Fulfilling the Vision

UV 4285/10000 Fulfilling The Vision As for the gold, the silver, the bronze, and the iron, there is no limit. So arise and begin working, and may the Lord be with you.” I Chronicles 22 v 16 When God gives us a vision or a task to be fulfilled by us, He also will make the provision. The resources will be available once I start in right earnest obeying or carrying out the vision. David was exhorting the workers and the people assigned the task of building the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, stating that they can commence their work without worrying about whether there will be enough resources to execute it. All the gold and silver in the world belongs to the Lord since it is created by Him. Hence, we can be confident that we will not fall short of resources in the task we are assigned by the Lord. Unless the Lord be with us, our labour will be in vain. Hence, we need to work in close partnership with the Lord in any project we undertake in His name. We need to make a beginning without procrastinating. We need to work daily and consistently towards the goal, however big or distant or difficult it might seem. We need to believe that the Lord is faithful and He will bring it to fruition in His time. We need not be frustrated by the weaknesses, challenges, problems we confront as we go ahead with our mission. Finally, we need to set our hearts and minds to enquire, to seek of the Lord continual guidance and grace. He will send the Holy Spirit to counsel, empower and equip us. Whatever skill or ability we lack, He will provide in some way that He alone can. Whatever wisdom or knowledge we need we will find it in the Lord if we ask of Him. The anointing of the Lord will equip us for every task, however gigantic or insurmountable it might seem. David was praying for the various leaders and teams as they did the work of constructing the temple. Likewise, much prayer must both precede and accompany till the very end of any project we undertake. His power working in us is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we think, imagine or ask.

The Temple of Continual Worship

UV 4284/10000 The Temple of Continual Worship And they were continually in the temple blessing and praising God. Luke 24 v 53 When the disciples understood fully that Jesus lives and that He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, they were filled with exceeding joy. Their joy overflowed into continual blessing and praising of God in the temple. Today, the new covenant temple is not a building built with human hands but our entire human bodies. Having understood the message of Jesus, being part of His purpose and mission fills us with joy that in turn, overflows into continual blessing and praising of God. Our entire being should be changed into a fountain of praise and blessing of the Lord. When we understand that Jesus did the greatest miracle in the three days since His death on the cross, that He changed our human destiny from hell-bound to heaven-bound, that He made available in abundance the three things that matter most in life- faith, hope and love. That in so doing He transformed both our eternal destiny and our earthly lives. Do we need to ask for anything more? Instead, we should turn our hearts and minds to continually bless and praise the Lord. When we continually rejoice in the Lord, again and again and praise Him continually, it becomes the spring, the source of further joy and blessings. The presence of the Lord in our lives will be ever stronger and we will be fully clothed or equipped with the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Whatever else that we might be doing, a continual stream of praise and thanksgiving should pour forth from our hearts and minds towards the Lord. Such expression of gratitude will transform our lives.

The Understanding of the Word

UV 4283/10000 The Understanding of the Word Then He opened their minds to (help them) understand the Scriptures. Luke 24 v 45 Our minds are closed systems. We can see only what the mind knows and what we know is limited. Scripture cannot be understood with only our natural minds. The Holy Spirit is needed to interpret its meaning to us in its context. The disciples did not fully believe Jesus or His words. It is in His post-resurrection ministry that Jesus convinced them of the truth of the gospel that He became sin so that man becomes sinless. The power of the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples with convicting power and transformed them from fearful disciples to fearless apostles. The disciples on the way to Emmaus who were perplexed by the events of the preceding week were helped by the resurrected Jesus to understand the scriptures concerning His death and resurrection. His words burned brightly in their hearts as He explained it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized that the unknown stranger who was accompanying them on the road to Emmaus was none other than the resurrected Jesus whom they were mourning. Jesus comforted them in their great distress with His appearance and His teaching that made them understand that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer such pain and trauma before being resurrected and seated in glory next to the Father. When man first sinned, the eternal breath of the Almighty Creator and Father was taken away. When we first believe in Jesus as the payment, the ransom for our sin and that He is now the risen Lord and Saviour, the eternal breath of the Father is restored to us. God breathes through our nostrils and His presence is in us. Now, a day without Jesus and God, the Father and the Holy Spirit is a day without food, without shelter, without inspiration, without joy, without purpose and power, without gain, a day wasted and vain. Since God is Emmanuel, He dwells in us as the Triune Person of God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What we think and say, becomes virtually the decree, the declaration of God.

The Narrow Path

UV 4282/10000 The Narrow Path Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7 v 13 Jesus is the narrow gate. He is the entry point into the kingdom of eternal life, the kingdom of God. Faith in Him is the way of righteousness. The narrow gate and the narrow way is the path less travelled, the less popular option of humanity. Yet, it is the way of eternal gain, not eternal loss. It is the path to fulfilment and eternal life. Any other option is the easier one. Most people opt for the easy way out, the path that looks smooth and not difficult, not having many challenges, not risky, not uncomfortable. The narrow wicket gate is not the gate the wicked of this world will take. Jesus declared that He is the door to eternal and abundant life but warns people that it is not an easy path. Following Jesus and obeying His teachings, applying the principles of Jesus to our every step is not the popular option but it is the only thing that leads to eternal life. As the path is narrow and rough, we might fall from time to time. Our progress might be slow and hindered but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to encourage us, guide us, lead us, strengthen us. His word is our google map to help us find our way back whenever we appear lost. The alternatives to Jesus are many- the path of man-made religion, philosophies of this world that seem to help one make sense of this world and might even give us some strength and success in getting ahead. But eventually what comes of it is eternal loss and eternal death. The path is broad, the road is smooth but it ends in a steep precipice. The enemy deceives mankind to take this broad road with false signages saying, “Happiness, Prosperity, Peace.. “

