Category: Gospel

[The Glory Unveiled]

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. [ Genesis 3:17 NIV ]

When we obey others rather than God, we plunge ourselves into a cycle of fruitless labour and sorrow. God is the maker and giver of all laws. Our adherence to God’s laws demonstrates our respect and loyalty to God, conveying much about His place in our lives. The Lord Jesus says on that day He will say to them, I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’. (Luke 13:27). This is because such people obeyed others rather than God and so, all their labour for the Lord is waste and unrecognized. Many of us, put the voices of other people above the voice of God, echoing the mistake of Adam and Eve—favouring the voice of the serpent over the voice of God. This epitomizes disobedience, placing others’ voices above the authority that established the law. The other thing about disobedience is that it invariably brings consequences, as laws inherently carry punishments for defiance. So that when Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God, they had to be punished because part of what made the statement a command is the portion of it that carried the consequences for disobedience. Adam obeyed a voice other than the voice of God; the voice of his wife Eve. Eve listenened to a voice other than the voice of her husband, Adam, she listened to the voice of the serpent. The result of their listening to a voice other than the voice that gave them the instructions led to their fruitless toil and sufferings. Your response to the commands of God should have God in view.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the grace to obey you in all things. Let your voice be superior to all other voices around me. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The voice of God is the language of God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [ Matthew 6:21 NIV ]

Our hearts are drawn to the place of our treasures; the heart always stays with what it treasures. The posture of our hearts mirrors what it treasures. If we treasure the kingdom of God, our hearts will be in the kingdom of God. Scripture records in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek first the kingdom and its righteousness and all other things shall be added. This is so that our hearts will be fixed on the kingdom as one can only truly seek what they treasure. And so, the Lord Jesus is luring our hearts to cleave to the kingdom of God, to treasure it with all our hearts. For if our treasure becomes the kingdom of God, then our hearts will be with the kingdom. And our lives will be lived desiring the things of God; walking in righteousness. Do you realize that you seem to care more about the things you treasure and value as important than those you deem less important? It is the same with spiritual things. Our hearts lie with whatever holds importance to us because there our treasures lie too. If it does not hold any treasures, our hearts will not go after it. The heart is a seeker, chasing after treasures, mining in deep caves where treasures are assured. Wherever you want your heart to be, hide your treasures there and your heart will follow suit. Treasure the word of God and the righteousness of His kingdom, and your heart will follow in the same direction. What do you treasure? It isn’t surprising that your heart cleaves to that thing. Embrace the glory of God’s kingdom as treasure and your heart will no longer wonder.

Prayer_Bead: Treasure of my heart, thank you for luring me into your embrace. Help me to stay with you throughout my journey on earth.

Wisdom_Quote: The heart is a seeker, mining for treasure.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” [ Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭5‬ NKJV‬‬ ]

The life of a believer is perpetually marked by sacrifices. Whatever our Father in heaven is known for becomes our second nature as His children. The entire New Testament rests on one scripture: John 3:16, where God demonstrated His love through sacrifice. The sacrificial giving of His Son paved the way for us to access the kingdom of Heaven. Sacrifices have voices; they are spiritual dictions that dictate what should be. This is why the scripture mentions making covenants with God through sacrifices. Through sacrifices, we can initiate agreements with God. The silent words of our hearts are voiced out by what we are moved and willing to sacrifice. Our sacrifices act as megaphones, announcing our capabilities even if we are not actively doing them. Abraham didnt have to kill his son to prove he could give him up, his sacrifice confirmed the state of his heart. Without saying anything, we can entreat God through our sacrifices to move on our behalf. Dorcas in the book of Acts was a woman who helped people and gave a lot of alms, and Cornelius also gave generously to the poor. What these people have in common is that heaven acted on their behalf without them having to say anything. Their sacrifices became memorials before God, and God could not ignore them (Acts 10:4). Where your voice cannot be heard, your sacrifices will be seen. God sees your acts of kindness and love. Don’t quit in your sacrificial giving, keep at it until it cannot be ignored by heaven.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the grace to walk with you in truth. Help me to make sacrifices when and where I need to. In Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Sacrifices have voices.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish . He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. [ Jonah 1:3 NIV ]

