Friday, August 31, 2018
The Alpha of Happiness
UV3048/10000 The Alpha of Happiness
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he
Proverbs 16 v 20
Happiness is an universal quest but few find it. The uni-verse clearly states that when we trust the Lord who created and redeemed us, we are happy. Happiness is not a future state of mind but it is our present state of being blessed by the Lord. It is impossible to find happiness except with and in the Lord for all the parts of our lives are carefully put together by Him. Trusting the Lord implies trusting His word, His commandments, precepts and promises. When we trust the Lord, we have peace, security, forgiveness, hope, access to His amazing power and unlimited resources. We obtain wisdom from His word and that is the basis for happiness. What the Lord delights in becomes our source of strength. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount taught us that happiness is all to do with our inner attitudes. Happiness is little to do with our externals. It is the result of the kingdom of God being established within us and amidst us.
Trust in the Lord implies contentment with whatever He has given us this far or led us into. It is not as if happiness means that we do not face any challenges, problems or difficulties. It is knowing that the Lord is actively engaged with us in all our struggles. Happiness consists in knowing that we have the Lord for help in our most difficult moments. Happiness lies also in being able to enjoy the fruits of the sweat of our brow. Happiness also lies in seeing our children being sharp as arrows that hit the God-willed and intended targets in life. Acts of giving generously and serving selflessly are also sources of true happiness.
What then is counterfeit happiness? False happiness is taking pleasure in monetary or material abundance. False happiness is also pandering to our senses, the appetites of our bodies. Such happiness is fleeting and as fickle as wealth itself. True happiness comes in accumulating spiritual wealth of wisdom, faith and love. True happiness comes from using all our abilities, talents and gifts to serve both God and man.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
The Alpha of Guilt
UV 3047/10000 The Alpha of Guilt
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water
Hebrews 10 v 22
Guilt is the most widespread and universal phenomenon that affects every human being regardless of background, culture, nationality. A good conscience sits lightly in us but guilt or an uneasy conscience is the heaviest thing a man cannot simply bear. No external act can cleanse us once our conscience is sullied. The needle of our moral compass goes haywire and points in all kinds of directions. Jesus alone provided the way to straighten or justify our hearts before the absolute holiness of God Almighty. Once our hearts are straightened, our lives begin to straighten or get sanctified. Just as our bodies are washed with pure water and becomes clean every single day, our hearts are justified by the shed blood of the Lamb that is Jesus, our spirits are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Now, we can enter the presence of the Lord God with a true heart and full assurance of faith. The needle of our moral compass now points to the true North that is heaven and away from the south that is our weaknesses, our failings, our shortcomings. As long as we are journeying in this direction, our conscience is clear and the path gets brighter as we go.
Once we truly repent and receive Jesus as the absolution of our shortcomings, we are freed from guilt by grace. Scripture promises that though our sins be as scarlet, He makes our hearts as white as snow. We are freed from the work of death in our lives. Of course, being still in the flesh, we need to confess the individual sins and obtain forgiveness for these. The blood of Jesus is able to cleanse us of all manner of sin however vile. Freedom from guilt is greatly empowering and is the true inner freedom of our spirits. The enemy will keep us busy by drawing us again and again into various thoughts, words, actions and reactions that offend the spirit of the Lord. The remedy is to always draw near to the Lord, hear His word, the voice of the Holy Spirit and to abide in Him. When we hear His word, we should know that He is able to help us do that which He has commanded us and to do that which He has promised us therein. Hence, just as justification is by grace, sanctification and our growth and fruitfulness is also by grace. Our actions or inaction can hinder or hasten the work of grace in our lives.
Scripture warns us of wallowing in a false sense of guilt. Genuine guilt points us back to the Lord and does not take us away from Him. It impels us to draw nearer and nearer to Him such that He is closer to us than our own skin. Jesus promises, “ come to Me ye that are heavy laden (with guilt) and I will give your rest.” In place of guilt or shame, He gives us faith, hope, honour, abundant blessings, grace and love. We obtain freedom from guilt by substitution. We also obtain salvation by substitution. We now have the sinless conscience of Jesus. We are called hereafter not to mess up but to do our best to live the life that Jesus lives- close to the Father, obedient, not rebellious, humble not proud.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
The Alpha of Greed
UV 3046/10000 The Alpha of Greed
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12 v 15
The biggest and most widespread spiritual disease affecting humanity is greed. It is the cause of much misery, crime, deception, breakdown of relationships and families. Jesus warns us to avoid greed or covetousness for God hates the spirit of covetousness. It is the equivalent in His eyes of every form of depravity and idolatry. Scripture states that even if one becomes rich, he or she should not set his heart upon it. Covetousness ensnares and leads people into all kinds of troubles and they pierce themselves with many sorrows. In the parable of the sower, Jesus compares those who are caught up in covetousness as the ones whose lives being full of cares and desires and pleasures of this world are not spiritually fruitful or productive.
Whatever be our station in life, if we are at the border of need, we need to rely on faith and God’s grace in our lives. This is the reason in the book of Proverbs, the prayer is not for abundance but for provision of needs so that we do not forget God in our prosperity and abundance even as we do not need to curse ourselves for misery of poverty. The certainty of the truth that we do not bring anything material into this world and cannot take anything material out of the world should enable us to prioritise the kingdom of God in our lives. The kingdom of God consists of godliness, contentment, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit and righteousness or leading a life of integrity.
One of the best counter measures to the spirit of covetousness gripping us is to learn to give to the needy, the faithful, the poor and helpless from whatever the Lord has placed in our hands. We should never pin our hope of security on wealth for it cannot protect us from most of the ills and afflictions of this life. Instead of a spirit of covetousness or greed, we need to cultivate an attitude of generosity. Money is said to be a good servant but a bad master and we should use it to serve the purpose for which the Lord has placed us in this world. Our decisions or choices of what we should do should not be focussed on how much we can gain monetarily from a particular action. Scripture assures us that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all things we need will be added unto us. Hence, from the biblical perspective, our primary wealth is spiritual well being, secondary wealth is our health and psychological well being and tertiary wealth is only the monetary and material.
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12 v 15
The biggest and most widespread spiritual disease affecting humanity is greed. It is the cause of much misery, crime, deception, breakdown of relationships and families. Jesus warns us to avoid greed or covetousness for God hates the spirit of covetousness. It is the equivalent in His eyes of every form of depravity and idolatry. Scripture states that even if one becomes rich, he or she should not set his heart upon it. Covetousness ensnares and leads people into all kinds of troubles and they pierce themselves with many sorrows. In the parable of the sower, Jesus compares those who are caught up in covetousness as the ones whose lives being full of cares and desires and pleasures of this world are not spiritually fruitful or productive.
Whatever be our station in life, if we are at the border of need, we need to rely on faith and God’s grace in our lives. This is the reason in the book of Proverbs, the prayer is not for abundance but for provision of needs so that we do not forget God in our prosperity and abundance even as we do not need to curse ourselves for misery of poverty. The certainty of the truth that we do not bring anything material into this world and cannot take anything material out of the world should enable us to prioritise the kingdom of God in our lives. The kingdom of God consists of godliness, contentment, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit and righteousness or leading a life of integrity.
One of the best counter measures to the spirit of covetousness gripping us is to learn to give to the needy, the faithful, the poor and helpless from whatever the Lord has placed in our hands. We should never pin our hope of security on wealth for it cannot protect us from most of the ills and afflictions of this life. Instead of a spirit of covetousness or greed, we need to cultivate an attitude of generosity. Money is said to be a good servant but a bad master and we should use it to serve the purpose for which the Lord has placed us in this world. Our decisions or choices of what we should do should not be focussed on how much we can gain monetarily from a particular action. Scripture assures us that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all things we need will be added unto us. Hence, from the biblical perspective, our primary wealth is spiritual well being, secondary wealth is our health and psychological well being and tertiary wealth is only the monetary and material.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
THE Alpha of Grief
UV 3045/10000 The Alpha of Grief
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53 v 4
Jesus bore our agony so that we would experience the ecstasy of salvation. It is written that He is well acquainted with our grief for He Himself suffered much grief. He empathises with our pain and sorrow and lifts us out of it so that all mankind who saw Him with the eyes of faith are delivered from all sorrow even as those Israelites who were bitten by poisonous snakes in the desert of Sinai were saved from the venom when they looked up to the bronzen serpent that was lifted up on a pole- a metaphor for the eventual crucifixion of Jesus. God allowed His beloved Son to be afflicted so that the penalty for sin would be paid and we would obtain the priceless peace of eternal life.
In our lives, too we are allowed sometimes to be afflicted so that we conform to the image of the Son, so that we are refined and purified, so that we avail the grace and strength from the Lord to endure such grief. At such times, Jesus as Risen Saviour and Lord invites us closer to Him, to lay all our grief and sorrowful burden at His feet. Job was afflicted severely in order to test his faith. He emerged from this ordeal by fire refined and even more faithful and blessed in the latter part of his life. We should not therefore neither be weighed down by sorrow or grief nor resent it. Scripture says that He does not willingly afflict us but that sometimes it is a necessity to teach us something or to perfect us. The Lord reluctantly allows grief when it is inevitable and necessary for the perfection of our faith.
