Category: Gospel

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Confined

[The Glory Unveiled] 

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. [ John 15:6 NKJV ]

Adam and Eve lived in a garden—a restrictive space within a boundary set by God because that environment was conducive to their optimum function. The boundary was not intended to deprive them but to preserve them. It defined the space within which they could flourish according to God’s design. When Adam and Eve demonstrated that they did not want to live within the boundary God had established, God drove them out of the garden. Outside the garden, there was no longer an instruction concerning which tree they could or could not eat from. They were, in a sense, free to do whatever they pleased. But what did that freedom produce? It produced death, disorder, and destruction. Their lives could no longer function as they were originally designed to function. And so, after humanity left the garden, God later gave His people His law through Moses. Once again, He established boundaries—commands that would teach His people how to live within the order He had designed. Yet humanity repeatedly stepped beyond the confines of those laws. Then God did something greater. He brought us into His Son, Jesus Christ—the ultimate and perfect representation and reflection of the boundary we needed all along. In Christ, God did not merely give us another set of rules; He gave us a Person within whom life is found. And now humanity has the opportunity to remain within the restrictive space of Christ or to walk freely outside of Him. Those who live outside Him may appear free to do whatever they want, but that freedom ultimately leads to the loss of life. Just as God told Adam that the day he crossed the boundary through disobedience, he would surely die, the principle remains: life cannot be sustained outside the One who gives it. But now, in Christ, we have life—and as long as we remain in Him, we remain in His life.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for keeping me confined to Jesus and His life. 

Wisdom_Quote: God’s boundaries preserve. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Saviour today. Save me and write my name in your book of life. 

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Behind the blood 

[The Glory Unveiled]

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! [ John 1:29 NKJV ]

You would think that the plagues that came upon Egypt affected only the Egyptians—and, for the first nine plagues, that was almost entirely the case. But the tenth plague was different. Death visited both the Egyptians and the Israelites. That night, the firstborn of both man and beast in Egypt died. Equally, in the homes of the Israelites, a lamb had to die. Something or someone died in both homes. God instructed the Israelites to kill a lamb and apply its blood to the doorposts of their houses, so that when the spirit of death passed through the land, it would pass over every household covered by the blood. This reveals a profound picture of the gospel. The wages of sin is death, and death must visit humanity because sin has given it a rightful claim. None of us can escape the consequence of sin by our own merit or righteousness. But God provided His Lamb to die in our place. His blood covers us and removes the reason for which we deserved to die. Therefore, the one who hides under the blood of the Lamb of God does not die because the Lamb has died in his stead. Jesus takes our place so that death passes over us—not because we are without sin, but because we are covered by His blood. Ultimately, there are only two sides to this divide. You either face death as an Egyptian, exposed in your sin and rebellion, or you take refuge under the blood of the Lamb. Either way, you will fall at one end of the divide: as one exposed to death, or as one hidden behind the curtains of the Lamb’s blood.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to belong to the side of the Lamb of God. 

Wisdom_Quote: The Lamb of God takes away your death sentence or you embrace it. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender to your lordship. Come into my heart and be my Saviour. 

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Emmanuel

[The Glory Unveiled] 

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [ Matthew 28:20 NKJV ]

From the Garden of Eden to the Mount of Olives, Scripture reveals a God who has always desired to dwell with man. In fact, from the beginning, God created man in such a way that he could host His presence. And because God’s desire was not merely to visit man but to make His dwelling with him, He sent His Spirit to live within us. While Jesus walked the earth, He was called Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.” This reveals that: God has always desired to be with us, and He remains with us. Yet, although God’s presence is ever-abiding, it is more deeply perceived and consciously experienced by those who choose to walk in obedience to Him. Those who observe His commands become increasingly conscious of His presence because obedience keeps their hearts aligned with Him. This means that when you seem unable to sense God’s presence, it is worth examining your obedience. It may not mean that God has left you; rather, your disobedience may have affected your consciousness of the One who is already there. When your obedience is intact, even when God is not visibly acting on your behalf, you can still rest in the assurance that He is with you—even through the silence, even through the waiting, and even to the end of that season. Do you want to deepen your consciousness of God’s presence in your life? Start obeying Him in everything. As you walk in obedience, you will discover that: God is with you. He has not left you, and He will never leave you.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your continuous presence in my life. 

