The Chinks in Our Armour

" But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armour in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils." Luke 11 v 22 The place or person or thing in which our total, complete and absolute trust rests is our armour. It seemingly gives us assurance, comfort and a sense of security. It could be our wealth or position or ability or relationships. But satan is a spoiler and he revels in overpowering our source of security and trust and destroying our peace and thereby ruining our health, resources, reputation, relationships and potential. Only Almighty God or El Shaddai is more powerful than him and He alone can fend for us and defend us against every attack of the enemy. The catch is that we cannot link up with Almighty God on our own merits. Only Jesus can provide us that link. Even after we link up with God through Christ, the enemy sees the chinks in our armour and fires His weapons like fiery darts and arrows through those chinks to hurt us and weaken our faith in God. Our continuing consistently and increasingly in the presence of The Lord is what can preserve us. God is not a passive partner in our relationship. He sees which way our heart loyalties lean. He desires to solder and weld the gaping chinks in our faith armour but the only way He can do it is if we go constantly to Him and spend time at His feet in prayer, the Word and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Lord goes ahead of us in our life's journey but he also covers our back so that we do not fall prey to invisible, secret and cowardly attacks of the enemy of our souls. He expects us to wear the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate is one of the most vital pieces of any armour for it covers our very heart. Wearing the breastplate of righteousness implies that we should always have a strong desire to do the right thing with the right motive, to please the Commander-in-Chief and not just to win the approval of men. But by far the most vital piece of our spiritual armour is the helmet of salvation. It implies that we should always rest or trust in the assurance and security that The Lord has given us eternal life in Christ. This assurance should transform our thoughts and always fill us with joy, peace and gratitude. If we take so great a salvation offered and given to us forever lightly or if we take it or granted, then it is like a soldier going into battle without wearing a head piece or helmet. The stronger enemy will assail our souls and minds with overpowering thoughts of death, defeat, failure, distrust,insecurity and strife.

Hope Power Greater Than Horse Power

" if thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan. " Jeremiah 12 v 5 God expects us to be meek but not weak, strong and not stung. He manifests His strength in the weakest of us. He trains us through the troubles, challenges and difficulties of our lives. We are His runners and cavalry. Only when we move mountains or meet the challenges head on do we experience the fountains of His amazing grace and power in our lives. Every day and every moment, in every situation He expects us to drink deep of His grace and to fly on the wings of prayer and Word. When we do so we can exceed and excel. We will run and not grow tired. We will be not content with what we have done in and for The Lord so far and aim to go higher and further. The Lord wants us to be winners and not whiners. Our hope, our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual stamina or staying power is based on how we stay in The Lord as well as what we say to ourselves and others. The Lord knows that He will catch us in His safety net if we fall. But He tests and checks our inner attitude when we are well within our comfort zone as well as when we are stretched and challenged. We need to be like a resilient rubber ball. The harder we are hit, the higher we bounce. Our focus on the locus of our faith -the Lord, our diligent study and obedient application of His Word determines the altitude we will climb. We will be filled with extraordinary courage. We will be untiring or indefatigable in our efforts for The Lord. Philip literally ran along side the chariot of the Ethiopian official in order to explain the meaning of the scripture he was reading. We are to be strong, valiant and enduring like warriors. We know the battle is the Lord's, that the enemy can get his horses ready but The Lord gives us certain victory even if it seems as if the odds and probabilities are against us. Our souls will never get weary as long as we wear the garment of praise and thanksgiving. Our hope power is far greater than horse power. He will strengthen our feet like the hind feet of mountain goats that are able to climb even near vertical cliffs in order to reach the virgin pastures of the higher reaches of the mountains.

God's Guerillas

"And David spake to the men that stood by him saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 1 Samuel 17 v 4. The words we speak are very vital to set up either victory or defeat. The words we speak with faith in God, confidence in ourselves and hope in our future are the seed we sow in the spirit. David sowed the seed of his victory by questioning the credentials of Goliath in defying Israel and their God. The Israelites had faced many challenges as a people and a nation but here was an individual challenge thrown at them. The Israelites saw Goliath' s gargantuan dimensions, his formidable armour and spear and they shuddered at the prospect of a one to one fight with him. But David did not look at the height or strength or weapons of Goliath. Neither did he listen to his defiant and arrogant words. David knew that he worshipped a God who is much bigger, wiser, stronger and nobler than any challenge he faced in life. His faith filled him with confidence in himself, courage and wisdom. David's three brothers who were soldiers in Saul's army thought that it was sheer imprudence and bravado on his part to even think of taking the gauntlet against the giant Goliath. Saul himself thought it was impossible for this callow youth to attempt to fight with that experienced giant of a warrior. But David recalled how he had fought and overpowered a lion and a bear in his career as a shepherd. He had encountered impossible or improbable odds successfully in the past and he was confident he could do so again. He knew that he did not have to be as strong as his quarry to defeat him. He only needed to be more wise, shrewd and resourceful. He only needed to be more skilful. But beyond that he knew that he had the spiritual armour that no weapon could possibly penetrate- his faith in the living God who had delivered him in the past from many threats, risks and dangers. The secret of David's victory over Goliath was the anointing he received from The Lord when the prophet Samuel poured sacred oil upon him and declared him as the king if Israel chosen by The Lord. Facing Goliath and causing him to fall to the ground face down and then slaying him with Goliath's own sword was part of God's plan to make him king of Israel. David did not wait till he was in striking distance of Goliath. He struck him on his forehead with the stone shot from his sling. His skill with the sling developed even as a shepherd played a crucial role in his victory. He was God's own guerrilla. Goliath was before him a brainless, feckless, clueless " uncircumcised gorilla. " God also uses our natural talents, skills and prior training coupled with our faith in Him to deliver us and give us amazing victories in life. We are His guerrillas today.

