ACCESSING THE REALM OF GLORY.

APR. 7TH

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 King James Version (KJV)

12. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13. And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14. But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Sometimes we often become too familiar with the presence of God upon the life of a servant of God or in a place of worship, and we begin to loose all that would have been in our favour. Take some time to thank God for the privilege to encounter Him in some lives and places. Do something to show your gratitude.

CONTEMPLATION
“Many are struggling to worship because they can’t see or hear spiritually. They are trying to access the realm of worship in the flesh, but this is not possible. Until we respond to the call like John did, we will never be able to enter the throne room. “…Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” FFPW p92.

It is a waste of time trying to encounter God by your intellect. “God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Any man who disciplines himself to allow the word gain access into his being, will one day be given extraordinary access into the realm of glory.  The difference between a passive worshipper and a passionate worshipper is the degree of glory they are in fellowship with. Some are limited in worship because they only respond to a planned order of worship, but there are others whose worship is a divine response to a divine call. Every man who is continuously in the presence of God has a sweet advantage ahead of others in all aspects of life. Make the Holy Spirit your sweet and active companion and you will begin to take the lead.

PRACTICAL ISSUES
You cannot encounter new degrees of glory except your hunger exceeds your present realm of glory.
Nobody, church or organization is responsible for the degree of glory made manifest in your life. It is up to you.
If you have lost respect and admiration for people and places that once stirred up excitement in your spirit, chances are that you have become insensitive and full of yourself. Jesus was the fullness of the godhead bodily, yet He held in high esteem the ministry of the prophets before Him. A greater or peculiar anointing is not a license to disrespect others.

RESPONSE TO A HIGHER CALLING

APRIL 6TH

TEXT: Revelation 4:1-5 King James Version (KJV)
1.   After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2.   And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3.    And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4.  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5.    And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

No matter how small or insignificant the progress in your walk with God seems, there is a reason to stop and appreciate God that you are not where you use to be.

CONTEMPLATION
An invitation to the court room of any recognized king or the state house of a Nation, often causes some excitement mixed with anxiety for any first timer. This describes my own experience and initial reaction as I prepared to lead the opening worship during my first visit to Aso Rock(the state house of Nigeria). It was the dedication ceremony of the first Church building. But once I became conscious of my standing in the presence of the immortal God, all others became shadow. The authority of the biblical prophets of old, comes from their confidence in the presence of God. Any man who is often in the presence of the Lord should not have problem standing before mortals. Men like Elijah would say “...the God before whom I stand” (see 1 kings 17:1, 18:15, 2 kings 3:14 & 5:16).
When a man is often in the presence of the Lord he is able to say “Thus saith the Lord.” Continuous intimacy with the Lord will strengthen your accessibility to divine instruction and guidance. Revelation chapter 4 reveals to us that the apostle John was able to gain access into the very throne room of heaven in the spirit. He saw a door open, heard a voice and was told to come up. He said “at once I was in the spirit.” (See Revelation 4:1-5) If you have never seen or heard by the spirit, you need to deepen your walk with God. It is true that God can reveal himself to anyone, He desires to,but God is not partial. He is accessible to anyone who will maximize the opportunity of fellowship with Him. (2 Kings 2: 9-15, Matthew 20:20 - 23 &1 Corinthians 9:24 - 27 & James 5:17-18 )

PRACTICAL ISSUES
If God seems far away and unreachable, go after him with all your heart and you will find Him (See Proverbs 8:17). If you are attentive to God, you will get His attention. You can hear from God and have things revealed to you. The Holy Spirit in you is not different from the one at work in Billy Graham and other men mightily used of God (see Romans 8:11).

THE BURNING BUSH EFFECT

APRIL 5TH.
TEXT: Exodus 3:1-8 King James Version (KJV)
1.  Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2.  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4.  And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5.  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet,for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6.  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7.  And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8.  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Can you remember anybody whose life was such a radiance of God’s glory to you? Can you remember the impart they made in your life? Take some time to thank God for such vessels of glory.

