Flow and Abundance

UV 3698/10000 Flow and Abundance Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been flowing like a river, and your righteousness ( the holiness and purity of the nation ) like the abundant waves of the sea. Isaiah 48 v 18 The commands of God set boundaries to our choices and behaviour. When we pay attention to His commands, our lives abound with peace, prosperity and righteousness. Instead of the normal flight or fight syndrome human beings are caught up in, we would be “in flow” like a river. The Lord will direct the course of this river of peace. Someone was saying that we have experience with sin and deception only for the years we are alive while the enemy has thousands of years of experience. In fact, since we are paying attention or are saturated in the word, we have the infinite power and strength of God in us to defeat the viles of the enemy. Our faith in Jesus gives us access, daily and moment to moment, to the infinite knowledge, wisdom, power, grace, mercy of the Lord. While the rest of the world is pursuing what they think would give them success and happiness, we are pursuing whatever pleases the Lord. Faith pleases the Lord. Obedience pleases the Lord. Delighting in the word of God pleases Him. Humility and love pleases the Lord. Serving the needy pleases the Lord. These are the markers on the path we traverse daily and guide us in our choices and decisions. When we stay within these bounds, we experience the abundance of the blessings of the Lord. We enjoy abundance of peace and righteousness. Our thoughts, words and actions are like the incessant waves of the sea. We have a purpose beyond our own pleasure. We have power beyond our own abilities or strength to fulfill that purpose. The word is the plumb line of righteousness with which we build walls. The word gives us the hope of eternal life in Christ. This hope fills us with joy and assurance. It is key to the abundant life that Jesus said He came for- that we have “abundant life”. Each believer is like a rivulet of peace that empties into the sea of abundance of righteousness. In the estuary where the river meets the sea, the waves are abundant and high. The metaphor of the waves of the sea is employed in the uni-verse above to indicate the depth, the width, the length of God’s love manifested in Jesus towards His faithful. When we understand or perceive the dimensions of the love of Christ, then we, too would be grow to be like Him, be transformed just as Saul, the persecutor with a momentary perception of the vision of Jesus became Paul, the apostle.

Combining Purpose with Power

UV 3697/10000 Purpose and Power To shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet ( in a straight line) into the way of peace and serenity. Luke 1 v 79 Many impossibles came together to make the first Christmas: a virgin became pregnant, God became man, the King was born in a stable fit only for animals, a star became GPS for astronomers seeking an answer to every man’s quest- a Saviour King, angels appear to shephers in the fields, a barren woman conceives the herald of the king, the child escapes the deadly intent of King Herod for He, Jesus is the historic hero who eventually overthrows death itself. Those who sit in darkness refer to all of us before we found grace or favour in the sight of God through our faith in the name of Jesus. Darkness is a synonym for sin, ignorance, defeat, disgrace. Since mankind dwells in spiritual darkness, not knowing God or the purpose of existence, people are living in the shadow of death. The spectre of eternal death or spiritual death hangs over every man. The ultimate purpose of every human is to seek redemption from such death, to be able to life eternally or forever. The purpose of the life of Jesus is to shine upon us such that we live in the shadow not of death but of the Almighty.( Psalm 91) The appearance of the angelic messengers first to the shepherds is to show that Jesus is born as a shepherd -King. His purpose is to guide our feet in a straight line not a crooked or round about way into eternal peace. Hence, the title Prince of Peace implies that Jesus restores peace to a world full of storms, struggles, misery, fear, strife. He restores peace to our individual hearts and relationships by reconciling man and God establishing a covenant of peace between God and mankind forever. When the disciples were tossed about in their boat in a storm in the Sea of Galilee, they cried out to Jesus. Jesus speaks to the storm, the high waves and strong winds. He says, “ Peace, be still “ and the winds and waves became still. In all our existential struggles, too as we cry out to Jesus, He restores peace, deep, inner peace to us. Even the gifts given by the wise men to the newborn King of Peace underline the identity and purpose of the birth of Jesus. Gold signifies royalty as well as faith. Faith is the spiritual currency with which we buy things in the kingdom of God. We are like the broken pottery that is used in the Japanese art of Kintsugi which fixes pottery with veins of gold -a metaphor for the spiritual equivalent of gold- faith with love- mending human flaws and failures making us stronger and better than before. The frankincense represents the deity of Christ, the priesthood of believers and the commitment to holiness. Myrrh is both an anaesthetic and an embalming substance and represents that Jesus heals human pain, that He embraced death for our sake,( Luke 2 v 35). Having tasted the grace of God, we too need to die to our sinful selves, die to thoughts, words and actions that belong to our former darkness or ignorance.

The Overflowing Cup

UV 3696/10000 The Overflowing Cup And Mary said,” My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Luke 1 v 46 The birth of Jesus is too great for its celebration to be confined to just one day or a fortnight or a season or to people of a specific persuasion, race, culture or nationality. It is great news for all for all time and space that we too can love, be loved and live forever. The way to celebrate it is for our soul to magnify, exalt the Lord and for our spirit to rejoice in God our Saviour. We need to acknowledge with gratitude and humility that He has looked on our humble and lowly and sinful state and favoured us. He who is mighty, Almighty has done great things for us. We are not to overindulge in the externals of this festive season but in a spirit of sacrifice that moved God the Father and the Son to visit the Earth, worship the Lord in His beauty, purity, majesty and glory. We should remember like Mary His mercy upon generation after generation of those who revere Him. He has vindicated the meek by scattering the proud, the unrepentant and the arrogant and lifted us who are humble. He has satisfied our spiritual and other hunger with good things. He has helped us in accordance with His covenant. He has kept His promise. He has saved us from the consequences and power of sin. He has given us eternal life that is contained in His word. His very name is a tower of power for us. His Holy Spirit has overshadowed us and we have experienced the presence of God. We walk in the shadow of the Almighty. We rejoice not once but again and again in the Lord. We rejoice not just on Christmas day but every day for every day is Christmas for us. Where formerly we had no ruler or law to guide us, we now have in our very hearts a Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father. We rejoice or celebrate on account of the hope we have in Christ. When we make Christ central to I, I becomes central to Christ. He wraps us under His wings, He shields us with His fence, His hedge of love. Our cup runneth over with joy.

Changing for Better and for Good

UV 3695/10000 Changing for Better and for Good But now rid yourselves (completely) of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene ( abusive, vulgar, filthy) language from your mouth. Colossians 3 v 8 Sin exerts a push and pull force or attraction on the human being. Our inner lust and pride draws us like a magnet to sinful tendencies and habits like anger, malice, slander and bad language ( swearing and cursing included). Paul in this uni-verse as in the rest of his letter to the church in Colossus emphasizes the need for believers of Christ to put off sinful habits like anger, slander and abuse and put on the new self in Christ, renewed in knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self. We are, then to recognize and be fully aware that once we are redeemed by faith in Christ, we are a new creation. As new creatures of Christ, we are to set apart or to be holy. We are to be adorned with a new heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience that helps us overcome injustice or unpleasantness with grace and even temper. We are to be tolerant of each other’s weaknesses and temperaments and forgive freely even as God has forgiven us in Christ. We are to wrap ourselves in the bond of true love with all its attributes and attitudes. The peace of God is like a weather vane or a lighthouse that is the controlling factor in helping us navigate our lives. It is the controlling factor that helps us decide what decisions and choices we are to make that are consistent and compatible with our faith and the teachings of Jesus. Putting on the new self is not just tweaking our attitudes and behaviour but it is a deep work of the Holy Spirit in which we should cooperate by practicing these qualities of Christ, these fruit of the Spirit. Our mouths should be like a sweet spring and not also produce at times bitter or toxic water in terms of gossip, slander, malice, wrath, rage, anger, abuse, vulgarity. These are very difficult to practice, indeed impossible without the grace of God and the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We need to constantly seek the counsel and feedback of the Spirit of God regarding the aspects in which we ought to change and how to change it for better and for good. Putting off the evil inherent in our old and fleshy nature is not a cosmetic change, not a mere act of human will power, not a suppression of our baser nature but a putting to death of these with no hope of it being resurrected despite any provocation or stimulus from the people we are interacting with in our homes, workplaces, churches or streets.

Jesus SOS

UV 3694/10000 Jesus SOS She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1 v 21 The distress signal S.O.S. expanded as Save Our Souls is actually a misnomer for no one can save our souls except God on High. We cannot save our own souls, someone else cannot save our souls. Even rescuers can only save our bodies or save us physically from an accident site, from a disaster. Only one Human, sent by God to take physical birth as a child in Bethlehem, the House of Bread ( Spiritual Bread that redeems our souls) -namely Jesus meaning the Lord saves or Jehovah Saves, can save us. He who is whole or perfect was broken or shared with humanity so that we who are broken can be made whole or perfect in Him. He saves us not by His might or power but being broken for our sake. Every human in some way prepares his soul for transmigration to the next life or the next world. But Jesus provides the Vehicle, the transport, the passage, the means to be saved or He enables us to live eternally. He is the Messiah provided, sent by God to liberate or save us from the mess we are in. We only need to place our whole faith in His name, in His person, in His word and we are deemed to be redeemed. Such faith becomes the good root that produces good fruit in us and in our lives. Jesus hears the prayer of every soul that prays SOS. Jesus was not sprung upon mankind as a sudden surprise but there were enough signs, prophecies, messengers who came before Him to herald His arrival on earth. There were signs in the heavens and signs from Heaven: the star that appeared over the manger in which He was born, the appearance of angels to the shepherds, the prophecies of several prophets like Isaiah, Daniel, Malachi, and finally, the immediate herald, John, the Baptist. We can ignore these signs and disbelieve or pay attention and believe. The free choice is ours. But no one can complain that God has not heard the SOS signal being beamed from every human heart.

