Praise the Lord. In my twentieth year at the Rose of Sharon Church Ministry, I pray that my good Father will continue to guide and lead me in taking care of His congregation, as He has done in the past. He is a faithful Father, ever ready to take complete responsibility of us, provided we surrender ourselves to Him completely.
Jesus, our Redeemer, was sent into this world to deliver us from our sins and save all who believe in Him. Yet, we are so ignorant that we think He does not see or hear us. In our times of trouble and desperate times, we forget that our Lord’s hand is not short, and neither are His ears deaf. Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.”
At the beginning of creation, God created this world beautifully. He then created man and woman, so that they may enjoy all the wonderful things He created. However, the moment sin came into this world through man, darkness followed, and this darkness created a barrier between man and God, due to which, the word of God clearly states that our Lord God does not hear nor answer our prayers. Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
The Bible, time and again, explains that God will answer all our prayers only when we live our lives according to His will, because without Him, there is no other way. Every blessing received through any other medium other than from our living God is temporary. The word says in Psalm 97:7 “Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.” As much as we keep our God happy, He will lift us higher and higher. We must believe this and have faith in it blindly, to receive blessings from our eternal Father.
Rahab was a harlot who hid the two Israelites sent to spy on Jericho. She openly declared that they had heard of how the Lord had dried the waters of the Red Sea for the Israelites, and of the mighty miracles the Lord had done in their lives; because of which the Gentiles feared God. Joshua 2:9-10, “And she said to the men: ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.” Similarly, in our lives too, the people of the world must marvel when they look upon God’s children and the works He has done in their lives.
Hence, dear children of God, to gain everlasting life we must have faith and confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ who was sent for us into this world to redeem our sins and to bless us with eternal life; because, without truly knowing and believing in Him, there is no eternal life. John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
May our Living Lord Jesus continue to bless each of you in your respective lives, as you continue to abide under His shadow.
Till we meet again,
Pastor Saroja M
Praise the Lord. After completing my graduation in 2021, I joined my first job with a good salary. It was due to our dear Pastor’s prayers and God’s grace that I received a job during the pandemic. Yet, as the days and months passed by, I became too worldly and did not give much time to my Lord. Even before getting the job, Pastor Saroja told me to always give God first place in my life, yet I would miss the Saturday and Sunday Services, taking God lightly in my life. Eventually, this led to a lot of problems at work, and in 2022, unable to handle the stress and pressure, I resigned from my job. I told this to our Pastor, who corrected me and gave me only one piece of advice – that I should look for a job having the weekends off. At first, I felt this to be an impossible thing, since, in the field I work in, I was unlikely to get off on weekends. Besides, even if I tried for another field, they wouldn’t hire me due to my lack of experience and skills in other jobs. Nevertheless, I kept this search in prayer and started hunting for appropriate jobs.
At first, I tried applying my wisdom, thinking that if I tried adjusting my work timings with Church timings, I could get a job. Due to this act of disobedience to God’s command, I did not get any job for six months. Whichever opportunity came my way offered very low pay without job satisfaction, and even turned out to be a scam, leaving me completely devastated over these six months. In the May Fasting Prayer service, while listening to God’s word from our Pastor, I realised what a great mistake I had done by not following my Lord’s command. I prayed and cried unto my Lord, begged His forgiveness, and asked Him to provide me with a job by the next fasting prayer. Miraculously, by the end of May, a job suddenly popped up on an online job platform. I applied for it, and after three interview rounds, I was selected. I received the offer letter for a job near my home with Saturdays and Sundays off, offering a very high salary, great job satisfaction, and a hybrid work environment! Truly, nothing is too hard for the living God we serve. I would like to thank our dear Pastor Saroja for always giving me the right advice, and for always praying for me throughout my life. Thank You, Jesus!
Bro. Obed Roberts, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Praise the Lord! I was having severe head pain and vomiting because of stomach upset (Indigestion). I drank some prayer oil and within fifteen minutes my head pain and vomiting stopped. Thank You, Jesus, for healing me. Thank you, Pastor Saroja, for praying over the prayer oil.
