Leaning on My Beloved's Arm

On my forty-sixth birthday, the Lord’s speaking to me was very particular and prophetic. As I spent time with Him in the morning, His words were loud and clear. He prophetically spoke to me of my need to lean on Him for all things at all times. The portion of the ministry from the book of Song of Songs came alive! 

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree: There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and brought you forth. Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol; Its flashes are the flashes of fire, A flame of Jehovah. (Song of Solomon 8:5-6, RecVer)

On the one hand, prophesying of what stage of growth in life I should be, at the same time, confirming my present experiencing of Him. What a timely speaking of the Lord indeed! It was absolutely marvelous. What a grace! What a blessing!

Later, as we travelled by train from Taichung to Tainan, after my Bible reading, I composed a hymn in the train itself of my experiences of the Lord. The hymn was titled, "Leaning on My Beloved's Arm".

Experience of Christ

Fellowshipping with Him

Meter: 10.9.10.9 with chorus

Tune: Hymn 558

1)

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord,

Thy love divine is as strong as death.

Thine love eternal, entwined with my love 

Thou art my eternal hope and faith.

Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on My Beloved's arm!

Psalms 24:8

2)

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Thou, Jehovah strong and mighty!

In Thee is my trust and in nothing else

Preserve me unto eternity.

Philippians 3:13

3)

Pressed beyond measure in this earthly realm,

Come I out of this wilderness.

Forgetting the things which are behind 

Stretch I forward to Thee by Thy grace.

4)

Weak, vain, empty, powerless, and helpless

Humbly I open to Thee, O Lord!

Not my enduring, but Thine preserving

Is my only faith and hope, O Lord!

5)

I love Thee, but my love's not trustworthy 

Only I trust, O Lord, in Thy love!

Set me as a seal on Thine heart O Lord.

Only Thy love can secure my love.

6)

I hold Thee, but my holding strength is weak,

Only Thy strength, O Lord, I depend.

Set me as a seal on Thine arm O Lord,

Only Thy strength holds me to the end.

7)

Mountain of spices, I've prepared for Thee,

All my life of experiencing Thee.

Make haste, my Beloved! O Come, Lord Jesus!

As Thy Bride, we are waiting for Thee!

Revisiting Taiwan: A Timely Pattern

The churches in the Lord’s recovery in Taiwan have been shepherding the churches in India for decades altogether now. This sweet coordination in shepherding between the countries is amazing. Only the divine life with the divine nature in the divine grace in God's divine economy can carry out such a coordination. Just as Paul shepherded his spiritual son Timothy in the aspect of truth constitution, God-man living, preaching the gospel and propagating the truth, so also the churches in Taiwan to the churches in India. This is no cooked up man made slogan, but a declaration of the fact. And the facts subjectively have been experienced and enjoyed by many siants. I believe, I am on of the many beneficiaries.

Since the time I came in touch with the ministry of the age, I have been shepherded step by step by the brothers who served in India and sent by the work in Taiwan. In fact, my first encounter with a brother from Taiwan set the course of my future Christian life and service. The first sentence uttered to me was, "Come to the full-time training." It was a shockingly surprise statement to me. I thought to myself, "Who are you? I don't even belong in your group." For, at that time I had not yet come into the practical churches life in the Lord’s recovery under the vision of God’s economy. Two years later, that prophetic statement became true! I joined the full-time training!

From the very beginning, the brothers who have been shepherding me, especially in the matter of the church life and the practices of the God-ordained way, were all from Taiwan. The first prophetic meeting, a brother from Taiwan. The one who shepherded me into the practical church life, a brother from Taiwan. The teachers in the full-time training center, brothers from Taiwan. The gospel propagation coordination I had been with in New Delhi and Gurugram, the brothers from Taiwan. The sister the Lord blessed me to be my wife, a sister from Taiwan. Thank the Lord for this Taiwan connection!

