THE DEATH THAT TRIGGERS GLORY

THE DEATH THAT TRIGGERS GLORY

     He (Jesus Christ) condescended to our world. He was conspired against which led to His crucifixion. He conquered the grave, and now He is gloriously sited at the right hand side of God making intercession for us. His death indeed triggers glory.

On the posters of many dead once are inscriptions found written “call to glory” or “transition to glory” or “glorious exit” among many others. This is because there is a presupposed assurance of a greater glory that is accorded to the dead when they die. Scripturally speaking, everyman born into this world carries a level of glory. Because Adam sinned, we all sinned and fall short of God’s glory too (Rom. 3:23) but in Christ, we are being restored back to Glory. Hence, we are called to Glory in Christ. The bible says that “According as his [God’s] divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). We are first of all called to Glory on the earth in our life time before the reality of transition to Glory would be feasible in the afterlife. We would turn strangers to Glory in the afterlife after death despite the bold inscription of call to glory or transition to Glory if and only if we are strangers to Glory on the earth during our life time. 

Today, we commemorate the death of Christ of the Cross which carries with it greater dimension of Glory. His death was supposed to be our death, yet he died in our place to secure not only a glory that awaits him by the Father but to restore us to Glory. The cross carries a level of fruitfulness that was made possible by His death. The bible says that “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone; but if it die, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

The movie on the passion of Christ and the drama staged today by some churches on Easter celebrations cannot explicitly describe how Isaiah 53:1-12 described his death on the cross. His pains, shames, sufferings and death on the cross were all triggers for our awaited glory. The cross is actually beyond a wooden symbol as undermined here and there, it’s a symbol of God’s permanent defeat of the enemy so that we can be called unto Glory and virtue.

Just like many people want to go to heaven yet don’t want to first of all die, so is transition to glory practically impossible without the experiencing of the cross. The flesh profit nothing no matter its glorious usefulness, it’s only the Spirit that gives life. The cross is the only way to die to the life of Mr. Flesh. The cross is the system for Satan’s defeat. It is a symbol for transition/change into a new creation in Christ. The cross is a place of exchange; the old life for the new life. The cross is a place of death; to sin and to the world. The cross is the place of new beginning in Christ. The cross is the place of forgiveness, reconciliation, revival, redemption and peace with God.

The cross is the place where the handwritings of darkness are nailed on our behalf. The cross is the place of victory and fruitfulness. The cross is the place of glory. The cross is the place to secure healing and a confident destiny and destination with God. The cross is the connection between the dead and the living. The cross is the place of Glory, hidden wisdom and power. Owing to these realities of the cross, it is high time you come to realize that you have died with Christ and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). Its high time you know that it should no longer you that live even though you are alive, but Christ liveth in you: and the life which you now live in the flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave himself for you because you are crucified with him. (Galatians 2:20). Its high time you run to Jesus at the cross.

Jesus died over 2000 years ago for our sakes. He died, was buried and resurrected, all for the triggers of our glories that was handed over to the devil when Adam disobedient in the Garden of Eden. The worldly life of sin only calls one to transit from that fallen state glory we had at our physical birth into the glory in Christ wrought for us through his death on the cross. The activities of the old man can only be killed at the cross. If you die here on the earth without being called unto Glory with Christ, it’s going to be practically impossible for you to be transitioned to Glory with God in the afterlife despite the bold inscription of transition to glory on your demised poster. Come to the cross and get your victory from sin, addiction, struggling, unbelief, doubt from a glorious future and from devils cage.

The glory of the old man (Self life, Mr. Flesh) has with it some measure of glory but it can’t be compared with the glory of the celestial body we would all have at the second coming of Jesus if we have been called to glory while alive. You can move from Glory to glory as you die daily and continually behold God’s glory. These glories were triggered all because Jesus died and secured them for us. He died our death.

 

WRITTEN BY

 SAMSON OKPANACHI DANIEL

W.O.R.D FEAST (THE LIVING TRANSFORMER)

GO IN THE STRENGTH OF THE SENDER

GO IN THE STRENGTH OF THE SENDER 

        New Year is here again! It is no news that people keep making resolutions and expectations every New Year. But the question is: in what strength do they make these resolutions and expectations as they come into the year; is it in their own strength and confidence or in the strength of the Lord? 

