FAITH CAPSULE: God does not owe anyone, but all owe God.

Psalm 100, Luke 17:11-19

Praising God and giving thanks to God is engaging God.
God does not owe anyone, but all owe God, to live life for His glory.
It is the will of God that all exists for His name.
Revelation 4:11 informs, “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
How are you living for God?
Living by the word of God constantly is the will of God.
The will of God is for all to seek Him as a way of life.
Live for God by giving thanks and praising God with understanding.
Are you living for God to please Him or the world?
Live to please God, not the world?
One with faith lives to please God.
Hebrews 11:5 states, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
The character of living for God is to engage the presence of God.
Psalm 100:4 confirms how to locate God and gain His presence.
The Psalmist states, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
To locate the gate of His presence is to access His courts. 
Giving thanks opens the gate while praise ushers one to His court.
Are you one who knows (not knows about) God, giving thanks and praises to God with understanding?
The Psalmist declares in Psalm 47:7, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.”
Understanding will give knowledge to prompt an undeniable result.
Thanking is crucial to experiencing God. 
Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one returned to thank Jesus.
Luke 17:15-16 records, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks…”
Luke 17:17-18 Jesus responded to one who went back to give thanks, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
Evidently, God awaits a return to thank Him at all times.
When thanks are in response to an answered prayer, perfection shall back the answered prayer.
Ten lepers cried for healing before Jesus.
Jesus prayed for their healing.
Among the ten lepers, one returned to Jesus to offer thanks.
Jesus asked for the other nine that did not return with thanks.
The one who returned to give thanks to Jesus for his healing gained perfection for the healing from Jesus.
Praising God to engage the presence of God.
Anyone who praises God with understanding, not entertainment, will gain the presence of God to engage God.

Prayer for today: Ask your soul and heart to become a habit of praising and thanking God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Whatever is against you is a battle against you.

2 Chronicles 32:1-26

What is camping against you with the agenda to win over you?
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went against the Israelites when he entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over.
What is taking a stand to win over you?
In the case of the Israelites, Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem.
Hezekiah did not take battle by himself nor allow the threat of Sennacherib subdue his people but encouraged his people stating, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”(2 Chronicles32:7-8)
Today, take encouragement in the word of Hezekiah in the face of your battle.
It is a strength to know that the arm of flesh will not overcome the help of God in the face of battle.
Do you know that the Lord is your God?
Know that the Lord God is more than able to fight your battle.
Know that it has never been seen or heard of God losing a battle on behalf of His children.
Any battle lost is the result of disobedience to the direction of God.
One with no rest of God is bound to fight against the enemy and not win.
One who no longer stands will not be far from falling.
Many have fallen; many are falling in the face of different battles because they do not let God fight the battle. The Israelites confessed negatively at the crossing of the Red Sea when they spoke to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:11-12)
A failure to speak right is setting oneself up for negative confession before God.
The Israelites failed to speak right and it disallowed God from rising on their behalf. Moses responded in faith, “…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. The LORD will fight your battle and you shall hold your peace.’” (Exodus 14:13-14)
In the face of your battle, gain strength in confessing positive things to rest in the power of God.

Prayer for today: Ask for the power of God on your behalf in the time of battle.

FAITH CAPSULE: Do not engage wicked in revenge.

Genesis 39

Joseph dislikes wickedness; sinning before God is evidently not his way of life.
The life of Joseph demonstrated seeking God.
Genesis 39:9 records the character of Joseph, “…How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Whatever anyone does before God continually will count and determine, such is seeking God.
Joseph continually lived against wickedness.
All great wickedness does not hide from God.
Wickedness does not escape the eyes of God.
Above all, great wickedness before God is having the word of God in the mouth but far from the mind. (Jeremiah 12:2)
The onset of wickedness towards Joseph is glaring, especially since his father loved him.
Genesis 37:3-4 records, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”
The testimony of the love of the father of Joseph is the evidence of the hatred of the brothers towards Joseph.
The wickedness was activated towards Joseph when:
Joseph had a dream of greatness, which provoked his brother to attempt to kill him, but later sold him into slavery, which took him to Egypt.
Joseph was not in a position to do wickedness in return for his brothers, but he found favor before God.
The Ishmaelites bought Joseph from his brothers.
As a slave in the house of Potiphar, the Lord was with him.
The wife of his master accused him, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” (Genesis 39:17-18)
Wrong accusation is wicked.
It was wickedness that followed Joseph that brought him into prison.
While in prison, he interpreted a dream, which drew the attention of others.
He gained the position to engage with the Pharaoh.
The interpretation of the dream by Pharaoh promoted Joseph from prison to become the Prime Minister of the land.
All through the journey of Joseph, there was no record of his responding to wickedness against him because his character retained the presence of God for him.
The brothers of Joseph unknowingly sought food in Egypt at the time of famine, as they located Joseph in a position of authority.
With no enmity from Joseph to the wickedness of his brothers, he received the brothers well.
The wickedness of the brothers of Joseph separated Joseph, at age seventeen, until he was over the age of thirty, when he saw his father.
Wickedness and sin could not derail Joseph from arriving at the center of his divine calling of God.

