Connecting the Rudder with the Radar

UV 881/10,000 Connecting the Rudder with the Radar Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: James 1 v 19 Our tongue is set within a full guard of 32 teeth. Only the very important persons in the world receive a full guard of 32 standing 24 hours x the whole of their lives. Similarly, there are 32 scripture verses that speak about the right use of the tongue. Each of these is like a tooth that guards the tongue. The human tongue is so vital, so important- a spring of life or death. Our natural tendency is to be swift to speak, slow to hear and quick to get angry. It takes training, practice and transformation to develop the supernatural tendency advocated in the above uni-verse, summed up in the formula: SSS. When we are slow to speak or quick to listen, it becomes a spring of life. When we are swift to speak, slow to listen and quick to giving vent to our anger, bitterness, sarcasm, hatred- it becomes the very trap door of death and our downfall. We hear of ENT or Ear, Nose and Throat specialists but we never hear of a specialist of the tongue. It is quite a hardy organ and it is itself rarely subject to sickness. St James was something of a “tongue specialist” for he constantly harped on this point as no one else has in all of history -if we can bridle or rule over our tongues, we can rule over our whole bodies. St James compared the tongue to the bit that controls the horse and the rudder that guides the ship. To use the metaphor of modern day aviation, the tongue is the joystick in our mouth. The problem is that it is so flexible that it can flex in any direction. One moment it can spout wisdom and the next, venom. It is a forked organ. But how can we rule over our tongues? We need to connect the rudder with the radar- our spirits that should sense what we should speak aptly in different occasions and times. First, we must be swift or sensitive and eager to hear the Word of God and the words of others. Second, we must wait for our turn to speak and not be in great haste to speak. Third, we must weigh our every word in our minds and chose our tone too. Fourth, the Spirit of God should rule over our minds, hearts and bodies. St James addressed his audience as “ beloved brethren”. Our attitude too should be that of brotherly love towards our audience, whether it be one listener, a few or many. Our hearts feed our mouths. Hence, we need to constantly empty our hearts of anger, bitterness, hatred, fears, conceit, contempt, pride, jealousy, discontentment, covetousness and fill it with love, forgiveness, kindness, joy, peace, patience, humility, grace, goodness, faithfulness.. We need to develop our spiritual taste buds on our tongues in favour of the latter and towards repulsing or vomiting the former. Our speech should be wise and edifying or wholesome and contributing to building up the faith, hope and love of the listeners. When the Holy Spirit rules over our spirits, minds and bodies, our hearts will manifest these supernatural fruit. Our mouths should always speak the good confession of faith. We agree with God when we speak the positive. We agree with satan when we speak the negative. By the words we use we call events and circumstances to ourselves as a man would call a puppy to come running towards him with his whistling. Prateep V Philip

Erase and Shine

UV 880/10,000 Erase and Shine “Forget the former things, do not dwell in the past.” Isaiah 43 v 18 Erase ( the mistakes of the past) and shine (by overcoming them in the present and the future). Our past actions and experiences haunt us only if we allow them to. This uni-verse exhorts us to forget that past and to dwell in the present in the presence of the Lord. For as the Psalmist wrote,” there are pleasures forevermore at the right hand of the Lord.” We need to actively recall the marvellous works of the Lord, His wonders and the judgements of His mouth. We need to remember and rejoice by recalling all the times He delivered us from death, disease, defeat and destruction. The enemy of our souls wants us to dwell in the past so that we would not be effective in the present or the future. When we dwell in the past, bitterness, anger and regret take control of our souls. But the Lord says, “ Take a clean break from the past. You are no more the old sinful creation. You are a new obedient creation and child of God.” His love does not hold a record of the past. If He held a record of the past, who can afford to stand before Him ? He has blotted out our transgressions. He has given us a clean slate again for us to write, to erase and to write again. So we can erase and shine. Everything and everyone in this world loses its relevance after a period of time. Only the Word remains relevant at all times. Therefore we can dwell on His Word at all times. The word “ dwell” implies an intensity or passion of living or commitment or zest and zeal. It means to be obsessed with, to be engrossed, to be focussed, to be surrounded and covered at all times. When we live with such intensity, passion and real zeal, the Lord’s enabling and ennobling power or grace will outwork or cause new and glorious things to happen in our lives. Dwelling in the past is like the prodigal son grovelling in his humiliation and suffering as the keeper of the pig sty instead of returning to the love and inheritance the Father was reserving for him at his former home. The Lord is telling us, “ Do not dwell in the pig sty of the past that is full of thrash but come to my banqueting table in my home, your home.” The Lord will give us the gleaming new clothes of salvation, the full armour of protection, the crown or the helmet of the victor not the groaning of the victim, the ring of authority and sceptre of power of the king, the shoes to go places for Him. He will sharpen our tongues not to complain of our past lot but to be a sword for Him. He has erased every trace of our past, our hubris, our ignorance and our arrogance and enables us to shine with the authority of a king and the holiness of a priest. Above all, He has restored us to the bosom and love of the Father- an intimate relationship with God. Prateep V Philip