Jesus at the Door of Our Hearts

UV 3693/10000 Jesus at the Door of Our Hearts Do not complain against one another, believers, so that you will not be judged (for it). Look! The Judge is standing right at the door. James 5 v 9 As believers and followers of Jesus, we should not judge one another or accuse one another or complain against one another. Jesus, the righteous judge is standing at the door, about to enter the room or situation or circumstance where we are doing so. He will apply the yardstick we are using against our brethren. If Jesus forgives them and does not judge them for it, who are you and I to do condemn them. We should condemn the sin and condone the sinner for we, too came into God’s kingdom by grace not by our merit or not because we deserved it. We err against the grace of God and act presumptuously if we do so. Whatever grievance we have against one another, we should submit it our Judge, Jesus and abide by His judgement. Jesus is always at the door of our hearts, peering in from outside the heart and peering out from inside the heart. We should judge as He judges, not by what we see or hear but by the inner discernment that the Holy Spirit gives. We should always look for Jesus in any situation or circumstance. What would He say? What would He do? What would He think? How would He judge ? We should act in conformity to the responses the Holy Spirit throws up in our inner minds and spirits to these essential questions of everyday living. We should, therefore, commit ourselves to thinking like Jesus, speaking like Jesus, doing like Jesus. We should realize that there is nothing Jesus does not know, nothing that He does not understand, nothing that He cannot do. Then, we will not be frustrated when we are falsely accused, falsely judged, falsely acted against for He Himself faced all these situations in the extreme degree that we probably would not face. We should rely not on our own understanding or reasoning but ask the Lord for grace, for wisdom. We should ask the Holy Spirit for the specific word of knowledge, word of wisdom and counsel in every adverse or seemingly favourable situation of life.

God Math

UV3692/10000 God Math You ( O God) will increase the nation, You will multiply their joy; they will rejoice before You like the joy and jubilation of the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil of victory. Isaiah 9 v 3 In this uni-verse, we find God math of addition or increase, multiplication, division. Subtraction is implicit in God math. He subtracts our sadness, our worries, our fears, our weaknesses. Increase or addition comes from the Lord. Multiplication of joy also comes from the Lord. Once the light of Jesus, the Messiah shines on us, we will be blessed with increase or growth or expansion. When Christ is central to I, I becomes central to ChrIst. We rejoice again and again for our hope is fulfilled, our spiritual hunger is satisfied, we enjoy the spoil of victory as the Lord has taken the powerful enemy captive, He has defeated the foe of every human. We have immediate victory over sin and ultimate victory over spiritual death. This uni-verse acknowledges God as the Lord of the harvest and we are labourers in His fields. As Jesus directed us, we need to pray for more labourers to be called and sent. As we share the hope we have in Him, the harvest of souls increase, the kingdom of God, the nation of saints expands. He replaces the heavy yoke of the burdens of this life with the light yoke of sharing our faith with others. We have no more use for earthly weapons or battle clothes for the Lord gives us spiritual armour and weapons along with the authority to destroy, tear down, demolish, weaken, overcome the strongholds of the enemy. We are now under the lordship or government of Christ. He rules us as the Prince of Peace and dispenses peace to us. He does not shirk or shrink from His responsibility to guard us as a good shepherd guards his sheep, as a mother cares for her children, as a hen covers her chicks with her wings against any approaching predator like a swooping eagle. HE breaks the power of every oppressor, sets us free from bondages, breaks the shackles and chains of sin in our lives. Hence, we rejoice in continual victory. We have struggles but we are assured of victory in the end.

True Happiness Lies in the Lord

UV 3691/10000 True Happiness Lies in The Lord Yet I will (choose to ) rejoice in the Lord; I will (choose to ) shout in exultation in the (victorious) God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3 v 18 This uni-verse is a declaration of personal commitment to choose to rejoice despite adversity, despite famine, despite pestilence ( read Covid 19 pandemic), despite suffering, despite ill health, despite persecution, despite failure, despite sorrows, despite other concerns weighing on our minds. It is a choice to rejoice and not just rejoice but to exult ( a higher degree of joy bordering on ecstasy) in the Lord God, to delight in the person of Jesus, the work of Jesus, the Word of God, to delight in doing God’s will, to delight in abiding in the Holy Spirit, to delight in salvation, to delight in the victory the Lord gives. We need to acknowledge God, the Lord as the chief source of our joy, of our strength and courage. He is the One who strengthens my feet to walk steady on shaky ground, to climb the mountains we confront on the landscape of our lives, the challenges and responsibilities we need to handle. We rejoice in the hope of the provision, the victory, the salvation He provides through His Son Jesus. We rejoice in the grace of God. We rejoice not in the things that the world counts as prosperity and happiness. We are recipients of food that the world does not know of. We are participants in a race the world is unaware of. We are strengthened by grace for this race. It is not a race where we compete but one in which He completes us by grace. We do not delight in the strength of our own hands, the abilities of our own minds but we delight in the miracles done by the hand of the Lord. We delight not in our own strength but in the strength of the strong, invincible right hand of the Lord that rises in our defense. We are not depressed by the force of circumstances but we turn to the Lord for our comfort and our strength. Like the lotus, we rise above the miry world of sin, sorrow and suffering and stand as a joyful witness of God’s glory and greatness and grace. We are in the world but not of the world. We do not evaluate our success or failure by the standards or yardsticks of this world. Hence, neither prosperity nor adversity either boosts our spirit or depresses us. We are anchored in the Lord. He is the cause of our stability and our ability.

The Axe

UV 3690/10000 The Axe And already the axe (of God’s judgement) is swinging toward the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3 v 10 God has a claim on our lives being first, our Creator and then, our Redeemer. Now it behooves us to bear fruit that is consistent with repentance. Our decisions, behaviour, attitudes and actions are the evidence of our having been saved by faith. We can no longer be like the rest of the world or like we were before we were redeemed. Jesus makes a huge difference in our lives. We are to reflect His grace and truth in our lives. If we do not do so, we are acting presumptuous. Failing which, the Lord has to take things into His hand. Jesus speaks of the “axe” of judgement falling on the root of faith. We are attached or grafted not just to any root but to the good root. We are bound to bear fruit and fruit in abundance. Sometimes even though the root is good and strong, we are not supplying the right kind of nutrients and water to the root to flourish. The Word and other inputs are needed for the root to be strong and good. Or else, we will become ‘dry roots’. We are not just to produce any kind of fruit but the fruit that the Lord commends in us. The fruit of the spirit -love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control – are the inner fruit. Some of these are attitudinal fruit or attitudes we need to develop and consistently manifest- humility, patience, love, joy. Some are behavioural like kindness, goodness and self control. The other kind of fruit that needs to be in evidence are the fruit of our labour and the fruit of our faith. The fruit of our labour is the work we do in this world to earn a living. Paul wrote this rule that no one should eat who does not work. The fruit of our faith is the persons we are sharing our faith with, the souls redeemed through our sharing, the persons who are edified, encouraged, built up through our prayers, our teaching, our service. Jesus spoke some words to the fig tree that did not have any fruit on it to satisfy His hunger as a metaphor of warning to us. The Lord has a hunger to see fruit in our lives. We are to be earnest and diligent to bear the different kinds of fruit, inner fruit, external fruit. The Holy Spirit can fertilize and aid our fruit bearing since the fruit are spiritual in nature. We need to take conscious and deliberate steps to avoid the Lord even thinking of swinging His axe towards our root. If the root is good, the tree should be fruitful. We are known by the different kinds of fruit or results we bring forth in the course of our lives. The Lord is patient even as He daily examines us to see the kind of fruit we are bearing. Every fruit tree bears fruit of one kind or other. The bearing of fruit is the purpose of the tree. If we are not fulfilling the purpose of our lives, the axe may be on its way.

Focus on the Locus

UV 3689/10000 Focus on the Locus Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things ( center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart), Philippians. 4 v 8 The final instruction to edify the believers that they may be built up in Christ and His body, the church is that they continually or consistently think of what is honourable, respectable, true, pure, holistic, beautiful, peace- inducing, admirable, reputable, excellent, praiseworthy. In short, we need to think like Jesus. Taught by the Master Psychologist, Jesus, the apostle Paul realizes the importance of thought process in shaping our lives, our testimony and our legacy. The thought patterns determine the pattern of our behaviour, our work life, our ministry, our relationships. Paul asks us to focus on the center or the locus of life. Thought process is central to the quality of our lives. Our minds should focus on the thought patterns that center or focus on excellence of every type. Who or what conforms to all the attributes elaborated in the uni-verse? None other than Jesus, Himself. He is the One who is true, honourable, praiseworthy, beautiful, pure, peace giving, reputable, wholesome, admirable as confirmed by God’s word to be the Word. Jesus is not the center of the physical universe but we opt to accept Him as the center of our moral, spiritual, relational and emotional universe. Everything that we think, speak and do, everything that happens to us – we understand in reference to the center of our universe- Jesus. Hence, the focus of our lives, our thought process should be Jesus, His person, His word, His voice, His work, His influence, His Spirit. When we think about Jesus even as His own thoughts focused on God, the Father. His purpose in life was to fulfill the will of the Father to offer all mankind an opportunity for redemption or eternal life. When an archer or a marksman is practicing in shooting at the target, he focusses on the center or the locus of the target, the heart, core or center of the target. This kind of focus produces remarkable results in his performance. When we focus on the locus, Jesus, the Way of our lives, the Truth of our lives and the source of eternal life, we achieve results. The Father’s eye is on us and we consistently hit the bull’s eye. We also become the apple of the Father’s eye. Thinking the thoughts of Jesus is the way to practice the uni-verse. It leads to the implanting of the seed of the Son of God in our hearts. Our every thought taken captive to Christ, captive for Christ enables us to communicate and commune with the Lord 24 x 7 or continually. The path from the mind to the heart is the shortest distance but it takes the longest time to effect this transfer of whatever we have learnt from the Word to our hearts and lives. When thoughts and ideas are transferred to the heart from the mind, we become passionate about it. We are eager to translate into the everyday reality of our lives.

