SEEK UNDERSTANDING

SEEK UNDERSTANDING

TEXT: LUKE 24:25 – 35

KEY VERSE: They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?” – Luke 24:32 AMP

When the unexpected happens, people naturally respond in three ways: fight, freeze or take flight. How did you respond the last time you found yourself amid the unexpected, especially the recent COVID-19 lockdown?

How long did it take you before you were able to quieten yourself and listen to God? So many now turn first to Google to provide answers from sources that may not hold the same beliefs, and only when they have reached a dead-end do they remember the Lord of life.

As long as the disciples continued to speak, Jesus was silent; they poured out their frustration at the dashed hopes and expectations; they revealed their mindset as they followed Jesus and shared their doubts about what others had to say about the situation.

When they decided to listen, Jesus clarified the situation beginning with what they knew already, explaining God’s perspective on the events they failed to understand due to their mindset.

Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27 NLT

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; – James 1:19 AMP

Apostle James gives us a key to the proper response in the face of unexpected interruptions in life, seek understanding by being quick to hear and less eager to speak. So many things happening in our world today are too deep to understand without the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus began to explain things using the scripture.

The primary go-to place for answers is the scripture, the last place many want to start. They will typically argue their points, look to people to provide their perspectives, and sometimes even trust unbelieving relatives to have answers instead of the Bible. Jesus started with the Bible, and this is why.

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person] and both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 AMP

The word of God is active and illuminating; when used skillfully, it exposes wrong mindsets, faulty beliefs, and biases. The word of God gives you that “Aha- moment” about complex life issues; hear the word of the disciples;… They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?” – Luke 24:32 AMP.

Jesus opened the scriptures to them; he did not just quote them. Secondly, the truth came alive to them and warmed their hearts. When last did you hear the scriptures that warmed your heart?

The Passion Translation puts the exact text in this way;
Stunned, they looked at each other and said, “Why didn’t we recognize him? Didn’t our hearts burn with the flames of holy passion while we walked beside him? He unveiled for us such profound revelation from the Scriptures!” – Luke 24:32

Do you know there are profound revelations you cannot access in the scriptures? Do not replace the scriptures with the quotes of any other man, woman, or sayings. David models for us the power of understanding in the face of the unexpected.

But now he is dead; why should I [continue to] fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him [when I die], but he will not return to me.” – 2 Samuel 12:23

How did David conclude that grief must not be overextended? How could he return to the house of God to worship even when he had prayed and fasted about the situation? David had a belief that was worthy of notice and emulation.

David said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ – 2 Samuel 12:22

What we believe about prayers is based on our thoughts. What are your thoughts about prayer? Can God overrule your desires? Must God act on all your wishes and desires? Do we have the right in prayers to order God to do things our way?

Allow the scriptures to speak to you about the truth; you know the facts, l don’t dispute them, but Jesus is the truth, and when you invite him into your situation and give him a listening ear, he will light up your darkness and his truth will set you on the right path.

I long for the past when God took care of me and the light from his lamp showed me the way through the dark. I was in the prime of life; God All-Powerful was my closest friend, – Job 29:2-4 CEV.

You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. – Psalm 18:28 NLT

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32 NLT.

We don’t know why the disciples chose to leave Jerusalem for Emmaus, but their encounter caused them to return to fellowship with the apostles and other brethren. Have you shut others out of your life? Have you blamed God and decided to avoid prayer, the word, and fellowship? Now is a good day to return to God; he never willingly punishes or causes us pain. When we suffer, he suffers too, but more than the pain, he wants to help you walk into the future, not with grief and confusion, but with understanding and hope.

You don’t have to wait till the end of the tunnel to see the light, Jesus is light, and he wants to walk through the darkness with you. Are you ready?

Prayer
Father, l know you are here right now; thank you for your faithfulness to me in this season of pain. I open my heart and life to you, come and shine your light in my darkness. Forgive my anger, doubts, and assumptions, and show me the truth in your word so l can live again.

