FAITH CAPSULE: Have you considered engaging the way everlasting?

Psalm 139

There is a way of everlasting and there is a way of eternal damnation. Both ways do not complement each other and no man can take to both ways at the same time. Both ways are engage-able by choices man makes while having the breath of life. Which one of the two ways are you plying? The way everlasting is to God just as the way to eternal damnation is to devil.

The bible testifies, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:2) “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” (Psalm 145:13) “How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.” (Daniel 4:3) “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.” (John 3:16)
All of the above scriptural verses testify where God is and where he will be. Where God is will also be a place for all of His obedient children. Have you considered engaging the way everlasting? The wicked ones are set on the way of eternal damnation. Have you asked or try to find out by virtue of the way you are living life if you are wicked?
Wickedness operates from the heart. Jeremiah testifies, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Is deception; lying; manipulation your identity? Are you keeping your heart to avoid missing everlasting by ending up in eternal damnation? The word of God points out a way of avoiding eternal damnation by stating, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Eternal damnation must be a “no-go” place. The psalmist wanted to make sure that the way of eternal damnation is not his portion when he spoke, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
By you inquiring, know it today that you have not engage the way of the wicked; the way to eternal damnation. The ones whose word of God is near in their mouth but far from their heart are the wicked one. Clearly from across the pages of the bible it is clear that wicked are set on the way of eternal damnation. Make a right choice and trust God for help of enablement to engage the way to everlasting and not to eternal damnation.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to be kept away from the way of eternal damnation.

FAITH CAPSULE: A heart that does not meditate on the word of God will become a dull heart.

Joshua 1

It is written, “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the LORD; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered.” (Jeremiah 10:21) When seeking God takes its place in the heart of man the heart of man shall never be a dull heart. However, when seeking God does not have a place in the heart of man the heart of man shall become dull.  The heart of man with meditation man will seek after God and not become a dull heart. Prosperity is the evidence of a heart that mediates and the book of Joshua 1:7-8 pointed it out, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” It is a thoughtful business to constantly engage meditation. Obviously, meditation is what will make a heart not become dull and when dullness does not have a place in the heart of man seeking God will have a place in the heart of man.

The heart which is constantly active in meditation will become active in experiencing God’s prosperity. God’s prosperity as mentioned by the Lord to Joshua is an all-round prosperity. All-round prosperity is the one that gives good success. The ability to observe and to do according to the word of God comes only from constant and consistent meditation on the word of God. Doing and observing the word of God is a demonstration of obeying God. Also, obeying the word of God is the evidence of seeking God.

As a believer, where do you stand in seeking God? Seeking God starts from the heart and when the heart is dull, nothing becomes bright in walking the world of darkness.

The Psalmist stated that, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The secret place of God is no longer a secret to those that know to seek Him in the pages of His word which never fails. Spending time and holding on to the word of God in meditation brings about prosperity that leads to good success. This is a secret to those that are yet to discover it in the pages of the Bible. God cannot be mocked and neither can He be manipulated and whatever is sowed is what you will reap. Sow by investing time in meditation and the heart will be active and not dull.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of enablement to be constant and consistent meditating on the word of God.

FAITH PRESCRIPTION: Jesus is Lord and there is nothing He cannot do.

Mathew 11

What is it that is causing you to have doubt instead of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? With doubt fear will eventually come to place. Where there is fear or when fear is rising, faith will sink. The Bible identifies the source of faith stating, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Engage hearing and hearing by the word of God, allow faith to rise so that fear will sink and doubt will have no place in you. Deny your present situation or your location from operating as an agent that causes you to doubt.

John the Baptist doubted Jesus. It is written, “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2-3) Is there any representative of prison in your life that is causing doubt of what Jesus can do? John the Baptist, while spending time in prison doubted Jesus. It was John that baptized Jesus. It is written, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him” (Matthew 3:13) John the Baptist bears witness of Jesus, “…Behold The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.”’ (John 1:29-30) John also exalted Jesus when he stated that, “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)

Despite all which John the Baptist knew about Jesus, when he was in the prison of his life, he doubted Jesus. John wanted to know what he already knew. Remember you have heard it all and you have seen it all; if you will hold on to all that you have known you will depart from doubt and not dwell in it. Jesus’ response to John’s doubt is the same response that is speaking to you, “…Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Mathew 11:4-6) Where there is doubt faith has a tendency to drown. Hebrew 11:6, “…But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Take your stand and declare to your situation that Jesus is Lord and there is nothing He cannot do.

Prayer for today: Ask for help that your faith will not fail.

FAITH CAPSULE: We have a God whose thoughts for us are good.

Psalm 92

God is a good God. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving for all He has done, all that He is doing and all He will do. Psalmist prescribed to us stating, “It is good to praise the Lord, and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.” (Psalm 92:1-3) Indeed and in truth, He is a gracious God and deserves to be consciously and continuously given all our praise as we engage a season of celebrating His gracious plan of salvation. God sent His beloved Son to die for our sin.

The psalmist points out, “How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!” (Psalm 92:5) We have a God whose thoughts for us are of good and not of evil. We do have a God whose thoughts were demonstrated in His work. The same God yesterday and today once told the Israelites, “I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11) Interestingly, what He says to one speaks to all and it is clear when He sent His Beloved Son, The living Word of God to come and die for us that we may have salvation.

It is worthy to praise Him with understanding. Without understanding, praising Him will not be backed with all of our strength and that could be the reason why the psalmist declare, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding”.  There have to be the understanding that praising God is what grants access into His presence. In any attempt to get to a king that is on throne, there has to be a process and the process is in traveling through the gate which leads to the court where the king sits and reigns as the king. The psalmist clearly understood this when he stated in Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.”

There is hardly any other means which access us to the presence of God better and faster than praise. Also, understand it that praising God cannot be separated from thanking Him. However, when we praise Him we glorify Him (Psalm 50:23) and when give Him thanks we magnify Him (Psalm 69:30). In this season, give God unceasing praise and thanks for His gracious thought which brought us salvation.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of strength thanking God without ceasing.

FAITH CAPSULE: Failure to acknowledge Him is the knowledge not to know Him.

Jeremiah 2

The book of Deuteronomy pointed out, “…the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) It is not impossible and it is true that those who go far from the word of God you will not remember to acknowledge Him for all He has done. Where there is a failure to identify with what He has done, failure to do what is right will be in place. God spoke through Jeremiah to the children of Israel, “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters? Neither did they say, ‘Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’”  (Jeremiah 2:4-6) Knowing God to be a jealous God, giving Him attention and identifying Him as He who saw you through in the past and acknowledging Him for the present is important. At the time He was speaking through Jeremiah, the children of Israel had failed to do what is right by not identifying Him for the past and not acknowledging Him for the present. In every walk of your life it is worthy to identify Him for what He has done and what He is doing.

As a believer, it is required to constantly acknowledge God for what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do. When there is a failure to acknowledge Him, there will be knowledge of turning away to another god. Which god are you turning to? Is it money, your profession or sport? In Jeremiah 2:13 God responded to the children of Israel’s act as “two evils” by stating, “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. ” Children of Israel committed two evils and God lay down the consequences of their evil deed. The word went further for the children of Israel, “…Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you says the LORD of hosts.” (Jeremiah2:19)  It is never too late to stand up where there is evidence of falling short. However, not to rise and stand but to remain on the ground is self- destruction.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you and redirect you from every wrong step that you have taken away from God.