Being An Influencer : Purpose and Power

UV 3688/10000 Being An Influencer : Purpose and Power You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people ( when the walkways are wet and slippery) Matthew 5 v 13 It is our purpose that determines whether we are tasty to God and man. The purpose declared by the angels to the shepherds at the dawn of the first Christmas is , “ Glory to God and peace and goodwill among mankind.” In whatever we aspire, attempt, achieve, if our purpose is to glorify God, then our lives will not be lived out in vain like the salt that is sprinkled on snow and sleet on roads in winter to keep it from slipping. Though salt has that purpose or benefit, too, that is only a secondary purpose. We may be fulfilling or working towards our own personal goals but these are secondary to the primary purpose of bringing glory or satisfaction to our Creator , Redeemer, Sustainer. When we fulfill our primary purpose, we will also obtain the power or grace to fulfill it in our time. We are to be fed, led and lit by the Spirit of God. The Spirit feeds, lead and lights us by means of the Word. Then, the second metaphor that Jesus used to describe His followers- light will become real in our lives. We will reflect the light of the Lord in the world in a variety of ways even as light consists of seven colours. Salt, we become when our influence in this world spread and penetrates through everything that we do, speak and think. As followers of Jesus, we are influenced, as leaders or fishers of men, we become influencers for the glory of God. We are to exercise both the penetrative, invisible influence of salt as well as the pervasive, comprehensive influence of light. We cannot exert this penetrative influence and pervasive influence without being led and influenced by the greatest Influencer, Jesus. He influences us with His presence, His word, the Holy Spirit whom He left for us to rely on, be led and fed by Him. We are both vessels and vehicles of the glory of God. Like the glory of God rested on the ark of the Covenant in the old testament times, the glory of God now rests in us, on us and with us. Whatever we think, feel, speak and do should abound to the glory of God. There are no exemptions, no exceptions.

The Process of Sanctification

UV 3687/10000 The Process of Sanctification For those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified ( declared free of the guilt of sin); and those whom He justified, he also glorified ( raising them to a heavenly dignity). Romans 8 v 29 We were chosen by God to be saved, to be justified by our faith in the work and word of Jesus. Predestined implies not predetermination but the foreknowledge of God that we would trust Him and His Son Jesus. On account of such trust, we are freed from guilt. We are a people prepared for a prepared place for us in the kingdom of God. From a place under the earthly sun, we move to a place under the Son. In His foreknowledge, He also knows that we will be transformed by grace or be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is the preparation that God does for and in us. A house cannot clean itself for the habitation of the house owner. It is the Lord who not only builds the house but He sanctifies or cleans it to be a suitable habitation for His Spirit. When God inhabits us, our habits change for the better. When God inhabits us, little inhibits us. Our inner bondages break when the Spirit sets us free. Manacles give way to miracles. Strongholds of false beliefs that make us weak crumble. Instead of disbelieving God and His word, we find our strength and our delight in it. We can rejoice again and again in the Lord even as the Spirit of God fills us with the hope of the abundant and eternal life to the point of overflowing. As God has not held back even His Son from us, we do not hold back anything from Him. We surrender ourselves to Him without fear or doubt or reservation. Sanctification is a lifelong process. Eternal life begins now. Like the early apostles, we go through a journey of gradual change which is speeded up by some setbacks, some crises, some breakthroughs, some revelations. We subject ourselves willingly to the discipline of the Word and of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are the evidence and deep imprint of God in our character and conduct. God, the Son is our eternal exemplar, our model, our soul deep influencer, God, the Holy Spirit is our Helper, Our Encourager, Our Remembrancer. God, the Father is our Rewarder. The only judgement we face is not for punishment for our shortcomings but rewards for our faithfulness.

Five Dimensions of Christ 's Calling

UV 3686/10000 Five Dimensions of Christ's Calling For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9 v 6 The dispensation that we are called into by faith in Jesus have five dimensions. Every day we should be living these five dimensions: Wonder- or the miraculous dimension. We should always hope for the supernatural intervention, the miraculous acts of God in our lives in every area. Counsel- or the wisdom dimension. We should be lovers of godly wisdom embedded in the word of God. Might- or power: We walk in the power of God and manifest it in what we think, speak and do. Father’s love: We enjoy the everlasting love of God, the agape love described by St Paul in I Corinthians chapter 13. Peace: we should be enjoying peace in our inner being having been reconciled with the Father by Jesus. We should be at peace with ourselves. We should live in peace with others. We enjoy the peace that passes understanding, the peace of Jesus, the peace of the Prince of Peace, the peace the world cannot give or take away. Jesus takes the responsibility to be our Wonderful Counsellor, Our shelter, our refuge, our protection, Our Shepherd, Our loving Father, the One who rules us by giving us peace and not by inducing fear in us. Five dimensions of life and each dimension has its own cascading characteristics. As ambassadors of Christ on earth, we represent God. We are to be His mouthpieces. We are to manifest His qualities of character in our daily lives. We are not meant to live ordinary lives but extraordinary for Jesus is extraordinary, right from the way His birth was prophesied – the location, the manner, the kind of person His mother would be, His looks, His character, His work and ministry, His sacrificial death, His miracles, His teachings, His wisdom, His grace. He is the ultimate sovereign we owe our allegiance to, the One who rules over us, the One who guides us to our eternal destiny. We are ambassadors who receive our credentials from the Lord. The closer we walk with God, the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus, the more we are soaked in the character of Jesus and we reflect His light, His wisdom, His grace, His love, His peace to the world around us. His very name by which we are called gives us access to the five dimensions. His name gives us access to eternal forgiveness, to the heart of God. His name gives us authority and power on earth to command healing, deliverance, victory. His name gives us access to the resources and provision of the Lord. The crises, challenges, shortages are but opportunities for the Lord to reveal His wonderful power, wisdom, love. He is the One who governs us and His influence and power is ever increasing.

The Frequency of Maturity

UV 3685/10000. The Frequency of Maturity But solid food is for the (spiritually ) mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil. Hebrews 5 v 14 Spiritual infants feed on milk while those who are grown up, mature, discerning dwell on solid food. The latter are trained by practice to be discerning. The spiritually discerning and mature are taught by the Holy Spirit the deep things of God. They are not easily led astray by each wave of teaching but are tuned all the time to the frequency of the Lord. They cling to what is good and avoid what is inherently evil but superficially good. They look deeper, they put into practice the teachings of Christ and the apostles without being drawn into controversy or argument about the minor aspects of faith. Daniel trained his appetite not to be enticed by the delicacies of the king’s table. Likewise, we need to train our attitudes and our appetites or else we will be easily deceived by the world. Meditating on the word of God and mingling it with our prayers is an effective way in which we not only learn the fundamental truths but use it to build our lives on. Joseph held onto his hope in the dreams and vision the Lord placed in his heart. He did not allow changing circumstance to shake his faith in God and his destiny. He remained diligent in whatever task he was given. These qualities distinguished him from his eleven brothers who were driven by their envy and insecurities. The one who is immature and weak will yield to his baser side like Cain, like the brothers of Joseph while the one who feeds on solid food builds himself on rock. The appeal in the heart and mind of the mature is always to his nobler, godly, righteous side. For instance after the death of Jacob, their father, the brothers of Joseph once again feared Joseph and thought that he would take revenge on them now that their father was not there to protect them or plead for their lives. It showed that the brothers fed not on solid food but on their own guilt and fears. Though Joseph had long forgiven them, the brothers neither forgot nor forgave their own act of treachery against their own brother. If we are spiritually immature, still in our infancy, we like Joseph's brothers would be doubtful of the foundations of our salvation- the forgiveness we obtained through our faith in the shed blood of Jesus, the promise of the Holy Spirit, the confidence with which we can enter the presence of God at any time, at will. When we feed on solid food, we will not yield to our fears and doubts but be strong and courageous like Joshua. We will allow the Lord to rule over us and not our own whimsical or fickle, unstable emotions and desires. Those who feed on solid food are rooted in Christ, anchored in God, no waves of fear or doubt can shake or destabilise them and cause them to act like frightened or confused infants.

