The Pangs Of A Minister

Apostle Grace Lubega

Galatians 4:19 (KJV); My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.

Paul, in our theme scripture speaks of his travail as a woman in birth for Christ to be formed in men.

He understood that it is one thing for you to receive Christ as your Lord and saviour at the point when you got Born Again, but it is another for Christ to manifest through you.

God appoints ministers over you to mature you into that manifestation.

Yet for the minister to take men through this process, he or she is likened to a woman having birth pangs!

This is another level of ministry!

It is not for those ministering merely because they have been invited to preach or because they have the opportunity to serve in a ministry. This is for those who carry the genuine burden of the gospel.
These are men and women who can die for people who will neither appreciate nor understand the things they did in this gospel.

They are not on the lookout for cameras and microphones to amplify their voices and be seen by other men. Such ministers will never seek any honour, because they feel obligated to serve and not to be served!

Such men laboured alongside Paul. He speaks of his brother and fellow worker in Christ, Epaphroditus and says “because for the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me” (Philippians 2:30).

Another example is of Priscila and Aquila. The Bible speaks of the time when Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue; Aquila and Priscilla heard him, took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:26).

Aquila and Priscilla were not ‘famous’ ministers of the gospel, but on perceiving that Apollos’ knowledge was imperfect, they laboured to instruct him in the fullness of the truth of the Gospel.

As a result, when Apollos arrived in Achaia, the Bible reveals that “he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:27-‬28).

This story is proof of Christ being formed in a man after another man’s labours in the Gospel. Through the labours of Priscila and Aquila, Apollos was perfected in knowledge and became a greater minister of the Word.

God is calling upon you as a minister to seek after the testimony of labours that form the very substance of the resurrected Christ in other men.

Don’t simply preach the gospel, MINISTER; don’t simply work for a ministry, SERVE; don’t simply pray for people, TRAVAIL for souls; don’t simply reach out to the brethren, BE PART OF THEIR LIVES. Praise Him!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 4:15, 3 John 1:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Don’t simply preach the gospel, MINISTER; don’t simply work for a ministry, SERVE; don’t simply pray for people, TRAVAIL for souls; don’t simply reach out to the brethren, BE PART OF THEIR LIVES.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the Gospel and the power of salvation in me. I thank you for they that begat me into this Gospel, and labour tirelessly that Christ may be formed in me. With such people in my life, I cannot live an ordinary life, nor have ordinary impact in my generation because I carry a clear understanding of the way of God and the ways of His ministers. I walk in the very testimony of the resurrected Christ; infusing life in everything in my proximity. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Love Is The Standard

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 13:2-3 (KJV); And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I AM NOTHING. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Love is the ultimate standard against which we are weighed in the spirit.

Our theme scripture reveals that prophecy or the gifts of the Spirit are not the ultimate standard; understanding all divine mysteries and having all knowledge is not the ultimate standard; even faith that moves mountains is not the standard, LOVE is.

A Christian may be weighed against the standard of knowledge and found to be wanting (in that very knowledge). However, when a man is weighed against the standard of love and he is found not to have love, the Bible says he is NOTHING.

What a state!

How perfected we are in the love of God gives us weight in the things of the Spirit.

This is the God-kind of love, not the human sentiment that may cause a man to give all his goods to the poor or give up his body to be burned up.

Without the God-kind of love in you, nothing you do profits.

What brought Christ on earth was His love for mankind. Christ is described as He in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) because He was the true example of the love of God. In other words, He was weighty because of this very love.

Our master, Jesus told His followers, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34‭-‬35).
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By love, the world knows that we are of God.

Beloved of God, the answer to your generation is the love of God in you.

The scriptures emphasize that the goal of all believers is to be of one mind, have compassion with one another and love as brethren(1 Peter 3:8).

Because this love has been shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5.5), walk in that consciousness every day.

Think love, talk love and act love.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 John 4:8, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

GOLDEN NUGGET:
The answer to your generation is the love of God in you; for without it, nothing profits.

PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for this great knowledge. By it I choose to walk in love with all men; I pray in love, I fast in love, I serve in love, I give in love and I do all things in love. And since it does not fail, I cannot fail to take my generation for Jesus! For I can do all things through Christ the anointing which strengthens me. It is not by my power, nor my strength, but by the Spirit of God at work in me. In Jesus’ name! Amen.

In One Accord

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 1:13‭-‬14 (KJV); And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Our theme scripture reveals that the disciples who tarried in the upper room were in ONE ACCORD; united in passionate prayer and intercession.

The Greek word for “accord” is “homothumadon”. It is derived from two root words, “homou” translated to mean “the same” and “thumos” translated to mean “passion.”

It describes people with a similar passion and desire which produces a godly unity between them.

They have the same mind, which mind reflects the LORD’s very thoughts because each of them functions by the true Spirit of the revelation of His Word.

There is a ONENESS in the faith that brings people together, their individual spirits are hemmed into one spirit. ‬‬

This was the kind of fellowship in the early Church and because of it, God did mighty wonders by them and the fear of the church was upon all people.
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God is calling the Church in our day to this oneness again.

We ought to gather in prayer with this unity. When we pray for revival, it should be for the Christendom and not just for the growth of numbers in our own churches. When we pray for the nation, it should be so the entire body of Christ benefits and not to gain political favour towards us as individuals.

Beloved saint, this unity ought to be a reality in any gathering with fellow brethren because he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17). With such singleness of spirit, you can never offer discordant prayers and it is an eternal truth, that when you get together in a symphony of prayer pertaining anything at all, your heavenly Father will do it for you. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: John 17:21, Matthew 18:19

GOLDEN NUGGET:
We ought to gather in prayer with unity. When we pray for revival, it should be for the Christendom and not just for the growth of numbers in our own churches. When we pray for the nation, it should be so the entire body of Christ benefits and not to gain political favour towards us as individuals.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this wisdom. I acknowledge my oneness in spirit with you. This oneness is effective in my prayer life and my fellowship with the brethren. Every day, as I mature in this oneness, I witness tangible results in my life and those in my world. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Locusts In Divine Winds: The South Wind

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 12:55-56 (KJV); And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this 

There are a number of winds in the Spirit: East wind, North wind, West wind and South wind.

The south wind, as referred to in our theme scripture, is the WIND OF DIVINE PURPOSE.

As a wind of the Spirit, it has a spiritual time tagged to it.

This means that if you must fly by this wind (or any spiritual wind) timing of the wind is critical.

There are those that jump into the South wind before time simply because they learnt to fly; this is the Christian who will start a church of his own just because he performed a miracle; this is the worshiper who starts a ministry simply because she was praised for the beauty of her voice.

There are those who also fly contrary to the South wind, yet they should fly in the direction of the wind itself. These are children of God who think they are executing divine purpose yet they are working against the mind and the will of God; for example those who fight revival and persecute fellow Christians while in their minds they think they are serving God.

This should not to be your story. You should accurately time the South wind and fly in its direction.

How so?

Firstly, understand that for every timing of the winds of the Spirit, there are spiritual signs.

When you learn to read the signs, you will accurately time the winds.

So, be sensitive to these spiritual signs because it is from the accurate reading of these signs that you will be in a position to fly with the South wind.

Choose to be deliberate in asking God what He is up to in this day.

Learn from the men and women He has set apart for your sake in these times.

I assure you that when you do, divine laws will work in your favour because you are aligned to divine purpose and time.

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 16:3, 1 Chronicles 12:32

GOLDEN NUGGET:
For every timing of the winds of the Spirit, there are spiritual signs. When you learn to read the signs, you will accurately time the winds. So, be sensitive to these spiritual signs because it is from the accurate reading of these signs that you will be in a position to fly with the South wind, which is the wind of divine purpose.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. My spirit is alive and sensitive to your great work in this day! I know the signs and the times and can never misapprehend what you are up to in this day. I am positioned and aligned to your perfect will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Locusts In Divine Winds: One With The Wind

Apostle Grace Lubega

John 3:8 (AMP); The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

When the Lord told us to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13), He meant that we have the mandate to consume every inch of this world by the power of God.