Sis. Hema Chilla, Mira Road, Thane, Maharashtra.
Praise the Lord. I experienced a sudden nerve pull in my stomach, like a cramp. Due to this, I could not bend, and while passing urine I would experience pain. I just drank the blessed prayer oil and applied some onto my stomach. The pain slowly subsided and within a day it vanished. All glory and thanks to my dear Lord Jesus for touching and healing me. I also thank our dear Pastor Saroja for praying over the prayer oil and always keeping me in her prayers. Thank You, Jesus.
Sis. Evangela Roberts, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Praise the Lord. I was unable to get proper sleep for many days. I then called up the Rose of Sharon Prayer Helpline and requested prayers for my condition. The prayer warrior prayed for me, and from that night onwards I was able to sleep peacefully. I thank our Almighty Lord for hearing the prayer, and I thank Rose of Sharon Church for always praying for all my requests.
Bro. Subash Sarkar, Kolkatta. (ROS TV Program Viewer)
Praise the Lord! I was suffering from a severe fever with a very bad headache, body aches, and a severe cold with cough and weakness. This went on for 4 – 5 days. I was finding it difficult to eat food and kept laying down in bed. I spoke to Pastor Saroja and told her about my condition. Pastor assured me of her prayers and gave me some advice which I followed. This ordeal continued for 2 – 3 days more, but I waited on Pastor’s prayers. After a week, on a Saturday morning, I found that the fever had disappeared. My health now improved and was quickly coming back to normal. I thank and praise Lord Jesus for His tremendous grace and mercy upon me; for healing me and restoring my health to normal. I want to sincerely thank Pastor Saroja for praying for me, and for her helpful advice. Thank You, Jesus!
Bro. Austin Roberts, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Ashley turned the beautiful stone repeatedly in her hand. She whispered in awe and wonder, “Are you really giving this to me?” The thought that her father was giving her this priceless diamond seemed almost too much to comprehend. “Yes, my darling daughter, I am giving you that diamond. Love and cherish it, and keep it ever in your thoughts.” Ashley threw her arms around her father’s neck. How she loved him! She couldn’t imagine life without his love.
For the first several months after Ashley’s father gave her the diamond, she guarded the diamond as she would her own life. She spent hours gazing upon it, then went and told everyone she knew about her father’s marvellous love. Her heart of gratitude showed in everything she did. She was kind and loving toward others because her thoughts were focused on her father’s kindness to her. She was always eager to serve and praise her father because her thoughts were completely consumed with him.
Gradually, Ashley became accustomed to the diamond she’d been given. Although the diamond itself never diminished in value one bit, she stopped thinking of it throughout her day. While she was still kind toward others and told others of her father’s love, she did so more from habit and duty than from gratitude and joy. Her words sounded like hollow recitations instead of heartfelt realities.
Ashley’s friend Eliza asked one afternoon, “Ashley, can I talk with you?” “Of course,” replied Ashley, wondering what Eliza could want.
“The diamond your father gave you—can you describe it to me? And can you tell me what that diamond means to you?” Ashley replied, “Why, of course I can.” Yet unfortunately, she stumbled through a description that sounded strangely vague even to her. Ashley’s encounter with Eliza awakened Ashley’s sleeping conscience. “I have forgotten to gaze upon the diamond my father gave me! I’ve forgotten to let it bring me joy.
Saddened at her folly, Ashley slowly walked upstairs and knocked on her father’s study. One look at her father’s face showed Ashley that he already knew how she had neglected his treasure. “Come, my dear, let’s go look at the diamond again together,” he said as he gently wiped her tears. With that, Ashley’s father led her to the special case in which she kept her diamond. Ashley broke into a fresh set of tears when she saw the diamond. She had forgotten how beautifully it glittered and glistened! Her heart felt overwhelmed once again by the incredible gift that her father had given her. “Oh, Father, please help me to never forget!” she whispered, looking up in love and admiration into her father’s face.
Likewise, our love and thirst for our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST begins to diminish over time as we begin to take His love for granted. We tend to forget what joy and happiness filled our lives when we came into His light and how we could not stop testifying about His love! It is high time that we take a “U” turn, for the Lord is right there where you met Him – unfortunately, you have moved on! However, it is never too late to return!
