April 2014 Magazine

     

"Click here for Hindi Version"

Editor's Note - Pastor Saroja
Testimonies
The parable of the butterfly

Dear Readers and well wishers
Birthdays
God's immense love - An Easter Gift
Rose of Sharon Old Age home

Sunday School
Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Bunnies

Happy Easter Word Find

Happy Easter

Rose of Sharon Church

Back Page



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Editor’s Note

 

 I greet all my beloved ones in the name of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The Lord loves us with an everlasting love. Therefore by His everlasting love He has redeemed you and me.

 

Pilate brought Barabbas a notorious prisoner and Jesus before the Jews, and asked them who he should free of the two. Matthew 27:17 - Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

 

The Jews left Jesus but chose Barabbas to be released. They cried out more loudly that they should crucify Christ. Then he released Barabbas to them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

 

When Barabbas was standing near the Cross of Calvary and watching Jesus on the cross, he must be thinking if it was not for Jesus, it would be me who would be hanging on the cross. But like the sheep that is silent before the shearers, He was silent for my sake and took away my sins as a Lamb of God.

 

My beloved brothers and sisters, I put myself in Barabbas’ place near the cross. I am thinking myself that:

 

 

ü    http://images.rapgenius.com/5093e9e08174d25c23695d2473200ebf.640x440x1.jpgIt is for my sins sake He who knew no sin became a sinner.

ü      To make me righteous, He became unrighteous.

ü      He was wounded for my transgressions.

ü      He was bruised for my iniquities.

ü      The chastisement of my peace was upon Him.

      ü      To heal me He took the stripes on His body.

ü      To give eternal life to me, He took all my iniquities upon Him.

ü      To give me Heavenly blessings, He humbled Himself to the cross.

ü      To give me eternal life, He was despised and rejected by men.

 

Yet it pleased the Father to bruise Him, He has put Him to grief.

 

Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, or any other created thing shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

God’s love was seen on the cross at Golgotha. So decide to love Him with all your heart.

 

Pray to the Lord in tears to make me love Him more than what I do today. How great is His goodness and how great is His beauty. It is great to be filled with His love and remember His love. The love of this world can change and the love of man may decrease. But God’s love is unchanging, it will not decrease, but increase. The Bible says in John 13:1 - Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

 

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSdDMouKuE9CRe-mNktb3fsig6BesoGbCeFFRMJYJyiUGD59MwjApostle Paul was totally immersed in God’s love. He totally sacrificed himself for God’s love. Once when Paul was going to Jerusalem he had a lot of problems. When the other believers came to know of it, they tried to stop him with tears. But Paul comforted them by saying, Act 21:13 - Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

  So dearly beloved always let your first love and total love be towards God.

 

Mary Magdalene loved God with all her heart. Even after Jesus’ death it did not decrease. Early in the morning she got up and went to Jesus’ grave. She did not see Jesus so she was crying in sorrow. She supposed Jesus to be the gardener. John 20:15 - Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

 

My beloved ones do you have the same love for Jesus? Judges 5:31 says - So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

 

That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and length of your days.  So dearly beloved, may God bless you and keep you in good health and perfect peace in His name.

 

Wish you all a very Happy Easter.

 

Pastor Saroja M.

                                     

                                

 

 

 

 


Top

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Praise the Lord. I thank my Lord Jesus for giving me an opportunity to testify of His goodness to me.  An NRI believer brother had met Pastor Saroja about 3 months back and expressed his desire to sponsor the education of some poor children. Pastor advised him; why not help my church people? He agreed to that and 2 months ago Pastor had taken the family photos and sent it to him and one was of my family. Last week he came down to India and contacted Pastor Saroja and we went tomeet him. The Lord fulfilled Pastor’s heart’s desire. The Lord is so good. The brother met me, and gave a cheque of Rs.18,300/- as the school and tuition fees of my two children for the present year. He also promised Pastor Saroja, he wants to continue to sponsor their education in the future. I thank the Lord for this miracle and my grateful thanks to Pastor Saroja for guidance and prayers without which this would not be possible. 

 ** Bro. AnandGaikwad, Ghatkopar

 Praise the Lord.  I had minute boils on my chest, and it was spreading from my chest to my arms and back. On Saturday after the healing service, I told this matter to Pastor Saroja. Pastor advised me to apply the prayer oil, because I was suffering from very bad itching. By Lords’ grace and mercy the itching and boils both vanished. I give all glory to Lord Jesus and I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying over the prayer oil. 