        There is no doubt that 2023 was bedeviled with different challenges, but the Lord is sending us into 2024 in His strength. The world system and evil practices of men might have ravaged our land to a point that it seems visible to the blind, nevertheless, God desires to use us as vessels unto honour to turn things around. The present condition of our nation may seem as though nothing good would come out of it, however, God is looking for those who will go in His strength into 2024 to change things for good. This was the scenario of the Children Israel many years ago when they did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years. They were been battered by the Midianites for seven good years. The economy of Israel was in an impoverished state at the time. For as long as the children of Israel could not cry to the Lord because of the Midianites, their situation remained unchanged. 

    Despite all the hardness and difficulties of our time, God is desirous of a people who have put their strength in Him (Psalm 84:5) to enable them keep going from strength to strength till they come into the fulfillment of His promises concerning their lives in this year 2024. The bible says that: “They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God” (Psalm 84:7, KJV). The confidence we have as children of God to run this year 2024 until we come into God’s promises for our lives is the fact that we are going in the strength of the Lord. Realistically, human strength is incapable to journey us towards victory this coming year. Traversing this New Year despite the hardship and challenges of the times can only be in a strength that is strengthened by the strength of the Lord. 

    In this piece, I would be explicating the subject of “Go in this thy strength” using the life of Gideon in the bible. This would encourage us of God’s possibilities of going into this year with God’s strength despite our seemingly lost confidence of the state of our nation. The bible says, “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have I not sent thee?”(Judges 6:14) My attempt is to highlight the categories of people that God desires to send into 2024 to be an agent of change despite the state of affairs of our families, communities, churches and nation at large. 

    Those who must go in the strength of the Lord are they who are uncomfortable with their present state of life, and desire help from God wholeheartedly. 

    The bible says “and Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the Children of Isreal cried unto the LORD.” (Judges 6:6)

    If we must see a change in any area of our lives, the first person we must cry unto for change is God. If we must come to see revival sweep over Nigeria in 2024, we must first cry out to God with all sincerity over the present state of our land. If a man is comfortable with his present condition, he will never put in more strength and effort to clamour for the comfort that God offers. Anyone that is practically comfortable with sin will hardly see the need to cry for a changed life. Going into 2024 should not be with any form of comfort for Midianites activities. Your Midianite could be the secret sin that you do engage in day after day. Yours could be that lifestyle of cheating and exam malpractice. Yours could be that ungodly relationship. Yours could be that lifestyle of drunkenness, wild partying, sexual immorality, lies, falsehood and masturbation. The Lord expects you at this point to cry for help. He will never fail in sending deliverance to those who passionately and sincerely cry unto him.      

    Those who must go in the strength of the Lord are they who are salvaged from sin                      

    The bible says that: “And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a prophet unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of Bondage…” (Judges 6:7-8) 

    The lesson to draw out from here is the matter of gaining freedom from bondage. Every sinner is a prisoner of sin and under the bondage of the devil. Anyone who engages in sin either publicly or privately is in the prison of sin. The children of Israel were at a point comfortable in Egypt, but “…in process of time, that the King of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by the reason of bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.” (Exodus 2:23). Egypt is a symbol of bondage and suffering. For as long as a man is not salvaged from sin and bondage, he is not fit to be sent as an agent of change to this perverse, untoward, crooked and corrupt generation. It is an aberration from the truth to claim to be salvaged from sin and yet you love the things of this world with passion. It is an aberration to claim to be free from sin and yet you engage in falsehood. If you must go in this thy strength, you must have been salvaged by the sender (Jesus Christ). It is an aberration from the truth to claim to know Jesus and yet you don’t hate iniquity and love righteousness like Jesus did as stated in Hebrew 1:9. If you don’t have a clear testimony of your salvation, it is pointer that you have not been salvaged from the bondage of Egypt. God’s call to you is to ask Him for forgiveness now and He will come to your help. A contrite heart and a broken spirit, God does not overlook. God demands your response NOW so that you can join the train of those believers who would enter 2024 in God’s strength. 

    Those who must go in the strength of the Lord are they who are not fearful in anyway because of God’s presence with them. 

        The bible says: “and the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, They LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of Valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us…” (Judges 6:12-13). 

        God being with a man is a critical precursor to knowing if such a man can go in God’s strength or not. A man who doesn’t have a clear knowledge when he PRESSED-IN to the Kingdom may never be able to PRESS-ON toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus for his life. Gideon never knew he was a mighty man of valour even when he truly was. God with you does not exonerate/exempt you from suffering or challenges, but His Grace will give you the elasticity to withstand every challenge that will come your way in 2024. A wise man once said that “As a child of God, you must not be limited by fear, but go out in faith” In reality, God in you is the hope of glory. The hope of glory for you in 2024 is reliance on God’s presence with you. 

