Things That Make Ministers: Spiritual Appointments

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Timothy 3:1-6(KJV); This is a true saying, if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach…Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he falls into the condemnation of the devil.

The Bible gives clear guidelines on the appointment of individuals to spiritual offices.

Giving generous donations to the church is not what qualifies one to be appointed to a spiritual office.

Getting actively involved in service is not a necessary benchmark because some people are very busy serving yet Paul calls them ‘busybodies.’

Neither should anyone be appointed to a spiritual office in order to retain and keep them within a ministry.

The Bible lays a standard and one of those standards is that the individual should not be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he falls into the condemnation of the devil.

I have seen novices appointed to spiritual offices only to be weighed by those very offices and found wanting.

Many have ‘limped off the altar’ and some have abandoned the presence of God because the crowns they were accorded were too heavy for them. 

Some have been appointed through church politics, favouritism games and some by sheer manipulation.

You owe accountability to God concerning the men and women you place on the altar to minister to the people of God. You are accountable to God for the lives they save or the ones they may destroy.

Every man that has been truly raised by God is humble in spirit. The Bible says that He exalts the humble (1 Peter 5:6).

As a minister of the gospel, you must be able to discern pride in a man because if you appoint any such one to a spiritual office, by that same pride, they will destroy themselves and in turn destroy many.

As a church, we must take spiritual appointments with the seriousness they deserve because, in the end, they are about the lives of the people God has trusted us with.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Peter 5:6, Titus 1:6-8

GOLDEN NUGGET:
You owe accountability to God concerning the men and women you place on the altar to minister to the people of God. You are accountable to God for the lives they save or the ones they may destroy.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this instruction. I receive it with humility and walk in its understanding. Your Word has made a minister out of me and as such, I know that heaven requires much from me. Because I know that I am a minister, I choose to humble myself before you in all things, to heed to your teachings, promptings and convictions. By this wisdom, I change those you have given me responsibility for. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Report Of The Elders

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 11:1-2(KJV); Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Elders in the scriptures are not those who are mature by age or have been around the church for a long time. They are those that have matured in faith.

For this reason, the Bible reveals that it is by faith that they obtained a good report.

Spiritual growth is not tagged to how long you have been saved. It is defined by your walk of faith in the God you believed.

How do we grow in grace? It starts with faith.

How do we grow in the miraculous and demonstration of power? It begins with faith.

How do you increase in the anointing and increase the anointing over your life? You must first believe it.

How do you grow in knowledge, wisdom and understanding? You must first believe.

Even in the imitations of those that have gone ahead of us, the Bible tells us that we must imitate their faith.

It is not the miracles that we imitate, it is not the teaching style that we imitate, it is their faith that we imitate.

You can never grow and mature in the things of the spirit above your level of faith.

It is faith that gives you access into the graces of the realm of God.

Do you want to grow in God? Start by making the choice to believe.

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 5:2, Romans 4:16

GOLDEN NUGGET:
You can never grow and mature in the things of the spirit above your level of faith. It is faith that gives you access into the graces of the realm of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Your Word says that whosoever comes to you must know that you are, and are a rewarder of those that diligently seek you. I believe you with all my heart and walk the path of faith in every area of my life. By faith, I have access to knowledge, to power and glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Architects Of The Church

1 Corinthians 3:10(KJV); According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Christ is building His church and He has entrusted us with that responsibility as co-labourers.

Paul laid the foundation and with it, a caution that every man (not some men), take heed how they build.

WE ARE ALL ARCHITECTS.

Each and every one of us is contributing to raising the edifice of the church and we must be careful how we build.

You are not merely a church attendant, you are an architect.

You are more than the person who cleans the chairs, you are an architect.

You are not just the one who preaches on the streets, you are an architect.

You are not just the one who mops, who follows up on new converts, who visits prisons, you are an architect!

How do you prophecy as an architect? How do you evangelise as an architect? How do you pastor as an architect? How do you teach as an architect?

In Ephesians 4:11-12, when God speaks of the fivefold ministry, He says that it is ‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…’ The Greek Word for edifying is oikodome which is translated to mean building.

Whatsoever you do for the gospel, have the mind of one who is building, one adding an extra block to the structure.

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 4:11-12, Matthew 16:18

GOLDEN NUGGET:

We are all architects of the Church of Christ.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for the great responsibility of building the Church. You have made me an able minister of the New Testament and equipped me with all the tools that I need to build. The wisdom to build is mine, the understanding that establishes is mine and the knowledge that brings increase is mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life Without Reproach

Apostle Grace Lubega

Joshua 5:9(KJV); And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

Gilgal was not in the Promised Land, it was in the wilderness.

