REPENT- YOU SHALL LIVE

However, as the Scripture says, “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing that God prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)

Our Holy Bible says that Jesus have come in order that you may have life.

Since you have truly accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you belong to His Family Tree.

We all know that the branches have to stay together with the tree to produce its fruits.  You may notice that the branches need not have much effort. It has to just hold the fruit.

Similarly, when you are united with Lord Jesus, he tells you to just carry the fruits and gifts, and give it away. Everybody dreams for a fruitful life.

When we produce life-giving fruit and share it with other people, we obtain incomparable contentment and deep joy within. It is our beloved Father’s dream that we shall all come together and grow in Jesus as  mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’ full stature.

How can we fulfill our Father’s dream?

There was a time in my life when faith was followed as a dedicated ritualism. The rules and intellectual pattern of life were imprinted on my brain. The fulfillment of the rituals was followed traditionally as an example to my family.  As a schedule of my busy life loaded with night duties, upbringing of my children and home management there was no time for a refreshed sleep or any other leisure.  Years passed, and with the hectic schedule taking a load on my health, I ended up with a severe spinal ailment and my decayed body was thrown to the hands of surgeons.

Thanks be to God!  As how He divided the day from night, changes occurred in my life too. Due to the sickness I was subjected to experience the Lord’s work in my life.

My intellectual faith began to give way to a much renowned spiritual growth which transformed and inspired me to see Jesus, as a constant companion in my sickness and loneliness and place him in the center of my heart.  Lord Jesus transformed and enlightened me to see my faith in a more lively manner and I was able to take a stern decision to grow in His Knowledge and power. 

“Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with Him. Keep your roots deep in Him, build your lives on Him and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.” (Col 2: 6-7)

I began to converse with the Lord as a close person and began to relax myself in him as He caressed and fondled me. All my worries regarding the illness, losing a high paid job, returning to India with unfulfilled plans, anxiety of my children’s future took a backseat, I felt as light as if I was in the air. Every moment I silently pleaded Him to anoint me with his power and Spirit. I wanted Him to teach me, guide and to have self control over my life so that I could love and accept everyone. 

The inspiration by the Divine Lord led me to the Bible more often.  I began to read it faithfully and memorize it, noting down the daily message and making a small prayer out of it. From one sentence, I proceeded to memorize five verses a day. Doing this helped me to obey the Word of God too. The hours I spend with the Holy Scriptures rejuvenated me and it assisted me to listen to the inner voice by paying keen attention to the Lord.

I experienced the anointment of the Holy Spirit in different forms like, the feel of His mighty power pouring through my body, and sometimes in the form of a cool and warm breeze. There were times when I experienced passing currant and infilling of some fluid in my spine. I truly experienced a spiritual warfare within me.

Exactly by 104 days of my residing in the proximity of my Lord and with my sincere co-operation, I was promoted to his discipleship. Praise the Lord!!

From being His mere ritual follower I was transformed to be His chosen one, to spread His message and deliver the ones in darkness.

As how the Lord fed those five thousand people, who stayed and spend days with hunger and thirst, for life giving Word of God, He will quench the people who are hungry and thirsty for healing and deliverance. 

Our beloved Father wishes everyone to be saved and come to know the truth.

Whoever is being attracted by Almighty God through Jesus Christ brought to me was unaided.  

Glory and Honor to the Blessed Trinity!!! Amen!!

 Let’s go through a testimony from a couple:

My husband and I set out to Bombay with a desire to go abroad. We started a business and flourished. With the thought that a little bit of alcohol will surely help to develop better appetite and relax the weariness of the body, I inculcated this habit which later piled up disasters for me. Distraction over distraction, anxiety over sickness lined up.  Debts and poverty became close associate of mine. Having received the stamp of being a sick woman, I took refuge on bed. Unbearable breathlessness, chest pain, body ache, heaviness and weakness of the body often crippled me. Sorrow, depression, pent up anger occupied my heart.

Externally and Internally I was subjected to all failures which were the consequences of my evil deeds. Relatives and friends drifted apart. It was at this instance that the thought to end my life crossed my mind.

