GNews

[The Glory Unveiled]

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” [ John 20:27 NKJV ]

When the apostle John wrote, “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life we declare to you,” he meant it literally. They lived with Jesus, walked with Him, learned from Him, and were transformed by Him so profoundly that they could speak about Him with certainty. One can only write the biography of another if they deeply understand and identify with that person. The disciples of Jesus were given the privilege to make mistakes and question Jesus for as long as they needed. God did not destroy them or turn them into animals or stones because they struggled to believe in the Son of God. In fact, He allowed them so much freedom that one of them dared to say that unless he touched Jesus and put his finger into the nail scars, he would not believe what the other disciples said about Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus returned, He did not rebuke Thomas; instead, He reached out to him with His nail-pierced hand. Jesus was ready to provide him with proof of His resurrection. As ambassadors of Jesus, we need to carry proof to the world that Jesus died and rose again. We must equip ourselves with the knowledge of God so thoroughly that we can confidently tell others about the sacrifice of Christ. And to those who hear of what Jesus has done and who He is, let us not be unbelieving.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege to represent you in this world. Help me to believe you with all my being.

Wisdom_Quote: The unbelieving believer is an embargo to the spread of the gospel.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! [ Ephesians 1:18 TPT ]

There is a heavenly expectation for our being called into the family of God. Yet, the full revelation of the hope of that calling in our lives is only experienced when we are flooded with light. We are flooded with light when we stay in the presence of God—when the light of God overwhelms our understanding and imagination, and when God’s soothing and peaceful presence calms the cares of this world and drowns out the noise in the silence of His peace. As we enter into this experience, we come to understand the depth of God’s love for us. The hope of God’s calling in our lives is a glorious inheritance deposited within us. However, the reality of this deposit is Christ. God made Him the custodian of all the realities of God, which is why this reality is encountered through our knowledge of God. When we embrace the truth of God’s word, we are equipped with light, and our souls become illuminated, radiating the beauty of God. Whatever God has in store for us, no matter how precious, will only benefit us once we have received adequate knowledge of God. The gifts that God has deposited will only truly benefit the body of Christ and ourselves when we approach these gifts from a position of knowledge rather than mere sentiment and emotion. May the light of God illuminate our minds and hearts so that we can experience the full revelation of the hope of God’s calling.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the hope of your calling. Let the eyes of my understanding be illuminated with light.

Wisdom_Quote: The word of God is the light of the souls of men.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. [ 1 Peter 2:9 TPT ]

There is a purpose for everything under the sun; every action is initiated by a purpose. God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light for a reason. God had a plan for the creation of humanity, and that plan will come to pass regardless of the challenges and confrontations that arise. Often, when we make plans, we also create contingency plans so that if the original plan fails, the secondary plans can take effect. God called us and set us apart to experience His marvelous light. We are His chosen treasure; we are kings who are also priests. This is why we can enter the presence of God as if we were high priests, yet we are also able to make decrees and enforce the will of God as kings. Scripture says we are a spiritual nation set apart. In the Old Testament, God set apart the Israelites to be His special nation. In the same way, God has set us apart as His chosen people to live for Him. When we fulfill our part, God is committed to doing His part for His glory. Now that God has called us out of darkness, let us live as those who have truly been called out of darkness. Let us proclaim and make known to the whole world God’s glorious wonders. We are valuable to God—so valuable that He paid the ultimate price for our redemption. This is why we need to live to the praise of the One who called and saved us.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your mercy and love. As you have called me out of darkness into light. Help me to showcase your works.

Wisdom_Quote: The purpose of God informs the calling of God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. [ Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV ]

The salvation that the Lord Jesus made available to the fallen human race is priceless. It cost the life of God’s only begotten Son. Scripture says it is by grace that we have been saved. This grace is God’s initiative to save us, regardless of what we would choose. God did not consult us before He made this ultimate provision. He took the initiative as a caring Father; this is grace! But then, this grace had to be conveyed to us through a certain kind of faith—a kind of faith we cannot generate, the God-kind of faith. It is like being served at a table where all you have to do is eat. You were not part of the preparation or the planning. Therefore, you cannot go about telling everyone that you prepared the meal; hence, Scripture says no one can boast. James says, “Show me your works without faith, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). This means faith is meant to be expressed through works. But if our scripture text says that salvation is a gift from God so that no one should boast, then this faith does not originate from man but from God. God made everything accessible to us in Christ Jesus so that no one can claim to have done anything to earn salvation. In fact, God gave humanity many centuries, from the time Adam and Eve were driven from the garden, to try to save themselves—but we couldn’t. It was at the end of our futile endeavors that Jesus came to the rescue. We have nothing to contribute to our own salvation. It may seem as though God is asking something of us for our salvation, but in reality, He requires nothing from us to make provision for our salvation. It is like when God asked Abraham to go to Mount Moriah to sacrifice his son, Isaac. At the last moment, God intervened and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead. Christ was slain in our place. Our sins have been paid in full. Glory!

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for taking the responsibility for my salvation. Thank you for how much you love me.

Wisdom_Quote: We contributed nothing to our salvation.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[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.

---

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.