Category: Gospel

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The Shepherd’s sheep

[The Glory Unveiled ]

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [ John 10:27 KJV ]

The Lord Jesus in our anchor text, points us to an intentional relationship between Himself and His followers. He calls these followers His sheep. His choice of “sheep” used to describe His followers means they have some complementary resemblance with the object they are named after. Apart from being calm and peaceful, sheep are able to recognize the voice of their owners and follow them. Perhaps “following” is the most visible mark of a sheep. They have this exceptional ability to follow without complaining or grumbling. They follow as a result of their trust in the one leading them. This was why, in the verse before this verse [verse 26], Jesus compares the Jewish leaders to His sheep and He had this to say “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.” The true difference was in their beliefs, which necessitated [or otherwise] them to follow. To hear the voice of God means to recognize and understand the instructions of God. The consequences of which is a mark in Him by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and obtaining favour from Him as He acknowledges us before the Father. The strongest indicator that tells whether someone is the Lord’s sheep or not is whether or not they are following the Lord—the word of God. If a believer permits the word of God to discipline them to conform to the image of Jesus, then they are disciples and the Lord’s sheep. But the one who is not the Lord’s sheep cannot hear the Lord’s voice and as a result cannot follow Him. Their spiritual ears and eyes are cocked, they cannot hear God nor obey Him when He instructs them. But through our acceptance of Jesus and obedience, we are recognized by heaven and we are able to follow the pattern of God laid down for us.

Prayer_Bead: Shepherd of all souls, thank you for marking me in You because I hear your voice and follow you. Help me to be consistent.

Wisdom_Quote: Following Jesus is the identity tracker for His sheep.

#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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Knowing God in stillness

[The Glory Unveiled]

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. [ Psalms 46:10 KJV ]

There is so much that is locked up and reserved to be discovered by those who can be still before God. To “be still” means to “let go of,” “to withdraw from,” or “to abandon something.” Stillness requires a special skill and an ability to maintain equilibrium. Sometimes, in order to be still—maintain equilibrium—one needs to let go of every weight, so as to properly sustain balance. Other times, to be still, one needs to withdraw from the noise of their world and the distractions in their immediate surroundings. John the Baptist needed to withdraw into the wilderness in order to be still before the Lord. And yet, some other times, one can only be still when they abandon whatever they have been holding tightly onto. It could be that the reason why some of us are unable to be still in the presence of God is because we are holding onto toxic things in our hearts, such as anxiety and fear—things that control our mood and peace, even people. And unless we abandon those things, we cannot be still. Jesus said if you come to the house of God to offer a gift and you remember that you have been holding a grudge, go and deal with it first and come back to offer to God (Matthew 5:23-24). Unless it is dealt with, our coming before God will be a waste. But then, when we do, we get to know that God is God. To know God means to “find out,” “to discern” or “to learn by experience.” When we attain a still posture in the presence of God, we are able to find out things about God and ourselves, discern His will for us (Romans 12:2) and also learn by experience, God’s promises to us. Which results in practical and experiential revelation of God through us to our world. And this becomes the culmination of our scripture text—God will be exalted in the world. His name will be glorified in nations and among people.

Prayer_Bead: Wonderful King, we bow in awe of You. Thank you for showing us how to be still to know you are God. Help us in our attempts to know you through stillness. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: The revelation of God for global impact is given only in a place of stillness.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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A relational God

[The Glory Unveiled]

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. [ 2 Corinthians 6:18 KJV ]

From the beginning of our human existence, God had always wanted to relate with us on a personal and intimate level. From the garden of Eden accounts, we can emphatically tell that God wanted a relationship with man, His creation. Interestingly, when man disobeyed God and sinned, God’s initial desire and plan did not change. He sought every opportunity and used every means to get us back into a relationship with Him. In Jeremiah, it was prophesied that God will give us a new heart, one that loved God and revered Him, and that He will enter a new covenant with us (Jeremiah 32:39-40). All these efforts are a testimony of God’s desire to be in a relationship with us. This is what sets Jehovah apart from other gods. While other gods demand servitude, a master-servant relationship, God wants a father-child relationship with His creation. A relationship that is founded on the nature of God; love. Other gods demand sacrifices from their subjects but Jehovah gave a sacrifice on behalf of his children as a gift—His only beloved Son. God was willing to give all that He had to have us back into a committed relationship with Him. As a result, we can only get to truly know God in a love relationship with Him. This is why religion does not reveal the true identity of God even though, religious people think they know God from their wobbling attempts to please their God from a distance. It just doesn’t work from a distance. This is why God had to come down—in close proximity to us, the objects of His love and His image bearers. And even when He was going back to heaven, He said, He will not leave us like orphans (John 14:18). Instead, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, so that we can remain intimate with Him as His sons and daughters. Let’s remain committed to our relationship with Him.

Prayer_Bead: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honoured. Thank you for your love and pursuit of me. I yield my heart to you for a heart to heart relationship. So help me, Father.

Wisdom_Quote: Intimate relationships are not forged from a distance.

