FAITH CAPSULE: God is in absolute control either we like it or not.

Exodus 2

Moses was born at appointed time as a result death plan of Pharaoh could not have a grip upon his life. He escaped death at birth; he later turned out to be a murder that has to run from the palace where he was raised. In his effort to run from Pharaoh’s reach after killing an Egyptian on behalf of his Hebrew brother, he ended up in Midian. Nothing happens by accident.

God alone is in position to allow and disallow all that happens in the life of man. God is in absolute control either we like it or not. For example, He alone allowed Job’s challenges when Satan asked for Job. God responded to Satan, “And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:6-7) God could have disallowed Satan but He does have His way over Job’s life and every of His creation. In Moses’ life, all that happened prepared him for where he was going. In order for Moses to become a shepherd in the hand of God, he has to be trained as a shepherd. Where you are going, you do not know, you only know about where you are now. Are you paying attention to God? When Moses was living in the palace, he would not have imagined becoming a shepherd. Nevertheless, he ended up becoming a shepherd in the hand of God. To be used by God is a great attainment that cannot be compared or traded for anything. You know whom you believe, and that is enough to encourage you to stand firm in whatever condition or situation you encounter. If Moses missed his training, he probably would have been out of place and miss the calling upon his life. When he was received by the priest of Midian, he did not allow pride or anger to get in the way of God’s plan for his life.

Character was in place in the life of Moses. It is written, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21) Contentment is what made the difference in the life of Moses. Life from palace to tent could never have been an easy transition, but he was contented. Do you have God in your life? If you do, it is a good thing to ask Him to endue you with the spirit of contentment. 1Timothy 6:6 buttress the importance of contentment stating; “Now godliness and contentment is great gain.” With contentment, Moses was in place to engage the calling upon his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to endue you with all that it takes not to miss your place of calling.

FAITH CAPSULE: Just as worship is an opposition to worry so is miracle to magic.

Exodus 7

Miracle is simply a wonder and God alone is the wonder working God. Miracles are of God, Miracles lasts forever and it runs deep. Just as worship is opposition to worrying so is miracle to magic. Miracle belongs to God while magic is of the evil one. Magic is a devise of the enemy. Magic glitters and it will only last for a moment. What do you trust God for that is yet to reach your hand?
Despite not being able to see in the physical you have come too far and close to your breakthrough, let not magic come into play. Magic will fail you no matter how it glitters; waiting on the miracle hand of the Almighty God is the only way of receiving from God. Pharaoh was reluctant of letting the children of Israel go and serve the Lord at the request of God through Moses, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.” (Exodus 7:10-11) The magic worked for the magicians and Pharaoh, but it could not answer or match up with the move of God’s hand in the rod which Moses carried. Any power demonstration outside of the name of God will not stand but fail. Magic will fail but miracle will prevail. Magic could not last as the rod of the magician failed to survive. It is written, “For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” (Exodus 7:12) If you will look up and hope in the Lord your miracle will come at Gods appointed time.

It is important to note that the enemy will copy but he cannot coordinate for the result to be established. Ones that look for magic are the ones with notion for quick fix to their situation. Ones with mind for magic will not identify God’s way when God is leading them through a longer but right way. It is written, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt so God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”(Exodus 13:17-18) Allow the manifestation of miracle by following through the way of God and not a way which seems right. Often time, the way that seems right is of magic.

Prayer for today: Ask God to keep you from magical snares of the wicked world.

FAITH CAPSULE: It can never too late to reap the fruitfulness of doing good.

Jeremiah 17

As a believer, have you been seeing your good work turned down before man? If it sounds like you, it should never be a reason to stop doing good. Word of God cautioned, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 14:17) It is important for man to keep on doing good even if the world around makes the choice not to acknowledge man. Every good deed that is true and genuine before God cannot be altered for bad. It is clear that what the world considers to be good deed is not enough to deny man from making heaven or not. However, the minor things that are being done behind close door, that is not hidden from God is capable of denying man from making heaven.

Doing good is what you need to be doing because it makes the difference. Proverbs 13:21 buttress, “Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid.” Pay day for doing good is coming. God meant what He said and He will do all that He has promised to do. Why not stick to His word in the pages of the scripture. The words of God are true and they are promising and encouraging to those that will take to it. It can never too late to reap the fruitfulness of doing good. Be encouraged if you have been doing good in dealing with a wicked and desperate world.

