Editor’s Note

I greet you all in the matchless name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let His grace and mercy be upon you all.

God has given us this time of grace to repent from our sins.

Revelations 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

During this grace period God speaks into our hearts and wants us to repent. Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years .But woe to the person who rejects this period of grace.

When David had slain Goliath, the women danced and sang 1 Samuel 18:7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.This action brought anger and hatred into King Saul’s heart. From that day, Saul started looking at David in anger. But that night and next day, God’s judgment did not come upon Saul. 1 Samuel 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.God had given Saul time from the night till the next day to repent.

Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

Two thieves were crucified on both sides of Jesus on the cross. In the little time given to them to repent, one thief used that time to repent, he got the grace of God. But the second thief neglected his time of grace and God forsook him.

Pharaoh hardened his heart six times. Exodus 7:13-14 And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

Exodus 7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exodus 8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

Afterwards Lord hardened his heart so that he would not repent.The ten plagues that came upon Egypt was the grace period given to Pharaoh to repent.

Sometimes,when God punishes us lovingly through sickness or accidents, we should take this as a warning given from God to repent.

God gave Nineveh 40 days of grace period to repent. Jonah 3:3-10 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

In the same way, Noah preached that people should repent. No day or time was given for repentance. But those who loved evil neglected the time of grace.

One farmer who had planted a fig tree did not get any fruits. He waited for three years but still got no fruits. The owner said to cut down the tree, but the farmer asks for one more year. Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

God gave grace for three years plus one year more. Because of God’s mercy, we receive grace upon grace. John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Today we are in the grace period, hence turn your hearts to God.

If you have no joy and peace in your heart, come to the cross of God, and you will receive His grace, peace and joy.

May the Lord help you to overcome all your weaknesses and be one with the Lord.

May our Good Lord bless you.

Yours in His service,

Pastor Saroja M.

 

Praise the Lord. Few days ago my throat started hurting terribly as if something was poking from inside. I applied prayer oil in my throat. Thereafter all my pain vanished and I was completely healed. I thank my Lord Jesus for healing me through the blessed prayer oil and I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying over the oil. Also, I requested Pastor Saroja to lift my daughter in law in prayer, that she should have a normal delivery. I thank my Lord Jesus that my daughter in law delivered a baby girl through normal delivery. I thank my Lord Jesus for His mighty work in our life and I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying for me and my family always. Thank you Jesus! Praise the Lord!

** Sis. Tara Khushwah, Jogeshwari (East)

Praise the Lord. Last month while I was returning from work, a dog suddenly attacked me and tried to bite my thigh, but the dog could only get hold of my trousers and tore it. I swiftly ran away. I give all glory to God for saving me from this terrible unforeseen situation. I also want to thank Pastor Saroja for always praying for Church members.

** Bro. Jayantilal Patel, Jogeshwari (East)

Praise the Lord. I want to thank God for giving me an opportunity to testify His glorious name in my life. This testimony is for my son Irvin. He had loose motions and vomiting and also had weakness in his body too. Sunday, after church service, I requested Pastor Saroja to pray for him. By God’s grace alone, by the time we reached home his motions and vomiting had stopped and he was completely healed. I give millions of praise to my Lord Jesus Christ for healing my son and also once again thanks to Pastor Saroja for her sincere and fervent prayers.

** Sis. Esther Patel, Goregoan (East)

Praise the Lord. Since a very long time we wanted to build a house. So we requested Pastor Saroja to pray for this. Though we had financial problems at home and my job was also a problem, it is only by God’s Grace that our house work got completed. All glory to God for this mighty work in our life and we have no words to thank HIM. Also thanks to Pastor Saroja for praying for us. Thank you Jesus! Praise You Jesus!

** Bro. Yashwant Barot, Bhilad

Praise the Lord. My husband had injured his right eyes and was unable to open it in spite of multiple medications. Finally, one day I applied the prayer oil and from the next day post application of the prayer oil, his eye opened and was healed. I thank God for the mighty healing in my husband’s life and for working through the prayer oil. Thank you Jesus.

