An Excerpt of the testimony of late Pastor T.G. Oommen In 1929 I was a member of the Brethren Church in Puthehnkavu, Kerala, India. Being a brethren believer, I believed that I already had received the Holy Spirit when I got saved. I did not believe in the speaking of tongues or the people who speak in tongues like the Pentecostals who practice such things. Every year our Brethren Church used to conduct a prayer meeting in the evening on the last day of the last month of Karkadakam. I attended the last three year- end prayer meetings. In the last Prayer Meeting while I was praying, all of a sudden I was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongue by the power of God. Then I realized that anointing of the Holy Spirit is very essential for each and every believer and I became a spokesman for it thereafter. Brethren Church in those days did not allow any one speaking in tongues in their Church, so I had to leave my Brothren Church to join with the Pentecostal believers. There were many Pentecostal groups growing in Kerala that time under different names. The group that I joined in had 8 leaders including me. They were Pastors K.E. Abraham, Kodumthara Oommechen, K.C. Cheriachen, Chethehkal Geevarchen, T.G. Oommen, Kaarampehrril Mathaoichen, A.C. Samuel and V.V. Thomas (Ranny). If I say the history of the first five years, I think I cannot complete them without emotions. So I do not dare to attempt to do that here. Such a great hardships we all went through for serving the Lord, who called us to do His ministry. I don`t think if any one is beaten down like me in I.P.C. We all suffered in those days hardships and insults, in addition to frequent starvation to carry out the ministry the Lord has entrusted upon each one of us. One day I was slapped on my face by an enemy of the gospel at the middle of the road in Kallizeri. Another time some fanatics spit on my face for preaching the gospel. Again few youths on my gospel trip tried to take my Bible from my shoulder. But I was stronger than them, I held strong my Bible in the shoulder, so they could not snatch it from me and they left the place with their failed attempt. Another time some people threw some cow dung on me in their anger and some others hit me on my back. I was also stoned by some miscreants to stop me from preaching the word of God. Many people had used their tongue to cuss me many times. One day I walked eight miles on my way to the mission field, I fainted on the road because I starved few days before my journey. In those days true Christians were very rare in Kerala and we had no financial support from any one to meet our needs. All the above named Pastors also were suffered more or less like me for the sake of Christ. We taught at the Kumbanad Bible School starving many times. One day Pastor K.E.Abraham told me, Oommacha, any way we got wet going down the deep, let us come out only after taking the bath (finishing the task that the Lord has called us to do). I remember his saying many times whenever I think about the past. Lord enabled us to stand for the truth till this day without fail. All praise, glory and honor I give to the Lord for His unfailing love that He granted to each and every one of us. ....................................................................................................................................... Pastor T.G. Oommen was a famous Bible Scholar in Kerala and wrote many dozen Bible related books which helped thousands of Christians to grow in their faith. He also taught the Bible Students several years. He also served India Pentecostal Church as its President many years in his latter years. He visited U.S.A. several times and preached in many Churches. When his son asked him how long you will live, he said to him upto 80 years. He was called to his eternal home in 1985 at the age of 80. Today there are millions of Pentecostals live in Kerala alone; they are some of the fruits of the labor of these founding fathers.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 07:03:42 +0000
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