Of Learned Men

Apostle Grace Lubega

Isaiah 50:4(KJV); The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

Reading the Bible from cover to cover does not necessarily make one a learned man. Attending Bible school is also not what qualifies you as learned in the things of the Spirit.

There are well read but not necessarily learned men.

A learned man has understood how God teaches us through the scriptures. The primary understanding is that God does not teach you the Word so that you learn it progressively.

Rather, God reveals Himself to you as a person, gives you an understanding and when you receive that understanding, you start to read the Word as a learned man.

The understanding of God’s Word starts from the revelation of His person.
God and His Word are one.

The Bible reveals that in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Unlearned men study the Word without the consciousness that it is the very person of God. Learned men in the Word know that the scriptures are a mirror of His person.

This is why when a learned man reads Genesis, he will see Christ the light at the beginning of creation; Christ the seed that crushes the head of the serpent.

When a learned man reads Exodus he sees Christ the Passover lamb, Christ the rock that was smote by Moses. In Numbers, he sees Christ, in Deuteronomy he sees Christ, in Leviticus, the prophets, Malachi, the Gospels, the epistles and in Revelation, he sees Christ.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: John 1:14, John 5:39

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Unlearned men study the Word without the consciousness that it is the very person of God. Learned men in the Word know that the scriptures are a mirror of His person.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. The Word dwells in me richly and I am rooted and grounded in faith. I see you through all the scriptures because I am a learned spirit. The revelation of who you are has flooded my spirit and the eyes of my understanding are enlightened. With this consciousness, I study the scriptures every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Alive To Our History – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Kings 13:21(KJV); And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

Even in death, the anointing upon Elisha had the power to raise a dead man back to life. However, after this incident, nothing is reported about this man.

History was not kind enough to tell a story of how his life was changed when he fell on the bones of a dead man. It is because there was no story to tell.

Some Christians are like this man. They do not know what to do when they “fall on ancient bones”                                              
That is not the order of the spirit. ‘Ancient bones’ still have the power to impart in us if we have the wisdom to know what to do.

When you ‘fall on ancient bones’, you must get understanding of the anointing and graces in which they operated, and define your path.

The man in our theme scripture did not understand who Elisha was in the realm of the spirit and as such, he could not receive from him.

When you ‘fall on ancient bones’, you must know how the imitations of the spirit work and you should be ready to imitate. You shouldn’t read the books of a great man of God simply to be informed about the things he did. You should be crazy enough to want to imitate his faith.

When you ‘fall on ancient bones’, you must have the maturity to receive impartation. Those are not just words you are reading, they are not merely videos you are watching. Your spirit should be open to receive impartation from these men and women of God.

Lastly, when you fall on ancient bones, you must be able to see by the spirit because there is power in what you behold.

When you read of God’s Generals, what do you see? When you read of the pioneers of the faith, what do you see? When you read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs what do you see?

Walk in this understanding because in it is the grace to receive from ‘ancient bones.’

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:11

GOLDEN NUGGET:

‘Ancient bones’ still have the power to impart in us.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for this great wisdom to receive from those who have gone ahead of me. I study patterns of old in this understanding. It is by this knowledge that I flow in both the ancient and new oil. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Alive To Our History – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Proverbs 22:28(KJV); Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Ancient landmarks define our heritage.

The history of the church is full of landmarks set by the men and women that have gone before us. How alive are we to these truths?

Today, the average Christian knows so little about where the church has come from through the ages; why some doctrines exist, how some denominations came to be; which men revived generations; which churches sprang out of these revivals; where some mannerisms in the Christian church came from and so many other things pertaining to the faith.

Ignorance of these landmarks is the reason why some remove them so easily.

A man who has not heard of the great healing revivals of old through men like William Branham and Oral Roberts may disqualify the power of healing because he has not seen what happens when God moves so mightily in healing. A man who has not understood why the Azusa street revival died may repeat the mistakes of William Seymour.

In Job 24:2-3, the Bible says that when the land marks are removed, flocks are seized.

Removing landmarks exposes gullible Christians to manipulators who ‘pasture’ them and feed them on a doctrine that is not of Christ.

A man who does not know his history is a fatherless man.

To be fatherless is to build like one without a foundation; to pioneer like one without forerunners.

The truth of the matter is that foundations were laid; routes were carved out; paths were paved and territories broken through.

God expects the church to be wise in ‘digging up old bones’ in the knowledge that they still hold the anointing (2 Kings 13:21).

