FAITH CAPSULE: He is no longer in the tomb.  

John 20:1-18
 
The bible described Mary Magdalene, “…and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons…” (Luke 8:2) Mary Magdalene was evil possessed and turned to become Jesus accessible. At the time of Jesus’ death on the cross she was also on sight. The Bible recorded her presence at the cross, “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene… (Mark 15:40) Despite her past she could not allow Jesus to Passover without her being there.
Again, Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, was the first at the tomb where Jesus was laid. John 20:1, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark , and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” Her finding made her the first to announce to the disciples that the Lord had been taken away from the tomb. Peter and the other disciples came and confirmed that the Lord was no longer there. While others could not wait to went back to their own homes, Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb. It is written, “Mary stood outside of the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stopped down and looked into the tomb.” (John 20:11) In her weeping and waiting, Jesus eventually appeared to Mary. Jesus asked her why she was weeping and whom she was seeking. Mary, a woman of ill-repute was commissioned by Jesus to go and declare that the Lord had risen from the grave. Jesus responded to Mary, “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not ascended to my Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17) A woman who had seven demons cast out from her was able to wait and receive a commission that could have been passed to any of the disciples if they were able to wait. Jesus will send and use one that is available. Unlike Jesus’ disciples whose whereabouts were not identified at the ground of resurrection, Mary Magdalene was on ground of resurrection with expectation.
Which disciple best describes you? Is it the one with the lack of sight, the one who is fearful or the one in unbelief? The acts and displays of the disciples at the ground of Jesus’ resurrection represents the church today–spiritual blindness, absence of peace because of sinking faith, and unbelief. The church can find the way out of all these limitations if there is constant remembrance of the truth that He is no longer in the tomb. He is risen!
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to help every area of your unbelief.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus paid it all and all should hail Him forever.

John 19
 
Jesus is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the one that reigns forever. Jesus could have avoided all kinds of humiliation that was bestowed on Him but for us to be in a position where humiliation should not be our portion He went through humiliation. Pilate tried Him and stated, “… I find no fault in Him at all. ‘But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ Then they all cried again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas…” (John 18: 38-40)
Jesus came to take the position of every identifiable sin that denies man from accessing the glorious name of the Almighty God. He replaced Himself for a criminal and a robber. Jesus was made to drink from the cup of sin, pain, grief and every undesirable punishment. Above all, Jesus carried the cross so we would be enabled to crossover. It is written, “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.” (John 19:17-18)
In Him there was no fault but He was faulted. He was excessively beaten, He was denied, He was disrespected, He was rejected by His people, He was moved around in pain without His will, He was misrepresented and His disciples withdrew themselves from Him. Yet, Jesus remains Lord of all forever and ever. His birth was in a manger where sheep reside and He grew to become the Shepherd of man. Despite all, He demonstrated humility. Jesus had a set mind and it was a mind of humility. It was His mindset that made Him to become an overcomer. With His mindset, it was impossible for Him to be a victim of captivity. Also, in His grave of three days He remained as Lord of lords that could not be overthrown by the grave or death. It is written in Philippians 2:5-9, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” He has paid it all and all should hail Him by accepting Him as the Lord of all, King of kings. Receive Him and be one that is living for Him.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be operating the mind of Christ.

FAITH CAPSULE: Today many are taking to the role of Pilate both inside and outside of the church.

Mark 15: 15-41
 
Pilate compromised with evil desire of the world of the wicked ones when he released the wicked one to freedom and delivered the deliverer to be crucified. It is written, “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15) 
Compromising with the wicked is like sacrificing ones destiny for termination. Have you been compromising lately? Eli’s major sin was revealed to Samuel when God called Samuel and told him, “…behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.  For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.”(1 Samuel 3:11-13) The sin of Eli was “the iniquity which he knows” Know to stand for what is right and do not stand for what is wrong. Compromising will complicate and terminate one’s destiny. Consciously or unconsciously are you scourging the Lord just as Pilate did? What is it that is causing you not to stand for Jesus and let the devil be ashamed? Thousands of years ago, Pilate compromised with the crowd to make them feel good so he decided to give the Lord Jesus up for persecution and crucifixion. Today, there are many that are playing the role of Pilate both inside and outside of the church. Many acclaimed Christians cannot identify with the name of Jesus outside of their church building. The Bible documented Pilate’s effect of compromise, “Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.”(Mark 15:16-20)
Jesus came to give it all on the cross of Calvary and He gave it more abundantly that we may have life. (John 10:10)Be mindful that, “Jesus has paid it all for you on the cross so that we will not have to pay it all over again. If you are confessing Jesus, compromising your stand for Him should cease.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace and all that it takes not to compromise evil in any area of life.

