FAITH CAPSULE: The case of Zacchaeus with multitude as a hindrance.

Luke 19:1-9, Acts 9:36-43

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. 
He was short in stature, a physical limitation of his was in place to deny him from inviting Jesus into his home. Zacchaeus recognized that he was limited but rejected it from being an excuse not to seek Jesus diligently as desired.
Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd because he wanted to see Jesus. 
He was not attempting to join the crowd in knowing about Jesus. 
He wanted to know Jesus, to see Jesus because to see is to receive Jesus into his house. 
Zacchaeus recognized there was a need for him to do more than running to see Jesus, then he climbed a tree to see and receive Jesus. 
What are your efforts to see and able to receive Jesus? 
Your recognition by your pastor, attending church once a week, or sleeping in the church is not enough to overcome the multitude/crowd in the world of today. 
Luke 19:4-6 records the effort of Zacchaeus to deny the multitude from denying him not to see and receive Jesus into his house, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” 
By running ahead with efforts to see and receive the Lord will be your mark for deliverance from the hindrance of the multitude not able to deny your answering to the calling of God.
Despite Zacchaeus running and effort to overcome the hindrance of the multitude, a complaint was lodged against him, saying, “…He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7)
Can you imagine Zacchaeus, a man of short stature climbing a tree to see and receive Jesus into his house?
What is holding you from seeking God to see and receive Jesus into your life? 
The multitude (crowd) failed to hinder Zacchaeus from seeing and receiving Jesus into his life.
The word of God points out what it takes to put out a multitude, Know, and understand to put out any multitude in your life.
LEARN PUTTING OUT MULTITUDE
Jesus put out the crowd when He wanted to restore the life of the daughter of Jarius as Matthew 9:25 records, “But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.”  
Like Jesus, Peter also put out the crowd not to deny the miracle of Dorcas Acts 9:40 records, “But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.” 
Learn in the word of God to know that putting out the multitude/crowd will deny hindrance from having a place of your miracle.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to put out the multitude in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you mixed-up with many?

Numbers 11

The multitude is a state of many.
In life, to journey with the many is bound not to arrive at the expected end of the journey. The word admonishes, “…For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)
Are you one in the company of multitude with the tendency to be crowded, not to see or rise over challenges in the journey of life?
The multitude/crowd in life, as an agent for hindrance, should be denied in life.
What role is the multitude/crowd doing in your life? 
Multitude could be a hindrance.
If a multitude is allowed in life, it will deny one from getting to where the LORD has destined for one to be. For example, the Israelites were mixed-up with multitudes and could not arrive at the destiny of God for their life.
When a mix up with the multitude is allowed in life, confusion is bound to exist, and that is certain to experience failure. 
Where there is a mix-up with the multitude, disorderliness shall predominate.
In the place of mix up with the multitude, confusion, mistake, misunderstanding will be in place.
As an acclaimed believer, are you searching for yourself to identify if you are mixed-up with the multitude?
The Israelites were about to engage the journey of freedom, to the promised of God when they mixed up with a multitude that is not of God for them. Exodus 12:38 said it, “A mixed multitude went up with them…”  
God did not call the Israelites to go with the multitude, but they went with them, and the consequence led them into destruction.
Numbers 11:4-6 records the damage of the mixed-up multitudes with the life of the Israelites, ” Now the mixed multitude 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? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” 
With the multitudes, the Israelites were mixed-up, confused to confess negative before God, and that denied them to arrive at the promised of God. The word testifies about the complaint of the Israelites before God and the response of God to them in Numbers 14:27-29, “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. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: 29 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.” 
What is it that is confusing you to be confessing negative in the place of positive before God? 
The Israelites were mixed-up with the multitude and could not arrive at the promise of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that you will not become a victim of the multitude.

FAITH CAPSULE: God alone is God that is Good. God alone is mercifully merciful. 

Psalm 34

With understanding, know that God alone is the only unchanging changer and able to reverse the irreversible to touch the lives of all.
God, in His mercy, has brought you this far.
Listen, it is not about how long your challenges persistently resist not to end despite your calling on God, but God alone will not ignore you, He will deliver you out in all. Understand and know to be thanking God for how far His mercy has brought you this far.
Affliction can be a challenge to discourage in waiting on God for deliverance. Psalm 34:19 encourages, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) Despite your challenges, do right before God, His mercy will deliver you.
What a Good God!
Good God that is consistent in His mercy will not fail in His goodness that is merciful towards those that will consistently seek for His deliverance.
Are you calling on Him?
Who do you remember to call on besides the merciful God?
Psalm 20:7 records, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
Prayerfully, give self to calling on God by His exalted name alone (Psalm 148:13), remind Him by His magnified word that is above all His name (Psalm 138:2) 
With understanding, know that the word of God does not return to Him void (Isiah 55:11). Remind God, contend with Him faithfully as Isaiah 43:6 declares, “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted.”  
Know God to call Him with the understanding gained in His word.
It is not too much but possible and worthy to call Him at every breath as a prescription to have life. Psalm 150:6 prescribes, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
With the desire to experience the presence of the mercy of God, it is never too much or not impossible to praise God at every breath. The word of God encourages everything with breath to praise the Lord.   
Praising God is worshipping God, worshiping God can be thanking, praying, singing, living life by the word of God.
Live life for God at every breath He is mercifully merciful.
Are you calling on Him with doubt, not knowing if He answers you?
Have faith, know that God hears you.
The word of Psalm 94:9 encourages, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” 
Prayerfully, call on God without a doubt.
God is a good God, and He is merciful to call when no one calls.
God will speak when no one is hearing from Him.
God knows best and does have the reason to do as it pleases over all of His creation. God is a merciful God!
If you have been calling on God and yet no answer, keep faith to keep on calling and waiting to hear for His calling.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable you in looking for His mercy.