        Those who must go in the strength of the Lord are they who God chooses to use in Mercy as vessels of Change. 

        The bible says, “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have I not sent thee?”(Judges 6:14) 

        God issued an instruction to Gideon for him to comply and not to complain. There was a clear-cut matching order for Gideon to go in his might into the camp of the Midianites. God is likewise sending us into 2024 as agents of change to save those who are held captive and bound by the devil in every facet of life. He is calling and sending us unto been answers to the perplexing questions of the time. He is sending us to go in His might and not in our strength. He who is sending us into this coming year says that “Be strong, courageous and firm; fear not nor be terror before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). As God desires to use us, our family background is never an excuse or hindrance. As God desires to use us in 2024, the present state of our economy should never be a hindrance. Let’s put our confidence in God and He will lead us to the end. Let us put our confidence in God and He will sustain us through life in the year 2024. 

    You cannot go in the strength of the sender if you have not encountered the sender 

        The sender in this context is God Almighty. I must emphasize at this point that no one can do exploit for God if he has no encounter of Him. You cannot PRESS ON in the year 2024 in Christ if you have not PRESS IN into the kingdom. By pressing in, I mean that God desires a clear-cut encounter with the sender. Divine encounter must precede divine strength and divine strength must precede divine sending. God will not send any man in whom He has not strengthened yet, He will never strengthen any man in whom He never encountered. 

    Apostle Paul who was formerly called Saul was encountered by God on his way to Damascus. Prophet Isaiah would say when he had his own encounter that “Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:7). Isaiah was a major prophet, who has been in the prophetic ministry for many years; however, he was unfit to be sent in God’s strength for a greater assignment until he was encountered by God. The bible says, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). God is calling on us to go into 2024 in His strength. What is that unclean thing in your life that will hinder you from responding to God’s voice and invitation? 

    Only those whose strength is in Christ can go from strength to strength in the year 2024.                 Strength is required if we must progressively walk our ways into Zion. The bible says that “They go from strength to strength, UNTIL EACH APPEARS before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:7, BSB). Zion is the God’s heavenly administration. It is where all things are possible. It is a place where deliverance and holiness is possible for those who can come. Though, we need to take our journey of strength in Christ, nevertheless, the destination is nothing short of Zion. God desires our individual appearance in Zion. The bible says that “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” (Psalm 84:5, BSB). 

        Zion is the sides of the North where promotions come from. Zion is a city of the great king from whence the blood of sprinkling speaks better things than the blood of any wrong covenant contending with our possibilities in Christ. In all, let our strength not end half way into 2024, but let it carry us through the thick and thins of the year. The reason is because, “If we faint in the days of adversity, our strength is too small” (Proverbs 23:9). 

        God is calling on us to step into 2024 with great hope and expectations on the wings of His strength. By strength shall no man prevail, hence, if we must prevail in 2024, we must go in His strength. We must allow God’s strength overshadow our own human strength so that we can reach our destinations in God this NEW YEAR. 

GOD BLESSYOU

Written by 

Samson Okpanachi Daniel

 (WORD FEAST – The Living Transformer)

