Rembering Pastor Paul Koshy on his first anniversary.
Pastor Paul Koshy entered eternal rest on October last. Given below is his testimony, which, has and continues to be, a great inspiration to millions of Christian believers world wide.
I was born in the year 1936. Even when I was a small boy of seven years, I received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and used to speak in diverse tongues. At times, when mighty anointing would come upon me, I had been thrown from one place to another.
In 1943, Pastor Paul the founder of this Mission, invited my father and our family to Sri Lanka for doing the ministry there. We went to Tuticorin Faith Home and from there we went to Sri Lanka by a ship. During those days, the ordeals we experienced in Sri Lanka were not less. The deputy Chief Pastor was Pastor Alwin and Pastor Freddy, (Pastor Paul’s eldest son) was the third in order. The elder sister of Pastor Alwin Sis.Freeda and another sister Sis.Job were ministering there.
When I was a very small child, Pas.Paul only christened me and dedicated me. When I turned as a school going boy, I had good opportunity to learn Sinhalese, Tamil and English in the school run by our Mission. Later on, it was very useful for me to preach in Sinhalese and also to interpret for that language. Further, as a small boy, I had the opportunity of having close contact with the above three senior pastors and it gave me the privilege of observing the prayer life of all the three Pastors.
For all matters, they used to be on their knees in prayer the whole night to get the counsel of God and without getting a definite answer they would not stop their prayers. I learnt a lesson from this that God had given them a governing rod to manage the entire administration of our mission.I studied in the faith school run by our mission in Sri Lanka.
Workers were the teachers. Very often, I used to attend the school without any drink or meal. Due to starvation, I had fainted very often. In my studies also God was wonderfully leading me in the midst of multifarious works assigned to me at Faith Home apart from fasting and prayer time.Later on, God called me to do this glorious ministry. He began to speak to me through various ways.
In one vision, I saw myself on my knees praying in the midst of a fully-grown paddy field. I understood that the Lord expected from me a life of prayer for the millions of hungry souls perishing in this world without God.
Thus I entirely consecrated my life for the service of God as a full time servant. After being taken for the ministry, I had to do my ministry in a Buddhist village called Mathugamma. Before a faith home was opened in Mathugamma, I was staying in the faith home at Kaluthara. I used to visit souls residing in the area of Mathugamma by bicycle and would pray and be a great comfort for them. We had a believer here by name Master Andrew. He was a head master in a school there. After school, he would immediately join me for the gospel work and would not mind his tiredness due to school work. We both joined together and visited the surrounding Estates in the hilly areas till 11 o clock in the night and preach the gospel to all souls without discrimination of Caste or Religion. He used to give all his income to the faith home except the money needed for his necessities.
Later on, Bro. Andrew dedicated himself as a full time worker. He did the ministry sincerely and whole heartedly. Then he was sent abroad to do the ministry. This man of God who started the teaching profession with a name as Master Andrew was elevated as Pastor Andrew in God’s ministry before he entered glory finishing his race victoriously.I began my ministry in Kottayam centre in Kerala after I came from Sri Lanka to India on transfer.
Every day I used to wait in the presence of God for a long time before going out to do the ministry. As God fed Elijah with meat and bread through ravens, so also God fed us wonderfully in those days.As we passed our days in this gloomy situation I used to spend much time musing about the abundant grace of God and be filled with joy in His presence.
In one such circumstance when I was meditating I got a revelation and I brought it out in the form of a song which is now our Malayalam Hymn 144. I composed two stanzas of the song with its tune. At that time there was a convention to be held at Pudupalli, and our Chief Pastor Pas. A.C.Thomas was also present. I came to know that the servants of God as well as believers there had prayed for a new convention hymn but nothing had materialized. They informed about their anxiety to our Chief Pastor and when he called me and asked if I could help, I showed him the song that I had composed, and he was very much pleased. He summoned the singing group and before them asked me to sing.
