In His Time.......... with P.Ramachandran

I thank the Lord for this amazing experience. Met many wonderful people with a passion for the Lord and or course it a joy to work with my good friends and  mentors. We heard wonderful testimonies of what God is doing all over the world. More importantly it made us realise that we don't have much time  and we must do all we can to end gospel poverty.                                     I must say that the experience here was distinctly different from the other sessions I have been part of in the past, offering new insights and challenges that enriched my understanding and growth. I learnt many things from the catholic perspective and why they do what they do. Although I don't agree with many things they practise, I was simply floored by their reverence and awe for the present of God. During our services, they were speaking in tongues, prophecy and the whole pentecostal work...

Today was the only off day in the seminar. We had a tour of the various historical places in the historical Rome. It was fascinating to see how history, as far back as 2000 years, have been preserved, I only read them in history books during my secondary school days, but now I ams seeing it before my eyes. Every stone in Rome has a story....so goes the saying. The above were some of the structure but;t in the Roman Empire, 2000 years ago.  The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. It's the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built.  Many christians were martyred here. Basilica of St Paul outside the walls is the second largest after St Peter's Basilica. Amazing architecture and history. We ended the tour with a good Indian lunch at Jaipur restaurant. It was sooo refreshing. 

Sis Jenima went to be with the Lord on 14 Nov 2024, after battling with  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) for some time.  This is our tribute to her. It was in 2008, when I first met Sis Jenima, the wife of our Bishop Samuel Sharma. It was during our first trip to NE India, Jaigaon in particular. We were there to conduct a pastors' conference at the bidding of Bishop Samuel who had attended the Haggai Leaders' Experience in Singapore a few months earlier. This was the beginning. She was demure, quiet, hardly spoke a word in English. But she was extremely hospitable and genuinely kind. At that time they lived in a very simple house, with hardly any furnishing, all because of the call of God upon her life to serve the Master.  But one thing was certain. She loved the Lord, her husband and her two young children. She always wanted them to serve the Lord all their lives. She was a remarkable woman whose life reflected the love and grace of God in every aspect.  He...

I am finally in the  city  that I only read about in my historical books. I arrived on Saturday, 16 Nov and went  straight  to the retreat center. The weather was  chilly , hovering about 10 degC.  The center overlooks the St Peter's  Basilica. Oh... what a beautiful site, especially during sunset. It was a joy to meet friends. On Sunday, I visited the St Peter's square. There were thousands of people gathered, just to hear the Pope pronounce his blessings during the Angelus. The Angelus is a traditional Catholic prayer that is recited at noon, but the Pope delivers a special version of this prayer and blessing to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square or viewing via broadcast. It typically occurs at 12:00 PM. The moment the Pope appeared at the window, there was a  total  silence, everyone was eager to hear him. There was so much of respect and awe for the man. I wonder if we have the  same  for God. Later in the aftern...

I landed earlier today at Changi from Chennai. The weather was quite bad, that the pilot had to overshoot the runway and go round again. But we landed safely in the second attempt. Went back home, visited my mom, came back and packed my bags and again and here at Terminal 2. Looks like I am "living off my suitcase". This time to the Vatican City for an important training for leaders. I am very much looking froward to this trip, especially to meet people of the same vision and passion. Long flight, 15 hrs in all. Still have not caught up with my sleep. Hopefully will have sufficient rest on this flight. Psalms 46:1 -  God is our refuge   and strength,  an ever-present   help  in trouble.

  I am back at Chennai Airport, waiting for my departure to Singapore. All arrangements have been made to fly Jenima back to Jaigaon by air. The funeral has been arranged for Sunday afternoon. I have asked Bishop Nehemiah and Bishop Thomas to conduct the funeral service. I am specially thankful to our pastors in PEC India who rallied support to help Bishop Samuel's family.  They don't have much, but whatever resources they could get, they chipped in to help. I was deeply moved. Bishop Thomas, his wife Kala and Seegan were simply beyond description. They stayed in the hospital for few days without sleep until Kala fell sick and had to go back. Thomas is still there, sorting out all the administration papers. Now Kala and Seegan are on their way to CMC after hearing the death of Jenima. Really blessed to see how all PEC pastors in India came together to help in this difficult times. No words to describe❤️❤️ I also thank God for Haggai alumni in...

I arrived Chennai Airport just after midnight. Bishop Thomas and his wife Kala were at the airport to pick me up. It took us three and half hours to reach Vellore. It was raining heavily along the way.  After a short rest in the hotel, I went to CMC Vellore. The hospital was crowded with so many people. Bishop Samuel Sharma and his daughter Affrin were there at the ICU, both overwhelmed with grief. I did my best to console them . Jenima was on life support and looked very frail. She was in a state of coma. I was heart broken at the sight. I also called  Abishek and comforted him.  We had a discussion with the senior consultant of the ICU, Dr Thomas. Dr Thomas took the time to explain the condition of Jenima. Her condition has deteriorated and most of her organs have failed. After careful consideration, the family painfully  decided to remove the life  support and leave the rest to the Lord. Jenima had suffered enough and its best not to put her through more. I p...

