The Spirit Of Religion

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 12:6-7(MSG); There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this scripture meant, ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’ ; you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this.

Religion is a spirit; it is not merely the structured institutions that we see in our world today.

One of the most intriguing deceptions of the spirit of religion is that men would die for the “temple” or institution because they think the institution is the person of God.

Men under religion can even die for the artefacts of the “temple” because they are “convinced” of their powers.

The spirit of religion takes men back into bondage by denying the power of the truth that makes them free.

It frustrates and withholds the keys of revelation, which is the knowledge that men need for deliverance.

I have learnt over the years that religion is not a spirit that you cast out like any other demon.

You can only teach religion out of men. That is how the Christ dealt with it. The more the Pharisees of His day fought Him; the more He taught.

The more they accused Him of blasphemy against their beloved temple, the deeper He preached.

Never be intimidated by the dictates of religion. Preach truth in love and its purity.

Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 5:1

GOLDEN NUGGET:
The spirit of religion takes men back into bondage by denying the power of the truth that makes them free. Never be intimidated by the dictates of religion. Preach truth in love and its purity.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank You for this great day. Thank You for the blessedness of Your Word. Today I submit myself to the truth wrapped up in Your Word. I refuse to subject myself to the bondage of religion. I walk under the light of revelation every day. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Language Of God

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 4:17(KJV); (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

There are people who in the guise of repentance to God pray in this manner, “Lord, forgive me because I am a thief…”

Why do you refer to yourself as a thief?!

Study the language of the Spirit with regard to the new creature in Christ.

You will learn that God has never defined men by the state they found themselves. He was deliberate in separating the state from the person in that state.

For example, for the woman caught in adultery, the Bible says, “A woman taken in adultery…”(John 8:3).

God did not call her an adulterous woman.

A Born Again Christian cannot be an alcoholic; he or she is simply a man or woman struggling with alcoholism.

A Born Again Christian cannot be a prostitute; she is simply a woman struggling with prostitution.

God doesn’t call them alcoholics, thieves or prostitutes.

So as a believer, approach God in the same wisdom regardless of the weakness you are struggling with in the flesh. Go to Him and say, “I am the righteousness of God. I am the healed of the Lord. I am a victor.”

Speak the God-language. And that’s how you walk out of any weakness in the flesh. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Philemon 1:6, Joel 3:10

GOLEN NUGGET:

God has never defined men by the state they found themselves. He was deliberate in separating the state from the person in that state. A Born Again Christian cannot be an alcoholic; he or she is simply a man or woman struggling with alcoholism. A Born Again Christian cannot be a prostitute; she is simply a woman struggling with prostitution. God doesn’t use such language.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for this Word. I choose to speak Your language in all that I say. The confessions of my lips are aligned to Your Word. I refuse to regard weakness in the flesh but behold the perfection in Christ. Oh, I am the righteousness of God. I am holy and sanctified by Christ. I am healthy in my body, divinely blessed and prosperous because of what Christ has done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Big Difference

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 8:13(KJV); For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

There is a great, deep and fathomless difference between a believer and a non-believer; a Born Again Christian and one who is not.

Don’t be deceived.

Whereas believers and non-believers might all be of the same skin colour, have the same jobs and drive the same cars they are different!

God went so far as to draw this line of distinction by telling us that when we dare to compare ourselves to those of this world, we are UNEQUALLY yoking (2 Corinthians 6:14).

And this is how God thinks towards us. Take the example of sickness. If disease is to attack both a believer and a non-believer, to God, one of them is sick and the other is not. The believer is not sick because the Bible says, non in Zion shall say, “I am sick.”(Isaiah 33:24).

How about instances to do with money? If both a believer and a non-believer are having financial challenges, to God, one of them is poor and the other is not. The believer is not poor because the Bible has said that this is the grace of God that He became poor that you may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

This is the mind of God!

He consistently looks at who you are in the spirit and it is solely on that basis that he seeks to relate with you as a Born Again Christian.

