FAITH CAPSULE: Trusting God in the beginning and not through to the end is not enough.

1 Kings 12

What God says He will do is a done deal. He does not waste word, He does not lie; He does not exaggerate; He does not deceive and there is no reason to doubt Him. Doubting God is an evidence of lack of faith in His word. Jeroboam, before becoming the king of all Israel, had received the Word of God that he would become king. When it was time for Jeroboam to become king the bible recorded, “…For the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” (1 Kings 12:15) The word of God is true and God is true to His word. God said He was going to make Jeroboam a king, but it was left for Jeroboam to receive the word as sent by God and meditate on it to manifest it for the glory of God. Can you confirm that He was speaking to you what will become of you?

When God makes you up He will back you up and not forsake you if you will not doubt Him. Just as he gave His word for making Jeroboam king, Jeroboam became the king. He, however, failed to remind himself that the word that sounded in his direction for him to become a king would back him up. Jeroboam as a king doubted if the Kingdom would return the house of David after God had given it to him. 1 Kings 12:25-27 testifies how he gave himself to doubt against the promise of God in his life. It is written, “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, ‘Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.’” Doubt is not of God but for the devil. Doubt is an agent of fear and it does not have any good to offer but to steal, kill and destroy. Jeroboam saw the beginning of manifestation of God’s word when he became the king. Doubt set in Jeroboam and could not rest in God. As a result of doubt, he built idols and led the people unto other gods.
It is not enough to trust God in the beginning and not trust Him through to the end. God who has spoken to you will manifest His word if you will rest in His promises.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every iota of doubt as you live life.

FAITH CAPSULE: At His feet is miracle, deliverance and restoration.

John 11

At the feet of Jesus there is learning to gain understanding that gives life abundantly. Also at His feet there is a position to ask and receive when there is no hope to live life. At the time Martha welcomed Jesus to her house, her sister, Mary, “…Sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.”(Luke 10:39) While Martha was doing the serving, Mary remained at the feet of Jesus learning to from Jesus to gain understanding that gives life abundantly. Martha complained to Jesus about Mary not helping to serve. Jesus responded to Martha, “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41-42) By virtue of Jesus’s response, it is clear that above all things, one thing that is needed is gaining understand in His word. It was in the word, at the feet of Jesus that Mary discovered a place of security, a place of hope, and a place of undeniable miracles in Jesus.

When Lazarus was dead, when all hope was lost, when there was nowhere to turn for help, Mary knew where to go. When it was most definite that Lazarus was dead, and all of his remains had begun to stink, Mary knew where to connect with Jesus, the Healing healer. When the whole population could not see any chance of bringing Lazarus back to life, Mary knew where to go, and how to settle herself. In the midst of mourning for the death of Lazarus, Mary received a message from Jesus, through Martha stating, “…the Teacher has come and is calling for you.” (John 11:28) The same message is sounding in your direction today if you will answer Him. The calling of the Lord Jesus is of hope, deliverance, and of restoration. Mary answered without doubt, when the message of Jesus’ calling got to her. Mary, by virtue of her previous experience at the feet of Jesus, knew exactly where to connect with her miracle. John 11:32-34, “Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”  They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”” Again, Mary was at the feet of Jesus. It was a place that her miracle could not be denied. It was a place that caught Jesus’ undeniable attention. At the feet of Jesus there is an answer to all situations.

Prayer for today: Ask God to look on you and lay His hands on you while you are at His feet.

FAITH CAPSULE: Claiming to be a believer is not enough, but aiming to be like Him is.

Luke 6:20-49

Jesus taught about the true way into the Kingdom. Jesus stated, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Indeed many are saying to Him, ‘Lord, Lord,’ today and they are saying it with more eloquence, but He is not evident in their life. What the Lord was saying here was that those that are calling on God without doing the will of the Father are bound to miss the Kingdom of heaven. How long have you been saying, ‘Lord, Lord? Can you sincerely declare that you have been doing the will of the Father? Doing the will of the Father is not only in going to church, prayer meetings, and every other function or church activities.

It is important to do His will. It is doing the will of the father that qualifies one as a believer not by calling Him Lord. Jesus stated in Luke 6:46-47, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like.” Doing the will of Jesus is in coming to Him, hearing what he has to say, and doing what He says.

