FAITH CAPSULE: How will you respond in a journey where Jesus is Lord?

Luke 8:22-25

 Crossing over does not come by accident but for God’s purpose to be fulfilled in the life of His creation there are times for a need to cross over. Jesus once led His disciples to cross over. It is written, “Now it happened, on a certain day that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake. And they launched out.” (Luke 8:22) In any crossing over that is meant to settle man for the glory of God, faith has to play a direct role. In every crossing over it is faith that will allow launching out. Without launching out there will be no crossing over. And in launching out, challenges will always show up with the attempt to delay and deny the one that it is set to cross over. However, with the living Word of God on board, it will not matter what comes to delay or deny crossing over to the other side is certain.
How will you respond in a journey where Jesus is Lord? When the disciples were exposed to the challenges that were embedded in their crossing, they lost their sleep and were awake because of the fear of the storm. Could it be that the disciples’ faith was growing slowly while Jesus was with them? The Bible mentioned, “But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.”(Luke 8:23-24)
Do you have Jesus in your vessel? It does not matter if you are asleep or awake, the storm will come, but the bottom line for you is that having Jesus in your vessel is a guarantee that victory is certain. Why not be still, trust in Him and He will never sleep over when the storm rises to a challenging level. The journey to other side, the journey to cross over is a challenging one, but it will require unwavering demonstration of faith. Jesus responded to the storm and reacted to His disciples, “But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”(Luke 8:25) Jesus calmed down the storm and reacted by questioning the faith of His disciples. Is there any storm rising in attempt to drown you? Jesus is asking you, where is your faith?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that your faith shall not fail in the storm of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Getting to the mountaintop will require a constant looking up to God.

1 Samuel 18

The hand of God over the life of David delivered David’s giant into his hand for permanent termination. He progressed from being a shepherd boy to shepherding a nation from destruction in the hand of a giant. With unexpected rising as his people champion by virtue of God’s hand over his life, one will assume that David would take an easy and unchallenging ride to divine center of Gods calling (mountain top) for his life. However, getting to his mountain top became a challenge that demands constant focus on God as he journeyed through every mountain and valley.
Have you seen it clearly that the Lord is taking you up, but you cannot tell which route it will take you to get to your mountaintop? God told Abraham to go and offer Isaac on one of the “mountains of which He will tell” (Genesis 22:2b). Abraham knew that he was going to get to a mountaintop, but he never know which one. Getting to the mountaintop will require a constant looking up to God. When David was anointed to become the new king, he could not take over the reign without rains of challenges falling upon him. King Saul repeatedly attempted to kill David when he saw the hand of God upon David’s life. The hand of God over one’s life will always entice the wicked to attempt one’s termination. David’s challenges were aggravated when the women began to sing praises of David about the killing of Goliath. “Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?”” (1 Samuel 18:8)

Pride inhabits anger, jealousy and evil devises. In response to praises rendered unto David, pride set up Saul against David’s life. Saul did all in his power to offset God’s calling upon David, but David was set by God for the mountaintop and no man would have been able to stop him with God’s fear in his heart. Saul threw spears to pin David to death a number of times; he set him up against the Philistines in attempt to kill him but all was in vain for Saul as David remained focus on God. If God has privileged one and have one set for a mountaintop, there is a need for one to readjust one’s focus directly onto God. David focused on God and it was recorded, “And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.” (1 Samuel 18: 14) Just like David, one that focuses on God is set for wise behavior that is rooted in the fear of God and destined for divine center of God’s calling.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to reign and rule in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A call to serve the Lord is a call to stand out of the affairs of the world.

