Praise the Lord dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  Wishing all my readers a VERY BLESSED EASTER. May our resurrected LORD JESUS bless each and every one in their spiritual lives.

Is there anyone who does not want God’s blessings? I am sure there is not even one soul on earth who would not want blessings from God. The key to getting blessings from God is easy, it is simple Faith! Through Jesus Christ, God has showered His choicest blessings upon this world for His chosen children. Now it is our turn to claim those blessings from our Father God, through JESUS, in faith!

Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.”

Jabez prayed to God to increase his boundary and boldly claimed his blessings, for he knew that God, along with blessings, would add no sorrow to it. Today, if we experience sorrow, have faith that God will give us His grace also, to overcome the sorrow in this world.

Haggai 2:19 “Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”

Job’s life is a perfect example for each one of us, as to how storms can come in different ways to destroy everything we have. Even before tragedy struck his family, Job used to offer sacrifice and ask forgiveness from the Lord. All through his sorrow, he never uttered a word against God and His judgement. Hence, in the end, we see God blessing Job in double measure, wherein Job was not only restored everything he had lost but given much more than what he possessed earlier. Today, whatever the storm in our lives, whatever the hindrances the evil one brings into our lives, know for sure that it is for a season and a reason. The only thing you can do during that phase is to have faith and not utter anything in haste against God!

Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labour of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls – Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Remember, God is the only one who will fulfill and answer all our prayers. He alone will lead and prosper us all through our lives.

As we journey through our earthly lives, let us put our faith and trust in JESUS CHRIST, for He is a God who will provide for us from time to time and fulfill our every lack in life. When we receive blessings from Him, they will be permanent, and there will be no sorrow attached to them!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Saroja M.

 

Praise the Lord. We requested Pastor Saroja to pray for our Son Ivan’s success in the ISC Sc. Class XII exam for the year 2023. He secured distinctions in three subjects and passed out with 84.75% marks. He was able to achieve this only because of Pastors’ prayers. He surpassed our expectations through her mighty prayers which helped him clear this exam with flying colours. With this result, he was given an admission in Engineering College for Computer Science and Engineering Stream, and this too came as a huge blessing to us when it was least expected.

Thank you, dear Almighty Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thank you, Dear Pastor Saroja, for your mighty prayers.

Bro. Lenient Chester Momin and Family, Mumbai

Praise the Lord. I had gone to Nashik as my younger sister was serious and admitted to a hospital. I stayed there for a week, and suddenly I developed severe and unbearable chest pain. I visited a Doctor in Nashik, but it was of no use. The pain continued for 10-12 days.

I returned to Bombay with this serious health condition. My son took me to a hospital, where they redirected me to Cooper Hospital. We went there, and the Doctors did several tests.

In the test, they found I had symptoms of pneumonia. The doctor gave me some medicine, and I was discharged.

I was unable to attend Church Services due to my condition, but one of my family members told Pastor Saroja of my health condition.

Pastor assured us of her prayers, and immediately after her prayers, I started feeling better and was able to attend Church Services, the Christmas Program, and even the Christmas Service. I give all glory to our Lord Jesus Christ for healing me and saving me from my critical situation. I also give lots of thanks to Pastor Saroja who prayed for me when I needed it.

Sis. Arikmary, Mumbai.

Praise the Lord! I had black spots and acne which caused me severe burning and itching throughout my face, and I requested prayer from the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower.

The prayer warrior kept me in prayer. I am completely fine now, and free from the black spots, acne, and irritation!

I give all praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, and I also thank the Rose of Sharon Prayer Tower for praying for me.

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

Praise the Lord. I experienced severe stomach pain suddenly at 4 am one morning, and I could not sleep.

I applied the prayer oil, and within five to ten minutes, my pain vanished.

I give lots of thanks to the Lord Jesus for healing me through the prayer oil. I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying over the prayer oil.

My second testimony is for my daughter Srishti Pillay.

While playing she often falls on her head. I would then immediately apply the prayer oil. Thus, by God’s grace, nothing severe took place whenever she would bump her head.

All praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for protecting her always, and I thank Pastor Saroja for her fervent prayers. Thank You, Jesus!

Sis. Shelly Pillay, Mumbai.

 

During the holiday season of Easter, Annie’s school had organized an Easter Egg hunt for a few days. Annie loved Easter egg hunts and she started walking around looking out for them. She gently picked up an Easter egg and shook it, saying, “No, there is nothing interesting in this one.” She found a little purple egg and shook it – that too was empty.

