The Alpha of Secrets and Revelations

UV 3118/10000 The Alpha of Secrets and Revelations
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29 v 29
What the Lord has kept secret is not meant for us to know. His ways and thoughts are beyond human cognitive ability. Instead of trying to know the secrets of God, we are to put to use what He has made known to us. We are not accountable for what we do not know but we are accountable for what we know of God and His ways. Whatever we need to know of who He is, why He created us, why and how He redeemed us, how He provides,protects and promotes our well being is revealed to us in His word. Since Jesus is the only person who has seen God, been with Him from the very beginning and before the beginning of creation, He is the only One who could reveal all the secrets of the nature, character, power, love and grace of the Father. He has also revealed the broad contours of the kingdom of God and how we are part of the kingdom of God. He has revealed to us our true identity once we are grafted onto Him, the True Vine in faith.
Jesus has revealed to us that nothing is too difficult or impossible for the Lord God. He also taught us to ask in faith, without doubting, without wavering and with thanksgiving. Now once we get a grasp of this revealed truth, then we know that nothing is impossible to us in Christ. We realize that the Lord God revels in doing the difficult and the impossible so that our eyes would see what we have not seen before, our ears will hear what we have not heard before, our imagination would be astounded by what the Lord does in our lives. While non believers are constantly trudging on the road of drudgery, the possible, the easy, the facile, the path of least resistance, flowing with the tide and running with the current of time, we are called to think of doing the impossible and difficult. Yes, we do not have to dream of doing the impossible but we only have to think of doing the impossible. The Lord has also revealed that we should be wise in what we choose to do in our lives. We are not to jump off a cliff or from the pinnacle of a temple in the hope that the Lord will keep our feet from being hurt. He , however, has promised us that He will give us hope in seemingly hopeless situations.
The revelations of erstwhile secrets have been given to us among all mankind so that we will be able to do all that is written in His word. The impossible and difficult becomes doable. The Lord fills us all the time with enormous grace and power to do His word. We only need to claim, appropriate, use this power. As long as we keep our commitment to love and obey the Lord, it is our inheritance, our heritage to be like Him, to behave like Him, to speak and execute things like Him. Like Jesus, we can conquer death, sin, evil, failure, treachery, betrayal, sadness, loneliness, bondages of every kind. The Lord becomes our fulcrum on which we can leverage to lift enormous loads, lift other people out of spiritual poverty, eternal misery and bring them into understanding of their eternal destiny. We become the manifestation of the good news to the world. Without Jesus, people are generally harbingers of bad news. With Jesus, people become messengers of good news. The uni-verse states that what is revealed to us is to make us strong, enthusiastic, purposive, courageous, creative, compassionate, humble and faithful.

The Alpha of Overcoming False Imagination and Vain Thought

UV 3117/10000 The Alpha of Overcoming Falsehood and Deception
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10 v 5
Thought and imagination have huge potential for distortion unless these are tied to fact and truth. Faith cannot be mindless, factless and thoughtless. In fact, the first four letters of faith form the word “fait” which means fact. But human imagination can go into overdrive and create falsehoods, myths, distortions like the new age philosophy or man-made religions and rules that parade themselves as the truth. We need to discipline our thought and imagination so that it is focussed on Christ who declared Himself to be the very embodiment of truth. Many spiritual strongholds of darkness that hold mankind in captivity and bondage to sin, untruth and death can be razed by the power of thought and imagination that is subjected to the reign of Christ in us.
We have spiritual weapons and the anointing of the Holy Spirit to cast down to the ground the falsehoods that rise against the truth of the Lord. The Holy Spirit will teach and train us in using the spiritual weapons of the word and prayer. The world’s speculative philosophies cannot stand against the power of truth and grace in Christ. The Holy Spirit as well as Jesus intercede on our behalf so that we have protection as well as victory over the forces of darkness.
Our faith in Jesus shields us against false beliefs and practices. Our thoughts, emotions and imagination are sanctified so that we do not offend the Lord in any way. By intermingling our prayer life and meditating on the inner meaning hidden in scripture, we discover and experience freedom from the influence of the dark powers of this world. We are no longer slaves of sinful habit or actions but our wills and minds are set free from such shackles. Imaginary thoughts that deceive us can no longer hold us under its influence. We have the authority to cast down at the feet of Jesus anything that deludes or deceives us.

The Four Corners of the Cornerstone

UV 3116/10000 The Four Corners of the Cornerstone
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Ephesians 2 v 20
We who have accepted Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone on which we build our lives need to know that just as a finished stone has four corners on every side, we are to connect with Him on a continual basis through the four corners of Word, Prayer, Fellowship and Witness. The Holy Spirit teaches us which corner we should connect at the present time. He also connects the four corners so that we too become a cornerstone in our homes, our workplaces and the world at large. If any corner is crooked or neglected, He will make us aware we need to spend more time and give more attention to that corner. Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone holds us together. He makes us both stable and able leaders. As we are stable in Him, we have peace. As we are able in Him, we have progress. We experience both growth and fruitfulness.
Practicing what the Holy Spirit teaches us through the four corners will increase our strength, correct our inherent flaws and in due course, make us a fit habitation, a living temple for the Lord to inhabit. Though the sacrifice of Jesus obviates the need for animal or bird sacrifices today, we are to make spiritual sacrifices and present our bodies, our senses, our desires to the Lord as a living sacrifice.
The uni-verse also refers in addition to the cornerstone of Jesus to the “foundations of the apostles and prophets.” It implies that we also build our lives on the principles, precepts and example of the apostles, the spiritual mentors and prophets of yore as well as those presently having an influence in our lives. As living stones, we are not dead or static but we are constantly learning, growing, improving and being perfected in Christ. Some part of every day we need to spend in one or other of the four corners. As we spend time in these corners, the Holy Spirit will minister to us, anoint us, equip us, enable us , counsel us, comfort, remind and strengthen us.