It is important to note that “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”( Jeremiah 17:9-10) Be encouraged if all that you are doing is sincere to the glory of God and with no hidden agenda for self-glorification. In your meditation, add the word of Jeremiah 32:19, “You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” He that gives eyes and ears does have eyes to see and ears to hear. Doing good is giving glory to God. Let nothing derail you from doing what you are doing that is bringing glory to God’s name. There must be an understanding in place that you will reap according to the fruit of your doings. Do not bother nor wonder how long it will take, but be assured that it will not be long beyond God’s timing. Be encouraged and not be discouraged.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give eyes to all your good doing before Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: Setting mind for things above is to be purposely fixed against any distraction.

Colossians 3

Those who make the choice to set their mind on the things of God will be established to the glory of God. Apostle Paul, by virtue of his experience wrote in Colossians to make us understand that there is a place for a believer to engage and be established for God to be glorified. He stated in Colossians 3:1, “If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” Have you given your life to Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and savior? If yes, you are one that has been raised with Christ. Apostle Paul is reaching out to you for your own good.

Further down in the same chapter, he gave a clear understanding to show that the only way to be able to seek things which are above, with effectiveness is to set our minds on things that are above and not on things that are on the earth. Setting minds on things on earth is making a way for evil one to occupy. This is an indication that indeed, the battle ground that the enemy wants to capture is our mind. A captured mind is a trapped mind in the things that are not of God. When we begin to effectively set our minds on those things which are above, those things which are on the earth will begin to be offset in our lives and no longer have its way. The idea of setting is to purpose for God. Daniel being a young captive set himself for the glory of when he purposed in Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Setting mind for things above is also to be purposely fixed against any distraction.

A mind that is set will not be found without constant meditation in the morning, day, and night. Are you willing to set your mind on things that are above where Christ is? If yes, then there will be a need to “put to death your members which are on earth such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). This is not all of your old man that needs to be put off, but anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of mouth is also included. In the place of putting off of the members that are of this earth (the old man), there will be a putting on of the things that are of God; characters that represent He that is above. Apostle Paul identifies such characters as, tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12). Above all of this is love and allowing forgiveness to reign and to rule in the heart and life of every believer of the word. Constantly setting mind to seek the things above with Christ will deliver one from becoming a waste when He comes back again.

Prayer for today: Ask God to give you heart to truly seek Him in all your ways.

FAITH CAPSULE: If you have been called it is time to respond.

Acts 9:1-31

The book of John 1:1-3 describe the Word of God, “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.” Going by the description of the Word of God it is impossible for the Word to sound in man’s direction or enter into man and be doubted. Saul with his wicked agenda, with his all-out war against the Living Word of God, heard and saw the Word in His direction and his life was re-directed.
Saul was on his way to go and cause damage to the body of Christ in Damascus. He had all the permission that was needed to bring anyone that was for Christ to Jerusalem bounded. On his way Jesus showed up to him in the form of light shining from heaven. Saul responded to the call. “And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” (Acts 9:5) It possible that the question of Saul is what kept him in dark for three days when he lost his sight. The condition of not having eyesight for three days without knowing whether or not it will be regained can be devastating. Saul gained his sight back but the bottom line of it is if you have been called it is time to respond Many are hearing the Word daily or weekly (on Sundays) through the pages of Scripture, but yet they are not paying attention to Him. Those who pay attention will hear and not doubt the Word.

Any man that sees the Word of God like Saul did will no doubt receive Him, such will become a force that cannot fail in any area of life. With His calling comes challenges but overcoming is certain. When the Word the word calls you, He will back you up if you do not back out of Him. With Jesus there is no middle ground between answering to serve Him and answering to serve the world. You are either for or against Him. Saul answered with all his heart and he had a transformation in every area of life. His name was changed to Paul and all of his writing in the New Testament is a testimony to the fact that Paul was more sensitive to the Holy Spirit more than the ones that walked with Jesus (including the Apostles) while He was on earth.
It is absolutely impossible to hear from the Lord or to see the Lord like Saul did and not accept or receive Him.

Prayer for today: Ask Him to pour out the fire of His love in your heart.