There are three mountains with different names in the Bible. God, who is ‘The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit,’ is the same; but the names He is referred to as are different. Likewise, the mountain is the same, but the names are different. Let’s see what Abraham called this mountain. Genesis 22:11-14 “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” God blessed Abraham with a son after many years. He now asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham, without any hesitation, was ready to sacrifice his son. This is the great faith that Abraham had in the Lord God. Would we ever be able to do it? No, we would never be able to withstand this. Remember the Graham Staines family, where Graham, a missionary, along with his two sons were burnt alive in Orissa in 1999? His wife and daughter continued for some years in India, to serve the Lord despite their sorrow and pain. Likewise, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham never questioned God as to why He was taking his son away. Quietly Abraham readied to sacrifice Isaac, his son. Mount Moriah, the place where this happened, was then called ‘Jehovahjireh’ by Abraham, meaning, ‘The Lord will provide.’
Genesis 22:14 “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”
Genesis 22:12 “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? To test and see if his reverence for Him was genuine. God can test our lives too. He wants to bless us even more. Why did the Lord send Elijah to the widow’s home to bless this family? So that in the future their home would never lack food (flour and oil). God will never rob us; on the contrary, He will always bless us abundantly. Why is this recorded in the Bible? So that we read it and know of such great incidents. Our Lord can test us too, at any time. Our Lord knew Abraham’s heart, but He tempted Abraham so that all mankind would know of Abraham’s faith in the Lord. Similarly, our Lord God knows a lot about us. Though He knows about our church, why does He prophesy about the church? So that others may believe and know the ‘Truth.’ The Lord will, from time to time, continue to bless our church and do His works. But the prophecies are made known to all, so that all members may believe in the good Lord. Likewise, God need not have spoken about Abraham, but because all mankind needs to know the truth, this is recorded in the Holy Scriptures. When our God asks us for something, it is not to take away from us but rather to bless us. Genesis 22:13 “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” What did Abraham see when he lifted his head in prayer? God showed him a ram for the sacrifice. That is why Abraham named the mountain ‘Jehovah Jireh, meaning, The Lord shall see or provide.’
The Apostle John says in John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus is the ‘Lamb of God’ which takes away the sin of the world. John looked at Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was sent into this world for us. He announced, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, is here.’ When Abraham was held back by God from sacrificing his son on the mount, with what joy he would have proclaimed ‘Jehovahjireh.’ Jesus was sacrificed for each of our sins on a hill. Can our heart proclaim today ‘Jehovahjireh?’ Our faith must be strong for the Lord. Unfortunately, our heart is full of contempt and filled with thoughts of our own understanding, and we have no time in this world for our Lord. Our Lord Jesus has said ‘My Peace I leave back with you,’ so we should not be distressed, worried, or troubled about anything.
Believe in Jesus and His Father. Yet, why does our mind waver and not stay on God? God’s mind does not waver about us, so why should our minds waver about Him? God came to serve us, and He was born on this earth into an ordinary carpenter’s family. We must stay focused on the Cross and keep our minds on the Lamb of God. God has taken all our sins upon Him, washed us with His precious blood, and purchased us with His blood. When our focus is on the Cross of Calvary, God will destroy every weapon that comes against us.
The second mountain we read of is in Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” Mount Horeb is named here as the ‘Mountain of God.’ The mountain is one, but different people name it differently. God is one God – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Since Jesus was born in flesh and blood, He is called the Son of Abba Father. On the third day, Jesus arose again from the dead, and remains in our midst. He is known as the Holy Spirit.
Exodus 4:27 “And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him on the mount of God, and kissed him.” Aaron met Moses on Mount Horeb, the Mount of God. On this very mount, God also made the two brothers, Aaron, and Moses meet. Exodus 18:5 “And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God.” Moses also met his entire family on the Mount of God – a great blessing from God. That is why, the enemy will try to distract us from the Mount of God. On the Mount of God, Moses met God first, then his brother Aaron, and finally, his entire family. We too, if we remain focused, will receive all our blessings on the Mount. Once, when the Lord Jesus was preaching in the temple, his family came searching for him. They sent in a message to call him out. At that time, what did Jesus say? ‘Who is my brother, my sister, my mother? Those who keep my Father’s command are my mother, brother, and sister.’
