Month: May 2020

[The Glory Unveiled]

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ( Colossians 3:13)

The question to ask with respect to this verse of scripture is, how did Christ forgive me? Jesus forgave us all our past, present and future sins, by taking them upon Himself and nailing them to the cross. This He did without our persuasion or effort or input of any sort. Jesus did not even forgive us with the guarantee that we would not do wrong again. He did what He did out of love. Forgiveness cannot be extended to anyone without love. Love is the only platform that gives us the opportunity to truly forgive anyone because love keeps no record of wrong. Matthew 6:15 says if we do not forgive others, our heavenly Father would not forgive us. Often, we pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So if we fail to forgive other people for their wrongs, we are actually giving God permission not to forgive us as well. God permits in our lives what we allow in the lives of our neighbours and friends. So the golden rule says we should do to others what we want done to us. If we really want to be forgiven of God for our sins, we should first forgive those who sin against us. Now, some people say they will not be the first to extend the arm of love in a hate relationship but if we are truly co-heirs with Christ Jesus, then we must do as He did. While we were still sinners, He died for us and took away our sins. Forgive people even before they ask for forgiveness and let the forgiveness surge from the heart of your love which is established on the truth of God’s word.

Prayer_Bead: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Forgive us our trespasses as you give us the grace to forgive others genuinely.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled ]

“Honour your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise– ( Ephesians 6:2 )

The attitude of honouring people must be intentionally cultivated especially in a culture where credit is not given for good deeds. We can fast track this by recognizing and acknowledging the importance and contributions of other people in our lives. Honour must be given to whom it is due. Today marks a special day set aside to honour our mothers and it is only wise that we intentionally recognise our mothers for their sacrifices and long suffering at least once in three hundred and sixty five days. Many of us may not have our biological mothers with us but we could still identify and honour one or two women who continue to carry us in the womb of their affection and love. One may ask what about the mothers who never, even ever thought of their children, mothers who abandon their children? The scripture above is clear without mincing words, “honour your father and mother…” It didn’t say honour them only if they are good to you. So, we honour them nonetheless. Once they are our mothers [as a result of ushering us into the world] we must honour them. Our spiritual mothers should not be left out on a day like today. Call a mother today, say something uplifting to them; Honour a mother today.

Prayer_Bead: Thank you Lord for our mothers. We pray for long life and good health for them. We ask for more grace and favour. Bless the children of their womb and any child under their care, including spiritual children.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. ( 1 Corinthians 8:6)

Many scriptures of the Bible open our hearts and minds to the heart of our faith. Such scriptures expose the why of our faith for which we have confidence. Many an apostle of the new Testament revelation makes statements that may be considered by other people as egotistical or prideful as a result of their confidence. But with the understanding unveiled to them from God’s infallible word, they cannot but to boast in the cross of Christ. In today’s scripture for meditation we see enshroud in the verse, the place of Christ and His necessity. We believe that all things come from the Father and we live for Him but after the fall of man, we couldn’t receive from the Father and we couldn’t live for Him either. So the reconciliation of man to God had to happen in Christ so that by faith in Him, we could receive from God the Father and live for Him. And now, by faith in Christ Jesus, we receive all things of heavenly descent through Him and we live the God kind of life which hitherto was our natural life through Him. So that though we are away from home in this body, we are one with God in Christ. The hidden mystery being that, Christ Jesus has become unto us all we could be to God and all God could be to us. Jesus is the mystery the gods of the age couldn’t decipher else they would not have crucified him [having made a way of escape for us by His sacrifice]. Jesus is our way of escape from the harshness of the world and the punishment of sin. He is also our entry into God and all His fullness and glory.

