Focus on the Locus

UV 4221/10000 Focus on the Locus I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16 v 8 We need to consciously focus on the locus of our lives- the Lord God. Indeed, Jesus is the locus or focal point or center of our lives. When we continually dwell in Him and on Him, we are secure in spirit, mind and body. Setting our hearts and minds on the Lord implies that we are always thankful, worshipping, praising, trusting and rejoicing in the Lord. Setting our hearts on Him means loving His name, person, word, promises, commandments. Setting our hearts on Him means submitting all our plans and desires into His hands. When we do so, we cannot be shaken or troubled beyond a point. We will be always aware of His comforting presence with us all the time. Our hearts will be joyful even when our circumstances cannot be described as happy. He will strengthen our inner being. We are assured that like Jesus, we will not see decay after our deaths but our spirits or souls will rise to the Lord. Our perspective is not merely temporal but eternal and spiritual. The Lord will show us like a beacon light or lighthouse the paths we should take, the decisions we make. He will protect us from ship wreck in any storm of life. He will counsel us and instruct our hearts. Other teachers and trainers can instruct our minds but only the Lord can instruct us at the heart level. We can, therefore, rejoice in Him again and again for He is the source of our strength. His delight in us is the source of our strength, our energy, our joy. We obtain the things we find pleasure in from His right hand of provision even as His hand of protection and guidance is on us all the time. The psalmist David wrote that the Lord hems us in from all sides, He surrounds us. He is the one refuge that will never refuse us or turn us away at any moment of our lives. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Our confidence in our own strength or abilities, our own resources, our relationships can be shaken or disturbed but our confidence in the Almighty God, Our Lord and loving Saviour can never be shaken or affected in any way for His love is as infinite, measureless, complete as His power is, His ability to protect, provide and promote us. Hence, by focusing on the Lord and His word all the time, in all circumstances and in all aspects of our lives, we are setting ourselves up for success, everlasting joy, fulfilment, security and not disappointment, regret, fear, failure, sorrow.

Personal Covenant Making

UV 4220/10000 Personal Covenant Making I have made a covenant ( agreement) with my eyes; How then could I gaze (lustfully) at a virgin? Job 31 v 1 In this uni-verse, Job says that he had made a covenant with himself and specifically with his own eyes not to look with lust on any woman. It is a nice model for us to follow. We can make a covenant with our lips or our tongue not to speak ill of others, not to lie, not to speak scornfully or insult anyone. It is basically about establishing an almost inviolable or sacred principle of conduct not to allow any organ of ours to sin, to fall short of the glory of God. Job had an agreement with himself that he had to honour all through. We can emulate him and set up some penalties when we violate the principle we adopted for ourselves in respect of our eyes, tongue, heart, mind and so on. Was the Lord God involved in Job’s covenant? Yes, for it is a vow or oath that he took with the Lord as witness. Today, in the period of grace under the new covenant relationship, we can ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to tame our tongue, our time, our lust. The Lord is not just a passive witness but a Supporter, a Helper, an Enabler of such personal commitments we make with ourselves. Personal covenant making is a way to make spiritual and moral progress, to curb our natural tendencies and overcome temptations and pitfalls of human nature. It is a way to live the eternal and abundant life, accessing supernatural power. It is a way to strengthen our own otherwise weak and fickle wills. It is a tool or instrument of personal growth and living in favour with God and man. We can make a covenant with our tongues before the Lord not to argue, quarrel, criticize others. In so doing, we are submitting ourselves to the discipline of the Lord and living in accordance with His word. Such a lifestyle of personal covenant making presages the favour of the Lord upon our lives and preempts much folly and vice in our lives. Jesus said, “ If your eye causes you to sin, it is better that you gouge it out than go to hell with both eyes.” He is, of course, only using a figure of speech to underline the importance of disciplining our different faculties of speech, sight and so on. He is underlining the importance of not yielding to the senses, the weaknesses of our flesh nature and to give priority to the spirit and to strengthening it.

Abundant Suffering Meets with Abundant Comfort

UV 4219/10000 Abundant Suffering Meets with Abundant Comfort For just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance ( as they overflow to His followers), so also our comfort ( our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation) is abundant through Christ ( it is truly more than enough to endure what we must). 2 Corinthians 1 v 5 Just as Christ suffered enormously, we too inherit His sufferings and partake of His sufferings in our lifetime for no follower is greater than his master. What happened to our Leader, happens to us if we are living like Him in obedience to the will of the Father and in accordance with the word. Often, we might even feel that we have more than our fair share of sufferings in this world. But along with the abundance of sufferings, we also inherit and partake of abundant comfort for the Lord is also the God of comfort and hope. God Himself is our Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comforts us with His gentle voice and touch. He causes healing of our inner hurt or injuries, healing not just of our bodies but of our minds and souls. Hence, having this hope of comfort, help and deliverance from the Lord, we are to overflow with joy and peace. We are able to endure much sufferings as we overflow with this joy and peace in our innermost being. The Lord consoles us with His word in our most desperate moments and strengthens us so that we can endure it to the very end. Jesus manifests Himself as the Balm of Gilead to calm us, to console us, to deliver us from pain and strife. When we meditate on the sufferings of Christ and how He patiently and meekly endured it as it was the will of the Father, we gain perspective and inner strength to endure even the most difficult of circumstances and emerge stronger and victorious. When Jesus looked at His disciples, He asked them whether they are able to drink the cup of suffering that He was about to drink from. We should like Him be willing to endure pain, scorn, humiliation, loneliness, betrayal, unjust punishment like Jesus and then, our rewards in the eternal realms will be abundant and more than proportionate to our earthly sufferings. Jesus cried out to the Father in His moment of greatest pain and forsakenness, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani” for at that moment of greatest suffering, the climax of His life of sorrow and pain, He felt the burden of all man’s sin on His shoulders. Shortly, thereafter He was relieved of His suffering as His spirit departed from His body. Likewise, we can cry out to the Lord in our moments of utmost pain and suffering and the Lord who comforts and delivers will surely rush to our side and help us overcome. He gives us abundant grace to endure.

