FAITH CAPSULE: Abraham love God with all his all.

Genesis 22

Imagine the love of Abraham for God when he heard from God in Genesis 22:2, “Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” With love and with no hesitation, Abraham responded to God’s request without withholding his son from God’s request for sacrificial offering of Isaac. Abraham, in the process of sacrificing his son he heard from God, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven…” (Genesis 22:16-17) Abraham’s demonstration of giving love to God as he received love from God.
Giving love to God demands giving all to God. Deuteronomy 6:5 recorded what giving love in all to God, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Again, Abraham is an example of giving all love to God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength.
Abraham’s love with all heart, with all soul and with all strength: Abraham responded to the calling of God for him to move away from his family at age seventy-five and with no child (Genesis 12:1). With his love to God with all his all made him to attempt to slay his only son(Isaac) for sacrificial offering as God requested.
Jesus buttressed loving God with all when He stated, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
Above all, giving love to God is making the choice to live life. The word of God admonished, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16)
Why not give your love to God?
Will you turn around in your way of living life by giving your love to God? The evidence of not giving love to God is turning away heart from God as stated in Deuteronomy 30:17-18, “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days…” God is a caring and He is mindful of us because He loves us. As a jealous God, He expects our love for Him to avoid making the choice of the consequence in place for not loving Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of understanding to love Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s calling is God’s investment if man will answer to God.

1Kings 18:20-46, 19:1-3

Has He called you but yet you are in doubt? Doubt is not of God; doubt is a mission of devil against the called ones. Without doubt, answer to His calling and He will not forsake you. 1Thessalonians 5:24 recorded, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” From this day, put away doubt to engage His calling. When He calls you, He will invest His power in your calling as you answered His calling.
Invested power of God in the life of Elijah was demonstrated through his answering to the calling of God. Elijah demonstrated the power of God by overcoming the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah made a public show of their powerless god. He embarrassed them when they could not call their god to life. Elijah had the prophets of Baal assembled on Mount Carmel as he commanded, “…you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God. So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” (1 Kings 18: 24-25) The god of the prophets could not show up. Elijah mocked and ridiculed them before he called on His God for His power. The God of Elijah answered by fire. Having embarrassed the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, Elijah caused them to be overtaken and executed at the Brook of Kishon. All of Elijah’s exploits were the effect of God’s intervention because Elijah answered to the calling of God. Power of God will not be evidence in any man that calls self but not called by God. Just like the prophets of Baal with no power of God, any man’s congregation that is not of God will not prevail but will head in the way of destruction. With the evidence of the prophets of Baal’s lack of power of God, Elijah had them rounded up for execution.
Are you in doubt as regard to His calling upon your life? Doubt is not of God; doubt belongs to the enemy of man. It is important to know that without doubt, when God calls you, He will back you up. God is not a careless but a caring, considerate and attentive God for His called ones. God called Elijah and invested power in the life of Elijah because Elijah answered to the calling of God.
Have you been called by God? Peace of God will always back you when answering to His calling. God is a consistent God; God will not leave you nor forsake you.

Prayer for today: Ask for the boldness and character to answer to His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: Having faith is the courage to provoke God’s hand for deliverance.

Exodus 14

Romans 10:17 described faith; “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When the word of God is received, embraced, retained by the hearer, it builds man up with courage. In life, courage is to shut fear down and open up faith in the life of man. Faith is what provokes the move of God’s, hand not fear. A paralytic man and four men provoked Jesus for healing miracle. The bible 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.” (Mark 2:1-4) The faith in the life of the paralytic man and his four helpers was not hidden but was glaring to Jesus. Faith that was engaged by the paralytic man and four men was a see-able faith; it was a demonstration of strength and courage. Faith is action to provoke the hand of God for healing deliverance. Mark 2:5 recorded, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Demonstrating faith demands strength and courage. On a ground where doubt and mixed-multitude are in place, man must be strong and very courageous to observe and do according to the word of God without doubt. The faith demonstration of the paralytic man was with strength and courage and it provoked Jesus’ response, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ^“Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”” (Mark 2:11-12) Evidently, being strong and courageous in the face of undeniable challenge or overwhelming pressure will make a believer prevail. The paralytic man and his men exercised faith but the Israelites engaged fear. At the crossing of the Red Sea, the children of Israel demonstrated great fear when Pharaoh and his force drew near to them. The Bible recorded, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:10-11)
Moses intervened on behalf of the Israelites’ deliverance before God. To be strong in the Lord is the way to overcome fear.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to reign over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: God alone is a Father God for man but not a god father.

Psalm 8, John 1:1-18,

Jesus is the will of God for us to live and have life abundantly. Jesus is the evidence of God’s caring for man. God is such a caring Father God that is mindful of man. David was flabbergasted by the caring of Father God when he questioned God’s caring as stated, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” (Psalm 8:4-6) Truly and indeed God alone created man without assigning any part of man’s body to a contractor. Wonderfully, with care, God alone created man. Psalmist buttressed, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14) God cares for man to wonderfully made man.
God alone is a Father God for man but not a god father. He is not an authoritarian nor a dictator but a creator. He is a creator whose word is perfect. Father God is the Commanding commander that is fully in charge with goodness and mercy in position for man. God is the Healing healer; He is an Unchanging changer that does not overlook and not care for man. By virtue of His testimonies He has demonstrated many times, He is still demonstrating as a Longsuffering God. Without any iota of doubt, Father God is the only Almighty Creator with loving care for man. The Bible declares in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God is concerned for man but if man cannot concur with His concern for man, condemnation will answer for man.
God cares so much for man to live life more abundantly. Jesus clearly stated when He declared to us, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Are you aware of God’s care for you? How are you living in order to have the life that He has come to give? From today, know it and begin to live according to the will of Father God; the Lord of Host; the Ancient of days and the only God that inhabits eternity. Jesus is the will of God for man. To live according to His will is to fear Him. To fear God is to live by every word of God. Before the presence of the caring Father God, man should live life abundantly in the will of Father God with commitment to His word.

 Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to live life fully in His will.

FAITH CAPSULE: Praising God with understanding is a weapon for victory.

2 Chronicles 20

Praising God with understanding is a weapon for victory. Praising God, not multitude will deliver victory in the face of battle. Multitude is not a victory assurance. Are you counting on multitude for your battle? Is it high numbers that have risen against you?
Once, King Jehoshaphat of Judah was confronted by a battle that was bigger than what he could handle. Jehoshaphat received a message of fear, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:2-3) The fear of the wicked world of Jehoshaphat drove him to seek God for deliverance from the multitude before him. Who are you seeking in the wicked of your word? Truly, daily is a battle ground. Daily battle comes in multitude which can be powerful more for man but with God victory is certain. Without doubt, seeking God by trusting and hoping in Him will provoke Him to fight believer’s battles.
Jehoshaphat’s fear to seek God instead of seeking man or multitude as a message came for him stating, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17) With Jehoshaphat, taking a position was engaging praise with understanding before God. Praising God with understanding brings man to the presence God where victory becomes undeniable. Jehoshaphat gained confidence by standing still as he prepared his people for the battle.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22, recorded the plans of Jehoshaphat as stated, “And when he had consulted with people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: Praise the LORD For His mercy endures forever. Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” Jehoshaphat with fear which drove him to God delivered to him undeniable victory. Daily battle will come but plan to gain and maintain the presence of God through praising God with understanding. He is God that enthroned in the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3 buttressed, “But you are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Praise Him and let victory become yours today in Jesus name. Get the understanding to be praising God as it is written, “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.”

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with understanding to seek Him.