Exodus 24:13 “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.” When the Israelites were in the desert murmuring against the Lord, God spoke to Moses on the Mount. Moses always desired to see the Lord. Exodus 3:5 “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” God told Moses that as this is the Mount of God (the holy mountain), he must remove his footwear and then approach God. Moses met God, his brother Aaron, as well as the rest of his family on this very Mount. Every good thing happened to Moses at the Mount of God. He even got to serve the Lord here.
The Lord spoke to Moses from this Mount when he was chosen to deliver the Israelites from bondage. On the Mount of God, the Lord brought about this big change in Moses’ life. When God met Moses, he was 80 yrs old. We must know that age is no barrier for the Lord when He chooses to use us for His glory.
Romans 1:15-16 “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Always be ready to praise and worship God, for we must become ‘dustbins’ for the Lord, and ask Him to use us. God chose Moses to serve Him at the age of 80. Can we do anything at 80 years? We will probably not be able to walk properly at that age. Imagine how Moses, as a leader, had to walk before the people with full vigour and energy. Did he complain to the Lord for choosing him at an advanced age? As the Israelites followed Moses their leader, they confronted the Red Sea, while at the same time being chased by the huge Egyptian army. Did Moses fear the Red Sea before him and the Egyptian army behind him? No, for Moses looked unto the ‘Mount of God,’ and called unto the Lord in faith, knowing fully well that the Lord God who called him, would also deliver him and the Israelites from the enemy. The Israelites started murmuring against Moses, but Moses’ sight was focused on the Mount of God. We have seen the wonderful miracle the Lord performed thereafter, by parting the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross.
Now we will see the third mountain – Mount Carmel, in 1 Kings 18:19-20 “Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.” Mount Carmel had huge caves, and many of God’s Prophets resided on this Mount. God loves Mount Carmel, as we read in Song of Solomon 7:5 “Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.” There were four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal who assembled on King Ahab’s orders at Mount Carmel, as asked by prophet Elijah. Elijah was successful in burning the bullock sacrificed to the Lord God, while the prophets of Baal could not do so to their sacrifice to Baal. The prophets of Baal then tried to escape, but Prophet Elijah killed all these false prophets. Today, Elijah’s statue wielding a sword is atop Mount Carmel, where he defeated Baal’s prophets, making it a Mount of Victory.
When we tell the Lord, ‘Use me,’ God will anoint us to serve Him. Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Imagine what a dreadful day that was, when the prophets of Baal were defeated by the prophet of God. Once again, this dreadful time will come on earth on the Day of Judgement.
We cannot remain in two minds. We must choose one God, and we cannot keep our feet in two boats at one time. On Mount Carmel, Prophet Elijah defeated the false prophets, and the victory was for the true and mighty living God. Likewise, the Day of Judgement is fast approaching, when we will not be able to change the decisions, our God makes. The time is now when we must take a stand for our living God. Now is the time of God’s grace and mercy, and we must take a decision today. Even today, the people of this world behave as they did during the time of Noah, eating, drinking, making merry, and marrying the children of other castes. Sin abounded on the earth then, and even today the same situation prevails. The time is NOW to turn away from our sins! Just as God sent Prophet Elijah to fight the prophets of Baal, our good Lord has lifted Prophets today to preach the Word and save His people. God is anointing Prophets to teach the truth to His children, to save them ‘NOW!’
Romans 8:31-36 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” The Apostle Paul says to those who know the Lord and love Him, that there are no trials that can separate us from the Lord.
In all these different trials of sadness, injustice, fights, or sorrow, we should not shift our focus from the Mount of God. The devil tried to shift Jesus Christ’s focus from God the Father, but he was not successful. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew His end would come soon, and that he would be betrayed in the Garden. Jesus knew the humiliation He would have to face, and He prayed to His Father, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.’ God gave Jesus the strength to bear all and obtain victory on the Cross of Calvary.
