Replace the Balloons with a Banner

UV 1634/10000 Replace the Balloons with a Banner
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41 v 16
The previous uni-verse stated that we should “thresh the mountains.” Mountains are huge collections of rock and earth dotting the face of the earth. Hence, the word “mountains” is a metaphor for the huge problems, difficulties, crises and challenges we face all through life. The way to deal with the mountains is not to break our heads on it or loose our peace and sense of joy while we confront these but to “ thresh it.” The concept of threshing comes from agriculture and it means to beat the plant to separate the grain from the straw. It implies that as we struggle with all our life’s issues, we discover the true meaning of life.
Our lives are like that of a balloon seller holding different balloons, each marked with the common aspirations of mankind- health, wealth, fame, immortality, pleasure. Each of these balloons will sooner or later burst as the balloon weakens or receives a tiny pin prick. The balloon seller left with all these burst balloons will realize that he too like a balloon one day would give up the air or breathe his last. He then decides that all he has that will last is his inner being or soul. It will last provides he finds a way to connect that soul while he is still breathing with the One who breathed that soul into him. Jesus said, “ I am the way to connect your soul with the Creator. Even if the whole world is lost, you have gained eternity.”
This uni-verse speaks of the process of winnowing after the threshing where the grain is further thrown or fanned in the air to separate the grain from the chaff. It implies that once we have chosen the way to connect with the Creator, we need to focus on separating the important from the less important, the essential from the non- essential. The wind that the Lord sends or the Holy Spirit will purify or refine us of the non –essential in our lives. If we do not willingly participate and speed up the winnowing process of life, we are inviting the whirlwind. The whirlwind will scatter those who are proud and unrepentant. Those who repent and change will find their mountains turn into a fountain of endless joy and peace. The uni-verse ends in a promise of joy –that we shall rejoice and return to the mountain of the Lord. Zion, in contrast to the mountains of sorrow and pain in our lives, is the mountain of the Lord, the joy of the whole earth. Whatever be our circumstance, when we take refuge in the strength, grace and mercy of the Lord, our mountains are levelled out, threshed and winnowed. Whatever be our problem, God is bigger. Whatever be the challenge, the Lord is our helper. Whatever be the sorrow, the Lord is our comfort. We shall glory in the Lord, implying that our victory is total and complete, lacking in no aspect. We have replaced the balloons with the banner of love and victory of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip

A Life Giving, Problem Solving Weapon

UV 1633/1000 A Life Giving, Problem Solving Weapon
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
Isaiah 41 v 15
The Lord promises to make us new and sharp. He will give us new skills and power to be His powerful instruments. Through our faith, our prayers and our choices we will thresh the mountains or problems, difficulties and challenges like a farmer threshes the grain. We will gain something profound, useful and valuable after confronting each difficulty or challenge in our lives. The story is told of a man who was told by the Lord to push against a rock outside his cabin with all his might. The man did that faithfully day after day for many years. The thought discouraged him that he had been pushing against the rock for a long time and it had not moved an inch. He asked the Lord in prayer, ‘ Why has the rock mountain not moved a bit?” The Lord replied, “ I only asked you to keep pushing with all your strength. I did not expect you to move it. Now look at your self: your arms and limbs are strong. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities surpass that which you had. Your calling was to be obedient and to push, trusting my word and wisdom. Now, I, my friend, will move the rock.” What is logically and intellectually impossible is spiritually possible. Prayer and the Word are not carnal weapons but sharp and new weapons to tackle every humungous problem we face in our real time lives. These weapons are powerful and effective to pull down strongholds and build our inner bulwarks of defence. We should exercise the faith that moves, shakes, diminishes mountains but we should also know that it is still God who moves mountains responding to our faith and obedience.
The words, “ thresh the mountains” and “beat them small” is a word of wisdom on how we are to face and resolve the difficulties and challenges we face. We need to chunk these huge challenges down to a level or size that we can handle and bit by bit overcome the problem. The Lord has called us to be effective problem solvers in a world full of problems. Not one of us can say that there is no mountain of a problem that we can attempt to resolve or dissolve. When the Word is loaded on the bow of our minds and we shoot it with the string of prayer at the specific challenge, it will penetrate to the very heart of the issue and resolve it. The Lord will send the mighty wind that will blow away the hills as if they are mere dust.

