Peace

Last weekend a brother called me to visit him and desperately requested that I should by all means visit him even though it was late in the night. He expressed that he was in deep depression and needed help. Initially I tried to postpone the visit as I was in Delhi and his residence is in outer Gurgaon. But later, as I was driving back from Delhi, the Lord spoke to me to not despise the request of a needy brother; when the saints need fellowship never say no, for whatever reason. Immediately I stopped my car and called him back to confirm that I would visit him.

Later, a brother and I visited him and fellowshipped with his family till midnight. The fellowship was so timely; the Lord's speaking and presence was enjoyed by all. This brother was baptised few years ago, but due to intense pressure from many circumstances, he was kind-of backslidden. But as the church, at least for myself, I have been praying for him and his family.

In the home meeting, we testified of the true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ with personal subjective experiences, especially that of how the Lord led me for my marriage. I did this because that brother had initiated as he wanted his mother to hear of it. We also ministered the word on the truth concerning God, man, man's fall, Christ's redemption, man's salvation and the relationship and fellowship with God, and how to practically experience God. 

The testimony of our brother's mother and wife was amazing. His mother testified that she would believe into Jesus and receive Him as her saviour and God, and would pray to Jesus daily. His wife testified that she felt a lot of "vibration" as we ministered the word; a spiritual term in her own word, to describe the effect she felt. By the way, she also is an ardent spiritual aspirant taking the way of meditation. Of course, we made it clear to her that God is Spirit and can be worshipped, touched and experienced only with the exercise of our human spirit, the right organ for spiritual exercise. 

It so happened that, that was the first time we visited this brother after his marriage. The home meeting was initiated with the word "peace" as the brother apparently has not been having peace amidst his busy and pressure-full job. In fact, his first question was, "What is peace?" So is the same with his wife and mother; searching for peace in transcendental  meditation and religious observances with pilgrimages to religious sites. Our obvious answer was, "Christ is Peace." Peace is an experience personified in Christ-

Know Christ, know peace; No Christ, no peace.Only Christ is peace,Only in Christ is peace.

Church Life

The church life is the kingdom life. A normal Christian in a normal church life lives out Christ by being under the headship of Christ, under the direct ruling of Christ. Such living is a kingdom living of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Lord has been graciously leading us as the church here in Gurgaon into the kingdom living. Unconscious and unintentional hurts among the saints are being exposed, and in the light of the Lord's word, the saints have come to the understanding of the source of misunderstanding caused by Satan.

True to His word in Matthew 16:18, the Lord Jesus is building His church, and to this, He added that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the builded church. As the believers are being built up together and are growing in life, the enemy crept in to deceive the weaker ones with lies and negativity. To the extend that one sister became so bitter towards a brother. When the matter was brought to my knowledge, the only culprit I could think of is Satan himself. This is his handiwork and he is the master of it. Nevertheless, he is the defeated foe. I am no problem-solver, but I do pray and follow the Lord is visiting this sister to shepherd her.

Initially I had to listen to all what that sister had to say; mostly complains and bitterness. However, I made it known to her that all the "tamasha" was the work of Satan, and we should identify him(Satan) as the one and only culprit, not our brothers and sisters. The mystery of the "missing link" in fellowship among us need to be solved in mutual fellowship, reconciliation and forgiveness, and thereby forgetting all about it. Finally, after months of "'groping in darkness" in relationship, the Lord led the more mature ones to set things right. In fellowship, things were set right in a home meeting and we experienced that the Lord was indeed the Victor! When the matter was set right, the issue was joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. I personally enjoyed the peace and joy that issued from setting things right last night. Praise the Lord!

Righteousness is to be right with God and man; with matters, things and persons. To the extend that Satan has no ground, no chance, no opportunity to say anything. This is the reality of the kingdom of God.

The Lord's speaking through the ministry of the word in the HWMR is so subjective and experienceable to the saints. The morning revival pursuit as the church is on the same line too. The Lord has been gracing me to fellowship with many saints in my locality, and more so, I am thankful to Him for His works of transformation in each saint. As I compare and contrast the fellowship and shepherding I had with them now, and when they initially came in to the church life, I extol the Father for His greatness. So much growth in life have transpired. Besides, the peace and joy of the Lord in the church life is praise-worthy. Hallelujah!    

These experiences in the church life are rightly noted in the footnote of the Recovery Version Bible below. Genuine speaking of the Lord, in interpretation of the Word or prophesy, is always confirmed by genuine experiences of Christ in the church subjectively. 

