Ministry of the Word in Mydukuru and Vempalli

Late in the afternoon, a Christian leaders' meeting was arranged. Initially, I was not too sure what to minister, but as I considered before the Lord, the Lord gave me the burden to minister on the need for help in understanding the word of God. Therefore, Acts 8 on the Eunuch's salvation through Philip's help in making him understand the word of the Prophets was shared. 

And he rose up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship. And he was returning and was sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. And when Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, Do you really know the things that you are reading? And he said, How could I unless someone guides me? And he entreated Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:27-31, RecVer)

And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I beseech you, Concerning whom does the prophet say this? Concerning himself or concerning someone else? And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he announced Jesus as the gospel to him. And as they were going along the road, they came upon some water, and the eunuch said, Look, water. What prevents me from being baptized? And Philip said, If you believe from all your heart, you will be saved. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he ordered the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:34-38, RecVer)

And they said to one another, Was not our heart burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was opening to us the Scriptures? (Luke 24:32, RecVer)

This was such an eye-opener to the "Pastors" that they all queued up to purchase the ministry books, especially the Telugu Recovery Version New Testament, after the meeting. Through this meeting, a young, promising brother who purchased the ministry books was introduced to the local brothers for follow-up.

The Lord’s speaking was so timely that I myself received a sweet inner supply even though I was the one who ministered the word. Later, the brothers testified that they also received timely help concerning the need for the Lord to open up the word. The ministry books used by the Spirit opened up the Scriptures to the readers. What a blessed ministry the Lord bless us with!

We also attended the gathering of believers and Christian leaders in Vempalli. Since this was just a meeting of a group, we were only given a few minutes to introduce the Recovery Version Bible. The key leader had an opinion about the new translation, however, some of the key leaders still purchased the Telugu New Testament Recovery Version. 

May the Lord raise up His testimony in Mydukuru and Vempalli one day.

Ministry of the Word in Proddaturu

A couple of families have been enjoying the ministry of the word in this city. The church is yet to be raised up when the Lord recovered a good number of local families who can bear the Lord’s testimony. In this city, we had two meetings, one with a brother and the other with the same brother and a group of believers. 

In the ministry journey, brothers brought me to visit a brother who has been enjoying the ministry of the word, but due to some differences in practicing the church life, especially with related to spiritual gifts, he had kept himself away for a couple of years. Yet through the saints' continual contact as brothers in Christ, he recovered his pursuing of the ministry. With much burden, the brothers took me to his house for fellowship.

As I was told, many years ago, there used to be a seekers' meeting conducted in this city with a local brother. However, due to his insistence on exercising spiritual gifts, notably tongue speaking, he could not continue the fellowship. Despite these differences, some brothers who joined those fellowships were gained and the local churches in nearby localities were raised up. Later, this brother also stopped fellowshipping with the saints except for receiving the Holy Word for Morning Revival. 

Initially, for about an hour, I was listening to whatever he had to say concerning his understanding of the Christian life and the church life, his opinion on certain brothers who offended him, and his views on what the church life should be particularly emphasising on his appreciation of the truth concerning transformation. Then, after he poured out all that he had to, he gave me the opportunity to speak. All the while, I exercised my spirit to discern his inward condition and became clear of what he actually needed. Following the Spirit in my spirit, I led him to the word of God; chapter by chapter, and verse after verse. As I did so, the anointing within me was so sweet and strong that the brothers in the living room where the fellowship was going on listened with rapt attention. This particular brother got his book and pen, took notes as I was ministering. Meanwhile, another brother recorded the entire portion of the ministry of the word on his mobile phone. The burden was on the Christian life revealed in the book of Galatians.

Galatians 1

The Revelation of Christ is from God the Father seen in the spirit issuing in regeneration of the Spirit making us the children of God.

To reveal His Son in me that I might announce Him as the gospel among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood, (Galatians 1:16, RecVer)

And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. (Matthew 16:16-17, RecVer)

I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, (Revelation of John 1:10, RecVer)

Galatians 2

The Living of Christ for our Christian life after the revelation of the Son of God. The Christian life is the life of living Christ daily.