If there are books on these truths, take interest and study them. If there are records of where the church has come from, become a student of not only the Word but also of church history.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 23:10, Job 24:2-3

GOLDEN NUGGET:

A man who does not know his history is a fatherless man.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this Word. I receive it with humility and walk in its understanding. I refuse to be indifferent to my history and heritage, I learn from the past and understand the future from the lessons of those that have gone before me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Wisdom Of The Learned

Apostle Grace Lubega

Philippians 1:9-10(KJV); And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

The learned spirit understands “the how” of spiritual things. 

There is a Christian who is asking God for the anointing to heal tumours but not how to heal tumours; one is asking for the anointing to cast out devils but not how to cast out devils; the anointing to open a blind eye but not how to open the blind eye.

The result of such a mindset is that men become mere conduits of things that they have no judgment over.

They are conduits of healing but have no judgment in healing; they are conduits of deliverance but lack judgment in deliverance.

That is not how God has ordained us to be. Our theme scripture is clear on this; we are expected to have judgment in spiritual things in order to approve things that are excellent.

You may heal a man but lack the wisdom to approve excellence in the graces of healing. You may cast out devils but lack the wisdom to approve excellence in the graces of deliverance.

When a man cannot approve excellence in the grace in which he operates, he will easily offend.

He may operate by phronesis, and has determined the mode of action, however, you must remember that phronesis is a wisdom in God, meaning that even the mode of action must demonstrate attributes of the wisdom of God. If I demonstrate the power of God and stumble another while doing it then I am not wise.

Men who are learned and understand the hows of spiritual things approve excellence. They will not merely do the miraculous; they will know how to perform each miracle because they know that every path they take in phronesis is a teaching.

Like Christ, they will send a word because therein is instruction; they will lay hands when the occasion requires it because therein is instruction or they will seek for the woman who touched the hem of their garments because therein is instruction.

Glory to God.

FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 50:4, John 14:26

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Men who are learned and understand the hows of spiritual things approve excellence. They will not merely do the miraculous; they will know how to perform each miracle because they know that every path they take in phronesis is a teaching.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you because I am instructed in the paths of excellence. I understand spiritual judgments and this wisdom causes me to bless and not stumble; to teach and not merely demonstrate; to multiply grace in the lives of those who hear me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 

In The Overflow

Apostle Grace Lubega

 2 Timothy 4:6 (NKJV); For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

Imitations are easily set when one lives a life in the overflow of the Spirit.

It is one thing to be a powerful demonstrator of the spirit but those that observe you cannot do the things that you do. It is one thing to have a great grace of performing miracles but those that seek to learn from you cannot do the same.

That is not how God ordained us to live as children of God. He wants us to have the ability to multiply the grace in our lives through those who observe us and imitate us.

Christ set this pattern and we ought to abide by it. He healed the sick and so did His disciples. He cast out devils and so did His disciples. He did great and wondrous things and so did His disciples. This was because He lived life in the overflow of the spirit.

Paul in our theme scripture also lived in this overflow. The Bible reveals that at the end of His life, he was ready to be poured out like a drink offering.

When you are in the overflow what is upon you easily manifests in the lives of those who wish to learn from you and in that you multiply your spirit in them.

A man in the overflow does not only grow the size of his congregation. He easily imparts the grace that is working in his life upon his listeners and those who submit to him.

Most importantly, when you live in the overflow of the spirit, the impact of your life supersedes your existence on the earth. You will continue to instruct men long after you are gone from the earth.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 23:5, Psalm 133:2

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When you are in the overflow what is upon you easily manifests in the lives of those who wish to learn from you and in that you multiply your spirit in them.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for your anointing that flows from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Thank you because my cup is running over. Because I am in the overflow, my life is an instruction to those around me. I teach in the overflow, I demonstrate in the overflow and I impart in the overflow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 

Wisdom To Grow – 3

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 13:8-9(KJV); But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Persecution is a catalyst for Christian growth.

In Mark 10:29-30, the Bible speaks of the hundredfold blessing and says, ‘And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.’

A Christian who fears persecution cannot claim hundredfold results.  He may manifest thirtyfold results without persecution.

History has demonstrated that when the Church was persecuted, it grew and multiplied. When they were persecuted, they demonstrated more power, won more souls and increased in influence.

If you must grow as a Christian, then you ought to embrace persecution as your badge of honour.

Take the example of the children of Israel in Egypt. The Bible says that the more they were afflicted, the more they multiplied (Exodus 1:12).

