FAITH CAPSULE: The woman with no good reputation was the first to deliver the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.

John 20

The bible identified the woman Mary of Magdala, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons…” (Luke 8:1-2) Mary Magdalene was healed of evil spirits and infirmities. The Mary that was healed was the last at the cross and the first one at the grave. Mary had testimony. As a result of her testimony she sought Jesus. The word of Psalm 119:2 was true in the life of Mary. The Psalmist stated, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.”
Today, many with testimony about Jesus resolved to only seeking Him by mouth and not from heart. It is written, “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” (John 20:1-2) She was the first to announce the disappearance of the Jesus’ body from the grave. Mary could have been looking to the disciples for an answer for the disappearance of the body of Jesus from the grave. This was the Mary who Jesus healed from the possession of evil spirits. The crucifixion of Jesus meant a great deal to her. Mary Magdalene love Jesus and she demonstrated it more after Jesus was crucified.
Does Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection mean anything to you like that of Mary Magdalene?  After Mary reported the rising of Jesus from the grave, the disciples found it difficult to believe her report. Mary had testimony and she sought Jesus. The bible recorded, “Mary stood outside of the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.”  Eventually, Jesus who was raised from the dead showed up to Mary Magdalene and spoke, “Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15) Are you seeking Him? If you have accepted Him and know that indeed He is alive it is time to begin to seek Him and only Him.
Mary Magdalene might have been a woman with no good reputation was the first to deliver the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Have you truly accepted Him as your Lord and savior? In this season of Easter celebration, let the testimony of His resurrection occupy you. Jesus is alive!

Prayer for today: Ask that the love of Christ will occupy your heart.

Faith Capsule: It is a day of rejoicing not a day  of living like one that needed to be pitied.

Mark 15:1-41

Easter celebration is a moment of celebrating the One that came to elevate us. In Him there was no fault but He was faulted when He was arrested and bounded. He was excessively beaten. The bible stated that they all forsook Him and fled. Peter one of His closest denied Him. Mark 14:55, “But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.” Peter denied Jesus by all standards. At a point he cursed and swore that he did not know Jesus. (Mark 14:71) We are talking about Peter denying Him. How are you denying Him?
He was disrespected. Mark 14:65 gave account about how He was disrespected, “Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.” Pilate scourged Him, the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they struck Him with their hands. (John 19:1-3) Jesus could have avoided all kinds of humiliation but he wants for us to be positioned at the juncture where humiliation will not have its way over our life.
Jesus carried the cross so we would be enabled to cross over. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. (John 19:17-18)
The account of His humiliation is not to provoke emotional sobering but invoke engaging Christ reality. From the time of His birth in a manger where sheep reside, to the point of death in place of a criminal, He demonstrated humility. Jesus had a set mind and it was a mind of humility. Are you mindful of Him? Philippians 2:5-9 admonished us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” Without humility there is no way one can become obedient to the word of God.
Let us celebrate our Lord with clear understanding knowing that, “…He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of understanding.

Faith Capsule: Are you making noise as a believer but yet living as a deceiver?

Mark 15:1-32

It is written, “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:17-19) Exactly what He said happened to Him. Jesus knew beforehand that all of His disciples were going to stumble and scatter at His arrest. Indeed and in truth all His disciples forsook Him as recorded in Matthew 26:56, “…Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” He was betrayed by His disciples then and today nothing has changed.
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Jesus? The bible recorded, “Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” (Matthew 26:69-70) Peter betrayed Him by denying Him. Are you betraying Him by denying Him? Doing what He commanded not to do is an evidence of denying Him. Peter blatantly denied Jesus three times to avoid suffering with Him. Every acclaimed believer wants to be identified with Jesus but none wants to suffer with Him or suffer just like He did.
Are you making noise as a believer but yet living as a deceiver? Judas took his own way of betraying Him to another level. Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles. He was their treasurer. John 12:6 introduces Judas’ thievery by saying, “…as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.” Judas disclosed Jesus’ whereabouts to the chief priests and elders for 30 pieces of silver. Judas identified Jesus with a kiss, addressing Him as “Master”
As an acclaimed believer, how are you betraying Him? Is lying, deception or manipulation your way of living life? Are you having any opening that Satan could enter into? It does not matter who you are or how long you have been following Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, Satan will attempt gaining entrance into man.
The route to becoming a betrayer is a failure not to watch and pray. Jesus warned, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” (Mark 14:38) Concerning Judas, the bible mentioned, “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.”(Luke 22:3)
One that enters into temptation because of lack of watching and praying takes a position of allowing Satan the tempter to enter. Are you an acclaimed believer that is watching and praying? Watch and pray; deny the tempter; do not end up as a betrayer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to have your door shut against all that does not represent Him.

Faith Capsule: A failure to remain joyful is the evidence that the word of God does not remain in man.

Exodus 15

The Psalmist stated, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130) Jesus, the living word of God spoke, “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The word of God is light and the source of joy. Jesus is the word of God. Do you have a place for the word to remain in you? Jesus was stated in His word, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) When His joy remains in you to fill you it becomes evident that you are a vessel of joy. The joy Jesus spoke to us about is only rooted in the word of God and not in the world we see. The joy Jesus spoke about is not triggered by what we see in the physical it is a joy that we see in the word. The joy Jesus spoke to us about believes God for what He has spoken regardless of the challenges brought by the world. Habakkuk 3:17-18 stated, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The word of Habakkuk buttressed the need to remain joyful in the face of daunting challenge.
A failure to remain joyful is the evidence that the word of God does not remain in man. Ones that are without the word will know to complain. Complain is the source of rebellion. The Israelites, after having seen the mighty act of God’s hand that brought them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea they could to maintain joy. Being joyful supposed to keep them going and trusting God regardless of challenges. At the time they came out of Red Sea, they had a need for water; they were quick to complain because they were not full with joy. It is written, “…when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:23-24) Joy was not in the Israelites and they were quick to complain. After their complain, “they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.” (Exodus 15:27) Allow His spoken word to remain in you, be joyful; do not complain but know that your answer is closer.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you that His word remains in you.

Faith Capsule: Asking is a demonstration of faith.

Matthew 7

What God says He will do is a done deal for anyone that knows to engage His word faithfully. The Creative creator is true and cannot lie. Psalmist testified, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (Psalm 18:30) Proverbs 30:8 stated, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” The book of Hebrews 12:4 buttressed, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God was so sure about how His word is authentic when He stated, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Considering the scriptural verses above, we are to wonder why it is so difficult for man to give self to the word of God.

Are you facing any challenge that seems to be bringing your world to a standstill? Is it a challenge that shuts all doors for breakthrough? The only prescription that was prescribed by the Eternal surgeon, the only One who reverses the irreversible is to ask. Asking without ceasing regardless of what the season offers is what Jesus meant for us. The book of Matthew 7:7-8, “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.” Have you been asking or assuming? There is a difference in asking and assuming that Jesus knows. Asking is a demonstration of faith. Bartimaeus the blind man cried his entire cry, got Jesus’ attention despite the thronging crowd but did not ask what exactly he wanted from Jesus. Jesus knows our problem but He wants us to ask for what we want. Have you been asking or you have only been making noise? Jesus prompted the blind Bartimaeus to ask when He questioned him, “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Luke 18:40-41) What do you want Jesus to do for you? Insist, persist and resist all that hinders receiving from Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His word.