Promise Claiming to Proclaim the Glory of God

To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance and retribution of our God, to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61 v 2 The year of jubilee or the seventh year was in Jewish law and custom, the year of favour when the debts are cancelled and the mortage is lifted on land, the slaves were set free. The Lord Jesus was likewise declaring at the start of His public ministry that all people are set free from the mortgage of their souls, set free from the claims of satan on their lives and eternity. It was also the day of judgement for the Prince of Peace, Jesus was crushing the enemy's head under His heel as promised in the third chapter of Genesis. Jesus was also announcing the release of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter to comfort, assure, give hope, encourage all who believed in the truth- for Jesus is the very personification of truth. Instead of mourning, we can now rejoice in the Lord, again and again. He has anointed us with the spirit of joy and clothed us with the garment of praise. The crown of emotions, or the topmost emotion or feeling is joy. The Lord has anointed us - it implies that He has enabled us by the pouring of His spirit upon. The oil of joy is a metaphor referring to the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the chief source of our joy, for He has clothed us with salvation. He has declared us free from any charge or accusation that the enemy can bring against us. We,as the children of God, now have the power to decree or proclaim the Lord's favour upon other people. We have the power or right to bless people. Every day of our lives we need to walk in the grace or favour of the Lord. We do not need luck for the Lord's favour surrounds us. His love and kindness is better than life, sweeter than honey, more precious than gold. To proclaim is short for promise -claim. We taste the goodness of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, the grace of Jesus, the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit by claiming the promises of God contained in His word. Jesus, being the Yes and Amen to all God's promises, the Lord Amen or the One who fulfills all the promises of the Lord God is the One who stands as Guarantor of the new covenant promises.

Faith and Faithfulness

The king ended by saying, "But for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in my presence." Luke 19 v 27 In this parable of Jesus, we see that there are people who follow Him who lack in faithfulness and do not invest their lives well to serve His purpose and there are people who lack faith and refuse to serve Him. Unlike the story of talents where each servant was given a different number of talents of gold to invest, in this parable all ten servants are given ten minas or a hundred days of wages to keep. The lessons conveyed by the parable is that we should be faithful to the Lord in using whatever He has given us to magnify His name in and through our lives. Faith is needed in non believers in order to serve God while faithfulness is needed in believers to serve God. For all those who are not trusting God and His word, they should weigh all that they are and have in one hand and all that the kingdom of God offers in the other. It is worthwhile to exchange all that one has and is in order to obtain all that God has promised. For the former we cannot keep forever while what the Lord promises we have forever. Christ is the king who does not rule over terrritory but over the hearts and minds of people. The extent to which we submit our thoughts, desires, emotions to the Lord, to that extent we are ruled by Him. The more we yield to Him, the more He increases our yield. Faith and faithfulness are two sides of the same coin. One is not complete without the other. Once we surrender our lives to Jesus, we need to be increasingly and consistently faithful. The servant who did not invest the minna he got from the king did not know the true nature of the king. He disbelieved him, did not want to take any risk and hence, buried the minna so that he can return it to him on his coming back. But the king did not count this as faithfulness. He counted it as a lack of trust and obedience. He counted as faithfulness the actions of the other servant who invested the minna and gave him a ten fold increase on his coming back. Hence, the latter was made a ruler of ten cities. The people who serve Him faithfully are rewarded. The people who rebel and refuse to believe or serve Him lose eternal life.

Faith More Precious than Precious Metals

But Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus CHrist the Nazarene- (begin now to) walk and go on walking!" Acts 3 v 6 Faith is more precious than gold and silver or even platinum for these precious but dead metals cannot cure the incurable, cannot give us what money or gold cannot buy -the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus. The crippled beggar never imagined that he would be delivered of his inability to walk which had afflicted him from birth. He only expected a few coins, even just nickel coins not even gold or silver. Peter had neither gold, silver or nickel coins with him that he could give. But he knew he had something more precious than all things that matters more than material riches. He exercised his faith to cause a great miracle to happen at the gate called Beautiful of the temple. The life of the nameless beggar which was miserable and ugly all the years of his life. He had to be set down every day at the gate of the temple to beg for alms, hoping worshippers of God will be charitable to him. But what Peter said and did turned his life into a beautiful life. Our ugly and miserable lives where we are merely begging God for something small and physical to meet our daily needs is transformed into a beautiful life when we receive the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Just as the beggar who received healing not just of his crippled legs but of his entire being for he was healed of his inner blindness and ignorance of God, the Creator and Redeemer, the Healer and Deliverer, we receive the gift of faith. Faith in Jesus, in His authority as Author of our faith and Finisher of our Lives, meeting us at the point of our greatest need- the need to know and experience the love of God, is the Beautiful gate, the portal to a life of transformation, of significance, of power, of influence. Due to the faith imparted to us, we are no longer seekers of lucre, of gold and silver but we are seekers, worshippers of God revealed in and through Jesus Christ. Our faith is not crippled as it was from our birth but we are now enabled to walk by grace with God. We can walk and keep walking in the footsteps of Jesus, imparting the gift of faith, of healing and deliverance of all we encounter in our lives. We exercise power and authority like Peter did in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene.

