FAITH CAPSULE: Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling.

Mark 6:7-13

The expectation of answering God’s calling for man in life is to answer fully. Answer the calling of God fully not just flow as a crowd. His calling comes at His appointed time. In life, no man decides the time of His calling. Among the disciples of Jesus, none called himself, but Jesus called each and every one. It is written, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”” (Mark 1:16-18) Without doubt, the disciples were not prepared at the time of their calling but turned to the calling upon their life and followed with no turning back away from Jesus. Has He called you when you are not ready?
His calling requires leaving all behind to give Him all required attention. Has He called you and yet the old baggage is still hanging around you? In His calling, old things must be left behind otherwise new things will not have a place to stay in you. The Bible recorded what is about His calling, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts-but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.” (Mark 6:7-9)
Are you ready to move away from your past?
The One that calls you will not be able to move you forward until you are able to move away from your past. Above all, the One that calls you did not call you into religion but into Jesus reality. Also, in His calling there is a time to be sent out. He that calls you will not send you until after you have been equipped with all that it takes to carry His power.
Are you called by Jesus or you have placed a call on yourself? In answering to His calling, commitment must take the place of convenience. In answering to His calling, be ready for a journey but not a jolly ride. Without His calling and you answering, sending out will not come forth.
What is holding you down from turning aside and making yourself available for His calling? In His calling, He shall give power in the place of material of this world. Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling. The word of God assured that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to put the past behind and answer fully to His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: To fear God is to live life abundantly.

Proverbs 19

God identified Jesus in Luke 3:22, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”” Jesus was sent to us freely but the blessings He brought along to us demands condition. The condition was identified in Luke 9:35, “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”” Hearing Him by listening is the way to be blessed. It is impossible to hear His word by listening and not do His word. He is our wisdom, our instruction that will make the hearer of Him live life abundantly. Jesus confirmed, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Hearing Him by listening is the source to fear God. Are you allowing the fear of God reign and rule your life? To fear God is to live life abundantly which is the blessing Jesus brought to man.
Proverbs 19:23 stated, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. In life, to have the fear of God will definitely cause man to abide in satisfaction. With satisfaction that is rooted in the word of God, your life will shut out the evil one.
Are you hearing Him enough so as to be satisfied, living life abundantly? Judas was called by Jesus; he was in position to hear Him day and night but yet disqualified his calling. Judas could not be satisfied. Judas’s lack of satisfaction led to his lust for money. In life, lust for money will cause anyone to become vulnerable to evil agenda. Bible identified Judas’ lust: “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:4-6) Judas loves money. Judas was not satisfied. Judas was not content but contaminated by lust for money. 1Timothy 6:9-10 recorded about the evil of satisfaction which is lust, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Search your heart to know way in life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to reign and rule your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Turning from God is a sin before God.

Jeremiah 3

Answering fully to God is turning to God’s calling. God has placed a calling upon all with no exemption. God’s salvation plan for us is God’s calling for us before we were born. Bible recorded God’s calling for us, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9) Our calling is to turn God. Indeed, God has given a holy calling through Jesus but today man has turned away from God. Lack of understanding is an avenue of turning away from God. Without understanding there will be the lack of knowledge. Lord declared in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” The word of God is the source of understanding God. With understanding, fear of God shall make man turn to God. The truth today is that, acclaimed believer inside or outside of church has turned away from God.
Turning from God is a sin before God. With no sin, who is better today?
Gain understanding of the word of Romans 3:10-18, search heart to know if it speaks to you. There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God; they have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one; their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. The word of Romans 3:10-18 speaks of wicked, rebellious before God. Joshua 22:29 speaks to all now not just then as stated, “Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day…” Turning away from God is rebellion. Turning to God is answering fully to God that has called us. God expects our turning to Him with our whole heart when He requested from Judah in Jeremiah 3:10, “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.”” God cannot be deceived and there shall be no deception in turning to Him. Our turning to God should be a nonstop in the journey of life, giving God His due attention.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of turning to God with the whole heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Today, your enemy will answer to unending sleep.

1Samuel 26

The Lord God yesterday, today and forever is not a partial God but a merciful God. He watches over all, He is God that does not sleep nor slumber. Psalmist mentioned, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4) God is a God that does not look away from His children but will fight for His children. Has He called you but the enemy takes a position against you? Word of God encourages stating, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24) He that calls you shall not slumber or sleep over; He shall definitely show up on your behalf. If you have turned to God, He is faithful to fight for you.
The calling of Moses was questioned by the Israelites. Moses was embarrassed, he was accused but he could not fight the battle by himself. Moses responded to his people, “And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”” (Numbers 16:28-30) Moses committed his fight to the hand of God. God could not slumber or sleep on behalf of Moses. The end of Moses’ fight was eternally terminated. Today, your enemy shall become eternally terminated.
God evidently called David to be King after Saul but Saul relentlessly sought to kill David by pursuing him all over the face of earth. The hand of God was in place over the life of David. Who can bend the hand of God from manifesting on your behalf? Saul attempted but he prevailed as a failure. During Saul’s pursuit for David’s life, he went after David with three thousand soldiers. At night time, David approached Saul’s position while all of his guards were in a deep sleep. David could have killed Saul, but he vowed not to destroy the Lord’s anointed. The Bible recorded, “So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.” (1Samuel 26:12) David did not attempt to fight his battle, but allowed God to fight for him. When God fight for you it shall be a permanent victory. Today, your enemy will answer to an unending sleep.

Prayer for today: Ask God to send your enemy into a deep sleep.

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you turned away from God?

Numbers 16

Turning away from God is rejecting God. In life, there is no reasonable excuse for turning away from God. Almighty God is in position for man not to turn away from His hand. Are you turning away from the hand of God?
Moses represented the hand of God to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years but the Israelites repeatedly turned away from God.
All the writing was clear on the wall that Moses was not operating on his own power when Korah and his entourage turned against the hand of God upon Moses. It is written, “Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”  (Numbers 16:1-3)
It is hard to believe that some could ever thought of rising against Moses despite the demonstration of God’s hand upon Moses. Renowned men were among two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation and representatives of congregation which took part in the uprising against Moses. The Israelites turned against the hand of God. Moses responded to Korah and his team to let them know that God sent him. The bible recorded, ”…as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with all their goods.”(Numbers 16:31-32) They were all buried and died before God’s hand on Moses.
Have you turned away from God? In the parable of the lost son, Jesus made us to see that returning is never too late after turning away from God. The lost son left home too early when he received the portion of goods that fell to him. The lost son left for a new land and he finished his portion of goods. It is written, Luke 15:17, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.” Father is always waiting for our return after turning away from Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that keeps man not to turn away from God.