Monday, October 3, 2022

The Father's Love

Just as a father loves his children, so the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him. Psalm 103 v 13 The Lord has compassion on us as we are not just His creatures but we are His children. Though God cares for all of His creation in a generic way, He loves those who fear, obey and worship Him. Human beings who do not know God as their Father are like the Eskimos in polar regions who have to invent different ways to keep warm and sustain themselves against the vagaries of nature. But for those who know Him, love Him, have a personal relationship with Him through Christ, the first born Son, He is as intimate as a Father. He provides for us. He protects us. He heals us. He restores us when we fall into error or wilful ways. He delights in us as a Parent in her children. He listens to our every thought, whisper and sigh. Knowing our mortal and sinful nature, the Lord God provided the way for us to have eternal life even at the cost of the suffering and life of Jesus, the Anointed Son of God. Having not even spared His own Son, He would go to any extent, move heaven and earth for our sake. His love in unconditional but subject to the condition that we believe in His Son that He is the propitiation for our sins. The Lord is a righteous Father and that is the reason that we who are sinful need to be fearful as we enter His presence. But as we are washed in the blood of regeneration of Jesus, we are redeemed and can be bold to run onto His lap, as it were. We, as children of God should not resemble the self righteous elder son in the parable of the prodigal son but the broken, humbled, repentant younger son. The Father provides for us the robe of salvation, the signet ring of authority to co-rule with Him over the earth, the shoes to go anywhere in His name, the belt of truth. Indeed, His banner over us is love and He invites us to heaven's banqueting table to rejoice with Him in our salvation.

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Deliverance Comes from the Lord

But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a man to rescue the people of Israel, Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. Judges 3 v 9 When we cry out to the Lord in any difficult situation, He will send deliverance. Othniel means "Lion of God" and he proved his courage when Caleb set him a military challenge in which he promised the victor the hand of his daughter Achsah. The name Achsah means courage or breaking out of the veil. She was an able support to her husband Othniel. Othniel was also the first judge or ruler of Israel once they settled in the Promised Land. The Lord blessed him as he feared God. In proportion to the faith and reverance we have for God, we are imbued with courage just like Othniel. Jesus is the ultimate Deliverer the Lord God sent to help us. His conquest is eternal and in the realm of the spirit. The Spirit of the Lord came down upon Othniel as Judge of Israel and enabled him to wrest victory from the Mesopotamian king. In our lives today, we do not deal with flesh and blood kings but with principalities and powers of darkness. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us, we have victory over these strongholds - injustice, pride, envy, lust, violence and so on. As "lions of God" we need to wait upon the Lord for His strength to come upon us and manifest in the challenges we face daily in our lives. God did not prove a debtor to Othniel and blessed him with land and prospered him in Israel. Israel enjoyed peace for forty years under the leadership of Othniel.

Friday, September 30, 2022

Seek First Wisdom ...

UV 4257/10000 Seek First Wisdom Wisdom and knowledge have been granted you. I will also give you riches, possessions and honour, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor will those who will come after you." 2 Chronicles 1 v 12 Solomon, yet a teenager, asked the Lord for wisdom to rule and administer justice. God was pleased with what Solomon asked for. Hence, Solomon is the only trillionaire in history. He was given wisdom and knowledge and in addition, wealth, possessions and honour in abundance. The Lord gives wisdom not to the foolish but to the wise and knowledge to those who seek understanding. He honours and preserves from troubles those who fear Him, love Him,worship Him. When we seek the Lord with all our hearts and love Him with all our strength, all our mind and all our soul, He adds to us what we have neither asked nor sought. We need the child-like humility and faith of the young Solomon to trust God and pray for wisdom and understanding. The Lord has revealed time and again that He is very pleased with such child-like faith. We need to believe fully and without the shadow of doubt that God is able to give us wisdom and that He would give it to us generously in abundance. Solomon, in later years erred in His relationship with God chiefly due to the fact that He was unequally yoked with women of different faith backgrounds. Unlike Solomon, we need not a one time seeking of wisdom of God but we need to seek it daily and before any major venture or decision. The lesson that we learn from the life of Solomon is that even the wisest can be deceived. We need the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit to remain victorious in life. The blessings of the Lord made Solomon non-pareil or without equal among the kings and leaders of the world. Even though Solomon departed from the path of faithfulness to the Lord, the Lord remained faithful and did not withdraw the grace and blessings He extended to him. The wisdom that God gave Him was not withdrawn but remained in him. Through his experimentation with learning, pleasure, fame, posessions, Solomon proved to humanity for all time the vanity and emptiness of pursuing such things in the absence of a personal relationship with the Creator God and the Saviour Jesus enabled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus later summed it up in His word, " Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." My life is a testament to the truth of this promise as the Lord met my needs and wants in abundance, without any lack or shortage over the past many decades of my life as I sought His will and His wisdom in every circumstance through the years.

Sunday, September 4, 2022

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

UV 4294/10000 Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What does this mean?" you shall say to him, "With a strong and powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage and slavery.." Exodus 13 v 14 The Lord redeemed the Israelites from Pharaoh's hand. The word redeemed means "to buy back." One has to pay a price to buy back anything and to buy back one's freedom from slavery takes a heavy price. The Lord God redeemed Israelites from slavery and bondage with a strong and powerful hand but He chose to buy all mankind back with the heavy price of His first born Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Having bought, redeemed by God, we should not now choose to go back to bondage to sin and to being slaves of sin and satan. We are now slaves of God who are crowned with the gift of salvation. We are freed from the law of sin to live in obedience to the law of love of God. We are to enjoy or rejoice in the new freedom we have in Christ. Egypt is a metaphor for the foreign land where we were formerly enslaved and in bondage. Instead of bondage, we are now bonded with God in Christ. Like God used Moses to lead the Israelite slaves to freedom and the promised land, we are led by Christ into freedom and eternal life. We should always be aware of the invisible crown that the Lord has placed on our heads. Our hearts should always overflow with love and gratitude for so great a gift that we receive by grace. Every time we yield to sin and temptation we are trying to regress, retrace our steps back to Egypt. There are deserts and mountains to cross and formidable enemies to battle and conquer even as we travel towards eternity but our triumphant entry into the promised land is guaranteed. In times to come, when the next generation asks us what it means to be redeemed, we need to leave our answer that the Lord has redeemed us by His grace. We need to leave a legacy of faith such that they do not ever forget what the Lord has done for us at such huge cost.

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

The Bridegroom of Blood

UV 4293/10000 The Bridegroom of Blood But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely, you are a bridegroom of blood to me,”she said. Exodus 4 v 25 Zipporah circumcising the young son Gershom and touching Moses with the bloody foreskin is a sign that the innocent blood would save all who believe or are touched and covered with the blood of the first born of God, Jesus Christ. The lack of obedience to the Jewish covenant by Moses and his family to the mandate of circumcision had angered the Lord God enough to want to kill him. Zipporah, after preempting the judgement of God and purchasing forgiveness for Moses, in her quick and decisive act, referred to Moses as the “bridegroom of Blood” signifying the calling of Moses, under the old covenant and then, Jesus, under the new covenant to pay with blood for the salvation of their followers. But Moses did not shed any blood and therefore, the reference by Zipporah to the Bridegroom of Blood is a prophetic utterance pointing to the Messiah Jesus shedding every drop of His precious blood for all were touched by it, all who took cover under it. Just as the innocent blood of the young Gershom was efficacious to protect Moses from the anger and judgement of God, the innocent blood of Jesus would protect all mankind who would allow themselves to be touched by it. Our dirty clothes, meaning our past and guilt, is washed in the blood of the Lamb provided by God and made white and pure. The confirmation that Jesus Christ is indeed, the Bridegroom of Blood to the world-wide and historic church, His redeemed bride, is found in Revelation 19 v 13:” He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. “ The purple robe that the mocking soldiers made Him wear turned dark scarlet with the blood that congealed and dried on the garment to fulfill the prophetic word uttered by Zipporah, the Midianite and the priest’s daughter. The robe of blood donned by Jesus made all circumcision thereafter, both inadequate and unnecessary since it was sufficient to cover all the multitude of sins of all mankind. Yet, the religious Jew continues with the practice, blinded by tradition that the Bridegroom of Blood stands by their side to embrace them as an honoured part of the Bride, the church.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Confronting the Giants of Our Lives

