Category: Inspiration

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Waterless Clouds

[The Glory Unveiled]

Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given. [ Proverbs 25:14 TPT ]

Claiming to have something we do not have may be a ploy to please people and make them think highly of us than we really are. But actually, it makes us lose people’s trust in us. We become like a cloud without water which advertised rain but cannot deliver it. Boasting ensures that. The world is full of gullible men and women who chase after nothing but profit for self. They go any length to deceive people just to fill their pockets. Their motives are merely for self gain and nothing more. The second book written by Peter in the New Testament also describes people who boast of gifts never given to them in similar words as our anchor text above. “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them” (2 Peter 2:17). Their end is foretold as destruction. People who are empty of God’s word—the substance of our faith—and bear false testimonies are like clouds without water. They have nothing substantial to give. Such people have gone so far from the grace of God that all the warnings and promptings of God seems not to teach them any lessons. Balaam, son of Beor is the example from the Old Testament who was disobedient to the warnings and promptings of God. Eventually, a donkey without speech rebuked him with human voice to restrain his madness. (see Numbers 22-24). Whenever we give ourselves permission to do what God has not commanded or not to do what He has commanded, we are indicating a rebellion to the will of God. It is a sign that we are not submitted to Jesus as our Lord. Instead of going around in an empty shell, let us tarry in the presence of God until we have a message; a substance to share with our world. A waterless cloud is a premature cloud, allow time to supply everything that is lacking. And the world will come to you for a rain.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for the privilege to know this truth. Help me to tarry with you so that I may carry real substance for the nations too.

Wisdom_Quote: A waterless cloud advertises rain but delivers nothing.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Is Jesus your Lord?

[The Glory Unveiled]

And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: [ Genesis 19:18 KJV ]

The Hebrew concept of Lord means “master, controller, owner.” If someone is Lord over you, it means they own you. They decide and dictate what you do and how you do it. Where there is Lord, the subject or servant has only one responsibility, to obey. When we come under the lordship of Jesus, we are declaring that we have relinquished our rights and freedom to Him. It means our lives will be controlled and micromanaged by Him. Our lives become a shadow of His life. Unfortunately, many of us who claim to have Jesus as our Lord are not subjected to Him wholly. As such it is very confusing who truly has the Lord Jesus as their Lord. This is why the Lord Jesus says on that day, many will call Him Lord, Lord but He will tell them to go away from Him, for He does not know them. (Matthew 7:22; Luke 13:25). Lot and Peter, seem to have one thing in common; their inability to firmly take a stance; they are both not assertive. We could tell from Lot’s inability to take a firm position against the homosexuals of Sodom (see Genesis 19:7-8) and Peter’s inability to side with the Gentiles in the face of his fellow Jews (see Galatians 2:11-13). And then, they also have the “Not so, Lord” statement in common.(Genesis 19:18 for Lot and Acts 10:14 for Peter). Anyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord must submit to Him in all things. If Jesus is not Lord of all things in our lives, then He is not our Lord at all. “Not so, Lord” is not a language a person who has Jesus as their Lord speaks. The only language a person who has the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and Lord speaks is, “Yes Lord.”

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my Lord. Help me to always say “yes” to you. Change my language and change my attitude towards you, in Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Jesus is Lord of all things or He is not Lord at all.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Remember Mrs. Lot

[The Glory Unveiled]

Remember Lot’s wife! [ Luke 17:32 NIV ]

Our anchor text says we should remember Lot’s wife. But to remember Lot’s wife, we need to journey back to the first book of the Old Testament, where we can find in Genesis 19:26 what the Bible says we should remember about Mrs Lot. In that account, we see that the Angel of the Lord instructed the family of Lot to leave Sodom and not look back (Genesis 19:17). Where looking back means a desire to want what you’re supposed to leave behind or lose. Letting go of the past is quite a difficult thing to do, but change and transition happens on the spike of turning one’s back to the past. The family of Lot were well aware that they didn’t have to look back at what they had left because looking back means a desire to participate in what you’ve left. The Israelites left Egypt, instructed by God never to return back there. But the people became so used to the Egyptian life they couldn’t wean them off. (Numbers 14:3-4). In our walk with God, looking back is not an option. In Luke 9:62, Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God requires commitment in our service to God. Turning our backs to those commitments is a sign that says we have lost our saltiness and are good for nothing (Matthew 5:13). Instability and inconsistencies invalidate our commitment to God’s kingdom. The disobedience of Lot’s wife is an example of what happens when we disobey God to chase after what God detests. Once we have decided to journey with God, we must not turn our back even when our past keeps calling out. We must remember Lot’s wife more often in our day as the world’s grip on people seem firmer by the day. Don’t go back to the world you left, keep going towards God everyday.