YOUR BIRTH, YOUR LIFE; THE STORY THAT MAKES BROKEN BONES HEAL

YOUR BIRTH, YOUR LIFE; THE STORY THAT MAKES BROKEN BONES HEAL Birth in its simple definition is the beginning of life while Life is the period between birth and death. Life is also the remainder or extent of one’s life. To start with, can a man be given birth and yet such a man does not know that he is born? Can a man be born and yet don’t have any trait to show that his father is truly his father? Can a man be given birth and yet don’t know the day of his birth? Can a man be born and yet live a life completely different from the person that gave birth to him? These questions are the burdens that gave birth to this presentation. The question is: What is your story? Whatever your story may be, can it change things positively and make broken bones heal? It is on this premise that I deem it fit using this platform to examine the four cardinal dimensions of birth and thereafter you and I should find a better fitting in the one that can actually make broken bones heal. They four areas of being born include: 1. Born by your Parent (Normal Birth) 2. Born again (Second Birth) 3. Born of the Water (Water Baptism Day) 4. Born of the Spirit (Holy Ghost Baptism Day). You will realize from the four above mentioned births that the birth given to us by our parents only relates to our physical life while the remaining three (3) relates to our spiritual life. This implies that your spiritual life which comes as a result of this spiritual birth must control and dominate your physical life which in itself carries the nature of sin. Therefore, we can say that physical birth begets physical life, while spiritual birth begets spiritual life. From the little journey so far in this presentation, you will bear with me that we have principally two (2) types of birth: 1. Your normal birth (physical birth or natural birth) and 2. Your spiritual birth (second birth or born again). Despite the fact that your physical birth and life comes first before the spiritual birth and life, the story of your physical birth does not carry great magnitude of change that must affect this perverse generation positively compared to your spiritual birth. Do you know why? Hear what this man says: I feel like cursing the day of my birth; let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived. Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let no light shine on it. Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months. Let that night be childless. Let it have no joy. Let those who are experts at cursing – whose cursing could rouse Leviathan – curse that day. Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light. Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble. “Why wasn’t I born dead? Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb? Why was I laid on my mother’s lap? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest. I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers, whose great buildings now lie in ruins. I would rest with princes, rich in gold, whose palaces were filled with silver. Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light? To quickly conclude on this type of birth, I must say that the human birth embodies the human nature; natural evil desires; old man; self-life (Mr. Self) flesh life (Mr. Flesh). With this type of birth, life is full of falling and rising, limitations, troubles, religiousness, legalistic righteousness, lies, deceit, compromises, cheat, guilt, and secret sin. This type of birth is full of weakness and shortcomings that cannot allow one to worship his creator properly. By this first birth, we are corrupt, sharpen and born in sin. Therefore, we must be made new creatures if we must please God; this is because no man can please God by this first birth (normal birth) no matter how churchy or religious he or she is. Actually, to accomplish God’s purpose for your life and destiny whether in leadership or anywhere life will place you, the physical birth no matter the strength you exert cannot journey you far, you need the spiritual birth. Though, the human birth cannot cause us to work in victory, there is another type of birth which is the second birth. This second birth may seem abnormal to many, yet it is what can grant us the enabling capacity and license to worship our creator in spirit and in truth. Oh, dear friends, do you know that you are a tripartite being – spirit, soul and body. I.e., you are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a physical body. It is with your spirit that you worship and may contact God. Your soul includes the conscious and subconscious minds, the realm of emotions and the will. It gives you personality, self- awareness, rationality and natural feeling. While your body is a complex physical creation by which you relate to this world and to other people in the world. It is on the basis of you being a spirit being that the matter of the spiritual birth becomes crucial and expedient. The question we must unearth at this point is the question of what is Spiritual Birth. Spiritual Birth could mean second birth, second begetting, born again, born anew, born of God, born from above, spiritual rebirth, or regeneration of the human spirit, or new birth. It is the day you gave your life completely to Christ and yield your neck to the yoke of discipleship with Him. It is the day you say buy-buy to the old life of sin and now operate under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is the day the Holy Spirit gives birth to your own spirit; the rebirth of your human spirit. It is the plan of salvation that Jesus authored at Calvary. It is to experience the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Which means that: you must die to sin, to the law, to life, and even to die out to your own will. It is a moment to acknowledge that your life of sin was buried with Christ by baptism and that when He rose; you were raised into a new life. It is a change from a stony heart to a fleshy heart. It is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes. It is to believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead and to confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord. It is when you are inwardly changed from all sinfulness to all holiness. It is the termination of a person of old creation with all their deeds and the germination of them in the new creation with the divine life. It is a point where you develop new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims, new focus and new way of living. And lastly, it is a spiritual newness of life to a divine beginning. Dear friends, by the risen of this juxtapose between the First Birth (Physical Birth) and the Second Birth (Spiritual birth), the question is: have you experience this Spiritual Birth? Does your life practically depict this spiritual and Christian life? This is indeed the story that can heal broken wounds. It is this second birth that can give you the license to go out to declare the birth of Jesus Christ this Christmas Season. What has been your story before now; is it the story of how you gain admission? Is it the story of how you convocated and graduated? Is it the story of how you secured a well-paid Job? Is it the story of how you got married? Is it the story of how you use your God given talent and gift to affect your generation? Is it the story of how you were baptized with water in your local Church when you don’t have any trace of Christ like life in you? Or yours could be how you followed patiently, deception-ly and schemingly a lady until you wooed her to successfully become your girlfriend? That is not good enough a story as to change things and make broken bones heal. It is your spiritual birth and your spiritual life that can stand as a testimony for you in order to declare the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ this Christmas season. From all these, It is therefore an aberration (deviation from the truth) for you seated here to say you have this spiritual birth when you are still operating under lust, masturbation, sexual immorality, addiction to alcoholic drink and smoke, kissing and romances, fornication, boyfriend and girlfriend relation that has led you to several sinful habits and discussion, willful lies, deliberate sin, secret sin, exam malpractice, etc. To conclude this presentation, I want you to know that if you doubt whether you are born again, it then shows that you are not born again. On that note, you need a gift. That gift is Jesus. You need Him in your life if you must declare the story of your spiritual birth and that of Jesus’ birth this season. You don’t need to pay any money for this gift. You can be part of this great community (family of believers) in order for you to have a divine beginning in Christ Jesus. It is not by your human effort energy or strength, but …it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. It is not by your works of righteousness, but it is in partaking in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Oh oh, don’t misunderstand me, for we don’t have to literally die, be buried, and rise again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. All we must do is to accept what He did by spiritually dying (Repentance), symbolically being buried (Baptism), and spiritually rising again (Receive the Holy Ghost). To this end, dead friend, don’t waste today’s date in your life, for the story that will touch your world and heal broken bones is the story of your salvation-spiritual birth which will thereafter culminate unto you sharing the Good News story this Christmas season. Thanks and God bless.

