I was one among the experienced IT professionals (11 year) who have been laid off from the top IT Company during Dec 2015. I was not on the D band in appraisal rating (or) under performer (or) in bench (non billable), but with continuous C grade appraisal rating. Even though I deserved for B grade, manager didn’t rate it correctly due to internal problems.

I worked in that IT company for 4 years and I thought that I were in a safer place in IT industry to lead my life peacefully.  But the day before Christmas, I got an email from my employer that I was moved out of the project without any prior intimation. I felt that I was going to be laid off in a day or two because the company started the process of laying off. I had huge pressure in my mind and lot of questions in my heart, why  things were happening against me . Also, my bigger worry was about getting a new job with 11+ years of experience with the previous employer history who laid off huge professionals. Till i attended the Christmas morning church service, desperate sadness engulfed around me. But during the Church service, HE began to comfort me through HIS Grace.

 I began to feel that I was not an ordinary man, if Jesus was with me, amidst of this  situation. I have experienced so many, also this is the time that i should be strong enough to show the difference between being a man of knowing and trusting God  and being not knowing and trusting God .

“He that believeth shall not make haste” –  Isaiah 28:16.

Also,I believed that without HIS permission, no one will touch me. While coming out from church , i felt GOD is holding my right hand to cross over this tough situation (as every time he does)  On 26 Dec, my HR called me and gave the termination letter. With the complete hope and confidence according to the Biblical verse “nevertheless I am not ashamed:

For I know whom I have believed, – 2 Timothy 1:12”,  

Neither I spoke anything against nor showed any discomfort to them. But I said within myself that I would get minimum of 2 offer letters from other companies before I  submit my ID card to HR which was scheduled on Jan 2015 last week. In the 2015 New Year church service, pastor preached the new year promises with the word from Joshua.

 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9”

I realized that Christ  did not want  me not to settle down in a comfort zone. He is expecting me to do more things. I started updating my technical skills for the interview preparedness  and posted my resumes in the job portal. No positive sign from the first 3 interviews. Got motivated by the verse, “though our outward man perish, yet the inwardman is renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16″

I was looking to God to provide me job. During Jan 2015 second week, I got a call from 2 companies and I got offer with 20% hike. Next interesting part was, one of the new company gave me  the opportunity to shortlist few profiles and to interview the people for my new team (even before I join the company) This made to ponder upon this verse : “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worked in us –  Ephesians 3:20”

In Jan 2015, last week I surrendered my id card with by holding new company offer.  During this laid off period, I have under stood very clearly that that Jesus Christ  is the only person who cares for me and HE is the one who can guide me correctly. When I  shared my situation to my friends, they all tried to help me out from the situation. But JESUS is the one who helped me and delivered me from this dangerous situations.

Now I have set that  JESUS is my employer and I started thinking that i am working on a contract basis for a client. So I no need to worry about the client’s action here after. I have Jesus, as my CEO who knows both my strength and weakness and my career skills . I can trust Him till the end in all situations. Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Psalm 94 : 17 -19

---

An IT Professional working in an Indian MNC

Masakit na makita ko ang 3 kabaong na sunud-sunod sa aming sala at sinabi kong “Jesus, ikaw na ang bahala sa akin  ( Filipino)

I had a very normal and a very nice childhood.  My family was almost an ideal one. I can confidently say that I had a very good relationship with my parents, three brothers and a sister.  I considered myself blessed to have such good, loving and God-fearing parents.  To me, they were the most important people in my life, the most influential and I loved them the most. At an early age, I learned a lot from them through their simple gestures of kindness and humility towards others, no matter what your status and background is. I learned about God and that there is a loving God through their examples.

To a certain extent, I did love God but He was never the focus of my life. Like any other normal child, I was totally dependent on my parents. That was my life then – it was perfect, so blissful & secured because of my parents’ love for me.

But the love and dependence I had on them ended very abruptly and violently as I went through a series of trials and very painful tests that would have broken me deeply had I not hung on to the LORD for sustenance.

I was fifteen when my parents and brother were brutally murdered by our two houseboys.  My brother and father each sustained more than 12 stab wounds while my mother was hacked on the neck with a sharp instrument, a bolo knife. I was there but it was indeed a miracle that I was spared. I was just gagged, hogtied and harassed emotionally by my parents’ murderers. I was so close to death and even thought that that would be my end as they came to me and twice poked a gun at me – first one at the back of my head and second one on my temple. I said “Jesus, Ikaw na lang ang bahala sa’kin” ( Filipino translation : Jesus, from now on, You will take care of me).  But, mind-boggling as it were, they never pulled the trigger. I certainly had no idea where I got the courage and strength, which I displayed during that 5-hour ordeal I had with them, but I am very sure it wasn’t from me.  I knew it was God’s own guiding hands and loving protection that put a hedge between me and my parents’ killers.

