FAITH CAPSULE: Half obedient is full disobedient the evidence of rebellion before God.

1 Samuel 13

War of Philistines against King Saul and Israelites must have prompted Prophet Samuel to prayerfully seek word of God for King Saul. Samuel gave word to King Saul, “You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.” (1 Samuel 10:8) Waiting on God demands watching and praying. Saul received word from Samuel and could not watch for Samuels warning word of message but reacted outside of watching. It is written, “Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came…” (1Samuel 13:8-10) Half obedience is not obedience it is disobedience. When man falls into temptation, disobedience will count against man as rebellion. Rebellion is resistance or opposition to the word of God. Saul could not wait through the seventh day which was Samuel’s warning word of message. Saul rebelliously offered the burnt offering which was against the word of God. King Saul rebelled before God.
Consciously or unconsciously, is rebellion your way of life? Is rebellion your pattern of approaching to the word of God? God responded to Saul’s rebellious act, his disobedience as stated, “And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) Half obedient is full disobedient the evidence of rebellion before God. God sees all, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro watching for those who watch to wait on Him not to rebel. Consequence of rebellion is critical. Saul’s rebellion dis-established him over Israel and God replaced him.
Avoiding act of rebellion: Watch out and not be a victim of complaining which is the result of discouragement and breeds fear outside of God, in the face of enemy. Also, keeping eyes on God’s testimony is an avenue to overcome challenges. David’s testimony propelled his victory over Goliath as it is written, “…The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Allow the word of God to sanctify you for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His glory to be established in your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Giving self to praying and not watching is certain for temptation to miss God’s promise.

Luke 25:1-25

From experience, Jesus warned us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation. After Jesus’ praying with fasting, His watching and not become a victim of devil’s temptation recorded, “And the devil said to Him, “…If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (Luke 4:3) Repeatedly, devil’s temptation for Jesus failed. If Jesus can experience temptation man cannot avoid temptation without watching and praying.
Temptation is the result of sleeping from sorrow while rebellion is the character of temptation. Rebellion is resistance or opposition to the word of God. When complaining, discouragement or fear raises its flag man will show to be identified as rebellion against God.
Rebellion is the author of hardness of heart which is not hearing God’s word.
Hebrews 3:7-13 buttressed, “…Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”  Verses above are the characters of rebellious before God: hardness of heart; testing (challenging) God; going astray (going amiss, departing from God) in heart and becoming a victim of deceitfulness of sin. In life, without watching and praying will give to temptation which encases rebellion.
The Israelites were rebellious in their journey of deliverance to God’s Promised land. The Israelites prayed to God for deliverance out of the bondage of over four hundred years but failed by not watching as they gave self to rebellion. Prayer delivered Israelites from bondage but lack of watching gave them to temptation. Jesus warned man to watch and pray. Giving self to praying without watching is set for temptation.
Are you praying and not watching? Jesus is not a talkative but true to manifest His word in the life of obedient ones.
A priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. On prayer ground the priest was prayerful but not watchful when angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:13) Zacharias was not watchful when he responded to angel’s news for his answered prayer as stated, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18) Zacharias tested God which is the character of rebellion. Watch and pray is a warning command of Jesus for man not to miss out the blessings of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand that is not short, to be upon you against failing before God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you sleeping from sorrow or sleeping in blessings?

