FAITH CAPSULE: Indeed, all His disciples forsook Him. 

Mark 15:1-32

Are you making noise as a believer yet living as a deceiver? 
Matthew 20:17-19 records, “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”  
Exactly what He said happened to Him. 
Jesus knew beforehand that all His disciples would stumble and scatter at His arrest. 
Indeed, all His disciples forsook Him, as recorded in Matthew 26:56, “…Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” 
The disciples betrayed Him.
Today, the majority of believers are still betraying Jesus.
Nothing has changed. 
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Jesus?
The Bible records, “Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” (Matthew 26:69-70) 
Peter betrayed Him by denying Him. 
Are you betraying Him by denying Him? 
Doing what He commanded not to do is evidence of denying Him. 
Peter blatantly denied Jesus three times to avoid suffering with Him. Every acclaimed believer wants to identify with Jesus, but none wants to suffer with Him or suffer just like He did. 
Are you making noise as a believer but yet living as a deceiver? 
Judas took his way of betraying Him to another level. 
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles. He was their treasurer. John 12:6 introduces the thievery of Judas by saying, “…as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.” 
Judas disclosed the whereabouts of Jesus to the chief priests and elders for 30 pieces of silver. 
Judas identified Jesus with a kiss and addressed Jesus as Master. 
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Him? 
Is lying, deception, or manipulation your way of living life to betray Jesus? 
Do you have any openings that Satan could enter into? 
It does not matter who you are or how long you have been following Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Satan will attempt to gain entrance into man.
The route to becoming a betrayer is a failure not to watch and pray. 
Jesus warned, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” (Mark 14:38) 
The Bible mentions, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.”(Luke 22:3)    
One that enters into temptation because of lack of watching and praying takes a position of allowing Satan the tempter to enter. 
Are you an acclaimed believer who is watching and praying? 
Watch and pray; deny the tempter; do not end up as a betrayer.

Prayer for today: Ask God that you live shut against all that does not represent Him. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Looking away from God is the loss of focusing on God.

Exodus 14

The combination of worrying and being troubled will elevate to having fear. 
To become worried and troubled in the face of challenge is evidence of not looking up to God. 
When one keeps an eye on confronting challenges, focus not on God. 
Are you beholding your challenge, or are you looking up to God?
The Children of Israel were out of the bondage of over four hundred years with the promise of God to get them to the Promised Land.
However, the children of Israel failed to focus on God.
Failure to focus on God will result in the fear of the challenge. 
Exodus 14:10-12 documents, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 
Does that sound like you? 
The children of Israelites should know that God does not fail in His word.
The Israelites were worried and troubled and confessed negatively.
The solution to challenges demands focusing on God and the word of His promise. 
Despite all the powerful teachings of Jesus against fear and worrying, the disciples went ahead and locked themselves up in fear of the Jews. 
John 20:19 records, “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  
While they were locked up in fear, Jesus showed up and declared peace. 
To be looking up to Jesus is to gain the peace of God.
Faith in Jesus will cause peace to reign.  
After Jesus had spoken peace to His disciples, see the mark of crucifixion on Jesus. 
John 20:20 states, “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”  Seeing the mark opened up the disciples to come out of fear. 
If you begin to see the marks of crucifixion and believe that the marks were registered on Jesus for all to be able to have life abundantly, the fear about all that is going on around the world will not have its place in your life. 

Prayer for today: Ask the boldness and character to have a place in your life. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Deciding with the way of God leads to a successful ending.

