PHANEROO~DEVOTION 9th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children [Hosea 4:6].

THE OFFENCE OF IGNORANCE

When you start to grow in God, you realize that it is important that you be conscious of the offence of ignorance. Ignorance is an offence in the spirit: when a man is ignorant, that is the beginning point of starting to breach the Spirit.

Now when many read the scriptures about God’s people perishing for lack of knowledge, they shift the responsibility of knowledge to the men that are perishing for want of it and not them. But the scripture says that people perish because the priests have rejected knowledge. The world is as it is because of the prevalent ignorance of Christians, and sadly, by some that stand behind the pulpits. The Psalmist says the foundations are out of course because the Gods know nothing, they know not, understand not and walk in darkness.

There is nothing as disturbing to the spiritual world and the divine patterns of counsel and judgment as the ignorance of a child of God. See, the greatest access that came to you as a partaker of divinity was access to knowledge. That is the purpose for the keys that are handed to Peter, the Church, knowledge. By knowledge we bind, by knowledge we loose.

FURTHER STUDY: Luke 1:3, Ephesians 4:18

GOLDEN NUGGET: Ignorance is an offence in the spirit.

PRAYER: Father we thank you for the great mandate we carry as your priests and your children to change this world with the gospel. We can only do so if we know, for they that know their God shall do mighty exploits. We thank you that knowledge increases in us, we are established in understanding and built up in wisdom. Thank you because every day we pay the price to know. Surely it is not a price higher than the grace, that all sufficient grace. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt: THE UNDERSTANDING SERIES

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 8th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? [Acts 8:30].

OF UNDERSTANDING

Child of God, examine yourself in this; Do you understand what you are reading in the word? Do you understand what you pray? Do you understand what you give? Do you really have an understanding of the God you worship?

When the Bible speaks of Jeshurun waxing fat and kicking, it is not just a man waxing fat by reason of material things, a man can also wax fat by knowledge, remember it puffs up. He can also wax fat with revelation and with spiritual experiences.

Many times we see Christians with knowledge run off to build houses, ministries or businesses but without the understanding that ought to establish, ground and stabilize them and what they have built. But you see, there is a lesson to be learnt from the man who even after having seen a rod turned into a snake and a hand turned leprous, would still hesitate to go off to Egypt to rescue God’s people.

You don’t just do business or practice your profession because you can. First seek to have a perfect understanding. Luke says that having had a perfect understanding of the very things in their order from the first, he then writes to the most excellent Theophilus. Like Luke, search out diligently, follow all things closely and trace accurately the course from the greatest to the minutest detail, from the very first to the last, to have an orderly account of what must be done and how it ought to be done.

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 14:33, Luke 1:3

GOLDEN NUGGET: You don’t just do business or practice your profession because you can. First seek to have a perfect understanding.

PRAYER: Lord we thank you because you give us understanding of everything that pertains to your word, purpose and the revelation of your person. Thank you because we understand these things in order from the first to the last and that at the time when we minister to men we minister under a certain order by which we accurately array things in the spirits of men, that as such, we offend not, but we build, we edify and we establish men. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt: THE UNDERSTANDING SERIES

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 7th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none [Ezekiel 22:30].

THE GAP OF DIVINE PURPOSE

There are men who only see the graces aligned to callings and the giftings but never see the graces that are called up for purpose. The truth of the matter is that the graces that are poured out for purpose are equally important.

That is why God says, he is looking for a man who can stand in the gap. There is a time when divine purpose works in gaps and spaces, and because it works in gaps and spaces, it only looks for men who can say ‘I can fill it, I am available, even without the mind of my personal ability to execute, I can trust God to work it in me.’

Many people assume that the perfect will is the only reason why God does certain things, but it is not only so. There are things that God does simply because he loves us; they are in his permissible will. Divine purpose is the centerpiece of the perfect will of God. The deception of the gift is that it may create the illusion that a man is in the perfect will of God and as such, we have gaps in divine purpose, too many gifted men are not walking in their assignments.

Then do we see divisions and schisms in the body; a minister wonders why he can prophesy, preach, heal but he has not made such great strides like another brother who doesn’t seem to be as gifted. The difference is that one is taken up by giftings, another responded to assignment. There is a higher calling that is realigned when we see the gap. The spiritual realm has called every child of God to see the gap and avail themselves for and in it.

FURTHER STUDY: Psalms 42:1, 2 Corinthians 12:15

GOLDEN NUGGET: There is a time when divine purpose works in gaps and spaces and because it works in gaps and spaces, it only looks for men who can say ‘I can fill it, I am available, even without the mind of my personal ability to execute, I can trust God to work it in me.’

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you because you are ready to use any man who says that he is available and so we say Lord we are available, we are hungry for you; hungry for the knowledge and understanding of our part; teach us for purpose; bend us for purpose; break us for purpose; lead us to purpose; that the end of our lives will be of men who you worked in to contribute their part, for your glory Lord and only for your glory. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt: THE LIBERTIES OF HIS PRESENCE

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 6th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master [Genesis 24:14].

LESSONS IN VIRTUE II

The story of Rebecca is that Abraham sent his servant to go get his son a wife. He was sure that the angel of his Lord would go before him to provide for Rebecca’s availability. When the servant reached the well, he told God what the woman should do as a sign.

Rebecca watered camels not because she wanted a husband but because she was aligned to a certain man’s sign that he had set before the Lord. This is the very wisdom by which people serve their occasions.

