The cross did it all: Rejection 2 Part 2

Day 5

Scripture reading

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains,

and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,

and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

Isaiah 53:3, AMP

Remember, the parable of the feast of the great king. There were two levels of invitation. The first group to be invited was “the deserving” and in that case God was speaking about Israel. When the latter rejected their opportunity, God organised a second invitation. This is a wonderful invitation. It is an invitation for those who were previously rejected to seat at the table of the great king. My brother, my sister there is hope for you today to sit with greatness. Remember that the servants of the King were sent out to the streets to invite and these servants of the King according to the Bible are angels. The angels of God are specialists in reversing our rejection. They organised the cancellation of the rejection that Joseph experienced from his brothers. Jacob having wrestled with the angel of the Lord the whole night experienced a peaceful reunion with his brother Esau that he dreaded.

When the angels of God come to us we need to reject our identity of rejection and receive our new identity. It is an identity of redemption. There is a redeemer of the rejected. Job said, “My redeemer lives…” Gideon needed to reject his identity of rejection and to adopt his new identity of redemption given by the angel of Lord, “O mighty man of Valor.” May God strip you of the identity of rejection and clothe you with your identity of redemption with the following words, “You shall NO MORE be termed FORSAKEN,… but you shall be called HEPHZIBAH (My Delight Is In Her).” Isaiah 62:4

The Cross did it all: Rejection 2 part I

Day 4

Scripture reading

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains,

and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,

and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

Isaiah 53:3, AMP

There are people who are disqualified by virtue of where they come from, what they believe in or who they are. In brief, every society has its own rejects. For instance,  Nathanael rejected the prophetic ministry of Jesus because Jesus was from Nazareth: “…We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.” (ref: John 1: 45-46 NIV).

This is a reality that many people suffer from irrespective of tertiary education and qualifications. Even within the family individuals are not free from rejection. Joseph suffered rejection from his own family (ref: Genesis 37: 3-4). On this note,  The Psalmist writes a strong verse, “Though my father and mother leave me, the Lord will take me in.” (ref: Psalms 27: 10, paraphrased) Consider this reverting statement; even familial rejection works as a means for the Lord to fill the void. In a sense, rejection creates a void and if the Holy Spirit does not  fill it, destruction is inevitable. God is very sensitive to rejection that is why He is called “the father of the fatherless and the defender of  the widows.” (ref: Psalm 65: 8a, NIV).

This depicts the notion that those who are rejected are vulnerable. If rejection engages God or his divine power; conversely,  Satan invests his divine demons. Therefore God has to offer, refuge, comfort and  defence through His divinity, it is above Satan’s strategies. This ability hallmarks God as being able to exercise Sovereignty. Rejection has lasting effects and should not be taken lightly. It took the ascent to power through Pharaoh for the slave- identity  imposed on Joseph to be removed. He was later powerful and influential and reconciled to his brothers. However, at an earlier time, the pain of his rejection was that it had come from his own brothers.  Consider how even though he was successful in Potiphar’s house, he was nonetheless a slave. This brief illustration reflects a reality of many people who are bound by the pain of past rejection irrespective of their prestigious positions. Ultimately, rejection is really an invisible power of darkness.

Prayer and meditation:

Lord,

Free me to accept the refuge and comfort you provide for me in times of rejection.

Help me to understand that I should seek acceptance from you and not men.

Give me the strength to over come the pain of past rejection in my life.

Awaken the awareness of the Sovereignity of God, so that I am uninfluenced by any encounters with rejection.

AMEN

Further reading:

45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’ve got to be kidding.”

But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.”

John 1: 45-46, MSG

3-4 Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him—they wouldn’t even speak to him.

Genesis 37: 3-4, MSG

Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will take care of me.

Psalms 27: 10, GWT

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 65: 8, NIV

For your questions email

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jtlministries/

Follow us on twitter @JTLMinistries

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The cross did it all: Rejection 1

Day 3

Scripture reading

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains,

and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,

and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

Isaiah 53:3, AMP

Rejection is a psychological weapon used by men. It is an experience that affects all men irrespective of their social status. It touched Jesus, the Son of God. Rejection is an indirect way to refuse the existence of the other. That is why in this post we will discuss rejection as the battle for existence.

