LIVING A VICTORIOUS LIFE

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

At the dawn of each day we are faced with a choice of the path we are to take; whether it is a forward path or one that takes us backwards. As Christians we are trekking the salvation journey and the way we conduct our life on this journey affects every aspect of our being – quality of our relationship with God and people; and also our victories and defeats.

The bible teaches us that walking a victorious life is not fiction, but possible under the new covenant of the blood of Jesus Christ. Many popular men in the bible like, David, Moses, Joseph, Jacob and Abraham lived victorious lives, and so can we by God’s grace. Living a victorious life does not mean you will not face challenges, it simply means that in the wake of challenges you stand strong on the promises of God and you be able to overcome. Paul knew what it meant to live a victorious life when he said; “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. We need to learn from the lives of those whom God has used and is still using in order to also know how to live victoriously. 

Live a Prayerful Life

One thing common with victorious people is their communication with God and this is through prayer; they inquired of Him in all situations. They prayed before going to war and before committing to any covenant or agreement with anyone. They prayed to get direction for each decision they were to make and were obedient to God which brought them victory. If we also want to be victorious, we have got to pray and inquire of the Lord in all aspects of life.

We must also learn to bank our prayers for the future; always pray ahead of every day, week, month and year.  The devil plans ahead of time thus we need to be more vigilant and pray for our future plans. At the dawn of every day, pray against the weapons that have been formed against your life, family, job or business, and rebuke every tongue that has risen up to fight against you by declaring God’s word (Isaiah: 54:17)

People form all sorts of weapons against us, our families, children, jobs, etc. and many send these weapons against us when we are sleeping at night through witchcraft or by way of malice and spreading lies. Psalm 62:4 (NKJV) reminds us that; 
“They consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.”

Many of the weapons against us are from people close to us that we do not even suspect at all (Mathew 10:36). Friends we live in a sinful greedy world that does not understand the abundance of our God; they are jealous and feel bad about what you have achieved not knowing that God has so much in his glorious riches in heaven that he can give to them if they surrendered to Him. Furthermore, every New Year should find you in the house of the Lord, seeking His Rhema word and plan of that New Year 

Wage Spiritual Warfare

We are all born fighters - you must be a warrior in order to get what you desire and attain victory! This is in counterpoint with the vision of Miracle Christian Fellowship Ministries which is; to train and equip an army in the body of Christ to make war in the later. Just like the bible says in Palms 18:34 (NLT) that; 
“He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.”

We learn from Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:7 that we are all fighters and there are no civilians in the kingdom of God, and in order to achieve anything in this world we have got to fight. God knows we are on the front lines of spiritual warfare, and to withstand, we must depend on his strength and use every piece of His armor; however, our weapons are not carnal but mighty in Him (2 Corinthians 10:4). God has provided us with weapons to stand our ground and fight against the principalities, rulers of the darkness of this world and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly places that hinder our success and victory.

Brethren the devil is not sleeping or forgiving, his days are numbered and he knows time is running out so he will not stop fighting and discouraging you, so you should be wise and vigilant.  The bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) to; 
“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour”.

Therefore we need to fight the forces that fight against us through people, because: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” - Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

When you pray against something and it continues to happen over and again in your life, it is a sign that you have not destroyed that power yet, pray until you get God’s answer for deliverance. Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:17 (NKJV) that; 
“I also say unto you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it”.

The rock He was referring to is the divine revelation and confession of faith in Christ that had just been made by Peter in Mathew 16:16. This only comes from the word of God. Pray in the word that God gave you through the bible or prophesy because that word is the rock on which God shall stand to give you victory 

Seek Knowledge

Every area of struggle in our life reveals an area of ignorance or need for growth. Hosea 4:6 (NKJV) says; 
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also will reject you”.

