Keep The Wonder

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalm 42:1(KJV); As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

There are men who lose the wonder of the things of the Spirit. This is not because God ceases to be a wonder but because familiarity makes visible things invisible.

For example, if you have a room full of items that you see every day, it’s possible not to notice the disappearance of an item from that room.

So it is with the things of the Spirit. Sometimes, the things of God become familiar and this familiarity makes them invisible.

The Word of God, the demonstration of His Spirit and His presence can become so familiar that they become invisible to you. Because they are invisible, some become indifferent to what is readily available and start to seek for what they cannot see.

When you lose the wonder of the things of God, you cannot provoke His essence to continue pouring out more of Himself to you.

This is because every time you hear a certain truth in God and claim to already know it, you imply that there cannot be more to what you already know about that truth and as such you hold back the Spirit from fully ministering to you like He desires.

Even if you have heard a certain truth a million times, always be expectant, knowing that even in that, God will speak to you something new.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 27:4, Psalm 26:8

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Even if you have heard a certain truth a million times, always be expectant, knowing that even in that, God will speak to you something new.

PRAYER: My great Lord, I thank you for this word. My heart pants for your presence. My soul longs for your touch. I am awed by the greatness of your power, the awesomeness of your majesty. Like David rejoiced over your Word as one who finds great spoil, I stand continually amazed by your truths. You were a wonder yesterday, you are a wonder today and you will be a wonder forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Seeking God In His Simplicity

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Corinthians 11:3(KJV); But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

God is not simple. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out (Romans 11:33). However, in Him is simplicity.

This is the great paradox of divine personality: that in a complex God is simplicity.

He is deep and bottomless but in these same depths is simplicity.

Men get corrupted when they seek for depths in Him outside His simplicities. These are Christians who have confused the simplicity IN HIM as the simplicity OF HIM.

They consider certain truths in Him as ordinary and hunger for what they interpret as depth.

That is seeing God the wrong way. You cannot seek and find a God you behold through such deception.

The Bible says seek and you shall find. However this seeking must be in the understanding that in Him is simplicity.

If you seek Him in complexity in the misunderstanding that complexity means depth then you shall never find Him because He is not in what you seek.

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:7, 1 Corinthians 2:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God is not simple. However, in Him is simplicity.

PRAYER: Loving Father, thank you for this wisdom. I walk in the understanding that you have simplified my walk with you because in you is simplicity. I embrace this truth in how I pray, fast, give and serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Keep The Grinders – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ecclesiastes 12:3 (AMP); In the day when the keepers of the house [the hands and the arms] tremble, and the strong men [the feet and the knees] bow themselves, and the grinders [the molar teeth] cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows [the eyes] are darkened;

God is a never ending wonder. He is eternal in beauty, glory and power.

The human spirit must be continually stirred to recognise the bottomlessness of the depths of His person.

I know of Christians who are tired of the faith because they feel betrayed by the things they once believed in. Some have simply lost the hunger for the things of the Spirit.

Some have fallen in love with this world and lost sight of eternity.

What did you see in God? How can you find no pleasure in Him anymore except that what you actually saw was a mirage?

God is a marvel and is endless.

The older you grow, the more you should love Him.

Keep the constant desire for Him. Keep the hunger.

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 27:4, 1 Corinthians 2:10 AMP

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The human spirit must be continually stirred to recognise the bottomlessness of the depths of His person.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this day. Thank you for what you are doing in my life, the places you take me by the Spirit, the hunger you stir in me, the depths in which you launch me and the heights to which I fly. I want to see you deeper, hear more, taste more and feel more. May the fires of desire for the divine burn brighter in my heart, soul and body. May I never lose the wonder of who you are, May I never lose the thirst for the waters of life. I thirst to be more thirsty. I hunger to be more hungry, fill me like only you can fill. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Keep The Grinders – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ecclesiastes 12:3(AMP); In the day when the keepers of the house [the hands and the arms] tremble, and the strong men [the feet and the knees] bow themselves, and the grinders [the molar teeth] cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows [the eyes] are darkened;

The Bible speaks of an experience of men whose grinders(molar teeth) cease because they are few. This happens when they grow old and can nolonger eat meat.

