RHEMA From Heaven

Mathew 25:1-13 captures the famous parable of Jesus known as the ten virgins. In this parable, Jesus talks about ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. He described five of them as foolish because they took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The next five were described as wise because they took oil in jars along with their lamps. In short, the wise ones took extra oil for their lamps and the foolish did not. 

The parable continues with the uncertainty that came with the meeting of the bridegroom. The bridegroom delayed, so the virgins must wait until a later time. At this point, those virgins who didn’t take extra oil saw their lamps going out, whiles the wise virgins just refilled their lamps to keep it burning. 

It is indisputably that the central theme of the parable is in relation to preparation towards meeting the Lord. On the other hand, it also reveals one general principle for life which is planning or preparing for the future. 

According to the Longman dictionary, to plan means to put in place a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that has been considered carefully and in detail. Planning makes you take actions with the future in mind. This is what distinguished the wise virgins from the foolish. 

Note that, even though all the ten virgins acted similarly, the actions of the wise was carried out with foresight. They made room for unseen eventualities and prepared towards it. Thus, their success was not accidental. It was planned. Winston Churchill once said, “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”

Many Christians have become victims of failure because they have undermined this wise principle. A lot of Christians have left things to chance. Most fail to plan and ignorantly claim that they will leap over life’s hurdles by “faith” as they journey on. Well, this is not wisdom. Exercise faith where needed and let wisdom guide you. Don’t be “overly spiritual” or move to extremes in your Christian life- that is not a sign of wisdom. Be wise!

When it comes to planning, Jesus rhetorically asked in Luke 14:28-32, that which man will not count the cost before building a tower or which king will not count the cost before going for war?

Thus, doing things without engaging foresight (an element that will make you plan) to carry out the right decisions and actions in the now is dangerous. You will look foolish in the end. To get real with you, know that academic success is not guaranteed because you are schooling, financial success is not guaranteed because you are working, marriage is not guaranteed because you have a fiancé or fiancée, success in marriage is not guaranteed because you are married, and in fact, eternity is not guaranteed because you go to Church. Planning is required in all these matters. Don’t forget, aside prayer, word study, living a virtuous life, etc., BE WISE ENOUGH TO PLAN. It is beneficial to take calculated steps in life.

Read: Luke 14:28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost…”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the spirit of wisdom, I pray for grace to plan and to carry out relevant actions that will bless my life in the future. Amen

Our above verse was an admonishment Paul by the Spirit of God gave to his protégé Timothy. At the time of writing this letter, Paul has been imprisoned by the government of Emperor Nero. Being kept in chains in the prison like a criminal (2 Timothy 2:9), he thought it wise to encourage Timothy to PLEASE God.

He reminded him (Timothy) to consider and copy the life of soldiers, who by virtue of their enlistment sacrifice their comfort and live separated lives to please their masters. 

You see, same caution is relevant today. As Christians we have been saved and called by God. Therefore, our sole priority must be to please God in whatever we do. When we live our lives to please God, we do things to give Him satisfaction, pleasure, or cause Him to be glad. 

For instance, the father gave such praise about Jesus during his earthly life when he was being baptized by John. Mathew 3:16-17 “And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up straightway out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. And lo, a voice came from Heaven, saying, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.”

As a Christian your highest and ultimate priority in life must be to please God by following the example of Jesus. Instead of living to please people and going against the word and the dictates of the Holy Spirit, PLEASE GOD. You see, no matter what you do, you can’t please men of debased minds. Never try to please men or people when the will of God is clearly before you. Do what God wants! That is what will please him. Stepping out of God’s will or word to please people is simply an invitation to disaster. Most people today are out of God’s will because they want to please people and especially people who don’t value the things of God or people who pretend to value God till they can no longer live in their hypocrisy.

One salient point to note on this subject is that, when it comes to pleasing God, it depends on your ability to separate from things that don’t edify and ungodly people. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the Bible gave a tall list of some people one must turn away from to be able to please God.

You have been recruited into God’s army of righteous and holy men, and with a unique mission. Never allow the pleasures of this world to entangle the worthy course you are on. Don’t get caught up and entangled in the fleeting pleasures of this world like Demas did and lost his place in the kingdom (2 Timothy 4:10). 

Soon, this world and all that is in will pass away, only sanctified, and separated people shall remain with our Lord when all is said and done. Don’t struggle to fit in and be accepted by the world. Rather come out and be separated unto God.

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to be able to please you in my daily endeavour. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Obedience is an essential virtue in life. In fact, it cuts across all spheres of life. The Bible has various admonishment to give to the Christian when it comes to this subject. It teaches on obedience to God and his word, obedience to parents, obedience to spiritual leaders or pastors and obedience to masters or superiors.

