FAITH CAPSULE: Celebration of the resurrection of came and gone so, where are you?

John 11:17-44

Why is it that disciples did not get it right when Jesus spoke about His resurrection when He was with them in person?
The true answer is: Disciple heard Him but they lack understanding.
Understanding is the key to hear God and walk according to the word that is heard.
Paul prayed the importance of understanding in Colossians 1:9-10, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Understanding is the reason to gain knowledge of Jesus’ going through crucifixion and resurrection.
Resurrection is the truth of Jesus; the power of God.
Resurrection is the plan and purpose of Jesus for all to live life for the glory of God.
Jesus introduced Himself stating, “I am the way, the truth” (John 14:6) Disciples repeatedly heard about the resurrection from Jesus but lack understanding of His resurrection.
Lack of understanding is what makes a man not to accept and believe the truth of Jesus since the time He was here up till today. John 8:45 Recorded Jesus’ statement as regards to the issue of truth and believe: “…but because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” Jesus also said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)
With no doubt, understanding is the key to believe the truth about Jesus’s resurrection.
Celebrating resurrection without understanding adds nothing which God does have in His plan and purpose for all man.
Celebration of resurrection should not be for the tradition of making money but making a place for the truth of Jesus in one’s life.
Resurrection is the concluding story of Jesus’ journey to the cross of Calvary for all man’s sake.
The truth of the resurrection is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) Without any exemption (acclaimed believers of Jesus or none believers) celebrated resurrection without understanding. Word in Hosea 4:6 identified lack of knowledge saying, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…” Lack of understanding denies having a knowing edge over challenges in this wicked world.
Resurrection, the truth of Jesus demands understanding from all to please God but not to be pleasing self. Pleasing self but not pleasing God is the evidence of lack of faith before God. Hebrews 11:6 stated, “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.” Do you have faith with the understanding to be celebrating the resurrection which Jesus paid for man through crucifixion?

Prayer for today: Ask God for your understanding to know Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: The place of the word of God is in the heart of man.

Romans 10

The word of God is God, His word is His command, the word of God is His law, and the testimony of God’s work is also His word.
The place of the word of God is in the heart of man.
The Bible testified that the place for the word of God is in the heart of man. Deuteronomy 6:6 records, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” Deuteronomy 11:18, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart.” Job 22:22, “Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.” Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Proverbs 4:4, “He also taught me and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands and live.” Ezekiel 3:10, “…Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.”
The word of God’s destination is in the heart of man.
Without a doubt, as testified that the word of God is magnified above all the names of God, (Psalm 138:2) why not make your heart available for God’s word?
Do you have a place in your heart for the word of God?
Today, a man’s heart is full of the world with no space for the word of God.
A heart that is not full of the word of God is the heart with no space for the word of God. A heart that is not occupied by the word is not set to be faithful to God. Do you have a place in your heart for the word of God?
Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of man’s faith, the living word of God, should be allowed for occupying the heart of all man.
Are you giving heed to the word that will keep you from getting lost? Hebrew 2:1-3 buttressed, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”
From today, begin to give more earnest heed to the things you have heard in the word of God which is the direction to deliver from all challenges of the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand upon your life that your heart be the destination for His word.

Faith Capsule: As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Jesus?

