FAITH CAPSULE: Who or what joins with you?

Numbers 14

The Israelites could not claim the promise of God as they failed to disengage the mixed multitude that joined their journey to the Promised Land. 
Exodus 12:37-38 documents the journey of the Israelites with the mixed multitude: “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them…”  
For the Israelites, a mixed-up multitude is an unholy mix-up. 
At the departure of the Israelites from bondage to the Promised Land, they could not disengage the mixed multitude.
As they progressed on the journey, the effect of mixed multitude caused trouble for the Israelites. The Bible records in Numbers 11:4-6, “Now the mixed multitudes who were among them yielded to intense craving; so, the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”  
The initiation of Israelites complaining before God was the complaint of the mixed multitude. 
God responds to the complaint of Israelites, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.” (Numbers 14:27-30)
Interestingly, Pharaoh and his chariots could not deny the breakthrough of over four hundred years of the Israelites in Egypt but the mixed multitude denied them.
The Red Sea failed to hold back the Israelites from breaking forth, but the complaint of the mixed multitude prompted the failure for the Israelites not to arrive at the Promised Land. 
Are you on the course or off course for your breakthrough in the journey of the promise of God? 
Here are some warning signals that mixed multitude is your company as you journey:
Mix-multitude will keep reminding you of the past when you need to focus on where the Lord is taking you.
Mix-multitude will only cause you to crave for want in the place where the need is met, with no lack.
Mix-multitude will give to complaining instead of complimenting God.
Mix-multitude will cause one to worry in the place of worship.
Consciously or unconsciously, who is the mix-multitude of your life journey?
Your mix-multitude is possible to be in numbers or not in number.
Your mix-multitude is possibly your closest that is near or in far.
Know to deny mix-multitude not to derail your life journey.

Prayer for today: Ask that God will deliver you from mixed-multitude.

FAITH CAPSULE: With sanctification, and sacrifice gain the presence of God.

Exodus 19

With sanctification backed with sacrifice, one shall experience the presence of God.
When God sent Samuel to go and anoint, to separate David as a living sacrifice, He sent him with a message for Jesse, “…I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.’ Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 16:5) 
In this message, it is clear that sanctification (consecration, dedication) comes before sacrifice. 
In another instance, sanctification was backed with sacrifice when Moses was to present the Israelites before God. Exodus 19:14-15 records, “So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.’” 
The above testifies to sanctification before sacrifice by Samuel and Moses. 
It is evident through the pages of the Bible that sanctification comes before sacrifice.
By the evidence in the Bible, it is wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to let sanctification be in place before sacrifice to gain the presence of God, assess or provoke the hand of God for His favor. 
Seek God diligently with dedication (sanctification) with expecting your sacrifice (surrender) to become acceptable.
For example, sacrificial praise rooted in sanctification will position one to gain the presence of God.
What kind of praise have you been rendering to God when seeking the presence of God?
Psalm 47:7 admonishes all about praising God, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.” 
Understanding to know sacrificial praise that is rooted in devotion (sanctification) before God will gain the presence of God.
Praising God should not necessarily be in noise-making; praising God should not be an entertaining man; praising God does not have to be in self-pride but lifting the name of God. 
As a believer, to confess with sincere and genuine hearts (the act of dedication before God), sacrificial praising will locate the presence of God. 
God inhabits the praises of His people. 
When God is in your sacrificial praises, your enemies will become ambushed, and victory will become your portion. 
Who should praise God? 
Without any exemption, all should sing praises to God while having a life. The Psalmist said so, “I will sing praises to the Lord while I have my being.” (Psalm 146:2) 
In several pages of the Bible, those who fear Him should praise Him. Praise Him with the voice of joy, harp, and melody; praise Him among the people or in your secret closet. Psalm 34:1states, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Praising Him all the time will raise you to Him. 
Live life by the word of God to gain His presence in all your ways.

Prayer for today: Ask that the understanding of God become your portion.

FAITH CAPSULE: Gain from the blessings of God.

