The Deposit

UC 2788/10000 The Deposit
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in
2 Timothy 1 v 14
Another translation of this uni-verse is “ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” It implies that faith is like a bank deposit. The blessings, the wonders, the wisdom, the miracles that accrue from it are like the periodic interest on the deposit. We are to guard this precious deposit but we cannot do it on our own. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. The deposit does not belong to us but is committed to us by the Lord for safe keeping like the talents of gold given by the master to his five servants in the parable of talents. We are to preserve it till the Master returns.
Like the faithful servant, we should increase the deposit of faith by investing it wisely in the opportunities that our lives present. We are holding it on trust and we have a responsibility to use it in the apt manner. The more faith we have the richer we are spiritually, the more effective we are as witnesses, the more loyal and obedient we are as servants of the Lord. Faith is not an idle deposit to be buried under sand but it is to be used and multiplied. These are the riches that neither rust nor moth nor thief can destroy. It outlasts our lives on earth. It is the currency of the kingdom of heaven. With this currency, we can buy anything we need in the Kingdom of God. It is the ource of our outcomes in life and the channel by which we can bless others.
The enemy of our souls attacks our faith in a variety of ways. But we need to be alert and prepared to defend our faith. The Holy Spirit is both the radar and the rudder of our faith. He sensitises us to the direction and nature of attack on our faith. He brings the appropriate portion of scripture to our minds in different situations to increase our faith. The Holy Spirit enables our faith to be fruitful in terms of expressing itself in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and humility. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our commitment to the Lord at apt times. He even shapes and leads our faith in the direction it should go and grow. He gives us the enthusiasm or the energy of God to put into our efforts and actions to live out our faith in real time. He refines our faith by removing the dross or impurities that have crept in over time.
Prateep V Philip

The Six Dimensional Shalom of God

UV 2786/10000 The Six Dimensional Shalom of God
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 v 7
The shalom of God is a wholesome peace encrypted in the letters of its spelling in an order of priority for all mankind. The first letter “S” stands for salvation. Obtaining peace with God through Christ, His chosen, anointed, sacrificed and resurrected Son is the number one priority of every believer. We need to obtain peace with God through the means made available by Him and not the imperfect means we ourselves devise in terms of religion, good works or sacrifice. Once we have peace with God, every other type of peace will follow: peace with self, relational peace with significant others, peace with enemies, peace with all fellow beings, peace with past, present and future, mental peace, spiritual peace, emotional peace. In other words, we will have perfect, complete, comprehensive and holistic peace. Once we have peace with God in Christ, we are no longer seekers but communicators of peace of God. The shalom of God cannot be obtained by reasoning as it is beyond all human understanding, beyond human discovery, beyond rationale, beyond human efforts at self amelioration. The Shalom of God being six-dimensional is beyond human perception and comprehension.
The second aspect of shalom as symbolised in the letter ‘h’ is health or healing. It was not an accident that most of the miracles of Jesus are to do with healing. He spoke these words, “ Your faith has made you whole”. In other words, our faith in the Word of Jesus gives us the shalom of God. The third aspect “a” stands for our inner fruit or our spiritual attitudes of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. We are to abound in peace or shalom or be abundant in attitudinal fruit or results. The attitudes are reflected in our actions of shalom or peace. We are called to be peace-makers in this world, not peace-breakers. The fruit of love is important enough to be considered as the most important dimension of Shalom. We are to experience or taste the agape love of God and transfer or transmit as “phile” love or love for our fellow beings.
The fifth dimension to ensure Shalom of God in us is Obedience to the will and word of God. The boundaries of our behaviour and aspiration are established that protect our hearts and minds and keep us rooted in Christ. The last dimension is ‘M’ or material or monetary aspect. The Lord provides for our need abundantly, wonderfully, miraculously, sufficiently, supernaturally. All these six aspects together act like a protective wall around our hearts and minds. The shalom of God cannot be taken away or affected by earthly circumstances or supernatural forces of darkness. It is eternal peace that outlasts this life.

Prateep V Philip

The Wisdom of Gamaliel

UV 2785/10000 The Wisdom of Gamaliel
But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God
Act 5 v 39
The wisdom of Gamaliel is a pointer to what all mankind should heed. He analysed in his little speech before the Sanhedrin, the highest council of the Jews how some earlier rebellions against the Jewish faith had failed miserably. Those movements had petered out as it was merely the efforts of man and not inspired of God. He said that if the work of the early apostles like Peter was of man, it would come to naught in due course. But that if it is of God, human authority or power could not overthrow it and they would be fighting a vain battle against God. The words of Gamaliel proved true and prophetic in history for the gospel that began with Jesus and a small band of men prevailed against empires, armies, technological, social, cultural and economic changes globally and right through history. The Greek, Roman, the Caliphate,the Spanish Empire, the British Empire and all other earthly powers have failed while the gospel outlasts these and is sustained. Those who struggle against Jesus and His message are kicking against the thorns or hurting themselves for no reason. The will of God is sovereign and it will prevail and no force on earth can withstand it.
In our earthly sojourn, we too should heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, though often only a gentle whisper and we ought not to resist the Spirit of God. We ought to align our wills with the will and purpose of the Lord. We need to surrender all our thoughts, aspirations, efforts and our struggles to the able hands of Jesus. He who transformed water in six stone jars to the finest of wine is able to transform our lives from within. The glory of God unlike that of man’s is not external glory or greatness but hidden glory or indwelling Shekinah greatness. When we struggle against the will of the Lord, we fail and suffer much needless pain, frustration, failure and agony but when we yield our wills and our desires into His hands, we cannot lose.
Gamaliel weighed the options before the Sanhedrin and heeded the counsel of the Spirit of God speaking from within him. The counsel and work of man is in vain but the counsel and work of the Spirit are fruitful and shall prevail. In all our decision making, we too should weigh the options before us and take the course or action that the Spirit of God counsels us to take. God’s side is always the winning side. We need to ensure all our actions and reactions keep us on the winning side. Instead of kicking against the thorns or doing what seems to us to be the right thing in a particular situation, we need to seek the will of the Lord and go ahead and do it.
Prateep V Philip

Nourishing, Relishing and Flourishing

UV 2784/10000 Nourishing, Relishing and Flourishing
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon
Psalm 92 v 12
While Peter Drucker said that those who innovate will flourish, the Word says that those who are righteous shall flourish. Often, the wicked, the criminal do innovate but eventually, their works are destroyed. Those who are faithful to the Lord, walk in integrity, repent of the occasional follies and blunders they commit, endeavour not to repeat these in their lives. Such persons experience both flourishing and growth. These are not merely persons who walk in integrity and who take pride in their self righteousness but persons who both fear and love the Lord and walk in both humility and integrity. They are humble as they know that but for the grace and mercy of the Lord, they too would be bound for eternal destruction like any other human. They therefore find their joy in the Lord. The joy of the Lord or rejoicing in the things the Lord has taught, imparted or blessed them with, the joy of having a personal relationship with their Redeemer is the sap that rises up in them.

