RHEMA From Heaven

Apostle Paul in his days admonished his son Timothy to stay away from all those who held self-gain in high esteem at the expense of godliness (1 Timothy 6:5).

You see, inasmuch as there is nothing wrong with having money or being wealthy, it is wrong to follow such pursuits against your own godliness. In other words, if you make riches and wealth get you into ungodliness then all is not well.

It is an undeniable fact that many people in the pursuit of financial prosperity have thrown away every virtue that God’s word prescribes. This is nothing more than going into extremities with the “want of money”. Laying aside godly values and virtues in the pursuit of wealth will not profit in the end. 

1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”. 

You see, many people have erred from the faith because they placed a lot of premia on self-gratification and material things. Unnecessary pursuit of material gain at the expense of your Christian values will get you into becoming worldly.

You don’t have to prioritize your personal gains at the expense of godliness. The bible in Matthew 6:33 says that “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. 

In your quest to be wealthy, you must not use evil schemes and methods. You see, the problem is not about the prosperity or the “cash” you want to get. God is interested in how you want to make wealth. 

Love for money will wane your faith, make you unrighteous and make the love you have for God wax cold. Think about this and make the decision to embrace godliness and never sacrifice your Christian values because of money, cash or material gains.

Read: 1 Timothy 6:5-8, “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 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.”

Prayer: Father, I pray that I will be content with every blessingyou bring my way. In Jesus mighty name, Amen!

No one can have a meaningful walk with the Lord without obedience. Obedience is what makes you submit to the Lord’s biddings. As Christians, we have a duty to obey the Lord and to do it promptly. 

When it comes to obedience, your response must not delay. It must be on time. Your walk with the Lord requires that you obey every instruction you receive from him in a swift manner. You must know that to respond to the Lord’s instructions and guidance later when you can do it in the “now” is nothing but disobedience. 

Delayed obedience is disobedience because divine timing may render your late response irrelevant. Anytime you put to the future what God expects of you today is an act of disobedience.

When it comes to obeying God, it is not about your own time and convenience. There are many people who have backlogs when it comes to obeying God. They have things that God has instructed them to do that are still hanging. The sad truth is that God won’t wait anyway. He will leave you or allow you to learn the hard way.

Whether you are receiving an instruction from the Holy Spirit, the bible, or from your pastor or a man of God, you must obey swiftly. Never slack in obeying the word that has come to you. God’s instructions towards us are not burdensome (Mathew 11:28-30). 

Delays in obeying the Lord can cost you dearly. For instance, if the Lord instructed you through His word or through your pastor to live in a certain way or get something in a particular season and you have still not done anything about that, you don’t need anyone to tell you that you are moving towards having a difficult life in the future.

Prompt or timely obedience will save you and help you greatly.

Read: Psalm 119:60 “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments”.

Prayer: Father, I pray that I will never slack when it comes to obeying you.

Sometimes our traditions and God’s word does not go in the same direction. So, in your quest to hold on to the tradition and customs of men, you will ignore God’s word. 

You see, God’s word comes from Him alone and the tradition of men comes from men. There is no meeting point between God’s word and the traditions of the world.

It is carnal thinking that will make you think that the traditions of men are better than God’s word. You must know that there is no man-made rule, practice, convention, norm, way of doing something or beliefs that can make our world better than God’s word.

The Jews in the days of old were caught up in the same trap. They prioritize their tradition and rejected God’s word. They threw away the virtues and instructions of God’s word.

Today, our generation is no different. We have become a bunch of Christians that follow the directions and traditions of men without considering the word of God. Remember that it is the word and not tradition that can save you, deliver you, free you and bless you. 

Never follow men’s wisdom or the traditions people have carved for themselves contrary to the word of God. If there is anything to adhere to, it should be the word and nothing more.

Read: Mark 7:6-8 “He answered and said unto them, well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do”.

Prayer: Father, I pray that your word will always have the final say in my life. I pray for the grace to subscribe to your word and not the traditions of men. In Jesus name, Amen!

To fear God is to have great respect or reverence for God. It involves treating everything that is of God “sacred”. When you live with the fear of God in your heart, you hold in high esteem everything that is of God. 

Walking in the fear of God must be the hallmark of a Christian. Nothing must make you compromise on that. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not have deep respect or reverence for the things of God is going nowhere.

