Praise the Lord, my dear brothers, and sisters in Christ.The Lord says in Zechariah 2:5 “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

The Bible clearly explains to us in so many ways, how God was with the Israelites in the wilderness in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Even today, God guides His people and promises that He will be a Wall of Fire around us. If we see the current news, we see so much trouble, pain, and sorrow all around the world, and the future seems so uncertain. But the word of God reassures us, as given in Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” When God’s grace and mercy surround us, we do not have to fear any situation. During troubled times, our work is to only abide under His mighty wings and have complete trust and faith in Him. Just as the Israelites in the wilderness did not have to fear attacks from wild animals, similarly we too do not have to fear any attack of the evil one, for JESUS is our Shield and Protector! Psalm 91 clearly summarizes the safety of abiding in the presence of God.

Daytime will not continue forever; night-time will come into everyone’s life. The Lord divided time into day and night, so that during the day man could work; since it would be impossible to do so during the night. This world currently is heading towards night-time. Isaiah 60:2 “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.” Hence it is very important to spread the word of God, and do good deeds for His Kingdom during the day, for there will come a time when we will not be able to do anything. At that time, only the good deeds we have done for the Lord and His Kingdom in the past will be taken into account. The Lord Jesus himself was anxious to do the will of His Father perfectly every moment of the day time. As Jesus said in John 9:4 “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

Colossians 3:24-25 “Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” When we do any good thing for the Lord and His Kingdom, we will reap a plentiful and fruitful harvest. At the same time, when we do evil things against the Lord and His Kingdom, we will reap sinful and evil things abundantly. We must not be like the multitudes that flocked around Jesus Christ only to see what He was doing and seeking to find fault in Him. Instead, we must be like the woman having an issue of blood, who yearned only to touch Jesus Christ and experience His power. We must thirst for the Lord, and serve Him with zeal and enthusiasm.

Hence dear brother and sisters, use the day-time given by the grace of our Heavenly Father, for the benefit of our souls and others, and always lift the name of Jesus by being good testimonies where ever you are!

Till we meet again,

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord! During my travel for work, while at a hotel in UAE, one of my colleagues called me and asked for emergency prayer. He was Covid positive and hospitalized due to high diabetes. He had been diagnosed positive four times in a row. He had a fever through pneumonia, and he was completely broken down. I assured him that he would get well and that he should not worry; as I would ask my Pastor to pray for him. I sent a message to Pastor Saroja regarding this. Pastor told me not to worry, and that she would pray for him. From that moment, my colleague started feeling better, and his condition improved with a quick recovery. I got to know this through a series of text messages he kept sending me thereafter. He then got his first covid-negative report. He was very happy and told me that Jesus gave him a new life when he had lost hope completely. Thank You, Jesus, for magnifying Your name by answering Your daughter, Pastor Saroja’s  prayer. All glory and honour to You alone and I heartily thank our dear Pastor for her loving and fervent prayers. Thank You, Jesus, for this great miracle.

Bro. Lancelot Lobo, Mumbai.

Praise The Lord. Last year in February 2020, my appraisal had achieved a good score. I was due to get my yearly increment October. However, because of the Covid situation, my company denied our increment. I requested Pastor Saroja to keep the same in prayer. Our Lord heard His daughter’s prayer, and my company suddenly announced that I would be getting an increment. Also, by God’s grace, along with this I got a good score for the next year’s appraisal as well. I give all praise, glory, and honour to our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, who heard my petition. I also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers for me and my family.

Bro Hardik Patel, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord. I was due for my annual appraisal and given the current circumstances and my appraisal discussion with my boss, I was not expecting any positive outcome. I mentioned this matter to Pastor Saroja and requested her to uplift me in her prayers to get a good appraisal this year. Pastor assured me of her prayers for the same. Surely God has been so good to me when I look back as to how my appraisal conversation went. The Lord blessed me with a good bonus and increment, much beyond my expectation. I once again thank our Lord Almighty for blessing me in my life. Also, I would like to thank Pastor Saroja for her prayers and guidance always. Thank You, Jesus.