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)

Galatians 3

Becoming the Sons of God through the growth in life from being children of God.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26, RecVer)

Galatians 4

The Formation of the Son of God through transformation. 

My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19, RecVer)

This formation of Christ in the believers is the daily transformation a believer needs to go through. This is also in line with God working all things together for good to conform His children into the image of the Firstborn Son of God. 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers; (Romans 8:28-29, RecVer)

But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18, RecVer)

Galatians 5

What goes along with this growing in life is the living and walking by the Spirit. This is also the practical way to experience and enjoy the growth in life.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with a yoke of slavery again. (Galatians 5:1, RecVer)

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

Galatians 6

Finally, for such a Christian life, living and walking by the Spirit, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is required.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (Galatians 6:18, RecVer)

With this fellowship, the seemingly negative brother became very positive. He was so thankful to the Lord for our visit and the fellowship on the word of God. The next day, we visited him again. This time, a good number of believers were present and the entire meeting was handed over to me. And I ministered on oneness using Psalms 133 and the need to maintain the oneness as revealed in Deuteronomy 12, the seriousness of division which was due to personal ambition in Kings 12, and the prerequisite to keep the oneness in Ephesians 4: 1-6. Then, we prayed together for the Lord to recover the oneness among the believers and that His testimony be raised up in the city.

Lord, bless Your move and recover Your testimony in Proddaturu.

Ministry of the Word in Porumamilla

As we began the ministry literature journey this time, our first destination was Porumamilla. We arrived at a brother's house early morning, just past midnight. We then had a few hours of sleep and attended the gathering of Christian leaders at the meeting hall of a brother in Porumamilla. As usual, the arrangement was that I would minister the word for about an hour with Telugu translation according to the Lord’s leading, and then another brother would introduce the ministry literature, followed by distribution sales. The local brothers made all the arrangements and coordinated with us in sweet oneness. What a blessing!

As the Lord led, I ministered on the "Word" as the incarnation of God in Christ Jesus for the dispensing of life to the believers as food and how the believers need to eat the Word as bread of life for growth in the divine life, day by day. The Christian leaders were so supplied by the ministry of the word. They testified that the need of the hour is the constitution of the word of God in the lives of the believers.

Later, a brother took us to visit a family whose three children are all in the medical field. To them, the Lord gave the word of love concerning the need of the Christians today to love the Lord. As I ministered on the need to love the Lord Jesus Christ as our first and best love, and how the presence of the Lord should be our daily enjoyment, the mother of the family was so much touched and she began weeping with tears of joy. I encouraged all the family members to love the Lord. The simple way is by telling the Lord Jesus, "Lord Jesus, I love You!" We called upon the Lord’s name, and I prayed for the family on their request. They were so supplied by the fellowship that they even wanted to offer money, but I kindly rejected it and let them know that the Lord has provided my needs. I further told them that as long as they love the Lord Jesus through the fellowship, my portion of the ministry to them was accomplished. The mother even testified that our visit was like she had witnessed the apostle Paul in the Bible visiting them. To her, I told that we are just Christians functioning according to the Lord’s leading to whoever the Lord lead us. May the Lord gain this family through the fellowship and through the ministry of the word.

May the Lord raise up His testimony in Porumamilla one day.

Hyderabad Again

In the second week of this month, a National Serving Ones Training was held in Hyderabad. I was graced to attend this training again. We just had a week-long training in Hyderabad last month, and another training followed this month. What a grace to be under the Lord’s perfecting training! This time, in Hyderabad again.

The messages ministered were a respeaking of the messages released during the ITERO in April this year. The Lord continued to speak day by day concerning His need in India. Each time of the training, I felt the Lord was gaining deeper ground in the saints' being. It was evident from the conduct and responses of the saints during the training. In addition to the messages released, the burden released for the Lord’s going on in this country has become more and more clear, specific, and practical. It was more like a close-knit family fellowship confirming the oneness that the Lord has gained among the saints in the churches in the Lord’s recovery in India. Hallelujah!

