Category: Love

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Bearing His disgrace 

[The Glory Unveiled]

Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. [ Hebrews 13:13 NIV ]

The journey from the city to Golgotha represents the most painful and generous sacrifice ever made in human history. When Jesus chose to carry the cross and bear the weight of humanity’s sin outside the camp, He understood the cost. He saw the shame that awaited Him. He knew the disgrace attached to that cross. He felt the weight of it all, yet He relentlessly pressed on towards His destination. Nothing about the journey was easy. His physical circumstances opposed Him, and even the spiritual weight of what He was carrying pressed heavily upon Him. Yet He refused to turn back. He had a destination, and the salvation of humanity was worth the journey. And He did this not only to save us, but also to leave us an example. This is why Scripture says, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13). Notice the language: let us go forth. There is a movement required of everyone who desires to follow Christ. We cannot remain comfortably within the camp while Jesus is outside it. We must go to Him where He is—even if going to Him means bearing His reproach. The disgrace He bore became the doorway to the freedom we now enjoy. The shame He carried became the ground upon which we received forgiveness from the Father. He endured what we could never bear so that we could receive what we could never earn. Therefore, if we desire to draw others to God, we must be willing to go to Jesus outside the camp. We must be willing to carry His reproach, endure misunderstanding, embrace inconvenience, and accept the cost that comes with identifying with Christ. Because there is a price to reaching souls. But it is a worthy price. When we remember that the person standing before us was created in the image and likeness of God, we begin to understand that no sacrifice made for a soul is truly wasted. Jesus considered humanity worth the cross. We must therefore ask ourselves: What are we willing to endure to bring someone else to Him? Go outside the camp. Bear His reproach. Carry the message. And remember: the cost may be great, but the value of a soul is greater.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for allowing your Son Jesus to bear the disgrace He bore for my salvation. 

Wisdom_Quote: Freedom comes at a price. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I accept your sacrifice for my salvation. Come into my heart and reign as Lord. 

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The sacrifice of sharing

[The Glory Unveiled]

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.[ Hebrews 13:16 NIV ]

Anything that costs us something requires a sacrifice. And naturally, we do not always like to make sacrifices because sacrifice comes with a cost. Yet, there is something about sacrifice that gives value to what is offered. Even in human relationships, we tend to value and appreciate more deeply the things someone gives us when we know they cost that person something. In a sense, it seems God delights in what is costly. He is not impressed by what costs us nothing. David understood this principle when he said, “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” There is something about an offering that costs us something that makes it a genuine expression of love. This is why doing good and sharing with others is so significant. When we give, especially when giving costs us something, we embody the nature of Christ. We reflect the One who did not merely give something to humanity—He gave Himself. Jesus willingly shared His life with us. He surrendered Himself for our sake, not because He was compelled to, but because He loved us. And the Father was pleased with the sacrifice of the Son. His sacrifice was the ultimate expression of love, because He gave what was most precious to Him. In the same way, when we make sacrifices for others out of love, we represent the Son before our Heavenly Father. We become a living expression of the self-giving nature of Christ, and our Father is pleased when He sees His Son reflected in us. So, make the sacrifice of sharing with someone the most precious gift you could ever give them—the good news of the cross. And when it costs you your time, your comfort, your convenience, your resources, or even your reputation, do not retreat from the cost. Sometimes, the very fact that it costs you something is what makes your offering an expression of love. For in giving what is precious to us for the sake of another, we reflect the Son who gave Himself for us—and the Father is pleased. 

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me the sacrifices that please you. Help me to honour you by making such sacrifices. 

Wisdom_Quote: God is pleased with the sacrifice of sharing 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Saviour. 

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Do you know Him?

