Using Alpha Power to Be the Best

UV 2934/10000 Using Alpha Power to Be the Best
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest
Ecclesiastes 9 v 10

In terms of human competition, man is always trying to beat the best but this uni-verse states that it is sufficient to be and do one’s best. Our competition is with ourselves not with others. We are called to be our best for it says, whatever your hand finds to do, “ do it with thy might.” Of course, when we do things in this spirit or attitude, we also have access to the might of God, the Alpha power of Christ embedded in His word, released by the Spirit of God, incorporated in what we do and what we are. Scripture also says, “whatever we do, do it in the name of the Lord,” “ whatever we do, do it to glorify God” even if it is something as basic or simple as eating and drinking. No one is perfect except the Lord but it does not excuse us from trying to be perfect like Him.

The uni-verse states in a negative fashion that we need to work with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, we need to plan carefully, enhance our knowledge consistently and diligently as otherwise we would be cutting with a blunt knife and above all, be wise. Wisdom is exercised primarily in the way we think, behave, make choices, react and act. Someone I heard once put it cleverly in what he called a 5-4-3 formula- Think-Plan- Act. Even God planned carefully, systematically and sequentially, the work of creation. He did not create all creatures at one go, but step by step, day by day till He reached the crowning point of creation- creating the human in His image. God did not create man in His image to loose him to the enemy. He therefore, thought, planned and provided for man’s redemption. He sent of His own Being- Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, the model of the perfect human. God planned and worked to win, not to loose. We too should run to win with our focus on the Author (Alpha) and Finisher (Omega) of our faith, our focus on the prize of the imperishable crown of eternal life. What God has purposed for us, we need to plan, having planned, we need to work the plan till its fruition or completion.

Another translation of the above uni-verse is : be the best you can be for Jesus in whatever place you are called to live in , whatever field you are called to work in. Another synonym of Alpha power is “grace.” The Lord will give us grace to succeed. We are not in a rat race to prove we are the best as the winner takes all but we are in the race of grace wherein we live and work for a higher purpose than the mere satisfaction of our needs or our greed. We have a calling higher than our earthly professions. Whatever talent the Lord has given us in any area, we should sow it, multiply the fruit for His glory. Whatever ability we lack or are deficient in, we obtain by grace to utilise for His glory. Nothing is accidental and every worldly blessing is purely incidental to the outpouring of His grace and not the object of our pursuit, not the purpose of our relentless efforts. We take nothing for granted and use everything He granted for the larger and higher purpose He has called us to.
Prateep V Philip

Using Alpha Power to Be Brave

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Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31 v 6

Jesus faced a horrible death on the cross with indomitable courage. It is written that He set His face like flint towards the cross when the hour came for His sacrifice. As a result, He accomplished more with His death than any person ever with their whole lives. The source of courage for the believer is the Lord God Himself. Since He is with us, we have nothing to fear for what can man or nature or the enemy of our souls do to us that He cannot avert or restore. The refrain throughout the scripture is : “Do not fear, be strong, be brave.” The promise accompanying is that the Lord will not fail us or forsake us. We have no reason to be insecure, disappointed, dejected or afraid.


This word or Alpha in us will give us the power. We need not repose our faith in our own strength, our own resources, our wealth or health but we need to depend only on the promise of the Lord to be with us, to go with us, to defend us, to fight our enemies on our behalf. When confronted with the formidable forces of the King of Assyria, King Jehoshaphat of Israel told his people not to be afraid for “ they who are with us is greater than they that are with them.” John also encourages us in this strain, “ He who is in us is greater than him who is with them.” The difference is to be noted that while earlier the Lord God was with the Israelites, now He is in us. He is the Immanent God. His presence not only surrounds us but is in us to release His Alpha power that gives us confidence, boldness and hope.

We can with the help of Jesus deal effectively and decisively with myriad fears like fear of death, fear of defeat, fear of success, fear of ill health, fear of loneliness, fear of old age, fear of enemies, fear of disgrace, fear of criticism, fear of opposition, fear of betrayal, fear of accidents, fear of poverty, fear of natural calamities, fear of the unknown and so on. We now work and live on the premise that nothing is impossible, everything is possible in Christ. We gain the courage of David who as a puny teenager volunteered to take on the mighty Goliath who terrified the entire Israelite army with his taunts and threats. David went only armed with the name of God, a sling and a stone but he obtained decisive victory. The Lord used his natural skills with the sling to obtain supernatural victory. David became a weapon in the hands of the Lord. So also, when we are faithful and when we overcome our fears in Christ, we become a mighty threshing instrument to cut mountains or great challenges and destroy hills or remove obstacles and barriers.

The Ladder of Life

UV 2932/10000 The Ladder of Life
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Genesis 28 v 12

A living dream is what powers a man upwards and forwards. Jacob was given the dream of the ladder to reassure him that though he had cheated his brother Esau of his birth right by deception, God had not yet given up on him. He was re-affirming that his covenant with his grandfather Abraham was still valid for him. God has set up the ladder on earth in the life and work and word of Jesus. This perspective informs us that people are mistaken when they make it their focus to climb the ladder of success, wealth and fame. Jesus is the ladder that connects us with the eternal realm of the kingdom of God. True fulfilment comes only from entering and living in the promised land of the kingdom of God or heaven. Through Jesus, the kingdom of the Father becomes the kingdom of our Father to which we have a birth right as soon as we are born again by faith in Jesus. However, it is not a smooth transition but a constant upward climb, step by step , rung by rung, aided and helped upward by the angels of the Lord and hindered by the fallen angels.
Each rung of the ladder to heaven represents a day in our lives. It also represents a promise of the Lord- an uni-verse. We are to hear from the Lord every day an appropriate promise from the Lord that will power us through each day of our lives. Each of us climbs it on our own in the presence of the Lord. Each day, each hour, each minute brings us closer to the Promised Land of heaven where there are neither sorrows nor tears. Meanwhile, we are to move forward, climb upwards for our suffering in this earth produces endurance. The promise we receive and believe word for word gives us hope that the Lord will relieve, help us bear or end the suffering. The hope fulfilled will produce faith and patience and character in us. As we move upwards and forwards, we will be healed of the deception that entrapped our hearts. Though the ladder represents a linear progression of life, each day, each rung is part of a cyclical process. We can either be involved in such a beneficial cycle of suffering- endurance- faith- hope- patience- joy- character –blessings or the vicious cycle of sinful desire- short term pleasure- long term pain-guilt- curses- judgement-eternal death- eternal suffering.
As we climb the ladder of eternal life, the Lord will give us rest. During these times of rest, we avail the opportunity to thank and praise Him. We have prayers and petitions to deal with issues of life on the way up. The ascending angels take our praises, thanksgiving and petitions to the Lord and the descending angels bring back answers, grace and blessings to us. Whatever we do in this life, He wants us to aim for the TOP- the Tabernacle of Peace He builds for us in heaven to reside and enjoy. The good things we think, speak and do on earth are transferred as treasures in heaven to furnish that mansion on high. Nobody comes into the promised land-including Jacob or Israel while on earth. The promised land and promised home are in heaven on high. Faith in Jesus, the Ladder is living on earth with a purpose that extends far beyond the time and space we are confined to in our lifetime on earth. While climbing a ladder, one carries as little loads of worries, distractions, fears as possible. We can hand over these to the Omni-competent Jesus as we climb rung by rung the ladder of life. While climbing a ladder, one cannot remain at the same rung too long. Our feet should be firmly on the rungs of the ladder as we climb, one foot always moving up and one foot lifting upwards from the last rung. Our hands should firmly grip the Jesus ladder, releasing one hand at a time only to move to the next level.

