[The Glory Unveiled]
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. (Mark 10:1 NIV )
Every successful man or woman has principles and habits that dictate the posture of their living. They do not live their lives according to societal expectations or personal whims. Instead, they live by principle, guided by the values and attitudes they choose to submit to. It is these principles and guidelines that determine the outcome of their lives. The Lord Jesus, while He walked the earth, lived His life in a closely regulated manner. Whatever He did was guided by principles, and these principles were directives from God. In fact, He referred to the Word of God as more important to Him than His necessary food. We see many instances where Jesus could have made arbitrary choices in various matters, yet He consistently chose to follow the principles of God’s Word. One of the profound customs that Jesus devoted His life to was teaching the Word of God, as seen in our anchor text. But He did not merely teach; He was educated in the Word of God. He studied it diligently. In many places, we read that when people came to ask Him questions, He responded with, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures?” This indicates that He was a student of the Word, even though He Himself was the Word. In Luke 4:16, the Bible states that as was His custom, Jesus stood up to read the Scriptures on the Sabbath day. Another guiding custom in Jesus’ life was that His decisions and choices were always aligned with His purpose. He never acted randomly. Every decision and choice was intentional and guided by divine purpose. As the apostle Paul instructs us to be imitators of Christ, our lives will take better shapes when we imitate the customs of Jesus.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me these guidelines with which you lived your life by. Help me to walk in your footsteps. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: Successful lives are lived on the tangent of established principles.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The potency of God’s word
[The Glory Unveiled]
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV )
The Word of God is active, powerful, and potent. However, its potential is often locked up and concealed. As a result, it is only potent to those who understand its hidden power. Because of this, the Word of God can sometimes appear to be ineffective. Unless it is uncovered or taken out of its shell, its abilities remain unrealized. The Word of God is not powerless, as some may think, yet when it remains shielded, it may seem inadequate. The Scriptures, without the revelation of the Word of God, do not make any impact. Jesus told the Pharisees that they diligently study the Scriptures, thinking that in them they have eternal life. He added that those very Scriptures testify about Him. This means one can have the Scriptures yet miss the One about whom they testify. Unless we encounter Him, the words about Him—the Scriptures—remain ineffective in our experience. Some people, due to their disconnect from the Word of God, Jesus Christ, attempt to employ human wisdom and philosophy instead. The Word of God is life; it is potent. God’s faithfulness makes Him consistent in His nature, but our experience may not always align with who He truly is. The Word of God means different things to different people, even though it has a unique and distinct identity. Because it is living, one must encounter it to truly know it, stay with it to be a witness, and represent it effectively. God’s Word is powerful.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to know your word and the power of it. Thank you for the truth that changes me.
Wisdom_Quote: The potency of God’s word is hidden from those who do not know the Son.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Seeing Jesus
[The Glory Unveiled]
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ( Luke 19:4 NIV )
The text above speaks about a wealthy tax collector in the days of Jesus named Zacchaeus. The Scriptures describe him as short. However, his height did not impede him from seeing Jesus; it was the crowd that hindered him. If there had not been such a large crowd, he would have seen Jesus. Sometimes, people and our environment try to hinder us from encountering the Word of God. The woman with the issue of blood had to press through the crowd to reach Jesus. The blind man, Bartimaeus, was discouraged by those around him from encountering Jesus, but he broke through with persistence. The world around us does not want us to engage with God’s Word. This is why, like all the people mentioned who were hindered by their environment and those around them, we need to rise above every obstacle. Social media could be a hindrance to our walk with God, but we must rise above it. Until we overcome the things that stand in our way, we cannot fully engage with the truth of God’s Word. We live in a world where everything seems to flow without resistance—except the Word of God. Because so much seems to fight against our encounter with the Word, we must run ahead of the obstacles, just as Zacchaeus did. The Word of God comes to us daily, but due to various obstructions, we must take deliberate steps to engage with it. Rise above the obstacles that stand in your way.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to hear your word. Show me a way out of the obstacles that impede my access to your word.