Wisdom_Quote: God’s presence is louder when your obedience is full. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I believe you died for my sin. I accept your gift of salvation and I surrender to you. Thank you for saving me. 

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Vessels of eternal life

[The Glory Unveiled]

Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. [ 2 Kings 13:21 NIV ]

The believer’s life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), and that life is life-giving in its very nature. Scripture declares, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). Therefore, whoever has the Son possesses that life. We are not merely recipients of eternal life; we become vessels through which that life flows to others. Jesus declared that He had authority to lay down His life and authority to take it up again (John 10:18). His resurrection demonstrated that the life of God cannot be conquered by death. That same life now dwells in every believer. The Apostle Paul reinforces this truth when he writes, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). We died with Christ, yet His life has become our life. We no longer exist by our own strength but by the life of the Son of God living within us. This life is not passive; it is imparting. It carries the power to bring life wherever it is released. In the book of Kings, even after Elisha’s death, a man was restored to life the moment his body touched the prophet’s bones. Though Elisha was gone, the power of God associated with his life still bore witness. If such life-giving virtue could remain in the bones of an Old Testament prophet, how much more should it be evident in those who have become the living temples of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant. We carry extraordinary power within us—not because of who we are, but because Christ lives in us. We have been entrusted with the privilege of bringing a dying world into contact with the life of Jesus through our words, our prayers, our love, and our witness. Everywhere we go, we are called to dispense His life. And because His life dwells in us, our influence should not end at the grave. The impact of a life surrendered to Christ ought to outlive our earthly existence. Just as the ministry of Elisha continued to bear fruit after his death, and the death of Christ became the very means by which life came to the world, so should our lives leave a lasting legacy of faith. Long after we have been called home, lives should still be transformed because we faithfully carried and released the life of Christ while we were here.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the life of your Son in me. I reproduce after my kind. 

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s is a life giving agent. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Saviour. 

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The upward call

[The Glory Unveiled]

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. [ Philippians 3:14 NIV ]

The calling of God upon each of our lives is the very reason Christ Jesus took hold of us. We were not apprehended by Him accidentally, nor were we saved by chance. Our salvation was necessitated by a divine calling that existed before we ever responded to the gospel. There is a purpose upon every life that made both our creation and our recreation in Christ necessary. It may appear as though we came to Christ on our own initiative, but the deeper reality is that He first came to us. Behind every testimony of salvation is the unseen and intricate work of the Spirit of Christ drawing, convicting, and apprehending a person for the purpose God has ordained for their life. The circumstances through which we heard the gospel and believed were not random events; they were the orchestration of divine providence leading us into God’s eternal purpose. The Apostle Paul is a vivid example of this truth. As he journeyed to Damascus with authority to arrest and imprison believers, he had no intention of seeking Christ. Yet on that very road, Christ apprehended him. Though Paul’s encounter was far more dramatic than that of many believers, the objective was no different. Christ laid hold of him so that he might fulfil the purpose for which God had chosen him. The same is true of every child of God. We have all been apprehended to serve the purpose of God in our generation. Therefore, it behoves us to press toward the mark of the high calling for which we were saved. We must press beyond the limitations of culture and the expectations of society. We must push against family traditions, religious mindsets, and every belief system that seeks to imprison us and keep us from fully obeying God. We must contend against every weight, every distraction, and every opposition that stands between us and the fulfilment of our divine calling. Having been apprehended by Christ, our lifelong pursuit must be to lay hold of that for which He first laid hold of us.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for calling me in your Son to serve your heaven purpose. 

Wisdom_Quote: God calls the saved in Jesus

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I understand that I have gone far away from the purpose of God for my life. I accept you into my life as my life’s compass and Saviour. 