Exodus 33

The book of Proverbs 14:12 states, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 
The way that seems right is potentially dangerous; the way that seems right is not a confirmed way.
The way that seems right does not always have life in its end but death. Avoiding a way that seems right is engaging the assured way of God. 
There is nothing to lose the way of God when praying to God for direction.
Deciding with the way of God leads to a successful ending. 
Continually go by the way of getting to a successful ending. 
It was clear that God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years to the Promised Land, but it was not liberty for Moses to take his way. 
On the way, one should not just take any because not all ways will lead to an expected end. 
Despite the calling of God of Moses as the shepherd, he could not make a move without asking God for His way. 
He did not assume any way as being the right way. 
Moses always asked God for direction. 
The book of Exodus 33:13 documents, “Now therefore, I pray if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 
Just like Moses, anyone who asks for the way of the way of God shall demonstrate the ability to know God. 
The way of God is the way of going up from where you are now, but not down. 
In the way of God, there is an unfailing promise to be delivered. 
The way of God is the way out of bondage. 
The way of God delivers victory at all avenues of life. 
In the way of God, everything it takes not to be replaced by the enemy is in place. 
The only condition is to ask and know how to endure the challenges of the giants along the way. 
The failure to ask or to hear as directed is the avenue to self-destruction. God responded to the request of Moses for direction in Exodus 33:14, “And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” The word of God is God.
His word is His presence. 
When you engage His word, His word will have a place in the life of one. You will be in the right place as you engage in your journey. 
Take to the word of God for direction. 

Prayer for today: Ask that you will know and constantly turn to Him for direction.
Ask God to deliver you from taking to the seems way to the right way.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God is keeping hope in Him as Great Defender. 

Psalm 37

Waiting on God for the answer to the question is exercising faith. 
Waiting on God is a way out of shame. 
When waiting on God by not looking outside of God without any iota of doubt, shame shall not have a place in life. 
The Psalmist buttresses, “Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.” (Psalm 25:3) 
Wait on God to get lead in the right direction where expectation yields manifestation. 
Waiting on the Lord demands boldness and character, which is a winning combination in the race of life. 
The Bible makes all realize that waiting extends to looking up to God for intervention against wicked ones. 
Are you one who is constantly questioning how the wicked ones are excelling? 
Psalm 37:7 states, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” 
Waiting on God is keeping His word and not fretting in the face of any wickedness. 
Waiting on God is keeping hope in Him as Great Defender. 
Does it seem like your waiting is taking forever without an answer? 
Is your crying wearing you out? 
Listen to the testimony of Psalmist, “I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:3) 
Know to wait on God to deny wearing self in crying.
God has never failed, and He shall not as you wait on Him. 
Waiting on God is not a sign of weakness.
Wait on God on God silently and patiently. 
David testified in Psalm 40: 1-2, “I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth- praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” 
Waiting for God will grant the grace to walk firmly on any ground and not fall. 
Passing through the trial of waiting will no doubt put a new song in the mouth of one who knows to wait. 
2 Samuel 22:34 states in his testimony, “He makes my feet like the feet of the deer and sets me on my high places.” 
Waiting on God took David to his high places. 
One with a low place in life and waiting on God is an avenue to come out of low places to high places, where there is no falling.
“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)
Gain a strong heart by waiting on God.

Prayer for today: Ask that you will know to wait on God when challenges present themselves.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wasted life is in turning back.

John 21

Before the time Peter and some of the disciples gave up all and followed Jesus, they were professional fishermen. 
Matthew 4:18-20 records, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 
The called ones immediately left their nets and followed Jesus. 
Peter and his fellow fishermen followed Jesus to the time He went to the cross.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, new developments came into play. “Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:2-3) 
Have you received and believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus? For everyone who has received and believed in Jesus, there should be no going back to the past. 
Simon Peter suggested to other disciples to turn back to go fishing.
To give life to God is to put the past behind and allow Him to lead and direct. 
The disciples returned to their occupation and toiled all night with nothing to show for. 
The disciples caught no fish all night. 
John21:4-5 records, “But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”  
The disciples returned to business as usual and did not recognize Jesus. Turning away from following Him will always lead to emptiness. 
Just like the disciples, Jesus is what all need to have in full and not be empty in any area of life. 
Turning away after following Him will turn one into a life of waste. 
Jesus intervened in their situation and made it a great testimony when He commanded, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” (John 21:6) 
After accepting Jesus, returning to your former lifestyle is a choice that will complicate destiny. 
Before Jesus came with them on the boat, the disciples did not have a testimony, but when Jesus showed, they had a great testimony. 
John 21:11 records, “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.” 
If you have received and believed the report of His resurrection, there should be no turning back to the former lifestyle. 

Prayer for today: Ask you to be enabled going forward, not turning back in answering to the calling of God.