Journey to the True Living God….
My Transformation Story:
I was born and brought up in a Traditional Hindu family in Kerala which is a beautiful tourist spot; known as God’s own country, a southern state of India.
I accepted Christ Jesus as my Lord and savior in the year of 1996 through a particular incident took place at our home. While I was growing up, we were doing all the ritual and following the traditions of our former religion as a devoted family.
As I grown up as a High School boy, I found lot of problems and lack of peace in our family. We were under the dominion of darkness and evil spirits. We did not have any kind of peace in our life and wandered for getting well for many years.
Actually, my father was a demon possessed person as the result of witchcraft done by our relatives for capturing the property which was my father’s inheritance. My father’s cousin brothers did the witchcraft and made my father as a complete mad person with demonic possession. And he became so violent and used to attack others physically and trouble them. Evil Spirit spoke through his mouth. And we were surprised to know these demonic activities and became so afraid had faced difficult times and went through severe problems with no hope to live.
Our entire family was in distress due to my father. My relatives and family tried to do everything they knew to get rid of this controlling of evil spirits and demonic possession.
We did all the medical treatments by consulting Psychiatrists at the Medical college in Kottayam and also other kind of magic practices but nothing could work.
Every efforts was in vain without any result. Moreover, he became so violent again and again. At this stage, our family was broken very badly and we spend much money get cure of this problem.
Eventually, my mother said that there is only one way to get rid of this, unless and until my father die, there is no peace. My mother and others in our home lost all our hope, joy and peace.
My mother took a decision to commit suicide with me and my younger brother and she tried to jump from a bride to the river. Unfortunately she could not do it since some strangers came on this way and returned home without hope.
A couple of days later, some evangelists were roaming around and distributed tracts and were praying for people by house visitation. They came to our home also and shared about Jesus Christ and His goodness.
At the beginning, we did not listen to them and rejected them. Because, we were in great distress and we trusted upon all gods and goddess in our former Hindu religion and did all the pujas, rituals but nothing could save my father from demonic possession.
But, these evangelists were praying for us and started to visit us regularly and later on my grandmother and mother went to another city secretly for prayers. And they found that some kind of changes taking place in my father’s life and as the result of attending prayer meeting, some time, father came to conscience.
And many pastors and believers started to visit us and asked us to join with them in prayer and fasting. Only my mother started to join in prayer and we others in home did not want to attend the prayer meeting; thinking that there is no use of this all and no one can solve this problem.
However, as the result of fervent prayers and fasting for many days, God started to perform His Divine Miracle in my father’s life. In the year of 1996, during time of 21 days fasting prayer, demonic powers appeared in his physical body and evil spirits were cast out by the power of prayers and God’s Word.
Deliverance started slowly by slowly and after two years prayers and fasting resulted a complete healing and deliverance to my father by Our Living Lord Jesus Christ.
This was a great miracle to all of us in our home and we had to believe on Jesus Christ and we have seen that Jesus is Alive and delivered us. Because of this particular miracle by Jesus, myself and our entire family including my grandmother, father, mother and young brother believed on Jesus Christ and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior for the rest of our lives
On 26th January 1996, we all took water baptism and started our Christian life. Our lives were transformed by the power of God’s Word.
Thus I came to faith in Christ Jesus and surrendered my life to serve my Master Lord Jesus Christ.
Early Christian Life as a College Student:
Early Christian Life as a College Student:
I had amazing experiences as a new believer. God used to answer me each time when I used to request God’s help. God used to honor my small prayer requests which influenced me a lot to trust upon God at every time.
As a College student, I had a good ambition in life to study more and to become an Architect. So, I had taken mathematics as main subject in my college to become an engineer. Even though, I loved God like anything, but I despised the call of God in my life at the beginning.
I thought that after getting a good job, I can help in God’s ministry as I get time. But my God had a plan to use me to witness for Him by sharing our testimony about what God had done. I disobeyed God’s calling and used to do things that makes my pastor happy. I used to tell that, yes I will serve God, but deep inside of my heart, I was not willing to do God’s ministry and I wanted to study more.
I decided not to go for ministry now, instead keep on study to pursue to achieve my dream. A particular incident took place in my life while I was doing my final year college; a kind of sickness began to develop in my life. Whenever, I go to chemistry and Physics laboratory to do practical sessions, I used to have severe headaches and giddiness and used to fall down many times at the lab. I could not understand what was wrong. I was hospitalized and doctors could not find out the causes of this sickness.
