FAITH CAPSULE:  The solution to challenges demands focusing on God

John 10:10

Are you looking up to God or looking up to one created by God?
To become worried and troubled in the face of challenge is evidence of not looking up to God, that is abundantly able to do and undo.
Any time the eyes are on confronting challenges, such is to misplace focus on God. 
Are you beholding your challenge?
Exodus 14:10-12 documents the issue of fear by the Israelites, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 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.” 
Does that sound like you? 
The Israelites know that God shall deliver, but yet they gave into fear. 
The Israelites were worried and troubled instead of worshipping God to have the peace of God. 
To be worrying in the place of worshipping is always the root of negative confession.
The solution to challenges demands focusing on God and the word of His promise. 
Despite all the powerful teachings of Jesus against fear and worrying, the disciples locked themselves up in fear of the Jews. “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) 
While the disciples locked up for fear, Jesus showed up and declared peace. 
Jesus, the Word of God, is the Prince of peace. 
One looking up to Jesus as Lord and Savior shall experience the power of God.   
Faith in Jesus will cause peace to reign. 
After Jesus had spoken peace into the life of His disciples, their eyes of the mind opened to see the mark of crucifixion that He carries. 
John 20:20 records, “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”  
The disciples looked up to Jesus when they heard His word to become open to coming out of fear. 
Do you know that Jesus carries a mark on your behalf?
The devil is the author of fear. John 10:10 records the encouraging word of Jesus, for all not to worry, not to give to fear, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. “
It is a choice not to give to worry rooted in fear.

Prayer for today: Ask not to live a life of having fear in the place of focusing on God.

FAITH CAPSULE: A pledge in the heart lives life for God.

Jeremiah 30

The word of God demands commitment from all.
Also, the word of God is not for decoration but for declaration navigating the life journey. 
The word of God is for deliverance, healing, and preservation.
Are you giving yourself to the word of God?
The evidence of one that gives self to the word shall live by the word of God.
Answering as a believer in God with no evidence of declaring the word of does not live life by the word of God but as a religious one.
Come out of RELIGION of the mouth, but give self to the word of God. 
A failure to give earnest heed to the word of God will lead to distance from God but closer to self-destruction.
Living by the word of God is rooted in giving more earnest heed to the things heard in the word. 
Living by the word of God works for those who work the works of God. 
What is your work with the word of God?
In the book of John 6:28, Jesus was asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus responded, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” One that gives earnest heed to Jesus and lives life by the word of God.
Jesus is the word of God. Give the more earnest heed to His word.
The word of God is POWER with no substitute that is in place for one that lives life for the glory of God.
The word of God is the way to salvation.
The power in the word of God is for deliverance and preservation.
What is holding you from giving earnest heed to the word of God?
The word of God is power.
By the word, Jesus brought Lazarus from the grave in four days. Bible records: “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:42-43)
Importantly, give earnest heed to the word of God to dwell and abide in the presence of God.
Dwelling and abiding in the word of God is evidence of a pledge to be approaching God.
Those that pledge to approach God are such that make up minds for God. Jeremiah 30:21-22 buttresses, “…For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord. You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’”
How is your way of life demonstrating the pledge of your heart to God?
Give more earnest heed to the word of God!

Prayer for today: Ask for your ears to hear and receive the word of God in your heart

FAITH CAPSULE: Fear God; be humble and operate the mind of Christ to live life for God.

Philippians 2

The way of life is to be of the mind of Christ, living for God.
Paul admonishes, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)  
What is it about the mind of Christ?
Jesus humbled Himself.
Philippians 2:8 records Jesus, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”   
The mind of Christ is the humble mind that is plain, simple, and set before God continually.
Prayerfully desire humility in the mind of Christ. 
James 4:10 speaks to all, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
The mind of Christ is to be great to the glory of God. 
Why not be humble to gain before God?
1 Peter 5:6 points out, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”
The disciples wanted to know from Jesus about the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 
Matthew 18:1 records, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  
Jesus answered that humility is the way to become the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3-4 records, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom.” 
Are you with the character or way of life as the little children?
Jesus said assuredly, meaning: without any other means; with all certainty, heaven is distant until one is converted and becomes a little child.
One converted accepts Jesus as the Lord and Savior, and those who become Christ-like shall humble themselves as the little children to be great. 
Little children whose mindset operates as a little child are examples of one with the carrier of a humble spirit. 
Children do not have pride but are humble and have no trace of malice, deception, and unforgiveness as part of the life of children.
Jesus emphasized the importance of humility when His hour was near (John 13:1).
Jesus, having shown and taught how to be humble, waited until His final hour to give His disciples a lasting impression that revealed the importance of humility.
John 13:3-35 records, “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from the supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel, and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” (John 13:3-5) 
There is no perfect way to show what it means to be humble than the demonstration of Jesus. 

