Minstry of the Word to Durgapur

When I ventured out for this ministry journey to West Bengal, one of the burdens the Lord gave me was to find a good and proper Bengali translator. I just trusted the Lord that in time He will reveal one. Just as expected, while we were in Asansol the Lord gave us a contact whose father was a Bengali translator. As we came to visit this brother, I marvelled at the specific way the Lord led us to him at the right time. He was one of the best Bengali translators with decades of experience and have already translated over 200 title books. Besides, he is a dear brother in the Lord. With him, we spent a couple of hours fellowshipping. I was so thankful to the Lord for this discovery and worshipped the Lord for the way He led us to him. I do believe the Lord will open up the entire Bengali population to the healthy teaching of the ministry of the word.

After this, we went to Durgapur to attend a yearly meeting of all the Christians in the city. The coordinator of the program gave us time to introduce the ministry literature to all the people present. The meeting was recorded and also live-streamed. In just one evening, the Lord opened the door for the spread of the ministry in Durgapur. A good number of seekers came and purchased the ministry books in addition to receiving the free Bengali books. This was yet another unique experience the Lord blessed us with. 

In traveling to all these places with heavy luggages filled with ministry books, the Lord also graced us to the extend that the joy of bringing the truth to the people overshadowed the little hardship and physical suffering we bore for a while. On that day, we did not have time to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But we did not feel hungry even. Though my body suffered a little bit due to dust and cold, I had been sneezing and coughing, yet, it was not a big deal. The joy of the presence of the Lord in introducing and distributing the ministry of the word filled me inwardly. I could only call upon the Lord again and again and praise Him!

Lord, bless Your move in Durgapur and gain the Bengali populace with the availability of the ministry of the word in Bengali soon.

West Bengal for Christ and the church!

Ministry of the Word to Asansol

The first time I visited Asansol was when visited a brother and his family for spiritual fellowship. It was then that helped them with the truth concerning salvation and also baptised them. That was a great deliverance for the entire family from the darkness of idolatry and the bandages of the devil through superstition amd many deception of the devil. The family since then have been fully brought to enjoy the Christ as their life. After three years, I have come again to visit this family with a brother. 

This time, in addition to fellowshopping with the family, we also visited other Christian leaders and groups in the city for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. Though we could not do much, we could at least visit few Christian leaders whom the Lord sovereignly led us to, people whom He already prepared to receive the ministry. 

In one of the biggest congregations, we were initially told that no "big pastor" would give time as they all have their own teachings and ministries. But we simply went to visit, by faith, one of the biggest groups without any preappointment. Both the groups received us warmly, received our fellowship, and also the books we introduced. In fact, in one group that also owns a theological school, all the Bible teachers gathered together to hear us out and they all purchased the Holy Bible Recovery Version!

We were also invited to minister the word in one of the congregations here on the Lord’s day, which we did. The Lord led us to minister on helping the believers to know that they were vessels created by God to contain God. As such, the meaning of the human life is to contain God and express God. For this, there is the need to confess our sins and apply the precious blood of the Lamb whenever we are defiled. The cleansed vessel may then be filled with God Himself by calling upon the Lord’s name and receiving the word of God by reading and praying. We also encouraged them to read the Bible daily which they all agreed to do so; to read the Bible daily that they all can complete reading the whole Bible at least once in a year.

Besides these, we also enjoyed a time of fellowship with a seeking brother concerning the problem that he has been going through. Our only solution is, first of all, pray. Then, as we were about to leave, a family came for fellowship an urgent fellowship. The son had just met an accident, the wife just left him, and the family has been deeply grieved. As we all prayed, the father of the family broke into tears. We consoled him by sharing the gospel and also ministering the truth concerning baptism as he has been praying for his own baptism. In this way, we all accomplished the burden the Lord gave us for this visit to Asansol this time.

As we spent time with our host during meal time, we also fellowship with the father of the family concerning his need to deny himself, take up the cross, and follow the Lord. We shepherded him to exercise his spirit and turn to the Lord in every situation. Especially, to take the Lord’s grace in forgiving the people who have hurt him a lot. We also helped him to get into the ministry by reading the Bible with the help of the footnotes, listen to the ministry speaking online, and pursue lessons for new believers.

I personally have the faith in the Lord that the Lord has been preparing His vessels for His testimony. Step by step He led us and layer by layer He unveiled His heart's desire for this city.

Lord, raise up Your testimony in Asansol soon!