Mark 6: 7-13

In the days of Jesus, crowds followed, multitudes thronged Him, but only twelve were actually called. The word states, “And He 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) Before He called them to Himself, they left all they had behind. Have you been called and yet to leave behind all that does not count in His calling? A call to serve the Lord is a call to stand out of the affairs of the world. Jesus called them in order to send them out to serve. Jesus did not call His disciples so that people could serve the disciples. Jesus’ calling is for serving others and not for His followers to remain being served. In His calling for your life, are you serving or are you being served? If Jesus has called you to Himself, He will deposit power in you. If in your acclaimed calling, power is not being demonstrated you are either being served or have yet to receive being called to Jesus Himself. Did He call you or you have called yourself?
The twelve were called and power was deposited in them over unclean spirits. The twelve that were called left under the command that was given to them by Jesus. The command of Jesus is power to heal, power to deliver, power to preserve and power to create. Are you operating in the calling of Jesus based on His command or your own conviction? The disciples took commands from Jesus and went further in their assignment. It is written, “So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:12-13) The disciples that were called by Jesus went and came back with testimony of miracles. The word stated that many who were sick were anointed with oil and got healed. Could the power given to the disciples be the oil in their hands? Consider the word in Isaiah 10:27, “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.” Jesus, the Anointed One gave His word to His disciples and the power to heal and to deliver manifested. In Jesus’ calling, there is power when the response to serve is selfless but God-full.

Prayer for today: Ask grace to answer to His calling diligently.

FAITH CAPSULE: Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle.

Acts 9:1-22

The conversion from Saul to Paul was the enablement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul testified to this in 1Timothy1:12, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Before Paul was counted faithful by Jesus there was enablement in place. Paul’s enablement took place when Jesus’ name sounded in his direction. Acts 9:4-6, “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul was an established persecutor and a hard hearted man that wanted to deny the mission of the Lord Jesus by all possible means. Saul heard the voice of Jesus, but he questioned the voice. At the sound of the name of Jesus, Saul questioned the name of Jesus but he did not have the power to resist. Saul was also astonished because the name was not for him to resist. “It is written, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. (Philippians 2:10).
Saul went beyond just bowing. He trembled with reverence and awe, and he was filled with astonishment. Only God alone knows what the future holds for us. God wanted to use Saul, but Saul wanted to depend on himself. Saul needed to begin to see where the Lord wanted him to see from. As a result, he lost his sight for three days and could not eat or drink for three days. Having lost his sight, God gave him a new sight that leads him into a new direction and a new purpose in life. Saul received a new direction to the center of his divine assignment. All this happened on his way to Damascus in an attempt to disable the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul was disabled from answering Saul and became enabled to be answering Paul. In the life time of a man, nothing could be compared like serving in the center of God’s divine assignment for every man. At the name of Jesus, Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle. Irresistible

Prayer for today: Ask God to sound His name in your direction. He is a faithful God.

FAITH CAPSULE: What people call you will make you.

2Samuel 9:1-13

In your life journey, not long ago, you had all that it takes to live life and to live it well because everything was in place for you. Things have now changed compared to where you were then. Forgotten; help is not in place neither in sight; hope dwindles; faith is failing; stagnation; living in shame and it just does not seem like there is a way out to where one as a believer wants to be. Does that sound like you? Above all, without any doubt, God is God. The Lord God is a good God and He has said in His word that His thoughts for us are peaceful and good. They are not of evil (Jeremiah 29:11) He is a wonderful God. Isaiah 55:8-9, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Remember that and that will solve the whole pain. The name of Jesus is what makes the difference. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27). He that made us in His image has a name that is meaningful. His name is a name that transforms and in His name there is power. As a creature in the image of God you should answer to a name that is meaningful; a name that communicates positively.
Mephibosheth the grandson of King Saul, son of Jonathan answers a name that makes the whole difference in his life. The meaning of Mephibosheth is, “One who destroys shame”. Once a grandson of the King, he lost his father, Jonathan, at age 5 and became grounded for years. Shame struggled to keep him down, but shame could not prevail because he was given a name that would make the difference. Most men, if not all, that were vessels of honor in the Bible answered and lived to the full meaning of their name. As a child of God, what is keeping you grounded? Can your name make the difference? For Mephibosheth, his name made the difference. Mephibosheth, by virtue of his name and the grace of God upon his life, King David was moved when he woke up one day without any prior notation to move to usher uncommon kindness upon him. 2Samuel 9:1, “Now David said, ‘Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” God is a listener too. They called Mephibosheth shame destroyer and there was no choice but to go out of the way of shame. What people call you will make you. What is your name?

 Prayer for today: Ask for the name of the Lord to in your life.