Pattern of Behaviour

UV 2817/10000 Pattern of Behaviour
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
I Timothy 4 v 12

Believers in Christ are called to be in all things a pattern or a model of good behaviour, good words and good works. We are to be first of all an example to fellow believers and a testimony to unbelievers in our speech pattern. Most of the strife in modern day life, in homes and as well as the workplace and in the streets is due to a wrong word spoken. Our words are not only to be measured but to be spoken with the meekness of wisdom at all times. Our tongues and mouths are not mixed springs with both poison water and wholesome water but a pure spring of wholesome water. Silence should be preferred to thoughtless words. We should invite the Holy Spirit to take control of our mouths and tongues. Our goal should be what St James exhorted us to do: to have perfect control over our speech just as a good rider completely controls the horse he rides and makes it go only in the direction and at the pace he wants depending on the terrain. Our words should not be harmful but helpful, wholesome, encouraging, not blaming but appreciative of the good we see in others. Our speech is to be used not to create doubt and strife but to build the faith of people in God and the good things of life.

We should be known not only for good words but for our good works. We should reach out to the needy with generous help. When people see the good works we do, they will praise and thank the Lord. We become the hands of the Lord to help and bless others. Manifesting or demonstrating the selfless love of Jesus to others is our chief motivation. We should be free from a sense of envy and consider the interests of others at least as important as ours. Kindness should be the hallmark of our behaviour. Our pattern of behaviour should measure up to the characteristics of love that are described in I Corinthians chapter 13 by St Paul.
Regardless of what we have done or achieved, we should continually humble ourselves before the Lord, knowing that we live and move and exist only in Him. Zeal to know the Lord and make Him known through our lives should drive us to diligently study the Word and and put into practice what we learn therein. Our faith should not flag or fluctuate in good times or bad times but be consistent and continually growing. Purity of motives, of thoughts and desires should underlie all that we think, say and do. These traits or pattern of behaviour are the attributes of Jesus and we should reflect it in our lives whether we are young or old, all through our lives.

Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Daily Dying and Resurrection

UV 2816/10000 Pattern of Daily Dying and Resurrection
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9 v 23
The cross that Jesus carried is distinct from the cross that He expects us to carry. The cross He carried was a shameful one but He turned it into a source of eternal blessing. So much so, the cross ceased to be a method of judicial execution in due course. The cross that Jesus carried was a cursed one which He turned into a source of blessing. So much so, when a human places his or her trust in the cross of Jesus and His finished work on that cross, he or she becomes an inheritor of all the blessings of Deuteronomy Chapter 28- the blessings of obedience as well as the blessings enumerated by Jesus Himself in Matthew chapter 5.

The cross we carry is not one of death but of life, of the eternal and abundant life Jesus promised His followers. The cross we carry today is the cross of obedience to the Word of Christ. It is the cross of the hope of resurrection and eternal life. We need to deny ourselves of ungodly lusts or desires of this world, die to whatever is displeasing to the Lord. We need to die to our sinful thoughts, words, actions and reactions. Sanctification is a two way process of dying to one’s sinful self and allowing our Christ-like self to live fully in and for Christ. It a means living to the full the kind of life Jesus has called us into. Taking up the cross daily implies that we need to experience a daily dying to what is un-Christlike in our lives and a daily resurrection or living to Christ-likeness. Following Jesus means that we need to consciously and unconsciously imitate Him in all His ways and apply His teachings and principles in our daily lives. While it was Christ’s body that was nailed to the cross, it is our misery, our failings, our evil desires, our negative habits, our negative reactions and responses that are being daily nailed to the cross that Jesus asks us to bear.

Denying ourselves also means denying our own egos. We are not here to please ourselves or to pander to our own whims and desires but to fulfil the will of God even as Jesus did. We need to identify uproot the weeds that the enemy has planted in us. Denial, however, does not mean self-abnegation or cutting out all comforts and pleasures of this world. It is the willing submission of our senses and emotions to the control, guidance and regulation of the Holy Spirit. It is equally being filled with the hope and experience of the resurrection power of Jesus. By means of this power, He puts to death that which needs to die in our lives and brings alive that which needs to be alive and ticking in our lives. The uni-verse in other words outlines a path or plan of continual growth, continual improvement, continual and lifelong learning and unlearning, lifelong pursuit of the perfection of Christ in practical and demonstrable ways.

Prateep V Philip

Patterns of Light and Darkness

UV 2815/10000 Pattern of Light and Darkness
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
Luke 11 v 35

Light and darkness cannot co-habit. This uni-verse states that it is possible for darkness or untruth to disguise itself as light, for folly to parade itself as wisdom. Genuine wisdom is from God alone. It is the wisdom manifested in Jesus. It will appear as sheer foolishness in the eyes of the world. But the word describes the wisdom of Jesus as pure, gentle, easy to please, truthful, full of mercy and good fruit, without partiality and hypocrisy. The wisdom or light of this world is of the earth, devilish in origin, sensual, provoking strife, envy, confusion and every evil work. Jesus warns His followers to be careful not to allow any part of this kind of darkness or folly into their hearts and lives.
Various formulations of human wisdom are examples of darkness camouflaged as light. Instead of filling our hearts and minds with such ‘light’, we should saturate or fill it with the light of the Word that is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. When we heed the Word in all aspects of our lives, no part of our lives will be in darkness. We will be freed from strife, envy, confusion, false pride, foolish decision making, lack of clarity in our thinking and convictions. Our lives will be full of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.

Jesus desired that His followers have their whole being full of light, with no part in darkness. The implication is that there are some hidden parts of our lives that are full of darkness that continues to afflict our lives with strife, envy, confusion, greed, pride, folly and evil. We should not compromise with such darkness and attempt to allow both light and darkness to co-exist in us. The light of the wisdom of Jesus should be allowed to penetrate these hidden parts and drive the darkness away. We should constantly shine that light on the different parts of our being so that we rid ourselves of every trace of darkness. The absence of light is darkness. The absence of God and His truth as revealed in Jesus, His Word and wisdom, in any part of our lives is darkness.

Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Caring and Carrying

UV 2814/10000 Pattern of Caring and Carrying
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isaiah 46 v 4

Most people become insecure when they think of approaching old age. They are apprehensive about who would care for them when they are old and not be able to take care of themselves. There is also a fear that the mental and physical strength, faculties as well as resources would decline with aging. This uni-verse shows us the pattern of the Lord’s caring and carrying of us right through our lives. The image it evokes is that of a prolonged pregnancy for a mother carries her child for nine months while the Lord carries us all through our lives. Our umbilical cord of faith supplies us all that we need as nourishment for growth. The Lord is not only a caring God but a carrying God. Since we are not just made by Him but made in His image as a special vehicle of His grace, He never disowns us. He takes the responsibility of saving us, of strengthening us from within, of providing for us, of leading, guiding, helping and enabling us. He bore the weight of our curses for us on the cross. He carries us from womb to tomb and beyond into eternity. No other person in all our lives can do this for our parents remain for a while with us till we can take care of ourselves. It is said that if we carry the Bible when we are young, He will carry us when we are old. This uni-verse reiterates the commitment that the Lord is the one who carries us into old age and sustains us while we are aged and more dependent.
The Lord carries our burdens daily and helps us shoulder our responsibilities so that the load is never too heavy for us. He guides us to the point of death and far beyond. Not a hair on our heads falls to the ground without His infinite knowledge. It is not as if we are promised an easy or smooth life or that we will not face difficulties, challenges and problems of various kinds but that the Lord will be with us and deliver us from each situation. The uni-verse acknowledges and celebrates the faithfulness of the Lord- His commitment to the crown of His creation, the redeemed in Christ. The promise produces hope, assurance and a deep sense of security and trust in us. We continue to flourish even into old age.
The Lord is with us in the different seasons of our lives. He is both stable and able to help us whether we are up or down, in high spirits or low spirits. With regard to our parents, our dependence rapidly reduces as we mature and age. But with regard to our relationship with the Lord, our dependence keeps increasing. People who do not have a relationship with the Lord become lonely and bitter as they grow old as their loved ones drift apart and leave them alone to fend for themselves. But the ones who have an intimate relationship with the Lord shed every trace of bitterness. They are never lonely for they know the Lord is true to His word and stays with them. In our crisis moments, He carries us on His shoulders and close to His heart as the true shepherd carries a wounded sheep on his shoulders.
Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Healthy Functioning and Living

UV 2813/10000 Pattern of Healthy Functioning and Living
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139 v 16

