FAITH CAPSULE: With understanding, meaningfully celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Luke 2:1-35

Having the joy of celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ should not be limited to a season or a day of the year.
Jesus is to be celebrated every day, and never too much celebrating Him at every breath.
How are you celebrating Him?
Jesus is the gift of God for the salvation from God for all.
He is here to deliver if all man will engage Him, to unwrap Him as the gift of God.
In this season of celebration, celebrate Him as the Lord and Savior and not as Santa from the North Pole.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Get to know Jesus today.
Jesus is –Yahweh saves, Immanuel–God with us, Light of the World–One who brings hope and gives guidance, Son of David–One who brings in the Kingdom, Chief Shepherd–Gives guidance and protection, Chief Cornerstone–A sure foundation of life, Firstborn from the Dead–Leads us into resurrection, and Word–Eternal God who ultimately reveals God. Identify with His name as evidence for knowing Him and owe no man or force an apology for knowing Him.
Do you know the reason why you are celebrating the birth of Jesus? The birth of Jesus is His coming for all.
Jesus stated the reason for His coming, “The thief 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)
The lack of understanding of His coming makes it impossible to believe Him.
HAVING THE JOY OF THE LORD IS A CHOICE. 
Jesus (the word of God) is the joy of the world.
Jesus told His disciples (and speaks to all), “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) 
It is a choice when open to become filled with the word for joy.
After Jesus, John, a disciple of Jesus, could not be quiet but confirmed the word of Jesus by stating, “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:4) 
Apostle Paul buttressed, “…Christ is preached, and in this, I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18) 
Having joy through the word of God is the only source. 
Jesus wants the things He has spoken to gain entrance, established, and joy.
One that is not rejoicing is the one with worrying, not with the word of God. 
One that has received the word and believes in the word shall have no place for worrying but rejoicing because He commanded, “Therefore do not worry…” (Matthew 6:31-33) 
What is it that you have to offer Jesus as you celebrate Him?
Pay attention to the truth, and celebrate Jesus right.
With Faith, God is pleased with all man.
Faith is the reason to Celebrate the gift of God faithfully.

Prayer for today: Ask God to open your understanding to celebrate the birth of Jesus daily.

FAITH CAPSULE: The gift of this world that fills one does not count before God.

Psalm 22:3

Know that God does not forget but remembers.
God does not run out of mercy.
This time of the year, to wait on God is not evidence that God forgets anyone.
No, that God acts for the one who waits for Him. (Isaiah 64:4)
Know that you should not take it for granted by not praising God for the grace of life.
Give yourself time to praise God for keeping you this far.
Praise Him with understanding.
Psalm 47:7 informs, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.”
Praising God with understanding is gaining and retaining the presence of God.
Psalm 22:3 records: “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
God inhabits the praise of His people.
Engage in praising God with the shout of hallelujah as a key assessing door for the goodness of God.
Ask to be enabled to sing songs as a way of life to the glory of God for being alive this far.
As you praise, know to give thanks more.
Give thanks always for all things to God (Ephesians 5:20)
know that all things work together for the good of those who love God. (Romans 8:28)
Know to thank God for all things to provoke all things to work together for good.
A mouth full of thanksgiving is different from a heart full of thanksgiving.
Are you thankful to God for seeing you through this far in life? 
Without a doubt, regardless of any challenge, giving thanks to God knows the fear of God. 
Do you know why you are thankful to God? 
From the depth of your heart, give yourself to giving God thanks.
Above all, prepare your inn for His birth.
Do you have an inn available to receive Jesus?
Know to prepare your inn, and be available for the Saviour to occupy your inn once and for all.
The inn that matters to Him is not the commercial inn.
The gift of this world that fills one does not count before God.
Let the love of Jesus fill your inn as a meaningful gift. 
Jesus came for all to give His deliverance.
As you celebrate daily, let your inn open up for Him.
In this season, know that the word of God carries in the mouth, but not in the heart is the character of the wicked. (Jeremiah 12:1-2)
Wicked ones do not walk the way of God to retain the presence of God.
The way of God is the presence of God to deliver and preserve.
With desire, walk in the way of God to experience the guidance of your feet. 
I Samuel 2:9 buttresses, “He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength, no man shall prevail.” 
One who walks in the way of God is bound to provoke God to make enemies be at peace with one. (Proverbs 16:7) 

Prayer for the day: Ask God in His mercy to remember you, to look upon you, and acknowledge you for deliverance.

FAITH CAPSULE: Many take distance from Jesus, but Jesus remains closer to all.