UV 4292/10000 Confronting the Giants All those gathered here will know that it is not by the sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands. 1 Samuel 17 v 47 David, moved by the power of the Holy Spirit, not only foresaw that he would kill Goliath but that the Israelites would totally rout the powerful Philistines. He was not relying on the power of his weapons, his skills or his fighting prowess but on the Lord God of Israel. He was filled with conviction that the Lord would give all of them into their hands. David spoke his faith before he acted on it. We, too, in this age and time, as we confront powerful forces that oppose us, attack us, challenge us, need to confess our faith in the Lord. We are not to rely on our strength, skills, resources or weapons but go forth to face our challenges in the name of the Lord, clothed with His power, assured of victory. For the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. If we go out to fight relying on the world, on our connections, our resources, our strength, it is akin to David weighing himself down with a heavy armour and sword. Of course, David then used his skill and natural strength with the sling and the stone. It implies that our primary source of reliance is spiritual, the strength and might of the Lord and our secondary source to fall back on is our God-given talents, abilities, strengths and resources. After much prayer, praise and worship, we need to step out like David to confront our challenges, to enter the battle. We cannot slink back in fear looking at the sheer size of the enemy and his power. When God is on our side or rather, we are on God’s side, the odds diminish, the barriers to our success in whatever domain disappear or get levelled out. However big or powerful our enemy, our foes, the Lord is much, much bigger. He is infinitely stronger. We only need to partner with Him, pair our strength with His. Like David we should not entertain an iota of doubt that the Lord can enable us to wrest victory. With Jesus, we are heroes. Without Him we are zeroes. With Him our every thought, stand, goal, word and action will bear results or fruit that will glorify the name of God. Without Him, we are living a life of vanity and vulnerability like the rest of mankind. The Lord strengthened the spirit and mind of the young David to be fearless, to be the hero Israel was looking for. He caused His sling swinging arm to be both strong and accurate that not a stone was wasted and the very first throw hit the giant Goliath in the temple of his head. After Goliath collapsed unconscious to the ground, David used Goliath’s own sword to decapitate him. The words we employ to affirm our faith in God is like the stone David threw at the mocking and snarling giant. The sword is akin to the word of God that we can use to finish our task, complete or fulfill our purpose. Words of affirmation of our faith in a specific situational challenge followed by the specific word of God relevant to complete the challenge are the way we need to confront our giants.

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Dealing with Fears and Living In Joy

UV 4291/10000 Dealing With Fears and Living In Joy Do not fear, O land; be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done great things! Joel 2 v 21 The Lord has done great things beyond our expectations or our asking. Hence, we need to be glad and rejoice thinking of these. We need to not allow any doubt, fear or apprehension to enter our hearts and minds. We just need to count our blessings and be thankful for each one. He has filled our storehouses with grain and filled our vats with wine and oil. He has compensated us for the years that we lost due to fears, worries, enemy attacks. He has dealt wonderfully with us over the years. He will never let us be put to shame. He has broken our chains and healed our pains. Prayer, praise and thanksgiving from a grateful heart breaks the vicious cycle launched in our lives by the enemy of fears, doubts, anxiety and worries. Faith is a powerful shield to extinguish, to defend, to vanquish these subtle forces that try to take control of our lives. The enemy wants us to be depressed, sad and weak. But as we pray, praise and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, we are strengthened. We need to recount the testimonies, our own and those of others whom the Lord had helped to overcome many difficulties and obstacles in their lives. This will restore courage, hope, confidence back to us. We need to constantly remember that nothing is too difficult or impossible for the Lord to accomplish. He is the One who gives us immediate triumph as well as ultimate victory over all circumstances of our lives. Living in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit helps us experience the joy of the Lord. The Holy Spirit comforts us, counsels us, guides us in our thoughts, words, decisions and actions. We need to only continually heed His quiet voice and not ignore Him. He reminds us as the Remembrancer of the promises of the Lord, of the great things He has already accomplished for mankind as a whole and for each of us, personally. The word of God is also another source of strength and power to enable us to be joyful and hopeful all the time. We need to anchor or focus our minds on a specific portion or promise of the Lord that is relevant to the current situation we are in.

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

The One who Quenches Our Thirst

UV 4290/10000 The One Who Quenches Our Thirst The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none; Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them Myself; I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them. Isaiah 41 v 17 Each of us is the spiritually poor and needy. We are seeking the water of eternal life in this world. But the Lord God alone can answer our cry, satisfy our need. He will not neglect to satisfy our every need, our holistic need as well as spiritual. The Lord uses the word as the water of eternal life to fulfill our quest. Our tongues are parched but the Lord will satisfy us with abundance from His springs and fountains. The Lord can cause rivers to flow from barren mountains, or in other words, give us hope in even hopeless situations. He causes our problems, challenges, difficulties to be sources of strength and sustenance. He creates springs to rise in the valleys, implying that even in the low points of our days and lives, the Lord will cause His grace, mercy and blessings to flow in such abundance that these never dry up. He causes the dry land to produce springs of water. Even in times of drought and famine, the Lord will lead us to the oasis of joy and faith and hope. He causes our lives to be fruitful in amazing ways that will make people wonder, ponder and then, understand that only the hand of the Lord could have wrought such miracles. The Lord alone can make the deserts bloom and the forest into a veritable paradise. He is the God of Israel or the One who proves Himself to be the faithful God in the midst of our struggles and challenges. He is the One who gives us victory in every conceivable and impossible situation. The Lord cares for each one of us intimately and deeply. We need to walk close to Him and depend on Him for our sustenance, protection, guidance, provision, promotion like sheep on a shepherd. When we are extremely thirsty, our tongues get parched and we become restless, tired, weakened. Likewise, when our thirst is quenched, we feel full of life, strong, energized, powerful to take on life and its challenges.

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Just in Time

UV 4289/10000 Just In Time Therefore say to them, “ Thus says the Lord God, “None of my words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be fulfilled completely,” says the Lord God. Ezekiel 12 v 28 The word of the Lord is sure to be fulfilled in its time. In this uni-verse, the Lord Himself declares that there will be no delay or postponement of His word. Not just that it will be completely fulfilled to the last word. Our faith in the specific promise or assurance of God expressed in persistent prayer puts the word of God into motion to be fulfilled in our lives. Constantly recalling the specific portion of scripture or a specific promise right through our days is a sign of our hope in the word. If there is any seeming delay in it being fulfilled, we need to be patient and keep expecting it to happen in His time and not be disappointed or give up. The Lord often tests our faith and rewards it when we show confidence, patience and hope as we lay claim to the promises of God. Sometimes there is an apparent delay in fulfillment of a vision due to our lack of faith, disobedience or as we are not yet ready for it. Often, as we do not act in faith and take the first steps in obeying the Lord, the vision is not fulfilled or delayed. Whenever there is a delay, we need to examine our faith, our lives, our actions and see if there is a deficiency instead of grumbling or complaining or having negative attitudes towards the Lord or His word. Like Gideon, we can ask in faith for a sign of favour from the Lord in the specific matter we are seeking an answer or His guidance. The Lord revels in doing miracles and wonders in response to the faithful prayer of believers. We need to believe that there is nothing too hard or impossible for the Lord. Wherever responsibility for practical action lies with us, we need to go ahead and not hesitate. We, humans, have a limited vision and knowledge of a particular situation and hence, we need to trust the Lord as He has complete knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We can always, however, ask for an increased measure of faith or wisdom to tackle our real life situations and challenges. Our attitude while we are waiting for a word to be fulfilled should be one not of anxiety, depression or doubt but of thanksgiving, praise, faith, trust, hope and joy. Indeed, when we praise and worship Him in every circumstance of life, He raises us, the level of our faith, our understanding, our strength, our joy. Hence, Paul wrote, “ Be joyful in all circumstances.” We are not creatures of circumstances but children of the living God. We feed and imbibe on the living word for all aspects of our lives.

