KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 17:1 KJV” These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

In our key scripture, the Lord said as the Father glorifies Him, He would intend to glorify the Father. The Lord led His whole life to glorify the Father. The reason for man’s existence is to glorify the Father. We were created to please Him. How does God do it? He takes His abode in us to express Himself through us. It was a very big loss to God when man fell from God’s grace into sin. The scripture said, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God expresses His glory through man as He dwells in man. 1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV says “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

The Lord had led His life to glorify the Father in every way, He was at the last lap to glorify the Father, at the time He made this prayer. He was about to suffer total shame, total pain, and total rejection. This was the climax of pleasing and bringing glory to the Father. At this point, He was going to bear the sins and sicknesses of the whole world. He was going to be forsaken by the Father because He had become sin. 2nd Corinth 5:21.

Men who were lost to sin and through the obedience of Jesus, would be redeemed. God was indeed to be glorified. God would win His most treasured creatures back home. This was a real glory to God.

 We also glorify God when we submit our wills and live to please Him. The greatest glory to give God is to win many souls for the Lord. John 15:8 KJV” Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so, shall ye be my disciples”. Would you do your life a favour by winning souls unto the Lord?

THOUGHT: GLORIFYING GOD IS THE BEST MEANING YOU CAN GIVE YOUR LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:29 KJV” And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

John 15:8 KJV” Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Rom 8:30 KJV “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Glory is beauty, splendour, exaltation, honour, to be above, and many more. Our Lord Jesus intends to bring men into glory or glorification. When man was created in the beginning, God placed him over all His creation. This was a glorified state. Man was glorified from the beginning, yet sin dethroned him, and the serpent assumed that exalted state. The serpent became the God of the world. 2 Corinth 4:4. The Lord came with a mind to lift men from the dust of sin and place him, not just over the earth, but where the Lord sits and remains glorified forever.

The process of salvation was not the end of God’s plan for mankind. It was a means to an end. We see this in our key scripture. It said, the Lord predestinate those He knew, and then, called them to respond to His saving power. As they responded and believed in Jesus, He justified them or made them righteous. Those that have been made righteous He has also glorified. This is a place of enthronement. Please, this is demonstrated in our seating with the master at the right hand of the Father. Eph 1:21, in comparison to Eph 2:6, means we are seated far above all Principalities, powers, dominion, and every other throne. There is another glory that would be revealed at the close of history, yet we are presently glorified. In John 17;24, the Lord prayed that those of us who are born again will be at where he is presently.  We are glorified with Him.

In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord said He would not share or give His glory to another. This has made some to say God says He would not give His glory to anyone, including men like us. The context of the scripture refers to another god. Listen to what the Lord said in the following verse. John 17:22 KJV” And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: From what we just read, would the Lord give His glory to men who are saved? The answer is definitely yes.

We said from the beginning that glory is beauty, splendour, honour, exaltation, and also weighty. All these adjectives reveal people of significance and impact. Our lives must be very impactful. God, our Father desires that His glory fill the whole earth through His children. Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it will multiply. THE BRIDGE BETWEEN OUR PRESENT GLORIFICATION AND MANIFESTATION IS TO DIE TO SELF LIKE A SEED.

CONFESSION

My Lord Jesus came to lift me from the dust of sin to His glorious position at the Father’s right hand. I am honoured, blessed, and endued with glory. I offer my life as a seed to truly show forth this glory to fulfill the Father’s desire of filling the earth, with His glory.

THOUGHT: HE GLORIFIED US TO GLORIFY HIS NAME

FURTHER STUDIES

John 12:24 KJV “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 22:40 KJV” And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

 The Lord Jesus gave so much of His time to pray. His disciples saw Him pray so much that, they asked Him to teach them to pray. Luke 11:1.

He expressed His attitude to prayer through the many statements He made about prayer. He taught that prayer is indispensable and that men should not stop praying. Luke 18:1 KJV “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

The Lord showed that praying can keep us from getting into temptations. What did He mean by temptation in the context of what He was saying? The Lord demonstrated this as He prayed fervently just before His arrest and subsequent suffering. He endured the challenge that came His way. From this event, we see temptation as a condition that overwhelms you. The scripture said an angel came to strengthen Him.

The Lord also demonstrated that before making a major decision, especially concerning choosing among some people to undertake a particular role with you, you have to spend a great deal of time praying to receive God’s will concerning the right person to choose. Luke 6:12 KJV “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Are you a leader? Let prayer lead before you make major decisions.

Prayer was the life of Christ, and it is to be our life too He always kept communication lines with the Father. Remember, prayer is not a one-way affair. It is a dialogue between man and God, our father.

