FAITH CAPSULE: Without questioning God, engage God’s calling.

Genesis 22

God called and spoke to Abraham, “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.” (Genesis 22:2) Abraham’s only son, whom he loves, was requested for as burnt offering by the One that was and that is in position to give and to take away as He pleases. Without questioning God, Abraham engaged God’s calling to sacrifice his son. As if it was not challenging enough to respond to God’s command for sacrifice, the journey to the center of sacrifice (the land of Moriah) was three days. Imagine how nagging it must have been in the mind of Abraham for not knowing the exact location and having to travel for three days. The bible recorded, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.” (Genesis 22:4) It must have been the longest three days of Abraham’s life and yet there was no record of complaint.
With complaint, Abraham could have made it the longest three days journey of his life. However, Abraham kept quiet and kept the journey short. The Israelites’ could not keep quiet to keep their journey short. The Israelites Complaint converted eleven days journey to forty years journey. The book of Deuteronomy 1:2-3 testified, “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.  Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them.” Eleven days journey turned out to be forty years journey because the Israelites could not resist from complaint against God’s ordained journey.
Many words will no doubt cause trouble. The Bible discourages many words when it commanded. “…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:19) Abraham kept his cool and focused on God’s command. It must have been difficult and challenging journey for him yet he kept on going through without complaint. Abraham, free of complaint, relegated distraction and elevated his focus on God. He gave a reasonable sacrifice unto God. By virtue of his commitment, God declared him as one who feared Him. Abraham released Isaac unto God in each step of his response. He demonstrated that he loved God with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength. There is a beginning and an end when a call of sacrifice comes our way; calling has to be carried out to the end. Obedience does not require a half heart; it requires whole heart (to wholly follow God’s command).

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of total obedience to His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Come out of religion and check into Christ reality.

1 Corinthians 3

Is the church (temple of God) for real today or only receding from what the word of God calls for the church to be? Bible identifies the church, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) So many claims to be for Christ (believer) with titles that are high to heaven, but none are in position like Abraham to be able to hear and see to observe according to the word of God.
Sin and sinning builds distance between man and God. As man continues to go and grow far from God because of sin and sinning, God whose nature does not tolerate sin withdraws Himself from man. Roman 3:23 buttressed stating, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” The glory of God, which is His presence, is not full but short in the life of man because of sin. Despite the shortage of God’s glory as a result of man’s sin, God does not permanently withdraw from man with His mercy on man. Imagine how beautiful would it be for man without sin before God that does not tolerate sin?
It must have been hard on Jesus when He asked, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” The Bible pointed out to us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) It is not possible to hear God and not live by the word. Not doing the word is evidence of not having heard the word. Jesus is actually asking that if he comes is there going to be a believer that is living by the word (To believe His word is to be living the word). Living the word is what makes man to be on a ground that is the same as that of Abraham, a ground where revelation is not rare but widespread.
Today, come out of religion; enter into Christ reality to become established on a ground (a position) of receiving revelation from God. As a believer, a Christ reality, live faithfully like Abraham. Know that to be faithful is a sacrifice and is not convenient; not cheap but costly. To be faithful is a commitment; a lifestyle to live for God and it enhances the flow of revelation from God.
Today, church has taken the opposite direction by turning away from God to the world. Turn away from the world and turn to God; be privileged of God, take to a faithful way of living life and revelation will flow from God to turn your world around. Remember, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18) More revelation breeds more restraints and the avoidance of evil occurrences.

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart into the fear of His Holy name and into the patience of Christ.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ability to see in what God says is the clarity of sight to possess in the word of His promise.

Deuteronomy 1

It is interesting how God’s promises for His children in the pages of the bible are well laid while His children languishes and not able to see and possess those promises. To be able to see in the promises of God is the provoking force that will generate a move in direction of possessing the promise of God. God promised the Israelites a land that flows with milk and honey (Promised Land). At a point in time, during their journey from the bondage of over four hundred years they made the choice to dwell too long at Horeb.
In the journey of life, dwelling too long away from the promise of God for a man’s life is a terminating force that denies man from God’s promise.
As a result of the Israelites dwelling too long at Horeb, God sent Moses to the Israelites stating, “The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land…” (Deuteronomy 1:6-8)
In the word of God, there was a need for the Israelites to see in the promise of God that the Promised Land was set for them. The Israelites should not have had any reason for doubt but to move forward and possess God’s promise. The Israelites proved short-sightedness by not moving forward but rather went forward with a spying mission. Moses testified, “Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.” (Deuteronomy 1:22) The Israelites limited the word of God that said ‘SEE’.
Ability to see in what God says is a direct effect to possess His promise.
Month after months you continue to dwell at the same ground.
Could it be that you are not able to see in the word of God which is the promises of God for you? It is time to ask for clarity of sight that you may see in God’s word and be able to move and possess His promise for you.

