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I called out “Jesus, come into my
life, please help me.”
 I
am Haresh, born and brought up in a Hindu family. My father
was a government employee and my mother a housewife. I have
one sister and one brother. We lived a normal life. My
parents were God-fearing and they brought us up in such a
way that we were regularly going to temples and ashrams. We
were strong devotees of Mata Amritanandha Mayi. I used to
spend my school holidays in the ashram.
My college days was a negative turning point in my life. I
was so lost in the world that I started getting involved in
all the filthy things such as boozing, smoking, drugs and
even joined a group who would do anything for money. For me,
it was not the money but the power and the position that I
got from it which made me feel proud. I became a nuisance
for my family.
At this time, the true God started working in our family
through one of our Christian neighbours. This lady always
used to talk to my mother about Jesus. Because of His great
plans, the wonder-working power of the Lord started working
in my mother. That time I was their biggest problem and my
mother was convinced that if they sent me to the ‘Divine
Retreat Centre’, I would come back from the world. So
everyday, as I normally returned home after midnight at 1 or
2 AM, my mother would wait for me and tell me about Jesus. I
felt very irritated and shouted at her. But she never gave
up. In the meantime, I lost my happiness that I tried to get
from the world. Something, some power started working in me.
The more I tried to get rid of it, the more it clung to me
as a magnet attracts iron. After a month of heavy struggle
in my mind, I finally gave up. I went back to my mother and
told her that I wanted to go to the retreat centre. She was
so happy thinking that she would get back her old son.
Immediately, all arrangements were made and I attended the
retreat in November 24th 1994.
It was shocking for me at first when I reached there. I was
amazed at the huge auditorium, big statue of Jesus Christ
with his arms wide open, both sides of the auditorium filled
with patients with different kinds of diseases, paralyzed
ones and so on. As the retreat began, I just wanted to know
one thing - Is there someone who can help me come out of all
my troubles? Even as I waited patiently, I could not bear it
when people started praising. I didn’t understand a bit of
it because we never prayed that way and have never seen such
a thing. But in my heart there was only one prayer. If there
is any person or power out there as God, I still prayed -
“Please help me.” My heart was crying for something. Then
the love of the Lord started piercing into my heart and into
every cell of my body. I was crying throughout the sessions.
I came to know that JESUS has died for me and has already
paid the price for my sins. He rose from the dead and he is
going to come back. I believed that he is a LIVING God. I
confessed all that I had done in my previous life. With
great love and a broken heart, I called out “Jesus, come
into my life, please help me.” Immediately, I felt as if my
body is being nailed as though something was piercing into
each & every cells in my body. For the first time in my
life, I felt a great peace of mind. It was as though a great
burden had been taken away from my shoulders and the great
love of God started flowing into my heart.
Then the lord spoke to me through the scripture Act of
Apostles 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved---you and your family."
The power that came into me gave me the grace to believe
this and from the depths of my heart I accepted Jesus Christ
as my Lord and saviour. There at the feet of our Lord, I
promised I will no more worship idols even if my parents
didn’t allow me to stay at home. I asked Jesus how I could
convince my family that He was a true and living God. On one
side my heart was filled with joy, on the other it was
troubled, thinking about my parents. Then the Lord showed me
the answer. Before the retreat got over, I saw a paralyzed
young man, who had been bed-ridden right from the first day
of the retreat, get up from his bed and walk for the very
first time. Then I understood why there were a lot of
patients on both sides of the auditorium. They were waiting
for God’s healing touch to get healed. I got the answer Luke
18:27 Jesus answered, "What is humanly impossible is
possible for God." I returned home as a new creation.
Ephesians 4:21-24. “You certainly heard about him, and as
his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus. So
get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used
to---the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful
desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,
and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's
likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright
and holy”.
My parents realized that I had changed a lot and they were
happy. But they were shocked to understand that I stopped
going to temples and ashrams. They thought that they are in
another danger now. I started going to church and during
mass, I started crying to the Lord for my family. “Lord, you
told me to believe you and that you will save my family
too.” I waited patiently and within a short time, the power
of the Holy Spirit that came to me started working through
me and spoke to my parents. Gradually, at first my sister,
then my mother, my father and my brother attended retreats
and they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord & Saviour. The
promise of Acts 16-31 came true for my family. They were
filled with love, peace and joy of the Lord. They received
the peace that they had been searching for a very long time
in their life. They started serving the Lord in DRC and we
all got baptized.
I came to Qatar in 1999 and I am working as a sales
representative. Problems started flowing into my life and my
family after coming to Christ. But the love of Christ was
imparted so deeply in us as scripture says Romans 8:36-39
"For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we
are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we have complete victory through him
who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us
from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor
other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the
future, neither the world above nor the world below---there
is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to
separate us from the love of God which is ours through
Christ Jesus our Lord.
After one year of continuous prayer for God’s chosen spouse
for me in my life, in 2003 God blessed me and gave me Asha.
The following year he blessed us with a son, Simon.
Now, along with my job, God is using me in many ways for the
kingdom of God. The reason that I live today is because of
Christ as the scripture says in Galatians 2:20 “so that it
is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.
This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave his life for me”.
Recently, God saved me miraculously from an accident. We
were doing our intercessory prayers and on my way back home,
my car overturned and it was destroyed completely. But Jesus
brought me out of the accident without even a single
scratch. Psalm 91:7 “A thousand may fall dead beside you,
ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed”. I
give glory to Jesus because he has already promised me
eternal life and I will fight again by God’s grace as
scripture says in Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting
against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces
in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic
powers of this dark age”.
Today I pray …………Luke 1/78-79:- Our God is merciful and
tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise
on us and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the
dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of
peace."
Praise God..
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