It is written, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) Jesus is at the door knocking, calling on man. Clearly, so many are not answering; so many came to Him; so many are still coming to Him, but so many are not doing what He asked for.  Claiming to be a believer is not enough, but aiming to be like Him is. Following His word is what believing in Him is all about. Jesus was asked “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29)The will of God is for all to work the works God. To work the works of God is to believe in whom that sent Jesus. All the acclaimed believers that have been coming without doing the words are not doing the will. However, not doing the will is not walking in line with God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take over your moments that you may work the works of God and not miss the Kingdom of Heaven.

FAITH CAPSULE: Acts of complaining are acts of rebellion.

Exodus 15

The coming out of bondage of over four hundred years was a great testimony for the children of Israel. Such testimony is not to be a quiet one, but to be a testimony to what God can do. It is to be a constant reminder, energizing a believer in the journey of life. Just as they came out of bondage and set for their journey to the Promised Land, they ran into a stumbling block. Pharaoh’s chariots came behind them and they were bewildered by the land, closed up by the wilderness. For the children of Israel, there was nowhere to turn to, but to face the forces of Pharaoh or jump and die in the Red Sea.

Does that sound like you? Trust that you serve a miracle working God; a God that makes a way where there is no way. God showed up on their behalf, and made a way in the middle of the Red Sea. God did not only make an ordinary passage, but He made a substantial way. It is written, “So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” (Exodus 14: 22) God made a way for His children to give and retain life. However, God made way’s for His children became a death trap to adversary of His children.

When God is for you whatever stand against you will fall for you.  Trust that when God is behind you He is also ahead of you and the enemy can never be more powerful. The Israelites, after having passed through the Red Sea quickly forgot what the Lord had done. By forgetting, they entered into rebellious acts against the Lord God. The bible recorded, “And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:23-24) The complaint to Moses was an indirect complaint unto God that sent Moses. Acts of complaining are acts of rebellion. All that could have been done was for them to cry to God that made a way where there is was no way. Are you quickly forgetting what the Lord has done? Right after God responded by providing water to drink where there is no water, the Israelites, “…came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.” (Exodus 15:27) God was also a head of them. If they had remembered what He had done, they would have known that He is ahead of them in challenging times. The Lord has not forgotten you. Always remember what He has done to provoke His hand that He may add more than your imagination as you journey through in this life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of complaining. Ask for the grace to constantly remember what He has done and what He can do.

FAITH CAPSULE: With joy, become present in His presence.

Acts 16

In your worship (serving or praising God) disallow worrying but allow joy to be present, so you can be present in His presence. The Psalmist stated in Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy…” Think of it, if you have missed His presence, how can you claim to have worshiped Him? Many services are being rendered unto Him, but only the Lord knows how many are actually getting to His presence. Worshiping God can be looked at from different angles, but it has to be in the fullness of joy. Worshiping God is not only a religious celebration whereby religious program thrives or where emotions are high. Worshiping God can be in a time of great challenges where all ways to having life abundantly has become a thing of frustration or stagnation.

The apostle Paul and Silas demonstrated what worshiping in a time of challenges with joy could do in Acts 16:25-26, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ” What happened to Paul and Silas was not a make-believe story, it was a true life documentation, that is written for our learning. Worshiping God to gain His presence is only possible through joy.

It is important to know and constantly praise God with joy but not with burden that follows man to the place of worship. Paul and Silas were at the point of death, but they did not let their challenge interfered their worshiping of God. Paul and Silas must have praised with joy when God showed up for their deliverance from the prison of life. Truly, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth…” (Psalm 48:1-2)  By going through the pages of the Bible, it should not take forever to clearly identify that joy is the key for living a victorious life. Isaiah 12:3, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” By virtue of Paul’s experience, he stated in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Without joy, God is not accessible. Laughing or smiling is not an expression of rejoicing, before Him. Rejoicing goes deeper into the heart and it is about knowing and trusting that He is beautiful for all situations.

Prayer for today:  Ask for the joy of the Lord to fill you up; ask for His to joy overwhelm you in every area of life.