The joy of the Lord causes the faithful to flourish. It also causes them to grow and learn all their lives. The faithful are therefore, continual or lifelong learners. Even when they become mature apostles, they have the attitude of being a disciple or learner. They are always in awe of the wisdom and power of the Lord. They do not pretend to know everything and are content with such revelations that the Lord has led them into. The sap in them causes them to bear fruit like a date palm. Date palms are the only fruits and often the only form of nourishing food available in the desert. The world is compared in this metaphor to a desert with few righteous persons. But these few thrive in the oasis of the Lord’s grace and provide eternal hope, meaning and direction to the spiritually famished multitudes. They bear spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God. A tree that bears fruit is blessed by Jesus and flourishes even as a tree that does not bear fruit is cursed and withers. The date palm is a hardy plant. It grows where it is planted without complaining. It withstands the rigours of the desert heat and wind like believers whose faith, hope and love endures despite great adversity and hardship.
The righteous not only flourish like date palms but grow in majesty and grace and wisdom like the cedar, the giant among trees. The cedar is a symbol of strength, beauty and sweet aroma of its scented wood. The DNA of the righteous is changed so that they keep growing right through their lives. They learn from every word spoken to them and from every experience. They do not exist for their own sake but also for the sake of the nourishing, flourishing and relishing of others.
Prateep V Philip

Life as a Banquet

UV 2783/10000 Life as a Banquet
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song of Solomon 2 v 4
The house of the Lord is a banqueting house- a house of rejoicing. Therefore, like people partake of food and drink several times with a sense of pleasure, we ought to rejoice again and again, every day of our lives. Our relationship or fellowship with the Lord is like a continual banquet. This is the reason Jesus said, “ Behold, I knock at the door (of your life/heart), if you open the door, I will come and sup with you and you will sup with Me.” The implication is that our fellowship and communication of praise and thanksgiving is like a banquet for the Lord and His love and care of us is like a banquet for us. A banquet has many dishes served as part of the menu. Likewise, the promises and commands of the Lord are the variety of dishes that we can feed on and while relishing it, we will be greatly strengthened. As in any banquet, there is music and dance, the Lord dances over us, rejoicing that we are His precious possession. He rejoices over every saved sinner as the father who saw his prodigal son returning. Like the repentant prodigal son, we are not relegated to the position we deserve as servants. We are not even just invited guests but c0-owners with the Lord of His house. We are the reason for the banquet. The Lord is celebrating our homecoming. It is the wedding feast of the Lord and His beloved.
The arch of the love of God stretches over our entire lives. We are surrounded by His love. His banner is one of protection, one of affirmation, one of intimacy, one of mercy, grace and generosity. We might have a variety of experiences during our lives but the overarching theme of our relationship with our Redeemer is one of love: the kind of love that is compassionate, understanding, patient, humble, not holding a record of wrongs but blotting out our past errors and blunders. It is on account of His love that He brings us to His house of banqueting and rejoicing- the house of salvation where we can dwell forever, gazing at His eternal beauty and worshipping Him in the beauty of holiness. We do not get to go to His house on our own accord. But He chooses, He invites, He takes us into His house.
God is hidden from the eyes of the world. But, the Lord does not hide Himself from us but He sees the love we have in our hearts for Him and He manifests Himself. He revealed all the infinite dimensions of His love for us in depth, width, height and intensity in His Son Jesus. He does not distance Himself from us but draws us close to Him. We rejoice in His presence much more than we rejoice in the blessings that He imparts to us. Our thoughts hang on every word He speaks to us. He delights in our ceaseless prayer, praise, worship and thanksgiving.
Prateep V Philip

Overflow

UV 2782/10000 Overflow
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Genesis 49 v 22
Joseph was the one son of Jacob who would bring greatest glory to Jehovah and do his name proud. He suffered great injustice in his youth but he prospered even in his adversity as the Lord God was with him. He is described in this uni-verse as a “fruitful bough” fed from water from a well and producing fruit that overflowed the boundaries of his life. He is a good model for every believer. We are to abound with the fruit of the Spirit of God of love, joy and peace. The Holy Spirit constantly waters our roots so that we are well nourished spiritually. The Word like living water reaches the different parts of our lives and causes it to be fruitful.
The image of Joseph painted in this description by his own father Jacob in his parting blessing before the latter’s death is echoed in the multi-fruit garden in heaven, described in the book of Revelation, that is watered by the eternal river of life. The leaves of the trees were meant for the healing of the nations. The trees produced a different fruit every month. Our thoughts and words are meant for the healing of the nations, to produce faith and salvation in our listeners or readers. Our testimonies are a blessing for the people of different national, cultural and racial backgrounds. Our actions and reactions should overflow with the sanctified emotions of love, joy and peace.
The Lord being with us is the chief criterion and determinant of our success and joy. His favour or grace is sufficient to turn around any adverse situation in life. The Holy Spirit will impart His wisdom to us. We only need to trust in the faithfulness of the Lord and wall or fence ourselves in with the commands, promises and precepts of the Lord contained in His Word. The disciplines we follow as a result will be a pointer to others where true success, happiness, power, beauty, health, pleasure, wealth and fame lies. Our lives will be like the overhanging branches of trees in an orchard from which every passer by can glean and satisfy their need of truth and wisdom. True success and joy is not a half empty glass or a half full or even a full glass but an overflowing one. Our lives will not be full of only “chronos” moments or time measured only in hours, minutes, seconds or a calendar measured only in years, months, weeks and days but “kairos” moments and events in which we have an interface or relationship as well as intervention from the One who is the lover of our souls- the mystery lover of the Song of Solomon who is none other than Jesus. The impact of our lives is measured by how much we overflow with spiritual fruit and gifts.
Prateep V Philip

