RHEMA From Heaven

James 1:13–14 “When you are tempted, don’t ever say, ‘God is tempting me,’ for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He is never the source of temptation. Instead, it is each person’s own desires and thoughts that drag them into evil and lure them away into darkness.”

Temptations come our way to shift us from God’s will and weaken our spiritual focus. Any temptation we consistently yield to will eventually lead us into sin, and sin, when fully grown, brings destruction. Nonetheless, we have what it takes in Christ to overcome every temptation.

Temptation comes in a subtle and deceptive manner and ultimately emanates from the devil. Scripture makes it clear that God does not tempt anyone and cannot be tempted (James 1:13). Therefore, temptation has nothing to do with God’s character or intentions toward you. It is a strategy of the enemy to mislead you into error and disobedience.

The Bible also reveals that our desires and thoughts can become breeding grounds for temptation. When you cultivate strong desires for things that do not align with the Word of God or that do not promote godliness, you open a door. It may be an excessive love for money, possessions, pleasure, recognition, or unhealthy attraction to the opposite sex. When desire is not governed by truth, it will drag you.

In the same way, the thoughts you entertain determine whether you will stand or fall for temptation. If your mind is continually filled with unholy images, negative imaginations, pride, bitterness, or lust, you will gradually become vulnerable. Whatever takes your mind will eventually take your life. It is only a matter of time.

As a Christian, you must be intentional about feeding on God’s Word and strengthening your inner life. The Word builds spiritual resistance. Prayer sharpens discernment. Fellowship with the Spirit strengthens conviction. Do not excuse wrong desires. Do not normalize sinful thoughts. Deal with them early before they grow strong.

Remember, temptation itself is not sin, but yielding is. And God is faithful. He will never allow you to face a temptation without also providing a way of escape.

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Prayer: Lord, strengthen my heart and mind to resist every temptation and help me walk in holiness and obedience to Your Word.

Luke 18:2-3,5 “saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. [3] There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ [5] yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’”

It takes being consistent in something to get results in life. Without consistency, most things will be done half way and will not bring the desired outcome.

In our opening text, we see a widow who was simply consistent in putting her request to a judge. She never allowed boredom, tiredness, and the initial reluctance from the judge to discourage her. She kept doing what she knew was best for her.

Sometimes it is not enough to know what best to do in a given situation. You must be consistent with what you ought to do. Some situations don’t need a one off action. You must do the same thing over and over to get a great result.

Sometimes you must pray on one subject for a while before you can see results, sometimes you must study one particular topic for a long time before you can get the understanding, sometimes you must practice one principle before you can master it. There is no room for hit and run or fast forward action to get a meaningful outcome. Be consistent in your prayer life, character development, service to God, giving, learning, winning souls, pursuing your plans, etc.

Thus, whether it is about your spiritual life, career, ministry, family and relationship, or in dealing with people from whom you want some things granted. You must be unashamedly consistent.

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:6 “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle with your hands in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening planting will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to be consistent in all my endeavors. Amen

1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’”

Nothing can replace obedience to God. You are either obedient or not. There is no middle ground. One truth clear in the scriptures is that religious performance can never stand in for surrendered obedience.

When dealing with God, obedience is not a suggestion; it is a requirement. Our walk with God demands complete obedience to His word. Thus, you have a duty to align with God’s instruction at all times as a Christian.

In 1 Samuel 15, the bible records an account where the Lord sent a clear instruction to King Saul through the Prophet Samuel. The mandate was direct, to destroy Amalek completely. No adjustments. No negotiations. No human reasoning added to divine command. Saul went to battle, but instead of carrying out the instruction fully, he modified it. He spared King Agag and kept the best of the livestock.

When confronted, Saul justified himself. He claimed the spared animals were for sacrifice unto the Lord. This sounded spiritual. It appeared religious. But it was still disobedience.

But Samuel’s response was piercing and revealing: “To obey is better than sacrifice.”

You see, God is not impressed by offerings that come from a disobedient heart. He desires alignment more than activity, submission more than ceremony.

Beloved, how do you respond when God gives you clear instruction through His Word? How do you handle counsel and biblical direction from your pastor or spiritual authority? Do you obey completely, or do you edit the instruction to fit your comfort?

Selective obedience is still disobedience.

Know that nothing replaces obedience. Not sacrifice, not service, not good intentions. A Christian who refuses obedience limits his growth and endangers his destiny. But the one who chooses obedience positions himself for preservation, promotion, and divine pleasure.

Read: Deuteronomy 30:14 “No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart that obeys You fully and promptly, without excuses or delay, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

The Holman Christian Standard Bible renders it this way:
“…let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.”

The Christian life is not only about receiving salvation. It is also about growing into what salvation has made you. When you gave your life to Christ, you received His very nature. Holiness was imparted into your spirit. It became your new identity.

