FAITH CAPSULE: Ones that truly work the works of God will cause their world to work for them.

1 John 3, 4

Jesus was questioned, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Without hesitation, Jesus responded to the question stating, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) God sent Jesus that we may have life. Clearly, believing the word of God (God’s command) is working the work of God. In Deuteronomy 6:5, the word of God commands us, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”  As an acclaimed believer, to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength is working the work of God.
Talking love is cheap and not enough to claim serving God. Going to church services is not enough to justify one’s love for God. However, walking in love is real and it testifies to loving and serving God. How do we love God? To love God is to know God. Do you know if you know Him? 1 John 2:3-5, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” How do you love God? 1John 3:18 declares how to love God stating, “…let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth.” It is time to determine if you are one that truly loves God.
When one loves God by loving the word of His command, there is so much to gain. The Psalmist testifies what to gain in Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” What is it that can be compared to ‘Great Peace?’ Great peace is the peace of great and awesome God; the only kind of peace which keeps man away from stumbling in this world of raging storm? Why not give your heart to truly work the works of God? Ones who truly work the works of God will cause their world to work for them. God does not violate His word and He will watch over it to bless true believers. Determination to work the works of God will fail any man. Determination failed Peter when he denied Christ. If you are one that truly desires to work the works of God, that you may inherit His promises, engage in prayer. With prayer, man shall prevail because God is a prayer answering God who waits to act for those who wait on Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to work His works.

FAITH CAPSULE: For the word to make a believer, the word must gain entrance.

2Chronicles 32

Whatever gains entrance into the life of man will make or break man. The word of which enters a man is what makes one a believer of the word of God. What is entering into you? For the enemy to break down any believer the enemy must gain entrance into the believer’s heart. Proverbs 4:23 warned, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Definitely, a heart that is not well kept through meditating the word of God will grant access to the enemy. Without the enemy gaining entrance, it will be almost impossible to break the believer from the outside. The same applies to the word of God. For the word to make a believer, the word must gain entrance. It is written, “The entrance of the words gives light; it gives understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:130) The word of God that enters will make one never to be overcome by darkness as long as the word remains in one. Gaining entrance either in a person or territory is important because it will deliver victory or defeat.
Once in the attempt of attacking Judah, Sennacherib King of Assyria entered Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:1-3 recorded, “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his leaders and commander to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him.” The purpose of Sennacherib’s entering into Judah was to make an effective war against Judah. It was left for Judah to reverse the negligence of allowing the enemy to gain entrance. As a believer, we do have a choice in the word of God not to allow the enemy to gain entrance. When an enemy is within, a believer can be redeemed by allowing the word to work as a weapon of defense.
The Word of God will work a great deal in one who spends time to study and live by the word which enters through studying. Are you waiting for the enemy to enter before giving time to studying the word of God? The purpose of the word that was sent by God is to heal and deliver us from all of our destruction. (Psalm 107:20) Jesus, the living word of God revealed to us, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Have you allowed the word to gain entrance? Allow the word to gain entrance that you may gainfully engage challenges of your world.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be enabled for the word of God to have its rightful place in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: On the journey of life, challenges will not be over.

Exodus 13:17-22, Psalm 34

Are you on a journey that seems there is no end in sight? To the Israelites, it must have been as if the journey would never come to an end. Are you experiencing a journey that seems to be endless? Do you question when all the confronting challenges will be over? On the journey of life, challenges will not be over but the grace in Christ Jesus is more than enough to see one through in the face of any challenge on the journey of life. Challenges often come in the form of affliction. However, the word encourages, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) God never fail to honor His word, He is consistent to perform and perfect according to His word.
For the children of Israel, the Lord led them through the safest route. It was a route that avoided war with the forces of the enemy when they were not yet ready for war. It was a route that took them from going back for the worst. Does that speak of your present route? Above all, God led them through a route where there would have been no reason for them to go back into the captivity of Egypt. Exodus 13: 17-18, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”
In their deliverance from entering a war route, they turned on to war of complaint and disobedience against the One that led them from bondage. The children of Israel could have taken the worst route, but they did not recognize it. As a result, they were unable to acknowledge what God had done as they turned to complaining and disobedience. Your situation could be much worse right now, consider yourself blessed and keep on trusting God. As you face the challenges on your journey, rest in the word of God as stated in 1Samuel 2:9, “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness…” Know that the wicked, the agent of affliction has been put to place by the guidance of God which is available in His word. Today, encourage yourself in the Lord; let it be clear to you that God will get you to where He is taking you if you do not step out of His command.
 