Affliction and grief are like a furnace burning deep within our inner being. It drives home the lessons that we would never learn otherwise. Like gold and silver are purified and refined in a furnace over and over again, each time we suffer a particular grief, we are being refined. It is painful while we are enduring such suffering but once we emerge from the furnace of afflictions with our faith as pure as gold, we are greatly blessed and we are able to rejoice and even thank the Lord for the suffering and for the strength He gave us to endure it. Jesus was put to the ultimate test no human can endure but we are tested only to the limits of what we can endure.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53 v 4
Jesus bore our agony so that we would experience the ecstasy of salvation. It is written that He is well acquainted with our grief for He Himself suffered much grief. He empathises with our pain and sorrow and lifts us out of it so that all mankind who saw Him with the eyes of faith are delivered from all sorrow even as those Israelites who were bitten by poisonous snakes in the desert of Sinai were saved from the venom when they looked up to the bronzen serpent that was lifted up on a pole- a metaphor for the eventual crucifixion of Jesus. God allowed His beloved Son to be afflicted so that the penalty for sin would be paid and we would obtain the priceless peace of eternal life.
In our lives, too we are allowed sometimes to be afflicted so that we conform to the image of the Son, so that we are refined and purified, so that we avail the grace and strength from the Lord to endure such grief. At such times, Jesus as Risen Saviour and Lord invites us closer to Him, to lay all our grief and sorrowful burden at His feet. Job was afflicted severely in order to test his faith. He emerged from this ordeal by fire refined and even more faithful and blessed in the latter part of his life. We should not therefore neither be weighed down by sorrow or grief nor resent it. Scripture says that He does not willingly afflict us but that sometimes it is a necessity to teach us something or to perfect us. The Lord reluctantly allows grief when it is inevitable and necessary for the perfection of our faith.
Affliction and grief are like a furnace burning deep within our inner being. It drives home the lessons that we would never learn otherwise. Like gold and silver are purified and refined in a furnace over and over again, each time we suffer a particular grief, we are being refined. It is painful while we are enduring such suffering but once we emerge from the furnace of afflictions with our faith as pure as gold, we are greatly blessed and we are able to rejoice and even thank the Lord for the suffering and for the strength He gave us to endure it. Jesus was put to the ultimate test no human can endure but we are tested only to the limits of what we can endure.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
The Alpha of Growth
UV 3044/10000 The Alpha of Growth
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen
2 Peter 3 v 18
Our growth is likened in scriptures to how lilies grow in beauty and tenderness. The lilies of the valley, Jesus pointed out, grow not to due to human efforts but purely by the grace of God. When we submit all aspects of our lives to the Lord, we grow like lilies in grace and by grace. In terms of stature, we are to grow to be like the cedars of Lebanon. Our root, namely our faith in the good root- Jesus should be strong and spread out so that it dips into the river of the Word to draw strength and nourishment from it. The Lord will send daily the dew of His compassion and grace to enable us to grow in this manner. We are to grow in every sense into the headship or lordship of Jesus so that we are not barren or fruitless in any aspect of our walk or life in Him. He has prepared us to do all kinds of good works classified by Charles Spurgeon as - works in obedience to the Word, works of faith and love and common work of every day life.
As we imbibe the pure word of God, we grow in the knowledge of Jesus both as Lord and as Saviour. Our faith grows even as we increase in our knowledge of Him, knowledge of His complete knowledge, complete power and complete love for us. As we increase in faith, the openings for grace to flow in our lives too expand. The Lord’s glory and power will be visible or made manifest in the many challenges of our lives. Physically, it is said that children stop growing physically by the age of eighteen. As we are ever children of God in Christ, there is no deadline or limit to our growth of our faith and grace. As children of God, we have the seven fold anointing of Jesus- the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of knowledge, of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might and of the fear of the Lord. We are to grow in terms of all aspects of this seven fold anointing of Jesus.
Our fruitfulness increases in proportion to the increase in our knowledge of Christ- His love as Saviour, His power as Lord. We increase in the fruit of the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. All these together constitute spiritual wisdom. When we grow in spiritual wisdom, we grow in grace and truth. Our goal is to grow to the very stature of Christ who is absolutely full of grace and truth. The purpose of such growth is not for our personal gratification but to declare and establish or prove the greatness of God. We also need to be aware that there are forces and factors of this world around that attempt to stunt or block our growth in grace and truth and so we need to take pre-emptive action. The Word gives us enough precautions and forewarnings about the blocks to our growth and fruitfulness.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
The Alpha of Greatness
UV 3043/10000 The Alpha of Greatness
Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deuteronomy 32 v 3
We are to publish the greatness of the name of the Lord Jesus and of the Father Jehovah and of the Holy Spirit. He is our indwelling source of greatness. His power is great inspiring awe and fear in us. His love is great causing us to also love Him in increasing measure as we comprehend the nature and extent of His love. His mercy is great and He is able to forgive and forget all of our sin though it be numerous and terrible and stains our souls like crimson and scarlet. His justice is great such that He does nothing that is unjust. His righteousness or holiness is great inspiring fear and reverence in mortals like us. His wisdom is great such that no one can fully fathom it except as He reveals it to us.
As for us, the best of us are sinful and miserable. Yet there is a hidden desire for personal greatness. The pursuit of greatness in this world is in vain for all greatness fades with time. We can find the secrets to lasting personal greatness only in the Lord. The Psalmist David wrote that He increases us in greatness and comforts us on all sides. Instead of misery, He replaces it with joy that nothing in this world can take away. The greatness of God is always ready and waiting to express itself in and through our lives, to manifest itself. The uni-verse above asks us to ascribe greatness to our God. It implies that we need to acknowledge, attribute, honour , appropriate the greatness of the Lord in terms of His mercy, grace, peace, power, wisdom.
Our lives are to be essays to express the greatness of the Lord. When we share the numerous ways in which we have experienced the greatness of the character of the Lord, His faithfulness, His gentleness and humility, His compassion, His love, His grace and power, we are publishing His greatness. When we use our talents, skills, abilities, resources to give expression of the greatness of God at work in us, we are publishing His greatness.
Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deuteronomy 32 v 3
We are to publish the greatness of the name of the Lord Jesus and of the Father Jehovah and of the Holy Spirit. He is our indwelling source of greatness. His power is great inspiring awe and fear in us. His love is great causing us to also love Him in increasing measure as we comprehend the nature and extent of His love. His mercy is great and He is able to forgive and forget all of our sin though it be numerous and terrible and stains our souls like crimson and scarlet. His justice is great such that He does nothing that is unjust. His righteousness or holiness is great inspiring fear and reverence in mortals like us. His wisdom is great such that no one can fully fathom it except as He reveals it to us.
As for us, the best of us are sinful and miserable. Yet there is a hidden desire for personal greatness. The pursuit of greatness in this world is in vain for all greatness fades with time. We can find the secrets to lasting personal greatness only in the Lord. The Psalmist David wrote that He increases us in greatness and comforts us on all sides. Instead of misery, He replaces it with joy that nothing in this world can take away. The greatness of God is always ready and waiting to express itself in and through our lives, to manifest itself. The uni-verse above asks us to ascribe greatness to our God. It implies that we need to acknowledge, attribute, honour , appropriate the greatness of the Lord in terms of His mercy, grace, peace, power, wisdom.
Our lives are to be essays to express the greatness of the Lord. When we share the numerous ways in which we have experienced the greatness of the character of the Lord, His faithfulness, His gentleness and humility, His compassion, His love, His grace and power, we are publishing His greatness. When we use our talents, skills, abilities, resources to give expression of the greatness of God at work in us, we are publishing His greatness.
Friday, August 24, 2018
The Alpha of Godliness
UV 3042/10000 The Alpha of Godliness
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
I Timothy 4 v 8
To maintain my physical fitness and health, I do as many as a dozen different exercises. Like there are a huge variety of physical exercises to improve our fitness levels, there are numerous spiritual exercises for practicing godliness. Jesus often retreated away from crowded areas to spend time alone with His Father. We too can imitate Jesus and it will greatly benefit us. Prayer is one of the best forms of exercising godliness. We are communicating without any restrictions or barriers with our Heavenly Father. Spending time in praise and worship is another godly exercise. Using our divine delegated authority to engage in spiritual warfare against the principalities, powers and empires of darkness is a powerful spiritual exercise.
Spending time in silence is another godly exercise. We refrain from speaking for some time so that we gain a heart of wisdom. Fasting and praying is another spiritual discipline that helps us tame our appetite and touch the very heart of God. Prostrating like Moses and Joshua in times of great despair or frustration is an useful spiritual exercise. Praying in the spirit with all kinds of sounds and actions is an exercise that will benefit us tremendously in the spiritual sense. Giving to the needy and helpless as well as to the missions we have a burden for are a form of godly exercise that rids us of selfishness, greed and insecurity. Doing acts of kindness and service to others have a tremendous impact on our minds and spirits.
Meditating on the word of God, running it over and over in our minds, trying to find out its deeper meaning is a powerful exercise. Spending time in fellowship with believers are a source of mutual encouragement and edification. Praying for the sanctification of our tongues is a very beneficial exercise that builds us up in godliness. Sacrificing the superficial and unnecessary aspects of our lives is a profitable exercise. Inspiring, sharing, teaching, encouraging and helping others is an effective exercise that enhances not just us but others too in godly disciplines. Practising thankfulness and gratitude for blessings and grace received this far is a very wholesome exercise of our spirits and minds. Consciously, repenting and humbling oneself before the Lord have a cleansing effect on us. For most of these exercises, we need to set aside time daily to practice as it will benefit us not just spiritually but holistically or in all aspects of our lives.
