“He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him” (Daniel 11:32, NLT).
In the last weeks, you have learned about glory. Today, you will be learning about one other attribute of God.
God is known to be merciful. When he boasts about His wealth, He does so more on mercy. Psalms 57:10 tells more about His mercy.
“For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds”.
Psalms 86:5 shows us the extent of His mercy towards us.
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee”.
Psalms 119:64 tells that the Lord’s mercy is everywhere around you.
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee”.
If you keep searching through the scripture, you will find more. There is a lot of information about God’s mercy.
So, what does this say to you? God is not wicked which means as His child you simply cannot afford to be wicked as well.
God frowns at the wicked.
A peculiar story is found in Luke 16 from verse 18.
There was a rich man, who was too concerned about himself than to worry about a poor beggar at his gate.
“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame’” (verse 24).
Eventually, both the rich man and the beggar died but only the poor man got to enjoy bliss after death.
The Bible tells us that “blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”. Matthew 5:7.
See, with God, there are principles. If God has released His blessings upon you but you refuse to be blessings to others, then you are simply telling God that He doesn’t need to show you mercy by blessing you.
One important thing about glory is that you must also bless lives with it.
Don’t use your position to oppress people, God frowns at it.
In all you do, remember that there is nothing you have that you have not received, hence, be a blessing to others.
“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD, as the water cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14, KJV)
The Glory of God in youths is a blessing. As a youth, the First thing is to seek the kingdom of God. As we can see in. Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you ”. Including success, greatness, wealth, and Academic excellence will be yours.
Lamentation 3:27 “it is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.”
Hence, serve the LORD in the days of thy youth with your talent, gifts, and might.
I will want us to look at Elisha as a vibrant youth. He served the LORD with all his might.
Though Elisha inherited riches From his Father, He preferred to serve God fervently to the point that after his death, his bones raised the dead. You can also be like Elisha too!
Unfortunately, today our youths are the ones involving in fraudulent activities and immoral acts. So we as children of God should be the ones to bring them out of Darkness according to Matthew 5:14
“ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid”.
We cannot be in this world and then darkness keeps shining. That’s the reason why we should pray for our youth who are in the world. The LORD has given us grace so we can tell and preach to the youth about JESUS (The light that shineth in Darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5
Let Us Pray
Father, we thank you for your mercy, that endureth for ever. We thank you for what you’ve been doing in the life of our youths, we glorify your name. Thank you Father because we know you will touch all the lost souls and align them to your purpose in Jesus' name. Thank you abba for answered prayers. In Jesus' name, we have prayed. (AMEN)
WPP sessions in August…when people pray, great things happen.
“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32, KJV).
Often we hinder ourselves from experiencing the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections in his glory. A very common way to do this is to hold on to grudges. Recently I experienced a certain level of resentment towards someone I used to care dearly about and it took the absolute intervention of God through his words to see me through.
Unforgiveness as defined is a state of emotional and mental distress that results from a delayed response in forgiving an offender. It is characterized by indignation, bitterness, and a demand for punishment or restitution. It occurs when you are unwilling or unable to forgive someone for thehurting, betraying, breaking your trust, or causing you intense emotional pain.
Signs of Unforgiveness
Experiencing bursts of anger.
Being petty and impulsive.
Desperation to express feelings.
Compulsive attitude
Being unable to re-frame experiences.
Refusing to take responsibility for one’s feelings.
Keeping a list of offenses.
Replaying scenes over and over.
Gossiping about your transgressors.
Feeling righteous and entitled.
Refusal to confide in others
How to Break from the Shackles of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness has driven us apart in our world today. However, there are certain steps when taken, could break us off the shackles of unforgiveness.
Your pain should not be dismissed ̶ and it has not gone unnoticed by your Father in heaven. Christian counseling is a place where you can find your voice, tell your story, and discover the pain that has so deeply impacted your life.
Be mindful when you start to feel anger building. Be aware of the source. If you catch yourself in the middle of an outburst, it’s never too late to make amends. Apologize to the victim of your outburst. Take a deep breath. If you can, spend a few moments alone and find time to dig deep into the word of God.