However, something significant happened at Gilgal. At Gilgal, the children of Israel were circumcised by Joshua and when he did so, the Bible says that the Lord rolled away from them the reproach of Egypt.

There are Christians who are in the wilderness and have the reproach of Egypt.

There are Christians who are in the Promised Land and still bear the reproach of Egypt. There are Christians who are in the wilderness without the reproach of Egypt and there are Christians who are in the Promised Land without the reproach of Egypt.

The difference between these kinds of Christians is whether or not they were circumcised. This circumcision is that of the heart.

When the heart is circumcised, it hears God distinctively. A circumcised heart in the wilderness is better than an uncircumcised heart in the Promised Land.

It is better to hear God through your wilderness experience than fail to hear Him when you are enjoying increase and abundance.

In the wilderness, God will separate you from anything and anyone you might depend on, you may feel abandoned, tried and tested but it is important that your heart is circumcised, that you continually hear and discern God’s voice.

What makes any wilderness experience critical to your life are the things that God will minister to your heart when you are alone, in solitude and away from the crowd.

What you hear through your wilderness experience will define you when you are launched into abundance, it is what will humble you when blessings start to follow you and will continually keep you before God when the anointing upon your life starts to attract thousands of people.

God’s name be praised.

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 2:11, Romans 2:28-29

GOLDEN NUGGET:

In the wilderness, God will separate you from anything and anyone you might depend on, you may feel abandoned, tried and tested but it is important that your heart is circumcised, that you continually hear and discern God’s voice.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for the experiences that you continually take me through. Thank you for those moments of separation. My heart has been circumcised by the Spirit and you deal with me on matters of eternity. I hear you with distinction and clarity. These words are the echoes and signposts on the path of my destiny, pointing me to the end that you have designed for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Of Mantles

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Kings 19:19(KJV); So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yokes of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

Mantles are grown into.
Elisha did not receive the anointing, glory and responsibility that came with the mantle simply because Elijah cast it upon him.

Scripture reveals that he served Elijah to the letter. He followed him even when he was denied because he knew the price of what he wanted to receive.

What about David? He was anointed by Samuel to take the place of King Saul. But it was not obvious, that because he had received therefore he had acquired the office. David served Saul.

The Bible reveals that even when Saul sought to kill him, David behaved like a son toward Saul, he honoured the office and the anointing.

There are also people on the other side of this pendulum.

Take the example of Gehazi. He was meant to carry the mantle of Elisha but because of indifference to the things of the Spirit and to the mandate on Elisha’s life, he failed to grow into it.

When hands are laid upon you and words are spoken over your life, it is a confirmation of the designs that eternity and heaven have upon your life but it is not the guarantee that you will walk and live in the full manifestation of God’s blueprint for your life.

You can never grow into what you do not submit to. You can never attract what you do not honour.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Samuel 16, 2 Kings 5

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Mantles are grown into. You can never grow into what you do not submit to. You can never attract what you do not honour.

PRAYER:  Father, I thank you for this priceless wisdom. I receive it with humility because by it I grow. I know what you have placed upon my life and understand what was cast upon me. I look to those who you have set before me with honour and reverence and learn from them as patterns. In understanding, I imitate their faith, to the glory of your name, Amen.

Separation By The Sword

Apostle Grace Lubega

Luke 12:53(KJV); The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

When Christ spoke of a father divided against the son, a son against a father, a mother against a daughter and a daughter against the mother, He was not making reference to physical fights, arguments and disagreements.

Rather, He meant separation by the sword.

The Bible speaks of the sword of His Word and says ‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’(Hebrews 4:12).

When the Word sets you apart, you will start to look different from those around you: your friends, family and past acquaintances.

This separation is because it starts to differentiate your preferences from theirs. In the past, you may have loved to hang out and drink with your friends but as the Word continues its work in you, you find that you prefer solitude.

In the past, you may have loved to watch television all night long but as the Word continues to work in you, you will find that you prefer the presence of God.

This is not a separation that makes you rebellious. It is a separation that makes you more conscious of the need to number your days and apply your heart to the wisdom of God.

The separation of the sword will also separate you from fellow Christians who do not feel the way you feel about the things of God. You may be bothered by a lame man and they are not. You may have an urge to seek the face of God and they do not.

