Editor’s note

I am glad to meet and greet you all once again through this magazine in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. He became a mediator and because of His sacrifice God’s glory came into us.

That glory was first seen in the clouds. Second time it was seen in the tabernacle which was the dwelling place of God.

The Lord told Moses in Exodus 25:8, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”

The tabernacle consisted of 3 parts.

1. First there was open place outside for all people to gather, where the sun was the light for them. There was an altar for the burnt offering and a laver for the washing of hands and feet.

2. Second was the holy place, where the candlestick was placed which had seven candles on it. Next to that was the table with the shewbread and next to that the altar with incense.

3. The third place was the holiest of holies.

In the same way, when God created man He made the outer part which is our body. The second part which is holy is our soul. And the third part that is the holiest of holies is our spirit. The Bible says in Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”

To bring His Shekinah glory into man, God brought His Shekinah glory into the tabernacle (Shekinah denotes the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God).

When Solomon finished praying, God’s Shekinah glory filled the temple. 2 Chronicles 7:1&2,

“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.”

The glory of the Lord which came in the cloud filled the temple. When the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years, God’s glory always rested on the tabernacle.

Once the Israelites entered into Canaan there was no need to carry the tabernacle of God. The tabernacle was placed in Siloh.

After Solomon built a temple for God, during the temple inauguration, God’s glory entered and filled the temple.

Do you know where Solomon built the temple? It was at this very place Mt. Moriah where Abraham had taken his son Isaac to be sacrificed. It is the same place where the temple in Jerusalem is built.

This was the place where the Angel stopped the plague. This was known as Ornan’s place. This was the place which God had shown David. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 3:1,“Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

After the completion of the Lord’s temple, during the inauguration, 120 priests were sounding the trumpets when the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 Chronicles 5:13 & 14,“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

My dearly beloved in the Lord, you are also today the temple of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:16,“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

1 Cor 3:9,“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

God’s glory is ready to come and dwell in you. This is the glory which wants to abide in you. This is the glory which wants to abide in you eternally. John 1:14,“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

First the glory was seen in the clouds. Secondly in the tabernacle. The third time in the temple built by Solomon. Fourthly the glory came through Jesus the Son of God.

When Jesus was alive in this world, God the Father’s glory dwelt wholly in Him. He was the Living Word and He manifested God’s glory always. 1 John 1:1,“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”

One day Jesus wished to show His glory to His Apostles. Mathew 17:2,“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

When the Apostles had seen Jesus’s glory they understood the meaning of the words that the Lord spoke to them. John 14:9,“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

When Jesus’s body was torn on the cross, the curtain in God’s temple tore from top to bottom. So the glory which was there till then came out into the open. Now the glory is no more for the high priest. He opened the door for the ordinary believer also to see God’s glory. Romans 9:23,“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.”

The glory of God that dwells in you shall lift you up to greater glory. He will lift you up day by day to greater spiritual experiences.

So dearest ones, be obedient to the Lord and love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul.

I am always praying for you my dear readers. May God bless you.

Yours in His service,

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the lord. My wife Archana was suffering from heat boils. The boil had appeared on the nose and it used to pain her a lot and also she had a burning sensation. We told this matter to Pastor Saroja and she prayed for Archana fervently and counselled her. By Lord’s grace she is perfectly fine now with no marks at all on her face. I give all glory and honour to our Lord Jesus Christ. We also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers and counselling.

Bro. Devdas Swami, Jogeshwari.

Praise the Lord. One day when I went to pick up my son from his school, I tripped over and iron pipe on the way and hurt my legs very badly. I informed Pastor Saroja about the same as I was in terrible pain and Pastor advised me to apply the prayer oil. I did as she advised and the very next day there was no pain or swelling whatsoever. Thank you Jesus for the healing through the prayer oil. All glory and honour to Jesus alone. I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying over the prayer oil.

Sis. Lalitha Francis, Goregaon

Praise the Lord. My son Irwin completed 3 years and we were worried about his school admission. We requested Pastor Saroja to keep the same in prayer as there was an interview scheduled. By Lord’s grace and mercy alone, Irwin cleared interview very nicely and gave all answers correctly. I give all glory to Lord Jesus for his grace upon Irwin as he got his admission. Also, thanks to Pastor Saroja for her sincere and fervent prayers for Irwin.