This ability to consume is comparable to how a swarm of locusts function; they will leave nothing untouched.
However in their massive movement, locusts depend on the wind.

When this is related to the life of a Christian, understand that this is no ordinary wind; it is the Holy Spirit.

Our ability to impact every place we go depends on how much we are yielded to the Spirit of God. For it is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

The beauty of this is that as we continue to yield to God, we take on the attributes of the very wind by which we move.

Our theme scripture explains the characteristics of this wind thus; it blows where it wills; you hear its sounds but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going.

People will feel your impact but they will not be able to predict you! They will see your effect yet not be able to contemplate your next move because you are not just a locust in the wind but are one with the wind.

So, child of God, cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit, purpose to constantly be in consonance with Him.

FURTHER STUDY: Zechariah 4:6, Luke 19:13

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Our ability to impact every place we go depends on how much we are yielded to the Spirit of God. For it is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this knowledge. I walk in divine purpose every day and I am conscious of what you are up to in these times. My spirit is yielded to the Holy Spirit and He leads me to unfathomable heights. I am impacting my world and everything around me by His ability. To the glory of your name. Amen.

The Days Of Revival Are Here

Apostle Grace Lubega

Jeremiah 29:12‭-‬13 (KJV); Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Before revival swept across Wales, it was an ordinary nation.‬‬‬‬‬‬

It is documented that he spent months weeping for his land.

There are many such stories in church history that demonstrate how God changed entire nations when men turned their hearts to truly seek His face.

God wants to return us to those days with even greater glory. The time is now for you to understand that THERE’S MORE for the Church of Christ!

God wants to bring us to a place where His glory swallows up our nation to the point that church services shift from monotonous routine programs to spontaneous Spirit led sessions.

Your soul should pant for revival.

You should pray earnestly for the manifestation of the full picture of who God is as revealed in His Word.

May this vision push you an extra hour in prayer and the Word! May it cause you to seek for more of Him in your nation! May it bend you until you are consumed with the desire to see His glory sweep across your land!

FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 4:29, Hebrews 11:6

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Your soul should pant for revival. You should pray earnestly for the manifestation of the full picture of who God is as revealed in His Word.May this vision push you an extra hour in prayer and the Word! May it cause you to seek for more of Him in your nation! May it bend you until you are consumed with the desire to see His glory sweep across your land!

PRAYER: My God, I thank you for my generation; I carry the perfect understanding of what it means to seek your face and to see you! I break before you and yield to all you are doing and pouring out in my spirit. Lord, if I die without having seen certain things, my story will not be complete. I refuse to settle for less! This is my cry and hunger! I stand in the assurance that those who hunger and thirst for you are filled. Thank you for the great things you manifest in my days. I will live to say that it was beautiful to be alive in my times. In Jesus’ might name. Amen.

Wiser Than Solomon

Matthew 12:42 (KJV); The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

A Christian once told me that no man would ever be wiser than King Solomon. He was making reference to 1 Kings 3:12 when the Lord told Solomon, “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”

Indeed no man will ever be wiser than Solomon, but you, child of God are more than a man!

You were not begotten by the will of a man or of flesh and blood but were begotten of God (John 1:13). You carry the God-gene, and of this, the Bible says that the scripture cannot be broken (John 10:34-35).

There was a kind of wisdom that God could not give to Solomon because of the nature of the covenant he was under. He was a man in the adamic nature and therefore susceptible to limitation and corruption.

In fact, Solomon was a LEARNING man. This is why He could make statements such as “I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle to the strong…” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

He was functioning under progressive knowledge (gnosko) because he was only gradually coming to the understanding of certain truths.

You on the other hand are a LEARNED spirit; you have EPIGNOSIS, which is the ADVANCED knowledge in and of God.