[The Glory Unveiled]

But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. [ John 5:13 NKJV ]

A man was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath. When the Jews questioned him about who had told him to take up his bed and walk, the man could not tell them. He did not know who Jesus was. And this is the reality for many of us. We have enjoyed—and continue to enjoy—the grace, mercy, provision, protection, and intervention of Jesus without truly knowing the One from whom these things come. Jesus has been lifting us from our beds and telling us to walk out of situations that have kept us bedridden, yet we do not know Him. What is striking is that the man’s ignorance did not stop Jesus from extending grace to him. He did not know Jesus, but Jesus knew him. He did not recognise the One who healed him, but Jesus recognised his need. His lack of knowledge did not make Jesus withhold His mercy. We must note that, knowing Jesus is not merely about enjoying what He can do for us. It is identifying with His nature and being in fellowship with Him. In verse 14, Jesus found the man again in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” This encounter was deeper than the healing he had received. Jesus was bringing him beyond the miracle to the Miracle-Worker. And then, in the very next verse, when the Jews questioned him again, he told them that it was Jesus who had made him well. Now he knew who had healed him. The man had first encountered the grace of Jesus before he encountered the identity of Jesus. Perhaps that is where you are today. You have received His provisions. He has opened doors for you, preserved you, lifted you, rescued you, healed you, and carried you through situations you could not have survived by your own strength. You have been enjoying His grace, even though you have not yet truly known Him. But do not stop at the blessing. The greatest gift is not what Jesus can give you; it is Jesus Himself. If you have enjoyed His grace without knowing Him, you have an opportunity today to encounter Him—not merely as the One who can change your circumstances, but as the Lord who wants to change your life. Remember, grace is a waiting room for judgement. Do not waste the opportunity to know the One whose grace you have been enjoying.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the blessings of Your Son Jesus in my life. 

Wisdom_Quote: Grace is a pause before judgement. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins, come into my heart and be my Lord. 

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The badge 

[The Glory Unveiled]

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [ John 13:35 NKJV ]

In many institutions and organisations, people wear badges to identify and distinguish themselves. Some badges signify hierarchy and rank, while others indicate responsibility and give access. In the kingdom of God, believers also have a badge they are called to wear—and we must wear it at all times. This badge is not tangible, nor is it a garment we put on physically. Love is the believer’s badge. It is the mark that identifies us as belonging to Jesus. By our love, everyone who encounters us should be able to recognise that we are children of God. Therefore, whatever we do without love fails to reflect and reveal whose we are. When we live without love, it is as though we have taken off the badge that identifies us as Christ’s. So, keep your badge on. Wear it everywhere. Let your words, actions, relationships and responses testify to whom you belong. Let us love one another.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your love shared abroad in my heart. I live and express your love to my world. 

Wisdom_Quote: Love is the believer’s badge. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender to you. Be my Lord and Saviour.  Amen. 

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The law of Christ 

[The Glory Unveiled]

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [ Galatians 6:2 NKJV ]

We live in a world where everyone seems increasingly focused on themselves. Even when people appear to be in the company of others, it is often ironically a company of “me, I, and myself.” They live by the law of the world—the law of self. But this is contrary to the kingdom into which we have been called through the salvation we have received in Christ. As believers, we are called to live for others rather than for ourselves. Jesus Himself demonstrated this for us: He bore the burden of our sin and carried what we could never carry on our own. Having received such an example from Christ, we are likewise called to bear one another’s burdens. Scripture tells us that by doing this, we fulfil the law of Christ. And what is the law of Christ? Love. Therefore, whenever we turn inward—when our focus becomes pleasing ourselves, protecting ourselves, and pursuing our own interests at the expense of others—we are no longer fulfilling the law of Christ. Instead, we are yielding to the law of the world: the law of self. So, put on love as your working gear. Let it govern how you relate to people, how you respond to their weaknesses, and how you carry what may be difficult for them to carry. Bear one another’s burdens, and in doing so, fulfil the law of Christ.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for teaching me to love because you first loved me. 

Wisdom_Quote: Put on love as your working gear daily. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord. Thank you for saving me. 

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The breadth of God’s mercy. 

