RHEMA From Heaven

One of God’s characteristics is truth. This makes it impossible for Him to lie. Hebrews 6:18 says, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”

Having this truth—that God cannot and will not lie to you—settles every doubt. Even though you may go through troubles, face hardships, frustrations, and daring situations, these should not make you lose faith in the Lord.

Most often, when God promises you something, you must have the heart of faith and wait for the manifestation of His promise. You must not allow the process you will have to go through to rob you of the product in the end. God can make His Word stand against all odds.

Learn to hold on to God’s promise for your life, ministry, relationships, marriage, finances, health, and every area of your life. God says He cannot lie to you, just as He said to David. There is hope for your future. The plans, visions, and hopes God ignited in your heart are not dashed.

Maybe you have a need or want God to intervene in a situation you are facing now. Cheer up, for the Faithful One says He cannot lie to you.

God will do it. Remember Abraham in the strange land, Daniel in the lion’s den, Joseph in prison, and Jesus on the cross. It seemed like all hope was gone, but God showed up, and it ended in praise. I declare that your story will be no different. It will end in praise.

Wait on the Lord; never quit. Your time of heavenly surprise and blessing is now. Your testimony will be great.

Read: Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to hold on to your promises for my life having the knowledge that you can not lie.

“Others” must matter to you as a Christian. You must always have the intention, backed by actions, to make other people better in life. This is the very way to help people get to the top in life.

The life of Jesus speaks volumes on this subject. The Bible talks about how He had compassion on people, healed them, fed them, and taught them. Not only that, but He also associated with some and made others His co-workers (Matthew 9:35-36, Mark 6:34, Matthew 10:1).

You see, life must not always be about you. See the need to help others fulfill their purpose in life. In Mark 2:3-12, the Bible tells us of four men who helped their friend receive healing from Jesus. Matthew 8:4-5 also mentions a Roman centurion who helped his servant be made whole. These two events in the Gospels show us how we should live as believers.

Someone becoming better than you does not take anything away from you. How great would it be when people reference you for the success they have achieved in life? In fact, even if you are not mentioned by those you have helped, you have still lived out your God-ordained purpose as a light to the world.

Who are you helping in your life today? Are you helping them succeed, or are you simply watching as they are overtaken by evil and the vices of this world? Muster the courage to help someone in life—whether it’s your spouse, parents, siblings, friends, or colleagues—be an agent of blessing to them.

For instance, you can help someone to be saved, know the Lord better, secure a job, get married, improve their finances, and so on. These investments in the Kingdom of God will one day speak for you. Don’t despise people who genuinely need your help. Don’t look on helplessly when you have the means to make someone better.

Read: Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to be a channel through which others may get to the top.

The importance of faith can’t be overemphasized. It is the pillar or bedrock on which we thrive as Christians. In fact, the teaching on faith should be one subject that Christians hold in high esteem. The Bible makes it clear that we live by faith (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).

Knowing the victories, successes, and triumphs we can attain by faith is important, but we must first and foremost look at how we can build our faith. Understanding how to acquire faith must be our starting point whenever the subject is mentioned.

You see, there are many people today who know about the power of faith but have not mastered the truth on how to get faith or build faith. In fact, some don’t even know how to rightly acquire faith. It is just like being told of a nice place but not knowing how to get there.

When it comes to faith, God’s Word instructs us on how it can be acquired. Romans 10:17 clearly states, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God’s Word is the only source of faith. Reading and hearing God’s Word builds faith into your spirit. This is the biblical way of acquiring faith. Many people have missed this simple truth; they try to use other means to get faith, and it gets them nowhere.

In fact, some folks even go to the extent of praying for faith. You see, that is out of place. You rather need faith to pray and not vice versa. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe…”

If you want to have faith, learn to turn your ears to God’s Word. Don’t just listen to anything. Fables and humorous stories do not produce faith. Jesus said, “TAKE heed therefore how you hear” (Luke 8:18). It is time to “school yourself in faith” with the Word of God. Your faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Do something about your faith now before the evil days come.

Remember, you will need faith to stand and win.

Read: Mark 5:27-28 “When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my ears will always be inclined to your words that build faith.

Success in life is predicated on many factors. As a Christian, you must know the very things that put you ahead or make you significant in life. These things—whether they are actions, attitudes, people, or your worship life—are kingpins. They help you attain heights that would have been impossible to access.