In the conclusion sharing on the last day, I was shown the grace to release my portion on the truth that one God has one work and one goal. That we have been shown mercy to be in the one divine stream, the one ministry, that builds up the Body of Christ as a preparation of His Bride to bring Him back. That we must be graced and be shown mercy to be preserved in this one divine stream. That, we need to let the word of God grow inwardly and multiply outwardly for His increase (Acts 6:7; 12:24). And that, we must have a personal, intimate, and sweet fellowship with the Lord and be a group of people whose vessels are open to receive the Lord’s filling for His move, His testimony, His expression and His representation as the built up church today.

Besides, I also had a time of fellowship with the brothers serving in the distribution and made a plan for the upcoming distribution to empty the warehouses and aggressively distribute the ministry of the word. 

After the training ended, another brother who was once my classmate and I visited another classmate and His family in Hyderabad. There, the Lord led me to minister on the need to spend time in reading the word daily and praying daily, as an encouragement to my classmate's children, and also for the parents. 

In this way, the visit to Hyderabad was very fruitful and enjoyable. Praise the Lord for this Hyderabad visit again.

A Noble Deed

But Jesus, knowing it, said to them, Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a noble deed to Me. (Matthew 26:10, RecVer)

Today, a graduation meeting for the full-time trainees who graduated this year was held after the Lord’s Table meeting in the National Serving Ones Training in Hyderabad. This was the first ever graduation meeting held for India. Though I had the opportunity to attend the graduation meeting in Anaheim USA and Taipei Taiwan, this was was the first for India. It was a very precious meeting as the Lord has blessed India richly with the ministry of the word and the progression of the saints in the church life are being confired through this graduation meeting. Throughout the graduation meeting I was moved to tears witnessing the manifestation of Christ through the saints who have consecrated their lives for the Lord. O what precious lives have been offered to the Lord!

There are many saints who have finished the training throughout the years since 1997 in India and I have been blessed to be one of them, a 2003-2005 batch. It surely is the mercy of the Lord that graced all these dear ones to be trained in the ministry of the word under the ministry of the age. For, without the Lord’s mercy, it is impossible to pass through such a training for two years. To have passed through this training is the Lord’s mercy and blessing. And with this beginning, not the end, the Lord would continue to grace them all to go on in the Lord until the Lord comes back that they all would be normal functioning members of the Body of Christ. 

What moved me to tears was the testimony of the trainees especially those two sisters who had the the privilege and honor of being persecuted for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and went through imprisonment. Despite the injustice meted out to them, they stood firm in their faith and decided not to shed even a drop of tears taking the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ and that of brother Watchman Nee who was imprisoned for twenty years and then eventually martyred. I was also moved by the testimony of a brother who consecrated his only begotten daughter to the Lord as a burnt offering and who also graduated from the training this time. This was such an encouragement to all the parents even as I now stand on the side of the parents being blessed with three children. And the testimony of a trainee and his father whom the Lord used the son to usher his whole family into the church-life. 

Witnessing all these, I wept tears of joy and thanksgiving to God for what He has done in India. These were the openly manifested ones as this was the first such meeting. Since 1997, there have been many who passed through the same training yet whose testimonies have never been shared. I believe, hundreds of trainees have similar testimony, still to be heard. Life is truly worth the living when it is lived out in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ.

To me, this is a noble deed. Mary poured out the best she had upon the Lord Jesus. Today, we also have the same opportunity to pour out our best for the Lord, our whole life itself, unto the Lord as a living sacrifice. This is a noble deed.

The Lord Jesus is worthy of the best. The best that we can offer is our very life; a life of martyrdom in living or in dying, psychologically or physically, a life of denying our natural man and taking Christ as our life and living, all for Christ and His church, a life to live an overcoming life to be raptured or martyred. This kind if life is a noble deed. 

Lord, grace me to live a life of noble deed.

