FAITH CAPSULE: Whenever there is a misplacement of priority, one can be replaced from the ground of protection.

Genesis 3, Luke 19:45-48
 
It is written, “Do you not know that you are the templeofGod and that the Spirit ofGod dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) For real, as a believer, do you not know that you are the temple (House) of God? What we claim to know and not do is the evidence of lack of knowledge or ignorance. If one truly knows, one will do exactly what is known. There is no excuse for disobedience but only consequence. Adam gave the best excuse before God and it failed to count before God. Adam did not ask God for a partner when God made him a partner. God’s partner for Adam (Eve) made Adam to violate God’s command. God wanted to know why Adam violated His command when Adam responded, “…the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I hate.” (Genesis 3:12) Adam’s excuse was not enough to stop God from unleashing the consequence of Adam’s disobedience.
As regard to the temple of God (you) the bible states the consequence of not knowing to take care of the temple of God, “If anyone defiles the templeofGod, God will destroy him. For the templeofGod is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)Are you defiling the temple of God in you? It is important for every believer to know how to keep the temple in line with God’s way. Violating the temple can never have areasonable excuse before God.
Jesus, by His word and action clearly demonstrated the intolerance against not keeping the temple the way it should. Once, He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it. (Luke 19:45) In every area of life’s priority, there is a place for everything. Whenever there is a misplacement of priority one would be replaced from the ground of protection.
The people that were driven out by Jesus violated God by turning His temple to a business center where marketing of goods thrives. Among the identities of church today are the same as that of business center which are: lying, deception, and manipulation. Without any doubt, the place of seeking after God and the place of seeking after money does not complement each other.
Jesus declared how His temple (house) was violated, “My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46) Are you violating His temple or you are elevating His temple? Man can be deceived but God cannot be deceived.
It is about time for acclaimed believer to pay attention to what takes place in their temple and not violate God in the temple which He has given to all.
 
Prayer for today:Ask God for the grace not to be a failure in all He has ordained for you to be.

FAITH CAPSULE: In your walk, declare the word and you will have rebellion become terminated.

Exodus 1: 26-46
 
Challenges before you are the indication that you are closer than when you first started your journey. The closer you are, the greater the challenges. This is the reason for an adage that says, “It is not the beginner that counts in a race but the one that finished the race.” For the Israelites, eleven-day journey became a forty-year journey.
Rebellion which is resistance or opposition to God’s command is what had the children of Israel stranded when they were supposed to be in motion to their God Promised Land. Deuteronomy 1:26 testifies, “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.”
It is clear in the word of God that their rebellious act was rooted in three major areas that saturated their faith: Complaint, discouragement, and fear. Which of these are yours at this point in time of your journey? If any of these are having a place in your vessel, you are headed for a dangerous end just like the children of Israel that could not get to the Promised Land.
Complaint: Deuteronomy 1:27 points out their act of complain, “And you complained in your tents, and said’ ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.’” God is not one that hates and He could not have hated His children. That was not accurate then, it is not accurate now. God always sees His children through and never fail to deliver except man fails in His prescribed path of deliverance.
Discouragement:Deuteronomy 1:28 points out their discouragement, “Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.’” Discouragement ravaged their hearts. Do not listen to a stranger’s voice when God is carrying you. God is not man that lies or deceives with His word. It is absolutely pointless to listen or see where He is not pointing at.
Fear: In Deuteronomy1:29, we see how fear ravaged them and led them to having their faith sank. It is written, “Then I said to you ‘Do not be terrified or afraid of them.’” God knew they were afraid, and it became evident that there was no longer faith in them. Their faith sank and fear rose and lifts them to their act of rebellion.
If you have been complaining, discouragement and fear is set to have a place in you. In your walk, declare the word and you will have complaint, discouragement and fear become terminated. Have a safe trip to your God Promised Land Do not entertain any act of rebellion.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace not to become a victim of rebellious act.

FAITH CAPSULE: God is still carrying you through in all that represents wilderness in your life.

