Category: Faith

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Opened Eyes

[The Glory Unveiled]


Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. [ Pslams 119:18NIV ]

There are wonderful things in God’s law, but only perceived by “opened eyes”. No matter the wonders in the law of God, they can only be seen by those whose eyes have been opened to it. We might assume that our eyes are opened whenever we study the Scriptures but it may not always be the case. Elisha’s servant, for instance, had his eyes wide open when they were surrounded by angelic beings, but he did not see them until Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened. Thus, the servant thought he was seeing clearly until his eyes were opened to a different dimension of reality (2 Kings 6:17). There are indeed different dimensions of reality we can interact with. Paul the Apostle, before his encounter on the road to Damascus and subsequent conversion, believed he knew everything he needed to know. Based on that limited knowledge, he was seeing from a narrow reference point. However, after his encounter, he realized how little he truly knew and that there was a Savior he had not yet met. Later, in his letter to the Ephesians, this same apostle prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18). Having experienced this transformation, he could now see beyond the written words and desired his audience to also perceive beyond their immediate environment and limited perspectives. The Psalmist similarly asked God to open his eyes so that he might see the wondrous things in God’s law. All the individuals mentioned above, along with many others in Scripture, only perceived these wonderful things when their spiritual eyes were opened. Our walk with God will not truly change until our eyes are opened to the spirit behind the Word of God that we read and hear. There is so much more behind God’s Word than what meets the eyes.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the wonders of your word. Let it make me a wonder as it changes me.

Wisdom_Quote: There are different layers of reality the eyes can interact with.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Turn Aside

[The Glory Unveiled]

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. [ Exodus 3:3 KJV ]

Whenever we turn away from everything else to focus solely on what God is doing, we begin to have encounters. Divine encounters are often set within divine sceneries or sent to us in moments of unconsciousness. If only we can turn aside, there is so much God would reveal to us. Peter, the disciple, was an experienced fisherman. But one night, when he couldn’t catch anything, Jesus asked him to do something his experience would have advised against. However, Peter turned away from his experience and followed the instruction of God. The result was incredibly astonishing. Some of us are so fixated on one thing that we fail to see what else God is doing. The same Peter once saw Jesus walking on water and wondered how it could be possible. He asked Jesus to invite him to come if it was truly Him. When Peter turned his eyes away from the wind and the waves and fixed them on Jesus, he walked on water. Many times, it is not a matter of what God can do or will do; it is a matter of what we are willing to turn aside to. That willingness is the doorway into the wonderful expressions of God; it is the entry point into a deeper walk with Him. Moses, in our anchor text, said to himself, “I will turn aside and see this great sight.” That desire to see the sight triggered the encounter he had with God. A willingness to turn aside to a trigger will result in an encounter. God might be beckoning on your heart for an encounter with Him. Will you turn aside to the trigger?

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into my heart and giving me opportunity to be a child of God. Show me deeper depth in God. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Divine encounters are mounted on divine sceneries.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Light your Lamp

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? [ Luke 15:8 NIV ]

The value we place on things determines the effort and sacrifices we are willing to make for them. If an item can easily be replaced, we are unlikely to bother looking for it when it goes missing. In the scripture verse under consideration, the figurative woman loses one coin out of ten. She doesn’t dismiss its loss, reasoning that she still has nine others. Instead, she implements an elaborate strategy to find what was lost. She employs three techniques in her search. First, she lights a lamp. She recognizes that she cannot see anything in the dark. Even if the coin were right in front of her, she wouldn’t have been able to see it without light. Similarly, many of the things we have lost remain missing simply because there is no light or not enough light. Light is symbolic of the word of God. When the light of God is introduced, illumination occurs. This woman lights a lamp to aid her vision. Next, she sweeps the house. One might wonder about the purpose of this action. Sweeping is intended to gather everything together, allowing whatever lies on the floor to be collected and moved to a specific location. At this stage, the coin might be swept along with unwanted debris, but it is part of the gathered items nonetheless. This is where the third technique comes into play: carefully searching through the collected debris. At this point, she meticulously sifts through the waste, discarding the unwanted and retrieving every useful item. It is during this careful search that she is most likely to find the missing coin. Here, too, she faces a choice: she could rush through the process or take her time and search thoroughly until she finds what she is looking for. Is there anything missing in your life? You need a lamp—God’s word. You need to sweep by studying the scriptures thoroughly and applying their teachings. Finally, you need to take careful, practical steps to do what must be done.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for not abandoning me when I sinned and broke your heart. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus after me to save me. Restore every lost glory and blessing in Jesus.

