RHEMA From Heaven

PROVERBS 18:15 says “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge”

Knowledge is an important element that determines how successful people become in life. Not only that, knowledge breaks the limitation that ignorance sets on the lives of people. You see, the absence of knowledge can make your life bizarre. This is why the word of God places such great emphasis on people acquiring knowledge.

As a Christian, you have to know the things that pertains to your salvation. You must know the rights, responsibilities and privileges that comes with the salvation you have in Christ. It is lack of this knowledge that has rendered many Christians incapacitated in life. This is because you can’t do anything when you don’t know how to do it, when to do it, where to do it or simply put when you are ignorant.

Seeking knowledge must also be holistic. It must cut across all spheres of your life to make you excellent in what you do in life. Seek knowledge in your career objective, in the pursuit of our education, marriage and relationship and in managing your finances. Though it takes time and great discipline to seek knowledge its fruits are refreshing.

Don’t sit on the fence and do nothing when it comes to seeking knowledge. Read the word of God, read educative materials and also ask questions that will help you live up to expectation by all standards as a Christian in this life.

Read: Proverbs 1:5 “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel”

Study: Proverbs 24:3-5

Philippians 2:13 says “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him”. One truth to live with as a Christian is to know that “God is at work in you”. It is by this divine presence and ability that you are able to do the will of God and also accomplish great things in life.

The amplified version renders our opening text more clearly, “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure”.
The word says “God is effectively working in you”. This is why you can’t fail in life. There is a divine energy and power that is at work in you to fulfil your purpose. Many claim Christianity is burdensome. Some too claim doing the will of God is difficult but that’s not actually the case.

You will only have difficulties and feel stressed out when you try to do supernatural things with your human strength. In fact the struggle continues the more when you want to please God with your human effort without allowing the Holy Spirit’s influence and leadership. You see, you can enjoy to the fullest this “new life” and “God-life” when you allow the Holy Spirit to work through you. Let God be in charge and move with him.

Whatever God expects from you, He has made the provision for you to stand on to perform. See what the word teaches “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him”.
In other places, it says “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…”. Don’t get carried away by people who claim that it is not possible to do the will of God or it is a burdensome thing to be a Christian. Rather live with the consciousness that “God is working through you to do His will”

Read: 2Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue”

Study: Ephesians 3:20

Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? *No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour* (John 12:27).
Knowing why you are here on earth makes you different from any other person. It is by being purpose driven that you can do what is expected of you by the Lord.

Our opening text reveals how Jesus kept his gaze or focus on his purpose while on earth. In fact, He was purpose bound that he could not but to proclaim it.
He knew why he was on earth. His purpose was clear to him that nothing could derail him from it. Not even pain or adversity.

On another occasion he told the disciples “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost”. Meaning that from his birth up to the time he gave up his life to save humanity, Jesus was glued to His mission. He never swayed off his assignment. Not even the persecutions or the accusations could hinder him.

This is the mentality God wants believers to live with. You must know your purpose, pursue it in spite of all the challenges that may show up.
You see, life is not and must not be a funfair to you. One preacher once said, “It is either you are on earth for a mission or you are on an excursion”.

Until you live for a reason you are just existing but not living. Living for a reason will cause you to do something for your generation. Living for a reason will make you particular in life, and it will make you responsible in life.

Read: Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”

Study: Acts 26:1-19

Your ability to believe God for your needs should not be cast off. God is not a man to lie and to disappoint. His word clearly says in Romans 8:32 that “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely *gives us all things* ?

If the only begotten was not spared because of humanity, then blessings, security, riches, wealth, honour and even Angels will not be spared for your sake.

God is willing to give you all things and not some. In fact, he will not withhold and keep the treasures of heaven from you because of your position in Christ.

Never depend on the goodness of men to survive. Men can fail and disappoint. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that ” *whosoever drinketh of this water shall not thirst again* “. It means that God’s provision is sufficient for permanent survival.
Depend on God for everything

Read: Luke 11:13 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Study: Matthew 7:7-11

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7 ).
One hall mark of achievers is that, they start well and finish well. This insight must inspire you to have a different approach to life. You must never leave things halfway no matter the challenges you may encounter.

The Bible says that, God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phillipians 1:6). Meaning that, when God starts something with you and through you, he finishes it. But until you yield to him, and remain obedient to the course he designs for you, you may not complete your mission.

Nonetheless, finishing well, is dependent on how well you also start. When you put up the right foundation to whatever you are about doing, it helps you to also finish well. This truth cuts across all spheres of life. Thus, whether in ministry, marriage, finances, business etc. the foundation matters.

Be a master at finishing well. Never leave things uncompleted. Pray for the grace to continue in, and to complete every task that God has given to you.

Read: Zechariah 4:9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you”

Study: Luke 14:28-30

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone” (Romans 12:17).
Living the God kind of life, walking with God or walking in love demands that you don’t repay people with the evil they do to you. Thus, irrespective of how people treat you, you must not let evil move from you to them or do anything evil against them. This is the truth every Christian must live out.