Prayer_Bead: Faithful God, thank you for your faithfulness and grace. As I remember Lot’s wife, please help me not to act like her, in Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Change and transition happen when we let go of the past.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Athletes of Glory

[The Glory Unveiled]

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. [ 1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV ]

Our Christian walk is likened to a race in which prizes are awarded. But like every other race, the prize is given only after complying to all the rules and coming out in first place. There are standards and expectations that the athlete must meet to be recognized as victorious. But to even obey those standards, the athlete must be disciplined—put themselves under subjection to a higher authority. Discipline means being discipled (submitted to, trained) by an authority stronger or more experienced than we are. And this is why every athlete has a mentor, a goal; someone or something they look up to, that empowers them to keep moving forward. The mentor or motivation could be a person or an idea. And for many people, the trophy or prize is their motivation. They tailor their everyday activities and dreams to these goals. Those who compete in races discipline themselves so that they could win trophies that do not last yet they put so much effort into such competitions. If we are racing for a trophy that will last forever, shouldn’t we put in more work? The desires of the body must come in second place to the desires of the Spirit. The body will only obey the voice and agenda of the Spirit when it is put under subjection to God; the body will obey the teachings of Christ and follow His examples when it is intentionally subjected to the word of God. Athletes are intentional about their diet and exercise accordingly. The believer in Christ must be intentional about their spiritual diet and exercise accordingly too, if they aim for the crown that lasts forever.

Prayer_Bead: Gracious Father, thank you for the opportunity to discipline my body and subject it to your word. Let my life glorify your name.

Wisdom_Quote: Discipline directs an athlete towards the trophy by giving them goals.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The right of salvation

[The Glory Unveiled]

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God —[ John 1:12 NIV ]

The world is filled with visible and invisible things, mysteries and facts, free things and things that have price tags on them. God made provision for everything there is need for. But only few people get access to the provisions that are freely made. This truth is exemplified in the parable of the wedding banquet recorded in Matthew 22. The king had prepared a banquet and invited everyone to come and celebrate with him. Food and drinks were available, to be eaten for free. And yet, nobody was forced to come and eat. You would agree that there were many hungry people in that town who didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. The invitation was given to anyone who would accept it. And as many as accepted it, were given the opportunity to enjoy the provisions of the king. The same thing applies to the provisions made for our salvation and inclusion into the family of God. The right of salvation is given to anyone who will believe in Jesus and receive Him as their Saviour. Grace has made provision for the need of the human soul through the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. God took care of our problems before the foundation of the earth so that we will not become eternal enemies of God. He made a way for us to discontinue with the path of unrighteousness and sin through the bloodline of His Son. So that by faith, we can have what we could not have paid for—the price tag of our salvation was the son of God. We could not have met that standard, hence we couldn’t have paid the price by ourselves. The mercy of God came to our rescue, towing us into the family of God by our faith in the son. But, unless we take advantage of the provision that is made for us, our needs will remain.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for the provision of grace and thank you for the gift of salvation through your Son.

Wisdom_Quote: The provision of grace is available to all who will accept it.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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They are humans too

[The Glory Unveiled]

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [ James 5:17 NIV ]

It is often forgotten that all the men of God we admire and revere are human beings too, with human frailties just like us. Unfortunately, many people think that the man of God or a minister is not human and should not display any human attributes or tendencies. Many people have this unreasonable expectation of the minister and do not expect them to exhibit any human weaknesses. This expectation has forced many ministers into the “ministry” of pretense. So many ministers pretend to be who they are not to please the people they are leading. “Elijah was an ordinary human but he prayed and received supernatural answers. He actually shut the heavens over the land so there would be no rain for three and a half years!” Elijah, who shut the heavens so that it won’t rain for three and half years, was referred to as a human being like us. This means that the minister’s anointing, grace or calling doesn’t make them non humans. They are still humans, regardless of their anointing. And as much as we respect and honour the anointing upon their head, let us not ignore the fact that they are humans. This recognition and appreciation of the humanity of the men and ministers of God helps not to have unrealistic expectations of the ministers. To the child of God or the minister, don’t be deceived by your gifts and callings to think that you are more than human or above humans. Don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of us. (Romans 12:3).

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that I am human. Help me to remain humble everyday of my life.

