UV3311/10000 Change Begins Deep Within
Philip said to him, “ If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “ I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8 v 37
The Ethiopian official after understanding the gospel as spoken by Philip asked to be baptized. He understood that Jesus is the Messiah and the source of his salvation. He not only believed with all his heart and agreed with his mouth but he acted on his faith. The Ethiopian’s skin or gender did not change but his heart and mind began to change as he believed the message of Jesus. Likewise, life transforming power is available for us if we believe with our hearts, speak agreement with our mouths and act on our faith. The Ethiopian identified with the death and resurrection of the Messiah when he took baptism. As soon as he saw a water body, he saw the opportunity of his lifetime.
Though he was a high official, the Ethiopian set aside his status and pride to humble himself to obey the Spirit of God in order to accept the waters of baptism. The Lord blessed his quick faith and obedient heart by changing him from the inside. He was no longer interested in the paraphernalia of power and prestige but living the new life in Christ- a life of love, integrity, faith and excellence. Though he disappears into the pages of history, nameless and unknown, it is he who makes known the gospel and spreads the faith to the new land of Ethiopia.
Philip had been transported in the spirit to minister to the Ethiopian eunuch as the latter was seeking the Lord, the very fact he was visiting Jerusalem and he was reading the scriptures. The Lord was fulfilling His promise that if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. We too need to be whole hearted and enthusiastic in seeking the truths of the gospel and it will likewise impact and transform our lives and lands.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Monday, July 29, 2019
Focus on the Locus
UV 3310/10000 Focus on the Locus
Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity) who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work.
Hebrews 12 v 2
It is said that focus determines success in human life. What we focus on shapes our lives. We need to focus on the locus, Jesus who protects, preserves, secures us against the locusts or distractions of this world. He is the rudder that brings balance and direction to our lives, the leader on whom we can rely, the ladder on whom we can climb to eternal life. As Author of Life, He can re –write our DNA, alter our destiny; As Perfecter, He fills the gaps in our faith, our understanding and our wisdom. He brings our faith to fruition by sowing, growing and nourishing the fruit of the spirit in our nature. Jesus defined Himself to His followers as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Hence, if we focus on Jesus, we will learn how to live, lead and manage- the Jesus Way.
The enemy of our souls plants a lot of red herrings on our paths to mislead, distract, take us off the track back to the Lord. But as we partake of the Word, we are able to avoid such detours, disturbances and distracting strategies and stay focused on true life, leadership and management. Jesus Himself is our model for focus. It is written that He set His mind like flint towards the cross. He did not seek to avoid pain but was willing to endure it for the sake of a greater reward and satisfaction of the glory of God. He also disregarded shame or humiliation, knowing that He was honouring the Father’s will.
Jesus focused on the joy of accomplishing His goal. We too should emulate Jesus by focusing on the joy of accomplishing the goals set for us in life. To assist us we have the grace of Jesus that is drawn from His deity or His being absolutely knowledgeable, absolutely wise, absolutely powerful. He has also delegated authority and power to us to rule over the kingdom of God within us and around us. Like Jesus, we should focus on completing the work He has entrusted us.
Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity) who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work.
Hebrews 12 v 2
It is said that focus determines success in human life. What we focus on shapes our lives. We need to focus on the locus, Jesus who protects, preserves, secures us against the locusts or distractions of this world. He is the rudder that brings balance and direction to our lives, the leader on whom we can rely, the ladder on whom we can climb to eternal life. As Author of Life, He can re –write our DNA, alter our destiny; As Perfecter, He fills the gaps in our faith, our understanding and our wisdom. He brings our faith to fruition by sowing, growing and nourishing the fruit of the spirit in our nature. Jesus defined Himself to His followers as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Hence, if we focus on Jesus, we will learn how to live, lead and manage- the Jesus Way.
The enemy of our souls plants a lot of red herrings on our paths to mislead, distract, take us off the track back to the Lord. But as we partake of the Word, we are able to avoid such detours, disturbances and distracting strategies and stay focused on true life, leadership and management. Jesus Himself is our model for focus. It is written that He set His mind like flint towards the cross. He did not seek to avoid pain but was willing to endure it for the sake of a greater reward and satisfaction of the glory of God. He also disregarded shame or humiliation, knowing that He was honouring the Father’s will.
Jesus focused on the joy of accomplishing His goal. We too should emulate Jesus by focusing on the joy of accomplishing the goals set for us in life. To assist us we have the grace of Jesus that is drawn from His deity or His being absolutely knowledgeable, absolutely wise, absolutely powerful. He has also delegated authority and power to us to rule over the kingdom of God within us and around us. Like Jesus, we should focus on completing the work He has entrusted us.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Light and Darkness
UV 3309/10000 Light and Darkness
This is the message of God’s promised revelation which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light, (He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness), and in Him there is no darkness at all ( no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection).
I John 1 v 5
Light and darkness do not co-exist. Likewise, good and evil cannot co-exist. Jesus is the Light of the World, a world darkened by sin. We who believe in Jesus and are, therefore called out of darkness into light, from death and curse to eternal life and blessing, separation from God and Truth to living in unity and fellowship with Him. We are to become not only the messenger for Jesus but the message by leaving the mess that was in our lives behind. We are to be truthful as well as gracious in thought, word and deed even as Jesus is full of grace and truth.
If there be any sin, any imperfection, any evil in us, we should not hide it but confess it to the Lord and take a clean break from it. The path the Lord has laid for us is not one of overnight perfection but of lifelong learning, growing and improvement in all aspects of our lives. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness of the earth and brought forth life and light, we should invite the Spirit to examine us every day and indeed, every moment and reveal to us any wanton sin, wilful error, any wrong motive, any attitude that does not behoove a child of God, any action or reaction, inaction or habit that is not pleasing or edifying in the sight of God or in the light of His word. Having found the source of darkness in us, we should then persist in seeking the grace of Christ, His enabling power to overcome this weakness in us.
Perfection, then is a both an imperative and a process. As long as we are making progress as pilgrims on the way to be like Christ, we are on track. The Light that dwells in us and lights up our whole being is growing and chasing all traces of darkness and its shadows out of our lives. We will then be the lighthouse, the city built on a hill, the light lit on a tall stand to give direction and guidance to all who look to us.
This is the message of God’s promised revelation which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light, (He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness), and in Him there is no darkness at all ( no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection).
I John 1 v 5
Light and darkness do not co-exist. Likewise, good and evil cannot co-exist. Jesus is the Light of the World, a world darkened by sin. We who believe in Jesus and are, therefore called out of darkness into light, from death and curse to eternal life and blessing, separation from God and Truth to living in unity and fellowship with Him. We are to become not only the messenger for Jesus but the message by leaving the mess that was in our lives behind. We are to be truthful as well as gracious in thought, word and deed even as Jesus is full of grace and truth.
If there be any sin, any imperfection, any evil in us, we should not hide it but confess it to the Lord and take a clean break from it. The path the Lord has laid for us is not one of overnight perfection but of lifelong learning, growing and improvement in all aspects of our lives. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness of the earth and brought forth life and light, we should invite the Spirit to examine us every day and indeed, every moment and reveal to us any wanton sin, wilful error, any wrong motive, any attitude that does not behoove a child of God, any action or reaction, inaction or habit that is not pleasing or edifying in the sight of God or in the light of His word. Having found the source of darkness in us, we should then persist in seeking the grace of Christ, His enabling power to overcome this weakness in us.
Perfection, then is a both an imperative and a process. As long as we are making progress as pilgrims on the way to be like Christ, we are on track. The Light that dwells in us and lights up our whole being is growing and chasing all traces of darkness and its shadows out of our lives. We will then be the lighthouse, the city built on a hill, the light lit on a tall stand to give direction and guidance to all who look to us.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Evidence From Experience
UV 3308/10000 Evidence from Experience
I am writing about what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life ( the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ.
