UV 3436/10000 Right Attitudes towards Money
But those who are not financially ethical and crave to get rich with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction leading to personal misery.
I Timothy 6 v 9
Rust destroys iron, lust destroys men. Money is a basic necessity but to lust for it or to give it too much importance that it replaces the love of God in our hearts is destructive. The uni-verse warns us not to love money for it leads to many snares or traps, many foolish decisions and temptations. We are to be contented if we have food and clothing and shelter. The craving to get rich quick has led many into pitfalls from which they could not escape. The craving to get rich somehow has led many to commit crimes and end up in jail. Just yesterday, a group of such crooks, who promised loans to builder and after taking some advance cheques towards interest did not release the amount promised, were raided, arrested and remanded to jail.
The need to be financially ethical cannot be over emphasized. Greed and gullibility of people go hand in hand today, leading to economic frauds and white collar crimes growing exponentially. The Bible is all for patient and ethical capitalism. It implies that honest gains made through hard work, long years of waiting for an asset to increase in value, the right type of investments under guidance from the spirit of God cannot be faulted. While unethical financial dealings sooner or later leads to personal misery, honest gains of labour and wise decisions are enjoyed with thankfulness and generousity to the needy. Money is a good servant but a bad master. It should not be allowed to dominate our thinking. We should use it wisely to serve our needs and the needs of others the Lord brings in our way or brings to our hearts.
We need to realize that money will come and go but the Lord’s grace is what remains with us. His faithfulness will cause us to be blessed with either little or more. The widow of Zarephath ‘s small quantity of flour and oil were caused to multiply and fill many containers so that it would feed both the prophet Elijah, the widow and her son. When the son stopped breathing, it is the Lord who gave the prophet Elijah the faith and power to raise him from the dead. The Lord is able to provide for our every need, whether small or great. We only need to trust Him and rely on His promises. Our hearts and minds should be maintained with the purity of rolled gold before the examining eyes of the Lord.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Monday, January 6, 2020
Being Spirit Led
UV 3435/10000 Being Spirit Led
For if you are living according to the impulses of the flesh, you are going to die. But if you are living by the power of the Holy Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will really live forever.
Romans 8 v 13
If we are led by the Spirit of God, we are children of God. If we are children of God we will be led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will empower and enable us to habitually put to death sinful impulses of the body. We will not live according to the dictates of the latter- the impulses but we will subject or submit ourselves to spiritual leadership. Our souls are freed from the natural law of entropy or the bondage to decay inherent in all matter. Our bodies are subject to decay and death but not our spirits when we are led by the Holy Spirit.
When we are led by the Holy Spirit, He will fill our hearts and minds with love instead of lust, with humility instead of pride. Instead of the spirit of fear, we will have the spirit of adoption or the spirit of children of God. Instead of slavery to sin and consequent guilt and curse, we begin to enjoy glorious freedom of the children of the house and not the enforced fear of servants or slaves of God’s household. We enjoy the rights and blessings of being co-heirs with Christ.
If we are called to enjoy the privileges and rights of inheritance with Christ of the Father’s kingdom, we are also called to share in the fellowship of suffering that Christ underwent for our sake. The suffering purifies and perfects our faith. We begin to perceive the value of being led by the Holy Spirit and not follow our own whims or impulses. The Holy Spirit teaches and guides us how to pray and how to lead our lives. He shapes our inner being so that we are transformed and conform to the image of the first born- Son of God – Jesus.
For if you are living according to the impulses of the flesh, you are going to die. But if you are living by the power of the Holy Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will really live forever.
Romans 8 v 13
If we are led by the Spirit of God, we are children of God. If we are children of God we will be led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will empower and enable us to habitually put to death sinful impulses of the body. We will not live according to the dictates of the latter- the impulses but we will subject or submit ourselves to spiritual leadership. Our souls are freed from the natural law of entropy or the bondage to decay inherent in all matter. Our bodies are subject to decay and death but not our spirits when we are led by the Holy Spirit.
When we are led by the Holy Spirit, He will fill our hearts and minds with love instead of lust, with humility instead of pride. Instead of the spirit of fear, we will have the spirit of adoption or the spirit of children of God. Instead of slavery to sin and consequent guilt and curse, we begin to enjoy glorious freedom of the children of the house and not the enforced fear of servants or slaves of God’s household. We enjoy the rights and blessings of being co-heirs with Christ.