Learn how to pause and think before engaging with anyone in times of anger. Sometimes a moment is all you need to let your conscience kick in. Is your contemplated interaction going to improve things, or just take the edge off of your hurt for a moment before the regret comes? We must consider others before reacting.
It’s hard to imagine, but your transgressor may never recognize what they’ve done wrong. Acceptance and letting go are key aspects of forgiveness.
Acknowledge your feelings; this is often the hidden script operating in your heart and soul. Only you are responsible for your reactions and feelings. By giving that responsibility away to your offender, you are allowing them to have power over you that is not theirs to have.
Letting go of bitterness has been said to not only improve your immune system but also your heart, and overall mental health. Holding on to unforgiveness might be slowly taking your life.
Hating someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it.
Mandela, n.d.
When tempted to say something unkind about your offender, say something you genuinely admire about them. If there is nothing you admire, refrain from speaking. The more you say, the more you feel so speaking positively is a better way of handling unforgiveness.
Challenge your sense of entitlement. Ask yourself hard questions like, “How may have I contributed to this cause?” or “How have I caused harm to this person?” Regardless of whether or not you can answer the questions, this will open up a space of compassion for yourself and them from which you can begin to find relief from unforgiveness.
Always remember, others have been wronged by your actions and may be struggling to forgive you as well. Keeping this perspective will keep you humble.
Identify two or three people you could confide in and reach out to one of them today. Don’t think about it; don’t second-guess the people you thought of. Just reach out and they may be answers you have been looking for.
And finally, learn your worth; you are made in God’s image. Our God is a forgiving one.
Psychological Impact of Unforgiveness (The Prison of Unforgiveness)
Unforgiveness affects your mental health; Psychologists generally define unforgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to keep feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they deserve your forgiveness. At this point, it has crossed to a mental state, and often the mind finds it hard to comprehend this situation.
Many people ruin their health and their lives by taking the poison of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness creates an emotional storm of distress in which feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, insecurity, and fear surface. It also creates a hardened heart. The hardened heart feels anger, resentment, bitterness, and hatred toward the offender.
The longer we carry a grudge, the heavier the burden becomes. In the absence of a timely response, the roots of unforgiveness only go deeper, further entangling us. In summary, feeding on unforgiveness is extremely toxic.
Unforgiveness comes to affect your judgment and perspective because you view the world and yourself through the lens of hurt. You perceive every wrong you encounter as a personal offense against you.
Unforgiveness also compromises our physical health. Research has shown that it is connected to high blood pressure, weakened immune systems, reduced sleep, chronic pain, and cardiovascular problems.
Unforgiveness affects your spirit and your soul, hindering your spiritual growth and fruitfulness. You may feel spiritually dry, stuck, or stalled in your spiritual life. It builds a wall between you and God. Fear replaces peace and imprisonment replaces freedom thereby making God very far away from us.
Unforgiveness is a sure way for your blessings to be blocked. You should forgive others if you want God to forgive you. When you harbor unforgiveness, you keep yourself imprisoned and those things you could have will not be freely given to you. It keeps you stuck.
Biblical Take on Unforgiveness
(Matthew 18:35) “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart”
(Hebrews 12:14-15) Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
(Colossians 3:13) Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive.
(Leviticus 19:17-18) Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them. Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.
(Mark 11:25)And when you stand and pray, forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done.
(Ephesians 4:26-27) Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set while you are still angry, and do not give the Devil an opportunity to work.
Conclusively, don’t let unforgiveness destroy you. Are you ready to let go of past hurts so you can move on with your life? Then it’s time to begin letting go of unforgiveness. The Bible has implored us to forgive our transgressors as our father in heaven forgives our transgressions.
Know and understand that learning to forgive is a lifelong process. Just like love, forgiveness is a decision we make each day. Yes, it’s hard, but don’t be discouraged.
“And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]” (Daniel 11:32, Amp).
We have been journeying together on the interesting topic of glory, other writers have touched on the preliminaries to glory—sacrifice, faith; you have even learned about the essence of the glory, i.e. what you do with what you receive. Now, you will learn a more interesting topic. Who should get the glory?
It’s a funny thing though, thinking about passing on the long-awaited glory to someone, after so much effort. I mean, anyone would want to bask in the whole glamour, ravishing the proceeds. After all, why should one receive the glory, only to give it away again?
