Write the Vision

UV 506/10,000 Rev 1 v 19 Write the vision Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter The Lord expects those who have the ability to write to record what they have seen and experienced as faithful witnesses. We must remember what the Lord has spoken and done in our lives in the past, what He is speaking and doing in our lives now as well as what is prophesied for the future. Past, present and future –the three dimensions of time come together in this kind of writing. It also goes beyond time and is of eternal value. The Lord apparently believes in the importance of writing. The writing down of the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone with the very finger of God is a clear example of the Lord’s handwriting. The Ten Commandments contains the essence of the legal statutes of mankind across all nations. The twelve apostles were also chosen not just to evangelise the world but to leave a faithful and accurate account of what they saw, heard and experienced in their sojourn with Jesus the Christ. Together with the books of the Old Testament, the New Testament constitutes a complete His-Story of the Universe: an account of everything in the universe and beyond, how it was made, why it was made, the role played by mankind, the purpose of all creation. What John and the other apostles wrote down in obedience to the move of the Holy Spirit is so valuable in making known the heart and plans of God for mankind to this day. Similarly, what we record in our lives about our experience of the Lord is bound to inspire faith in others long after we are gone. I began recording my experience of God’s grace and mercy in this series captioned Uni-verse a year and a half ago with this intention in mind- to edify the church or to build the Kingdom of God through my writing. Maintaining a record of our prayer requests and the answers received over time from the hand of the Lord is a good way to testify as well as to boost our faith. As a young believer, I took the cue and maintained a prayer diary. On one side, I wrote “ I Asked” and on the other side , “ God answered..” Years later whenever I reviewed these old accounts, it became a source of renewed hope, joy and faith. Writing down a vision that we receive from the Lord is a good way to demonstrate our faith in the vision and to demonstrate to others the ways in which the Lord helps us fulfill the vision. Prateep V Philip

Our Response to His Glory

UV 505/10,000 Ezekiel 1 v 28 Our response to the Glory Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. The prophet Ezekiel saw the vision of heaven, the throne of sapphire upon which the Lord sits, the cherubim or angels who surround the throne. The rainbow around the throne is described even in the Book of Revelation. The rainbow is a sign of the glory of God upon the earth. The seven colours of the rainbow are a symbol of the diverse ways in which the Lord manifests His glory in our otherwise mundane lives. The Lord gave the priest Ezekiel the vision as an encouragement to captive Israel. When we are in times of captivity, the Lord will likewise send us a sign to encourage us. A couple of years ago when I was in a time of captivity, the Lord first spoke the word, “ VIBGYOR.” Thereafter, He showed me and the family, three different types of rainbow on five different occasions and places. Each human being is designed by the Creator to be like the prism in our Physics ‘light experiment’ back in school where the prism splits white light into its constituent colours or VIBGYOR revealing the brightness of the glory of God. Whenever the saints and men of faith of old saw a vision of the glory of God they responded by falling on their face: Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Ezekiel,Daniel and Paul and the disciples of Jesus all prostrated themselves in the presence of God. When we lie down on our face as Joshua did, the Lord Himself will come and say, “ Rise up my son or daughter. Be filled with my power and glory. “ Every day I lie flat on my face on a mat in the presence of the Lord. As we lie flat on our face, we will hear the voice of the Lord, speaking through His Word. He will lift us up and fill us with power. He will teach us what we should say and what we should do. Ezekiel heard “the voice of one that spake.” Similarly, we should hear daily “ the voice of the One that speaks.” When we hear His voice, our lives will come fully alive. We will be freed from our human limitations of not knowing enough, our sense of fear and despondency. We will have courage and clarity to deal with obstacles, problems, challenges and dilemmas. Prateep V Philip

Turning our Captivity

UV 504/10,000 Job 42 v 10 Turning our capitivity Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. The Lord had allowed a time of captivity for Job in order to test his faith and his endurance. Similarly, there are times of captivity in each of our lives. The captivity may be a time when our family members are going through ill health or there is a bereavement, or we are facing a financial crisis or a combination of all of these. It could be a time of mental depression and loneliness when we are even betrayed or accused wrongly or misjudged by our friends as it happened to Job. It is a time when our life and our influence is at a low ebb. When such times of captivity come, we must recognize it as a trial or test of our faith. Instead, of our faith and our resolve weakening, we must at such times increasingly depend or lean on the Lord. Job prayed for the forgiveness of his friends who had misjudged him. He did not harbour any feelings of bitterness towards them. Instead, he interceded on their behalf. This act of faith and obedience pleased the Lord and He ended His captivity, blessing him with twice as much as he had before. When we take every thought captive to Christ, we are set free from our erstwhile captivities. We experience the freedom in the spirit. Job did not hearken to the words of men but he listened to the words of God and was encouraged. His state of affliction remained even as he listened to the words of God but as he believed that word and obeyed, the Lord looked upon him with favour and restored him to an even better status than before. We need to hold on to the Word of God and pray sincerely for those who wrong us – these two actions restore the favour or the grace and power of the Lord in our lives. Prateep V Philip

Freedom from bondage

UV 503/10,000 Exodus 20 v 2 Freedom from bondage Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. The Lord our God is the one who brings us out of Egypt or the symbol of bondage. Each one of us have different types of bondage. It could be bondage to a certain way of thinking,false beliefs, a dead habit, a character flaw, an affliction or a constricting relationship. The Lord is the one who defined Himself as “ I AM”, the self existent, self sufficient and all powerful One. He is able to break every type of bondage in our lives as nothing or no one else can. If it is anger that affects us, “ I AM” can cure us of our anger. If it is fear, “ I AM” can deliver us of our fear and anxieties. If it is guilt, “ I AM” will forgive and cleanse us. The Israelites under Moses were physically delivered from the land of Egypt. “Egypt” implied a bondage that limited their choice of livelihood, their freedom of worship, their families, their future, their well being, their hopes of a bright future for their children. They were subjected to needless privation, torture, trauma, violence, humiliation and untold suffering. From the house of bondage, they were brought into the house of freedom. We need to pray and make our homes free from bondages of every kind. There are visible and invisible bondages. Every bondage needs to be broken in the name and power of Jesus. We need to make the journey from the house of bondage, Egypt to the house of freedom, Israel. Moses led the ancient Israelites on their physical journey. Moses as a younger man when he saw the injustice meted out to his fellow Hebrew, slew the Egyptian oppressor. He reacted emotionally and violently. Today, it is one much greater than Moses who leads us on our spiritual journey from the land of bondage into the house of freedom. Prateep V Philip