Saturday, June 25, 2022

The Key to the Door of Life

UV 4288/10000 The Key to the Door of Life And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key ( to the house) of David, He who opens and no one will ( be able to) shut, and He who shuts and no one opens: Revelation 3 v 7 The Lord holds the key to life, to eternal life. He uses it, His master key to open the door that He wants to open for His own, those who love Him and follow Him. He also uses it to shut the door that He does not want us to enter, the door of sin, evil, temptations, trials brought to us by our enemies that are not in accordance with His will. When we listen to the words of Jesus, when we recall His words and keep it, we are entering the door that He has opened. This is the reason Jesus described Himself as the Door, the Gate to eternal life. Each promise of God in scripture is actually a spiritual key to some door, either to shut it or to open it. Each verse contains a treasure of either hope or of wisdom. Wisdom preserves our souls and lives even as it prospers us in spirit, mind and body. Hope fulfilled leads to testimonies of faith and joy. The house of David refers to the kingdom of God. For David was from a humble background and obscure family of shepherds and soldiers but God opened the door for him to be king and forerunner of the King of Kings, the Messiah Jesus Christ. His enemies including King Saul tried to close the door to royalty to David but no one could shut the door. Likewise, no one can deprive us of the blessings and anointing the Lord has prepared for each of us. We have too little strength of our own. We need to depend on the joy of the Lord. When we do things and say things that please God and we make Him joyful. That joy give us great strength and power. We cannot depend on our own limited human wisdom. He is the source of our unlimited wisdom, guidance and strength. Nothing and no one can prevail against the will of God and the word of God. We should never deny the name of Jesus but acknowledge Him for there is redeeming power in the very name of Jesus, cleansing power in His blood, sanctifying power in the Holy Spirit, equipping and enabling power in the Word of God. Our hands should not be weak and instead do all the Lord has given to us to do. Then, our work will be rewarded in this lifetime and the life to come.

Friday, June 24, 2022

God Alone Completes Us

UV 4287/10000 God Alone Completes Us The One forming light and creating darkness; I am the Lord who does all these things. Isaiah 45 v 7 The Lord is sovereign. He is the One who is to be acknowledged in all our ways and on all our days from the rising of the sun to its setting. For He is the One who not only created light and darkness but is with us during the day and during the night, in matters known to us and matters hidden from us, not known to us. He is the One who wipes our tears, helps us solve our problems, heals our diseases, overcome the enemies who rise against us in different directions and domains. He is the One who is with us in peaceful times and during disasters. We are to walk in the footprints of Jesus. He shakes His hands at the enemies that rise against us and throws them into disarray. He sends His angels to guard and preserve our lives in all kinds of perils. He gives us the hidden riches and treasures out of darkness and secret places. He goes before us and levels the mountains before us, namely the huge challenges and difficulties we confront in our daily lives. He disarms powerful men and makes them vulnerable before us on account of His greater might and power. He has called us personally and by our names as He called Cyrus. He greatly strengthens us to perform His will and fulfill the vision the Lord gives us. If God can use a person who did not know Him like king Cyrus, how much more can He use us who know Him personally and intimately. Our rock foundation is Jesus and our strength and joy is derived from such a foundation. Like the fish move and exist in water and on account of the water and derives all it needs from the surrounding water, we live and move and exist in God through Jesus. Jesus is like the gills of the fish that enable us to live in and swim in Him and against the currents of this chaotic world. There is no substitute for God in our lives. He is the One who causes favourable circumstances in our lives and enable us to negotiate through difficult circumstances.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Leadership is Shepherding

UV 4286/10000 Leadership is Shepherding “I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23 v 4 The Lord Jesus being the Good Shepherd that He is, sets up or anoints shepherds or leaders or pastors and mentors to take care of His sheep, the believers of Christ Jesus. These shepherds will feed them with knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. They will be fattened and strengthened spiritually such that no one can cause them to be afraid or terrify them. Not one of them will be lost or harmed or found missing. This is the solemn promise or unbreakable covenant of the Lord to husband or protect us to the very end and beyond as no human leader can. The Lord promises to gather His scattered sheep from all the lands or nations of the world and cause them to be fruitful and multiply., We need to be in submission to the spiritual mentors or leaders the Lord sets over us. Their guidance, teachings, encouragement and prayers will safeguard us from the evil one and lead us from victory to victory. We are secure on account of their care and love for us. From this uni-verse, we learn that true leadership is about being good shepherds in the mould and footsteps of Jesus Himself. David, the shepherd boy risked his life as he fought a lion and a bear to safeguard his sheep. Likewise, Jesus fought the roaring lion satan and his underlings to safeguard each one of us. He has wrested us from the mouth of the lion and the deadly claws and crushing embrace of the bear, metaphors for the real threats and dangers we encounter in our lives. A good shepherd also provides for the needs of the sheep. Likewise, the Lord provides abundantly for all our needs, spiritual, material, financial, social, emotional, intellectual such that we lack in nothing. Jesus trains His sheep also to be shepherds to others, to feed, nurture and secure them with the truths of the word that He taught them. The goal is none should be lost. We need to be caring, alert, skillful in the supernatural or spiritual just as the competent shepherd David was in the natural. Knowledge and understanding of the word of God and prayer are the principal weapons of defence and offence in our hands just as the staff and the sling were David’s chief weapons.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Fulfilling the Vision

UV 4285/10000 Fulfilling The Vision As for the gold, the silver, the bronze, and the iron, there is no limit. So arise and begin working, and may the Lord be with you.” I Chronicles 22 v 16 When God gives us a vision or a task to be fulfilled by us, He also will make the provision. The resources will be available once I start in right earnest obeying or carrying out the vision. David was exhorting the workers and the people assigned the task of building the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, stating that they can commence their work without worrying about whether there will be enough resources to execute it. All the gold and silver in the world belongs to the Lord since it is created by Him. Hence, we can be confident that we will not fall short of resources in the task we are assigned by the Lord. Unless the Lord be with us, our labour will be in vain. Hence, we need to work in close partnership with the Lord in any project we undertake in His name. We need to make a beginning without procrastinating. We need to work daily and consistently towards the goal, however big or distant or difficult it might seem. We need to believe that the Lord is faithful and He will bring it to fruition in His time. We need not be frustrated by the weaknesses, challenges, problems we confront as we go ahead with our mission. Finally, we need to set our hearts and minds to enquire, to seek of the Lord continual guidance and grace. He will send the Holy Spirit to counsel, empower and equip us. Whatever skill or ability we lack, He will provide in some way that He alone can. Whatever wisdom or knowledge we need we will find it in the Lord if we ask of Him. The anointing of the Lord will equip us for every task, however gigantic or insurmountable it might seem. David was praying for the various leaders and teams as they did the work of constructing the temple. Likewise, much prayer must both precede and accompany till the very end of any project we undertake. His power working in us is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we think, imagine or ask.

Sunday, April 17, 2022

The Temple of Continual Worship

UV 4284/10000 The Temple of Continual Worship And they were continually in the temple blessing and praising God. Luke 24 v 53 When the disciples understood fully that Jesus lives and that He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, they were filled with exceeding joy. Their joy overflowed into continual blessing and praising of God in the temple. Today, the new covenant temple is not a building built with human hands but our entire human bodies. Having understood the message of Jesus, being part of His purpose and mission fills us with joy that in turn, overflows into continual blessing and praising of God. Our entire being should be changed into a fountain of praise and blessing of the Lord. When we understand that Jesus did the greatest miracle in the three days since His death on the cross, that He changed our human destiny from hell-bound to heaven-bound, that He made available in abundance the three things that matter most in life- faith, hope and love. That in so doing He transformed both our eternal destiny and our earthly lives. Do we need to ask for anything more? Instead, we should turn our hearts and minds to continually bless and praise the Lord. When we continually rejoice in the Lord, again and again and praise Him continually, it becomes the spring, the source of further joy and blessings. The presence of the Lord in our lives will be ever stronger and we will be fully clothed or equipped with the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Whatever else that we might be doing, a continual stream of praise and thanksgiving should pour forth from our hearts and minds towards the Lord. Such expression of gratitude will transform our lives.