She is not watering the camels to get a man, but she is watering them because God answered a man’s prayer. Women do not get men for husbands because they know how to put on makeup, speak nice English and act. They transition from women to wives as they are exposed by God to what the men ask for as signs.

FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 24, 2 Corinthians 3:2

GOLDEN NUGGET: Women do not get men for husbands because they know how to put on makeup, speak nice English and act. They transition from women to wives as  they are exposed by God to what the men ask for as signs.

PRAYER: Lord we thank you for the wisdom to be the signs that we must be. Thank you because that even to a deeper understanding, we are not only in pursuit of signs but that we are the signs; written epistles by which men read you; we are the stars by which men find Christ. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt: VIRTUOUS WOMAN RELOADED

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 5th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity [Acts 8:21-23];

OF THE GALL OF BITTERNESS

When Simon the sorcerer saw the disciples lay hands on people, he asked to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. They rebuked him because of the state of his heart.  If you study this portion of scripture and this mind of bitterness, you will realize that the spirit working in Simon the sorcerer was stirred because what he saw with the disciples was not working in him.

I have seen this in ministers and fellow Christians who criticize prophets because they do not prophesy themselves or healing because they do not heal men or demonstration of the spirit because they do not see that power in their lives. That is unstable of a minister to do.

Some Christians reduce the power of God to their individual experiences. Because he did not receive healing, he criticizes the healing ministry, because he cannot speak in tongues, he criticizes the speaking of tongues. As a result, we have seen the limitations of men taught as the doctrine of Christ. Never criticize something because you cannot do it or because you do not have it. Celebrate what you do not have, you’ll be surprised by how easily it will come to you.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 12:31, 1 Corinthians 12:4

GOLDEN NUGGET: Never criticize something because you cannot do it or because you do not have it. Celebrate what you do not have, you’ll be surprised by how easily it will come to you.

PRAYER: Father we thank you because you have given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places and all things are ours. All these things have been freely given unto us and we have access; thank you because this knowledge works in us; that no bitterness is found in our spirits but the understanding that as our father, there is nothing you can hold back from us. Lord we thank you for this mind works in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Excerpt: PASSWORD UNCTION

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 4th April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth [2 Timothy 2:15].

APPROVED BY GOD, NOT MEN

There are two things that look like they are the same in the life of ministry but they are not the same. These are the calling and gifting of God versus the assignment and mandate. For example, God can call a man to be a teacher of the word. That is a calling. It is not an assignment. When a man or woman of God is gifted by the Holy Spirit and called as a teacher, many people think that such a one is ready to go out into ministry. This is not necessarily so.

God does not call you unto people, he calls you to himself. You cannot be a teacher to men until to God you are a teacher. It doesn’t mean you teach God, but rather that he approves you as a teacher.  That is why the primary places of approval, are when you study the word of God that you might be approved a worker unto God. It is to God first and not unto men.

A gift can work so mightily in the life of a man of God; he can heal the sick, open deaf ears, and give sight to the blind and one day we hear that something small swept him off his course. Here is the seriousness. There is a shame that follows a man not fully approved of God; a man who was called but  not commissioned by God, he literally sent himself. This is what the scriptures point to when they speak of the work mocking you. By a gifting, a man might fly so high that we qualify that as a ministry truly built of God until the work mocks him.

We don’t build by callings, we build by assignments, this is why to Paul, in the testimony of building, his portion was not that he was a deeply anointed apostle, his was to lay the foundation. May this understanding work in you and pattern your life of ministry.

FURTHER STUDY: Jeremiah 1:4-5, Romans 11:29

GOLDEN NUGGET: God does not call you unto people first, he calls you to himself.

PRAYER: Lord we thank you because we are known of you; thank you for the testimony of the word that dwells so richly in us; that very word which cuts asunder and divides bone and marrow, soul and spirit; thank you that because we are approved of you, the thoughts and intents of the heart that the word exposes are your thoughts; your intents and your purposes. Yes Lord, we know the giftings and callings are good but you have taught us there is more. That we have a part to play in this great blue print of divine purpose. Thank you because we walk in assignment and in divine purpose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Excerpt: PASSWORD UNCTION

PHANEROO~DEVOTION 3rd April 2016 Apostle Grace Lubega

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe [Hebrews 5:13].

IN THE KING’S CHAMBER OF COUNSEL

The word used for babe in the reference scripture literally means infant, unskilled or untaught. Such people can’t make a meaningful statement in the spiritual realm.  They have stayed as babes because they have not understood the doctrine of righteousness. If a man doesn’t understand the doctrine of righteousness, he cannot articulate or speak accurately in the spirit.
That is why it is very hard for a man under the law to understand the spirit of revelation because revelation opens up a man’s mouth.  A man under the law cannot speak comprehensively; he might communicate physically but not communicate spiritually.

God cannot reason in maturity with a man under the law because the maturity that comes with skill in the word of righteousness is the ability to sit in counsel with God. God does not sit in counsel with babes. He needs a man who can see giants in the land and know that they are bread, see prostitutes yet see them change to pastors, see thieves and see them become evangelists, see murderers and see them become revivalists. With such a man, God can plan on how to change Africa, how to win Europe to Jesus, how to change the world with the gospel.

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 1:18

GOLDEN NUGGET: God cannot reason with a man under the law because the maturity that comes with skill in the word of righteousness is the ability to sit in counsel with God.

PRAYER: Lord we thank you that we have your mind, we see as you see, we think as you think and this place of maturity has given us access to the chambers of counsel with the father. We thank you that not only do we understand righteousness but we are established in it, that it works in us and shapes the pattern of our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt: GODLINESS AND VIRTUE