Praise the Lord. Greetings to all my brothers and sisters in Christ. As we step into the month of June, I pray and hope that you will be showered with abundant blessings, be soaked in His Glory, and be submerged in His Kindness and Mercy.

Psalm 84:10 “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

We must all strive to achieve the level of thirst and hunger for the Lord that David had, and the way he served the Lord; for that pleases our Lord God. When we pray, we should never go to Him full of our desires and wishes, but we should empty ourselves and go humbly before His throne of Grace. For, God knows all that we need, and according to His will and time, He will satisfy our hunger and thirst!

John 14:14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” In our daily lives, when we are sorrowful, we pray to God differently, while in happier times we pray to God differently. As humans, our prayer pattern changes according to our situation, but our God is the same in our happiness and our sorrow. Hence, when we pray to God according to His will and plan, God will surely answer us, and then we can claim our promises, and God will fulfill all our heart’s desires, in time! Mathew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

As the Prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 44:3 & 4, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; they will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.” The devil knows that the end times are coming near, and he is doing his best to unsettle the children of God. If we are weak, we will fail when the tremors of the devil fall upon us. Hence, we must be stronger than before and be rooted in the Lord so that no evil can uproot us. Jesus Christ has already assured us more than 2000 years ago that “You will have trials and tribulations in this world, but be of good cheer, I have overcome this world.” This is God’s great promise and encouragement for us, and it will never change, even till the end of time! Whenever you are faced with a difficult situation in life, look to the Bible, because, for every problem, you will find a solution in the Bible. The wonderful verses in the Bible will enrich, bless and enlighten our lives only if we spend time, read and meditate on the Living Word of life i.e., the Holy Bible.

Hence dear children of God, do not take God’s word for granted, give God first priority in your life and always have thirst and hunger for Jesus. Then God will pour out His Holy Spirit upon your seed, bless your children, and they will flourish and blossom like the plants sowed by the riverside, and we will succeed in everything we do in our lives.

Till we meet again…

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the Lord! I noticed a small boil on my right toe. Initially, I ignored it as it was painless and small. Eventually, the boil started growing big. I went to the doctor for treatment. In a week, the boil dried up, but yet a slight pain persisted. After two months the boil again started coming in the same place and this time the pain increased along with its size, causing me great concern. I started applying the prayer oil. After some days I noticed that the boil had broken on its own and pus started coming out. Within a week it had completely dried up and all the pain had gone away. Thanks, and praise to Lord Jesus for healing me completely and sincere thanks to Pastor Saroja for praying for the prayer oil, for me and my family. Thank You, Jesus.

*Bro Austin Roberts, Mumbai

Praise the Lord! My brother who is not in Christ had come to our house to stay with us as he was not keeping well. He was suffering from fear, anxiety, and giddiness. I had requested prayers for him on the Rose of Sharon prayer line. After the prayer, he is very much better with no sign of giddiness. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your great and awesome work. Thank you, dear Rose of Sharon Ministry for fervently praying for my brother.

*Sis. Meena Jacob, Kanpur (ROS TV Program Viewer)

Praise be to Lord Jesus. A few months ago, my son Irwin contracted a mild fever. We thought that as normally happens, this may be due to the change of weather. However, even after 2 days, the fever did not subside, so we called up Pastor Saroja, who advised us to take him to the doctor and have a proper check-up. We followed the advice and the doctor gave some regular fever medicines, but the fever went up to 103° F, despite the medication. We got very scared and again went to the doctor for a check-up. The doctor asked us to take blood reports, x-rays & other tests, which by God’s grace all was normal. Yet, the fever persisted for more than a week, so we went once again to the doctor, who now asked us to do a COVID-19 test for Irwin. I immediately called up Pastor Saroja. She advised me to go ahead with the test and said she would keep the same in prayer. The test was done and before the reports would arrive, the fever had completely subsided. By God’s grace alone, the Covid report also came out negative, and to date, he is absolutely fine. I give all glory to Lord Jesus for saving my son from great tribulation, and I praise and thank the Lord for His wonderful miracle in our life, in healing my son. I also thank Pastor Saroja for her continuous fervent prayers and advice.