Safeguards to Secure Sound Speech

UV2781/10000 Safeguards of Speech
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Proverbs 21 v 23
We eat the fruit of our words. Words are powerful. They can kill, heal, deliver, comfort, entertain, instruct, harm, destroy, re-build, strengthen, debilitate, equip, empower, enable. They can cause a person to rejoice or to drive another into deepest depression. Most of life’s troubles emanate from our spoken words: conflicts, arguments, sorrow, pain, humiliation and so on. If our words are pleasant, truthful, beneficial to the listeners, we eat the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. If our words are thoughtless, careless, negative, harmful, critical of others, proud, arrogant, conceited, we eat the fruit of anger and strife, of hatred, of bitterness, of violence, of evil, of cynicism, of disorder. A safeguard is to yield control of the unruly, restless tongue and its total use to the Holy Spirit. We should commit to ourselves and the Lord that not a word would be spoken without sending it to the Holy Spirit for approval. A gentleman is one whose tongue and mouth is controlled by the gentle and wise Holy Spirit. The untrained natural tongue is a repository of evil. It needs to be trained by the Holy Spirit so that it is consistently a sweet spring of water and not a poisonous spring or well. The tongue has to be consecrated to the Lord. The same tongue cannot be used to praise God and criticise His creatures. The same tongue cannot be used to bless and to curse our fellow beings. Over a period of time, we will evolve a pattern of speech that is sound, healthy, helpful, positive, wholesome.
Another safeguard is to pass our words through the sieve of the Word of God. Does our speech pass muster when it is measured against the instructions written in the Word on the use of our mouths and tongues? We need to weigh our every word before we utter it. Our tongues express what our hearts and minds are full of. Hence, we need to place a guard at the door or entrance to our hearts and minds. The psalmist prayed that a sentry or guard be placed at the door of his lips. We need to constantly saturate our hearts and minds with portions of scripture that deal with ordering our speech or conversation so that it is in alignment or conformity with the Lord. The Word plays the role of the bit in the horse’s mouth. It helps us control our mouths and tongues. Our minds should be captive to Christ such that every dark or negative thought is arrested and driven out before it triggers a wrong word. We should instead fill our minds with what is true, beautiful, noble, praiseworthy and whatever will be useful for the glory of the Lord, whatever is of benefit to the listener.
Teachers of the Word need to be even more careful how we handle our tongues and mouths. We will be judged more severely for any words that are amiss. If we do not have a useful or apt word for a particular occasion or situation, we should prefer to hold our tongue. Watching our tongues and mouths implies that we should be aware of the impact of our words on people. We should refrain from being talkative for where there is a multitude of words, sin abounds. The saying, “Speech is silver while silence is golden” implies that for the wise in the Lord, silence is the preferred mode of communication. It is not awkward to hold our tongues or remain silent as during the silent moments, we can use it as an opportunity for our spirits to communicate with the Lord. He will then give us the word of knowledge or wisdom to share. Continually meditating on the Word will help us restrain the urge to speak. Pausing to think before we speak, slowing down the speed of speech, developing our listening skills to understand the feelings behind words, analysing the speech patterns of others are some other effective safeguards to ensure consistently good speech.
Prateep V Philip

Prerequisites for Fulfillment of Promises

UV 2780/10000 Prerequisites for Promise Fulfillment
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise
Hebrews 10 v 36
This uni-verse lays down the conditions for the promises of the Lord to be fulfilled. Salvation itself is a promise. We receive the promise of salvation as well as every other promise concerning our present lives, too and need to wait with hope, faith and patience. Faith means that we should endure through times of testing and suffering. Patience has the dimension that we should persevere through much hardship. While waiting for the fulfilment of promises of the Lord, we need to do the will of God. The patriarchs of Israel who first received the promises of the Lord displayed this kind of patience, hope, obedience to the expressed will of God and perseverance through much suffering. As a runner holds a baton or a messenger hold firm to his despatch without dropping these even once, we need to hold the promise of the Lord before us at all times, through thick and thin, highs and lows till we see its fulfilment.
The Lord is like an artist who etches the edges and contours of our character and life with the help of the suffering and pain we undergo in this life. Patience in matters of faith has many aspects: the patience to wait for a long period of time, the patient hope that a phase of suffering will end, the patience to keep persevering to attain the goals we have set in obedience to the revealed will of the Lord. During the period of waiting, we need to cast aside all doubts, all fears, all burdens that weigh our conscience and our minds down. We need to be joyful and thankful as if the Lord has already fulfilled His promises to us.
When we examine the lives of our models from scripture, we find that Abraham received his promise of a son after long years of patient and faithful waiting. During this period, he held onto his hope and continued to be obedient and faithful to the Lord. Moses but for his occasional flashes of temper held onto the promise that the Lord would lead Israel into the promised land. Jesus Himself despised His suffering on this planet and His extreme suffering, pain, shame and loneliness on the cross in order to receive the crown of highest glory from the Father and to sit at His right hand forever. The preconditions then to fulfilment of a promise of the Lord as seen from these historic lives are: a spirit of positivity, an attitude of faithfulness and obedience to the details of the will of God as revealed to them directly or indirectly, patience, perseverance, confidence that the Lord is able to perform that which He has promised. All these prerequisites are based on an understanding of the character and power of the Lord God.

Prateep V Philip

The Death of Ego

UV 2779/10000 The Death of Ego
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
John 12 v 28
History is a record of many individuals seeking their own glory. It is a vain attempt to gain immortality or to live on beyond death. But,the Lord God is already glorious. He does not need any glory to be added to His name. Yet Jesus prays this somewhat strange prayer. It implies that the glory of the Father is complete only when His human creations, created in His image, in His likeness are redeemed from death and judgement of the law unto eternal life. The Father loved His Son Jesus and yet, He spared Him to be like an ordinary human being, one of His many creations so that He could take the place of judgement of all mankind. Jesus did not do this to glorify His own name. He did this to glorify the name of the Father in heaven. When Jesus died on the cross to fulfil the Father’s will and then from the grave ascended to heaven, He drew men and women from all nations to the Father. The Father used Jesus to glorify His name. Jesus became a willing and powerful instrument in the hands of the Father. Likewise, we are to be used to glorify the Lord. All that is in our hands are meant for this purpose. This has a huge spiritual significance for each of us- it means the death of our human egos, our selfish wills, our desire for self gratification and aggrandisement, that we live not for ourselves but in alignment with a greater and divine purpose. The human ego dies but is resurrected as a will that is fully submitted to the Lord God. We need to suffer the death of ego in order to live the life of God, the life of Jesus.
We are to yield ourselves imitating the Saviour Jesus in order to glorify the name of the Father. To glorify Him implies we need to make His name known- Jehovah Shalom. We need to make His deeds known. We need to do and say things that will bring glory to His name. Jesus had been used to glorify the Father’s name in the miracle at the marriage at Canna, to multiply bread and fish to feed the hungry- as Jehovah Jireh- the One who provides. He had glorified the Father’s name in healing people with all types of diseases- as Jehovah Rapha- the One who heals. He had been used to defeat the plans of the enemy of all human souls – Jehovah Nisi. He had been used to cleanse the temple- Jehovah El Shaddai, the Almighty God. He had been used to resurrect Lazarus- the God of Resurrection. He had been used to manifest the righteousness of God- Jehovah Tsidkenu. He had been used to forgive the adulterous woman- the God of mercy. The greatest work of Jesus was reserved for what He accomplished on the cross: He became the veritable way, the truth and the life and brought ultimate and continuing glory to the Father. By this one act of sacrifice, He brought us into relationship with the Father as His own children. No longer are we creatures who had rebelled and continue to rebel but children who find pleasure like Jesus in glorifying His name.
As He used Jesus, the Father uses each of His children as we yield to Him to glorify His name. In the past He has used us to glorify His name. Hereafter, He will use us to glorify His name. As we pray, “Father, use us to glorify your Name,” we will hear a voice from heaven endorsing us, encouraging us, empowering us. Life is a series of finite moments and experiences lived to fulfil an infinite purpose. The infinite purpose is to glorify the name of the Father and the name of His Son Jesus. In whatever we do we do not to seek glory or greatness for ourselves but to seek the glory or greatness of the Father and of the Son. We suffer the death of ego in order to live the life of God.