The Favourable Time

UV 4260/10000 The Favourable Time Or Kairos Time But when ( in God's plan) the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the (regulations of the ) Law. Galatians 4 v 4 The Greek concept of time distinguishes between physical or quantitative time measured in seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, years or Chronos and Kairos or Quality or deep time, spiritual time measured in moments of reverence, wonder, joy, awe, thanksgiving, realization, victory, experiences of life, revelations.. Kairos is the time of God's favour. The time God considers the opportune moment to do or reveal something. It is the hour appointed for God to manifest Himself in human affairs. From the human perspective it is the most precious and memorable moments in our days, the memorable ones, the peaceful ones, the joyful ones, the turning points of our lives, the defining and refining moments of our lives. The birth of Jesus on earth altered the course of history of the world and of the nations as it did the lives of millions of individuals right through history. The birth of Jesus by faith in our hearts alters our individual destinies and enables us to experience the kairos dimensions of time,the miracle moments which transcend time, the laws and rules of nature. God with us, or Emmanuel alters our concept of time from chronos to kairos, for now time and space constraints do not hold us back from anything, nothing is impossible though everything that happens cannot be predicted or expected. When God is present in us and with us, all our time is potentially changed to kairos or significant time. The relentless march of time marked by the hands of the clock or watch is not stopped but the actions and events to fulfil God's purpose for man on earth and in heaven is speeded up, not on the fast track but on the right track. God being infinite and not confined by space or time transforms our lives into a series of kairos moments stretching into the timeless, boundless, everlasting, eternal realms. Scripture records that God stopped the sun in its tracks when God's power was invoked by Moses in the war of Israel against some enemies resisting their advance to Canaan, the Promised Land. The journey of the earth around the sun is what produces chronos or quantity time. Our God encounters are our "kairos" moments when our strenght and access to resources are enabled by His grace to overcome physical and other limitations. Even the birth of Jesus is under the law of Moses. So much so, the child of God begotten of a woman, Mary is even subjected to the tradition of circumcision as required by Jewish law. But thereafter, the law of Moses steps back to allow full play of grace. Our lives after we are born again by faith in Jesus moves from the shadow of limitations to the shadow or presence of the Almighty. We move from the want or lack of physical strength, resources, abilities, time to an area of abundance. If we are in sync with God, we are in alignment with His perfect and pleasing will, our lives will be a series of kairos moments.

The Father's Love

Just as a father loves his children, so the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him. Psalm 103 v 13 The Lord has compassion on us as we are not just His creatures but we are His children. Though God cares for all of His creation in a generic way, He loves those who fear, obey and worship Him. Human beings who do not know God as their Father are like the Eskimos in polar regions who have to invent different ways to keep warm and sustain themselves against the vagaries of nature. But for those who know Him, love Him, have a personal relationship with Him through Christ, the first born Son, He is as intimate as a Father. He provides for us. He protects us. He heals us. He restores us when we fall into error or wilful ways. He delights in us as a Parent in her children. He listens to our every thought, whisper and sigh. Knowing our mortal and sinful nature, the Lord God provided the way for us to have eternal life even at the cost of the suffering and life of Jesus, the Anointed Son of God. Having not even spared His own Son, He would go to any extent, move heaven and earth for our sake. His love in unconditional but subject to the condition that we believe in His Son that He is the propitiation for our sins. The Lord is a righteous Father and that is the reason that we who are sinful need to be fearful as we enter His presence. But as we are washed in the blood of regeneration of Jesus, we are redeemed and can be bold to run onto His lap, as it were. We, as children of God should not resemble the self righteous elder son in the parable of the prodigal son but the broken, humbled, repentant younger son. The Father provides for us the robe of salvation, the signet ring of authority to co-rule with Him over the earth, the shoes to go anywhere in His name, the belt of truth. Indeed, His banner over us is love and He invites us to heaven's banqueting table to rejoice with Him in our salvation.

Deliverance Comes from the Lord

But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a man to rescue the people of Israel, Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. Judges 3 v 9 When we cry out to the Lord in any difficult situation, He will send deliverance. Othniel means "Lion of God" and he proved his courage when Caleb set him a military challenge in which he promised the victor the hand of his daughter Achsah. The name Achsah means courage or breaking out of the veil. She was an able support to her husband Othniel. Othniel was also the first judge or ruler of Israel once they settled in the Promised Land. The Lord blessed him as he feared God. In proportion to the faith and reverance we have for God, we are imbued with courage just like Othniel. Jesus is the ultimate Deliverer the Lord God sent to help us. His conquest is eternal and in the realm of the spirit. The Spirit of the Lord came down upon Othniel as Judge of Israel and enabled him to wrest victory from the Mesopotamian king. In our lives today, we do not deal with flesh and blood kings but with principalities and powers of darkness. When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us, we have victory over these strongholds - injustice, pride, envy, lust, violence and so on. As "lions of God" we need to wait upon the Lord for His strength to come upon us and manifest in the challenges we face daily in our lives. God did not prove a debtor to Othniel and blessed him with land and prospered him in Israel. Israel enjoyed peace for forty years under the leadership of Othniel.

Seek First Wisdom ...

UV 4257/10000 Seek First Wisdom Wisdom and knowledge have been granted you. I will also give you riches, possessions and honour, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor will those who will come after you." 2 Chronicles 1 v 12 Solomon, yet a teenager, asked the Lord for wisdom to rule and administer justice. God was pleased with what Solomon asked for. Hence, Solomon is the only trillionaire in history. He was given wisdom and knowledge and in addition, wealth, possessions and honour in abundance. The Lord gives wisdom not to the foolish but to the wise and knowledge to those who seek understanding. He honours and preserves from troubles those who fear Him, love Him,worship Him. When we seek the Lord with all our hearts and love Him with all our strength, all our mind and all our soul, He adds to us what we have neither asked nor sought. We need the child-like humility and faith of the young Solomon to trust God and pray for wisdom and understanding. The Lord has revealed time and again that He is very pleased with such child-like faith. We need to believe fully and without the shadow of doubt that God is able to give us wisdom and that He would give it to us generously in abundance. Solomon, in later years erred in His relationship with God chiefly due to the fact that He was unequally yoked with women of different faith backgrounds. Unlike Solomon, we need not a one time seeking of wisdom of God but we need to seek it daily and before any major venture or decision. The lesson that we learn from the life of Solomon is that even the wisest can be deceived. We need the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit to remain victorious in life. The blessings of the Lord made Solomon non-pareil or without equal among the kings and leaders of the world. Even though Solomon departed from the path of faithfulness to the Lord, the Lord remained faithful and did not withdraw the grace and blessings He extended to him. The wisdom that God gave Him was not withdrawn but remained in him. Through his experimentation with learning, pleasure, fame, posessions, Solomon proved to humanity for all time the vanity and emptiness of pursuing such things in the absence of a personal relationship with the Creator God and the Saviour Jesus enabled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus later summed it up in His word, " Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." My life is a testament to the truth of this promise as the Lord met my needs and wants in abundance, without any lack or shortage over the past many decades of my life as I sought His will and His wisdom in every circumstance through the years.

