RHEMA From Heaven

One truth that every Christian must know is that God rewards. God rewards people who go out of the ordinary trend of life to labour for the work of ministry. God rewards people who are strong and immovable in their work for him. In Hebrews 6:10 the bible says “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister”

Having the knowledge of this truth will change your mindset, attitude, and the urgency with which you go about doing something for the Lord. 

The word reward means, “giving something in recognition of one’s service, effort, or achievement”. This means that for God to reward anyone, he will be particular and FULLY CONSIDER the kind, and quality of work you are doing with respect to his kingdom. 

You see, working for the Lord or doing the work of ministry demands giving your energy, time, money and whatever you have. In fact, anyone really working for the Lord, no longer live for themselves. In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul described his life briefly in this way “I am crucified with Christ: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE; YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:58, quoting from the New International Version of the Bible it says “…Let nothing move you. Always GIVE YOURSELVES FULLY TO THE WORK OF THE LORD, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”.  Many folks have approached working for the Lord with the wrong mindset. They never see it as something that God considers and honours. Some are even reluctant when it comes to doing something in God’s house because they think they are doing it for their pastor or man of God. But that’s far from the truth. God is the builder of the church, and the master everyone is labouring for. That’s why HE ALONE is the rewarder. 

Never relent in working for God. Abound in your work for the Lord. Increase your sacrifice, and commitment even in the face of persecutions. Keep the quality of your work for God above reproach. God will reward you in due season.

Jesus once told his disciples, “…Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30).

Read: I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord”

Prayer: Father, I pray that as I sacrifice for your kingdom your glory will be manifested in my life. In Jesus name, Amen!

Aside following the voice of the Spirit, another way to be alert in this end times as a Christian is to pray constantly or consistently. Thus, the caution from the Bible “pray always without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Praying consistently keeps you in sync with the will of God and in fellowship with the Lord. This is what we need as Christians in days of uncertainty.  

In Mathew 26:41, we see this same instruction “Watch and pray”. As a believer you must be on guard and pray. It is important to know that being consistent in your prayer life has nothing to do with you attending a prayer meeting. There are lots of people today who attend prayer meetings but do not really make time to pray and wait on the Lord’s presence by themselves. Thus, attending prayer meetings does not mean you are “prayerful”. You must have your own regular and consistent time for prayer.  

Prayer helps a great deal in the Christian life. It makes your spirit alert and helps you to apprehend many things long before they manifest in the physical. A consistent prayer life helps you to flow in the spirit and grasp spiritual truths. A consistent prayer life helps you to avoid red flags when it comes to temptations and satanic attacks. 

Spend time to pray and let it be consistent. It contributes greatly to your growth and depth of spirituality as a Christian.

Don’t let any busy schedule derange your time of prayer. Just like any other important endeavour, make time for prayer, conserve your energy for that, and do it. Believers who remain committed to prayer will always see God’s glory and operate in God’s will.

READ: Luke 18:1, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up”.

Prayer: Father, I pray for the grace to be consistent in my prayer life, in Jesus name. Amen!

The book of Daniel shows how God’s gift of knowledge and skill to Daniel and his three friends made them stalwarts in the land of Babylon. By their gift, they were brought into the place of nobility. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A MAN’S GIFT MAKES ROOM FOR HIM, And brings him before great men”.

Your gift or what you have and can offer matters a lot in life. Life has no place for empty people or folks who have nothing to offer. That’s why God made us priceless with virtues, graces, and gifts so that we can shine wherever we find ourselves.

In the above scripture, we see how knowledge, skill, and wisdom plays a great role in the lives of people who want to occupy a high place in life or serve in a “palace”. This shows that there is no way you can serve effectively and efficiently in a noble office or a high place without knowledge, skill, and wisdom. Being deficient in these, will make you a nuisance even if you get the opportunity. But the truth is, not only do you need this for service in high places, but you also need these keys for success in life. 

Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore GET WISDOM: and with all thy getting GET UNDERSTANDING. As Christians we must be zealous to get these “success factors”. Pray to God for these special graces. Not only that, be a studios person. Learn, buy good books to read. Associate with people of sound virtues and qualities. And above all, put what you read, and learn into practice.

