Jesus Calls Magazine May 2020 by Jesus Calls International

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

HALLOWED BE THY NAME Hallowed means sacred and holy, therefore, we are called to revere and respect the One to whom this prayer is addressed. Proverbs 30:9 says, “Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” This verse depicts two extremes—the wealthy and the poverty stricken; the ones who say ‘why do I need God?’ and the other group that says, ‘let us steal, this is the only way to survive’. The reason behind both reactions is lack of trust in www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

God’s providence; and both groups are dishonoring God.

No matter through what channel your needs are met, be sure to give thanks to God for He can use any channel to provide for you.

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A story is told about an old woman who thanked God every day for her food. One day two mischievous boys dropped a loaf of bread down the chimney and ran around and knocked on the door. Meanwhile the woman took the loaf and said, “ Thank you Jesus.” When she opened the door the boys asked her, “do you know who gave you that bread?” and she replied cheerfully, “Jesus”! No matter through what channel your needs are met, be sure to give thanks to God for He can use any channel to provide for you. Remember Elijah and the ravens! Our duty is to hallow the Name of Jesus.

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17. God has already made plans for us as per Jeremiah 29:11, and Romans 8:26-27 assures us that the Holy Spirit “…helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered…” When we are praying in the Spirit, God makes us prophesy those plans of God again. We find this in Revelation 10:7 and 11 –“but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” And verse 11, “he said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’” Yes, this is the prayer that God wants us to pray, ‘let your will be downloaded into me Lord, that I may prophesy and fulfill your will on earth.’ When we prophesy, our prayer goes up as incense to God, and it mixes with the

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blood of Jesus Christ in heaven which is also interceding, and when the incense and the blood mixes together it becomes fire, and the answer comes like fire from heaven which is explained in Revelation 8:3-5. We are going to get answers as fire from heaven, Amen!

GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD God provided manna in the wilderness to sustain His children. If food is important for the body, how much more is spiritual food for the soul? Yes, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God – explains Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4. Let us pray and ask the Lord to help us not miss Bible reading even for a single day this year. When you read the Bible, hear the voice of the Lord speaking to you. Because only what God reveals to you in the morning will be the power of God for your family, and the thousands who would come to you for prayer. So we pray, “Lord, give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus Calls Ministries depend only on the Word of God and the compassion of Jesus Christ; these are the two components of Jesus Calls, which is why there is life in our ministry.

FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US In the words of Jesus we have a clear definition of what this part of the Lord’s Prayer means: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). There is a link between forgiveness and healing; when you forgive from the depths of your heart, you will overcome the bitterness on the one who wronged you.

Therefore, the stress is released. Stress, you know, is the cause for most physical and psychological ailments. Apostle James affirms this, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16a). When our relationship with God and people (vertical and horizontal), is on the right track, its result makes our ministry more meaningful. We begin to think of the needs of others in different spheres. We move on from spiritual help to meeting the physical, intellectual and social needs of people around us. This is how Jesus Calls Ministry moved on from the miracles of spiritual rebirth and healing to meeting the intellectual needs through Karunya and to social needs through SEESHA. With God’s abundant blessing, the ministry has become more holistic. This stage makes you give and forgive. And when you give, Jesus says more will be given back to you (Luke 6:38). Jesus Calls gives 10% of the offerings to other ministries unconditionally.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL Yes, we are giving and forgiving and thus pleasing God. When all is going well, that‘s when Satan entices us with evil desires. James 1: 14 explains, “…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” But thanks be to God for the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” The prayer, “deliver us from evil”, is answered when God turns temptations into testing, so that like Job “we shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) This is the ‘way of escape’ that He shows us! And the outcome is GOLD! This gold is not the material gold; it is the presence of the living God in us and working through us. As each of you are engaged in carrying others in prayer, this ‘Gold’ – the presence of God, will flow through you to them. Jesus is revealed to others through us. Can anything be more precious than this?

God provided manna in the wilderness to sustain His children.

At SEESHA, when we give to the poor, some of them give something back to SEESHA when they begin to earn from the tailoring training. It is amazing how God meets the needs of Jesus Calls. Jesus Calls is not run by huge donations from rich people, it is run by donations from people who have a large heart to give; God multiplies their 50 rupees into 50 lakhs enabling us to pay all the bills. No institutions support us, no foreign institutions support usthank God we don’t need it, because God blesses and multiplies the offerings of the poorest of the poor since we are in the business of forgiving and giving.

As we continue to give and forgive, the Lord’s promise for 2020 is, “You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” (Isaiah 62:4).

For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, Forever and Ever, Amen. My dear people of God, Jesus explains in Luke 17:10, we are unprofitable servants and we have done our duty, and the glory goes to God. Let us all turn to our Father right now, pray the Lord’s Prayer meaningfully. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

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Family Blessing Plan is an exceptional plan given by the Lord to Dr. Paul Dhinakaran for families to be blessed, to live in unity and to prosper. Prayer intercessors at the Jesus Calls Prayer Tower also unite praying incessantly for the families enrolled in this plan to enjoy peace and to be in good health. An encouraging testimony of a family which received blessings through the Family Blessing Plan:

HOPE

y husband and I are working in Aluru. In 2010, he had to go for an official camp to Hyderabad. While he was travelling by auto, to reach the bus stand from Kadapa, the

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Auto driver took my husband in a wrong direction and threatened him with knife to handover the ornaments and money, saying if not he would kill him. So my husband handed over the ornaments and money. Though they snatched what he had they let my husband leave without a scratch on him. My husband could escape without being hurt only through the prayers of protection offered in the Prayer Towers for us as we are enrolled in the Jesus Calls ‘Family Blessing Plan’. Without those prayers my husband would have been killed by them and I would have lost my husband. But God shields us, guards us and saves us because of the prayers of the Dhinakarans. Also, God blessed me in my work enabling me to receive best Headmistress award in Kurnool district from the hands of the collector. I can assuredly say that I have been blessed because of enrolling in the ‘Family Blessing Plan’ and you too will be blessed by God like this in your day to day life if you enroll yourself in the ‘Family Blessing Plan’. All Glory to God. - D. Chandra Leelamma, Papili (Mandalam), Kurnool Dist.

