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

  Our "last supper" with the team on the last night in Jaigaon. We were blessed to have Pst Abhiskek and Pst Arun with us on this trip. We shared many memories, the challenges on the road and in the hills. The churches and witnessing the power of God.  But we also saw the hand of the Lord. He was there with us all throughout the journey. His presence went before us, and behind us.  I love this particular refection by one of our team members and it summed up all: ·   “I was deeply moved by the dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice of the church planters and pastors in their efforts to reach the villagers. Despite having very little and facing opposition from local Hindus, the Christians in these villages continue to worship God wholeheartedly, demonstrating immense faith. Even the children's devotion was truly inspiring. Everywhere we went, they welcomed us warmly and treated us like royalty, displaying overwhelming humility and hospitality. They...

We had the privilege of attending the 17th Graduation Ceremony for nine Church Planters, along with the ordination of eleven senior Church Planters as Reverends. The event was truly special, with over 100 guests and relatives gathered to witness this significant milestone. Despite being unwell, Sis. Jenima led the worship with remarkable grace, and the entire ceremony was immersed in the palpable presence of God. The proceedings were conducted with exceptional order and professionalism, reflecting the significance of the occasion. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but marvel at how swiftly 18 years have passed since we first began this journey here. It has been incredible to witness the mighty hand of the Lord at work, and it is clear that His ministry here continues to grow and flourish in ways we could not have imagined. We give all glory to God for His faithfulness and look forward to what He will continue to do through these newly graduated and ordained servants of the Lord.

It was a fully packed day. We had five events to cover. The weather was hot and humid and temperatures were around 37DegC. By the grace of God, we managed to accomplish our objectives.  We visited three churches, conducted a children's program and finally had dinner with an old friend. The church dedication was preceded with a baptism service. Seven new souls were added into the kingdom of God. The church dedication, PEC's 210 church building in the mission field was a wonderful reminder of our vision and God's faithfulness. We had a wonderful service. I was fully drenched in perspiration, even as I shared the Word with the people. They all came in their best for the church dedication. It was a joy to witness.  Later in the evening, we visited my friend Bro. Satyendra, a Haggai alumni actively involved in church planting. I met  Satyendra  in Maui in 2011 and we had been in contact ever since. He graciously hosted us for a wonderful...

  We arrived Sikkim late last night after a 5 hr drive from Bagdogra. We had to take the long route due to a landslide that blocked the direct road to Rangpo.  We encountered another delay at the Sikkim entry point, where we were held up for an hour. One of our team members was from Kuching, East Malaysia, and the security personnel mistakenly claimed it was part of China, insisting that the individual could not enter Sikkim. I wonder which  geography books were they referring to. After much hassle, they finally allowed us in. We checked into Sundar Resort and had our devotion before breakfast.  Later in the morning, we hiked down the hill to attend the Sunday service at PEC Rangpo. Despite the challenging terrain, even the senior members of our team persevered and made it to the church. Jeya and I have done this  many  times and we were quite  familiar  with the route and the descent.  We thoroughly enjoyed the church ser...

Yesterday I was forced to wear something I have never worn in my life - a dhoti. It was a special occasion and hence I had to oblige. A bit difficult to move at the beginning but once you get the hang of it, its quite comfortable actually.🤣🤣 This picture was taken on way to Rajapalayam, Tiruvannamamai district for the church dedication. I love the background to this picture. Simply exquisite. Of cause my wife is as beautiful as ever.  We had a wonderful time at the church dedication. This is PEC's 209th church building in the mission field. The church was overflowing people. Simple people but with a great love for our God. We were blessed to see the progress of the work. To God be the glory.

We arrived at Chennai this morning. Bishop Thomas was at the arrival to receive us. Thank God, we did not have any issues at the immigrations.  The weather was hot and it took us more than four hours to reach Veerapandi village in Villupuram District. This is where PEC's training centre is located. It was good to meet Sis Kala and Seegan again. Good people with great passion for the Lord. It was also good to meet Rev Victor Goh, who had arrived earlier to teach the CP students.  Later in the evening we will revisiting a new work in a village for a gospel meetings. Looking forward.

An encounter with God often leaves us with a burning desire to serve Him.    Jeremiah echoes this in  Jeremiah 20:9b   “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”   I can imagine the disciples felt this way when they were appointed by Jesus and released to preach (Matthew 10). Having seen the miracles that Jesus had performed, they must have been excited to see the same happen through their ministry. After all, Jesus had given them authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, to drive out demons, to preach the Good News to those who would listen.    However, the disciples’ ministry come to an impasse when they are unable to deliver a young boy possessed by demons.    The father of the boy emphasises this when he tells Jesus, “I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”   (Matthew 17:16)   Jesus with a command, drives out the demons and restores t...

In Acts 22, Saul—later known as the Apostle Paul—asked two pivotal questions during his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. This life-changing moment forever altered the course of his life and mission. Saul had been deeply committed to Judaism, believing that the early Christian movement posed a grave threat to the core of the Jewish faith and the authority of the Law. To him, the teachings of Jesus and His followers were a dangerous heresy. As a result, Saul became a fierce opponent of the Christians, actively working to suppress them. He was present at the execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:58, Acts 8:1) , and he sought to imprison and even kill followers of Jesus (Acts 9:1-2) . Driven by zeal, Saul asked the high priest for permission to arrest Christians in Damascus—a mission that would soon change his life forever. On his journey to Damascus, Saul had a transformative vision of Jesus (Acts 9:3-6) . A brilliant light from heaven suddenly surrounded...

Psalms 67:1-2     -   May God be gracious to us and bless us   and make his face shine on   u s   so that your ways may be known on earth,   your salvation among all nations.   The Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 , is frequently viewed as a New Testament directive to spread the gospel to all nations. However, its impact can be observed throughout the Old Testament, where God’s overarching plan was for His people to serve as a light to the nations. Usually its portrayed in the spirit of being blessed to be a blessing.   When God called Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 , God said in verse 3: ·        ……and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.   In other words, God told Abraham that God will bless him, make his name great so that through him, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Blessed to be a blessing.   So was it with the other patriarchs. God promised to bless t...

One of the last recorded commands of Jesus is found in   Matthew 28:10-20 : “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We call it the   Great Commission or His Last Command.   It is this command that has compelled and motivated many missionaries to take the gospel to the ends of the world. Many missionaries are driven by a profound love for people and a desire to see others experience the same salvation and transformation they have found in Christ. This compassion often compels them to sacrifice their own comfort and security to reach those who have not heard the gospel. Many gave their lives for this course.    They lived and died for this command. Nothing else mattered.    “The G...