Deuteronomy 1:1-25
 
God alone saw you through many challenges. He has carried you where others are falling; He has seen you through where many are stranded; He has delivered you where many are destroyed. Yet for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God enough to serve Him with all your heart. Does this sound like you? Most times you think you believe, but you are an unbelieving believer. Despite all this, God is still carrying you through in all that represents wilderness in your life.
The children of Israel, having been carried by God, crumbled in the wilderness. When the children of Israel’s belief in God subsided, rebellion entered into them and they missed their Promised Land. It is written, “‘…and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 1:31-32) Again, does this sound like you? God promised them a land that is ready made with milk and honey but the children of Israel wanted to spy and confirm that God knew what He was doing. As a result, the children of Israel went to Moses and requested to go and spy the land. Moses referred to the request of the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 1:22, “And every one of you came to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’” How can God be carrying you without your knowledge? If they have acknowledged that there was no need for any other way but God’s promise to get then through, there would have been no need for spying request. The children of Israel doubted God and could not hold onto God’s word to trust and hope in Him. They were at Kadesh Barnea, the last leg of their eleven-day journey. They failed to believe and they could not be established in their journey. If you are one that is in a long journey be rest assured that with God, you are almost through in your journey. Have you received the word of God in your journey? If you have received His word, do not lose focus; do not waver; do not get carried away and do not assume responsibility for how far you have come. Above all do not look back to avoid the loss of focus. By virtue of all that you have experienced, ignore all challenges that are flying in your direction at this point of your journey.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for God to deliver you from the spirit of rebellion.

FAITH CAPSULE:His calling has to be answered with boldness and character.

Exodus 14
 
It is written, “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.” (Exodus 14:8) Despite the threat of Pharaoh the children of Israel entered into the calling of salvation and deliverance from the bondage of over four hundred years with boldness. Indeed, the Old Testament is a shadow of the New Testament. By the word of God, salvation came forth for the children of Israel. Just as the children of Israel received salvation from bondage, many are still receiving salvation from bondage of the devil and the world of wickedness today. At the time of salvation one enters into His calling with boldness.
Every new believer always starts the race with boldness that is rooted in the word of God’s promise. However, in the course of the journey, different scenes start to unfold. The children of Israel left with boldness but it did not take long before it evaporated and fear became incorporated in the life of the children of Israel. The Bible recorded in Exodus 14:10, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.” Boldness turned into fear. When He places His calling, it has to be answered with boldness and character. The children of Israel believed, but they could not behave what they believed. The same word of God that brought the Israelites out of the bondage of over four hundred years is same word delivering man to salvation today. However, when there is a failure to be living the word, there will be no character of the word in place in the life of the believer. Boldness and character are the winning combination. Complaint is the root of rebellion and the substitute of disobedience. The children of Israel had boldness and complaint instead of boldness and character. They could not hold on to the victory the Lord placed in their hand. As a result, they became lost as a nation. God said to them, “The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:29) Without any doubt, the race is for those that finish it. If you have received the grace of His calling, continuity is the rule of the game; a purposeful heart is the officiator. Run the race with boldness and character and you shall become a winner to the glory of God. He will back you up if you will not back yourself out of the race. 
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to run the race with boldness and character that is rooted in the word.

FAITH CAPSULE:If you will let go of your unbelief, then you will let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation.

John 11:1-44
 
Faith is described as, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” (Hebrews 11:1-2) Going by the description, it is safe to say that hope is the live wire of faith. Going by the source of faith, it is safe to say that it is foolishness to have faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) In the word of God is the message of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” A saved Christian is a believing believer (one that behaves the word of God).
Will you let go unbelief?If you will let go of your unbelief, then you will let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation. As much as the Lord wants to perform His Word by converting every obstacle into miracle, you have not been able to let go of the stone of hindrance. Lazarus was four days dead. He was not only four days dead; he was already in the tomb, a place of no return. Lazarus’ sisters were no strangers to Jesus. When Jesus approached the tomb, John 11:39, “Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of Him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’” Martha could not see any miracle coming forth. In her mind time was not on the side of Jesus; condition was a barrier for a miracle. All that Jesus asked of her was to take away the stone so there would be access for Him to go in and do what was needed to bring life back into Lazarus. Is there any lost hope confronting you? Time is not on your side, age is against you and every other force you can imagine has taken over the situation. Today, Jesus is saying to you just as He said to Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”(John 11:40)God is still in the business of miracles. Can you imagine how much hopefulness you would let in if you could let go of the doubt, anxiety and fear? If the situation you are facing seems hopeless, give it to Him. You have nothing to lose since you’ve already lost hope. He is the unchanging changer and He will change it for good to the glory of God. Let go unbelief; let Jesus move your hindrance.

Prayer for today:In asking, call on the name of Jesus to help in every area of your unbelief.