The Authenticity of Hope

UV 1377/10,000 The Authenticity of Hope
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Job 27 v 8


The hypocrite is the one who shows himself to be pious in public but does not have a personal relationship with God. He places his hope in his own abilities and resources. Yet in times of great need beyond his strength or understanding, he cries out to God. At such times, God will not hearken to his cry. He takes pride in his own achievements and calls himself a self-made man. Little does he realize that when God takes away his breath, he will lose all that he gained. His wealth will be of no avail. Job lost all that he owned, all that marked him out as a successful and blessed man but he did not lose hope in God. He knew that God who had given him everything had the right to take it away too and that He could also restore it if He wills. God allows tests to authenticate our hope.


God does not desire that we show ourselves to be religious people. He instead desires that we show ourselves to be straightforward, honest to God and honest to conscience, sincere and authentic in our faith and its application. His eyes penetrate right into our hearts. He knows the motive behind every thought of ours. He knows what we value most in our hearts. He does not like people to put up a façade of religiosity. He desires that we be practical and spiritual at the same time. He wants us to be fully involved in this world, to be in the world but not of the world, implying that we should apply spiritual values and principles that we learn every day from His Word and His Spirit to the challenges, problems, situations we encounter. He wants our faith to be cutting edge, real and down to earth.

We cannot please God by merely mouthing some words of praise or acknowledgement that do not come from our hearts or by going through the motions of some activities. Our hope is in Christ, the evidence of glory in this life as the next. We hope to avail His amazing grace to overcome all temptations and troubles. We hope to avail His power to achieve and accomplish His purpose for our lives. We hope to excel for His glory. We hope to run the race of grace and persevere till the end when we are declared overcomers and victors. When we fall sick, we hope to be healed by His stripes. We hope to have peace as He has faced the chastisement for our deeds and words. It is our hope that makes us joyful. It is our hope that enables us to trade all that we are, own and achieved for the sake of our faith knowing that our complete and eternal salvation comes only from that hope.

Prateep V Philip

The Personal Covenant

UV 1376/10,000 The Personal Covenant
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me
Jeremiah 32 v 40

The word “covenant” implies a sacred agreement, an agreement in which God is not just a witness for He witnesses all that we do but He is also a signing partner. The closest thing to covenant that people are familiar with is marriage. It is the beginning of what is meant to be an enduring relationship, a relationship that survives the vicissitudes or ups and downs of life. It is based on some written agreement or a permanent record. It contains some mutual or reciprocal terms and promises. It makes the partners bound in the covenant closer than even immediate family. It is a commitment to do good to each other, to help each other achieve one’s potential. The covenant with God is everlasting and even more impactful, intimate and fruitful than marriage. The eternal covenant is entered into individually, person by person. It is personal. It is holistic- it influences or impacts us in the totality of our personalities, in spirit, mind and body. It is comprehensive- no part of our lives is excluded from its purview.

To have a personal relationship with God implies that in Christ we have a covenant relationship with the Lord. He is the “Bridegroom of blood”. He is the stronger partner. He is the provider. He provides us spiritual food or manna for our souls. He is the protector. He is the warrior on our behalf. He ensures we are victorious though He does not guarantee that we will have challenges, difficulties and tests. For indeed, “ many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from all. The afflictions are meant to purify, to strengthen, to perfect us in our frailties. God promises never to turn away from us and to do good to us. This is the reason that it is believed and affirmed that all things happen for good to them that love Him. The Lord places a sense of reverence in our hearts for Him and His Word. This reverence and awe keeps us faithful and make us stick to Him. If we do not stick to Him, sin will stick to us like a leech. Only salt can separate a leech that is stuck onto someone’s body. That salt is the Word of God. We must instead stick like glue to the Lord. It will keep us from departing or moving away from the Lord and His Word.
People want to get married to the beautiful. But when we get married to God, we become beautiful, our lives become beautiful. We will begin to see meaningful patterns emerge from the apparently meaningless. The broken parts of our lives will combine to form a beautiful pattern even as broken pieces of glass bangles form beautiful patterns on the screen of a kaleidoscope. The Lord will take the brokenness of our lives and make it stronger and purposeful. When we look back the times when we were seemingly strong and independent, confident of ourselves and self sufficient, were the times when we were not close to the Lord. It is when we are lost or broken, that He seems closest to us and speaks to us in every thought and word. He enables us to rise on wings of faith- the Word and prayer. Though we are meek as doves, He gives us the wings of a mighty eagle, to rise high above all our earthly battles. We ascend on word and prayer and transcend our foes and their weapons. The covenant with God unlike marriage is eternal, even death does not dissolve it.