[The Glory Unveiled]

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.[ 2 Peter 3:9 NIV ]

One of the most misunderstood attributes of God is His patience. What many interpret as delay is, in reality, divine longsuffering. To many, the apparent delay in the second coming of Christ raises the question, “Is He really coming again?” But Scripture gives a different answer. The seeming delay is not evidence of God’s inactivity; it is evidence of His mercy. God is patient because He does not want anyone to perish but desires that all should come to repentance. The account of Noah’s ark reveals the remarkable patience of God. Before judgment fell upon the earth, God gave humanity ample opportunity to respond. Even the slow and seemingly insignificant creatures were safely brought into the ark before the floodwaters came. This beautifully illustrates the heart of God: He is never hasty in judgment. He patiently waits, giving every opportunity for repentance before justice is executed. That same patience is still at work today. In the midst of the moral decline, global unrest, and unmistakable signs of the times, God continues to extend mercy. He is waiting for the slowest, the most stubborn, the hardest-hearted, and the most resistant sinner to hear the gospel and turn to Him. Every passing day is another expression of His grace. Every sunrise is another testimony that His mercy is still speaking. God demonstrates His love not merely through words but through His patience. His longsuffering is love in action. The cross reveals the depth of His love, and His delay reveals the breadth of His mercy. The Christ who promised to return is also the Christ who patiently waits so that many more may be saved. But His patience should never be mistaken for permission to remain in sin, nor should His delay be interpreted as the cancellation of His promise. The door of grace remains open today, but it will not remain open forever. The same Lord who waits in mercy will soon return in glory. If you have not yet surrendered your life to Christ, the invitation is still extended to you. Today is your opportunity. Jesus is patiently waiting for you—not because He is unwilling to come, but because He is lovingly giving you time to come to Him. Do not waste His patience. Respond to His grace while it is still called today.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your patience with me. So that I will not perish.  I am grateful. 

Wisdom_Quote: The cross reveals the depth of His love, and His delay reveals the breadth of His mercy. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender my life into you hands. Save me and make me a child of God. 

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Do you love God?

[The Glory Unveiled]

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. [ 1 John 5:3 NKJV ]

After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus met Peter and asked him the same question three times: “Do you love Me?” Peter was grieved by the repeated question, yet the true significance of Christ’s words is revealed in what followed each time: an instruction. Jesus was teaching Peter a timeless truth: love is the foundation of obedience. We do not obey Christ merely to prove that we love Him; rather, genuine love for Him naturally expresses itself through obedience. Love is the root, and obedience is its fruit. Where love is absent, God’s commands feel burdensome, restrictive, and difficult to keep. But wherever love is present, even sacrifice becomes a joy. Those who truly love do not constantly complain about the cost. Their affection outweighs their discomfort, and what would have seemed unbearable becomes a willing offering. This is why God first calls us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When He occupies first place in our hearts, obedience ceases to be a heavy obligation and becomes a joyful response. Love transforms duty into delight. If, therefore, you consistently struggle to obey God’s Word, the deeper issue may not be a lack of discipline but a deficiency of love. The solution is not merely to try harder; it is to love Christ more. As your love for Him grows, obedience will no longer be forced—it will become the natural expression of a heart captivated by Him.

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for helping me to love you so that I can obey you effortlessly. 

Wisdom_Quote: Love transforms duty into delight.

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I embrace your lordship today. Come into my heart and rule forever. 