PRAYER

Father, you are the source of my life, as well as my true dependence. Through prayer, I receive guidance and provisions for what I cannot do or get by my effort. Thanks for your love and your ears that are ever ready to hear me.

THOUGHT: PRAYING IS YOUR LIFE, FOR GOD IS YOUR SOURCE AND DEPENDENCE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 34:15 KJV “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”

1Thess 5:17 KJV “Pray without ceasing.”

KEY SCRIPTURE;” Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Lord Jesus revealed right from the beginning His intentions for the lost. In Luke 2:49, He said He must be about my father’s business. What was the Father’s business? This was for the salvation of the lost.

In our key scripture, He said, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. This call was the drive and motivation of His life. In light of this, He devises a plan to get the task well executed. After His baptism and waiting before the Lord in fasting and prayers, He decided to choose men who would be with Him and then continue with the work after He had given His life for all humanity. “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,” Mark 3:14.

When the Lord was visited by Nicodemus, Jesus expounded to him what was in the plan of God for all men. He showed him that as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so will He be lifted up. In this state, He revealed how He will save the world through dying on the cross, as well as how He will become a symbolic serpent or sin for all so that as many who would believe in Him, will receive a substitution of their being. They would become the righteousness of God, as He, Jesus, become sin or serpent which must die. Jesus revealed that this act of God is an expression of His heart for all men. God wants all men saved. This is the heart desire of the Lord Jesus for the lost. He had to become sin, or in a more demonstrative way, a serpent for all mankind, whose sin has made us evil like the proverbial serpent.

The salvation of the lost is the motivation for all the shame, pain, rejection, and suffering that He had to go through. Now, He is calling on every saved one to have the same heart and mind toward the lost. Apostle Paul said, “I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.” Romans 1:14.

We are likewise debtors to anyone who is lost. We must not be adamant about any lost person. The cost, and loss of a man dying in his or her sin are unimaginable. Suffering agelessly in hell fire, and then subsequently being cast into the lake of fire after the end of all things.

CONFESSION

I am very much aware of the heart of the Lord towards all the lost. I likewise commit my heart and might to reaching out to the lost I encounter as well as reaching out to others who are far away.

THOUGHT: HAVE THE HEART OF CHRIST TOWARDS THE LOST.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 9:16. “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 4:4 KJV “And he must needs go through Samaria.”

The Lord Jesus did not function on earth in His full capacity as God. This could be understood in the prayer He prayed before He was arrested and crucified.  John 17:5 KJV” And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” We see in the immediate verse that before Jesus left the earth, He asked the Father to give him the glory He had with Him before the world began. Jesus lived as a man who depended fully on the Holy Spirit. We also have the same provision in our time. We can likewise live as He did.

From our key scripture, it was said, that Jesus, needed to go through Samaria. We now consider the Lord’s attitude to strategic actions. The Lord Jesus throughout His ministry was never late or ever too early such that He failed to do what He was supposed to do. He was always on time to do the right things. Whenever He made statements like, ‘ it was not time for Him to do a miracle when a miracle was in demand’, then He expected the people to express their faith in Him. This could be seen when His mother came to Him at the wedding feast. The Lord led a successful strategic life because He knew He could do nothing without the Holy Spirit. I believe He always asked the Holy Spirit, what would you want me to do? He said I do nothing, but what I see my father do. John 5:19.

Jesus knew when to start His ministry and when to bring His ministry to an end. The Lord had three and a half years to fulfill His task of announcing the kingdom of God as well as the kingdom life, and also dying on the cross to resurrect on the third day. Each person He encountered and ministered to was on schedule.

He was not going to leave anything to chance. How was He able to achieve such a level of success? He did all this by depending on the Holy Spirit. He fellowshipped often with the Spirit.

He had a mind never to make a mistake or do anything that displeased the father. His desire to please the Father made Him the master strategist in all He did.

PRAYER

Father, I pray that I may always incline my ears to the voice of the Spirit and be able to hear whatever He tells me. Give me that heart that continually seeks to please you always. I pray in Jesus’ name.

THOUGHT: A READY HEART FOR GOD WILL DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:29 KJV And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 5:19 KJV Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Matt 6:15 KJV” But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

To forgive is to let go of an offense and the person who caused it from your heart such that you no longer feel bitter or offended towards them. To forgive therefore demands two things letting go of the act and the person from your heart.

Our Lord Jesus taught extensively about forgiveness and the great importance for forgiving those who offend us. During His days He taught that those who fail to forgive their offenders will not be forgiven. When Peter asked how often should he forgive those who offend him, the Lord answered, Matt 18:22 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven”. What did the Lord mean by this statement? He meant we must forgive without limit. It also means bearing no grudge in your heart against no one.