These are not the days to be on a wild goose chase. Find something profitable to do with your life. For instance, being on social media for hours without any purpose can’t make you shine in life. Doing things haphazard won’t either. To shine in life, you must have schedules for things you want to do in each month, be consistent and intentional in your actions, drees like a royal, speak with wisdom, develop your emotional maturity so that you don’t become capricious in your behavior, learn when to say yes and when to say no- be assertive, draw boundaries when with persons of odious character, learn to hold matters of trust and confidentiality with seriousness. These are the actions that guarantees success and shows that you are wise and knowledgeable.

Know that YOU CAN’T SHINE WHEN YOU DON’T DO ANYTHING. You can’t shine when you are not tested. You can’t shine when you are not challenged, and you can’t shine when you are not striving for excellence. Be responsible in life. Take charge, do your best anytime.

READ: Eccl 8:1 “Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed”.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace on my life. By this grace, I shine everywhere I find myself.

Life is full of opportunities. By virtue of where you are, whose child you are, where you work and where you church, etc., you become a possible candidate for a particular task in the absence of someone. This, fact notwithstanding, if you HAVE NOT PREPARED yourself with the vital knowledge, wisdom, quality, integrity, and skill, you will miss out on your chance for elevation. 

Our opening text teaches this truth in relation to the great prophet Samuel and his sons. Samuel, the prophet had served his term and he is now old and must be replaced by someone. He must hand over the baton to the next generation to carry out the assignment of God. Although the man of God rightly handed over the baton, his sons to whom this mandate fell were ill-prepared for this noble mandate. 

His two sons, Joel and Abijah, lacked what it takes to lead. In 1 Samuel 8:3, the bible says “But his sons DID NOT WALK IN HIS WAYS; they TURNED ASIDE AFTER DISHONEST GAIN, TOOK BRIBES, and PERVERTED JUSTICE.

You see, Abijah and Joel were considered and appointed, but their lack of preparation made them incompetent, weak, and corrupt in the process. Although, they might be the right folks, they were rejected by the people they ought to lead because they did not have what it takes – in terms of character and integrity to lead. They missed their opportunity to be the successors of their father.

The world today is still suffering from the Joel and Abijah syndrome. In fact, the possible candidates for some noble positions are not in shape for the work. This is because they have not prepared their character and have not learnt the excellent ways of the person they ought to replace. 

You see, a day will come that you must take a responsibility from someone. You will one day assume the duty of a father, a mother, a pastor, a teacher, a director, a manager, etc., in fact, the lot will fall on you to lead whiles the rest of the majority must follow. 

But the question to ask is what will your generation be assured of? Will your character fail them? Will money mess your judgement? Will your moral life be questionable? And will they opt for another leader because you lacked what it takes to be a blessing?

Beloved, doing exploits in life is not by accident. You must prepare for it. You must develop your character and personality for it. Remember that, if you stand on the strings of mediocrity, you will miss your place in life.

Read: Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to prepare for any mandate you have for my life. May I never fail my generation in Jesus name.Amen

There are many ways to learn in life. But one easy way to learn is to observe and do likewise. You can also call it “copying”, “imitating” or “following someone’s example” 

Proverbs chapter 6:6-9 elucidates this principle of learning by observation or following the example that has been set forth for a particular course. In brief, the verse talks about the wisdom of the ant. The verses show three important things the ant does even though it has no ruler. First, the ant initiates something by itself. Second, the ant prepares for the future by taking advantage of seasons or acting rightly in a particular season (this means that, the ant knows about times and seasons). Third, the ant saves for the future. This simply refers to someone living a purposeful life.

The bible by this illustration, admonished people to observe the ant and do likewise. Beloved, the crux of this message is a call to learn by following something worthwhile in life. Not only that, but a call not to be lazy.

Most people have become failures in life because of their unwillingness to observe successful people. Some also refuse to observe people that God has graced uniquely in some endeavours because of pride. But it is undoubtedly, that one way to improve yourself in life is to HUMBLY FOLLOW and HUMBLY OBSERVE someone who knows what you don’t know. By this, I am referring to things that are edifying, godly and things that will make you stand out in life as a Christian. 

