Praise the Lord. I greet all our brothers and sisters in Christ, through this monthly edition of the Rose of Sharon newsletter.

2 Corinthians 11:26-28 “in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness — besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” The apostle Paul recounts how when he travelled to different countries and cities, he came across different types of people. In the process, he experienced a lot of suffering and endured pain, yet in all these times of trouble, his relationship with God only grew stronger; and he never stepped back from praying to the Lord. In fact, his sorrow and pain only brought him closer to the Lord, and the Lord put much compassion in his heart for the people of all Churches.

Unlike the apostle Paul, Jonah, a prophet chosen by God, who should have been praying all the time, was found sleeping at a time of trouble. Jonah 1:6 “So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”  

As Christians, we must be very careful! In whatever situation we are, our prayer life should never take a backseat, and we must always keep God close to us. This is possible only through prayer. Prayer is a time when we talk to God. He replies to our every petition, according to our faith. The path of a true Christian life is very narrow, as Jesus Christ also repeatedly said, ‘if they laughed and mocked at me, they will not spare you.’ But the greatest assurance of Christ which we have and hold on to is ‘Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ Praise the Lord for such a wonderful promise which can help us overcome any type of trial and tribulation in our life.

Today, if we are spiritually asleep, once again the Lord is waking us up from our deep slumber. We may be ‘asleep’ in different ways and situations, but every situation of ours is known to God, and nothing is hidden from Him. Acts 20:31 says “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Never be neglectful in your prayer life. We must always be watchful and prayerful, lest the devil steps in, and plays his dirty tricks on our lives. Just as our God neither slumbers nor sleeps, likewise the evil one never bats an eyelid but is an ever-prowling lion. He waits to pounce over us, especially when we are weak and away from the presence of God, as that is the time that we become easy prey for him.

Mark 1:35 ” Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Jesus always used to pray at dawn, while it was yet dark. Darkness in our lives brings all kinds of sinful thoughts and wicked plans. It is in the darkness that all types of evil thoughts are splashed across our minds. We must always be watchful, especially during the nights. The moment the devil attacks us through our thoughts, we must get down onto our knees and pray for the Lord’s presence. It is when we are alone, that the devil sows seeds of unbelief in our minds. If God is with us and we are in His presence, no evil work can ever be fulfilled in our lives.

Just as we educate ourselves in matters of the world and keep updating and upgrading ourselves to the latest technologies, fashion, etc., in the same way, we must keep constantly upgrading and updating our relationship with our Lord, and see how we can be of use for the works of His Kingdom.

Hence, be awake, be watchful, and be prayerful! The end-times are near and we are now living in the ‘grace period.’ We must not lose the grace of God in our lives by being lethargic and indifferent, for by doing so we hand ourselves to the evil one, literally on a platter!

Let the above strengthen each one of us and bless us all!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord. Early one morning, Sara woke up all of a sudden with a cry, and then she was silent. I was in the kitchen, and I wondered why and how she cried only once and then stopped crying. I immediately ran to see her and saw that her body had gone completely stiff. Her eyes had gone up, water was dripping out of her mouth, and she was not responding to our calls, unlike as on the previous occasion, when this had happened. We got so scared, and we immediately called up Pastor Saroja and explained to her the whole matter. Pastor advised us to give Sara the prayer oil and assured us of her prayers. My husband and myself were very worried because this had happened for the second time, and we were clueless of what was happening to her. But our great Lord immediately answered the prayers of His daughter Pastor Saroja. Pastor called us and told us that it was just because of extreme gas that Sara was having this problem, and we need not worry. My daughter Sara was normal after drinking the prayer oil. I give all glory and praise to our Lord Jesus for healing my daughter and I thank Pastor Saroja for her sincere and fervent prayers for Sara.

*Sis. Esther Patel, Mira Road, Maharashtra.

Praise be to Lord Jesus. I had severe body pain, due to which I could not attend to my work at my photo studio. I requested for prayers from the Rose of Sharon Church Prayer Tower. Within two days, I got perfectly well. I am listening to Pastor Saroja’s messages on Youtube daily. Thank You, Jesus. Thank you Rose of Sharon Church Ministry for praying for me.