*Bro. Hardik Patel, Mira Road

Praise the Lord.  I thank my Lord Jesus for keeping us safe in this current situation. I work in Dubai, and due to the pandemic situation, many of us were asked to leave. I was jobless and my manager told us to resign, or else go on unpaid leave. If possible, they would call us, but there was no guarantee that they would do so.  I called up Pastor Saroja and told her about this matter and asked her for advise. She assured me of her prayers and advised me to return to India on unpaid leave without resigning. I did as Pastor told me, and I came back to Mumbai.

After 2 months, by Lord’s grace, I got a call to return to my place of work in Dubai.   Every procedure in Dubai, the tests, etc., all went successful. Now my work is going on even better. Lots of thanks to Pastor Saroja who prayed and advised me correctly as per the Lord’s will.  I give millions of thanks to our Lord Almighty JESUS  for hearing Pastor Saroja’s prayers, and for blessing me. Thank you, Pastor Saroja, for keeping me and my family always in your prayers.

*Bro. Pramod S Pilley, Mumbai

Praise the Lord! During the period of lockdown. One of my clients who I was working with on a part-time basis, for providing accounts and taxation services, delayed my payments, stating the pandemic as a reason for the same. After 4 – 5 months, when I again asked for my payment, he started behaving difficult and asked me for proof of hours of working from home, and details of work done. He reasoned that on mail, he had not seen adequate activity. He declined to pay me if I did not give him any proof. Even my other colleagues behaved in the same manner. The situation got very ugly, and I told this matter to Pastor Saroja and requested her for prayers. Within the next week, by God’s grace and Pastor’s prayers alone, I was able to retrieve and send him all my workings recorded on my internal company email id, which my employer had not noticed. Immediately he apologized and cleared my dues, part by part. I give millions of thanks to my dear Lord Jesus for helping me in this situation.  And I sincerely thank my dear Pastor Saroja for keeping me in her prayers daily. Thank You, Jesus.

*Sis. Evangela Roberts, Mumbai

Marcus was driving home from work when his car died. It was the middle of winter, and the ground was covered in a foot of snow. Thankfully, he was able to coast to the gas station around the corner. Before he could call for help, he saw a woman leaving the gas station. She slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump. She looked like she might be hurt. Marcus got out of his car and walked over to see if she was okay. She was a young woman who looked exhausted. She was crying. As Marcus helped her up, she dropped a penny of $2. Marcus handed it back to her, noticing that the gas was $4.95. her old car was crammed full of stuff, and three kids were sitting in the back. Marcus asked her if she needed help. The woman sniffled and shook her head. She was hysterics. “I don’t want my kids to see me crying,” the woman said, over and over. The two talked for a moment, but Marcus couldn’t get any information from the mother. She had clearly fallen on her hard times.

Marcus decided that he would help her and her family. He bought her a full tank of gas and took her family to the fast food joint next door. Marcus bought them two big bags of food and drinks. He bought food vouchers for them so that they could get more. They sat silently, wolfing down the food. After the meal, the mother opened up to Marcus. “My husband died two months ago,” she said. “I haven’t been able to make ends meet. We couldn’t stay in the rented house because I haven’t paid since last two months any of bills. We’ve been homeless for a month. Before leaving the house we all knelt and prayed to God to only be with us in our difficult times and give us courage to face the situations.” This is the first meal we’ve eaten today. I finally called my parent, whom I haven’t spoken to in several years. They agreed to let us stay with them while we figure things out. We’re on our way there right now with everything we own.”

Marcus wished them safe travels and returned to leave. Before he did, the woman gave him a huge bear hug and thanked him again. Marcus thought about how incredible it was to be a part of someone else’s miracle. When he got back to his car, it started without a problem. Marcus felt Lord had put him there to help that family.

Touch Jesus in Faith and be blessed

Mathew 14:36 “And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” Many people touched Jesus in different ways, to be healed of their illness, saved, and perfected. The blind cried out to Jesus, the poor widow gave 2 mites as an offering – all that she had, while Zacchaeus touched Jesus with his love. Different people touched Jesus in different ways – physically, in illness, in offerings, in love, in their faith, etc., and whoever touched Jesus was made perfectly whole. Let us read what can happen with God’s touch, in Jeremiah 1:9 “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” When God touched Jeremiah, He put His Word in Jeremiah’s mouth. People touched Jesus in different ways, and whatever problem they had, Jesus healed.