The promises of the Lord contained in the Word are like the sharp teeth of a saw or weapon. There are defensive promises to shield us from the weapons of darkness and all the tactics that the enemy uses against us. There are also weapons of offence or advancement that we can use to scale up in our lives to the next level. For every problem we face there is a promise in scripture. The process of activating or claiming the promise is belief in each word of the promise for each word is like a tooth, prayer on the basis of the covenant promise, patience to wait as the power of God begins to act and praise as the problem turns into something profitable for us or the hill disappears. Each challenge or mountainous issue will appear smaller and smaller till they disappear from our horizon. As each mountain appears before us, we should declare that “ you are but dust in the eyes of the Lord” and command that it break up into dust. As faith translates into reality, our testimonies will make us weapons or instruments in the hands of the Lord.
Prateep V Philip

The Leadership Tree

UV 1632/10000 The Leader as Tree
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
Judges 9 v 15

Jotham’s parable on the “bramble of leadership” is a wonderful lesson on leadership relevant to modern times as it was in the time he spoke it. Jotham was comparing the leadership of Abimelech, his step brother and son of Gideon as nothing but bramble or a thorn bush whose fire would one day destroy all other trees even as he had killed seventy of the sons of Gideon. The trees, implying the people of their tribe and clan went out to select or elect a leader and ended up selecting the bramble or the thorn bush. They ignored the claims to leadership of the tallest among them in beauty and in character- the cedars. They ignored the godly leaders, the anointed of God, chosen to serve God and man- the olive trees whose leaves symbolised peace and whose fruit gave nourishment, good for the human heart and spirit, yielding pure oil that would act as lubricant, medicine, an excellent cooking medium. They did not even chose the fig tree whose fruit was sweet and healthy. They did not chose the vine- the vine that had no strength to stand on its own, needed props but stayed humble and close to the ground or to reality.

A leader should be like a tree in enabling people to climb up to their full potential using its branches. Leadership like a tree should be fruitful. A leader should be a source of blessing to those he leads. External charisma is not the criterion. Very often the most charismatic leaders lack the moral courage or inner character to be an example to the followers. The vanity and charm of the physically charismatic and the highly talented deludes them into thinking that they have a natural right to lord it over others, that leadership is a privilege that they were born into. These are the cedars of leadership- the cedar has a beauty, stature and fragrance of its wood that makes it stand out as the natural king among trees. What distinguishes the different types of leaders? Their seed or source of inspiration is different. Their root or what they derive their support and strength from is different. Their branches or the parts of their lives are different. Their sap or source of motivation is different. Their leaves or words and thoughts are different. The very wind or influence to which they sway is different. Their fragrance or invisible aura is different. When we scour the pages of world and national history, we find all these types of trees of leadership. The olive tree leaders were few : Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, M.K. Gandhi and the greatest of olive tree leaders- Jesus Himself. The bramble of leaders were many: Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and so on. The fire of their fierce ambition and ruthlessness destroyed thousands upon thousands.

Leaders who do not have any other goal but to perpetuate and promote themselves and their families at the expense of the organisation or nation are the bramble, the thorn bushes who are ready to hurt or harm others to advance their own cause. The bramble are envious of the cedars and of the olive tree leaders and would gladly set these on fire to eliminate any possible future competition. They lack vision as well as passion and mission. A mission is a larger than life purpose for which one is ready to make any sacrifice and if needed one’s own life. Such bramble leaders have marked themselves for self - destruction as most of the tyrants, dictators and despots of history have through the generations. Non charismatic but principled and godly leaders are the “ olive tree” leaders who exist for a larger and nobler purpose. They seek not to enrich themselves but to enlarge, ennoble and enable others to live a better life. These are leaders who like olive trees endure for long, whose memories and example outlives their own lives. People crush or analyse their words like olive fruit is crushed in the olive press to derive meaning and power. They stay evergreen or passionate and consistent about the vision, passion and mission in life. Though they are exalted to high positions, their attitude is one of being a servant to many people and to the One almighty God. They derive their strength and nourishment from the anointing word, spirit and wisdom of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip

The Power of Restoration

UV 1631/10000 The Power of Restoration
And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.

Zechariah 10 v 6

The house of Judah is a house full of the knowledge of the Lord. It is a house of praise and thanksgiving for “Judah” means praise. Judah is also the direct ancestor Jesus and we need to be the descendants of Jesus by faith. The stick of the house of Judah would be joined to the stick of the house of Joseph- the fruitful bough. The Lord will make us a praise and a name in all nations. He will also add the blessings of Ephraim or of Joseph of success and blessing to the ones who know Him personally and not just in a religious way. He will not only more than satisfy our need but He will save us or give us eternal life.

Even when the Lord rejects us on account of some disobedience on our part, He will not “cast “ us off forever but restore us in His great compassion. He has compassion on us as even we as fathers, wicked as we are, have compassion on our children and keep forgiving them despite their wanton faults and errors. He has compassion when we turn to Him, confess our acts of disobedience and seek His mercy. We need to do it daily since we tend to daily offend His holiness in some way or other. We fall short of His standards. But He is willing to hear us and restore us.


