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.

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.

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.