FAITH CAPSULE: In this new month, give Him uncommon praise-full attention.

Psalm 150

Nehemiah 9:5 stated, “…Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!” He is not a God to be compared with any of the fake gods. His name is what distinct Him and the difference has to be made clear. In praising Him, identify Him with His name. Psalm 8:9 confirmed, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” In all the earth, from the top to the bottom, at all the extension of earth, His name is excellent and forever shall there be no other like our Lord God. Is the name of God touching your love for God? Man that loves Him looks up to Him. The psalmist declared, “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” (Psalm 119:132) God is God, He alone is the mighty tower that is identified as the strong tower as stated in Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”  Just like the psalmist, any man with understanding shall know the name of God to overcome surrounding enemy or the enemy of the distance. Psalm stated, “All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.” (Psalm 118:10-11) Do you seek God by calling on His name or do you seek to exploit your surroundings by calling His name? Without doubt, a failure to seek His name is an avenue to shame. Psalm 83:16 said it better, “Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord.” Take note, the work of His hand declares that His name is near. (Psalm 75:1)
It is a new day, a new week, a new month at this time of the year. Praising and thanking the name of unfailing God demands understanding. Indeed, it is an evidence of understanding to know to call or praise the name of God. The Psalmist commanded, “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:6-7) Praising God has to be with understanding and when there is no understanding, there is no evidence of knowledge. Praise the name of God with songs and magnify Him with thanksgiving.God is a jealous God. God declared stating, “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…”(Exodus 20:5)  Praising the name of jealous God is giving him attention. In this new month, give Him uncommon praise-full attention and He shall deliver you with uncommon extension of His hand.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to honor Him with consistent praise.  

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s eyes are watching while man’s character is not hidden from God.

1 Samuel 2

Character counts before God. Testimonies of God over the life of some men like Abraham, Job and David are the evidence that God’s eyes are watching over all as the bible stated, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 14:2) “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth…” (2 Chronicles 16:9) “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous…” (1 Peter 3:12) Truly, the whole world, the population of man is not beyond God from seeing and spotting out every individual. God does not sleep nor slumber as He sees all.
What are you doing that is hidden from man but open to the eyes of God?
God testified about Abraham stating, “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23) Righteousness of Abraham was his action before God. The bible stated that, “For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3)
How are you doing before God’s eyes?
What we do on earth is what identifies all before God. God testified on behalf of Job in the book of Job 2:3, “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.’” God testifying His creation as a man of integrity must have been the result of having walked the walk and having lived the word of God. Besides Abraham and Job, David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not ignore anyone who lives up to His expectation. God is not a partial God but a God who is particular in seeing His creation live in line with His word. How are you living as a picture in the eyes of God? Are you an acclaimed believer that is living life for God to see for His glory? God cannot be deceived but many are lying, deceiving, and manipulating others in the name of God. Many believers today have church but they have no Christ by virtue of the message their life demonstrates.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. In life, it is certain that God does not look over the righteous way of man as Psalm 34:19 buttressed, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  God’s eyes are watching while man’s character is not hidden from God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to listen for His lead and instruction for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be compelled by the agents of the enemy let God be in charge of your decisions.

1 Kings 22:1-40

What is it that is compelling you, pushing you to be making negative decision over your life? In most cases, the combination of hate and fear can be a compelling force that makes man end up as a victim of enemy. The combination of hate and fear is a branch of pride. Having hate or fear is not of God. Fear is an opposite of faith. When fear strikes faith sink but when faith rises fear sink. It is worthy to settle and search the heart and know if the source of decision making is the evidence of the combination of hate and fear.
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went to visit Ahab the king of Israel when Ahab requested Jehoshaphat to go with him to fight at Ramoth Gilead. In response to Ahab, Jehoshaphat redirected Ahab to inquire for the word of the Lord. King Ahab could not resolved to suggestion of inquiring for the word of God but responded to Jehoshaphat stating, “So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!” “Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.”” (1 Kings 22:8) Indeed, hate surfaced in the life of Ahab by avoiding truth from the prophet of God. Ahab settled to inquire from prophet-liars that prophesied lying which propelled Ahab to go for his fight at Ramoth Gilead.
When it was time for Ahab and Jehoshaphat to go and fight at Ramoth Gilead, King Ahab suggested about going to the fight stating, “And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.” (1 Kings 22:30) Fear of King Ahab was rooted in his disguise. A failure for King Ahab by not inquiring the truth because of hate led him to ride on prophet-liars word by going to fight in disguise. Jehoshaphat went along with Ahab to fight without disguise.
Are you truly looking up to God or are you allowing hate and fear take charge over your decision making? King Ahab felt compelled to allow hate as he discharged truth; he put on fear by disguising as he went to fight. Ahab died in the place of hate and fear while Jehoshaphat returned alive as he turned to truth before going to fight.
Hating others, allowing fear is a way of becoming a victim of enemy. Do not be compelled by the agents of the enemy let God be in charge of your decisions.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to trust in Him with all my heart.

