FAITH CAPSULE: Do you lack boldness and character which is Christ rooted to deny enemies from threatening you?

Acts 4:1-31

Man’s responsibility before God is giving self to prayer and ministering the word of God. With prayer and ministering the word of God, boldness and character is certain to become man’s identity. Believers such as Apostle Paul, Peter and John had boldness and character as their identity. They conveyed power of God operating in the name of God.
As a believer that conveys the power of God, when you operate in His name, do not expect the cooperation of the enemy. The enemy will stand against you, but you shall prevail if you do not compromise your stand in the Lord. Once, the enemy planned and purposed to silence Peter and John because they spoke healing into the life of a lame man. Also, Peter and John preached what the priests, and the Sadducees did not want to hear. While Peter and John were preaching, “…They saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” (Acts 4:13-14) The boldness of Peter and John was intimidating to the persecutors and attempts were made by the persecutors to figure out the source of Peter and John’s boldness. It was not long for the persecutors to identify in Peter and John as ones with Jesus. The character of Jesus was written all over while boldness was glaring in the conduct of Peter and John.
While, Peter and John were joined by healed man persecutors conferred among themselves, “saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” (Acts 4:16) Do you have the boldness or character as identity which cannot be denied? Are you an empty loud believer or a believer that gives self to prayer and ministering the word of God? Are you pretending to have boldness and character? Man can pretend, but God cannot be deceived.
With true combination of boldness and character, it is certain that testimonies will follow believer everywhere with undeniable miracles through Jesus Christ. When Peter and John were eventually let go they did not wonder around, rather they went to their own companies to report their experience. Having reported their experience, they also prayed, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word.” (Acts4: 29) Boldness comes with character and any character without boldness is not complete. As an acclaimed believer, do you lack boldness and character which is Christ rooted to deny enemies from threatening you? Obviously, living word of God is the source of boldness and character for man. Paul revealed, “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4) Take to revelation in the word by giving self to prayer and ministering the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to give self to prayer and ministering His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: One with good heart never fails to gain God’s attention.

ESTHER 5, 6

Man, with good heart never fail to gain God’s attention. Nehemiah and Mordecai’s life testified that God does not forsake man with good heart. Nehemiah a man with good heart was a nonimportant man among his people when he became important vessel for the glory of God. He was not a prophet neither was he a son of a prophet before his people. Nehemiah was an ordinary cup bearer to the king in the Persian palace. Unimportant Nehemiah had concern for Jerusalem’s welfare and its inhabitants at heart. As an ordinary cup bearer with big heart had a better life plan for his brethren. God saw Nehemiah’s heart and He acknowledged him for his heart. God invested in him as a vessel for reconstructing 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. Nehemiah 1:3-4, recorded provocation of Nehemiah’ desire for Jerusalem “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 prayed on behalf of his people and his homeland. He asked for nothing that had to do with himself, but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people. Nehemiah desired for his people and God deposited in him what it takes to bring glory to the name of God. A cup bearer turned the issue of his nation around for better.
Psalm 37:38 buttressed, “For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.” Mordecai was a testimony of one with good heart before God and could not fail to gain God’s attention for God’s intervention. Haman plotted evil against Mordecai because he was filled with indignation when Mordecai refused to tremble before him at the palace gate. The night before Haman’s evil agenda against Mordecai was to be implemented was the same night that King Ahasuerus could not sleep and resolved to reading. As the King read the book of the record of chronicles, He read about how Mordecai once saved his life. King Ahasuerus’ responded to how Mordecai’s move that saved his life from the evil plan of Haman. Haman eventually became the victim of his evil agenda against Mordecai.
God did not forsake Mordecai. The king’s sleepless night was not only an avenue for Mordecai’s deliverance from Harman, but also an avenue for Mordecai’s promotion.
It is thought-provoking how God works out to reach ones with good heart. When it is time for God to promote you, every remote control of the enemy over your life will be demoted to non-existence. Evil agenda was meant to reduce Mordecai, but promotion became his portion.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of good heart in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Unfailing faith by engaging God’s word will certainly deny devil.

