Of Idols 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 17:23(KJV); For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

When Paul was strolling through Athens, his heart was grieved by the extent of idolatry in that city.

They had gods for everything and among the many gods was the UNKNOWN God.

The sad reality in that time, which is also reflected in our day is that this UNKNOWN God, the God of heaven and earth was only one among so many

In our world today, like in Athens then, idols are everywhere. These have rendered God as an option among so many other things.

These idols are the objects that some have become so greatly attached to that there are those who simply cannot do without them.

For example, for some people, the first thing they see when they wake up is their mobile phone and the last they see before they sleep is their mobile phone.

In the dead of night, when they happen to awaken, they reach for their phones.

If it dare be misplaced, they feel like their entire world has come to an end.

They are married to these gadgets without even knowing so.

That’s an idol!

A car can be an idol; a house can be an idol; a job can be an idol; a spouse can be an idol; some have made men of God idols.

God should never be an option among the many options that we have.

He is not an emergency appeal to turn to when everything has failed.

He calls to us to relate with Him in this understanding of Him as our absolute priority.

His great name be praised.

FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 4:39, Hosea 13:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God should never be an option among the many options that we have. He is not an emergency appeal to turn to when everything has failed. He calls to us to relate with Him in this understanding.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you so much for this Word for today. You alone are my God, my surety, the solid rock on which I stand. You have blessed me exceedingly Lord but none of the things in my life can ever take your place Lord. I live my life as one sold out to you and only you God. I know that at the end of my course and my race, they will say of me, that I lived for God. This is my testimony. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of Idols – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Corinthians 10:4-5(KJV); (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTETH ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Idols are not merely the inanimate objects that people worship.

They also include anything that contradicts or challenges the knowledge of God in your spirit.

Our theme scripture has called these the “high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.”

Every time you turn your eyes away from the knowledge of God to those things that challenge your knowledge of Him, you are worshiping those things.

Some people worship failure because they allow it to frustrate what they know of the Almighty God.

Some people worship disease because they allow it to override what they know about the Great Healer.

True worship of the Almighty God is the CONSTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT that no matter what comes against you, nothing is above the knowledge of God in your spirit.

He is still the lover of your soul.

He is still the greatest miracle worker.

He is still the Lord that teaches you to profit.

He is the God that fights your battles.

He is the one true God!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 8:4, Proverbs 24:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

True worship of the Almighty God is the CONSTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT that no matter what comes against you, nothing is above the knowledge of God in your spirit. He is still the lover of your soul. He is still the greatest miracle worker. He is still the Lord that teaches you to profit. He is the God that fights your battles. He is the one true God!

PRAYER: My God, if there is one thing I stand on, one truth that is the solid foundation of my life, it is that I have you. Like the Word has said, if God be for me, who can stand against me? You are my great Lord of Saboath, the God of Angel’s armies, the great El of creation. Nothing can dim the light of this knowledge in my spirit. In the darkest of times, it burns brighter; in adversity, I can never faint because my strength can never be small; God you are my strength. Always and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Surety Of The Gospel

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Peter 1:19(KJV); We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The Word of God is sure. Our theme scripture calls it the ‘sure word of prophecy.’

One of the great privileges that a child of God who has embraced this gospel enjoys is the gift of certainty; as believers in Christ, we do not stand on shifting sand but on the solid rock that is Christ Jesus.

We know that whatsoever the Lord has spoken pertaining to our lives is sure and we are persuaded that He will accomplish it.

The Apostle Paul was convinced of this reality and declared, “I am PERSUADED of better things that accompany salvation.”(Hebrews 6:9).

God does not expect you to go through life uncertain about the future, uncertain about your success, uncertain about your health or anything else pertaining your life.

You cannot live a life of uncertainty in a dispensation where everything is sure and certain because of the Word of God.

Be sure and confident of your success; do not merely hope to be a success. Be sure and certain of your health, do not merely hope to be healthy.

