FAITH CAPSULE: A failure to abandon waiting is a passage to be abounding in waste.

Luke 15:11-31
 
To be in a state of lack where there is plenty in place is a direct result of the inability not to wait for God’s finger to move. The Apostle Paul already said that our need would be supplied according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Why not wait? Why the effort to move into wasting away? In the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32), it was clearly demonstrated that the prodigal son entered into a state of want because he could not wait for his appointed time. The prodigal son intervened in God’s timing for his life by twisting the clock. A Clock is not registered in heaven; God operates not by man’s clock but by His appointed time. The parable mentioned that the prodigal son was the younger of two sons who could not wait for the portion of goods that falls to him. Why the rush where there is so much to receive in the place of waiting? Have you entered into self-designed rush lately? Not to be able to wait is to abide in waste. The prodigal son got his portion, journeyed to a far country, and wasted his inheritance. Jesus’ parable is not a play write-up; it is in place for our learning and correction. The word is to serve as instruction to guide in every walk of life. Evidently in life, any type of abundance set for man that’s given at the wrong time will lavishly be exhausted and could not be appreciated as compared to what is received while going through the pain of waiting. The prodigal son did not wait. As a result, he was bound to end up wasted. The prodigal son ended up where he was not called to be because his timing in the journey of life was interrupted by his inability to wait for God’s time. It is written concerning the prodigal son, “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want.” (Luke 15: 13-14) Any time one walks out of God’s timing, one ends up in wrong timing. Obedience brings forth blessing while disobedience brings forth cursing. God cannot be deceived neither can He be mocked. God’s word has never changed neither shall He lower the standard of expectation. Wait on God and you will never step into mistakes. It is absolutely true that none ever complained of falling or stepping into grievous mistake while waiting on God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that prompts man from going out of waiting into wasting away there life.

FAITH CAPSULE: God has given His word and He has fulfilled His salvation plans for us.

John 15
 
Jesus was speaking in Luke 6:27, “But I say to you who hear; love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Jesus was not talking about speaking love to one another, but He was instructing and teaching on love as the only way to the fulfillment of God’s command. It is easy to talk love than actually demonstrating it, especially to a stranger or the neediest. Absolutely nothing can be done to substitute love, and that is why Jesus emphasized on His message of love so as to be heard. Undeniably, to love is to obey God and to obey God is to love. God is love. He sent His only begotten son because He loves us. Just as it is among the unbelievers, there are also believers that go around with a diary of grudges and bitterness. In entering the church, they are the ones who praise the loudest. Indeed, it is good to worship God, but worshiping God in emptiness is worthless and does not amount to power. It is written in 1 John 2:9-10, “He, who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” God is not a fool, neither is He a God who does not hear or see. God has given His word and He has fulfilled His salvation plans for us. It is now left for man to turn unto God and obey all that He has commanded. He knows when love is not genuine and sincere. Loving has to be in God’s own way. The book of 1Timothy 1:5 stated, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” Love is what Christianity is all about. Often, believers have walked away where love needs to be demonstrated. Love can never be harmful especially when it is demonstrated with a good conscience and sincere faith. Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” It is clearly demonstrated that the diary of bitterness, anger, and animosity will not prevail; it will only unveil the owner of the diary to eternal damnation. Also, it will only take the grace of God to live a life of loving others.
Prayer for today: Ask God today for His grace of obedience.

FAITH CAPSULE: When we submit all unto God, He will subdue all on our behalf.

Exodus 20: 1-21

All that the Lord God asks from us is to be dutifully complying with His commands. God does not ask for more or less, but complete obedience. He has set His standard, and it will not be lowered or excused under no circumstances. Jesus strongly and repeatedly emphasized on hearing and obeying the word of God. Once, He was being sought by His mother and brothers but he could not be approached because of the crowd. The Bible recorded His response, “But He answered and said to them, ‘My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’” (Luke 8:21)  If there was any way to emphasize on obeying the word of God, Jesus has presented it above and beyond. Despite that, obeying the words of God has been reduced to the minimum, and obeying His words continue to be the least among us that confesses Christ as our Lord and savior. You have subjected yourself to the dictates of your heart–which is an act of wickedness. God is a merciful God and His sentencing against evil work is not speedily executed (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Taking the privilege of prolonged sentencing against evil is taking the risk of heading into eternal damnation. God will move and He will not fail to respond just as He did not look over the acts of disobedience of the children of Israel. God once said to the children of Israel in Jeremiah 2:19, “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and the fear of Me is not in you, says the LORD of hosts.” What the children of Israel did that led them into captivity is what the church today is doing today. There is only one way of serving God in deed and in truth: complete and uncompromised obedience. God gave the Ten Commandments to man and all ten–not one–is to be dutifully complied with. Every time we draw out our own way of obeying His commandment, it ends up being disobedient to the commandments of God. You can take or add to the commands of God in your own way; you can color His commands and still be in riches, bottom line is if you have fallen short in obeying it all, His timing will catch up with you. The Kingdom life is guided by God’s command, not man’s command or the dictates of our heart.

