Category: Gospel

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Breaking Free (II)

[The Glory Unveiled]

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. [ John 14:27 KJV ]

Yesterday, we looked at how the hunger and thirst of so many people have led them into wayward behaviours and habits. But hunger or thirst is not a license to drink or eat just anything. No one eats poison because they are hungry neither do they drink concentrated acid for water. In today’s anchor verse, the Lord Jesus says He leaves His peace with us. But not the kind in the world, rather His kind, the one that takes away troubles and fear. In many people’s search for the peace they do not know, they bargain with the world for the “peace” it offers, drugs, pornography, theft, sexual abuses and promiscuities, and every other kinds of addictions and unhealthy habits there are. Their search for what could give them peace is not well defined as to direct their search. And so, many fetch for themselves all manner of evil habits and addictions that keep them farther in bondage and from peace than they ever had. A lack of knowledge of what they seek is the magnet that draws them deeper into the opposite island of their solutions. Are you looking for something that can offer peace but don’t know what exactly? The Lord Jesus shows you what it is—His peace. It’s the only all satisfying peace there is. This is not a religious cliche passed down through the church ages or a humbug of some secular ideals. It is the promise of a faithful Father to leave an inheritance of peace for all who have their being [believe] in Him. To many chronic addicts, their habits are just anxiety killers. People get hooked up on all sorts of habits because/(when) they are anxious. But the true killer of anxiety is peace. And not just any kind of peace but the peace that Jesus gives. If you’d receive that peace intentionally, anxiety and fear will be banished forever from your life with their attending evil habits. Every gift is to be received before the gift is activated. May you receive the gift of peace today and get an activation of freedom from the bully of evil habits.

Prayer_Bead: Prince of Peace, Thank you for the gift of peace given to me. I receive your peace into my heart and I live above fear and anxiety. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The only missile that kills anxiety is the Jesus kind of peace.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Breaking Free (I)

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty.” [ John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭TPT‬‬ ]

If you’ve ever eaten bread before, a lot of it, you’d agree that bread has the ability to quench hunger in a way that one begins to have no desire for any other food. When Jesus said, He is the bread of life, He was also saying that, He has the capacity to quench our hunger and thirst. There is a strong thirst for the desires of the flesh that launches people into negative habits and addictions. And keeps them going back to that habit again and again until they lose their willpower to it. That seemingly insatiable desire for the habit is fueled by the belief that, that is what they need to be okay. While in fact, it is just an indicator of an essential need but not actually that habit. This is why the desire—hunger and thirst—cannot be quenched by the negative habit. Their desire to want to indulge in the habit is just a signal that they need something higher than what they could immediately access. It’s a prompt that shows that they are in need of something encompassing and satisfying. This satisfaction however is not immediately a finite experience. But a progressive, ever increasing acquaintance with the solution. Hence, the scripture above says, “come everyday to me and you will never be hungry.” It has to be a continuous (daily) process of quenching that hunger and thirst with the truth of God’s word. To break free from an addiction, one must drink and feed daily on Jesus. A disconnection from Jesus is a reconnection to the addiction as the only thing that cuts an addiction is a continuous connection with Jesus. Addictions are active when we add more of the negative habits to our routines. And so, addictions break when we add positive habits, namely fellowship with Jesus to our routines. The positive habit eats out the root of the negative until the negative loses its hold over us. Let’s come everyday to the presence of God to quench every thirst for lust and sin, especially the sins that so easily pull us down (addictions.)

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and King. Help me to come to you everyday for the quenching of my thirsts.

Wisdom_Quote: Addictions are created from repeated additions of negative habits.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Joseph strategy

[The Glory Unveiled]

No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” [ Genesis 39:9 NIV ]

The account of Joseph in the house of Potiphar shows us the strategy for freedom from temptation. In our anchor scripture, when Joseph was tempted by Mrs. Potiphar to sin with her, Joseph told her he couldn’t do what she wanted—calling it a wicked thing—and sin against God. The Joseph template (strategy) for escaping temptation is expounded in the New Testament book of James. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The formula for freedom from temptation and actually walking through the way of escape in every temptation is buried in this verse. The first step is to be submitted to God. Our submission to God is equal to resisting the devil. We resist the devil, not by doing anything directly against the devil; we resist the devil in our submission to God. When we submit to God, it becomes a repellent against the devil and his advertisement. No one resists the devil in the energy of their flesh (strength) but rather from the crucibles of their surrendered life. The power that translates as resistance to the devil is submission to God and walking in the highway of His truth. This was what Joseph did and the temptation to sin couldn’t hold him. Even when the temptation was so sponsored that it seemed Joseph wouldn’t have anything to lose and there were no witnesses at the scene to report to his master. If he was avoiding the temptation to sin because of his master, that day would have given him reason to sin but because the strategy for his spiritual purity was rooted in His surrender to God, he didn’t do it even when the master was not around the house. The same strategy can help us out of any temptation the enemy throws at us. But first, we must submit to God thoroughly.