Walking in the fear of God was one of the characteristics of the early Church. The fear they had for God made them wrought wonders. See Acts 9:31: “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

When we walk in the fear of God, God’s power will manifest in our Churches. But it is sad to say that most Christians have left the “realm of fearing God”. Some treat the things of God with disrespect. Today we have people who criticize pastors, make bad comments about them, and even run into hasty generalization to condemn all men of God. Such people simply refuse to accept that it is God who has appointed these servants. (Ephesians 4:11).

We also have believers who no longer care about how they handle the things of God. They take spiritual meetings or Church services for granted but these same people will die hard to show up for social events. Others too abuse the body that God has given them with immorality and lascivious activities forgetting that their body is God’s house. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

When you fear God, you will not use the money that God has blessed you with on worldly and worthless things like fashion, pleasure, and funfairs to the neglect of giving to the Lord, the poor and for the advancement of the body of Christ. 

Read: Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”.

Prayer: Father, I pray that the reverence I have for you will be consistent and never vacillate. In Jesus name, Amen!

Being late for spiritual appointments is a practice that won’t serve your interest. Also, being late for events, and other important engagements never makes you an excellent person. 

To make it in life, you must learn to treat every meeting with God or any spiritual appointment with all seriousness. This means that, you must not show up late for church services, bible class discussions or any meeting that is designed to build your spiritual life. You see, these appointments or meetings are strategic meetings that will bless you, but it is also subject to you showing up and showing up at the right time. 

Our opening text tells how God was particular about the engagement he has with Moses and the time he wanted him. 

God operates with times and seasons, thus, as a Christian you must keep all your spiritual appointments seriously so that you don’t miss out on your blessing. Understand that prayer meetings, worship and praise meetings, teaching and preaching meetings are all appointments with God. You ought to take them seriously. When you treat these appointments with contempt; you will miss God’s blessings.

The Bible in John 20:24 talks about Thomas’ lateness to the appointment Jesus arranged with His disciples after his resurrection. He was late for a service that would bless his life. Finally, he ended up with unbelief when told that Jesus was alive.

Always know that every church meeting is an appointment with God that will bless your life.

Read: John 20:24-25 “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 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”.

Prayer: Father, I pray for grace to respect every spiritual appointment I have in this life. In Jesus name, Amen!

Holiness is not a suggestion of a modern-day preacher. It is the life God requires of every Christian. As Christians we have the nature to be holy. It is the seed imparted to us at salvation. This divine nature helps us to live a consecrated life, and a life that is set apart.

To live in holiness is a matter of living out the new life or new nature you received from salvation. You must put in effort to let the “holy impartation” you received at salvation manifest. Hebrews 12:14 says “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”. 

You see, we are living in an era that when you don’t put in an effort you will simply not do the right thing. You need “great effort” to make holiness part of your life. Holiness teaches us to be separated from evil or anything that does not bring glory to God. 

Hebrews 12:15-16 explains it further by saying “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 

People who allow bitterness and sexual immorality into their life can’t go with the holiness mandate. In fact, treating “precious things” that you receive from God carelessly also is an act of unholiness. 

Don’t succumb to this “sin-compromising” generation. Dare to be Holy. It is possible to avoid bitterness, it is possible to respect the things of God, it is possible to avoid sexual immorality.

Don’t use carnal thinking and earthly assumptions to relax or reject God’s call for holiness. 

Read: Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that by your word you will keep me in the paths of holiness and holy living. In Jesus name, Amen!

Acts 17:11 says “These (the Berean) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily…” 

God’s word contains what you need to navigate your path in this life. That’s why it matters the time you spend with the word. 

The bible teaches that the believers in Berea placed premium on God’s word in that they searched the word daily. God’s word to them was a “daily bread” and not a “cake” for special occasions.

How often you get into the scriptures reveals the value you give to the word of God. That’s the truth I believe the Bereans knew. They constantly received the word of God with a ready mind and always searched the scriptures. 

This attitude is what can make you fruitful in your walk with God. Don’t just hear the word that’s preached from the pulpit and go. Search the scriptures daily for yourself as well. You must be “word conscious”. The word of God must be part and parcel of your life. The Psalmist talks about meditating on the word day and night. Psalm 1:2 says, “…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night”. 

