Month: April 2024

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The work of perseverance

[The Glory Unveiled]

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [ James 1:4 NIV ]

The raw material for creating an enduring disposition to life is trials and challenges. Unfortunately, we have been made to believe that trials and challenges are a sign that God is not with us. Meanwhile, every great person who ever walked the earth faced many trials. The Lord Jesus, our example and mentor, suffered the same things when He walked the earth. He faced many trials, and after perseverance had finished its work in Him, He was “complete”. The testing of our faith is meant to produce perseverance. Trials have a way of releasing in us the grace to persevere. This is why the apostle James admonishes us to count it a good thing when we face trials of many kinds, knowing that their end product is an ability to persevere. The reality is that perseverance has a definite work to do in us. When its work is done, we are made mature and complete. But then, on the contrary, many of us try to skip classes. We do not allow perseverance to finish its work in us. While perseverance is working on us, we run out of patience and leave the class of trials that are meant to mature us. And so, we come out “incomplete” and immature, unable to handle situations that are meant to reveal God’s glory if we persevere. The world is misleading so many who would not gracefully endure the trials that come their way, knowing that God is with them, even through the fires. Don’t be one of those who are deceived. Allow perseverance to finish its work in you.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace to go through the trials that are apportioned to me for my maturity. Help me not to skip classes. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Maturity is the working of perseverance.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The secret of contentment.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But godliness with contentment is great gain. [ 1 Timothy 6:6 NIV ]

The world teaches us to crave more, ask for more, work for more, and seek more. We have been conditioned to always want more. We have become gullible, our appetites insatiable. Nobody seems content with anything. But contentment has great gains—delivers us from many temptations—and it has to be learnt. Contentment is not a gift or a nature that is inherently in us. In Philippians 4:11-13, the apostle Paul explains that he had learned contentment by the things he needed and those he had in abundance. He teaches that contentment is not only expected in a season of abundance but also in a season of lack. There are those who are very content with life because they have plenty. The very moment their situations change, they become gullible. For such, contentment is not yet learned. For a person who is content, the understanding that furnishes this position sits on the scripture that says “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). God is committed to us in all seasons and all situations. And so, having deep trust in God’s faithfulness, we can be content with whatever He commits to us in every season. Another reason why we need to be content is that “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7). We need to learn contentment because the result or reward of all our struggles and toil in this world remains here; we cannot take them away. And if everything we are chasing is so ephemeral, then it would be foolishness to chase them to the detriment of our souls—the eternal matter. And so, let us trust in God’s faithfulness and compassion, and let us be content with whatever God commits to us in every season.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for not forsaking nor leaving me. Help me to be content with everything you have blessed me with. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Godliness with contentment is great gain.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Spirit of order

[The Glory Unveiled]

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [ Genesis 1:2 KJV ]

The world is presently in chaos, lacking form, order, and peace. The Holy Spirit is essential for maintaining order and proper shape. Wherever the Holy Spirit is absent, there is constant chaos and disorder. At the core of any system that does not allow for the Holy Spirit’s influence lies darkness and void. Initially, the world resembled the description of our anchor verse of scripture because a personality, the Holy Spirit, was absent. The Holy Spirit, referred to as the mother of the Church and the believer’s helper, lives in us and this is why our lives are as a shining light from glory to glory. However, when the Holy Spirit is not allowed to influence a people, their every situation mirrors the description above. Currently, the Holy Spirit dwells in people who believe in Jesus, resulting in a world void of darkness and chaos for them. The Holy Spirit holds all the possibilities of God, unlocked and released only when we speak by the mind of God. Ezekiel found himself in a valley of darkness, devoid of life and order, yet the Holy Spirit was present. All that was required for change was a word spoken in faith or as led by God. When Ezekiel spoke, change occurred, and dry bones came to life. Our dark and chaotic circumstances persist due to the absence of God’s Spirit and a word spoken in faith. However, we can alter the narrative and restore order and peace to every situation by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Spirit’s presence in my life and situations. Let there be light and order in Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The world is in darkness and chaos without the Holy Spirit.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Law of Superposition

[The Glory Unveiled]

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; [ 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV ]

