FAITH CAPSULE: The God of Elijah answered by fire.

1 Kings 18:20-46, 19:1-3

Word of God is fire. The fire of God is power. Elijah demonstrated the power of the Word of God to the glory of God.
The power of God through Elijah overcame the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel because of their powerless god. Powerless god is an embarrassment to the people of Baal. Elijah requested the prophets of Baal for sacrificial burnt offering 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 the prophet of Baal and their God as he called on His God for power demonstration. The God of Elijah answered by fire. Having embarrassed the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, Elijah caused them to be overtaken for execution at the Brook of Kishon. Elijah’s exploits were the effect of God’s intervention because Elijah stood for righteousness.
What do you stand for? Is your congregation gathering in the name of the God of Elijah? Are you demonstrating the power of the God of Elijah or the power of the god of the prophets? Powerless congregation will not prevail and it heads in the way of destruction just like prophets of Baal. After the prophets of Baal’s demonstration of lack of power, Elijah had them rounded up and they were all executed. When Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab heard what Elijah did to the prophets of Baal, she threatened to kill Elijah. Elijah ran for his life. It is written in 1Kings 19:3, “And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.” One would have expected Elijah to continue to walk in the power of God. However, despite the power of God in the life of Elijah, he did not walk; he ran. Have you been running where you should be walking? Elijah had experienced the hand of God earlier when he was to be walking; the hand of God came upon him and put him ahead in 1Kings 18:46, “Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezebel.” God is a consistent God and He will not leave you nor forsake you if meditating the Word of God day and night. Despite the power of God in Elijah’s life, he knew not to give enemy the chance of upper hand over his life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the miracle hand of God to come upon you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Today, people are still retaining the spirit of building Babel Tower.

Isaiah 14

Man’s wicked executions will not escape the attention of God. God alone made all man and He sees all man’s wickedness before man’s execution. Jeremiah 1:5 buttressed, “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.” God’s word to Jeremiah does not exempt no man. God wanted the people to fill the earth but their word of negative confession of not to become scattered over all the surface of the earth was the word of God for them to be scattered with confusion language.
Pride of the people was the evidence of the people’s move to build themselves a city; a tower whose top is in the heavens; and to make name for selves at Babel. Today, people are still retaining the spirit of building Babel Tower which is evident as a mark of pride that destroys man. The word ‘us’ was the language of the people with no reference to the name of God. The attitude of man was in line with ‘I’ which is of Satan the father of pride. The bible recorded in Isaiah 14:13-14, “I will ascend into heaven…I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will be like the Most High” Like Satan, people were driven by Rebellious pride. Three judgement from time of Adam to the time of Babel were the result of the wickedness of pride before God and all were scattered. Three judgement of early time were sinful humanity: The expulsion from Eden (Genesis 3) Flood of Noah time (Genesis 6-9) Scattering at the Babel. (Genesis 11) Luke 1:51 talked about God scattering the people because of pride.
Babylon, the city of ancient pagans is mentioned/believed as site of confusion because there the Lord confused language. Babel (and Babylon) serves as a name and symbol of activities directed against God. (Revelation 17)
Babel was a building outside of God’s word. Paul’s word commends us to let the word of God build us, to give us our inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32) To be building outside of God is giving a position for sin. Sin scatters. Arrogance that is rooted in pride was the motivation of the people. To build Babel is a symbol of human pride. Babel is the tower of confusion.
How are you building? Who have you joined to be building with? Are you building outside or inside of the word of God? No matter how small or how big you are building; no matter how beautiful is what joined in building; there is a need to build in the word of God. Before God there will be no reasonable excuse for building outside of God. It is important to take it to mind that God’s time is coming to scatter or establish what man is building. Building in the word of God shall be established to the glory of God. Do not build Babel.

Prayer for today: Ask God for your faith not to fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: Building outside of God is not hidden from God.