We need knowledge, about the things of God - for God does not work with the ignorant. Some of the ways we can acquire knowledge about God's will and ways is by attending fellowships, reading the bible, reading Christian books and spending time with spiritually mature Christian friends. Let us seek knowledge about God, understand it and apply the knowledge that we acquire – for when you know better, you do better 

Make Fasting Part of Your Life

When you fast, you last! Christians are expected to fast, in order to draw closer to God through meditating and focusing on Him. Many victorious individuals in the bible fasted and drew closer to God which brought them victory in different aspects of their walk with God.

At the start of every month take some time to fast and pray for God’s protection and fulfillment of his promises in the new month according to his will: Weekly – fast and pray by breaking the devil’s plans; monthly– fast and close the devil’s doors and avenues; Yearly - fast and pray, by uprooting evil plans and plant blessings, and declare and prophesy what you want in the new year for your ministry, spiritual life, work and family. 

Act Fast / Make Haste

Always do what the Lord tells to do quickly; do not delay as this may give the devil time to challenge or divert your plans. The devil does not know our plans but he hears them when we speak out. Jeremiah 1:10 (NIV) says; 
“See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

Every time you pray, ensure to uproot and pull down evil powers, or problems in your life, and remember to plant blessings and build new foundations of prayer, salvation, financial breakthrough etc. 

Create and Prophesy

The bible declares in 1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) that; “for we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building”. 

We are co-workers with God and therefore our tongues have power over life or death. Proverbs 18:20 (NKJV) says “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”.

For this reason we can create and prophesy into our lives. Speak death and cancel all plans of the enemy, and then speak life and blessings over your life, family, job and spiritual life. And prophesy to those four areas of your life, create what you want and uproot what is from the enemy and you will be victorious over all his schemes. Job 22: 28 (NKJV) says; 
“You will also declare a thing, and it shall be established for you; so light will shine upon your ways.”

May God bless you!

GOD TESTS OUR FAITH

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Genesis 22:1-2 (HCSB)

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about”.

God Chooses the Sacrifice

God tested Abraham to confirm if he truly loved Him by requesting him to sacrifice his son - Isaac. Isaac was the son of the promise and the happiness of the family yet he is the one God desired as a sacrifice. Everyone has an “Isaac” (source of happiness) in his life and God might ask you of your Isaac in order to test your faith and examine your obedience, and ultimately bless you. God wanted Abraham to take his love away from the miracle and put it on the miracle worker; God hates idolatry and He desires to be the only one that is worshiped and exalted.  

Abraham with a lot of heaviness in his heart accepted to give up the blessing of the child that had canceled a reproach upon his family. There is a great lesson here; worshiping the God of Salvation is always accompanied by a sacrifice out of what He has given you, be it money, land, house, job, wisdom etc.  From Abraham’s experience, we learn that we have to come into the presence of God with what He has told us to bring, or not offer what we think. 

Abraham passed the test of faith because he knew the one true God who gives and takes away, and was certain He would give him another child. Abraham had many slaves, He could have sacrificed one of those, but he was asked to sacrifice nothing else but his only son; God himself chooses the sacrifice and it’s up to you to obey without excuses – for excuses is the first step to disobedience. 

Salvation is Personal

Abraham did not tell Sarah about the instruction to sacrifice their son neither did he make consultations. Do not reason with your mind or make consultations if you want to stay obedient. (Matthew 6:3). God loves godly ideas rather than good ideas. People will give you good ideas but those are not necessarily godly ideas. Abraham did not consult anyone but he just set off with Isaac and a few servants. We read this in Genesis 22:3-5 (NIV) that;

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4“On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you”   

From the scripture we also learn that whenever you are going to worship, you don't need to go the altar with everyone; some people should be left behind. We see that Abraham left his slaves at a distance and proceeded to the altar with Isaac. You need not to involve family or friends in spiritual matters like fasting, sowing seed, tithing etc. especially if they are not yet believers – Salvation is personal and it’s about having a personal relationship with Jesus. 

God Will Provide

Despite Isaac being a son of the promise and greatly loved, Abraham made him carry the firewood to be used to burn the sacrifice. There is a great lesson here from Abraham; we need to teach our children to be hardworking as a way of preparing them for a good future (Genesis 22:6). When Isaac asked his father for the lamb to be sacrificed, Abraham replied in Genesis 22:8 (NIV) that; “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son”.  

