Ministry of the Word in Belagavi

The ministry journey to Karnataka for this time came to a conclusion in the church in Belagavi. Here the brothers made a specially arrangement for all the saints to come together for fellowship. Since my time was limited just to an evening time of few hours, we could not meet any Christian leaders for the ministry books introduction. Rather, the Lord led me to minister to the saints His timely words. And the local brothers picked up the burden to carry on the work of ministry books introduction and distribution. This was also the Lord’s perfect arrangement. 

As we met for fellowship, I testified of how the Lord led us in our ministry literature journey to different parts of Karnataka. The saints were very encouraged by what the Lord has done. Then, we formally began the meeting by singing a hymn, 499 "Oh, what a life! Oh, what a peace! This hymn set the tone and the burden for the ministry of the word to the saints. Thus, the Lord blessed the fellowship with the rich ministry of life with the following verses being ministerd and expounded.

A Christian life is a life of living. 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, RecVer)

A normal Christian life is possible only by being crucified with Christ issuing in "no longer I but Christ who lives in me."

I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20, RecVer)

In our Christian for the church-life, coordination is crucial for the building up. Therefore, the self must be dealt with, without which coordination is impractical. To follow the Lord requires the denying of the self, the carry of the cross, and the losing of the soul life. For this, we must be joined in soul, thinking the same thing, being lowly in mind, and having the mind of Christ.

Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing, Doing nothing by way of selfish ambition nor by way of vainglory, but in lowliness of mind considering one another more excellent than yourselves; Not regarding each his own virtues, but each the virtues of others also. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:2-5, RecVer)

I exhort Euodias, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, genuine yokefellow, assist them, since they contended with me in the gospel, as well as with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:2-3, RecVer)

As Christians, we must daily exercise our spirit to walk by the Spirit in a general way. 

But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, RecVer)

As Christians, we must also walk by the Spirit with the specific goal of fulfilling God’s eternal purpose of building up of the church, the Body of Christ.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25, RecVer)

All spiritual experiences and enjoyment are for the one goal of accomplishing God’s heart's desire concerning the church for which coordination is a crucial matter.

Then, the saints testified of the Lord speaking to them concerning their timely need in the church there and the light and revelation they received afresh from the ministry of the word. We concluded the meeting by prayer. What a wonderful conclusion indeed for this ministry journey!

Praise the Lord!

Ambassador in Christ

For which I am an ambassador in a chain, that in it I would speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:20, RecVer)

As a saved sinner and a child of God, my Father God has given me a responsibility to accomplish His eternal plan. For this, He has chosen and called me. He has made me His ambassador! And He enabled me to speak boldy as I ought to speak. It is purely His mercy that I have been called and commissioned. And it is again His grace that enabled me to serve Him according to His plan. Therefore, my simple responsibility is, to be one with Him; open to Him for His leading, speaking, and move. 

In the past few weeks, I have been enjoying the special grace of God mingled with His reserved grace to cooperate with Him in His move in Karnataka. From the 6th to 24th of Jan, I was touring Karnataka. In the first weekend, there were fellowship and training, afterwhich, I journeyed for the ministry literature introduction and distribution.

The Lord granted me a couple of local Kannada speaking brothers to accompany me all the way, different brothers at different localities. We enjoyed our coordination and the Lord richly blessed the ministry journey. Wherever we went, the Lord’s presence came along. Whomever we met, the Lord's timely words were ministered to. Whatever we spoke, the Lord spoke in our speaking as it was evident in the feeling in our spirit and the response from the listeners. The Lord spoke in our speaking, the Lord ministered in our ministering. Every Christian leader or "Pastor" we met were so impressed by the truth revealed through the ministry literature, especially, the New Testament Recovery Version that we introduced. Many even prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the ministry in addition to paying the price to buy the Recovery Version. Praise the Lord! All glory to God!

I believe, this is an experience and enjoyment of being the Lord’s ambassador to the people of this world. As for the "chain" Paul mentioned, I believe the chain for me is being yokefellow with the brothers the Lord gave me for coordination. So, I am the Lord’s ambassador in Christ in coordination.

