Friday, 22 August 2008

Biography of late Rev. M.O. Koshy - Divine Power Shatters the chains of the powers of darknes

Father M.O. Koshy & Wife Aleyamma Koshy

IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR APPACHEN

Rev. M.O. KOSHY

This is a translation of the few incidents on Appachen’s healing ministry taken from his personal Diary and compiled into a book in 1981 by his eldest son M.K. Oommen with which now few extracts added from letters written to one of his daughters in 1961.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel “I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go on that you had heeded My commandment then your peace should have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”

Isaiah 48:17

“Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Mathew 10:19

From;

Rev. M.O. Koshy’s Personal Dairy



Translated by,

Mrs. Saramma Thomas


And extracts from letters Written to his daughter


Among Appachen’s children and grand children quite a good many are actively involved in His ministry, some as evangelists, counselors and a few as pastors and Priests in their home town, in big cities as well as in remote regions meeting the burdened and the heavy laden among the rich and the poor and thus telling the untold to the ignorant and the illiterate alike.

To name a few among those who serve the Lord as Evangelists in their home-towns and workplaces - are Dr. M.O Kurien, Mrs. Mariamma Thomas’s grand son-in-law, Rev. Daniel George (Sunny).

Mr. Jacob Mathew as Director Academy of Human potentials Ahmedabad, Rev. Koshy Mathew as priest of the Anglican Church in Chicago, and his son Rev. Ranjit Koshy Mathew, Ruth Mattam as Administrative Secretary of The Trinity Western Theological University Canada and Shimona Thomas with her husband Rev. Santosh Thomas in the most sensitive area in Jammu & Kashmir.

I have taken the initiative to do this work immediately as I had a phone call from my younger sister Accamma who is stationed in Bangalore with her husband George Jacob.

Accamma’s son Rejive Jacob George, who have been serving the Lord’s active members of Karnataka Mission Board, of the Marthoma Church and also as prayer warriors standing in the gap interceding for many who are in need, has very recently emigrated with his family to Canada after being in the Middle East for a number of years. Now he is the Pastor and I.T Manager of a very large Evangelical Church consisting of 5000 members has started a Deliverance Ministry as there were quite a number who approached them for prayer with their varied problems. So this small group formed now spends days in fasting and prayers for those who are in need.

At one such meeting Regive made a reference in his testimony about Rev. M.O. Koshy a Priest who lived long back in Kerala who had a special anointment from the Lord in casting out demons and other powers of darkness and that he is the grand son of that Man of God. Hearing this everyone got so excited that they asked details about the life and healing ministry of his grand-Father. So he contacted his mother in Bangalore who in turn has asked me if I could take up this work to which I agreed and here am at it.

Now as I venture to do this, I pray with the psalmist, which Appachen used to quote often in his letter to me in his old age, “O God you have taught me from my youth and to this day I declare your wondrous works.”

Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God do not forsake me until I declare your strength to this generation your power to every one who is to come.” ~~Amen.
Psalm 71: 17 & 18.


Rev. M.O Koshy’s
From Appachen’s Dairy


BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
I was born and brought up in an ancient Christian family in Kerala. My parents who were God fearing had a great role in moulding and shaping my life on the whole. My mother was the only child of her parents who lost her father at the age of 2 was brought up by her widowed mother. An anxious grand mother got her daughter married at the age of 12 to a boy, well brought up from an equally prestigious God fearing family as my mother’s. As years passed by my grand mother looked forward to having a grand child but in vain. It looked as though my mother’s womb was closed, while prayers were going up to that (went to the that) seat of mercy and after 8 years of long waiting my mother and grand mother fasted and prayed for one year at the end of which God had answered their prayers My mother conceived and gave birth to a son. Thus I was born as the eldest son of Ooramvelil Chacko Oommen Edathuva and Moolamanil Mariamma Karakkal on the 7th of Kumbha Masom in the year 1072 of the Malayalam Era. As my mother was the only child of her parents my father was adopted as the son and heir to my mother’s family and thus settled down at Moolamannil Karakkal. And the child “grew in stature and in favour with God and man. My mother again conceived and bore 3 sons and 2 daughters.

At that time we were members of the Orthodox Church. A month after my birth I was baptized and dedicated to the Church in our parish and all rites and formalities performed according to rules of the Church. At the age of 6 on one occasion when the Bishop of our Church visited our parish, I was also taken along with my parents to see the Bishop and get his blessings. Seeing me, Bishop was quite interested asked several questions and tested my intelligence making me read the Bible. I read the Bible so well that the Bishop tried to teach me Cyriac, a language used only in the liturgy of the Church by the priest alone at that time, which within a short time I did splendidly well. Now the Bishop seeing my keen interest in studies and in spiritual matters, later suggested to my parents that I may be ordained for and set apart for the Church ministry for life time. But for some reason or other my parents refused to concede to this offer.
Psalm 76:11

“Make vows to the Lord and pay then.”

