The Essence Of The Voice

Apostle Grace Lubega

Zechariah 6:15(MSG): People will come from faraway places to pitch in and rebuild the Temple of GOD. This will confirm that GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies did, in fact, send me to you. All this follows as you put your minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of your GOD.

In our theme scripture, it is revealed that the temple of God was rebuilt after the people had set their minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of God.

You are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).

You grow and are built up in the things of the spirit as you continually respond to the voice of God.

God’s voice comes with purpose and direction and it is with this that you build everything about your life; your career, ministry, family, marriage—everything.

Cultivate a life of responding to God’s voice.

Sometimes it is the whispered convictions in your spirit; sometimes it is the tag of the Spirit checking your actions and stopping you from taking a certain course, responding to someone or speaking at a particular time.

Heed to these instructions.

As you heed to His voice, you are built up in Him.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 6:19, Isaiah 30:21

GOLDEN NUGGET:

You are the temple of God. You grow and are built up in the things of the spirit as you continually respond to the voice of God.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You so much for Your voice. It is more distinctive and clearer to me every day. I yield to its instructions and as I continue to obey, I am built up in faith, wisdom, power and glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of His Plans For Us

Apostle Grace Lubega

Jeremiah 29:11(AMP); For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

Our theme scripture is one that has been quoted over the years in many Christian circles but today, I want to cast a different light in your spirit.

God knows the plans that He has for you, plans for welfare and peace, to give you hope and an expected end.

However, this scripture is often embraced with a passiveness which is contrary to the will of God.

To some Christians it is an excuse not to seek the face of God about the details of their lives. After all, he knows the plans He has for us.

When issues arise in their lives, their comfort is, “God knows the plans that He has for me….”

When something does not work out, they think, “God knows the plans He has for me…”

The scripture has been used as an excuse for indifference to the mind of God pertaining one’s life.

Child of God, there is more to it than that.

This knowledge is not supposed to be far from you.

He knows the plans He has for you, but do you know these plans?

He has a vision for your life but do you know this vision?

When He says “I know the plans that I have for you”, it is a call to deeper communion, that you may reason together with Him, that you may understand your life like He understands it, that you may see your course like He sees it, that you may know your story like He knows it.

Beloved saint, God does not expect you to stay in the dark about the plans that He has for you.

Make the choice to understand the course that He has set for you. Seek Him for His vision for your life. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 3:2, Romans 8:29-30

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When He says “I know the plans that I have for you”, it is a call to deeper communion, that you may reason together with Him, that you may understand your life like He understands it, that you may see your course like He sees it, that you may know your story like He knows it.

PRAYER: My God, I thank You for this Word for today. I know the plans that You have for me. I see the course that You have set before me and have the vision for my life. I embrace this truth and see with deeper clarity the blue print that You have drawn for my destiny. I will never depart from this course because You have made my paths straight. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In The Overflow

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 23:5(KJV); …Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

It is one thing to be full of the Spirit of God but it is another to be in the overflow of the Spirit.

God has called us not only to be full but to live in the overflow. He is the God that anoints you not only to fullness but so your cup runs over.

When you are merely full, you may move in the sufficiency that applies to you as an individual; you increase in wealth; you live in divine health; your marriage and family are a success.

However, when your cup runs over, you cannot help but be a blessing to others.

In fact, such a one does not need to do much to bless. They can bless by the simplest words on their lips. The simple details of their lives will bless others.

This overflow is likened to the flow of the anointing from the head of the high priest Aaron, dripping down upon his beard and running all the way down to the hem of his priestly robes, (Psalms 133:2), that eventually everybody under the man’s mantle gets an impartation regardless of whether that man chooses to bless them or he does not.

God wants you to walk in this overflow but how much you are filled is a question of how you choose to yield to His Spirit and how humble you choose to be for Him to fill you.

The tenet of this humility is when a man knows that it doesn’t matter how much he has experienced the anointing, there is still more.

Beloved child of God, God wants to prove to you that even when you have drunk from Him, He still has more to give.

Allow Him to soak you in the overflow of His Person and His Spirit.

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 1:17 (AMPC), John 1:16 (AMPC), John 10:10 (AMP)

GOLDEN NUGGET:

How much you are filled by the anointing is a question of how much you choose to yield to God’s Spirit and how humble you choose to be for Him to fill you.

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank You because out of Your fullness [the superabundance of Your grace and truth] I have received grace upon grace, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favour upon favour, increase upon increase, success upon success and peace upon peace. My cup runs over that I have no choice but to bless all those in my circumference of influence to the glory of Your name. Amen.

