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.