FAITH CAPSULE: In this wicked world, man should be living as upright believer What kind of believer are you in this wicked world of today?

Colossians 3

Are you a believing believer or an unbelieving believer? Believers of today are mouth-full of the word of God but not mind-full of the word of God. Believers today are with actions that is not desperate for God but desperate for self-interests. Action that is desperate for God is characterized with uncommon action to provoke uncommon visitation of the hand of God with uncommon good of God for His glory. Action that is desperate before God is the action which God will see faith in it. In the paralytic man’s testimony, God saw faith in the action of the paralytic man. Mark 2:1-5 recorded, “And again, He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus saw their faith in the paralytic roof tearing action.
Are you a mouth-full believer with action which is desperate for self-interest or for God’s glory? Action that is rooted in the word of God is set to deliver answer that gives glory to God. It is very rare to locate believing believer that set mind on the things above, answering as upright believer. Is it your desire to be living as upright believer? Among the promises of God for the upright believer is recorded in Psalm 112:4, “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness…” The wicked world is clouded by darkness where the devil is taking charge, working round the clock devouring man.
It is living in the fear of God that will make man an upright believer. To fear God is to be living life in obedience to the word of God while darkness will be giving up for light of God to be keeping the believing man.
Today, be living upright that is raised up with Jesus, seeking the things of God which are in the above. Colossians 3:1-5 recorded, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Fear God and live as an upright believer of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to be your garment.

FAITH CAPSULE: As your life journey continues by His grace be committed to His word.

Numbers 32

Giving self to a convenient location will dislocate commitment in the life of man from getting to the center of divine assignment.
The Israelites could not commit to God’s promise for their life when they considered to remain at a convenient location of their choice. The children of Gad and Reuben were set to settle for East side of the Jordan when God wanted them to cross the Jordan and establish them. The children of Gad and children of Reuben’s choice of convenience was priority above their commitment to God’s promise for their life. Man’s priority above God’s promise can relocate man from outside of God’s divine assignment for man.
Numbers 32:1-7 documented, “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock,  the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon,  the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”  Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?  Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?”
God promised a land that flows with milk and honey, but the children of Gad and children of Reuben wanted to settle for land with milk.
The Bible stated that the children of Gad had a great multitude of livestock. When they recognized that the region was good for livestock (the source of milk) their commitment to go forward and engage the full promise of God for the land with milk and honey was voided.
The request of the children of Gad was a discouragement to their brethren from going forward. Moses compared the request to same as the spy’s report at Kadesh Barnea when the children of Israel were discouraged (except for Caleb and Joshua). The discouragement led to complaint and they were terminated in the wilderness. In that action God’s anger was provoked. (Numbers 32:10-12) In life, man that is not committed to God will commit to complaint and not arrive at God’s promise.
Commitment is not convenient, it is a sacrifice. One that is not committed will compromise the word of God. Discipline lines with commitment while doubt lines against commitment. With doubt, fear rises to relegate faith. In the journey of life, be committed to God and remain connected to the promise of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God for you to be committed to God’s word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Starting from this month, be desperate for God.

Mark 14:10-50

In this wicked world, going by the time we are living it is time to come out of religion and get into commitment to God. Commitment to God demands to be seeking God diligently. Seeking God diligently is to become desperate for God by giving self continually to God’s word. It is the word of God that will position man for the blessing of God. As a child of God, there should be nothing to live life for but to seek God diligently. What does it mean to be placed in the position of God for man?
The position of God for man is how man walk, sit and stand in the word of God. Blessing of God comes with condition if man will commit to God’s word. Psalm 1:1-2 recorded, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” In life, every time man gives to negative opinion of others it becomes evidence of man’s withdrawal from commitment to God. Man is either committed to God or committed to devil consciously or unconsciously. In this wicked world, acclaimed believers with compromise in the position of God is the evidence of lack of commitment to God.
Commitment denies convenience for believer that is desperate for God. Acclaimed believers today are sold out for money but not able to give self to God continually. Without doubt, the gene of acclaimed believers today is the same gene of Judas Iscariot. With convenient Judas was sold to come out of commitment for Jesus. Bible recorded Judas Iscariot for our learning in the book of Mark 14:11, “And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.” Betraying God is rooted in convenience. With convenience, believers and unbelieving-believers are giving up their commitment to God to deny God.
Denying God is declining to remain committed to God. In Matthew 26:34 Jesus’ spoke to Peter and it also speaks to how acclaimed believers of today are failing with no commitment to God, “Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Three times Peter truly void his commitment to God. Imagine, Apostle Peter, a disciple of Jesus who re-positioned his standing for God by keeping distance from Jesus. Peter also took a sit of convenient not a commitment to God. Mark 14:54 recorded, “But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.” Apostle Peter, a disciple of Jesus conveniently denied Jesus despite his determination not to deny Jesus.
Starting from this month, be desperate for God to remain in His position for man. Determination will fail but fervent prayer will prevail.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ask for His presence in your daily journey.

