FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus wants to see us act against crowd and not cave for crowd.

Mark 2:1-12

Learn and know to avoid crowd on your journey to healing breakthrough. A failure to avoid crowd is a passage to breakthrough stagnation.
A paralytic man was set for his healing breakthrough when Jesus entered Capernaum. It is written, “…it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.” (Mark 2:1-2) The paralytic man must have heard about the news of Jesus in town very late so he arrived late at his healing ground. The healing center at Capernaum was full because of the crowd. Imagine a paralytic man seeking healing where there is no accessibility not even near the door? Crowd clouded the paralytic man’s access to his healing ground (Is it your work or time for academic engagement, that is crowding your breakthrough to your healing ground?)

In life, there is always a way out when faith is in place because faith is the substance of things hoped for. Remember faith is described as, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The men who carried the paralytic man had faith because they were hoping for healing in the hand of Jesus as a result, “…when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:4) For the paralytic man not to be denied his healing breakthrough by the crowd, four men lifted the paralytic man up to another level as they engaged a roof tearing faith and bible recorded, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:5)

Jesus is looking to see you make a move and not be removed by your crowd.
He is always waiting to see you act and not hide under excuse which cannot clear the crowd out of your way to your breakthrough miracle.

Zacchaeus man of short stature wanted to see Jesus while he was in the midst of a thronging crowd. He avoided crowd when he stepped up his attempt by running ahead of the crowd. After having run ahead, he pressed further and climbed on a sycamore tree despite his short statue. It is written, ^“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5)

Jesus wants to see us act against crowd and not cave for crowd.
Avoid all kinds of crowds, and most especially the religious crowd.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to see you through all kinds of crowd.

FAITH CAPSULE: Seeking God is following God. It is a continuous process.

John 1:35-51

Seeking God is following God. It is a continuous process. Continuous process is not convenience it is a commitment. Whatever you are missing is in seeking God. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Is God first in your seeking and serving Him? Each and every acclaimed believer is overwhelmed with different purpose and different agenda. Some seek and serve for financial gain while some seek and serve Him in attempt to get answer to confronting issues. In your seeking and serving Him, time has always been what you are using as a determinant. In seeking and serving God you are the kind with constant and consistent consideration of how, when, where or what you can deliver in your service to the Lord. If one will consider today that time which is being used as a guard post is not in control of man but God that gives it, one will begin to give all to God. Let it be registered in you today that seeking and serving God is not a convenient engagement but a commitment. Commitment is a sacrifice and only God and not man can determine and accept what He considers to be a reasonable sacrifice. If you have not denied yourself, your seeking and serving God is conceit; your seeking and serving Him is not recorded in heaven; Jesus will declare later that He did not know you.

Have you actually denied yourself for the Lord’s service? As an acclaimed believer, it is not only when you see believers around you that you should be acting unselfish. Also, it is not only in the presence of fellow believers that acting to be holy should be in place. You know it is not true and it is false humility. Man can be deceived but God will see through the heart and He cannot be deceived, “For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him all actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3) Let it penetrate deep in your heart that in seeking and serving Him, you have to follow Him. It is written,  “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26) Ignorance is not an excuse. Ignorance will only make a destitute out of a believer; it will ridicule your journey if you fail to master what it takes to follow the Master.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to follow fully in your seeking and serving Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is evil for any believer to think that inside can be neglected based on a flimsy excuse.

Matthew 23

As an acclaimed believer of Jesus as Lord and Savior, how clean is your inside compared to your outside? It is important to know that what you present on the outside is not as important to what you carry in the inside. The Pharisees were one of the major sect or special – interest groups among the Jews during the days of the New Testament. Pharisees, meaning separated ones, believed that religious rituals and separation from sinners were the way to please God. Matters such as the laws of tithing and ritual purity were very important to the Pharisees. Jesus referred to them as hypocrites. He said in Matthew 23:25, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self indulgence.” Every believer has a need to take a close look at self from the inside to know how much of the spirit of Pharisees inhabits your life.

Are you one of those who want to shine on the outside while the inside is dull and cannot be presented before the Lord? Are you a modern day Pharisees that will offer more than what is requested for the outside while the inside is not being attended to? By virtue of the days we are living, every believer does have a need for serious self-examination. Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived. It is possible to come out on Sundays or on days of fellowshipping, presenting self on the outside as holy and neat while you are having a neglected inside that is dirty and rusty.
It does not matter how long you have been getting away with your hypocrisy.  Just think of the fact that God does not and will not overlook sin. It is evil for any believer to think that inside can be neglected based on a flimsy excuse while the outside is being upgraded. Know today that “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11) If you can consider yourself as one that fits into the identity of the Pharisees, it is never too late to get out from the outside and begin from the inside of yourself for a thorough readjustment. Jesus said in Matthew 23: 26, “Blind Pharisees, first cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. God will never look from outside to inside, but rather conducts examinations from the inside to the outside.  Stop decaying, stop deception and go ask God for His deliverance in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to have your inside intact to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Today, many are calling and sending themselves with hidden agenda.

Matthew 8:18-27 Mark 6:7-13

It is written, “Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22) Just like it was in the bible days so it is today. So many wants to be sent out, but few want to follow. When you fail in following Him, you will not pass into His call to be sent. Today, many are calling and sending themselves with hidden agenda. In the days of Jesus, many went to Him, but very few actually followed Him. Are you a self proclaimed Pastors, Bishops, Evangelists, Apostles, and Gospel Singers who have not taken time to follow Him fully? In following Him there will be constant engagements with winds and storm of this world. In following there are lessons to learn before graduating to leading His sheep. In following Him there is power to gain before getting into His divine assignment.

Many have gone out in His name but lack power. Also, many are going in His way in the name of program. There is a difference between power and a program. In power there is no weapon formed against you and overcome you. However, with a program, acclaimed followers are empty and He is not backing any up. In the beginning, program might seem right and glowing because of skill or earthly wisdom. In time, the error will be revealed to one. Billy Graham once said, “If the Holy Spirit is taken out of the church, 95% of the church activity will continue without the church feeling of what is missing.” Have you been following? Are you called to be sent? Mark 6:7, “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirit.”   Matthew 10:1, “And when He had called His disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Think twice before you get yourself into a position to be sent. There is a price for responsibility. Prepare and learn to follow Him and He will invest in your life for His name to be glorified.

Prayer for today: Ask God to teach and guide you that you may leave as His follower.