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Wholehearted seekers. 

[The Glory Unveiled]

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. [ Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV ]

God is not missing. He has never been absent. He is always within reach, always accessible to those who truly desire to find Him. Many in our generation conclude that God does not exist because they cannot discover Him through their own pursuit. They interpret the absence of personal experience as the absence of God Himself. Yet Scripture presents a different reality. God is not found by the curious or the casual, but by those who seek Him with their whole heart. This means that whenever a search for God ends without finding Him, the failure is not on God’s part but on ours. His promise is unwavering: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” God has guaranteed that wholehearted seekers will never be disappointed. The real question, then, is not whether God is hiding, but whether we are seeking with an undivided heart. Too often our pursuit of God competes with our private ambitions, worldly anxieties, personal comforts, and divided affections. We give Him a portion of our hearts while reserving the rest for the cares of this life. But God does not respond to a fragmented pursuit. Any search for Him that is not wholehearted will ultimately prove fruitless. A divided heart can never fully discover an undivided God. If only we would humble ourselves, surrender every competing affection, and devote the entirety of our hearts to seeking Him, we would find Him exactly as He has promised. And in finding Him, we would discover more than answers to our questions—we would find the peace that steadies the soul, the wisdom that directs our steps, and the satisfying presence of the One for whom our hearts were created.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for making Yourself available to desperate seekers. As I seek you with all my heart, thank you for revealing Yourself to me.  

Wisdom_Quote: A divided heart can never discover an undivided God

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I have reckon that you are the Saviour of the world and I surrender to you. 

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Resting in Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. [ Hebrews 11:6 NIV ]

God created us for His pleasure—to reflect and reveal the richness of His multifaceted glory and attributes. Yet sin marred our souls, separating us from the very purpose for which we were made. And then the blood of Jesus was shed for our redemption. This raises a profound question: Why was the shedding of the blood of His beloved Son necessary? Why did redemption require the blood of the One most precious to the Father? At the baptism of Jesus, recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew, a voice from heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In that moment, among all of humanity, represented by those there, the Father singled out only one in whom He found perfect pleasure—His beloved Son. No one else could stand before Him with that same testimony. Apart from the Son, no one can please God. We become pleasing to the Father only as we are found in Christ. The apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” Our confidence, therefore, is not in the strength of our own faith but in the perfect faithfulness of the Son. As we rest in Him and trust in His finished work, we are accepted before the Father and share in the Son’s beloved standing. In this light, Hebrews 11:6 means, the faith that ultimately brings us into God’s pleasure is not confidence in ourselves or in our own works, but a life anchored in Christ and wholly dependent upon Him—in His faith. Our acceptance before God rests not on the merit of our performance but on the sufficiency of His Son. Therefore, cease striving to earn the Father’s approval through your own works or the measure of your own faith. Rest in the Son. Place your trust in Him, in His perfect faithfulness, and in His finished work. In Christ, the Father finds His pleasure—and all who are united to Him by faith are received as beloved.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the faith of your Son that makes me your beloved. 

Wisdom_Quote: Faith in the faith of the sSon of God brings pleasure to God. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I accept your sacrifice that made a way for me to please the father. Come into my heart and be my Lord.  

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Yoked with Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [ Matthew 11:29 NKJV ]

The Father’s goal is that all His children will look like Jesus. To become like Him, Jesus calls us to take His yoke upon ourselves. Implicit in His invitation is this truth: if we are to resemble Him, we must first share His yoke and learn from Him. In other words, we can only truly learn from Him as we bear His yoke. It is through learning from Him that we become like Him, and that learning takes place in the context of sharing His yoke. Jesus then reveals the posture of His heart that brings rest to our souls: He is gentle and lowly in heart. This also reveals that it takes gentleness, humility, and surrender to submit to His yoke—a submission that results in learning from Him and finding rest for our souls. So, where do we begin? We begin by taking up His yoke with an attitude of humility and surrender to Jesus. We begin by believing in and embracing His suffering for us, adopting the mindset that what is true of Him has become true of us. From that place, we learn His ways by doing what He does and walking as He walked. The result of such a life is rest for the soul. The very rest many desperately search in the wrong places. 

