Inner Peace

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6

I have been shown mercy by the Lord to know Him, experience Him, enjoy Him, and I believe, I am also expressing Him to some extent. Day by day, from one degree of glory to another degree of glory, the Lord is transforming me, as I learn to behold Him.

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

These days, the Lord's work in me has become more and more subjective. Every other day, for any matter or thing, I have been "bothered" by the Lord inwardly. I could not decide on any matter so easily without first bringing them to the Lord and considering the matter in my personal time with the Lord. The inner peace within me has been a strong indicator of the Lord's will felt in my inner being. I am glad that the Lord is faithful to lead me inwardly, and much more, I am thankful to Him for His grace that I could discern His feeling in my feeling. I have been mercifully "disturbed" in my inner peace when a matter was brought before me that may not be perfectly from the Lord or of the Lord, though the matter be spiritual or perhaps even be in the fellowship of the Body. This inner sense of life has become very sensitive and strong to the extent that I cannot go ahead on any matter unless the inner peace within me is in perfect harmony with me. Thank the Lord for this grace.

For instance, I was given the go-ahead to attend an international training in Malaysia. Every fellowship and every practical matter seemed to be in sweet harmony. In fact, all financial provisions were available too. But as I considered the matter before the Lord again and again, the inner peace within me "disturbed" me positively to reconsider. Instance after instance, it became clearer and clearer that I might have to withdraw from attending this live training, but attend the same training on webcast video training with the brothers in India in India itself. Finally, after a period of three months, it was made clear to me by the inner peace within me that I should skip this time unless the Lord succinctly and vividly revive the matter again.

Likewise, in matters concerning many practical matters in my personal life, family life, office life, and church life, the peace within me has become very sensitive in discerning the leading of the Lord. Outward situations and human reasoning cannot convince me any longer unless the inner peace within is perfectly restful. For it became so obvious that the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.

And the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Blending with Australian Saints

What a blessing that we have been enjoying blending after blending! A week ago, the saints from the church in Singapore came to blend with us here in the church in Gurugram. A week after, a couple from a local church in Australia came to blend with us! In fact, this meeting was so sudden that I had to make an impromptu arrangement for the blending. Through this arrangement, I also learn how to adjust according to the situation and take timely action. 

It was just yesterday morning that I was informed via WhatsApp text message that a couple would like to visit us in Gurugram. Without further delay, I followed up and worked out the practical details. And lo and behold, an elderly, lovely couple, a brother and sister in their early sixties, came to visit us! 

The moment we met, the flow of life began as they shared their experiences of the Lord in visiting India. Though they actually came for their family reunion, most of whom are yet to be saved, they testified about how they have been praying for their family salvation, and how they caught every opportunity to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ even during their family reunion.

On their request, I shared the history of the Lord's move in India, which I shared with the Singapore saints last week. Thank God that I spent a good amount of time preparing the historical facts about the Lord's move in India and in North India. Due to which, I was able to narrate the history in detail, pointing out the facts, year by year, using Google Maps to show them the location of the Lord's move at different times and how the local church were raised up from the South all the way to the North and the North East. Oh, they were so touched by the way the Lord carried out His move in India!

Then, we had a brotherly fellowship over a lovefest lunch nearby our place at a North Indian restaurant where they savored a typical North Indian cuisine. And later, as I drove them to New Delhi to another meeting with the church there, I had a wonderful time of fellowship in the car. Since the brother asked me to share how I got saved and how I came into the church life, the one-hour drive from Gurugram to Delhi was sufficient time to share all the key points of the Lord's work in my life. I testified beginning from my family background, to my experience of regeneration, to following the Lord's leading in studying my Master's degree in Chenani, where I was shepherded into the church life, and how the Lord called me to serve Him full-time. I further testified on how the Lord led me in marriage and service to date. The brother was so thankful to the Lord for the Lord's work in India and in the saints.

Oh, what a blessing to be blended in the Body! Through fellowship and blending, the Lord is building up His Body. Praise the Lord! Halleluiah!

