FAITH CAPSULE: Many have become content on the wrong ground and neglect the purpose of calling.

Judges 17: 1-13

Departure from God’s place of provision is arrival to self-destruction. It is a risky move to take a step outside of God’s direction. God has an established ground for each and every one of His children who care not to violate His command. Once a Levite that appointed to assist the priests in the temple, took his steps outside of God’s direction. “Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. 8 The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.” (Judges 17:7-8) In this departure of the young Levite, he arrived into emptiness, a place where God was not present for him. The Bible named his location as departing from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay at, “wherever place.” His destination was an indication of no purpose of life outside of God’s plan. A Levite moving into a place where idol worshipping had been put in place has definitely missed his mark. Making a move or taking a step requires constant inquiring from God to avoid ending up empty. It could have cost nothing but prayer to inquire from God before taking steps. A Levite becoming a priest for an idol worshipper should be considered as unimaginable and unacceptable. The Levite called himself to a place where the Lord had not called him to be. It is written, “Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah” (Judges 17:11-12) What is the Lord’s calling in your life? If you are one that has identified the Lords calling, it is worth it not to take a step outside of His calling. The Levite took a step out and became contented on the wrong ground. Many have become content on the wrong ground and neglect the purpose of calling. As it was then, so it is today. The called are neglecting the purpose of their calling by moving from what God has called them to be by looking for wherever they want as a dwelling place. Learn from the Levite’s mistake. “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)

Prayer for today: O Lord my God cause my days and my moments to be concentrated unto You.

FAITH CAPSULE: The spirit of lie is an agent of the devil; it is a demonstration of lack of transparency.

Acts 5:1-11

In any relationship that lacks transparency, termination triumphs. Whenever there is a hidden agenda in any relationship, such relationship will be exposed to the devils’ agenda. The only agenda of the devil is to take away life from where there is life; to destroy all that is meant to be beautiful. Whenever any relationship such as marriage, fellowship among brethrens or a business relationship begins to entertain lack of transparency such relationship is set for termination. As a believer, operating in hidden agenda will result to permanent termination. The story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira depict what hidden agenda can do in the life of a believer or unbeliever. “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ’Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?’”(Acts 5:1-3)There was no reason for Ananias and Sapphira to lie; it was their possession, but they lied about the proceeds they received. The spirit of lie is an agent of the devil; it is a demonstration of lack of transparency. Does this speak to you in any area of your relationship? Among the believers today, some of the most common identities are deception, lying and manipulation. As a child of God, we are not to be a part of any of those identities. Integrity holds firm before God and it does not matter how often a claimed believer has been getting away with deception, lying and manipulation because the one that catches up with such believer could be the one that terminates a believer from the ground of calling. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, it is possible that it was not their first time, but their last time came with an irreversible termination. Transparency is very crucial in any relationship because it is a bond that binds a relationship together. Where there is transparency, there will be working and walking in agreement. Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”Just as there is power in agreement that brings forth result, there is also power that brings forth termination where there is lack of transparency. It is worth it for us to always play our part and not copy from that which does not represent God. Are you relating without transparency? If you have been getting away without transparency, it is time to ask God for deliverance from the steps or walk which causes one to get terminated.

Prayer for today: Ask for deliverance from every walk that leads to termination.

FAITH CAPSULE: If you will take to the Word of God and allow faith to rise in you, fear will sink.