Romans 14:17

17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but ²righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

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17² The kingdom of God is the sphere in which God exercises His authority so that He may express His glory for the fulfillment of His purpose. In such a kingdom, what matters is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness denotes that which is right and proper. Those who live in the kingdom of God should be right and proper toward others, toward things, and toward God; with them there should be nothing erroneous, improper, crooked, slanted, or biased. This requires that they be strict in dealing with themselves. Peace is the fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:11 and note). It characterizes the relationship that those who live in the kingdom of God should have with others and with God. If we are righteous, right, and proper toward others, toward things, and toward God, we will have a peaceful relationship with others and with God. Thus, we will have joy in the Holy Spirit and, in particular, before God. In this way we will be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52) and will live out righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, which are the reality of the kingdom of God.

According to the context of this chapter, this verse was written for our receiving of the believers. If we receive the believers according to the apostle's instruction in this chapter, we will be right and proper toward those whom we receive and will have peace with them; thus, we will have joy in the Holy Spirit, proving that we are living in the reality of God's kingdom and are under God's rule. Otherwise, we will not be right or proper toward those whom we do not receive and will not have peace with them; thus, we will not have joy in the Holy Spirit before God, proving that we are not subject to God's authority in the kingdom of God.

Healing Touch

Mathew 8:15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served Him.

Few weeks ago, the Lord led me to visit a brother and his wife in Delhi for fellowship and prayer. It was twelves years after I met this brother again. Our relation was "brother in Christ" since our college days in a prayer fellowship. Thus far, the Lord has been leading us, now all of us with family. Still the bond of brotherhood established in our common faith in Christ is eternal, no matter whatever differences there may visibly or invisibly exist in our pursuit of the Lord. The meeting was very enlivening as we fellowshipped on the sovereignity of God in all things including our health. 

This, my brother's wife, was recently diagnosed with a serious health issue, but I firmly believe the Lord allowed it for good, and have expressed the same in a way of comforting, cherishing and shepherding. At the same time affirming with faith in the Lord that she will be healed and recovered for the glory of God. Praise the Lord! If not for that unwelcome health issue we would have never met till date. My prayer was, and still is, with this brother and his beloved wife.

In the following days of surgical operation, we prayed over the phone and the word of the Lord was so shepherding.

Matthew 8:15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served Him.

On praying over this verse, the Lord's speaking to me also forwarded to the brother is amazing:

He touched her hand: Day by day, what we all need is the Lord's touching. His touching solves every problem and heals every disease. Often times, we are out of touch with the Lord, so through situation we have to be brought back to the Lord to be touched by the Lord and also to touch Him.

The fever left her: The issue of the Lord's touch is "the fever left her!" Whatever disease we are in, physically, psychologically or spiritually,  the Lord's touch is the ultimate panacea. With the Lord there is no enigma. His healing touch frees us from fever forever.

She arose and served Him: Well, the Lord's healing touch is not just that one is healed. If this is the sole purpose, it's only half job done. The Lord's healing touch always has a goal; to arise and serve Him. No wonder, many will not be touched by the Lord to be healed, as healing per se is not what the Lord wants, when He heals, He heals us that we serve Him. Though God is not narrow minded and selfish in doing things for Himself, in His supreme sovereignity He does all things to accomplish His divine purpose. That's why, often times, He allows diseases to befall His children with His multifarious divine wisdom. Only with the enlightened spiritual understand one will understand this mystery.  

How much we need the healing touch of the Lord! Many Christians are diseased in many ways, and the so called churches too. No amount of biblical knowledge or teaching or preaching can ever heal the spiritual diseases the children of God are snared into. Only the Lord's healing touch can. 

Therefore, I call upon my fellow Christians, to come to the Lord to be touched by His healing touch, that we all be healed of our internal and individual diseases, and our external and corporate diseases too. That the Lord may heal us of all our different doctrines, teachings, practices, beliefs etc., that divides the Body of Christ. That the fever of  "denominations" which is divisions instigated by the gates of Hades may leave us once for all, as he is also the defeated foe at the cross of Jesus Christ. That we may rise up in the resurrection of Christ in oneness with Him, and serve Him in oneness with one another in the Body of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ!

Lord, Your healing touch,

For this we pray; 

Touch and heal us.

Preparation

God needs man and man needs God. God will not do His work without man's cooperation, and man cannot do God's work without God's operation. God and man have to work together; God in man and man in God can only carry out God's work. This is the principle of incarnation.

Not acknowledging this fact would be an insult to God. Christians today needs salvation from two extremes of  "just God only," passively waiting for God to do things without him lifting a finger, and of "just man only," actively working for God as though God needs help and exerting all possible natural forces mixed with religious zeal and enthusiasms with the stirring up of emotion, exercising of strong will and scheming in the unrenewed mind. The extremes must be strictly avoid, perhaps, should even be prohibited. A balanced Christian life and work is called for as an utmost necessity in this age.