■ When the blind man cried out ‘Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me… Son of David, have mercy on me,’ his voice touched Jesus, and He touched and healed the blind man.
■ Zacchaeus desired to see Jesus. He had heard of Jesus, and one day when Jesus came to his village, he climbed up a tree, desired to see him. Jesus not only met Zacchaeus, but also visited his home, and that day salvation came into his family. This meeting with Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ life forever.
■ On another occasion, a woman with an infirmity met Jesus. This lady could not stand straight nor look up, yet when she came before Jesus, she was healed and now able to look up.
■ A woman who suffered from a bleeding illness for 12 years, reached out to Jesus in the crowd. In faith, she touched His robe and was healed.

All who came to Jesus in faith were touched by Him and healed. When Jesus touches us, He puts His Word in our mouth, even as He did with Jeremiah. When the woman with the infirmity was healed, she glorified God. When the blind man, Bartimaeus was healed, he gave glory to God. When the lame man was healed, he too ran into the temple to give glory to God. God desires us to be His testimonies, His chosen vessel. Jeremiah 1:9 “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” When God touched Jeremiah’s lips and sanctified him, what happened? Jeremiah became a great Prophet. When Jesus touched the man, who was possessed and delivered him, that man went on to preach about God. Jesus had told him not to follow Him, but to return to his village and testify of God’s good deeds in his life. The man did likewise, by telling people about Jesus’ good works, and about His mercy and kindness.

What is the secret of keeping God happy all the time? David learned this secret. Psalm 69:30-31 “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” In his initial years, young David was a shepherd in the jungle, and though his parents had forgotten about him, God did not forget him, for David had learned the art of keeping God happy. By singing and thanking God, David pleased God. Yes, God has put His Word in our mouth, and even if we cannot preach the Word, we can keep repeating His Word and sing praises to Him. We must remember that God dwells amongst the praises of His children. In Heaven, the angels and the elders sing praises to God, singing ‘Hallelujah… Hallelujah… Hallelujah.’ David says that in every situation of his life, he learned to praise God. Psalm 34:1 “(A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.) I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” In good times or in bad times, whether he was happy or sad, David learned this great secret of pleasing God by praising His Holy name always.

What was the secret behind the demolition of the wall of Jericho? The Israelites praised and sang, whilst circling the city wall, and when they sang with unity and oneness, the wall collapsed. We must also remember in our lives how Jesus has touched us. Whether big or small, rich or poor, happy or sad, never cease to sing praises and glorify our Lord God.

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” This is the secret that the Apostle Paul gives us – ‘in the name of Jesus Christ.’ Jesus is the Word. John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” We must continually praise and glorify the name of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” All the time, in every work of ours, each day we must only praise and thank God in our life. Colossians 2:7 “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” The Lord God teaches us how to grow in life. We must never be disappointed if we were once achievers, and now may be perceived as ‘losers’ in this world. Never grumble, for our God is a winner; and His children will always be winners – they will never lose! Jesus fulfilled all the desires that His Father God had for Him, even unto death on the Cross. Jesus was faithful to fulfill all His Father’s desires, hence He was victorious till the end. Jesus desires the same of His children, and He wants us also to win victories in our life. Revelation 21:7 “He that over cometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Jesus too faced the problems that we face today. He has assured us that trials and tribulations will be there in our lives; and if He has suffered in this world, likewise we will also suffer. Yet, as Jesus has won the victory, we must also be victorious by believing in Him and putting our trust and faith in Him. If our faith does not waver, no sorrow or pain in life can shake us. Jesus’ love alone can give us victory. Though He was the Son of God, Jesus’ life was not easy. Jesus also suffered as we do in this world, yet He won His victory. We know how people were waiting every time for Jesus to make a mistake and fall. We know how the enemy was always on the lookout to persecute Him, always finding fault, and waiting for Jesus to falter in some way or the other. Yet, in every work of His Father God, Jesus succeeded and remained victorious always.