Be sure and certain of your increase and multiplication in every area of your life; do not merely hope for increase and multiplication.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 24:35, Hebrews 6:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

You cannot live a life of uncertainty in a dispensation where everything is sure and certain because of the Word of God. Be sure and confident of your success; do not merely hope to be a success. Be sure and certain of your health, do not merely hope to be healthy. Be sure and certain of your increase and multiplication in every area of your life; do not merely hope for increase and multiplication.

PRAYER: My Lord, I thank you for this Word. What a blessed assurance to have a sure future. I stand on the steadfastness of the Word, firm in the knowledge that my future is not a mystery but that because you are in it, I can face tomorrow. I know that everything concerning my life is a success because your Word has not only said so, it has made it so. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Permissible Versus Beneficial: The Wisdom To Know The Difference

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Samuel 8:4-7(KJV); Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Jehovah was the King of Israel. He had a plan to eventually give Israel a king but that would be in His own time.

However, Israel was impatient; they nagged and insisted until the Lord granted them their desire.

There is a fundamental lesson here child of God.

Not every answered prayer is in the perfect will of God. Simply because God said yes does not mean that He is pleased.

Israel got Saul for a king but Saul was not God’s choice.
How about our father Abraham? He and Sarah wanted a child. When they used human effort to fulfil divine purpose, they got Ishmael. Ishmael may have looked like an answered prayer but he was in the permissible will of God and not the perfect will of God.

The permissible will of God is His hand of grace in the face of our carnality.

However, many are indifferent to the fact that every time we are in the permissible will, we are outside the timing of the Spirit.

There was an appointed time for Israel to have an earthly king; there was an appointed time for Abraham and Sarah to have a child.

One might be outside the timing of the Spirit yet be in tune with earthly time.

However, the reality is that every time you are outside eternal time, you will eventually fall behind even in earthly time; you will slow your progress on the earth by years simply because you are operating outside eternal time.

You might want to build a ministry so badly at this moment but God desires that you do it at a later date after He has taught you certain things. If you start ministry now, you might think that you are in tune with earthly time and yet slow yourself down eternally.

You might want a marriage so much at this time because you feel you are getting older and have to catch up with your peers. If you do so outside the timing of God, you might spend years trying to undo a mistake and slow yourself in the eternal calendar.

God makes everything beautiful in His own time.

Always remember that the perfect will of God will always be tagged to the timing of the Spirit.

FURTHER STUDY: Ecclesiastes 3:11, 1 Corinthians 10:23

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God makes everything beautiful in His own time. Always remember that the perfect will of God will always be tagged to the timing of the Spirit.

PRAYER: My Lord, I thank you for the wisdom to know the difference between the perfect will and the permissible will. My spirit is alive to your timing and to your appointed times. I understand eternal time and constantly walk in line with them. In this understanding, I know I can never falter off the path you have set for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of Circumcision

Apostle Grace Lubega

Colossians 2:11(AMP); In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).

Our circumcision is the stripping off of the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).

To the New Testament Christian, it is not merely a ritual but the change in the very nature of our hearts.

In the Old Testament, God instructed Joshua to circumcise the children of Israel that had been born in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land.

When the deed was done, the Lord declared that on that day, He had taken from them the reproach of Egypt (Joshua 5:4-9).

Egypt represents the fleshly and carnal nature.

These men were not in Egypt physically but their hearts were Egyptian; their mentality was Egyptian and their outlook was Egyptian.

The Lord could not allow them to possess the land of promise with such a state of heart.

Likewise today, there are those who have walked with the Lord, seen Him do great and mighty things; they are not in Egypt but their mindset is Egyptian; they are fleshy and carnal in their attitudes.

Such a one cannot walk in the manifestation of the promises of God until he embraces the circumcision of the heart, which circumcision rolls away the reproach of Egypt.

Carnality frustrates inheritance because the first principle of inheritance is faith; for by faith our father Abraham left the land of his fathers and went in search of that which the Lord would show him.

It is this same faith that will cause one to thrive in the land of milk where there are no cows and honey where there are no bees.

Christ circumcised your heart and rolled away any form of carnality from your life.

Embrace this truth and live in the understanding that yours is a heart of flesh in which the seeds of faith grow and daily propel you into your true inheritance.

FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 3:3, Ephesians 2:11-13

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Christ circumcised your heart and rolled away any form of carnality from your life. Embrace this truth and live in the understanding that yours is a heart of flesh in which the seeds of faith grow and daily propel you into your true inheritance.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father I thank you for the cross, the true mark of the circumcision of my heart. I thank you for this wisdom that has opened my eyes to never put my trust, confidence and dependence on what I am in the flesh and neither the outward privileges, physical advantages and external appearances. My confidence lies in the redemption you purchased for me. I live in the newness of life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Each Joint Supplies

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ephesians 4:16(KJV); From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

God has called and mandated each of us in the body of Christ differently.

For the body to function effectively, every joint ought to supply.

The reason why we have divisions and schisms in the body of Christ is partly because not every joint supplies like it ought; not everyone is following his or her call like they should.

There is a prophet who has never prophesied and never even bothered to understand that they are a prophet; as such, their indifference has created a gap in divine purpose.

There is a teacher who craves to be a prophet and is trying hard to fit in that call; as a joint, his desire for what is not his to have is creating a schism and he doesn’t know it.

There is an evangelist who has started a church and settled as a pastor and is wondering why he is struggling with ministry.

There is a Christian who is lusting after another man’s mandate because he is looking at that man’s fruit and not the process through which that man got where he is.

There are those who know how to want what is not theirs and never bother to invest in that which is given to them.

How will you ever fully function in your part if you have no understanding or appreciation of that part?

God wants you to make your calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). This means that you must purpose to understand the call of God upon your life; labour to know what your mandate is and what it will take to fulfil it; study the divine blue print of your destiny so that at the end of it all, you, like the apostle Paul can comfortably say, “I have run my race, I have kept the faith.”(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 2 Peter 1:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God wants you to make your calling and election sure; you must purpose to understand the call of God upon your life; labour to know what your mandate is and what it will take to fulfil it; study the divine blue print of your destiny so that at the end of it all, you, like the apostle Paul can comfortably say, “I have run my race, I have kept the faith.”

PRAYER: My Lord, I give you praise for this great insight. I fully comprehend my part and lot in building the body of Christ as a whole. Thank you for the grace and wisdom to supply in my part according to your effectual power at work in me. With this understanding, I serve you with love. I minister with passion for the growth and edification of the Church. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Things That Make Ministers: Humility In Service

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 6:2-5(AMP); So the Twelve [apostles] convened the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect [preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables and superintending the distribution of food. Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty. But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. And the suggestion pleased the whole assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte (convert) from Antioch.

Every believer has a calling upon his or her life and an office in which he or she operates, either as an apostle, prophet, teacher, evangelist or pastor.

In whatever capacity God has called you, it is required that one be humble in that call.

Stephen in our theme scripture is an example of a man who understood humility.

He was, as the scripture reveals, full of the Holy Spirit, faith and wisdom. He had a great reputation among the brethren and was trusted by many.

The level of Stephen’s anointing is further demonstrated by the fact that God performed great miracles by him.

However, when he was appointed as a cook, he took it as his due and treated his office with all the honor it deserved.

We live in a generation where when one is anointed, they seek the front row and to serve in places where attention can be focused on them.

In our day, a man with Stephen’s anointing feels qualified enough to start their own church and ministry.

But this was not Stephen’s character.

In fact, he exemplified the very character of the Christ.

The Bible says that even if He was God, He humbled himself for the sake of men.

To be greatly anointed by God does not mean that you start your life of service at the very top; God tests your faithfulness by firstly placing you in what might seem like a menial position.

Serve diligently in the satisfaction that whatever is handed you to do in the house of God is a great task for the simple reason that it is service to God.

