Hearing Precedes Judgement

Apostle Grace Lubega

John 5:30 (KJV); I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Our Lord and master Jesus said, “As I hear, I judge”.

Church history records an interesting account of what it means to hear before one judges.

In his Book, God’s Generals, Roberts Liardon gives an account of how William Branham, called to be a prophet of God, had ventured into the teaching ministry with dire consequences.

His teachings attracted great criticism from many in the church of Christ. He was ridiculed, judged and condemned by several people.

It is recorded that the young minister, Kenneth Hagin, received a prophecy from the Lord and made a pronouncement that on a particular date, the Lord was calling his servant William Branham home. This prophecy was fulfilled.

Kenneth Hagin heard before he judged.

How about in the New Testament teachings; when Ananias and Sapphire lied to the apostles, Peter said, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died (Acts 5:9-10).

He heard before he spoke.
Such divine judgment is always in line with the voice of God.

Understand that it is not an opportunity for a man or woman of God to prove his or her power and boast over the fact that what he or she says comes to pass.

It is a place of authority for men with a divine mandate and assignment to set things right in the house of God.

This authority is always exercised in LOVE.

When a man judges without first hearing the voice of God, what he says are “idle words.”

They are idle because they are void of the divine authority that pronounces judgment in any situation.

For these idle words, the Bible says, you will have to give account to God (Matthew 12:36).

Beloved saint, make it a point to hear God before you judge another man because this is the wisdom of those that are mature in God.

FURTHER STUDY: James 4:12; Hebrews 7:25

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When a man judges without first hearing the voice of God, what he says are “idle words.” They are idle because they are void of the divine authority that pronounces judgment in any situation.

PRAYER: Loving Father I am grateful for your Word. Thank you for this wisdom that leads me to pray rather than judge fellow sisters and brothers. My God, you are love and they that do not love do not know You. I choose to love men and not judge them. Thank you for reminding me that even in any one’s weakness, You are able to uphold them and keep them from falling! This wisdom works in me, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

Accord Him No Place

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ephesians 4:27 (KJV); Neither give place to the devil.

Every manifestation of evil in the life of a Christian is because that Christian gave place to the devil.

This is why our theme scripture warns us not give a PLACE to the devil.

The Greek word for “place” is “topos” which is translated to mean opportunity, power, ability or permission to act.

In the divine will and plan of God, the devil has no power or authority to act in your life.

It is you who gives him this opportunity and permission when you disregard the divine principles of preservation.

The devil only acts based on your terms and conditions and he does so to the extent that you allow him.

Giving no place to the devil is the refusal to give him any opportunity or permission to act in your life.

In fact, when we speak of giving him an opportunity, his greatest opportunities in the life of the believer are the believer’s THOUGHTS and the believer’s WORDS.

This is why you must have mastery over both your thoughts and the confession of your lips.

ALIGN THEM TO THE WORD OF GOD because therein is your victory. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: James 4:7, Philemon 1:6, John 14:30 (AMP)

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The devil’s greatest opportunities in the life of the believer are the believer’s THOUGHTS and the believer’s WORDS. This is why you must have mastery over both your thoughts and the confession of your lips. Align them to the Word of God because therein is your victory.

PRAYER: My Father, I am grateful for today’s Word. I thank You because the prince of this world has nothing in me. Regardless of what may come my way, I choose to behold You. I do not observe lying vanities and can never forsake my mercies. My soul is anchored in You and it’s only You Lord that holds the place, power and full control over my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Folly In Judging Others

 Apostle Grace Lubega

Galatians 6:1 (AMP); Brethren, If any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

It is possible to fall into temptation for the same thing you have judged a sister or brother.

This is why our theme scripture requires that you “restore and reinstate him WITHOUT ANY SENSE OF SUPERIORITY…LEST YOU SHOULD BE TEMPTED ALSO.”

It is a good thing to seek to restore a fellow brother or sister but the Bible has set out clear principles and patterns for doing so and our theme scripture presents one of these patterns and principles.

Sometimes, fellow Christians criticise, ridicule and openly condemn fellow brethren in the name of restoration.

They do so with a sense of superiority as mentioned in our theme scripture.

I have learnt that people only feel morally superior because their faults are not public.

The fact is that we are all a work in progress and as such, none of us is perfect in the flesh.

If you treat sisters and brothers like they are lesser than you simply because they did something wrong, the Bible warns that you too will be tempted.

It means that you may find yourself entangled by the same weakness or something worse.

Restoration requires maturity and this maturity is grounded in love.

So, beloved saint, make the choice to love above judgment for this is the way of they that understand the bond of Christian brotherhood.

