The Fathering Spirit – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Malachi 4:6(KJV); And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

We live in a world where the concept of fatherhood is slowly dying.

The concept of family which is the nexus of society is being distorted by the deliberate work of the enemy.

In today’s world, some men have failed to step up to their responsibilities as fathers; some men feel that they are now women while some women feel like they are men.

The results of this disintegration can be felt by the societies that are championing such liberalism while sacrificing fundamental family values.

In a 2017 US Census Bureau for example, it was found that among 19.7 million children in the United States, one in four live without a father in the home.

Consequently, there is a ‘father factor’ in all the societal ills facing America today. These range from these children’s susceptibility to criminal lifestyles, rape cases, domestic violence, a sharp rise in divorce rates and teen suicides.

But what is the root cause of this problem?

It can only be spiritual before it is physical.

The issue is that the world cannot get this concept of fatherhood right if the Church has not gotten it right. The fatherhood crisis in our world today is a reflection of the fatherhood crisis in the Church today.

The fathering spirit is one of the deepest components of Christian identity. One cannot speak of the Christian Faith and not speak of spiritual fathering as a cornerstone to the foundation of the Church.

It is a pattern of ministry that the Church cannot hide from no matter how much we bury our heads in the sand.

Everyone needs an authority to nurture them in any spiritual office. Joshua had Moses; David had Saul; Samuel had Eli; Elisha had Elijah; Timothy and Titus had Paul the Apostle.

In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul speaks of the experiences of his day, of how the Church then had thousands of instructors but a few fathers.

So it is today.

Spiritual fatherhood [and motherhood] is divine. That is the order of accountability that God has established for the local Church. There is no other.

Until the Church awakens to this reality, any attempts to change the families of this world will be in vain.

To the individual Christian, are you submitted to a spiritual authority?

Do you account your life to someone? It is not a position you are forced into; it must come with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

However, the underlying truth remains; you need to submit your life to a spiritual authority.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 4:15, Hebrews 13:17

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Spiritual fatherhood [and motherhood] is divine. That is the order of accountability that God has established for the local Church. There is no other.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I receive it with all humility. I know that you cannot trust me with the lives of men when I have not trusted mine to another. I choose to walk in the patterns of salvation because it is the right way; the God way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Understanding The Resurrected Life

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Corinthians 5:17-18(KJV); Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation

The resurrected life has been largely misunderstood by legalists because many underscore the implications of the new birth. 

What happens when a person is Born Again is phenomenal. They receive the very Spirit of God and all the perfection that comes with Him.

The Bible says that everything about that person is of God. 
So you ask, how come he or she still struggles with certain habits?

Understand that the weaknesses of a new creature in Christ are weaknesses of the flesh and not weaknesses of the spirit. His spirit is perfect in and before God.

God went a step further to undermine the power of weakness in the flesh by demanding that we should no longer regard any man according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16). 

Why is this so? 

It cannot be of God and yet be of the flesh because flesh cannot glory in His presence. 

Because everything is of God, the essence of God swallows up even that which is of the flesh and renders it insignificant in His sight.

You are of God and because you are, perfection is your portion. 
His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 5:16, Colossians 1:28

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The weaknesses of a new creature in Christ are weaknesses of the flesh and not weaknesses of the spirit. His spirit is perfect in and before God.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I embrace this truth and live it as my reality. My spirit is one with Christ and I walk in the consciousness of a Christ being. 
In God I live, move and have my being and as I exercise my spirit to this reality, the perfection of the Spirit is manifest through every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of The Person Of The Holy Spirit

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ephesians 4:30(KJV); And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The Spirit of God is very gentle. He does not strive with flesh(Genesis 6:3).

Sadly, this very nature of His Person is the very reason why some Christians continually grieve Him.

He is an ever present counsellor, the voice of wisdom in our spirits, telling us what to do and what not to do, where to go and where not to go, what to say and what not to say.

Many miss these instructions because of the gentleness by which He instructs us.

Child of God, you ought to exercise your spirit to pick His slightest nudges because sometimes it is the difference between life and death.

It is possible to ignore His voice and do contrary to what the still small voice in your spirit instructed but you must be quick to repent in such moments because that is what grows us in hearing and heeding to Him.