Prateep V Philip

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Bitterness

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Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice
Ephesians 4 v 31

Many believers become fruitless as bitterness enters their hearts over real or imagined hurts, grievances, grudges held against others. This uni-verse directs us to get rid of every trace of bitterness, wrath and malice from our hearts. When we do not forgive those who knowingly or unknowingly erred against us, it turns into bitterness. Bitterness affects our hearts and our relationships. Many marriages turn sour due to bitterness between the partners over words spoken, actions and reactions. Bitterness affects the leadership. It affects our own walk with God as He forgives with the same measure we forgive others.

A bitter memory or thought held in our hearts and minds for a period of time turns into anger, conflicts, gossip, vengeance and so on. We need to use the Alpha power of Jesus to get rid of the root of bitterness in our hearts and minds. Like Jesus spoke to the fig tree and its roots withered, we can and should speak the word to the root of bitterness in our lives. Bitterness even affects the health of the one who is embittered. Sometimes, bitterness develops among the thickest of friends over seemingly minor matters. Hence, we need to be constantly wary of such an attitude developing and taking over our thoughts.

Bitterness gets expressed in our speech. Hence, we need to be watchful of our words all the time. Every day of our lives we need to introspect, identify the root of bitterness and hand it over to Jesus, the Alpha. He will help and enable us to deal with bitterness effectively and over time we will learn to get rid of our natural tendency to hold things against people. We should realize that since we are not perfect, other people too are likewise not perfect and bound to commit something that offends us in some way. The ability to deal with bitterness is a sign of our spiritual maturity.

Using Alpha Power to Be Alert

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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5 v 8

In the story of the ten virgins narrated by Jesus, all the maids were pure, faithful, ready to receive the Lord, the Bridegroom but only the ones who were alert were able to receive Him and their reward. Jesus is exhorting us to be sober or level-headed and alert all the time. We should not let our guard down anytime as the enemy, the devil can pounce upon us as a prowling lion waiting for its prey to look down or away from the line of attack. Jesus Himself showed us the model of how to parry the thrust of the temptations of the enemy of power, glory, pride and something as necessary as bread to satisfy His hunger after forty days of fasting. It was His Alpha power at work. He quoted scripture to resist the enemy.

The 300 men who were finally selected to form Gideon’s small army to capture Jericho were those who stood alert on their feet even while drinking water from their cupped palms, their eyes scanning the ground before them. Ultimate success and victory comes to those who are spiritually vigilant, mentally alert and physically ready. Apart from the Word, we derive such Alpha power to be so alert through prayer. Jesus exhorted his sleeping disciples in the garden of Gethsemane to be “watchful and pray.” If we are not watchful, we will be a prey to the adversary. We are to be vigilant about our own inherent weaknesses and appropriate the grace to overcome our weaknesses.

The Lord has warned us that He would come like a thief in the night. This again requires us to be vigilant to look out for signs of the return of the King. In a time of darkness, we are most inclined to give in and sleep. But the Lord expects the faithful to wait for the daybreak like a watchman eagerly waits for the first glimmer of dawn. We are to discern the times, act soberly and demonstrate our alertness, our liveliness, our prowess as prayer warriors, our faithfulness to the details of the word of God, our readiness to witness to the truth of the gospel, our readiness to use every opportunity to do good to others and sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Arrogance

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Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished
Proverbs 16 v 5

Pride or arrogance caused one of the chief angels Lucifer to fall. Arrogance is hated by the Lord. Arrogant attitude of heart as well as arrogant words and actions do not go unpunished. Even the spiritual minded can become proud of their spirituality and look down upon others as the Pharisees did. Scripture asks us not to regard ourselves wiser or better than others but to measure ourselves by the extent of our faith. Neither our positions or our possessions should fill us with pride and cause us to lord it over others. Our daily submission in humility before the Lord and continually renewing our hearts and minds with the Word or Alpha power will help to remedy and cure us of pride or arrogance.

Pride leads to envy, dissensions and strife as to who is greater. Even among the disciples of Jesus, we find evidence of some kind of pride and envy. Pride creeps in subtly when we feel strong and self reliant, not dependent on God’s grace. It is written in scripture that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humility is a spiritual fruit engendered in our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit. The more we receive grace and the Lord lifts us up, the more we should humble ourselves. True humility does not come from a false or outward sense of modesty but recognizing our own weaknesses, failures, our frailties and seeing the weaknesses and frailties of others in ourselves.

Pride or arrogance manifests in our body language, our gestures, our speech and our reactions. But it begins deep in our hearts and minds with a false or exaggerated assessment of ourselves, our abilities, our talents, our character, our influence, our position in life, our family background. Paul dealt with his pride effectively even though he had many gifts and accomplishments both as a Jew and later, as a believer and chief evangelist to the non-Jews. He referred to himself as the worst of sinners, saved by grace of Jesus. Pride and arrogance affects our testimonies and adversely impacts our judgement. It makes us prone to many willful errors. Initially, when we are starting our lives, we may not be proud or arrogant but as we rise in position, power, wealth, influence, the heady mix goes to our heads and we begin to see ourselves as demi-gods who are not accountable to anyone, even God. We stop seeking and listening to good advice and commit blunders that could prove costly for ourselves, our families, our future. This is the process through which even good men get corrupted by power over time. I recently came across a formerly successful businessman who fell into bad times and even lost the house he was staying in to creditors. He told me that due to his pride and arrogance, he kept expanding his business to many cities, he was lavish in his lifestyle and spending, he stopped listening to his business advisers and consequently, the bad debts piled up. The foolish man built his house on sand not because he had no one to advice him but he stopped listening to them and thought he knew better than any builder. When we constantly listen to the wise counsel of Jesus, the embodiment of Alpha and Omega power, we will be able to run the entire course of our lives, without the baggage of pride and arrogance.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Adultery

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But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Matthew 5 v 28

Adultery is what adults try but it is forbidden by a commandment of the Lord given through Moses. In short, it comes naturally to all but needs to be supernaturally overcome and dealt with. Jesus went further and said that even looking at a woman with lust makes one guilty of adultery. Adultery starts in the thought life of a person. Therefore, the Psalmist wrote that he had made a covenant with his eyes not to look at a woman with lust. Yet many Biblical heroes like Samson, David and even contemporary leaders of the church and the world have fallen right through the ages to adultery. This is one of the powerful temptations and snares that catch leaders in different spheres at the height of their influence and impact. They begin to feel as if they are immune and the risks of being discovered are very low. They feel powerful, invincible and satisfied with their sexual conquests. If they are married, they begin to lead a double life. Some celebrities who in the recent past ruined their marriages and family life as well as personal reputation are Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore and many others. These men could never regain their iconic stature or their respective professional prowess once they were discovered. One needs to be therefore rooted in the Word and careful to set boundaries of personal behaviour with the complementary sex.

As I am writing, there are reports of minor girls being gang raped and brutally murdered in different parts of the country. There are sex scandals breaking out. The root of all this is spiritual darkness. There is a good root that is the Alpha or Jesus and there is the bad root which is the enemy of our souls. The root is the unseen dimension of our lives. If we are truly grafted to the Alpha Jesus, He will see us through our lives without our conscience being seared and our names and lives messed up. He will release His Alpha power that will enable us to bear good fruit of love, service, charity, good works of different kinds and not the bad or evil fruit of adultery, covetousness and the like. Such persons are the real Alpha males and females who are able to resist the temptation of adultery.

