FAITH CAPSULE: Today, many are calling and sending themselves with hidden agenda.

Matthew 8:18-27 Mark 6:7-13

It is written, “Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22) Just like it was in the bible days so it is today. So many wants to be sent out, but few want to follow. When you fail in following Him, you will not pass into His call to be sent. Today, many are calling and sending themselves with hidden agenda. In the days of Jesus, many went to Him, but very few actually followed Him. Are you a self proclaimed Pastors, Bishops, Evangelists, Apostles, and Gospel Singers who have not taken time to follow Him fully? In following Him there will be constant engagements with winds and storm of this world. In following there are lessons to learn before graduating to leading His sheep. In following Him there is power to gain before getting into His divine assignment.

Many have gone out in His name but lack power. Also, many are going in His way in the name of program. There is a difference between power and a program. In power there is no weapon formed against you and overcome you. However, with a program, acclaimed followers are empty and He is not backing any up. In the beginning, program might seem right and glowing because of skill or earthly wisdom. In time, the error will be revealed to one. Billy Graham once said, “If the Holy Spirit is taken out of the church, 95% of the church activity will continue without the church feeling of what is missing.” Have you been following? Are you called to be sent? Mark 6:7, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirit.”   Matthew 10:1, “And when He had called His disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Think twice before you get yourself into a position to be sent. There is a price for responsibility. Prepare and learn to follow Him and He will invest in your life for His name to be glorified.

Prayer for today: Ask God to teach and guide you that you may leave as His follower.

FAITH CAPSULE: Status or title will not eliminate cheers and jeers from the journey of life.

1 Samuel 18, 2 Samuel 16

The journey of life demands that we do the best and leave the rest. In getting to expected end, journey cannot be separated from the cheers and jeers of life. Jeers and cheers shall definitely come to be. However, maintaining focus in every engagement of life is way to get the clear picture to navigate through without distraction or disruption. It does not matter who you are, cheers are jeers is unavoidable in every journey of life.

David, a man after God’s own heart could not avoid cheers and jeers from sounding in his direction. Philistines and Goliath stood a ground of war against the Israelite. Goliath made a provoking statement, “Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”  And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine; they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:8-10) It was the statement of Goliath that provoked David and made David to respond stating, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26) David eventually engaged and killed Goliath and battle was won by the Israelite.

Victory brought so much cheer for David. The bible recorded the cheers David received, “…when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.  So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:6-7)

The same David that was cheered by the Israelites was embarrassingly jeered by the Israelite. While David was still King, the heart of the men of Israel went with Absalom and David had no choice but to vacate the throne and run for his life. As David was fleeing curses and stones were the unimaginable jeers that were thrown at him. (2Samuel 16:5-14) Imagine David, a man after God’s heart having to deal with cheers and jeers but yet remained on track and not get distracted. Maintain your focus and you shall arrive at your destination.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of enablement in every step of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is a matter of choice to do His will and not by force.

Ephesians 5

Doing the will of God is to be, “…filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,  submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:19-21)

To Be Filled with the Spirit…what is it? Be filled with the word of God instead of being filled by the world affairs. John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” The word of God is the Spirit of God. We have to be continuous and non-stop feeding on the word that is when we can be filled with the Spirit.

Gossiping Christ
Demonstrate the fear of God as you engage speaking about the word through singing and meditation. Those who engage gossiping the Living Word God will have Malachi 4:16-17 answer for them. It is written, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.””

Giving thanks cannot be emphasized enough
1Thessalonians 5:18 states “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Giving thanks should a life style. Jesus demonstrated thanks giving. There was nothing done by Jesus without giving thanks. The miracles Jesus did were not without thanks giving. The thanks giving of the bible is not a once a year turkey engaged activity.

Submission to one another in the fear of God is the evidence of Christ in you.
Today, inside or outside the church all wants to be a self-called leader or a man-called leader. All wants to assume title not task. Jesus the author and finisher of our faith came with humility and submitted to the core. It only takes the spirit of humility for man to be able to submit. 1 Peter 5:5 buttress, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”(1 Peter 5:5)

Here is the word for you to meditate. “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17) It is a matter of choice to do His will and not by force.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to help you disallow every spirit that does not represent Him from having a place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you allowing the world to have its way in your life?

Psalm 73

It is written, “Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment? Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds, yet he will perish forever like his own refuse; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’” (Job 20:4-7) Without any iota of doubt, God is not pleased with hypocrite or the wicked ones. Can you clearly identify and make sure that you are not walking the walk of a hypocrite or the walk of the wicked one.

Hypocrite is a person who pretends to have religious or moral beliefs that he or she does not actually possess. It is a person who professes what he or she does not possess. Hypocrite is a deceiver, pretender and a Pharisee.
Jesus severely rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matthew 6:2,5,16) Matthew 6:2, “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” Among the identities of the Hypocrite is self-glorification which does not have a place before God.

Encased in Jeremiah’s curiosity about the wicked is answer to who the wicked ones are. Jeremiah stated before God, “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” (Jeremiah 12:1-2) Apparently, the wicked ones are the ones that are conversant quoting the word from their mouth but have their mind far away from God. It is wicked to have the word in the mouth and not live by the word of God but.

Any of the two evil agents sound familiar to you? Hypocrite is a sin and wickedness is a sin. Many inside the church could be consciously walking the walk of a hypocrite or that of the wicked one. Sin is sin before God and there is no smaller or bigger sin. God cannot be deceived; He will eventually judge sin at His appointed time. Take to the word of Ecclesiastes to heart, to know and not walk the walk of a hypocrite or of a wicked one. Understand it that, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

Prayer for today: Ask God to disallow any spirit which does not represent Him to have a place in your life.