If we are called to enjoy the privileges and rights of inheritance with Christ of the Father’s kingdom, we are also called to share in the fellowship of suffering that Christ underwent for our sake. The suffering purifies and perfects our faith. We begin to perceive the value of being led by the Holy Spirit and not follow our own whims or impulses. The Holy Spirit teaches and guides us how to pray and how to lead our lives. He shapes our inner being so that we are transformed and conform to the image of the first born- Son of God – Jesus.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
More than Conquerors
UV 3434/10000 More than Conquerors
You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.
2 Chronicles 20 v 17
When we stand and witness about the salvation of the Lord, we are taking up a battle position. But the battle itself belongs to the Lord. Victory belongs to the Lord. The Lord is with us as a fortress, as a mighty warrior leading an army of angels. He asks us not to fear even formidable enemies. He fills our hearts with courage and confidence even as He filled the heart of David with courage that he was going to fight the giant Goliath in the name of Jehovah and therefore, he could not be defeated. The Holy Spirit whispered in David’s ear to use his sling and stone and not try to use a sword against the giant. Prayer is today our sling and our specific requests the stones with which the sling is loaded, one after another.
Our faith will not be belied. We will not be dismayed or disappointed for the Lord will more than fulfill our hope and trust in Him. We need to go into any battle-like situation with praise and thanksgiving even as Jehoshaphat had the singers and musicians going ahead of the army. They praised Him for His mercy, love and kindness. Even as they began singing, the Lord set up ambushes against the forces of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. The latter were struck down. No one could escape. The army of Jehoshaphat did not have to fight. They only enjoyed the spoils of victory. Indeed, He has made us more than conquerors for without even needing to fight, the Lord will give us victory.
Praise is succeeded by victory and victory by peace. When we look back on our lives, we can rejoice in the Lord again and again without ceasing. We will have no regret for even the pain that we suffered was intended for our good and it chiseled our character to be pleasing to the Lord. We will dwell in peace and security. He will take us from the wilderness of Tekoa to the Valley of Beracah or blessing. The fear of the Lord will come upon those who fought with us.
You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.
2 Chronicles 20 v 17
When we stand and witness about the salvation of the Lord, we are taking up a battle position. But the battle itself belongs to the Lord. Victory belongs to the Lord. The Lord is with us as a fortress, as a mighty warrior leading an army of angels. He asks us not to fear even formidable enemies. He fills our hearts with courage and confidence even as He filled the heart of David with courage that he was going to fight the giant Goliath in the name of Jehovah and therefore, he could not be defeated. The Holy Spirit whispered in David’s ear to use his sling and stone and not try to use a sword against the giant. Prayer is today our sling and our specific requests the stones with which the sling is loaded, one after another.
Our faith will not be belied. We will not be dismayed or disappointed for the Lord will more than fulfill our hope and trust in Him. We need to go into any battle-like situation with praise and thanksgiving even as Jehoshaphat had the singers and musicians going ahead of the army. They praised Him for His mercy, love and kindness. Even as they began singing, the Lord set up ambushes against the forces of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. The latter were struck down. No one could escape. The army of Jehoshaphat did not have to fight. They only enjoyed the spoils of victory. Indeed, He has made us more than conquerors for without even needing to fight, the Lord will give us victory.
Praise is succeeded by victory and victory by peace. When we look back on our lives, we can rejoice in the Lord again and again without ceasing. We will have no regret for even the pain that we suffered was intended for our good and it chiseled our character to be pleasing to the Lord. We will dwell in peace and security. He will take us from the wilderness of Tekoa to the Valley of Beracah or blessing. The fear of the Lord will come upon those who fought with us.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
The Realm of the Impossible
UV 3433/10000 The Realm of the Impossible
And Zachariah said to the angel, “How will I be certain of this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in age?”
Luke1 v 18
The Lord does many things in our lives as in the life of the aged priest Zachariah which are beyond the realm of natural possibility. Why does He choose to do it this way and not in some natural, normal way that we are accustomed to? He does it to prove to us that it is He and He alone who has done the miracles in our lives. Like us Zachariah was incredulous and found it difficult to believe that he and his wife would have a child in their old age. When he expressed this doubt and wanted some evidence of the the promise to be fulfilled, the angel revealed that He was Gabriel, the arch angel who ministered in the very presence of God. To this day, the Lord sends His messengers, either angels, prophets, servants of God to confirm His promises.
