FAITH CAPSULE: With knowledge of celebration of Jesus, man does not have to be in position of paying all over.

Mark 15:15-41

Believers of Christ are celebrating without questioning self’s position in God’s assignment for life. Celebrating Christ without understanding is taking a position to be decreased and not be elevated. Believers of today are the same of yesterday that went to bound Jesus early in the morning. The book of Mark 15:1 recorded, “Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.” (Mark 15:1) Today, take a pause from celebration to search self about where you are standing in Christ. Come out of pause, with understanding and knowledge, begin to seek Christ in reality.
Bible recorded, “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15) Pilate satisfied man in the place of God’s truth. Taking position of satisfying man instead satisfying the Truth of God is stepping out against the glory of God. How often have you been missing out in the presence of God? How often do you scourge Jesus like those who crucified Him in His days of Jesus on earth?
Consciously or unconsciously, have you been scourging the Lord just as Pilate did?
Pilate satisfied man to make man feel good when he gave the Lord Jesus up for persecution and crucifixion. Today, majority believers are same as Pilate of Jesus’ day. Many acclaimed Christians cannot identify with the name of Jesus outside of their fellowship. Those who carries the Bible from home to work or from work home cannot be counted as believing believer of Christ.
Jesus came to give it all on the cross of Calvary and He gave it more abundantly that we may have life. (John 10:10) Jesus gave it all for man but man is yet to be giving all to Jesus in the face of the wicked world. Pilate gave up Jesus, “Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.  And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.” (Mark 15:16-20) In this celebration, gain understanding and knowledge of the price which was paid by Jesus on the cross so that every brokenness of man shall be made whole to live life abundantly. Man, with knowledge of celebration of Jesus does not have to be in position of paying all over. Jesus paid it all.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to be a victim of lack of knowledge of Jesus’ journey to the cross.

FAITH CAPSULE: No man is born with having fear of God but learn by hearing to fear God.

Deuteronomy 6

To be fearful of God is to be sin-less before God. Exodus 20:20 buttressed, “…His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” No man was born with the fear of God. Knowing to fear God is learning by hearing God’s word. God spoke to Moses, “…Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.” (Deuteronomy 4:10) One that learn to fear God will know to seek Him as stated in Deuteronomy 6:13, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him and shall take oaths in His name.”
Sincerely, do you fear God? Today, many claims to be a Christian but far from walking as CHRIST-LIKE. Many claims having faith but majority are not FAITH-FULL. God deserves to be feared. God pays attention to recognize those who fear Him indeed. Man, that is occupied by the things of this world is empty of the word of God and not full of God’s fear. Man, that is not mindful of God is not possible to be living life in the fear of God.
Man, that is fearful of God shall be identified by God. With fear of God, Abraham obediently answered to God’s word of command. God could not overlook Abraham’s obedience but pointed out His fear in Abraham as stated, “And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:12)
Wickedness has been on earth and was not hidden from God. Genesis 6:5 stated, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Wickedness has been and it remains as the center of evil doing due to lack of fear of God. Foolishness in the heart of man is blinding man from learning and knowing that God see all wickedness and God pays attention to the fearful ones. It is the fear of God that set Job before God. Bible recorded “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1) Is it your identity to be shunning evil? Learn to fear God by hearing and hearing by His word. To fear God is seeking God with a loyal heart. Always, the eyes of God will be spotting those who fear Him as 2Chronicles 16:9 recorded, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.”  God is watching over all, fear God to seek God diligently.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God that will keep you not to depart from Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is always in position for man with positive position.