Some of the rules or boundaries of personal conduct that have protected men of God like Billy Graham are : strive to never travel alone or remain alone with a woman or man as the case may be, avoiding personal mails and calls with members of the complementary gender, avoiding stimuli like pornographic literature or films or snaps. The enemy being fully aware of our weak points would target it and we, therefore, need to be on the guard all the time. Jesus asks us to remove the root of adultery out of our lives, to pluck out every thought of breaking the bonds of covenant with Him and with the woman or man, he or she is married to.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Arguments

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But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

2 Timothy 2 v 23

Scripture or Alpha power requires us to avoid arguments. In the book of Proverbs, it is written that the best place to stop an argument is at the very start of it just as the breach of a dam produces most damage. It could lead to a breach or irreparable damage to our relationships. Scripture describes different types of arguments that are vain, fruitless or useless: arguments with fools on irrelevant matters, arguments with a spouse, arguments with our children, arguments with rivals, opponents and enemies. None of these arguments are profitable or useful to anyone except to produce strife. Arguments rob us of our peace of mind and are a tool of the enemy who is described by Jesus as a “robber.” Arguments escalate into full fledged disputes, quarrels and harm relationships when emotions on both sides are involved. Arguments usually arise out of a feeling that one knows better than others. Our egos are involved and we do not want to lose the argument as if our very lives depended on the outcome. Instead, if we humble ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts and minds of the person or persons arguing, it would be more effective.

But Jesus had discussions and conversations with a variety of people including the learned and scholarly in the temple when He was barely twelve. The apostles too had debates and discussions with a variety of people- seekers, believers, doubters, persecutors, authorities. But the distinction between an argument and a discussion is that the former unlike the latter produces more heat and sound than light. Disciplining our minds to identify which is an useful discussion and which is an useless argument will keep us out of a lot of quarrels. We should avoid discussions on the minor or peripheral issues of faith and life and focus on the major issues. In discussions on matters of faith, we should prefer to win the person and loose the argument. Not only should we avoid arguments but we should act as the peace maker when a wordy quarrel breaks out in our midst.

Scripture also specifically exhorts us to shun profane or vulgar discussions, coarse joking. We are asked to be sagacious not salacious, approved by the Lord not popular with people. The tongue of the human is described as a rudder, our attitudes are the sails, our mind is the helm that gives direction to our lives, our anchor is Christ. Our words give direction and balance to our lives. The Alpha power of Christ gives us stability. In normal times, the anchor lies in the boat but when the boat rests in a harbour or in a storm, the anchor lies at the bottom of the water. It implies that we need to be accompanied by Christ when we are moving our tongues and when we are alone and resting as well as when we are confronting a storm- a quarrel or an internal crisis, we should fix our minds deep in Christ, our anchor.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Attitudes

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And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

Ephesians 4 v 23

As new creatures in Christ, we need to have the mind or attitudes of Christ described by Him in the Sermon on the Mount. We are to continually renew our spiritual minds by renewing ourselves by the knowledge of His character and of His word or His Alpha power. We will not be corrupted by the influence of the deceitful lusts of this world but we avail of the power of the Holy Spirit to reinforce new boundaries of behaviour, speech and actions as well as reactions. The word or Alpha power will guide us in our decisions or choices as it will judge the desires and thoughts of our hearts.



Paul wrote to the believers in Rome that they should not conform to the world but be transformed by the renewal of their minds. The process of transformation is lifelong but renewal needs to happen every day of our earthly lives. We renew our minds in the image of Christ when we pray, when we worship, when we fellowship, when we study the Word and apply it in our lives. If we are sensitive and responsive from moment to moment, the Holy Spirit will point out to us the attitudes of our minds that we need to discard, the attitudes that we need to build and strengthen.



Our positive attitudes are the building blocks of our minds and indeed, of our lives and relationships while our negative attitudes are the stumbling blocks of our spiritual progress. The good news is that in Christ we can make a fresh start. Alpha power is the power to initiate change in us and sustain it while Omega power of Christ is the power to complete, to finish, to succeed in our attitudinal goals. Our attitudinal goals are to be like Him in humility, compassion, patience, hunger for righteousness, desire to bring peace to all people. Our attitudes opens the pathways of blessing from the Lord as promised in each of the beatitudes proclaimed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Adversity

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He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression
Job 36 v 15
One translation of this uni-verse puts it aptly, “ For He gets their attention through adversity.” But for adversity, most people would not even seek God or His rule over their lives. Our character is both tested and shaped by adversity. He builds our faith often in times of adversity. Not that the Lord is against prosperity but the best lessons of life are taught and learnt in hard times. Our usually insensitive ears, minds and hearts begin to respond to Him. Scripture says that adversity builds patience in us. We are ready to wait till the Lord acts as we cry out in pain and anguish. We continue to hold onto our hope that He will come to our rescue, that He will deliver us.

Scripture states, “ Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all.” The sovereignty and reality of God will break through the storm clouds. The Alpha power of God will become real to us as we deal with adversity. Sometimes, the Lord uses adversity to discipline us and wean us from the path of obstinacy and wilful error even as a rider puts a hook through the nose of a horse to tame it. It will be painful while it lasts but once the adversity is over, the lessons of wisdom and faith learnt are incomparably more valuable. We need to use the Alpha power of Christ to overcome, to cope with adversity even as Paul coped with imprisonment, betrayal, loneliness, ship wreck, flogging, false accusations, an affliction in his flesh that he called a thorn and so on.

Sometimes, the darkest hour of adversity would precede the most glorious days of our lives. Jacob was at the end of the tether of hope having lost his favourite son Joseph and Benjamin as well as Simeon had been held back in Egypt. At that point in time when everything seemed the bleakest and he was at his weakest, the sun broke through the dark clouds. His long last son Joseph, who had himself suffered much adversity, was restored to him in a way he could not have imagined. Joseph was restored to him as the second most powerful ruler of the most powerful nation of the ancient world. It was a most joyful reunion with all his sons. He lived the last decades of his life enjoying the fulfilment of the promise of Jehovah to him. The mystical word ALPHA can be expanded to stand for Always Prayerful, Hopeful Always. Indeed, there is no joy in this life without hope and no hope without finding our joy in the strength of the Lord.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anguish

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Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anguish
I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

Psalm 118 v 5

Jesus who was called the Man of Sorrow experienced the greatest anguish as He faced the greatest test of the cross on Calvary and the consequent separation from the Father in the first time in eternity. Even Jesus cried out to the Lord and His anguish was so great that it is written “ He sweated drops of blood” due to the great distress He suffered. Even on the cross, He cried out in anguish, “ My God, My God, why do you forsake Me?” God had forsaken Him for the sake of all mankind. Each of us also experience such anguish in our lives when no human help is of any avail and we cry out to the Lord from the depths of our souls. At that time, the Lord hears us and comforts us. He sends His word or His Alpha power to remove us from a place of sorrow to a place of great comfort, even an inexplicable joy though the circumstances that caused the anguish may not have changed a bit.

In this uni-verse, David who often faced such extreme distress gives testimony that when He cried out to the Lord in distress, the Lord heard him and released him from such distress. Hezekiah, the kiing also faced a wall – the end of his life and he cried out to the Lord and the Lord healed him and gave him an extension of life on earth by fifteen years. The King Asa felt distressed when he was facing the prospect of annihilation of his kingdom, his people and his rule by formidable enemies but as they worshipped and prayed to the Lord, the spectre of defeat was lifted and they emerged victorious against all odds. Often, we feel powerless, helpless and vulnerable when we confront such walls – a disease of a loved one or of self , a bereavement, an accident, a misfortune or financial crisis, powerful enemies, persecution and so on. At these times, the Lord inclines His ear to our mouth to hear our cries. Even our sighs do not go ignored by Him. He is mindful of us and sends us help in either human form or strength from within to endure.

