Faith Capsule: Turning at the appointed time is the greatest thing that can happen to a man in life.

Act 9:1-30

The book of Acts 9:1-2 stated, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul engaged a mission of wicked intention that led him to a turning point. It was a route that led him to turn to his center of divine assignment. Saul’s first response to the calling was with a question, “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5)
Saul received the answer to his question, “Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:5) Jesus’ response ushered a turning point in Saul’s life causing him to respond with inquiry as to how he should proceed. It is written, “So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Saul’s answer confirmed his turning to the word of Jesus which directed him stating “…Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6) It was this turning encounter that changed the name of Saul to Paul the Apostle.
Turning at the appointed time is the greatest thing that can happen to a man in life. It is important to know that where you are, or the challenge that is holding you down or chasing you around is possibly leading you to your center of divine assignment. Listen, no matter what has happened, your past is not enough to wrongly position you when God is set and waiting for your turning.
God is true to His word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He turned the life of a fugitive to a forerunner of the business of His kingdom. He repositioned a murderer to a mover of His word using him to reach the very farthest corners of the earth. The Word of God in Proverbs 1:23 stated, “Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” God does not waste His word; He means what He says and His word will not return void. Indeed, it is evident in the life of those who turn to Him that the Spirit was fully poured on them as they operated fully in the power of God’s Spirit. The ones that turned to Him did not just know about the word but the word was made known to them and became evident as they ruled their world by the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask Him for the grace to turn you fully so that He can bring you to the place He wants you to be.

Faith Capsule: Live life by His word shame shall not be your portion.

Genesis 3

Shame belongs to the enemy of God. Any believer that is living by the living word of the living God shall know no shame. Shame is the consequence of sinful act. Adam and Eve became ashamed and they hide from the presence of God because they violated God’s word. God gave Adam and Eve a beautiful garden to keep with a clear command to Adam, “…Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) God’s command was violated when both Adam and Eve made the choice to disregard God’s command in regard to eating from the tree of the knowledge.
After their violation of God’s word, “…they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) Hiding from the presence of God is the evidence of shame. It is only shame that will cause one to hide from the ground where one has been receiving and enjoying glorious reception. Adam and Eve could no longer open up to God’s visitation because they have closed themselves with sin. Sin is the consequence of shame.
As a believer, one that is living by the word of God, shame is not possible at any level except the word of God is no longer valid. Remember, God promised, “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) Pay attention to every word of God and God will attend to you in every walk of your life.
Adam and Eve failed not to trust God enough to treat His word with obedience. When man fail to trust the word of God it shall lead to shame. Psalmist buttressed, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.” (Psalm 71:1) It is not possible to be living in Gods command; to be serving God and yet be a vessel of shame. Shame only belongs to the ones who does not believe and serve God but other gods. Psalm 97:7 declared, “Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.”
Listen, have you accepted Him as your Lord and savior? Live life by His word shame shall not be your portion “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)

 Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to constantly live life by His word.

Faith Capsule: The word becomes mixed with faith when hearing and hearing is in place in the life of a believer.

Hebrews 4

The word of God is meant to profit man but when man fails to work the word of God it becomes unprofitable.  The book of 2 Timothy 3:16 declared, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” For those who believe in God the word will work to profit them. Do you truly believe in God? Are you working the word? Titus 3:8 buttressed, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” Our God is a jealous God that deserves our attention. There is no better way of giving God is due attention like pleasing Him.
How do we please Him?
We are made to understand in Hebrews 11:6, “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.” If without faith it is impossible to please Him, with faith it is absolutely possible to please Him. Faith is not what anyone is born with but faith is what you have to seek for and you know that it will come. Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” What the word is saying is about hearing, hearing, hearing and hearing. Hearing the word of God is not for a time or two, but it is of consistence and continuity. When there is no failure in hearing, faith will pass one on to fearing God and having His fear go before you.
The word of God is meant to profit believers of His word by bringing believers into His rest. Hebrews 4:1-3 identified a reason why the word can be unprofitable to man stating, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said.” The word has to be mixed with faith to become profitable.  How is it mixed with faith? The book of Romans 10:17 makes us to know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. For those that only hear the word but not adapt to hearing and hearing (which is the source of faith) it becomes evident that they have not mixed the word with faith. The word is not profitable if it is not missed with hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be mixing the word you have heard with faith (that is hearing and hearing the word of God).  

Faith Capsule: Despising the word of God is to dishonor God’s command.

Romans 6

Thank God for Jesus especially for the world of today where despising the word of God is the order of the day. If not for the blood that was shed on Calvary, Lord knows what the world will be today for despising the word of God.  Jesus dying for our sins is not for sin to be continued. Romans 6:1-2 cautioned, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Despising the word of God is to dishonor God’s command. It is disobedience to despise God’s word. Proverbs 13:13 admonished, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” Despising the word of God is also a demonstration of lack of fear for His commands. Obeying God leads to obtaining the blessing of obedience from God while disobeying God is engaging the curses of disobedience. God is forever consistent and will never lower the standard of His word to violate His word that does not return to Him void. All that God says He will do is a done deal.
King Saul despised the word of God by his act of disobedience and the consequence of his disobedience was fully manifested in his life. When the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, Saul could not wait for Samuel’s instruction to wait seven days for Samuel to carry out the burnt offering. Saul went ahead to carry out the burnt offerings which was a violation of God’s command.  As a king, he was not in the place to offer burnt offering which was a priest’s assignment as commanded by God. As simple as Saul’s violation appeared to be, Samuel responded to Saul’s disobedience. “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) Saul despised God’s command and his lineage was forever terminated from becoming king. Before God, a sin is a sin and there is no minor sin or major sin. Plan to live life abundantly by abstaining from despising God’s command and you shall not be destroyed.
To disregard the works of God is another way of dishonoring God. Dishonoring God is despising His word. Are you one who is disregarding God consciously or unconsciously? It is a sin to disregard God; before God there is no excuse for sin but only repentance. Ignorance is not an excuse before God; it only makes destitution of a believer.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to constantly and consistently live by His word.

Faith Capsule: Engage the word of God to disengage the wicked world.

Psalm 10

What kind of a man do you answer to? One that is not of God is of the devil. There is no middle ground for anyone to claim. One that is of the devil is the wicked one. Have you search yourself lately and see if there is any wicked way in you? Let it be known to you that running around in the house of God or the title you answer to is not evidence that you are not a wicked one. God cannot be deceived and neither can He be mocked.
Are you a wicked one? The psalmist must have been curious of his stand and wanting to be right with God by praying against wickedness stating, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Are you a wicked one?
The wicked is simply those that the word of God is near their mouth but far from their mind. (Jeremiah 12:2) Knowing about the word of God and knowing about quoting the word of God and not do as commanded by God is a direct pointer of the wicked one. Psalm 10:4 stated, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.”  Does that sound like you?
Are you wicked and not know that you are wicked by virtue of the way you live life? It is true that your strength is firm; you are not in trouble as other; pride serves as your necklace and you are covered being violent; your eyes are covered with abundance and you have more than heart could wish.
Your conformity to this world confirms wickedness in you. The world today is at odd with the word. The wickedness of the world calls for a need not to be conformed to the world. To be friendly with the world is an evidence of conformity to the wicked world.
James 4:4 buttressed, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Conformity is defined as an action or behavior in correspondence with current customs, rules, or styles. Conformity to this world is thriving even among the believers of the word. What is it about this world? The ruler of this world is the wicked one; to be friendly of the world is to embrace wickedness. Paul the Apostle sounded a clear warning, in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Engage the word of God to disengage the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be delivered from becoming a wicked one.