Jonah went in the opposite direction of his calling and assignment, finding ready transportation to his desired destination. The scripture indicates that the ship was bound for the port of Tarshish. However, the availability of a ship heading where he wanted to go did not necessarily signify God’s involvement, as later verses reveal God sending a great wind to thwart Jonah’s journey. Believers are meant to live by faith, not solely relying on what is readily available. The mere availability of something during your search doesn’t make it a provision from God. For any provision that appears to come from God, confirmation from God is still necessary. It’s crucial to seek God’s confirmation for what you perceive as the path of wisdom to avoid destruction and death. Attempting to escape from God, as Jonah did, often leads to destruction, even if the alternative promises comfort and peace. The safest place is in the fire if God is present. Therefore, our primary task is to always inquire of God’s presence in every season of our lives. Similar to Jonah and those attempting to escape God, the consequences extend beyond destruction to the loss of resources. Jonah lost his possessions and money, including his transport fare. When we deviate from the center of our lives, our life’s anchor becomes unstable. The Lord Jesus serves as the center and anchor of our lives; hence, we should refrain from running away from Him.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for being my anchor and my shield. Help me to stay with you throughout life.

Wisdom_Quote: The safest place to be is in fire if God is in that fire.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [ Matthew 5:14 NIV ]

The Lord Jesus was very specific about our identity: we are the light of the world. However, some believers are only the light of their churches and families, not the world. The Lord Jesus didn’t say we are the light of the church but the light of the world. Many believers who act as the light of their churches are not truly shining; they are merely reflecting the light around them through pretense, not emitting their own. They resemble candles or Catholic rosaries, absorbing and emitting light without burning or being lit with a matchstick. Our identity as the light of the “world,” has to do with influencing the cosmos, the world’s systems. We are meant to radiate the light of Christ Jesus in the dark systems of the world. If we’re in the world and there’s no noticeable difference, our light is darkness. In the earthly days of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherever he went, the testimony was that he was different; his light was so bright that it couldn’t be ignored, like a city upon a hill. Our light should make us visible wherever we are. If we abandon our identity as light, we risk being swallowed by the darkness we’re in. Darkness can engulf light if it’s not bright or illuminated. Remember, you are light, so shine. The world must see our light and feel our impact. We must live with the consciousness that we are the world’s light, and the world is always watching. Therefore, we must represent Christ well wherever we find ourselves.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for making me the light of the world. Help me not to hide but to shine, to the glory of your name.

Wisdom_Quote: The true light of the world cannot be hidden by darkness.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. [ Genesis 4:7 NIV ]

The strategy of sin is akin to the tactics employed by cavemen of old. When these ancient hunters encountered a herd of animals, they didn’t pursue all the creatures simultaneously; instead, they focused on isolating just one. They relentlessly pursued that solitary animal until capturing it. If they still had energy and time, they would then pursue another. Sin follows a similar pattern, isolating its targets through complacency and pride. When individuals are unaware, they fall into the bottomless pit of death. Before Cain murdered his brother due to resentment towards God’s favour, he received a warning about the agenda of sin. God informed him that sin was at his door, desiring to consume him. Regrettably, Cain didn’t heed the caution, leading to him fulfilling the desires of sin by committing fratricide. Prior to David’s transgression with Bathsheba, he experienced isolation. Despite the customary time for kings to be at war, David remained at home, and sin ensnared his emotions. Sin consistently isolates its victims, leaving them without aid when the pressure of iniquity intensifies. Without the strength to resist, they succumb to sin. When you detect the stench of sin approaching from a mile away, the safest course of action is to seek a community of believers who can support and fortify you when sin comes knocking on your door. Is sin crouching at your door, desiring to consume you?

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for showing me the strategy of sin and what I need to do. Help me to remain in the community of godly men and women at all times.

Wisdom_Quote: Sin isolates its victims.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.