FAITH CAPSULE: With obedience, respond to God’s word by launching out into the deep to catch.

Luke 5:1-26

Peter and his fellow professional fishermen failed to catch fish all night.  As they wash their nets, the One in charge of every creation showed up. Having observed the challenging situation with the professional fishermen, He spoke the solution word to address professional fishermen’s challenging situation. Jesus is the One that is in charge with power. Bible recorded His word to the professional fishermen, “…Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)
Just like the professional fishermen, are you experiencing a challenging situation which persists with no solution all year long? Are you being denied where you deserve moving forward? Can it be that doubt is interfering your faith to respond to the word which is power? With Jesus, it is never too late to show up with a solution over any challenging situation.
For the professional fishermen, He showed up at the time of their giving up the faith to gain and not lose. With obedience, professional fishermen responded to the word power by launching out into the deep to catch.
As a result of their obedience, “…they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:6-8) Are you in any situation where all your turning has turned out wrong? Is there any area of life where you have been toiling?
Are you experiencing the persistency of Pharaoh’s representative in your life? The Israelites had the experience of Pharaoh persistent. Despite the entire miracle that brought them out of the bondage of over four hundred years, Pharaoh remained stubbornly persistent going after the Israelites’ life. You are not immune to experiencing challenges of wicked ones. However, God has sent His word to heal and to deliver us from destruction. When Pharaoh refused to back off from the Israelites, the word of God which sounded through Moses buried Pharaoh’s might and strength in the middle of the Red Sea.
It is written, “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Give self to the word of God and your Pharaoh will be terminated.
With any challenging situation, God’s help is always available when there is a look up to God. The psalmist testified, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Prayer for today: Ask for the word of God to sound in your direction against your challenging situation.

FAITH CAPSULE: Your challenging impossibility is set to respond as the possibility.

Luke 9:10-17, John 2:1-11,

What is it that is set to upset your celebration at this time of the year? The grace of God that has brought you thus far is the reason for you to ignore your ignorance of God’s possibility character. Can you imagine God’s possibility in your life?
At a wedding in Cana of Galilee where Jesus was invited when mockery also showed to ridicule the wedding celebrants. Mockery was set to upset celebration when a supply of wine suddenly ceased. At the wedding celebration, no more wine was set for abrupt celebration. Embarrassment set itself against the new couple with mockery the celebrants. Does that sound like your challenging of today? At the wedding of Cana of Galilee, the mother of Jesus spoke to Jesus which is the living word of God, “…They have no wine” (John 2:3) Jesus responded to her by stating, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Jesus’ response was not discouraging enough for the mother to back out from calling out for Jesus’ intervention concerning wedding celebration. Rather, she persevered knowing that there is a place for a possibility in the pace of impossibility when Jesus is around. Impossible will respond to possibility when obedience to God’s command is actively engaged. In John 2:5, the mother of Jesus said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” In a time of challenge, when it seems there is no way out, it is important to give attention to the word of God with obedience. In the word of God, there is a direction for your challenging situation. With mother’s calling for Jesus intervention, Jesus spoke direction and His word delivered better wine than earlier wine at the Cana of Galilee.
When God says nothing is impossible, no impossibility can remain impossible before Him.
At the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples asked for the multitude to be sent away. They were concerned because they were in a desert area and the hour was late. Jesus requested that the multitudes be fed from the available five loaves and two fish. The request seemed impossible. Having told the disciples to feed them, He gave His word to His disciples where there were about five thousand men, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” (Luke 9:14) Always obey God’s word of direction in full or you will be short of His miracle of possibility in the place of impossibility. Have you been disobeying the commands of God? In Luke 9:15 it is recorded concerning the lack of provision, “And they did so, and made all sit down.” After they had followed His direction, He blessed the five loaves and two fish, and the multitude ate in abundance.
With God, nothing is impossible. Mockery will answer to a miracle, stagnation will respond to gain motion and frustration will bow to the celebration. Your challenging impossibility is set to respond as a possibility.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable your obedience to His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: All conduct is accountable before God without hidden from God that does not sleep.