*Bro. Sunil, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise the Lord. This year, due to the Covid-19 situation, receiving any bonus which was due to us as a part of our annual bonus payout, looked very difficult. I had requested Pastor Saroja to pray for the same, and thanks to Pastor’s prayers and God’s grace and love, I did receive my annual bonus payout! True to the word of God that we have been listening to, even in times of famine, He pours out His blessings on His children and He has fulfilled the same in my life. God is good, and I can sincerely testify and thank Him today. Even in these difficult times around the world, God has continued to bless me and provide for all of my needs. I thank Pastor for all her prayers and teachings, due to which we are able to receive these blessings in our life. Thank You Lord for Your continued blessings and healing in my life.

*Sis. Joy Shalaka Salins, Mira Road, Maharashtra.

Praise the Lord! My right hand was paining since a long time. Also, my wife E. Rose was experiencing stomach ache. We called the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower for prayers, and the Prayer warrior prayed for both of us. Since then, we have no pain at all. We give glory to Lord Jesus for healing us. And, we sincerely thank the Rose of Sharon Church team for praying for us.

*Bro. Mathias Parage, Maharashtra (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise the Lord. For more than a year I could not sleep without taking sleeping pills. I finally called up the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower for prayers, and told them of my problem of sleeplessness for over five days, inspite of taking so many sleeping tablets. The prayer warrior prayed for me. I thank my Lord Jesus that I have been able to sleep well without any tablets since that day. Praise God, and I sincerely thank the Rose of Sharon Ministry for their prayers.

*Sis. Narin Pradhan, Sikkim. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

There was an 8 year old boy in an orphanage who wanted nothing more in the world than to belong to a family and he kept praying that God would send a loving family who would adopt him. Finally, one day his prayers were answered, and a family adopted him! Introductions were made, papers were signed, and just six days after his 8^th  birthday he left for his new home.

He carried with him the only belongings he had- his old torn clothes, a single soft toy and his torn shoes!

A special celebration dinner was held on his arrival and his parents did everything to make him feel welcome. His parents gave him his own room. He was introduced to the other kids in the street as “their son”. Since he did not have any clothes, they bought him beautiful new clothes. They bought him a bike and more toys, and pretty soon he began to feel just like all the other kids in the neighborhood, loved and a part of a family.

One thing however was puzzling. The young boy’s old shoes, the ones with the big holes in them, weren’t tossed out. His father placed them on the mantelpiece.

It wasn’t long before the newly adopted son found out why. One day, the boy did something terrible and started abusing his mother. At that time, his father got those shoes said to him, “Look at all we’ve done for you. We took you in when you had nothing, but look how you are behaving now.”

This sentence struck his heart and his days in the orphanage flashed through his mind. Immediately, the boy realized that how he had taken his parents  love for granted. He asked for forgiveness from his parents and fell on his knees and thanked the Lord for all the blessings he had received in life, even when he was not worthy!

Unfortunately, we do the same thing too often in our spiritual relationship with God. Our Good Lord has blessed us with so many things- He gave us good homes, families, jobs, forgiven our sins, made us something from nothing  etc etc . . . . . the list is never ending.

BUT, after receiving all good things from our Lord, we tend to forget our past and start taking His love, grace and mercy towards us for granted. We start drifting away from His word. We start speaking against His chosen ones, and start leading a worldly life. At that time, the same Lord who forgives our sins and not does remember it, REMINDS us of our past.

As given in Isaiah 51:1, Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.”

Hence always be humble, abide under the Lord’s mighty Hand and never ever forget the blessings we have received through our Lord Jesus because that is the key to continue receiving more and more blessings!

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.”

Jesus once told the people, in Mathew 12:50 “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” When we come to church to congregate together as one family, we must never have any thoughts of disparity in our minds. Everyone comes to church to learn more about God, how to love Him, how to live a life pleasing to Him, how to grow in faith, etc. Hence, when we come to church, we must come with love for one another. We must remember that no one comes here of his own, but according to the will of God, for God plucks and uproots those who do not belong here. Why does Jesus open our wounds? So that we may repent and turn unto Him. What God does not desire, He uproots. Those who come to church, come with the fear of the Lord, because of their love for Him; they come to hear and learn more of God’s Word, thus fulfilling God’s plan and will in their lives. As we read in the book of Mathew, Jesus did not feel ashamed to call sinners his brothers, sisters, and mothers. Father God sent Jesus into this world for this very reason, to set us free from our sins and filthiness; so that we would repent and turn to Him.

