Category: Faith

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God’s viewpoint

[The Glory Unveiled]

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. [ Judges 6:12 KJV ]

Perspective is a wonderful tool as it is important. The outcome of two people’s lives can be utterly different just because of their perspectives. Perspective however, is an art animated by the pencil of position. Where a person is positioned influences their perspective. God’s perspective is vast and encompasses the past, present and future of man’s existence and experience. As a result, God sees and calls us according to the end He had predestined for us and not by our present circumstances nor our past. In God’s vocabulary, He calls the things which are not as if they were because they are—from His perspective. Even before God had actually created man, He had created us. He had a perfect picture of what He would do which was not different from what He did. Whenever God says something, it becomes, because God’s word is reality. As at the time God called Gideon a mighty man of valour, according to our text, he was actually a mighty man of fear, from human perspective. He was literally hiding from the Medianites—the enemies of Israel at the time. But God was speaking from His reference point of reality. Gideon was not who God called him because he had some special qualities that set him apart, God called him a mighty man because God’s Spirit and presence was going to be with him. Apart from the presence of God, Gideon was a little man full of fear (see Judges 6:16). And so, Gideon was only as far from his true identity as the distance between him and the presence of God. His closeness to his identity was determined by his proximity with God’s presence. The same is true for us all. Our true destinies lie beyond the boundary of our acquaintance with what we perceive to be reality to what God calls us to do.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me to come into the reality of the the person from your viewpoint. Help me in Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The distance between our view and experience of reality and God’s view of our identity is the presence of God in our lives.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Provisions for the Flesh

[The Glory Unveiled]

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. [ Romans 13:14 KJV ]

When the Bible verse above says we should make no provisions for the flesh to fulfill its lusts, it is an instruction that requires intentionality and action. Before a visitor comes to a place, provisions are usually made for them. Often, reservations are made to accommodate their every need. Anytime reservations are made, there is always expectation of some guests. Reservations are coded invitations to guests. Likewise, it is possible to make provisions [reservations] for the flesh to fully carry out its lusts. [That provision is refusing to put on the Lord Jesus Christ as our covering and identity; that’s to say refusing to live in Him and by His words.] There’s a popular saying that “deciding not to make a decision is a decision.” Sometimes our failures to take actions are costly decisions we make in ignorance. When we refuse to decide or act on something, we have actually decided or chosen an alternative, unknown to us. Our scripture shows us how not to make provisions for the flesh to carry out its lusts. The secret is to put on the identity of Jesus at all times. Which means deciding not to put on the identity of Jesus at anytime is a [subtle, unintentional] counter decision of making provision for the flesh to sin through lust. This is why we cannot be passive in our relationship and walk with God. The believer needs to be proactive. The believer takes actions that are consistent with the word of God at all times. Our failure to do so, is an expensive choice we should not afford. Every choice made for us by ignorance costs more that the knowledge of it would have cost us. In other words, what we lose because we are ignorant of a divine truth always far exceeds the cost of the knowledge that could have saved us from the negative consequences. And so, let us intentionally put on the image [identity] of Jesus at all times, as we bear the mark of His suffering and life. And then, sin cannot carry out its enterprise in us through the avenue of lust.

Prayer_Bead: Our Daddy in heaven, thank you for the provisions you have made in your Son for us to live in holiness and righteousness. Help us to put on His identity at all times. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Whatever we make provisions for, we are ready to accommodate.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Ready for the coming flood

[The Glory Unveiled]

So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. [ Genesis 6:14-15 NIV ]

