Teaching to Observe

UV 716/10,000 Teaching to Practice Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Mathew 28 v 20 These are the very last words of Jesus to his apostles before He ascended on high. It signifies the importance He attached to teaching the disciples. It is His teaching and their experience of being with Him that gradually but surely transformed their lives, leaving a permanent imprint on the rest of humanity. The word used is not “obey” but observe, implying that when we give complete attention and studying the Word, the impress and imprint will be deep and indelible. It will lead to practice. It is not just about teaching for a theoretical understanding or for “head knowledge” but teaching to observe or practice all things that Jesus has commanded us. Recently, some photographs were published showing how ‘stone age’ man made deep grooves in the bedrock to sharpen his stone implements and axes. Jesus expects every believer to be like the wise man who dug deep into the bedrock of the Word to lay the foundations of our lives. Then, we must imitate the wise man who built the walls of his home, segment by segment with the bricks of obedience. Every desire and goal, every thought and plan, every emotion and reaction, every word and action in alignment with the Word of God constitutes a brick of obedience. The roof is to be covered by the Holy Spirit and the strong presence of God. The windows are the opportunities to learn as much as we can about the world systems and people out there. The doors are the opportunities to grow and expand our influence and to reach out to others with the wise teachings of Jesus. The direction to “observe all things” seems to be an impossible or tall order. But, the emphasis on the word “ all” shows that no part of the teachings of Jesus is less important than the rest and that we should not omit to emphasize anything that He had given priority to. Jesus taught us the essence of all wisdom. Wisdom is the distillation of knowledge coupled with experience. So much so, when we practice even a small part of what Jesus taught, we end up fulfilling or obeying all that Moses and He taught. Even if a person just holds the name of Jesus closest to his heart, he or she ends up obeying all things that He has commanded. Jesus said that He came not to replace or overthrow the law but to fulfil it. What Jesus taught more than fulfilled the requirements of the commandments given through Moses. Jesus said that the entire law is covered in the two commandments to love God with all our heart, strength and minds, implying emotionally, physically and intellectually and to love our neighbour as ourselves. When we love God with this kind of passion, then we will not violate any of the commandments that forbid us from doing certain things. When we love our fellow human beings, we will not hurt them or cheat them or violate any of their rights. On the positive side, we will do all we can to discern God’s will and obey it. We will do all the good we can to our fellow beings while we can. . Just as He has taught us by example and precept, He expects us to teach others the same. Today, we are called to do the do’s that Jesus taught us and not to do the don’ts that Moses taught. This uni-verse was revealed to me recently to affirm that through the uni-verse series of meditations on the Word, people in many nations are being taught to observe all the things that Jesus has commanded us to do. Jesus promises to be with us to the end of our lives and to the very end of the age. He is one Teacher who never leaves the classroom or the student even when the bell rings, when we fail, when disaster strikes, when disease afflicts, when people desert, when death overtakes.. He is with us always in all our ways. Even when we are sleeping, He teaches us with dreams and visions. The sleeping Jesus taught the disciples to trust Him in life’s storms. The walking Jesus taught the disciples that they too can attempt and do the impossible. The weeping Jesus taught us to grieve with hope. The fasting Jesus taught us to endure great temptations and trials. The hungry Jesus taught us to trust God for our need. The judging Jesus taught us to forgive. The healing Jesus taught us to heal diseases. The praying Jesus taught us to pray. The accused Jesus taught us to be patient. The crucified Jesus taught us love. The resurrected Jesus taught us that we have victory over death and suffering in this life. Once, the Lord revealed that “ you have taught a lot of people to be at it. Teach them to be at my feet.” Indeed, many of us make a master plan but unless it is the Master’s plan, how can it be a master plan. We need to be at the feet of Jesus to learn the Master’s plan. When we are with Him and He is with us, He will cause it to be. So be it in your life. Prateep V Philip

A Praise Report on feedback recd from a reader of the first volume of 101 Uni-verses

