FAITH CAPSULE: A heart that engages meditation on the word of God disengages negotiation with the devil.

Luke 22

It is written, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to dead.” (Jeremiah 17:9) The Bible clearly demonstrated that the heart is where the rise and fall of man begins. It is what flows from the heart of a believer that makes a believer. The heart of a believer will make or break a believer. Among the part of a believer, the heart is the most important target for the devil to launch its attack. Judas spent time with Jesus and went to places with Him. Despite Judas’ entire experience with Christ his heart volunteered for the devil to manifest. The book of Luke 22:3-4 stated, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.” Satan went after the vulnerable heart of Judas and he was able to establish his plan of betraying Jesus. Invariably, faith will fail when the enemy attacks the heart.
Peter was close to Jesus but was not an exception of becoming a victim of the devil. Once Jesus said to him, “…Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) The only proven target for the enemy to strike is the heart.
Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, were not forced to voluntarily sell their possession to buttress the fellowship of others, but they came up lying about the proceedings. The bible recorded, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself? (Acts 5:3) Hearts need to be constantly engaged through meditation day and night. A heart that is engaged by meditating the word of God is disengaged from negotiation with the devil. Determination to keep focus from letting Satan have its way can be disappointing. It was determination that failed Peter when he was determined not to deny Christ and eventually denied Him three times. Thank God that Jesus had already prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. It is a wise thing to join King David in praying Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  God answers prayer. Meditate the word and keep your heart from the agenda of Satan. What is the state of your heart?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constantly kept from the moves of the Satan against your heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Psalm 73

1Samuel 2:3 recorded, “…For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” He sees all things because He alone is the creator of all things. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing to God. The fact that wicked ones are growing just like the righteous one or more and better than the righteous one, without God’s reaction against the wicked is not an evidence of God’s approval. Indeed, God see it all and at His appointed time He shall judge. God does have His way of catching up with the wicked ones.
Are you in a hurry to see God’s judgement of the wicked?
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. The bottom line of it all is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:30: “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Where do you stand?
Are you a representative of wheat or tare? At every time of rainfall and all that contributes to growth, both wheat and tares are in position to be benefited. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction identifying tares from wheat. Also, it cannot and it should never be a surprise to see tares growing better than wheat. Awaken from your sleep because the harvest time is coming. It will be here and it does not matter how long or how soon it takes to come. All that will make the difference is for you to be faithful in doing the will of the Father just like Jesus said, “Not every man who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21) Will you be willing to step out only unto God? Have you thought about your stand lately?
Are you paying attention to the way the wicked are living life?
The psalmist could not look away from the wicked when he stated, “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 73:3-6) God is never asleep nor slumber; God will cause the wicked become separated at His appointed. Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from every agent of destruction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pay attention to gain in the word of God that is absolutely not fail able.

Proverbs 4

The book of Proverbs admonished, “Hear my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding.” (Proverbs 4:1) Many are hearing direction in the word of God; the promises of God but not answering in the word of God to live life to the glory of God. Listening ability gives way for paying attention to following direction in the word of God and possessing the promises in the word of God. There is no way the word will work when understanding is not in place for the hearer of the word. The word specifically stated that we should “hear the instruction and give attention to understand.”  Understanding the word of God is the key to living life as a winner; understanding is the key to excel as a child of the most High God in the face of the wicked world. God does not waste word and that is why the word of God mentioned, “…and in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) Hearing is not enough; hearing is only enough when you are able to give attention to know understanding. It is certain that the word of God that you hear and give attention to will definitely make you up in life.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One that was in the beginning realized it that man was not getting the understand that is required for living life abundantly when He questioned and answered retrospectively, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) It is clear that listening disability is the key not gaining understanding in the word of God. From the word of Jesus, hearing and not getting the result from what is heard is the evidence of listening disability.
Do you have listening disability? Listening disability is the eminent enemy to gain the understanding in the word of God which makes difference for man to live life to the glory of God in the wicked world.
An acclaimed believer that lacks understanding will struggle and not found it easy to exercise knowledge in affairs of the world. However, an acclaimed believer with listening ability to hear the word of understanding never struggles with exercising knowledge when there is a need for it. Proverbs 13:6 buttressed, “…but knowledge is easy to him who understands.” Are you one that hears and give attention? Do you have understanding? The best way to identify yourself if you have listening ability to hear the word of God is that, your heart becomes a resting place for wisdom. Proverbs 14:33 best described effect of listening ability stating “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding.” It is important that you search yourself if you are getting the word of God indeed and in truth.

