In His Time.......... with P.Ramachandran

Jonah 4:20 -  "He prayed to the Lord, 'Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.'" (NIV) Jonah's confession is surprisingly honest. He finally admits that his flight to Tarshish was never about fear of the Ninevites. It was about God's character. Jonah knew that if Nineveh repented, God would forgive them. Jonah wanted judgment, but God desired mercy. How often do we find ourselves in a similar place? Perhaps we don't board a ship to Tarshish, but our hearts can still run from God's purposes. Sometimes we resist because His plans don't align with our preferences. Other times we become distracted by the demands of life, comfortable in routines that require little faith, or determined to pursue our own ambitions instead of His calling. Our resist...

This morning I had the wonderful privilege of speaking to a group of missionaries who have spent much of their lives serving the Lord in foreign lands. As I looked around the room, I was deeply moved. Each missionary carried a unique story—a story of sacrifice, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to Christ. As they shared their testimonies, I heard about the joys of ministry, but also the challenges, disappointments, loneliness, and pain that often accompany life on the mission field. Yet what impressed me most was this: not one of them spoke with bitterness. In spite of their different circumstances, every one of them praised the Lord and continued to serve Him faithfully. Their lives were a powerful testimony to God's sustaining grace. I shared with them from  Matthew 28:17–20 , a passage we often read when speaking about the Great Commission. However, before Jesus gave the command to "go," Matthew records an often-overlooked detail: "When they saw Him, they wo...

The last two days have been truly enriching. I have had the privilege of spending time with Scott and Joey. Beyond the meetings and ministry sessions, it was the conversations over meals, the laughter, and simply observing their lives that ministered to me the most. Joey and I go back a long way. He is an outstanding facilitator, but motor than that he is a wonderful brother. What impresses me even more is his humility and patience. There is nothing pretentious about him. His love for the Lord is genuine, and his passion for the ministry simply oozes from him. It is contagious. You leave a conversation with Joey wanting to love Jesus more and serve Him more faithfully. I had met Scott previously in Atlanta two years ago, but we never had the opportunity to spend much time together. These past two days have been a real blessing. Scott is a wonderful role model, a man with a tender heart, one in whom there is no guile. He loves the Lord deeply, treasures his family, and has an unwave...

This evening I checked in at Terminal 2, Changi Airport. As I enjoy an Old Chang Kee curry puff and a cup of black coffee, I wait for my flight to Kansas City, USA. It will be a long journey, three flights and more than 28 hours of travel/transit. Yet I am reminded that when the Lord calls us, no distance is too great and no sacrifice too costly. It is a privilege to serve His Kingdom. The purpose of this trip is especially close to my heart. I have the opportunity to encourage missionaries and pastors who have faithfully laboured in the field for many years. They have poured out their lives for the Gospel, often serving quietly and sacrificially. It will be an honour to minister to these faithful servants of God. I am also thankful to be working with my tag-team partner, Dr. Joey. His journey to the conference centre is much shorter than mine.   Over the years we have ministered together on many occasions. He is a wonderful gentleman, a faithful servant of Christ, and a treasured ...

Kenneth V. Dodgson spent nearly 25 years at Jorhat Christian Medical Centre, performing over 11,000 surgeries, mentoring Indian doctors and helping build one of Northeast India’s most respected mission hospitals Guwahati:  Kenneth V. Dodgson, the American medical missionary who spent nearly a quarter of a century transforming healthcare in Assam’s Jorhat and performed more than 11,000 surgeries and deliveries, has died at the age of 100. Dodgson passed away on July 12, four months after celebrating his centenary. His death was announced by the  Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School  in New York, where he studied theology before choosing a life of medical service that would leave an enduring legacy in Northeast India. Commissioned by the  American Baptist Foreign Mission Society  along with his wife, Sally, in 1955, Dodgson arrived in Jorhat in 1957. Over the next 24 years, he helped transform the  Jorhat Christian Medical Centre  (JCMC) into one of ...

There is nothing wrong with loud worship. In fact, the Bible encourages it.  "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy"  ( Psalm 47:1 ). The psalmist repeatedly calls God's people to sing, rejoice, and lift their voices in praise. Heaven itself resounds with the worship of God's people. I've been in some churches where the sound system was so loud that after the service I wasn't sure if I had heard God's voice, but I definitely couldn't hear my own! The problem, therefore, is not noise. The problem is when we mistake noise for the presence of God. Over the years I have observed a subtle shift in some churches. There seems to be an unspoken belief that the louder we sing, the more we shout, or the more emotional the atmosphere becomes, the greater the anointing must be. We can unintentionally measure God's presence by the volume of our worship rather than by the transformation of our lives. The Scriptures never teach this. Th...