AOJ NEWS

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

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SOL. RICHA JAIN, AOJ

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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)

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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.

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SR. ANGELICA AOJ

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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

Even though a large crowd of people from as far away as Ephraim, ……. had not completed consecrating themselves, they still ate the Passover in a manner not proscribed by the Law, because Hezekiah had prayed like this for them: “May the good LORD extend a pardon on behalf of everyone who prepares his own heart to seek God, the LORD God of his ancestors, even though he does so inconsistent with the laws of consecration.” The LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
In his reign King Hezekiah cleansed the temple of the Lord which was forsaken for a long period. He restored the service of the Lord’s Temple.
He told the priests,

2Ch 30:18-20

Please don’t be careless, you descendants of Aaron, because the LORD has chosen you to minister in his presence, to serve him, to be his ministers, and to burn incense.”

2Ch 29:11

But still there were so many in the assembly that had not consecrated themselves.
King Hezekiah sent word to all of Israel and Judah, and wrote letters that they should come to the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem to observe the Passover to the LORD.

The king, his princes, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had mutually decided to observe the Passover in the second month, but they had been unable to celebrate it then because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem.
So the King sent a message like to the people again.

“If you return to the LORD, your relatives and children will receive compassion from those who took them away captive, and they’ll return to this land, because the LORD is both gracious and compassionate—he will not turn away from you if you return to him.”
Couriers crossed from city to city throughout the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but those people just mocked them and laughed at them.

Hezekiah was not discouraged. He prayed for those who had not consecrated themselves that the Lord may forgive them. The Lord heard him and healed the people.

2Ch 30:10

How patient King Hezekiah would have been to unite the two kingdoms, Judah and Israel and bring them together to the presence of the Lord.
It is colossal effort to bring all the Churches together in India to the Lord and cleanse them. You will have to suffer betrayal, mockery, insults etc. But perseverance is needed to bring results.

God also poured out his grace throughout Judah, giving them a dedicated heart to do what the king and princes had decreed according to the message from the LORD.

2Ch 30:12

God’s grace is with the Church in India now. We have to work with a united heart. Let us pray for even those who have not yielded to the will of God. When we pray God will heal our people and land.

What we all need is HEALING.
Healing from the painful memories of the past
Healing from the long cherished wounds
Healing of body, soul and spirit
Healing of physical, emotional, spiritual wounds
Healing of the damaged emotions
Healing of rejection, guilt and shame.
Our land also needs healing. It is fallen sick.

Our economy is sick.

Our industries are sick.

Our people are sick.

Our youth, children, elderly suffer with sicknesses in soul, body and spirit.

All the more our Churches are sick.

Testimony

When we decided in the meeting in Mumbai on 23rd April to work for the Churches, by giving training to them, the same day the Lord did miracles. We received phone calls from two Church Heads that they want to send their believers for training.
Let’s pronounce & utter healing and complete health to our land and people. Let your tongue go on uttering this 24 hours today. We will see immediate results, today itself.

-Sr. Angelica AOJ

“Ask ,and it shall be given you;seek,and you shall find;knock,and it shall be opened unto you.”

–Mathew 7:7

This verse teaches us the persistence  in prayer. God’s people are to seek daily provision and spiritual  blessing. We ask not as a master but as one asks a father. Father on earth has limitations  in answering  fully. Father in heaven has no such limitations. He is able to answer more than we ask, think or imagine.

But we need to ask boldly, faithfully, and thankfully without doubting. We ask for our need   seek for His wisdom and knock for opportunities.. We need to ask with gratitude and according to His will and His word.

We have to ask in the name of Jesus. When we seek His glory, it pleases the Father’s heart. We have to ask ,seek and knock persistently and diligently.

              Lord is willing  and  able to give that which is perfect and good to those who love Him. He is able to show us what eye has not seen or  ear heard or entered our thoughts.

    Ask, seek and knock is not an option but a command.. God’s  answer is certain for the word “shall” is used not “can ” or “may”. The time of receiving the answer is a decision. Or choice of the Lord. Lords priority  is our transformation of our souls and lives.

1 Corinthians 2:9

             If we ask our earthly father, he will give us only what is good for us.If we know how to give good gifts to our children,how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.

Mathew  7:11

        We do not have because we fail to ask.our heavenly Father is the alpha and omega, the beginning  and the end,so He knows everything, what is good  for us.only thing is that we need to ask Him.

James4:2-3

Testimony

               I joined Morning 0Worship,Rose, in August 2021.Everyday I look forward  eagerly to join the morning  worship. It brings great delight to my heart as I am interacting  with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Listening to the beautiful worship songs, the message and the prayers.

Prayer

        Dear  Heavenly Father give us the grace to ask, seek and knock boldly, faithfully  and thankfully  without doubting for our needs and seek you always above all things.

Amen

Sol.Anju

“And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant .I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever”. “I will make my home among them. I will be their God and they will be my people”.

–Ezekiel 37: 26-27

Ezekiel 34:1-37:28,God is speaking about the restoration of all that is lost due to the sin of Adam. He will be their leader and will restore the fruitfulness of their land. A revival will happen and it will result in restoration. The good kings in the old Testament represent the shepherds. They led them wisely and strongly.

The same shepherds are seen in New Testament as

apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, helping others, and those speak in tongues.

1 Corinthians 12 :28.

But Jesus is the “great Shepherd “of the sheep, His beloved children.