Kyla walked by her and joined her. Soon Emma and Mia also joined them, and they started the Egg hunt. The girls looked and looked for eggs but were only able to find empty ones. All the girls were getting upset as they could not find even one Easter Egg. But Annie assured Kyla, Emma, and Mia that JESUS would give them wonderful Easter Eggs if they continued their search in truth, faith, and without grumbling. She encouraged all of them and they all joined hands, while Annie prayed to the Lord Jesus in faith saying, “JESUS you know our heart’s desires, kindly fulfill them as per your will.”

Suddenly, Annie looked over her shoulder and saw an injured puppy walking down the street. She went over to pick the puppy up and saw that the puppy needed medical attention. She immediately took the puppy to the vet to have him checked out. The vet said that the puppy had a slight injury on his legs and was also hungry as it had not been fed for a few days.

Annie decided to adopt the puppy and took it home. She and her friends played with the puppy and gave him food, water, and above all, love. Annie realized that egg hunts were fun-filled as they were in the open gardens with so many friends and excitement all around, but she thought more important than momentary fun was the life of the puppy, who needed more love, care, and attention at this moment.

One morning, when Annie woke up, she saw that the puppy was missing but found a big, decorated basket full of beautifully coloured eggs and delicious candy, in her home. Her mother gave her a note which came with the basket. It read, “Thank you for taking care of my puppy. Love, Katie.” She did not know who Katie was but was happy that the puppy had been reunited with his master.

Annie thanked the Lord JESUS as she was happy that JESUS had answered her prayer, as given in Psalm 37:3-4 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

 

Mathew 3:16 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” We have read in the Word that the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus Christ. There are many types of birds in this world, but the Spirit of God came down only in the form of a dove.

We see the same reference in the other three Gospels of the New Testament. Mark 1:10 “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:”

Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

John 1:32 “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”

The love of God is also like an eagle that spreads its wings over us and protects us always. Deuteronomy 32:11 “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:” When we remember the love of Jesus, we see Him as a Shepherd. Almost all artists have this image in their minds when they draw Jesus i.e., a sheep being held fondly by our Shepherd Lord, Jesus. When we reminisce about the love of Jesus, He is fondly remembered as the sacrificial lamb for us.

John 1:35-36 “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” Jesus Christ was our sacrificial lamb. As we have read the Word earlier in Mathew, we have seen the love of God the Father, descending upon Jesus Christ in the form of a dove.

Many people have been baptized, and when they are asked how they feel, invariably they respond, ‘We felt the form of a dove come upon us,’ while some say, ‘A white shawl was put upon us,’ and yet others say they felt ‘A great shower upon them.’ Some also say, ‘A fire came down upon us.’ There are different testimonies that we have heard about the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not water, nor a shawl, nor something that can be purchased off the shelf. No one can establish the form of our Lord God because He attains different forms at different times. He touches people differently and never in the same form. His voice is loud, like the sound of a flowing river. John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

None have seen or heard the Lord God. Every one of us knows Him differently and recognize Him in different forms. But we, who have not known or seen the ‘Truth,’ say when we are baptized that we see the Holy Spirit in different forms. This is just our imagination and not the truth.

Our Lord God is a cloud, a cloud who was a pillar of shadow by day, and a pillar of fire by night, to the chosen Israelites. While delivering hundreds of thousands of Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, God was in the form of a cloud constantly with them. Our God created a form of dew that was converted into manna for the Israelites. Every morning the dew fell, and the Israelites collected it as manna, and ate it as their day’s meal. Our God is an impartial and true God. Since people of this world do not recognize this truth, they do not know the love of God, and they say that God appeared to them in different forms.

During the time of Noah, God destroyed the world by a flood. At the end of forty days and nights, Noah released two birds, a raven, and a dove. The raven kept flying to and from the Ark several times and finally flew away. But the dove flew off, only to return to the Ark after some days. The raven never returned. It is known to be an unclean bird, which eats dead rats and other carrion. Some of us have this raven-like nature, and sometimes in life, it surfaces. However much we pretend or act that we have changed, this nature is still within us, and oftentimes it rules our lives. However, we cannot pretend before God. He is our Holy and true God, so let us sanctify ourselves and make ourselves Holy. Let our acts and works be true to Him.

Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The two qualities mentioned here are physical and spiritual. The physical quality takes us to death, while the spiritual quality blesses us with eternal life.

