FAITH CAPSULE: God is in total control and the world has not gone out of His control.

Psalm 73

Jeremiah identified who the wicked are in Jeremiah 12:2, “…You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” They are the ones with the word in their mouth but not in their heart. The Psalmist pointed out several characteristics of the wicked in Psalm 73. The wicked are: not in trouble as other men, pride serves as their necklace, violence covers them like a garment, their eyes bulge in abundance, and they have more than eyes could wish. He went further to identify the wicked by stating: they scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily, they set their mouth against heaven and their tongue walks through the earth. Have you been able to identify any of the wicked identities in you? The psalmist also called them ungodly. Indeed wickedness is ungodly and many are actually caught up in it without knowing. The identities of the wicked went further as it was pointed out that they are ones who always at ease and they increase in riches. The psalmist could not hide his feelings when he stated, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3) Just as it was in the days of the psalmist, so it is today. Nothing has changed in the operation or the characters of the wicked ones. The good thing is that God neither slumber nor sleeps. Therefore He sees all that is going on around Him. Are you weary of seeing how the wicked prosper? God is in total control of the universe and it does not matter how much the population increases, God is still in control. As believers who want to see the end of the wicked reign we have to remain focus and not be partakers in acts of wickedness. Rest assured that the prosperity of the wicked will not last, their wealth will not count before God, their pleasure will vanish, and it will not be recognized before God. Clearly, the psalmist gained a proper perspective of life after death and that the righteous will live with God forever. The wicked shall perish and the righteous will draw near to God. Do not be envious of the wicked, take heed to the word of the psalmist, “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works.” (Psalm 73:28) 

Prayer for today: Lord I ask for a heart to fear You in every area of my ways. Let me not end up in the way of the wicked.

FAITH CAPSULE: It is not about the title; but the task.

Mark 5:43

Jesus has not stop in crossing over, but His crossing over has taken a greater dimension by the move of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus presence is instant and available more than when He was here on the earth. It is written, “Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.” (Mark 5:21) It is demonstrated here that Jesus was always crossing over while those who were seeking Him were always in position to encounter Him. In one of His crossing over, “…Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.’” (Mark 5:22-23) Jairus put aside his religious title that could have built an empty pride in him. Jairus’ title did not measure to the task that was at hand as he went to meet with the only King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jairus needed to have his daughter delivered from the point of death. Jairus did three things to have his daughter delivered. First, he met Jesus at the right location, which was the crossing point. Your crossing point could be at the ground of fellowshipping. Often times, many have missed their crossing point because of title (pride). Jairus could not allow his title to deny his miracle but approached Jesus. How are you responding to altar call whenever altar call is made? It does not matter how often you have stepped out in the past, as long as the need continues to resist you, you have to persist and insist on your blessing. Secondly, Jairus saw Jesus and he took a step of faith. Jairus’ stepping out caused him to have a direct contact with Jesus. Jesus knows all things and Jairus’ need was not strange to Jesus. His stepping out and seeing Jesus was a renunciation of being a part of the multitude to being one who was on purpose and not flowing with the crowd. Let Jesus see you in your need and not just in the crowd. Finally, Jairus fell at His feet. He laid it all unto Jesus. Imagine Jairus begging earnestly for the life of his daughter saying, “Here I am, a poor religious leader, have mercy on my dying daughter.” While begging at the feet of the Master, he made his request without paying attention to his title and the multitude. Watch out, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs16:18)

Prayer for today: Deliver me O Lord from every spirit of pride.

FAITH CAPSULE: Stop looking at your situation through natural eyes and begin to look up to Jesus.