The Door

UV 3684/10000 The Door So Jesus said again, “ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, “ I am the Door for the sheep ( leading to life). John 10 v 7 The Kingdom of God has come to us, to Earth in Jesus. He is the Door to the Kingdom. But only the sheep can enter. The foxes, serpents, and goats cannot enter. He is the unlocked door to the kingdom through which we enter into the Kingdom of God. We can choose to remain outside the door or we can choose to enter and enjoy the ambience, the privileges, the rights of the children of God. Jesus reiterated that He is the Door to everlasting life. We have access to the O-zone- omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence of God. Our belief in Jesus enables us to access the kingdom of God, implying the power, authority, love, goodness of the Lord God. We no longer rule ourselves but we are ruled by the Lord. Our passions, our words, our emotions, indeed our every thought is to be governed by the spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit. Gentleness and humility should be the hallmarks of our character and conduct. When we pray as in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” we are in effect saying, “Let your character be manifest in me. Let your will be done by me. Let Your purpose be fulfilled by me.” We are rendering unto God what is God’s – the love of our hearts, the obedience of our minds, the energy of our bodies, the thanksgiving of our souls, the worship with our whole being. In truth, we become the extension of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God coming to us means that we are no longer a cog in the world’s systems but we are people who have opted to live by grace. We are planted in God, by God, for God. The enemy or his entire array of forces cannot uproot us. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of light and of love. The kingdom of darkness is always ranged against the kingdom of God. Hence, we are always under attack, the target of the forces of darkness. Once we have entered the Door, Jesus, it becomes the Lord’s responsibility to fend for us, to defend us. But we need to remain inside His pen like the sheep and not keep darting in and out. We need to stay inside the fencing of prayer and the Word of God, of the Holy Spirit and His counsel, of fellowship and faithful worship, of witness and a testimonial life.

The Wings of the Lord

UV 3683/10000 The Wings of the Lord May the Lord repay you for your kindness, and may your reward be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. Ruth 2 v 12 The wings mentioned by Boaz in this uni-verse are the name(s) of the Lord God, the Word of God, the promises of the Lord, faithful prayer, the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit. In the time of Ruth, she only had the name of the Lord to trust in. But today, we are under all these wings, wings that shelter us. These are also like the eagle’s pinions that train the young. We are being built up or edified under the wings of the Lord. Jesus also spoke of the wings under which He wanted to hide Israel from the coming tribulations, invasions of the Roman empire, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the scattering of the Jewish nation. When we trust in the Lord and hide under His wings, He rewards us. He Himself becomes both our shelter and our reward. He becomes responsible for the preservation of our lives, our testimony and our faith. He becomes responsible also for our promotion and our blessings. Boaz foreshadows the Lord in many ways. He shows favour to the hapless Ruth. He takes steps to protect her from his servants and others. He provides grain for her to glean. Finally, he took her under his wings as her Kinsman- Redeemer and marries her. From this alliance, two great kings are to be born, King David and the future Messiah Jesus. Like Ruth we need to humble ourselves to lie at the feet of the Lord. He will provide our covering, our shield, our just rewards. Like Ruth did not seek the young men or the rich men of the village, our focus needs to be fixed on Jesus. Our eyes should not stray to the right or to the left. The Lord will surely repay us for our faithfulness in His time. The faith of Ruth becomes a blessing to Naomi whose empty, barren life finds meaning and purpose through the life and faith of Ruth. Likewise, our faith will light up many lives who are otherwise empty and barren.

Don't Expect the Ordinary

UV 3682/10000 Don’t Expect the Ordinary to Happen Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you ( and even show you) great and mighty things, ( things which have been confined and hidden), which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish. Jeremiah 33 v 3 This is one of the most fantastic promises the Lord God has given to mankind. The promise is based on an unbroken covenant or agreement with man- a promise as likely to be broken as day and night not happening as a diurnal pattern set in motion at the beginning of time. The Lord is revealing that the pattern of His relating and replying to man is as certain as the day-night pattern, the earth’s rotation on its axis, the sun rise and sun set. He who is sovereign and absolute in power has subjected Himself to conform to a pattern for the sake of mankind. We only need to call to the Lord and He will answer us with the certitude of day dawning or dusk settling in with sun set. He has promises to reveal things we do not comprehend, discern or know, things that we cannot otherwise know or understand. The implication of this uni-verse is that ultimate wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment can only come from the Lord. It will not come automatically but needs to be triggered by our asking or speaking or communicating or relating to the Lord in faith. He not only speaks to us to reveal these hidden aspects, these secret aspects of our lives but He shows us or manifests it to us in wonders, miracles, healings, deliverances, changes in circumstances, breakthroughs, opportunities. The parallel truth is expressed in I Corinthians 2 v 9: “What eye has not seen nor ear heard nor entered the imagination of man is what the Lord has prepared for them that love Him.” The amplified Bible expands “love Him” as “ who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and how gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed.” If we put the truths of the above uni-verse with the parallel verse of I Corinthians 2 v 9, it is not enough to pray or present a wish list to the Lord but our prayer should be backed by child-like faith, servant-like obedience, devotee-like adoration, lover-like commitment and overflowing, ever flowing gratitude. When our lives are marked by such a response to the divine experience and encounter, miracles, counsel, comfort, revelations, gifts and grace in abundance is in store for us and not only in store but the floodgates of supernatural blessing are opened in our lives. We simply cannot envisage what the Lord will say or do in us and for us. We cannot imagine or predict what He is going to reveal and manifest in our lives. We cannot anticipate how He is going to use us, bless us and make us a blessing. We cannot expect the ordinary to happen in our lives.

The Death of Death, The Defeat of Sin

UV 3681/10000 The Death of Death, The Defeat of Sin The righteous man perishes ( at the hand of evil), and no one takes it to heart; faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands that the righteous person is taken away ( to be spared) from disaster and evil. Isaiah 57 v 1 Christ is alone in history as one who gives us hope while we live and when we die. Sometimes death overtakes the righteous by faith, the believer so that he or she is spared from greater evil. Such a person may be ready in all aspects to meet the Maker since he or she has been clothed in salvation and no part of his life can now be condemned or judged. In the current world wide pandemic, we hear of deaths near and far of those who knew God personally through His Son Jesus. They might have been taken earlier to spare them from greater evil or as they had no more tasks to do for the Divine Master. Many of us who are spared from death as we have work to do for the Lord. Our time has not yet come when the Father calls us to His bosom. There are many heroes of history who took on many challenges of life but Christ is alone in addressing the twin enemies of humanity – sin and death. Since Christ is God in us and God with us, the transcendent becoming immanent in us, the Living God dwelling in the living bodies of people, making their bodies His habitation, His tabernacle not made with human hands or to a human design, lives being built on the templates of the Word of God, the Lord God is closer to us than our own skin. Hence, we can keep sin at bay and we have immediate and ultimate victory over the complex it represents of death, curse, limitations, spiritual poverty, purposelessness, vanity, futility, frustration, failure, weaknesses. While no man or woman can say that he is prepared for death whether it comes early or late, he can face the grave with confidence that it will not hold him or her forever. The bodies that the ants and termites destroy are not the person that died but a mere vestige, his or her mortal remains, a covering. The Lord has redeemed the precious part, the soul. That soul has romped home before the funeral procession hits the street on the route to the grave. Death before Jesus robbed man of meaning and purpose in anything he attempted or achieved. But Jesus in His death and resurrection robbed death of its power, of the irrevocable finality of our mortality. Jesus during His earthly sojourn as through history since His resurrection and ascension has proved that He is master not just of life that all nature obeyed Him but that He is master of death and that death obeyed Him. Death has been changed from being a full stop to just a comma in the grammar of God. While we cannot take away any earthly treasure in our hands, the result of our labour, we can store up the infinite riches of the Lord’s wisdom, power, love and grace in our hearts while we live on earth. Departing we carry these treasures with us into the spiritual realms to receive the crown, the ultimate reward of a life lived in faith. Indeed, what we sow on earth, we reap in heaven. What we sow with tears, we reap with laughter.

Leader Shift

UV 3680/10000 Leader Shift For the overseer, as God’s steward, must be blameless, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain ( but financially ethical). Titus 1 v 7 The concept of leadership shifted from ruling over others to serving others, to benefitting from others to think of how one can benefit others, from being egoistic and selfish to being humble and kind. A mature believer or follower of Jesus MUST be not only saved by grace but also changed or transformed by grace. He is not to be involved in a race to get rich quick. The word is not averse to honest gain. He should be possessing enough self control, even tempered, patient. He should be addicted to all that is good, godly, noble, praiseworthy and not addicted to wine. He should not be given to violence or conflicts and tries to live at peace with everyone. Since God is closer to him now than his own skin, he is able to keep sin at bay or at a distance. Sin is not just obedience but a complex that includes shortcoming, failure, ignorance, folly, rebellion, sadness, limitations. When we follow Jesus, we are free from a satan-imposed life of limitations. The man of God is not selfish, irritable or garrulous. He is humble and does not want to draw attention to himself. He depends on the Holy Spirit for counsel, for comfort, for courage, for wisdom and to manifest the fruit of the spirit in all that he speaks, thinks and does. He does his best to put into practice what he teaches others and is willing to accept correction, does not take criticism personally. He surrenders his ego to the Lord and trusts the Lord step by step. The modern word for overseer and steward is leader. A follower of Jesus by definition is a leader. He is not an ordinary leader as the most extraordinary power of God is working in him. He lives a blameless testimonial life, a life that bears testimony or evidence that Jesus is His living, real, Saviour, Friend, King, Ruler, Master. Whatever be the position or title he holds in this world, he views himself first and foremost as a servant of God. He is more conscious of what he has to render to God than to Caesar without neglecting his secular calling or profession.

