FAITH CAPSULE: Fear God to love Him and gain His presence.

1 John 3: 7-21

The will of God for us is to fear Him. When we fear Him we become full of Him. Ecclesiastes 12:13 admonished us stating, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all.” Evidently to know to fear God is to know and be consistent obeying his commandments. Obeying the command of God demands full obedience and not half obedience. One that fully obeys God is one that fears God. To be full of His fear is to be full of His love.
Fear God to love Him and gain His presence.
Do you fear God? Do you claim to love God? Do you obey the words of God? Apostle Paul points it out that the purpose of God’s command is to love God. He stated, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.” (1Timothy 1:5-6) Paul was not talking about love that flows from the tips of lips. Paul talked about a standard love that counts before God; love that is worthy to provoke God’s attention to acknowledge one for good.
To love (fear) God is to constantly dwell in His presence (His presence is His word) and not depart from Him. God spoke, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’” (Jeremiah 32:38-41) In the above word of God, it is clear that the fear of God is what qualifies man as God’s people and not the assumption of others; it is not one’s title inside or outside of the church. Going by the word of God as written above, anyone that fears God undeniably takes a position to experience the goodness of God. It is also a joyous thing to God when we dwell in His fear. Without doubt, for anyone that is doing what makes God to rejoice over him/her, the strength of God shall never be a thing of lack in the life of such person. Why not do it right by fearing God and allow the joy of the Lord be your strength?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the heart to fear and love Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Know God to live life as a winner.

Acts 19

Life is a journey with race. Continuity is the key of race in the journey of life. In the journey of life, our race is to make it to the expected end and not be a loser but be victorious. Victory belongs to man that knows God not for those that know about God. 1 Corinthians 15:57 pointed out, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 John 5:4 buttressed, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Do you know God not to be a loser but victorious? In the race of life, a victorious is a winner by His grace. What do you desire in the race of life? Is winner your desire to be a winner or loser? In this race of life, the winning combination is BOLDNESS AND CHARACTER.
Boldness is in man that truly knows God not for man that only know about.
Character is about knowing to be living the word of God.
Bible documented about some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists with boldness without character. The itinerant Jewish exorcists wanted to imitate Paul and Silas’ boldness and character in them through knowing God. It is written, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (Acts 19:13-16)
The itinerant Jewish exorcists had no combination of bold and character to deliver evil spirit. Paul was with the combination of boldness and character because he knows God and live the word of God.
In living life, are you claiming the combination of boldness and character when you do not know God by way of living life? Take note and be aware that evil knows the difference between those who know God and those who know about. Also, pay attention to the truth that those who know about God and those who do not know God are birds of the same feather.
Boldness and character in the name of God is encouraging as stated “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) Bible also encourages boldness and character in the word of God stating, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2)
Know God to live life as a winner with the combination of boldness and character.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know Him indeed and in truth.

FAITH CAPSULE: With expectation from God, there will be manifestation.

Acts 3

Do not stop looking up to God at any time. In every situation, at all times, make it consistent; be conversant to be looking up to God with expectation. Looking up to God should be an evidence of expectation for manifestation. The bible recorded about certain man lame from his mother’s womb. The lame man spends time daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful asking for alms from those who entered the temple. On a day, the lame man saw Peter and John about to go into the temple while asking with expectation when Peter called on him. It is written, “And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.” (Acts 3:4) Will you make it a way of life to be looking up to God with expectation for manifestation? God is not a talkative when He gave us word of authority stating, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:7-9) Ask, seek and knock is what He said but not we may ask, seek of knock.
There is nothing that is difficult for God to do. Isaiah 59:1 buttressed, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” What is your challenge which God cannot see you through? God is a faithful God, through the pages of the bible, the word of God is a testimony that God is a caring God and He will wait to act for man that wait on Him by looking up to Him. The Psalmist testified in Psalm 121:1-4, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” An acclaimed believer that is conversant with Psalm 121 should obviously know about looking or lifting up eyes to gain from God. Look up to God for breakthrough and not be a victim of breakdown.
It is wisdom to be taking to God’s testimonies. Do not look up to man for manifestation because the help from man will not go far. The testimony of the Lord is sure making the wise simple (Psalm 19:7) Take to the testimonies of God and allow looking up to God become your lifestyle.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of lifestyle to be looking up to Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Thank God that God alone is the only Creator.