Prateep V Philip

Presence-Minded

UV 2779/10000 Presence-Minded
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Isaiah 43 v 18
This uni-verse is asking us to practice a selective memory to recall only the positive happenings from our past, the blessings and wonders the Lord has done in our lives and that of others in the past. We are not to remember our bondages of the past, even our own sins and offences, the pleasures of the past. We are not to be like the Israelites who remembered the food and water they were given in Egypt while in bondage to Pharaoh. We are not to look back like Lot’s wife to the influence and stakes we had in the past in the world but focus on being the salt and light here and now.
Like Paul, we should forget our sordid or sad past and focus our minds on the goals the Lord has laid on our hearts: the goal to make known Jesus, the goal to become like Him, the goal to glorify God in all that we do. We should not focus on the grudges and problems we faced in the past but let bitterness and anger be transient emotions in our lives. We should not consider the things we do not have but consider all the blessings the Lord has given us. We should not fill our lives with regrets about what we ought to have done in the past but fill it with hope with regard to the future and eternity. Even the failures, mishaps, losses that we suffered will acquire a new significance that we will see these with a new perspective that adds depth, meaning, power and strength to our lives. Whatever the enemy thought for evil, the Lord will turn to good.
We are not just present-minded but presence-minded. Presence of mind is replaced by the presence of God in the believer. We think, speak, act and react as directed by the Holy Spirit who is the warranty of the presence of the Lord with us. We are focussed on the present moment, live it fully while our eye is on the glory and grace of the Lord. We are not too preoccupied with ourselves or engaged in deep thought but live trusting the Lord from moment to moment, day to day, situation to situation, experience to experience. Our spirits, minds and bodies are in equilibrium. When we free our memories and minds of the space taken up disproportionately by negative thoughts and memories of the past, we are free to live the abundant life, the life that is marked by the abundance of the fruit of the spirit, the abundance of joy. The shackles of the past are broken. The Spirit of God is given a free run and rein in our lives. We are energised to be and do our best for the greater glory of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip

The Legitimacy of Desire

UV 2778/10000 The Legitimacy of Desire
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Genesis 3 v 3
Gautama Buddha opined that desire is the root of evil and the cause of human suffering. But the Bible states that desires allowed by God are legitimate while desires not permitted by Him are lust. The legitimacy of desire and the illegitimacy of lust is a concept that evolves from this uni-verse. God had permitted man to eat of the fruit of all other trees (legitimate desire) except one ( illegitimate desire. There were multiple good choices and only one bad choice. Today, across the world there are multiple bad choices or choices of lust and one good choice- the tree of eternal life that is personified in the Christ of God, the Chosen One – Jesus. Therefore, we eat and drink the Word. The difference between the words, world and word is the letter “l” that stands for lust. Jesus is the Word personified- the person of God in human form devoid of lust.
The tree of the forbidden fruit occupied a central place in the garden of life. But in the believer’s life or garden, the tree of eternal life or Jesus occupies the central place. Our lust is moved to the periphery, till one by one all our illegitimate desires are moved out of the circle of our lives. We are no longer to live to gratify only our own desires. When we taste of the fruit of the tree of eternal life, we are no longer to be just consumers but producers of the good fruit of eternity-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. When people behold and taste of such eternal fruit, they will get a taste of eternity, of the kingdom of God.
Suffice it to say, what God allows is legitimate, what God disallows, prohibits, forbids is illegitimate lust. How do we know what God allows and what He prohibits? The Word of God, the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of the godly are three ways we know what is beyond the legit boundaries of our behaviour, our aspirations, our desires. We have enough freedom within these boundaries. Psychologists state that there is an embedded negative or the ingrained negatives in our human nature-the hubris. The Word helps us identify these negatives and overcome these. The Word enables us to confront, remove and overcome the negatives in us and in our environment even as the cross is a negative sign cut by a line drawn from above to turn it into a positive sign.
Prateep V Philip

No Condemnation

UV 2777/10000 No Condemnation
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8 v 1

As everyone has violated the law given through Moses, everyone is under condemnation. But in Christ Jesus, everyone who believes in Him and His sacrifice and resurrection are redeemed or freed from condemnation to death. We are blessed as our sins are covered by the shed blood of Jesus. It is no longer visible to the eye of the Lord. We now live not under the law but under grace. We are free from the law that binds life and death. This law states, “As one sows, so he reaps.” If we sow in the flesh, we reap in the flesh, if we sow in the spirit, we reap in the spirit. We do not live according to the dictates of the lust of our flesh but by the commandments of the Spirit.
The enemy of our souls holds us prisoner by accusing us of sin. We are weak and ineffectual when we are so accused and condemned. But Jesus sets us free from all guilt and condemnation. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. We are free from weakness, free from eternal death, free from eternal punishment. Our guilt is rolled away like the boulder at the cave of the grave of Jesus. We no longer need to condemn ourselves or punish ourselves out of a sense of guilt and repentance. Like the immoral woman caught in adultery, if Jesus, the sinless one does not accuse us, then how can anyone else accuse or condemn us.
We being no longer in bondage to sin, we are now free people, children of God. No tongue can condemn us. No finger can be pointed at us. It does not mean that we can do whatever pleases us but that we do whatever pleases the Lord. The prodigal son once he returned to his father’s house was no longer irresponsible and carefree. He was responsive, obedient, thankful and loving in his relationship with the Father. He no longer had the spirit of entitlement to ask for his share in the inheritance from the Father but was content with whatever the Father gave him. Likewise, at every step of our walk or our life hereafter, we ought to be sensitive to the Spirit, responsive to the leading of the Spirit, obedient to the Word, not taking grace for granted.
Prateep V Philip

Turning Sorrow into Joy

UV 2776/10000 Turning Sorrow into Joy
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jeremiah 31 v 13

