FAITH CAPSULE: Disengage the wicked world by giving yourself to the word of God.

Psalm 73

Who are you?
What does your world think you are that you know about? 
One that is not of God is of the devil. 
There is no middle ground for anyone to claim. 
One is either good or bad.
One of the devil is the wicked one, the bad one.
Have you searched yourself lately and see if there is any wicked way in you? 
Let it be known to you that running around in the house of God or the title you answer to is not evidence that you are not a wicked one. 
God can not become deceived, and neither can He be mocked. 
Are you a wicked one? 
The psalmist must have been curious about his stand and wanted to be right with God by praying against wickedness. 
Psalm 139:23-24 states, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  
Can you tell if you are a wicked one?
A wicked one is with a character that knows the word of God, and the word is near their mouth but far from their mind. (Jeremiah 12:2) 
Knowing about the word of God and knowing about quoting the word of God and not doing as commanded by God is a direct pointer to the wicked one. 
Psalm 10:4 states, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.”  
Does that sound like you?
Are you wicked and not know that you are wicked? 
Your strength is firm; you are not in trouble as others; pride is like a necklace, and you are covered by being violent; eyes bulge with abundance; and you have more than your heart could wish. (Psalm 73)
Your conformity to this world confirms wickedness in you. 
The world today is at odds with the word of God. 
To be friendly with the world is evidence of conformity to the wicked world. 
James 4:4 buttressed, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  
Conformity is an action or behavior in agreement with current customs, rules, or styles. 
Conformity to this world is thriving even among the believers of the word. What is it about this world? 
The ruler of this world is the wicked one; to be friendly to the world is to embrace wickedness. 
Paul the Apostle warns in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Engage the word of God to disengage the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask that the mercy of God will answer for you not to become a victim of the wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE:  Zacchaeus demonstrated the desire to find God.

Luke 19:1-10

The name Zacchaeus means pure. 
Zacchaeus had the desire to see Jesus. 
With a pure and sincere heart, he took charge to go after his heart, and grace answered on his behalf when he eventually received Jesus into his house. 
The desire of Zacchaeus to see Jesus overcame hindrances that were in place to deny him from seeing Jesus.
Among hindrances were his profession as a tax collector and his height. 
A tax collector was not characteristically the person who went out of his way to see and have an encounter with Jesus. 
Zacchaeus demonstrated that the way of living life is not enough to deny one from engaging and achieving the desire to have Jesus in life. 
Despite his short stature amid the crowd, his desire elevated him to a position where he could see Jesus. 
What is your challenge stopping you from seeing Jesus and having Him in his house? 
Despite the hindrances of Zacchaeus, the Bible says in Luke 19:4, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” 
Zacchaeus is an example of someone who knew what he wanted and how to get what he wanted from the Lord and Savior. 
Zacchaeus could have run ahead and stayed in the front line of the crowd. However, he took no chance when he decided to run and climb into a sycamore tree. 
As a short man, Zacchaeus had to engage in an extra challenge to climb into a tree, but the desire of the heart of Zacchaeus enabled him to see who Jesus was. 
Are you taking charge and not allowing any hindrance to deny you of your desire to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus? 
The apostle Paul declared, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”(1 Corinthians 15:10)  
When there is a desire to receive Jesus, grace will deposit what it takes for the desire to become manifest. 
The desire of Zacchaeus energized him to gain the attention of Jesus.
Zacchaeus did not labor in vain because Jesus noticed him.  
Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham.”(Luke 19:9) 
Indeed and in truth, Zacchaeus, with the meaning of his name (Pure) lived up to the meaning of his name. 
It is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) 
For Zacchaeus, seeing Jesus started on the earth before he got to see Jesus in heaven.
Zacchaeus did not just see Jesus but received Jesus in his house because he sought him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of sincere desire of having Jesus come into your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Obedience is always in place against disobedience.