Wisdom_Quote: Climb above the obstacles that stand between you and God’s word to you.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
“Better than” standard
[The Glory Unveiled]
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ( Luke 18:11 NIV)
The habit of thinking ourselves better than others on the merit of a standard we created ourselves is a negative one. People measure their righteousness and godliness by how others live their lives. And if they feel they are doing “better than” those other people, they are okay with themselves. Or if they think they are doing better than they used to do, then they are good. But we or other people are not the standard of righteousness or life. Jesus is. In God’s eyes, there is no comparative standard. His standard is absolute. In our anchor text, we see a Pharisee praying to God and comparing himself with a tax collector. The Pharisee was trying to present himself to God as better than someone he thought was worse than himself. Meanwhile, he didn’t use God’s standard of measurement for the comparison. And because he was doing well in his own eyes, he was arrogant. But then, the ways of God are not our ways and His thoughts are not like ours. He does not operate with the “better than” standard. He works with the “as Christ” standard. So that anything and everything that falls short of Christ, no matter how brilliant it is, falls below the standard of God. Don’t measure yourself by the standard of being better than others or than you used to be. Measure yourself by the standard of God, asking for grace to look like His Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your standard for all of humanity. Help me to live by them. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The standard of God is Jesus Christ.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Sin’s antidote
[The Glory Unveiled]
I consider your Word to be my greatest treasure, and I treasure it in my heart to keep me from committing sin’s treason against you. (Psalms 119:11 TPT)
The Word of God is the antidote to sin. From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, the provision for sin was the Word of God—Christ Jesus. When sin struck humanity in the Garden, God provided a cure: His only begotten Son. No one can overcome sin without the help of Christ. He is God’s righteousness and the ultimate answer to sin. The Psalmist also discovered that the solution to sin’s rebellion is a heart that treasures the Word of God. He chose to value God’s Word above everything else in his life. Notably, he didn’t store it anywhere else but in his heart. The Bible teaches that the heart is the driver of a person’s life; it dictates the direction one’s life takes. As it says, “Out of the heart are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Recognizing this, the Psalmist hid God’s Word—the antidote to sin—in his heart to avoid sinning. He attacked sin at its root: the heart. The world and everything in it aim to drag us into sin and keep us there. However, the Spirit that resides in us is a Spirit of righteousness. This Spirit is made alive and powerful through the Word of God. For this reason, believers live above sin only by immersing themselves in God’s Word. When the Word of God becomes the believer’s ecosystem, sin becomes extinct. What is your greatest treasure? Does the Word of God guide your life, or do the world and its pleasures?
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the power of your Word. Help me to live in it perpetually. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The Word of God is a world against sin.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The Spirit of Life.
[The Glory Unveiled]
Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.( Genesis 2:7 NIV )
The creation of man was a beautiful collaboration between earth and heaven. Part of what was used to create man came from the earth, and the other came from above. The dust was from the earth, but the breath of God came from God, who is above. The remarkable thing about the breath of God, or anything that comes from Him, is that it possesses the life of God—His divine nature. Jesus came from the Father and carried the attributes and nature of the Father. When the Spirit of God visits the land of the dead, it becomes the land of the living because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of life. When Jesus, the embodiment of God’s Spirit, went to the land of the dead, the Spirit of God transformed that place into the land of the living. Scripture records that people resurrected from the dead and tombs were emptied when Jesus released His Spirit on the cross (see Matthew 27:52). Wherever the presence of God is, there is life. No wonder Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the life of the believer. The Spirit of God is a quickening Spirit, bringing vitality to those who believe in Jesus. Through faith in Him, the presence of the Spirit of God brings life where there is no life and light where there is darkness. Remember, whenever heaven meets earth, life is released into the earth. If there is anything dying or dead in your life, what you need is the Spirit of God. Invite the Spirit of God into the situations of your life and watch amazing transformations take place.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Spirit in me. Vitalise anything that is dying in me and give life to the dead.
Wisdom_Quote: The Spirit of God is a life giving Spirit.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
What are you spreading?
[The Glory Unveiled]
Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. ( Mark 1:45 NIV )
God instructed Adam to eat from every tree in the Garden of Eden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God, it did not only directly affect them but also the entire human race and God Himself. The human race suffered from their disobedience because the punishment for breaking that instruction came upon every human being after them. It also affected God because, having created us in His image and likeness, He was responsible for us. He had to address our problem to redeem His image. So, God did what He needn’t have done—being slain for our sake. In our anchor scripture, we read about a young man healed by Jesus of leprosy. Jesus explicitly told him not to tell anyone about it. However, as soon as he left Jesus’ presence, he went about spreading what he was asked not to spread, directly disregarding Jesus’ instruction. The consequence of his action was that Jesus could no longer openly enter any city where He was known. Disobedience always carries serious consequences. Because of one man’s disobedience, Jesus couldn’t go out publicly to heal other sick people. His actions hindered others from benefitting from the power of God. Just as by one man—Adam’s disobedience—sin entered the world (Romans 5:19), don’t allow your personal and private disobedience to become a burden on the necks of many innocent people. Achan’s private sin became a public punishment for the nation of Israel (see Joshua 7). Walk in total obedience, for both your sake and the sake of those around you.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace to walk in obedience to your word. Forgive me for all my previous disobedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: Private sin has public consequences.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The audacity of Faith.
