Enjoying the Word of God!

Today as we were fellowshipping, a brother asked us to share on our recent enjoyment of the word of God. We might have had a lot of experiences on witnessing patterns, testimonies, observations, and others, but what is the subjective enjoyment of the word of God? In fact, the only thing that builds up the Body of Christ is the word of God.

Acts  20:32 And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified.

If not for the word of God, our service to the Lord will just be an outward service, doing the formal mundane work for the sake of carrying out our duty without any impact on the lives of the saints for building up of the Body of Christ.

The Lord has been merciful to me and a couple of other brothers with whom I had been coordinating for the ministry literature journey to the hills of Nagaland. I shared my recent experiences and enjoyment of the word of God to all the brothers in the fellowship. As I shared I also enjoyed the Lord’s anointing so much and there was indeed a rich flow of life.

As we began the ministry literature journey on 13^th June 2023, the Lord’s prophetic word for this trip is:

Haggai 1:8 Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it and will be glorified, says Jehovah. 

We were very clear that we were going up to the mountain, the hills of Nagaland, to distribute the riches of the ministry so that we can also collect the materials for God’s building, the remnants of the Lord whom the Lord has sovereignly prepared for Himself and for His testimony.

On the first day, as we started our journey, our morning enjoyment was from 2 Pet. 1:19.

And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Pet. 1:19

The prophetic word was the commission to go up to the mountain and bring wood for the building up of the house of God. Since then, every day, we had the word of God to lead and direct every step that we took. 

Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

As such serving ones in the distribution of the ministry of the word, I was very enlightened by the commission the Lord gave to me, “To be a the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his  household to give them food at the proper time.” What I have been doing is not an outward work of “selling, promotion, or marketing” the ministry literature. Perhaps, they may be. businesswise. But as for me, yes, deep within me, I am very clear and convicted that the Lord has commissioned me to accomplish this heavenly task of giving food at the proper time to all His children. These children could be the Christian leaders, pastors, theologians, missionaries, elders, deacons, Executive Secretaries, and Chairmen of all kinds of Christian associations and mission boards. The ministry of the word is spiritual food for all the children of God. The Lord has commissioned me with this task of giving food. And I must be faithful and also be prudent in executing this heavenly commission.

Matthew 24:45-47 Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his  household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions.

To be such one who gives food, I must be fed and filled with the spiritual food myself first. For this, I must labor on the word of God. I must enjoy the very word that I have been ministering and distributing. In fact, the Lord further revealed that I am indeed a son of oil together with my fellow coworkers in the vineyard.

Zech. 4:12, 14 …What are the two olive branches that are by the side of the two golden spouts, which empty the gold from themselves? ...And he said, These are the two sons of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

We labor in the vineyard owned by the Lord of the whole earth! So we do so with full freedom and authority. In the New Testament terms, we are ministers of the new covenant, ministers of the Spirit who give life.

2 Cor. 3:6 [God] made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

In all our  journeys, the Lord had marvelously and miraculously prepared angels to lead us practically.

Rev. 22:16 I Jesus have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright morning star.

Step by step, wherever we went, the Lord had His angels prepared to lead and guide us. From district to district amidst the jungle hilly roads, from town to town, from village to village, and even from house to house, the Lord had led us using His angels, people who suddenly appeared to lead us and then disappeared after they led us. We simply worship the Lord and His ways of leading us in a very intimate way.

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

The word of God can be shared in two aspects. One is out of necessity. As serving ones of the Lord we have to minister the word. But if without the enjoyment of the word of God, all that is ministered will be out of necessity. Nonetheless, the Lord may still anoint and use the word to accomplish His purpose, But the better would be the second aspect. That is, sharing the word of God out of the fullness of the word and  overflowing richly living water. This is the normal and proper way of sharing the word of God.

John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.

John 7:38 He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

Only by this kind of flowing out the living water, can we genuinely build up the church as such a minister of the word will cause the growth of the saints. So we can echo the apostle Paul in saying:

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all discernment.

This is my testimony of enjoying the written word becoming the living word, and the living word becoming the applied word; the enjoyment of the logos becoming rhema! All these are for the ministering of life to people for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

Lord, grace me to enjoy Your word day by day all the days of my life for the building up of your Body!

Ministry of the Word to Mokokchung, Kohima, Dimapur, Golaghat and Jorhat

This was my third time to come to Mokokchung town but I never could meet the Principal of the most reputed theological college. As we went to Impur and met the Executive Secretary of the Christian mission thete, I was introduced to the Principal of Clark Theological College. I called the Principal and we agreed to meet the following day.

At his office, I introduced the Holy Bible Recovery Version to the Principal which he immediately decided to purchase. He also introduced the academic dean and librarian. To all, we introduced the ministry literature. The Principal took the burden of introducing the free ministry books to the students himself. In that way, the Lord blessed the distribution there.

