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The marching order

[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.

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The mark of Waiting

[The Glory Unveiled]

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. [ Isaiah 40:31 KJV ]

Waiting on God is an act that describes the posture of our hearts. It exposes and reveals the true desires of a person and their willingness or unwillingness to allow God’s will to supersede their own desires. Waiting on God means to come into agreement with God. It means to submit to the will of God and conform completely with His plans. It is usually called for when we have options and opportunities to do other things apart from what God would have us do. Joseph faced the option to sleep with Potiphar’s wife or stay away from her. The latter was God’s will for him. However, he had the opportunity to do anything; he was free to choose which side he would take. When Joseph chose to align with God, he waited on Him. The Lord Jesus, in His final moments before the cross, came to the crossroads; a place where He had to choose whether to drink from the cup of suffering and death or to let it pass. The perfect will of God was for Him to drink from it. In those moments, He had to choose to wait on God and align with Him. So, He prayed that the cup would pass, but not His will, but God’s will be done. That was the turning point and true meaning of waiting on God: aligning with Him. After we have aligned with God’s will, there is a provision for us, and our strength is renewed. We become strong and equipped to do exploits. Waiting on God makes tremendous power available to us. Waiting on God does not mean being inactive or dormant. It is rather a time of intentionality and purpose. It is a time of surrendering to the plan of God when our plan is out of sync with God’s plan. It means putting aside every other option and choosing the will of God regardless of other alternatives. When we do, we later find that God’s plan was the master plan. This is the time to surrender our will to God’s will.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to wait on you. Thank you for the strength that is made available.

Wisdom_Quote: Waiting on God is not a delay avenue but a strategic route to glory.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Play your part

[The Glory Unveiled]

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” [ John 2:3 NIV ]

Every cast in a drama has a part to play to make a complete story. If a character refuses to play their part, it will affect the plot. In life, we have all been assigned certain roles to carry out in displaying the beauty of God’s love story. This story has been playing out for many generations and through many centuries. Everyone who walked the earth had a role to play. But whether or not they embraced their mission and carried it out is another story. In our anchor chapter, we read about a wedding feast where the people had run out of wine. Jesus was in attendance, and so was Mary, his mother. Mary understood that she had a role to play in solving the problem at hand. So, she tells Jesus that the people needed wine. Even though Jesus gave an initial response that was supposed to discourage her, she wasn’t discouraged because she understood that Jesus had a role to play in the matter too. She then went to the servants and instructed them to do whatever Jesus asked them to do. This means the servants also had a role to play in making the new wine. Finally, the master of ceremonies had his part to play, in announcing the glory of what had transpired. Even though he didn’t fully know what had happened (verse 9), he played his part regardless. Reading the account carefully, we discover that everyone played their part so well even though they did not each know what their part had to do with the carrying out of another person’s part. But because everyone did their part without allowing others’ roles to influence them, the end was a beautiful testimony; the choicest wine was made from ordinary water. You have a part to play in the story God is telling through humanity. Don’t abandon your role. Let the world see God’s glory through the story of your life.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to play a part in your story by your mercy. I yield to your script. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Everyone has a part in the story of God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Prepared to witness

[The Glory Unveiled]

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. [ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV ]

Failure becomes inevitable when preparation is sidelined. Success does not embrace everyone; it has a special affinity for diligence. As we learned some days ago, nothing can stand the test of time without structures and foundations to support it. For the believer, one such structure and foundation needed to support or host certain realities of God is reverence for Christ. Unless we have true reverence for the Lord, we cannot sustain any worthwhile existence in Him. This foundation gives us hope and confidence in God, a kind of confidence and hope that the world cannot understand. As a result, the world will ask us to give the reason for the hope that we have. The problem is that some believers have this hope, but when asked to give their reason, they are unable to. To give the right answer for the reason we have this hope, we need to prepare for it. Teaching must be done methodically and intentionally, guided by the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is so wide and deep that it cannot be encompassed by the cunningness of men. We must be prepared to give others the reason for our hope in Christ, and the method to employ is gentleness and respect. We may communicate our reasons, but if not well communicated, they will not help our hearers. Your reason for hoping in Christ could be sincere and true, but how you share it with others can defeat its verity. You could have all the hope in Christ, but that hope can only give hope to others when we share it with gentleness and respect from a place of wisdom. So, give your answers with respect and gentleness.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope you have given me in you. As I share with my world, give me the wisdom to go about it. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Our relationship with others is mapped on the canvas of our reverence for Christ.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The influence of diligence

[The Glory Unveiled]

To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. [ Matthew 25:15 ]

