FAITH CAPSULE: With the fear of God dwelling in us, God is faithful to establish as a candidate to inherit eternal life.

1 John 4

To fear God is to love God. Claiming to love God also comes down to obeying His commandments. Apostle Paul pointed out that the purpose of God’s commandment is to love God. He stated, “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.” (1Timothy 1:5-6) Paul was talking about love that counts before God, the kind of love that is worthy to provoke God’s attention to acknowledge one for good.
What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Living a righteous life is a command from the word of God. Jesus was speaking, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20) It is clear in the documentation of the bible that the scribes and Pharisees are well versed in the word but not living life according to God’s word. The love of God is what qualifies man to be considered as one that engages righteousness. 1John 3:10, “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” It is impossible for anyone that does not love his brother that he can see to claim to love a God that he/she has never met. The word of God encourages us to truly love in every aspect of our lives because love is truly of God. 1 John 4:8 declares it, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is Love.” It is the will of God for us to fear because His fear in us places us to love Him.
The fear of God, the love of God is only way of obeying all of His commandments. That fear is the conclusion of all that matters in life. It is perfectly certain that with the fear of God dwelling in us, God is faithful to establish us as one that is set to inherit eternal life. The Good Samaritan is a measure of the gift we should be giving back to God who gave us the best gift in His begotten Son. Loving our neighbor as demonstrated by the Good Samaritan is what to do to inherit eternal life. A yearly glamorous celebration of the gift of God to us is far from enough as a measure of what to do to inherit eternal life. Loving our neighbor perfects loving God. Celebrate Jesus, the gift of God, by giving yourself to living life in having compassion for all your neighbors.

Prayer for today: Personalize the prayer which the Apostle Paul prayed in 2Thessalonians 3:5, ‘Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the presence of Christ.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not narrow your question to what you are giving or what you are getting in this season.

Luke 10:25-37

Most times, a man’s action is the answer to the question generated from the inside. In this season, what are the questions that are being generated within your heart? As a believer, your focus should not be narrow to just this season but the time and season we are living. What is/are the questions being generated from your inside? It is important not to narrow your question to what you are giving or what you are getting in this Christmas season. However, in this Christmas season, question yourself: What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Throughout the whole bible, the question is repeatedly asked and answered directly and indirectly. There is only one answer and the answer is to Love God. Deuteronomy 6:5 stated it, Luke 10:27 emphasized it, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, ‘and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Do you love the way of God or the way of the world? (Waiting to be given before giving is a way of loving in the way of the world)
Jesus pointed out in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) what it means to love in the way of God. To love in the way of God is to know and to do good when and where doing good demands it. James 4:17 buttressed, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” We all know that with sin no man see God. Evidently, ignoring to do what is good when the chance to do good present itself is a sin. In the parable, when the chance present itself to the Levite to do good he passed it bye. Luke 10:31, “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” Giving the best you have been blessed to give by God is the gift that is reasonable sacrifice. Giving should not be a thing of pretending love or a giving out of evil heart to impress. God love us so much that He gave to us His beloved son, in whom He is well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? What you are giving is the determinant of what it takes to inherit eternal life. God wants us to give Love in full. It is the will of God for us to love. To be able to love as commanded by God one must be able to fear God. Without the fear of God there is no way to love as commanded by God. When we fear Him we become full of Him. The book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 admonishes us stating, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all.”

Prayer for today: Ask God to bestow on you the grace to love with all that which He has given you.

FAITH CAPSULE: No impossibility is impossible before Him.