CONTEMPLATION
In the book of Exodus 3:1-8 Moses encountered God in the most unusual way which led to a series of events. From that time on, his life and destiny was never the same. Once he encountered the burning bush, people encountered the burning bush in him. Like Moses, once you encounter the burning bush of God either through some wonderful vessels living for Jesus or through some visitation in a dream, vision or out of body experience,you can never be the same again. True worshippers with a passion for God carry a presence that makes others amazed. You cannot meet them and not pay attention. Once touched by the fire of God, your life will experience a dramatic transformation. When the prophet Isaiah encountered the glory of God, he cried out “Woe is me! for I am undone;... but as soon as the fire of God touched his lips, his life was never the same again.” (See Isaiah 6:1-8).

The famous preacher John Wesley was once asked to tell what was the secret behind the crowd, transformation of lives and the miracles recorded in his meetings, and he said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn”. If you allow the Lord to set you ablaze, people will have no choice but to pay attention. Almost anybody can baptize you with water, but only the Lord can baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (the word “baptize”means to immerse in something). P74 FFPW.

PRACTICAL ISSUES
The grace to excel in life is more than talent and skill;it is greater than oratory and fluency of speech. It is the presence of God in the life of a man. It is wonderful to be able to reproduce the work of others accurately but until you come out with what is original you continually walk in the shadow of others. The man who is consumed in a divine dialogue is miles ahead of his competitors. You can see the invisible and do the impossible if you are willing to spend quality time with God.

KNOWING AND MEETING THE NEED OF THE FATHER.

APRIL 4TH.

TEXT: John 4:20-24 King James Version (KJV)
20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23.   But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Luke 7:36-50 King James Version (KJV)
36.   And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37.   And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38.   And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39.  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40.  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41.  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42.  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43.  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44.  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

The Holy Spirit is a wonderful and loving personality given to every believer in Christ. Thank God for such opportunity as you take time today to acknowledge this personality in your life by communing with Him.

CONTEMPLATION
“One of the greatest challenges we face is to identify just what the Father desires to accomplish in and through us during a particular worship experience and how He wants it done.”p64 When we are out of fellowship with God it is very unlikely that we will lead others into the glory. But when we are in true fellowship with Him, when we talk with people, the presence of God flowing out of us will begin to impact them. Those who come to us confused or sad will leave feeling lot much better. There is a light and warmth manifesting from such lives. People may dislike and criticize us but when they become desperate for the light they will look for us. Anyone can produce extraordinary results revealing the mysteries of God if only we are willing to spend quality time with God.

PRACTICAL ISSUES
“God does not respond to our worship because the performance is flawless in the rating of men, He responds to worship that is from the heart.” P 64 FFPW.   Sometimes in our own estimation, some people are not serious or enthusiastic about worship, but sometimes it is possible that we are the problem. When they encounter the glory they will worship.

HYMN - WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS

APRIL 3RD.

TEXT: MATTHEW 26:28; LUKE 7:47; ROMANS 5:6-11; GALATIANS 6:14 Memory Verse: Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull (which is Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified Him. (John 19:17, 18).

While preparing for a communion service in 1707, Isaac Watts wrote this deeply moving and very personal expression of gratitude for the amazing love that the death of Christ on the cross revealed. It first appeared in print that same year in Watts’ outstanding collection, Hymns and spiritual songs. The hymn was originally titled “Crucifixion to the World by the cross of Christ.” Noted theologian Mathew Arnold called this the greatest hymn in the English Language. In Watts’ day, texts such as this, which were based only on personal feelings were termed “hymns of human composure” and were very controversial, since almost all congregational singing at this time consisted of ponderous repetitions of the Psalms. The unique thoughts presented by Watts in these lines certainly must have pointed the 18th century Christians to a view of the dying Savoir in a vivid and memorable way that led them to a deeper worship experience, even as it does for us today. Young Watts showed unusual talent at an early age, learning Latin when he was 5, Greek at 9, French at 11 and Hebrew at 12. As he grew up, he became increasingly disturbed by the uninspiring psalm singing in the English churches. He commented, “The singing of God’s praise is the part of worship most closely related to heaven; but its performance among us is the worst on earth.” Throughout his life, Isaac Watts wrote over 600 hymns and is known today as the “father of English hymnody.” His hymns were strong and triumphant statements of the Christian faith, yet none ever equaled the colorful imagery and genuine devotion of this emotionally stirring and magnificent hymn text. When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most – I sacrifice them to His blood. See, from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down; did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine that were a present far too small: love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
ACTION POINT: Can you say with Issac Watts: “my soul, my life, my all”? Sing as you go-
TAKEN FROM “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILYDEVOTION”