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
I Timothy 4 v 8
To maintain my physical fitness and health, I do as many as a dozen different exercises. Like there are a huge variety of physical exercises to improve our fitness levels, there are numerous spiritual exercises for practicing godliness. Jesus often retreated away from crowded areas to spend time alone with His Father. We too can imitate Jesus and it will greatly benefit us. Prayer is one of the best forms of exercising godliness. We are communicating without any restrictions or barriers with our Heavenly Father. Spending time in praise and worship is another godly exercise. Using our divine delegated authority to engage in spiritual warfare against the principalities, powers and empires of darkness is a powerful spiritual exercise.
Spending time in silence is another godly exercise. We refrain from speaking for some time so that we gain a heart of wisdom. Fasting and praying is another spiritual discipline that helps us tame our appetite and touch the very heart of God. Prostrating like Moses and Joshua in times of great despair or frustration is an useful spiritual exercise. Praying in the spirit with all kinds of sounds and actions is an exercise that will benefit us tremendously in the spiritual sense. Giving to the needy and helpless as well as to the missions we have a burden for are a form of godly exercise that rids us of selfishness, greed and insecurity. Doing acts of kindness and service to others have a tremendous impact on our minds and spirits.
Meditating on the word of God, running it over and over in our minds, trying to find out its deeper meaning is a powerful exercise. Spending time in fellowship with believers are a source of mutual encouragement and edification. Praying for the sanctification of our tongues is a very beneficial exercise that builds us up in godliness. Sacrificing the superficial and unnecessary aspects of our lives is a profitable exercise. Inspiring, sharing, teaching, encouraging and helping others is an effective exercise that enhances not just us but others too in godly disciplines. Practising thankfulness and gratitude for blessings and grace received this far is a very wholesome exercise of our spirits and minds. Consciously, repenting and humbling oneself before the Lord have a cleansing effect on us. For most of these exercises, we need to set aside time daily to practice as it will benefit us not just spiritually but holistically or in all aspects of our lives.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
The Alpha of Grace
UV 3041/10000 The Alpha of Grace
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Joh 1 v 17
God ‘s grace revealed in Jesus Christ makes possible the impossible- a personal relationship or friendship with the infinite, invisible, eternal, all knowing, absolutely holy, all powerful God. The law given through Moses is useful to convict us on our shortcomings vis –a- vis the perfection of God but grace makes it possible to relate to Him whatever be our shortcomings, our weaknesses, our past, our deeds. Grace is a perfect blend of the wisdom, knowledge, power and love of God manifested in and through Christ. It is impossible for anyone to live in accordance with the standards of righteousness and love of Christ but grace makes it possible.
Grace is an outflow of the complete knowledge, complete power and complete love of Jesus into our lives, filling the gaps in our faith, knowledge, character and ability. It is defined as “divine enablement” or unmerited favour. It is not something we can attain unto on our own efforts. We can neither earn it or learn it. We can receive it by believing that Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. Through the scriptures, we find that different individuals found favour with God on account of their faith beginning with Abraham.
When a person is pleased with another we say that the latter has found favour in his eyes. He is willing and keen to do or grant what the latter requests. Likewise, when our lives of obedience please the Lord grace abounds in us. We find favour with the Lord. His face shines upon us. He lifts us up. He blesses us abundantly. Jesus Himself found favour or grace in the eyes of God the Father who appeared as the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit and said, “ This is my own beloved Son- listen to Him.” When we find grace in the eyes of the Lord, He endorses us by saying, “ My good and faithful servant- enter into your reward.” As we increasingly humble ourselves before the Lord, He gives us grace.
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Joh 1 v 17
God ‘s grace revealed in Jesus Christ makes possible the impossible- a personal relationship or friendship with the infinite, invisible, eternal, all knowing, absolutely holy, all powerful God. The law given through Moses is useful to convict us on our shortcomings vis –a- vis the perfection of God but grace makes it possible to relate to Him whatever be our shortcomings, our weaknesses, our past, our deeds. Grace is a perfect blend of the wisdom, knowledge, power and love of God manifested in and through Christ. It is impossible for anyone to live in accordance with the standards of righteousness and love of Christ but grace makes it possible.
Grace is an outflow of the complete knowledge, complete power and complete love of Jesus into our lives, filling the gaps in our faith, knowledge, character and ability. It is defined as “divine enablement” or unmerited favour. It is not something we can attain unto on our own efforts. We can neither earn it or learn it. We can receive it by believing that Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. Through the scriptures, we find that different individuals found favour with God on account of their faith beginning with Abraham.
When a person is pleased with another we say that the latter has found favour in his eyes. He is willing and keen to do or grant what the latter requests. Likewise, when our lives of obedience please the Lord grace abounds in us. We find favour with the Lord. His face shines upon us. He lifts us up. He blesses us abundantly. Jesus Himself found favour or grace in the eyes of God the Father who appeared as the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit and said, “ This is my own beloved Son- listen to Him.” When we find grace in the eyes of the Lord, He endorses us by saying, “ My good and faithful servant- enter into your reward.” As we increasingly humble ourselves before the Lord, He gives us grace.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
The Alpha of Glory
UV 3040/10000 The Alpha of Glory
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
I Corinthians 1 v 31
Every human has a natural drive to search for his personal greatness or glory. Large number of people right through history have sought glory in seeking to build empires, in accomplishments, in wealth and wisdom. But scripture repeatedly asks man not to glory in his flesh, in his achievements, in his might, in his riches, in his wisdom or knowledge. Instead, we are to find our ultimate pleasure and joy in the name of the Lord, in our personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son for Jesus is our wisdom, justification, righteousness and redemption. Each of the several names of the Lord revealed in the Bible is an aspect of the glory of God- Jehovah Shalom, Rapha, Jireh, El Shaddai and so on. Each of these names meet a specific need of human beings. We seek not our own glory but the glory of the Lord. When we praise God, we glorify Him. When we regulate our speech and indeed, our lives or conduct to please God, we glorify Him. Just as magnifying lens capture the light and heat of the sun and focus the power on a single object to set it aflame, we are like magnifying lens to focus the light, the power and the greatness of God on earth, to set on fire the hearts of mankind.
It is written that God will not share His Shekinah or radiant glory with any of His creatures. Like the moon reflects the light of the sun and looks resplendent in a dark sky, we are to reflect the wisdom, the love, the perfection, the power and grace of the Lord in this world. Whatever we do, we should point the glory to the Lord. Jesus is the complete manifestation of the glory of God- complete in knowledge, power and love. We discover and experience the glory or greatness of God by delving deeper into His knowledge, power and love. Jesus revealed to all who believe His word the knowledge of God, the power of God and the agape love of God.
St Paul found glory in the cross of Calvary. In it He found His source of justification, power and grace. We find our source of spiritual and holistic health, wealth, knowledge, wisdom and power in our personal relationship with God through Jesus. As long as we trust Him, we will never be in short supply of any of these. The promises of God contained in His word are also meant to manifest the glory of the Lord.
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
I Corinthians 1 v 31
Every human has a natural drive to search for his personal greatness or glory. Large number of people right through history have sought glory in seeking to build empires, in accomplishments, in wealth and wisdom. But scripture repeatedly asks man not to glory in his flesh, in his achievements, in his might, in his riches, in his wisdom or knowledge. Instead, we are to find our ultimate pleasure and joy in the name of the Lord, in our personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son for Jesus is our wisdom, justification, righteousness and redemption. Each of the several names of the Lord revealed in the Bible is an aspect of the glory of God- Jehovah Shalom, Rapha, Jireh, El Shaddai and so on. Each of these names meet a specific need of human beings. We seek not our own glory but the glory of the Lord. When we praise God, we glorify Him. When we regulate our speech and indeed, our lives or conduct to please God, we glorify Him. Just as magnifying lens capture the light and heat of the sun and focus the power on a single object to set it aflame, we are like magnifying lens to focus the light, the power and the greatness of God on earth, to set on fire the hearts of mankind.
It is written that God will not share His Shekinah or radiant glory with any of His creatures. Like the moon reflects the light of the sun and looks resplendent in a dark sky, we are to reflect the wisdom, the love, the perfection, the power and grace of the Lord in this world. Whatever we do, we should point the glory to the Lord. Jesus is the complete manifestation of the glory of God- complete in knowledge, power and love. We discover and experience the glory or greatness of God by delving deeper into His knowledge, power and love. Jesus revealed to all who believe His word the knowledge of God, the power of God and the agape love of God.
St Paul found glory in the cross of Calvary. In it He found His source of justification, power and grace. We find our source of spiritual and holistic health, wealth, knowledge, wisdom and power in our personal relationship with God through Jesus. As long as we trust Him, we will never be in short supply of any of these. The promises of God contained in His word are also meant to manifest the glory of the Lord.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
The Alpha of Gleaning
UV 3039/10000 The Alpha of Gleaning
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
Ruth 2 v 8
Boaz in this uni-verse is a type of Christ. He is the God-designated saviour for the helpless and hapless Ruth. Ruth’s faithfulness to her forlorn, destitute widowed mother-in-law despite she herself being a young widow touches the heart of God as it touches her unknown kinsman-Redeemer Boaz. Like Boaz spoke unto Ruth and allowed her to glean the portion she needed for herself and Naomi in his own fields, the Lord allows us to glean our portion of spiritual food in the fields of His own word. Every blessing we desire, every need that we have, every truth of God that we should learn can be gleaned therein. We need not look elsewhere or try to find it in religions or the books and wisdom of this world. As we glean, the Lord will instruct His workers, the angels and His servants to protect us.