Sinking Sands

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 62:10(KJV); Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them

God cautions us that when riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

It is interesting to know that the only reason why some people still come to church is because they do not have money.

The only reason why some people still serve God is because they don’t have jobs yet.

The day they get the job is the day they get too busy for God.

The day they land that great business deal is the day they stop to pray.

How sad!

If you ever receive anything that qualifies you as successful or as an achiever by the standards of this world, do not set your heart on it.

In fact, the very reason why you ought to seek God more is because He has added more blessings to your life.

Like the disciples, when you see the greatest catch of fish in your lifetime, consider it an opportunity to prove to the world that what is in God is greater than any riches in this life.

Beloved saint, wealth is coming your way and God has purposed to increase your greatness on every side but you ought to make the decision not to set your heart on these material things.

Always set your eyes and heart on Christ. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 32:15, Psalms 52:7, Colossians 3:1-2

GOLDEN NUGGET:

If you ever receive anything that qualifies you as successful or as an achiever by the standards of this world, don’t set your heart on it. Always set your eyes and heart on Christ.

PRAYER: My God, I thank You for Your Word. I have the tenacity and ability to handle the multiplication of blessings in my life. I can never be set off the course of my life by riches and material things. I understand that they are a tool for the gospel. In this wisdom, I walk in the mastery of greatness. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Instruction To Free Men

Apostle Grace Lubega

James 2:12 (NLT); so whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

The gospel is not one dimensional; it is multi-dimensional.

This is why the Word of God is called the Law of Liberty.

The Living Bible (TLB) version calls it the Law of free men.

It means that our freedom in Christ is so that we function in all the dimensions of the Spirit.

For example, there is no such thing as a calling to teach about prosperity only, healing only or healthy families only.

There is more to the gospel than focusing on only one area of the scriptures.

Why so?

You may teach a man to be rich and yet he is dying with disease.

You may teach a woman to make wealth and yet her marriage is breaking.

You may heal a man and he remains poor.

This does not mean that it is wrong to teach about wealth and money. However, don’t stop there; there is more to the gospel than that.

Christ is our pattern. He was not one dimensional but multidimensional in his teachings. This ought to be reflected not merely in the lives of ministers but believers too.

He taught about money, submission to spiritual authority, power and miracles, the person of the Holy Spirit, the mysteries of the kingdom, the power of Faith, the Word and its inherent work in us.

Christ healed but He did not make healing His entire ministry.

He prophesied but He did not make prophecy His entire ministry.

He taught on finances but He did not make this the sum total of His ministry.

He operated in the broadness of the Word and so should you, child of God.

FURTHER STUDY: John 8:32, Luke 4:18, Psalm 119:96

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Christ healed but did not make healing His entire ministry. He prophesied but He did not make prophecy His entire ministry. He taught on finances but He did not make this the sum total of His ministry. He operated in the broadness of the Word and so should you, child of God.

PRAYER: My God, I thank You for this timeless truth. I carry a clear understanding of Your instruction to free men. I decree and declare that I am above limitations. You said greater works shall I do. If You taught, I teach more. If You healed, I heal more. If you prophesied, I prophecy more. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

Faith, The Tenet Of An Excellent Sacrifice

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 11:4(KJV); By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Often times, we relate with faith that raises the dead, makes the lame walk and opens blind eyes.

Today, I want to introduce you to the faith that prompts “an excellent sacrifice”.

In Genesis 4:3-5; the Bible gives an account of how Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices unto the Lord.

However, God accepted Abel’s sacrifice while that of Cain was rejected.

The Lord asked Cain, “if thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”(Genesis 4:7).

The ‘doing well’ envisaged in this context had nothing to do with the size or nature of the sacrifice; it had everything to do with FAITH.

Hebrews 11:4(MSG) says, “By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he [believed], not what he [brought], that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.”

Beloved, it’s not in the many sacrifices you make in and for the gospel. If FAITH is never attached to them “thou doest not well” before God!

Seek God, pray, fast, spend for the Gospel and be spent for it with the mind that it all starts from faith; that is AN EXCELLENT SACRIFICE!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 11:2-4, Galatians 5:6

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Seek God, pray, fast, spend for the Gospel and be spent for it with the mind that it all starts from faith; that is AN EXCELLENT SACRIFICE!

