RHEMA From Heaven

One of the challenges that every Christian will face is the challenge not to be spiritual. This is because of the current state of affairs in this life. You see, although the advancement of science, knowledge, civilisation, and modernisation helps in life, it must not replace being spiritual or make believers despise activities that will enhance their spirituality.  

You see, engaging in logical activities and being factual of events, has it place in life. But above all, as Christians, our relationship with God and the things of God must not wane because of these happenings. When you are spiritual you must be mindful of the things of the spirit. Being spiritual as a Christian must make you prioritize your relationship with God, believe and accept ministry of angels, and learn to deal with demons or evil spirits.

You see, the Christian life is a spiritual one. Thus, you must believe in the supernatural and practise it in your daily life- this is what spirituality is about. Know that life is not only natural. There is a spiritual dimension to life. Just as God exists, there are other spirits and forces that exist in life Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”. Meaning that, we deal with disembodied, or spiritual entities. Thus, being spiritually minded, or seeing things more broadly to include a spiritual perspective will always give you an advantage.

Be wise and stay spiritual. Not being spiritual is a risk.Paying attention to spiritual things is for your own good. 

Also, being spiritual makes you receptive to the Lord. It helps you to receive from him. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”.

Give yourself to prayer and fasting, meditate on the word,constantly create an atmosphere of worship, and always walk in love. This is how to keep your spirituality rising.

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ”.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that your presence in my life will keep me alert spiritually. Amen

The tendency to become worldly in life as a Christian is real. This is because we live here- in the world and go about our lives here. Thus, becoming worldly is something that every Christian must safeguard against. 

It is God’s desire that as believers we will live our lives free from worldly domination and influence. People who are worldly subscribe to the norms, and customs of this world contrary to what God wants and prescribes. Today our world is fallen apart with the domination of evil, corrupt practises in low and high places, immorality of all kinds, wickedness, revengeful acts, love of money, love of pleasure and the like. Believers who allow any of these things to rule them may likely miss it altogether.

Therefore, to please God and make your eternal salvation intact, you must make sure you NEVER BECOME WORLDLY.

This is the more reason Jesus prayed for the believers in the world, that they may be kept by the father.  John 17:11 says “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” He continued with the prayer and in John 17:15 said “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one”

As a believer, God has chosen you out of this world. John 15:19 says “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I (Jesus) have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you”. Never live your life as though you are of this world that is ruled by satan (John 12:31). 

One way to live in this world as a Christian is by not conforming. Romans 12:1-2, says “…Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will”. Be eager to live by heavenly standards in all you do as Christian. Whether in your home, workplace, church or wherever you find yourself. Stand out and stand for the things of the Lord. 

Another way to also live in this world as a Christian is by not loving the world. To love the world is to set your affection for the things of this world against the values of God. In 1 John 2:15-17, the bible says “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever”

Know that no matter what pleasures or happiness you get from ungodly living or by being worldly, it is for a season and after that you will be handed over to calamity. Be wise and never BECOME WORLDLY.

Read: James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?…”

Prayer: Father, I pray for the wisdom and grace never to be dominated by worldly influence.

One virtue that must characterize your life as a Christian is humility. Christians must be humble in both word and deed. This is what qualifies anyone for a heavenly exaltation.

Our opening verse shows that living in humility is a mandate from the Lord. Not only that, but it is also the expression of our new life we have in Christ. The bible again promises that anyone living in humility receives grace from the Lord. This makes humility an avenue for blessing.

As Christians, Jesus is our perfect example when it comes to humility. In Philippians 2:5-8 the bible says “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”. Jesus during his earthly life did not only display his power, wisdom, and blessedness but also showed that he was an embodiment of humility. 

In John 13:12-15, we see Jesus washing the feet of his disciples even though he was their teacher and master, and above all the Lord. This act and many others revealed his humility. Jesus was never caught up with his status, and his prowess. He was humble to the core. Thus, the instruction to be humble, is nothing but an encouragement to follow the wisdom of God

Our call, to this faith demands humility. In fact, you need humility to walk with the Lord (Micah 6:8), you need humility to be taught (Psalm 25:9), and you need humility to be blessed. Don’t think you are above some tasks, and never be full of yourself with what you have and what you have achieved-these are the roadblocks to living in humility. Learn to apologize when wrong, learn to show gratitude when helped, learn to do menial works, learn to take low positions without comments, and learn to appreciate people ahead of you. These are few humility pointers.

To say it again, “BE HUMBLE IN LIFE”. Let your humility be towards everyone no matter their status. Know that anyone who selects people to whom they must appear humble are just hypocrites. If you are humble, you are humble irrespective of who you meet and who you don’t meet. Because if you are truly humble, you won’t select who to exhibit your humility towards. 

