FAITH CAPSULE: At this moment, it is time to turn to God and not be a victim of sin.

Psalm 73, 94

When the children of Israel came out of the bondage of over four hundred years for their journey to the Promised Land, they all passed through the Red Sea. The whole population of the Israelites journeyed under the same cloud of protection; God gave them all the same light and fire to lead them for direction and protection. In the same journey, all the Israelites were able to drink from the same rock as God allowed. During the journey, sinners and non-sinners were not separated by God but all were exposed to what the Lord was doing to keep them on a good footing in their journey. However, when it was time, in the eyes of God to separate sinners from non-sinners God was perfect with no mistake. God did not struggle or experience the failure to identify sinners from non-sinners among the population of the Israelites. God is a merciful God; He is a longsuffering God; He alone is in control of time and He operates at His appointed time of separating sinners. Until the appointed time of God to separate sinners from non-sinners, the blessing of God was reaching the whole population of Israelites. Are you getting away with sin by enjoying the blessings of God that covers the whole population of sinners and non-sinners of earth?
From the beginning of the year till this moment the mercy of God is answering to the population of sinners and non-sinners. However, think about the journey of Israelites where sinners were eventually separated by not crossing to the Promised Land. At this moment, it is time to turn to God and not be a victim of sin. God does not overlook sin; no sinner is out of His reach but He is waiting for appointed time to separate sinners from non-sinners.
God is not in rush to do what He has set to do and no man will push the hand of God before His appointed time. Jesus reinforced the truth about the timing of God when He mentioned about the time of harvest. 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.” Growth of sinners or non-sinners is not beyond God’s appointed time. Psalmist was curious about sinner’s growth as stated, “O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the triumph? (Psalm 94:1-3) God is not curious but you should be focus on your journey.

Prayer for today: Have mercy on me O Lord and let me not miss it in the journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the past months to the coming months, the hand of God is not short to deliver and preserve.

Daniel 1

In this wicked world, disallow challenges from denying you from maintaining your focus upon the hand of God. As a result of the fact that your expectation of last month did not manifest, it is never too late for the manifestation of the coming months. In this wicked world, we are to keep focus on God by hoping on the hand of God that is not short for intervention. God is a merciful God that does not sleep or slumber. God does not overlook His children but shall respond at an appointed time. Time is in the hand of God but only clock can be turned back and forward by man. In the past months to the coming months, the hand of God is not short to deliver and preserve, look upon the hand of God.

Isaiah 50:2 recorded encouraging word of God, “Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.” The word of Isaiah 59:1 also buttressed the grace of God’s hand that is not shortened stating, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”
Can you see in the above word that the hand of God is worthy to look upon regardless of wicked world?
Imagine how a young captive Daniel was able to maintain his believe in the God of his father despite the fact that life placed him in the hand of Nebuchadnezzar at a young age. Daniel refused all that could deny his focus on God while in captivity. At one point, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) As a captive, Daniel’s challenges did not set him up against his God but positioned him for promotion from level to level.
What is your stubborn challenge in the past month? This day, be encouraged, be rest assured on the hand of God that is not short. God’s hand is not short to deliver and preserve His children in the coming month.
In the time of challenges, Daniel’s promotion could not be denied because the hand of God was not short for Daniel. Despite Daniel’s promotion, Daniel ended up in the den of lion. However, the lion received promotion because lions refused not to touch Daniel’s life. The promotion of lion’s consumption was the families of Daniel’s enemies that attended Daniel’s life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the agents of the evil in your life to become consumption for lions.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is worthy not to play around the business of God because God will not overlook sin.

