Editor’s Note

I wish that this Christmas season will bring great joy to all my readers, my Rose of Sharon family and my dear friends all around the world. May the blessings we have through the birth of Jesus Christ be with you and your families.

Jesus who was born in the flesh through Mary; having being born in your hearts is the true Christmas. The glorious faith of Jesus living in me makes me His child and Him my Father. So let us celebrate Christmas joyfully.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.When you receive Jesus in your hearts, you will receive many problems like insults, criticisms and persecutions in you and your family’s lives. Do not fear, for you are the blessed ones.

Apostle Paul offered himself as Mary offered herself to the Lord. Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. Not only that, he toiled very hard to bring many to Christ. My beloved ones, you also must travail in prayer, as Paul did to bring many to Christ.

As time passes and the end of the year is nigh, be alert and prepared for the coming of Christ is near. In Revelation 22 at the end, the voice comes out from the heart of the Son of man. Revelations 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

In this world, all the righteous people say ‘Jesus come quickly’. Song of Solomon 8:14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

On the other hand, our Lord is hastening us saying; ‘my dearly beloved and beautiful one, rise up and come’. We can see the sign of our Lord’s coming. Song of Solomon 2:12-14 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good s mell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

If any one of you has backslidden from the Lord, then be like the prodigal son who took a decision to come back to the father.Luke 15:18-20 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

In the same manner, we should rise up and come back to the Lord. More than that, we should be perfect in holiness. Whatever work you do, be in fellowship with the Lord.

Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

When Apostle John accepted the call of our Lord to rise and come, he was taken in the spirit to heaven and it was revealed to him of the things that were to come. And he wrote the revelations that were shown to him.

Today, many new people are being saved and many receive anointing and many are serving the Lord in many ways, and preparing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the other side, many who have not known the love of God are in a trance and are asleep.

Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.This is the time for you to rise up and shine. The Spirit wants you to hasten to rise and shine. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Do not be foolish, but be wise and careful in using your time.

Eph 5:15-16 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The Lord, in sorrow says: ‘nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love’. Revelations 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

For if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged. For your spirit to be perfect with the Lord, leave the heaviness of your sleep and rise and shine for the Lord. Let your ears be open to the Lord’s call.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

My beloved ones, I hope this message will waken you up to hear the call of our God and for each one of us to prepare for the coming of Jesus, so that you and your families may have a joyous Christmas.

May God bless you all!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord. I thank my Lord for the opportunity He has given me to testify the wonderful work He has done at my work place. I was promoted in my job, by God’s grace alone. In fact there are many colleagues who were senior to me and due for promotion. But only four people were promoted and I was one amongst them. This is God’s marvelous doing in my life. I thank God for His grace and kindness upon me and also thanks to Pastor Saroja who continuously prays for me and my family. Thank you Jesus!

Bro. Chetan Chilla, Mira Road (East)

Praise the Lord. Firstly I ask for forgiveness for giving this testimony late. I give the Lord God thanks for giving me an opportunity to testify His wondrous work done in my life. For the past three years I was suffering from a bleeding problem. My periods were erratic; it would come for two days then stop, then again continue for 2-3 days. This has been my problem since the past three years. We also consulted a doctor, who advised me to clean the uterus bag. I told about this problem to Pastor Saroja and she assured me of her prayers.

Once again the bleeding problem recurred, this time the doctor advised me to do sonography. The report showed a big gland in the uterus. Doctor advised for an operation and removal of gland. Once again, I informed Pastor and she assured me of her prayers. By God’s grace and Pastor’s prayers the operation was successful; both the gland and uterus bag was removed. I thank God for His grace and mercy upon me and also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers for me and my family always.

Sis. Elizabeth Arikswamy, Jogeshwari (East)

Praise the Lord. Firstly I ask for forgiveness for giving this testimony late. In June, I had come for healing prayer; that evening my stomach and back was paining very badly. I told about this to Pastor Saroja and she prayed for me and advised me to drink prayer oil and lots of water. On reaching home, I did as Pastor Saroja advised, and the pain stopped immediately. I give thanks to my Lord God for healing me and also thanks to Pastor Saroja for her prayers. Thank you also Pastor for always praying for me and my family.