Sis. Esther Patel, Goregaon

Praise the Lord. One evening I went to my kitchen platform to generally check the ceiling and the side wall since there were some cracks. In order to reach the far end to check, I took a short cut by putting my leg on the stool. The stool gave way and I slipped and fell down and landed straight on my back on the floor. I felt a terrible jerk inside my body and a severe pain on my lower back. I immediately applied the prayer oil on my back and there was no pain or swelling whatsoever. I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus for saving me from a severe injury. Also thanks to Pastor Saroja who prays for the prayer oil every fasting prayer service. Thank you Jesus.

Bro. Austin Roberts, Vakola

Praise the Lord. One day I was returning from a house prayer meeting to my home. On the way there was a wall and behind it there was water. Suddenly the wall fell down and the water level rose till my knees. By God’s grace I was not injured at all. I thank Lord Jesus for saving me from this accident and also thank Pastor Saroja who always prays for the safety of all Church members wherever they are.

Sis. Susamary Francis, Goregaon

Praise the Lord! I am Bro. Muthu from Chennai. For the past one month, I was having fever which used to keep coming and going. I went to the Doctor who said that I was suffering from typhoid and he prescribed a course of medicines. That time I called up Pastor Saroja and asked for prayers. Pastor prayed for me on the phone. I thank and praise God that even before I could complete the medicine course, I was completely healed. Thank you Pastor for your prayers.

B ro. Muthu – Chennai

Praise the Lord!My husband was drinking liquor for many years. He was like one possessed. He could not do without drinks. After drinking he would trouble us a lot. I have two daughters. We were very sorrowful. One day I saw the Rose of Sharon church’s TV program and called up Pastor Saroja to pray. Then I came to the Church and took the prayed over oil. With the use of the prayed over oil and Pastor Saroja’s prayers, we have great peace at home. That is within 15 days of Pastor’s prayers on the phone. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Pastor.

Sis. Reshma Pednekar – Virar

ACTS OF KINDNESS

 

This young man was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road. Work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he’d been unemployed, and with winter coming on, the chill had finally hit home. It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working , this came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He’d better get a move on. You know, he almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help, for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe. He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you Ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan.” Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added “…and think of me.” He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor–it didn’t ring much. Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. . . After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 one-hundred dollar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said: “You don’t owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.” Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s gonna be all right – I love you, Bryan.”

Those who fear God,

will lack for nothing!

Acts 18:6-7 “And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.”Jesus Christ performed many miracles through Apostle Paul, but the people of Judah did not accept any of these miracles. A prophet does not have respect in his own country. Jesus Christ left His Heavenly kingdom and came into this world for our sakes. In this world He performed many miracles and did mighty works according to the will of His Father God. But many people did not accept these miracles and great works. Jesus says in John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

Nine generations before Jesus Christ was born, there used to live a cruel king named Ahab. His wife and queen was Jezebel, who was even worse than the King. Both were involved in idol worshipping; they imported many idols from foreign countries and worshipped them. They had also kept 450 Baal worshipping priests to look after these idols, providing them with all facilities in their country. Thus spreading idol worship in Israel. At that time God lifted up a mighty Prophet named Elijah, in Israel. Prophet Elijah was watching upon the Israelites who had turned into idol worshippers; they danced before the idols, singing, praising, offering child sacrifices and praying that rain would come down from the heavens and bless them. But Prophet Elijah was very angry with these idol worshippers and seeing all their idol

worshipping, he wanted to bring an end to this evil joy of these people. So he prayed to God to stop rain in this country for 3 years and 6 months. God heard Prophet Elijah’s prayer and stopped the rains. The Israelites now started worshipping their idols even more vigorously for rain, but it did not rain and there was drought and famine in the country. But God provided for his faithful Prophet Elijah. He first prepared a raven to feed Elijah by the brook. 1 Kings 17:6 “And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.” The second time God prepared a widow to feed Elijah. He sent Elijah to a house of a Sidon widow in a place called Zarephath, to provide him food. 1 Kings 17:10-13 “So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.” Why did God send Elijah to Sidon? Because King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were Sidonians. The third time God fed Elijah was through an angel. 1 Kings 19:5 “And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” Thus, even in a drought situation, God did not forsake His mighty prophet Elijah, but provided for him through various means.