The Alpha of Making Our Lives Weapon-Proof

UV 3115/10000 The Alpha of Making Our Lives Weapon-Proof
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 54 v 17
This uni-verse makes our lives weapon-proof. No weapon of man, or of the supernatural world or of the natural can prosper or succeed against us. Our enemies may conspire against us but in so doing, they conspire against the Lord and He will certainly have the last laugh. The human tongue is also a potent weapon. It is called a “tongue” not without reason for sometimes the words spoken by others can hit us like a ton of bricks or cover us with a heap of rubbish. But the Lord promises that the words of the human tongue will hurt us no more. Nobody will be able to raise their tongues against us for the Lord will enable us to refute them effectively. He will put to shame our adversaries and vindicate us.
In order to be weapon-proof or immune to all types of human and spiritual attacks, we need to be faithful in wearing the full armour of God. We do not shrink from the battle. We do not resent our struggles as long as the Lord is with us. We should be ever battle-ready. We cannot go into battle every day wearing just our clothes. We need to be equipped and we need to wear the armour from head to foot. If we do so, we will have victory even without having to fight for the Lord will fight for us. We only need to take our positions of faith in prayer and dig deep into the word and hide in these spiritual trenches. We are declared to be more than conquerors for by faith we know the end result of victory, triumph, success, blessing, breakthrough even at the beginning unlike any warrior or conqueror who does not know the result of battle or his own fate. We know that we cannot be separated from the love of the Saviour and of the Father by death or suffering or sadness or failure or bondage.
The Lord empowers us to overcome all apprehensions and fears of any kind of weapon. The opposite of fear is not courage but faith in Jesus. Courage is a byproduct of faith. Faith implies that “for all I trust Him, for all I thank Him, for all I talk to Him.” The Lord protects us from the internal weapons that weaken humanity- anxiety or worry. The Lord neutralises all our fears, worries, guilt, remorse, grief, regret for these are weapons that can kill us from within. The Lord protects us when the flood waters rise. As we hold onto our faith, the Lord preserves us in catastrophes or disasters, natural or man-made as I experienced in the world’s first human bomb assassination.

The Alpha of What False Rags to True Riches Mean

UV 3114/10000 The Alpha of What Rags to True Riches Mean
Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Romans 11 v 12
The Amplified version puts this uni-verse in clearer terms for us to understand its import and significance in this manner: “ Now if Israel’s transgression means riches for the world (at large) and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!” It implies that the descendants of Jacob or Israel moved away from having a personal relationship with God as their ancestors Jacob, his father Isaac and his father Abraham had. They replaced their personal relationship with God with the religion of Judaism. Judaism is an elaborate religion of keeping of many rules and rituals. They substituted true faith- a one to One relationship with the Creator God with the rags of religion, freedom and power and love with slavery and spiritual poverty and narrowness. Indeed, all man-made religion puts man in rags while true spirituality based on historical facts of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus is the key to accessing amazing and awesome spiritual riches beyond what one’s eye can see or ear hear or enter our imagination. This is also the reason that the Old Testament dismisses our good deeds motivated by considerations of religion as being “dirty or filthy rags.” These are the rags in which every sinner returns to the Father but the older Son, Jesus, unlike the elder brother in the parable of Jesus steps in and tells the Father that He has paid the price to restore the sinners to sonship, to sharing His own abundant spiritual riches of inheritance.
While religion like rags barely covers the nakedness of man and does not keep him warm and protected from the elements, salvation in Jesus that most of Israel has consistently rejected is complete cover from head to foot, from past to present to future to eternity for every believer. Since the Jews rejected Jesus, their Messiah, it proved to the benefit of the rest of the world that the gospel was preached in all other nations. The Jews historically have stuck to their rags instead of embracing their spiritual inheritance, now enjoyed by believers in all other nations. When the word says, “Turn to the wall and pray”, it implies, “Turn to the One who proved Himself stronger than sin, satan and death- Jesus, the Messiah of both Jews and Gentiles.” But their religion teaches them to turn to the one remaining wall of the Temple in Jerusalem and shake their heads mournfully.
But St Paul, also a Jew by birth and the most zealous of them who persecuted most severely the early believers of Christ, had hope that like his spiritual blindness ended with a blinding vision of Jesus and ended his habit of holding onto the rags of religion. He states in this uni-verse that the Jews will one day be reinstated and they will come into their full inheritance- true spiritual riches of eternal and abundant life in Christ. They will hold in their hands the full set of the keys to life that the Father has given us in the Word. They will be restored from miserable rags to glorious and eternal riches. The lesson for us who are of other races and believe in Jesus is to pray that the Lord will hasten the restoration of Israel to their spiritual inheritance for the word says, “ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” The peace of Jerusalem is not a political peace but Shalom- a word that sums up all the spiritual riches that the Father gives His children by faith in the older Son, Jesus.

