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July 2007 Newsletter (3rd Anniversary Special) |
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK – Pastor Saroja M.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, greetings to all of you in the most wonderful and marvelous name of our Lord and saviour JESUS CHRIST. As usual it is a pleasure writing to all of you. This being our anniversary issue, gives me all the more joy to write and testify about the wonderful things my Lord Jesus Christ has done in my life and in the Rose of Sharon Ministries. I would like to thank my God for the wonderful trips to Dubai in the month of February, 2007 and Junner in May, 2007. In all the situations, I have experienced the Lord’s hand which has held me and used me as a blessing for many people. I would like to thank the Lord for His grace and mercy upon me and who proved once again that things cannot be done by might or power but only by the Spirit of God. I also would like to thank all the prayer warriors who pray for me and all the Ministries and would request them to continue to do so. We begin each day hoping that the Lord will do some mighty work in our life. Reason? Without God’s help and grace we cannot do anything. Because of God’s grace today we can have happiness, health and life. When we are true to our faith and are strong in the Lord though there may be troubles and failures in our lives, the Lord’s grace will save, help and lead us. The Lord does mighty and many works in our life so that we can know how marvelous and wonderful He is. He makes us walk through very difficult situations to engrave in our heart strong faith and deep love for Him. Through His words He increases our faith and strengthens our spiritual life. The Lord says in Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you — the sure mercies of David. As David was shown grace by the Lord, the same grace will be given to you all, says the Lord. David forgot the Lord and committed sin and became weak. He did the works which did not please the Lord thus he faced continuous troubles and sorrows but he survived the same only because of the Lord’s grace. The only reason for receiving the grace from God was his continuous prayers. Because of his prayers the Lord was true to what He had promised to David. In the same way the Lord will remain faithful to His word in the lives of His chosen people. The grace David received in his life will definitely be given to you, says the Lord. Abimelech, Ahuzzath his friend and the chief captain of his army came to Issac and said "We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you." Genesis 26:28. Dearly beloved, whether anyone is there with us or no, we should not be worried but have faith that the mighty God is definitely with us and should not lose hope. If we think, if God will do this in my life and grant me a particular wish then I will believe Him, then that is not faith! Daniel was a faithful warrior and a unique man of God. One day he was put in a lion’s cage but he was not afraid because he never felt alone. He had faith that God was with him and hence the lions could not even come near to him. The word of God says, Daniel felt that whether God save him or leave him he was firm and strong in his faith. When the Lord notices this type of faith and belief He will definitely bless and lift His children up. Even though there be many troubles, problems, debts, pain, sorrows, even if evil doers come against us but if our faith is strong in the Lord, the Lord is capable and mighty to help you overcome all the difficulties. "I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture, they shall make a loud noise because of so many men. The one who breaks open will come up before them; they will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it; their king will pass before them, with the Lord at their head." Micah 2: 12 & 13. The Lord who goes before you will definitely redeem and save you. Jesus says in Mathew 6: 27-33 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or ‘What shall we wear?’. For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. The Father will definitely give those who ask of Him the best of things as given in Mathew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Beloved brother and sisters, believe that the Lord can do mighty things in your life, that you can receive the blessings and with faith go on your knees and ask the Lord in prayer. Then the Heavenly Father will have compassion on you. Psalms 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. Therefore believe that the Lord will definitely bless us, save us and will fulfill all your needs. Halleluiah! As the Lord has blessed each and every one the past year may He continue to bless each one of us in the coming year also. Do continue to pray for me and all the Rose of Sharon Ministries. May the Lord bless each one with abundance of love, joy and peace. Praise the Lord. — Pastor Saroja M.
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Shine Jesus Shine In the beginning of creation God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was without form and in darkness. God was going to create man and knew that man would need light to move on the earth otherwise man would stumble and perish in the darkness. So Lord brought light into the world, therefore, now we have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. John 11:9. In
the day we can move anywhere because we can see everything clearly but
in the night or in darkness we need the help of some medium of light
for e.g. a torch, candle or a lamp. Light is very important and necessary
for man as in darkness we will perish. The darkness referred to here
is spiritual darkness that is all kind of sin and sickness, that is
why in the beginning itself Lord separated light from darkness, it symbolizes
separation between good and bad. Each one of us today knows the difference
between good and bad If we love the light it means we love the Lord. Jesus says I am the light of the world, He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. John 8:12. What is the work of light? Light brings in brightness. Brightness to our eyes, brightness on our ways, brightness for our future... Brightness symbolizes clarity, purity and goodness. When this Light comes upon us and we accept it into our lives, we will not be the same as we were earlier but our behavior, our ways, thinking, talking everything changes by this Light, which is Jesus Christ. In return we start giving light to others by showing and doing good works the Lord has done in our lives as given in Mt. 