All Our Springs in Him

UV 1022/10,000 Our Springs are in Him As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee. Psalm 87 v 7 In Zion or the kingdom of God, the singers go ahead praising the Lord with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, followed by the players of instruments like cymbals, harps, gongs, flutes and trumpets. Those who sing lift up their voices with joy. Those who play the instruments play with zest and great enthusiasm as if they can make those instruments compose and sing songs in praise of the Lord. Praise and thanksgiving if it is truly faith-based should precede and not follow our blessings. Those who are born again in Zion, a name signifying not a geographical location but a spiritual place where God dwells and rules, will always have a reason to sing, a reason to rejoice. The different aspects or domains of our lives, the physical, the intellectual, the emotional, the social, the spiritual, the familial, the financial, the creative, the aesthetic, the professional are like the ten strings on an instrument. Each of these aspects gives us both reasons to be glad and thankful to the Lord. All the things that we own or possess are given to us by the Lord so that our joy is full and to employ as instruments to praise the Lord. Others may attribute their blessings to their hard work, talent or luck but we must always be firm in our belief that all our springs have their source in the Lord and the Lord only. It implies that we have no source of joy apart from Him. When His spring is in us, we sing. A spring never runs dry even though a river can go dry. When people find their joy in wealth, position, power and pleasure, it can run dry. But when we find our joy in the Lord, when we find our joy in prayer and the Word, it becomes eternal springs that never run out of living water. All our springs arise from Jesus who gives mankind living water that will never make us thirst again. Living water is a metaphor for hope, for precepts and promises that we can apply and claim in our everyday lives. Rivers of life-enabling, life-blessing and life-giving praise and thanksgiving should always flow from our hearts, minds and bellies upwards, against the law of gravity and towards the Lord. When we dwell in or with the Lord, our lives will be like Elim an oasis in the desert that had twelve wells and seventy date palms. The twelve wells are symbolic of the provision of the Lord for every month of the year and the date palms are symbolic of every single year in our lives of seventy plus years being fruitful. The living water that flows in us that has its source in Jesus will not only never run dry but it also runs deep as a well. We can draw water with joy not only to satisfy our own need but the need of others in all ten domains of life. The enemy of our souls will try hard to close some of the springs and wells that bring joy to our souls. He will try to afflict us, hamper us, hinder us, disturb us, distract us, irritate and annoy us with a million little things. He steals our peace, kills our joy and robs our faith. But like Isaac re-dug and re-opened the wells closed by his neighbours and foes, we must be alert and pre-empt the enemy of our souls. We need to zealously guard the springs and wells the Lord has caused to rise up in our lives. Prateep V Philip

A Crown of Glory, A Royal Diadem

UV 1021/10,000 A Crown of Glory, A Royal Sceptre Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God Isaiah 62 v 3 People take great pleasure in possessing jewels but God takes pleasure in the same way in His people. If we ignore Him, He ignores us. But if we value God in our lives, He will value us as His most precious and priceless possessions. The word priceless means that it will not be traded for any price or exchanged for anything in the world. We are priceless in the eyes of the Lord. Each faithful believer is a crown of greatness in the hand of the Lord. We are a royal sceptre in His hand. He brings glory to His name and He executes His will through us. We are the crown jewels of the Lord and He guards us zealously. He esteems us and cherishes us as a royal family takes pride of the royal jewels that have passed down from generation to generation. The crown jewels are a symbol of the power, majesty and authority of the royal family. The word “jewel” can be broken into two root words: “jew” and “el” . By virtue of our faith in Jesus, we are the new Jews of God. Jesus wore a crown of thorns that pierced into His scalp and head all round. That act of His relieves us of all our own thorns or worries, fears and pressures. Our thorns are exchanged for a throne of Heaven. We wear a crown of glory and we are a crown of glory in the possession of the Lord. The expression “crown of glory” emphasizes the esteem in which we are held by the Lord. Crowns are set with the most precious stones that are lifted up against the base of pure gold. Just as diamonds have many facets and qualities, each of us have many facets and qualities. The value of a diamond is judged by the following four C’s: cut, colour, clarity and carat. Our troubles and experiences in this world are responsible for the “cut” of our lives. The colour is determined by the extent of our faith. The clarity is determined by the extent of God-given and availed wisdom. The carat is determined by the extent of our contribution to the kingdom of God as well as to the world around. The expression “ royal diadem” in the uni-verse implies that we are given royal authority by the Lord to rule over the powers and principalities of the world. Our thoughts, words, prayers and commands are like royal decrees and the Lord will not allow a faithful word spoken to fall to the ground. Our fellowship with the Spirit will determine how firmly we are held in the hand of the Lord. Prateep V Philip