Please help me find the answers that uplift and comfort me; help me see the way out you have prepared for me already. I trust you father, l believe you, hear my prayer in Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Ada

Photo by Obed Hernández on Unsplash

Interruptions in Life.

Topic: Interruptions in Life.

Text: Luke 24:13-24

Key verse: One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, “Are you the only stranger visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these [recent] days?“- Luke 24:18 AMP

Things that are never in the plan happen in life, both for the rich and the poor, young and old. The events that break the momentum in life’s journeys are what we want to define as interruptions.

Interruptions range from natural occurrences like weather changes; rainfall that starts during an outdoor event, a punctured tire on your way to work, and the untimely loss of a loved one; spouse, parent, child, or friend. In our text, the people lost their leader.

Interruptions interfere with our plans, hopes, and dreams, leaving us with unpleasant outcomes we are often unprepared for. These interruptions are momentum breakers that throw us out of alignment, balance, and equilibrium. The impact affects individuals in various degrees depending on their personality, level of maturity, and available physical, spiritual, and emotional support.

From the garden of Eden, when man made a wrong choice to disobey God, he opened the door to satan to interfere with man’s plans and program.

The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [a soothing, satisfying scent], and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intent (strong inclination, desire) of man’s heart is wicked from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” – Genesis 8:21-22

Man’s disobedience brought judgment, but even though God promised to remove the curse on the ground, he set a system that will characterize the change in seasons as long as the earth remains. No season on earth is permanent; if you are in the summer of life where everything is beautiful, expect winter sometime soon, not because you will do anything wrong, but because life works that way.

Solomon, the wise man in Ecclesiastes, also clarifies this subject by writing about the possible events that can happen in life; some of these will result from interruptions.

There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven – Ecclesiastes 3:1AMP.

Solomon mentioned every kind of event in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 including the time of “social distancing”.

…. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. – Ecclesiastes 3:5

Should we then be unaware of interruptions? Should we expect them to occur? Should we anticipate the possibility? How, then, should we prepare in case they occur?

God’s will is revealed to us in Jeremiah 29:11, but often the opposite occurs not because of our sin, the sin of our loved ones, but because Satan is alive on planet earth with a mission to steal, kill and destroy; sometimes, he succeeds.

For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. – John 10:10

The disciples found themselves in a season of interruption; their master had been arrested and killed, bringing to an abrupt end his mission; they had enjoyed the power of his ministry, teaching, healing, deliverance for the oppressed, and above all, the anticipation of emancipation from the Romans. All those dreams and hopes seemed to have become history.

But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel and set our nation free. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. – Luke 24:21AMP

Similarly, interruptions bring to an end beautiful plans, hopes, and dreams in the immediate, but God is always a step ahead to maximize the moment for his children. He never leaves us entirely in the dark about these things. All we need to do is step back and ask ourselves the right questions.

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and [only then to] enter His glory?” – Luke 24:26 AMP

Jesus models for us the type of questions to ask when faced with” interruptions”. Yes, it will affect our thoughts, feelings, and circumstances, but we must focus on the facts (What happened?)(Where is God?) truth, and (How it is going to affect my future?). We must not have a mindset that is coloured by bias, fault-finding, and condemning ourselves and others, but instead seek the truth.

Jesus points them back to the possibility that what happened might have been part of God’s plan revealed through the prophets in the scriptures. Jesus gives us the first key: look to God for answers. Interruptions may bring a season of darkness, but note that God is still there in that time of night; nothing is hidden from him.

What kind of questions should we be asking? Questions that bring clarity deal with the impact on you and others and help you focus on the future.

Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures. – Luke 24:27

God is ever-present to explain and clarify issues; we must be ready to hear from God when interruptions come; let’s choose to respond to the truth and light we receive rather than dwell on questions that produce guilt, judgment, hopelessness, and depression.

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

God’s faithfulness always provides a way out! Hallelujah!!!!!