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to bear the yoke of Jesus and learn from Him daily. 

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s transformation happens by association with Jesus. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I accept your yoke today. And I surrender to learn from you. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Count the Cost

[The Glory Unveiled]

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it [ Luke 14:28 NKJV ]

It is very easy to build castles in our minds. In a matter of moments, we can envision the finished product and convince ourselves that the work is already done. But vision is not the same as completion. Before architects and engineers erect a building, they first produce a blueprint. Drawing the plan may take only a few hours or days, yet constructing the actual structure often requires months or even years of disciplined labour. The blueprint is only the beginning; the real test is in the building. The Lord Jesus used this same principle when teaching about the cost of discipleship. He asked, “Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” His point was clear: following Him is not an impulsive decision but a deliberate commitment. Just as every building demands resources, endurance, and perseverance, so does the Christian walk. Many people are captivated by the promise of Christ but are unprepared for the process of following Him. They embrace the vision of the Kingdom without considering the sacrifices, discipline, and endurance that discipleship requires. That is why Jesus said to first sit down and count the cost. Honest assessment before commitment makes all the difference. Are we mentally prepared to obey Him when it is difficult? Are we emotionally prepared to remain faithful when following Him costs us comfort, reputation, or relationships? When the cost has been counted and the commitment has been settled in the heart, the outcome is no longer in doubt. The structure is as good as built—not because the work is finished, but because the resolve to finish has already been established.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for helping me to follow you, having counted the cost. Thank you for the sufficiency of your grace. 

Wisdom_Quote: Wisdom counts the cost before making any commitments. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Saviour for the sacrifice you made for me. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Dead to Sin

[The Glory Unveiled]

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [ Romans 6:11 NKJV ]

Reality is often misunderstood. Many people define reality solely by what they can see, touch, smell, hear, and interact with through their physical senses. But true reality extends far beyond the limits of the natural realm. Reality is not confined to what is visible; it encompasses both the physical and the spiritual. This is why, in the beginning, God called those things which were not as though they were. Though they were not yet physically manifest, they already existed in His reality. By speaking them forth, He brought them into visible existence. What was unseen became seen because God related to the invisible as the greater reality. In our anchor text, Scripture instructs us to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin. This is a profound spiritual truth. It does not mean that the physical realm will immediately agree with this reality. Temptations may still come. Old desires may still attempt to surface. Yet God commands us to live as though what He has declared is already true. To reckon means to count something as settled. It means to live in the consciousness of a reality that God has established, even when your senses have not yet caught up with it. It is choosing to align your thinking, speaking, and living with God’s verdict rather than with your experiences. Through the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross, the power of sin over the believer has been broken. That victory is complete and unquestionable. However, many believers fail to experience the practical reality of that victory. Not because Christ’s work was insufficient, but because they have not learned to reckon themselves as having died with Him. The reality of freedom from sin is not experienced merely by knowing that Jesus died. It is experienced by identifying with His death and embracing it as your own. As He died to sin, so must you consider yourself dead to its dominion. The key, then, is to understand the characteristics of a dead thing. A dead man does not respond to external stimuli. He is unmoved by attraction, unaffected by persuasion, and unresponsive to temptation. In the same way, God calls us to become increasingly insensitive to sin—to live as those who are no longer alive to its influence. When you begin to see yourself the way God sees you, you stop fighting for victory and start living from victory. You cease striving to become free and begin walking in the freedom Christ has already secured. Reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What God has declared as reality, embrace as reality, and in time, what is true in the spirit will become evident in your daily walk.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the opportunity I have in Jesus to be dead to sin. 

Wisdom_Quote: You are dead to sin, live as such. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for dying in my place so that by believing in you, I might have life. I accept your lordship today. Thank you for saving me. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.