Prateep V Philip

Confiding to Have Confidence

UV 1375/10,000 Confiding to Have Confidence
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1 v 6

Paul was confident that God who had begun a good work in the believers would continue it until they met with Christ in eternity. Paul’s early zeal that worked against the will of God had itself been transformed into the most energetic and enthusiastic outreach to people in different nations. He focussed his eyes on the crown of glory he would receive on the day he met with Jesus in His eternal kingdom. This was the basis of his confidence. He knew that the three words that Jesus spoke on the cross, “ It is finished” has a prophetic significance. The word confidence implies that we need to confide in God our hopes, our concerns, our challenges and our needs. When we confide in Him at every point in life, He will connect the invisible dots and make things happen. Each of us is being finished and polished as a jewel in the kingdom of God.

We are a multi-faceted jewel in God’s hands. Each aspect of our lives is being examined, the flaws and strengths identified, the potential discovered and we are being worked on to make the strengths stand out and the flaws removed. God is in the details of our lives. He most delights in knowing the inner workings of our own hearts. He desires to see a deep yearning for Him in our hearts. He desires to see a deep longing in our hearts to become like Him and like Jesus.

As the Lord works on us as a master craftsman, He dislikes seeing us yield to our own insecurity and our fears. He hates to see us grumbling or murmuring against him. Like the four qualities of a diamond, He is pleased to see in us 4 Cs: Calmness, compassion, creativity and courage. Our belief that He is with us as Immanuel or God with us and Ebenezer or Helper should make us calm even in the most adverse of situations, in the greatest crisis of our lives. Jesus expected the disciples to be calm when the boat they were travelling in was caught in a storm. Jesus might appear to be sleeping but He is in control as long as He is in our lives. He desires that we are compassionate people, not concerned only about our needs but burdened to pray as well as to act for people in need everywhere and to do what we can to help our neighbour or the ones who cross our paths every day. He expects us to be creative multipliers and not mere consumers of grace and peace. He wants us to use, grow and hone the unique talents and gifts He has placed in us. He wants us to face and efface our fears and live lives full of courage and faith. He wants us to be strong and bold.

Prateep V Philip

Post Resurrection Paradigm Shift

UV 1374/10,000 Post Resurrection Paradigm Shift
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28 v 6

Jesus had proclaimed that He is the Resurrection and the life. He knew with godly foreknowledge that He would be put to death but He also knew that even as He voluntarily submitted Himself meekly to death, He had the authority to take His life back, to be resurrected. But for the resurrection, Jesus would have been another great man who lived in the past. He overcame sin by not yielding to temptations all His life and leading a sinless life in continuous fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. But He overcame the penalty of sin- death by resurrecting Himself from death. His resurrection was proven by the fact that the Roman centurion made sure He was dead before lowering Him from the cross, by the empty tomb that had been securely sealed and guarded all the while His body lay there, by witnesses of the empty tomb on the third day and by the 11 disciples, several women, the two men on the road to Emmaus, by the sceptical Thomas who had placed his fingers in His wounds and by 500 others to whom the resurrected Christ had appeared.
It is His resurrection and the fact that He who had authority to raise Himself from the dead also had power and authority to raise us from the dead that gives us eternal hope. Though He had often taught about the events that were to unfold after His death on the cross, the disciples had least expected it to happen. They were amazed as any normal human being would be that He was certainly alive even though He was certainly dead. It is the witness of His resurrected body and the post resurrection teachings and empowerment by the Holy Spirit that transformed them from just being fickle followers to determined apostles, willing to stake their lives for the Lord. The word “ Lord” to my mind means “ Love that rises above death.”

