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Suresh Manoharan |
While stating at the outset that the abbreviation ‘J & SM’ stands for Jesus
& Suresh Manoharan, I, Suresh Manoharan would like to introduce myself as a
person who the good Lord out of His grace & mercy touched & transformed at the age of 16,
when I as a young college sophomore was leading a pleasure-seeking, godless & a very nominal
spiritual life (going to church mostly on Christmas & just before School/College exams
soliciting ‘Divine help’) having been born in a family, where there were mostly nominal
christians. Though exposed to Biblical stories at a young age by my paternal grandmother,
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I had
never developed any ‘appetite’ for God’s word & as such kept the Bible at an arm’s length.
Though, I believed superficially at least that there is a God to help ‘anyone in crisis’, it
never occurred to me that His character transcends playing a mere helpful ‘genie’ to a person in
trouble. That He actually
yearns to have a personal, joyous 24*7 relationship with his most cherished creation…man…
was something beyond my comprehension at that point of time in my life.
My own
‘Road to Damascus’ (life transforming) experience came about precisely on 16th of October, 1983 on hearing a sermon on
‘Born again’ experience preached by late Mr.Arthur Rajarathnam (a retired PWD Engineer) in St.
Georges church, Abids, Hyderabad, India.
With no great educational qualifications to boast of (I am only a commerce graduate), it is
again out of His great mercy & grace that after a humble career beginning as a Sales Officer
(trainee) - soon after my graduation - in a private sector undertaking namely BPL-INDIA
(Office Automation Department), I ended up holding a highly responsible portfolio in one
of the “mini-ratnas amongst the Indian PSUs”, namely IBP Co. Limited
(an Indian Oil group company).
It was in October 2004, (after a 12-year innings in the
aforesaid organization) at a time when I was in charge of about fifty Retail filling
stations of the said organization spread over Warangal & Karimnagar districts of
Andhra Pradesh, that I responded to the specific call from Him (He spoke to me in a
language, I understand & His way of speaking to different individuals would be different)
to take up full-time spiritual ministry, by putting in my papers. Subsequently,
I was relieved from my duties in late January 2005. No, no, I cannot boast that it was
a case of implicit obedience to God’s call since prior to taking this step, I had given
more excuses to the Almighty for not taking up His work (who would like to ‘die’
to a comfortable way of life which also guarantees good social status!) than Moses did before finally
taking up his assignment of representing Him before Pharaoh, (in order to seek the release
of His people from the Egyptian bondage –
Exodus Chapters 3 & 4) however, as always, the Lord
had the final say on the subject.
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While on the subject, many other Christians’ who have trod the path (giving up lucrative
jobs to take-up full-time spiritual work), I am treading now would empathize with me on
the fact that dying to sinful desires of the flesh is so much easier when compared to
dying to one’s legitimate career aspirations for I had joined the said firm as a
normal starry eyed youngster with ambitions to go right up to the top & incidentally was well on the way! By the same token,
along with the same faithful lot, who have preceded me in full-time ministry, I can
vouch-safe for the fact that the One who called me is a faithful God, for after nearly 5 years
down the line, I can herald that I have lacked ‘NOTHING’ in that period, on the other
hand besides the fulfilling experience of serving the GREATEST in the universe, I have
been overflowing with blessings (both material & spiritual),
so much so that my financial contributions to other ministries, which I had supported during
my secular tenure has now increased, after I have become a full-timer myself
(
Philippians 4:13)!
Straight from Ripley’s book of Believe it or not? Whatever, I am stating the truth in its entirety.
Yes, coming out of my ‘comfort
zone’ was not so easy, as it meant that I had to start from a scratch in a completely new
field at an age when one's career ought to be on a cruise mode but the results, I am seeing first-hand now of so many people being blessed through
my ministry (it is His grace, that’s all), has made taking that ‘leap of faith’ worthwhile.
Oh yes, in the years gone by I had preached, taught & had handled other responsibilities
in some churches, even while being engaged in a secular job but to do it on full-time basis
now, with satisfying results all around is I can herald a uniquely different & a ‘special’ kind of
fulfilling experience.
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What then is my advice for those Christians in secular profession, to whom a specific call for full-time
spiritual work has not come? Continue, where you are working as ‘unto the
Lord’(Colossians 3:23).
Thank Him for all the exposure therein which would all add to your personality
development, like it did in my case. Bring all the ‘positives’ you have gained in the secular profession
into the spiritual ministry, as & when the good Lord calls you for full-time work even while humbly acknowledging the fact that God
does not ‘call the qualified but rather qualifies the called’. Nevertheless, once His call comes, do not delay, jump at it!
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‘J & SM Ministries’ was formed on 17-02-05 (subsequently registered on 28-02-05) with my wife & me as partners, who I should emphasize,
has always faithfully stood by me in all of my decisions/actions.
While on the subject, I would like to add that, I am indeed blessed to have a mate with a strong, sacrificial
spirit, for she has taken the issue of having no children (so far) also in her stride, though all the other
4 sisters of hers (quite a sentimental issue this…at least in the Indian context) have been blessed with
children. Only a soul with eternity in perspective
(Colossians 3:1-4) can display such equanimity I saw
her displaying time & again to different turns & twists of life, so much so in a farewell function
organized by the Dealers of Retail outlets of my erstwhile employers in Warangal just before my departure
from there, more encomiums were showered upon her, than me! Today, she is a refined ‘Prayer warrior’
standing by her husband’s side interceding for him & many others, who have sought her prayer support.