Prayer for today: Ask God to turn your mind to be Christ-like.

FAITH CAPSULE: Giving self to living for God is to sow self in God.

1 John 2

All should live life with a desire to give themselves to living life for God.
What does not represent God should not have a place in the life of all.
Revelation 4:11 points out that all exist for God.
What one sows by way of life, such will reap.
The life one lives is what one sows to reap.
All will surely reap from what is a sow.
What are you sowing?
In life, it is impossible to sow the seed of deception and expect to reap the fruit of perfection.
Anyone that sows the seed of a lie will reap the fruit of deception.
Get to know God, and do not be a victim of one that reaps bad in life and the afterlife.
Know to sow yourself in God and keep His commandments. 
1 John 2:4-6 states, “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this, we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 
Work without walking in Him is not enough.
Work is to believe, and the walk is to behave, living by the word of God.
God invests so much in man while man extends so little to Him. 
Working and not walking will not get one to where God wants man to be.
The walk of one is the seed that one sows to gain reward from God.
Give self to living for God by walking according to His word. 
Leviticus 18:4 states, “You shall observe My judgment and keep my ordinances, to walk in them. I am the Lord your God” 
Keep the word of God by meditating on his word day and night.
God is good, and doing good is giving self to living for God for the glory of God.
A parable is an everyday truth that has a spiritual application. 
It is an earthly truth with a heavenly meaning. 
Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The parable connotes the mind of God concerning sowing good which is rooted in having a compassionate heart. 
In the parable, a man fell among thieves, was stripped of his belongings, wounded, and left behind half dead.
A priest and a Levite walked past on the other side, but a good Samaritan was able to sow good by reacting to the wounded man.
Knowing to do good but not do is sin.
Sin is turning from giving self to not living for God. 
James 4:17 warns, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” 
Abstain from sin, allow the glory of God to be established over your life, the reap of what you sow before God.

Prayer for today: Ask that the hand of God shall draw you near to Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Hear from God to live life for God.

Ezekiel 3

To live life for God demands giving an ear to hear through the head and establishing what is in the heart.
For example, Ezekiel heard with the ear and received into the heart.
Ezekiel engaged the assignment of God for his life.
Ezekiel heard a thunderous voice. 
Hearing of Ezekiel indicates reception into the heart.
The testimony of Ezekiel is the truth that one cannot hear from God and not know that He has spoken. 
The testimony of Ezekiel states, “…I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!” I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. So, the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished among them seven days” (Ezekiel 3:12-15). 
The testimony of Ezekiel changed him, and his life was not the same after he heard from God.
The word that came to him lifted him and took him away to the center of the assignment of God for his life.
Ezekiel becomes centered in the position of the glory of God. 
The desire of all should be to live for God.
Though, often calling of God comes with painful sacrifices, the Hand of God will always be upon the life of anyone that hears with the ear and receive wholeheartedly, just as Ezekiel testifies, “…but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me”.
Like Ezekiel, Job testifies to the importance of hearing with the ear and receiving with the heart.
Job 42:5 records testimony of Job, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees You”. 
Job heard so much from people during his challenges, but the hearing that made the difference came after he was able to hear God with his ear and his heart.
Job lived life for God and received an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 
Jeremiah 13:15 warns, “Hear and give ear: do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken.” 
One that hears with ear shall receive what is heard from God, making a difference in the life of a believer.
Know to hear the word of God, and what one hears shall become received.
The hardness of the heart denied receiving the word to do according to the word of God.
Avoid the hardness of the heart, which denies one from hearing with the ear and receiving with the heart. 

Prayer for today: Ask God that His word be established in you to live life for His glory.