Praise the Lord dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 2024 has begun rolling, and we are already in the second month of the year. Time seems to fly so fast!

John 4:13 “Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again.”

In the Old Testament, we read that Moses turned the bitter water to sweet and gave the Israelites to drink. Yet, after some time they started to ‘thirst’ again. But today, when Jesus Christ, the living water, enters our lives, we will never be ‘thirsty.’ Why? Because the Word of God assures us, saying that we will have springs of living waters flowing from within us. John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

When we believe that JESUS, is within us, all the ‘thirst’ for irrelevant, material, and perishable things of the world will evaporate, and we will truly and completely be satisfied in every sense from within. John 4:14 says, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Our God is an everlasting spring of living water, and till the time He is within us, we will never ‘thirst’ for years to come. Hence, when we become weary and are in sorrow and pain, we must remember that God is preparing something great for us. Just as He provided a tree to remove the bitterness from the waters of Marah, likewise, in our lives too, when all the world has forsaken us, remember that God is planning something great for us. Our duty during that time of bitterness is only to wait and stay focused on our Lord God patiently and believe that in time, He will turn this bitterness away and fill our lives with ‘sweetness.’

John 17:23 “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Hence it is very important to abide with our Living Lord, JESUS, in perfect oneness, and be full of the ‘living waters’ so that we never ‘thirst’ in any aspect of our lives.

May the ‘living waters’ always flow within you till the end of time!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M.

 

Praise the Lord. I am testifying about my elder daughter Saloni Kushwa, who was possessed by an evil spirit, which kept saying it had come to trouble us and give us sorrow.

It said that if we all stopped going to Church, then it would leave us and go. It was saying a lot of things through my daughter, so my father-in-law called up Pastor Saroja.

Seeing this, my daughter started shouting very loudly, telling him not to call up Pastor, saying that she would not listen or talk to Pastor. But Pastor called us and prayed for her, and the evil spirit left her immediately.

Our dear Lord Jesus, in the beginning of this year itself, has done a great miracle in the life of my elder daughter, and I thank and give Him all the glory for this great work.

I also thank Pastor Saroja who prayed for my daughter, and who always remembers our family in her prayers.

*Sis. Radhika Kushwa, Jogeshwari, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord. I had kept a prayer request at the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower for my brother Arvind Sitale who was unwell. His blood platelet count had dropped, and his eyes had also become pale yellowish in colour. The doctor said he has jaundice and told us to take some tests. By God’s grace and prayers, all his reports have come normal and the yellowish tinge in his eyes have also normalised.

I thank our dear Lord Jesus for healing my brother, and I also thank the Rose of Sharon Pastor and her team, for praying for my brother.

*Bro. Pravin Sitale, Maharashtra. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise the Lord! For the last few years, I visited multiple doctors and took multiple medication for irregular periods due to PCOD problems. The moment I would stop the medication, once again, the periods would start getting irregular.

Once, Pastor advised me to stop all medication. I obeyed and that year on till date, my periods have been regular, and I have taken zero medication since.

I thank Pastor for her advice and Lord Almighty for healing me. Thank You, Jesus.

*Sis. Joy Shalaka Salins, Mumbai.

1)      Praise the Lord. I was having severe pain in my eyes. I requested Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower for prayers.

The Prayer warrior prayed for me, and I am completely fine now. I thank and praise Lord Jesus for healing my eyes. I also thank all who prayed for me.

2)      This testimony is on behalf of my younger son Shobu, who suddenly started speaking senseless things and behaving in a crazy manner. This carried on for four days. I got very worried and reached out to the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower and requested for prayers.

My son is completely fine now. All glory and praise to our dear Lord Jesus for healing him. We are thankful to Rose of Sharon Church for keeping our requests in prayers always. Thank You, Jesus.

 Sis. Sultana Khan, Balaghat, M.P. (ROS TV Program Viewer)

 

A group of hikers along with their leader were trekking to Chadar in Ladakh. They would be camping there for five days. It was extremely cold, and they had to walk more than 70 kilometers. The climb was steep and a blizzard made it worse for them to climb all the way.

