S A C R I F I C E

And Solomon Loved the LORD walking in the Statutes of his father David, Except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

– 1 KINGS 3:3

King Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice it was a the great high place.
He offered 1000 burnt offerings on that Altar.

SOLOMON.

• Loved the LORD

• Walked in HIS statues.

• Offered Sacrifice to the LORD

When he choose to sacrifice 1000 burnt offerings at Gibeon

HE DEVOTES HIS TIME
(to burn 1000 burnt offerings it would have taken ample of time )
Till Then He Choose To Stay In Gods Presence
as a result God himself choose to appear to him in dream that night.

Now What Sacrifice We Can Offer To God?

Eph: 5:2. Say’s
AND WALK IN LOVE, AS CHRIST also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

---

SACRIFICE COMES OUT OF LOVE

Like Solomon had his father as an Example to see and walk his way

We have Christ as an Example to walk in Love as a living sacrifice

---

Present Your Bodies A Living Sacrifice, Holy Acceptable To God. ROMANS 12:1

---

Fornication, All Uncleanness, Covetousness, Filthiness, Foolish Talking, Coarse Jesting.              
                                                                  _ Ep 5:3,4

Let it not even be named among you nor it’s fitting for saints

But Rather THANKSGIVING Raise From Your Hearts (Altar)

So we also have the same encounter like Solomon had as MATT 5.8 says BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART : for they shall see GOD.

---

PRAYER

Father we give thanks for Jesus Christ who offered himself as a sweet smelling aroma .
Help us also to walk in Love and to present our bodies as a living Sacrifice.

Amen.

---

SOL.PINTA EUNICE,AOJ

---

And He said  unto me, My grace is sufficient  for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore  will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ  may rest upon me”.

2 Corinthians12:9

              Our weaknesses,limitations, difficulties,short comings are not threat to our lives but opportunities  for God to pour out His strength  and power on us.If we seek Him ,He will  draw us to Him. Just like the good Samaritan who pour wine and oil into the wounds of the traveler, God pour out His grace and power on our wounds. God says “I will heal all your wounds”. Jeremiah 30:17

He heals our hurts, turns the weaknesses into  strength  and complete what is incomplete in our faith. So crisis  and  distress  are needed  to prove the reality of His comfort,eternal hope and assurance.

       Israelites bondage in Egypt cause God to raise  Moses as a leader to  speak for them,rescue and lead them to the promised land. When we have to go through  any crisis  ,believe  that the grace of Lord is able to bring us through as Paul confessed” when I am weak,then I am strong”.2 Corinthians 12:10

             Lord cannot use proud,self satisfied persons but He can use people who are broken hearted,defeated and needy. Instead of hiding away from God, we have to hide in Him.

“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word”.

Psalms119:114

“Deliver me O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me”.

Psalms143:9

If we ask Holy Spirit will reveal to us our weaknesses and we can pray for it and He will  enable us to deal with it. We can use God given strength, gifts  and abilities  for the glory of God, not for our own needs. If anyone  praise us for our abilities  and positions,don’t  get exalted.we should humble and give glory  to God.

       To fill us completely  with His grace and strength we have to empty ourselves constantly  and rejoice in our weaknesses, failures  and  challenges. His dwelling Spirit like to reside in hearts that are needy and weeping  ,not of self-pity  but out of compassion for others. Paul had to face so many afflictions in his life .some Lord allowed to be there even when He persisted in prayer. He accepted it as the will of God to keep him humble, empty and receptive  of the grace of the Lord. Lord  assured him that in all of life’s situations  His grace is sufficient  for him

Prayer

      Father God,  help us to accept your disciplining  and become humble and empty  ourselves to fill us with your grace. Amen

–Sol.Gigi Jacob AOJ

Those who dwell in my house, and my slave-girls, count me as a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight. I called my servant, and he gave no answer; I must beg him with my mouth.

Job 19:15-17

My breath is hated by my wife, and I must beg to the sons of my mother’s womb.
Job has described his current status here. Many senior citizens live in the same condition today in their houses in the world. I know one person who after her retirement, is living alone. Lifelong her husband did not give her a pie for the family expenses. She has no clue where or how he spent all his earnings.