No Crown without a Cross

UV 3113/10000 No Crown without a Cross
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me
Matthew 16 v 24
Scripture clearly shows us that we can have no victory, no triumph without carrying the cross. The cross does not mean something physical or that we punish ourselves. It means that we subject ourselves to the discipline of the Lord, His word and the Holy Spirit. We need to deny our lusts and pride but we do not need to deny what is legitimised by the word and the Lord. We need to follow Jesus in terms of following His taught principles, His example of patience and strength and character in the face of extreme temptation and extreme suffering. The Lord will, of course, give us a cross that we can bear.
The cross is an instrument of death. We need to willingly put to death all that is not in accordance with the word and the will of the Lord. The iceberg of our lusts or our sinful self needs to melt in the presence of the Lord in His love and grace. We need to pray and ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit to know what are the specific areas we need to deny ourselves and then go ahead and do it. As we focus on the example of Jesus and meditate on His words, He as the author and finisher of our faith will begin a good work in that area or areas and see it to completion.
Denial implies that we say, “No” to ourselves and “Yes” to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It means that we do not do our own wills but seek the will of the Lord and execute His will. Like the grain of seed that dies to itself before it can produce much fruit, we die to our own egos, our own desires and our own set ways of doing things. We crucify or nail anything that displeases or grieves the Holy Spirit. We get rid of dead habits in our lives. The cross can also mean a source of personal pain in our lives that does not go away or does not abate. The Lord will give us the grace or strength to bear our crosses and endure it till we inherit our crowns.

The Alpha of Spiritual Understanding

UV 3112/10000 The Alpha of Spiritual Understanding
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 49 v 20
In the absence of spiritual understanding of who one is and who God is, human beings are no better than the beasts that die. In the absence of a personal relationship and all that this means, our lives are lived in vain. When we fear God to avoid evil and equally love Him to do good, we become both stable and able. We are both required by virtue of being God’s creatures endowed with reason, faith and conscience to be intellectually and emotionally and spiritually stable even as we are working on our skills and abilities. Leaders or managers are not respected or honoured just because they occupy positions but as they bring both honesty and ability to those positions.
People often rise to positions of leadership due to charisma or personal charm and ability but soon find that they do not have the accompanying understanding and matching character. When we know, understand and acknowledge God as the source of our abilities and our progress in life, we remain humble and humility is a sign of our understanding of where we stand in the big picture of life. Scripture, therefore exhorts us not to revel in wealth or wisdom or power or fame but to revel in the fact that we know, understand and acknowledge the Lord in all that we are, have and do.
The application of the principles embedded in scripture to life produces understanding, wisdom, power and eternal blessings. Scripture shows us how the Lord God related first to one human- Abraham, then to a couple- Abraham and Sarah, then to the immediate descendants of the couple, then to the twelve tribes of Israel, then to the nation of Israel and finally, through Jesus to the whole world. The vision of the Lord expands from one to many to everyone. Likewise, our spiritual understanding needs to expand from understanding ourselves to understanding the Tri-une God, to understanding our spouse, our children, our wider family or kith and kin, to understanding our colleagues, to understanding our friends and enemies, to understanding everyone we come across. We acknowledge the Lord as the source of our wisdom and lean not on our own understanding but increasingly depend on the wisdom of the Lord. We can enhance our spiritual understanding by praying, meditation, by reading and studying scripture, by seeking the gifts of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual principles are often counter intuitive, counter culture, against the tide. It implies a cost has to be paid and the rewards of keeping these are often not visible in the short run. But this is the way human beings as creatures and children of God are wired and nothing else works. Of course, we can choose to be a beast or choose to follow the Best- Jesus.

The Alpha of the Sovereign Will of God

UV 3111/10000 The Alpha of the Sovereign Will of God
And this will we do, if God permit
Hebrews 6 v 3
When we willingly bring our free wills in submission to the will of God, heaven’s favour or grace is obtained for our decisions and plans. St James in similar vein wrote that we should not say we will do this or that or go here or there but instead say that if it is the will of God we will live and do this or that. St Paul sought the will of God for everything that he did whether it was his journey to a particular place or something else related to his ministry. As we yield our wills to Him, He will increase the yield of our lives. We should not hold onto our stubborn views but have utmost respect or reverence for the sovereignty of the Lord at any time of our lives.
The way to bring our plans and actions as well as emotions in alignment with the Lord is to pray before the start of any enterprise or project or plan to reveal His will and to bless what we are about to do. We should also apply the principles and precepts we have learnt this far from our study of the Word. We can also seek the prayer support and counsel of godly people in our circle. The litmus test is if at the end of the process of so seeking the will of God, we have the peace of Jesus, the peace that confirms that it is in alignment with His perfect will. If the dilemma disturbs our minds and spirits, we should desist from proceeding. The Lord who alone has complete knowledge of us, of our situations and of the future will guide us to the very end of our lives. He promises never to leave us alone or let us down or forsake us. He becomes literally a partner with us in what we are attempting and orchestrates events and situations in ways no man can ever predict. He eventually crowns our efforts with success in many cases but even if He lets us fail, there would be something that we gain in terms of wisdom and faith which could not have been learnt in some other way.
Once we have committed to action, we should trust in the Lord with all our hearts. The Holy Spirit will whisper in our inner ears to walk in this path or to take a certain step. We should be always sensitive to the voice of the Lord and comply immediately even as Abraham obeyed the Lord implicitly, without hesitation and with fullness of faith. The Lord in His time will bring our plans to fruition or success. At no stage should we doubt or waver for St James says that a man who is wavering or vacillating cannot hope to receive any blessing.

