RHEMA From Heaven

The born again Christian has been freed and delivered from the power of sin. That means, sin has no power over the believer (Romans 6:14). The moment Christ became the Lord over your life, you entered into freedom (Galatians 5:1).

But now that you have been set free, it’s dependent on you to keep yourself from being under the bondage of sin.
You see, even though the devil will still try to extend his influence of sin over your life, you must decide not to yield.

Psalm 4:4 says, “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”
Standing in awe is one way to keep your freedom in the Lord. It means constantly walking in reverence to God. This “holy fear” will help you not to “make a practice of sinning”.

You see, living in sin as a Child of God, is one of the greatest dishonor to God.
Today, we have some believers who take God for granted. They lie, steal, cheat, get involved in immoral stuffs and still “take things cool” as if nothing has happened.

But the Bible says, ‘stand in awe”. Have reverence for God. Don’t treat God’s sacred temple which is your body with contempt. In other words, don’t corrupt yourself.

Remember that, nothing but a fiery judgment is what awaits anyone who takes “grace” for granted and uses it as a license to sin.

Refuse to bring yourself under any wrong and satanic influence.
Walk in the new life and fight any attempt of the enemy to influence your life to sin.

Read: 1 John 3:8-9 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that your holy fear will continually abide in me to always stay away from sin. Amen

One truth that must settle in your heart as a Christian is that, God is mindful about you.

To be mindful is to pay special kind of attention to a particular person or something. It also connotes being inclined and willing to do something. We see from the above definition that, God doesn’t just pay special attention to us, He is also willing to do everything we need for us.

David after enjoying such glorious fellowship wrote in
Psalm 8:4 “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Know that, you are always on God’s mind. When you live by this consciousness of God’s everlasting presence, your hope in life stands tall. You see, the knowledge of God’s love and presence will cause you to stand whiles situations demand you to give up.

Know that you are more valuable to God than you think of yourself to be. You are the Lord’s treasured possession. In the sight of God, you are his chosen and special person.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”(1 Peter 2:9 )

Know this truth and you will not look down on yourself.
Always remember, you are imprinted on the mind of God.

Read: “The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron”(Psalms 115:12).

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the many years of your love, kindness mercy and all the goodness you keep demonstrating to me. Amen

One of the greatest virtues you can express as a believer is joy. However, it matters what is the source of your joy. As a Christian, your joy should be dependent on the goodness of God. Your possessions in life should not determine your joy.

Having Joy, or gladness in the heart is God given. It is a great deception to think of joy or gladness as coming from the material gains or material things you have in life.

Many who have limited the source of their joy to external things don’t truly enjoy the peace and the sound mind that the joy of the Lord brings.

You see, let God be the source of your joy. Remember that, heaven and earth shall pass away, but God will not. What is more fulfilling than”being with God” the one who has no beginning and end.

The Psalmist said, “Be glad in the Lord , and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:11).
Let God excite you, let the things of God excite you.
That’s the way, to keep increasing in this joy beyond materiality.

Don’t join the “company of the unbelieving believers” who only holler and put on a smile in Church or life when they have material wealth. That’s not real joy. In fact, joy is independent of all these “I have this and I have that claims”. Real joy comes from knowing God as your father.

Be joyful in the Lord!

Read: Psalm 35:9 “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord : it shall rejoice in his salvation”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that from today my joy will not be dependent on anything external but you only. Amen

God wants you to be thankful in all things. Your thanksgiving to God must be independent of whatever situation you are in.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, according to the amplified version of the Bible says “in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

One thing you must know is that, no matter the situation or circumstance that you are faced with, you must still keep thanking God.

George Thomas Smart (1776-1867) captured this truth when he put forward the words of his song ” Through all the changing scenes of life ,
In trouble and in joy ,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ“

You see, there is enough reasons for which you must thank God. For instance if you can read and in fact you are reading this message, you have one of the priceless things in this world that is life.

In fact, it is for the many victories and awesome works of God on your behalf that has brought you thus far. Before you cast your eyes on your needs and wants and before you take a walk on the lane of “ungratefulness” just take a minute to see the enumerable things that God has done for you and is still doing.

Prophet Jeremiah in his lamentations said, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not”.
Don’t also forget that, God has not dealt with us according to our sins.

Remember that, God has indeed done so much that we cannot tell it all. This is why we must keep thanking Him and let our thanksgiving override all the troubles that we encounter every now and then.

Read: 1 Chronicles 29:13 “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that I will always have a heart of gratitude in all situations. Amen

Hearing God’s word and doing nothing with it or about it will not bring any profit to you.

The word of God is for your blessings or profit. In fact, the word must bless and transform your life.

The Bible talks about a generation that received God’s word in vain and thus could not be blessed by it.
Hebrews 4:2 says,
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”.

God’s word or the gospel only becomes profitable when you mix it with faith. In order words, you believing and acting on the word is what brings profit.

God’s word has what it takes to deliver on whatever it says, but you have to believe in it and engage it’s principles to be blessed.