In describing the distribution, activation, and operation of the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:11 states that God gives these gifts as He pleases. However, in the parable of the talents, we see how diligence can influence what comes to us. Our diligence towards anything in life informs what comes into our hands, so that even from God, we do not just receive things randomly or accidentally. Otherwise, we would all receive the same gifts in the same measure. But we know well that this is not the case. Therefore, there is an invisible factor that influences what God or any person gives us. The master in the parable above gave his servants gifts according to their ability. This means the master didn’t arbitrarily decide to give the one who had five talents five talents, nor the one who received one talent just one. Whatever he gave anyone was decided by their diligence—what the scripture calls “their ability.” Whatever you see in your hand is the voice of your diligence. What your diligence says you’re worth is what it attracts to you. We may be angry at people and institutions, but these people and institutions do not have a say in what comes into our hands. What we have or do not have lies in the power of our diligent work and service. To attract more into our hands, it’s not about how many gifts or talents we have but how well we use what we already have. It is a matter of how well we use those gifts to the best of our abilities. God gave each and every one of us gifts according to our abilities. When we yield results based on our use of these abilities, we receive more from God, sometimes through people. What do you have in your hand presently? Do you want more? If yes, then do more with what you already have.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly father, thank you for the gifts you have blessed me with. Help me to diligently put them to work, to the praise of your name.

Wisdom_Quote: Diligence is the magnet that attracts supply.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Foundations of Light

[The Glory Unveiled]

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [ Genesis 1:3 NIV ]

When we walk around town, we see beautiful structures and edifices. Some are so beautiful you wonder how they were put up. But one thing is certain: no matter the engineering that went into it, each structure has something hidden underneath that keeps it standing. This invisible member is the foundation. No structure can stand without a suitable foundation. Before God brought the invisible structure of creation into the visible world, He brought light first. The light made way for the appearance of the rest of the hidden possibilities in God. Light is the canvas upon which the creation of anything is painted. It is the supernatural foundation upon which we build. For us, light is symbolic of knowledge—a kind of knowledge that gives life, a kind of knowledge that liberates. As believers, we have a role to play in seeing the manifestation of the things we believe. Light had always been present from the beginning, but God had to let it out. If God had not commanded light to be, it would have remained hidden, even though the Holy Spirit was available to make it visible. There is a body of knowledge made known to the church through Christ Jesus. It had always been there, even in the time of our fathers, but they could not find it because it was hidden from them. Yet, in Christ, by His Spirit, we can access such truth. However, availability of something does not equal access. For us to access it, we need to make efforts. We need to move beyond what we are used to and embrace what could be through Christ Jesus.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us these truth and bringing us into their experience.

Wisdom_Quote: Light is the foundation of the visible and invisible realm.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Rest for your soul

[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.

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The mind’s governments

[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.

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First things first

[The Glory Unveiled]

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [ James 4:7 NIV ]

In an attempt to avoid chaos, order must be employed. When things are done orderly, chaos is erased. We see a certain order of things in our anchor text. Two things are asked of us, but they are put in an order of preference: submit and resist. We will find that “submit” comes before “resist”. This paints a picture of order. When we read the creation account in Genesis chapter 1, we see a certain order that God followed in His creation. We are first introduced to chaos and darkness. And the first thing God did was to introduce light. Without light, the rest of creation could not come forth. Imagine God creating animals and man into such chaos and darkness. They couldn’t have expressed their potential. And so, God called for light first, and the rest followed in the right order. When we distort the right order of things, the expected outcome becomes chaos. Such chaos results when we try to resist the devil before we are submissive to God. The right order is to submit to God first, and then, while under the covering and authority of God, we can resist the devil. But trying to resist the devil while we are not submissive to God is dangerous. The sons of Sceva portrayed this truth well with their mistake. They had not first submitted to God, and they wanted to resist the operation of the devil in the life of another person. It will be easy to resist the devil only after we have submitted to God. So, submit to God first.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege to submit to God because of your sacrifice for me. Let God be exalted in my life. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Orderliness erase chaos.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The focus of Submission

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. [ Ephesians 5:21 NIV ]

Submission, no matter how it is explained, is always misconstrued by many. The term “submission” in the dictionary of many is defined as slavery. But if we look at it from the source as believers, we will understand it differently, perhaps as a setup for blessings in every form of partnership. And then we could see it as something to be grasped rather than a curse. Submission at its root means “to align with, to honour, to be under obedience, to support.” All these meanings, when used in context, paint a picture of two distinct people playing their parts in a complex task. Whichever role one plays is not more important than the other, no matter how visible and prominent one seems to be compared to the other. Their respective roles make them equally important. It is just like our body parts. The Bible says no part is more important than another (1 Corinthians 12:21-22). The difference in roles may confuse us into thinking that one is more important than another. Similarly, in marriage and many other partnerships, one is not more important than the other; the husband is not more important than the wife. They are equally valuable in their unique ways. The scripture instructs us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. It teaches us to consider the focal person, Christ. Thus, you do not submit to your husband because he is adequate or perfect but because you revere Christ. Don’t allow the weaknesses of your partner to rob you of the blessings of submission. The man or woman who submits has access to the heart of the one they submit to. They are able to influence the one they submit to in very subtle but effective ways. Do you revere Christ? Submit to one another!

Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the privilege to submit to another person. Help me to continually revere Christ. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Submission gives access to the hearts of men.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.