Imagine, in our lives if something like this happened. Will we be focused on the Mount? Many of us would fear and run away, and many would use this opportunity to keep away from suffering, pain, and sacrifice. But for those who overcome this challenge, Jesus, riding a white horse, will come and take away his brides, on Judgement Day. The Angels of God – the Seraphim and Cherubim will come to take you away. Our Lord God is a great God, and He knows every intent of our hearts.
I must carry the Cross and serve the Lord. He shows His Prophets everything, and nothing is hidden from them. Our Lord is the same, and He has not changed. His love for us is the same. The Lord God will make us stand before Him in judgement. I am only a ‘dustbin’ for the Lord. Our Lord God will judge the righteous. Imagine the day when two will be together, and one will be taken away. How will we face that Day of Judgement? As we have read in Romans above, ‘If God be for us who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing and no amount of suffering can separate us.’ Hence, let us be focused on the Mount of God alone, for when God comes to take us, we should be focused on His Mount, wherein He has done wonderful works.
The Mount of God is a sign of a good Christian life. 2 Peter 1:18 “And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” A good Christian is always focused on the Mount. It is at the Mount of God (Mount Horeb), that God made his decision to free the Israelites from bondage. Mount Carmel is the Mount where Baal’s prophets were vanquished by Elijah and God’s prophets. Mount Moriah is known as Jehovahjireh – God will see / The Provider. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world from the heavens, yet He abided by every law of the land. He was baptized with water by John the Baptist, and at that time, the heavens opened, and the Lord spoke. Mathew 3:14-17 “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” If we also remain a ‘dustbin’ for the Lord, we can serve Him. The Lord Jesus lived in perfect righteousness in this world. We can become God’s loving child when we are with Him on the Holy Mount. Psalm 42:2 “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” We must thirst for the Lord and be restless to appear before Him.
John 15:4-6 “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. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” We cannot do anything without the Lord, nor must we do anything without Him. If we are not entwined with the Lord, we cannot bear much fruit, and we will wither away and be cast into the fire. The Lord says, ‘Do not do anything without Me.’ Our lives will be a real hell without the Lord, and only with Him can we reach His Heavenly Kingdom.
We have seen how Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, for sin abounded in these countries. Similarly, if we do not abide in the Lord, He will gather our withered branches and cast us into the fire, where we will be burned. Our Lord permits us to grow together with Him now, but at the End of Time, it is our Lord who will separate us. Our lives should not be worthless with our unrighteous behaviour. Our prayer to God must be ‘Use me Oh Lord, I want to be a dustbin for you!”
When we keep God before everything else, nothing is difficult for the Lord to work in our lives.
We see how the disciples heard the voice of God from the heavens. Mathew 17:1-8 “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart. And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” What was the desire in Peter’s heart when Jesus transfigured? He wanted to make a tabernacle each, for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Instantly, he heard a voice from Heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son: hear Him’ We must keep our Lord God in the forefront always.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Paul talks about a mystery during the last trump, where many of us will not be dead, but sleeping. Jesus’ disciples walked up the mountain, where Peter, James, and John saw the glory of God through Jesus’ transfiguration. The Bible says that ‘Many of us will not die but will be transformed.’ Psalm 48:2 “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” Never shift your focus from Mount Zion, the city of the great King. Psalm 125:1 “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.” Those who focus on Mount Zion will be focused on the Lord, and they cannot be moved. Those who do not have strong faith in God will drown, just as Peter, who drowned when he lost his focus on Jesus, and instead looked to the sea, and was frightened by the tumult of the strong waves. Similarly, we must not shift our focus from our Lord.
Revelation 14:1 “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Without our names in the Book of Life, we cannot enter the Palace on Mount Zion. We must keep our foreheads clean and pure for the Lord since He will inscribe His Name on our foreheads. Without the will of God, we can do nothing. We know the story of the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus. When they died, the rich man reached hell fire, while Lazarus had earlier reached directly into the bosom of Abraham in Heaven. Then, we see in the book of Revelation, how John sees 1,44,000 people on the Mount.
