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Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.

Mathew 7:1

Matthew 7:1-2 ASV

In these verses Jesus talks about passing judgment and criticizing others. Does it really mean that we shouldn’t talk about others and evaluate their actions and talks? Should we adopt an attitude of being silent and inactive. Is it right that we shouldn’t react to whatever is happening?  Then why does the Lord say about being warned against false prophets. If you don’t use your discretion and judgmental powers, how can we recognize false people and false teachings?

Surely, we should discriminate between what is right and what is wrong. with wisdom and understanding granted by the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus warns us of harsh and hasty opinion and comments against those whom we don’t like. Our harsh words may character assassinate and tarnish someone’s reputation. In Numbers 12:1 we see Aaron and Miriam were jealous against Moses and they talked ill of Moses and his wife Sippora. God didn’t like it. He called both of them and Miriam was punished for her bad words of judgment against Sippora. Same was with Korah and his followers who were judgmental against Moses.

We should surely be impartial with an aim of edification and improvement rather than expressing our disagreement and intolerance of people and events.

We find Paul finding fault with Peter as Peter insisted on circumcision in order to please his Jewish following (Gal 2-12-16). Can you call Paul as judgmental about Peter as Paul openly spoke against Peter’s favoritism and partiality to his own people? Paul stood for principles, His intention was not to humiliate Peter, but to go the right way. When Christ died for our sins and all believers’ sins are borne and washed away by the Lord’s sacrifice at Calvary. The age of grace grants forgiveness to all who believe in the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the works of law of the Old Testament and circumcision are not for the believers. Apostle Paul wanted to establish this fact and he was totally against Peter’s professing circumcision.

So, whatever we do or say should be to the honour of the teachings of the Lord.

Let us avoid merciless and hard words that spoil others’ reputation. At the same time let us be honest and no conniving. Let’s be bold enough to call a spade a spade and let’s do it in an appropriate manner. We should get rid of the habit of finding fault and being biased. 

Study the Word of God, meditate the Word which is essential for correction and edification; necessary for righteous living.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

II Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

Praise God.

-Sol.Salomi Kurian

  No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is good enough!’“ 

–Luke 5:39

In Jesus time, the Jewish religion  was saturated with the Old Testament Bible teaching. “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’. But Jesus brought a new code of teaching. It brought a paradigm shift  in the latter of the two main commandments. ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’.

But the Jewish leaders could not digest this. The old teaching seemed to be good enough for them  because the new teaching required  an upside down change in their customs and systems.

In the Jewish class there were two categories; The oppressor and the oppressed.

The religious leaders were the oppressing class and the ordinary Jews were the oppressed. The Jewish religions was following the hierarchical system which was introduced into human history  by Nimrod. All the religions, institutions  in this world follow this system which divides the society into two categories. Jesus brought a revolutionary change in the  by breaking  this system.

He asked water from a low caste woman and when she refused Jesus made her understand who He was. The Samaritans of a whole village believed in Jesus and He stayed with them for two  days. Through preaching the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus presented God having a soft corner for Samaritans, the less privileged class.

He favoured the tax collector Levi and went to his house for a dinner. In the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector, the latter was heard and went back righteous.

All those provoked the Pharisees. They preferred the “old wine” i.e. their system to continue. The less privileged heard the preaching of Jesus and valued it. But the oppressive class, with their political and religious power  made them silent.

This Jesus is still alive and is still continuing the same work through generations.

Dearly beloved, you are called to bring Jesus’ Kingdom into this world.  The political, religious, cultural system which exists in your surroundings, in your Constituency should be brought in direct alignment with the principles of Jesus Kingdom.

Identify  the oppressed class of the society in your Constituency. Caste, Religion, Color, Education, tradition, money, muscle strength, anything can be the discriminating factor. Join the oppressed class. God is always with the poor and oppressed. When you make visits, enter  into any house of the poor and needy, pray with them, seal them in the name of Jesus. They will taste the “New Wine” i.e. And say, ‘this is good’. 

  Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him! 