The Lord sustains, protects, increases and helps many such families. Now your family could also enjoy God’s favour as you enroll your family in this Plan. The Dhinakarans and the prayer intercessors in the Prayer Tower remember all the partners of the Family Blessing Plan, in their prayers. We encourage you to join today itself. FAMILY BLESSING PLAN PLEDGE FORM: “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table” (Psalm 128:2,3). I would like to join the Jesus Calls Family Blessing Plan Name: …..............................…………………….Date of Birth….................... Wedding Day............................... Names of Family Members /Date of Birth/ Relationship 1. ........................................................................................................................................................... 2. ........................................................................................................................................................... 3. ........................................................................................................................................................... Address:................................................................................................................................................... Pin Code: …………………………. Mobile:……....................………….. Email:……….................................................... I shall send Rs.3,000/- as a donation to join the Jesus Calls Family Blessing Plan I shall send

Rs.300/-

Rs.500/-

Rs.1000/- every month.

Kindly send us the duly filled form along with your family photo. Do remember to write your name and contact phone number at the back of the photograph. For more details: • Website: www.jesuscalls.org • Any query on the ministry, call Partner Care 044 - 23456677 (7am to 9 pm) To know simple ways to send you offerings towards the Family Blessing Plan, please turn to page 35 www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

E very blessing of God is perfect. "The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it" (Proverbs 10:22). It is not the will of God to give us anything that is less than the best. He has the best intentions while He blesses us. He wants us to enjoy His blessings. When pain accompanies a blessing, it becomes an incomplete one. God does not bless us with such flawed gifts. His Word says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). God manufactures only goods that are good. He does everything with 100% perfection. No man can find fault with what God gives. Unfortunately, many of us grumble over the blessings God has given us. We happen to find fault with God at times by saying, "Oh, If only my husband had this job", "If only my daughter had studied this", "If only I had been blessed with a son" I would have been truly blessed by God. What we do not realise is that God's wisdom is perfect. "As for God, his way is perfect" (Psalm 18:30). God sees into the future. He knows what blessing will befit us. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). What seems incomplete will work together for a perfect end one day. Sometimes, God allows us to go through unpleasant situations. You might find your children being wayward or your spouse being quarrelsome. You might lament over the job you have. May be your boss is merciless and your peace in your family is ruined because you are stressed all the time. 8

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Whatever difficulty you are facing right now, I want to let you know how you can receive God's best blessings. The key to enjoy God's perfect blessing is by trying to become the best person who you can be. Yes, God wants us to be transformed before He transforms our situation. When we focus on how we can become perfect, automatically everyone around us will change. Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). God wants us to aim for perfection in everything we do just like Him. We should not consider ourselves perfect and look down on others, but try to give our best so that we can be the perfect blessing in another person's life. When we do our part, God will turn the hearts of others

and make the family perfectly blessed. So, thank God for what He has already blessed you with. "..Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Take your eyes from what you need and see how you can change for the good of others. You will become a blessing that brings completion. As you engage in equipping yourself toward the perfection God expects, God promises you the blessing in Psalm 147:14, "He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat." God will first bless you with peace and then bless you with His finest blessings. He will make you satisfied over the riches He bestows on you. You will no longer lack anything. You will begin to experience that God's blessings are the best.

“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” (Hebrews 6:14)

ear Lord, when You created man in the beginning, You said, “Be fruitful and multiply” and made him increase. Likewise, bless me and my family in abundance. Bless me and increase me a thousand times more numerous than I am! Oh Lord, command Your blessing on me in my storehouses and in all to which I set my hand. Open Your good treasure, the heavens to bless all the work of my hand. Increase my blessing that I may lend to others. Bless my business, my work and give me a thousand times increase in all that I do. Jesus, just like You increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men, increase me physically, and in favor with God and men; Grant me a high status so that I will be a blessing to many. Grant me to have authority over many and also to receive Your honor as I strive to be faithful and prudent in increasing the talents You have given to me. Lord, grant me to increase in the anointing, grace and communion with God in my spiritual life. Make all grace abound toward me, that I, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. Grant me to abound in love and in all kinds of spiritual grace. Grant me to sow in abundance as well as reap in abundance in Your ministry; Grant me and my family to increase in everything. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (The Bible verses on which this prayer is based: Genesis 1:27,28; 22:17; 26:24, 32:12; 35:11; Isaiah 51:2; Psalm 91:14; 115:14,15; Ezekiel 36:37; Deuteronomy 1:11; 7:13; 28:8,12; Luke 2:52; John 1:16; 3:30; 3:34; Ephesians 5:18; II Corinthians 9:8 ; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 6:10,14). www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

My beloved partner, I am delighted to connect with you through this month's Magazine. I feel more confident and bold in sharing with you what the Lord has put in my heart and about his guidance in the ministry. Your prayers and generous support help us to establish the Lord's vision.

For the month of May, "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer ..." the Lord has given us this promise. According to this verse, the Lord's grace shall surround us (Psalm 32:10). I urge you to pray for all people. Ask God to help nations, ministries through our supplications, prayers (1 Timothy 2:1) Though the whole world is affected by a lifethreatening Corona pandemic and even when all the operations were shut down we could continue our prayer support without any 10

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hindrance. The Lord of supplication enabled us to pray for all our partners who need our prayer support through telephone, email and social media. We could telecast our Television programs without any hassle. Through Facebook, lakhs of people, together as one family, have been able to pray and fight against Corona virus. I praise God for that. Many nations across the world were shut down to control the spread of deadly disease due to Covid 19. Day to day life of people was highly affected. Starting from International trade to the small businesses and factories, all were closed. Due to this, we face a great fall in the economy. We pray continuously for all the drops in the world economy to be fixed. May 1st is the World Labor Day. I pray for all those employees facing obstacles in their job, unemployment and job insecurity. I pray for them to have a prosperous life. Let's thank God for all the Doctors, medical

staffs and all the sanitary workers for their dedicated service during this critical phase. Surely God will bestow His blessing on them for all their works (2 chronicles 15:7).

Trumpet Prayer Group "Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the LORD because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law." (Hosea 8:1). We are in a time where we must pray

service as the Lord directs you. Your contribution towards the telephone prayer tower ministry can be found on page 35 of this magazine. You can offer your service as voluntary Prayer Intercessor. Please contact Partner Care at 044- 23456677 for more details.

