UV3311/10000 Change Begins Deep Within
Philip said to him, “ If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “ I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8 v 37
The Ethiopian official after understanding the gospel as spoken by Philip asked to be baptized. He understood that Jesus is the Messiah and the source of his salvation. He not only believed with all his heart and agreed with his mouth but he acted on his faith. The Ethiopian’s skin or gender did not change but his heart and mind began to change as he believed the message of Jesus. Likewise, life transforming power is available for us if we believe with our hearts, speak agreement with our mouths and act on our faith. The Ethiopian identified with the death and resurrection of the Messiah when he took baptism. As soon as he saw a water body, he saw the opportunity of his lifetime.
Though he was a high official, the Ethiopian set aside his status and pride to humble himself to obey the Spirit of God in order to accept the waters of baptism. The Lord blessed his quick faith and obedient heart by changing him from the inside. He was no longer interested in the paraphernalia of power and prestige but living the new life in Christ- a life of love, integrity, faith and excellence. Though he disappears into the pages of history, nameless and unknown, it is he who makes known the gospel and spreads the faith to the new land of Ethiopia.
Philip had been transported in the spirit to minister to the Ethiopian eunuch as the latter was seeking the Lord, the very fact he was visiting Jerusalem and he was reading the scriptures. The Lord was fulfilling His promise that if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. We too need to be whole hearted and enthusiastic in seeking the truths of the gospel and it will likewise impact and transform our lives and lands.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Monday, July 29, 2019
Focus on the Locus
UV 3310/10000 Focus on the Locus
Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity) who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work.
Hebrews 12 v 2
It is said that focus determines success in human life. What we focus on shapes our lives. We need to focus on the locus, Jesus who protects, preserves, secures us against the locusts or distractions of this world. He is the rudder that brings balance and direction to our lives, the leader on whom we can rely, the ladder on whom we can climb to eternal life. As Author of Life, He can re –write our DNA, alter our destiny; As Perfecter, He fills the gaps in our faith, our understanding and our wisdom. He brings our faith to fruition by sowing, growing and nourishing the fruit of the spirit in our nature. Jesus defined Himself to His followers as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Hence, if we focus on Jesus, we will learn how to live, lead and manage- the Jesus Way.
The enemy of our souls plants a lot of red herrings on our paths to mislead, distract, take us off the track back to the Lord. But as we partake of the Word, we are able to avoid such detours, disturbances and distracting strategies and stay focused on true life, leadership and management. Jesus Himself is our model for focus. It is written that He set His mind like flint towards the cross. He did not seek to avoid pain but was willing to endure it for the sake of a greater reward and satisfaction of the glory of God. He also disregarded shame or humiliation, knowing that He was honouring the Father’s will.
Jesus focused on the joy of accomplishing His goal. We too should emulate Jesus by focusing on the joy of accomplishing the goals set for us in life. To assist us we have the grace of Jesus that is drawn from His deity or His being absolutely knowledgeable, absolutely wise, absolutely powerful. He has also delegated authority and power to us to rule over the kingdom of God within us and around us. Like Jesus, we should focus on completing the work He has entrusted us.
Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity) who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work.
Hebrews 12 v 2
It is said that focus determines success in human life. What we focus on shapes our lives. We need to focus on the locus, Jesus who protects, preserves, secures us against the locusts or distractions of this world. He is the rudder that brings balance and direction to our lives, the leader on whom we can rely, the ladder on whom we can climb to eternal life. As Author of Life, He can re –write our DNA, alter our destiny; As Perfecter, He fills the gaps in our faith, our understanding and our wisdom. He brings our faith to fruition by sowing, growing and nourishing the fruit of the spirit in our nature. Jesus defined Himself to His followers as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Hence, if we focus on Jesus, we will learn how to live, lead and manage- the Jesus Way.
The enemy of our souls plants a lot of red herrings on our paths to mislead, distract, take us off the track back to the Lord. But as we partake of the Word, we are able to avoid such detours, disturbances and distracting strategies and stay focused on true life, leadership and management. Jesus Himself is our model for focus. It is written that He set His mind like flint towards the cross. He did not seek to avoid pain but was willing to endure it for the sake of a greater reward and satisfaction of the glory of God. He also disregarded shame or humiliation, knowing that He was honouring the Father’s will.