While the 450 Baal priests were fed and looked after by King Ahab and Jezebel, we wonder what happened to all of them during the drought situation in the country. Let us ponder upon this. We surely know that our great God provided timely food to His mighty Prophet Elijah through the raven, widow and His angel. The same God is with us even today. If we stand in faith for God and keep ourselves away from idol worshippers in this world, whether there is rain or no rain in the country, God will never forsake us. He will fulfill our every need. Prophet Elijah had the zest to serve God within him and thereby punish the idol worshippers of Baal, hence He cursed the land and prayed to God to stop the rains so that these idol worshippers would suffer, for they had forgotten God. The same God will never leave us even today. John 21:9 “As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.”Here we see how Jesus Christ had prepared breakfast for His disciples and had kept it ready for them, knowing that they would be hungry for food. We see here how much Jesus loved His disciples. God is the same today and He loves us too. We must also love Him in return. When we remain focused on God, He is our provider and will

take care of all our needs. Thus we must always pursue God. Psalms 34:10 says “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” In a drought situation even animals would die, but God’s promise for His children is that none will go hungry when they put their trust in Him. Just as God provided food to His prophet Elijah in the time of drought, the same God will feed us even today.

W hat is the name of our God? 2 Kings 2:14 “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”The name of our God is the God of Elijah. If we have the same zest for the Lord, our God will never ever forsake us. Our God has 279 names and along with His name is also added the names of His followers/disciples e.g. Our God is the – God of Abraham, God of Jacob, and God of Isaac. Daniel 3:28 “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.”King Nebuchadnezzar said ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’. Our God will also add our name to His name, when He sees the same zest within us. Just as Elijah cried out to the Lord, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego cried out to him in the furnace. Remember, God resists the proud but blesses the humble. As God’s children we need to lift Jesus higher, so as to draw all men unto Him. This is the main reason that our Jesus sacrificed His life on the Cross for us. We should not mix with those people who are idol worshippers and sacrifice to other gods.We should never have any fellowship with idol worshippers. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were put in the furnace and its temperature was increased seven times more than normal, yet they did not fear death, but joyfully went into the furnace. Their faith was steadfast on the living God. Daniel 6:25-26 “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.” This is our mighty God! Let us choose to serve Him diligently and not be a part of idol worshippers.

Prophet Elisha says in 2 Kings 2:14 “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”Where is the God of Elijah? We know that when Elisha

hit the water of River Jordan with Elijah’s shawl, the water parted and Elisha crossed over. Our God is the God of Daniel, God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. All these men served God with great zest and thus God has attached His name to their names too. Hebrews 11:16 “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”If we serve the Lord God with the same zest, our God will not be ashamed to add His name to our name. All these men did not forsake God, but kept Him before everything in their lives and served Him with great zest. Hebrews 2:11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.”Psalms 63:1 “(A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

Our desire must be like this for the Lord. When Prophet Elijah prayed and stopped the rains for 3 years and 6 months, there were many widows in the land of Zarephath; but why did God choose only this Sidon widow? Luke 4:24-26 “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” It was because Queen Jezebel was a Sidonian. 1 Kings 16:31 “And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.” King Ahab married an idol worshipper’s daughter Jezebel. He sinned thus, but the even greater sin was that he himself became an idol worshipper. This was a great sin committed by King Ahab. Hence God chose Prophet Elijah to go to the house of the Sidon widow in Zarephath. God also taught Elijah to humble himself before the widow. 1 Kings 17:12 “And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” If God had such great desire to feed his servant Elijah, He could have sent him to a rich man’s house for food; but God chose a widow, for a rich, wealthy and wise man would not pay heed to God’s word. In the world even today, men who think they are wise, rich and wealthy never listen to God’s word. He lets them continue as goats (as opposed to sheep); but during the time of judgment, He will surely pluck them out and cast them into hell fire. In the scriptures Jesus said “Let the weeds grow with the good crop; at the time of harvesting, the good crop will be plucked and sent to my warehouse while the weeds will be put into the fire”. Let us not think that our God does not know about us; He knows about each one of us and sees all our doings. One day He will come as a judge to give us His judgment. We must fear God. He knows that the rich will never hear His word, while the poor and humble will adhere to His word immediately.