We need to glean from His word which is vast and deep the grains of truth that we need to equip us, feed us, empower us, meet our deepest need. We need to pick up therefrom whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is praiseworthy, excellent, helpful, wholesome, virtuous and consume it to make it a part of our being. Ruth was able to gather an ephah of grain, enough to feed Naomi and self. The Word likewise is the spiritual and holistic seed that meets all of our need- physical, intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional and psychological. By gleaning in the field of Boaz, Ruth got his attention and won his favour. Likewise, when we regularly and daily return to the field of the Lord we get His attention and His favour. Boaz heard the request of Ruth and granted it more than she even asked for. He even instructed her servants to allow her to take from the harvested sheaves of grain and to drop handfuls of grain that she can collect while gleaning. Similarly, the Lord drops His blessings and bounties on the very path that we walk that we might think that we chanced upon it.
Like Ruth lay at the feet of Boaz and he covered her with his sheet, we need to lie at the feet of the Lord and He will cover us- a metaphor for His presence, His overflowing blessings and grace. Like Ruth was invited to eat at the table of Boaz, we are invited to eat and fellowship with the Lord every day of our lives. Like Ruth entered into wedlock with Boaz, we are called into a covenant relationship of eternal love and commitment to the Lord all the days of our lives and beyond into eternity.
Monday, August 20, 2018
The Alpha of Being Girded
UV3038/10000 The Alpha of Being Girded
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psalm 18 v 32
The word “gird” is derived from girdle. The girdle is that part of armour or clothing which protect the vulnerable loins and where the inner clothes were tucked into. It holds the whole armour up and strengthens the person waist up and downwards too. Likewise, God it is in Christ who girds us, helps us hold up our dignity as humans and strengthens us. He causes us to walk in the way of perfection- the path of Jesus- the Word of God and thereby strengthens us. Human vision and ideologies based on limited knowledge have their own limitations but the power, wisdom and grace of God outworking in our lives have no limitation. The emphasis is on the words-“makes my way perfect” implying that our ways are not naturally perfect, are prone to much error. But the Lord is involved in making our ways perfect.
As we appropriate the strength and grace of the Lord, we improve our ways of life- our way of speaking and communicating the truth. One way to prove God exists and helps us is to improve our character, our performance of our duties, our relationships. A person who believes in Jesus is a child of God regardless of how old he or she gets. It implies like a child keeps learning and growing all through childhood till he or she becomes mature and strong, we are to learn, grow and improve all through our lives. We do not become set in our ways but are willing to change anything and everything the Holy Spirit asks us to give up and adopt whatever He counsels us to take in or take up.
The Lord alone can give us strength to overcome our own inner weaknesses. He gives us strength to bear our troubles, challenges and difficulties without thinking of giving up. Like someone who underwrites a business, the Lord is our guarantor. He guarantees that we will be perfect by grace in the sight of the Father. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is portrayed paradoxically as a slain lamb- the sign of utter vulnerability but with seven horns- the metaphor for complete power and seven eyes- the symbol of complete knowledge and wisdom. The historical fact that He was slain as a sacrificial lamb for our shortcomings is proof of His complete love. Since we have instant and continual, eternal access to complete power, complete knowledge and complete love, we can trust the Lord with all of our lives- the alpha to omega of our lives or the totality of our lives-past, present, future and eternity.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
The Alpha of Generosity
UV 3037 / 10000 The Alpha of Generosity
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6 v 38
Giving is a spiritual discipline that blesses both the giver and the one given to. There are many forms of giving : we can give of our time, talent, treasure to those who need it. When we give time and attention to another person, we are demonsrating our love for we are giving of our life. When we give in the name of the Lord, we are sowing in the kingdom of God. If we sow bountifully or generously, we also receive bountifully or plentifully for the Lord makes His grace abound to us in every way so that not only we have sufficient for our own need but are able to give to others. When we give to the poor, it is written in scripture that we are actually lending to the Lord. We are doing what is veritably impossible for who can lend to the Lord for everything we have – time, talent and treasure – are all portions given to us generously by the Lord.
Though we do not give in order to get a return as from investment, the Lord does not want to be any man’s debtor. He invariably blesses us as a reward for any form of giving that we do. If we give time to Him or His work or His word, He extends the length of our days and indeed, of our lives. If we give of our talent or ability, He multiplies our abilities and its impact. If we give of our treasure, He blesses us many times whatever we have given. Recently, I had sent a small sum in response to a pastor running an orphanage. On the same day, I got a call from a potential buyer with a sizeable quote for a document that till the other day commanded only a negligible rate.
Giving is a test of our heart whether we set greatest store by our money or material resources or whether we obey the command of the Lord to give to the needy. Even when we give something in kind like a meal to the servants of the Lord, He keeps an account of it and hastens to bless and reward us in due time. When we give generously, it kills the incipient love of money that is in our hearts. When we give, our attitude counts. We need to give not grudgingly or with resentment that we were forced to give. We need to give cheerfully and willingly for the Lord loves a cheerful giver. We need to cast our bread or money on the water as we do not know in what events will unfold and what kind of need we ourselves are going to confront. I once helped a constable get a sum of money from various quarters in order to get a heart surgery done for his wife. Some months later, I was badly injured in the human bomb assassination of a former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur. The Lord sent an unknown officer and an unknown young man to carry me to a jeep and accompany me till I got medical assistance in a nearby hospital. The Lord was sending the bread I had cast on the waters a little upstream back to me downstream. When we give to the needy in a crisis as in the most recent floods in Kerala state, we are not only helping to save them but saving something for us on our own "rainy day".
Friday, August 17, 2018
The Alpha of Gladness
UV 3036/10000 The Alpha of Gladness
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
Psalm 97 v 11
The word of God is the light that is sown in our hearts and minds which gives us wisdom, knowledge and understanding of how best to live. It is sown in our hearts when we receive and believe the seed of the gospel that Jesus who allowed Himself to be reduced to an absolute zero only to bounce back as an absolute hero is able to save us. Good news always produces gladness in human hearts even as bad news produces shock, anguish, sadness. When we receive the gospel as God’s plan for man, it sets right our hearts with the Lord. What is sown as a seed in our hearts grows and becomes a veritable kingdom of God producing the nine fold fruit of the Spirit including a joyful spirit. The kingdom of God is not about pandering to our senses or our physical appetite or lust but it is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We find our righteousness, peace and joy in what the Holy Spirit communicate and conveys to us continually.
The Lord is not a joy killer but He is a joy filler. He fills our hearts with gladness. Our cup runs over with joy as we trust Him, practice whatever He teaches us, believe and claim His promises even in the worst of circumstances and situations of life. The hope of eternal life fills us with joy and gladness. The continual communion or fellowship with the Lord fills us with gladness. The blessings of the Lord fills us with gladness. The answers to prayer fills us with gladness. Praise and worship lifts our hearts and fills us with gladness. The testimonies of the Lord’s faithfulness to others fills us with gladness and thanksgiving. Our attitude of gratitude fills us with gladness. When our work in this world and our work for the Lord is rewarded, we are filled with gladness. When we are able to give to just causes and help others our hearts are gladdened.
Rivers of life-giving joy flow from the hearts of believers. We are not to bottle up our source of joy but share it with others. We do not find pleasure like some do in the misery of others but like the Good Samaritan, we empathise with the suffering and afflicted. We find pleasure in lightening the heavy load of others. The upright in heart do not remain mute spectators of human suffering but take practical steps to alleviate it.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
The Alpha of Gentleness
UV 3035/10000 The Alpha of Gentleness
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2 Timothy 2 v 24
The kind of leadership that Jesus calls us into is not of power or might or throwing one’s weight with others. It is about humility, gentleness, meekness, compassion and service. We are to slay our own egos and kill our pride. We are to be patient with all kinds of people. Our body language and our speech is to be marked by extraordinary gentleness. We are not striving to prove ourselves better or greater than anyone else. We are not trying to get ahead of others in the rat race of life.
Gentleness is a result of continually submitting ourselves to the control, discipline, correction and leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is a fruit of the spirit. It is a result of our imbibing much spiritual wisdom and developing ourselves in terms of patience and maturity of character. We cease to be rash or careless in the use of our words. We are to be gracious and non aggressive in our approach to people. Behind the gentleness of Jesus is His heart of compassion for all human beings. Imitating Him, we are not to show kindness only to those who are privileged, rich or powerful or influential but to all people, especially to those who are disadvantaged, weak or helpless.
