FAITH CAPSULE: Do not only celebrate the gift of God but confess and be living the Word.

2 Kings 5

Power and might be unto God. He alone is the unquestionable God, the unchanging changer and the only God that revises the irreversible. The love of God for His creation knows no bound. Out of His goodness and mercy, He gave His only begotten Son. It is written, “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
God gave a very expensive gift. The gift of God is a sacrificial gift and is meant to redeem man from condemnation. The gift of God is a precious gift for everyone to preciously accept it. As precious as it is, He does not force it on anyone to receive it. In the gift of God there is grace to live life abundantly for those who make the right choice to receive and believe in His gift for us.

Many take to celebrating the gift of God but lack the understanding to receive and believe His gift. Unfortunately, many celebrate His gift and not confess His gift. For any who does not confess but celebrate, it is an evidence of not having received and believed in the gift of God.

The story of Naaman the leper is that of one in the place of free gift but yet does not know to receive and believe gift for his cleansing. A young captive girl offered a deliverance avenue to Naaman through Naaman’s wife, when she informed about Elisha the man of God. It is written, “Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.  And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.”” (2kings 5:9-11) The pride in Naaman denied him his healing salvation at his first attempt. Naaman could not see his healing salvation in the word of the man of God when he despised the word which directed him to Jordan River for his healing salvation. Just like Naaman, many are not able to see there salvation in the Living Word of God that was born in the manger for their salvation.
Do not only celebrate the gift of God but confess Him and begin to live life in of the living Word of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to see and believe in the Living Word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow faith to rise and fear to sink.

Luke 1

The Bible described Zacharias and His wife Elizabeth stating, “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:6-7) When it was time for God to visit them with the fruit of the womb, He sent an angel to them and the angel spoke, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” (Luke 1:13-14) If you will see in the word of God, you will be able to receive of the spoken word of God. The angel told Zacharias not to be afraid, you can also deny fear and allow faith to make a way for prayer to be answered.

The same angel Gabriel that appeared to barren Elizabeth also appeared to Virgin Mary. Just as he delivered the news of male child to Elizabeth, so he delivered the news of male child to Mary. It is written, “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33) Before the angel delivered God’s message to Mary he encouraged Mary to disengage fear just as he did to Elizabeth. Great and undeniable miracle (the move of God) in one’s life does not flow with fear but with faith.

Angel Gabriel also revealed to Mary about Elizabeth stating, “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:36-37) By virtue of Angel Gabriel’s command against fear, Elizabeth and Mary believed and the angel affirmed, “…with God nothing will be impossible.” The word of God is consistent to deliver when there is faith and no fear. Are you able to see in the word you are hearing? Job testified, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5) It is faith that will make man listen and be able to gain understanding in the word of God which sounds in man’s direction for man’s breakthrough deliverance. Elizabeth and Mary listen and heard. Fear was denied while faith was in line and impossibility was converted to possibility. Allow faith to rise and fear to sink.

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

FAITH CAPSULE: Orderliness is important because it gives way to a fitting fulfillment.

Isaiah 38

Living life in line of God’s order leads to having an open heaven when we pray. John the Baptist went ahead and baptized Jesus according to God’s order. It is written, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and Hesaw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”(Matthew 3:16)  Permitting the word of God to be fulfilled in our life is fitting and it is also our heaven opener. Heaven was opened because Jesus maintained life in order of God. In the opened heaven, the voice of God also sounded. It was a sound of confirmation and a sound of love. It is written “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) God demonstrated that when life is lined up in His order, a fitting fulfillment will have its place.

Just as there is more to gain in life from living in line with God’s order, there is much to lose when living life engages violation of God’s order. God is no respecter of man and when orderliness is not in place, sickness, disease and untimely death becomes inevitable. Once in the days of King Hezekiah a life threatening sickness struck the life of Hezekiah. “…And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” (Isaiah 38:1) King Hezekiah knew where the problem was and responded without excuse. By virtue of his situation, he could not expect any recovery from God without going back and making amends by crying to God and putting in order what had been in disorder.

