FAITH CAPSULE: In life, giving is sowing. What are you giving back to Jesus?

John 10

It is worthy to ask self, what have I done for Jesus lately? That is… “What have you been giving back to Jesus”? Do you not think you owe Jesus?
The main reason why Jesus was given to us is for us to inherit eternal life.
Every step taken to inherit eternal life is exactly what we are doing or giving back to Jesus. Every acclaimed believer should walk in His righteousness and obediently walk in line of His command is giving back to Jesus.
In life, giving is sowing, sowing is serving. What are you giving…how are you serving Him? When there is no understanding in place to give, it is better than to have the understanding to give and not give.
It is true that what a man sows he will surely reap. God is a perfect Manager and He perfects in managing each and every of His creation by virtue of allowing His creation to reap from what they sow. In life, it is impossible to sow the seed of deception and expect to reap the fruit of perfection.

Any man who sows the seed of lie will reap the fruit of being deceived. It is worthy to live life as one who knows Him and anything short of living life as one who knows Him is living life as a liar. It is written, “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”(1John2:4-6)

God invests so much in us while we extend so little to Him. Nothing passes outside of God seeing…man shall reap from whatever man sows. What kind of seeds are you sowing? When it is reaping time, prayer time might have expired and too late to avoid the consequences of failure to sow. It is written, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11) Celebrating the season of events in the life of Jesus is not an evidence of sowing any good which glorifies God for all He has done. Also, It is not a license to heaven. However, living life to the glory of God is what provokes the hand of God in the life of a believer. Allow this season of Easter celebration to be a season of a new turnaround of giving back for His grace of salvation.

Prayer for today: Ask for God’s hand to begin to move and lead you to live the life of a good sower to God’s glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: Without commitment there is no connection.

Matthew 6

It sounds lazy when an able man opens his mouth and states that seeking after your provision first should be replaced with seeking God first. Interestingly, it is actually the word of Jesus. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) However, it is not an avenue for any man to engage covenant laziness by having a paid job at the tip of their hand and not do it. Seeking after God is commitment. Commitment is not convenient. However, it is one that is committed is connected to God.

The provision of God for you is not bounded by what you have or what you have not. His provision is not bounded by how much you need; neither is it bounded by how long you have been waiting for manifestation. It is for this reason why seeking the Provider must be first and foremost rather than provisions. How can a man be going after creation for help when the Creator is available round the clock? Why should we focus more on the blessings rather than the blessed? Where have you found yourself at this juncture in your life? What is lacking in your life?

Imagine Jesus had the multitudes following Him wherever He went — mountain, sea and valley. Following Jesus is seeking Jesus and it can never be convenient because it will take you out of your location or comfort zone. In your following Him, remain focused on gaining heaven. Truly, they followed Him because they witnessed the signs and wonders He performed. Is that not enough to provoke following Him around in your life? In one instance, they followed Him to a place where there was not enough food to eat or purchase. Of course they must have had the realization of where they are going and the lack that was there but yet they kept following Him.

Jesus knew there was a need for food and that there was no place to buy when He asked Philip, “…Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Always and forever, the foolishness of God is wiser than man. Imagine Jesus asking for a place to buy bread in the midst of nowhere; seeking for provision where there was none.

In the course of looking for food, “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’”(John 6:8-9) Andrew definitely had no understanding that regardless of what is at hand does not count when you seek Him first. What is of importance is that which comes from the hand of whom you seek first.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace not to look back in seeking Him first.

FAITH CAPSULE: Repentance from the heart will bring forth restoration.

Luke 15

A parable is an everyday truth that has spiritual application. It is an earthly truth with a heavenly meaning. Jesus spoke many times using parables. He gave a parable of the lost son. This parable clearly connotes the mind of God concerning repentance and restoration of man from sin. Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.” (Luke 15:11-14)
Jesus’ going to the cross and shedding of His blood is for our possession and a plan for our restoration. In the parable, the younger son had his possessions and went far from his father. We cannot afford to have Jesus and go far from the presence of God in this wicked world. Going far is choosing our way which will always be a way of death. Going far from Him will lead to a debased extravagant life which is a wasted life. A wasted life will always provoke a life of “want” and “relegation” from what God wants for us to be. Going far from Him will expose man to every trouble of this world.