During this lock-down period, what you do not have, God will provide. God himself will provide for what He started - for the battle is not yours but God’s (Phil 4:19). We see further on that Isaac did not fight his father as he laid him down to be sacrificed. Isaac seemed confident that his father could not actually sacrifice him because of the lovely relationship both enjoyed. Genesis 22:9 (NIV) says;

“When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood”.

We learn from this that God cannot give us up to be consumed because of the blood covenant between Him and us. As Christians, God has brought us from very far and cannot leave us where we are. The way God has loved you and the things he has done for you so far, are a confirmation that He will not forsake you. The problem is that we tend to focus on what we have not yet received and ignore what God has done for us so far, and for you to be grateful and with gratitude, always compare yourself with your background and not with other people.

Our Saviour King is a God of action, as it is commonly said, actions speak louder than words. And when it was time to sacrifice, Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, but God stopped him and provided a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son. Genesis 22:11-14 (NIV) says;

 “But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.  “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. 12 “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son”. 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” 

Blessings Follow Obedience

Abraham’s experience was a shadow of what God would do later in the New Testament when Jesus cried with a loud voice at the cross, saying, in Matthew 27:46 (NIV) that; “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 
Similarly, Isaac saw his father forsaking him but the lamb appeared just before he could be killed. God chose a place where Abraham was to offer the sacrifice (Genesis 22:2) - God only works if you are in the right place. Some of you God bypassed you because you are in the wrong place. The presence of God surrounded Isaac and even fear disappeared - Isaac was not afraid or annoyed with his father because the presence of God was upon them; God himself was present to deal with the situation.

Abraham passed the test of faith God had set and after God spoke a blessing and multiplication. Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV) says;

‘The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me”.  

We later on see that Abraham returned from sacrificing and together with his servants they set off for Beersheba (Gen 22:19). The slaves knew nothing about what happened unless if Isaac narrated the story later on. Abraham must have told his son not to speak of what they had gone through; matters of the church should remain in church; we should therefore be careful and draw a line as one might make those who do not yet know God to blaspheme and attract a curse against them. Let us therefore endeavor to separate faith matters or church matters from family or office matters to avoid leading people astray.

I appeal to you to listen to the voice of God and be obedient; for when you obey and act in faith, you shall be blessed and take possession of the land.

God bless you so much!

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORKS

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Jesus ministered among His disciples - He preached, taught and prayed with them on several occasions and also faced challenges with them. When Jesus called the disciples, they did not understand Him from the start; even though they followed Him, they took long to understand Him and His mission. 

Jesus, Born of God

Mathew 16:15-16 (NKJV)

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

One day, Jesus was preaching about His Father and Phillip asked Him in John 14:8-9 (NIV) that;

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father’? 

Jesus noticed that after three years of ministry Phillip had not understood or got a revelation of Him. Perhaps you are like Phillip; you have never known that Jesus is God. In the world today most people know about Christ, few people know Him and fewer people know and do His will. There is a small portion of people like Simon Peter who know and have a revelation of who Christ is as evidenced by his answer in the scripture above

Jesus the son of God came in flesh but within Him was the Father and that is why He was given the name Immanuel, which translates God is with us. God decided to come and dwell with us through His one and only son. Matthew 1:23 (NIV) says;

 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us).”

Many scriptures and prophets, Isaiah inclusive foretold the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14). All this meant that the child - Jesus is God incarnate. So here is Phillip asking Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus asked him if he did not know he was the Father. This happened because God conceals godly things; divine things are concealed and it’s only the Holy Spirit that can enlighten the eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:18) and open our spiritual ears to reveal them to us. Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV) says;

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” 

Holy Spirit – Revealer of Truth

John 14:16-17 (GNT)

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God”

Just like Phillip, there are some Christians that are ignorant about Christ and His will. They follow Christ but have no revelation behind what they are following or believed. However, with the Holy Spirit, the secret things and truth about God is revealed unto you.