Now, having accomplished this journey this time, the Lord will follow His speaking and the "seed of the ministry" sown would one day bear fruits, perhaps, a thirty fold, a sixty fold, or even a hundred fold. And He will gain Karnataka for His testimony. Karnataka will indeed be for Christ and the church!

Lord, continue to bless the people of Karnataka!

January, the 20th

Today, the 20th of January 2025, is significant in a couple of matters that concerns me. I believe, those are also what concerns the Lord. Three important things transpired at this very day.

First, five of our brothers who have been imprisoned since last September 2024 have finally been granted bail. We have been praying for this daily despite the prolonged and injustice done to us. After much prayers and waiting upon the Lord, the Lord has ordered the release of our five brothers.

Through this imprisonment, a couple of things have changed significantly. I trust, it's all for good, as I believe in God’s Word that, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28-29) for God to fulfill His plan in us and through us. 

The prayer life of the saints has been strengthened, the move of the Lord has become very intrinsic, and there has been a tremendous shake-up in the way we live our Christian life and practise our church life. And there also has been a change in the directorship of the literature service in India and the way we carry out the publication work. To me, all these are the works of the sovereign God, for our good and for the working out of His divine purpose in us and through us. To all these, I thank and praise the Lord. And in particular, I worship the ways of the Lord. 

He made His ways known to Moses; His acts, to the children of Israel. (Psalms 103:7, RecVer)

Second, my prayers for the world situation with a particular president of a super power nation has been fulfilled in that he has been sworn in. I am neither for the party nor the person, but as I understand the world situation, this was the way of God for Him to prepare for His coming again. What I have been praying for, has actually been answered in a practical way today. I may not be "politically correct" but I think I am, at least, "spiritually." My only concern even in this is, for the Lord’s move. I repeat, not for the party nor the person, but for the Lord’s move.

Third, as I have been praying for the peace of Israel, as of today, the Peace Agreement was signed between Israel and their enemy in the neighborhood and the first hostage deal was carried out. Though this process is a lengthy and risky process, at least, my prayers have been answered.

For there thrones are set for judgment, Thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper. Peace be within your bulwarks, And prosperity within your citadels. For my brothers’ and companions’ sake I will now say,  Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God I will seek your good. (Psalms 122:5-9, RecVer)

For at least these three important transactions today, this day, the twentieth of January 2025,  was truly significant.

My faith in the living God has very much been strengthened, not that it was weak before, as He proved Himself God over and over again.

Praise the Lord for this day! The day on which my prayers have been definitely answered.

New Beginning 2025

As we met for the church blending today, the Lord led us to pray-read and memorize two verses on being renewed day by day and being in Christ, a new creation.

Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, they have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

The burden of being renewed in the mind through the renewing and nourishing word of the Lord was the Lord's speaking as we began our new year. Therefore, the church's burden of practicing the God-ordained way of preaching the gospel and begetting new ones, a life of pursuing the truth for our inward constitution, and strengthening our prayer life for the filling of the Spirit was all for the building up of the Body of Christ for the preparation of the Bride to bring the Lord Jesus back. This ministry of the word was substantiated by hymn #16 Our Father as the evergreen, and prayer for growth in life hymn #1132 Lord, teach us to pray, and hymn #1240 Deeper, deeper, in the cross of Jesus.

Based on Ephesians, we also delved into the matter of the grace of God given to all the saints in line with the talent the Lord gave to each one, at least a talent.

 

To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad. Matthew 25:15

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians 4:7

So, all the saints were exhorted to make use of the grace the Lord bestowed upon each one of them, at least the one talent, for the building up of the Body of Christ. All life practices are for the growth in life individually and corporately for the building up of the Body of Christ. There may be some gifted ones, and there may be the joint of the rich supply, but all these ones' function is to supply out from the Head Christ, through the gifted members, to the many members unto the building up of the Body of Christ. For this purpose, we are Christians practicing the church life on this earth today. Ultimately, to fulfill God's eternal purpose.

Ephesians 4:11-16

And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error, But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.

Then, we concluded our blending with prayers for the renewal of our minds, for our growth in life, and for the building up of the church. And we all feasted together in love. May the Lord blend and build us up for His Body more and more this year 2025.