As a Christian you must be wise enough to observe the right people, the right systems, and the right principles that surrounds or governs life.Your first step to this call is to avoid being lazy. Observing something great and something that is producing results is work. You can’t carry a lazy attitude and still observe things to practise them effectively. 

As a Christian, who are you observing to learn success qualities from?Answer the question please. What arrangements, principles, values, etc, are you observing from the person? Please answer the question? 

Have you observed how they initiate important things in life? Have you observed how they understand seasons and do the right thing therein? Have you observed how they save for the future?  Have you practiced any of the things you have been observing?  Are you seeing any results?

You see, most often than not, we read life changing truths, but fail to pause and ponder on their application. No wonder many Christians have remained “talkers” and have no results or significant results in life.

Don’t be proud to learn what you don’t know from others. Be serious and act with some degree of urgency in life. This is not the time to be lazy or to be talking around unnecessary. Fight to have CREDIBLE results in life.

Read Philippians 4:9 “You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. SO FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE. And God, who gives peace, will be with you”.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to be humble and to copy and learn from people who by wisdom have achieved things in life. In Jesus name, Amen!

Our opening text is a remedy God gave to the nation of Judah when they found themselves in a trying time. Judah’s troubles had come of their neglect of God, and they were now faced with multiple wars. But there was still hope in this dark moment. 

God comes to them with a deliverance message through the Prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. The prophetic message was for them to be willing and obedient to the Lord so that they can eat the good of the land. It is important to note that, during this time, Israel and Judah had been in the Promised Land for almost 700 years. Thus, their struggles and troubles were occurring in the Land God said was flowing with milk and honey. 

See exodus 3:7-8 “And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…”

The summary of these message basically tells how people miss it after many years through disobedience and how by being willing and obedient they can flourish.

You see, most often than not many Christians miss it after many years. They miss it after many years of been in a blessed place. They miss it right in the land flowing with milk and honey. They miss it in the place where their identity was established. Why do they miss it? Unwillingness and disobedience. After many years, the Israelites, outgrow the virtues of “obedience that stems from willingness”. They became rebels. Thus, could hardly submit to the Lord and the system of governance he gave them. This brought them ineffable troubles. 

Beloved, to keep enjoying the goodness of God in this new life, you must KEEP the attitude of being willing and obedient. You must be obedient to the Lord and any authority God puts you under willingly. This kind of obedience is aggregable obedience or obedience that is coming from the heart. This is how to sustain the blessings of God. When you are doing something willingly, you are quick to act without being forced. In other words, you act by choice and not by coercion. 

You see, despite the glorious land that God’s people received, their disobedience disposed them off the land for years. Know that no matter what you have today, namely, money, good health, properties, family and the like, your act of disobedience can bring you a great loss. Disobedience can bring all your efforts to nothing and make nonsense a particular blessing you might have received from the Lord. 

Never undermine the subject being willing and obedient. Let this principle guide you. Obey from the heart of love, obey promptly, obey without coercion, obey without reservation and obey fully. When you become fully obedient, you will be spared from the judgement of those who disobey (1 Corinthians 10:6, NLT) 

Remember that it is only when you are willing and obedient that you will eat the good of the land.

Read: 1 Kings 2:3, “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

Prayer: Father, I pray for the grace for a willing heart and be obedient to your word. In Jesus name, Amen

Many things may contribute to a person’s success or greatness in life. But ONE FACTOR THAT CAN’T BE DENIED IN THE “MAKING” OF ANY NOTABLE PERSON IS GRACE. Grace is a divine influence on one’s spirit that reflects in the persons life. Grace may be in the form of some special endowments that may be particular to a person. Sometimes it is something that makes a person unique or outstanding in a particular endeavour. Finally, grace opens the door to salvation. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, apostle gave a picture of the effect of God’s grace on his life. Though he was once a persecutor of the Church of God, and a sinner. When God’s grace located him, it made a saint and a preacher out of him. 

In his first pastoral letter to Timothy, he wrote “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:14-15). But for grace he would not have made it for the course of Christ. Ephesians 2:8 says, “FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”

Apostle Paul was also, clear in his message that, the outcome of his life, in terms of the results he achieved in his walk with the Lord was a matter of Grace. He shared how he worked harder than many apostles before him because of God’s grace.