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. We should be like rechargeable batteries. Everyday we must charge ourselves with the Lord by sitting at the Lord’s feet, praising and praying to Him. Then our works also will be like the light-full of brightness and it will shine from one corner to another, one city to another and we will be witnessess to many people and they will say, "Oh he/she is a believer in Jesus Christ. There are so many changes in his/her life." Jesus says in John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. Now we are the light of world… Mt.5:14. How can we check ourselves? When we start doing good works that is the sign that the true Light is working in us. Every one must desire to have the true Light, because when our Master will invite us for the wedding, He will come and see the guests at anytime and if He finds us without Light He will not take us in and the door will be shut. Even though we will say, " Lord, Lord open to us." He will say, " I do not know you. " If we have the light in us at the time of the coming of the Lord it shows that we are prepared. How can we prepare ourselves? By meditating on the word of God, always. We are His chosen and special people, Jesus will not desire us to be in darkness because He has paid for us by shedding His blood on the cross of calvary and He has brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Today we have to check ourselves, are we in the light or still in and love the darkness? — Jaykanth Victor
Testimonies From Dubai My name is Samzana from Dubai. I am working in Dubai as a house-maid since 9 years. I used to keep having severe head aches. The people for whom I was working were very kind to me and took care of all my medical expenses. I attended many prayer services but the head pain still was there. When Pastor Saroja came to Dubai in the month of February, 2007 I attended the service where Pastor ministered. After the service I requested Pastor to pray for me. When she prayed over me the Lord showed her a vision of a barber cutting the hair. When Pastor told me the vision, I fearfully knelt and prayed. Pastor prayed again and the Lord revealed again to her my head. Pastor asked me if I am using a wig. I agreed that, "Yes I am using a wig". Pastor advised me to dis-continue using the wig. I obeyed Pastor’s word and removed my wig. From that day onwards I do not have any head ache. I therefore thank the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for revealing the matter to Pastor and delivering me from my head-aches. I also thank Pastor Saroja for praying for me. Samzana, Dubai My name is Vikas and I am staying in Dubai with my mother. Six months ago my mother had undergone an eye operation but due to some complications water used to just keep coming from her eyes. We were invited for a house prayer meeting in Dubai where Pastor Saroja was going to share the Word of God. When Pastor was preaching the Word and shared her testimony my mother started crying and could not control her tears. During the rally Pastor also prayed for my mother. Then before dinner my mother went to wash her hands and also washed her face and then she realized that the water had stopped coming from her eyes. I therefore thank Lord Jesus for healing my mother and Pastor for praying for her and preaching such a wonderful word of God. Vikas, Dubai
Glimpses From The Life Of Joseph The story of Joseph begins from Genesis Chapter 37 onwards. Jacob, his father had twelve sons and Joseph was the second last amongst his brethren. Joseph used to live with his brethren and from a tender age of seventeen years itself he used to take the flock to feed, he also brought the report of the evil doings of his brethren to his father as he hated evil and loved good. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and once made him a coat of many colors, which Joseph considered an honor. In the same way, God too has His favorites. When we honor the Lord’s words, obey Him and hate evil, we are preferred more than others. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Also in Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them". We must commit ourselves to the Lord from our youth because that is the best time to give ourselves to the Lord. If the Lord speaks to you in your youth do not postpone the decision to follow the Lord at some later time youth is the right age to surrender ourselves to the Lord as we can be saved from lot of sin associated with the growing years. In verse 4 we see that Joseph’s brother saw that he was loved more than the other brothers and hated him and would not get along with him . Also in the same chapter we see when Joseph told about his dream to his father and brothers, his brothers hated him even more and envied him, but his father had regard for his saying. In verse 13, Jacob sends Joseph to see where his other brothers are and to come back and give him word. He obeyed and went his way, when his brothers saw him from far away they made a plan to kill him but their plans could not succeed because God was with Joseph. Therefore if God is with us and we are under His will then no plans and schemes of Satan will ever prosper in our lives. When the word of God comes to us we should not dodge but take it in our heart without feeling any ill-will, then we shall be blessed. But if we grumble and pass comments then it would be our ruining. We should not give heed only to what is good and pleasing to our ears but even the corrections and chastenings from God which are meant for our good and well-being. By his acts we see that Joseph loved his brothers, he didn’t have any bitterness or hatred against them though his brothers ill treated him very much. He endured pains and sorrows and committed them to his God and waited on Him. When such unexpected unexplainable situation arises in our life we have to commit ourselves to the Lord who will give us peace and the strength to go on and do His will. May the Lord bless us all in doing His will. — Austin Roberts
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Testimonies
FASTING PRAYER I was finding it difficult to sit in church during the fasting prayer. During the break I asked Pastor Saroja to keep my back in prayer. During the rally Pastor prayed for my back and in the evening service I could sit comfortably. I therefore thank the Lord for healing my lower back pain and Pastor Saroja for praying for me. Godwin Salins, Kalina My name is Pushpa Urankar. I had kept a prayer request regarding my husband to get a good job in a good company in the fasting prayer. By God’s grace my husband now has got a good job in a good company. I thank God millions of times for this wonderful work which He has done in my husband’s life. Pushpa Urankar, Kanjurmarg
SUCCESS IN EXAMINATIONS I thank my Lord Jesus for giving me an opportunity to praise His mighty works in my life and for helping me pass in my HSC examination with excellent marks and a very good percentage of 81.83. This was only due to the Lord’s grace and the constant prayers of Pastor Saroja for me. I thank Pastor for always keeping me in her prayers and for her loving guidance and advice. I give all glory and honour to my Lord Jesus Christ for my success. Evangela Roberts, Vakola I give all glory, praise and honour to Lord Jesus for enabling me pass in Ist class in my SY B SC examination. Thank you Jesus and all glory to You. I also thank Pastor Saroja for her sincere and continuous prayers. Esther Richardson, Goregaon.