The Cause of Grief

UV 502/10,000 Lamentations 3 v 32 Cause of Grief Lam 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. The question is often asked, “ why do good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people?” The Lord does not willingly afflict the children of men. He does not wish to grieve us in any way. It is true that nothing happens to us without His knowledge and will. But, He causes it to happen for a purpose that can sometimes only be understood from a long term or eternal perspective. It is axiomatic that we learn more during times of pain than from times of pleasure. His compassion is like a huge reservoir and His mercies are like thousands or multitudes of channels that flow from that reservoir. Our souls would be dry and die in due course if those channels do not irrigate the different fields of our lives. Our souls are more valuable to the Lord- our grief and present troubles are diminished in comparison. It is like the necessary pain that a surgeon unwillingly inflicts on a child to remove a life-threatening tumour. For the salvation of our souls, the expansion, purification and sanctification of our faith, He by His express will and permissive will permits a degree of pain into our lives, a degree of pain that we can bear. But, how does one explain the premature loss of a beloved child, a parent or spouse before one’s time? The Lord sees the trajectory of our lives- where it would lead to in our pursuits in this world. He tries many other ways to correct our paths, failing which He is compelled to allow an extreme sorrow-in His view a necessary intervention in our lives to correct our focus. Yet, there are many traumatic events in our lives and history that cannot be fully explained in terms of this: the mindless killing of six million Jews in Hitler’s Germany, the recent mindless killing by James Holmes in Aurora, Colorado. Where our understanding fails and no explanation is adequate, we only need to trust the Lord for His abundant compassion, the multitudinous ways in which He shows mercy upon us. We need to be sensitive to the move of the Lord in our lives. I once cried out, “ Lord, I have had enough pain in my life so far.. Now, whatever You need to tell me, do let me know in as gentle a way as possible. Even if my toe strikes a stone, I will know and understand You are trying to draw my attention to some detail in my life that needs mending.” The Lord has kept His side of this personal covenant while I am not quite sure I have done so on my part. Prateep V Philip

Sempathy

UV 501/10,000 Hebrews 4 v 15 Sempathy Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. More than sympathy or empathy, we need to have “ sempathy” in our lives. While empathy is said to be feeling the pain of another as if it is your own, sempathy is a word coined by me to mean spiritual empathy or feeling the pain of God as if it is your own. Jesus walking in flesh and blood on earth had the same infirmities of human nature that afflicts each of us. Yet, He remained sinless. Hence, He is able to feel our pain as if it is His own. He not only felt our pain but took our infirmities and bore our disease. The high priests of the Jewish faith tended to be insensitive, legalistic, judgemental,harsh and proud But, Jesus is the High Priest who is kind, gracious and merciful. We can approach His throne of mercy and grace with boldness and confidence, knowing that He knows all about our weaknesses, the frailties of our character. He is tolerant of our failures. He broadly understands human nature and He also knows and understands each one of us individually. He was tempted in all points as we are. He overcame temptation by using the Word of God effectively. Not only is Jesus as the High Priest tolerant and compassionate but He provides us the strength to overcome our weaknesses and to resist all kinds of temptations. Weakness is a part of human nature but the power to overcome comes from God. His touch was enough to heal a woman afflicted by bleeding for 12 long years. We can seek His touch, His power from within, His Word and the Holy Spirit in order to be empowered, enabled and equipped. We need to develop sempathy or the capacity to know and understand the things that bring both delight and pain to the heart of God. Prateep V Philip

Giver of Good Gifts

UV 500/10,000 Giver of good things Mathew 7 v 11 Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Scripture says that our imagination is evil from the days of our youth. We take turns to be at times foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts of the flesh and mind, living in malice, hateful and hating one another. Yet, we are compassionate and generous to our own children. We might come from any nation, religious background or financial status but we are all committed to seeking and securing the best for our children. In this aspect, we bear some resemblance with the Father and we are consistent to that extent with the image in which we are created. In other words, we are interested in the well being of our children. This uni-verse is spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself who alone knew the Father’ s heart fully. While Moses the greatest of the OT characters was only a servant of God through whom the commandments were given, Jesus is the Son of God through whom the full revelation is given. He has such complete knowledge of the Father that He alone can reveal to us. Indeed, it is revelation and not revolution that will change us individually and collectively from our inherent evil. Our Father which is in heaven did not spare His most precious Son for the sake of mankind or all of us individually. How much more would He be willing to give us what we need for our well being ? We as parents are limited in our ability to give our children on account of the limitations on our knowledge, understanding, wisdom, sense of security, trust as well as in our resources. We sometimes get tired of giving our children. We stop giving them the moment they come of age and are able to fend for themselves. We are only able to give our children physical or monetary gifts but our Heavenly Father gives unique gifts to each one of us, gifts of the spirit, mind and body. We sometimes give our children things that they should not have been given, that could unwittingly bring about their destruction. Imagine the tragic case of a father who dotes on his son and on the latter’s request gets him a racing bike. The son then meets his end in a road mishap. In contrast, our heavenly Father is not limited by any or all of these limiting factors. As children we are used to limiting what we ask of our parents to our understanding of their ability to give. But, there is no limit to what we can ask of the Father. But, it is said that the Father will satisfy our need but not our greed. Another factor is that we need to ask. We need to ask in the name of Jesus as He is the One who purchased for us the right to be called children with the price of his life and blood. We need to ask with an attitude of expectation that the Father will answer. We can ask with boldness and confidence. We also need to ask with an attitude of patience that He will answer in due time, in good time or God’s time. We need to ask with an attitude of submission to His sovereign will that He knows what is best for us and He could answer “ yes” , “ no” or “ wait”. We need to ask on the basis of a promise contained in the Word. Finally, we need to ask with an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude both for what He has given us in the past and in the present moment and for what He is going to give us in the future. We need to be assured that He will withhold no good thing from them who love Him, the Giver and not the gifts and seek Him and not His benefits. Prateep V Philip