On the sick bed in the home, God finally caught me. God send one pastor to me. He came and prayed and prophesied about the secret thinking which I kept in my heart without sharing to anyone. God reminded about His call and my unwillingness to obey His Plan. There, I surrender my life to God for His will. I said,” Lord I do not want to study secular, and I will study your WORD only to fulfill your Plan in my life” I got peace and joy and decided to go to Bible College.
Since, I have become a believer from a Hindu background, I got admission in Kerala Church of God Theological Seminary, Thiruvalla and they agreed to sponsor my studies and after completion of studies, send me to Philippians for higher studies. I became so happy and got admission there.
Unfortunately, when the seminary opened, they had water scarcity problem at their campus and thus they postponed the date of opening class to another week. I had to come back to home. I was really discouraged. I asked God many questions and then God gave me a vision, where I saw that, I am standing in the midst of people whose language and culture I do not know and saw plain areas and mountains.” I could not understand the meaning of it.
I consulted my vision to our pastors, they told me to pray and God will reveal the truth and meaning to you. Then I found out by the help of pastor’s prayers, that the vision I saw was about north India
I said, God, “If you really want me to use for you, please give me the power which you had given to Jesus. I need the power of Holy Spirit.” I took three days fasting prayer and asked God to grant me the power of Holy Spirit and its anointing. During the three days of fasting prayer, at the last day at the last session after preaching, people were worshipping the Lord, Suddenly I got a special experience where I felt that I am sitting in fire and started to worship the Lord by jumping on my knees and moving around the room by speaking in tongues. It was awesome experience for me. Then, I became happier and confirmed and totally gave my life for the ministry.
I did not know any Bible College in North India . I said, if you want me to go to North India, I will study in a Bible College in North India . And I got postal address of Doon Bible College , Dehra Dun
They gave me admission. I got calling letter and other details to join in DBC. And when the time came for moving to Dehra Dun
God talked to me through my spiritual mother that, “Go my son, I have anointed you more than your friends, and I will help you and provide all of your needs including people to support you… I am with you fear not…”
Also, God used to communicate to me very personally as I speak and worship in tongues. I had much confidence in God’s voice.
With that faith, I started to travel by train for the very first time in my life to North India . When I reached New Delhi, it was midnight 12 O’ clock. I did not know Hindi and so far no one came to the Railway station to pick me up and help me to get to Dehra Dun. I was discouraged and started to search for a person who came to pick me. I could not find any one came to pick me up at the railway station in New Delhi.
My pastor had sent a postal letter to one of his friend to come and pick me up from New Delhi railway station, and he did not come. Later I found out that he did not get the postal letter informing my arrival to New Delhi
But God helped me through one pastors wife who was working in as missionaries in, Haryana to help me. Her husband Pr. Isaac took me along with them and board train to Ambala. I stayed one day with them there in Raipur Rani at the church hall by praying for God’s help to get to Doon Bible College, Dehra Dun.
Next day, Pastor Isaac took me to Bus station and got ticket to Dehra Dun. After 9 hours of journey, I reached DBC, Dehra Dun
As a Bible Student at Doon Bible College, Dehra Dun.
My three years of study at DBC was full of tears due to many reasons.- I did not have sponsor to support me, did not know English to study well. Even I did not have good cloths to wear. Many weeks I did not had soaps, tooth pastes, Hair oils etc of my daily needs.
I struggled a lot. But I used pray to God every day after light off time (after 10.00Pm at our prayer room till 12 O clock in night and some time, I used to sleep in prayer room itself) I used to fast on every Friday and keep three day fasting prayer on the first week of every month on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I shed much tears in prayer.
After six months, God helped me in studies. I got first semester results; God gave me first rank in all examinations. I could not believe it. I started to cry thinking How God loves me.
I started to work in college after class hours under work scholarship scheme since I was not able to pay my fees. I did all kind of works. Cleaning & wiping, painting, drawing, typing, working in library etc without any complaints thinking all that I am doing these works for my Lord Jesus Christ.
My teachers at DBC were great encouragement to me and inspired me a lot.
It was in 1999, I met Rev. Saji Lukos at our college when he came there to conduct a leader’s seminar. It was a Saturday; Rev. Saji was speaking in the seminar. And that Saturday was an outing day for the students, it was not compulsory for students to attend this meeting. As we were returning back from market, my friend Robinson Lobo asked me, Anish let us go and see what is happening.