The Alpha of The Release from Bondage

UV 3110/10000 The Alpha of the Release from Bondage
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments
Exodus 6 v 6
The burdens of the Egyptians is the bondages and burdens this world imposes on us. When we relate the revelation of God to the Israelites as “ I am the Lord” to the seven identity statements of Jesus, the above uni-verse takes on a new and deep meaning for our lives today. Jesus said, “ I have the water of eternal life”, the One who quenches our thirst for eternal life with His words. Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth and the life,” the One who shows the lost the way to eternal life, reveals the truth, releases from falsehoods and gives eternal life, releases us from the burden of death and the fear of death that the enemy has shackled mankind with. Jesus said, “ I am the True Vine,” the One who grafts us to the truths, principles that enable us to grow from personal bondage into true freedom and the abundant life.
Jesus said, “ I am the Bread of Life”, the One who satisfies our hunger for life and releases us from such bondage of need. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” who releases us from the burdens imposed on us by the powers of darkness. Jesus said, “ I am the door of the sheep,” meaning that He is the entry point into the kingdom of God. He said, “ I am the good shepherd,” meaning that He guides us to the end and beyond and He died to release us from the burden of sin and consequent curses. He said, “ I am the resurrection and the life,” implying that He saves us from the burdens of death and of life.
Jesus as Lord stretched out His arm to heal people, to calm the stormy waters, to call His followers, to forgive, to bless, to deliver, to rebuke, to make victorious. He will spare no efforts to do so even today in our lives. His teachings, principles, precepts, judgements are also meant to keep us out of needless trouble and evil, to give us breakthroughs and deliverance from any form of earthly bondage. As Lord and Saviour of our souls, His will and word is sovereign and immutable in our lives. We only need to believe, trust and obey Him implicitly and explicitly. Though He is all powerful, He respects our free will and would never interfere with it. He will also help us overcome the enslavement of our wills by deadly habits for grace is a perfect blend of supreme power and absolute love.

The Alpha of Patience

UV 3108/10000 The Alpha of Patience
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6 v 12
We are warned not to be slothful but labour hard with faith and patience in order to inherit the awesome promises of the Lord. We cannot be complacent or lethargic. We cannot rush headlong into whatever we are doing but we need to take wise decisions with the Holy Spirit as our constant and chief consultant. We need to imitate the large number of witnesses of the Lord and imitate their lives of endurance, patience and hope. We are to cast down any burdens the enemy has stealthily placed on us to tire us down, to sidetrack us from the paths of the Lord.
The best example of apostles who were industrious, persevering, patient and endured all types of suffering and whose life and ministry was full of lasting and good fruit is Paul. This is the reason he exhorted the early church to imitate him even as he imitated Jesus. We need some contemporary models, mentors and examples even as by faith we try to imitate the greatest of all- Christ Jesus Himself and how He endured the shame, pain and horror of the cross without complaining or despairing, knowing that the Lord will lead Him into a glorious resurrection and thereafter to be forever, the Ruler of the entire universe. Scripture clearly states that only the diligent can be rulers while the slothful and impatient will be ruled over. Jesus diligently studied the scriptures and understood the details as well as spirit of the commandments and promises of the Lord under the new covenant even as He was called to establish the new covenant with His life, teachings and sacrificial blood. He spared no effort to fulfil every detail of prophecy concerning Him.
The same patient and compassionate Christ is now with us who believe. He longs to see the fruit of eternal life manifest in our hearts and lives. He is with us for the long haul and not just intermittently. We need to exercise the faith that Abraham exemplified. Abraham was not just eager to enjoy the fulfilment of promises of God but He was also willing to give up in obedience that which he obtained through faith. He gave up the idols and desires of his former life in Ur of Mesopotamia. He lived every day with diligence, patience, faith and hope. Some of the promises he would never obtain while he lived on earth but he knew that he would see it fulfilled historically and eternally. Our patience and faith needs to stretch beyond the temporal, beyond space and time, trusting the Lord to fulfil it in His time, implying in the eternal realm.

The Tested and Tried Stone

UV 3107/10000 The Tested and Tried Stone
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste
Isaiah 28 v 16