I am sitting at the waiting lounge in Terminal 2, Changi Airport. My flight departs in an hour. This is a last minute trip, one that I don’t look forward to. This morning Bishop Thomas updated me that Bishop Samuel’s wife’s condition has turned for the worst. Jemina has been in CMC Vellore for the last  3 weeks to seek treatment for her Lupas condition. However her condition has worsened. Bishop Samuel has been terribly distraught and weeping relentlessly. Bishop Thomas and his wife Kala have been doing all they can to help them. I am told that all her organs have failed and that she is on life support machine. Jeya and I have known Sis Jemina since 2010. She is a powerful worship leader and has such a great passion for the Lord. Both she and her husband, Bishop Samuel, have made so many sacrifices for the kingdom. Jenima just cannot keep still. She is either in the kitchen cooking or speaking to the Bible School students and all of a sudden leads in worship. It’s always a joy to s...

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20  When faced with life's challenges, it is easy to think that for God to act powerfully in our lives, we need great faith. We might feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of our problems and wonder if our faith is large enough for God to work. In the Bible, we see remarkable miracles—such as mountains being moved, the sick healed, and broken lives restored—and we often believe that we need this kind of great faith to experience such wonders. But Jesus speaks a radical truth that turns our understanding upside down. In Matthew 17:20 , He tells us that even faith as small as a mustard seed is enough for God to do the impossible. What does this mean for us, and how does it change the way we approach our relationship with God? A mustard seed is minuscule—nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. And yet, Jesus declares tha...

  This evening I was at Abundant Life Family Church. It's always a joy to share the Word here. Senior Pastor Allan Ang is like a mentor to me and at his age, he is still active serving the Lord. He is a great inspiration. It was also good to meet Pst Lydia and her husband. Amazing people. I spoke on the topic "To live is to die". A very difficult and seems controversial  but this is the core of Christian Discipleship. Many were blessed and so was I. After the service had to rush to work for night service. It's always a joy to serviette Lord with likeminded people. 

Micah 6:8  - He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Moses gave 613 laws that governed the way the Children of Israel lived. It was too much to handle. Jewish scholars tell us that David reduced it to 11 (Psalms 15),Isaiah reduced it to six (Isaiah 33:15-16), and here Micah further reduces this to three. Of course Jesus eventually reduced it to two (Matthew 22:37-40). But I was intrigued by Micah’s profound summation of what the essence of humanity is, which our Lord eventually succinctly summarised.  Micah highlights three essentials, when subsumed in the crucible of humanity, will be yet the best resemblance of heaven on earth. Let’s unpack this further. In Micah 6:8, we find a remarkable condensation of godly character. The prophet Micah brings down the essence of God’s requirements to three things: acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. These simple...

Romans 1:5 -   "Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake."  In these words, Paul unveils a profound truth about our relationship with God—a truth that reveals not just our identity in Christ but our ultimate purpose. Our calling as believers is layered, each level deepening our connection to God and sharpening our purpose in His kingdom, ultimately bringing glory to His name. Our first calling is to belong to God, to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with Him. This isn’t merely an invitation to faith; it is an invitation to love, to be cherished by the Creator.  Once we belong, we move naturally into a call to holiness. Holiness means living in a way that reflects the character of God, setting ourselves apart as His people.  The third level in our calling is one that fills many hearts with excitement—the call to a specific vocation or ministry. Romans 1:5 reve...

The second calling Paul tells us here is that we are  called into holiness . Romans 1:7  -  To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: The importance of sanctification in a Christian’s life is often overshadowed by the emphasis in wanting to fulfil God’s purpose for our lives. Doing rather than being becomes the expected norm. We can be Christians for many years and still live a carnal life The theme of sanctification in the Christian life brings us to the profound truth that who we  are  is ultimately more significant than what we  do.  In a world that often measures worth by productivity and achievement, Christians may be tempted to emphasize outward success or ministry accomplishments over spiritual transformation. Yet, Scripture reveals that sanctification—the deep, internal process of being made holy—is foundational to a life truly aligned with God. Sanctification is the work of God within, setting believers apart a...

One of the doctrines that has divided Christendom, is the one on predestination. We are the children of God because God has chosen and called us (election), or we responded to the call and as a resulted we were chosen (free will). These two concepts are central to many theological debates, particularly between Calvinist (predestination-focused) and Arminian (free will-focused) traditions in Christianity. Each tradition tries to reconcile God’s sovereignty with human responsibility in different ways.  I must say that there are brilliant theologians on both sides of the divide. But let’s leave it to the big minds to debate and argue. I think we will only know the answer when we get to the other side. But whatever your persuasion on this subject may be, I am glad that this does not determine our salvation.   For this devotion, I want to consider the kind of calling that the Apostle Paul is talking about in Romans 1. As you would have read from the text, Paul begins this lett...