Sis. Joy Shalaka Salins, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord! My son Irwin had fever. At the start, the fever was for 2 days, and it had subsided. However, after a day, the fever came back, and it was constant almost for a week, along with severe throat pain. My husband and I were very worried, and we called up Pastor Saroja. Pastor advised us certain things to follow, and also assured us that she would keep the same in prayer. She comforted us that nothing adverse would happen, for our Lord is there for us. All glory to Lord alone, Irwin’s fever, and throat pain completely left him. I give all praise, glory, and honour to our Lord Jesus for healing Irwin; and I also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers for our family.

Sis. Esther Patel, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord. I contracted fever, which aggravated steadily along with a severe headache and weakness, due to which I could not even get up. My daughter brought this to the notice of our Pastor Saroja, who prayed for me. After Pastor’s prayers, the fever started reducing, and there was much improvement in my headache. Now I am completely healed. I thank Lord Jesus for healing me. I sincerely thank Pastor Saroja for praying for me and for giving me helpful advice. Thank You, Jesus.

Bro. Austin Roberts, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord! My son Sahil’s first year-paper was going on, and he suddenly started feeling giddy, getting a headache and feeling tired. He could not keep his eyes open. Even the tube light would hurt his eyes. I took him to the doctor, and he was given medicines for two days, but they were of no help at all. I was very tensed and worried, so I contacted the Rose of Sharon prayer line, and requested for prayer.

My son started feeling better after the prayer, and he stopped taking the medicine. By God’s grace alone, he is completely healed. All glory to Lord Jesus Christ. I sincerely thank the Rose of Sharon prayer team for praying for my son. Thank You, Jesus!

*Sis. Sadhna Dhanukh, Lucknow. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Samantha was a girl without a mother. Her father was the only one who took care of her and she wrote a book on her dad: When I was a little girl, I remember when my dad was repairing something, every time he asked me to hold the hammer, just so we would have time for a conversation with each other. I never saw my dad drinking or taking a night out with ‘the boys,’ all he did after work was take care of me.

I grew up and left home for college and since then, my dad calls me every Sunday morning, No matter what, several years later I bought a house. My dad was painting it by himself for three days in the 80 degree summer heat. All he asked from me was to hold his paintbrush and talk to him. But I was too busy in those days; I did not have any time for a conversation with my dad.

Later on I got married and had a daughter. Four years later, my dad was visiting me.  He spent many hours putting together a swing set for my daughter. He asked me to bring him a cup of tea and have a talk with him, but I had to prepare for a business trip that weekend, so I did not have time for any long conversation that day.

One Sunday morning we had a telephone call as usual, I noticed my dad had forgotten something that we recently discussed. I was little surprised but as I was in a hurry, our conversation was short, and so I ignored it. A few hours later that day I received a call. My father was in a hospital with an aneurysm. Immediately, I bought a plane ticket and while on my way I was thinking about all the missed opportunities to have a talk with my dad. By, the time I arrived at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have time for a conversation with me. I realized how little I knew about my dad, his deepest thoughts and dreams. After his death, I learned much more about him and even more about myself. All he ever asked from me was my time.  Now he has all my attention, but…

Likewise, let us seek God while He can still be found, before it is too late. Repent and turn to Jesus Christ. For the word says in Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Mathew 14:25-32 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” Many may have heard about a man who tried to walk on water. Many prepared for this event, there was media with video cameras and cameras, for this great event. When this man started his adventure, as soon as he kept his feet on the water, he began sinking. The people hurled abuses at him and cast him away. For us Christians, it is recorded in the Bible that walking on the water was a great miracle performed by Jesus Christ, and also by his disciple Peter. These are the only two persons on this earth who walked on water. Jesus performed this great miracle to glorify His Father God. Jesus pities the people, hence he performed miracles for them. Jesus never performed any miracle to boast, or to display His greatness to the world.