He requires us to always look to the testimony of who we are in the spirit. Our advantage over the non-believer is that by the spirit, we mortify the deeds of the flesh and live.

Yes, we might both “lack money” but I have the ability to destroy the works of poverty in the flesh that I may walk in the fullness of the riches of Christ.

Yes, sickness may come but I have the advantage of mortifying sickness in the flesh to live in the fullness of divine health.

We are different!

That’s why in our teaching, we never breach the spirit by ministering as though what is in the flesh defines what is in the spirit. If you breach the spirit, what hope is there for the body?

Look to what God has done in you. What is in the flesh is only temporary. Never compare yourself to the men of this world—you are a class apart; distinctive, unique and peculiar. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Peter 2:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Look to what God has done in you. What is in the flesh is only temporary. Never compare yourself to the men of this world—you are a class apart; distinctive, unique and peculiar.

PRAYER: My loving God, I thank You for this Word. What a truth! To know that I am different! I am peculiar, distinctive and set apart by You! I walk in this understanding and look at life through the lens of this wisdom. Nothing in the flesh shakes me because I have the authority to mortify the transactions of the flesh. I manifest that which Christ has vested in me. To the glory of Your name. Amen!

Courting Wisdom

Apostle Grace Lubega

Proverbs 4:5-7 (KJV); Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom is a Spirit.

However, there is a reason why the Bible uses the feminine to refer to it. Wisdom is spoken of as “she” and God is deliberate about this language.

In our theme scripture, it says, “she shall preserve thee…” In proverbs 1:20, it says, “she raises her voice in the square…”

God in all this is telling us that wisdom ought to be treated like a man would treat a woman.

She must be courted, pursued and wooed.

He says, “Love her and she shall keep thee…”

When you understand this, you will know what it means to pay the price for wisdom. You will pursue her like your life depends on it, because it does.

A man in love will do anything for the woman he wants. Christ, in love with His bride, the church, went so far as to die for it.

And so it is with wisdom. You must be ready to seek her out, listen to her and break for her. Pay every price for wisdom. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 11:2, Ephesians 1:17

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Pay every price for wisdom. A man in love will do anything for the woman he wants. Christ, in love with His bride, the church, went so far as to die for it. You must be ready to seek out wisdom, listen to her and break for her.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for the priceless gift of wisdom; it overflows out of my spirit and touches everything that I do. Oh, I am wise in all that I do because I have understood what it means to court her. I invest in knowledge and continually drink from its deep treasures. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

Of Understanding

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 8: 27-30(KJV); And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Many years ago, I erroneously thought that the Eunuch was a non-believer whom Phillip met and converted to the faith.

However, I came to understand that the scriptures also say that he had come to Jerusalem to worship.

This was a man who had a relationship and a desire for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This eunuch knew God, however, he did not have UNDERSTANDING.

The question Phillip asked the Eunuch is fundamental for every believer, “Understandest thou what thou readest?

Do you understand the God you seek, worship and serve every day?

The Bible says, “In all thy getting, get understanding…”

This means that you shouldn’t merely accumulate the knowledge of God as you might do any other information. Don’t merely listen to sermons so you can have the satisfaction that you have heard many sermons.

If you do so, you will be as those who are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the Son of God.

In all thy getting, get understanding: In all your reading of the Word, seek to understand it. In your constant listening to sermons, seek to understand them.

Why so? That you may grow to the place of full maturity which is a life of purpose, to the glory of God! Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 24:3, Colossians 1:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Do not merely accumulate knowledge like it is information. Don’t merely listen to sermons so you can have the satisfaction that you have heard many sermons. If you do so, you will be as those who are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the son. In all thy getting, get understanding: In all your reading of the Word, seek to understand it. In your constant listening to sermons, seek to understand them.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for the Spirit of Wisdom and spiritual understanding. By this, I walk worthy of the call of God upon my life. I please God and I am fruitful in every good work. I minister and do all things as one with understanding. Because I have an understanding heart, my roots run deep. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of The Kingdom Of God

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 9:2(MSG); He commissioned them to preach the news of God’s kingdom and heal the sick.

