A Life In The Word – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 7:24-27(MSG); These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.

The Word of God is more than an incidental addition to your life. It is the foundation on which to build a life on.

Think about it for a moment.

What is your life really built on? Money? Family? Fame? Friends?

A life in the Word is one that does not merely use the word ‘in Bible studies’ like our theme scripture says but works the word of God into its very fabric.

When your life is built on the Word, it doesn’t matter how strong the storm is, you will stand.

What is the main trait of a man whose life is built on the Word?

The continuation to our theme scripture says, ‘When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.’ (Matthew 7:28-29).

When your life is built on the Word, you live everything you say!

If the Word says believe, you believe! If the Word says pray, you pray! If the Word says serve, you serve!

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Timothy 4:15, Colossians 3:16

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When your life is built on the Word, you live everything you say!

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for your Word. My life is built on it. There is nothing about my life that does not have a foundation in your Word. I stand through storms because my life is built on the Word. I scale mountains because my life is built on the Word. I overcome the things that cause some to fail because my victory stems from the Word. I have chosen to believe it, in all things and at all times.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life In The Word – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Proverbs 4:20-22(KJV); My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Every principle you need to live a great and successful life is in the scriptures. Even the men and women who author books on success borrow from these time tested principles.

In 2 Peter 1:3-4, the Bible reveals that God has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness. You have everything that you need to live a godly life.

However, all these things are in His Word. The Word will show you the how of ministry; the how of business; the how of marriage; the how of parenting; the how of innovation; the how of health and everything in between!

Do you read the word as an emergency appeal? Do you open the Bible to find a fix for a current situation? Do you run to it only in times of trouble? Do you read it merely to preach a sermon on Sunday? Do you read it so you can find a new revelation to splash on social media?

In Deuteronomy 4:6, after the Lord gave to the children of Israel His statutes, He said, ‘this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

Living and breathing the scriptures is what will make you wise in the eyes of the world.

Have the Word everywhere; in your car, your house and at your workplace. Make the choice not to merely visit the Word; live in it!

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 3:16, Deuteronomy 11:18-21

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Make the choice not to merely visit the Word; live in it!

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for the gift of your Word. It is my life, my firm foundation and the light for my feet. I choose to study it like my life depends on it, because it does. I invest in it with all that I have because it is more precious than anything money can buy. It dictates my every action, response and decision. I am not just a believer, I am a Word being. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of Mastery Of Words – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalm 19:14(KJV); Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

The heart speaks.

In our theme scripture, David speaks of the meditation of the heart.

In Deuteronomy 8:17, God tells the children of Israel, ‘And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.’

All this means is that our hearts are always speaking.

Mastery over words requires that the words of your mouth are aligned with the words of your heart.

There are people who confess positively with their mouths and yet their hearts are saying different things.

In fact, the war for them is not against the circumstances they face but between what their lips are confessing and what their hearts are saying.

If you confess positively and yet your heart is speaking negatively, do not expect positive results.

One of the ways you know that the heart is speaking contrary to your positive confession is when there is fear present in your spirit —that is the heart speaking.

Deal with the heart! Speak to it, rebuke fear out of it. After you have done that, resume positive confession.

The words of your mouth cannot be acceptable to God when the meditations of your heart are not.

Thus, exercise both the mouth of your body and the mouth of your heart to speak in line with the Word of God.
Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 104:34, Proverbs 23:7

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Mastery over words requires that the words of your mouth are aligned with the words of your heart. Exercise both the mouth of your body and the mouth of your heart to speak in line with the Word of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this truth. My tongue is tamed to the glory of your name. Deeper than this, the meditations of my heart beat in tune with your Word. I speak the very things that I have believed. The confessions of my lips are true because they resound from the depth of my heart. In Jesus’ name.

Of Mastery Of Words – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

James 3:2(KJV); For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

There are people who know how to confess right. They have practiced this over and over again but they have not seen the results of these confessions because they do not have mastery over their words.

Speaking in line with the Word of God is a very good thing. The ability to curb your tongue from uttering negativity is divine. However, you must reach a place of mastery in this.

There is a Christian who finds himself speaking negative things over situations in his life and then quickly remembers to speak positively. He checks his account and says, ‘Oh, I am so broke today!’ He then remembers that Christ was made poor that he may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

So he confesses, ‘ I am rich, I am rich.’ He may wake up with an ailment in his body and moan, ‘I am so sick…’ He then quickly remembers the scripture that says ‘In Zion, none will say. “I am sick.” So he confesses, ‘I cannot be sick. I cannot be sick!’

If you still find yourself cancelling your negative confessions, you have not yet attained mastery over your words.