Jesus fed 5000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. After eating, the multitude thought in their hearts that if Jesus were to be made King, they would never have to toil or work their whole lives. Jesus would fulfill their every lack, and continue to feed them bread and fish whenever they were hungry. If they were to crown Jesus King, they would benefit from it, and never have to work in their lives. Jesus sensed their thoughts; hence He immediately summoned His disciples to take a boat and head to the other side of the village. When He reached the other side, Jesus climbed up a mountain and started praying to His Father God. Why did He pray? Because in His heart it disturbed Him that the multitude did not want to accept Him as the Son of God sent to save them from their sins. Rather, they schemed in their hearts to make Him their King for sustenance’s sake. Mathew 14:21-23 “And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” Jesus was disturbed by the people’s desire to make Him a King. He isolated himself from His disciples and sat alone praying to God. He thanked Father God for helping Him feed the multitudes with spiritual manna for three days continuously, and subsequently with food from just 2 fish and 5 loaves. Now, Jesus sought further advise from God, His Father, on what to do next. While praying, Jesus sensed that his disciples were caught in a storm on the sea. Remember in our lives, when we are not one with God and His people, we will never understand their pain and sorrow, their illness and sickness, or any of their needs. When Jesus was praying alone, He became spiritually aware that His disciples were caught, mid-sea, in a storm. Jesus immediately went down the mountain and walked on the sea towards the boat his disciples were travelling in. When the people saw Jesus walking from afar, they did not recognize Him initially and thought it was a ghost walking on the sea. They never thought it would be Jesus, for they knew Jesus was on the mountain praying. It was now after 3 am, and the disciples never expected Jesus to come this early in the morning. On the other hand, Jesus knew that His disciples would never bind the storm or command it to stop. Mathew 14:24-25 “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus had told this to His disciples long before. The disciples knew that without Jesus, they could do nothing. While Jesus was praying on the mount, God the Father revealed to Him that His disciples were stuck in a storm on the sea.

With our wisdom, we cannot stop the storm in our life, but Jesus alone can be our rescuer. Jesus has already said in John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Yes, even today, no storm in our life can be bound without God’s grace. He alone can rescue us from all types of storms in our lives. The disciples knew that they could do nothing without Jesus Christ. Even when stuck in the storm in mid-sea, Jesus alone could rescue them. As Jesus said, ‘I am way, the truth and life; no man can go unto Father God, but through Me alone,’ we should also know clearly, that we can do nothing without Jesus in our lives. Only when we are with Jesus, can our lives be safe and prosperous. Mathew 14:26-27 “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” The disciples were already in fear of the storm, and when they saw Jesus at a distance, they cried out in fear, ‘Ghost, Ghost!’ Jesus recognized their fear and spoke to them saying, ‘It is Me, be of good cheer, do not be afraid.’ The disciples recognized His voice, but one of his disciples, Peter, said in Mathew 14:28 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Here we see, that Peter walked on the water, only by Jesus’ word. Peter loved Jesus very much, and though he feared the storm, he immediately started walking on the water towards Jesus. We know of the saying ‘Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty from fear.’ We do not know how long Peter walked on the water, but the Bible records that Peter did walk on the water.

1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Just as Peter enthusiastically told Jesus that he too wanted to walk on the water, Jesus encouraged him to do so, and Peter walked. Stormy waters can mean many things in our lives, it can mean trials and tribulations in our lives, different types of sorrow and pain. Yet, through all this, we must not fear but boldly walk like Peter. Jesus has said ‘Without me, you can do nothing in this world.’ Hence it is only by God’s grace, that we can do something in this world. We also know that till the time Peter focused on Jesus, he walked on the water. The moment his focus shifted to the storm, Peter began sinking into the sea, and he cried out to the Lord saying, ‘Jesus save me.’ Mathew 14:31-32 “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” The devil is always watching and waiting for when we will fear and have disbelief, and when we will sin. The very moment this happens, the devil is ready to pounce on us and capture us. The moment Peter feared the storm he started sinking in the sea. Peter cried out, ‘Jesus save me,’ and Jesus said to Peter, ‘O, Ye of little faith, why didst thou doubt?’ Then Jesus lifted Peter and both got back into the ship. Similarly, the devil brings storms into our lives, and when we walk in confidence, the storm may intensify; but we must not lose hope and faith. We should continue to walk strongly with God. The moment we fear, we will lose hope and faith, and the evil one will be able to conquer us.

Jonah 3:9-10 “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” Jonah was asked to preach to the sinful people of Nineveh, so that if they repented, God would save them from perishing. God saw their repentant hearts and saved them. However much our sins, if we repent, our God will never hold back from saving us. He is faithful, full of grace, mercy, and kindness, and He will never let us perish in sin. We must always remember that our God is a God of grace. We should never think of what people will think of us, or what society would think of us, for all this leads us to unbelief, and prepares us to drown. Our God honours a repentant heart, and when we repent, God will relent from bringing any disaster upon us. It is not only just saying that we are sorry, our actions must reflect our repentance and speak louder than words.

