FAITH CAPSULE: Deception is of the devil’s way of life.

Genesis 3

Deception is dangerous. God has created man not to be a victim of deception or be an agent of deception. Deception a relative of lying and manipulation are encased in pride which is the identity of devil. Is deception your way of living life? The word of God does not accept deception. Adopting deception is disengaging the word of God; deception is despising the word of God. Without doubt, despising the word of God is the avenue of destruction as Proverbs 13:13 declared, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”
Man frequently adopts deception to deliver deceitful message in the name of God. Devil, the father of liars, the master of deception interacted deceitfully to derail man from the route journey of life through Adam and Eve. God gave word of command to Adam, “…Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The devil by his skill of deception came in place to twist the word of God, “And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5) The temptation of the devil is a deception of interaction for Adam and Eve to violate God. Devil deceitfully added and took out from the word of God to twist Eve’s response. As a result of evil deception, “…the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:13) Deception is of the devil’s way of life and so it is the way of life among acclaimed believers and non-believers.
Living life as a victim of deception or operating as an agent of deception is a way of getting displaced in the presence of God just like Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were displaced from the presence of God as stated, “…He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be a victim or an agent of deception.

FAITH CAPSULE: Listen attentively to no man but to God’s word of promise.

Numbers 13

Only listen attentively to the word of God. There is no how long man have been dislodged or displaced; God is more than able to reverse the irreversible. Man’s trouble might be too hard but God is more than able to resettle man for better. If you will listen attentively God’s word, wait on the word of God, be renewed in strength and not faint. God alone made the heavens and earth by His great power that cannot fail. Will you listen to wait on His word?
For over four hundred years, the Israelites were displaced into bondage. For over four hundred years it seemed as if there was no way out but God spoke through Moses, “…I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:17) If man will listen attentively to the word of God there shall be no failure. God has spoken, God is still speaking and what He says is a done deal. Are you listening to His word? The Israelites could not listen attentively.
Since the pollution of man in the Garden of Eden by the deceiver, man has continued not to listen attentively for God’s word. The children of Israel did not take Him for His word as a result, they failed to move and possess all the promised word of God. Numbers 13:1-3 recorded, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a leader among them.’” Moses played his role by relaying the message as delivered unto him for the Israelites. All that the children of Israel needed to do was to go and spy out the land which God was giving them.
In life, listening attentively will deliver result in the promise of God. The spies checked the land and came back with negative report. Giving negative report of God’s promise was making the word of God a liar which is the evidence of lack of faith. The spy reported negative confession, “…The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are great men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we are like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we are in their sight.’” (Numbers 13:32-33) All the people who received and believed spy’s report died. Listen attentively to no man but to God’s word of promise.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to enable your listening attentively to His word for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is your security or your stability in this wicked world of today?

Psalm 37

Without doubt, the whole world is unstable more than it was unstable in the past years. God identified the root of instability ever since the day’s Old Testament stating, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Genesis 6:5-6)
Wickedness reigns all over and there is none that is safe but ones that abide in God. The word of God does not lie nor return void to God but delivers promises for security and stability in this wicked word. For man that sincerely and truly abide in the commandments (word of God) of God, security answers for man. 1 John 3:24 stated, “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in Him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” The word referred to “now” not just then in the past. Today, begin to keep His commandments and He shall abide in you for your security.
The word of God is wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:30 makes us to know that Jesus is our wisdom stating, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…” Why not truly take to wisdom from God for security in the wicked and instability world of today? Word of God surely promised security stating, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation…” (Isaiah 33:6) Jesus, the living word of God is our wisdom from God. Many know about the word of God but do not actually know the word of God (there is a difference between to actually know and knowing about). Many are conversant with the word of God by the mouth but are far from the word in the heart. Without knowing wisdom of God in true, knowing by having edge over wickedness world shall not be in place. What is your security or your stability in this wicked world of today? The word of God is the will of God for man’s security if man will keep His commandments. God is true and His word is wisdom for security for man. In life, do not be deceived but decide for God that will act for those who seek Him by waiting on Him.
Listen and hear what is true about God as stated in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” For your security in this wicked world of today, seek Him by waiting on Him.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to keep eyes only on the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Avoiding sin and not become a victim of devourer of man is in the word.

