Of Wider Nets And Bigger Ships

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 5:4-7(KJV); Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

The Word that the Lord may send to an individual is sometimes bigger than the capacity of that man’s “net” or “ship” ( his ability to contain it).

In Peter’s case, Jesus’ instruction was greater and weightier than Peter’s net and ship and as such, the scriptures record that it broke and the ship began to sink.

This is why preparation in and for ministry is twofold.

The primary place of preparation is being available for the Word. The secondary place of preparation is to be able to contain the Word.

All Jesus said was, “Launch into the deep.” It is Peter who determined the size of his net and his ship.

The size of your ship and net is the depth of your revelation and the extent of your faith.

If God says, “you are the head and not the tail,” (Deuteronomy 28:13), one person will think of excelling in class, another launches deeper and sees himself as the president of a nation while another goes past the boundaries of a nation and sees the world.

How about our father Abraham? The Lord told him, “Lift up your eyes, for as far as your eyes can see, I have given unto you.” (Genesis 13:15 NLT). When the Word came, Abraham launched deep enough to see not just Canaan but the whole world. As such, he became the father of all nations.

Someone else may receive the same word and only think of inheriting a few acres of land while another will see the earth.

So the choice is up to you. He sends His Word—choose a bigger ship, carry a wider net. Believe big. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 3:21-22

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The size of your ship and net is the depth of your revelation and the extent of your faith. He sends His Word—choose a bigger ship, carry a wider net. Believe big.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this wisdom and knowledge. Thank you for the possibilities you have set before me and for the greatness of your Word in my spirit. Lord I believe that with you, nothing is impossible. For as far as my eyes can see have you given unto me. My vision is enlarged, my faith is increased, my possibilities are limitless and my aspirations are great. I choose to believe you greatly because you are a great God, to dream big and follow the path of greatness because it is the course you daily point me to. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Responsibility In The Covenant: Faith

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 8:6 (AMP); But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent [than the old] as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises.

The New Testament is not merely the second part of the Bible. It is the covenant into which we were translated by the atoning work of Christ at Calvary.

In Hebrews 8:6, it is described as “the better covenant” which was established upon “better promises.”

This new covenant comes with responsibility. The first responsibility is faith towards the covenant. Do you truly believe that God has drawn you into a more excellent and advantageous covenant?

Sadly, some Christians would rather reject new covenant truths and cling to Old Testament truths because they are not ESTABLISHED in present truth.

They may know what the New Testament says about them but they are not, like the Apostle Peter says, established in this truth (2 Peter 1:12).

Because they are not established, they are tossed about by every wind of doctrine. (Ephesians 4:14).

For example, such a one believes that he lives under the dictates of generational curses because “God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 20:5).

They ignore the fact that “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

A man who does not have faith toward the covenant pleads with God not to “cast him away from his presence and not to take his Holy Spirit from him.” (Psalms 51:11).

But we who have embraced new covenant truths know that “He will never leave us nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5) and that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

Embrace present truth and be established therein because it shapes the realities of the life we received in Christ. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 4:14, 2 Peter 1:12

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Embrace present truth and be established therein because it shapes the realities of the life we received in Christ.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the new covenant. I thank you for its truth and realities. I am a new creature in Christ, the Old is passed, the new is come and all things are of God. I behold these truths daily, and they form the reality of my life. As I behold, I see their manifestation in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Christ Our Covering

Apostle Grace Lubega

Genesis 3:7 (KJV); And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

When God clothed Adam and Eve after the fall of man, it was not merely physical nakedness that He sought to cover.

He sought to clothe a spiritual state, and not just the physical lack of clothes.

The devil had opened their eyes to a different kind of nakedness—that they were gods of self.

This state of man required the shedding of blood and He – God had to kill an animal to clothe them (Genesis 3:21).

In the New Testament, Jesus became our covering. The Bible says in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

His covering reveals that you are glorious, powerful and wise in him. You are not ‘naked’. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Galatians 3:26-28, Romans 13:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:
In the New Testament, Jesus became our covering. His covering reveals that we are glorious, powerful and wise in him. We are not ‘naked’.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your Word. Today, I understand that you are my covering, for as many as are in Christ, we have put on Christ. He is my garment, my adornment, and my beauty. My eyes are closed to every form of weakness and open to the immeasurable treasures in the inside of me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Setting In Order The Things That Are Wanting

Apostle Grace Lubega

Titus 1:5 (KJV); For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

It is an evil disease for a child of God to climb up the ladder of success only to come back down because he or she did not learn the fundamental principles that sustain men in the heights of greatness.

I have been a minister of the gospel long enough to see men build big and impressive ministries, businesses or careers but at the end of their lives, there is very little to show for their glory days.

The reason? For some of these men and women, they did not set in order the things that were wanting.

They were gifted but wanting in the character of the Spirit, gifted but without integrity, gifted but unprincipled, gifted but could not be trusted to keep their word; men and women who sought to be served but never learnt to serve others.

These are some of the traits God builds in you if you must finish well. I assure you dear Christian, if you go up having skipped certain stages in the spirit, (which entail learning some of these things) you will come back down.

When you succeed according to the patterns of the Spirit, you will stay successful by the patterns of the Spirit.

On the other hand, when you succeed by mistake, you may fail by mistake.

Your path ought to shine brighter and brighter and your story is from glory to glory (Proverbs 4:18).

So be humble enough to be taught; wait on God to honour you; study the patterns of the great men who left their mark; apply them diligently in your life. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 9:25, 2 John 1:8

GOLDEN NUGGET:
When you succeed according to the patterns of the Spirit, you will stay successful by the patterns of the Spirit. On the other hand, when you succeed by mistake, you may fail by mistake.

