FAITH CAPSULE: In the hand of God there is deliverance.

Ezra 7

A song goes, “Lord I lift your name on high…You came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross…from the cross to the grave from the grave to the sky…” Jesus’ position must be the right hand of God. It is written, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19) It is said of Stephen at the time he was being martyred for his faith, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55-56) In reference to Jesus, 1 Peter 3:22 documented, “who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” Jesus, the living word of God has His position at the right hand of God.
It was with the word that God created all that was created. John 1:1-3 recorded, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” All that gives life are in the right hand of God. Jesus came from His right hand to give life. The Psalmist knew exactly better by stating, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16) Evidently, the right hand of God is all that we need to ask to for.
In the hand of God there is deliverance. It was with His mighty and outstretched hand that brought the children of Israel from slavery of over four hundred years (Deuteronomy 5:15). The hand of God, when it comes upon one it will help just as it helped in the days of the Old Testament. Ezra testified the hand of God as the agent of granting every request during their time of rebuilding Jerusalem (Ezra 7:6) Ezra also testified to the hand of God as gracious (good) when they were able to get to Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:9) Ezra 7:28 also stated, “…So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me…” Ezra repeatedly testified the hand of God as stated, “And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.”(Ezra 8:31) What would one do without the hand of God in life?
As a believer, look up for His hand for direction, deliverance and preservation.

Prayer for today: Ask help from the hand of God for direction, deliverance and preservation.

FAITH CAPSULE: Faith causes man to seek God diligently.

Hebrews 11

Knowing the truth is God’s expectation from true believer. God wants believer to know the truth and the truth shall make man be free. (John 8:32)
Knowing the truth is having faith.
A truly faithful shall be free from what God identified in the early days which stated, “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.” (Genesis 6:5)
Truly faithful is what we need to live in life to please God by not having heart continually occupied with evil.
Hebrews 11:6 said it all, “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.”
It is how much faith we have in God that will cause us to seek God diligently. Faith we have comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) With understanding of faith as stated above, the knowledge of the description of faithfulness is what enhances a true believer.
The Bible described faith, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)
In this description of faith, it is clear that two things will happen in the life of truthful believer: Obtaining good testimony; Understanding the word.
Obtaining good testimony:
Good testimony is God’s testimony. When good testimony is obtained, it settles forever. For example, by faith he obtained god testimony because he dwelt in the land of promise. Abraham obtained when he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)
Sarah: By faith she obtained good testimony where there is no evidence of her expectation.
Bible recorded for Sarah, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11)
Just like Abraham and Sarah, faithful men such as Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses were able to obey God and obtained good testimonies.
Understanding the word: Understanding the word of God will cause man to stand as a believer in this wicked world. Understanding is the key to apply knowledge. For any who clearly understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, there should never be a faith failure. Having understanding is to know that the word of God which framed the world is more than enough for one to obey, dwell and wait on word of God in engaging and overcoming the challenges of life as one who is in command.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to truly become faithful.

FAITH CAPSULE: when a believer give less to the word of God the world will occupy more of believer.

John 8:31-47

Jesus spoke the truth to those who believes, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
The word of God is truth.
Knowing the truth is not the same as knowing about the truth.
Knowing the truth does not turn a believer to become a liar, deceptive and manipulator.
Knowing the truth is to fear God and the truth of God turns man to become free.
Any believer that dwells in the word of God is positioned not to drift away from God. Believers that are drifting away from the word of God are neglecting great salvation. The book of Hebrews 2:1 admonished us, “…we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” To live life as a believer that is true and not live as a liar, must give the more earnest heed to the things heard in the word of God.
Are you living life as a true believer?
Are you fellowshipping with one heart, one soul that build up all things in common in the fellowship?
Are you not violating spirt of God and great grace upon your gathering?
Through the pages of the bible, the word of God repeatedly admonished man to be a truth believer stating, “…give the more earnest heed to the things heard in the word of God”.
The word of God demands from believers to, “…give the more…” Asking from us to give the more is asking additional or increasing of hearing in the word of God. Word is not asking us to give a casual attention to the word of God. Giving more earnest heed in the word of God is serious intention and having regard to the word that will make us a true believer.
To be a true believer is not just quoting bible verses, it is not only attending fellowship or holding a position in the fellowship gathering.
Also, to be exposed to bible teaching and not be imparted by the word is the evidence of not giving earnest heed in the word of God.
Today believers are very busy for the world more than giving more earnest heed in the word of God. Definitely, when a believer give less to the word of God the world will occupy more of believer.
Man can be a liar, man can deceive a fellow man but God cannot be lied to or deceived.
We have to know that the word of God is steadfast and unfaltering as a source of great salvation. Give more earnest heed in the word of God, let truth take over in your life. Proverbs 12:22 said it all, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be a true believer.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you mindful of God that is mindful of you?