Jesus says in the book of Mathew, that those who have come are sinners come to repent, and they are Jesus’ brothers, sisters, and mothers. We have seen even today, that many people hate to go to church; while there are others, who though they may be sick, weak, or encumbered in their sorrows and pain, they love to come to church. This means that God has already put His love within them, for they believe Him and love to come to church. In the Holy Scriptures, we have seen several examples of people in their old age serving God in the Holy Temple, some of whom were widows who dedicated their lives to the Lord, remaining in service in God’s temple. Though their lives were filled with sorrow and pain, yet they derived their happiness from the Lord in the Holy Temple. Hebrew 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.” We have also read in Mathew 12, that Jesus’ family were waiting outside the temple, calling for Him; where He responded, ‘who is my brother, my mother? Those who do the will of God, they are my brother and my mother.’ Mat 12:47 “Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.”

Wherever Jesus stood and preached to a congregation, whether in a temple or on a boat, that place became a stage for preaching God’s Word. Jesus was preaching in the temple, when His brothers and mother sent for Him, in the hope that Jesus would leave the congregation and go and meet them. But this Jesus did not do, for He came into this world to complete the work of His Father and save people from perishing.

Mat 12:48-50 “But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Those standing outside the temple were his brothers and mother, while in the temple, Jesus was preaching to His spiritual brothers, sisters, and mothers. Jesus said in Mat 12:50 “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Hence, when we come to church, we must never be ashamed to call each other our brother and sister and also show no disparity, thereby being impartial to all. Whether big or small, we all come to the Holy Temple according to God’s will and plan.

Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.” Just as Jesus did not hesitate to call us His brothers, sisters, and mothers, likewise we should also not be ashamed to mix with our brethren as one family. Was the multitude who sat before Jesus in the Holy Temple worthy to be called His brothers and sisters? No, but Jesus gave them this privilege; His grace, mercy, and love to them made them His brothers, sisters, and mothers. Similarly, even if we think people around us may not be worthy of our love, we should still have that brotherly love within us and share the same with them. Whatever may be the differences in our lives – one may be a boss, while another a peon, one may be working in a fancy air-conditioned office while another in a small simple office, but remember, before God, we are all equal and we should not keep any disparity in our lives. We must treat everyone as equals and love one another with no disparity.

In this temple, we have always been taught to love one another. Yet, at times we may say ‘you people’ and ‘their people.’ The devil teaches us to differentiate, but Jesus came to teach us to love one another. Though we are not worthy to be called His family, He has made us worthy to be His brothers, sisters, and mothers. If time and again these thoughts of differentiation come within our congregation, be aware that God does not like this attitude. In the Lord’s eyes, all are equal and His love is an impartial love toward all.

When we were not worthy of His love, Jesus made us His brother, sister, and mother. Hence, we must also treat our brethren likewise. It is only our attitude that puts such thoughts in our minds. God’s Word comes freely to us and it is up to us to receive it or not. As the Pastor of this congregation, I have to speak the Word in truth. Remember, when God did not show disparity, then why should we think disparity within our hearts and minds? In our church, there are no separate messages for different groups. When we celebrate an occasion in the church, there is no different food laid out for different groups. Then, why should we allow such thoughts in our minds? These evil and divisive thoughts are always put in by the devil. Whatever the circumstance in our lives, our prayer to God should be, ‘Cast me not away from your presence, Oh Lord!’ We must live and die for the Lord. When Jesus hung on the Cross, the multitudes standing near the Cross thought that they did a great job by betraying Jesus, having Him captured, and delivering Him into the hands of the enemy. Little did they realise what a big sin they were committing. Similarly, today we must never permit divisive thoughts into our minds, rather, we must rebuke such thoughts if and when they germinate in our mind.

Leaving behind such divisive thoughts, we must aim to live in love and harmony with people. Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Since our God did not punish us according to our sins, it is important for us also to forgive our family member’s sins. Just as Jesus considered us His brothers, sisters, and mothers, and forgave us, likewise we must think of our brethren as our own and forgive them too. Jesus is our teacher and He teaches us the truth, His way is always the true way. Which of us has not wronged our parents? As parents too, we have sinned. So, why should we not forgive our children when they do wrong? Imagine if Jesus Christ remembers all our sins and never forgives us. We would then have been destroyed long ago. But Jesus is love, and with His love, He has forgiven us our sins. He has embraced us into His love fold, and till today He has kept us embraced in His arms. Now, it is our duty to correct and forgive our children too.