The eyes of the Lord sees us while we are being formed in our mothers’ wombs. All the members of our bodies are recorded or registered in His book. While we are being formed uniquely and wonderfully, organ by organ, He is watching over the process. Such intimate knowledge and care is beyond our understanding. We need to be thankful for every organ in our bodies and commit to be good stewards of our health and well being. We are born imperfect but the Lord perfects us over time. Just as the sunrise is as beautiful and awesome as the sunset, so also the start and finish of each day and of our lives are intended to be beautiful and awesome. It will be miserable and vain without Him but it will be beautiful and awesome with Him and in Him. When the organs malfunction or function randomly, it is like the disease of cancer where certain cells multiply randomly and eat into the health and vitality of the whole person.
Every part of our bodies counts. Every part is irreplaceable. Every member of the kingdom of God counts. No part is more important than the other. Each serves all the other parts to sustain life. Just as some parts play the more honourable roles, some play more obscure or hidden roles, the body of Christ also has members who play a leadership role, some play the role of being the eyes of the body- the visionaries. What connects everyone together as in the human body is the selfless or agape love of Jesus. Love connects muscle to bone and surrounds it with tissue. Love is the ligament that connects the joints of our bodies. Love is the oxygen that is supplied to every cell in order to live and thrive.
Each of us is not a completed work but a work in progress. When Adam and Eve fell from grace or supernatural favour into sin, the Lord realized that a deeper work of creation is shaping the character and the responses to temptation by mankind. Though Jesus declared on the cross that “ it is finished,” implying that His work of paying the price for the salvation of every member of mankind is over, He has not finished with us. Each day, He is shaping every member of His body. He is engaged in perfecting us in the image of the Lord. He requires our willing acquiescence, our yielding of every member of our bodies to His care as well as the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit. As we yield every member of our bodies, our egos and our wills, He will help us add to our faith, knowledge of His word, excellence in this world, godliness in our character, brotherly love in our relationships, spiritual, physical and relational blessings, such that every member fulfils its God-ordained purpose.
Prateep V Philip

Strength-Weakness Pattern

UV 2812/10000 The Strength-Weakness Pattern
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
Judges 16 v 17
Every human being is a composite of a strength-weakness pattern which in turn gives rise to our success-failure pattern. The modern Gallup poll- based Marcus Buckingham type of strengths alone matter approach is a partial truth if not a falsehood. There is a strength-weakness pattern of character, intellect, physique, emotions and of our wills. There are some things we can do so easily that we assume that we cannot be defeated in this area. Our strengths lull and dull us into complacency to rest in the lap of the enemy even as Samson rested the very source of his strength in the lap of Delilah. Every strength has a corresponding weakness. There is an interaction between our strengths and weaknesses and these do not operate in separate silos. An attribute of physical or intellectual strength might turn out to be a source of spiritual weakness or failure. If we are multi-talented and extremely able, we might tend to be overconfident and our overconfidence could lead to our destruction as it happened to Samson. Most of the follies, foibles and personal tragedies of leaders are due to an inability to address their strength-weakness pattern. Strength-weakness patterns affect relationships at home, in marriages, between parents and children and in the workplace. No strength or weakness is to be handled in isolation or as if it is absolute and unchallenged. The story of Samson who was endowed as a supernatural gift with immense physical strength is in truth your story and mine. While we take pride in our strengths, we hide our weaknesses instead of recognizing these as early as possible and take the help of the Lord to overcome these weaknesses and to obtain the grace to wear our strength lightly. Our weaknesses are meant to balance our strengths so that we do not become demi-gods unto ourselves. These weaknesses are meant to increase our reliance on God. Samson’s mission in life was to redeem Israel from the Philistines but he could not redeem himself. He gave in to the desires of his flesh and revealed his secret to Delilah after many failed attempts. He thought himself invincible and relied on his own strength. The secret of Samson’s strength lay in something external like his braids of hair that were uncut from the time he was dedicated to the Lord as a child. The secret of our strength should lie only in the Lord such that it cannot be taken away. Our fellowship with the Spirit of the Lord should be uncut or unbroken for we derive all of our strength and joy from Him. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength. The enemy wants to shave us of our strengths while the Lord wants to save us from our weaknesses. Sometimes, a failure is sent our way to level out our pride or confidence in our flesh or strength.
History and human experience records that whenever an individual is endowed with too much beauty, brains, power, strength or wealth, it becomes the cause of much sorrow in that individual’s life for one reason or other. The so-called sporting icons of today like Tiger Woods fell to the temptations of a high profile life and became addicted to sex on the sidelines of their lives under the spotlights. The common enemy of our souls uses our strength to try to destroy our peace, our future, our faith and our hope. He waits for a weak moment to target us in our areas of weakness. He also targets what we rest our greatest confidence in. The Lord is our shield, our strength and salvation in such circumstances. What we need in human life is not great and overwhelming strength or resources but a true and invincible Redeemer. Jesus redeems us not only from sin, death and judgement but also from our personal weaknesses as we submit or yield to Him.
We need to thank the Lord for our strengths and gifts, natural and supernatural but we should not lay too much store with these. Our strengths can be the cause of our failure if we take these too seriously. Neither should we hide our weaknesses or hide from our weaknesses but identify these and rely on the Lord’s grace to overcome these weaknesses. As Paul wrote we should glory in our weaknesses for these are the gaps or openings in our lives through which the Lord’s grace is poured. We cannot boast of our wisdom, strength, power or gifts but we can boast only about Christ in us and with us. As we humble ourselves and submit both our strengths and weaknesses to the Lord as the clay with which He can shape something marvellous and miraculous, He will create amazing results in all aspects of our lives. When our earthly foes disguise themselves as friends and admirers and pester us to know the secret of our strength, we should only point to the Lord and not to our natural or supernatural gifts, resources, abilities, talents.

Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Perception

UV 2811/10000 Pattern of Perception
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43 v 19
We may not perceive it but the Lord is doing the impossible. He is creating a way, a highway in the wilderness to lead us into the promised land. He is creating rivers of blessing in the desert times of our lives. The Lord declares the new things He does in us and in our lives before it happens. He causes the barren to bear fruit, the hopeless to have hope. He has created the greatest path for mankind that leads back to Him in His Son Jesus. Jesus is the path that the redeemed of the Lord take to reach Zion. As we trod this path, He removes the mountains, the difficulties, challenges and opposition that lie in our path. He raises the valleys, the low points of our lives and meets us at our point of need in order to give us testimonies of His faithfulness and grace. He smoothens the rough patches in our lives.
Whatever be our situation or circumstances, the Lord is able to turn it around. It was impossible for the ancient Israelites to escape from the captivity and slavery of mighty Egypt but the Lord did many new things never done before- the ten plagues commanded by Moses to soften the hardened and unrepentant heart of Pharaoh. He drowned the pursuing army of Pharaoh and rescued the Israelites by creating a path on dry land in the Red Sea. The Lord manifested Himself as a cloud by day for shelter from the sweltering heat and as a pillar of fire at night to provide both heat and light to the nascent nation. He brought forth water in the desert from mere rocks. He provided them manna and quail for meat in the desert. He gave the Ten Commandments that He wrote on stone with a fiery finger. He gave wisdom and guidance to Moses to lead the fickle Israelites. He raised up a leader after Moses in Joshua and enabled him to cross the Jordan, to overthrow Jericho and to defeat 31 kings before occupying Canaan.
Our faithful response is to recognize the new moves of the Lord in our lives, to willingly follow step by step in the path He shows us. Learning from the example of the Israelites, it is not for us to question or doubt or complain but patiently obey His commands and to trust in His promises. What the Lord did in and to the whole nation of Israel, He does today in the lives of individual believers. Our eternal destiny is the promised land. En route, while continuing on our earthly journeys, He does new things in our lives, to bolster our faith for His glory. He removes our barriers. Faith lies in perceiving things before it happens, knowing that the Lord is in command of the situation.
Prateep V Philip

Biblical Pattern of Character

UV 2810/10000 Biblical Pattern of Character
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Zephaniah 3 v 13

Believers in Jesus will always be a remnant or a residue, a small portion in every nation. Their characteristics are described in this uni-verse: they will not knowingly or wilfully violate the law of the Lord or commit sin. They do not speak lies but only speak the truth with grace. They will not practice deceit or flattery in order to gain anything. They feed on the Word even as sheep graze on the pastures. Their faith is so strong that they are not afraid of anything or anyone. In other words, their struggle with God (the meaning of Israel) had ceased. They quietly yield themselves to the Lord.
Believers in Jesus surrender their lives to Him as we can trust Him. He is our Good and Great Shepherd who can defend us against any attack- the subtle or deceitful as well as the open and savage attack. The characteristics described in the uni-verse are those of Jesus Himself. He stood secure in His faith in the Father. He did not fear death or disease. He did not fear opposition. He did not fear failure. He did not fear poverty. He did not fear slander. He did not fear what evil men could do to Him. He did no iniquity or sin. He fed multitudes not just spiritual bread to satisfy their spiritual hunger for truth, righteousness and salvation but He also fed the physically hungry, demonstrating that He cares for our holistic need, not just the spiritual. He used His tongue wisely, not deceitfully. The words He spoke continue to give eternal life to all who feed on it.
The words “ lie down” means that we find our rest in Jesus. We find peace with God in Him. We are at peace with all others but we are at war with the enemy of our souls. But we do not fear the enemy as he is a defeated foe. He ruled mankind through sin, fear of death and judgement. But Jesus sets us free from the yoke of fear of judgement and death. We no longer have a burden to prove that we are good enough to God as we are clothed with the clothes of salvation provided by the Father in heaven through Jesus- grace and mercy. Yet, we have a responsibility to imitate Jesus, the first born, to be like Him, to represent Him to the rest of mankind, to the lost sheep, to the least of our brothers and sisters. We are anointed to be distinct from the people of the world. The world makes sense to us on account of the word. We are a peculiar people with different values, goals, aspirations from those who are of this world. We are anointed to be priests and kings. As kings, we are fearless as lions. We desire to know more and more of Him who declared Himself and was proved Himself to be the way, the truth and the life. Kings normally seek glory for themselves but we seek the glory of the King of Kings. As priests, our lips and tongues are consecrated to the Lord. We offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. With the same tongue, we cannot lie, deceive, flatter, curse others. Our mouths are to be unadulterated springs of the Lord.
Prateep V Philip