Pastor A.C.Thomas added further two stanzas in my song and thus a good hymn was composed and it has found a place in our Malayalam Hymn book no.144.“Gnann ninne thyanikkumpol – nathaNin kruba orthidumpol…”
In 1963, I had come to the convention of Palayamcotai. Pastor Bobby also had come to the convention. He used to play accordion during those days. I used to sing songs. As I was filled with unshakeable faith on God I composed a song in Tamil based on faith and that is the Hymn No. 275 in our Tamil Hymn Book.Seeyonile yen thida asthibaram krishtuvae…
From 1963 till 1970, I used to sing songs recorded as convention hymns. Pastor Bobby would play the accordion and one Madurai believer Bro.Victor used to play the guitar. Before starting to sing, I used to pray well, and our Pas.Freddy and Pas.A.C.Thomas would come and pray to inaugurate the recording program. Recording of songs would start only by 4 o clock in the morning. In as much as we gave prominence for prayer, we never faced any problem while recording songs.
I have never faltered in singing and the recording was done in the first attempt itself. Hymns recorded in such a manner have created a great inspiration in the minds of those who heard it and moved many.
The following are the hymns still indelible in my memory:
1.Seeyonile yen thida asthibaram krishtuvae…
2.Paareer gethsamane…
3.Antho kalvaariyil…
4.vaasalandai ninru aasayaai thattum…
5.balipeedathil ennai parane…
6.Naetrum indrendrumae….
7.Yesu kiristhuvin namamithae…
8.marida em maa nesarae….
9.aaga enna inbam…
From Kerala, I was for a brief period in Calcutta, and then recalled to Ernakulam to assist Centre Pastor Writer John who had met with a bus accident.
One day while we were traveling in the car of Pas.T.G.Varghese, hear a bridge we saw on both sides of the road flooded with water as that of water stagnated in Salt Pans and we knew that it was not a worthy place to construct a building for worship. But I remained in the car, stretched forth my right hand toward that spot and said jovially, “This is the land for our Ernakulam faith home.” I never thought even in my dream that God would honour my saying. HE did a wonderful work here.
A believer of Madras was inspired by God to buy that land for us within a month and give it to us freely which he had purchased at a nominal price. All Glory to God.Then I was transferred to Bilai in Madhya Pradesh. When I went there, I faced difficulty because I did not know the language of Hindi. Whenever I went for shopping, I used to know the name of the article and its measurement in Hindi and would buy it. But I could not forget the love and affection shown by the people towards me which encouraged me very much.
In Bilai, I had a vision. God showed me that I was ministering in Nagaland among people of diverse languages. According to the vision,I was transferred to Nagaland within four months. There were many terrorist organizations due to political reasons in that state. One day I had an opportunity to meet a terrorist. I explained about the supreme love of Christ and of His forgiving nature, and when I said no murderers or workers of iniquity would enter the kingdom of God, his heart was broken and with deep conviction he accepted Jesus as his saviour. His entire family got saved.
At this time, the devil tried to destroy me with paralytic strokes almost 23 times repeatedly night and day at unexpected moments damaging many parts of my body. During those days, Pastor S.B.Earnest used to phone up and comfort me with his own experience, sometimes even at midnight.Afterwards I was transferred to Trichy in Tamil Nadu and I served there for 41/2 years. We erected a pucca center faith home there and started many branches. Then I was transferred to Palayamcottai. some discord among believers there was settled amicably after drastic disciplinary action.
Then, I was transferred to Madurai. We were able to raise many new workers at an average of 20 workers per year. Soon, God enabled me to open 15 new faith homes.I can quite confidently and assuredly say that it is no longer I but only the Lord working in and through me.
This far, He has not met me down but has been faithful to me since He has chosen me from my mother’s womb. I can say together with St.Paul that, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Pastor Paul Koshy, went to be with our Lord last month at Madurai Center Faith Home(in October 2006). His life and ministry are a living witness to each and everyone of us.
With the International Youth Camp round the corner, given below is excerpts from a Sunday Service by Pastor Manase focussing on the youth.