Because of he misunderstandings between the husband and wife, the children were also affected. Her daughter hates both the parents. If at all the mother goes to visit her any time, she will drive her away. Her sentimental attachment towards her grandson makes her stay there a couple of days. The daughter treats her like a slave.

We know why Job had to face such a miserable condition in his life. It was a test for him. But when it happens in our lives, we will come to ask why?
Job is a model for us. In Job’s time, there was nobody to interpret the Lord’s ways of dealing with human beings.

Now we live in Jesus Christ’s time. Jesus who is living in us through the Holy Spirit, teaches us, instructs us, about everything that is happening in our life.
If at all we have ears, let us listen.

‘……… Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Jehovah’.

Jer 17:5

Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and Jehovah is his trust.

Jer 17:7

In life, God is the only source whom we can trust. All other things we see in this world might desert us any day, any time. A child who is born in a home trusts its parents for anything and everything. He is dependent on his parents, relatives, friends, teachers and others whom he comes across in the society,

But at any time, in its life, the exact time nobody knows, all the trust it has placed on human beings would be scraped away. Before that time comes, slowly it has to learn the fact that, God is the source and giver of everything in its life. His parents, friends, relatives, education, wisdom, riches, position, contacts, etc. everything is a gift from God to Him. Even for his life, he is indebted to his Creator.

The shift of his trust from people to God should happen even when they are under the custody of their parents i.e. before 18 years of age. They should be thoroughly taught about this.
Children who are educated in this, by their parents, slowly and steadily in the right way, at the right time, achieve their aim in life.

Prayer

Let all the souls put their trust in God. Only in God. God’s glorious throne is a strong fortress to all who trust Him. Surrender all of them to God and His providence.

–Sr. Angelica AOJ

HEAVEN’S CURRENCY

And How to Earn the Heavenly Treasure

Every kingdom/country has a currency. So does our Father’s Heavenly Kingdom. And can you guess what it is? The currency of Heaven is ‘Love’. The residents of Heaven carry out their transactions in this currency. They are all ‘bought’ by the precious blood of Lord Jesus and have received the perfect ‘gift of salvation’—-their treasure in heaven. Every ‘give’ and ‘take’ is carried out in terms of ‘Love’.

How a True Christian Earns The Heavenly Treasure During His Earthly Journey

In the Earthly Kingdom also, true Christians operate with this currency. To them the earthly mammon holds no significance

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Mathew 6:24

When the Pharisees tried to entangle Lord Jesus asking Him whether it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not, Jesus perceived their wickedness and said:-

 Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;and unto God the things that are God’s.

 Matthew 22:21

‘Money’ of this world cannot be the most important thing for a true Christian.He knows how to be content with whatever God has provided him. Also, he does not envy those who are affluent as per worldly norms. He attaches greater significance to inner peace, chastity, walking in obedience to the Father and the statutes in the Word of God.His aim is to fulfil his God given destiny on this earth and endeavour to win souls for God’s Kingdom.

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Psalm 37:16

People of this world spend most of their time worrying how to secure their earthly treasures which are eventually perishable. Satan has blinded their eyes and deceived them into believing that wealth is the key to attaining happiness.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1 Timothy 6:17

But true Christians store their treasures in heaven by reading and obeying the ‘WORD OF GOD’. They live together in love and harmony with their eyes fixed on the ‘Heavenly Treasure’, that is, ‘Salvation of their souls’.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10

Power of Heaven’s Currency:

Also, love ‘buys’ i.e. it reciprocates. It has great power but only for them who realize it’s worth. You can buy your children’s obedience with it, your husband’s faithfulness, your wife’s care, your parent’s peace, your master’s favour, your servant’s dedication…………even a stranger’s trust.

Love has a ‘magnetic’ power which works only on them who have their spirit and consequently their consciences alive. That is why Lord’s love automatically attracts the ones who are ‘called’ according to His purpose. It does not work on people of the world whose conscience is dead. This Heavenly Currency has no value for them.