The uni-verse above gives us a clue on how to go about getting gentle. We are to cease from striving to be better on our own strength but seek the Lord’s help and grace to be gentle and patient with all people, especially those we found very difficult to deal or relate with hitherto. Every word and action of ours should be passed through the several filters that the Word of God gives us. The Lord is pleased when we are humble and gentle. He found His servant Moses to be the most humble of people. The same Moses had once been very aggressive and had killed an Egyptian for oppressing a fellow Hebrew slave. But the Lord allowed him to go through experiences that gave him a broken, contrite and gentle spirit
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2 Timothy 2 v 24
The kind of leadership that Jesus calls us into is not of power or might or throwing one’s weight with others. It is about humility, gentleness, meekness, compassion and service. We are to slay our own egos and kill our pride. We are to be patient with all kinds of people. Our body language and our speech is to be marked by extraordinary gentleness. We are not striving to prove ourselves better or greater than anyone else. We are not trying to get ahead of others in the rat race of life.
Gentleness is a result of continually submitting ourselves to the control, discipline, correction and leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is a fruit of the spirit. It is a result of our imbibing much spiritual wisdom and developing ourselves in terms of patience and maturity of character. We cease to be rash or careless in the use of our words. We are to be gracious and non aggressive in our approach to people. Behind the gentleness of Jesus is His heart of compassion for all human beings. Imitating Him, we are not to show kindness only to those who are privileged, rich or powerful or influential but to all people, especially to those who are disadvantaged, weak or helpless.
The uni-verse above gives us a clue on how to go about getting gentle. We are to cease from striving to be better on our own strength but seek the Lord’s help and grace to be gentle and patient with all people, especially those we found very difficult to deal or relate with hitherto. Every word and action of ours should be passed through the several filters that the Word of God gives us. The Lord is pleased when we are humble and gentle. He found His servant Moses to be the most humble of people. The same Moses had once been very aggressive and had killed an Egyptian for oppressing a fellow Hebrew slave. But the Lord allowed him to go through experiences that gave him a broken, contrite and gentle spirit
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
The Alpha of Friendship
UV3034/10000 The Alpha of Friendship
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God
James 2 v 23
In the beginning, God related to the first man as a person with his friend. Since Adam disbelieved the words of God and believed the words of the enemy of our souls, his friendship or relationship with God was disrupted. Since Abraham believed the words of God, he was counted righteous and he became the Friend of God. The seed of Abraham or the descendants of Abraham who continued in his faith were also deemed Friends of God. Jesus came to make all people Friends of God. The first aspect of friendship is that friends know each other’s names. They know each other’s interests, character, habits, tastes, desires, strengths and weaknesses. Jesus knows our names, our character, our interests, our desires, our strengths and weaknesses. Unlike all other friends, He knows our deepest secrets and thoughts. He knows our worries, concerns, challenges, difficulties and problems. He does not remain a mute spectator but He helps us in all aspects of our lives. Thanks to Jesus, Jehovah calls us His friends even as He called Abraham. We are called into a deep and intimate personal relationship
The book of Proverbs states that a friend sticks closer than a brother. Jesus likewise sticks closer to us than our own uterine brothers or sisters. He is closer to us literally than our own skin. His presence with us is not a figment of imagination but is real and true. He is not visible but He does manifest in real ways His friendship and love for us. He not only bore ours sins but also our curses and our sorrows. He told His disciples that He did not treat them as servants or lesser beings but as friends or equal beings. He therefore told them all that the Father had told Him. He disclosed all the secrets of the kingdom of God. As a friend, He desires our well being.
As a friend, Jesus teaches us, encourages, comforts, strengthens us from within, gives us gifts, gives us company. Recently, the UK has appointed the first ever Minister for Loneliness to find ways to help lonely youth as well as older people cope with their current loneliness. But whatever she can devise will be poor substitutes for the friendship of Jesus. Human loneliness is a disease that comes from the absence of friendship with God. To communicate with God is a human need. To get counsel from God is a human need. To seek and find comfort and help with God is a human need. The continual fellowship with Jesus does not give any room for any sense of loneliness for the believer even when he or she is deserted or widowed by all human kith and kin. It is clear that even the very best of our friends in life are only second best to Jesus who is everyone's Best Friend. All our relationships should be modelled on our friendship with Jesus. We need to be as forgiving and as loving as Him in our friendship with other people.
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God
James 2 v 23
In the beginning, God related to the first man as a person with his friend. Since Adam disbelieved the words of God and believed the words of the enemy of our souls, his friendship or relationship with God was disrupted. Since Abraham believed the words of God, he was counted righteous and he became the Friend of God. The seed of Abraham or the descendants of Abraham who continued in his faith were also deemed Friends of God. Jesus came to make all people Friends of God. The first aspect of friendship is that friends know each other’s names. They know each other’s interests, character, habits, tastes, desires, strengths and weaknesses. Jesus knows our names, our character, our interests, our desires, our strengths and weaknesses. Unlike all other friends, He knows our deepest secrets and thoughts. He knows our worries, concerns, challenges, difficulties and problems. He does not remain a mute spectator but He helps us in all aspects of our lives. Thanks to Jesus, Jehovah calls us His friends even as He called Abraham. We are called into a deep and intimate personal relationship
The book of Proverbs states that a friend sticks closer than a brother. Jesus likewise sticks closer to us than our own uterine brothers or sisters. He is closer to us literally than our own skin. His presence with us is not a figment of imagination but is real and true. He is not visible but He does manifest in real ways His friendship and love for us. He not only bore ours sins but also our curses and our sorrows. He told His disciples that He did not treat them as servants or lesser beings but as friends or equal beings. He therefore told them all that the Father had told Him. He disclosed all the secrets of the kingdom of God. As a friend, He desires our well being.
As a friend, Jesus teaches us, encourages, comforts, strengthens us from within, gives us gifts, gives us company. Recently, the UK has appointed the first ever Minister for Loneliness to find ways to help lonely youth as well as older people cope with their current loneliness. But whatever she can devise will be poor substitutes for the friendship of Jesus. Human loneliness is a disease that comes from the absence of friendship with God. To communicate with God is a human need. To get counsel from God is a human need. To seek and find comfort and help with God is a human need. The continual fellowship with Jesus does not give any room for any sense of loneliness for the believer even when he or she is deserted or widowed by all human kith and kin. It is clear that even the very best of our friends in life are only second best to Jesus who is everyone's Best Friend. All our relationships should be modelled on our friendship with Jesus. We need to be as forgiving and as loving as Him in our friendship with other people.
Monday, August 13, 2018
The Alpha of Dealing with Fear
UV 3033/10000 The Alpha of Dealing with Fear
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34 v 4
Fear grips our hearts and minds and paralyses us. We are afraid of the unknown. Fears keep us from fulfilling our full potential. We are fearful of what might befall us in the course of our lives. Fears have the power of self fulfilling prophecies and have an uncanny way of coming true in life. Our fears are fed and fuelled by all the bad news happening all around us. Often our own lifetime experiences is the root of our fears. For instance, I experienced drowning once and was thereafter, quite fearful of deep waters. I was able to overcome that fear by recently venturing to do scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef, of course, with a capable lifeguard and trainer swimming alongside me. My confidence was not in my own ability to swim but on my trainer who I knew would not desert or abandon me whatever happened down there. Likewise, when we have Jesus as our coach and trainer alongside us all the time, our fears melt away. When we hear the good news that Jesus is the all loving, all powerful, all merciful, all knowing Saviour, we are in touch or within access of the means of deliverance from all our fears. Instead of fear, He places a song of deliverance on our hearts and lips. Our lips speak what our hearts believe. We do not empower our fears by acknowledging these real and imaginary threats. Faith in the saving power of Jesus is our effective shield. We yield to Him and not to our fears.
The pre-condition is that we seek the Lord sincerely, seek His presence, seek His help and grace. We seek His power by delving deep into His word. He hears our prayers and answers us in accordance with His great mercy and grace. The uni-verse states that we are delivered from “ALL” our fears. In short, there is not a single fear or threat that He cannot deliver us from. Instead of fear, He now fills our hearts and minds with joy. Joy is supernatural emotional state wherein we are delivered from all our natural fears.
Instead of hiding our fears or hiding from our fears, we need to confess our fears to the Lord and seek His active and present help to overcome it. The root of all fears is the fear of death and Jesus has overcome death. He descended the deepest valley of fear as He confronted the prospect of the cross on Calvary hill. But He thereafter ascended to the highest mountain of the Zion of the glory of God. He who is the Overcomer will enable us to overcome sin and death and live forever in His glorious presence.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34 v 4
Fear grips our hearts and minds and paralyses us. We are afraid of the unknown. Fears keep us from fulfilling our full potential. We are fearful of what might befall us in the course of our lives. Fears have the power of self fulfilling prophecies and have an uncanny way of coming true in life. Our fears are fed and fuelled by all the bad news happening all around us. Often our own lifetime experiences is the root of our fears. For instance, I experienced drowning once and was thereafter, quite fearful of deep waters. I was able to overcome that fear by recently venturing to do scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef, of course, with a capable lifeguard and trainer swimming alongside me. My confidence was not in my own ability to swim but on my trainer who I knew would not desert or abandon me whatever happened down there. Likewise, when we have Jesus as our coach and trainer alongside us all the time, our fears melt away. When we hear the good news that Jesus is the all loving, all powerful, all merciful, all knowing Saviour, we are in touch or within access of the means of deliverance from all our fears. Instead of fear, He places a song of deliverance on our hearts and lips. Our lips speak what our hearts believe. We do not empower our fears by acknowledging these real and imaginary threats. Faith in the saving power of Jesus is our effective shield. We yield to Him and not to our fears.
