FAITH CAPSULE: Saul’s attempts to harass the disciples caused heaven to arrest him.

Acts 9

Saul the most celebrated murderer of the New Testament also answered as Apostle Paul the most celebrated writer of the New Testament. He passionately went after the followers of Christ to persecute them until the Spirit of God arrested him. The book of Acts 9:1-2 documented, “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.” A man that was full of threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, a man with the permission from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether man or woman, he might bring them, bound to Jerusalem, could not see at his entering into Damascus. Saul’s attempts to harass the disciples caused heaven to arrest him and gave him a new name Paul.
Saul was a serious minded persecutor of the followers of Christ either on the way or out of the way. Saul would go outside of his area looking for followers of Christ to persecute. Saul’s mission to Damascus to carry out his business encountered the power that converted him from persecutor to a propagator of the kingdom of God’s business. By virtue of God’s power, no man under the heaven is above God’s redirection for the purpose of His divine agenda. God alone is One that reverses the irreversible. Saul on his journey to carry out persecution, “… He came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.” (Acts 9:3) It was in this light that he encountered Jesus, with no choice for him but to respond with trembling. Saul did not only tremble but requested from the Lord of what to do for the Lord. Above all, he lost his eyesight.
The Bible recorded Saul’s encounter, “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8-9) Saul gained a new sight and moved forward to serve God. Saul answered to a new name (Paul) after gaining a new sight to see and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. God is still in the business of touching life. Ask, “Lord what do you want me to do” and He will position you in the center of your divine assignment.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to answer fully in every area of His calling for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you taken to the route of denying Jesus just as Peter did?

Luke 22:31-65

Whenever a believer begins to have reasons to keep distance from God, it becomes evident that such believer is set to deny Jesus. It is important to note that coming to church is not coming Christ. Many come to church and plant crisis because of their distance to Christ. Peter walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus and was touched by Jesus. Above all, Peter witnessed many undeniable miracles performed by Jesus, yet he denied Jesus. Have you taken to the route of denying Jesus just as Peter did? The challenge is the fact that determination will not keep man from denying Jesus but prayer is the only way out not to deny Jesus.
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the only One that sees perfectly into the future prayed for Peter after seeing into the future that Peter was going to deny Him. The Bible recorded Jesus word to Peter, “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter, trusting in his strength and determination responded to Jesus stating, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Are you a determined believer? Determination will not be enough to keep you from denying Him in these days of grueling challenges and incessant tempting pressures against believers.

Truly, prayer is the only key to believer’s preservation and deliverance. If Jesus had not prayed for Peter, it would have been a different story for Peter. Jesus was actually right when He admonished His disciple stating, “…Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) What He says to one speaks to us. Just as the disciples’ needed prayer against temptation, today’s believers are not without exception for the need of prayer.
Just as predicted by Jesus, Peter actually kept distance from Jesus when there was a need for him to be closer to Jesus. It is written, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”(Luke 22:54-56) Besides the truth that Peter followed at distance, he also stepped out of his commitment to Jesus to a spot of convenience of warmth from a kindled fire. When he was identified as one of Jesus’ disciples he vehemently denied Jesus. Are you taking a distanced position from Jesus?

Prayer for today: Ask Him to draw you nearer so you do not end up denying Him. Ask that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: God’s word is for encouragement and not be discouraged in the face of any challenge.

Luke 19:1-10

The word of God is a source of encouragement. Psalm 119:130 stated, “The entrance of Your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.” It was the word that brought the Israelites out when the darkness of bondage became terminated. The children of Israel gained their deliverance from the house of bondage (Egypt) but Egypt refused to back up from going with the Israelites. Discouragement is what denies a free peaceful ride on their journey to the Promised Land. As they engaged their journey God declared, “Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.” (Exodus 14:4) God’s plan was not for evil to be elevated in the life of His children but it was to relegate evil. God wanted to gain honor over the challenges of the children of Israel. God’s word was enough for them to not to be discouraged but to be encouraged in the face of any challenge.