PRAYER: Father, I am grateful for this wisdom. I understand the first things and yield to your Spirit to set in order anything that is wanting. In this mind, I build and minister by the set patterns of the spirit. I will finish well, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Providing For Greatness: Imitations

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV); Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

While growing up, we were taught to “be ourselves” and never compare ourselves with others.

This is very good and is true.

However, allow me to give you some perspective.

In as much as it is important that you never compare yourself, you have to be careful dear Christian, that in the pursuit of being the best you there can ever be, you are not robbed of the conviction to better yourself by learning from those that have succeeded before you.

I have met Christians that have settled for mediocrity because they “have to be themselves.”

Some criticize the very people that can elevate them to success. They forget that God ordained certain people for their sake: He will use another man to teach you.

Great men should inspire you. It is scriptural and they are called imitations as our theme scripture indicates.

They are where they are because they probably know something that you do not.

Be humble and ask, “How did you do it?”

Never be too proud to learn from someone who knows what you do not know—they are your inspiration but not necessarily your standard. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Great men should inspire you. It is scriptural and they are called imitations. Never be too proud to learn from someone who knows what you do not know—they are your inspiration but not necessarily your standard.

PRAYER: Father, you have placed such great potential inside me. Your Word says that eternity is in my heart; out of it flow the issues of life; the answers to the nations. I refuse to be comfortable in a place where I do not manifest the greatness in the inside of me. I step out in faith to be what you have called me to do. I submit to those who have the potential to take me higher and I walk diligently after their patterns. To the glory of your name. Amen.

Providing For Greatness: Seek To Know

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 71:21 (KJV); Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

You are called to be great. But how do you walk in the manifestation of what GOD has ordained for you?

Here is a secret about the things of the Spirit: everything you will attract in the spirit realm will come with the provision you have made for it.

Never be deceived, things do not just happen. Ministries, businesses and careers do not grow by mistake.

So you must always ask yourself the critical question: Have I provided for the greatness I seek?

There are people who speak “great” words and make wonderful confessions but there is no greatness in their souls.

Their praying reflects the mindset of a servant, their giving is that of poor men, their submission to spiritual authority does not show that they seek to be great.

If you desire greatness, act like it. If it is giving, give like a rich man. If it prayer, pray like the greatest prayer warrior. If it is preaching, preach like the deepest preacher.

What you provide for, you attract. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 5:7, 2 Corinthians 3:2

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Everything you will attract in the spirit realm will come with the provision you have made for it.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your Word. I know how to provide for the greatness in the inside of me. I step out in faith in the knowledge that I walk in the finished work of Christ. I am a success in ministry, my career, my business and in everything I do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Count The Cost

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 14:28-30 (KJV); For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

A young man, zealous and excited by the colourful horizon of the future walked out of a ministry he was previously serving in to go start his own. In his wake, he left a trail of heartbreaks and disappointments.

A few years down the road, he was bitter, frustrated and disillusioned. The ministry he had started, his marriage and vision were failing.

He had set up a structure that was a far cry from the Church facility he had envisioned.

The people attending his activities dwindled every service and those closest to him secretly ridiculed him.

That was a man who was not only being mocked by men but by his own work too.

Like many people I have seen in life, he had not counted the cost.

You want to get into marriage, build a ministry, pursue a great career or build a multinational business. Have you counted the cost?

Cost here is not monetary. It is not the budget you draw up for your vision.

Part of counting the cost is understanding the sufficiency–that it is of GOD.

In 2 Corinthians 3:5, the Word says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”

A man who counts the cost and understands God as his sufficiency builds a vision, ministry, business, marriage and career by GRACE. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 12:2, Ephesians 3:20

GOLDEN NUGGET:

A man who counts the cost and understands GOD as his sufficiency builds a vision, ministry, business, marriage and career by grace.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this wisdom. I know how to count the cost. I stand in the boldness of faith and grace and know that I will finish well. I look to you, the author and finisher of my faith. I am obeyed by the things that must obey me. I am honoured by the things that must honour me because I know how to count the cost. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Man Sent From God

Apostle Grace Lubega

Jeremiah 1:5(KJV); Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

When GOD calls you, He first calls you to Himself.

At this point, He personally deals with you: He teaches you, gets rid of certain habits and moulds you into a receptive vessel.
After this, He sends you.

Sadly, many teachers, apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors have gone out into the world with the utter misunderstanding that GOD had sent them.

For some, the moment they were told that they were called of God, they sent themselves.

But what is the difference between a man that sent himself and a man sent by GOD?

There are a number of distinctive marks of a man that is sent by GOD.

Firstly, GOD never sends a man until He has taught that man to hear His voice. For how can he be a shepherd when he cannot hear the voice of the master?

Secondly, GOD never sends a man without a message. For how will he feed the sheep when he does not know which pastures to lead them?

Thirdly, GOD never sends a man without defining His assignment and purpose.

This is why it is important to wait upon GOD. Allow Him to teach you Himself and work in you the character that sustains greatness.

When you do, you will be preserved from certain mistakes that have caused some great men to have saddening endings.

When you allow him to teach you Himself and to send you, you will finish well. Praise Him!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 2:15, John 10:11-15

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When God calls you, He first calls you to Himself.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for your Word. Thank you for your calling upon my life. But above all, thank you because I am instructed, taught and dealt with by you. I understand divine purpose, I have a distinctive message and know your voice with clarity. I run my race with this wisdom and understanding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.