The Apostle Paul, in our opening text, asked his protégé, Timothy, to bring with him the books and parchments he had left in Troas during his missionary journey. As an avid writer and a great learner, the Apostle saw the need for his books and parchments if he was to continue making an impact. This principle is what it means to “stick to your success kingpins.”

As you move on in life, it is important to continue with the principles and practices that lead to your success. If there is a need for change, these “kingpins” ought to be improved, not neglected. Though we may have common success principles as Christians—such as prayer life, consecrated living, faith, and giving—there are aspects that will be unique to everyone due to their individuality and calling.

Seriously guard whatever makes you succeed in your God-given purpose or mandate. Never leave it behind. Abandoning your success kingpin will rob you of future opportunities. Don’t leave behind the things that have made you who you are today. Don’t let other engagements in life cause you to ignore the basic but essential principles and practices that help you fulfill your purpose.

Read: 1 Timothy 4:14-15 “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.”

Lust is a strong desire one has for something. When directed toward wrong things, lust will lead to sin. The Bible, in the above text, enjoins believers to stay away from anything that stimulates youthful lust, leading to actions that are not consistent with righteous living.

In dealing with lust, you must address your mind since it is the trigger point. The warning is to stop the lust before it moves into the realm of action.

God wants believers, especially those who are young, to channel their energy into right living and not into actions that will lead to the corruption or contamination of body, soul, and spirit.

When you put lust under control, you free yourself to walk in total consecration.

Deal with lust positively by setting your priorities right when it comes to holiness and living a devoted Christian life. Never bring your life into disorder by living an immoral and riotous life. You see, sexual immorality, adultery, and the love of money never build the believer in any way.

Let go of any inappropriate desire or lust. Rather, pursue righteousness out of a pure heart before it is too late. Don’t forget that you can never get it right until you start it right. If you have started wrongly, repent, confess to the Lord, and pray for the grace to start right.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:3 “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” (NLT)

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to flee and detach myself from youthful lust.

Every Christian has a fight to engage in. This is not a fight with fists or carnal ammunition. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The believer’s fight is a spiritual one. It is a fight against the schemes and wiles of the enemy. The Bible calls it a “good” fight since it is one we engage in from the Lord’s side or on the grounds of victory. Nonetheless, until you take your stand with the Word to engage in this fight, many things won’t go well for you.

You see, your fight of faith as a believer is what delivers into your hands that which you deserve. In this fight, you lay hold of what the Lord says is yours with the “force of faith” through prayer and positive confession. You must not allow the devil to use the arrows of doubt and fear to rob you of your blessings.

The Bible says the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). But you have an advantage. God said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7). You must learn to speak God’s Word against any works of darkness. 

Violently refuse the enemy access to your terrain. Don’t cry when you must stand and rebuke satanic works against you. Crying, complaining, and worrying are not the solutions. Don’t forget that tears or crying win no battles.

As you engage in this good fight, vehemently refuse anything that is of the devil in the name of Jesus and declare all the promises and blessings of God for your life into manifestation.

Read: Psalm 144:1: “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to stand in faith to fight and claim that which is mine.

Sexual immorality is a destiny destroyer. Anyone given to it will not see a bright future.

Those who give themselves to all kinds of impurity, lust, lascivious living, and sexual immorality open themselves up for the devil to dominate their lives. Not only that, but these acts have grave consequences that believers must do everything possible to avoid.

The Bible calls it a sin against one’s “own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Also, Proverbs 6:32 says, “He who gives himself to sexual immorality lacks sense and destroys his own soul.”Proverbs 5:9-10 also reveals that sexual immorality will cause you to lose your honor, and your labor will go to foreigners. Thus, through sexual immorality, your many years of accumulated wealth will be given to another.

Don’t be an ignorant Christian when it comes to the consequences of immorality. Most of the troubles people go through today can be avoided if they learn to put their moral lives in order.

David, after being the man that God cherished most, lost his place of respect and brought calamity to his own family when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Samson, the Lord’s anointed hero, fell from hero to zero because of immorality. He aborted his heavenly assignment due to immorality, and not only that, but he also died from it. Wise up!

Wise people know that there is no such thing as “free sex” if the person is not married to you. Live a life free from any form of sexual immorality and its related activities, whether in thought or action.

Keep the purity principle, avoid any embarrassment, and walk into your greater glory.

Read: Ephesians 5:3: “But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints” (NASB).

