RHEMA From Heaven

Jude 1:3 says “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people”.

Contending for the faith is fighting to preserve the faith for what it truly means and stands for. Your faith in God or your salvation is worth fighting for. It needs to be preserved until it brings you the final reward of stepping into the eternal home of the saints.

You see, many Christianity and God debasing things have entered into our world today and if nothing is done to maintain the “faith” that we carry, generations after us stands no chance of making it.

Real faith in God or salvation must make us God and more eternity conscious. This faith which is an act of God’s grace must not be stretched unnecessarily. It is not cheap. Many have been deceived to take the faith as a cheap thing on the tenets of grace. Nonetheless, Grace is not cheap.

This understanding must make you stand up and contend for the faith. It is worth fighting for. Timothy was admonished to “fight the good fight of faith and to lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:12).

Never comprise the values and virtues that the Christian faith demands. You may be odd in your stand because of the times we are living in. But God will be “proud” of you for standing for the faith when all the tides was against you.

Fight to preserve the faith, keep the Christian values alive and let posterity benefit from you.

Read: Jude 1:3-4 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.

Faith to the believer is just as oxygen is to humans. Lack of it leads to death. That is why the bible emphasizes that the just shall live by faith. Living by something means that, it is a means of sustenance. For the Christian, we are saved by faith, kept by faith and reign in life by faith.

When you get born again, you must learn to live above your senses. Living by faith is the natural realm of the believer. You must not only believe in what you see with your physical eyes- which is not faith. You must rather learn to believe in what the word of God says.

You see, it is by your faith that you can overcome the challenges of life. The Bible says that the victory that overcomes the world is our faith (1John 5:4). You overcome fear, sickness, and any form of attack of the devil by unleashing your faith.

In the faith hall of fame as some writers call Hebrews, the verses 33 to 34 reveals the conquering power of faith. It says “(some) through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (brackets mine).

Beloved in Christ, those who live by their senses – what they see, feel, taste and hear in the natural are limited. The realm of the natural will only subject you to defeat, failure, sin and sickness, but living by faith builds in your spirit the word that “nothing is impossible”. Meaning that, the barriers of sickness, academic failure, sin and any satanic agenda can be destroyed – GLORY to God! 

Anchor yourself on God’s word which is the only source of faith. Believe it, talk it, and live it. When you are faced with challenges, put your faith to work. Never give in, till your faith prevails.

Faith always makes riches, wealth, health, healing, deliverance and honour possible. Use your faith

Read :2Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Mark 6:4 “But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”

Honouring ministers of the gospel is a must and not a suggestion. You can’t take ministers of the gospel for granted and be blessed by their ministries. You must honour them by obeying the word of God they teach, never speak evil about them and give to them out of your substance.

Jesus said in Mark 6:4 that “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household”. The above verse in the gospel of Mark was the response Jesus gave to his kinsfolk when they could hardly accept his ministry. The Bible says a prophet is not without honour, meaning that a prophet is with honour.

For instance, in the case of Jesus, even though he was God sent to redeem humanity, he was not accepted by his own. Instead of them appreciating and honouring the grace of God, they subjected it to criticism. They knew Jesus so much that they could not accept him as God sent.

There are many folks today like that. They find it difficult to relate spiritually with ministers of the gospel. Instead of positioning themselves to be blessed, they rather become critics.

You see, ministers of the gospel occupy a honourable place in life by virtue of what they are doing for God.  Hebrews 5:4 says, “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron”. Know that Pastors aren’t more important than the other members of God’s household; however, they are the human leaders of it. Thus, honouring them is not something out of order.

See the admonishment of Apostle Paul: “Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

I encourage you not to get carnal or familiar in dealing with men of God especially your pastor. Learn to honour and respect this noble men.

Read: 1Timothy 5:17 “ Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”

Mathew 5:13-14 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

The believer in our above text is likened to salt and light. These two elements are great forces in life. Salt has the capacity to influence the taste of things and light has the capacity to change the scene of a place. Thus, being likened to these great forces means that the impart of the believer must be seen and felt irrespective of where they are placed in life.

You see, there are many influences in this life. Many things are trying to influence people, from individuals to social media contents. Most of these normally don’t influence people in the right way. But thanks be to God that, as believers we have been placed here to be burning lights and salt with taste. 