First Peter 2:9 calls us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” That means holiness is not something you are trying to become. It is something you already are in Christ.

However, though holiness is your nature, maturity in holiness is your responsibility. The Apostle Paul encourages us to “perfect” or “complete” holiness. This means allowing the life of the Spirit within you to shape your character, discipline your desires, and govern your conduct.

You may attempt to be morally upright through self-effort. You may follow rules and regulations. But morality alone is not holiness. Legalism cannot produce divine nature. True holiness flows from the life of God within you.

When you are born again, your spirit is made new. From that new life, you begin to bring your mind, body, and actions into alignment with who you have become. You do not struggle to become holy. You cooperate with the Holy Spirit to express the holiness already placed inside you.

The fear of God, which is reverence and deep respect for Him, becomes the atmosphere in which holiness matures. When you truly honor God, you will desire to live in a way that reflects His nature.

Remember this truth: Holiness is received at salvation, but it is perfected through daily surrender.

If you are born again, you already have the capacity to grow in holiness. If you are not yet born again, the starting point is to receive the life of Christ. That is where true sanctification begins.

Read :1 Peter 1:16 “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Prayer: Father, help me to walk in reverence and allow the holiness You placed in me to be revealed in my daily life. Amen.

2 Timothy 2:4 “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

The verse above is an admonition that Paul, by the Spirit of God, gave to his protégé Timothy. He urged him to observe the life of a soldier. A soldier, by virtue of enlistment, sacrifices personal comfort and lives with discipline and focus in order to please his commanding officer.

The same caution applies to us today. As Christians, we have been saved and called by God. Therefore, our primary pursuit must be to please Him in whatever we do. When we live to please God, our choices, attitudes, and actions are guided by the desire to bring Him satisfaction and honor.

Jesus is our perfect example. His earthly life was marked by total devotion to the Father. At His baptism, heaven testified concerning Him, declaring Him to be the beloved Son in whom the Father was well pleased (Matthew 3:16 -17). Jesus did not seek human applause. He sought the Father’s approval.

As a believer, your highest priority must be to please God. Do not live merely to impress people or to gain their approval at the expense of God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Please God. No matter what you do, you will never satisfy people whose minds are not aligned with truth.

Never compromise the will of God simply to win the approval of men. Do what God requires. That is what truly pleases Him. Stepping outside God’s Word to satisfy human expectations is an invitation to regret and spiritual loss. Many have drifted out of God’s will because they pursued popularity, trends, fame, or acceptance.

You have been enlisted into God’s army, called to righteousness and holiness, with a divine assignment. Do not allow the distractions and temporary pleasures of this world to entangle your calling. Stay focused. Stay devoted. The approval of men is fleeting, but the approval of God is eternal.

Read: John 12:43 “They loved human approval rather than the approval of God”.

Prayer: Lord, grant me the grace to seek Your approval above all else and to live daily in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “But I say, walk habitually in the Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].”

The truth revealed in this verse is straightforward yet profound. It speaks about walking by your recreated human spirit. The recreated human spirit is the new man within you. It is the real you. You are not merely a physical body. The real you is a spirit. That spirit was made alive when you received Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior.

Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” When you were born again, your spirit was made alive unto God.

Therefore, walking by the Spirit refers to living from that regenerated inner man. It means allowing your born again spirit, which is now in harmony with the Spirit of God, to guide your decisions, attitudes, and actions. It is living from the inside out.

Your recreated spirit is not corrupt. It is aligned with God’s nature. It is sensitive to His will. When you learn to yield to it, you will consistently walk in the will of God.

Bitterness, pride, immorality, greed, and other works of the flesh do not originate from your born again spirit. That is why a true believer is never comfortable in sin. When you miss it, your inner man checks you. Your conscience bears witness and refuses to give you peace in wrongdoing. That inward conviction is evidence that your spirit is alive to God.

Walking by the Spirit keeps you steady in your Christian journey. It keeps you aligned with God’s purpose. But when you yield to the flesh and its impulses, you begin to stagger in faith and hinder your spiritual growth.

Make it your priority to live from your spirit. Be sensitive to the inward witness. Train yourself to respond to the promptings of the Spirit rather than the cravings of the flesh.

Read Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Prayer: Lord, help me daily to yield to my recreated spirit and walk in alignment with Your will. Amen.

Luke 19:17 “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”

One of the greatest misconceptions in life is thinking that greatness begins with something big. In reality, greatness begins with something small. The way you handle what appears insignificant today determines the level of authority you will walk in tomorrow.

For instance, most people pray for enlargement but neglect what is already in their hands. They desire influence yet mishandle simple responsibilities. But the bible reveals a clear principle: faithfulness in little precedes rulership over much.

Zechariah 4:10 admonishes us not to despise the day of small beginnings. Small tasks are not small in the eyes of God. They are training grounds. They are examinations of character. They are opportunities disguised as routine.