Friday, April 15, 2022

The Understanding of the Word

UV 4283/10000 The Understanding of the Word Then He opened their minds to (help them) understand the Scriptures. Luke 24 v 45 Our minds are closed systems. We can see only what the mind knows and what we know is limited. Scripture cannot be understood with only our natural minds. The Holy Spirit is needed to interpret its meaning to us in its context. The disciples did not fully believe Jesus or His words. It is in His post-resurrection ministry that Jesus convinced them of the truth of the gospel that He became sin so that man becomes sinless. The power of the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples with convicting power and transformed them from fearful disciples to fearless apostles. The disciples on the way to Emmaus who were perplexed by the events of the preceding week were helped by the resurrected Jesus to understand the scriptures concerning His death and resurrection. His words burned brightly in their hearts as He explained it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized that the unknown stranger who was accompanying them on the road to Emmaus was none other than the resurrected Jesus whom they were mourning. Jesus comforted them in their great distress with His appearance and His teaching that made them understand that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer such pain and trauma before being resurrected and seated in glory next to the Father. When man first sinned, the eternal breath of the Almighty Creator and Father was taken away. When we first believe in Jesus as the payment, the ransom for our sin and that He is now the risen Lord and Saviour, the eternal breath of the Father is restored to us. God breathes through our nostrils and His presence is in us. Now, a day without Jesus and God, the Father and the Holy Spirit is a day without food, without shelter, without inspiration, without joy, without purpose and power, without gain, a day wasted and vain. Since God is Emmanuel, He dwells in us as the Triune Person of God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What we think and say, becomes virtually the decree, the declaration of God.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Narrow Path

UV 4282/10000 The Narrow Path Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7 v 13 Jesus is the narrow gate. He is the entry point into the kingdom of eternal life, the kingdom of God. Faith in Him is the way of righteousness. The narrow gate and the narrow way is the path less travelled, the less popular option of humanity. Yet, it is the way of eternal gain, not eternal loss. It is the path to fulfilment and eternal life. Any other option is the easier one. Most people opt for the easy way out, the path that looks smooth and not difficult, not having many challenges, not risky, not uncomfortable. The narrow wicket gate is not the gate the wicked of this world will take. Jesus declared that He is the door to eternal and abundant life but warns people that it is not an easy path. Following Jesus and obeying His teachings, applying the principles of Jesus to our every step is not the popular option but it is the only thing that leads to eternal life. As the path is narrow and rough, we might fall from time to time. Our progress might be slow and hindered but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to encourage us, guide us, lead us, strengthen us. His word is our google map to help us find our way back whenever we appear lost. The alternatives to Jesus are many- the path of man-made religion, philosophies of this world that seem to help one make sense of this world and might even give us some strength and success in getting ahead. But eventually what comes of it is eternal loss and eternal death. The path is broad, the road is smooth but it ends in a steep precipice. The enemy deceives mankind to take this broad road with false signages saying, “Happiness, Prosperity, Peace.. “

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Made for Greatness

UV 4281/10000 Made for Greatness Then God said, “ Let Us, ( Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to our likeness ( not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness); and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1 v 26 God has made us great. Like Adam, we lost that greatness somewhere in our journey. Now, we have the opportunity in Christ to rediscover our greatness. We are called for leadership and excellence. Our greatness does not lie in our physical attributes, the positions and titles we have, the material wealth we accumulate but in our spiritual nature and our moral likeness to God, Our Creator, Our Redeemer. God made Jesus, the greatest of humans who never lost His greatness, to be like us so that we can be like Him. Let us face it – we are made for greatness and for enjoying complete authority over all the earth, over the rest of creation. We are not to strive for dominion over other humans but for dominion over all of nature. When we are restored to the Christ nature, the original image of God in which we were created by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, we attain greatness, we fulfil the purpose of God, for which we were formed. Jesus derived His authority over nature from His spiritual and moral power- even the winds and waves obeyed Him. Recall the instance of the fish delivering a golden drachma to Peter, the former fisherman, so that they could pay their tax to Caesar’s representative. The fish would have obeyed no Caesar for they had lost their source of greatness, their moral authority. Today, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are involved in restoring us to our rightful greatness and authority. Our words release the power of God on earth. We become the instruments of God on earth to rule it and dominate it. We use power to serve humans and dominate nature- the evil nature sown in us by the enemy as well as the elements of nature. We are to dominate or defeat and rule over the evil manifested by human sin in this world. The Son -Jesus is described as the Word and hence, the word of God we read, the words that we think and speak have the power of God in it for life and eternity when directed by God and the power of death when it is directed by the devil. As children of God, we have the right to spiritual bread. Jesus said, “ Healing and deliverance is the children’s bread” or our right as children of God. The word of God is our spiritual bread. If we do not eat physical bread or food, our body crumbles or weakens. We cannot be healthy or strong without food. Likewise, we cannot be spiritually strong and healthy, we cannot discover or manifest our godlike greatness or exercise kingly authority or leadership without the divine manna, the word of God.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

The Power of God

UV 4311/10000 The Power of God Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was restored to health at that very hour. Matthew 8 v 13 The centurion was a man of high position, power and wealth. But he humbled himself to come to Jesus and seek the healing of his servant. When Jesus offered to come to his house, he said with all humility that he was not worthy to have Him come under his roof, that He only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. He explained that just as he had authority in the secular world, the Lord Jesus exercised authority over the spiritual realms. He just had to speak the word and his servant would be healed, he believed and affirmed with his mouth. Jesus was astonished at his faith and said that He had found no one with this kind of faith in all of Israel. Seeing the centurion’s faith, Jesus spoke the uni-verse- “Go, it will be done for you as you have believed.” The centurion’s concern for the health of his servant is another remarkable aspect. He was willing to meet Jesus, a stranger to him and plead on his behalf. Like the centurion, we should set aside all our titles, positions, worldly influence and submit to the Lord. The moment Jesus spoke the word, the servant was healed- that very hour. The centurion understood that just as his servant would have obeyed him, so even demons and disease would obey the word of Jesus. The centurion was awed and held Jesus in great reverence and respect. Jesus, likewise, paid the highest encomium to his understanding and faith. We, like the centurion, need to humble ourselves always before the Lord. The Lord would never ignore our humble pleas. He will certainly honour our trust and faith in His miraculous power and authority over the natural and supernatural world. Another remarkable fact is that Jesus knew His power to heal by just His thought or His word but He said He would go to the house of the centurion. In short, the Lord manifests His authority and power in accordance with our faith, our confession and expectation of Him. He will never disappoint us or fail us. The centurion was not a Jew and yet, Jesus responded to his request and expression of faith. It shows Jesus treats all humans as Friends of God and does not discriminate on race, language, religion.

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Personal Covenant Making and Keeping

UV 4310/10000 Personal Covenant Making and Keeping I have made a covenant ( agreement) with my eyes; how then could I gaze ( lustfully) at a virgin? Job 31 v 1 This uni-verse introduces a new, innovative spiritual practice adopted by Job. No wonder God was pleased with him and the devil was displeased with him and sought to sift him with many trials and tribulations. We could take a page from Job’s life and make a covenant with our eyes, our mouths, our tongues, our appetite, our egos not to sin against God. We can make a covenant to consider all women other than our spouse to be our sisters or brothers as the case may be. We can make a covenant with our lips, our mouths, our vocal cords not to argue, not to complain, not to say vulgar things, not to abuse, not to criticize others, not to say anything hurting, negative or sarcastic. We can make a covenant with our brains or minds not to think a negative thought or yield to temptation. We can make a covenant with our legs not to go to a sinful place or a place of temptation but to flee it like Joseph. A covenant is a sacred, inviolable agreement in which God is our witness. These covenants we make with our own various faculties and organs will move us closer and closer to the standards of holiness or righteousness God call us to uphold in our lives. If we are able to keep our covenants with our mouths and discipline our speech, James goes so far to call us perfect. Of course, we need to confront the fact that we cannot keep any of these internal covenants without the grace of God, the help of the Holy Spirit who will remind us of the terms of our agreements. The question is whether if we constrain ourselves with so many personal agreements, whether we will have any freedom, whether our lives would be enjoyable. These agreements, in fact, are meant not to restrict us but to enlarge our territories like Jabez, to increase our influence, to protect and preserve our testimonies, to bless us. It will accelerate our spiritual and personal growth like never before. When our energies are regulated like the water of a dam, it becomes a powerful force, not a burden or a hindrance.