Sis. Shelley Arikswamy, Jogeshwari (East)

Praise the Lord. During last month’s fasting prayers I had kept a prayer request to get a part time job in coaching class. I also informed Pastor Saroja of this and she assured me of her prayers. By God’s grace, the same month I got a call from one of the coaching classes and by God’s grace I got the part time job. I give all glory, honour and thanks to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thanks also to Pastor Saroja for her sincere and fervent prayers for me and my family always.

Sis. Esther Patel, Goregoan (East)

Praise the Lord. Firstly I thank God for His kindness and mercy upon me and my family. This testimony is for my daughter Grace, who fell down in school and hurt her private place and was in a lot of pain. I informed Pastor Saroja about this and she assured me of her prayers and advised me to apply prayer oil on the wound. Immediately, the next day her wound was healed and the pain too subsided. I thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus for healing her and thank Pastor Saroja for praying over the oil and also her prayers for Grace. Thank you Jesus!

Sis. Hema Chilla, Mira Road (East)

Praise the Lord! In May this year I was suffering from various health issues; specifically I had a problem of irregular periods. I told this matter to Pastor Saroja who prayed for me after the Church service and advised me to drink prayer oil in water. I am happy to testify that I am now healed of all health issues and my periods have now regularized. I thank our Lord God for healing me and sincerely thank Pastor Saroja for her guidance, advise and fervent prayers. Thank you Jesus!

Sis. Smita Wilson, Thane

Praise the Lord! Sorry for this late testimony. In the month of March this year my mother had severe eye infection, due to which her eyes had turned red and her vision was affected. Also, her eyes were itching. We showed her to an Eye Specialist several times and he prescribed various drops and medicines. Because these medicines were many, she developed acidity and vomited everything she ate. She was extremely restless. We had to admit her to the hospital, but the same medicines continued. My wife then called Pastor Saroja and informed her of the problem and Pastor assured us of her prayers. Soon she started feeling better and is now completely healed. I thank my Lord God for healing my mother and also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers which the Lord always answers. Thank you Jesus!

Bro. Joseph Samuel, Kurla (West)