Mark 2:1-12

When way refuses to yield for miracle faith possess enough force to tear through for miracle. Once a paralytic man had a roof tearing faith to receive his healing miracle. It happened that Jesus was in Capernaum when the meeting room was filled up with no more accommodation. As a result of no more way to reach Jesus in the room, with faith four men carried the paralytic man through the roof to locate healing power of God. The bible recorded, “And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So, when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:4) It was a roof tearing faith for the paralytic man. Jesus attention could not be withdrawn but responded to the roof tearing faith stating, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:4) The paralytic man’s faith gained healing deliverance when he denied devil and his faith did not fail.
DEVIL IS AGAINST FAITH.
The importance of faith is the reason why devil is against faith. Faith in the life of acclaimed believers is the target for devil to deny acclaimed believer’s dominion. Also, without faith, religion becomes a burden. Jesus prayed for Peter against devil because of the importance of faith, “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)
Some pages in bible emphasized the importance of faith by stating, “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5) We walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); we watch, stand by faith (1 Corinthians 16:13); faith purifies the heart (Acts 15:9); we are saved by faith through grace (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus said by faith we can move mountain…not by mouth. (Matthew 17:20) Habakkuk 2:4 “…the just shall live by his faith.” Without faith man is dead.
Faith a spiritual force which draws from living word of God and delivers obtained testimony, a testimony which cannot be denied; testimony which is sure to exist forever. Men of God like Abel offered excellent sacrifice to God by faith; By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death; By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household; By faith Abraham repeatedly obeyed and it was accounted for him righteous; By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age. (Hebrews 11:4-12)
As an acclaimed believer, with sincere desire to be fully endue with faith that is spiritual force, link to the word of God. Locate living force that will move you out of stagnation and be a dominion accoding to God’s word.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to live life according to God’s word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Heart that is purposed for God prospers not to fail.

Psalm 17            

Responsibility with steadfastness made David and Daniel to be purpose-full for God. David’s purpose for God positioned him before God as one after God’s heart. God testified David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will. (1Samuel 13:14) Like David, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies nor with wine and God brought him into the favor and good will with the chief eunuchs. (Daniel 1:8) Both David and Daniel were recorded across the pages of the scripture for great exploits.
David purposed in his heart that his mouth would not disobey God (Psalm 17:3) and he was also moved by the word of God which he heard. (Psalm 17:4) Without doubt, man can only arrive at God’s promise for their life by the word which they speak out of their mouth and by the word they hear. It is the word that upholds our step and helps us not to slip into sin. The children of Israel could not hold onto the word of God despite Promised Land was God’s plan for their life. The Israelites spoke negative, stating, “Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:3) God responded to their negative confession in Numbers 14:28-29, “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.”  The spoken word of the Israelites terminated them in the wilderness. Resposibility with steadfastness for Israelites to purpose the promise of God in their heart was not in place for them to gain the Promised Land.
To be purpose-full for God is the evidence of having trust and hope in God. God does not fail for the faithful ones to Him. God is always keeping those that trust in Him as the apple of His eyes; He hides them under the shadow of His wings from the wicked who oppress them and from deadly enemies who surround them.
Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself and for God to be glorified in His life. As he rejected the king’s delicacies and wine, God brought favor into his life and he became the envy of governors and satraps. Daniel distinguished himself and could not become a victim in the lion’s den. As one that was purposed for God, no evil prospered against Daniel. In his life journey he excelled to the glory of God. With purpose for God, give heart to God entirely.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to live for Him in all your walks.

FAITH CAPSULE: Abraham engaged sacrifice with responsible steadfastness all his journey in life.

Genesis 22

Claiming God’s promise demands responsibility that is rooted in steadfastness. Without doubt, sacrifice before God is to be responsibly steadfast. Sacrifice is to surrender something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable. Sacrifice can be inconvenient when giving self to God’s promise which is certain to perform perfection. Sacrifice before God is to claim in the promise of God.
God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Behind the promise of God for Abraham, the sacrificial condition was enormous and painful to engage when God commanded him, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house.” (Genesis 12:1) Often, believers claim Abraham’s blessing, but many believers are unable to engage Abraham’s kind of sacrifice to claim or receive Abraham’s kind of blessings. Abraham continued in the journey to God’s blessing for his life because he engaged sacrifice with responsible steadfastness. Abraham’s journey started when he was commanded by God through all his life. Abraham was sacrificially steadfast.
Moses, as a vessel of God, spoke the promise of God to the Israelites, “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess.” (Deuteronomy 11:8) God promised but the Israelites could not possess because they could not invest a required responsible steadfastness as their sacrifice. If they had kept the commandments of God, it would have given them the strength needed to possess their possessions.
David stated God’s message to Solomon, “Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. Moreover, I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.” (1Chronicles 28:6-7) This is a beautiful and blessed promise of God but for Solomon to receive this promise from God, He had to continually be steadfast in following God’s commands. Any sacrificial engagement that lacks steadfastness will cut short the blessing promised by God.
In life, there is no possession without sacrifice. In other words, behind every gained possession, there is a reasonable sacrifice to be given. Sacrifice might happen in different ways, but it is necessary to receive your rightful possession. Sacrifice before God can be painful but with responsible steadfastness it is certain to be gainful. Sacrifice is certain to be costly and can be in different forms. Obeying God’s word is a sacrifice because it takes man out of self/world’s plan and places man into Gods plans.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be responsible steadfastly in sacrificing before God.