Don’t deprive yourself of the opportunity to be blessed. Be wise to make the word on humility work in your life. Until you practice and make a conscious effort to walk in humility, you will do the opposite. Philippians 2:8 says that “And being found in fashion as a man, he (Jesus) humbled himself…” You must sincerely “humble yourself” by yourself. You don’t need anyone to tell you. Having God’s word and the Holy Spirit is enough for you to live in humility. 

Read: James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to live in humility in my walk with you and all persons I encounter. Amen

Counsel is one priceless thing in life. This is because you may not know everything, and you can’t know everything in life. Thus, to fill this knowledge or wisdom “gap” in your life you need counsel. It is important to also know that your age, level of education, type of education, family background, maturity level in the things of God, etc., are factors that predisposes you to and for counsel.

Though some people dispute seeking and receiving counsel, the bible says it is a wise thing to get counsel. Take it or leave it, one irrefutable truth about life is that everyone needs counsel to succeed. Proverbs 11:14 according to the World English Bible says that “Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory”. Wise or godly counsel is a prerequisite for victory in life. This is because a goldy counsel will impart you with practical and holistic knowledge for the course you are either taking or want to take in life. 

Although, wise counsel is expedient, many have failed to benefit from it because they did not seek for it. Many too have allowed pride and arrogance to prevent them from heeding to wise counsel. Such folks are wise in their own eyes. See what the bible says about them; Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit? There is more hope for a fool than for him”. You see, until you admit that you don’t know it all you can’t be counselled or helped with the truth from God’s word.

Be humble at heart to receive counsel. Psalm 25:9 says, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way”. You see, since most counsels may come in a form of instruction, guidance, or suggestion, you need humility to obey or to follow a wise counsel. As a Christian, know that God wants to help you with counsel, and he will do so by the Holy Spirit and human teachers he will give you.

Be wise enough to receive godly counsel as you journey in life. When you follow your own “feelings” you may never subscribe to any counsel.

Don’t despise counsel and don’t hesitate to seek counsel. It is a great sign of wisdom and not weakness. Never remain deficient of godly and practical wisdom from counsel. In all your getting, get counsel. Going the wrong direction in life and still refusing to seek counsel or ignoring counsel is foolishness because you will ruin your life in the end.

Read: Proverbs 19:20 “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to receive godly counsel with humility. Amen

Talking is important. It helps us express our views and concerns where and when necessary. But as Christians, we must know when to talk and when not to talk. This is where the value of silence must be recognized and appreciated. Talking when you should be quiet or remain silent is nothing but the display of foolishness. 

The bible in Proverbs 17:28 says, when a fool keeps silent, is considered wise. Thus, sometimes silence or keeping quiet is a wise thing to do. Never be noted for “overtalking”. Talk when and where it is necessary and talk when you have timely word. Proverbs 15:23 says “A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!”

Never talk because you want and feel like talking. Learn to value silence sometimes. Know that in life somethings are better not said. This is because, uttering unfitting words may not serve a good interest. God wants Christians to speak “gracious” words. Colossians 4:6 says “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”

You see, being silent sometimes does not mean you are weak a person, or you are a fool. The opposite is rather the case. When you understand the value of silence, you will see that you will not be given to quarrels and unnecessary arguments. You will know when to talk or even say nothing. It is undeniable that Jesus was the greatest preacher, and orator, that ever lived. But he also knew when not to talk or to remain silent. In Matthew 27:13-14 we see how Jesus remained silent before Pilate, and never answered him as he wanted. Mathew 27:13-14 “Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement”

Don’t be caught up in this “talking generation” where people are talking on every social media outlet. This will only make a fool out of you. Know when to keep quiet child of God! Remember that sometimes silence is the best answer, and it will always be golden when employed. Don’t unnecessarily accustom yourself to too much talking. Sometimes remain quiet and learn or remain quiet to make peace to prevail. Never pride in being a talkative, so that you don’t overdo it and end up with folly. Talking when you must be quiet or silent can ruin your life.

Be wise, don’t say you are “talk and die” (literally translated from a local saying). Be guided by wisdom and know when to be quiet.

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:7-8 “A time to rend, and a time to sew; A TIME TO KEEP SILENCE, AND A TIME TO SPEAK”

Prayer: Father, I pray for grace to discern when I must be silence when dealing with people in the course of life.

Our opening text shows how the Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit confronted the people of Galatia who after knowing the truth took a detour to something different. Paul wondered how within a short period of time the Galatians missed out on the message he had preached to them on faith and have turned to the law. Although he taught them the truth of Jesus and Him crucified and the greatness of His work so clearly that the Galatians could see it, they turned away from this truth in no time.