Wisdom_Quote: In the kingdom of God, finding a lamp is the first step to finding what is lost.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The believer’s receipt

[The Glory Unveiled]

Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” [ Luke 18:42 NKJV ]

When you buy from any respectable enterprise, you are issued a receipt—evidence of your purchase. No receipt is issued unless a transaction has taken place. This means that anytime money exchanges hands in a transactional situation, a receipt is expected. If no transaction occurs, no receipt will be issued. In the Kingdom of God, we transact business with faith and receive answers as the receipt. Hence, anytime faith is given [released], answers must be returned as the receipt—evidence of a transaction. The blind man in our anchor verse, who regained his sight, was a man with knowledge about who Jesus was. In the preceding verses, he referred to Jesus as the Son of David, while the onlookers who had physical sight referred to Him as Jesus of Nazareth. This man called upon the mercy of God through Jesus, the Son of David, because he understood the significance of the sure mercies of David. However, his knowledge alone did not restore his sight. Although he had a deep understanding of who Jesus was, knowledge alone did not heal him. But when he added faith to his knowledge, he received his sight. His knowledge activated his faith, which in turn made a demand on the Healer’s gift. When faith made the demand (payment), a receipt had to be issued to him. Thus, he was given the receipt of healing. The receipt of your healing is waiting for the demand of your faith.

Prayer_Bead: Father , thank you for the gift of your Son. I receive the receipt of my faith as I make daily demands of my faith.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s  receipt for the demand of their faith is miracle.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Only Believe

[The Glory Unveiled]

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. [ Mark 11:24 NIV ]

Conviction is the pilot that drives beliefs into the realm of manifestation and boldness is the fragrance of conviction. Wherever there is conviction, boldness follows naturally. Just as goodness and mercy follow the man or woman to whom the Lord is Shepherd, boldness accompanies conviction. The proof that you believe in something lies in your conviction, which is founded on that truth or knowledge. Your convictions become the fence that protects what you believe in. Without conviction, no one can hold on to a belief for long. But with conviction, faith is rooted and grounded. In the world of men, faith is a currency. Just as in commerce, goods are exchanged for money, in the transaction between the Kingdom of men and the Kingdom of God, realities are transacted by faith. Without faith, every spiritual reality is like Canaan in the eyes of Moses. The believer may read about it and see it in the lives of others but not experience it personally. Just as you cannot doubt that money can purchase anything with monetary value, faith can acquire anything with faith value. Our text states that whatever we pray for does not automatically come to pass. What brings it to fruition is our faith—believing that what we ask for is already done. We must believe we have received what we are praying for, even before it manifests, without any doubt. God is able to provide whatever we ask for in prayer, but He will only release what we believe we have already received. Before you pray for anything, do you truly believe you have received it?

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness and love. I believe that I have received all I ask for in Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Boldness is the fragrance of convictions.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The choice of following Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. [Joshua  24:15 NKJV ]

Every believer needs to understand that there is a choice to be made in following Jesus, and one must consider it carefully before making that choice. The person who will walk with Jesus on this lonely path for the long term is the man or woman who has counted the cost. Only one who has counted the cost and still decides to go with Jesus can go far with Him. It is not enough to say you will walk with Jesus when you see Him multiply bread. The bread may be the center of your decision, and when that bread ceases to come, you might stop following. In John 6, many of Jesus’ followers stopped following Him, so He asked the twelve (His inner circle) in verse 67 if they also wanted to stop following Him. Peter answered on behalf of the twelve, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” The difference between these twelve and the rest of the multitude is that they had counted the cost of following Jesus before deciding to follow Him. Ruth and Orpah, from the book of Ruth, were also in a similar situation. Ruth counted the cost before deciding she would follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. Joshua, in our anchor text, asked the people of Israel to decide whether they would follow God or idols. He told them to count the cost and see if it was wrong to follow the Lord; if so, they should choose whom they would serve. But he and his household would serve the LORD. Today, we have the same opportunity to choose whom we shall serve. But before we decide, we need to understand that following Jesus comes at a cost and has its accompanying blessings.

Prayer_Bead: Father, I thank you for giving me opportunity to come to you through your Son Jesus Christ. I choose this day to be on your side, so help me God.

Wisdom_Quote: There is a dire price to choosing to following Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The believer’s police

[The Glory Unveiled]

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. [ 1 Corinthians 9:27 NIV ]

The apostle Paul was a powerful preacher of the gospel. He traveled around the world, preaching to others about Jesus. Yet, in this verse of scripture, he acknowledged that his own flesh could prevent him from partaking in the very things he preached to others. The realities he spoke of are spiritual, not physical; however, the physical component of a person can deny the spiritual access to heavenly bliss. This means that the physical aspects of our being and the issues associated with them are crucial. Often, as believers, what disqualifies us is the lack of discipline over our bodies. Simply knowing the truth and sharing it with others does not automatically mean we are qualified to partake in the glory of what we share. In fact, the moment anyone begins to share the good news, the world tests them to see if they are worthy of what they preach. This is why discipline is essential for anyone who carries the good news on their lips. A disciple or follower of Jesus is someone who disciplines themselves to follow Him, even when their physical desires resist. This attitude of discipline is what defines and distinguishes a follower of Jesus from a merely professing believer. A believer in Jesus Christ must intentionally bring their body under discipline to avoid disqualification in the end. Remember, if even the apostle Paul needed to discipline his body to avoid being disqualified before God, then discipline is non-negotiable; it is the believer’s police. Embrace discipline as a child of God.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, I yield my body to you in total obedience. Please help me to be consistent till the end. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Discipline is non-negotiable for the believer.

