FAITH CAPSULE: To be purposeful for the Lord is not an avenue of escape from tribulation.

Daniel 1:8-16, 6:16-21

Among definitions of purpose is, “the reason for which something exists or is done…” Going by this definition, it is worth to agree that, without purpose of heart, continuing with the Lord might be impossible for any acclaimed believer.  After the persecution of Stephen, those who scattered traveled as far as Antioch. The bible recorded that the hand of the Lord was with them and great number believed and turned to the Lord. Then the news came to the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. (Acts 11:19-22)

At Barnabas arrival he was glad with what he saw on ground. The bible documents it, “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.  For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.” (Acts 11:23-24)

Barnabas encouraged them with purpose of heart. It takes purpose of heart to continue with the Lord. Purpose of heart, that is, it takes understanding for man to know going after (serving, seeking) God is the reason of man’s existence. Without the full understanding that our existences if for us to serve God the tendency to lose focus and become derailed in the race of life is imminent.

However, to be purposeful for the Lord is not an avenue of escape from tribulation or challenges of this world but can possibly be an invitation for the enemy to attempt the life of the purposed ones. Through the pages of the bible, it is evident that most of all that were identified in the scripture that purposed for the Lord were also purposed by the devil for destruction. In the book of Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies nor with wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that might he not defile himself” With the kind of step taken by Daniel, tribulation could not excuse him but he lived life from one tribulation to another tribulation. Above all, he was never a victim of any tribulation but always come out victorious. Being purposeful does not deliver him from tribulation but only made a way for Daniel to prevail during the times of his tribulation. Are you having a purpose heart for the Lord while tribulation is banging on you? Be encouraged, God is on your side and He will see you through. Remember, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) You are His and He will never forsake any one that purposes for Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be purposeful to him all through life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not allow outsiders inside and neither should you inhabit any outsider.

Luke 8: 49-56

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is our all in all. He came to make us if we choose to follow Him. He lived an exemplary life for us to see that with Him, in Him and through Him, all things are possible. Jesus is our Advocate, our representative before the Father. All things that do not represent you, that are not the things of God, that are outside of your beliefs are outsiders to you and they should all be considered and treated as outsiders. Do not allow outsiders inside and neither should you inhabit any outsider. Let the outsiders be on the outside and by denying outsiders, doubt will die, mockery will be denied and above all, ridicule will not locate you. Jesus, with all the power in Him, in His attempt to bring forth Jairus’ daughter back from death to life, made some moves before He did.

The first thing that Jesus did was to encourage the family not to be afraid but believe with a positive statement saying, “it is well.”
Secondly, He told them that their daughter had only went to sleep and not unto death so that they should stop weeping. The first and second moves were to address the family from the inside because when the inside was settled, then the outside could be dealt with by being put out on the outside. Jesus did not address the outside until He had taken care of the inside. While Jesus was taking care of the inside, the outside was in operation. Luke 8: 53, “And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.”  The outsiders ridiculed Jesus thinking it would be impossible for Him to raise Jairus’ daughter back to life. Ridicule is from the outside; it is an agent of discouragement. As an agent of discouragement, ridicule will bring forth discouragement to stop exercising faith, which would cause the loss of faith. Jesus did not hesitate; He needed to settle the outside since the inside had been addressed. The Bible records in Luke 8:54-55, “…He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Little girl, arise,’ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.” Jesus did not allow the surrounding people or the outsiders to deny the miracle for Jairus’ daughter. Just as Jesus put all agents of mockery and ridicule out in the case of Jairus’ daughter, so He will do on your behalf. This New Year, all that belongs unto you will return to you and your testimony will glorify God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to uphold you in His way so that your faith will not fail. 

FAITH CAPSULE: Knowing the name of Jesus is not enough if the one who claims to know Him is not known in Him.

Psalm 116

We serve the God that answers. He is the same yesterday and forever. David said, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:4) David was not entertaining with words but he was gaining entrance into the court of God. David was gaining entrance into the presence of God through praise because it is praise that grants access into His court. Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Thanksgiving will get you to the gate and praise will get you into the court. David wanted to get to the court when He declared praise worship for His salvation from his enemies. Praise that is driven by joy, not just mouthful praise, but praise from the heart is what will get you to His court.