This time, 8-16 June 2024, about 40 brothers from India embarked on a week long visit to different localities in Taiwan; Taoyuan, Taipei, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu. I was graced to receive hospitality at five different homes. It was quite an experience! The love and care of the saints have been overwhelming! I personally have been love feasting all the way on the rich provision of love feast from the saints. On the practical side, I have also been love learning all the practises they have been practising in their carrying out of the God-ordained way.

As men, we see, observe, and learn from what we are seeing outwardly. But deep within all these, there are deep divine principles which only our enlightened eyes of our hearts could perceive. Therefore, with the excerise of our mingled spirit, we digest them. And by God’s mercy, we may learn and follow them practically. As Paul told his spiritual children, imitate me, it is best to imitate a pattern set up by our spiritual parents, the churches in Taiwan.

This probably is my Sixth or Seventh time visit to Taiwan. Each time, I discovered something new spiritually related to the church life. Each time, I discovered a timely pattern for me personally to learn from and imitate intrinsically.  Each time is like a first time visit in a very positive sense. Thereby, proving itself to be a timely pattern. And each time is the best visit ever. 

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you; Nor did we eat bread as a gift from anyone, but in labor and hardship we worked night and day so that we would not be burdensome to any of you; Not because we do not have the right, but in order that we might give ourselves to you as a pattern that you might imitate us. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, RecVer)

Praise the Lord that we have a pattern to imitate! Only the fool, blind, and proud people would reckon it as a shame to imitate others. But we, who knows our living God, and we know whom the Lord has set up as patterns for us to learn from and imitate. It is indeed a blessing to imitate a pattern and in turn, become a pattern to others.

Learn from a Pattern

But you, continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from which ones you have learned them (2 Timothy 3:14, RecVer)

Follow the Practices of the Pattern

Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things; for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:15-16, RecVer)

Praise the Lord! 

Lord, continue to bless Your move and Your testimony in Taiwan and India.

Amen!

A Visit to Singapore

Jehovah will keep your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity. (Psalms 121:8, RecVer)

On the 4th of June, on our 18th anniversary, as a family we landed in Singapore. The Lord was sovereign. Our Singapore connection dates back 18 years ago when a brother who visited India along with a coworker from Taiwan proposed to me a sister for marriage. Eighteen years later, we came to visit this country as a family with three children. This trip was planned along with a visit to Taiwan after 6 long years when we last visited.

As we landed, two brothers came to pick us up, and hospitality began. Everyday, during our stay in Singapore our lunch, dinner, and breakfast were all lovefeasting with saints. We truly enjoyed the love and care in the Body. 

In addition to the meal hospitality, the saints also took care of our tourism. The visit to Garden by the Bay, Universal Studio Singapore, SEA Aquarium, Merlion, and shopping complexes were all planned and paid for by the saints. Though I tried to repay them back, the saints took that as an opportunity to shower their love to us. So I ended up paying nothing.

Besides, the Lord also provided a financial offering in Singapore Dollar to meet all my cash expenses apart from taking care of other expenses. Then, an envelope full of Taiwan Dollar cash offering was handed over to me to meet the upcoming expenses in Taiwan as it was our next destination.

Our stay was at the church's guest house where we enjoyed a wonderful time of family bonding and blending. 

These things may seem outward but they were the Lord's physical provision, His blessings too. If I were to calculate the value in Indian currency, it has already exceeded the total fare for two ways flight ticket to two countries for five members.

The Lord is the Provider! He provided all our needs seen, unseen, and foreseen. The timing, the way, and the atmosphere were all perfect. No human plan can even come near this. 

Above all, we also enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with a couple of brothers. The brothers asked me mostly about how I came into the church life, how I decided to serve the Lord, the distribution of the ministry literature in India, and the practices and enjoyment of the church life in my locality in particular. I joyfully answered whatever they enquired from me in a way of testimony and ministering life all along with the exercise of my spirit. It was indeed a family churching and blending trip.

Praise the Lord for all His ways and His deeds! 

Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah And whose trust Jehovah is. And he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, Which sends out its roots by a stream, And will not be afraid when heat comes; For its leaves remain flourishing, And it will not be anxious in the year of drought And will not cease to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, RecVer)

Lord, bless the church in Singapore!