Wisdom_Quote: Anointing does not take away human frailties.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

*#GNews:* _Unveiling the glory of God._

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Thanksgiving power

[The Glory Unveiled]

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. [ John 11:41 ]

One notable thing about Jesus’ ministry is honour. Many times, it was displayed through thanksgiving. Jesus gave thanks over everything, from the 5 loaves of bread to the last meal with his disciples. At the tomb of Lazarus, after Jesus instructed the people to roll away the stone that was placed at the entrance of the tomb, he lifted up His eyes and began to thank the Father for hearing Him. This was before the expected miracle happened. Jesus expressed gratitude for what was yet to come—an expression of faith. Thanksgiving is an indication of many positive things to the believer. It guarantees that we are heard whenever we come to the Father in prayer. Also, thanksgiving is a spiritual shortcut that opens the door to supernatural possibilities. The situation of Lazarus had deteriorated beyond normal expectations and so, there was the urgency for swift answers. So, Jesus decided to employ the spiritual shortcut tool of thanksgiving. There is so much power in thanksgiving but it is often ignored and missed by many because we are used to working ourselves out for results. Hence, thanksgiving is perceived to be too easy to bring about the results we desire. While in fact, it is the fastest route to the most complex breakthroughs. Thanksgiving also, activates resurrection power. Thanksgiving has a way of awakening anything that is dying or dead and brings it back to life [multiplication]. After the stone [blockade] is taken away by the word of God, as it happened at the tomb of Lazarus, thanksgiving is the next thing that is expected to bring about the change you seek. Go ahead. Thank God.

Prayer_Bead: Thank you Father, we appreciate you for the things you have done for us today and everyday. Let your name be glorified in us.

Wisdom_Quote: Thanksgiving is the fastest route to the most complicated breakthroughs.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The King’s witnesses

[The Glory Unveiled]

“We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands actually touched him, the one who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God.” [ 1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ TPT‬‬ ]

The disciples and apostles had so much influence on the people they spoke to about Jesus. They affected the lives of so many people in tangible ways because of their convictions in what they had seen, heard and experienced. John was confident to talk about “this Jesus,” as the Jesus he knew personally and intimately. From his epistle, we could see that the man knew Jesus. The testimony of a man or woman who has seen and experienced something is uniquely distinct from another who didn’t have that experience. The words of a reliable witness is filled with compelling truth and trustworthy evidence. Therefore, the man or woman who encounters Jesus speaks about Him in a compelling way that repairs the confusion in the hearts of people. It is difficult, impossible even, to witness about who you do not know. Nobody can bring anyone into an intimate relationship with Jesus if they do not know and have an intimate relationship with Him themselves. This is the reason why the testimonies of many people are not affecting lives; the witnesses didn’t meet the Jesus they testify about. You cannot be a witness unless you witness something. What are you telling others about Jesus? Do you know the Jesus you speak about or are you reporting for someone else? Anybody can experience Jesus through the word of God, if they are intentional about it. We don’t need to go back in time to the days of Jesus to have an encounter with Him. Hence, we do not have any excuse to dish out a shallow, devoid of practical experience testimony to people, and expect them to look like Jesus. It only works when we first encounter what we are advertising.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege to encounter you in the word of God so that I can be a reliable witness of your Kingdom.

Wisdom_Quote: A kingdom witness must first have a personal and intimate encounter with the King.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Ask with confidence

[The Glory Unveiled]

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. [ John 16:24 NIV ]

Many Christians are caught in the Pharisee’s art. We say so many things in the place of prayer, most of which are not meant for God nor does it reach Him. We fantasize with the thought that because we pray, God always hears us or that we are actually asking. 1 John 5:14, says that the confidence we have in approaching God is that God hears us when we ask anything according to His will. And this is where the challenge is; asking according to the will of God. To ask according to the will of God, one must know the will of God. And to know the will of God, we must know the Word of God who is the Son of God, and have access to His name. But for most of us, our stories are like the man at the Pool in John chapter 5. When Jesus asked him whether he wanted to get well [an invitation to prayer], he started talking about all the things that prevented him from getting well, instead. And that’s exactly how many of us act in prayer. Instead of boldly asking God for what we need, we end up complaining about everything else, ranting and accusing others even, thinking we are actually praying fervently. It seems that our being used to the theatrics of this modern day’s style of praying, has drowned us in the presumption that God hears us merely because we claim to be praying in His name. This is probably why we have so little results in the place of prayer. But if we want to see real results and get our prayers automatically answered, we must find the will of God—the fuel for our confidence—first. And then, with confidence in our hearts, we are able to ask according to God’s will rather than complain or accuse others.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me how to ask and receive. Help me to apply these truth as I ought to.

Wisdom_Quote: Presumption is the thief of manifestation.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Set your love dial

[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.