Uninhibited SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICE "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season;....". Even when all the transport

intermittently. Irrespective of age, elders,

facilities were terminated, we used social media

children and kids are requested to pray (Joel

such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for

2:15,16). We must cry aloud and pray in one

God's word to reach people. Lakhs of people

accord (Isaiah 2:6; 10:30). We must always pray in

have been blessed through these powerful and

God's presence. That is the reason behind

comforting messages. There is a great

forming this Trumpet Prayer Group. Those who

opportunity to bring hope to millions of people

are devoted to prayer we invite you to join this

in the future through the social media ministry.

group. A 24-hour chain prayer schedule is

So pray specifically for Jesus calls social media

prepared. You can incorporate your name with

ministry. Please provide financial support and

the time you want to pray. Prayer guidance notes

help young people come to the Lord.

will be sent for this. You can pray with the trumpet group from anywhere.

We should also praise the Lord for Magazine ministry. In 1973 May we started Our Magazine

Details on how to join the trumpet prayer

ministry. Through this magazine, there are large

group is found on the following webpage https:/

numbers of people who have been comforted by

/www.prayertoweronline.org/tpg or you can

the Lord, who have built their faith through

contact your nearest prayer tower manager or

testimonies, and who have received miracles

call this mobile number 99415 88654 or mail to

through the messages. Over the years, millions

trumpet@jesuscalls.org.

of people have tasted the love of the Lord

Telephone prayer service "....pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is

through magazines. I thank all those who have supported the Magazine ministry. The next step is to request you to uphold the

powerful and effective." (James 5:16). During this pandemic, Prayer intercessors were able to accept all the phone calls using the technology and pray with burden for the callers. The telephone prayer tower has many economic requirements for such communication facilities and to engage more prayers intercessors. I lovingly ask you to support the telephone prayer www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

services of Social media which involve more technology. Details of sending your valuable contribution to the Social media ministry can be found on page 35 of this magazine.

Karunya's kernel of wheat "...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds". When we look at the vast expansive Karunya University we feel proud. Alumni of Karunya stand with high stature around the world and run large corporations. We glorify the Lord for that. Student and Professor Exchange, memorandum of understanding, research work with world-class institutes and professional institutions have positioned Karunya as a globally recognized Educational Institute. My parents and my sister Angel got into a fatal accident on the way to establish Karunya University. On May 21st 1986 at the same accident site, my lovely sister died. My parents were severely injured. Yet, my father was determined to carry out the Lord's vision without hindrance. My sister Angel has been sown as a seed for the Education ministry. The Lord has greatly rewarded her sacrifice today. We remember Angel this month and I thank God for comforting and strengthening us amidst this. 12

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Birthday of a spiritual mother "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" (Isaiah 46:4) May 24th is my dear mother Stella Dhinakaranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday. May has been a very sad month for them since losing Angel. Yet we should thank God for enabling her to carry on the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s works and the souls that the Lord has brought through her. At this birthday, pray to the Lord to provide His strength, giving her the power of the Holy Spirit.

SEESHA News To help the government take action against the deadly Corona virus, the SEESHA in Karunya has sprayed sanitizers in the surrounding villages. The Face masks made by the senior citizens residing in the Old Age care home were distributed free of charge. The hand sanitizer is made in Karunya and is free for general use. 400 beds can be set up in the college campus at Periyanaickenpalayam, Coimbatore. There are restaurants and accommodations here. We have made this offer to the Government to use the entire campus as an isolation or treatment center for Corona patients. Praise the Lord for enabling us to serve the public in this difficult time. You will find more about this in the inside pages. According to the promise, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Let the Grace of God be sufficient in your life all through this month. Dear Brother who prays for you,

Dr. Paul Dhinakaran

In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Apostle Paul, the servant of God, has written the above in the Bible. In this whole epistle he has made moving description of God as a Father concerned about His children and as a Mother, feeding her child with the burden to take care of the child. Today, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through these words. Perhaps, today, as a family you are passing through various problems and are assailed by loss in the business, problems in your job, finance and debt. May be you are in tears because of a terrible disease. Youngsters may be lamenting, “How much will I score in my exams? I don’t have the wisdom that others have! Will I disappoint my parents? Will I be made miserable in front of others? I don’t have a good job! I am not married yet!” Married women who are not blessed with a child even after several years may be perturbed saying “Oh, my life is without this blessing. Won’t there be any way for this lack to be changed? Will I have a future?” God offers this good word for such people, through the Holy Spirit. So my dear ones, do not be anxious for anything, but rejoice in the Lord. From the Scriptures let us examine how we can enjoy this divine joy.

BE CONTENT IN EVERYTHING “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

“…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Philippians 4:11, 12) Thus, Apostle Paul explains here how he is content because of Christ who strengthens him. If we have this contentment, the Lord, through His Holy Spirit, will surely give us the strength to be always happy in Him. A young man called Saul, who was focusing only on worldly things and was striving to gain worldly glory, tormented many children of God in those days. His horrible actions brought sufferings and afflictions to the godly people. However, when the Lord met this cruel man with his marvelous light and touched his heart, his life changed upside down. Saul, who was tormenting others changed into Paul, comforting people in misery and rose up with zeal for the Lord, devoid of desires for the world and the pride of life. He was full of humility and love and imparted joy to others. On seeing the rich harvest in his field, a man, who had the idea that worldly wealth is sufficient, happily imagined that he could amass his yields in huge barns and enjoy the rest of his life through

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that. But there was absolutely no use for him in heaven because of these riches he had gained in the world. What a pity! Also, we see the Bible explaining, “What gain he would enjoy through this treasure, if his soul was taken away from this world?” (Luke 12: 16 - 20). There is an amusing story. Once, two people went to heaven after death. Peter was standing there holding the key to heaven and he asked both of them, ‘What do you want? One person said, “I always have a hot cup of coffee when I get up.” So peter gave him a hot cup of coffee. But the other person said, “Sir, I want to see Jesus.” Peter immediately opened heaven’s gate and this man entered with great joy. Only then the first man realized that he too had a great desire to go to heaven and wanted that, but all he had got was a cup of coffee. Peter told him “You got the coffee you wanted. He got what he wanted - to enter heaven - and see Jesus.” Thus saying Peter shut heaven’s gate. My dear sisters, let us first stop magnifying our own problems and worrying over them. Sorrow and joy, pleasure and disappointment, ups and downs will come in our life alternatively. We should learn to be happy in both conditions. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this...” (Ecclesiastes 7:14) According to this let us happily enjoy the benefits that we get when we are in a blessed state. In the same way, let us not be worried about the lacks that we face at certain times and let us learn to count our blessings given by the Lord and be happy over that (Job 2:10). Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, followed the Lord faithfully along with her husband, observed all His commandments and

Do not worry about the tests of your faith and become weary but accept them with joy. 14