”As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37). Another episode of Noah’s time will soon come upon the earth, and even though the characters will be different and the incidence nonidentical, the vehicle of salvation will not differ as a figurative flood is coming. And so, if you want to survive the coming flood, you must build an ark and design it according to God’s instructions. No matter your fashion skills and engineering knowledge, you will only survive the flood with God’s template because there is only one type of ark that can withstand the coming flood. And that ark is the ark built after the manner that God instructed it to be built. We are in a time where we must make arks for ourselves after a revealed pattern. The making of these arks have been necessitated by the flood that is coming soon. Unlike in the case of Noah where one man built for everyone else, we are in the season of the virgins, everyone must get their own oil and lamp, except that our lamps are arks, and the ark is the salvation of Jesus. God instructed Noah as to how the ark should be built, giving him specifics. So that every detail was tailored to make the ark survive what was coming. We are in the time of grace, the moment before the flood. This is not the time for sleeping and engaging in frivolities. It is rather a time to build [ourselves in our most holy faith—in the inner man] arks. We must build through praying in the Holy Spirit and the word until we are formed as an edifice of God’s glory. We must follow God’s directive verbatim. He told Noah, this is how you are to build it, in other words, not as you want to or think it should be built. Hence, Noah had no say in how the structure would look like, except it must look like the description of God. And this description of God in our time is Jesus. Jesus is the pattern, the measurement we have been instructed to build after. Any ark that does not look like Jesus will drown in the coming flood. Are you building according to the descriptions given by God or you’re building according to your desires and lust? Remember, the “flood” is coming.

Prayer_Bead: Righteous and Just King, thank you for your grace period upon the earth. Help me to build according to the pattern of your Son. So help me God.

Wisdom_Quote: Jesus is the ark for our salvation.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Violent acts of faith

[The Glory Unveiled]

And he [the Angel] said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he [Jacob] said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. [ Genesis 32:26 KJV ]

Jacob, the second speaker in our scripture for meditation, understood in his day what would become the template for kingdom transaction in future generations; insistent faith. Insistent faith has always brought desired results. Never has it been recorded in scripture of an account of insistent faith being ignored by the kingdom of God. From Hezekiah who insisted that he will not die even when a major prophet brought him the message of death, to the widow in Luke 18:2–5 who insisted that she got her husband avenged and the many other men and women who, in the pages of scripture violently resisted the status quo and insisted on what they desired until it was delivered to them. Men like Elijah who prayed for seven times on the mountain until he saw the evidence of what he desired in the clouds, were evidence of the potency of this kingdom principle. In fact, the hall of faith—Hebrews 11—shows us many more evidences. In Matthew 11:12, the Lord Jesus emphatically said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” This means when John the Baptist came onto the scene, forceful faith was legalized. Certain things will never change in our lives until we apply the force of radical faith. Jacob would never have become Israel had he not forced his faith on the divine being that appeared to him. This attitude of Jacob also gives us a peep into the nature of Jacob’s faith. He recognized that the Angel was capable of blessing him. Just like the woman with the issue of blood was able to recognize that Jesus had the answer she needed (Mark 5:27-29) and she will do anything to get that solution. Violent faith always recognizes the place or vessels of solution and take advantage of them. May we be very discerning in the matters that require violent faith and take advantage of our position in Christ for the desired results.

Prayer_Bead: My Father and and my God, thank you for the revelation through your word. Please stir my faith and make it forceful when and where necessary. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Some kinds of blessings are forced into action by violent faith.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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You’re worth more

[The Glory Unveiled]

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. [ Matthew 10:30-31 NIV ]

Worry is a manifestation of concealed fear. Almost everyday, we are confronted by scary situations that aim at throwing us off guard. A person can be alright one moment and the next, they are not. A business can be doing well, and then it’s not. Marriages can be so peaceful and loving and then they can become complicated almost all of a sudden. With this very unsettling wave of instability in many things, we sometimes tend to embrace fear. Fear reveals our unsettled convictions about things. And the byproduct becomes worry and anxiety. On the other hand, when people care about us, our fears are dulled or swallowed up even. For us, as God’s image bearers, God cares deeply about even the smallest details of our lives. In the text above, we are told how God numbers our hairs—something we don’t pay attention to. If you have something counted and numbered, it gives you confidence about its safety. Now, if they were only counted, you may still have a little concern, but even that, you will notice when the numbers don’t add up. On the other hand, when the items are numbered, meaning each item has a unique number or code, you will be rest assured that they are going no where without your notice. It’s like putting a tracker on a piece of electronic equipment. You are literally with that device wherever it is on the planet because of the tracker, which has a unique identifier that represents that equipment. So, if God says our very hairs are numbered, it means He is very aware of every tiny detail of even those hairs that fall everyday when we brush or comb them. This revelation is supposed to comfort us in a way that we become convinced that God cares about our every need. So that, our fears can be replaced with faith in God. “Don’t worry,” Jesus advice; “you are worth more than many sparrows.” And because of our value in the eyes of God, we need not worry.