Biblical Pattern of Practices for Good Success

UV 2809/10000 Biblical Pattern of Practices for Good Success
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success
Joshua 1 v 8
The Bible which means “The Book” is also called the good book for good reason. It is the book of life, the book that contains the law of eternal life, the law of success, the laws of life, the laws governing human relationships and above all the covenant, old and new with the Creator and the Redeemer of our souls. It covers the entire gamut of success from earthly pursuits to eternity. The old covenant is the forerunner of the new just as John the Baptist was chosen and sent ahead of Jesus to be His forerunner. The bird and animal sacrifices of the old covenant brought through Moses are a foretype of the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb provided by Jehovah, the Father for the complete justification of mankind. Out of this covenant relationship with the Father by faith in Jesus the Messiah of mankind flows all the other laws of life. The Lord becomes the X-factor who enables us to succeed in all aspects of life and prospers us in all our ways. The key is "to do all that is written therein." Under the old covenant of the Law of Moses, this was impossible as no one can do all that is written therein. But under the new covenant of Christ, we are anointed with grace and we receive grace or help to fill the gaps in our hearing, understanding and doing. Even a little faith is enough now to do the impossible.
The uni-verse states that our mouths, minds, eyes and limbs should be directed by the Word of God. If our mouths are directed by the word and conform to the pattern of speech prescribed and described in the word, we will be perfect as James exhorts us in his epistle. If our minds, implying our thoughts, our emotions, our imagination, our wills and our decisions are directed by the word and conform to the biblical pattern, our lives will be both greatly blessed and a great blessing to others. If our eyes are directed by the word like the frontlets of a horse that allow it to only focus on the path ahead, undistracted by all that surroundings, we will be focussed on what the Lord wills in our lives. If our limbs are directed by the word of God, we will go and do the things the Lord desires of us. The “Joshua prescription” for success states that we need to keep the words of the covenant, both old and new always at the tip of our tongue, ready to give an answer to ourselves, others and the enemy of our souls when we are tempted or tested. When our hearts and minds are filled with the word only then will our mouths be so filled. Our hearts and minds should brood or meditate on the word applicable in our life each day. We need to observe, analyse, draw out, recall all that we need to put into practice from the law of the Lord. Meditating implies running the same uni-verse or portion of scripture over and over in our minds till we have squeezed out what seems to be the last drop of meaning from it.
We show our love for God by obeying His commandments. In both hearing and doing His word, we are greatly blessed. In disobeying the word of God, Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden and the tree of life was removed from therein. In obeying the word which is incarnated in Christ, the tree of eternal life is restored from which we can daily eat. The leaves of this tree or the words of the Law of God are meant for our complete healing and the fruit or the promises are meant for our “meat”: strength, salvation, success, wisdom, grace, numerous blessings, peace or Shalom. Good success or godly success is a composite of all these and not the mere fulfilment of our mundane goals. The uni-verse qualifies such success as good success, implying that worldly success without a relationship with God, the source of all goodness is “bad success.” Take the case of persons like Steve Jobs- he achieved immense fame, made great contributions, acquired immense wealth but the success was what is called ‘Pyrrhic victory’ for the cost of success was greater than the rewards of success.
Prateep V Philip

The Biblical Pattern of Success

UV 2808/10000 The Biblical Pattern of Success
I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Isaiah 48 v 15
The patterns of the word are quite distinct from the patterns of the world. The pattern of success and prosperity in the world is determined by self efforts, personal intelligence, creativity, networking, strategies and the willingness to achieve a goal by hook or by crook. The pattern of success, prosperity and achievement according to the word is the Lord-blessed, Lord-enabled, God-called, God-spoken. In this uni-verse, the Lord says, I have spoken the word of blessing, I have called him into success and prosperity, I have brought him into a place of accomplishment. As a result, the life and mission of the man or woman of God shall be successful and prosperous.The pronoun “I, even I “ is repeated to underline that the Lord God Himself has spoken and guarantees the veracity and authenticity of this promise for all eternity. Of course, it does not preclude or rule out our efforts, diligence, perseverance, talents, intelligence, help rendered by others in our network or who the Lord brings into our circle at the appropriate time. But the causative and primary factor is the word of the Lord, the anointing or enablement of the Lord, the blessing of the Lord.
The Joshua prescription for success and prosperity also reinforces this line of thinking: that godly success or good success is derived from diligently studying what the Lord has said in His word and spoken through the prophets and saints and chiefly, His Son and Heir Jesus. Diligent study implies accurate observation and constant meditation till the word saturates our thoughts and becomes part of us. We need to meditate day and night or 24x7 on the believed and received word. Unlike physical food which is digested in a couple of hours after ingesting the food, spiritual food is digested and absorbed or assimilated by all parts of the body only over 24 hours. Study or reading the word without meditation is like consuming food without digesting it. Diligent study and constant meditation has to progress to consistent application of the principles derived from such study to all aspects of our lives. Then, the Lord will bring us to a place of success, peace, abundance and prosperity. Worldly success is often accompanied by much misery, loneliness, break up of relationships, pride, arrogance, curses but when the Lord makes a man successful or prosperous, He adds no sorrow to it. The person also remains meek and humble as he knows that it is by the sheer grace of God and not dint of hard work or talent or brains that he has been made successful or prosperous. He is also forewarned that he could lose it all if he ceases to be faithful, meek and humble. The biblical pattern is that the Lord often breaks into our character to prepare us before we are lifted up as he did with Moses and Joseph, the lost son of Jacob.
The Lord calls us to do certain specific acts and to follow certain professions according to our gifting, passion, aptitude. He calls us to be influencers for Him wherever we are placed, whether high or low. He could use a Jewish servant maid to lead Naaman to the prophet Elijah to receive a healing of leprosy by faith. He could use an unnamed and unknown boy with a few loaves and fish to feed the hungry multitude. Joseph of Arimathea made both his name and the place he hailed from famous by merely giving up his tomb. He calls us to take up certain big challenges as He called David, the shepherd to face the challenge of Goliath when king Saul and his entire Israelite army was shrinking at the very thought of it.
Prateep V Philip

Pattern of the Rule and the Hierarchy of Elements

UV 2806/10000 Pattern of the Rule
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5 v 17
The pattern of hierarchy of life is the spirit is meant to rule over the mind, the mind is meant to rule over the flesh, the flesh is meant to rule over matter and machine. But due to man’s fallen nature, the flesh is ruling over the spirit. The flesh and mind are fused as one and the mind serves the dictates of the flesh. The flesh and spirit of the same person is at war with each other. There is no peace in the person as a result. But once the fallen nature is restored by faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross, the pattern of spirit over mind, mind over body, body over matter is restored. The Holy Spirit revives the spirit of man and teaches the spirit to rule over the flesh. The kingdom of God or God governance is established in the person and there is peace or Shalom reigning in him.
When a person is yoked to Christ, his spirit and mind will not pull in different directions. He does not allow his bodily lusts and desires to dictate his choices or decisions or actions. The three primal drives of lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life cease to control him. His desires are subjected or subordinated to the will of the Lord as revealed and explained in His word. His focus is no longer on pleasing himself and satisfying his carnal desires but in pleasing the Lord and fulfilling His will. Our desire or hunger for righteousness far exceeds the intensity of the desires of the members of our bodies. As a result, the spirit bridles the entire body with the help of the Word. The spirit then like the rider of a trained horse is able to make it go right or left, up or down, fast or slow or to make it stop when it needs to stop or pause.
The rule of lust in our entire being and lives is replaced by the rule of love, the rule of Christ Jesus, the anointed of God to rule over and save all human beings. We will cease to do anything out of selfish ambition or covetousness. We will not indulge the flesh in its excessive and illegitimate cravings. We are set free from the captivity that Paul wrote about- the captivity of the different members of our bodies- our tongues, sexual organs, limbs, brains to the law of sin and of death. Like Joseph the dreamer was set free from the pit, from the prison, from the bitterness of the past to experience the supernatural favour of the Lord in this natural and political world, we are set free from that to which we sold ourselves in the past. Like Joseph was seated at the right hand of Pharaoh, we are seated at the right hand of Jesus to rule and reign over the kingdom of God within us.
Prateep V Philip

