On Obtaining Official Favour

UV 542/10,000 On Obtaining Official Favour :Nehemiah 1 v 11 “O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.” Nehemiah occupied a position of trust with the king of Persia. Yet, he went into his presence preceded by prayer and reverence. He first prayed to the King of kings and sought His favour. He acknowledged that though he served the king as his trusted cupbearer, he was in truth the servant of the Almighty God whom He desired to fear. He did not reluctantly fear God but He wholeheartedly delighted in fearing the Lord. He trusted in the king but he trusted more in the power and goodness of God. When we need to meet decision makers or people in position and authority, we need to go into the presence of God and ask the Lord to likewise prosper us. Believers should not develop an other-worldly attitude. Instead, they must aspire for positions of trust and authority where they can be a positive influence for the kingdom of God. The other day a pastor was telling me that a youngster told him that more than the testimony of a pastor or evangelist, when a person in position like me testifies to the goodness of God and the truth of the gospel, he would be more inclined to believe. He said, “ a cricket ball costs say Rs 100/- but in the hands of Sachin Tendulkar it is quite different and valuable as compared with being handled by an ordinary player of cricket.” Yesterday, a believer referred by someone else met me. He was burdened for the plight of another longtime partner of a home for destitutes. The latter was suddenly arrested and remanded to jail over a land deal that he had executed in good faith some twenty years ago. Though the matter did not directly fall in my area of authority or jurisdiction, I was moved and convinced to do something to help the man get bail. I therefore called the District Superintendent and requested him to use his good offices as I felt that there was a miscarriage of justice. I realized that the Lord had kept me in this position to be of help in such situations. My mere call was enough often to help such people out of desperate situations. Prateep V Philip

Treasures in Earthen Pots

UV 541/10,000 2 Corinthians 4 v 7 Treasures in Earthen pots 2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We have a choice to be a golden pot that is either empty or full of poor content or to be an earthen pot full of golden treasure. Most of the icons of sports, entertainment,politics, science and technology and culture fall in the former category. The very word, ‘icon” means “ I con” or I deceive and am deceived. Take the case of one of the best known icons of our times, Tiger Woods. He admitted he was deceiving his family, his friends, his admirers, his fans and above all his own true self as he carried on with several extra-marital liaisons. A better alternative is “ I believe”for we who believe are earthen vessels that are full of the treasure of heaven, the personal knowledge of our Creator-Redeemer, the knowledge of His Word, the excellency of the power of God. Unlike the icons of glamour and earthly power or position, we revel not in our external prestige or qualifications or qualities but we empty ourselves of our own egos so that God fills us. As a student I used to define myself as “ a mediocrity striving for excellence.” But, the Lord told me that I don’t have to strive for excellence. Since I am carrying His name and His Word in my heart and mind, I am excellent by virtue of the fact that the God of excellence dwells inside me. Since we are all made of the same clay, we need not strive with each other as rivals or adversaries. We need not be envious of the golden pots who seem so fortunate as we know we contain a far more enduring and precious treasure. Like the widow’s pot in the Elisha story, our pots are initially empty. But, as we believe and obey the Word of God, our pots get filled to overflowing. Faith creates the space in our minds and hearts to be filled with the excellency or abounding measure of the mercy, grace and truth of God. The source of our personal or professional excellence is not anything that we ourselves have attempted or done but it is the power of God working in us. Since we are filled with the excellency of the power and grace of God, we cannot be ordinary or average or mediocre in our lives and its impact. When people look at us, we have no visible external beauty or charisma. But, the secret of our strength and power lies within us. The “ treasure” that we contain is the faith that the Holy Spirit gifts us with. The promises of God contained in the Word are the treasure that we should cherish and relish. The vision, the prophetic word, the dreams that the Lord places in our lives are part of the inner treasure. Our heart is where our treasure lies. We must from time to time taking out this hidden spiritual treasure and take stock, remembering the Lord with thanksgiving. Since none of it is due to our own doing or accomplishment, it will not be the source of pride, lust or covetousness in our lives. Prateep V Philip