Jesus is the precious cornerstone of all of human history. He is the cornerstone also of Zion or the kingdom of God. He is the sure foundation for our lives- the bedrock foundation. Those who believe in His name, His work, His word will not be disappointed, ashamed or be afraid of mortal man and what he can do. He is also the tested stone- He has endured all the tests and temptations any man can and has emerged victorious. He has endured much suffering, hardship and the ultimate test of being the sacrificial death to break the power of sin, death and satan upon all humanity.
When we build our lives on this tested and secure foundation, our eternity is guaranteed, the abundant life is ours to claim and enjoy. We do not have to panic when things do not go as per plan for we know the One who is in control of our lives and our destiny. He is the stone that has been cut from the mountain of the Lord not by human hands but by the Lord Himself as it is written in the book of Daniel. Hence, our lives are not like the shifting sands but like Daniel, we are filled with a rock-like sense of certainty about our purpose in life. We are filled also with the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfil that divine purpose far beyond the mundane needs and considerations of everyday human life.
Like a precious stone, we should take a definite shape reflecting the strength and grace and power of the Chief Cornerstone- Jesus. We are born as charcoal but re-born in Christ as diamond. Hence, we should reflect the 4 C’s of a diamond- cut, colour, clarity and carat. Our character must be cut by the Chief Cornerstone in His image so that we manifest 4 C’s of Courage, Compassion, Calmness and Creativity. We should be creative in the way we fit into the architecture of Zion, the living temple, the tabernacle of God. Like Jesus, we too will be tested and tried. Like charcoal endures a lot of pressure over a long time in order to metamorphose into diamond, we too will endure a lot of trials, temptations, persecutions and earthly troubles but as we hold onto our faith in the Cornerstone and stay connected to Him, we will be victorious. Chosen by God, we will be rejected by man. Like Jesus , we will be rejected but when we are rejected, instead of being dejected, we should rejoice for it is a sign that we too would one day be a cornerstone, a leader in the kingdom of God.

The Alpha of Re-defining Heaven

UV 3106/10000 The Alpha of Re-defining Heaven
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name


Matthew 6 v 9
When Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who are in heaven,” the implication is tht wherever the Father is, that is heaven. Since the Father is omnipresent or everywhere- heaven is where the Father is. Therefore, if we are rooted in Christ by faith, then we are in heaven for the Father comes to whoever is in Christ. The first man and woman- Adam and Eve were in Eden, a veritable heaven. Yet, the common enemy came into that place and deceived them into thinking that they should aspire to an even better place. Likewise, today as we believe in Christ, we are in heaven but the enemy tries to delude us into thinking that we are not, that we should strive for something better. We are praying in truth, “Our Father who are in me and everyone who believes in Jesus..” Heaven is no longer a destination we go to after death but a spiritual life of abundance of faith and love. Heaven is not just our journey back to the Father but our journey with Him.
Often in times of prayer, the Lord has revealed that we are already in heaven. The Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit are close to us and within us. The kingdom of God is within us and amongst us. But the enemy tries to cause a sense of discontentment, disappointment as if this is not enough and that we need to aspire and be in an even better place. The Lord said that if we are not facing ICU, court cases, prison, disputes and emotional tumult, we are already in heaven. If we are praising God for the absence of these in our lives, that He has preserved us and saved us from the thorns and turmoil that so many are caught in, we are ushering in both God and heaven into our lives at that very moment.
We need to hallow or make holy the place where we are so that it is fitting for the Lord to dwell in. Our homes where we live, our workplaces where we work, our streets where we commute can well be part of heaven as long as our hearts and minds are constantly praising and thanking the Lord, our spirits are worshipping the Lord for a thousand mercies, for grace upon grace , blessing upon blessing in our lives. The absence of the desire to sin, to cherish the fruit of sin in our lives, the absence of cursing, bitterness, anger and complaining ushers us into heaven and heaven into us. The good news is not just that we are going to heaven but that heaven has been brought home to us in Christ. It is not as if we have no sorrow or trouble in this world but our closeness to the Lord, our faith in Him and His love for us wipes our tears, comforts us and fills us with hope and cheer. True, the heaven in heaven is far greater than the heaven on earth but heaven does start here and now. We become co-creators and establishers of the first heaven on earth where His will is done on earth as in heaven.

The Alpha of Invincibility

UV3105/10000 The Alpha of Invincibility
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1 v 5
This is an amazing promise that the Lord will be with His chosen ones even as He was with Moses. The omnipotence, the wisdom, the understanding, the power and grace will be manifest in our lives even as it was manifest in and through Moses as well as Joshua. We receive the anointing to lead His people out of spiritual slavery even as Moses led His people out of political or physical slavery. In order to accomplish this purpose, the Lord will pour forth His power and His spirit upon us. The spiritual equivalent of the tremendous miracles that occurred under the leadership of Moses will happen in our lives- the Red Sea will be parted, the Lord will fight for us against the pharaohs of this age. As a result, no man however powerful or highly placed or influential can withstand us, our power and our influence.
The uni-verse should embolden, empower and enable us to fulfil our role as the Lord’s chosen leaders. We are emboldened to speak for Him, to decree change, to obtain victory in whatever we are attempting. We will be led into our inheritance even if it means the defeat of 31 powerful kings, principalities and powers of darkness. We are therefore, never to be discouraged, afraid, worried, depressed or disheartened. We are never to be dismayed or disappointed. We are to be courageous, fearless, cheerful, hopeful, confident and faithful.
Even as Jehovah promised to be with Moses and Joshua till the end of their lives, Jesus promises to be with us till the end of the world or the end of our lives, whichever is earlier. He has declared us to be more than conquerors. Victory is guaranteed and sealed. It cannot be taken away from us. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is sent to us to encourage, inspire and guide us. Like Moses and Joshua, we will be witnesses of the amazing power and grace of God. We will experience or cause miracles that are just manifestations or evidence of the presence of God with us. The Lord promises never to fail us, never to leave us or give up on us. He will uphold us in our faith. He will strengthen us in many ways. He will help us. Just as He blessed what was in the hand of Moses-his staff and vested it with power and authority, the Lord will bless whatever we have in our hands and vest it with His awesome power. When we are believers, we should never expect just the ordinary to happen in and through us. The Lord will accomplish extraordinary things in and with us. Just as Moses and Joshua were trained by the Lord to be effective leaders, we will be trained by Him to be effective and to excel in all that we do.