Fellowship with Trainees Sisters

The situation in North India concerning the gospel preaching has been affected due to the Satanic forces operating in the minds of the people living in darkness blinded by religious fanaticism these days. In the midst of such animosity towards the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Bible, a case has been registered against some young saints under the purported bill passed by certain states ruled by the majoritarian fanatics. Thereby, making changes to the ongoing training of the young people. To encourage these young ones amidst this attack, a team of ten sisters were sent yesterday, 30 May, to fellowship with me and my wife.

As I prayed and considered before the Lord what to fellowship, the Lord led me to testify on some basic and practical Christian living the Lord has taught me since the time He saved me. Though there were questions I could address to answer, I felt, fellowshiping the basic will be more helpful and practical in their Christian life for the church life. With this testimony, basic practical points were covered, at least in principle. 

First, the need for prayer life. A time with the Lord when there will be hundreds and thousands of conversation between the Lord Jesus and I have lightened me on my Christian path concerning many things in life. This is the best way to exercise the spirit and fellowship with the Lord directly. For this, a specific time need to be set. The more the better. An hour or two is a good suggestion. I testified of how I would spent two hours from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm daily during my Master's degree in Chennai. Till today, the Lord has been gracing me to enjoy a time with Him day by day. Prayer life is the Christian life and the Christian life is a prayer life.

Second, seeking the will of the Lord in everything at every time. In additional to the general will of God for the accomplishing of His divine economy, a specific, personal, and perfect will of the Lord must also be sought for in prayer. There are many choices in life for anything under the sun but seeking the will of the Lord amidst many choices is the best practice for any genuine believer. It saves one from many unwarranted decisions and confusion in life. I testified of how I sought the Lord’s will in my academic career, and how the Lord called me to serve, and the many practical thrilling experiences the Lord bestowed upon me while seeking and doing His will, including my marriage to my beloved wife.

Since prayer is the excerise of the Spirit, we will be able to discern God’s will easily. More prayer, more exercise of the spirit, more clarity in discerning God’s will. I also testified of how God’s clarion call came while seeking God's will in prayer for my life and for my wife to be, among many other things. I testified of how the Lord called me to serve Him through the written word which because the living word on 1 January 2003 morning.

And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; (Deuteronomy 10:12, RecVer)

Third, the Christian life is a life of faith, a life of trusting the Lord in everything. I testifed of how the Lord has been gracing me to live by faith and trust Him for my life and service. I testified of how the Lord has been faithfully supplying all my needs even financially. And I encouraged the saints to honor the Lord with offerings from what God has bountiful blessed.

Fourth, to live a righteous, holy, and sanctified life by taking Christ as our righteousness, holiness, and sanctification. What Christ is, is what we should be, by taking Christ as our life.

Fifth, my wife fellowshipped on how she simply trusted and followed the Lord step by step from joining the training and serving full-time and even coming to India to serve together with me. 

Sixth, she also emphasized the need for blending and be blendable with other saints, along with her testimony of serving the Lord as a house wife and a mother in India.

Seventh, I mentioned the need to accept the Lord’s sovereign arrangement. Whatever God arranges is the best. There is no need for comparison with anyone. God deals with each one as He deems best. Once this universal truth is known and understood subjectively, we will clubbed the two verses together accepting and thanking God for His sovereignty in all things.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, RecVer)

Giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father, (Ephesians 5:20, RecVer)

Eighth, I added a concluding point, the lesson on coordination, with my experiences during my full-time training twenty years ago. The Lord's cross played an important role in breaking my natural man to be able to coordinate with whoever the Lord arranges to serve in coordination. 

As we began our fellowship with prayer, we also ended our fellowship in prayer. The sisters who came for fellowship were very much supplied as they testified through their prayers and noting all the points of fellowship. 

May the Lord bless all of them to enjoy the training life, and be trained to be useful vessels to the Lord!