Psalm 127:3-5 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Children are God’s gift to us. They are not ordinary, they are a heritage from God, a fruit of the womb, and His reward. Even if our child is lame, blind, dumb, deaf, fair or dark, boy or girl, we have to love our children. We should never be partial to any child and show disparity to one another. It is a great sin to love one more than the other. Boy or girl, both are God’s gift to us. We must love both equally. Jesus hates it when we do not love our children. Remember, we too are sons and daughters of God. Imagine if God hated us, what would happen to us? Hence, we must love our children equally. It is vital to have the love of God in our hearts and love all in the congregation equally.

Though we are great sinners, unworthy of anything, still Jesus did not hesitate to call us His brothers, sisters, and mothers. Psalm 128:3 “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.” Our children are like olive plants. Our children are referred to, by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:23 “Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.” Our children are like messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ; the more the reason for us to love our children unconditionally, for they will grow up to be messengers of the churches. When we grow old, it is our children who will continue to praise and worship God and be the glory of Christ.

When the time was ripe for Jesus to leave His disciples and go away, such thoughts of disparity came into the minds of His disciples too. They started thinking about who would be in top positions, and who in lesser positions. They wondered who would sit on the right and the left of Jesus. Bitterness came between them. Jesus prayed to His Father God in John 17:21-23 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” Jesus desires that as His Father and He are one, so must we also be as one with Him. Jesus prayed for unity and oneness amongst His disciples. Similarly, there must be unity and oneness in His holy congregation too. Acts 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” Here we see amongst the congregation, an example of unity and oneness, for they had faith in God, and lived in the love and fear of God. The place where believers meet is known as a General Assembly. Hebrews 12:23 “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Such a congregation is not ordinary, for they are purchased by the love and blood of Jesus. Jesus is the Holy Spirit and His Spirit has made congregations perfect. We must always remember that this Holy Temple is prepared for us by our Lord God, so let us live in this congregation with fear, love, and unity for God’s glory.

Storms will be there in our lives, but Jesus is the master of the storm. In the Holy Scriptures, we have read about two houses. Both looked the same, yet when the storm came, one crumbled while the other faced the storm, and stood firm and strong. This was because the second house was built on a rock, while the first one was built on sand. We must be like the house that stands firm. Our lives will never be easy, storms will arise, and sickness and troubles will come. We will fall a thousand times, but it is God alone who will lift us up each time. There will be a lack, but when our faith is in God, He will fulfill our every lack. Our house will never crumble when we build it on the Rock. Our roots must be firmly rooted in the Rock. Though both houses looked alike, yet when the storm came, one stood firmly while the other crumbled. Our faith must always be on the Rock.

Job lived happily with his family. He may never have imagined that God would test him someday. In our lives too, our trials and tribulations may be a test from God. When we hang on in faith, our victory will come from our God, just as in the case of Job, who suffered to the hilt. Not only did Job lose everything in his life (people and possessions), but his physical body was also inflicted with illness and sores on his body, causing him to scratch and scrape himself till he bled. Job was sorrowful, and even his wife and friends reviled him for his condition. But Job’s faith and trust were in the Lord alone. He knew that through all his sufferings, God was with Him. Job knew that after this trial, He would be purified as gold for the Lord God.

We too must remember that however much the evil one tries to destroy us, it is God’s grace alone that saves us each day. How many people have been delivered of evil spirits in this Holy Temple? This evil may not leave us but will return to shake us again. Yet, it is God alone who safeguards us from this evil. Many a time, God allows these adversities in our lives, to tests our hearts. When we can receive blessings from God, can we not receive sorrows also, knowing full well that He alone can deliver us from all sorrow and pain?

Job, in the end, said, ‘Naked I came, naked I will go. God has given and He can take it.’ Job’s wife adjured him and told Job to curse God and die. But, Job said unto her in Job 2:10 “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” Likewise, always trust God and know that everything God does, He does for our good alone.

A congregation is a General Assembly of God, so when we come into God’s Holy Temple, our hearts must not disbelieve and doubt. We should never come into His Holy Temple only for blessings. We must have a deep love for one another. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” God loved us when we were strangers in Egypt. Can we not then love our brethren?

As your Pastor, I have seen your sorrow and pain, and have prayed for you. Likewise, once we are free from our burdens, we must stand in between God and our brethren in prayers. We must remember our deliverance from sin and become prayer warriors for others.

God heard Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 18:2-5  “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.” Abraham fed strangers and also gave them a place to rest, and so God blessed Abraham. When we feed our friends, relatives, and acquaintances, it is not a great thing that we do, for everyone normally does that; but to feed and give shelter to strangers is special in God’s sight.