Our study will focus on obedience to pastors or men of God. To become obedient to your pastor(s), men of God or your shepherds in your local Church you must first and foremost have an understanding about what they stand for in your life. The bible in Jeremiah 3:15 clearly gives what the pastor stands for in the life of the believer. From the verse, the Lord said to his people “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding”. Thus, pastors, shepherds or spiritual leaders are given by God. Hebrews 5:4 says “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God…”

Understanding this biblical truth, sets you on course for the next, which is OBEY YOUR PASTOR. As duty demands, your pastor is to teach you the word of God or feed you with knowledge and understanding as revealed in God’s word, your pastor must pray for you, your pastor must counsel you, your pastor must create room or opportunity for you to do the work of ministry, your pastor must encourage you, and your pastor must correct and rebuke you when necessary.

These duties of your pastor towards you brings you into a relationship with him. The aim of this pastor- member relationship helps to build the Christian into maturity. Nonetheless, the pastor by himself can’t get this purpose achieved. The person being pastored must be obedient to benefit from this relationship. 

You see, when you obey or comply, or sincerely follow the biblical instructions that your pastor gives, you build capacity to grow in the faith and you develop a solid character. As a Christian, don’t have any reason to disregard the word of God that you are taught by your pastor. Willingly and with obedient heart receive instructions, corrections, and rebukes without controversy. Fighting to have your way against the truth in God’s word that you are taught will destroy your life.

Finally, not obeying your pastor is a disregard, disrespect and rebellion against God and His wisdom. You see, all that your pastor will require you to obey is nothing but the word of God and things that will expand the work of God. No genuine pastor will demand you to do things that won’t bring glory to God or destroy you. Don’t forget that your pastor will give an account on his duty towards you. 

Read: 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

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me a pastor. I pray for grace to obey my pastor and to benefit from this divine relationship.

One of the notable statements Jesus made about love and obedience is found in John 14:15. He explained that our love for him is revealed by our obedience to his words or commandments. In other words, our obedience to God must be motivated by our love for God.

This teaching of Jesus makes loving the Lord not a mere sentimental or emotional activity but a deliberate one. Yes, it is wonderful when our love for Jesus has sentiment and passion, but it must always be connected to keeping His commandments, or it isn’t love at all.

When it comes to dealing with the Lord, obedience is key. We are living in an era where many people get engage in church related activities and are always found on the run with things that seems “churchy”, but they never come close to the real deal of obeying the Lord. These folks want to flow with the tides in the Christian faith, but they don’t want to obey the Lord for themselves. 

But you see, God has called us to love him and demonstrate it with personal obedience to his word. This is because anytime love precedes your obedience or your obedience is because of love, it makes your obedience absolute. You don’t obey halfway or obey by jyour own terms.

As Christians, our obedience to the Lord is what makes us manifest the virtues expounded in God’s word. For instance, what will people make of holiness if you don’t live it out by obedience to the word, “be holy because I am holy”. Again, what will people make of virtues like humility, gentleness, self-control, and honesty if you don’t live them out. The word of God you hear daily demands application. Doing what the word says, and not what you feel like doing is what obedience is all about. James 1:22 says “But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth] (AMP)

Today, don’t just say “I love the Lord”. Measure your statement with your level of obedience. Do you practice God’s word consciously and daily? Do you prioritize doing what the bible says or you are driven by the opinions carnal people are sharing on social media? Are you honest or you make room for lies when dealing with people? As a Jesus lover, what can you be identified with?

You can’t say you love the Lord and live in disobedience to his word.

Prayer: Father, I pray for the grace to be obedient to your word no matter the circumstance I face in life. In Jesus name, Amen

Read: Isaiah 1:19 “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;.”

The praise of God is something that must continually be on the lips of the believer. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth”. This admonishment notwithstanding, life’s challenges sometimes turn to “sink” the praises believers must give to God. In fact, some Christians get overwhelmed with the challenges of life and become complainants instead of praising God.   

Habakkuk’s message on the other hand tells us to keep our praise irrespective of what happens. He (Habakkuk) was like, I won’t mind what’s happening around me, but I am going to keep my praise up. As a Christian this is what must characterize your life, in that, irrespective of the adverse happenings around you, you will still praise your way through. 

Charles Wesley in one of his songs wrote “Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ”. The second stanza also says, “Of his deliverance I will boast, till all that are distressed from my example comfort take and charm their griefs to rest”. 

As a Christian nothing must take away your praise. You must praise God for who He is. His praise must not be dependent on what you are going through. This act of faith and love is what brings God to act on your behalf. 

For instance, the Bible tells of how the Israelites met a great challenge or opposition on their way to inherit their promise of a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:7-8). They had issues to deal with. Not with God, not with the promises of God, but with people, with systems and with enemies. Given all these uncertain happenings, God instructed them to go around the walls of this city with trumpets, praising him (Joshua 6:1-5). Finally, they become victors.