At the time of drowning, one clings to any blade of green grass which comes in sight.

So also, accompanied by my husband we came to attend the prayer service. The Holy Words spoken there seemed to be specially prepared and served for me.

The comforting words greatly fondled me. It infused a great change in my life. I also participated in the special pray-over for the sick.  From a couple of years, I was troubled by a certain burden impinging in my heart, but as sister placed her hand over me, all my heaviness and uneasiness reduced. I was totally absorbed in this experience.

Dear faithful ones,  All sickness evident on my body vanished and I received sound health and awakens of mind. My miraculous change astonished everyone.

I had great anger and hatred towards my husband. The thought of self-superiority subsided in me.  My husband was blessed with self-control and the luster of bad habits dimmed down.

We experienced the Love of God through single prayer itself.

He gave back the job, good health and spiritual peace blossomed. Daily Bible reading and family prayer along with proper observance of sacramental life were gained. Bad word, bad songs, were replaced by spiritual songs and psalms on my lips. Mighty progress was observed in my children’s studies and attitude. Here my husband too glorifies the name of the Lord.

Dear Ones, not a single organ in my body was free from illness and I fall short of words to describe my state of depression and heaviness. Numerous inhuman traces flung in me. But the words of the Savior Jesus lead me towards the truth. I realized that I had already received all the fruits of having destroyed my body -the temple of God.

As I reconciled my waywardness, my mind and body hurriedly moved towards my Heavenly Father, when I realized the meaning of unconditional love of the God. Mighty blessing of repentance filled in me. The evil of alcoholism lingering from past 35 years drifted apart. It was obtained only with the true help of my Savior and the heart rending prayer of KLWC which set me free from Satan’s slavery. Alleluia! Glory to God! Alleluia!! Thank You Jesus. 

Accompany of alcohol like smoking and other bad practices departed one after another. In the awakeness of the Holy Spirit I began to put into practice joy, peace, compassion and other godly virtues.

Today we belong to God and He alone is our Lord.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He, who follows me, shall never walk in darkness. He will have the light of eternal life.”

This light of immense love reduced to ashes all my sins and saved our life from death. We pray that by His eternal mercy our good Lord may set all free. O my Lord, may this experience lead other shattered families to Salvation. Praise the Lord! Amen!         (Feb-March 1996 edition of LWE 2000)

Beloved in Christ, God helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of trouble using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.    

WISDOM NOTES

The Bible says, “When I was hungry, they gave me poison, when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar.” (Psalms 69:21)

Once a lady who had four children and husband, approached me in need for prayers. “I have heard that there is great power and might in prayer lead by you. Through those who have experienced it, I have heard in abundance and I desire to come and attend the same. But I am unable to complete my housework and come for the prayers. I can also not keep aside my household chores, isn’t it? Hence dear sister, please pray for the below mentioned petitions of mine.

Dear Ones in Christ, the attempt and trials to satisfy daily needs often leads us into ceaselessness and unhealthiness. How numerous are the growing needs of the mind which ceaselessly attempt to acquire the daily requirement and remain involved in this scramble? How terrible are those lonely nights? Those dark hours of rejection, bitter nights of sickness and bad traits, darkness of sinful inspiration.

The setting sun does not merely signify the turn of a day, but is a symbolic of loneliness, anxiety and sinful life.

There are many mothers who spend their entire day struggling merely for the perishable food. Their anxiety and fear mangled preparation leads them to weariness. If we share their life, then, it is merely a dam of sorrowful narration. This food becomes unenjoyable  for themselves as well as for others!

It is by realizing these thrusts of human life that Jesus Christ said;

“Do not work for food that spoils, indeed work for the food that lasts for eternal life.” (John 6:27)

The people asked Lord as to what they have to do in order to obtain this eternal bread?

Jesus Christ in turn has given a simple solution i.e. “Believe in the One sent by God.”

Question arose, ‘that our ancestors ate manna in the desert as a sign from Heaven.’ Similarly they asked Him to perform a miracle so that they may see and believe Him.