Laughs…
Well, what do the scriptures say about this?
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me... (Galatians 2:20, Amp)
Looking at the text above, Paul had given himself completely to God. Not just that, he understood that he was living for God.
Let’s see another Bible text.
“I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13, Amp).
So, Paul, here, explicitly explained his thoughts on goals, rewards, or trophies. His opinions on these are that they are meant to be forgotten while chasing after more. Wow!
I mean, that was crazy!
However, the said man understood that when you hold on to a previous glory, you will become complacent and might not see the need to reach for more.
Hmm, a man who wants to walk with God must be ready to move on His beckon.
Additionally, God would never allow you to remain stagnant. You will have to keep moving your tents.
For a man who hasn’t fully submitted to God, leaving a past glory would be very hard!
On the other hand, one who sees that he lives only for God understands the nitty-gritty of abundance and growth. He is fully aware that, in sowing seeds of thanksgiving and appreciation to God, you are giving room for a robust harvest.
If you have not learned to let the world know that, ah, it wasn’t your strength but God’s, then you have disregarded the Giver.
Once upon a time, there was a wealthy man who recorded a gigantic harvest and then, he told himself, that ‘well, I have worked, now, I don't have to do that anymore. I will build a room large enough to contain all the harvest and store them up for years. My soul, relax, drink, eat! That's all you have to do now’. Then, that same day, the Giver took his life. (Luke 12: 16-20)
That must be cruel!
Well, maybe not!
I have learned that oftentimes those things we want to keep for ourselves are never enough but givers never lack.
When you learn to dedicate your victories to God, you can never be small again. God would keep making you even better and better than you were.
God’s desire for every man is that he becomes better every day.
You cannot afford to limit your growth!
In all your victories, never forget to reference God.
Anchor passage: Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
A songwriter wrote a song that always shines across my heart whenever I remember how powerful every line sinks deep: “Shine, Jesus, shine; Fill this land with the Father’s glory; Blaze, Spirit, blaze; Set our hearts on fire; Flow, river, flow; Flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word; Lord and let there be Light”. The thoughts of the recent occurrences in many nations however hurt so much that questions the existence of the “Children of Light” who can stand in gaps like Prophet Isaiah, Nehemiah, and Ezra and plead the Father’s mercy upon nations.
Today, we will raise our prayer altars in line with the anchor scripture that the Glory of the Lord will shine, blaze, and flood every nation of the world. The word of the Lord assured us that covering of God’s glory is unlimited as long as the knowledge of His word is present. We are also assured that as God’s children we are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden- Matt. 5:14. Crisis, insurgency, terrorism, rape, killings reported every day on news platforms are not supposed to trigger us to becoming news analysts again rather, these unfavorable events and situations should bend our knees and raise our heads toward the heavens to intercede on behalf of the nations.
Brethren, believe me, the ripple effects of every event are immersing, so you should sincerely ask yourself today “If I japa to Canada, Australia today, will I be free from these evil occurrences and what will happen my people left behind? Truth be told, you can’t carry all the people that concern you along, right? What we need to do today is really beyond running, but to pray to God to shine His glorious face upon us. A quick recap of the very few unfortunate events that happened recently indicate the need to fervently pray today: a. Afghanistan: Taliban 100% takeover of the country leading to chaos, deaths, rape reports. b. Haiti: President killed by unknown armed men. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless by the earthquake, at least 1,419 people are known to have died in the 7.2-magnitude quake. c. Nigeria: Ravaging insurgency, corruption, and kidnapping.
Let Us Pray
The creator of the Universe, Father of Light in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning, we thank you for choosing us as your own, we reference you today for protection over every member of the fold and extended families. Lord, we cry our hearts to you today for mercy over every nation of the World using, Nigeria, Haiti, and Afghanistan as points of prayers. We plead for mercy and pray that you cease the hands of principalities ravaging and destroying lives and properties.
As children of Light, we stand on our authority today and command that Light be in every nation today, power must change hands over Nigeria, Haiti, Afghanistan in Jesus' name. The name of the Lord will be glorified in these nations.
The glory of the Lord will shine over countries, their economies, and people in Jesus' name. May the knowledge of God spread across these countries. Let men uphold the truth and surrender all to you as the only Saviour today.