 ** Bro. Hardik Patel, Goregaon (E)

 Praise the Lord. I thank the Lord for giving me one more opportunity to testify his wondrous work in my life.  First week of January, I was suffering from severe stomach pain for 3 days continuously.  The pain would last for 15-20 mins.  I took medicines but nothing happened.  Then during the fasting prayer I informed Pastor Saroja about this.  Pastor assured me of her prayers and told me to apply the prayer oil on my stomach.  After some time the pain subsided and I was well once again.  I give lots of thanks to the Lord and also thank Pastor for praying over the prayer oil and always praying for me and my family whenever we need it.

 ** Sis. Shelly Arikswamy, Jogeshwari

   Praise the Lord. All glory, honour and thanks to my Saviour Almighty who has made this testimony possible. In the month of December, I was informed that I had to organize my company’s Asia Pacific Conference in India.  This was the first time an event of such magnitude was being organized by India.  I firstly informed our Pastor Saroja to lift me up in prayers to have a successful conference. It was also challenging, since it was not in Mumbai. My gratitude and heartfelt thanks to Pastor for her prayers through which the conference concluded to a thumping success.All glory and honour to my Saviour Jesus who gave me victory once again and lifted me up with His grace and mercy as always, against all odds.  Thank you Jesus! Praise you Jesus!

 ** Sis. June Anchan

  http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lusmcw4NGq1qdp53oo1_500.jpgPraise the Lord. I thank and praise my God for His abundant grace and mercy over my life which I would like to testify here. I had come for the fasting prayer and while going back to my home, I was travelling with my son on his bike. On the way my hand bag which was on my lap got stuck on the handle of the other bike. I first let go my bag on the spur of the moment.  God saved me from a serious accident that day. Ithank my Lord for the deliverance and for Pastor’s prayer for me and my family.   

My second testimony is that while coming down from the staircase of my home, I slipped and fell and got hit on my head. My head was swollen and I had a lot of pain. I contacted Pastor Saroja over the phone; she prayed over me and told me to apply the prayer oil. I became alright and the pain disappeared.  I thank the Lord for this healing and sincerely thank Pastor for her prayers and for her advice.  Thank you Jesus 

** Sis Natty Amanna, Asalpa

       http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3B4dBdpt_U/UBHVmrXIB0I/AAAAAAAAFyg/EPw-eXI_cGM/s1600/179862578838344577_u3TdSnB5_c.jpgPraise the Lord. My son Ahaz is 2½ years old. For one month he had cough and cold with vomiting and was unable to eat food. We showed him to the doctor, he gave him some medicines which stopped his cough and vomiting for some time but again it repeated. I informed Pastor Saroja about my son. She assured us of her prayers and told me to put little prayer oil in water and give my son. I did exactly what she said. Now my son is completely alright and his vomiting has stopped. I praise and thank the Lord. I also thank Pastor Saroja for her prayers and the advice.

 

 ** Bro. Robert Francis, Goregaon (E)

 

   
 

Top

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The parable of the butterfly

 

As a butterfly soared overhead, one caterpillar said to the other, "You'll never get me up in one of those things."

Yet for every caterpillar the time comes when the urge to eat and grow subsides and he instinctively begins to form a chrysalis around himself. The chrysalis hardens and you'd think for all the world that the caterpillar is dead.

But one spring morning the life inside the chrysalis begins to writhe, the top cracks open, and a beautifully-formed butterfly emerges. For hours it will stand stretching and drying its wings, moving them slowly up and down, up and down. And then, before you know it, the butterfly glides aloft, effortlessly riding the currents of the air, alighting on flower after gorgeous flower, as if to show off its vivid colors to the bright blossoms. .

Somehow, the miracle of the butterfly never loses its fascination for us. Perhaps because the butterfly is a living parable of the promise of resurrection.

On Easter morning the disciples saw Jesus' graveclothes lying on the cold slab still wrapped round and round the corpse. Only the corpse was gone, much like an empty chrysalis deserted by a butterfly who has left to soar free. "He is risen as He said," an angel told the incredulous disciples. Later that day he appeared to the disciples, and then, over the course of the next few weeks, to as many as five hundred people at one time. Even "Doubting Thomas" didn't doubt for long that Jesus was really risen from the dead.

 

What do we Christians say in the face of death? There are many mysteries. But two things we know for sure. First, death is an enemy. Away with the sentimentality that vainly seeks to disguise death's insult! But second, and more important, Jesus' resurrection from the grave is God's proof to us that death is not the end. The empty tomb and Jesus' Spirit within us testify that Easter morning is God's triumph over death. And ultimately, Jesus promised, God will raise from the dead us who believe in His Son.

Why do Christians gather on Easter morning? To show off their fine clothes or give a ritual tip of the hat to religion? God forbid! Rather we gather to celebrate Jesus' victory over death itself. For since He is our Lord and our Savior, His victory is our victory. In celebrating His resurrection we celebrate our own assurance of ultimate triumph over death.