You are not simply acquiring knowledge of both earthly and divine things. The Bible says you know all things (1 John 2:20). You received Christ in whom is hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

You are wiser than Solomon! You are mantled by the manifold wisdom of eternity. Speak like the epitome of wisdom; act like a vessel of divine wisdom, relate with the men of this world like you are the wisest person that ever lived. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 2:3, 1 John 2:20

GOLDEN NUGGET:
You are mantled by the manifold wisdom of eternity. Speak like the epitome of wisdom; act like a vessel of divine wisdom, relate with the men of this world like you are the wisest person that ever lived.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this knowledge! What a truth! Oh, I am wise! I have an unction from the Holy One and I know all things. Wisdom preserves me, it gives me subtility among the simple; it makes me distinctive from those around me and sets me apart everywhere I go. I am an answer and a solution giver to my nation. To the glory of your name. Amen!

The Nations Are Our Inheritance

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 2:8 (KJV); Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

In my walk of salvation, I have witnessed ministers of the gospel forming networks, not for the purpose of the furtherance of the Gospel but for personal ambitions.

These networks are designed to create connections for access to pulpits in certain nations and opportunities to preach in places that are considered prestigious.

What they don’t understand is that the doors for the preaching of the gospel are not opened by “connections” or the knowledge of who is who.

Child of God, if you seek for nations to open up to you, God gave you a free password. In our theme scripture, He told you to ask Him, and He will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as your possession.

God intends that nations become your legacy; your domain should stretch to the ends of the earth.

The nations are calling and the answer to their cries is in the knowledge that God has placed in the inside of you.

God does not want to take you to a nation for you to simply carry the vain testimony that you have been to country X or Y. God wants that the moment you step into any land, any principality in that place bows in acknowledgement of the fact that a son of God has stepped on that soil.

You have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the Faith among all nations (Romans 1:5). Whatsoever obeys you opens up to you. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 1:5, Mark 16:15

GOLDEN NUGGET:
The nations are calling and the answer to their cries is in the knowledge that God has placed in the inside of you.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for the inheritance of the nations. Thank you because they are opened to me for the sake of the gospel. The nations bow to the name of Jesus by the authority you have given me. I am an answer everywhere that I go. I don’t look to men for connections but to you who opens doors that no man can shut. Men always seek for the testimony of Christ in me; my message impacts multitudes. In Jesus’ mighty name Amen.

In His Presence: The Holy One In The Midst Of You

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hosea 11:9 (KJV) I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

It is easy to get familiar with the presence of God and have an “I have seen that and done that attitude”

But here is a caution, He says, “I am God and not man, the Holy One in the midst of you.”

Some people behave like God is a peer whose presence and Word they can take lightly.

His Word is of very little consequence and His presence is not a precious thing in their eyes.

They go to church as if they have gone to meet a man. They pray as if they are dealing with a man. They relate with God as though they were relating with a man.

He warns you, “I am not a man…”

This is the God before whom elders cast golden crowns (Revelation 4:10-11).

In the Old Testament, His glory filled the temple that even the Levites failed to minister (2 Chronicles 5:14).

That is the God in whose presence we stand.

There is a vision; an understanding of God that you must always set before you.

Treat as sacred the things of God. His name be praised.

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Chronicles 5:14, Revelation 4:10-11

GOLDEN NUGGET:
There is a vision; an understanding of God you must always set before you. Treat as sacred the things of God.

PRAYER: My father, I thank you for this Word. You are my God, the Lord and master of my life. I understand this truth and live by it every day. I treat as serious the things of the Spirit and live with reverence of you my God. I am wise in this walk of salvation, never to grieve your Spirit or to disregard your Word. To the glory of your name. Amen.

In His Presence: Liberty Versus Vice

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 10:23(AMP); All things are legitimate [permissible–and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome. All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

We live in a generation where the liberty we have in Christ has been grossly abused. There are Christians whose only interest in going to Church is to “catch up” with friends.

I attended church services where once the praise session was done, to some of the congregants, so was the service. I once observed a young man reading newspapers when it came to the time of the Word. How heart breaking!

What is in the mind of a man who thinks it is fine to start conversing and gossiping in Church? What is in the spirit of a woman who thinks church service is the time to send Facebook and WhatsApp messages?

When the Bible speaks of all things being legitimate, that is, “we are free to do anything we please” you must be careful to ensure that there is no vice in your liberties.