Prayer for today: Ask God that this season shall be your time of clarity of sight. You shall see in His word what it takes to move from mockery into miracle and possess His package for your life.

BEHOLD WORD AS MIRROR 

FAITH CAPSULE: Look into the mirror of the word for what you will adhere to adjust your life.

John 1:1-38

Have you received enough in His word to be living in the word of God? To be encased in the word of God is what it takes to escape and not be a victim of the wickedness of this world. If you will seek, you will see and be able to capture a secured future in the word of God which cannot be broken nor return to Him void.
How do you effectively engage the word? Begin to behold and see in the word as one looking into the mirror. Behold the word by constantly hearing and hearing with effective listening ability. Begin to see and receive in the word of God. You cannot see in the word and doubt what you see if you truly see. What you see you receive and it becomes of you. How you see yourself in the mirror before engaging your day determines how you carry yourself through the day endeavors. The first thing for man that sees self as sick in the morning will walk through the day as sick. Same applies to ones that see self with need to be pitied will walk through expecting to be pitied.
However, ones that looks in the mirror of the word and say to self “I shall not die but live to the glory of God” is set to rule the day with trust and hope on God. Make the word your daily routine; study the word continually not only when it is convenient. Allow the word of God to impact your perspective of life; allow the word to be your mirror which will identify you for breakthrough. Look into the mirror of the word for what you will adhere to adjust your life that you may have a great exploit in the life God has given you.
Daniel did great exploit and that is why the bible stated in Daniel 11:12, “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
Among the secret of Daniel which made difference in his life to do great exploit was praying three times a day. It was testified in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
Daniel must have seen Himself in the mirror of the word in the psalm of David which stated, “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) Look into the word and secured your destiny in the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your eyes and receive the word of God as your image.

FAITH CAPSULE: Does your character communicate your claim as a believer of God?

Matthew 5:1-15

It is written, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) By virtue of the scriptural verse above, it is clear enough that there is no middle ground in every word of God. As an acclaimed believer, you are either one who contributes to the earth as a preserver or one who does not contributes but takes the place of a non-preserver (destroyer). In the Bible days, there was no refrigerator that could be used for preserving food. Preservation of food was done by the use of salt. When Jesus stated that believers are to be the salt of the earth, He spoke in reference to what the life of a believer should be all about.
Acclaimed believer should be the one bringing impacting changes to his or her environment such as their workplace, neighborhood, family gatherings and much more. Jesus identifying salt as a preserver means acclaimed believers should be agents of preserving the decaying world of sin and iniquity. Instead, the world is changing believers because believers are adapting to world ideas in the name of evangelizing or accommodating the world. Believers are not to be changed by the affairs of this world. It is not enough to be a consistent church goer neither is it enough to be fluent in quoting Bible verses if our character does not communicate our claim as a believer of the word of God in the Bible.
Most believers today want to be quiet in their walk with excuse that they do not want to offend anyone by what they believe in. Imagine this, in the world of a kitchen where there is salt, how can it be that every food that is coming out of such kitchen is tasteless and unacceptable? Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men”. The salt in the kitchen that is producing a tasteless and unacceptable food has no effect because it is not being used or it has lost its flavor. Evidently, the salt that is not effective has lost its purpose. Such salt becomes a waste and it is to be thrown away. According to Jesus, a thrown away salt becomes an underfoot material.
What kind of salt are you?
Are you one that is bold in quoting the word of God without Godly character to back your quotation or claim as a believer? Believers of the word are to be a salt that seasons their world with godly and acceptable contributions. Choose to live life as a preserving agent according to the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from becoming a salt less vessel to your world.