How are you living life? Are you living in the fear of God? Have you gone far from Him like the prodigal son? It is written, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’” (Luke 15:17-19) It is time to come back to yourself just like the prodigal son. The prodigal son arose and came to his father. The Bible records, “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”(Luke 15:20-21)
Repentance from the heart will bring forth restoration. He repented and his father gave him full restoration. God is a merciful, Isaiah 64:4 testifies, “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 waits for Him.” He is waiting for you if you will repent, restoration will become your portion.

Prayer for today: Ask that the goodness and mercy of God shall not expire over your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: The command of God is in His word.

Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 11:1-44

God must be known as the only one and true God. He is an attention seeking God and He deserves more than all the attention being directed to Him. God made His Spirit to set Ezekiel up in the valley of dry bones. “The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:1-2) The bones which Ezekiel saw were very dry and lifeless. God did not just expose Him to the valley of dry bones; He positioned Him to ask him if the dry bones, the lifeless bones could have life again. God asked Ezekiel, “And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3) Ezekiel responded to God’s question by stating, “…So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” (Ezekiel 37:3) Every given answer is a determinant of one’s level of understanding. As a believer, do you know or you only about the truth that indeed only God knows how to bring back to life what the enemy has taken away?

By virtue of Ezekiel’s response, God gave him a command (word) to speak life back into the dry bones. Ezekiel did as was commanded by God; Ezekiel prophesied and the dry bones regained life. Ezekiel 37:10, “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Just as Ezekiel received His command, so Jesus has given His word of command to every believer today. His command is the authority invested in the Word. Those who know themselves in the Lord (not those who know about Him) are those that have allowed the Spirit to set them up in place to believe and receive the Word of God to do exploit. Daniel 11:32 buttressed, “…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
The command of God is in His word, it is authority which cannot be denied. It is the same command that called forth Lazarus from the grave of four days. (John 11:43)
Ezekiel allowed the Spirit of God to set him up where God wanted. If we will allow the Spirit of God to set us up where He wants and not where we want, the same power will flow for us. God is true and faithful by His word. Ezekiel knew better by confessing that ‘God knows.’ Making consistent confession that ‘only God knows’ will make the difference in the life of each and every believer today.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be constant and consistent obeying His word.

FAITH CAPSULE: What we do is what reflects our belief.

Job 2

God spoke to Jeremiah, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’” ³ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.””(Jeremiah 7:2-40)  The Lord God’s calling is not only for the Israelites but to all of the acclaim believers of today that is those who go to worship God. The key message as stated by God is, “Amend your ways and your doings” By virtue of this word of God, it is evident that many are entering to worship God but not all are dwelling in Him (His presence) because their ways and their doings does not line with His word. As an acclaim believer, how are your ways and your doings?

Every man’s ways are evident in their walk. Also it is a man’s walk that will determine where man’s sits what man stands for. Whatever man stands for is direct pointer to man’s doings. In life, man’s walk is what provokes God’s blessing over man’s life. The psalmist buttress in Psalm 1:1, “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” Man’s ways must be steadfastly devoted to God’s word (godly counsel) which should have effect on man’s doings.
Man’s ways is what reflects man’s life styles. Steadfast devotion is life styles, it is a way of worshipping God and it demonstrates man’s integrity. Integrity is encased in steadfast devotion. Proverb 11:3 stated, “The integrity of the upright will guide them…” To be guided belongs to acclaim believers with amended ways and doings. To be guided is to dwell in the presence of God. A believer whose ways is steadfastly devoted (integrity) shall not cease from the presence of God.

Job was described by God, “…there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3) Job was a man whose ways and doings were steadfast before God and the presence of God gave an impenetrable edge hedge which no force could access. The Satan could not violate the guard around Job and he testified by questioning God, “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side…?”
Job’s guard was intact because of his steadfastness in God (the root of integrity) and his doings were of God and God could testify of his integrity. What we do is what reflects our belief.

Prayer for today: Ask God to teach you, lead you and direct you in all your ways.