These days, I too am learning lessons on prayer, planning and preparation. God definitely do have His desire, and He needs man. As man, once His desire is made known, there is a need for prayerful preparation. God would not send the rain yet until there is man to till the ground. God will send send the rain yet until Noah's ark building was ready.

Genesis 2:5 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,    

In a similarly fashion, these days we have been learning Greek and preparing our selves in every possible way to bring out the word of God into various Indian languages. Two years have elapsed since we started the Greek learning course, and I honor and appreciate the Lord's leading in the brothers who teaches us the lessons. In fact, preparing us patiently. May the Lord bless them richly. Here is a practical lesson of preparation. Besides, the Lord has also burdened me to prepare further to be academically or otherwise professional equipped, in the principle of incarnation, to be able to accomplish the task righteously and faithfully. Yes, even to the extend of taking additional academic course, if need be, or research on this line. However, the Lord  may lead the way as I prepare. 

A recent trip by a group of saints to India to research for a suitable venue for a possible event to hold one of the international feasts in the near future was a good learning for me on preparation. I was impressed by the minute details the saints were looking for, considering almost everything related to the training; the location, accessibility, facilities, prices and others. They took nothing for assumption but checked out every practical matter. The opportunity to accompany them in this preparation tour for two days in Delhi and Gurgaon was indeed a preparation learning for me. 

Likewise, trusting the Lord and abiding in Him, the Lord's work must be carried out; praying, planning and preparing, that in time, He will accomplish His desire. And we be sanctified vessel prepared for the Master's use.

2 Timothy 2:20, 21 But in a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels but also wooden and earthen; and some are unto honor, and some unto dishonor.If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.     

He Believed Jehovah!

Genesis 15:6 And he believed Jehovah, and He accounted it to him as righteousness.

With almost nothing and no hope, not even an iota of evidence of Jehovah's promise being fulfilled, mingled with the impossibility of a normal biological human reproductive cycle well past the age, and contemplating an alternative to "fulfill" God's promise out of desperation, Jehovah spoke to Abram again, and this time, Abram believed Jehovah. The result, God accounted it to him as righteousness. Though this is a history, the word of God is ever living, and in fact, this is our story too, very much mine. 

I have solid promises of God in hand, some have been fulfilled, and many more are yet to fulfill. Often, I looked at my circumstances and there seemed to be no way that these promises be fulfilled at all. Often I wondered if I misunderstood God at His word? Or perhaps, I am lost in my own imaginative fantasy? But time and again, for over decade, the promises of the Lord have been coming alive again and again; reminding me that He has promised it and He will accomplish it. I only have one word, "amen!" Lord, save me from the sin of unbelief. 

Now I have begun to see drizzling of torrential rain on the way ahead. Things are slowly yet steadily and stealthily coming into shape. I also could see myself better in the light of the Lord's promises; and the peoples, matters and things surrounding me are converging into the fruition of what the Lord has foretold. The Lord's timing is best, only human find it hard to wait, especially me. Thank God, I was saved from eating an unbaked cake.

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too marvelous for Jehovah? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Nothing indeed is too marvelous for Jehovah. He has His appointed time; according to the time of life. This is what comforted me much, "God has His appointed time," and that time He only knows unless He specifically reveals it to me. I need not be anxious and investigate when is God's appointed time. In the time of life, it will all be fulfilled. Praise the Lord!

Now I simple do not try to "fulfill" God's promises, but simple go on in my normal Christian life as He leads me. What a blessing to simple rest in Him!

Yes Lord, I believe You; Your words, Your promises, all will be fulfilled at Your appointed time, at the time of life for me.       

Come to Me!

Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest.Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28, 29

The Lord's command to all the believers today is "Come to Me!" If there be any do's that have to be done it must be "to come to the  Lord Jesus Christ and abide in Him continually" all the days of our lives. In fact, this is the best commandment to be obeyed. For in Him is all the fulfillment of the laws, the statutes and the ordinances. Just come to Jesus!

I recently have been experiencing the intrinsic significance of coming to Jesus in a very intimate, sweet, restful and peaceful way, beginning this year. Though I had been knowing objectively that I should come to the Lord Jesus, take His yoke and learn from Him, but in my living and service in the past, it seemed that I was far away from this reality. My understanding of coming to Him is often that of prayer for His guidance and help in carrying out a service or work that I was burdened for or assigned to. So often, I would come to the Lord for His help, blessing, grace etc...

The Lord's word here is a "sweet command" to come to Him, not just for help, grace or blessing, but to be one with Him organically, inwardly, subjectively as our life and living and even outwardly to testify Him, magnify Him and glorify Him for His eternal purpose. When brought into such oneness, the result is that of abiding in John 15, where we bear fruits, and the fruits remains.

