The testimony of Pastor Jashua ~

Dear Brothers and sisters, it is my privilege to share my testimony with you. I thank God for the opportunity to praise His name through my words.

My name is Pastor Joshua and I was born into a Hindu family in a small rural village in Andhra Pradesh, India. We worshiped animals and idols. We believed in many lives after death and being reborn in the form of animals after we faced death as a human being.

My parents moved to Vijayawada so that my father could sell fruit in the marketplace. When I was older, I started selling fruits as my father had always done. I traveled to many places on my bicycle selling fruit. I saw many churches but never liked their worship or their God. I believed in many gods who I believed were the only true gods.

I started to do very well in my own fruit business and earned good money. I never gave money to help the homeless children or anyone.  Many times I refused to help the helpless. I lived a selfish life. Until one day my family started having many problems; my elder sister lost the ability to use her legs. My business started suffering and I began to lose money. My wife’s family turned against me, my father became sick and was not able to work. Many problems surrounded me and I came to a point where I was helpless.

I began to visit my friends and ask them for help but no one helped me. I searched and searched and there was no help to be found. Everywere I went I came up emptyhanded. I lost my business and was not able to pay the many debts I owed.

I could not find peace anywhere. For eight months we struggled to live. We spent many days without food and medication for my sister. I realized I had made many mistakes since all I did was take care for myself and not others. I did not care for those suffering and now I was one of them. I felt sick in my heart and ashamed for how I had acted.

One day an old man came to my home and said that God had sent him to me. This man could hardly walk since he was so old. He came from his village to visit a church nearby our home. He said he heard about our situation and God told him to talk to us. He prayed for us and my sister’s health. He said I should dedicate my life to Christ. When he left I did not believe him but felt a brief desire to worship Christ. My family started to believe in Christ Jesus. They began to attend church. They asked me to visit but still I did not.

One day I went to Rajahmundry to meet up with some friends to get some money. Nearby his home there was a preacher talking about the love of Christ for mankind. I spent some time in that place… the preacher was Pastor Sunder Lal of Grace TotalLife Ministries.

I saw fire in his heart but could not understand since he was so young. I could not understand how a man so young could talk and seem to know everything. My friend and I spent a long while in this place to listen to the young pastor's words. He said that “God so loved the world that he gave His only son for us.” These words touched deep within my heart and I felt a Spirit leading me. I sat in a nearby chair and settled there until the meeting was finished. Pastor Lal was sharing the word of God to a group of almost 40 people.

When he finished preaching, I went up to him and asked him to pray for me. He told me I had sin which I had to give up and then proceeded to tell me God so loved me. At that moment I was dead to this world and born again in the Spirit.

That evening God spoke to me and told me to be baptized and accept Him as my personal savior. My Spirit was lifted high and I returned to my home with great happiness like never before! When I returned home and told my family about how I accepted Christ, they rejoiced and threw away all the family idols.

Now I started a new life in Christ. As I started to pray, I began to see God’s hand on my family. My sister was cured and now is healthy. My father became strong again and I started to sell fruit again. This time I was kind to my fellow brothers and sisters. I began to see the Lord working in our lives. In the year 2000 I received baptism in a local church.

Later on I saw Pastor Lal again and he told me that God wanted me to work for the lost souls. He gave me biblical training and I began to work for the Lord. Now I pastor two churches through Grace TotalLife Ministries.

Since Grace TotalLife Ministries has had so much growth, I will also be serving in two more churches. I am thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done.  He has brought me to a higher ground. He has used me to lift souls for His kingdom. I am a humble servant of God. Amen!