A TRUE CHRISTMAS STORY – About a week before Christmas the family bought a new nativity scene. When they unpacked it they found 2 figures of the Baby Jesus. “Someone must have packed this wrong,” the mother said, counting out the figures. “We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three shepherds, two lambs, a donkey, a cow, an angel and two babies. Oh, dear! I suppose some set down at the store is missing a Baby Jesus because we have 2.” You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we have an extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes saying that if a set is missing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats, it’s freezing cold out there.”  The manager of the store copied down mother’s message and the next time they were in the store they saw the cardboard sign that read, “If you’re missing Baby Jesus, call 7126.” All week long they waited for someone to call. Surely, they thought, someone was missing that important figurine. Each time the phone rang mother would say, “I’ll bet that’s about Jesus,” but it never was. Father tried to explain there are thousands of these scattered over the country and the figurine could be missing from a set in Florida or Texas or California. Those packing mistakes happen all the time. He suggested just put the extra Jesus back in the box and forget about it. “Put Baby Jesus back in the box! What a terrible thing to do,” said the children. “Surely someone will call,” mother said. “We’ll just keep the two of them together in the manger until someone calls.” When no call had come by 5:00 on Christmas Eve, mother insisted that father “just run down to the store” to see if there were any sets left. “You can see them right through the window, over on the counter,” she said. “If they are all gone, I’ll know someone is bound to call tonight.” “Run down to the store?” father thundered. “It’s 15 below zero out there!” “Oh, Daddy, we’ll go with you,” Tommy and Mary began to put on their coats. Father gave a long sigh and headed for the front closet. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered. Tommy and Mary ran ahead as father reluctantly walked out in the cold. Mary got to the store first and pressed her nose up to the store window. “They’re all gone, Daddy,” she shouted. “Every set must be sold.”  “Hooray,” Tommy said. “The mystery will now be solved tonight!” Father heard the news still a half block away and immediately turned on his heel and headed back home. When they got back into the house they noticed that mother was gone and so was the extra Baby Jesus figurine. “Someone must have called and she went out to deliver the figurine,” my father reasoned, pulling off his boots. “You kids get ready for bed while I wrap mother’s present.”  Then the phone rang. Father yelled “answer the phone and tell ‘em we found a home for Jesus.” But it was mother calling with instructions for us to come to 205 Chestnut Street immediately, and bring three blankets, a box of cookies and some milk. “Now what has she gotten us into?” my father groaned as we bundled up again. “205 Chestnut. Why that’s across town. Wrap that milk up good in the blankets or it will turn to ice before we get there. Why can’t we all just get on with Christmas? It’s probably 20 below out there now. And the wind is picking up. Of all the crazy things to do on a night like this.” When they got to the house at 205 Chestnut Street it was the darkest one on the block. Only one tiny light burned in the living room and, the moment we set foot on the porch steps, my mother opened the door and shouted, “They’re here, Oh thank God you got here, Ray! You kids take those blankets into the living room and wrap up the little ones on the couch. I’ll take the milk and cookies.”  “Would you mind telling me what is going on, Ethel?” my father asked. “We have just walked through below zero weather with the wind in our faces all the way.”  “Never mind all that now,” my mother interrupted. “There isn’t any heat in this house and this young mother is so upset she doesn’t know what to do. Her husband walked out on her and those poor little children will have a very bleak Christmas, so don’t you complain. I told her you could fix that oil furnace in a jiffy.”  My mother strode off to the kitchen to warm the milk while my brother and I wrapped up the five little children who were huddled together on the couch. The children’s mother explained to my father that her husband had  run off, taking bedding, clothing, and almost every piece of furniture, but she had been doing all right until the furnace broke down.  “I been doin’ washin’ and ironin’ for people and cleanin’ the five and dime,” she said. “I saw your number every day there, on those boxes on the counter. When the furnace went out, that number kept going’ through my mind. 7162 7162. Said on the box that if a person was missin’ Jesus, they should call you. That’s how I knew you were good Christian people, willin’ to help folks. I figured that maybe you would help me, too. So I stopped at the grocery store tonight and I called your misses. I’m not missin’ Jesus, mister, because I sure love the Lord. But I am missin’ heat. I have no money to fix that furnace.”  “Okay, Okay,” said father. “You’ve come to the right place. Now let’s see. You’ve got a little oil burner over there in the dining room. Shouldn’t be too hard to fix. Probably just a clogged flue. I’ll look it over, see what it needs.”  Mother came into the living room carrying a plate of cookies and warm milk. As she set the cups down on the coffee table, I noticed the figure of Baby Jesus lying in the center of the table. It was the only sign of Christmas in the house. The children stared wide-eyed with wonder at the plate of cookies my mother set before them.  Father finally got the oil burner working but said, “You need more oil. I’ll make a few calls tonight and get some oil. Yes sir, you came to the right place”, father grinned.   On the way home father did not complain about the cold weather and had barely set foot inside the door when he was on the phone. “Ed, hey, how are ya, Ed?”  “Yes, Merry Christmas to you, too. Say Ed, we have kind of an unusual situation here. I know you’ve got that pick-up truck. Do you still have some oil in that barrel on your truck? You do?”  By this time the rest of the family were pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of their shelves. It was long after their bedtime when they were wrapping gifts. The pickup came. On it were chairs, three lamps, blankets and gifts. Even though it was 30 below, father let them ride along in the back of the truck. No one ever did call about the missing figure in the nativity set, but as I grew older I realized that it wasn’t a packing mistake at all. Jesus saves, that’s what He does. PRAISE THE LORD.

