FAITH CAPSULE: Remember that Jesus is not dead, but He is alive.

Luke 24:1-35

After the resurrection of Jesus, two disciples were on a journey with frustration resulting from the going of Jesus to the cross.
With frustration, the issue of distraction, discouragement, and disappointment answers the two disciples on the journey.
Frustration often leads to an inability to see and hear from where there is a way. 
For the followers on their journey to Emmaus, the Bible records, “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him.” (Luke 24:13-16) 
After the breaking news of the resurrection of Jesus, the two disciples were distracted, discouraged, and disappointed because of Jesus’ death. 
As a result of distraction, discouragement, and disappointment in the two followers on their journey to Emmaus, they failed to know Jesus.
They could not see and could not identify with Jesus. 
Also, they could not listen to hear and identify the voice of Jesus. 
What is it that has come upon you on this journey of life? 
What takes a seat driving your vehicle on your life journey? 
Luke 24:15-16 records, “So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” 
The two disciples did not know Jesus, but they knew about Him.
They had lost sight of their Savior. 
They knew Jesus but did not know Him well enough to identify with Him at the point of visitation after he had resurrected from where the devil could not hold Him captive. 
The two followers must have been at the point of frustration, thinking their hope was gone. 
With the resurrection of Jesus is to have trust and hope to experience the promise of God for those that believe in Jesus.
Today, remind yourself that Jesus is not dead but alive. 
Whenever frustration sets in, distraction, discouragement, and disappointment will take one for a ride in the wrong direction. 
When there is no sight or where sight becomes blurry, there will be a failure to see help whenever help is in place. 
When the two disciples regained sight, it was time for the departure of Jesus.
Luke 24:31 records, “Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”  
Your story does not have to be like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus because Emmanuel is what you are looking for, and He has risen for all. 
Come out of frustration to gain concentration, encouragement, and effective results that will reign through your entire journey.

Prayer for today: Prayerfully give thanks, and know that Jesus is alive.

FAITH CAPSULE: Is it self-trust that has brought you far in life? 

Psalm 150, Jeremiah 48

Giving thanks to God for all in all is acknowledging God.
Our Lord our God is the ancient of days, the King of Kings, and hallowed be His name. 
Acknowledge God at all times for His goodness and mercy.
He is a jealous God that demands attention.
Exodus 34:14 identifies God, “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
God also spoke, “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…”
He is worthy of all adoration and praise at every breath.
Psalm 150:6 said it well, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” 
At every breath, it is never too much to be praising God.
A failure to acknowledge Him demonstrates one to trust and rely on self-effort as the source of strength.
Are you counting on yourself in every step of life? 
Is it self-trust that has brought you far in life? 
God sees it all concerning all. 
God spoke against Moab in the book of Jeremiah 48:7, “For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity.” (Chemosh: The chief deity of Moab.) 
The word of God against Moab is worth attention to be provoked not to fail to trust God. 
The word of God against Chemosh should be a strong warning for all that acknowledge self-trust.
The people of Moab could have resolved to self-sufficiency whereby looking to their work and treasure as a measure of self-effort. 
The people of Moab could have resolved to self-sufficiency whereby looking to their work and treasure as a measure of self-effort. 
A dangerous way to captivity is assuming self-effort as strength and a source of blessing. 
God alone is the source for all. 
God wants to be glorified and exalted for every blessing that comes the way of His creation. 
Jeremiah 9:23-24 records, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the LORD.” Have you been counting on self-effort in all areas of living life? Acknowledging God is counting the blessings of God, naming all one by one to give God all honor and glory. 
The Moabites are not around to tell us what it means not to be reduced by not acknowledging God. 
The Moabites ended up in captivity after having been in control of treasures. 
Testimonies of God are enough for all to learn and live to praise and glorify the name of God. 
It is time to turn around and give Him all the glory and honor that belongs to Him, not to self-trust. 

Prayer for today: Ask to be living a life of glorifying and praising God.

FAITH CAPSULE: God creates all to serve Him.

Exodus 10

God alone is God. 
God is a rewarder, not a slave master.
God created all to serve Him for His glory.
Revelation 4:11 states, “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.” 
Day after day; week after week; month after month; year after year, God alone exists forever. 
God has been before the creation, and He will forever be. 
God is a purpose, God. 
He created all with the expectation for all to serve Him.
The Israelites were in bondage for over four hundred years. 
Serving outside of God took over their life, building for Pharao out of their desire.
Exodus 1:13-14 records, “So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” 
The Israelites could not serve God, living in bitterness while hard bondage took over them. 
Regardless of any situation, God deserves the service of His creation.
For the Israelites in bondage, God demands their service through Moses. God requests, “So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” (Exodus 4:23) 
God repeatedly sends Moses to Pharaoh, “And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness” (Exodus 7:16) 
The emphasis of God for the service of the Israelites in bondage is not different from calling for all to serve Him today.
How is your service to God? 
One that does not love God cannot serve Him. 
Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” 
Do you love God? 
Are you serving God? 
Serving God is working the works of God. 
Working the works of God is to believe in Him. 
Jesus said, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29)
God rewards those who serve Him, evidence of one that fears God.
Working the works of God, take a position to experience the reward of God.
God is a rewarder of the worker as Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 
Give your God-given days to serve God. 
God is a jealous God. 
God is not a slave master but a saving master.