The young rejoice in their strength while the old rejoice in their wisdom. But we who are in a relationship with the Lord, rejoice again and again, endlessly for we rejoice in the Lord. The “virgin” is the metaphor for the individual believer as well as the collective entity of believers, the redeemed of the Lord. Just as a virgin rejoices in synchronising her every move in dance with her betrothed, we need to rejoice in synchronising and harmonising our every thought, action and word with the Lord. We rejoice as the Lord in us and with us and for us, turns our mourning into joy. The very cause of deep sorrow becomes the reason or source of everlasting joy. He can cause our sorrows to flee away just as light sends darkness scurrying away. On our part, we need to turn worrying into meditation, grumbling into thanksgiving, complaining into praise, fears into worship, regrets into positive actions to change things for the better. He is our song and dance, the reason for our celebration of life. He will comfort us and wipe every tear from our eye as no one else can. The comfort ministry of the Lord is so important that the Lord describes the third person of the Trinity as the “Comforter.” It is an acknowledgement of the reality that in life on earth there are many sorrows, regrets, pains, afflictions but in each of these, the Lord comforts us. He comforts us in such a way that we end up thanking Him for the very affliction or sorrow or pain that we suffered for a while. Our suffering brings home the reality of a caring and loving Lord and God.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” It is counter -intuitive for it is like saying, “blessed are you when you are afflicted, when you are rejected, when you are defeated, when you are suffering a loss of a loved one or a loss of face or fortune. We will be comforted either with a change in the circumstances that causes us to sorrow or a change in our attitude that causes us to rejoice despite the circumstance. The Lord also comforts us by sending us a “rhema” verse or portion of scripture that promises us help in trouble, comfort in pain and healing or deliverance in afflictions.
The Lord’s ultimate goal is that we are full of joy or overflowing with joy that expresses itself with praise, thanksgiving and worship. All the precious promises of the Lord are intended to give us the hope and sense of joy. Scripture says that He surrounds us and undergirds us with joy and gladness. His promises surrounds us like mountains surround Jerusalem. We will gain perspective and comfort when we understand, believe and claim these promises even as a mountain climber gains perspective, thrill and a sense of conquest when he climbs a mountain summit. The fulfilment of the promises of the Lord in our lives are then the high point s of our lives not our own efforts or achievements. Joy is not only our 360 degree environment but it is also our rock foundation. It is the basis or rationale of our actions and reactions. People of the world are joyful in a transient way on account of circumstances while we who believe in Jesus are joyful despite our circumstances. Jesus is described in contrasting terms as a “Man of Sorrow” as well as “Prince of Peace”. As a “ Man of Sorrow” He embraced and overcame our every sorrow in this world. He wore a robe of blood so that we will wear not sackcloth but a robe of rejoicing and salvation. As Prince of Peace, He dispenses His peace, the kind of comfort the world cannot give or take away.

Prateep V Philip

Dialectic Spirituality

UV 2775/10000 Dialectic Spirituality
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Jeremiah 31 v 12

Karl Marx wrote about dialectic materialism or in short, that economic or material conditions determines all other aspects of life. The theory of dialectic materialism produced much mass misery in human history in the twentieth century and beyond as it was spiritually blind, flawed, unreal. True, the movement of history is dialectic but it is the dialectic of the Spirit. Dialectic Spirituality implies the opposition of spiritual truths with untruths,the forces of God’s absolute goodness manifested in and through the life, work and word of Christ and the forces of the anti-Christ. The truth and my experience is that dialectic spirituality is the reality of life. It is not thesis versus antithesis as propounded by Marx but Christ versus anti-Christ, absolute goodness versus relative goodness and absolute evil. Dialectic spirituality implies that our beliefs determine who we are, what we do, what we get in terms of blessings of life or those conditions needed to live the better life including the economic, monetary or material. Scripture endorses this view. When we trust in the Lord and are in a love relationship with Him, He causes us to experience the totality of His goodness in the course of our lives. He blesses our food, both the necessities and the delicacies. He blesses our means of production whether it be agricultural, pastoral, industrial, electronic or computers or ideas and skills of communication, creativity and leadership.
Our souls become well watered and well fenced gardens, watered with the Word, watered by the Holy Spirit, guarded by the Lord and His angels. That is why it is written in scripture that when the Lord makes a man wealthy, He adds no sorrow to it. We might have had many sorrows or regrets in the past but He ends it. Dialectic spirituality implies that we are contented where we are but the Lord adds challenges so that we move to the next level of faith, love and hope. Our lives are not static but constantly changing and evolving for the better.
It is not as if all these blessings will fall like manna or fly into garden like the quail that fed the Jews in the desert but we need to be doing not just “due diligence” but exceptional or unusual diligence in all aspects of our lives. What starts in the garden of our souls should well up as a fountain into every sphere of our lives- physical, intellectual, emotional, familial, marital, civic, professional, financial, social, cultural, creative. In each of these aspects, we need to do watering and fencing, pruning and planning, growing, sharing, harvesting. There is no limit to the goodness of the Lord and to the varied ways in which He manifests that goodness in our lives. Dialectic spirituality applies not just to individuals but to groups, organisations, business corporations, cities, nations.

Prateep V Philip

The Marvel of Vindication

UV 2774/10000 The Marvel of Vindication
This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Psalm 118 v 23

When we suffer rejection among men we should not be dejected. The Lord will turn it around miraculously and marvellously. The stone or person rejected will become the chief stone or cornerstone. Jesus Himself the Glorious Son of God was rejected during His earthly sojourn by the builders or the chiefs of society, polity and religion of the time. But today, He is become the cornerstone and the capstone of all of history. All rulers and leaders acknowledge Him as the greatest of all. Likewise, we who follow Him are likely to be rejected by the world. But the Lord will lift us up in due time. He will not leave or forsake us. He may not do it overnight or in one go. Often, He raises us step by step, measure by measure over time.
The Lord does not tell us ahead of time how and when He is going to accomplish that which He has planned for the rejected of this world, His followers. But He will orchestrate forces and circumstances that it will amaze us when it happens. We need to submit our sorrow of rejection to the Lord, be thankful, be joyful, patient and faithful and sure enough, He will do the wonder, the miracle of His power in due time, never early or late but just when it is His time. When rejection happens, it is most painful but so is the joy when the Lord vindicates us. What He does will make people wonder and it will be a lasting testimony to share all our lives. It will boost our faith and our knowledge of His great love and grace.
The Lord will make our enemies our footstool. Just as Joseph who was rejected by his brothers was lifted up to be ruler over them, the Lord will humble those who humiliate us. Those who opposed or rejected us will seek our help in their need. At such a time, like Joseph, we should not hold a grudge against them but be magnanimous and generous as Joseph was with his erring brothers. We need to understand that it is a pattern of the way the Lord does things to rescue His children, to make them an example of blessing and divine favour.
Prateep V Philip