In Matt 18:35 the Lord taught that for one’s forgiveness to be accepted before the father it must be an issue from the heart. I have encountered persons who have been offended, when it comes to forgiving the offender, their facial expressions show that they still bear the pain of the offense and so.  they are not able to freely talk to their offenders. They have not forgiven from their heart.

The Lord held to the view that to live a happy life and to receive the goodwill of others, we must learn to forgive them. Luke 6:37 KJV” Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” The Lord reveals in this passage that, whatever you do to and for others will be surely done for you, but in this time, you will receive it in a multiplied way. He said, what you give would be given back to you in a good measure, pressed down, shaken together running over will men give to you.

The Lord taught that without forgiving others’ faults, one’s prayers cannot be answered. Mark 11:25 KJV” And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Why is the Lord so concerned about forgiving one another? All men are in the image of God and so every evil against any man ultimately goes against God. The Lord taught that, if you come to the altar of sacrifice, only to remember your brother holds a grudge against you, just stop your sacrifice, go to your neighbour, and settle the issue before you bring your sacrifice. Matt 5:24 KJV “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

 God cannot be pleased when his word has been broken in our relationship with our fellow man.

CONFESSION

Thank you, dear father, for showing us the way of forgiveness. You forgave us when we killed and reproached you. I also forgive all those who offend me Indeed I forgive them from my heart, with no ill feelings whatsoever

THOUGHT:  FORGIVE, FOR NO OFFENSE CAN BE COMPARED TO OUR OFFENSE AGAINST JESUS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 18:35 KJV “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Luke 6:37 KJV “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:23 KJV “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Among the many teachings the Lord gave about hell, He also gave a story about a rich man and a poor Man. Luke 16:19-31

Please note: This was not an abstract story but it concerned people with names. It must be read with lots of seriousness.

The Lord revealed that, when Lazarus died, angels carried his spirit to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. His spirit did not remain in the grave but was taken to hell. We learn that there are only two destinations for the dead. The people born of God will be taken to heaven, while those without Christ will be sent down to hell.

The Lord said in hell the rich man was in flames and grievously tormented. He could see Lazarus from far in Abraham’s bosom. How long will he be in hell? He will be there till the second death. Rev 20:14 KJV “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

The Lord Jesus made the following remarks about hell. Mark 9:44 KJV “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. “This term worm may be carried from the idea of putrefying bodies with worms. Besides, this idea, there is no authority to explain the meaning of the worm. We may not be able to explain the reference to worms, but the following is certain,

1.            The fire is never quenched

2.            The spirit of the person never dies.

3.            The person can remember events of his or her life on earth. This aspect could be more tormenting. When one remembers how he rejected the gospel many times, yet finds himself or herself in hell.

Dear one, if you are not very sure about meeting Jesus in heaven, then your eternal destination would be hell. Don’t do yourself such irreparable harm by rejecting Jesus.

CONFESSION

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving your Son Jesus to die for me. I surrender my life to Him and confess Him as the Lord of my life.

THOUGHT:” IF YOU MISS HEAVEN YOU CANNOT MISS HELL”

FURTHER STUDIES

Mark 9:47 KJV “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:”

Luke 12:5 KJV” But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 10:28 KJV “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Hell is a topic most people are not very comfortable with. Some people make fun of it, saying that, it is just a religious idea to control and condition the adherents. Anyone who trivialises it is toying with a matter which is very serious and also very fearful. You would do yourself a great deal of good to have an open mind to these matters.

The Lord Jesus made lots of references to hell in His days of ministry. The word hell has a Hebrew translation and Greek as well. The Hebrew word for hell was Sheol. It had the following meanings. Underworld, grave, pit, and hell. It also had the following meanings: a place of no return, where the wicked are sent for punishment, and the righteous are not abandoned to it.

In the Ancient or New Testament Greek. The word hell had two words being used for it. They are Gehenna and Hades. The term Gehenna although has come to be accepted as future punishment for all the rebellious, was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem. The filth and dead animals were cast there and burnt. Some teach that this is all that hell is about, a damping place where the whole thing is burnt.

The other word for hell was Hades. It is called the place of departed souls, grave, or hell.

In the various words used for hell, we see that they all portray the following meaning, grave, a place of punishment for the wicked, or a place for departed souls.

What did the Lord say about hell?