Jesus focused on the joy of accomplishing His goal. We too should emulate Jesus by focusing on the joy of accomplishing the goals set for us in life. To assist us we have the grace of Jesus that is drawn from His deity or His being absolutely knowledgeable, absolutely wise, absolutely powerful. He has also delegated authority and power to us to rule over the kingdom of God within us and around us. Like Jesus, we should focus on completing the work He has entrusted us.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Light and Darkness
UV 3309/10000 Light and Darkness
This is the message of God’s promised revelation which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light, (He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness), and in Him there is no darkness at all ( no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection).
I John 1 v 5
Light and darkness do not co-exist. Likewise, good and evil cannot co-exist. Jesus is the Light of the World, a world darkened by sin. We who believe in Jesus and are, therefore called out of darkness into light, from death and curse to eternal life and blessing, separation from God and Truth to living in unity and fellowship with Him. We are to become not only the messenger for Jesus but the message by leaving the mess that was in our lives behind. We are to be truthful as well as gracious in thought, word and deed even as Jesus is full of grace and truth.
If there be any sin, any imperfection, any evil in us, we should not hide it but confess it to the Lord and take a clean break from it. The path the Lord has laid for us is not one of overnight perfection but of lifelong learning, growing and improvement in all aspects of our lives. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness of the earth and brought forth life and light, we should invite the Spirit to examine us every day and indeed, every moment and reveal to us any wanton sin, wilful error, any wrong motive, any attitude that does not behoove a child of God, any action or reaction, inaction or habit that is not pleasing or edifying in the sight of God or in the light of His word. Having found the source of darkness in us, we should then persist in seeking the grace of Christ, His enabling power to overcome this weakness in us.
Perfection, then is a both an imperative and a process. As long as we are making progress as pilgrims on the way to be like Christ, we are on track. The Light that dwells in us and lights up our whole being is growing and chasing all traces of darkness and its shadows out of our lives. We will then be the lighthouse, the city built on a hill, the light lit on a tall stand to give direction and guidance to all who look to us.
This is the message of God’s promised revelation which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light, (He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness), and in Him there is no darkness at all ( no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection).
I John 1 v 5
Light and darkness do not co-exist. Likewise, good and evil cannot co-exist. Jesus is the Light of the World, a world darkened by sin. We who believe in Jesus and are, therefore called out of darkness into light, from death and curse to eternal life and blessing, separation from God and Truth to living in unity and fellowship with Him. We are to become not only the messenger for Jesus but the message by leaving the mess that was in our lives behind. We are to be truthful as well as gracious in thought, word and deed even as Jesus is full of grace and truth.
If there be any sin, any imperfection, any evil in us, we should not hide it but confess it to the Lord and take a clean break from it. The path the Lord has laid for us is not one of overnight perfection but of lifelong learning, growing and improvement in all aspects of our lives. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the darkness of the earth and brought forth life and light, we should invite the Spirit to examine us every day and indeed, every moment and reveal to us any wanton sin, wilful error, any wrong motive, any attitude that does not behoove a child of God, any action or reaction, inaction or habit that is not pleasing or edifying in the sight of God or in the light of His word. Having found the source of darkness in us, we should then persist in seeking the grace of Christ, His enabling power to overcome this weakness in us.
Perfection, then is a both an imperative and a process. As long as we are making progress as pilgrims on the way to be like Christ, we are on track. The Light that dwells in us and lights up our whole being is growing and chasing all traces of darkness and its shadows out of our lives. We will then be the lighthouse, the city built on a hill, the light lit on a tall stand to give direction and guidance to all who look to us.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Evidence From Experience
UV 3308/10000 Evidence from Experience
I am writing about what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life ( the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ.
I John 1 v 1
John gives the reason for his writing the epistle that has come down to us as I John. Since he had experienced Christ, His love, His mercy, His grace, His power first hand, since he had a tangible and personal experience of Christ, he wished to leave his account as a permanent record, an eternal witness. John understood the mystery of His pre-existence before His birth on earth and from the beginning even before a conception of time came into existence. Even today, we need to experience Christ, to see, hear, touch Him, though not in a physical sense. We experience the Lord first hand when we receive answers to our most fervent prayers.
Having experienced the love, wisdom mercy, grace, power and peace of Christ, we cannot remain mute but must be faithful and vocal witnesses like John. There are many ways to testify- by speaking, by writing, by singing and other creative ways. Like a faithful and truthful witness, there is neither need for exaggeration or under statement. Like the blind man healed on a Sabbath by Jesus who said, “ That I do not know but one thing I know- I once was blind but now I see.” We need not speak about things we do not know or know too little of.