Going through the aftermath of the massacre was another ordeal in itself. I couldn’t describe that deep pain in my heart when I saw three coffins lined up side by side in our house that used to ring with their laughter and music. Just seeing my loved ones lifeless was so unbearable. I felt hopeless as if the whole world was crushing on me.

I was so dependent on my parents that losing them was like having that connecting string suddenly cut off.  I never felt so alone, so lost and so lonely in my life. I used to pray that God would just take me to where my parents were. Oftentimes, I wished I wasn’t spared. My bedtime prayers consisted of lines like, “God, please don’t let me wake up anymore, let me just die in my sleep, so I could be with papa & mama.”

But every time these thoughts would overtake me, I would hear Him whispering gently to me, assuring me that I have to hold on to Him because He has great plans for me. As He promised in Hebrews 13:5, “Never would I leave you and never would I forsake you.”  I held on tight to that promise. And indeed, God came through for me.  He replaced the string, which attached me to my parents with another string, but this time attaching it to Him. And you know what God did, He never stopped loving me. He never gave up on me. His love pursued me. And finally, He won me over. Yes, the more I struggled with the thoughts about wanting to be with my parents, the more He re-focused my mind and my heart in wanting to love Him, instead.

I also became the star-witness of this much-celebrated case, my father once being the musical director of Pilita Corrales & Nora Aunor and the long judicial process of attending hearings wearied me. The only thing that sustained me was the thought that Jesus was always with me.

I really had this belief before that God would spare me from further sufferings after the tragedy. But I was wrong. There were family problems, sibling disputes over inheritance, separation from my brothers and sister, financial struggles, betrayal and broken-heartedness. I was even swindled many times not by people whom I have not known, but by my very own relatives whom I trusted.  Those were all painful events. But these all led me to understand His great love for me and to keep me ever so dependent on Him. Yes, there were struggles in my heart along the way too, and made me lose hope temporarily on Him. But God’s grace and kindness never allowed me to be hopeless for long because in every struggle I experienced I found myself down on my knees praying and relying on Him for strength. Those were even the times I felt closest to Him.

While that tragic incident suddenly left me orphaned, it was the time when God revealed Himself to me in a very special way. Because I was still a child yet at that time, in my own childlike way, I would run to God for everything I needed and without meaning to, I made Him my papa and mama. I remember telling Him, “Paano na ‘yan? Wala na sila papa and mama, pa’no na ‘ko?  Ikaw na lang ang bahala sa’kin”.  Little did I know that those simple words I uttered in a very childlike manner out of desperation and hopelessness was a simple act of sweet surrender to God. And God took it seriously. One thing is for sure, I bore the burden ALL because of GOD.

Now, as I recall these unusual and sad experiences to people, they would ask me, “Who took care of you?”  I’m always at a loss for words because I’m afraid they would not understand. Because to be honest, it was really God and no one else who took care of me and is still taking care of me. I still slip, oh yes, a lot of times but each time I’m down there at the pits, I feel the grip of God’s hand on mine.  I manage to go on with my life with a lot of prayers and with God’s love for me in my heart.  He continues to remind me of the time when I lost my parents, that I was quick to put my trust on Him. I am so grateful that I received Him in my heart, forever thankful for all that He has done in my life.  He has been my papa, my mama, best friend, my confidante, my refuge, my stronghold, my security, my hope, the reason for my living. His promises that I read in the Bible all have special meaning for me.  When I felt so lost and that my world was falling apart, I found hope in this verses, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” When I decided to choose God over anything and anybody, that is, for me the greatest choice I have ever made in my life.

My God has helped me rebuild the broken bits and pieces of my life. He allowed me to experience the worst so I could relish the best that He has to offer. I still do not and may not totally understand His ways. I just understand better now. He not only took away the people who mattered most to me then, but also everything I deemed important because He knows fully well that those would hinder me from loving Him the most. I should have been killed a long time ago but I was spared because I have yet then to experience the miracle and truth about His love.

I will be forever grateful to Jesus, my Lord and Savior for allowing me to experience His great love for me. When I allowed Him in my heart and in all areas of my life, to me, everything became simple. I need not worry at all because He carries me and has me on the palms of His hands.

I have this song for Him, a jazz song by David Pack which goes like this:  God I’ve been through / Some hard times before / Still I made it through the years / You know it’s true / Whatever lies in store / I’ve faced troubled times/ But I won’t look behind / ‘Coz God, when I think about Your love and what it means / I know that You are the answer / I keep coming back to You / Heal me one more time / I keep coming back to You / You’re the reason why / The reason I’ve got to keep this love alive.

