FAITH CAPSULE: LIVING for God is possible by watching and praying.

Ezekiel 3

Living for God from this month and hence further demands giving ear to hear through the head and establish what is heard in the heart.
The evidence of hearing with the ear and received into heart was glaring in the assignment of Ezekiel as documented on the pages of the Bible. Ezekiel testified that when the Lord spoke to him, he heard “a thunderous voice”. Hearing “a thunderous voice” was an indication of hearing with the ear and receiving into the heart; and at the same time, testified to the fact that we cannot hear from God and not know that He has spoken. Ezekiel testified, “…I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place!” I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.  So, the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished among them seven days” (Ezekiel 3:12-15). In this testimony, Ezekiel was changed, and his life was not the same after he heard from God. The word that came to him lifted him up and took him away to the center of God’s assignment where he was relocated for God’s glory. The desire of man should be living for God. Though God’s calling on His children often comes with painful sacrifices, but the Hand of God will always be upon the life of anyone that hears with the ear and receive wholeheartedly, just as Ezekiel testified – “…but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me”.
Another scriptural page that confirmed the importance of hearing with the ear and receiving with the heart is Job’s testimony which stated, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). Job heard so much from people during the time of his challenges, but the hearing that made the difference came after he was able to hear God with his ear and his heart. Thereafter, he could see what and where the Lord wanted him to see. Job lived life for God and received inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Jeremiah 13:15 also warned, stating: “Hear and give ear: do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken.” Hearing with ear and being able to receive what is heard in the heart are all that make the difference in the life of a believer. It is important to know that whatever we hear through the Word of God, and can receive into the heart, is what we see and what makes the difference in our lives.
Avoid hardness of heart which is also a prime force that denies man from hearing with the ear and receiving with the heart.

Prayer for today: Ask from God that His word established in you to live life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be encouraged knowing that God does not sleep over your challenging situation.

1 Samuel 1

In the coming days, weeks, months or years of pain, you shall gain for the glory of God. Above all, frustration shall be converted to celebration; mockery shall be replaced with miracle and stagnation is set with motion in Jesus name.
Joseph the apple of his father’s (Jacob) eye, at age of seventeen was on errand by his father to go and check out the well-being of his brothers. Joseph’s errand of moment separated him from his father from his age of seventeen until he was at the age of thirty-plus years. Communication between Joseph and his loving father was ceased but consistent pain of missing each was more Jacob the father of Joseph. Is there a loving one, the apple of your eye that is missing from your sight? Waiting on God’s divine intervention for breakthrough will come to pass at God’s appointed time. God re-united Joseph and Jacob after years of painful separation. Trust and hope in God’s divine intervention to re-unite you and your missing love ones. It is possible! God is a God of possibility.
The children of Israel spent over four hundred years in the bondage of Egypt before God sent Moses as His agent to deliver them. The bible recorded, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So, God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) Deliverance from bondage of years came to end because the hand of God is not short but will be extended for man’s deliverance and preservation. Your deliverance and preservation are at the door waiting for your open door. God is not a partial God, He performs perfection in situation.
Hannah, the mother of Samuel experienced mockery at the time of her barrenness. It is written, “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:6-7) Despite Hannah’s experience of mockery from her rival, Hannah remained focus and her continuity waiting and trusting God remained intact. Hannah did not stop praying to God and there was no record of bitterness toward her mocker. Eventually, Hannah’s prayer yielded when she gave birth to Samuel.
Be encouraged knowing that God does not sleep over your challenging situation. Hannah was encouraged in God to ignore her mockers. Bondage of over four hundred years was not a life time for the Israelites as their story was changed at God’s deliverance visitation. The same God that eventually brought re-union between Joseph and Jacob after painful of over thirteen years will acknowledge your pain to favor you in Jesus name.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s grace to locate you in every area of pain of life for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Obey God’s word by living according to God’s.