Even though Jesus came in his identity as the Son of God he still suffered rejection. Rejection hurts. It is a double edged sword. It not only hurts but it undermines one’s existence: “…and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.” (ref: Isaiah 53:3, AMP). We understand from Jesus’ example above that rejection attacks identity. Identity is very important for existence. The apostles where forbidden to preach the name of Jesus: “[So] they summoned them and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in or about the name of Jesus.” (ref: Acts 4:18, AMP) The Bible here clearly shows that they were allowed to preach but NOT in the name of Jesus. They wanted them to carry out  some kind of de-personalised or simply robotic preaching. It is time to restore identity in what we are doing. Your works are an extended part of you. When people refuse your  identify in your works, they are simply killing you.

This is the reality of many people in workplaces, churches, careers, studies etc… who are de-personalised or stripped of their identity: “23 When Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped him of his [distinctive] long garment which he was wearing” (ref: Genesis 37:23, AMP) Many people are not themselves in what they do. They are forced by their cultures, religion, philosophy, environments, social status and even denomination to be robots (empty of identity), like everybody but not what their revelation (such as the dreams of Joseph) says they are. Rejection may bring you to reject your own identity. For instance, there are some people who think that the African race is cursed, forgetting that God promised to bless all the nations in Abraham’s seed (ref: Genesis 22:18, KJV). We dare to believe that the former conclusion is associated to some extent to the continued rejection that African identity has experienced through slavery, colonisation, imperialism etc…Be what God says (revelation) you are, no matter the cost (cross).

In this post we want you to see that Christ dealt with rejection at the cross. Rejection is a pit from which we need deliverance. When Joseph’s brother rejected him, they threw him in a pit: “24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.” (ref: Genesis 37:24). There is a promise that was made to Jesus which we can make our own, “You will not abandon your beloved in the hades.”  (ref: Psalms 16:10, KJV)

 “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (ref: Psalms 27:10, KJV)

Beloved, God will not abandon you in times of  rejection.

Meditation and Prayer

Lord,

– May you reveal to me my spiritual identity that I may be shielded from the rejection of men.

– May you heal me from the effects of past experiences of rejection by men.

– May you raise me from the pits of rejection that I may fight for my existence in You.

Further reading:

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains,

and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised,

and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

Isaiah 53:3, AMP

17 But in order that it may not spread further among the people and the nation, let us warn and forbid them with a stern threat to speak any more to anyone in this name [or about this Person].

18 [So] they summoned them and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in orabout the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:17-18, AMP

19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[a] Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.”22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him andthrew him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Genesis 37:19-24, ESV

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Genesis 22:18, KJV

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

Psalms 27:10, KJV

For your questions email

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jtlministries/

Follow us on twitter @JTLMinistries

Visit our website at http://jtlministries.org/

The cross addressed it all: Beauty II Part 2

Day 2

Scripture Reading:

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53: 2, NIV

We have demonstrated how the example of King Solomon showed that beauty can be reflected in the order and excellence of life in all domains.

Today we want you to know that there are tools that God gives us.  To help us attain a life of beauty through order and excellence. These tools could be figuratively presented as our ‘make up kit’. They will enable us to bring out the beauty that God has planted in us, his image. These tools are skills, abilities, talents and gifts: “…31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and wisdom, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge and all craftsmanship,32 To devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,33 In cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft…” (ref: Exodus 35:30-35; 36:1, AMP)

Our God is an artist, he ‘knows how’ to bring beauty out of something. Therefore beauty can be present in something, in a person but without an artist; someone who has the ‘know how’ of the Spirit, it will remain hidden. Where there is ‘know how’, there is less effort and resources needed to produce beauty: “…the people bring more than enough for the service of the work…” (ref: Exodus 36:5-7 NIV)

 Satan, the serpent is skilled, has ‘know how’ to do evil or make things ugly:“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made…” (Genesis 3:1 ESV). For a skill to produce ‘good’, it must be influenced by the Spirit of God.

