FAITH CAPSULE: In the face of challenge, only the grace, goodness and mercy of God will make the difference.

Luke 1: 1-17

It is written, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:5-7) In life there is none that is exempted from challenges. However, God is more than able to deliver. Despite the faithfulness of Zacharias and Elizabeth before God, they were not exempted from challenges of life. Serving and seeking God could not deliver the answer of Zacharias and Elizabeth’s prayer for child at their younger age. After so much time praying for child, the hope of having a child was almost impossible in the understanding of man.
Does this sound like you?
Have you lost hope and accepted challenges as destiny?
Challenges are not because God did not hear your prayer, neither is it an evidence of unrighteousness. However, keep on waiting on God and not be discouraged. God is not asleep regarding His people but does have a plan for the faithfulness. Do not stop praying to God who knows how much prayer has been rendered in the face of challenges. Zacharias waited in prayer but answer did not happen at Zacharias expected time, but at the Lord’s time. In the face of challenge, only the grace, goodness and mercy of God will make the difference.
For Zacharias and Elizabeth, it was late to receive answer from their prayer, but their miracle was not late to bring to pass the plan and purpose of God.
God remembered Zacharias whose name means, “Jehovah remembers” and he received his breakthrough miracle. While Zacharias was serving God in the temple of the Lord, he had an encounter with a visitation of God. The bible recorded, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’” (Luke 1:11-13) The angel from God came to pass on a message of miracle to Zacharias. Indeed, prayer of Zacharias and Elizabeth was long, seemed to be late before man but answer delivered at God’s appointed time. God is never late if man remains focus and not replace God with gimmick. With God man might be late but time with God is never wasted. In the face of challenge, keep eyes on God and testimony shall be glorious.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to maintain focus on God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do you know to ask or you only know about asking?

1 Samuel 1

When blind man Bartimaeus received information that Jesus was passing, he knew to cry out for his need. It is written, “And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”(Luke 18:38-39) Blind man does not only know what he wanted, but he knew to ask. To know to ask is different from to know about asking. Bartimaeus made a move to ask for mercy with assumption that Jesus knew his problem. Jesus knows our problem but He wants us to know to ask for what we want. Do you know to ask or do you only know about asking? Jesus wants us to know and ask. It is written, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) Without doubt, Jesus knows our need but engaging Him by asking is a demonstration of faith.  After Bartimaeus’ noise making of asking for mercy, Jesus decided to remind him to ask, “Saying, what do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” (Luke 18:41) When are you going to start asking rather than making noise?
Hannah could have died barren, until she asked for a son from God instead of being quiet under the comfort of her husband. Elkanah was giving preferential treatment to make Hannah comfortable with her barren situation. However, at one miracle trip she received her breakthrough when Peninnah, the second wife of her husband provoked her. The bible recorded Hannah’s response to Peninnah provocation, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.  Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (1Samuel 1:10-11) Hannah’s bitterness of heart provoked her to ask for what she wanted. All the while, Hannah was going to Shiloh with nothing to show off until she knew to ask and her story was rewritten from barren woman to mother of Samuel. Evidently, Hannah testified that she asked for Samuel from the Lord, “…Because I have asked for him from the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:20)
Do you know to ask or you only know about asking?
Bartimaeus asked, Hannah asked, and now it is your turn to ask.

Prayer for today: As you pray, ask God for your need, also ask to be surrounded with songs of deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Who can be like God?

Jonah 1, 2

God alone is the Master Planner with details in His hand. Time is in the control of God but man can only interfere with clock. God will call man to His attention regardless of how man avoids God. Jonah attempted to avoid the calling assignment of God but he could not run away in the sight of God. Jonah 1:1-3 recorded, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Under heaven, no man can avoid God’s calling. Jonah ran, he avoided but was exposed to the eyes of God. When it was time for God, Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Are you one that is running away from the hand of God?
God does have a way of calling man’s attention.
When it was time for God to call Moses there was no way for ignorance to avoid God. Exodus 3:1-3 stated, “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” In the place of your ignorance, are you willing to turn aside and give attention to the calling from God?
Joseph’s calling was in repeated dream as stated, “There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” (Genesis 37:7) “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” (Genesis 37:9)  Joseph’s dream was not well received when it was revealed to his brother. Joseph was rebuked by his father and his brothers for his dream. Joseph’s dream was his divine assignment, but the steps to get there were not unfolded. Our times are in the hand of God. Man controls clock but God controls time. Joseph’s dream at age seventeen was manifested at age thirty. Who can be like God?

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you in His righteousness and not fail to answer His calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: Mockery to miracle demands attention with expectation.

Acts 3

The grace of life is not a right but a privilege. To be alive today is not a merit but a mercy of God. Gracious God turns every frustration into celebration; God converts stagnation to motion and God alone will convert mockery into miracle. God alone is the healing healer; He is the eternal surgeon and He is the providing provider. Only God inhabits eternity whose mercy endures forever. God cannot fail and His living word cannot be broken.
Elisha’s servant could only see stagnation in the hand of enemy and reported to Elisha. The bible recorded that enemy sent, “…horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.  And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”(2 Kings 6:14-15) The servant of Elisha saw fear when he reported to his master and he does not know how to escape the forces of enemy. Elisha’s servant gave self to fear. As a prophet of God, Elisha only knows to behold God in times of challenges. Elisha responded to the fear of his servant, “So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17) The prayer of Elisha caused the servant to see that they were not in stagnation but in motion to overcome the hands of the enemy.
Are you in situation that is causing man to behold the enemy or to behold challenges of the wicked world?
Lameness can be a mockery. A lame man that is limited in motion needed miracle in the place of his mockery. Acts 3:2 mentioned, “…certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.” Begging for alms was the portion of the certain lame man. Evidently, the certain lame man desired to come out of lameness. Mockery to miracle demands attention with expectation. The lame man gave attention with expectation as Peter said to him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”  And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.  So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:6-8) God is yesterday, today and forever. For your miracle, behold with expectation for manifestation.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to only behold Him in all situations.

FAITH CAPSULE: In the name of God is the all-inclusive way to become an over-comer.

Exodus 6

Without any doubt, there is no other god that shares or answers to the same name with God. He alone is the Almighty, He alone is the King of kings; the eternal rock of ages. Exodus 24:17 described God, “The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.” Hebrew 12:29 buttressed, “For our God is a consuming fire.”
Pharaoh with stone of heart rejected God’s request for the release of the children of Israel as he turned to Israelites with extra labor. The expectation of freedom became dim as Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters to inflict more labor on the people. Moses wanted to know why God added trouble on the children of Israel. God responded to Moses with assurance of a strong hand that the Israelites shall be let go. God introduced His name to Moses, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ’I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.’” (Exodus 6:2-3)
Are you asking, seeking and knocking in times of trouble? Are you the one that is attempting to lead the Spirit of God or allowing the Spirit of God to lead you? The word admonished us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
Concerning your challenges, call the name of God by asking, seeking and knocking. Asking, seeking and knocking are not emotional approach but an approach of expectation. It is important to get the understanding that in the name of God is the all-inclusive way to become an over-comer. When God is called, He will not only remember the caller but He will rescue the caller, He will redeem the caller from bondage. A caller of God’s name shall be delivered and be defended. To call on the name of God will cause God to visit with salvation.
Do you know His name? Knowing the name of God is different from knowing about His name. It is important to know that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) The name of God brought the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years. God alone was in the beginning; He is the same God who will always be beyond forever. His name is the LORD!

Prayer for today: Ask God for the understanding to call on His name indeed and in truth.