Ecl 5: 4 & 5 “Pay what you have vowed”

AS A STUDENT
At such an young age as I was found to be good at studies, my parents wanted to send me for higher studies and get fame and renown rather than get me tied down in the ministry of the Church. So by the time I was 12, my grand mother paid an amount that was due to the Church to get me out of the vow they had taken when I was baptized according to usual practice in the Church those days. This definitely had grieved the Holy Spirit. The word of God says “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Eph 4:30 “Make vows to the Lord and pay them.” Psalm 76:11

Years later our Lord through His angels had informed me about this how our Lord was hurt and grieved over what my grand mother had done when she reached her Heavenly home and questioned her about how she could depart from the faith and take away her grand son dedicated and committed to Him to His ministry.

As I grew up, I knew my way of life had changed getting into bad habits, going my own way according to my own whims and fancies. Being a teen-ager I got entangled in all sorts of vices with no control over my self ‘a small boat without a rudder.’

I continued in my sinful ways descending into spiritual indifference and rebellion grieving my Lord till I was 19. By now I was in the final year of my High school classes. Strange enough I proved to be good at my studies and passed the final exam with high marks so I got admission for Intermediate course in the Madras Christian College a prestigious one of the Madras University. Meanwhile there was a marriage proposal for me and I got married to a girl, Elizabeth from an orthodox Christian family at Marelikara who was the daughter of A G John, a High school Headmaster. While in college all my interests were in sports and games and other activities neglecting my studies. With the result I failed in the Intermediate course. This had turned out to be a critical juncture of my life and not knowing what to do and wither to turn. Now my parents directed me to go for Law for which I got admission in the Law College, Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.

I joined the Law College and started my studies in Law in right earnest and was very studious about it too. All these years while doing Law though I had gone astray from the Lord there was a constant urge within me to read the Bible. So at the end of my Final year of Law I bought a Bible from the I.M.S book shop Trivandrum and started reading it. The more I read, more and more I wanted to read and I found it as a weapon as an axe that ploughed me from head to foot- Yes I know the word of God is power, it is power, it soothers, comforts and strengthens and it covers all our sorrows and pains. I have experienced this.

CONVERSION
The ‘word’ has turned me upside down, broke me and made me and did a round about turn in my life - I started reading it several times over and again. Yes it is the word of God which did the miracle in my life and a New Man arose. At the same time I was feeling guilty that I was not doing the right thing by neglecting my studies as my parents were spending quite a big amount for my studies. So now with huge volumes of Law for me to chew upon on one side and the ‘Word of God’ on the other side there was a dual, a fiery battle going on within me. It was indeed a time of warfare within me and it turned out to be a real battle ground. Eventually I prayed in the Holy Spirit that I should fail in the final exams while studying hard to do justice to my parents. Finally when the results came, I did fail. Now I pacified my parents saying that out of the total number of 48 candidates for the final exam only 13 have passed and that I can appear for the exam again privately. This made me stay at home for some months together which enabled me to attend to more spiritual matters which has brought in drastic changes in my life.

Now this has been a period when several Revival meetings were held in different parts of our land where powerful men of God spoke changing the lives of many. By this time we as a family had become the members of the Marthoma Church with the Open Bible as its base. All these days the word of God was making a thorough cleaning of my whole being and I started preaching the Word in several places both in and outside the Church. Now I knew I could not fulfill my parent’s aspirations and longings to make me a lawyer.

Finally after several days of inward fight within me, for a final decision I happened to attend a prayer meeting held in our parish Church where the main message was on “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.”

The message had such an impact on me that I after a final battle, surrendered myself completely to the Lord I bade a final good bye to law and fully submitted my whole being to the Lord.

This crucial decision I had taken were unknown to my parents even though they had taken notice of the changes in my life. Before long I was appointed as a teacher in the Seminary School of the Marthoma Church Kottayam. So I accepted the post as a teacher at the same time actively taking part in the evangelical activities of the Church in the mission field conducting tours and outdoor meetings and thus reach the unreached in the interior and coastal regions of Kerala.

CALL FOR PRIESTHOOD
After three years of teaching in the seminary school I was sent to Trivandrum by the Church for the two years teacher’s training course. During my training period at Trivandrum my free days and free time were spent in the mission field as I was always convinced that the word of God could not be confined between the two cover pages of a book neither within in the four walls of a Church- I knew that the gospel transcends all barriers and boundaries. So during my Teacher’s training period I did what I could do in the mission field going into the remote regions of Kerala telling the good News to the ignorant and the illiterate. After a successful completion of my training period I came home for my holidays after which I rejoined the school at Kottayam. This time I settled at Kottayam with my family. One day while teaching in the class I received a letter from the Headquarters of the Marthoma Church asking my consent to be a minister of the Church as the Church “now feels that I am an eligible candidate for priesthood.”

This ‘Call’ had brought another tug, a great struggle within me. I had definitely surrendered myself to the Lord’s ministry but to be a priest was something I never thought of. This has brought a great conflict within me as I realized my unworthiness for such a holy state. So I fasted, prayed and unburdened myself before the Lord, shared with Him all my fears anxieties, woes and worries and finally surrendered myself for ‘His will to be done in me. From that time onwards I was filled with a peace that could not be explained. By this time a reminder letter had come from the HQ of the Church to know my decision. Before I gave my final approval I informed my parents regarding my call from the Lord for priesthood and my decision to accept the same to which they gave their wholehearted consent and blessings.

Now after responding to God’s call for priesthood, I spent much time in communion with the Lord waiting, listening His voice for the Master’s plan. Before my ordination, I fasted and prayed for 50 days and on the appointed day I was ordained as Deacon, two years later as priest of the Marthoma Church in 1095 of the Malayalam era.