The reason why some Christians who have been in the faith for long commit shocking acts that are least expected of them is because they killed this place of hearing and adhering in their spirits.

They consistently ignored the voice of the Spirit until it no longer mattered whether He spoke or not.

The moment you realise that you missed an instruction and erred, turn to Him in humility with the willingness to be more conscious of what He says.

Never simply shrug it off with no sense of care but rather take heed like you would regarding your personal friend. Give His voice a very distinct sense of honour!

Be deliberate in building this relationship with Him; in being conscious of when He speaks.
His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 1:13-14

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The Spirit of God is very gentle. He does not strive with flesh. Be deliberate in building a relationship with Him and in being conscious of when He speaks.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for the precious and priceless gift of the Holy Spirit, my comforter, my strength, my wisdom and my ever present help in times of need. My soul and spirit are completely yielded to Him, to hear Him and to know Him more every day. May I feel Him more; may I understand when I grieve Him and have the humility to turn back quickly. May He become the centre of my existence and the rhythm of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen

How We Win – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 12:2[AMP]; Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Part of Christian warfare is the ability to despise and ignore shame, pain or suffering. 

Like our theme scripture reveals, Christ endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame.

Pain and shame are amplified by the focus and attention we give to them. However, one must learn to ignore them, giving no heed to them and behaving like they have nothing on you!

If you receive a bad report from a doctor, you must be bold enough to ask yourself, ‘What power does stage 4 cancer have over me? Is that it?’

If you are having financial troubles in your business outside your control, you should be bold enough to ask, ‘Only this slight discomfort? This too shall pass’ 

This was the very attitude of Paul when it came to persecution and suffering. He called them light afflictions (2 Corinthians 4:17). 

The Message version of this scripture calls them ‘small potatoes.’

Think about it for a moment! 

He was fought and slandered everywhere he went. In one city, he was stoned to an inch of his life but he looked at the sum of all his pain and called it ‘light’.

Child of God, learn to see all circumstances through the eyes of God and they will quickly become very small.

Despise them. Don’t ascribe to them power they do not have.

Exercise your spirit in the craziness of this faith. 
Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 4:17, Romans 5:3-5

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Pain and shame are amplified by the focus and attention we give to them. However, you must learn to ignore them, to give them no heed and to behave like they have nothing to you!

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. What a beautiful truth! I know that I am bigger than anything that comes my way. I look at circumstances through the eyes of truth. Greater is You that is in me than the devil that is in the world. This is my attitude in adversity and the guarantee of my victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How We Win – 1

The Things That Invite Us – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

John 6:44(KJV); No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

We were invited to the life of the gospel, we did not invite ourselves. Like our theme scripture reveals, no man can come to Jesus except the Father draws him.

He did not invite you to a life of failure; He did not invite you to a life of struggle; He did not invite you to a life of affliction, He invited you to a life of victory.

When things invite us, everything in heaven and earth orders itself in our favour. This is why the life of salvation is easy and not difficult as many are prone to say.

Because he understood this invitation and its implications, the Apostle Paul said, ‘…Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.’(Hebrews 6:9).

Look at the pattern of invitations in the scriptures and you will understand that they have a predetermined end in success.

Paul was invited by the Macedonian Church, they turned out to be a great support to him and his ministry(Acts 16:9).

Joseph was invited by his destiny and ended up as the Prime Minister of Egypt with the capacity to feed the entire world during a famine.

David was invited by an anointing to kingship over Israel and to this day, he is one of the greatest kings that ever ruled God’s people.

God invited you to salvation. Your journey is beautiful, your future is bright and your end is blessed. Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 6:9, Acts 16:9

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God invited you to salvation. Your journey is beautiful, your future is bright and your end is blessed.

PRAYER: My loving Father, I thank you for who I am and what you have made me. Thank you for the grace that drew me to you and gave me a brand new life and spirit. I rejoice in this life of salvation and with gladness, I continually draw from its wells. I know that I cannot fail because when I was invited into this life, I was invited into success. I know that I am shining brighter every other day because when I was invited into this life, I was invited to progress. To the glory of your name, Amen.