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 14:4; Luke 6:37

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Restoration of the brethren requires maturity and this maturity is grounded in love

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I give You praise for this day. Thank You for this instruction on the perfect and excellent way of love. There are many choices that present themselves to us every day; things we might do because we think we are justified or because we have been hurt, but in all, I choose love and will choose it over and over again. I make the choice this day never to judge my brethren but to be constrained by the love that covers a multitude of sins. To the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Tyranny Of Traditions

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 10:12-14 (KJV); Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

Our Lord and master Jesus Christ appeared to Apostle Peter with a divine instruction for him to “kill and eat” certain creatures that had appeared on a white sheet from heaven.

Peter, stuck in the traditions of his forefathers, boldly told the master, “Not so, Lord.”

This was repeated three times! Peter refused!(Acts 10:16).

Because of tradition, Peter frustrated a spiritual experience.

This was a new dispensation that God was introducing him to.

Sadly, he refused to heed to the voice of the Spirit.

Tradition can lock you out of the new experiences and revelations that God has purposed for your life.

In Peter’s case, it blinded him from the fact that it was the Christ who was asking him to do as instructed.

At this point, tradition was more important to Peter than the relationship he had with his Lord.

Beloved saint, always be ready to progress past what you think you know and have been taught over the years.

Allow the Spirit of God to launch you into new and fresh experiences of His person.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Titus 1:14, Mark 7:13

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Always be ready to progress past what you think you know and have been taught over the years. Allow the Spirit of God to launch you into new and fresh experiences of His person.

PRAYER: Most excellent Lord, I give You praise for this day. Thank You for the wisdom to behold You as You truly are. I thank You Father because Your Word fills my heart. I live in the newness of revelation and the daily experiences of the Spirit. I yield to divine instruction and the depths that You launch me into daily. In Jesus name. Amen.

The Believer

 Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 1:18 (MSG); The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense…..

For long, believers have been considered as “good” people who are wonderful parents, attend church faithfully and are commendable employees or employers.

Christianity has been tagged to moral uprightness as its qualifier. Morality is a very good thing but there is more to being a believer in Christ Jesus than simply having good morals.

Sadly, this has also defined the pattern of the sermons and teachings in the Church of Christ. In certain places, Christians are only being encouraged to be good people.

There is more. There is a crazy side to the believer.
The scriptures say, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing…” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

It’s high time we started to preach a full gospel, even though it may sound like foolishness to those of this world.

Let the men of this world hear deeper words of this life come off from our pulpits and wonder; then we will be preaching.

Let the boundaries of our faith stretch to the point which is seen as impossible by the world, then we will be preaching!

Let our words come with the weight of the revelation of what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and what has not been imagined by men.
Then we will be preaching!

FURTHER STUDY: John 11:40, Mark 11:23

GOLDEN NUGGET:

We ought to preach a gospel that sounds like foolishness to those of this world. Let the men of this world hear deeper words of this life come off from our pulpits and wonder; then we will be preaching. Let the boundaries of our faith stretch to the point which is seen as impossible by the world, then we will be preaching!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You because I walk in this wisdom every day of my life. I am a distinctive believer! The words from my spirit are great words; the earth cannot contain them because they can only take a God to perform. Wisdom is upon my lips and puts to shame the wisdom of this world. I refuse to speak like an ordinary man. My life is a stream of endless possibilities! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Transition Of Ancient Oil – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Gen 49:26 (AMP); The blessings of your father [on you] are greater than the blessings of my forefathers [Abraham and Isaac on me] and are as lasting as the bounties of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was the consecrated one and the one separated from his brethren and [the one who] is prince among them.

In our theme scripture, the Spirit of God reveals to us a fundamental tenet of the “transition of ancient oil”; this is the fact that in every subsequent generation, the anointing increases.

This is why Jacob says, “the blessings of your father [on you] are greater than the blessings of my forefathers [Abraham and Isaac on me]: what Joseph received from Jacob was greater than what Jacob had received from Isaac; what Jacob received from Isaac was greater than what Isaac received from Abraham.

And so it is up to this day. The transition of ancient oil in every generation is a “from glory to glory” experience.

The anointing operating in our lives in this generation is greater than that which functioned in the generations before us.

Indeed, we have heard of the fathers of the faith like Smith Wigglesworth who raised tens from the dead; God expects our generation to do more because the supply of the anointing is greater.

Men like Alexander Dowie demonstrated the healing power of God so mightily that doctors in Zion Illinois were put out of work; God expects our generation to do more!

We come from a long line of God-men that defied the forces of nature, revived continents by the power of God and turned the world upside down.

History has written their stories for this one cause; that we do more because these men and women were only the example but never the standard.

The transition of ancient oil demands that we do what no eye has seen, ear has heard nor has entered into the hearts of men. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: John 14:12, 1 Corinthians 2:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The transition of ancient oil in every generation is a “from glory to glory” experience. The anointing operating in our lives in this generation is greater than that which has functioned in the generations before us.

PRAYER: My loving Father, I thank You for what You are up to in this day. I thank You for the understanding that in this generation, there is a greater supply of the anointing than in the generations before. I choose to live a life of power because I know what the anointing can do. I am changing this generation because I carry such precious knowledge. In Jesus’ name. Amen.