Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, GOOD FRIDAY is the day when Jesus showed His love for us sinners, and EASTER is the day He proved that just as He promised, He is with us FOREVER! I wish all my readers a very Happy and Blessed Easter. May our resurrected Lord and Saviour, JESUS CHRIST, fill your lives with hope, happiness, and prosperity through God’s divine grace!

John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

What an assurance from our Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus bore the cross and the burden of sin for all mankind. Till His last breath, Jesus did not forget the purpose of His coming into the world. His spiritual eyes were always on the right hand of His Father God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was not bothered about His suffering. He constantly thought only about the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was prepared to carry many more burdens and endure many more sufferings, for He knew that nothing would compare to the glory of sitting on the right side of His Father God.

Likewise, in this world, we will have many trials and tribulations, but we must remember that Jesus has already overcome them all on our behalf; and as per His promise, He is going to prepare a place for us. Just as we prepare ourselves before an examination, similarly if we want to reach the Heavenly Kingdom, we have to start preparing ourselves today. This is possible only if we abide under His wings, trust, obey and keep His commandments. When we do this, God will give us the grace to overcome everything.

Hence dear brothers and sisters, as Jesus fulfilled His purpose of coming into His world, we too have to look constantly unto the Cross of Calvary. We must remember that we are His chosen children and that our goal is to reach the heavenly kingdom being prepared for us. For, just as Jesus promised, He will come for us; and at that time, He should find us worthy to take along with Him to the Heavenly kingdom.

Till we meet again,

Pastor Saroja M

 

Praise the Lord. I developed pus in my ears, and day by day, it started smelling foul. I was feeling very ashamed due to this, so I called up Pastor Saroja and told her of this matter. Pastor sent me Prayer Oil which I applied in my ears. Since the past 3 months, the pus has completely stopped. I give all glory, honour, and praise to our dear Lord Jesus for healing me. I also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers and for sending over the blessed prayer oil. Thank You Jesus!

Sis. Kala Nagarajan, Chennai, TN (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise the Lord. Each year we are appraised at our workplace. However, due to the pandemic, our management decided that there would be no appraisal for 2020-2021. I told Pastor Saroja about this, and she assured me of her prayers. By God’s grace, I got appraised twice in the year. I give all glory, praise, and honour to Lord Jesus alone, and I also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers.

Bro. Hardik Patel, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord. I had muscle pain in my left leg, and I could not sleep because of the severe pain. I then applied prayer oil over the affected leg. After applying prayer oil, the pain started subsiding slowly, and subsequently, my leg was completely healed. I thank God for this miracle and give all glory to Him. I also thank Pastor Saroja who always keeps me in her daily prayers. Thank you, Pastor. Thank You Jesus.

Bro. Lancelot Lobo, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord. I had kidney problems for which I was under medication. However, due to the pandemic and the resulting lock-downs, I could not take proper treatment for it. One day I saw the Rose of Sharon Church Program on Shubhsandesh TV. From there I got the Rose of Sharon Old Age Home number and decided to go there. I contacted Pastor Saroja before that and told her of my problem. Pastor advised and prayed for me. Immediately the next day I was able to pass urine well. That night I also slept comfortably. The swelling on both my legs is gone now, and I am also able to eat well. I really thank our dear Lord Jesus Christ for this miracle in my life. I also sincerely thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers for me.

Sis. Sushila Yadav, Madhya Pradesh. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise the Lord. My daughter Sara had a very high fever. I called up Pastor Saroja and requested her to keep Sara in her prayers so that we could attend the Sunday Church Service. By God’s grace alone, that day itself the fever vanished, and we could all attend the Sunday Service. I give all glory to Lord Jesus for healing her, and I also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers.

Sis. Esther Patel, Mumbai

No one listening to Sarah complain would have guessed that every day she was the recipient of more gifts than she could count. When she opened her eyes in the morning, there was always a pile of gifts sitting by her bed. All-day long, she received one gift after another.

Yet strangely enough, Sarah took most of the gifts for granted. The only time she thought about the gifts was when one did not arrive… or when a friend got a gift that seemed better than hers.

On one particular afternoon, Sarah was feeling especially blue. A gift she’d been longing to have for a long time had yet not arrived. She was surrounded by all the other gifts that had arrived, yet Sarah wasn’t enjoying them. Instead, she was bemoaning the absence of the one gift she longed for.

Sarah had good reason to want the gift too. Couldn’t she serve the king, the giver of the gifts, much better if she had that gift? Wasn’t it a good gift she longed for? Indeed, it was! Yet why then, had it not come as yet?

