FAITH CAPSULE: Run the race right, not wrongly.

Philippians 3

Standing firm in Christ is to know Christ.
The challenges of the world will drive one into the avenue of faith failure.
Keeping eyes on God testifies not to be a faith failure.
Know disallow faith failure.
How is your faith?
Jesus questioned the faith situation when He returns as stated, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Focusing on the Word of God is crucial, not to become a faith failure. Jesus prayed for Peter not to be a victim of challenging trouble that was going to move Peter into faith failure, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail (Luke 22:32)
The challenging trouble of today is bound to any believer when keeping eye on the low prize in the place of keeping eye on the highest prize in heaven.
How is your step, not to step into challenges?
Take note that living in life today is like a race.
The race engagement comes with prizes as engaged racing.
1 Corinthians 9:24 admonished us about race and it is prize stating, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
2 Timothy 4:7 records, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Paul identified what it takes not to be moved out of faith into failure as stated in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Like Paul, it is possible to disallow any challenging trouble.
Challenging will derail.
One is on the right track in the race of life when consistently denying challenge.
Without doubt, keep your eyes on God always.
Keep an eye on God by:
Stand firm in Christ
Standing firm in Christ is to know Christ and know how to come out of ignorance about knowing.
Standing firm is knowing that Jesus is coming back.
Standing firm should be directly related to where to sit and how to walk in this wicked world.
Paul said it all in Philippians 3:20-21, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…”
Know Christ in the midst of the challenging trouble of today; give self entirely to the Word of God.
God does not ask for what is not doable.
We are to do His word and not be a vessel of faith failure.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to be a faith failure.

FAITH CAPSULE: A doubt is a character that will deny one the help of God.

Philippians 4

Jesus in the life of the acclaimed believer is what makes the difference that counts.
A doubt is a character that will deny one the help of God.
With doubt in the heart of man, a troubling challenge will reposition man out of the presence of God.
With a heart that is occupied by troubling challenges, having joy that places man in the presence of God is not possible.
David talked about joy and the presence of God, “…in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
Paul emphasized the importance of rejoicing despite the troubling challenges of his life.
Paul encouraged the need to be in joy, stating, “…my brethren, rejoice in the Lord…” (Philippians 3:1)
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Joy and rejoicing do not have a substitute before God.
Having joy and rejoicing is a continual engagement that retains the presence of God.
Jesus questioned in Luke 24:38, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
With doubt, one becomes shattered in the heart as troubling challenges gather to occupy the heart.
Jesus encouraged all, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1)
Believing in God should not allow a troubled mind.
Having joy is a choice.
For a true believer who lives by the word of God, it should not make a mind a room with no joy.
Word of God promised, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)
Do not be troubled because of affliction.
Today, pray against the troubler of the heart; ask that trouble shall cease and expectation of heart shall not perish.
Believe that Jesus is here as stated in John 10:10,“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Jesus is here to give life abundantly.
Do you doubt His word?
It is doubt that denies man from receiving the promise of God.
Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)
With doubt, the belief of man becomes shattered in the heart.
Jesus encouraged all, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1)
Faith is what pleases God.
Trusting and hoping in God is rooted in keeping focus on the word of God. In the face of your troubling challenge, meditate prayerfully before God.
Jesus encourages all to ask, seek, and knock.
Regardless of troubling challenges, one must stay positive and be encouraged in the Lord.
Above all, know that life is about today, not yesterday.
Truly, focus only on Jesus, not on man, not on prophe-liars or apostate-deceivers.  

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to uphold you against the troubler of heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: God wants all to amend ways, entering and dwelling in His presence.  

Jeremiah 7

Begin to enter and dwell in the presence of God.