TRANSITION TO GLORY!!!

It has happened again!!! Oh Lord, Why did you allow the demise of this precious personality I have lived with and come to cherish almost all my life! Couldn’t you have averted the death of this my beloved one. It is quite obvious that there is no glory in this world, there’s no treasure here on the earth for me to put my whole effort pursuing. It’s actually the death of the old man that accompanied me without my consent at birth; the old man is also popularly known as Mr. Flesh or Mr. Self as the case may be. Death happens to be an inevitable phenomenon and occurrence that knocks at the door of our loved once. Yes, death is inevitable and unavoidable yet it carried with it some level of glory after its occurrence. The Old nature (Mr. Flesh, Mr. Self) has lived with us right from birth and many of us boast with that nature. It is true that the flesh carries with it a level of glory but such a glory doesn’t transition anyone into the greatest glory of heaven. The earth has its own temporal and transient glory which people clamour for, but there is a glory of heaven that is permanent in which God is expecting us as His image bearers to pursue after. On the posters of many dead once are inscriptions found written “call to glory” or “transition to glory” or “glorious exit” among many others. This is because there is a presupposed assurance of a greater glory that is accorded to the dead when they die. Scripturally speaking, everyman born into this world carries a level of glory. Because Adam sinned, we all sinned and fall short of God’s glory too (Rom. 3:23) but in Christ, we are being restored back to Glory. Hence, we are called to Glory in Christ. The bible says that “According as his [God’s] divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). We are first of all called to Glory on the earth in our life time before the reality of transition to Glory would be feasible in the afterlife. We would turn strangers to Glory in the afterlife after death despite the bold inscription of call to glory or transition to Glory if and only if we are strangers to Glory on the earth during our life time. Death is indeed a glorious exit from the nothingness of this perverse world and self-seeking nature of the flesh. Death is the conduit that connects one level of glory to another. Without death, experiencing transition to Glory is unrealistic. Death is indeed a painful exit but comes with a lot of glories and gains. There is glory in death. There would be no transition to Glory or call to glory without death. Death on the cross is the only way for transition unto Glory. Experiencing the once and forever death of Jesus on the cross nails Mr. Flesh down to its defeat. Infact, it nails physical death too down to nothing at the second coming of Jesus. The Bible says, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, KJV). Jesus’s death on the cross is what grant us window unto death. We could not be opportune to die so we could transit to glory without the death of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:14b says that “…that if one died for all, then were all dead” The cross is actually beyond a wooden symbol as undermined here and there, it’s a symbol of God’s permanent defeat of the enemy so that we can be called unto Glory and virtue. The flesh profit nothing no matter its glorious usefulness, it’s only the Spirit that gives life. Just like many people want to go to heaven yet don’t want to first of all die, so is transition to glory practically impossible without the experiencing of the cross. The cross is the only way to die to the life of Mr. Flesh. The cross is the system for Satan’s defeat. It is a symbol for transition/change into a new creation in Christ. The cross is a place of exchange; the old life for the new life. The cross is a place of death; to sin and to the world. The cross is the place of new beginning in Christ. The cross is the place of forgiveness, reconciliation, revival, redemption and peace with God. The cross is the place where the handwritings of darkness are nailed on our behalf. The cross is the place of victory and fruitfulness. The cross is the place of glory. The cross is the place to secure healing and a confident destiny and destination with God. The cross is the connection between the dead and the living. The cross is the place of Glory, hidden wisdom and power. Owing to these realities of the cross, it is high time you come to realize that you have died with Christ and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). Its high time you know that it should no longer you that live even though you are alive, but Christ liveth in you: and the life which you now live in the flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave himself for you because you are crucified with him. (Galatians 2:20). Its high time you run to Jesus at the cross. God is waiting for your metamorphosis from the glory to glory, from this level of faith to another level of faith, and from this level of grace to another level of grace. All of these transitions would be possible when you know deeply that your old man is crucified with him and you must also reckon yourself dead unto sin. The worldly life of sin only calls one to transit from that fallen state glory we had at our physical birth into the glory in Christ wrought for us through his death on the cross. The activities of the old man can only be killed at the cross. If you die here on the earth without being called unto Glory with Christ, it’s going to be practically impossible for you to be transitioned to Glory with God in the afterlife despite the bold inscription of transition to glory on your demised poster. Come to the cross and get your victory from sin, addiction, struggling, unbelief, doubt from a glorious future and from devils cage. The glory of the old man (Self life, Mr. Flesh) has with it some measure of glory but it can’t be compared with the glory of the celestial body we would all have at the second coming of Jesus if we have been called to glory while alive. You can move from Glory to glory as you die daily and continually beholding God’s glory. “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.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV) Written by Samson Okpanachi Daniel W.O.R.D FEAST (The Living Transformer)