The tired hikers were looking for something warm to drink but there was no tea stall anywhere around. After an hour of walking, they were delighted to spot a small shop. “It looks like a tea stall but there is no one around,” said one of the hikers. Another quickly suggested, “Let’s go in.” He looked at the leader.

“Alright. I know it is freezing here. Let’s all go in and see,” said the leader. They went in. The stall was well stocked, but the owner was missing. Everyone had tea, snacks, and bread.

They were ready to leave. The leader stopped for an instant and thought. “We are not thieves, but believers and responsible human beings.” He left a ₹500 note pressed under a cup on the kitchen counter.

He felt relieved doing this, and then they continued the climb.

Five days passed quickly, and the group of hikers were returning. They stopped at the same tea stall.

It was open now, and an old woman, who was the shop owner, happily welcomed them and served them tea and bread.

The hikers were amazed at the old woman’s cheerfulness despite the harsh weather and terrain. She told them how she had managed the tea shop all her life climbing up the hills.

She exclaimed, “I survive today only because the hand of God is there above my head.“ 

Someone from the group asked, “If God cares for you, why do you work so hard for a living?”

“No, my child, God is there for sure. A week ago, I was very sick. I could not even come to the shop. When I felt a little better, I found I had no money with me. I opened the shop somehow. Later, I went down to get some medicines from the chemist. Hardly anyone comes here so there is no fear of theft. I left the shop open, and when I returned, I found the cups and plates arranged differently. It looked like someone had come to the shop in my absence. I got scared. The shop is all I have. When I came inside, on the kitchen counter, I found a ₹500/- note,” replied the old woman.

She continued, “God came to my shop. I cannot tell you what that money meant to me then. It has helped me immensely. You see how God cares for me.”

Everyone could see the faith in her eyes.

They all glanced at the leader, who gestured them to be quiet.

The leader got up, paid the old woman for the tea and snacks, and said, “Yes Mother, God cares for you. Your tea is the best that I have ever had. May God be with you always.”

 

 

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33 is a very special book with great authority, and in this chapter, God mentions many times, that He will perform great and mighty things. God speaks to us with great compassion, mercy, and love. Jeremiah 33:6-7 “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.” God speaks to the people with great mercy and love. He blesses the people with good health and promises to heal them of every illness. He also promises to bless His people with peace and strength, bringing Judah and Israel once again back from captivity, rebuilding their places first. When we know God’s truth in our lives, He will love us and hear our prayers. When we know the ‘truth,’ the truth will set us free. Hence, we must never forget the truth of God in our lives and the great and mighty things He has done for us, including the forgiveness of our sins, and cleansing of all our iniquities.

When there is no truth in us and when we forget God’s mighty doings in our lives, we will never be free. It may be for some time that we will enjoy good health, and it may be for some time that we may be cleansed; but, if God’s truth is not within us, we can never be completely healed in our lives. To be completely healed, we must experience God’s perfect love and know His truth in our lives. When we know the complete truth of God, He will free us from captivity and bondage, wash us with His blood, and restore our former health in our lives. In Jeremiah 33, God speaks to us in different ways. Jeremiah 33:8 “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” If God’s truth is within us and we remember every work of God in our lives, then even our wisdom will never be able to comprehend the mighty works that the Lord can do in our lives. No doctors, nor scientists, can ever cleanse us of our iniquities and transgressions. Only God can separate us from all our sins and iniquities and forgive and forget them. Our lives can change for good, forever. It is God’s truth alone that must remain in our hearts.

When we forget our Lord’s great and mighty doings in our lives, God will once again test us. He will remember all our sins and iniquities and judge us accordingly. God says that the day will come once again when He performs the good things that He has promised to the house of Israel. Jeremiah 33:14 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” God is not a human that He should lie, and He never has to say sorry and apologise to man, as He never lies. Jeremiah 33:22 “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.” God has made such big promises in our lives, and we are all blessed people of this world. But God expects a lot of things from us. To fulfill God’s expectations in our lives, we must have the truth of God within us.