The Favour of the Lord

UV 879/10,000 The Favour of the Lord “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” 2 Peter 1 v 17 Many believers think that God the Father would only endorse His Son Jesus alone in the words recorded in the gospels, “ This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” But the truth is the Lord God delights in so endorsing those who not just believe in Him and His Word but who delight in doing His will. This is the biblical pattern of filial obedience and parental satisfaction : Every child should make his or her parents pleased with him or her. The resurrected Jesus told His disciples to go tell the other believers that He was ascending to His Father and their Father, His God and their God. It implies that Jesus has declared us all to be His brothers and sisters. Just as the Father delighted in His relationship with Jesus as evidenced in the Holy Spirit descending in the shape of a dove upon Jesus as He obeyed God ‘s will in taking baptism in the waters of Jordan at the hands of one who was lesser than Him by John’s own testimony, He delights in each of us and affirms us with these same words, “ This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” It implies that we have won the favour of God. It will surround us from then on just as the Ark of His presence ensured victory for the Israelites under Joshua as long as they were faithful and obedient. The favour or grace of the Lord surrounds us like a shield at all times. In a time of prayer, I heard these words, “ This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” The Lord went on to say, “ I am pleased with you as you are adoring me all the time. You are proclaiming my glory. You are proclaiming my Word.” Indeed, the Lord delights in honouring His children. He does not hesitate in sharing His glory with us. His glory or fullness excels everything we have seen or heard or experienced or dreamt of. When we walk in the cloud of His presence all the time, we will perceive this glory. It is not an evanescent glory that will pass away. It is His eternal glory. We will hear His voice from time to time as we are overshadowed by His presence. When Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, her pregnancy that held the hope of humanity for eternal life and salvation progressed well. Similarly, when we are overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, our hope will be brought to fruition in this life and the life to come. Prateep V Philip

Sharing in Divine Power, Divine Nature and Divine Glory

UV 878/10,000 Sharing In Divine Power and Divine Nature “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” 2 Peter 1 v 3 Uni-verse is a verse by verse analysis of the Bible. Each uni-verse is a rhema verse or a specific portion of scripture spoken to me at some point in time. From each uni-verse a specific principle or management concept or promise of God is drawn out and explained. In order to gain the most from this spiritual exercise, we should return again and again in our minds to the uni-verse of the day and see how it applies in the different situations we face through the day. It will be like drinking a glass of cool water on a hot summer day. It is our personal knowledge rather than a theological or an intellectual or a traditional knowledge of God that multiplies grace and peace in our lives. In order to sustain life, we need to breathe air. We breathe in air and use the oxygen content in the air and breathe out the carbon dioxide and other gases we do not need. Similarly, grace is the equivalent of breathing in air and using the oxygen in the air. Peace is the equivalent of breathing out the carbon dioxide. Through grace the Lord gives us what we need and through peace, He enables us to get rid of what we do not need. We need the Lord to bless us, to preserve us from evil and harm from within and without . We need Him to be gracious to us and to lift up His countenance upon us and to give us peace. Our personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus gives us access to His divine power. As Jesus said, “ Only the Father knows the Son and only the Son can reveal the Father.” Jesus also said, “ All power in heaven and on earth is given to Him.” His name is far above all other names, living and dead, far above all principalities and powers, rulers and authorities, celebrities and icons. Hence, when we believe in His Name and what He has revealed of the Father we have access to all divine power and all things that we need in this life. But the Lord does not want us to only share in His divine power but He wants us to share in His divine nature or in His godliness and in the beauty of His character or holiness. He also wants us to share in His glory or His fullness, wholeness and greatness. When we believe and act on His promises and His Word, we share in His greatness. His glory is manifest in our lives. The spiritual process is something like this: we breathe in grace, breathe out peace. We believe in His Name and feed on His Word and promises. We grow in His divine power. We claim His promises and proclaim His Word. We share in His divine nature and His glory and greatness. We are sharing in the very DNA of God. He has indeed lifted us from the miry clay ffrom which He made us and made us part of the Rock of Ages. Prateep V Philip