Fellowship with a Brother's Family

The Lord has been faithfully taking care or His move and His testimony in India. Many serving ones' family have been serving in coordination with the local saints for the furtherance of the Lord’s move and the strengthening of the Lord’s testimony. In Inida, at least I can say for myself, that the brothers coming to serve in India are rendering tremendous help to the local saints. I am one one of the many beneficiaries. For this, I worship and thank the Lord for His special grace and blessing. Many have come to serve and have gone back for different services. That has been a regular practice now. It helps in blending the saints and building up the Body practically. 

On the 29th of May, my family got the opportunity to fellowship over lunch with a brother's family who has faithfully been serving in this country for a score year less two. Though we meet for the work fellowship and trainings frequently, but this was the only time we could spend time in a way of family blending. Though we both brothers have been coordinating in the Lord’s move here, we never had any natural relationship or also with any others. All our relationship is in the realm of the church life as brothers in Christ. Natural relationship must be completely avoided in the church life. In this regard, I feel, the proper relationship has been maintained. So there should not be any special feeling as such when the Lord’s arrangement makes adjustement in the place and area of our service. My brother also took the Lord’s arrangement of his service change in a positive way. This is,  indeed, a proper attitude. 

When my brother's change of service was formally announced in a weekly coworkers fellowship by a brother with the view that we all are in God’s army and we obey the Lord’s sovereign arrangement as and when it happens, we all had only one answer, amen. Since the brother asked me to share too, I simply echoed what other brothers had shared concerning being under the Lord’s sovereignty and accepting whatever the Lord as the Head arranges. I testified of how in this way of fellowship and arrangement in the Body, I had also been led from one service to the other, and one place to the other. First, the call to be a trainee, then the sending to Delhi, then to Gurugram and so forth. Only one word answer to the Master's command, "Amen!"

My wife and my elder daughter stayed overnight for fellowship the day before we had the lovefeast. We took every opportunity to fellowship and blend with the saints whenever possible. Since our children prefered fastfood, we enjoyed lunch together at Macdonald Vasant Vihar, Delhi. Our children and spouse had a wonderful time of blending. We brothers too fellowshipped on some important move of the Lord in India. Whether in India or elsewhere, we are all in the Body, serving together for God’s divine goal.

Thank the Lord for the Lord’s blessing upon my brother in India. Thank the Lord for the many ways He led my brother in coordinating for the Lord’s move in India. Many saints, I myself, and the Lord remembers his function while in India. Many of these experiences, whatever, will be a treasured memory as a sweet remembrance even unto the kingdom age!

Lord, continue to anoint and blessing my brother in his function whatever and wherever. Much grace upon the family with new changes. All to the glory of the Sovereign God whom we serve! Amen.

Lesson on Prayer

The Lord is sovereign over all. He knows how to be God at His best and let that be known to men on earth. Even for believers, He works things in ways He could gain their attention. All those who know God in this subjective way will surely worship God for His ways.

In the recent past, I thought I made a mistake in making some decisions related to the dates of our family's foreign trip. But as I prayed over the matter over and over again I realised that the Lord was in the minute detail and I did not make a mistake. It was His sovereign arrangement. This pertains to our trip to Singapore and Taiwan, and before that my children's trip to Lonavala for the teenagers training. The itinerary looks quite tight, but the Lord was involved in the planning. Hallelujah!

When I applied for the visas for Singapore and Taiwan visit too, through the process and outcome of the application, I could see the Lord’s hand in it. The duration, the visa type granted, and the waiting period, all made me to turn to the Lord and pray. I did not take anything for granted just for the fact that I am legally eligible. The issuing  authority is God Himself on the throne. My Singapore visa application was delayed for over three weeks until I finish the ministry literature journey to Andhra Pradesh. When I applied, it was too realty to process. And when it was to be processed, the person in charge was on leave. All these matters led me to pray and pray and fully depend on the Lord.

Even when I got both the visas, now there are situations happening in both the countries. Singapore is going through Covid spike again. And Taiwan is being threatened by China's military drill after the new President's official inauguration. Despite all these, we keep praying and praying. The Lord is in control and He knows the best!