The reason why Phillip had no revelation of who the Father was is because he wasn't filled with the Holy Spirit, though he was a follower of Jesus. So is the same in church today; some Christians are spirit-filled and others are not; some understand mysteries of the Kingdom and others don’t; some say eternal life is real, others are not sure. But you need the Holy Spirit who reveals secret things and all truth about Jesus and His ways.

There are many things preachers don’t tell you during the sermons because they cannot extensively exhaust the bible in its entirety but if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will teach you all things and reveal the truth about God to you. The bible says in John 14:26 (NIV) that;

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

There are men of God who prophesied about this pandemic, one was in Uganda and another one in West Africa. They prophesied that there was a sickness that was going to come in form of flu. God revealed this season, He knew it was going to come and warned His children through His servants (Amos 3:7). If you have the Spirit of God, it becomes easy for you to understand the word of God because you have an interpreter and a revealer of God’s deep secrets. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NLT) that;

“No eye has seen, no ear has head, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.” 

Spirit At Work In Us

When Jesus was taken, it pleased God to give the world the gift of the Holy Spirit. I call it a gift because in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come and rest upon the prophets and then go back – for they were never filled with the Holy Spirit because the temple hadn’t been cleansed (Isaiah 42:1, Numb 11:25, 1 Sam 10:10). But thanks be to Jesus, the Lamb of God who died a sacrificial death (John 20:22) and shade His blood to give us an advocate (John 14:26).

Many people want and are questioning how they can be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the answer; if you accept Jesus as your Saviour and confess your sins, God will give you a gift of the Holy Spirit; He will cleanse your body and then come and dwell in you. For when you become born-again, the old ceases and you become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) filled with the Holy Spirit and also bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).

In the Old Testament, the bible says that their righteousness was mere rags (Isaiah 64:6); they could not reach God’s measure but when the Holy Spirit came, He gave us power to become the children of God. Its the Holy Spirit that can give you power to become what God purposed you to be. If you want to go to heaven, if you want to become what God wants you to be, accept Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will change you and give you the grace to stay the narrow path (Mathew 7:13) and walk the Salvation journey

The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside-out. No one can work out salvation on his own; for it’s by grace that we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). Its not because of your effort or strength; it can only be so by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

People usually say, Pentecostals are funny, even in difficult times they are happy and at peace but truth is, when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, He fills you with joy and peace – fruit of the Spirit, and takes away worry and fear. Therefore, even in times such as these, we are not scared because the Holy Spirit is in control within us. Some people talk about the Holy Spirit but they do not have Him, but I pray that God gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit because there is a difference between talking about Him and possessing Him. 

Awake and Listen

Matthew 11:15 (AMPC)

“He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing”

Time has come for us to return to return to the Lord. Let your faith and hope be rejuvenated by the word - the word which brings faith is that which proceeds from the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17). The moment you receive the Holy Spirit, He will open up your spiritual ears and guide you in all truth; if you have the Holy Spirit, you will be empowered to hear, perceive and comprehend God’s mysteries and truth

Some people stagger off the salvation journey by disobeying and giving excuses. But thank God for the Holy Spirit, because when the Spirit is in you, He empowers you – for when we are weak, He makes us strong (2 Cor 12:9-10). Salvation without the Holy Spirit would have been hard and a burden; but when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, He gives you grace and power to walk this Salvation journey With the Holy Spirit in you, pillars of Christianity  like prayer, praise, fasting, reading the bible etc. are made easy.

If you're not Spirit-filled, don’t expect the rapture, because it’s the Holy Spirit that connects you to the Creator of heaven and earth so that you can be transfigured and raised. It is evident that Jesus is coming back to take the church, but unfortunately, some Christians only believe in miracles not knowing that miracles do not take one to heaven. I can prophecy today and you get a child, job, build a house or be healed because of the anointing upon me yet you do not have the Holy Spirit. If the rapture happens and you have no Holy Spirit even if you got a miraculous car, you will remain on earth with your car. The bible reminds us in Matthew 24:40-42 (ESV) that;

“Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 Therefore stay awake….”