I John 1 v 1
John gives the reason for his writing the epistle that has come down to us as I John. Since he had experienced Christ, His love, His mercy, His grace, His power first hand, since he had a tangible and personal experience of Christ, he wished to leave his account as a permanent record, an eternal witness. John understood the mystery of His pre-existence before His birth on earth and from the beginning even before a conception of time came into existence. Even today, we need to experience Christ, to see, hear, touch Him, though not in a physical sense. We experience the Lord first hand when we receive answers to our most fervent prayers.
Having experienced the love, wisdom mercy, grace, power and peace of Christ, we cannot remain mute but must be faithful and vocal witnesses like John. There are many ways to testify- by speaking, by writing, by singing and other creative ways. Like a faithful and truthful witness, there is neither need for exaggeration or under statement. Like the blind man healed on a Sabbath by Jesus who said, “ That I do not know but one thing I know- I once was blind but now I see.” We need not speak about things we do not know or know too little of.
The other day I sent my story of the experience of Christ to what is known as the Wall of Answered Prayer to be built of one million bricks, each brick symbolizing an answered prayer. When motorists on the nearby highway see this, they must know that one million people cannot be lying about what they had experienced. Unlike the witnesses in a court room who testify about crimes like theft or robbery or rape, we are positive witnesses, we are not mere eye witnesses but witnesses of experiences and encounters with Christ. We speak of healings and blessings received, lives changed, lives rescued, people delivered, desperate needs met miraculously. We speak so that others would be likewise blessed. Eyewitnesses in court rooms give evidence that lead to convictions of criminals while our witness leads to conviction of eternal life and truth.
I am writing about what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life ( the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ.
I John 1 v 1
John gives the reason for his writing the epistle that has come down to us as I John. Since he had experienced Christ, His love, His mercy, His grace, His power first hand, since he had a tangible and personal experience of Christ, he wished to leave his account as a permanent record, an eternal witness. John understood the mystery of His pre-existence before His birth on earth and from the beginning even before a conception of time came into existence. Even today, we need to experience Christ, to see, hear, touch Him, though not in a physical sense. We experience the Lord first hand when we receive answers to our most fervent prayers.
Having experienced the love, wisdom mercy, grace, power and peace of Christ, we cannot remain mute but must be faithful and vocal witnesses like John. There are many ways to testify- by speaking, by writing, by singing and other creative ways. Like a faithful and truthful witness, there is neither need for exaggeration or under statement. Like the blind man healed on a Sabbath by Jesus who said, “ That I do not know but one thing I know- I once was blind but now I see.” We need not speak about things we do not know or know too little of.
The other day I sent my story of the experience of Christ to what is known as the Wall of Answered Prayer to be built of one million bricks, each brick symbolizing an answered prayer. When motorists on the nearby highway see this, they must know that one million people cannot be lying about what they had experienced. Unlike the witnesses in a court room who testify about crimes like theft or robbery or rape, we are positive witnesses, we are not mere eye witnesses but witnesses of experiences and encounters with Christ. We speak of healings and blessings received, lives changed, lives rescued, people delivered, desperate needs met miraculously. We speak so that others would be likewise blessed. Eyewitnesses in court rooms give evidence that lead to convictions of criminals while our witness leads to conviction of eternal life and truth.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
The Guarantor
UV 3307/10000 The Guarantor
The Spirit is the guarantee (the first instalment, the pledge, a foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own purchased possession (His believers), to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 v 14
We who have been redeemed by our faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice have been ransomed or purchased by the Lord. We come into our full inheritance in eternity but here and now, the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity is sent to us as a guarantor of the amazing promises the Lord has spoken to us in His word. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Jesus. The chain of sin and curse is broken in our lives and we receive the stamp of approval in the form of the Holy Spirit even as Abel was approved by God.
The Holy Spirit has many roles to fulfil in our lives. He is the One who influences our thoughts. He sanctifies us. He guides us and teaches us. He warns and rebukes us. He imparts gifts and causes the fruit of the spirit to grow and flourish in our character. He strengthens our hope in the promises of God. He brings the promises of the Lord into reality or fruition. He accompanies us wherever we go. He affirms us as the precious possession of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is gentle and inobtrusive and unless we pay attention to His voice, we may miss His whisper. He nudges us to move in the direction the Lord wants us to go. He is the One who enables us to commune with the Lord. He opens our minds to understand the deeper things of God. He enables us to discern the spirits moving in the people we are relating to. He tells us ahead of time the significant events or developments that have a bearing on our faith and lives.
The Spirit is the guarantee (the first instalment, the pledge, a foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own purchased possession (His believers), to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 v 14
We who have been redeemed by our faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice have been ransomed or purchased by the Lord. We come into our full inheritance in eternity but here and now, the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity is sent to us as a guarantor of the amazing promises the Lord has spoken to us in His word. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Jesus. The chain of sin and curse is broken in our lives and we receive the stamp of approval in the form of the Holy Spirit even as Abel was approved by God.
The Holy Spirit has many roles to fulfil in our lives. He is the One who influences our thoughts. He sanctifies us. He guides us and teaches us. He warns and rebukes us. He imparts gifts and causes the fruit of the spirit to grow and flourish in our character. He strengthens our hope in the promises of God. He brings the promises of the Lord into reality or fruition. He accompanies us wherever we go. He affirms us as the precious possession of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is gentle and inobtrusive and unless we pay attention to His voice, we may miss His whisper. He nudges us to move in the direction the Lord wants us to go. He is the One who enables us to commune with the Lord. He opens our minds to understand the deeper things of God. He enables us to discern the spirits moving in the people we are relating to. He tells us ahead of time the significant events or developments that have a bearing on our faith and lives.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
The Sacrifice of Silence, Praise and Vows
UV3306/10000 The Sacrifice of Silence, Praise and Vows
To You belong silence ( the submissive wonder of reverence), and it bursts into praise in Zion, O God; And to You the vow shall be performed.
Psalm 65 v 1
Spending time in awed silence at the feet of the Lord is a spiritual discipline with many benefits for our souls and our total well being. As we meditate on the person and the word and the deeds of the Lord, the presence of the Lord will be like a thick cloud upon us and we will experience a fire burning in our hearts. Even as we yield our spirits to Him, our egos, our burdens and anxieties in silence, He will answer us by the increase of our yield in every area of our lives. The abundance of blessings we experience thereafter, leads us to offer bursts of praise and worship. We experience the euphoria or ecstasy of oneness with the Spirit of the Lord.
Our intense need as well as intense joy prompts us to take vows or promises we make to the Lord. Once we make a vow, we should fulfil it. It is a test of our faithfulness. The patriarch Jacob, once he experienced the presence of the Lord and His constant guidance and protection, vowed to give a tenth of all that comes into his hands as produce or earnings. He erected alters to mark the great blessings he had received and to express his gratitude. Daniel and his compatriots took a vow not to eat of the food from the king’s tables as they were convinced it would defile them. The Lord honoured their faithfulness by making them healthier and ten times wiser than the scholars and administrators of the day.
As a daily practice, we should still our minds, our voices and our limbs to lie or sit still to listen to the footsteps of the Lord, the voice of the Holy Spirit, the stirrings in our souls. As the Psalmist David wrote, “Be still and know that I am God.” In stillness, the Lord manifested Himself to Elijah the prophet. When we are still our faculties, limbs, minds and bodies imitate death but our spirits and souls are fully alive to the Lord. We are shutting the world out, we are shutting our selves out, silencing all distracting noises and thoughts and our focus is completely on the locus of our lives- the LORD God. We have become the veritable temple of God, the alter and the living sacrifice. We experience a fresh anointing, an empowerment, a strengthening from deep within. The depth of our souls connects and communicates with the Lord. By reverential silence, effusive praise and vows, we are offering thoughts, words and actions as a wholesome offering like that of Abel to the Lord.
To You belong silence ( the submissive wonder of reverence), and it bursts into praise in Zion, O God; And to You the vow shall be performed.