His risen power or resurrection power is now at work in each of us who believes in His work and in His words to accomplish that which we cannot think of, imagine or ask for. No other teacher of humanity, no other leader claimed the ability to rise above death, to be able to return from a state of being dead, to have authority to deliver people from death. No other person was seen or heard who had risen from such a certain death. It became clear to His contemporaries that this was nothing but the power of God. It became clear that this risen Lord is the doorway to salvation. His words were the key to the gates of heaven. The grave could not hold Him prisoner. The purpose of sacrifice had been paid. Now the glory of God had to be seen in His resurrection. Till Jesus rose from the dead, it was believed that dead men tell no tales and that anything about a dead man rising from death is nothing but a tale. Now it became possible for the children of mortal men to live forever, to taste of eternity, to be immortal. Death which was till then a full stop, had become a mere comma in each of our individual stories as well as in our collective history. We see a paradigm shift in the commitment, clarity of vision, unity of mission and impact of the apostles hereafter. When we experience the resurrection power of Jesus, there is a paradigm shift in our commitment, our passion, our clarity of vision, our priorities and our impact.

Prateep V Philip

The Source of Wisdom and Understanding

1373/10,000 The Source of Wisdom and Understanding

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Daniel 12 v 10

Wickedness and injustice is increasing in these times and are rising up to our necks. The uni-verse says that “ none of the wicked shall understand.” It implies that wickedness is due to a lack of understanding. It is a kind of spiritual blindness. But those who are justified by their faith in Jesus are purified and sanctified by the Holy Spirit and the Word. Their faith is then tried and further purified and strengthened so that we will comfort those who go through trials like us. The faithful are the ones who are wise and are able to understand who God is, what His nature or character is and what His will is. They not only understand these spiritual truths but they are able to apply it in their lives and teach others too. They know that in order to truly understand what is happiness, one has to undergo sadness, in order to understand what is peace, one has to undergo misery and conflict, in order to understand the blessings of health, security and prosperity, one has to face sickness, fears and need. They know that the one who is forgiven much more, also loves much more.

Mankind tries to hide our folly and the shame of our misery and nakedness with the figleaf of ideology, good intentions, charity, empire building and religion. The wise will understand that nothing we do can save us from either our folly or our misery or our wickedness. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We need a Saviour to justify or straighten us. We need the Spirit of God to sanctify, purify, comfort, counsel and teach us. The saviour is Jesus and the spirit is the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is compared to the cleansing properties of water from a spring. It springs from our hearts. It never dries up. It is perennial. It flows round the clock and all year long. It is clear and simple to understand. It makes the simple wise.

The garments of salvation Jesus gives us are pure and white. These are like the new clothes the father gives the repenting and returning prodigal son. The prodigal son is now wise and grateful for every blessing and unearned favour from the father. He no longer has a spirit of arrogance, stubbornness and entitlement. His folly was that he thought he could take better care of himself and his fortunes without the help or advice or presence of the father. He wanted to prematurely encash his inheritance. He once was spiritually blind and wicked but now he can see. He is wise and understanding. He now wears shoes that are ready to go places for the father. He wears the belt of truth to tie him always to the Word of the Father. He carries the sword or spiritual word of the Father sheathed in his heart and mind. He is surrounded by an invisible shield of faith made up with promises of the Father to put out the fiery arrows of both temptations and trials of life. He wears the signet ring of the Father’s authority to rule over His household. He walks around with the sense of security that he will never again have to move away from the Father’s love, protection and provision. He does not take any blessing for granted but is thankful at every turn. He no longer spends all his time, energy and resources only to satisfy his own need and desires but invests in others. The wise have a purpose larger, much larger than themselves. They discern the times, signs and seasons. They do not allow themselves to get bitter like the older son. They realize that staying with the Father and going through the motions of doing the right thing is not enough but it is necessary to keep renewing the right attitudes of the heart and spirit of man vis-à-vis the Father.

Prateep V Philip

Forgiveness -the Basis for Sustaining Relationships

Forgiveness –the Basis for Sustaining Relationships
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Luke 23 v 34

Jesus being the only begotten Son of God always addressed Him as “Father.” He asked the Father to forgive the sins of His tormenters, those who had beaten Him, nailed and crucified Him. He could have asked for justice or cursed the ones who crucified Him. This was the greatest instance of love in the world when despite His great suffering, He sought forgiveness for His accusers and persecutors who had so unjustly condemned Him to death. Jesus taught mankind the forgiveness ethic like no one else did. He practised it even on the cross. Today, without forgiveness no family can sustain itself, no relationship can continue. Even in the workplace, forgiveness is so necessary to avoid grudges and resentment.

