Month: May 2021

[The Glory Unveiled]

He [John the Baptist] sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ( Luke 7:19 )

John the Baptist was asked by the Pharisees who he was. In response, he couldn’t give them anything solid about his identity. Whereas before his birth, it was prophesied that he will go in the spirit of Elijah (Luke 1:17). It was also prophesied that before the Lord comes, Elijah will come first (Mark 9:11-13). He came after the order of Elijah. But then, the man, John couldn’t truly recognize that he was Elijah incarnate. Our ability or inability to recognize who we are translate to our relationship with other people. Because John couldn’t really figure out who he was, he didn’t also truly believe that Jesus was the one to come after him, even though he was told that the one upon whom the Holy Spirit will come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33) and in the next verse, John the Baptist said I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. But then, in the face of challenges, when John was imprisoned, he began to doubt if Jesus was truly who he was. And so he sent his disciples from the prison to ask Jesus if he was the one or someone else will come. Without a firm standing in our identity we cannot really be identified with anything. We must discover who we are through the word of God and then be true to that identity. Even if the responsibility of our identity seem overwhelming, we must trust that God will live it through us. Believe in God, believe also in His plan for you.

Prayer_Bead: Omnipotent Father, Omniscient King, the foundation of all things, thank you for the kindness of your grace. Thank you for who I am in You through Christ Jesus. Help me to fully live my predestined life.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. ( Luke 5:16 )

Anything that is expendable must be used with wisdom. And plans must be made to replace it if continuity will be achieved. The power of God is inexhaustible but our dispensing of it without continuous resupply of the Spirit makes its expendable. The Lord Jesus, being fully God and man had the power while he was on earth to do anything and everything but even He, regularly withdrew himself to pray. He made time to refuel His soul and His Spirit. He continually communed with the Father. In the account of the woman with the issue of blood, the Bible says, Jesus said that virtue left Him when the woman touched Him. That means that Jesus always knew when a miracle took place because something would leave him. But anytime something left Him, he would go on a solo mission to refill Himself. Prayer to us is our lifeline to the power of God and all the treasures that are at our disposal. There cannot be a true believer who does not have a prayer life. It is what we lean on to have the results that astonishes the world. Before our verses of Scripture, Jesus had just cured someone of leprosy. But that didn’t stop Him from praying, it rather drew Him to the secret place of prayer. When the testimonies keep flashing in and all the breakthroughs break in on us, we must still pray; even more.

Prayer_Bead: Everlasting God, king of glory, thank you for the power that is at work in me. Help me through consistent prayer to keep active the manifestation of this anointing.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ( Romans 15:5 )

Actions are not self driven. Whatever actions are taken by a person is almost always as a result of their attitude of mind. The man goes where their mind goes. The mind drives our actions. We do only those things that our minds have permitted us to do. The Lord Jesus was not identified by the many things He did while on earth. Even though Jesus did so many miracles and manifested the power of God to a degree that no one in His time was able to match. But the Bible didn’t identify Him with all those things. Instead, He was identified with the attitude of his mind. So the Bible says that we should let this mindset be in us which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). What is that mindset? It is the attitude that made Christ endure the suffering of a bondservant even though He was God, He humbled Himself in utter obedience to God to live as man. And through His obedience and humility, He has made a way for us to the Father. And now, we are asked to follow the example of Christ by cultivating His mental attitude because He did all that we know and more because of the attitude of His mind. May the attitude of love fill our hearts so that we can express the life of Christ.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me the mind of Christ. Through the encouragement of your word and endurance, help me to cultivate that mental attitude of Christ to the praise of your name.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ ( Luke 13:7 )

A day will come in everyone’s life when they would have to account for one thing or the other. The verse of scripture captures the very fabric of accountability. We must account for what the grace of God did in our lives. God invested in our lives through Jesus. God “lost” Jesus into us so that through Him; our believing in Him, God may have many sons. We have salvation, the Holy Spirit and God’s word to help us grow and bear fruit. If for all the investments God made in us to look like His son, we still do not look like Him, then we may be removed from our place. We may have so many reasons for which we are unable to do what we are supposed to do but none of those reasons are valid enough to justify our negligence and laziness. God expects much from us because much is given to us. The question that God will continue to ask is, where is your fruit? God will want to see our fruits because He has deposited a seed in us. Let us not frustrate the grace of God upon us. We have all the resources we need to live the life of Christ. The word of God is available and by grace, we have the Spirt of God to bear fruit. So, let the body of Christ benefit from your fruit.

Prayer_Bead: Father in Heaven, thank you for gracing me with your word and your Spirit. Thank you for saving me to bear fruit to your glory. I take advantage of your grace to live the life of Christ Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.