The Alpha of the Grace of God

UV 3104/10000 The Alpha of Grace of God

My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch
Job 29 v 19
When we are rooted in the Rock that is Jesus, we are like the cedars of Lebanon that gather moisture from the dew all night. We can walk on the water, walk through fire, neither despairing of the depths of sorrow or scared of the heights. Our roots or our foundational beliefs, convictions and principles should be embedded in the word of the Lord. We should keep seeking out the underground water even as the dew of grace accumulates on the branches or different aspects of our lives. Such a person will succeed in whatever he does as promised in the very first Psalm. He will bear fruit right through his life, fruit that will endure to satisfy the hunger of people for hope, for purpose, for love.
If we are spiritually wise, we will both understand and practice the ways and obey the word of the Lord. If we are other-wise, we would do the opposite and the heat of drought will dry up our roots, our leaves as well as our fruit. Just as the roots of a healthy tree keep pushing out till it reaches the river, we should keep pushing our knowledge of the word so that we more fully understand and obey the Lord. The Lord seeing our earnestness, our hunger , our zeal would add grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing so that our invisible roots, our beliefs, our convictions will strengthen us from below and the visible branches, leaves and fruit would strengthen us from above.
The uni-verse states that the dew is gathered and deposited at night when it is dark and cold. Likewise, at night or during the times when it is dark, cold and difficult, the grace of the Lord is strongest and makes itself manifest in our lives. Job was just and generous in his generation. He was a father to the poor. He did his best to stay righteous and principled even when circumstances were very difficult or adverse. The enemy thought he would turn against God. Instead, Job affirmed his faith by saying, “ In the end, I will behold my Redeemer.” In a time of extreme drought, his roots did not dry up as it was fed by the waters of faith in Jesus. We too will be tested in the course of our lives- our roots of faith, hope and love of Jesus should be strong enough to outlast the dark night of our souls, the winter of our trouble.

The Alpha of the Overflow

3103/10000 The Alpha of Overflow
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Zechariah 1 v 17
The Lord has chosen us before the foundation of the earth. We have not chosen Him but He has chosen us. He has seen us, known us, understood us long before we have known, understood or acknowledged Him. He has chosen us to dwell with Him in the eternal city, the heavenly Jerusalem. Having chosen us, He has turned our mourning into rejoicing. He has turned our sorrows into pure joy. He comforts us in our suffering. He re-builds the things and places in our lives that have been laid waste or spoiled by the enemy of our souls. When the enemy takes a part of us for the soul is spiritual territory belonging to the Lord, the Lord takes back the territory. Like rulers guard territory and would do anything to wrest it back, the Lord looks upon us as His precious belongings, His possessions that He will redeem and take back from the grasp of the enemy of our souls.
The Lord restores the ruins of our hope and of our lives. He causes these ruined places to overflow with new hope of prosperity, health and well being. We are not to allow our minds to be in a “fight or flight” mode as psychologists say but we are in an “overflow” mode- an overflow of joy, hope, love, goodness and all of the fruit of the spirit. The prosperity that scripture or the uni-verse speaks of is not a narrow, materialistic or monetary prosperity but a wholesome and holistic experience of the abundant life Jesus came to give us.
Instead of being silent about the goodness and grace of the Lord overflowing in our lives, we are to be vocal and proclaim His kingdom. He is the Lord of hosts or the Lord of the armies of angels of heaven. There is nothing that He says He will do which is too difficult for Him to perform. If He says that our lives will overflow, it will overflow though we do not see any physical evidence or signs at the moment. We are to be thankful in anticipation and acknowledge the goodness of the Lord to us. We are to amplify the soft whisper of witness of the Spirit of God in our hearts and minds.

The Two Edges of Communication

UV 3102/10000 The Two Edges of Communication
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4 v 29
The tongue is double-edged. If anything is double-edged like a sword, it can be used for benefit or for mutual harm. Hence, the human tongue more often than not is used for unfair criticism, harmful gossip, sarcasm, mockery, vulgarity, lying, slander, arguments, abuse, insults, conflicts, to express wrath. As children of God, our tongues should have only one edge- the edge that is used by leaders and teachers to build, to encourage, to inspire, to guide, to bless, to instruct, to edify. The tongue of the godly leader is not forked like that of a serpent, bending this way and that way. It is not to be used to express unfaithfulness or lack of faith in God. Our words should be in agreement with the spirit and word of God. Such communication would be wholesome, helpful, beneficial to the listeners. In contrast to the "leader edge" , the bleeder edge causes only harm.
Likewise, we should not use our communication to boost up our own image or ego that is often the source of envy and conflict in human relations. We should use our communication to make the Lord understood, known and acknowledged for He is the giver of this amazing G0d-like ability – the ability to express creatively, communicate beneficially and in a wholesome way. Our words should be seasoned or flavoured with grace and gentleness. It takes a lot of discipline to bring our tongues under the control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will teach us how to communicate and how much to speak. He will help us measure our words against the truth of the word of God.
One loose word can often cause hell fire to break out on earth, in our homes and even among our nearest and dearest. Instead, scripture says that a soft answer will turn away great wrath. The enemy wants to use the harmful edge of our tongues to cut up our own lives, to destroy peace, to cause strife. The human tongue is one of the chief targets of the enemy as it is also the chief source of expressing faith in the grace of God. The enemy is delighted when we use our tongues in an indiscriminate way. Conversely, the Holy Spirit is grieved when we engage in heated arguments and express anger or bitterness. Our tongues are meant to be pure fountains of life and not instruments that spew death, harm, curses and ill will. Our words should increase the faith of our listeners and paint for them the character and image of the invisible God so that they almost begin to see or perceive the Creator and Redeemer in everything we speak and do. In this manner, we will be ministering grace or building belief in the agape, unlimited love, power and mercy of the Lord. For this the rough, harmful, sharp edge of our tongues should be neutralised, tamed, made wholesome and healthy.

