FAITH CAPSULE: They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you.

Jeremiah 1

Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and savior is not without challenges. As a matter of fact, it should never be an understatement or over statement to state that, challenges do not stop from following Christ followers. Believing God and answering to His calling will draw the enemy’s attention. However, the challenges of the world today are not enough to tag life as difficult. As a believer that knows Jesus as Lord and savior, confessing that living life is difficult is a wrong and a negative confession.

God spoke to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) It was God that called Jeremiah not man. Being called by God is not an evidence to be free from encountering challenges but an assurance that challenges shall not prevail and the called shall overcome. Despite the truth that Jeremiah was called by God, God spoke to him that “They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”” (Jeremiah 1:19) Among challenges is the enemy’s fight against man. However, God promised that He shall never forsake the called in time of challenging confrontation.

As a believer it is worthy to begin to see and engage life challenges through the lens of faith. Know it that life can be challenging, but the grace to overcome the challenges of life shall not cease from causing one to prevail over confronting challenges. Jesus is the way to live life and to live it abundantly; Jesus is the way to live life and to live it with challenges that will not overtake one. It is time to come out of religion into Christ reality; it is time to begin to attend to the word of God in full obedience. Take a step of faith into the living Word of God that stated, “I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”(John 10:9) Jesus is true to His word; there is no race requirement or color qualification to enter into Him. Why not try and enter through Him? Anyone with the claim of having entered through Jesus as the door should not allow challenges to dictate how to live life. As a believer, allow your time of challenging confrontation become your time of continual confession. He is faithful to deliver and cause man to prevail over confronting challenge.

Prayer for today: Ask for help against life consuming confrontation that sets against man.

FAITH CAPSULE: Can you tell if and when your oil is running out?

Matthew 25:1-13, Luke 22:39-46

Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins depicts two different kind of believer that are waiting for waiting. Matthew 25:1-5, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.”
The ten virgins were all purposeful in their agenda. They all went out to meet the bridegroom. Having gone that far in their pursuit for an encounter with the bridegroom, sleeping should have been avoided by getting busy in their waiting and watching. They fell asleep and foolishness became their identity.

How are you waiting? Can you tell if and when your oil is running out? You have come too far in this journey to begin to entertain foolishness. How would you have known that your oil is running out when you are asleep and not awake?
A believer that is on ground of prayer and goes down away from prayer into sleeping is having a sorrow sleep. Disciples of Jesus were on prayer ground at Gethsemane, when they were asked by Jesus to pray so that they would not enter into temptation (Luke 22:40). They all slept and could not hold on in prayer. Jesus came back and found them sleeping. He then questioned them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46)

Are you awake? The only way to avoid temptation is to be awake in the Lord. Is rest assured that the trumpet is going to sound and Jesus will return sooner than expected? When the bridegroom’s return sounded for the Ten Virgins at midnight, the Bible stated, “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and the door was short.” (Matthew 25:7-10) They all slept, and they all arose to meet Him. No one shall escape from seeing Him but not all will enter in with Him. Are you waiting or sleeping a foolish sleep? (That is living a life that demonstrates there is no God…Foolish says that there is no God.) The bible declared, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13) Watch in your waiting.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to increase your to increase in it takes to wait on Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God is waiting on His word which cannot be broken.

Judges 16

It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  Without doubt, the word of God is God.
The word of God is the command of God; His word is His wisdom; His word is His strength and in His word there is life to live abundantly. Paul the apostle, by virtue of his encounter with the word admonished us in Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”  One that is not spending time in the word is spending time in the world. Not spending time in the word of God is the evidence of inability to keep His command. Also, not spending time in the word of God is to be living life carelessly. Proverbs 19:16 buttressed, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.”  Samson could not keep the commands of God when he allowed Delilah to violate God’s command over his life. He was careless and he died. (Judges 16) Saul could not wait for seven days and he went and violated the command of God which does not allow kings to carry out burnt offering. (1 Samuel 13)

The word of God (command of God) cannot be emphasized enough; it is consistent across the pages of the bible to reflect over the life of man in the journey of life. Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment of God is a lamp and the law is a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Are you waiting on God? Waiting on God is waiting on His word which cannot be broken. How do you wait on God?
Spending time on His word and going to church counts as waiting. God is faithful to answer to those whose waiting is a reasonable sacrifice. Isaiah testified to what is at stake for those who wait on God when he stated, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who wait for Him” (Isaiah 64:4) Wait on Him according to His word (command) that will keep you and position you not to miss Him when He comes back unexpectedly.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be spending time on His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: Can you think of any other name that is above the name of the Lord God?

Exodus 6

Power belongs to God and not to anyone. He gives power to man when He choose to. The name of God is power and the Bible buttressed by stating, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) There is no any other name that delivers like the name of God.  God gave direction to Moses for the release of the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh. The power that was given to Moses was the name of God. It is written, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.’” (Exodus 6:2-3) The name worked. In the end, the children of Israel came out of the bondage of over four hundred years. Pharaoh, an agent of the devil, put up all opposition in his attempt to disapprove the effectiveness and the power that is in the name of God. However, Moses was moved by the word of God to make the name of the Lord God become approved to all generations. Can you think of any other name that is above the name of the Lord God? It has not been documented by anyone that the name of the Lord God is a failure.

The same name yesterday is still the same name today and tomorrow and it has not stop working miracles. The name of God will not fail you if you do not fail to wait for Him to move on your behalf. It can be seen across the pages of the Bible what the name of God has done. Countless miracles testified to the awesome power in the name of God. The forces of the wicked will throw all weapons at you and the Goliath in your life will come at you with every destructive weapon. Goliath meant to kill David before David’s time was up on the face of earth. Goliath threatened, “…come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (1 Samuel 17:44) David was not ready made a choice not to be a victim in the hand of Goliath when he responded to Goliath with the greatest weapon on earth. David stated, “…you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45) David fought Goliath with no any other weapon but the name of the Lord God. Are you thinking of any other weapon to engage the Goliath in your life?  Take to the name of the Lord as your shelter and deliverance and preservation shall be your portion.

 Prayer for today: Ask that the name of God shall be your covering in all going and coming.

FAITH CAPSULE: Ignore your concern by responding to His command fully.  

1Samuel 16

It is written, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” (Proverbs 19:16) Are you keeping His commands that sound in your direction? Are you keeping to your ways instead of His ways? The book of Jonah 1:1-3 stated, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”” Jonah was careless when he responded to his ways. When God calls and sends one out, He will back the called up. In His calling, He makes available what it takes to get to the expected end. Often times, man stumbles and takes a position of self-destruction. Jonah’s business was to only obey as commanded regardless of what seemed right to him or not.

It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage that lasted over four hundred years. Moses, out of his concern for God reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speak to the rock for water. God responded to Moses, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)

The same God sent Samuel to go and anoint David as king while Saul was still living as the King. Samuel was concerned about God’s command when he asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” (1 Samuel 16:2) Out of concern, Samuel could have responded by going his own way. God responded to Samuel’s question, “…Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”1 Samuel 16:2-3) Samuel’s concerned could not corrupt his obedience to God’s command. God alone knows the end from the beginning, He knew us before we were born. Disallow your concern by allowing His command to be established.

Prayer for today: Ask God for grace to constantly respond to His command without concerns which caused compromise.