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lived a pious and righteous life. Yet, for a long time, she languished without the gift of a child. She might have undergone lot of pain because of reproach and mockery. Her husband was a servant of God. In that case, surely they would have faced derision from others in those days. So, she might have been in misery on hearing those reproaching words. Yet she was careful in following the Lord. Hence, she had godliness and contentment in her life. The Lord, who knows the hearts, saw her fine qualities. Don’t we read that He did a miracle for her, who could not conceive a child, removed her reproaches and honoured her before the eyes of others? (Luke 1:57). Your lacks, needs and sufferings are not hidden from the eyes of the Lord (Hebrews 4:13). The Lord’s eyes that saw Elizabeth’s pitiable state that day, is able to see you as well. "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (II Chronicles 16:9) He wants to fill your life too with abundant blessings and change it miraculously. He has no partiality (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). We are the creations created by Him. So it is His desire that we should live without any lack and be happy always. A woman called Lydia, led her life as she liked in her young age and was enjoying all the pleasures of the world. One day, her friend took her to a Good news meeting. Lydia, who did not know much about Jesus until then, came to know about His love in detail, through that servant of God. During the prayer when the man of God gave the alter call for those who needed Christ’s love, she went forward and committed herself to God. What a wonder! Her life changed upside down. All her interests turned towards Jesus. Her old desires for worldly things vanished. The Lord blessed her abundantly. He gave her a suitable life partner. Her husband lavished her with lot of valuable things and gifts. But her love was focused not on those things rather on the Lord Jesus who had changed her life and filled her with heavenly joy. Yes, the things of this world would not give us permanent happiness. So, our eyes should always be upon the Lord who is able to give us all these things.

"Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” (Deuteronomy 10:14) “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine.” (Haggai 2:8) According to these Scriptures, if we commit ourselves into the hands of the Lord that carry everything, He will surely remove all every lack and satisfy us.

REJOICE IN THE LORD “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) “…truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3) Apostles Paul and John have written about their above divine experience. To receive this joy permanently in our spiritual and worldly life, we too should be united with the Lord Jesus Christ. How to get united with the Lord Jesus? Only when we leave our old sinful life and live holy with godly reverence, He can come and stay in us and we can be united with Him. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) When He lived as a Man on this earth, He met several women who lived in sin and revealed His divine love to them. His divine love completely changed their terrible sinful life. In the same way, He is willing to come and stay in us and be one with us in order to grant us abiding joy in our spiritual life. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (II Corinthians 7:10). By sorrowing over our sins in humility, in the presence of God, we would get godly zeal for Him. The Lord will also grant us a holy life along with that. “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

According to this, the Lord will grant us the joy in the Holy Spirit. Philip, the evangelist, when he met a eunuch, who was the great authority of Queen Candace, explained the above things to him, who did not know the Lord Jesus, as per his wish. On hearing that, the eunuch gladly accepted what he was told, obeyed God’s word and took baptism at once. The Bible says that ‘he went on his way rejoicing’ (Acts 8:26-29). A woman, who was born in a poor family, lived a pathetic sinful life because of poverty. She was ignorant that there was someone who could change her pitiful state. Hence, day by day, her life was going into the depth of sins. Her body was fully overcome by sin. At this juncture, once a woman of God, who was doing ministry came to her house. Totally exhausted as she had been going around doing ministry, she was about to cross this woman’s house but as she was thirsty she went to her house to have water. As they were conversing, this servant of God understood the kind of life that the woman was leading. In order that her sinful life should be changed by God, filled with divine love, she began to share with her the love of the Lord Jesus, His compassion and His ability to forgive sins. As that woman was listening to it, the Holy Spirit began to work in her. She realized the ugly state of her life and became terrified of her end. Immediately she decided to receive a holy life and started listening to that dear servant of God’s loving and comforting words. She then repented and accepted the Lord in her heart. "Ask, and it will be given to you… For everyone who asks receives.” (Matthew 7:7,8) This word of the Lord is unchanging. Since she asked with real thirst and desire, the Lord filled her with His divine joy which the world cannot give. Her old life changed completely. She committed her life to the Lord as a pleasing and fruit bearing one. Her home which was filled with sinful activities became a refuge for holy things. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Corinthians 6:2) Dear sister, if you ignore this chance, you will www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

not get these divine experiences when you need them. “Have you received this divine joy in your life?” - Just think! If not, kneel down right now and cling onto Jesus until you receive these experiences. “…the violent take it (the kingdom of God) by force.” (Matthew 11:12) Accordingly, this resolute prayer will soon bring into you this joy from above.

REJOICE IN SUFFERINGS “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) Thus writes Apostle Paul about the sufferings that he underwent from the day he accepted the Lord in his heart. Yet, he was always happy in the midst of these. He was a glorious servant of God who sang praises to God even when he was imprisoned, beaten and afflicted (Acts 16:25). What was the reason for Paul to be thus? He always looked upon Jesus, who is the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1). He followed the footsteps of Jesus. He whole heartedly accepted all afflictions and troubles. That was why he was able to sing praises to the Lord even in times of affliction. The Lord Jesus Christ too, when He was in this world, had to pass through afflictions. Above all the sufferings, when the time came for Him to be crucified on the cross, He ‘offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to God’ (Hebrews 5:7). However, at the same time, He thought about the joy that was kept before Him. He remembered that He would be soon seated on the right hand of the Throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Hence, all the difficulties and humiliations appeared small before Him. He got the strength to endure everything patiently. Following His example, Apostle Paul too lived happily amidst various afflictions (I Peter 2:21). My dear sisters, you may have to pass through so many sufferings because you do God’s ministry or you are the wife of a servant of God. Do not be dejected by that. The various trials of this world are only for a little while (I Peter 1:6; 5:10). The coming life in heaven would give us eternal joy. 16

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So, let our eyes look upon that alone. Men of God like David and Daniel, went through terrible sufferings. However, since they had this divine hope, they were not afraid of those afflictions. They lived such a divine life that they testified to the world that He alone was sufficient for them. Hence, do not worry about the tests of your faith and become weary but accept them with joy. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) There was a woman, who had committed herself to the Lord and was living a holy life, pleasing to Him. But her husband had no interest in this kind of life. His ways were totally opposite to that of the wife. She regularly attended church; but he would indulge in worldly pleasures, with his friends. She would do God’s ministry and return home happily but he would come back home in an inebriated condition. In due course he got involved in more and more sinful ways and became a thorn to the wife. However much love she showed him, he had no conscience about it. One day, the Lord took the wife to Him and she went to be with her heavenly Father forever. As long as she was alive, her love and godliness did not appeal to the husband. But after her death, he plunged into sorrow, unable to bear the loss. Gradually, he realized his sinful life and cried bitterly. Deciding to follow his wife’s godly ways, he turned towards the Lord. The Lord is gracious and full of mercy! He forgave his terrible sinful life and gave him a new life. He filled him with the same spiritual blessings that his wife had and enabled him to rejoice in Him always. My dear sisters, the Lord is truly alive! He will never let down His children and His servants. As a family do His ministry with your whole heart. He will grant you new grace and strength and increase His gifts in you. He will use you as an instrument of comfort to several women and families. How divine is this joy! According to the verse, ‘The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak’ (Matthew 26:41) it is natural for the flesh to be weak. At such times, when we wait in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit would give us this joy. He will help us to rejoice always.