Firstly: Satan uses witchcraft (Evil skill) that brings spiritual blindness and confusion or disorder in the thoughts: In order to paralyse or make ineffective the skills and craftsmanship of God’s people and hence slows their work: (Galatians 3:1-2, Galatians 5:7 ESV)

Secondly, Satan kills the spirit of maintenance. Beauty needs to be maintained, it must be protected, maintained and sometimes even upgraded. We can borrow the concept of renewal that Romans 12:2 advocates: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“Thus,  the children of God should maintain their beauty in the same way they maintain their minds. there should be a vigilance and an element of non-conformity. People should not sleep on their talents or beauty, cause even beauty can grow old. The parable of the ten talents is very instructive here.

Thirdly, Satan releases a spirit of disorder. In such a case, Christians are unable to discern the order that will make them beautiful. Thus non-compliance to what should be received from sermons, works of service, daily routine, the work place – different domains – reflects as disorder. A beautiful person who reflects the mind of Christ has an established sense of order. Non-compliance actually misrepresents The Creator who is highly ordered in ways that we cannot discern. As we discover this order both in the spiritual things and in our universe, we are awestruck like the queen of Sheba when she met Solomon (ref: JTL Devotionals – The cross addressed it all: Beauty Part 2 Part 1; 1 Kings 10: 4-5). When Moses complied with God’s instructions, order and priority, pertaining to the Tabernacle, the glory of God came down. Beauty from heaven was manifest in the earth: (ref: Exodus 40:33-34 NIV)

Finally,  to conclude this is a matter of complexity for the beauty of the divine is unsearchable. It is not easy to fully break it down. Howbeit, we observe that where there is an expression of divinity, there is beauty. One such example is the spirit of man which is a small expression of divinity. For instance it is amazing how the human spirit can adapt and come out victorious despite  trials. It could even be those people that risk their lives to feed and treat the afflicted in war-torn countries.  Or consider how some disabled people who may be considered by  society as invalids rise above this label and excel in different domains; we are awestruck. Finally, when we see the ability of the human brain to heal so that  people awaken from comas – we are awestruck. If only man would surrender his heart to God, such beautiful miracles will be a common occurrence. This excellency in beauty expressed this way can be understood as  visual arguments that support the existence of the Almighty God in the hearts of some people.

May God not have to prove himself to show Himself – and you – BEAUTIFUL

Prayer and Meditation:

Lord,

May you stop witchcraft  that kills the ability of my talents and craftsmanship to reveal your glory.

May I display an ability to protect, maintain and grow the beauty I identify in my life.

May my trust in your name cause me to walk in established order across all domains of my life.

AMEN

Further Reading: 

36 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.”

2 So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by theLord and were eager to get to work. 3 Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. 4 Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. 5 They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lordhas commanded us to do!”

6 So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. 7 Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

Building the Tabernacle

8 The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel[a] decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim.

Exodus 36: 1-8, NLT

4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

1 Kings 10: 4-5, NIV

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Galatians 5:7, ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Galatians 3:1-2, ESV

30 And Moses said to the Israelites, See, the Lord called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and wisdom, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge and all craftsmanship,

32 To devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

33 In cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, for work in every skilled craft.

34 And God has put in Bezalel’s heart that he may teach, both he and Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

35 He has filled them with wisdom of heart and ability to do all manner of craftsmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, of the embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff] and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do or design any skilled work.

Exodus 35:30-35, AMP

33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:33-34, NIV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1, ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]

Romans 12:2, ESV

For your questions email:

Pastor  Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at  https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jtlministries/

Follow us on twitter @JTLMinistries

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The cross addressed it all: Beauty II Part 1

Day 1

Scripture Reading:

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53: 2, NIV

We  believe that beautiful things should serve God. The Lord’s Prayer is concluded with the following statement: “For thine is the kingdom, the power and the GLORY.”   (Matthew 6:13b)Beauty is glorious and therefore should be returned to the Lord. Beauty is a physical expression of blamelessness . It, in this sense it is connected to purity, or being without fault. Therefore we are  edified by the song of the seraphim in Isaiah 6: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory…”  because beauty is a component of this glory. At this point we see that glory is not separate from holiness. Moreover, beauty without holiness is perverted and under the control of Lucifer. Such kind of beauty does not bring glory to God and is deplorable in his sight.  In essence we find that holiness actually perfects beauty.