Sedimentary rocks are formed from the accumulation and consolidation of sediments, which consist of particles of minerals, organic matter, and other materials. In any sequence of undisturbed sediments, the youngest rocks are found at the top while the oldest are at the bottom because they are deposited in horizontal layers. However, in the collapse of sedimentary rocks, those closest to the surface are most susceptible to breaking and erosion. This vulnerability is due to factors such as less consolidation, surface effects, and human activities. When we apply this concept to the believer’s mind, we can see that there are numerous layers of thoughts as our feelings and emotions accumulate or layer upon the established thought of God. These newer layers of thoughts and emotions often try to elevate themselves above the present revelation of God within us. The apostle Paul teaches us to bring such thoughts that exalt themselves above the foundational thoughts of God into obedience to Christ. Just as the upper layers of rocks are displaced due to surface effects and less consolidation, thoughts that do not align with God’s will for our lives should not be allowed to remain within us because they lack the strength to withstand the pressures of this world and its systems. We push them down by bringing them into obedience to Christ. We bring every thought and imagination into obedience to Christ by subjecting them to align with God’s word rather than our desires, feelings, or emotions. Such desires and emotions collapse in the face of the word of God, losing their power over us. Let us enforce the law of superposition over such thoughts, displacing them with the word of God and positioning His word above them. Let us prioritize the word of God, and every baseless thought will lose its authority.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the power of your word over every circumstance of my life, even over my thoughts. Let every baseless thought be brought into obedience to your will.

Wisdom_Quote: Prioritizing the word of God over every thought brings every thought into obedience.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Christ, our mirror man.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. [ 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV ]

Whenever we look into a mirror, we see an image, an image we believe to be ourselves. But there is another kind of mirror that reveals another person as us. And since mirrors reveal what is in front of them, it means the image we see in this kind of mirror, though different from ourselves, is who we really are. When Moses came down from the mountain of God with a glowing face, the assembly could not openly look at his face. Some covered their faces because of the brilliance of the light. Others covered the face of Moses with a cloth to dim the brightness (Exodus 34:30-33). In the New Testament, we have the reality of that shadow event as Christ. And so, we behold the glory of the Lord but instead of veiling the face of the message (Christ), the Spirit unveils Him so that by continuously beholding His face, we are changed into His very image. The person who does the changing is the Holy Spirit who unveils the message to our hearts and minds. Through meditation, we behold the glory of the Lord. This is why a believer cannot resemble Christ without continuously looking unto Jesus—the author and finisher of our faith. The message (the Lord) is unveiled by the Spirit and so, the only way one is not changed is when they refuse to look upon the Lord. But as long as we keep our gaze on the Lord like Peter for the brief moment on the lake, he walked on the water like the Lord Jesus Himself. We are not different from the Lord when we keep our focus on Him because as we do, we are changed into His very image. Let us make it a habit to keep our gaze locked on Jesus so that the world can see several images of Christ.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the revelation of your Son by your Spirit. Thank you for the change that is taking place in me.

Wisdom_Quote: The mirror of God’s word changes the viewer into the image in view.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Attaining the image of God

[The Glory Unveiled]

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: [ Ephesians 4:13 KJV ]

The mystery of the wisdom of God and His grace is shaping us into the stature of the fullness of Christ. God always builds according to a predetermined pattern and plan. When He called Noah to build the ark, He gave him specifications. When Moses was supposed to build the ark of the covenant, specific measurements were given. In the creation of man, God said, “Let us make man in our own image and likeness.” God always builds with a predefined template—Himself. He is the measuring rod for creation. A few verses before our anchor verse, the apostle Paul writes that God gives gifts of ministries to men with specific purposes or assignments. These gifts, the apostle teaches, have proportionate grace for their operations and functionalities. So, the grace for the prophet is different from the grace for the teacher. But ultimately, they are all meant to build the believer into the image of Christ. Different ministries and ministrations are required for carving and shaping the believer until they attain the perfect stature of Christ. In our anchor scripture, he mentions so many things we need to look alike in; unity of faith, knowledge of the Son of God, coming unto a perfect man even unto the stature of the fullness of Christ. But you know what, we attain the stature of the fullness of Christ when we come to the unity of faith, when we come to the true knowledge of the Son of God who is the image of perfection. It starts with a relationship with the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting Him as your Saviour and Lord. And then, the ministry of the Holy Spirit begins, carving out the excesses, the world out of us until the perfect image of God is revealed in us.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for the grace that is made available to me. Help me to build others by the Holy Spirit through me. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The end goal of the believer’s journey is to look like Christ.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The word made flesh