We thank you for prayers answered and glorify for testimonies ahead. We pray in Jesus name
“And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]" (Daniel 11:32, Amp)
Hullo!
It is always an opportunity to reach you. Join us today as we dissect the theme before us.
Our Father and God is the King of glory (Psalms 24:10). Many times in the scripture, He specifically stated that His praise and glory HE will not share with anyone (Isaiah 42:8). This explains the importance of glory. As important and priceless as Jesus was and is, God gave Him to us to die for the sins of the world, but God didn’t do that with His glory.
Guess what? The essence of glory is to preserve it, grow it, groom it, tend it, feed it and nurture it so that it will multiply. When this happens, you’d see or realize that the more you do this, the more of the glory of God you’d see. 2 Corinthians 3:18
In case you are wondering where the glory of God is, it is in the face of God, it is in the presence of God, it is where God is. The Psalmist realized this in his life when he called God His Shield, His Glory, and the Lifter up of his head. Psalms 3:5
To access the glory of God, we must come simply; to grow in the knowledge of the glory in newer and fresher dimensions, we must retain the knowledge of being the children of God; that is, we must be humility personified.
The essence of the glory is not just to shine (Isaiah 60:1), it is for those that are not in the Light as we are to come to our Light, it is for the world to be attracted to us in such a way that they will desire and achieve the desire to be like the glory they saw in us. You see Beloved, God will not share His glory with anything contrary to Him or anyone that is not on His side; however, if you choose to totally commit and devote your life to Jesus, He won’t only become your glory, He will turn you to a glory that will bring others to Him. Trust us on this, there is nothing compared to this; it is one of the sweetest truths in the Kingdom.
So, Beloved, don’t just seek the glory, be the glory; for this is the essence of glory that you don’t just behold the glory but you are transformed into the glory you constantly see. It is in this that you bring others into the journey of becoming glory.
Let us pray
Father, we love You, we thank You, and we exalt You above all that we know and don’t know. Help us to seek You until we become more like You in the mighty name of Jesus. Help us to seek You with the right motives in the mighty name of Jesus. Thank You because You hear us always in the mighty name of Jesus.
Worship is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration. To show a lot of love and adoration for something. It’s an extreme form of love — a type of unquestioning devotion.
The church must understand the psychology of worship. Participation in worship impacts believers emotionally and psychologically. Although worship is corporate, it is made up of individual acts.
Worship in this instance is a return from a far country where one lives estranged. Worship is an encounter with the personal which awakens powers and transcendence within us. It is reverently entering into a life other than one’s own.
What does it mean to worship?
To offer reverence to a divine being or supernatural power.
To simply have a form of religious practice with its creed.
To have extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion.
We also need to know that true worship is based on a right understanding of God’s nature, and it is a right valuing of God’s worth.
If you worship God, then you love God, so much so, that you don’t question him will.
Forms of Worship
Liturgical worship: This involves worshiping that is carried out in a public setting, generally during a church service.
Non-liturgical worship: This sort of worship is informal, with less structure. The different parts of the service can be changed for special events. For example, the sermon can be the main part of the service. Prayers can be in the service leader’s own words and maybe totally unscripted, rather than being read from a book.
Informal worship. – Focuses on the adoration of God and can take place outside a church. Informal worship services often attract hundreds of people and maybe held in large auditoriums. The music used during informal worship is popular and modern in style, and often involves instruments.
Private worship. – This is worship given to God by one person (or family) while he is alone. The most common way for a person to worship privately is by praying or reading the scriptures.
Essential Reasons Why Worship Matters
Worships Involves Surrender of Our Lives- (Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We must understand the need to allow God to dictate the happenings in our life
Worship Is Putting Our Focus on Him – True worship is based on the desire to honor God. It requires a personal revelation of God as found in the Scriptures.
Worship Involves ‘Getting Out of the Way’ – It’s letting go. Sometimes, we get in the way of our own experience of genuine worship.
Worship Involves Personal Sacrifice – Worship requires a sacrifice of our feelings and fears so we can give Him the focus He deserves.
We must worship in the face of pain & loss – It is so important that in times of pain and loss, we move toward God rather than away from Him. King David demonstrated what it means to worship in the face of loss and pain. He stayed true to his maker despite the death of his child.
