Bondage Breaker, Freedom Giver

UV 3561/10000 Bondage Breaker, Freedom Giver I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves; and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk upright (with heads held high as free men). Leviticus 26 v 13 The Lord confirms His covenant of love with us in many ways. He gives us rain in its due season and causes our crops to multiply. It is a metaphor for His blessing hand upon our work so that it will get the necessary support and inputs and so turn out to be productive. Our needs would be met and we will live in security. He grants us peace so that no one can threaten or make us afraid. He will eliminate threats and dangers to our lives. He will empower and equip us so that we can put our enemies-physical and spiritual to flight. He will look towards us with favour and regard. He will dwell in us and among us. This should make us realize that we are actually living and moving in the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God exists in us, too. As kings, we decree, rule, war on His behalf. As priests, we pray, praise, worship, commune, teach on His behalf. We are no longer slaves of sin and death. The Lord has broken the invisible cords or chains that held us back as prisoners and slaves. These chains or bands of yoke had made us walk in shame and fear in the past. Now, we are able to walk upright in the ways, word and will of God. This is true freedom. Our spirits, minds and bodies are set free from any limiting belief and restricting habit. We can walk with our heads held high. We can walk with confidence, hope and joy. We have been called out of Egypt, the symbol of our bondage and disgrace into freedom and grace. The Lord promises in His word that He is with us as the Great I am, implying that He will manifest Himself in our lives as wisdom when we need wisdom, power when we need power, love when we need love, strength when we need strength, comfort when we need comfort, peace and security at all times. He promises not to reject us, not to separate His soul from us.

The Rescuer, The Comforter, The Counsellor

UV 3560/10000 The Rescuer, The Comforter, The Counsellor or RCC For you have rescued my life from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling and falling. Psalm 116 v 8 The uni-verse reflects the faith fact that God is primarily our Rescuer. A rescuer is one to whom we owe our lives. The Lord God rescues us from death in more than one way. The Lord rescues us from encounters with death during our earthly sojourn as well as grants us eternal life in Christ after our physical deaths. Not many experience the first but all can experience the second type of death by faith. I am among the few on the planet who was rescued by the Lord from physical death, not once but twice. Once one is rescued from death or near death situations, we cannot forget the Lord and His saving grace for even a moment. The Lord not only rescues us from mortal dangers but He rescues us from sorrows, troubles, trials. It might be a sickness from which He healed us or a business crisis from which He miraculously rescued us. Nothing is too difficult for Him to do. He saved the helpless Jewish unarmed slaves of mighty Egypt through a series of events. Many in this current pandemic have lost their jobs, their only source of earning. In such situations, we should hold onto our faith and cling onto the Lord and His promises. He who provided for the prophet Elijah in the wilderness food through a raven is able to provide for those who look to Him for help. Finally, in this brief uni-verse, the Lord promises to keep our feet from stumbling and falling. He keeps us from making grave mistakes and errors of judgment that could send our career or our reputation hurtling down. Whatever be the situation, we can take shelter under this promise and surrender the issues we are facing into the Lord’s capable hands to handle. The Father rescues us from eternal death. The Holy Spirit comforts and keeps us from tears and the Son Jesus gives us wise counsel to avoid stumbling and falling for He has walked in our ways and knows it intimately. Even should we stumble and fall, Jesus enables us to stand erect and walk again in His way. The Triune God goes ahead of us to clear the way, to remove dangers, to neutralize the risks, smoothen our paths, remove the obstacles. He also accompanies us every step of the way. We are never alone even if we are walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Many are experiencing this grace around the world as affected by Covid, they are away even from their loved ones and recovering in isolation.