“Why are you so downcast, Sarah?” the question came from Sarah’s sister, Mary. “That gift I’ve been wanting, still isn’t here,” Sarah pouted.

Mary paused before replying, weighing her words carefully. “Sarah, do you trust the king?”

The question startled Sarah a little. Of course, she trusted the king! Why, the king had rescued her from prison. She’d vowed to serve Him with everything within her.

“Of course,” she replied.

“And did you not tell him your life belonged to him?” asked Mary.

Sarah nodded, and Mary continued.

“Then you’ve no cause to complain about the gifts.”

Sarah knew her sister was right. What a fool she’d been! What did it matter if that gift arrived anyway? If she needed this gift to complete the tasks the king had for her, he would send it. If not, then he must have something else for her to do. Either way, though, she’d been missing out on the joy of serving the king and giving thanks for the gifts she had been given.

Sarah hugged her sister and scampered out of the room with a light heart again. She was surrounded by gifts—and it was time to start living like it.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” In whatever situation a person is, they must try to rejoice in the Lord. When a person praises God, joy will automatically come into his life. Murmuring is the first enemy to praising and rejoicing in the Lord. When we murmur in our life, God does not accept our praises. Two enemies can hinder our lives and keep us from enjoying God’s heavenly riches. They are Jealousy and the Love of Money. Both of these come from the devil, and if we have these enemies within us, we can never enjoy God’s heavenly riches. Murmuring can bring a hindrance in our lives. From the beginning of creation, murmuring was the downfall of man and woman. Adam blamed his wife Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent, thus murmuring against each other. To conceal their fault, they blamed the other. Genesis 3:12-13 “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” The man blamed his wife, and in turn, the wife blamed the serpent.

When the Israelites were led out of bondage from Egypt to the Promised land of Israel, they murmured when things were not going their way. In the wilderness, they lacked for nothing, for God gave them water, and He rained manna upon them. Still, they grumbled and murmured against Moses and God alike. Here we see that this murmuring nature was in their veins from the beginning. Exodus 16:7 “And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?” Though God took care of all their needs in the wilderness, the Israelites murmured against God. So, we see that right from the beginning of creation, humans blamed others for their downfall. Murmuring was a great symptom amongst the Israelites. Deuteronomy 1:27 “And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” Here we see the vicious thinking of the Israelites. They murmured that God wanted to destroy them, and that is why He had brought them out of Egypt.

Today also, we humans are no different. We are never satisfied or at peace with what God has given us. Instead, we grumble and murmur at all good things too. When we see the sufferings of others, we should thank God for His grace and mercy upon us. God always does good, and what He does is the best for us, even as He did for the Israelites. God heard their moaning and crying, and He sent Moses to rescue them. We read how the Israelites murmured that God had brought them out of Egypt to deliver them into the hands of the Amorites. With great sorrow, our God asks, ‘how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?’ Numbers 14:27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.” God heard the murmurings of the Israelites even after He took care of them in every way. Because of this, many Israelites perished in the wilderness itself. All those who trusted and believed in God joyfully reached the good land in the wilderness. Exodus 15:27 “And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.” When we murmur, God’s curse can come upon us, hence we must be very careful not to open our mouth against the Lord.

Jeremiah 26:11 “Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.” Again and again, God spoke to the Israelites with great love and understanding, yet they continued murmuring and grumbling in their lives. We know of the faithfulness of Moses, and also of our Lord Jesus Christ when He came down to earth and lived among us. It was jealousy that crucified Jesus Christ. The devil works differently in the lives of God’s people. The works of Jesus Christ only spread love in this world, yet the devil put hatred into the people’s hearts. Because of jealousy in their hearts, they crucified Jesus Christ, whom God loved, and whose life our Abba Father gave up for them and us. The devil made these very hearts go against God, and as a result, they crucified Jesus God. When the love of money entered Judas, so also did the devil capture his heart. The devil works in different ways in our lives, but those who trust the Lord will never grumble and murmur against God.

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputing.” When we think of all the good things the Lord has done in our lives, there will be no room for murmurings. When we think of other people’s sufferings, lack of peace, or jobs, or money, or health, or food, or shelter, and then see that we have all of these in abundance and we are happy with the Lord; without murmuring, we must praise and worship God constantly. Ephesians 5:4-5 “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

In this world, various filthiness’ abide, and we cannot please God in any of these. A man who does not have thankfulness and gratitude in his heart will head towards darkness in this life. A heart that does not have gratitude will never praise or give thanks to God. When we are good testimonies for the Lord, automatically our hearts will be filled with gratitude. We will not take our lives into darkness, but rather, we will be joyful and praise the Lord – when evil qualities are not within us. Ephesians 5:5 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” We must always be full of grace, full of power, and full of glory in the Lord.

Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” The devil always tries to bring about small misunderstandings between God and His children. Even after experiencing the grace of God in our lives, when we do not acknowledge Him, we are simply foolish people taking our lives into darkness. Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” When we are with God, we will always enjoy the fullness of joy.

The next hindrance between God and us is brought about by ‘Fear.’ Job who experienced great fear in his life says in Job 3:25 “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” When everything was good in Job’s life, the devil brought fear into his life, and due to this fear, the devil tried to use him. Even today, the devil is searching the world for people, to instill fear in their hearts. Those who have jealousy, murmurings, love of money, etc. – the devil finds a place in their heart. Job had fear in his heart, and the devil used this weakness and tried to capture him. When we have fear in our hearts, we must rebuke it and turn away from it. We should always be very diligent and careful about fear entrapping us. The devil is mighty, but our God is Almighty! Jesus Christ once rebuked Peter, saying ‘Get thee behind me, Satan.’ We should not fear others, however close they may be to us. Know that the devil uses our close people whom we look up to and respect, to bring fear upon us. Job did have fear, and the devil used it to destroy him.

When fear comes into our lives, we must rebuke it by the ‘blood of Jesus Christ.’ 1 John 4:18 “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.” Perfect love casts out fear from our life. Our God’s love is ultimate for us, He gave His life for us, and there can be no greater love than this in the world. When love is perfect in our lives, there will be no fear anymore. Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” David also had fears, but when he was in fear, he remembered the Lord. When he called out to Him, God delivered him from all his fears. When we give our hand into God’s right hand, all fears will vanish. Isaiah 41:13-14 “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” What more consolation do we want from God? With great love He says, ‘For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.’ We must never let fear grip us, for God has promised to be with us always. It is important for us to remember all the promises that God has spoken to us. Remember, God will hold our right hand tightly in His hand. The devil will do his best to not allow us to enjoy the promises of God, but when we remember God’s promises, we will be strengthened. When we are in trouble, we must call out to God as written in Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Our God is constantly with us, He does not forsake us even for a moment. Just as we keep a watch upon our children, likewise we are His children, and His eyes are always upon us. The Lord says ‘do not fear the spirit of jealousy, the love of money, or murmuring, for I am with you always; be strong and of good courage.’ When we rebuke these spirits, we become strong. Zechariah 8:13 “And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

God makes an agreement with His children, that He will never forsake us, as we have read earlier in Exodus 15:27, Isaiah 41:13-14, and Deuteronomy 31:6. God will change every curse into great blessings for us. Is anything impossible for our God? Hence, let us praise Him at all times, and all evil spirits will not only run away from us but also run out of us! We should always be full of power, full of praise, and full of glory for the Lord. Give your right hand into God’s hands, and He will never forsake you. As tidal waves in the sea, the devil will keep bringing trials and tribulations in our lives, and our lives will never sail smoothly; but God promises us, ‘Fear not, I am with you till the end of this world.’

The Bible holds a lot of promises for us if we continue to remain steadfast in His love, and if we do, the enemy will flee away from us.

I pray that this message will be a blessing to many who read it. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

 

Praise the Lord everyone!

The Holy month of Good Friday and Easter is amidst us. As we prepare ourselves, even the residents at the Old Age Home are very enthusiastic about the same.

On Good Friday, the traditional Hot Cross Buns will be arranged for them, and they enjoy having it to their heart’s content. Family members of the residents may also come to visit them during Easter time, something they very much look forward to!

It is only God’s grace that all our festivals were celebrated normally, even in the midst of Covid times. My heart swells with gratitude towards my Saviour Jesus Christ when I contemplate how wonderfully He has taken care of all the needs of the residents during the difficult past years! All Glory to Him alone!

Do continue to pray for all our residents, and continue to take care of yourselves.

Wishing all my readers a Very Blessed Good Friday and a Wonderful Easter!

Pastor Saroja M

 

Praise the Lord! As we step into a new month the children are excited, as this is a special month. They are also excited to enjoy the Easter festival.

The kids learnt about the great men of God this month. While the senior kids learned from the book of Daniel, the little kids learned about Isaac and Jacob from the book of Genesis. They learned about Jacob and his multi-colour coat, and how he trusted in God at all times, whether in the best or worst of times.

The seniors learned of how Daniel stayed in the lion’s den and came out unharmed. They learned that these great men of God were tested, yet stood strong in the Lord in all situations and how they were blessed for holding on to the Lord in all situations.

We wish all our readers a Happy Easter. Do continue to uplift our little ones in your prayers.