HEALINGS THROUGH PRAYER OIL Six weeks ago, during exercise I developed pain in my feet with swelling. The pain was very severe and even though I applied balm the pain continued for many days. I then applied the prayer oil as I realized I needed the Lord’s healing touch. God is so good that all my pain has left & now I am able to exercise again. I give all glory to our saviour Lord Jesus and thank Him for this healing. Ramiah Daniels, Goa My daughter Damaris was having loose motions one morning and she was in pain. I gave her the prayer oil to drink and after drinking the prayer oil she was completely healed. I too experienced the same problem and drank the prayer oil and was healed. I thank our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ and our Pastor Saroja for her continuous prayers for my family. Jayantilal Patel, Jogeshwari Around one/half month back, I was having piles problem. After applying the prayer oil I am healed completely. Billons times thanks to our living Lord Jesus for this miracle. Manoj Sadarangani, Andheri I was suffering from a sickness called as NAGIN. I had all boils on my stomach and back. I went to doctor he prescribed some medicines and told me that it will take atleast 3 weeks to get cured. But the pain due to the boils was unbearable for me. I was not able to sit or stand. I requested Pastor Saroja for her prayers. Pastor prayed for me and advised me to apply the prayer oil. By God’s grace from the next day itself the pain vanished and within two days the boils started getting dried up. Its only the Lord’s miraculous healing touch and the prayers of Pastor that I was healed so soon. I thank my Lord for healing me and I also thank Pastor whole heartedly for fervent prayers. Sushila Pillay, Jogeshwari I was not able to pass urine properly and I had pain in my stomach. Immediately I applied the prayer oil on my stomach and I was completely healed. All my pain has vanished and I could pass urine properly. I give all glory and honour to our Lord Jesus Christ and also thank Pastor Saroja who prayed over the prayer oil. Dinesh Patel, Andheri
PRAYER REQUESTS ANSWERED My name is Suryanarayana from Hyderabad. I had come to Mumbai to go abroad for a job and was staying in Raju lunch home adjacent to the Rose of Sharon Church, Kalina. I was not getting the visa for quite some time. Then one day I attended the service in the Rose of Sharon church and heard the message where Pastor Saroja preached saying, "leave all your burdens at the Lord’s feet". The message touched me and I had great peace and believed in the Word of God. To my surprise on the third day the agent called me and informed me that my visa has come. I thank the Lord Jesus for this miracle in my life and Pastor for an encouraging and wonderful message which changed my life. P.N. Suryanarayana, Hyderabad I am Celine from Vakola I had a severe bleeding problem since the last 4 months. I visited a doctor who examined me and found that my uterus was swollen due to fibroids which was causing the bleeding. She was sure that the problem was serious and that I would have to undergo an operation to remove my uterus. I then called Pastor Saroja who prayed for me and who advised me to start taking a little prayer oil daily. After a few days, I had undergone a test to find out how serious the problem was. The result of the test showed that my problem now is very minor and would not require any operations. I thank my Lord for His mercy on me and Pastor for her sincere prayers. Celine, Vakola Last month my son in an argument beat me up. Due to this my left side was swollen up and I started having breathing problems. I told Pastor Saroja about this matter and she prayed for me. After she prayed for me the pain disappeared and I have no breathing problems. I thank the Lord with all my heart for healing me from this pain and I thank Pastor for her faithful prayers because of which I am healed. I give all glory to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Kamala Kelkar, Nallasopara I had dark marks and rashes on my right wrist which looked very bad and was very itchy. I’d seen lots of doctors and taken lots of medicine to cure it but all to no effect. I then mentioned the same to Pastor Saroja and requested her to pray for it. She assured me of her prayers. Few days back I realized that all the dark marks are subsiding and there is no itchy feeling now. I give all thanks to our Lord Jesus for healing me and also thank Pastor for her prayers for me. Lalthi Devi, Andheri For the last five years I was working in a temporary position in Tata hospital. Many of my colleagues working with me became permanent, also those who joined later than me became permanent, I was not made permanent. Then I requested Pastor Saroja to pray for me to become permanent. Pastor prayed over me and now they have made me permanent with many other facilities. I give all praise & glory to Lord Jesus and thank Pastor for her earnest prayers. Arpana Kabde, Ghatkopar COUNSELLING THROUGH PASTOR SAROJA I am Ruben from Thane. Since 9 years I was a heavy alcoholic. But from the last 2 years, after drinking I started having sucidal thoughts with whatever I get in my hand. I met so many people, but no one could find a way for it. Finally my neighbour gave me Pastor Saroja’s contact number. I contacted Pastor and she very lovingly advised me and prayed for me. After that telephonic conversation, it is now one month, I feel fine and neither do I have the feeling to suicide anymore. I thank the Lord Jesus and also thank Pastor for praying for me. Ruben, Thane My name is Zeilly from Pune. I have an one year old child. Since one month I could hear a voice in my ear saying, "kill your child as in future you will have lot of financial problems because of this child and this child will bring bad luck for the family and because of this child your husband will die." I was very much disturbed. I then called up Pastor Saroja and explained to her my problems. She prayed for me and advised me to keep repeating the words "Yeshu Rakta Jayam". I did as she advised me and now since 15 days I have not heard the voice and am relieved and me and my family are happy. I thank Pastor who prayed and advised me accordingly Zeilly, Pune I thank my Lord that He always hears His servants prayers and answers it. When my wife was pregnant I and my wife wanted a baby girl. This request we personally asked Pastor Saroja to pray for. Pastor answered saying the Lord will give the best for His children. True to Pastor’s word the Lord has blessed us with a very beautiful baby girl. I thank my Lord for hearing Pastor’s prayers and fulfilling our hearts desire. Roshan Salins, ROS Tamilnadu
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Goodness of God God always delights to do good in our life. He will never do evil, He always does good for all mankind, but we always mis-understand God. If we have any problems we blame God. The Word says. He loves righteous-ness and justice; The earth is full of goodness of the Lord. Psalm 33:5. We cannot blame God for anything because He is perfect in love. As God delights in doing Righteousness and Judgments in our life in the same manner satan delights in doing wrong in our lives as given in the word, The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10. God is so good, He became man and came to earth so that we may know Him personally and have abundant life. So we cannot say He will do evil. Sometimes God may allow satan in our life when we do not honour Him, but if we accept Him today and decide to follow Him He will always do good in our life. — Lancy Lobo