You see, just like the Galatians in the times of the Apostle Paul, some Christians too fail to continue in the truth preached to them. Thus, make useless the truth, knowledge and understanding of the scriptures made known to them. As a Christian, you must take a great lesson from this. 

Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning…” Therefore, from what happened to the Galatians, you must be wise to know that, with time, when people don’t hold on firmly to the truth they know, they fall off. Be wise to know that people defect from the truth with time. Be wise to know that people replace truth with unscriptural personal experiences with time. Be wise to know that people revert to tradition and human ideologies with time. Finally, be wise to know that people became familiar with the truth with time and never act on it again. 

Today, dare to be different. We are called by the Lord to hold on firmly to the truth to the end. Never drop the truth of God’s word because of any happenings around you. Jesus said in Mathew 24:35 that “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”. Hold on to the word of truth. Philippians 2:16 says “HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain”

Don’t let the pressure and pleasure of this world make you throw away the truth of God’s word. Yes, let the truth of prayer hold in your life, let the truth of moral purity and honesty hold in your life, let the truth of faithfulness hold in your life, let the truth of love hold in your life, let the truth of faith hold in your life. Beloved, continue in the truth of God’s word. Let the truth stand!

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them”

Prayer: Father, I pray for grace to continue in the truth irrespective of what comes my way. Amen

One of the great gifts of life is the ability to talk and express one’s self. Talking makes you able to communicate your ideas, express your feelings in words and share concerns on issues. It also helps you to connect with people through communication. 

Nonetheless, it is not automatic that a person can talk or communicate well. It takes wisdom and few principles to make your words bring a blessing to your hearers.

Proverbs 15 teaches one principle or wisdom key when it comes to talking, that is giving “soft answers”. 

A soft answer hear means, a gentle and a thoughtful answer or remark. You see, as Christians, we must become masters in talking well. We must let the virtues of God in us manifest in our words. Being harsh, unreasonable, insulting, and thoughtless in talking is not a sign of wisdom. It is also not a sign of nobility. 

The Bible in verse 2 of Proverbs chapter 15 tells that it is only a fool that pours out folly when talking. 

You see, when it comes to talking you must LET THE WISDOM OF GOD IN YOU WORK. Don’t just talk because you can’t take back your words after you have poured out folly.

In Ephesians 4:29, the Bible says “Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] WORDS EVER COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]”.

Know that as a Christian, some words must never come out of your mouth. When you talk or answer people, they must be blessed and pray for another moment to hear you talk.

You see, anytime Jesus spoke, the people heard him gladly (Mark 12:37). In another place, the Bible says, “never a man spoke like him” (John 7:46). Follow Jesus’s example. Talk well. Be thoughtful when talking. Chose your words carefully. 

Don’t forget, how you talk can open great doors for you or close them. How you talk can present you as a fool or not. Finally, how you talk can magnify Jesus or bring your faith in disrepute.

Read: Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned”

Pray: Lord, thank you for the gift of talking. I pray for grace and wisdom to talk well. Amen

Doing what the Lord says in his word is a demonstration of wisdom. This is what is captured in Jesus’s analogy in our opening text. He (Jesus) tells that people who hear his word and act on them are like builders that set their foundation on the rock. But those who hear the word and do otherwise are like builders who set their foundation on the sand.

Thus, to the Lord, doing what he says is a sign of wisdom and not doing what he says is a sign of foolishness. The fact and veracity of this word still holds today. As Christians, our highest call is to obey God’s word, nothing more or less.

Don’t only master hearing God’s word without a corresponding action to do what the word says. You need the two; both the hearing and doing. You see, the instruction from Jesus regarding doing what the word says or what he taught came after he had given teachings that were uncommon in those days. Some of which were the beatitudes, believers as example, murder and adultery beginning from the heart, loving one’s enemies, dealing with anxiety, etc. (Mathew 5-6). It was on this note that he said, “hear the word and do it, and you will be compared to a wise person, or fail to do it and you will be like a foolish person. 

This means that, as you hear the word, you must think about application or doing the word. Don’t entertain yourself with just hearing the word. Today, we have people who get themselves ready every now and them to go and hear the word of God, but that’s where it all ends. They never commit themselves beyond that.

You see, those who hear the word of God and apply it are fortified against any trouble (Mathew 7:24-25). This is not so with the people who don’t do the word. People who don’t do what the word says always fall in the day of adversity (Mathew 7:26-27).

Build capacity to act on the word of God even if it doesn’t conform to your norm, tradition, and personal idea. Let the word of God you hear reflect in your life. Live by the principles and the truths it reveals. This is how to manifest wisdom.