Jesus pleaded for mercy for His foes and aggressors on the plea of their ignorance. He forgave the woman who had committed adultery even though He was the only One who could condemn her. He forgave the thief on the cross who repented of his sin and wanted Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Since we have been freely forgiven we too need to forgive those who have hurt us or opposed us or attacked us. It is not a sign of weakness as the world might think but the only way to maintain relationships.

The discipline of law and justice goes hand in hand with the dispensation of grace and mercy. Jesus forgave one thief who was crucified beside Him. The other one instead of asking for forgiveness was mocking Him. He did not seek forgiveness. Hence, repentance is necessary in order that God forgives us. David repented of adultery and murder and was forgiven by God. Joseph forgave the brothers who had conspired against him and sold him into slavery. When we judge others and take revenge, we are taking over the prerogative reserved for God who is the only righteous judge. The Israelites who repented for having condemned the sinless Jesus were forgiven. The Roman soldiers who recognized that Jesus was indeed the Son of God repented and were blessed. But those who were so hardened in their attitudes as to cast lots for His robe excluded themselves from receiving the grace and mercy of God. Forgiveness brings healing in relationships just as medicine heals diseases. Forgiveness precedes wholeness and blessedness. In contrast, when people are embittered and hold resentment against others, it affects their health. Receiving the forgiveness of God has many blessings accompanying it. As it is written in Isaiah 53 by His chastisement, our peace is purchased. Peace with God and man. Peace with self and others. Peace that is holistic. It includes spiritual peace, peace of mind, physical blessings, material or monetary prosperity, success, wholesomeness and well being.

Prateep V Philip

Covetousness versus Contentment

UV 1371/10,000 Covetousness versus Contentment
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13 v 5

Our conversation as well our inner self talk should not be marked by any sign of greed or covetousness. Jesus speaks of the foolish rich man who told himself that he would build bigger barns to store his produce and told his own soul that he had stored up enough for him to live a life of ease and to be able to eat, drink and be merry all his life. But he was foolish as God could take his soul anytime and anyway. The mouth will speak what the heart is full of . If our heart is full of covetousness, we might hear the Word of God but not do it. With our mouth or our words, we will show much love for God and people but our hearts will go after covetousness. What is thought of as normal for humankind, is abhorrent in the eyes of God. It is idolatry in His eyes. Our hearts are to be inclined to His testimonies and not to covetousness or the attitude of what’s in it for me or what can I gain or benefit materially and monetarily in everything I do or every person I know? Those whose hearts are full of covetousness are full of the cares, pleasures and riches of this life and cannot bring any fruit to perfection. Their potential will be choked. Their spiritual growth will be stunted. Their hearts will be where their treasures are. They will not even be able to enjoy the blessings that they have been given. They are not rich toward God but have poverty in their souls.
This morning as I sat and watched the birds in the garden these thoughts crossed my mind: What a delight to sit and watch through binoculars a bird perched high on a branch and discover the unseen and varied hues of its plumage. Why do birds chirp so much in the morning and remain largely silent through the day: they are thanking God for the opportunity to be awake and alive one more day, one more day to fly freely, one more day to see and experience the beauty and joy of living. These birds are not worried about how they are going to go through another day. They are not anxious if they would be able to gather enough food for themselves and their young ones. They are not worried about the threat from larger predators or the storms that might come their way during the day. They are secure in their instinctive knowledge that the God who had created them and all things bright and beautiful so wonderfully would see them through another day.

The Lord asks us not to compare ourselves with others who seem to be prosperous and better off than us. Instead to be contented with such things that we have which He has given into our hands. He asks us to be secure in the knowledge that He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Word promises that He will not leave us until He has done that which He has promised us. It further states that He will not leave us until we have done all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. We need not even fear for the future of our progeny as the Psalmist says that he has not seen the children of the righteous beg for any need. He will not leave us for the sake of His Son and the covenant we have made with Him. He will not leave us due to His faithfulness to His promises. This confidence and assurance should not disappoint us but rather, make us feel secure, fearless, bold, strong and courageous all the days of our short but eventful lives.

Prateep V Philip