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

UV 4294/10000 Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What does this mean?" you shall say to him, "With a strong and powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage and slavery.." Exodus 13 v 14 The Lord redeemed the Israelites from Pharaoh's hand. The word redeemed means "to buy back." One has to pay a price to buy back anything and to buy back one's freedom from slavery takes a heavy price. The Lord God redeemed Israelites from slavery and bondage with a strong and powerful hand but He chose to buy all mankind back with the heavy price of His first born Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Having bought, redeemed by God, we should not now choose to go back to bondage to sin and to being slaves of sin and satan. We are now slaves of God who are crowned with the gift of salvation. We are freed from the law of sin to live in obedience to the law of love of God. We are to enjoy or rejoice in the new freedom we have in Christ. Egypt is a metaphor for the foreign land where we were formerly enslaved and in bondage. Instead of bondage, we are now bonded with God in Christ. Like God used Moses to lead the Israelite slaves to freedom and the promised land, we are led by Christ into freedom and eternal life. We should always be aware of the invisible crown that the Lord has placed on our heads. Our hearts should always overflow with love and gratitude for so great a gift that we receive by grace. Every time we yield to sin and temptation we are trying to regress, retrace our steps back to Egypt. There are deserts and mountains to cross and formidable enemies to battle and conquer even as we travel towards eternity but our triumphant entry into the promised land is guaranteed. In times to come, when the next generation asks us what it means to be redeemed, we need to leave our answer that the Lord has redeemed us by His grace. We need to leave a legacy of faith such that they do not ever forget what the Lord has done for us at such huge cost.

The Bridegroom of Blood

UV 4293/10000 The Bridegroom of Blood But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely, you are a bridegroom of blood to me,”she said. Exodus 4 v 25 Zipporah circumcising the young son Gershom and touching Moses with the bloody foreskin is a sign that the innocent blood would save all who believe or are touched and covered with the blood of the first born of God, Jesus Christ. The lack of obedience to the Jewish covenant by Moses and his family to the mandate of circumcision had angered the Lord God enough to want to kill him. Zipporah, after preempting the judgement of God and purchasing forgiveness for Moses, in her quick and decisive act, referred to Moses as the “bridegroom of Blood” signifying the calling of Moses, under the old covenant and then, Jesus, under the new covenant to pay with blood for the salvation of their followers. But Moses did not shed any blood and therefore, the reference by Zipporah to the Bridegroom of Blood is a prophetic utterance pointing to the Messiah Jesus shedding every drop of His precious blood for all were touched by it, all who took cover under it. Just as the innocent blood of the young Gershom was efficacious to protect Moses from the anger and judgement of God, the innocent blood of Jesus would protect all mankind who would allow themselves to be touched by it. Our dirty clothes, meaning our past and guilt, is washed in the blood of the Lamb provided by God and made white and pure. The confirmation that Jesus Christ is indeed, the Bridegroom of Blood to the world-wide and historic church, His redeemed bride, is found in Revelation 19 v 13:” He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. “ The purple robe that the mocking soldiers made Him wear turned dark scarlet with the blood that congealed and dried on the garment to fulfill the prophetic word uttered by Zipporah, the Midianite and the priest’s daughter. The robe of blood donned by Jesus made all circumcision thereafter, both inadequate and unnecessary since it was sufficient to cover all the multitude of sins of all mankind. Yet, the religious Jew continues with the practice, blinded by tradition that the Bridegroom of Blood stands by their side to embrace them as an honoured part of the Bride, the church.

Confronting the Giants of Our Lives

UV 4292/10000 Confronting the Giants All those gathered here will know that it is not by the sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands. 1 Samuel 17 v 47 David, moved by the power of the Holy Spirit, not only foresaw that he would kill Goliath but that the Israelites would totally rout the powerful Philistines. He was not relying on the power of his weapons, his skills or his fighting prowess but on the Lord God of Israel. He was filled with conviction that the Lord would give all of them into their hands. David spoke his faith before he acted on it. We, too, in this age and time, as we confront powerful forces that oppose us, attack us, challenge us, need to confess our faith in the Lord. We are not to rely on our strength, skills, resources or weapons but go forth to face our challenges in the name of the Lord, clothed with His power, assured of victory. For the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. If we go out to fight relying on the world, on our connections, our resources, our strength, it is akin to David weighing himself down with a heavy armour and sword. Of course, David then used his skill and natural strength with the sling and the stone. It implies that our primary source of reliance is spiritual, the strength and might of the Lord and our secondary source to fall back on is our God-given talents, abilities, strengths and resources. After much prayer, praise and worship, we need to step out like David to confront our challenges, to enter the battle. We cannot slink back in fear looking at the sheer size of the enemy and his power. When God is on our side or rather, we are on God’s side, the odds diminish, the barriers to our success in whatever domain disappear or get levelled out. However big or powerful our enemy, our foes, the Lord is much, much bigger. He is infinitely stronger. We only need to partner with Him, pair our strength with His. Like David we should not entertain an iota of doubt that the Lord can enable us to wrest victory. With Jesus, we are heroes. Without Him we are zeroes. With Him our every thought, stand, goal, word and action will bear results or fruit that will glorify the name of God. Without Him, we are living a life of vanity and vulnerability like the rest of mankind. The Lord strengthened the spirit and mind of the young David to be fearless, to be the hero Israel was looking for. He caused His sling swinging arm to be both strong and accurate that not a stone was wasted and the very first throw hit the giant Goliath in the temple of his head. After Goliath collapsed unconscious to the ground, David used Goliath’s own sword to decapitate him. The words we employ to affirm our faith in God is like the stone David threw at the mocking and snarling giant. The sword is akin to the word of God that we can use to finish our task, complete or fulfill our purpose. Words of affirmation of our faith in a specific situational challenge followed by the specific word of God relevant to complete the challenge are the way we need to confront our giants.