‘JESUS’ – God’s Good tiding for us

 

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”Thegood news was sent for all mankind from heaven. God did not send this good news for the wise, rich, priests, high preachers or Pharisees and Sadducees. But God sent this good news for the shepherds of Bethlehem, who took care of their flock. In the Holy Scriptures we know the story of Joseph; he was sold as a slave by his family in Egypt. Once, a great famine struck their land and there was no food to eat in their land. So the family came in search of food to the land of Egypt. Genesis 46:33-34 “And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” Joseph’s brothers had thrown him in a pit and sold him as a slave in the land of Egypt. He also faced a severe challenge in the house of Potiphar (Captain of the Guard of Pharaoh) through Potiphar’s wife. Joseph subsequently found favour with the Pharaoh when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream. Pharaoh kept him in his palace and took care of him. When Joseph’s family came to Egypt in search of food, Joseph met them and desired that his family meet Pharaoh. Joseph feared that if his family remained in Egypt they would become idol worshippers and fall into bondage. They would ruin their lives if they lived in Egypt. So Joseph told his family that they should tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds. Pharaoh would not then allow them to live in Egypt but send them to the land of Canaan. Pharaoh hated shepherds as he thought they were an abomination.

L uke 2:8-18 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”The angels appeared to the shepherds (who were considered an abomination by the Egyptians) and gave them the good news of Jesus Christ’s birth. Why did God reveal the birth of Jesus to the shepherds? To those who were disliked by Egyptians? Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The good news of Jesus’ birth was mainly to the lost people of this world, so that they could be saved. Also, Jesus’ birth was good news to those who are thought lowly, sinners, the lame, dumb and deaf.It was in their midst that the angels came and gave the good news. In the Holy Scriptures we know so many whom God chose from their lowly state and lifted them up for His glory alone. We know the story of Ruth, how she was born in the cursed land of Moab. But God made her David’s grandmother. God used many lowly people in such a way and gave them a place in history. Here we see that the shepherds were hated by the Egyptians and were thought of as an abomination to mankind. But God sent angels in their midst to convey the good news.

1 Corinthians 1:27-28 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: ” In the eyes of the world, we may be sinners, we may belong to a lower caste, or we may be black or white. But remember, all of them are loved by God. Especially for those whom humans think very lowly about, on them is God’s abundance grace. God loves them. It is for them that God sent His only son Jesus Christ into this earth. Whichever caste is pressed by this world, God lifts that caste even higher. So when someone says awful things to us, we must remember that the world may hate us but God loves us. Those who cannot get love from mankind in this world, such people get the love of God. Yes, God came for the lost in this world. Luke 2:10-12 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Prophet Isaiah also prophesized in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Here we see that God showed these Prophets a sign. Why did God show a sign to the Prophets? What was this sign for? This sign was shown because the Pharisees and Sadducees always wanted a sign from God. They never believed anything without sign or proof. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”From the beginning, there was always a sign shown. Luke 2:10-12 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”The sign was that the child would be wrapped in swaddling clothes. This was a sign given to the shepherd on the birth of Jesus. Remember, Jesus

l oves you. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Even today Jesus’ presence is with us. He is the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end. We can take Him as a friend, as a companion, as a Father. In any form we take Him, He is ready to help us. We must believe in the sign sent from heaven. We must believe in Jesus Christ. He is never far from us, rather always close to us.