The pre-condition is that we seek the Lord sincerely, seek His presence, seek His help and grace. We seek His power by delving deep into His word. He hears our prayers and answers us in accordance with His great mercy and grace. The uni-verse states that we are delivered from “ALL” our fears. In short, there is not a single fear or threat that He cannot deliver us from. Instead of fear, He now fills our hearts and minds with joy. Joy is supernatural emotional state wherein we are delivered from all our natural fears.
Instead of hiding our fears or hiding from our fears, we need to confess our fears to the Lord and seek His active and present help to overcome it. The root of all fears is the fear of death and Jesus has overcome death. He descended the deepest valley of fear as He confronted the prospect of the cross on Calvary hill. But He thereafter ascended to the highest mountain of the Zion of the glory of God. He who is the Overcomer will enable us to overcome sin and death and live forever in His glorious presence.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
The Alpha of Dealing with Frauds
UV 3032/10000 The Alpha of Dealing with Frauds
Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
Leviticus 19 v 11
The Lord desires people with integrity. We are neither to deceive nor be deceived. Since sin came into this world by fraud and deception, we are to be on guard against fraud. A person who deals falsely with others cannot inherit the kingdom of God. In short, God disinherits a fraudster. Lying and cheating are hated by the Lord. As believers, we too are not to be gullible and be led down a garden path by those who make false promises. We are to be shrewd as a serpent and gentle as a dove. We are to test even prophecies to see if it is truly from the Lord. We are to test all things before we place our unquestioned trust in it. Everything should be subjected to the test of fire or the touchstone of truth and reality.
One ‘s own brother can sometimes deceive him as it happened in the case of Jacob and Esau. The desire for a pot of flesh of Esau was exploited by Jacob into defrauding the former. Sometimes, our own desires or covetousness leads us to be ensnared by the enemy of our souls. We are therefore to subject our desires or goals to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and we should abide by the sovereign will of the Lord whether the desire is to be granted or not. No believer of Christ can think or plan to make dishonest gain. Scripture exhorts us to earn our livelihood and profit by honest means and hard work.
There are many “get rich quick “ schemes and scams multiplying in different parts of the world today which capitalises on the greed of common people. As a result, they get defrauded even of their hard earned savings. We need to pray for a spirit of discernment to be able to see through the schemes and intentions of people who approach us with different promises. As head of the Economic Offences Wing of the state, I have come across even many pastors and men of God also falling prey to such frauds and fraudsters. Believers tend to be naïve and gullible and it becomes easy for these fraudsters to find them a soft target.
Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
Leviticus 19 v 11
The Lord desires people with integrity. We are neither to deceive nor be deceived. Since sin came into this world by fraud and deception, we are to be on guard against fraud. A person who deals falsely with others cannot inherit the kingdom of God. In short, God disinherits a fraudster. Lying and cheating are hated by the Lord. As believers, we too are not to be gullible and be led down a garden path by those who make false promises. We are to be shrewd as a serpent and gentle as a dove. We are to test even prophecies to see if it is truly from the Lord. We are to test all things before we place our unquestioned trust in it. Everything should be subjected to the test of fire or the touchstone of truth and reality.
One ‘s own brother can sometimes deceive him as it happened in the case of Jacob and Esau. The desire for a pot of flesh of Esau was exploited by Jacob into defrauding the former. Sometimes, our own desires or covetousness leads us to be ensnared by the enemy of our souls. We are therefore to subject our desires or goals to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and we should abide by the sovereign will of the Lord whether the desire is to be granted or not. No believer of Christ can think or plan to make dishonest gain. Scripture exhorts us to earn our livelihood and profit by honest means and hard work.
There are many “get rich quick “ schemes and scams multiplying in different parts of the world today which capitalises on the greed of common people. As a result, they get defrauded even of their hard earned savings. We need to pray for a spirit of discernment to be able to see through the schemes and intentions of people who approach us with different promises. As head of the Economic Offences Wing of the state, I have come across even many pastors and men of God also falling prey to such frauds and fraudsters. Believers tend to be naïve and gullible and it becomes easy for these fraudsters to find them a soft target.
Friday, August 10, 2018
The Alpha of Flourishing
Uv 3031/10000 The Alpha of Flourishing
And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
Ezekiel 17 v 24
The trees of the field mentioned in the uni-verse are an apt metaphor for people who live on earth. The earth is the field, the footstool of the Lord. The people are trees that need to take root in the word of the Lord. For the word is wholesome food for the whole being of every human. It is the spiritual seed that originates in the mouth of the Lord that needs to remain in our minds and hearts for a while to germinate and send down deep roots. The people who pay no heed to the word of the Lord will be brought down in their pride and rebellion. They may appear to flourish for a season like an evergreen tree but will dry under the heat of the midday sun- the troubles and trials of this life. Like a dry tree, our lives have neither meaning nor power nor purpose without an organic and intimate connection with the Lord. His word acts as moisture to soften the hardness of our hearts and minds to make it fertile and productive.
The people who remain rooted in the word of the Lord will certainly grow tall in every sense like a cedar of Lebanon. They will flourish and bear fruit and give shelter or hope to many birds. The birds are a metaphor for those who have not yet found their hope in the Lord but are seeking an eternal refuge from the storms of life. The dry tree stands for people who humble themselves in surrendering their hearts and lives to the Lord. They are contented to be branches of righteousness of the Lord.
The faithful will innovate and flourish. They will learn to take up new challenges and accomplish great things for the glory or make visible and manifest in practical and real ways the invisible greatness of the Lord in this world. They will not wilt under heat or pressure or crisis. These are the ones who are taken from the dunghill of misery of the sin and misery of this world and lifted up to sit with persons of dignity and honour in the kingdom of God. They are the ones who believe that if the Lord has said or promised something, He can do it. His words coincide with deeds or as good as deeds.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
The Alpha of Finishing Well
UV 3030/10000 The Alpha of Finishing Well
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God
Hebrews 12 v 2.
Statistically, it is said that less than twenty per cent of people finish well. They begin well or appear to do well at times in the middle of a project or in the course of their lives but do not finish well. This uni-verse exhorts us to look on Jesus as our model of finishing well. Jesus began His sojourn on Earth well and He finished well with His triumphant glorious resurrection. Between the start and the finish of the course He ran in life on earth, there were many ups and downs. His worst moment was while pierced to the cross, with streams of blood surging across multiple wounds all over His body, His followers having deserted Him, He lay condemned like the worst of condemned prisoners. He even felt He had lost His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He felt abandoned by the Father to face the fate of a common and hardened criminal. Jesus went to the grave – the cave grave of a rich man. Yet, He rose again as predicted by Him on the third day. He again taught and ministered to His disciples, empowering them to preach and teach the gospel across the world. He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit and were empowered to be fearless apostles. Jesus finished well and gloriously for He ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne at the right hand of the Father. He continues to hear prayers, intercede for millions of the faithful and appear to some of them to this day.
Jesus not only gave us a model of finishing well. As an Author, He writes on the blank pages of our hearts and our lives His word, His life-giving truth. He stays by our side encouraging, enabling and helping us to finish well our work, our projects and our lives. He proclaimed to the Father, “ I have finished the work You sent me to do.” On the cross, His last words were, “ It is finished.” The work of providing the way, the truth and the life of salvation to all mankind had been completed forever.
Drawing on the inspiration, the strength, the help, the grace, the power the Lord and Perfector of our faith and our lives provides us, we should therefore set ourselves like flint or with utmost drive and determination to complete the work the Father has given us in our lifetime. We should fully utilise our time, talents, opportunities, resources to glorify the Lord by finishing well that which we set out to do or was given to us to do.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God
Hebrews 12 v 2.
Statistically, it is said that less than twenty per cent of people finish well. They begin well or appear to do well at times in the middle of a project or in the course of their lives but do not finish well. This uni-verse exhorts us to look on Jesus as our model of finishing well. Jesus began His sojourn on Earth well and He finished well with His triumphant glorious resurrection. Between the start and the finish of the course He ran in life on earth, there were many ups and downs. His worst moment was while pierced to the cross, with streams of blood surging across multiple wounds all over His body, His followers having deserted Him, He lay condemned like the worst of condemned prisoners. He even felt He had lost His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He felt abandoned by the Father to face the fate of a common and hardened criminal. Jesus went to the grave – the cave grave of a rich man. Yet, He rose again as predicted by Him on the third day. He again taught and ministered to His disciples, empowering them to preach and teach the gospel across the world. He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit and were empowered to be fearless apostles. Jesus finished well and gloriously for He ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne at the right hand of the Father. He continues to hear prayers, intercede for millions of the faithful and appear to some of them to this day.
Jesus not only gave us a model of finishing well. As an Author, He writes on the blank pages of our hearts and our lives His word, His life-giving truth. He stays by our side encouraging, enabling and helping us to finish well our work, our projects and our lives. He proclaimed to the Father, “ I have finished the work You sent me to do.” On the cross, His last words were, “ It is finished.” The work of providing the way, the truth and the life of salvation to all mankind had been completed forever.