** Sis. Neelam Moriya, Surat

Praise the Lord. My mom lives in Ahmedabad and she suffered a heart attack. The Doctor advised us to operate her immediately since she had three blockages. I requested Pastor Saroja to lift her in her prayers and she assured me of the same. By God’s grace alone the operation went off successfully. Now my mother is fit and fine. I give all glory and honour to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and also thanks to Pastor Saroja for her diligent prayers.

** Bro. Hardik Patel, Goregoan (East)

Praise the Lord. Our son Joel was due for a squint surgery. He already has a high power in his eyes for which he has been wearing specs. During Diwali, his surgery was scheduled. As always, during the most difficult times we always request Pastor Saroja for her prayers and the mighty God has been answering all her prayers. This time too, we requested her to lift Joel in her prayers. Pastor Saroja prayed for Joel diligently and the surgery was a success. It is God’s grace alone, and though we were tensed, our mighty Lord once again gave us victory and Joel’s surgery was successful. We also thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers for our family at all times. Thank you Jesus. Praise you Jesus!

** Bro. Shibu & Sis. Marina Samuel, Kurla (West)

 

 

 

The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth

At Eastertime, men and women everywhere gather in their churches to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. But the story I like best to recall was not a miracle—not exactly. It happened to a pastor who was very young. His church was very old. Once, long ago, it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its pulpit, prayed before its altar. Rich and poor alike had worshiped there and built it beautifully. Now the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. But the pastor and his young wife believed in their run-down church. They felt that with paint, hammer, and faith, they could get it in shape. Together they went to work. But late in March, a severe storm whipped through the river valley, and the worst blow fell on the little church—a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor and his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn’t hide the ragged hole. The pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, “Thy will be done!” The joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. But his wife wept, “Easter is only two days away!” That afternoon the dispirited couple attended an auction held for the benefit of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a handsome gold-and-ivory lace tablecloth. It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long-vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing? There were a few halfhearted bids. Then the pastor was seized with what he thought was a great idea. He bid it in for six dollars and fifty cents. He carried the cloth back to the church and tacked it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the hole! And the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back to preparing his Easter sermon. Just before noon on the day of Easter Eve, as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. “The bus won’t be here for 40 minutes!” he called, and he invited her into the church to get warm. She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. A war refugee, she had imperfect English. The woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. After a while, she dropped her head and prayed. She looked up as the pastor began to adjust the great gold-and-ivory lace cloth across the hole. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the chancel. She looked at the tablecloth. The pastor smiled and started to tell her about the storm damage, but she didn’t seem to listen. She took up a fold of the cloth and rubbed it between her fingers. “It is mine!” she said. “It is my banquet cloth!” She lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. “My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could not be another like it!” For the next few minutes, the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together. She explained that she was Viennese, that she and her husband had opposed the Nazis and decided to leave the country. They were advised to go separately. Her husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border. She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp. “I have always felt that it was my fault—to leave without him,” she said. “Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!” The pastor tried to comfort her, urged her to take the cloth with her. She refused. Then she went away. As the church began to fill on Easter Eve, it was clear that the cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight. After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway; many people told him that the church looked beautiful. One gentle-faced, middle-aged man—he was the local clock-and-watch repairman—looked rather puzzled.

“It is strange,” he said in his soft accent. “Many years ago, my wife—God rest her—and I owned such a cloth. In our home in Vienna, my wife put it on the table”—and here he smiled—“only when the bishop came to dinner!” The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church earlier in the day. The startled jeweler clutched the pastor’s arm. “Can it be? Does she live?” Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed her. Then, in the pastor’s car, they started for the city. And as Easter Day was born, this man and his wife—who had been separated through so many saddened years—were reunited. To all who heard this story, the joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. God Bless.

Fear not, our Lord is risen – so rejoice!