Hebrew 13:20

Restoration of mountains of Israel is seen in chapter 36.when God’s people return Israel will experience an increase in population and fruitfulness. God made Israelites clean while the gentile nations remained unclean. Israelites become unclean later due to their idolatry and bloodshed. Ezek 36:18.

By Christ’s death He redeemed His people and redraw the line between clean and unclean. So the Gentiles who received Christ also become clean. Ezekiel 36:25-27. Now they can come boldly to God’s presence and experience His grace. Hebrew 12:18-19

Restoration takes place in different stages.Ezek.37:7,10 “….suddenly I spoke there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons……..a great army”.

History told us that during the time of Martin Luther King ,who brought a revival fought for justification(noise),John Wesley ‘s time he tried to sanctify the people(rattling),Charles Finny’s effort with God bring a revival of religion and people received Holy Spirit. And 1904 Evan Roberts revival brought gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus an army is formed.

        Jesus restored the understanding  of the Lordship of Christ. He insists "no more idols in our life such as materialism or any thing in this world more than Christ".Ezekiel.37:23-24,1Corinthians:12:2-3

He restores the true worship’
” I will put my Temple among them forever…………and My home among them”.

Ezek37:26-27

He restored fellowship among believers37:15-22,Ephesians5:18-21 and restored the word in their heart.

“Then they shall know that I am the Lord”.

Ezekiel 36:27.

A new love for Bible is born and biblical illiteracy leaves the church.
He restores the zeal to withstand hardship for the gospel.

When the prophecy spoke to them breath came into their bodies they all come to life and form an army. Army to win new territories, many nations.Ezek.38:23,
Missions are born in revival

Prayer

      Thank you Jesus for the revival and restoration. Thank you for your promise that "you will see greater things than these". Amen

Sol. Runice AOJ

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”

–Matthew 25:19

We all know this parable. Here, we see Jesus teaching His disciples that the Master took account from his servants, whom he had given 5, 2, and 1 talents. One who was given 5, gave back 5 more. One who was given 2, gave back 2. But one who was given 1, has done nothing with it. In the same way Lord has adored and entrusted us with different gifts, for which we are accountable. In verse 19, we see that Master settled accounts with the servants. Like those servants, one day we all have to give account to our Master. Today, we see that there are lots of gifted believers, who are not using their gifts either due to unawareness or due to not getting chance to use it.

Testimony

I was saved in 2007 and baptized in 2009, and enjoyed being in a church. Since then, I never used all the God given gifts. I was active, but not aware of the gifts. After attending BFF in 2018 followed by gift schools, God revealed many of my gifts. I thereby started using them. I thank God for AOJ who helps believers to develop their gifts and preparing them to serve Lord through these gifts.

When gifts get wasted, it hurts God. We see Lord’s anger in verse 26, “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! “ In verse 30 he says, “throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

Many gifted and talented believers are zealous for God and want to do many things for Lord, but as their gifts are not identified and they are not given chance to use their gifts, their gifts are getting wasted.

It is the duty of church leader to identify the gift of every believer and allow them to develop in their gifts. In Matthew 20:7, we see “They said unto him, ‘Because no man hath hired us.” We see here that these servants are not given work. But Master does not want them to waste their time and talents.

So, Lord is very serious about using each and every talents he has entrusted to every believer. It’s our duty that we find out talents of our fellow believers and allow them to develop in their God given gifts to glorify God.

Sol.Grishma Patel AOJ

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth. I came not to bring peace but a sword.”

–Matthew 10:34

Believers in Jesus always have peace that passeth understanding. But they are always persecuted and tormented from the ancient to the present day. Even though they have peace in their hearts, all around they face strife and trouble. They are not violent, but are always accused. Even persons belonging to the same house turn against them and try to harm them. Those who are against Jesus will persecute those who are for Him.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”

John 15:18

“I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

John 15:19

Your parents or in-laws may not like Jesus, so they hate you who loves the Lord. The answer to this we get in Matthew 10:37-39. Here Jesus says, “If you love your father or mother, son or daughter, more than me, you are not worthy of mine.” It does not mean that you have to hate them, but love Christ more than those people. If you refuse to take up the cross and follow me, you are not mine; if you cling to your life, you will lose it; if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Testimony:

All believers are called to acknowledge the lordship of Christ and show Him preference over all earthly ties. Though born in a Christian family, I did not know the Lord for 45 years till God came in search of me 15 years back in 2007. Now I have been associated with AOJ by God’s grace for more than 3 years now. In 2020 May 17th when I was worshiping the Lord, God showed me a sword, and I was looking for a reason and God showed these verses (Matthew 10:34-36). Meditating further I got the answer in Matthew 10:37-39. 

The words of Jesus are like a sword of truth that penetrates human hearts. Those who love and obey God will trust His words. Others hate and distrust Him. His word is a double-edged sword, which penetrates the speaker and the listener. In Revelation, the Lord is depicted as a rider of a horse, with a fury sword coming out of His mouth. It implies that the words of Jesus in our mouth, mind and heart is a purifying, cleansing and sanctifying fire as well as a weapon of defense, a source of power in our lives to emerge victorious.

God taught me (Exodus 4:12, Ezekiel 3:27, Matthew 10:19,20, Isaiah 49:2) how to give direction to the sword of the spirit through my mouth in absolute faith, whose edge has been sharpened and polished to slaughter and kill (Ezekiel 21:10, 14,16) and to do surgery and remove all idols, stone hearts, ego, pride, position etc.

Prayer

Father God, give me the grace to love you more than anything or any relation in this world. All glory, honour and praise to the Lord Jesus.

Amen

Sol. Jasmine James AOJ