The Goodness of the Lord

UV 3679/10000 The Goodness of the Lord Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. Psalm 138 v 7 Since the Lord is with us in our midst as a mighty fire, our troubles and our enemies melt like wax in His presence. He is El Shaddai. He will show His goodness. He is the One who revives us. He is the Lord of the hosts or armies of heaven. With one angel, He destroyed one hundred thousand troops of Sennacherib. Though our enemies attack in one direction, they will be dispersed in seven directions. When the Lord is closer than our own skin, He will keep sin at bay. No one can block the blessings for the ones who cling to the Lord. We will not be put to shame. Since we are His ambassadors, He will never let us down. No one can make us afraid. We are His shining instruments, His royal diadem. He holds us in His right hand. He is Jehovah Nisi, the One who gives us victory. The Lord sees our inner hearts and minds. He looks after us as the apple of His eye. The enemy always wants to upset us. But we should defeat His plans by rejoicing in the Lord. The Lord revives us when we are sick, discouraged, fearful, weak. He becomes our joy and strength. He makes us strong and courageous to face any enemy or any situation or circumstance. We imbibe His strength and courage from the Word of God. He quenches our thirst and satisfies our hunger. He does not withhold any good thing from us. We only need to taste or experience His goodness and we will never depart from Him. We need to stick like a leech to Him, drawing our strength, our hope, our joy from Him.

The Secret of Wholesome Prosperity and Godly Success

UV 3678/10000 The Secret of Wholesome Success Only be strong and courageous; be careful to do everything in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go. Joshua 1 v 7 The Lord asked Joshua as a leader of the people of Israel not to turn to the right or to the left. We cannot fly as individuals or society with just one wing. We need both wings and both wings need to flap together. It implies that as leaders we ought not to be either left wing or right wing but be balanced. In some matters, we need to be left wing or pro-poor, pro rationalism, pro equality. In some matters of leadership we ought to be right wing, trusting God, pro -rich, pro faith. We need to walk in the center of God’s will and obey or believe the whole gospel and not in parts. We need to wholeheartedly follow the ten commandments, believe the ten thousand promises of God in the word, obey the two commandments of Jesus. Our obedience might not be perfect or complete but our belief or trust must be perfect and complete. Inasmuch as our obedience to the word is not perfect or complete, the grace given or guaranteed by Jesus will cover the gaps. In other words, we need to be strong in faith and filled with the courage and confidence the Lord imparts to us through the Encourager, the Holy Spirit. The word Encourager literally means one who causes us to be filled with courage. When all these conditions are fulfilled, we obtain the promise of wholesome prosperity and godly success. The early apostles embraced voluntarily a lifestyle like the Master of poverty but it was a calling for them and for the times. Today, the promise is held out of wholesome prosperity and godly success for the believer of Jesus, a state in which our needs are met and we are also able to help others in their need. Studying and meditating on the word of God is central to the believer gaining in wisdom and remaining in favour with God and man. It is not a sacrifice we are making- the time we spend in the word is an investment for our own sakes. We are not doing God a favour but we are winning His favour. Only when we abide in His word or live in His word, live according to His word, keep His word in our hearts and minds, keep His word in terms of practice are we abiding in Him. We cannot bear fruit except we abide in His word which is synonymous with abiding in Him. When we ‘keep’ His word and rely on it more than our own words or the words of other men, then we become fruitful, successful, a blessing to others even as we are blessed. The word should be our staple if we are to be both stable and grow spiritually and indeed, in every sense.

A People Set Apart

UV 3677/10000 A People Set Apart For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession. Deuteronomy 7 v 6 Believers are consecrated or set apart to the Lord even as a bride is set apart to her bridegroom. We have not chosen to believe Him but He has chosen us. There is no adequate answer to the question as to why He chose us, what is it that He saw in us to be chosen? It is only His grace and His sovereign decision. It is certainly not our wisdom or our special qualities. We become a race set apart for Him out of all the peoples, nations, races of this world. We are to set apart our bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord in reciprocation to the fact that He sent His Son Yeshua Mashich or Jesus to take our place on the cross. We are called to be in the world but not of the world. Since we are a treasured possession, the enemy is always attempting to steal us, harm us. But the Lord guards us and places a hedge of protection around us. There is a special calling upon our lives. We have a special anointing or enablement by His grace. We are to be vessels of honour though we may be looked down upon by the rest of the world. We should not be found doing what is beneath the children of God. Our aims, goals, activities should be such as to bring honour and praise to the Lord. We are a signet ring and scepter in the hand of the Lord which means that He rules through us. We exercise authority as Jesus did and does over disorder, chaos, disease, the powers of darkness. We are a royal priesthood or priests and kings in His sight. As priests, we are to save people by the fruit of our lips or our words, offer praise, thanksgiving and sacrifices of the spirit before the Lord. As kings, we are to be more than conquerors, pulling down strongholds exercising the authority delegated to us. The word of God and His promises are our armoury, weapons that give life not take life. We are to never forget that we are saved by grace. We were once spiritual lepers who had no right to be saved. We are saved sinners. We are now recipients of the leper’s anointing that declares us whole, healed and saved. WE cannot be either proud or ashamed of ourselves. We are also recipients of the priest’s anointing and the king’s anointing. This is the triple anointing that enables us to fulfill God’s calling upon our lives. Just as priests and kings have advisors to help them fulfil their responsibilities, we too have a counsellor in the Holy Spirit. He teaches us to be humble, gentle and firm like Jesus.

The Rod of God

UV 3676/10000 The Rod of God Their houses are safe from fear; and the rod of God is not on them. Job 21 v 9 Job is bemoaning in this uni-verse that the wicked seem to keep prospering. They become mighty in the land. They live long and their children are established before their eyes while they are yet alive. Finally, he says that the rod of discipline of God is not applied on them. They go through life without correction or chastening by God. The implication is that the rod of God disciplines the godly, those who trust God and follow Him. The rod is often swift and severe to correct the righteous. Even the Psalm of the Shepherd, Psalm 23 speaks of the shepherd’s rod and staff. The rod is meant to discipline the sheep when they go astray. Yet the Psalmist says it is meant to comfort the sheep. Job felt the rod heavy on his back but it was not to correct him but to test his faithfulness. Would he reject God, turn away from Him for withdrawing his many blessings and heaping trouble, pain, suffering on him? Job does not deny God or turn away from Him. He instead questions the justice of God. God allows him to do so and goes on to answer his many furious doubts and anguished queries. Job was eventually blessed twice as much as he was blessed before trials overtook him. The rod of God falls on us not just to discipline us but to test us. We need to be patient at these times. As Job said to God, “Though you slay me, yet shall I adore You.” We do not worship and love God so that He gives us blessings but we value our relationship far above the benefits we have on account of our faith and relationship with the Lord. We need to trust the wisdom of God and believe in His love and care of us. Even when the rod of God falls on us, we need to rejoice for Paul, the apostle who underwent many kinds of trials including torture, imprisonment, stoning, shipwreck and so on, exhorts us to be joyful in all circumstances. God is our anchor of equilibrium in all situations of life. We need to welcome His rod at least as much as we rejoice in His hand of blessing on our lives.

The Borrowed Tomb

UV 3675/10000 The Borrowed Tomb Now there was a garden at the place where He was crucified, and in the garden, a new tomb (cut out of solid rock) in which no one had yet been laid. John 19 v 41 It is indeed the greatest of ironies of history that the One who owned the entire universe and had created the entire universe came into this Earth in a borrowed womb and left the earth in a borrowed tomb, the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus is the Rock that was not cut by human hands, spoken of by Daniel in his prophetic vision. The rock that will grow and fill the whole earth. The condemned prisoner Jesus is today, a Name revered by kings and commoners all over the globe. He is the solid rock on which we base our hope in life as in death. For death is swallowed up by His death and resurrection. The borrowed tomb could barely hold Him for three days. The defeat, the sting and the stench of death was quenched forever for him or her that held onto this hope in the risen Christ who rose to rule over both death and life. The garden of Eden and indeed, the Earth in which it is located was cursed by the act of faithlessness and disobedience of the first man and woman. On the cross and in the borrowed tomb, Jesus atoned for that and declared the Earth once more blessed. The earth and all in it could once more be redeemed by faith in Him, the Word of God. Man once again moved from tragic shortcoming or “hamartia” to hyperbole, the abundant life. The grave had been transformed into a garden of fruitfulness. The message of the borrowed womb and the borrowed tomb is deep, impactful and enduring. Happiness is no longer defined as the pursuit of (often sinful) pleasure but a blend of a sense of wonder at God’s love and power, a grasp of godly wisdom, access to the miracle working power of God on earth, His power and grace, His limitless love manifested in His sacrificing the beloved Son and availing of the peace that passes understanding that Jesus alone can impart in all situations of life. The Lord God is closer to us than our own skin and sin is kept at bay. We become the living temple of God and the word gives us the templates to build that temple day after day. Jesus overturns the money changing tables, the love of dishonest gain, inside of us and drives out our personal demons so that our hearts and minds become truly the kingdom of God.