Prayer_Bead: Our God who sees us, thank you for showing us the strategy you taught Joseph. Help us to apply it whenever we come face to face with temptation and sin. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Resisting the devil is not spontaneous, it is the result of being submitted to God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Look for the Exit

[The Glory Unveiled]

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. [ 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV ]

_ If there was a fire outbreak in a building, it would look like everyone was running in undue haste, confusion and disorder, while they would actually be looking for the exit. The helter-skelter motion wouldn’t disaffirm the fact that they were going towards something—the exit. The Bible says we should flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18a). But in fleeing from sin, where do we flee to? Just like in the fire scenario, we must look for the exit—the way of escape. Temptations are like fires that can consume. Whenever they show their heads, we must look for the next exit to use. Remember the exit is always there because the word of God assures of us of their existence even when they seem invisible. The first statement of our anchor verse says that “no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” This means that any temptation that comes our way is predictable or common. We are further given the assurance that God is faithful and will only permit the kind of temptation that we can bear. On top of that, it says that God will provide a way out (exit) so that we can endure (escape) the temptation. This means, no temptation should overpower us if we follow God’s clues. First, the temptation is always something common, not alien to us. Whenever we face any temptation, we must consciously remind ourselves that this is common to humans. And that, we are not picked out to be tortured by the temptation. Others have been through it and they came out fine. Secondly, God will only permit what we can handle. This means the temptation was scaled by God to make sure it was something we can handle before it was given permission to come to us. This is why every “Job” can handle the exact temptation that Job went through in the Bible. Finally, God will point you in the direction of the exit if you look at the pointer (His word). There is always a way of escape in every temptation, and God is always pointing to it for us through His word. Find it and walk through it, as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2-11)._

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for showing me the way of escape in every temptation. Help me to walk in it by obeying your word.

Wisdom_Quote: The existence of exits means that the accident or temptation is predictable.

#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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God is Not Late

[The Glory Unveiled]

So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, [ John 11:6 NIV ]

It would seem that God is late sometimes, in attending to the most pressing needs of our lives. But let’s analyze the timing of God by using the story of Lazarus as a case study. Was Jesus late to attend to Lazarus? Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, was sick and Jesus was sent for. Now, Jesus who heard of Lazarus’ illness stayed two more days at where he was. Unimaginable, right?Considering that it is recorded that Jesus loved Lazarus (John 11:3). One would ask, is that how you treat someone you love when they are in need of your help? Lazarus needed Jesus when He was sick but Jesus stayed two more days until Lazarus died. And then after Lazarus had died, He now came around. Many times God seem to come around only when it seems too late as in the case of Lazarus. But then just like in the case of Lazarus, God comes in the fullness of His timing, when He will get the glory. And so, even though Lazarus had died and in that moment he couldn’t pray to God or send for Jesus [the solution] by himself, Jesus came anyway. And he who was dead came back to life to the glory of God. In the timing of man, it may seem late but in God’s reality, it is not. Our human timing does not change or stop the power of God nor hinder the expression of His sovereignty. God is not late even when people think or say He is. God is not constrained by our calendar. He does not exist within the boundaries of time as we are and so, time obeys Him. Whatever seems like it’s late is actually on time on God’s calendar. Our expectations can delay and the timing may seem to have elapsed but it is not late; God is not late. He is on time to the glory of His name.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for always being on time concerning every issue of our lives. Let your name be glorified.

Wisdom_Quote: Delay in our expectations is not an expiration of God’s provision and power.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Placing value on the price

[The Glory Unveiled]

You were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. [ 1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV ]

The price at which humanity was bought is the blood of Jesus; the life of God’s beloved son. And because we were bought, we owe an obligation to the one who bought us, to honour Him. The scriptures guide us as to how or what to honour God with; our bodies are the most appropriate for honouring God for His redemptive love. Jesus’ body was given in death to secure a body for us in God. And so, we place value on the price that was paid for our redemption when we honour God with our bodies. Honour is a reciprocation of the worth or value of something. When we honour God with our bodies, it is a worship that says we are grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. But when we fail to honour God with our bodies, it’s a loud announcement that we do not appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus. The price Jesus paid for our redemption was charged to His flesh, His body. He endured suffering in His flesh for us. And so, we must with our bodies honour God for the kindness of His love displayed in the sacrifice of His son. It is not a mere thing that God did when His son went to the Cross. He gave His best to give the rest of humanity a chance to have the life of His Son. If God was so kind to lose His Son on our account, what manner of people ought we to be? The answer is in the verse of scripture for our meditation. We ought to honour God with our bodies as a token of our gratitude for the glorious things He has done for us. May we through the grace of our Lord Jesus, present ourselves without blemish to the Father on account of the price for our salvation.

Prayer_Bead: Almighty God, thank you for the privilege of being your son because you gave your beloved begotten Son for me. Help me to honour you in my body.

