FAITH CAPSULE: Christianity is not about what we are against; it is about communicating what we stand for.

Acts 19

The Bible recorded the story of itinerant Jewish exorcists that wanted to conduct what they do not carry inside of them. The Jewish exorcists, after having witnessed miracle from God conducted through Paul the apostle, they attempted to conduct themselves like Paul. It is written, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists 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) Interestingly, the evil spirit could not identify them in the conduct of Paul. The evil spirit responded to the Jewish exorcists, “…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 19:15-16) The itinerant Jewish exorcists’ conduct does not line with the kind of conduct that carries power of God. How are you conducting your life? Are you answering to what is not your conduct?
As believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our conduct is what will serve as communication to our neighbors; our conduct will serve as weapon against confronting challenges. Also, Christianity is not about what we are against; it is about communicating what we stand for. As a believer, you make too much noise in communicating what Christians are against and less noise communicating what Christians stand for. This is because your conduct is not loud enough for an unbeliever to see Christ in you. If for example, at your workplace, there is a call for the persecution of believers in Christ, would you be identified as one that confesses Jesus? Do you think your conduct as a follower of Christ will be enough for your fellow worker to identify you as one to be persecuted, or will there be no evidence for anyone to identify you as a Christian? Think about it; are you a hidden cross carrier? Some kinds of religion can easily be identified by their dressing, haircut, or jewelry. What is it that will identify you as a Christ follower? Paul the Apostle certainly could not have been living in your neighborhood without being recognized as a believer. Even if he chose to be silent, his conduct would identify him. How do you conduct yourself? 2 Corinthians 1:12 says, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.” It is time to quit hiding by being silent in every walk of life. The conduct of a believer should not keep observers guessing whether you are a Christian or not.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you that your conduct will always bring out the message of the Gospel.

FAITH CAPSULE: Obeying God and giving thanks opens man to abundance.

John 6:1-14

The combination of obeying the word of God and giving thanks to God is what delivers abundance and phase out lack in any area of life. It does not matter where you are located; it does not matter how lack is causing pain; it does not matter what the challenge is about, whenever obedience and thanks giving is engaged one is set to experience abundance.
Once there was a need for Jesus to feed the multitudes that followed Him. The number on ground for Him to feed was five thousand. Evidently, no provision from any store at the hour of meeting the needs of five thousand could have been abundantly enough.
At the feeding of five thousand, Jesus the provider; the one that delivers; the one that make a way where there is no way was in place to do the miracle that cancels lack. At a point of seeking for need, Jesus gave a command by and asking His disciples not to let the people go away with empty stomachs. It was a deserted area, a place that could never produce enough supply for the demand that was at hand. John 6:5, “Jesus asked Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a lad had five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many? Do you wonder how your pressing needs shall be met?  What you have on hand can never make up for what you need without Jesus. You have found yourself on a deserted ground. With Jesus there is a way out, because nothing is impossible for the maker of all things. Jesus turned lack into abundance. It is written in John 6:10-11, “Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” There was obedience in the people’s response, and there was a thanksgiving offering unto the Lord for the little (five barley loaves and two small fish) that became much. Giving thanks and being obedient results in abundance. John 6:12, “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Your lack will be converted into abundance if you engage genuine thanksgiving and obedience according to His direction.
On the journey of life nothing can substitute for obedience and giving thanks to our God. God that answers prayer sees all in our obedience to Him and our sacrifice of thanks giving to Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from any spirit that hinders man from obeying and giving thanks to God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Denying His promise for your life is despising His word.

