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.

FAITH CAPSULE: Begin to confess and confide in Him as your refuge and fortress.

Psalm 91

The Psalmist made a statement “I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:2) Refuge is a shelter or protection from danger. Fortress means any place of exceptional security. In this world of challenges the only place of refuge and fortress indeed and in truth is in the Lord. It is a statement of confidence that can only be declared for no other god but the One and the only King of kings and the Lord of lords. The Psalmist later testified in the same Psalm, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11) For any believer that has come to the understanding of God as our refuge and fortress, nothing works better than meditating: “Lord give your angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways” When there is a security in all ways, there will be a safe and final arrival at every expected end of journey. It does not matter how troubled a journey is when there is consistent confession for God, who alone is the true refuge and fortress, will not fail in giving His angels charge over every confessing believer.
Peter was marked and set for an imminent death in the hand of King Herod who earlier killed James, the brother of John. While Peter was bound in chains, sleeping at night between guards and awaiting for his time of execution the following occurred. “Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”” (Acts 12:7-8) An angel was charged to keep Peter away from the trap of death. Peter was lead away from his untimely death to the ground of safety and security. Is there any situation that has placed you out of His place? Is there any way that you have been reduced to a point of no way out? The same God who was is the same God that is today. Begin to confess and confide in Him as your refuge and fortress, He will not fail you. In His covering over you, no evil shall bring you down neither shall there be plague near your dwelling place.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to count on Him as your refuge and my fortress.

FAITH CAPSULE: What is it that needs to die for you to be able to see a new thing?

Exodus 2, 3

It is written, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I
saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the
temple.”  (Isaiah 6:1) All of Isaiah’s life he could not
see the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up with the train of His robe
filled the temple until the time King Uzziah died. Sometimes, there is a need
for things to die before seeing a new thing in place. Also at times there is a
need for an age to pass for a new age to unfold itself. The death of King
Uzziah signalled the end of an age and Isaiah was in place to see what he was
never able to see before King Uzziah died.
What is it that needs to die for you to be able to see a new thing? What is it
that need to be removed for you to move to the center of your divine
assignment? Are you sensitive to the time you are living?  Is it
possible that some challenges needs to prevail in your life for you to engage a
provoking cry which catches heaven’s attention?

The children of Israel were in bondage of over four hundred years and they did
not know there was a need for them to cry out and groan for their breakthrough
out of bondage. The Bible recorded, “Now it happened in the process of
time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because
of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the
bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel,
and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25)  The death of the
King of Egypt provoked the children of Israel to cry out. The children of
Israel began to render a provoking and attention-gaining cry to heaven. Before
the death of the King of Egypt, they must have been comfortable in bondage
instead of seeking a way to their Promised Land. With the children of Israel,
the promise of getting to the Promised Land was at dormant for over four
hundred years.

The death of the king of Egypt caused the groaning of the children of Israel and
it set them in motion to where God wanted for them to be. Evidently, when they
called by groaning and crying, God heard and He remembered His covenant. What
is it that needs to die for you to be able to see a new thing? What is it that
need to be removed for you to move to the center of your divine assignment?

Prayer for today: Ask God for you to see what you need to see
through Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: To consciously engage a costly sacrifice is a proven mark of love for God.

1 John 5

Many songs have been written about love among the believers and non-believers. Among such is the song that says, “Oh how I love Jesus 3x, because He died for me.”
Have you actually taken some time out to search your heart if indeed you love God?
Do you love God?
What does it mean to love God?
LOVING GOD
1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” Keeping God’s commandment is either doing His will or being obedient to His will. It takes sacrificial commitment to obey God’s commandment. Loving God is a sacrifice.

Sacrifice is not cheap but it is giving unto God what is costly. King David once stated in 2 Samuel 24:24, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”” King David was responding to Araunah who had offered him a free land to make a sacrifice to God. The sacrifice was meant to deliver the children of Israel from death that was caused by David’s census. At that time, David’s census was against the command of God. David’s rejection of free land from Araunah was a clear demonstration of what a costly sacrifice before God should be. To consciously engage a costly sacrifice is a proven mark of love for God.

With God, there is a set standard for every area of His expectation for us. God did not just ask for love rather He gave us a standard of acceptable love when He stated in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” To love God means to give Him our all. Through the pages of the Bible, men and women that gave Him all were able to live a fulfilled life and accomplish great exploits to the glory of God. Men like Abraham, Joseph, Daniel and other giants loved God and were able to do great exploits. The giants in the hand of God’s approach to the issues of life clearly depict what it is to love God with all of their heart, soul and strength.

God has not asked us for what cannot be done. Are you willing to love God? If you will begin to desire your love for God, He will deposit all that it takes for you to love Him. Love God and have life in Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to love Him more. Pray against the spirit that causes man to cease from loving God.