FAITH CAPSULE: Self gain but not gaining soul for the kingdom has taken the center stage in the life of many believers.

John 18:1-11

If you have never been betrayed before, there will surely come a time when you will be; possibly from those who are closest to you and even at a time when you least expect it. For Jesus to be crucified Judas was destined to betray Jesus. John 18:1-2 stated, “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.”Judas knew Jesus well enough and also knew the place to sell him for money that could not last for eternity. Today, many among the body of believers are doing what Judas did. Selling out the name of Jesus for materials that will not last for an eternity is all over the world. Self gain but not gaining soul for the kingdom has taken the center stage in the life of many believers. Jesus was betrayed because He wanted to give us eternal life and life more abundantly. What is the world offering you to betray Jesus? Are you betraying Him consciously or are you betraying Him unconsciously? Judas’ was conscious and deliberate at the time of betraying Jesus. When it was time to arrest Jesus, “Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.” (John 18:3) The troop of offense that was led by Judas came prepared to arrest the Son of God. Even though they had lanterns and torches, they were unable to recognize Jesus. The Bible recorded that Jesus went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking” (John 18:4) After He introduced Himself they drew back and fell to the ground; because their intentions were wicked and evil, it blinded their eyes. The book of Matthew stated, “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.”” (Matthew 26:48-49) In the name of love many are betraying Him and giving Him up because of their selfish gain. How are you betraying Him? As much as there are some that are betraying Him, some will remain faithful to Him. Peter was an example in attempt to defend Jesus when he drew out his sword and struck one of the crowds that came to arrest Jesus. (John 18:11) You will reap what you sow. In this time of season, search your heart and see if there is any wicked way in you and make amend. Jesus is Lord. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to see if there is any wickedway in you. Also ask God to lead you in the way everlasting.

FAITH CAPSULE: “…joy and rejoicing are the only ways to keep in the way of God because it lands you in the presence of God.” 

Habakkuk 3:16-19

You cannot praise Him without rejoicing, likewise you cannot rejoice without praising Him. Rejoicing in the Lord is the joy of the One that requires our rejoicing in Him. The Joy of the Lord is your strength because it is His joy that will give access to the Light, and with Light revelation flows. Habakkuk 3:17, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls.” This is not a situation that anyone would like to be in but, it is not a situation that anyone wants to experience. It is a place in the depth of a valley where there seems to be no way out, and no end in sight as to when the time of rising and climbing out of the depth of valley. There is no one that wants to plant a tree and wants to see it fruitless, neither is it pleasant to have no fruit where the vines should be bringing forth fruit as the crown of labor. When your hard labor seems to be producing a result that matches that of a person who does not work hard, when all that needs to be adding to a better result begins to be cut off, and then you know that something is wrong that could be beyond your comprehension. Habakkuk does have a word for you, if you will receive it and live by it, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18) Once again, joy and rejoicing are the only ways to keep in the way of God because it lands you in the presence of God. Jesus was in the midst of the family of Lazarus during the time of their mourning for Lazarus’ passing. As they were lifting their voices in wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth, the Bible recorded that, “… Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father I thank You that you have heard Me.” (John 11:41)  Try thanking Him with a heart full of joy in the face of adversity or challenges, and then wait to see if He will act on your behalf or not. If you will receive all that the Lord has put down in the pages of scripture for our learning, all the miracles that were testified will not escape you. Try God and see that He alone is faithful and true to His word of deliverance and life. If you will continue to put your trust in Him, He will allow you to walk on high places.

Prayer for today:Ask God to enable you with the spirit of rejoicing in every area of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Rejoicing and praising God is an inseparable avenue of gaining God’s presence.

Philippians 4

Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice always. Again I will say, rejoice!” The apostle Paul did not just ask for joy but he asked for it with emphasis because he was urging the need for peace with the Lord. The peace of God is the presence of God and to be able to carry His presence, joy or rejoicing is a must. Without joy, there cannot be peace and without peace no joy will be in place. The prophet Isaiah in his own revelation of letting us know the effect of joy said, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3) Isaiah was expressing thanks in the Kingdom of God. Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The Psalmist was requesting for direction in the path of life because in the path of life where there is God’s presence, the sojourner will get to their expected end. Also where God’s presence is absent, death will be present. To journey in the path of life successfully, God’s presence will have to be consistently in place. In the words of the Psalmist it is clear that joy is what will grant the presence of God that is enough for passing through the path of life. After Hannah’s breakthrough miracle, she testified in 1 Samuel 2:1, “…my heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.”Hannah distinctively spelled out the kind of joy that grants God’s presence by saying, “My heart rejoices in the Lord.” The only way that the presence of God cannot be accessible is when joy is not in the heart. This also occurs when being happy is misrepresented for joy. When joy flows from the heart, it will no doubt locate God because you cannot praise God and not be joyful. Likewise, you cannot be joyful and not praise Him. Rejoicing and praising God is an inseparable avenue of gaining God’s presence. The word of God confirms in Psalm 22:3, “But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Think of it, praising Him with understanding is praising Him with joy. Just like Hannah, when you praise Him joyfully, your horn (strength) will be exalted in the Lord. You will smile at every representative of enemies such as failure, sickness, and every other kind of challenges that Paul advised us not to be anxious about. Be anxious for nothing. Praise God with joy and His presence will carry you through in Jesus name.        
 
Prayer for today: Ask Him to deposit in you all that it takes to be constantly joyful.

FAITH CAPSULE: A clear direction with a heart of obedience will result in a great manifestation.

Numbers 13

Every believer who confesses the Lord God is in debt of constant and consistently calling and requesting for the mercy of God on a regular basis. The Bible declares in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” How can we not take His word seriously? When we fail to study His word on a regular basis, then we will become more prone not to take His word seriously. Since the pollution of man in the Garden of Eden by the deceiver, man has continued not to take Him for His word the way He desires for us. The children of Israel did not take Him for His word as a result, they failed to move and possess all He had ordained for them. Numbers 13:1-3, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.’” Moses played his role by relaying the message as delivered unto him to the children of Israel. God did not lay any condition for giving the land unto them because it was His promise to give the land. All that the children of Israel needed to do was to go and spy out the land that God was giving them. A clear direction with a heart of obedience will result in a great manifestation. Likewise, a simple direction with a heart of disobedience will bring forth destruction. Have you received any direction from God? All His directions are simple because He that gives direction is the One who will also see you through by His grace. The spies went and checked out the land and came back with a negative report. Giving a negative report of His promise was a result of lack of faith. The summary of the report was, “…”The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are great men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we are like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we are in their sight.’” (Numbers 13:32-33) All the people who received and believed the report that contradicted with the promise of God died. In gaining entrance into His promises, take Him at His word and not man’s word. What God has promised, has already been done; just wait for the appointed time.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to receive and live by His promise for your life.