G od sent Gabriel Angel to speak to Mary and know about the decision that she would take when the Angel would speak to her. God the Father and the holy Angel diligently waited for Mary’s reaction to this good news. Jesus Christ had to be born in this world; Father God could have sent Jesus Christ in any form, but He chose to send Him as man into this world. Thus, Gabriel Angel came to Nazareth and spoke to Mary. God wondered how Mary would accept this news, whether she would accept this news in faith and belief. Any works without faith and belief cannot be fulfilled. Thus, Father God, His son Jesus and Gabriel Angel carefully listened to what Mary had to say to this good news. What did Mary say to Gabriel Angel? Luke 1:34 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Mary was a little disturbed hearing this news from the Angel; she knew that the punishment to have a child out of wedlock was to be put into fire as per Moses’ law. Mary thought “How can I bear all this? Why is the Lord planning to put me through this tough decision?” Luke 1:35-37 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

We all know the truth how Adam and Eve were created by God, without parents. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve did not have parents and God miraculously created them. There is nothing which is impossible for Him. Thus, the Angel explained to Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive a son.Hebrews 3:7 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,”What is your job and mine? To be obedient to what the Holy Spirit speaks to us. There is nothing in this world that the Spirit cannot accomplish. If we do not have a job, God will provide. For those waiting to be married God can bring life partners; those who are barren will also be blessed by God; those who are homeless, God can provide homes to them. In every

w ork, God can fulfill our lack and provide for us. He is mighty in His deeds and plans for us. He is the beginning and the end. Thus, without a husband and wife relation between Joseph & Mary, Jesus could be born into this world. The same God says to you and me “Is anything hard for me, is anything difficult for me?” The Word says “With God all things are possible”. Our God is Almighty and all powerful!

J oseph was sold as a slave in Egypt by his own family – his brothers. But the Almighty God lifted him up mightily and made him the head of Pharaoh’s staff. In David’s life, he was a humble shepherd boy and God lifted him up according to His will and plan and made him the King of Israel. Daniel lived in the land of Babylon as a captive, but God lifted him up and made him chief administrator above all the wise men in Babylon. Thus, there is nothing that God cannot do. We must never displease God in any way. When is God displeased with us, when we disbelieve the Holy Spirit, then we disobey God. At such a time the Holy Spirit is grieved. Here Gabriel Angel speaks to Mary, saying “the Holy Spirit will be upon you, and you will bear a son”. Mary feared, yet she instantly believed and accepted this. Father God showed her signs; He spoke about Elizabeth to her. Mary instantly believed in God’s word. Those who believe and stand upon the Word of God will never waver in their decision. At the time of Jesus’ death on the Cross, in the garden of Gethsemane Mary did not panic nor grumble nor murmur. As the mother of Jesus, she had sorrow and pain and shed tears but she did not ever hold Father God responsible or murmur against the Holy Spirit. Mary believed and trusted in God completely. With great humility she faced the truth of Jesus’ death too. What did Elizabeth say seeing Mary’s faith? Luke 1:45 “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Though we speak in great tongues or are the anointed ones, without faith we can establish nothing in life. In our life, we just need to believe unconditionally. God’s Love never fails, for those who have faith in Him.1 Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”When Jesus Christ was born, there was no shelter for him; subsequently Mary and Joseph had to leave Nazareth go to Egypt. In Egypt too, they were shunted from one place to another. If we were in Mary’s place, what would we do? We would have started grumbling and cursing God. We would have questioned God a hundred times. Mary did not utter a single word, with great humility she accepted her circumstance and did not grumble against God the Father. In our life too, God is looking for the same faith. Without faith all works is futile in our life.