The Transmission

UV 499/10,000 Deuteronomy 34 v 9 The transmission for a mission Deu 34:9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. The other day in a time of prayer the Lord promised to give us the authority of Joshua. The Holy Spirit revealed the difference between the leadership of Moses and the leadership of Joshua. No one murmured against Joshua while they murmured against Moses. Yet, it was the laying of the hands of Moses upon Joshua that led to the transmission of the spirit of wisdom on the latter. It was on account of this anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom , that the people of Israel listened to him and obeyed the commandments the Lord gave through Moses. There is a series of cause and effect sequences in this uni-verse: Moses laid his hands upon Joshua as directed by the Lord: Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom: The Israelites listened to him without murmuring: they obeyed the commandments of the Lord. The transmission of wisdom should precede the assumption and exercise of authority. In the early church, too when the apostles laid hands upon people and prayed they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The anointing, the authority and the spirit of wisdom is the basis of godly or spiritual leadership. It is transmitted through the laying of hands though it is not the only means. We must be careful who we ask to lay their hands upon us to pray. We need to discern if they have the anointing themselves: do they speak with God face to face like Moses? In other words, do they relate and communicate directly with the Lord? We need to discern their gifts and their fruits of the spirit manifesting in their lives. The mere laying of hands that is not backed by a life lived in close fellowship with the Trinity would be in vain, an empty gesture. As believers,we all have traces of wisdom but we need to be filled with the spirit of wisdom. We need to be saturated with godly wisdom so that it overflows into our decisions, actions, reactions, relationships, leadership, professions and lives. Scripture also warns that we must not lay hands on other people in haste. We must discern their hearts and their motives. In the early church, Simon wanted the apostles to lay their hands on him so that he could profit monetarily by laying his hands upon others. It should also not turn into a cultic practice where certain teachers even virtually sell “keys” and other physical objects for specific sums or donations in order to raise money for their projects. Such practices in the contemporary church needs to be condemned by one and all and seen for what it is- it does not come from God. The transmission is meant to fulfill a God-given mission and not to turn it into a money-making machine. Prateep V Philip

The Impartation of Greatness

UV 498/10,000 The impartation of greatness 2 Samuel 5 v 10 2Sa 5:10 And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him According to Shakespeare, “ Some are born great, some become great and some have greatness thrust upon them.” In the categories of greatness envisaged by Shakespeare, he did not envisage the only true and enduring greatness that is bestowed upon us since the Lord, the Great I Am, the God of the hosts or armies of heaven, is with us. David started his career as a humble shepherd boy. But, as he enjoyed a personal relationship with the Lord God of hosts, he began to grow in greatness. He became a great worshipper, a great song writer, a great harpist, a great soldier, a great leader, a great commander, a great king. If we claim we enjoy a personal relationship with the Lord and believe He is with us and in us as He is El Shaddai and Immanuel at the same time, then we cannot remain the same as what we were when we started our spiritual journey. We will be transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from being mediocre people to people of excellence, from average persons to be great. It is impossible for a person to remain what he was before he came to be with the Lord just as it is impossible for the grass not to be moist in the morning dew or for the soil not to be wet in the falling rain. David became great not by virtue of his birth in a noble family, his acquisition of qualifications or his personal qualities or abilities. He did not become great by his own efforts or because the people of Israel forced it upon him to take up the mantle of leadership and kingship. Just as the planets that do not have any light look resplendent like stars in the sky on account of light from the stars, we too reflect the wonderful light of the Lord’s presence. The Lord’s greatness is not reserved for certain historical characters like David but is freely imparted to all who truly seek to be with Him and who truly desire Him to be with them. We will begin to grow in strength or power, in wisdom or understanding and in terms of blessings. We too will slay our Goliaths. When we grow in wisdom and understanding, our decisions, relationships, plans and solutions will become great in the eyes of many. The Lord will impart wisdom in areas where we lack and by His grace fill the gaps in our understanding and knowledge. As we grow in strength, our decisions will be executed or carried out, our plans will be implemented. That is why it is said, weak men have wishes, great men have wills. Truly great people do the will of God and therefore, avail of the power of God. As the Lord of the armies of heaven is with us, we have a divine Special Protection Group or a secret service guarding our steps and covering our backs as we act in alignment with God’s will. Finally, the blessings of the Lord upon us, our decisions, our plans, our lives, our families, our professions or our work, our ministries and our legacies will impart the dimensions of greatness to our lives. Prateep V Philip

The Promises

UV 497/10,000 Joshua 23 v 14 The Promises Jos 23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. God is faithful to His promises spoken to us through the prophets and through the mouth of Jesus. Our lifetime is neither short nor long but just enough to test and taste the truthfulness of the promises of God. God’s hand is not too short that He cannot do that which He has promised and He will surely cause it to come to pass. He will not fail to fulfill even a single thing that has been spoken to us. The promises given to Joshua that He would be with him even as He was with Moses provided fuel for the leadership of Joshua. By holding on to these promises, God did amazing things through Joshua: He caused the sun to stand still. He caused the Jordan to part. He caused the fortified walls of Jericho to collapse. He gave military victory against formidable enemies. He brought Joshua and the Israelites into the promised land. We will all one day go the way of all the earth as Joshua did. But when we do, we should know in our hearts and souls that the Lord has been faithful to every word or His promises. Every promise holds a hope of something that is yet to be fulfilled. We need to hold on to that hope and keep thanking the Lord for giving us that hope. The hope when fulfilled in real time enhances our faith and joy even as it meets our physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and relational needs. The promises of God are a sign that He is ever mindful of us. They operate in our natural world but draw the power of the supernatural realm. The promises of God are not something casually spoken or read or prayed for. They are precious and to be treasured and once fulfilled not forgotten but cherished in our fondest memories. In this uni-verse, Joshua is reminding the Israelites of the faithfulness of Jehovah God to every one of His promises to them. Each of us has an expiry date but the promises of God do not have an expiry date. They have inter-generational relevance. They are meant to encourage us. They are eternal. They reveal the purpose, will and character of God. Many people have different skills but do not have the skill to claim the promises of God. We need to persist in claiming the promises of God. We need to be specific in claiming it. We need to remember over and over again the specific promise or word spoken to us. We need to be hopeful, thankful and grateful ahead of its fulfillment. Finally, we need to claim it in the name of Jesus who is also called Lord Amen or the One who fulfills the promises of God. They are part of the heritage of the children of God, the co-heirs of Christ. Prateep V Philip