Jeremiah 33:26 “Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.” This is God’s judgement for us, whether we are big or small, elderly, or young. We must never forsake God’s truth from within us, because once it goes out of our midst, He does not care for us anymore. So, while we still have God’s grace, mercy, and love upon us, we must also have God’s truth within us. It is for our sins that God sent His only son Jesus Christ into this world, to wash and cleanse us of our sins and iniquities and to grant unto us the blessing of being His children. God has shown His mercy, grace, and love upon us, but when we forget this, He will show His anger upon us.

We must always live in oneness and unity with God. Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” When two people who have the love of God within, and have experienced God’s mighty works, meet and discuss the pain and sorrow in their lives, God hears them and answers their prayers. This will happen when God’s truth is within us, for only then will He hear and answer our prayers. For our request to be answered by God, we need to have the truth of God within us.

But if God’s truth is not within us, even if we call him a hundred times, He will not hear our prayers. Remember, we should never lose the truth of God in our lives, lest our lives become more difficult than before. When God’s truth is alive in us, even while two believers are speaking together, God will hear and answer their prayers. Hence in our hearts, we should always have reverence for God. Never forget what God has done five years ago, or two years ago in our lives. Like we change our clothes daily, we should not change the works of God in our lives too by forgetting about them, for then our prayers will never be heard by Him. Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” When two sisters or brothers, having the truth within themselves speak with each other about their sorrow and pain, God hears their sorrow. Not only does He hear, but He also answers their prayers, and it is very important to realize this.

Remember, God’s love is infinitely greater than the love of a mother for her child. Psalm 91:15-16 “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” Our God is a merciful God, and it is never difficult for us to ask anything of Him. But when our hearts are hardened, then it is difficult for God to grant us His promise. God says ‘He shall call upon me and I will answer, I will be with Him in times of trouble. I will deliver and honour him. I will bless him with long life and satisfy him with My salvation.’ The Word is true! God’s ear is always inclined to His children’s call. It is we who have forgotten God’s promise in our lives. God is a medicine to our every illness and weakness. When the truth of God is not within us, everything appears troublesome in our lives.

But when we have God’s truth in us, and we call on Him, He will hear, honour, and answer our prayers. Remember the sinful man who waited 38 years at the Bethesda Pond for his healing? He waited for someone to put him in the pond when the Angel of God stirred the water of the pond. He did not have the strength and power in him to get up and take a dip in the pond by himself. When Jesus visited him, Jesus only told him to stand up and walk. Thereupon, the man lifted his bedding and started walking. Where did this man get his strength from? It was from the ‘Word’ that Jesus spoke that he received his strength and healing. God says in the earlier verse, ‘I will be with him in trouble and deliver him and honour him.’ It is important for us to know, that in happier times we will have many people laughing with us, but in times of trouble we are always alone, and at that time, God alone can lift us out of all our troubles. No one can heal man, except God. Those who remember God in their hearts will always have His grace and mercy upon them. God desires that we become His witnesses, but when there is no truth in us, remember that God is not within us.

In the Bible, we see how God has answered different people’s prayers. God heard and answered Abraham’s prayer and gave him a son. Moses prayed to God to turn the bitter water of Marah to sweetness so that the Israelites could drink it. God heard him and answered this prayer too. Samson called unto God in his time of trouble, and God answered his prayer. In the most troubled times, when His people called out to God, God heard and answered their prayers, quenching their thirst.

Abraham was tested by God. God blessed him with a son after so many years, and now God asked him to sacrifice the same son. But Abraham had the truth of God within him, so, without arguing with God, he took his son to the mount to sacrifice him. His son, Isaac asked him ‘Where is the sacrifice?’ Abraham boldly said, ‘God will provide.’ This is the truth – that Abraham had unwavering faith in God, hence the Lord provided him with a ram (sheep) for the sacrifice.

We know of Moses’ trial, when the Israelites were thirsty in the wilderness, and the water they found was bitter. Once more, the people began murmuring and grumbling. Moses called out to God once again, and God provided a tree, whose branch God asked Moses to put in the water, thereby turning the bitter water into sweet drinkable water, quenching their thirst. In these two examples, we see that the ram (sheep) as well as the tree was close by, but both Abraham and Moses could not see it until God showed them the same. God answers our prayers during the time of our trouble. We too, may have many blessings, very much in front of us, but we cannot see them unless God opens our spiritual eyes and shows us the same. God’s answer to our prayers in the time of our trouble is most important to us.

