FAITH CAPSULE: To prepare and not pretend is what needs to be done.

Genesis 6, 7

The wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, days of Noah took a while because God gave many years waiting for change. God is truly true to long suffering and patiently waiting. Ecclesiastes 8:11 stated, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”  The evil days are now. Jesus warned, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” (Luke 17:26) The truth is that Jesus came to die for our sins so that we may inherit eternity.  Jesus emphasized that the coming time of judgment is a time that no one knows but only God. It is written, Mark 13:32-33, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”  Jesus is the truth and the truth is threatening and only few want to turn around and give their lives to God. Have you given your life to Christ by living and abiding in the commands of God? The time today is very crucial. To prepare and not pretend is what we need to do.

In December 2004, a massive earthquake created a TSUNAMI causing devastation around the rim of the Indian Ocean. The death toll was in hundreds of thousands. Does that sound like tale telling? The fact is the rain that flooded in the time of Noah rained forty days and forty nights, but the TSUNAMI executed for perhaps a couple of minutes in duration. In that period of time, it touched down in many regions on the face of earth. Jesus’ coming will be in a twinkling of an eye. Judgment is coming and it will be at God’s time. Take your time to build your ark.

Today is the day of salvation. Salvation is not to experience Sodom and Gomorrah like Lot. Salvation is to escape Days of Noah part 2. Today give your life and become a candidate for the Kingdom of God. Jesus affirmed by stating, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Sounds foolish like saying build ark in the desert against flood. In John 3:15-16 Jesus identifies what it means to be born again, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It is never going to be too late to give your life to Christ. If you are thinking you have wasted too much of your life it becomes an evidence that He is waiting to raise you.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to live your life in Christ.

FAITH CAPSULE: Concerning your life, man is powerless but God is powerful.

Genesis 31

The psalmist testified, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”(Psalm 121:1-4) God is the helper of man and truly he does not sleep nor slumber. When God says go no man or challenge can stop or deny you from going. When He calls you to move mountain shall be removed for your passage. Above all, when God returns you from nowhere to the center of your divine assignment He will permit no man to hurt you.
Jacob made the choice not to inform nor bid farewell to Laban the Syrian when God called him to return. It is written, “Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”” (Genesis 31:3) Evidently, God called for Jacob’s return but then, the relationship between both Jacob and Laban was no longer favorable. After Jacob had left, Laban went after him with bad intentions because Rachel stole Laban’s household idol. With all his bad intentions, God appeared to him in a dream and cautioned him to be careful in his dealing with Jacob. As a result, when he caught up with Jacob, he stated, “It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’”(Genesis 31:29)

Whenever God calls for you to go or return there will be no other power under heaven that can stand against you. All power belongs unto God and there is no other that is capable of hurting you in the journey which the Lord has called you for turnaround into His divine purpose over your life. It was God that called Jacob to return and Laban was not in position nor possess any power that was capable to deny God. Laban was not in God’s position as a result he was powerless. Concerning your life, man is powerless but God is powerful. Have you been called out by God? Is your move in response to the calling of God? Do not move on your own understanding. In every calling of God, let your move be based on trust in the Lord with all your heart; avoid leaning on your own understanding; be conscious of His presence; let no wrong assumption take charge of your ways and know it that God will permit no man to hurt you as you engage His calling. God is not a man that He should falter; He is faithfully capable to accomplish His word.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of strength to be fully manifested in your life as you return to the center of God’s divine agenda for your life.

Faith Capsule: To falter in the Word that orders your step is to fall down into disorder.

Genesis 19

It is written, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2) A man’s walk will determine what man stands for and what a man stands for testifies among those man can be found sitting. It is only the word of God that makes the difference as regard to man’s walk.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” (Psalm37:23) God is good and it is good to obey the Word of God. To whom the Word orders his step and to whom is able to obey, it is good. However, to who is ordered by the Word of God and does not obey, it is bad. Also, obedience to the order in the Word of God is not a guarantee not to fall because the Word states “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” However, there is a difference in falling. Anyone who falls and does not get up will fail and be counted out while the one who falls and gets up shall not be utterly cast down. Have you faltered in response to the Word that orders your step? To falter in the Word that orders your step is to fall down into disorder. Disorder is not a way of life, but rather is a way of death.