Prayer

  1. Father, thank you for your plans for my life; may they all pass according to your books in Jesus’ name. l know my life is not an accident but was destined to fulfil a purpose, deliver me from satanic interruptions that slow me down, divert my journey, or usher in a season of darkness in Jesus’ name.

2. Father, for the interruptions l, have to deal with, help me look to you for answers; deliver me from fear of the future, doubt, and unbelief about your love and promises in Jesus’ name.

3. For every mindset that has prevented me from seeing and believing the truth, l ask you to help me renew it in Jesus’ name.

4. I invite you into my life, home, and circumstances, open my eyes to see you at work, and revive my dreams and hopes in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Pastor Ada

Photo by Maria Lysenko on Unsplash

Growing in Grace: Generosity

Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1‭-‬9 AMP

Key verse: For you are recognizing [more clearly] the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).
2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP

Another way to measure if we are growing in Grace is in our “Generosity.”
From our text, it is abundantly clear that  Generosity is an act of Grace.  Generosity is the willingness to share cheerfully or part with one’s endowed resources ( money,  material, time, etc.), for the benefit of others, without expecting anything in return from the beneficiary. The motivation behind this giving is purely the Love of God. This outward disposition of sharing and giving reflects an inner persuasion and the workings of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Giver.

Most people think you must be rich, wealthy, or comfortable to be Generous, but that is far from the truth. There are many stingy and “Ungenerous” rich, wealthy, and materially endowed people. I am sure you can bear witness to this fact.

The Believers in Macedonia gave out of their deep poverty. They responded to the needs of others before they had all their needs met. They gave according to their ability and even beyond their ability. They were willing to sacrifice and go through some inconvenience for the benefit of others. They saw it as a privilege to serve and lift others.

Do you consider it a favor to you when you give, or do you think of yourself as doing the favor when you give? Apostle Paul challenged the believers in Corinth to emulate the spirit of generosity amongst the Believers in Macedonia. Two whole chapters addressed the attitude of Generosity -Grace of Giving. ( 2 Corinthians 8, 9)

Jesus established this pattern of giving for us. He gave up His rights as a Son. He gave up His life as a sacrifice for our sake and benefit.
For you are recognizing [more clearly] the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).
2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP

The worst kind of life to live is to live entirely for yourself. When all you do is focus on your own needs and well-being. Live purposely by being generous with your money, time, and resources.

Intentionally and prayerfully plan to impact someone’s life through your generosity. The enemy of generosity is the “Self.”

Prayer: Lord, help me to live beyond myself. I ask that you open my eyes to those you have planted around me to bless in  Jesus’ name. Amen

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Growing in Grace

But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!
2 Peter 3:18 AMPC.

God desires that we grow in grace. I can only ascertain that I am growing in grace if there are parameters to benchmark against.  For instance, in the natural, if you want to check if a child is growing in stature, the parameters are height and weight. If you want to check if they are developing mentally, there are parameters to look at, such as their; perceiving, observing, remembering, imagining, thinking, solving problems, and growth of intelligence and language.
Likewise, there are parameters to look out for when growing in grace.

  1. Speech.
    Our speech should not be judgemental and critical.
    What effects do your words have on people?  Does it bring help, hope, and healing? Are your words filled with hate, judgment, and bitterness? We speak based on the conditions of our Spirit ( Heart).
    Jesus said a man speaks from the abundance of his heart; if the heart is critical and judgemental, his words will be colored by the condition of his heart.

“The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45 AMPC.

Jesus was a sharp contrast to the religious leaders who were legalistic, critical and judgemental. They hardly saw good in anyone. They were always looking out for the faults and weaknesses of other people to condemn them. Our Lord Jesus was totally different from them, His words were Gracious ( except to the Pharisees, Religious leaders, and Hypocrites), and he always spoke the Truth.
We have several accounts of people testifying about His gracious words or were affected positively emotionally by the words He spoke.