Joshua 1

1 Peter 5:8 warned, “Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” To be sober; to be vigilant is to live life with the attitude of vigilance. The devil has been walking about with his mission to round up man as his hell colleague when time of judgement is up. Sin is the pill in the hand of enemy to poison and devour man.
Accepting Jesus as the Lord and savior is not an indication that sin is no longer on the way. In the journey of life, sin will not go away as long as the devil is very much around. Devil, the enemy will not stop parading sin because he looks for whom to devour. The enemy is stubborn and will not give up in his attempt to win some for a sinful journey that does not arrive in the presence of God. The encounter of Jesus with the devil after Jesus’ forty days fasting was evident to the fact that the devil is stubborn in the business to devour. Devil’s stubbornness failed three times in his attempt to tempt Jesus. Jesus’ walk was evidence for us to live life with the attitude of vigilance. Despite of the failure of the devil’s attempt for Jesus, the bible recorded, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13) Devil will never give up but will always seek an opportune time.
Avoiding sin and not become a victim of devourer of man is in the word. Jesus responded to the enemy by quoting the word of God with the evidence of His understanding of the written word of God. The word of God is God. Psalm 18:30 stated, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” The word of God is the place of security and not become a victim of the devil.
Take note that accepting Jesus as the Lord and savior will not stop the devourer from attempting man with temptation into sin. However, God will not send His people without backing His people up with what it takes to get through. God gave word that request for observing His word. To observe and keep His word is all that will cause man not to miss out victory over devourer of man.
Joshua’s victory in his journey and not become a vessel of devourer is an example for us to learn. God promised to be with Joshua and not leave nor forsake Joshua with the condition of observing to do according to the word. Truly, observing to do according to the word of God is incased in meditating the word of God day and night. Meditating word consistently and constantly denies the accessible of devourer of man.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of meditating the word of God day and night.

FAITH CAPSULE: Come out of selfish motives; center your heart on only that glorify God.

Nehemiah 1

So many egoistic (self-centered) occupies every corner of the world without exception of believer or unbeliever. Who are you? Are you an acclaimed believer that is devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily one’s own interests, benefits or regardless for others? Are you one that is characterized by selfish motives? Indeed, life should not be only about self but considerate for people around self.
Nehemiah was a non-entity. He was not a pastor, he was not a bishop, and he was not a prophet nor was he the son of a prophet. He was an ordinary cupbearer to the king in the Persian palace. He got to where he was because he was a captive. One thing was clear about Nehemiah: he had the concern for Jerusalem’s welfare and its inhabitants at heart. Nehemiah, a cup-bearer with big heart desired a better life for his brethren. Nehemiah was not self-centered. Who are you? As a cup-bearer, he wanted a change for others but not be a liar or manipulation in the name of God. God saw Nehemiah’s heart and He acknowledged him. God in His awesomeness invested in the life of Nehemiah as a vessel to reconstruct the broken wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:3-4 was the report that burdened Nehemiah, “And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah poured out his heart in prayer on behalf of his people and his homeland. He asked for nothing that had to do with himself, but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people.
Nehemiah’s heart was in line with what God was looking for. Who are you in the eyes of God that is always traveling over the earth, searching for heart that lines up with His glory? Jeremiah 17:9 confirmed that, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” God alone knows every heart and He will not overlook both good and evil heart.
If you will begin to come out of selfish motives, if you will begin to center your heart on all that will glorify God, He will not limit your exploit on the face of heart. Nehemiah did not remain on self but set for his people and God deposited in him what it takes to bring glory to the name of God. Nehemiah, a cup-bearer turned the issue of his nation around. Life is not to be about self alone, but rather it should be about all who comes our way.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to live life as selfish one.