As lights, we shine with our virtues in this dark world. Philippians 2:15 says “so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people”. Jesus in the gospels said, “that they may see your good works”. Your works and not the talks is what makes you an influence in the world. Your impart must be felt as a Christian. Your values of humility, respect, order, decency, discipline, patience, integrity, kindness, loyalty, etc. must be seen in all that you do.

For most believers these virtues are things they try to emulate in their 3 hours stay when they join a local church for a service and quickly drop it off at the entrance as they exit. But you see, God has called you to influence your world and not to wear a coat of pretence because you are in “church”. Are you humble in church and proud at home? Are you calm and quiet in church but loud and arrogant at home and in your workplace? Are you “holy” in church and immoral outside the walls of the church?

You see, for many believers, all that they do is nothing than “pretence and showmanship”. They have not taken the call of God – that is the call to be Christians serious, so they have no character and integrity to back their faith. These character flaws and deficiencies has made many lost the power to rightly influence people. In fact, how come a Christian lady is very quarrelsome at home but the same person is like a quiet angel at Church laughing and liking everyone. How come a Christian brother is gentle in Church but given to sexual immorality and fraudulent schemes outside the church.

Whether you like it or not, there is a “hidden” population that your life may be influencing. Some are in your home, school, workplace, locality, etc. One truth you must know is that the world or nonbelievers will always look at the Christian to form their values and belief system. Thus, until they get saved, your life as a Christian becomes their school master or guardian that leads them to Christ or keeps them away from Christ.

Jesus said, we are a city on a hill, and we can’t be hidden. That is to say that our influence in the world is great and conspicuous.

Remember to use your life to rightly influence people around you. Never act contrary to God’s word, you may misguide someone to hell.

Read: Mathew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”.

Nothing hinders the miraculous more than carnality. Carnal people are solely guided or governed by their senses. They live by the dictates of what they feel, hear, or see and disregard anything supernatural or above these sources of knowledge. You see, although these senses help man to live and associate with his immediate surrounding, you need more than just your senses to live with God.

When you are walking with God, you must go beyond what you hear or see. You must see, with the eyes of the spirit – that’s your inner man. The Bible says, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. (2 Corinthians 4:18).

You see, as believers we are looking, but what we are looking at is not seen. We are looking beyond what a biological eye can see. What we are looking at demands that we see with the eyes of faith- the eyes of the spirit or the eyes of our inner man. Any born again Christian will be limited spiritually when they subject themselves to sensuality. That is why you must move from sensuality into the realm of faith or the realm of the supernatural.

Jesus explained this to Thomas his disciple:  “Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”. (John 20:27-29). Thomas wanted his eyes and sense of touch to do the job of believing and walking in the supernatural or the realm of faith, but Jesus told him that’s not the case. Our physical senses at a point need to go on vacation for us to see the glory of God.

This is the more reason we say that faith believes beyond what the physical eyes can see. In other words, faith believes though it has not seen yet. Therefore, if you live by your senses, you can hardly engage your faith. In fact, living by senses can limit you greatly.

Many people are not obtaining great things because they are not engaging their faith but be different. Dare to believe what God says about you than just going by what you see. Come out from sensuality into the realms of faith. See with the eyes of the spirit. See the provisions of God, see your healing, see your breakthrough, see your greatness. See with the eyes of faith.

Read: 2Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”

The Christian life is a spiritual life. No Christian can excel in this life- life with God and in the spirit without being spiritual.

To be spiritual is to be mindful of the things of the spirit. This has to basically do with your relationship with God and the ministry of angels. Anyone who is spiritual also knows how to deal with demons or evil spirits.

Thus, being spiritual is something that every serious Christian must make as a priority in life. Paying attention to spiritual things is for your own good. The Bible says “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”. (Romans 8:6)

You see, you are always guaranteed of a higher life and peace when you are spiritual. Being Spiritual puts you on the platform of advantage. It helps you to receive from God. “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“. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Being spiritual also helps you to judge spiritual things precisely. Today, many have wounded themselves because they misjudged spiritual things and blasphemed the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man“. (1 Corinthians 2:15).

Choose to be Spiritual.

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”

Romans 15:13
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

One of the things that must interest you is that God is a God of hope. There is a place for all those in hope because of God. No wonder the bible says that, three things abides. See 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

When hope is at work, there is expectation, it is an expectation that something will be achieved, or a situation will turn out to be good. Hope plays an important role in our walk with God. Anytime you give up hope, you can’t experience any great happenings and subsequently your faith will dwindle.