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DELIVERED FROM 15 YEARS OF PAIN

have been having a wound for 15 years on the sole of my foot. I went to doctors and got it checked but the treatments given were in vain. I had no relief from the pain with which I suffered. I couldn't walk freely and carry out my work in ease. The wound was truly like a thorn in my flesh. I did all I could to find healing from this wound but I had no improvement. Day by day, it only grew worse. I had almost given up hope in getting healed but on 14th Feb, I attended the special meeting which was held for prayer intercessors in Sri Lanka, Colombo. I'm not a prayer intercessor but I used to attend Jesus Calls meetings very regularly for prayer. God has blessed me greatly in many other aspects through the Jesus Calls ministries. With the little hope I had I attended the meeting with expectant prayers. I wanted to get prayed by Dr. Paul Dhinakaran. That day, God gave me the opportunity to get prayed by Dr. Paul. When he laid his hand on me and prayed for me, that very moment, the painful wound that was troubling me for 15 years, disappeared and I was instantly healed. I cannot describe how happy I am since then and I am so blessed to have met dear Dr. Paul. May the Lord continue to bless him, his family and the ministry abundantly always! - Shanthi Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka

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NEW BEGINNINGS WHEN HOPES ENDED

and my husband are currently residing in Chennai. Our native place is Tirupati. We have been married for 33 years. We have been blessed with a son and a daughter. 10 years back, my husband became weak all of a sudden. When we checked him with the doctors we were informed that he has TB. At that time, my daughter was in 6th std and my son in 10th standard. Because of this weakness my husband was not able to go to work. As a result we were affected financially. We were not even able to buy medicines for my husband. We were not able to have even one meal a day. We couldn't pay our children's school fees and I decided to stop them from going to school. Our relatives who saw our pitiable state started to distance themselves from us. We were on the verge of ending our life. At that point, a neighbour of ours invited me to the Chennai Prayer Tower and brought me there at her own expense. I gave the five rupees in my hand as an offering and returned home after getting prayed. Shortly after that, there was a new beginning in our life. As we were planning to stop our children's education, the Principal of their school called me and suggested that the institution will Sponsor their education. They sponsored their education for 4 years and enabled my children to study without any disruption. So I started upholding Jesus Calls ministries with my offerings. Very soon, my husband who was in death bed got healed and started going for work. But to our dismay, I got an heart attack and was admitted in the hospital in a life threatening situation. Doctors said that I would not recover. But I called the prayer warriors and by their prayers and God's grace I am well until now. Moreover, in 2014 I gave an offering for the Prayer Tower Building Fund. God has blessed me more by blessing us with our own house. Now, my son has finished his studies and earns Rs 70000 per month. My daughter has also completed her education and is blessed in her married life. Today, the people who see us are surprised to see the wonders God has done for us. The reason for our blessing is the Prayer Tower. Through the Prayers offered in the Prayer Tower, we have experienced a new beginning and we are living a new life. - Vijaya Venkatesh, Tirupati

HEALING IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION

and my wife have 3 children. I had both jaundice and typhoid about 1 year ago. The doctors were giving me more pills at the time. I could not walk for few days and after I started the medication, my stomach was swollen. I couldn't do any work. I needed someone's help to walk me through. When I consulted with doctors they said these are the after effects of the medication I took, so they advised me not to take any further medication. Drugs I had taken so far affected my spinal cord, claiming that taking pills can be life threatening. So I completely stopped taking medication. I usually watch Jesus Calls TV programmes, but I couldn't even sit on that particular day. While my wife and I were watching the television program Jesus called my name through Brother Paul as he was praying. He said, "Asirvatham, Asirvatham who sits in front of the television, God touches you and heals you." I have been healed and I have been well since then. Glory to God. - Asirvatham, Kovilpatti www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

BLESSED IN ALL ASPECTS

am a pastor of a church along with my father. I am married and I have two children. I did not study well during my schooling and people used to say I will not come up in life. In this situation my father heard about the Young Partners Plan and enrolled me in it. After I was enrolled in the plan, I started studying well. People who wondered if I will pass my 12th standard were shocked to see me do well in studies and get into Loyola College. Now, God has enabled me to pursue Ph.D. After we enrolled in Family blessing Plan and became a TV club member God blessed us with our own house. God also blessed me spiritually and gave us grace to pastor another church too. In 2013, my mother had to undergo bypass surgery as she had 12 blocks in her heart. In July 2018, she went into a pathetic state. She became bedridden and couldn't do anything on her own. We admitted her in the hospital. The doctors said her lungs and kidney had very much shrunk in size and they have to do dialysis immediately. Because of this she was almost in her deathbed. My dad and I were suffering not knowing what to do. In this situation, in August 2018, I happened to see Dr.Paul Dhinakaran in a meeting and requested his prayers for her. He prayed earnestly. After that, little by little my mother started improving in health. Doctors were shocked to see her improvement and said she does not need dialysis and discharged her from hospital. From that day till today she is in good health and is doing her jobs by herself. Everybody testifies that this is God's miracle. I sponsored a Jesus Calls TV programme and fulfilled the vow that we made on behalf of her healing. God has blessed us greatly because we are proud to be the partners of the Jesus Calls ministry. - Pastor J. Samuel Moses, Chennai