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 25:23, Philippians 2:5-11MSG

GOLDEN NUGGET:

To be greatly anointed by God does not mean that you start your life of service at the very top; God tests your faithfulness by firstly placing you in what might seem like a menial position. Serve diligently in the satisfaction that whatever is handed you to do in the house of God is a great task for the simple reason that it is service to God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Master, I give you praise for this day. Thank you for the Wisdom of humility imparted in my spirit. My Lord, you considered it no robbery to be equal with God, but you humbled yourself as a servant, in the likeness of man’s fallen nature. It was humility that drove you to the cross to die for me. I declare that this same nature is operative in and through me. I serve in humility in whatsoever task I am given; this I do with diligence, excellence and the greatest joy. In Jesus Name. Amen.

The Head And Not The Tail

Apostle Grace Lubega

Deuteronomy 28:13(KJV); And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

Years ago, the Lord opened my eyes to an interesting aspect of this Christian life.

He started with the smallest details like personal belongings. I was opened to the realisation that for some Christians, whatever they receive is someone else’s cast-offs.

If it is a phone, it is only given to you after it has been used by another to the point where a button or so is no longer working. If not, then after its screen has cracked and the owner does not see it fit for him anymore and you are a more befitting candidate to own it.

If it is clothes, they have previously been won by others and passed on to you like a hand out.

He told me that is not how a child of God ought to live.

I learnt in that time that God wants you to be the first in everything and He wants the first things for you.

There is nothing unspiritual about wearing clothes that are not another’s cast-offs.

There is nothing unspiritual about having the latest gadgets. There is nothing wrong with having a brand new car. It is called the blessing of the Lord and it is what it means to be the head.

You are royalty, a child of the king. It is not in your story for you to own things only after they have been on the market for years yet newer versions of them have been manufactured.

Why not have the latest? You are the head and God wants the best for you.

Get rid of the mentality that second hand is what you deserve.

The best that life has to offer is yours.

Embrace this understanding and walk in the liberty of one who understands that the best things are yours.
Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 3:21, 2 Peter 1:3

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God wants you to be the first in everything and He wants the first things for you.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this truth. I know that you have favoured me greatly and set me apart. The best of all things is my portion and today I walk in that liberty of mind. I stand out among many because I am the head; good things follow me because I am a child of the King. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Life Beyond Compromise

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 3:4(KJV); God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

One day, a man of God narrated how he and his ministry were struggling financially.

Understandably, they had needs: rent to clear, machines to be paid for and other church needs to be met.

I advised him that he was flaunting certain biblical principles of financial success, two of which were the giving of tithe and first fruit, and as such I asked him to ensure that as a ministry, they give their tithe and first fruit to whoever was their spiritual authority.

The Lord also further instructed me that if they did obey, I was to meet every financial need of the ministry that entire month.

I asked them for their budget and put aside the necessary amount.

Unfortunately, the man of God called me and told me that their needs were too heavy and as such, they could not afford to tithe or give first fruit.

What he did not know was that the Lord had also already made a way to sustain them had they obeyed.

What should this teach you, child of God?

Never put your need above the principles of God. This is not about only money; sometimes He might want you to forgive; He might want you to let go of a job or of a relationship that does not glorify His name.

It doesn’t matter how constrained you might feel; choose to obey and let God take care of the rest.

Yes, it might be difficult and might feel greatly constraining but God is true, like our theme scripture says.

He will reward your faithfulness.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 8:31, Jeremiah 17:5

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Never put your need above the principles of God.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this Word. I know that you are my ever present help in times of need; I lean on you God with all my heart, soul and mind. I choose never to look at my need but to look to what your Word says. I walk in obedience to your truth regardless of the demands of my circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Land Of The Blessing

Apostle Grace Lubega

Deuteronomy 28:8(KJV); The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

I know a man who left his homeland only to settle in a homeless shelter in another country. He was hunting for green pastures, but what is so green about a homeless shelter?

That man did not understand the blessing of the Lord.

The blessing of the Lord is tagged to the land that He has given unto you. It is His intention to bless you in that place that He has ordained as your portion.

That’s the language in our theme scripture; “He shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”.

You don’t need to travel to other nations in search of greener pastures in order to count yourself as blessed.

This does not mean that whosoever leaves their native land and goes to another nation is wrong to do so. However, there are those who move without a sense of divine purpose; they are not instructed by God but are simply convinced in their minds that a better life awaits them in other nations.