FAITH CAPSULE: Be alert to escape coming judgement.

Genesis 6

Wickedness of man in the earth provoked God’s destruction at the time of Noah and at the time of Lot. Deliverance from destruction in the wicked world demands from man to be alert.
Noah’s alert from destruction of his time was identified as his walking with God.
Genesis 6:5-8 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.  So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
Noah walked with God in his wicked corrupted world. Bible described him as a just man, perfect in his generation and found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8-10)
Lot acted alert by not been quiet to wickedness of his time. Lot was not quiet but acted against the wicked of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is of knowledge that weighs our action. (1 Samuel 2:3) Lot embraced men (angels) when he insisted strongly for them not to spend night in the open square.
Lot’s action was an alert that prepared him for the escape of judgement at his time. Lot acted against wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah when he kept the angels in his house. Bible recorded, “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally. So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!” (Genesis 19:4-7) As the people forced against Lot to break down his house, supposedly the angels struck the people with blindness. The men (angels) revealed destruction and escape to Lot and his family. Lot’s son-in-law joked over escape; Lot lingered (delay) to engage escape but he had favor that increased mercy for his deliverance. Lot escaped but his wife was destroyed when she despised the word of escape which commanded not to look back.
Lot’s act alert granted him “increased mercy” (Genesis 19:19) Among Lot’s alert for escape from destruction was recorded, “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.” (Genesis 19:29) Be alert to escape coming judgement.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of deliverance to be your portion.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is not going to spare current wicked generation.

Genesis 19:1-29, Matthew 24:36-44

Alert can be defined as: to be fully aware, attentive or be wide-awake. Alert is an attitude of vigilance or readiness as before an expected attack. Alert is the period during which such a warning or alarm is in effect. As a believer, are you alert? Today, are you expecting the arrival of God’s judgement over this wicked world? To work the works of God is to prepare and not be a victim of judgement hour of God.
How exactly do we work the works of God?
Jesus was asked about how to work the works of God in response to question, “Then they said to Him, “What we shall do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Jesus answered how to work the works of God as stated, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29)
Truly, believing whom He sent means to live life as a believer. That is to be living the word of God, by observing to do as the word of God required in the pages of bible. In this world, be alert by enabling self by studying to know what the word says, meditating word, stop deceiving self or others, truly seek word to know the truth. The bible said it all, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
Enabling by watching and praying is another way to be alert. Jesus emphasized the need to watch and pray. Watching and not praying or praying and not watching makes incomplete and not enough to keep man alert. Among ways a believer should watch and pray are, “…walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful…” (Psalm 1:1). The wisdom of The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins is an example of learning to be alert for the hour of judgement. Ten Virgins went to meet with the bridegroom but only five prepared not to miss but were alert. (Matthew 25:1-13)
God is not partial and will not spare the generation of today
Take note of the Sodom and Gomorrah, a wicked generation which God destroyed with fire. God is not partial; God is not going to spare current wicked generation. Today, be living by the word of God and not be a victim of destruction just as Lot was not a victim of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Importantly, be aware to be alert as living in the days of Noah. Matthew 24:36-37 stated,
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Work the works of God, be living the word and not miss the hour of judgement.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be living the word of God.