Worship is celebrating who God is and what He has done- Our God created heaven and earth, there is nothing bigger than that. We must understand that he is above all and deserves to be adored.
Psychological Views on Worship
As the focal point of a congregation or persons, worship should make major contributions to the growth and wholeness of persons.
The person who brings a wounded spirit into the setting of worship often finds it difficult to enter into the experience of worship. Paradoxically, it is the very act of worship that offers healing for those wounds, even though the pain may hinder the hurting Christian’s full participation in it
The renewal of worship in our era is largely concerned with the restoration of a God-centered focus in Christian celebration. By its very nature, however, the psychology of worship tends to reverse this focus, redirecting our concern to the worshiper and his or her needs. Worship in this instance celebrates the victory of Christ over authorities that place people in bondage.
One of the major mental health values of worship is as a feeding experience. Every person needs periodic replenishing of his inner resources. Regular intake experiences are required to balance the outgo. Intake experiences are those in which one feels loved, cared for, esteemed, and fed through the stimulation of ideas, music, inspiration, relationships, and the pleasures of the senses. Worship is a major means of overcoming inner emptiness through the rich experience of psychological feeding.
Worship brings the awareness that it is in self-giving that one receives the finest satisfactions of life. The giving aspects of a worship service include the outpouring of adoration to God, intercessory prayers (symbolizing outreaching concern for others), the offering (which is a symbolic giving of a portion of one’s working life), and the acts of personal dedication.
The purpose of worship is the achievement of emotional health and spiritual wholeness in the form of relief from destructive anxiety employing celebration of God’s grace. Worship involves humans in two ways. It is our act of Christian relationship to each other and it is our experience and expression of celebrating God’s nature and behavior. Typical worship reinforces pathologies of anxiety and self-deception. Genuine worship will heal humans of overriding guilt, crippling shame, and severe anxiety. That is the purpose of worship in God’s kingdom.
Biblical References on Worship as a Divine Act And Instruction
Worshiping God in Spirit and in truth – (John 4:23-24)
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).
Many people pretend that they are worshiping God; however, the Lord sees their hearts and minds. True worship is accepted by God from those who are a part of the body of Christ and live truthful lives. When we are honest with the Lord to confess our sins, we are purified to worship Him in Spirit and in truth which is what God expects us to do.
Worshiping God with our life – (Romans 12:1)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we sacrifice our lives daily for His purposes and plans—not our selfish motives. We are taking up our cross every day and trusting in the Lord to lead us in the right direction. Our continual sacrifice is an offering of worship to Him out of gratefulness for the things He has done. A typical example, in this case, is King Solomon whose life demonstrates the attitude of worship.
Worshiping only God – (Luke 4:8)
“Jesus answered, ‘it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Luke 4:8).
It’s tempting for every person to worship someone or something other than the Lord. We worship our money, recreation, jobs, homes, and other material things. We may not bow down to them physically, but we can emotionally pay homage to earthly things over God. The Lord desires all worship to be firmly directed towards Him and nothing else.
Many people are worshiping gods that have no power to save them and no unconditional love to draw them. As believers, we must press our way to worship God regularly with no excuses. One day we will stand in the assembly of saints and angels to worship Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Now is the time to start preparing to worship Him in preparation for our heavenly dwelling place.
Conclusively, the inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV).
Glory is the opposite of shame. When the Lord visits a people with glory, He takes away their reproach. You will all agree with me that all families across the world need a share of glory.
Why do we need the glory?
Many families are battling poverty, diseases, curses, stigmas—so many things have bowed the heads of members of different families. Even the wealthy have their stories to tell. There is a saying in Nigeria that, “every lizard lies on its belly, but, you cannot tell which has stomach aches”. Meaning that not everyone will come out to say what his family is going through.
Some children have to watch their parents fight. There are cases of divorce and broken homes. Worse cases are those involving rape, incest, and other terrible acts, within the family.
Homes are meant to be places of solace for the people in them but then for some, this is not the case.
We have even heard of fathers or brothers who sacrifice members of their kins for ritual.
Different kinds of abominable acts are not common, here and there.
What does God have to say?
“And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God” (Deut 28:2, KJV)
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3, KJV)
So we are going to pray!