The True Place Of Access

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 5:2(KJV); By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Having proximity to an anointed man or woman of God is not necessarily access to the grace that is at work in that man or woman.

William Seymour lived in an era of blunt racism. During Charles Parham’s classes, he had to sit outside since he was a black man and could only receive the teachings by listening through a window. Amazingly, this was no barrier to the work of God.

Seymour was called and anointed by God and this was regardless of his distance from the man of God Charles Parham as he preached.

Faith is our true access, like our theme scripture says.

You may live around an anointing and never receive from it because you have not exercised yourself in the principles that can receive from it or simply because you became too familiar with what is easily available.

Another man miles away, who probably only watches that anointing on a television or his only access are books written by that man of God may receive more from it.

The difference is faith.

Faith is the foundation of the honour we give to the anointing because you cannot honour what you do not believe in.

Hunger for the things of the spirit starts with faith. Impartations of mantles start with faith. All manner of access begins with faith.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 13:7, Ephesians 3:12

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Hunger for the things of the spirit starts with faith. Impartations of mantles start with faith.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. I receive this wisdom with humility and cultivate it with understanding. I honour the men and women you have set before me as patterns and choose to receive from what is upon their lives by this principle. I am a partaker of their graces because I take the path of faith. I believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Blessing Of Identity

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 16:17-18(MSG); Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

The Spirit of Revelation carries a divine blessing. This divine blessing is the revelation of identity. 

By the Spirit of revelation, Simon pronounced the divine identity of Christ. Christ responded by telling him, ‘And Now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are.’ 

He unveiled Peter’s identity in the spirit.

This identity was regardless of Peter’s physical appearance, his weaknesses or his strengths. This identity did not change even when Peter denied the Lord and Master three times, it was who he was spiritually.

Every time God is revealed to us, our identity in Him is also unveiled.

The more we know Him, the more we know of ourselves in Him. The deeper you know God, the deeper you know who you are in Him. 

Some people have over the years tried to find themselves in God. They have gone on journeys of self-discovery and asked existential questions like, ‘Who am I?’ ‘Why am I here on this earth?’ ‘What is my purpose?’

True answers to those questions only come as Christ is continually revealed to us because in knowing Him, we understand ourselves. 
Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Revelation 2:17, Isaiah 43:1

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Every time God is revealed to us, our identity in Him is also unveiled. The more we know Him, the more we know of ourselves in Him.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this day. Thank you for your Word and divine truth. The Spirit of revelation is at work in me, unveiling the true reality of my life, showing me my real identity in Christ. I make the choice this day to know you more, to hunger after a deeper knowledge of you because in finding you, I find myself. 
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Stay Hungry

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 42:1(KJV); As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

We live in a world of options.

With the advancement in knowledge and of technology, more options are being given to mankind.

Advancements in medicine offer options to faith in the healing power of God.

Advancements in intellectual thought and reason offer options to the power of the Word of God.

As men’s achievements increase and become more sophisticated, to some, God, the creator of the universe has also become an option.

As the options increase, men find subsitutues for what is divinely ordered by God. Sadly, some Christians have also been swayed because what the world is offering is satisfactory.

This ought not to be so, child of God.

As the options increase, it is important that the church of Christ remains hungry for God.

The world will continue to offer answers to the problems of mankind. This does not mean that God was not behind these solutions because He is wisdom and this same wisdom is the mother of all invention.

Stay hungry child of God!

As the alternatives increase in our world, stay hungry. As the debates on whether God is important to mankind increase, stay hungry.

As questions on the superiority of man as the master of his fate and captain of his soul increase, stay hungry.

FURTHER STUDY: Jeremiah 29:13, Psalm 84:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:
As the alternatives increase in our world, stay hungry. As the debates on whether God is important to mankind increase, stay hungry. As questions on the superiority of man as the master of his fate and captain of his soul increase, stay hungry.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. My soul thirsts after you. I am hungrier for you today than I was yesterday. I will be hungrier tomorrow than I am today. I will be hungrier in the coming years than I am this year. You continuously fan the flames of my desire for you until I am consumed by divine hunger. In Jesus’ name, Amen

You Are The Message

Apostle Grace Lubega 

1 Thessalonians 1:8(MSG); The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore–[you’re] the message!

The Word of God can consume a man entirely until that man becomes the Message. 