Dear Dr.Prateep I would like to introduce myself , my name is TF Jayasurya, working as Country Manager -India for WindSim AS, it is Norway based company into wind farm designing using CFD modelling. Though I was born as RC my believe and faith was let loose and was lost, however it was in last year mid June I turned back towards my root, and hence started reading the Bible after 25 years, there was been tremendous change in me. I have been to Jesus Call book centre and picked your book Word Of Empowered life on Good Friday It was pleasant surprise to know your interest in Napolean, since I used him as my Mental Mentor and most of your chapters was connected to my life, I was emotion and same time praised the Lord for his words and greatness through an evangelist in spreading his message, In 2 days I was religiously reading your book at 4am and it has been great effect on me, I wanted to thank you for sharing your experience and empowering people like us. Francis Jayasurya

Prisoners of Hope

UV 715/10,000 Prisoners of Hope “ Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” Zechariah 9 v 12 Rousseau wrote the line that inspired the French Revolution," Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains." The truth is that man is born in chains but it is our hope in Christ that sets us free. The ultimate freedom is not political, economic or social freedom but spiritual freedom. In fact, spiritual freedom will lead to other types of freedom being secured. The Lord in this uni-verse asks us who trust and hope in Him to return to Him daily like a child runs into her mother’s arms after a time of absence. We are prisoners or held in captivity as long as we are in our bodies, subject to the usual travails and troubles of human beings. But, our hope in Christ sets us free from fear and anxiety, from want and conflict, from violence and affliction. Our hope sets us free from these chains of sin and bondage. Satan will no longer meddle with us as we are no longer his prisoners. We are prisoners of the Lord, set free forever. He has replaced our bondage with bonding in Him. This wonderful promise of God is not meant for our future in eternity but it operates “ even today”. As surely as the sun has risen and declared with the glory of the sun-rise, the silhouette in the skies around the world, that this day is born, the Lord declares that He will restore double to us who trust His Word, who cling onto Him for dear life. Just as the day means light, warmth, sunshine, activities, fellowship, laughter, work- the Lord will bring forth the blessings of heaven and earth that belong to us from the time of creation. The word, “ restore” means that He will restore what belongs to us- peace, honour, possessions, health, grace, mercy, justice, victory, strength and joy. When we give priority to our bonding or personal relationship with Him, He will break all other chains. The times when we departed from His presence, we might have lost some of these birthrights, our inheritance. But, if we are zealous like Jacob for the rights of the first born, demonstrate it by our faith and our actions, the Lord will give us a double portion of every type of blessing. We need not either deceive or wrestle like Jacob did with the angel of the Lord but by believing and submitting our day and our lives to His will and the outworking of His power and grace, He will be our stronghold, our fortress, our shelter, our shield, our fencing, our hope. Apart from our quiet time with the Lord, He encourages us to keep returning to His presence off and on, frequently during the day, as often as we can to renew our inner strength. The Lord has often reminded us, “ How many times do you have meals in a day? Thrice at least- so why don’t you spend some time with Me at least thrice a day even if it be for a few minutes?” Prateep V Philip

The Great Wall

UV 714/10,000 The Great Wall “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord” 2 Kings 20 v 12 Hezekiah, the king of Israel had become ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah had gone up to him and asked him to put his house in order as he was going to die. But, Hezekiah did not give up. In a combination of desperation and faith, he turned to the wall and prayed to the Lord, reminding Him of how he had walked faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and had done what was pleasing in God’s eyes. He also wept bitterly. The prophet Isaiah had not yet left the middle court when the Lord changed His mind and asked him to go tell Hezekiah that He had heard his prayers and seen his tears. He asked Isaiah to tell him that He had added fifteen years to his life. “ Turning our faces to the wall” means turning to the Lord in prayer and repentance, seeking His mercy and favour. Scripture says, “ Turn to me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and glorify My Name.” The Jews to this day go to the last remaining wall of the temple in Jerusalem and mourning their loss, they pray. Hence, it is called the “Wailing Wall.” But, the Lord says, “ I am the wall to which you should turn- not to a physical wall. I am not a wailing wall of desperation but a Wall of hope and deliverance, a wall of support and strength.” He is indeed a wall of victory, power and joy. The Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world, is a symbol of fear since the Chinese emperors built it as a defence against the fierce marauding tribes of Mongolia. Today, the Lord says, “ Just recount seven wonders that I have done in your life, so far , of healing, of deliverance, of provision, of protection, of guidance, of promotion and of salvation. Stop wailing and complaining. Instead, rejoice in me that I have done all this and be strong.” Hezekiah reminded the Lord of the things he had done faithfully for the Lord. But, the Lord now reminds us of the seven wonders of our life. He alone is the Great Wall of our lives. When my father –in-law was terminally ill with cancer a few years ago, the word came to him, “ turn to the wall and pray.” He was asking for some time to set his house in order before he passed on. The Lord promised to give him that time and has fulfilled His promise and added four years so far to his life. The doctors had only given him a few months to live. Turning to the wall also means that when we are up against a huge problem that cannot be humanly resolved, we turn to the only One who is able to- the Lord Jesus. He is able to add that which we sorely lack to our lives. He is able to add years to our lives and life to our years. Prateep V Philip