These things will happen. Time has come for us to repent and put our lives in order, because Jesus is coming back to take a spotless church (Ephesians 5:27). 

Proclaim The Messiah

Acts 8:4-8 (NIV)

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”

On the day of the Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1). They were anointed and thus performed alot of miracles and wonders wherever they went to the extent that the disciples’ shadows healed the sick (Acts 5:15).

Due to persecution by Saul and the Pharisees, the disciples ended up running to other regions for safety. Jesus wanted them to scatter so that they spread the gospel to other parts of the world. God permitted believers to be persecuted for the advancement of the gospel. 

After he had been filled with the Holy Spirit, Phillip went to Samaria where he preached and performed miracles as seen in the scripture above. We see a different Phillip in Samaria alone preaching, performing miracles and casting out demons because at that time he was Spirit-filled, and had a revelation and understanding of Christ. The Philip of John 14 and Acts 8 are different – the former wasn’t Spirit-filled and the later was. I want to emphasize that you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The day you will be filled with the Holy Spirit, the gifts hidden in you will manifest, and you will also be impactful beyond.

The disciples preached Christ – the Messiah. The problem we have today is that we do not preach Christ, but instead preach other things to sway masses, but when you preach Christ, the anointing on Christ gathers people. It’s the anointing of Christ that brought the multitudes. Phillip had no signpost in Samaria but the anointing brought multitudes to listen to him. 

Phillip in Samaria preached Christ, what are you preaching? I want to advise you, preach Christ, the risen Savior. It was not easy to preach Christ during that time but the disciples and the believers did not stop even though they were persecuted and jailed; for they were not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16)

May God touch you and fill you with the Holy Spirit.

JESUS - OUR HIGH PRIEST

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV)

“Seeing that we have a High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

In the Old Testament it was unheard of for people to talk to God directly; they would always present their sacrifices and offerings to a high priest who was chosen by God to represent them in the Holy of Holies. This was a not a role taken on by any ordinary man but the high priest who was chosen by God from a specific clan because it would lead to death if done otherwise (Leviticus 16). Presentation of offerings and sacrifices was limited to the high priest who would represent the twelve clans of Israel (Exodus 28). 
We thank God because He gave the greatest sacrifice in order to redeem humanity. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (GNT) says; “Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.” 

We are no longer required to give sacrifices as was the case in the Old Testament (Leviticus 4:1-5); because at the cross, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. Colossians 2:13-14 (NLT) says; 
“You were dead because your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”

We are in a covenant that speaks better things than any other blood. The blood of Jesus cleanses us and takes away our sins. Jesus rendered all forms of sacrifices devoid of power. The bible says in Hebrews 12:24 (NLT) says; “You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

In Exodus 28:11, the twelve stones represented the tribes of Israel and the Christians in the New Testament, implying that Jesus carries us on His shoulders and the breast-piece on His heart means that God has our concerns at heart (Exodus 28:29); and that is why the bible says in 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP); “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” 

Cast all your burdens, sicknesses, worries, challenges and fears unto Jesus because He not only cares but has the solutions to them as well. Jesus redeemed us and removed all limitations that were in the Old Testament law; the sacrifice of the lamb of God granted us full access to the Father through him. All we need to do is to ask in his name and it shall be done. He assures us in John 14:13 that; “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. 

The curtain was torn into two after Jesus’ death on the cross (Mathew 27:50-51) and we can now approach the throne of grace and forgiveness. Because of Jesus, we no longer need someone to represent us or present our issues because we can approach God directly; we are no longer bound and limited in our communication to God because at the cross, the veil was torn down. 
Jesus is the final priest between man and God. Unlike other priests who lived and died; Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead never to die again. Hebrews 7:23-24 (NLT) says; “There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever”

Before Christ, the holiest place of the tabernacle was entered once a year by the high priest. But that was just a shadow of the true Holy Place in heaven where God dwells, so our High Priest is alive forevermore; and is with God above the heavens in the holiest place in the universe. Jesus the Son of God pleads our cases by his own blood; for He has immediate access to God in heaven day and night. Hebrews 7:25 (AMP) says; 
“Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].”

