Faithful in Service

Or service, let us be faithful in that service; or he who teaches, in that teaching; (Romans 12:7, RecVer)

Once the Lord has assigned to me a service, I must be faithful to that service. This responsibility laid upon me is a special portion from the Lord. And since I am aware about the service assigned to me, I must be faithful to my Lord. But the truth is, I can be faithful to Him only by His grace bestowed upon me to be my faithfulness. So, in whatever I do, I must be faithful by the faithfulness of God bestowed upon me; faithful in His faithfulness.

As a husband to my wife and father to my children, the Lord has been my faithfulness. Whenever I came home from my official trip, I did my best to take care of all the needs of the family. Oftentimes, things would pile up waiting for me to come home. Then, I would do them one by one at my own pace and capacity. First things first, and I would not give any room for panicking. Similarly, for all my personal work, official, and the church matters too. The underlying point here is faithfulness, which became a driving force within me to faithfully carry out all my responsibilities. 

The past month and this month have been loaded with responsibilities. Many works of mine have been in the queue. In fact, the Lord graced me to complete them one by one. These burdens actually led me to pray and pray. In fact, it helped me to exercise my spirit all the more to pray and pray and release all my burdens to the Lord.  The following verses are so nourishing these days as I go through this kind of experience. Oh, what a release to come to the Lord! Oh, what a rest to take His yoke! 

Mt 11:28Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

Mt 11:29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Mt 11:30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

An Open Door in DLF-1

We have been praying very much for the Lord to gain some families in DLF-1 where we have been residing for the past sixteen years now. Though we did door-knocking and gospel preaching a couple of times, the local residents have not really been gained yet. In fact, I used to have contact with a few families and also made some good friends, but that did not materialize for the gospel. I personally was kind of desperate but did not lose hope yet. The only thing I could do now is to pray and pray and pray. As a family and with my son, we have been praying for the local residents to be saved and gained by the Lord for His testimony in Gurugram.

On the 24th of this month, after the prayer meeting, I was about to go out for gospel preaching. A sister requested if I could join some young brothers to meet their friend. I agreed. I accompanied three young brothers to meet another teenage classmate of a teenage brother. As we visited the family, a few questions that I asked during the conversation opened up a new door for the Lord to move in DLF-1. He mentioned that he was familiar with Christians and that his mother herself is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it.

Later, I and another young brother had a time of fellowship with the mother of the family who is also a sister in the Lord. She testified of how she had been desperately praying for fellowship with fellow believers in the morning. Then in the afternoon, we visited her family! She was so excited that the Lord had answered her prayer 

Besides, she also testified to what the Lord has been doing in her life. She has some guilt feelings for her past deeds. To which, I led her to read 1 John 1:7,9 and led her to trust in the word of God. Once she confessed, the matter was cleared already as far as God was concerned. Any guilty feeling thereafter was of the enemy and must be rejected by all means. She was so joyful for the ministry of the word and the practical time of fellowship we enjoyed together in the Lord. She was in tears as we fellowship.

The Lord also led me to testify about how He saved my dad and how my whole family got saved one by one. Similarly, our sister could see a ray of hope dawning for her family too. Though her husband was yet to believe, her son had already believed. Despite all the outward religious formalities they had done, the Lord has been preserving this family or His testimony in Gurugram.

This was an answer to the prayers of the church. And I believe this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come. The Lord will gain many residents of DLF-1 for the church in Gurugram. Only time will prove this declaration by faith now.

Lord, gain many families in DLF-1. At least eighteen, a family for each year we reside in this community and also in Gurugram. 

Hebrew Learning

On the 19th of July when we had our 52nd official board meeting of the literature service in India, the burden of Hebrew learning was brought up for fellowship. We have done Greek learning and New Testament Recovery Version translation into Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Mizo, and Kannada, with Hindi and Marathi going on. For the Old Testament Recovery Version, Hebrew learning is needed. Surprisingly, a brother and I who also coordinate the literature service in India were given the opportunity to learn Hebrew, though we do not translate directly. Initially, I never thought I would get an opportunity to learn Hebrew, but through fellowship with brothers in the literature service, the door is open. 

Today, the 30th of August, we had our first online orientation for Hebrew learning with the Tamil and Telugu translators, two of us who coordinate, and two brothers who will be teaching and guiding us through this course. For this, a WhatsApp group was created on 18 Aug 2024, followed by registration for online Hebrew learning with BibleMesh and purchasing the biblical Hebrew grammar book.