Even at the time of Prophet Elisha, God worked in similar ways and blessed a widow through him. 2 Kings 4:1-7 “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”Just as in the time of Elijah where the flour and oil did not cease in the widow’s home till the time of drought was over, similarly God blessed the widow through Prophet Elisha too. 1 Kings 17:13-14 “And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”The widow tells Elijah ‘there is only little flour and oil that I can make one cake and feed my son and myself. We will eat it and then die”. Here we see that Elijah did not ask for bread to fill his own hunger, rather He asked for bread from the widow so that God could bless her. Elijah was only an instrument to carry out God’s plan in the widow’s life. Vs. 13 “And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”Elijah said to the widow ‘First, bring me a small bread and then you prepare one for you and your son’.From this, we must always remember that we must give first place and our first fruits to God alone. We know that the widow’s house did not lack for flour and oil until the drought was over in that country. When we give our first fruits to God, our life will never lack for anything. Remember the house of Cana where Jesus was invited for a wedding? As may happen in any normal home, there was a lack of wine during the wedding. But Jesus performed a miracle in this house and converted ordinary water into wine and provided for the lack in this marriage house.

We must learn to give our first fruits to God. Numbers 15:20 “Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it.”Here in this passage the people are taught how to make the first cake and offer it to the Lord God and only then feed the family with the rest. With this gesture, we will be strengthened by God and blessed by Him. God’s desire for all of us is that we be blessed by Him. Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Exodus 23:19 “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.”

Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Deuteronomy 28:12 “The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.”

God says ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’. We must never first distribute our income for everything else and lastly think about God. God does not like it. We must always keep God foremost in our lives and then expect our blessings from Him. God expects our first fruits be given to Him and only then He will bless us. The Word says ‘Give Caesar what is Caesar’s and then give God what is due to Him”. Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”The God of Abraham, God of Jacob, God of Isaac, and God of Daniel will never make anything less in our lives. Our name will also be added along with God’s name and He will bless us. In the scriptures, we know the story of the widow and her two copper coins. Jesus stood at the temple treasury and watched all the offerings coming forth into the offering box. He witnessed about this widow to His disciples saying ‘She has offered her everything to God, not thinking about tomorrow’. Mark 12:41-44 “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”Our

God has not changed, He is the same God yesterday, today and forever an unchanging God. It is we who change. When we think of God last, we cannot expect anything good from God. When we give God last priority, our life becomes redundant, as we read in Ecclesiastes 10:1 “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”When a fly falls into a good bottle of oil, the bottle of oil becomes a big waste. We must never waste our lives in this way. God knows each one’s situation, nothing is hidden from Him. He will judge us accordingly. When Jesus comes to take His elect, He will judge righteously.

Psalms 50:5 “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”We have to make a covenant with Jesus Christ, just as Prophet Elijah, Prophet Elisha, the widow of Zarephath and the other widow gave God the first place in their lives and were blessed. Thus God in turn added their names to His name. We must also strive that God will add our name to His name and bless us.

May this message bless all those who read it! Praise the Lord!

 

Pastor Saroja M.

Rose of Sharon Old Age Home

Greetings once again to all our dear readers in the most Holy and Matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus of Nazareth.

In this month’s article I would like to share about the Lord’s marvelous work in the life of our dear aunty Meena Noronha.

Aunty Meena moved into the Rose of Sharon old age home 3 years back in March 2013. When she came to the home, aunty Meena who was a diabetic patient, was under medications for the same. But after coming to the home the Lord helped in lowering her blood sugar level to such an extent that we were forced to stop her diabetic tablets. Since the last 3 years she is under no diabetic medicines. All glory to God alone for this wonderful miracle in this granny’s life.

Meena granny is also a psychiatric patient and sometimes can be very difficult to control. When she gets in this fit, she will usually run around the home and make loud noises, just to draw attention. This has happened a couple of times since coming to the home. But each time once her medications are changed and administered to her, we see a difference and this behaviour can be brought under control. Once she is okay, she behaves like a normal person. She spends more time in reading the Bible and interacting with other residents of the home. She loves playing carrom with the other residents of the home and also spends time watching TV.

Lastly, I would like to sum up by saying that despite her weaknesses, God has kept her in good health and in good hands where she is taken good care of with a lot of love and patience.

Thank You Jesus, Praise The Lord…

 

Praise The Lord!

It’s vacation time of the year, there’s a lot to do for the children with fun and games.

A t Sunday School, they are now learning the lesson of Moses. The growing number of Israelites and the restless Pharoah. The Pharoah was never happy about Israelites growing strong in might and numbers. He felt that someday they will out do the Eygptians and take over their land. Theylearnt about the increase in torture on the laboring Israelites, yet they turning out to be strong and fit. Eventually, the Pharoah decides to kill the Hebrew male children at around the same time Moses is born. At every step, God wonderfully, strengthens and helps the Israelites, we will be studying 

the book of Exodus for the entire month of May.

May the Lord bless the children to increase in knowledge and wisdom in Christ.