OUR CALLING TO GOD’S KINGDOM AND GLORY,

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

The statement, “Thy kingdom come…” in Matthew 6:10 were the words of the Lord Jesus, in giving His disciples a format for prayer. That prayer has however been answered, for the Kingdom of God has come. It’s a real kingdom operating now on earth, and we’re a part of it: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” (Hebrews 12:22). We’re not on our way to Zion; we’re there now.

The Bible says the Father “…hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We’ve been called into the Kingdom of God, but our calling isn’t only about the Kingdom. We’ve been called unto His glory! These two aren’t separate: if we answered the calling for the Kingdom, we’ve answered the calling for the glory: “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). You were called to obtain glory. Hallelujah. This glory is an eternal one, meaning that difficult times may come, but they don’t suggest in any way, the termination of your glory.

That a Christian lost his job, for instance, doesn’t mean he’s out of the glory. This glory is eternal: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10). Blessed be God! God’s desire is for the good news about His Kingdom to have free course and be glorified, not only in you, but also in your town, city, and country: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Give expression to His glory in your world. Spread the good news of Christ’s salvation. Let the world know that salvation in Christ Jesus is a calling to God’s Kingdom of glory, excellence, dominion and power.

Further Study:

Romans 8:30;
Hebrews 2:10;
2 Peter 1:3

Trust In His Grace

(Have The Same Mindset With God)

TO THE BIBLE: 1 Corinthians 15:10

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

LET’S TALK

From the human point of view, Paul should have never qualified to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, he became such an outstanding apostle who did so much for the Gospel, more than all the other apostles in his time. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, he celebrated the grace of God upon his life (1 Corinthians 15:10), acknowledging that it was God’s grace that enabled him accomplish so much for Christ.

This reminds me of Gideon’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord in Judges 6. The Angel appeared to him and said, “…The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor…Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites…” (Judges 6:12-14). Gideon, assessing himself from the natural standpoint, didn’t believe he was a mighty man of valour. After all, he was the least in his family, which hailed from the poorest clan in one of the lesser-known tribes of Israel! (Judges 6:15). All Gideon needed was to believe God’s Word and be confident in His grace upon his life. That made all the difference, and God mightily used him to deliver Israel from the Midianites.

Like Gideon, the Lord might have impressed it on your heart to do something that seems well beyond you, and you feel you don’t have what it takes. Stop looking at your inadequacies; begin to trust instead in God’s ability and walk in the consciousness of His grace. That’s all you need, and that’s all it takes to accomplish notable feats to the glory of God.

Go Deeper: 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 3:20, Romans 5:17

Speak

Dear Father, thank you for blessing me so richly with your Word; I acknowledge that your grace is at work in me, and I take advantage of it in advancing your Kingdom through my role as your partner in soul-winning, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Act

Take a few minutes to meditate on the grace of God. Think about all that you can achieve through His grace—anything and everything! Take action to keep your dream alive and let nothing stop you!

Eligible TO serve

(Grace Has Qualified You)

TO THE BIBLE: 1 Corinthians 1:9

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

LET’S TALK

Amanda was bubbling over with so much excitement. It was just a week to her 18th birthday, and she could hardly wait for the day to come. All she could think of was, “Wow, in a few days, I’ll become eligible to vote, get a driver’s license, have my own bank account and credit card, go bungee jumping and skydiving with my friends and do lots of other things. Yippee!” Her dad couldn’t help but laugh, when she reeled out the list of things she’d do once she turned 18.

If her eligibility made Amanda that excited, I’m sure you’ll be even more excited to discover what the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has made you eligible for. It has qualified you to participate in God’s extraordinary Gospel programme. Ephesians 1:6 says, “To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” It’s something you ought to be eternally grateful for, because no one on their own ever qualified to do anything in the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, be grateful to God for giving you responsibilities in His Kingdom; you’re privileged to be His partner in soul-winning, to be a part of His agenda in the earth. Therefore, put your best into serving Him, and doing whatever He’s called you to do.

Go Deeper: Ephesians 1:3-6, Ephesians 2:8

Pray

Dear Father, I thank you for counting me faithful putting me into the ministry. With my heart, I serve you diligently and faithfully, and daily express your love and undying affection to the hurting, bringing them into your fountain of love, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Act

Take a few minutes to thank the Lord right now for calling you, and choosing you to be a part of His evangelical work in the earth.

