FAITH CAPSULE: Compromising the word of God is a failure to restrain.

1 Samuel 2:22-36, 1 Samuel 3:1-13

Compromising the word of God is the evidence of lack of fear of God, lack of understanding among believers and unbelievers.
Are you compromising the word of God by choosing against how He wants all to live life?
Compromise exists in the church and outside of the church. 
A believer that is serving God as it pleases self is against the word of God. 
Compromising the word of God is a lack of faith. Without faith, God is not pleased. (Hebrews 11:6) 
Compromise is not of God. 
Compromising the word of God is the tool of the devil to confuse believers and unbelievers to corrupt the journey in life. 
Compromise is a conscious or unconscious way of embracing evil and not living life to fear God. A believing believer that does not restrain wrongdoing is taking to a position of compromise, not to do right.
James 4:17 buttresses, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Are you compromising the word of God to impress your member, your pastor? Are you compromising the word of God to be complementing an eminent member or to avoid eminent one from departing from your member?
Also, compromising wrongly between parents and children is not of God. Eli and his sons compromised the word of God. The Bible records the corruption of the sons of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:12-15, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
Compromising the word of God by the sons of Eli was recorded as great sin before God because Eli did not restrain his children. (1 Samuel 3:13) God called on Samuel to identify Eli’s son sin and His judgment of Eli, “In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:12-13) Eli compromised before God, and it counted as his sin before God. 
Eli’s compromise was his corruption before God, while his sons were terminated.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to deliver you from every ground of compromising His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Living life by God’s command is following God.

1 Kings 19

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW GOD?
Given self in submission to God’s word will follow God, will not miss the kingdom of God.
In the journey of life, there is no exception for rich or poor that does not follow God and make it to the kingdom of God.
In the journey of life, whatever a man is holding onto against God’s command will not follow God to make it to the kingdom of God. 
What are you holding on and not able to give yourself to God’s command?
Abraham is an example of a rich one that followed God’s command to sacrifice the life of his son in his journey of life. He followed God’s calling as he attempted to sacrifice his only son when God spoke to him. Genesis 22:12 records, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now, I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Abraham fears God to follow God’s command. God testifies the fear of Abraham for His name as Abraham lived life to follow God.
In your life, whatever it is that holds you back from giving yourself to the word of God will keep you from following God to miss the kingdom of God. 
Are you with desires to make it to the kingdom of God, a life of eternity?
Live life by following God’s command. 
Elisha is another example of a rich one that left all to follow the calling of God over his life. When God called Elisha, through Elijah, he responded, “…Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you…” (1 Kings 19:20) Elisha’s answer was holding against following God, he was not ready to follow God but later gave up all to follow God as the Bible records, “So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.” (1 Kings 19:21)
In your journey of life, what is it that is holding you back from following God?
Is it your property or family that is holding you from following God? 
Jesus identifies what it takes to follow Him when he said, “…you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28-30)
From today, live life for God by following His command, to make the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God that is not a fiction.

Prayer for today: Ask from God to enable you for living life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pray for the possibility of God over you.

Matthew 19:13-30

Regardless of this world’s challenges, with your desire not to miss the Kingdom of God, pray continually to FOLLOW Jesus (the Word of God) FULLY.
The journey of life is a route that leads to the kingdom of God.
In the journey of life, depending on how all walk with God will determine who makes it to the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.
What does it take not to miss the kingdom of God?
The word of God speaks to all about what it takes not to miss the kingdom of God, “…Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24)
Demands of the word not to miss the Kingdom of God is very challenging as disciples were stunned to question Jesus, “…Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25) 
Are you a rich one that will find it hard to make to the kingdom of God?
Who is a rich one?
A rich one does not suffer a lack of need.
When comfort answers in the place of lack, it becomes the evidence of one as the rich.
One whose needs are being met and become rich is with the tendency to forget God, to take a position outside of route not to enter the kingdom of God.
The question, who then can be saved, by disciples of Jesus was answered by Jesus’ stating, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Through the pages of the Bible, it is pointed out that the possibility with God will only come with prayer before God, not just by quoting the word of God for anyone to achieve one’s desire.
Are you praying with the expectation for the possibility of God over you or just quoting the possibility of God without praying? 
In the journey of life, the route that leads to the kingdom of God also demands from all (not only rich) to follow Jesus, when Jesus spoke to disciples about following Him in Matthew 19:28-30, “So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”
Regardless of who you are, by Jesus’ word, it is only one that FOLLOWS HIM FULLY that will make it to the Kingdom of God.
With desire and continual prayer that will make it possible not to miss the Kingdom of God FOLLOW the Word of God (Jesus) in the journey of life, a route that leads to the kingdom of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to follow Him fully in the journey of life by God over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is mindful of all.