This was the very experience of the Thessalonian church in our theme scripture.

But what was so unique about the Thessalonian church in their relationship with the Word of God?

In 1 Thessalonains 2:13, Paul says of this church, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

When the Word was preached to them, they received it not as the words of men but as the Words of God. Therein is the power.

Everytime we embrace the Word and acknowledge that it is from God Himself, it works in us to turn us into what it says.

This is your story as a believer. You do not merely speak about healing, you are healing. You do not merely speak of God’s divine providence, you are that providence. You don’t merely teach wisdom, you are the epitome of wisdom.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 3:16, Isaiah 55:11

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Everytime we embrace the Word and acknowledge that it is from God Himself, it works in us to turn us into what it says.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you because your Word dwells richly in me. It has consumed every area of my being and dictates my every action. I breathe, walk and sleep the Word. It is in my blood, mind, heart and bones. It is the mark of my speech and the basis of my decisions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Pattern

Apostle Grace Lubega 

Hebrews 12:2(MSG); Keep your eyes on [Jesus], who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed–that exhilarating finish in and with God–he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s [there], in the place of honor, right alongside God.

Christ is our pattern. Everything He said and did set an example of how we are to live as children of the Most High God. Our theme scripture instructs us to watch Him.

When we examine the life of Christ, we find therein how we ought to respond to circumstances. Our theme scripture says we should watch how He does it.

What did He do when He was caught in a storm? He slept! It is divine wisdom to sleep through storms.

What did He do when He met a lame man, a blind man, a dead child? He commanded the lame to walk, the blind to see and the dead to rise. 
It is divine to walk in the simplicity of miracles.

What did He do when a fig tree refused to yield its fruit to Him? He cursed it. It is divine to expect provision from things in and out of their season.

What did He do in the face of betrayal? He forgave. It is divine nature to walk by the royal law of love.

Jesus showed us how to live the God life no matter the situation. That is the reason we set our eyes on Him and why we look to Him at all times.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 15:4, Colossians 3:1

GOLDEN NUGGET:
When we examine the life of Christ, we find therein how we ought to respond to circumstances. He showed us how to live the God life no matter the situation. That is the reason we set our eyes on Him and why we look to Him at all times.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for your Word. My eyes are set on you. I do as I see my father do. My life is an example of the God life lived to the fullest. I respond to circumstances with the consciousness that it is you responding in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Calling Visions To Life

Apostle Grace Lubega 

Isaiah 66:9(KJV); Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

Visions are children in the wombs of our individual appointed times.

The appointed times of the Spirit are very critical because they hold visions until the time of their delivery. If these appointed times are frustrated, one will have a ‘miscarriage’.

This is the reason why we have seen aborted visions and dreams that are never carried up to full term. 

This, however, is not the story of a child of God. 

In our theme scripture, God asks the rhetorical question. ‘Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?’

God has not placed that dream in your spirit for it to die a premature death. He has not given you a vision for it to collapse before it sees the light of day. He has not given you an idea for it to remain in your mind and never to manifest in reality.

Dreams, visions and ideas come to life during the appointed times. 

These appointed times have signs and as a child of God, you must be sensitive to these signs. 

To Elijah, it was the cloud in the sky, the size of a man’s fist; to Rebecca, it was a stranger stranded with no one to feed his camels; to the wise men from the East, it was a star. What is your sign?!

Like every pregnant mother has labour pangs before delivery, these signs are pangs and you must recognise them as such.

It doesn’t matter how small it seems. It might be a meeting with an individual; it may be an instruction to pick up the phone and call someone; it might be an urge to separate yourself and pray. 

Learn to discern the signs of your appointed times for in discerning these signs, you will bring forth visions.

Glory to God.

FURTHER STUDY: Luke 12:56, Hebrews 12:2

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Visions are children in the wombs of our individual appointed times.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for the dreams, ideas and visions you have placed in my heart and my spirit. I know the wisdom by which I must bring forth. I recognise the signs of my times and respond to them in knowledge. I never miss an opportunity prepared for me because I live life in this understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.