Prayer for today: Give thanks to God for Jesus Christ who is our Lord and savior, the redeemer of man.

FAITH CAPSULE: If Jesus has called you, storm will come.

Matthew 14:22-33
 
In the second encounter with storm, Jesus led His disciples go into the storm. Matthew 14:22, “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” Disciples had to go through the storm to get to where Jesus wanted them to be. If Jesus has called you, storm will come. If you have not been in any storm since he has called you, then you have a need to take a stand to build your faith against any raging storm. Jesus did not call any believer to be stagnant in the journey of faith. He wants you to grow, and every growth is accompanied by tests, that add up to be your catalog of testimony. The testing of your faith is always stormy enough to make you but not to unmake you when you stand on your trust in the Lord.
In the second storm encounter, Jesus did not go with the disciples in person but His presence was always with them. It was when the boat got into the middle of sea that the boat began to be tossed by the waves (Matthew 8:24). Where are you in His calling for your life? Are you in the middle of the sea or by the shoreline? It does not matter where you are if you will always remember that when the storm strikes, you look up to Him. In this encounter, Jesus, knowing the level of their faith, showed up at the right time and assured them that even when He was not expected, He will always show up to deliver and preserve us from destruction. Do not mistake Him for a ghost or any other god. It could be that you are at a point where you are about to jump out of the journey–now is not the time to give up. Remember what Jesus has done and all that He is doing. Will you take another gaze upon Him? If you have been following Him, and if He has sent you, He will not fail to show up–He will back you up. Jesus showed up walking on the stormy water towards the boat. Peter, knowing he has followed Him and clearly recognized at that point that he was sent by Jesus, wanted a confirmation from his Savior. Matthew 14:28, “And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”As a result of Jesus’ command, Peter began a walk of miracle over his storm with Jesus beside him. When Peter lost focus on Jesus, fear took over and he began to sink. Peter cried out for help and Jesus stretched out His hand.

Prayer for today: Thank God for His outstretched hand of deliverance and preservation.

FAITH CAPSULE: It does not matter when or where storm take its charge Jesus is there to discharge your storm.

Psalm 121, Matthew 8: 23-27
 
Stormy challenges often  accompany the journey of life. With Jesus on board, any storm that rises will rest and not sink man. Have you accepted Jesus into your life? Often, stormy challenges are meant to build us up for future endeavors. Jesus Christ, in all His teachings and demonstrations, prepared His disciples for all they will have to carry after His ascension to Heaven. Twice in the book of Matthew, Jesus led His disciples through storm and also directed them into the middle of storm. The Bible documented the first storm, “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. (Matthew 8:23-24) In their first encounter with storm, the disciples followed Him into a boat. Knowing Jesus for who He is, what will happen was not hidden from Him. Surely, He must have known there was going to be storm before He went to sleep. Despite the presence of Jesus in the boat, the fear from the storm stormed the life of the disciples. The fact that the disciples witnessed several miracles performed by Jesus, they could not hold on to faith when storm struck their vessel. Matthew 8:25, “Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’” Jesus’ presence is always a salvation and He has never ceased from doing miracles. He was the same yesterday and today. When fear rises, faith sinks. The storm took over as the disciples caved in to fear. Is there any raging storm that is building fear in your life? What can you do besides to hope and trust in Him, especially if you have followed Him to where He is leading you to? When the disciples went and woke up Jesus, He responded in Matthew 8:26, “But He said to them, ’Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” It does not matter when or where storm take its charge in our journey of life, know from this encounter of the disciples that Jesus is there to discharge your storm. The experience of the storm demonstrated to us that Jesus will never sleep over when we need His delivering presence. Remember, Jesus neither sleeps nor slumbers through any storm of life. Let faith rise and the storm will eventually rest.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to stand and not fail in the face of storm.