Though we planned to start it by the beginning of this year, only by the end of August we were able to officially start Hebrew learning course. I believe this is the right time. The Lord knows what is best for India and when we all are ready for this course.

Now that we have embarked on a one-year Hebrew online course, I look to the Lord for His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to learn this language thoroughly well. As I was able to learn Greek, I pray that the Lord would grace me to learn Hebrew well too. It may be challenging considering the other official responsibilities I shoulder, but I trust the Lord will grace me through again. Brother Hudson Taylor's words be quoted again, “There are three stages in any great work attempted for God: impossible, difficult, done.”  

Lord, grace us all to learn Hebrew well, indeed thoroughly well, and learn it well on time.

Hindi Hotspot Checking

During the proofreading project in Bengaluru, a week was allocated for the Hindi New Testament Recovery Version team to come for the hotspot checking of the translation works they have been doing. Even in this practical arrangement, I experienced the Lord a lot. 

The convention center we were lodged in was overbooked for at least the first two days went the Hindi hotspot began. I was with the management team trying to find a solution for the saints accommodation. I did not agree to lodging the saints outside the convention center. It seemed like we hit a roadblock as the venue management said they had no room left. In fact, I had mentioned this need long before. But I did not want to fight and try to make my way out. Instead, I discussed with them how to find a way out. I told them, "If there is a problem, there must be a solution. Let us take a break and come back to work things out." They all agreed. Meanwhile, I was praying and considering that somehow something could be arranged for the saints' accommodation. When we all came back, the solution came too. We found a guest house within the same campus for our saints to deal with overbooking for two days. Even in this, I experience the Lord's hand in every situation.

With the Hindi team hotspot checking, the Lord did something new unexpectedly. Through the review of the work that was done, we realized that the work needs a lot of improvement. Hindi being the most spoken language in India and the second most spoken in the world, we have to bring the best translation of the New Testament in Hindi. Therefore, through fellowship, the Lord made a last-minute change to the way the translators need to work. I even had to buy dictionaries and useful Hindi looks for translation purposes. With one more year or so to go, the changes and adjustments could be made well in time.  This was also the sovereignty of the Lord. This also afforded a wonderful time for the translators to fellowship and blend together.

Through the Hindi hotspots checking, it all came to light what the translation quality was, and the way to improve further. The Lord made things clear well on time. The Lord will bless the Hindi New Testament Recovery Version.

Last Minute Crucial Fellowship

It was amazing how the Lord worked things out in His way and in His own time. When He wanted to move, He just moved. Oftentimes, moving us at the last minute. There were a few last-minute fellowships this month. 

The invisible hand of God has always been operating behind the scenes as I personally played out the "act of God" He placed me on the platform of His choice. In fact, I was not clear about many things. But what I was clear was, to be open to the Lord for His leading at any point in time. I simply had to deny my opinions, feelings, or willpower. As such, at the last minute, He accomplished things miraculously, one by one.

In the rooms and halls arrangements of the proofreading project, the Lord came in at the last minute to allocate which room to whom and which hall for what purpose. though I had no initial plan, He knew exactly where each one should be, and what things needed to be arranged. At the very last minute, though I did not plan for it nor did I make a pre-booking for rooms and halls, the Lord opened the door, and everything, yes everything was done at the right time, though at the last minute. Oh, what a relief! Even my shortsightedness was a way for me to experience the hand of God.

Though I rejoiced now that things were accomplished successfully when I was there facing the heat, I was clueless and did not know what to do except to turn to Him and pray and pray, and He came to sort things out. Many important decisions and works were carried out just at the last minute through some urgent and crucial fellowship with the members of the Body.

Besides the project itself, the plan to visit Mysuru and Coorg was done at the last minute. Even the plan to meet the principal-in-charge of a theological seminary whose business center we used was also done at the last minute, which led to another last-minute decision to participate in a theological conference. Almost every important decision that transpired this month were made at the last minute. 

These last-minute fellowships were crucial. I personally open myself to the brothers' fellowship and amen all that were fellowshipped. Now, looking back, I can only praise and worship the Lord for all the last-minute crucial fellowship that turned out to be the Lord's tuning us to take the way He wanted us to take.  Praise the Lord!