In the Holy Scriptures, we have all read the well-known story of the Prodigal Son. Luke 15:12-21 “And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”

This world and its people teach us sinful ways, and it does not teach us the truth – just as it taught the younger son to fight with his father and ask for his share, only to squander it away in carnal pleasures, leading to his destruction. Finally, when there was no food to eat, and he had to eat swine food, the son remembered his father’s house and returned home. The people of this world will always teach us to ruin ourselves.

Job says in Job 20:21-22 “There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods. In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.”

Job 20:29 “This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.”

We must always remember that our cornerstone is God. He is sometimes dew and sometimes a cloud. Without Him, we are worthy for nothing, and we have no life. Jesus said in John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” We must be entwined with God to be fruitful in life.

At first, Noah released two birds, one a raven, and another, a dove. The raven flew to and fro and never returned, while the dove, when it had no space to rest, returned to the Ark. After a week, once again Noah released the dove. The dove flew back to the ark with a leaf of the olive tree. Genesis 8:6-12 “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.” The Olive tree is a symbol of ‘Peace,’ and the dove brought along good news to Noah, that the waters over the earth had completely receded and dried up.

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The Angel of God brought ‘good news’ into this world. Similarly, the dove brought ‘good news’ to Noah, signifying that it was time to get out of the Ark, as the waters over the earth had receded.

As Jesus Christ stepped out of the waters of Jordan after His baptism, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit alighted on Him in the form of a dove. Even today, we must not lose the Holy Spirit that is freely given to us upon this earth. We must keep ourselves holy and righteous. John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” We must be entwined with the Holy Spirit that is upon the earth, even as the Word says that without Him, we can do nothing.

Acts 10:44 “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” As Peter was speaking the Word, the Holy Spirit descended upon everyone present. When we read in the Scriptures that the dove, after another 7 days, and for the third time, was released by Noah from the ark and that it never returned, this signifies the dove in the form of the Holy Spirit that remains on this earth forever. As God is with us in the form of dew and cloud, He descended upon the earth in the form of a dove and lives forever more on this earth. When Peter preached before the Gentiles who had never heard the Word of God before, the Holy Spirit filled and anointed them all.

Joshua 3:5 “And Joshua said unto the people, sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Our lives must be like that of a dove and not a raven. Always sanctify and keep yourselves holy. If we maintain ourselves to be holy, tomorrow we will be able to see God’s wonderful miracles in our lives. Thus, if we want to see miracles tomorrow, we must sanctify our lives today.

When the Holy Spirit descends upon man, no one can command the Holy Spirit. He will give us the strength to pray with a contrite heart for others. The Holy Spirit gives us love and compassion to encourage others in times of need. Isaiah 38:14 “Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.” This is a compassionate prayer made by Isaiah. When God gives us the anointing of the Spirit, we can pray for others compassionately. Isaiah 59:11 “We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.”

Such an anointing was also upon Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 9:1 “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah was also filled by the Holy Spirit to pray to God with compassion and love. Unless both Prophets, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were anointed, they would not have had such compassion to pray. Jeremiah 13:17 “But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’S flock is carried away captive.” To pray tearful prayers, we must have the Holy Spirit within us. Remember, if God does not give us the Holy Spirit, we cannot pray for others with compassion.

Song of Solomon 4:1 “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.” The dove represents a form of the Holy Spirit; hence, when Jesus was born, His parents brought a pair of young doves to sacrifice in the holy temple on the eighth day after His birth, as we read in Luke 2:24 “And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” It is important for us to hear the Word and practice it. Many of us are only listeners, not doers of the Word. Many of us listen from one ear and let it out from another. Our lives should not be like this. We must not forget God’s great doings in our lives. Just as the Prodigal Son fought with his Father and took away his share of property and went away, finally losing everything in his life, and eventually eating husk along with the swine; many of us bring a curse upon ourselves with our own hands by defiling ourselves with the Gentiles. We have been brought up with the knowledge of the Word, yet we defile ourselves by mingling with the Gentiles.

We must always be in the fear and love of God. Our first sacrifice must always be for God, only then must we share with this world. Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” God gave Adam and Eve a clear choice in the Garden of Eden, telling them that if they ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree, they would die. They chose to disobey God, and ate of the forbidden fruit, thus dying spiritually. Though they lived thereafter up to the age of 930 years, they lived in the flesh, albeit they were spiritually dead. Remember what Joshua told the Israelites? ‘Today sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow you will see God’s miracles.’