The Psalmist records that He gives us a new song or a new reason to be joyful, thankful and worshipful. He manifests or gives evidence of His presence near us. We no longer feel isolated, alone, forlorn, distressed. Faith is knowing the reality of the Alpha power of the Lord to rescue us in any and every situation that life or the enemy can throw at us. It enables us to never lose hope and to never give up. The phrase in the uni-verse, “ He sets my feet in a large room,” implies that on the strong foundation of faith, the Lord establishes us. He enlarges the paths in which we walk so that we do not slip or stumble. Our trust in the Lord gives us a sense of freedom from angst, freedom from frustration and desperation.
Prateep V Philip

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anxiety

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Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anxiety
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4 v 6

Alpha power is the ability of Jesus. During His earthly sojourn that was cruelly interrupted by His crucifixion but continued for forty days after His glorious resurrection, He proved Himself to solve every human problem and predicament. He solved the issue of scarcity when the hosts at the marriage at Canna were beginning to worry about the wine running out. He solved the issues that were at the root of anxiety in a variety of situations covering the whole gamut of life from birth to death. He solved the root issues of human anxiety of sin, judgement, curses, death, disease and spiritual poverty. It is not as if His Alpha power was withdrawn with His ascension to heaven but given to us in the form and gifts of the Holy Spirit whom He promised to send to all who truly believed Him and accepted into their hearts and lives. Jesus addressed the issue of anxiety or worry. He said, “ Do not worry for it cannot add a single inch to your height or change even a single hair from white to black.” He pointed out the birds that did not have to worry about food or clothing or shelter, that they did not have to store for the morrow. He said that we do not have to worry as God cares for us much more than He cares for many sparrows or birds.

It is an irony that Martha was weighed down by many worries, cares and burdens that she could not enjoy the fellowship with the Lord of life. Mary who was single-minded in her devotion to Jesus and listening hung on every word He spoke and had no burden on her mind. Great prayer warriors were former worriers who transformed their habit of worrying into a continual act of prayer, worship and adoration. The Word of God or Alpha asks us to cast all our worries or burdens on the Lord. We cast it on Him in times of prayer. We commit all the issues that worry us to the Lord and He will lift our heavy yoke and give us a lighter yoke- the kingdom of God to be concerned about. It is not as if are called to lead a carefree life or be indifferent to the pressing problems of our lives and of our age but that we trust the Lord to either help us endure it or end it with His help or grace. The uni-verse above asks us to make known our requests to the Lord with prayer, personal supplication or persistent asking in faith with thanksgiving as if the Lord has already given us the grace to endure it or the power or resources or opportunity to end it.

Psychologists and psychiatrists around the world are of the view today that anxiety has grown to pandemic proportions and affects the vast majority of people of all backgrounds, ages and nationalities. Excessive anxiety produces ill health- mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. Faith in Jesus and His power to solve any and every human problem is a panacea, a healer like the Balm of Gilead that calms us of all our hidden or overt anxieties. The Alpha power of Christ enables us to go to the very root of anxiety and cut it, eradicate it, uproot it from our lives. We can turn our worries into a source of knowing the Lord intimately and experiencing His power in a very real and deep way. When a cause of anxiety is resolved, it becomes a source of joy and worship and gratitude to the Lord. When it is not resolved in our lifetime, it becomes a source of building strength, resilience, patience and the power to endure. The Lord will provide clefts or places of shelter in the rock of His presence in the midst of our storms. The more we trust in the Lord, the less we will be anxious. When we trust Him with all our hearts, there will be no room there for anxiety.

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anger

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Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.


Using Alpha Power to Deal with Anger
Alpha power is God’s power. It is the power of Christ. It is the power embedded and released from the Word of God. It is the power accessed by prayer. Extreme, frequent and uncontrolled anger is a danger that we all face. We can use Alpha power to bring our anger under the control of the Lord. The above uni-verse implies that “ a man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” In many places in scripture, we find incidents of God’s anger and the anger of Jesus at the merchants turning the house of the Lord into a “ den of thieves.” The anger of God is righteous and just while man’s anger is often uncontrolled, unjust and imbalanced.

The Word or Alpha says, “ do not let the sun go down on your anger,” implying that we need to clear our anger at the end of each day, our anger against anyone whom we felt had erred against us. In the haste of rage, we often tend to sin and even grieve the Holy Spirit with whom we are anointed. When we conducted a survey of all prisons in the state, we discovered that most of the prisoners were convicted and incarcerated for crimes of passion, for murder or causing injury to people in a fit of anger or for revenge. Anger at our hurt causes us to seek to retaliate and wreak vengeance. Jesus asks us to show the other cheek and not to seek vengeance. We need to pray for our enemies and the Lord will bring about a change either in their character or in their circumstances. We should not carry anger or resentment against anyone over to the next day in any and all of our relationships. We are to be slow to become angry. We are to slow down our expression of anger. The Lord desires that we are patient and gentle and not be angry people. But the reality of all our “omega” or situations all round is that there are many things that happen to us and many persons we encounter daily who tend to make us angry, very angry. We need to use the Alpha power to channelize, subdue, sublimate our anger in creative and constructive ways, not harmful to ourselves or others.

The Word or Alpha describes an angry person as a fool and equates anger with folly. We are often angry with people who we can afford to be angry with- people who work under us who cannot reply to us. Even if we call a person a “ fool” or “ rascal” scripture states that it brings us under the judgement of the Lord. With people who hold higher positions than us, we tend to suppress our anger and express it behind their backs. When we show anger to our own children, particularly when they are very young, we are affecting their tender minds and personalities and we should refrain from saying anything that would harm their self esteem or confidence or peace. We need to learn to deal with our own anger before we can lead people. Even Moses in his anger at the rebellion of the Israelite people disobeyed God in striking the rock to obtain water instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded. Leaders and people who are patient have learnt to handle their anger. They have allowed Alpha power or God’s power embedded in His word to cut at the root of anger in their psyche and spirits.

Prateep V Philip

Using Alpha Power to Deal with Omega Situations

UV 2921/10000 Using Alpha Power to Deal with Omega Situations
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1 v 8

Jesus revealed Himself as the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the Alpha, the first letter and Omega, the last letter. He is not just the letter A and all that it represents- the first and the best but He is the Word. The Word of Jesus is anointed from beginning to the end and beyond. It will not remain unfulfilled. Hence, when we use the word of Jesus, the name of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the principles of Jesus, the attitudes of Jesus, the example of Jesus we can deal with A to Z of all situations in our lives. We use the word by believing it, by praying over it, by claiming it, by obeying it, by declaring it, by confessing, by agreeing with it, by discussing or dividing it, by meditating on it, by writing about it, by thanking and praising the Lord for it. Alpha power is not a chimera or an illusion but it is the power that flowed out of Jesus to deal with myriad situations like when a woman with bleeding for several years, secretly touched the hem of His robe and power flowed out of Him to heal her on account of her great faith. Faith then is a necessary precondition for Alpha power of Jesus to flow in us. It is Alpha power that Jesus used to create life, to resurrect Lazarus, to heal lepers, to give sight to the blind, to turn water into wine, to give hearing to the deaf. Of course, there are lots of cases in our experience where the blind are not healed or the deaf hear or sickness is not healed. Alpha power is not mechanically used but it requires the sovereign will of Jesus to agree to allow it to operate, to flow, to be manifested.

The Word has an answer to all of life’s questions, a solution for all of life’s problems and challenges. We need to be good workmen or “ wordmen” and Alpha power , love and grace will begin to manifest in all aspects of our lives- our health, our growth as a total person, our finances, our family, our careers, our children, our conversations and communications, our achievements and failures, our mountain tops and our valleys, our relationships. The second part of the uni-verse speaks of the Lord which is, which was and which is to come. We have experienced His power and grace and love in the past. These experiences together constitute our testimonies of His faithfulness to His word. God is bound by His word and is bound in His word. This is the source of our Alpha power. We are experiencing His power and grace and love in the present moment. We are living fully in the present moment. We are joyful and experiencing the abundant and eternal life in Him in the present moment. This experience constitutes our current reality. All the blessings we are enjoying right now is part of that current reality. It is the reason for the song we sing now.