Prayer_Bead: Great Abba, thank you for your deep concern and love for me. Thank you for being aware of my every need. I trust in your love for me and I refuse to be worried whatsoever about my needs.

Wisdom_Quote: Fear is a picture of the unsettling convictions of a person.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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With God

[The Glory Unveiled]

For with God nothing shall be impossible. [ Luke 1:37 KJV ]

The difference between possibility and impossibility is actually a matter of what or who is with you in the process. All the impossibilities we see around us are as a result of who or what is involved. Sometimes, we venture into things with the wrong people on our team; wrong partnerships or collaborations. Other times, impossibility is just a result of the wrong attitude or knowledge. Whatever it is, impossibility or possibility happens with something or someone. In our text for meditation, the Angel Gabriel came to deliver a message to Mary about her being chosen to be the vessel through whom the Messiah would be born. Mary felt that the circumstances surrounding her nullified the possibility of that news. But then, the Angel assured her that it will happen exactly as she was told because nothing was impossible with God. This means impossibility is just another way of saying God is not involved with it. If God is involved in something and even nature and science conspire against it, it will still happen. And so, our call to action is this; invite God into your boat. Every situation of our lives that appear impossible to happen remains impossible because perhaps God is not really involved yet. Whatever we do, let’s do it with God, every step of the way. Now, let’s consider our lives for a moment. Does it look like nothing is possible in it? If yes, then we need to extend and invitation to the only One with whom nothing is impossible. And then, even if impossibility itself says no, God will turn it around for a “yes.”

Prayer_Bead: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for changing impossible situations for your glory. Let the impossible become possible in my life.

Wisdom_Quote: Possibility or impossibility is a matter of who is with you.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Hidden away in Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.” [ Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ TPT‬‬ ]

Our ties to this life was initiated by disobedience and sin. We entered this corrupt life when Adam and Eve disobeyed God—all of humanity made the choice in them. It is just like how the president or prime minister of a nation goes to an international meeting to make a decision on behalf of his nation. Whatever decision that leader makes becomes the choice of their nation. Every citizen is perceived to have made that decision through the voice or action of their leader. So it was in getting ourselves into this ties with the sinful world, we did not sign the treaties ourselves but through Adam. Likewise, to severe this ties with the world, we do it through another person—Jesus Christ. So that the decision Jesus makes becomes ours in Him. And so, by faith, we were crucified with Jesus and therefore our ties to the life of the flesh is severed. No wonder 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that, “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.” Our death with Jesus makes us enfolded into Him and so, we are lost in Him and should be found with a new identity as a result. Our ties with the old order is severed because the old order and the new order cannot live side by side. Everyone lives on one side of the divide based on whether or not they were crucified with Jesus. Nonetheless, it is possible that some of us might have been crucified with Jesus but may not live as we should be living because we have not matured in the new enfolded life. While in fact, the real life of the one who was crucified with Jesus is hidden away in Him. So, we can only truly reveal who we are by portraying Jesus in everything. Have you been crucified with Jesus? Is Jesus revealed on daily basis as your new life?