[The Glory Unveiled ]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [ John 1:1 NIV ]

When you keep a glow-in-the-dark material around a source of light, after some time, that phosphorescent plastic begins to glow as if it were light, taking on the properties of the light. As we behold Christ, we are changed into His glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18). Whatever we keep looking at, we begin to look like it. The Word was with God [as an independent entity] but later became God through prolonged stay with God. “In the beginning was the Word” means the Word had stayed with God from the beginning for a long time. The result was that the Word became exactly like God. Moses was a man who went to meet the Lord on the mountain for forty days and nights. When he came down, he looked radiant like God, not merely a man. The reason was that he had stayed in the presence of God for a long time and absorbed the radiant essence of God; just as a phosphorescent material placed before a light source radiates the light it absorbs. Evidently, we become what we consistently behold. As we behold the Son of God, we are changed into His very image, the image of the only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour. If we become what we keep beholding, you can tell what you are becoming by what you constantly give your attention to. It doesn’t matter who you are; if you consistently give your heart and thoughts to anything, that thing begins to capture your attention and affection. Whatever you stick with for long, you mirror its properties consciously or unconsciously.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege to stay in your presence and the grace to mirror your nature and glory. Hallelujah.

Wisdom_Quote: The word that stays with God becomes God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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A canvas for God’s name

[The Glory Unveiled]

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. [ Exodus 6:3 NIV ]

If there was anything that stood out in people’s relationship with God throughout scripture, it is the fact that it was progressive. This means God makes Himself known progressively. The experiential knowledge of God is in phases and layers. To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God made Himself fully known as God Almighty. Hence, in their walk with God, they saw the parts of God that demonstrated His Almightiness. God used circumstances and situations to reveal that part of Himself. To Abraham again, He made Himself known as the God who provides (Genesis 22:14). In verse 2, the verse before our anchor verse, God revealed Himself as the Lord to Moses; an identity He didn’t reveal to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Later in Exodus 34:5-7, God shows Moses the multifaceted nature of His identity as the Lord. He proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.” Later on, we see Moses’ life demonstrate these attributes in his walk with God. God indeed revealed Himself to Moses as the Lord. When God reveals a dimension of Himself to us, we begin to mirror attributes of that dimension. So that through us, others can see that attribute of God. We would want the Lord to be fully known to us by His special names, so that our lives will be a canvas for His names and attributes.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing your multifaceted nature through my life. Let the world see your glory in me. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The knowledge of God is progressive.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The abiding presence

[The Glory Unveiled]

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” [ Exodus 33:16 NIV ]

Everything and anything that is unique has a distinguishing characteristic that sets it apart from others of the same kind. For humans, the presence of God in our lives makes all the difference, setting us apart from others. If God’s presence is with you, only then will others know that God is pleased with you. When Samson declared he would rise again as he had before, and shake himself as on previous occasions, after revealing to Delilah what could weaken him, the Bible states that he did not realize that the Spirit of God had left him (Judges 16:20). This indicates that God was not pleased with his actions, resulting in His presence departing from Samson. Moses asserted that people would only recognize that God was pleased with them because of His abiding presence. The presence of God bestows upon us a ribbon of glory that distinguishes us from every other person—it is the sole mark of distinction. Moses questioned what else would distinguish him and God’s people from all others on the face of the earth, and there was not an answer, signifying that nothing else could set them apart except God’s abiding presence. While Samson experienced the presence of God, it was not enduring. If God is pleased with a person, His presence abides with them, accompanying them wherever they go. God is pleased with those who yield to Him in all things, adhere to His word, and follow His instructions. If you are that person, then you bear the ribbon of God’s glory.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your abiding presence. Help me to walk continuously in total submission to your will and purposes. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: God’s abiding presence is the mark of His interest in a man.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.