The patience of Jesus

UV 496/10,000 James 1 v 3 Trials produce patience Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. The Lord tries the righteous or tests their faith in a variety of situations. Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den. His companions were thrown in a furnace of fire. Jonah was tried in the pit of the stomach of a whale. Joseph was thrown into a pit, and then sold into slavery. Paul experienced ship wreck, imprisonment and flogging. The purpose of such trials is to produce patience in us. It is not just one trial but a series of trials in the course of our lives that the Lord uses to test our faith and build our character in terms of patience and maturity. A sign of maturity and patience is that one is not easily excited or easily enticed. One will not be overly disappointed, depressed or overjoyed. Believers are called to develop the patience of Jesus and not just the patience of Job. The patience of Job enabled him to wait to be restored. The patience of Jesus enables us to wait for all of eternity. Jesus, the Son of God endured all types of trials and hardships in His life on earth before being crucified. His trials were of a higher magnitude than that endured by any other human being. Hence, we cannot complain regardless of the kind of trials we undergo in our lives when Jesus Himself was not spared. When we trust God in these trials, it produces patience in us. We are hopeful and willing to wait for Him to act. We do not become frustrated or do not disbelieve. Imagine the thoughts of Jonah as he was inside the whale. He must have wondered why did God allow this to happen. He must have wondered whether he would ever escape alive. He could not turn to any one else for help. Many of us are caught like Jonah in similar predicaments. It was not a situation that was resolved in a short time but he endured it for three days. He did not give up hope. Jonah before this experience resisted God’s will and ran away in the opposite direction. The ship he was travelling on faced a life threatening storm that ceased only after Jonah submitted to be thrown overboard. Even after this experience, though he obeyed God in taking His message to the people of Nineveh, he remained upset that God did not destroy the city. The Lord again tried him with the intense heat of the sun. The gourd plant that gave him shade was eaten by worms and it perished. This small test upset Jonah so much, he wished to die. The Lord chided him that he had no cause to be upset when he had neither planted nor caused the plant to grow. Prateep V Philip ‘

The Universe within points upwards

UV 495/10,000 Psalm 103 v 1 The Universe within points upwards Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. In this familiar Psalm, David is commanding his own soul to praise and bless the Lord. It is not natural for our being or our soul to praise the Lord. It requires an act of will and a conscious command from our minds to our inner being to praise and acknowledge God. In fact, I got the idea of using self- command in the thought process that I teach called Eqthinking or Equilibrium Thinking, instead of suggestion as in auto-suggestion inspired by this Word. The words, “ all that is within me” signifies the entire universe of our dreams, desires, goals, thoughts, hopes, plans, emotions, abilities, weaknesses, will, memories, imagination or all that constitutes our spirit, mind and bodies. We need to acknowledge the Creator Lord, the Redeemeer Lord in all these ways and always. The word bless implies to be thankful, grateful and desiring the increase or health or happiness or well being of that which we bless. But, how can mortal, sinful man bless an all knowing, all powerful, self-sufficient holy Being? The power to bless is a divine unction or anointing. It is bestowing on others what belongs to God. When we bless His holy Name, we are praying for the restoration of that which belongs to God back to Him in our fallen state and our fallen world. We are commanding all that is within us in spirit, mind and bodies to point back to the Creator, to bring glory, dominion and power to Him. In blessing His Name, we are blessed with all that His Name signifies. Prateep V Philip

Turning Mountains into Fountains

UV 494/10,000 Psalm 36 v 9 The fountain of life Psa 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. The Lord turns our mountains or our challenges and difficulties into fountains or sources of strength and joy. Often, when we are faced with such mountains, we turn inwards and search for answers from within. But, the Lord says that He will provide the answers. For He is the fountain of life, the fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom. He is the source of light. We will find light for our lives by seeking Him, understanding His Word and applying it in our lives. He will illuminate every dark area of our understanding so that it is as clear as broad daylight. The infinite array of stars in the universe was created and brought into existence by His mere Word to provide light, beauty and a sense of awe. The intensity of activity on each star to produce light energy is so high that it far exceeds the activity in all nuclear plants on the earth. Imagine the combined light, energy and power of all the stars in the universe. The light, energy and power of the Creator far exceeds all of that. We can understand and interpret many events and phenomena in the world and in our own personal history only in the light of the Word of God. Historians ,philosophers and scientists are not able to provide an adequate explanation to things that have happened or are still happening at the global or national level. Psychologists are not able to explain what has happened or is happening in our own lives. But, the Word of God can pinpoint both the cause, the source and the remedy. “ In thy light, shall we see light” implies that we do not suspend or disown or abandon our own God-given intellect or rationality. Life to be successful in the true sense has to be a partnership between the Creator and us. Obviously, He is the CEO and we are His working partners. The talents and resources He has given us are the capital He has invested in us. When confronted by many challenges,we in our finite and limited understanding and knowledge tend to be filled with doubt, trepidation and apprehension. We break our heads against the hard stone and loose our peace. If we use the tools of our intellect and our own resources on flintstone, the tools would either get blunted, bent or broken. We should therefore not get perplexed or anxious or fearful when strange events or mishaps or the unexpected happen but instead lean on the Lord and delve into His Word to gain an insight. As a test case, let us identify all the mountains or challenges in different areas of our lives and pray to the Lord to turn these mountains into fountains for “He can turn the rock into water, the hard flint into standing water.” We must shine the flashlight of His Word on the issue at hand. The light and heat of His presence, the power of His Word are sufficient to break down or tame the toughest situations in our lives. God’s infinite intellect will guide our limited intellect. His infinite wisdom will guide our own common sense. His unlimited grace will surround us. His quiet assurance will permeate our soul. This kind of perspective will give us hope, peace, joy, confidence and the calmness and assurance of faith. Prateep V Philip