The Trials of the Messenger

UV 4218/10000 The Trials of the Messenger But the Lord stood by me and strengthened and empowered me, so that through me the (gospel) message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the mouth of the lion. 2 Timothy 4 v 17 When all had abandoned Paul in his trials, the Lord stood by him and strengthened him. He empowered him to be a bold, fearless and effective witness of His grace and our faith. Often when all the world including our own friends and family abandons us as it happened with Job in his struggles and ordeals, it is only the Lord who stands by us like the Rock that He truly is. He helps us weather or endure the storms of life. He rescues us from the mouth of the roaring lion- the enemy of our souls. The Lord strengthens us in our weakest moments with power from above and within. He sends us angelic help to strengthen us as He did with Daniel and Jesus. He sends His word to rescue us from our “destructions” or forces and foes, both internal and external, that can destroy us. He sends the Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, empower us. The purpose the Lord empowers us is so that we become a channel of His grace, a river of His mercy, an instrument of His peace. We are the envelope that delivers the good news, the message of hope of eternal and abundant life to the world that is decaying and dying. The Holy Spirit comes on us as a gentle dove as a stamp of His approval when we are under attack all round. We obtain the peace of Jesus that the world cannot give or take away. The Lord ensures that His faithful ones are victorious till the end so that they receive the victor’s crown of righteousness and the endorsement of the Father, “ Welcome, you good and faithful servant, you diligent and triumphant fighter, you disciplined and consistent champion of good over evil, you brave and fearless soldier.” In our weakness, is His strength found. In troubles and trials, the faithful recognize the helping and enabling hand of the Lord. We are never alone and helpless if the Lord is with us, regardless of who is against us. In fact, the Lord is closest to us in our most desperate moments in life. We can find solace, wisdom, counsel, strength and ultimate victory in Him. In the uni-verse, it is clearly stated that we go through such trials so that we will be able to fully proclaim the message to the world, to those who do not yet believe in the Word that became flesh. We go through it so that all might hear our testimony of what the Lord has done for us. When the faithful hear it, their faith will be further augmented, when the unbeliever hears it, their faith will be born. Either way, we fulfill our purpose in being a messenger for the Lord.

Redefine, Refine and Refire

UV 4217/10000 Redefine, Refine and Refire But He knows the way that I take ( and He pays attention to it). When He has tried me, I will come forth as (refined) gold (pure and luminous). Job 23 v 10 The Lord knows us inside out. He knows our thoughts, feelings, priorities, choices, decisions, strengths and weaknesses, habits. He examines us day and night to see which aspects need honing, refining, building up. He sets up challenges and tests in our way to refine us. He pays attention to the minutest details of our lives like a sculptor examines his work or a goldsmith finishes his gold ornaments. Life’s great experiences, both positive and negative just like heat and cold are intended to mould, purge, refine and rebuild us. Our goal in life should be to emerge not merely unscathed from life’s great struggles but to emerge stronger, better, shining and refined. I am poised to soon complete my career in the Indian Police Service spanning thirty four years after enduring many trials and challenges, personal and professional. The Lord tells me at this juncture or cross road I need to refine and refire and not retire by putting into practice the precepts and principles I have been taught by the Lord over many years and many trials. Every cross road in life is indeed, a road to the cross and a road from the cross to connect with the wider world. When we are refined by Christ, leaders and people at large will be attracted to the brightness of our lives as birds to the sun, insects to the light. The way we handled our struggles will help every individual to learn how they can endure and overcome. They will become in turn, refined, re -charged, rewired and refired. We need to refine our character, communication, conduct. We cannot be considered blameless in the sight of God unless we tame our tongue, talent, time, temper and use it all for the glory of God and the good of mankind. Each rhema scripture the Lord has spoken to us and tested in our life’s experiences needs to be internalized, personalized and shared with others with grace and love. We need to see our experiences in the light of the word of God, redefine our thoughts, emotions, purpose, actions and plans to recharge and refire. Like a rocket has a three stage trajectory, we hit the highest orbit in the third and final stage of our life journey.

The Crisis of Character

UV 4216/10000 The Crisis of Character But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times ( of great stress and trouble) will come ( difficult days that will be hard to bear). 2 Timothy 3 v 1 Paul writing to his mentee Timothy forewarned him of the crisis of character that has beset the world today. The bigger crisis is not the pandemic but the crisis of want of character in the world today. The pandemic is only a symptom of the much larger and deeper malaise. Paul prophetically warns of a narcissistic generation ( read social media driven generation). Lovers of self, boastful, egoistic, disobedient to parents and disrespectful of authority, scoring all values, ungrateful, vulgar and obscene, impulsive. People will be devoid of self control, Paul warned. The other traits he lists of the godless are traitors, lovers of sensual pleasure rather than being lovers of God, adulterous, greedy, deceitful and so on. He warns that such crisis of character will affect not just the world but creep into the church and affect it. We need to take heed of Paul’s warning given under inspiration of the Spirit of God nearly two thousand years ago but quite accurate and fitting the current milieu. We need to repent if we have manifested any of these traits or attitudes in our lives and in our relationships. We should not be engaged in quarrels, controversies, malicious gossip, rivalry, the strife that such envy produces. The servant of the Lord, Paul writes, must chew on the word and eschew all such unbecoming conduct. He should pursue righteousness, faith, peace and love and consciously avoid the snares and traps of the enemy of our souls and of our faith. He must be kind, gentle, skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged. He must leave it in the Lord’s hands to do justice when wronged and not take it into his own. Crisis of character affects all domains of public and private life today. Like in the time of Noah, evil has risen and the stench has reached the nostrils of the Lord. The rising flood of evil had provoked the Lord to send the flood of destruction like the pandemic. But we who belong to the church, Paul exhorts have to separate ourselves from the world and its culture. We are to seek the grace and power of the Lord to avoid, overcome, negate the evil influence of the world on us. We can do so only with the effective help of the Holy Spirit. We need to grow in the fruit of the Spirit that enriches and equips us in all the beautiful attitudes and graces needed to be an effective witness and servant of the Lord.

