FAITH CAPSULE: Fear God, work righteousness and be accepted by Him.

Luke 13:22-35

Peter was preaching to the gentiles when he stated, “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35) It is clear that without the fear of God, it is not possible to work righteously, and without the works of righteousness no one can be accepted by Jesus. Which work are you working? Are you working the works of iniquity or works of righteousness? There is no middle ground in obeying God. There is nothing like half obedience, one is either obedient or disobedient. Fear God and work the works of righteousness. Becoming qualified and acceptable by Jesus is all that matters when it is time to stand before Him. If living in church and not working the works of righteousness is what a man knows to do, it will not count for one to be acceptable by Jesus. Jesus was speaking in Luke 13:26, Then you will begin to say, ‘we ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.”

Are you one that is doing all the running around but not working the works? It is important that we are also positioned in the word to impact on us the fear it takes to work the works of righteousness. 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. Martha approached Jesus and protested about not getting help from Mary. The protest of Martha prompted Jesus’ response, “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) This not to say working in the church building and helping to keep ministry going is not worthy. However, it is important to know to live by the word of God.

Jesus was asked in John 6:28, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? And He responded by stating, “…this is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) Jesus clearly states believing God is working the works. Believing God is behaving the word of God. Behaving the word of God is the identity of those who fear God. Do not fear God just by the word of the mouth but by the way you live life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be steadfast in working the works of God so that you will be acceptable before Jesus when it counts.

 FAITH CAPSULE: Reasons for God’s presence in Jesus was in His pleasing God steadfastly.

John 6: 1-14

Placing faith in God is the avenue to please God. Hebrew 11:6 declares, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The Bible describes God as a jealous God. One that is jealous demands attention. We give God attention by placing our faith in Him. Without doubt, with due attention to God, God shall be pleased to attend fully to us. The Word of God makes it clear that it is not possible to please God without faith. If without faith it is impossible to please God, evidently with faith pleasing God is a certainty. Do you have the faith that takes to please God or claiming faith is just the word of mouth? What does it take for faith to be built up? Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Spending time in the word of God will no doubt build up faith in the life of a believer. As the word increases, faith will also increase and pleasing Him will become a reality.

The word of God is a way to walk. How we walk determines where we sit and what we stand for. The same word of God is the source of faith. Man that walks in the word walks in the command (wisdom) of God which is able to deliver and preserve man from evil occurrence. Truly, our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3) Despite the truth that He is God and a doer of what He pleases, when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7)

Jesus, our Lord and savior did great miracles. He knew so much and nothing catches Him by surprise. His words were constantly backed with power. In His walk with all, the bible testifies that Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men. (John 2:24) Jesus’s walk on the face of earth was backed with power. The reason for His power was the steadfast presence of God in Him. The source of God’s presence in Him was rooted in Him pleasing God steadfastly. It is written, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”(John 8:29) Jesus was pleasing the Father, and the Father’s presence was always with Him. When God’s presence becomes steadfast in the life of a believer, knowing what to do, and what not to do, will become the believer’s portion. Pleasing God is what makes the difference in the life one believer from another believer.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you not to fail in walking, standing, and living in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be steadfast in your expectation; never give up until you get through.

Luke 18:35-43, Luke 19:1-10

In life, expectation is the act of looking forward to manifestation and it demonstrate the extent of our faith. The Lord God is a God who weighs our action. 1 Samuel 2:3 buttress, “For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” Are you expecting from God?  The bible documents, about certain blind man who continually beg by the road side. The blind man was in the right place, at the right time when Jesus was passing by where he was begging. Luke 18:36-37 documents, “And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.” The blind man began to cry out by calling on Jesus for help. While he was crying the crowd attempted to shut him down from his crying out but he was steadfastly persistent until he gained the attention of Jesus and “…Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him…” (Luke 18:40) The blind man’s expectation was manifested.
Jesus gave a parable of the persistent widow who was able to get a manifestation of her expectation from a wicked judge because of her persistency. (Luke 18:1-5) The widow did not stop asking until she was able to receive her expectation.