EXPRESSING THE IMAGE OF GOD'S GLORY

Wow, God has done it again! Here comes the graduation of another new set of SSS three (3) students to the wide world after several years of intensed labours by their teachers. Not only that, students all over the nation would be transiting from one class to another. As teachers, we feel overwhelmed with joy and glory to see our students flying the colours of success in this corrupt society/generation. I strongly believe that every teacher desires to see his or her students’ moves forward towards being a light that shines positively in the society by being productive and civilised. Just like the teachers glory is heightened in seeing his or her students doing what he or she is being taught in the class room, so also is God going to receive Glory due to Him from our lives as humans if we express His glorious life to men and women around us. The world is in need of men and women who will express the deposits of God's gift and grace in them. People are showcasing what they got; whether is academic, intellectual, skillful, mental, or be it spiritual. One thing is sure and constant, that the heart of the father desires men and women who would and should express Him in their respective world/field of relevance. We have little or no expression of the God kind of life in our land, this is sequel to the fact that expressing it looks archaic to people around looking at how the abnormalities, unacceptable things and lifestyles have now become normalised and acceptable in the society. Also, there are several expressions of the gift of the Spirit in the land backed by so much deformity and bankruptcy of the fruit of the Spirit. Owing to all of these demonic normalcies in our society, God is posing these three questions to you now; "won't you be the vessel that I (God) would use to express my Glory to the world? won't you get serious to allow me forge, form, make and prepare you before you go out too early? don't you know that your manifestation to the world should be owed to your formational walk with me?" I believe these questions should fuel you to ponder about the level of Christ that has been formed in you! In Gal. 4:19, Apostle Paul said, "My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you, little." Any birth pang that has not yet produced, or is not producing the formation of Christ in your life will tantamount to much birth pang done in futility. The first birth pang a believer should seek to execute in his walk with God is to see that Christ be formed in his or her life. Suffice me to say that every academic environment (Government Secondary School for instance) is not saddled with the responsibility of producing students of intellectual capacities alone, but that in conduct and morality students can be a good representative of Jesus Christ in their society; hence, expressing God’s glory. The only way people can express Glory to God on the account of my life is when I express the Glory of God by living the life of Jesus Christ. This is to say that it's by expressing the Glory of God to the world that men can confirm if you are becoming like the Image of Jesus Christ!!! It is by allowing my life to shine that men (world) would see the life of Jesus that I got resident in my inside. The Bible says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). In a nutshell, I am saying that let the light of God's Glory shine through your life to the world!!! Men can see Jesus life in my life if only I will angulate my life on a perpetual seeing of the Glory of God! We have people who are beholding and becoming like Jesus Christ but are not expressing the Life of Jesus Christ in there spheres of endeavours. It's an error!!!" One of the reasons why the street (our land) is bereaved of the Life of Jesus is because many are not beholding to become like Jesus, and also because the few who are becoming like Jesus are not expressing the image of Jesus Christ! It is not a godly trait for a secondary school to partake in exams malpractices. The outside world is full of students who can hardly read or write because students are promoted to the next class unduly, and also because students are asked to pay a token to be “wrongly helped” in WAEC or NECO exams. It is not an expression of God’s glory in anyway if a school gets all her WAEC/NECO candidates and students passed because they “helped” them through exams malpractice. It is capitally wrong to engage in exams malpractice of any sort to pass exams. Truthfully speaking, we are not the Image of God, we are only created in the image of God. We are image bearers of God and not the Image of God itself. We were crafted out as beings from an already existing Image, which happens to be God's image, and it's only Jesus Christ that is the express Image of God. The proof that sustain what I just said is in Hebrews 1:3 which says that: "He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high..." If you claim to have your life 'tilted', 'yielded' and 'angulated' to the Sun of Righteousness (Jesus Christ), you need to begin the expression of the life. Jesus' life was beheld by people around and we discovered that grace and truth was the full expression of the Glory He radiated. The Bible says that "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth." – John 1:14. What will be the dimension of God's glory that the world should wait for expression from and through your life? Don't hide it or allow it to be covered under a bushel. The Bible says, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."(Matt. 5:14-15). The world is waiting for the life of Jesus Christ to be expressed through and by your life. But remember, you cannot give a life that you don’t have. If you don’t have Jesus’ life, you cannot express it. You can have this eternal life by being again. It is simple; just believe Jesus Christ in your heart and confess Him as your Lord and savior with your mouth, and you will be saved. Congratulations to you if you have done this. You now have this life, therefore, go out there and express God’s glory. • To the graduating students!!! Go out there and be the light of the world • To the students moving to the next class and going for this vacation!!! Go out there and be the light of the world • To the teachers whom God has been using to groom these students!!! Go out there and be the light of the world • To everyone out there who has God’s breathe in him or her!!! Shine the light of God in this perverse generation. It is high time we express and manifest God’s glory in our world for men to see. God bless you! WRITTEN BY SAMSON OKPANACHI DANIEL