At Peace with God and Man

UV 1020-10,000 At Peace with God and Man When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16 v 7 When we have the favour of the Lord, He will not let our enemies triumph over us. We have the favour of the Lord when we believe in the one perfect sacrifice He provided for the salvation of mankind in His Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the fountainhead of blessing. We have the favour of the Lord when we consistently do His perfect or pleasing will. We have the favour of the Lord when we humble ourselves before Him. We have the favour of the Lord when we delight in His Word and in keeping it or storing it in one’s heart and mind as well as living in accordance with it. We have the favour of the Lord when we show compassion to our fellow beings, especially the poor and needy among His flock. We have the favour of the Lord when we worship Him in spirit and in truth and clothed in the beauty of the clothes of salvation He gives us. When we have the favour of the Lord, we are blessed. When we are blessed, we prevail with God by His grace and prevail with men again by the grace of God. Even when the countervailing forces are greater, we prevail. A person who prevails with God and man is a true prince –in contrast to the writings of Machiavelli that attribute duplicity as the art and craft of the prince. A prince maintains his integrity and the Lord enlarges his territory. This was the experience of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham prevailed against enemies who were numerically stronger than him like the chieftain Abimelech. He was blessed by the King-Priest of Salem, Melchizedek- forerunner of Christ. Isaac prevailed against hostile neighbours and tribes. Jacob stole his brother Esau’s blessing and fled out of fear that Esau would kill him after the death of their father. That fear continued to haunt him in all the years he lived in the community of Laban, his father-in-law. After working for fourteen years with Laban and winning the hand in marriage of two of Laban’s daughters, Jacob decided to return to the land of his father. When Jacob heard that Esau was coming towards his location accompanied by four hundred men, he feared for his life and that of his family. But as scripture says, the Lord will cause our enemies to treat us well. Esau hugged and embraced his long lost brother Jacob. Jacob had struggled with the angel of the Lord and said he would not let go unless the latter blessed him. He was so zealous for blessings that the first time as a young man, he had won his earthly father’s blessing by deception. Later on during his sojourn he learnt that the blessing of the Lord is more permanent and is in fact eternal. No earthly or heavenly power can take it away or prevail against it. Eternity spans the past, present and future. It was Jacob’s zeal for the blessing of the Lord that pleased Him and turned away the bitterness and anger of Esau. Indeed, when we please the Lord, even our enemies will be at peace with us. Prateep V Philip

Prodigal to Prodigious

UV 1019-10,000 Prodigal to Prodigious Son But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: Luke 15 v22 Our Father transforms us by His compassion and love from being prodigal sons and daughters to being prodigious sons and daughters of God. The more we understand, perceive and realize how undeserving we are of His love, the quicker and greater will be our transformation from being prodigal and rebellious to being prodigious and obedient. The older son thought he was entitled to his father’s love given the fact that he stuck it out with him and slogged for him all the while the younger one left him to indulge in debauchery. The Father in heaven prefers a broken soul to a self righteous and outwardly religious or pious person who thinks he has earned whatever he has got by virtue of his character, conduct and good works. Salvation is all about returning to a right and love relationship with the Father. It is preceded by repentance and brokenness, accompanied by joy and celebration and followed by abundance of fruitfulness or divinely ordained and blessed productivity. The father hugs the returning prodigal son and calls for his servants. Similarly our Father delights in hugging and kissing us and in lavishing His love on us. He calls for His servants, the angels to give us the best robe- or the robe of His salvation. He gives us the multi-coloured coat that Jacob gave his favoured son Joseph so that we manifest or make known the glory of the Father in a variety of domains of life. It will make us the envy of the self righteous, the religious and the worldly. He gives us the signet ring of authority over disease, demons and the powers of darkness in the world- the same powers and principalities that had drawn the prodigal son away from the father’s love. He gives us shoes so that we travel places for Him and proclaim and convey His love to the world around us. The fatted calf that the father kills to provide for a feast of celebration is a symbol of the wages of the eleventh hour worker. It is a symbol of the blessings and rewards that we do not deserve but our Father in His great generosity gives it to us. Our response hereafter is to be prodigious or extraordinary and marvellous and not to be prodigal. Our life hereafter is a grace fiesta or a festival of grace. Any progeny of man can either be prodigal or prodigious. It is the acceptance of the freely available grace of God in the gospel of Christ that makes the difference. Prateep V Philip