Embrace this with humility and allow God to work in you. Even if you may feel misunderstood, love must prevail through it all.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 10:34-36

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The separation of the Sword makes you more conscious of the need to number your days and apply your heart to the wisdom of God.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for this knowledge. I know that you are at work in me because of the assignment and mandate upon my life. I choose to seek your face with all my heart because when I do, the Bible assures me that I will surely find you. I do not want to live an ordinary life Lord. I cannot be a normal man. I have purposed to see all that you have planned that I see and experience. To the glory of your name, Amen.

The Magnificence Of The Temple – 3

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 3:1-8(KJV); Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk… And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Years ago, the Lord asked me, ‘why do you give coins to lame men?’ I did not have much of an answer, but he told me, ‘it is because that is all that you have.’

Look at Peter and John in our theme scripture. They told the lame man, ‘Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.’

Silver and gold should never be a substitute for Christ and what He can do.
But in how many ways has silver and gold replaced what Christ can do?

We give money to the sick without healing them because we are compensating for our lack of faith.

We develop programs to support the disabled because we think silver and gold will cover up for our failure to perform miracles.
Churches sponsor centres for the physically infirm and develop agendas on how to make them more comfortable and acceptable in their weakness because we think that for those, silver and gold is enough, Christ has no place for them except to give them hope in their suffering.

What is in you to give that is more than silver and gold?

Smith Wigglesworth was accused by the police of practising medicine without a license because he healed people.

Alexander Dowie spent time in courts of law fighting allegations that he practised medicine without a license because he healed disease by the power of God.

In you is the very power that raised Christ from the dead.

Before you think of giving silver and gold, think of giving Christ!

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Luke 9:1, Mark 16:17-18

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Silver and gold should never be a substitute for Christ and what He can do.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the power that you have placed inside me. Thank you for the anointing, thank you for the things that follow me because I believe. Today, I walk out in boldness, to demonstrate your spirit, to heal the sick and to cast out devils. I believe that I am anointed for these things and I do good everywhere that I am. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Temple’s Magnificence – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 3:1-8(KJV); Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk… And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

The beauty of the Church is not merely outside beauty, it is what is on the inside of us.

Our theme scripture speaks of a man who was lame from his mother’s womb and was always laid at the gate of the temple called beautiful.

This was beauty on the outside but there was no beauty on the inside because the man had not found an answer to his life’s issues inside the temple.

When Peter and John met him, they introduced him to a different kind of beauty.

Their’s was an inner beauty that came with answers.
Peter told the man, ‘Such as I have, I give thee…’ He reached within himself and what came out was beautiful!

The spirit of God in the inside of us is the perfection of beauty. It is beautiful when we heal men of disease, it is beautiful when we cast out devils, it is beautiful when we deliver them from all forms of affliction.

The bible says, out of you shall flow rivers of living water. That is the beauty on the inside.

Some people are too busy perfecting the outside to define beauty.

Stir up beauty on the inside. That is what attracts. That is what got the lame man from outside the temple to follow Peter and John into the temple.

Stir it up by speaking it forth. Stir it up by continually believing that greatness and beauty are inside you.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: John 7:37-39, Psalm 50:2

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Stir up beauty on the inside. That is what attracts. Stir it up by speaking it forth. Stir it up by continually believing that greatness and beauty are inside you.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this day. More than ever I acknowledge what you have placed on the inside of me. The Bible says that you have placed eternity in my heart. What is in me is everlasting, unending and incorruptible. What is in me beautifies my world, it heals, it delivers, it uplifts and it refreshes. I am an answer to the world because of the beauty of the spirit that is flowing out of me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Temple’s Magnificence – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Acts 3:1-6(KJV); Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

During the age of Catholic Christianity, (315 to 590 AD), the Church had grown excessively wealthy.

In this period, a story is told of Dominic, a Friar who had started an order of clergymen living lives of simplicity and poverty. When he was in Rome, seeking authorisation for his order, he was given a tour of the treasures of the Vatican.

The clergyman with him said, ‘Peter can no longer say, silver and gold have I none.’ To which Dominic replied, ‘No and neither can he say, Rise and walk.’

They had built great and impressive structures and this was their definition of magnificence.

They had buildings but without power, structures without the presence of God.

This was a misunderstanding of the magnificence of the Church.

It does not mean that the church should not have good physical structures. It should because this brings glory to God. It does not mean that the church should not have silver and gold or participate in the political arena where counsel is needed.

