Miracles?

When in life one is going through troubled times, hardship, trials, sickness and even death; one often look to the Lord for miracle of deliverance and healing of some sort. Genuine healing and work of God, I do not deny, but petitioning for miracles when the Lord ordained such incidents to deal with our natural man and gain us, is not called for. If the so called miracles have to happen, all the lessons hidden behind the incidents would never be learned. In fact, the greatest miracle would be not just to bypass the situations but to go through it and come out triumphantly in Christ. Such miracle even the devil will tremble and dread it to the uttermost.

In recent days I have had much fellowship with some saints, particularly in a case where business plan went upside down, yielding a proportionate loss instead of the vainly hoped gain. Every time we fellowshipped the Lord showed one step ahead, not in a way of miracle outwardly sending money from nowhere, but by righteousness and life. A heavy and important decision was taken, in fellowship and prayer, and that led forward a recovery a step each time. Besides, the greatest miracle that I witnessed was the saints losing all their natural self-confidence and trusting in the Lord much more; praying much more, loving the Lord much more and above all, their whole being recovered for the church life! What a miracle this indeed is? What is impossible with man become possible with God! To me, this is a miracle; gaining Christ and being gained by Christ.

Yet another "miracle" may be, I experienced and enjoyed the anointing of the Lord when I fellowship and prayed with the saints. The bigger the problem or matter is, the better the experience, the sweeter the fellowship and the stronger the anointing. Bearing the burden of the saints as though it is mine own, sympathizing with them, encouraging them and standing with them, I feel I am more blessed. Instead of "deliverance" physically, the experiences of Christ in a deeper and richer way is the "miracle." 

Having learned and tasted this "miracle" I would always, as much as the Lord allows, open myself to the saints in need and give my time for fellowship and prayer. Every problem the saints brought in, is a blessing in disguise, a precious gift from the Lord. Only the fools will bypass it; the wise will look to the Lord for the spiritual lessons beneath the problem, whatsoever. Though time, money and energy has to be invested for such, it's worth it. The end result outweigh the investment. 

Lord, grace me to face any challenges in life, be it mine or others, as long as it is from You.

Traffic Jam

Today afternoon I was on my way to pick up a family for a prayer meeting cum love-feast dinner tonight. Though I started on time I was stuck up in a traffic jam at its peak hour where five main roads converged. When I started from home I was about to take a different route that would by pass this road, but by reflex action I just took this one and securely locked up in a traffic jam. I had no other choice; I could not turn back, nor to the left, nor to the right, and neither could I go forward. Just stuck in the traffic jam. I guess the longest jam I ever experienced in Gurgaon. What else could I do? Time was running out, moreover, my plan was to be in time for the Tuesday prayer meeting tonight with the new family. It looked like the enemy was not happy. I just called on the Lord and prayed - a good time for prayer, not for the traffic, but the time created by the traffic for prayer.

Once the traffic was cleared I went to an area which I thought was the address for pick up point. But I had to drive merry-go-round to find the exact address. Another lesson learned; I should not assume things  but always check and cross-checked to confirm it first.

This reminds me of certain situations in Christian life where often we get stuck up in "traffic jam" of life. Whether by mistake or coincidentally, life just get stuck up. Mostly allowed by the Lord, so that He may have a way to break through into our inward being and break loose all self-confidence, just to faithfully trust in Him only. 

Such "traffic jam" are mostly and sovereignly ordained by the Lord to get through into a believer's being. This happens to me oftentimes, for instance, today's traffic jam. On the one hand it taught me precious lessons of life and yet on the other hand, the Lord has a bit more ground to work Himself into me. For, all the reasons behind this, too, is out of my own initiation, perhaps, out of a good heart of learning to be hospitable to new ones and trying to walk the extra mile of caring for them.Nevertheless, such lessons always comes with a price.

Overall I thank the Lord for His sovereignity, or else I would never learn something new, and may never write this blog. Thank you for the "traffic jam!" Though I don't look forward to it nor welcome it again, but I definitely would not deny the lessons and price tag with it, if it does.

Deadness

Two week ago, I enjoyed and experienced the Lord's speaking concerning the Nazarite vow in Numbers 6. The main point that I experienced was the matter of deadness. 6:6 says, "All the days that he separates himself to Jehovah he shall not come near a dead person."

It was the Lord's day morning. I was not really in a "mood" because I did not excercise my spirit initially. But as the meeting began and we started singing hymns, my spirit was stirred up. Before this, my deadness let me decide in my dead mind that I was useless and I need not function in the meeting at all. But as we sang, and exercised our spirits, the Spirit really revived me. Within seconds, I was resurrected and felt very lively. My spirit was fanned into flame. Right after the Lord's table meeting, without any second thought, I stood up and prophesied on the matter of consecration, especially on "Nazarite Vow." 