Prayer for today:Ask God to guard every step you take in the course of your life journey.

FAITH CAPSULE: Everything we do in the Lord with a lack of understanding will result to a lack of transformation.

Isaiah 54

What it brings to be established in righteousness like Daniel is:

God is consistent honoring His word. Psalm138:2 testify, “…For You have magnified your word above all Your name.” He has not change and He will remain same forever and what He promises to do is a done deal. Indeed and in truth, any one that is steadfast walking in His word is bound to be established in God. It is written in Isaiah 54:14, “In righteousness you shall be established…” In addition to engaging the required command becoming established in Him are His blessings which makes one an overcomer. Among such blessings are, “…You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. (Isaiah 54:14-15) “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn…” (Isaiah 54:17)The blessing that is packaged in being established in righteousness cannot be denied. Jesus Christ is our righteousness (2Corinthians 5:21). He came for each and every one, but not all will accept Him. Accepting Him is to believe Him and believing Him is behaving Him. Any one that believes (behaves) Him is the one that is set to overcome any weapon formed against him as promised by the word of God. Not having being established is taking a risk by standing to claim, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
The documentation of Daniel against weapon formed is a true and clear example for the need to be established before engaging weapons formed. The itinerant Jewish exorcists must have ignorantly assumed the position of established ones, when they took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (Acts 19:13) The Bible recorded, “…the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”” (Acts 19:15-17) By studying and gaining understanding knowledge will grow. Growth in knowledge cannot be separated from growth in grace. With steadfastness, grace will grow and knowledge will not fail. To be established in righteousness is the evidence of ones steadfastness in the Lord. Loving God with all our heart and our soul is the route to living as an effective believer.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to constantly regard the word of God as it sounds in your direction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Growth in the grace of God will come with steadfastness of one’s faith.

Daniel 1

It is written,“In righteousness you shall be established…” (Isaiah 54:14) Reading through the word of God can be compared to skimming through the surface of a ground that is treasure inhabited. While studying the word of God can be compared to engaging all that it takes to discover inhabited treasure in the word of God. It is also an understanding to engage in studying the word. However, to unearth the treasure that is inhabited also demands understanding. Understanding is the key, everything we do in the Lord with a lack of understanding will result to a lack of transformation. Psalm 47:7 stated, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.” If praise worship requires understanding, every other area such as studying the word of God surely requires understanding.
The Bible states, “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory now and forever…” (2Peter 3:18) Clearly, through studying the word of God there will be growth in the knowledge of God. However, growth in the grace of God will come with steadfastness of one’s faith. Just by studying alone will not help directly in the growth of grace. The book of 2 Peter 3:17-18 statesbetter, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” Clearly, among ways that growth in grace increase is to be Steadfast in the Lord.
Describing steadfastness: Steadfastness is to be fixed in direction; firm in purpose, unwavering, firmly established or firmly fixed in faith. When you have a purpose in life then you will be fixed in taking a deliberate walk in the direction of your purpose. Daniel a young captive in the hand of king Nebuchadnezzar had a purpose to live for God. When he was offered the best food and wine which the king had, he declined and requested to eat vegetables and drink water instead, so that it would not defy his purpose. It was recorded of him, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel’s steadfastness could not be compromised with the king’s offer. The chief of eunuchs granted Daniel’s request and he prevailed. Daniel was steadfast and the grace of God upon his life had no bounds or limitation. With steadfastness Daniel was established in righteousness to the glory of God. Purpose for God and be established for God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be steadfast walking in the word of God.