Word vs World Pattern

UV 2809/10000 Word vs World Pattern
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts
Jeremiah 15 v 16
A child is called after the name of the parents. It implies that the child has certain rights and duties vis a vis her parents. The child inherits the DNA, the character and the possessions of the parents. Likewise, we are called after the name of the Lord God of heaven and earth. It is our great privilege. Just as a child relies, relishes and depends on the words of her parents, so also we need to rely, relish and depend on the Word. The Word equips us to handle the world. We need to feed on the Word as the Israelites fed on manna. We need to treat it as necessary and delicious food for our sustenance and our enjoyment.
In some cases, reading the Word convicts a person and leads him or her into a personal relationship with the Author of the word and of life. The Word is the word of truth and it penetrates the heart of the reader to convict him or her. But in most cases, a personal relationship with the Lord God through Jesus leads us into regularly and daily feeding on the Word. Just as with food, there are some parts of the word that is soft and easy that we can swallow or drink, some parts which are tough and are to be bitten into and chewed.
Scripture says that the Word is sweet as honey in the mouth but that it turns bitter as medicine in the stomach. It implies that not only does the word sustain us, it acts as medicine to heal the afflicted parts or our lives. It strikes a balance between the blessings we enjoy by claiming the promises of the Lord in our daily lives and the boundaries of behaviour and choices that it sets before us. It takes discipline and commitment to seek the truths, insights and revelations that are hidden in the Word. The Word is the key to the John 10 v 10 promise of Jesus of the abundant and eternal life.
Prateep V Philip

The Pattern of the Godly and Good

UV 2805/10000 The Pattern of the Godly and Good
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psalm 37 v 23
The steps of a man of God are directed, guided, led by the Lord. His actions and reactions are not self directed, emotion-driven or led by man-made ideas and philosophies. He delights in following the ways of the Lord. He is not a reluctant follower. He diligently studies the Word in order to conform to the patterns of the word in this world. He knows that though there is no innate goodness in him, he is only reflecting the goodness or light of the Lord in him and upon him. The templates or models set forth in the word become his guidelines. It influences the choices he makes every single day and even every thought he thinks and every word he speaks. He does not rely on his own wisdom or whims or emotions or the wisdom of the world. He does not seek or receive ungodly gain. He is conscious of the presence of the Lord all the time. He is filled with the power of love rather than the love of power. He is neither violent nor deceitful. He is not easily deceived, too. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God, is the Director of his life even as a film director directs each step of an actor in a movie. He always goes to the Lord in prayer before taking any major decision and acknowledges the Lord all the time. He realizes that he is neither alone nor helpless in the pursuit of success, happiness or fulfilment. He is not bewildered when the situation becomes adverse for He knows whose he is and He believes and trusts the love, wisdom and power of God to save him.
In allowing the word to direct our ways, we pay a cost in this world in being different, in not being able to take short cuts but the benefit is that we will not stumble and fall. We will end up making fewer blunders that would have cost us our peace, our health, our joy or even our lives. The Lord preserves us from evil and keeps us from foolish decisions. It is not as if we do not face troubles and challenges but the Lord will be with us in our troubles and afflictions. We may sometimes fall as even a righteous person may fall seven times but each time the Lord will strengthen us and set us back on our feet.
The world is compared to a slippery pit, a miry quagmire which will easily ensnare the feet of the person who is not deeply rooted in the word of God. The Lord takes us out of this miry pit and allows none of our steps or actions to slide or cause our downfall. He establishes us in the ways of Jesus who is the Rock of life. We have a model of perfection, of goodness, of wisdom, of love in Jesus. We only need to look to Him as the author and perfector of our faith. We only need to imitate Him in all that we think, say and do. When we do so, the Lord God delights in us. He will establish us in our ways. He will prosper us in our work and in all that we do.
Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Faith in Our Great Struggles in Life

UV 2804/10000 Pattern of Faith in Our Great Struggles
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
2 Chronicles 20 v 12
The odds are often very heavy against God’s people. We face formidable enemies and tremendous opposition in this world. Yet, we do not rely on human strength or means to retaliate. Like Jehoshaphat who cried out to God when his kingdom faced invasion from many powerful armies, we need to appeal to the Lord. Jehoshaphat like any normal leader or king at first feared but through a process of humbling himself, preparing his heart and his people’s, he reinforced his faith in the God of his forefather Abraham. We may be at our wits end and may not know what to do. But we should be assured and confident that in all our dire situations and crises of life, the eyes of the Lord are upon us and our people. The Lord will not forsake us or leave us in our times of greatest need. He is the righteous judge. He clearly sees the justice of our cause.
The Lord fights our battles for us. Even as Jehoshaphat led the people of Judah in praise and worship, He had mercy on them. Even as they began to sing and worship, the Lord set up ambushes against the Ammonites, the Moabites and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who were intent on attacking, defeating and destroying the kingdom of Judah. The secret of Judah’s victory was the faith of the king and his people in Jehovah Nissi, the God of victory. Their only strategy was praise, worship and intercessory prayer. They were encouraged with a prophetic word. They did not cower in fear or shrink away from the sight of the enemies. They remembered past awesome victories the Lord had brought them in many struggles and battles. They did not rely on their own military prowess or resources.
In every struggle in life, we need to turn and seek the Lord, His presence and His help. We need to understand that the battle is clearly not ours but the Lord’s particularly if the odds are heavily against us. We should not run away from the battlefield or hide from our struggle but submit our fears and apprehensions to the Lord. Recalling the past victories and deliverances by the Lord and giving Him thanks and praise for the same will boost our faith and cause our fears to evaporate. Our enemies and adverse circumstances will melt in the presence of the Lord like wax before an intense fire. This is the beauty of His holiness. We only need to stand still and see. Through scriptural history, we see no instance of the Lord wielding a weapon or riding a chariot or leading a large army but His mere presence, His word is sufficient to give us grace to overcome, to win, to defeat the forces arraigned against us. As the God of heaven and earth, He has all the armies of heaven and the resources of earth at His command. He can obtain victory with many or few or with none. Our understanding and recognition of who God is, is vital to winning in the many battles of life.
Prateep V Philip

The Biblical Pattern of Freedom, Growth, Prosperity and Fulfilment

UV 2803/10000 The Pattern of Freedom and Prosperity
And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
Ezekiel 34 v 27
This uni-verse promises six great blessings all of us need for a successful, meaningful, prosperous and joyful life: yield of fruit, increase, safety or security, knowledge of the Lord, the breaking of bondages that enslave us, deliverance out of the hands of erstwhile masters. The key factor which would lead to all the other five is the knowledge of the Lord or a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. We need to know the limitless love, grace, power and mercy of the Lord not in a theoretical way but at a deeply personal level. We need to attempt to get to know the Lord as well as He knows us. Knowledge of the limitless or infinite love of the Lord will enable us to break the self imposed limits we place on ourselves by our own way of thinking. Our perspective will be transformed and it will lead to a change in our choices, our priorities, our actions and reactions. Knowledge of the Lord also means knowledge of His word which contains precepts, principles, examples, testimonies, judgements, experiences of godly people who have gone before us.
The change in the way we process our thoughts, emotions and decisions will naturally lead to a change in our results or fruit of actions. As we yield our wills increasingly to the Lord, He increases our yield of spiritual and all other types of fruit or end results of our lives. Our experience and expression of the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control will keep increasing or growing in us. The fruit is meant both for sustenance and growth as food and for healing as medicine. We will enjoy Shalom or spiritual security, peace and safety as we cannot be preyed upon by spiritual predators of the dark world and their deluded human agents. The bondages of dead habit will be broken. The heavy burdens of guilt, fear, existential worries will be removed from our backs so that we can walk erect and upright. The Lord will give us a lighter load or responsibility to save others who are presently carrying a heavy load and are spiritually oppressed for the greatest oppression is spiritual and the greatest freedom is spiritual. The physical, the political, the intellectual, the social freedom only flows from the spiritual freedom.
The Lord will deliver us from our evil masters of yore: the world,love of money, lust, covetousness, the fear of death and judgement, forces of evil that exploit us. The spirit will rule the flesh and not the other way around. The Lord will teach us to be shrewd or subtly wise as the serpent so that the enemy of our souls does not any longer delude or deceive or entice us in any way. He will also teach us to be as gentle as Jesus and the Holy Spirit who is imaged as the dove. For all these blessings to flow and overflow in our lives, the root is our faith in Jesus.

Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Hope Fulfilment

UV 2802/10000 Pattern of Hope Fulfilment
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3 v 26
Hope makes improvements, changes, achievements possible. People place hope in a variety of things. Sometimes such hope is misplaced and leads to disappointment and bitterness. Scripture says that it is better to place hope in the Lord than in princes of people. This uni-verse asks us to place our hope in the Lord, in His word, in His promises. The Lord will then do His part- salvation. Salvation is not an end-of-life experience but an everyday experience that extends into the timeless zone of eternity. Once we place our trust in the Lord, we need to learn His word, understand His commands, obey and patiently wait on the Lord with a sense of joy, thanksgiving for blessings received and expectancy of the blessings in the offing. Waiting does not mean being inert but actively seeking the Lord’s presence, His wisdom, His grace, His mercy, His justice and all of His ways as it intersects our own paths at several points.
Hope is a natural byproduct of supernatural faith. It means that it is not faith in our own intelligence, abilities, connections, resources but a belief in the supernatural wisdom, grace and power of the Lord to save us. It is not a vague belief but a specific belief in Christ being the wisdom and power of God to save mankind. This hope in Christ as our Saviour in all real life situations, even as we take all natural precautions that our reason dictates and do all that we need to do by way of due diligence, is the hope of glory of God being revealed.
Quiet waiting indicates that we should be free from worries. Our minds should not be tossed about by doubt, fear or anxiety as we face different situations in life. Joseph waited patiently, trusting that His Lord and God, the God of his forefathers would certainly help him come out of his state of misery, of gross injustice. Every reverse in fortune did not deter him or cause him to take his eyes from the ultimate vision that the Lord would raise him up as a ruler and leader in the world. He had a rough ride to the seat of the Prime Minister of the then super power Egypt but he was buoyed up by the hope he reposed in the Lord. There are few instances in scripture of people of God taking a short cut to greatness, fame, wealth, of meteoric rise overnight but there are enough examples of people taking a “God cut” to the ultimate purpose, role and position that the Lord had in mind for them. A “God cut” is neither long nor short but it prepares the person’s character to fulfil godly responsibility. Often it means years of waiting, years of suffering and endurance, years of hoping as the etches and lines of deep character are sculpted and chiselled by the Spirit in the heart of man.
Prateep V Philip

Pattern of the Word at Work

UV 2801/10000 The Pattern of the Word@Work
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Isaiah 55 v 11

The word that has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord God is truthful, wholesome and extremely effective. It is in this world but not of this world. The origin is divine, supernatural, spiritual and yet it works in this world. The only condition for it to work is faith or belief in every word spoken by the Lord. It will accomplish the will of the Lord in this world. It will work deep inside us, at a level deeper than our bones and marrow. It will work quietly, invisibly but surely. It shall without a doubt or without delay prosper in the thing to which the Lord sends it. It is the good seed that meets our greatest need- the need for salvation, for eternal life. It will also meet our diurnal needs for wisdom in the decisions and choices we make, the work we do, the words we speak. It comes like the rain, snow and dew that softens the earth and prepares the harvest of all that we eat from herbs to fruit. It softens our hardened or inured hearts to feel again the things that are vital from the Lord and Creator and Redeemer’s perspective. It brings forth a harvest of righteousness and blessings. It will give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. It will bring forth sweetness out of the killer echoing the dead carcass of a lion that Samson had killed that became the shelter for a beehive full of honey. What the enemy of our souls plans for our destruction and defeat, it will change into a sweet testimony or evidence of the greatness, goodness and love of the Lord. The believer can trust, praise and thank the Lord on every up and down in his life, every turn and twist. All is grist to his mill- no experience is wasted, all is gain including pain and nothing is in vain.
Any human plus the word is a champion like David, a winner like Joshua, a leader like Moses. He is anointed, enabled, equipped, empowered. The word is the software of our existence. It is wholesome food. It is manna from above that does not spoil overnight. It is sweeter than honey and gives wisdom to the simple. It strengthens us from within. It educates our senses so that we are sensible. It teaches us what no earthly teacher can teach us- how best to live. It is higher, much higher than mere man-made religion, morality, philosophy, psychology and science. We need to dwell on every word and absorb its essence of meaning. We need to digest and apply it in every aspect of our lives as nothing is beyond its scope.
The word is practical, simple, applicable in all conceivable human situations. It works even in impossible situations, crises and predicaments as well as in normal fair weather. The biblical thought process “ Cling to what is good, let go of what is evil” can best be practiced by clinging to the word and letting go of what is evil in this world. It will preserve us from conforming to the patterns of this world and instead be spiritually transformed from within. We will not be clay that resists the Potter but yields to His every move. The word embodies the spirit of God and it cures the ills of our flesh. It deals with the issues of the heart out of which flows forth life. It releases the supernatural wisdom, power and resources of the Lord into our mundane situations. It is certain, precise and specific in our real life situations to offer solutions and answers to the questions and problems we confront on a day-to-day basis. The Word is guaranteed by the Lord. The warranty is everlasting.

Prateep V Philip

The Pattern of Gestation

UV 2800/10000 The Pattern of Gestation
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son
Genesis 18 v 14

The word of the Lord is as good as Him. He promised Abraham and Sarah when they were long past the age of child bearing that they would have an heir- a son. Abraham and Sarah laughed disbelievingly at the very thought of them having a child in their old age. Yet, within a year, Sarah bore a son. When nothing seems to be happening in response to our prayers, the Lord is at work behind the scenes, preparing us for the miracle. During that year, the Lord revived Sarah’s body and Abraham’s so that they could indeed bear a child. The silence that follows our prayers till they are fructified or answered in real time and space is a spiritual gestation period like Sarah’s pregnancy. We are to get pregnant with hope and belief in the promises of the Lord that concerns every aspect of our lives: our health, our children, our finances, our past, present, future and eternity.

The basis of our belief in a promise is the word of the Lord. Once we receive a promise from the Lord, we should wholeheartedly believe it. The more things we move from the impossible list of our lives to the possible list, the greater is our faith and the greater our appropriation and enjoyment of the blessings of the Lord. Abraham’s and Sarah’s rational minds and experience that far caused them to laugh at the idea of their bearing a child but the Lord proved within a year that the impossible is possible. They were not asked or expected to suspend their reason or logical minds but were asked to wait and see the evidence of God’s faithfulness to His servants, His children, His faithful creatures. There is an appointed hour or time for the fulfilment of the promises or the word of the Lord. We need to wait for the appointed hour with hope, expectation, praise, thanksgiving and patience.
Many generations after Abraham and Sarah, when the Israelites who were being led by Moses back to the Promised Land complained that they did not have meat to eat, the Lord again asked Moses, who also disbelieved that meat could be procured for so many in the wilderness, “ Is the hand of the Lord too short that I cannot do what I have promised?” We live in a world of limitations but the Lord is not limited in either wisdom or might. He is the God of the Possible. He can will and do that which is seemingly impossible in human eyes. It is in seasons and situations of limitations that the Lord proves to disbelieving humans the extent of His compassion, His understanding, His wisdom, His power, His greatness.
Prateep V Philip

The Pattern of Fruitfulness

UV 2799/10000 The Pattern of Fruitfulness
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Numbers 17 v 8

This uni-verse is about the pattern of fruiting: the leader or person who is in a covenant relationship with the Lord is like the rod of Aaron that budded and brought forth buds, blossoms and yielded almonds. Only the stick of Aaron brought forth such fruit when it was kept overnight along with the sticks of eleven other leaders of the tribes of Israel. Aaron was dedicated to serve alongside Moses. He was humble, obedient and faithful. He was in constant fellowship with the Lord. Hence, his stick grew and bore fruit miraculously. The stick of Aaron bore fruit when it was kept in the tabernacle of the covenant, implying that when we dwell in covenant relationship with Jesus, our leadership will not be barren but fruitful. The fruit or results will be spiritual, miraculous, useful for the kingdom of God. The rod of Aaron producing buds, blossoms and almonds is a symbol of the different stages in which the fruit of our lives are currently found in- some are buds, some are blossoms and some are matured into fruit.

