FAITH CAPSULE: It is one thing to confess faith; it is another to take a stand on the confession of faith.

Daniel 3

Whatever you behold or look that generates fear in you will lock your faith down from rising up. The children of Israel were pursued by the Egyptians after their freedom from bondage. As the Egyptians drew near, with no way of escape, “…the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptian marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10) When they behold their enemy, fear took over. What are you beholding or looking up to? One of the best weapons against the enemy or threat that attempts to bring down a believer is not to behold or look at the face of the enemy or threat before us. Daniel’s three friends in captivity, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego already violated the law of King Nebuchadnezzar by not worshiping his golden image. The three friends knew that judgment was already in place and they were confident that they would not look away from their God. It is one thing to confess faith; it is another to take a stand on the confession of faith in the face of a cruel death, such as being delivered into a furnace of fire. They were brought face to face with Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 3:19, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.” The fullness of fury in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar and the command that described how the furnace was to be kept burning was not enough for the bulging of the three friends of Daniel. Have you been looking too much into the face of your confrontation, health and financial challenges? What you need to be doing is keeping on a standstill position. A position and a ground that is based on the awesomeness power of God. The Bible records that the three friends fell down in the midst of the burning fire (Daniel 3:23) yet they could not be buried by the fire because they stood on a ground of faith that could not fail. The flame and the flame generators were consumed by their flame while the three friends of Daniel walked out neat without any stain or smell of the fire. God is still in the business of undeniable miracles if we will take an undeniable stand in the power of His Word. Moses’ response to the children of Israel speaks to all in the face of confronting challenge, “…do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.” (Exodus 14:13)   

Prayer for today: Ask for the termination of all that represents Egyptians in your life.

FAITH CAPSULE: From Genesis to Revelation, the message remains the same

John 3

It is written, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) The Bible also states in 2Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Many came out and many are still coming out to suggest to us how the Bible was written, how the documents in the pages of Bible has been tampered with by adding or by subtracting. Interestingly the message of the Bible remains clear and can never be broken. From Genesis to Revelation, the message remains the same. It does not matter whether you are reading the story of Adam, Moses, David, Paul the Apostle or Mary the mother of Jesus the message is one. The message of the Bible remains clear for whoever has ear to hear. The message is about the Gospel. The message of the Bible discloses the blemish of sin in our lives. It is the same message that offers us a way to become spotless. For anyone who wants to hear, God does have a standard of expectation which he will not lower for anyone. Micah 6:8 points it out, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” He expects us to love Him with all of our heart, all of our soul, and with all of our strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5). The word expects us to be spotless when time for judgment is and that is why Jesus mentioned in His teaching, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) The sins that prevailed among us as mentioned through the pages of the Bible are: Idolatry, evil plans, coveting, violence, oppression, hating good and loving evil, greed, deceit, unfaithfulness and family friction. Inside of this embedded three major sins that stand out as identity of self acclaimed Christians: lying, deception and manipulation. The Bible is true to its word when it states in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God’s salvation plan is Christ Jesus whom He sent to shed His blood for our redemption. God is a good God. Jonah, despite the consequence of his wickedness realized and testifies to His goodness, “…for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.” (Jonah 4:2)Indeed and in truth, through out ages, it is evident in the Bible that there is none like God. Do not be deceived, the word of God is true and cannot be broken.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live to the fulfillment of His word.

FAIH CAPSULE: Jonah was called by God, and he heard from God, but was hard on God.

Jonah 1, 2

God cannot be deceived neither can He be denied from having His way in the life of His creation. When one go right with God all will go right with one. And, when one go wrong with God all will go wrong with one. There is no other way that is right but God’s way. Anyone that takes outside of His way will end up in the way of death. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Why not take the way of God? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the Love of God, in combination of the sweet fellowship the Holy Spirit is what a believer needs on everyday basis for not going the wrong way. Jonah was called by God, and he heard from God, but was hard on God. He was called to go to Nineveh but he fled to Tarshish. At every time a man takes onto his course instead of God’s course, man will end up cursed. Jonah did not put only himself in the line of destruction, but all the people that were on the ship were in the face of dangerous storm. Jonah was carrying the mark of disobedience. Have you been running from His presence? Jonah knew that he was the target of the violent storm; he could no longer run away from his disobedience. Have you taught of the cause of the storm in your journey? As a believer, you will know if indeed you are the cause of storm in any vessel of transportation. Jonah was requested of what could be done to bring peace and quiet in the storm. Jonah responded, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”” (Jonah 1:12)God has not called you on a journey over the water and it does not matter how far you have gone on the water, He will bring you back to a dry land. A dry land is where He wants to establish your footing. Jonah was thrown into the sea where he spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. The Bible recorded, “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me.” (Jonah 2:1-2) God is still in the business of having mercy. Do no take to your own way. Jonah 2:10, “So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”   