 

 

 


Top

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                                           

 

 

                                         

Top

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pastor Saroja M

God’s immense love – An Easter Gift

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJpU0mjX9ddgN-5wvlk_Mr9nfW0_5o8kpJZgXyuT4LRbi88TTZFQLet us look to the Cross with faith and believe that Jesus Christ’s suffering, pain, sorrow and body was completely broken for you and me.  He is truly a God who loves us very much. In spite of all the suffering and humiliation on the Cross, let us see what is Jesus’ desire for you and me, what does He tell His Father God and what is in His heart for you and me. Luke 23: 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  Jesus tells His Father, even in that completely broken and bruised condition with blood profusely oozing out of his wounds, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.  Even in that condition, Jesus’ heart beating for us was only with ‘Love’.  Scientist and researchers say that Jesus suffered on the Cross for six hours, Yes, all these six hours He only prayed for us to His Father God “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. This is because He loved us then and He loves us even today. Unless we come to Him with a true conscience, we will not get deliverance from our sins even today. 2000 years ago, even the ones who struck Jesus  Christ, the ones who spat on Him and humiliated Him, were also delivered by the same blood by which we are delivered today i.e. by the blood shed on the Cross of Calvary.  None of us can say that we are pure and sinless.  We need the blood of Jesus to deliver and wash us from our sins and unrighteousness. Hence, let us listen to the whisper of our conscience and put our hands across our heart and contemplate upon what Jesus said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.  When we acknowledge Him and come before Him in truth, our God will be ready to wash and clean us of our sins, however crimson red they may be; whatever may be the kind of sin, we can get remission for our sins and be washed by His pure, priceless blood.

 Jesus’ inner quality, i.e. His forgiving nature, His healing touch for illness and bondage; we have seen this same nature on the Cross. Peter writes about this quality of Jesus  in 1 Peter 2: 23  “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” Peter says that when Jesus was reviled, He did not revile and when He suffered He did not threaten. When Jesus carried the Cross, He did not threaten the people saying “wait and watch when I rise again after three days, I will punish you”. No, Jesus did not threaten the people in any which way. But, rather, He continued to pray to His Father saying “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Jesus whole heartedly surrendered His life on the Cross without any murmurings, so that we get saved and we become righteous by His death. Our God is a good God, He is a God who forgives, He is a God who delivers us from any and every type of sin. It is written in Psalms 86: 5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Our God is a good God and is ready to forgive and His mercy is abundant to all those who call upon Him. This is a Psalm written even before Jesus came into this world and His quality was very clearly described in this Psalm. It is the same quality that we see on the Cross when Jesus was crucified. He is a good God and merciful even at the time of His death, He intercedes for you and me to His Father and says  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

  The people of those times did not recognize these qualities of Jesus; they did not know Him at all. A God who never sinned, robbed, lied, made a mistake, committed adultery; there was no sin at all within Him.  Even those who reviled against Him, He did not revile back at them in return. Such a God was taken to Pilate for judgment. Pilate in turn washes his hands when He finds no fault in Jesus after all his inquiry was over. Though Pilate knew that there was no fault in Jesus and that He was blameless, yet he did not come forward to save Him. But rather, he washed his hands off Jesus.  Let us read Luke 23: 14-25 “Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b516/searchq8/TOPICS/aug-03/easterblessings_zps8cdf5e33.jpgwilling to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.  After all the inquiries done against Jesus, Pilate told the people “that I find no fault and blame in Him, thus I wash my hands off Him”.  Pilate knew that it was because of sheer jealousy that the people wanted Jesus to be crucified. Even after that, He did not save Jesus but rather handed Him over to the people for judgment. Let us see what Pilate’s wife tells him in Mathew 27: 19 “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. God could have come in Pilate’s dream and informed him directly, but no God chose to speak to Pilate’s wife and in turn she said to Pilate “Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him”.   In our lives too, many a times there are some people who make the mistake, but there are others who suffer for it. Many a times, God shows our wrong doings not to us, but to others.  Hence, we cannot question what our God does., who He speaks to and how He handles a situation. No one can question God.  Let us read Luke 23: 15No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. Pilate tells the people “I had even sent Jesus to Herod, but He too did not find fault as to persecute Him”. Even Herod finds no fault with Jesus. If the people believed that Jesus Christ was sent into the world for our sakes, they would never have asked Pilate to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus.  Barabbas was a thief, and had the people known the truth they would never have asked to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. The people did not know that Jesus Christ came into this world to love us, to reunite us with Father God and to separate us from our sins.  Peter says in Acts 3: 17And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.  The people crucified Jesus because of ignorance, just like their rulers also did. But Jesus’ blood has redeemed everyone, even those who reviled Him.  Let us read John 19: 34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.”  When the soldier did this, water and blood oozed out of Jesus’ sides.  What does water signify? It signifies ‘Jesus is the Living Water’,   John 7: 38-39 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”  Here water is compared to the ‘Holy Spirit’.  http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/00/01/8e/00018e5a2a8dc64e35cdea8a2acb18eb.jpgThrough this ‘Living Water’, Jesus gave us His Love.  Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; It is only through the blood of Jesus that we have received our redemption and forgiveness for our sins, according to the riches of His Grace.