AS A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH
Soon after, I was appointed as the Vicar of three parishes in a country side area called Thalavady and also as a Teacher of the English Middle School of the Church in that area. As these parishes did not have a parsonage I lived with my family in a house the owner of which was a way on government service. This was quite a convenient, big house and I lived there for 10 years doing my ministry.

All these days I continued my fasting and prayers along with the tight schedule in attending to parish work and teaching in the school. When I got tired and exhausted I was strengthened, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Meanwhile the Church finding the work too heavy for me appointed a Deacon and an evangelist to assist me in my work, which ofcourse proved to be a great relief at that time.

HEALING MINISTRY
My ministry in the parishes brought several people both men and women for prayer and I felt that I need a lot of grace to deal with each one of them. So I spent more time in communion with the Lord, that those who came experienced that ‘healing touch’ in body mind and spirit. From then onwards I knew and felt that I have the anointment from above for this healing ministry. Those with evil spirit were rebuked and cast out in the name of Jesus and many mentally deranged ones also healed. Mt 17: 20 If you have faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain “move from here to there” and it will remove and nothing will be impossible for you “However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Among those who came to me for prayers there were a good number who suffered from physical ailments and those who were possessed by evil spirit. When I lay my hands on them praying, those with evil spirit usually, fall on the floor unconscious, speak loudly, scream some convulse badly, shake, making violent movements. When I ask who they are they will tell their name, quite strange names. After prayers they will be commanded to go out of that body and they will leave. But in several cases they will be obstinate, screaming wild challenging, say we cannot go as we are tied down by sorcery. When I enquire about it to the relatives they will confess about their ignorance in taking the person to sorcerers to do witch craft to control them. In such cases more and more prayers and fasting were the only remedy, spending days together on my knees, to get complete healing and get them back as normal persons.

I remember from a certain young woman nearly 200 and a man with 300 evil spirits were cast out and made whole. There was another woman with 12000 evil spirits in her who were all cast out and made whole by our Lord’s grace and His real presence. It was indeed a case of tough and hard fight for day and night for 8 months in prayers and long fasting against powers, against principalities against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts if wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12. Yes it was as a result of this incessant prayer while fasting for 8 months together that this woman got her healing which made her a wholesome person. In this combat with the devil and his army I did not get much co-operation and support from my fellow–workers in the ministry.

Instead I had to hear from a few that the devil was making a fool of me and I am a play thing in the devils hands. This of course had wounded and hurt me very badly.

But my answer to them was that those who were healed at His hands and had gone back home were the living witnesses of their healing they had experienced in their whole body.

John 9:25 “One thing I know I was blind and now I see.”

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6: 12

In my struggle with those evil spirits and demons in human body, our Lord has taught me that in this fierce spiritual combat “with demoniac powers” that no human effort no muscle power however strong it may be can do anything or prevail over them, except through the nail pierced out stretched Mighty hands of our Lord and His Heavenly hosts.

This ofcourse had humbled me all the more to spend more and more time on my knees in communion with my Lord without food or water.

I continued my ministry in the Church and teaching in the school which left me with no rest at all. When there were requests for prayers I had to visit those homes after school hours and pray for the sick and the needy.

On one such occasion there was a request from a parish member to pray for their servant woman by name Aleya who was brought there for kitchen work from a near by place.

Here, it is good to know a little bit about Aleya and her background.

Aleya was a middle aged woman who lost her husband belonged to a very poor family. So to earn her livelihood, she used to work in different homes. Now that she is brought to this new place, she could stay there and work for that family. Aleya even though illiterate, ignorant and poverty, stricken was quite simple and chaste. While working in her native place in different houses once a Hindu neighbour tried to allure her to immoral ways to which she did not give in. So to bring her under his sway he gave her a pan to chew in which sorcery was done by one who practiced witch-craft. People in those days used to chew pan and spit it and Aleya also had that habit of chewing the pan. So when the pan was offered to her by that Hindu she accepted it innocently, but instead of spitting it she chewed and gulped it down. Since then she had a very strange passion for tobacco, which if she sees will voraciously eat any amount and gulp it down. As days passed by, her behaviour changed. So her people took her to sorcerers who practiced witch-craft and thereby she became abnormal and unsteady in her talk and behaviour most of the time. With the result Aleya was taken to the abode of a demon spirit-worshipping centre where she was dedicated to this fierce demon who controlled since then.

Those days it was very well known that this demon spirit lived as a human being and was a priest who learnt sorcery from the under world through black magic and had practiced it on several people showing tricky miracles. Even after he was dead and gone his devilish power prevailed and many had gone after this spirit to please him and to escape from its torture.

Aleya also now being taken to this fierce demon-spirit worshipping centre, and dedicated, to him was now under the spell of this powerful demon.

It was at this stage Aleya was brought to this house of my parish member for kitchen work.

Her uncanny behaviour puzzled the family very much, like murmuring, talking to herself, dogs barking around her room while sleeping etc brought her to me for prayer.