Following this thought,  we want to discuss a kind of beauty that is derived from order. Our brains are able to appreciate order at various levels of complexities. This working of the brain is itself a wonder and reflects beauty.  One such example is the visit of the Queen of Sheba to see King Solomon and I will insert a quotation that will make our task very easy.  The Bible reads as follows, “…And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the HOUSE that he had built, the FOOD of his table, the seating of his OFFICIALS, the attendance of his SERVANTS, their CLOTHING, his cup bearers and his BURNT offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no breath in her (she was amazed)…” (1 Kings 10: 4-5, emphasis added) This quotation is a very deep mine for our sharing today. We see that the Wisdom of Solomon was plain to see in  the quality of his home,  food, servants, their clothing, his cup bearers and also burnt offering.  Interestingly, we Christians are sometimes negligent of the reality that Jesus Christ, who dwells in us is greater than Solomon. This should give us an idea of the type of order, which is a wisdom God is able to set in a house. Ultimately, even the very way in which we order our lives should reflect the excellence of beauty. It is a wonder, and a standard that God has set. We can attain it if we entrust ourselves to the type of holy, blameless and ordered beauty that god offers us in Christ.

Prayer and meditation:

Lord,

-May I reflect the very beauty of Christ as revealed in King  Solomon.

-May my appreciation of what you have invested in me reflect in the order and excellence of my life in all domains.

-May I reflect holiness, blamelessness and wisdom in my beauty.

-May my beauty not be defiled but instead serve you and your purposes.

AMEN

Further Reading:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:13, KJV

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:1-4, NIV

4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

1 Kings 10: 4-5, NIV

For your questions email:

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jtlministries/

Follow us on twitter @JTLMinistries

Visit our website at http://jtlministries.org/

The cross addressed it all: Beauty I Part 2

Day 6

Scripture Reading:

2 For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

Isaiah 53:2, Amplified

The beauty in the Lord is desirable as evidenced by David’s desire to dwell in God’s temple and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (ref: Psalm 27: 4). Note  that David was a King and had access to the beautiful things of this world and yet he desired the beauty and presence of the Lord instead. That should teach us something.

Furthermore, we are edified when we consider the relentless struggles against Satan that our brother Job went though. The second dimension of the trial was the disfiguring of Job’s person. After the trials, the Bible highlights something very interesting about the daughters of Job. The Bible says, “and the Lord restored…He had seven sons and three daughters…and in ALL the Land there were no women as BEAUTIFUL as Job daughters…” (ref: Job 42:10).

The point we are highlighting here is that in the same way there is restoration of our fortunes after spiritual devastation, God also has a provision for restoration of beauty. Beauty is not an ungodly concept as some may want to portray it. There is a misunderstanding in the minds of many people about beauty.

It is in sincerity that people may use verses to condemn beauty. There are a number of biblical arguments put across against the concept of beauty.  One of importance is 1 Peter 3:3-6 by the apostle Peter where he was concerned. At that time, some women paid attention to their external appearance over their internal beauty, that of the heart. Interestingly, this verse is why certain believers avoid jewellery, braids and certain clothing. Did the apostle in this verse pronounce beauty as an evil thing? No.

We will try to summarize some the principles of “Faith and looks” a teaching taught at JTL Bible School that addresses the issue  of clothing.

We believe that the apostle Peter was not trying to vilify the concept of beauty in Christianity but rather enhance it. His first proposition is that beauty has dual dimensions that are internal and external. This is because the apostle Peter urges these women in his letter to become daughters of Sarah of whom he mentions her inner dimension of beauty i.e. submission to Abraham. However, it is also recorded in scripture, how the physical beauty of Sarah almost cost Abraham his life: “I know that you are beautiful to behold…12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me,…” (ref: Genesis 12:10-20 AMP). Thus, being a daughter of Sarah in a complete sense would be to address both the issue of internal and external beauty. Although internal beauty is to be prioritized over external beauty,  this does not make the latter less important.

And finally Jesus said to his disciples that God knew and cared about their need to dress or look beautiful and that this was a natural need before God for his creation because he clothes even grass, which has less value than men, as it reads;  “but if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? (ref: Matthew 6:30)

Ultimately, the Bible warns that we should not approach the need of clothing or looking beautiful through anxiety as the world does but, through faith as children of God, who have a father in heaven who cares about everything concerning them.  (ref: Matthew 6:31-32).

