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.

 FAITH CAPSULE: It can never be too much in doing what is good; neither can it be too late to reap the fruitfulness of doing good.

Jeremiah 17

As a believer, you are not immune from seeing your good work turned to worse before man. However, a good deed that is true and genuine before God cannot be altered for worse. It is also important to know that challenges will come, affliction will prevail but deliverance is certain. Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” God is faithful to His Word. God meant what He said and He will do all that He has promised to do. Why not stick to His word in the pages of the scripture. The Word of God is true and they are encouraging to those that will take heed to it. In looking back to where you have started and where you are, can you make a claim to have sincerely embarked and engaged yourself in doing good and not evil? It can never be too much in doing what is good; neither can it be too late to reap the fruitfulness of doing good. Be encouraged if you have been doing good in dealing with a wicked and desperate world. Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” These two verses speak to encourage us.
The Word that is directly from God has never failed and He will never be late in carrying out His Word.  Be encouraged if all that you are doing is sincere to the glory of God, and with no hidden agenda for self-glorification. In your meditation, add the word of Jeremiah 32:19, “You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” He that has eyes and ears does have eyes to see and ears to hear. Let nothing or no one stop you from doing what will bring glory to God. There is nothing under heaven or earth that is too difficult for Him to do. All your mockery will be converted into miracle. You have to make up your mind and be encouraged and know that you will be rewarded according to the fruit of your good works. Do not think about or worry how long it will take, but rest assured that it won’t be long.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open the eyes of your understanding to do good in all your ways.

FAITH CAPSULE: Taking a position of vacation from hearing and understanding the word is a route of termination.

Joshua 3: 9-17

Having knowledge of the word of God is captivity impossibility and deliverance assured. It is written in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Isaiah 5:13 also mentions, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” Obviously, lack of knowledge sent the people of God into captivity. Knowledge has its source in the hearing and understanding of the word of God. When hearing of His word is backed with obedience, it becomes impossible for captivity to have its grip over the life of one that hears and understand the word of God. Whatever is being heard clearly and constantly will determine how one gets over forces of destruction. Also, whatever is being heard with understanding will create a way of escape where there is no escape. Indeed, hearing and understanding the word of God is by every means a great asset to growing in the knowledge of God.
The word of God is true and when a believer is true walking the word of God then the word will work for a believer. What are you constantly hearing? After the journey of over years; having heard so many times from God through Moses, the children of Israel had to continue to hear in order to be able to continue in their journey. For every believer to arrive safely at divine destination, taking a position of vacation from hearing and understanding the word is an unfailing route of termination. At the point of crossing the Jordan River, God gave Joshua directions that the children of Israel needed to hear as they progress in their journey to the Promised Land. Joshua called on the children of Israel and said, “…Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” A clear and compelling direction was laid down for the children of Israel when Joshua stated, “Come here and hear”. It is important to always go to where God’s direction is waiting, but it is even more important to also hear. If you have been going and not hearing it is incomplete. In the next verse, it is also clear in the word of Joshua that what they hear is what delivers the knowledge of what God was about to do. “And Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.’”(Joshua 3:10) Begin to spend more time in the word of God. Make hearing and understanding unfailing in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask God for deliverance over every  distraction that is denying man from hearing and understanding the word.