In the face of hardships praise God. That’s what brings a breakthrough. When any promise you are holding on to delays, don’t resolve to complains, rather Praise your way through.

Your praise is a sign of faith. Jesus said in John 20:29 “…blessed are they that has not yet seen but believes”. Praising God for what you have not yet seen shows great faith and God honours faith. 

Read: Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that irrespective of what I’m going through I will live a life of praise and glory towards your Holy name. Amen!

Spiritual leadings are key in life. This is because, life has a spiritual dimension and not everything is about fact and logic. Thus, for any Christian to journey safely in this world, one needs to be led spiritually- that’s to be led by the Holy Spirit.  

Our opening text from the book of Acts of the Apostles, shows how by the spirit, Apostle Paul knew a journey they were embarking on to Rome would lead to disaster.

You see, even though Paul was on the ship as a prisoner to face trial in Rome for preaching, his spirit man was still connected to God. He could hear what the Spirit was saying concerning the future of the trip. He perceived the ill consequences of the journey irrespective of his condition. Hear him speak, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

But like many people do, the officer or centurion in charge downplayed the “voice of the Spirit” that was made known by Paul, for carnal men’s voice. The Bible said, “But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship” (Acts 27:11). This action of the centurion later brought a devastating consequence. 

As Christians it is important, we know and follow the voice of the Spirit against all odds. Yes, people will tell you things, but always be sensitive to know what the Lord is speaking and revealing concerning what you want to do, or you are already doing. 

From our main verse in Acts 27, you will see that although Paul was not an expert in piloting a ship and does not even own one, the word he uttered by the hearing of his spirit from the “Spirit” shouldn’t have been taken for granted. Life has a spiritual dimension; therefore, you must know the voice of the Lord when it gives a guidance or a revelation and follow it. Christians must learn not to follow the flesh or carnal instincts when God’s spirit is clearly revealing something or brings guidance. 

Today, many people have rushed into the jaws of the devil because they ignored the voice of the Spirit when it brought them foreknowledge and guidance. Well, just like it happened in the days of Paul, it has not changed. Doing things your own way and neglecting the leadings of the Holy Spirit will destroy your life. It will bring many difficulties.

Don’t neglect the voice of the Spirit as it leads you. Stay alert to hearing and following the voice of the Spirit. Romans 8:14 says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”.

Read: John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Prayer: Father, I thank you for the guidance of your Spirit. I pray for grace to hear and to follow the leadings of the Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen

One version also puts it this way, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God”. 

It is always important to know the source of your blessing. This makes you grateful and helps you to develop a positive attitude towards the source of your blessing. 

The bible in 2 Corinthians 3:5 teaches that our “sufficiency” as Christians is from God. The word sufficiency also means ability or competency to do a thing. Thus, ‘our ability or competency to do anything is from God”. As a believer you must know that it takes God for you to be equipped to stand out in life.

You see, your being and your making can only be attributed to God and nothing else. The Bible says, “not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves”. Acts 17:28 also says “for in him (Christ) we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, we are his offspring”.

Understand that you don’t get to the top or accomplish great things because of your “own smartness”. No matter what you think, it takes a divine endowment by the spirit of God to make you relevant in life. What you have, your achievements and your status in life was dispensed to you by the grace of God. 

Apostle John in his account revealed that whatever we have, whether a gift, grace, or gift is given to us from heaven. John 3:27, “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven”. 

Knowing this truth will cause you to walk humbly with the Lord and help you overcome the pride of life. You see, to pride in yourself about your achievements and what you have can take your eyes off God’s Grace. It is therefore IMPORTANT to know that what you have and who you are is because of God’s sufficiency.

Never attribute anything you have been made to enjoy and benefited from to your own efforts. The Bible says, by strength shall no man prevail. Your strength has a limitation. It takes God to get you into having all sufficiency.

READ: Philippians 4:13 (AMP) “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]”.

Prayer: Father, thank you for providing me with what I need to be complete in life, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Many a time, some Christians think they can substitute obedience with a religious activity. Well, in as much as the latter has its place in the Christian faith, it can’t replace obedience. Thus, when it comes to obedience- it is either you are obedient or not. There is no middle ground. 

In 1 Samuel 15, we see the Prophet Samuel, who anointed Saul king over Israel, telling him that God wanted him (Saul), to go and destroy the whole land of Amalek living nothing in it. Saul upon hearing this, took his men and went straight to Amalek. But in the process of executing the mandate of God, as spoken by the Prophet Samuel, Saul did contrary to what he was told. 