Life Lesson: Taking Fellowship

In one of our weekly fellowships, the need for providing a healthy and daily spiritual food to the saints speaking Kokborok in Tripura in the form of HWMR was brought up. According to that fellowship, the serving ones in the literature service would bear the responsibility to find some potential translators. Since then, I have been considering the proper time to go visit the saints in their localities and find out the way to get proper serving ones. Last week, that fellowship was carried out. A brother and I spent three and a half days to visit Tripura and introduced and distributed the ministry literature among the local Christian leaders besides fellowshipping with the saints and also seeking for some potential translators. Finally, we concluded with four potential translators in Kokborok, two of them have been translating and checking already, and the other two were MA in Kokborok, one of them still pursuing the degree, to whom we imparted the burden for translation. The Lord led us and honored the burden for which we came to the state this time for. May the Lord continue to preserve these ones to be faithful and useful vessels unto Him.

About a year ago, one of the leading brothers in the North East called and informed be about a brother in Tripura who had coordinated with me in my past visit five years ago. I took the brother's fellowship and did not make any further contact with that one. I had no idea of the actual situation of that brother but I trust the brother's word as he would not mention things to me if it were not serious. So when I came to visit the state this time, I honored the brother's fellowship and did not contact him at all. Later, through the local brothers I came to learn of the facts and confirmed what a brother warned me of. The two main reasons were, first, the matter of purity in the Lord’s recovery and second, the matter of holiness in contacting the saints. As I was informed, it was thus confirmed. And I was glad that I was able to take the brother's fellowship. Though I had no personal problem with him, I should not put my natural love against the fellowship. Since I could not visit him, I, at least, could pray for the Lord to purify his heart, heal, and recover him back to the fellowship of the Body. In fact, I took the initiative to pray for this brother's healing and recovery with the local brothers. I do believe, one day, the Lord will fully recover him into the fellowship of the Body again.

Though the visit to Tripura was not in my plan at all, when a brother called me, I realized it was of the Lord. I took it to prayer and fellowshipped with my brothers and also with my wife for all practical arrangement. At times, I would be led, and other times, I must follow the Lord's leading through a member of His Body. Either way, it was the Lord’s leading. And I was blessed to be able to amen the proposal. Therefore, I also received the blessing and enjoyed the Lord’s working in me again through this ministry of the word literature journey this time.

Ministry of the Word to Malda, West Bengal

Malda, one of the cities in West Bengal, popped up in one of the meetings we had with a brother in Bokaro. We thought that he had a good contact here, therefore, we planned to visit this city for the distribution of the ministry literature in Bengali. But as we planned and was about to come, he could not be contacted and we were left with no contact. A serving brother tried his best to find seeking contacts in Malda but to no avail. Since we already planned our trip to this city, I was told to find some contacts somehow. That being the case, I searched for "Christians in Malda" on Google. As I Google searched, one contact via facebook gained my attention. So I called the number right away. It so happened that it was the same person contacted by another person, but he backed down to meet with us citing his busy schedule. When as I spoke to him, he finally agreed to meet on the same day we arrive Malda after his Bible studies, about 8:30 pm. By the way, we arrived Malda at about 7:30 pm. Besides, on his suggestion I also booked a hotel room online.

The moment we arrived Malda, we went straight to our hotel room. Once we settled down and was ready, I called the contact I got over the net the day before. He turned up and met us. We did our best to introduce the ministry to him. Though he did not show much interest in it, he touched something of the Lord and changed his mind after meeting with us. As we fellowshipped a while and prayed, he gave us an impromptu invitation to join with him the next day to his group of leaders meeting some 25 kms away from the city. We readily agreed to it. At our first meeting, he did not show any interest in the ministry literature as he claimed to be already very occupied  

The next day, we went along with him to his leaders meeting. On his request, we shared the word of God for an hour. I specifically ministered the word on the need to grow in life unto full maturity by feeding on the gutless milk of the word. I began with 1 Timothy 2:4, and connected the need for the coming to the full knowleged of the truth with Romans 8:29, "conformed to the image of His (Firstborn) Son" and Ephesians 4:13 "the full grown man". I emphasized the need for "eating Jesus" using the relevant verses in John 6:32, 33, 35, 41, 48, 50, 51, 57, 58, 63 along with Matthew 4:4, and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. Initially, I was not sure what to minister, but when the time came, the Lord just released the word, verse by verse. Then the 300 set of free BXL 1,2,3 in Bengali were all distributed to the 30 leaders who attended the meeting. Though the key brother was not very interest in the printed books, he became a channel through whom these books could be distributed.

Later, on our way back, we went for sight seeing to three historical sites and took an afternoon nap. Though, the key brother said he was too busy to meet us again, at the last minute he agreed to come and meet us again at our hotel room. When he did come, he finally asked to see the ministry books we brought. Though he still insisted that he did not have time to read, as we introduce the ministry books, he got interested and expressed his desire to get some books. In fact, he literally asked for some books, Messages for Building Up New Believers, and Song of Songs. Deep within me, I felt the burden to give him three books, The Normal Christian Church Life, The Genuine Ground of Oneness, and The Orthodoxy of the Church, as he shared his understanding of the local churches meeting at homes and the need for oneness among the believers today. Finally, when he left, he thanked us for the gifts. The one who said he was not interested in books as "he reads only the word of God directly and that he has no time for books" finally ended up receiving seven ministry books that can help him see the Lord’s heart's desire as revealed in the Bible concerning the Christian life and the church life. Praise the Lord that the Lord indeed has His way of distributing His ministry among His chosen remnants.