Jesus who died for us on the Cross of Calvary, what is His thought for His children. Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him”.Our God who died and rose again on the 3^rd day says to His children REJOICE. Jesus led a blameless life on this earth, not one person on this earth could point out a blemish upon Him. Today as we celebrate the ‘Risen God’, He says to His children ‘Rejoice’. Imagine, if our God had not risen, we would not be able to celebrate this day and rejoice. What is the biggest ‘Rejoicing’ in our life? That our God led a pure and holy life on this earth, sacrificed His life for us on the Cross, He rose again on the 3^rd day. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”.This is the true meaning of rejoicing for us; that Our God is going to return on this earth once again to gather His elect. With His death, Jesus has opened this new door for us and He will come once again on this earth and gather His elect, first the ones who are dead in Christ and then the living who believe in Him. This is the biggest joy for us today. Or else, we would be like the people who walked on the road to Emmaus village with fear because of all what happened on Good Friday. Imagine what a sorrowful life we would have led if Jesus had not risen. We would not have any hope in life. Today, our God has risen and we have hope. We have hope and belief that our God Jesus Christ will return once again and take us along with Him.

Luke 24:17 “And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad”?They were very sad, but because Jesus rose again, today we can rejoice and we know that He will return to take us along with Him. The risen God says in Matthew 28:10 “Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me”. “Fear not” is what God said. Today we do not have fear within us. The evil one can bring worries and sorrows in our life just for a few days, but we must remember that Jesus has won victory over evil and defeated him at the Cross of Calvary. We know of Job’s life in the Holy Scriptures, how much Satan inflicted pain and sorrow in his life, but in the end Job received blessings in double measure because He had faith and belief in God alone. Yes, because we have a risen God with us, we are not worried about darkness in our life. We know that it is our God who will deliver us out of every darkness in life. He will deliver us from every sin. Why? Because He is ‘Risen’!

If we have read the bible, we will know that the people of Judah were disciples to Moses, likewise the Sadducees and Pharisees were also his disciples. They were also disciples to John the Baptist. Mark 2:18 “And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not”? When Jesus Christ was on this earth, He was addressed by different names: “Rabbi”, “Rabboni”, and “Teacher”. They had made Him their ‘Master’ in different ways and they all desired to become His disciples. But Jesus chose only 12 as His disciples. After that, Jesus chose 70 people to become His disciples. After that 120 were chosen as His disciples. But, from the beginning times, all Christians were Jesus’ disciples. Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”. All Christians were Jesus’ disciples. Disciples were educated people, they had wisdom and knowledge, but still they were not bigger than their Master. Luke 6:40 “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master”. However great a disciple of God is, he/she may be a mighty servant of God, but he/she cannot become “Rabbi” or “Rabboni” for Jesus will remain as their Master. God anoints His disciples to have the revelation of the Word, meaning that they still cannot be God’s equivalent, and Jesus will always remain as their Master.

Job 36:4 “For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee”. Here again we see that a Master is perfect in knowledge and wisdom and He is like God. Daniel 1:3-4 “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans”. Here in this verse we see that the King commands the master of his eunuchs to choose the noble men to work in the palace. The noble men should have following traits: 1) without blemish 2) good looking 3) gifted with wisdom, knowledge, quick to understand 4) Above all, worthy to work in the King’s palace. Likewise the disciples chosen to work for God’s Kingdom must also have such qualities in them. Even after they have all these qualities, they do not become a ‘Master’ but they are like their ‘Master’.

John 17:23 “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”. God desires that His disciples work in unity and be perfect in their calling to serve Him. Likewise, we too must always be entwined together as children of God, in unity and oneness, yet we do not become the ‘Master’ but we become like the ‘Master’. We must know this truth in our lives, for once we accept this truth, we will be blessed.

God has suffered a lot of pain and sorrow for our sakes. He gave His life for us and rose again on the 3^rd day. He has blessed us with wisdom, knowledge and good health. There is nothing that God has not given us, and in different ways we are blessed for He has loved us very much. Thus, when He rose again, He told the women “go and proclaim to the world, that I have risen and am alive again, do not fear but rejoice”. Yes, God has blessed us with everything, yet we cannot become “Rabbi” or “Rabboni”, we still remain His disciples. We must remember from time immemorial, all Christians were Jesus’ disciples. In God’s sight, we are His chosen ones. Some of us may know more of the Word, some may know less, but still we are all His disciples and not greater than Him. He who gave His life on the Cross of Calvary, He alone is “Rabbi” & “Rabboni”.