The Role of Godly Leaders and Prophets

UV 3559/10000 The Role Of Godly Leaders and Prophets Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel ( heir to the throne of Judah) and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God ( Haggai and Zechariah) were with them, supporting and encouraging them. Ezra 5 v 2 Zerubbabel, before whom the mountains were made plain, was a descendant of King David. The mountains, implying huge challenges, were not flattened by natural or physical strength but by spiritual authority, power and prayer. Kings, today are a metaphor for leaders in different spheres of life. We might face several huge challenges in building the kingdom of God but we will be able to overcome by the grace of God. Leaders should never forfeit the grace of God by thoughtless lifestyle, by arrogance, by relying on their own wisdom and intellect, strength or connections. Our worldly adversaries will raise obstacles in our paths but the Lord will help us remove them, one by one. Leaders do not plough a lonely furrow. The Lord will send prophets to encourage and support leaders even as He sent Haggai and Zechariah to encourage Zerubbabel. Unlike Zerubbabel, we are not attempting to build a physical temple but even as Jesus referred to His own body as God’s temple, we are to build the temple inside of us. The Word and our actions in alignment with the word are the bricks and mortar we use to build this spiritual temple. There may be many irritants, obstacles, problems, barriers,setbacks but the Lord will enable us to face and remove these one by one. Whatever we build to honour God, we must have Jesus as its cornerstone who is connected to all we are, say and do. The entire edifice of our lives rests on Him. He is the foundation on which we build our lives as a testament of God. When we have this perspective, nothing we do or say is in vain. God plus us is infinite. God minus us is also infinite, implying that with God all things are possible for us, nothing is impossible. Without Him nothing is possible for us.

Living By Every Word

UV 3558/10000 Living By Every Word But Jesus replied, “ It is written and forever remains written,”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4 v 4 A “four by four” is a term applied to a vehicle that can move on all types of terrain. It is a vehicle that is sturdy, stable and able. It will not turn turtle easily even on slippery slopes or soil. Our four by four is Matthew 4 verse 4. It will enable us to traverse all types of terrain in the course of our lives. Bread is a metaphor for all our physical needs. It is also a colloquial term for money. Though these are needed, our sustenance depends on what is written in the Word of God, the words spoken by God through faithful men through the generations of Adam and Eve. The emphasis is on “every word.” We need to consume the Word, word by word, meditating on one word at a time to discover its inner spiritual nutrients, nuances, meanings and secrets. The same word may mean different things to different people in different situations of life. That is the reason the word is said to be alive, dynamic, sharp, penetrative, double-edged. A single day does not pass without the need to consume food. Likewise, every day and parts of every day should see us eating the word like necessary food. We should not eat it as if it is an imposition, a chore, a burden but we need to enjoy or delight in consuming the word of God. It is authentic, significant and authoritative as it proceeds from the mouth, implying the mind of God. When we consume the Word, the fire of God, the passion, the energy, the strength of God is invested in us. When our mind agrees with the word, we are agreeing that the mind of God, the will of God. We need to chew or masticate the Word as a cow repeatedly chews its cud. Chewing is breaking the food into smaller bits and allowing our spittle to mix with the food and allow the digestion or the breaking of the nutrients into its many parts needed for different parts of our bodies. Similarly, in meditation we break the Word into its smaller parts or bits. This ( the word) also becomes the proverbial bit in the horse’s mouth to control, direct it- the secret to the harnessing of the life -giving, enabling, enhancing, ennobling power of our own mouths. The Word is also medicine that is bitter to taste in our mouths but becomes sweet in our stomachs. It heals us of our inner ailments and prevents it, too. It is both our shield and sword. It is both a defensive and offensive weapon. It can be used to bring down strongholds built on the foundations of lies and half truths of this world. The word helps us prioritise our lives and take decisions that are good for us and others. The Word in our mouths makes us the mouthpiece of God. It is both a hammer and a fire inside us. Unlike earthly food, the more we consume it, it whets our appetite and becomes more delicious and desirable. It is sweeter than honey, more precious than gold. Unlike manna of the old covenant, it can be stored and brought out of our hearts and mouths whenever needed. It has an answer for every question and a key or solution to every real life problem. The promises in the Word are the channels of blessing. It guarantees longevity, productivity, legacy. It assures salvation and eternal life.

The Spirit of Distinction

UV 3557/10000 The Spirit of Distinction Then you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve Him. Malachi 3 v 18 The Lord God pours the spirit of distinction upon those who serve Him. Those who look to Him for everything in their lives in faith are the ones who serve Him. The Lord will wear such a one tight around His waist like a sash. He declares the faithful to be His special possession, His treasure. He will have compassion on them as a father has compassion on his own son who is obedient and respectful. He pays attention to the very words spoken by the faithful to each other about Him. The presence of God with us distinguishes us. Just as the sun holds the planets in place and in orbit around it by the force of gravity, the Son of Righteousness, Jesus holds us in place and in orbit around Him. Our days and nights are spent in revolving around Him. He energises us, equips, enables and empowers us. Just as the sun depending on its relative proximity and distance from the earth, produces different seasons, likewise depending on our relative proximity or distance, He brings us into different seasons- season of sowing, season of ploughing or preparation, season of harvesting, season of celebration, season of giving, season of healing, season of deliverance. He makes us both a head and a tale( not a tail). Our tale or testimony glorifies the Father even as the Son glorified Him in everything He said and did. The Lord anoints us for leadership and influence. Just as a bridegroom delights in his bride, He delights in us. Just as a bride is devoted to her husband, we need to be devoted and committed to the Lord. It is a covenant relationship in which the Lord takes us under His wings even as hen takes its chicks under her wings to protect them from the predators. The primary wings of protection, healing and upliftment are word and the prayer. The Lord communicates His will for us through His word while we convey our wishes and desires to the Lord through prayer. The Holy Spirit fills us with the assurance that our prayers are heard and are being answered. He strengthens our wills to obey the Father ‘s will and the Son’s word.

