Category: Faith

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Remember Lot’s wife

[The Glory Unveiled ]

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. [ Genesis 19:26 NIV ]

In Luke 17:32, the Lord Jesus instructed His listeners to recall Lot’s wife. In the subsequent verse, He stated, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” In this context, Jesus illustrates that Lot’s wife acted in unbelief by attempting to save her life, including her belongings and possessions. She couldn’t part with her possessions, so she turned into a pillar of salt, clinging to the things she cherished. The Bible teaches that our lives are not defined by our possessions (Luke 12:15), but by our faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), which is essentially obedience to God’s word. Whenever we act in accordance with God’s word, we demonstrate faith. For instance, when Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on water, it wasn’t faith, but when Peter obeyed Jesus’ command to come and began moving towards Him, that was faith. Once again, faith is adherence to God’s word. In Lot’s case, God, through the Angels, instructed him and his household not to look back at what they were leaving behind in judgment. However, Lot’s wife chose to glance back, revealing her reluctance to let go of what she had—a lack of trust in God’s word. Jesus urges us to remember Lot’s wife so that we won’t lose what is most precious to us by clinging to them in disregard for God’s word. Disobedience to God’s word is unbelief, which can stagnate us and lead us into spiritual death. Therefore, let’s heed the lesson of Lot’s wife.

Prayer_Bead: Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding me of Lot’s wife so that I will not follow her ways. Help me to be obedient to you in all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Wisdom_Quote: Disobedience to the word of God is unbelief.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Jesus credit card

[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 ]

In the world, we only receive things by sight, then we are sure we have received them. But when it comes to receiving from God, we need to receive them first by faith before we receive them by sight. It will not enter your hands until it first enters your heart. Many times, believers want to have them in their hands first before they believe in their hearts that they actually have them. But the opposite is what makes our requests available. God said His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). God’s method is the opposite of the world’s method. While the world says you need to have them in your hands to believe, God says we need to have them (believe) in our hearts to have them in our hands. This is why many believers chase after their needs but never catch up to them. Whatever we desire as believers, when we go to the marketplace of prayer—the currency for purchasing is faith—we need to believe that we already have what we need. So, in the faith market, you take whatever you want on credit by believing—to be charged to Christ’s account, before it is actually credited to you physically. Faith is your credit card; you can buy whatever you want on account of Christ. And then, it is physically delivered to you. What you want or need will be yours after you have made it yours by faith. So, don’t pursue it with your eyes first; pursue it with your faith. Lay hold of it by faith, and your hands will handle it later.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the revelation from your word. I receive whatever I ask for in prayer by faith. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer receives by faith before they receive by sight.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Open your mouth

[The Glory Unveiled]

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, [ Isaiah 38:2 NIV ]

A closed mouth is indeed a closed destiny. Many lives are lost, destroyed, or robbed because mouths were closed when they should be opened. There is so much power in words; God made it so. He Himself is our example. When He faced a chaotic world without order, Genesis 1 records that He spoke. God did not keep quiet over the situation; He spoke order into it and called out what He wanted to see. Hezekiah, the man spoken about in the text above, was given a death sentence by a prophet of God. But he didn’t keep quiet and accept it as his fate. Instead, faith rose within him, and he opened his mouth in prayer to change the verdict. It was when he opened his mouth that fifteen good years were added to his life. Imagine what would have happened if he had kept quiet; his silence would have endorsed the sentence. Everyone is either being destroyed or built by their mouth. What happens in our lives is determined by the things we confess. Your mouth is a gateway; you decide and design your future and present circumstances with it. Don’t keep quiet; keep talking and confessing your convictions and desires. Bend the arm of circumstances to favour God’s purpose for your life. Some things are dying because no word is being spoken over them. The early church lost James because they didn’t speak on his behalf. When Peter was later imprisoned, they prayed earnestly for him (Acts 12:5), and he was saved. You will lose whatever you don’t protect with your mouth. Your destiny depends on your words; don’t shut your mouth.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the power you have given me to order the circumstances of my life. Let your name be glorified in my life.