Esther 4:14-16 “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” Many people think that God’s work happens only because they do something. Remember, if we do not do it, God will use somebody else to do His works. The Lord’s will and plans are always established in the lives of God’s people. Here we read how Mordecai tells Esther ‘God has chosen you for the Jews, and God has given you an opportunity to help the Jews. But, if you do not do it, God will lift someone else to do it.’ In the time that God has given each of us to fulfill His Word, remember, God will always accomplish His works, plan, and will, through anyone to accomplish it. Esther, immediately sent Mordecai to gather together all the Jews present in Shushan, to fast and pray for three days and nights. She would then go to the King and ask of him a petition for the Jews, and here if she perished, so be it. Esther was strengthened to take a bold step, to even sacrifice her life for the Jews. We must realize we are ‘zero’ without the Lord. With our strength, wisdom, and might, we can do nothing. We cannot hold or calm the storm in the sea. Without our Lord God, we can do nothing in our lives. Peter told Jesus that if Jesus would command him to walk on the water, he would be able to do so. Jesus bade Peter walk, and Peter started walking on water. After some time, Peter’s focus shifted from Jesus to the storm in the sea, and hence he began to sink; at this stage, he cried out to Jesus to save him from drowning. Jesus lent him a hand and said to Peter, ‘O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?’ Both then got onto the ship, and the storm in the sea calmed down. Similarly, in our lives too, trials and tribulations will come, but we must hold fast in our faith, and cling to God in every situation of our lives; we must never even once think in our hearts that we can conquer our challenges alone. Without God, we cannot feel like God’s children. It is important for us to not be foolish in life, but to be wise and cling to God and lead our lives according to His will. We are God’s children, and we must always do His will and plan in our lives.

In the Holy Scriptures, we have read about various valiant men who had great faith in God. When God called Abraham, he left his parents, his wealth, his dwelling, and followed God where He called him. Why did Abraham do this? He loved God and had great faith in Him. Joshua also had great faith in God. He commanded and stopped the sun from going down, only by faith in the Lord God. The Prophet Elijah prayed for fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice he set, so that he may destroy the prophets of Baal. The people saw this and fell on their faces, crying, ‘The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.’ David had great faith in God and he fought Goliath to deliver the Israelites from their foes. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were strengthened by God alone, refusing to bow down to the gold statue made by King Nebuchadnezzar; they were put into the burning furnace and yet came out alive. Daniel was a trustee of the council of the King, and he was warned not to pray to the God of Israel. If caught praying and worshipping his God, he would be put into a den of lions; but Daniel continued his worship for God. Daniel feared God alone, and so, when put in the den of lions, he came out the next morning alive and well. The Joy of the Lord is our strength.

In all of the above examples, we see how it is only by faith, that the people gained victory in their times of trial. Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” In whatever form the devil comes into our lives, our God will give us victory in all situations. God has given us the authority and power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and destroy the power of the enemy. Nothing can harm us or hurt us. Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” Remember, the God of peace will bruise the evil one under your feet. Once the grace of Lord Jesus is within us, we need not worry that the enemy can bring any harm in our lives.

What is our God expecting from all of us today? Psalm 91:13 “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” Our God is expecting us to be strengthened by His Word, and that there be no fear upon us during any untoward incident. Our God has given us all power to defeat the evil one in our lives. Even with all this, if we do not change, we will sink. God says to us ‘O ye of little Faith.’

We always call ourselves believers, but what does the word ‘believer’ mean? Our faith in God must be strong and unwavering. 1 John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Yes, God’s love in our life is strength and power. When God is angry with us and does not talk to us, He punishes us but does not forsake us. We see in Peter’s life, that despite all God’s goodness, his life was not complete. Peter never walked completely in faith with God.

When Jesus was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter ran away from Jesus, in fear that he would be seen near Jesus, and subsequently captured. He drifted away from Jesus from time to time. 1 John 4:18-19 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” When Jesus bade Peter walk on the water, at that point in time, Peter did not fear the storm. His love for Jesus was strong, and so he walked immediately. But when Jesus was captured, Peter had fear in his heart; hence when the little servant girl asked him if he was the one accompanying Jesus, he denied it immediately. Why was this? Here, Peter’s fear was stronger than his love for God. Hence, Peter denied Jesus thrice before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus had prophesied. We must remember that there is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear. Fear has torment, and he that fears, is not made perfect in love. The love of God takes us to Heaven, and this is belief. When love fears and is not perfect, we go to Hell; this is unbelief. There are two strengths within us i.e., Love/Belief & Fear/Unbelief. Our love towards God must be perfect.