When we become reluctant or stop asking, it shows the lack of faith. To stop asking at the time of our need is possibly the evidence of lack of steadfast faith. We are to ask, seek knock and not stop until there is an answer in place for us. Jesus commanded, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened…” (Matthew 7:7-9) Jesus does not waste word and whatever He says, is settle. Why quit from being steadfast in your expectation?

A very short man attempting to see Jesus in the midst of a crowd is like one who is attempting to climb a rock by riding a bike. Short man Zacchaeus ignored all limitations which was bounding him from seeing Jesus and went with all the expectations that enabled Him to see who Jesus was. It is written, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:4-5)  Be steadfast in your expectation; never give up until you get through.

Prayer for today: Father, I ask for the grace of enablement to seek you with all that You have given me.

FAITH CAPSULE: Abraham was sacrificially steadfast.

Genesis 22

Sacrifice is to surrender something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable. It requires steadfastness. Steadfastness can be inconvenient to engage especially when you have to surrender your time to receive a promise that is unseen.

David stated God’s message to Solomon, “Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.” (1Chronicles 28:6-7)  This is a beautiful and blessed promise of God but for Solomon to receive this promise from God, He had to continually be steadfast in following God’s commands. Any sacrificial engagement that lacks steadfastness will cut short the blessing promised by God.

In life, there is no possession without sacrifice. In other words, behind every gained possession, there is a reasonable sacrifice to be given. Sacrifice might happen in different ways, but it is necessary in order to receive your rightful possession.

God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Behind the promise of God for Abraham, the sacrificial condition was enormous and painful to engage. God commanded him, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house.” (Genesis 12:1) Often times, believers’ claim Abraham’s blessing, but many of them are unable to make such sacrifice to receive those blessings. Abraham continued in the journey to His blessing by making sure he was continuously steadfast.  It was a journey which lasted from his departure as commanded by God, until the rest of his life. Abraham was sacrificially steadfast.

Moses, being a vessel of God, was speaking to the children of Israel when he said, “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess.” (Deuteronomy 11:8) God promised the children of Israel a possession, but it could not happen until they had invested in a required sacrifice. If they had kept the commandments of God, it would have given them the strength needed to possess their possessions. Sacrifice is costly and can be in different forms. Obeying the commandment is a sacrifice because it takes man out of his plan and places man into Gods plans.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace which saw Abraham through to be true in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be steadfast following Jesus fully.

Matthew 16

Jesus was teaching when He 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) Does that sound like you? Are you one whose word does not line up with your walk? Do you profess Jesus but yet perfects in wickedness? You wonder who the wicked ones are. Jeremiah points out the wicked in his statement 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) Clearly, the wicked ones are near to God in their mouth but far from their mind.

Ones who carries the identity of the wicked does not carry the cross, such does not follow Him fully. Jesus specifically requested, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26)  Whatever a man desires God will deposit. Is it your desire to follow Jesus fully? Following Jesus is not flowing with the crowd. Many are flowing with the crowd few are actually following Him fully. To follow Him fully demands to be steadfast in our walk in line with the word of God by forsaking all for the Kingdom of heaven’s sake.

One who is self-full cannot be word full. Following the word fully is following Jesus fully. Jesus is the living word of God which was in the beginning. John 1:1 buttress, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ” Why not deny yourself; forsake all and settle for the living word of God; take up His cross and follow Him to cross over?

Following fully is not a one time or on and off engagement. Following the word demands to be steadfast which is to be fixed in direction. To be steadfast in following the living word of God is not a self-satisfying engagement and one who is self-full cannot be possibly steadfast. Kind David realized the importance and the need for one to be steadfast when he called on God in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Be steadfast following Jesus fully.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be steadfast in following Christ fully.