The Lord restores us to be kings and priests before Him as the lion among beasts and as a lion among a flock of sheep. He does it not through a bow or a sword or with horses and chariots or outward manifestations of power but by the sword of the spirit- His holy and perfect Word that acts slowly and surely from within us to release His mighty power and inexhaustible grace. The Spirit quicken the Word to the hearts of the house of the people of Judah or the people of praise even as a bricklayer uses his tool to splash wet cement on a freshly built wall. He will build our strength from deep within. He is both the cause and the source of strength, nay He is our very strength.

Prateep V Philip

The Be All and End All of Life and Leadership

UV 1630/10000 The Be All And End All of Life and Leadership
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen

Romans 11 v 36

We are of Him or originated in God. We are created to flourish and not to perish. Our salvation is top priority with the Creator and His purpose and plan cannot be thwarted. All that we are and all that we have and all that we do are through Him. All things are good if we use it for the glory of God, If we give thanks for it. The material as well as non-material things of this world are a means to the end- the glory or advancing the manifestation of the greatness and power of God. Anything that detracts from this is not of Him, through Him or to Him. Wealth, pleasure, wisdom and fame are not the end of life but the means to increase the perception of people of the invisible greatness of God.

The greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty belong to the Lord. All that is in the heaven and in the earth
Belongs to Him. He is exalted as leader, ruler, sovereign and king above all persons of the contemporary world and of history and of the future. Riches and honour and wisdom come from Him. In His hand is power to make great and to give strength and nourishment to all. His name is blessed forever. He reigns over the thoughts and feelings of people. He changes the times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He calls and He enables. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things. He shows great signs and mighty wonders. All our fountains or our rise and fall is in Him. He is with us in our lows as in our ‘highs’. In Him we live and move and have our being. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is the beginning and the end. He encompasses us in 360 degrees. He encircles us with His love. His mighty power is at work in us to make us perfect in His sight.

If democracy is “of the people, by the people, for the people,” the kingdom of God is of God, by God, for God and with God. As we honour Him, He will honour and cherish us. He is the “ be all and end all” of our lives. His grace is sufficient for us . We need to only grow in our knowledge of His grace and truth. He should be our grand obsession. He will satisfy us with His abundance. He is the spiritual locus of the physical, moral and spiritual universe and our focus should be on Him, with Him, through Him, from Him, to Him. Whatever be our immediate goal and purpose, our ultimate end it to glorify Him or bring the honour due to Him with our inner gifts and outer gifts, our inner thoughts and our outward expression. A weapon has two sights- one that is the nearer sight is our immediate or earthly goal. It has to be in alignment with the farther sight- the godly or heavenly goal.

Prateep V Philip

Leadership is Headship not Tailship

UV 1629/10000 Leadership is Headship not Tailship

And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

Deuteronomy 28 v 13

“ The ancient and honourable is the head while the prophet who teaches lies is the tail” by definition of scripture. God is the head of the universe, the head of heaven and earth and all that is in it, the head of the human family. It is intended that those who follow the Lord be likewise the head and not the tail. The tail is only an appendix that can be cut off or it is dispensable. The tail is a symbol of weak and ineffective leadership. Most of the leaders throughout history have acted as tails when they should have been heads. Those who are strongly committed to the truth are destined to be heads and not tails. It is intended by the Lord that those who follow Him faithfully become leaders of humanity, leaders in the nations, leaders in their professions and localities. They shall be “above” pettiness and meanness, above want, above wickedness and corruption. They shall not come under the shadow of scams and scandals. The only precondition is that they diligently listen, study, meditate, observe, absorb, apply or “do” the commands of the Lord. The words “ this day” implies that our past record of leadership does not count – it is only what we do now.