It has been 31 years since I lost my parents yet it seems like yesterday. At 46 years old, I could say that I’m still very much a child at heart. My God has blessed me with so much more than I could ever imagine. He has given me a great family, my husband and my kids, who are my inspirations. I have a lot of things to look forward to and one of them is seeing my children spreading their wings, enjoying their independence and life to the fullest with God in it. With them beside me, holding my hand, I continue to look forward to God’s many miracles and I know I would forever be in awe of His wonders in my life.

2 Corinthians 12:10 says, “That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions and in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong”.   These very verses have touched me very meaningfully and you will see why, as I relate to you part of my life.

To You, our God and my Father, be the glory and honour forevermore!  Thank you.

---

This testimony is from Vivian,  who is working an executive in Corporate Strategic Planning department of reputed bank in Philippines.

By V.Chacko Jacob

Praise the Lord. It has been a while since I wrote something to glorify God. I thought this would be a right time to do so as I have just shifted back to Chennai from Pondicherry.

The time at Pondicherry has been a blessed ride & I just wanted to tell you how… The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16&17, “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works” .

Yeah! That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you all. In Pondicherry I definitely grew in my career as I held a position only next to the top management of my company but above all, I grew in the word of God. I was in a church blessed by a young & blessed teacher of the word of God. He is 27years old, Pas.Steve Asir, the pastor of Halluejah AG Church English congregation. Through him, I was blessed to do many programs that would be the envy of many bigger churches. We did rock concerts, seminars, conferences, workshops, large scale dramas; name it, “we did it all”, for Jesus in the 3 years that I was at Pondicherry. I was also blessed to substitute for Pas.Steve in a few places as a preacher of God’s word. I just repeated in my style what he preached in the morning sermon in the afternoon/evening services. I was so blessed by the word at Pondicherry that I am writing a personal book titled “The 100 sermons by Pas.Steve Asir that touched me”

I was not only encouraged by the word, the word also yielded fruit in my life. I undertook my first overseas mission trip to Sri Lanka from Pondicherry. In my work place, where I was employed for the first 2 years in Pondicherry (until suddenly retrenched), I have left a permanent mark. Most people say till today that “Chacko came & made this factory a much safer place to work in”. Praise God, that is what we need right? As a Christian in a Corporate, our deeds have to speak loud enough to match our faith & thus glorify God.

I had to continue in Pondicherry for one more year due to my son’s educational needs. I had no job but God miraculously opened avenues for me as a freelance trainer. Every month, God gave me whatever business that I needed to lead my life as a good witness for him. In every CCF prayer bridge, my brothers prayed for my career & God answered them & me faithfully. The month, in which I was shifting to Chennai, I had my best month, 21 days of training, enough money to enable a smooth shifting back to Chennai.

Now, that I am here…. Am I back for the better?  All I know is, God knows. As I write this article, I am being considered for the post of Director – Growth & Development in a secular forum called JCI (Junior Chamber International), which is an honour (even though it’s for one of the local chapters created for trainers). I attended 2 meetings & they are considering me for this position. What did they see in me in 2 meetings? God knows. As I write this article, I am also finalizing my next job with a training company in Chennai, that’s part of one of the leading industrial houses in India. I am getting an opportunity to build a business with the backing of a strong corporate house. Had I got this opportunity 3 years ago, it would have been great. But, God knows the right time to open the right door. Maybe He felt, I had to become stronger in the Word. Maybe He wanted me to have the experience of doing different type of programs before I got this opportunity. I don’t know, God knows.

I know, it is a tough ask at times to trust God when things are not going fine, but trust me; if things are working out good for me then so will it work out for you. Just keep your faith & trust in God.

My dear friends, I just want to conclude by saying that there are times in our lives when everything seems out of our control. Don’t worry… God is in control. Even if you don’t know what you are doing, He knows what He is doing with his child … and, everything He does is always for the better. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9, “ A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” . The Lord our God always directs our steps for the better, so that you may be lifted up & through your witness, He will be lifted up among all men. God Bless You.

Mighty Work of God
it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him – John 9:3

For long I have read psalms 91 but never have I tasted it so much as I have now. The Lord has blessed us (me and my wife) with a baby boy on Oct 27^th.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward. – Ps 127:3

If the labor had been normal, I will have no reason to testify the faithfulness of my Lord Jesus. However, I never wanted it to be normal, but supernatural so that I can testify and witness about His great faithfulness for He has said,

Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child. – Isa 66:7

This is our 2^nd child and having seen my wife during labor pains in with the 1^st child, I held on to Isa 66:7.

Leading in prayer

The labor and the nature of the birth were supernatural indeed, but not how I had prayer for. The day before the labor as I started to pray for my wife, the Lord urged me to pray for Israel. So I did. As I had prayed for about an hour for Israel, the Lord reminded me about the covenant that He made with Abraham in Gen 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you.”

