FAITH CAPSULE: Have you actually taken some time out to search your heart if indeed you love God?

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-5
 
Jesus was crucified, went to the grave and has risen for us to have life. How much love do you have for Him? Many songs have been written about love among the believers and non-believers. Among such is the song that says, “Oh how I love Jesus 3x, because He died for me.” Have you actually taken some time out to search your heart if indeed you love God? Do you love God? It is time for every one that confesses their love for God to begin to question every area of their step in life and determine if they love God. What does it mean to love God?
LOVING GOD
1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” Keeping God’s commandment is either doing His will or being obedient to His will. It takes sacrificial commitment to obey God’s commandment. Loving God is a sacrifice. Sacrifice is not cheap but it is giving unto God what is costly. King David once stated in 2 Samuel 24:24, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”” King David was responding to Araunah who had offered him a free land to make a sacrifice to God. The sacrifice was meant to deliver the children of Israel from death that was caused by David’s census. At that time, David’s census was against the command of God. David’s rejection of free land was a clear demonstration of what a costly sacrifice before God should be. A consciously engaging a costly sacrifice is a proven mark of love for God. Also, a sacrifice to God is to worship God. Worshiping God is supposed to be a non-stop engagement as long as there is breath within us.
With God, there is a set standard for every area of His expectation for us. God did not just ask for love rather He gave us a standard of acceptable love when He stated in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” To love God means to give Him our all. Through the pages of the Bible, men and women that gave Him all were able to live a fulfilled life and accomplish great exploits to the glory of God. Men like Abraham, Joseph, Daniel and other giants loved God and were able to do great exploits. The giants in the hand of God’s approach to the issues of life clearly depict what it is to love God with all of their heart, soul and strength.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace that enables man to love God with all heart, soul and strength.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pleasing the Father will keep one to be constant in His presence.

1 Samuel 15, 16
 
Jesus was speaking, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) Evidently, listening is the key to understanding. With understanding, the heart will retain the word. Also, it is the heart that retains the word of God that will be able to keep the commands of God and live constantly with the Father’s presence. The importance of getting understanding cannot be emphasized enough as it was in the book of Proverbs. “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.” (Proverbs 4:5-6) The purpose of understanding the word of faith is to be obedient to God. Where there is word, there will be light and the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit cannot be denied. Once the word is truly in the life of a believer, it becomes impossible for a believer to engage in ways of life that does not glorify God. Saul was king when the presence of God departed from him because he continuously disobeyed the word of God. As a result, he became occupied by a troubling spirit, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1 Samuel 16:14)
Obeying the word of God is rooted in having the heart retain the word of His command. When there is disobedient, it is evident the word has been turned away in the heart as a result of listening disability. One that does not listen lacks understanding. The word of God should not only be for quotation; that is, it should not only lie in the mouth, but should also have center place in the heart. Many are conversant quoting the word but few lives and abide in the word. It is written in Deuteronomy 30:14, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Just as it is stated in Deuteronomy, Romans 10:8-10 records, “…the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Having the word in the mouth and not having it through to the heart is like receiving but not believing in Him. Many are conversant and fluent with quoting the word of God, but are far from living the word. Receive and believe and you will please the Father. Pleasing the Father will keep one to be constant in His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask that listening disability will not have a place in any area of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A failure not to trust God is an evidence of not serving God.

