Faith Capsule: it can never be too late waiting on God for miracle visitation.

Acts 12:1-25

Miracle is defined as an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. Miracle is sometimes translated as signs, wonders which carry out God’s purpose. Miracle is God waiting to make His move when every breakthrough possibility appears to be stalled. When miracles happen it is not because we know how to make it happens, but because God knows what He wants to do for His name to be glorified. Often, miracle could be prayer provoked or grace in place. Miracle is miracle not luck. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and God is still in the business of miracles.
Is there any area of life that seems like every possibility of breakthrough has been stalled? With God there is always a way out. It will always be too early to give up but it can never be too late waiting on God for miracle visitation.
Among many other miracles that were recorded, is the miracle of Peter. He was set for death by King Herod who had earlier killed James the brother of John. Without any way of escape, Peter was supposed to be King Herod’s next victim. The bible recorded, “And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seizes Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.” (Acts 12:3-5) To make his death sentence easier for Herod, Peter was asleep and not praying. In the case of Peter, the prayers of brethren received the attention of heaven.
It is written, “And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” (Acts 12:6-8) Peter walked into salvation and he was delivered from the hand of sudden and untimely death. Remind God, concerning the works of His hands, and He will not relent concerning your confronting issues.

Prayer for today: Ask God not to withhold His merciful miracle concerning every area where there is need for deliverance and preservation in your life.

Faith Capsule: One that does not fear Him cannot seek Him.

Psalm 33

Why we should fear God is that nobody is hidden from Him. With God there is no hiding place. Psalm 33:13-15 buttressed, “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” God is always looking on us to see who fear Him because the fear is God is the conclusion of all that matters in living life. One that does not fear Him cannot seek Him. Seeking Him is observing His word, to observe is to obey because no one can possibly obey without observing the word. God is always looking down and Psalmist stated, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:2-3) Again, to fear God is in studying Him. How do you know the one you do not study? Fear that drives studying is where man gets the understanding to fear God.
With understanding of God, two things can never be denied in the life of one with understanding:
1. “…But knowledge is easy to him who understands.” (Proverbs 14:6) One with the understanding of God will always have a knowing edge easily over what is befalling man, over what man cannot get over easily; peace that surpasses all understanding becomes of one that knows how to get over challenges that is getting over man.

2.  “Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding…” (Proverbs 14:33) Wisdom is the instruction of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24 stated, “…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God…” Wisdom of God in the heart of man is Jesus in the life of man. The only way to have Him in our heart day and night is to meditate on Him and He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Joshua 1:5-8)
King David a man identified by God as one after God’s own heart volunteered to teach the fear of the Lord when he stated, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11) David knew what he was up to when he made his statement to the ones who has ear to hear. The fear of God kept him; saw him through life’s terminating challenges; the fear of God in him is what God saw while looking down from Heaven and He was able to identify as one after His own heart.

Prayer for today: Ask for the fear of God to take over your life.

Faith Capsule: No vehicle goes back and forward at the same time.

Numbers 14:1-38

Do you fear God enough to follow His command? Those that follow His command follow His word. Those who follow His word are the ones that fear Him. “He promised I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8) It takes the one that fear Him to be able to receive instruction from Him. It takes the one that fear Him to go by His teaching. Ones that are able to receive instruction and go by His teaching will undoubtedly be under the guidance of His eyes.
With God, looking back is not an option because He is a forward going God. Looking back is not focusing on God. Looking back is an avenue to complaining. With God there is no place for complaining because it complicates and terminates journey. The Israelites could not stop looking back as a result; complaint took the center stage and terminated their journey to the Promised Land.
When Pharaoh finally released the Israelites from the bondage of over four hundred years, every step they took forward, they turned to look back on the life they were leaving. Complaining about every need was a major breakdown that denied them from getting to the Promised Land. What in your past is holding you back from going forward? Have you ever seen a vehicle that is going forward and backward at the same time? For the Israelites, the memory of passing through Red Sea was very fresh at mind yet they could not stop complaining about their situation.
The Israelites began to complain for lack of bread, Exodus 16:3, “And the children of Israel said to them, oh that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” It is unimaginable that a people who have just witnessed the Hand of God in action would turn around so soon. In getting through in the journey of life, there must be an understanding that complaining directly or indirectly will not get any to divine expectation. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the children of Israel, that came out of Egypt through the Red Sea failed and did not reach the Promised Land. Let yesterday be yesterday in your journey. Do not complain. Turn from complaining to praising Him with a heart of thanksgiving. Only then will God enable you in all areas of life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from the spirit that causes man to complain.

Faith Capsule: Zealousness for God is the key to become a winner for God.

John 2

Zealousness is described as, fervent or enthusiastic devotion or being passionate about one’s own believes. Going by definition of the word Zeal, what does it mean for one to be zealous for God?
In Jesus, we see what it means to be a zealous one for God’s glory.
The bible recorded, “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (John 2:13-17)
The action of Jesus is a demonstration of Zeal for God. Jesus would not have been able to flush out negativity in the temple if not for the zeal that was upon Him. In man, Zeal for God is the evidence of boldness and character which is a winning combination.
Are you zealous for God?
Just as zeal is needed in the life of New Testament believer, so it was for the Old Testament believer. The bible makes us to realize that we are the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 stated, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Do you have what it takes to flush out all that does not represent God in your temple? Jesus was able to flush out the temple that was turned to a joint for buying and selling because He was zealous with God’s Zeal. Is your Zeal is God’s zeal or zeal for man’s attention? Jesus stood His ground to do what was right by flushing out negativities in the housed of God. Today, there are so much that needs to be flushed out of temples but believers do not have the zeal to engage flushing out of temples all that is not of God. Zealousness for God is the key to become a winner for God. Zealousness is source of boldness and character to live for the glory of God. Zeal for God does not come by determination. With prayer and desire for the Zeal for God, God will deposit in you all that it takes to be zealous for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the Zeal for His house to eat you up. 

Faith Capsule: Let not asking why be relevant in your journey.

Exodus 13

The truth is, the “why” in the life of a believer often lead to the way of getting to the center of divine assignment or the Promised Land. Sometimes the why avenue is the only way out of situations that are not accommodating in the life of a believer. Why you are in what you are could be the way the Lord has chosen for you get to where He is taking you. Throughout the pages of the Bible, many giants in the hand of God were in a why situations that eventually lead to their center of divine assignment for the glory of God. Moses was in a why situation when he moved from palace to desert; Joseph, just by obeying his father’s command to go and check his brothers on the field ended in a why situation when he was sold as a slave, Daniel and many others went through different avenues of “why me”.
At the time the Israelites were coming out the bondage of over four hundred years, the children of Israel went straight into their “why” avenue when they were lead into the way of wilderness instead of the way that would have been shorter for their journey to the promised land. Exodus 13:17-18, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” With God as the center of your life, you never know where and how He is going to take you through. Why go through the way of wilderness; the way that does not look promising? Why? The way of the wilderness was the Lord’s leading way for the children of Israel. He is the only God that is God; He alone sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. Regardless of where or how is leading, there shall never be a failure if man goes by His leading.
Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” God was speaking to Jeremiah and what He says to one speaks to all. The One who made you is in control and He shall not fail to see you through. Let not asking why be relevant in your journey. The Holy One of Israel shall see you through.

Pray for today:Ask God to help you to only focus on Him.