Engaging God’s word daily or examining the scriptures daily is the only way to get the truth into your heart. It will help you have a meaningful walk with God, and it will also make you “deception proof”. You see, people who study the word can’t easily be taken by the falsity people proclaim. 

As you walk with the Lord, many things will try to get your attention but never be distracted when it comes to studying and meditating on the word daily. The word is your life, it is the source of your health, healing, prosperity, promotion, and deliverance. In fact, it is the SURE WORD of prophecy that you have today (2Peter 1:19).

Read: Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”.

Prayer: Lord, I speak into my life that I will forever search your word daily for my advantage. In the name of Jesus. Amen!

God considers the kind of worship or reverence we give to Him. Sometimes what we call worship or “serving the Lord” is actually not one. 

The kind of worship God expects from us is revealed by Jesus in the book of John. John 4:23-24 says “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Thus, what characterizes true worship is the spirit and truth. God can’t be worshiped in the flesh. It is by our spirit that we can contact God and not with our senses. There are things people do in the flesh today when it comes to worship. But sincere and genuine worship must come from your spirit or heart. Don’t dance and just sing in the flesh. Let it be under the inspiration of the spirit.

You see, to serve the Lord with your spirit you must know God’s word. If you don’t know the word you are much likely to just do anything in the name of serving God. 

When you serve the Lord with your spirit, you are never ruled by the flesh or any evil motive. Rather, you are inspired by love for God and not the want for things.

God sees your heart and He knows when you are living a lie or pretending to be serving or worshipping him. So, if it is for the want of things, you “falsify” worship or serve God, He knows it. Isaiah prophesied of such false worshippers. Isaiah 29:13 says “The Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…”

Be sure you are born again and living by the word. That’s the starting point of serving God with your spirit.

Read: Isaiah 29:13, “Then the Lord said, “because the nations approaches [Me only] with their words and honors Me [only] with their lip service but they remove their heart far from Me, and their reverence for me is a tradition that is learned by rote [without any regard for its meaning]”

Prayer: Lord, thank you that I am born again. I pray for grace to serve you with all my heart.

The Greek word from which the word “complete” was translated also means, to make full, to fill, to fill up, to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally. Becoming complete in life is only made possible by virtue of our position in Christ.

It is in Christ that the believer is made full, furnished, or amply supplied for.  Acts 17:28  says “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring”.

The believer’s completeness or wholeness is something that is provided for in Christ. This completeness cuts across our spirit, soul, and body. Our bruised and sin-dominated spirit becomes brand new through salvation. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (NLT). Likewise, the soul which is the centre of emotions, will and intellect is also renewed by the word of God. 

Thus, in Christ you are made to abound unto all goodness in the spirit, in your mind and in your body. So, your connection to Jesus, the Lord is what gives you “soundness in this life”.

Know that being in Christ does not only make you a new creature but also you become complete. You become what God wants you to become.

God has provided for your completeness in Christ. Yours is to depend on and connect to this “divine atmosphere” for this fullness. This is the only place where sin, sickness, diseases, lack and failure can’t operate.

Read: Colossians 2:10, “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you that I am complete in you and have all my needs met. Amen

Being diligent as a Christian leads to prosperity. God has ordained that we prosper by working as Christians. The Bible teaches that the diligent soul will be made fat and prosperous. Proverbs 13:4, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat” The New Living Translation of the Bible renders it more clearly, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper”.

Without diligence or hard work many things won’t go well in your life. Most things work well if people remain diligent in their endeavors. God has already blessed you with the ability to work things out. Thus, anytime you deploy your strength to work hard at things, they receive the blessings of the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:11). 

In Genesis 1 and 2, the Bible tells how God worked for six days to put things in a great order. Therefore, after six days of hard work, the Bible described the results as “very good”. Genesis 1:31 says “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth.”

Things become “very good” when you work. Remember that, before then, the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep (Genesis 1:1). Working on things to make them better is one attribute that the Bible revealed about God in creation. Therefore, anytime you practice laziness, you deny yourself of beautiful things in life. 

Refuse to be lazy in life. Refuse to do little when it is possible to work harder to make things better. Work hard in all the endeavors of your life and you will see “very good” things in your life.

Read: Proverbs 12:24, “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to force labor

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to be diligent in all my endeavors.