A postle Paul writes to the congregation of Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:6 “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought” Here, it does not speak about perishing wisdom, rather it speaks of the wisdom of God who gave His life on the Cross and again rose for our sakes on the 3^rd day. Thus when we come before God, we must never come before Him with our understanding and wisdom, rather we must stand emptied before Him so that He can fill us with His knowledge and wisdom and that we can learn more from Him. It is very important to understand that when we do that, God is willing to teach us more. Philippians 3:12 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus”. We must never boast in our own wisdom and knowledge, that we have preached and have become a preacher, or that we have believed in Him and have become great believers. Rather, we must humbly stand empty before God so that He will continue to teach us and fill us with His divine wisdom and knowledge. This will happen only when we remain His disciples. Thus to become Jesus’ disciple, He says in Luke 14:26-27 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple”. Hence, to become a disciple of Jesus, we have to carry our cross everyday and humble ourselves before Him. Only then can we lead a good Christian life. If we lack in any of this, we cannot be called disciples of God. No worldly thing can make us His disciples and prepare us to wait upon Jesus’ second coming. No one can give us that rejoicing in life, not our mother, father, son, daughter, husband or wife, but only God Himself. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”.Those who love God unconditionally and remain His disciples, will surely rise when Christ comes again to pick up His elect. This is the true ‘rejoicing’ in our lives. After that, we will remain with our Lord God forever and ever. Remember, nothing must be before God in our lives.

In the Holy Scriptures we see that God made Sarah the mother of believers, He also chose Deborah to be the mother of all Israelites. Let us read Esther 8:6 “For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred”?Here we see Esther saying “How can I enjoy my life when my people are suffering”. Hence she fasted for three days and nights and cried out to her God and thus saved her people from the calamity that would befall upon them. Esther had great love for her people and hence she saved them from the calamity that would befall them. She married the King of the gentiles and saved the lineage of David’s generation, in this world.

Ruth was a Gentile. She eventually married Boaz, a Judah and became a lineage to bring Jesus to into this world. Her love for God was immense, she forsook her own gods and her people and followed her mother-in-law and returned to her husband’s country after his death. She told Naomi not to ask her to return to her country, that Naomi’s God was now her God and that Naomi’s people were now her people’. Thereafter, we have seen the many blessings that was showered upon Ruth’s life. She married a rich man Boaz and bore him a son. At that time the women of the land said to Naomi in Ruth 4:14-15 “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him”.The women thus told Naomi that the happiness that her sons could never have given her, was given to her by Ruth.

What is the reason for all these above women’s names to come in the Holy Scriptures? It was because they gave 1^st place to God in their respective lives. We also see that when Jesus Christ started His ministry in this world, many women were in service for Him. Luke 8:3 “And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance”.We can see here how the women put God first in their lives and thus carried out God’s work successfully in this world,hence their names are recorded in the Holy Scriptures. From that time till today, we see that the women serve the Lord willingly with all their heart and their wealth too. Even after Jesus was risen, it was women who went searching for Him first and thus brought the good news to spread to this world. Even today, God is working mightily amongst women. Wherever I have gone for meetings, I see more and more women who are thirsty and hungry for the Lord God and in service for Him. In Chennai, Bangalore, Bhilad-Gujarat, Cleveland U.S.A., women folk are more in number to hear the Word. Even in this ministry of ours, more women come forward to do the work of God than men.

In small or big jobs, women always come first to help, the right hand does not know what the left hand does. Such is the works of the women in this ministry.

The Lord God has said ‘Rejoice’ and this is not said for few people but for the entire congregation. God will bless us according to the works that we do for His kingdom. And then, He will come to take us all to the many mansions that He is building for us in His Kingdom. He will surely return to take us along. Let us ponder for a moment and think, what are our works for Him? In different ways, we have to work for the Kingdom of God. Let us not lead a fearful life, fearing families, fearing men, fearing loans, fearing problems. Remember, we will never go to heaven together with our families. But, it is according to our works that we will enter the Kingdom of God. We must remember God’s Word which says “One will be taken up and the other will be left out”. Who is the one whom the Lord will take along? Those that fear the Lord and whose works are accountable in His Kingdom. Those who carry their cross every day. Those who are His diligent disciple.