Monday, February 7, 2022

Repent and Reset

UV 4309/10000 Repent and Reset So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1 v 27 God created man in His own image. Hence, when man and woman were first created they were good, absolutely good with no iota of evil like God. But, the enemy came and planted the weeds, the seed of evil in man and woman. Today, good and evil are mixed in human nature. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we first repent and our lives are reset. We are once again restored to the image of Christ, the visible image of God. Thereafter, whenever we fall short of God’s standards described in His word, we are to repent and reset our lives. We should not own the negatives or evil in our human nature as we were created in the image of God- a reflection of the absolute goodness of God. We need not defend or deny our negatives but we only need to repent and reset our lives. In respect of any specific fault that we become aware or someone points out, we need to repent and reset, or in other words, change to be like Christ. Even the current covid global pandemic is a call from God to humanity to repent and reset. When we realize that we are to reflect God in His holiness, glory, majesty, wisdom, beauty and grace like a mirror reflects an image, we will not try to hide our faults but try to keep improving. Repent and reset is a good concept to import from spirituality and faith into the realm of corporate and personal management. Even on a computer, we need to use control, delete, alt buttons to change what we have typed. We need to delete our past negatives, control our negative thoughts, emotions, impulses and alter our lives to move forward. Paul wrote, “Forgetting what is past, I surge forward to do the will of God.” We need to forget our bad memories and keep surging forward in hope, faith, courage and strength. The enemy will try to bring accusations, doubts, fears to weaken our resolve, to demotivate, to demoralize us. But when we are sealed by God with the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, he cannot steal our inner peace or joy.

Saturday, February 5, 2022

The Feet of Iron and Clay

UV 4308/10000 The Feet of Iron and Clay Its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay ( pottery). Daniel 2 v 33 We, humans, are partly made up of iron, or strengths and partly of clay, weaknesses. The English expression, “All have feet of clay should” actually read, “All have feet of iron and clay. The trouble is that the iron and clay are mixed up. The story of the good wolf or dog and bad wolf or dog existing in each man and the need to fee the former and starve the latter does not make much sense as our good is mixed up with evil, our strengths with weaknesses. Some of our foundational ( symbolized by feet) beliefs are of iron or inducing strength and power in us but it is mixed up with clay or human weaknesses. Jesus refers to it as the good crop mixed up with the tares or weeds. As in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar interpreted by Daniel, the stone not cut with human hands that can demolish the clay parts or our weaknesses is none other than Jesus Christ. All who are touched by Him and saved by Him become the great mountain of faith that filled the whole earth. In practical and spiritual terms, every day we need to surrender our clay parts to the Lord and ask Him to use our iron parts for the building of the mountain. We need to examine ourselves regularly, seeking the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to identify the clay parts for it can be disguised to look like iron on the surface and to remove it. The process of sanctification is one of separating the iron from the clay. The iron-clay mix applies also to our emotions, our thoughts, actions and responses to various stimuli in life. The Lord wants us to remove the clay or emotions that make us weak, the thoughts that make us weak and prone to sin, the actions or habits that make us weak and to build the emotions, thoughts, actions, habits that make us strong. The Lord’s power, wisdom and glory is often revealed in how He deals with our weaknesses. Hence, Paul wrote that “ In my weakness is His strength.” Our iron parts or strengths itself are like clay in His hand. As we surrender our strengths and weaknesses to Him, He will take it and use it for revealing or manifesting His power, wisdom and glory.

Monday, January 31, 2022

The Joy that Comes From Sincere Sorrow

UV 4307/10000 The Joy that Comes from Sincere Sorrow Blessed are those who mourn (over their sins and repent), for they will be comforted ( when the burden of sin is lifted). Matthew 5 v 4 Each beatitude is related to a specific fruit of the spirit. When we repent and mourn over our personal sin, we are comforted by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and our spirit of mourning is replaced by one of joy. We feed a great relief as if a big weight has shifted off our shoulders. This uni-verse, then is the one related to the fruit of joy. Though we are saved by faith when we first repented and placed our faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we need to keep practicing mourning daily and from time to time over specific sins as long as we live even as it is necessary to bathe every day in order to maintain our personal hygiene. We are to mourn as that part of us which caused us to sin is to die or to be put to death on the cross. The other beatitudes – to be poor in spirit is related to the fruit of humility. To be gentle is related to the fruit of kindness and patience. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is related to the fruit of goodness. To be merciful is related to love even as God forgave us in His agape love and Christ chose to pay the price for our sin. To be tolerant of insults, persecution and false accusations is also related to this beatitude of mercy. To be pure in heart is a choice or in other words related to the fruit of self control. To pray and work for peace is related to the fruit of peace. Hence, it does not mean that Jesus is asking us to only practice one of the attributes or beatitudes but with the help of the Holy Spirit to manifest all nine. When we give priority to practice all the nine principles that Jesus taught and so manifest all the nine fruit of the spirit, we will be exceedingly joyful. We may not see our rewards and “promised land” on earth but we will see it from afar in heaven and the hope will keep us from being frustrated, from questioning or doubting God, from weakening in our faith. All these attitudes or attributes are useful in responsibly and effectively putting to use each of the nine spiritual gifts- gifts of healing, doing miracles of deliverance, other miracles, speaking in tongues, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, gift of discernment, prophecy, discernment of spirits.

Word's Worth

UV 4306/10000 Word’s Worth But Jesus replied, “ It is written and forever remains written, “ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4 v 4 Jesus, as the Author of life and of our faith knew and uncovered for all mankind the fundamental principles of life. In this uni-verse, Jesus countered the devil’s tempting words challenging Him to prove His deity by turning stone into bread. Jesus was extremely hungry as He had fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness. The devil was trying to take advantage of a weak moment- a physical weakness due to lack of food for an extended period of time. Moses had likewise fasted for forty days and nights. The long fast was intended to both strengthen Jesus spiritually and to test Him. But Jesus replied to the tempter with the uni-verse. The verse implies that though we live physically and we need food and water to sustain us, what sustains us spiritually is the word of God. Every word from God counts. This is the reason that I have over the past eleven and three fourths of an year meditated, analysed every word in each uni-verse as the Spirit laid it upon my heart. Every word has life-giving, life-sustaining, life-enhancing power like nutritious food has as far as the body and its organs are concerned. Just as food contains even medicine and vitamins needed for the body in its various functions, every word in scripture contains and releases healing to our spirits and minds. Every word is part of the sharp edge of a spiritual sword or part of the strong base of a spiritual shield. The principles of life and of eternal life are contained in the word. We need to believe that every word in scripture is actually the utterance of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, committed to writing by faithful men through the generations. We need to trust that God is able to do unto us as it is written in the word. We need to believe that Jesus is the ultimate word of God incarnated in flesh. It is in Him and through Him that our every inner need is met, satisfied, fulfilled. The hope of the promises of God, the authority of the commands of God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit are released in us as we intake the word. The word is the fuel that lights up our lives. We have an apt word for every situation in life. We need to meditate on each word and phrase and apply it to our lives. The word is the wisdom from above meant for our internal needs and our eternal needs, that is pure, serene, perfect. We need to treasure each word as if it is more valuable than pure gold. We need to taste each word as if it is sweeter and more delicious than wild honey. We need to handle each word carefully as if it is a sharp weapon. We need the help and training of the Holy Spirit to analyse and interpret the word correctly.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Our Primary Identity