2 Kings 5, Acts 5:1-11

After the healing of Naaman, Elisha refused to accept gifts from Naaman. Without any direction from Elisha, Gehazi the servant of Elisha deceitfully went after Naaman and stated, “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’” (2 Kings 5:22) Gehazi deceitfully claimed gift from Naaman against Elisha’s will. Elisha knowing about Gehazi’s deceptiveness, he asked Gehazi for his deception to claim gift from Naaman. Elisha responded to Gehazi’s deceptiveness stating, “…was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?  Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.” (2 Kings 5:26-27)
Have you been getting away with lying and deceiving others for so long that there are no bounds as to when or where you lie? Lying and deceiving can be destructive to a liar’s life. As much as it reigns outside the church, so it is rampant inside the church. Acts 5:1-2 recorded, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Ananias and Sapphira were to sell their possessions voluntary without any pressure. Ananias and Sapphira voluntary move resulted in deceiving their brethren. Deception is lying, dishonesty and insincere. Are you an acclaimed believer who will lie, fake, or deceive to get attention or to impress fellow believers? All conduct is accountable before God without hidden from God that does not sleep.
Peter knew that Ananias and Sapphira were lying and not sincere before brethren. Peter responded as stated, in Acts 5:4, “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?’” Was it a good intention by Ananias and Sapphira that prompted their lying to deceive their brethren? Deception is not impressive before God. Whatever is worthy for doing before God is worthy to be well done. The bible recorded the result of Ananias and Sapphira’s deception in Acts 5:5, “Then Ananias hearing these words fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.” Lying and deception took the life of Ananias and Sapphira. Telling lies is deception which can go unnoticed for years, but it will only take one day for the truth to expose you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver and preserve you from spirit that is not of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: How are you keeping your heart?

Proverbs 4

Word of God repeatedly warned us to keep our heart diligently. Deuteronomy 4:9 stated, “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life…” Keeping self is rooted by keeping one’s heart diligently. 1 Kings 8:61 recorded, “Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” Proverbs 4:23 said it all, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” How you keep your heart will be determine your dealings in your endevours of life.
Keep your heart diligently by opening the doors of your heart for the word of God. The word of God is His strength and when His word locates man by entering in man’s heart strength of God becomes man’s portion. Heart of man is the center of His strength. Jeremiah 15:16 testified, “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” Having the joy of the Lord is retaining the presence of God. With no doubt, there is no strength like having the strength of God in man’s life. The more we give ourselves to the word of God is to know God and to increase in His strength which keeps us not to stumble or remain to stumble.
One’s heart that is occupied by the word of God will not have the mark of wickedness.
Jeremiah 17:9 admonished us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to dead.” The Bible clearly demonstrated that the heart is where the rise and fall of man begins. It is what flows from the heart of a believer that makes a believer. The heart of a believer will make or break a believer. The heart of man is the most important target for the devil to launch its attack. Judas spent time with Jesus, going to places with Jesus. Despite his entire experience with Christ his heart was not kept with diligent to keep out the enemy. The book of Luke 22:3-4 stated, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So, he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.” Satan went after the vulnerable heart of Judas to do evil by selling Jesus out of his life. Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy gains entrance in to heart which is not kept diligently.

Prayer for today: With desire, ask God to enable you for keeping heart diligently.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give thanks to God in the place of thinking thanks to God.

Psalm 150

This time of the year is the time of expressing appreciation to God!

Living life this long should not only be about what you expect from the gracious merciful God.  Expressing appreciation to God for the grace of life should be consistent. Psalm 150:6 said it all, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” By grace, the hand of the Lord has been keeping us from thus far. The hand of God upon us is not because of our merit but His mercy. Living life is not a right but a privilege bestowed upon us by God. In this time of the year, turn to God with heartful appreciation, stop from thinking thanks but be giving Him thanks with understanding. Word of God admonished praising Him with understanding. (Psalm 47:7) Are you consciously aware that God expects our appreciation? Lack of expressing appreciation to God is an evidence of foolishness. Foolishness is not only in verbal communication but can be in any other ways of communication as stated in Proverbs 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
With the year running out, is your appreciation to God enough? Do not be foolish, give thanks to God in the place of thinking thanks to God.
Are you mistaking your strength as the source of your present location in life? Do not deceive self, by thinking that your strength has kept you thus far.
Do not allow your location to become an agent of self, to deny your expectation from God.
Jesus is the One that converts our expectation to manifestation. Jesus has never been limited or delayed by any location or situation when is time for Him to visit your expectation with manifestation. Once in a desert, despite the late hour, where there was no food to feed a multitude, Jesus extended His hand of provision. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He will extend His hand in any location and situation that you have found yourself. Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude of about five thousand. Before the miracle of manifestation Jesus gave a command, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”  And they did so and made them all sit down.” (Luke 9:15)
As a believer how have you positioned yourself in your expectation for the visitation of His miracle? Jesus did not do anything to the loaves and fish until obedience was in place for His command. After He observed obedience, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So, they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) In obedience to His command, expectation became manifested.
Are you having challenges to obey His commands?
Engagement to obeying God’s word is a way of manifestation of expectation. Jesus that did it yesterday is alive to do it for you in this season. In this season, express your appreciation to provoke your expectation.

Prayer for today: Give thanks to God with a shout to provoke God’s blessing on your life.