Drawing on the inspiration, the strength, the help, the grace, the power the Lord and Perfector of our faith and our lives provides us, we should therefore set ourselves like flint or with utmost drive and determination to complete the work the Father has given us in our lifetime. We should fully utilise our time, talents, opportunities, resources to glorify the Lord by finishing well that which we set out to do or was given to us to do.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
The Alpha of Dealing with Folly
UV 3029/10000 The Alpha of Dealing with Folly
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Matthew 7 v 26
Scripture divides humanity only into two categories- the wise and the foolish. The wicked or depraved are also placed under the category of fools. The wise build something to make it last. The foolish build without paying attention to whether it will last or endure. The wise build their lives on the solid foundation of the word of God. The foolish reject the word as a foundation for their lives. The wise are always ready to receive the Lord as the five wise maiden in the parable of Jesus. They are alert, eager, spiritually awake, zestful, prepared, proactive and ever ready to receive the Lord and His word. The foolish are lethargic, spiritually sleepy, casual, careless, unprepared, unenthusiastic, reactive and are caught unawares when the Lord comes or is sending them a word or message. The wise invest their time, talent, treasure wisely in the kingdom of God while the foolish fritter it away or bury both talent and treasure.
The wise build their lives so strong that it can weather or face a storm, however severe. The foolish build their lives for good times or good weather. The latter have a capacity only to enjoy good times and cannot bear tough or bad times. The foolish ignore the instructions of the Lord. The wise are diligent to always search for the Lord’s will and then go forth and do it willingly and enthusiastically. The foolish are not discerning. They are proud and arrogant. They boast of their earthly riches and exploits without a thought about their eternity. The wise find their security in their personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus. The foolish re ignorant of the existence of the Holy Spirit and pay no heed to Him. The wise fear the Triune God and listen with reverence and submission to the still voice of the Holy Spirit. The wise are ready to be tested and tried while the foolish do not enjoy challenges.
Scripture states that folly exists or thrives in the mouth of the foolish. The wise send their words and thoughts through many sieves or filters before they utter a word. The foolish cannot control either their appetite or desires or their emotions. They speak in haste and repent at leisure. They use their tongues to damage their prospects and not to advance it. They do not plan ahead and work in several directions without a sense of purpose. The wise are guided by the Lord in all their decisions. They discipline their appetite and restrain their emotions.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Matthew 7 v 26
Scripture divides humanity only into two categories- the wise and the foolish. The wicked or depraved are also placed under the category of fools. The wise build something to make it last. The foolish build without paying attention to whether it will last or endure. The wise build their lives on the solid foundation of the word of God. The foolish reject the word as a foundation for their lives. The wise are always ready to receive the Lord as the five wise maiden in the parable of Jesus. They are alert, eager, spiritually awake, zestful, prepared, proactive and ever ready to receive the Lord and His word. The foolish are lethargic, spiritually sleepy, casual, careless, unprepared, unenthusiastic, reactive and are caught unawares when the Lord comes or is sending them a word or message. The wise invest their time, talent, treasure wisely in the kingdom of God while the foolish fritter it away or bury both talent and treasure.
The wise build their lives so strong that it can weather or face a storm, however severe. The foolish build their lives for good times or good weather. The latter have a capacity only to enjoy good times and cannot bear tough or bad times. The foolish ignore the instructions of the Lord. The wise are diligent to always search for the Lord’s will and then go forth and do it willingly and enthusiastically. The foolish are not discerning. They are proud and arrogant. They boast of their earthly riches and exploits without a thought about their eternity. The wise find their security in their personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus. The foolish re ignorant of the existence of the Holy Spirit and pay no heed to Him. The wise fear the Triune God and listen with reverence and submission to the still voice of the Holy Spirit. The wise are ready to be tested and tried while the foolish do not enjoy challenges.
Scripture states that folly exists or thrives in the mouth of the foolish. The wise send their words and thoughts through many sieves or filters before they utter a word. The foolish cannot control either their appetite or desires or their emotions. They speak in haste and repent at leisure. They use their tongues to damage their prospects and not to advance it. They do not plan ahead and work in several directions without a sense of purpose. The wise are guided by the Lord in all their decisions. They discipline their appetite and restrain their emotions.
Monday, August 6, 2018
The Alpha of Fame
UV 3028/10000 The Alpha of Fame
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country
Joshua 6 v 27
Human beings through history have been seeking fame as it extends their influence and is a source of power. People go to ridiculous extent to try to become famous as can be seen by some of the records claimed by Guinness record holders. But such fame is short lived and futile. But when the Lord is with a person as He was with Joshua, his or her fame spreads through the whole land. The uni-verse above states that since the Lord was with Joshua, his fame spread throughout the region. His leadership and his power was derived from his devotion to the Lord. His exploits of conquering Jericho and how he dealt with Ai spread either terror, awe or admiration for him. The Lord promises to make the name of His children or His servants great and fulfils it in amazing ways. As one recent hit song says, “ I am famous in my Father’s eyes.” We need not seek the approval of men or popularity or fame but only seek to please the Lord in all our ways.
The Lord was with Joshua in everything that he undertook and granted him extraordinary victories against 31 kings that occupied the promised land. Likewise, He promises to be with us and give us extraordinary victories in our struggles in life. We only need to surrender ourselves, our wills, our plans, our desires and hopes into His mighty hands. We are to point to Him as the Author of all our victories once we win and not appropriate the credit or glory to ourselves.
The Lord will use us to bring down many Jerichos or strongholds of the spiritual realm. Like He did with Joseph, the son of Jacob, He will prosper us wherever we are for where we go, He goes with us. At the appropriate time or the time set by the Lord, the mightiest man of the land of Egypt heard of the name of the unknown prisoner in his jail who could deliver Egypt from mass starvation and devastation. Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and earned the favour of the mightiest man of the land. He was soon after raised to be the right hand or the most influential person next to Pharaoh in that foreign land. If we let God use our content, He will create the context to use it for His glory, the extension of faith on earth.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
The Alpha of Faithfulness
UV3027/10000 The Alpha of Faithfulness
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Proverbs 28 v 20
Faithfulness to the Lord is the source of abundant blessings. Faithfulness consists in both diligent obedience to the commands and precepts of the word and complete trust in the promises of the Lord. The only competition for God on earth is mammon- or money. This is the reason Jesus emphasized that one can serve either God or mammon. The uni-verse above states that those who are in a hurry to get rich somehow lose their innocence. They get ensnared by the temptation of riches. Many people erroneously believe that money is the source of blessings and that abundance of money is the solution for all their issues. Among the blessings the Lord reserves for the faithful is monetary or material blessing but our priority or heart should not be on money. When the Lord makes a person rich, He adds no sorrow to it. We are to make it our servant and not our master. We are to wait patiently for the Lord to bless us with His provision and be contented with what He provides.
None of the blessings Jesus speaks of in His sermon on the mount is about material prosperity. It is more to do with the prosperity of the soul in terms of inheriting heaven, being children of God, in knowing the Lord, in receiving mercy, in being full of peace, in having our spiritual hunger satisfied, in seeing or perceiving God, in being comforted or encouraged, in being rewarded in the eternal realm. Scripture points out to us that these are the true riches of life. Suffice it to say that when we are faithful to the Lord, we are holistically blessed without measure.
Faithfulness implies that we need to make investments of time and effort in doing the will of the Lord, in following His ways. If we are faithful in little things, we will be considered faithful in the things of great importance. Faithfulness to the Lord results in an abundance of the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our lives should abound in love of Christ, the joy of the spirit, the peace of our minds, the patience of our character, the kindness and goodness of the Good Samaritan, the faithfulness of Jesus who remained faithful all the way to the cross and the grace, the humility and self control of Jesus. The weeds of envy, pride, lust, hatred, contentious spirit, gloom, anger need to be continually removed from our souls for us to be truly rich.
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Proverbs 28 v 20
Faithfulness to the Lord is the source of abundant blessings. Faithfulness consists in both diligent obedience to the commands and precepts of the word and complete trust in the promises of the Lord. The only competition for God on earth is mammon- or money. This is the reason Jesus emphasized that one can serve either God or mammon. The uni-verse above states that those who are in a hurry to get rich somehow lose their innocence. They get ensnared by the temptation of riches. Many people erroneously believe that money is the source of blessings and that abundance of money is the solution for all their issues. Among the blessings the Lord reserves for the faithful is monetary or material blessing but our priority or heart should not be on money. When the Lord makes a person rich, He adds no sorrow to it. We are to make it our servant and not our master. We are to wait patiently for the Lord to bless us with His provision and be contented with what He provides.
None of the blessings Jesus speaks of in His sermon on the mount is about material prosperity. It is more to do with the prosperity of the soul in terms of inheriting heaven, being children of God, in knowing the Lord, in receiving mercy, in being full of peace, in having our spiritual hunger satisfied, in seeing or perceiving God, in being comforted or encouraged, in being rewarded in the eternal realm. Scripture points out to us that these are the true riches of life. Suffice it to say that when we are faithful to the Lord, we are holistically blessed without measure.
Faithfulness implies that we need to make investments of time and effort in doing the will of the Lord, in following His ways. If we are faithful in little things, we will be considered faithful in the things of great importance. Faithfulness to the Lord results in an abundance of the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our lives should abound in love of Christ, the joy of the spirit, the peace of our minds, the patience of our character, the kindness and goodness of the Good Samaritan, the faithfulness of Jesus who remained faithful all the way to the cross and the grace, the humility and self control of Jesus. The weeds of envy, pride, lust, hatred, contentious spirit, gloom, anger need to be continually removed from our souls for us to be truly rich.