Prayer for today: Ask that evil will not deny your answering to the calling of God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Serving God is seeking God diligently to find God.

Daniel 1

The Word of God is not a story but a secret to gaining understanding of God.
The desire to know God, to serve Him, to find Him is rooted in His word.
The living Word of God is not a fiction or made-up story.
One committed to the word of God shall build up to gain an inheritance of the sanctified.
With an understanding of the secret of the Word of God, one is in a position to gain the deliverance of God.
To serve diligently is the understanding of the word of God.
Daniel serves God diligently.
The Bible records the deliverance of Daniel in the den of lions.
Daniel was set for destruction when he decided not to serve any other God.
King Darius was pleased when he placed Daniel among three governors, and he distinguished himself because an excellent spirit was in him. As a result, “…the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm, the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.   Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:3-5)
Daniel was a governor surrounded by enemies who had him placed in the den of lions.
King signed reluctantly for the order, which placed Daniel in the den of lions.
Daniel 6:18-20, “Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep was gone.  Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Daniel was delivered in the den of lions overnight without a scratch from hungry lions.
Daniel responded to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me.” (Daniel 6:21-22)
Daniel continually serves God.
Serving God is seeking God diligently to find God.
Daniel served God since his early days, purposed in his heart not to despise himself. (Daniel 1:8)
A purpose heart not to despise self for God does have a custom, a schedule, an uncommon relation with God.
Daniel had a custom of praying and giving thanks to God.
Daniel, with a committed schedule, was praying three times a day before God.
Daniel served God diligently, and no fault was found in him.
With understanding, serve God diligently.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the strength and understanding to serve God.

FAITH CAPSULE: Understand Jesus to know the rest of God.

Luke 7:11-35

Are you lacking understanding of the word of God?
Jesus is concerned about the issue of a lack of understanding.
If Jesus can see the lack of understanding, it is evident that there is a need for understanding.
One with no understanding is the mark of not living as a believer.
Wisdom is the power of God for man. 1 Corinthians 1:24 stated, “…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 also buttressed that Jesus “became for us wisdom from God.”
Jesus is our wisdom from God.
Understanding is the ability to listen, not just to hear.
The sound of Jesus must be a curiosity for the word with a lack of importance of the understanding issue when He said, “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” (John 8:43)
Obviously, it is possible to hear but not listen to gain His message.
Lack of attention is the root of listening disability.
A listening ability is to have a knowing edge, not to become a victim of stagnation in the wicked world.
Are you lacking understanding of the word of God?
The consequence of a lack of understanding can be exceedingly painful in life.
Ever since the bible days, until today, lack of understanding has been reducing the majority from gaining the promise of God.
Imagine disciples of Jesus with no understanding of crucifixion and resurrection, which Jesus repeatedly revealed to them.
When Jesus resurrected, a lack of understanding kept the disciples in.
On the same day, two of His disciples were on a journey and demonstrated a lack of understanding of the resurrection of Jesus.
On their journey to Emmaus, they were sad instead of celebrating the word manifested.
Sadness blinded them as they could not recognize Jesus as their company while they journeyed.
Resurrection was and is to be celebrating the truth manifested.
If disciples who spent time with Jesus when He was here could not understand and enter His rest, how can the present age gain understanding from Jesus and rest in Him?
John the Baptist preached about Jesus.
When baptizing Jesus, John heard the voice of God stating, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17)
Lack of understanding of the disciples in knowing that Jesus is enough to have rest in Jesus, the promise of God.
Despite the relationship John had with Jesus, his lack of understanding was glaring when John sent His disciples as recorded: “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” (Luke 7:20)
The understanding of John is unimaginable.
Imagine the level of understanding John the Baptist.
What is the level of your understanding to be able to gain the promise of God, which is rest?

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to gain His understanding.