FAITH CAPSULE: It was with mercy that God led the children of Israel out of the bondage of over
 
Exodus 20

Just as power belongs unto God, mercy also belongs to God. Mercy, meaning loyal love, is the conventional love of the covenant-keeping God. Only God renders mercy unto whom He chooses to render mercy. It was with mercy that God led the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years and the bible records it, “You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed…” (Exodus 15:13) Joseph fear God and God was with him through his entire ordeal. The word testifies about Joseph, “…the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy…” (Genesis 39:21) Today God still renders mercy and power as He was rendering it in the Old Testament through to the New Testament. God’s mercy is in abundance and He never runs out of mercy. Also, His mercy endures forever. Many giants of faith in the hand of God operated under the power and mercy of God. God spoke to Moses, “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16) The ‘whomever’ that God is talking about is clearly identified throughout the Bible as it is in the book of Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” Who are the ones who fear Him? The ones, who have received, believe and are behaving the word of God. Those who fear God are His people in whose hearts He plants His fear so they do not turn away from Him. (Jeremiah 32:40) This is to say that the ones who fear Him are the ones He has drawn unto Himself. (John 6:44) They are the ones He has chosen for Himself. The ones He chose for Himself are the ones He provided to Himself as a provision for His divine assignment The Bible recorded about David, “Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” (1 Samuel 16:1) God is not a partial God and He is still in the business of drawing His children but only those who do not withdraw but position themselves in line for His undeniable power and mercy.
Do you fear God? To fear God is to love God. God will not cease from showing mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Exodus 20:6). Engage living in the fear of God and allow His mercy to be you.

Prayer for today:  Ask that God will not withhold His tender mercy from you.

FAITH CAPSULE: All buildings are before Him, but not all buildings are progressing in construction before Him.

Luke 6:37-49

Consider yourself an engineer contracted by Jesus, to build you up as a house. Know it that Apostle Paul also admonished us stating in Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” As an engineer of your building, what kind of building are you constructing? As an acclaimed believer, are you engaging a building that is going through construction on a regular basis or casual basis? In the business of building construction, it is the one that cease from growing that will be identified as stagnant and without any progress. All buildings are before Him, but not all buildings are progressing in construction before Him. Often believers sound very conversant in the word; believers come to Him calling and lifting up hands before Him, but not all are doing what He says we are to do. Can you as an acclaimed believer identify yourself? Also can you as a building contractor put to account what you are constructing for the one that contracted you?
Jesus asked in the book of Luke 6:46, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Despite the fact that we are gathering and calling on Him as Lord does not mean that all of us have accepted His Lordship over us. Acclaimed believers can engage in deceiving each other by the lifting up of hands or singing beautifully, but Jesus knows who we really are. Two kinds of building contractor exist and Jesus identifies them: The first one is the contractor that accepts to engage the contract and build according to His word. After accepting He went and builds as commanded. The second one also accepts to engage the contract and build according to His word but failed by not building by His word. However, He points out that the ones that hear and do His word will stand in times of challenge. The ones that do not do His word will have a price to pay. Luke 6:49 declares what it be like for one that builds according to the word of God, “But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” As a building contractor, be aware of the consequences of building outside of His word. Constantly keep in mind what awaits those “buildings” that are not being constructed according to His word. Avoid becoming a building that is progressing in the wrong construction.

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

FAITH CAPSULE: In your confession, is He confirmed in you?