“Meanwhile, the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you? The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!].”
John 7:45‭-‬46 AMPC

Now it occurred that as He was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, Blessed (happy and to be envied) is the womb that bore You and the breasts that You sucked!
Luke 11:27 AMPC

Do your words sting and crush you emotionally, or are they soothing and comforting? How do you respond in your words to those who speak against you, misrepresent, and malign you?

When he was verbally abused, he did not return with an insult; when he suffered, he would not threaten retaliation. Jesus faithfully entrusted himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously.
1 Peter 2:23 TPT

This is one way to measure if we are growing in grace. The Word admonishes us to speak Gracious words.

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 NET

The more transformed and yielded we are to the Holy Spirit, the more evident this will be in our speech. The more we know Him through the intimacy of fellowship and the revelation of the Word, the more transformed our speech will be. The inner workings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts are reflected on the outside through our speech and conduct.

“But continue to grow and increase in God’s grace and intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May he receive all the glory both now and until the day eternity begins. Amen!
2 Peter 3:18 TPT.

Prayer:  Lord, I yield my tongue to you. I ask for your help always to speak words filled with grace. Teach me to know what to say and how to always speak, in Jesus’ name. Amen

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Pride is a Grace blocker! 

Impedance to the Supply of Grace( 2)

Text:
But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud  and  haughty , but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness]..”
James 4:6 AMP

For though you are lofty and exalted, you stoop to embrace the lowly. Yet you keep your distance from those filled with pride. Psalms 138:6 TPT

Pride is a Grace blocker! The Word says God (who is the giver and supplier of Grace) resists the proud. It takes humility to receive the Grace of God. So to enjoy the Grace of God, we must embrace humility.

It is good to define Pride from the perspective of the Word of God so that we can understand what it is and examine our lives from time to time to ensure we are not prideful.

  1. Self-conceit: Thinking “too” highly of yourself and “too” lowly of others. Not willing to accept the opinion or input of others. Superiority complex.

“Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility, put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 TPT

  1. Self- Praise, Glory, Worship:  Taking credit for personal accomplishments and endowments. When you believe that your achievements are purely by your own merits ( skill, strength, and status) without the input of anyone or boasting.

Thus says the Lord, “Let not the one who is wise and skillful boast in his insight; let not the one who is mighty and powerful boast in his strength; let not the one who is rich boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] abundance; but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23‭-‬24 AMP

Looking again at the Story of Naaman we can learn a few more lessons.

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was considered a great man by his king and was highly respected because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria). He was also a man of courage, but he was a leper. The Arameans (Syrians) had gone out in bands [as raiders] and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife [as a servant]. She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master [Naaman] were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you, and you will be clean.” But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Indeed! I thought, ‘He would at least come out to [see] me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place [of leprosy] and heal the leper.’ Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus [in Aram], better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he has said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’ ” So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said; and his flesh was restored like that of a little child and he was clean.
2 Kings 5:1‭-‬3‭, ‬9‭-‬14 AMP

  1. His accomplishments in battle and his recognition as a great commander were because the Lord helped him.

2 Kings 5: 1 ” through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria).”

Dear beloved, there is nothing good a man receives that does not come from God. Whether beauty, academic brilliance, wealth, and skills, always recognize and acknowledge the hand and providence of God.

John answered them, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless God bestows it.
John 3:27 TPT

Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His].  We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalms 100:3 AMP

Let me give an analogy,  imagine a beautiful car ( that happens to have the ability to talk ); everyone who sees the vehicle admires its beauty and elegance and sometimes remarks to express how beautiful and elegant the car is.

Will it be right for the car to accept the praises and say thank you to those praising its beauty?  Or rather say, thanks to my maker/ inventor. The car didn’t design or make itself. It is the conceptual design and invention of the maker or manufacturer. No wonder the Psalmist says
Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His)

If you noticed, Naaman had an attitude of Pride. He was angry that the Prophet did not come out to see him but instead sent his assistant; secondly, he felt the instructions from the Prophet were demeaning and derogatory. With that attitude of pride, he couldn’t receive from God. Why was he asked to go to Jordan? I believe it was to humble him.