Psalm 91:1 informs all, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The secret of God is in the word of God.
One who searches, spending time studying in the word, shall dwell and abide in the secret place of the Most High, untouchable under the shadow of the Almighty.
Are you entering and dwelling in the place of God?
Entering and dwelling in the place of God is rooted in how one amends ways.
Jeremiah spoke the word of God for the understanding of what it means to enter and dwell in the place of worshiping God.
Jeremiah 7:1-3, “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, ‘Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.’’
Often, many enter the place of worship, but do not before God, for as dwelling and abiding in the presence of God.
Indeed, it was a direct message to the people of Judah, but it also directly communicates to all.
God wants all to amend ways, entering and dwelling in His presence.
To dwell and abide is not just the word of the mouth.
Striving by all possible means will lead to dwelling and abiding in the presence of God.
The desire is to begin to enter and dwell in His presence.
God will enable desires to become energized to strive.
The Psalmist knew what he was asking for when he lifted his voice and asked God for his desire.
All to gain from God demands desire because God is not a slave master but a saving God.
The Psalmist asks for desire.
Psalm 27:1-5, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”
The identity of one who strives is the evidence of his dwelling in the presence of God.
As an acclaimed believer, will you make dwelling in the presence of God that will establish you as a man after God?
Dwelling and entering the presence of God is taking a position to be blessed.

Prayer for today: Ask that you be one with a desire to strive, dwell, and abide in the presence of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Abraham demonstrated what it means to love God.

Genesis 22

Claiming the love of God can not be compared to any idea of loving God.
To love God should not be a non-stop engagement.
Just as having a breath of life, so should it be loving God unconditionally when there is breath within.
Loving God should not be the way of anyone but in His own way.
God does have a set standard for every area of His expectations,
Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
To love God means to give Him all, just as Abraham gave God all, loving God.
He loved God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength.
Abraham loved God with all his heart.
Abraham was seventy-five years old when he obediently left home.
Obedience to God is the character of love for God.
Abraham demonstrated his love when he moved in obedience to an unknown location.
However, the strongest demonstration of his love for God emerged after the birth of his son, Isaac. God said to Abraham, “…take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:2)
God repeatedly asked for Isaac.
Abraham could not deny God.
Abraham demonstrated what it means to love God with all our heart when he followed through and obeyed God.
Abraham resumed the journey of obedience at an early hour.
“Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.” (Genesis 22:4)
It took Abraham three days to get to the ground of sacrifice.
Abraham took his only son, whom he loved, on a three-day journey, an exhausting journey.
Also, knowing fully well that the son was to die should have taken away all his strength as he went on for three days.
Despite all, he continued because he loved God with all his strength.
Abraham also demonstrated his love with all his soul when he carried out the sacrifice in his heart. Genesis 22:10 records, “Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.”
The attempt of Abraham called for the attention of heaven, and the angel called on Abraham, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”(Genesis 22:12)
By not withholding and being so willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Abraham clearly demonstrated how much he loved God with all his heart, strength, and soul.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you with all that it takes to love Him with all your heart for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: The kind of love Daniel had for God positioned him for deliverance and preservation from his enemies.  

Daniel 6

God is a jealous God, and the antidote to jealousy is attention.
To love God is to seek Him uniquely.
The life of Daniel demonstrates an uncommon way to love God.
Daniel loves God; he established a custom approach and relationship with God.
Evidently, Daniel could not let the day pass by without gaining the presence of God.
The kind of love Daniel had for God positioned him for deliverance and preservation from his enemies.
When he was marked for an untimely death in the den of hungry lions, he made his way out by his testimony in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
How can a believer claim to love God and only pray to God when tough times and challenges arrive?
It takes more than attending church to worship God and to show love for Him.
God is a jealous God, and the antidote to jealousy is attention.
When given attention to God, God will attend to such.
When love for God counts, God will respond with His love.
In the love of God is His mercy.
Romans 9:15 records, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
As much as God’s mercy is for only the ones He chooses to have mercy, when you love God, you have positioned yourself for the undeniable mercy of God.
Exodus 20:6 confirmed the mercy of God for those who love Him when it stated, “…but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep my commandments.”
Among the blessings of loving God is that God will always fight on behalf of those who love Him indeed and in truth.
God will fight against every unknown and known enemy in the life of those who love Him.
When God fought on behalf of the children of Israel against Balak and Balaam, He fought their battle favorably.
When you love the Lord, He will turn against your enemy like He did for the children of Israel against Balak.
God is true as stated, “…LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. (Deuteronomy 23:5)
Also, when you love God, His blessings will pass on to your descendants. After many years of the Israelites in bondage for over four hundred years, the love of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob made God deliver the Israelites as stated in Deuteronomy 4:37, “And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power.”

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live life, loving Him continually.