During the time of Samson too, we see that the Israelites faced a lot of problems. They had different judges to rule over them and they thought things would be resolved. God chose Samson as a deliverer, but he sinned and lost the grace of God. When he had slain a thousand Philistines, he thirsted and begged God for water. God’s love is ‘Agape Love,’ and He provided Samson with water.

We know about King Hezekiah and his sufferings. The prophet Isaiah came to him and told him that he had only a few days left to live and that this was God’s punishment upon him. King Hezekiah listened to Prophet Isaiah and then cried out to God, asking God to relent from this punishment of death. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and blessed him with fifteen more years added to his life. If we have the same truth as we have seen in Hezekiah in this case, God will surely forgive us our sins and the truth will set us free.

God is always near to us; He is never far from us. Psalm 118:5 “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.” Even today God is not far from us, rather, He is close to us. We have seen how God heard the prayers of Abraham, Moses, Samson, and Hezekiah, and how He made the way for them. Hence David says, ‘I called on the Lord in distress. God answered me and set me in a broad place.’ We see here how God answered David’s prayer immediately and set him free. So also, God will hear our prayers when we call Him in truth. But for God to answer our prayers, we must gain victory in every test that we may have to undergo. We should go only to God with our requests, and not to man. When Nathan the prophet came to David and told him of his sins in the form of a parable, David was livid with the evil rich man in the parable who sinned against the poor man, and hence, against God. David proclaimed that the rich man should be punished and restore unto the poor man, four times what the rich man had made the poor man lose (an ewe lamb). At that time Nathan revealed unto King David that it was he, David, who had sinned against God.

Thereafter, in his lifetime, David endured his own judgement and lost four of his sons (1. The baby born to Bathsheba 2. David’s oldest son, Amnon 3. David’s third son, Absalom, and 4. David’s fourth son, Adonijah).

God is an impartial God – He brings judgement upon all mankind in the same manner. None of us can escape his judgement. The only way is the ‘way of repentance.’ So, when we know the truth, the truth will set us free. When David realized the truth and repented in his life (read Psalm 51), we see how David asked God to forgive him. David did not get his peace until God forgave him and anointed him once more. In the end, God called David a man after His own heart.

Remember, our sins are not so great before God that He will not forgive and forget them; but it is our stony heart that does not permit us from asking for forgiveness. When we do not humble ourselves and accept our sins, it will never be possible for us to repent and become one with Him. When Nathan came and told David about his sins, David immediately accepted his sin and repented, and until God forgave him, he did not give up asking for forgiveness. We are all liars if we say we have not sinned and are not sinners. We have all hurt God in different ways and have fallen short of His glory. Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” To whom does God give healing? To those who fear the Lord. When we sin and make mistakes in our lives, what must we do? We need to fear His Name and repent of our doings, then the ‘Sun of Righteousness’ shall arise with healing in His Wings. Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Imagine the day when it will be burning as an oven, and all the proud who do wickedly will be as stubble. This is the truth of that great day of God, that is coming. But if we are in the shadow of God, we will have good health, and be strengthened and powered by God. Surely, we will all face this day, one day!

There are two things that we must remember:

1) When we are sick, it is by God’s grace alone, that we can recover. This is one type of blessing.

2) Not to be sick at all, is another type of blessing.

We have seen many who are sick, wherein their sickness nearly takes them to death. We hear them testify that God saved them from death. This is a blessing of God. But to live our lives without any sickness is another blessing of God. God says that even if we are suffering, when we fear in His name, He will have mercy upon us and bless us with good health. This is the truth. Psalm 103:3-4 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;” God heals every illness and disease in our body, and as we have seen above, those who are sick will be healed by God, but it is another blessing from God if we do not suffer any sickness in our lives. God forgives all our iniquities and heals all our diseases. He redeems our lives from destruction, and crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. Our body is God’s Holy Temple, and God says, ‘If anyone destroys this temple, I will destroy them.’ It is our sins and iniquities which defile our lives. God is more saddened by our sins since our body is His Holy Temple. So, when we sin, we must immediately go to God for His forgiveness.