The Alpha of Living By Faith
UV 3026/10000 The Alpha of Living By Faith
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith
Habukuk 2 v 4
The enemy of our souls made the first man to believe that God is a liar. Man broke faith in the word of God. This displeased the Lord and man fell from grace. Jesus presented Himself to humanity many generations later as the Way, the Truth and the Life. When any man of his own free will places His trust in this truth, that Jesus is the Truth with a capital ‘T”, the very personification of the Truth of God, He comes into faith. That man or woman or child is justified and declared just or righteous in the sight of God by grace and faith. The one so justified or the “just” shall thereafter live by his faith not by his sense( intellect or reasoning) or his senses(five senses led by sight). For the person who is saved, his hearing becomes more important than his sight for by his inner hearing, he hears the Word of God. For him, the Word is food, drink and breath of his soul. He lives by the Word. The just shall live, here and now on earth as well as forever, by His Word.
Only the person who humbles his own soul and stops listening to its chatter can hear the Word and understand it is the truth. He lives by his own lights. He lives by his sense and senses. When we humble our own souls like little children who believe whatever their parents tell them, we are able to receive Jesus, the One who justifies, declares us righteous in the sight of God and equips us to live in accordance with our faith in His Word.
Now that we are justified, we are called to live by faith and not by sight. We are to check if in every aspect of our lives, we are living in accordance with our faith in our Redeemer Jesus. We can ask the Lord to fill us with His grace to cover the gaps in our faith. Even though we are believers, part of our natural and fallen selves disbelieves the Lord and makes Him out to be a liar. Knowing that He is faithful and true, we can ask Him for help to overcome such unbelief.
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith
Habukuk 2 v 4
The enemy of our souls made the first man to believe that God is a liar. Man broke faith in the word of God. This displeased the Lord and man fell from grace. Jesus presented Himself to humanity many generations later as the Way, the Truth and the Life. When any man of his own free will places His trust in this truth, that Jesus is the Truth with a capital ‘T”, the very personification of the Truth of God, He comes into faith. That man or woman or child is justified and declared just or righteous in the sight of God by grace and faith. The one so justified or the “just” shall thereafter live by his faith not by his sense( intellect or reasoning) or his senses(five senses led by sight). For the person who is saved, his hearing becomes more important than his sight for by his inner hearing, he hears the Word of God. For him, the Word is food, drink and breath of his soul. He lives by the Word. The just shall live, here and now on earth as well as forever, by His Word.
Only the person who humbles his own soul and stops listening to its chatter can hear the Word and understand it is the truth. He lives by his own lights. He lives by his sense and senses. When we humble our own souls like little children who believe whatever their parents tell them, we are able to receive Jesus, the One who justifies, declares us righteous in the sight of God and equips us to live in accordance with our faith in His Word.
Now that we are justified, we are called to live by faith and not by sight. We are to check if in every aspect of our lives, we are living in accordance with our faith in our Redeemer Jesus. We can ask the Lord to fill us with His grace to cover the gaps in our faith. Even though we are believers, part of our natural and fallen selves disbelieves the Lord and makes Him out to be a liar. Knowing that He is faithful and true, we can ask Him for help to overcome such unbelief.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
The Alpha of the Good Fight
UV 3025/10000 The Alpha of the Good Fight
The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace
Exodus 14 v 14
The good fight is a fight without animosity and without blood shed We are called to fight for the right in the light of His word. The Lord has promised to fight for us who trust Him. We are asked only to stay calm, peaceful and hold onto our faith and the Lord will intervene in our situation. Whatever be the odds against us, the Lord can reverse it. He who fought on behalf of Israel and delivered Moses and the just freed slaves of Egypt can deliver us. He who parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites from the Egyptian chariots and army can and does the impossible on our behalf. Moses promised the Israelites that they did not even have to see their enemies again.
We are therefore, not to run away from the battle but to stay in the thick of it and yet remain calm and assured that we will have deliverance and victory. We are to be brave and confident when we take a stand against the unrighteousness of this world. We need not despair or lose hope for the Lord will surely act on time. When our enemies attack us in one direction, they will be caused to flee in seven directions. Any attack on us is taken personally by the Lord. It is as if they have touched the apple of His eye. We should not allow our minds to be filled either with fear or thoughts of panic or of anger and revenge. We should wait for the power and glory of the Lord to vindicate us, to deliver us, to redeem us.
Our battles are fought and won while we are on our knees praying and praising the Lord. Many of these battles are not physical or military but at a very deep soul level. The enemies we are confronting are no longer physical but invisible spirits. We are battling not against flesh and blood but against spiritual strongholds and we need such effective spiritual weapons of offence and defence. Our grip on the Word of God which is our most effective weapon of offence and the shield of faith and prayer are vital for our victory and deliverance. The Holy Spirit strengthens and nourishes our spirit to prepare us for such spiritual warfare.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
The Alpha of Dealing with Fear
UV 3024/10000 The Alpha of Dealing with Fear
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love
I John 4 v 18
Human beings are inherently fearful of a whole host of things. The chief fear that holds us in bondage is the fear of death and judgement. The perfect agape love of God caused His Son Jesus to be sacrificed after judgement by human authorities. Jesus having cast aside the shroud of death and rising again from death, mocking His unjust judgement but having paid it in full for all humans who believe in Him and His act of perfect love, has freed us from every source and type of fear. He has not taken away our spirit of fear and given us instead the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, power and self control. This kind of perfect love installs in us self “controls” so that we are no longer a prey to the torment of the enemy of our souls.
We begin due to our faith in Jesus to fear less and less and love more and more like Him. Our insecurities will begin to disappear. Our confidence in Christ, our source of power to defeat every thought, emotion and belief that induces us to fear, begins to mature us in our capacity to love. We can actively cast out of us every type of fear. Faith is the perfect, effective and complete antidote to fear. It not only shields us from fear but helps us counter and overcome our fears. Fear is debilitating, paralysing our minds and keeps us from acting wisely. Fears whether expressed in words or kept hidden in our hearts and minds have the power of self fulfilling prophecy in that our fears attract that which we dread the most. Fear is the whip that the enemy uses us to scourge us. But our faith in Christ liberates us. As we mature in the love of Christ, we can break every chain of fear that has grown in us since the past. The uni-verse above uses the verb "cast out" - the same words used for demons. In short, our fears constitute our personal demons from which Jesus, the embodiment, the repository, the personification of perfect love can deliver us.
Instead of denying the existence of various fears in our lives, we need to identify each fear and cast it out of us in the name and authority of the love and power of Jesus. For instance, if we are having the fear of premature death, we can command it to depart from our lives. If we are having a fear of inadequate finances, we can appropriate the promise of provision the Lord gives us and so cast out this fear. If we have a fear of ill health or a particular ailment, we can cover ourselves with the shield of faith. If we have a fear of encountering accidents while travelling or working, we can claim the protection of the Lord. Every fear in other words can be turned into a source of power, love, joy and blessing. The way to make this meditation practical, useful and impactful is take the truth, the teaching and apply it today in all aspects of our lives concerning our insecurities in our relationships, in our work life and in our expectations and aspirations.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love
I John 4 v 18
Human beings are inherently fearful of a whole host of things. The chief fear that holds us in bondage is the fear of death and judgement. The perfect agape love of God caused His Son Jesus to be sacrificed after judgement by human authorities. Jesus having cast aside the shroud of death and rising again from death, mocking His unjust judgement but having paid it in full for all humans who believe in Him and His act of perfect love, has freed us from every source and type of fear. He has not taken away our spirit of fear and given us instead the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, power and self control. This kind of perfect love installs in us self “controls” so that we are no longer a prey to the torment of the enemy of our souls.
We begin due to our faith in Jesus to fear less and less and love more and more like Him. Our insecurities will begin to disappear. Our confidence in Christ, our source of power to defeat every thought, emotion and belief that induces us to fear, begins to mature us in our capacity to love. We can actively cast out of us every type of fear. Faith is the perfect, effective and complete antidote to fear. It not only shields us from fear but helps us counter and overcome our fears. Fear is debilitating, paralysing our minds and keeps us from acting wisely. Fears whether expressed in words or kept hidden in our hearts and minds have the power of self fulfilling prophecy in that our fears attract that which we dread the most. Fear is the whip that the enemy uses us to scourge us. But our faith in Christ liberates us. As we mature in the love of Christ, we can break every chain of fear that has grown in us since the past. The uni-verse above uses the verb "cast out" - the same words used for demons. In short, our fears constitute our personal demons from which Jesus, the embodiment, the repository, the personification of perfect love can deliver us.
Instead of denying the existence of various fears in our lives, we need to identify each fear and cast it out of us in the name and authority of the love and power of Jesus. For instance, if we are having the fear of premature death, we can command it to depart from our lives. If we are having a fear of inadequate finances, we can appropriate the promise of provision the Lord gives us and so cast out this fear. If we have a fear of ill health or a particular ailment, we can cover ourselves with the shield of faith. If we have a fear of encountering accidents while travelling or working, we can claim the protection of the Lord. Every fear in other words can be turned into a source of power, love, joy and blessing. The way to make this meditation practical, useful and impactful is take the truth, the teaching and apply it today in all aspects of our lives concerning our insecurities in our relationships, in our work life and in our expectations and aspirations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)