When Lazarus died, Jesus did not come to visit the family for 3 days. His sisters were very sorrowful. When Jesus came and visited them, He asked his sister Mariam in John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” The same God asks us the same question; whether we believe in the sign that God has shown us or whether we trust in our own wisdom, beauty, education, experience etc. God says “Those who believe in Christ, even if they are dead physically, they will still rise again and enter eternal life”. Hebrews 11:33 – 35 “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:”Even when the people got an opportunity to run, they did not run; but for the Lord, bore all pain and sorrow. It was only their faith and belief in God. This was the same belief in Mary’s heart when Joseph and Mary were shunted to Egypt. There were uncertainties in life, but Mary followed Joseph quietly. Matthew 2:13-14 “And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:” We must hear and obey what the Spirit says to us. Here we see that the Angel of God was sent with a message to Joseph that King Herod was planning to kill Jesus Christ. Hence, God advised Joseph to go to Egypt with the new born and Mary. During all this times of trial and tribulation, we see that Mary’s faith was stayed only on God’s Word and promise. She never once wavered in her decision, nor did she grumble against God. Even when Jesus Christ was growing up, the Pharisees and Sadducees made life very difficult for her, but Mary never feared man nor lifted her voice. Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Mary’s faith was on the cornerstone i.e. Jesus Christ. She never murmured in words, works or thoughts. Thus, it is important for us to believe in God and put our faith and trust in Him. We must not be like the chameleon and change our colours according to our situation in life. The people of this world are constantly changing with different situations in their life. Proverbs 6 says that we all need to stand before God for judgment. On that day, all of us have to stand before Him; we cannot run away from His judgment. We have to accept the truth and live truthfully for the Lord. We need to inscribe the Word of God across our hearts. We need to keep the truth within us. God came for us sinners and the lowly in state; He chose us to shine for Him and not for us to fall before Him.

M atthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Our faith, as big as a mustard seed alone is enough for God to work in our lives. We know when God asked Moses to lift his rod and stretch it on the Red Sea, Moses had to do just that. Moses was obedient to God and believed in Him and instantly obeyed. Even today, God wants us to only obey Him. What if Moses would have thought of how God would work with only his rod being stretched out towards the Sea or that the Sea was so large? But Moses believed in God’s Word and did as he commanded. The instant Moses lifted his rod to the Red Sea, the sea parted and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Even today, if our faith is only as big as a mustard seed, it is enough. But our heart still does not accept this and is not ready to believe. Hence in our lives we cannot get victory in anything we do. God needs our faith to be only as big as a mustard seed. Numbers 14:16 “Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.”Without faith we cannot accomplish anything in life, but with faith we can conquer all. Why didn’t the Israelites reach the Promised Land? It was due to their disbelief. They did not have faith like Moses. Moses obeyed God and stretched out his rod upon the sea in faith, and the sea parted instantly. This was a great miracle the Israelites saw with their own eyes. Many of us are unlike Moses; we have no faith in God, rather we would like to believe in men and the things of this world. Abraham used to go before God again and again and again. It was his great faith alone that brought him before God. Many of us are stone hearted and stubborn even today and we do not want to obey God’s word. What is God’s promise for us? The Lord promises that He will change our heart and fill it with His Spirit.When God does this great thing in our life, we will see the true change in our heart. God has come for the lost. We have lost God in our lives for our own bodily desires etc. 1 Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be

tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” God’s love is unchanging and unfailing; He will touch our hearts and transform us. This is the only way, and it is this way alone that will lead to heaven. Everything in the world changes; people change, only our God is unchanging and His love is unfailing. Thus, we must change and accept Him. The God who created Adam and Eve without parents, is anything impossible for Him? No, nothing is impossible. God can change our lives; He alone can lead us in the path of righteousness. He has come into this world to take away our sufferings and lead us onto the heavenly path. Mat 21:20-22 “And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”God has given us great authority on this earth, but we cannot use this authority because of our small faith. We are more worried of this world.Apostle Paul says in2 Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry”What great faith!Jesus said in John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” In this world, to win over many things we only need faith as big as a mustard seed. We can do all the works that Jesus did on this earth as well as more than what He did, this is God’s promise for us. The Good news was given to the shepherds who were thought about lowly by the Egyptians. But God showed the sign of Jesus’ birth through these shepherds. It is more than 2000 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, yet we are celebrate Jesus’ birthday, but for us every day is the birthday of Christ, there is not a moment that we are left alone by Him or are left feeling lonely. Every moment, everyday God is with us. God came to give strength to the weak and meek. Isaiah 40:29 says “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” So let us trust in Him alone. Gabriel Angel said the same thing to Mary “God can do all things for you”. Remember Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us from sin, sickness and the darkness of this world. Faith is very important, as said in Job 42:2 “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.”God always thinks the best for us. He sent His only son for us; will He think anything less for us? Let us forget our anger and stop our murmurings against Him.

