Words of Eternal Life

John 6:

66 From that time many of His disciples went back to what they left behind and no longer walked with Him.

67 Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away?

68 Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life,

God does exists, whether one believe in Him or not; His existence is not dependent on man's faith. The fact is, He exists. You believe, yes He exists. You don't believe, still He exists. His existence is beyond scientific proofs, human logic and intellectual understandings. He was, He is and He ever will be.

But how do you know Him and experience Him in reality? The belief of many believers is too abstract, and sometimes, superstitious. There must be some scale that measures this "faith" held in many human psychological hearts. Even when all seems vague and disbelief rules the doubting Thomas, there must be something objective, tangible and concrete to refute the atheists' claim of no "god." To me this solid proof is the WORD of ETERNAL LIFE.

This Word is no mere word, logos.This Word is the word of God, the very embodiment of God. It is God Himself, defined, explained and expressed by the very word. This word is the living word! The rhema, that gives life. This word is tangible, concrete and objective, yet is experienced subjectively. When this word gets into man, it becomes life in him, supplying God as life and Spirit. And when this word as life and Spirit is uttered or spoken, it becomes word again, audibly and understandable. This chain reaction of the word becoming life and Spirit, and the word again, into and through many men is the gospel spreading; sinners saving; believers feeding; the Body of Christ, the church building; and God's goal accomplishing.

This word must be paid full attention to; for it is God Himself, embodied in Christ, realised as the Spirit, written in the word. Thinkings of the mind, feelings of the emotion and decisions of the will fluctuate, but the word remains as ever it was. Yesterday it was, today it is, and tomorrow it will be. Time and tide waits for none, but the word wavers not through time and tide. The Bible was written some 3500 years ago, but the word never changes. Ages change, technology changes, people changes but the word is intact, solid, stable and sound.

When all things seem to go wrong, many turns from the faith, darkness and depression dawns, chaos and confusion looms large, still, the word is the word. Come to the word, the Lord is touchable in the word, the spirit is enjoyable in the word, God is experience-able in the word.

As the disciples did, when all forsook the Lord, come to the word of eternal life, the Lord Jesus Christ. Or else, where else? 

O the word of eternal life! In the word is life, Spirit, Christ and God Himself.

Here a Little, There a Little

For His words are: Rule upon rule, rule upon rule;
Line upon line, line upon line;
Here a little, there a little. 
Isaiah 28:10

Tonight in our group meeting the Lord shown upon us our need to gain Him, the Spirit, as the oil, drop by drop, little by little, now and then, here and there. The Lord as the source and supplier is ever ready to supply us. But the question is, are we available and ready to receive His supply?

Our responsibility is to grasp every opportunity to receive His supply. In personal time with the Lord, in the study of the Word, in meetings of all kinds and at all times. If we miss any of these, though the Lord wants to fill us, He has no way.

We are like being weighed in a balance-weighing tool. The side of God in us initially may be so light that the other side  of the world, flesh and sin with matter, person and things may weigh much more. However, through the normal Christian life in the normal church life, through various circumstances, fellowships and meetings, the Lord pours a little of Himself here and there. Thereby, in course of time, it eventually outweighed the other side of the balance.

For this to transpire, there is the need for the dispensing of the Triune God, through all means, into us day by day, here a little, there a little. It all started with something very small and negligible, however, these small things are those that constitute a believer. Time and opportunity must be given to the Lord to dispense Himself in every possible way.

Our meeting began with a very black background, fully in darkness, with confusion in emotion and mind. But as we continued to fellowshipped, the Lord touched our spirits. We slowly exercised our spirits and enjoyed the Lord's dispensing, finally culminating in a very strong prayer for the Lord's move in us and through us. Hallelujah!

Heavenly Transaction

As I was on the train back from Chennai to Delhi, a week ago, the Lord visited me. I enjoyed His presence and had a heavenly transaction with Him. I just opened to Him to hear Him speak and touch me, He did so and it was a very intimate fellowship time with Him, words cannot describe. Many things the Lord unveiled, regarding my personal life, family life, church life and service life.  The light now doth shineth, the sky becomes clear, and He will grace me for all that He has revealed.

This is the heavenly transaction I need and every Christian needs. Unless there is a heavenly transaction between us and the Lord, how could the Lord carry out His work on earth. If a boss has no transaction with his company on business affairs how could that company do well? The Lord as our heavenly "boss" needs us as much as we need Him. Therefore, there must be more of the heavenly transaction between us and the Lord.

As the heavenly transaction goes on, there will be a spontaneous transaction among Christians issuing in sweet fellowship and coordination among all. The reason there are problems and divisions and misunderstandings is there is hardly any or no transaction vertically nor horizontally. The Lord need to recovery this transaction among Christians by our cooperation with Him to give Him more time daily for a personal and intimate fellowship Him.The reason for backsliding and barrenness is just this; lack of, or, no heavenly transaction. 

First of All, Pray

I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men;

1 Timothy 2:1

In the work of the the Lord, we must believe in the word of God. We work according to His word. Only when He says, then we obey; whatever He says will always be fulfilled. We must obey and believe in His word. Then it is He who initiates, executes and accomplishes. We are just His channels.