We must always remember that God loved us first, hence we love Him. In the Bible, there is a reference to Mary Magdalene, who loved Lord Jesus so much, for He loved her first. She loved God so much as Jesus had delivered her from bondage when she had seven evil spirits within her. Jesus gained victory over the seven spirits and delivered her out of this bondage. When Jesus was crucified, she knew that He would rise again on the third day, and so she reached the entrance of the tomb alone, early in the morning. It is the love of God that pulled her there at that time, and her fear was overcome by this love. She bitterly cried at the tomb, remembering all her suffering and pain; how Jesus had delivered her out of all her trials and tribulations. All of us must remember that God loved us first, and then we have loved Him.

John 20:15 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” On resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene who was weeping at the entrance of the tomb. She mistook Jesus to be a gardener and told Him ‘Sir if thou hast seen him, tell me where he lays? I will take him away.’

We too must remember all that God has done for us and cry out to Him with love. We should never let fear and disbelief cloud our lives; rather we must let the love of God overcome us. God can use any of us if we are ready for Him today.

2 Timothy 1:7,13 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” What did God do for us? He has not given us the spirit of fear. He gives us the Spirit of power that defeated Goliath and stopped the sundial. He has given us the Spirit of love as in the case of Mary Magdalene and Abraham. He has given us the Spirit of sound mind as in the case of Elijah, who called for fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice. Thus, the Spirit of power, love, and sound mind, is a gift from God’s Spirit to us. We are ‘zero’ without the Spirit of God; only by His grace may we withstand fear, for when fear comes into our lives, we disbelieve God; and when we disbelieve God, sin enters into our lives. But when there is the Spirit of God within us, we are blessed with the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. The love of God enables us to give up everything in this world and fight for God. Esther chose to fight for the Jews and told Mordecai, ‘Though I may die, it is okay; you all fast and be ready, I will go to the King tomorrow and speak to him.’ Daniel said, ‘let the King put me in the den of lions, but I will still worship my God.’ All these are examples of the Spirit of Power, Love, and Wisdom. Did God leave the side of any of them? No, He was with all of them, and He strengthened them. Our God is not blind, He does not look at our outward appearance, rather He sees our heart. Truth prevails before God, and there is no confusion with God.

Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” God delivered David from all his fears. When we seek God, fear leaves us first, and we are blessed with the Spirit of power, love, and wisdom. The water in the sea has the power to topple anything, similarly, disbelief also has the power to make us fall if we are not careful. 2 Timothy 1:12 “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Those who walk against the storm, should never look to the right or left, and lose focus. Hence David said in faith, ‘In whose hands I have given my hand, I know He will keep me safe. Till the end of life, I will trust Him. My God is my strength, in Him do I have my Faith.’

Mathew 14:30 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” Here we see that Peter cried out to God to save him. Peter was a fisherman, and he knew how to swim. He could have swum towards Jesus, but he did not. His trust was in Jesus and he cried out to Jesus for help. When the devil frightens us, we must not be afraid, and we must cry out to our Lord Jesus to save us. There will be many around us who can help. We may have wealth that may be useless in such trying times. We must shout out to the Lord at this time. This is the secret we must know in life. Every day we need to cling to God alone, keeping aside our wisdom, and putting our trust in Him.

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel agreed in his heart, and he decided he would not eat any meat to defile himself. God makes a covenant with righteous people. Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” The wicked flee even when no one pursues them, but the righteous stand boldly like a lion. God calls the righteous ‘bold’ and the unrighteous ‘wicked.’ The bold person stands as a lion, while the wicked flee even before anyone pursues them. God identifies the good and the wicked accordingly. We as human beings think we can do a lot by ourselves; we do not realize that it is only God’s grace upon us that helps us withstand every evil in our lives. There will come a time in life when we will lose the strength from within our bodies and become weak. It is the time of our death, and we must fear God. God classifies the ‘bold’ as righteous, and the ‘wicked’ as unrighteous. Examples of righteous people are Abraham, Elijah, Peter, Daniel, Shadrach/Meshach/Abednego. God assigns all His righteous elect to the ‘bold’ group while the unrighteous are assigned to the ‘wicked’ group, where unbelievers like Pharaoh lie.