SPECIAL MEETING AT JUNNER It always gives me immense joy to attend the prayer meetings at the Rose of Sharon Church, Kalina. Whenever I am in Mumbai on Saturday or Sunday, attending the Church Service at the Rose of Sharon is always my top priority. In March 2007, Bro. Anand K, Pastor Vidyadhar from Junner and myself attended the church service at Rose of Sharon Church, Kalina and invited Pastor Saroja to conduct a prayer meeting at Junner. She said she would confirm her availability only after keeping the same in prayer. Pastor finally informed us to schedule the prayer meeting at Junner for the 1st of May, 2007. Accordingly all preparations were done. The local people were excited and very anxious about the prayer meeting because they are thirsty for the word of God and especially Pastor Saroja’s meetings are very much looked forward to as she always delivers messages which enlighten us through the word of God and we can connect the same in our daily life. Her messages also inspire us to lead holy lives. Pastor preached the word of God from the book of Psalms. Many people from in and around Junner attended the meeting, many new comers too attended the meeting. When Pastor was preaching the word of God we could feel the presence of God very strongly. After the message Pastor prayed for the new comers. The prayer meeting was a blessing to all those who attended. After the spiritual manna for our soul we all had a wonderful lunch for our physical bodies. I would like to thank Pastor Saroja for such a wonderful message and her team who also attended the meeting. Vijaykumar S.Yande
Arise! Walk Through The Land... Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Genesis 13:17. This is the promise of God to Abraham. Hallelujah! Walking through the length and breadth of the land and possessing it. Imagine the blessing the Lord has kept in the feet of Abraham. God is declaring a freedom and independence for His chosen people to walk through the length and breadth of the land, they can go wherever they want and posses it. God has kept such a blessing in the feet of all His chosen people. God’s Promise to Joshua This same blessing the Lord had given Moses and Joshua. Let us read Joshua 1:3; Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. Hallelujah! Just as the Lord told Abraham that he would possess every land that he would tread on, the Lord in the same way is speaking to Joshua. God is speaking to Joshua that whichever place his foot touches those places will be given to him. Praise the Lord! Blessing in the feet of God’s chosen What kind of blessing does the Lord give His chosen children? He blesses their feet to become like deer’s feet. They can cover great distances and we see in the scriptures that how much distance His people covered, God gave those places to them. Even today, God is giving this blessing to us. Praise the Lord. So it is very necessary to take much care of our feet. Firstly, God is asking us to arise and walk any distance, and that much place will be given to us. Take for example, if the Lord told us tomorrow to arise and walk through this land and He gives us that much place, how far can we walk with these legs? For that it is very important to have great strength in our legs. Abraham, Moses and Joshua had that strength in them. That same strength should be in us also. Even in our Indian culture and in many religions, there is this custom during marriages that when the bridal couple enters the house for the first time, they must place their right leg in first. They believe that there is a blessing hidden in the legs of a man and woman. I have also heard in my village, that some black magicians will collect the mud of the place where the feet has touched and then perform their evil arts. Jesus’ washes His disciples’ feet So today God does not want to bless our feet only but also our whole body. When Jesus Christ was in this world, He chose twelve disciples and then what did He do? Jesus Christ began to wash His disciples’ feet. When the Lord came to wash Peter’s feet, Peter asked Him not to wash his feet. Then The Lord answered saying that if He did not wash Peter’s feet then there was no relation or part between them. Thus we see that the Lord is desirous to give each one of us this strength and wants each one of us to be clean. Everyday it is His desire that we must be clean in our body, soul and spirit. Today how can He wash us? It is by His precious blood. Power hidden in the feet of God’s chosen people We know in the scripture that in one place the Lord Jesus began to preach the gospel and the people of that place began to think cheaply about the Lord saying, "Ah! He is an ordinary carpenter’s son. He is Joseph’s son. He has grown up as a boy to a man before our eyes. Look what big talks He is giving. Why should we listen to His Word?" Thus the people around became proud and began mocking. Because of this reason, Jesus could not heal much people in that place. There were many sick in that place, but He could not heal all of them because the people thought very cheaply about the King of kings. Let us read this in Mark 6:1-5; And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. Because of the unbelief of such people, the Lord chooses His twelve disciples and commands them to go village to village, cities to cities and preach the gospel and to heal the sick. And He commands them to wear sandals on their feet. We see this in Mark 6:9-11; But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. What is the meaning of these words? The Lord asked them to wear sandals and go forward. If we read in Deuteronomy 33:25, what kind of sandals did the Lord give His people? Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. Hallelujah! Why did the Lord give His people such strong sandals? It was because as they travelled in the wilderness, they would come across a lot of evils like rough paths, thorns, Satan’s traps and evil darkness. God wanted His people to overcome all these evils, so He prepared shoes of iron and brass for them. The mystery of shaking the dust from off the sandals Now, we see that the Lord sends His disciples wearing sandals and asks them to stay in any house and to remain in that house, preach the good news to them, and to those who believe, to give that house a blessing. If they do not accept the Word, they must remove the sandals and shake off the dust as a testimony to them. What is this dust? It is the same evils and troubles that they have overcome in their travels; the Lord asks to leave all those evils in that house or village. And because of this, the Lord says that greater destruction than what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah would happen in that house or village. Just imagine the power the Lord gave His chosen people. God told Abraham, "Whoever blesses you will be blessed and whoever curses you will be cursed." In the same way the Lord Jesus chooses the 12 disciples and gives them a similar blessing and authority. Whenever a house did not receive them, they had to remove their sandals and shake off the dust and leave behind all the darkness and evils they overcame in their journeys. At the end the fate of that house will be worse then Sodom. What a fearful thing this is. He has equipped His chosen people with all the authority they need. God gives His chosen children strength and power to serve Him. Because at a certain village the people did not receive Jesus, He prepares His disciples for the work. Let us read the verse again, how clear it is. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Mark 6:11 How will the dust become a testimony in that house? It is all the evil darkness and Satan’s work that will begin in that house, that will in future begin to show and that will be a testimony that, that house has rejected the gospel. Consider how the Lord gave His disciples the sandals so that they could walk over and get victory over all of the devil’s work. So if that particular servant who has overcome many evils will enter your house then it is very important to hear his word and receive him. If we accept we will inherit a blessing, if not then we are in for destruction. If we reject the servant of God, we may become a testimony of evil things. No peace, everyday we may have to slog and earn our daily bread. The blessing of yesterday will not remain for today. Thus, let us remember to accept the servant of God to whom God has given His power and authority. Today, the word is for you and me. So we see in many places according to the scriptures that the Lord has kept certain blessings and authority in our feet. The Jews’ custom of washing feet According to the Bible there was a custom in the Jews religion that wherever there is a marriage house, they will keep certain water pots outside the house. The guests would wash their feet and come inside the house. Why was this? It was to wash away the dust, which they have collected after walking far distances. They should wash the dust so that no evil should enter in the house of blessing. We know how in the village of Cana, Jesus went to attend a marriage function. Even in that house the people similarly washed their feet with water. Let us read this in John 2:6; And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. The water was to wash away the dust off from our feet. God has placed certain powers in our feet and sandals. Yes, we can use our feet to crush Satan in the name of the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! Thus it was a custom among the Jews so that no uncleanness should enter the house. We now see that it was important to wash the dust off from the feet. But it is at the same time important to have our whole body clean. We know how Peter the disciple asked the Lord not to wash his feet, but what did the Lord say? Let us read John 13:6; Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Look at what Jesus is saying. If Jesus did not wash Peter’s feet then there was no relation between them. That means if Jesus did not wash Peter’s feet, He would have remained unclean. It is because the Lord Jesus died on the cross of Calvary that we are worthy to be His children today. If the Lord had not washed us by His blood then we are not worthy to be His chosen ones. Today, just as the Lord washed His disciples’ feet, He wants to wash each one of us with His holy blood. Keep away from the filth of the world Take for instance; the Lord has today washed us by His precious blood. We are now every bit clean. We are washed from every filth and dirt. Now we must be very careful not to get dirty again. God will certainly wash us, but we should take care that we don’t go again into that filth and dirt. After we have been washed by His holy blood, what must we do to take care that we don’t get dirty again? Let us read Psalms 1:1-3; Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. After God has cleansed us, we must not walk with ungodly people. They are the ones who are not washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. If we mingle with them, there is danger of getting bound with them and we may again get dirty. After being washed by the blood, we must be people who love the Word of God and meditate on it day and night. When we do this then we are blessed. This is how we can abide with God. We may do many activities like praying everyday, taking communion, attending every fasting service and praying every evening and morning. But if our inward person is always dirty, then how many days and how many times can the Lord wash you? It is not good. If we walk in His ways, then according to verse 3 onwards, we will be like the tree planted by the rivers. Our life will turn to be very fruitful. We can be transformed into a life of blessing. There will be no lack of anything in our life, as this verse says that whatever we do will prosper. Because we are doing God’s will, He will fulfil all our desire. If we mix with the worldly people then we may not bear fruit and we will loose our happiness and if we loose our happiness, we cannot make those who are around us happy. So let us remember that there is only one way to be washed from every filth and evil; it is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given us His precious blood. He knows we are weak. God knows that with our own wisdom we cannot accomplish anything. That is why the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. He came and died and made a Way out. We have to accept that Way, only then we will receive blessings. If we keep on continually falling away it is not good. Story We know that famous story about a shepherd boy who cried out loudly saying, "Tiger, tiger" But in reality he was just lying and making fun of the villagers. He did this often and many came running to save, but found no tiger there. But one fine day when a tiger really came, the boy cried out with all his might, but no one came to save him. They all thought that he was lying as usual. The poor boy was killed. In the same way we may say, "We are praying every day. We fear God. We are ready to accept what God says and do it." But we are not doing it. We may just say from our mouth. Let us beware, if one day when we want to do those things, it might be possible that we may not be able to do it. Last year we said this and this, but we never did. Then last month, and then yesterday also we are still saying we will do this, but we never obey the Lord. We must beware and fear our God. God never looks at the outward person. He never looks at what you have worn and come today. He will see how your heart is toward Him. Are you really washed by His precious blood? Thus it is necessary that all kind of filth and dirt should be washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Only then there will be fruit in your life. When we are happy, we can keep others also happy. When we are sad then we may become the reason for the sorrow of our brethren. The anointing oil on the feet Let us read Deuteronomy 33:24; And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Hallelujah! How