–Psalm 34:8

Once they taste, they will come to like the new wine! Make them taste it! That’s your challenge!

–Sr. Angelica AOJ

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

     We have to keep guard over the entrance of our heart and allow only that which builds us up. What corrupts our heart is to stay out.If we let in ungodly things, We become ungodly. So be careful in letting in godly things.If your heart is full of God’s word, you are storing good things

As a follower of Christ all we need to do is set our hearts right with God. As we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we know that Holy Spirit will live inside of us. So, all we need to do is to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we obey the Holy Spirit that very right moment, we are leading a Holy life.

When your heart is right and pure you can obey God’s word and apply it in your life. Constantly monitor what is in your heart and eliminate what is not godly. That is why psalmist  prays in Psalms 139:23,24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting..

“Psalms 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

As the Scripture says in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

1John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 

Here scripture says that His commandments are not burdensome.  The best way to guard our hearts is to fill our hearts with the Word of God.

For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  1 sam 16:7

Be careful of what you see and be careful of what you receive. Turn to God with all your heart. God is asking you to return to Him. Are you will to go to the Lord?

If you are willing surely God will change your heart and He is willing to give us a new heart and renew right Spirit within us.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  Luke 6:45

Let us Pray

Father, I come to you today and I ask for the forgiveness for all the sins that I have committed willingly. But right from this moment I want to return to you with all my heart and I want to set my heart right with you Lord. Thank you, Lord, for giving me a new heart.

In Jesus name

Amen.

Sol. Mercy, AOJ.

               BE LOYAL

…them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

–1 Samuel 2:30

God honours those who honour Him. He’ll never forget the seeds of loyalty you sow. He’ll multiply them and give them back to you in a harvest of blessing.

when He makes up His jewels, you’ll be forever among them.

–Malachi 3:17

Forever. Think about that for a moment. By honouring God with your life and your lips, you’re stepping into a realm of blessing that will literally take an eternity to explore.

Once you begin to get that kind of eternal perspective on things, you’ll see that it’s grossly immature to get mad at God when temporary things don’t work out exactly how and when you want them to.

You’ll see that your loyalty must be first of all to God, that you must seek first His kingdom, even when things seem to be going wrong. The Bible says that if you’ll do that, all these other things will be added unto you.

God never forgets. He’ll never forget that in the heat of the battle, when others were giving up and saying, “Hey, this faith stuff doesn’t work!” you were still honoring Him by standing firm and speaking His promises.

So determine in your heart today to be loyal toward God in every word you speak. Make up your mind once and for all that nothing in your life is as vital as honoring Him. Keep honoring Him and speaking words of faith.

Prayer

Father, strengthen our faith, teach us to walk according to faith and wait patiently to unlock our miracles through patience and by Faith in Jesus name .

Amen.

–Sol. Blessy AOJ

 “But thou, when you prayest,enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to the Father which is on secret; and thy Father which seethe in secret shall reward thee openly”.

–Mathew6:6

              Jesus tells His disciples to have an intimate relationship with  God. Father and son relationship  with the Lord is the most effective source of comfort and safety. If we pray to our heavenly Father in a secret place, it gives us full concentration. Jesus set us an example when He went away from His disciples and prayed to His Father. This is the usual practice for Him.

Mark1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed”.

Before selecting the 12 disciples Jesus spent the whole night with the Father 

Luke6:12-13″And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God”.

         In Old Testament we find prophet  Elisha in a similar situation.

2 Kings 4:33″He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord”.

Èlisha prayed secretly to God in a closed room with the dead  boy of the Shunammite  woman.

Again king Hezekiel turned his face to the wall and cried out to God to restore his life.He was sick and near death. God warned him through  prophet Isaiah.He prayed in the secrecy of his relationship  with the Lord..Lord heard and granted an addition of 15 years to his  life.

          Jesus set certain conditions  for the prayer to be heard.

Mark 11: 25 – 26  ” And when years stand praying forgive, if you have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses “.  “But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven  forgive your trespasses”.