The Cascade Effect

UV 713/10,000 The Cascade Effect “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” Colossians 1 v 19 Jesus Christ was born into an obscure family. He did not have the advantages of modern mass media or the services of a PR firm to become a global icon. Yet, He is the pre-eminent person in all of history. But, this uni-verse states that He represents the fullness of God. All the beauty, power, majesty, authority, holiness, love and mercy of God dwells and is manifested in and through Jesus. He is the firstborn of all creation. By Him or according to His master plan, all things visible and invisible in heaven and earth were created. They were created through Him and for Him. He pre-existed all things. He is the head of the church, the firstborn among the dead. He reconciled through the blood of His cross all things with God. This implies that He broke the power of original sin and restored the original nature of God in us. He broke the power of self-limitation or curse of the womb, of the earth, of our relationships and of the work of our hands. He is the repository of all wisdom and knowledge. All the icons, the living and the dead, of this world only flatter to deceive. The very word ‘ icon’ has a hidden inner meaning, “ I con”. In other words, I con self and others into believing I am great and worthy of admiration. But, look at the long list of fallen icons even from recent times- Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, the Beatles and so many others - they had been placed on pedestals only to fall in their own and others’ esteem. I believe that self-actualisation is a myth. The new age philosophy, that many modern writers like the author of the book, “ The Secret” advocates, is based on this myth that you can be a god unto yourself. My primary school teacher taught me that the biggest room in the world is the room for self improvement. Yes,we can improve in some aspects but there are limits to self improvement. But Jesus pleased the Father in all aspects of His life, wisdom, character, words, actions and lifestyle. In doing so, He did not just win the favour of God for Himself but He is presenting us holy, blameless and above reproach in the sight of God. Logically, the fullness of God dwells in Jesus and since Jesus dwells in us by virtue of His ‘choosing grace’ and our ‘trusting faith’, the fullness of God- meaning, the beauty, power, majesty, authority, holiness, wisdom, love and grace of God dwells in us. It dwells. This implies these attributes and power of God is hidden in us. Now, it for the day’s events and the rest of our lives to make it manifest even as it was manifested in Jesus. There is a saying that you cannot keep a good man down forever. It is much more true that you cannot keep the power of God hidden in us forever. Sooner or later, as we are filled there will be an overflow. We have a cascade in our home- it takes a couple of minutes for the hidden trough to fill up before the water falls like a cascade. It fills up little by little and then overflows. We too just need to imitate the cascade- fill up with the love, power and grace of Jesus and then, let it overflow. Prateep V Philip Listen to this Blessong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f02YXBP-KFE