When you are fought for the sake of the gospel, look at it as an opportunity to grow. You don’t need to fight it; you don’t need to weep and despair. Enlarge your tents, stretch out your curtains. 

If you are a ministry, add more chairs or look for a bigger location. If you are a career person, prepare for a promotion. If you are a businessman, enlarge your tents in anticipation of expansion.

God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 5:11, 1 Peter 4:12-14 

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Persecution is a catalyst for Christian growth.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for this wisdom by which I grow. I am not afraid of those who insult and revile me for the sake of the gospel. I count it all joy because I know that in there is my window for growth and multiplication. I walk in this knowledge and see great results by it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Wisdom To Grow – 2

Matthew 13:8-9(KJV); But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Christians grow at different paces. Some grow slowly while others grow faster. Some manifest limited results while others manifest great results.

These are the distinctions in our theme scripture of the thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

In Mark 10:29-30, the Bible speaks of the hundredfold blessing and says, ‘And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.’

The hundredfold blessing follows the life of sacrifice.

There is a Christian claiming the hundredfold blessing but they have not “left house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children or lands for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s”. They have not counted all things as loss that they may win Christ.

In this, Jim Elliot’s words ring true, ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’

What you are willing to lose in this life determines your fruit in the gospel. What you can detach yourself from determines how much you will grow in the things of God.

Make the choice to seek Christ above the comforts of this life.

God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Mark 8:36, Mark 10:29-30

GOLDEN NUGGET:

What you are willing to lose in this life determines your fruit in the gospel. What you can detach yourself from determines how much you will grow in the things of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this day. Thank you for this great knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for this instruction in growth. For indeed, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? My soul is exchanged and my life is laid down for the cause of Christ. I choose to spend and be spent for the sake of the gospel and the expansion of the kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wisdom To Grow – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 13:8-9(KJV); But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Even in good ground, the yield differs.

Our theme scripture reveals this truth, that when some seeds fell in good ground, some brought forth a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and some thirtyfold.

Listening to the same teacher and attending the same church does not mean that people grow at the same pace.

Growth is a personal choice. However, there are a number of things that determine the level of your results.

For example, what is your capacity to receive meat? In 1 Corinthians 3:2, Paul tells the Church at Corinth, ‘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.’

Paul was an excellent teacher. He laid the foundation of the gospel and had insight into great mysteries of the kingdom of God. But there were Christians he was incapable of feeding on meat because they could not bear it.

It is not possible for a Christian who is unable to bear meat to yield a hundredfold.

How receptive is your spirit to deeper insights in God?
Are you only comfortable with hearing the things that will solve your present problems or with things that will take you deeper in God?

Are you the kind of Christian who will think that a sermon is ‘yours’ because the preacher mentioned that God is opening doors for you to go out of the country or do you think a sermon is ‘yours’ because it exposes you to deeper places in the realm of the spirit?

Your ability to bear spiritual truths will always determine your fruit.

Allow God to cultivate in you a hunger for greater insights into His person.

His name be praised.

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 1:16-17, Hebrews 5:11-14

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Your ability to bear spiritual insights will always determine your fruit.

PRAYER: Father, I am grateful for this Word. I know that I receive from good ground and I am good ground. I choose to yield my spirit to the things by which I grow. I hunger for deeper knowledge, wisdom and understanding. I seek after greater insights in the realm of the spirit. The hundredfold blessing is mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Win Christ

Apostle Grace Lubega

Philippians 3:8(KJV); Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Paul counted all things as loss that he may win Christ. What does it mean to win Christ?

Winning Christ is not merely giving your life to Christ such that He dwells in your heart by faith. That is Him winning you to Him.

Winning Christ is not the demonstration of the power of God and the performing of miracles. Miracles merely follow the believer.

There are people who have been won to Christ but have not won Christ.

Christ is the prize of the high calling of God. He is the reward of the race run, the good fight fought, the course finished and the faith kept (2 Timothy 4:7).

To win Christ is to see Him as the end of all things.
Many people see Him as the beginning but not many people see Him as the end.

He is the author of their success and so they seek Him as the one who must start them off on a journey of success but they do not behold Him at the end of that journey.

He is the alpha of their ministries, the one who gives them the grace to grow but they do not behold Him as the omega of their ministries.

If Christ is your end, you count ALL (not some) things as loss. It is the place of total detachment from the things of this life and absolute attachment to Christ.

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? (Matthew 16:26).

Sacrificial living is a pattern of the men who win Christ.

