Royal Life
Daily Devotional & Prophecy
January 1, 2021.
Discovering Christ in Ephesians.
Yes, we saw in our last discussion that, we are under a new dispensation, even the dispensation of the grace of God, and not the dispensation of the law. Today, we are to dispense the unmerited favour of God to his children as partakers of the promises of God in Christ.
Then we hear the apostle continue;
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Ephesians 3:7
Paul declares “Whereof I was made a minister” of the gospel of Christ. A statement that reveals he was not called of men, but called of God and “Made” a minister. I have seen a lot of people with gifts refuse to submit to the hand and process of God, to be Made ministers.
It is good to know you are called of God, but it is better to submit first under God’s hand and under an authority, to be properly discipled for the fulfilment of God’s call upon your life.
A minister without character is one who was never made by the hand of God, one who is not a disciple, and one who will never last in the work of the ministry.
But the apostle was a man, made a minister by the hand of God. Then we hear “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me”
Not according to his natural abilities, not according to his talents or skills, not according to his Queen’s English or acquired learning, not according to any excellencies in him, but according to the gift of the grace of God.
According to a ministerial gift bestowed upon the apostle. This gift of grace mentioned here does not suggest the gift of grace wrought in his soul for salvation, nor the grace that makes other ventures of the gospel successful, but the gift of demystifying the mysteries of the gospel. The gift of interpreting scriptures and making them understandable by the common man.
This was a special bestowment on the life of Paul. God gives this to the sons of men as he sovereignly wills. Every man has his own proper gift from the Lord. This was what Paul received from the Lord, to assist him in making the Gentiles understand the revelation behind the scriptures.
This was not a natural gift, but a spiritual endowment which came “by the effectual working of his power”
The word used above for effectual is from the Greek word ἐνέργεια energeia which means efficiency, energy (Strong’s Concordance G1753).
This is a gift of divine power. The energy of God was wrought mightily upon the heart of Paul to enable him see and understand divine mysteries. This is how spiritual gifts operate. Until you are energized by God, a spiritual gift cannot work in your life.
You may receive a prophetic word that you have so and so gift on your life, but until God, under his divine timing, sovereignly energises your gift by his divine power, it can not be effectual.
Then we hear the apostle continue;
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Ephesians 3:8
O’ what a statement of humility “who am less than the least of all saints”
The greatest saints, men of great spiritual stature normally keep a low opinion of themselves. They entertain the meanest view of themselves. They are the most humble of all men. These are men who can receive instruction even from the meanest believers.
Even though God uses them mightily, they glory not in their work, but in their nothingness. This is because, they have understood deeper, the love and grace of God. Here, they have seen themselves as the nothings that they truly are, and are constantly aware of the grace of God upon them. Whatever privileges the enjoy, they see them as outpourings of God’s love and grace.
The more revelation of God a man has, the more humble he is, for he is such a man that has definitely understood the mystery of humility.
So, Paul admits he is the least of the saints, but this grace was given to him. This grace given to him is what we have explained above as the divine power to interpret holy writ, for we hear “that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”
O’ the riches of our God. The word translated above for unsearchable, is from the Greek word ἀνεξιχνίαστος anexichniastos, meaning, not tracked out, that is (by implication) untraceable (Strong’s Concordance G421).
And the word translated above for riches is from the Greek word πλοῦτος ploutos, which means, wealth (as fulness) that is (literally) money possessions or (figuratively) abundance richness (specifically) valuable bestowment (Strong’s Concordance G4149)
O’ the untraceable wealth of his love. This wealth is underived, inconceivable and ineffable. O’ this valuable bestowment of pardoning grace. O’ The Blood’s mediatory interpositions for the wretched. The joys and peace of the Spirit within.
O’ my heart often wonders, how can the ungodly stand before a righteous God, accepted and looked upon with favour? All these are incommunicable.
The world and all its glories, things present and things to come, freely given to the one who has offended and keeps failing in the presence of the justice of God. How can we properly relate these truths to our finite minds?
Truly, the Gospel is the untraceable, the unsearchable riches of the Christ, reserved for his chosen ones, even as you and l.
If there is one thing you should always remember, God loves you, he has always loved you, and will forever love you in Christ, even though your mind may not understand the depths.
PRAYER
Father I thank you for Christ, in him you have given me treasures untold, wealth, eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, neither had it entered the heart of man.
But you have revealed this glorious mysteries to us by your Spirit.
Lord, I ask that this year, my heart be illuminated, my understanding be enlightened.
Energize my frail heart to see and to grasp even more, the unsearchable riches of the Christ in me.
Take my entire being, my mind, will and all my faculties, and cause to me become more fruitful this year, even as you have willed it, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.
2021 PROPHETIC WORD.
Even though God has done a lot for many of us last year, where people took over territories and did mighty things in God, yet a lot of us hoped until we have felt as though it is against hope to hope. For in the lives of many, God allowed things to dry up, but it was because the Lord was refining and repositioning many of us to bear much fruit in this year, 2021.
As I sat with the Lord in prayer and meditation, the Lord Spoke and declared 2021 as THE YEAR OF FRUITFULNESS!
Where things have been barren, The Lord declared that things will now grow, even with the increase of God.
“”Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Let your hands be strong, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who, on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, foretold that the temple might be rebuilt. For before those days there were no wages for man or animal; nor was there any peace or success for him who went out or came in because of his enemies, for I set all men against one another But now [in this time since you began to build] I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the LORD of hosts. For there the seed will produce peace and prosperity; the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will produce its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit and possess all these things. And as you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah (Southern Kingdom) and house of Israel (Northern Kingdom), so I will save you, that you may be a blessing. Fear not; let your hands be strong.'” — Zech 8:9-13 AMP
Now, this is it, when God declares Fruitfulness, it means it is a time to sow. Fruits come from a seed. Without a seed, there can be no fruits. 2021 is a year to first of all sow God’s word deeper into the soil of our hearts.
It is a year to sow our lives completely into kingdom advancement to experience divine fruitfulness. It depends on where we need the miracle, if it is a financial miracle, we must learn to be faithful with the little, we must cultivate a sowing habit in this 2021.
If it is healing, we will need to give ourselves wholly to the word, to continue in it, receiving and confessing it until we know the truth that set us free.
Prophecies are given to us to help us war, not for to us to sit back and ask the prophets of God to prove it to us.
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 1 Timothy 1:18
The Lord bless and keep you all. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Love and Grace in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church