God chose Jeremiah to be a Prophet, He chose him to do His glorious works on this earth. Jeremiah gave God all sorts of excuses and tried to escape God’s will and plan. Jeremiah 1:6-10 “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” God chose Jeremiah from his mother’s womb itself. He chose Jeremiah to do a very difficult job, to break human beings, melt them, and mould them. He was given a job akin to that of a Potter. His job was not to please people. Hence Jeremiah was not happy to do this job, as people would curse him when he corrected them. Yet, God directed Jeremiah against his wishes, to fulfill His plan for Jeremiah.

When we read Jeremiah, we will realize how difficult the job that God entrusted Jeremiah with was; to win souls for His Kingdom by correcting people and punishing them upfront, and to change and surrender themselves into God’s hands.

God chose Moses to bring the Israelites out of bondage. Moses too tried to escape from this command of God. But remember, those whom God chooses can never escape Him. Exodus 4:10 “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Moses also gave an excuse that he stammered and would not be able to talk, but God did not let Moses escape from His will and plan. Without God, we can do nothing. But when God chooses us, we can accomplish all that God wishes us to do. God works differently with different people. We see in the life of Elijah when his shawl fell on Elisha, Elisha received a double portion of anointing from God. God works in marvellous way, beyond our understanding. God’s touch is precious and miraculous. Song of Solomon 1:1-2 “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” The kiss here refers to God’s Holy Spirit. Hence when the Lord touched Moses, His spirit anointed Moses to do such a mighty work to bring the Israelites out of bondage.

Daniel 8:18 “Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.”

Daniel 10:10 “And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.” Daniel was weak and weary, but a touch from God strengthened him. Daniel 10:16 “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and make,  and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.” Daniel saw a vision of the Son of Man, who kissed him. This kiss was the Spirit of God, and it strengthened Daniel. Daniel 10:18 “Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.” Daniel became so weak that he could not stand, but an angel of God came before him and strengthened him. When Daniel rose, God kissed him and filled and strengthened him completely, with His Spirit. It is not by power, nor by might, but only by the Spirit of God, that man can stand firmly on this earth. Without God, we have no grace to do His work on this earth. In different ways, God teaches us that without Him we are worthy of nothing. We are but dust before God. Only by His strength are we made worthy for something. We should always dwell amongst the righteous in this world, only then can we get our victory.

May this Word bless everyone who reads it. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope and praythat you and all your family members are safe and healthy by the grace of God.

Since the lock-down was announced last year in March 2020, life for all of us have changed so much. We are not allowed to move freely as per our own will, and even if we are, there are so many restrictions. There is a limit on the number of people we can invite for weddings, social gatherings and even funerals.

Yet, the life for our residents have not changed a bit. They have not experienced a before nor after lock-down phase. By the grace of God, their daily routine remains the same; without any worries or chaos, and all their requirements are fulfilled in a timely manner. So many of them have also not seen their family members for so long. Yet they are at peace and are very relaxed. It is only by God’s grace and mercy that everything is progressing perfectly at our Rose of Sharon Old Age Home. Thank you JESUS for being our JEHOVAH JIREH!

Do continue take care of yourseves and your family members. Also, do continue to pray for all our residents.

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the Lord. God is good, and all the time God is good!

We been fighting the pandemic and it’s been a year and a half now. Our good Lord has been gracious and has covered each of our little ones, keeping them away from the dreadful disease. We thank our Almighty God for keeping our children safe during this period.

The education system in the past 18 months has changed so drastically like none would have ever imagined. We would never have dreamt that our children would sit home and have online schooling.  In the process, the children are missing out on so much of joy one experiences during typical schooling days. In fact, so many children who started school this year would think this is school life! It’s a sad phase, but there is no option and life has to move on, keeping the safety of our children in mind.

Not lagging behind, we are glad to announce our annual Sunday School exams in the month October 2021. Our children are back on study mode and preparing for the Sunday School exams. As they prepare for the same, we pray that the lessons they have learnt in Sunday school continue to be a part of their lives, like the seed sown in good soil. May these learning’s help them bear good fruit in their lives as they continue to grow.

Do continue to pray for our children today and always.