RHEMA From Heaven

Contentment!

1 Timothy 6:6-8 says “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Contentment has often been described as a state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are. Thus when people are content, they admit that they have enough of something or are satisfied with the provision made available to them.

The Bible has a great deal to say about contentment. That is, being satisfied with what we have, who we are, and where we’re going
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25 that;
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

You see, people who are not content in life, are always worried. They give themselves over to indiscriminate pursuit of things. As a Christian you must always know what drives you to want more of something.
Most often than not, people don’t really need more of something, what they actually need is putting what they already have to use.

You see, when you don’t walk in contentment, greed will dominate your life. You will break many boundaries of morality just to satisfy your insatiable desires.

Also, not walking in contentment will make you ungrateful to God for what you already have.

Don’t yield to the worldly pressures that is making people discontent in life. But be content with such things as you have.

Read: Ecclesiastes 5:10
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

Study: Philippians 4:10-13

Look not at the things which are seen

2 Corinthians 4:18 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”.
As a believer, you must learn to see things with the eyes of faith. Looking at things with natural eyes will only make you draw conclusions or make decisions that will take you out from experiencing God’s glory.

The Bible says don’t look at the things which are seen. You see, whatever you see physically is temporal. But for you to have the miraculous, you must see the unseen through the eyes of faith.
You must see the word, you must see God’s promises and hold on to them

You see, it will be nothing but carnality when you limit life to sensuality- what you can see, feel, touch, etc. People who live with this mindset never make progress in their walk with God.

Be a person of faith and be fully persuaded to hold on to God’s word contrary to what evidences you may see with your natural eyes.

Read : 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

Study: Hebrews 11:3

Power for witnessing.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
Every Christian has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. Thus, when it comes to witnessing, it is no more about having the ability or not, but rather willingness or obedience.

You see, God’s charge to us this last days is to reach out to the unsaved. He wants us to testify of His goodness and to make Jesus known to the entire world.

God has put the world’s transformation on the wheels of the gospel. You must know that, the name of Jesus needs to be exalted so that many can be saved.

As a Christian, God has chosen and equipped you with the word and power to preach. You have been given power to function. Refuse shyness, fear and laziness from hindering you.

Be ready to preach the word both in season and out of season. Don’t be ashamed to preach the Gospel, because it releases power (Roman 1:16) that brings salvation and healing. Receive the grace to be a carrier of God’s message!

Read: 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”

Study: Mathew 28:18-20

Do good!

Galatians 6:10 says “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
The Christian is made alive in Christ for good works. Thus, the instruction do good is not something the child of God can’t deliver on.

Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Doing good means doing what is morally right. It also means doing something to the benefit or to the advantage someone.

This is the mandate God wants you to walk with every moment of your life. As a Christian, you must never let your actions destroy anyone in the body of Christ. That’s to say that, you must always act in the best interest of people.

In our call to do good, the Bible emphasizes the need for us to do good to people especially in the faith. Meaning that as a Christian, you have an obligation towards your fellow brother and sister in the faith.

Do good no matter what happens or no matter how people treat you.

Read: Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

Study: Psalm 34:14

Forget not the Lord thy God

Deuteronomy 8:10-11 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day”

It is a display of great wisdom and gratitude when you don’t forget God as you make giant strides in life.

Most often than not, when God meet your needs and elevates you in life, there is the tendency to forget him. Thus, it is very important for you to safeguard your heart against being forgetful.

In other words, you must always keep it at heart or recall how God has fulfilled his word in your life and forever remain grateful.

You see, it is a known fact that most people are eager and quick to receive from the Lord, but easily forget all of his goodness. In fact, they refuse to continually appreciate and celebrate the goodness of God that made them who they are.

In Psalms103, David admonishes us to praise the Lord and remain unforgetful. He said “bless the Lord my soul and forget not all his benefits”.

As a Christian, when you make any earthly endeavour that takes away your obedience to God, it shows that you have forgotten the Lord. Always recall the Lord’s goodness in your life.

Psalm 50:22 “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you”

Study: Deuteronomy 8:1-18

Obey your pastor or spiritual fathers.

Hebrews 13:17 says “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 of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you”

One best way to relate with your pastor or spiritual father is by obedience.
Obeying them simply involves living by the word of God they teach and submitting to the training they give you in the faith.

Also, when you obey your pastor you willingly comply with an order, request or an instruction they give to build you up in the faith.

Anytime you live in obedience to what you are taught or instructed in, you get the best in life.
Isaiah 1:19 teaches that, people who are obedient will eat or enjoy the good of the land.

Let your obedience to your pastor or spiritual father be prompt, and let it come from a willing heart. Don’t forget that postponing what you have to obey or delayed obedience is disobedience.

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 of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you”

Study: Jeremiah 3:15

Put off the old man and put on the new man

Ephesians 4:22, 24 says
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness

One of the greatest miracles in life is being born again. It is an encounter that brings life to your dead spirit and makes you alive.
Not only that, it also imparts the nature and the virtues of God into you. This is what makes a person new.

Therefore to successfully live out the new life, you must put off the old man by not letting your carnal or natural desires rule your life.

By knowledge of the word, you must live out the new identity or the new life you have in Christ.
This is how you put on the new man.

Anytime you put on the new man you deny the flesh access to control you.
Ephesians 4:25-27 teaches some things to put off and what to put on. It says “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. [26] Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: [27] Neither give place to the devil.”

Read: Ephesians 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts”

Study: Galatians 2:20

Faith believes before it sees

Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

Anytime you are walking in faith, you believe in the reality of God’s promises for your life before they even manifest.
That’s to tell you that when you operate in faith, you don’t see before you believe. No, not at all! You first and foremost believe before you see.

This is the very reason why folks who are governed solely by their senses can’t make any progress in the faith walk.

Anytime you hear God’s word regarding a promise or put a request before the Lord, all you have to do is to believe that it’s done and start thanking God. Don’t ask “Lord when?” or say things like “why me?” because believing that God has done something for you must put joy and gratitude in your heart.

Remember, faith looks “not at the things which are seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Many people who are struggling today in their walk with God want to see before they believe. But don’t forget that faith only accepts as real and true what God’s word says. Once God’s word has said it, it’s settled.

Believe! BELIEVE!! BELIEVE!!! and don’t wait for any physical manifestation.

Read: John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”

Study: Hebrews 11:1

Don’t imitate what is evil

3 John 1:11 says “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].”.
What you imitate or copy can either make or unmake you. As Christians, the Lord enjoins us to imitate only what is good.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, the bible gives the standard for what we must imitate or copy.
The verse eleven says “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ”. Thus, anything you imitate, copy, or follow must be “Christ centered” or in sync with what the Lord prescribes in his word.

You see, just imitating everything or anything without checking whether it is in line with God’s word can ruin your life. Whether in the area of spirituality, fashion, relationship, marriage, career, money matters, etc., don’t just copy what people do.
Imitate only the good that is consistent with the Lord’s will and save yourself from any unbearable consequences.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].”

Study: Psalm 1

Contend for the Faith

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.
You see, your faith in God or your salvation is worth fighting for. It needs to be preserved until it brings you and others into the “final reward” of stepping into the eternal home of the saints.

You see, many God-debasing things have entered into our world today and if nothing is done to maintain the “faith” that we carry, generations after us stand 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 compromise 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 were against you.

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

Read: 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong”

Study: Jude 1:1-5