Prophet Isaiah says

“And when you spread forth your hands,I will  hide mine eyes from you.yea,when you make many prayers,I will not  hear: Your hands are full of blood.”

–Isaiah 1:15

The prerequisite  for prayer  is forgive and reconcile  with your adversary, and keep away from all evil.That is why the psalmist  says  in

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” “But verily God hath heard me: he hath attended to the voice of my prayer”.

–Psalms 66:18-19

Praise the Lord. Amen

–Sol.Salomi

“And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”.

Galatians 6:9

The verse reminds me of the  life of athelets.Their sole aim is to win the game. They dedicate their sleep, diet ,exercise all for that and apply all their energy to win the race. Our life is a race as Paul says in

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”.

–2 Timothy4:7

           Paul,s letter to Timothy was a great encouragement  to Timothy and to us as well, to fight the good fight of faith,to run the race thar is set before us, and to honour the Lord in all we say and do, by keeping the faith and enduring to the end.Christian life is a spiritual  battle and continuous struggle against evil. Paul had learned that living a spirit life and maturing in Christian faith, didn’t depend on his own ability,wisdom,intelligence  or efforts but on the power of the indwelling  spirit of Christ,working in Him and  living through  Him.

“I am crucified with Christ,nevertheless I live, yet not I,but Christ liveth in me…..”

–Galatians  2:20

          Do not be weary in well doing because in due time or season we shall reap. It will bear fruit in the time appointed by Lord. We should not get discouraged  feeling that nothing is happening

Luke18:1“men ought always to pray, and not to faint”. We should be patient like a farmer and not feel exhausted our work for Lord is never in vain.2corinthians15:58.

          Worldly people worked hard for gaining money .our aim is to get a judgement from God as “good and faithful servant”.Mathew25:21

             Different crops have different seasons for ripening and to reap. Similarly our fruits may be waiting for  the apt time to be manifest. We should keep doing all good things and win the soul’s for Christ. We should not despair but know that the Lord is with us and is always intercession for us Romans8:34.

          Unless a person perseveres in doing good to the end of life,he can hope for no reward. 

1 Corinthians 15:58.”…..be ye steadfast,unmoveable,always abounding in the work of the Lord…….your labour is not in vain in the Lord”.

Those who become disheartened, withdraws from the field of God’s work, shows that he has no true heart  for God’s work.A true Christian never withdraw.He becomes pledged to do good and to serve God always

2 Thessalonians 3:13″But ye ,brethren,be not weary in well doing”.

           Heavenly  Father give us the grace to do your work diligently  and faithfully. Help us to win the souls for you.  I pray that I may not lose heart or grow weary.

Amen

Sol.Gigi Jacob

 Jehoash Did What The Lord Considered To Be Right During The Entire Time When Jehoiada The Priest Was Instructing Him.

Kings 12:2

The Lord established human government on earth after Noah’s period. The Lord put Himself under the binding of this law. He respects the person whom people elect to rule over them. Even when they elected people whom Jehovah did not favour, THE LORD ANOINTED THEM WITH HIS Spirit bible has ample examples for this.

In the above verse we read about a king Jehoash. He was made king at the age of 7. How a child of 7 would have ruled a nation? We can imagine. This was the result of the Kingly rule. Were authority and administration will be handed over automatically to their children, But there was a priest of God, to advise him in everything. So the administration went on well in his kingdom. He brought many reformations too. Here we see an incident .

2Ki 12:7,8  
 So king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, along with other priests, and asked them, "Why haven't you fixed the leaks in the Temple? Stop receiving donations from your acquaintances for repairing the leaks in the Temple."  So the priests agreed to receive no more cash from the people, but they didn't repair the leaks in the Temple, either. 

The king banned the priests from receiving cash from the people in the name of constructing or repairing the temple of God.

Priests were supposed to be mediators between God and people, bringing corrections in every sphere of life even in the administration of the king. but during king jehoash’s time, it happened vice versa. the king is bringing financial discipline among priests. the king issued certain laws regarding this.