The literal meaning of Jordan is to ” flow down” or”  to descend. ” It was when he humbled himself to dip himself in the Jordan that Grace located him. Indeed God gives Grace to humble.

Prayer: Lord, I acknowledge that everything I am, own, and achieved has been by Your help. I declare boldly that I am what I am; I have what I have by the Grace of God. I ask for your service to remain humble and to walk in this consciousness in Jesus’ name continually. Amen

Impedance to the Supply of Grace

Impedance to the Supply of Grace

Text
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:21 KJV


I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.].”
Galatians 2:21 AMP

We established in this series that grace means unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor. It is a gift from God. It means we have a choice to either receive or reject it.

From our text, it is evident that certain things can hinder or impede the Grace of God.
The Greek word translated as “Frustrate” in our text is “Athetos” to set aside, i.e. (by implication) to disesteem, neutralize or violate — cast off, despise, disannul, frustrate, bring to naught.

Many people listen to the message of the Gospel and refuse to accept God’s salvation because of its simplicity and the fact that it is free, with No Works (Self-effort or sacrifice is required except your faith – Belief in the finished work of the Cross). They want it on their terms. This is what it exactly means to “Frustrate” the Grace of God.


Even as believers, we can subtly frustrate God’s Grace in our lives if we are not careful. When you expect God to come through for you, meet your needs, or intervene in a situation in a particular way, when you try to “box” God in a corner, you may likely be frustrating the Grace of God in your life. That mental attitude or thinking that this is how God will work or meet a need can be a limitation and impedance to the Grace of God.
When dealing with God, you cannot lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3: 5,6.
Moreover, his understanding is unsearchable ( Isaiah 40: 28).
There is a similar lesson from a story in 2 Kings 5.
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was considered a great man by his king and was highly respected because the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria) through Naaman. He was also a man of courage, but he was a leper. The Arameans (Syrians) had gone out in bands [as raiders] and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife [as a servant]. She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master [Naaman] were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.” Naaman went in and told his master [the king], “The girl who is from the land of Israel said such and such.” Then the king of Aram (Syria) said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel (Jehoram, the son of Ahab).” So he left and took with him ten talents of silver and 6,000 shekels of gold and ten changes of clothing.  So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you, and you will be clean.” But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Indeed! I thought, ‘He would at least come out to [see] me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place [of leprosy] and heal the leper.’ Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus [in Aram], better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more than when he has said to you, ‘Wash and be clean?’ ” So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said; and his flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean.
2 Kings 5:1‭-‬5‭, ‬9‭-‬14 AMP

Naaman would have… “Frustrated” the Grace of God if he hadn’t obeyed. Notice he had some preconceived idea or mindset.

  1. First, he came with a lot of money.
    Most likely, the other places he had visited before now in search of cure and remedy had demanded money from him.
  2. He despised or set aside the instructions because he felt the other rivers were cleaner and better, and  that rightly so ( Historically, those rivers were cleaner than River Jordan)
    God has a good sense of humor and   ways of teaching us lessons….” Where would you naturally want to bathe in a clean or muddy pool ( especially if you needed to clean up)?

Some people are in tight situations financially. Take your needs to Him in Prayer and allow Him to help you. Cast the Care upon Him. Don’t allow negative thoughts of worry to consume you. He can take care of you. Do what He tells you no matter how unreasonable it seems, and see the Grace of God turn things around for you and your family in Jesus’ name. Amen

Prayer: Lord, I declare Your Grace is sufficient for me. I refuse to lean on my understanding; in all my ways, I acknowledge you. I declare boldly that You are my waymaker, helper, and deliverer. Thank you for Your faithfulness in my life.

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Grace:  Tool for Ministry and Divine Calling.

Grace:  Tool for Ministry and Divine Calling.

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this Grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 3:7‭-‬9 KJV

We established earlier in this series that Grace is a  supernatural enablement. We also showed that no one could carry out God’s work successfully without the Grace of God.