#GNews:Unveiling the glory of God.

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Pray First

[The Glory Unveiled]

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” [ Luke 22:32 NIV ]

The Lord Jesus made the statement in our anchor verse after He informed Peter, His disciple, that Satan had sought permission to sift him as a farmer sifts wheat. One might think that because Jesus knew what Satan intended to do, He would simply change everything by His power. But He didn’t. Instead, He prayed for Peter. Many times, when we face various challenges, especially those we consider difficult, we tell everyone about them—everyone except our heavenly Father. The fact that Jesus prayed about Satan’s plot to sift the disciples shows that we need to bring everything before God in prayer. God is not only interested in certain aspects of our lives but in every aspect. Prayer should be our first line of action in every situation. We must talk to God about every matter before we speak to anyone else. If only we prayed more, many of our challenges would disappear. Many of the things we struggle with wouldn’t exist if we had taken them to God. Before you complain, have you prayed about it? Before you give up or compromise, have you prayed about it? Prayer is a sign of our dependence on God. It shows that we trust He is able to help us and that we seek His guidance. And while we pray, may our faith not fail, because everything that constitutes our Christian life is linked to our faith, without which we have no life. Be consistent in your prayer life as you live a surrendered life.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your loving kindness and faithfulness. Help me to be fervent in prayer. So help me, Lord.

Wisdom_Quote: Prayer is a declaration of one’s dependence on God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Case closed.

[The Glory Unveiled]


So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. [ Romans 8:1 TPT ]

In the legal world, a court case is considered “closed” when the legal proceedings have concluded, and there is a final judgment and resolution. This typically happens when a verdict is rendered, a settlement is reached, a case is dismissed, or all appeals are exhausted. In our case, when humanity was taken to court because of our sin, a provision was made after the final judgment was pronounced. The settlement reached was that humanity must die. Jesus came to take our place and died, bearing the full punishment for our sins so that, through Him, we may have forgiveness and eternal life. Now that Jesus has paid for our sins, the settlement was achieved through His blood. The case is now closed, and there is no accusing voice of condemnation against those who have had their sentence taken on by Jesus. The voice that could legally accuse us of sin and its punishment has been silenced by the loving sacrifice of Jesus. When we enter into a life-union with Jesus, we receive immunity from condemnation and accusations. Any form of accusation or condemnation hurled at a believer in Jesus is unfounded and false. The devil still goes about deceiving innocent and ignorant men and women, just as he did Eve in the garden. This is why we need to equip ourselves with knowledge. We need to understand our position in Christ and the possibilities that the abundant life in Jesus presents. Remember, it is illegal for the devil to condemn you. Don’t buy into his deceptions.

Prayer_Bead: Merciful father, thank you for paying the price for my freedom.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer receives a mark of immunity against condemnation when they come into a life-union with Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Be well balanced

[The Glory Unveiled]

Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. [ 1 Peter 5:8 TPT ]

A lion looking for its prey to devour usually roars to scare the prey out of hiding. Fear has a way of exposing both people and animals. An animal hiding from a lion might run out of its hiding place, hoping to find a more “secure” one. It is this fear of being exposed that actually puts them in danger. This version of the Bible advises us to be well-balanced and always alert. A four-legged table that loses one or two of its legs cannot stand properly because it cannot balance. All four legs have roles in keeping the table stable. To be well-balanced means to have all it takes to succeed or excel at something. It means to have a well-rounded knowledge or skill in a particular area. Why should believers be well-rounded and balanced? In the Garden of Eden, the devil approached Eve through the serpent because he noticed she was not well-rounded and balanced. When the serpent asked Eve if God had said they should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve responded that God said they should not eat or touch the tree. However, God had not actually said they should not touch it. The devil exploited this gap in her understanding. Her response showed that she didn’t have an adequate knowledge of God’s word. The devil roams around, seeking those without sufficient knowledge of God, so that he can deceive them with lies. We are advised to be alert and well-balanced in our knowledge of God, so that the devil will not take us captive due to ignorance.

Prayer_Bead: Mighty Father, thank you for teaching me through your word to be alert and well balanced in all I do.

Wisdom_Quote: The devil comes at believers with age old tactics, go against him with God’s words.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.