FAITH CAPSULE: No man can force against the hand of God upon your life.

Daniel 3

The Psalmist describes God, “…O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind.” (Psalm 104:1-3)

God alone is worthy to be magnified above all. He alone knows the beginning from the end, and the end from the beginning. He is the eternal rock of ages, the Almighty God who makes a way where there is no way. It is written, “The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever.” (Psalm 29:9-10) God sitting on His throne of grace saw Saul with his evil agenda, running around for power from the right authority to enable him against the Lord’s disciples. He was all out with bad intentions, but God attended to him in His power. Power pass power and the enemy cannot be more powerful. Damascus was Saul’s target, it was his agenda to go and terminate all who were for the Lord Jesus. Saul could not see Damascus as planned because he became a blind man. He was out against God who reverses the irreversible. No man can force against the hand of God upon your life. Is your faith being challenged? Just as Saul was blinded so shall it be to challenges which are militating against your destiny.

God on His throne caused Saul to be blinded, “…But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:8-9) Who would have thought that a man with all the power from man against the disciples of the Lord could lose his sight at the time he was set to strike? Every wicked plan and purpose against you will meet its termination in Jesus’ name. Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, were sentenced to die by burning in a furnace because they refused to bow to another God. They were sure their God would deliver them. They made a statement, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”(Daniel 3:18) The challenge could not change their belief. The three friends of Daniel glorified God and they overcame. Let not your situation dictate expectations. Allow God to be the center of your expectation. He will not fail because He has never failed.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you just like he delivered Daniel’s three friends from the furnace of fire.

FAITH CAPSULE: Let Jesus know that you value Him today by living for His glory.

Job2, Mark 6:1-6

God gave testimony about Job when Satan approached God for Job’s life, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity…” (Job 2:3) Despite God’s testimony, Job’s wife could not spare Job when she reacted to Job’s adversity by stating, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die’”. (Job 2:9) A man identified by God as upright, blameless and none like him on the earth, does not deserve such approach from any man not to talk of his wife. Evidently, the wife failed to place value on God’s hand upon Job; she could not see who he was in the hand of God. Like Job, Jesus must have experienced a challenge which prompted Him to respond to the people when He said to the people, “A Prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.’” (Mark 6:4) Jesus, despite all His miracles on every ground which He stepped on, despite having crowds and disciples who were following Him, He was rejected at His own city of Nazareth. The people questioned the source of His wisdom and the work of His hand. His people failed to see who He was but only saw Him as the son of a carpenter; the son of Joseph and Mary. Only God knows all that was thrown at Him in words which were not documented. It must have been so much and the Bible testifies that, “… He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.”(Mark 6:5)  If there was to be a place for Him in regard to greater work being manifested, it should have been at His home and among His people. Have you been encountering people who are putting you down and not place value on how God is using you to touch lives? Are you being rewarded in any discouraging way?

Can your situation be as bad like that of Job? Today, be encouraged in the Lord knowing fully well that you know your God and your God knows you. It hurts to be rejected. Think of it, is there any way your lifestyle, the life you live in the absence of fellow believers is rejecting Christ? Doing things that cannot be approved or done in the midst of your fellow brethren is an indication that you are also rejecting Jesus by not placing value on Him just as you have been rejected. The people of Nazareth failed to value the anointing upon the life of the Anointed One (Jesus). Let Jesus know that you value Him today by living for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live for His glory.

FAITH CAPSULE: His name will not change and His name will continue to make changes

Exodus 3:13-19 ACTS 19:1-20

Anyone who does not know the name of the Lord will not receive the benefits or privileges of whoever calls on Him. Many people know about His name but very few know His name.  There is a significant difference. Knowing about the name of Jesus will not qualify one to be saved. Knowing about the name of Jesus is different from knowing the name of Jesus. Knowing the name of Jesus is not enough and it will not do if the one who claims to know Him is not known in Him. The case of the itinerant Jewish’s exorcist is a good case of ones that only about Jesus. They do not know Him (no relationship with Him) and they were not known in Him. It is written, “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (Acts 19:11-14)

The itinerant Jewish exorcists do not know Jesus; they only know Him as one whom Paul preaches. It was not funny for them when the evil spirit responded stating, “And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) They were not known in Him. After the evil response was reaction which states, “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.´(Acts 19:16) Truly the itinerant Jewish had no relationship but they wanted to experience what those in relationship with Jesus always experience. Instead, they were overpowered and were naked. Do you know Him and known in Him? Paul was known in Him and the evil force could not touch Paul when He ministered deliverance.