Hebrews 11

When God says fear not, He meant for us not to entertain fear, but to rather exercise faith. What is it that you are fearful of? At the sense of any danger, the children of Israel in their wilderness journey without hesitation always resolved to complaints and negative confessions. In the face of any challenge, we can stand if we will always remember that God does not lie. It is written in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Evidently, every Word of God is true to perform that which it was sent to do. To every wise one, it is worth it to take the Word and hold on to it in faith. Holding on to the Word in faith is working the Word to make the Word work for us. Faith is to know that God is near to us more than we can imagine. The Psalmist stated in Psalm 75:1, “…Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” Interestingly, we are surrounded by all kinds of wondrous works of God yet holding to His promises can be challenging when it should not be so. The Word of God created the wondrous works of God. By this understanding, it is clear that when we have the word of creation then the Creator is near to us. Why not take the Word into your life and operate in faith? Faith demands that you wait and know that God will not forget you neither shall He fail to back you up when you wait in faith. Isaiah 64:4 testify, “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.”A powerful testimony is a provoking testimony for whoever allows God testimonies to have a place inside of their life. In Heaven and on earth, there is none who acts for the ones that wait for God but God. What is clouding your life and causing your inability to wait in faith? God is real and He is willing to act on behalf of the ones who wait for Him. Faith is all that pleases Him.Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”  If you will take to the Word of God and allow faith to rise in you, fear will sink. Proverbs 29:25,”The fear of a man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.”

Prayer for today: In Jesus Name, the faith that delivers good testimony will be your portion to the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: The evidence of lack of humility in the life of a man is a demonstration of lack of love.

Philippians 2

In Jesus’ love, there is giving and likewise in His giving, there is love. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) Do you wonder what kind of mind was in Jesus Christ?The mind of Christ Jesus is love. Love cannot be determined by only what you give because man can give without love, but no one can love without giving. Jesus’ unconditional love is the indication of love that is genuine. How have you loved? The mind of Christ is love and when love becomes our inside, we are set for great exploits. With Jesus, God’s presence was always there just as He testifies, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone…” (John 8:29) When loving all men becomes your mind, God’s presence will not depart from you in every area of life. The kind of love that operates as the mind of Christ Jesus is that of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”The love of Jesus is not the kind that you operate today and not tomorrow. His love is with compassion and it is always constant and consistent. In the mind of Jesus, there is no burden and yoke and that is why He encouraged in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”A loving heart will not experience yoke or burden. To love cannot be separated from being humble. The evidence of lack of humility in the life of a man is a demonstration of lack of love. It is clearly stated in Philippians 2:8, “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.”It took a genuine unconditional love; a love that does not complain to lay down His life. You cannot love without humility and without being humble, love cannot become of your mind.

Prayer for today: Go before God and ask for the mind of Christ Jesus to become of you.

FAITH CAPSULE: Jesus will never be late or be too early, but He will show up just on time.

John 5:1-9

A certain paralytic man on the right track for healing remained trapped on the right track. All kinds of sicknesses such as blindness, lameness and every kind of disease that gets men trapped laid at the Sheep Gate, a pool; the right place for healing deliverance from all kinds of stagnation. It is written, “For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.” (John 5:4)This ground for miracle did not move, but man had to move to get healed on a “first come first serve” basis. It was the same ground that the Bible describes that,“…a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty eight years.” (John 5:5)If the man had been under this bondage of sickness for thirty eight years, only God knows how long he had been there waiting for a chance to roll into his miracle. This paralytic man was at the right track, but yet he remained trapped. The devil, the chairman of deception and destruction,“…does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)To God is the glory for Jesus Christ who came to bring the trapped to the track of healing and ground of deliverance. Have you been in the right place or on the right ground where everyone around you is making headway in life? Does yours continue to appear like things are going in the opposite direction? Is there any evidence of being trapped and not being able to gain motion into your pool of break through? Remember, God is in control. The paralytic man waited to get into the pool because it was a “first come first serve” but he could not. The arrival of Jesus at the pool became his deliverance ground. Be encouraged today knowing and believing that the Lord Jesus is alive and He is nearer if you will wait on Him. Your breakthrough is on the way at the right timing that He has ordained for you. Yours will not be determined by jumping first or last into the pool. Having your encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ is not limited by where you are or by what surrounds you. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings! Jesus will never be late or be too early, but He will show up just on time.

Prayer for today: In Jesus name, you will be delivered from every form of sickness and disease and all kinds of hindrances and limitations will be terminated for His name to be glorified in your life.