Mark 15:1-32

It is written, “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:17-19) When He speaks and He speaks is a done deal. The word of God does not return back to Him void.
Jesus knew beforehand that His disciples were going to stumble and scatter at His arrest. Indeed and in truth all His disciples forsook Him as recorded in Matthew 26:56, “…Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” He was betrayed by His disciples then and acclaimed disciples of today are not different.
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Jesus?
The bible recorded, “Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” (Matthew 26:69-70) Peter betrayed Him by denying Him.
Are you betraying Him by denying Him?
Doing what Jesus commanded not to do is denying Him. Peter blatantly denied Jesus three times to avoid suffering with Him. Believers of Christ today wants to be identified with Jesus but none wants to suffer with Him or suffer just like He did.
Are you a noise maker, claiming Christ but quiet and not able to testify Jesus as Lord and savior?
Judas took his own way of betraying Jesus at another level. Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles and the treasurer. John 12:6 introduced Judas’ thievery by saying, “…as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.” Judas disclosed Jesus’ location to the chief priests and elders, at the price of 30 pieces of silver. Also, Judas identified Jesus with a kiss, addressing Him as “Master”
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Him?
Is your way of life about lying, deceiving and manipulating other?
Are you having the door of your heart for Satan to gain entrance? It does not matter who you are or how long you have been claiming Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, Satan will attempt to gain entrance into man’s heart.
The route to becoming a betrayer is a failure not to watch and pray. Jesus warned, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” (Mark 14:38) Concerning Judas, the bible mentioned, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.”(Luke 22:3)
One with temptation is not watching and praying. Watch and pray; deny the tempter; do not end up as a betrayer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for your heart to be shut against all that does not represent Him.

Faith Capsule: Avoid the consequences of dissension.

Numbers 12

Consider this, during the days of Moses, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it…” (Numbers 12:1-3) The dissension of Aaron and Miriam was a blow to the whole population of the children of Israel which caused delayed answer in the lives of the Israelites journey. The Israelites could not move forward but suffered the consequences of the dissension of Aaron and Miriam.
Are you wondering delay is at your open door?
What are the causes of your delay?
This day, consider taking your challenge to God in prayer and not to become a victim of evil agenda. The Bible stated: “Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.” Just because of Miriam the whole entourage suffered stagnation. Miriam’s situation is not acceptable because it will reposition man uncomfortable.
Adam and Eve’s disobedience was the cause of curse to all generation. Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  Death was not in the plan of God for man but Adam and Eve’s provocation of God brought death to life. The situation of Adam and Eve can be understood but the excuse was not acceptable to God. Disobedience of Adam and Eve opened up the door of death for all man. At times when challenges such as stagnation, mockery, rejection come to place in the life of an individual, the source is either known or unknown. In the book of Genesis, it was mentioned how Adam and Eve’s disobedience caused every man and woman’s generational curse.
Are you experiencing any kind of stagnation in any area of life with no idea of its source?  Miriam’s case is stated: “…Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” (Numbers 12:13) Undoubtedly, the prayer of Moses changed the situation from stagnation into motion. Concerning your stagnation, consider crying out to the Lord for His divine intervention. Today, working out one’s salvation through the blood of Jesus is not a discouragement but an encouraging avenue to seek God for His lovingkindness and mercy.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open you up with listening and understand in His word of direction.

Faith Capsule: Having a loyal heart before God is to know and always wait on God.

2 Chronicles 14, 15, 16

The book of Isaiah 30:18 documented, “Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Going by the scriptural verse, it is safe to conclude that God is God that waits to act for ones that wait on Him. God waiting to act for ones that wait on Him is the evidence of His truth.

When challenges are taking to God the only caring God, challenges are set to be permanently terminated. A failure not to take challenges to God is not relying on God.

Asa faced a confronting challenge when Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. (2 Chronicles 14:9) Asa knew he was not capable to fight the battle when he called for God’s intervention. Asa knew to the reliance on God.

The Bible stated, 2 Chronicles 14:12-13 stated how God responded to help Asa because Asa relied on Him, “So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much spoil.” When God fight our battle, the battle becomes a permanent termination.

Later in Asa’s reign, he could not rely on God but failed by not waiting on God that always wait to act for those who call on Him.

It happened that when Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, Asa turned to Ben-Hadad of Syria for help. The result of Asa’s turning to Ben-Hadad was not waiting on God. As a result, “…Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.” Asa did not do well by not relying on God and it testified to the truth that Asa’s heart was not loyal to God when Hanani the seer stated in his word to Asa, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Having a loyal heart before God is to know and always wait on God. Activate a loyal heart for God and His eyes will locate you to show Himself strong on your behalf.

Prayer for today: Ask for the strength of waiting on God.