Luke 9:10-17, John 2:1-11,

Once, Jesus was speaking to His disciples when He made them to realize that impossibility with men is a possibility with God. (Matthew 19:26) This testifies to the truth that your all year challenge which seems impossible is a possibility with God. With God, nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for God to reverse for good. Absolutely there is no challenge which God cannot change for your celebration. In life, no situation is too late for God to settle and establish you for good.
At a wedding in Cana of Galilee where Jesus was invited, supply of wine ceased because they ran out of wine. As a result of no more wine, embarrassment set itself against the new couple, mockery set to take over the stage and early termination of celebration brew itself. Does that sound like you in any area of life? At the wedding the mother of Jesus spoke the word to Jesus the living word of God that knows all things, “…They have no wine” (John 2:3) Jesus responded her stating, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Jesus’ response was not discouraging enough for the mother to back out of her attempt to help through Jesus. Rather, she persevered knowing that there is nothing impossible to be turned around especially when obedience to God’s command is actively engaged. In John 2:5, the mother of Jesus said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Where it seems there is no way out, at a time when there is nothing in place to turn around the situation, pay attention He will speak direction to your situation. Jesus spoke direction and His word delivered better wine than earlier wine.
When God says nothing is impossible, no impossibility can be impossible before Him. At the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples asked for the multitude to be sent away. They were concerned because they were in a desert area and the hour was late. Jesus requested that the multitudes be fed from the five loaves and two fish. The request seemed impossible. Having told the disciples to feed them, He gave His word to His disciples where there were about five thousand men, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” (Luke 9:14) Always obey His direction in full or you will be short of His miracle. Is there any way you have missed obeying the commands of God?  In Luke 9:15 it is recorded, “And they did so, and made all sit down.” After they had followed His direction, He blessed the five loaves and two fish and the multitude ate in abundance. With God nothing is impossible.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to always hope and rest in His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Meditate to observe, investigate to navigate for your salvation.

Genesis 19:1-13, Joshua 1

The word of God is power to deliver. God sent His word for our healing and deliverance. (Psalm 107:20) Jesus, the living word of God came to give life abundantly. All that it takes to live life are in the word. The word of God demands constant meditation. With meditation man will be able to observe the word. Observing the word is investigating the word. Ones that are able to investigate the word will navigate their world of challenge and not miss salvation. Philippians 4:8 admonished us, “…brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Ones that know to meditate as stated above shall constantly be at right location to for salvation in the face of evil occurrence.
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by sin. They were living a life outside of God’s commandment. When it was time for their destruction, God sent his angels to go and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham knew that the angels were on mission to destroy the city where Lot, his wife, and children were dwelling. There was no way Abraham could have warned Lot to run out of Sodom by the time that he found out about God’s plan. Lot needed to be at the right location so he could be delivered from the destruction that was intended for the land. As a child of God, are you conscious of your location? Do you pay attention to whom you are and where you should be? In order to avoid untimely and sudden destruction, are you constantly meditating to investigate word to navigate your world? As an acclaimed believer, there are places where a child of God should be found in order to obtain salvation from destruction. Lot was at the right location to receive his deliverance. Genesis 19:1, “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.” Lot Unknowingly met his agents of deliverance where he was located and he insisted strongly that they come to his house. Lot must have been one that meditates of whatever things are of good report not to miss out at the location of his deliverance. Are you in the right location? Meditate the word to navigate your world to the right location.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to continually engage the word of God for your salvation in the wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: Determination is good but not enough to take the place of God’s divine intervention.

Genesis 19:14-26, Matthew 26:31-75

Each day is a journey. In each day there is a God designed plan and map for guidance and direction. Ignoring and disobeying God will set you back each day until it becomes evident that you are out of God’s way for your life. To be out of God’s way deliverance and guidance is to be set in a way for destruction. Simple obedience to God’s direction for daily journey will get you to where God is taking you. Have you determined to engage God’s own way in way that seems right to you?  Determination to engage direction in one’s own way is enough to lead one to self-destruction in daily journey.  A specified direction was laid down for Lot’s family in a day’s journey of life. Encased in the direction was deliverance and guidance. The book of Genesis 19:17 recorded, “So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”  However, Lot’s wife was determined to engage direction in her own way. Genesis 19:26 recorded, “But his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt.”
In her journey that day, she looked back and her journey was terminated. Determination to purposely and knowingly ignore specified direction is an evidence of the spirit of disobedience operating in man’s life. Are you finding it difficult to obey God’s direction for your life? Your determination will fail you. 1Samuel 2:9 says that, “by strength shall no man prevail.” Ask God to give you grace and strength as you go forth in the journey to God’s package of promise for your day.
Determination is good but it is not good enough to take the place of God’s divine intervention. Determination that is rooted in ignorance will fail man. It is this kind of determination that will deny man from seeking help where there is help in place. It is this kind of determination that caused Peter to deny Jesus. In Matthew 26:34 Jesus said to Peter, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter was so determined not to deny Jesus when he responded to Jesus stating, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matthew 26:35) Peter could have cried out to Jesus for divine intervention not to deny Jesus but he took to his own determination and later denied Jesus three times just as prophesied by Jesus.
Keep on looking forward with God behind you and you will get there.

Prayer for today: Ask Him for the grace to follow and keep focused on where God is taking you.