Which of His Names do you know? He answers name which no any other god shares with Him. Moses inquired from Him about His name and He responded, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3: 14-15) His Name has not changed. His name will not change and His name will continue to make changes because His Name is for all generation. Get to know Him and be known in Him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to guide and lead you into knowing Him and to be known in Him.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is a commitment and a lifestyle to live for God

Matthew 5

The world is full of wickedness and darkness clouds the world for those who does not have Jesus indeed and in truth. Jesus stated, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) The word of God is light. Do you carry enough of it to be able to see through in this world?

Nothing passes through God without God knowing it. Absolutely, undoubtedly He sees it all. As man continues to go and grow far from God because of sin and sinning, God whose nature does not tolerate sin withdraws Himself from man. Roman 3:23 buttresses it saying, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” The glory of God, which is His presence, is not full but short in the life of man because of sin. Despite the shortage of His grace as a result of man’s sin, God still has mercy on man. Imagine how beautiful it will be for those who are far from sin and how full the manifestation of His glory in their life will be?

It must have been hard on Jesus when He asked, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” The Bible makes us realize that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) It is not possible to hear God and not live by the word. Not doing the word is evidence of not having heard the word. Jesus is actually asking that if he comes is there going to be a believer that is living by the word (To believe His word is to be living the word). Living the word is what makes man to be on a ground that is the same as that of Abraham, a ground where revelation is not rare but widespread.

It worthy to come out of religion and come to a position of receiving revelation that transforms by living faithfully like Abraham. Know that faith is a sacrifice and is not convenient; not cheap but costly. It is a commitment; a lifestyle to live for God and it enhances the flow of revelation from God. The Church should be making the difference allowing widespread revelation. However, the world has taken the opposite direction by turning away from God. Turn away from the world and turn to God; be privileged of God, take to a faithful way of living life and revelation will flow from God to turn your world around. Remember, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18) More revelation breeds more restraints and the avoidance of evil occurrences.

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart into the fear of His Holy name and into the patience of Christ.

FAITH CAPSULE: Engage God’s command (word) to claim His blessed promise.
Joshua 1

One of God’s promise to Joshua after Moses was, “…I will not leave you nor forsake you.”(Joshua 1:5) Very often acclaimed believers lay claim of the verse to themselves without engaging God’s condition for the promise. The condition for such promise is encased in God’s requirement which He spoke to Joshua stating, “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.” (Joshua 1:8) Engage His word, live by His command to claim His promise.
It is written in Isaiah 54:14, commanded, “In righteousness you shall be established…” After this required command, the blessings that will make a believer of the word of God to prevail were mentioned. Among such blessings are, “…You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. (Isaiah 54:14-15) “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn…” (Isaiah 54:17)The blessing that is packaged in being established in righteousness cannot be denied. Jesus Christ is our righteousness (2Corinthians 5:21). He came for each and every one, but not all will accept Him. Accepting Him is to believe Him and believing Him is behaving Him. Any one that believes (behaves) Him is the one that is set to overcome any weapon formed against him as promised by the word of God.
Not having been established is a risk standing to claim, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” The documentation of Daniel against weapon formed is a true and clear example for the need to be established before engaging weapons formed. The itinerant Jewish exorcists must have assumed the position of established ones, when they took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (Acts 19:13) The Bible recorded, “…the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”” (Acts 19:15-17)
By studying and gaining understanding knowledge will grow. Growth in knowledge cannot be separated from growth in grace. With steadfastness, grace will grow and knowledge will not fail. To be established in righteousness is the evidence of one’s steadfastness in the Lord. Loving God with all our heart and our soul is the route to living as an effective believer.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be steadfast living by His command.