When God calls you, it does not mean He has commissioned you.

Commissioning by God comes after He has trained you; taught you what it means to be a minister; how to hear His voice; how to deal with people; how to feed from Him and to subsequently feed those you lead.

When you launch into your place of assignment before you are commissioned, I assure you, you will not build God’s Kingdom but only yours.

It is inevitable that the kingdoms of men will always war against the Kingdom of God. Any kingdom built by a man is built on ungodly principles, the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life.

For example, a man of God might want to start a ministry so that he can attract large crowds for selfish gain.

That is a man seeking to build his own kingdom.

A man building God’s kingdom understands that the large crowds represent more than just numbers, these are the lives of men and we account to God for every soul. When we see big churches we are not supposed to merely see numbers but responsibility for the part God wants us to play in these people’s lives.

When Christ commissioned the disciples, he sent them out for the sake of men and not for their own selfish desires.

Beloved saint, the ministry of Christ is about the lives of men. We build His kingdom when we raise Him up and He in turn draws men to himself. (John 12:32).

FURTHER STUDY: Luke 12:32, John 12:32

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Commissioning by God comes after He has trained you; taught you what it means to be a minister; how to hear His voice; how to deal with people; how to feed from Him and to subsequently feed those you lead. When you launch into your place of assignment before you are commissioned, I assure you, you will not build God’s Kingdom but only yours.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank You for this wisdom. Every day You teach me to understand that the gospel is not a business venture or a selfish endeavor. It is not about me but all about You, for history can only be Your story. In all that I do, I seek to build Your Kingdom and not my kingdom; to expand Your realm of influence and not my influence. I see people with the same eyes that You see them; lives to account for; blood never to be shed; a responsibility! I yield to this understanding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Course Restrained

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Peter 2:16(NKJV); but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

The scriptures give an interesting account of how the Lord dealt with Balaam the prophet. Balaam was requested by Balak to curse the children of Israel (Numbers 22). On his way to do so, the Bible reveals that “he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.”

Every time I read this story, I ask myself, “How can anyone be so dead to the voice of God, that the Lord has to use an animal to speak to him? What level of indifference is that?”

But, you must know that the lesson from Balaam’s story is not for prophets alone. It applies to an evangelist, an apostle, a worshipper and any believer in Christ in their various callings.

God might not go so far as to use an animal to speak to you.

However, there are circumstances that happen in our lives and they are simply because God is checking the madness of the Christian; that issue might be the only way God can go past the thickness of their indifference to minister to them!

There are situations that may happen in your life simply because you have hardened your heart against the voice of God.

You ought to be keen to ask; why am I in this place?

David once found himself in a dire situation and admitted, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now have I kept thy Word.” (Psalms 119:67).

How then do you respond to the situations?

Instead of blaming everything and everyone around you for the state you find yourself in, firstly ask at what point you hardened yourself against the voice of God.

Therein is the beginning of your restoration!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 13:5, Psalms 119:67

GOLDEN NUGGET:

There are situations that may happen in your life simply because you have hardened your heart against the voice of God. You ought to be keen to ask; why am I in this place? Instead of blaming everything and everyone around you for the state you find yourself in, firstly ask at what point you hardened yourself against the voice of God. Therein is the beginning of your restoration!

PRAYER: My loving Father, I thank You for the gift of Your Word. Thank You for Your Spirit that guides me in the right way I should go. That same Spirit brings me to remembrance of every word You have spoken to me in Your holy scriptures. I can never succumb and conform to any situation contrary to Your Word. My mind, will and desire are fully controlled by You Lord. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Submit To Righteousness

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 10:3 (KJV); For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

There are people who disagree with the doctrine of righteousness. However, there are those who agree with it but are not SUBMITTED to it.

They confess that they are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, the finished work of the Christ at Calvary and the fact that sin has no dominion over them because they are not under the law but under the grace.

They AGREE with these amazing truths but they are not SUBMITTED to them.

What is the character of a man who submits to righteousness?

