FAITH CAPSULE: Maintain the word of God to retain the presence of God.

Genesis 3

Shame, disgrace, embarrassment is not a place for a child of God. Shame is a product of sin which makes man not to show face or makes man to hide from taking a stand on a God given ground. God gave Adam and Eve every good to make life answered as live able in peace and not be exposed to wickedness. God gave command to Adam for a way not to enter into shame saying, “…Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) However, Adam and Eve violated the command of God that was put in place to retain God given ground. Adam and Eve gave to temptation by eating from forbidden which God commanded them not to eat. The Lord has given you a place of fame not a place of shame. God has given you an honor of ground not of dishonor at the ground of assignment.
Are you maintaining the word of God to retain God given place and ground of God?
The devil approached Adam and Eve, “And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;  but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5) The temptation of the devil was the interaction of violation of God by Adam and Eve. Violation of God’s command led Adam and Eve to sin that positioned them in sin.
Which negative interaction are you engaging on your God given ground?
Adam and Evil could not hear God’s calling because shame took over their person. Bible recorded, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8-10)
In their shame, they were naked and hiding on a God given ground when God visited them. Shame over Adam and Eve and they could not see God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to keep you from the route of sin.

FAITH CAPSULE: In all your ways, consider God to establish your connection in Him.  

Ezra 1, Psalm 150

Moses was speaking to the Israelites when he stated, “Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39) What he said to the Israelites speaks to all. How often do you consider the wonders of God? Considering God will open man’s heart to think carefully about God and to reflect on His awesomeness. Considering God is to regard, to believe, to pay attention with respect and honor to God. Considering God is to know that indeed there is no other God but Him. He alone is the creator of man; He is in position to take charge over all that revolves around man.
Proverbs 21:1-2 buttressed the awesomeness of God, “The King’s heart is the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Cyrus king of Persia had no choice but to move in line with what God has drawn up for his life. Evidently, the Cyrus’ heart during the first year of his reign, “… made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4) God, through Cyrus king of Persia, opened a door for the children of Israel to come out of captivity and rebuild the temple. Who can probe the limits of the Almighty? The heart of man is not beyond the hand of God to activate our breakthrough or deliverance through the Cyrus king in our life. Consider it that God shall stirred up the heart of man to favor us.
Consider how it was time for the children of Israel to return to their home land from the captivity of seventy years, God used Cyrus, an unbeliever, to accomplish His purpose. Cyrus King of Persia could not avoid the stir of his heart from the hand of God.
God is the uncreated creator and He is also the unlimited that no man is able to limit His hand. In all your ways, consider God to establish your connection in Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to stir up your Cyrus to deliver your favorable breakthrough to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Lord God does have a need of us to live life of serving Him for His glory.

Exodus 10

God created man to serve Him. Jesus demonstrated the need of man to serve God when He called disciples to serve by following Him. Before the calling of disciples to serve, God’s calling of man to serve was the evidence of the calling of the Israelites when they were in the bondage of over four hundred years. God’s said to Moses, “…I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)
God our creator definitely demands for man to live life of serving Him. However, the enemy wants to keep man down from answering to serve God. The Israelites were kept in bondage of over four hundred years as a result they could not serve God for His glory. God repeatedly sent Moses to Pharaoh stating, “…let My son go that he may serve Me.” (Exodus 4:23) Just like the Israelites needed to be free from bondage to serve God, we all need to be free and serve God.
Evidently, any form of bondage denies man from serving God. Jesus verified the need of serving for the glory of God. Jesus’ desire of the service of colt/donkey shows how God needs man to serve Him. For Jesus to get the full service of the colt/donkey He commanded, “…Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (Matthew 21:2-3) Lord God does have a need of us to live life of serving Him just as Jesus called the need of the donkey and colt.
Without doubt, bondage is what ties down man from answering the calling to serve God. What is tying you down from answering the calling to serve God? Is it worrying that is occupying you as bondage? Jesus admonished, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:25-27) Are you allowing worrying to give way to bondage in your life? Come out of bondage of worrying, engage serving God to seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! (1 Chronicles 16:11)

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to keep you as His vessel for His service.

FAITH CAPSULE: When His calling comes, old things must be left behind.

1 Kings 19

Getting called by God and answering to His calling is commitment but not convenience. Elisha answered his calling with commitment. 1 Kings 19:19-21 recorded Elisha’s calling through Elijah, “So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. ²⁰ And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”” Answering to His calling requires leaving all behind and giving Him all attention. When His calling comes, old things must be left behind otherwise new things will not have a place in the called one. When calling locates man, moving forward must do away with the past. God’s calling is not a calling into religion but into Jesus reality.
In His calling there is a time to be sent out. He that calls man will not send man until man is equipped with all that it takes to carry His power. The Bible recorded that, Jesus, “…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) Apparently, the calling of a believer is to follow God’s calling fully. In His calling there is a time to be trained and ready to be sent out for the purpose of calling. Among the disciples of Jesus, none called himself, but Jesus called all.
Are you called by Jesus or you have placed a call on yourself?
His calling is a journey where commitment takes the place of convenience. Do you know your calling? If you have answered to His calling then you have a need to make yourself available to be sent out. Elisha’s calling, disciples of Jesus’ calling received order that no material should come between calling and the journey of their calling. Jesus gave power without any material because with Jesus’ power in hand all things work for His glory. Do not hold back your calling; be 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 answer His calling with commitment.

FAITH CAPSULE: Recognize identities of multitude to deny multitude’s agenda of hindrance.

1 Kings 17

Multitude (crowd) is a form of devil’s agent of hindrance. Multitude will deny man not to get to where the Lord has destined for man to be. Multitude ridicules; multitude discourages; multitude denies or delay man from rising above challenging circumstances of the life’s journey. When there is a failure to recognize the activities of multitude, one is set to be stagnated in the journey of life. In life, recognize or identify representative of multitude in your life. Stand against representative of multitude by put out or move out of representative of multitude to become an overcomer.
Put out crowd (multitude)
When man recognizes representative of multitude that is attempting to deny man to see, believe and receive from God, man should put out such agent of multitude. Jesus will put out all that represents the multitude (crowd) in our life. Once, Jesus put out the crowd in an attempt to restore Jairus daughter’s life. It is written, “But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl rose.” (Matthew 9:25) Multitude is a representative of evil that denies miracle breakthrough.
Peter taking to the word of God also put out the crowd when he prayed to bring Dorcas back to life.
Dorcas was described as full of good works when she became sick and died. Peter responded the request for Dorcas challenge; Peter recognized the hindrance of multitude as recorded in Acts 9:40, “Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”
Move out of crowd (multitude)
Elijah moved out of crowd instead of waiting to put out crowd when he prayed for dead life son of widow of Zarephath back to life. Elijah took the dead son and moved out of the crowd. Bible recorded, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.  Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”  Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” (1 Kings 17:19-22)
Recognize identities of multitude to deny multitude’s agenda of hindrance.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand for breakthrough in every hindrance.