FAITH CAPSULE: What is it that you are giving self to in this wicked world?

John 1:1-18, Luke 19:1-10

It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.” (John 5:38) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
Above verses in the bible is more than enough for man to give self to seeking the word of God as unfailing source for encouragement in this wicked world of darkness. Jesus is the living word of God. Giving self to the word of God is getting rid of darkness. John 1:4-5 encouraged, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
What is it that you are giving self to in this wicked world? All that a man need is to give self to the word of God which is the truth for freedom. John 8:32 buttressed, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus, the word of God is the truth and he confirmed as stated, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life…” It is important to seek the truth; to know the truth and give self to truth.
Allow the word to be your motivator as you seek Him diligently because those who seek Him will find Him. Zacchaeus is the evidence that when man seek Him diligently, He is faithful to answer us. Zacchaeus sought Jesus and Jesus located him and He ended up visiting Zacchaeus in his house. Zacchaeus had everything in place not to have a need to seek Jesus. He was a tax collector, a rich man; the crowd was a great factor to deny him because he was short in stature. Despite all the factors that could deny him, he was encouraged to seek Jesus. Zacchaeus was encouraged to run ahead of the crowd. After running ahead of the crowd, he was encouraged to climb the tree. Jesus who sees all saw Zacchaeus. It is written, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5). Be encouraged!
Are you experiencing invincible hindrances? Unexpected challenges? Be encouraged in the word of God. God has not forgotten you, He never sleeps nor slumbers, but He will gain honor in His deliverance plan for your life. Allow His word to enter and you shall not be disallowed from your breakthrough miracle. Above all you shall possess your possession.  Allow the word to be your motivator as you seek Him diligently because those who seek Him will find Him.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know and be encouraged in the word.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is worthy to stop complaining and start counting God’s blessing.

Numbers 14

Blessings of God is rooted in His faithfulness. Psalm 89:1 recorded, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” Are you counting or are you complaining? Counting blessings is praising Him for what He has done to provoke more of His doing. Complaining will complicate man’s journey.  Regardless of what your challenges are, it is important to see it in the word of God that the Lord is more than able to see you through. Begin to see it that the One who turned the rock into a pool of water and the flint into a fountain of waters (Psalm 114:8) is more than able to turn around your story above and beyond your expectation. See it that God does not slumber nor sleep but He is awake and mindful of you in your challenging situation.
It is important to know that complaining does not settle well before God. Complaining is sin and God will not overlook sin. God did not overlook the complaint of the children of Israel against Him. Assuredly, your complaint against God shall get His attention. Complaining of the Israelites complicated their journey. For the Israelites, their journey of eleven days turned to the journey of forty years. The Israelites complaint caused them to wander in the   wilderness when they supposed to be a wonder to their world.
If you will see the wonders of God in the word of God, you will do exploit to God’s glory. The time of the year is not evidence that God’s visitation for your breakthrough has expired.
Have you been complaining in any way you have taken to? The Israelites took to the way of wilderness which supposed to be a passage for them to pass through, but they ended up living their life in the wilderness. The complaining of the generation that came out of Egypt caused them to live life in the wilderness and to wandered and died in their wilderness journey. Wonder of God was meant to be the journey from bondage to promised land but not to wander and wasted in the wilderness.
Have you seen or experienced any of His acts in your life? The book of Numbers 14:22-23 documented, “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.” It is worthy to stop complaining and start counting God’s blessing by identifying each of His blessings. See what God has done and it will enable you to see through what He will do.  Can you count and see your blessings this year?

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from the spirit of complain.

FAITH CAPSULE: Praying to God is evident of faith. With faith God is pleased with man.

John 3

The word of God is true and, “All the scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
It is profitable to know and engage the truth in the word that prayer opens heaven. The combination of asking, seeking, and knocking will bring about open heaven. Jesus was teaching when He stated, in Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Jesus was teaching from experience, and from what He knows will undoubtedly happen.
Jesus, by example proved that the key for opening heaven is in prayer. Jesus went to where John was baptizing people so that He may be baptized also. The Bible recorded “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” (John 3:21) Among all that were baptized before Jesus, none was recorded to have prayed. Jesus prayed, and heaven was opened. In your prayer is there any conscious expectation for manifestation? When prayer opens heaven there is no force on earth that will be able to stop or deny heaven’s response package. After Jesus’ prayer, “…the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Praying to God is coming to God; believing God and seeking God diligently. Praying to God is evident of faith. With faith God is pleased with man. (Hebrew 11:6)
When Jesus prayed, it was declared that God was pleased, and heaven opened over Jesus. Right after the open heaven’s manifestation, Jesus went straight into the center of His assignment on earth. Luke 3:23 pointed out, “…Jesus Himself began His ministry…” By this word, if you have prayed, and there is no experience of an open heaven on your behalf, it is time to take prayer to another level. Are you experiencing a shut-up heaven or open heaven? Your open heaven will grant your access into the center of your divine assignment if prayer will become your constant engagement. Jesus proved to us that prayer opens heaven, and the Bible enables us to know that adversaries’ forces against open heaven. Apostle Paul testified, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9) Regardless of adversaries’ activity, it is important to know that effective, fervent prayer will deny any adversary of hindrance to great and effective open heaven.