The other day I sent my story of the experience of Christ to what is known as the Wall of Answered Prayer to be built of one million bricks, each brick symbolizing an answered prayer. When motorists on the nearby highway see this, they must know that one million people cannot be lying about what they had experienced. Unlike the witnesses in a court room who testify about crimes like theft or robbery or rape, we are positive witnesses, we are not mere eye witnesses but witnesses of experiences and encounters with Christ. We speak of healings and blessings received, lives changed, lives rescued, people delivered, desperate needs met miraculously. We speak so that others would be likewise blessed. Eyewitnesses in court rooms give evidence that lead to convictions of criminals while our witness leads to conviction of eternal life and truth.
I am writing about what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life ( the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ.
I John 1 v 1
John gives the reason for his writing the epistle that has come down to us as I John. Since he had experienced Christ, His love, His mercy, His grace, His power first hand, since he had a tangible and personal experience of Christ, he wished to leave his account as a permanent record, an eternal witness. John understood the mystery of His pre-existence before His birth on earth and from the beginning even before a conception of time came into existence. Even today, we need to experience Christ, to see, hear, touch Him, though not in a physical sense. We experience the Lord first hand when we receive answers to our most fervent prayers.
Having experienced the love, wisdom mercy, grace, power and peace of Christ, we cannot remain mute but must be faithful and vocal witnesses like John. There are many ways to testify- by speaking, by writing, by singing and other creative ways. Like a faithful and truthful witness, there is neither need for exaggeration or under statement. Like the blind man healed on a Sabbath by Jesus who said, “ That I do not know but one thing I know- I once was blind but now I see.” We need not speak about things we do not know or know too little of.
The other day I sent my story of the experience of Christ to what is known as the Wall of Answered Prayer to be built of one million bricks, each brick symbolizing an answered prayer. When motorists on the nearby highway see this, they must know that one million people cannot be lying about what they had experienced. Unlike the witnesses in a court room who testify about crimes like theft or robbery or rape, we are positive witnesses, we are not mere eye witnesses but witnesses of experiences and encounters with Christ. We speak of healings and blessings received, lives changed, lives rescued, people delivered, desperate needs met miraculously. We speak so that others would be likewise blessed. Eyewitnesses in court rooms give evidence that lead to convictions of criminals while our witness leads to conviction of eternal life and truth.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
The Guarantor
UV 3307/10000 The Guarantor
The Spirit is the guarantee (the first instalment, the pledge, a foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own purchased possession (His believers), to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 v 14
We who have been redeemed by our faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice have been ransomed or purchased by the Lord. We come into our full inheritance in eternity but here and now, the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity is sent to us as a guarantor of the amazing promises the Lord has spoken to us in His word. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Jesus. The chain of sin and curse is broken in our lives and we receive the stamp of approval in the form of the Holy Spirit even as Abel was approved by God.
The Holy Spirit has many roles to fulfil in our lives. He is the One who influences our thoughts. He sanctifies us. He guides us and teaches us. He warns and rebukes us. He imparts gifts and causes the fruit of the spirit to grow and flourish in our character. He strengthens our hope in the promises of God. He brings the promises of the Lord into reality or fruition. He accompanies us wherever we go. He affirms us as the precious possession of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is gentle and inobtrusive and unless we pay attention to His voice, we may miss His whisper. He nudges us to move in the direction the Lord wants us to go. He is the One who enables us to commune with the Lord. He opens our minds to understand the deeper things of God. He enables us to discern the spirits moving in the people we are relating to. He tells us ahead of time the significant events or developments that have a bearing on our faith and lives.
The Spirit is the guarantee (the first instalment, the pledge, a foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own purchased possession (His believers), to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 v 14
We who have been redeemed by our faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice have been ransomed or purchased by the Lord. We come into our full inheritance in eternity but here and now, the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity is sent to us as a guarantor of the amazing promises the Lord has spoken to us in His word. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Jesus. The chain of sin and curse is broken in our lives and we receive the stamp of approval in the form of the Holy Spirit even as Abel was approved by God.