Leadership is a dry stick except it be rooted in the Lord, saturated with His presence, it springs into life, the sap of spiritual life will flow in and through it. When we are grafted onto Jesus, we too bear fruit. We will bear fruit in season and out of season, in time and out of time, in favourable conditions and in unfavourable conditions. Though apparently like the rods of Israel, we have neither root nor branches, we will give an yield that is pleasing to the Lord. Almonds are a symbol of a wholesome, nutritious and tasty produce. Our words, actions and reactions will be wholesome and gracious. Only the rod of the Levite tribe of Aaron produced miraculous fruit. Likewise, only the ones who are grafted in Jesus, constantly communicating in the spirit with Him will produce fruit miraculously. The Word which is the spiritual water that both cleanses and satisfies our thirst for answers to the questions of life and the blood of Jesus that cleanses and sanctifies, the Holy Spirit who continually waters our faith are the three agents that enable us to produce miraculous and supernatural fruit in our lives. For it to happen, we need to dwell continually in the tabernacle of the Lord or rather that the Lord should dwell in our tabernacles, our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, our homes, our conversation, our lives.
What is lifeless will produce life, what is hopeless will be harbingers of hope. Such a supernatural happening will inspire awe, respect, reverence, love and hope in all who witness the produce of our lives. The tabernacle of faith in Jesus will be the tabernacle of witness. It will be the evidence of the reality of Jesus in our lives. Everyday the Lord examines us to see what fruit we bear. Seeing the fruit we bear will quieten the doubting, complaining and rebelling against the Triune God of the people who so witness the buds, the blossoms and fruit on the hitherto dry stick of our lives.
Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Generational Blessings

UV 2798/10000 Pattern of Generational Blessings
The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne
Psalm 132 v 11
The uni-verse states the pattern of generational blessings that flow and follow the one declared righteous by faith. The Lord promises to establish our line or generations. Just as He has a covenant with the sun and moon that they rise each day, He has sworn a covenant relationship with the one who is committed to Him. He will not turn from His promise or His word. He is faithful to His promises for a thousand generations, it is written in His word.
David was a mere shepherd when he started out in life. But he used his time and talent, while sitting in the pastures as the sheep grazed, to compose the psalms, the songs of praise and thanksgiving that express his feelings towards the Lord. The Lord anointed him as a king while he was still young. The Lord strengthened his faith so much that he was undaunted when he faced great and dangerous challenges in the wild from powerful beasts of prey like a lion and a bear. He developed his skills not just as a harpist but he practiced throwing stones accurately and lethally with his sling. He was now ready to take on the mighty Goliath- a metaphor of the giant challenges that believers face and overcome in our lives on Earth. David then faced challenges from a jealous King Saul and later from many quarters when he lived as a fugitive. In all his experiences, he held onto his faith in Jehovah, the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. He knew that if God had been faithful to them, He would continue to be faithful to him and give him the grace to overcome the mighty challenges he faced almost all through his life.
The Lord promised David not just longevity but also continuity in the flow of His covenant promises to the line of David. He promised that one of his own children would be on the throne of Israel. Sure enough Solomon succeeded David as King on his throne and perpetuated as well as expanded on his legacy. It implies that the Lord will be with our children, their children and our descendants as He is with us. He will raise them up to succeed us, to carry out the will and purpose of the Lord in their lives. God’s promises have no expiry date and continue to work out in the lives of our descendants long after we are gone.
Prateep V Philip

The Biblical Pattern of Priorities

UV 2797/10000 The Biblical Pattern of Priorities
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you
Matthew 6 v 33
The pattern of this world is to first seek all the things they desire like wealth, power, position, fame, influence, comfort creatures, pleasure, greatness, immortality and so on. But the biblical pattern upheld to us who believe is that we seek first the kingdom of God or the rule of God in our lives through Jesus Christ. Our first and topmost priority is to know Jesus, the extent of His love and become like Him in terms of character, attitudes and integrity. He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. When we follow Him with all our hearts, He will add all of the things that the world gives priority to. He will add it in due proportion at the apt time. Like Solomon asked of the Father, we need to seek His wisdom in the words of Christ. The word “seek “ does not mean casually engaging in some activity but with total passion, energy, commitment. It indicates a willingness to lose all else in the pursuit of one’s topmost priority which outweighs all other priorities put together. It is like the gem merchant in Jesus’s parable who sells all his possessions to obtain the most valuable pearl in all the world. Jesus and His eternal kingdom is the most valuable pearl for which we need to be ready to stake all else.
We need to seek the righteousness of Christ by obeying the precepts and principles taught and practiced by Jesus during His earthly sojourn. Our first love, implying our greatest love should be for Jesus. When we do so, all our other priorities and needs will fall in place. Solomon asked for wisdom to discern how he should judge His subjects- the people. But we need to seek the wisdom of Christ to discern His judgements in all matters and to abide by these.
The knowledge and wisdom of Christ will allow the power of Christ or the grace of Jesus to flow in our lives, leading, guiding, enabling, equipping, protecting, providing and using us for His greater glory. We need to offer the “first fruit” of our time, our talent, our treasure to the Lord. We will then become inheritors of the fourteen blessings of obedience enumerated in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and the spiritual blessings enumerated by Jesus Himself in Matthew chapter 5. Though it is a promise that “ all these things shall be added..” it will not be all added overnight or at one shot. The Lord will enlarge us measure by measure, step by step. The word “ all” in the uni-verse means that nothing good is left out of the scheme of things of God for man. Scripture says that no good thing will be withheld or denied from those who love God above all others and above all other things. The miraculous, the supernatural, the spiritual will be intertwined with a natural increase or addition to our lives. The uni-verse implies that we do not have to renounce the world or our possessions in this world. We only need to order our priorities so that we give utmost importance to the Lord, His word and His ways in our lives. As we focus on the Lord, He will bring about the abundance of blessings in our lives- spiritual, emotional, intellectual, familial, relational, social, professional, material and financial. It does not mean we neglect all our other priorities. In fact, the believer exhibits the “extra mile “ passion in all other spheres of life, much more than the unbeliever who gives top priority to his own pursuits of worldly goals.

Prateep V Philip

Pattern of Salvation, Blessing and Growth

UV 2796/10000 Pattern of Salvation, Blessing and Growth
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
Ezekiel 36 v 29

Mankind is constantly striving to transform our external conditions with a hope that it will lead to a change in our internal condition. But God reverses the pattern: He first works on a change in the internal condition and then that leads up to a change in the external conditions. The pattern of salvation is that the Lord first saves a person from the power of sin. He then saves a person over his lifetime from the presence of sin. The Lord is the One who transforms a person from within. He gives us a new heart and a new spirit which is continually connected with Him. The unbelieving and unfaithful heart and spirit of man becomes a believing and faithful heart and spirit. He changes the heart of man so that it is no longer stony and unfeeling and it beats in resonance with the very heart of the Lord. Scripture says that the heart of the godly is like a continual feast. We enjoy a continual feast of joy, love and fellowship with the Lord. He sends the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and cleanse us from all that stains our souls. He not only saves us from eternal condemnation but saves us from our individual pattern of sins. He calls for blessing and abundance in our lives.
The heart of the ungodly, the unsaved is inured to sin and does not feel any remorse or does not even realize that he has sinned. This separates man from the presence of the holy and righteous God. It also brings in “hamartia” or all kinds of curses or shortcomings in the lives of the ones with stony hearts. He calls the famine of blessings upon himself and it is not as if the Lord curses or punishes him. But a person who receives Jesus into his life, receives a new heart and develops a new perspective on life. He becomes sensitive to the presence and the move of the Lord in His life. Instead of curses or shortcoming or hamartia, He receives the blessings of increase from the Lord.
The uni-verse promises that the Lord will not send “no famine” upon His chosen ones. Instead, they will enjoy a flood of blessings, of “hyperbole” instead of “hamartia”. The uni-verse says, “ I will call for the corn”. The corn is a symbol of what satisfies human need. The Lord will command an increase of whatever is required to satisfy our need- spiritual, intellectual, emotional, relational, professional, financial and material. The increase of corn is also a metaphor for growth: that the believer in Christ will grow in all aspects all his life on earth. No increase in our lives happens by accident or purely by our natural efforts. It is willed by the Lord.

Prateep V Philip

Biblical Pattern of Speech

UV 2795/10000 Pattern of Speech: World or Word
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4 v 29
Next to the thought process, one of the most vital patterns of life is our pattern of speech. The pattern of the world is that the mouth of the wicked and the ungodly are like an open sepulchre or a grave that spews the power of sin and death with every word. There is the poison of the asp under the tongue. Their words may be smooth as butter but hide sharpened knives behind it. It is used for deceit and flattery. It speaks lies and out of lust and covetousness. It spurs violence and strife. It speaks what the heart and mind is full of : evil. But the biblical template of speech is set forth in this uni-verse as well as a large number of portions of scripture ranging from the book of Proverbs to the espistle of St James. We are to conform our speech to this template.
We are not to allow any corrupt communication to leave our mouths. In order to do this, we need to be slow to speak and quick to listen. We should not give vent to filthy language, rage, vulgar jokes, insults and taunts. What we speak should always be full of grace and salted with truth. Truth will make our words tasty and wholesome to the listener. Our speech or our words should always be beneficial to the listeners. It should build up their faith, their confidence, their hope, their love. It is full of the grace of Christ. Our words are anointed as life-giving bullets that penetrate the hearts, minds and spirits of people, quickening their inner life or their souls. Our tongues are the spring of God’s love and should not be mixed with poison of lust, untruth and evil. Our positive confessions of faith please and glorify God and build the faith of the hearers. Our tongues are one of the chief instruments of ministry to humanity. It is consecrated and dedicated to the Lord and ought to be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. The tree of life that the Lord God removed from the garden of Eden is planted in the mouths of the believers. It is the tree of wisdom that enables us to speak of the righteousness of God all day, to offer praises and glory to Him and to “order our conversation aright.” Ordering our conversation aright implies doing everything we can to conform our words to the pattern of the template of the Word, not influenced, corrupted or distorted by the world. From this tree of life comes virtually all the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, patience, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. Our words are the fruit of our lips full of these attributes of Jesus. Out of the mouth of the believer comes forth the power of eternal life and not death. We are to use our tongues to lead many into the kingdom of God, to teach and disciples others in the patterns of the Word. Our words are to be used to bless not curse, to encourage, not humiliate or insult others, to appreciate, to comfort, to strengthen not weaken, to be thankful not to grumble, to guide not to deceive. Even many of the gifts of the Spirit of God flows through our tongues and mouths- the gift of healing, prophecy, tongues, word of knowledge and wisdom. We are also to speak the apt word at the apt time. If we are not able to speak so, we should rather learn to be silent. Learning not to speak is itself a grace of the Lord. The Word also teaches us that when words abound, sin too abounds, implying that we should not speak a word more than what is necessary in a specific situation. It requires us to be measured in our speech.
Prateep V Philip