Then, the next day as my wife was in labor room I was in prayer waiting eagerly outside. Then the Lord said, “Nothing is impossible with God” – Luke 1:37; and then He said, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad” – Matt 5:12. I did not understand at that time why the Lord had said these but I did as He said.

Tense situation

Then all of the sudden my wife was transferred from the labor room to the operation theater (OT). While they took her in the stretcher she said to me “Gone, gone!” because she heard the attending doctor say to another doctor that she cannot feel the pulse of the baby. As she was in the OT, I waited eagerly. One of the two senior doctors who performed the C-section came out and informed me that my wife was fine but said that the other doctor will inform me about the baby. Tense situation! But I was quite peaceful, for the Lord said “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27).

Then after few minutes the other doctor brought the baby out. It was a very pleasant experience as I saw him exactly the way the Lord had showed him to me in a dream. Then the baby was taken immediately to NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) because of the nature of his birth. While all these were going on I had very little knowledge about the same.

Cord Prolapsed

All I knew at that time was that my wife had a “cord prolapse.”  This is a very rare occurrence in labor. Statistics on cord prolapse vary, but the range is between 0.14% and 0.62% of all births, in most studies which is approximately 1 in 300 births. Why does this happen? There are many predicted reason but none has been conclusive so far. However, when it happens, oxygen and blood supplies to the fetus are diminished or cut-off and the baby must be delivered quickly. If attempts to deliver the baby promptly, fail, the fetus’ oxygen and blood supply are occluded and brain damage or death will occur.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy

In the natural, it is easy to blame the doctors or the hospital infrastructure or anything. But these things are not natural. It is not the will of God that people have “cord prolapse” for the scripture says in Isa 66:9 – “’Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I who cause delivery shut upthe womb?’ says your God.”

The night before the delivery, my dad had a dream from The Lord. He saw a thief trying to break in to our house but was pushed out of the door and the door shut before him. It is exactly as Jesus said in John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

This is our 2^nd child out of 3 pregnancies. During the time of my wife’s 1^st pregnancy, The Lord was directing me into spending time in prayer. But often I disobeyed. In the 2^nd month of the pregnancy my wife had a miscarriage. We were terribly broken in our hearts. But the Lord clearly told me that because of my disobedience He could not protect me when the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. One thing that I understood is that as much as the Lord loves me, the devil hates me and would like to kill me, if not for the Lord who is my refuge and my fortress and a shield and bulwark. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  (Eph 6:12)

The birth

But after everything was over, on the day my wife and baby were discharged from the hospital the doctor told us what had taken place. She said, “It was a stillbirth” and then she started to glorify God for He had raised the child from the dead.

The baby was born dead but came back to life after few minutes. The hospital kept him in NICU to see if he was normal or was there any brain damage. But after 4 days they returned the baby saying, “He is completely normal.”

How great is the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ for He has said,
“When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him” – Isa 59:19;
“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper” – Isa 54:17;
“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame” – Isa 54:4

Stillbirths’ Statistics

India has highest number of stillbirths, an average of 1,680 babies were born dead every day between 1995 and 2009 in India, says Lancet study.

Psalms 91:7 says, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.” I am very thankful to God for His promise and His faithfulness in keeping it to me but on the other hand I am also convinced that God does not want thousands and ten thousands to fall at the snares of the devil.

By Allyn Samuel

A walk with my Saviour and Redeemer ‘JESUS CHRIST’

Um passeio com o meu Salvador e Redentor “JESUS CRISTO”

I hail from a village in Tamilnadu. The Lord Jesus Christ saved me 23 years back. My mother was possessed by so many evil spirits used by grand father for his black magic works. We were discarded socially, financially and in all the other ways. My father left us, when we were very young. My mother was knocking the door of death with the three children. Day by day the evil spirit’s manifestations worsened and we were literally on the road. When everything and everybody left our life, the loving and living God Jesus Christ was/is present in our life.

My mother got divine deliverance from the devil spiritually and physically. We started our born again Christian life in a small hut. My mother admitted all of us (three children) in an orphanage organisation (CMS) where our physical, spiritual and educational requirements were met. We were blessed a lot by HIS immense grace. My father came back after 13 years. I completed my post graduation with the sponsorship of that orphanage hostel. Now all of us (myself and my two brothers) are well settled by HIS grace.

We gained back whatever we lost. So whatever I received from the Lord freely by HIS grace, I would like to give it back.

Without JESUS CHRIST everybody is an orphan, even though they have worldly parents;

But with JESUS CHRIST nobody is orphan, even though they don’t have worldly parents.

The same Lord Jesus Christ who is your creator and saviour, is very curious to bless U. HE said,” I am the Way and the Truth and the Life”-Jn 14:6