We both went inside the chapel just to see. And as we entered the chapel, Suddenly, Rev. Saji Lukos asked us to introduce ourselves. And we did introduce ourselves. And at the Lunch break, he called me by my name, Anish, Please come and see me after finishing this program at the evening. I did not understand anything.
I took two of my senior students and went to meet him. He asked about my testimony and asked me three questions.
First, question: who is sponsoring you?
My answer: God is my sponsor. He began to laugh at me. I felt bad.
Second: Who is paying your fees?
My answer: Jesus is going to pay my fees. Then again he started to laugh at me. I felt very bad and thought he is insulting me.
Third: okay. Then also how are you going pay your fees and what are your monthly fees.
My answer: I know God only will pay my fees and that are why I came here to study. He told me that He will pay my fees He was writing in his note book about me and finally he said that Anish, I am going to pay your fees. I did not believe on him, I thought he is joking at me… then he took me to the Principal’s apartment and met Rev. T. J Simon and told him that he is going to pay my fees. That was a miracle for my prayers where I Had given one week time to God to reveal the person God talked to me about the helper in Kerala before I board the train to Dehra Dun
And Rev. Saji Lukos sir helped me with one year fees. After he told that his Mission
On every month Saji Sir used to send me an email with encouragement and saying that he is praying for me. This really touched me and I am so thankful to me.
Even though, I felt that, I was humiliated and rejected by other friends in the college. And in my second year, I was selected as Students representative and assistant to Librarian.
My most of the time, I used to spend time in the Library by reading biographies of William Carey, David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor, George Muller, Sadhu Sunder Singh, Pandita Rama Bai and others. This gave me encouragement and inspiration to follow Christ at any cost.
Prior to graduation, God performed another miracle in my life. One of our professor who came from US as visiting teacher of Greek Language Dr. Edwin Pund took me to out for shopping and asked me to help him to buy shirts, pants and shoes for one poor student for his graduation. as we went to the market, Dr. Pund waited at outside of the Shop and I went inside to buy for other student. He told me to select two pair of shirts, pants and two pair of good black shoes. I bought things for that poor student. When we came out, he took the packets and one packet he gave to other brother and another pair he gave to my hand and said, Yesterday God asked me to buy these things for you. I was surprised at him and started to shed my tears there. I said to Dr. Edwin Pund about How God care for me even though I am a big Zero in the College compared to other friends.
He went back to US before our graduation and sent all money to clear all my pending fees to the college and Principal Rev. Jacob Chacko sir called me in his office and informed about this. I really thanked God for these miracles. And Principal gave me opportunity to share my testimony at the Graduation ceremony. I entered and stayed in DBC as Big Zero and God honored at the Graduation Ceremony as a Hero. Thank God. Now also I am a big ZERO...
After Graduation, I realized God’s call for the ministry and I submitted my life to work for God’s ministry. From 2002 May onwards, I began to Serve My Master Jesus Christ.
I faced lot of oppositions, challenges in the ministry. God helped me to continue the work till today. God protected me and our team from many threatening... He is guarding us…
There were so many ups and downs in the ministry and in my personal life. I had many sufferings and tears in the ministry. I see that God brought good leaders like Rev. Saji Lukos to mentor me and help me to grow in the ministry. I give my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to them also for their influence on me and being a mentor in every area of my life and ministry. THANKS TO YOU ALL. There are so many Godly Spirit filled Leaders behind me in teaching and equipping me to serve my Master Lord Jesus Today! Over the years I had privilege to learn form good teachers of God’s Word from different locations in various capacities of teaching, Preaching, Intercession, Counseling, Administration and Leadership.
Friends, I want to challenge you that our life is short to experience His Goodness and wonderful deeds. I found Jesus at my Teenage days, and I could trust on Him as the results of the personal experiences I had in my life. So, I would urge you that it is the perfect time to step forward to God, committing our lives and accepting the fact that we all are sinners and come short of the Glory of GOD, thus man is lost without Christ. At this young age, it is good if we can turn to God and willing to be available to Him by Tasting and seeing Him in and through our lives, our circumstances, and challenges we go through… I can assure you that as you trust on God and continue on hang on god by obeying Him, you would be able to experience Him more in your life that will lead you to find hope, joy, peace, redemption, deliverance, salvation and wholeness in your daily lives with God.
He is Lord of all and He is alive today. May the LORD God bless you as you decide and commit your life to be controlled by Him, willing to obey him at any cost as this important & crucial time of your young life.
With Thanks and Prayers, In His Service, Anish Krishnan
