FAITH CAPSULE: Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Psalm 73

1Samuel 2:3 recorded, “…For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.” He sees all things because He alone is the creator of all things. God alone sees growth differently from the way man sees growth. In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as pleasing to God. The fact that wicked ones are growing just like the righteous one or more and better than the righteous one, without God’s reaction against the wicked is not an evidence of God’s approval. Indeed, God see it all and at His appointed time He shall judge. God does have His way of catching up with the wicked ones. Are you in a hurry to see the wicked face judgment of God?
The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. The bottom line of it all is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:30: “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Where do you stand? Are you a representative of wheat or tare? At every time of rainfall and all that contributes to growth, both wheat and tares are in position to be benefited. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction identifying tares from wheat. Also, it cannot and it should never be a surprise to see tares growing better than wheat. Awake from your sleep because the harvest time is coming. It will be here and it does not matter how long or how soon it takes to come. All that will make the difference is for you to be faithful in doing the will of the Father just like Jesus said, “Not every man who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21) Will you be willing to step out only unto God? Have you thought about your stand lately?

Are you paying attention to the way the wicked are living life?  The psalmist could not look away from the wicked when he stated, “For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked for there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.” (Psalm 73:3-6) God is never asleep nor slumber He will cause the wicked to be separated at His appointed. Look away from the wicked and not be envious of the wicked.

Prayer for today: Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from every agent of destruction.

FAITH CAPSULE: Express your appreciation to provoke your expectation.

John 10

Life should not only be about what you expect from the Lord but also how you express your appreciation to the Lord. By grace, the hand of the Lord has been keeping you from day to days, week to weeks, month after months and year after years. The hand of God upon you is not because of merit but mercy. Living life is not a right but a privilege bestowed upon us by God. Why not turn from expectation to expression of appreciation? Are you consciously aware that God expects our appreciation? When there is a failure to appreciate it becomes an evidence of foolishness. Foolishness is like saying there is none to appreciate. Proverbs 94:8-9 stated, “Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” Do not be foolish not to express to Him your appreciation.
Are you expecting from the hand that has been keeping you by grace, and not by work? Do not allow your location or situation to deny your expectation. Jesus is the One that converts our expectation to manifestation. Jesus has never been limited or delayed by any location or situation when is time for Him to visit your expectation with manifestation. Once in a desert, despite the late hour, where there was no food to feed a stranded multitude, Jesus extended His hand of provision. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He will extend His hand in any location and situation that you have found yourself. Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude of about five thousand. Before the miracle of manifestation Jesus gave a command, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”  And they did so, and made them all sit down.” (Luke 9:15)

As a believer how have you positioned yourself in your expectation for the visitation of His miracle? Jesus did not do anything to the loaves and fish, until obedience was in place for His command. After He observed obedience, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) In obedience to His command, expectation became manifested. Are you having problems following His commands? Engage obedience, manifestation of expectation shall be in place. Jesus that did it yesterday is alive to do it for you today. In this season, express your appreciation to provoke your expectation.

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart into appreciation of His hand upon your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Are you still questioning His authority?

Matthew 21:1-27

It is true that all authority has been given to Jesus. Jesus confirmed that all authority has been given to Him. Matthew 28:18, After His resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and made known to them stating, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”  Authority is power. The power that belongs to Jesus is the power over all creation; it is the power to heal and to deliver; it is the power in His Word and the authority which no man can deny.  By the power invested in Jesus, He has the authority to cleanse all that is due for cleaning so that God may reign and rule in our life. Whatever needs to be cleansed in our temple (our life) we should take it to Him in our prayer to clean us.
The Bible recorded how He went to clean the temple at a point in His ministry. Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and He drove those that were buying and selling out. Jesus was able to clean the temple by driving out all the irrelevancies and He left. Matthew 21:23 stated, “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and  said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’”  The priests and the elders realized there was authority in place which could not be denied from delivering His agenda.
Jesus Christ is the Authority. However, questioning Authority and where He gets His authority from is an absolute lack of knowledge. Are you questioning His authority too?
While Jesus was here on earth the chief priests constantly questioned His authority.
The Bible testified that, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29)
In spite of the fact that His teachings were given with authority they could not recognize Jesus as the Authority. Today so many are still questioning His authority. Inside and outside of the Church, His authority is being constantly questioned.
Are you questioning His authority too?
Recognizing Jesus’ authority is demonstrating uncommon faith which is the power to be healed and to be delivered. Accept Him by recognizing His authority and healing and deliverance will be your portion just like the centurion’s servant. The Bible identified Jesus in Colossians 1:15-16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”  Now we know why He is the authority. Are you still questioning His authority?

