Reality of Baptism in Union City

The Christian life is a life of baptism. The reality of baptism is to live in the death of Chirst by being baptised into Christ, not just once, but living in it's reality where the self, the natural man, the old man, the flesh, the world, and everything not of God is put to death. This experience of baptism is possible only in the mingled spirit by being in Christ into whom we have been baptised. Only then, resurrection becomes a reality too, not a future state but a present process that is being experienced day by day. 

Yesterday, I landed in San Francisco for a blending trip in the Bay Area of California prior to attending the live Semiannual Training in Anaheim. In this trip, my first experience was the experience of Christ in His death. Though a few days ago I spoke about baptism and baptised some, I have not yet been baptised myself fully into it's reality thoroughly. The Lord gave this opportunity to experience the reality of baptism.

Though I was baptised about twenty five years ago, I am yet to fully experience the reality of baptism. The Lord has given me many opportunities to experience baptism now and then. Little by little, here a little, there a little, now and then, He has brought me to experience it. He has chosen appropriate time and place to accomplish His work of baptism in me. This surely is the mercy of the Lord.

Last night, I was given hospitality in a brother's house in Union City, California. As I lay down to sleep, the Spirit wrestled with me to deal with my self. I could not sleep properly. Something of my self bothered me. I knew right away that I need to be dealth with. Therefore, I prayed that this "fox's tail" of my self be completely put to death. I had a fresh and thorough consecration to deal with it again. 

The fact that I was given hospitality in Union City reminds me of my need to experience and enjoy the result of baptism, a living in an organic union with the Triune God and also with His Body in oneness, in one accord, and in sweet harmony. I reckon this sleepless night in Union City as the turning point in my life to live in the reality of baptism that I may experience and enjoy the reality of baptism in my Christian life. That my Christian life indeed be a life of baptism.

Later, I spent time to pray for all the prayer burdens the Lord has been burdening me these days. Then, I enjoyed my morning revival on the same matter, living in the reality of baptism. The Lord’s speaking was so timely. It matched my experience and it confirmed my experience too. This is the New Testament ministry. 

We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, RecVer)

Oh what a blessed night in Union City! There I began to experience the reality of baptism in areas of my life that needs thorough baptism and ushered me to the reality of being in union with the Triune God and His Body.

Bible Reading: Forty Eighth Time

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16

Today, on my forty-seventh birthday, and as I enter my forty-eighth year of my human life, the Lord graced me to complete my forty-eighth time of reading the Bible and start with my forty-ninth time as I have a goal of reading through the Bible at least a hundred time in my life time, if the  Lord gives me the grace. This is my personal goal, and it gives me immense joy to be able to read and read the word of God. To me, the only book worth reading again and again is the Bible. To me, the only time I feel must be spent at any cost is to read the Bible and spend time in prayer every day, even if it means doing it as a habit. Let it be a habit and be a part of my life. I reckon this is a good habit. God forbid, if I say, reading the Bible and prayer are the only things that must be done every day at all costs, even at the sacrifice of other things.

My prayer has been that the Lord would grace me day by day to be able to read the Bible with good eyesight; with a renewed mind filled with light, sight, vision, and revelation; and a strong spirit to absorb the word as spiritual nourishment. And that, no matter what my circumstances may be, the Lord may grace me with the reading of the Bible and prayer day by day. I cannot think of a life without the word of God and prayer. They have become a part and parcel of my life. I have been married to the word of God and prayer. I can't help but keep reading the Bible and pray. And it has been my joy and enjoyment day by day. I can sacrifice anything else in the world, but not my time with the Lord in prayer and the word of God. 

This also I wish that all my children, family members, saints in the church life, and for that matter, all the children of God should love the word of God and read it to be constituted with it, and be a man of prayer. To the extent that we all be living bibles and talking bibles for other to see and read the Bible. 

Having begun my forty-ninth time of reading the Bible, today morning I spent an hour on the word beginning from Genesis, the first ten chapters, and Matthew, the first three chapters.

May the Lord grace me with the taste and enjoyment of His word that I may read and eat the word of God every day, all the days of my life.

Birthday Gift: Baptisms

On my forty-seventh biological birthday today, the Lord gave me a wonderful experience of "baptism." This baptism is my experience of the cross and dealing with my natural man. The Lord has been gracious to show to me who I am and what He needs to do in me. These days I have been positively busy as I am engaging in productive work for the church, for the office, and for my family. I have been enjoying the joy of being a responsible man in my areas of service, and enjoying being a family man. Oh, what a blessing!

From morning to night, I have been engaged in office work, completing things that need to be completed before I leave for the live semiannual training at the minsitry station in Anahien, California. As the brothers serving the teenagers' training that is going on in the church in Gurugram fellowshipped with me about ministering the word on baptism, I had to prepare myself to release the word of God. Though I had been ministering this truth many times in the past at different places, this time, I wanted to make it more precise and clear to all the young ones. Therefore, I went through the Bible verses and the ministry portion with prayer again. Then, when the time came, I ministered on the seven significances of baptism.

Beginning with the way to be saved as mentioned in Romans 10:9-10 and the need to be baptised in Mark 16:16 to enjoy the complete salvation of God in many aspects, all the teenagers were helped to see these seven significances.

1. Confirmation of Inward Belief, Mark 16:16
2. Fullfillment of God's Righteous Requirement, Matthew 3:15
3. Testimony and Open Declaration, Matthew 3:16
4. Spiritual transfer from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God, John 3:5
5. Identification with Christ in His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, Romans 6:3-6
6. Baptism into the Body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:13
7. Appeal to God for a Good Conscience, 1 Peter 3: 21

Along with the ministry of the word, I had the burden to lead those who are not yet baptised to pray for their baptism. Following this, nine young brothers and sisters took water baptism, of which four were brothers and five sisters. Through the brothers' fellowship and arrangement, I was graced further to usher the sisters in their baptism in coordination with another Hindi-speaking brother.

This was a wonderful day, a joyous day for all the teenagers and the saints, especially me! I reckon this as my birthday gift. Yes, a gift of baptism; an experience of baptism in my being and the experience of baptizing the new believers into the Triune God! What a birthday gift!

Hallelujah! Christ is Victor! Jesus is Lord!

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!