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Not only at this moment, but at all times I would also convey my heart-felt thanks to my parents,
my parents-in-law, my other kith & kin, my friends & well-wishers who have through their encouraging
words, actions, et al stood by me, ever since I heeded the good Lord’s call to take-up ‘full-time’
spiritual ministry.
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Of all the relatives, the couple of Rev.Simon Peter & his dear wife Mrs Joy Peter
(I call them ‘awesome twosome’), who are leading the Christian Fellowship Church, Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Hyderabad have been specially used by the
Lord in blessing me immensely. Be it in my marriage or in affording me countless opportunities to share the Lord’s
word in the said church (even before my ‘Call’ came) or in absorbing me therein in the capacity of an
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Rev.Simon Peter & wife Mrs Joy Peter |
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Associate pastor cum Youth pastor
(as soon as my ‘Call’ arrived) or for that matter in arranging my ordination
(on 9th Oct, 2005) under the auspices of
‘Throne of Grace’ seminary…these dear ones’ played a major role in
all these matters every inch of the way.
Though ordained, I would not like to call myself as nothing more than Brother SM in
line with the Jesus’ teaching in
Matt 23:8 for it has an advantage, as people would feel
more at home interacting with me who is ‘one of their own’ (a man next door) which would not be the case,
if I were to place myself on some superficial higher pedestal.
It did not take my wife & me long to realize that Full-time work means not only expending most of
our resources (talent, treasures & time) for the furtherance of ‘His business’
(Luke 2:49)
but also depending on Him full-time for all of our needs, including opportunities of service
in His realm. More than changing the others for the better, we have been changing for the better in this
new way of life, learning not to press sometimes, even for our legitimate rights but ‘leaving
everything into His Hands’. Also it has been our experience that whenever we visited the sick
& the shut-ins (Matt25:36) to comfort them…we actually came back home comforted & encouraged
by the faith of those in lesser circumstances’. Their lives have a preached a sermon of their
own on ‘dependence on Him’.
My work in the past nearly 5 years has been ‘centrifugal’ in nature,
even while expending my resources in building-up my local congregation,
as the opportunities arose, I had ministered the Lord’s word in
many other places’ in & outside
Hyderabad. My trips have taken me
to a range of congregations varying from dedicated, sophisticated
city congregations of Vizag like the Union Chapel, Vizag Christian
assembly to devout, persevering village congregations of ‘Antioch church’
in Kavipam (now where’s that?) in interior West Godavari district of Andhra pradesh.
My aim all along has been not to compete with several blessed ongoing ministries of other
dedicated servants of God but only to complement their efforts, in whatever way possible that
too …on invitation from their end.
One ought not to barge into someone else’s territory, for
God in His sovereign wisdom, allots each man’s work
(John 3:29) & gives different gifts to
various servants of His, all with the intention of ‘achieving the common good of His
universal Church’
(I Cor 12: 7 & 11).
It has also been my experience in the past nearly 5 years that, I have absorbed many new matters of great
use to me (insights in the scripture & useful practices’, teaching techniques hitherto unknown to me),
whilst ministering His word & working alongside other diligent experienced servants of His.
By the same token, it has been a matter of great encouragement to see very senior servants of
God humbly acknowledging the utility of my spiritual contributions to their life & ministry.
No wonder, it is said that ‘He who wants to water others, waters himself’
(Proverbs 11:25).
I should add here that the good Lord in the past 3 years has enlarged the scope of my ministry by giving me
oppurtunities to contribute articles (fruition of my writing talent) in the form of essays and devotionals to
Mumbai-based "Light of Life" magazine (www.lightoflife-india.com), Australia-based Today's Thought Ministry,
Canada-based Sermonillustrator(www.sermonillustrator.org)
and Nuggets(www.scripturalnuggets.org) ministries. The last three International ministries are on-going online ministries, despatching short, succinct devotionals
on periodical basis to its subscribers around the world.
Finally, a bit about my most recent assignments…I thank the good Lord for laying on my heart the burden to expound the prophetical and if I may add the most confounding Book in the Bible- the Book of Revelation-
by way of conduct of seminars in different places. Since August 15th 2009 beginning with my own local Church by way of a power
point presentations (with the help of ever abiding Holy Spirit -
I John 2:27) I have been able to bring out and present the great
mysteries of this astounding Book in several Churches. For more about the same, you may have a look at the menu section under the
heading “Revelation seminars”.
Since any spiritual ministry is only as good as its credibility, after much prayers it was decided that
this ministry to a large extent would be a self-supporting one, with me in the manner of Paul who made
& sold tents to support himself financially (while I may not be worthy of untying his shoelaces, his
style of ministry is a great source of encouragement to me) raising requisite funds by using my own
‘tent making skills’
(Acts 18:2-3 /
I Thess 2: 9 /
I Corinthians 9:15). The ‘tent-making’ in my case
would be offering my services in the Oil Sector (as & when time permits) for training-up driveway
salesmen of the retail filling stations & undertaking some part-time insurance assignments.
Glamorous? As all tent-making activities go, they may not be. Highly fulfilling? Surely, considering
their purpose even as they afford me the needed flexibility to pick & choose timings of ‘tent-making’ work of my choice.
Updated upto Feb, 2010
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