Think of this as a spiritual and not merely a physical experience.

In the life of the Spirit, when some people grow old, that is, after they have spent several years in the gospel, they lose their ability to eat meat. Their desire is for milk, the food for babes.

Meat in this context means deeper spiritual insights. Paul told the Corinthian Church, ‘I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able'(1 Corinthians 3:2).

You must keep the teeth that can still eat meat, that is, you ought to consistently be able to consume, conceive and understand deeper things in God.

Never allow yourself to lose your grinders. Keep a constant hunger for greater depths in God because there is always more in Him.

It doesn’t matter how long you have been in the gospel or how much you think you know, there is always more in God.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 3:2, Psalms 42:1

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Never allow yourself to lose your grinders. Keep a constant hunger for greater depths in God because there is always more in Him

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I am hungrier for you today than I was yesterday. I will be hungrier tomorrow, than I am today. I hear deep calling unto me and I respond to Him because I know the beauty of the treasures in you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Beyond Fear

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Timothy 1:7(KJV); For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

One of the hows of prayer is to never pray in fear.

Sometimes the temptation to do so is strong, especially when you find yourself trapped in a situation with no immediate way out. Fear may provoke you to speak in tongues and to call on God.

When you pray with fear, you frustrate your liberties.

When your liberties are frustrated, the wisdoms of eternity cannot make sense to assemble enough faith on the earth for you to produce results.

For example, rest is a wisdom of eternity. It is a strategy in the art of divine warfare. When you allow fear to settle in your spirit, this wisdom cannot work in you. The inevitable result is that you cannot ‘part the sea to create dry ground’ even with the Egyptian army right behind you.

If you ever find yourself in fear, worship until the fear leaves. Deal with the fear and then pray.

God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 29:25, 1 John 4:18

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When you pray with fear, you frustrate your liberties. When your liberties are frustrated, the wisdoms of eternity cannot make sense to assemble enough faith on the earth for you to produce results.

PRAYER: Father, thank you because I have not been given a Spirit of fear but of love, boldness and of a sound mind. You are with me everywhere that I am, my ever present help in time of need. In all circumstances, I choose faith over fear. I am too persuaded of your love to be afraid of anything. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Basis Of Prayer

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 John 5:14-15(KJV); And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

There are many kinds of prayer. That is what the Bible means when it speaks of praying with ALL prayer and supplications (Ephesians 6:18). However, regardless of the kind of prayer you are making, it is very critical to know the basis of prayer.

The basis of any prayer is the freedom of access and the liberties of answered prayer. Anytime, anywhere, you can approach the throne of grace and receive whatsoever you ask for. That is the complete and absolute confidence we have in prayer.

Some Christians make their petitions to God and stand back to observe if at all they will be heard. That is their attitude in prayer. There is never any certainty as to whether God is even listening to them.

Every time you pray, you must know with absolute certainty  that you have been heard and that what you desire has been given.

Take the example of Christ when He declared that Lazarus’ sickness was not unto death. He knew that God always hears Him. Even if Lazarus died, that did not move him because He had prayed. He knew the liberties of answered prayer.

These liberties are what will cause you to disregard any symptoms of continued illness after you have prayed for healing. These liberties are what will make you ignore the absence of money in your pocket or your account after praying for a financial breakthrough.

These liberties cause you to walk out of your prayer closet like a man with the answer you seek because you know that when you prayed, you did not stand before a man but before God, the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY: John 14:13-14, Hebrews 11:6

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The basis of any prayer is the freedom of access and the liberties of answered prayer.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this truth. Whatsoever I ask in your name, I know that I receive. I am bold in prayer, knowing that no good thing can you withhold from me. It doesn’t matter what the physical circumstances say, I hold onto the confidence that you are a God who answers prayer. You hear me, you care, you intervene, you break through barriers, you cause axes to float, you deliver and you save! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Perfect Praise And Worship

Apostle Grace Lubega

Revelation 5:12 (KJV); Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

There is a difference between a Christian who praises and worships God from the heavens and one who does so from the earth.

