Category: Gospel

[The Glory Unveiled].

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” [ 1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ESV‬‬]

There is a definiteness about love that sets it apart from everything else. This is why love cannot be misunderstood. It is always clear, either present or absent. The Passion Translation version of the Bible puts our anchor text this way, “Don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of the Father and the love of the world are incompatible.” (1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭TPT‬‬) The affections of our hearts are like dials. Once it is set on one thing, it cannot be set on another at the same time. This is why we are cautioned not to set our affections on the world; not to love the world. Anytime we set our affections on the world and the things in the world, we cannot have the love of the Father as we ought to. And since loving the Father also means loving our neighbours, we cannot love other people too. Loving the world and the things in it is a weapon of mass destruction, that affects even those around us. If we claim to have the love of the Father, then our affections must not be on the world but on God. Our affection is the needle that points in the direction of our love. And just as the needle on a compass can only point in one direction at a time because it is one, we can also not have the love of the father and the love of the world concurrently, they are not compatible. This is why we are told not to love the world. Whoever loves the world loses the love of the Father, and whoever loves the Father loses the love of the world. You cannot have them both. This is why it is a very plain lie to claim to love the Lord and yet, love the world with so much affection. Like a radio dial, let us set our affections and love on God alone so that the world will have no grip on us.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love that is established in my heart. Help me to set my affection on you alone.

Wisdom_Quote: The dial of our affection is either set on God or the world.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” [ Mark 7:13 NIV ]

The book of proverbs speaks of the adulterous and the virtuous woman. Both are symbolic of two systems in the church. One is religious and alluring, tempting the young and anointed one to come to her bed of compromise and sin, just like the foolish virgins who wanted to lure the wise virgins to give out their oil (Matthew 25:8). The other is the holy bride, wise, virtuous and pure, keeping her first love (“wedding vows”) for Christ alone. One system brings shame and despair; the other brings favour, honour, and glory. The two systems go as far back as the time of Jesus. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law represented the system that nullified the word of God by their traditions. In Matthew 23:13, Jesus accused them of shutting the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s face, and that they neither go in themselves nor allow others to go in. The same system is still operating today, except that today, the system has a rather larger network of players, enforcing the agenda of the system—hindering people from entering the kingdom of heaven. There are so many in the church who are enemies of the church, fighting the bride of Christ tooth and nail. They try to undo the work of Christ with their self made traditions and those handed down to them. But for the virtuous bride, the solution is wisdom. In this season and time of the church, just as it was in the parable of the virgins, it will take wisdom for the true bride of Christ, the church to escape the evil plot of the world’s church—the foolish virgin. It is only the Spirit of wisdom that can protect us from the religious church and unite us to the other, the holy church. This is why we must submit to Wisdom. We must make wisdom our quest in this season. We must stay with wisdom and let discernment enter our hearts. And then, no matter the temptations and distractions of the religious church, we will not be swayed.

Prayer_Bead: Merciful Father, thank you for your grace and love. Thank you for the Spirit of Wisdom. And as we walk in the shadows of wisdom, deliver us from the religious church. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Wisdom is the way of escape for the holy church against the luring traps of the adulterous church.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” [ Exodus 2:14 NIV ]

God placed within each one of us a knowing of what we have to do to feel fulfilled. Somehow, we seem to know what we are supposed to do or at least have a blurry idea of what it ought to be. While it is very clear to some people, to others, it is rather a slow process of discovery. But the method to arriving at that ideal destiny is not inherently known to us. For Moses, he was supposed to liberate the Israelites. He knew he had to set the people free from their captors but he didn’t know the right method nor had the right equipment. He had the passion and the skills but having passion and skills are not enough to arrive at the place of destiny. And so, he needed the Spirit that would guide him and direct his skills. Until then, he had invested in the wrong method. He thought he had to kill the Egyptians to liberate the Israelites—his method. But how many people could he have killed to succeed in liberating his people? We cannot have God’s results with our methods. We need God’s method in order to have His results. The reality is that, along our journey to destiny, we may become scared at the magnitude of what God is calling us into. The truth however is that, it is only bigger than us when we want to attempt it alone. But when we partner with God, we discover that it is possible. The question that the Israelite asked Moses gives us a clue to entering our calling and destiny. We need to be made into who we are called to be. “Who made you Judge and Ruler.” By any means, someone needs to make us and that someone is the One who destined us to the things we desire to do. Is there an urge, an inkling, a nudge to go in a certain direction with your life? Ask God for the vehicle, the means and method to carry out that task or desire. Use God’s method. Ask God and obey Him.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for showing me to depend on you in my pursuit of purpose. Please show me your method to arrive at my destiny’s goal.

Wisdom_Quote: Man’s method does not produce God’s results.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. [ Hebrews 2:15 KJV ]

The mind and belief system of a person is cultured by the things that dominate that mind. Overtime, they become so bound and content with the bondage that when a window of opportunity presents itself for their freedom, they will still choose the bondage. The Israelites were in bondage for so long a time that when the time for their freedom came, it was very hard for them to believe it or go into the land of freedom. A famous psychoanalytic theorist, carried out an experiment on conditioning. Lab rats were caged for a period of time, after some time, the cage was opened but these rats will not go out because they thought they were still caged. The long experience of being in a cage had conditioned them into thinking that they were never free even when they were. This same feeling happens to many believers who seem to trust their experiences more than they trust God’s word and plan. Reality and truth is actually what God says it is, not what we feel. The Bible says, “let the weak say I am strong” (Joel 3:10). This means your experience may be weakness, but the Bible says your reality is strength. And your faith must agree with the word of God to carve out that reality experientially. Fear is a slave master. Fear enslaves more people than all other factors put together. And because fear is not always visible, it can enter anywhere it is allowed, enslaving whoever hosts him. Fear has killed so many potentials and people, prematurely. Many people and dreams came to their untimely death because they welcomed fear. Today’s text speaks about the fear of death. And because fear always keeps people in bondage, such people become perpetual slaves. Jesus overcame sin and death and took the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:8). Hence, our freedom from the bondage of fear is in Jesus. He who has Jesus, has the power over fear because they have the Spirit of love, sound mind and power. You’re not in bondage any longer. You’re as free as you choose to be.

Prayer_Bead: Mighty God, I worship you. Thank you for Your Spirit in me. I am free from the bondage of fear.

Wisdom_Quote: Fear subjects its hosts to a lifetime of bondage.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.