Wisdom_Quote: A closed mouth is a closed destiny.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The power that brings salvation

[The Glory Unveiled]

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. [ Romans 1:16 NIV ]

Salvation is always conveyed through the conduit of the gospel. Without the gospel, salvation cannot be made available; in other words, it will not exist. The reason is that salvation must be transmitted by power, and the gospel happens to be the power channel that transmits salvation to people who believe. Salvation does not just come to people; it is administered to people by power. This power is not the result of man’s oratory skills or communicative ability and craftiness. It is solely through the good news of Christ. This is why, regardless of the amount of good things a person does, their good deeds do not make them righteous. So, good deeds do not have the power to offer salvation; it is only through faith in Jesus by the gospel. The key element that ushers in salvation is the gospel, which is why the devil tries to change the message that makes up the gospel, just as he did with Eve. Today, we hear different kinds of messages in the name of the “gospel.” As a result, many people are being swayed and taken far away from the path of salvation, since no other message carries the power that brings salvation except the gospel. With this understanding, we must be bold to share the gospel with our world, confidently telling them about the love of God and His gift to humanity. You are a power distributor; let the world come into contact with the power that brings salvation because of you.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your love and the power available to bring me and the world, salvation. Let Jesus be glorified.

Wisdom_Quote: The gospel is the power of God that gives salvation.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The voice of faith

[The Glory Unveiled ]

She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” [ Matthew 9:21 NIV ]

The woman with the issue of blood had tried every available solution, every prescription known in her day to no avail. Finally, she reckoned that only Jesus could help her out of her condition. After all was said and done, she realized that only Jesus could help her. And so, she came to that place of decision and she said the words of our anchor verse of scripture to herself. Her reasoning was strange but it gives us an insight into her faith. This was a woman who had been trying alternate medicine and who sought healing from anywhere she could find it, even diabolical sources. And so, before she came to Jesus, she must have done her homework, finding out all the things that Jesus was capable of and had done. She investigated the power of Jesus and was convinced that if only she touched Jesus’ garment, she will be healed. This was why she said emphatically, “I will be healed” even before there was anything to collaborate her faith and confession. We could clearly perceive her attitude from her conviction and confession. Attitude is the expression of one’s mental and physical convictions that influence their actions. We noticed that, she didn’t wait for another person’s confession nor moved because someone else said anything. She moved because she was convinced herself. A lot of the things we seek are hiding from us because we are making our moves based on the convictions of others and not our convictions. Our convictions give a voice to our faith. So, before you make your move, what is your conviction saying?

Prayer_Bead: Dear heavenly father, thank you for the privilege to believe in your Son Jesus. Do in my life what only you can do. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Conviction is the voice of faith.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Prove it

[The Glory Unveiled]

”By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,” [ Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭17‬ NKJV‬‬ ]

It is not enough to say that we have faith. The presence of faith is not known by confession but by the things we do. It is possible to claim one thing but live a life that contradicts that claim. In scripture, God said now he knows that Abraham believed him or trusts Him. This affirms the fact that our faith in God is only valid by our actions and not merely by our confessions. And so, rather than make a lot of noise about what we believe, our actions convey the true story of faith. . Therefore, the proof that a person believes is evident in their willing obedience. The proof that Abraham believed in the promise of God is evident in his willingness to do whatever God asked him to do, even to the point of sacrificing his only son. Scripture states that Abraham offered Isaac by faith because at the time of offering his son, there was nothing to encourage him to believe that his son would not truly die. By faith, he saw his son as already dead and thus was able to let go of him. Consider that he was promised a son, and now that he had the son, he was asked to sacrifice him. Some may claim they believe in God but would not let go of their son. In such cases, God would say He doesn’t know whether they truly trust Him or not. The proof lies in our willingness to obey God regardless of the requests made. Do a self assessment and see whether you truly believe God or it is just a mouth offering?

Prayer_Bead: Faithful God, thank you for your continuous love for me. Help me to prove by my obedience, that I believe in you. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Let your obedience validate your confessions.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The logic of faith

[The Glory Unveiled]

”Abraham’s faith made it logical to him that God could raise Isaac from the dead, and symbolically, that’s exactly what happened.“ [ Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭19‬ ‭TPT‬‬ ]

Faith is not the abandonment of logic to embrace fantasy and wishes, but the firm acknowledgment and embrace of logic derived from an understanding of the person of God. Hence, true faith brings about an understanding that becomes the anchor upon which corresponding action is hinged. The scripture above tells us that Abraham’s faith made it logical for him. Now, a few verses before this verse, verse 3, records that by faith, we understand that the world was formed at the command of God. This means faith brings a certain understanding that only faith can release. No wonder the apostle also teaches that the unspiritual, the man without faith, cannot discern or know things of the Spirit because such things are spiritually discerned (from a place of understanding) (1 Corinthians 2:14). So, Abraham came to trust God so much not to withhold his son from God because he got an understanding from his faith that God was able to raise his son from the dead. Faith helps us to see from the perspective of God, which is the logical side of faith. This is why without faith, it wouldn’t have made sense to Abraham how God who promised him a child now wants that child from him. It would seem to the carnal man as illogical. But then, true faith furnishes us with an understanding that helps us to stand by God through every test and challenge. God is faithful, and He will keep every promise He made to us.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the understanding and logic that my faith brings. Help me to trust you all the way. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Faith embraces logic.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Jesus, our example