Exodus 33

The way of God for man is His word. The word of God is God. Moses asked for His way, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” (Exodus 33:13) In the way of God there is direction, deliverance and preservation. Are you asking for His way in your life? It does not matter how long you have been taking to your way, but it is true and certain that the way of God cannot be wrong. The way of man cannot be compared to the way of God. In the way of God there is life but in the way man there is death. Proverbs 16:25 buttress, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” God cannot be mocked; God sees from where man is coming from to where man is going. Which way are you going? Taking to a way outside of the way of God is a way with no rest which can lead to self- destruction.
God answered to Moses request for His way, “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) The word of God is God and His word is His presence. The way of God is written in the pages of the Bible. Moses asked from God and he received answer from God. Psalm 103:7, “He made known His ways to Moses…” Are you asking for His way to answer for your way?
God cannot be deceived as man adopt to God’s way without fail. It is impossible to take to the way of God and end up in destruction. However, it is evident that when man take outside of God’s way self-destruction becomes possibility. In the journey of life, there are so many ways that seems right but not all leads to life. The ways that seems right to man are outside of the way of God.
Give yourself to self-examination and avoid self-destruction. The book of Proverbs 16:2 stated, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.” Will you be sincere with yourself and let God direct or redirect your steps into His way? God wants to be pleased with how we walk in His way because it is the evidence of having faith in Him. Proverbs 16:7 admonished us, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” The Lord God has spoken, it is left for man to ask and know to walk in God’s way.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be asking for His way in your walk daily.

FAITH CAPSULE: Desperate for God in the heart is to experience His hand.

Nehemiah 1,2

Man, with desperate heart for the glory of God will experience the backing of good hand of God for God’s glory through man. There is no heart activity that is hidden from God. Psalm 44:21 buttressed, “…God knows the secret of the heart.” As regard to heart, it is written, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27)
How is your heart desperate for the glory of God? Daniel’s heart was desperate to give it all for the glory of God and God’s hand backed him to do great exploits for the glory of God. Daniel 1:8 recorded, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel purposed in his heart for God’s glory and he lived to do great exploit (Daniel 11:32) because of his heart activity. Daniel’s heart set him for great exploits later in his life. How is it with your heart that is not hidden from God? It is written, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)
How is your heart desperate for the glory of God? Imagine Nehemiah a cup-bearer’s heart activity.
The heart of Nehemiah was with genuine concern for Jerusalem’s welfare but not for self-interest. Nehemiah was a cupbearer with desperate desired heart for better life for his brethren. If a cupbearer could provoke profound change, claiming believers of today should be able to do for the glory of God as a salt agent (not bitter agent), light (not darkness) doing good for the glory of God.
It is clear in the heart of Nehemiah for God to see his desperate desire, touching life for the glory of God. Awesome God invested in Nehemiah as a vessel for reconstructing the broken wall of Jerusalem. The report of what was going on in Jerusalem caused a burden in Nehemiah’s heart and he began to intercede on behalf of the land and his people. The bible recorded in Nehemiah 1:3-4, “And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah poured out his heart in prayer on behalf of his people and his homeland. He asked for nothing that had to do with self-interest, but rather petitioned for things that had to do with a better life for his people. Believers need to quicken heart for God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to set your heart desperate for the glory of God.