PRAYER: Heavenly Lord, I thank You for the gift of faith that is active and operative in me! I do all that I do in the knowledge that it is firstly by faith. I respond to what you are doing in me, God; for it is not by my power not by might but by Your Spirit. I pray in Faith, I give in faith and I serve in Faith. This testimony of faith makes me a distinctive minister! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hearken To Israel

Apostle Grace Lubega

Genesis 49:2(KJV); Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

In our theme scripture, the Bible paints a deep wisdom in the pattern of submission to spiritual authority.

It says, “hear, ye sons of Jacob; and HEARKEN UNTO ISRAEL YOUR FATHER.”

Throughout the scriptures, the Bible gives the distinction between Jacob and Israel.

For example, in Genesis 48:2, the Bible says, “And one told JACOB and said, Behold thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and ISRAEL STRENGTHENED himself and sat upon the bed…”

It speaks of how the Lord sent his Word to Jacob and it lit up Israel (Isaiah 9:8).
In Genesis 45:26-28, the Bible says, “And it was told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And JACOB’S heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, THE SPIRIT OF JACOB their father revived: And ISRAEL said, It is enough…”

Jacob was the man of the flesh, the physical man. Israel on the other hand was the inner man.

The wisdom in submission herein is to HEARKEN TO ISRAEL.

That is why imitating a spiritual authority should not be merely after a physical pattern but a spiritual pattern.

When your spiritual authority does something, what has Israel done?
When he gives an instruction, what has Israel said?

Child of God, learn to hearken to spiritual authority not merely as one hearing ‘Jacob’ but as one hearkening to ‘Israel.’ Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:13

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Learn to hearken to spiritual authority not merely as one hearing ‘Jacob’ but as one hearkening to Israel.

PRAYER: My loving God, I am grateful for this great and priceless wisdom. I choose to walk in this pattern every day. I receive spiritual instruction not merely as one listening to the words of a man or woman but to the words of God. In this understanding, I grow and mature in the things of the spirit; I receive impartation beyond what is spoken by the mouth but that which is transferred by the spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Understanding Spiritual Death

Apostle Grace Lubega

Colossians 3:3 (KJV); For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

As a regenerated being in Christ, you are dead to the flesh and the world. Your real life is in Christ.

This death is both by faith and consequently also by experience.

But what really is this spiritual death?

On one part, it is death to the riches of this world, the treasures of this life and the pleasures of the body.

The other part of this death is when God kills your lust.

For example, one might consider it a noble thing to desire the anointing, depth of revelation of God’s Word and a deeper manifestation of His presence.

God wants you to have all these but He does not wish to give them to you because you lusted for them.

This lust is when one desires and craves for spiritual things without divine purpose along with the desire.

In its way, it points to the fact that a man is still alive in the flesh although he desires something spiritual.

The danger of such a man is that when he receives these spiritual graces out of lust, he will use them for fleshly and carnal purposes because he is not truly dead in the flesh.

Beloved saint, allow the Spirit and the Word of God to work in you until you are dead to the flesh and no lust for the spiritual things can be found in you.

May you yield to these death experiences because it is in them that you truly live unto God.

FURTHER STUDY: John 3:30, Galatians 6:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Allow the Spirit and the Word of God to work in you until you are dead to the flesh and no lust for the spiritual things can be found in you. May you yield to these death experiences because it is in them that you truly live unto God.

PRAYER: My Lord, I thank You for this Word. What a blessed truth, that I can only die to the flesh so that I may live in You. I yield my spirit to You every day that I may decrease and You may increase. Consume me Lord until I am no more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Is Personal

Apostle Grace Lubega

Daniel 11:32(KJV); …They that know their God shall do mighty exploits.

As a believer, you can only function in the things of the spirit to the extent of your knowledge of God.

The reason why some Christians jump from church to church and from ministry to ministry, hunting for miracles is because they do not KNOW God.

The reason why people perpetually skip from one man or woman of God is because they do not know God.

Stop thinking that someone has to be available to seek God for you; you cannot depend on another man’s relationship with God.

God must become personal to you.

Awake to this understanding child of God.

He is not only your Pastor’s God or your prayer partner’s God.

He is your God and you ought to know Him like He knows you. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 3:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

You can only function in the things of the spirit to the extent of your knowledge of God. Stop thinking that someone has to be available to seek God for you; you cannot depend on another man’s relationship with God.

PRAYER: My God, I thank You for the opportunity to know You. It is eternal life to launch into the depths of the knowledge of who You are. I choose to yield my spirit to a deeper knowledge of You. My God You are personal to me and You are in every detail of my life. You are my Friend, Counsellor, Comforter, Strength and Guide. Every day You reveal Yourself to me and I grow deeper in this intimacy. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Folly In Anger

Apostle Grace Lubega

Numbers 20:10-12(KJV); And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

The distance between some people and their success is anger.