The Three Spiritual Elements

UV 493/10,000 I John 5 v 6 The three Spiritual Elements 1Jn 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. Three things testify to the truth of the gospel: water which refers to the Word of God, blood that refers to the blood of Christ the designated and anointed Messiah on the cross at Calvary and the Holy Spirit that witnesses to our spirit about the truth. These three spiritual elements signify the presence of the Trinity. All three need to agree or come together for a person to be redeemed. The Word points to Christ, Christ points to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit points to the Father and the Son. The Word of God speaks the truth, the Blood of Christ redeems our minds and souls so that we can receive the truth into our hearts , the Holy Spirit convicts us of the truth. All three need to be present for new life or eternal life or spiritual life to sustain. Each has a distinct role like three forms of water: liquid, steam and ice have its own properties and functions. It is interesting to note that everything in the physical world has its spiritual corollary in the Word. Water is a sustainer of life on earth. It is the only liquid whose density is highest at 4 degrees Centigrade (unlike other liquids that are most dense at 0 degrees ) and therefore sinks below the surface. On account of this property, the water at the surface forms into ice while the lower level sustains fish and other forms of life. The equivalent of water in the human body is blood. It is our blood that contains and sustains life. It is for this reason that animal and bird sacrifices preceded the offering of the complete and perfect sacrifice, Christ on the cross. The Holy Spirit takes the truths of scripture and the gospel and lays it on our hearts and minds. He teaches us the truths line by line, verse by verse and precept by precept. He gives us the gift of discernment to be able to distinguish and discern between what is truth and what is not. It is this Spirit of truth that has led mankind through the ages. It is not a coincidence that only when scripture began to be made available to all people following the invention of the means of mass dissemination- the printing press- that the greatest scientific and technological progress of mankind began to take place beginning from around the 16th century AD. Even before that the gospel had the greatest civilizing influence on the warring tribes of Europe from the first century AD. Now as much of the secular western world is moving away from its spiritual moorings, gross darkness is again beginning to cover it, witnessed in mindless killings like that perpetrated by James Holmes,the PhD in neurology student in Denver, Colorado. Water, Blood and the Spirit need to be present in our lives to restore us to victory over the contemporary darkness. These three elements bring the presence, the mercy, the power and the grace of God in human lives, regardless of our cultural,religious, linguistic,financial, national or racial backgrounds. Prateep V Philip

The Wells of Joy

UV 492/10,000 Isaiah 12 v 3 Wells of Joy Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. Each verse in scripture is a veritable well of salvation. Even a single verse has the power to convict a person about his sin and God’s salvation. I have come across people who have been convicted by a phrase in a single verse. The Lord will guide us to springs of water. The Word of God contained in each verse is compared to living water that cleanses us and quenches our thirst. It quenches our thirst for the truth that gives eternal life. It is not just a one-time quenching or cleansing but repeatedly on a regular and daily if not hourly basis. We will be able to live out the meaning of the song, “ Every cell in my body is happy..” The word “ draw” implies that we need to make an effort to appropriate the blessing in each verse. We must draw out the meaning and implications of each verse with a sense of joy and expectation. We need to constantly recount the verse so that it becomes a wellspring of health, blessing and salvation in our lives. It will be “ a well of water springing up to everlasting life.” Just like one would keep re-visiting a well to draw water to meet our needs, we must often revisit a specific verse and claim the promise it holds or obey the command in it. We must run the verse in our minds again and again, meditating on each word and phrase. This uni-verse underlines the fact that meditation need not be such an intense or painful process of breaking our heads over interpretation of doctrines but it can be as easy and joyful as drawing water from a well. To carry the metaphor further, the pulley we use must be our current need or situation, the bucket is our intellect and understanding, the rope is the ability to connect the single verse with the context and with the rest of scripture. In my walk with God, I must have recollected and claimed key promises or rhema verses (like Ephesians 3 v 20 or Mathew 7 v 7 or John 16 v 24) thousands of times in a variety of situations. When the promise is fulfilled, it produces joy and even more faith unto salvation in our lives. Our testimony or our lives would not then be a sob story but one full of a sense of hope, triumph and victory. We will realize that life is neither miserable nor “short, nasty and brutish” as Hobbes described it. Prateep V Philip

The Abundance Mentality

UV 491/10,000 Ezekiel 36 v 29 The Abundance Mentality Eze 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. The Lord will deliver us from all our sin, that of our past, present and future. We will be cleansed of our hidden and unconscious shortcomings as well as our willful, wanton or brazen sin. This act of deliverance is followed up with a blessing of increase in our corn or seed or harvest. It is man’s shortcomings that first brought shortage or scarcity into this world. Once we are saved and cleansed, our scarcity or poverty mentality is replaced with an abundance mentality. The Lord promises to lay no famine upon us. He will send the rain and the latter rain or blessings in due time. He will multiply our seed-implying all of our efforts. He will bring all our plans and projects to fruition, completion and success. The active words used , “ I will call for the corn..” implies that the Lord will command and bestow abundance in our lives. In the absence of faith, the contrary holds good, that the Lord will ‘lay a famine’ or cause scarcity in our lives. Addition and multiplication are God’s maths, while division and substraction are Satan’s maths. We should not get distracted by the latter’s ways from the path of holding on to the promise of increase. We must also not loose patience as God has His own time table for sowing, growing and harvesting in and out of our lives. We must not think thoughts of scarcity or become anxious about how would we meet our needs. Instead, we must confess in faith that the Lord will meet all our need according to the unlimited riches of His abounding goodness. If He gives us a vision, He will make the provision. Expressions from our mouths should reflect a heart of appreciation, praise, worship, gratitude, of faith and of an abundance mentality. Prateep V Philip