Exodus 20

For a change, personally and prayerfully give a name to new month as: My month of LIVING FOR GOD.
Living for God is living by His word. His word is His promise. It is written, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
The word of God is His promise. The promise of God is not empty; the promise of God comes with condition and is meant to deliver for man. Condition to possess His promise is to have faith. Faith is to work the works of God and it pleases God.
What is it to work the works of God?
Jesus was asked about what it is to work the works of God and He responded with answer in John 6:28-29, “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Condition to possess the promise of God is not by quoting the word of God but to be-living the word of God. Work the works of God (believe in Him) is the condition to engage and claim the promise of God. Without living by the word of God, working in the building of church does not count as condition to possess God’s promise. To work and not walk according to God’s word does not add up as engaging condition to possess the promise of God.
Clearly, through the pages of the Bible, claiming the promises of God comes with condition. Exodus 19:5, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Obeying God’s word is set to excel in this wicked world. Are you obeying God’s word by working the works of God?
Deuteronomy 4:29, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 6:17, “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.” Seeking God diligently is keeping His command not chasing after the world activities.
God is the iving God; God is a jealous God and He is attentive to man that truly give Him attention. Proverbs 8:17 testified God’s character, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.”
From today, abstain from self-deception; come out of mouth religion, stop being religion of the face but giveself to religion which is CHRIST REALITY. Quoting God’s promise with expectation is for believing-believers not for mouthful unbelieving-believers.
This day, week or month, desire from the depth of heart to be-living for God.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s grace to be-living by His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you desire to be a church-going believer, or a true believer of God?

Psalm 27

It is important with good choice for man to serve God. Responsibility to make right choice is set up in the heart. Let your desire be to serve God reasonably to experience the blessings of serving God reasonably. Desire is a strong inner feeling that compels one to attain what the heart sets up for.
As a believer, what do you desire?
Do you desire to be a church-going believer or a true believer of God?
What a man desires he seeks after. A man cannot seek after what he has not desired.
One that desires to live heaven on earth will seek after the Kingdom of God and His righteousness as Jesus declared in Matthew 6:33 that, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What matters, and counts perfectly, in life, is to “…fear God by keeping His commandments, “for this is man’s all”. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) To fear God and keep His commandments is to desire to seek God. 1 Samuel 12:24 advised about fearing God and serving Him wholeheartedly – “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” Without any doubt, the desire for God should have a place in our life, wholeheartedly, and not only in the word of mouth. The truth is that when a man desires for God, absolutely God will deposit the grace to desire Him devotedly and to seek Him with all heart.
Do you sincerely desire to seek God?
Do you question yourself if you are serving God in truth with all your heart?
God has done so great and He is doing greater things that should provoke man’s desire for God wholeheartedly.
God only sees and moves by the acts rooted in our heart, and He once corrected Samuel concerning Jesse’s son, Eliab, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). And before this incident, it was without doubt that, David’s heart was what God saw before Samuel declared, “…The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people” (1 Samuel 13:14) God sought David and saw that his heart desires for Him.
King David knew what was best to desire of the Lord when he stated, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) From today, desire from the depth of heart to serve God and God will provoke enablement for man’s desire for Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His mercy for you to live life for serving Him diligently.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is possible to be on right track and remain trapped.

Romans 12

What is the reason to serve God?
Pay attention to know how to serve God not to know ABOUT serving God.
Man must be serving God as God’s creation which exists for God’s glory, honor and power. Revelation 4:11 clearly identified the reason why man must serve God, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” God, the creator expects nothing from man but to serve Him. Stepping out of serving God is not serving God. When Israelites stepped out of serving God, they received calling from God through Moses. It is recorded, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” (Exodus 8:1) The only condition not to serve God is a man’s choice not to serve God. In life, making a choice not to serve God comes with consequence. Certainly, God is not a slave master but a saving master. God will not force man to serve Him, but man will live life to face the consequence of the choice not to serve God.
In life, challenging situation shall not be an acceptable excuse not to serve God. Pharaoh of Egypt’s attempt to deny Israelites from serving God experienced vengeance of God over Pharaoh and Egypt. With no doubt, it is crucial for man not to serve God for His glory, honor and power as His creation.
Just as it is important to know the reason to serve God, Man must also know how to serve God.
Many know ABOUT how to serve God. Unfortunately, to know ABOUT how to serve will missed serving God right. Knowing ABOUT serving God is different from knowing to serve God. Going and working in the church can possibly knowing ABOUT serving God. This can be compared to being on the right track and remain trapped. Claiming by knowing ABOUT serving God is what makes a destitute of a believer.
Knowing to serve God is recorded in His word, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:1-3)
Clearly, scriptural verses above identified REASONABLE service as what man need to know serving God. Knowing ABOUT serving God always centered on man’s determined way to serve God and ends wrongly. Serving God reasonably is sacrifice and every sacrifice is COSTLY.
Know the reason why to serve God. By God’s will man exist and created by God. Also, know to serve God reasonably as commanded through all His word. Come out of religion into Christ reality.

Prayer for today: Ask God to teach you and lead you.