Lot’s wife received order about how to preserve her life on her route of escape from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is written, “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.’”(Genesis 19:17) The steps of Lot and his wife were ordered by the angel that brought them out of the destruction to escape and have life. Lot’s wife could not line up with the order and she entered into disorder that evidently took her life away. Lot’s wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) God had a good plan for her escape when He brought them out of Sodom and Gomorrah, but she resulted to disobedience by looking back and not obey the word of the Good God. Take steps of a good man and delight the good God.

Prayer for today: Teach me in Your way O Lord and lead me in a smooth path. Let me not be a failure. 

FAITH CAPSULE: God going before one is failure impossibility.

Isaiah 45

God alone is to be worshiped. God alone deserves all the glory and honor; He is a true and merciful God. Open your mouth wide and give Him all the glory. God needs no man for His attainment it is man that needs God for attainment. Jesus, at His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, received a loud praise. Just as He was receiving loud praise, the Pharisees called from the crowd asking Him to rebuke the praise directed at Him. The bible recorded Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40)  Are you praising Him loud enough or you are working it out for the stone to replace your praise? Clearly, God will not hesitate to replace any man that fails to give Him due which belong to Him. God needs no man for attainment it is man that need God for attainment.

When it was time for the deliverance of the Israelites, Cyrus the king of Persia, a pagan was appointed by God for His attainment. It is written, “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:” (Isaiah 45:1) Imagine a pagan appointed by God; imagine God holding the right hand of a pagan king. When God holds one’s right hand, victory is certainly certain. When He holds one’s right hand, one is no longer doing the battle but God. Isaiah 45:2 also stated God’s promise for a pagan King Cyrus, “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.”

When God goes before one, every impenetrable ground will yield for one’s penetration and the rough places that have been troubling in one’s passage will be made smooth. When He goes before one, highly invested gates that are specially and specifically constructed to stop and deny one’s breakthrough will be brought down. Above all, every treasured and hidden activity of the wicked will be exposed to one. When the Lord goes before one, the riches that the enemy cherishes will be exposed and the enemy will become naked. God going before one is failure impossibility. God is still in the business of appointing any man for His own attainment regardless of one’s background. He alone is the Lord God that does all things and nothing is impossible for Him to do.

Prayer for today: As you are looking forward to a new day, week, month or season, ask God to hold your right hand and go before you just like He did Cyrus the king of Persia.

FAITH CAPSULE: He is the Unchanging changer and no one can hide from God.

Exodus 3:1-12

God alone is God. He is true to perform and He performs to perfect. Psalmist was talking about the Israelites journey to the Promise Land when it was stated, “He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”” (Psalm 105:14-15) Going by the testimony of the psalmist, it is evident that God is in position to allow and disallow everything that happens under heaven. God can do and undo as He pleases; He is the Unchanging changer. There is no one that can actually hide from God.

At the time Moses was running away from Pharaoh God called to send Moses to Pharaoh, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10) Moses knowing who he was, responded to God, “…Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) Have you been thinking about who you are? On the journey of life, it is not about whom you are but who God says you are. God has a purpose for all His creation and there is no record of mistake in creation.Once, He told 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) As much as Moses tried to avoid his calling, God made Moses to realize that He would certainly be with Him. Stating, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

It was not important in regard to whom Joshua sees himself to be but it was important with regard to who God called him to be. After the death of Moses God spoke to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” (Joshua 1:3) Moving from convenience into commitment is not a cordial move. When it is time for you to be removed situations will force you and God will give you a formal announcement of who you are and what He wants for you to be. Moses relocated from palace to desert where he could not hide but to respond to what God called him to be.

Prayer for today: Ask God to guide you that you will live life to fulfill your divine assignment.