The Alpha of Lifelong Victory, of Sustainable Success

UV 3101/10000 The Alpha of Victory
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries
Exodus 23 v 22
In this chapter in Exodus, the Lord reveals His invincible, fail-proof strategy for the conquest of the Promised Land. The land was not given to the people of Israel on a platter. It involved years of struggle, a war of attrition with the people who resided there. The Lord promised the Israelites that if they obeyed His voice and do all that He spoke to them, He would be their shield. He promised that He would be an enemy to their enemies and adversary to their adversaries. Anyone who touched the people who knew, understood and acknowledged the Lord were touching the apple of His eye. In short, we are precious in the sight of the Lord and when we are persecuted for any reason, the Lord closes His eye of compassion towards the persecutors. He would then send a “hornet” or a series of troubles to wear them down. He will vindicate us and prove that our cause is just, our faith is not misplaced or based on wild or unreal assumptions. The Lord will prove the reality of His presence, His power, His love in the course of our days as we lean and depend on Him. This uni-verse is in fact the basis of our faith in the verse, "If God be for us , who can be against us." Regardless of who is against us, we should ensure that the Lord God is not against us at any time.
The Lord will bless those who bless us, encourage us, help us and curse those who curse, obstruct, oppose us. The angel of the Lord travels ahead of us to prepare the way and to take us to the place prepared and promised to us by the Lord. We need to be careful not to overtake this angel, to be careful to listen to His voice, to abide by His instructions communicated to us in this age and time through the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. The strategy of the Lord is not to overthrow the enemies overnight or in a single year but slowly and gradually so that the land is not overtaken by beasts or the lawless elements of society.
The Lord also promises to bless our food and water and to take away sickness from our midst. We are not to trust the smooth, vain and deceitful words of those of this world. We are not to trust even our own whimsical and fickle hearts and so turn away from the Lord even for a moment. We are only to repose our trust and confidence in the word of the Lord as long as we live in this world. He would never fail us or let us down in any way. We are to patiently hope in His ever present help, His sovereign will and power that prevails in every situation. We should not despair when circumstances seem to be against us temporarily. However, adverse it might seem, however formidable our enemies, the Lord’s will and word will prevail. Our inner eye of faith should be able to perceive every move and desire of the Lord for our lives. The desire of the Lord is that we understand, know and acknowledge Him as the pillar of strength of our lives, the number one relationship of our lives, the focus and mainstay of our days on earth.

The Alpha of Lifelong Victory and Sustainable Success

UV 3101/10000 The Alpha of Lifelong Victory
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries
Exodus 23 v 22
In this chapter in Exodus, the Lord reveals His invincible, fail-proof strategy for the conquest of the Promised Land. The land was not given to the people of Israel on a platter. It involved years of struggle, a war of attrition with the people who resided there. The Lord promised the Israelites that if they obeyed His voice and do all that He spoke to them, He would be their shield. He promised that He would be an enemy to their enemies and adversary to their adversaries. Anyone who touched the people who knew, understood and acknowledged the Lord were touching the apple of His eye. In short, we are precious in the sight of the Lord and when we are persecuted for any reason, the Lord closes His eye of compassion towards the persecutors. He would then send a “hornet” or a series of troubles to wear them down. He will vindicate us and prove that our cause is just, our faith is not misplaced or based on wild or unreal assumptions. The Lord will prove the reality of His presence, His power, His love in the course of our days as we lean and depend on Him.
The Lord will bless those who bless us, encourage us, help us and curse those who curse, obstruct, oppose us. The angel of the Lord travels ahead of us to prepare the way and to take us to the place prepared and promised to us by the Lord. We need to be careful not to overtake this angel, to be careful to listen to His voice, to abide by His instructions communicated to us in this age and time through the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. The strategy of the Lord is not to overthrow the enemies overnight or in a single year but slowly and gradually so that the land is not overtaken by beasts or the lawless elements of society.
The Lord also promises to bless our food and water and to take away sickness from our midst. We are not to trust the smooth, vain and deceitful words of those of this world. We are not to trust even our own whimsical and fickle hearts and so turn away from the Lord even for a moment. We are only to repose our trust and confidence in the word of the Lord as long as we live in this world. He would never fail us or let us down in any way. We are to patiently hope in His ever present help, His sovereign will and power that prevails in every situation. We should not despair when circumstances seem to be against us temporarily. However, adverse it might seem, however formidable our enemies, the Lord’s will and word will prevail. Our inner eye of faith should be able to perceive every move and desire of the Lord for our lives. The desire of the Lord is that we understand, know and acknowledge Him as the pillar of strength of our lives, the number one relationship of our lives, the focus and mainstay of our days on earth.

