FAITH CAPSULE: It is possible, and it is now to rise and shine against darkness of this earth.

Matthew 5

Jesus identified believers as salt and went further to identified believers as light. It is written, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Interestingly, how many believers are living life as light or how many recognizes self as light? Millions claims to be a believer of the word of God but not taking a position as light which terminate darkness of their world. Living life as light is not a mouth activity or a noise making but to be rising and shinning against darkness of earth for the glory of God.
As an acclaimed believer of God’s word, answer as light and shine for the glory of God by rising to His calling. Isaiah 60:1-2, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.” The call to rise does not have a condition nor shall there be any reason for compromise but to rise and respond to God’s calling. When God calls He is evidently more than able to back man in calling. Obedience is to rise and shine for God’s glory. Indeed, deep darkness will show its face in attempt to discourage or deny man from rising but the Lord is always at work for the heart that desires to rise unto God’s calling. He said that He will rise over us and His glory would not be denied. Rising in response to the word of God is all that made Abraham to be distinct before God. It was Abraham’s rising to shine for God that also recognized him as “Friend of God” (James 2:23) Abraham rose for God when God said to him, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) Abraham did not hesitate, he did not exercise doubt, neither does he questioned God’s calling for him to rise.
Indeed, Abraham’s rising to shine for God, made it possible for him to possess promises of God for his life. As an acclaimed believer, can you think of what is keeping you grounded from rising to God’s calling? In all your walk and work on the face of the earth, is there any area you have remained grounded? The rising of Abraham continues to generate the blessings of God’s promise from generation to generation. It is possible, and it is now for your rising to arrive at God’s blessing.

Prayer for today: Ask God to intervene against forces of your rising for God’s glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus’ Zealous act in the temple was of a right principle.

Numbers 25

Man should understand and know the need to be in shape as God’s symbol by living on right principles (ethics, value) by not missing out in the center of God’s divine assignment on earth. Zeal will set man right before God and settle man for greatness for God’s glory when zeal is grounded on right principle. Jesus’ Zealous act in the temple was of a right principle. Jesus drove out those who engaged buying and selling in the temple by using whip of cords. (John 2:13-17) As a believer, are you learning from zealousness that is rooted on a right principle through the pages of the bible?
Documentation of Phinehas the son of Eleazar was a demonstration of a faithful act which testifies to man’s zealousness that was rooted on a right principle. (Number 25)
Once on the journey to the Promised Land, the children of Israel provoked the anger of God against them when they joined to Baal of Peor. While they were facing the wrath for joining Baal Peor, “…One of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” (Numbers 25:6)
The point here is that, they had not gotten over the consequences of one sin when they began to engage another sin through a fellow in their midst. Phinehas’ zealous response is recorded in Numbers 25:7-8 stating, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.” Phinehas action, provoked God and God spoke to Moses, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal…” (Numbers 25:11)
Phinehas could not sit back and compromise with wrong doing in the presence of God. Phinehas’s zealousness which was rooted on a right principle made Phinehas to act on behalf of God against evil act of the children of Israel. God responded to Phinehas’ zeal by zipping him in a bundle of blessing which extends to his descendants. God spoke through Moses, “…Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God…’” (Numbers 25:12-13) God is the benevolent rewarder of those that seek Him diligently. If you desire zeal for God, ask for it in prayer and God will deposit desire for His zeal.

Prayer Point: Ask God for the grace that His zeal will eat you up.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you loving by your standard or by God’s standard?