We would consider several scriptures that the Lord made some references to hell. Matt 5:22 KJV ….. and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” The Lord says whosoever tells his brother or neighbour, thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. To say one is a fool is a negative judgment and that puts you in danger of hellfire. Hell in this context is not a grave but a place where the individual would be conscious of the fire. The very next verse admonishes us to make sure we bear no offenses, grudges,

or any quarrel with others, so long as we claim to worship the Lord. The unresolved offense can lead you to hell if you die in that state.

We consider another reference the Lord made about hell. Matt 18:9 KJV And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

The Lord talked about life, which refers to living in glory. Hell in this verse also refers to living after death.

Dear one, may you not wave off these statements as ordinary religious statements.

 To be continued

CONFESSION

Father, I receive your word with every sense of submission. I will always act in obedience to your word, so my future destination will be guaranteed.

THOUGHT: IT IS SAFER TO ACCEPT THE REALITY OF HELL.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isaiah 5:14 KJV” Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

Prov 5:5 KJV Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

KEY SCRIPTURE; Matt 23:16 KJV Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

In our key scripture, the Lord calls these false teachers, blind guides. Please be careful you are not following a blind leader. The Lord said their blindness is shown by the strange and soundless doctrines they propagate. These people do not place value on the high exalted ways of God. They major on minor things of the flesh and do not place value on high moral matters. They are more carnal than spiritual. The weightier matters concerning faith, justice or holiness, and mercy are not of prime importance to them, yet exalt issues of money, religious practice, etc.

Secondly, He said in Matt 23:25 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. This time the Lord reveals another aspect of the folly of these leaders. They may appear clean on the outside. This can even be seen in their dressings, yet their hearts are filled with bitterness and unforgiveness.

We see some of them come on radio and television programs, openly insulting and cursing those who seem to be against them. Let’s consider the admonition of the scriptures. Col 3:12 KJV “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” The preceding scripture reveals the proper heart condition of the true servants of God. Dear man of God, what is the state of your heart, first, towards God, and then towards your fellow man?

The Lord gives a final condition for such hypocritical leaders. Matt 23:29 KJV “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,” The Lord now reveals that such people are full of hatred towards the true servants of God. Some of these people even devise evil schemes to murder the true servants of God. Dear servant of God, our Lord Jesus has spoken extensively about the error concerning some men and women of God.

I believe our Lord sincerely loved these people and would not want them to end in eternal destruction. Humbly receive the light and not remain a blind leader, leading the blind into destruction.

The expansion or spread of the gospel has suffered undue reproach because of the practices of such hypocritical ministers. If the above studies portray you in any way, then repent, for the arms of the Lord are open to accept and bless you.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, I pray that my heart towards you shall always be humble and submissive to your voice. I pray the false temporal things of this life will only be treated in the way the Lord wants them.

 THOUGHT: HUMILITY TOWARDS GOD IS THE ANSWER TO FOOLISHNESS OF THE HEART.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 2:8 KJV “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,”

Romans 2:29 KJV “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 23:28 KJV” Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

In Matthew 23:13-29 the Lord Jesus spoke extensively about hypocritical leaders. The Lord gave different instances that which these leaders act hypocritically and the problems that their actions will bring to them.

It appears the Lord was very harsh on these false leaders than those who were even caught in adultery. If an individual sins or commits an error, it may most likely have to do with him and at most a second or a third person. A bad leader may impact multitudes or even generations. This may be the reason the Lord was extremely tough on them. The thoughts He made about them are so revealing and so, we would consider them in turns.

Matt 23:13 KJV” But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” The Lord said these hypocritical leaders shut up the heavens.

How do they do it? Those who follow and listen to them become just like them, and so both teachers and students are all lost. They have shut up the heavens. In our days we have heard pastors or prophets who claim it’s been a long time since the bible said Jesus is coming. The claim, we must as well forget about that and focus on other things. Such a man is lost, including all who listen to him.

Matt 23:14 KJV “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore, ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

In the Lord’s second word to the scribes and Pharisees, the Lord said, these people devour widow’s houses. They use lots of scheming to take possession of the properties of these poor widows. Sadly, we have such leaders in our day, who act under all forms of pretenses to rub their victims. Many sell all kinds of items to congregants, extorting money from them.

Matt 23:15 KJV. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. This description is quite serious. Certain leaders do whatever they can to get converts, after winning them they pour out all the wrong natures they are to them.

Beware of these false teachers and prophets.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray for the body of Christ, that your Spirit will convince such false teachers to forsake their ways, as well as the followers, would be opened to the truth and turn to the Lord.

THOUGHT; FALSEHOOD IS CONTAGIOUS, STAY AWAY FROM IT     

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 23:16 KJV” Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!”

Matt 23:17 KJV “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?”