360 Degree Success and Prosperity

UV 490/10,000 Genesis 39 v 3 360 degree Success Gen 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. When the Lord is with us, He will make us prosper in all that we put our hand to. This was the experience of Joseph and before him, that of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. After him it was the experience of David who wrote Psalm 1 that states, “ Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord.. He succeeds in all that he does.” It is not just financial prosperity that is implied but all round success or 360 degrees. Success in this world is quite deceptive. We often see a person succeeding in several things only to be swallowed up in one huge failure. It could be a personal indiscretion, a failed relationship, marital breakdown or a business collapse. Mankind is designed for success but programmed for failure. When we accept Christ as our personal Saviour, we begin to place our faith in the Word of God. This act of faith and trust in God’s Word produces obedience, excellence and all round success. “ The Lord was with him” – this implies that there is a continuing presence of God with every believer. Jehovah Shalom is the God of success. So instead of making success our god, mankind should accept Jehovah Shalom, the God of Success for Shalom means success, prosperity, wholeness, peace, salvation, health. He is not just an idea, a chimera but a real Person who knows what our goals and challenges are, what our natural abilities and inclinations are, the gaps between our aims and our efforts. He fills the gaps with His grace and power so that the ‘sin factor’ or ‘ hamartia’ or failure cannot operate. God was with Joseph from his childhood. Joseph pleased Him with his child-like faith, his sense of righteousness and integrity. His eyes, mouth and mind were pure in God’s sight. He won the favour of God first before He could win the favour of earthly masters like Potiphar, the prison officer or Pharoah. God communicated with him through dreams. He held on to his vision of his life. Joseph never complained or murmured against God for the pitfalls he suffered. He just thought that every pitfall was but a pit-stop on the road to his God-given destiny. Jehovah, the Father has great plans for each one of us as we are His children twice over,once by creation and twice by our believing His testimony about His Son Jesus being the Saviour and His first born beloved Son. He communicates His dreams to us through visions triggered by the Holy Spirit as well as through our natural desires and gifting. He leads us step by step to the fulfillment of the vision as He is with us even as He was with Joseph. It will become evident to people around like Joseph’s master that the cause and source of our success or prosperity is supernatural. Prateep V Philip

Spiritual Warfare and Angelic Help

UV 489/10,000 Daniel 10 v 13 Spiritual warfare and angelic help Dan 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. This uni-verse reveals the secret of victory in spiritual warfare. Scripture reveals that spiritual warfare is a very real and active phenomena happening all through time and history. Every nation and place in the world is ruled by a prince of darkness. The powers of darkness struggle to frustrate our purpose and lives. The powers of God work to overcome them and cause God’s will to flourish and be fulfilled in our lives. Our prayers invoke the help of the angel Michael. The absence of a prayerful life deters the angels, weakens their efforts and enable the powers of darkness to succeed. In this verse, the prince of Persia resisted the Christophany Himself, the appearance of Jesus before His advent into this world. There is a heavenly struggle led by Lucifer and his fallen angels. But, the Lord of hosts or the armies of heaven sent Michael one of the archangels with His company of angels to help Him. The Christ was on the way to meet Daniel to reveal to Him some end-time prophecies. In our homes, when prayers cease or are irregular or weak due to not living a life of faith, the princes of darkness or the ruling spirits of this world gain the upper hand. The other day in a time of prayer, the Lord revealed that we must pray asking that Michael be sent to our assistance. Michael will fight with the prince of darkness who brings obstacles and troubles in our path to rob us of our blessings, peace, health, success and prosperity. The armies of heaven will help us frustrate the designs of the enemy of our souls. We don’t look to the hills or the people in exalted positions, of great wealth or power for help but we look to the Maker of Heaven and earth for help. As Maker of earth, He sends us earthly help through people, events and circumstances. As Maker of Heaven, He sends us heavenly help through His angels. Prateep V Philip

Magnification of the Magnificent

UV 488/10,000 Joshua 3 v 7 Magnification of the Magnificent Jos 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. The Lord is the Magnificent One. He magnifies those He chooses. He chose Moses and magnified him in the eyes of his own people Israel, in the eyes of the then superpower Egypt and its Pharaoh, in the eyes of the church and the world at large. He later chose Joshua and magnified him in the eyes of Israel. When we focus on the Lord, we are magnified much as when the sun’s rays are focused through a magnifying lens, it sets fire on the spot of the paper or cloth that is focused on. We should focus on being with the Lord. Our vision, our power,our impact, our leadership, our legacy, our grace and faith will all be enlarged or magnified. Two days back in a time of prophetic prayer at The Tabernacle, our home, the Lord revealed, “ When you pray that I will be with you as I was with Moses, as I was with Joshua…, then I will be with you.” The manifestations of the Lord’s Being with us are different in accordance with our faith. The Lord was with Moses in such a way that the latter’s face shone as He came out of His presence. Yet, the people murmured against his leadership. But, the Lord was with Joshua in such a way that no one murmured against him We need to focus on different characters in the Bible and observe the magnification of the Lord in their lives and then claim that unction or anointing. We need to pray depending on our need for that day, “ Lord, be with me today as you were with Joseph” if it is success or interpretation or favour of those above that we are seeking that day or time. We need to pray “ Lord , be with me as you were with Nehemiah if we are undertaking a difficult ministry opportunity of building or re-building.” We need to pray, “ Lord, be with me as you were with Jonah” if we feel constricted and trapped in a situation beyond our control like in the belly of a whale. The anointing or empowerment of His Being will be with us in a specific way for redemption in that situation. The words, “ that they may know that” implies that such a manifestation of His Being with us is not meant only for our good but as a wider testimony or evidence of His goodness to the rest of the nation and indeed , all of mankind. Prateep V Philip