The Footstool of God

UV 4215/10000 The Earth is His Footstool Or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Matthew 5 v 35 The earth, interestingly in this uni-verse is referred to by Jesus as the footstool of His feet. We, the believers are to worship with reverence at His feet. We need to avoid swearing by the earth or by heaven as God is seated on the throne in heaven but His feet rest on the earth. Our worship is the daily tribute we pay to the Great King. A footstool is placed before a king to rest his feet. The subjects see him from below his throne and expect judgements from the king. We need to prostrate ourselves for a little while every day at the feet of Jesus. We listen to His voice standing before the footstool, implying that wherever we are on earth we are in the presence of the Great King, Jesus. We need to teach people to be at Jesus’s feet to overcome the turmoil and challenges we face in our daily struggles of life. Jesus is the great King and the greatest of kings for He sacrificed all so that His people escape the wrath of judgement and death. The reference by Jesus to the earth being His footstool, implies that His grace and love and mercy is available freely for all nations and people on earth. He is sovereign and His power reigns supreme over all nations, powers and authorities of the earth. Everything in this world comes under the direct rule and gaze of God. When we humble ourselves before the footstool of God, He promises to raise us up, to honour us, to exalt us. We approach the throne of God not with fear and trepidation but with love, adoration and thanksgiving as children and not subjects or slaves. All our problems, struggles, enemies are under the feet of Jesus. This is the fulfilment of the promise in Genesis of a Messiah-King- the sole of the feet of the Seed of man will crush the seed of the serpent- the common enemy of mankind- satan. Jerusalem is referred to as the world-wide capital of the Kingdom of God. It is the foretype or foreshadow of the Celestial City of heaven. Hence, we need to include a prayer for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, Israel and the Jews in our daily intercessory prayers. When we do so, we will be greatly blessed for we are inheriting the blessings promised to all nations through the faith of Abraham and his descendants. The uni-verse inspires in us love for our planet, the earth and for Jerusalem, the special city, the City of God. We need to be good stewards of the earth and its resources and lovers, equally of Jerusalem and the Jewish people, who though having first rights by natural birth are still largely alienated from their full inheritance by grace through supernatural re-birth.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

UV 4214/10000 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 When the kingdom of Judah under Jehoshaphat faced a powerful military alliance of three kingdoms, he called for a national fast and led the people in worship, prayer and intercession. At the time, the Spirit of the Lord gave the revelation through Jahaziel that the battle is the Lord’s, that the kingdom of Judah did not have to fight but only need to take their battle positions in faith. He exhorted the outnumbered people of Jerusalem and Judah not to be fearful or disappointed but to be full of faith, courage, hope and strength. They were asked to go out against the enemy in this spirit of courage and faith as the Lord God was with them. The Lord being with us, that is having a right relationship, an intimate personal relationship with God Almighty, is the only source of our comfort, strength, grace and power. As the Lord is with us, and He has sent us this word of encouragement and hope, we need not be afraid, anxious, disturbed, disappointed, hopeless, weak or worried. We can trust the Lord to fight on our behalf as He did with Judah. The faith positions we need to take up in our battles in this world with more formidable and powerful enemies are praise, thanksgiving, intercession, supplication, worship. We dig our feet into the battle trenches when we intensify these battle positions. We increase our strength, power and victory when we increase the proportion of these positions in our lives. It should also be followed up by action to be taken by us on the coming day or days. We cannot hide ourselves from the battle or withdraw into a shell but we need to “go out against” the quarry, the challenge, the issue causing anxiety or fear or disappointment in us. The Lord set up ambushes against Judah’s three powerful enemies and they started attacking and destroying each other. No one escaped. Great spoils of the destroyed foes fell into the hands of the army and people led by Jehoshaphat- more than they could carry. It implies that we will certainly have great deliverance and victory in our struggles and immense rewards and blessings after the battle is won by the Lord. The Lord is with us as a great Saviour, Deliverer, Ally, Shield, Sword, Armour, Fortress, Song and Joy of Immediate and Ultimate Victory and Success. Hence, whatever battle we are currently facing instead of being rattled, we should surrender it to the Lord and wrest victory and deliverance thereby. For no power, no human army, no weapon, no enemy, however mighty is greater than the Lord. When we surrender the fear, the threat, the struggle to the Lord, He brings it under His control, His feet and He determines the outcome in our favour.

The Mercy and Compassion of God

UV 4213/10000 The Mercy of The Lord Who is a God like You, who forgives wickedness and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He ( constantly) delights in mercy and lovingkindness. Micah 7 v 18 Some are of the view that the God of the Old Covenant or testament is quite different in character from the One revealed in the New. But the uni-verse puts such doubt to rest. The Lord is merciful, quick to forgive, compassionate, loving and kind. He does not remain angry forever but releases His love and mercy upon His children when they repent and seek His mercy. He is unique in compassion. We, too, as believers are to emulate this character of God by not being revengeful, resentful, bitter, vindictive. We need to be free from grudges against those who have wronged us in the past and release them from the spiritual and moral debt to us. The Lord allows sun and rain to fall equally on the righteous or God-fearing and the wicked who do not know or acknowledge Him. Likewise, in our dealings with others, we should not judge or have a bias against those who have erred against us in any way. Such forgiveness does not come easily and we need the help of the Holy Spirit to develop such a forgiving attitude and nature. Jesus asks us to go the extra mile and to bless the aggressors, those who try to harm us. Since God is compassionate and forgiving, when we have such an attitude and act accordingly, it pleases Him and He will bless us abundantly. In contrast, if we take revenge on others, we are not allowing the Lord to play His role and hence, He will not act on our behalf. I have found this happening in my professional and personal space over the last many decades. The Lord acted against those who acted unjustly or even spoke unjustly about me while I did not lift a finger to avenge myself. Many Hamans who tried to harm me fell on their own weight and into the very ditch they dug for others. Even when they fall, we should not take secret or open pleasure in misfortune overtaking them. When they reach out to us for any assistance, we should not hold it against them and render whatever is within our capacity to help them.

Completing Our Lives

UV 4212/10000 Completing Our Lives So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3 v 17 The purpose of God is to make each believer complete and competent not to compete but to serve both God and man in every possible way. The word of God is the means by which this objective of completing or fulfilling us is accomplished. We are to be proficient in the word if we are to excel in this world. The word furnishes us with answers to every question, doubt, problem, difficulty, challenge that we will ever face. The path that the word carves for each of us enables us to avoid the pathology of this sinful world. We move from the shadow of hamartia or being incomplete people to being fulfilled, fully satisfied, fully competent persons equipped and enabled to tackle everything that the enemy, the world and life itself can throw at us. Jesus is the prototype or ultimate model of the complete person. He proved Himself stronger than Samson and wiser than Solomon. Hence, He enjoys glory or greatness greater than all of created nature- from the glory of the lily in the valley to the sunset on the mountain and the vast expanse of the stars and galaxies. He emptied Himself of every drop of blood in His body in the ultimate sacrifice in all of history. He humbled Himself to be as nothing even though He had, has and will always have absolute power and glory. Each of us in contrast are an unfinished work and the Lord promises to finish us even as He said on the cross – IT IS FINISHED. The enemy wants to finish us while God wants to refine us. He often refines or completes us through experiences resembling deep water and intense fire. Thereby, we discover depths and dimensions of ourselves that we never imagined or thought existed in us. The Lord equips us spiritually, socially, mentally, emotionally, financially, physically to undertake His purpose in our lives. This is our calling in life. It is a purpose that goes beyond our career goals, our professional targets, our personal priorities and even our lifetime. Like a lemon or fruit that has every ounce of juice squeezed out of it, we need to complete our task, fulfill our purpose in Christ by exerting with every ounce of strength, energy, resource, talent we possess in combination with the wisdom, grace and empowerment by the Holy Spirit the Lord releases into us and our lives. The word “outfitted” in the uni-verse implies that the Lord uses His word to “bespoke” or clothe us in a customized, personalized or individualized manner. He gives us the gifts we need to use the opportunities as well as challenges He sends our way to glorify His name, extend His kingdom or His influence, build His church or extended body.