No one can serve two masters in this world. God alone is our ‘Rabbi’ & ‘Rabboni’. Our mind should always be focused on God, how to serve Him with zest, what we should do for Him, how can we contribute to His kingdom. Just like the iron gets attracted to the magnet, we must always be attracted to God and His work and lead our life likewise. The women who were Jesus’ disciples at that time, must have also had their respective families, yet they put Jesus before everyone and fearlessly served Him. On the 3^rd day after Jesus’ death, they remembered what Jesus had preached to them saying that He would rise again the 3^rd day, hence they woke up early in the morning and went to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. To their surprise, they found His body missing. Jesus spoke to them after having risen and He could sense their fear knowing that they were sorrowful in their hearts. We must remember that the evil one will bother our families – he can break the unity and oneness, he can bring unhappiness in our lives but only for a short time for his persecution in our life cannot last forever. Jesus has assured us by saying “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”. Thus we must move forward with greater zest to serve the Lord. We have seen the lives of women like Sarah, Deborah, Esther, Ruth and the women who served during Jesus’ times.Luke 8:3 “And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance”.

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer”Our God is our strength and redeemer. We should never separate ourselves from God, and He will never make us lack for anything. Psalm 34:10 “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing”. Just as we have seen the women above, their zest to serve Lord was so strong that they contributed in different ways according to their wisdom and knowledge. Hence, let us always watch and pray and not neglect this warning and sleep our lives off, as the disciples did in the Garden of Gethsemane, where they ignored Jesus’ warning and went off to sleep. We have great testimonies in this

Holy Temple. Still today, we can see great works of the Spirit of God in this temple. Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. When we do the works of God, He will remember us and fulfill our every need and lack. David says in Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”.He says ‘When I am a disciple of God, He will always remain my shepherd and I will never lack anything, my foot will not be moved and I will lift up my head and live. Because my God lives’. Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance”.Those who have carried their Cross for the Lord are always blessed people.

God knows our every deed and work done for Him, He watches over us carefully. Numbers 14:28-29 “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me”. God listens to every good or bad word proceeding from our mouths, He sees our good works and bad works, and there is nothing we need to tell Him for He knows all. God will hence deal with us likewise. We know in the Holy Scriptures how the Lord God released the Israelites from bondage and brought them out of Egypt. In spite of the many curses that God brought upon the Egyptians and their families including the death of all firstborn in Egyptian families, yet God protected the Israelites’ homes and families and their first born; and He kept all the Israelite families safely in Egypt and brought them out of the cursed land. Even in the wilderness, God separated the Red sea and made them pass through it safely, while Pharaoh and his armies were destroyed in the Red sea. In spite of the Israelites seeing all the great miracles in Egypt yet they spoke thus to Moses in Exodus 14:11 “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt”? The Israelites were most ungrateful and hence not a single one of them entered the promised land of Canaan (a land of honey and milk). The Israelites oft times cursed God and His servant Moses and they always pointed a finger at them and spoke ill about all God’s mighty doings in their lives. We know in the Scriptures that when twelve Israelites were sent to the land of Canaan to check out the promised land of honey and milk, ten returned with negative feedback about the place, while two of them brought back positive feedback of the place. The Israelites believed the ten, but not the two persons who brought positive feedback. Even in this world today, the same thing is happening. In this small and holy temple we speak the truth, yet no one wants to listen to the truth.

Today people are looking for big churches, big preachers, etc. They want to find ‘salvation’ in those big churches, but not in this small holy temple of God, just as the Israelites believed the negative news brought by ten people, rather than believe the two people who brought the truth to them. Numbers 14:1-3 “And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt”?

The Israelites forgot the God who promised them Canaan. They forgot the promise of God when He said “I will be with you till the end”. The ungrateful Israelites only spoke about death and returning to Egypt. We know how God’s punishment fell upon the Israelites, how they all perished along their journey and how none of them entered the Promised Land. The two persons who brought the good news to the Israelites did enter the Promised Land. Our God is amongst us even today and we should not forget the great deeds of God. As we celebrate the ‘risen God’ today, believe in Him, only then will you be saved. Jesus said ‘Rejoice, rejoice & fear not, I am with you’.