Our hope of experiencing His grace, power and love in the future and in eternity beyond is the reason for our optimism. It buoys us up amidst the raging storms around us even in the present moment. We believe that what eye has not seen, nor ear heard nor entered human imagination is reserved for us in the future. We believe that the days with Jesus in the future are going to be better than even what it is at present and what it was in the past. We are not limited by our abilities, our knowledge, our resources, our circumstances but we can use such Alpha power which is the resurrective power of Jesus to turn a hopeless situation into a breakthrough moment in our lives. By using Alpha power, we call into being that which is not as if it already is. The more we used and experienced Alpha power in the past, the more we are able to use and experience Alpha power now and in the future. Our past, present and future converge into eternity, taking on new dimensions of meaning and significance.

Prateep V Philip

The Two Kinds of People in This World

UV 2920/10000 The Two Kinds of People

And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
Luke 15 v 28


The story of the prodigal narrated by Jesus is about two kinds of people in this world. The Father's home in the story is a metaphor for earth as well as the kingdom of God. The younger brother is the one who repents, who is broken, who wants to be reconciled with the Father while the elder brother is the one who feels entitled, who feels no need to repent and change. The latter feels entitled to all the blessings that the Father gives. He justifies himself by virtue of his sense of responsibility, his loyalty, his piety, his morality. He considers himself an equal of the Father. The younger brother stands for all who having recognized the misery of following their own wills and the misery it brings return to the Father through confessing their sin and accepting Jesus as payment for justification and Lord for sanctification, anointing and enablement. The elder brother stands for the rest of the world who trust in their own abilities, their religion, their good character and their good deeds. The latter gloss over their failings and turn a blind eye to their own faults and failures. The latter are egoistic, legalistic, judgemental, unforgiving, bitter and invariably have double standards.


The younger brother stands for all those who rely on God’s grace or divine enablement. He is the one who now accepts every word spoken by the Father as valuable as a pearl. He finally finds what is true freedom. The Father receives Him back to His home with open arms and a heart full of love. He restores the younger son as a prince in his home. He restores his authority in the kingdom of God. He restores his dignity. He has him cleaned and anointed. He celebrates the moment of the return of the younger son. The younger son no longer thinks he owns anything in the Father’s home but he knows the Father will more than meet his need, judging by the way he has been welcomed back. The younger son realizes that his old self willed personality is dead, that he has to live a new life in the kingdom of the Father.

The elder son represents people who think God is obligated to bless them since He has created them. They think God is obligated to provide and promote and protect them since they are serving Him morally and faithfully wherever they are placed. They are the ones who question God when good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. They feel they have the right to question the mercy, grace and justice of the Lord. The moral of the story is that it is better to have wandered away from the Father and to return to Him broken, humble, empty, repentant and grateful than to stay self righteous, entitled, religious, judgemental, legalistic, egoistic, proud and full of oneself. The latter did not realize that everything that belongs to the Father belongs to them. The younger brother started badly but ended well while the elder brother started well but finished badly. The former had a negative attitude at the beginning while the elder brother had a negative attitude at the end. The younger brother felt he was the worst of sinners who deserved no mercy even from his Father while the elder brother felt superior and better when he compared himself with the younger brother. The latter thought that just doing his duty should have won him a preeminent place in the Father’s home and heart. He assumed that the Father did not know of all the indiscretions, follies and excesses he committed while claiming never to have left the Father’s home or violated His will. The elder brother’s hurt was caused by his own excessive pride and self righteousness. He had a “holier than anyone else “ approach. The elder brother lived as a stranger in his Father's home. He did not have a deep understanding of the Father's heart while the younger son knew that despite his rebellion, His bringing a bad name to the Father, the latter would receive him if not as a son at least as a servant. The elder did not know of the hidden pain in the Father's heart at the absence of the younger son in His home and therefore, could not feel the pleasure He felt on His return. The heart of the former pleases God while the heart of the latter displeases the Lord.

Prateep V Philip

All In Due Time

UV 2919/10000 All In Due Time
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not
Galatians 6 v 9

Many people I have come across get tired of helping others. They feel they have been unfairly used by those who sought their help or benefitted from them in some way. This uni-verse encourages us not to look for favours to be returned but instead look to the Lord who will reward our good works in due time. We should not get tired of doing good or expect gratitude from the people we do good to. When we do good in the name of Jesus, we are sowing or investing in the kingdom of God and we will also enter a season of reaping or harvesting from the good we have sown.

We should learn from the example of Jesus: During His earthly sojourn He healed hundreds upon hundreds of people, He delivered many, He ministered to thousands. Yet even His own disciples deserted Him when He was arraigned as an accused before the authorities of the day. He did not expect all those He healed or delivered to rally to His side but He focussed on how His Father in heaven would receive Him once the ordeal of crucifixion and the glorious resurrection happened on the third day. On the third day, He came into His inheritance and now He sits on the right hand of the Father administering the universe.

We should therefore persist in doing good even to those who seem unworthy or undeserving of our help. When we keep doing good, we are sowing in the spirit of righteousness. Our zeal to do good should not flag or waver. We should not get disappointed or bitter even if all we get in return for a time is indifference, hostility and even abuse. People may suspect our motives and even steal the credit but our confidence being fixed on the Lord should remain steadfast and endure till the very end. We may even find our troubles and hardship increasing as we do more and more good but we should remind ourselves with the key words: all “in due time”.

Prateep V Philip

Legitimate Boasting

UV 2918/10000 Legitimate Boasting
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6 v 14

Boasting in the Lord is the only legitimate form of boasting. Glory is reserved only for the Lord. We cannot have any confidence in men, in our own flesh or mind or abilities or resources. Our confidence and trust is in the cross on which Jesus died to save us from sin and judgement, from eternal death. By that same cross, we have crucified our sinful lusts and pride, our egos, our vain desires. We are now called to live not for ourselves but for the One who gave Himself for us, to proclaim as the glorious Saviour and Lord of all life. As the Psalmist says, our only reason to boast is in the Lord and the Lord alone, not our attainments, gifts, assets, connections, qualities. We attribute all of our success, victories, achievements and breakthroughs only to the Lord and give Him all the glory. As we boast in Him, He will prove to us that He is the Best and that He reserves the best for us who trust in Him. The more we boast, the more we declare newer and newer dimensions of our faith and love for Him, He will manifest and give us evidence of His grace, love and mercy in practical, real and true ways.

As we increase in maturity, we need to increase in humility and patience and self control. We should empty ourselves of thoughts about ourselves and fill with the word and thoughts about what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. This will keep us getting puffed up or proud. We need to continually crucify the old nature in us with its faults, burdens, desires and frailties. Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone, the keystone and the capstone of our lives. We live and move and exist in Him. Our thoughts and words need to be anointed by Him. We realize that we are God’s greatest treasures by grace though we are the worst of sinners. We go about our lives daily discovering that the greatest treasures of the Lord lie within us and amongst us in terms of the fruit of the Spirit –love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.

As the grace of God in us expands, we should humble ourselves more and more. We should be like a child who trusts Jesus in all He says to us. We should be like a child who has been quieted by her mother with no great ideas about ourselves and with no projects and projections about ourselves that are too big for us to digest. We derive our justification, our sanctification, our satisfaction from the cross of Jesus Christ. We boast all day that we know Him personally as our best friend, personal Saviour, Lord, King, Helper, Companion, Counsellor. We boast all our lives that we understand Him. It is a boast that boosts us. It is a boast as we cannot know Him fully or understand His love and wisdom fully.

Prateep V Philip

The Door to Enter

UV 2917/10000 The Door To Enter


https://groups.google.com/group/uni-verse2/attach/865fbced23fbe/Image-1.jpg?part=0.1&authuser=0&view=1








Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Luke 13 v 24


Only the door is narrow in that one can enter only through the name, the blood, the person of Jesus but the narrow door opens onto the widest and well lit vistas of heaven, the widest perspectives that leave no human out of the possibility of receiving grace to salvation and perfection and illumination. Wide as the path is, it gets wider and brighter as one travels down. But it is the path less travelled as the trouble is that all the other doors of religion, philosophy, science, pleasure, power, wealth, influence, knowledge, wisdom, charity, status appear wider on the outside and once one is on the other side, it gets narrower and narrower and constricts one so that he can scarcely breathe. The wide path shown by the Lord is liberating while the narrow paths that lie behind these latter doors are suffocating and constricting.