Being Grafted to God

UV 3674/10000 Being Grafted to God Then join them together into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand. Ezekiel 37 v 17 The prophet Ezekiel is speaking in this vision of the rod of Judah, the children of Israel being joined to another stick, that of Joseph, also of the house of Israel. It is symbolic of believers in Jesus who belonged to the house or tribe of Judah of the twelve tribes of Israel, the sons of Jacob. Jacob had done a deal or covenant with God, Jehovah who revealed Himself to Him. When we deal or covenant with God, we get transformed. Likewise, when we enter into a commitment or covenanted relationship with Jesus, giving our hearts to Him, He enters our lives and we become grafted onto Him. In union with Him, we become not dry, lifeless twigs or branches but we become like Joseph, a fruitful bough or branch of Christ. He is the One who overcame sin and death and therefore, becomes our ‘good root’. This vision reminds us of another biblical vision- that of an almond branch being connected to a wild almond branch and the latter begins to come to life with fruiting into almond. The Holy Spirit like the sap of God begins to flow in us and transforms our wild tongue, thoughts, tastes into Christ-like gentleness and humility. The dead and wild parts of our nature are shed like dead leaves in autumn and we are full of the Spirit of God and thereby, the fruit of the spirit. In order to find fulfilment or fruition in this life, we need to be first filled with God and be emptied of ourselves. Then, we become fruitful branches of the living God. Our joining with Christ, our bonding with Him, our grafting onto Him if it is genuine and complete, the signs of the new life and new fruitfulness should come into evidence. Our DNA should become the DNA of Christ and the DNA or divine nature of Christ should be ours. Hence, Jesus said, “ You can bear fruit only in union with Me for I am the True Vine and you are the branches.” Like the branches of a vine are pruned for greater and greater fruitfulness. Greater faithfulness leads to greater fruitfulness. We need to avoid the graft of this world and be grafted onto God through His Son Jesus.

The Foxes that Attack the Fruitful Vineyard

UV 3673/10000 The Foxes that Attack the Fruitful Vineyard Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards (of love), while our vineyards are in blossom. Song of Solomon 2 v 15 The little foxes referred to in the uni-verse are the sources of deception, false beliefs and evil desires that ensnare the human soul. The foxes are subtle and cunning and creep through our fences, our moral standards, beliefs and values and try to ruin our relationships and thereby, our joy, the joy of salvation. These try to ruin our fruitfulness by destroying the flowers when they are in blossom. Instead of being deceived or ensnared by these, we should set up traps for the foxes, early detection systems to detect them at the very beginning when they are trying to get in through the fences. Our fences of prayer and the word should be close linked and always in a good state of repair. We need to examine our perimeter security daily and take steps there and then to set it right. The foxes of pride, greed, insincerity, lust are notorious for destroying the fruit of the spirit. Many influential leaders have fallen prey to lust in recent days. It affects their testimonies and impacts their influence at the fag end of their lives. Prayer and the word of God are the effective remedies to deter these subtle foes of the soul. Like Samson caught a thousand foxes and set their tails on fire before freeing them into enemy territory, we need to daily catch these thousand foxes and set them free in satan’s realms, never to return to trouble us. If we fail to do so, we would end up feeding them and allowing the little foxes to grow big and mature when it is difficult to catch or deal with them. The little foxes will feed on our souls and affect our relationship with the Lord, the lover of our souls. They will nibble on our patience, our faith, our hope, our love, our willingness to forgive others. They will create bitterness in our hearts and keep us from yielding good fruit as the Lord’s faithful vineyard should. The abnormalities that these induce in our attitudes and actions would then subtly become our new normal. Like David guarded his sheep against predators, we need to guard the people given into our responsibility to lead, to teach, to minister to. A thousand foxes attack the flock of God. Hence, believers should be trained to identify the foxes, defend themselves and keep the foxes at bay. We should be more zealous to manifest and grow the nine fruit of the spirit than to possess and manifest the nine gifts of the spirit, to love God deeply and truly than to occupy the nine offices of the spirit. The foxes’ main target is to attack the fruitfulness of our lives for the vineyard of God is the battlefield of the enemy.

THE TRIGGER CAN'T GET BIGGER

UV 3672/10000 The Trigger Can’t Get Bigger For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1 v 37 The Lord God has done many impossible things. It will do wonders to our faith to recount some of these. He spoke the universe into existence. He used mud to form the first man and breathed life into him, formed the woman from his rib. He caused ten plagues to descend on Egypt in quick succession. He parted the Red Sea to let the Israelites cross safely to the other side. He fed the millions of Israelites with manna from heaven. He caused the Jordan to part to allow them again to cross. He caused the Jericho fort walls to fall when 300 Israelites marched around it seven times, breaking their pitchers and blowing their bugles. He caused an iron axe to float in the time of Elisha and executed many remarkable miracles in the life of Elijah, the prophet: feeding him in a time of famine using a crow. He filled the dry pits with water. He caused fire from heaven to consume the sacrificed meat. He extended the life of a king, Hezekiah. He caused the shepherd boy to slay a giant with a slingshot to his head. Even today, He can do these mighty wonders and miracles and cause us to deliver a slingshot to slay our threats. He causes us to win against our foes, whether many or few. He turned water in six jars to turn into wine. He healed lepers of leprosy. He raised the dead and raised Himself from the dead. He fed the multitudes with just a few fish and few small loaves of bread. He healed the deaf and mute. He walked on water and caused the storm in the Sea of Galilee to immediately subdue. Even today, He can use us to subdue storms with our words. He causes healing from incurable diseases and raises the dead to life. He gave sight to the born blind. He healed the woman of a bleeding disease by just a contact with the hem of His robe. We just need to mix our thoughts, feelings, words and actions with faith in His name and word and He can fix any impossible situation or problem. He causes the barren in any field to yield. He can throw any mountain or huge challenge into the sea, that is cause a very manifest, visible problem to disappear. He speaks and thinks in the language of the impossible. We only need to think and believe and confess or declare with our mouths that what is impossible for man is possible for God. He operates on quite another plane. It is as natural for Him to do the impossible with ease as to carry on with the natural that He has formed or created. I recall two years ago a well -connected person told me it is impossible that my batch would get promoted that year. I just remarked that God can and would do it in twenty four hours. Lo and behold! In twenty four hours, we got the information that our batch is being promoted. My words and faith triggered the miracle but it was God’s grace and power that accomplished it. Likewise, believers through history have experienced unexplained and unrecorded miracles. We pull the trigger of faith and God fires the gun to release the miracle we either seek or need. Whatever other weapon we possess in our life’s armoury, the biggest yet is our God connection, our faith in His power to do the impossible.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord.

UV 3671/10000 The Battle Belongs to the Lord You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. 2 Chronicles 20 v 17 The Lord fights on the behalf of the ones who trust Him. We need not fight, we only need to take our faith positions. We take our faith positions on the specific promises of the Lord. The Lord set up ambushes against the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem. They destroyed each other. He caused Jehoshaphat the king of Israel to rejoice with his people. We have victory as the Lord is with us. We only need to go out each day in the faith that the Lord will show up in the valley of battle and turn it into a valley of blessing and victory. The spoils of victory are compared to the joy of salvation in the book of Isaiah. The enemy left behind so much spoil in terms of weapons, equipment, garments and valuables the Israelites found it difficult to carry it all. When Jehoshaphat confronted a multitude of hostile armies against him, he cried out to the Lord in his distress and the Lord answered him. Likewise, when we face a multitude of problems in our lives, we should cry out to the Lord. Jehoshaphat recalled how the Lord had defeated all who opposed Israel when they were travelling through hostile territory to the promised land. He acknowledged the power and the presence of God. He acknowledged that he and his people did not know what to do but that their eyes were upon the Lord. The Lord never disappoints His people. We should never be dismayed or worried or afraid of the odds against us. But recalling all the times and occasions the Lord had delivered us in the past, we should thank and praise Him. Every day we face battles in our lives. Life is all about spiritual warfare but the Lord is with us. The battle belongs to the Lord and victory comes not from our own abilities or resources or connections but from the Lord. He turns the battlefield which we dread into the valley of Beracah or blessing. He turns the weapons of the enemy against themselves. The more intense the pitched battle we are fighting, we should increase the pitch of our praise and worship and thanksgiving. Jehoshaphat did not pray alone but he raised an army of supplicants and intercessors from among his own people.