What a blessed blending-building beginning!

Blessings in 2024

 He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

Generally, on the last day of the year, the 31st of Dec, we meet to share our testimony of God's blessing received during the whole year. This time, we encourage all the saints to prepare to share their top portion of blessing. As we met, all the saints, not one exception, shared the rich blessings they received from the Lord during the year. I rejoiced at learning about the experiences and enjoyment of the saints as they testified of what the Lord has been doing in their lives. Though outwardly we did not achieve the increase in the number of saints added to the church that we planned for last year, I definitely see a tremendous increase in the enjoyment and experience of Christ in the saints. I praise the Lord for the transformation work the Lord has been accomplishing in the lives of the saints in the church here. Despite the difficult situations we have been going through these days in North India, the Lord's hand and His blessings have been following us. Substantial growth in life and visible progress in the saints' lives have encouraged me a lot. To my own observation, the progress of the church has been satisfactory for the last year.

As for me, one experience that has been very significant is the increase of Christ and the decrease of my self. In many aspects of my life and service, the Lord has been stripping me layer by layer. My self has been touched so deeply that I could even feel the hurt it afflicted in me. The dealing of the self through the cross of Christ was wonderful yet it was also painful. But the grace of the Lord was also sufficient to enable me to bear the dealing of the self. To me, this is the greatest blessing of the year, the dealing of the self, resulting in Christ's increase and I decrease.

Besides, another blessing that I treasure is the beginning of my daughter and son learning to spend personal time in prayer. This year, the Lord graced my children to start going out for personal prayers, and that too regularly. With my son, we started to out together for prayers; first personal and then corporate. This year, this was started and I pray that we can continue to go out together for prayers regularly.

Another blessing noteworthy to me is our family trip to Singapore and Taiwan in the month of June. The Lord visibly manifested His loving care for our family in meeting all the practical needs of our family's foreign visits. He even provided a financial offering that my children could witness with their own eyes, the Lord's bountiful supply. This transpired in Singapore when we received offerings in Singapore Dollars and Taiwan Dollars. Then, in Taiwan, we received even more Taiwan Dollars and US Dollars. My children witnessed the Lord's provision in a visible way that strengthened their faith. I believe the Lord showed them the lesson of learning to live by faith, depending on the Lord for everything all the time, not depending on what we already have. This is a spiritual seed sown into the hearts of the children; letting them see a pattern of faith and living by trusting in the Lord.

Praise the Lord for the year 2024! As the church, we had a consecration prayer and we entered the new year 2025.

May this year be a continuation of the blessings received in the previous year. May the Lord continue to increase in me and that I may decrease until Christ fully saturates and gains me.

Listen to the Saints

One time I heard a testimony of a brother who was serving in a country but was not able to go on as he did not know what the Lord was leading him for. In his desperate need, he fellowshipped with a coworker who told him to listen to the saints if he did not know how to lead the saints. Later, he opened up to the saints and listened to the saints. Sure enough, as the brother fellowshipped with him, he got the Lord's leading by listening to the saints.

The Lord is the Head of the Body and He is also the Body of the Head. He leads as the Head and He also leads as the Body of the Head. Therefore, the Lord's leading also comes through the saints in many cases. This time I had a wonderful experience of listening to the saints and knowing the Lord's leading by doing so.

Two weeks ago, we brothers in the church in Gurugram were not able to come together for a proper fellowship due to some brothers unavailability. So, we did not plan anything to make use of the holiday on the 25th Dec. For sure, we do not celebrate the religious ceremony. But we wanted to make use of the day and invite the saints, especially the new ones, for a time of fellowship and gospel preaching. But nothing was decided. Only on the previous Lord's Day, two sisters came to fellowship with the brothers after the meeting enquiring about our plan. We brothers then had an impromptu fellowship over the phone to consider and decide the matter. Therefore, through fellowship over the phone, the matter was decided. Thanks to the sisters who had the leading and led the brother for further fellowship. Through this fellowship, a one-day gospel meeting was arranged and around a dozen new ones turned up for the meeting. 