In our lives too, our lives will be put to test by the enemy. We will have our share of trials and tribulations; but if our faith stays on God, our victory will come from Him. Yet, many of us have no faith in God, mainly because of our sins. We forget all of God’s good works in our lives, because of our sins. To such people, God says in Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” Though Jesus did all the good works and showed us His righteous ways, still many of us are in sorrow and pain. This is only because we haven’t yet touched Jesus to be healed by Him. We have forgotten what God has taught us, and we are suffering even today. John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus told His disciples that when they knew and accepted the truth, the truth would set them free. Even today this promise holds good for us. When we accept God’s truth in its entirety, the truth will set us free. Then we will not need doctors to heal our illness.

Even after we are free, the enemy will not leave us alone. He will keep preparing weapons against us. The devil can plan out many things to destroy us, but when our faith is in God, no weapon formed against us shall prevail. Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” When we become His disciples and accept God’s truth, nothing can destroy or defeat us. Our enemy can make many devious and harmful plans against us, but our God is alive. He is watching over us, and all the plans of the enemy will be put to shame. Jesus did not say that our enemy will not bring disaster upon us. The devil will continue to plot against us, albeit without any success.

In the Bible, we know how Haman wanted to destroy the Jews. Let us read the Holy Scriptures to see how God destroyed his plans. Esther 7:5-10 “Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.” Haman prepared the gallows for Mordecai and the Jews, but his entire plan backfired. The devil, in different ways, will try to destroy the children of God, but remember, if we are faithful to God and righteous in every way, all of the devil’s plans will be destroyed. Know that all our battles, shame, sorrow, and pain are the Lord’s. When we pass through troubles in our life, we must never think that God has forgotten us. Rather, it is God who stands in between us and the enemy. When God lets something happen in our life, we must remember that He is teaching us something, for He wants us to draw closer to Him. He wants us to be pure like gold, hence He puts us into the furnace. Whatever happens in our lives, good or bad, it happens by the will and design of God, with a purpose.

Numbers 23:20 “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.” The Israelites were already blessed, for God had blessed them. It is only God who could pluck them out or plant them.

No one can interfere in God’s doing. David remembered God every moment of all of God’s great doings and continually praised and glorified His name. Psalm 136:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” God’s mercy is forever and forever. Once God has said something, He has said it; we cannot change it, neither will God change it. Once our God has blessed us, we are blessed; no one can change it for us. We have to be very careful to listen to what God speaks.

When God says anything in our lives, we must believe in Him. Even if we are persuaded by men to disbelieve God, we should not listen to any of them, for they will only deceive us and let us down.

1 Kings 13:1-25 “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.  And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.” When the Lord God says anything to us even once, we must listen to Him immediately, and never try to change or disobey His word. Whatever the Lord God has spoken to us, we must adhere to it till the end. Our Lord has already warned us that the deceiver will come to deceive us and thereby make us falter. We suffer because we have no wisdom to discern right from wrong.

The enemy also came before Jesus and said ‘Whatever you see, I will give everything to you; you only bow down and worship me.’ Jesus drove away the enemy by the Word. Similarly, if this Prophet from Judah, had been diligent and obeyed what God had told him, the old Prophet of Bethel would have run away from him. He would not have had the power to stand before this Prophet from Judah. Sadly, the false prophet prevailed over the true prophet. When God says something to each one of us, He wants our obedience. We must never be double-minded in our obedience. When the lion killed this prophet, it did not touch the dead body. Remember that whatever work God asks us to do, we must accept it and be in obedience to fulfill it.

Balak, the Moabite King tried to engage the prophet Balaam to curse the migrating Israelites as they were passing through the plains of Moab. Numbers 22:6-14 “Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you. And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

Numbers 22:23-28 “And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”

Balak, the Moabite King, sent his more senior officials this time, to convince Balaam to come back with them. They seduced him with great wealth and honour, and this time Balaam went with them. In the Scriptures, we see how God himself stood as an enemy in the way. We must never test God, for once He says something we must obey. Numbers 22:16-19 “And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.”