Daniel 6:9-1 6 “Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” Daniel did not fear the decree passed by King Nebuchadnezzar. The King too could not do anything, He surrendered himself in God’s hand. Daniel 6:22-23 “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”When we too keep our faith in God, those who want to find fault in us will in turn falter and be blamed. John 8:6 “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” This is the great doing God can do in our lives. He who wants to put us to shame, will in turn be shamed. Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”We must put our trust and faith in Him alone, God will change every equation in our lives. We see how Daniel opened the windows facing the Holy temple and continued praying thrice a day without fearing the decree passed by the King. When our faith is strong, God can shut the mouth of every lion. Let us put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour. He was born to deliver us from the clutches of the evil one. Let us give our hand in His and He alone will lead and guide us always.

May this message be a blessing to all those who read it! Praise the Lord!

Rose of Sharon Old Age Home

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

Even as we come to the end of another wonderful year in the Lord, we at the Rose of Sharon old age home in Mira Road take this opportunity to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for taking care of the home, its residents and staff throughout this year, for His wonderful blessings and for His faithfulness which never change and is new everyday in our life. Thank you Lord Jesus!

It gives us immense joy to share with our dear readers experiences from the lives of our dear grandpa’s and grandma’s as they stay with us in the home. In this month’s edition of the newsletter, I will share about Grandpa Anthony Roach who is the next oldest tenured resident in line. Grandpa Anthony is 84 years old and was brought to the home in 2010.

Though Grandpa Anthony is a diabetic patient and has lost his eyesight due to glaucoma, he has a larger than life attitude. He is a very positive man and never accepts defeat in any situation. Since he was working for Western railways, most of his talks hover around working in the railways, playing soccer, hockey and many other games for the railways team and finally remembering old friends and co-workers from Western railways.

Grandpa Anthony has a big family, consisting of 4 boys and 2 girls and you can see them coming to visit him on visiting days. His children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren come to visit him regularly and it’s a wonderful sight to see 3 generations of people coming together and getting introduced to each other. Truly, this is a great blessing from God for Grandpa Anthony.

By God’s grace, even at this age, Grandpa Anthony is strong as a bull, with a very strong and robust frame. What I admire and amazes me is the fact that he respects the food served to him and is never fussy about food; but will eat all that is served and cleans the plate spic and span. Maybe that could be one of the reasons for his good health. Praise the Lord!

Grandpa Anthony has strong faith on God and on God’s ability to answer his prayers. He always comforts his family by saying that he is always praying for them and God will answer. One of grandpa’s son named Stanley, confesses that he had lost his job and got a new and better job only because of his dad’s prayers for him and for this he is ever so grateful to him.

Grandpa has completed 6 long years with us and has been a part of our ROS family. We thank our dear Lord for taking care of this grandpa and pray that the Lord continue to be with him and give him many more years to be a part of this wonderful family.

We wish you all a very Happy and Joyful Christmas and a blessed and a prosperous New Year 2016 in the fellowship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Praise the Lord.

Praise The Lord!

The most beautiful time of the year is back again … the winters have set in and Christmas is fast approaching. A wonderful time of preparations for the big Christmas season ahead!!!

Here at Rose of Sharon Sunday School … the Christmas frenzy has set in. Sundays are filled with our little children practicing with all joy and zest for the upcoming Christmas Program. The children are very excited about Christmas and are joyfully preparing for the big day!

They are putting up a Christmas Song which is action filled. This time the performance is with a difference. It is a medley of performances with different children performing different parts and it all comes together with singing and actions.

Some of our little children like Joel and Ahaz are performing for the first time … it is their first stage performance ever and they are excited!

All the children are putting in their best efforts … and practicing hard to put up a great performance.

It’s really a marvelous time for all of us, and for the children much more… they are looking forward to Santa Claus, gifts, Christmas sweets and loads of fun.

Let’s all prepare for a great Christmas season ahead!!!

Praise the Lord