Mastery is when your spirit is exercised enough to speak in line with the Word no matter the situation.

Mastery is when your reflexes are Word reflexes. Mastery is when your reactions are Word reactions.

Mastery is tested the most when one is under pressure. How do you respond when everything seems to be against you?

Exercise your spirit to have only positive utterances even in the most intense circumstances.
Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Philemon 1:6, Psalms 19:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Mastery over words is tested the most when one is under pressure. Exercise your spirit to have only positive utterances even in the most intense circumstances.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this truth. The words on my lips and the meditations of my heart are pleasant unto you.
No matter the circumstance, I confess in line with your Word. I am perfect in speech and the communication of my mouth acknowledges who I am in Christ at all times. No storms compromise the confession of my lips. No fires can consume the truth of the Word in my mouth. No mountains can dry the truth of who I am in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Faith Associations

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 4:2(AMPC); For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).

In the life of faith, associations matter.

Our theme scripture speaks of the children of Israel who received the word but did not benefit from the message because they did not unite the message with faith.

Uniting the message with faith has various facets and one of those is in keeping company with people of faith.

How do you expect to keep your faith when you are constantly around naysayers and people who spew negativity from all corners of their being?

How do you expect to stand in faith when your associations are of those whose confessions are constantly negative?

Unite the Word you receive with faith by being around people that provoke you to believe more.

In fact, if you see that a certain Word is working mightily in someone’s life but you are struggling to achieve results with the same word, deliberately make that person your friend, take them out for a meal and listen to how they deal with the Word.

Associate with faith. Hallelujah!

Often, people seek to network with those who have political ties or have fat bank balances. But I urge you to make some faith associations.

Relook at your contact list and assess if the bulk of your friends frustrate your faith or build it.
Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:33

GOLDEN NUGGET:
In the life of faith, associations matter. Unite the Word you receive with faith by being around people that provoke you to believe more.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I am a believer and I am totally sold out to live a life of faith. My inner circle is of men and women of faith; my associations are with people of faith. The Word benefits and profits me greatly because I deliberately cultivate a life of faith. To the glory of your name, Amen.

The Quickness Of The Word

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 4:12(KJV); For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God is quick.

The Greek Word for quick in our theme scripture is ‘zao’ which is translated to mean that which lives and is active.

It means that the Word of God has a life of its own with an ability to activate and to revive anything in your life.

How then does the Word compare to other things that some people depend on so heavily?

The hand of a man is not quick, the Word is. The arm of flesh will slow you because it does not have the force of life(Jeremiah 17:5).

Money is not quick, it has an end. In Genesis 47:15, it is recorded that the Egyptians cried out because money had failed. It fails because it does not have life behind it.

Medicine is not quick, child of God. It is not bad but it has its limitations. When speaking of the woman with a bleeding issue, the Bible in Mark 5:26 says that she had suffered many things from many physicians. Medicine can fail because it does not carry the life of God.

How does the Word of God cut through soul and spirit, joints and marrow, thoughts and intents of the heart? It is all because of the life that is in the Word.

When you listen to the Word, don’t just hear words, syllables and sentences. Embrace the life in the Word. That is what kills cancers and dries tumours; it is what makes demons flee; it is what restores hope to the broken hearted. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: John 6:63, Proverbs 4:20-22

GOLDEN NUGGET:
When you listen to the Word, don’t just hear words, syllables and sentences. Embrace the life in the Word. That is what kills cancers and dries tumours; it is what makes demons flee; it is what restores hope to the broken hearted.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this truth. Your Word is priceless and precious to my spirit. I receive it in the understanding that it is spirit and life. As I embrace the life in the Word, circumstances change in my favour; demons flee; doors open and divine reality manifests continually in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Fathering Spirit – 6

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 4:15(KJV); For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, there was an influential movement in certain Charismatic churches in Britain, Australia and America.

It was called the shepherding movement that taught and emphasised greatly the biblical principle of submission to spiritual authority and the need to account one’s life to a spiritual father or mother.

Over time, it was courted by the harsh winds of controversy, heavily criticised and denounced by leading figures within the charismatic movement itself.

It was said to have committed the Galatian error, ‘began in the spirit and quickly degenerated into the flesh.’ (Galatians 3:3).

But what really went wrong in the shepherding movement? Were they right in principle and merely failed in method?

The shepherding doctrine was not wrong. It can be proved through various passages of scripture such as Hebrews 13:17, 1 Corinthians 4:15 and many others.

However, the error of some of the proponents of this movement is that they themselves were not fathered and as such, they sought to reap as fathers, what they were not sowing as sons.