Psalm 65 v 1
Spending time in awed silence at the feet of the Lord is a spiritual discipline with many benefits for our souls and our total well being. As we meditate on the person and the word and the deeds of the Lord, the presence of the Lord will be like a thick cloud upon us and we will experience a fire burning in our hearts. Even as we yield our spirits to Him, our egos, our burdens and anxieties in silence, He will answer us by the increase of our yield in every area of our lives. The abundance of blessings we experience thereafter, leads us to offer bursts of praise and worship. We experience the euphoria or ecstasy of oneness with the Spirit of the Lord.
Our intense need as well as intense joy prompts us to take vows or promises we make to the Lord. Once we make a vow, we should fulfil it. It is a test of our faithfulness. The patriarch Jacob, once he experienced the presence of the Lord and His constant guidance and protection, vowed to give a tenth of all that comes into his hands as produce or earnings. He erected alters to mark the great blessings he had received and to express his gratitude. Daniel and his compatriots took a vow not to eat of the food from the king’s tables as they were convinced it would defile them. The Lord honoured their faithfulness by making them healthier and ten times wiser than the scholars and administrators of the day.
As a daily practice, we should still our minds, our voices and our limbs to lie or sit still to listen to the footsteps of the Lord, the voice of the Holy Spirit, the stirrings in our souls. As the Psalmist David wrote, “Be still and know that I am God.” In stillness, the Lord manifested Himself to Elijah the prophet. When we are still our faculties, limbs, minds and bodies imitate death but our spirits and souls are fully alive to the Lord. We are shutting the world out, we are shutting our selves out, silencing all distracting noises and thoughts and our focus is completely on the locus of our lives- the LORD God. We have become the veritable temple of God, the alter and the living sacrifice. We experience a fresh anointing, an empowerment, a strengthening from deep within. The depth of our souls connects and communicates with the Lord. By reverential silence, effusive praise and vows, we are offering thoughts, words and actions as a wholesome offering like that of Abel to the Lord.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Transforming Agency of Prayer
UV 3305/10000 Transforming Agency of Prayer
So do not be like them praying as they do; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6 v 8
Our Father in heaven knows our needs before we ask Him. Hence, our prayers are to be focused not on our needs but be overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Only a grateful heart can offer thanksgiving continually. Only a joyful heart can offer praise continually. Only a humble heart can worship the Lord. Gratitude, joy and humility then are the foundation of a fruitful prayer life. The priorities of the Lord should supercede the priorities of our lives.
We should never forget the benefits of salvation in Christ. He has set us free from many restrictive beliefs and practices that man-made religion imposes on us. He has set us free from fears, insecurity about the future, guilt about the past, tension about the present. He has provided for all of our needs of spirit, mind and body. We are complex beings with not just physical needs but spiritual needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs. We should prioritise our spiritual, emotional, intellectual needs, social needs over our physical needs. Even the beasts and birds of nature that primarily only have physical needs do not spend a moment worrying about how it is going to meet these needs of food, clothing and shelter. How much less should we worry about our physical needs and focus on our need of wisdom, grace and mercy of the Lord, the blessings of the Triune God on our spirit, minds and bodies.
We find our security in the foreknowledge of the Lord. He cares deeply for us. He anoints us or prepares us to be fruitful. He has plans to bless, prosper and help us. Our prayers reflect the quality of our faith and our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a litany of wishes and requests but an epiphany of adoration and exaltation of the name, person and word of the Lord. Our prayer life should be pleasing to the Lord and not a continuous flow of complaints and desires. It should be in sharp contrast to the prayers of the religious minded, the hypocrite, the faithless. One judge once told me these wise words- ”positivise, prioritise and prayerise.” Whatever be our problems, our programs, our goals, we should convey it to the Lord in prayer. Confiding in Him our deepest burdens and secrets is a sign of utmost trust. Every prayer we make should see us closer to the Lord. It should cause a change in our character, our impact, influence and contribution.
So do not be like them praying as they do; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6 v 8
Our Father in heaven knows our needs before we ask Him. Hence, our prayers are to be focused not on our needs but be overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Only a grateful heart can offer thanksgiving continually. Only a joyful heart can offer praise continually. Only a humble heart can worship the Lord. Gratitude, joy and humility then are the foundation of a fruitful prayer life. The priorities of the Lord should supercede the priorities of our lives.
We should never forget the benefits of salvation in Christ. He has set us free from many restrictive beliefs and practices that man-made religion imposes on us. He has set us free from fears, insecurity about the future, guilt about the past, tension about the present. He has provided for all of our needs of spirit, mind and body. We are complex beings with not just physical needs but spiritual needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs. We should prioritise our spiritual, emotional, intellectual needs, social needs over our physical needs. Even the beasts and birds of nature that primarily only have physical needs do not spend a moment worrying about how it is going to meet these needs of food, clothing and shelter. How much less should we worry about our physical needs and focus on our need of wisdom, grace and mercy of the Lord, the blessings of the Triune God on our spirit, minds and bodies.
We find our security in the foreknowledge of the Lord. He cares deeply for us. He anoints us or prepares us to be fruitful. He has plans to bless, prosper and help us. Our prayers reflect the quality of our faith and our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a litany of wishes and requests but an epiphany of adoration and exaltation of the name, person and word of the Lord. Our prayer life should be pleasing to the Lord and not a continuous flow of complaints and desires. It should be in sharp contrast to the prayers of the religious minded, the hypocrite, the faithless. One judge once told me these wise words- ”positivise, prioritise and prayerise.” Whatever be our problems, our programs, our goals, we should convey it to the Lord in prayer. Confiding in Him our deepest burdens and secrets is a sign of utmost trust. Every prayer we make should see us closer to the Lord. It should cause a change in our character, our impact, influence and contribution.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Four Desiderata for the Homo Sapien- Growth, Strength, Wisdom and Grace
UV 3304/10000 Four Desiderata for the Homo Sapien -Growth, Strength, Wisdom and Grace
And the Child continued to grow and become strong ( in spirit), filled with wisdom; and grace ( favour, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.
Luke 2 v 40
Jesus, the God Child ‘s growth pattern is a model for all of us to emulate. As we are called children of God and are as such, we too need to grow all our lives. We need to become strong spiritually. We need to be filled with godly wisdom or as described in the book of James- be pure, peaceful, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. We need to grow in Christ, the knowledge of His love for He became for us the very wisdom of God- He became our righteousness, sanctification and redemption. We need the grace or favour and spiritual blessing of the Triune God upon our trinity of spirit, mind and body. When we grow rooted in Christ, we obtain the measureless favour of God upon our lives.
When we grow in the manner described in the uni-verse above, we are fulfilling the command of God at the beginning of time– dominos or leadership of the world given into our hands as His steward. We are fulfilling the command of God to multiply. We need only to multiply the fruit of our lives to be regarded as good and faithful servants of God. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a gift to aid and speed up the process of growth, the process of being filled with strength and wisdom and to walk in the grace of the Lord. As spiritually strong persons, we need to be faithful in using the gifts of the Spirit and in manifesting the fruit of character.
The wisdom of God will help us deal with our weaknesses, the limitations of our sinful nature, that affect our dominos or leadership. The grace of God will fill the gaps in our efforts to be Christ-like. This is how we fulfill the command of Jesus, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In the light of His light, we need to ask ourselves continually - Are we growing spiritually, in the knowledge of Christ? Are we being strong spiritually? Are we being filled with spiritual wisdom? Do we have the grace of God upon us? When the answer is "yes" to all these questions, then can we call ourselves truly, 'homo sapien' or wise man. Jesus is described as the “Yes and Amen” to all God’s promises or in other words, He will help us answer these questions in the positive and cause it to be.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
The Extraordinary Intercessor
UV 3303/10000 The Intercessor
Therefore He is able also to save forever completely, perfectly, for eternity those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf with God.
Hebrews 7 v 25
Jesus had mediated a better covenant uniting man with God based on better promises. He is both able and willing to save us completely, perfectly and forever. He is even now interceding on our behalf at the right hand of God, the Father. It is said that we learn more at rock bottom than on mountain tops but Jesus, as our perfect High Priest, is able to lift us from the rock bottom we hit from time to time in the course of our lives and sustain us on the mountain tops of our lives.