Zachariah’s wife conceived in a short time after the angelic revelation though Zachariah remained mute as a chastening by the angel for his disbelief and doubt. In the supernatural world, believing is seeing. We need to believe ahead of time the fulfilment of the promises of the Lord. Zachariah’s wife praised God for what was then thought to be a disgrace that she was barren was lifted. When the Lord looks on us with favour, He lifts our burdens and disgrace, even those that we have shared with no one. When it happens, our hearts are filled with joy, our minds with awe at the love and power of the Lord for though we know that nothing is impossible for Him that He has done it for us in real time is a sign of His extreme favour, His great and personal love for each of us.
The word “Gabriel” means God is my strength. We rely on Him for the fulfilment of our desires, wishes, dreams, potential, purpose. Today, under the new covenant, we have Jesus, the very Son of God ministering in the presence of God. How much more will His grace, power, love be made manifest in our lives! We need not like Zachariah ask for a sign but wait upon His will to be made manifest in the thing we are seeking, the burden that only He can lift, the issue that only He can solve. As long as we are in fellowship with Jesus through the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, we are living in extreme favour of the Lord. It is not as if we will only prosper in health and that we will have only favourable circumstances all the time but even if the unfavourable happens, the Lord will deliver, the Lord will give us strength to face it, overcome it, endure it and be the better for it. The Lord can speak life into a dead or barren womb. He can speak life into the worst situation. Our faith in His strength and trust in His love gives us earthly hope (in our current situations) and above all, eternal hope.
And Zachariah said to the angel, “How will I be certain of this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in age?”
Luke1 v 18
The Lord does many things in our lives as in the life of the aged priest Zachariah which are beyond the realm of natural possibility. Why does He choose to do it this way and not in some natural, normal way that we are accustomed to? He does it to prove to us that it is He and He alone who has done the miracles in our lives. Like us Zachariah was incredulous and found it difficult to believe that he and his wife would have a child in their old age. When he expressed this doubt and wanted some evidence of the the promise to be fulfilled, the angel revealed that He was Gabriel, the arch angel who ministered in the very presence of God. To this day, the Lord sends His messengers, either angels, prophets, servants of God to confirm His promises.
Zachariah’s wife conceived in a short time after the angelic revelation though Zachariah remained mute as a chastening by the angel for his disbelief and doubt. In the supernatural world, believing is seeing. We need to believe ahead of time the fulfilment of the promises of the Lord. Zachariah’s wife praised God for what was then thought to be a disgrace that she was barren was lifted. When the Lord looks on us with favour, He lifts our burdens and disgrace, even those that we have shared with no one. When it happens, our hearts are filled with joy, our minds with awe at the love and power of the Lord for though we know that nothing is impossible for Him that He has done it for us in real time is a sign of His extreme favour, His great and personal love for each of us.
The word “Gabriel” means God is my strength. We rely on Him for the fulfilment of our desires, wishes, dreams, potential, purpose. Today, under the new covenant, we have Jesus, the very Son of God ministering in the presence of God. How much more will His grace, power, love be made manifest in our lives! We need not like Zachariah ask for a sign but wait upon His will to be made manifest in the thing we are seeking, the burden that only He can lift, the issue that only He can solve. As long as we are in fellowship with Jesus through the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, we are living in extreme favour of the Lord. It is not as if we will only prosper in health and that we will have only favourable circumstances all the time but even if the unfavourable happens, the Lord will deliver, the Lord will give us strength to face it, overcome it, endure it and be the better for it. The Lord can speak life into a dead or barren womb. He can speak life into the worst situation. Our faith in His strength and trust in His love gives us earthly hope (in our current situations) and above all, eternal hope.
Friday, January 3, 2020
The Sandwich Process
UV 3432/10000 The Sandwich Process
I will multiply on you man and animal; and they will increase and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly, and I will do better (things) for you than at your beginning. Then you will know (with great confidence) that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 36 v 11
When the Tri-une God inhabits us on our invitation by faith, He does better things for us than in our former days. He will cause us to excel, multiply, be fruitful. When we moved to our new house called The Tabernacle in 2001, along with a one year old baby added to our family in 2000, older daughter, we had a female Dalmatian brought in from Bangalore. The uni-verse literally came true for Spotty, the Dalmatian soon gave birth to a litter of beautiful pups, including one that had a spot over one eye, promptly called Dot-com. He had multiplied both man and animal in our home and caused us to inhabit the Tabernacle even as He co-habits with us.