The Holy Spirit has many roles to fulfil in our lives. He is the One who influences our thoughts. He sanctifies us. He guides us and teaches us. He warns and rebukes us. He imparts gifts and causes the fruit of the spirit to grow and flourish in our character. He strengthens our hope in the promises of God. He brings the promises of the Lord into reality or fruition. He accompanies us wherever we go. He affirms us as the precious possession of the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is gentle and inobtrusive and unless we pay attention to His voice, we may miss His whisper. He nudges us to move in the direction the Lord wants us to go. He is the One who enables us to commune with the Lord. He opens our minds to understand the deeper things of God. He enables us to discern the spirits moving in the people we are relating to. He tells us ahead of time the significant events or developments that have a bearing on our faith and lives.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
The Sacrifice of Silence, Praise and Vows
UV3306/10000 The Sacrifice of Silence, Praise and Vows
To You belong silence ( the submissive wonder of reverence), and it bursts into praise in Zion, O God; And to You the vow shall be performed.
Psalm 65 v 1
Spending time in awed silence at the feet of the Lord is a spiritual discipline with many benefits for our souls and our total well being. As we meditate on the person and the word and the deeds of the Lord, the presence of the Lord will be like a thick cloud upon us and we will experience a fire burning in our hearts. Even as we yield our spirits to Him, our egos, our burdens and anxieties in silence, He will answer us by the increase of our yield in every area of our lives. The abundance of blessings we experience thereafter, leads us to offer bursts of praise and worship. We experience the euphoria or ecstasy of oneness with the Spirit of the Lord.
Our intense need as well as intense joy prompts us to take vows or promises we make to the Lord. Once we make a vow, we should fulfil it. It is a test of our faithfulness. The patriarch Jacob, once he experienced the presence of the Lord and His constant guidance and protection, vowed to give a tenth of all that comes into his hands as produce or earnings. He erected alters to mark the great blessings he had received and to express his gratitude. Daniel and his compatriots took a vow not to eat of the food from the king’s tables as they were convinced it would defile them. The Lord honoured their faithfulness by making them healthier and ten times wiser than the scholars and administrators of the day.
As a daily practice, we should still our minds, our voices and our limbs to lie or sit still to listen to the footsteps of the Lord, the voice of the Holy Spirit, the stirrings in our souls. As the Psalmist David wrote, “Be still and know that I am God.” In stillness, the Lord manifested Himself to Elijah the prophet. When we are still our faculties, limbs, minds and bodies imitate death but our spirits and souls are fully alive to the Lord. We are shutting the world out, we are shutting our selves out, silencing all distracting noises and thoughts and our focus is completely on the locus of our lives- the LORD God. We have become the veritable temple of God, the alter and the living sacrifice. We experience a fresh anointing, an empowerment, a strengthening from deep within. The depth of our souls connects and communicates with the Lord. By reverential silence, effusive praise and vows, we are offering thoughts, words and actions as a wholesome offering like that of Abel to the Lord.
To You belong silence ( the submissive wonder of reverence), and it bursts into praise in Zion, O God; And to You the vow shall be performed.
Psalm 65 v 1
Spending time in awed silence at the feet of the Lord is a spiritual discipline with many benefits for our souls and our total well being. As we meditate on the person and the word and the deeds of the Lord, the presence of the Lord will be like a thick cloud upon us and we will experience a fire burning in our hearts. Even as we yield our spirits to Him, our egos, our burdens and anxieties in silence, He will answer us by the increase of our yield in every area of our lives. The abundance of blessings we experience thereafter, leads us to offer bursts of praise and worship. We experience the euphoria or ecstasy of oneness with the Spirit of the Lord.
Our intense need as well as intense joy prompts us to take vows or promises we make to the Lord. Once we make a vow, we should fulfil it. It is a test of our faithfulness. The patriarch Jacob, once he experienced the presence of the Lord and His constant guidance and protection, vowed to give a tenth of all that comes into his hands as produce or earnings. He erected alters to mark the great blessings he had received and to express his gratitude. Daniel and his compatriots took a vow not to eat of the food from the king’s tables as they were convinced it would defile them. The Lord honoured their faithfulness by making them healthier and ten times wiser than the scholars and administrators of the day.