Our lives are opportunities for us to rejoice again and again for Jesus has wrought so great a salvation for us. There is no reason or excuse for us to be sad or depressed. We may fall seven times or on every day of every week like the righteous man that scripture speaks of but each time we will rise by the grace of Christ. As a High Priest, He has already offered the only sacrifice needed for our justification. He has filled us as vessels meant for sanctification with the Holy Spirit. The enemy might attempt to attack, afflict, accuse us but the Lord will rescue us every time.
Since Jesus has suffered as we have while He lived on Earth and much more than we will ever suffer in the manner of His death, He empathises completely with us. He understands our expectations, ability to endure, weaknesses, threats and actively defends us in known and unknown ways. As His followers, unlike the rest of the world, it is not wealth or success or power or fame that we seek but to live at the center of His perfect will. He always inclines His ear to hear our pleas, our cries, our prayers and even our mere sighs. We should therefore spare ourselves needless suffering by bringing to Him as soon as possible and as often as necessary our burdens, challenges, problems, deficiencies.
Therefore He is able also to save forever completely, perfectly, for eternity those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf with God.
Hebrews 7 v 25
Jesus had mediated a better covenant uniting man with God based on better promises. He is both able and willing to save us completely, perfectly and forever. He is even now interceding on our behalf at the right hand of God, the Father. It is said that we learn more at rock bottom than on mountain tops but Jesus, as our perfect High Priest, is able to lift us from the rock bottom we hit from time to time in the course of our lives and sustain us on the mountain tops of our lives.
Our lives are opportunities for us to rejoice again and again for Jesus has wrought so great a salvation for us. There is no reason or excuse for us to be sad or depressed. We may fall seven times or on every day of every week like the righteous man that scripture speaks of but each time we will rise by the grace of Christ. As a High Priest, He has already offered the only sacrifice needed for our justification. He has filled us as vessels meant for sanctification with the Holy Spirit. The enemy might attempt to attack, afflict, accuse us but the Lord will rescue us every time.
Since Jesus has suffered as we have while He lived on Earth and much more than we will ever suffer in the manner of His death, He empathises completely with us. He understands our expectations, ability to endure, weaknesses, threats and actively defends us in known and unknown ways. As His followers, unlike the rest of the world, it is not wealth or success or power or fame that we seek but to live at the center of His perfect will. He always inclines His ear to hear our pleas, our cries, our prayers and even our mere sighs. We should therefore spare ourselves needless suffering by bringing to Him as soon as possible and as often as necessary our burdens, challenges, problems, deficiencies.
Friday, July 19, 2019
The Whole Truth About Wholeness
UV 3302/10000 The Whole Truth About Wholeness
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through ( that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged-consecrated to Him- set apart for His purpose); and may your spirit, soul and body be kept complete and be found blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 5 v 23
We are not spectators in the divinely initiated and ordained process of sanctification in Christ. Christ is our target model whom we should match and merge with. He is the Gold Standard, the Benchmark of Heaven. The Holy Spirit brings us up to speed in the matter of refining our human nature to become the divine nature of Christ. We are to be separated from our former way of thinking, speaking and doing things. We are to put a distance between our past and our present. We are then to be willing and enthusiastic participants in the sanctification process. The Lord helps to heal the damaged parts of our lives. He restores us to the pristine purity that we were created to be. Only then can we fulfill the purpose for which we were both created and redeemed. The Triune God ( Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is the One who is the chief agency or person involved in refining us. Scripture says that He sits like a refiner over us. He does it through the presence of the Holy Spirit, through the mirror-like accuracy of the truth of the scripture and through our various life experiences of His grace and mercy. Every day when we look into the “scripture mirror” or the Word, we should ask ourselves what aspect of our mind or personality, habits or speech, thinking, acting or reacting, relating or behaving needs to change in the light of the Word the Lord used to speak to us.
Having found an answer from the Holy Spirit about what aspects we need to change or refine for the day and the rest of our lives, we should then seek His grace and help and go ahead and do it. At the end of the day and several times during the day, we should review in our minds, whether we are doing it and doing it right. The Holy Spirit is the Remembrancer or Reviewer who helps us review ourselves impartially and dispassionately against the bench mark the Lord has set for us. If we fail or do not succeed to the full extent, He will comfort us, give us the strength to rise again and do it again. Sanctification is the process, then of moving from hearing to “heart-ing” to doing to being. When we do it again and again, it becomes our second nature, our divine nature and the core of our being.
The emphasis of the uni-verse is that the Lord aims that we be “whole” again. We are “repaired” or paired again with the Spirit of God to be God-like. We are no longer broken, incomplete, unfulfilled. Our whole being is completed in Him, our spirit, mind and body are made whole, complete, perfected, mature, fruitful, blameless. The word “ impeccable” means that the enemy of our souls can no longer peck at us. He no longer rules over us by weakening, dividing, setting us against ourselves like an ‘inner civil war”. The God of peace gives us complete peace and victory over the world and the machinations and accusations of the enemy.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through ( that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged-consecrated to Him- set apart for His purpose); and may your spirit, soul and body be kept complete and be found blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 5 v 23
We are not spectators in the divinely initiated and ordained process of sanctification in Christ. Christ is our target model whom we should match and merge with. He is the Gold Standard, the Benchmark of Heaven. The Holy Spirit brings us up to speed in the matter of refining our human nature to become the divine nature of Christ. We are to be separated from our former way of thinking, speaking and doing things. We are to put a distance between our past and our present. We are then to be willing and enthusiastic participants in the sanctification process. The Lord helps to heal the damaged parts of our lives. He restores us to the pristine purity that we were created to be. Only then can we fulfill the purpose for which we were both created and redeemed. The Triune God ( Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is the One who is the chief agency or person involved in refining us. Scripture says that He sits like a refiner over us. He does it through the presence of the Holy Spirit, through the mirror-like accuracy of the truth of the scripture and through our various life experiences of His grace and mercy. Every day when we look into the “scripture mirror” or the Word, we should ask ourselves what aspect of our mind or personality, habits or speech, thinking, acting or reacting, relating or behaving needs to change in the light of the Word the Lord used to speak to us.
Having found an answer from the Holy Spirit about what aspects we need to change or refine for the day and the rest of our lives, we should then seek His grace and help and go ahead and do it. At the end of the day and several times during the day, we should review in our minds, whether we are doing it and doing it right. The Holy Spirit is the Remembrancer or Reviewer who helps us review ourselves impartially and dispassionately against the bench mark the Lord has set for us. If we fail or do not succeed to the full extent, He will comfort us, give us the strength to rise again and do it again. Sanctification is the process, then of moving from hearing to “heart-ing” to doing to being. When we do it again and again, it becomes our second nature, our divine nature and the core of our being.
The emphasis of the uni-verse is that the Lord aims that we be “whole” again. We are “repaired” or paired again with the Spirit of God to be God-like. We are no longer broken, incomplete, unfulfilled. Our whole being is completed in Him, our spirit, mind and body are made whole, complete, perfected, mature, fruitful, blameless. The word “ impeccable” means that the enemy of our souls can no longer peck at us. He no longer rules over us by weakening, dividing, setting us against ourselves like an ‘inner civil war”. The God of peace gives us complete peace and victory over the world and the machinations and accusations of the enemy.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Completing Character and Communication not Competing for Power
UV 3301/10000 Completing not Competing
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you take away from your midst the yoke of oppression, the finger pointed in scorn toward the oppressed or the godly, and every form of wicked, sinful, unjust, speech.
Isaiah 58 v 9
The Lord rushes to our help the moment we call on Him, the moment we cry for help. We need to imitate the humility of the Lord that He comes to us as soon as we call even though He is the Sovereign Master of all. It is His love, His commitment, His zeal to restore His children that causes Him to come to us when we call. We need to reciprocate by avoiding every form of incorrect, improper, imperfect speech. We need to be shrewd as a serpent to avoid the oppression of the enemy of our souls but also humble and gentle as a dove, wise as an owl, brave and sharp as an eagle. In the name of Jesus, we have the power to break every yoke of oppression the enemy lays on us or threatens us with. As someone said, “faith maximizes possibilities while fear minimizes it.” Our faith should be God-honouring, self-equipping, others-empowering.