Some cling to their temper like it is some sort of virtue.

I have heard Christians boast about what a great temper they have. No one should dare to cross them because they will “change colour.”

Beloved saint, what other colour do you have that is not the colour of love?

It was out of anger that Moses killed an Egyptian man and buried him in the sand (Exodus 2:11).

The result?

For forty years, he never heard the voice of God again. Forty years!

It was out of anger that Moses broke the stone tablets(Exodus 32:19).

The result?

He had to rewrite them yet what was done before had been written by the very finger of God.

In our theme scripture, it is out of anger that Moses struck the rock twice.

The result?

God refused him to enter the Promised Land.

What a sad thing!

The Bible says, never let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26).

This means you should never allow it to eat up your spirit.

It is ungodly to keep anger.

Let go. Allow God through His grace to heal your heart. He is our balm; there is no hurt He cannot soothe.

His name be praised.

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:26

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The distance between some people and their success is anger. It is ungodly to keep anger. Let go. Allow God through His grace to heal your heart.

PRAYER: My God, I am grateful for Your Word. I refuse to keep anger in my spirit because it is not Your nature and neither is it mine. You are not a God of wrath but of mercy. I know the colour of love and it lives inside of me. Your love has been shed abroad in my heart and it is by this love that I function every day: to forgive, let go and to turn the other cheek. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

Of Spiritual Maturity

Apostle Grace Lubega

Mark 4:17(AMP); And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.

Every Word of God that you hear seeks to mature you.

That is why our theme scripture explains that there are troubles and persecutions that arise on ACCOUNT OF THE WORD: they do not seek to destroy you but merely to test your strength in that very Word.

Sadly, some Christians fail in this requirement of maturity when the things that attack them seek to only test how mature they are.

How do you respond when you lack? How do you respond when things are not working the way you feel they should? How do you respond when everything seems to be against you yet you are truly a man or woman of God?

Maturity is when everything in you is ready to give in to what is not godly and you choose to do the good that the Word requires of you.

Spiritual babies fall for anything.

However, when you continue to grow, you get to the point where you always choose the path of the Word of God.

It is saying ‘I believe’, when the winds of life are contrary to your faith.

It is loving when you are hated.

It is choosing to forgive when you are ill-treated especially by fellow brethren.

It is refusing to observe lying vanities when they seem to speak louder than the truth you know.

That is maturity and God finds it honourable!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 2:3, 1 Peter 5:8-9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Maturity is when everything in you is ready to give in to what is not godly and you choose to do the good that the Word of God requires of you. It is saying ‘I believe’, when the winds of life are contrary to your faith. It is loving when you are hated. It is choosing to forgive when you are ill-treated especially by fellow brethren. It is refusing to observe lying vanities when they seem to speak louder than the truth you know.

PRAYER: My loving God, thank You for Your Word. It grows me every day! I am yielded to it. I refuse to be a leaking vessel. My reflex responses are Word responses. In every place and circumstance, I look to it because it is my strength, shield and buckler. I choose to walk the way of the Word in all that I do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Generation That Seeks His Face

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 24:6(KJV); This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

We are a generation that seeks the face of God.

We do not seek God as those that have never been found by Him; we seek as those who know that He sought for us and found us.

He says, knock and the door shall be opened (Matthew 7:7).

We are knocking that the door be opened but we do not forget that the door is Christ. He is the access to everything that we need.

We are not seeking God because we have not seen Him; we seek God because we have seen Him.

It is the glory we behold that sends us back to the closet because nothing on the earth can match it.

It is the treasures of wisdom that we receive in our spirits that cause us to tarry in His presence.

It is the answers that we find to the questions we never asked that keep us in His presence.

Child of God, we are a generation that prays but you must have this understanding of how we seek Him.

Seek Him with a vision of the FINISHED WORK.

Seek Him with a vision of the end of the very things we seek.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:7-8, Psalms 27:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

We are a generation that seeks the face of God. We do not seek God as those that have never been found by Him; we seek as those who know that He sought us and found us.

PRAYER: My Lord, I thank You for this great wisdom. I seek Your face in this understanding. I know that I am found. I go to Your presence as one responding to an invitation. You have not called Jacob to seek You in vain. I bask in the endless treasures and pleasures of abiding in You. To the glory of Your name. Amen.