FAITH CAPSULE: Difference between wicked and righteous is coming at God’s appointed time.

Psalm 73

Growth can be described as the process of increasing in amount, value, or importance. Expansion, multiplication, progress, development, buildup are words also describes growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing before God. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. Under heaven, wicked and righteous are both growing. Without doubt, many wicked are growing while the righteous are facing challenges that reduces growth when compared to the growth of wicked. God sees every wicked activity but His appointed time to put an end to the wicked one shall come to pass. Are you one that is envying shinning wicked one while challenge is clouding righteous’ growth? Wicked ones are evil that will not escape appointed time of God’s judgement.
Psalmist responded to wickedness as stated, “For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.” (Psalm 73:3-7) Are you in a hurry to see the judgment of God over the wicked ones? A true believer should know not to be fear or envious of the wicked ones but to keep focus on God. It is certain that God does have His appointed time to reduce the wickedness.
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. Jesus stated, “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Matthew 13:30) Where do you stand? Are you a representative of wheat or tare? Are you a wicked one or a righteous one? Just like wheat and tare are receiving rainfall to enhance their growth so the wicked and righteous are under sun to be shinning. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction to identify tares from wheat just as wicked ones are not glaring as evil. Difference between wicked and righteous is coming at God’s appointed time.
Are you paying attention to the way of the wicked ones?
Pay attention to the psalmist to learn trusting and hoping on God. It is written, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God…” (Psalm 73:26-28) God sees all, you should look away from the wicked one.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from wicked ways.

Faith Capsule: Look up to God without looking out for man’s answer for your question.

2 Timothy 4

Jesus admonished us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Prayer demands conscious engagement. Prayer that is prayed with understanding is undeniable. Prayer works but it is work. With God, prayer can never be too much, but it has to be with understanding. The Bible pointed out how Jesus always withdraw to all night prayer by Himself. Are you living a prayer-less life? Have you been getting away in life without praying? It is certain that life without prayer will pay the price of consequence that is not fun. It is worthy to give self to constant prayer just like giving self to not missing vitamin for life sustenance.  Man should mark it that there is no excuse that is enough to be excused from praying before God.
The assurance of getting answer to our prayer is confirmed in Jesus’ statement in Matthew 7:9-11, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Are you still in doubt if prayer will work for you? God cannot lie, and He does not waste word. Prayer works.
How we keep our heart helps to persevere and wait for answer to our prayer. The word encourages us to pray and not lose heart just as mentioned in the Parable of the Persistent widow. (Luke 18:1-8) Prayer is calling on God. We serve God that answers. He is the same yesterday and forever. David testified about calling on God, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:4) A believer’s failure to call on God when there is a need to call on God is the evidence of excusing God from extending His deliverance and preservation. Apostle Paul, a giant in the hand of God knows better not to excuse God from his life when he prayed, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him is glory forever and ever, Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18) Call God by His name, His name is a strong tower where there is deliverance and preservation for a true believer in the name of Jesus. God alone is the Living God; consistently look up to God without looking out for man’s answer for your question. Man will fail but God alone is not a failure. Power for deliverance and preservation belongs to God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you waiting for God’s visitation.

FAITH CAPSULE: At God’s appointed time, spirit that is not of God shall be exposed

Acts 16

What do you possess and yet to be identified? Who are you following or who are you leading in the name of seeking God? It is written, “…a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.  This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days…” (Acts 16:16-18) A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination followed the servant of God Apostle Paul for many days. Today, many possessed ones are claiming to be a believer on every ground of worshiping God or leading many acclaimed believers in the name of God. If one with possessed spirit of divination followed Apostle Paul for days, apostles of today will have a possessed spirit divination that is following without been identified.
Who are you following or who is following you without being identified of what spirit is possessed? The certain slave girl with possession of spirit of divination was not quiet but followed Paul crying out testifying that Paul and his team were the servants of the Most High God.  Imagine the certain slave girl operated on a mission field with God’s general (Paul the Apostle of God). It can be agreed that today there must be many of the certain slave girls in different ground of worship deceiving to mislead believer of God.
Who are you before God? Religious leaders such as pastors, prophets, apostles, usher, choir, deacons and all kinds of leadership or non-leadership in positions are not excused to be possessing spirits which is not of God. God cannot be deceived neither can He be mocked. At God’s appointed time, spirit that is not of God shall be exposed outside or inside of acclaimed believers. At appointed time, Paul identified the certain slave possessed with a spirit of divination.
When Paul eventually turned to the certain slave girl, deliverance from the spirit of divination was executed. Today, it is important for believers to abstain or be very careful not to be committed to any man in the name of Jesus. Jesus, our Lord and savior, the One whom we are to follow demonstrated not to commit to man. Also warning word of God is declared for man’s understanding as stated, “Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all men.” (John 2:24) Take to the examples of Jesus in the word of God and let there be no reason for ignorant of the devices of the evil ones. True believer of God should not become a victim of evil agenda. Many are singing the song of salvation; preaching or reaching to many but they are assigned agent of the evil.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to open the eyes of understanding and not be a victim of the evil.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is never too late to turn back from despising God’s word.