In the kingdom of man, hard work, talent, creativity precedes rewards while in the kingdom of God, faithfulness, obedience of the principles embedded in the living Word, humility precedes rewards. Though God’s love is unlimited, infinite, unconditional, the rewards in the kingdom of God is conditional to obedience, humility and gratitude. We are a race set apart to be holy or “adorned with the qualities of the Lord.” We cannot conform to the norms of behavior of the world. Like an eagle, we need to fly high above the standards of our peers and float effortlessly on the wings of prayer and the word on the currents of His grace.
We should behave and communicate with people as if our tongues and talents do not belong to us but to the Lord. Then we will avoid every form of wickedness- for wickedness has many forms- sarcasm, insults, envy, pride, arrogance, indifference, indolence, ingratitude. Though righteousness is not a prerequisite for our salvation in Christ, the righteousness of character and communication should follow in the wake of our being saved by faith. The Holy Spirit like a gentle supernatural dove descends on us and teaches us what we should speak, to whom and when. Two things are extremely important in the kingdom of God- our character and our communication. Our chief challenge in life is to make these resemble as closely as possible to that of Christ. He gives us grace and wisdom to perfect and establish our character and communication as a wholesome pattern for others to emulate.
Monday, July 15, 2019
No Alternative
UV3300/10000 No Alternative to God
Then let us get up and go up to Bethel, and I will make an alter there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.
Genesis 35 v 3
When Jacob was fleeing from the wrath of Esau, his brother, God ( Jehovah) appeared to him at Bethel in a dream. The dream proved to Jacob that He was present with him wherever he went. The presence of God encouraged him and led him to give up his deceitful ways of getting ahead of others. He realized he was no longer in a rat race but in a race of grace, that the Lord will go with him and prosper him, rescue him from his spiritual and mortal enemies. Jacob gave up at this point in time all the idols that he carried at that time with him. He confirmed his covenant with God. He loved Him with all his heart and all his mind and all his strength. He relied only on Him from this point in his life.
The relationship that the forefathers of faith like Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel had with God is a model to emulate for people of all nations and around the globe, all through history. Their struggles are like ours and their deliverance resembles that which the Lord has wrought in our lives, too. He is with us in our distresses. God had sent messengers to Abraham, Jacob, Isaac in the shape of angels to confirm His promises to them but for us, He has sent the Word, His Son, Jesus. God travelled with the ancient Israelites as a fire by night and a cloud by day. Now He travels with us as the Holy Spirit. We ourselves are now “Bethel” or the house of God. When we realize that there is no alternative for God, we make an alter to Him.
The living alter under the new covenant relationship through Jesus is built up of the praises and thanksgiving we offer up to the Lord. We need to be thankful for all the times the Lord has delivered us in our distress. He rejoices in our gratitude and praise. He rushes to our aid even before we pray for help. We need to give up anything and everything that replaces God in our hearts and minds and create more space for Him in our lives. Then we experience more of His presence, power, grace, love in our lives.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Completing the Good Work
UV 3299/10000 Completing the Good Work
I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus ( the time of His return)
Philippians 1 v 6
The Lord has begun a good work in us who believe and He will perfect that which concerns us. If we have our beginnings in Him, our endings also will turn out good. Since it is a covenant relationship, the Lord who is faithful will guard our souls as we hold onto our faith and become more and more confident and convinced of His power that is at work in us. We need to be steadfast in our faith till His return or till we go to Him.
Our confidence, therefore, is not in our flesh or our physical strength or our mental abilities and talents but it is in the Lord. He is the One who anoints us and empowers and enables us. Next to faith, our knowledge of His love has to increase. We need to understand the extent of His love and experience the dimensions of it in our lives. His love is agape or unconditional and selfless. Over time, we should also grow into that kind of love for Him.
Thirdly, we should exercise our hope in Christ for our hope in Him is the secret of our well being and of our doing well in this life. Our hope of eternal life fills us with joy. Our hope of receiving His help with our personal struggles fill us with comfort. Our hope of His resurrection power working in us fill us with immense power and strength. We become convinced like Paul that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us in the inner man. He ends the frustration, anxiety and needless worry that the enemy brings into our lives. He restores what we have lost in the past. We run not the rat race but a race of grace for an eternal crown that never fades or perishes. He prepares us for perfection and eternity. His grace fills the gaps in our strength, character, abilities. Yes, we are works in progress but progressing definitely in the direction the Lord want us to go and grow- in the three dimensions of faith, hope and love that transforms all the dimensions and manifestations of our lives.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Build to Last
UV 3298/10000 Build to Last
Through skillful and godly wisdom a house, (a life, a home, a family) is built, and by understanding it is established on a sound and good foundation,
Proverbs 24 v 3
The foundation of the lives of believers is the Rock – Jesus. Jesus imparts understanding to us. On such a strong foundation, we need to build a worthy super structure- a superb structure. The Almighty gives us wisdom and the Holy Spirit gives us the word of knowledge. These three spiritual dimensions- understanding, wisdom and knowledge are needed to build our lives, our homes, our families. It is not worldly knowledge that helps us success and yet people welcome worldly knowledge and resist godly wisdom and thereby, condemn themselves to live on the edge of the precipice of folly and wanton wickedness. But godly wisdom, Christ-like understanding and Holy Spirit-inspired knowledge makes us sharp and double-edged like the sword of God. By it we can succeed in this world and succeed in eternity.
We need to fill the rooms or compartments of our lives not with treasures of this world but with the treasures of understanding, wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. When we do so, we will be able to confront any problem, any challenge for we know that He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. We will be able to overcome in all of our struggles. Just as there are social skills or soft skills, there are spiritual skills that a human needs to be effective, productive and powerful. This is the reason, the uni-verse above speaks of skilful wisdom. Bezalel, in the old covenant, was given these skills to adorn the physical Tabernacle where God , Jehovah dwelt. Now, each of us is called to be a Bezalel, one overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and endowed with subtle skills, supernatural abilities to make our lives, our bodies and minds- a living tabernacle of the Lord.
Solomon took seven years to build the Temple of God while we are working 24 x 7 x X days and years to build the living Temple of which Jesus is the cornerstone, the sure foundation. The temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Romans in far less time than it was built while the living temple cannot be destroyed for we are filled with the insurmountable resurrection power of Jesus. Our sacrifice is a broken and humble spirit that always remembers what we are in the natural. We need to furnish our lives with treasures of understanding, wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. The Word is the plumb line to build our lives.
Friday, July 12, 2019
The Deep Truths
UV 3297/10000 The Deep Truths
For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
I Corinthians 2 v 10
Man is shallow while God is deep and holy. We are experts at the superficial but novices when it comes to the supernatural and spiritual. We cannot plumb the depths of God’s holiness, power, wisdom, understanding, love without the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps us search out the will, the wisdom, the power of God. He reveals what is hidden from the world in the Word. The Word is the window to have a glimpse of the deep things of God. The Spirit searches our hearts, our minds, our thoughts and emotions and sees if we desire to align our lives with the purpose of the Lord.
We need to daily ask for the Spirit ‘s help to search out and find the purpose of the Lord for that day and for our lives as a whole. He reveals in part as we do not have understanding to grasp the whole picture at one shot. He reveals, as scripture says, line by line, precept by precept. As we show our dissatisfaction with the shallowness and superficiality of a life without the Lord, the Spirit will lead us into deeper and deeper truths. We need to be faithful in carrying out or practicing the instructions and deeper insights the Lord has granted us over time. We cannot be just hearers and not doers. We need to silence our own thoughts and emotions in order to do “deep listening” to the Spirit of God. Having listened intently, we need to act intentionally to obey the voice of the Lord.