You see, your hope matters to God. Not only that, he also responds to your hope. Romans 15:13 says “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Never give up in life. Still abound in hope. Believe that the tables can and will turn to your favour. There may be no evidence to that or whatsoever but hope against hope.

Irrespective of the challenges and the troubles that may come your way, never give up Hope. Like Abraham, against every contrary evidence still believe in hope. Still expect your miracle, still expect your breakthrough, expect your job, expect your elevation, expect your financial increase, expect your marriage. Never put out the lights of hope.

Romans 4:18 had this to say about father Abraham that, against hope he believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken. Hope brings you to the place of not giving up in life. When life turns to be rough and tough, don’t quit.

Remember that without hope, faith will be in vain. Your faith will work, when your hope is in place.

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:12 “Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.

The Bible reveals that fear is a spirit. Thus, to think of fear as a feeling or a thought is a great deception. Fear is more than a feeling, it is a spirit. Considering fear as a feeling or a mental issue is great understatement of the nature and power of fear.

Fear is a spirit that comes from the enemy. It is a spirit that torments and tortures its victims. The Bible says, 1 John 4:18 that, “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love”.

You must understand that, fear opens the door for the devil to execute an evil agenda against the believer.

You see, although fear is a spirit, it has the power to influence your emotions and thoughts. When given the chance to operate, fear will hold you bound to always anticipate of evil. Therefore, people who live in fear never “talk well”. They always talk about negative things. They talk about a sickness they think is about to attack them, they talk about seeing themselves dead and the like. Basically, the spirit of fear, contradicts God’s word about faith, hope and love.

Anytime you allow the spirit of fear to operate in your life, it will prevent you from exercising power and dominion over the challenges that comes your way. Fear will not allow you to think clearly and to make bold decisions in life. It renders you indecisive and inconsistent.

Don’t take fear for granted. Learn to overcome this evil spirit by using God’s word. You have what it takes to mute what the spirit of fear whispers into your mind.

Anytime fear wants to show up, remember the word “Greater is He that is in you”. Don’t open the door for fear to mess you up.

Read: Romans 8:15, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

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

Man’s sole duty is to please God in all his endeavors. It is in pleasing God that you find your purpose and obtain fulfilment in life. In other words, any attempt to find fulfilment outside God will only entangle you with things that will destroy your “glorious life” as a child of God.

You see, your highest and ultimate priority in life must be to please God. In Galatians 1:10, the Apostle wrote “Galatians 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

Don’t try to please men or people when the will of God is clearly before you. It is nothing but 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.

When it comes to pleasing God, it depends on your ability to separate from things and ungodly people. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the Bible gave a tall list of some people one must turn away from.

You must know that you have being recruited into God’s army of righteous and holy men, and with a unique mission. Therefore, you must 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). Remember that this world and all that are in it 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”

1 Peter 2:11 (NLT) “Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls”

Worldly pleasures war against the soul. They cause the believer not to settle in life. Allowing worldly pleasures to govern your life will deaden your spiritual life. This instruction from the epistle “keep away from worldly pleasures” is so much relevant in our days like never.

Any believer who can’t stay away from worldly pleasures now is not serious about spending eternity with God. In any case, these worldly pleasures are in for “war” and not to make you look good and feel good. The pleasures will fight your conscience, conviction and faith. They will make sin and evil look normal by offering a temporary relief that will offer an eternal damnation. 

Worldly pleasures are for a season. You don’t have them for eternity. Thus, it is not a good business to trade off something of eternal value – your salvation, to give in to worldly pleasures.

Today, most people have made money their “god”. They do anything and every thing for it. They steal, fraud people, join cults, visit mediums, enter unholy alliances and the like. Some too fornicate for it and lie for it. The caution from 1 Timothy 6:6-10 does not make any spiritual sense to them.

But as a Child of God, you must know that love for money puts you up for a worldly pursuit. In Hebrews 11:25 the Bible says, “He (Moses) chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Thus, it is better to suffer affliction than to give yourself to any worldly pleasure that will destroy you in the end.

You see, no matter what pleasures or happiness you get from ungodly living, it is for a season and after that you will be handed over to calamity. Don’t be deceived, there is nothing GOOD outside God. If what you want is outside the will of God, it will destroy you at the end.

Read: Hebrews 11:25, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”