FAITH CAPSULE: Following Him is in knowing Him not knowing about Him.

 1 John 2:1-6

Life is a race. How are you following through in this wicked world? As an acclaimed believer of Christ, going to church every Sunday; going to prayer meeting and bible study is not a ticket to make through this wicked world to heaven. In living life, how are you following Him? Claiming to be church active is truly journeying through the right track to heaven. However, it is clearly true that church can possibly be a passage to hell and not heaven. Yes, you possibly claim to be on the right track of following Him, but being on the right track is different from following through the rules of running the track. Indeed, it is possible to be on the right track and be trapped.
Life is a journey and living life can be compared to running race on a race track. In running a race on the track of life there are rules that should never be violated. Every acclaimed believer on the race track of life who fails to follow the rules of running race on the track of life is a trapped believer. 1 Corinthians 9:24 points out, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” The ones who run to receive prize are the ones who get to the expected end. Running the race of life is about knowing to follow Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
What does it take to follow Him? Following Him is in knowing Him not knowing about Him. Knowing the Lord is not in determination or in our strength. Following Him is not in changing or running from one church to another church. Knowing to follow Him is in consistent obedience to His word. The book of 1 John 2:3-4 expressly stated what it means to follow Him, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.’” Walking truly in His word following Him truly; keeping self on a right track; moving as a candidate not to miss heaven. Engaging self in lying, deception and manipulating is setting self as a failure candidate for heaven. From today, walk or run the race of life according to the rule of running the race.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of God’s to run the race of life and not miss from getting to the expected end.

FAITH CAPSULE: Spending time in His word is spending time in His presence.

Exodus 3

Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) It is not enough to be fluent in His word if there is no abiding in His word. When you abide in Him you will be known in Him. The grace of God is sufficient, and it will make it possible to live the word of God. Whoever knows His name and call on His name shall be saved, and this salvation is not maybe or could-be salvation, it is certain salvation.
It is impossible to know the name of God if you don’t spend adequate time in His presence. Spending time in His word is spending time in His presence. Which of His Names do you know? Is it the name you have heard Him being called out by others that you know about or His Name that you have encountered in the pages of the Bible? For Moses to be able to execute the assignment he was called for, he went and inquired from Him about His name. God responded, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3: 14-15)
His name has not changed. His name will not change and His name will continue to make changes because His name is for all generations. Do you know Him? Are you known in Him? Call on His Name and you shall be saved. After Pharaoh had turned down Moses’ request the first time, Moses went back to God. God insisted and repeated His name to Moses as the only weapon that will bring forth result. Pharaoh, an agent of evil persisted and Moses persevered. Jesus’ parable of the importunate widow (Luke 18:1-8) is a demonstration of the need to persevere in calling when the answer is yet in our hand. God insisted, the devil resisted, but Moses persevered. Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Call on Him if you know Him and you are known in Him, His name will not fail you.

Prayer for today: Ask God to revive you in His righteousness.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is not a failing God but a favorable God that cares for His creation.

Esther 2

Clock is in the hand of man but time and season are in the hand of God. Great effective door was opened in Joseph life. When it was time for Joseph to be promoted from Prime Slave to Prime Minister, no devil under heaven could stop him. Joseph’s brothers sold him to slavery in attempt to deny his dream; to deny his God ordained divine assignment on earth but they all failed. To be worrying will come with weight to bring down man and be concerned about the challenging way situation. In the journey of life, Joseph was an example one with many afflictions but God delivered him in it all. The psalm of David recorded, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) Evidently, God’s hand of deliverance exists forever.
In challenging situation pain is not exempted. As a child of God, fear is not what we need but prayer. One can be rest assured of the word God as documented in Exodus 14:14, “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Truly, all that we need to do is to let God fight battle while the enemies that are visible and non-visible will fail permanently. With God at His appointed time every challenging pain shall be converted to gain for man that only lo00ok up to God for His intervention.
Esther did not and could not have become queen but it happened at an appointed time of God during a season that was ordained by God. Esther came to the center of divine assignment when, “…Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother.” (Esther 2:5-7) According to the timing of God, in God’s ordained season, Esther came into the country as a captive and became a captain among the queen of King Ahasuerus.
The way of man is not God’s way. In life, God’s way shall always prevail over the ways of man.  When God opened door for man at His appointed time, no devil under heaven shall be able to shut God’s opened door for man. 1 Corinthians 16:9 stated, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” It should be encouraging to be prayerful and not be discouraging from possessing in the great effective door that is before us. At the time of God, the great effective door opened for Esther to become the queen of King Ahasuerus. The great effective door was rooted in prayerful fasting of Esther. (Esther 4:13-16) God is a good God that does not look away from His creation that look up to Him for His divine intervention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the hand of God upon your life to position you for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you have Bethesda, your house of mercy?