The truths of the Lord are revealed, taught, explained to us not to increase our “head knowledge” but to give us wisdom for practical application. There has to be a constant transference of truth from head to heart to hands. From the depths of our souls, we need to communicate, commune, fellowship with the Lord with nothing being hidden from His all knowing and all seeing mind. We should always be willing to open every aspect of our lives for examination by the Holy Spirit, to give up what He asks us to and to take in what He shows us. Our perception, understanding, experience of His love needs to be deeper and deeper. The deeper and stronger our roots in Him who is the good root, the stronger and freer our wings. As we increase our depth, we grow into spiritual maturity and fruitfulness.
Price for the Priceless
UV3296/10000 Price for the Priceless
Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honoured, and I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you and people for your life.
Isaiah 43 v 4
Life is priceless since it cannot be bought at a cost. Yet, we are precious in the sight of the Lord. He is the One who honours us. He loves us. He gave His most precious Son Jesus in exchange for us, in order to be a propitiation, a sacrifice, a penalty paid by the Lord God Himself. We therefore, owe it to the Lord never to worry, never to complain, never to think negatively or allow negative attitudes to develop in us. He is ready to give people in exchange for us. We are non-negotiable. He will never give us up or give up on us.
We are to value the things of the Lord of far greater value than the treasures of this life which is but a shadow of things to come in eternity. He covers us with His presence and fills our lives with His presents but His presents should never be valued above His presence. We need to reciprocate His love by loving Him with all our heart or in all our attitudes, with all our strength- with all of our body and physical senses, with all of our mind- or all of our thoughts, emotions, decisions, choices, actions. This is how we honour Him truly. This is how we show our gratitude towards Him.
We will have times of test and times of rest in our lives. But we need to focus on the locus, the Lord and Giver of Life. By doing so, we repel and drive away the locusts who rob us of cour health, peace, prosperity, reputation, testimony, relationships. We will have times of famine and times of plenty but the Lord remains faithful all through. Our faith will fill us with hope and patience and enable us to persevere through it all with our eyes transfixed on the Lord. He fills our eyes and our minds with good light of His grace, mercy and goodness.
Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honoured, and I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you and people for your life.
Isaiah 43 v 4
Life is priceless since it cannot be bought at a cost. Yet, we are precious in the sight of the Lord. He is the One who honours us. He loves us. He gave His most precious Son Jesus in exchange for us, in order to be a propitiation, a sacrifice, a penalty paid by the Lord God Himself. We therefore, owe it to the Lord never to worry, never to complain, never to think negatively or allow negative attitudes to develop in us. He is ready to give people in exchange for us. We are non-negotiable. He will never give us up or give up on us.
We are to value the things of the Lord of far greater value than the treasures of this life which is but a shadow of things to come in eternity. He covers us with His presence and fills our lives with His presents but His presents should never be valued above His presence. We need to reciprocate His love by loving Him with all our heart or in all our attitudes, with all our strength- with all of our body and physical senses, with all of our mind- or all of our thoughts, emotions, decisions, choices, actions. This is how we honour Him truly. This is how we show our gratitude towards Him.
We will have times of test and times of rest in our lives. But we need to focus on the locus, the Lord and Giver of Life. By doing so, we repel and drive away the locusts who rob us of cour health, peace, prosperity, reputation, testimony, relationships. We will have times of famine and times of plenty but the Lord remains faithful all through. Our faith will fill us with hope and patience and enable us to persevere through it all with our eyes transfixed on the Lord. He fills our eyes and our minds with good light of His grace, mercy and goodness.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Leading from Weakness, Dealing With Strength
UV3295/10000 Leading From Weakness, Dealing with Strength
But He has said to me, “ My grace is sufficient for you ( My loving kindness and My mercy are more than enough- always available- regardless of the situation); for My power is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may completely enfold me and may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12 v 9
Paul suffered an unnamed and undescribed affliction that the Lord did not remove even after he persisted in prayer. Paul accepted it as the will of God to keep him humble, empty and receptive of the grace of the Lord. The Lord assured him that in all of life’s situations, His grace is sufficient for him. The emptiness, the humility, the receptiveness of believers is needed as a prerequisite to fill us with abounding power of God and for us to experience the full extent of His love and mercy. Paul reveled in these times of apparent weakness, brokenness, extreme need and dependency on the Lord. In fact, this was his default state and not an occasional golden moment of revelation.
The paradox Paul presents to every believer is not to feel exalted in our little successes, skills, strengths, accomplishments, breakthroughs, titles, positions, possessions, personality but to revel in our weaknesses, failures, areas of dire need and challenge. If we dwell on the former, we will be too full of ourselves and of little or no use to the Lord and His kingdom. His indwelling Spirit and power seeks to reside in hearts that are needy and bleeding, weeping souls, not weeping out of self pity but out of compassion for others and the need for the compassion of the Lord to flow and overflow in our lives. When we receive Jesus and the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives, His mighty resurrection power begins to work in us and work through us. But, to fill, complete, perfect the working of His grace and power in our lives, we need to constantly empty ourselves and correspondingly fill ourselves with His grace.
Our weaknesses are not threats but opportunities for the Lord to work in us, to manifest His awesome power. Instead of hiding our weaknesses in shame from the Lord as we do from others, we should bare it all to the Lord. Instead of hiding like Adam and Eve from the Lord, we hide in Him. We take it to the Lord in prayer. It can be a weakness of body, mind or spirit, of ability or of character. If we are not aware of some weaknesses, we should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal our hidden infirmities of nature and He will enable us to deal with it. The Word of God is like a mirror for our weaknesses. It accurately reflects to us what our physical eyes cannot perceive. What of our strengths and gifts and abilities? We should use these fully for the glory of God, not our own, but like the cherubim coyly cover it with the wings of prayer and the word, to hide it from the gaze of men. If anyone praises us on account of the latter, we should attribute it again to the grace of the Lord.
But He has said to me, “ My grace is sufficient for you ( My loving kindness and My mercy are more than enough- always available- regardless of the situation); for My power is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may completely enfold me and may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12 v 9
Paul suffered an unnamed and undescribed affliction that the Lord did not remove even after he persisted in prayer. Paul accepted it as the will of God to keep him humble, empty and receptive of the grace of the Lord. The Lord assured him that in all of life’s situations, His grace is sufficient for him. The emptiness, the humility, the receptiveness of believers is needed as a prerequisite to fill us with abounding power of God and for us to experience the full extent of His love and mercy. Paul reveled in these times of apparent weakness, brokenness, extreme need and dependency on the Lord. In fact, this was his default state and not an occasional golden moment of revelation.
The paradox Paul presents to every believer is not to feel exalted in our little successes, skills, strengths, accomplishments, breakthroughs, titles, positions, possessions, personality but to revel in our weaknesses, failures, areas of dire need and challenge. If we dwell on the former, we will be too full of ourselves and of little or no use to the Lord and His kingdom. His indwelling Spirit and power seeks to reside in hearts that are needy and bleeding, weeping souls, not weeping out of self pity but out of compassion for others and the need for the compassion of the Lord to flow and overflow in our lives. When we receive Jesus and the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives, His mighty resurrection power begins to work in us and work through us. But, to fill, complete, perfect the working of His grace and power in our lives, we need to constantly empty ourselves and correspondingly fill ourselves with His grace.
Our weaknesses are not threats but opportunities for the Lord to work in us, to manifest His awesome power. Instead of hiding our weaknesses in shame from the Lord as we do from others, we should bare it all to the Lord. Instead of hiding like Adam and Eve from the Lord, we hide in Him. We take it to the Lord in prayer. It can be a weakness of body, mind or spirit, of ability or of character. If we are not aware of some weaknesses, we should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal our hidden infirmities of nature and He will enable us to deal with it. The Word of God is like a mirror for our weaknesses. It accurately reflects to us what our physical eyes cannot perceive. What of our strengths and gifts and abilities? We should use these fully for the glory of God, not our own, but like the cherubim coyly cover it with the wings of prayer and the word, to hide it from the gaze of men. If anyone praises us on account of the latter, we should attribute it again to the grace of the Lord.
Monday, July 8, 2019
Allowing No Thing to Take the Place of God
UV 3294/10000 Allowing No Thing to Take the Place of God
And make the Almighty your gold and your precious silver.