After one day visit to Malda city not knowing, the Lord has accomplished His purpose again! 

May the Lord open the eyes of His chosen ones to hunger and thirst for the word of God and receive help from the ministry of the word.

Lord, gain Your remnants in Malda unto the raising up of Your testimony one day!

Seeking for Kokborok Translators

Five years ago, I came to Tripura for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature to the Christian leaders in Agartala and nearby localities. A brother coordinated with me at that time. Wherever we went, whomever we met, the Lord blessed the distribution. We had a good sales too. This time, the main burden was to seek out proper translators to bring the ministry literature into Kokborok, the main language read and spoken by the native people. This was our prayers and fellowship with the brothers for this visit to Tripura this time. Though I got the phone numbers of the two best Kokborok translators, they were fully occupied with the projects they are presently engaged in. In fact, they could not be met even. However, the Lord had the best plan for who the translators would be for thr ministry literature.

Through the three and half days visit, the Lord in fellowship manifested four potential translators for Kokborok. Two of them are the ones who coordinated in the past for translating HWMRs and some hymns. Due to certain situations, they were not able to continue regularly. But now, the Lord has been working on them and they also received a fresh burden. They both have agreed to continue the translation service to meet the present need of the saints.

Besides, the Lord also manifested two brothers for the translation. One brother who is currently pursuing Master's degree in Kokborok will involve more in the translation even as he received a fresh burden concerning his education, life, and the present need of the saints. He was very much encouraged when we helped him to see why the Lord led him to study MA in Kokborok and that his life is for the Lord with all the education the Lord has been imparting him with. We also met another brother who has a double degree in MA, one of which is Kokborok. Besides, he has been translating the PM of India's Mann Ki Baat, a monthly radio program. As we fellowshipped with him concerning the Christian life and our usefulness to the Lord, he seriously considered to give his time to bring out the ministry books into Kokborok that will benefit some fourteen lakhs native speakers in Tripura. Though, these two brothers have come forward to do the translation gradually, they also will need the prayers of the Body to uphold them. As this is the Lord’s move, it is also a spiritual battle that must be fought only in the Body with the Body. The leading brothers in the local churches also were revived through all our fellowship to seriously follow up on bringing the ministry materials into their native language, not only for the saints under their shepherding care, but also for all the believers speaking the language. 

After meeting and fellowshiping with these brothers, I deeply thanked the Lord for leading us this time with this specific burden and that has now been accomplished. May the Lord bring to fruition what has been initiated concerning the Kokborok translation service.

Besides, we were also sovereignly led to meet with the top leadership of the main Christian group in the state. On the last day, we had a time of introduction of the ministry literature to the top leadership in the home of a brother who once was the founding president of a prevalent tribal organization. We had a time of love feast fellowship and even stayed at his resident. After all these, with a deep sense of gratitude to the Lord for His leading and guiding, we left the city today morning for another distribution trip to another state, West Bengal.

Lord, bless Your move in Tripura!

Ministry of the Word in Tripura

Today, we attended the Lord’s Table Meeting in Ratchantai, near Agartala in Tripura. As we enjoyed feasting on the Lord through hymns of praises, the brothers invited me to break bread with them. It was a joy indeed to break the bread with the saints in Tripura! After the bread breaking meeting and prophesying meeting, the brothers requested us to minister the word. As usual, my co-working brother ministered first and I followed him with the same burden he released. As I ministered the word following him, the Lord gave me a fresh burden and I released whatever the Lord burdened me with. 

The first burden was the need for shining forth the gospel of the blessed God. This was possible only if we first received the shining of the Lord. As the moon receives it's light from the sun and then reflects it in the dark night, we must also receive the shining light of the Lord and reflect it to this dark world. This reflecting of the Lord’s light is the shining, and this shining is the gospel.

“According to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted.” (1 Timothy 1:11, RecVer)

As I ministered, more light dawned upon me and the Lord showed me further light to help the saints in a very practical way. The way to receive the shining is by turning to Him, the Light, and receive His shining. This can be done practically in spending time with the Lord in prayer. I encouraged all the saints to set apart time every day for personal prayer. If possible, at least an hour to fellowship with the Lord, call upon His Name, and pray the burdens the Lord imparts. This must also be done along with the reading of the Bible everyday and picking a verse to pray-read. I further encouraged the saints to not complain about the unavailability of the ministry materials in their native language,  Kokborok. At least, they have the Bible in Kokborok. So thay must be faithful to read the word of God in Kokborok. Instead of complaining about what is not available, they must be faithful to read what they already have.

