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[The Glory Unveiled]

So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. ( John 12:10-11 )

Lazarus had just been raised from the dead and many well wishers came by to see him. But more than that, many of the well wishers had come because of Jesus, the man who had performed the miracle. The chief priests and the Pharisees would not accept that because they were afraid that Jesus would gain world recognition and they may lose their nation and synagogue to the Romans (see John 11:48). Even though our miracles usually attract people to us, the verses of scripture for our meditation today teaches that sometimes our miracles may irritate some people, inviting attacks upon us as in the case of Lazarus. Once we belong to the family of God, there will always be those [people and forces] who want nothing good to come our way. So while we pray for the miracles we should prepare for the attacks that may be attracted to us. Mr. Lazarus properly had no idea that his miracle became a matter for discussion among the higher strata of society. In other news, it is safe to assume that the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus because he brought many to Jesus. Beloved in the LORD, your work of ministry, aimed at populating the kingdom of God may be a bother to many people and forces. As such, while we pursue miracles, we should pursue Christ more. We should love the Lord more than we love miracles.

Prayer_Bead: Thank You Lord for my miracles today and everyday. But more than the miracles, help me to know you more. In Jesus’ name.

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[The Glory Unveiled ]

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. ( 1Corinthians 4:15  )

Our world of internet and e-learning platforms has made mentoring and coaching very easy. Today, a learner may be at one side of the world while being coached or mentored by someone from across the globe, and sometimes at little or no cost at all. Not only that, this has given us the opportunity to have dozens of mentors and coaches in all facets of life and skills. But this morning, the author of the book to the Corinthians says that even though we may have so many instructors in Christ, we do not have many fathers—and this is biologically true as well. Each one of us is the ‘product’ of one man’s seed. Our “instructional fathers” which the apostle calls “fathers” are the people who passionately and intentionally introduce us to and bring us up in a particular knowledge or practice until we come of full stature and are able to reproduce their efforts. Spiritual fathers are in the same light very important to our spiritual growth as they are authoritative witnesses to our faith. Another thing the apostle uncovered about fathers is the fact that their area of influence or effect is specific or narrow. He mentioned that he became their father through the gospel. Who is  your spiritual or instructional father? You would likely produce fruits after the similitude of your primary feeding place. What is their area of influence over you? Are you submissive to that influence? Remember we may have dozens of tutors and instructors but only one father.

Prayer_Beads: Father of all fathers, Lord over all lords, thank you for your word. Help me to open up to the people who are ahead of me to learn from them while I absolutely depend on You Lord.

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[The Glory Unveiled ]

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” ( 1Samuel 3:10 )

Young Samuel had been hearing the call of God but he couldn’t discern God’s voice from the voice of man (Eli’s). There was a going back and forth in the life of Samuel for some time. Discerning the voice of God deletes the ‘ministry of waste and indecisiveness’. But when through mentorship Samuel realizes he had to respond to the call as God was calling him, there was now the possibility for divine interaction with man. Until Samuel said, “Speak for your servant is listening,” the word of God didn’t come to Samuel. God would usually not force anything on anyone, even their callings. He would impress it upon them so strongly but not coerce them against their will as slave masters do. One very consistent thing when God calls any man or woman is the persistence of the call. The scripture says, “…calling as at the other times…” God would do as He had done sometimes in a different tone of severity but the substance of the call will be consistent. Has God being calling you? Have you noticed any persistent manifestations of God’s call in any form or manner? If it is the call of God but you can’t recognize it, ask a mentor or a more experienced and matured brethren in the Lord to help you discern it clearly. The calling and gift of God is irrevocable. Once invoked by the Oracle of God’s Omniscience, it would not be revoked. Do the work for which Christ bids you come.