was the Lord blessing the tribe Asher? He was dipping his foot in oil. So much blessing and so much anointing, to make him acceptable to his brothers. The oil in Job’s life Read in the book of Job 22:6; When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil. Look at the blessing of Job. He was walking on steps washed with butter and oil was flowing for him from the rock. Such was the greatness of God’s blessing in his life. We know in 1 Kings chapter 4, how a woman once approached prophet Elisha to be freed from her debt. Elisha asks her what she had in her in house. She replies saying that there was only little oil. He then asked the woman to gather as many pots as possible and fill those pots with the oil. Every vessel was filled. And with the money she received by selling the oil, she could repay all her loan. In the same way the oil flowed out of the rock for Job. What a time of blessing that would have been for him. During the time of his trouble Job remembers those happy days. Even though he has lost literally everything, yet he remembers the blessing that God had given him in the past. He never forgot the love that God had shown him. We then see how the Lord gives him back everything double fold. In the same way, though we may loose everything in this world, don’t loose the love for your Almighty God. Don’t loose faith in Him. Don’t loose His Word. Don’t take the curse from the servants of God by rejecting them. You can earn and purchase the things of the world. But the Lord and His love, grace and blessings is not for man to earn with money or any material things. Whenever God sends someone to speak to us and bring the Word of God, take their Word. If we reject, then there is danger of being worse than Sodom in the day of judgement. The Lord is the One who gives the Word. The Lord’s Word is not only for one person but for the whole congregation. Whoever is added to the congregation of God, He loves them all. Though they are the first or the last, He is not a partial God. His love is the same for all. Be ready with sandals of the gospel It is very important to be ready and prepare our feet with sandals. In other words we must be ready to serve God with the gospel. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15 God has cleansed by His blood, anointed us and provided us the sandals. The sandals are for preaching the gospel, destroying all the works of the devil and to go further to get the victory. Consider how the Lord God is commanding the Israelites to keep the Passover festival. Let us read Exodus 12:11; And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s Passover. They had to eat the Passover with their shoes on, in a state of readiness. It is very important to be ready. The Passover lamb resembles how the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for us on the cross. We must in the same way with all readiness accept Him. He came into the world to give us back all that we lost. Let us read John 3:17; For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Hallelujah! God had sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world to save those who were lost. To give us the sandals and the oil that is necessary for our lives. So today if we think that we are not filled with the oil, let us cry out to the Lord for it. Let us cry out like Samson God gave everything in the life of Samson, but when he sinned, he began to loose everything. Again Samson began to cry out to the Lord and God heard his cry. We may be in the same state today. Probably, the Lord had once equipped us with His sandals of power and authority, but today we seem to have lost it. Today we are still immersed in dirt. Let us remember Samson and cry out to the Lord once again. The prayer that Samson made was after he went through a lot of sorrow. His prayer was after he went through broken heartedness. Yes, but the Lord God heard his prayer. Praise the Lord! Let us read this in Judges 16:28; And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. It was a state when Samson had lost everything. He no more had the strength. He no more had the sight of his eyes. In such a state he cried out and God heard his prayer. Let us read the verse 30; And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. It was a prayer of agony of heart and God enabled him to destroy more enemies than what he did in his life time. Even today if we call out to that same God, He will certainly hear us. Let us cry out like king David Probably, today we are fallen in sin. Look at David, how much the Lord had anointed him. He says in one place that his cup was overflowing. But a time came when he fell into sin. Then came the prophet Nathan and openly corrected him of his sin. David immediately repents and begins to cry out to the Lord. God heard the cry and prayer of king David. So today, we may be a great sinner. We may have dirtied our sandals. We may have disobeyed the Lord in some matter. We have not heard His voice. Maybe we are in such a burdened situation. Let us now call out unto the Lord. The God who heard the cry of David, will hear your cry. Read Psalms 51:11; Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. It is the same David who in Psalms 23 said that his cup overflowed with anointing of God. But today he is once again calling out to the Lord not to take away that anointing of the Holy Spirit. He knows that if the Holy Spirit departs from his life, he is a good as a dead man. There is no life or satisfaction in the person who does not have the Holy Spirit anointing. David knew this. Thus, he repents and confesses and cries out to God for His mercies. Satan should fear looking at us It is necessary that Satan should fear looking at our prayer and our faith in God. Satan should fear and tremble looking at our goodness in the Lord. Let us read Joshua 5:1; And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. Hallelujah! If we are washed by the blood, if we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and if the Word of God dwells in us, the devil will fear and tremble looking at us. See how the enemies feared the Israelites. Only when they began to hear about the Israelites, their hearts melted. Who was the One fighting for the Israelites? It was the Lord who dried up the river Jordan so that they could pass over. When the enemies heard this news, they became weak out of fear. The enemies knew that there was now no use of fighting with the Israelites, they knew they would be defeated before God. In the same way, whether it is wicked people of this world, whether it is Satan or whoever our enemy is, they must fear us, because God dwells in us. They must be able to see that we are equipped with the sandals that God has given us, through our works and our walk. They must be able to see us through and through that the Almighty God lives in us. The devil is mighty but our Lord is Almighty. Hallelujah! The devil can certainly see through us if the Lord is truly living in us or if any evil is in us. It is necessary that the devil fear when he looks at us. The love of the Lord, the Word of the Lord and the blessing of the Lord must remain in us. Then the devil will certainly fear us. We can thus profit in this world. So today let us be washed from the filth of this world by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Let us prepare our feet with the sandals that God has provided for us and let us live a fruitful life for God. May the Lord bless you with this Word. — Pastor Saroja