The Power of Positive Calling

UV 2773/10000 The Power of Positive Calling
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Romans 4 v 17
Calling things that are not as if they are- this is the essence of faith. When Abraham and Sarah were childless couple, they were asked to call to themselves an heir, a son. When the Jewish people had no homeland, Moses was asked to call to themselves the promised land. Belief makes the impossible possible. The little faith that Abraham had was enough to revive the dead womb of Sarah and his own seed. We likewise need to exercise faith in the matters that seem to be dead or non existent or improbable, to call those things into existence by faith. When we exercise faith in this manner by positive calling, the resurrection power of God begins to work and though it may not be visible to our physical eyes or felt by our senses, the things that we called will be formed in eternity and delivered to us on earth. The Lord excels with hyperbole- a man who was childless was hailed as a father of many nations.
Jesus called the non existent wine into existence at the wedding feast in Canna. Jesus called the dead Lazarus back to life. Jesus called the lepers into wholeness, the blind into sight, the deaf into hearing, the fish into empty nets of His disciples. When Abraham called unto the Father in heaven, he changed his own destiny and the destiny of nations. When we call unto the Father in Jesus’ name, we are changing our own destiny and the destiny of nations. Jesus said that our tongues have the power of death and life. When we call negative things into our lives by knowingly or unknowingly limiting ourselves, blaming others, cursing others and self, the power of death is released. We should not give voice therefore to our negative thoughts, words , doubts or fears. When we call positive things or blessings into our lives and the lives of others, the power of eternal life is released.
Calling in faith implies that we ought to have an attitude of expectation that the Lord will do the impossible, that He rewards diligent and persistent faith, that He has already set things in motion towards the fulfilment of His promises, that His power at work in us is able to do far more than we can ask for, think of or even imagine. We should be prepared to be surprised for the answers to positive calling often exceeds our wildest dreams or imagination. Our prayers should be filled with hope, undergirded with faith, founded on our love relationship with the Lord, with a preamble of praise and a post script of thanksgiving and worship. Another way of calling in faith is agreeing with specific promises of the Lord in specific situations. We thank the Lord in anticipation not to twist His arm but knowing that even if He did not call into being that which we called for in faith, He has a reason not to do so. We respect His sovereignty, His will being supreme over our every wish and word.

Prateep V Philip

Source of Comfort in Pain

UV 2772/10000 Source of Comfort in Pain
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God
2 Corinthians 1 v 4
When the Lord comforts us in all our troubles, we are greatly strengthened. We are able to endure our afflictions and emerge victorious. We are also equipped to offer such comfort to others who are undergoing such suffering. The Holy Spirit communicates comfort to us through teaching and understanding of the purpose of the suffering. The soft voice and touch of the Holy Spirit heals our wounds. He reminds us of the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Compared to the suffering of Jesus on the cross, our suffering pales in significance and intensity. The words “ in all of our tribulations” implies that there is no trouble in which the comfort of the Lord is not available and effective.
One of the greatest needs of people around us is a word of comfort. They might be suffering due to a business failure, a crippling disease, a bereavement, a mishap, a marriage breakdown, a disabled child or ailing parent. The courage , confidence and hope of a person dries up literally during such times except they be comforted by the Lord Himself. We can be instruments in the hands of the Lord at such times to comfort them. Jesus asked His followers to bear one another’s burdens. The ministry of comfort is one of the chief ways of bearing one another’s burdens. When we do so, the Lord is pleased and rushes help and comfort to us in our own troubles. A supernatural strength or grace will then enable us to face the otherwise unbearable situation with courage and confidence.
Feeling the pain of others like one’s own pain is empathy. Such empathy will move us to fervent prayer for the removal of the cause of pain of others. It will also move us to extend the hand of practical support in such times and not just lip sympathy. The knowledge and use of specific portions of scripture relevant to the type of suffering one is facing is most effective to strengthen people during their trials.
Prateep V Philip

Joy Precedes Worship, Worship Precedes Victory

UV 2771/10000 Joy Precedes Praise

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 33 v 11

This uni-verse depicts life of the believer in Jesus as one of continual feasting and joy like it happens at a wedding celebration. Jesus is the Bridegroom united with the bride, the church. We need to continually listen to the voice of Jesus and the teachings of the church. This will fill us with joy and gladness. It will fill us with an attitude of praise and worship and thanksgiving. We need to worship the Lord as He alone is absolutely good. Though He is absolutely perfect, He deigns to relate to us who are only relatively good and partially evil. We can relate to Him only on account of His great and enduring mercy.
Our union with God in Christ is the chief cause for joy, gladness and celebration in life. He perfects us while we stay in oneness with Him as He sanctifies and perfects the church, the bride. Instead of taking for granted the mercy, grace and justice of the Lord, we need to bring a spiritual sacrifice of praise before the Lord. Our hearts need to well up with gratitude, joy and peace and that spring of praise and worship should often flow from our lips. Joy precedes praise, gladness precedes worship just as gratitude precedes thanksgiving. Praise, worship and thanksgiving precede a change in adverse circumstance and causes us to succeed.
As our hearts fill up with joy and gladness, our mouths will overflow with praise and thanksgiving. We can truly worship the Lord only when we are joyful regardless of the circumstances. When we truly worship Him in the beauty of His holiness or with full reverence, adoration, love and gratitude, the Lord will change the circumstances of our lives. Healing, deliverances, victory, upliftment will flow into our lives as the Lord restores us. The world deceives us to think that our joy is circumstance-dependent. It teaches us to think “seeing is believing” when the eternal reality is believing is seeing and experiencing. Praise, thanksgiving and worship are affirmations of belief. Circumstance is not God. God has proved Himself time and again in history , in our experiences, and chiefly through the work and word of Jesus that He is far above and beyond any and every circumstance. Our faith and joy stems from the fact that the Lord is the Commander in Chief of the Armies of heaven. If He says, go they come to our assistance. If He says, stay, they keep off from us. Hence, our stance of faith determines and shapes our circumstances. We only need to listen to the voice of the Bridegroom, the Holy Spirit, the voice of fellow believers who have prevailed over circumstances. We need to prepare to offer every day and every hour of our lives a spiritual sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving from a heart of worship and joy.

Prateep V Philip

World Versus Word

UV 2770/10000 World Versus Word
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah 60 v 2
Today, darkness has covered the whole earth, all nations and all people of all races, classes, regions, groups, cultures. Yes, gross darkness has blinded the hearts of people with greed, lust, pride, folly, vices, perversions, faithlessness, hopelessness. The very things that they see with their eyes blinds them. The very light of the sun blinds many. The light of the sun can only be seen or felt. But the light of Jesus cannot be seen but can be felt, heard, tasted, experienced. The glory or greatness of the Lord has fallen upon those who have placed their trust in Jesus. We experience His redeeming influence and we then become a redeeming influence in the world among all nations, people, cultures, classes, groups. Darkness cannot combat the light. In a contest between the world and the Word, the Word shall overcome, shall win, shall prevail. As we saturate ourselves with the Word, we are filled with the light of the glory of the Lord. We shall overcome the darkness, even the gross darkness of this world. Whenever and wherever we see darkness in ourselves, our homes, our families, our children, our neighbours, our workplace, our colleagues, our cities, our states, our nations, our regions, our world, like the Lord God we can command the light to shine forth in that darkness, knowledge and wisdom to emerge out of ignorance, healing to emerge out of sickness and disease, strength to emerge out of weakness.
The glory of God was revealed in the fullness of grace and truth in Jesus. The glory of God is now visible in the Word. We are to see the glorious image of Jesus in the mirror of the Word in contrast to the gross darkness of hatred, ignorance, folly, violence, exploitation that covers all the earth and all people. We need to see the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus. We need to experience the power of Jesus in His name. As we see the image of Jesus in the mirror of the Word, we will begin to reflect His incandescent, unfading, indwelling Shekinah glory or greatness in and through our lives and our message to darkened minds, blinded hearts and dark world. We should be sure to remove the veils of disobedience, lack of reverence, fears, doubts, lusts, pride that keep us from seeing the Light and absorbing its rays. We need to comprehend and grasp the many dimensions of the infinite light or the love of Jesus.
We are called to absorb as much of the light of Jesus in us every day and then reflect it or shine forth with that light like solar panels absorb and convert solar energy into electricity. Jesus is the inexhaustible source of power. We cannot remain ordinary, listless, hopeless, frustrated in His presence. We have to shine forth with His greatness even as Moses’ interface with Jehovah made his face shine before all Israel. People who belong to the darkness and do not want to be redeemed will veil their faces and cover their ears and minds that they do not see the goodness and greatness of the Lord in us.
Prateep V Philip

