FAITH CAPSULE: Are you hallowing His name?

Numbers 20:1-13

Jesus taught prayer stating, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” (Matthew 6:9) Hallowing the name of God is blessing, respecting, sanctifying, deifying, and revering the name of God. The name of God deserves honor. Proverbs 18:10 identified the name of God, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” What is limiting the understanding of the name of God in your life?
Moses wanted to know the name of God before delivering the message of God to Pharaoh as God identified His name. The book of Exodus 3:13-14 recorded, “Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” It is important to know and always remember that the word of God is not a waste when He stated that He is a jealous God. A jealous God definitely demands attention in every meaningful to call on Him or to answer His calling.
Are you hallowing His name?
As great as Moses was in the hand of God, his sin that deprived him from stepping on the Promised Land was the result of his failure to hallow the name of God. When God commanded Moses to speak to the rock for water to quench the thirsty of the Israelites, Moses went and struck the rock. (Numbers 20:7-9) Moses’ act dis-hallowed God and it counted against Moses as disobedient before God. God responded to Moses, “…Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”(Numbers 20:12)  A failure to hallow God is an evidence of lack of belief; it is also a rebellious to God as bible testified in Numbers 27:14, “For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes…” Trespassing against God also counted as dis-hallowing God against Moses, “because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:51) As a result of the truth that Moses did not hallow God, the word counted unbelief, rebellion and trespassing against Moses. Know to constantly hallow God. “The Lord of Hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear.” (Isaiah 8:13)  In your walk let God know you fear; when you go before Him in your prayer know to hallow his name.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be a failure to hallow Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Forgiveness can also come with condition.

Luke 7:36-50

The bible recorded conditions that provoke forgiveness of God for man. Among conditions for forgiveness are confessing, repenting, faith and loving.
Confession provokes forgiveness: When we made confession God reacts with forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 recorded, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The book of Psalm 32:5 also testified that confession is way of receiving forgiveness in the hand of God stating, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
Repentance provokes forgiveness:
Repentance must come from depth of heart. To be repentant and not to go back to the ground of sin is making a choice not to be held down by sin but to be forgiven. Repentance of sin, wickedness that provokes forgiveness states in, Acts 5:31, “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 8:22, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”
Having Faith provokes forgiveness:
God alone sees faith that is genuine rooted in the heart and in act. When faith is demonstrated in the sight of God forgiveness is provoked to deliver the hand of God. The healing of the story of the roof tearing faith by a paralyzed man was the result of his forgiveness. It is written, “Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:18-20) Jesus saw his faith, Jesus forgave him his sins and he was healed.
Love provokes forgiveness:
The sinful woman was forgiven by Jesus. With love, she approached Jesus with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil; she wept; she washed His feet with her tears; she wiped them with the hair of her head; she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. She loved the Lord but she was the sinful woman of the city. Forgiveness of the woman by Jesus provoked question by the people. Jesus talked to Simon, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”  Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:47-48. Jesus’ talk with Simon confirmed that love provokes forgiveness. Let us have a heart of receiving forgiveness from God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to be a victim of unforgiving.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the place to do right do not engage a wrong doing.

2 Samuel 11

Engaging a right assignment in a wrong manner will deliver a wrong result. King David engaged right assignment when he sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel to battle but he got a wrong result for himself as he stayed back by not leading to the war. The Bible recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”(2 Samuel 11:1) At the time David was to be at the battlefront instead of being at home he invited the battle home for himself. King David used his rightful power to unrightfully take possession of Uriah’s wife. Uriah the Hittite was at the battle ground when David made his move. It is written, “Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.  And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:4-5)
David made the choice to be at the right place at the wrong time. David was supposed to be at the battlefront, but made the choice to be at home at the wrong time. David’s absence from the battlefront generated devises that are outside of God. He committed adultery and also extended it to murder. Sin is like a disease that does not stop itself when there is a choice in place to engage sin. Wickedness was the sin of David. In the place to do right, are you about to engage a sin wrongly? It is always good to go back to God before the enemies use you as a ground to expand your sin. David could not put away his choice of sin but took his sin to another level. Bible recorded, 2 Samuel 11:14-15, “In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” On that morning hour David could have been in the presence of God seeking for forgiveness but turned out to be time for him to orchestrate Uriah’s death in the battle.
God rightfully positioned David as a king but he took his rightful position to commit rightful act. Regardless of your God given position, inside or outside of church, always remember, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)

Prayer for today: Ask God to take your moments and your days to be concentrated unto Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: His testimonies are worthy of mediation.

Psalm 119:1-48

God is the perfect creator. He has been creator since the beginning by using His word. Genesis 1:1-3 testified, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” God created by speaking His word. Definitely, the creation of God by the word of God is God’s testimony. Without doubt, testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7) In keeping by meditating the testimonies of God there is blessing, rejoicing, riches, counseling and it keeps man from shame.
Are you constantly meditating on His testimonies? The Psalmist confessed testimonies in Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies…” Psalm 119:14, I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, As much as in all riches.” Psalm 119: 24, “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” Psalm 119:46, I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.” The testimonies of God are all the things that He has done, things He is doing, and the evidence of what He can do. His testimonies are worthy of mediation.
In the journey of life, keeping the testimonies of God is getting to the expected end. The Israelites could not keep to the testimonies of God’s promise. The Israelites could not meditate on the testimony of God as a vessel to the Promise Land. The Israelites’ repeated complaint denied generations from stepping on the Promised Land. God responded in Numbers 14:22-23, “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.” God promised to take them to the Promised Land. He showed them great and mighty signs in Egypt, and on their way out of Egypt. The signs and wonders of God are His testimonies. Are you constantly meditating on His testimonies?
Meditating on His testimonies will provoke faith in the journey to your God given’s promise. Hebrew 11:6 buttressed the exploits of meditating testimonies of God, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Meditate on the testimonies of God; Please God and your journey shall be pleasant.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be keeping the testimony of His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Seeking to see Him should be a life style.

Luke 15:11-32

Deuteronomy 4:29 stated the standard of seeking God, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” To seek God with all heart and soul is to see God. In life, maintain a position of not far from God is seeking Him. Seek God with all heart and soul steadfastness and know that seeking to see God is not a casual engagement. Are you one who seeks God when it is convenient? The truth about seeking God should be an unending engagement as long as there is life. Seeking Him should never cease.
Seeking Him should be a life style. To stop from seeking Him is to have taken a position of far distance from God.
David that was identified as a man after God’s own heart advised his son Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
Do you desire to not take a position of far distance from God? Some claims to be seeking God but heart is far from God. Today, world can be the distraction from seeking and seeing God. Also, the challenging of ministration of the word today is mincing the word of God on ground of seeking God. Most grounds where to seek and see God is only decorating word of God. Decorating word of God only makes man feel good and emotionally aroused instead of drawing man to God. Leonard Ravenhall once stated, “If Jesus preached the same message ministers preach today He would never have been crucified.”  It is important to be on a ground of seeking God to see God rather than becoming a part of funfair gathering. It is important to seek God in truth and not to be a victim of becoming one that is far from God. Seek God in His word; take every word of God that draws man to see God. Are you far from God? Today return to God just like the prodigal son returned from distance back to his father. Luke 15:17 stated, “When the prodigal son came to himself…” The prodigal son came to himself as he returned, he repented, he regained, and he was re-established back in the presence of his father and not far from his father. Rise up today and call for mercy to draw you fully to Himself and not be a victim of wandering into the far from God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to draw you closer to God.