Sometimes what is freedom to a man is vice to the Spirit, in the same way that freedom to some men is bondage to God. You must have THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

The presence of God is the tangibility of His reality. It is Him saying, “I am real; feel me, see me, touch me.”

His presence is an opportunity for you to delve into His bottomless depths. How can you take it lightly?

Until you understand that the presence of God is one of the greatest liberties of the Spirit, you may never explore certain depths in Him.

Learn to treat His presence with the reverence it deserves lest your liberty be found to be with vice.

FURTHER STUDY: Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Learn to treat God’s presence with the reverence it deserves lest your liberty be found to be with vice.

PRAYER: Most excellent Father, I thank you for the abundance of the supply of your Spirit with whom I enjoy all the liberties in Christ. Thank you that He directs my footsteps in the right way I should go. I can never use my liberties for vice because I deeply honour and reverence your presence. I walk in this understanding every day and as I do, my spirit is opened to deeper places in you. To the glory of your name. Amen.

Faultlessness In The Liberties

Apostle Grace Lubega

James 1:25 (AMP); But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

The law of liberty gives us the ability to function in all dimensions of the Spirit. Some translations call this the law of free men or the law that sets us free.

The scriptures have called it a FAULTLESS LAW because in its inherent nature, it does not find fault with and in men, that is, it gives no room for weakness or limitation. Understand that fault in this case, is not necessarily moral failure but rather the lack of faith to explore the “impossible.”

However, in speaking of the Mosaic Law, the Bible says, “For if that first covenant had been FAULTLESS, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”(Hebrews 8:7-8).

This law of liberty is founded on grace because it does not see you at fault; it does not behold inability in you. The Spirit of grace beholds the ability of God in men and never the ability of men in themselves.

This law opens you to the possibilities of whatsoever you ask (John 14:13); the possibilities of you can do all things (Philippians 4:13); the possibilities of all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:21).

Persevere in looking into it, continuously behold the strength of God in you; never look at yourself as lacking in sufficiency to do anything; live by the testimony that you are not just a conqueror but more than a conqueror. Hallelujah! (Romans 8:37).

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 8:2-3, 1 Peter 2:16

GOLDEN NUGGET:
The law of liberty is founded on grace because it does not see you at fault; it does not behold inability in you. The Spirit of grace beholds the ability of God in men and never the ability of men in themselves.

PRAYER: My heavenly master, thank you for these liberties of the Spirit. I submit my mind, my will, my desires to you dear Lord. I refuse to be a normal Christian. Today I purpose to sore higher in the God life. I walk in the fullness of the person you have predestined me to be. With this freedom of the Spirit, I do great exploits for the kingdom; to the glory of your Holy Name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Instructed Giver

Apostle Grace Lubega

Philippians 4:12 (KJV); I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

It is important that when it comes to giving to the things of God, you do so as one who is instructed by God. Paul in our theme scripture reveals that in all things he is instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, to abound and to suffer need.

There are people who have given! They have practically emptied themselves at the hands of manipulative ministers of the gospel all for nothing.

As a result, they have this sense of frustration regarding giving to the work of God.

But here is a principle many neglect: giving ought to be instructed by God and Spirit led.

It is not the outside display of generosity that may provoke people to say, “Oh, she is very kind and loves God.” Never confuse this for divine instruction.

When you are not instructed in your giving you will end up planting in places where you should never have planted because not all ground is good ground.
Child of God, you cannot fail in the seed principle and expect success in the fruit principle.

A lack of understanding of these principles (seed and fruit) will give you thorns in the place of grapes and thistles in the place of figs (Matthew 7:16).

This means that you may never see the results of your giving, leading you to constantly question why you see lack where there should be increase and depreciation where there should be multiplication.

Purpose to live a life of the INSTRUCTED giver.

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 9:7 (AMP), 2 Corinthians 8:12

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Giving ought to be instructed and Spirit led. When you are not instructed in your giving you will end up planting in places you should never have planted because not all ground is good ground.

PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for this Word. I thank you for divine instruction in my giving. This wisdom has taught me to anticipate need and meet it even before hand, hallelujah! As I grow in this knowledge, my finances blossom and increase. To the glory of your name. Amen.