Servant-Friend-Child Relationship

UV 2769/10000 Servant-Friend-Child Relationship
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you
John 15 v 15
As our relationship with the Lord is transformed, we are transformed. Jesus called His disciples to be His followers. Jesus focussed not on what He could get His disciples to do. He focussed on His relationship with them. He first stated that they are His friends if they obey Him. Then, He stated that their obedience was not that of a servant but that of a friend. Abraham was called a Friend of God for this same reason- His obedience to the expressed will of God. He was prepared to sacrifice his only son as God had bid him to. He trusted God enough not to question His will. That which the Father in heaven restrained Abraham from doing- sacrificing his only son Isaac, He did for mankind by sacrificing Jesus on the cross.
While we humble ourselves to consider ourselves servants of the Lord, the Lord regards us as friends. There are no secrets between friends. Jesus made a full disclosure of everything the Father in heaven had taught Him. He did not keep back any secret but revealed it all to His disciples. It showed His level of trust in them. What Jesus revealed to His disciples is now revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. He has revealed to us the mystery of the Trinity, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The Lord then escalates our personal relationship with Him from friends to children of the Father.
If full disclosure is made between friends, the sharing of the rights of the House of God, of a portion in the inheritance can be made only by brothers and sisters who are co-heirs with Jesus. Jesus shares with us His authority as the first born of God, His privileges and His power. He shares with us His spiritual character, His anointing, His wisdom, His victory. In other words, we are at the same time playing three roles: servants in terms of our willingness to obey and serve the Lord faithfully, friends in terms of sharing the knowledge of the Lord, children in terms of loving the Lord and being like Him in goodness, grace and power. Just as a servant is trusted and he is obedient in all things, we are to be trusted and obedient servants. Just as friend is faithful, we are to be faithful at all times. Just as a child is loving and respectful of his father, we are to be loving and respectful of the Lord.
Prateep V Philip

Progressive Experience

UV 2768/10000 Progressive Experience
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3 v 26

We should hope in the Lord, in Jesus, His word and His promises. We should hope and then wait. While we wait, our hope or confidence that the Lord is true to His word should be steadfast and not flag or waver. The Lord is preparing His salvation for us while we wait quietly. We ought to wait quietly, without any hint of murmur or complaint or doubt. We ought to wait quietly as a child trusts in her mother. We ought to wait quietly but not idly. We need to fill our waiting not with wondering whether the Lord will hear our prayers and act but with praise and thanksgiving at past answers we have received, the great deliverance, healing and blessings He has given us in the past. We should fill the waiting times with declaring the goodness, faithfulness and grace of the Lord. We fill the waiting time with labour, with diligence, with a constant drive for excellence.

If Adam and Eve had waited quietly for the Lord to appear, they could have asked Him how they could gain knowledge without breaking His command. There is no mastery without the Master, no creativity without the Creator. The Lord would not have kept man ignorant but opened a godly way of being knowledgable and wise, of enjoying power with responsibility but they were in a hurry to fall prey to deceit. Keeping faith with the Lord implies that we need to be patient. Patience is the soil in which the promises of the Lord grows. It might take a season or several seasons or even a whole generation or lifetime. Salvation is not an event but a progressive experience of the love, mercy, grace, power and faithfulness of the Lord.
Christ in us is like a mustard seed that is so tiny that it is initially not visible or felt. But over time and obedience and seeking the word and will of the Lord, the seed grows into a mighty tree. The man who places his trust in the Lord is not ephemeral like the grass that withers. His greatness is not like the glory of the flower that fades. He is like the patient farmer who waits many days and seasons to see the crop, the planting of his hands. He is like the athlete who invests in years of training to manifest his best effort in a few moments of running. He is like the soldier who fights all his lifetime to enjoy the spoils of victory or of salvation at the end of a life of faith and toil.

Prateep V Philip

The Way of Escape

UV 2767/10000 The Way of Escape
Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
Zechariah 2 v 7
Babylon is a symbol of worldly power and pleasure while Zion is the symbol of Almighty God. Babylon brought judgement upon itself. It was overthrown and destroyed by the Persians under King Darius. Jesus came to enable people to escape from Babylon to Zion. He is the Ark of the New Covenant to protect us from the flood of the wrath of the Lord. He not only provides the way of escape but He became the veritable way of escape for humanity. We are to hide ourselves in Him and have no part with the ways of the world. When we do so, we are protected from the ten plagues that fell upon Egypt that refused to obey the will of the Lord as revealed and spoken to by Moses. When we study the ten plagues, we see that there is a steady progression in the type of pain it caused: the water is affected, the air is affected, the health of people of Egypt is affected and finally, the plague of the death of the first born child of each Egyptian family.

We are to live in this world no longer as children of Babylon but as children of God, children of Zion. Babylon was known for its moral decadence and overindulgence. It implies that we need to repent of anything in our lives that offends the Lord. Our hearts and spirits need to be on the same wavelength as Jesus. We should die to our old selves and live to our new selves in Jesus. We do not rely on the means of this world to make ourselves great but we rely on the mercy and goodness of the Father revealed through His Son Jesus. He sets us free from the power of both sin and death though we still confront the presence of both sin and death in this world.
We rise in life not by worldly power or might represented in ancient Babylon but by the Spirit of wisdom and meekness represented in Jesus. Like Noah and his family were safely deposited on Mount Ararat, as the flood waters of sin and decadence recede, we will be safely deposited on the Rock of ages- Jesus. Just as Noah and his family stood for a fresh start or a new creation, we are a new creation in Christ and have a fresh start every time we draw close to Jesus, repent and resolve to change for the better. We are parented and taught by the Lord Himself. There is no hope of revival in Babylon but in Zion, we are filled with hope of revival. We can rise on wings more powerful and enduring than the wings of a Phoenix – of prayer and the promises of the Lord even as we firmly align our vision and our feet with the paths indicated by the two commands of Jesus to love both God and fellow human.