Hence Let’s be balanced as we are both physical and spiritual beings.

Prayer and meditation:

-Lord may I see the value of beauty before you; and place both internal and external beauty rightly.

Further Reading: 

And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

Job 42:15, ESV

3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

I Peter 3: 3-6, NIV

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram [a]went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive (intense and grievous).

11 And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold.

12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13 Say, I beg of you, that you are [b]my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.

14 And when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house [harem].

16 And he treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and [c]camels.

17 But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his household with serious plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and get away [from here]!

20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they brought him on his way with his wife and all that he had.

Genesis 12: 10-20

25 Therefore I tell you, stop being [a]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27 And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the[b]span of his life?

28 And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and [c]learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

29 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his [d]magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

33 But seek ([e]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([f]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [g]taken together will be given you besides.

34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34 AMP

For your questions email:

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

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The cross addressed it all: Beauty 1 Part 1

Day 5

Scripture Reading:

2 For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

Isaiah 53:2, Amplified

In our theme verse, the prophet states that our saviour  had no beauty that we should desire Him. At such a point the question we may ask is, so where did all that outstanding beauty of Christ depicted in Songs of Solomon 5:10, go to? In addressing beauty, we need to note how Lucifer who was created blameless and perfect is spoken to: “You were the seal of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” (ref:Ezekiel 28:11 NIV), yet in the New Testament he is described as a thief who comes ‘to steal kill and destroy’  (ref: John 10: 10). He therefore clearly depicts what is described in Isaiah 14: 12 KJV as “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!…”

Note that Lucifer operates at three levels:

Firstly, he will try to steal one’s beauty. There are many young people who are victims of theft where Satan robs them of their beauty in exchange for the temporal pleasures of this life. thus, we are edified by the parable of the Good Samaritan who rescues a man who was left almost dead by robbers (ref: Luke 10: 30-35). It is interesting to notice that Satan having stolen one’s beauty leaves them on the brink of death to torture them by regrets and condemnation. This is the attitude of the thief to take away and leave people with depressive regrets. At this level, Lucifer uses beauty to lead people to evil, pride and a mischievous life. Rape is another good example of stolen beauty. Your beauty is a tool for evangelism be like Jesus and use it. The following scripture clearly declares:“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!” (ref: Isaiah 52:7, AMP)

The second level of the battle against beauty is destruction. If Satan cannot steal the beauty of man for himself he will try to destroy it. The devil cannot bear to see Christians shining like stars. It is makes him furious. We see this fury of Satan through the people who opened attack in stoning Stephen when he was clothed with angelic splendour. Furthermore,; Satan did not hesitate to kill him. Additionally,  Jesus is referred to as “the most handsome of the sons of men and outstanding among ten thousands”(ref: Songs of Solomon 5: 10),  but Satan maliciously crowned him with thorns in order to disfigure his face. We can also see in the culture of excessive piercing and tattooing, a destruction of beauty. Essentially it is not about  looks any more but some people are in love with the pain they experience.

Thirdly, Satan goes as far as killing those that are carrying beauty for God’s glory.

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet…and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (ref: Revelation 12:1-4 KJV) 

In every age God sends ‘Kingdom stars’, like Moses who was sentenced to death even before he was born because of his purpose to reveal God’s glory: “And the woman became pregnant and bore a son; and when she saw that he was [exceedingly] beautiful she hid him three months.” (ref: Exodus 2:2 AMP). The same with David the ‘rising star’ of Israel escaped death by the hand of the fading glory of Israel (King Saul). Finally Jesus was pursued by King Herod when he was only a baby because he was born the ‘glory of Israel’.

Like David, you are fearfully and wonderfully made; fight for the purpose of your beauty and refuse to die before your hour of glory.

Prayer and meditation:

-Lord, may you destroy the works of the Lucifer who is stealing, destroying and killing the beauty of God in this generation.

– May you give purpose to my physical appearance that I may declare your glory at all times.