CHRISTMAS NUGGETS

CHRISTMAS NUGGETS

·         JESUS CHRIST IS THE CELEBRANT; THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

 ·         IF A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, CELEBRATING IT WITH A CORRECT REASON AND IN A CORRECT WAY DESPITE HOW IT IS CELEBRATED BY SO MANY PEOPLE DOES NOT MAKE ITS CELEBRATION UNGOLDLY NOR UNBIBLICAL. HENCE, THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS CAN STILL BE ON COURSE IF IT IS CELEBRATED WITH THE CORRECT CAUSE.

·         CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST WHO THOUGH BORN IN A DEMEANED PLACE CAME TO THE WORLD TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS AND RESTORE US TO A WARM FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER.

·         THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON WHERE THE FULLNESS OF TIME CAN BE FULFILLED IN A MAN’S LIFE. IT IS A PERIOD IN WHICH GOD’S PURPOSE CAN BE BORN IN YOUR LIFE.

·         “MARY BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRSTBORN SON…” COULD MEAN THAT YOU CAN BREAK FORTH INTO GOD’S DIVINE ORDINATION AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE THIS SEASON IF YOU HAVE HITHERTO NOT COME INTO IT.

 ·         IT IS AN ERROR TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH FEASTINGS AND LOTS MORE WHEN INFACT YOU HAVE NOT FATHOM YOUR PURPOSE FOR CREATION. IT IS PURPOSELESS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WHEN YOU HAVE NOT DERIVED YOUR PURPOSE FOR EXISTENCE AND LIVING. TODAY, YOU CAN BREAK FORTH INTO THE PURPOSE (S) OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE IF ONLY YOU WILL CREATE ROOM FOR THE CELEBRANT THIS SEASON.

 ·         CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IS ALSO A SEASON WHEN THAT WHICH IS CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY GHOST IN OUR LIVES CAN BE ACTUALIZED. GOD’S PURPOSE AND COUNSEL CAN BE CERTAINLY BORN IN OUR LIVES IF IT’S TIME FOR MANIFESTATION IS FULLY COME.

 ·         THE POSSIBILITY OF ACCESSING AND ACTUALIZING GOD’S PURPOSE THIS SEASON OF CHRISTMAS IS DEPENDENT ON WHETHER YOU WILL CREATE ROOM FOR JESUS CHRIST IN THE INN OF YOUR HEART. WOULD YOU CREATE A SPACE FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?

·         AN INN IS A LODGING PLACE; A GUEST CHAMBER; A PLACE OF REST; A LODGMENT AND AN ENCAMPMENT. THIS INN HAPPENED TO BE A PLACE JESUS CHRIST WAS DENIED ACCESS TO BE GIVEN BIRTH TO BY THE INN-KEEPER.