LIQUID LOVE ,

The Lord’s Love For You Flows Freely,

TO THE BIBLE: Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

LET’S TALK

The message of Jesus Christ is summed up in His liquid love. I call it “liquid love” because it flows. The Father lavishly poured out His love upon all men—like water—through Christ Jesus who died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). He didn’t die for us because we were good people who were living right; we were sinners when He died for us! That’s extreme, indescribable, and extraordinary liquid-love.

When you understand that Jesus gave His life to save you, you’ll recognize how much God values you. He thought you were worth the life of His only Son, and so He gave Jesus Christ in your place. This shows that you’re as valuable to the Father as Jesus is. No wonder the Lord Jesus, pouring out His heart to the Father in prayer, wanted the world to know that the Father has loved us even as He had loved Him (John 17:23).

If Jesus gave His life so that you may have it, you should live His life. Like Paul, boldly live by the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). This means you should live His dream—what He saw and thought that you could be, for which reason He died for you! Refuse to live a lesser life. Live God’s dream!

Go Deeper: Ephesians 3:17-19, 1 John 4:8-10

Pray
Dear Father, I thank you for lavishly pouring out your love on me, demonstrating that I’m worth the life of your Son Jesus. Therefore, I’m motivated to reach out to sinners and win them to Christ. I’m compelled by your love to preach the Gospel to them, and turn them from sin unto righteousness, and from the power of Satan unto you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Act
Write out Galatians 2:20 and paste it somewhere in your room, so it reminds you every day that you should live God’s dream for you.

BE GRACE-CONSCIOUS

(You’ve Been Called To Reign By Grace)

TO THE BIBLE: Romans 5:17 KJV

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

LET’S TALK

While many Christians today are reigning in life and enjoying their glorious inheritance in Christ, some others are full of struggles and failures, always crying to God and begging Him for everything. This ought not to be, for every child of God has been called to reign in this life by Jesus Christ, through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness we’ve all received.

Let the realization that you’re sufficient in God’s sufficiency cause you to take a stand, and refuse to live the life of a victim (2 Corinthians 3:5 AMP). The Lord has given you grace in abundance, grace that brings salvation—wholeness, preservation, health, peace, deliverance, safety, prosperity—and all the blessings in Christ Jesus (Titus 2:11). The Bible says in James 4:6, “…he gives more grace…”; this means that whatever God has called you to do, there’s more than enough grace for you to accomplish it.

The question, however, is, “How much of that grace have you received?” You see, it’s only those who “receive abundance of grace” that’ll reign in life. No wonder Paul charged Timothy to take advantage of the grace of God that’s in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). I give you the same charge today: be grace-conscious. Live in and by the “grace-advantage.”

Go Deeper: Hebrews 4:16; James 4:6

Speak

Blessed Lord, I thank you for your grace that’s at work in me. Your grace has brought me eternal life and oneness with your Spirit. I take advantage of this grace and live victoriously today and always! Nothing is impossible with me, because my life is the story and testimony of your grace. Glory, Hallelujah!

Act

As you go about your day today, be grace-conscious. Declare that you’re graced, and as a result, all things are possible with you, and everything is working out for your good.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S GRACIOUS AND LOVING DISPOSITION TOWARDS YOU.

To The Bible: Mark 10:21 CEV

‘Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, “There’s one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me.”’

LET’S TALK

From the way some people live their lives, you can tell they’re not sure God likes them. God loves you unconditionally, but He also likes you. This means He’s fond of you; He’s favourably disposed toward you, because He finds you agreeable and enjoyable. He likes you so much that He boasts of you and rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Think about that!

To know God likes you is one thing, but to take advantage of it is another thing entirely. Imagine for a second that your uncle just got elected as the President, and he’s always been very fond of you. One thing is for sure; you’ll have a very different attitude now that you’re related to the President. You’ll start seeing new possibilities, because you can always get favours from him. Why, you’re not just the President’s nephew or niece, you know he is fond of you! You’ll tell your friends about your special relationship with the President, and even introduce them to him.

Now, think about the fact that the Monarch of the universe likes you much more than any human person can! Take advantage of His gracious and loving disposition towards you. He gave you the Name of Jesus, and He wants you to use that Name to ask for and receive anything you want so your joy can be full (John 16:23-24), and you can have a glorious life filled with His goodness and grace.

Go Deeper: 1 Chronicles 28:4

Pray

Dear Father, it’s such an honor and a privilege to know that you not only love me, but you also like me. This knowledge gives me the boldness and confidence to take advantage of the abundant grace you’ve lavished on me to be the success you created me to be, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Act

List 7 things you would ask your uncle if he was the President of your country. Do you think God could do those things for you if you asked Him?