Made for Greatness

UV 4281/10000 Made for Greatness Then God said, “ Let Us, ( Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to our likeness ( not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness); and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1 v 26 God has made us great. Like Adam, we lost that greatness somewhere in our journey. Now, we have the opportunity in Christ to rediscover our greatness. We are called for leadership and excellence. Our greatness does not lie in our physical attributes, the positions and titles we have, the material wealth we accumulate but in our spiritual nature and our moral likeness to God, Our Creator, Our Redeemer. God made Jesus, the greatest of humans who never lost His greatness, to be like us so that we can be like Him. Let us face it – we are made for greatness and for enjoying complete authority over all the earth, over the rest of creation. We are not to strive for dominion over other humans but for dominion over all of nature. When we are restored to the Christ nature, the original image of God in which we were created by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, we attain greatness, we fulfil the purpose of God, for which we were formed. Jesus derived His authority over nature from His spiritual and moral power- even the winds and waves obeyed Him. Recall the instance of the fish delivering a golden drachma to Peter, the former fisherman, so that they could pay their tax to Caesar’s representative. The fish would have obeyed no Caesar for they had lost their source of greatness, their moral authority. Today, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are involved in restoring us to our rightful greatness and authority. Our words release the power of God on earth. We become the instruments of God on earth to rule it and dominate it. We use power to serve humans and dominate nature- the evil nature sown in us by the enemy as well as the elements of nature. We are to dominate or defeat and rule over the evil manifested by human sin in this world. The Son -Jesus is described as the Word and hence, the word of God we read, the words that we think and speak have the power of God in it for life and eternity when directed by God and the power of death when it is directed by the devil. As children of God, we have the right to spiritual bread. Jesus said, “ Healing and deliverance is the children’s bread” or our right as children of God. The word of God is our spiritual bread. If we do not eat physical bread or food, our body crumbles or weakens. We cannot be healthy or strong without food. Likewise, we cannot be spiritually strong and healthy, we cannot discover or manifest our godlike greatness or exercise kingly authority or leadership without the divine manna, the word of God.

The Power of God

UV 4311/10000 The Power of God Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was restored to health at that very hour. Matthew 8 v 13 The centurion was a man of high position, power and wealth. But he humbled himself to come to Jesus and seek the healing of his servant. When Jesus offered to come to his house, he said with all humility that he was not worthy to have Him come under his roof, that He only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. He explained that just as he had authority in the secular world, the Lord Jesus exercised authority over the spiritual realms. He just had to speak the word and his servant would be healed, he believed and affirmed with his mouth. Jesus was astonished at his faith and said that He had found no one with this kind of faith in all of Israel. Seeing the centurion’s faith, Jesus spoke the uni-verse- “Go, it will be done for you as you have believed.” The centurion’s concern for the health of his servant is another remarkable aspect. He was willing to meet Jesus, a stranger to him and plead on his behalf. Like the centurion, we should set aside all our titles, positions, worldly influence and submit to the Lord. The moment Jesus spoke the word, the servant was healed- that very hour. The centurion understood that just as his servant would have obeyed him, so even demons and disease would obey the word of Jesus. The centurion was awed and held Jesus in great reverence and respect. Jesus, likewise, paid the highest encomium to his understanding and faith. We, like the centurion, need to humble ourselves always before the Lord. The Lord would never ignore our humble pleas. He will certainly honour our trust and faith in His miraculous power and authority over the natural and supernatural world. Another remarkable fact is that Jesus knew His power to heal by just His thought or His word but He said He would go to the house of the centurion. In short, the Lord manifests His authority and power in accordance with our faith, our confession and expectation of Him. He will never disappoint us or fail us. The centurion was not a Jew and yet, Jesus responded to his request and expression of faith. It shows Jesus treats all humans as Friends of God and does not discriminate on race, language, religion.

Personal Covenant Making and Keeping

UV 4310/10000 Personal Covenant Making and Keeping I have made a covenant ( agreement) with my eyes; how then could I gaze ( lustfully) at a virgin? Job 31 v 1 This uni-verse introduces a new, innovative spiritual practice adopted by Job. No wonder God was pleased with him and the devil was displeased with him and sought to sift him with many trials and tribulations. We could take a page from Job’s life and make a covenant with our eyes, our mouths, our tongues, our appetite, our egos not to sin against God. We can make a covenant to consider all women other than our spouse to be our sisters or brothers as the case may be. We can make a covenant with our lips, our mouths, our vocal cords not to argue, not to complain, not to say vulgar things, not to abuse, not to criticize others, not to say anything hurting, negative or sarcastic. We can make a covenant with our brains or minds not to think a negative thought or yield to temptation. We can make a covenant with our legs not to go to a sinful place or a place of temptation but to flee it like Joseph. A covenant is a sacred, inviolable agreement in which God is our witness. These covenants we make with our own various faculties and organs will move us closer and closer to the standards of holiness or righteousness God call us to uphold in our lives. If we are able to keep our covenants with our mouths and discipline our speech, James goes so far to call us perfect. Of course, we need to confront the fact that we cannot keep any of these internal covenants without the grace of God, the help of the Holy Spirit who will remind us of the terms of our agreements. The question is whether if we constrain ourselves with so many personal agreements, whether we will have any freedom, whether our lives would be enjoyable. These agreements, in fact, are meant not to restrict us but to enlarge our territories like Jabez, to increase our influence, to protect and preserve our testimonies, to bless us. It will accelerate our spiritual and personal growth like never before. When our energies are regulated like the water of a dam, it becomes a powerful force, not a burden or a hindrance.