In the night, we fellowshipped with a group of Pastors from the Yuimchunger tribe. They were very interested in the Holy Bible Recovery Version and all of them purchased it. Besides, we also fellowshipped on the truth concerning Christ and the church. They were very interested in the Bible we quoted and fellowshipped concerning the church ground. The seed of the local church truth has been sown and in time, we will see the Lord manifesting His testimony in Mokokchung. 

Kohima was not in our plan this time. But, the Lord had His better way. We had to stop by Kohima and were able to meet with a brother whom I knew twenty years ago and who now has been serving as an independent pastor among inter-tribe couples who have not been to the already established churches. To him, I gifted the Holy Bible Recovery Version and will also send a few selected ministry books. Besides, a brother who is a lawyer by profession and who used to enjoy the church life in Delhi came to fellowship with us at our hotel accommodation arranged by a sister. 

Dimapur was just our base to start the ministry journey, as such, we did not have plan to do anything in the city. But at the last minute, we decided to meet a couple of families. It so turned out that the Lord had already reserved His remnants for His testimony in Dimapur. An Ao family, a Lotha family, an Angami family, a Yuimchunger family, and a couple of seeking brothers and sisters were all met. We all enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship and prayed together. To me, these families were revealed by the Lord to be the backbones of the Lord's move in Dimapur. May the Lord shepherd each one of them unto the raising up of the church in Dimapur.

Jorhat and Golaghat in Assam were the only two cities we could visit. The first one was the Eastern Theological College where the Principal gave us favor to display the ministry literature to the students and he himself purchased the Holy Bible Recovery Version for the college. In Golaghat, we dropped by the only Baptist Church and met with the Pastor and Deacon. Here, my burden was to find an Assamese translator. I got a few phone numbers to follow up.

Though we intent to go to Diphu, we had a time constraint. Therefore, we deferred the visit for some other time. Yet, a Pastor's daughter came to Patkai Christian College for her academic work through whom we were able to meet her Professor as well, who happened to be the adviser to the Evangelical Union students in the campus. Thereby, the Lord opened a new door in the college campus in Dimapur. In fact, we also met the Christian student leaders in Unity College where we introduced the ministry literature and also shared a word of exhortation to the students.

The Lord was sovereign in leading us to the right people at the right time for His divine purpose. The seed of the word of God has been sown. And now, we pray and wait for the Lord to manifest the result.

Lord, gain Nagaland for Christ and the church!

Ministry of the Word to Wokha

Wokha, a hill town between Kohima and Mokokchung, was the first stoppage in our previous visit to Nagaland where we met a family who were so interested in the word of God, who purchased the ministry books, and also gave us a warm hospitality.

This time, our intention was to simply stop by for a while as we were passing through the town on our way from Mokokchung to Kohima. Immediately as we met them, they welcomed us and we began our fellowship. The Lord burdened us to minister on the line of the Christian life and the church life. We traced the history of the tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament and their fulfilment and reality in the New Testament as the incarnated Jesus and the resurrected Christ as the Spirit dwelling in the spirits of the believers for the expression and representation of God as the church, the testimony of Jesus Christ. Using relevant Bible verses, we also ministered the truth concerning Christ and the church. The universal and local aspect of the church, the ground of oneness, one city one church, the need to be recovered back to the orthodoxy of the church, and the practical ways to take the stand for the Lord’s testimony. We did not expect nor prepare to minister all these truth. But the Lord led us to minister on this burden. 

As I was ministering the word, I enjoyed the flow of life richly. Verse by verse, the word of God flowed forth as spring of living water. I do believe, the brothers and sisters just drank the living water that the Lord supplied from Himself as the Head through a member to the members of His Body. The anointing of the Lord was so sweet yet so strong. This definitely is for the Lord’s recovery of His chosen remnants for His testimony in Wokha.

The key brother testified that as he listened to the ministry of the word, he saw a revelation of the church. Not a "brainwash" but a revelation, by his own word and confession. He testifed that this was the truth and that he should take the stand for the church in Wokha according to the Bible. No denomination, no human organization, but the local church standing on the ground of oneness as the church in Wokha for the Lord’s testimony. He saw this vision!

For their practical experiences and enjoyment, we also invited them to visit the nearby local churches, especially the church in Aizawl. For this, we also shared the testimony of the saints in the church in Aizawl, how the Lord raised them up and recovered them. And also to visit other churches in India and abroad, perhaps, Taiwan for the international blending in Taipei next year. May the Lord lead them so.

Later, they prepared a dinner for us which we enjoyed and then prayed together and left for our next destination Kohima.