Matthew 25:1-13, Luke 22:39-46,

Challenging root of Christians is the issue of not giving attention to the word of God as warning. Today, majority with titles such as Evangelist, Pastors, Apostles only answers to titles not as tasks for God by preaching Him (Jesus, word of God), warning to man. Paul buttressed, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Colossians 1:28) Preaching Him, warning man is for man to have fear of God which is the source of wisdom in man’s life as stated in Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Jesus, in His last hour on earth, declared staunch warning, “When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:45-46) Jesus was not discouraging or disallowing man from having sleep at appointed time. However, He warned man not to be sleeping at appointed time of prayer. Appointed time for prayer is a time of dedication before God. Dedication time of prayer before God is a time of blessing. Word of God clearly stated, “He found them sleeping from sorrow” Word of God did not say that “He found them sleeping in blessing” Sleeping from sorrow will withdraw man from blessing of God. (Truly Proverbs 10:22 said it all saying, blessings of God add no sorrow.)
Jesus’s warning in His word at His time was directed to man of His time and to man of today stating, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” Jesus’ warning command was “rise and pray lest you enter temptation” As an acclaimed believer, are you giving attention to the warning of God by giving self to watching and praying and not become a victim of temptation which often terminates man from living life for the glory of God.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Parable of Ten Virgins) by Jesus speaks to the difference of sleeping from sorrow and the sleeping in blessing. In the parable, foolish (five) virgins had no extra oil for their lamp but slept from sorrow. The wise virgins had extra oil for their lamp but were prepared to sleep in blessing. Wise virgins could not miss Jesus visitation unlike foolish five virgins with sorrow and not gain blessing of God. To be awake before God is not sleeping in the place of prayer.
From Old Testament to New Testament word of God repeatedly warned against sleeping at an appointed time of prayer as stated, “watch and pray”. A failure to pray and not watch will position man for temptation which denies blessings of God but add sorrow from temptation. Are you sleeping from sorrow or sleeping in blessings?

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you awake from sleeping from sorrow.

FAITH CAPSULE: Trust and hope in God is the key to frustrate enemy in one’s life.

Daniel 3

It is only those who know the name of God (not those who know about His name) that will always put their trust and hope in God. Jeremiah 17:7 stated, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” The Psalmist buttressed, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10) Inability of man not to be placing trust and having in God does not mark man as boldness and character frustrating enemy’s agenda. For example, going into prayer ground with prayer request is having trust in God. However, coming out of praying ground with doubt over prayer request and confessing negative testifies not having hope in God.
It is incomplete to approach God with trust and not have hope. Verse above clearly said it, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” With trust in God to be participating activities among believers, while confessing lack of hope is the evidence of not knowing God indeed and in truth. The fear of God is knowing God. One that does not fear God cannot possibly trust and have hope in God.
In the face of fiery furnace fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to serve or worship king Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image. The three brothers had trust in God with hope in God which is demonstration of boldness and character, a winning combination. The three brothers took their stand without bending in their trust and hope in God’s deliverance. When King Nebuchadnezzar questioned three brother’s deliverance he got response as stated, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.” (Daniel 3:16) The three brothers had trust and hope in God for possibility in the place of impossibility.
Just like the three brothers, is there any challenging threatening attempting to hanging your life? In the face of untimely death in fiery fire, three brothers of Daniels’ trust and hope in God responded to King Nebuchadnezzar, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” (Daniel 3:17) Truly, deliverance answered for the three brothers and king Nebuchadnezzar responded, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” (Daniel 3:28) Trust and hope is the evidence of boldness and character which is a winning combination for ones with fear of God and knows God.
Just like the three brothers of Daniel, trust and hope in God to promote you and prostrate your adversary to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of boldness and character in life standing for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Determination is not enough for man to answer fully for God’s calling but prayer.

Psalm 19

Determination to have clean heart not to fail before God will fail but only prayer will enable man not to fail before God. When Jesus prophesied that Peter was going to deny Him, Peter did not accept Jesus’ prophecy but determined not to deny Jesus. Determination failed Peter as it is written, “A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.” (Mark 14:72) Peter, a disciple of Jesus is an example that determination is not enough to answer fully for man’s desire to live for God’s glory. Evidently, Jesus actually prayed against Peter’s failure as stated, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:32) As a believer, it is good to have determination for God’s calling but there must be understanding that prayer is the key not to fail.
Is your heart clean for not to fail before God? Have you given your heart to God? It is important that man should give heart to a procedure that will remove all which represents wickedness. Procedure to remove and clean the heart is in prayer. The Psalmist prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) Man needs to engage prayer to help in having a clean heart. The thinking which man carries in the heart is what will determine man’s exploit on the face of the earth. The book of Proverb 23:7 buttress “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you but his heart is not with you.’” It is clear that man should keep heart with diligence to avoid any form of negativity. With prayer, Man should also know and understand to keep heart with diligence otherwise wickedness will reap through the heart of man.
Daniel kept his heart with diligence by purposing positives to the glory of God.  Daniel 1:8 records, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel purposed heart and it marked him out for great exploit to the glory of God. Daniel’s heart made the difference that matters in all of his life.
It is written, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Desire for a clean heart, keep to heart the word of God and give self to prayer trusting God to deposit what it takes to have a clean heart.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to fail but to stand for God’s glory.