Month: June 2021

[The Glory Unveiled]

Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you: ( Numbers 14:28)

There is a saying that goes, “be careful what you wish for”. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine [think or wish for], according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20). God does not only answer prayers that are spoken out but also those that are imagined or communicated through our emotions. Emotions in themselves are not bad but sometimes, the way we release them are not healthy. Actually, emotions, whether negative or positive emotions are magnifiers. Negative emotions magnify the bad things we say or do and the positive emotions also intensify the good we say or do. The Israelites were caught in the divine maze of the wilderness on their historic journey to Canaan, their land of milk and honey, but the challenges they encountered every step of the way—which was actually God making a way to announce His presence and glory among them—rather caused them to murmur and speak against Moses and his God. And as their emotions spiked because of their discontentment, God decided to do for them what they were saying to God out of their fear. They had said that they will die in the wilderness because their enemies will come for them (Numbers 14:2). And then God said to them that He will do for them what they had said to Him [in their anger and fear]. We must therefore be careful what we allow our emotions and thoughts to drift to. What if God should answer your silence emotions and desires, will you be happy with the results?

Prayer_Bead: My Lord and My King, thank you for your love and kindness. Thank you for answered prayers and teaching me to guide my thoughts and emotions in the right directions.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory unveiled]

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ( Galatians 6:2 )

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus (Luke 23:26). The man Simon, who was forced to carry the cross of Jesus is the representation of humanity. It was humanity that sinned through Adam and Eve and so, it was humanity who had to carry the weight of their punishment. Simon stood in the place of humans but Jesus took the burden of the punishment for our disobedience. Hence, it was not Simon who helped Jesus, but rather Jesus who helped Simon (humanity) to carry the load of their sin. Jesus carried our burden as if it was his to carry, leaving us an example. Jesus did nothing deserving of the death He died. Even the “Judge” who took His case namely, Pontius Pilate did not find any fault with Him. But for the redemption of humanity, the consequences of our action came upon Him. He carried the reproach and the weight of our wrong; the burden that humanity could not bear. This is the law of Christ. Making a way for us to come into fellowship with Him and others by carrying their burdens too, as if the burdens were ours._

Prayer_Bead: Father in Heaven, how we love you, we lift our hearts to you. Thank you for carrying our burdens and taking our place of reproach so that we can approach your throne. Thank you for this law that now governs us.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:18 )

God has a peculiar will for us now that we are in Christ. So the apostles advice us to put away our old ways now that we are in Christ Jesus. A new way requires a new will to be fully functional. Galatians 4:9, puts it in the form of a question, “But now that you know God—or rather are known by God —how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” It means when we came into the Kingdom of God, we were delivered from slavery and the miserable forces of this world and as a result, we should operate under a new will. Our anchor scripture mentions thanksgiving as that will. We should give thanks to God for all His goodness and deliverance. Thanksgiving is a token of gratitude for God’s love and benevolence. We owe God our new life in Christ and for that we need to give thanks at all things. Thanksgiving cannot be outdone. Nobody can thank God too much, just as we cannot pray too much. So, let us enter into the business of giving thanks in all things. Thank God for everything going on around you; for the ones that directly affect you and the ones that affect you indirectly. This is supposed to be our new mental attitude.

Prayer_Bead: El-Shaddai, Gracious Redeemer, thank you for the kindness of your grace and removing me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of your marvelous light. Thank you for loading me with daily blessings.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ( James 4:7 )

Our anchor Scripture, like most other scriptures are quoted right but in application, we “misquote” them. The order of things is to submit ourselves to God and then we can resist the devil and he will flee. So if anyone tries to resist the devil while he/she is not submitted to God, the devil will not flee from them. But unfortunately, that is what most of us do. We try to cash in on the legal privileges of the name of Jesus without first submitting to God. We know of the story of the infamous sons of Sceva in Acts 19:14-16. They had not submitted to God but they wanted to resist the devil to flee from a young demon possessed man. It never worked like that and it never will. Submitting ourselves to God is the umbrella that covers us against the resistance of the enemy. And once that umbrella is up, the devil will have no option than to flee. The scripture tells us explicitly that if we want the devil to flee when we resist him in the name of the Lord, then we must submit to God. If we want guaranteed results then we must meet the condition of submitting to God. Now, whenever we quote this scripture, we must stress on “submit to God” because that is the emphasis that makes all the practical difference. And as we submit to God in all things, the devil will flee when we resist him.

Prayer_Bead: Omnipotent God, Everpresent Lord, I submit my heart, my will, my intellect, my desires and passion to you. My life is yours, use it for the demonstration of your power on earth.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ( 1 Timothy 4:8 )

In the verse before this verse of scripture, we are admonished not to have anything to do with godless myth and old wives’ tales. Rather, we should train ourselves to be godly. It is upon this pivot that the words of this verse are expressed. Instead of paying the price to do something, some people will rather talk about the reasons why such a thing should not or could not be done. And once they will not do something, they will talk every other person out from doing that thing. We hear of such people in the church whose motivation are things they did in the past and how they used to be vibrant for the Lord. When we stay close to such people, they affect us with such mentality. This is why we are admonished to train. Training must be now and always. No athlete depends on a training they had ten years ago for an activity that will be two years to come. Just as physical exercise is expected to be regular and consistent to make any significant impact, spiritual exercise is also supposed to be regular until we become what we train to be. That is why the Scripture says as we behold him in a mirror, we become like him. Beholding him is a conscious activity; it is the spiritual exercise that we must persevere to do on daily basis. Anyone who first attempted going to the presence of God in the Old Testament l, thought they will die for they had seen God. Whenever you train very hard, you may feel pains and think you will fall sick or die but continuously training will make you strong. Continuing in the presence of God will profit us now and in the life to come.

Prayer_Bead: Aba Father, Loving King, thank you for the revelation of your word. As I train myself in godliness through the prism of your word, may I become a blessing to my generation and the generations after.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.