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[The Glory Unveiled]

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. ( John 13:17 )

There is a common statement that says there is nothing free, even in Freetown. Usually, whatever we see to be free cost someone else something. So in that regard nothing can actually be free in the “free” sense of the word. In the body of Christ, the concept of free has excused many of us from our responsibilities, making the majority of believers lazy. There are those who still believe that manna would just fall from heaven into their laps—yes, miracles do happen. But a General of the faith once said that more miracles happen with a prepared mind. Jesus had just taught His disciples a very important lesson that needed emulation. But He (in our focal verse) tells His disciples that knowing about the lesson is not enough. Because mere knowledge wouldn’t permit the blessings to come upon a person. What allows the blessings is the doing of what we have been told to do. Almost every believer knows of the blessings of God recorded in scripture and often claim them by word of mouth. But it is only a few who dare to go beyond “I receive” to doing what is required to acquire it. In the Old Testament (Ezra 9:12) the LORD told his people that they would eat the good of the land if they do not do certain things. So even then, the blessing came with a responsibility. Responsibilities protect the blessings of the Lord against abuse. So that any one willing to take responsibilities for the blessings could partner in it. We would be blessed if we do what we know to do that God impresses on us to do. We participate in the blessing by partaking in the responsibility.

Prayer_Bead: Awesome God, Faithful Father, thank you for your words. I pray that you will guide me by Your Holy Spirit to do all that is required of me to partake in your blessings.

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[The Glory Unveiled]

Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ( John 12:28 )

In the shadow of the cross, few days to His crucifixion, Jesus had a short but intense conversation with God in the presence of other people. He had prayed the words of that first line in the verse of scripture we are considering for today’s devotional study. And then immediately, almost as in a dialogue, God [the father] responded to the Son in the hearing of the people present; even though most of the people could not decipher what was said or who said it (verse 29). In the verse 30, He said that the voice of the Father was for the benefit of the crowd. Now, that goes to mean that Jesus wanted us to learn a thing or two from that encounter. The account teaches us that God is a relational God. He loves to commune with us when we pray. God speaks, God responds to us when we pray to Him. Anytime we pray to God, there should be a response from the other end of the conversation. When we truly engage in prayer, God would respond to us. He hears, He knows, He loves. When we pray, we need to be assured that God hears us. Irrespective of our location, once the terms of the conversation is met, God hears us. And if we have this assurance that God hears us, we must approach our prayer closets with confidence from hence forth (1John5:14). This should give us settled and absolute knowledge (trust) that God would do what we ask. God would glorify Christ in us when we fellowship with Him in the sincerity of heart.

Prayer_Bead: Creator of all created things, both visible and invisible, Lover of my soul, thank you for communing with me when I pray. Teach me to recognize your voice when you speak.

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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.

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[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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