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Matthew 19:21

But for the believers, it is invaluable and while waiting for His coming we will continue to transact in this ‘currency of Love’ and not of the world!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, teach us to orchestrate our lives in a way where we operate in the ‘heavenly currency’ of love.Lord,pour Your love in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).May we be ambassadors of comfort to those in distress, thereby saving souls and winning them for Your Kingdom.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Sol. Neelam Sharma

  Delivering me from my enemies. You exalted me above those who rebelled against me, delivering me from violent men.

2Sa 22:49

David had many enemies to face in his life. He knew why enemies rose against him. When he sinned against God one of the punishment God uttered on him was,

“Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the LORD says: “‘Listen very carefully! “‘I’m raising up evil against you right out of your own household. “

2Sa 12:10,11 

David’s own son rose against him and became his enemy.  Absaom gathered David’s army, drove David away from the palace and made himself the king. Even though David repented  and asked mercy from the Lord, all the Israelites were under Absalom for a particular period. The Lord forgave his sins. But the term of punishment was there. During this period also, David sought the Lord and the Lord was with him to help him.

After a particular period, all the Israelites came back to him. And David was appointed king again.

“Not long afterward, all the men of Israel started coming to the king….”

2 Sa 19:41 

They were competing in claiming rights over David.

The invitation for David’s return had originated in the ten tribes, but, through some mismanagement, the actual welcome was given by Judah. This led to a renewed manifestation of the rivalry that at length brought about the division of the kingdom. The prophetic word,  ‘Therefore the sword will never leave your household’ came into effect.

Today many believers  undergo trials and tribulations over which they are not able to take victory.  Neither do they know the reason.

India, as a nation has been undergoing slavery of satan for centuries. But now the period of punishment is getting over. Jesus Christ is slowly taking  over this nation.

Sense the change of time! It’s your duty to see ‘Jesus’ Government’ is established  in your area. What are the slaveries your area people are undergoing now? You may start chasing them.

  One time there was a famine during David’s reign that went on for three straight years. David sought the LORD, who said, “Saul and his household are guilty because he executed the Gibeonites.”

2Sa 21:1

Is there a famine (for the word),  sickness or anything that is tormenting people of your Constituency continuously? Ask the Lord for the reason. He will reveal the solution too.

  After they had done everything that the king commanded, God responded to prayers for the land. 

2Sa 21:14

Is there still anything which you have to do for your land?

  And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. 

2Sa 22:1

India is going to sing the Freedom Song soon. Its slavery is coming to an end. All the enemies which ruled over India – sins, curses, false gods and goddesses all are fleeing one by one.  You are being built, O India, You shall again put on your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. Amen.

–Sr. Angelica AOJ

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations- Mathew 28:19 (NIV)

Here during His Great Commission our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to proclaim the Gospel and make them not only as believers of Him but disciples.

What is to be a disciple?

There are two thing a disciple does

1. The disciple will be a servant to the master and learns from Him
2. The Master after teaching the disciple sends the disciple alone to live in the teachings and to teach other people what he has learned

In the same way Jesus after teaching his disciples for 3 years and when the time came he sent them to the world to proclaim the Gospel and make him disciples.

In a interesting fact the word disciples comes about 28 time in the Book Acts of the Apostles but the word believers coming around 3 times. The early church was committed to make disciples rather than just believers.

We see people in today’s church as believers depending on God for only for blessings of the world rather than living according to his will. The disciples of Jesus were in the same way. They wanted to be beside Jesus to control people, to be seated at the right and left side of him and even hindered him from going to the cross according to our Fathers will. But Jesus transformed them be his disciples after His death at the cross and through The Holy Spirit.

Today God through AOJ is making disciples through BFF and Gift schools to make every one attending not only as believers of Jesus Christ but to be his disciples.