The Oxygen Producer of God

UV 4211/10000 The Oxygen Producer of God All scripture is God-breathed ( given by divine inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for conviction ( of sin), for correction ( of error and restoration to obedience), for training in righteousness ( learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately- behaving honourably with personal integrity and moral courage. 2 Timothy 3 v 16 There are some who are now teaching that one needs to only read the new testament and not the old testament. But this uni-verse clearly states that “ALL Scripture…” All scripture is God-inspired, Holy Spirit-given instruction manual for man to live well and to live forever. When we study or intake scripture in any form, we are breathing in the oxygen of God that encourages, delivers, convicts, saves, transforms, builds or edifies, equips, trains us. This is particularly relevant in the current pandemic in which many people, including some I knew, perished struggling for oxygen. We cannot afford to ignore any part of scripture. It offers models whom we must emulate and negative role models that we should scrupulously avoid. All scripture offers us bread for our souls, meat and milk for our strength, oil for our anointing, medicine for our sicknesses, hope for our present earthly lives as well as for eternity, weapons for warfare and for our defence, armour for our protection, comfort in our distress and times of crisis, guidelines for our choices and decisions, an ethical framework within which to live and act. Jesus also affirmed that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets and not to cancel or abrogate these. He also said that not one word of the law and the prophets will cease to be valid or cease to have relevance or power in our lives. People who ignore the old testament are impoverishing and depriving themselves of benefitting from a vast array of wisdom, moral lessons, amazing promises covering the whole gamut of human experience and need. Only the burden of fulfilling the large number of obligations and laws included in the old testament has been removed. The promises remain to be claimed and enjoyed by us. The precepts that build our character are embedded as much in the old as in the new testaments. Hence, it is error, gross error to believe and teach that the Old Testament is no longer applicable or relevant to us who have entered into the new covenant relationship. That said, our emphasis or priority needs to shift to the teachings of Jesus especially in the four gospels which are likened to the four rivers in Eden under which were found precious metals and stones, a metaphoric reference to the vast blessings stored in the gospels. Many traditions and practices of the Old Testament like circumcision are made obsolete and redundant with the personal relationship we now have with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God.

Divine Help to Overcome Faults

UV 4210/10000 Divine Help to Overcome Faults Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden ( unconscious, unintended) faults. Psalm 19 v 12 The rhetorical question in the uni-verse, “Who can understand..?” is answered by the response- only the Lord can understand our hidden flaws and weaknesses. While we must avoid willful or deliberate sins, the Holy Spirit can make us aware of our hidden sins that cast a shadow on us. Of course, by the grace of Christ we are absolved of all sin, both the obvious or blatant ones known to us and others as well as the secret or unconscious ones. But, under the Holy Spirit, we must examine or scan our lives and hearts daily to have ourselves purged or cleansed every single day of both sins of commission and omission so that we are presented blemishless, washed, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb who was sacrificed for us. If we do not do so, the sacrifice of Jesus was in vain and of no gain to us. Spiritual examination or introspection with the help and under the gaze of the Holy Spirit is to be thorough and done daily if we are to free ourselves of both conscious and unconscious sins and weaknesses. The word of God is also a mirror in which we can see ourselves, our inner being and also find the remedies for the faults we see in us. Like we physically take a bath every day to clean our bodies and then look in the mirror to groom ourselves to look our best, we need to confess our sins daily, wash ourselves in the shed blood of Jesus and look intently in the mirror to see if any traces of the sin remain in us. Just as we take a stock of our strengths and positive qualities, we should not hesitate to take stock of our weaknesses, faults, failures and share it with the Lord, seeking His help and grace to overcome these. Just as a manufacturer only can correct the defects in a car, He alone can fully correct the defects that we and others see as also the defects that only He knows and sees. We must willingly and regularly submit ourselves to this process of sanctification if we truly value the salvation that we can obtain only by grace and faith. We can create space in us for the fruit of the Spirit to take the place of our faults and weaknesses. To err is human but to overcome it we need divine help.

Real Righteousness and True Faith

UV 4209/10000 Real Righteousness and True Faith For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5 v 20 The Lord weighs our righteousness in His balance and He needs to find that it is more than mere outward or superficial religiousity, a façade like a white washed sepulchre that hides skeletons and decayed bones and bits of flesh setting off a terrible odour. We need to strive for maintaining integrity in our private and public spaces. We should not be compromisers of the truth but live in accordance with the principles and precepts the Lord teaches us. We need to practitioners of our faith and of the teachings of Jesus and not mere hearers or preachers of the word. Our lives have more power, our prayers more effective when we live according to the word. We need to live testimonial lives, testifying to our faith in the Lord and His word and in His goodness and grace. We ought to move from the superficial in our lives to the superlative in all aspects of our conduct, work, discipline, habits, lifestyle, inner life, thoughts, emotions, relationships, goals and priorities. Though we are credited righteousness by grace, we also need to work on our real time character and conduct. Our inner attitudes are reflected in our behaviour. The more the coincidence or alignment between our beliefs, speech and actions, the greater our real time righteousness, the more pleased will the Lord be with us. This is the aspect of working out our inner salvation with fear and trembling. The name of Jesus and our faith in God and Jesus is our passport to heaven but the visa is stamped by our conduct and character. The uni-verse says that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without subjecting ourselves to the kingdom of God on earth. We cannot enter heaven without obedience to the Lord and His word. The Jewish scribes made a show of their knowledge of the word of God while the Pharisees made a show of their piety through various dress codes and ritual practices. We need to go much further, do much better to get a welcome by the Father in heaven, to be called by Him, “You, good and faithful servant.”