Numbers 32:1-42

When the crying of the children of Israel began to reach God in heaven, God responded by speaking to Moses, “And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” (Exodus 3:7-8) God is a God that hears and answers when a call is placed unto Him. When you call on Him, know what you ask for and keep to all of His promises to your request.
God, in His response to the Israelites, promised the Israelites a land that flows with milk and honey, but they resigned themselves to a land that flows with only milk. The children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a great multitude of livestock. When they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead were regions for livestock (Numbers 32:1), they decided to settle there and not go over the Jordan to the land where God was taking them. Denying His promise for your life is despising His word. Despising the word of God is setting self for self-destruction.
The children of Israel went to Moses and requested to stay. It is written, “Therefore they said, if we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” (Numbers 32:5) Can you imagine man’s dubious thinking? God taking you to a higher mountain for silver and gold, and seeing silver, you opted to discontinue the journey and settle for the silver? Does that sound like you in any area of life? The children of Reuben and Gad limited themselves, they were only thinking of their livestock (source for milk). The thought of honey no longer held their interest. Are you thinking clearly when it comes to God’s promises and plans for your life? Deny yourself in your walk and remain with God’s plans and promises. God has never failed; He will not fail. God has a better plan for you than the plan you have for yourself. He said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Do not keep yourself from what God has planned for you. His thoughts for us are better than the thoughts we carry in us.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take full charge of your life by instructing, teaching and guiding you to fully obey.

FAITH CAPSULE: Focus that is centered away from God, engages self-centeredness.

Genesis 11:1-9

Imagine a creation attempting to outmaneuver its creator. It is hopelessly impossible for a creation to outmaneuver its creator; to outmaneuver the one that knew it before it formed it. How can man outmaneuver God? The God that spoke to Jeremiah is the same that created heaven and earth and all its fullness. He spoke to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Many, by virtue of the wickedness of their heart are destroying others to build for themselves. It does not matter when and where man is building, when man attempts to build outside of God, it becomes violation of His word.
Building outside of God can be compared to building of the Tower of Babel. The people then possessed a plain land…a land that had no hindrance but was free from obstruction. Life became too easy for them so they lost focus, “And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11::4) When focus is centered away from God, self-centeredness will takes its place in man. Has He placed you on a ground that is set for your blessing? Do not lose focus or take your attention away from Him. Those people who built the tower of Babel assumed their own responsibility and forgot that the land and its fullness belong to God. They wanted to use what He had blessed them with to go and investigate His workshop (Heaven). Obviously, God does not tolerate selfishness because it operates in opposition to God’s way. Selfishness represents arrogance and pride. God saw where the people were coming from and He knew where they were going with the kind of project they embarked on. Anytime you begin to build outside of God’s will, He will come down on you. God came down on them stating, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.” (Genesis 11:7-8) Do you still want to continue building outside of God, or will you learn from His word? Take yourself out of what you are building in the absence of God (your evil devices) readjust your focus and set your sights on God and He will settle you. Allow God to build you for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take over your days and you moment and be concentrated unto Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Despite our inconsistency, God continues to be consistent towards us.

John 3

In the word of Moses to the children of Israel, there is a testimony of God’s loving care for His children. It is written, “The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.” (Deuteronomy 1:30-33) God, the unchanging changer remains consistent with His love for us. The same way God cares in the Bible days is still the same today. The book of John 3:16 also testifies the love of God stating, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Absolutely, there is nothing a father need to do for the salvation of his children that God is yet to do. God is a good and caring God.
When was the last time that you acknowledged God as being consistent in His love for you while you had been inconsistent in serving and walking in His word? Despite our inconsistency, God continues to be consistent. If you will take a moment, ask for His forgiveness; thank Him for His unswerving patience in listening and forgiving all your shortcomings and wicked ways. God is worthy of all honor and adoration consistently and not only at a convenient time. Ask God for intervention in every area of your life that does not glorify His name. It is never too late to turn unto Him for forgiveness. God will not overlook sin and the word also confirms in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”  Take the Word of God very seriously because He will bring it, to perform it. The bible recorded in Acts13:18, “Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness” Despite His putting up with the Israelites, the Israelites could not maintain the word of His command and they failed to attain from God’s promise. God faithfully endures man’s inconsistency. It is up to man to maintain what He has been given in order to attain His salvation.

Prayer for today: Ask for God to help you that you may not miss out of promise for your life.