Now, India is on the process of election for the new term. Yesterday, I cast my vote for the candidate and party I deemed best. Though I had my discernment from the so called political analysis, and though I prayed earnestly and daily for the burden within me, I am ready to accept whatever result the Lord would give. No matter who rules in India, the real Rural is God on the throne in the heaven. Until the result be declared on 4th June, I will still pray earnestly to the Lord for what I felt I should pray for. Whether my desire be fulfilled or not, or my prayers answered or not, I will amen whatever the result and submit to the Lord’s deputy authority no matter who or which party comes to rule this country. 

In all these processes too, I enjoyed spending time with the Lord in prayer. Most of my prayers these days are for the country to be opened for the gospel of the Kingdom.

All these are ways and opportunities to pray, pray, and pray. The environmental arrangement of the Lord makes me learn how to pray unceasingly. 

Unceasingly pray, 

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

(1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, RecVer)

Ministry of the Word to Tirupati

Tirupati, the temple city of Hindu deities, was not new to my ears, except for my eyes. Time and again, I have heard and read about as it has been religiously frequented by many who placed their faith in the dieties. This was also one of the cities I wished to visit. This time, I could finally make it. But we arrived at the city late in the night and was surprisingly greeted with an abundance of nonveg food at a hotel, contrary to the notion of vegetarianism associated to the same faith in the North. The room that I and a brother was lodged in had a framed photos of two deities, black faces religiously adorned. As usual, I read my Bible straight facing the idol frames as I could not read for the day due to long drive. Interestingly, my Bible reading portion was on Exodus 20 onwards. 

And God spoke all these words, saying, I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the slave house; You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, nor the form of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water beneath the earth. You shall not bow down to them, and you shall not serve them; for I, Jehovah your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (Exodus 20:1-5, RecVer)

What a timely word! What an exposition of the truth! What a revelation of the true and living God!

As I slept, the Lord burdened me with a message on "Open Vessel" from 2 Timothy. Even in a dream, the Lord gave me verse by verse, point by point of what to minister to the saints in the church in Tirupati! The message was clear and the burden heavy.

The following day, when the brothers asked me to minister the word after the Lord’s table meeting, I ministered on the need to be an open vessel to the Lord, for growth in the divine life, for the building up of the Body of Christ, for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. Touching upon the background in which 2 Timothy was written with the burden to overcome the degraded situation of the church and the backslidden condition of the saints, the key burden was on the exercise of the human spirit with a stress on the eternal life, the divine truth, and the Holy Scriptures (chs 1, 2 ,3).

For which cause I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of sobermindedness. (2 Timothy 1:6-7, RecVer)

A good number of saints testified of the help they received and the enjoyment they had from the ministry of the word. The, we went to meet four of the old, big and famous Christian Pastors in Tirupati. All fo them appreciated the truth so much upon hearing the introduction of the Holy Bible Recovery Version and purchased them immediately! The Lord truly blessed the ministry of the word in Tirupati!

The next day, a Pastors' gathering was called for, wherein I ministered on the all-inclusive Christ typified by the good and spacious land in Exodus 3:8, Ephesians 3:8 and Deuteronomy 8:7-10. The Lord imparted this burden on the all-inclusive Christ as I considered and prayed for His timely word for the Christian leaders. All the brothers were richly supplied with the ministry of the word! Having thus accomplished the burden for this time, the last stop being the city Tirupati, I worship the Lord for His sovereignty and blessing.

In the local church too, the leading brothers have testified to me that our visit this time was a very timely visit. They have been struggling with coordination and oneness, but this visit and all the fellowship we enjoyed together have opened up the mysterious ministry hidden to them for years now. Four of the brothers personally testified to me that the Lord had cleared up their long pending enigma on the ministry and the practices of the church life in the Lord’s recovery. I had no idea about their condition before I came, neither did I have any intention to know, much less, try to help them. I simply followed the Spirit's anointing within and upon me and faithfully ministered the word using the ministry literature. 

Jesus is Lord in Tirupati!

Christ is Victor in Tirupati!

Lord, bless Your testimony in Tirupati!

You are the true and living God!

So shall it be made known to all the pilgrims and residents of this city of the deities.