Mark 5:1-20

The mad man of Gadarenes was a father of all the mad ones during his time. He was described as one, “Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.” (Mark 5:3-5)By all the evidence as presented in the Bible, it is justifiable for him to be called the father of all mad. There is no any other case of madness in the Scriptures that measure up to his madness. Evidently, he was not bound-able since he could pull chains apart. The mad man’s case presented untouchable challenges. Do you have a case that is exceedingly untouchable and very complicated with no hope at sight? Does your case present a no way out situation? The mad man was on a no-way out level. However, when the mad man of Gadarenes encountered the One and only One deliverer, his situation changed from that of a mad man to one with a right mind. Despite his madness, “When he saw Jesus afar, he ran and worshiped Him.” (Mark 5:6) The same Jesus is nearer to you than you can imagine. He is the Omnipresent and Omnipotent One. Today, begin to worship Him. Stop looking at your situation through natural eyes and begin to look up to Jesus. In your worship, know that He is more than capable to loose all the unloose-able, and to bind all the unbound-able that are causing you pain and torment. He is the living God and He will speak to your situation if you will listen to receive His word of deliverance. Jesus the living Word of deliverance said to him, “…Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”(Mark 5:8)At the word of Jesus, the mad man regained his right mind. Jesus will speak to your situation; He will not let you be wasted in this journey of life. He will cause all of your torment to be converted to enjoyment. With the Word of God, your pain will be converted to great gain. If the mad man could run to Him and worship Him despite his madness, you too can also run and not walk to Him. Jesus tamed un-tame able in the mad man’s life and He will tame your un-tame able issues. Will you run to Him like the mad man did? To have a right mind is your portion in Jesus Name.

Prayer for today: Every issue of agony and regret will vacate you in the glorious name of Jesus.

FAITH CAPSULE: Keep yourself alive by keeping the living word as it sounds in your direction.

Mark 4

Through out Jesus’ time on the face of earth He did not take any step without a reason or purpose behind it. Mark 4 begins by stating, “And He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got in the boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.”At that sea, He taught the parable of the soils, parable of the Lamp, parable of the growing seed and the parable of the mustard seed. All of the parables were centered on the word and the need for the word to grow and not be hidden just as light cannot be hidden. All the people who were present had received teaching while facing the sea that would have to be crossed over. Having exposed the people to His teaching, the Bible states that, “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’” (Mark 4:35)Jesus knew all things and He could have called for crossing-over during the daytime before it was evening. Are you receiving your teaching that will carry you through a sea that needs to be crossed-over? They were all seated facing the sea not knowing that their next call was to cross the sea that was before them. It is important to pay attention and allow the entrance of the word at every gathering for His teaching. The Psalmist made us to realize that, “The entrance of Your words gives light…” (Psalm 119:130) The Word of God is the light that will take us through the journey of life. Jesus came and He gave His life to enable our cross over. Have you accepted Him indeed and in truth as your Lord and Savior? During the journey to the other side, a storm took over while Jesus was asleep the disciples were awake in fear. Fear is what sinks the believer, but faith is what keeps believers from sinking. Wherever storms are threatening you from crossing-over the word will see you through in crossing over. The word of His teaching that you have been receiving is enough to see you through in the journey of life. Take to the Word of God and the word will carry you through. After Jesus had called for peace, “…He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”(Mark 4:40)Is Jesus talking to you? If not for the word that He spoke to the storm, the disciples would have failed getting to the other side. Keep yourself alive by keeping the living word as it sounds in your direction.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, I ask for Your word to have its place n my life.

FAITH CAPSULE: Absolutely nothing answers perfect in life when the hand of God is absent.

Exodus 3:13-22

If there is anything to desire, it should be for the hand of God. The hand of God is mighty and great in restoration. It was the hand of God that brought the children of Israel out of the bondage of over four hundred years. God that knows the end from the beginning knew that words would not be enough for Moses to get Pharaoh committed to the deliverance of over four hundred years. Exodus 3:19-20, “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.”  Deliverance was manifested through the hand of God. Without the hand of God in operation, it would have been a no go for the children of Israel. 1Kings 18:46, “Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” Elijah did not have to be behind but ahead. As a result of the Lord’s hand, Elijah moved from behind to being ahead of the king Ahab who was riding on the chariot. Whatever challenge has been put in place to keep you behind; the hand of God will locate you and put you ahead in every area in Jesus Name. At the process of building the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, discouragement was among the forces that Ezra needed to overcome. Ezra stated, “…so I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:28) The hand of God should be constantly prayed for in every area of living life. It is the same hand of God that Nehemiah testified as the reason for getting the project of reconstruction through in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:18, “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been upon me, and also of the king’s word that he had spoken unto me…”The hand of God is clearly encouraging, delivers and is good upon all whom He stretches His hand to reach. What is stopping you from crying out unto Him and asking for His mighty and everlasting hand to have its way in your life? Absolutely nothing answers perfect in life when the hand of God is absent. Is there a need for your ministry to grow? Ask for the hand of God Acts 11:21, And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

Pray for today: Cause Your hand to reign and rule in my life O Lord my God.