An Everlasting Agreement

UV 487/10,000 Isaiah 59 v 21 An Everlasting Agreement Isa 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever Under the old covenant or sacred agreement with the nation of Israel, God had written on tablets of stone. But, under the new one, He wrote on the hearts and minds of people, individual by individual. He sent His Spirit upon such as those who believe in their hearts the Word of Christ. Just as in any agreement, the words used are vital and the two parties to the agreement must abide by the terms as spelt out by the words employed. The Word of Christ is the seed that produces eternal life in us. The words that are a preamble to this covenant “ as for me” implies that Christ is the guarantor of eternal blessings. It is sealed with His Blood, the Spirit and the Word. “This IS my covenant” implies that it is a continuing agreement of Divinity with all of humanity. This uni-verse is a promise for families that believe, that the words guaranteeing eternal and abundant life will pass from our generation to our children and from them to their children and would not stop there but continue to operate in and for our descendants forever. A covenant involves certain actions to be taken by two covenanting parties to that agreement . “ It will not depart” from our mouths implies that we need to be faithful from now on in holding on to the promises of God and to confess always with our mouth the faithfulness of the Lord to His own. When we confess we are sowing the seed in the lives of others even as we are affirming our relationship with the living God. No situation or issue or problem or dimension of our lives is left unenvisaged in our covenant with Him. Everything is included and taken care of. There are no exceptions and no fine print in the agreement. The covenant is comprehensive, clear, couched in simple terms and unambiguous. As we constantly remember verses like this and keep affirming our faith in it, the Word that started as a trickle like the river Jordan from a cave will turn into a pouring river of blessing flowing from our hearts and minds, watering all that touches both banks of the river. Our lives will be like the trees of paradise described in the Book of Revelation that produce a different kind of fruit in each month of the year, whose leaves are for healing and whose fruits serve as nutrition of our spirits, minds and bodies. Prateep V Philip

Sweet as Honey, Bitter as medicine

UV 486/10,000 Rev 10 v 10 Sweet as honey, bitter as medicine Rev 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. The angel’s hand is an indicator that the Word or the Bible is written and spoken from the mouth of God. We should therefore, not read it as we would read any other book. We should instead “eat “ it. Eating provides strength, energy and health. Similarly, eating the Word will provide us strength, energy and healing. Just as we do not eat only once a day, we need to have frequent bites of the Word. Just as eating involves tasting, biting, chewing, swallowing and digesting, we need to taste, bite, chew,swallow and digest the Word of God. The whole process of eating breaks the Word into tiny, easily digestible morsels. Just as we eat a variety of food to provide different types of nutrients, we need to have a balanced diet and eat from different parts of the Bible: the books of law, the book of Psalms, the book of Proverbs, the books of history, the books of the prophets, the gospels, the epistles or the books of teaching of the early church. The Word of God is sweeter than honey as the taste of honey passes away soon. But, the taste of the Word lingers right through our lives. It brings a spiritual sweetness, flavour and aroma into our lives just as good honey emits a strong aroma. `Just as there are risks of being stung by the bees while trying to extract honey from the beehive, we too could be stung by the world in our pursuit of the truths of the Word. There is a contradiction of terms in this uni-verse as the same Word that is sweet as honey in the mouth becomes bitter in the belly. As we meditate on the Word, it becomes bitter medicine in our inner being. The acid experiences of our lives will further break down the Word like food that is to be assimilated and distributed to diverse body organs. In other words, it brings healing, transformation and blessings into our lives. Prateep V Philip

The Process of Regeneration and Renewal

UV 485/10,000 Titus 3 v 5 The Process of Regeneration and Renewal Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost God’s standard of holiness or righteousness being absolute, no man can approach Him on the basis of his own merit. Rather, we can only rely on the Lord’s abundant mercy and grace to obtain forgiveness, cleansing or sanctification. The heaviest mental burden according to psychologists is the sense of guilt of wrong done by us. This burden can be lifted only by the washing of regeneration in the blood of the sinless sacrificial divine Lamb , Jesus Christ. The first Person of the Trinity provided the perfect sacrifice. The second Person Jesus became the sacrifice. Regeneration implies that the dead parts of the sinful nature in us need to fall away or be removed like old scar tissue. It also means that the new aspects of our spiritual being should be renewed or nurtured. The third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit renews us by imparting an anointing or a spiritual empowerment or strengthening from within us. Renewal also includes the constant change of heart and mind brought about in us by hearing, remembering,understanding, obeying, claiming and applying the Word of God in our day to day lives. Every day’s events and stimuli in interaction with the spiritual elements described above produces a stirring of our spirits, a churning of our minds, a touching of our hearts’ chords. Growth results. Jim Rohn wrote that “ change is inevitable, growth is intentional.” He was referring to intellectual and emotional growth but spiritual growth is God-enabled. It is His abundant mercy that enables us to start over and over again when we fail-the process of regeneration. It is divine enablement or grace that keeps us growing. This is the process of renewal. Prateep V Philip

