Testimony and glimpses of life experiences
of Bro. James Immanuel (Coimbatore, S.India)
as told to Bro. Vally Serrao

 

Srinivasan was the Hindu son of a wealthy Naidu family. They had a big house and eighteen cows.

When he was young, he had an attack of yellow fever. His parents took him for dead but he recovered. When he was twelve years old, Srinivasan was tolerant of all religions and was used to temple, church and mosque, as his teachers had inculcated in him the belief that all religions were equal.

When he was in the 8th standard, a man called Yesudas came into his life. Every Sunday he would visit him and invite him to his church. He used to go to the Pentecostal church but continued in the Hindu traditions. On the 3rd week Srinivasan was touched by the preaching of Isaiah 45:3 and 43:1. After the service, he asked the pastor why idol worship was wrong and the pastor showed him Psalm 115. That day he prayed to the Lord asking to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ from idol worship.

The next Sunday he bought a Bible and endeavoured not to miss any Bible Study preaching. After 2 months, he was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the year 1995. He took on the name James M. Immanuel. His pastor used to go to a mountain to pray. Once, Bro. James volunteered to go with him. They would both go up to the mountains to pray once a month. He had daily discussions with the pastor regarding the Word. His parents shouted at him. But he told them that he wanted to worship Jesus Christ. His life at home became like hell. Every day he would tell his parents about the Bible, and every day they listened and cursed him.

His family were involved in the ‘chit fund’. As some members ran away without paying their dues, the liability came to rest upon James’s family and they were heavily in debt. So they started selling off their cows one by one in order to pay off the debts. They also sold some of the land they possessed. Then they sold their house and took up a rental place.

One day, James’s parents brought a person associated with witchcraft to their house to solve their problem. Although Bro. James warned his parents about the dangerous repercussions of such a step, they did not heed. Huge rats mysteriously began pouring into their house and bored big holes in the walls. As their plight began to get worse and more miserable, James wept and related to his pastor all that had happened. Later his parents left the house and moved to another area. James went through partial fasting - skipping one meal, continually, for 2 months.

One day he turned to his mother and told her that she would have to believe in Jesus Christ. The next day, she went to church, returned home, then entered into fasting and prayer. Something had long been happening in her heart. She went on to take all the idols of the Hindu gods out of the house, and threw them into the river. Both his mother and stepmother believed.

One day a member of the ‘chit fund’, whom they owed some money, came and demanded Rs 10,000/- and said that if they could not pay, he would put them on the roads. James prayed to the Lord about this problem and the next day when this man came to their house, his mind was changed, and he agreed to give them enough time to repay their debt.

Bro. James had prayed to the Lord to separate him for the Lord’s work. A neighbour told him to go to Pollachi, where her daughter owned a shop, saying that he could run the shop, earn some income and take up a rental house in Pollachi. James’ parents sold the remaining cows and settled their debts. With Rs 5000/-, 5 bags, and a cycle, they left for Pollachi. Unfortunately when they reached Pollachi, they discovered that somebody else was running the shop. They however managed to get a house for Rs 100 rent. James went in search of a church for fellowship and found a Pentecostal church. The head pastor of the church was touched by James’ testimony and offered him a salary of Rs 1000/- to maintain the church and assist the assistant pastor. James used to go the various villages in the area and preach the gospel there.

Once a woman possessed by an evil spirit was brought to Bro. James. He put his hands on the woman’s head and commanded the evil spirit to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. When it did leave, the force of its departure broke a thick drumstick tree. Once the daughter of a village couple had severe fever. Bro. James prayed for her healing and the fever left her. A man belonging to the Catholic faith came to James telling him that his daughter was sick due to some evil influence. As his house was quite a distance from the church, Bro. James prayed over a little oil in the name of Jesus, gave it to the man, and told him to put a few drops of oil in water and give this to his daughter, believing that Jesus would heal her. The next week, the man came to church testifying of his daughter’s healing

A convention was held in Pollachi by the Pentecostal church and a gathering of 1000 people was expected. Bro. James went to invite a preacher, named W.S. Veda. Pastor Veda told James that he was in the wrong church, that the trinity baptism was wrong. These words greatly disturbed James.

In the evening the owner’s son of the house he rented, who was a Hindu, told James to come with him, saying that he wanted to ‘show him something interesting’. He took him near his own house and suddenly pointed out to two dogs, maliciously declaring that they had been let lose to attack him. For a moment, James was in fear, but then he prayed to the Lord for protection just as He had granted it to Daniel in the lion’s den. At once he saw the dogs running in opposite directions away from him. The house owner’s son was amazed and ran to tell his father that their two ferocious dogs did not rush to bite James. His father who was a Hindu acknowledged that it was James’ God, Jesus Christ, who had protected him.

The next day James went to meet W.S.Veda who shared with him, for 3 hours, about the truth of the One true God, the baptism in Jesus’ name and about the end-time message. James was convicted of this startling truth. James informed the assistant pastor of his decision to leave the Pentecostal church, as the Lord had led him to the truth. Then he went to the Head pastor’s house to inform him of this new found truth. This man tried to persuade James, telling him that he was sweeping into a wrong doctrine. Then he promised James a scooter, a good house, an increase in salary, and the establishment of his family condition. But James’s response was that his Lord would supply all his needs; serving the Lord as per His Word was much more important to him.

Then Bro. James joined Pastor Veda’s church in March of 1998. He was re-baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Veda appointed him assistant pastor and gave him a salary of Rs.1000/-.  Bro. James discovered many of Bro. Branham’s books, that were kept in Bro. Veda’s verandah, were exposed to rain and dust. These he arranged in library form inside the church hall. He shifted his residence to a place near the church. James was with Veda for one year and six months. After some time he found that the pastor was very closely associated with many Pentecostal preachers. This did not seem very appealing to James, and he confronted Veda accordingly. Bro. Veda evaded the issue.

He advised James to attend a Bible college run by the Pentecostals, at least that would get him 3 meals a day. So, Bro. James went to Bible College. The teacher was surprised to observe that James was much well versed with the scriptures. At midnight James would share the Word with three students (Stanley, Bhasker and Peter) who were eager to know the truth. James shared with them about God - the one Eternal Spirit, and about the error of the Holy Trinity, about the true Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ according to Act 2:38. James also told them about the end-time revelation. They were convicted and wanted to be baptized. One day they ran away from Bible college and approached some pastors for baptism. These pastors for some reason or other refused. Finally Bro. James, himself baptized them in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Veda was angry about James running from the Bible College. Later Bro. James left for Tirupur and joined up with Pastor Yeshraj. There he prayed, fasted and read some of Bro. Branham’s messages. Later Bro. James was with a preacher called Amoun Jabaraj but he later left him as the preacher was only emphasizing on the quotes of Bro. Branham. To meet his family’s needs James took up the job of sales and servicing of gas stoves. James also serviced electronic equipment.

One day, Bro. James met a Bro. Shadrach. He joined him in his attending fellowship where a man called Jerry Fernandez was preaching. Seeing their religious lives, James was drawn into their fellowship. Later Shadrach and James came to know the man Jerry’s true colour: that he was preaching obedience to the law of Moses, and that he had a different kind of spirit that dominated and deceived people. They eventually left Jerry Fernandez’ group.

Bro. Shadrach went to Mumbai for a short while. Bro. James, however was in continuous prayer for Bro. Shadrach to come back to Coimbatore so that they could start a fellowship. His prayers were answered and Bro. Shasdrach returned to Coimabatore. He now conducts fellowship at his house every Sunday morning. Bro. Shadrach and James, reach out to people in Coimbatore and the surrounding areas and are preaching the end-time truth.