FAITH CAPSULE: Distraction will derail or deny arrival to the calling of God.

Psalm 22

Are you avoiding the patterns of distraction in your life?
Continually, know it to be giving attention to deny distraction that comes from closet ones or ones from distance to distract you in life.
Deny distraction in your life.
Having accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior does not exempt you from encountering distraction, but vigilant not to become a victim.
Many have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, but the agents of distraction are in place to deny the attention of focusing on God to live life for God. 
Does that sound like you?
If you have received Jesus into your life, stand still by looking up to God to avoid distraction not to become derailed from dwelling and abiding in the presence of God.
Martha was a victim of distraction. 
When Martha welcomed Jesus into her house, she could not avoid distraction from denying her to gain a position in the presence of Jesus. Luke 10:38 records, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.’” (Luke 10:40) 
Just like Martha, have you welcomed Jesus into your house? 
Martha welcomed Jesus into her house, but distraction denied her from the presence of Jesus.    
Who or what is your distraction? 
Without discrimination, devices of distraction will derail or deny anyone with the loss of focus on God.
Anyone that is not careful, distraction will assault to prevent from arriving at the divine assignment of God.
When distraction takes a position in the life of man, it will be almost impossible to gain or prevail in the journey of life. 
Distraction can be a disruption or disturbance.
Distraction can be a denial agent against a man not to walk in the Lord, answering to the calling of God.
Distraction can also be an indefinable force that will derail to deny a man from having faith to see God.
In the challenging time of today, deny distraction, focus on God alone. Do not become a victim of failure and evil occurrence over your life.
For all, with no exception, distraction is the device of the enemy to avoid, and not to become derailed from arrival at the assignment of God.
There is no one with exception from distraction.
The prayer is to ask God to uphold you and watch. 
The word of God repeatedly warns all to watch and pray.
The pattern of distraction to be derailed in answering the calling of God shall not be your portion.

Prayer for today: Ask from God not to become a victim of distraction from answering in His calling over you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Living life demands from all to be responsible before God.

1Timothy 4

To live a life of responsibility before God will make for greatness in life. Among ways of living for responsibility before God are:
LIVING LIFE OF RESPONSIBILITY IS MEDITATING THE WORD OF GOD
One meditating on the word of God will know God by observing the word of God to live a life of responsibility before God.
After the death of Moses, God called Joshua to the importance of meditating His word saying, “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.” (Joshua 1:8) 
Meditating the word of God day and night is continual communication with God to know, to do according to the word of God.
1Timothy 4:1 records the importance of meditating the word of God, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”  
Psalm 119:15 also record, “I will meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways.” Be responsible, meditate the word of God continually, to experience failure impossible in life. Get to Know God by studying the word of God, not skimming through the word of God.
LIVING LIFE OF RESPONSIBILITY IS HAVING COMMITMENT TO GOD
Responsibility is a life of commitment to the word of God.
One with a commitment to the word of God will have the word of God in the heart, not just in the mouth.
Are you a believer by mouth? 
Life of responsibility with a commitment to God will consign self to seeking God with all heart, with all soul, with all strength.  Deuteronomy 4:29 records the consequence of responsible for seeking God, “…you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 
Responsibility of commitment to the word God will not be discouraged by the surrounding world not to seek God diligently, to find God.
LIVING LIFE OF RESPONSIBILITY IS ASKING GOD FOR DIRECTION
In the journey of life, it is a responsibility to always ask for the direction of God that never fails but leads to greatness.
In life, be responsible, seek the perfect way of God that leads to the expected journey of life.
Responsibly, the venture of David to save Keilah from the Philistines is the reason why David inquired direction from God in 1 Samuel 23:2, “Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”. The Lord said to David, “…Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” The warrior Men with David were not encouraged to go with him against the Philistines, but his responsibility to inquire from God was the assurance for victory against Philistines.
Responsibility is asking for the direction that is certain to arrive at the expected end in the journey. 

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable you to live a life of responsibility to the glory of His name.