Psalm 1

Three ways to gain the blessing of God are rooted in:
Walking, Standing, and Sitting.
The question is, how are you walking, where are you standing or sitting in your way of living?
Psalm 1:1 records, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful…” 
WALKING
Walking in the way of righteousness should not be walking in the counsel of the ungodly. 
Ungodly do not accept God, answers as wicked do not conform to religious tenets, but aligns with sin ways of life.
Ungodly will counsel or lead man to live a life that does not consider right doing before God.
Who is it that counsels you?
Are you a believer receiving counsels from an unbeliever?
When a believer begins to receive counsel from an ungodly one, walking astray from the blessings of God becomes inevitable.
Do not walk in the counsel of ungodly that will direct you outside the path of God. Proverbs 3:6 admonishes, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” 
With the desire to experience the blessing of God, listen to the word of God as a warning. Take your counsel seriously to set you up for the glory of God.
STANDING:
Standing in the path of the sinner is evidence of taking to the same position as a sinner. 
When a believer begins to endure or tolerate (pacifying) the act of wicked way of life, it becomes evident that such a believer is not standing for God, not living right before God.
Standing in the path of righteousness will stand out, upholding the way of life that glorifies the name of God.
One that stands in awe of the word of God is with the character of righteousness and counts before God.
Is your standing found with an association that only progresses the testimony of God? 
Are you taking a stand that depends and rests on God in the face of challenging trouble?
As a believer, the word of God demands to ponder what to stand for in the path of life. The walk leads to what one stands for, not hidden from God. Proverbs 5:21 points out, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.”
How are you standing before God?
How one stands and walks for God is the determinant of where one takes a sitting before God.
SITTING:
Sitting in the seat of scornful will eventually embrace the evil way of life. A believer that takes a sitting position of righteousness must hate evil. Proverbs states, “…the fear of the Lord is to hate evil…” (Proverbs 8:13). In the journey of life, avoid taking a seat that is not acceptable before God.
The blessings of God are obtainable by your walk, stand, and sit identified above. 
Do not compromise the word of God but live life to claim the blessings of God.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to live by the word of God. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Ask that God will enable you against disobedience to His word.

Matthew 9:18-38

Are you looking into the world or looking into the word of God?
Looking outside of the word of God is settling to be scattered.
Pray to be enabled with a commitment to God, as the verses point out to be committed to God. 
Psalm 37:5 warns, “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” 
John 2:24, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.”
ASK that the word of God will enable you to turn you away from the world into His word, not to become a victim of the scattered and evil world.
ASK that your commitment to God shall not experience wavering in every area of your life.
The lack of commitment to the word of God will experience distraction. Distraction will lead to a derailment, an avenue to become denied. 
One that is committed to the word is one ENABLED by God in all endeavors.
The creative word of God brought all creation to exist in the beginning. 
It is the word of God that brought dead Lazarus out of the grave.
The word of God brought life in the place of death and brought healing into the place of sickness and disease of many years.
LAZARUS ROSE FROM DEATH
When Jesus arrived at the grave of Lazarus, He commanded for the move of stone, but the world around Him questioned His attempt reminding Him that Lazarus is dead to the point of the stench for four days with no hope to rise. Jesus reacted to bring back Lazarus to rise from death. John 11:43-44 records, “He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” 
ASK that the power of God, the word of God that brought Lazarus out of death, will answer for your deliverance.
ASK that you shall not die but will live life to the glory of God.
A FLOW OF BLOOD FOR TWELVE YEARS GOT HEALED
Matthew 9:20-22 documents the healing of many years of the flow of blood responds to the word of God. The Bible states, “And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.”
ASK that God shall enable you to be full of faith that shall make you well to gain and retain the healing deliverance in His name.   
From this moment given to you, having the breath of life, given by God, continually pray that the word of God shall enable you in all your endeavor. 

FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God is His secret.

Psalm 91

The word of God is not just a story but a secret to be engaged to become unfolded as the light of God navigating the darkness, wickedness of the world.
The word of God is light that gives understanding for one that believes.
Psalm 119:130 informs, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
Diligently, engage the word with attention for the word to gain entrance into your life.
Also, in reading, know to study the word of God, meditating the word of God continually.
Joshua 1:8 admonishes, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written, in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
The word of God is not just storytelling but getting to know the secret in the word of God, with intention and attention to become penetrated by the word of God.
The word of God is God. (John 1:1)
Carry the word of God, the presence of God, to live life for the glory of God.
Does the word of God enter into you?
Have you allowed the entrance of the word of God into your life?
With God in you, you are in God, the secret place of God to dwell and abide.
Psalm 91 speaks about the experience of those dwelling abiding in the secret place of God, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Dwelling and abiding in the secret place of God with trust shall take refuge in God.
Having a refuge in God is with assurance for deliverance and preservation in the journey of life.
Taking refuge in God shall have no fear of the wickedness in the day or night.
Psalm 91:7 explicitly encourages the deliverance and preservation dwelling and abiding for one that trusts and hope in the secret place of God, “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.”
Can you be counted as one standing, not falling, the evidence of dwelling and abiding in the secret place of God?
Make the Lord God as the dwelling and abiding place living life by the word of God the position not to fall by evil. 
The evidence not to fall is of being kept by the angels of God.
Know God, not know about God.
One that dwells and abides in the word of God knows God to fear God, the love for God.
Psalm 91:14 points out what it is when one loves God (living life by the word of God), “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name.”
The word of God is not just a story but the secret place of God to dwell and abide, to experience God and excel for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to gain and retain the presence of God.