You see, the Apostle Paul was not reluctant to declare to the world what made him. He acknowledged the GRACE of God that took him from nothing to something. He acknowledged the grace of God that saved him and gave him a place in the ministry. 

This is one thing we must not forget as Christians. Sometimes people tell their success story, and you will think you are watching a “SUPERMAN” movie. Everything is how they worked, how they planned, how they were smart and how they adhered to some rules. Well, I don’t despise these narratives, but GOD MUST make the grace of being alive locate you before you can even proceed with the first step. God must grace you with wisdom and the inner strength to move on before you can do something worthwhile in life. 

Know that, without grace, no one can make it in life.  No wonder the song writer said:

“Your grace and mercy brought me through
I’m living this moment because of You
I want to thank You and praise You too
Your grace and mercy brought me through”

Beloved, always admit and confess without any form of hesitation to the world that you are a product of God’s grace. Don’t be proud and behave as though God didn’t come through for you in the darkest moments of your life. As for me, I am a PRODUCT OF GOD’S GRACE. I owe everything I have and have done to his grace and mercy that located me. I can boldly say that if not for the grace of God, it couldn’t have been any better. It is all “grace matters”.

TELL YOUR GRACE STORY TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER. Start today. Let someone hear your grace story.

Read: 1 Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU DID NOT RECEIVE? AND IF YOU DID RECEIVE IT, WHY DO YOU BOAST AS THOUGH YOU DID NOT?”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your GRACE in my life.

Many people know how to follow or be under the tutelage of others. Others also know how to pick and benefit from someone they call a mentor, or to sound more “divine” I would say a spiritual father. It is without doubt that these are wonderful factors for success in life. But these relationships when not handled carefully and simultaneously with some principles, would end up making a person to become a “user”, an opportunist or a freebooter who only gains from the other. 

One principle that will help anyone under the tutelage, mentorship or guidance of another person not to become a freebooter is the PRINCIPLE OF HONOUR. Honouring people is a good thing, and especially honouring people who are and have contributed to your well being in life is a GREAT THING. It shows love, respect, gratitude and wisdom. 

Our opening verses reveal something important on this principle. It tells how a woman poured a costly perfume on Jesus as a sign of honour. But this did not go well with his disciples. They called it a waste. They thought the woman could have done better by trading the perfume with money and give it for a different purpose. Contrary to their perspective, Jesus said, “don’t trouble the woman for she has done a GOOD work for me”.

You see, although Jesus has served his disciples all these years (Luke 22:27, John 13:13-14). No where in the bible will you see the act of honour in that capacity done unto him by his disciples. Nonetheless, they were not appreciative that someone had done that to their master. Instead of being happy on this occasion they became critics of this GOOD THING DONE FOR THEIR MASTER. 

Another response Jesus gave on this occasion also was in verse 11 of Mathew 26. He said, “For you have the poor with you always, BUT ME YOU DO NOT HAVE ALWAYS”. Meaning the chance to honour people is not always assured. Thus, you must do it as and when it is feasible and practical. 

Today, we have people who can’t honour people they have learnt from, we have people who can’t honour people who have served them in a “mentorship -protégé relationship” and we have people who can’t honour their bosses in the office. What a shock! Well, if you don’t do it today, chances are that, tomorrow may be too late.

Always seize the opportunity to honour your boss, teacher, pastor or spiritual father. This will put your name in great annals. See what Jesus said about the woman in Mathew 26:13 ” Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” 

Never criticize people who honour the man you should have honoured or the man you mostly benefit from. Be happy when your boss or superior is honoured. Masters, superiors or spiritual fathers deserve honour.

Read: Malachi 1:6 “A son honours his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honour? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me profitable relationship. I pray for the opportunity and grace to always honour those you have placed above me. Amen

The subject of sin is something the Christian must understand to live a victorious life. This can be achieved with adequate study and meditation on the word. In this Rhema, I will try and provide major points for consideration on the subject.

First and foremost, you must know that sin is a nature. When something is a nature, it means, it is a basic or inherent feature of something. Simply put, “what something is”. Thus, to put it precisely, sin is the nature of the devil. John in his epistle wrote “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” (1 John 3:8).