So after school time I used to go over to their house and pray for her. From the beginning as I prayed for her I knew she was troubled by evil-spirits. After a few days I asked them to send Aleya over to my house to stay with us in fasting and prayer. So now Aleya stayed in my house where she spent time in fasting and prayer. My wife watched over her and took care of her. She was given meals once a day and water to drink blessed after prayer. I spent my time on my knees interceding for the souls entrusted with me especially for Aleya. Now quite a number of evil spirits in different names appeared and they were all cast out in the precious name of our Lord. Some of these spirits when appeared would bawl, scream and convulse violently hurting her. At such times over and again I was reminded Mk. 9:29 that “this kind can come out by nothing but by prayers and fasting.”

When the evil spirit takes hold of her she will scream, shriek, shouting claim themselves as very powerful beings.

These wild demonstrations of the demoniac forces always left me on my knees humbler before the Lord.

STRUGGLE AGAINST DEMONIAC POWERS AND ANGELS MINISTRY
“The effective fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.”

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for 3 years and six months. And he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
James 5: 16-18

When prayers were going up to that seat of mercy for Aleya many evil-spirits appeared continuously for several days and they were all cast out in the name of Jesus. It was also found that when certain evil spirit attack her they will be so powerful argue and use violence hurting herself.

God stretches our patience to enlarge our souls and seldom do we realize this, and our distrust in His faithfulness often plunges us headlong on our onward march.

Even though I continued my vigil in fasting and prayer for Aleya and our Lord’s assurance and His presence felt everywhere. Seeing the hundreds of evil spirits that continued to haunt her were cast out as they appeared, yet I got, totally puzzled and completely dejected at times. This was also a time when I was discouraged by the comments of some of my own people in the ministry that I am a playing in the hands of the devil.

It was also just at this time an evangelist who was with me shared that the cause if these hundreds of evil spirits in Aleya must be due to the ‘pan covered in sorcery’ given to her by her own people must be remaining in her bowels undigested even now. He also suggested that such cases are treated by certain country physicians who administers herbal medicines and make them vomit the whole poison out and that he knows such a physician who lived in the near by village. Little did I realize that I was, then interfering with God’s plan in my faith life.

So the physician was contacted, who came home and given the medicines to Aleya. It was with much persuasion that Aleya was made to drink the medicine as it was awfully distasteful, part of which she vomited too.

I found nothing doubtful about this man and was told that he belongs to good Christian family.

In the evening when I prayed for Aleya the evil spirits bawled out that they came from the medicines given to her, but when I continued my prayers I heard the Lord’s voice asking me “In the place of Living Waters form the Fountain of Life who asked you to give her waters of witchcraft and sorcery?”

I was completely startled and dumb - found. Then only I realized the depth of the trap in which I had fallen. I was full of remorse that I had gone after the world and departed from my faith and wounded my Lord’s heart.

With a deep sense of remorse sorrow and a heavy heart I got in to my room, fell flat on the floor, tears swelling my eyes and nose, I remained there at the Master’s feet without food or water for three days at the end of which I heard His reassuring voice saying, Beloved servant of the Lord; “You are forgiven”. And I did experience our Lord’s awesome presence as both convicting and comforting. Thus reassured and reinstated I got up and continued my routine schedule.

Now by this time I was told that this physician was a dupe, a sheep in wolf’s clothing, an exorcist who practiced sorcery to all who had gone to him for treatment.

Now that as I too came to know about him he wanted to show his power all the more in this, so he sent seven very fierce fiends to torture Aleya through the air.

On the next day these fiends made their appearance and shouted that they are sent through the air. At this I could bear no longer and in my agony I prayed from the depth of my heart. Lord crush him, Do away with this man. Let him not live any longer. Do away with him.

After a little while I was calm and I knew I ought not have prayed like that. So, I prayed earnestly for his repentance and transformation since then.

Three months exactly after this incident I was informed by the Lord saying that the one who raised his arms against you has fallen and is in sick bed. When I enquired about this I was told that while he tried to pacify his two sons who were fighting over some domestic issue was bitten by one on his hands from where it started festering eventually leading to his death.

On his death, that evening while I was praying for Aleya, there appeared an evil spirit with a strange mournful cry, Cry of a tormented spirit begging forgiveness repeatedly saying forgive , forgive, forgive adding whatever I have done against you has turned against me in all its fury.

Hearing these confessions I was a bit confused when the angel explained the whole scene - that on the death of this country physician seven devils caught hold of his spirit and dragged him along while 14 angels wrestled against them and brought his spirit over here to make him confess all what he had done against this man of God and to ask for his pardon, Who has been praying for his ‘Return’ and who was grieved over him.

Now after the angels spoke the spirit of the physician continued his wailing confession that he has done many evil deeds, ruined many families, and destroyed a number of innocent lives, also deceiving people by his pleasing external behavior when his inside was all corruption and wickedness.

The evil spirit continued “that when I was in sick bed an angel appeared to me in a dream asking me to repent and to ask for forgiveness to the man of God whom you have hurt much even through he was praying for me all the while, for my repentance. But my friends and comrades would not let me do that. All these days I never known peace, there was no peace in my family, there was always feud and struggles between each other”.

When the spirit was narrating it was lamenting pleading to pray for him which it did thrice repeatedly - begging to pray for him thrice.

To this the angel replied that prayers for you now will never reach Heaven as “Our God is not a God of the dead ones but of the living. The angel also added that one’s life time is the time for salvation and redemption and not after ones death”.