Two brothers preached the gospel and led the new one to call upon the Lord and two brothers fellowshipped on the matter of Christian living after receiving the Lord. The young people functioned in leading the hymns and serving in practical matters. Though I myself had no plan to participate in any activity, at the end of the meeting, I felt the need to give the conclusion. Therefore, I concluded the gospel meeting and also the fellowship meeting with a word of prayer.

Again, last Saturday, in our brothers' fellowship we made a plan for the year-end meeting on the 31st Dec night. But we were not clear on what we should do on the 1st of Jan 2025 as this is another public holiday that we can make use of. Last Lord's Day, we opened the matter to the saints to consider together as the church. Then, through the fellowship of the saints, the matter was clear that we should conduct a meeting for the church blending and visitation to the new ones' families.

These two experiences the Lord gave to show us how to follow His leading by listening to the saints when we ourselves did not have any leading.  Later, in the night as I was spending time with the Lord in prayer, the Lord gave me some practical details as to how to conduct the meeting. Then, in fellowship with the brothers again, things became very clear and planning was done accordingly. The messages posted for the meetings are below.

Testimony of God’s Blessing, Fellowship and Prayer Meeting

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Date: 31 December 2024

Time: 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Venue: DLF-1 Meeting Hall

Lovefeast Dinner: 7:30 PM to 8:15 PM

Testimony of God’s Blessing: 8:15 PM to 9:30 PM

All saints can prepare to testify the top portion of the blessing of God received in 2024 for 3-5 minutes each.

Fellowship of Burden and Prayer for 2025: 9:30 PM to  10:00 PM

Should any saint wish to stay back for prayer or fellowship, the meeting hall will be open till midnight.

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For those who wish to stay back on 31st Dec., after 10:00 PM.

Tea/Soup Break

Corporate Prayer on Specific Burdens: 10:15 PM to 11:00 PM

Personal Prayer: 11:00 PM to 11:30 PM

Corporate Consecration Prayer: 11:30 PM to 12 Midnight

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Church Blending and Gospel Meeting

Date: 1 January 2025

Time: 12 Noon to 1:30 PM

Lovefeast Lunch: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Please feel free to invite your friends, colleagues, relatives, and new ones and confirm how many will come.

What a blessing to know and live in the reality of the Body life! The Lord speaks and leads  as the Head and also as the Body of the Head. What a precious lesson to learn listiening to the saints! Listen to the saints...

 

Marriage Fellowship

The Lord has finally brought one couple to be in oneness for a proper marriage in the church in Gurugram. We have been praying for many years for the marriages of the single saints in the church, but we were not able to see a breakthrough in this matter. All the proposals we had in the past did not come to fruition due to one reason or the other. With much fellowship, prayer, and consideration we made some proposals but nothing worked out till now. But this time, at least, we can witness a day dawning in the matter of marriage of the saints.

On the 14th of this month, I received an impromptu call from a brother in the church in New Delhi for a visit to the family of a sister in Gurgram for a fellowship on the marriage proposal. Though the sister had been introduced to a brother almost a year ago, the matter was not brought forward until this time as many things transpired in between, even involving the groom-to-be. Now, that things became much clearer, a fellowship was held for the confirmation from the family side for the marriage.

One-and-half-week after, on the 25th of this month, I and my wife along with another couple from Delhi had a fellowship with the family members of the bride and groom-to-be. In this fellowship, the marriage matter was confirmed and the date was fixed. May the Lord lead them through in this matter for the sake of the church and for the Lord's testimony among the young ones. Last Lord's Day, after fellowshipping with the brothers in the church in Gurgram a formal announcement was made for the wedding to be held on the 14th of Feb 2025. 

This matter is significant as this is the first breakthrough in the fellowship in the matter of the marriage of the saints in the church in Gurugram. Now, we pray that the Lord will lead us through and that the marriage can actually happen on the appointed date. Since the matter is a blessing, we also had an open prayer for the couple after the open announcement in the church meeting.

May all the single saints also follow suit that all the unmarried siants can also get married, one by one soon as many of them have crossed their thirties. This for sure will be a sign of the Lord's visible blessing in the church. 

Lord, bless the couple and bless the marriage, head up all the practical arrangements so that the marriage would be a testimony to the saint in the church, especially among the young ones.