FAITH CAPSULE:To wait on God is to gain rest in Him and not waiting on God is to waste.

1Samuel 1
 
It is written in Lamentation 3:25, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seek Him.” There are so many benefits to gain from waiting. It is written, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Life is a journey and the journey is incomplete until we get to the expected end. All that it takes to journey is to wait on Him. When we wait on God, our strength is supernaturally renewed. For anyone who waits on God, it will be impossible to walk where they are supposed to run. Also, it will be impossible to run where the journey demands walking. Have you been walking where your journey demands that you run? The goodness of God extends to the fact that He will wait for those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18) By virtue of His word that cannot be broken, it is written, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) God is the God who acts for the ones who wait for Him. As one who understands that the challenges of the wicked world require a precise and effective direction in getting to the expected end in life’s journey, what will it cost you to wait on God? Knowing that there is so much to gain in waiting on Him, why not look up and ask Him for the grace of waiting on Him?
NOT WAITING ON GOD
To wait on God is to gain rest in Him and not waiting on God is to waste. When the children of Israel failed to wait on God, they wasted away in the wilderness. Psalm 106:13-14, “They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.” A failure to meditate on His Word leads to forgetting His works and not waiting on Him. Once, Samuel commanded King Saul to wait for burnt offering. King Saul did not wait but went further to carry out the offering against the Law of Moses. Samuel came and responded to King Saul’s inability to wait stating, “…but now your kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:14) King Saul could not wait and wasted when God did not permit him to get to his expected end.
There is so much to gain and nothing to lose from waiting on God. Understand and know to wait on the Lord because, “… those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:9)
 
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of waiting on Him?

FAITH CAPSULE: Waiting on God can usually entail staying for either a short or long period of time.

1 Samuel 1
 
Jesus, in His Parable of Persistent Widow, pointed out that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Praying to God with persistency when answer is yet to be manifested is waiting on God. Hannah’s barrenness did stop her from going to Shiloh yearly to worship and sacrifice to God. Hannah was persistent until God opened her womb.
Waiting on God can usually entail staying for either a short or long period of time. God answers individual in different ways and at different times. God cannot to be rushed ahead of His appointed time of manifestation. The Psalmist mentioned different lengths of time for waiting: Psalm 25:5:“…On you I will wait all day.” Psalm 62:1, “Truly my soul silently waits for God…” Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Hosea 12:6, “…wait on your God continually.” Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Clearly the time for waiting on God has to be spent patiently, continually, silently and eagerly. Waiting on God can take longer than expected but God will always manifest Himself when we patiently wait on Him.
IN TIME OF WAITING
In your waiting, acknowledge God, remind Him and always make your request known to Him.
Acknowledge God: He is a jealous God and the antidote to jealousy is attention. God enjoys our attention. Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” What do you know about Him that needs to be activated for your breakthrough? The Psalmist’s statement acknowledges Him, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.” (Psalm 25:8) Waiting without acknowledging the Lord is waiting in anguish.
Reminding God: Reminding God is not because God has forgotten you. God encourages us in Isaiah 45:11, “…and concerning the works of my hands, you command me.” It is only those who remember the works of His hands that will know how to command Him as stated in His word. The Psalmist reminded Him in Psalm 25:6, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses…” God is a good and great God.
Request from God: He wants us to ask so we shall be given. Jesus encourages us, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) The Psalmist requested, “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.” (Psalm 25:16) He is the God of salvation and not a slave master and He will respond to our request to demonstrate His love for us.
 
Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to be persistent when need demands it.