With these reply from the angels and the mournful narration of the evil spirit stopped. And the evil spirit of the country physician was taken away by the angels to be chained for eternal damnation and hell for ever.

This event had taught me that postponement and delays from above are reasons to pray, rather than grow anxious, impatient, disheartened or annoyed. They are opportunities for God to build those imperishable and hard-to-acquire qualities of humility patience, serenity and strength. And he never says wait a while unless he is planning to do something miraculous in our situation. Yes He waits to be gracious.

After this painful heart breaking incident in my Faith Life, when ever I found the load too heavy and exhausting with the daily schedule of teaching, parish work and continuous vigil in fasting and prayers for weeks and months together our Lord Himself had come down with His presence and sent His angels to assist me in this healing ministry.

Heb. 1:14

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent” for to minister for those who will inherit salvation”.

So now when certain fierce spirits appear in Aleya they will argue and challenge saying we cannot go as we are tied to this body by witchcraft and sorcery. I bind their hands together with the sign of the cross pray and leave her there. After being bound like that they will not move however much they try to wriggle and get their hands out of that state. They will remain in that state for hours together and sometimes soon after this binding, they will scream, bawling out. We will go away, we will go away, we are tormented, tormented, send us away. Now why do you cry? Now how do you agree to go away! The answer will be the angels are tormenting us. We have heard about angels but we have never known that they come here and do such miracles. Finally they will be cast out. They will be made to repeat and swear in the name of Jesus and the five wounds of our Master that they will never enter that body or any other body here-after. It was found that these evil spirits can never act or break the vow taken against this statement of ‘Truth’ made on the five wounds of Jesus. Praise the Lord.

My constant communion with the Lord made me very sensitive to His voice and I started receiving getting an unlimited portion of His grace. So now it was indeed a comfort and strength for a person like me to experience the presence and assistance of the Heavenly guards in this healing ministry.

Apart from the assistance of the angels in casting out demons these angels appeared through Aleya gave Heavens messages of love, peace and joy and direction to go a head bravely in my onward march. After my prayers Aleya will be at times in a semi-conscious state when angels speak, through her. They speak in our language in a soft clear, melodious soft ringing voice and these were messages of comfort and strength and encouragement. When powerful angel came, as there are different sets of angels like cherubim and seraphs and archangels their voice will be different. When the angels speak through Aleya her lips will not move but can see a movement in her throat and the voice comes from her throat only.

Now with the presence of the Lord felt everywhere and in His strength the spiritual warfare continued against the powers if darkness, but the devil in all his fury harassed Aleya to the extent to put an end to her life. In this context there are a few incidents worth-mentioning of His providence and His faithfulness revealed against those wiles of the enemy.

During daytime Aleya remained in her room in fasting and fasting and prayer. While I was at school and children also being away attending their classes my wife always had an eye on Aleya even though she was busy with her house-hold chores. But it was found that Aleya would change all on a sudden from her normal state to a very fiendish person with a wild behaviour. She would run out of her room and lift up with one hand any heavy tool kept inside just like a feather and challenge everyone like a wrestler. On such occasions my wife would deal with her, knowing that she is under a powerful demon and Aleya would calm down slowly.

Now by this time different types of evil spirits with various names appeared in Aleya had been cast out in the precious name of our Lord and saviour.

I had already mentioned that how Aleya was taken to an exorcist by her people at home and how her whole self was dedicated to a very powerful demon spirit who controlled her thereafter. This powerful demon now started his crafty demonstrations through Aleya which puzzled and frightened us to a certain extent at times.

“How can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the string man.” Mt. 12:29

RESISTING THE DEVIL THAT PROWLS LIKE A ROARING LION WITH HIS WEAPONS OF WAR

It is worth-narrating a few of the incidents that had happened especially a few, where he had made an attempts on her life.

One afternoon our servant woman was pounding the rice in a Morton- a cup shaped stone container used in those days to crush or grind substances like rice or wheat with a pestle a heavy long tool with a rounded end used for crushing. Electricity was not available in those days so there were no electrical machines or gadgets.

My wife seated on a low stool with our youngest daughter in her lap was sieving the crushed rice. After some time Aleya came out of her room who looked very normal asked my wife permission to join the servant to pound the rice.

My wife said, Aleya, since you are fasting you can not do it as this is a tiring job. But Aleya was found all earnest and sincere about it that my wife allowed her to join the servant woman pounding. So now they did it together with the regular rhythm while pounding and my wife continued sieving it looking down. After a while the echo of the rhythm of only one pestle was heard. So my wife suddenly looked up and found Aleya standing a little apart with both her hands and eyes half-raised looking up all be-wildered and the pestle with which she was pounding remaining in the air vertically. Now the servant woman also seeing this strange sight shouted Kochamma now the pestle will fall on your head as it was above my wife’s head. Immediately my wife stood up and took the pestle from the air.

This was one of the few incidents that this demon-spirit had played.

Several days after this on a day after my return from the school we were together for prayer. In the evenings we close all the doors leading out of the house. So as usual after closing the doors only we sat in prayer when we heard some one hitting on the door. So I went up to that room there to find who was doing it and there was no answer, but the hitting continued more forcibly so I stood at the door and prayed to break the head of this monster-devil, making the sign of the cross on the door. Suddenly the hitting stopped and now it was on the other door this time more violently. I went in there also prayed with the sign of the cross on the door. Thus he tried on all the doors while persistent prayers were raised to that seat of mercy. Finally he stopped and was made power less and he fled.

