RHEMA From Heaven

Bear fruit!

John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you”

Bearing fruit as a Christian is a must. God wants every Christian to be productive in their endeavor. Your call to be a child of God is a call to be productive and get results. You must not be a Christian without results.

Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…”.

As a Christian you must show forth works and/or conduct that is evident of who we are in Christ. Meaning that you are not saved to sit and watch what goes on in the Kingdom. You must not be born again and do nothing in the kingdom. No!

You see, physically and spiritually, there must be manifestations that indicate God’s grace at work in you. The lost should be saved through you; healings and miracles should be seen through you; love should be demonstrated by you. At all cost something about you must bring God glory. That’s what you are called for.

Jesus spoke a parable in Luke 13:6-9, “A certain man… said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.” You see, it is risky not to bear fruits. That’s why you shouldn’t be a pew warmer in church.

Don’t limit your zealousness to only secular pursuits. Get involved in the things of God and be eager to bring results to the kingdom. God is counting on you, because He has ordained you to bear lasting fruits.

Read: Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God”

The Spirit Life

Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”

The Christian walk is a walk in and with the Spirit. It’s characterized by a life influenced by God’s word and guidance of the Holy Ghost. Our new life as Christians has more to do with the Holy Spirit than our human and fleshy nature. Becoming born again puts us in this higher realm of life where we live by the Spirit.

However many believers have wandered away from this path. Galatians 3:3 says, “Are you so foolish and senseless? Having begun [your new life by faith] with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh [that is, by your own works and efforts to keep the Law]?

You see, just as it happened to the Galatians, some Christians also begin the Christian life well but don’t end well. They try to accomplish things by the flesh after they have started by the power of the Spirit. People like this soon conform to the world. They are brought under the influence of worldly appetites and propensities

Thus, for you to journey on in the Lord to the end demands that you start in the Spirit and end with Him. You see, as a Christian you must depend on the Spirit’s guidance to make all your choices in life. In other words, you must not give room for the flesh to rule in any way.

Don’t forget that many great destinies have come to a halt because people departed from yielding to the Spirit or made no use of the Spirit’s guidance. See what Galatians 6:8 says about this truth: “whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction….“

Continuing in and with the Spirit will keep you on track for the Lord. Get back to the word, get back to prayer, and get back to yielding to the Spirit which is your sure way to the victorious life…Continue in the Spirit!

Read: John 16:13-14 “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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you”

Cast or carry

1 Peter 5:17 “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]”

Life can sometimes be full of cares and burdens. Also, we may also face difficulties, testing moments, persecution and sometimes suffering. All these cause stress. But God never intended for us to be perturbed in life. This is why the Bible admonishes us to cast our care unto the Lord. God wants you to cast your cares unto him and not to carry them. That is to say that your cares are not to be carried but casted.

Casting your cares means “to throw or roll upon your worries”. God wants you to roll your burdens upon Him. He wants us to carry anything that makes us anxious to Him.

Interestingly, many people today so often nurse their cares. They burden themselves with the load that the Lord wants to handle for them. For instance some people carry the guilt of sin, fear, sense of unworthiness, etc.

A story was told about a woman who was carrying a load on the head by a roadside. But after being picked up by a generous passerby, the woman still kept her load on her head whiles sitting in the truck. This scene surprised the driver, who later told the woman that “there is space for you and your load” so drop the load and be at ease.

Today, we can say the same thing about some Christians. They carry the load that Christ has made provision for. Just like the song writer once wrote “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer!”

Remember that, there is space for you and every issue you have when we come to Jesus. Learn to cast all your cares unto the Lord. Refuse to pamper and nurse your worries. Let go the guilt of sin; Let go your worries; Let go your fears; Let go your sense of unworthiness, because God cares for you. God is in charge, there is no cause for alarm. Hallelujah!

Read: Psalm 8:4 “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT

Proverbs 19:2 “Being excited about something is not enough. You must also know what you are doing. Don’t rush into something, or you might do it wrong”.

One of the safety guards you can give to yourself in life is to master the art of “pondering again on the things you want to do before doing them”. That is to say, what you want to do, give it a second thought. Meaning that you want to first consider if you should do something or not.

Anytime you give a second thought to the actions or the things you want to do as a Christian, it will help you avoid serious errors or mistakes that can hinder you in many ways.

