Month: May 2024

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Tag of forces

[The Glory Unveiled]

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. [ Galatians 5:17 NIV ]

The flesh lives in a domain that focuses on feelings, desires, and emotions—outward, earthly nature—while the spirit focuses on what God approves. We are always torn between doing what the spirit sponsors and what the flesh sponsors. We are at the mercy of whichever of the two entities prevails over the other. Your spirit is constantly in conflict with your flesh, and your flesh with your spirit. With this understanding, we must think carefully before taking any actions. It gets easier when we desire to be led by the dictates of the spirit rather than the flesh. Unbeknownst to us, some of the things we do without considering the consequences are actually sponsored by the flesh. The enemy and anything he represents have an agenda: to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). This applies to anything he sponsors or influences. When we get carried away by our lusts and desires that are unsanctioned by the word of God, we are likely driven by the devil’s agenda. Unfortunately, one can be led by their flesh without realizing it. It may feel like they are led by the Spirit of God if they are not careful to discern who is in the driver’s seat. Knowing that there are two forces within us that inform our decisions and choices, let us allow the word of God to saturate our souls so that out of the abundance of what we are full of, we can live out His will. May the leadership of God’s Spirit in us always prevail over the desires of our flesh. And may we freely follow the dictates of God’s word.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for saving my soul. Guide me through your word to be fully yielded to you. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Your choices are made for you by either of two forces; the spirit or the flesh.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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God Without Boarders

[The Glory Unveiled]

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” [ Matthew 17:4 NIV ]

The nature and attributes of God put Him in a class where He cannot be limited by any environment or ideology. He transcends time and space, matter and energy, heaven and earth. He is God without boundaries or borders. By His majesty and sovereignty, God is not to be constrained by anything or anyone. No ideologies, concepts, or institutions can constrain the knowledge and person of God. Rather, He constrains us and confines us to His revealed will and identity. Many have tried to cast God, like gold or aluminum, into a predefined shape. They have tried to make Him the product of their imagination, like an idol cast in stone. Peter, the disciple, once tried to do that when he suggested at the mount of transfiguration that they build shelters for the memories of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. God is far beyond and far above our revelation of Him. What we know of and about God, compared to who He truly is, shows a vast difference. This is why it would be a horrible mistake to freeze our understanding of God; He is not a statue. Unfreeze any fixed notions you have of God and dismantle the tents of memory you have erected. We grow in the knowledge of God when we allow the fluidity of His personality to flow within us. This is why only the Holy Spirit can teach us and provide the true picture of God. He reveals the multifaceted nature of God to each of us according to what we can handle. May we be flexible enough to allow for the revelation of God within us.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for teaching me not to make a statue of you. Help me to remain in a living fellowship with you always. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: God cannot be hemmed in by boarders and boundaries.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Police your heart

[The Glory Unveiled]

”So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.“ [ Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭TPT‬‬ ]

Institutions have welfare schemes in place to ensure the well-being of their employees and members. A welfare system is designed to anticipate and provide for needs before they arise so that when such needs do arise, they can be easily addressed. If such care is taken to ensure the well-being of people in institutions, then it is indeed appropriate when the Bible emphasizes the need to pay attention to the well-being of our innermost selves. From our innermost selves flows the course of our lives. The outcomes of our lives are determined by the inputs or investments we make in our innermost selves—the education of our souls. We must guard against every form of undue attachment to things. Anything to which we are excessively attached, and reluctant to relinquish, becomes a god in our lives. These attachments, or idols as they are, will in turn influence every aspect of who we are. This is precisely why we need to establish personal welfare schemes for our souls. We must carefully anticipate and guard against anything that could hinder our relationship with God. Be deliberate in choosing the people you associate with and the friends you spend time with, as they have an impact on your heart. Over time, our hearts can become callous. Instead of associating with those opposed to the teachings of Christ, let us cultivate deep fellowship with the Father through His word. If Eve had remained in the company of Adam or God alone, she likely wouldn’t have succumbed to the temptation she faced. No wonder the scriptures teach that we are tempted when we are lured and enticed by our own desires (James 1:14). Resist the temptation to indulge unguarded emotions.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me that my life consist in the things I allow to influence my inner most being. Help me to guard my heart with your word. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: The affections of the heart affect one’s life.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Fish and Bread.

[The Glory Unveiled]

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. [ John 21:9 NIV ]

After the death of Jesus, the disciples returned to their old ways. One day, Peter told the rest that he was going out to fish, and they followed him. They went out in search of fish, but they caught none. After toiling all night and feeling despair, the Lord Jesus, who had just overpowered death, came to their rescue. He directed them on how to catch the fish. Here again, he taught Peter a second time how to catch fish. The lesson is that you don’t catch fish because you are a fisherman or experienced in fishing; you catch fish with direction and discernment. Jesus wasn’t a fisherman, but he knew where the fish were in the water at a particular time. Meanwhile, a man who had been fishing all his life couldn’t tell. Fish are not attracted to nets; they are attracted to the directives of God. On the other hand, what the disciples had spent all night toiling for was already with Jesus. Not only that, but it had already been prepared and was ready for consumption. Many of our life struggles and toils are unnecessary. We struggle because we try to do life without Jesus, or because we feel certain things in our lives are exclusive to Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus wants to help us in every area of our lives. Make Him Lord over everything in your life. When the disciples landed from the boat, bread and fish were already with Jesus, awaiting their return. Instead of going out to the tempestuous sea of life for answers, go to Jesus because He holds the answers waiting for your invitation. There is absolutely nothing impossible for God. All things were made by Him and for Him. Your fish and bread are ready in the presence of the master. Get out of your boat and go to Him.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for your care and provisions for me. Help me to trust you enough to depend on you solely for my livelihood. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Your boat does not hold the answers you seek.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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A civilization of light

[The Glory Unveiled]

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. [ 1 John 1:7 NIV]

People who gather in a well-lit room are able to see each other and are more likely to connect and bond. But a group of people in a dark room are most certainly going to bump into each other. Having a common environment gives us a shared experience. The light that provides us with the opportunity and platform to walk without stumbling is the light of the life of God. This is why for the believer, walking in the light means participating in the life of God. And then we can be called a fellowship because we are fellows in identifying with the life of God. We are a civilization of light and we live in the life of God. In this civilization, provision is made for everything that seeks to put blemishes on us. The blood of Jesus takes care of our struggles against disobedience and the laws that try to lead us back to what we turned our backs on in Christ. Walking in the light should therefore be the believer’s default position. Walking outside the corridors of light, for a believer, is a death warrant. But sharing in the life of God with one another keeps us in an impenetrable place where the darts of sin cannot reach. One can choose to walk in the light or not, and that is how we live out the truth or not. There are those who are believers and are committed to the truth, but that does not automatically translate into living out the truth, we each have the choice to live out the truth or not. Yet how we live out the truth tells whether we share in the life of God and have fellowship with Him and with one another or not. May we have the desire to walk in the light of God as He is in the light.

Prayer_Bead: Father Lord, thank you for the provision of the blood of your son Jesus. Help me to walk in the light as you are. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s civilization is light.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.