Genesis 11:1-9, Jeremiah 12

The Tower Babel is the evidence of disobedience. Disobedience is wickedness. Wickedness is knowing about the word of God by having the word of God in the mouth and not do as commanded by God. Jeremiah 12 :1-2 buttressed, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.”
Knowing about the word of God and not do the word of God is taking to a position of pride. Wickedness was the cause of flood destruction during the Time of Noah. (Genesis 6:9-13) After the Noah’s time of destruction man continued to be living life of wickedness. Destruction of Noah’s time was not a lesson for the people to change. Under heaven, man always forget and not learn from past and present mistakes. Just as it was in the past so it is same today that pride remains to be way of life for man. Leaders in the name of pastor, apostle, prophets are not exemption of engaging with past failures without considering the consequences of the sin of wickedness.
God instructed man to fill the earth stating, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Instead, they made the choice to build a unified culture and constructed a tower as symbol and seal of their common identity. God wanted them to fill the earth but they wanted to build a city for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) People’s move to Shinar was a direct opposition to God’s command to multiply and fill the earth.
Building Babel outside of God, people were prompted to build with the use of bricks for building a large structure because they wanted to become famous. The people wanted to be like the Nephilim(giants) before the flood. The people wanting to be like Nephilim was indirectly looking back to the past to invite the past occurrence of flood destruction. Arrogance that is rooted in pride was there motivation to make name for themselves. The people were self-centered without having God as the center of focus which resulted their fear. The people, because of their fear, they did not want to be scattered.
Building outside of God is not hidden from God. To build outside of God, outside of His command is exposed to God. It does not matter to build secretly, openly, thought-fully, God is above to see it all under the heaven. Be mindful of God to build inside His word.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to build up outside of Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Sin and sinning is not excusable before God.

A failure not to do the commandment of God’s word is nothing but disobedient. Disobeying God is sin. With sin, no man can reach God. Disobeying the word of God does not have excuse before God but only lead to consequence. Is sin and sinning your way of life? Adam and Eve violated the word of God and there was no reasonable excuse for their sin. Truly, Adam did not ask God for woman helper it was God’s idea for Adam to have an helper as documented, “…But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:20-22)
God’s response to Adam’s sin and Adam’s excuse for his sin is recorded, “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So, he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Adam’s excuse does not count before as the Lord God dealt him with the consequences of his sin. Be warned, know and understand that sin and sinning is not excusable before God. As a temple of God, are you taking care of your temple God? It is written, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) For real, as a believer, do you not know that you are the temple (House) of God? As regard to the temple of God (you) the bible stated, the consequence of not knowing to take care of the temple of God, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17) Are you defiling the temple of God in you? It is important for man to be keeping the temple of God. God will not accept any excuse for the failure to be keeping temple.
Jesus, by His word and action clearly demonstrated the intolerance against not keeping the temple. Once, He drove out those who bought and sold in it. (Luke 19:45) Jesus declared the violation of the temple, “My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46) Are you violating His temple or you are elevating His temple?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to be a failure in all the calling of God upon your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Claiming to trust God without having hope in God is not complete to receive from God.

Exodus 33, Acts 3:1-10

Jesus has never lied but man, particularly acclaimed believers lies to themselves because of ignorance. Unfortunately, ignorance makes a destitute of a believer. More so, ignorance is the evidence of lack of knowledge…rejecting knowledge. Indeed, God is true when His word stated, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6)
With understanding and knowledge, man shall be able to receive: when man recognizes the presence of God; man, should know not to look away when asking from God in the name of Jesus. Jesus does not lie when He declared,  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Recognize God’s presence to receive: Moses, after having experienced the miracles of God, he could not recognized the presence of God when he called to God asking, “Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 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 33:12-13) Moses was asking God for His way because he was not able to see God’s presence. God responded to Moses by stating, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) Just like Moses, are you asking to receive from God because you were not able to see His presence?
Do not look away from GOD to receive
A lame man was in right position and did correctly to receive his healing in the name of Jesus through Peter and John. However, for him not to be short from receiving of his asking, Peter prompted the lame man not miss out of his healing stating, “…Look at us.”  So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.” (Acts 3:4-5) Like the lame man, are you asking with attention but not looking at God for His hand?
In asking, in seeing His presence without looking away from Him is the clear evidence to trust and hope in God. Claiming to trust God without having hope in God is not complete to receive from God. Jeremiah 17:7, buttressed “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Jesus does not lie and He has never lied, He has never fail. God will give when asked from Him with understanding and knowledge. Whatever man do wrongly will not deliver right answer. To do right is to get right answer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of knowledge and understanding.