1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4

Knowing the word of God is knowing God while knowing about God is not knowing God. In the word of God is God’s commandment and the purpose of God’s commandment is love. Loving as commanded by God is knowing God. Loving is rooted in having faith in God. One that loves as commanded by God does have faith in God. In the world today, is there love the evidence of faith? Wickedness reigns all over the world in the place of love. Interestingly, Jesus asked, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Search self and identify if living life in commandment of God is demonstrated by loving. Loving as commanded by God is having faith. Word of God recorded, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1John 4:7-8) Do you know God? Do you love as commanded by God? Are you looking forward to the coming back of Jesus and not miss out when He comes?
Love as commanded by God is crucial not to miss heaven.
God gave His commandment so that love can exist among man. A brother who abstains from stealing, lying or deceiving his brother demonstrates love. Loving in God’s way is God’s love. We cannot love in our own way but by God’s standard. The book of 1Timothy 1:5 identified standard of God’s love, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.” Loving by God’s standard is not common especially in a world where man is full of self. Claiming to love without loving with pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith is empty love. In a world where living life is without good conscience love is evidently not a way of living life. In a world where man is desperately concerned about self, engaging others with sincere faith is a strange thing. Are you loving by your standard or as commanded by the word of God?
Among the gift of God, love is the greatest gift. Love should be considered as the anchor which every other gift holds on to and when love is not there fulfilling the command of God is impossible. Paul the apostle clearly drew out the importance of love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” Have faith by loving as commanded by God is profitable.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to love according to His standard.

FAITH CAPSULE: Challenges comes with answering to God’s calling.

2 Timothy 2

It is written, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4) As a believer that is called by God for heaven’s assignment, the called one shall answer as a soldier of Jesus with no escape from challenges. It is not an error to call challenges, hardship or affliction as identity of a believer who walks in line with God. Challenges comes with answering to God’s calling, but it is certain that called shall become an overcomer by focusing on God the only Caller of man. However, no matter how challenges persist, believers indeed and in truth shall never be in line to fail, fall or falter. God who calls man is more than able to keep and deliver those that are called. This is not to say a believer should go out and begin to look for troubling challenges where there is none. Without doubt, it is for a believer to know and be encouraged that the challenge of today is nothing above God who is above.
Jeremiah is one of God called but challenges were not separated from his calling. God called Jeremiah for a divine assignment and warned Jeremiah, “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.””(Jeremiah 1:19) By God’s warning for Jeremiah, God’s calling does not give immunity against the fight of wicked ones (challenges). When God calls there will be fighting to put up against the enemy. However, those that are truly called shall never be defeated by the enemy.
Has he called you and challenges have been roughing you in your journey of life? The remarkable thing is that God is God and He will always have His way. God could have called Jeremiah for a challenge or trouble-free assignment, but He chooses not to. God is the same God yesterday, today and forever. Same God that backed Jeremiah up against all which fought against Jeremiah is certain to back you up. Challenges, afflictions and hardship are always going to show when God calls but the called ones should know that many are the afflictions of the righteous in the journey of life, but God shall deliver in all. (Psalm 34:19)
In life, it is not enough to answer God’s calling but fail to finish the assignment of calling. Certainly, know that you are called by God not by man. In your knowing, gain understanding that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24) Challenges will come, and you shall be delivered.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s grace to enable your calling by God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ones that keep the testimonies of God live by the ways of God.

Jonah 1

It is written, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” (Psalm 103:7) The ways of God are in the word of God. The words of God are the acts of God while His acts are His direction and His testimonies. Living life in the word of God is living in the ways of God. Also living in the acts of God is living by keeping the testimonies of God. Man should never live life in assumptions that seems right. The bible stated, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Are you allowing assumptions to take you for ride in the journey of life?
Just like Moses, those that walk in the ways of God walks in His law and they are blessed. Psalm119:1 buttressed, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!” Ones that keep the testimonies of God live by the ways of God and they are blessed. Psalm 119:2 also buttressed, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” The word of God cannot be broken. Get to know His way, keep His acts that are His testimonies to enable you to seek Him diligently. For those who seek Him diligently, the word of God promised, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” (Proverbs 8:17) “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.” (Hebrews 11:6) As an acclaimed believer, embrace His ways and meditate His acts to become a diligent seeker of the Lord God.
Are you answering to your calling? When the Lord calls you, is rest assured that, God does not call anyone to hide. Those that hide are those who turn their back to Him. Those that hide are those who walk away from His presence.
It is time to answer fully to the word (way) of God and not turn to your way. Jonah turned to his way despite hearing from God and the presence of God deserted Him. It is written, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…” (Jonah 1:1-3) God has made His ways and acts known to us and it is for us to engage it and have testimonies for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to constantly turn you and return you to God.