FAITH CAPSULE: Obeying God is doing according to the word of God.

Matthew 7:24-29, James 1:21-27

The only way to obey the word of God is to hear the word of God continually.
Romans 10:17 states, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 
So many hear the word, but the majority do not do it according to the word of God.
So many quote the word of God but do not carry the word in the heart but in the head. 
So many gathers to hear the word but do not connect to the word of God. 
Are you a hearer of the word of God that lives by the word of God?
The word of God states:
“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9) 
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror.” (James 1:22-23)
A disobedient to the word of God is like a car speeding in the dark with its headlights turned off. 
It will only take one moment for the driver to have his life terminated. 
How long would a driver continue driving in the dark without the headlights? 
 God is a merciful and jealous God who desires constant attention from His creation. 
Exodus 34:14 informs all, “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” 
Gain the attention of God with sincerity and obedience to the jealous God.
It does not matter who you are or the role you play in the business of God.
Without obedience, one shall be far from the presence of God. 
The mother and brothers of Jesus received a warning that could have denied them their access to Him, “Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You. But He answered and said to them, my mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:19-21) 
Do you desire to see Him when you look for Him just as His mother and brothers went to look for Him, or do you want to continue to ignore Him? There is a need to look for Him by calling on Him and making way to Him through consistent obedience to His word. 
There is no substitute for obeying the word of God. 
Acclaimed believers need to observe the word of God by hearing and doing the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that to be enabled to hear and do according to the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The caring of God is His love.

John 19

The blood of Jesus shed on the Calvary is not a liberty to continue in sin.
The goodness of God is the grace of Jesus. 
Jesus paid on behalf of all by drinking the cup of sin, pain, grief, and every other undesirable punishment. 
Jesus carried the cross for all to cross over.
John 19:17-18 records, “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.
The grace of God cares by being available for those who will seek Him with a whole heart. 
The glorious name of God deserves praise and thanks. 
Psalm 69:30 states, “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” 
God is a loving God, and He proved His love through His word and action. He proved His love by going on the cross. 
God proves in His word stating “…that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:15-17)
God is mindful of His children and demonstrates by His word and action, evidence of His caring for all.
God invested so much in all, but the majority despises His word.  
God is a forgiving God. 
Out of curiosity, Peter investigated the issue of forgiveness when he approached Jesus with a question stating, “…Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21) 
Jesus responds to Peter, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22) 
God made room for His children not to miss heaven.
Imagine 7×70 (490) times for the grace for forgiveness.
In Jesus, “…we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
God is worthy of the reasonable sacrifice of thanksgiving regularly. 
The goodness of God is in place that sin is not enough to separate His children who cry out to Him with a heart of repentance.
Goodness is forgiveness; the grace of the blood of Jesus shed on the Calvary is not a liberty to continue in sin. 
The word of God admonishes all, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”(Ephesians 6:1-2)
To be sinning should not be a dwelling place. 
Jesus paid it all, and He is alive!

Prayer for today: Pray that the blood of Jesus shall not be a waste over your life.

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.