Month: March 2020

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Partnering for the promise

[The Glory Unveiled]

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ( Luke 1:36 )

Many times, great promises and wonderful prophecies fail to materialise largely due to an isolation crisis we develop. This is usually as a result of thinking that the promise or prophecy is unique to us or that we are alone in that situation. The fear of not having anyone who is experiencing our kind of situations; troubles or hardships can be very misleading. Often when we go through some rough times, we are deceived to believe that what we are experiencing is unique and peculiar to us. And on the strength of that ignorance and fear, the devil creates all sorts of thoughts which result in unhealthy attitudes that are able to sabotage the promise. Mary, the mother of Jesus found herself in a similar situation. An Angel had just appeared to her, telling her she was going to have a miracle baby. How could this be? She wondered. When we first encounter the miraculous, we are tempted to be doubtful because of fear of what if’s, how could this be’s and why me’s? But God be praised, often in times like that, God gives us a hope companion. Someone who is experiencing similar things as ourselves to urge us on. Mary had Elizabeth to urge her on and empower her. Look around, there is someone going through or has been through what you are experiencing. Contact your hope companions today and be strengthened in faith.

Prayer_Bead: Mighty God, the One who knows no impossibilities. Spirit of Wonders, wrought a wonder in me that will expose your glory to the world.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The potency of God’s word

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? ( Jeremiah 23:29 )

The word of God is considered in the scripture above as analogous to fire and hammer. The properties of hammer and fire tell very much about what the word of God can do in and about our lives. Fire leaks up anything it comes into contact with. It burns, it heats up, it cooks, it refines, it transforms. Without fire, there are so many things that cannot be done likewise its presence brings about events and happenings which could not be undone.  And then we see hammer as a tool that breaks, bends, crushes, transforms, reshapes, grinds and destroys. If we reflect carefully, we will see that both fire and hammer have good and negative properties. The word of God is the power of God unto us for salvation, deliverance, Sanctification, empowerment, righteousness among others. The same word of God brings condemnation to anyone who does not believe. Jesus says he does not condemn but the word he speaks will condemn those who reject His word (see John 12:48). So we are either condemned or justified by the word of God we have become one with. There is power in the word for building and pulling down, setting up and crushing. Let us use the word, skillfully.

Prayer_Bead: Mighty Ruler, King of Kings, God of infallible speakings, every and anything that is inconsistent with your word in my life, let the hammer of your word break it. Let the fire of your word consume and refine my understanding.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Who is acting, Sarai or Sarah?

[The Glory Unveiled]

So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ( Genesis 16:3 )

Many people have unintentionally interrupted the plan of God for their lives in many ways. Sarah, [Sarai] could have patiently waited for the promise of God for her family. But no, Sarai interrupted impatiently. We all, like Sarah have that dual personality in some form. There is the Sarai part of us and the Sarah part as well; there is the Jacob and Israel side. There is the old natural self that pops up ones a while. It lingers on and we see flashes of that side of us ones every now and then. That part is the Sarai or Jacob while the spiritual side is the Sarah or Israel. Before you make a decision that may have futuristic implications or just ordinary consequences, ask yourself what the spiritual man in you needs to do or say. We must allow our spirit which is in submission to God to continously guide our choices. Stop the voice of Sarai and Jacob from ruining the plan of God for your life. God will honour his promises in our lives but can we patiently wait? Can we ignore the impatient suggestions of Sarai and Jacob? Can we bear the humiliations and embarrassment of temporarily looking like a fool? It is better to wait for God’s choice than rush for our (Sarai or Jacob’s) best. Choose God’s option and stick to it.

Prayer_Bead: Father of all lives, teach me to distinguish between Sarai and Sarah [Jacob and Israel]. Help me by your spirit to choose and follow what you intend for me.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The stone isn’t the problem, your mind is.

[The Glory Unveiled]

3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ( Mark 16:3-4 )

Often, the very things we worry about, the things that actually burden us are illusions in reality. They do not actually exist. They exist only in the ignorance of our minds. Sometimes, fear paints the most convincing picture of our doubts and worries but the truth is, we hold the painting brush in our hands. If only we would look up, we will discover from the word of God that whatever we fear is not real. Fear thrives on ignorance and as long as we are ignorant, we are captives of fear and worry. The scripture above speaks about two women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph. They were worried about how they were going to roll away a large stone. They were figuratively worried about a problem [burden] they thought they could not possibly handle. Until they looked up, they never imagined the possibility of a breakthrough. They thought the problem they feared was unsurmountable. All we need to do to get our problems away is just to look up [to Christ]. Our problems persist because we fail to look up to Christ, the author and finisher (Hebrews 12:2). Our own strength will fail us. Let us depend on Christ.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for rolling away all my fears and doubts. Thank you for opening my eyes to your provisions for me.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Where is your temple located?

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (John 4:21 )

Jesus made this statement to the Samaritan woman at the well. In their day, Jews and the Samaritans do not go along. But Jesus still came to her and more than that to ask her for water. Along their line of interaction, the issue of worship came in. The woman had the notion that one could only either worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem. And Jesus went right in on that, to disabuse her of that knowledge. When we reflect on this in relate to ourselves, we will realise that many of us are in a sense the typology of the Samarithan woman. We have this ideology that God is only present in a Chapel, in a place somewhere we go to meet him on Sundays. As a result, many people are just anybody or “themselves” every other day until Sundays. On Sundays, such people who believe they were going to meet God, go to these designated places of worship to feel the ecstasy of belonging to a group. But the truth is, God is not locked up in a roofed structure somewhere. God is within you and I. Let us worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching me that I am your temple and your presence is my Bethel.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God