FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God is fire and it cannot be played with neither should it be disregarded. 

Psalm 33         
 
It is written, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.” (Psalm 33:6-7) The word of God is true and consistently right. Looking around and seeing all things He created testify to the truth that the word of God is right and also true. His word is not just a letter but life. It is certain that God has not changed and He will never change. God alone is the unchanging Changer; the only One that makes a way here there is no way. Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth.” The word of God is true and right and we are to hold on to the truth of His word. The word of God is fire and it cannot be played with neither should it be disregarded. God declared in Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”” Indeed, His word is like fire, but how you have received determines how it works for you. When the word is replaced with the world, the power in it cannot be activated. One that replaces the word with the world is like a man carrying a loaded handgun and running away from an enemy with no weapon. How have you received the word of God? The word worked for Jeremiah after he allowed the word to burn in him. “Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.’ But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. For I heard many mocking: ’Fear on every side!’ ’Report,’ they say, ‘and we will report it!’ All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, ’Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.’ But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 20:9-11) The above passage documents how the word worked as a fire for Jeremiah in a challenging situation. The same word is working the same power today for ones that allows the word an entrance into their life. Always remember the word of Hebrews 12:29, “For our God is a consuming fire.”

Prayer for today:Ask that the fire nature of His word will burn off all that does not represent God in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Always remember that in midst of every Godly celebration, Satan wants to gain attention.

Philippians 4
 
 
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)  
Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to your name, O most High.” Psalm 16:11, “In Your presence is fullness of joy…” Proverbs 8:30, “…I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” All of the above quotations testifies to the truth, without joy no man is accessible to God. The Apostle Paul articulates this perfectly when he states, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) The Apostle Paul’s call for joy was expressed with clarity, emphasis and with a shout!
Children of God must always go before God with joy. Going before God with joy regardless of challenging situation is a demonstration of faith in Unfailing God. It should be noted that the evil one never shy away from where there is joy. His agenda is to convert joy to sadness. However, our calling is to maintain our joy regardless of challenges. Remember Job? Job 1:6-7, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6-7) Satan’s interruption was and is always with bad intention. He is empowered to go to and fro looking for one to devour. He was able to secure his wish against Job. He initiated pain for Job where the sons of God are gathering in His presence. It is written in Job 1:11-12, “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”” It is hard to imagine how in the place of celebration, joy is being tampered with? The wicked one, at his coming out of the place of joy and celebration delivered every form of affliction on Job. In between and through it all, Job did not complain nor did he condemn God. Job cried to God and he eventually received more blessings after his time of testing, than when he first started to enjoy the blessings of God. Constantly maintain joy and retain your presence before God. Always remember that in midst of every Godly celebration, Satan wants to gain attention. Fail to attend to Satan and he will flee. Do not forget too soon, cry unto Him and prayer will turn bitterness into sweetness.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the word of God to have a place and rule your heart..

FAITH CAPSULE: Have you actually taken some time out to search your heart if indeed you love God?

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-5
 
Jesus was crucified, went to the grave and has risen for us to have life. How much love do you have for Him? 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? It is time for every one that confesses their love for God to begin to question every area of their step in life and determine if they 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 was a clear demonstration of what a costly sacrifice before God should be. A consciously engaging a costly sacrifice is a proven mark of love for God. Also, a sacrifice to God is to worship God. Worshiping God is supposed to be a non-stop engagement as long as there is breath within us.
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.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace that enables man to love God with all heart, soul and strength.

FAITH CAPSULE: Pleasing the Father will keep one to be constant in His presence.

1 Samuel 15, 16
 
Jesus was speaking, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43) Evidently, listening is the key to understanding. With understanding, the heart will retain the word. Also, it is the heart that retains the word of God that will be able to keep the commands of God and live constantly with the Father’s presence. The importance of getting understanding cannot be emphasized enough as it was in the book of Proverbs. “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.” (Proverbs 4:5-6) The purpose of understanding the word of faith is to be obedient to God. Where there is word, there will be light and the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit cannot be denied. Once the word is truly in the life of a believer, it becomes impossible for a believer to engage in ways of life that does not glorify God. Saul was king when the presence of God departed from him because he continuously disobeyed the word of God. As a result, he became occupied by a troubling spirit, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1 Samuel 16:14)
Obeying the word of God is rooted in having the heart retain the word of His command. When there is disobedient, it is evident the word has been turned away in the heart as a result of listening disability. One that does not listen lacks understanding. The word of God should not only be for quotation; that is, it should not only lie in the mouth, but should also have center place in the heart. Many are conversant quoting the word but few lives and abide in the word. It is written in Deuteronomy 30:14, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Just as it is stated in Deuteronomy, Romans 10:8-10 records, “…the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Having the word in the mouth and not having it through to the heart is like receiving but not believing in Him. Many are conversant and fluent with quoting the word of God, but are far from living the word. Receive and believe and you will please the Father. Pleasing the Father will keep one to be constant in His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask that listening disability will not have a place in any area of your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: A failure not to trust God is an evidence of not serving God.

Daniel 2:24-49
 
Psalmist testifies to the truth that God is a God that never slumber nor sleep. “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121: 3-4)  God that does not sleep must be keeping His eyes open round the clock without any blink. After kings Asa’s failure to rely on God against his enemy, God sent Hanani the seer to let Asa know about the consequence of his failure. A failure not to rely on God is evidence of not trusting God. A failure not to trust God is an evidence of not serving God and a demonstration of a heart that is not loyal to God. Hanani the seer declared to King Asa, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.’” Hanani was letting King Asa know how God operated when he relayed the above message to him. The same God then is still the same God today and forever. It is a testimony to how God is willing to use anyone that makes himself or herself available to be used for His glory. God that does not sleep or slumber must have spotted Isaiah as one that is available to be used. Isaiah documented his encounter when God called him. Isaiah 6:8-9, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: who shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people…” The eyes of God spotted Isaiah and placed a call upon his life. Isaiah received a verbal calling. Some responded to God’s calling by virtue of their action that demonstrates their heart’s commitment to serving God. It is written concerning Daniel, ““But 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.” Daniel made Himself fully available to serve God when he gave his to God. The Lord God, whose eyes run to and fro, spotted Daniel and showed up strong on his behalf. Daniel, a slave, came to a position where his captors began to fall prostrate before him. Daniel 2:46, “Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.” Ignore your challenges and stay focused on God with all your heart; God will see your heart, and your challenges will fall at your feet.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God for a heart to know Him fully.