That is not the mind-set of a child of God who has understood the blessing of the Lord.

God can bless you anywhere as long as it is where He has ordained for you to be.

It doesn’t matter how remote the place is; He will still bless you.

Take comfort in the understanding that you are where you are for a reason; there is a reason you were born in that particular nation; a reason you speak their language; a reason you drank of its waters and ate the food from its ground.

If it is where God has purposed you should be, His blessing will work in you and for you right there.

His great name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 10:22, Psalms 37:22

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God can bless you anywhere as long as it is where He has ordained for you to be. Take comfort in the understanding that you are where you are for a reason; there is a reason you were born in that particular nation; a reason you speak their language; a reason you drank of its waters and ate the food from its ground.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for the blessing upon my life. I am in my nation for a reason and to fulfil your great and eternal purpose. I stand in the blessed assurance that no matter where you have placed me, blessings follow me. If it be a place far from civilisation, men will dig roads to get to me because I carry the blessing; My nation is prosperous because I am in it; I walk in the confidence that what matters most is that I have you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Perfect Man

Apostle Grace Lubega

James 3:2(AMP); For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature.

God’s mind on perfection is rather intriguing.

He does not define a perfect man as one who is perfect in moral character; one whose reputation is pristine; one who wears garbs of piety and cloaks of holiness.

Primarily, the perfect man is he who does not offend in speech and never says the wrong things.

He is the man who will never confess sickness regardless of what his body says.

He is a man who will never speak of himself as poor even when his bank balance is low.

He is the man who can never speak anything negative about his business, marriage or career even when it is going down the drain.

Perfection in speech is the apex of Christian maturity and the axis of true mastery.

The perfect man controls his body and curbs his entire nature, like our theme scripture teaches.

Child of God, purpose never to say the wrong things; that is the only guarantee that you will accurately direct your course and destiny.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 18:21, James 1:26

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The perfect man is he who does not offend in speech and never says the wrong things. He is the man who will never confess sickness regardless of what his body says. He is a man who will never speak of himself as poor even when his bank balance is low. He is the man who can never speak anything negative about his business, marriage or career even when it is going down the drain.

PRAYER: Loving father, I thank you for this wisdom. You continually teach me to rule my spirit, and what greater way can a man rule his spirit than have mastery over his tongue? Today, my eyes are opened to the definition of perfection in the mind of eternity and as such I purpose to live and walk in this understanding. Circumstances will never taint the integrity of the words on my lips because I am never moved by what I see. I am moved by what I believed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Concept Of Numbers

Apostle Grace Lubega

John 6:2(KJV); And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

One day, a man opined that instead of building mega churches, Christians instead ought to build mega homeless shelters.

Well, that kind of reasoning is flawed.

Firstly, spiritual depravity is a greater evil than homelessness and the spiritually depraved are more than the homeless.

Secondly, we were anointed to depopulate hell. God has given us the grace to draw multitudes to His kingdom.

There is nothing wrong with having a mega church; Christ in essence had one.

He was followed by multitudes like our theme scripture reveals.

Peter’s first sermon drew thousands to Christ (Acts 2:41).

Paul too drew multitudes. At one point, he preached a message and the next day, almost the entire city showed up to listen to him (Acts 13:44).

This gospel is about people.

No minister of the gospel should feel complacent about a small congregation in a city of thousands that do not know Christ.

No man or woman of God should be comfortable with a few members in a nation of millions that do not profess Christ.

Every empty chair ought to speak, to provoke us past indifference to the winning of souls.

God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 11:30, Matthew 28:18-20

GOLDEN NUGGET:

We were anointed to depopulate hell. God has given us the grace to draw multitudes to His kingdom.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for this great wisdom for today. What a truth! You have graced me with influence over multitudes. I receive it as my portion for the glory of your name. Regardless of my station Abba, I know that I am called to touch many. My ideas are for multitudes; my message is for multitudes; the wisdom upon my life is for the profit of many. In Jesus’ name. Amen.