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to refrain from any form of sexual immoral activity.

The experience of life exposes people to many fears. However, God’s Word is crystal clear about fear. In Isaiah 41:10, it says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” As a believer, God does not want you to live in fear—not a single day in your life.

Lack of understanding about fear has caused many believers to continue living in it. Some live with the fear of failure, fear of sickness, fear of venturing into new things, fear of marriage, and notably, the fear of death.

Our opening text, however, gives us undeniable assurance that the fear of death must never haunt us or be a concern for believers. When it comes to death, it is important to know that there are kinds of death: physical death, spiritual death, and the second death. Spiritual death is separation from the life of God; physical death is the destruction of the body (when your spirit leaves the body); and the second death is eternal separation from God into the lake of fire.

Understanding death in this way should give the child of God no reason to fear. Being born again and living in Christ grants you victory over spiritual death and eternal death. As a Christian, physical death does not end your life; instead, it transitions you to a new life with God.

You see, the moment you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the old life passed away, and a new life came into existence. That was when you ended the death deal. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

The truth is that you have already died and are now seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6). The world may not understand this kind of talk, but you can, for God gives you understanding in all things (2 Timothy 2:7). You have been delivered from the fear of death since Jesus destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

Know that when you leave your physical body, you will be with Jesus in heaven. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Never give in to the fear of death. You must live fearlessly with the knowledge of this truth and fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Remember that when it comes to physical death, you are merely changing clothes—from your earthly suit to heavenly attire—but you will not experience the pangs of death.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that I will never give in to the fear of death.

One sure way to safeguard your faith in these end times is to avoid being worldly by prioritizing the desires of the flesh, seeking to gratify it, and living by the philosophies of this world rather than by the Word of God.

Worldliness elevates the desires of the flesh over the teachings of the Spirit and the virtues in the faith. It involves being materialistic—having an ambition to accumulate treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19), pursuing wealth without considering values (1 Timothy 6:9-10), or subscribing to the ideology of “eat, drink, and be merry” without discretion (Luke 12:19).

The tendency to be worldly is not uncommon. Everyone can be trapped by it. It is therefore necessary to maintain a healthy balance in the pursuit of your goals and in living out your faith. Yes, one must avoid being overly “spiritual,” engaging in unnecessary extremes that make you irrelevant in this physical world, or being so focused on the physical that you neglect spiritual discipline and virtues.

Be wise and balance your life to avoid the pressure of becoming worldly. Worldly pleasures and pursuits have become so common today that they are often seen as harmless. Sometimes they are labeled as ‘rights,’ ‘freedom,’ ‘civilization,’ and so on. These have robbed many believers of essential practices like personal prayer, fasting, living in purity, quiet time, and church attendance. They claim to be too busy, but the truth is they have become worldly.

Remember, whenever you adopt the methods of the world to live at the expense of God’s Word, you are being worldly.

The Bible warns, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Do not take the things of God lightly. Worldliness won’t get you into Heaven. Though it may provide temporary solutions, it has no eternal reward. Be spiritual, be scriptural, and worldliness will leave your life.

Read: John 17:16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace not only to be a hearer of your word but a doer of it.

Your attitude as a believer should closely resemble that of Christ. In other words, there should be a clear reflection of Christ’s attitude in the way you live and interact with others. As Christians, the attitude we put out must fully reflect the virtues of Christ.

Your attitude refers to your manner, disposition, or stance toward a person or situation. It also encompasses how you express yourself through words and actions. Thus, attitude is more of a mental or internal process, meaning that your mindset determines how you relate to people or respond to situations.

In Philippians 2:5, the Bible urges us to have the same attitude as Christ. This means that in any given situation or circumstance, your manners, feelings, and expressions should align with what Christ would do.

As Christians, our attitude is crucial—whether you realize it or not. People will identify you by your attitude. A negative attitude from you will not bring glory to God, and it will put you out of favor with others.

To cultivate an attitude that reflects Christ and draws others to you, treat everyone as though you are dealing directly with the Lord. Colossians 3:17 (NLT) says, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

A good attitude begins with the right mindset. Don’t make justifications for exhibiting a wrong attitude or tolerate any wrong attitude in your life—deal with it. Christ is the ultimate standard, not the fallen standards of society.

Read: Romans 15:5 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.”

Prayer: Lord I pray for grace to cultivate the attitude that reflects the virtues of Christ.