Prayer_Bead: My Lord and my God, thank you for your word today. Help me to recognize and respond to your call in Jesus’ name.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled ]

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. ( 2 Samuel 11:1  )

There is a season and a time for every activity under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As a result of that inevitable truth, it is very important to take advantage of seasons and times when they come. Times and seasons are constants that are not changed just because we wish them changed. The scripture for our devotional study speaks about king David and how he got himself into a big trap of the devil. The scripture implies that there were times when Kings go to war. During one of these times, instead of David going to war, he sent delegates in his stead. They fought well, nontheless but David on the other hand didn’t remain the same ever again because he refused to do in that season and time what he had to do; thus go to war. Instead he stayed behind only to fall for a beautiful trap packaged by his lust. In the verses that follow our focal scripture we would read how David, the King of Jerusalem was brought low because of this single negligence and misappropriation of times. If David had gone to war, he probably wouldn’t have seen Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. But because he stayed, he became an adulterer and a murderer. Sometimes, we ignore the importance of times and seasons and what they represent. Let us take advantage of the seasons that come our way before we begin to regret later. If it is time to pray and the Holy Spirit prompts us, let us pray that very moment. Whatever it is, we need not relent or delay.

Prayer_bead: Omniscient God, thank you for the institution of times and seasons. Help me to take advantage of my seasons and times when they come.

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[The Glory Unveiled]

He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” ( Genesis 26:22 )

Technically, Isaac lived in a foreign land all his life because the nation Israel (Jacob) had not yet been born nor given their land. In all the places Isaac dwelt, he succeeded beyond his environment. The reason was simply because of two things. First He had a relationship with God, which came with promises and secondly he was obedient to God. In the opening of this chapter (Genesis 26) the nation where Isaac lived was hit by a famine and everyone was leaving for other nations–seeking for greener pasture. But God called out to Isaac and told him not to leave the land of famine. Instead he should stay there and he would make him prosper. Isaac’s obedience to that instruction led to this verse. While staying behind, he prospered in everything he did. Even to the point that the people of the town drove him away for fear of the rate of his prosperity. In his new place, he had been digging wells. But any time he dug a well, other people quarreled over it claiming it was theirs. But that didn’t deter him, he continued to dig until he dug the one without litigation issues, which he named Rehoboth. Persistence creates room for success. Let us remain relentlessly committed to whatever God has called us to. For in our persistence is the badge of approval from heaven. Remember the widow who always disturbed the unwilling and unjust judge to help her eventually got what she wanted (see Luke 18:1-5). Perseverance will always deliver what is promised.

Prayer_bead: Father of the heavens and the earth, thank you for the grace for me to persist in the pursuit of your promises for me

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[The Glory Unveiled]

The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. ( Genesis 13:14 )

Could it be that the presence of certain people in our lives discourage the clarity of our visions and focus? Abraham, the father of faith at a moment of having his nephew with him, could not see exactly what the scope of his calling was. But what if he didn’t let Lot go? What if he kept him around him? He probably wouldn’t have come to that point where God would say, “lift up your eyes… ” There are certain levels in our walk with God that we cannot attain unless we let go of somethings or people we are holding on to. Sometimes we are unable to see where next to go or what next to do because we have not been alone enough for God to speak to us. Many of us are always around people who are not always around God. We surround ourselves with people whose presence would not allow God’s presence. Sometimes it is not because such people are bad people, they may just be ordinary people but they do not form part of the fabric of God’s design or relation with us. In order to see the full scope of God’s calling for us, we must as a necessity, part ways with some people and things that derail or deny the vision of our purposes. The truth is that God didn’t call Abraham and Lot. He only called Abraham but Lot became the consequence of that calling. We must remember that God calls individuals and then He could reach people, nations and tongues. As a result when we lose people or things on our journey to purpose, it is not actually a loss but a loosening in our hearts to accommodate the ability to depend utterly on God.

Prayer_Bead: God of Abraham, designer and designator of all purposes and callings, thank you for the people and things you took and or are about to take in the bid to open me up to the full scope of my calling.