Daniel 2:24-49
 
Psalmist testifies to the truth that God is a God that never slumber nor sleep. “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121: 3-4)  God that does not sleep must be keeping His eyes open round the clock without any blink. After kings Asa’s failure to rely on God against his enemy, God sent Hanani the seer to let Asa know about the consequence of his failure. A failure not to rely on God is evidence of not trusting God. A failure not to trust God is an evidence of not serving God and a demonstration of a heart that is not loyal to God. Hanani the seer declared to King Asa, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.’” Hanani was letting King Asa know how God operated when he relayed the above message to him. The same God then is still the same God today and forever. It is a testimony to how God is willing to use anyone that makes himself or herself available to be used for His glory. God that does not sleep or slumber must have spotted Isaiah as one that is available to be used. Isaiah documented his encounter when God called him. Isaiah 6:8-9, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: who shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people…” The eyes of God spotted Isaiah and placed a call upon his life. Isaiah received a verbal calling. Some responded to God’s calling by virtue of their action that demonstrates their heart’s commitment to serving God. It is written concerning Daniel, ““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 made Himself fully available to serve God when he gave his to God. The Lord God, whose eyes run to and fro, spotted Daniel and showed up strong on his behalf. Daniel, a slave, came to a position where his captors began to fall prostrate before him. Daniel 2:46, “Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.” Ignore your challenges and stay focused on God with all your heart; God will see your heart, and your challenges will fall at your feet.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God for a heart to know Him fully.

FAITH CAPSULE: He is no longer in the tomb.  

John 20:1-18
 
The bible described Mary Magdalene, “…and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons…” (Luke 8:2) Mary Magdalene was evil possessed and turned to become Jesus accessible. At the time of Jesus’ death on the cross she was also on sight. The Bible recorded her presence at the cross, “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene… (Mark 15:40) Despite her past she could not allow Jesus to Passover without her being there.
Again, Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, was the first at the tomb where Jesus was laid. John 20:1, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark , and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” Her finding made her the first to announce to the disciples that the Lord had been taken away from the tomb. Peter and the other disciples came and confirmed that the Lord was no longer there. While others could not wait to went back to their own homes, Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb. It is written, “Mary stood outside of the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stopped down and looked into the tomb.” (John 20:11) In her weeping and waiting, Jesus eventually appeared to Mary. Jesus asked her why she was weeping and whom she was seeking. Mary, a woman of ill-repute was commissioned by Jesus to go and declare that the Lord had risen from the grave. Jesus responded to Mary, “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not ascended to my Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17) A woman who had seven demons cast out from her was able to wait and receive a commission that could have been passed to any of the disciples if they were able to wait. Jesus will send and use one that is available. Unlike Jesus’ disciples whose whereabouts were not identified at the ground of resurrection, Mary Magdalene was on ground of resurrection with expectation.
Which disciple best describes you? Is it the one with the lack of sight, the one who is fearful or the one in unbelief? The acts and displays of the disciples at the ground of Jesus’ resurrection represents the church today–spiritual blindness, absence of peace because of sinking faith, and unbelief. The church can find the way out of all these limitations if there is constant remembrance of the truth that He is no longer in the tomb. He is risen!
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to help every area of your unbelief.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus paid it all and all should hail Him forever.

John 19
 
Jesus is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the one that reigns forever. Jesus could have avoided all kinds of humiliation that was bestowed on Him but for us to be in a position where humiliation should not be our portion He went through humiliation. Pilate tried Him and stated, “… I find no fault in Him at all. ‘But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ Then they all cried again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas…” (John 18: 38-40)
Jesus came to take the position of every identifiable sin that denies man from accessing the glorious name of the Almighty God. He replaced Himself for a criminal and a robber. Jesus was made to drink from the cup of sin, pain, grief and every undesirable punishment. Above all, Jesus carried the cross so we would be enabled to crossover. It is written, “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.” (John 19:17-18)
In Him there was no fault but He was faulted. He was excessively beaten, He was denied, He was disrespected, He was rejected by His people, He was moved around in pain without His will, He was misrepresented and His disciples withdrew themselves from Him. Yet, Jesus remains Lord of all forever and ever. His birth was in a manger where sheep reside and He grew to become the Shepherd of man. Despite all, He demonstrated humility. Jesus had a set mind and it was a mind of humility. It was His mindset that made Him to become an overcomer. With His mindset, it was impossible for Him to be a victim of captivity. Also, in His grave of three days He remained as Lord of lords that could not be overthrown by the grave or death. It is written in Philippians 2:5-9, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” He has paid it all and all should hail Him by accepting Him as the Lord of all, King of kings. Receive Him and be one that is living for Him.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be operating the mind of Christ.