It is written that, “…Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” (Isaiah 38: 2-3) As much as God will not overlook the violation of orderliness so will He also be a merciful God that will not ignore but incline His ear to the crying of His children. God sent Isaiah back to King Hezekiah, “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.” (Isaiah 38:5) Orderliness is important because it gives way to a fitting fulfillment.
Jesus engaged divine agenda and had a fitting fulfillment out of life. Evidently, we have to also engage life in orderliness that we may have a fitting fulfillment.

Prayer for today: Ask that you live to fulfill God’s divine agenda for your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Fulfilling God’s order will always result to a fitting fulfillment.

Matthew 3

God is a God of order. His order is His command which should never be violated. Orderliness is always the evidence of preparation and with preparation provision cannot be denied. When there is no preparation, expectation will not prevail. Without expectation, the kind of transformation that terminates challenges is nowhere to be found. The bible documents the successful journey of Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem as the result of God’s hand upon Ezra. The hand of God was possible upon Ezra because Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:9-10) The point here is one that prepares will always be in line of orderliness. It is true that where there is preparation there will be provision, meaning expectation shall come to manifestation.
Are you prepared to place your life in order according to the word of God? Daniel prepared when he purposed not to defile himself with the portion of the King’s delicacies, or with wine which he drank. (Daniel 1:8) He could not be lead off of his purpose in life by not disengaging himself from living life out of God’s order for his life. Fulfilling all righteousness is doing the will of God. A man whose life is not in order engages the danger of not living a fulfilled life. Daniel, by the grace of God upon his life might have realized the danger of falling out of Gods order and end up life without fulfilling that which the Lord called him for.

Living life in order to fulfill God’s divine agenda for man cannot be compromised by any or under any circumstances. Jesus, our Lord and Savior lived by example to buttress the need for engaging orderliness for fulfillment.

At the Jordan, when Jesus came to be baptized according to God’s order of fulfillment, John the Baptist tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized by him. Jesus responded to John the Baptist, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15) Without living life in order, it can be almost impossible to live a fulfilled life. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith fulfilled orderliness. In Jesus’ response to John, we see the need to know and be able to deny any potential agent of derailment in the line of fulfilling orderliness. Jesus denied John the Baptist’s attempt not to baptize Him. Fulfilling God’s order by placing our life in His order will always result to a fitting fulfillment. A failure to place life in order will hunt and hurt any of His creation that chooses not to live life in order of His command.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be fully engaged in orderliness for God’s glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is forever and He is worthy to be feared.

Exodus 9

Knowledge about God is not same as knowing God. Very few live life as those who know about God while few live life as those who know God. Do you know about God or you actually know God? To know God is to fear God. Knowing God will always energize those who truly know Him as God in the journey of life. That being said, among the most interesting identity of God which  should always be a resounding guide is the fact that God will always use foolish things to put to shame the wise. It is written, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) This is exactly the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. God has not changed and He will not change. There is nothing like living a humble life where pride, arrogance and pomposity cannot be traced in one’s identity. As a believer, whatever power is in your possession, no matter what you have become today, let the fear and the operation of God’s hand have a place in your life.

Pharaoh was exposed to multiple signs and wonders which were enough for him to lower his pride, but he failed. God indeed hardened his heart, but his journey of life is for our learning to understand that when a call for change knocks on the door of our heart, we should not be foolish to not answer. Can you imagine what scattering handfuls of ashes from a furnace towards heaven would mean to a powerful king like Pharaoh? Surely it must have been a joke. God’s operation was not a joke when He said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.  And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 9:8-9) Great is our God and He is greatly to be feared. God is beautiful for situations. God alone is the Unchanging Changer. Our God is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is forever and He is worthy to be feared.

Prayer for today: k for the fear of God to overwhelm you all the days of living life.