The Effective Communication of our Faith

UV 484/10,000 The Effective Communication of our faith Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus The communication of our faith is itself an important aspect of our walk with God. Faith is to be communicated to others, meaning non-believers or those who do not share our beliefs not merely with words but by the acknowledging of our inner inheritance in Christ Jesus. “Every good thing which is in you” implies our inner character, our spiritual gifts received by faith, every blessing we have in Christ, every promise we have claimed in prayer, every rememberance of what God has done in our lives, every hope – in other words, the whole inner kingdom of God that exists in each of us. A certain professor who used to teach us Communication for leaders used to say,”The secret of good interpersonal communication is good intra-personal communication.” Though he meant our inner self talk, I think it also means our communion and constant communication with the Trinity. Our words acquire power, our gestures and body language will acquire meaning and purpose as we communicate within ourselves and with the Lord. The word, “acknowledging” in this uni-verse implies accepting, believing, claiming, appropriating, enjoying, experiencing, anticipating. When we believe, accept, claim, appropriate, enjoy, experience and anticipate the work of God in our communication, both verbal, non-verbal and at the thought-emotion-desire level, our communication will manifest the power and influence of God. President Reagan was called in the US of A as the “ great communicator.” But, the only great and true communicator of history, geography, science and the supernatural realms is God Himself. He communicates through nature, through His Word- the Bible, through prophetic utterances given to chosen vessels, through signs and wonders. He holds back the secrets that belong to Him but what He has revealed belong to us and our children. His revelations or His communications are our precious heritage. We must therefore cherish, nourish and relish it. Prateep V Philip

God Governance is Good Governance

UV 483/10,000 The Lord is Legislature, Executive and Judiciary Combined Isa 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us The three branches of governance traditionally are legislature- the law-giver, the Executive-that executes laws and the Judiciary that adjudicates law. This uni-verse acknowledges God as the ultimate law-giver, executor and Judge. True and original sovereign power rests in and with God. As King, He is just, humble, accessible and generous. As ultimate ruler, He decides to remove one earthly ruler and bring up another. The Bible is the fundamental law or Constitution of the Kingdom of God. Unlike the Constitutions of the nations of the world, it is not imperfect and does not need to be amended to meet changing conditions and times. When we apply the Word of God that is contained in every verse of the Bible, it becomes a sword of excellence in our hands to execute God’s will in our lives. When we learn the precepts and principles contained in the Word and apply it to the judgment of people and affairs in our lives, we exercise the power of judgement of God. We are the Viceroys of God on earth. When we place our trust in the Lord and His justice, He shares His power with us. Recently, I heard an amazing prophecy from a nun who was called out by the Lord out of the convent in which she served as a principal: She said that one day as she was praying, the Lord revealed that He had appointed me as a watchman for the nation, that He had placed the legislature, executive and the judiciary in my hands. That revelation is not exclusive for me alone but for every believer. As we watch and observe things happening in our nations, the Lord gives us power to influence or bring about changes even in the governance of the country. We can pray for the removal of corrupt or despotic or misguided members of the ruling class in every nation. As diligent rulers on behalf of God, we must not neglect observing the details of events happening around us but after taking note of the details bring it to the Lord’s throne of judgement and mercy in prayer and faith. Every thing happens first in the spirit world before it happens in our world. He will also save us from the corrupt, despotic or misguided ways of people in position and power. The latter might think that they cannot be questioned but the Lord is the arbiter of their destiny. We might think that we are helpless against persons and people in position, power or influence. But, the Lord pits His strength and power on the side of the weak against the strong. Indeed, God governance leads to good governance. Prateep V Philip

The Secret of Fruitfulness

UV 482/10,000 John 15 v 5 The secret of fruitfulness Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Jesus is the Root and Offspring. He is the root of the vine that produces the branches or offspring in real –time. If the branches remain grafted in Him, these produce much fruit. Fruit from the Lord’s perspective is all round excellence: we need to excel in truth or knowledge of the truth, zealousness for the truth, doing of good works and in living a life of righteousness marked by the fruit of the spirit: love,joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, humility and self control. The secret of fruitfulness is revealed in this uni-verse: an abiding personal relationship with God through Jesus. Without Christ we can do nothing. It implies that without Christ we can do nothing of permanent or eternal value- things that will stand the test of fire. The converse is also true: with Him we can do all things, that is- all things of eternal value. The word “ abiding” has many nuances: it means living with, living in, living by and living for.. When we live with Christ, live in Him and live for Him, all His grace and mercy will pervade the inner core of our being. He lives in us primarily through the Holy Spirit. We live by Christ through our intake and internalization of the Word of God. It is the life-giving sap and bread of God. It nourishes and strengthens us. It urges us to be fruitful for God and it also shows us how we can be fruitful. The account of how Jesus cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit is instructive. The tree was not fulfilling its God-ordained purpose. It was consuming air, water, minerals and occupying space. But, it had self-limited or cursed itself. Similarly, we limit ourselves and curse ourselves to live a life of failure or a living death when we live a life apart from God in Christ. The story of the unfruitful fig tree is planted in the Word not as a threat but as a warning to believers to be fruitful for the glory of God. Wherever we are planted, we must excel in that field. We must not just be consumers of happiness but producers and contributors. We must not just hoard our blessings but impart these to others. Prateep V Philip

Joy Inexplicable

UV 481/10,000 Inexplicable Joy Philippians 4 v 4 Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. To rejoice means to be exceedingly glad. The gladness on our face reflects the overflowing joy of our hearts. As the Book of Proverbs states, “ A glad heart is good medicine.” Even as our sadness has a self-destructive property, our gladness has a self healing and health enhancing property. St Paul reiterated the Psalmist’s call to rejoice in the Lord. It implies that we must turn away from rejoicing in the world and the things of the world, the things that formerly brought us pleasure. Instead, the primary source of our joy should be the Lord Himself. The joy of the Lord is my strength- implying thereby, that I find my joy in the things the Lord Himself rejoices in. We need to rejoice or celebrate the presence of the Lord in us and with us as a man takes pleasure in inviting an important person home for dinner. Our hope in the Lord makes us rejoice. It makes us bless the Lord at all times that our praise and thanksgiving to Him are continually in our mouths. St Paul emphasized the need to rejoice again despite our circumstances or challenges or problems as only a joyful heart can join in worshipping the Lord. Such joy has the power to lift us out of those very circumstances that threaten our well being. The glory of the Lord or the exceeding greatness of the Lord, the greatness that exceeds our imagination, will begin to outwork and fulfill the will of the Lord in our lives. That joy is not rational- it cannot be logically explained. It is a supernatural emotion arising from the depth of our being. It is an act of will in obedience to God’s Word. Prateep V Philip