He was not merely a human exalted to this priestly place. He is the divine Son of God who created the earth and the heavens (Hebrews 5:5-6). This gives his sacrifice its infinite worth. Jesus did not take the blood of calves and goats into the heavenly temple but his own precious blood (Hebrews 9:12), so our High Priest is alive forevermore; He is with God above the heavens in the holiest place in the universe and  pleading my case by his own blood.

STRIVE TO GROW SPIRITUALLY

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Ephesians 4:11-15 (NIV)

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

A seed no matter how small and seemingly lifeless bears life; and when the time is right and the seed is sown, it germinates and sprouts; and then you are able to see the life within the once seemingly lifeless seed. After those stages, it bears branches and fruit. So just like a seed, Salvation bears life and anything that has life grows. In salvation there must be growth as you move from one level to the next - infant to maturity. You must grow and start to perceive things from the vantage point of maturity as seen in the scripture above 

Five-fold Ministry

We read in Ephesians 4:11 above that God put in place the five-fold ministry to cause the church to grow spiritually so that we are not shaken and tossed about by any doctrine. The things that hinder you from your blessing are increasing in your life, and thus you should position yourself to be in a place where you can stay in the narrow road amidst all the challenges. Challenges are part of your salvation life; therefore you cannot take them away. But when you are spiritually mature, you consider the challenges as an opportunity and lesson.

The role of the five-fold ministry is to bring the church to a level of growth so as to become a mature entity and take on the likeness of Christ. This way the church will not be shaken to and fro by every wind of teaching or doctrine. One of the roles of the five-fold ministry is to cause you to receive the spiritual benefits available to Christians so that they grow and attain spiritual maturity; so that they are able to make informed and, right decisions and bear fruits. 

Grow in the Word 

2 Peter 3:18 (AMP)

“Grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 

So one of the debts you have as a Christian is not only to grow in age or be in salvation for long, but for you to come to a certain level of understanding in the way you perceive things, make decisions and how you respond and react to situations that come your way. 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) says;
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me”

Spiritual maturity gives you a different perspective - when you are spiritually mature, you make rightful and wise decisions amidst challenges. That is why it is important to desire maturity in our hearts and to partake of the spiritual food for mature people. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NLT) that;
“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready”

Paul used illustrations to prove to the Corinthians that they were still immature (1 Corinthians 11:17-18). We therefore have to come out of the spiritual childishness and ask for the grace of God, and yearn to grow. When the devil is looking for someone to use, or to lead astray, he looks for one who is immature - the devil is always prowling around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8)

Much as he was a Jew, Moses grew up in the palace and was raised in the Egyptian culture. But when he grew up, he realised he was not an Egyptian and declined to be called a child of Pharaoh’s daughter (Hebrews 11:24-26). What made him make such a decision even when he was seeing great things in his life? He had grown in knowing God, His ways and word. Spiritual maturity causes you to make rightful decisions. I know that some believers have made wrong choices and decisions because of ignorance (Hosea 4:6), so its very crucial that you grow in knowing the Word of God so that you can make right and godly decisions. 

Grow in Faith

Luke 8:22-25 (NLT)

“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out.  23 As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. 25 Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

Every new believer is still spiritually young as they have to go through certain teachings. There are some elementary teachings and low level classes we need to go through. Some skipped those classes and didn’t learn some things. Every class you attend teaches and equips you with truth that helps you to overcome and be victorious. The bible teaches us that some of the elementary lessons we need to learn is to have faith in God. Many people in this generation put their faith in other things - jobs, businesses, family etc. We can see Jesus in Luke 8 above asking the disciples where their faith was. This shows that one of the things they did not comprehend is to have faith even amidst storms. The faith of every Christian should be unmoved irrespective of the situation, but stand tall and be able to move mountains (Mathew 17:20).