Prayer for today: Ask God to roll away ever affliction in your journey of life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Allow your mockers to keep on mocking you while your maker continues in making you.

1 Samuel 1

The Bible recorded about Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, “…whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:4-7)God does have His reason why He closed the womb of Hannah. It was not recorded of her any sin or act that prompted God to close her womb. However, Hannah’s situation was not and should not have been a license for Peninnah’s provocation of Hannah. Peninnah’s provocation of Hannah’s barrenness was an indirect provocation of God. Your own situation or challenges is not for anyone to mock you. As an acclaimed believer, if you have been experiencing mockery, provocation, be rest assured that God is not unaware of your mockery and through it all God will make you up for His glory just like He did it for Hannah. It was Hannah’s mockery that brought forth the miracle of great man of God Samuel. Samuel was one of the great ones in the hand of God in his days. As regard to the mocker (Peninnah) none of her children was recorded excelled like that of Hannah’s Samuel. God is a great and awesome God. Allow your mockers to keep on mocking while God continue to make you for His glory. God is not asleep over your situations but He is at work and your mockery will soon be converted into miracle. Have you stopped waiting on Him? Do not stop waiting on God and if you will not stop waiting on Him like Hannah, you will always have testimony like that of Hannah. Hannah, through all her challenges, did not stop travelling to Shiloh to worship God every year. Also, there was no record of her compliant against God. When Peninnah’s provoking mockery intensified, Hannah did not stop from being persistent in seeking God. In God’s hand is time for every turnaround and God will never be late or too early to answer your cry. At God’s timing, in response to Hannah’s situation, Hannah’s disgrace resulted to the grace of God. Are you looking at your clock to determine how long your situation persists? God does have His own time and plans, your timing will not move the hand of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace not to sway in time of challenges.

FAITH CAPSULE: Truth is always a threat to haters, deceivers and one that lies.

1 Kings 22:1-40

At the time when Ahab the king of Israel wanted to engage in war with Syria in order to take Ramoth Gilead, he talked to Jehoshaphat, “…Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?” (1 Kings 22:4) Ahab’s reason was based on his claim that Ramoth Gilead belongs to Israel. Jehoshaphat the king of Judah did not refused the request of King Ahab but responded, “…I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.” (1 Kings 22:4-5)Ahab gathered four hundred prophets to inquire as requested by King Jehoshaphat and all four hundred confirmed to him that God will deliver Syria into his hand. Despite the favorable prophecy of Ahab’s four hundred prophets, Jehoshaphat insisted for a further confirmation from any other available prophet in the land. Ahab’ s response to Jehoshaphat in 1 Kings 22:8 was not a good one; it was of hatred, “So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say such things!’” Ahab confessed his hatred for Micaiah a prophet of God. The reason for Ahab’s hatred was his dislike for the truth. Truth is always a threat to haters, deceivers and one that lies. As an acclaimed believer, a born-again Christian, do you hate in anyway towards anyone in your walk of life? Ahab was hibernating hatred. Do you have hatred for any of God’s message in your direction? Any believer that hates never makes headway and the longer they hold unto hatred is the closer they are to their self-destruction. Just as a believer cannot get away with hatred, un-believer will also fall when there is hatred. The prophet Micaiah prophesized, “…I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’” (1 Kings22:17)  Prophet told Ahab not go to war in spite of what the four hundred prophets said. King Ahab’s hate towards Micaiah denied him from responding to the warning signs. Disaster was in place for Ahab because of the hatred that was in him. Ahab went to war against the advice of the prophet Micaiah. He rather went in favor of four hundred prophets who prophesied falsely concerning the matter. Hate is a silent and eventual killer, which every believer should pray against. Ahab went to war and never returned. Hatred killed him.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from everything that represents or presents hatred in the life of man.