John 8

During one of Jesus’ journey from valley to the mountain; mountain to the plain, the bible stated how He entered into the temple early in the morning. While He was in the temple, all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. At that very occasion of Him in the temple, the scribes and Pharisees were also present. While He was with them teaching in the temple, the bible recorded that they tested Him so that they might have something of which to accuse Him. It was during His time in the temple that He made a statement, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The Pharisees responded to Jesus’ statement, “The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” (John 8:13) The bible also identifies it that in the same temple there were also people who believe. Whose side are you in the temple?  Are you on the scribes’ side; the Pharisees or the ones that believes?  Jesus, having engaged all, responded to all, “Then they took stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:59)  Have you unknowingly been throwing stones at Jesus? The Jews at that time picked up stones to throw at Him but He hid himself and slipped away from the temple grounds. If you have confessed Christ and your confessions are not confirmed in the life that you are living, it is possible that you are also a stone throwing self-acclaimed believer. Do you know if you are throwing stones at Him?
After having left the stone throwing ground (temple) the bible recorded, “Now Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.” (John 9:1) He then came upon a blind man and healed him. Which side are you on? Are you on the stone throwing side (destructive end) like the persecutors or the healing side (receiving end) like that of the blind man? Ask God to help you to no longer live a deceptive life. You have confessed Jesus, but Jesus is not confirmed in your life. As long as you continue to live a life of deception, He will be forced to pass by you. He came to give sight to those that cannot see. His coming was not meant for destruction but to deliver. He came to give hope to those who have lost hope. Be on the receiving end and He will not pass by you, He will visit you.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to deliver you to the receiving end.

FAITH CAPSULE: Earn a place in the strong tower by constant and persistent prayer

Daniel 6
The Bible declared, “The name of Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverb 18:10) What a mighty God we serve! We serve a God whose name is powerful and more than enough to preserve and to deliver us when we run to His name.
One of the most powerful ways for us to run to his name is to seek Him in prayer. The word demands that we are to run to the strong tower. The psalmist demonstrated running to the strong tower stating, “Save me O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. (Psalm 54:1-2) In this verse, the psalmist demonstrated that running to the strong tower (name of God) is in praying and asking God to hear the words of his mouth. David testifies, “As for me, I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) Again, David is also saying that prayer is what it means to run to the strong tower. He went further to point out his own race track when he stated the times of prayer as morning, noon and evening times. Praying only during Sunday service will not serve one like praying constantly and consistently. Prayer should be engaged with just like taking vitamins. With vitamins, the body builds up immune system against disease, without vitamins the body’s immune system is weak and defenseless
The word testifies of Daniel’s response to the signing of king Darius’s decree which called for banning prayer in his kingdom “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10) Daniel had no reason to call around for a prayer partner to lift him up in prayer against judgment that was before him. Daniel was conversant in the route of strong tower; it was his adapted life style to go before the name of God morning, noon and evening time. As a result, Daniel could not be violated even in a den of hungry lions.
The name of God is a strong tower and David could not be quiet from calling on His name in the face of his enemies. He stated, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:24) Work the word of God; have a place in the strong tower by constant and persistent prayer; engage in non-stop praising.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be increased in your prayer life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Knowledge is the deliverance key.

2Kings 6:1-23

Just as challenges exists and persists in the world of unbelievers so it is in the word of believers. Believers are not immune to experiencing challenges but they can be un-moveable in the face of challenges. Word of God admonishes, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) Knowing to memorize and be quoting the scripture is far enough to bringing forth the required deliverance in the face of challenge. Proverbs 11:9 states clearly, “…but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.” Deliverance from afflicting challenges of the righteous is rightly in the knowledge of the word of deliverance. The word of God is true to perform and perfect. As a believer, are you spending time to engage the word of God that is knowledge to deliver.
Are you thinking of what you should do in response to all the confrontations that are before you? There is a sure and certain answer to what should be done. As a believer, it is not wrong to ask, “What should I do?” However, it is worthy to be cautious in your asking because there is no room for complaint against God. It does not matter how many strong believers or giants in the Lord are surrounding you, asking from God, “What should I do?” is exercising faith in God. The servant of Elisha had seen great miracles done by the hand of his master, a giant in the Lord. Despite all testimonies through Elisha, when confronting challenge came the servant resolved to asking, “What shall we do” The book 2 Kings 6:15 records, “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’”
There is always an answer to confronting challenges. The same answer that was offered by Elisha to his servant is the only answer for any believer that is seeking knowledge for deliverance. Do you care to know the answer? Elisha answered by stating what need to be done in 2 Kings 6:16, “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” As a believer, it is a challenge to confront issues without fear. The Word of God wants us to bury fear so that faith may rise. Elisha said it, and Paul the Apostle encouraged it when he said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks giving, let your requests be made know to God; and peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6).” If you will open your spiritual eyes, you will know that you are more than a conqueror. Rejoice in the Lord always!

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your eyes to see and know you are there always. John is the baptizer and a follower of Jesus