Dealing with Fears and Living In Joy

UV 4291/10000 Dealing With Fears and Living In Joy Do not fear, O land; be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done great things! Joel 2 v 21 The Lord has done great things beyond our expectations or our asking. Hence, we need to be glad and rejoice thinking of these. We need to not allow any doubt, fear or apprehension to enter our hearts and minds. We just need to count our blessings and be thankful for each one. He has filled our storehouses with grain and filled our vats with wine and oil. He has compensated us for the years that we lost due to fears, worries, enemy attacks. He has dealt wonderfully with us over the years. He will never let us be put to shame. He has broken our chains and healed our pains. Prayer, praise and thanksgiving from a grateful heart breaks the vicious cycle launched in our lives by the enemy of fears, doubts, anxiety and worries. Faith is a powerful shield to extinguish, to defend, to vanquish these subtle forces that try to take control of our lives. The enemy wants us to be depressed, sad and weak. But as we pray, praise and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, we are strengthened. We need to recount the testimonies, our own and those of others whom the Lord had helped to overcome many difficulties and obstacles in their lives. This will restore courage, hope, confidence back to us. We need to constantly remember that nothing is too difficult or impossible for the Lord to accomplish. He is the One who gives us immediate triumph as well as ultimate victory over all circumstances of our lives. Living in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit helps us experience the joy of the Lord. The Holy Spirit comforts us, counsels us, guides us in our thoughts, words, decisions and actions. We need to only continually heed His quiet voice and not ignore Him. He reminds us as the Remembrancer of the promises of the Lord, of the great things He has already accomplished for mankind as a whole and for each of us, personally. The word of God is also another source of strength and power to enable us to be joyful and hopeful all the time. We need to anchor or focus our minds on a specific portion or promise of the Lord that is relevant to the current situation we are in.

The One who Quenches Our Thirst

UV 4290/10000 The One Who Quenches Our Thirst The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none; Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them Myself; I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them. Isaiah 41 v 17 Each of us is the spiritually poor and needy. We are seeking the water of eternal life in this world. But the Lord God alone can answer our cry, satisfy our need. He will not neglect to satisfy our every need, our holistic need as well as spiritual. The Lord uses the word as the water of eternal life to fulfill our quest. Our tongues are parched but the Lord will satisfy us with abundance from His springs and fountains. The Lord can cause rivers to flow from barren mountains, or in other words, give us hope in even hopeless situations. He causes our problems, challenges, difficulties to be sources of strength and sustenance. He creates springs to rise in the valleys, implying that even in the low points of our days and lives, the Lord will cause His grace, mercy and blessings to flow in such abundance that these never dry up. He causes the dry land to produce springs of water. Even in times of drought and famine, the Lord will lead us to the oasis of joy and faith and hope. He causes our lives to be fruitful in amazing ways that will make people wonder, ponder and then, understand that only the hand of the Lord could have wrought such miracles. The Lord alone can make the deserts bloom and the forest into a veritable paradise. He is the God of Israel or the One who proves Himself to be the faithful God in the midst of our struggles and challenges. He is the One who gives us victory in every conceivable and impossible situation. The Lord cares for each one of us intimately and deeply. We need to walk close to Him and depend on Him for our sustenance, protection, guidance, provision, promotion like sheep on a shepherd. When we are extremely thirsty, our tongues get parched and we become restless, tired, weakened. Likewise, when our thirst is quenched, we feel full of life, strong, energized, powerful to take on life and its challenges.