There are various troubles that “repaying evil for evil” has brought to our world. Unfortunately, the Church or the body of Christ in this dispensation has become a victim of what it should stand against. You see, human wisdom will tell you that “pay evil for evil” so that you are not considered a fool. But that is nothing but a display of carnality and disobedience to the word of God.

Remember that, you can’t justify any actions of yours when it is contrary to the word of God. Whether your feelings approves of it or whether this degenerated worldly system approves of it, evil is evil. Yes, people will misrepresent you, people will misquote you to fault you, people will be ungrateful to you, people will take you for granted, and others too will take advantage of you. Although these are not good experiences in life, never act contrary to the word.

Standing by the word against all odds is what brings you to God’s arena of blessing and promotion. As you journey through life, make up your mind not to do evil to people that have wronged you in any way.

Read: Proverbs 20:22 “Don’t take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the LORD and he will make it right”

Study: Genesis 50:14-21

1 Peter 4:10 says “Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]”.
Every gift, anointing, grace or ability you have is for a purpose. You are not gifted or anointed for the sake of it. Rather God wants you to serve others with the gift.

You see, every gift or grace you have is because of “others”. God wants you to use your gift to help, bless or impact others. The gift you have or are endowed with is the conduit through which God saves, delivers and blesses “others”.

Thus, there is no better use of any gift than to serve other people with it. The Bible says that, your gift must be used to profit others. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”

It is nothing but abuse and misuse of the grace of God when you use your gift to exploit and to dominate over the people you are to bless.
Remember that, you are not the one to define and dictate how the grace of God on your life should be used. God who is the giver of the gift or grace decides that.

Read: 1 Peter 4:10 “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”

Study: 2 Kings 5:8-19

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the LORD, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope”.
Your future is no longer a nightmare when you are in Christ. This is because, God has planned the course for your life unto greatness.
There was a divine plan on you before you arrived on earth according to Jeremiah 29:11.

Thus, your future is never in the dark. In fact, you future is known but you must be guided by the word of God to make it materialize.

The Bible talks of Jesus how he adhered to the plan of God for his life to fulfill it.
“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”. (Hebrews 10:7)
So when Jesus was on this earth, his future was known to him, but he had to become obedient to God’s plan to make it work.

Knowing the plan of God for your life and following it brings success. This is because God only provides for the plans and vision he gives you and not the ones you went to shop for in town.
Never be anxious about life today, follow God’s word and his plans for your life and you will make it.

Read: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than the your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

Study: Daniel 11:32

Ephesians 6:18-19
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people”.

There are different kinds of prayers. Each prayer kind serves a different purpose and has its own principles. To mention a few, we have the prayer of faith (James 5:25), the prayer of consecration (Mathew 26:39), the prayer of agreement (Mathew 18:19), and the prayer of thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). Thus, being successful in your prayer life or having results from praying depends on how strategic you are when it comes to prayer.

You see, being strategic in your prayer life has to do with knowing the kind of prayer to make according to Ephesians 6:18 which says “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people”.

You must know the kind of prayer to make at any point in your life. This truth will not fall on you like ripe mangoes from a tree. You have to search the word for it. You must maintain an open spirit for the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Many miss it in this area. They just go about praying. But you must know that the kind of prayer you employ must be the right kind before you can have results. Don’t expect to succeed by opening the locks of your door with your car key. The fact that they are all keys doesn’t mean you can use them interchangeably.
Knowing the kind of prayer to make is what makes you effective in your prayer life.

You must know when the situation you are faced with demands intercession, you must also know which situation demands a prayer of faith, a prayer of dedication and the like.

That is how you can make your prayers avail much and produce tremendous power.
Learn to pray well and effectively.

Read: James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God-it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]” (AMP)

Study: Ephesians 6:18-19

Unguided speech or talk can produce many ill consequence. But as spirit guided and spirit filled Christians, God expects us to have mastery over speech in life. James 3:2 tells us that we have control over our body once we have control over our speech.

One great principle that must guide you in all your conversations is this, NEVER SPEAK EVIL OF ANY MAN.
Titus 3:2 makes this truth more clearer. “Speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men”.

To speak evil of no man demands that don’t utter or make defamatory statements injurious to the reputation or well-being of other persons. It means that, you must not practice slander, gossip, backbiting or give false accusations about people.

You see, words are such that, any word carelessly spoken cannot be taken. Thus any bad information you pass out about someone even in a passive way can go a long away to destroy the person or ruin their future.
Today there are many people hurting and suffering because of something that someone said about them.

Not only that, many meaningful relationships have being crushed because of slander.
Proverbs 16:28 says “A perverse man sows strife, and a *whisperer separates the best of friends*. How many times have people become alienated because of slander other people spread about them?

From today, be a master of speaking. Let no evil proceed of your mouth about someone.

Read:Psalms 101:5 “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy”.

Study: 2 Samuel 10:1-3