Numbers 20:1-13

The word of God is to teach man if man will pay attention to the word of God to learn and do as it is written. Truly, the word of God is true to perform and perfect in the life of man that will do according to God’s word. Psalm 103:7 recorded, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” For a true believer of God, there is no failure for direction in God’s ways. His acts are the revelation of His power which testifies that those that keep His testimonies shall diligently seek God. To be living life by God’s direction is seeking God diligently to arrive at God’s promise for man.
God repeatedly made His ways known to Moses. However, he could only see the promised land but not step on the Promised Land. Moses’ failure to hallow God resulted for him to short grace of God when he saw and not step on the Promised Land. Romans 3:23 is true as stated, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” When Moses was commanded by God to speak to rock for water provision, he struck the rock twice (Numbers 20:11-12) Man’s attention with no doubt should constantly give self to the word of God. Answering as a religious leader is not enough as excuse not to do as directed by God. The grace of God made Moses to see but not step on the promised land.
The acts of God were in the face of the Israelites to believe and rest in the promise of God yet, the Israelites repeatedly disregard the word of God and failed to see or stepped on the promised Land.
The Israelites were privileged to see acts of God which was the evidence of God’s power before and during the days in the wilderness journey. Israelites saw the firstborn of all the Egyptian masters died while their firstborns were safe. Israelites saw the Red Sea open with dry land as a passage to escape from Egyptians’ wicked hand. Despite the evidence of God’s power in His acts before the Israelites, all Israelites who left Egypt with age twenty and above did not arrive at Promised Land. Man should not despise God’s word for no reason. Proverbs 13:13 warned “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” (Proverbs 13:13) Caleb and Joshua were the only ones that did not despised the word of God. Both Caleb and Joshua did not fail to keep their faith to keep God’s acts which gave them direction.
It is never too late to turn back from despising God’s word. Turn aside to God, He is the Unchanging Changer to change your situation for His glory upon your life. Continually give self to the word of God!

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you not to fail in the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: With distance from the word of God man will be open to false conception.

Jeremiah 2

When man is in a distance position from God will be close to something that is not of God. Consciously or consciously are you in a distance position from God or in a close position to God? Taking to a distance position from God is far from the word of God. With distance from the word of God man will be open to false conception or notion. Taking to a distance position from God is walking far from the word that can order the steps of man in right direction. To walk far from God will lead to falling and failure. The word of God is God. Taking to a distance position is not jealous God wants from man but pleases the devil. Whenever man does not acknowledge God for what He has done there will be no heart that is centered to God closely. To be open to false conception is engaging to idols.
God spoke through Jeremiah to the children of Israel, “…What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? Neither did they say, ‘Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt?’”  (Jeremiah 2:4-6) It is important to constantly meditate and know it that God is a jealous God. Giving Him continuous attention by identifying Him as He who saw you through in the past and acknowledging Him for the present is important. At the time He was speaking through Jeremiah, the children of Israel had failed to do right by not identifying Him for the past and not acknowledging Him for the present.
When man takes a distance position from the word of God, rebellious act will take charge in the life of man before God. God wants man to hear and receive His word to heart. God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.” (Ezekiel 3:10) Evidently, the word of God is directed to go to the heart of man with opened ear for the word of God. The point here is, give attention to the word of God by allowing your ear to give preference to the word of God. With attention in place for the word to enter, seeing in the word to gain direction shall become man’s portion. Find time to attend and listen to the word of God; gain understanding and begin to see and receive direction from God. Taking a close position to God is only way live by His direction.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to gain and maintain a close position in the word of God.