The Passion for Righteousness

UV 3670/10000 The Passion for Righteousness You have loved righteousness ( integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose) and have hated lawlessness ( injustice, sin). Therefore, God, Your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions. Psalm45 v 7 This uni-verse is cited as fulfilment of a Messianic promise in Hebrews chapter one. It meant that Jesus was set apart from all humans. Jesus, the Christ was anointed with the oil of gladness or jubilation or victory above all humans as He during His earthly sojourn took a stand against evil, wickedness, sin and a total commitment to justice, righteousness, integrity, virtue. Hence, God the Father being pleased with Him, testified of Him, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” If we listen to His word and do likewise, we too will be anointed with the oil of gladness above our companions. On one hand, we have to love righteousness and the other, hate evil. This will enable us to do what Paul exhorted the early church to do: to cling to good, to get rid of evil. Jesus even in the tiniest detail of the law and prophecies did His best to fulfill even though He did not need to. For example, He did not need to take the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist but He insisted. He was setting an example that all who believe in His name need to be “born of the water.” He paid the temple tax even though He had no income. When confronted by a woman caught in adultery, He wrote in the sand, “forgiven” but paid with His blood even for that woman. One thief who repented, He forgave on the cross but the other He could not as salvation has to be preceded by repentance, however it is expressed. As siblings of Jesus, we too need to have a passion to love the goodness of God and to hate evil with equal passion. When we do so, we reflect the character of Jesus, the very character of the Father. We belong to the family of God, His geneology not by our bloodline or lineage but by character and commitment. If we want to enter and share the Shekinah or radiant glory of Jesus as He sits on the throne next to the Father, this is the cost we need to pay. Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit and gives us His grace to enable, to equip, to empower us to be able to reflect His character on earth. Just as people see the character of God in Jesus, they should be able to see the character of Jesus in us. A certain gentleman, senior to me, who does not worship my God embarrasses me by sometimes calling me messiah. I protest and when he continues to do so, I confess that I am at best “mess -i-am”. However, I told him that I am happy if he sees even a small aspect of the Messiah Jesus in me.

Avoid Sinking By Syncing the Parts

UV 3669/10000 Avoid Sinking by Syncing the Parts For just as in one (physical) body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or use, Romans 12 v 4 Paul draws the picture of an interdependent community called the church, Christ being the head and all individuals are parts. Most of the time we are just tiny parts of the parts. This will enable us to retain perspective so that we are never proud, arrogant, always humble. We are dependent on the Lord as our head to give us a sense of direction. He directs what each part should do. We are also mutually dependent on each other. Whatever be our function in the corpus Christi, we ought to do it to the best of our ability, if it is to lead, to lead diligently, if it is to serve, to serve wholeheartedly, if it is to give, to give generously, if it is to prophesise, to prophesise boldy and truthfully, if it is to teach, to teach effectively, if it is to encourage, to encourage others to walk the faith, to run the race. No one is superior to anyone else and everyone is subject to the Head, that is Christ. If the Head is anointed, enabled, the parts are also anointed, enabled. We should not look down on anyone as being useless but help everyone to fulfil their function in the body. Our task it to meet some need of the body and to serve the whole body of Christ. The unction or anointing of the Holy Spirit enables us to perform our assigned function well. If one part of the body is hurt or unwell, it affects the well being of the whole body. Since the past three days, my left eye suffers from some pain, swelling due to some spray hitting it. It affects the functioning of the whole body. Likewise, when parts of the body, the church are affected adversely, it affects the overall functioning. Hence, we need to be empathetic, concerned, sensitive and responsive to all parts or all individuals who need our support or help. At the individual level, we should invite the Lord to examine every part of our being, body, spirit, mind, our functioning for He is our Chief Physician, Counsellor, Problem Solver, Leader, Comforter, Encourager, Teacher. All parts should sync and think like the Head.

Ignorance Perpetrates Evil and Folly

UV 3668/10000 Ignorance Perpetrates Evil and Folly And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23 v 34 In human law, it is said that ignorance is not an excuse and just because a man does not know he is violating the law, he is not allowed to go scot free. But in this uni-verse, Jesus lays the foundation of divine law of forgiveness- to forgive our offenders as they do not know what they are doing. This is the single greatest act and expression of love in all history. But that does not take away from not knowing what we are doing being the genesis of much of the wrong doing in this world. It underlies the importance of knowing the law of God- the Word. It will keep us from evil as well as folly. The Jews did not know they were crucifying the very Messiah they had been promised. The Romans under Pilate did not know they were crucifying as a hardened criminal Someone greater than any or all of their Caesars or emperors put together. The people did not know that they were baying for the blood of the very One who had formed them and had come to transform their lives, to set them free from death, sin and its bondages. Were the eyes of the Romans, the Jewish priests and the common people deliberately blinded that they did not recognize Jesus to be God? Did they wantonly choose not to read the signs of His divinity demonstrated in His words, His miracles? God was allowing sin to run its full course and from the lowest point of the grave, He would resurrect hope through the resurrected Jesus. The essence of the truth is that knowledge of truth can set us free. When we know the truth, that is Jesus personally and through Him the entirety of divinity, we are set free. Since the world does not know the truth, we, too are to forgive them for they know not what they do against us. We should know what we are doing so that we stay on the straight and narrow road. The conscience of Pilate warned him of great wrong doing. But, under pressure, he chose to overlook it. His wife, too saw a nightmare that warned him but he chose to ignore it. In our lives, too we overlook the voice of the conscience under the pressure of circumstances. The people were fickle, one day hailing Jesus as King and the next, shouting that He be put to death. The priests who should know the scriptures and the prophecies concering the Messiah hardened their hearts to deal with what they thought was a threat to their authority and well being. Ignorance perpetrates folly and evil but ironically, in crucifying Jesus, the Light of the World, the Word of God, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the King of Kings, the perfect Messiah, the ultimate sacrifice, ignorance paved the way for the knowledge of God to spread across the world, for mankind to enjoy salvation, to experience every blessing in place of the curses of folly and sin.

Being Real in Our Faith

UV 3667/10000 Being Real in Our Faith And he answered, “ I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and changed his mind and went. Matthew 21 v 29 In this uni-verse, Jesus is not glorifying the lack of obedience on the part of the first son but stating that all people come to the Lord as an after thought, a repentance, a turning back from a past of disbelief, disregard and disobedience of the Heavenly Father. From the perspective of the Lord, better is the one who stumbled and rose up than the one who never fell but presumes that for that reason, He has no need for God in his life. Hence, Heaven is not populated by the religious minded, the self righteous, the hyprocrites, the insincere, the half hearted but by people who turned from a sinful past marked by disbelief to a life of faith, trust and love of God. Heaven is populated by those who are broken, desperate, those who feel they can make it only by grace and not by virtue of their own good deeds or efforts. The first son regretted it. It meant that a change of heart preceded the change of mind. He regretted it as he felt that his act of defiance of his father’s authority was not right. He wanted to make amends by going to the vineyard and work in it as his father had asked him to. The vineyard, being a metaphor for the kingdom of God, we need to heed the voice of the Lord to work for the Lord in the kingdom of God on earth. The parable does not mention the nature of the work he did in the vineyard. We need to assume it was productive work. Our belief in the Lord Jesus is reckoned as obedience even as our sharing our faith with others is regarded as productive work. The father in the story does not hold the initial disobedience of the first son against him. The second son went through the motions and gave the impression that he is obedient but he did not go to the vineyard to work. Those who pay lip service to the Lord are comparable to the second son. When we make a commitment to the Lord or for that matter to anyone, we need to mean our words. Words and intentions are not enough to qualify as citizens of the kingdom of God or as children of the Lord. We need to practice what we believe, what we teach or preach.

Reflections on The Morning Star

UV 3666/10000 The Morning Star So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay ( close) attention to it as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the Morning Star arises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1 v 19 The parallel verse for this uni-verse is in the book of Revelation chapter 2 verse 28: “ and I will give him the Morning Star.” Jesus is a distant star for most of humanity but to those who believe and trust Him, He is the Morning Star or the Sun of Righteousness who makes them righteous, who sheds the light of His love, truth and grace abundantly in their lives. It is prophetic knowledge for when science and human knowledge did not recognize the sun as a star that brought morning to all every single day, the Bible calls Jesus in more than one place, the Morning or Daystar on high. He is not a star who stays far away but visited us here on earth. He visits and stays in our hearts to light up our days and nights. Human civilization dawned with Him- the need to love, to render justice to all, to avoid barbaric violence, not to wreak vengeance all came with the visit of the Daystar or Morning Star. Once we invite the Morning Star of Jesus to truly take dwelling in us , to know Him as Emmanuel- or God with us, God in us, there will be no place for mourning in our lives. For He alone can wipe every tear from every eye. We should not be sad or mournful or complaining of our lot unlike those in the world who grope in the darkness for meaning and hope. We have the hope of eternal life in Jesus. We have the precious unfailing promises of God embedded in the Word. We have assurance of forgiveness, hence, no guilt or darkness. We have victory in this world over sin and death, hence, rejoice. Love, agape love already demonstrated and daily experienced in Christ. Friendship in Christ, hence, never alone to bear our burdens. We have the heritage of our faith- amazing wisdom of the scripture, awesome songs of worship, wonderful fellowship for the kingdom of God consists of such as these. Peace with which Jesus endows us as He alone can. Faith, hope and love, the three greatest things of life that we can retain which we have in the Triune God who blesses us in spirit, mind and body. The sun is just a star to the more distant planets, making no significant difference to the latter. The many angles of the star get transformed into the perfect circle of the sun due to our relative proximity from the Earth. Likewise, the closer we are to the source of our lives and of love, the strange angularities of our lives, the problems and issues get lit up into perfection. True, if we get too close to the sun or stay too long in the sun, we get burnt. That is where the comparison ends, for Jesus, the closer or more intimate we are with Him, the more blessed we are though His words do burn in our hearts. Indeed, when we get the perspective right, we get proportion, too. The Word is the lamp that when we pay close and closer attention to it, we get our perspective and our proportion right.