Never be causal with God’s word. Take it serious. Meditate on it daily, let it be your confession and practice. That is how to connect to the power in the word for it to produce awesome results in your life.

Read: Hebrews 4:1-2, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to practically engage your word with faith for my profit. Amen

In this world there are several ways to acquire wealth. Your way, the world’s way and God’s way. Whiles all these methods might produce results, long lasting, trans generational, trouble-free prosperity, only comes by following God’s way.

Proverbs 16:25 says “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”.
Not all methods leads to safety hence your prosperity must be by God’s way.

In Joshua 7, we see how Achan tried to prosper by his own method (stealing) and the end results was Death.
“And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stone” (Joshua 7:24,25).

The sad truth is that, many are still following the path of Achan.
They are using all manner of means just to grab wealth. Bribery and corruption, Fraud, Sex have become the order of the day. Well the end of all such methods is very clear;- “Valley of Achor”.

Always remember that, it is the will of God, that you prosper in all things.
(3 John 1:2)

God’s way to prosperity is sure, reliable and trouble-free.

Read: And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. (Genesis 39:3)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for deliverance from all financial temptations that will cause me to get money by ungodly means.

2 Kings 4:8-10 “And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither”

To honour a person means treating him or her with respect because of who they are and what they do. It also denotes placing value on someone.

One way you can honour a man of God or a minister of the gospel is to give to them. Giving to them means you appreciate and value them for what they are and what they do.

You see, inasmuch as God expects us to give to all men, giving to a man of God because of his calling into Christian service is a sign of honour. Our opening text showed how the woman in Shunen gave Elisha food every now as he passed by. But upon perceiving that Elisha was a man of God, the woman together with the husband decided to give to him because he was a man of God. This is a display of honour.

This giving was not demanded by Elisha, it was voluntarily and purposefully made without any compulsion.

Whenever you have the opportunity and the means never hesitate to honour your man of God by giving to him. Give to him graciously and you will be blessed accordingly.

Read: Philippians 4:15 “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to give to all persons especially ministers of the gospel.

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you”

It is God’s will for Christians to obey their pastors when it comes to the word they teach. The ministers of the gospel or pastors called by the Lord don’t teach or proclaim their own philosophies or ideologies. They teach God’s word. Apostle Paul wrote “1 Corinthians 2:4,7 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory”.

You see, obeying your pastor when it comes to the word he or she teaches is nonnegotiable. The word is able to make you wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), give you an inheritance (Acts 20:32), and save your soul (James 1:21).

Never for one moment live in disobedience to the word of God your man of God or prophet teaches. Receiving the word they teach means that you recognise their duty and submit to it. This is what honour means.

You can’t live in sin and disobedience to the WORD that you are being taught and claim you love and honour your man of God.

Bear good fruits and make those fruit abide by the word you receive every now and then. Honouring goes with obedience.

Read: Jeremiah 3:15 “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace and wisdom to honor the prophet you have given to me. Amen

To be outstanding as a child of God, is dependent on your ability to build a solid character. Your character has the power to either make you or unmake you: that is why you must invest into building a positive character.

You see, you must make a conscious effort to invest in yourself character -wise. This may require you being a strict adherent to God’s word, putting godly principles in place, and restricting yourself from unedifying pursuits in life.

You must know that, without a sound character your future can be jeopardized. Nothing will destroy and humiliate people in the future, more than their own character. Those who refuse to improve and shape their character now have no place in the future.

If you don’t build a sound character you will self-destruct. Just like today, many people are being destroyed in life because of their own doings and not because of the devil.

One truth you must understand is that, character and attitude are not built overnight. You need to constantly meditate and practice God’s word to perfect it. Hence no good character can be built outside God’s word.

Get God’s word into your heart to build you up. Get mentors or matured Christians to contribute positively into your life. With character building, delays can cost you. Don’t put to tomorrow what you must do now.

Read: And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. (1 Samuel 18:14)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for more grace to invest into having a sound character as a child of God. Amen

Faithfulness is necessary in our walk with God. It is the highest display of our commitment to God. For the child of God, faithfulness is a requirement. It is one quality that makes you pleasing to God and guarantees your excellence in life and ministry.

1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” God has put us in charge over things and He expects us to discharge our duties with a sense of urgency in all faithfulness

To be faithful is to be loyal, firm and resolute to a person or an idea without waver, despite circumstance. You see, when you are faithful you don’t abandon your service to God because of a challenge. You are always resolute to give your best, and to please Him at all times.

Today many Christians are not faithful when it comes to the things of God. They are faithful rather to their jobs, school, marriages, etc. In fact, whether rain or shine, they don’t miss work or class. Nonetheless, this same people make excuses and disappoint when the things of God are entrusted into their hands. No wonder God cannot use them.

You see, whenever you are faithful you attract God’s attention for a blessing. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings…….”

Being faithful will sometimes take away your comfort and convenience but the pay off is always great at the end

Never be uncommitted in your work for God. Be faithful in all things. Decide to be faithful in attending to the things of God.

Be Faithful

Read: Hebrews 3:1-2, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to be more faithful to every course. Amen