The Alpha of Security

UV3100/10000 The Alpha of the Sense of Belonging or Security
Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not
Jeremiah 14 v 9
The key words in this uni-verse is that the Lord is in the midst of us. Immanuel or God in our midst is the alternative name of Jesus.He is fully in control of whatever is happening in our lives. He is the One who gives us a sense of identity as we are called by His name. He has complete knowledge of us, our needs, our purpose in life. He gives us access to His infinite knowledge, wisdom, hope and power. If He is in our midst, we need not look for answers anywhere else. We should not be like people who are weak, confused, unmotivated, apathetic. The Lord is committed to us even as we are committed to Him in a personal bond or covenant. Our source of strength, power and purpose are in Him. In contrast, the man who does not recognize that the Lord is in his life feels weak, vulnerable, unstable and insecure.
The meaning of life is hidden in the name or identity of Jesus. He is faithful to us all through our lives. He never leaves us nor will He ever forsake or give up on us. Our source of joy lies in belonging to Jesus. Unlike the rest of the world , we need not seek our security in the desire for more and more acquisition or the spirit of covetousness. We are contented with what the Lord has provided for us this far. We are hopeful that whatever need that might arise in future, too the Lord will provide for us. Our sense of security is absolute and anchored in the person of Jesus. When the disciples were startled by the heavy storm in the Sea of Galilee, they looked to Jesus for help. Even a sleeping Jesus in the boat was enough to make them all look for help in His direction, for salvation from the storms of life. Sometimes, the Lord might appear to be sleeping or inactive in our challenging situations or storms, but He is only testing whether we repose our complete faith or trust in Him.
Our confidence and our strength is derived from the Word of the Lord. It provides us the inner clarity of purpose and the power to fulfil our purpose in life. We therefore have no excuse to be inactive, listless, restless, despondent or confused. We trust the Lord and know that He will do what is beneficial for us from the perspective of our eternal destiny and His sovereign will. We do not wrestle with Him or challenge His will for our lives. Instead, we submit or yield every aspect of our lives to Him-alpha to omega.

The Alpha of Needs

UV 3099/10000 The Alpha of Needs
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister
Hebrews 6 v 10
God has total recall of our good deeds. It is promised in His word that whatever we do in His name, to meet the needs of His people, we will be duly rewarded. This should encourage us to give to the needy in the kingdom of God. When we give to the poor, we are lending to the Lord. We are sure to get it back multiplied many times over. It may not be in cash or kind but in terms of blessings of good health, peace, joy, hope for these are priceless and only the Lord can give us a return on investment into His kingdom in these eternal terms.
When people reach out to us for some assistance, it is vital we show sensitivity and kindness within our means for when we do so, we are honouring the Lord. The acts of Cornelius, the Roman commander, in the book of Acts are recorded to encourage us to remember that the loudest prayers the Lord hears and remembers are our deeds of kindness to our fellow believers as well as to the poor and needy. These acts of compassion are like permanent memorials that come before the Lord when He remembers us.
Our faith is to be expressed in acts of service, in terms of deeds that speak of love. We should persist in doing good to all around us. God is not unjust nor is He any man’s debtor. He rushes to repay us at every juncture. The members of the early church met each other’s needs by pooling their resources and providing for their common needs. To draw a lesson from their experience, we should in this day and age, give according to our ability, in proportion to the ways in which the Lord has blessed us. Meeting human need is a ministry to which we are all called into. We should keep looking for ways by which we can provide for the under privileged and needy in our midst.

The Alpha of the New

UV 3098/10000 The Alpha of the New
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse
Matthew 9 v 16
We should take care not to mix traditions of the old covenant or of religion with the new freedom we have under the new covenant of love. We cannot selectively apply the teachings of Jesus for then our lives would look like patch work of new stitched onto the old. Instead, we are expected and called to be new creatures in Christ with new attitudes, new values, new priorities. We are completely renewed in God’s grace and no part of our old sinful selves should be mixed up in it. For instance, we cannot say we have experienced the grace and love of Jesus in having our own faults and shortcomings forgiven while we continue to be judgemental about others.
We cannot also mix man-made rules with our new life of spirituality. Like the prodigal son who has been restored by the Father’s love, we have no sense of entitlement in the kingdom of God. We realize that we have been saved by grace from beginning to the end and that we have no merit of ourselves in the eyes of the Lord. No more can we accept some part of our lives to be governed by the world and some other parts to be governed by the word. Our entire world is circumscribed and contained in the word.
We are to be firm in our beliefs but flexible in the rules we apply to others. We should not burden them with the memory of their past deeds and its consequences. We cannot follow double standards, judging ourselves leniently and others too severely. Like Jesus, we need to see the inner need of people with compassion and the desire to bless and heal them. Since we have passed from death and judgement to eternal life and freedom, we must extend these privileges of grace to all others around us.