Exodus 15:19 “For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.” Imagine how strong the Egyptian army was, which pursued the Israelites when they left Egypt.  By no means of man’s wisdom can one explain this great mighty miracle that God performed at the Red Sea. When the Egyptians followed hard after the Israelites, with the Red Sea ahead of them, Moses called upon God, and God performed a mighty miracle. He parted the waters of the Red Sea, and piled it on either side, thereby helping the Israelites pass through it on dry land. When the Israelites passed through the dry path in the Red Sea, the Egyptian army also followed them. But God closed the waters and drowned the entire army of Pharoah in the Red Sea. This is a great miracle done by our God, and He is the same God even today, who can perform similar miracles! God says that his servants and prophets can perform even mightier works than what He has done. Today, however, if we cannot perform such miracles, it is because the ‘truth of God’ is not within us. When God’s truth is within us, we surely will perform such great things in this world.

1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” We should not only for the time being, or for some time put our faith in God. Our faith and hope in God must be for always, and not for some time alone. We should not put our faith in God only for some time, or for the time it suits us, but we must have faith in God always, anytime, and every time! We, as believers, must maintain our standards. When our work is over, we must not stop believing, otherwise we become opportunists. When we leave our job for better prospects, what do we look for? A better salary, designation, environment, or prospects. Likewise, as Christians, we must become believers, and from being believers, we must become God’s beloved people. From there we must become His witnesses, His servants who witness His Word. Jesus has loved us till His last breath on the Cross, and till the end He did not deny us. Jesus was determined to die for us, His children, and give us victory. Hence, in our hearts too, we must have the same zest and desire to live for God. He sees our love and when we pray, He will hear and answer our prayers.

The apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Step by step we must progress with God, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. God desires that each of us be utilized as a vessel for Him. He wants us to progress from being an ordinary Christian to a Believer, from a Believer to a Servant of God, from a Servant to a Prophet. This is God’s expectation of us, and we have this privilege in our lives.

Saul (before he was converted to Paul), was a man of pride, persecuting the children of God. He was against God’s people, but once he became apostle Paul, He was even ready to die for God. Our lives may be nothing till yesterday, yet, after we know God’s truth, our lives must change and not remain the same. Remember the great day of God will come soon, and before that day, we must be saved.

God says with pride ‘For those who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.’ To face the great day of judgement, God wants to put His fear within us today – since the coming day is ‘A very troublesome day,’ and none can escape it. There is only one way to escape the wrath of this great day of judgement; namely, fear God and have His truth within us. Then, when two are there, and one is taken away, the one that fears God will be the one taken away, while those left back in this world will be those who do not fear God or have the truth in them. To save ourselves from this great day of judgement, God is cautioning us once again today. Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Let us remember God’s love and let His truth alone prevail in our lives.

May this message bring blessings to our lives! Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord! We are in the month of February 2024, and strangely, Mumbai is experiencing a cold wave, the lowest being 15 degrees Celsius, which by Mumbai standards, is quite cold.

Everyone around has pulled out their winter clothing, and are moving around in sweaters, hoodies, and monkey caps. It is only God’s grace that any type of weather does not affect our residents, as they continue to abide under our Lord Jesus’ mighty Hands. They welcome every type of weather with a warm smile.

Do continue to keep our residents in your prayers as we continue to pray for you and your loved ones.

Till we meet again,

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the Lord! As always, the children are very excited for this year’s Sunday School, because this year also, they will identify themselves with the wonderful works of God. They will come across the miracles of God and will also learn something new from the Word of God.

We started Sunday School with the General Class where the children were given some tasks to do. The children had to bring their Sunday School books decorated and share their testimonies of what the Lord has done in their lives. All the children prepared their books very beautifully, and they also shared many testimonies. This shows that God’s eyes are always on us, and He is watching us every moment, saving us from every trouble.

We hope that in this way we may continue to grow in the Word of God. May God help us to always abide in Him from strength to strength.

Do continue to uphold our little ones in your prayers.

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