1 Samuel 15:15 we see the disobedience of Saul “And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed”. Saul chose what to do despite the clear instruction he was given by the Lord. This made the Prophet answer him that, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22)

You see, this action of Saul together with other acts of disobedience brought him a great loss. First, the kingship was taken away from him and his lineage. 1 Samuel 15:28 “And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou”. Second, his man of God, the prophet left him to his fate.1 Samuel 15:35 “AND SAMUEL CAME NO MORE TO SEE SAUL UNTIL THE DAY OF HIS DEATH: nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel”.

Beloved how obedient are you to the Lord? Do you take instructions and biblical guidance of your pastor serious, or you do as you please? Do you obey FULLY any instruction you are given or switch to a selective mood when reality shows up? Know that nothing can replace obedience. Also, you can choose to be obedient or disobey. But don’t forget, disobedience comes with unpleasant consequences.  

As a Christian, be serious with the matter obedience. It takes obedience to excel in your walk with God and in life in general. You can’t do much as a Christian when you are not obedient to the Lord and his servants, he gives you.

Obedience always pays, and it pays good.

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

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to be obedient to you in all things all the days of my life. In Jesus name, Amen!

The subject of deliverance is key in the Christendom. One therefore needs to understand it and apply it accurately. Our opening scripture tells one truth all Christians must understand, that is, “we have been delivered”. This means that, as a Christian you have been RESCUED, SAVED AND PRESERVED. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “WHO HAS SAVED us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began”.

You see, our deliverance was total. It was deliverance from sin, sickness, and the power of satan. Thus, our present hour possession as Christians is that WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES OF SIN and neither our we captives of the devil. Our deliverance was accomplished, consummated, and concluded through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We are no longer folks needing deliverance. We’ve already got it. We got it when we got born again. Colossians 1:13 says: “God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”. This simply means that, the devil no longer has any legal right over the life of the believer. Romans 6:14 also say: “sin shall no longer have dominion over you”. This also means that, any sin, from lying, fornication, bitterness, disobedience, pride, and all the rest cannot hold you captive. In fact, no wrong or sinful behaviour must imprison you. SIN SHALL NO LONGER HAVE DOMINION over you.

Knowledge of this truth is what will make you live like a free person in Christ. But if you lack this truth and fail to engage it, the devil will capitalize on your ignorance. This is why you see so many believers living an “entangled life”. Their lack of knowledge has made them victims of the lies and tricks of the enemy.

Beloved, if you are sincerely born again, you don’t need deliverance rather you stay delivered. Galatians 5:1 says,“STAND FAST THEREFORE IN THE LIBERTY BY WHICH CHRIST HAS MADE US FREE, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage”. The New Life Version says “Christ made us free. Stay that way. Do not get chained all over again…”

Don’t be a Christian who is moving all over the place, claiming you need deliverance. In any case what people need is Christ who gives salvation and then CONSTANT STUDY AND MEDITATION OF THE WORD TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. 

Since you have been delivered as a Christian, STAY THAT WAY. Build your Christian life with all diligence. Don’t allow the pleasures of this world and the wrong standards people have carved for themselves have a sway on your life. It only leads to a “captivity”.

READ: Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy”.

Prayer: Lord, I declare that I’m free for all satanic and demonic influence in Jesus’ name, Amen!

The subject of love is a crucial one. First and foremost, it is a commandment from God, secondly, it is the nature of the new man in Christ, and thirdly, it is a way by which we spread the love of God to others.

Thus, for the Christian, LOVE is our life. Therefore, love must be your golden rule when dealing with people. When you deal with people from the bowels of love or from your love account it brings a mutual benefit.

Our opening text admonishes us to abound in love towards one another. This means that we must continue in love towards one another, and not consider what people do to us. The Christian must overlook the wickedness and ungratefulness that is prevalent in this our world and consciously walk in love towards people. Don’t let people’s action towards you take you out of love. Rather grow stronger in your love towards people.

1 Peter 3:9 re-echoes our love mandate by saying “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing”.

You see, when you abound in love toward one another, you don’t render evil for evil, or insult with insult. You radiate love when evil is thrown at you. LOVE MAKES YOU A WELL OF BLESSING TO OTHERS.

In John 13:34 Jesus said “A new command I give you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. AS I HAVE LOVED you, so you must love one another”. 

Today, Jesus is saying to you to be an example of his love. Love people who care less about you. Love people who think they are being smart. You see, no matter the happenings LOVE WILL WIN IN THE END. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love”. Hallelujah! Love remains. Love is the greatest. Love and don’t hate. Love and don’t envy. Love- do it by forgiving, by giving, and by helping. No matter what people do to you, live with them from the heart of love.

READ: 1 Peter 3:8 says “finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous”. You must not have a reason for which you can’t walk in love towards a brother or sister.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my love for the people will be intensified. In Jesus name, Amen!