Where are you investing?

[The Glory Unveiled]

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. [ 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV ]

Physical training is good. But some people invest everything into physical training as if it would save them from all their troubles. There are those who have made physical fitness the sole purpose of their livelihood. They want to be in shape either for themselves or [mostly] others. Now we will be quick to admit that physical exercise is not a bad thing. It has its many benefits too. But the point is that, godliness [righteousness] has value for all things. So that we are given promises of both the present life and the life to come. Physical training can only meet the needs of our present life but not the needs of the life after this earthly one. If two different banks promise profit on your investment with them but one says they will pay you twice as much as the first bank is offering, with every other conditions the same. You will undoubtedly invest with the bank that promise twice the amount on investment. Now, spiritual exercise is promising us more than twice. Spiritual exercise has to do with commitment to and the practice of righteousness. It is the practice of imitating God, becoming His student and looking steadily into His word until we are changed into His image and our lives shining with the brilliance of God’s glory. And if spiritual exercise profits unto all things would we rather not give more of our attention and time to that? In our commitment to exercising spiritually, we become workmen who have no fear nor shame, rightly dividing the word of truth. May we passionately pursue spiritual training but not ignoring the physical.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord, thank you for showing us the benefits of spiritual exercise and why we need to invest more there. Help us to be committed to this discipline.

Wisdom_Quote: The purpose of every investment is profit.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

A God encounter

[The Glory Unveiled]

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. [ Exodus 34:29 NIV ]

Nobody ever encountered God and remained the same. Everyman who had encountered the Lord took away a piece of God that made them different from who they were. Moses was with God in the mountain and then the Shekinah glory rubbed off on him. He began to radiate the glory [nature] of God. Whenever we come into contact with God, His nature and glory rubs on us. This was why a blind person meets Jesus and they turn to leave seeing, a lame man met him and he walked, the deaf saw him and they began to hear. Paul and Jacob met God and were changed into new men, in fact, Jacob became a nation. God gives us His presence so that we can represent Him. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were in the presence of God, fellowshipping and absorbing His glory. And so, just by being in the presence of God they were becoming like God in expression. But the devil lied to them that they needed the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to express God (Genesis 3:5). While in fact, the solution was just a matter of communion—continuous fellowship with God. God visited them frequently, so that they could become so in-tuned with Him that they would reflect His majestic glory. When we stay in close proximity with God or His word, we become like the word or the attribute of God that rubs on us. Every encounter with God brings to bear a tangible expression of an attribute of God. Interestingly, sometimes we may not notice the change when we encounter the Lord, but its effect on our world cannot be ignored. In the end, the world will only see Jesus in and through us when we stay with God in His word. Nothing else will suffice; an instant remedy, namely the fruit didn’t work in the garden and it wouldn’t work outside the garden, today.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your wonderful presence and glory. Let the world see the radiant beauty of Jesus.

Wisdom_Quote: Real change happens when we encounter God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Triumphing in Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. [ 2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV ]

There is a simple truth that seems to offset every anchor truth of the believer’s new realities. This truth is that, Jesus encompasses everything we will ever need, be or give. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing, except Jesus is Lord, we can own nothing, we will be nothing except Jesus is something and we will have nothing except Jesus has something. And when we fully grasp this truth, we will live our lives in constant thanksgiving because our lives will manifest constant triumph even when we have nothing triumphing over. His victory becomes our victory. So, we celebrate in His victory by being the fragrance of Jesus on earth. God through us makes manifest the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus in every place. Whatever Jesus is, to principalities is made known to the world through us. We have become like mirrors, revealing the glory of God in our participation of His triumph. God is daily displaying the triumphant parade of Jesus through us by our submission to His will. And so, we must be thankful for the kindness of God, His intentionality and His superabundant provisions. The believer always triumphs in Christ because Jesus triumphed and is reliving that victory in every generation through us. And so, it has becomes our duty to show the generations to come the victory of Jesus by diffusing the fragrance of His knowledge. Can the world smell Jesus a mile away because of us?

Prayer_Bead: Abba Father, thank you for making the knowledge of the Lord Jesus manifest wherever we go in your name. Thank you Jesus.

Wisdom_Quote: You’re the fragrance of Jesus, so let the world smell Jesus.

A marvelous love

[The Glory Unveiled]

“Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize him.” [ 1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭TPT‬‬ ]

Love is the gift and nature of God. Without love we cannot understand what God is giving us, neither can we receive it. Love is the lens through which God-reality makes sense to us. God is so God that whatever He does cannot make sense to a mortal except that it happens through the sieve of love. Love is the only way the justice and mercy of God does not break us. We are so fragile that only His love can handle us in one piece. So, the apostle John tells us to look with wonder at the manner and depth of God’s love for us. He did not only call us out of the mess we made through sin, but He has also made us His very own beloved children even after that. Now, this is what makes it marvelous! He called us out of our state of alienation and separation from Him and He made us through the adoption by the blood of His Son, His beloved children. And so, He sees us like we had never broken His heart, never sinned, never offended Him. In what world, what reality can this happen, if not with God? The depth of God’s marvelous love for us—we had gone so far from God that it would cost the life of His Son to bridge the gap but God didn’t mind losing His Son for us. And now, we have been made one with the Son. This is why the world treats us as they had treated Jesus and does not recognize us because they did not recognize the Lord Jesus incarnated in human form. And so, we must be equipped with the mindset that whatever He experienced [persecution and glory], we will experience it too because we are one with Him. Then, we will not be alarmed when the world treats us unmannerly, because our focus would be on enjoying the marvelous love of the Father.

Prayer_Bead: Father of Love, thank you for the marvelous love you lavish on us and now we bear your name. Thank you.

Wisdom_Quote: Love is the gift and nature of God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Jesus; our commanding officer

[The Glory Unveiled]

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. [ 2 Timothy 2:4 NIV ]

Along our Christian journey, we sometimes get sidetracked by many things that are actually outside our jurisdiction. A soldier lives a regulated, disciplined life because their safety is secured in their discipline. They become subjected to their commanding officers. In the statement made by the Centurion in Matthew 8:9, we learn that soldiers are very submissive to their superiors. And so, we can infer that indeed a soldier’s aim wouldn’t be meddling in civilian affairs. A true soldier will have no business with civilian affairs. When we transfer all of these to our kingdom reality typology, we are the “soldiers” and the “civilians” are “the world and its pleasures”. We have a goal to please but one person; the Father and king of our kingdom. We cannot afford to divert our attention to something that looks like but is not. We cannot waste on riotous living like the prodigal son. The prodigal son, was pleasing his father until he got himself entangled in “civilian” affairs outside the boundaries of his father’s love and care. And then, that was the beginning of his troubles. The interesting thing about pleasing the Lord is that, it is to our advantage and for our comfort. When the prodigal son lived to please his father by staying within boundaries, he didn’t suffer any harm, but immediately he left [got entangled in “civilian affairs-the world”] he began to suffer. The soldiers who try to please their commanding officer, first of all protect themselves. So, let’s look unto Jesus our commanding officer and try to please Him alone; all day, everyday!

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, our Commanding Officer, thank you for the grace to please you alone in my daily life. To you be all the glory in Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Jesus is our Commanding and Comforting Officer.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.