Being Centred and United in Spirit

UV 4208/10000 Being Centred and United Finally, all of you be like-minded ( united in spirit), sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted (courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household), and humble in spirit; I Peter 3 v 8 Peter in this uni-verse exhorts the early church to always strive with all the means at their disposal spiritual unity. He extols the virtues of mutual empathy, fraternal love, gentleness, kindness and humility. Someone rightly pointed out the other day that we need to pay a price in order to obtain the fruit of the spirit while the gifts of the spirit are given freely. Our egos and selfish nature are the price we need to pay, the sacrifice we need to make on the altar of love of Christ. When we daily place our pride, our egos, our selfish desires on the altar, we become in effect a living sacrifice. Peter goes on to state that we should never return evil for evil or tit for tat as the worldly do. In sharp contrast, we should bless those who have done us a bad turn, hurt us without reason or harmed us. We need to control our tongues or rather, surrender every word that rolls off our tongue to be examined by the Lord before we utter it. We need to keep our tongues totally free from malice, vulgarity, insults, threats, gossip and from deceit. We must be peace makers, peace lovers, actively pursuing peace with all as much as it depends on us. Jesus said, “ Learn from Me as I am humble and gentle”, implying the chief attributes and attitudes a believer ought to practice or inculcate are humility and gentleness. Humility is extolled as a God-like quality, a precondition for honour, riches, success, well being. The Lord blesses the humble but resists the proud. If we consistently focus on the locus or the center of our lives- Jesus, we will be able to emulate these qualities which in turn help to preserve the peace and unity in all our network of relationships. We can also continually seek the help and strength of the Holy Spirit to manifest these fruit in our lives.

Absolute Power and Absolute Love

UV 4207/10000 Absolute Power and Absolute Love “Therefore,”says the Lord, “ behold, I will make them know My power and My might; and they will know and recognize (without any doubt) that My Name is the Lord. Jeremiah 16 v 21 The Lord is sovereign and His will reigns supreme in the entire universe, earth and in heaven. He reveals His power and might to both His own and the world. He manifest His power on behalf of His children, sanctified by their faith. He recognizes that we belong to the bloodline of Jesus, His only begotten Son, Our Saviour. But He also executes judgement and His will on earth that others might know this. The world has inherited only lies and illusions and the Lord exposes these lies and illusions through the events He allows or causes in our lives. He raised up Moses in the house of the mighty Pharaoh to reveal His power and might. He rescued Moses from the latter’s judgement and then called Moses to deliver the enslaved Jews from their bondage in Egypt. That was the very first freedom movement which set in motion other freedom movements around the world in history. God gave Moses the strength, courage, conviction and persistence to persuade Pharaoh through many events to “Let My people go!” We need to know, believe and recognize that the name of God is Jehovah, the God of Abraham. He is the God who does impossible things like enabling the aged Abraham and Sarah to have a son. God revealed His power and might through the life and ministry of Jesus. No thirty three year old or for that matter a person of any age impacted humanity to this day like Jesus. He did many amazing wonders, miracles, healing, deliverances, proving He is the same as God and one with Him. The greatest miracle He did after dying on the cross by being resurrected from death three days after. Soft, gentle but powerful words accompanied His mighty deeds. In my thirty three plus year career as a police officer and indeed as a student even before that I have often experienced the manifestation of the power and might of God in my life. He is truly awesome in His power, grace and love. Unlike other seemingly powerful humans, He is always approachable, accessible, gracious and gentle. He never shows any iota of power more than is needed in any situation. He is the only possessor of true power, absolute power, eternal power and yet remains without a trace of contamination or corruption. His absolute power and absolute love come together in Christ. Hence, He is a refuge and shelter to all who seek in Him comfort, rescue, help, counsel, protection, guidance, deliverance, healing, success, victory, peace and salvation of souls.

Fount of Blessings to All

UV 4205/10000 Fount of Blessings to All And I will bless ( do good for, benefit) those who bless you, and I will curse ( that is, subject to my wrath and judgement) the one who curses ( despises, dishonours, has contempt for ) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 12 v 3 Paul writing to the Galatian church cited this promise contained in the uni-verse as the basis of the salvation or justification of non-Jews or Gentiles. It is also a promise that the believer in Jehovah and His Son Jesus operating under the control, guidance and leadership of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit will be a source of blessing not only for believers or the church but the world at large, implying even non believers. We are channels of blessing to the rest of the world in all that we speak and do. We bless the world by our prayers, our service, our example, our leadership, by ministering with the word and with our spiritual fruit and gifts endowed by the Holy Spirit. The uni-verse is a double edged weapon or sword for the Lord promises to bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us. It is almost as if the sovereign power of God is vested in us. To bless is to cause overflow or abundance, to curse is to cause shortcoming, scarcity or hamartia. When we are in a right relationship or standing with God, our Creator, Protector and Redeemer, we are blessed. When we are not, we are under the shadow of curse. In addition, the wilful acts of people also bring them under the shadow of curse or death for death was the first judgement the Lord passed on sin, the sin of the first man, Adam. The righteousness of the second Adam, Jesus Christ brings all mankind within the promise or potential of being justified, set right with God and of being blessed in this world and in the hereafter. We are, therefore, to believe and conduct our affairs in such a way that by the grace of God manifested in Christ and not of ourselves, we are a source or fountainhead of blessings of all kinds to all kinds of people, including our earthly foes or mortal enemies, opponents, rivals, persecutors. Since it is by mercy and grace that we enjoy divine favour, we also ought to extend that grace to others around us even if they have wronged us. It is, however the Lord’s prerogative to curse, judge, punish those who deliberately dishonour us, try to harm us without reason.

Restoring Vision

UV 4204/10000 Restoring Vision They answered Him, “ Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Matthew 20 v 33 The current pandemic that has killed 4 million people so far, in my opinon is a “plandemic” and an avoidable global disaster orchestrated by organisations that stand to monetarily and otherwise benefit from it. Even a simple slingshot remedy if recommended and made known to all, like using an effective mouth wash twice a day, within a gap of twelve hours will sanitise the sensitive passages of the nose and throat and prevent the virus germinating inside the human body. Despite this being shared over and over again on social media, the remedy is not accepted but by few. I am reminded of Jesus’s saying, “ The blind leading the blind!” He was, of course, referring to spiritual and intellectual blinding of people. It causes people to fall into the ditch, the grave. In this uni-verse quoted above, the two blind men were crying out to Jesus. Jesus asked them what they want. They replied that they wanted their eyes opened. They did not cry out for alms or any other help but they wanted deliverance from blindness. They had faith that Jesus had the power to restore vision to them. Likewise, in the case of spiritual and intellectual or cognitive blindness, if leaders and those led cry out for their eyes to be opened, Jesus is able to restore vision to them so that they are not blinded to truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding. But we must have the desire for full vision or our vision to be restored. We need to have faith that Jesus who knows all things and sees all things is able to restore our vision. Instead of crying out for lesser benefits like alms, we need to cry out for restoring of our vision, for the opening of our spiritual and inner eyes. Our eyes should be opened like the disciples of Elisha to see the power of God, to experience the grace and amazing deliverance by the Almighty from the ills of this world. For the scales to fall off from eyes, the scales that blinded we need only to scale up in our faith. We need to trust Jesus more and fear evil less. Fear reigns on this earth in the current global pandemic with no easy solution in sight but the Lord is able to deliver us and open our eyes so that we ourselves can perceive a simple slingshot remedy to the illness.