MIRACULOUSLY HEALED

y name is Bharathi and my husband is Mr. Manohar. We got married in 1998. I belong to a family that does not know Christ. I got to know Jesus through the Jesus Calls ministries. Without the knowledge of the people at my home, I kept praying to Jesus Christ. After my wedding , I conceived and gave birth to a beautiful girl baby. But because the baby had very low immunity in the very first week she kept falling sick again and again. Especially, she suffered a lot with fever. Though she was in the hospital for 1 month she did not get any better. The doctors checked her and told me she would not recover. I was crying not knowing what to do. So I called the Prayer Tower to pray for my daughter. The prayer intercessor prayed for me with much burden. I heard about the Young Partners Plan and enrolled my daughter in it. What a wonder! To everyone's surprise my daughter recovered and there was great improvement in her condition. Her condition kept becoming better and she was completely healed. From that day on till now she has had good health. Now my daughter is doing second year in Diploma. She is doing well even in her studies. Moreover, though I was saved I was not anointed. So I attended the Power Ministry conducted by Jesus Calls in 2008. I received the anointing of the Holy Spirit in that meeting. After the anointing, God changed my life completely and has enabled me to do ministry by His grace. Also God enabled me to join as an Ambassador in Jesus Calls ministry and is enabling me to share the love of God. God's anointing has helped me to be deeply rooted in Him, living a life surrendered to Him. Secondly, my husband did not know Christ. Desiring his salvation, I sponsored a TV program. On that day Sis. Stella Dhinakaran prayed for us claiming Leviticus 26:5 "..You will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land." She also prayed for my husband to be saved. After that prayer my husband accepted Jesus and has been saved. We are blessed. Praise the Lord. - Sis.Bharathi Devamanohar, Chennai

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NEW LIFE WITH NEW BLESSINGS

and my family reside in Bangalore. Though I belong to a family that serves Christ, I had personally not tasted the love of God. I got married in 1974 and got 3 children. I was doing my own business as a Painting Contractor. I used to join my friends and take alchohol. I spent all the money I earned in drinking and there was no peace in our family. My wife faced many difficulties in raising our three children because of my behaviour. In this helpless state, my wife happened to hear about the Jesus Calls TV program. She started watching the programs sincerely. One day prayers were offered for people who are suffering because of family problems and my wife prayed earnestly for God to bring a change in my life. That night after I went to bed, I felt someone come inside the room and touch me. At that very moment I surrendered my life to God. From that day I left my drinking habit and I am living as a changed person till now. Moreover, I have joined my children in Young Partner Plan and joined my wife and myself in Family blessing plan. We were in a situation where we had nothing but now God has blessed us with our own house. Secondly, my second son got less marks in his tenth exam and when we scolded him, he ran away from our house and did not return for two days. My wife used to cry all the time thinking of our son. On the third day, with a troubled mind, we switched on the TV. During prayer, Dr. Paul Dhinakaran called my wife by her name and said that God is touching her and her children. Immediately God's comfort filled her and that very morning at 9 o'clock our son came back home. Presently he has done Graphics designing and is working in a company. God has blessed our life with countless blessings through the Jesus Calls ministries. Glory to God. - Mr.C.Karunakaran & Mrs. Selvi, Bengaluru

LIT UP TO SHINE FOR GOD

am from Nagpur and I was very weak in my studies during my childhood. During that time my parents enrolled me in Young Partners Plan. After this, I gained an interest in my studies and I was able to easily grasp and increase memory which helped greatly in my subjects. As a result, I started excelling in my studies and I understood that there were people praying for me daily at the Prayer Tower. As my 10th Board exams were coming up, I wrote a letter to Dr. Paul Dhinakaran requesting him to pray for me. I was surprised to receive a prompt response from him that encouraged me and his words assured me that God will bless me with good marks. As promised, I scored 98% and was a topper in the 10th Std among my whole minority community. I give all glory to God for my success. - Alisha, Maharashtra

TRANSFORMED AFTER TASTING GOD'S MIRACLE

belong to a family that has no knowledge of God. I got married in the year 2004. After two years of our married life, we got a son. His name is Sahul Amid. When he was two years old, he fell ill suffering with fits very often. Almost 5 years he was suffering with this weakness. As days went by, his condition grew worse and we admitted him in the ICU. Doctors examined him and said the nerves in his head are damaged and so it is not possible to make him well. He went into a critical stage and they were monitoring him closely with tubes going all over him. I did not know what to do. I was in the hospital for many days. I used to run hither and thither between hospital and our house. One day I happened to watch the Jesus Calls program on Television and a lady was testifying about how God delivered her from fits. In the closing prayer, I surrendered my life to God and prayed along. I received faith on the Lord Jesus at that time but I did not know how to pray. So I came to the Prayer Tower immediately. The prayer intercessors welcomed me with love and prayed for my son earnestly. I heard about the Young Partners Plan and enrolled my son in it. After that God gave me faith that my son will be healed miraculously. Very soon, there was improvement in his health and he became alright. Doctors were shocked. He came home healed and has been well till now. I gave my life to Christ and now I am living as a child of God. I also received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit guides me in all my ways and I am living as a daughter of God blessed in all things. - Mrs.Fathima, Chennai www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

EXCELLING IN STUDIES AND SPORTS

y mother enrolled me in the Young Partner Plan when I was little. After joining the Young Partner Plan, many miracles began to take place in my life. When I was in seventh grade, I was involved in many sports, including swimming, athletics, athletics, Taekwondo and chilambam. Everyone said, "If you are interested in sports you can't focus on studying." I trusted the Lord by saying, "Being a young partner, I can do better in both." I have received nearly 450 medals and 150 shields so far. God has elevated me by giving me gifts that are not enough at home. Every year I promise to give ten times the number of marks I receive to the Prayer Tower. After completing twelfth grade, I was offered a place to study dentistry at LUU University. For the first 3 years I had the grace to succeed with high marks. The fourth year was very difficult. I somehow communicated to the Prayer Tower and prayed for more marks. It is only after reading the prayer card for the students that I begin to study the lessons. My mother used to pray with fasting. I passed all subjects by God's grace. There were 8 subjects. In 4 of these subjects, the Lord helped to attain excellence. With gratitude I sponsored a TV programme for my mother on her birthday (February 5th). Through this, God graciously offered me third place in the fourth year. As a young partner I have been graciously enabled by the Lord to be the first in the sports and in the studies. God helped me to give a tenfold offering as I have vowed to the Lord. - Reenu Kritika, Madurai.

The same God who performed miracles for these beloved partners is alive today and can do a miracle to you too. Feel free to send your prayer requests to paul@jesuscalls.org by email or by letter to 16, D.G.S. Dhinakaran Road, Chennai 600 028. You can also share your testimony of deliverance and blessings to testimony@jesuscalls.org or postal address.