Over and above these there were also other fierce and wild attacks of the devil on Aleya which were as usual dealt with through constant, continuous vigil in prayer and fasting which brought forth His power and strength against all the wily darts of the enemy.

On a fine morning when I was away Aleya made a bold open statement before my wife that today there will be a dual between the two priests. I had already referred that Aleya was controlled by a very powerful demon spirit to whom she was dedicated by the exorcists. Now after the lesser evil spirits being driven out, the dominant power could no longer be in hiding has now come out challenging through Aleya. My wife retorted immediately, “We are not perturbed in the least as we have committed Aleya in the mighty hands of our Lord. My wife told me about this boasting of the devil and her reply etc. when I returned home in the evening.

After sunset we came together for family prayer when in Aleya a number of evil spirits appeared were all cast out. After prayers and after meals everyone had gone to sleep. Aleya slept in the same room where my wife and (after closing and bolted all the doors of the house.) children slept. My wife as usual kept a dim lighted lantern in the bed-room.

All on a sudden some time after mid-night my wife woke up to find Aleya missing from the room and the door if the bed-room bolted wide opened. Frantically she ran and found all the doors wide opened leading to the court yard. My wife all panicky ran up to my room woke me up and told that Aleya was missing. But I assured her half asleep that she would be some where around there only and no harm will fall on her. My wife as she came out of my room heard a feeble voice calling her Kochamma Kochamma. So she went through all the rooms to the kitchen where she found Aleya standing out at the entrance of the kitchen door swaying to and fro. My wife scolding Aleya asked where she had gone at this part of the night took her by the hand and helped her to get in. By then I too reached the scene and helped Aleya to walk into the room who was all shivering by the fright she got.

We prayed together and after some time Aleya regained her balance of mind and she related all what had happened. Aleya said that “as she was sleeping some one in a gown woke her up saying to go with him as they have to attend a festival. In her unconscious state, She hurriedly walked and finding all the doors wide opened followed him passed through the kitchen door and out in to the court yard. This courtyard was a very wide and long one leading to a deep canal with flowing water. I continued to follow him and when we reached half way he caught hold of my hands and started running. Suddenly I regained my consciousness and knew that I was in the grip of the demon and from my inmost heart a prayer went up, Lord do not let me perish in this devil’s hand and save me. In the nick of a moment a shaft of light came from above hit the one who held my hand who disappeared as a vapour and taking hold of my hand walked back to the kitchen door, when the demon appeared again. So the person who rescued me stood at the entrance pushing me inside with his one hand and with the other hand was hitting him back. Aleya continued and said that she was thoroughly exhausted by then and standing there was swaying to and fro calling out to Kochamma to get help to get in to the house. It was at this moment Kochamma came in to the kitchen and brought me to this room.”

On another working day, I was at School; my wife as usual engaged in cooking was taken aback by a screaming wild cry of our youngest 3 year old baby girl who was playing alone in the court yard. She ran crying her heart out calling Ammachy –Mamma and came into the kitchen. My wife took the child in her arms consoled and pampered as she was found her all shivering and sobbing. Now our daughter in her childish language, pointing to Aleya’s room said that Cherachi (meaning Aleya) had frightened her. With the child in her arms my wife straight away went into Aleya’s room and asked her the truth. But she denied saying that she did not know anything about it.

But actually what had happened was when Aleya was attacked by a devil fiend; she ran out of the room and seeing the little one alone in the court yard frightened her with his monstrous face and ran back to the room. My wife who was in the kitchen did not know anything about it.

In the evening my wife told me all about it especially how the child was shocked and shivering by the fright. In the evening we sat in prayer and by the time prayer was over our little girl was fast asleep on the mat. Aleya was also in the same room on the other side, asleep.

My wife quietly keeping the door half closed with a lighted dim lantern inside, joined me to the dining room to have our dinner. After some time my wife got up from there to check the child as she was all worried about her. As she came quietly she heard a soft melodious soothening voice comforting and so peeped through the half closed door.

To her great surprise she found the child lying on her side, with her face looking up, all in smiles and illuminated as a shaft of light from above was shone on her face and talking to her in an unintelligible language. Seeing this my wife ran back to the dining room and asked me to go in to the room as some very unexplainable things are happening to our child.

While these strange things continued we both came in to the room and I sat near my daughter. As I sat our little daughter woke and got up calling me Appacha came and sat in my lap. With the child in my lap I started praying referring about our ignorance of all what was happening there at that time. Then Aleya who was asleep now woke up and angels started speaking through her.

The angels had begun their message with the usual chorus of praise which was comforting with promises as it strengthened and soothened our hearts and minds from all fears and anxieties. The angels informed us that the fiend demon who had frightened the child was being caught and bound by the angels themselves. They also added that, but for the ministration of these angels to the child which we had been watching a little while ago, the child would have been down with high fever and other complications. So our Lord had sent them for this special errand to minister to the child to free and relieve her from the fright she got. The angels again assured that our Lord is pleased to appoint a guardian angel around the baby girl to watch and keep her from all evil and harm till the age of 12.