We all have some identification for ourselves – a passport, a PAN card, the mark of the vaccine on our left arm, etc. When the government changes rules, we run helter-skelter to do the needful to abide by the new policy/rule. Remember what the Spirit says to the churches, for we must hear and listen to the Spirit. All sins can be forgiven, but anything done against the Spirit cannot be forgiven. The Spirit speaks to the churches, where the Lord says, ‘Those who have ears let them hear.’
The Prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 8:18 “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” Isaiah says that he and the children whom the Lord has given, live as signs and for wonders in Israel.
For three years, the prophet Isaiah walked naked for God’s glory. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were naked, and they lived happily. Yet, the moment they sinned, they discovered their nakedness, and were ashamed, and the Lord had to sacrifice an animal to use its skin to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. In God’s glory, we are not naked, but it is our sins which bring out our nakedness.
Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” The Lord has anointed us and set His sight upon us for Mount Zion. Nothing should distract us from the Holy Mount. We generally look down. What does ‘looking down’ signify? It signifies hell. We should not look down, rather we should look up high up unto the heavens. The Lord chose us to be kings and priests for Him. Our Father God has loved us very much. He has washed us with His precious blood and made us worthy to stand before Him. Psalm 133:3 “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Hence, whenever the Israelites walked up the Mount of God once a year, they sang Psalms of praise and worship. Those anointed by God know what it is to be anointed, and they ascend unto Mount Zion.
Our God will never take anything from us, rather, He will bless us abundantly. God will always see how we have served Him for His Kingdom, and what humiliation and trials we have faced serving Him. Never lose the Crown of Life through your unrighteousness. The axe is laid at the root of the tree, and those that do not bear fruit will be cut down and cast into fire. Mathew 3:10 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
The Word is true and real. This is the time to introspect within and change for the better. The axe is placed at the root of the tree, and it will be cut down if it does not bear fruit. We should be focused always on our Lord, and work diligently for His Kingdom.
Let this word bless you all,
Pastor Saroja M.
Praise the Lord, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
The rains in Mumbai are in full force and we have experienced quite heavy rainfall in the past month.
The trees around look so green and clean. Also, the temperatures have come down quite a bit and the weather is very pleasant.
The residents of the old age home love sipping coffee and looking out when it is raining.
It is truly a joy to watch them enjoy such small pleasures of life!
Do continue to pray for our residents, as well as all elders of your home, so that the changing climatic situations may not affect their health.
Your sister in Christ,
Pastor Saroja M
It is with much grief I share that, Sis. Victoria Jeevaratna Anchan (83 years old) left her earthly abode on 25 July, 2023.
Sis. Victoria has been with me and associated with the Rose of Sharon Old Age Home since 2003.
Till her last stage of life, she was quite active and involved in all the activities of the Old Age Home.
We pray that Sis. Victoria’s soul may rest in peace in her spiritual abode.
Praise the Lord! The Holy Bible is a wonderful book where life lessons can be learnt by all age groups. Our children are blessed that at such a young age they are taught about the same. We only pray that as they grow, they derive their strength from the Word of God.
This month the Jr. kids learnt about how Jesus walked on the Sea. He is the creator of the earth and the seas. Even the winds obey Him. Jesus is the Almighty God who always protects us. The disciples were in the boat in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was walking towards it while it was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Similarly, today, difficulties also happen in our lives in the same way. But Jesus says, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ We must always keep Jesus in our boat, then we won’t have anything to worry about. As a learning activity, the children were also asked to make a small boat.
The intermediate children learnt how Jesus healed great multitudes (Matt: 15:29-31). Great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So, the multitude marvelled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Because nothing is too hard for the Lord.
The senior children learnt about how David showed kindness to Mephibosheth. There was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. Through her, David came to know that there is a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet. David called him and gave him the authority to dwell in Jerusalem, and to eat continually at the king’s table. This quality of kindness only comes from the Lord, where the Lord has granted the nine fruits of the Holy spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Do continue to keep our children in your daily prayers.