Gracious Giving and Lending

As far as my conviction goes, I pray that I should never borrow but circumstances, sometimes, may turn things differently. Still I pray that the Lord would provide all my needs that I should never be in a situation to borrow. Though this is my conviction, I am flexible according to the need. Though I profess this, I would not impose it in others but I would definitely, as I have already done, would discourage saints from borrowing. Nevertheless, if the saints genuinely express their urgent needs and if the Lord gives me the provision, I would willingly lend a helping hand to the saints in need. In a good number of cases, I have done this already as long as the peace in my spirit allows and while doing so, I must also be in fellowship with my better half. In the recent past, I have categorically denied lending to two people as I did not have the peace at all though I had the provision. I felt the Lord did not lead me to lend and I apologised for not being able to lend money to them. But a few days back, I lend to a brother as I had the inward peace when he called me.

Today, I was freshly enlightened by my Scriptures reading portion.

The wicked borrow but do not repay, / But the righteous is gracious and gives. (Psalms 37:21, RecVer)

He is always gracious and lends, / And his seed becomes a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good, / And abide forever. (Psalms 37:26-27, RecVer)

Though I had propagated the "doctrine" of lending and borrowing, I am not legalistic and rigid either. Surely,  according to the need, and most importantly, the peace within me and with my beloved wife, I would graciously lend. Even lend to the extent of not excepting to receive it back, should the need be to such a degree that the debtor is in genuine need and cannot repay back at all. But, by and large, I would, for the sake of righteousness and maintaining peace between borrower and lender, desire that what was lent be paid back in time. Seemingly good human nature should not overlook the righteousness required of every believer. Moreover, this is a matter of testimony. In everything we do, there must be the testimony of the Lord.

In this, there indeed is a lesson to learn. The lesson of following the Lord’s leading case by case. No hard and fast rule, but the inward peace and harmonious oneness with my wife would be the deciding factor. With this condition, as the Lord leads and provides, I pray that the Lord would grace me to gracious give and graciously need to His children in genuine need. O what a blessing this is, as promised by the Lord!

He is always gracious and lends, 

And his seed becomes a blessing.

And according to Deuteronomy, the blessing of God entails lending and not borrowing. 

6. For Jehovah your God will bless you as He has promised you. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. 

7. If among you there is a needy one amidst your brothers within any of your gates in your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart and you shall not close up your hand from your needy brother; 

8. But you must open your hand to him, and you must lend enough for his need in whatever he lacks. (Deuteronomy 15:6-8, RecVer)

Jehovah will open up to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give rain for your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. (Deuteronomy 28:12, RecVer)

Lord, bless me that I may never borrow but be gracious to give and lend to those in need. Amen.

Warm Doors

For a door is opened to me, great and efficacious, and there are many opposers. (1 Corinthians 16:9, RecVer)

With the changing political situation in the country, the gospel door seems to have closed down especially in the North. But no one can fully close the doors the Lord Jesus has kept open. No matter what the enemy has tried and may still try to do, the door of the gospel cannot be closed. For the Lord Jesus already prophesied that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it, the church built by Christ.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, RecVer)

This prophecy holds true today. Though there may be outward restrictions, the Lord still opnes the door for the gospel as there are seekers of the truth and the true and living God whom the Lord has preserved. The past three weeks, I was able to visit a family whom the Lord preserved as open door for the gospel and a warm door to the church.

The Lord opened the hearts of the seekers and we have been enjoying regular home meeting. Last three weeks, in my visit, the Spirit of the Lord led us to call upon the Lord’s name, sing hymn, read the word of God, read the ministry portion, share the word of God, and pray together. At least, the Lord gives the church some warm doors for the gospelisation and truthisation. I do believe, the Lord in time will save the whole household, their neighbors, and even raise up a district meeting in that area. 

Our responsibility now is to simply be faithful to what the Lord has given to us. For what He has not given, we need not pursue until He leads us to do so. But for what He has given and open the door, we must be faithful to visit for fellowship and shepherding.

Lord, open up more and.more warn doors.