One of the principle characters of a man who submits to righteousness is that he quickly turns to Christ and His grace when he sees a moral failing in his life; if such a person makes a mistake and falls to sin in the flesh, he is convicted of it but not condemned of it.

Never allow guilt to infiltrate your spirit, submit to the teaching of grace and imputed righteousness through faith because this truth consistently points you to Christ and what He has done and not what you have done in the flesh.

Choose to look at what Christ has done in you. Let it be your reflex response to any shortcoming in the flesh. As you do, your flesh will submit to His word. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 4:8

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Never allow guilt to infiltrate your spirit, submit to the teaching of grace and imputed righteousness through faith because this truth consistently points you to Christ and what He has done and not what you have done in the flesh. Choose to look at what Christ has done in you. Let it be your reflex response to any shortcoming in the flesh. As you do, your flesh will submit to His word.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for this Word. I submit to the doctrine of righteousness. I am not just a hearer of it, I am a humble student of it and heed to it as one that is obedient and continuously eager to learn. I look to Your finished work at Calvary and walk in its understanding every day of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Why We Preach The Grace: What You Speak About, You Ignite

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 2:2 (KJV); For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Years ago, I was criticized by a group of religious leaders for the doctrine that I teach.

One of their major concerns was that I was promoting sin in the church of Christ.

I informed them that I am against sin. No sane preacher of truth can possibly be a promoter of sin.

They asked, “How come you do not preach against it?”

I told them, “I don’t have to talk about it to be against it.”

Preaching about sin is constantly making it a subject of one’s teachings in the hope that by doing so, people will eventually change.

The truth of the matter is that one doesn’t have to talk about what they are against. There is nothing in the scriptures that demands that we talk about sin to prove that we are against it.

I am very conscious and thus cautious of the fact that what you talk about you stir up because of the power of your tongue. What you consistently preach about, you ignite.

If I talk about sin, I will establish the law and the more I establish the law, I will kill the listeners. For the scriptures clearly warn us that the letter [the law] kills (2 Corinthians 3:6).

We have not been called to preach about sin, we have been called to preach Christ.

That is why Paul in our theme scripture says, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Simply give men Christ and let him handle the details of changing those men and women.

In the Message version of Romans 14:4, He says, “If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.”

God has not called us to change people through our constant criticism of their moral behavior. Give them Jesus and Jesus will deal with them.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 15:56, Romans 14:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God has not called us to change people through our constant criticism of their moral behavior. Give them Jesus and Jesus will deal with them.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for this Word. Thank You for the gift of the grace that points me to the newness of life that I have in You. Thank You for Jesus and what He did at the cross of Calvary. I walk in the wisdom of one who presents Jesus Christ and His finished work. I look to what He has done in men and not to anyone’s imperfections in the flesh. In this knowledge, I continually present men perfect in Christ and by this very message, multitudes are changed, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

Why We Preach The Grace: The Sin Question – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 3:8(MSG); Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, “The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let’s just do it!” That’s pure slander, as I’m sure you’ll agree. We’re All in the Same Sinking Boat.

The grace of God is not a new doctrine that has “infiltrated” the church as many would like to believe.

It is the oldest of divine truths and one of the cornerstones on which the Church is built and of which past revivals have been shaped.

However, from time immemorial, grace preachers have been accused of giving people a license to sin or even teaching them to sin.

What an absurdity!

This is not a new allegation. Paul in our theme scripture was the victim of such slander. He was accused of encouraging people to sin because after all, the grace and mercy of God was present and abundant.

I ask the ultimate question; does a man need a license to sin?

Of course not.

It is in the original adamic nature for any man to sin; he was in sin long before he heard the grace message.

David describes the ultimate state of this fallen man and says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5).

Jeremiah describes the heart of the adamic man and says it is, “…deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9).

No man needs a license to sin.