As a daily practice, we should still our minds, our voices and our limbs to lie or sit still to listen to the footsteps of the Lord, the voice of the Holy Spirit, the stirrings in our souls. As the Psalmist David wrote, “Be still and know that I am God.” In stillness, the Lord manifested Himself to Elijah the prophet. When we are still our faculties, limbs, minds and bodies imitate death but our spirits and souls are fully alive to the Lord. We are shutting the world out, we are shutting our selves out, silencing all distracting noises and thoughts and our focus is completely on the locus of our lives- the LORD God. We have become the veritable temple of God, the alter and the living sacrifice. We experience a fresh anointing, an empowerment, a strengthening from deep within. The depth of our souls connects and communicates with the Lord. By reverential silence, effusive praise and vows, we are offering thoughts, words and actions as a wholesome offering like that of Abel to the Lord.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Transforming Agency of Prayer
UV 3305/10000 Transforming Agency of Prayer
So do not be like them praying as they do; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6 v 8
Our Father in heaven knows our needs before we ask Him. Hence, our prayers are to be focused not on our needs but be overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Only a grateful heart can offer thanksgiving continually. Only a joyful heart can offer praise continually. Only a humble heart can worship the Lord. Gratitude, joy and humility then are the foundation of a fruitful prayer life. The priorities of the Lord should supercede the priorities of our lives.
We should never forget the benefits of salvation in Christ. He has set us free from many restrictive beliefs and practices that man-made religion imposes on us. He has set us free from fears, insecurity about the future, guilt about the past, tension about the present. He has provided for all of our needs of spirit, mind and body. We are complex beings with not just physical needs but spiritual needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs. We should prioritise our spiritual, emotional, intellectual needs, social needs over our physical needs. Even the beasts and birds of nature that primarily only have physical needs do not spend a moment worrying about how it is going to meet these needs of food, clothing and shelter. How much less should we worry about our physical needs and focus on our need of wisdom, grace and mercy of the Lord, the blessings of the Triune God on our spirit, minds and bodies.
We find our security in the foreknowledge of the Lord. He cares deeply for us. He anoints us or prepares us to be fruitful. He has plans to bless, prosper and help us. Our prayers reflect the quality of our faith and our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a litany of wishes and requests but an epiphany of adoration and exaltation of the name, person and word of the Lord. Our prayer life should be pleasing to the Lord and not a continuous flow of complaints and desires. It should be in sharp contrast to the prayers of the religious minded, the hypocrite, the faithless. One judge once told me these wise words- ”positivise, prioritise and prayerise.” Whatever be our problems, our programs, our goals, we should convey it to the Lord in prayer. Confiding in Him our deepest burdens and secrets is a sign of utmost trust. Every prayer we make should see us closer to the Lord. It should cause a change in our character, our impact, influence and contribution.
So do not be like them praying as they do; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6 v 8
Our Father in heaven knows our needs before we ask Him. Hence, our prayers are to be focused not on our needs but be overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Only a grateful heart can offer thanksgiving continually. Only a joyful heart can offer praise continually. Only a humble heart can worship the Lord. Gratitude, joy and humility then are the foundation of a fruitful prayer life. The priorities of the Lord should supercede the priorities of our lives.
We should never forget the benefits of salvation in Christ. He has set us free from many restrictive beliefs and practices that man-made religion imposes on us. He has set us free from fears, insecurity about the future, guilt about the past, tension about the present. He has provided for all of our needs of spirit, mind and body. We are complex beings with not just physical needs but spiritual needs, emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs. We should prioritise our spiritual, emotional, intellectual needs, social needs over our physical needs. Even the beasts and birds of nature that primarily only have physical needs do not spend a moment worrying about how it is going to meet these needs of food, clothing and shelter. How much less should we worry about our physical needs and focus on our need of wisdom, grace and mercy of the Lord, the blessings of the Triune God on our spirit, minds and bodies.
We find our security in the foreknowledge of the Lord. He cares deeply for us. He anoints us or prepares us to be fruitful. He has plans to bless, prosper and help us. Our prayers reflect the quality of our faith and our relationship with the Lord. It should not be a litany of wishes and requests but an epiphany of adoration and exaltation of the name, person and word of the Lord. Our prayer life should be pleasing to the Lord and not a continuous flow of complaints and desires. It should be in sharp contrast to the prayers of the religious minded, the hypocrite, the faithless. One judge once told me these wise words- ”positivise, prioritise and prayerise.” Whatever be our problems, our programs, our goals, we should convey it to the Lord in prayer. Confiding in Him our deepest burdens and secrets is a sign of utmost trust. Every prayer we make should see us closer to the Lord. It should cause a change in our character, our impact, influence and contribution.
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