The second point to consider is that sin is not something you do wrong as many people think. Describing sin in this way is an understatement. Sin is more serious and severe than that, because it is the “nature of sin” that produces sin. Thus, you must be a “sinner” or someone who is not born again to sin. In other words, the devil must Lord over you to sin.

Thirdly, Christians have been delivered from this nature of sin. Jesus was made sin for us. He took the nature of sin for us to have the nature of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says “FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in him”. So, no Christian is a sinner. Christ took our nature of sin to give us the nature of righteousness. The Bible says we are in Christ who has been made for us RIGHTEOUSNESS. See: 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”

This understanding of sin will make you more Christ conscious than sin conscious. Not only that, but it will also help you resist any influence or domination of sin that the devil wants to bring. 

You see, NOT SEEING SIN AS THE DEVIL AT WORK BUT SOMETHING PEOPLE DO WRONG IS WHAT HAS CAPTURED MANY PEOPLE IN ALL KINDS OF EVIL, and here, I am referring to Christians. Understand that, if yielding to temptation leads to sin, and temptation comes from the devil, then who is behind sin? The devil absolutely. 

In writing to the Jewish Christians of his days, James gave a good insight on how to deal with sin. He told them to resist the devil (James 4:7). The preceding verses revealed the challenges the Apostle noted. He saw the issues of infighting, lust, adultery and pride trying to find it place amongst the believers (James 4:1-6). Thus, he admonished them to RESIST the devil.

Knowing who you are in Christ must dominate your heart and mind. Let righteousness consciousness dominate you. That’s your nature. This is how to throw down the influence of sin Satan brings. This righteousness nature will not allow any GENUINE Christian to live in sin as one loses inner peace by that. For instance, you can’t be a Christian and enjoy gossip, lying, stealing, fornication, being wicked or being treacherous. You will rather feel uneasy by that.

I know currently we have people faking Christianity or tagging themselves as Christians, but they don’t care doing anything untoward. These are sinners who sin and say, “we move” as though nothing has happened. You see, SINCERELY-ACCEPTING CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, BRINGS INTO YOUR HEART A LOVE FOR JESUS, AND HATRED FOR THE DOMINATION OF SIN.

As a Christian, know that sin is of the devil and never bow to it.

Read: Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me victory over sin. Amen!

Mathew chapter 25, records one notable parable which is called the parable of the talents. In this parable or illustration, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a man travelling and leaving his properties for some servants to oversee. 

In the parable, Jesus revealed how the man dealt with his servants, by giving each of them an opportunity according to their ability. Mathew 25:15 says, “To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away”. 

As the parable unfolds, we noted that the generous and wise action of the man was not appreciated by one of his servants. Two servants acted honorably or uprightly, by doing the needful with another man’s property. This earned them further rewards (Mathew 25:20-23). 

The last servant, who received a portion of the property or talent that was described as “one”, acted contrary, and with a pre-occupied mindset. He called his master a “hard man, and an opportunist who reaps where he has not sown”. Mathew 25:24, “He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I KNEW YOU TO BE A HARD MAN, REAPING WHERE YOU DID NOT SOW, AND GATHERING WHERE YOU SCATTERED NO SEED”

This servant by his action lost his place of honor. The master or the man called him a wicked, worthless and lazy servant.  His master further, explained that he could have invested his “talent” for it to yield returns rather than burying it. 

This parable simply reveals some important kingdom principles. One, use every opportunity given to the maximum- whether given by God or man. Two, aim towards, productivity and get better results to add to what opportunity you have been given. Three, don’t be ungrateful and use unkind or insulting words to the giver of the opportunity- whether God or man. 

You see, the servant who received the one talent, acted contrary to sound judgment. His final destination was into obscurity or a place of insignificance. Mathew 25:30 “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” not only that he was NOTED AS WICKED, WORTHLESS AND LAZY. 

What kind of servant are you? How do you use the GREAT opportunities God gives you through others? Are you results oriented? Or Do you add value to things given to you? Do you turn back to insult or talk unkind to people who give you OPPORTUNITIES in life?

Remember, SOME OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WASTED NEVER RETURNS. PAUSE AND PONDER!

Read: Luke 16:10 ““If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for the grace to use every opportunity and grace you give me, in Jesus name. Amen