[The Glory Unveiled]
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” ( Luke 7:50 NIV )
What is it that rolls back the dark shadows of death and sends the glorious light of the resurrection in all its brilliant beauty to the sorrowing heart? What is it that lifts burdens too heavy to bear? What is it that brings cleansing to the sin-sick soul? What is it that cools the fevered brow, eases torturous pain, and heals the afflicted and diseased? The answer is faith. These words were written in the early pages of a piece attributed to Kathryn Kuhlman, titled The Lord’s Healing Touch. Faith, the answer to the questions above, is the reason for the lifestyle of the believer. In the Gospels, we come across dozens of statements or fragments of statements that reflect our anchor verse. In many places, we see Jesus declare, “Your faith has made you well,” “Your faith has healed you,” or “Your faith has delivered you.” These statements reveal that the miracles which followed were the result of the power of faith. Faith is a system that offers the believer an opportunity to appropriate divine inheritance. It is the vehicle through which the heavenly becomes earthly, and the earthly ascends heavenward. The verdict is clear: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6). Anything done outside of faith does not meet the standards of the supernatural. The change you desire is at the mercy of your faith. The freedom experienced by the woman in our text for instance was tied directly to her faith. Some of us are waiting on someone or something, while heaven is waiting on our faith to make provision available. Do you believe in the power of God? Do you believe it so deeply that you are willing to act upon it?
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to believe in you. Help my unbelief concerning any area of my life. In Jesus name.
Wisdom_Quote: Faith animates the blessings and promises of God.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Aligned with Scripture
[The Glory Unveiled]
But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” ( Matthew 26:54 NIV )
The glory of our lives comes from living according to God’s purpose for us. Jesus said, “In the volume of the books it is written concerning Me, to do the will of the Father” (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus had the power to do as He pleased. From His prayer in Gethsemane, we can tell that He could have taken a path different from what God preferred. He was free to act as He wished, yet He chose to stick to the script for His life and ministry. From our anchor scripture, we see that people came to arrest Jesus, led by Judas Iscariot. One of the disciples, attempting to prevent Jesus’ arrest, drew his sword and struck off the ear of one of the men who came for Jesus. It was then that Jesus made the statement above. This small yet profound statement reveals the principle that underpinned Jesus’ life on earth and His philosophy. Jesus lived His earthly life moment by moment, ensuring alignment with every scripture written about Him. He intentionally and deliberately fulfilled Scripture, to the point that He would rather inconvenience Himself or endure suffering to see God’s word concerning Him come to pass. He placed the word of God above every decision and action, living so that God’s word would be fulfilled through Him. As believers, we share the same mandate: to submit our lives to the influence of Scripture. We must align our lives with what is written concerning us. Let it happen to you according to God’s word.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your word concerning me. Help me to walk according to everything written about me. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The life of the believer is supposed to mirror God’s word.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The words of eternal life
[The Glory Unveiled]
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. [ John 6:68 KJV ]
In this life, people are driven by and lured to the things that appeal most to them. What appeals to people differ from one person to another. For one person, it may be food; for another, it may be clothes; and for others, it may be power. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, many people followed Him. However, from our anchor scripture and other verses, we discover that not all of Jesus’ followers were drawn to Him because of the word of life. In fact, the Bible mentions that some followed Him because of the bread and fish He multiplied for them to eat until they were satisfied. These people stopped following Jesus when He stopped multiplying bread. As a result, He turned to those who continued to follow Him and asked if they, too, would leave. But Peter responded with the words recorded in our anchor scripture. Peter’s response revealed what truly motivated their pursuit of Jesus—the desire for the words of eternal life. This desire kept them committed. It implies that if Jesus had stopped providing the words of eternal life, they might have also stopped following Him. Reflect on what drives you to the things you pursue with dedication. What keeps you attached to something will likely be the same reason you let go of it. The question to ask yourself is: Does what I am chasing offer eternal life? Only something of eternal worth can endure beyond our temporary needs and desires. Pursue what lasts beyond your name and fame.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for your words that gave me eternal life. Help me to follow you in all things and at all times.
Wisdom_Quote: Your desires and needs drive your focus.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.