Living a Normal Human Life

Though the church in Gurugram is small in numbers compared to many other Christian groups, we have been very blessed by the Lord in that we have been graced to function actively and participate in many practical building up of the Body of Christ. For this, the Lord has brought saints for fellowship, blending, and perfecting. 

The past few weeks have been positively very "busy" for me. Yes, I mean "busy," not in an outward way of doing things, but in an inward way of fellowship by visiting the saints and spending time with them. Either the saints visited us for fellowship, or we visited the saints for fellowship. Whichever way, we were "busy" fellowshipping...

Since the time I came back after a three-week-long ministry journey, I have still been "busy" with the church life and also in carrying out my responsibility as a father in my family. Day by day, functioning to fulfill all my responsibilities. What a blessing! No time for idleness. Office work, church life, family responsibility, and then also each day, a time with the Lord for prayer and study of the word of God. Every day is a "busy" day. To me, every day is a blessed day. No day ever wasted. What a blessed human life!

Last week, visiting the saints who delivered a baby girl, spending time with the saint for blending in addition to taking care of official work for my children's future education, my life has been fully under training and perfecting, and my time has been fully utilised. Even when I was not going out, some new ones and saints visited for a time of fellowship. Whether I went out or not, still my time has all been occupied. I feel life is very meaningful. Halleluiah!

Even menial works like doing a domestic repair work on my water tank overflow pipe with my son, cleaning office AC filters by myself, finding a spare tyre for my punctured car tyre, repairing our entrance to avoid water overflow during rain, rearranging flower vases for better ambience in our living room, driving my daughter for meeting up with her friends, shopping with my wife for household needs, and the list goes on and on... 

The past few weeks have been fully occupied. In all these, I am living my life to the full. In humanity, carrying out human responsibilities, yet exercising my spirit to take the Lord as my grace and learn Christ in dealing with all practical things. Oh, what a blessed human life! 

I pray that I may be more and more useful to the Lord by being responsible for all my earthly responsibilities. In the process, learning, growing, and being perfected through life experiences, so that one day, the Lord will make me an overcomer! And all the while, experiencing, enjoying, and expressing Christ in the church for the fulfillment of God's eternal plan.

O Lord Jesus! This is the meaning of human life, and this is how I live the church life for the fulfillment of God's eternal plan!

Preparing Vessels Useful to the Lord

God has blessed us with children, of our own blood, three, and many in the church life. On the one hand, we pray for them daily and fellowship with them concerning their future, to follow the Lord's leading. On the other hand, we also make all the necessary preparations in humanity for the Lord's use. At least for the three children the Lord blessed us with thus far, we have been praying for them and with them. My wife and I have also been considering their future education plan. In fact, since last year, the Lord has given me the insight and foresight to send them to Taiwan for their further education. There are a couple of valid reasons for this consideration. 

As far as I could discern, the Lord has arranged everything for my children for His purpose. From their birth in Taipei, Taiwan, to their growing up in Gurugram, India. Their citizens by birth in Taiwan and their overseas citizenship of India by naturalization, as their father is an Indian citizen. This was the Lord's sovereign arrangement. The Lord gave me the burden for their further studies in Taiwan, and upon further inquiry, we discovered that our children can apply as overseas Chinese citizens. At the proper time, we came to know all the details. And step by step, the Lord also narrowed down on which part of Taiwan and which university they should apply to. Things became clearer and clearer and more and more specific. 

One other reason I strongly felt for our children to study their college degrees in Taiwan is for the shepherding in the sisters and brothers' houses near the university campuses. As far as I know, I feel Taiwan is the best country for college students' education in the church life. Especially, in preparing their vessels for the Lord's use. Last year, we even visited a couple of student centers, and I was very impressed. 

There is another practical reason for this consideration in Taiwan, as the government provides each qualifying student with a sufficient stipend, which India has no provision in the colleges here.