Lead Me On, DearLord… Lead Me On One of the most adventurous things my husband and I did during our recent and first visit to the USA was to rent a car & drive through the beautiful states of the West Coast to behold the beauty and magnificence of the various sights. Of course we had never been on these roads and we had no clue of the highways we would be driving on – all we had was an agenda and a long list of things we wanted to see and experience! It was then that we were introduced to this most amazing invention called the GPS (Global Positioning System). Well, this wonderful little gadget – not more than a few inches big – saw us through 10 days of being on the road, 3000 kms of travel, and helped us get from one beautiful place to another. Amazing, it was! Well, this is how it works. You first feed in the destination you want to get to and then the machine starts talking to you – telling you how many miles away you are from the destination, and instructing you how to get there. If you have to take a turn the voice will tell you in advance that you have a right turn coming up 2 miles away! On the highway the voice will instruct you which lane to stay on. So, you have instructions for every left and right turn. If by mistake you take a wrong turn – it patiently tells you it is ‘re-calculating’ – and after a few seconds it starts instructing you how to get back onto the right road. The GPS helps you find the nearest petrol station, the nearest place to eat – and whatever else you may need on the way. And eventually the voice helps you get to your final destination … perfectly! We could never have made our road trip through the US without the GPS. Never! It occurred to me how similar this situation is to our Christian life and our walk with God to our final destination – His Holy kingdom. Firstly, we have to decide we want to walk that Christian walk – and then God’s silent voice will lead us on the road to our destination. God is always there to tell us which turns to take in our life and when to take them. He keeps leading us on the perfect path – and as long as you listen to His voice and obey it you will do just fine. What’s amazing is that, similar to the GPS… if you make a mistake by following your own wisdom and taking a wrong turn - God is kind & gracious to forgive you and start recalculating for you & gently lead you through many twists and turns to get you back onto the highway. There used to be times during our drives in the US when we would be on a straight stretch of 75-80 miles and the GPS would not talk to us for long. We would be worried as to why it isn’t giving us any instructions – but then when it was time to take a turn it would start instructing again. Likewise, there are times when we are on the right path and being obedient; God is happy and silently watching us. Don’t be afraid at those times – He may not be talking to you but He is definitely watching you from above. And when the time comes for a turn, you can be assured He will start showing you the way again. And then there were other times when we would go under a tunnel or a bridge and we would lose signal and the GPS would not work … I relate this to those times when we follow our hearts own desires & go away from His presence… At such times, the signal between God and us gets weak, and we can’t hear His voice. At that point it is important for us to go and find a place where the signals resume – where God can start speaking to us again and we can hear clearly His beautiful loving voice. Our Christian journey is long … filled with good lanes and difficult lanes, joys and sorrows, happiness and tears, …. through all that, we need His soft gentle voice to lead us – every moment and every step of the way. Keep hearing His voice, and in obedience, go that path and walk that way – that’s the perfect road for you – your highway to heaven. Just as I can’t imagine enjoying our US drives without the GPS; I most definitely cannot imagine living my life to the fullest and reaching my final destination without the presence and guidance of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May our daily prayer be …Lead me on, dear Lord…, Lead me on. — Sandra Daniels
STORY Learn To Say Thank-You Jesus This is a story of a small boy named Aaron, a very nice boy who’s just learnt to say ‘Thank-you Jesus!’ from his Pastor. So every time anybody offered him a chocolate or a toy; he says ‘Thank-you Jesus!’ One day, his mother said ‘Aaron, if you be a good boy I will take you to the children’s park.’ Aaron jumped with joy, shouting at the top of his voice ‘Thank-you Jesus!’ At the children’s park there was a mini-train which had 1 seater engine followed by 2 seater bogies. Aaron loved to sit on the engine driver’s seat, the view from there is fantastic, so he stood right at the front of the queue to make sure that he gets the engine driver’s seat in the next round as he missed the seat in the first round. As soon as the train arrived, he ran to grab the engine driver’s seat; but a big boy, Rajiv, much taller and stronger than Aaron pushed him and grabbed the most desired engine driver’s seat. Aaron was almost in tears when his mother said, ‘Aaron, my son, we can’t wait any longer as it’s getting dark and we’ve to get back home.’ She made him sit in one of the 2 seater bogies. Now, the train had to stay still till all its seats were occupied by children. Suddenly, there was a loud crying noise of a baby. It was Rajiv’s tiny baby sister in his mother’s arms. Rajiv’s mother called him out as she managed to calm the little baby down. Rajiv had to leave the engine driver’s seat half-heartedly as his mother yelled at him to come out soon. Seeing the vacant engine driver’s seat, Aaron’s joy knew no bounds, he knew what he had to say ‘THANK-YOU JESUS!’ as he rushed and grabbed the seat he longed for and soon the train started off. He had a great ride. Dear brothers & sisters, Lord Jesus loves the praises of His little ones. The more we praise Him and thank Him, the more He blesses us and fulfills our heart’s desires according to His will. Whenever we say ‘Thank-you Jesus’ with a true heart, God is pleased as we give all honour and glory to Him. — Mercy George