Today the Lord is rectifying all the financial indiscipline and mismanagement in the religious sphere of India and of the world. Let us be submissive to His operations. Even though many of us noticed major cracks in the temple (His body, the Church) of the Lord, no one dared to rectify it till Covid 19. Hence the Lord had to resort to new method; i.e. Correcting His Church using gentiles, through pestilence Covid 19, etc..

Let us ask pardon for our silence, indifference towards the flaws and wrongs done in the temple of the Lord.

When the Lord warned the Church regarding this through “Operation Ecclesia” in 2013, I approached a Christian lawyer and requested him to do something legally to rectify this. reply was,
“How can I go and tell this to my Church head. I will have to offend him”. He reflected the mindset of majority of Christians in India.
The Lord clearly warned us,
“If you don’t do, I will have to hand over the Indian Church to gentiles. They will bring the necessary rectifications. They will be like axe and hammer to you.”

We see how king Jehoash accomplished this in 2 Ki 12: 7-15.
2Ki 12:7-8  Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.”   So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should

We see how king Jehoash accomplished this in 2 Ki 12: 7-15.
2Ki 12:7-8  Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.”   So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house……. 

The Lord is bringing a reformation in the Church all over the world.
Recently I heard about a Church which wants to construct a building for the Church to assemble, the estimate of which is Rs. 72 crores. The constructed buildings of the Churches in USA and Europe have been converted into bars, clubs, Muslim mosques restaurants etc. We are not learning from all these. Still we go on constructing buildings instead of building hearts. May the Lord open our eyes! Let us ask pardon from the Lord for all our sins, especially for the mismanagement of money, financial indiscipline inside the Church.

SR. ANGELICA AOJ

” BUT PUT YE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,

And Make Not Provision For The Flesh,To Fulfill The Lusts,Thereof”.

Romans 13:14

We all are born into the world with Adam’s sin and as we grow up we collect layers of sins of our own. This filthy garment will make us lose the gift of eternal life. If we do not come to Jesus for

Cleansing And Receiving His Righteousness To Cover Us, We Appear Naked In Heaven. But His Grace Covers Us All The Time.”

Ephesians4:24

And That Ye Put On The New Man , Which After God Is Created In Righteousness And True Holiness"..

so let it be our last night on the boat of carnality.carnality is when you have a call of God on your life still you love to remain in your comfort zone. You have to get out of your sinful nature.ie . Leave the boat and wet your feet like Peter in faith ,from familiar to unfamiliar.

When things become unbearable and there is no other option than to look to the creator, then we listen to His call and we cannot go back.

What type of clothing you are wearing?
We cannot trust our works and righteousness.

Isaiah 64:6 says” But we are all as an unclean thing,and all our righteousness are as filthy rags…..”.

He came at the right time to die for us.Isaiah 60:22I the Lord will hasten it in His time”. The cross shows us what is our worth? It doesn’t end here, He takes us further on a journey to be transformed in His image to see Him face to face soon. At the time of Baptism we entered the “BLOOD COVENENT”. We were buried with Him along with our old nature.so we are no longer slave to sin.

According to Galatians3:27″All of you who are baptized have clothed yourselves with christ.”

Me and my friend went to a small village in Chennai to preach the gospel, after taking immersion baptism. My friend started driving out demons from a man.At that time I was stirred  in the spirit and as I lay my hand on a 12 year old boy he fell down,then a middle aged man recieved  hearing.And many more healing were done by our faithful Lord to demonstrate  His power and to tear down the enemy's work.   

Lord we thank you for your graciousness and help in need to. encourage and to increase our faith.please use us for your greater glory.

AMEN

SOL.NOREEN, AOJ

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations  also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience“.

–Romans 5:3

We who are redeemed from our sins by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, have nothing to boast of. We can’t  boast on the worldly gains  and pleasures, it is the gift of God. Only thing We can be boastful is Christ and the cross(sufferings).

           The word separates us from the world. But to remove more ingrained impurities, we need to undergo the fire of suffering.