For this, our eldest daughter gave her first test for the Chinese language as a part of her qualifying exam. Now, she is preparing for English. And most importantly, her tenth, eleventh, and twelfth marks will play a significant role in her selection to the universities in Taipei, as we have narrowed down to one city for practical reasons of travel and our own parents being in Taipei.

The Lord is the Lord, and He knows how to lead His children in the best way. We fully trust in him and let Him lead. Meanwhile, we prepare ourselves in humanity with all that is needed to be prepared.

May the perfect will of the Lord be done in preparing the vessels for the Lord's use!

Blending with Singapore Saints

God has blended the Body together. Blending is the reality of the Body of Christ.

Since Covid-19, this was the first time the churches abroad came to visit the churches in North India. We were blessed to be visited by the saints from the church in Singapore last week. This visit brought a new blessing for the church in Gurugram. First, our capacity was enlarged as we had to arrange a blending meeting and lovefeast for all the saints. Since we did not have the capacity in our present meeting hall, we had to consider elsewhere. This caused us to look for a proper facility that could meet our needs. Therefore, one whole evening, three of us brothers went to look for guest houses with a banquet hall. After visiting about six guest houses, we finally settled on one that satisfied us and met our needs. In the process, we learned to serve in coordination.

Even as we fellowshipped the content and sequence of the meeting, the Lord blended us together. This itself gave us the opportunity to learn to serve in coordination. There were proposals and adjustments, all worked together for our learning, perfecting, and blending. This experience was also for the entire church, which touched the lives of the children, teenagers, and college students. The teenagers were asked to prepare to share and even rehearse, yet because of time, they could not share what they prepared. Likewise, the college students were asked to prepare, but canceled due to an adjustment in the content of the meeting. We all were blended together, even as we prepared for the blending before the actual blending itself. Hallelujah!

In the blending meeting, we briefed the saints on the history of the Lord’s move in India and Gurugram, and the significance of the church in Gurugram and the need for growth and increase for the Lord’s testimony. Three brothers and a sister shared their testimony of how the Lord gained them for His testimony and for His move in India. From the Singapore saints, we received a fellowship on God-man family living. And more fellowship and blending followed during the lovefeast lunch.

Then, there was another blending session in the meeting of the church in Gurugram with the visitation of the gospel bookroom, where the saints purchased the ministry books and Bibles. From our side too, in addition to the lovefeast lunch, we also gave them some traditional Indian sweets, snacks, and a soap as gifts to each visiting saint. Finally, we accompanied them for shopping at Ambience Mall and saw them off at the Airport. 

Thank the Lord for such a blessed time of blending in the Body. In fact, this was a blessing from the Body! 

We look to the Lord for more such blending again, even as we wait for the Lord’s return.

Special Fellowship

A new sister has started coming to the church meeting, and we also realized that she has not been going well according to the word of God in her marriage-life. Since there is evidence of her living in a relationship outside the God-ordained institution of marriage, we brothers had the burden to shepherd her so that she can be shepherded to come out of the snares of Satan, that she be fully recovered in her Christian life for the church life. The feeling of the brothers was the feeling of the Lord that was expressed last Saturday in our brother's fellowship. The Lord honored the fellowship, and on the same day, the sister turned up for the afternoon prayer meeting. Then I realized the Lord has brought her for a special time of shepherding fellowship.

As soon as we finished the church prayer meeting, I invited her and another couple for a time of special fellowship concerning the new sister. Meanwhile, the Spirit's leading was so clear within me that I was led to fellowship point by point concerning her situation. She also honestly responded to all the points of fellowship, which I appreciated very much. I could sense that she also was desperately longing and seeking fellowship to come out of the bondage of Satan she was trapped in. 

Of course, due to a shortage of life supply through the ministry of the Word, her understanding of marriage-life and the Lord's testimony needed help. Therefore, the Lord gave me the utterances to shepherd her to understand the truth concerning the Christian life, the church life, and the Lord's testimony. Though she might have fallen into the hands of Satan, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Victor who defeated Satan at the cross already! It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that she can also experience deliverance completely. For this, the Lord arranged the saints, the fellow members in the Body, the church, as spiritual companions to rescue her out of darkness into Christ's marvelous light.