Clinging to the Promises of God

UV 4203/10000 Clinging to the Promises of God For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ, they are ( all answered) “Yes”. So through Him we say our Amen to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1 v 17 It is interesting that the uni-verse says that the promises are all answered, all fulfilled in Christ already. This is the reason, we need to thank the Lord even as we pray for a specific request. He is the Lord Amen, as He is called in the book of Revelation and causes all things to hold together like the joints in our bodies or like the human brain that directs the body parts. He is the One who is the reason the Tri-une God answers our prayers, receives our thanksgiving and offering of praise and worship. He is the guarantor of the ten thousand promises contained in scripture. The promises are both personal, specific and eternal. It is the manna that we can collect and store in our hearts, the manna that will not spoil with such storage. It is the trigger of faith and the lever that releases grace from heaven towards us. Jesus Christ is the One who fills the infinite, otherwise unbridgeable gap between us and God. He is the One who facilitates or makes possible our approach to the throne of God to present our petitions. Each promise verse comes with a condition to be fulfilled. For instance,” Call unto Me and I will show you marvellous things that you do not know of.” The act of calling or crying or praying to the Lord with faith is a precondition. Another generic promise covering our whole lives states, “ I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” The precondition implied is that we need to align our selves, our own plans with the will and plan and purpose of God for our lives. The enemy has plans or plots to harm us. We need to be wary of the latter and embrace the former. It takes the exercise of our spiritual authority and wage spiritual warfare to bind the plot of the enemy and total trust in the plan of God for our lives. Hence, the believers or followers of Christ do have an outline of their lives laid out before them. They may not know the details upfront or now but it will unfold over time as they walk and trust the Lord step by step, day by day in alignment with the plan of the Lord. That plan is also not revealed at one shot but we come to know of it through the course of our lives. Jesus is the Progenitor or producer of everything good in our lives even as the enemy is the one who plots anything evil against us to harm us, to deprive us of our peace, our confidence in the Lord. Hence, instead of being drawn to the bling of this world, we need to cling to Jesus and fling out anything that distracts us from our focus on Him.

Two Inner Attitudes- Triple Benefit

UV 4202/10000 Two Inner Attitudes-Triple Benefit The reward of humility ( that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance) and the (reverent, worshipful) fear of the Lord is riches, honour, and life. Proverbs 22 v 4 Humility is derived from the fear of the Lord. When we humble ourselves before God, that is the ultimate humility. To deny God exists is arrogance of ignorance of man, the only creature who knows instinctively that He is, He exists, He rewards such faith. Fear of the Lord is, in turn, expressed in terms not of quivering and trembling as we normally understand the word ‘fear’ but in terms of reverence, adoration, obedience of the invisible Lord and His visible word. The word promises that if we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up in due time. Due time could well be, here and now on earth or later or in the eternal realm. The promise that comes from an attitude and habit of humility is that we will reap in due time riches, elevation or exaltation or honour and abundant, eternal life. The riches do not imply merely monetary or material wealth but “wellth”. The covid pandemic has taught humanity that health is more significant than wealth and is in fact, the true wealth. Without health, we cannot enjoy any other blessing though the believer continues to be joyful, worshipful, reverential even in times of ill health. Humility and reverence for God are two complementary qualities that we can choose to practice consistently. The two qualities bring us three benefits- riches ( in a holistic sense), God-ordained honour and the blessed and not messed life. Humility has other implications and nuances, once we have satisfied the requirement to humble ourselves before God. We need to be kind, gentle, polite and not boastful or egoistic with other fellow humans as well as other creatures of God. Humility does not come from a mere inner resolution but from a right standing with God through faith in Jesus. It is a fruit of the Spirit of God, implying that the seed is planted in our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit nurtures and helps us grow in humility. Humility is essential to gain favour with both God and man.

I AM...

UV 4201/10000 I AM…. “Behold, I am with you and will keep (careful watch over you and guard) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this ( promised) land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28 v 15 The Lord God is with us, consistently and continually, all through our lives. He is with us wherever we go. He promised Jacob that he would bring him back to Canaan, the land promised to his grandfather Abraham and all his descendants. Through many experiences, Jacob finally did return to the promised land. We, contemporary believers and inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant through the promise secured and guaranteed by Jesus, are not living in a promised land but in a land of promises. The promises of the Lord mark the landmarks of our lives. He promises never to leave us until He has done all that He has promised us. It is a promise that lasts our entire lifetime and beyond into eternity. He is with us, in us, for us. The Lord is with us as El Shaddai- He manifests His power on our behalf to defend and protect us, to rescue us from enemies and deliver us from threats. He is with us as Je-ho-vah Rapha or I AM Your Healer to heal us of disease and ill health. He is with us as Je-ho-vah Shalom, I AM your Peace and Well Being. He is with us as I Am Victory for He makes us successful and triumphant in all our trials. He is with us as I AM righteousness, for He is the one who credits righteousness to us by grace. He is with us a I AM Your Provider or Jireh and provides abundantly for our needs. He has made specific and personal promises to us in all these spheres and more- protection, healing, victory, righteousness, provision. Those of our race who live by faith and have tasted of His grace do not feel obliged to praise Him as a chore or duty but as a grateful offering. For He is the source of our lives and of our eternal or abundant lives. We feed on His every word to meet our every need- physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual. While the devil wants only to damn us, the Lord wants to release the unlimited dam of His grace and blessings upon us. Hence, we need to cling to Him as if to dear life, every moment, every situation, every circumstance and in every aspect of our lives.