The Chosen Vessel

UV 712/10,000 The Chosen Vessel “Then he said, “ The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” Acts 22 v 14 Saul the Jewish zealot was chosen by God and transformed into St Paul, the one apostle who is most influential after Peter. About Paul, contemporary people wrote that he was ineffectual in his speech but powerful in his writing. He became a pen in God’s hands to write the various epistles to the early church that continue to instruct us in this day and time. He had not chosen God. He was only following the tradition that he had been taught by his elders. He perceived the growth of the “ new way” of faith in the risen Christ a threat to the Jewish faith. Hence, he sincerely and zealously led the violent crusade against it. If any one should have been chosen as an apostle, he should have been the least favoured by God. Yet, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob chose him to be a vessel to fulfil His will to carry hope to all nations, then and now. In doing so he was only helping to fulfil the very promise of hope made to our “ fathers of faith” - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham had the promise of progeny, Isaac-the promise of production and productivity, Jacob- the promise of salvation. Abraham knew, saw and heard God as a friend, Isaac as a provider and Jacob as a redeemer. We human beings tend to get distracted by goals such as the pursuit of our individual, familial and collective happiness. When we recognize that we are nothing but a vessel to be filled with the joy, wisdom and hope of God, then we will fulfil His will. Even if there are cracks in the vessel in terms of our personal flaws, faults and failings, the Lord will either seal or heal it from within or allow the joy, wisdom and hope to leak through to others. St Paul must have grieved deeply the pain and persecution he caused to the followers of the risen Saviour. But, God used even that deep crack in his vessel to add to the power of his conviction and ministry. He now worked with redoubled vigour and zeal to make up for his past. Ananias led by the Holy Spirit told Paul that he had only three objectives before him for the rest of his life: to know the will of God, to experience the justice and goodness of God first hand through his own eyes and not those of his forefathers and to hear and adhere to the voice of the Shepherd. Paul was called to be a witness to the world even as each of us is called to be a witness of saving grace by faith. What is necessary to qualify as a witness? There are some similarities and differences between a legal witness in a crime case and a spiritual witness of Truth with a capital T. A spiritual witness speaks about the good things God has done in his or her life while a legal witness speaks of the crime he or she happened to witness. A spiritual witness speaks not just about what one has seen or heard but what he or she has experienced of God. A legal witness just happened to be there when an event happened. But, a spiritual witness is chosen - God chooses the person, the time and the circumstances. One should know or speak the truth or the facts that he or she has experienced, seen and heard. We get to know the will of God by studying the scripture. We get to see God by walking close to Him rather than walking away from Him. We get to hear His voice by spending time in prayer and being sensitive and responsive to the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are now qualified to do all the things that God has appointed us to do, to be a witness for Him to all nations and people, both kings and commoners for all have a need and a dream to live forever. Prateep V Philip Listen to this Blessong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJConD4UJRA

The God of Impossible Odds

UV 711/10,000 The God of Impossible Odds “ Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “ Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 9 v 16 When King Aram sent his army to capture Elisha, the prophet, as he was the one who was forewarning the King of Israel of all the former’s military moves. When the king’s legions surrounded the prophet, his servant cried out in despair, “ What shall we do?” The odds were against them – a thousand to one. But, Elisha asked him not to fear as those who were with them were more than those who were with the enemy. He could see the hills around full of horses and chariots of fire. He then prayed that the Lord will open the eyes of his servant that he might also see the vision. Often, we are like Elisha’s servant. We are overwhelmed by our circumstances. But, the Lord says, “ Do not be afraid. Those who are with you are more that those who are with them.” He sends His troops to our assistance. Our faith eye needs to be opened. The enemy troops however could not see the chariots of fire and the horses sent by the Lord and they advanced towards Elisha. Elisha again prayed that they be struck with blindness. He then led them into Samaria. He asked the King of Israel to treat them kindly and gave them a great feast before sending them away. This stopped the raids on Israel of bands from the King of Aram. Later, the ungrateful and arrogant King of Israel turned against Elisha when a siege led to a massive famine within Samaria. But, the Lord gave a prophetic word of deliverance to Elisha. Elisha relied on prayer every time to overcome the formidable enemies against him. Similarly, we too need to rely on prayer to overcome our fears. The enemy may be formidable. Their power and strength may be great but greater is the power of God at work in us and in our midst. Different formations may conspire or organize to attack us in a variety of ways. But, our faith eyes must be focussed on the Lord and know that He that is with us is greater than he that is with them. They that the Lord sends on our behalf are greater than they that the enemy marshals against us. Our eyes must be always open to see this amazing reality. Even if a million people are organized against us, the One who is in us and with us will give us ultimate and absolute victory. Prateep V Philip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJfuFQe4cc Listen to this Blessong: