FAITH CAPSULE:  As a believer, are you constantly getting upgraded spiritually.

Luke 22:1-34

Upgrade means raise, boost improve. The three words expressly describe what upgrade means. Can you think of anything which have life and do not get upgraded on a regular basis?
To think of it, man takes the position of giving upgrade to things that does not even have life in them. For example, most cars get upgraded by their manufacturer every year. Home owners are not without exception by constantly upgrading in the name of renovation. Computer is a non-living thing that constantly get upgrade every year. Imagine those who create virus and anti-virus, giving upgrade to their product on a constant basis. Virus creator and anti-virus creator can be compared to devil upgrading his devices of baiting and causing faith failure among the acclaimed believers on a regular basis. We all know that the devil has been the same since the beginning of its time and his cunning device are constantly changing that is, he gets upgraded constantly.
As an acclaimed believer, how are you upgrading your spiritual lives so that you do not become vulnerable to the devices of the devil and be a victim in the hand of the wicked one? Are you a believer that waits for fasting to be called for the whole congregation before you engage fasting in the period of the year? Are you one that is yet to go out of his/her way to witness Christ? Are you a believer that his/her offering has remained the same for years despite increase or no increase of income earning? Search yourself and know if you are constantly getting upgraded spiritually as a believer. For any believer to keep up with upgrading self in different areas that calls for upgrade in life, the major source of upgrade must constantly be on and never be shut down.
What is the major source for constant upgrade?
The major source for constant upgrade for every acclaimed believer is identified by Jesus as, watching and praying. Once watching and praying remains active and never shut down one is set to be actively upgraded and not be a victim the devil. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith warned in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” He warned again in Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  As if the warning was not clear enough, Peter a disciple of Jesus also warned, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7) Among ways of watching and praying are to keep waiting and trusting God; to keep waiting in fasting. Do not allow yourself to be ignorant by not keeping up spiritually in the face of the wicked world.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you so that you will not be a victim of the wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: Continuity is the price for greatness.

Daniel 6

Through the pages of the Bible, those who continually focused on God excelled greatly to the glory of God. Continuity eschews inconvenience and answers with commitment meaning that those who continually seek God are committed with no excuse for inconvenience in every area of seeking after God. Continuity is what constantly connects us with God. Those who give themselves up to serving the Lord continually remains constantly up there in His hand. The Psalmist testified, “But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.”(Psalm 71:14) “So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever.” (Psalm 119:44) Hosea 12:6 buttressed, “so you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually.” Act 6:4 laid it down for believers stating that, “we are to give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Hebrews 13:15 admonished us, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.”
Daniel continually served God to the point that a pagan king recognized it in him. When the king was about to give the command for Daniel to be put in the den of lion he stated, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” (Daniel 6:16) The bible documented how the king could not sleep all night but waited for morning to come. In the morning he went first to check on Daniel and spoke, “Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.  And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:19-20)
A king who does not know God knew it that those who give self to God continually never go wrong in the face of any form of challenge. In life challenges, where there is no backup plan for faith your continuity in the Lord will back you up just like it did for Daniel. Continuity in serving God answered for Daniel as power for his deliverance. After spending all night toying with hungry lions, Daniel responded to the king’s calling, “Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:21-22) Daniel’s continuity in serving God caused heaven to attend to him for deliverance and preservation. Seek God by serving Him continually.

Prayer for today: Ask God to endow you with the spirit to continually seek Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: The grace of breathing is the evidence of life.

Psalm 104

To be alive is a privilege it is not a right; to be alive is of mercy and it is not a thing of merit. Think of it, you are not just alive but you are able to see the light of a new day. Your eyes are functioning, your legs are not stagnated, and your mind is in right condition…what is it that is keeping you down and not open your mouth wide and render a glorious praise unto Him. What is it that has qualified you and does not qualify others from seeing the light of a new day? Have you in your acclaimed right mind go before Him and appreciate Him for the grace of a new day rather than laying plans of a new day for yourself?
The psalmist praised, “O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” (Psalm 104:1-4) It is a wise move for man to take just a line out of the above scriptural verses and meditate on it all day long. He alone is more than worthy of all praise and adoration.
It is written, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150:6) God alone is worthy of our praise and thanks. He is the God of miracle. God deserves a boastful praise and not only a contemplative (thoughtful or reflective) praise. The word of God states, “I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10) Open your mouth wide in praise and allow God to raise you beyond your expectation. Praise Him today, tomorrow and as long as there is breathe. Do you not know that miracle is a blessing or do you not realize it fully that it is blessing to have a miracle? Whichever way it is twisted, make it a top priority of your day to carry Him along in your meditation that He blesses and add no sorrow. (Proverbs 10:22) By that virtue, know it that you shall know no evil but the goodness of the Lord God shall continually be your portion. Praising Him before all that is before you will invite Him to all that are set before you. He is a miracle working God.

Prayer for today: Let not the joy of salvation cease in my life. Thank you for the grace of salvation.

FAITH CAPSULE: Having a good conscience is a purpose of God’s command.

John 8:1-12, Acts 24

1Timothy 1:5-6, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.” Ones that love with pure heart strive for good conscience and they are the ones with sincere faith. It is not possible to claim faith (as many in the church do) and not have a good conscience. Conscience is the sense of right and wrong that governs a person’s thoughts and actions. Conscience is what convicts man to turn man from what is not right. Lying, deception and manipulation are the identities of church and it is the evidence of one that lacks conscience. It is lack of conscience that causes a believer to live life in empty pride consciously or unconsciously.
The Pharisees brought a woman that was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus hoping for a judgment that calls for stoning her according to the Law of Moses. Jesus responded, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7) The book John 8:9 documented the reaction of the people, “Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one…”
Paul in his defense before Felix made it known in his statement that conscience is what we strive for. Paul stated, “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” (Acts 24:16) Having conscience without offence toward God and man is a good conscience. It is living according to the purpose of command. Daniel testified to it as a way of overcoming evil that was set against man. After Daniel has been through whole night in the lion’s den with his life intact, the King approached the den where Daniel spent night with hungry lions saying, “…Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20)  Daniel spoke back to the King, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:21-22)

Paul’s testimony and Daniel’s testimony is a confirmation that striving for good conscience before man and God works for man’s deliverance. Paul identified how he strived for good conscience with God and man. By Daniel’s word, it is clear that Daniel did not do wrong before the king and God.
Consciously examine your conscience today and be of good conscience which is pleasing to God. Ones that are misplacing the purpose of God’s command are set to be displaced and not experience God in their challenge.

Prayer for today: Ask God to bestow upon you and be able to live life with good conscience.

FAITH CAPSULE: Give yourself to pleasing God, be committed and remain connected.

Numbers 32

Commitment is to bind to law or to consign to a position. In life, every time we consigned to others negative opinion we withdraw our commitment to engage that which is positive. As an acclaimed believer do you compromise what God commanded or you are committed to His command?  The Israelites could not commit to God’s promise when they withdraw to that which they considered convenient.
The Children of Gad and Reuben were set to settle for East side of the Jordan when God wanted them to cross the Jordan and establish them. They wanted the convenience of East side of the Jordan.
Numbers 32: 1-7 documented, “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock,  the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”  Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.” And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?  Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?” God promised land that flows with milk and honey but they wanted to settle for land with milk. The bible stated it that the children of Gad had a great multitude of livestock and when they recognized that the region was good for livestock (the source of milk) their commitment to go forward and engage the full promise of God for the land with milk honey suffered.
The request of the children of Gad was a discouragement to their brethren from going forward. Moses compared the request to same as the spy’s report at Kadesh Barnea when the children of Israel were discouraged (except for Caleb and Joshua). The discouragement led to complaint and they were terminated in the wilderness. In that action God’s anger was provoked. (Numbers 32:10-12) One that is not committed cannot continue in the journey of life where challenges constantly challenge. Commitment is not convenient, it is a sacrifice. One that is not committed will compromise the word of God. Also, one that is not committed to the word of God will doubt, doubt breeds fear and fear relegates faith. The Bible says without faith God is not pleased. (Hebrews 11:6) Give yourself to pleasing God, be committed and remain connected.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be committed to God.