But who can find the narrow door that leads onto the broadest road all the way to heaven, the eternal realm ? The ones who hear the voice of the Good Shepherd who does not rear the sheep or feed the sheep to shear the wool or kill them for flesh or food but instead sacrificed Himself for them. The Good Shepherd stands at the door and keeps calling out to the sheep. In fact, He becomes the very door to enter the road to heaven and that is why He declared Himself to all humanity as the Way (to Salvation), the Truth ( of Redemption), the Life Everlasting and Abundant. The moment we enter through Jesus, we are in the presence of the Lord Almighty, the awesome Creator, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Eternal King, the Friend forever. He then walks us down the pathway to heaven, step by step, day by day, experience by experience.

We only need to seek the Door with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind and all our strength and the Door will reveal Himself to us as clear as Day that He is the right door and all other doors conceal behind them the paths to damnation, strife, curses, misery though the doors advertise on its surface – freedom, joy, greatness, glory, blessings, abundance, prosperity, satisfaction. Though the Door to Eternal Life opens onto eternal treasures of His word and wisdom and will, the Door is never locked, always open and inviting to all. Like the TV Game called, Deal, No Deal, Jesus is the greatest deal offered to mankind to enter into the pathways to the blessings of the Lord but unlike the game, the Door is not kept mysterious or secret. It is marked “ ENTER Here” and the other doors are marked by Him, “Do not Enter.” The enemy comes often and tries to interchange the signs on the doors. More often, he plays a game with our minds so that we read the opposite. To enter the right Door, we should read the Word accurately as it is meant to be read.

Prateep V Philip

Running the Race of Grace

UV 2915/10000 The Race of Grace
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12 v 1


As the dove that brought back a green leaf, a sign of the flood that had receded, the death and threat of death that had ceased, the raging storm that had ended, each of us are part of a great and extended formation of witnesses of God’s will and plan being fulfilled in history and our connected biographies in distinct geographies, times and climes. A witness is one who adduces evidence and experience of some significant happening. While in the human lexicon, a witness adduces evidence of a crime or some mishap or disaster or untoward incident of a negative nature and consequences, a witness of the Word or of Christ is one who adduces evidence of his experience of something wholly positive and perfect- the agape love, the endless mercy, the infinite power and grace of God in Christ. The uni-verse suggests that since we have experienced it first hand and our faith is also greatly strengthened by the testimony of a large number of others, contemporary as well as those who lived before us, we should endeavour to identify and cast off everything that hinders our faith and our testimonial lives, everything that blocks the pathways of receiving God’ s ever increasing love and grace and mercy and blessing into our lives.



Though we are saved by our faith in the remission of sins by the shed blood of Jesus, the Christ, we can so easily be beguiled, tempted, stained, hindered, hampered, harmed by the sin caused by the inherent lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life in us. We need to crucify the flesh in us and be dead to sinful tendencies like covetousness, envy, pride, egoism, bitterness, greed, loose talk. As Peter wrote in I Peter 1 verse 2, “ lay aside all malice, all guile and all envies and all hypocrisies and evil speakings.” We are called out of the rat race wherein we fight each other into a race of grace where we fight the good fight with our own flesh and spirit and soul. We contend with our own souls to present it perfect and full of spiritual fruit, the attributes of Christ to the Lord and Giver of life. Every day with Jesus should see us better than the day before and this will happen when we identify something that is weighing us down, slowing our progress on the pilgrim’s path back to the Lord, unnecessary thoughts, unwanted habits and ways of reacting or responding to the stimuli of our company or the world, unworthy words, goals and plans that are not wholesome and in alignment with the word and will of God.

Running a race requires discipline- with regard to our training in righteousness in terms of intake or our daily diet of the Word of God, our daily exercises in obeying the Word in all the details of our lives. We have to let go of what is evil in our lives and cling to the baton of the hope of the gospel- the news that ranges from good to great. We are to patiently endure the hardships of the race of grace with the help of our divine coach- the Holy Spirit, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author who put us on the track to salvation and the one who is the finisher, the one who will encourage us with His presence and His words each step of the way, who will pick us up and put us back on our feet when we flail and fall, who will give us the burst of energy needed for the last lap towards the finishing line where He is waiting with the everlasting prize and rewards for a life of faithfulness, discipline and obedience.
Prateep V Philip

Being Rich Towards God

UV 2915/10000 Being Rich Towards God
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God
Luke 12 v 21

This uni-verse expounds on Jesus’s view of what is true and lasting riches. It is said that what can be counted does not often count and what cannot be counted counts a lot. But the world with its emphasis on metrics and the measurable, the physical and the tangible, the experiential and the visible, tends to make us count what does not count- the treasure that decays, can be stolen, forged, robbed, destroyed, buried, lost. People get stressed out and burnt out working for worldly wealth, once they have it, they get stressed out, insecure and worried if someone will take it away from them. Such wealth is deceitful as it gives us a false sense of well being and it can easily evaporate over time, sometimes even overnight if the rich man’s life is called back by the Lord. Instead, the uni-verse urges us to to be rich in faith toward God. There is nothing wrong and everything is right with accumulating such spiritual wealth. Such wealth of faith will widen the eye of the needle so that we have easy and continual access to the Lord God. A person who focuses on amassing such spiritual wealth is truly wise. He is laying a sure foundation for his eternity where nothing can be taken away or robbed or destroyed or degraded.

This is the kind of wealth that if we have it, we will be given even more and if we do not have it, the little we have will be taken away. The more we give away of this wealth, the more we have. Our blessings are multiplied even as we give away the true spiritual riches the Lord has invested in and with us. This is treasure that will enable us to live and die victoriously. The more we use this treasure instead of hoarding it up, the more it grows. The more we learn and obey the commands and precepts of the Lord, the richer we are, the more we learn, trust and claim the promises of the Lord, the more rich we become, the more we follow the models and good examples of faith in the Bible, the richer we are. When we accumulate worldly riches, people say we have riches but when when we accumulate spiritual riches, we are rich. We are to increase in our fear or reverence for the Lord and His commands. We should focus on developing an equal passion for God and the things of God even as He has given all things into our hands in the person of Jesus. When the Lord sees us, we will no longer be like the prodigal son who wore tattered clothes, had no footwear, nothing to sustain him for the day, who lived in the misery of sin and self destructive tendencies. We will continually seek His forgiveness and He like the father of the prodigal son will give us the best from his wardrobe, the best shoes, the signet ring of authority of his household, the sceptre of a ruler, the glittering everlasting crown of salvation that will not weigh heavily on our heads.
Being rich towards God is being faithful and always living and moving in an attitude of worship and gratitude. When we are rich towards the Lord, we know that nothing is impossible. There is nothing that the Lord cannot do to fulfil His purpose in our lives. When we are rich towards the Lord, we will have the attitude of Abel and not that of Cain. Our hearts will be the altar on which we are constantly sacrificing our own egos, our own selfish pleasure to obtain a greater good in the kingdom of the eternal. The more we store of the riches of God of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control, the more we store of His precious wisdom and of His word, the more our hearts expand like a treasury that keeps extending its walls to hold more and more treasure. This incidentally is the only kind of treasure that we can carry with us beyond the grave and also leave behind as a blessing for the succeeding generations. The question we need to ask ourselves and answer is : are we laying up enough treasure for ourselves for eternity every day or are we postponing or ignoring it?