Prayer_Bead: Father of all souls, thank you for reconciling me unto yourself through Christ Jesus by His death in my place. Thank you Lord Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ( Romans 8:5 )

The verse of scripture for our devotion today seem to re-echo the famous saying of the Lord Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 which says “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Psychology teaches that habits [which become addictions] are developed when our minds create neurological pathways as a result of repeating an action. As the action sharpens, the pathways deepen. The apostle Paul draws our attention to this truth in our devotional text of reference. How do you know if you are in the flesh; after the things of the flesh or after the things of the Spirit? It is determined by the persistent domain of our thinking, where our hearts always lie. If where our treasure is, there our hearts will be, then where our hearts are, there our treasures had been. So whenever we are mindful and very concerned about the things of the flesh, then that is a redflag cautioning us to recalibrate our course on the narrow journey back home. And then a keen interest in the things that excites God is a clue of where our hearts and treasures are. May we consciously and by the guiding of the Holy Spirit be led after the things of God.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace to be led by the Holy Spirit and to set my heart and mind on You.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. ( Matthew 9:28 )

Every miracle; healing, prophesy and spiritual manifestations in the earth realm are endorsed on the ticket of faith. Do you believe? Faith is the assurance given to our dreams as inevitable. It is the gap between whatever Jesus did in Bible days and continue to do right now and what we hope to see done in the world and in our lives. In the story of the blind men who had wanted Jesus to heal them, Jesus didn’t exempt them from the underpinned protocols. He didn’t say that, o well, you guys are blind so forget about the need to have faith, just be healed! No, Jesus still went ahead to ask them whether they believed. Faith is the inexcusable element that permits performance of things. Without faith, nothing of heavenly origin happens on earth. Faith creates the pathway and the runway for the move of the supernatural workings of God. Faith gives man the audacity to demand of heaven and heaven the opportunity to give to earth. So that without faith, righteousness couldn’t have been attributed to Abraham. For without faith, it is impossible to please God. Finally, do you believe that God is able to do what He promised? If you do, then don’t give up because nothing will stop Him.

Prayer_Bead: Father in Heaven, thank you for the grace to believe you. I thank you because you are always true to your words. Let it be unto me according to your will.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ( Luke 10:41–42 )

In this life as well as in the one to come, many things don’t so matter as the few that are capable of adding to our purpose for existence. Often we are faced with so many alternatives to life’s alluring lies which compete for our attention. And some of us try to possess as many things as we can, thinking that, effectiveness in life is dependent on our strength and possessions. We may chase after many things hoping they will satisfy our void but from the Master of our souls we are told that only one thing is needful. This truth strikes a cord in the old testament book of Ecclesiastes, where the preacher says, the conclusion of the whole matter is that we should fear God and obey His commands (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The book actually mentions so many things that could be done under the sun, so many things that men give their strength to. And then in the conclusion of it all, it says only one thing matters, fear God and obey Him. Isn’t it amazing to know that of all our striving and desire to leave indelible prints on the earth, only one thing matters? What could that one thing that matters in all the chaos that surrounds us be? Jesus opens our eyes to it. It is our love for God. Mary found that, she loved the Lord and her love made her disregard all else for Jesus. She put every other thing aside. It’s time we put everything aside for the Lord and to return to our first love.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the grace to choose the one thing that is needed in all of life and may it not be taken from me.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ( Acts 8 :18-19 )

The apostles were working miracles by the power of God and then came a man by the name Simon, who thought he could buy the anointing of God with money. In verse 21, the apostle Peter made a profound statement. He said that the heart of Simon was not right so he could not partake in the miraculous ministry. Like Simon in the text above who was denied the anointing, many Believers profess “genuine” hunger for the anointing and the miraculous workings of the Holy Spirit but underneath that euphoric expression of “true passion and desire”, is a thick layer of misplaced motivation. The driving force for their desire is mostly self gratification. They want to be recognized and celebrated so that people would know that they too have the power of God upon them. Maybe our situation may not be of same grandness but no matter how small or hidden the ulterior motive is, it will be the reason for our denial into the realm of the supernatural. Admission into the supernatural workings of God demands that our motives are refined by the word of God and a sincere love for God and humanity. But until that happens, self gratification and glorification will be the ultimate end which will be our own ends as well. Let us examine our motives for desiring the things of God, is it for the expansion of God’s kingdom and influence or for our own selfish gains?

Prayer_Bead: Lord of all creation and generations, thank you for your word. Search me o Lord and know my thoughts, try me and know my motives, help my motives for desiring to do your work.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.