Just in Time

UV 4289/10000 Just In Time Therefore say to them, “ Thus says the Lord God, “None of my words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be fulfilled completely,” says the Lord God. Ezekiel 12 v 28 The word of the Lord is sure to be fulfilled in its time. In this uni-verse, the Lord Himself declares that there will be no delay or postponement of His word. Not just that it will be completely fulfilled to the last word. Our faith in the specific promise or assurance of God expressed in persistent prayer puts the word of God into motion to be fulfilled in our lives. Constantly recalling the specific portion of scripture or a specific promise right through our days is a sign of our hope in the word. If there is any seeming delay in it being fulfilled, we need to be patient and keep expecting it to happen in His time and not be disappointed or give up. The Lord often tests our faith and rewards it when we show confidence, patience and hope as we lay claim to the promises of God. Sometimes there is an apparent delay in fulfillment of a vision due to our lack of faith, disobedience or as we are not yet ready for it. Often, as we do not act in faith and take the first steps in obeying the Lord, the vision is not fulfilled or delayed. Whenever there is a delay, we need to examine our faith, our lives, our actions and see if there is a deficiency instead of grumbling or complaining or having negative attitudes towards the Lord or His word. Like Gideon, we can ask in faith for a sign of favour from the Lord in the specific matter we are seeking an answer or His guidance. The Lord revels in doing miracles and wonders in response to the faithful prayer of believers. We need to believe that there is nothing too hard or impossible for the Lord. Wherever responsibility for practical action lies with us, we need to go ahead and not hesitate. We, humans, have a limited vision and knowledge of a particular situation and hence, we need to trust the Lord as He has complete knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We can always, however, ask for an increased measure of faith or wisdom to tackle our real life situations and challenges. Our attitude while we are waiting for a word to be fulfilled should be one not of anxiety, depression or doubt but of thanksgiving, praise, faith, trust, hope and joy. Indeed, when we praise and worship Him in every circumstance of life, He raises us, the level of our faith, our understanding, our strength, our joy. Hence, Paul wrote, “ Be joyful in all circumstances.” We are not creatures of circumstances but children of the living God. We feed and imbibe on the living word for all aspects of our lives.

The Key to the Door of Life

UV 4288/10000 The Key to the Door of Life And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key ( to the house) of David, He who opens and no one will ( be able to) shut, and He who shuts and no one opens: Revelation 3 v 7 The Lord holds the key to life, to eternal life. He uses it, His master key to open the door that He wants to open for His own, those who love Him and follow Him. He also uses it to shut the door that He does not want us to enter, the door of sin, evil, temptations, trials brought to us by our enemies that are not in accordance with His will. When we listen to the words of Jesus, when we recall His words and keep it, we are entering the door that He has opened. This is the reason Jesus described Himself as the Door, the Gate to eternal life. Each promise of God in scripture is actually a spiritual key to some door, either to shut it or to open it. Each verse contains a treasure of either hope or of wisdom. Wisdom preserves our souls and lives even as it prospers us in spirit, mind and body. Hope fulfilled leads to testimonies of faith and joy. The house of David refers to the kingdom of God. For David was from a humble background and obscure family of shepherds and soldiers but God opened the door for him to be king and forerunner of the King of Kings, the Messiah Jesus Christ. His enemies including King Saul tried to close the door to royalty to David but no one could shut the door. Likewise, no one can deprive us of the blessings and anointing the Lord has prepared for each of us. We have too little strength of our own. We need to depend on the joy of the Lord. When we do things and say things that please God and we make Him joyful. That joy give us great strength and power. We cannot depend on our own limited human wisdom. He is the source of our unlimited wisdom, guidance and strength. Nothing and no one can prevail against the will of God and the word of God. We should never deny the name of Jesus but acknowledge Him for there is redeeming power in the very name of Jesus, cleansing power in His blood, sanctifying power in the Holy Spirit, equipping and enabling power in the Word of God. Our hands should not be weak and instead do all the Lord has given to us to do. Then, our work will be rewarded in this lifetime and the life to come.