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[The Glory Unveiled]

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. ( 1Kings 18:38 )

Many of us are chasing after the fire of God. We desire that our spiritual lives flourish and kindle as with fire. There are even some of us who pray with the words of the prophet of old, that the fire of God would be stuck in our hearts and bones. The scripture for today’s meditation starts with “then” which supposes that something happened before what came after “then” became possible. Before the fire of God would come upon us and saturate us, we need to have somethings in place. In the verses 33-35, we would read that Elijah, the prophet watered the sacrifice and the altar; this is the requirement for the fire. For the fire to kindle or fall, there must first be water. This is almost ironic, that water invites fire. But that is the truth. Whenever adequate “water” is allowed, the fire can come down upon a person. In the gospels, John the Baptist said he baptized with water but there was one after him who would baptize with fire (see Matthew 3:11 or Luke 3:16). In the early chapters of the book of Acts (1:13-17;20), the disciples had been gathering together watering themselves in the word and in prayer. And then in chapter two verses one to three, the fire came down. The fire is always attracted to water—the word. The word would always precede the fire. If we truly want to have fire in our lives, we need to first drown in the water; the word of God. The word of God gives permission to the fire of God to come down. Fire is never in a place where the word of God is scarce. The revival fire we seek is as close to us as the abundance of the word of God in us. The closer we are to the word of God, the closer the fire of God is to us.

Prayer_Bead: Word of God, maker of all that is made, Consuming Fire, my God and my King, set me on fire for you.

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[The Glory Unveiled]

Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. ( Genesis 26:25 )
Most successful people have this common trait; the ability to adequately prioritize their tasks. Of all the things Isaac could have done in a new land, he built an altar first. He put the building of the altar even ahead of his place of rest [tent]. When we give God the first and the best, we have the rest of everything to ourselves. Often we try to find a place to pitch our tents (houses/homes) before we look for a place to build God’s altar (secure our prayer life). But in the order of spiritual alignment, that is an outright misplaced priorities. God is the foundation of everything and all things. All things derive their source and meaning from God. We need to give God his place before we can have our place. When our priorities are ordered right, we would have places to dig our wells. Blessings seem to be permitted to spring forth like the waters of a well or a fountain only when the right order of things are carried out. We need to give God first place in our priorities. Having an altar secures a place for our spiritual existence. It gives access to heaven to interact with earth—us. As Believers we need to have our prayer altars come first in all things. Instead of desiring the blessings of the well [water] we should rather build our prayer altars and ensure that it kindles with fire. And then all the other things shall be given. Every other thing in our lives must derive their place from the position of our altars. Without first properly securing an altar, nothing is secured.

Prayer_Bead: Omnipotent Father, Omniscient Lord, thank you for the grace to prioritize right. May the fire of my altar kindle.

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[The Glory Unveiled]

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. ( Joel 2:13 )

It is a very common old testament practice to see people rend their clothes when they sin and have come to acknowledge it, and to seek forgiveness. Many a person have the natural inkling to act up when they are wrong. This is often true when one has been trying to deal with a sin or a challenge by him/herself. In order to feel remorse or regret we sometimes tend to transfer our displeasure to the things around us. In the day of Joel, the prophet, the practice of rending one’s clothes as a sign of remorse for one’s wrongs had become so commonly practiced that the relevance or the true intentions for practicing it was lost. It is common to want to transfer one’s pain and regrets to something or someone other than ourselves. But the love of God for man has made enough room for His mercies to be dispensed. God would relent from sending the calamities due a people when His heart is touched from the sincerity of our hearts in repentance. For this reason, God asks us to rend our hearts instead of our garments. Our hearts are the seat of our emotions and desires. So to rend our hearts is the truest expression of remorse and repentance. Being bitter and angry with ourselves because we have not been faithful to God or because we allowed a sin that entangles us easily and tearing our garments in the process is sometimes a sign of pride. It shows that we depended on ourselves to come clean before God instead of depending on God to come clean. True repentance comes from the heart, not outside of it. Let us return to the LORD our God in rendered hearts not garments.

Prayer_Bead: Gracious and Compassionate Father, the Lord who is slow to anger and abounding in love, thank you for the grace to come to you in true repentance.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.