Father, please release your glory upon our families. Let your face shine upon us now, so that we can begin to dwell in glory as you have promised us. We know that our sins have brought this shame upon us, so, we ask for mercy. Please, have mercy upon us, Lord! Take away our reproach, and let your mercy prevail over us. Let out lives radiate your glory, so that we can bring glory to your name, our God!
We give thanks to you because we know that you have heard us. In Jesus' name, we have prayed.
“And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]" (Daniel 11:32, Amp).
You have learned about sacrifice being one of the criteria for accessing glory. Let me be clear, Jesus gave His life once and for all. So, sacrifice in this sense does not mean that you have to be slaughtered like a lamb but yes, it certainly means that you will have to surrender your life to God. God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
“But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]” (Hebrew 11:6, Amp).
In addition to that, you have learned that faith is also a key requirement of glory. You have to believe that God exists and can perform or do as He had said to you.
Today, you will be learning about what God expects from you after the glory.
What happens after you have received the promise is very important. It is as important as your period of waiting. One thing to note about humans generally is that they can do anything to get what they want but after getting it they forget the instructions.
Many times, we make promises to God just so that we can have His attention and get what we want but many people forget their vows.
Remember the story of the 10 lepers. Only one of them returned and gave thanks.
“Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice" (Luke 17:15, Amp).
Redeeming your said vows is very important and could be the lifeline of your received rewards. Shocked? Yes!
Notice that Jesus made perfect the blessings of the grateful leper. In essence, he got a perfect blessing but the rest didn’t.
Redeeming your vows is like the seal to your the glory you have received. Never forget your vows!
Another important factor in sealing your glory is to always show gratitude to the giver. If God has lifted you, then you must lift Him up. If you trample on the giver, well, you will definitely trip and fall.
Never forget who lifted you in the first place. He holds the ultimate power and chooses who He deems fit.
“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32, KJV).
FAITH: BEFORE THE GLORY
Good day to you! Hope you are having a fulfilled day?
Since God is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, has it ever crossed your mind what God will give as the reward? God is the Eternal Father, He is bigger and better than anything and anyone that comes to mind, this explains that when He sets His mind to reward you, He does it exceedingly well; it is even okay to say that God will not reward you with ephemeral and temporal things; not that those things will not come, they will, however, God will as a matter of priority reward those who seek Him with things of eternal relevance and value!
As we learned in the previous lessons that Sacrifice precedes glory, it is important to understand that sacrifice is not once and for all. Every new level of glory we are set to attain requires a new level of sacrifice; in the same light, coupled with our sacrifices, our faith is very important to achieve and access the glory that God has given to us as His Children.
What is written is very clear, Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things that are not seen; Hebrews 11:1. For the emphasis of living in and partaking of the glory that God promised us, it is a necessity to not only understand the concept of faith but also apply it in our relationship with God.
A case study for us is the patriarch of faith, Abraham. Abraham knew that the One who had called him out of his comfort zone will not lie, he also didn’t believe this only, he believed God for the glory, honor, and beauty that God had prepared for him. As glory is in stages, so is the level of our faith in stages; it is the number of the level of faith that we attain that will guarantee us for equivalent glory and glories ahead. There is a subtle yet very pronounced point to note here: the glory of God doesn’t have a final level, it is from one height or phase to the other; 2 Corinthians 3:18. This truth submits that access into the next phase of glory for you is solely determinant on the next level of faith that you cross into. Beloved, to inherit the glory that God has prepared for us, it is important that our faith grows, moves, and transcends, the growth of our faith can only be possible through obedience.
Brethren, is there anything God has promised you as He did to Father Abraham? Does it look like that glory is far from manifesting? Stop worrying, go back to the dashboard or blueprint of your destiny that God gave you, obey the next instruction, and believe in your heart that He that has called you didn’t call you in vain, He is faithful (Hebrews 10:23); that place of glory He’s promised you, you will get there and shine there.
Let Us Pray
Lord, we thank You and adore You, we know that You are supreme in all your ways. We request for the grace to walk in faith before You, we request for the grace to earn our approval for our glory seamlessly through Your Spirit that is at work in us in the name of Jesus. Thank You Father for answering our prayers in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
ENIITAN RC 