God Alone Completes Us

UV 4287/10000 God Alone Completes Us The One forming light and creating darkness; I am the Lord who does all these things. Isaiah 45 v 7 The Lord is sovereign. He is the One who is to be acknowledged in all our ways and on all our days from the rising of the sun to its setting. For He is the One who not only created light and darkness but is with us during the day and during the night, in matters known to us and matters hidden from us, not known to us. He is the One who wipes our tears, helps us solve our problems, heals our diseases, overcome the enemies who rise against us in different directions and domains. He is the One who is with us in peaceful times and during disasters. We are to walk in the footprints of Jesus. He shakes His hands at the enemies that rise against us and throws them into disarray. He sends His angels to guard and preserve our lives in all kinds of perils. He gives us the hidden riches and treasures out of darkness and secret places. He goes before us and levels the mountains before us, namely the huge challenges and difficulties we confront in our daily lives. He disarms powerful men and makes them vulnerable before us on account of His greater might and power. He has called us personally and by our names as He called Cyrus. He greatly strengthens us to perform His will and fulfill the vision the Lord gives us. If God can use a person who did not know Him like king Cyrus, how much more can He use us who know Him personally and intimately. Our rock foundation is Jesus and our strength and joy is derived from such a foundation. Like the fish move and exist in water and on account of the water and derives all it needs from the surrounding water, we live and move and exist in God through Jesus. Jesus is like the gills of the fish that enable us to live in and swim in Him and against the currents of this chaotic world. There is no substitute for God in our lives. He is the One who causes favourable circumstances in our lives and enable us to negotiate through difficult circumstances.

Leadership is Shepherding

UV 4286/10000 Leadership is Shepherding “I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23 v 4 The Lord Jesus being the Good Shepherd that He is, sets up or anoints shepherds or leaders or pastors and mentors to take care of His sheep, the believers of Christ Jesus. These shepherds will feed them with knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. They will be fattened and strengthened spiritually such that no one can cause them to be afraid or terrify them. Not one of them will be lost or harmed or found missing. This is the solemn promise or unbreakable covenant of the Lord to husband or protect us to the very end and beyond as no human leader can. The Lord promises to gather His scattered sheep from all the lands or nations of the world and cause them to be fruitful and multiply., We need to be in submission to the spiritual mentors or leaders the Lord sets over us. Their guidance, teachings, encouragement and prayers will safeguard us from the evil one and lead us from victory to victory. We are secure on account of their care and love for us. From this uni-verse, we learn that true leadership is about being good shepherds in the mould and footsteps of Jesus Himself. David, the shepherd boy risked his life as he fought a lion and a bear to safeguard his sheep. Likewise, Jesus fought the roaring lion satan and his underlings to safeguard each one of us. He has wrested us from the mouth of the lion and the deadly claws and crushing embrace of the bear, metaphors for the real threats and dangers we encounter in our lives. A good shepherd also provides for the needs of the sheep. Likewise, the Lord provides abundantly for all our needs, spiritual, material, financial, social, emotional, intellectual such that we lack in nothing. Jesus trains His sheep also to be shepherds to others, to feed, nurture and secure them with the truths of the word that He taught them. The goal is none should be lost. We need to be caring, alert, skillful in the supernatural or spiritual just as the competent shepherd David was in the natural. Knowledge and understanding of the word of God and prayer are the principal weapons of defence and offence in our hands just as the staff and the sling were David’s chief weapons.

Fulfilling the Vision

UV 4285/10000 Fulfilling The Vision As for the gold, the silver, the bronze, and the iron, there is no limit. So arise and begin working, and may the Lord be with you.” I Chronicles 22 v 16 When God gives us a vision or a task to be fulfilled by us, He also will make the provision. The resources will be available once I start in right earnest obeying or carrying out the vision. David was exhorting the workers and the people assigned the task of building the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, stating that they can commence their work without worrying about whether there will be enough resources to execute it. All the gold and silver in the world belongs to the Lord since it is created by Him. Hence, we can be confident that we will not fall short of resources in the task we are assigned by the Lord. Unless the Lord be with us, our labour will be in vain. Hence, we need to work in close partnership with the Lord in any project we undertake in His name. We need to make a beginning without procrastinating. We need to work daily and consistently towards the goal, however big or distant or difficult it might seem. We need to believe that the Lord is faithful and He will bring it to fruition in His time. We need not be frustrated by the weaknesses, challenges, problems we confront as we go ahead with our mission. Finally, we need to set our hearts and minds to enquire, to seek of the Lord continual guidance and grace. He will send the Holy Spirit to counsel, empower and equip us. Whatever skill or ability we lack, He will provide in some way that He alone can. Whatever wisdom or knowledge we need we will find it in the Lord if we ask of Him. The anointing of the Lord will equip us for every task, however gigantic or insurmountable it might seem. David was praying for the various leaders and teams as they did the work of constructing the temple. Likewise, much prayer must both precede and accompany till the very end of any project we undertake. His power working in us is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we think, imagine or ask.