As a consecrated believer I must hate death and have nothing to do with anything dead. Deadness is more dangerous than sins. For sins could be redeemed with the blood of the Lord Jesus, but once deadness invades, it is just dead. Deadness issue from Satan himself and is manifested in many forms. Even the church of God is under the constant attack of the enemy's darts of deadness. Some of the common ways of spreading are gossiping, backbiting, loose talks, criticisms etc.. As consecrated believer, since our whole being is consecrated, we must give no room for the hearing ear and the seeing eyes, and not be contaminated by these forms of deadness. Instead, be exercised in spirit to receive life and minister life to one another.

Following this prophesying, some saints followed suit to confirm the very matter of deadness spreading through careless talks and how they consecrated themselves not to give heed to any of loose talks. Neither receiving nor spreading death. But be exercised and filled in Spirit to minister life to one another. 

The prophesying was so time, so healthy and so enjoyable. I personally could sense what the Lord did among us guarding us against the attacks of the enemy from deadness. 

Lord, All the days of my life, I separate myself to Jehovah, and may I not come near a dead person.

Lord, Preserve me in Your life, fill me with your life and may Your life overflow!

Lemon Juice

These day we have been drinking a lot of lemon juice; mostly for health reason and also to beat the heat. Every time I made lemon juice, my daughter would stand by me watching the way I made it, if she was around. It has been a refreshing juice for all the family members, in fact, lemon juice is our favorite drink; natural, healthy and available. 

One day my daughter served me a class of lemon juice in my office. She came, exclaiming with joy, "Daddy, I  made lemon juice for you!" I was surprised that she could very well made the juice, just as tasty as I used to make. Just to confirm, I asked her a couple of times if she really made it. Thus to convince me, she would show it to me how she made it. She held my hand and took me to the kitchen. There she demonstrated how she made it. Wow, children learn so fast, and they learn it from their parent.

This is a good reminder of being a pattern to our children. Every movement, every word, every thing under the roof is like a ready-air ever ready to fill the empty and hungry jars. Home is the best school for kids to learn lessons of life. What they will be, will be determined by where they live and how they are brought up. So if I want my children to be godly, I myself must be godly; if I want them to love the Lord and pursue the Lord, I myself must love and pursue the Lord. What I desire them to be, that I must be, as a pattern. Of course, the Lord's mercy is also needed to accomplish this. But, as a father, I must bear the fullest responsibility with my wife to be a healthy pattern of a normal God-man life.

Just as much as we need lemon juice to quench our thirst, so much the more, we need the reality of lemon juice, the Spirit, to quench all our spiritual thirsts, under the hot and hard weather with worsening climatic changes of the world. Only the Spirit, the live-giving Spirit, can quench all our thirsts. We must come to Him day by day, to drink Him.

From this common and simple juice, so much of life lessons to be learned. Praise the Lord that I am learning it; how to make lemon juice and enjoy lemon juice; teach others to do the same. 

Only the Spirit is the real life juice that satisfies all hunger and thirst. 

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit day by day!

Praise Him!

Last Wednesday morning a brother called me up to present a brief overview of a portion on "Praising" from brother Watchman Nee's book. Though I read this message already, it did not impress me as much as it did, when I read it over and over again. The revelation concerning "praising" never dawned on me before this message sank into my being. 

"Praise is the highest work carried out by God's children. We can say that the highest expression of a saint's spiritual life is his praise to God. God's throne is the highest point in the universe, yet He sits "enthroned upon the praises of Israel" (Psa. 22:3). God's name and even God Himself are exalted through praise". Lesson 16, Messages for Building Up the New Believers, Vol. 1.

The Lord graciously spoke to me through my own pursuit of the message; I was so joyful to learn the hidden depth of the Lord's word in relation to praising Him! Praise Him because He is ever praiseworthy! The message overview was so enjoyable and I myself was very much supplied. Later, I wrote to a brother whom the Lord burdened me to write on the same line: my own enjoyment as a fellowship to him.

Praise the Lord for His sovereignty!

Come what may, we must always praise the Lord. When our prayer seems to be unanswered, or we are unable to pray, we must exercise our spirit of faith and praise the Lord for what He is. No matter what our situation is, He remains the same, He is ever praise worthy. We praise Him not because of our good situation, not even because of the evil ones, whatever may be our inward and outward condition before God and man, He is still and ever praise worthy. For this we must praise the Lord!

When we praise Him as such, victory is ours. The fiery darts of Satan have been poisoning us, nevertheless, its sting can be undone and overcome by praising Him. Sometimes, we don't understand many mysteries in our lives and the environment surrounding us, sometimes we go through much pain and internal bleeding within, which are often hard to share to any one else except to the Lord. But even at such times, we must offer a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Praises issuing out of the pains, hardships, troubles and trials we are going through are the genuine praises as "sacrifice of praises". The Lord is pleased at such praises.    

Tonight as we prayed for all the new contacts and released our burden, the Lord led me minister again on this matter of praising. The result of it was full of praises and hallelujahs! Not because of my sharing, but because of the Lord's speaking and revelation through the word. The prayer meeting reach its peak, and it was a glorious prayer meeting.