#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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The Journey into Destiny

[The Glory Unveiled]

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [ Genesis 12:1 KJV ]

The journey into the believer’s destiny begins from intimacy with God. Through intimacy, the believer is equipped with every bit of information needed to discover and complete their destiny. The destiny of a person is like a puzzle. And usually, God releases each piece of the puzzle at a time and only through intimacy with Him. He does not just throw the clues at us from a distance. No, He whispers them to us in the secret place of our fellowship with Him. Reading our anchor text, we will notice that God didn’t give Abraham [then Abram] the whole map of His destiny. God needed Abram to depend on Him in every step of his journeying to the place of destiny. And so, God only gave him a rough estimate of what is expected of him but not the details. He didn’t even mention the name of the land in this text. But He did say, “I will show you.” And so, Abram will have no option than to go back to God if he wanted to get to this land that promises better than where he had been. The first statement gives us a blur peek into what had been happening. We can deduce that Abram did not go at the word of God from the beginning. The statement, “the Lord had said unto Abram” means this was not the first time that Abram was told to move from his current location to the new land. But for whatever reasons, he didn’t move immediately until this chapter of the book. And so, the verse 4, begins thus, “so, Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him.” The indicators that point to our destinies are coded in God, revealed only at the place of intimate fellowship with Him. Every other method to arrive at destiny without God is a grave risk. While the easiest way to reach destiny is by the word of God. Imagine if Abram had set off immediately without hesitating or “considering other possibilities” of reaching the same goal. He would have saved some time. The land of destiny is a place only God can show us. Let’s stay close to God and it will become as clear as day where God is sending us to.

Prayer_Bead: Jehovah Almighty, God who knows the end from the beginning, thank you for showing me the template of my destiny as I remain in intimate fellowship with You.

Wisdom_Quote: The land of destiny is a place only God can show the believer.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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With all of your heart

[The Glory Unveiled]

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [ Jeremiah 29:13 NIV ]

God is always unambiguously clear whenever He communicates His thoughts and words with humans. Many times, it is in our reporting the word of God that we dilute its truth and meaning, imposing our own understanding and views on it. But if we can take God’s word as He spoke them, we will experience tremendous growth and change. It is not impossible to find God when we seek Him. Even though some people make it sound and appear very complicated, God shows us the formula for finding Him. The secret sauce is hidden in a simple phrase imbedded in the formula. The phrase is “with all your heart.” God is not brought out of hiding by enticing Him with part of our hearts, a little of our hearts or with most of our hearts. God is only brought out of hiding when we seek him with everything we’ve got—all of our hearts. You cannot reserve some heart fuel for anything else. Everything must be used up in our search of Him. We will find Him when we search with all of our hearts—ALL of our hearts. This truth cannot be overemphasized. God is drawn to the light of our full heart exposure. The God we seek does not do business with half measure. It’s either you’re all in or not. And so, God can be found but how we seek Him will either bring Him out or keep Him hiding from us. Those who seek God and do not find Him only went on the search with part of their hearts. Maybe the other part is what is holding them from their eureka moment. And if they can “let their guard down” and humble themselves to give all their hearts to the search, they will be amazed at their finding. May we not waste time in our search by holding back part of our hearts in the search.

Prayer_Bead: Lover of my soul, thank you for revealing yourself when I search for you with all of my heart. I surrender every quarter of my heart to you. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: All of our hearts is the only appeal that brings God out of hiding.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The love gift of God

[The Glory Unveiled]

“For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ!” [ Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭TPT‬‬ ]

Salvation cannot happen without God’s grace. No man can meet the just requirement for their salvation except God intervened. So, the grace of God created a system in which through faith, we could access salvation. “Through faith,” it means that salvation wouldn’t be the reward of good work or human efforts. But rather by something outside of man’s realm. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11). And because it is God’s grace, we cannot boast or say, we are saved because of something we have done to earn it (Ephesians 2:9). The law was not intended to bring us into the rest of God, no, it was intended to expose the fullness of sin in us. But then, even before the law was introduced, God made provisions for our salvation in Christ through a method called grace. “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2Timothy 1:9-10). Grace was available before the law, but it was not revealed until Christ came on the scene. But then, even at the coming of Jesus, it had to take the love gift [good news] from God to bring us to Christ to receive the gift. And so, anyone who stays away from Christ cannot have the gift of God. No matter how religious or pious they are. This is the reality about the nature of the salvation that comes from God, of which as many as received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour are partakers.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Almighty, Saviour, Redeemer, thank you for the gift of salvation brought to me through Jesus. Thank you for the call to a holy life.

Wisdom_Quote: Grace is the method of salvation, faith is the process.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Growing up in Salvation

[The Glory Unveiled]

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. [ 1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV ]

The believer’s journey of faith is in stages and levels. Each stage or level has its unique requirements and demands. Without the right spiritual skill sets, one can remain at a particular level for a long time, which means they are not growing. Whenever one grows in their salvation however, they are able to taste and see the goodness of God. The goodness of God is any experiential perception of God. But we are only able to capture these perceptions on a certain spiritual diet, the pure spiritual milk. But then when we have tasted that the Lord is good, we need to set boundaries/guards that will keep us from drifting again into darkness (Hebrews 6:4-6). We need to raise pillars and landmarks from God’s word that point us in the right direction to go. To taste that the Lord is good, we need a certain level of spiritual guidance and growth. And so, anyone who tastes the goodness of God has had that awakening to the realm of God and must continue to grow in knowledge to better appropriate their realities. But the prescribed food and method for growth to that capacity of discerning and experiencing the goodness of God is the pure spiritual milk. Note, not just any spiritual milk but the “pure” one. Purity is a key that fast tracks the believer’s growth in God. Without purity the believer’s growth will be an upward and downward chart. Purity makes the growth process smooth, directional and precisely aligned to pattern. After we have tasted that the Lord is good is not a time to relax and retire into lukewarmness. Tasting the goodness of God is a wake up call to action and duty. And so, let’s make it a habit [crave] to dwell in the word of God and to have our souls nourished from its pure milk.

Prayer_Bead: Eternal Teacher, Author and Finisher of my faith, thank you for your pure word available to make me grow in you. Give me a strong insistent craving for your word daily. In Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: After tasting that God is good, set boundaries for your soul as you’ll be open to the deceptions and temptations of Satan.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.