Job 22 v 25
We ought not to allow anything to take the place of God. Rather, we should let God take the place of everything precious in our lives. He then becomes our currency- the means by which we obtain whatever we seek or need. It implies that we need to give first priority to the Lord in our lives over every other person or valuable thing in our lives. We delight in the Lord and His word as the source of everything good in our lives. The uni-verse states that we should delight in the Lord as a man would delight in gold and precious silver. We should value His grace and mercy over any other relationship or resource. As Jesus said, " Our hearts are where our treasure is. " Hence, we should treasure or value the Lord above all our valuables.
Solomon spent seven years to build the temple but took thirteen years to build his own palace, indicating that he gave priority to his own comfort and need over the presence of the Lord. This led to many errors and folly in the life of the wisest man who ever lived. Learning a lesson from his experience, we should focus on continually acknowledging, depending and adoring the Lord. His light or His grace will then shine on all of our ways. Like the broken pieces of bangles make beautiful patterns in a kaleidoscope, the Lord will make beautiful patterns even out of the broken parts of our lives.
Material things are of no value from an eternal perspective. The kingdom of God is the most precious pearl for which we should be ready to barter anything else valuable in our lives. This attitude will reveal that our hearts are “circumcised” to the Lord, implying that we are dedicated and devoted to serving the Lord and doing His will in the course of our days. We need to store in our hearts the Word which is compared to finest gold and silver. It will keep us on the right paths and preserve as well as enhance the quality and impact of our lives.
And make the Almighty your gold and your precious silver.
Job 22 v 25
We ought not to allow anything to take the place of God. Rather, we should let God take the place of everything precious in our lives. He then becomes our currency- the means by which we obtain whatever we seek or need. It implies that we need to give first priority to the Lord in our lives over every other person or valuable thing in our lives. We delight in the Lord and His word as the source of everything good in our lives. The uni-verse states that we should delight in the Lord as a man would delight in gold and precious silver. We should value His grace and mercy over any other relationship or resource. As Jesus said, " Our hearts are where our treasure is. " Hence, we should treasure or value the Lord above all our valuables.
Solomon spent seven years to build the temple but took thirteen years to build his own palace, indicating that he gave priority to his own comfort and need over the presence of the Lord. This led to many errors and folly in the life of the wisest man who ever lived. Learning a lesson from his experience, we should focus on continually acknowledging, depending and adoring the Lord. His light or His grace will then shine on all of our ways. Like the broken pieces of bangles make beautiful patterns in a kaleidoscope, the Lord will make beautiful patterns even out of the broken parts of our lives.
Material things are of no value from an eternal perspective. The kingdom of God is the most precious pearl for which we should be ready to barter anything else valuable in our lives. This attitude will reveal that our hearts are “circumcised” to the Lord, implying that we are dedicated and devoted to serving the Lord and doing His will in the course of our days. We need to store in our hearts the Word which is compared to finest gold and silver. It will keep us on the right paths and preserve as well as enhance the quality and impact of our lives.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Focus and The Two Way Flow
UV 3293/10000 Focus and The Two Way Flow
Who went before you along the way, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to seek a place for you to make camp and to show you the way in which you should go.
Deuteronomy 1 v 33
The Lord goes before us in all our ventures and journeys. He manifests Himself as a protective wall of fire by night and a cloud of shelter and shade by day. The fires is a metaphor for His all consuming power. The cloud, a symbol of His all comforting presence. He is looking for a place that is suitable for us to camp. He will guide us on the way we should go. We can depend on Him for guidance. He places us where we should be and positions us according to His plan and purpose. We need to pitch our tent where He points out the place. We do not know what lurks in the dark or what await us in the day time but the Lord reveals to us. He makes our paths safe. He delivers us from threats, dangers, enemies on the route we take. When we look back on our lives, we can see clearly how true is the promise contained in this uni-verse. The Lord is faithful, all knowing, caring and loving. He is a living and loving God. He is both Emmanuel and Ebenezer to us. As Emmanuel, He is the indwelling God. He surrounds us with His awesome presence all the time. As Ebenezer, He helps us on the way even with our mundane tasks and enables us to overcome the challenges we face on our journey.
In return for the Lord’s faithfulness, we need to maintain a beautiful vessel of gratitude or thanksgiving in our lives. It should always be full and overflowing. Our hearts and minds are that beautiful vessel. As long as this vessel is overflowing with praise and thanksgiving for the countless benefits, blessings, mercies and grace He has given us, more of His presence and blessings will be further experienced by us. The book of Revelation speaks of angels continually praising and worshipping the Lord 24 x 7 , “ Holy, Holy , Holy is the Lord .” They further worship the Lamb who gave us salvation, Jesus by saying, “ Worthy is the Lamb to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.” Like the vision of Jacob at Bethel, there is to be a constant upward flow from our hearts and minds towards the Lord and it will bring the constant descending flow of power, wisdom, blessings towards us.
When our focus is on the locus- the Lord, the Creator, the Saviour, the Holy Spirit, we will rejoice over our past, over our present , over our future and over eternity. He who knows our need will sow it in our lives for us to reap in due time. He will fill our lives with grace to cover the gaps in our lives. Stephen even as he was being stoned to death, he praised the Lord and saw heaven open with Jesus at the right hand of the Father waiting to welcome him. Hence, in normal times and extreme situations, our minds should be centered or focused on the Lord.
Who went before you along the way, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to seek a place for you to make camp and to show you the way in which you should go.
Deuteronomy 1 v 33
The Lord goes before us in all our ventures and journeys. He manifests Himself as a protective wall of fire by night and a cloud of shelter and shade by day. The fires is a metaphor for His all consuming power. The cloud, a symbol of His all comforting presence. He is looking for a place that is suitable for us to camp. He will guide us on the way we should go. We can depend on Him for guidance. He places us where we should be and positions us according to His plan and purpose. We need to pitch our tent where He points out the place. We do not know what lurks in the dark or what await us in the day time but the Lord reveals to us. He makes our paths safe. He delivers us from threats, dangers, enemies on the route we take. When we look back on our lives, we can see clearly how true is the promise contained in this uni-verse. The Lord is faithful, all knowing, caring and loving. He is a living and loving God. He is both Emmanuel and Ebenezer to us. As Emmanuel, He is the indwelling God. He surrounds us with His awesome presence all the time. As Ebenezer, He helps us on the way even with our mundane tasks and enables us to overcome the challenges we face on our journey.
In return for the Lord’s faithfulness, we need to maintain a beautiful vessel of gratitude or thanksgiving in our lives. It should always be full and overflowing. Our hearts and minds are that beautiful vessel. As long as this vessel is overflowing with praise and thanksgiving for the countless benefits, blessings, mercies and grace He has given us, more of His presence and blessings will be further experienced by us. The book of Revelation speaks of angels continually praising and worshipping the Lord 24 x 7 , “ Holy, Holy , Holy is the Lord .” They further worship the Lamb who gave us salvation, Jesus by saying, “ Worthy is the Lamb to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.” Like the vision of Jacob at Bethel, there is to be a constant upward flow from our hearts and minds towards the Lord and it will bring the constant descending flow of power, wisdom, blessings towards us.
When our focus is on the locus- the Lord, the Creator, the Saviour, the Holy Spirit, we will rejoice over our past, over our present , over our future and over eternity. He who knows our need will sow it in our lives for us to reap in due time. He will fill our lives with grace to cover the gaps in our lives. Stephen even as he was being stoned to death, he praised the Lord and saw heaven open with Jesus at the right hand of the Father waiting to welcome him. Hence, in normal times and extreme situations, our minds should be centered or focused on the Lord.
Saturday, July 6, 2019
@ Etude -Love
@ Etude- Love
So Jacob served Laban for seven years for the right to marry Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
Genesis 29 v 20
Jacob loved Rachel so much that he was willing to work for seven years for her father Laban tending to his flocks. The long period of seven years passed quickly as Jacob worked with the expectation of marrying Rachel and his love for her was so strong. It is a different matter that at the end of the seven years, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying the older daughter Leah. Consequently, Jacob was willing to work for another seven years to obtain the right to marry Rachel. Jacob ‘s love is a forerunner of the love of Christ for His bride, the church. Such love is selfless, unconditional and exemplary.