Prateep V Philip

A Stabilised Heart

UV 2914/10000 A Stabilised Heart
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Psalm 112 v 7

A believer and follower of Christ will not be apprehensive but be hopeful. His source of security is not anything earthly or external but it is the Lord. His focus is on the locus of his life. He is the central point of his universe and everything rotates around Him. He knows he can trust the Lord with every aspect of His life. He is not shaken by happenings around him but understands that there is a purpose behind everything that has happened to him whether good or bad or even terrible. He is both able and stable as he does not rely on his own finite abilities and judgement but seeks the wisdom and the will of the Father in heaven. The Lord grows a hedge around us to protect us from strong gusts of trial and temptation. We water and trim and maintain this hedge with our prayers, our observance and obedience of His holy word, our constant and diligent application of the principles of wisdom He has taught us this far. When we fix our hearts on the Lord, a spiritual process is set in motion that nothing in nature can reverse or oppose: our hearts are established or stabilised by the Lord. A stabilised heart is a sign of spiritual maturity and growth. With a stabilised heart, we are not easily swayed by passion or emotion or desire. We will cease to be like the flotsam and jetsam that is blown hither and thither by every wind and wave of happening or stimulus.
An important aspect of this uni-verse is that “his heart is fixed” on the Lord. The image is of a vessel that is anchored in a stormy sea. As long as the anchor holds, the vessel is safe from the stormy winds and waves. Our own strength, resources, wisdom and intelligence are illusory or vulnerable. The Lord is the beginning and the end of life, the Alpha to Omega. We derive all of our strength, energy, inspiration, wisdom, guidance, counsel, hope from Him. We are not deterred by temporary obstacles, hurdles, opposition, persecution, threats, hostility, powerful adversaries as we are confident the Lord is with us and He will defend and deliver us. When we store the word of God in our hearts, we are fortifying ourselves much like soldiers gather a lot of ammunition before the outbreak of war. We will be able to defeat the evil that is crouching at the door of our own hearts and also send evil or trouble of different kinds fleeing from us.
Instead of allowing fears, real and imaginary to take hold of our minds, we need to hold onto the promises of the Lord. I have learnt to pray prophylactically before a thing happens so that the Lord preserves me or mine from that specific trial or trouble. If we pray, we will not be a prey to these fears. We believe and expect good things to happen to us and to ours. All the heroes of faith mentioned in the Bible went through a variety of terrible situations but their story ends with deliverance and victory. Even the tragic and often foolish hero Samson, despite his eyes being gouged out by the Philistines after they capture him through the deceit of Delilah, was victorious in the end as he killed more people in his final act of bringing down the building where he was chained. The true story of Daniel and above all the true story of Jesus inspires us everyday to shield our minds and hearts from every form and type of apprehension. If we comprehend His love and power, we will not apprehend evil.

Prateep V Philip

Hear, Think, DIg Deep, Treasure, Keep and Do

UV 2913/10000 Ear+Think, Hear plus Think, Hear and Keep, Hear and Do
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luke 11 v 28

Blessing is not an event or a single act but a life-giving, life long process. We do not inherit blessing but blessing can inhere in us. When someone in the crowd watching and listening to Jesus hailed Him saying, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, the breasts that fed you,” as if the source of His supernatural wisdom, grace and power was the woman who gave birth to Him. Jesus became the source of blessing as He overcame sin( symptoms of which are lusts, conflict, pride, hatred, conflict, misery, diseases, curses, failure, depression and so on) by not yielding to it and overcame the other universal problem afflicting every human being born –death by yielding to it. Jesus responded by saying, “ Yes, You are more blessed if you hear the words that I speak and keep it. “ The word “keep” means to remember, to meditate, to apply, to treasure, to obey, to carry out, to do, to practice habitually as a way of life.

Indeed, believers who are faithful in hearing and keeping the Word in their hearts, meaning respecting the presence of Jesus in our hearts, honouring His Word transmitted to us through the generations in spoken or printed form or in song, are more blessed than even the very mother of Jesus- Mary. Mary herself, Luke wrote, treasured the words and actions and reactions of Jesus in her heart and she was so blessed in keeping the Word. The hurt caused to the mother by the immense suffering of the Son of God that she bore was healed by so keeping the Word in her heart. In so keeping and doing, we too, will overcome both sin and its impact on our lives as well as overcome death and its sorrows. We will eat the fruit of the tree of eternal life and enter through the pearly gates the Eternal City. We will be like the tree that never dries up, always flourishes in all seasons and fruitful in all stages and aspects of our lives. We will be like the house with deep foundations on the rock of Jesus that the storms of life manifested in the daily reality of sin and the ultimate reality of death cannot shake or disturb. Peace will flow from our hearts like a river and surround us like the waves of righteousness of the sea in the form of the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.

When we look at the words – earth and heart- we find both words are comprised of the same letters. Both words when broken into its constituent syllables are ear- th or hear-t. When ear- th aand hear –t are expanded it means the same- hear and think. When we hear or read the word, we must not take it casually or lightly but meditate deeply on it. We need to dig deep to lay solid foundations to our lives in its various aspects and dimensions: our attitudes together constitute our hearts. Are our attitudes pleasing to the Lord ? If so, we have like David, the heart that God endorses as shaped after His own, full of love, grace, power, mercy, faithfulness, blessings. My personal experience is that as I delighted in the word from the age of seventeen, the Lord moved me from hamartia or shortcoming in many areas of my life to ‘hyperbole’ or overfulfilling or over achieving.
Prateep V Philip

Nearness and Greatness Manifested

UV 2912/10000 Nearness and Greatness Manifested
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for
Deuteronomy 4 v 7

God is not obligated to make us comfortable or happy but He does His duty as our Creator and Father of listening to us when we call Him. He is near to those who call Him in truth. When we call Him in Jesus, He is nearer to us than our own skin and certainly our sin. He distances our sin away from us as far as the east is from the west, beyond visibility, beyond memory and recall. The wall that partitioned us from the Lord God is broken down by Jesus and He is now one with us as Emmanuel, One in Us as our Lord and God and One for us as Ebenezer. If we truly believe this, what more can we want in heaven or earth.
The uni-verse also promises that the Lord our God is in ALL things that we call upon Him for. If we call upon Him in our private lives, He is in it. If we call upon Him in our relationships, He is in it. If we call upon Him in our finances, He is in it. If we call upon Him in our health, He is in it. If we call upon Him in our challenges, problems, situations, He is in it. He is the source of our greatness, our strength, our joy, our redemption, our power, authority and influence. We cannot predict how He will manifest in the areas and issues, we called upon Him but we can be assured that He will manifest and it will be great and glorious.
He is near us in all the ups and downs of life. Just as the Father and the Son are one, we are one with the Father. He allowed His only beloved Son to experience death, injustice, violence, loneliness, misery, pain, extreme suffering. There is no reason that if He wills it, He might not allow us to experience some of that pain, agony, suffering. But the assurance and guarantee is that He is near us even in death, disaster, failure, tragedy. Why does He require us to call Him? He wants us to draw near Him in our own volition, not out of circumstance, reluctance, conditioning, tradition, pressure or force. That He comes when we call upon Him is evidence of His great love for us and His humility for who are any of us to call the Almighty, that He should come to us when we beckon Him. Do we sense or feel His nearness to us when we call upon Him? Do we sense His presence in us, near us, with us, before us and around us?