UV 4305/10000 Our Primary Identity But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right ( the authority, the privilege) to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in ( adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name. John 1 v 12 We, who believe in the name of Jesus, that He is the Son of God, the Messiah sent by the Father to save all mankind from sin and its consequences, are declared by Jesus as the children of God, born not of flesh but of the Spirit. As children of God, we have many rights, privileges and authority derived from the name of Jesus. Just like the constitution of a country gives its citizens a bill of rights, we have a biblical bill of rights, privileges and powers. We have the right as children to call Him, “Abba, Father”. We have the right to supernatural provision, the right to supernatural protection, the right to being taught by Him, the privilege of talking to Him at any time and for any reason. We have the right to live for eternity. We have the right to every blessing and every promise of God in the name of Jesus, the first born. We have the right to inherit His mantle of leadership and influence in the kingdom of God. Our primary identity is no longer that derived from our earthly parents of nationality, religion, community. Our primary identity is derived from our kinship to Jesus. We, also deem it a privilege to suffer like Jesus in this lifetime. We have the privilege of sharing His divine nature that enables us to endure such suffering. We share in the authority of Jesus over the angels as well as the demons. We have the privilege to experience the truths of the beatitudes taught by Jesus as we reflect those attitudes. We have authority over disease, natural phenomena, the spirit world for Jesus demonstrated such authority. We believe nothing is impossible for us as we are children of God. We have the right to seek the Lord’s help to overcome our inner weaknesses and temptations. We have the right to seek His counsel and comfort at all times and in any affliction. We have the right to seek deliverance from any issue, problem, conflict or affliction. As children of God, we have the right to rule over the political, economic and social structures of this world. We have the authority to command satan and his fallen angels to flee at the mention of the name of Jesus. We have the right to enjoy every good thing or blessing in this world without any sense of guilt. As children of God, we trust in the name of Jesus wholeheartedly, we trust in the word of God as His revealed will, we depend on His grace in every circumstance.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

The Arrows of the Lord

UV 4305/10000 The Arrows of the Lord Your arrows are sharp; The people (nations) fall under you; Your arrows pierce the hearts of the King’s enemies. Psalm 45 v 5 God’s word is like a sharp arrow and can penetrate even a stony heart, to turn it into a soft, sensitive one of flesh and blood. The Lord Jesus is the only true king who rules the nations with truth, humility and righteousness. When we bow to Him, acknowledging Him as King of our lives, He sends arrows into the hearts of leaders and people following them in all nations. Our prayers direct the arrows to the hearts of different people in all nations. The mythical Cupid’s arrows pierce hearts of humans to fill them with romantic love while the arrows of the Lord cause people to love God and man with agape or unconditional love. When we allow the Lord to bend and shape our lives and careers, He uses us as His bows to fire His arrows into the hearts of people we relate to. Our responsibility is to surrender to His will and He chooses the targets to be fired at. The enemies of the King refers to satan and his agents, the fallen angels, the demonic spirits that plague mankind. These forces fire the fiery darts of the enemy into the minds of human beings to cause sorrow, loss, death and destruction. The results are the mishaps, tragedies, crimes, wars that result from the negative influence of these nefarious forces on humanity. In contrast, the arrows of the Lord are life-giving, life- changing, empowering, enabling and enhancing. These arrows never miss or fall short of their targets. The word of the Lord which the metaphor of arrows represent has a powerful, transformative effect on us. Instead of resisting it, we should welcome, cherish and relish the word and its influence in our lives. The word penetrates like a sharp arrow the layers of insincerity and hypocrisy that cover our hearts and makes our hearts sensitive to the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It plants the seed of faith, hope and love deep in our hearts that will grow and bear much fruit in all seasons of our lives.

He Carries Us

UV 4304/10000 He Carries Us Even to your old age I am He, and even to your advanced old age I will carry you! Be assured I will carry you and I will save you. Isaiah 46 v 4 God not only cares for us but He carries us. He carried us while we were in our mothers’ wombs, implying that He was involved in forming, shaping and protecting us in the womb. He carried us while we were young and vulnerable. He carried us on His shoulders like a shepherd carries a young lamb. He carries us on His wings like an eagle. He carries us through the storms of life. He carries us when we are old and He carries us even in our advanced old age implying nineties and beyond. When we believe, pray over, claim this uni-verse the promise of living into old age and advanced old age becomes operational in our lives. It is not only an assurance of longevity but of protection all our lives and till the very end and beyond. When we die, He carries our souls to His side in heaven. When we are carried by someone, it is the ultimate care we are receiving. The person carries us has the confidence and the strength to carry us. The Lord is the only one capable of carrying us. He is strong enough to carry an entire nation – Israel on His shoulders. We have total protection when the Lord carries us. We, on our part, need only to carry this seed, the promise, this uni-verse in our hearts and minds all the time. The seed will grow and bear fruit in our lives in a variety of ways so that our faith in the Lord is complete. There is a saying that when we carry the Bible when we are young, the Bible will carry us when we are old. Life is larger than law but the Bible is larger than life. In all the diverse challenges of life, this uni-verse can uphold our faith, strengthen us, encourage us. The assurance we derive from such a portion of scripture fills us with hope and joy. The Lord carries us in all stages of our lives as He loves us more than even our own mother or parents. He is the One who sustains us, who supports us, provides for us, protects us and fights for us. We begin our journey in Him, end it in Him and continue into eternity with Him. We are never alone, never isolated, never abandoned for the Lord surrounds us with His love.

Monday, January 24, 2022

His Way, Our Highway

UV 4303/10000 His Way, Our Highway And I will make all My mountains a roadway, and My highways will be raised. Isaiah 49 v 11 We begin life by being stubborn and thinking, “ My way or the highway!” We change to some extent when we hit some roadblocks. But the Lord promises to make His way our highway. Every path we take becomes a virtual “road to Emmaus” for the Lord accompanies us on whichever road we take. Jesus said, “ I Am the Way!” In other words, Jesus is the way to eternal life, truth, peace, happiness, health, success, holistic prosperity, destiny, fulfilment. So we can walk in Him and walk with Him, too. Further, the Lord promises in this uni-verse to make all our problems a path to help us progress to where He wants to see us in terms of character, faith, testimony, contribution. The word of God is the sledgehammer to break the rocks in our mountains, to level it and flatten it to build the highways of the Lord. The word gives us guidance on what we should do immediately or today ( a lamp unto our feet) as well as in the short, mid-term, long term and in eternity ( a light unto our path). Not only does the Lord build a road or highway for us to traverse through life but shines a light on our pathway. For every problem or mountain we face in our lives, there is a promise or a specific word from the Lord in scripture. Building a roadway through mountains or by clearing mountains is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, discipline, energy, technology and sometimes even explosives and heavy machinery. The Lord will give us explosives from the word to blow up the spiritual strongholds, the barriers that stand in our way. He does not just give us the blueprint for the highway to be constructed but He stands with us as we build the road. The landscape keeps changing in our lives. Sometimes, we are travelling in a desert with no landmarks to guide us. Even in the desert where it is difficult or impossible to lay a good road, the Lord will enable us by His grace. The ways of the Lord are higher, much higher than the ways of man and hence, the highways of the Lord are raised far above the human ability to perceive, imagine or think of. As we engage in road building with the Lord, we will experience, see and hear things that the eye has not seen nor the ear heard or entered even into our very imagination. Every time we confront a mountain or a challenge in our lives, we are moved by the Lord to the next level of faith, hope and love. The purpose of the journey is not to get somewhere but to experience newer and deeper facets of our relationship with our Road Builder- the Lord.