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Loving Heavenly Father, We pray for the protection of these children of Yours. They are Your righteous people Lord. Let no weapon formed against them prevail. You are our defense against this disease. We pray that You defend Your children from all the dangers that are prevalent during these days. Make a difference by showing these children as Your righteous people, delivering them from all trouble. Meet their needs according to Your riches. Give them the money they need to pay their rent and their loans. Let the losses stop in Jesus' name. Let their jobs be protected. Let their loved ones who are in foreign countries be protected. May they have no fear. Protect their visas. Put a hedge around their family. May they be protected by Your mighty power. Care for Your people who are alone. Be with them and may they experience Your Presence beside them. You have great love toward us. Protect Your children in every aspect be it their health, their finances, their properties, their ministries and let there be multiplication of their resources. Let this corona virus be gone quickly in Jesus' name. Turn the hearts of people who do not know You to Yourself. We seek repentance on their behalf. Forgive all our sins and heal our land. Set us free, our economy free. Set the nation and the entire world free. Send Your angel and deliver us from this destruction. We are grateful for You are a God who answers us when we call on You. Let there be peace, rest, joy and holiness among us. Protect the people who are serving in the frontline and keep them away from all harm. Let there be no more deaths. Thank You for all Your blessings in our lives. Thank You for providing for us and caring for our needs. Help us to be a witness of Your saving help. You are the God of the whole earth, You are the Redeemer, You are the Holy One. We thank You for Your everlasting mercies that will not let us to be consumed by the torrents that surround us. May Your covenant of peace which will not depart from us cover Your children and may they abound in Your peace during this phase. May they expand to the left and to the right after this lockdown is over. May they forget this struggle and experience surplus in every area of their life. Fulfill Your promises in their life and bless them all the days of their life. Thank You for graciously answering us. We humbly ask all this in Jesus' name, Amen. (Saturday) Special fasting prayers will be offered for your prayer requests in all the Jesus Calls Prayer Towers and the Dhinakarans will send prayerful replies for those requests. So hurry up! We invite you to SEND YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS THROUGH LETTERS, EMAIL, FACEBOOK AND WEBSITE Address: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran, Jesus Calls, 16, D.G.S. Dhinakaran Road, Chennai - 600 028. E-mail: paul@jesuscalls.org Website: www.jesuscalls.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.PaulDhinakaran/ www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

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Answer: The Bible says that God loves holiness (Malachi 2:11). The reason is we read in Exodus 15:11 that He is ‘glorious in holiness’. Also we read in Psalm 105:3 and in II Chronicles 16:10, that we should ‘Glory in His holy name.’ In I Thessalonians 4:3 we read, ‘It is God's will that you should be sanctified:' Yes, dear ones, the Lord has called us to be holy. How to receive this kind of Holiness? “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed.” (I Peter 2:24) According to this Scripture, Jesus Christ was bruised and broken on the cross by enemies for our sins, transgressions and unrighteous deeds, as per God’s will. He suffered and died and bore everything on the cross. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now

been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:8,9) As we thus read in the Scriptures, it was His will to love us even when we were sinners, and make us His children and righteous people, by shedding His sacred blood on the cross and granting us redemption, which is the forgiveness of sin, through that. When we receive this divine life, God makes us inherit the blessed life of ‘drawing water from the wells of salvation with joy’. The Bible says that ‘whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified’ (Romans 8:30). It is not easy for those who receive this divine, holy life to live holy till the end and bring glory to God. This is because, on one side the devil prowls around, wanting to devour everyone and on the other side the various pleasures and lusts of the world pose as stumbling blocks to us. Hence we see in these days many people stumbling and many others easily falling prey to the devil’s snare, thus losing holiness. Particularly young people go astray and indulge in wrong ways. Even married couples struggle to enjoy the bliss of married life www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

and live in tears, filled with bitterness and division. An important thing that we ought to do to be delivered from such state and enjoy the Lord given holiness is to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’

The Lord, who has no partiality, will bless us personally and as family just as He blessed His disciples

According to the Scripture, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (I Corinthians 13:10), it is necessary that we are careful to live in unison with the Saviour Jesus and do things that are pleasing to Him. For this, reading the Bible diligently, waiting in prayer at the feet of God and walking reverentially in the holy path according to the Lord’s teachings and counsels as in Psalm 32:8, is important. “I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; ...I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:2,3) Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it, Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21) Yes, thus, you can enjoy the divine life of being led by the hand of the Lord. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:7) “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.” (Psalm 128:1) As per the above verses, surely the Lord will help everyone, who follows His ways with reverence and godly fear, to walk in the blessed ways and to receive divine blessings

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by following holiness. Women, who live such a life, would be praised as in Proverbs 31:30. Likewise we read in Psalm 115:13, “He will bless those who fear the LORD, Both small and great.” ‘Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ’ is a divine life that we can receive by walking in such divine ways. The next important factor is profound and full of divinity. It is an experience that we read in II Corinthians 3:17,18. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” In II Thessalonians 2:13 and in I Peter 1:2, we read about our life being made holy by the Holy Spirit. Getting filled with the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the Lord, is a divine experience. In order that the Lord Jesus Christ should be a model for us, as we read in Acts 10:38, God filled Him with the power of the Holy Spirit and used Him to do good among people and deliver them from various bondages. In the same way, He filled His disciples too with His anointing and power and made them shine as blessings to many. Since the Lord’s coming is very near, we should realize how important it is to live with godliness with holy conduct and be filled with anointing. My dear children of God, we are living in the last days. As revealed by Prophet Joel, these days we see the Holy Spirit being poured upon people everywhere. It is necessary that we ask for this divine experience with thirst

and power and receive it. It is important that our family members too get filled with this divine experience and wait in the presence of God with oneness of mind and in reverence and pray to Him. Then they would receive ‘the Lord given holiness’ in their mind and actions and the Lord would help every one of them to live for His glory, ‘perfecting holiness’. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) To receive these divine experiences of Apostle Paul, we need to wait in prayer with patience, thirst and oneness of mind. Then the Lord, who has no partiality, will bless us personally and as family just as He blessed His disciples and fill us with the power of the Holy

Spirit and grant us the grace to live a holy life, ‘of putting on Him.’ The Lord will certainly fulfil His promise, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). In the Book of Acts, 10th chapter, He filled a man called Cornelius, who was heathen and who was waiting at His feet with godliness. God also filled His family and friends with His Holy Spirit and made him happy. In the same way, hearing the prayers of Brother Dhinakaran, He filled everyone in our family with His anointing as in Isaiah 59:19, and has given us the divine life of arising and shining for the glory of His name. Accordingly dear ones, keep away from the desires and lusts of the world, and hold on to Him firmly to glorify Him by putting on the Lord Jesus and getting filled with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