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Timothy 4:7

GOLDEN NUGGET:

To win Christ is to see Him as the end of all things.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. I thank you for the things that I must follow as a believer. Like Paul, I choose to forget all the things that are behind and press forward towards the mark of the prize of the high calling. I set my eyes on things above where Christ is seated. At the end of my life, Christ shall be the testimony of my life. To the glory of your name, Amen.

The Things We Follow

Apostle Grace Lubega

Mark 16:17-18(KJV); And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

In the life of the spirit, there are such things as confirmations and affirmations. Affirmations are the things that are defined in the nature of all things spiritual. They are what has been established in the spirit.

Confirmations on the other hand are the things that manifest as a result of the nature. They are what the scriptures have called the vindications of the spirit.

Christ is the son of God. That is an affirmation. He performed miracles wherever he went. That was a confirmation.

You are a child of God. You have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. You have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. You are a partaker of the divine nature. These are affirmations.

Because you are all these things, you cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, lay hands on the sick and they will recover. These are confirmations.

There are those who seek confirmations without affirmations. They want to manifest what they have not beheld or understood in the spirit.

God does not expect the Christian to seek for confirmations. He expects you to seek for the affirmation because when you do, the confirmations will follow.

He does not expect you to follow the things that must follow you.  As a child of God, your primary goal must be to have a full understanding of who you are because when you do, the things that follow you will come easily.

You heal because you know who you are. You demonstrate power because you know who is in you.
Glory to God.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 6:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God does not expect you to follow the things that must follow you.  As a child of God, your primary goal must be to have a full understanding of who you are because when you do, the things that follow you will come easily.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. I thank you for who I am in the realm of the spirit. In you I live, move and have my very being. The greater one lives inside of me. Creation groans for my manifestation and I respond to it with distinction because I am a child of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Price Of The Excellence Of Knowledge

Apostle Grace Lubega

Philippians3:7-8(KJV); But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

The excellence of knowledge has a price.

In Ecclesiastes 7:12, the Bible says, ‘For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’

Knowledge excels when life is given to those that already have it. Knowledge excels when the ordinary is infused with the extraordinary.

Paul defines this price as counting as loss all things that were gain to him.
What things were gain to him? These were the things in the flesh from which he drew his confidence, ‘Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.’(Philippians 3:5-6).

The excellence of knowledge begins when we lay down anything that defines us in the flesh. It works in us when we start to depend entirely on God for justification and not on the things that we can do through our own efforts.

God must take you to the end of yourself; the end of anything that you know; the end of anything that you can do.

At this place, you realise that the true excellence of the spirit starts where the man’s ability ends and God’s ability starts.

You cannot have the kind of life that wisdom gives to those that already have life through your own efforts. You cannot stand out amongst the great by your own ability.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Ecclesiastes 7:12, Philippians 3:5-6

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The excellence of knowledge has a price. God must take you to the end of yourself; the end of anything that you know; the end of anything that you can do.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for the places you are taking me in the spirit. Thank you for a life above the ordinary. Thank you for the supernatural that manifests through me. I know that it is not by power nor by might but by the spirit of God. I yield to your working in me that you will and do according to your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Teaching Of The Master

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 9:49-50(KJV); And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

The ways in which God teaches are manifold. He doesn’t only teach you when you show up for a Sunday service. He does not only teach those that attend certain Bible schools. He not only teaches through specific ministers.

In our theme scripture, the critical question that the disciples should have asked themselves and also asked Christ is, ‘How did you teach this man?’

The man that the disciples were forbidding was succeeding where the disciples had sometimes failed. He was casting out devils yet the scriptures reveal an instance when the disciples tried to cast out a demon and failed.

If this man followed not with them, how did he learn?

When you understand the manifold ways in which God teaches, you will not restrict your learning to a sermon on a Sunday, to a teaching on a CD or on television, to notes from a theological school, to the words of your favourite preacher.

He can teach you anywhere regardless of who is around you. His teaching will find you in a car on your way to work, it will find you at your desk while you prepare that report, it will find you in the middle of a meeting and minister instruction, it will find you anywhere!

You do not need special occasions for God to teach you.

Your heart and spirit must be continually open to receive His instruction, convictions and inspirations.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: John 14:26, Isaiah 50:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

You do not need special occasions for God to teach you. Your heart and spirit must be continually open to receive His instruction, convictions and inspirations.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this wisdom. Thank you for the clarity of your voice to my spirit. I hear you more than ever before. I see the things you want me to see in the way I should see them. Today, I open my heart to receive your instruction regardless of where I am and what I am doing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.