Psalm 8

God is mindful of us to care more than we understand or know. God cares with His deliverance and preservation for all. Do you understand how much He cares for you as His child? David’s curiosity questioned in Psalm 8:4-6, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…” The curiosity of David revealed the truthfulness of God’s care for all His creation.
God’s mindful of man is the evidence that God is near to all. God is near to us but are we near to God? 
Testimony of Deuteronomy 4:7 is the evidence that God is near, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” Jeremiah 23:23 confirms that God is near, “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off?”
When God is near the presence of God is evident. However, sin will always keep a man from God that is near. Sin, not obeying God for correction to trust God will keep the sinner from God’s presence. Zephaniah 3:2 buttressed that sin will keep sinning man from His presence. It is written, “She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; She has not trusted in the Lord, She has not drawn near to her God.”
God is mindful of all. God is near to us and cares for all that care to live life by His word. 
God does have a position of deliverance for all with acknowledgment of His care and living life in the consciousness of His presence obediently in His word.
God was near to Elisha was the evidence of His care for his deliverance. 
However, Elisha’s servant was not aware of the presence of God for their deliverance because he was not near to God with understanding to know God as Elisha do. Elisha was aware of God’s near which cares over his life. The reason for Elisha to see and commanded (with prayer) for the forces of God on his behalf was his knowledge of his near to God. The bible recorded, “So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:18) Living in the consciousness of God’s care is the evidence of faith; the expression of expectation for God’s divine protection at all times.

Prayer for today: Ask God with a desire to live life in the consciousness of His care for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Desire for a desperate heart for God.

Daniel 1

Ephesians 3:20 records, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
What one thinks is what one asks.
Do you want a heart for God?
One with a desperate heart to live life for the glory of God shall experience the backing of the good hand of God.
No heart activity is hidden from God. Psalm 44:21 buttresses, “…God knows the secret of the heart.” The Bible records about heart, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27)
How is your heart desperate for the glory of God? 
Daniel’s heart was desperate to live life for the glory of God and God’s hand backed him to do great exploits for the glory of God. Daniel 1:8 states, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” 
Daniel purposed in his heart for God’s glory and he lived life to do great exploit (Daniel 11:32) 
How is it with your heart that is not hidden from God? 
It is important to know that, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)
How is your heart desperate for the glory of God? 
Imagine Nehemiah a cup-bearer’s heart activity.
The heart of Nehemiah was with genuine concern for Jerusalem’s welfare but not for self-interest. Nehemiah was a cupbearer with a desperate heart for a better life for his brethren.
It is clear in the heart of Nehemiah for God to see his desperate desire, touching lives for the glory of God. 
God invested in Nehemiah as a vessel for reconstructing the broken wall of Jerusalem. 
The report of what was going on in Jerusalem caused a burden in Nehemiah’s heart and he began to intercede on behalf of the land and his people. The bible records in Nehemiah 1:3-4, “And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah poured out his heart in prayer on behalf of his people and his homeland. He asked for nothing that had to do with self-interest, but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people. 
A believer should need a heart for God.

Prayer for today: Ask to have a desperate heart for God.