May the Lord recover His testimony in Wokha.

Ministry of the Word to Peren

Peren is the last district in Nagaland we visited in the ministry of the word literature journey. With this visit we have covered all the key towns and districts of Nagaland. In fact, it is inky Nagaland that we thoroughly visited every district for the introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. 

Peren is the land dominated by the Zeliangrong Naga tribe. This is also the tribe of which I belong to, by my physical birth, a Rongmei. I did not choose to be one but God made me so. Therefore, I do have feeling for this tribe to be brought to the full knowledge of the truth, especially the Rongmeis who are yet to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we were driving towards the town, we passed through Jelukie, a Rongmei inhabited town. After a few miles drive past the town, I checked my Google map and it still showed Jelukie was ahead of us. But, we actually drive past the town. So I told the brother driving the car to crosscheck if we were on the wrong road. To my query, he stopped to check with the car coming behind us. It so happened that the other car driver was his old acquaintance. He then became our guide to the town. Later, he also gave the phone number of the key town Pastor. What a divine intervention even in the apparent mistake made by Google map!

Upon arrival at the town, we called the Pastor who just happened to walk passed by us where we stopped our car. He took us to his house and there, we fellowshipped with him concerning our visit to Peren town. He and his wife were so interested in the ministry books and we discovered a wide door open for the spread of the ministry of the word. The Lord sovereignly led us to him and his house and used him as the beachhead for His move in Peren town.

Later, a good number of brothers and sisters, mostly full time serving ones in the Christian mission came to see the ministry books. Whoever came were caught by the introduction of the ministry books especially the Holy Bible Recovery Version. In fact, everyone of them ended up purchasing the Holy Bible Recovery Version and a good number of selected title books.

We were amazed at the way the Lord led us. We knew nobody in this new place. But the Lord sent His angel through man to lead us to the right people and place. We literally did nothing except to stay in the Pastor's living room, displaying the ministry books, and introducing the riches of the ministry of the word to all who came to check out the books. All the while, enjoying the local tea made by the sister over and over again as we spent time with groups of people coming and going. 

After such a wonderful experience of Christ in His visible leading, we prayed together with our host and left the town at dusk, having fully accomplished our task this time.

Now, we pray for the Lord to speak to all these brothers and sisters through the ministry books unto their enlightenment to even bring them to the full knowledge of the truth.

Lord, bless the Zeliangrong brothers and sisters for Your testimony in Peren!

In God I Trust

Today, the Lord blessed me with a new day and a new year to my human life. My prayer is that if the Lord so wills, He may bless me with a healthy and long life to live and magnify Him. 

Today, I turn forty five in my physical age. If the Lord would allow me to live upto ninety, I have reached the mid of my lifespan. My life is in God's hand. And I fully submit to Him that He may do as He pleases with me. Like Paul, I pray that I could be the factor for the joy and strengthening of the saints as long as the Lord gives me breath in my nostril.

“And being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of the faith,” (Philippians 1:25, RecVer)

Today, the Lord's speaking to me for my life forward is that I am a minister of a new covenant, a minister of the Spirit who gives life. For this, He is the Life supplier, my Source, from which I receive life supply. He has made me a branch 

“Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6, RecVer)

As a minister of the new covenant, my responsibility is to give life. Day by day, I must pay the price to gain the Lord more as my life that I be filled with the Spirit to give to others. In my speaking or in my fellowship with others, I must minster life to others, especially to the weaker ones.

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask and he will give life to him, to those sinning not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he should make request concerning that.” (1 John 5:16, RecVer)

“And I answered a second time and said to him, What are the two olive branches that are by the side of the two golden spouts, which empty the gold from themselves? And he spoke to me, saying, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, sir. And he said, These are the two sons of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:12-14, RecVer)

Since to be life supplier is what the Lord called me for, I trust in the Lord to accomplish His commission. "In God I trust" is the banner of my life. Henceforth, to be an ambassador, a minister of the new covenant in the Body of Christ is what my forty five years and forward life will be.

“In God, whose word I praise, In God do I trust, and I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalms 56:4, RecVer)

“In God do I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalms 56:11, RecVer)

The Lord also gave His lovingkindness and faithfulness to be His minister. Though His requirement is that I be a faithful and prudent slave, yet this requirement is being met by His sending forth lovingkindness 

“Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time?” (Matthew 24:45, RecVer)

“He sends forth from heaven and saves me; He reproaches him who would trample me; Selah God sends forth His lovingkindness and His faithfulness.” (Psalms 57:3, RecVer)

So, I pray for Him to be gracious to me. 

“Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me; For my soul takes refuge in You; Indeed in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, Until the destruction passes by.” (Psalms 57:1, RecVer)

This is the Lord’s promise for my new year and all the years to follow. May the will of the Lord be done in my life.

