Category: Gospel

[The Glory Unveiled]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [ 1 Peter 1:3 NIV ]

The absence of hope in a place or situation is death to that place or situation. The believer’s hope is alive because it is rooted in the resurrected Jesus. If Jesus had not risen from the grave, we would be the most pitied of all. It would mean that everything Jesus accomplished on the cross was in vain. The payment for our sins would have been fully made, but there would have been no one to ensure we received the redemption that was rightfully ours as a result of His sacrifice. The penalty for sin is death. When Adam and Eve sinned, God told them they would die. Although they didn’t immediately fall to the ground, they had died spiritually. God’s word that went out from His mouth saw to it that His pronouncement was fulfilled exactly as spoken. When judgement was pronounced on Adam and the entire human race, God provided a way for humanity’s hopeless situation to have a chance at redemption. However, someone had to bear the punishment for our disobedience. And so, the God-man Jesus came on the scene (though He had been working behind the scenes, shaping and ordering events into the perfect scenario) in the fullness of time to bear our sins and their punishment on our behalf. He came back from the dead, bringing our hope to life. Let this be the pillar of your joy. You have a living hope.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the privilege and hope you have given me through your Son Jesus Christ.

Wisdom_Quote: The redemption of man is meaningless unless it is tied to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]. [ Philippians 1:6 AMP ]

If you judge a man who has God on his side too soon, you may be disappointed when God comes through for that person suddenly. Many times, we tend to give up on ourselves and others when it appears that nothing is working. However, sometimes God steps in when man walks out; when we come to our wit’s end and are ready to throw in the towel, that is when God comes in to help. God is our Designer and Creator—He formed and created us. He shaped us into fullness according to His foreknowledge. For this reason, God is trustworthy and dependable. Men, on the other hand, may begin well but can suddenly mess everything up and fail to complete what they started. This is why the Bible says cursed is the arm who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm [support]. Relying on a human for anything does not guarantee the desired outcome; it only leads to disappointment because man does not have the power to plan and execute, or bring something to pass. Now, it might seem that when Jesus left earth to go and prepare a place for us, it was a strategy to abandon His responsibility toward us. But Jesus did not abandon us. He left us with the Holy Spirit, who is with us, working on us, and perfecting us into the image of Jesus until we completely resemble Him when He appears. The good work of the Holy Spirit in us is unhindered. God is committed to building us into the image of His Son. You are not abandoned; you are loved and cared for. You are worth preparing a place for in heaven. You are precious to heaven.

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Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your to my well being. I am worth the Son of God and I am precious to my heavenly Father.

Wisdom_Quote: God steps in when man walks out.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. [ Matthew 21:31 NIV ]

The Lord Jesus told a parable of two sons, where a father went to one of his two sons and asked him to work in the field. This son said he wouldn’t go, but later changed his mind and went. The father went to the other son and asked him the same favour. This other son responded in the affirmative but he did not go. Jesus ended the parable by asking a question that is the heart of the parable. “Which of the sons did what the father asked them to do? The disciples gave the same answer you’re probably having in mind, “the first son.” Jesus then opened their eyes to something unexpected, people who are ordinarily called sinners are entering the kingdom of God ahead of the ones who seem more deserving of the kingdom. Running this statement through the parable of the two sons we see these “sinners” as people who said to their father that they would not go to the field but later changed their minds and did or will. While the righteous, disciples and some believers belong to the category which said they would go to the field but didn’t go. In the end, Jesus is not looking for those who said they would go but those who did. Results beat intentions. Whatever your intentions are do not matter if they are not carried out. Some people have good intentions but unless these intentions are carried out, they are as good as no intentions or bad ones. The kingdom of God is admitting sincere and intentional people. No present situation holds us back if we want to change our ways. God has given us the willpower, an ability to make our own choices. Now that there is still grace and mercy, the time to change is today.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for your word. Help me to be true to my words.

Wisdom_Quote:* One’s actions outweigh their intentions.

GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. [ Matthew 5:16 NIV ]

In verse 14 of our anchor text, the Lord Jesus calls us “the light of the world.” This helps us better understand the people referred to as “others” in our focal text, verse 16. The “others” mentioned are the people of the “world,” the place of darkness under Satan’s influence. This is why Jesus said we should let our light shine, so those under the influence of darkness can see it. Obviously, light is needed wherever there is darkness. Where there is no darkness, people have no need of light. Unfortunately, in our day, many believers who carry the light only let it shine in the gathering of other believers (fellow light-bearers) where light is not “needed.” But if our light only shines in the gatherings of believers and not among unbelievers, then we are hypocrites and pretenders. Our light is needed more in the world (among people) than in the gathering of believers where light already dwells.
Daniel let his light shine before the pagan worshippers and the king of Babylon, who were in darkness. After they saw the light of God, they glorified the God of Daniel. Daniel did not try to impress his fellow Hebrew friends. Instead, he lived in such a way that the pagans themselves began to declare that the God of Daniel was the true God. Some people’s light is turning to darkness because they have a habit of changing. Rather than changing and pretending from one group of people to another like a chameleon, our light must shine consistently. Wherever we find ourselves, we must let our light remain light. Beloved, we have been called to a consistent life of light. Let’s reveal the nature of Christ in us to the world.

Prayer_Bead: Lord, Jesus, Light of the world, thank you for sending us into this world to be it’s light. Help us to not relent or compromise. In Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Consistency in our walk with God increases our reachability and influence in the world.

GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. [ Luke 9:23 NIV ]

Our walk with the Lord Jesus is not forced. As much as God desires that we come to Him, He does not override our free will, insisting that we choose Him. In our text above, the Lord Jesus asks that anyone who would come after Him—follow him as a disciple—should deny himself and take up His cross daily and follow Him. This makes the invitation to follow Him an open one. He does not forbid anyone from becoming His disciple but He does have a condition that must be met to actually succeed in following Him. Hence, this means that, to succeed in this endeavor is solely our responsibility. Amos 3:3 asks how two people can walk together unless they agree, we cannot follow Jesus nor walk with Him except we agree with Him. And we can only agree with Him when we live as He lived; denying the self life it’s freedom and taking up His cross daily and following His father. The same principle is expressed when Isaac denied his free will and followed his father, Abraham, carrying the firewood (his cross) for his death. There is a price to following Jesus and this price is encased in a condition; the condition of denying the self through daily obedience to the word of God. When we choose to obey Jesus on daily basis, ignoring what our self life wants, we are on the path to a lifelong relationship with Jesus. Are you committed to walking with Jesus? Are you willing to pay the ultimate price?

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for showing us how to enter into a lifelong relationship with you. Help me to obey you daily.

Wisdom_Quote: The call to follow Jesus is open to everyone at the cost of their lives.

[The Glory Unveiled]

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [ Mark 8:34 KJV ]

The principles and procedures of the kingdom of God do not discriminate between people—the marching order is the same for all. The Lord Jesus informed the people who were following Him and His disciples alike that whoever wants to be His disciple, in other words, whoever wants to look like Jesus, must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. This instruction was not given to the crowd alone; it was directed to the disciples as well. When it comes to looking like Jesus, there is no shortcut or discrimination. We have to pay the full price, and that price is self-denial, taking up our cross, and following Him. The first step in paying this price is to deny oneself. Naturally, we are self-preserving; we love and care about ourselves selfishly. Therefore, denying ourselves does not come naturally to us. We have to break a culture that we have been steeped in all our lives. This breaking is painful and discomforting. A young man came to Jesus seeking guidance on what he had to do to inherit the kingdom of God. After it was established that he had some things in order, the Lord Jesus asked him to sell his properties and belongings and give to the poor. He left downcast because his wealth and properties were preserving his sense of importance (Mark 10:17-22). Taking that away from him would make him feel nonexistent. However, it is only after we have denied ourselves that we can take up our cross. After we have denied ourselves, we can listen to and follow Jesus. When we “lose control” of our lives and give control to Jesus, we can take up our cross and follow Him. And then, in following Him, we begin to look just like Him; as we follow Him, we are changed into His very image from glory to glory.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for showing me the terms of the marching order, help me to deny myself and take up my cross so that I can follow you. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Self denial is the ticket to following Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[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 Lord Jesus asks us to join our lives with His. He made this request using the animal husbandry term “yoking.” The concept of yoking animals is to make two animals work as one unit. However, considering this metaphor through the lens of Jesus’ words, it is not the work that is the focus, but rather union with Him. This is why He said we should learn from Him. We can only become one with Him when we learn from Him. He also tells us the reason He is calling us into this venture: to find rest for our souls. Moreover, He underscores His words with something that settles the scores, explaining why He does what He does. This central truth is His heart posture. The Lord Jesus says that He is gentle and lowly in heart. To learn the ways of Jesus, we need to adopt His mental and heart attitude. Without the right mental attitude, we cannot achieve the results a person has, no matter how much we covet or imitate them. The Lord Jesus has rest, and He is calling us into a similar rest, but He is doing so through a long-lasting system: learning. He wants us to learn from Him until what we learn becomes part of us. We cannot learn the ways of Jesus unless we are yoked (joined) to Him. We can then watch His steps and His actions. This yoking process begins with accepting Jesus as Lord and being willing to obey Him in all things, neglecting our right to live and allowing Him to live through us. The kind of rest our souls want can only be found in Jesus. Outside Him is an aberration of that rest we so yearn for. So, take that yoke of total obedience and find rest for your soul.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for yoking me to your Son by your Spirit. Thank you for the peace I’ve found. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: A life joined to Jesus is a life that is resting.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. [ Romans 8:7 NIV ]

Every country and institution is run by a type of government. Whatever government is adopted becomes the ruling authority in such nations, meaning the government controls everything that happens there. There is a certain influence that spreads over the people under any particular government. This influence results in unique behavior exhibited by the people under that government. For instance, in a democratic system, people are more inclined to speak their minds and express their views more than in an autocratic society. Likewise, the government that rules over our minds translates into certain behaviors as a result of its influence in our lives. Our anchor scripture says that the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. The behavior exhibited by a person under the governance of the flesh is hostility to God. They do not submit their lives to the word of God. They live their lives regardless of what God’s holy law says. The one who is governed by their flesh can have the best of motives and desire to love and honor God, but they are prisoners who cannot express their free will. They manifest the influence of the government they are subjected to. In the same vein, one who is governed by the spirit loves God and submits to Him in all things. Their lives are a mirror reflection of the life of God’s Son. The kind of governance over our minds is determined by our decision to accept the Lordship of Jesus or reject Him. Whatever decision we make determines the government that oversees our lives. The choice lies with us.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly father, thank you for the provision you have made for my mind to be governed by your Spirit through Your Son.

Wisdom_Quote: Every mind has its government.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.