God is the Lord of increase and multiplication even as the enemy of our souls believes only in division and subtraction. The Lord increases our traction or momentum in the right direction while the latter slows and hampers us with confused thinking, bad decisions, assaults of every kind imaginable even through human agencies. The Lord does so to boost our faith in Him, so that we know with increasing confidence that He is indeed the Lord and ruler of all things and all nations, all domains. He does it to encourage us. He does it so that we remain connected to the very source of eternal life.
When we look back, we should give thanks, honour, praise and glory continually to the Lord for all the multitude of blessings He has sent our way, for the things He has orchestrated in our lives without our even knowing or being aware. The promises of God remain inert in the Word if we do not appropriate it through what I call a “sandwich process”. The word of the Lord needs to speak to us in a specific situation and personal way. Then, we need to believe it, accept it, run it in our hearts and minds over and over again, treasure it in our hearts, thank the Lord for it. Then, the second slice of the sandwich process will fall in place, namely its fulfilment in real time in an amazing and wonderful way that cannot be logically or naturally explained or understood. We will now know for sure that it is the unseen hand of the Lord, the invisible grace and great love of the Lord for us that caused it to happen.
I will multiply on you man and animal; and they will increase and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly, and I will do better (things) for you than at your beginning. Then you will know (with great confidence) that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 36 v 11
When the Tri-une God inhabits us on our invitation by faith, He does better things for us than in our former days. He will cause us to excel, multiply, be fruitful. When we moved to our new house called The Tabernacle in 2001, along with a one year old baby added to our family in 2000, older daughter, we had a female Dalmatian brought in from Bangalore. The uni-verse literally came true for Spotty, the Dalmatian soon gave birth to a litter of beautiful pups, including one that had a spot over one eye, promptly called Dot-com. He had multiplied both man and animal in our home and caused us to inhabit the Tabernacle even as He co-habits with us.
God is the Lord of increase and multiplication even as the enemy of our souls believes only in division and subtraction. The Lord increases our traction or momentum in the right direction while the latter slows and hampers us with confused thinking, bad decisions, assaults of every kind imaginable even through human agencies. The Lord does so to boost our faith in Him, so that we know with increasing confidence that He is indeed the Lord and ruler of all things and all nations, all domains. He does it to encourage us. He does it so that we remain connected to the very source of eternal life.
When we look back, we should give thanks, honour, praise and glory continually to the Lord for all the multitude of blessings He has sent our way, for the things He has orchestrated in our lives without our even knowing or being aware. The promises of God remain inert in the Word if we do not appropriate it through what I call a “sandwich process”. The word of the Lord needs to speak to us in a specific situation and personal way. Then, we need to believe it, accept it, run it in our hearts and minds over and over again, treasure it in our hearts, thank the Lord for it. Then, the second slice of the sandwich process will fall in place, namely its fulfilment in real time in an amazing and wonderful way that cannot be logically or naturally explained or understood. We will now know for sure that it is the unseen hand of the Lord, the invisible grace and great love of the Lord for us that caused it to happen.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Unlimited but Practical Wisdom
UV 3431/10000 Unlimited but Practical Wisdom
But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God( revealing His plan of salvation), and righteousness (making us acceptable to God), and sanctification (making us holy and setting us apart for God), and redemption ( providing our ransom from the penalty for sin. )
I Corinthians 1 v 30
Jesus is the wisdom from God meant for our justification, sanctification and redemption. It implies that divine wisdom first on making us acceptable to God, then, it provides a way for being set apart or distinguished for God and finally, it provides redemption or salvation. Hence, justification is Chapter one in God’s plan, sanctification is chapter 2 and chapter 3 is salvation. Once we are justified or made acceptable by our personal acceptance of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sakes, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to point out the areas we need to change for the better, become like Jesus, perfect in real time like our Father in heaven. Since Christ Jesus dwells in our hearts, we have an obligation to reflect His image in our lives. He is the fountainhead and spring of the wisdom of God.
When Elisha, the follower of Elijah asked for a double anointing, the latter said it was difficult but possible when he was taken up. Elijah was a prophet while Jesus is God, Prophet, King. For Jesus to share His anointing of wisdom and power, it is not difficult. His anointing of infinite wisdom is unlimited and hence, we should be bold and confident in asking for more and more anointing and wisdom from the Lord. We have no excuse to lead an ordinary or insignificant or powerless life. We need to daily grow in His infinite but practical wisdom and manifest it in our lives. We need not limit ourselves to ask for a double anointing but with a divine discontentment and eagerness for more we can ask for more and more grace, power, wisdom and anointing of Christ in our lives.