Prayer for today: Turn to God today and ask for help not to perish because of lack of understanding.

FAITH CAPSULE: With the spirit of satisfaction, desirer will not outrun possession.

Philippians 4

In the journey of life, every one that is called by God needs the grace of contentment to get to the center of divine assignment. Imagine Moses coming out of the Pharaoh’s palace to live in a desert? Pharaoh palace must have been a place of comfort where everything makes man not wanting to give to sacrificing for God. Moses lived for forty years on a high ground. It was not in Moses plan to move to a desert when he suddenly became a resident of a desert land. In Moses’ attempt to defend his Hebrew brother from an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian. The killing of the Egyptian was not hidden but triggered Moses to flee to Midian (desert land) for his life. Moses’ fleeing for killing the Egyptian unknowingly positioned Moses in his journey to the center of his divine assignment.
Among the pointer to his qualification as a leader was recoded in Exodus 2:21 stating, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” Imagine the kind of shift Moses must have endured.
Contentment also means satisfactory. To be set up for God’s assignment consciously or unconsciously demands high level of satisfactory spirit in man. Contentment points to the evidence of God’s fear in man’s life. Proverbs 19:23 buttresses, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”  The book of 1Timothy 6: 6-10 stated it, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The book of Philippians 4:4-7 mentioned the identities of one that is living life in satisfaction…that is one who is carrying the spirit that makes man to be content. Among identities of man with the spirit of contentment are mentioned in the book of Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoicing in the Lord always is visible in the life of one with contentment; one’s gentleness is also known to men; one becomes anxious for nothing but in everything rendering prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving to God; the peace of God which surpasses all understanding answers in the life of one who lives life with contentment. One with the spirit of contentment shall not become a covetous one and with contentment man shall serve God steadfastness.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be steadfast in serving Him with the spirit of satisfaction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Overcome hindrances not to deny desire in life.

Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus meaning pure, desired to see Jesus. With pure and sincere heart, he took charge to go after the desire of his heart and grace answered on his behalf when he eventually received Jesus into his house. Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus overcame hindrances that were in place to deny him the desire of his heart. Among Zacchaeus’ hindrances were his profession as a tax collector and his short height. A tax collector was not characteristically the kind of person who went out of his way in order to see and have encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus demonstrated that man’s way of living life is not enough to deny man from ultimately engaging and achieving desire to have Jesus into their life. Despite Zacchaeus’ short stature in the midst of crowd, his desire elevated him to position him where he could not be denied of his desire to see Jesus.
What are the challenge or the challenges that are standing your way from seeing Jesus and having him entered into your house?
Despite Zacchaeus’ hindrances, the Bible says in Luke 19:4, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus is an example of someone that knew what he wanted, and how to get what he wanted from the Lord and Savior. Zacchaeus could have run ahead and stayed in the front line of the crowd. However, he took no chance when he decided to run and climb into a sycamore tree. It can be extra difficult for a short man to climb into a tree, but the purity and sincerity of Zacchaeus’ heart to see who Jesus was energized him to go all the way for his desire.
Are you taking charge by not allowing any hindrance to deny you of your desire to have a life changing encounter with Jesus?
The apostle Paul declared that, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”(1 Corinthians 15:10)  When there is a desire to receive Jesus, grace will deposit what it takes for desire to become manifested. Also, labor is what it takes but not laziness to go the extra mile in getting desires deposited in the life of a believer. Zacchaeus did not labor in vain because Jesus noticed him. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.”(Luke 19:9) Indeed and in truth, pure which is the meaning of Zacchaeus’ name is the evidence of living up to the meaning of his name. It is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Zacchaeus did not just see Jesus, but received Jesus into his house because he sought him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of sincere desire to seek after Jesus.