Right after this I received a call from a brother who has been through "the valley of the shadow of death" from all angles of life, to the extent that the fellowship was in tears, out of a deep pain within. My joyful encouragement was on the same message of "praising" even in the midst of much sufferings, offering a sacrifice of praise! The fellowship concluded with praises and hallelujahs, for the Lord is sovereign over all and He is ever praise worthy! 

Praise Him! Not just with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; Not just with psalteries and harps and stringed instrument; Nor just with claps and shouts and dances. But much more with tears and pains and agony! That's the highest form of praise, the most genuine praise, straight from the heart; sacrifice of praises!

The Joy of Helping

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Proverbs 3:27

The Lord blessed and graced me to experience this verse and to enjoy the joy of helping others in need, especially, the household of the faith.

As much as the Lord blessed us, He also graced us partake in the joy of helping others. Through much prayer and fellowship, my wife and I, in one accord, coordinated to help our younger brother to start up his business. Years ago it was a "no-no", but now years after, it was all a "yes-yes". For the time is ripe now and he has grown more mature in many aspects of life. Besides the financial help, the greater blessing was that of closer brotherly tie and sweeter fellowship in Christ. Now I can testify in the Lord's grace, that we have a very good coordination for the family affairs and also for the spiritual shepherding of one another.

Another case was a widow sister who was in dire straight of her daughter's education for lack of fund to pay the school fees. When the matter was brought for fellowship, my wife and I, in one accord, decided to meet all her urgent need. Oh it was such a joy to be a channel of blessing, especially to the saints.

Similar case was with another family for their second baby delivery needing help, and yet another two sisters for their business crisis bail out. In all these cases, the Lord placed us in a situation "When it is in the power of your hand to do so", so we grasped the opportunity to "not withhold good from those to whom it is due", so that in helping others, we can share in their joy and enjoy Christ together proportionally.

In fact, in all these cases, we never expected anything back. We leave all to their conscience how and when they will pay back. Righteously they must, but graciously we will not demand. The joy of helping is already our reward! I only wish, we can help all the  more. 

Since it is all out from Him, it all must all be also through Him, and yes, also all unto Him. What a grace to be graced with the blessings of helping, yes, especially to the saints, the household of the faith. 

Lord, grant us more grace for more such grace.

Brotherly Fellowship

Last week in Bengaluru, the Lord granted me the blessed opportunity of fellowshipping with different brothers. He supplied the life in our fellowship and we had such a wonderful brotherly fellowship. Though it was an official trip, it turned out to be more of spiritual fellowship. 

• After a decade long the Lord brought me together with a brother who was my close academic friend, a prayer partner, spiritual companion and now a fellow member in the Body. The Lord was faithful to lead us through in various stages of life, and led us out from the division and religion of Christianity to Christ Himself and the glorious church life. Though a decade has elapsed, still our relationship in Christ is fresher than when we were a decade ago, as student friends. 

• A fellowship with my cousin was also quite timely. Though I was instrumental in shaping his career and laying his spiritual foundation, we have long been out of touch. However, the seed of life once sown cannot die, for eternal life never dies. The spiritual growth may be hindered and delayed, but the life can never die as much as God cannot die. My main burden was to reestablish his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and restore his normal Christian life and also perhaps, recover him for the church life. Only the Lord's grace and mercy can do this. After an hour long fellowship I gifted him for his pursuing, The New  Believers' Series, 3 Volumes, with a strong emphasis on his personal time with the Lord in prayer and the reading of the word of God and also, perhaps, the fellowship with the fellows members in the Body. Then I prayed for him.

• A fellowship with another brother elder to me, at least in age, was very straight forward, for I could succinctly discern his urgent and timely need. Though he has had various experiences of the Lord, his life and living has a lot of instability.  My simple fellowship was, that he should be first disciplined to read and eat the word of God everyday and be constituted with Christ  as the Spirit in the word. And also be disciplined to live a life of prayer, faith and trust in the Lord for all his needs, physical, psychological and spiritual. Such a dear, humble and simple brother, I admire in these aspects. May the Lord gain him fully.

• A fellowship with my fellow brother in my official responsibility was more of a testimony than a "fellowship" per se. The Lord's anointing was simply to testify of all the goodness and greatness of the Lord. I testified of how I came into the literature service and all the experiences of trials and testings the Lord graced me through, and how he further blessed me in many areas of my life. The burden to him was more of an encouragement in serving the Lord and being faithful in every matters, small or great, to man even as much as to God.

• A sweet flow of life on the experiences of the Lord's blessings and the conditions to receive such blessings was with another brother with whom I coordinated for literature distribution in the past. He was such a good shepherd that the Lord blessed him with the blessings of the sheep he has been shepherding. He is a clear testimony of a good shepherd. The saints just loves him. 

• Besides, the Lord also granted more brotherly fellowship with few other brothers which I have been missing for years altogether. There was a joy indeed in this kind of fellowship-brotherly fellowship; full of life supply, full of shepherding and even perfecting.Praise the Lord for brotherly fellowship! The more the better!