Leadership has the functions of the human head- to see or envision, to think or to look beyond the superficial reality and find the inner meaning of things, the ultimate purpose of life, to find solutions to difficulties, problems and challenges, to expand or grow and develop in positive ways. Leadership has the function of hearing or to listen to feedback. It has the function of being the mouthpiece or to communicate truths that have been learnt. Like the head is also the face of a person, a leader is the face of a nation, an organisation, a corporate, a family. Like the face is the index of the heart, the leader reflects the state of the nation or organisation or business. Just as the face breaks into a smile or tears or signs of surprise or anger or indignation, it is the leader’s role to motivate, to move, to inspire, to cheer up the followers. Just as the head is the crown of the human body, the leader is the one who bears the responsibility as well as honour. Just as the head turns on the neck, the leader is the one who takes the nation, the organisation or business in new directions, initiatives and course corrections. He is the direction finder, the one who determines and decides what paths the nation or organisation needs to take. The leader is the one who plans ahead of time about fulfilling the needs of the whole body. The leader is the one who imagines and dreams. He is the one who takes steps for the protection, safety and security of the whole being or whole organisation. The head feeds the whole body but it does not retain the entire nourishment but sees that it is equitably distributed to the different parts. Similarly, leaders should not be avaricious and try to corner all the gains or collect all the wealth for their own use but distribute it proportionately according to the varied needs of the followers. The glands for growth are located in the head – so likewise, a leader should plan for the growth of the entire nation, organisation or business to take it to the next level. The head plans for rest, recreation and recuperation of the body at appropriate times. So also leaders need to provide for breaks, relaxation and recovery of followers. The head is the hardest or strongest part of the human skeleton. It protects the softest and most valuable part of the body- the brain. Similarly, leaders need to be strong to endure the toughest times and challenges. But they need to be soft and compassionate internally or at their heart level. Leadership is eventually a fine combination of hard and soft skills and strategies. We got to be hard in the hard areas and soft in the soft areas.


Just as the head is the pivot of the body, Christ is the head of the church, a body of believers in His vision, mission and passion. As leaders, we are expected to imitate or emulate Him in how He gave up all the privileges of heaven to come to the earth in a humble form and how He ministered or served people in a variety of need situations and finally, gave Himself up for the well being of humanity. Even today, instead of judging people, He acts as an intercessor and mediator before and besides the Father’s throne. We, too as leaders called and anointed by Christ should not judge but help others achieve their potential to be heads and not tails.

Prateep V Philip

The First and the Last Day Perspectives and Priorities

UV 1628/10000 The First and Last Day Perspectives and Priorities
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
Genesis 1 v 5
The light is a symbol of God, knowledge, wisdom, truth, faith, love, joy and hope. The darkness is a symbol of ignorance, fear, evil, lack of hope, sorrow and faithlessness. Darkness is the absence of light. Light ought to triumph over darkness in our lives. The mere presence of light is enough to drive darkness away or overcome darkness. Similarly, the presence of God in our lives is enough to overcome every claim of darkness. We need not worry about what is absent from our lives at the moment but be only concerned and focussed on what is present. Each day has its challenges and difficulties, opportunities and blessings. The day is also a metaphor that we know some aspects of life while for the rest we are in the dark and we need to rely on faith to overcome the darkness. We need to discern what is in spiritual terms “light” and “ darkness” and embrace the light while denying and rejecting the darkness. We need to distinguish and separate the works of light from darkness. Whenever we begin to fear, we should be sensitive to pray, “Lord, let there be faith”. Whenever we are beginning to sense sadness, we need to pray, “Lord, let there be joy.” When we face difficulties, “Lord, let there be a solution.” The presence of God and the presence of mind will ensure victory each day. God is the “everlasting Light” and He will cause our mourning day to cease. Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the world and that we too are the manifest light to the world.

Like the way the Lord made the first day, we need to work as if each day as the first day of the rest of our lives as also we need to live as if it is the last day of our lives. The reason is that there is a contrary wisdom behind the work ethic and the way of life. With regard to work, we are required to be aggressive, determined, dedicated, visionary, optimistic but with regard to our conduct of our lives and relationships, we are required to be gentle, humble, kind, loving, merciful, patient, faithful, thankful. A balance of these two types of wisdom-the wisdom of work and the wisdom of life- is the very essence of progress and fulfilment.

Just as God considered the work of His hands and saw that it was good, we too need to consider each day : every morning we should decide our priorities and schedule our activities beginning with worship, prayer and meditation of the Word. Every evening or night we should consider how the wisdom of work panned out in our day and how the wisdom of relationships panned out. It should form the basis of taking steps to correct our actions or our conduct the next day. Each day the Lord focussed on creating one particular aspect of creation- the sun and heavenly bodies on one day, the water bodies on another day, the animal bodies on another day, the plant bodies on yet another. Similarly, each day we must focus on one or other creative work of our lives. While focussed on one aspect of creation, the Lord did each day a variety of things and brought forth a variety of amazing creations and creatures. Similarly, focus and concentration on an objective does not mean that we cannot do a variety of activities or target accomplishments. Every day the Lord was on target and we, too, should be on target every day of our lives. As people of the light who has received the light of the world into our very hearts, we are called upon now to “arise and shine”, implying to live a faithful and testimonial life for the glory of God.

Prateep V Philip