We need a lot of wisdom to handle even our daily challenges. The good news is that the Lord has promised that if we ask for wisdom, He would invest it in us liberally or generously. The wisdom He gives us is not theoretical or philosophical wisdom or wisdom of the head but wisdom of the heart. It is not wisdom that comes from books or mentors or from reflection but wisdom that is gifted and that grows in us as we use it. The wisdom He gives is not flaunted but hidden and made manifest or visible in good fruit of spirit, character, words and deeds.
But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God( revealing His plan of salvation), and righteousness (making us acceptable to God), and sanctification (making us holy and setting us apart for God), and redemption ( providing our ransom from the penalty for sin. )
I Corinthians 1 v 30
Jesus is the wisdom from God meant for our justification, sanctification and redemption. It implies that divine wisdom first on making us acceptable to God, then, it provides a way for being set apart or distinguished for God and finally, it provides redemption or salvation. Hence, justification is Chapter one in God’s plan, sanctification is chapter 2 and chapter 3 is salvation. Once we are justified or made acceptable by our personal acceptance of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sakes, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to point out the areas we need to change for the better, become like Jesus, perfect in real time like our Father in heaven. Since Christ Jesus dwells in our hearts, we have an obligation to reflect His image in our lives. He is the fountainhead and spring of the wisdom of God.
When Elisha, the follower of Elijah asked for a double anointing, the latter said it was difficult but possible when he was taken up. Elijah was a prophet while Jesus is God, Prophet, King. For Jesus to share His anointing of wisdom and power, it is not difficult. His anointing of infinite wisdom is unlimited and hence, we should be bold and confident in asking for more and more anointing and wisdom from the Lord. We have no excuse to lead an ordinary or insignificant or powerless life. We need to daily grow in His infinite but practical wisdom and manifest it in our lives. We need not limit ourselves to ask for a double anointing but with a divine discontentment and eagerness for more we can ask for more and more grace, power, wisdom and anointing of Christ in our lives.
We need a lot of wisdom to handle even our daily challenges. The good news is that the Lord has promised that if we ask for wisdom, He would invest it in us liberally or generously. The wisdom He gives us is not theoretical or philosophical wisdom or wisdom of the head but wisdom of the heart. It is not wisdom that comes from books or mentors or from reflection but wisdom that is gifted and that grows in us as we use it. The wisdom He gives is not flaunted but hidden and made manifest or visible in good fruit of spirit, character, words and deeds.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
A View of the New
UV 3430/10000 A View of the New
Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43 v 19
God is the only Innovator par Perfection, not just excellence. He pioneers a new move in history as well as in our lives. He can make a way where no road or path exist. He can rivers to flow in deserts. He can do both the difficult and the impossible. While it is happening, we may not even perceive it. All the same, it is happening the moment we repose our faith in His word, His promise, His command, His precept, His servants, His example. It begins in eternity and hence, it transcends our time zones and our zone of perception. We need the patience of Jesus to wait with expectation like Simeon waited on the promise of the Messiah as the process of renewal, of newness, of transformation from famine to abundance, from desert to garden, from forest to civilization happens.
The Lord does new things in us, with us and for us. The new things “ in us” is the proliferation of the fruit of the Spirit or the character of God in us. This is His top pleasure and it should be our top priority in our lives. The kingdom of God is as large as our hearts and He focusses all night, all day on our hearts. Nothing is secret or hidden from Him. He reads what is written in our hearts. It either pleases or pains Him. If we pray earnestly, He will send the Holy Spirit to furnish our hearts, the residence of the Lord with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. We need to desire the fruit of the Spirit much more than we seek the demonstrable gifts of the Spirit.
He does new things with us. This is about the purpose for which we are created and for which we exist. He will do new things that will enable us to fulfill His purpose. Fulfilling His purpose is true wealth, happiness and prosperity. He also does new things for us- the benefits and blessings we so sorely need. With new things being done by the Lord in us, for us and with us, we are enabled, equipped to be the new creation He has called us to be in Christ. He gives us the double anointing or spiritual enablement by His grace or power. We, in turn, do new things in Christ, with Christ and for Christ. We are constantly and continually restored and renewed to the image of Christ.
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