Leave the Children Alone

UV 3665/10000. Leave the Children Alone But He said, “Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19 v 14 Before Christ, children did not count. They were neither to be seen nor heard in adult circles. Hence, when parents brought their children to be blessed by Jesus whom they believed was someone special sent by God while some believed Him to be the promised Messiah, the disciples shooed them away. Jesus kept His eyes and ears open to what the disciples did and immediately intervened. He asked them not to hinder them from coming near Him. He brought children to the center of the kingdom of heaven. He pointed out that the qualities of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom, from which He came and to which He would return once His task on earth was fulfilled, were innocence, gentleness, humility, faith and trust of a child. Jesus does not celebrate children only on Childrens’ day but on every day of the year. We must retain that sense of wonder that children have when they discover some new aspect of life or of knowledge. We should be in awe of the Lord. Children before they gain the forbidden knowledge of this world are like angels. Jesus knew that His sacrifice on the cross would make adults with crooked hearts and messed up pasts as innocent as children. Their past record would be blotted out as if these did not exist. We are to come to the Lord Jesus to learn, to be taught about God, to be taught by God. Our trust and obedience should be complete and free from any doubt or suspicion. Our crooked hearts would be restored to child -like innocence by our inclining our ear and our heart to the Lord. The fruit of the spirit would be manifest in us. We would also have a child-like curiousity about the Lord and His ways. We will be eager to be at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. Like children depend on the food their parents provide, trusting it is meant for their growth and development, we should depend on the manna the Lord provides us in His word. Like children, we can ask questions till we gain understanding of the word but once we understand, our allegiance to the Lord and our obedience should be unquestioning. A child loves adults who spend time with her. Compared to Jesus, His infinite power, His infinite wisdom, even the oldest, wisest, most experienced adult is like a child. A child lies still in her mother’s arms once she is weaned or satisfied with the feeding she receives. Likewise, we should be still, free from our many restless schemes and plans as we lie in the loving embrace of the Lord. Then we will experience the many dimensions of His love, His provision, His grace. Today, Jesus continues to lay His hands on the heads of our children, to bless them, to acknowledge them, to make them feel counted and valued. The word of God is severe in its judgement of those who mislead children, those who mistreat or abuse them. Paul writes that “Now, we understand as a child but when we are mature, we will see and understand as clear as day.” It implies that Jesus is not endorsing immature or childish behaviour but that we should believe like a child, pray like a child, trust like a child, be gentle and humble like Jesus- the child-like qualities of the most powerful Person in all of history and all of the universe.

Evidence of Being Filled with Grace and Power

UV 3664/10000 Evidence of Being Filled with Grace and Power Now, Stephen, full of grace ( divine blessing, favour) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people. Acts 6 v 8 Just as Jesus was described a full of grace and truth, Stephen was a man full of grace and power. We, too, in this age and time can be filled with the grace and power of Jesus. We, too, can do great wonders and signs attesting our faith. Stephen, it is also written, was filled with the Holy Spirit. In his defence before the Jewish Council, he explained the historic events that led to the Tabernacle of God being established in human bodies made by God as we believe in the propitiation offered by Jesus. Stephen spoke of the God of glory, the shekinah or radiant glory of heaven and even as he was being stoned to death, he was granted the grace of seeing God in all His glory seated on His throne with Jesus by His side. Stephen emphasized in his defence of faith that we cannot build anything for God but God can dwell in us. If heaven is His throne, the earth is His footstool and everything we should do should be in an attitude of worship and thanksgiving. The Lord humbles Himself to dwell in the sinful hearts of man as the Righteous One, Jesus made our hearts justified or straight. We can now perceive the glory of God and make known His glory by attesting signs and wonders as evidence of His presence and power in our lives. Stephen was given the grace to be a martyr for the Lord, the very first one. The signs and wonders he did was as evidence of the indwelling glory of God. Like Stephen, we cannot enter the presence of God and leave it unchanged. Every time we enter the glorious and awesome presence of God and get a glimpse of Him, we are transformed degree by degree, so that we ourselves, become a better tabernacle of the Lord. The Lord is patient with us and waits for our entire lives to turn ourselves completely to Him. Our zeal can, of course, speed up the process of our transformation.

The Words of Eternal Life

UV 3663/10000 The Words of Eternal Life Simon Peter answered, “ Lord, to whom shall we go? You ( alone) have the words of eternal life ( you are our only hope). John 6 v 68 The disciples with the exception of Judas Iscariot clung onto the hope they had in Jesus. Having observed Him at close quarters, the words He spoke, the miracles He did, the authority He has over even the elements of nature that no earthly ruler before or since ever had, they firmly believed Him. Unlike many who abandoned following Jesus, the twelve stuck with Jesus. Only Judas chose to ally with the devil as he had reservations about the mission of Jesus. The rhetorical question Peter asked, “ Lord, to whom shall we go?” is a summary of our own situation today. We have no one else to go to for eternal life, for grace, for mercy, for salvation, for help, for breakthroughs in our earthly challenges and answers to our existential dilemmas. The words spoken by Jesus is precious. It gives us a new perspective, a grip on the ultimate truths. Jesus alone in history declared Himself as the only way to God, to the abundant life, to eternal life, to resurrection from the dead. He does not impose the choice on us. We can listen and follow His words like Peter or abandon Him like many others or appear to follow Him but follow the way and words of the enemy of our souls as Judas did to betray Him. There is no doubt expressed by Jesus about His mission and vision of salvation. His words provide the rock solid foundation of our faith. He spoke plainly and simply. We only need to believe His words and follow Him like the eleven and not be sidetracked like Judas. In the midst of this world-wide crisis of the Covid pandemic, Jesus alone gives us hope and clarity in what we should do. We should only cling to the words of eternal life He speaks to us. We only need to internalize, personalize and speak the words of Jesus.

Soul of Abundance

UV 3662/10000 Soul of Abundance I will satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people will be satisfied with My goodness,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 31 v 14 The ultimate and true abundance that we should seek is the abundance of the soul. In this uni-verse, the Lord promises to fill our souls to the brim with His abundance, an abundance of peace, joy, love and the other fruit of the spirit. But our attitude needs to be that of a priest, humble, repentant, faithful, kind, loving, compassionate. We, the believers are the priests of God. We are to reveal the goodness of God to the people. By our words, are many lives to be saved forever. By our knowledge of God and His ways, the people will become aware of the goodness of the Lord and will not depart from it. Jesus is our High Priest who made known the goodness and love of God. It is a mystery that though He is God in Himself, He is also priest. We have access to the abundance of the soul and spirit through Jesus. Humble and gentle, He offered Himself as a sacrifice to absolve us of our shortcomings. Hence, He said, “ I have come to give you life and life in all its abundance.” We are set free from a mindset of scarcity and shortcoming and transformed into a mindset of abundance. Having a soul of abundance implies that we, as priests of the Most High God, are always thankful, grateful, always engaged in praise and worship. Our lips are engaged in thanking the Lord when they are not busy in making known His goodness to people. Our cup is neither a half filled one or a half empty one but an overflowing cup of joy. We rejoice in the presence of the Lord in our lives, we rejoice again in the blessings that flow from our relationship with Him.

The Breaker

UV 3661/10000 The Breaker The breaker ( the Messiah, who opens the way) shall go up before them ( liberating them). They will break out, pass through the gate and go out; So their King goes on before them, The Lord is at their head. Micah 2 v 13 At one point in my life and career, there was a serious obstacle to my progression. It was placed on my path by the very persons who should have removed it. It was placed by the very persons who told me that they were only interested in my career and life going ahead. They did it stealthily, without my knowledge, behind my back. At that time, the Lord spoke this uni-verse to me. He sent a pastor or a shepherd to share this promise with me when I was disturbed and upset. It implies that the Lord Jesus goes ahead of us to clear the path of huge obstacles, hurdles that keep us from going on the path. Usually, the leader’s men or king’s army will go ahead of the leader or king to remove the obstacles in his path, but in our case, the King, our Leader Himself goes ahead of us to remove the hurdles in our path. He is therefore, the only true Leader. He has wisdom, power and strength to remove the obstacles in our paths, whatever these may be. The Lord plans for our breakthroughs and break outs so that we do not miss any opportunities intended for us that magnify His name. Most of the time like sheep are not aware of the moves by the shepherd, we may not even be aware of it. The important thing is that we should be the sheep in the fold, the sheep that listen to His voice, the sheep that follow Him and His word diligently. Today, it seems that there is only one sheep that obeys the shepherd 100 percent and ninety nine have strayed. We should be like that one sheep in the fold, not the ninety nine who strayed. We should be content to graze on the pastures of the Lord( His word), to go where He lead us. The Lord promises in His word that He will drive our enemies away, that He will be an implacable enemy to our enemies. He will send the hornets ahead of us to drive them away. But He will not do it in one year. We need to be patient. He waits to allow us to go stronger and more numerous. We need to be on our guard lest the enemy deceives or ensnares us to think that the grass of the world is greener. The prophet Isaiah states that the Lord is our Messiah in all our distresses and not just from sin and death. He saves us from dangers, risks, losses, shame, famine, pestilence. We find our rest in Him. He rebuilds the walls and restores our nest or our tabernacle. The bricks that the Lord Jesus uses to build are human lives and hence, He sends human assistance to us in our difficult moments. He also sends the angels from His presence to help us, to break through in tight situations. He carries us when we are not able to walk like the eagle carries its young on its pinions. We should be careful not to rely on the opinions of others or fall for their traps or compromise. It is not for us to compromise with the world but to rely entirely on the promise of the Lord.