STORY Narrow or Broad Gate This is a story about a teenage girl named Naini who lived in the cool hilly regions of Switzerland. One day Naini was quite excited and seemed in a hurry, the reason being an invitation to a grand and prestigious party. The same used to be held every year in the nearby locality but this particular year Naini too was invited. She wore a beautiful red silk and brocade dress and left for the party, happily. On the way she reached a crossing where she had two options. She could either take the shaky bridge or the cable lift. The nearby people advised her that the bridge was quite difficult to cross especially now since the weather was quite rough and cold, but they also mentioned that it would reach her directly to the venue of the party. The other option, the cable lift was warm and comfortable and ideal for people to travel. After a thought, Naini decided to go by the shaky bridge. After taking a few steps she started feeling dizzy and the ice cold winds made her feet numb. She returned back and decided to take the cable lift as she felt the journey would be comfortable. In the cable lift she met many of her friends. The lift started to move and she started chatting with her friends. After some time she realized that the lift was moving for quite some time now and was not halting. She looked out and saw the lift pass the venue of the party. She panicked and looked here and there but no one could stop the lift, she was helpless! Suddenly the lift started shaking, the overhead wires broke and the lift came crashing down. Naini was terribly injured and there was no chance of her survival. In her dying moments, she realized and repented that only if she had struggled a little on the shaky bridge, she would have reached the party safely and would be enjoying with her friends. Likewise dear friends many are invited to the wedding feast of the lamb, like Naini, but only few are chosen. They are the ones whom the Lord Jesus describes in Matthew 7:13 & 14, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it". Naini rejected the narrow way and opted for the broad way which had many comforts, pleasures & friends but it ultimately led her to destruction. Though the narrow way may have many trials and tribulations but as it is written in James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him". So let us choose today our path in life, will we take the broad way which has many comforts and pleasures but ultimately leads to destruction in the end or the narrow path which seems difficult with a lot of trials and tribulations but at the end will lead us to everlasting life? — Evangela Roberts
Testimonies From Rose of Sharon Church, Mira Road As I am working in the hotel industry, we have to work standing continuously for long hours. Due to this long working hours my feet were completely damaged and I was unable to work. My mother had applied the prayer oil on my feet & consulted this matter to Pastor Saroja. All the praise goes to Lord Jesus Christ and thanks to Pastor for praying for me as now I am healed. Nixon John, Mira Road My name is Raj Rani Roy. Since the time I started attending the Rose of Sharon church service at Mira Road my life has completely changed and there is a lot of joy in my life. Earlier we were staying in a rented house but now we have a house of our own. I thank the Lord for these blessings and the immense joy that He has given me in my life. I thank Pastor Saroja and give all glory, honour and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Raj Rani Roy, Mira Road My name is Mrs Victoria Anchan. One day since morning I was suffering from headache. The headache started increasing and after breakfast I started vomiting. I could not open my eyes nor could I lift my head. When Pastor Saroja came to Mira Road Rose of Sharon, I told her about my sickness. Pastor assured me of her prayers. After the Mira Road evening service Pastor prayed for me and immediately my headache and vomiting stopped. I give all glory and honour to Lord Jesus Christ for healing me. I also thank Pastor for her love and prayers. Victoria Anchan, Mira Road Praise the Lord. I was jobless for the past one and half years. I never had a stable job or fixed income except irregular school tuitions of private students. I attend the church service at the Rose of Sharon, Mira Road and kept a request with Pastor Saroja to pray for my job. I thank God and give Him all the praises from my heart for providing me a job as per my heart’s desire. I also thank the Rose of Sharon Church and especially Pastor Saroja for praying for my needs. Prabhakar Suvarna, Mira Road
Rose of Sharon Old Age Home, MANGALORE The 28th of May 2007 has seen the completion of four years in the Lord’s service at the Rose of Sharon Old Age Home at Katipalla, Mangalore. It is only by His tender mercies, His grace and goodness and by the incessant prayers of our dear Pastor Saroja that we are able to see this day in our lives. The ongoing monsoons were a pleasant turnaround from the summer heat. The lush green surroundings, the serene town of Katipalla and our home situated here continue to speak about the glory of our God. As a Christmas gathering in the last year we had a nos of action songs and games for the entertainment of the residents. In the month of Jan 2007 Bro. Frank along with His wife spend a few days at the home with their mother Helmina grandmother. They were accompanied by two of Helmina aji’s grandchildren. Recently Bro. Manohar also visited the home alongwith his family and spend time with his mother, Helmina grandmother. They have all enjoyed their stay at the home. It was in the month of May 2007 that Lalitha grandmother aged 83 was added to our family. She always says that she is very happy to be with us at the home. The Bible says that our times are in Gods hands. Joel 3:10 say "... Let the weak say, ‘I am strong’. Amidst our weaknesses as we confess with our mouths, that we are strong then we would experience His power in our lives. The strength of God will be displayed and perfected in our lives in our weakness according to 2 Cor 12:9,10 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. May all glory and honour be to our God who holds all power in His hands and is able to make all things new, everytime. — John Marsalin Rose of Sharon Old Age Home TAMIL NADU Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Isaiah 56:1 This is a promise of God to all those who keep judgement and do justice. His salvation will be close by and His righteousness will certainly be manifested. By the grace of the Almighty God and the ceaseless prayers of my dear Mumma, Pastor Saroja, God has added three new residents since the last issue of this newsletter. Now we are total Nine of us. Two grandfather are from a hindu background and both have the same name Arunachalam. One is 81 years and the other is 82 years. The new grandmother’s name is Mary, 67 years and she is from the same village in which our Old Age Home is located. It is a great joy to see all these old people together, each coming from different backgrounds and different places. As these old folk talk to each other, it shows that they are one happy family which God has built. They never knew each other but now all staying under one roof. After these old persons have come here, something similar has happened in the lives of all of them. There has been mark improvements either in their bodily health, emotions, mental health or spiritually. Though each of them is growing older and it is understood that they will get weaker by the day, yet the Lord Jesus has given them relief in certain areas of their lives. Let me mention them in short as a testimony for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our dear 87 year old grandmother Mochammal was previously suffering from high BP and was under continuous medication for quite some years. But now her blood pressure is well under control an |