John 5:1-9

Bethesda meaning “house of mercy” is where many people were going to worship and receive God’s blessing. Among His blessing for man are healing and deliverance. Do you have Bethesda, your house of mercy? It is only God that knows how long and how often you have been attending your house of mercy but mercy is not in place to address your situation.
Have you been in the same situation for years with nothing to show for God’s glory over your life? Some attended after you and received their merciful healing or deliverance but your story remains unchanged and discouraging. If the situation sounds like you, be encouraged because it is not time to be discouraged. It is not time to stop asking, seeking or knocking the windows of heaven. Jesus commanded 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.” Today is not time to stop attending your God but to remain persistence with faith to receive the hand of God.
We need not mention to Jesus what we want because He sees it all. However, not asking, not seeking, or not knocking on the windows of heaven will not deliver manifestation of expectation. Be persistent for God and He will present to you according to His divine agenda for you.
A paralytic man was on the right track but trapped and not able to receive his healing. The paralytic man was at the Gate near a pool which, in Hebrew, is called Bethesda. Paralytic man at his Bethesda (the house of mercy) healing was not in place for him.
The Bible describes the case of the paralytic man, “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (John 5:5-7) All Jesus wanted to hear from the paralytic man was to be asking for healing need. However, paralytic man was very much focus on getting help from man when he responded to Jesus’ healing offering by saying, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool…” At the house of mercy, the paralytic man was lying for many years while others were attending to receive their mercy. Just like the paralytic man, in your seeking for mercy in the hand of man will not be your help but Jesus. Will you turn to a new way of approaching Jesus as your shepherd? Unfailingly, without any doubt, Jesus will meet you at your need. Attend your Bethesda with expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be focusing on Him constantly consistently.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you know His name or do you know about His name?

1 Samuel 13

It is written, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)  Do you know His name or do you know about His name? There is a different about knowing His name and knowing about His name. The name of the Lord is Mighty God; the all sufficient, and that settles it. Those who know His name (not those who know about His name) will put their trust and Hope in Him. With lack of knowledge, many do not trust and hope in Him.

Saul is an example of one that trusted God but not able to hope in God. At a time of war against Philistines, he could not wait for Samuel as instructed before offering a burnt offering disobediently. Bible recorded Saul’s trust but not holding hope in God. 1 Samuel 13:7-12, “…As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. ⁸ 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. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “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, ¹² 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.” Without doubt, Saul trusted but could not hold in hope.
Are you a modern Saul? Are you one in the church with trust to pray for positive over issue but stepped out after church with negative confession concerning issue that was prayed for?
Trusting and hoping in the name of God which you know will work for you. Trust and hope to call  on Him for healing and He will answer to heal you.
You call Him with understanding and knowledge not because you hear about Him from man. Know it that God is the healing healer; the only God that reverses the irreversible and the God that makes a way where there is no way. Trust and hope in Him to be seeking. The Psalmist stated “For you, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You”. (Psalm 9:10) David recognized God as God that does not forsake those who seek Him.
Which God are you calling concerning your challenge? Jeremiah 17:7 buttressed the evidence to trust and hope stating, “Blessed is the man who trust in e Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Trust and hope in Him?

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to trust and hope in Him.