Amen

Scripture reading:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10: 10, NIV

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14: 12, KJV

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

Luke 10: 30-35, GW

My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

Songs of Solomon 5: 10, NIV

12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the seal of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

Ezekiel 28:12, NIV

 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

Revelation 12:1-4, NIV

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

Exodus 1:22, NIV

2 And the woman became pregnant and bore a son; and when she saw that he was [exceedingly] beautiful, she hid him three months.

Exodus 2:2, AMP

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!

Isaiah 25:7, AMP

 

For your questions email:

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

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The cross addressed it all: Beauty!

The cross addressed it all: Form

Day 4:

Scripture Reading:

2 For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

Isaiah 53:2, Amplified

There is an observable disfigurement of God’s creation at all levels in the world today.

The current state of things have deviated from the original intent of the creator. For example, we observe Jesus teaching on marital affairs and saying, “It was not so from the beginning…” (ref: Matthew 19: 8b). Additionally, when we refer to the book of Genesis, we see that the earth was “without form” (ref: Genesis 1:2a) and similarly our theme verse in Isaiah tell us that at the cross Jesus had “no form”. Formlessness is always evident before God introduces new life. Jesus was dying (deforming) at the cross, just as the earth was being given life or form by God. The cross of Jesus was the price paid to counter or stop the deforming and decaying process of the universe, which were ignited by sin.

Formlessness is a problem encountered by us at times when in the privacy of our hearts we wrestle with feelings that cause  great distress. Interestingly, the world provides a context that causes such feelings of shapelessness. These feelings cause us to need  God’s creative touch.  At times such feelings are worsened when what the world perceives  form as wealth, marriage, a family, careers, education etc. These things only  give a semblance of form but on the inside leave us shapeless and empty. Essentially, the issue of formlessness is something that can affect us internally and externally [Perfecting of the Saints for Works of Ministry (PSWM) JTL Bible School Teaching: “The mystery of the inner being“].

Let us strive to look where God is looking and to be part of what he is doing at all times. May our need for security not cause us to find solutions that can be described as “not so from the beginning.”A good example of the structure perceived from within and without is the anointing of David as king. The prophet Samuel saw Jesse’s firstborn and rushed to anoint him when God interjects and says that man looks at the appearance but God looks at the heart (ref: 1 Samuel 16:7). This simply that Jesse’s firstborn had an external form of king and not the internal form. Whereas, David had what we call the heart of a king, that is the internal form of a king.

How comforting this thought is for many people out there, although you may have the appearance of kingship, what matters is that you have the mind, the feelings and the revelation of kingship. These are the  components of the internal form. We will not discuss these components now as this will take us away from our focus. right now there can be are kings, presidents, engineers, doctors, psychologists, economists etc…hidden in the slums the way Jesus was hidden in Nazareth. Some of you may consider yourselves miry clay or raw material. Indeed, all that is needed is that you are put in the hands of the creator so you become a complex and beautiful creation. We should have the mentality of the miner who deploys great machinery in the dust to extract precious stones.

Ultimately, we believe that Africa is an unexplored mine that will provide the jewels of the next generation.

Prayer and meditation:

Lord, may I trust in your ability to bring out my true form.

Scripture Reading:

He grew up in his presence like a young tree,
    like a root out of dry ground.
    He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him.
    He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by people.
    He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.
    He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces,
        and we didn’t consider him to be worth anything.
4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering
    and carried our sorrows,
        but we thought that God had wounded him,
            beat him, and punished him.
5 He was wounded for our rebellious acts.
    He was crushed for our sins.
        He was punished so that we could have peace,
            and we received healing from his wounds.

Isaiah 53: 2-5, GW

3 Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?”

4 Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning 5 and that he said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one’?6 So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”

7 The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?”

8 Jesus answered them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. 9 I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.”

Matthew 19: 3-9, GW

 In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1: 1-2, Amplified

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16: 7, NKJV

For your questions email:

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

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The cross addressed it all: Revelation (Part 2)

Day 3

Scripture Reading:

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Isaiah 53:1, NIV

We are touched by Jesus statement, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (ref: John 9:5). Yes, brothers and sisters let us use the luminous presence of Jesus to overcome frustration in our works.