[The Glory Unveiled ]

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [ Hebrews‬ ‭12‬‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ]

The Bible says the Lord Jesus is the first Son among many brothers (Romans 8:29), meaning that He is the template for our conduct and lifestyle. We are supposed to learn from our senior brother, Jesus, and God. Usually, when you want to learn a dance step, you need to keep your eyes on the instructor to get everything right; otherwise, you will miss everything. In the case of our faith pattern, the Lord Jesus is our guide, the author, and the one who completes it. Therefore, we cannot have faith or continue to live and grow in faith without Jesus. With that clear understanding, let us carefully examine the Lord Jesus’ style. The scripture says, He was motivated by the joy that was set before Him: the joy a shepherd experiences when he finds his missing sheep, the joy of bringing us back to God. The weight of the joy, which is the reward of his sacrifice, made Him endure the cross with its shame and pain. His gaze was fixed on one thing alone: the joy. And because He didn’t have divided attention, He obtained what He pursued. The same will happen in our lives if we look to Jesus alone and nothing else, and despise the shame and hateful words of people. We will also endure our crosses and have the reward of being with the Father. No matter how difficult it seems, if we can keep our gaze on Jesus, our faith will produce the desired results.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for being the author and finisher of my faith. Help me to endure the things I need to endure, so help me God.

Wisdom_Quote: The direction of your gaze determines your level of distractions.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Kill your doubts

[The Glory Unveiled]

If God can clothe the fields and meadows with grass and flowers, can he not clothe you as well, O struggling one with so many doubts? (‭‭‭ Luke‬ ‭12‬‬:‭28‬ ‭TPT‬‬)

The presence of our needs does not indicate the absence of God’s ability to provide. The absence of what we wish to experience only confirms a deficiency on our part. Many times in the Bible, we are compared to other categories of people or things to strike a balance between our current experiences and what we ought to experience. When God compares the kind of faith that grants unrestricted access to heaven, He mentions children. This suggests there is wisdom to be gained from observing the attitude of children. The Bible also directs the lazy man to learn wisdom from the ant, another lesson we can derive from comparison. Now, we are posed with a comparative question: If God can clothe the fields and meadows with grass and flowers, can He not also clothe us? Certainly, He can, because by every standard, we are more dear to God than grass and flowers. However, the reason we may not be experiencing this provision is doubt. Faith and fear are instruments that grant permission to celestial beings. Faith permits God and His kingdom, while fear creates room for the devil’s influence. Doubt also signifies a lack of full knowledge or information about something. It is this gap in awareness that undermines our experiences. God is capable of exceeding more than we could ask or think. Yet, doubt can be the one thing that stops Him. Not believing that God is able to provide for our every need, no matter how small, is an insult to His power and thus yields a corresponding result. Don’t wrestle with God’s promises; He is able to fulfill everything He says He will do.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for your provisions. I believe that you are able to do exceeding, abundantly and far above what I ask, think or imagine.

Wisdom_Quote: Doubt or faith is the gap between your experience and your expectations.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Who is God to you?

[The Glory Unveiled ]

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. [ Psalms 3:3 KJV ]

The preceding verse of scripture provides an understanding of why this verse begins with “but.” This chapter of Psalms was written when David fled from his son Absalom. In the verse before our anchor verse, he wrote, “many are those who say there is no help for me in God.” And then he quickly adds in this verse, the truth about his situation for which those who think there is no help for him in God are unaware. Here, he ignores the people who rose up against him and focuses on God. David understands that with God alone on his side it wouldn’t matter how many people rise against him. He switches so swiftly implying that the comments of his enemies are irrelevant. He calls God his shield; his shield against the skims of the enemies. He said in verse 6 that he will not be afraid of ten thousand people that stand up against him because of this same understanding. He also calls God his glory because Absalom had wanted to take away his father’s glory. But David knew that his glory is not the material things he owned or the legacy he built. God was his covering and glory. As a result, God was the lifter up of his head. Eventually, God lifted his head over that of his son. God made David known and influential. So, rather than focusing on people and your environment, focus on your God. What is your relationship with God? Is God your shield? Is He your glory and the lifter up of your head? This is what really counts and not the people and situations that seem to choke you. So, turn your attention to God.

Prayer_Bead: Our shield and the lifter up of our heads, thank you for what you have done for us and continue to do for us.

Wisdom_Quote: Your life is the result of your perspective.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.