Read: James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”

Prayer: Father, I pray for the grace to do your word every day of my life.

One wise thing a person can do is to make good use of time. This is because we are all constrained by time. Whether Christians or not, every one of us lives “in time”. This we must see as a gift and make good use of. 

In Ephesians 5:16, the bible revealed some ways by which we can make every second count in our life or make beneficial use of time. The first, learn to recognize opportunities at any point in time. Second, take advantage of the opportunity or utilize the opportunity. Third, engage wisdom and diligence when using any opportunity. These, three steps when followed will help you make good use of time that will change your life and also bless humanity. 

You see, one thing that life will offer everyone at any particular time is opportunity. But until you recognize it, you can’t benefit from it. One truth is that many people have not made good use of the time they have because of failure on their part to see or recognize opportunities. An opportunity can be described as an occasion or a situation that makes it possible to do something worthwhile. Beloved, what do you want to do in life? Have you opened your eyes and spirit man to see or perceive that opportunity, or you are just moving? Stop and ponder!

Seeing an opportunity is not enough. You must make good use of it. That’s how to take an advantage of something. It is sad to say that most Christians instead of acting on opportunities that God permits their way takes a detour into “extreme spiritual exercise”. Well, IT IS GOOD TO KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO AT ANY TIME, BUT NOT ALSO ACTING WHEN A PURE DIVINE OPPORTUNITY COMES YOUR WAY MAY COST YOU. Sometimes instead of Christians acting, there will say they are fasting and praying. Some interestingly pray and fast forever. No action. Mercy! To date many Christians have lost good jobs, financial doors, blissful marriages, higher educational achievements, call into ministry, etc., because of failure to act on opportunities.

Finally, using opportunity demands wisdom and diligence. Anytime you see an opportunity think or be wise. It will help you act well and do the needful. Not doing the most important thing first, upon recognizing an opportunity can make you lose it completely. Have you discovered an opportunity to make wealth? Have you discovered an opportunity to marry? Have you discovered an opportunity to have a great mentor? Have you discovered an opportunity to put up a building? Have you discovered an opportunity to do the work of ministry? Beloved use wisdom first- it is the principal thing. Yes, pray, but don’t be praying forever, also ACT but act wisely. Seek counsel. Take the needed steps- it can be reading, it can be making an enquiry, it can be visiting a particular office for details, it can be talking over the opportunity with the holder of the opportunity, it can be changing your attitude, it can be serving someone, it can be placing a call to introduce yourself, it can be branding yourself, etc. Be smartly wise child of God. Don’t let some DIVINE opportunities pass you by. Act and act wisely. Be zealous to seize the moment, that’s diligence. That’s where the hard work starts and please continue till you win.

Read: Colossians 4:5 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for divine opportunities this season. I connect to them and make good use of them in Jesus’ name.

Living the spirit life or the new life demands that we subdue all the negative proclivities or appetites of the flesh. Although we live in the flesh, we must not let the carnal nature, or the flesh dominate us. We must allow the new man in us to control us. 

People who don’t yield fully to the new man or the new life from the Spirit allow their carnal nature to control them, and one of such is “keeping of anger”.

You see, in as much as, anger is part of the human nature, letting it dominate you will destroy you. Anger as we know is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Anger is an expression of emotion just like happiness or sadness. But left on its own, without a control from your recreated human spirit, anger can make you go haywire and “possess” you. This is where it destroys you. 

Ephesians 4:24-26 says “and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN”: DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN WHILE YOU ARE STILL ANGRY” 

You see, when you don’t control anger, it will control you and lead you into sin. The bible also admonishes that, you don’t let the sun go down on your anger. In other words, don’t keep anger. Don’t let anger rest in your bosom; The bible calls this foolishness. There are folks who are still angry with people for years, months, weeks, and days. They keep their hostility towards people over past issues or misunderstandings. But the bible says it is foolish to do so and it will lead to sin. Ephesians 4:27 says “And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]” (AMP)

“Keeping of anger” have health consequences. A study published in a journal on Cognitive Behavior Therapy in 2012, found that anger can exacerbate symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition that interferes with a person’s daily life. Also, a study by a group of Harvard University scientists revealed that people given to anger have increased their risk of respiratory problems. Another study done by the University of Michigan over a 17-year period found that people who hold on to anger have a shorter life span than those who don’t. These findings, talks enough about the health dangers of holding on to anger.

Beloved, let the love of God dominate you to outdo keeping anger. Forgive when you are offended and move on. It is better to forgive than to keep or harbor anger and die early. Be wise! Drop that anger!

Read: Psalm 37:8 “Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the spirit of love in my heart. I pray for grace to forgive easily and never keep anger in my heart. Amen