These days, I did not sense any struggle which I used to have in my Christian life. The Lord just carries out His work in Him and through me, little by little, one by one. For instance, one of the point is in gospel preaching where I used to "change" my position and condition to exercise the Lord's authority to save sinners. But now, as and when opportunity arises, I simple preach the word and lead sinners to salvation. No sensible outward struggle at all, not even a weigh of burden, but living out the Lord's life, speaking forth the Lord's word and shining forth the Lord's light. It is so light and so easy. 

A big struggle that I used to have is in saving sinners, shepherding and even raising up the church. Yes of course, it is the Body matter, and lot of prayer and coordination involved, but this time, my experience is, through all our coordination in the Body, in time, the Lord just prepares His chosen ones and gathers them together to be the church in that locality. Not undermining the fact that we should cooperated with the Lord in the principle of incarnation in praying, planning, preparing and propagating, yet I did not sense any struggle like I used to when participating in raising up churches in other localities in the past. This is not just my experience, other brothers and sisters testified of similar experiences; the Lord working in us and through us as we "come to Him."  The following notes from Recovery Version have simply described my subjective experiences of coming to the Lord these days. 

Note on "toil" from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version

This refers not only to the toil of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations but also to the toil of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever toils thus is always heavily burdened. After the Lord extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father's way and declaring the divine economy, He called this kind of people to come to Him for rest.

Note on "yoke" from the Holy Bible, Recovery Version

To take the Lord's yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligation of the law or religion or to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father's will (26:39, 42). Hence, He asks us to learn from Him.

Lord, I come to Thee, to rest in Thee.

The Sin of Objectivity

Last week I went to an international book fair in Delhi and stumbled upon a group of religious zealot; who attempted vainly to convince me that the Lord Jesus is just a prophet and not God. The more they spoke to me, the more I discerned their blindness and immaturity in their understanding of spiritual things. Paul rightly said about interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words to spiritual men in 1 Corinthians:

 2:11   For who among men knows the things of man, except the spirit of man which is in him? In the same way, the things of God also no one has known except the Spirit of God. 2:12   But we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is from God, that we may know the things which have been graciously given to us by God; 2:13   Which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words. 2:14   But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he is not able to know them because they are discerned spiritually. 2:15   But the spiritual man discerns all things, but he himself is discerned by no one. 2:16   For who has known the mind of the Lord and will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

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The more they spoke to me, even childishly trying to quote the Bible when they hardly know and experience the Spirit of the Bible, the more I pity them for their ignorance and spiritual blindness. I only prayed for them inwardly that one day the Lord would open their spiritual eyes to see Jesus as God as revealed in the Bible. This rather remind me of the religious Jews who searched the Scriptures but never came to the Lord.

John 5:39You ¹search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me.

Note on "search" from the Recovery Version of the Bible: To "search the Scriptures" may be separated from "come to Me" (v. 40).The Jewish religionists searched the Scriptures but were not willing to come to the Lord. These two should go together; because the Scriptures testify concerning the Lord, they should not be separated from the Lord. We may contact the Scriptures, yet not contact the Lord. Only the Lord can give life.

I determined not to enter into any debate which I used to do when I was much younger and immature, but I smiled at them and told them to read the Bible carefully with prayer, perhaps, that the Lord would have mercy on them and open their eyes. I did give them an example of explaining the taste of sweetness to someone who never tasted what is "sweet". No amount of theoretical explanation, however accurate and convincing, can make it understand what is sweet. But a crystal of sugar put in a tongue will solve the mystery in a second. 

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that Jehovah is good; / Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

To proclaim to  have read the Holy Bible, perhaps, even to study them and yet not to believe into Jesus of whom the Bible speaks about, and never touching the Spirit or being touched by the Spirit in the human spirit is a grave misreading. Hilariously, on top of being so objective and questioning the divinity of Christ is even more heretic.  To me, its a sheer waste of time even to talk to such people, much less debate. Unless the Spirit opens their eyes, its real futile to engage such blindness. 

The sin of objectivity surely is not to see Jesus Christ as the Saviour, and not to believe into Him to be saved. This experience, on the one hand, confirmed and strengthened my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as He is so subjective to me, and yet on the other hand, alerted me of the danger of being objective, even as I read the Word daily. The objective logo-Word should become the subjective rhema-Word every time I come to the Word of God.

No revelation, no interpretationNo light, no sightNo vision, then only confusionTis how the unsaved reads the Word of God.

 Lord, be more subjective to me day by day. Save me from the passivity and deadness of objectivity. May You shine upon me and feed me subjectively every time I come to Your Word.