Besides this personal reading of the Bible and prayer, I also encouraged them to spend family prayer time everyday with their family members. Then, brothers prayer with the brothers, and sisters prayer with the sisters. In this way, all the saints should be living a prayer life, and the church sould be the house of prayer. 

Once, regular and daily personal and corporate prayer life is established, the saints will be shined upon by the glory of God and they will shine forth the glory of the blessed God as the gospel. By this shining, one by one, all the family members will be saved and there will be much increase in the church life here in Tripura. 

Through conversation with the saints here, it was obvious that they have very much been affected by the political and social situation that they have been facing. In fact, the Bengalis from Bangladesh have been migrating into this state and have even overtaken the local populace in many areas of life. This has been a nagging thought in the minds of the native people including the saints. Therefore, I encouraged them to pray for the salvation of all these migrants and have a view of God in viewing them as fish sent by the Lord to their land for their fishing. In fact, the Lord promised us that He will make us fishers of men. It will be difficult if not impossible to go to the land of these migrants for the gospel, but now that they have come, our responsibility should be to share the gospel of the love of God to them.

In addition, they have also been so much occupied with gaining their own land. But my burden was to help them receive God’s burden and pray the Lord’s prayer, praying for the kingdom of God rather than for our own kingdom. Our view should be according to God. Our prayer should also be according to God. There may me many things we cannot do, but God would not expect us to do what we cannot do. He will only expect us to do what we can do. So, we must be faithful to do what we can do and just do it faithfully. 

After the ministry of the word, we prayed and all the saints responded from the burden just released. Then, we all prayed together again and ended the meeting followed by lovefeast.

Later, in the evening we visited a family and preached the gospel to the unsaved family members of a brother. The Lord blessed the gospel preaching and those who have not yet believed into the Lord believed and confessed that Jesus is Lord! The truth concerning baptism was also shared to them. We then prayed for them and let them take their own time for their baptism. 

Thus, the day ended. And this was how we enjoyed the Lord’s move in Tripura.

Praise the Lord! May the Lord richly bless His move in Tripura!

Hymn: Dealing with My Heart

Yesterday night, as I listened to the message on the need to deal with my heart to gain Christ and grow in life for the building up in life, I was very much enlightened to see my specific need in each area of my inward parts with the goal of gaining Christ unto full maturity. Therefore, even as I listened to the message, I started composing a hymn out of the message outline. After the meeting ended, I ate dinner with my son and prayed with my family. Then I went out to pray and came back to continue to write the hymn. When it was completed it had fourteen stanzas. I truly enjoyed the Lord's anointing as I composed the hymn. The words just came and poetically they rhyme too. This was how I entered into the Lord's speaking, enjoyed it too, and composed a hymn for further enjoyment and learning. 

Various Aspects of the Inner Life: The Proper Heart
Composed on 28^th Nov 2023
The message in the Thanksgiving Conference and Blending Nov 2023, enlightened me to see the need for dealing with my heart for my growth in the divine life unto maturity for God’s building.

Time:3/4 G Major
Meter:8.6.8.6 with chorus.
Hymn Code:33323471
Tune #744 “In dealings with the Lord as life”
 
1.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     That I may grow in life.
     Yes, grow unto maturity
     For Thy building in life.
 
2.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     That my heart may be soft.
     Submissive and yielding to Thee
     Abide in Thee aloft.
 
3.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     That my heart may be pure;
     Single, to fulfill Thine one goal,
     Pursue Thee to mature.
 
4.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     My heart be loving Thee;
     Thirsting and yearning only Thee
     Love Thee continually.
 
5.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     That my heart be at peace.
     Conscience with no condemnation,
     No offense and at ease.
 
6.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     To take Thee as my life.
     Remove my dark human concept,
     On my pathway of life.
 
7.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Free from hypocrisy.
     Deal with my natural goodness,
     Care Thy dwelling in me.
 
8.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Obeying the inward sense.
     Save me from rebellion and sins
     Lead me by Thy presence.
 
9.  Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Break my strength and greatness,
     My natural abilities
     By Thy cross and grace.
 
10.Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Deal with my thoughts and mind,
     Setting my mind on the Spirit
     In peace, inwardly shine.
 
11.Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Grant me submissive will,
     Fully surrender and obey
     To do only Thy will.
 
12.Deal with my heart, O Lord I pray,
     Deal with my emotion.
     Love what Thou love, hate what Thou hate,
     One with Thine expression.
 
13.Daily strengthen me Lord, I pray
     Into my inner man.
     Thus, make Thou Thy home in my heart
     Make me Thy full-grown man.
 
14.Have mercy upon me, O Lord,
     Open my eyes to see
     Thy central work in this age is
     To gain Thee, grow in Thee.