Prayer for today: Ask God that all adversaries at door of open heaven shall be a failure.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give well-meaning thanks and praise to God, not thinking thanks and praise.

Psalm 92

Thanking and praising God is not a thinking engagement. You do not think thanks you give thanks to God in every moment engagement. Giving thanks and praising God cannot be separated both goes together as stated in Psalm 92:1, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name…” Are you thinking thanks instead of giving thanks?
With understanding, giving thanks to God is the key for all things to work together for good. Give well-meaning thanks and praise to God, not thinking thanks and praise. Psalmist buttressed thanks and praise to be with understanding as stated, “For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) Certainly, when understanding backs up conviction, it delivers an undeniable miracle. Know it that when thanking and praising God is without understanding, it becomes empty emotion. Thanking and praising God is always an act of declaring His goodness. The Psalmist buttressed, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. To declare Your loving kindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night.” (Psalm 92:2)
Giving thanks and praising God is not limited to any man’s guideline. Psalm 92:3 identified way of giving thanks as stated, “On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound.” King David also demonstrated giving thanks and praise by leaping and whirling before the Lord. (2 Samuel 6:16) Thanking and praising God can be like King David’s dance before God.
It is never too much to be giving God a ceaseless thanks and praise. The Psalmist declared why we should thank and praise God by stating, “For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O LORD, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.” (Psalm 92:4-5) God is worthy of thanks and praise worship to declare His work. Giving thanks and praise is also the evidence of giving God attention which is due for Him. Evidently, volumes and pages of book will never be enough to identify goodness of God. Truly, giving thanks and praise will gain God’s attention because God inhabits the praises of His people. Give thanks and praise to God for all things He has done; for all things He is doing and for all things one expects from Him.
Are you expecting God to move concerning your confronting situation? Regardless of the magnitude of your situation, believe and give thanks to God before manifestation of your expectation. Jesus believed that God was going to bring Lazarus back to life from death. Jesus did not wait for Lazarus to rise before He thanked God for Lazarus’ rising from dead. It is written, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me’” (John 11:41-42) Your Lazarus will rise.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His grace to always enable your thanks and praise giving before Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Disconnect self from other god, stay focus on God.

Numbers 25

When God is not the center of man’s life, self or other god shall become the center of man’s life. What kind of god have you joined self to worship as god? Today, be vigilant not to join any other god but focus on One and only God the creation of all. Joining any other god besides the One and true God of gods is renouncing the Almighty God who is above every other god. Without doubt, joining any other god is an evidence of despising God to join a god that does not have life.
During the journey of Israelites to Promised Land, their stop over at Acacia Grove was the time they joined another god. It is written, “Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.  So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. (Numbers 25:1-3) The children of Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor. Israelites assigned themselves to another god; the commandment of God was no longer relevant to them; they began to go after a god that they could touch rather than to remain committed to the God with deliverance touch. Baal of Peor was the god worshiped in Moab and that made the children of Israel committed to harlotry, sacrificing other gods and bowing down to gods outside of the God with outstretch hand for their deliverance. What or who have you joined yourself to? Consciously or unconsciously, have you entered a life that is gradually taking you outside of the way of the One and only true God?
Israelites’ joined to another god was a demonstration of departing God their delivering God. Israelites departed from God provoked God against Israelites. It is written, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” (Numbers 25:4) It is true that every time we step outside of His word of command and return to Him for forgiveness, there is always forgiveness, but consequence is certain. Truly, it is not worthy to come out of God’s word into world’s word. Joining to another god is jumping into pain because consequences will always come with long lasting pain. Consequence is the reason to remain constant and consistence to be walking in God’s word. Do not join to other god outside of the living God of creation.
Israelites joining to Baal of Peor was a serious sin with painful consequence which took many lives. The Bible recorded, “And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.” (Numbers 25:9) Israelites testified that joining another god is a devastating act of sin which God does not tolerate. Disconnect self from other god, stay focus on God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to remain focus and not join any other god.