The Royal Priesthood

UV 540/10,000 Revelation 1 v 6 Royal Priesthood Rev 1:6 AndG2532 hath madeG4160 usG2248 kingsG935 andG2532 priestsG2409 unto GodG2316 andG2532 hisG848 Father;G3962 to himG846 be gloryG1391 andG2532 dominionG2904 for ever and ever.G1519 G165 G165 Amen.G281 Christ by his sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary purchased for us with His blood salvation or eternal life, implying that we will not be subject to a second spiritual death after our spirits depart from our physical bodies. But, not just that He has made us kings and priests or part of a royal priesthood in the order of Melchizedek. We are not born kings and priests but He has made us so. Hence, we derive our authority from the Lord. We must always remain accountable and thankful to Him for the exercise of godly authority and priestly office. As kings we have authority over all rulers and princes of darkness. We can wage spiritual warfare to claim back souls and to extend the dominions of God. Mechizedek was paid a tribute by Abraham. Similarly, we will eat of the fruits of the Gentiles or unbelievers. People in position and power will tremble and fear when they encounter us as they see God’s inner power at work in us. He has called us from the spiritual darkness or blindness of this world into the light or full vision of His glory. As kings we must make plans for the extension of God’s authority and power in the areas of our influence. As priests we must lead sanctified or pure lives. As priests we must offer prayers and worship on behalf of all the people we know who do not yet know, understand or believe Him. As kings we execute the will of God on earth. As priests we are His ministers to serve Him in all our ways. We can stand in the gap pleading and interceding for nations or the rest of humanity. The Lord will not remain deaf or mute as we plead with Him. He will send His angels, His spirit servants and even His servants in flesh and blood, believers to help us, to facilitate our work or to fructify our plans. As kings we need to be firm in the exercise of power and authority but as priests we need to be meek, compassionate, understanding and patient. The Holy Spirit once affirmed me through the words of a prophet, “ You know how to handle authority with humility and firmness.” Once I read in the paper that an astrologer predicted big disasters through out the world in a particular year. I prayed not just cancelling the power of that prediction, I prayed for the particular astrologer. The latter and his wife saw and testified to seeing a vision of Jesus. As kings we need to pass decrees by mingling our prayers with the Word of God declaring and proclaiming victory over every power of darkness. Then, the Lord will ordain and order even the forces of nature to work to help us or assist us in our task. Many leaders try to echo the thoughts of new age philosophers who say that when we are pursuing a particular purpose, even the universe will conspire to create circumstances favourable to us. This is a myth. The universe is as inert as a piece of wood or iron. It is the Creator of the Universe who ordains and orders our circumstances. All glory and dominion are meant not for the creation but for the Creator, the Father of lights. Prateep V Philip

The Awesome Acts of God

UV 539/10,000 Exodus 34 v 10 The Awesome Acts of God And He said, “ Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.” Our relationship with God is based on a covenant just as the relationship between a man and his wife is based on a covenant. The words used are in the present continuous tense, “ I make a covenant.” The Lord continues to make a covenant with each of us individually. Just as a couple are expected to be faithful to each other through thick and thin, we are expected to be faithful to the Lord. All glory and honour and power and dominion belong to the Lord and when we stray away from our covenant relationship, it provokes the anger or “jealousy” of God. The Lord promises that in the midst of all the people among whom we dwell, He will do marvels that have never been done before on the earth or in any nation. All the people in whose midst we live will see the awesome work of the Lord. He promises to do an awesome thing not unto us but with us. This is the reason the testimony of each believer is quite different and unique. The other day I met a believer who lost his son in an accident. While they were mourning, the Holy Spirit appeared in a vision accompanied by a gust of wind and comforted his wife by allowing her to talk to not just that son but to see him holding the hands of three other lads whom they had lost at birth. The Lord was keeping His covenant promise to do an awesome work in his life. What the Lord does with us is nationally unique and globally unparalleled. He is not just the one and only God but He is an Unique Person. He delights in manifesting His uniqueness in our lives. He is merciful, gracious, patient and abounding in grace and truth. The manifestations of the power of God are not meant to impress or to awe but to reveal a combination of these qualities of His personality. The worship we offer must not be a reaction of fear but in the nature of a love song from our hearts in the manner of the Song of Solomon. There might be sub-themes and sub-texts but the overarching banner is love:” My beloved is mine and I am His and His banner over me is love.” The thanksgiving we offer therefore must not be out of a sense of obligation but an outpouring of gratitude for just His being there for us. Our prayers must not be a litany of petitions and requests but an acknowledgement of our faith that He is able to do all things in, for and through us. Prateep V Philip