This good news that Jesus has risen and we have life everlasting with Him is not for all, but for a select few who love Him, those who believe in Him, those who are ready to forsake the world and follow in His narrow path; for those who are ready to work for Him with zeal, for those who are ready to carry His Cross and walk with Him every day. The Bible says: in the beginning, all were Christians and God’s disciples, but what happened eventually? Their unity and oneness was broken – in different ways sins of the world entered our lives, we all forgot the promise God had made to us. Thus God the Father had to send His son Jesus Christ. He fulfilled every work of His Father on this world and finally was crucified on the Cross. Yes, our God has made us to stand, now we must stand firm with His grace alone and not sit, sleep and go into slumber. We know the story in the bible of the foolish women who were sleeping while the bridegroom came and took away the wise women who were awake, with oil in their lamp and light in their hands. This will happen to us if we do not carry His cross every day in our life. Psalms 18:1 “(A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,) I will love thee, O LORD, my strength”.

Daughter Shulamite says in Song of Solomon 1:6, 8, 15, “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”.She says ‘I am dark because my family has made me a watch person in the vineyard, thus my skin has been tanned with the heat of the sun. But my faith, love is in God alone and I had Him on my mind as I was watching over the vineyard’. To this God, she says in vs. 8 “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents”. Because of jealousy and evil works, in different ways our life can be put in bondage, but those who live for the Lord God through all the trials and tribulations, God calls her the most beautiful amongst women.” Verse 15 says “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes”.Where ever in the world we may be, if our skin is dark, we face many perils in life. The daughter Shulamite was chosen for the works of God. Song of Solomon 2:2 “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters”.God’s people should know that God knows all their good works and bad works, there is nothing that goes unnoticed by Him. We must always live in God’s fear and love. We must always be focused on God, He knows all that is in our heart and mind. His ears are always inclined to what we speak. Psalms 40:16 “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified”.

Hebrews 13:5-8 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Rejoice through our risen God. God knows our thirst and our love for Him. He is an unchanging God. Yesterday, today and forever, He is the same. He says even today “Rejoice, Rejoice”.

May this message be a blessing to all. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

Rose of Sharon Old Age Home

We at the Rose of Sharon old age home at Mira Road greet all our dear readers in the most holy and matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus of Nazareth. We wish all our dear readers a very Happy Easter.

In this edition of the monthly magazine, I wish to share about Grandpa Cracius D’souza who has completed 3 years since the time he came to stay with us in November 2012. Grandpa Cracius is 85 years old and by the grace of God is in the pink of health.

Grandpa Cracius loves the homely atmosphere of the old age home and is very happy that he has come here. His children are also very happy that they made the right decision of bringing him to the home in Mira Road. Grandpa has a nice window bed as his personal space where he has kept his late wife’s picture and a few of his personal belongings. He has got a good set of friends who are around his bed and they get along very well, playing carom or cracking jokes on each other. His favourite pastime is watching TV, reading the newspaper and sharing the latest news. He loves cricket and likes to see cricket matches, especially when the Indian team is playing

Since the time he has come, grandpa had one untoward situation, where he broke his hip bone after losing his balance, while going to the washroom in the night. But after the operation and the physiotherapy, he recovered nicely and was back on his feet within a fortnight. Now he is completely alright and does all his work by himself. We thank the Lord for healing him and helping him to recover speedily.

We thank our dear Lord Jesus who loves this dear grandpa and has made a way for him to be with us in the ROS family. May the good Lord continue to be with this grandpa and give him good health, peace and happiness as he stays in the old age home at Mira Road.

 Praise the Lord!

Another month with God’s wonderful grace in our lives! It has also been a month of great weather and the children spent Sundays with the congregation, enjoying Praise and Worship  at Church while being blessed with the Word preached by Pastor Saroja.

We  have some new children who will join the Sunday School group very soon and we look forward to welcoming them with great joy!

This month the children are all preparing for their upcoming annual exams.

Do lift them up in your prayers so that God’s grace will enable them to study well so that all of them may get promoted to higher classes.

Continue to lift up our ministry and our Pastor in your daily prayers. It is a matter of great joy and excitement for us to watch the church services on a TV channel. May the programs be a great blessing to all who hear the Word of God all over India!

Praise the Lord!