Jesus did everything good for the multitudes who stood around His Cross and screamed ‘crucify Him, crucify Him.’ They spat at Jesus, reviled and cursed Him, and flogged him. Yet Jesus, while on the Cross only prayed for them, saying ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’ It is easy to love our friends, family, and acquaintances, but to love strangers or our enemies is difficult. Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” The soldiers also gambled for his clothes, yet Jesus prayed for them.

Even today, we bring sorrow to God with our words, action, and deeds, yet God loves us and forgives us. Can anyone of us say that we have not pained God with our lies, our actions, thoughts, and deeds? None of us can, for we have all hurt God many a time in our lives, yet Jesus is all-loving and caring for us, and asks His Father God to forgive us. It is only God’s grace for us, that we are loved by Him even today. Just as the robber on the Cross who realized his sins and asked for forgiveness, and God immediately showered His grace upon him and forgave him, similarly we must also ask for forgiveness, and gain God’s grace in our lives.

Jesus prayed to His Father God for His disciples, saying, ‘just as We both are one, let them also be one with Us.’ Today, Jesus prays for our congregation saying, ‘Father keep this congregation in Unity and Oneness, for they do not know what they are doing, forgive them.’ Henceforth, never have disparity and differences within us and our congregation. These are evil thoughts put by the devil in our lives. Never let pride come between God and us.

The reason for the fall of Adam and Eve was for the same reason, wherein the devil enticed them to eat the forbidden fruit telling them they would gain the wisdom of God. Thereafter, they ate the fruit and fell into sin. God had kept a commandment for Adam & Eve to not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God wanted them to be obedient to His command. Similarly, even today God keeps commandments in our lives to mould us and test our faith and trust in Him, to see truthfulness in us, and to test our love for Him.

God will not give us everything entirely, He will always retain something in His hand. He will check on our obedience for Him. Remember, in the incident of the Tower of Babel, how when people of the earth were in unity, God knew that they could build the tallest tower? Similarly, Jesus gave His disciples the power to perform greater miracles than He did on this earth. But we must also remember that God will not give us everything, for He will retain something in His hands, so that we remember and love Him each day, and be faithful to Him.

May the love of God be in every family and we be faithful to Him in everything we do! God desires us to be His sheep and follow Him, rather than goats running here and there. Only when we are His sheep, will we hear our Good Shepherd’s voice. Jesus says ‘My sheep will hear my voice and follow me.’

Romans 12:20-21 “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” We must write this Word across our hearts.

Let the light of God shine upon us and let us shine for His glory. Even as God forgave us our sins, let us also forgive the sins of our brethren and children, and love them, rather than keep grudges in our hearts.

May the Word bless us, Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord!  Greetings to all my readers with hope and prayers that all of you are safe and healthy!  The current news that Covid 19 cases are increasing in Mumbai is very disturbing. We earnestly request all our readers to take care of themselves and the elders in their family.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” No one knows what the future holds for us or what will happen in our old age. The key to earning the Lord’s grace is that, whenever possible, in our younger days or days of strength we have to perform good deeds for the Lord’s kingdom, because one day a time will come that we cannot do things on our own and at that time we can survive only with His grace.

Old age is a blessing from God. Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” True to this word, whenever I see the residents in our ROS Old aged home, I always think that sometime or somewhere they have done good deeds for the Lord’s Kingdom, because this word has come to pass in their lives.  Our Lord Jesus has blessed them with a Home, protected them and continuing to supply all their needs.  Praise the Lord for His wonderous mercies on all the lives of our residents!

Dear readers, always do good deeds in every way possible and whenever you can and your good Lord who will see in secret will bless and take care of you to the ends of time.

Do continue to keep all our residents in your daily prayers.

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the Lord! As we celebrated the day of love last month this takes me down the memory lane of a short story on unconditional love.

A shop owner placed a sign board in his store “Puppies For Sale.” A boy saw the sign and approached the owner; “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.

The store owner replied, “Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 rupees. The boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have 1,000 rupees,” he said. “Can I please look at them?” The shop owner smiled and whistled and out came 7 tiny fur balls running towards the boy.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?” The shop owner explained the little puppy didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said; “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you Rs 1,000 now, and Rs 500 each a month until I have him paid for.”

The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy. “How much?” asked the little boy. “No charge,” answered the farmer, “There’s no charge for love.”

This is the same with God’s love towards us even though we are unworthy and useless, He overlooks our weakness because His Son Jesus purchased us with His precious blood.