Since then this child had an amazing pattern of behaviour which of course was commendable as it was angelic. Another thing we noticed was, when Aleya was attacked by the evil spirit and becomes uncontrollable in my absence, this child even when she goes around playing, would slowly walk in and at the sight of the child Aleya would cover her face receding back cry out take away take away your child she has angels with her and Aleya would calm down immediately. (This three year old baby whom the angels refer as Balaka is now 80 alive and active living in a remote corner of India doing God’s work and who narrated this is Saramma Thomas, his fifth daughter).

These Heavens messages and celestial intervention at the right crucial moments had strengthened and encouraged me beyond any human imagination.

FINAL VICTORY AND THEN TO GLORIES ABOVE
In between these incidents many evil spirits appeared in Aleya were all cast out but I realized that these remained a very powerful fiend demon spirit domineering in Aleya. So I spent days together flat on the ground indoors in close communions with the Lord in tears in long fasts pleading with the Lord to give me the special grace to bring this fiend spirit under the mighty feet of the Heavenly Father, Several days passed by when on a Sunday morning as I was getting ready to go for the Service I heard a hoarse wild cry bawling out, I will go away, I will go away. I knew it was from Aleya’s room, so I went in. Now the wild cry turned out to be questions, asking, Is your God so mighty? Is He so powerful? Convulsing violently he cried out I will go away, I will go away. Laying my hands on Aleya I prayed and asked him his name to which he replied. I am Kadamattom. (It was to this demon spirit that Aleya was dedicated by her relatives in the beginning.) So I prayed again and made him repeat the ‘vow’ of Truth that he will never enter this body or any other body here after in the name of Jesus and His five wounds.

As he left he was calling out again loudly. O Rend the fort, Rend the fort, ‘Break the fort’ split the fort. ( ) and finally the voice stopped. After sometime when Aleya regained her consciousness I asked her whether she had seen any sights to which she replied immediately that our Lord Himself with an army of angels had come down there surrounded this fiend who was thus rounded up he had no way of escape and so he helplessly cried out Rend the fort, Rend the fort and let me go. But he was bound and taken to be chained for ever by our Mighty Lord Himself.
2 Cor 12: 3 to 6

On another night, after several evil spirits in Aleya were cast out, in the stillness of about midnight my self, my wife and our eldest son were together in prayer when we heard a very powerful voice commanding us to go out that room. From the voice we knew it was the voice of one of the Chief of angels. Hearing this, I prayed and beseechingly asked the Lord to allow us to remain in the room as we have been doing whatever we could do for Aleya all these months. We also realized that something mysterious beyond our understanding and miraculous was going to happen there. So the reply was you may remain in the room. Now the angel continued that Aleya’s soul was to be taken to Heaven around the Heavenly throne of our Heavenly Father and then to bow and be at the feet of our Lord and to be brought back thereafter. Meanwhile we who were allowed to remain in the room were strictly warned not to call, shake or even to touch Aleya’s body. Listening to these we were dumb-found and astonished.

In seconds we found her Aleya from her lying posture stretching herself, with her hands falling on both sides heaving a heavy breath and then seemed all motionless.

We were bewildered, watched helplessly standing aside looked at her minutely. We found that there was no breathing, no life in her except a faint, feeble movement of the heart. We sat there still breathless not knowing what to do. After about 10-12 minutes there came a deep breath in Aleya and she became conscious, lively opened her eyes. We were really astounded, prayed and glorified our Heavenly Father.

Very slowly Aleya started speaking describing the glorious sights she had seen a little while ago the glory above and beyond. She said that she was taken round the Heavenly altar bowed and kissed the feet of our Lord in His Heavenly throne. While taking her round she said she was shown a room where different types of Crowns were kept studded with rare gems of various shades and colors all for His Saints. Out of these the angels pointed out a very special crown kept for His Beloved Servant of the Lord. She further added that what she experienced there was magnificent and majestic that nothing could be compared to it.


We were completely in awe and wonder when she started describing what she had experienced and seen in the glories above and praised the Lord.

After sometime now an angel appeared in Aleya again called out in a commanding voice challenging thus; now that the Soul of this body, having been taken to the Heavenly throne of the Heavenly Father, bowed sealed and surrendered, before Him, now if there are any more spirits of darkness remaining, claiming this body let him come forward. To this challenge there was absolutely no response.

After these eventful, break-taking experiences Aleya was found quite normal and was full if joy and peace. She now witnessed and shared her glorious experiences with many who came to see her. Thus Aleya was restored reinstated and perfected as His true living witness for many years.

Angels always begin their messages with their usual chorus of praise.

Sthuthippin, Sthuthippin, Sthuthippin,

These Heavens messages were indeed melodious to listen, edifying, comforting and strengthening for the body, mind and spirit. In these messages the angels referred me as the ‘Servant of the Lord.’ It was really delightful to listen to as they speak and were taken down and kept it in my Diary. My eldest son who was in the High School level used to help me in this. These were the days when my wife and children enjoyed the presence of the Lord in our abode and in their whole being, His Joy and Peace.

On one occasion a message brought by a powerful angel blessed me this way.