When a man’s conversation is in the heavens (Philippians 3:20), his praise and worship is perfect before God.

Our theme scripture demonstrates this perfect praise. When the elders, the beasts and the angels around the throne worshipped in heaven, they sung, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive POWER and RICHES, and WISDOM, and STRENGTH, and HONOUR, and GLORY, and BLESSING.’ They sung of seven things. 

The number seven in biblical numerology represents perfection.

This is in contrast to praise on the earth. In Revelation 5:13, the Bible speaks of the praise of the creatures on the earth, under the earth and in the sea and says, ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, BLESSING, and HONOUR, and GLORY, and POWER, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’

Those on the earth could speak of those four things. For example, they could not speak of wisdom because wisdom [creative wisdom], that with which the earth was framed is from above (James 3:17). 

Perfect praise and worship can only happen when your spirit is conscious and alive to the heavens.  

FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 3:20, John 4:24

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When a man’s conversation is in the heavens, his praise and worship is perfect before God.

PRAYER: Father, you are worthy of all praise and adoration. I worship in spirit and in truth because I understand that my conversation is in heaven. In worship, I carry heavenly vision. I behold the greatness of your power, the beauty of your holiness and the heights of your magnificence. I join with the elders and the angels in awe and adoration, to declare your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The God Before Us

Apostle Grace Lubega

Isaiah 45:2(KJV); I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron

In all that we do, our God goes before us.

Look at the experience of Abraham in Genesis 24 when he needed to choose a wife for his son Isaac. 

He told his servant, ‘The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.’ (Genesis 24:7).

God sent an angel before the servant, tasked with doing everything possible to ensure that the right wife was chosen for Isaac.

In Exodus 23:20-21, the Lord tells the children of Israel, ‘Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.’

God deliberately goes ahead of us in all things to make the atmosphere right for the things we desire to accomplish, to ensure that the people we need are available, and to set the stage for all our plans to work perfectly.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). Before you get to your work place, He was there before you. Before you enter into that examination room, He is there before you. Before you get into that interview room, He is there, setting the pace for your excellence.

You are not alone, child of God! Live life in the blessed assurance that before you get into any place, God was there and made every condition favourable for your success.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 8:14, Exodus 23:20-21

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God deliberately goes ahead of us in all things to make the atmosphere right for the things we desire to accomplish, to ensure that the people we need are available, and to set the stage for all our plans to work perfectly.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this knowledge. What a comfort! Nothing can intimidate me because I know that you go before me in all things. How can I fail, when the Lord of heaven and earth has gone ahead of me? I approach life with boldness because I know that my God is for me and is with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Privileges Of A Believer: The Earnest Of The Spirit

Apostle Grace Lubega

 2 Corinthians 1:20‭-‬22 (KJV); For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

The Greek word for ‘earnest’ in our theme scripture is ‘arrhabōn’ which is translated to mean a security deposit used as a guarantee for  the fulfilment of a promise. 

It is the concept used in trade when a buyer deposits a particular amount of money to convince a seller that he is serious about a purchase. 

The Spirit of God was given to us as a guarantee that every promise made to us by God shall be fulfilled. 

That is how far God has gone to eliminate any doubt from our hearts. It is the extent of his persuasion to allow us operate in the liberties of faith. 

The Spirit of God is ever present. There is no second, minute or hour of the day that He is absent from you.

This means that in every second, minute or hour of the day, you are assured that what God said He will do, what He promised, He will perform!

This has nothing to do with whether the pain has left your body to confirm that you are healed. He says, think only of the fact that His Spirit is in you, that is enough confirmation that healing is yours. 

It has nothing to do with whether your business deal came through, whether you got that job to confirm that He has made you rich. Think only of the fact that His Spirit is in you. 

That is all the confirmation you need.

Praise the LORD!

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:5

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The Spirit of God is ever present. There is no second, minute or hour of the day that He is absent from you. This means that in every second, minute or hour of the day, you are assured that what God said He will do, what He promised, He will perform! 

PRAYER: My Lord, I rejoice at your Word! I thank you for the love gift of the Holy Spirit; the fulfillment of your promises in my life which are yes and amen. My life is an overload of blessings and I am a blessing to others. I am persuaded of greater things to come and my end is full of glory. In Jesus name, amen.

