On my past trip to India, I (Kathy) had the humble opportunity to meet two of the most unique and remarkable people I have ever met. Mathan Raj is an ICII pastor in his mid-fifties, a mighty man of God called into ministry, who has been used in miraculous ways for the past thirty years. Next to him, sitting directly in front of me, was a woman named Jemimal. Jemimal, a 28-year-old woman, was very special, unlike any person I had ever met before. Because 18 years ago a wonderful and most incredible experience happened to her. This is their astounding story.
When Jemimal was ten, suddenly she became very ill. Struck with a very high fever for many days, Jemimal died around six p.m. at a hospital in India where the doctors could do nothing to save her life. After the doctors pronounced her dead, according to Indian customs, her body was sent back to her home so her friends and relatives could be contacted so they could mourn her death and gather for her funeral. It took around 24 hours for all her family and village people to gather. Hundreds came to mourn her passing, and soon her body was to be carried away for burial.
At ten a.m. of the morning following Jemimal’s death, Pastor Mathan Raj was on his way to do ministry in her area. As he entered Jemimal’s village he heard the voice of God clearly speak to him saying, “The girl has died but I am going to raise her up again. I took her so I can reveal My glory to the people.”
Pastor Mathan Raj went back to his house where he prayed and fasted for five hours straight and then he returned to Jemimal’s village again at three p.m. By this time many more people were gathered together weeping and mourning Jemimal’s death. Even though Mathan Raj did not know Jemimal’s family, he went boldly into their home and told them that God had sent him to pray for her “because Jesus was going to raise her up!” Finally, in desperation, Jemimal’s father agreed to allow him to pray. Shortly after three p.m., Mathan Raj humbly knelt down and began to pray in faith for Jesus to raise the dead. After some time passed, the people began telling him to leave and many of them began shouting at him and calling him a lunatic. Some of the people even began to threaten him. It was now six p.m., 24 hours after Jemimal had died, and Mathan Raj had been praying for three hours straight since entering her family’s home. Some of the people began shouting, “This man needs to go to the mental hospital!” Some were crying and mourning, and others laughing at him. But her father and others argued that he could stay because they were desperate, and some believed that he would raise her up when they heard the power of his prayers and how he spoke and prayed with authority. “In the middle of this chaos, Mathan Raj heard God’s voice that he was to touch her head. As he laid his hands on her head, he felt life come back into her body again. When he touched her head, she opened her eyes, sat up, and said “I’m hungry!”
Immediately after this miracle happened, Mathan Raj shared, “I saw godly fear in the people crowding around me. Hindus, Muslims, and even some Christians had witnessed this miracle, and they all began to praise and glorify God! Many of the people came to me because they wanted me to pray for them. But right away I stopped them and told them boldly that I first want to tell them about Jesus who has brought the dead to life again!” That day after hearing the glorious gospel from Mathan Raj, many believed in Jesus and accepted him as their Lord and Savior! Jemimal and her whole family also received Jesus! It was a day when all the sorrow of losing a child had been turned into complete joy. Now through the glorious resurrection power of Jesus Christ, there was no funeral to attend since there was no longer a death!
Pastor Mathan Raj returned to Jemimal’s area to follow up with and disciple the new believers in Christ. Many of them soon began to do ministry. He rented a building in the area and started a church, where people in that area still come to worship the Lord until this day! “After Jemimal’s miracle happened, talk of it quickly spread to many people. Even some who are well-known politicians have also come to the Lord through this miracle!”
Since the day Jemimal was raised from the dead, she strongly felt that God had a great purpose for her life. A few days after she was raised up from the dead, she went back to school and courageously shared her testimony with the children in her class.
“Jemimal is now 28 years old, and God has used her in amazing ways since her miracle. She has become a nurse, and shares the gospel with the people she treats. Over the past eighteen years, she has shared her testimony with thousands of people and many have come to believe in Jesus through her!”
Jemimal’s father and others who believed that day have also been doing ministry and have been serving the Lord for the past eighteen years.
About three years ago, Independent Church in India (ICII) had the great privilege to provide a motorbike for Mathan Raj through a loving sponsor on whose heart God had laid it to provide for this need that Mathan Raj had prayed for years. ICII was also able to sponsor Mathan Raj on a monthly basis. Through the monthly support and motorbike, Mathan Raj’s ministry began to grow even more. He is often invited to speak in other churches in India and hold healing services. This small help from ICII has increased his ministry in a great way and has touched multitudes of lives through the gospel and many other miracles.
“Mathan Raj still needs many things for his ministry. One of his prayers is that God would provide a van for him so that he, Jemimal, and his Gospel team could take the gospel and a medical team into villages, showing the love of Jesus to all those who are hurting through sickness or spiritual darkness”.
This van will be used to save souls and lives!