Regardless of the wonderful buildings, money and political influence, the author of beauty in the Church is the person of the Holy Spirit.

The manifestation of God’s glory and the demonstration of His power give the Church its magnificence.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 4:20, 1 Corinthians 2:4

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Regardless of the wonderful buildings, money and political influence, the author of beauty in the Church is the person of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for the Word for today. I know that the kingdom of God is not mere talk but it is in power. For Christ is both the wisdom and the power of God. I carry the fullness of God and so I carry power. I have been anointed for great things, to shake and empty hell and to demonstrate you everywhere that I am. This is my life and story. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Life Of True Confession

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 3:1(KJV); Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

Christ is the High Priest of our profession.

The Greek word for profession as used in our theme scripture is ‘homologia’ which is translated to mean confession.

When you got Born Again and received Christ, He was your first right confession. You were Born Again into a life of right confession.

Every word that proceeds from your mouth after confessing Christ must be aligned to His Word.

It is expected by heaven that the confession of your lips be in agreement with the scriptures.

This is why Philemon 1:6 emphasises, ‘That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.’

When you entered Christ, you entered a life of acknowledging the good things that are IN HIM.

That is why with boldness, we acknowledge that we are blessed in all that we do.

It is why regardless of a doctor’s report, we declare that by His stripes we were healed.

It is why we declare that we are above and not beneath, the light of the world, agents of change, we have the life of God and we can never fail!

This is the life we were born into.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Philemon 1:6, Romans 10:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Every Word that proceeds from your mouth after confessing Christ must be aligned to His Word. When you entered Christ, you entered a life of acknowledging the good things that are IN HIM.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this knowledge. The confessions of my lips are aligned with your Word. Regardless of the circumstance, my lips resound the truth of the scriptures because this is my life. I have mastery over my words and exercise myself in this every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Seed That Begs Not Bread

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 37:25(KJV); I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

As a child of God, the Lord is your source.

David emphasises this truth when he says that he has not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.

By the testimony of Luke 8:11, the seed is the Word of God.

The true message of Christ does not beg for bread.

If a man of God must manipulate his congregation to give to him, that is seed begging for bread.

When a Christian who has sat under the gospel for years has to depend on others for sustenance, that is seed begging for bread.

The true message of Christ gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

It empowers us to be creators of wealth and not victims of lack. It gives us the ability to be answers and not questions, solutions and not problems.

This is the message of grace because it gives us divine ability outside our personal efforts towards success. It is the message that makes God the wealth creator in us; God the answer in us and God the solution to life’s issues in us.

Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 9:10

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The true message of Christ gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. It empowers us to be creators of wealth and not victims of lack. It gives us the ability to be answers and not questions, solutions and not problems.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for because every day, you expose me to the true message of the gospel. The Word has empowered me to be a pioneer of great things, to not just impact my world but to transform it for the sake of your kingdom. I humble and yield my spirit to sound doctrine. I hear the truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Branded

Apostle Grace Lubega

2 Corinthians 3:2-3(KJV); Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

God has branded you.

Sadly, some men are in the business of misrepresenting themselves to their own selves and to other men.

Look at Gideon. Here was a man who thought himself weak and incapable of leading an army. God called him a mighty man of valour. That was a brand.

How about Abraham? By the testimony of heaven, he was a father to nations but there he was crying for a seed. When God asked him to count the stars, he was asking him to understand his brand.

How about Elijah, the chariot and horsemen of Israel, an army in one man. But there he was fleeing Jezebel. He did not understand the brand.

How about you child of God?

The Bible is full of your brand attributes.

Strength–You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.

Consistency–We are not of them that draw back into perdition.

Relevance–The path of the just shines brighter and brighter unto a perfect day.

The list is endless child of God. The Spirit has branded you to the entire world.

You are your best salesman and He does not expect you to misrepresent yourself. Live in the consciousness of a branded spirit. Speak the things you know you are in God. Act like who He has declared you to be because that is your brand.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Peter 2:9, Isaiah 60:3

GOLDEN NUGGET:

God has branded you. Live in the consciousness of a branded spirit. Speak the things you know you are in God. Act like who He has declared you to be because that is your brand.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for my identity in you. I am set apart for greatness, molded for exploits and fashioned for wonders. I know who I am! Nothing can change the truth of what you have made me. Because of this consciousness, doors are opened to me and men listen when I speak. In Jesus’ name. Amen.