The Confidence Of The Mature

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Timothy 2:15(KJV); Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The essence of maturity is that conviction that you shall not be put to shame touching your labours in the gospel.

Every man who is approved of God can never be ashamed because the Spirit of God validates his actions and decisions.

If a mature Christian prays for the presence of God in a meeting, God will turn up even before the meeting starts because He wants to vindicate His child.

Maturity is what brings answers even before a man prays because God is eager to perform on his behalf.

The work of a mature man cannot mock him because before God approves of him, he teaches him to count the cost of every work.

When such a one declares that the Spirit of God is going to move mightily in a place, it moves.

When he says the sick shall be healed, all manners of sickness obeys.

When he says he is going upward, his progress is evident to all because God cannot allow him to suffer the shame of decline or regression.

That is your portion and story, child of God.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Timothy 4:15, Ephesians 3:20

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The essence of maturity is that conviction that you shall not be put to shame touching your labours in the gospel.

PRAYER: My Lord, I thank you for this Word. I know that you are working in me every day, building my spirit and strengthening me in the inner man. You are shaping and moulding me for greatness. I eagerly receive every instruction that grows me. I live in the confidence that when I speak, I establish and when I purpose, I fulfil because you can never allow me to be ashamed. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

The Revelation Of Christ

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ephesians 1:17(KJV); That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The gospel is a revelation.

If you do not receive it as a revelation, you will do so with human understanding.
Receiving the gospel with human understanding means that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will always be viewed as merely a good man who walked the surface of the earth. You will never understand the Spirit of Christ.

This is the reason why some regard the life of Jesus as a good story and the Lord as an outstanding moral and charismatic character whose virtues are to be emulated.

He loved children, so we should love children. He despised greed so we should also despise greed. There is more to Him than that!

It is a good thing to understand the ministry of the Christ in the flesh but there is a reason why He told His disciples that it was expedient for Him to return to the father.

In 2 Corinthians 5:16, the Bible says, ‘Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.’

Christ in the flesh is no more. Now, we regard the Spirit of Christ and His Spirit can only be known through revelation because revelation is the eyes of the Spirit.

In revelation, we understand the riches of His glory. In revelation, we understand His mighty power that works in us to do things beyond human comprehension.

In revelation, we understand our ministry through Him in the heavenly places.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 5:16, Ephesians 1:18

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Christ in the flesh is no more. Now, we regard the Spirit of Christ and His Spirit can only be known through revelation because revelation is the eyes of the Spirit.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this Word. I receive it in wisdom and understanding.  I understand that I am a continuation of the life of Christ in the flesh. My eyes are opened to the realities of the Christ in the Spirit. These realities launch me into a victorious life, to do that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has not entered into the hearts of men. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 

The Privileges Of A Believer: Sealed

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Corinthians 1:‬21-22 (KJV); Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.‬‬‬‬

A seal is usually used as a mark of confirmation and authenticity. As a believer, God has confirmed you as His own with the seal of His Spirit.

By this, He placed a high value upon you as His beloved possession. It is a testimony to the fact that you are a true and genuine original and not a cheap copy of a great original. You are the real deal, fearfully and wonderfully made.

The seal of His spirit upon you is the guarantee that you cannot be lost. That is why our LORD Jesus boldly said, ‘My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand’ (John 10:29). 

His seal is a mark of distinction that sets you apart from the common crowd. By that seal, you have a new name which no man knows except he that receives it, (Revelation  2:17).

Never think any less of yourself. You carry the seal of God.

Live your life in the boldness of one who is different, unique, peculiar and firmly held in the bold grip of the Father.

Glory to God! 

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 1:13 (NIV),  John 6:27

GOLDEN NUGGET:
By His seal, God placed a high value upon you as His beloved possession. It is a testimony to the fact that you are a true and genuine original and not a cheap copy of a great original. You are the real deal, fearfully and wonderfully made.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for your seal of ownership on me. My life is not my own. Because of your unconditional love and generous grace towards me, my life is marked for greatness. I stand out in my family, among my peers, and in my generation. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.