What the grace of God does is that it points you to what Christ has done in destroying this “desperately wicked heart” and in killing the man that was “shaped in iniquity”

It points you to the victory of the finished work of Christ on the cross at Calvary where the dictates of the flesh and the power of the old man were destroyed creating the righteous, holy and continuously victorious new creature in Christ.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Titus 2:11-14, Romans 6:1-2

GOLDEN NUGGET:
What the grace of God does is that it points you to what Christ has done in destroying the “desperately wicked heart” and in killing the man that was “shaped in iniquity.” It points you to the victory of the finished work of Christ on the cross at Calvary where the dictates of the flesh and the power of the old man were destroyed creating the righteous, holy and continuously victorious new creature in Christ.

PRAYER: My God, I thank You for Your grace. It is the grace that has brought me thus far and this same grace preserves me in You every day. I have victory over the flesh; I am strengthened in the inner man and walk in righteousness. Righteousness is my nature and my portion in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Why We Preach The Grace: The Sin Question – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 6:11(AMP); Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

Sin is not a problem for the new creature. Sin is only a problem for those in the old adamic nature, which nature died when you received Christ Jesus.

Like our theme scripture says, consider yourself DEAD TO SIN and YOUR RELATION TO IT BROKEN. The Message version of the same scripture says, “…sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you…”

So you may ask the question, how come some Born Again Christians are still struggling with sin? Why do we see its evidence in the Church of Christ?

The answer is the lack of knowledge. The Lord says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6).

Those who are under the dominion of sin and its consequences do so because they do not fully know and understand what Jesus Christ did through His death and resurrection.

They have not appreciated the fact that His death destroyed the power and authority of sin over their lives.

They have not understood what it means to be truly dead to sin and alive unto God; that they are new creatures in Christ Jesus; that the old man is no more and their new man is renewed in knowledge after the image of He that created him.

Beloved saint, sin is not your problem; it speaks a dead language to you. When it presents itself in any form, you cannot understand it because it is foreign.

Rather, you speak the language of God; of righteousness, of holiness, of purity, of love, of mercy, of forgiveness and of victory. That is the language you understand. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 6:14, Colossians 3:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Sin is not your problem; it speaks a dead language to you. When it presents itself in any form, you cannot understand it because it is foreign. Rather, you speak the language of God; of righteousness, of holiness, of purity, of love, of mercy, of forgiveness and of victory. That is the language you understand.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for the gift of Christ and what He accomplished at Calvary. For He was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world. He was the God that saved us to the uttermost and purchased our eternal salvation. By His sacrifice my old self died and now I exist in the newness of the God-life. Sin has no dominion over me and its language is barbaric to me. I understand the God language of righteousness and holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Blessing Of A Father – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Gen 48:15-16 (KJV); And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

In blessing Joseph and his sons, Jacob speaks of the God before whom his fathers did walk and the Angel which redeemed him from all evil.

This was a father pronouncing that his son walks in the way God had walked with him, to the extent that the very Angel that had kept him from all evil keeps his son too. What a blessing!

Some people crave the blessings of cattle, houses, fancy cars, and any such material things.

But in our theme scripture, God opens us to the liberty of the fathering spirit and what God has allowed it to pass on.

A father can pass on the integrity of the covenant and the relationship he had with God complete with the blessing of the spiritual experiences that came with that relationship!

That is a course from which no child can depart!

Physical inheritance may be squandered but there are things that no child can depart from because they are tied into the very covenant that God had with the father, which covenant he is bound by oath to honour.

As a child of God, may this redefine your understanding of what is the true blessing.

Seek more than the blessings of material wealth but for those things that are hemmed into the covenant of a father with God; herein is eternal blessing. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 8:18, Proverbs 13:22

GOLDEN NUGGET:

A father can pass on to his son the integrity of the covenant and the relationship he had with God complete with the blessing of the spiritual experiences that came with that relationship! That is a course from which no child can depart!

PRAYER: My God I thank You for the blessing of my spiritual authorities. Thank You for the priceless blessings that they pass on; I know You honour the things they say when they lay their hands upon me because they are Your servants and You have walked with them. I humble myself under the hand of they that You have set before me and walk in the patterns of what You have taught them. To the glory of Your name. Amen.