This includes spiritual and physical work. Jesus is still in the world therefore for instance, scientific discoveries for the advancement of the common well being of all men are possible. Furthermore, Jesus is still in the world and will reward all research as it is written, “Seek and you will find” (ref: Matthew 7:7).

What we are looking for has always been in our close proximity, all we need is revelation.

When we begin to seek, what is in our proximity becomes visible. We see when Moses interrogates himself on the burning bush, God made him aware that the power to save Israel was in his hands i.e. his staff (ref: Exodus 4: 1-5).

Revelation activates our talents and abilities. It makes our hidden potential evident.

The cross is a revelation that is unattainable through reason. However, if our physical eyes are opened (enlightened) to recognize the cross;  then our future is bright, it is knowable and can be understood : “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (ref: Ephesians 1:18 KJV)

Within the cross there is God’s revelation of Jesus Christ which is related to discovering ourselves. God revealed Christ that we might be revealed. Discovering Jesus is discovering oneself for our lives are hidden in Christ: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (ref: Colossians 3:3-4 NIV)

It is a form of death (cross) to give up one’s own way of thinking in order to be led by God through Jesus Christ to his magnificent, impenetrable light. The Revelation of God,  the Truth of life, is through Christ Jesus the ONLY way to the father.

Thus that is how we dare to believe that one does not need to consult fortune tellers and diviners to discover themselves but rather Jesus Christ.

Finally, consider that the level of revelation that we have of Jesus Christ is directly related to the level of revelation that we will have of ourselves.

Prayer and meditation

–          Lord Jesus, disperse the darkness in us and around us and lead us to the LIGHT.

–          Lord Jesus, give me a greater revelation of you that I may know myself better

Further Reading:

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9: 5, NIRV

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7,NIV

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

Exodus 4:1-5, NIV

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 1:16-19 KJV

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 

4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:3-4 NIV

For your questions email

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

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The cross addressed it all: Revelation (Part 1)

Day 2

Scripture Reading:

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Isaiah 53:1, NIV

In the second part of the verse, the prophet Isaiah asks a rhetorical question, “to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” It is from this question that we want to highlight that the cross is a place of revelation. The world is walking in a darkness that is tangible, even those that are well off are not exempt. It is hard for anyone to see a saviour in the roman punishment of  crucifixion for offenders. Yet Isaiah advises to see  the arm of the Lord in that. Now, remember it is this arm that God defends in Isaiah 59:1  saying,  “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,  nor his ear too dull to hear” [NIV]. Thus, far from us be the thought that the arm of the Lord is weak to save us! Our main problem when we think this way is a lack of revelation.

The cross is the truly the school of revelation, we can only draw near with unveiled faces otherwise we will mock the prince of our salvation. The world lives in a persistent darkness and Jesus testified about it on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing…”[ref: Luke 24: 34, NIV] Furthermore, the people of Naphthali and Zebulun were said to walk in the darkness according to Isaiah 9:1. The physical presence of Jesus in this region is translated by the prophet Isaiah as a sight of a great light. If there is a great light then there is also a lesser light. This episode is a recapitulation of the fourth day of creation where greater and lesser lights i.e. luminous bodies were created [ref: Genesis 1: 16]. We can therefore call this day of creation, the day of revelation. Jesus was truly a great light as Isaiah 9 puts it. If you remember, on the 4^th day of creation, the sun was the greater light that was made to rule the day. Jesus in John 9 says “the work is only possible in the day”  and He proclaims himself the light of the world while He is still in the world[ref: John 9: 4-5]. This analogy makes him equivalent to the greater light that rules the day.

Dear friends, let us be encouraged to see Jesus for all that He is. The strong arm of the Lord. Revelation. Great Light

Prayer and Meditation:

– Lord, may we recognize that you are the revelation and light of our lives.

Further reading:

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan-

Isaiah 9:1, NIV

God made two great lights–the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Genesis 1: 16, NIV

4 While it is still day, we must do the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9: 4-6, NIRV

For your questions email

Pastor Ebenezer  kilubaeben2000@gmail.com 

Pastor Joshua joshkiluba@gmail.com

For comments visit our blog at https://jtlvoice.wordpress.com/home/E

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jtlministries/

Follow us on twitter @JTLMinistries

Visit our website at http://jtlministries.org/