An Unseen yet Powerful Person "Is" Always with Me! He is all I have!

It has been seven days now since I was saved from being burnt! I guess you are curious by now on what and how it happened to me!

Well, hold your breath as I unfold my story (along with His story)!

It was on Wednesday evening 6th June 2007!

But prior to that I will start from the day's experience itself - right from the morning, because it makes a lot of sense (applying hermeneuutical rules here huh!)!

Well, that morning by 5:20 a.m. I was already out of my bed (one of the earliest since I got here in Kathmandu) and along with Pastor Surya (Green Valley Church, Lalitpur) went to Manamaiju village in Kathmandu district to preach in a small fellowship!

Six of them turned up, which includes two minors, among the 18-20 of them! And hey just after after days I visited, they have been established as a church by the effort of Pastor Surya (Green Valley Church, which is also just four years old!) Is it not wonder!

We read Psalms 23 and I preahed from Mark 1:16-20; 29-34; John 1:35-51, 21:3; Acts 2:2; Matthew 16:1, 13-20 basing on Jesus' "Follow Me, I will make you fishers of men!"...and then I mostly centered on peter's life!

I wanted all of us to probe deeper so the intended message was -

* He knows us and intends great things when He calls

* What are our intentions, or rather our expectations, of following Him?

* Do we look for signs and wonders as the world looks?

* When we are comfortable and follow Jesus, as a great Man and King of the worldly world only, we are unable to do His purpose and we will be frustrated like the disciples who went back fishing after their comfort and expectations on Jesus died with His death!

*When we follow Jesus, the Son of the Living God who is the King of our lives, we are able to do great things - tings which He intends to do, like Peter (the ordinary and lowly daily wage earner) who preached powerfully among the many thousands of people!

*That He has called us to be people-oriented (He demonstrated it through out His live, and initially even by taking care of Peter's mother-in-law; He cares even for our close ones too for our sake!) He has not called us to be power, status, or wealth-oriented though all those come along our way freely!

* To do great things come great responsibilities; with great responsibilities come great testing and sacrifice - a wilderness and exile experience; and so to overcome these obstacle for the great purpose we need to "Follow Him" and rely on Him alone!

He knows us and intends great things! Rely on the "God of Israel's temple" and not on the "Temple of Israel's God!"

And then in the evening, around 4:30 p.m., I met brother Bishnu and the first word to him was "Follow Christ" and ot men! (because he was formerly in this team but because of some ministry interests and to utilize his gifts in translations to the fullest he is on his own now. Of course some other internal matters are involved too!) That God desires to use the person and the gifts He has given, and not basically through official and institutionalized positions and status one holds! And then asked him to reflect on Saul's and David's lives - both were chosen by God but Saul felt threatened by David though David did not intend any harm! Saul wanted to maintan 'his kingship' status and 'his kingdom', but David was after the LORD's heart and so he was lifted up for "His Kingdom!"

Then we said 'bye' and I went and got some pork because I really wanted to have (after all being a Naga!). They were comparatively good and appealing pieces and I meant them to be yummy! I laid it on the stove and went to wrok on my computer...and as it happens often...I completely forgot about it not until an hour or so!

I rushed to the kitchen...and behold...my pork...was in thick fumes...those chunks of meat were already reduced to small pieces of black residue (like those days in the laboratory)! At that moment my chemistry lessons slipped off my mind...and I just took a glass of water and poured into the hot hot fuming pot...and in a split of second, the organic chemical reaction took place and resulted in a BIG flame of...whhhooosssshhhhh!!!!!

At that vey moment, I experienced yet another dramatic intervention of the "unseen yet powerful Person whom I gave my allegiance to come to my rescue! i just jolted back, which I know is neither because of my presence of mind nor my instinct (well, presence of mind for this kind should be regularly and consciously practiced, and instincts are for animals!)

The flame was big and quite instant without anu warning, and I had bent over to pour the water...my whole face could have been burnt! The fire spread all over the gas stove (because of the oil from the fats) and went out again in a couple of seconds later. As I kept on looking from a safe distant by now...I was surprised that I was not that shaken, considering the instant huge flame with the BIG whhhooosssshhhhh without any warning, which could have consumed me--at least disfiguring my face or worse blind me!

The story about Daniel's friends in Babylon came to my mind...Oh I had similar experience like them, though I did not see my Rescuer! I know He had manifested Himself to me in a more unique way in an affirmation to all that I had said about Him that very day - right from the early morning till the evening!! My God is prompt in His response sometimes! He knows the best!

Then, also, David, whom I talked about came to my mind...I was also grateful for His protection, for fighting the battle for me, for leading me in quite waters, for preparing the feast in the presence of my enemy...!

And later I was also reminded of Job, who was tested but not allowed to be harmed! NO WAY can I be harmed or destroyed or mislead because the LORD has called me by my name! I am found holy and pleasing to Him because of His Son! His Son's inheritance is my inheritance too! And the Spirit Himself advocates for me!!! WoW, am I that really special and precious to Him! I have a royal heritage and inheritance now, which are divine and eternal!

I am assured and affirmed that He knows whom He has chosen! He intends great things for those whom He has chosen and He intends to fulfill it, and the great news is that He will fulfill it! Because of this fact the enemy tries His best (or worst) to hinder His plan by trying to stop us...but praise God; He himself will use His own strategy and fight the battle to accomplish His own BIG plan! We are the sheep of the "Good Shepherd" and the "Good Shepherd" knows His sheep! In fact He has given the best to keep His sheep safe! Hallelujah!

There are so many and i could keep on sharing (like you do), and among the many I vividly recollect this to be the third dramatic intervention of the Divine:- the first - saved from being shot from a close range (a yard or two) by an Indian soldier on 15th August 1996, when I was 15yrs, without any fault of mine (if you wish to know further I would be willing to share), the second - saved from a killer fever, Dengue fever, in Maela refugee camp along the Tha-Burma border in Thailand last year 2006 (around this time). I had fever for around five days without taking medicines and diets properly (I do not like taking medicines eh!), of which I only started to take by the third day (of which I learned later that many who succmbed to the fever died mostly by the third day...huh...I was shaken when I learned that though I was fine by then). And by the second / third day of the fever I also had constant hic cups for a complet three days (which is not that comfortable...do nt try having those eh!). But...I recovered very fast! I was as healthy, strong and active as a wild horse within a couple of days! And the third is ...well you know by now! Quite similar to your stories yeah?!!

He knows whom He has chosen! He knows why He has set them apart! He knows how to keep us going! He knows when to intervene and reveal Himself! He is all we have! Jusr continue your walk with Him and you will realize even more that He really loves you and cares for your well being! He has already prepared the best for you! He just wants you to know and love Hime more intimately! He wants you to trust and rely on Him only!

Our God is wonderful! His ways are awesome! His plans endure forever! He protects whom He has set apart for His name sake!