Are you experiencing invincible hindrances? Unexpected challenges? Be encouraged in the word of God. God has not forgotten you, He never sleeps nor slumbers but He will gain honor in His deliverance plan for your life. Allow His word to enter and you shall not be disallowed from your breakthrough miracle. Above all you shall possess your possession.  Allow the word to be your motivator as you seek Him diligently. Those who seek Him will find Him. Hebrew 11:6 testified, “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.”  Zacchaeus is the evidence that when we seek Him diligently, He is faithful to answer us. Zacchaeus sought Jesus and Jesus located him and He ended up visiting Zacchaeus in his house. Zacchaeus had everything in place not to have a need to seek Jesus. He was a tax collector, a rich man; the crowd was a great factor to deny him because he was short in stature. Despite all the factors that could deny him, he was encouraged to seek Jesus. Zacchaeus was encouraged to run ahead of the crowd. After running ahead of the cloud he was encourage enough to climb the tree. Jesus who sees all saw Zacchaeus. It is written, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5). Be encouraged!

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to know and be encouraged in the word.

FAITH CAPSULE: One with the spirit of contentment shall not become a covetous one.

Philippians 4

In the journey of life, every one that is called by God needs the grace of contentment to get to the center of divine assignment. Imagine Moses coming out of the Pharaoh’s palace to live in a desert? Pharaoh palace must have been a place of comfort where everything makes man not wanting to give to sacrificing for God. Moses lived for forty years on a high ground. It was not in Moses plan to move to a desert when he suddenly became a resident of a desert land. In Moses’ attempt to defend his Hebrew brother from an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian. The killing of the Egyptian was not hidden as result; he flees to Midian (desert land) for his life. Moses unknowingly, entered his journey to the center of his divine assignment. Among the pointer to his qualification as a leader was recoded in Exodus 2:21 stating, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” Imagine the kind of shift Moses must have endured.

Contentment also means satisfactory. To be set up for God’s assignment consciously or unconsciously demands high level of satisfactory spirit in man. Contentment points to the evidence of God’s fear in man’s life. Proverbs 19:23 buttresses, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”  The book of 1Timothy 6: 6-10 documents it, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” The book of Philippians 4:4-7 mentioned the identities of one that is living life in satisfaction…that is one who is carrying the spirit that makes man to be content. Among identities of man with the spirit of contentment are mentioned in the book of Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoicing in the Lord always is visible in the life of one with contentment; one’s gentleness is also known to men; one becomes anxious for nothing but in everything rendering prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving to God; the peace of God which surpasses all understanding answers in the life of one who lives life with contentment. One with the spirit of contentment shall not become a covetous one and with contentment man shall serve God steadfastness.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be steadfast in serving Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Your change will only come at God’s appointed time for you.

Exodus 2

Change is the act of transformation or substituting of one situation for another. Change is what man will always look for to have a better condition in the journey of life. When the Israelites began to feel pain in the hands of Pharaoh and his men the need for change began to press on the Israelites. The bible recorded, “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.  So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledge them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) The Israelites needed change as a result, they cried out to God who hears the cries of His children. Crying to God is not an evidence of weakness; it is an expression of expectation. God heard them and remembered them but change did not answer immediately for the Israelites.
Are you waiting on God (through prayer or crying) for a change? Know it in you that change will only come at God’s appointed time. It is true that you have been waiting for quite some time but nothing to show for your waiting. Delay is all that you are experiencing in the place of expectation for change. Be encouraged that delay is not a denial. Delay is possibly the enemy’s pointer to frustrate your expectation. Ignore delay but lay your request for change at the feet of the Master. Delay prompts discouragement, discouragement provokes complaint. Complaint is the act to rebel. In your case, disallow discouragement and complaint will not have a place in you. Without complaint in you rebellion will have to relocate itself outside of you.
Worrying is like a parasite, it will eat into man quietly when change seems to be slow in coming forth. Deal with worry by engaging worshiping God. Worship God by praising and giving Him thanks despite the fact that your change is yet manifested. It is important to know that when we thank God for all things then all things works together for good. As you wait for change be conscious that your thoughts delivers by your action. Get the understanding of the truth that Lord God is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3) Do not doubt in your heart as regard to your expectation for change. Doubts will prompt you to having a backup plan for your expectation. However, in faith there is no backup plan. Backup plan is a lack of faith and God is not pleased when there is no faith. (Hebrews 11:6) Please God while you are waiting on Him for your expected change. Your change shall come.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be patiently persistent waiting on him.