The Daily Need for Self Examination

UV 4302/10000 The Daily Need for Self Examination God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Genesis 1 v 31 Even God evaluated what He had made. He examined the results of creation and had it validated. We, too, need to evaluate, examine and validate whatever we do. We need to check the quality of all our efforts in every field. We need to examine everything we do every day of our lives and aim to make improvements, changes in the days that follow. If we have the habit of introspecting and evaluating for some time every evening, it would be a very useful practice. We need to check in what ways have we fallen short of the image of God in our thoughts, words, actions and reactions. Having identified these shortcomings, we need to confess it to the Lord daily, seek His help to overcome it in the future. If there is some area where we need guidance, we can seek the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Our evaluation needs to be honest and truthful, not hiding anything from the Lord. Under the new covenant, any willful acts, any hidden sins, any unintentional errors can all be confessed and the Lord promises to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and set our record straight. We need not seek our validation for anything we do from any people other than the Lord but we can consider the feedback and constructive suggestions of people whom we trust. Every new day is an opportunity for us to make amends, to make changes for the better. As long as we are examining our lives in the light of the word of God and using it as a plumbline to verify if our lives are being built in alignment with the cornerstone Jesus, we are on the right track. Making ourselves accountable to an inner circle of believers or colleague is another useful way we can get frank and valuable corrections and endorsement as well of our decisions, actions and responses. We should not be emotion-driven, mood-driven, impulse-driven or even reason-driven. We need to be spirit-driven. We need to have clear standards or principles based on the word to evaluate ourselves. We should also check if our actions each day help us advance towards realizing the vision God has given us, the purpose set for us.

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Faith As A Process of Calling

UV 4301/10000 Faith as a Process of Calling And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Genesis 1 v 5 Faith is calling into being that which is not as if it is. Hence, it is a creative process. God used this process to call into being order out of chaos, light out of darkness, life out of dead matter. Even day and night divisions were called into being by God. We are to enjoy every day as the verse says, “This is the day the Lord has made (created). We shall rejoice and be glad in it.” Each day we are to rejoice with what the Lord has called into our lives and call into being that which we lack or need. We can approach God also through Christ only by faith. We call into being that which is not – righteousness, holiness as if it already is. God’s word has such power. Our words too have power. We can call into being that which is not as if it is. When we do so in the name of Christ, the authority of Christ is established as the basis for our faith, the foundation of all that we pray, speak, do. Naming a blessing or counting it is also a way of concluding the creative process of faith- for example, the names we give children can be a lifelong remembrance for them, us and others of the favour of the Lord. We suspend our senses when we exercise faith. To some extent we also suspend our sense that asks us to disbelieve and to only believe that which we can perceive with our senses. Apart from praying in the name of Jesus, when we pray on the basis of a scripture verse or portion, it is powerful. Sometimes, even a phrase or part of a promise verse that we hold onto as relevant for our need is also effective as the basis of our faith process. For we are calling into being that which is not, that which we need-say, a healing, a job, a financial provision, wisdom to take a decision while on the horns of a dilemma or a crossroad situation in life, a deliverance from oppression. After praying, we need to see with our spiritual perception that we are in the process of receiving that which we called into being though it is not perceivable yet by our senses. Hence, being thankful, hopeful and joyful during the period of waiting for the answer is part of the process of faith. Taking the first steps in some venture or in fulfilment of a vision as if God has already answered us is another way of confirming or affirming our faith. We can have hundred percentage faith only in God and His Word. The percentage of faith or trust we exercise in respect of other people, the things of this world, in ourselves is necessarily much less. Our positive confessions are also useful in calling into being that which is not, that which we are in need of in order to be joyful, strong and victorious in life. When we affirm our faith that God is answering our specific prayer request, we set in motion in the spiritual realm certain force or power that will bring it into being. One of the greatest objects we can use the faith process of calling into being is our own edification- the building of Christ-like character, of the birth and growth of the fruit of the spirit in our inner being. In Hebrews 11 v 34, the phrase- “out of weaknesses, were made strong” speaks to this kind of expression of faith. Faith is often referred to by believers as a muscle. Just like there are different kinds of muscles in our bodies, some strong depending on both natural endowment and constant exercise, some less developed, in our faith life, each of us have prowess or potential in certain areas of expression of faith. Our prior experiences or testimonies of others give rise to our own confidence or trust in God in these areas.

Monday, January 17, 2022

The Stone of Faith

UV 4298/10000 The Stone of Faith For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes ( symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I engrave an inscription on it,” declares the Lord of hosts,” and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day. Zechariah 3 v 9 Often, we can understand a verse of old testament only in conjunction with a portion or verse from the new testament. This verse when it is read along with the promise in the book of Revelation which speaks of a white stone makes complete sense. Jesus is the white cornerstone of our lives, the stone with seven eyes or complete knowledge, understanding and wisdom. When we build our lives around and on this foundation of faith in Jesus, the Lord removes our own guilt and that of our people in a single instant, the moment we put our trust in Him. We can then sit with peace with our neighbour under the vine (symbolizing prosperity) and the fig tree ( symbolizing peace). We become a branch of the tree of eternal life, producing the fruit of the spirit. The Joshua, spoken of in this uni-verse, is the high priest. The angel of the Lord appears to him and promises that the dirty clothes symbolizing his sinfulness would be replaced by the rich robes of salvation. He was adorned with a turban to symbolize the power to rule. He was asked to walk in the ways of the Lord and to serve God. If he did so, he would have free access to the presence of the Lord and would govern over the house of the Lord. The same promise is extended to believers of Christ, today. The Lord has removed our soiled clothes and given us the white clothes of salvation, crowned us with the helmet or turban of assurance and hope. Unlike the rest of the world who are perishing in their wickedness and hopelessness, our hope in Christ fills us with joy and strength. With a stone, the young boy David became the victor in the battle with the giant Goliath. Faith is the stone that Daniel sees in his vision, the stone that is not cut with human hands but is of divine origin. With faith, we can break down the feet of clay of the strongholds of wickedness of this world. The people of this world appear to be stronger than us but their weaknesses ( clay) is mixed with their apparent strengths. Wicked, ungodly people may be very powerful, healthy, personable, wealthy, influential but their feet of clay are broken by the white stone rolling down on it. They will come crumbling down in a single day, on the day of their judgement or on the day of their end just as we are saved in a single day or single moment. This is the sovereign will of God for He chooses one and rejects another. He chose Abel and rejected Cain. Cain was the stronger one but his strength was mixed with lack of reverence for God. Abel was killed but his innocent blood foreshadowed that of the Messiah Jesus. God chose Jacob and rejected Esau. Esau was the stronger one but his strength was mixed with lack of self control and greed. Jacob had many struggles but he emerged victorious. To one, the stone is a stone of stumbling that leads to his downfall, to the other, it is the stone of strength, victory and endurance.

Sunday, January 16, 2022

The Process of Sanctification

UV 4297/10000 The Process of Sanctification Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through ( that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged- consecrated to Him- set apart for His purpose); and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and ( be found) blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5 v 23 God has called us, separated us from the world. He is the One who gives us eternal peace. We are no longer restless and insecure. We are confident of our salvation by faith in Christ. Yet, we are being sanctified so that we conform to the first born, Jesus. He is the One who sanctifies us and makes us pure, whole and complete. We are like the vessels in the temple that are consecrated and set apart for the Lord. Our spirit, souls and bodies are sealed with the Spirit of God, washed in the blood of Christ and we should strive to stay blameless or blemishless in the sight of God and man. We are accountable to God and Christ for every thought, word and deed. Christ uses the agency of the Holy Spirit and the word to sanctify and complete us. The more we yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and apply the word, the process of our sanctification is speeded up. The word penetrates like a surgeon’s scalpel to the point where soul and spirit and body meet. It also washes and cleanses our inner being. We should always be filled with the lively hope that Jesus is coming back as Lord, that the day of the Lord is near. Instead of being complacent, we need to be sober and alert, energetic and eager to meet the Lord. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure for they shall see God.” Our eyes are opened to see God when our hearts and minds are purified. Our faith is not complete unless our inner being is refined and freed of all impurities, the lusts of this world. Both what goes into us and what comes out of us needs to be pure. The words we speak need to be sent through five filters to conform to the edifying “ THINK” and speak pattern the Lord commends us to practice continually: it it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring hope and faith in God and Christ and the good things of life? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind? We will not stumble, as St James wrote, if we are refining our speech by sending our thoughts and words through these five effective filters. Our tongues will be veritable instruments of peace and of salvation used by God.