“Beloved servant of the Lord, you are filled with my glory. You are with me and I am with you and thus attached to each other. You see me because you trust me. You are Heir to my Heavenly altar. May His blessings in abundance fill and remain with you.”

The above blessing was originally given to Appachen in Malayalam by the angel Gabriel as follows:
“Ende tejas konnde njyan ninne neruchiricunnu. Nee ennodukoodayum njyan ninnodukoodayum pattiirikunnu. Nee enne vishwasikunadukonde enne kaannunu. Nee ende swargiya peethamtinde avagashiyakunnu. Anugrahangalude nirav ninaku irikatte.”

Sometimes these messages were exhortations, admonitions and instructive as well.

Once when an evil-spirit appeared in Aleya became violent, as the authority given by the Lord I trampled on it. While doing so my foot struck on Aleya’s face.

After a while when an angel appeared said, Dear Servant of the Lord, you are given authority to trample over the powers of darkness, you may stamp over the body but never on the face.

The angel continued “God has created man in His own image and Likeness”.

So do not trample over it.
Where does God shine, It is on man’s face.
So do not trample over it
.
Where does He place his glory?
It is man’s face. Do not trample over it.
Where does He look at to speak?
It is on man’s face. Do not trample on it.


Listening to these exhortations of the glory and excellences God has placed on man’s face whom He has created, I was really ashamed of my carelessness in handling situations like these which made me all the more humbler before the Lord in my ministry.

Here I may also add that, among those who came for prayers were not only the evil possessed ones but also those who suffered from physical ailments and mental abnormalities including maniacs and even lunatics. Some insane ones were so violent that they were brought in chains. The only remedy for all these cases was waiting on the Lord in fasting and prayers usually for 50 days and sometimes, a few more days. Every such cases were completely healed became steady and normal went home praising the Lord.

Here a reference maybe made about Solomon, a Jew and others who were blessed from North Paravur who brought his wife Rachel for prayer.

Solomon was a Railway employee, Station master of the South Station at Ernakulam. His wife Rachel had become very abnormal in her behaviour talking to herself, murmuring, sometimes violent hurting herself and others too. Now Solomon was all upset and worried about his wife and spent a lot of money seeking treatment form various Doctors. Seeing his plight one of his colleagues advised him to take his wife to Rev. M.O.Koshy a man of prayer for her recovery.

Thus Solomon with his wife Rachel came over to Karakkal at his Appachen’s paternal home. Here they were advised to stay there, in fasting and prayers and this to be in communion with the Lord for 50 days. After these days of their waiting in fasting and prayers with the Lord Rachel was completely healed of all her ailments. She became normal as anyone else and they returned to their native place, praising the Lord all along.

Later Solomon with his wife Rahel had gone back to Israel to settle there and written a letter to Appachen expressing his joy and gratitude and his appreciation of the glorious experiences of those days he had spent with his wife at Karakkal for her recovery. He also expressed his great admiration of Appachen’s prayer life blended with his child like deep trust in his Heavenly Father.

Solomon continued in his letter about the awe and splendour of the Heavenly glory he felt along with the congregation who attended the Holy Communion Services on Sundays and on other special occasions like Lenten days as very rare Heaven on Earth experiences while staying at Karakkal.

Now apart from Solomon, quite a number of Appachen’s parish members and others who lived in and around Thalavady (where the major part of his ministry was carried out) and also later at Karakkal, his native place, had witnessed personally and through their letters and testimonies the great impact of his prayer life on their lives. Those who came to him for prayer moved by the marvelous way he claimed blessings for others from His Heavenly Father, just as a son would claim his due share from his earthly father and special mention for Mariamma Eraveperoor, Mr. Oonnoony Mangalath.

Thus his prayer life, child like trust in his Beloved father, Godliness, all these had turned and saved many a wandering sheep from going astray in to the master’s fold. May His name be praised.

So, now as it was announced and blessed by an angel on one occasion, “

Your body will not decay
Even in the grave after death
It will continue to shout and declare His glory
And will trumpet His splendour
From the place where it is laid to rest.”
The angel continued as follows;
Abundance of blessings be showered to your
wife
who helped in this glorious service and is
extended
to your children and grandchildren
upto four generations to come.


May the good Lord give His abundant Grace to all Appachen’s children, grand children and all his loved ones who are scattered around the globe to declare His glory and strength to all the Nations of the World.
~~Amen

A SHORT NOTE
Here I may add that in Appachan’s healing ministry, on the whole, many with physical ailments, mentally deranged and evil-possessed ones were healed but of all these Aleya Chedathi’s case is one of the ‘rarest of the rare.’

I presume that generations of this age and the generations to come will scarce believe that such incidents have happened. They may also have a number of scientific explanations and psychic theories for all these incidents and happenings of nearly eight decades ago. But these are down-to-earth-facts-Heavenly experiences of a man who lived in close companionship with the Lord whom the Lord had made use of as His great instrument for His glory in saving an ignorant, illiterate humble woman like Aleya and many others

Yes what a wonderful Master-shepherd we have who seek and save the wretched ones from the briers and thorns and from the trap of the devil who twines his net.

It is His love, His boundless Inesteemable Love that will not let us go.

All praises and glory be to Him. Amen.

Yes this indeed is His Master’s story.


~~~ Saramma Thomas
Appachen’s daughter