Exodus 33:21-22 “And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:” Our God is the same unchanging God. If we keep ourselves sanctified for Him, He will never forsake us.

God will keep us in His shadow always, and always be our Rock. 1 Corinthians 10:4 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

The Lord proclaims in Isaiah 44 that there is no other God like Him, our living God. Jesus Christ is the only one who can quench our thirst with eternal living waters. We must always yearn to live under the shadow of the Holy One. Exodus 34:32 “And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.” To stand before the Almighty God, before His throne, we must prepare our lives now. As we read earlier too, when Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually, though they continued to live in the flesh for up to 930 years.

Many of us are spiritually dead even today, and only living in the flesh. Let us prepare ourselves to stand before the throne of our Almighty God. Isaiah 60:8 “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” Who are these who fly like the cloud, like the dove? They are the sanctified ones, the pure ones, the anointed ones! They are the obedient ones who have experienced the love of God, those who have carried the Cross with the burden and pain for Christ. For this, we must prepare our lives today. Christianity is the way of purity and truth.

Psalm 55:6 “And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” David says, ‘If I had wings, I would fly like the dove to find a resting place.’ Mathew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We take this Word ever so lightly. To find a resting place in Him, we must become doves. The Lord is calling us from His Throne of Grace, viz. Heaven. To reach Him there, we must fly like a dove; and, to become a dove, we need to purify and sanctify our lives today. We need spiritual eyes to understand the ‘Word’ that we read. We need to sanctify ourselves, and we need to be anointed. We need to purify and anoint ourselves with the Holy Spirit and become like doves to reach the Heavenly Kingdom.

Isaiah says, ‘Who are these who fly like the cloud, like the dove?’ David says, ‘If I had wings, I would fly like the dove to find a resting place.’ Jesus calls those who are burdened and heavy laden and says, ‘Come to Me, and I will give you rest.’ To reach Heaven, we not only need wings, but we must also become doves.

Psalm 116:7 “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.” Because of God’s mercy alone, we will reach the resting place. Without Him, we can never reach there. We need His love, grace, and mercy. He must cleanse and redeem us with His Holy Blood, only then can we reach His resting place. If we continue to live in the flesh, we have no hope of reaching the resting place. It is only through the Spirit that we can reach the resting place. Without Him, our lives would be futile.

The Lord God has spoken to us through His Word in different forms, and we need to sanctify our lives, to see His wondrous works and miracles tomorrow. Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Our lives will be blessed if we live in accordance with His Word alone.

May this Word bring blessings to our lives. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Saroja M.

 

Praise the Lord, dear readers! Hope you and your family members are doing fine by God’s grace.

Good Friday and Easter have come early this year, and we are very much looking forward to celebrating this ‘blessed weekend’ once again.

The Good Friday Hot Cross Buns are very much looked forward to by the residents of our home, as there is something unique about these Buns on Good Friday. The Cross on top of the bun and the Tutti Frutti in the buns are very different and unique to our taste buds during this time of the year.

Also, the cute Easter Eggs in different sizes, shapes, and types are a delight for the eyes, and sweet to the mouth.

In this blessed season, may we never forget the price that God the Father gave for each one of us, His only Son, JESUS CHRIST, and may our resurrected Lord Jesus abide in our lives today and always!

Happy Easter to all of you!

Pastor Saroja M

Praise the Lord! In 2024, for us Christians, ‘March’ is the most important month of this year, as we celebrate Good Friday and Easter this month.

We will understand the true meaning of ‘Easter’ only when we acknowledge, accept, and believe the great love our Father showed for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross of Calvary.

The Junior kids were asked to memorize Isaiah 26:4 “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

They were provided sheets to rewrite the verse so that they could memorize the same.

The intermediate kids learnt the Beatitudes in Matthew Ch. 5 – the first sermon (on the mount) of Jesus. They were taught about whom the Lord considers poor in spirit, the meek, and many more.

The seniors were taught about Absalom’s return to Jerusalem, and how David forgave him. (1 Samuel 14)

In general, the children were taught the following:

a)    The true meaning of Good Friday, with stories from the Bible.

b)   To remember the love and sacrifice that Lord Jesus has shown for all of us.

We wish all our dear readers a Happy Easter.

Do continue to uphold our little ones in your prayers.

Kids Corner

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