In the parable of Luke 19, a master entrusted his servants with a mina. Two servants traded with what they received and produced increase. Their reward was not merely commendation but authority. The third servant preserved the mina but produced no growth because of fear and wrong perception. He took lightly the opportunity that was given to him.

You see, trustworthiness is revealed when no one is applauding you. It is revealed when the task seems ordinary. It is revealed when the opportunity looks too small to matter. Nonetheless, what you do with the little determines what God can trust you with next.

Whenever something is committed into your care, whether finances, leadership, ministry, relationships, or time, heaven is watching. Your response becomes the measure of your readiness for promotion.

A small assignment is not a delay. It is preparation. It is not punishment. It is positioning.

Read: 1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Prayer: Father, help me to be faithful in every small responsibility placed in my hands. Amen!

2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Making it in life involves overcoming many hurdles. Our opening text reveals many things that people sometimes go through and still shine or emerge as successful people. As you journey with the Lord, there will be troubles, distresses, and moments of despair, but you must fight your way through. Know very well that “you are more than a conqueror” (Romans 8:37).

You see, whether you like it or not, every dream or vision you have will attract opposition. In other words, there will be factors—both physical and spiritual—that will try to hinder your success. But all you have to do is fight on. You need to be resilient, tough, and focused. You must keep your Christian values and discipline while still forging ahead with other pursuits in line with fulfilling your purpose.

Never see tough times as anything strange; they are part of the journey here on earth.

As a Christian you have what it takes to win and overcome these challenges. You have divine energy working on the inside of you. Don’t say “I can’t help things out.” Being knocked down is not being knocked out. Rise again. Fight on. From victory to victory, God is leading us all.

Read: Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to handle life’s challenges on my journey to fulfilling my purpose.

James 5:9 “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

It is often easier to find fault in others than to examine ourselves. The sad reality is that some people derive satisfaction from pointing out the weaknesses of others so that they may appear better in comparison. But this must never define the life of a Christian.

The word grumble in our opening text refers to murmuring or expressing impatience toward others, often because of personal stress or inner frustration. Sometimes people become overwhelmed by the pressures of life and, instead of dealing with their own burdens properly, they transfer that frustration onto others through complaints, criticism, and harsh words.

You see, your interaction with people may expose their shortcomings, but your response must be guided by love and wisdom. Before correcting someone, examine your own heart. Ensure you are not reacting out of stress, pride, or wounded emotions. Engage the love of God and the wisdom of the Spirit in your approach.

Instead of murmuring against others, choose to encourage them. Be hospitable and gracious. First Peter 4:9 instructs us to show hospitality to one another without grudging. Do not wear people down with negative words.

You see, whenever you allow grudges and complaints to dominate your heart, you give the devil an opportunity to influence your attitude and actions. A critical spirit opens the door to further negativity and spiritual weakness.

Never forget that persistent murmuring and holding grudges invite condemnation. In other words, you position yourself under unnecessary judgment. No matter the circumstance, refuse to use complaints, discontentment, or fault finding as weapons against others.

Read Philippians 2:14 -15: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

Prayer: Lord, grant me the grace not to hold grudges or murmur against others. Help me to walk in love and speak words that build up, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Deuteronomy 8:14 “Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God…”

It is one thing to receive help or to be blessed by God or by people during difficult seasons. It is another thing to remember what was done for you months or years later. Remembrance must never be taken lightly. Recalling the benefits you have received from God and acknowledging the people He used to shape your journey is a mark of maturity and right living.

The Bible reveals that God Himself does not forget. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love…” If God, who is holy and just, chooses to remember the good done in His name, how much more should we remember the good done to us.

Gratitude is not optional in the Christian life. It is evidence of a heart that understands grace. As has often been emphasized, grace is never meant to produce pride but worship.

Many people rise in life only to forget their little beginnings. They forget the hands that lifted them when they were weak, the voices that encouraged them when they were confused, and the people God used to help them in their faith journey. Some forget those who nurtured them spiritually and labored over their growth. Others forget those who supported their education, guided their careers, stood with them financially, or opened doors when none were visible.

But no matter how high you rise in life, never forget God. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. And never forget the people He used behind the scenes when it mattered most. As John Wesley taught, gratitude is part of holy living, because true holiness expresses itself in love and honor toward both God and neighbor.

Have you been intentional in thanking God for His goodness. Have you acknowledged the people He used to help you grow.

You see, ingratitude hardens the heart, but remembrance preserves humility and grace. A heart that remembers stays tender before God.

Do not sin by being forgetful. Remain grateful to God and to the people He used to make you who you are today.

Read: Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

Prayer: Lord, keep my heart humble and grateful, that I may never forget Your goodness and the people You used to shape my life. Amen.