Prayer_Bead: Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for making a place for me in you, in Christ Jesus. I reveal Jesus through my daily living, to the glory of your name.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s new life can only be seen when they live Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Pillar of all things

[The Glory Unveiled]

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

Building engineers and masons begin their building from the trench. This trench holds the foundation, which is also the beginning of the building. It is upon this foundation that the structure sits. The beginning (foundation) in many instances define the whole structure. The beginning gives a direction and a perspective to the rest of the building. In the beginning of everything, there was the Word. John helps us to understand that this Word is God. Genesis 1:1 affirms it by saying, “In the beginning, God…” The only personality that is attributed to the beginning is God. And just as the foundation gives insight into the future of a building, God being the beginning gives us an idea about how impossible it is for the rest of creation to be sustained without God. God is the pillar that sustains creation. When we take God out of the framework we have a collapsed world. Every generation that wanted to do it their way without God inadvertently experienced destruction. An attempt to take God out of what He alone can sustain and is the pillar of, is a declaration of destruction. The question for us though, is? What did we begin with? What is in our beginning? What is the pillar upon which we are building whatever we are building? What we build upon determines what our building will look like. We can hide the material with which we lay our foundation with, but the structure will eventually expose the elements that make up the foundation. So, it’s better we start with the right material, God. May He help us to consider Him from the beginning.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Jesus, thank you for being my beginning and the foundation of my life. Let your name be glorified.

Wisdom_Quote: Your foundation feeds your definition.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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A different war game

[The Glory Unveiled]

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [ 2 Corinthians 10:3 NIV ]

The kind of weapons used in a battle defines the type of battle or fight it is. A fight is called a “knife-fight” because knives are used as weapons. Likewise, it will be referred to as a gun fight where guns are being used. But for the believer, even though we live in the world, we use weapons from another world, hence redefining the battle as well. Our weaponry is from above and the believer needs to recognize this fact. That although we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. So, if you’re facing a challenging situation but the solution seems not to be forthcoming, it maybe that you are using the wrong weapon that’s why the expected results are far. From the verse of the Bible above, we learnt that the believer is not excused from battles. Being a believer does not exempt us from war. But it gives us an advantage of victory before the war begins and saves us from unnecessary weariness. In reality, our victory is not ours, we glory in the victory of Jesus. This is why we do not wage war as the world does. The world does the fighting but we do the “victory claims,” Jesus did all the hard work for us. All we need to do is to remain in Him through our unwavering faith. The weapons of our warfare are indeed not carnal but they are mighty through God for pulling down strong holds (verse 4). And then by the power of Jesus’ name, we can glory in His victory and triumph through the weaponry of faith.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me that, as a kingdom citizen, I do not wage war as the people in the world. I put my trust in Jesus and I glory in His victory.

Wisdom_Quote: The world does the fighting but we do the victory claims.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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What did God say?

[The Glory Unveiled]

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? ” [ Genesis 3:1 NIV ]

The most dangerous thing that could happen to a believer is being ignorant of the word of God. The word of God creates the believer’s world. So ignorance of the word means a destruction of their world. No wonder the world of Adam and Eve was destroyed when they [Eve] could not defend her knowledge of the word. She misquoted God’s very word. And so, the new word, her own gospel, could not hold her world together. And they lost paradise in the process. The believer has only one business, being in the word of God, and only one constitution, the word of God. The word of God is the blueprint for the life we ought to live. We have been adopted into the family of God. And the only way we could know the family business is through the scriptures. The Lord Jesus, the first of many brethren is our pattern for imitation. God wants to reproduce heaven on earth through Jesus Christ—His word, and our transformation through the word is His means of colonization. The word of God is essential for our survival here on earth and here after. When the devil tempted Jesus, He went for one thing, the word. The temptation was an attack on his world, and so Jesus went straight for the word, our defense system. The Word of God as the way, truth and life was His only way out. Anytime, you hear, or feel “did God really say, mean, imply so and so……” your world is under an attack. Psalms 119:9, shows us the only way to stay free from the impurities of the world and the enemy; by staying in the word of God. Is your word life under threat? Get a new dose of the word. The word is the solution for our private world and the public world. So, let us study to show ourselves approved unto God.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Father, thank you for the assurance of your word. Help me to ever dwell in your word so that my world will not crush. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The word of God is the believer’s world.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.