Prayer for the day: Ask that you will live life to serve God for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Come out of religion into the reality of celebrating Christ. 

Zechariah 9

The majority answers as Christians with no meaning of what Christianity means, the evidence of those celebrating Jesus without knowing Him.
Do you know Him, or do you know about Him?
Acts 11:26 records, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Celebrating the season is the character of coming out of religion into the reality of knowing Christ.
The majority celebrate days and seasons in the name of God but do not live life by the word of God and will not count before God because it is empty religion.
Among the challenges for empty religion is rooted in not KNOWING GOD.
Knowing God is not the same as KNOWING ABOUT GOD.
The majority KNOW ABOUT GOD but do not KNOW God.
Do you KNOW or KNOW ABOUT God?
One that does not KNOW God is not with the TRUTH of God, not free to live life for the glory of God.
Jesus warned, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:2)
One who does not know the truth of the word of God will be full of the world with lies to deceive and manipulate.
Are you celebrating the season with not know the truth to live life for the glory of God?
One celebrating the season in the name of God and not knowing God is with the character of twisting the word of God.
Are you twisting the truth of God? 
Believers or unbelievers twist the truth, the word of God, to deceive and celebrates God empty.
Twisting the word of God is adding or taking away from the word of God. 
Twisting the word of God is adding or taking away from the word of God. 
Twisting the truth of God is telling lies.
Twisting the truth is evil that needs to be avoided, not to be part of the way of life.
By the title among believers, your action, and your word, are you responsible for twisting the truth of God?
By telling lies, God is not found and is the reason to give self to the word of God to attain perfection in Christ Jesus, celebrating Him. 
Celebrating God while twisting the truth of God does not listen to the truth of God, giving attention to lying that does not access the power of God. 
Give yourself to the truth of God as a way of living life knowing to celebrate the glory of God.
Twisting the truth of God belongs to the evil one. Deuteronomy 19:19 buttresses, “…so you shall put away the evil from among you.” 
Know the TRUTH and not be twisting the truth by way of life.
Celebrating God is living by the word of God, not of the world.
It is the character of many to live by the word of the tongue, not by the word of God.
1 John 3:18-19 admonishes, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Celebrate with the understanding that counts before God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you to know and live by the truth.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God for direction should always be a priority. 

1 Kings 19

In times of challenging situations, direction from God will deliver one in a challenge.
Regardless of title or position inside or outside the church, waiting on God is the key to an overcomer. 
Elijah was a prophet in the hand of God but could not wait on God when the challenging situation became his portion. 
With the execution of the prophets of Baal by Elijah at Brook Kishon, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel, was to execute Elijah. 
Elijah, a prophet of God, could not wait on God for direction to approach the challenge by Jezebel. 
Elijah, a prophet of God, could not wait on God for direction to approach the challenge by Jezebel. 
Elijah reacted to the threat against his life, “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:4) Elijah desired to die when he failed to wait and seek God for direction. Elijah had no peace but was in fear by asking for his death before God. Elijah resolved to run away from his challenging situation. 
Are you allowing the challenging situation to take over your direction? 
Waiting on God for direction should always be a priority for children of God. 
In times of challenging situations, the direction of God for deliverance does not fail. Isaiah 40:31 buttresses, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” 
Is your challenging situation causing you to run in the place of walking? Are you responding by walking but not running? 
One with weariness or fainting in a challenging situation is not evidence of waiting on God. 
The testimony of David is evidence of one that waits on God in the face of a challenging situation. 
In the testimony of David, it is clear that waiting on God made David walk and not run in the valley; David did not ask for death but went further regardless of his challenging situation. 
Elijah, a prophet, could not walk but ran and asked for his death before God.
Without a doubt, trusting God is waiting on God.
Fear is a weapon of the devil to dis-stabilize one to arrive on the journey of life. 
In a challenging situation, God is not a God that will rush out of His salvation plan. 
God is not a sleeping God that will not attend to His children that wait on Him. 
The title or position inside or outside of the church demands waiting on God as a priority. 
Understand and know waiting on God cannot fail. 
Failure is inevitable in the life of not waiting on God.

Prayer for today: Ask for enablement to wait on God for direction, not to become a vessel of failure.