After all the word of love in sweet fellowship based on the Bible, she understood what steps she needed to take and the Holy Spirit would come in to help her in her weakness. She was willing to take the step and allow the Lord to work in her life. The Lord truly anointed the fellowship, and we all enjoyed the sweet flow of life! Though some points of fellowship may be hard to take in, nonetheless, it was the word of the Lord, like a surgeon operating on a patient, removing the foreign particle from the body to cure the patient. She was able to take the fellowship. What a mercy! What a grace!

As we prayed for her specifically one by one, we also felt the Lord's life flowing through the prayers in the Body. When it was her turn to pray, she desperately cried out to the Lord. With tears of desperation, repentance, and remorse for her past life, she wept and wept. She also confessed her sins and her weakness in that she could not overcome them by herself. And she prayed for the Lord Jesus to grace her.

The following Lord's day evening, we started a home meeting for her specially. There, we had the pursuit of the word of God, fellowship, and prayer. This is the life supply for her to experience and enjoy the Lord and fully come out of the snares to be a living testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. I also encouraged her to daily enjoy a time of morning revival with another sister, a time of Bible reading daily, and a personal time with the Lord in prayer daily. In this way, she will be fully recovered.

The Lord will recover His children through His supply in the Body, even through this special fellowship. 

Gospel to Gospel Friend

Announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ is what the believers should be doing normally. No matter what the outward situations may be, in season or out of season, the gospel has to be announced. It is by the gospel of Jesus Christ that the will of God can be fulfilled on the earth, and it is for this gospel that the believers have to live their lives. Depending on the atmosphere of the place, the Lord's leading has to be discerned to carry out what He has already commissioned. "Go therefore, and disciple all the nation..."

Due to the ongoing and changing political situation, I have not been able to share the gospel as frequently as I used to in the past. Nevertheless, the Lord in His sovereignty arranged situations now and then for the preaching of the gospel. But the burden the Lord has imparted into me from the day I got saved has always been there.

Last week, I received a call from a brother who introduced me to another new one who was the son of his business partner many years ago. With much burden, he introduced him to me. As I contacted this new one, he responded immediately and positively. Therefore, I went to meet him the same day we were introduced. It was a surprise yet blessed meeting.

As I met him in his office, we had a friendly talk concerning the current affairs, the political and economic situation of  India, and the manpower required for his country, Taiwan, for which he is in the HR profile for the company. Having done all the friendly talk, I released my burden of preaching the gospel to him face to face right away, as I was very clear in my inward being that the Lord sent me to meet him for the sake of the gospel. Furthermore, I learned that his mother is one of the sisters in the church in Kaoshiung in Taiwan. I even had the boldness to tell him that I could meet and preach the gospel to him because God loves him, and remembers his mother's prayer. I believe his mother must have been praying for him for years. I also mentioned to him that all the struggles that he has been going through in his life are because he has no God in his life, yet, to which he also agreed. And as I was about to lead him to prayer to receive the Lord, he was a little nervous, as it was in his office with other employees around. Therefore, I withheld the matter for a while and complied with his suggestion that we could do the prayer in the other room privately. Then, we continued the conversation for a while until I felt it was time for me to leave. Then, we went to the other boardroom. In fact, I was very confident to let him know that God had sent him to India for his business so that he could meet me and hear the gospel, and be saved!

In his company boardroom, he and I alone, with his consent and willingness, I led him to pray the prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as the true and living God, the Savior to be his personal Savior. He willingly prayed and received the Lord Jesus!. This was the first time for him to ever pray to God.  I was so joyful deep within that one soul has heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and prayed to receive the true and living God! All the rest, the Holy Spirit will do His work in him.

Lord, save this brother in answer to his mother's prayer.