FAITH CAPSULE: Temptation, confrontation, aggravation, only increase when one’s journey gets closer to the Promised Land.

Numbers 20: 1-13 

Temptation, confrontation, aggravation and every other agent of termination will bring forth failure or untimely death. Agents of termination never cease in every journey especially when the journey is of God. Temptation, confrontation, aggravation, (agents of distraction) only increase when one’s journey gets closer to the Promised Land. However, as much as the work of the agents of termination persists, God will also continue to give mercy to carry you through. God’s mercy will not and does not run out; it is only His creation that often runs out of His mercy. The higher the level of your calling, the greater the level and the intensity of the enemy will be in attempt to stop or deny the manifestation of your calling. Moses was called by God to lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. Moses’ calling was close to touching God, but yet the enemy made him to exhaust patience. God, however, did not allow the enemy to be exalted over his life when He allowed him to see the land but not to step on the land. From the beginning to the end of his calling, it was an encounter with the enemy using the children of Israel as the instrument of getting to Moses. Rebellious acts were the pattern that was consistently used, but Moses was always on top of it. At the Red Sea, the crying and the fear in the life of the children of Israel was enough a provocation for Moses, but it did not prevail. As they complained and confessed negative against Moses for hunger so they did for water and every other discomfort in their journey. It is written, “Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? (Numbers 20:2-5)This kind of provocative complaint cost Moses his Promised Land. Moses’ response to the pressure of providing water from the rock was not in line with God’s direction. Having flourished in overcoming many confrontations and aggravations, Moses faltered just at one of the last stops before getting into the Promised Land. Moses spoke and struck the rock with rod instead of just speaking as the Lord commanded. You are closer to your miracle than when you first started the journey. In your last step to where God is taking you, be very conscious, focus and not to falter.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you in keeping His word and obeying His command that you may stand and not fall.

FAITH CAPSULE: Crowd clouds destiny.
Luke 19:1-10

So many love to call on Jesus but very few are willing to pay the price to invite Him into their house. The price to pay in getting an invitation across to Him is way too much for the majority because of sacrificial demand that is not convenient. Also, there are too many invitation interceptor and they are deliberate weapons to deny anyone’s attempt to invite Jesus into their house. Zacchaeus was a tax collector with every form of limitations that can deny anyone from getting invitation across to Jesus. Tax collectors were hated because they have the reputation of overcharging and they were considered as dishonest people. Besides his status as a tax collector, his stature was also a challenge in his attempt to get his invitation across to Jesus. It is written in Luke 19:3-4, “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus was short and he was in the midst of crowd. Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus because his seeing Jesus would help to deliver his invitation to Jesus. The crowd and his short stature stood between him and Jesus. Just like Zacchaeus, the crowd is all that surrounds you; the crowd is everything that is taking away your time for Jesus and the crowd is all that is clouding you from seeing and to understand the need to spend more time in His presence. The crowd in place does not settle well with a short stature. With the crowd in place and short stature a factor, that puts Jesus in a far location from you. Zacchaeus acknowledged his great dilemma and knew that without making an uncommon move, Jesus would never receive His invitation. As a result he refused to accommodate his dilemmas. “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.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (Luke 19:5-6) Do you sincerely desire to have Jesus invited into your house? Just like Zacchaeus did, all believers can do. By getting away from every representation of a crowd and by looking for a higher ground or place where Jesus is conversant, where He is always passing through. In all Zacchaeus’ running and climbing, his invitation came to Jesus and Jesus became a guest to Zacchaeus.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that will enable you to give all that it takes to invite Jesus into your house.

FAITH CAPSULE: Your enemy can delay you but cannot deny you from where God is taking you.