Total and Absolute Security

UV 4200/10000 Total and Absolute Security He rescues me from my enemies; Yes, You lift me up above those who rise against me; You deliver me from the man of violence. Psalm 18 v 48 The Lord is the One who can rescue us from even the most formidable and powerful of our enemies. Having ransomed us from the ultimate enemy, the evil one, He stands with us to protect us from even any human or lesser foe. He is the One who avenges us. He lifts us above the level of our enemies and delivers us from all our fears. By so delivering us, He delivers perfect peace and total security to us who trust in Him. He is our all encompassing shield who neutralizes every threat, physical, emotional, spiritual that can assail us. He surrounds us on all sides and penetrates our souls, too as no one else can. David testifies in this uni-verse that the Lord had delivered him from the man of violence like Goliath and subsequently, even his supposed to be benefactor King Saul as well as many enemies in Israel and beyond the nation’s borders. Likewise, I too can testify that He delivered me from many violent men and evil plots. He puts the conspirators to shame and uses their very means to harm us to elevate us as He did with Mordecai. Haman was hung on the very gallows erected for Mordecai and Haman’s horse and robe and position were vested with Mordecai. The Lord honours those who trust in Him either in this life, in the hereafter, too. He subdues our foes under us. He exalts us above our opponents. He vindicates us even in the small details. Hence, the salvation offered by Christ is complete, lacking in no aspect, whether spiritual or physical or emotional. Often He delivers us from our own foolish decisions and hasty actions that could land us in a lot of needless trouble. He delivers us also from the plots of our kith and kin, too who in their jealousy, envy and resentment aim to attack us openly and venomously or in a subtle and secret manner. It is amazing that though Jesus Himself, the Son of God was delivered to the Roman soldiers who came to arrest Him through the betrayal of His disciple Judas, the Lord protects us from betrayals in our inner circle. The security we have in Him is rock-like and unshakeable, impenetrable, inviolable and infallible. In the context of the current pandemic, He protects us from the microscopic virus to the giants and gigantic threats.

Running to Win

UV 4199/10000 Running to Win Do you not know that in a race all the runners run ( their very best to win), but only one receives the prize? Run ( your race) in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! I Corinthians 9 v 25 Against the backdrop of the just concluded Tokyo Olympics 2020, this uni-verse takes on new significance. God does not any man to be a loser. He wants us to win, each of us. Each of us has a distinctive race that we are running, a separate track. The manner in which we run our lives is what enables us to either win or lose. To win the Olympic gold in the javelin event, the first time for an Indian athlete, 23 year old Neeraj Chopra, an army junior commissioned officer, had to give his heart and soul. He disciplined himself to practice intensely over several years, cutting out from his life distractions or anything that could affect his performance in the throw event. He had a specific goal- to win the event, to throw the farthest that he is ever capable of in each attempt he made. He did his very best and pumping up his motivation just before his throw he threw 87.58 meters on his second out of six throws. The other athletes including the current world champion threw more than a meter short of this. To do our best in our race, we need to run with a clear focus on our goal of winning. We need to discipline our spirit, minds, souls, bodies which includes habits, tongue, thoughts, actions and reactions. We need to conform to the image of God, the image of Christ in us. Every winning athlete in the Olympics has a lot of team support from competent and experienced international coaches, physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, fellow athletes, governmental authorities and even the whole nation he represents. However, at the end of the day, he alone can run his race and no one else can run it for him. In our “life race”, we have the support of the Almighty and we can constantly appropriate grace, wisdom and power from the Lord in whichever pursuit we are engaged in. Paul exhorts us to give our best emulating the Olympic athletes who discipline themselves and sacrifice a lot, even suffering many injuries as did Neeraj Chopra with his throwing arm a few months ago requiring surgery. Paul says that they subject themselves to such discipline and training in order to win a prize that results in temporal victory, ephemeral glory for themselves and their nations while we, spiritual athletes, compete for an unfading, eternal prize- eternal life and eternal glory or greatness. Unlike the prize winning athlete who runs alone and has to face defeat alone and triumph in a large and swelling crowd, the spiritual or life athlete has Jesus running along side as our life coach and the Holy Spirit running behind as and Encourager, Comforter, Enabler. In our life race, we also have the support of fellow believers through their sincere and fervent prayers, the encouragement of mentors and the power released by regularly consuming the word of God. We may fall at times but each time, we are to rise and run again, focusing our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our race- Jesus who is our Forerunner who successfully ran His race and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, watching over every step we take, every breath we breathe, all our waking and sleeping moments. We do not run with fear of failure but in the overflowing confidence of faith, with abundant hope and filled with joy and the eager anticipation of receiving the prize from Jesus.

Yielding to the Lord

UV 4198/10000 Yielding to the Lord Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him. Luke 9 v 35 Peter was blurting out things impulsively on seeing the glorious vision of Jesus with Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration. At the time, the voice of the Father stopped him from going further by endorsing Jesus as the beloved Son and encouraging the disciples to listen and obey Him. Indeed, the more we yield to the Lord, greater will be our yield in life. We only need to listen to the voice of the Lord and abide by it. The cloud of the Lord’s presence covered or enveloped Peter and the other disciples. We, too, need to be overshadowed always by the Spirit of God. Then, we will hear His clear and sometimes audible voice asking us to do certain things. The voice of the Father revealed to the disciples that Jesus was the Chosen One, the One chosen to be the sacrifice for human sin, the One chosen for great suffering in order to redeem mankind, past, present and future from eternal guilt and death. Jesus had gone to the mountain to pray to seek the Father’s will. It pleased the Father who appeared and chose to glorify and reveal that Jesus is the Chosen Messiah of both the Jews and the Gentiles. Our love for the Lord is revealed in our obedience to His leading and His voice. The more we resist His leading, the more off track we become and stray. The more we abide in Him, listen to Him, obey Him, yield to Him, the more blessed we are and the more pleased the Father will be. We, too will receive a sign of His supernatural favour, share in His effulgent glory. Moses and Elijah appeared to encourage Jesus and to complete the picture of Law or righteousness of God, Prophecy or knowledge of the future, Grace- the provision the Lord makes for the salvation of our souls. We, learning from this experience, need to yield to the Tri-une God in spirit, mind and body, wield the sword of the word and resist the enemy of our souls.