Luke 5:1-11, John 9:1-12  

The ability to launch deep demonstrates a violent faith. 
Obedience provoked a net-crashing breakthrough fishing when launched deep. 
Obedience to launch deep in the pack of catching fish demonstrates giving regard to the word of God. 
Launching deep is obeyed without backup plans is faith.
The Bible records about professional fishermen who had gone fishing all night and had nothing to show in the morning hour. 
After all night with no fish, they called it a day by washing their nets. 
In the attempt of the fishermen to depart, Jesus showed up by the Lake of Gennesaret.  
At that time, Jesus was a stranger to the professional fishermen. 
Jesus was never a fisherman, but He had the deep at hand. 
The Bible makes all realize, “In His hand are the deep places of the earth…” (Psalm 95:4) 
It will take only the deep to call on the deep for the deep to unfold what it takes to terminate struggle.
Whenever the word of God sounds and is obeyed, without doubt, or reservation, such shall become rewarded. 
The word sounded in the direction of the professional fishermen to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) After having received the word, 
Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5) 
It was clear that no fish was available, but regardless, the word of His command was superior. 
Obedience was in place against disobedience, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.” (Luke 5:6-7) 
A net-crashing breakthrough was the result of obedience to launching deep.
The fishermen experienced the miracle of a breakthrough in the place of breaking down.  
Jesus, during one of His passing by, restored the sight of a blind man to provoke His detractors, “…He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” (John 9:6-7) The point here is that the blind man did not question the word of God when he went to wash. 
The fact that the blind man did not know Jesus at the time of direction was not an excuse for him to question or doubt the word of God. 
Do not question the word of God.
Deny doubt, engage your deep, and struggle shall be terminated.

Prayer for today: Ask to be delivered from every spirit of doubt.

FAITH CAPSULE: No one is born with the fear of God.

Proverbs 14

To live for God is to excel for His glory.
One who does not live for God will live a life of waste.
With desire is the choice to live for God.
God is not a slave master but a saving master who will wait and act to enable a desired one who wants to live life for His glory.
Revelation 4:11 confirms all to live for the glory of God, “You are worthy, O Lord, “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Are you living for God, or are you living life as pleases you?
One that lives for God fears God.
To fear God is to live by His word and not live a life of waste but waiting on God.
No one is born with the fear of God.
All matters are rooted in the command, the word of God, to know to fear God. 
Ecclesiastes 12:13 admonishes all, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”
Having the determination to fear God cannot do it.
One with a desire to fear God prayerfully will live to fear God.
Is it your desire to live for the glory of God?
Have the desire and strive to fear God.
To fear God is a sacrifice not to live as it pleases you but to please God.
Let serving God with fear become your character.
Psalm 2:11 encourages, “Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.”
To serve God is a sacrifice, denying self to find God.
Sacrifice is seeking God diligently, which enables one to find God.
Do you fear God?
Every living soul should live to fear God.
One that fears no other will fear God to gain the presence of God. 
The Psalmist testifies, “…I will fear no evil; For You are with me…” (Psalm 23:4)
It is impossible to become exposed to failing with one who possesses the fear of God alone.  
God treasures it when there is fear for Him. (Isaiah 33:6)
Much is to become identified as the character of ones that fear God:
Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.”
Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”
Proverbs 10:27, “The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”
Proverbs 13:13, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”
The conclusion of the whole matter is to fear God as the way of life.
The word of God says to ask to become given.
Jeremiah records the promise of God to give, “I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.” (Jeremiah 32:39)
With desire, pray to live by the fear of God.

Prayer for today: Ask to have one heart and one way to fear God.

FAITH CAPSULE: There is a need to see in the word of God.

Exodus 14

God has not stopped speaking to all through His living word in the pages of the Bible.
Listen to hear, see, and rise in His word. 
After the separation of Abraham and Lot, God said to Abraham, “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” (Genesis 13:14-15) 
The word of God is living. 
His word is not just a letter but gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6) 
When it sounds in one direction to see in the spoken word and rise to what is said, one will shine for the glory of God. 
God will always bring His word to pass.
All should always rise and see the word to receive and shine in His word. 
The word of God is light. 
Today, if you will hear and see in His light, rise, and embrace the light of God, you shall shine for His glory. 
The word of God is like a mirror to look into and see what is for direction to deliver and preserve. 
A failure to hear and see in the word is evidence of not rising to gain deliverance and preservation.
The Israelites came out of the bondage of over four hundred years, but yet Pharaoh closed them up at the Red Sea. 
As a result, fear took over, and negative confession flowed out of their mouth, “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:11-12)  
The negative confession of the Israelites caused them to stagnate with no way out for their escape. 
At that juncture in life, there was a need to see in the word of God but failed to see. 
Moses spoke the word of God, “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. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) 
Hear to obey and see in the word of God to become your portion.
The mercy of God answered for the Israelites to see and rise to access deliverance from Pharaoh. 
God fought their battle, and they never saw the Egyptians forever as promised in the living word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the mercy of God to continually answer for you.