In this regard, we must, first of all, pray. Pray to be one with the Lord. Pray into Him that He may pray in our prayer, which is His will. Any work carried out without thorough prayer is doubtfully of God. No wonder, many Christian works have been wasted. There is a need for more and more prayer. 

The burden today is heavy, the need is great but what we can do is nothing. Therefore, we must pray and pray. Not talk about prayer, or preach on prayer, but PRAY and PRAY. As we pray in oneness with the Lord and the Body, the Lord will accomplish His will through us.

Before initiating anything for the Lord, our utmost urgent responsibility is to first of all pray. In small and big things, we must pray. In things related to the work of God, to the church or family matter or personal matters, we must first of all pray. And let the Lord work in us first and through us.

Twenty and Above

From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth for military service..

Numbers 1:3

Twenty and above is the requirement to be recruited into God's army, signifying that only matured persons are qualified to fight for God as God's army. The clause "twenty years old an upward" means a lot. To be a part of God's army, one has to grow in life. No baby boy or childish children or teeny teens are qualified. One has to grow in life to be twenty, mature, strong and stable.

Physically one may be twenty and above but spiritually, possibly be just babe. Even such are not qualified. Physical maturity does not guarantee, even less warranty, spiritual maturity. Therefore, to be able to  be a part of God's army one must be matured physically and spiritually.

Spiritually strong in spirit and mature in the divine life: The real significance of Twenty and Above is to be spiritually strong in spirit and mature in the divine life. This reminds me of my need to exercise my spirit daily and moment by moment and pursue Christ to enjoy Him and grow in the divine life, even unto maturity, through all circumstances and means. 

When the Lord spoke to me this matter in a fellowship two weeks ago, I was so convicted of my slowness in growth. It was and has been my heart's desire to grow in the Lord, day by day. Perhaps, there are parasites  that hinder my growth, these needs to be dealt with to allow God to grow freely and fruitfully.

Lord, grow in me.

8. Amen!—The growth in life!
   There’s nothing that Your life can’t do;
   Our every part renew.
   We’ll make it, we’ll make it just by You.
     Lord Jesus, grow in us.
• Lord Jesus, grow in us.
• 
  
• Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1132#ixzz2G2UKhHGu

Joint Prayer

"Prayer" per se is so common among men who believed into God, whichever religion. However, the real significance of prayer is hardly realised even among those prayerful ones. Focusing on the Christian's prayer, even many including me, the understanding of the depth of prayer is so shallow, in fact, too shallow. No wonder, many prayers were never answered. Even if so, most would be out of God's mercy, not according to His heart's delight.

Jude 20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. A genuine prayer is a prayer in the Holy Spirit; which involves God as the Holy Spirit praying through the one who prays.

Ephesians 6:18 By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.A genuine prayer is a prayer in spirit. This is our regenerated spirit, indwelt by the Spirit of God, the mingled spirit — the spirit that is our spirit mingled with God's Spirit.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. A genuine prayer is a prayer in the Spirit with our spirit; a mingled prayer; the source and the means pray together for the goal of the source.

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. A genuine prayer is a joint prayer, God and man, praying together in one spirit.

Putting all these verse together, a genuine prayer is a prayer in which God as the source, initiator of prayer, is praying through the praying one, as the means, channel, praying the prayer that is absolutely of God, in God, for God, in oneness with the praying one. Such prayers is always the will of God echoed by man on earth for the fulfillment of God's will. And will always be answered. This kind of prayer is a "joint prayer." God and man praying together as one. 

This reminds me of my need to be in spirit in prayer, not praying from my mind, nor emotion, nor will, but in spirit. Exercising my spirit in prayer to pray God's prayer for God's purpose. A joint prayer, a genuine prayer, of God, through God-man, for God.

Bochim

Then the angel of Jehovah went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I caused you to go up out  from Egypt, and I brought you into the land that I swore to your fathers. 

And I said, I will never break My covenant with you, And you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. 

But you did not listen to My voice. What is this that you have done? Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.

Judges 2:1-3

As I was reading this portion of the word, the Lord's light dawned on me. He promised victory over the enemy and charged to fulfill something. However, when the promises were fulfilled yet the charges were not carried out, the very act of disobedience nullified God's blessing and turned them into curses.

In a Christian's life, the Lord mercifully pardons all sins and wants him to do away with anything He hates. If this clearance of the past or restitution or reconciliation were not carried out properly and thoroughly, the very undealt sins--matters, persons or things will  become  "thorns," curses. Then, instead of enjoying God's blessings, there will be weeping over and of undealt sins. This is the significance of Bochim, which means weeping. 

This revelation struck me deeply. Immediately I prayed that the Lord may mercifully grace me to deal with anything His finger points to, without any delay. Out of this came a poem:

In obedience, be absolute

In dealing, be thorough

In loivng, be whole hearted

In trusting, be doubtless

In discipline, be strict

In listening, be attentive

In understanding, be crystal clear

In executing, be exact