One of the first principles we have to know is that faith grows – little acts of faith grows your faith immeasurably. Faith grows when it’s applied and exercised several times. Some of the challenges in life come to nurture and grow your faith in God. The bible says in James 1:2-3 (AMP) that; 
"Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]."

To a believer, the desert is a training ground filled with challenges, problems and trials as lessons to grow your faith (Deuteronomy 8:2-4).  

Grow in contentment

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”

We have seen that Moses preferred to suffer the affliction with God's people because he knew the reward in the end. When one matures, they forsake what is not right, however good it may be  and wait for the things that originate from God no matter the delay. 

In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas overcome the unfavourable conditions in the jail cell to pray and praise God. They had been unjustly beaten, arrested and thrown into prison. Yet, somehow, Paul and Silas found it in themselves to praise to God. Some of us haven’t been imprisoned for our faith, but the principle is the same for us as it was for Habakkuk, Paul, and Silas - we can always find a reason to praise God irrespective of the circumstances because God’s worth never changes. It takes maturity in Christ for one to be content and happy with the little God has blessed him with. A spiritually mature person will be content in all seasons of life, and lack or trials of life will not wither or derail their faith and belief in God. When life is not fruitful and rosy some people choose the path of bitterness and complaint as their response to God but a spiritually mature Christian will choose a path of contentment and praise

We need to praise and glorify God in all seasons - whether we have plenty or in deficiency. Do not change according to the situations. Spiritual maturity enables one to be content and be grateful in all situations. David encourages us in Psalm 103 to bless the Lord and forget not His benefit. You may not have everything you need or desire but a mature believer looks back and appreciates how far God has brought him or her. Contentment is an act of maturity, learn to be content always. 

Grow in Fellowship

Hebrews 10:25 (AMPC)

“Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”

Some Christians are like young children who you need to persuade to go to church. Such are still spiritually immature. We need to grow to the level of David who was; glad when he was told to go to the house of the Lord - Psalm 122:1. We go to church to spiritually service our souls with praise, worship, the word and testimonies. When we regularly fellowship, we partake of the spiritual food - word of God which causes us to grow spiritually. Whenever you have the ability to do so, always attend fellowship to get the spiritual food and be well fed so that when the devil tries to attack you, he will lose because you are spiritually immune to his tactics and ways.

In the spiritual world the devil can discern those who are not well nourished spiritually. But when you regularly and continuously fellowship and attend various church services like bible study, overnight, youth fellowship, combat service, Sunday service and others, you are eating a balanced diet – you learn the word, how to pray, make spiritual friends and your faith is built by testimonies of others. However, some Christians keep away from church when faced with problems yet the answer is in church - for church is the mountain of God where we get victory over our battles and overcome our challenges (Hebrews 12:22).

If you have failed to forgive someone for 10 years, it means you are stuck in the forgiveness class for 10 years. Spiritual growth is not like universal education. You will not be promoted because you are past the required age for that class, however if you fail to pass, you will never leave that class and you can even die when you are still immature in that area. In the heavenly system you will repeat that class until you transform to the likeness of Christ. Do not be like Moses who failed the class of anger management, and it eventually cost him - he was forbidden from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-12).

What goes on in the fellowship or church service is necessary for your spiritual growth, therefore do not give up the act of congregating with those of like faith and belief (Hebrews 10:25). You need to listen to what is being preached by the servants of God. Each testimony, teaching and revelation of the word has a valuable ingredient needed for you to grow spiritually.

A great percentage of the problems we have in church are because of spiritual immaturity, but if we work on growing in Christ, we shall overcome most of them. What will cause you to grow in Christ and attain spiritual maturity? Going deeper in the Word of God; stretching our faith; learning to be content in all seasons, and constant fellowship.

May God give you the grace to grow to the likeness and character of Christ

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NLT)

“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part [for our knowledge is fragmentary and incomplete]. 10 But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away”