In giving careful thought to your actions, you must think before you do something. Thus, you consider the action you want to take in the light of God’s word before doing it. This is the only way to avoid unfortunate circumstances or tragedies in life.

You must know that God is interested in you doing the right thing irrespective of the situation you may be confronted with. One truth that must sink into your heart is that, whatever you do in life is your “choice” for which you will one day answer for.

Deuteronomy 6:18 says “And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee…“,

You see, you can only and always do the right thing if you always think before you act, or you consider the action you want to take by crosschecking with God’s word.

Don’t be the kind of person who does things without any consideration or whatsoever. People who swing into action the moment any thought gets into their mind are headed towards destruction.

Always remember the word in Proverbs 16:25 that says “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”. You see, something “seeming” right does not mean it is right. You have to take a lot of things into consideration before you carry out a mission.

Always give a careful thought to what you want to do. This is what will make you to constantly operate in the will of God, thereby doing what is right before the Lord.

Read: Ephesians 5:15 “Act like people with good sense and not like fools” (Contemporary English Version).

Jesus the saviour

Matthew 1:21 says “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”.

One of the awesome gifts humanity received is in the person of Jesus. Jesus was an all-inclusive gift to our sin doomed world. His birth and death, was solely to the benefit of humanity and the expression of the incomprehensible love of God. John’s gospel put the saving mandate of Jesus in this way “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

You see, prior to Jesus’ coming, the power of sin and the consequence of sin has deprived man from the higher life that God designed for him to enjoy. Also through sin, death entered, thereby putting man in a fix. Meaning that the whole human race was under sway of the devil and his cohorts. But thanks be to God for giving His son for our salvation.

The Bible says in John 3:16 that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. This is to tell you that Jesus was and is not a religious figure or leader as some people perceive. Jesus is the saviour of the world. He came to give life to a dying and a hurting world.

Isaiah 53:4-5 says “Surely he (Jesus) hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”. You see, Jesus took our griefs and sorrows, or better still every sickness or disease, and He also brought us peace- peace with God and the peace that comes from a sound mind.

Today, Jesus is still the saviour of the world. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to him (Hebrews 7:25). What is your case? Are you sin bound, are you sick, are you struggling with any negative addiction- the saviour is here.
Come just as you are, call on Him in faith and with a repentant heart and you shall be saved.

Read: Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

Faith, a key factor in walking with God

Hebrews 11: 6 “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him” (AMP).

Every born again Christian has been brought into a relationship or fellowship with God (1 John 1:7). But for us to continually abide with him, we need to live by faith or believe Him. We need to believe him for who He is, what He is able to do and what He is willing to do. No one can walk with God and see tremendous results or see great happenings without exercising his or her faith.

I have often said that, you can’t walk with God and send your faith on vacation. Your faith in God must be ever present. It must be undulating irrespective of what the situations or circumstances of life may be.

Any time you walk with God at the “believing level” or by faith, doubts and fears fade out. When you believe God, in your walk with him, you are able to lay hold of all His promises and make them materialize in your life.

The Bible teaches how Abraham became a stalwart in life through the demonstration of his faith when the Lord called him. He laid hold on the promises of God against all odds till he saw each promise manifested in his life. Romans 4:20 says “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God”

You see, anything God promises you gets delivered to you when you believe that He (God) is able. Just like Abram moved from the background of insignificance to significance by believing, the same will be your story as you journey with God when you also believe.

You see, Abram’s belief in the word released him into prosperity, great divine encounters, blessings of the fruit of the womb, and divine protection (Genesis 13:2, 17:1, 21:2). In fact, Abram’s faith in God, moved God to fight for his course without his knowledge.

This means that your walk with the Lord must be by faith. You must be FULLY persuaded in your heart about what God has said about you. When God’s word declares that you are rich, prosperous, healed and delivered, you must believe it. This is what brings the manifestation.

Thus, when God’s word says you are healed, let that be your confession and don’t look at the symptoms of a sickness to determine whether you are healed or not. In fact, your healing is independent of what you may be experiencing in your body at that material moment. Similarly, when God’s word says you are prosperous, don’t look at the current financial challenges, look at His word, and as you remain diligent in your work, you will see great wonders in the area of your finances.

Always look at the Lord, because faithful is He. Your belief in God will bring you to the shores of rest.

