FAITH CAPSULE: Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd.

Mark 5

It is written, “…Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and appealed to Him earnestly, saying, ‘My daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’” (Mark 5:22-23)
Synagogue is a Jewish place of worship. Synagogue services is of reciting the Shema (Shema is the basic confession of faith in Judaism) Praying, scripture readings from the Old Testament; giving sermon and benediction are typical of synagogue worship. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue put aside his religious title that could have built an empty pride in him. Jairus’ title did not measure to the task that was at hand as he went to meet with the only King of kings and the Lord of lords. Is there a religious title that is blinding from seeing where your miracle is waiting for you? Jairus needed to have his daughter delivered from the point of death when he dismissed is title for Jesus to give him attention.
In Jairus’ attempt to get Jesus’ attention for his breakthrough miracle, he engaged three things:

First, he put aside his religious burden and met Jesus at the right location, which was the crossing point. Your crossing point could be on the ground of fellowship. Often, many have missed their crossing point because of title (pride). Jairus could not allow his title to deny his miracle but approached Jesus for his desire. How are you responding to altar call when altar call is made? It does not matter how often you have stepped out in the past, as long as the need continues to exist, you have to persist and insist on your blessing.

Secondly, Jairus saw Jesus and he took a step of faith. Jairus’ stepping out caused him to have a direct contact with Jesus. Jesus knows all things and Jairus’ need was not strange to Jesus. His stepping out and seeing Jesus was a renunciation of being a part of the multitude to being one who was on purpose and not flowing with the crowd. Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd.

Finally, Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet meaning that, He laid it all unto Jesus. Imagine Jairus begging earnestly for the life of his daughter saying, “Here I am, a poor religious leader, have mercy on my dying daughter.” While begging at the feet of the Master, he made his request without paying attention to his title and the multitude. Watch out, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs16:18)

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of pride.

FAITH CAPSULE: As a child of the Most High God, the difference will be very clear when Jesus comes back

Exodus 8:20:32, 9:1-7

God spoke to Moses, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)  God repeated His message to Moses and it calls for sacrificing, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.” (Exodus 3:18) Serving God is a sacrifice; sacrifice is serving God. God emphasized through Moses that His reason for bringing out the Israelites was to go and serve (sacrifice) Him. Bondage, captivity are some of the agent in place for man not serve (sacrifice) God. Just like the Israelites were brought out of the house of bondage to serve Him so He brought us out of the avenue of sin to serve Him.

Living life is all about serving God. Are you serving Him? Is there any representative of Pharaoh that is set to deny your serving God? Power belongs to God and that make it impossible for the enemy to be more powerful. God sent Moses, and Pharaoh declined to let the children of Israel go. Disobedient and hardness of the heart will always provoke the hand of God. As a result of Pharaoh’s hardness of heart, God sent plagues upon the land.

It is written, “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. 23 I will make a difference^] between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.”(Exodus 8:22-23)   God does not waste word and His word shall not return to Him without performing (Isaiah 55:11) Exodus 8:24, “And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.”  All that will not serve God and that which will not allow man to serve God shall have the same experience just as the whole land of Egypt. Egypt did serve God and also disallowed the Children of Israel to go and serve God. As a child of the Most High God, the difference will be very clear when Jesus comes back to take those that are always on His side. If you are living for the Lord, be rest assured that in the wicked world you will not be touched, but separated in the time of destruction.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to continuously serve God and be a reasonable living sacrifice to God.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is the walk we walk that identifies us before God