Friday, January 14, 2022

Focus on the Lord

UV 4296/10000 Focus on the Locus-the Lord and Giver of Life 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 of praise, think continually on these things, ( center you mind on them, and implant them in your heart). Philippians 4 v 8 What or who is true, honourable, right, confirmed by God’s word, pure, wholesome, lovely, brings peace, admirable, of good repute, excellent, praiseworthy? When I look around, I find no one or no one thing reflects all these qualities except God and Christ. Therefore, the apostle Paul is asking us to think continually or continually focus on God. He is the locus of all creation. The Creator and Redeemer occupies central point or locus in our lives. Everything we think, speak and do reflects and relates back to Him. The extent to which we think about Him, we too will experience truth, justice, honour, purity, wholesomeness, love, peace, excellence and become worthy of praise, admiration. The amazing thing is that Paul is asking us not to meditate on God in our quiet times but all the time. Elsewhere, Paul says, ( in Thessalonians), “ Pray without ceasing.” When our minds are stayed or focused on God, His Son Jesus, our peace is established. Our purpose is fulfilled. Our eternity is guaranteed. When we think, meditate on God, pray to Him continually, it implies that we will thank and praise Him, also continually. God becomes our grand obsession, our only legitimate obsession for anything else that distracts detracts from His greatness, His glory. This is the reason, God declares Himself to be a jealous God. When God encompasses us, He becomes our compass. We find our direction, our light, our strength, our success in Him. But, are we capable of continually thinking, meditating, praying, praising God, distracted as we are by the world and its attractions and burdens, the longings of our own senses and urges? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We need the power of God to overcome the weaknesses of our flesh. The Lord knowing this, sent us, gifted us the Holy Spirit, the Breath or Ruah of God. He mingles with our every thought, every word, every breath, every moment, every effort and so enables us to focus on the Locus- the Lord and Giver of Life.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

The Signet Ring

UV 4295/10000 The Signet Ring “On that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “I will take you, my servant Zerubabbel son of Shealtiel,” declares the Lord, “ And I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. Haggai 2 v 23 When we lower our hearts before God as servants, He raises us like kings before man. On the day, we first humbled ourselves before God and believed that He is the One and only One who existed before all creation and caused all creation and further, He sent His Son Jesus to redeem mankind, we are taken by God Almighty. No one else can take us thereafter. He declares us as spiritual descendants of David to reign and rule like kings over the spiritual realms. We are like the signet ring of Almighty God. We are the final seal of approval, the symbol of ultimate authority over all powers on earth and all powers of darkness. No king has power to flatten a mountain but we have authority to flatten the mountains, to alter the landscape of human lives, to live with purpose, power and meaning. A signet ring is valuable- therefore, we are valuable. It is irreplaceable. We have the authority to issue decrees and declarations in the name of Jesus. A decree with the king’s seal is carried out even in the far reaches of a realm. It has power as long as it is not recalled or cancelled. Hence, the decrees we issue cannot be revoked unless we do so. A signet ring has the logo or court of arms of the owner so that it leaves an impression on that to which it is stamped or affixed. Hence, we are to leave an impression of the Almighty in all we think, speak, do or relate to. The Lord makes us or prepares us to be His symbol of authority and power. He uses His word to fashion us in His image. He uses our life experiences and encounters to shape us. A signet ring is strong and durable and hence, we are to be strong and enduring by His grace. We are symbols and emblems of God on earth. By carrying out His will in our lives and through our lives, we become His signet rings. We are signet rings with a difference, however. For we are not only symbols of God’s power and sovereignty but we are also to reflect His love and grace for though we do not deserve to serve Him as His representatives on earth, as His emblem of authority, He has chosen us in His love while we were yet, disobedient and sinful. Hence, we need to blend authority with love, humility and gentleness in the same manner as Jesus, our Saviour first and also, Lord and King. We are to always be mindful of our sinful past and stay guarded against falling into sin again and to be always grateful to the Lord for choosing us for salvation and to adorn His finger as a signet ring.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Shining Through Areas of Darkness

UV 4294/10000 Shining Through Areas of Darkness Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60 v 1 The call to arise comes to us as we are sitting in some areas of our lives in the darkness, the gross darkness of this world. Since the light of the world has come into our lives – Jesus Christ, we are to have no truck with darkness of this world- the evil brought on by sin and godlessness in this world. We are now restored to the glory of the Lord. We are to no longer dwell in hamartia or shortcoming. We are surrounded by the greatness of God. We are not to think, speak or do anything or desire anything that smacks of darkness or sin. Since we are part of the light, part of the solution, part of the way, the life and the resurrection, we have to stay apart or far from the darkness of this world. The light that has come into our lives is the personal knowledge of God, the knowledge of God as our Saviour, Redeemer, the God of Jacob or Israel. He is the Light by which we are able to see all things. He is the One who saves us from the darkness of this world. Darkness is therefore, synonymous with ignorance. We are freed from our ignorance. Knowledge is power and therefore, our new knowledge of God empowers us. The more knowledge of God we store in us, the more light or energy or power shines or radiates outward from our inner being. Both our influence and impact increases manifold in all the areas where we formerly dwelt in darkness. Since we belong to the Light, we have no excuse to continue in darkness. Hence, we need to keep examining our lives and see if any remnant of darkness remains in us, consciously or unconsciously and get progressively rid of it. The more we grow in the light, the further we go. The traces of ingrained darkness that remains in us needs to be first, identified in the light of His word, removed with the help of the Light. These areas of darkness might not just be wilful acts but could be disbelief in certain aspects of our faith. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to both identify these areas of darkness and to overcome it in His light.

Monday, January 10, 2022

Anointed to Rule

UV 4293/10000 Anointed to Rule This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus ( king of Persia), whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him, and I will ungird the loins of kings ( disarming them); To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: Isaiah 45 v 1 Those who are chosen by God are also anointed or equipped by Him. We are enabled by His grace and power to fulfill His purpose in our lives. He holds our right hand to empower us, to give us the authority, power and dominion over the nations. By virtue of his anointing or His authorization, we can strip kings of darkness and their earthly representatives in all nations of their defensive armour. We can disarm them of their weapons of destruction. The Lord will open doors before us that no man can shut. He will give us opportunities to demonstrate the power and authority of God on earth that no one can take away or block. We have a royal and eternal destiny like King Cyrus. Like King Cyrus saw himself as a servant king, who serves the living God, we are servant Kings in the order of Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. We are anointed or filled with the Holy Spirit to build God’s kingdom on earth like Cyrus was anointed to have the temple and Jerusalem re-built. The resources of heaven, the army of God is available to us for the fulfilment of our calling. The Lord also promises to go ahead of His people and to remove the obstacles even if these be as large and seemingly insurmountable as mountains. Even the strongest of doors cannot withstand His power. He can reach through bronze doors to deliver hidden treasures into our hands. He calls us personally and by our first names like He called Cyrus even when the latter did not know anything about the God of Israel. We have the advantage of knowing Him more fully thanks to the word of God which tells us in great detail who He is, what kind of person He is, the extent of His power and authority, His great love for those who trust Him. Any demonic force or power that rises against us, we can subdue in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Some of these forces try to kill us or destroy or weaken us with our inner strongholds of fear or doubt. Some try to rob us, causing us hurt and inner injuries. Some try to steal from us subtly so that we are not even aware of it. The satanic array of forces though they number 666 threats, dangers, viles against us are no match for the sovereign power of God and that of His people. Since God’s presence surrounds us like a cloud, defends us like a fire, since He holds our right hand and guides us in all our important areas and decisions, we can be confident of victory over all the 666. If we take a year as having 365 days, an average of one to two kings of darkness attack us on a daily basis. We should know from this uni-verse that we can strip them of their armour, neutralize their power to harm us. Once we exercise our kingly authority delegated to us by the Lord God, their strongholds will come crashing down and they cannot come near us to steal us of our mental or emotional peace, affect our holistic health of spirit, mind or body, impact our finances, our reputation, our emotions, our relationships, our present or future or eternity.