These experiences taught me how to follow the Lord in the Body through crucial fellowship. If I did not have a direct leading from the Lord, He would lead me through the fellowship in the Body. Above all, He is the One Who had led me all the way.  Never too late. Last minute crucial fellowship always came to my rescue.

Thanksgiving to the Churches in Karnataka

On the 18th of August 2024, in the combined meeting of the church in Bengaluru along with the responsible brothers of the churches all over Karnataka, we were given an opportunity to thank all the saitns for their prayers, offerings, and volunteering for the Kannada proofreading project of the New Testament Recovery Version. 

The burden of Kannada New Testament translation was conceived in 2014 when two Kannada translators signed up for a Greek course. Two years later, these two became the main translators to embark on an eight-year and six-month translation journey. The Lord had been faithful through all these years of translation and now the final work was completed. 

God has a plan. Much more, for His plan to accomplish, He needs man to carry out His plan. This divine thought is expressed in this verse.  

And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up — for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the ground, (Genesis 2:5, RecVer)

Thank God, He found Kannada translators who would cooperate with Him! Though this burden was impossible at the beginning considering the number of Kannada-speaking saints and the situation of the churches in Karnataka, but with the Lord nothing indeed is impossible. This work also seemed to be difficult, but the grace of the Lord led us through in the translation of the New Testament, word by word, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, and book by book. Finally, the difficult task was accomplished!  

There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done. Hudson Taylor 

Even after the completion of the translation work, there still need to be the final stage of proofreading and typesetting to make it printable. From the beginning of this year, a brother and I in coordination with the serving ones in the churches in Karnataka called for volunteers. After much prayer, calling, and fellowship, we finally got half the number of volunteers required for the proofreading. But the Lord blessed all that we had in our hands. Later, a few more volunteers joined in. We simply made some changes to meet the need by working extra hours and working harder than we generally should have. Day by day, week by week, from stage one to stage two through the final, all the works were completed well before the due date! The Lord took our five loaves and two fish and blessed them! 

And He said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they found out, they said, Five, and two fish. And He ordered them to have all recline by companies on the green grass. And they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve full handbaskets of the broken pieces of bread and of the fish. And those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men. (Mark 6:38-44, RecVer)

Now that this work was completed, all glory to God. Apart from Him, this is an impossible task. 

Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36, RecVer)

As of August 2024, there are approximately 44 million native Kannada speakers in India. Now, we prepare ourselves for the printing of this New Testament Recovery Version in Kannada and plan to reach the Christians speaking Kannada first. One day, it will be a blessing to the 44 million native Kannada speakers in India and a few more lakhs abroad.

Lord, bless Your move among the Kannada-speaking people especially in Karnataka for Your testimony even through the release of the Kannada New Testament Recovery Version!

Lovefeasts in Bengaluru

At the end of the proofreading project in Bengaluru, we had a couple of days to relax. The schedule was such that in case of any unfinished task, a few more extra days were planned beforehand. Since we could finish the project well on time, we ended up having more time to spend. 

A sister who participated in the proofreading project was so keen on inviting us to her home for a time of lovefeast and fellowship. Due to her persistence in inviting us, we ended up visiting her for dinner. She prepared all that she could to make us truly enjoy an Indian dish. In fact, we all enjoyed the traditional meal prepared for us. Thanks to the sisterly love a sister had poured forth. She captured the opportunity available to her to show her love to us as Mary did to the Lord before He accomplished His early ministry. From our side, we encouraged the sister and her family to enjoy the Lord and be in fellowship with the saints in the church in Bengaluru. We also prayed for the entire family in addition to encouraging them to dive into the ministry and be constituted with the truth. They were very precious as they were all local Kannadigas whom the Lord could use for His testimony in Bengaluru and in different parts of Karnataka.

A brother also invited us for a time of lovefeast fellowship with his family. One day, we spent our whole day traveling back and forth from our hotel to his house and the time spent in his house. Bengaluru traffic took most of the time. But the visit to our brother's family was truly worth it. The love they poured forth for the saints was praiseworthy. 

These two invitations were very precious to us. During our more than a month stay in Bengaluru, we had been feasting only on hotel food. With these two homes, we were able to enjoy deliciously home-cooked food prepared with lots of love. May the Lord bless the two families for His testimony in Bengaluru!

Lord, bless the saints and the church in Bengaluru!