Wisdom and Power

UV 3556/10000 Wisdom and Power This is because the foolishness of God (is not foolishness at all and) is wiser than men (far beyond human comprehension), and the weakness of God is stronger than men (far beyond the limits of human effort). 1 Corinthians 1 v 25 Christ, Paul wrote, is the wisdom of God and the power of God. Wisdom is needed to guide power and it is vested in Christ. Christ is also the wisdom from God, the righteousness of God and sanctification and redemption, the plan of God for salvation of all mankind. To many it might appear as foolishness for God to send His Son to die on the cross for us. God cannot be foolish. To many it might appear that Christ was meek and weak and did not resist an unjust and cruel sentence and death on the cross. But to the Triune God this was the only way, the best way to offer or provide justification without compromising on His standard of holiness. Likewise, to many it might appear foolish to follow Jesus, to give up the world for the sake of the Word. But, it is the wisest course, the best option for any human. Wisdom is of many kinds, the wisdom of man, the wisdom of the serpent or the enemy of mankind, the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of God manifested in Christ. Power or strength is also of many kinds: the strength of man, the power of the enemy, the power of wealth, the power of rulers and finally, the power of God. The other forms of power are limited while the power of God is unlimited. Jesus demonstrates or manifests this power with wisdom. We all know that power of any kind corrupts but power accompanied by godly wisdom is incorruptible. Godly wisdom requires that we revere or respect God and His commands, that we embrace His ways. Hence, whatever strength or power that God has given or vested in us, be it a talent, a gift, a position, we need to use it with a sense of accountability to the Ultimate Giver- our Father in heaven. When wisdom and power are balanced and blended, it will end the ills of power.

Plug and Pray

UV 3555/10000 Plug and Pray Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become tired or grow weary; There is no searching of His understanding. Isaiah 40 v 28 We cannot find God’s grace or power or mercy by searching for He has to reveal Himself. He revealed Himself fully in the person of Christ, the One anointed to save all mankind by His strength. Jesus proved Himself stronger than the strong one- the enemy of our souls. He liberated us from his clutches and from his bondages of sin and death. Jesus proved Himself stronger than death. He resurrected after a cruel death. Hence, by trusting Jesus and His word and entrusting our lives to Him, we are greatly strengthened. To the extent we admit in prayer that we need His grace, His strength in the areas of our weakness, He steps in even as He stepped into the boat of the terrified disciples in the midst of the storm at the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The world, as it were, is caught in a great storm paralleling the Flood that destroyed all mankind barring the family of Noah that trusted God and His promise to preserve them. Today, our Ark is Jesus, an Ark not made by human hands. Like St Paul, we need to boast of our weaknesses and hide in Jesus till the storm is over. Our weaknesses and vulnerabilities instead of being causes of shame are the reasons we resort to take refuge, comfort, shelter, cover in the Rock of Ages. Today, we are tired of being confined in our homes, tired of observing all kinds of precautions, tired of the statistics of death being reeled out day in and day out. Children cannot play freely. We cannot visit our loved ones living away from us. We are tired of the prevailing confusion in how to deal with it. At this juncture, Jesus strengthens us. He shows us His love. He inspires hope in us. He builds our faith. He reveals His understanding to us. Jesus empowers us through His word, by prayer, by means of the Holy Spirit. He energises us. He renews us with power and strength. Like young eagles we can fly into His “Sonshine” to renew us in the spiritual equivalent of Vitamin D- devotion, dedication, discipline, diligence and determination. We have access to His power at any time, in any situation. He gives us strength to deal with our existential challenges as well as our eternal quest for love, peace, redemption. He gives us the clarity of wisdom to choose the best options with unerring understanding and even should we err perchance we relied on our own limited understanding, we can always return to Him as chastened children.