Our text shows us that Grace is assignment specific. God equips us based on the calling upon our lives. Severally in his epistles, Paul uses the expression “My Grace” or Grace given to Me.”

“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my Grace.
Philippians 1:7 KJV

For I say, through the Grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 KJV

According to the Grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1 Corinthians 3:10 KJV.
Each and every one of us is equipped with  Grace to fulfill the ministry and calling God has placed on our lives.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 4:10‭-‬11 KJV

When you discover your calling and ministry and embrace it, you activate the Grace of God upon your life., opening you up to experience supernatural enablement at work on your behalf…..

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. unto me” Ephesians 3:7, 8

Having then gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6‭-‬8 KJV

There are different areas of ministry in the body of Christ and within your local Church; find your place and function there. Some people want to function as Teachers, but it is quite clear that it is not their area of ministry. The result is that they struggle to Teach,  get people more confused, and people are not enlightened. The same goes for music ministry. We are not all called to be minstrels; some people are gifted by the Grace of God to function in that ministry.
There are people with the Grace of Administration. It is second nature to them; they ensure that things run smoothly and are excellent at coordination and organization. We have people who are gifted in writing; they have the Grace to articulate the Truth with simplicity and clarity. They have the “Scribe” anointing. Only some people are called into that ministry. My point is this; when you stay in the place of your gift and calling, you will experience the mighty workings of the Grace of God on your behalf.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for your gift and calling upon my life. Help me to stay committed and faithful to your calling in Jesus’ name. Amen

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Grace: Labour Amplifier and Result Booster.

✝️💟✝️

Text:
But by the [remarkable] grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 AMP

I pray for you today that you will get a revelation of the power of God’s Grace.
When the Grace of God is at work in a ministry, business, family, or individual, they are outstanding in their results and exert the same amount of effort or even less than others. Still, their output is more significant, better, and sometimes even faster. This is the result of the Grace of God at work on their behalf.
Paul had this same experience. He was outstanding as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus. He wrote more epistles than any of the foundational Apostles of the Lord Jesus ( even though they physically walked with the Lord Jesus); none understood the revelation of the Grace of God like the Apostle Paul. I have done a study of all His letters both to the Churches ( Romans, Ephesians) and individuals like ( Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) He usually starts out with greetings of grace and ends with “The Grace of God be with you.” None of them talked about the Grace of God in their writing, like Apostle Paul.
He attributed His success in ministry and life to the Grace of God “But by the [remarkable] grace of God, I am what I am.” He was boasting and bragging about the power of grace. Notice, He wasn’t lazy and laid back at all. “and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.” God does not encourage laziness and slothfulness.

But there is a limitation to the result personal or corporate effort can accomplish. We have some examples of people whose results were amplified by grace.

“Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the [city’s] gate, and they said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city’—then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit still here, we will also die. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans (Syrians). If they let us live, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.” So they got up at twilight to go to the Aramean camp. But when they came to the edge of the camp, there was no one there, for the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, and the sound of horses, the sound of a great army. They had said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired against us, the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come [and fight] against us.” So the Arameans set out and fled during the twilight, and left their tents, horses, and donkeys, even left the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives.
2 Kings 7:3‭-‬7 AMP

The effect of the Grace of God when  at work is “Supernatural,” i:e the Grace of God provides the  “Super” on our “Natural” efforts that make the outcome
“Supernatural”
The Lord caused the little footsteps of “lepers” to be amplified to the point that they sounded like that of a  multitude of chariots, horses, and a great army. You may start a small business with little capital, but when the Grace of God is at work, you will experience great increases and growth. God can cause your suppliers to give you goods on credit or even mind-blowing discounts. He can cause you to make unprecedented progress in your career. He may give you an idea or instruction that will drive your business, career, or ministry to grow in quantum leaps if obeyed.

We have another example of Amplified results.