When we sin, our conscience is aware of it, Jesus also knows of our sin and there is also one more person who knows of our sins i.e. the evil one. This is very important and we must always remember this. In the olden times, the greatest of all sins was adultery. The commandment of the olden day says in Exodus 20: 14 “Thou shalt not commit adultery. Now, if we have still sinned and committed adultery, what is the punishment for it? Let us read Deuteronomy 22: 22 “If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.   The couple had to be stoned to death. This was a big punishment that men brought upon themselves. Whoever committed this sin, whether it was the priests’ children or ordinary people, all had to face the same punishment.  Let us read Leviticus 21: 9 “And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire. This grave punishment used to be practiced by the Israelites in the olden days. But, we see  that there is a bigger punishment in eternity than even this, in Revelation 21: 8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.But, we human beings, always think that nobody has watched us sin. We may have sinned any one of these sins and we must be careful for our God sees our sins and so does the evil one sees our sins. Similarly, we see in the Holy Scriptures that people bring a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. We know the punishment for adultery in the olden times. Yet this woman was brought alone and the man was left out, so this was not according to the commandment of law. Jesus sees this woman and senses that the people want Him to judge her. God knows about everyone, so we cannot hide from Him; though we think that no one has seen, nothing is hidden from Jesus’ sight. Jesus says “those of you who have not sinned, stone this woman first”. Hearing this, the people’s conscience convicted them and all of them left the place one by one. Let us read John 8: 7 “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. Our Jesus has not come to point out our sins in the open and He has not come to condemn us. But, since the people insisted and kept repeatedly asking Jesus, He was forced to respond “those of you who have not sinned, stone this woman first”. Hence, Jesus kept his face focused on the ground and He did not even look up at them, because He knew all were guilty. Even today, our God is the same unchanging Jesus, He intercedes with His father for you and me saying “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.  Let us replace the word ‘them’ with ‘our own name’, and look to the Cross where Jesus was crucified; we will feel that it is ‘Me’ who Jesus is praying for to His Father God. Our conscience must speak to us, because our God is a merciful and graceful God, He is ready to deliver us from our sins even today. Let this not be another Good Friday that we are celebrating, let us come to https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQO6gnDGSLeHnZRJhT0mlABEUBgFZ_UHcXG1xiNbNlJ6mV6dZLIfgHim in truth and faith knowing that He will forgive our sins if we are ready to confess it even today. John 8: 9 says “And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. Hearing the voice of Jesus, all the people left one by one, and only the adulteress woman was left behind with Him. We see how Jesus gives His judgment to the woman and says to her “Go away and sin no more”. All our sins, big or small lie naked before God, but our conscience must be alive today to receive the grace of God so that we are redeemed of our sins.   

Peter speaks in Acts 2: 37 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  When Peter preached to the people about Jesus and when they heard the Word preached about how they had denied Jesus and crucified Him, their conscience was convicted immediately and they asked Peter “What should we do?” Like these people, our conscience too must speak to us today; we should also have this question “What should we do? How can we come out of this sin?  What should we do to be delivered of our sins today?” God will wash us instantly with His blood, because our God’s blood has power, it has wonder-working power. It is important for us to ask this question to ourselves today. We know that the wages of sin is death, yet Judas Iscariot did not ask this question “What should I do now that I have betrayed Jesus? How can I come out of this sin?”  Rather, he went and threw the silver coins before the people who gave it to him and then went and committed suicide. Judas did not come with a repentant heart before Jesus Christ. Though the word says that when we sin, the wages of sin is death; yet, when we go to God with a repentant heart and with this question “What should I do? How can I come out of this sin? - Our God Jesus is prepared to deliver us out of our every sin, even today. 

We see that every ‘Word’ written in the holy book was before Jesus Christ’s birth, and it was fulfilled much later, on the Cross. Let us read what David wrote about Jesus Christ in Psalms 22: 15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Even before Jesus was born, David had written that Jesus would yearn for water and be thirsty. Let us read John 19: 28-29 “