Jesus answered, “My Father gave you the real Bread from Heaven. The Bread from Heaven will impart new life to you.”

People thought that it would be wonderful to have this bread and so they asked for it. In a most powerful and clear way Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread which you desire. He who comes to Me, will never be hungry, he who believes in Me, will never be thirsty.”

As expected Lord Jesus neither had splendorous clothes, nor majestic appearance or cordon of soldiers and so they could not accept Him as a king.

They muttered and kept uttering words of mockery and began to ridicule within themselves. Knowing this Jesus Christ ascertained that, “I am not surprised by your grumbling because no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me, draws him to Me.”

Being filled with Divine Spirit, Jesus Christ again said, “The bread that I give, so that the world may live, it’s my flesh itself. “ (John 6:51)

The above said Words of Life nearly seemed as cheating references to their closed minds.

Again Lord Jesus spoke to them the truth, “My blood shall be your drink or else you will not have life.”

Among those who heard these words, most of them abandoned Him. Among his own disciples too many of them through this belief insulted Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus Christ stood firm without any change or alteration in the existing truth.

When He saw his disciples abandoning Him, he asked His Old twelve disciples, whether they too would like to leave.

Here we observe Jesus Christ giving total freedom to the believers.

Dear Ones in Christ, Those who live for the perishable food are unable to grasp about the eternal food of life. The knowledge about eternal life or about the labor to attain that life diminishes in them.

This bread shall be that which is pleasing to the eyes, delicious to eat and which instigates the passion of life. These can never go hand in hand.

He began to speak to them about their ancestors by saying, “I shall tell you about your ancestors who were stubborn and arguing in nature and who were faltering in their faith.”

“What does he mean by all this?”

When the faithless ancestors became thirsty in the desert, they began to complain against God.

God let streams of water flow from the rocks.

When they became hungry and rebelled against God, they asked for the food they desired and thus put the Lord to test. They ridiculed Lord by asking whether He was capable of setting food for them in the barren desert.

God became furious, He commanded the heavens, and opened the doors of Heaven and showered manna for them to eat. They ate the food, liked it and came satisfied. The Lord gave them what they had desired for.

But before their desire could be controlled i.e. when the food had not even passed down their throats, Lord’s anger rose up against them and also struck the powerful barriers against them.

How many spirits are there even today wandering about in this manner?

It could be a blessing to lend our attention to the deed of multiplication of bread by Lord Jesus at this moment.

Who was it that broke the five ordinary barley bread and fed a multitude of five thousand? Who ate the bread?

Those who became worthy to eat this bread are they who came out in search for the imperishable bread of life. This is the people who came to hear the word of God.

Similarly, Jesus Christ who is the bread of life himself shared and distributed that bread.

The bread which Lord Jesus who imparts eternal life, touched and broke multiplied, to fill the multitude. Hence, we have to become persons who are striving to attain what is eternal (the kingdom of God) and when it is found we ought to be living and existing in it. We also have to be prepared to give up everything for it.

Then the doors of Heaven shall be open and the Lord who gives life shall pour out the necessities of life and thus bless ones being. This is the real meaning of the above miracle.

But for those who did not pay proper reverence to God or to those who did not have proper honor for Lord, to them his body seemed merely as an ordinary food. Such persons cannot experience or admire the divinity and lost love which is filled in this food.

Unprepared acceptance of Holy Eucharist leads that person into death.  As the body of Jesus accepted in an unworthy manner enters into that person it gets transformed into the body of satan. Through this the person gets led more into sin. Thus his spirit dies of and gradually he becomes enslaved to diseases.

Hence, dear ones, we shall list ourselves and see the wisdom that Lord has given shall be first put into use to know God Himself.

           

St Paul writes, “The cup we use in the Lord’s Supper and for which we give thanks to God; when we drink from it, we are sharing in the Blood of Christ. And the Bread we break when we eat it, we are sharing in the Body of Christ. Because there is the one loaf of bread, all of us, though many are one body, for we all share the same loaf.”  (1 Corinthians 10)

Hence, praise and glory to this bread of Lord. Amen!