Genesis 32

Positive position is in location and spoken words of man. There is a need to be taking a positive position to provoke the hand of God’s mark over one’s life. Jacob needed to experience God’s visitation upon his life when he engaged a positive position as it is written, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.  And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.”” (Genesis 32:24-29) Jacob’s location and his words were his positive position in the presence of God. Jacob’s positive position before God provoked God’s blessing upon Jacob.
Finding a place at the feet of Jesus and knowing to ask is equal to engaging a positive position before Jesus. Great multitudes came to His feet and they received healing because in addition to their coming, they were able to lay it all at His feet. Matthew 15:30 recorded, “Then great multitudes came to Him having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” Many came to Jesus and laid all their yoke and burden at Jesus’ feet.
Just as multitudes laid it at Jesus’ feet, the rulers over the people also laid all their challenges at Jesus’ feet. The bible documented, “Jarius, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live’” (Mark 5:22-23). With understanding, ones that went to His feet demonstrated expectation for manifestation at His feet. In challenging situation, are you one that is seeking at the feet of man instead seeking at the feet of Jesus?
There is only one God that is always in position for man that will engages positive position to provoke God’s answer. God cannot be limited, He is a God that waits to act for one that waits on Him. Take positive position to provoke God’s response over your challenging. To God alone be all glory, honor and power!

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of seeking Him diligently for the experience of God’s visitation.

FAITH CAPSULE: Doing right wrong is certain not to receive right answer.

2 Samuel 11

With no exception, Colossians 1:28 sounded warning to every man, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Are you one that is taking to the word of God as warning? Word of God is true warning for man to gain understanding and know to be free so as not to become a victim of wickedness of this world.
In line of warning, 2 Timothy 2:1-4 also sounded warning to man, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Are you an acclaimed soldier of Jesus Christ? Regardless of title among believers there is no exception from warning in the word of God.
As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you have been called by God and your calling has marked and identified you as an enemy to the camp of the devil. As a result of your stand in the Lord, you can no longer take or stand on any ground at any period in time. Taking such a stand is letting down your guard as a soldier of God. Letting down your guard is allowing your enemy to bring its war to your front.
King David a soldier for God and a leader lowered his guard for the enemy to strike him. Despite all the victories of King David, he was not able to fight a war of success when adultery brought its war to David’s front. One of the major causes of King David’s loss of battle was recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” King David was at the right place at the wrong time. As a prime target of the enemy, there is no room for mistakes that are life consuming. As a believer, you cannot afford to be at the right place at the wrong time nor at the wrong place at the right time.
The warning word of God is written for our learning (Romans 15:4) With attention to the warning word of God is to identify healing and deliverance from the vices of wickedness under heaven. Apostle Paul admonished “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God  to be giving attention to His warning .

FAITH CAPSULE:Giving self to God is serving God.

Exodus 8:20:32, 9:1-7

God spoke to Moses, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12) God repeated His message to Moses in same Exodus 3:18 calling serve as sacrificing as stated, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.”  Obviously, serving God is a sacrifice; sacrifice is serving God. Through Moses, God brought Israelites out bondage to serve Him. Giving self to God is serving God. Bondage or captivity are critical to deny man from serving God. Man does not have excuse not to be giving self to God. Bondage, captivity is agent in place for man not serve (sacrifice) God. Often time, man places self in bondage or captivity which takes man out of serving God. When man pleases self to serve God is actually not pleasing God. Are you paying attention to be pleasing God in your service (sacrifice) before God? It is a priority to be serving God that gives the privilege of life to man. Pharaoh was an agent of the Israelites bondage for not serving God.
It is certain that power belongs to God and it makes it impossible for the enemy to be more powerful. God sent Moses for deliverance of Israelites but Pharaoh repeatedly declined the going of Israelites to go and serve God. Disobedient and hardness of Pharaoh’s heart provoked the hand of God to send plagues over Pharaoh and Egyptian people. It is written, “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. 23 I will make a difference^] between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” (Exodus 8:22-23)   God does not waste word and His word shall not return to Him without performing. Exodus 8:24 recorded, “And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.”  All that will consciously or unconsciously take a position not to serve God is taking to a route journey of pain. Also, man in a position of denying others from serving God is calling for Pharaoh and Israelites experience of plagues. In life, man should take to the side of God by serving God because when Jesus will come for ones taking to His side by serving God.
Give self to serving God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be serving God continually.