 ·         IF THE INN KEEPER WAS SENSITIVE TO KNOW THAT IN THE WOMB OF MARY WAS JESUS CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WHOLE WORLD, HE WOULD HAVE CREATED A ROOM FOR MARY AND JOSEPH IN THE INN OR EVEN IN HIS PRIVATE CHAMBERS/RESIDENCE.

    

·         THE BIBLE DIDN’T RECORDED THE NAME (S) OF THE INN-KEEPER (S) WHO BOLDLY TOLD MARY AND JOSEPH THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM AGAIN FOR THEM IN THE INN, BUT ONE THING I AM FULLY AWARE OF IS THE FACT THAT THE INN-KEEPER SQUANDERED THE OPPORTUNITY OF HIM BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

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·         THE INN-KEEPER WAS INSENSITIVE TO THAT WHICH WAS CONCEIVED IN THE WOMB OF MARY, HENCE, MISSED THE CHANCED OF HIS NAME BEING CAPTURED IN THE ANAL OF HISTORY.

 

·         IN RELATION TO OUR LIVES, OUR HEART IS THE INN (PLACE OF LODGMENT) WHERE JESUS CHRIST WANTS TO DWELL THIS SEASON AND BEYOND, SO THAT HIS PURPOSES AND PLANS FOR OUR LIVES CAN BE ACTUALIZED.

 

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·         NOT ONLY IS OUR HEARTS THE INN, BUT THAT WE ARE THE INN-KEEPER WHO CAN DETERMINE WHETHER JESUS CHRIST SHOULD DWELL IN OUR INN (HEART) TO BIRTH HIS PURPOSE IN AND THROUGH US OR HE DECIDES TO FIND A MANGER ENVIRONMENT (MOST DESPISED PEOPLES/THINGS) TO STILL BRING HIS PURPOSE INTO ACTUALIZATION.

 

·         CHRISTMAS SEASON IS A SEASON WHERE JESUS CHRIST WANTS TO FIND A DWELLING PLACE IN OUR LIVES FOR INTIMACY AND FOR PERMANENT DWELLING. JESUS CHRIST IS THE CELEBRANT AND HE WANTS TO DWELL IN THE INN OF YOUR HEART FOR AN EVERLASTING DWELLING AND/OR FOR FELLOWSHIP.

·         HE KNOCKS AT THE HEART OF UNBELIEVERS IN ORDER FOR HIM TO FIND A PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN THEIR LIVES, WHILE HE KNOCKS AT THE HEART OF BELIEVERS FOR CONTINUOUS INTIMACY. SO, WHOSOEVER YOU ARE; YOU WOULD NEED CHRIST THIS SEASON FOR A DWELLING PLACE IN YOUR HEART OR TO BE DRAWN TO A MORE INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM IN THE SECRET PLACE.

·         CHRISTMAS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CREATE A ROOM FOR JESUS CHRIST THIS SEASON. HE IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR OF YOUR INN (HEART), THEREFORE, DON’T HEAR HIS VOICE AND REFUSE GIVEN HIM ACCESS TO COME IN AND DINE WITH YOU. DON’T BE INSENSITIVE LIKE THE INN-KEEPER WHO COULD TELL MARY AND JOSEPH THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN BECAUSE OF HIS UNAWARENESS TO PERCEIVE THE MESSIAH IN THE WOMB OF MARY.·          

·         THE CELEBRANT HAPPENS TO BE JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. OUR HEART IS THE INN WHILE WE ARE THE INN-KEEPERS. WE ALONE CAN DECIDE TO SHUT-UP COMPLETELY THE BIRTHINGS OF CHRIST’ PURPOSES IN OUR LIVES OR DECIDE TO GIVE ACCESS FOR HIS PURPOSES TO THRIVE IN AND THROUGH OUR VESSELS.·          

·         JESUS CHRIST AS THE CHIEF CELEBRANT OF CHRISTMAS SEEKS AN OCCASION TO FIND ACCESS INTO OUR HEARTS FOR A PERMANENT DWELLING OR/AND FOR INTIMACY.·          

·         CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITHOUT CHRIST IS CRISIS. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITHOUT CHRIST IS CAUSELESS. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITHOUT CHRIST IS NOTHING BUT A WASTE OF TIME. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITHOUT HIM FINDING ACCESS INTO THE INN OF YOUR HEART IS NOTHING BUT A PURPOSELESS CELEBRATION. INDEED, CHRISTMAS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CREATE OUR ROOMS FOR JESUS CHRIST TO LIVE AND RUN OUR LIVES. 

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

 

WRITTEN AND EDITED

BY

SAMSON OKPANACHI DANIEL

 

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