Our God is the same, unchanging God. Let us also read Numbers 22:20-22 “And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.” When Balaam went once again and prayed to God for permission to go, this time God told him to go, albeit in anger. Thereafter, God Himself stood as his enemy, on the path, along the way.

We must never be greedy for anything that is not ours. Moses, because of the hardness of the people’s hearts, decreed a law that permitted them to divorce their wives. When the people questioned Jesus about this law of divorce, He told them that this law was decreed by Moses as the people forced Moses for the law.

Never put God to the test. Always be thankful to God and praise His holy name. When God has given us something, no one can take it away or give it again to us. Whatever God has given us, it is the best in our lives. We must never be greedy for anything. Be satisfied with what we have. Though our church may be small, remember that we have received our salvation here, and remain rooted in this place, and avoid looking for bigger churches. It is only the Word, that can touch and change our lives, Jesus has touched us and given His Word in our lives, that we may go and preach, or sing praises and testify His holy name.

Put your trust in our Holy God, and let us not believe the men of this world. Trust in God who healed us, loved us, suffered for us, and gave His life for us on the Cross. He is not far from us, let us accept this truth and let the truth set us free.

May this Word bless us. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

Praise the Lord my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope and pray that all my readers who are spread far and wide are healthy and safe by God’s grace.

The second wave of Covid 19 has fallen upon us even more harder than the first and somehow being aware that a “Covid Tsunami” will hit us, unfortunately we were still not prepared. To add to this, even as the deadly second wave is spreading, doctors are now reporting cases involving a rare infection called the “black fungus” among recovering and recovered Coronavirus patients. The vaccination drive too has come to a standstill in many places due to shortage of vaccine. This shows that there are, still, so many things which are beyond human controls and how much planning we do, still we fall short somewhere or the other. Hence dear brothers and sisters, NOW is the time where we need to come under God’s shadow and mighty hand as without grace, it is going to keep getting difficult, with each passing day! Let’s hope and pray that our Lord hears the prayers made by His children and these difficult times pass away!

On the other side, millions of thanks to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has kept all our residents in the best of health and providing all their needs. Truly, God is our Jehovah Jireh! These current times remind me every single day of the prophecy verse which the Lord had given me when I had started building the first old aged home i.e. 2 Kings 3:17,” For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet the valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.” Thank you Jesus for your promise which is standing true even today.

Dear brothers and sisters, do continue to be safe and take care of all your family members of every age group!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M

The little apple clung tightly to the branch as a gentle breeze blew by. An older apple, noticing the younger apple’s despair chuckled and said, “Looks like you’re holding on to that branch for dear life little buddy.”

The little apple glanced up at the older apple and said, “I am! I don’t want to fall to the ground. “That’s not the life for me,” said the little apple, “I plan on being hand picked by a special family, taken to their home and placed into a beautiful fruit bowl. With my shiny red skin.” The older apple gently replied, “There is much more to being an apple than just having shiny red skin.”

“What, after he or she has finished eating the fruit.“ The little apple’s voice dropped, “They will probably throw you core in the trash. That is what your life could be like, if you decide to live for the moment and choose to reap the quick rewards.”

“Whatever do you mean?” asked the little apple, “What other life is there?”

Soothingly the older apple explained, “When the winds come you may be shaken from the tree and fall to the ground. It is then that your shiny red skin will keep you from splitting apart and becoming applesauce. Once on the ground a hungry bird or squirrel may find you and carry you away from the base of the tree. Once you’ve met its needs and filled its stomach, it shall leave your core and a little fruit behind. Then, your real work begins.”

”Once, you are left on the ground, the rest of your fruit shall slowly rot and blend into the soil. It is at this point that your seeds shall be buried into the earth. The seeds begin to sprout, breaking through the dirt. The sunlight and the rain help the sprout to grow into a small tree. Within a few seasons the tree shall grow big enough to start producing apples of its own. From that season on, the tree shall produce hundreds of apples each season. So you see, little apple, there is so much more you can be.”

Our lives can be very much like the apples. We could choose to live for the moment and fulfill our own plans and desires. The plans we have for our lives may be good, but God always has a better plan for us, if we listen to what He softly tells us.