This is evident even in the church today, fathers taking the place of God and grossly abusing spiritual authority.

The lessons from the shepherding movement are numerous but most importantly, as a man of God, you cannot demand submission when you are not submitted; you cannot demand accountability when you are not accountable; you cannot demand to be served when you do not serve another.

The scriptures cannot be broken, you reap what you sow.
God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 13:17, Proverbs 11:25

GOLDEN NUGGET:

As a man of God, you cannot demand submission when you are not submitted; you cannot demand accountability when you are not accountable; you cannot demand to be served when you do not serve another.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this truth. I know that by scripture, I cannot reap what I have not sown. In this wisdom, I plant and cultivate respect for spiritual authority; I plant and cultivate diligent service to ministry and the gospel; I plant and cultivate giving in accordance to the patterns laid out in your Word. To the glory of your name, Amen

Receiving From Ancient Oil

Apostle Grace Lubega

 2 Kings 2:9-10 (KJV); And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

What is ancient oil?

Ancient oil is not the anointing at work in a man simply because he has been in salvation for a long time. There are Christians who have walked the life of salvation for years without the slightest idea how the anointing works.

The identity of ancient oil is in the maturity of the anointing; in the integrity of the posterity through which it passes because each generation that receives it knows how to deal with the anointing.

How does one receive it?

A man can only receive from what he sees and honours by the spirit.

That is how the mantle was passed from Elijah to Elisha. Elijah told Elisha, if you see me when I am taken, it shall be so, if not, it shall not be so.’

What did Elisha see?

In 2 Kings 2:12, when Elijah was being taken up, Elisha exclaimed, ‘My Father! My Father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel.’ He saw Elijah’s identity in the spirit.

There are men we did not meet physically but when we found their teachings; audio sermons and books, we saw who they were by the spirit and in seeing, we received from them.

There are men we never met in the flesh but when we saw them minister on crusades with millions in attendance, we did not just see a man before a massive crowd, we saw a general in the spirit and in humility, knelt in our rooms to receive from them.

Ancient oil is generational oil. It will flow from Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, to Eunice, his mother and eventually to Timothy because the heart of each subsequent generation is open by virtue of faith (2 Timothy 1:5).

However, if it does not find faith, it can skip a generation until it finds it.

May this wisdom cause you to hunger for the anointing; to understand how to receive and to open your heart in faith.
God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 1:5, 2 Kings 2:12

GOLDEN NUGGET:

A man can only receive from what he sees and honours by the spirit.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I receive it from the bottom of my heart and run with it. My eyes are opened to see past the physical to the spiritual. To behold the spiritual identities of the authorities you have placed in my life; to understand mantles from the higher realm and to perceive the anointing from a spiritual place. By this knowledge I grow and tread in places that the bold and the brave go by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Turning Hearts

Apostle Grace Lubega

Malachi 4:6(KJV); And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

In our generation today, I have seen sons hurt by their fathers. I have also seen fathers wounded by their own sons. Ministries today are bleeding because of these wounds.

If these wounds do not heal, many will continue to bleed on the people that did not cut them.

That is why we have some people ‘washing the dirty linen of the church’ in public—they are bleeding on the people who did not cut them.

This is the reason why some Christians are on social media hurling insults at each other across the great and utterly indifferent divide of cyberspace—they are bleeding on those that did not cut them.

God wants the hearts of fathers turned to children and the hearts of the children turned to the fathers. That is the order dictated by our theme scripture. Firstly, it is the fathers that are under an obligation to turn to the children; to seek reconciliation and build bridges.

If a father fails to do this, then as a son, take up the initiative, offer the olive branch, and reach out.

Go to the father, not as a father but as a child. Please note that when you return from such an experience, you return as a father because you will have demonstrated maturity.

In that way, God will entrust you with a generation.

Seek peace. Pursue love.
God’s name, be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Luke 1:16-17; Psalm 34:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:
God wants the hearts of fathers turned to children and the hearts of the children turned to the fathers. That is the order dictated by our theme scripture. Firstly, it is the fathers that are under obligation to turn to the children; to seek reconciliation and build bridges.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this truth. Thank you because this wisdom works in me, to pursue peace, love and reconciliation. I choose to forgive where there has been pain and disillusionment; to let go and let God. This is for the sake of the kingdom and for the sake of the gospel. To the glory of your name, Amen.

The Growth Pattern

Apostle Grace Lubega 

Luke 2:52(NIV); And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man 

Jesus Christ was fully God. He was the first begotten son of the Father and in Him was the fullness of God bodily(Colossians 2:9).
However, the scriptures reveal to us that there are several aspects in which He had to grow. 

