FAITH CAPSULE: What name you being called against your interest, do not matter but look up to God for new name.

Luke 1:1-45

Whatever name man answers determine what man becomes about in this world. Jabez meant pain but he does not want to be a pain of his world. Jabez changed the meaning of pain by praying to God for what he wanted to be for his world. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 recorded, “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” Just like Jabez, do not answered to pain; the meaning of your name shall be changed to the glory of God.
Zacharias and Elizabeth were called barren at old age. Bible recorded about Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1:6-7, “…they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” Barren was a stigma over Zacharias and Elizabeth that were serving God right.
Are you being called a name that does not sound right for you? What is the stigma upon your life that is pain for you? What name you being called against your interest, do not matter but look up to God for new name. For Zacharias and Elizabeth, at their old age, their name was separated from barren forever. It is written concerning Elizabeth, “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” (Luke 1:36) Besides Jesus, there is none like John in the days of Bible. Yet, his mother, Elizabeth was called barren because people did not know that God was working according to His time. What are you being called? Barren, poor…? Answer to what you want to be and not what they see in you. The Barren eventually became the mother of a giant man of God.
Hannah was barren before she became the mother of Samuel. Samuel, the son of former barren mother served God as recorded, “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 2:18-19) Later, people called Hannah the mother of Samuel instead of calling her barren. God alone changed barren to mother all the days of her life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you in every area of your life to the glory of His name.

FAITH CAPSULE: Disobeying God is disengaging God’s presence.

Jonah 1

It is written, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-3) God called Jonah for assignment but Jonah disregard God’s calling by going in opposite direction of God’s assignment. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh but went down to Tarshish. Bible described Jonah’s redirection as “going from the presence of the Lord.” Many have been called but many disobey by taking to opposite direction. Disobedient to God is the evidence of going from the presence of the Lord.
Disobeying God is disengaging the presence of God. Disengaging God is the evidence of walking in self’s way not the way of God. Have you been called to God’s particular way? There is no other way that is right but only God’s way. Anyone that takes outside of His way will end up in the way of death. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Why not take to the way of God?
Obeying God’s calling is certain to deliver obedient man. In God’s calling and obeying His calling, it is set and certain that God will back up the obedient man for a positive result. Have you been called by God but fear for the assignment is scary? Is your challenges to obey God’s calling is the spirit of disobedience? Listen, go and answer God obediently, retain His presence and He will not fail you. I Thessalonian 5:24 encourages answering to God’s calling, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Disobedience of Jonah took him away from the presence of God and placed him in the belly of fish. The bible recorded, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17) Disengagement from the presence of God ordered self-affliction for Jonah. Spending days and nights in the belly of fish was not a fun fair but was a falling fail. Repentance and prayer will reengage man to God. Jonah could not remain outside of God but “…prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me.” (Jonah 2:1-2) God is merciful and He is still in the business of answering to the cry before Him. Do not disobey God to disengage His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His merciful in all area of disobedient to His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: Wickedness has been and is still increasing.

Psalm 73

Genesis 6:5-6 recorded, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Wickedness is the evidence of lack of fear of God. The lack of fear of God is from the heart which is far from God. The psalmist poured his heart concerning wickedness, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.” (Psalm 73:2-6)
Are you giving attention or ignoring wickedness of this world?
In the days of Noah, wickedness provoked destruction by water through the hand of God.  In Sodom and Gomorrah during the days of Lot, wickedness sin provoked destruction by fire through the hand of God. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Without doubt, God will not ignore the wickedness of the world of today. Jesus spoke as regard to the present wickedness, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30)
Today, are you paying attention or are you ignoring the wickedness of this present world?
Pay attention to the wickedness of today and not be a victim of any consequence of wickedness that is inevitable.
Jesus’ word was a threat to the wicked ones as they attempted to stone Him. Bible recorded, ^“Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:59) Jesus demonstrated our need to hide when challenges demands hiding. Learn to be hiding in the word of God in this wicked world and not be a victim of the consequence of wickedness.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be abiding in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Concerning your bondage, God shall give you reasons to sing for joy at God’s tenth time of your deliverance.

Exodus 12

In Egypt, after over four hundred years, nine plagues were not enough for Pharaoh to let Israel go free to serve God as requested by God through Moses. However, at the struck of tenth plague, Pharaoh had no choice but to let go the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years. It is written, “And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” (Exodus 12:29-32) Despite persistent long years of enemy’s forces against the Israelites, tenth plague was enough for undeniable deliverance of God for the Israelites. As the Lord God lives, your tenth year, tenth month, tenth week or tenth day that you have been tied down shall let you go free in Jesus name.
As a result of the tenth plague, it was with urgency that the Israelites were released free for God’s calling. Exodus 12:33 stated it, “And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”” As a believer of God’s outstretched hand, tenth time shall deliver your testimony of God’s deliverance. God is true and faithful to those who wait on Him. Concerning the Israelites in the hand of Pharaoh, bible also mentioned, “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Concerning your bondage, same God, the Holy one of Israel shall give you reasons to sing for joy at God’s tenth time of your deliverance.     In the hand of God, there is time for every turnaround and God will never be too late or too early to attend to you at your tenth time. Tenth year, tenth month, tenth week or tenth day shall bring forth God’s undeniable deliverance to the glory of His name. Are you looking at your clock to determine how long your situation persists? God does have His own time and plans, your timing will not move the hand of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to remained focus upon His outstretched hand of deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Resting in God’s promise is the evidence of trusting and hoping in the hand of God.

Exodus 14

After the deliverance of Israelites by the hand of God from the bondage of over four hundred years, they could not disregard the spirit of fear from Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea. The bible recorded, “So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 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.” (Exodus 14:9-10)  The Israelites allowed fear instead of standing on the power of God. Enemy is a liar but man should remember to take a stand in the testimonies of God. The statement of Psalm 119:31 is an evidence of standing on the testimonies of God, “I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame!” Psalm 119:79 also recorded, “Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies.”
Can you remember any testimony of God as evidence that God is never a failure in your life journey? In response to the fear of the Israelites, bible recorded, “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
When God promises, it is certain for man to claim the promises of God by resting in the promises of God. Resting in God’s promise is the evidence of trusting and hoping in the hand of God. King Jehoshaphat was faced with war against Moab and Ammon. As a result, “King Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3). In his prayers, he reminded God concerning the works of God’s hand and God responded by sending Jahaziel who delivered God’s word of promise stating “You will not need to fight in this battle, position yourselves, standstill 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) The Word of God is true to deliver only if we will hear and believe.
Are you anticipating any representative of Pharaoh or Moab and Ammon in your life? Disallow fear; stand still and see victory over your enemy. King Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel standstill as God delivered them from their enemy.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to stand on the promises of God.