God in my participation in His move in my portion of the work the Lord has assigned. In the introduction and distribution of the ministry of the word in India, the Lord’s leading has also been through prayer from our side, the Spirit from the Lord’s side, and the ministry of word in one spirit with Him. This is the unique way for His move on this earth today. I am glad I have been graced to participate in His move.

During the break sessions, I also enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with brothers from different parts of Asia and build a relationship in the Lord for His move. On the last day, we were able to visit the training centre in Malabon and I simply marveled at what the Lord has been doing among the young people in the Phillipines. The ministry has indeed been prevailing despite the enemy's attempt to thwart the Lord’s move

Lord, continue to bless Your move in Asia!

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!