Prateep V Philip

Comprehensive Bread

UV 2766/10000 Eternal Bread
Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luke 11 v 3
This uni-verse represents the supplication dimension of prayer. We need to petition the Lord for our daily and total needs not because He does not know what we need but as a sign of His sovereignty, our dependence and our faith in His role as Jehovah Jireh, Provider, Father and Husband. We are not to be “rich” towards God, saying we do not need Him or need anything from Him. Each of us need daily inputs of various things: food, clothing, shelter, transport.. But beyond these mundane requirements, we have daily need of food for thought, for knowledge, for wisdom, inputs for the emotions, for the spirit and soul. We have a daily need for rest and recreation. We have a daily need for fellowship, communication and friendship. Jesus asked us not to labour for the food that spoils or perishes but for the bread that endures to everlasting life. He referred to Himself as the Bread sent from heaven which we should partake daily. He is Bread for satisfaction of spiritual hunger, Bread for forgiveness, Bread for the change that true repentance brings, Bread for healing, Bread of deliverance, Bread of blessing, Bread of power and strength. Jesus is the key to the satisfaction of every level of need depicted in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We will find strength, energy and holistic well being in Him to meet the day’s challenges as well as have reserves that will last for eternity. On the cross, He voluntarily submitted Himself to be split into the divine elements, Bread and drink needed for our victuals replacing the need for all rituals. This we commemorate in the holy Communion or the Lord’s table.
Jesus is the metaphoric roll of bread that the Midianite soldiers saw in a dream at the time of Gideon that rolled down and destroyed the enemy camp. His Word supplies us all that we need from day to day, all our lives. There is no fear that the supply of God’s grace runs out. He gives us our portion in all aspects of our lives as His grace is all sufficient. Bread when consumed becomes part of our bodies and reaches the cellular level of our being. Likewise, Jesus invites us to consume Him so that He is part and parcel of our being, supplies what we need at the deepest level of our being. We are to be contented and thankful for that portion that He gives us. As long as our needs for the day are met, we need not worry about tomorrow or the future.
Jesus is the unleavened Bread. There is no yeast of insincerity or vanity or pride in this Bread. He is the Bread who transforms the eater. It is worthwhile to note that Jesus did not refer to Himself as the Bread-giver but the Bread itself as He is completely focussed on fulfilling every aspect of the plan of salvation for each individual. Jesus is the Bread given by the Father to satisfy the need of man for eternal life. While He asked nothing for Himself, He gave Himself totally for us. Our first response can only be one of love and gratitude. Our next response is that since our hunger is being satisfied on a daily basis, to share this Bread with others to satisfy their longing and fulfil their need.

Prateep V Philip

Level Praying Ground

UV 2765/10000 Level Praying Ground
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isaiah 45 v 2

The Lord promises to go ahead of us even as He led the ancient Israelites from bondage to freedom, from slavery in Egypt to their own land. Joshua and his army of freed Jews had to defeat 31 powerful kings before they gained control of the promised land. Likewise, to enter our promised land, to have the promises of the Lord fulfilled, the enemy places many impassable obstacles, massive difficulties, barriers, hazards in our path to freedom from sin, death and curses. But in this uni-verse, the Lord promises to go ahead of us. We need to wait for the Lord to take the lead in our lives.
In real life, we can never have a level playing ground but we have access in Jesus to a level praying ground. When we kneel in prayer, the Lord goes ahead of us as an advance guard and straightens the crooked places that lie in our path. While we close our eyes in prayer or submission to the higher intelligence, wisdom, character, love and power of the Lord, we will see with our inner eye the mountainous challenges before us levelling out, the valleys or our weak spots being strengthened and reinforced, the demolition of all forces and factors opposing us and the will and purpose of the Lord. He will enable us to overcome our challenges and be victorious whatever be the odds against us. Our faith is often so weak and our knowledge and understanding of the grace and power of the Lord is so untrue and unreal that it causes us to tremble with fear. But once we understand that He, Jesus, is the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty God, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Eternal King, the Prince of Peace, we will realize that nothing is too difficult for Him, nothing absolutely is impossible for Him. He can tear asunder gates of bronze and cut through iron bars, implying all that opposes us will melt in His presence.
In army operations, a patrol party and a mine clearer goes ahead of any movement of troops into unknown territory to detect and do away with booby traps. Likewise, before we endeavour to do something new, we should ask the Spirit of the Lord to go ahead of us. He will clear many things that are not physically visible to us but can prove hazardous. He will also detonate or destroy any barricades or barriers that impede our progress. He will fill every valley and level every mountain that lies in our path. Every mountain we cross or every hurdle we clear will increase our faith level and our understanding of who the Lord is. This is precisely the reason why the going for a believer is never smooth. Though the going is tough, we are assured of ultimate victory. Our faith imparts the quality of resilience and tenacity to our lives. Our courage and confidence are bolstered as we know we are never alone.

Prateep V Philip

Blessing and Response

UV 2764/10000 Blessing and Response
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
Exodus 23 v 26
Just as every right has a corresponding duty, every blessing has a corresponding responsibility. This promise of the Lord to Israel in this uni-verse has three benefits or blessings that we need on earth: none shall miscarry, none shall be barren and He will grant us a full span of life. The other side of this coin of blessing is responsibility. We are responsible and accountable to the Lord for our lives, our children, our resources and the use of our time. Children are a heritage from the Lord and great shall be the blessing upon the children of believers of Jesus. Due to the influence of the contemporary culture and values, in many countries, children are being considered a burden and couples try to avoid having children. They do not want to be responsible adults. This runs counter to the will of God that we multiply and replenish the earth. We should trust the Lord that He will provide all that we need in bringing up children including wisdom, protection, provision and guidance.
The promise of a full life, that we would live to a ripe old age is another blessing that only the Lord can guarantee. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were “gathered” or they died after living a full span of life. David and Job also died when they were quite old and had done all that the Lord had intended that they do in their lifetime. It is not as if we should have longevity but there should be a quality about each day of our lives. We need to diligently seek the Lord every living day. Like the psalmist in David, we need to number each day, appropriate the grace of the Lord, repent and change in the areas of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, make wise choices and decisions and do the very best we can for the Lord in all that we attempt. The promise that none shall miscarry implies that the Lord’s hand is upon us from the womb. He is intimately involved in our shaping and the circumstances of our birth.
The concept of “ barrenness” is not just physical but it is also spiritual. No believer should be like the fig tree that did not bear any fruit. It could not therefore satisfy the hunger of Jesus and his disciples. It was accursed and it withered. The Lord is hungry for the spiritual fruit of our lives. We cannot partake of all the blessings, teachings and experiences of the Lord’s love and grace and yet be barren. Our words are the fruit of our lips and we need to be careful regarding our speech. We should use it to praise God and not to curse men. Our words have the power of life and death and we should be wise in the use of words so that we are seen as agents if not angels of life and not of death, hurt and harm. Our children are entrusted to us by the Lord. We need to bring them up with godly character and reverence for the Lord.
Prateep V Philip