Now it happened that while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), with the people crowding all around Him and listening to the Word of God, He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word, I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again].” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking, so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish] so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken;
Luke 5:1‭-‬9 AMP.

Here we see a classic example of laboring without grace. He spent the entire night ( several hours) and nothing to show for it, but when the Lord gave the Word, he didn’t labor as much “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” and his results were just Supernatural.

Prayer:  Lord, I ask that the workings of your grace be evident in my life and ministry. May my Labour be amplified for supernatural outcomes and results in Jesus’ name. Amen

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Grace comes by the fullness of the Spirit

Text:
And the angel who was speaking with me came back and awakened me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it. And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side [supplying it continuously with oil].” So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” Then the angel speaking with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my Lord.” Then he said to me, “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple], you will become a plain (insignificant)! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”  Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you.
Zechariah 4:1‭-‬9 AMP

Kingdom assignment and work are accomplished through the channel of Grace. Our text is quite instructive about this. There was a task to rebuild the temple in the days of Zerubabbel ( Prince of Judah). They had opposition and challenges and couldn’t make progress because they depended on their own strength and ability.

The Lord had to correct them through the prophecy from Zechariah, and the message is clear, NOT by  MIGHT or  STRENGHT but by MY SPIRIT. The revelation showed a  lampstand with seven lamps. This speaks of the fullness of the Holy Spirit

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him— The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and of the [reverential and obedient] fear of the Lord Isaiah 11:2 AMP

If it is counsel you need, He will provide it; If it is might you need, He will give you the strength; if it is Knowledge, He will provide you with the Knowledge required.

The fullness of His manifestation is possible because of the continuous supply from the Vine. We can only enjoy this flow when the Lampstand is connected to the flow of oil from the Vine ( Source).

Jesus said I am the Vine, and we are the branches, except if we abide in Him, we cannot bear fruit.

I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
John 15:5 AMP.
How was the temple going to be completed by the Grace of God?

“And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’

Many people start in Grace and attempt to complete in the flesh…No, that is not God’s pattern. It has to be   Grace all through. We need to continually depend on Him. Never shift your focus to talents, money, men, or even natural connections.

Prayer: Lord,  help me always depend on Your Grace and not lean on my understanding or strength. I receive Grace for the assignment and calling in Jesus’ name. Amen

To be Continued

Empowered by the Spirit of Grace

Empowered by the Spirit of Grace

And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
1 Kings 19:15‭-‬16 KJV

And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Exodus 28:41 KJV

No one can successfully fulfill God’s calling and assignment without supernatural help and enablement.

Kings, Prophets, and Priests had to be anointed in the old testament before standing in their office. The anointing with oil was symbolic; it represented the presence,  power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit coming upon the anointed.

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”
1 Samuel 16:13 KJV.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Grace ( Zechariah 12: 10 Hebrews 10:29).

The Holy Spirit is the one who equips and empowers us to fulfill God’s calling and assignment successfully.

In fact, without His help and enablement, we can do or accomplish nothing.

It was the Holy Spirit that empowered Bezaleel.

“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
Exodus 31:3‭-‬5 NKJV

Even Jesus had to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to function in His earthly ministry. His testimony was that I can of Myself do nothing. ( John 5:19 30)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me  Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;  He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,  And recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Luke 4:18‭-‬19 KJV

The disciples ( including us ) were given a task in the great commission to go into the World to preach the Gospel and to also make disciples of all Nations. ( Mathew 28: 18,19) and Mark 16:15, but Jesus told them not to undertake the task until they had been equipped or endued with power from the Holy Spirit.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost comes upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 KJV

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Luke 24:49 KJV

Anyone who desires to fulfill his calling and God-given assignment must learn to depend on and rely on the Holy Spirit.

Spend time with Him in fellowship, and build intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Learn to wait on Him and see your strength renewed daily.

Confession:  I can do all things through the help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit marvelously helps my life and ministry. Therefore I will run my race and finish my cause with joy in Jesus’ name. Amen