Prayer:

 Father God give us the grace to be your disciple always to follow in your footsteps and to make more disciples for you as you commanded, In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Sol.Leo

The Lord hath taken away thy judgements, He hath cast out thine enemy, the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: though shall not see evil any more”. Zephaniah 3:15

What a great promise we have. All our reproaches are taken away. We are justified in the sight of God. Now enemy has no power over us. We are set free. That is why Jesus said “If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free”. The Lord will remove all guilt and sins from our lives. We are sanctified. The Lord has removed the enemy. The enemy want to accuse us or tempt us. God is in control of our lives. He has given us the authority to cast out demons. Luke 10:17,Mathew 10:8. Lord refines us with fire and water experiences in our lives. Isaiah 43:2.

Spiritually I was a lukewarm person in my early years. God had already chosen me before my birth.so God sent me through fire and water experiences to bring me close to Him through my mother’s death at the age of 43years and my husband’s heart problem and paralysis from the age of 45 to 64 years. God focuses on our character, not to do wrong, not to speak lies, or say anything deceitful. We are to be humble ,yet confident and brave, gentle as sheep and bold as Lion. God lives in us and among us.so He is our source of strength and confidence. As long as we use the shield of faith and speak the word of God in faith we can defeat the enemy. Even if we face difficulties, challenges, problems He assured us that we will have victory at the end either in our life time or in eternity.

The problem with us is that we have no patience. Lord sanctifies us and make us perfect in thought, word, and deed. He set us free from all the chains of the past gives us wings of prayer to fly high and free. We are expected to be diligent. Then God will move us to greater heights of faith, wisdom and excellence. We become fearless for what can men do to us if God is with us. Romans8:31 We are more than conquerors.Romans8:37. That is why Jesus said “the kingdom of God is in you and amongst you”. Luke17:20-21. God has plans to prosper us, and to bless us with hope and our future in eternity.

The sting with which the enemy hurt us was death. 1 Corinthians 15:56. The sting of death has lost its power to harm us with the resurrection of Jesus and gives us hope and resurrection. Jesus is the only one in history to overcome death. After His resurrection He didn’t remind anyone of their acts of betrayal of Him. He asked them to share boldly about salvation, about eternal life, and encourage them to establish the Church.

Prayer

Heavenly Father we thank you for giving us victory over the enemy and giving us spiritual freedom. Give us the grace to exhibit godly character Amen

Sol.Gigi Jacob

“You have not chosen me, but i have CHOSEN YOU.,……”

John 15:16

As the verse says God has chosen us and we did not choose Him. We know that God chose us before He formed this world, the Universe.

Ephesians 1:4 He chose not only us but even our parents, brothers and sisters even our husband/wife and children for our sake. So we can very well say that what all we have today were already planned by God. They can be considered as gifts from God to each one of us. Even what happened in our past life and what is going to happen in future to us is already planned by God before He formed us.

Many people are bitter in their attitude because of their past experiences. Their relationship with God is also casual. Such people become prone to Satan’s attack.

Many born again Christians also backslide because of such experiences.

I would like to share my TESTIMONY. 

SAYS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT
 GOD HAD ALREADY CHOSEN US FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS WORLD, 
EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T KNOW HIM .

Now I can assure you that all those who are in Christ Jesus are called and chosen as mentioned in Jeremiah 1:5″Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee: and before thou came straight forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

So when trials come don’t get disappointed or lose hope or get depressed because the good news is that our

LORD GOD IS IN CONTROL.

One day I requested God to reveal to me about the voice I heard so many years back at that fair. After praying for it one day God spoke to me this verse Jeremiah 1:5

From my experiences I can assuredly tell you whatever may come,move forward with Jesus without worrying. He will lead and guide you. Do and finish whatever work He has allotted to you, before your call to the heavenly abode.

Thank you Lord for choosing each one of us and opening our spiritual eyes to understand your Word. Amen

---

SOL. RICHA JAIN, AOJ

---

So Likewise All Of You, When All Of You Shall Have Done All Those Things Which Are Commanded You, Say,

WE ARE USELESS SERVANTS:

We Have Done That Which Was Our Duty To Do.

Luke 17:10 (UKJV)

---

We all have the experience of being servants or having appointed servants.
One who serve others is a “servant“. Servants have only limited freedom and are restricted in exercising their freedom. As the name depicts, they are expected to serve others”.