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Bear with them

[The Glory Unveiled]

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.[ Colossians 3:13 NIV ]

It is always easier to judge people from a distance. But when life places us in the very situation they are facing, our tone changes. Our words become softer, our hearts become more understanding, and we begin to see their struggles differently. This is why Scripture instructs us to bear with one another. When we carry the weaknesses, burdens, and difficulties of others as though they were our own, we become slower to condemn and quicker to show mercy. Bearing with people changes the posture of the heart. It makes forgiveness easier when we are wronged. Forgiveness remains one of the greatest instruments of restoration in any relationship. When man sinned against God, the only way restoration could happen was through forgiveness. God did not hold our sins against us. Instead, He placed our judgement upon Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. He took our guilt so that we would not stand condemned. Through Christ, we are treated as though we had never sinned at all. This is the same grace God calls us to extend to others. Scripture says we should forgive just as the Lord forgave us. God would never command us to do what His grace has not empowered us to become. The ability to forgive in this manner already exists within every believer because Christ Himself is at work in us—it is He who forgives through us. A heart that truly understands the forgiveness of God will never struggle to extend forgiveness to others.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for forgiving me even when I didn’t know I needed forgiveness. 

Wisdom_Quote: Forgiveness is a powerful tool in every relationship

Salvation Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice and I ask for your forgiveness. Be my Lord and Saviour. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Growth in Christ 

[The Glory Unveiled]

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: [ Ephesians 4:15 KJV ]

Everything that is alive is expected to grow. In the same way, the believer, being a living organism in Christ, must grow. But not every kind of growth is healthy growth. Growth is only recognized when it aligns with what is expected. A plant may grow wildly in the wrong place and become a weed instead of a blessing. Likewise, growth in the wrong things distorts purpose and hinders proper function. God has not left us without a pattern for growth. He has shown us the divine template by which we mature in Christ. And though the instruction may seem simple, it remains the pathway to spiritual development. According to our anchor scripture, the recipe is this: speaking the truth in love. Truth is essential to the believer’s life because we are built and sanctified by truth. Yet, the manner in which truth is communicated matters just as much as the truth itself. Truth without love can wound, discourage, and tear down instead of edifying. A person may be doctrinally right and still spiritually destructive because love is absent from their communication. But when truth is spoken in love, it builds, enlarges, and matures people. Love gives truth the environment in which it can produce growth. It causes correction to heal instead of harden. It causes instruction to strengthen instead of condemn. And through this balance of truth and love, we grow in all things into Christ, who is Himself the perfect embodiment of both truth and love.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the opportunity to grow in you by the truth. 

Wisdom_Quote: Truth without love can wound, discourage, and tear down. 

Salvation Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender my life to you. Be my Lord and Saviour. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The patience of Love

[The Glory Unveiled]

Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.[ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 NKJV ]

The love of God is the reason for creation and the foundation of everything that exists. It gives when it should not. It sacrifices its best. It moves contrary to the ways of men and defies the logic of human nature. The love of God cannot be measured by human standards because it flows from the very nature of God Himself. The challenge with the love of God is that words are never enough. Human language becomes deficient when attempting to describe divine love. The right expressions escape us, and our vocabulary fails to carry the weight of its depth. This is why God does not merely call us to speak about His love as orators. He leads us into the understanding of it so that we may become expressions of it. The love of God is not truly known by explanation alone; it is known by revelation and experience. Until a man has encountered it, imbibed it, and been transformed by it, he cannot genuinely express it. We can only manifest what we have first received and understood. This is why the Scripture says, “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). The pathway into understanding the love of God is through the patience of Christ. When we begin to comprehend His love, we also begin to see His patience toward us. Christ was patient with us so that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance. His patience is proof of His love. He endured our weakness, our rebellion, our ignorance, and our failures because love compelled Him to remain merciful toward us. No wonder the first Epistle to the Corinthians describes love as patient and kind. Patience is one of the clearest evidences of genuine love. Where true love exists, patience will testify of it. Therefore, when the Lord directs our hearts into the love of God, He often does so by bringing us into the patience of Christ. Through His patience with us, we begin to understand the depth, the endurance, and the sacrifice contained in the love of God. And as we grow in that understanding, we ourselves become patient with others, expressing the same love we have received from Him.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to understand your love and express it in my everyday life. 

Wisdom_Quote: The adjectives of God’s love are slippery. 

Salvation Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I accept your lordship in my life today and I relinquish every right and authority to you, be my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for saving me.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.