Exodus 32:1-14

Are you experiencing delay in any area of your expectation in life? Delay will not be long before it departs from you if you will know to ignore your delay. It is important to understand that delay is not denial. God that calls you will not depart you. The enemy can delay but cannot deny you from where God is taking you. Ignoring delay in areas of your journey in life will block out doubt and the ideas of stepping out of position. Knowing God and having consistent meditation on His testimonies will add up favorably, when it seems that the road has been cut off. In the course of the journey of the children of Israel, It is written, ““Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” The children of Israel knew quite well by virtue of their exposure to different miracles through Moses that God could not have abandoned them, yet they gave into an unnecessary worry that did not have a basis. As a result of Moses’ delay from coming down from the mountain, an unholy gathering took over from where there was supposed to be holy gathering. The children of Israel began to see delay as a result they began to look for another god. Some delays are necessary especially when God is the beginning of such a journey. There are some places you have started, but delay has made it look like you are wasting out. The fact is, when you wait on God you can never be wasted. Also, there are some delays that are meant for God to measure our faithfulness. Some delays are not of failure, but to actually make a way for getting to the expected end. When Moses’ delay became glaring in the sight of the children of Israel, they began to seek for a god to take over from God that cannot be substituted. In your delay do not worry nor give room for anxiousness to have a place in your life. Word of God strengthens when it states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7) A state of unexpected delay will definitely generate concern and there will be every reason to be anxious, but the word of God is enough antidotes for anxiousness that is rooted in the experience of delay.

Prayer for today: Your delay will turn unto deliverance in the name of Jesus.

FAITH CAPSULE: Orderliness is an evidence of responsibility while responsibility is the price for greatness.

Exodus 6

In the journey of life, orderliness is an evidence of responsibility while responsibility is the price for greatness. Orderliness can also be considered as a vehicle of transportation that conveys the passenger to the expected end. For the children of Israel to get to their Promised Land there was a need for them to walk in order and to also to obey in order. Orderliness goes along with preparation and engaging with every direction from God. Orderliness can not be excused if there is to be any testimony of greatness. At the time the children of Israel were coming out of the bondage of over four hundred years, orderliness could not be avoided. It is written in Exodus 13:18, “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.” Orderliness extends to every step taken in the journey of life. In confronting the challenges of life that stands like the Red Sea which the enemy wants to use in delaying, destroying, and denying you from where God is taking you to, orderliness will have to be in place. God took the children of Israel out of the bondage not to destroy them in the Red Sea but the plan of the enemy was to make sure that they were destroyed in the Red Sea. Inside of Moses’ command was a need for orderliness that saw them through the Red Sea “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see, today, you shall see again no more forever.” (Exodus 14:13) Moses commanded the children of Israel at the time fear was activated.
Moses’ command was in order:
Do not be afraid that is the first step and it requires for fear to be dismissed. Fear has to give up for faith to reign.
Secondly, with the elimination of fear there will be the ability to stand still, which means not fretting concerning the confronting Red Sea and Pharaoh’s challenge. Standing still was to establish the children of Israel and give the ability to see clearly that with God nothing is impossible.
Lastly, is to be able to see victory in place when it is yet there. Seeing by faith is the result of fear elimination and it leads to activation of faith. The children of Israel left Egypt in orderly rank and they needed to obey the command orderly to confront their Red Sea.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of obedience according to His command for your deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Storms are inevitable and unavoidable if you have been destined to get through in your crossing over.

Mark 4:35-41

It is true that the word encourages us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”(2Timothy 1:7) However, the word of encouragement will become a source of strength when we pay attention to Isaiah 26:3 which states, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” The disciple could not operate the word once during their crossover journey. Are you at a point of crossing over in the journey of life? Your crossing over could be anytime of the year at any hour of the day. Jesus was taking His disciples on a cross over experience. Jesus knew exactly what had to be disassociated before their crossing over could begin to take place. “Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.” (Mark 4:36) The number one thing that is needed in crossing over is to let go of the multitude. It does not matter how long or how much it will cost; multitude has to step out of your crossing over if you want to get to the desired destination. The multitude is the crowd and they will add unnecessary weight to your vessel. Unnecessary weight is baggage of life that can weigh your vessel down and not be able to face storms that show up. During the crossing over of Jesus with His disciples, windstorm showed up, “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”(Mark 4:37) The presence of Jesus in the boat is not evidence that storm will not show up. However, with Jesus there is assurance for safe deliverance if you keep your mind trusting in Him. Storms are inevitable and unavoidable if you have been destined to get through in your crossing over. The disciples were struck with fear because of the storm. With Jesus in the boat how long will you continue to sail with fear? How long are you going to be awake and not sleep when you suppose to be sleeping? Remind yourself that Jesus is in the boat and He is the captain. Get pillow of faith and go to sleep when it is time to sleep. Stop struggling with the storm, encourage yourself in the word and allow your mind to stay on Him. Today, get a pillow of faith, Jesus that is with you will not leave you nor forsake you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you in having His word have its place in all that concerns you.