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that His authority will reign and rule your life all the days of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: open the door of your heart for Him He will go through you just like He went through Samaria.

John 4:1-42

What kind of a believer are you? Are you a believer by word of the mouth or a believer by the way you live life? Does your lifestyle reflect that of a true believer who needs not to be introduced as a Christian? Conducting oneself according to the word of God is the identity of a believing Christian. So many, believer claims to be a believing Christian but the word of God cannot be read in them. What does it mean to be a believer? The bible recorded in John 8:31, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.’” Jesus spoke to the acclaimed believers not unbelievers. Evidently it is possible to claim to be a believer and not abide in Him. As an acclaimed believer, there is a need for you to abide in Him. One cannot abide in Him and live life outside of His word. If the Lord shows up now will you be found ready to meet with Him? The time and days for playing religion is over.
Do you abide in Him? Have you allowed the Lord to go through you? Jesus is at the door knocking will you allow Him to come inside of you? Revelation 3:20 stated, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” When you truly open the door of your heart for Him He will go through you just like He went through Samaria.
Bible documented, “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.” (John 4:3-4) In the New Testament, Samaria was a region in central Palestine avoided by the Jews. Jews intensely hated Samaritans and often refused to set foot in Samaritan territory. The passing of Jesus through Samaria was a demonstration of God’s love for the sinners and not the sin. Jesus came to the world as The Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Are you a believer indeed and in truth? It is not how long you have been going to church that will point you out when He comes but it is how you abide in Him that will point you out. You can be of great service in the church and not abiding in Him.
So many are licensed to be a minister of the word of God but very few have access to the Lord God Almighty. Do not be deceived but set yourself up to be delivered by allowing Him to go through you.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God that causes man to be opened up for Jesus to pass through.

Genesis 42, 2 Samuel 5:1-5

There is an appointed time for everything and every situation that transpire under heaven. God alone is God; He is does not sleep nor slumber. Everything passes through God. He sees it all and none is out of His control. Your situation is not outside of God’s intervention. God alone has solutions in His hands. God resolves all unsolvable situations in life. Joseph’s brothers attempted to terminate Joseph’s dream when they sold him out at age seventeen. At age thirty, Joseph stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. It was a ground where he was positioned for the manifestation of his dream. The dream that sent Joseph to slavery positioned him for the manifestation of the dream. The brothers of Joseph came to Joseph’s new ground where he was privileged to ask his brothers, “Is your father well…?” The bible recorded the response of his brothers who sold him to slavery to avoid bowing down before him. Genesis 43:28, “And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.” God is always in absolute control of His plan over every creation.”

From the moment it became apparent to Saul that David was going to be king it was hell over the life of David in the hand of Saul. Saul chased David from valley to cave in attempt to terminate God’s agenda concerning David. The mountain that was before David, the one that King Saul created for him fell after Saul had died. David eventually became the king just as the Lord had planned for him to be. In spite of his challenges when the appointed time was there, nothing could possible relocate David to where God had not located him to be. The mountain that has refused to resolve itself and give way to your breakthrough will fall down at the Lord’s timing. 2 Samuel 5:4-5 recorded, “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.” The time David spent in running and hiding for his life by the hand of Saul was nothing to compare with the years that he spent reigning and ruling as God ordained. The mountain that refuses to fall will fall, the pain will go and the gain will come. God is true to His Word. King David prayed, “Be pleased O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me! Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor who wish me evil.” (Psalm 40:13-14) The Lord God answered and delivered King David.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to endure in your challenging times.