Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Get your share of the Son-light

Uni-verse 260/10,000 For better through verse Malachi 4 v 2

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall

Malachi had the last word among the OT prophets. I believe that the word Sun is a deliberately introduced homonym for the “ Son”-Jesus, the Son of righteousness. God has deliberately kept one sun at the center of our solar system as a permanent symbol of His sovereignty. He keeps us in our paths as He keeps the planets in its orbits due to the gravitational pull of the sun. The sun is kept at the precise distance from the earth: if it was a little closer or further away, life as we know it would not exist on earth. The difference is that we can get closer than even our own skin to the Son of righteousness. The sun’s rays penetrate below the skin and similarly the light of Jesus penetrates us far below our skin level.

Believers are like the moon: we are ugly and lifeless in ourselves, having no real light of our own but we reflect the beauty of the light from the Son. Just as it is foolish to complain that the moon is dark and desolate, we must not find fault with the base level natural qualities of fellow believers. We only need to see if we as a body are reflecting His light. The image of “stall-fed calves” is quite apt and beautiful. We do not have to be always seeking pasture to feed like stray cattle but the Master , the Great Shepherd will bring the produce of the pasture to us.

Modern science tells us that all humanity needs the Vitamin D from the sun’s rays to be strong in our inner core or to be “bone-strong”. The light of Jesus has to shine on us each day to give us Vitamin D- devotion, discipline, diligence, dedication and determination. Devotion implies a constant tendency to remember and think of God as we go through the day’s routine. Then, we will find healing, protection and blessing forever under His wings. We will fear, love and serve Him and be counted as jewels or precious unto Him. He will say to us, “ Arise, go forth and shine.” Yes, let us get our share of the Son-light and our place under the Son.

Prateep V Philip

Monday, November 28, 2011

UV 259/10,000 Your thoughts become things

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.


The way we think and what we think is both the first thing and the final thing in a life of faith. The Lord transforms us not by changing our bodies into glorified ones in the twinkling of the eye but He transforms our thoughts by saturating our minds with things of good report. Our thoughts should be such that it can be something we can write home about or talk about in the public domain.

Our minds must be focused on the excellent aspects of our faith and experience. Some may say that this verse is an endorsement for positive thinking and an excuse to ignore the negative in our lives. All through Scripture, thinking about and dealing with the negative in practical ways is equally focused on. We need a bifocal 20-20 vision meaning – we lead from the positive and deal with the negative. For instance, in order ot think of what is true, one has to deal with the lies in his or her life, lies in our thoughts, intentions, desires, relationships and actions. The process of renewing the mind consists of a dual process of seeding and deweeding simultaneously in the human mind: seed and deweed thoughts, emotions, decisions and actions will follow suit. The more we absorb the positive like a sponge, the more we must reject and eject the negative.

Our thoughts itself are a sweet smelling aroma, a sacrifice of righteousness and continual praise and prayer to the Lord. The Lord reads our thoughts constantly though He does not interfere with our freedom to think as we choose to. Very often the Lord has revealed in prayer thoughts in my mind that I had told nobody, using the very words in my mind. Once, I was so astonished and happy to hear, “ My servant Daniel prayed thrice a day at set times. But you are praying all the time.” He was acknowledging that my thoughts directed at Him were acceptable to him as prayer. The Psalmist desired that not just his words but the meditations of his heart are pleasing to the Lord. He sees our thoughts at the deepest level: the motivation for each thought. Hence, he found Cain’s sacrifice unacceptable and Abel’s pleasing.

Prateep V Philip

UV 259/10,000 Your thoughts become things

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.


The way we think and what we think is both the first thing and the final thing in a life of faith. The Lord transforms us not by changing our bodies into glorified ones in the twinkling of the eye but He transforms our thoughts by saturating our minds with things of good report. Our thoughts should be such that it can be something we can write home about or talk about in the public domain.

Our minds must be focused on the excellent aspects of our faith and experience. Some may say that this verse is an endorsement for positive thinking and an excuse to ignore the negative in our lives. All through Scripture, thinking about and dealing with the negative in practical ways is equally focused on. We need a bifocal 20-20 vision meaning – we lead from the positive and deal with the negative. For instance, in order ot think of what is true, one has to deal with the lies in his or her life, lies in our thoughts, intentions, desires, relationships and actions. The process of renewing the mind consists of a dual process of seeding and deweeding simultaneously in the human mind: seed and deweed thoughts, emotions, decisions and actions will follow suit. The more we absorb the positive like a sponge, the more we must reject and eject the negative.

Our thoughts itself are a sweet smelling aroma, a sacrifice of righteousness and continual praise and prayer to the Lord. The Lord reads our thoughts constantly though He does not interfere with our freedom to think as we choose to. Very often the Lord has revealed in prayer thoughts in my mind that I had told nobody, using the very words in my mind. Once, I was so astonished and happy to hear, “ My servant Daniel prayed thrice a day at set times. But you are praying all the time.” He was acknowledging that my thoughts directed at Him were acceptable to him as prayer. The Psalmist desired that not just his words but the meditations of his heart are pleasing to the Lord. He sees our thoughts at the deepest level: the motivation for each thought. Hence, he found Cain’s sacrifice unacceptable and Abel’s pleasing.

Prateep V Philip