Biblical Patterns:Thought Process

UV 2794/10000 Biblical Patterns of Life : Thought Pattern
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12 v 2

This uni-verse, in the first part, exhorts us not to be conformed to this world. In the second part of this verse, we are encouraged to transform ourselves by renewing our minds with the Word. It is a clear choice between conforming to the patterns of this world or the patterns of His word. We renew ourselves when we conform to the biblical patterns or the patterns of the Book in which the Lord who became word has revealed what is good, acceptable and perfect. The biblical patterns are what are good, acceptable and perfect.
Our lives and our behaviour, our strengths and weaknesses, our successes and failures all follow a pattern that is first set in our minds. The Bible sets forth these preferred or perfect patterns – a pattern of thought, a pattern of beliefs, a pattern of attitudes, a pattern of behaviour, a pattern of emotions, a pattern of speech, a pattern of aspirations, a pattern of decision making, a pattern of efforts, a pattern of responses and reactions to the stimuli of this world as well as our experiences in this world, a pattern of prayer, praise and worship, a pattern of seeking to satisfy financial or material needs in this world, a pattern of seeking fulfilment, greatness or immortality, a pattern of relationships. All these patterns together constitute what management calls a paradigm. These patterns have the approval of the Lord. These patterns maximise our joy, our influence, our impact, our fulfilment, our potential. These patterns are God-approved, God-anointed, God-enabled, God-blessed. The patterns of this world are obviously not good, not acceptable to the Lord, not perfect. The patterns of this world are either evil or unacceptable or imperfect. It may not even be apparently evil but could be a mix of good and evil. It may even start out by appearing to be good and turn out to be evil and harmful. To give an example, Tony Robbins, the well known NLP trainer who made immense wealth teaching people to use NLP to overcome their personal issues in recent seminars uses extreme foul or “taboo” language in an attempt to break the pattern of thought of members of his audience. This “tactic” is neither good nor acceptable. Another example, is the famous book, “The Secret” which teaches the readers to think that they can be and do whatever they think. It has led to delusionary behaviour and irrational decision making by many of its readers.
To take up first, the pattern of thought. The world faces the problem of excessive negativity, of negative patterns of thinking as a result of a series of negative thoughts and experiences that put human beings on an automatic negative thought process. The negative thought pattern has a highly corrosive and debilitating effect on all of our other patterns and even our pattern of relationships in the family and in the workplace. The world and its thinkers and thought leaders have come up with partial solutions for negative thought patterns and have variously called it positive thinking, positive psychology, rational emotive therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP, systems thinking, gestalt and so on. But the biblical pattern summed up by St Paul in His epistles to both the Romans and Thessalonian believers is “ Cling to what is good, let go of what is evil.” It is a dual process much like our breathing pattern or the beat of our hearts. When I first received this revelation, I called it Equilibrium Thinking or eqthinking for short. The Holy Spirit has revealed that it is the key to the human mind. It has an impact on all our other life patterns like emotions, decisions, efforts, aspirations, relationships, successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses. The biblical pattern of thought is to cling for dear life to what is true, pure, noble, good, wise, perfect, praiseworthy, beneficial and to let go, abhor, flee from, reject, eject, refuse what is negative or evil. The believer has the grace of Christ, the enabler, the One who is not only perfect but also anointed to perfect others, to adopt and consistently follow this pattern of thought. We have to take every thought captive to Christ or bring it to His examination. The Word will reveal over time what is good, God-approved, acceptable, perfect thought patterns and we only need to conform to this pattern. The daily intake of the Word and constantly measuring our thoughts against the standard pattern of the Word will renew our minds in Christ. The Holy Spirit will give both help, power and counsel to be aware of our thought patterns and cause it to conform to the biblical pattern of “clinging to what is good and letting go of what is evil.” Clinging implies being committed, persistent, consistent, obsessed with the positive thoughts while at the same time, releasing ourselves from the clutches of the pattern of negative thoughts. This holistic thought process would improve over time our decision-making, our speech pattern, our behaviour pattern, our success-failure pattern, our strength-weakness pattern, our emotional pattern, our relationship pattern. Our intellects, our emotions, our wills, our lives are being constantly renewed in the image of Christ as we adopt and practice the biblical pattern of thought.
Prateep V Philip

The Scarlet Thread

UV 2793/10000 The Scarlet Thread

And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
Joshua 2 v 21
Hope in Jesus is the scarlet thread that the believer ties on the window of his house. That scarlet thread transforms the cursed and condemned house of the outcast Rahab who lived on the periphery of the town into the house of salvation and blessing for all its inhabitants. Rahab the prostitute became the forebear of the Messiah Jesus. Her faith in the words of the God of Israel a justified and saved her from impending defeat and disaster. Her destiny was altered. The help she rendered in providing refuge to the Israelites messengers was greatly rewarded beyond her expectations, the expectations of her parents and family, beyond everyone’s expectations. Rahab was rewarded for risking her life in order to save the Israelite spies. Did she betray her own people among whom she lived? Was she a traitor? No, for loyalty to God is the highest loyalty that rises above loyalty to self, family, community, city, state or nation.
From Rahab’s lineage, the Lord God raised the greatest of the Hebrew King-prophets David through the stump of Jesse. From that stump of Jesse, the Lord raised the divine and eternal root- Jesus. We should tie the scarlet thread of faith in Jesus in our hearts. Grafted in Jesus, we are justified, cleansed of our uncleanness, our unrighteousness as Rahab and all of her family was justified and transformed. The scarlet thread of faith is the cord that ties our hearts, our lives and our earthly and eternal destiny with the glorious name of Jesus. As Rahab, the alien and outcast became one of Israel and the co-inheritor of the heritage of promises of Jehovah to Abraham, the one who demonstrated how faith is to be integrated with one’s life and not kept at the periphery of our lives as religion teaches people to.
Rahab believed and was in awe of the word, the testimonies and judgements of God. She unconditionally trusted the word who became flesh- Jesus. He saved her though He took flesh and blood upon Himself several centuries later in human history. Rahab’s past was not remembered nor mentioned ever again. She and all of her family began to serve the God of Israel. He is today the invisible and spiritual scarlet thread that all humanity can tie around their hearts to change their houses of strife and condemnation into a house of peace and salvation and blessing forever. He is the Lord Amen- the Root, the Cause, the Cost and the Source of hope of salvation and eternal life.
Prateep V Philip

Good and Faithful Servants

UV 2792/10000 Good and Faithful Servants
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
I Corinthians 15 v 58
We are to be steadfast or consistent, dogged, determined, dedicated, devoted in our faith in Christ Jesus. Our faith should be like a strong root of a big tree, unshakeable, unmoveable. Once we are rooted in Christ in faith, our work of faith, our labour of love and patience of hope will never fail. We need to be zealous to do good works in the name of Jesus for His glory and by His grace. In other words, we are to be strong and do all the good we can in every way we can and our work will surely be rewarded both here and in the hereafter.
Ruth was an example of steadfast faith in the way she stuck with her mother-in-law even though the death of her husband had dissolved her bonds with her husband’s family and his God. We are to hold our confidence in Christ in like manner till the very end, growing even stronger in faith with time and experience. Trials and tribulations, doubts and fears should draw us closer to Jesus and not break our covenant relationship with Him, sealed with His blood and the Holy Spirit.
As our faith grows in strength and depth, grace and love of Christ should be increasingly manifest in our lives. We ought to abound in the work of the Lord. While the Word will strengthen our faith, our work for the Lord will demonstrate our love for Him. The work of the Lord involves spreading the fragrance of His name and the hope of the good news that mankind can live forever, free from judgement, by grace. The work of the Lord also implies excelling in all that we do, in doing everything as if we are doing it for Him. The work of the Lord means to conform to the character of Christ in order to produce His characteristics- or the fruit of the spirit. The more the fruit, the more blessed we are and the more pleased the Lord is. Prayer, praise, thanksgiving, fasting, worship, using our talents for the glory of God, giving to the needy and serving the poor are other important work of the Lord that we should abound in. When we abound in all these aspects, then we will be called “good and faithful servants”.
Prateep V Philip