How do you call Him? He has so many names no other god shares because He alone is the great God. Which of His name will you call? It is the name of God that you call that will answer for you. If you call on Him as a God of provision, He will answer to you; and if you call on Him as God of salvation, He will not deny Himself. The question is do you know Him?  It is written, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:13)  The word says whosoever calls, and whosoever could mean anyone.

Many respond to situations by screaming “Oh my God”, and sometimes you hear people say “Oh Jez”, but it is not an indication or demonstration of knowing Him. Many people know about His name and some actually know His name. Knowing the name of Jesus is not enough if the one who claims to know Him is not known in Him. To be known in Him is to be living the Word of God daily. It may sound impossible or challenging to be living the word of God, but it is possible to live the word. If the word of God were not livable, God would not have the expectation for us to live by His word. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) It is not enough to be fluent in His word if there is no abiding in His word. When you abide in Him you will be known in Him. The grace of God is sufficient, and it will make it possible to live the word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be consistent in calling on Him alone.

FAITH CAPSULE: Rising up to God’s command is the only way to shine for God’s glory.

Luke 15:11-31

The ability to rise in response to God’s calling is the only way to possess an exceedingly great blessing from God. The key to shinning for the glory of God is rising and responding to His calling. Isaiah 60:1-2, “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. ” The call to rise does not have a condition or any reason for compromise but to rise in response to God. The word does not ask if we will rise but asked us to rise. Indeed, deep darkness will show its face in attempt to discourage or deny us from rising but the Lord is always at work. He said that He will rise over us and His glory would not be denied. Abraham could not possess all that was promised to him by God until he rose to God’s command. Genesis 22:1-2, “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham! “And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Abraham did himself a great favor when he was right with God. In his response to God, the Bible stated, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (Genesis 22:3)

Abraham rose up to God’s calling and that led him into possessing all of the promises of God. Rising up to God’s command is the only way to shinning for God’s glory. Can you think of what is keeping you grounded? In all of your walk and work on the face of the earth, is there any area you have remained grounded? The lost son (Prodigal son) was lost and down after he had moved to get his portion of goods from his father. Having received his portion he ended up falling. In his lack he came to himself and he made a decision by stating, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” The prodigal son knew to rise and he was able to shine when the father delivered a hearty welcome and reception for him. It is all about rising before shinning can take place.

Prayer for today: Ask God to intervene and terminate all the forces that are denying or delaying your rising in the journey of life.  

FAITH CAPSULE: Serve heaven a hearty thanksgiving and heaven will satisfy you.

John 6:1-14, 11:17-44

In obedience and thanksgiving, there is abundance. At the feeding of 5,000, Jesus asked His disciples not to let the people go away with an empty stomach. It was a desert area, a place that can never produce enough supply for the demand that was at hand. In John 6:5, “Jesus asked Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a lad has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many? Are you wondering how your pressing needs shall be met? Knowing it that what you have at hand or on ground is never going to make up for what you need just speak your need to Jesus. In speaking your need story telling like that of Philip’s response to Jesus will be avoided.  If in your journey of life you have ended up in a desert area of life know it that with Jesus there is a way out and nothing is absolutely impossible for the maker of all things to do. Jesus will turn around your lack into abundance.

Jesus, after having received an answer from Philip that there was no enough to serve the people, He responded in John 6:10-11, “Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” The people obey the command of Jesus which called for them to sit down. There was obedience in the people’s response, and there was a thanksgiving offering unto the Lord for the little (five barley and two small fish) that became abundance. The people’s obedience and thanks which was offered to God combined and brought forth abundance.

It was same obedience in combination with thanks giving that brought Lazarus out of the grave of life. At Lazarus’ tomb, after Jesus’s command for the stone to be removed was faithfully engaged, He gave thanks which caused death to be replaced by life. (Luke 11)

At the desert of lack abundance took over. The book of John 6:12 recorded, “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” In a desert ground; at late hour; where there was none to turn to except Jesus, obeying command (sitting down) and giving thanks was served to heaven and all were satisfied. Engage full obedience, extend a hearty thanksgiving concerning every area of your lack and it will be converted into abundance to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to become one that knows to give thanks and live life obeying His command.