Jacob did not grudge the efforts and hard work he put in in order to win the hand of Rachel. In our love for Christ, we too should not grudge the small sacrifices and labour of love we put in for Him in the course of our lives. With such love, even hardship we suffer would seem a small price to pay in exchange for the personal relationship we have with the Lord. We need to remain patient and cheerful even as we wait for the Lord. Love is not envious, not conceited, not proud, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Jacob was not bitter with Laban for having made him wait so long, work so hard and on top of that deceiving him. He did not return evil for evil but returned good for evil as Christ would have us do today.
Sometimes, in our walk with the Lord, we might suffer disappointments but we should not hold it in our hearts but believe that the Lord will work out a greater good even out of it. Jacob was so obsessed with Rachel that he was prepared to make any sacrifice for her. Likewise, in our relationship with the Lord, we need to be obsessed with serving and loving Him. He needs to occupy first place in our lives and everything else is secondary. This kind of attitude alone will please Him and we would be greatly blessed and rewarded for it. Passing years should not weaken our love but our passion for God needs to increase with time.
So Jacob served Laban for seven years for the right to marry Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
Genesis 29 v 20
Jacob loved Rachel so much that he was willing to work for seven years for her father Laban tending to his flocks. The long period of seven years passed quickly as Jacob worked with the expectation of marrying Rachel and his love for her was so strong. It is a different matter that at the end of the seven years, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying the older daughter Leah. Consequently, Jacob was willing to work for another seven years to obtain the right to marry Rachel. Jacob ‘s love is a forerunner of the love of Christ for His bride, the church. Such love is selfless, unconditional and exemplary.
Jacob did not grudge the efforts and hard work he put in in order to win the hand of Rachel. In our love for Christ, we too should not grudge the small sacrifices and labour of love we put in for Him in the course of our lives. With such love, even hardship we suffer would seem a small price to pay in exchange for the personal relationship we have with the Lord. We need to remain patient and cheerful even as we wait for the Lord. Love is not envious, not conceited, not proud, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Jacob was not bitter with Laban for having made him wait so long, work so hard and on top of that deceiving him. He did not return evil for evil but returned good for evil as Christ would have us do today.
Sometimes, in our walk with the Lord, we might suffer disappointments but we should not hold it in our hearts but believe that the Lord will work out a greater good even out of it. Jacob was so obsessed with Rachel that he was prepared to make any sacrifice for her. Likewise, in our relationship with the Lord, we need to be obsessed with serving and loving Him. He needs to occupy first place in our lives and everything else is secondary. This kind of attitude alone will please Him and we would be greatly blessed and rewarded for it. Passing years should not weaken our love but our passion for God needs to increase with time.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
@ Etude- The Attitude of Submission
UV @ Etude- The Attitude of Submission to the Will of God
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “ The matter has come from the Lord, so we dare not speak bad or good to you about it – we cannot interfere.”
Genesis 24 v 50
Bethuel, the father of Rebecca and Laban, the brother of Rebecca both of them revered the will of God. When it was revealed to them that it was God’s will that Rebecca be given as wife to Isaac, the son of Abraham, they submitted totally without any hesitation. They said that it was beyond them to either say that it is a good or bad decision as it came from the Lord. We, too need to emulate such total reverence and submission to the will of God. His will is sovereign and supreme in our lives. We need to actively seek it in the major decisions of our lives like career, marriage, family, re-locating and submit to it fully.
Instead of wrestling against or resisting the will of God, we need to recognize it as soon as it is made known. In the matter of seeking a life partner for Isaac, Eliezer, the faithful servant of Abraham had sought a sign from the Lord. He started his journey with this prayer in his heart. The Lord confirmed it with the very sign and timing of Rebecca coming to the well to draw water for him and his camels. Thereafter, Eliezer testified to Bethuel and Laban of the confirmation. It goes to the credit of Laban and Bethuel that they did not demur or debate but instantly submitted with all reverence to the decision.
In our lives to this day, the Lord will make known His specific will in the crucial aspects. Like Eliezer, we need to seek His guidance and a specific sign so that we know it is His will. Once it is made known, we should not hesitate or be in two minds. Reverence for the Lord implies that we align our lives with the wisdom and will of the Lord. A heavy burden lifted from the shoulders of Eliezer once the decision was taken and he felt the sense of joy and peace. Likewise, if our decisions are in alignment with the will of the Lord, we will experience a sense of joy and peace that is inexplicable.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “ The matter has come from the Lord, so we dare not speak bad or good to you about it – we cannot interfere.”
Genesis 24 v 50
Bethuel, the father of Rebecca and Laban, the brother of Rebecca both of them revered the will of God. When it was revealed to them that it was God’s will that Rebecca be given as wife to Isaac, the son of Abraham, they submitted totally without any hesitation. They said that it was beyond them to either say that it is a good or bad decision as it came from the Lord. We, too need to emulate such total reverence and submission to the will of God. His will is sovereign and supreme in our lives. We need to actively seek it in the major decisions of our lives like career, marriage, family, re-locating and submit to it fully.
Instead of wrestling against or resisting the will of God, we need to recognize it as soon as it is made known. In the matter of seeking a life partner for Isaac, Eliezer, the faithful servant of Abraham had sought a sign from the Lord. He started his journey with this prayer in his heart. The Lord confirmed it with the very sign and timing of Rebecca coming to the well to draw water for him and his camels. Thereafter, Eliezer testified to Bethuel and Laban of the confirmation. It goes to the credit of Laban and Bethuel that they did not demur or debate but instantly submitted with all reverence to the decision.
In our lives to this day, the Lord will make known His specific will in the crucial aspects. Like Eliezer, we need to seek His guidance and a specific sign so that we know it is His will. Once it is made known, we should not hesitate or be in two minds. Reverence for the Lord implies that we align our lives with the wisdom and will of the Lord. A heavy burden lifted from the shoulders of Eliezer once the decision was taken and he felt the sense of joy and peace. Likewise, if our decisions are in alignment with the will of the Lord, we will experience a sense of joy and peace that is inexplicable.
Monday, July 1, 2019
@ Etude- Hospitality, A Sign of a Great Heart
UV @ Etude – Hospitality, a Sign of a Great Heart
When he raised his eyes and looked up, behold, three men were standing a little distance from him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
Genesis 18 v 2
Abraham not only had a strong faith that enabled him on the vertical dimension to relate well with God on a personal basis but he had a good heart to reach out on the horizontal dimension to fellow human beings, even strangers. On seeing three strangers at a distance, he ran to them and showed great respect in inviting them to visit and stay there a little while he got them food and drink. He offered water to wash their feet and invited them to recline and relax in the shade of a tree. He was not suspicious or stingy in extending hospitality to the three strangers who happened to be angelic beings sent by God to visit him
Opening up one’s house to others, not necessarily friends but could even be strangers is a sign of a great heart. It is an admission that all that belongs to us is not meant only for our enjoyment or use but to share with others to meet their need, to refresh and sustain them when they are weary, famished, needy or weak. It is a recognition that we have been blessed by God in order to bless others. We ought not to be reservoirs of selfishness hoarding it all for ourselves alone. Abraham displayed a lot of humility, courtesy and generosity in the way he welcomed his guests. He did not expect any reciprocation or quid pro quo from the strangers he entertained. He deemed it only as a God-given privilege.
and an opportunity to serve others that he could not afford to miss.
The three angelic beings brought confirmation of the timing of the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have an heir, a son within a year from then. Both Abraham and Sarah were amused and disbelieving when they were told they would have a son. It is a lesson for us that when we share our God-given blessings with others, we would be even more blessed in ways that we cannot imagine or visualize at the time. We open our doors out of our sense of hospitality while hospitality opens the doors for unexpected miracles in our lives.
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