Hosea 4

Hosea 4:6 recorded the word of God, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Evidently, demonstrating lack of knowledge or demonstrating half knowledge is rooted in the failure not to remember the law of God. Have you forgotten the law of God or you do not know the law of God? God is a gracious God but will not overlook the consequence for man that despises His law. God is not a God that will entertain any form of excuse from man that despises His law. Forgetting the law of God to do wrong before God shall provoke painful consequence.
Are you considering a reasonable excuse for despising the law of God?
Adam had a good excuse when he violated the law of God. He ate wrongly when his wife, Mrs. Eve persuaded him to eat wrongly from the wrong tree. God approached him, “…Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11) Adam stated a good excuse as an answer to God, “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Adam had a reasonable excuse which is true that he did not asked God for Eve; it was God’s idea to give him Eve. However, Adam’s excuse was an evidence of lack of knowledge and he forgot that God never do wrong.
The case of Nadab and Abihu is a sure testimony that ignorance is not an excuse before God. Nadab and Abihu demonstrated lack of knowledge concerning the word of God. Every lack of knowledge exposes man to a risk of devastating consequences. Leviticus 10:1-2 recorded, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” There was no time for both sons of Aaron to give an excuse to escape the consequence of their lack of knowledge. Nadab and Abihu had witnessed the offering many times but that did not qualify them to carry out the offering. Many are witnessing, many participates responsibilities in the church, but it is not an evidence of knowledge that is required. It is worthy not to play around the business of God because God will not overlook sin.
If you are operating without a full knowledge, it is time to learn, understand and avoid painful consequence of lack of knowledge.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to be forgetting His law.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling.

Mark 6:7-13

The expectation of answering God’s calling for man in life is to answer fully. Answer the calling of God fully not just flow as a crowd. His calling comes at His appointed time. In life, no man decides the time of His calling. Among the disciples of Jesus, none called himself, but Jesus called each and every one. It is written, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”” (Mark 1:16-18) Without doubt, the disciples were not prepared at the time of their calling but turned to the calling upon their life and followed with no turning back away from Jesus. Has He called you when you are not ready?
His calling requires leaving all behind to give Him all required attention. Has He called you and yet the old baggage is still hanging around you? In His calling, old things must be left behind otherwise new things will not have a place to stay in you. The Bible recorded what is about His calling, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts-but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.” (Mark 6:7-9)
Are you ready to move away from your past?
The One that calls you will not be able to move you forward until you are able to move away from your past. Above all, the One that calls you did not call you into religion but into Jesus reality. Also, in His calling there is a time to be sent out. He that calls you will not send you until after you have been equipped with all that it takes to carry His power.
Are you called by Jesus or you have placed a call on yourself? In answering to His calling, commitment must take the place of convenience. In answering to His calling, be ready for a journey but not a jolly ride. Without His calling and you answering, sending out will not come forth.
What is holding you down from turning aside and making yourself available for His calling? In His calling, He shall give power in the place of material of this world. Give up all unto Jesus by answering fully to His calling. The word of God assured that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to put the past behind and answer fully to His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: To fear God is to live life abundantly.

Proverbs 19

God identified Jesus in Luke 3:22, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”” Jesus was sent to us freely but the blessings He brought along to us demands condition. The condition was identified in Luke 9:35, “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”” Hearing Him by listening is the way to be blessed. It is impossible to hear His word by listening and not do His word. He is our wisdom, our instruction that will make the hearer of Him live life abundantly. Jesus confirmed, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Hearing Him by listening is the source to fear God. Are you allowing the fear of God reign and rule your life? To fear God is to live life abundantly which is the blessing Jesus brought to man.
Proverbs 19:23 stated, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. In life, to have the fear of God will definitely cause man to abide in satisfaction. With satisfaction that is rooted in the word of God, your life will shut out the evil one.
Are you hearing Him enough so as to be satisfied, living life abundantly? Judas was called by Jesus; he was in position to hear Him day and night but yet disqualified his calling. Judas could not be satisfied. Judas’s lack of satisfaction led to his lust for money. In life, lust for money will cause anyone to become vulnerable to evil agenda. Bible identified Judas’ lust: “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:4-6) Judas loves money. Judas was not satisfied. Judas was not content but contaminated by lust for money. 1Timothy 6:9-10 recorded about the evil of satisfaction which is lust, “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.” Search your heart to know way in life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to reign and rule your life.