The Call to Be Peace Warriors

UV 538/10,000 I Timothy 6 v 12 The Call to be Peace Warriors Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hath professed a good profession before many witnesses. Fighting for one’s faith is as high intensity as warfare itself. The expression “ war footing” implies that one needs to mobilize all of one’s strength and resources in order to fight victoriously. There are no consolation prizes for losers. It is a mighty war calling for the manifestation of the power of the Almighty for we battle not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness. We are called to be peace warriors. A peace warrior is one who fights the battle within against fears, guilt, greed, lust, pride, anxiety and doubts. The Lord says, “ be a warrior not a worrier.” When we have won the battle within, no force on earth can withstand us. As scripture says, “ The riders on horses will be confounded.” The “riders on horses” implies those who are occupying positions of power and influence much higher than us will be confused and defeated as we face them unarmed but in the strength of our courage and faith. We face the challenges that life throws at us with the word of truth, the power of God and the armour of righteousness. Wearing the full armour will protect us from the deception of the enemy. The chief weapon of the enemy is to delude and deceive us. The respiration process of the peace warrior is prayer, continual prayer. We do not fight in the manner of flesh but fight in the spirit, tearing down spiritual strongholds of disbelief and deception. This is the “ good fight” where we shed love and peace and not blood or violence or hatred. We do not do shadow boxing or in other words we do not loose our focus and priorities but remain focused on the goal of winning the incorruptible prize of eternal life. We will not only start and continue the good fight but also finish well. Our faith and our resolve will not get weakened with time or circumstance. The essence of the victory of the peace warrior is the confession or profession of faith that he or she makes. The confession releases the power of God. When I told my then boss, the Superintendent of Police of the district where I was working in May 1991, “ My God will save me..”, without my knowing, it released the power of God to save me in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. If we confess before any human witnesses with our mouth, we are bringing our mouths in alignment with the mouth of God. We confess and profess as God speaks and the witness or the audience or the person listening to our words will see the mighty power of God at work in our lives. Though we are unarmed and vulnerable, our words will become armed with the very power of God. Prateep V Philip

Building the More Glorious House

UV 537/10,000 Haggai 1 v 14 Building the More Glorious House “ And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” It is the work of the Holy Spirit to “stir up” the people chosen of God. The Lord the Holy Spirit awakened or opened the eyes of the ruling elite, the priestly class and the rest of what was left of the nation of Israel or the “ remnant” to re-build the temple or house of God. It is not as if the God who created the vast universe needs a place to stay but it was a test of the faith and allegiance of the Jewish diaspora scattered in the Babylonian empire. The Lord stirs up the people so that they do not lead mere self-focussed lives symbolized by their “ paneled houses” (mentioned in Haggai chapter 2) but give priority to the work and worship of the Lord of hosts. Our earthly obsession with creature comforts should be replaced by a Godly obsession with the “Creator-Comforter.” There is a progression from the purely physical to the purely spiritual from Genesis to Revelation in the Bible. What is physical in the Old Testament prefigures the spiritual in the New Covenant times. The stone tablets with the Ten Commandments of Moses is replaced by the hearts and minds of people in the New Covenant on which the Holy Spirit writes the Word of God. The temple of Solomon is replaced by the more glorious temple of our living bodies, minds and spirits. In every age and every nation, the believers of the God of the Bible are but a “ remnant”. But, the Holy Spirit stirs up the hearts and minds of the Zerubbabels or the people in high office, positions of influence, responsibility and leadership, the Joshuas or the prophets, pastors, evangelists, the priestly office. The Lord also stirs the minds and spirits of the remaining members of the remnant who belong to all walks of life. He builds them up individually to be a temple of worship of the living God while each will also be a living brick in the overall edifice of the church, the Body of Christ. It is not for just the leaders or the priests to do the work of God but for all to use their good offices, both individually and collectively. Before their spirits were stirred up or their spiritual eyes were opened, the people focused on their own priorities in life. But, the Lord transformed their purpose in life. From pursuing temporal happiness symbolized by “ paneled houses”, the Lord of hosts gave them a higher vision. Formerly, the dew of heaven was withheld from them. God sent a drought upon their lands, their forests, their cattle and upon all their labour. Whatever they gathered as wages or harvest seemed to be going into empty bags with holes. There was a sense of emptiness or lack of fulfillment in their lives. As Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, it was all like “chasing the wind.” But, now as we worship the Lord of all heaven and earth in our spirits, minds and hearts, He is glorified and dwells in and with us. We will each do the work of the Lord in His house. He blesses all of our being, our possessions and all of our labour. It will no longer be a chasing of the wind but fulfillment of His sovereign purpose for our lives. This is the more glorious temple He seeks to build. Prateep V Philip