Insured Against Shame

UV 2791/10000 Insured Against Shame
Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
Psalm 119 v 6
When we respect the commandments of the Lord and esteem all of His precepts as true and worthy of following or obeying in our lives, we will not be put to shame in this life or in the hereafter. When we omit to follow even one precept, we are guilty of disrespecting the whole law of the Lord. But, as we trust and follow Jesus, we are considered righteous as if we are obeying the whole law of the Lord. Since we are blood-washed and the blood of the Lamb of God covers all of our sins, our own hearts will not condemn us. Our consciences will not prick us and we can enter the presence of the Lord with confidence and without shame. We do not have to hide like Adam and Eve from the Lord’s eyes even though our sins are much worse and more numerous than theirs at the beginning of time.
The uni-verse puts the truth in a negative way so that we understand the positive promise it holds in it: we will be honoured. Many of the early apostles were imprisoned and martyred but to this day their names are greatly honoured wherever people believe and follow Jesus or in other words, in all nations. Our objective in life is not to be famous or popular in the eyes of the world but to win the esteem of the Lord. Joseph and Daniel are biblical characters who won the esteem of the Lord. There is no short cut to winning the esteem of the Lord other than esteeming His word above our necessary food and above gold, silver and other treasure.
The Word has multiple benefits for the one who diligently studies and carefully obeys it. We gain the supernatural wisdom of Jesus that exceeds the worldly wisdom of Solomon. We are kept out of folly and the misery caused by impetuous or foolish decisions and choices. We enjoy Shalom or holistic success, health, peace and joy. We win the favour of God or in other words, we walk in the grace of the Lord. We become inheritors of multiple blessings promised in Deuteronomy chapter 28 while avoiding the even more numerous curses and failures mentioned in the same chapter. We become channels of blessings to others in our generation. The Word also promises longevity and an enduring legacy. We will develop true leadership qualities and abilities for we become the head that leads in conjunction with the heart that feels. Our fellowship with Jesus and through Him with the Triune God will be unbroken and it will brighten, broaden and deepen till we enter into the eternal realm.

Prateep V Philip

The Teacher of Teachers

UV 2790/10000 The Teacher of Teachers
And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan
Exodus 35 v 34
Jesus is the Teacher of teachers. He is the Tree of eternal life that was removed by the Father from the garden of Eden and planted in our hearts. He also teaches us to teach. He teaches not mere knowledge or the wisdom of this world but wisdom from above that is peaceful, gentle and joyful. The Lord puts in the heart of the believer His wisdom so that he will be able to teach. Like our physical heart pumps the oxygenated blood to all parts of our bodies, our spiritual hearts need to pump the wisdom stored therein in the form of the Word to all parts of our being so that hope and joy reaches every organ, every cell of our being. He anoints us such that we can understand His hidden wisdom. We need to first discover what is hidden in it and then hide in it. We only need to prepare our hearts like Ezra to seek the law of the Lord, to do it and then to teach it to others. Preparing our hearts require us to humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to seek the help of the Holy Spirit to correctly understand and interpret the Word. The word has an answer for every question we face in life. We need a miner’s zeal to seek out these hidden answers to all the issues of life, one by one, understand, appropriate the wisdom and then impart it to others.
The starting point of our quest for answers of life are the challenges we are facing, the temptations we need to prepare ourselves for ahead of time, the difficulties we need to endure in life. As we diligently seek out these answers, the Lord will speak to us through His word. It will enlighten our minds and fill our hearts with hope. We need to cling to the good wisdom discovered in the Word and overcome the evil in our nature and in the world. Our lips as the Psalmist wrote should recount all the laws that He has taught us. Instead of entertaining covetousness, we should delight in learning His principles and precepts that guide us on our earthly journey, keeping us out of folly, pride and misery.
The Word applied to life’s great questions are testimonies or tested truths. These tested truths are the paths of righteousness the Lord leads us on. Once we experience these tested truths, the Lord also teaches us to teach these to His sheep, both the faithful ones and the lost sheep who have strayed. Every day of our lives is an opportunity to learn, understand and experience the power and wisdom of these tested truths. It needs a special grace or anointing to be able to teach. The Word warns that the teachers of the law will be judged more severely than others. So this puts those who teach on notice to always be wary and wise not to break the tiniest part of the law or violate it in letter or spirit.
Prateep V Philip

Anchoring

UV 2789/10000 Anchoring
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1 v 13
We need to hold on firmly to the sound teachings and precepts of Jesus and the apostles. Holding firmly implies to memorise, meditate and apply the apt word of God in appropriate way. We need to hold onto the teachings of Jesus with faith in Him that He is able to do that which He has promised us. We need to further teach others with love and humility and not with an attitude of self righteousness. The Word being double-edged cuts on both sides- the listeners as well as the speaker or teacher. Unlike a sharp weapon that takes life, it is a life-healing, life-enhancing and life-enriching instrument of the Lord. It penetrates the core of our being, even the bone and marrow and tissue of our bodies, minds and spirits bringing healing, deliverance and anointing.
Our faith in Christ is built up by hearing the word. We are blessed and strengthened when we do what we hear. Christ being the wisdom and power of God, we become filled with His wisdom and power. His wisdom guides us in our decisions, our conversations, our thoughts, the expression of our emotions. His power enables us to implement our decisions, control our otherwise uncontrollable tongues and regulate our inner being and feelings. The Holy Spirit enables and equips us to imitate the wisdom, faith and love of Christ. We begin to live out the attributes and attitudes of the faith and love of Christ as described by St Paul in Hebrews chapter 11 and I Corinthians chapter 13. The experiences and circumstances of life keep changing according to the weather over which we have no control like the ocean or sea but Christ remains our dynamic anchor in every situation.
Faith and love are two sides of the spiritual currency. Faith is like the skeleton that is the strong foundation and structure of our bodies while love is the flesh and blood that the skeleton is clothed with. In order to be alive spiritually, both faith and love are needed. One of the ways we can grow consistently in the faith and love of Christ is to anchor every breath on Christ, to use every breath to remember Christ, every breath to praise, thank and pray to Him. As we do this on a moment to moment basis, the wisdom and power of Christ will flow through us as breath and blood carry life sustaining oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our bodies.
Prateep V Philip

Dimensions of the Image of God

UV 2788/10000 Dimensions of the Image of God
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10 v 31
The true image of God is not discovered by imagination but by revelation and faith. Our choices to either reject or accept the living God will determine whether it is a terrible thing or a terrific thing to fall into His hands. When we believe in a loving and living God, it is indeed a terrific thing to fall into His hands. His hands will catch us when we fall, when we stumble, when we falter. His hand will guide us on the paths of life. His hand will provide for all of our need. His hands will protect us from our foes and enemies. Eye has not seen nor ear heard not entered the thoughts or imagination of people the wonders that the Lord will do for the believing and beloved. In international relations, there is the theory of balance of power that governs relations of nations. But, in the kingdom of God there is a balance of love and power. Love is the primary mode of relationship while power is in the background.
The Bible holds up to us two views of God, -first that He is a living, all powerful, all knowing and loving person who keeps giving chances to every human being to turn to Him and second, that He is a consuming fire who destroys the unrepentant, the arrogant, the remorseless wicked. People need to fear if they believe that God is dead, that God does not exist. They need to fear even if they believe in God if they have a distorted view of Him. People need to fear when they make God in their own image instead of trusting the One who made them in His image. They need to fear when they rely on their own imagination, traditions and beliefs about God instead of getting to know the real nature of God by studying His word and experiencing its reality in their lives first hand. People need to fear Him if they reject His love and ignore Him, if they live as they please not remembering that they need to give an account for every careless word and every wicked deed. The love of God is backed up by the awesome power of God. His immense power is held in restraint by His love. The choice is made by each individual whether to believe and enter into a covenant relationship of love or remain outside the circle of His love and care and by choice become an object of wrath.
God cannot contradict His own nature, His own word. That anything that is only partially good for example human beings can be potentially absolutely evil predicates that He is also possessed of awesome avenging, judging and punishing power to maintain the balance, to ensure His sovereign will is executed in heaven and on earth. For the believer, the one who is living in covenant relationship with the Triune God through belief in Jesus Christ, He is also a refining fire who purifies, sanctifies, perfects faith as well as character and works. Since God is loving, we too need to conform to the image of Christ and increasingly reflect His qualities of love in our lives if we are not to fall under judgement for our lack of faithfulness.
Prateep V Philip