No One is Indispensable But Everyone is Valuable

UV 877/10,000 No One is Indispenable but Everyone is Valuable “ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4 v 14 No one is indispensable for God to fulfil His will and purpose in any generation. Mordecai was warning Esther that if she chose to be safe and not take any risks when the lives of the Jewish people were at stake, the Lord would raise enlargement or promotion and deliverance from some other person or quarter or circumstance. He warned Esther that she and her relatives including Mordecai himself would perish in her very attempt to be safe by being silent in a time of crisis. This predicament faces every human being. In attempting to save our lives, we would loose it. We fear we would loose our position or our lives or be moved out of our comfort zones when we speak for God or we serve Him. But the source of our salvation and deliverance is in offering our lives, our position, our resources and our gifts to our Lord God. Esther was persuaded by these words of Mordecai to place her life at risk in incurring the displeasure of the king by going into his presence without being summoned. In addition to the admonition, Mordecai added the motivational truth that Esther might have been raised to the position of queen in order to play a role in saving the lives of the Jews. Each of us have been given our position as kings and priests for such a time as this. We need to play our roles to the hilt by exercising our authority, by utilising our opportunities to witness and proclaim the goodness of the Lord, by binding and shaking the forces of darkness and spiritual oppression, by exposing the misdeeds of Haman-like characters, by interceding with the Lord for the nations and for our loved ones. Our positions and designations are like pedestals for the Lord’s light or glory to be mounted. Esther dared not enter the presence of the king without invitation or summons. It was a rare privilege and was triggered only at the will of the king. But we are welcome to enter the presence of the King- o -Kings – Jesus again and again, times without number even on a single day and all through our lifetime. Unlike the king Xerxes who despite his immense wealth that he displayed in public for a full six months and his power, had limitations in granting the desires of his supplicants, the Lord has no such limitation. Esther is herself a metaphor for the church today. She is the submissive bride. Unlike the erstwhile queen Vashti who was deposed for despising the king and not obeying his orders, Esther wins the favour of the king with her pleasing and gracious ways. Jesus is the Mordecai who warns, counsels, blesses, guides, teaches, honours and rewards the believers. He is our advocate on high who always makes plans to have His people delivered from threats and dangers. Prateep V Philip

Symptoms of the Second Yoke

UV 876/10,000 Symptoms of the Second Yoke Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; Isaiah 58 v 9 Conceit conceives deceit. If we are conceited and proud, we are inclined or oriented to be deceived by the master deceiver-satan. We will speak in vain and not be accustomed to speak the truth in a spirit of love. Satan has put a heavy yoke on us- the burden of ploughing through life with sin. The Lord has lifted the yoke off our necks and shoulders so that we are no longer weighed down with the burden of guilt about the past and anxiety about the future. He has given us in place of that heavy yoke, the light yoke. The latter yoke is like the nutrient rich nucleus of an egg- the yoke. This is the seed of the gospel that grows like a seed organically from within us. The first yoke produces guilt, the second yoke produces hope of eternal life and consequent joy. Having been the recipients of mercy and compassion, we should not be an agent of satan in accusing others with our pointed finger. Rather we should learn to forgive more easily and not harbour feelings of lust and pride. We must not speak in vain but we should measure every word we speak such that it builds up the faith, hope and strength of other around us. Our speech should be salted with grace. The Lord is sensitive to even our body language- are we pointing fingers at others after having been forgiven of much sin? Every promise of God has certain conditions in the manner in which a covenant is written. We need to keep our side of the sacred agreement or covenant. This uni-verse specifies that we should strive to live a righteous life implied in the words, “take away ..the yoke.” We should avoid accusing, condemning or judging others. Our speech should be edifying or encouraging to others, not hurtful or proud or conceited. When we conform to these conditions the Lord sets out in His Word, He will answer us when we call. When we cry out to Him in our moments of distress, He will appear to us and say, “ Here I Am.” He will sometimes hear us even before we ask or pray. He will answer us while we are still speaking or praying. Sometimes, He hears us in due time or His own time. Prateep V Philip

The Price and Prize of Redemption

UV 875/10,000 Redemption None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: Psalm 49 v 7 No man however rich or virtuous or wise can redeem even his brother nor can he redeem himself. We cannot be redeemed by silver or gold or knowledge or wisdom. We are not saved by virtue of our own virtue as the Greeks taught but we are redeemed by our faith that God gave Christ Jesus as a ransom for all mankind irrespective of their deeds or background. His only begotten Son Jesus was not only the most virtuous among all humanity but He is His most prized and favoured Son. In terms of sheer value in God’s mind and heart, His value is equal to the rest of all creation. Redemption means to live fully in the here and now and forever in eternity. We are not born free but we are born in captivity to sin and satan. The price for a man’s soul to be redeemed and to live forever is too great for him to pay. Our souls are mortgaged to the prince of darkness. Our souls are bound to see corruption. Our bodies are bound to decay. But since we are precious in God’ s sight, He made the provision by making payment of His most prized and favoured Son, the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Light, the Prince of Love. A more than adequate payment has been made for all people and for all time and for all types of sin. Satan cannot accuse God of adopting double standards, of not being just and righteous. The ends of both justice and mercy are met in one act of God. That one act of God has inspired the children of God right through history to overcome fear of evil, fear of death, fear of the devil, fear of judgement and to do the acts of the apostles: teaching, healing, preaching, prophesying, delivering, proclaiming. When we believe in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, our own wages of sin are paid in full. We are freed from guilt. Satan can no longer accuse us and drag us into the lower realms that belong to him. Just as the sin of the first father Adam held us in captivity to death, the sinlessness and sacrifice of the second Adam, Christ Jesus set us free from the captivity forever. Abraham was only called a Friend of God but we are called now children of God. Jesus has set us free to be His brothers and sisters. We cannot experience greater freedom, greater joy than this that we are now destined to live fully in the here and now and live forever in the hereafter. Prateep V Philip