Genesis 37

In ways of life, have you been exposed to not received where you are looking forward to being embraced?
It can be emotionally exhausting or exceedingly discouraging to become disengaged in the place where to be embraced.
Are you disengaged from Jesus by living outside of His word?
The best way to describe the forsaken experience is in the story of Joseph and his brothers.
Israel (Jacob) called on his son Joseph to see if it was well with his brothers and the flocks. Jacob expected Joseph to go and return with the word, but Joseph walked into an unexpected journey that led to a divine assignment for his life.
The Bible records the response to the approach of the brothers of Joseph upon his arrival at their location, “Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come, therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” (Genesis 37:18-20)
Joseph went forward to his brothers in peace, while the brothers responded with bitterness and a wicked agenda.
Imagine the brothers and Joseph, all raised under the same roof, the same father.
They all played, ate, drank, and worked together, yet they conspired against their younger brother because of his dream.
Jesus came for a man with a demonstration of unfailing love.
Jesus came with an agenda to give life abundantly to all.
At His time, He was conspired against, and being conspired against Him by not living according to His word.
Jeremiah 17:9 documents, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Despite the wicked ways of the wickedness of the world, the birth of Jesus is a top-notch celebration in December by many.
Is there an understanding of celebrating the birth of Jesus?
Celebrating without understanding is a wasted way of life.
Certainly, many find comfort in celebrating the birth of Jesus without understanding.
Gain an understanding of celebrating the birth of Jesus all year round, not seasonally.
The brothers of Joseph were desperately wicked, and when he got to his brothers, “…they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it” (Genesis 37: 23-24)
Are you responding to Jesus just like the brothers of Joseph did to Joseph?
The story of Joseph testifies that God watches over all.
With understanding, know to live for God.

Prayer for the day: Ask to be filled with the understanding to live for the glory of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Seeing in the word of God is to receive from God.

Joshua 6

Psalm 107:20 records, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
God sent His word for a declaration to decorate one quoting and not live by the word.
Claiming the word of God for deliverance will open the entrance of the word of God to experience manifestation.
Psalm 119:130 states, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
When there is understanding for the one with the word of God, there will be a knowing edge in the face of challenges.
Without a doubt, just a word that enters one is enough to terminate a life struggle or make way for the receiver of the word of God.
God promised the Israelites to take them to the Promised Land, but the enemy stood against them at a point in the journey.
The enemy shut open passage. The Israelites needed to hear the word of God as direction to have open doors for passage to the Promised Land.
Joshua 6:1-2 records, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.  And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”
Without a doubt or questioning, with faith, Joshua received the word of God that granted Israelites a passage.
Until one begins to see the word of God, it becomes impossible to receive the promise of God.
Receive the word of God with understanding to have a knowing edge over challenge.
God spoke to Jeremiah, and he needed to see in the spoken word of God to answer for God in his life.
Jeremiah 1:10-12 records the word of God to Jeremiah, “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree. Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” God wanted to perform in the life of Jeremiah for His glory, but Jeremiah must be able to see in the word of God.
Jeremiah saw and lived for the glory of God.
Faith will make one see in the word of God for deliverance and preservation.
Faith is the key to going further and not faltering, regardless of any challenging situation.
Seeing in the word of God is to receive the word becomes of such who see in the word.

Prayer for today: Ask to be enabled to listen to gain understanding to see the word of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Lifting eyes to God is asking from God.

Genesis 22

Having faith prompts lifting eyes to God.
Lifting eyes to God is asking from God.
One faith will please God.
If faith is the way to please God, without faith displeases God.
Hebrews 11:6 buttresses, “But without faith it is impossible to please him…”
Psalmist asked God, “I will lift my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help?” (Psalm 121:1)
Where or to whom have you been lifting your eyes?
In this wicked time, there is every reason, every moment lifting eyes to God by asking for direction.
Getting direction from God is certain to arrive at the destination and not become a victim of the evil agenda of this wicked world.
Lifting eyes to God is to move in the direction of the divine assignment of God.
Abraham was asking God by lifting his eyes to God.
He lifted his eyes in the direction when there was a need for support from above.
Indeed, it is an act of faith to know that lifting to God will enable one not to miss the blessing of God.
For Abraham, he walked past the ram that was in place for the sacrifice.
Genesis 22:13, “Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”
Abraham walked past a ram available for his burnt offering instead of his son.
One lifting to God is the reason for not expecting help from another source.
Lifting eyes to God demonstrates the love and the fear of God.
In the life journey, who are you looking up to?
From the depth of your heart, allow God to be the only God to look up to.
The love of Abraham for God means his fear of God.
Abraham served God with all his heart, with all his soul.
God asked for the son of Abraham, his only son, and his love for burnt offerings.
Abraham could not withhold his son from the request of God.
As Abraham was about to use his son Isaac as a burnt offering to God, he heard from God stating, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now, I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:12)
God discerns the heart; He knows all heart, and all the heart is in His hands.
In the journey of this wicked world, make it your way of life to be lifting eyes to God and ask for direction.
Abraham had uncommon testimonies because he walked with God for direction.
Give it all to God by looking up to Him.

Prayer for today: Ask that lifting your eyes to God for direction shall be your way of life.