         The word produces patience in us while the fire of suffering produces endurance. The word gives us the purpose and meaning of suffering.Then we understand  that we have to suffer like Jesus suffered in this world though He is perfect and sinless.Suffering then from the biblical perspective is not punishment but meant for our purification, our strengthening  from within. If we want  to to be His heirs, as children and joint heirs with Christ, we have to suffer with Him.

Romans 6:17

      We should  rejoice in the hope that God ,s grace enabled Jesus to overcome suffering in this world and came out victorious , similarly we could  also become victorious if we put our hope and confidence in His word.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning  the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”. But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ, sufferings; that  when His glory shall be revealed  you may be glad also with exceeding joy”.

The trial of our faith is much more precious  than of gold.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”.

1peter1:7 & 2 Corinthians 4:17

          David had gone through so many trials from the beginning  to the end of his life, but he never gone away from the Lord. Whenever  trials came he hold to the Lord more and when he sinned  he repent and came back to God.so God said “He is a man of My own heart”. Believe that we are the called and chosen ones.so God will send trials to purify us.

Testimony

      Even from my childhood, I had to face so many afflictions in my life. In 1981,at the age of 35 God opened my inner eye. My life changed and I accepted Jesus as my personal savior and wanted to serve Him. I came to know  the truth through my younger sisterJoyamma Varughese and family.All glory to God.

             In 2001,November  30th,the death of my younger son devastated  me.But the word  and God sent godly people comforted me.I came to know that it is Gods’ plan and I had to surrender. My husband passed away when the children were very young. Now the elder son and his family are in Muscat and I am alone here.I am now 76 years old. and going through some old age diseases  but God is with me leading and guiding and keeping me in perfect peace

        In 19/09/2020, I attended a Troop Church  conducted by an AOJ Sol.Shylaja.It was a turning point in my life and I started working for God through AOJ

Prayer

Gracious Lord thank you for choosing me and called for your kingdom work.

Amen

–Sol.Aleyamma Cherian

“For the word of God is alive and powerful”

–Heb 4:12  (NLT)

When I saw a relative of mine reading a book called “IKIGAI”  which has a tag line to a long and happy life. I had a question in my mind how this book can give a long happy life except our Lord Jesus Christ. I had a thought in this world there are a lot of books which claims or promises different things, teaches different things but how do we compare all of the world’s teachings with the Bible. God answered all these questions with the above verse.

• God’s Word is powerful– In this word there are a lot of Character building or self help books or different concept books saying or promising us different things but none of them gives the power to do that. People can try to do or follow but only with the power of flesh but the Bible gives us the divine power from the almighty which can transform us to keep the commandments of the Lord. The Bible says our flesh is weak from Roman 7:24 Apostle Paul says who will deliver me from this weak flesh which makes me do what I don’t want to do but only the Spirit of God through God’s word can transform us and lead us to a happy life with the will of God.

• God’s word is Alive (Life) – The Word of God has life because of the author of those words is alive . God says “I am that I am”. He is the everlasting God who was even before the world and will be even after the world. He has no end. All the authors who writes those book has a short life span and they share their experiences or a incident that inspired them to write it but according to the Bible 2 Timothy 2: 15 the scriptures are from God himself and above all, these authors are flesh and blood and one day be no more in this world. But our God who is the alpha and omega is everlasting and when we ask according to the word of God in prayer he answers, helps and guides us in this world.

Having seen this how we see the books of this world. All of us during the childhood in our science books have read that human beings were evolved from monkeys. We all have learnt this in our science book and maybe have written this answer in our test but do we accept this truth. The things that aligns with the Bible is right and the thing which deviates from God’s word is not to be followed and the knowledge of the scripture is the only thing that equips us to see the things of the world with God’s eye and how to discern what is write and what is wrong and what can be accepted.

Prayer

Our Father in haven grant us the knowledge of your words O Lord that we may equip ourselves with your words and holding on to them to lead a victorious life according to your will. Amen

Sol. Leo