Wisdom_Quote: Honour is the reciprocation of the value of something to someone.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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When the enemy goes to work

[The Glory Unveiled]

But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [ Matthew 13:25 NIV ]

Timing is important to work as the time we choose to work influences the output of our work. This was why Jesus said in John 9:4, that we should work while it was day for the night comes when no man can work. In our anchor verse, we learn that even though no man can “work” [be occupied upon] during the night, the enemy operates when men are not at work. And so, while everyone was asleep, the enemy came to work. There is always a time when everyone will sleep because it is supposed to be the time for sleep. But the time for sleep can also be for defining destinies. It is usually at night that destinies are altered and traded. The wheat in the field got corrupted with weeds because it was night. It is important that some men stay awake to watch over the work that was done during the day, when all men sleep at night. The watchers have a responsibility to preserve the wholeness of what was done during the day. Of what use is our toil during the day, if it is not protected from the enemy at night? From the beginning of creation, work was fashioned into humanity. God instructed Adam, the template of humanity, to work and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). When gardens are left unattended to, they become forests. And so, God asked man to dress and keep the garden in order to maintain it. But he was not only to keep weeds out of it but also the enemy of their future; Satan. Unfortunately, while Adam “slept“ (was insensitive to his surrounding) the enemy came to invade his ecosystem. The enemy comes to work when the workers are asleep. But if the watcher is at post, the enemy will not come to sow weeds. Hence, let us keep watch in prayer against the evil seeds of the enemy. Lets guard the garden of our souls.

Prayer_Bead: Omniscient God, thank you for showing me when the enemy goes to work. Help me to keep watch over the garden entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: The output of work is influenced by its timing.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Vineyards in bloom

[The Glory Unveiled]

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. [ Song of Songs 2:15 NIV ]

Many times, big problems come from little events; big fires are started as sparks. The things that destroy great men are usually little things. Yet, we tend to pay little or no attention to the little things in our lives. The kind of foxes that ruin the vineyards in bloom are little. But they destroy beautiful vineyards anyway. The “foxes” are the compromises that are hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of the Spirit from growing within us. These little foxes hinder our relationship with the Lord. We must note that anything that keeps us from growing the fruit of the Spirit is also choking our relationship with God. The thing about these foxes is that, they attack at strategic moments of our lives. They come during the seasons of bloom; new beginnings. At these seasons, areas of our lives that are not submitted to God, are usually what pulls us down [while we are close to new heights]. So, whenever we are at the threshold of a new beginning, we must be prepared to deal with little foxes. We must arm ourselves to catch foxes that are ready to destroy our vineyards in bloom. The dawn of a new beginning, is a sign that the enemy may have resources in place, around and within us to prevent those new beginnings from happening. Unfortunately, many times, we are carried away by the excitement of what is about to happen and we forget to keep watch to prevent evil interferences and assaults. The internal resources the enemy uses are mainly our lack of the fruit of the Spirit because the stability of every new beginning is tested on the backdrop of the fruit of the Spirit. Our stability and longevity is tied to the fruit of the Spirit that we are actively growing in and living out. So, catch every little fox that wants to ruin your vineyard in bloom.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for showing me what to do in the season of my new beginning. Help me to deal with compromises that are incongruous with Your word.

Wisdom_Quote: The stability of a new beginning is predicated upon the presence of the fruit of the Spirit.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Another Bible

[The Glory Unveiled]

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;” [ ‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ]

The New Testament Bible is a collection of epistles (letters) written to different churches and individuals. In the time of these letters, there was also the culture of ministry validation through the writing of letters of recommendation. In the book of Acts, we see some examples where the apostles wrote notes to be sent to the churches and places where other unpopular ministers were supposed to minister. These notes (epistles) were read to make the people see the preacher as a valid conduit of God’s word. And so was the culture, but then, in writing to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul now says that the people are their epistles, written in their hearts but known and read by all men. These people have become instruments of validation. It is clear and safe to assume that the Bible is Jesus in letters—every scripture is a piece of Jesus. And when you absorb so much of Jesus that you become His look-alike, lost in Him, then you become another Bible [epistle] to people. So that people can close their Bibles but still read Jesus in you. Our lives can be so mingled with Jesus’ life so much that people cannot tell the difference between the Jesus they read about in the epistles, recorded in the Bible and our own lives. The Lord Jesus knows us because He loves us deeply, but we do not know Him as He knows us because we do not love Him as deeply as we ought to. And because you cannot love someone deeply whom you do not know, we have a responsibility and a call to study the word of God even more. We must dedicate our lives to the study of the word of God and becoming so transformed by it that all men can know and read Jesus through us just like the high priests, the rulers and elders read [perceived] Jesus in the disciples (Acts 4:13).

Prayer_Bead: The Word of God who became flesh, thank you for giving me the privilege to be swallowed up into you, so that all men would see you in me.

Wisdom_Quote: Anyone who embodies scripture becomes an epistle because every scripture is a piece of Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.