For example, in our theme scripture, He grew in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and man. 

The reason God allows this growth was to set a pattern for the sons of God that were to come after. 

Here is a deep instruction on spiritual maturity. 

There are Christians who abuse various principles of the scriptures because like the Bible says, ‘they are Gods’ (John 10:34). 

They have the life of God in them; they have been begotten by the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23); they are more than just human beings; they are God-beings. 

It is a good thing to live in the understanding of these truths but there is a growth factor to all of these things. 

If God had wished it, Christ would have been born with all the wisdom and the favour that He needed but the Bible says that He grew in these things. 

This means that in the life of salvation, we must embrace growth. 

Many embrace spiritual truths that they are not willing to grow into. They claim promises but are not willing to activate the principles that make those promises a reality. 

So, they claim by declaration, what they are not willing to grow into by exercise. 

Indeed Christ was made our wisdom; but you must apply your heart to wisdom; by courting it, through constant study, through seeking counsel; through prayer and meditation. 

Indeed you are the righteousness of God, but you must allow God to deal with any weakness in your flesh by constantly yielding to Him and being humble enough to recognise a wrong and change your mind when you make a mistake. 

You are complete and perfect in spirit. However, your understanding  must grow in this perfection and completeness

Glory to God! 

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 4:15, 1 Peter 2:2 

GOLDEN NUGGET:

 You are complete and perfect in spirit. However, your understanding  must grow in this perfection and completeness

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I choose growth; to see increase every day of my life because that is my portion in Christ. I embrace your Word as the food with which I grow; I seek your presence as the atmosphere in which I must flourish. With all my heart, I apply myself to the things that perfect and complete me in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of Altars

Apostle Grace Lubega 

Deuteronomy 8:18(KJV); But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 

Altars have principles by which they function. One of the principles is that they respond to spiritual authority. 

If a Christian does not understand the order of spiritual authority, then that Christian cannot build an altar or if they do, it will be devoid of fire and consequently, of power. If it is a prayer altar, it will lack testimony. If it is a ministry altar, it will lack fruit. 

How is this so? 

Behind every altar is a covenant. 

No altar stands without a covenant. However, in dealing with covenants, God looks at the father son relationship. 

As revealed in our theme scripture, God’s dealing with Israel was based on the covenant that He had with their fathers. 

God cannot jump this order that He established Himself to honour an altar that has no spiritual covering. 

An altar that does not respect this order will easily become a high place for idols. This is how Israel ended up building altars for other gods. They forgot the covenant that God had made with their forefathers. 

Submission to spiritual authority is a principle by God. God requires that we heed to this order in humility for it is a pattern He has set in the spirit for maturity and growth. 
His name is praised! 

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 13:17, Deuteronomy 7:8 

GOLDEN NUGGET: Altars respond to spiritual authority. 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this knowledge. Thank you for the wisdom by which I grow in the things of the Spirit. I honour and respect spiritual authority;
I walk in the pattern of submission like you have taught me to. The fires of my altars burn bright; my altars bear fruit; my altars have answers, results and solutions. 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Privilege Of Sonship

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 4:13-14(KJV); And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region roundabout.

The miracle working power of God and His spirit is a privilege of sons.

This is not merely for children but for those that are full grown and mature in the things of the Spirit.

This is the pattern that Christ set for us in the gospel.

At Jordan, the Father appeared unto Him and affirmed the Father-son relationship when He said, ‘This is my son in whom I am well pleased…’(Matthew 3:17).

When Jesus went into the wilderness, the devil sought to test this relationship with the father. In the end, Christ prevailed.

The Bible says that He returned in the power of the Spirit and there went out a fame of Him through all the regions.’ Jesus entered into his miraculous ministry as a son. He had been tested, tried and proved.

Mature sons launched in the miraculous ministry understand these things: they do not turn stones to bread; that is, they do not perform miracles to show their power or simply demonstrate that they can do so.

In essence, they are purpose driven.

Secondly, they do not use the miraculous as a source of personal gain. They have seen the kingdoms and glories of this world and understood the vanity of it all.

As such, their miraculous ministry is not a wealth building machinery that they use to bleed people of money in exchange for healing.

To the mature one, every miracle is a teaching, every healing is an act of compassion; every deliverance points to God and never to self.
God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 3:17

GOLDEN NUGGET:

To the mature son, every miracle is a teaching, every healing is an act of compassion; every deliverance points to God and never to self.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you because you grow and mature me every day in the things of the Spirit. In maturity, I display compassion. In maturity, I walk in the love of the Father. In maturity, I do all things for your glory, and the expansion of the kingdom. In maturity, my heart beats after your desires and never my own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.