Thank you Lord for the new year. Grace me Lord for all the years to come to be Your faithful and prudent slave, Your minister of the new covenant, a minister of the Spirit to minister life to others.

Ministry of the Word to Impur

Today morning, we were considering where to go for the distribution of the ministry literature first, to Impur or to Mokokchung town. As we fellowshipped and considered, we felt to go to Impur first. On our way, we enjoyed a time of prayer together for the Lord’s leading and for His testimony in Nagaland. 

In Impur, there stands the first Baptist Church in Nagaland. It was built in 1896 by the first Christian missionary to the Nagas who came in 1872, Dr. E W Clark.

Here, we first met the Baptist Pastor and introduced the ministry literature. He immediately purchased the Holy Bible Recovery Version. As he invited us to eat lunch with him, we had a time of fellowship, sharing our testimonies and some crucial truth and practices concerning the Christian life and the church life. He very much appreciated the truth we present and the time of fellowship we enjoyed together. Later, we prayed together and left.

Then, we met the Principals of all the three institutions in this mission center; the Nursing School, Bible School, and Higher Secondary School. To my surprise, all these Principals were so interested in the Holy Bible Recovery Version after I introduced to them. They all purchased for themselves and also promised to introduce to others as they found it to be very useful for their understanding of the word of God. 

Step by step, the Lord led us to meet the key people one by one. And further gave us a contact for the Bible College in Mokokchung too, which I personally desire to visit for the purpose of the ministry literature introduction and distribution. 

On our way back, as we stopped by to taste Litchi fruits from its tree, we met the owner of a recreational park who also has a good number of Litchi fruit trees. We befriended him and shared contact phone numbers for future and further communication. He gave us a friendly tour to his garden and park where we enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation. After our day of meetings with the key people in the mission center, the Lord gave us a time of relaxation in this beautiful garden.

After coming back to our resting place, I shared the highlight of our visit to Impur to my brothers as:

Today, we visited the center of Christian works in Nagaland and introduced the ministry literature.

151 years after the gospel was brought to the Nagas, the ministry books was introduced to all the key leaders, the Pastor, the Executive Secretary, and all the three Principals of the Bible College, Hospital and Nursing School, and the Higher Secondary School.

All of them welcomed us and received the ministry books, especially the Holy Bible Recovery Version. 

May the desire of God’s heart to bring them into the full knowledge of the truth be fulfilled!

Ministry of the Word to Mon

The Lord has blessed us for the spread of His Word in Longleng, and further led us to visit Aboi on our way to Mon. Though we intended to avoid this small town of the Konyaks due to bad hilly road, still we ended up in this town through the unknown road we took. Therefore, we met the town Pastor and introduced the ministry literature. He welcomed us, received the ministry literature, and also prayed for our onward journey. 

On the way from Longleng to Mon, we got stuck twice. Once, due to rain and sleepery muddy steep road, we had to literally push the vehicle uphill with all our physical might. And with a little exercise of the body and also of the Spirit, calling upon the Lord’s name, we overcame this little hurdle. Then, we had the risk of fuel running out with no fuel station on the way, yet as we enquired in the villages we passed through, we got a fuel supplier where we filled up our vehicle oil tank, a good 30 litres. This reminds us of the need to be filled in the Spirit all the time, all our life long in our Christian journey. Finally, another hurdle was that our vehicle front left wheel tyre got punctured. We had to stop about an hour to fix this. No problem, we got stuck twice, yet not struck!

When we arrived the main town of Mon, a youth Pastor became our guardian angel to arrange for our hospitality and the places and people we need to meet. We simply rested in the Lord as He us led step by step.

Yesterday, Saturday, morning, we visited the only theological school, Mon Theological College, where a gathering of all the students were arranged for our introduction and distribution of the ministry literature. As my Bible reading portion was, I led the students to sing a song on these verses.

“As the hart pants after the streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2, RecVer)

Once we introduced the ministry literature, students thronged the book table and grasps the books, as the deer pants for the water their souls thirst for the word of God! 

We praise the Lord that the Lord brought us here at the right time. Had we come earlier, they would have been on their vacation. The Lord exactly knew on what day and at what time to visit this Bible college and He led us accordingly. 

Later, we also met the committee members of the Konyak Baptist Church. We and the ministry literature we introduced were received with warm welcome. After our introduction and distribution of the ministry literature, they all prayed for us. Later, we also met the Gorkha and Sumi churches' Pastors for the same. Therefore, our burden for this outermost past of Nagaland bordering Myanmar was released. Then, we moved on to another city, Mokokchung. 

May the Lord blessed His children with His words. And may He recover His remnants to bear His testimony.