DON'T JOIN THE RAT RACE

APRIL 2ND.
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 3:1-6King James Version (KJV)
1.   And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto canal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2.    I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were notable to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3.   For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4.   For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5.   Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

You are created a masterpiece with an outstanding unique grace by God in your generation with divine authorization. Thank God for your uniqueness,and be content being you.

CONTEMPLATION  
One of the serious hindrances to worship among Christians is our subtle unhealthy desire to outdo the ‘Joneses’. Motivated by our selfishness, greed and an unhealthy spirit of rivalry, we embark on projects, programs and activities that we hope will make others consider us a force to be reckoned with. The most annoying thing about this is that we claim to have been instructed of God to do what we do. When the reason we embark on anything is to be seen, heard and rewarded, then we have missed it. This is the spirit that motivated Cane to kill Abel. It is the same spirit that motivated King Jeroboam to erect a strange alter in Israel and caused the people to sin against God (1Kings 12:27- 33). When a leader suddenly has to put together an event just after he heard of what the other person is trying to do, he is motivated by a spirit of strife. To further substantiate it, they will go on to plan it for the same day, time and geographical location. The major problem with the building of the tower of Babel was their motive to “make a name for themselves,” and before long it failed.  

PRACTICAL ISSUES
When our heart is biased, we will only applaud and associate with that which appeals to us and ignore that which does not. Until you come with an open heart, you cannot hear or see what God is doing through someone else. When our heart is biased, our prayer points will bean extension of our quarrel with somebody, and God will have nothing to do with it. We will never see the greater glory of God until we learn to acknowledge and celebrate His gifts and graces upon others.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO WORSHIP PT.5.

  APRIL 1ST.      

TEXT: Hebrews 12:1-2King James Version (KJV)
1.   Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2.     Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The hymn “How Great Thou Art” is such a sweet reminder of the awesome power of God revealed in creation. It is also a reminder of the great privilege given us to have this same God as our Saviour and friend. “Then sings my soul, my saviour, God to Thee. How great Thou art” Let gratitude be your attitude no matter the circumstance you find yourself. Rejoice, the creator of the universe is your Father.

CONTEMPLATION
No matter the obstacle, make up your mind to spend quality time preparing your heart to encounter God. There will always be distractions and detractors, but the only factor that matters is your undivided attention on the Almighty. “When we are recognized among men as learned or as an authority in certain fields of study, we must be careful not to act as though we have been given the right to validate the worship others offer to God, for worship is in spirit, and only He who sees and knows the true content of our spirit has the right to validate the worship that is offered to Him.” P.42 FFPW. In John chapter 4, when the Lord met the Samaritan woman by the well, she did not want to have anything to do with Him. She held on to her tradition and the water from Jacob’s well until she heard of the water that will quench her thirst, then she suddenly cried out, “Give me this water”    
The Azusa street revival was the response of God to the cry of hungry souls, but its end was the response of God to the attempt by man to box Him. Once the sign post “Apostolic Faith” was added over the place of meeting, God left.  “When we try to lay claim to what is only possible by the hand of God, He will walk away leaving us empty and frustrated” p.47 FFPW.

PRACTICAL ISSUES
There is always a divine strategy for every opportunity that comes our way. Look out for it and you will always succeed.
A church focused on membership drive seldom produces people who will worship God in spirit and in truth, because the priority is the number not the nurturing of souls (Matt 23:15).
God will have no problem walking away from what we are trying to build in His name, if it becomes the reason for our loss of focus and passion to worship.