Prateep V Philip

Fighting the Giants

UV 2911/10000 Fighting the Giants
The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
Deuteronomy 1 v 30

When the odds are against us, when the chips are down- these are the times the Lord is closest to His people. He fights on our behalf though we may be weak and puny as ants and those who oppose us, attack us, surround us seem like giants. He makes us gi-ants 0r God-inspired ants. He multiplies His signs and wonders in our midst as He did in Egypt on behalf of the hapless, unarmed Israelites led only by a man who carried a mere staff against the chariots and horses of Egypt. Pharaoh was a giant in comparison to the frail and old Moses and Aaron. By his mere word, he could have had Moses and Aaron killed. But Moses strengthened by the words of the Great I Am, Jehovah was himself a gi-ant or God-inspired ant. He had no great power or charisma of his own but relied entirely on the power of the Lord. He drove terror into the hearts of Pharaoh, the people of Egypt, the soldiers and commanders, the charioteers and horses. The Egyptians realized that the Israelites empowered by the Lord were invincible. In vain had Pharaoh hardened his heart in obstinacy for finally, He had to let the people of God go. The gi-ants had succeeded. They never had to see the Egyptian masters again. Israel had complete and total deliverance from the “super power” Egypt, proving that the word super power applied to nations is a misnomer. Only the Lord is the super power, the highest power, the paramount. In our lives, the Egyptian ruler, army, slave drivers are metaphors of different kinds of people who ride rough shod over us, who oppress us. These are also physical symbols of spiritual strongholds that attempt to rule over us, oppress us , attack us or oppose us. None of these giants, whether human, spiritual or physical can prevail against the will and word of the Lord.

For the gi-ants to succeed, the Lord our God has to go before us. Whatever we undertake, whatever struggle or opposition we face, whatever hostility we confront, even if the odds are formidable and against us, the Lord will turn the table. He inspires us with faith, courage, confidence, hope, fearlessness to take on the giants of our lives. The Lord does not wield a sword or shield or ride a chariot but He uses the strength of the enemy against themselves, He uses the elements of nature like cloud, fire, weather, rivers, seas to deliver the gi-ants. After the time of Moses, the mantle of leadership passed on to his mentee, Joshua and Joshua as a gi-ant was inspired and enabled to lead the motley army of Israel to victory against 31 kings. This becomes a metaphor for believers today. We daily combat 31 kings and the presence of the Lord with us enables us to overcome these giants. Indeed, if God be for us, who or what can be against us.
Apart from external foes who are formidable, we can also have internal foes. The first and foremost giants Jesus enables us to overcome is the fear of death. This giant’s head is crushed under the heel of the Saviour though He himself was hurt for a time. Another giant we need to face and overcome is the fear of failure. Like the young David, we need to store in our hearts uni-verses like this one to inspire us to persist and overcome the fear of failure. When we fear failure, we refuse to even try as ten of the twelve spies sent by Joshua advised him not even to try to take the promised land from the giant Anakim who inhabited the land adjoining Canaan. We do not go against the giants with stones and slings, or swords and shields but with prayers and promises. Other giants of our lives that Jesus helps us overcome daily are guilt, fear of judgement, lack of purpose, worries, temptations, trials, persecution, hatred, fear of diseases, fear of our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities, bitterness, envy, pride, indiscipline, lack of self control, insecurity, hopelessness, depression, lust, greed and so on. The Lord gives us victory over these giants so that we are strong, joyful and free, so that we have an inspiring glimpse of His glory and a powerful testimony or evidence of the reality of the Lord revealing Himself in our everyday situations and existential struggles.

Prateep V Philip

Hear -t

UV 2910/10000 Hear-t
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Luke 9 v 35

Jesus is given to humanity as a witness of the Father, a leader and commander to all people. He is given as the Way to personal salvation and eternal, the Word of eternal life vested in Him and the truth personified in Him. But above all He is the beloved Son of the Everlasting Father of all mankind, the Creator of earth, moon, sun and stars and all of the universe and you and me. The only thing the Father expects us to do is to hear Him. When we quieten ourselves to listen to Him, His voice, His words, His counsel, His admonition and His endorsement of us, we are obeying the Father. The heart of God is satisfied when mankind listens to His beloved Son. The voice that came out of the cloud was the same voice that created the world, the same voice that commissioned Jesus to be sent into this dark world. The same voice that spoke to and through Moses and Elijah. The significance of the appearance of Moses and Elijah is to endorse Jesus as the fulfilment of all that they spoke of in their sojourn on earth. They were the two human witnesses needed to give witness and evidence to the apostles and through them to all Israel and all humanity that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah.

What was admonition to Peter who was babbling out of amazement on seeing the transfigured Jesus with Moses and Elijah is instruction to us. We should not interrupt the communication and the vision we receive from the Lord. We must quieten our inner being and hear Him. When we hear Him, we will naturally do what He tells us. There is nothing about us that He does not know. There is nothing about us that He does not care about. There is nothing that He cannot do. Hearing Him is our act of faith, our act of worship, our act of obedience, our logical response of love.

The heart of man is made by God to hear truth, treasure truth, honour truth, respect truth, obey truth revealed by Him, not made up by human minds or imagination. The heart of man is wicked from birth as the Bible tells us and as we experience in ourselves and others. Our hearts are transformed as we hear Truth which is personified in Jesus. When we hear Him and think on the words of eternal life He has spoken to us or is speaking to us, our hearts are transformed, our minds are transformed, our bodies will also one day be transfigured like that of Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Every day as we hear Him, we experience our Mount of Transfiguration experience. We need to quieten the babble, the chatter within us and listen with faith to the words of Jesus. It pleases the Father when we set all things aside and take time and pay attention to the words of Jesus, His beloved Son for into His hands has all things been given in heaven and on earth. Now we hear Him not just as the promised Messiah but as the risen King of Kings to whom all bow from the humblest to the monarchs and sovereigns of our time.

Prateep V Philip

The Litmus Test of the Abundant Life

UV 2909/10000 The Litmus Test of the Abundant Life
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10 v 10
The Lord revealed recently a hidden truth in this familiar Uni-verse. All negativity comes from the enemy of our souls. He is the author of our personal destruction even as Jesus is the author of our personal salvation. He is the father of negativity while Jesus is the source of positive abundance and abundant positivity. His purpose is to get as many people born into this world to live a living death- a life of abundant misery, scarcity of everything good in life. His purpose is to make as many humans miss the mark and remain unfuflilled, frustrated, unbelieving in the goodness of God. Hence, every time we think negative thoughts or speak negative words or react negatively, we are succumbing or yielding to the enemy while every time, we choose to speak or think or do what is good and positive, we are affirming that we belong to Jesus. The negativity creeps in on us subtly, without us knowing, without our knowledge or permission. Hence, we may not even notice it but if apply the litmus test of positivity versus negativity, we will be able to discern if we are yielding to the enemy of our souls who wants to rob us of our happiness and joy, who wants to steal from us the peace Jesus won for us with ourselves, with others and with the Father in heaven.
The point of entry and manner of entering our lives is also a pointer whether the thought, habit or attitude or action is from the enemy or from Jesus: If the belief, thought, action, attitude or habit entered our lives without our conscious acceptance or choice, then it is not from the source of all abundance- Jesus. Another test or touchstone is whether we are experiencing the abundance of joy, peace and love that exudes from the presence of Jesus in our lives or whether we are constantly experiencing a sense of fear, scarcity and insecurity in our hearts and minds. Virtually, every thought, word and action of ours should be subjected to this test.
The uni-verse clearly states that the purpose of Jesus in coming to the earth is to enable all who believe and accept Him to experience eternal, abundant life marked by peace not strife, joy not sadness and sorrow, love not hatred, fellowship not loneliness, hope not frustration. But in our daily lives are we experiencing the abundant life? Do we have the abundantly positive mentality? Even as we enjoy such abundance in the spiritual dimension, we should always be wary of the negativity, the destructive subtle ways of the enemy. This is the reason Jesus said, “Be shrewd as the serpent and gentle as the dove.” We need to find a balance between completely avoiding the negative ways of the enemy and clinging to the positive ways of Jesus. Jesus did not merely talk about positivity or taught principles of positive thinking but He showed us how to counter negativity of all sorts. The cross that he embraced willingly is a symbol of negating the negative. He is also the only Yes and Amen to all God’s promises to mankind. Hence, we hold onto the precious promises in the Bible and overcome the world, its temptations, pressures and challenges. We can either be positive, or be involved in reducing the negativity in any situation or in turning it into something good and positive. In so doing, we live the abundant life – the purpose of the coming of Jesus to the earth.

Prateep V Philip