FAITH CAPSULE: Give self to God’s word to gain and retain His presence.

Jonah 1

It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  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.” (John 1:1-5) The word of God is God. Without the word of God nothing was created.
The word of God is His wisdom and His strength. The word of God is God’s presence that visits man. For example, the word of God visited Jonah and Jonah missed God’s presence when he walked outside of God’s word which is God’s presence. It is written, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-4) Visiting word of God was vacated by Jonah when he arose to flee from God’s direction. It is disobedience to walk against direction in the word of God. Jonah disobeyed God. Disobedience is vacating self from God’s presence.
Experience from testimony, Paul the apostle, by virtue of his encounter with the word admonished us in Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” One that does not give self to the word of God cannot retain and gain in God’s presence. One that is not spending time in the word is spending time in the world. Not spending time in the word of God is the evidence of inability to keep His command. Also, not spending time in the word of God is to be living life carelessly. Proverbs 19:16 buttressed, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” Samson could not keep the commands of God when he allowed Delilah to violate God’s command over his life. Evidently, consciously or unconsciously Samson was careless and not careful of God’s word (God’s presence) and he died. (Judges 16)
Samuel gave Saul direction to wait for seven days but Saul could not wait. On top of his disobedience, he could give self to God’s command not engage burnt offering which does not allow kings. (1 Samuel 13)
Giving self to the word of God is to gain and retain His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God not to be out of the presence of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: David fought Goliath with no any other weapon but the name of the Lord God.

1 Samuel 17

God does not have power, but power belong to God alone and not to any god or man. God is in position to give or withdraw power from man when He choose to. Seeking power outside of God will lead to error that is bound with failure. The name of God is power, and the Bible buttressed by stating, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) There is no any other name that delivers but only the name of God.
When it was time for Israelites to come out of bondage, it was invested of God’s power over the life of Moses. God’s power was in the name of God for deliverance of Israelites. It is written, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.’” (Exodus 6:2-3) The name of God worked to deliver the Isrealites from the bondage of over four hundred years. Pharaoh, an agent of the devil, put up all opposition in his attempt to disapprove the effectiveness and the power that is in the name of God. However, Moses was moved by the word of God to make the name of the Lord God become approved to all generations. Evidently, there is no other name that is above the name of the Lord God? It has not been documented by anyone that the name of the Lord God is a failure.
The name of God is the same name forever that is working miracles. The name of God will not fail any man that wait for Him. Countless miracles testified to the awesome power in the name of God. The forces of the wicked are possibly going to throw at man but failure is certain for the forces of wicked. Goliath meant to kill David before David’s time was up on the face of earth. Goliath threatened David, “…come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (1 Samuel 17:44) David, a man after the earth of God responded to Goliath’as threat, “…you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45) David fought Goliath with no any other weapon but the name of the Lord God. Are you thinking of any other weapon to engage the Goliath in your life?  Take to the name of the Lord as deliverance and preservation.

Prayer for today: Ask that the name of God shall be your covering in all going and coming.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ignore your concern by responding to His command fully.

1Samuel 16

What is it that you are keeping yourself to instead of keeping self in the word of God? Word of God is His command, know to ignore all your concern by giving yourself to His command. Proverbs 19:16 buttressed, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” Very important, take note that keeping to your ways instead of His ways is an error. keeping to His word is an evident of having faith in Him. Taking to His way can be sacrifice, it can be painful but shall be gainful by making heaven. It is a good fight of faith not to miss eternal life.
Documentation of Jonah testified what it means by giving self to His command or not giving self to His word. Jonah 1:1-3 stated, “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. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah was careless when he did not giveself to God’s command. When God calls and sends one out, He will back the called up. When God calls, He makes available what it takes to arrive at expected end of journey. Jonah’s answering to calling was to obey.
It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Moses answered the calling of God with concern. Out of his concern for God, he reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speaking to the rock for water. God responded to Moses, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)
The same God sent Samuel to go and anoint David as king while Saul was still living as the King. Samuel was concerned about God’s command when he asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” (1 Samuel 16:2) Out of concern, Samuel could have responded by going his own way. God responded to Samuel’s question, “…Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”1 Samuel 16:2-3) Samuel’s concern could not corrupt his obedience to God’s command. God alone knows the end from the beginning, He knew us before we were born. Disallow your concern by allowing His command to be established.

Prayer for today: Ask God for grace to continually respond to His command.

FAITH CAPSULE: Doing good according to word of God is a fight of good fight of faith.

Luke 10:25-37

The way not to miss heaven and to live eternal life is to fight the good fight of faith. 1 Timothy 6:12 buttressed, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Source of faith is in the word of God. For example, word of God emphasized in, Romans 12:9, “…Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” Hebrews 13:16, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Doing according to God’s word instead of doing according to world’s word is a “fight of good fight of   faith.” Defintely, doing what the world says but not doing what the word of God says becomes an evidence of bad fight but not good fight of faith.
Through the pages of the bible, man is repeatedly commanded to do good. However, when discouraging circumstances presses man not to do good but man goes forward to do good it becomes evidence of laying hold on eternal life as it is written, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…”
The Good Samaritan is an example that engaged doing good where discouraging circumstances was surrounding his doing good location. Jesus identified what it means to be a good one in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the parable, a stranger from Samaritan saw another stranger from Jerusalem who fell among thieves; badly wounded and was stripped off his clothing. The Samaritan could not walk away like others before him did, but he engaged the stranger from Jerusalem and spent his resources to make sure the stranger from Jerusalem received proper medical attention. Jesus our compassionate savior referred to the good doing of the Samaritan stating, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” (Luke 10:33) Is it in you to know to do good when need calls for doing good? Jesus identified what it means to be a good one in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Doing good is having compassion. Compassion is the heart of Jesus. James 4:17 recorded, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” The need and the importance for us to be doing good as we engage living life cannot be emphasized enough. Do good according to word of God because it is a good fight of faith not to miss heaven which is to lay hold on eternal life.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s grace to continually do according to His word ignoring doing word of the world.

FAITH CAPSULE: What man sees will determine what man receives and becomes of man.

1 Samuel 13

To behold is to look or to see. In life, it is true that what man sees will determine what man receives and becomes of man. When a man looks into challenges with negativity nothing will come out of such challenge but negative. One that sees, and act based on the promise in the word of God will see positively in the place negativity. God promised the Israelites but the Israelites failed to behold positively but negatively in the promise of God for their journey to the promise of God. As they journeyed, the Egyptians drew near them with no way of escape. It is written “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So, they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) The Israelites behold their enemy and fear took over them.
What are you beholding or looking up to? In any area of life, beholding the challenges of life will hold back man from moving forward in life. As a believer that give self to the word of God must take position of beholding positive but not negative in the word of God. Beholding positively in the word of God is an evidence of faith. God is true to His word which does not fail.
Daniel’s three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) saw in the testimony of God and their faith was activated for them to stand trusting and hopefull in God’s deliverance. Judgment by Nebuchadnezzar against Daniel’s three friends was not enough for three friends to behold outside of God’s delivering power. Bible recorded, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.” (Daniel 3:19) The fullness of fury in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and his command was not enough for the bulging of the three friends of Daniel. This day behold positive not negative. Look into the promise of God over your challenge, see, receive and become an overcomer.
Samuel commanded King Saul to wait for seven days in the face of intimidating challenge. King Saul could not behold in the word of Samuel but saw in his challenges. Samuel reacted to Saul, “What have you done?”Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”” (1Samuel 13:11-12) Saul behold negativity which prompted his failure. Know to only behold positive in the place of negative challenge.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always see in the promises of God to overcome your challenges.