The Aroma of Christ

UV 4197/10000 The Aroma of Christ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. 2 Corinthians 2 v 14 We need to constantly thank the Lord for He is the One who gives us victory in all matters. We are led by God and led by Him victoriously. We are like perfume bottles carrying the sweet scent of the personal knowledge of the Creator God and the Redeemer Jesus as well as the comforting and strengthening Holy Spirit. But we must not be closed perfume bottles but with our lids off, we need to continually exude the aroma of Christ to the otherwise stinking world around us. We need to replace the stench of death and evil in our lives and in the world around us with the sweet fragrance of eternal life in Christ. When we rightly divide the word of God in the world, we multiply the fragrance or effects of it in our lives and that of others, too. The message of Christ is love and we need to continually communicate this message to the world. The world is filled with hatred, selfishness, greed, pride, lust. But we can thank the Lord that He lead us in victory over all these. He gives us victory over our own flesh, its weaknesses, the weaknesses of the inner man. When Christ was buried in the cave of Joseph of Arimathea, His body bruised and wounded by many nails was covered with spices and scents to preserve it and put off the offensive smell of decaying flesh. But since He had never sinned in the flesh, it could not decay. Hence, the aroma that exudes from the very name of Jesus to this day is not that of the perfumes and spices in which His body was wrapped but the aroma of righteousness. A few drops of perfume gives a pleasant fragrance to the person on which it is dabbed as well as the entire room and surroundings. Likewise, our good deeds, our praise and worship, our character and conduct ought to be a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of the Lord as well as people who witness our lives. Like the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus days before His crucifixion with a bottle of expensive perfume of nard, we must be ready to be broken like that bottle before the Lord that He enjoys the aroma of our lives lived in victory through Him.

Dependence on Grace

UV 4196/10000 Dependence on Grace For all who depend on the Law ( seeking justification and salvation by obedience to the Law and the observance of rituals) are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed ( condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them.” Galatians 3 v 10 The curse or the shadow of hamartia ( shortcoming) is upon all humanity from the beginning of the fall of man. It is impossible to obtain salvation of our souls by obedience to the Law of God as we are not able to obey every aspect of the law even if we obey a part of it. This gap is filled by grace that we obtain by our faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Blemishless, Flawless One on the cross. Hence, Paul wrote that now we live not under the shadow of the law, shadow of sin but under the shadow of the Almighty. Instead of being cursed, we are now blessed. We, having obtained right standing with God through Christ, are to live by faith and in grace. We have access to the spiritual inheritance promised to Abraham and his descendants by virtue not of our own good deeds but by our faith. We are set free from the requirements of the Law and set apart to fulfill the Lord’s calling in and through our lives here on earth. We have enormous freedom and yet, we are slaves by choice of God, servants of Christ. We have the full rights and privileges of children of God. We have the right to call Him “Abba” or Father as Jesus calls Him. We have right to every blessing Jesus enumerated in the sermon on the Mount, the beatitudes. We have privileges as citizens of the kingdom of God. He gives us the privilege of being His viceroys on earth, Priests and kings by grace. We depend not on man-made rules or even God-given Law but on the hope that the promises of the Lord contained in His word evince in us. Since we are justified by faith, we have no reason to feel proud, to be self righteous or to boast. We depend on grace for everything in our lives, from beginning to the end. We are clothed in Christ or covered by His grace, His unearned, unmerited favour. We are called to make known His name, His grace and glory. All for the greater glory of Jesus, as the Jesuits would put it.

God of Rescue

UV 4195/10000 God of Rescue He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him have we set our hope. And He will again rescue us ( from danger and draw us near). 2 Corinthians 1 v 10 Paul in this uni-verse expresses confidence based on his own experience how God is the God who rescues His people in dire circumstances where death is a certainty. He is the God who raises us from death and hence, our hope is anchored in Him. As the Psalmist wrote, “ As we have set our love upon His name, He will satisfy us with long life and after that give us eternal life.” In fact, in Christ, we have concurrently long life, abundant life, good life and eternal life since eternal life begins the moment we entrust our lives to Him. Our lives are enriched by the promises of the Lord contained in His word. Once we have experienced rescue from death by the hand of the Lord, we are confident He will do it again and again. But the sceptic might say, “Why if God is loving, should He allow us to go through such ordeals, trying circumstances and dangers?” The answer is contained in the uni-verse for the Lord draws us nearer to Him when we undergo these threats, dangers and emerge unscathed like Daniel and his companions from the deadly trials of their age. Believers of Christ did not love God any less even when they were not rescued and were martyred for their faith. They in fact, embraced death, violent deaths at the hands of lions and beasts and through torture, praising, thanking and glorifying the Lord. Praise and worship were their divine anesthetic. Paul was rescued from prison, ship wreck, flogging, serpent bite, hostile mobs. Such hardship did not deter him from proclaiming the gospel but egged him on to preach, teach, minister to people without fear. Such boldness came from strong faith, prior experiences of rescue by the Lord, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in Him. History says that eventually he was executed. The Lord allowed that to happen even though He had saved him many times as he had completed his task and purpose in life and his death led to even more people being saved in due course, the Lord’s name being glorified. He entered into eternal rest with the special honour and reward given to the martyr for Christ.

The Light Shines

UV 4194/10000 The Light Shines The people who walk in spiritual darkness will see a great Light; Those who live in the dark land, The Light will shine on them. Isaiah 9 v 2 Jesus is the great Light promised in this uni-verse. Once we believe and receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we have no excuse to continue walking in darkness. Darkness of the night is a metaphor for spiritual ignorance or ignorance of who God is and His precepts. Each precept of God is a ray of light to light up our day. The Light, that is Jesus shines on us, in us, around us and through us. We get lit up with His presence and radiance and become a beacon light for those in our vicinity. Light dispels darkness and has no connection or relation with the darkness. Likewise, we ought to dispel darkness, the powers of darkness with our prayers, devotion, our exercise of the divine mandates. Light energises people into action. Light guides people and keep them from falling into the ditch or from going off track. Light enables us to see things clearly and in perspective. Hence, Jesus energises people. We find our purpose, our calling and our gifting in Jesus. We need to saturate ourselves with the Light and avoid darkness or evil. We need to also shine for Him or be His witnesses in this otherwise dark world of ignorance and ignorance-bred arrogance. When we walk faithfully and obediently with Christ, we are therefore, walking in the Light. The shadow of sin and death cannot fall upon us or make us fall. Elsewhere, Isaiah writes, “Arise for the Light shines on you.” When the favour of God shines upon us through our believing His Word or Jesus, His Son, we rise in all aspects of our lives. We cannot be indolent, weak, listless but we are blessed, enthused, energetic to do the things the Lord wants us to do. We are to radiate with His goodness, wisdom, grace, gentleness, power and humility. People get to see the Shekinah glory of the Lord on our faces and in our lives. But, we need to wait for the full weight of glory of God to rest upon us, His living temples. Jesus said, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Since we are justified by the blood of Jesus, sanctified in the Holy Spirit, we are deemed perfect in the sight of the Lord. We are pure and shining light, spotless, blemishless like the perfect bride, ready at all times like the alert bridesmaids with oil in their lamps to greet and welcome the Bridegroom, Jesus.