The Temple of Continual Worship

UV 4284/10000 The Temple of Continual Worship And they were continually in the temple blessing and praising God. Luke 24 v 53 When the disciples understood fully that Jesus lives and that He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, they were filled with exceeding joy. Their joy overflowed into continual blessing and praising of God in the temple. Today, the new covenant temple is not a building built with human hands but our entire human bodies. Having understood the message of Jesus, being part of His purpose and mission fills us with joy that in turn, overflows into continual blessing and praising of God. Our entire being should be changed into a fountain of praise and blessing of the Lord. When we understand that Jesus did the greatest miracle in the three days since His death on the cross, that He changed our human destiny from hell-bound to heaven-bound, that He made available in abundance the three things that matter most in life- faith, hope and love. That in so doing He transformed both our eternal destiny and our earthly lives. Do we need to ask for anything more? Instead, we should turn our hearts and minds to continually bless and praise the Lord. When we continually rejoice in the Lord, again and again and praise Him continually, it becomes the spring, the source of further joy and blessings. The presence of the Lord in our lives will be ever stronger and we will be fully clothed or equipped with the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Whatever else that we might be doing, a continual stream of praise and thanksgiving should pour forth from our hearts and minds towards the Lord. Such expression of gratitude will transform our lives.

The Understanding of the Word

UV 4283/10000 The Understanding of the Word Then He opened their minds to (help them) understand the Scriptures. Luke 24 v 45 Our minds are closed systems. We can see only what the mind knows and what we know is limited. Scripture cannot be understood with only our natural minds. The Holy Spirit is needed to interpret its meaning to us in its context. The disciples did not fully believe Jesus or His words. It is in His post-resurrection ministry that Jesus convinced them of the truth of the gospel that He became sin so that man becomes sinless. The power of the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples with convicting power and transformed them from fearful disciples to fearless apostles. The disciples on the way to Emmaus who were perplexed by the events of the preceding week were helped by the resurrected Jesus to understand the scriptures concerning His death and resurrection. His words burned brightly in their hearts as He explained it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized that the unknown stranger who was accompanying them on the road to Emmaus was none other than the resurrected Jesus whom they were mourning. Jesus comforted them in their great distress with His appearance and His teaching that made them understand that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer such pain and trauma before being resurrected and seated in glory next to the Father. When man first sinned, the eternal breath of the Almighty Creator and Father was taken away. When we first believe in Jesus as the payment, the ransom for our sin and that He is now the risen Lord and Saviour, the eternal breath of the Father is restored to us. God breathes through our nostrils and His presence is in us. Now, a day without Jesus and God, the Father and the Holy Spirit is a day without food, without shelter, without inspiration, without joy, without purpose and power, without gain, a day wasted and vain. Since God is Emmanuel, He dwells in us as the Triune Person of God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What we think and say, becomes virtually the decree, the declaration of God.

The Narrow Path

UV 4282/10000 The Narrow Path Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7 v 13 Jesus is the narrow gate. He is the entry point into the kingdom of eternal life, the kingdom of God. Faith in Him is the way of righteousness. The narrow gate and the narrow way is the path less travelled, the less popular option of humanity. Yet, it is the way of eternal gain, not eternal loss. It is the path to fulfilment and eternal life. Any other option is the easier one. Most people opt for the easy way out, the path that looks smooth and not difficult, not having many challenges, not risky, not uncomfortable. The narrow wicket gate is not the gate the wicked of this world will take. Jesus declared that He is the door to eternal and abundant life but warns people that it is not an easy path. Following Jesus and obeying His teachings, applying the principles of Jesus to our every step is not the popular option but it is the only thing that leads to eternal life. As the path is narrow and rough, we might fall from time to time. Our progress might be slow and hindered but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to encourage us, guide us, lead us, strengthen us. His word is our google map to help us find our way back whenever we appear lost. The alternatives to Jesus are many- the path of man-made religion, philosophies of this world that seem to help one make sense of this world and might even give us some strength and success in getting ahead. But eventually what comes of it is eternal loss and eternal death. The path is broad, the road is smooth but it ends in a steep precipice. The enemy deceives mankind to take this broad road with false signages saying, “Happiness, Prosperity, Peace.. “