Psalm 40

The book of Acts 13:22 recorded God’s word about King David, “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” Word testified that David is a man after God’s own heart meaning that David knows the heart of God. David pointed out God’s loving care for man. In book of Psalm 8:4, 144:3 he asked, “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?” By virtue of David’s curiosity about God’s mindful for man, it is clear that indeed God is mindful of man.
We have a gracious merciful God. Despite man’s consistent sinful engagement, God remains consistently merciful. Are you mindful of God that is mindful of you?
Mindful of God is thought of man.
The revelation of God’s will for man is the thoughts of God towards of man.
God confirmed in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God meant what He said and He will do what He says He will do. God’s thoughts are good thoughts; God’s thoughts toward man are not in the assembly line, God’s thoughts are already in place for man to understand and know. God’s thoughts are in place and are waiting for man to enter into it. Truly, God is mindful of man.
The plan of God is for man to enter into what He has already put in place if man will know to ask. Jesus encouraged in Luke 11:9, “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.” Jesus did not ask us to beg for what is in place but to know to ask, seek, and knock. Asking is praying or calling on God through the name of Jesus Christ. A prayer that will never miss its target is asking for the will of God to be done. If there is any plan or place where a believer will want to be, it should be in the will of God. Jesus taught His disciples to always pray for the will of God (Matthew 6:10).
In your prayer are you asking, seeking, knocking the will of God?
King David admonished, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1) In his waiting, he positioned himself in God’s word.
Wait patiently to receive and not miss God’s promise.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s mercy to be upon you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Clearly, sin is unbelief and it is a passage to death.

Psalm 106

Among avenues to sin and sinning are: Lack of understanding the wonders of God; forgetting the works of God and failure to believe God. The above mentioned were apparent among the Israelites and is evident in man today.
Lack of Understanding the wonders of God:
Bible recorded, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of your mercies, but rebelled by the sea-the Red Sea.” (Psalm 106:7) Lack of understanding leads to: rebellion, complaint, negative confession.
The Israelites confessed in Numbers 14:1-4, “…And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt…?”
They sin and God responded, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness…” (Numbers 14:28-30)
Understanding is not of the mouth but of the heart. It is through understanding that we know that having life today is not a merit but the mercy of God. Having understanding God’s wonders will cause man to remember and eliminate rebelliousness nature. Word testified that understanding, “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it…” (Proverbs 16:22)
Wellspring is a source of abundant supply. With understanding we have abundance of life which Jesus brought for us. With sin because of lack of understanding, life becomes wasted like the Israelites that sin and died in the wilderness.
Forgetting the works of God:
“They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.” (Psalm 106:13-14) If man fails by not become mindful of God’s works, the spirit of forgetfulness shall lead to sin. The Israelites forgot; they could not wait on God but died in sin and not get to the Promised Land.
Failure to believe God:
“Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word” (Psalm 106:24)
They despised the meaning of God’s words and took a wrong way outside of God’s plan for their life. Disobeying the word of God is the evidence of lack of belief. God promised to take them to the Promised Land but spy’s negative testimonies provoked unbelieving act. God is holy and with sin no man can reach God.
Just like the Israelites, man does not understand the wondrous acts of God, forgetting the works of God and failure to believe God are sinful route of untimely death.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from known and unknown route of sin.