Genesis 11:1-9, Psalm 24

What is it that you do not know about God?

It is written, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28) The one and only Perfect Creator God do have the fullness of the world in His hand. Bible stated, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) Under heaven and above, no man is in place to outmaneuver God. Imagine a creation attempting to outmaneuver its creator? How can man outmaneuver God? The God that spoke to Jeremiah is the same that created heaven and earth and all its fullness. He spoke to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Many, by virtue of the wickedness of their heart are destroying others to build for themselves. It does not matter when and where man is building, when man attempts to build outside of God, it becomes effort to outmaneuver the only Perfect Creator.
Building outside of God can be compared to building of the Tower of Babel. The people at the time of Old Testament of the bible were positioned on a plain land with no hindrance. With no obstruction life became too easy as a result, the people gained focus to build outside of the Perfect Creator. It is written, “And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11::4) When focus is centered away from God, self-centeredness will take charge of the life that is given to man by God. Has the Lord God given you a ground with no hindrance? It is time to maintain focus of God. Those people who built the tower of Babel forgot that the land and its fullness belong to God. The people then wanted investigate God’s workshop (Heaven). Unfortunately for the self-centered ones God does not tolerate selfishness because it operates in opposition to God’s way. Selfishness represents arrogance and pride.
God saw where the people were coming from and He knew where they were going with the kind of project they embarked on. Any man’s building outside of the will of God shall provoke God’s reaction. At the time of Babel, God reacted as stated in Genesis 11:7-8, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.” Do you still want to continue building outside of God?

Prayer for today: Ask God to take over your days and you moment to serve Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Claiming to be a believer is not enough to be carrying the power of God.

Acts 19

Itinerant Jewish exorcists that wanted to demonstrate what they do not carry in their life. The Jewish exorcists, after having witnessed miracle demonstrated through Paul the apostle, they attempted to demonstrate miracle just like Paul. It is written, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (Acts 19: 13) Interestingly, the evil spirit could not identify the itinerant Jewish exorcists as they attempted demonstration of miracle. The evil spirit responded to the Jewish exorcists as recorded, “…Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (Acts 19:15-16) The itinerant Jewish exorcists’ demonstration does not line with they carry in the power of God to do miracle.
How are you attempting what you do not carry in the power of God? Are you answering to what you do not carry in the power of God?
As believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, what you carry will identify who you are in the Lord. Whatever believers carry will serve as weapon against confronting challenges. Claiming to be a believer is not enough to be carrying the power in the name of Jesus. Today, so many form of itinerant Jewish exorcists are not in the few but in the plenty numbers. 2 Timothy 3:5 talked about the present Jewish exorcists, “…having a form of godliness but denying its power about what we are against…” As a believer, are you among noise makers that communicating what Christians are against and less noise communicating what Christians stand for? Is your demonstration not loud enough for an unbeliever to see Christ in you? If for example, at your workplace, there is a call for the persecution of believers in Christ, would you be identified as one that confesses Jesus? Do you think your way of life as a follower of Christ will be enough for your fellow worker to identify you as Christ follower or itinerant Jewish exorcists?
Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived. Galatians 6:7 declared the truth stating, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” How long do you want to be like itinerant Jewish exorcists? What is it that will identify you as a Christ follower? Paul the Apostle certainly could not have been living in your neighborhood without being recognized as a believer but not as Jewish exorcists. Even if Paul chose to be silent, his believe would identify him. Do not be like the itinerant Jewish exorcists.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be focus on Him.