Rise and Build

UV 536/10,000 Nehemiah 2 v 18 Rise and Build Nehemiah 2 v 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. It is the role of the leader in the church or God’s Kingdom to inspire and enthuse the people to build the church and God’s Kingdom. Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king risked incurring the displeasure of the king but he looked for an opportunity to win his favour and petition the king to help him rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem. He moved out of his comfort zone and made personal sacrifices in order to do so. For the ancient Jews to rejoice when the temple was in ruins, when Jerusalem was overrun by enemies was apostasy. As the Psalmist wrote, “ How can I sing in a strange land?” When the city and the temple of God is in ruins, it is an open reproach to everyone. Nehemiah was moved in his heart and spirit to remove that reproach. As a royal official, Nehemiah enjoyed certain creature comforts in the palace of Susa but he was ready to forego all that and sought the king’s permission to undertake the long journey back to his homeland. But, he did not seek to undertake the task of rebuilding alone or merely with the king’s help. He enthused the people by sharing his experience of God’s mercy and grace He used it as an opportunity to glorify God and to build faith.. Building the church and God’s Kingdom on earth requires leaders with vision and people with commitment who share the vision to do something good or great for God who is the source of all goodness in our lives. It requires a strong sense of individual commitment as well as corporate effort of the whole house of God, the body of Christ, the people who know Him and love Him as Lord and Saviour. Nehemiah was intensely spiritual even as he was completely pragmatic. He knew he needed the king’s patronage not only in terms of raising the resources he needed for the project. . He needed the backing of the king’s authority to put off the formidable enemies of the Jews like Sanballat. He carefully took stock of the need. He secretly and confidentially surveyed the work to be done. Many of the Jews had been taken captive and taken away to distant lands, to the far reaches of the Persian empire. What remained in Jerusalem was a remnant of the race, of the house of Jacob, a demoralized people. Yet, God used Nehemiah to motivate them and take up the challenge of rebuilding from the ruins. It was the Lord who had stirred up their spirit. The people of the Jewish remnant responded by strengthening their resolve and contributing their mite. “ To rise up” means to draw strength and reserves of energy from deep within. Both the poor and the rich elite, the skilled and the unskilled, the talented and the not so gifted among them did not deem it below their dignity or above their means to contribute to physically re-building the wall apart from making contributions in cash and kind. They wanted to re-build a house for God that was even more glorious than before. The work to be done on different sections of the extensive walls of Jerusalem including the gates were divided among the different groups of Jews. From each according to their ability to each according to their need. When they faced opposition and even the threat of physical attacks and mortal danger, Nehemiah asked them to work with a sword in one hand and to build with the other. This is a metaphor in today’s world that believers need to strengthen themselves with the Word that is the sword of God on the one hand and with the other to do one’s calling or profession. The Lord once endorsed me saying, “ All year you have been doing My work as a police officer with one hand and with the other you have been carrying my sword.” When we do so, the Lord will open His hand of blessing upon us, our families and our land and we can testify as Nehemiah did, “ The hand of the Lord is good upon me.” When we move our feet in the direction of God’s will, His hand or His power, grace and provision will become manifest in our lives, families,work and ministry in ways we can neither expect nor predict nor imagine. When it comes to the Lord, expect the unexpected, do and give of your best and He will bestow His best on you. Prateep V Philip