Psalm 1

Our walk will identify us before God because it is what defines who we are.
Our walk we walk also marks us for God’s blessing.
It is written, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1) Mark it, when a believer begins to seek counsel from an unbeliever it is an indication that something is not right with such believer.
The only way to redirect our walk before God is to continuously engage ourselves in the word of God by meditating His word. The word admonished us that there is delight in the law when meditating in the word is in place day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Life is a journey, who you surround yourself with will determine what you get out of life. The word you meditate on in the journey of life will determine whether you get to your expected end or not. Whose word do you believe in? Do you believe the word of God or man? The word of God is a sure counsel that leads man from walking, sitting or standing for the name of God to be glorified. When the counsel of God begins to cause delight in the life of man, it becomes evident that the word of God is meaningful to one’s life. Meditate the word of God day and night. Meditating on the word of God is the avenue not to walk outside God’s way (Man is like a vehicle and mediation can be compared to a steering. Without steering, stagnation exists, there be no transportation; where there is no transportation transformation cease.) The Psalmist identifies the blessing of walking, sitting and standing in line with God stating, “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3) Live life for the glory of God by paying attention to how you walk, sit, and stand in His counsel and He shall attend to you to bless you.

Are you working but not walking in line with God? A worker for God whose walk (where he sits and stands) is not backed by walking in His way is bound to miss the blessing of God. Doing the work of God is God-enabled. God can use anyone or anything to get work done but walking His way is in obeying His commandments.The way of God calls for more serious attention to avoid missing heaven. Heaven is not accessible by work alone but also how we walk. There are many working wonders in the name of Jesus and probably walking outside of His ways by going astray in their hearts.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to constantly walk in line of God’s word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give yourself entirety to meditation. It works to the glory of God.

Joshua 1:1-9, Numbers 32

Begin to ask God for the grace to wholly follow Him. To wholly follow Him will establish man to get to the expected end of life’s journey. The word stated about following the Lord God wholly, “Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, expect Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’”(Numbers32:11-12) Following God wholly is demonstrating the spirit of faith which Caleb and Joshua did. Does it occur to you to examine if you are wholly following God?

It is written in 2Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” As it was profitable to the men of God in the Bible days, so it is profitable to any that makes the choice to get into the word of God continuously. After Moses, God commanded Joshua with the need to engage word continuously by meditating. He said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” He pointed out to Joshua that meditating on the word was the way for Joshua to be successful in the assignment that was designated to him. With continuous meditation word will sink into man and the spirit of faith shall be established. With spirit of faith, following the Lord God wholly shall be without struggle.

Also, Paul the apostle knew that his days were numbered when he wrote to Timothy in 1Timothy 4:15, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” Paul’s command about meditation testifies to the importance of meditation. Meditation that works requires consistency spending day and night, and wholly giving oneself to follow God. Meditation is labor and labor is a sacrifice. A believer that is constant and consistent meditating on the word of God cannot be eliminated from the promise that is encased in the journey of life. Meditation is not memorization and when it becomes consistent, there will always be availability of grace to observe to do according to what the word says. Give yourself entirety to meditation. It works to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to wholly follow Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Will you enter as a dwelling place and not as a passing by place?

Psalm 91, Isaiah 57:15-21

God is Holy. 1 Samuel 2:2 testifies, “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.” He that is holy must also dwell in a holy place; non that is not holy shall see Him. God spoke in the book of Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” Without doubt, there be no better place dwell like His dwelling place.

He mentioned by Himself in the book of Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” The high place belongs to the High and Lofty One and it is also the place of believers with a contrite (a repentant) and humble (one whose shoulders are not rising above his head) spirit. Psalm 34:18 also confirms that, “the LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit”. Evidently, to dwell in His place is also to be near to Him. It is definitely an awesome promise only from our God whose awesomeness is beyond any man’s imagination. He is the only God that gives promises which does not fail and will never fail to remember His children. As a believer, have you thought of entering into His secret place as a dwelling place and not as a passing by place? If you will desire to enter and begin to dwell in His secret place, abiding under His shadow will not elude you.

Psalm 91:1 stated, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Indeed and in truth, there is no other place where a believer should desire to abide but under the shadow that does not expire; a shadow that is continuously constant and consistent. It is a shadow that covers one from every form of evil agenda. It is a shadow that will not allow deliverance to be denied over one’s life. To abide demands a step into His dwelling place. The word of God reveals His secret. His word is a not a secret to those who embrace studying and obeying. Engage and embrace His word to have a place and dwell in the high and holy place.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constant and consistent studying the word of God.