Jesus here gives an example and shows that a believer always should have the attitude of a servant who has no authority to question anyone at any time for anything, but always have a humble attitude to obey his Master . He never has any claim or right than receiving the wages from His Master.

While in ministry a believer has to use the authority which he has received from the Lord in casting out demons and healing sicknesses. But for himself he should not claim anything with authority.
After a tiresome ministry when you come back home, if you see a lot of things in mess, you have to be patient.
After casting out a few demons, when you come home , if you see a person at home behave like demon possessed, you have no right to complaint.c

A Servant's Duty Is Always To Serve And Serve, Serve His Master.

Jesus by His death and resurrection has made us His Father’s rightful sons.
But we should always have the humble attitude of serving our Master.
Jesus demonstrates this with an example of the landlord and His servant.
A servant of Jesus should do all that is commanded to him .
For that we should learn the commandments of Old and New Testaments and practice them in their life and then consider themselves as “Useless servants”.
Even when you will have to wait for your basic needs like food, drink and shelter, wait patiently.

In Mark we read that Jesus gave authority to His servants.
Mar 13:34  As a man going away, leaving his house, and giving authority to his servants, and each man's work to him, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 

This authority should be exercised on His behalf in managing His household (the earth). But our attitude towards the Master should always be Luke 17:10.

Once I was taken to a Government servant’s house for prayer. I was surprised to see the respect and reverence the driver had for his Master. The way he rushed and came to open the door of the car after stopping the engine. Even he did the same to us because we were his guests. How much more humble we should be in front of the Almighty God who gave us everything including our very life. For everything we possess in our life, we owe to Him! He can stop our breath any moment!

Heavenly Father, give us the humility and humble attitude in serving you. As years pass by, and as we get more experienced in ministry, let us never lose the reverence toward you. Let’s always remain “useless servants” for you.

---

SR. ANGELICA AOJ

---

Two kinds of prayer

“I tell you; this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone he exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.

        The topic of prayer (Luke18 :1-8) leads Jesus into this parable about the right attitude for approaching God. Jesus told them about the two men went up to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee and other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed exalting himself as righteous and the tax collector beat his chest in sorrow while praying and confess that he is a sinner and ask for forgiveness.

           What was wrong with the pharisee’s prayer and right about the tax collector ‘s prayer, that God’s assessment of them should be so radically different from our expectations? I don’t think it is difficult to spot.

           Notice how the pharisee begins, ‘Lord’ he says ‘I thank you I am not like other men are’.

         Imagine going to a doctor and saying I want you to know that I am in perfect health, no medicine needed. I am unlike the rest of the patients I observe in your waiting room, there’s nothing wrong with me at all.

He didn’t allow the doctor to examine also. What could the doctor do to such a man? He will leave the doctors clinic unchanged, unbenefited anyway, because he asked for nothing. If he allowed the doctor to examine him, the doctor could have found some problem and healed him.

         This is exactly the point Jesus makes in another saying” It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. (Mathew 9:12). This Pharisee is a perfect example of that. He came into the temple to justify himself of his spiritual and moral character. He didn’t come to pray at all.

         The tax collector knew why the Pharisee was praying like that. Just to insult him. Pharisee said in a loud voice “God, I thank you that I am not like other men., Luke 18:11, rogues, swindlers, traitors or like that tax collector over there.

Everybody was a deliberate dig at him. But the tax collector didn’t say anything, he was aware of the disease of his soul. He made no grudge and he feels his need and as he beat his breast, his need burst out of him in short abrupt sound of inner torture.

“God……be merciful to me…. the sinner”. He felt at that time that he was the only sinner in the entire world–yet Jesus says that’s the kind of prayer God hears.

That sort of worshipper goes, a different person, whereas the proud and complacent, for all their eloquent supplications, leave the house of God inexactly the same unacceptable state in which they arrived.

Prayer

          Father God gives us the grace to be humble always. We surrender ourselves to you.

Amen

–Sol.Gerard