Read: Hebrews 11:2 “For by it the elders obtained a good report”

HELL TO ESCAPE

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”

There’s a hell to escape from. Hell or Hades is a place of eternal torment and pain. It is a place for all the children of disobedience, who despise God and reject his salvation.

The good news is that anyone born again has been redeemed from the clutches of hell into eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.

The Bible says concerning every believer that, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

You see, your attention must be set on heaven as a Christian. It should be your number one priority. Be willing to do all it takes to avoid hell and it’s dangers, because though hell is not meant for believers, living a reckless ungodly life can send you there.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

You see, if you give in to the works of the flesh you will surely miss the kingdom of God or Heaven. If you miss Heaven, you won’t miss hell. It’s either one or the other.

You must avoid every contrary doctrine that suggests you can live in sin and still make it to heaven. Nothing impure shall enter heaven except they that are sanctified by the blood of Christ.

Receive Christ and his finished work of salvation in your life and be saved from the dangers to come.

Hell was not created with you in mind, so don’t go there by mistake.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:9

BEWARE OF MOCKERS

2 Peter 3:3 “First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires“.

One of the things that characterize this end times is the “spirit of mockery”. That is to let you know that, we are in the days where people will mock God, the things of God and the followers of God.

The word “mock” means to criticize and laugh at someone or something for being bad, worthless, or unimportant. It also means to laugh and make fun of something. It is therefore not a strange thing seeing people make fun and laughing at the things of God in this generation.

To some, believers are a mere bunch of people who don’t know their left from their right. Believers have been branded religious fanatics and sometimes called “unwise”.

But this is nothing, than an end time demonic spirit to cause your faith to waver and to make you doubt the move and the power of God in this last days.

You see, don’t let people’s destructive criticism which is backed by the spirit of mockery affect your love and commitment to the things of God. Rather, in the midst of this end time antagonistic spirit of mockery, grow from strength to strength.

Be admonished by the word of the Psalmist and have nothing to do with mockers.

Psalm 1:1 says “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers“

Have nothing to do with people who mock you for your faith and zeal in the Lord.

Read: Jude 1:18

MAKE NO ROOM FOR OFFENCES

Acts 24:16 “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and [toward] men.”

Life is not without offences, irrespective of who you are as long as you still exist on earth, offence will come to you. It is impossible to go through life without being offended. Though offence do come, how we handle it influences the end result of the offence.

To be offended means to be hurt or angry because of a wrong against you. You see, anytime you carry hurt in your heart because of something done to you, you are offended

Jesus had this to say about how we should handle offence. Luke 17:3-4,”Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. Against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” You see offences are not to be kept but rebuked (reconciled) and forgiven.

We live in a generation where retaliation is common. They have this to say when offended: “I’m not talking to him anymore”: they rain insults, they fight or write off a brother or sister. But that shouldn’t be your stand as a Christian. Although it is “natural” for people to pay back for an offense, Christians are different.

Every offence not properly handled will give room for enmity and many times open doors for the devil. Prolonged offences can also birth bitterness which strengthens sickness. (Hebrews 12:15)

Never act carnally to habour an offence or evil in your heart. Let love lead?

Read: Proverbs 19:11

STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”

Studying is an important factor in our walk with God. You see, you can’t be a good Christian if your “head” is not good. Because just like your spirit, your head must be flooded with the truth of the Gospel.

Anytime you study, you devote your time and attention to gaining knowledge of a particular subject matter. It also involves a detailed investigation and analysis of a subject or situation.

Thus, as a Christian studying will involve devoting your time to understand the things of God, the principles of the kingdom of God, and everything that will enhance your walk with God.

You see, until you give yourself to rigorous and consistent study, you will always walk with God at a shallow level. You have to go deep in study if you want to present yourself to God in the right and appropriate manner.

There are many folks today who are only running on the fuel of zeal. In order words, what keeps them going is zeal, passion, enthusiasm but they have no knowledge. Such people have the tendency to fall off when their zeal dwindles.

Another reason, why you have to study as a Christian is for you to be able to accurately handle and skillfully teach the word of truth. You see, the truth you know benefits no one, until you let it loose by teaching others.

God is interested in Christians who are studios. Don’t rush reading God’s word. Give time to studying God’s word in context. Remember that, when you don’t study, you will become insignificant with the passage of time.

Read: Ezra 7: 1-10