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n the Old Testament there are umpteen references to the culture of ancient Rome, Israel, Egypt and Iran. If you read about their daily activities, there is much emphasis on worship whether it is to their gods, Kings or to the rulers of the nations. The way religions are set up both in ancient days and today, leads to following certain rituals or certain offerings that will make a person seemingly reach some kind of enlightenment or eternal life. When Jesus was on this earth, we see that, he condemned many things that the Sadducees and Pharisees did. In real life, there are selfrighteous people and self-proclaimed saints who still want us to follow empty rituals and traditions saying that it will take us to heaven. When the Pharisees brought the prostitute to Jesus, he said, the

man who has not sinned may throw the first stone at her. Everyone knew what she did was wrong but because they were shamed by the different perspective that Jesus gave, they did not accuse her. Jesus, who was the only One in that scene, qualified to throw the stone at her as per the law, did not misuse that power but judged her with love and forgave her, because He did not come to condemn the world but to save the world (John 3:17).A gentle admonition, “go and sin no more” brought a turning point in her life. 32

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May 2020 - www.jesuscalls.org

When Jesus was growing up, He followed all the cultural norms that society demanded of Him. He respected his mother, followed His father's craft and spent His time at the House of God. But at the right time of adulthood, he did not shy away from speaking the truth that he was set out to say. The last three years of Jesus’ life was mostly about challenging cultural boundaries. For example, the woman at the well - she was a Samaritan. Though Jesus knew that culture demanded that He was not to speak to her, He sat down and asked her for water. He built trust in

that woman and that made her positively respond to their conversation. Only then ,He said I will quench your thirst eternally. In this case, Jesus broke a cultural boundary at a time where Jews and Samaritans had a divide between them. But by speaking the truth Jesus found acceptance in what the Jewish society deemed as “not to be dealt with.” Jesus customized the way that each person looked at Him and His Father. There were multiple miracles and deaths that Jesus handled when He walked on this earth. For each case, Jesus used different strategies. For example, Peter's mother-in-law had a fever. He only spoke a word and the fever left her. Many readings will tell you that Peter's mother-in-law was a very busy woman, for immediately after her healing she began to serve her guests and when people heard about her healing, large numbers gathered so that Jesus could heal them as well. Another example is the blind man. When he wanted to receive sight, Jesus spit on I strongly believe the ground, made that is why God mud and put it on gave us all the his eyes. This was to show that the very power to critically thing that we don't think, to see and consider important, differentiate our saliva, had power in Jesus’ between what is case. Next example, truth and what is Jesus’ closest not, to hear and friends Mary, decide what to put Martha and Lazarus. When Lazarus died, in our heart and Jesus did not what to let go, and consider them for to do with our four days. But when hands service to Jesus came to see them, He wept. That ourselves versus shows the heart of service to others. compassion that He

had. In all these examples of healing, we find that faith was the most important part. Not the faith that Jesus had but the faith that people had to place on Him. Jesus customized miracles for each of them in a way that will build up their faith in Him.The busy woman understood the importance of greatness just by one act. That person, who had lost hope, needed some kind of activity for his faith to be reactivated; and His close friends, needed time to be reminded that their Best Friend is a miracle worker. The Old Testament with its facts, rules, blueprint, exuberant offerings, lavish worship and strict activities of a daily life limited people from seeing God in His fullness. This same God in all His glory and powerful spirit was alive even in the Old Testament. He was doubtless close to the people who were led by Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Samuel, Jacob and Joshua. When Jesus came He began to speak personally to the people, forgave their sins, comfort them, taught them integrity, healed the sick and most importantly taught them to live every day with a desire to get closer to God. In simple terms, Jesus came to set the religion straight, that Christianity is not for the saints but for the suffering, regardless of who they are. Today we live in an age of machinery and technology. To know the truth and to live the truth, you need discernment. I strongly believe that is why God gave us all the power to critically think, to see and differentiate between what is truth and what is not, to hear and decide what to put in our heart and what to let go, and to do with our hands service to ourselves versus service to others. It is Jesus who is the truth and knowing this truth can set a person free (John 14:6; 8:32). Let me give you an example. When God sent the final plague of death of the firstborn son, He also said that whoever has the lamb's blood on the top and sides of their doorframes will escape this wrath. So yes, this was an impromptu ritual that needed to be done in order to save the www.jesuscalls.org - May 2020 JESUS CALLS

firstborn's life. Moses told all Israelites about this plague and they marked their doorframes as instructed. This was an act of faith and obedience that God demanded, and they obeyed and were saved. For us today, this act of obedience and faith comes only from having a relationship with Christ. The conviction that you get, cannot be derived from serving other gods like social media, work, sleep, or any other distraction that you might deem as meditation to getting close to God. The other side to this example is that the marking of the blood on the doorframes was to be a onetime event so that the firstborn would be safe. The culture celebrates it every year not in worship of the blood but in remembrance of the firstborn being saved. The celebration is to remember that God is close to those who recognize Him as Savior. This conviction for us comes only from knowing the word and knowing the meaning behind every command. You will know to draw the distinction between what hypocrites accuse you of, even when they use scripture wrongly, or when you don't hear a voice of comfort, or when you are lost without direction. You will know to find the difference between a onetime event and an act that you need to do in order to confess your faith.

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We partake of the Holy Communion in our churches in remembrance of and to honor the Body and Blood of Christ. There is healing in the body and the blood,and that's why people who need healing have it at times outside the church. This is because they have the conviction that there is still power in the bread and wine that represent the body and blood of Jesus. So, is Christianity relevant today? The God of the religion is, but when you make it all about the structure that was designed to help you get closer to having a relationship with this God, then it is not. Today, we find that in our own backyard our faith is under attack. We are forced to dilute it, adapt to new age changes and be cool by not adhering to certain principles. We should not do that at the cost of making the faith what it was not intended to be. Christianity was meant for everyone and so it is today. Jesus came and made following Him so easy. He removed all the cultural boundaries like no healing on the Sabbath and opened the door so that you may know God and see Him clearly. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go back to making Christianity unrelatable. Living a life yearning to get closer to Jesus is relatable. The religion of living on a conviction and personalizing God is relatable. The context behind the teachings of Jesus is relatable. Jesus is relatable.

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