Greeting to the Parishioners and grace to you all. Here is the message I've come to share with you all.
As a believer, your reality is not the reality of this world. You must learn to see yourself the way God sees you.
When God looks at you, He sees himself because He made man in His image. He made man to dominate. If you're not yet dominating, then you're not yet living the higher life.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIGHER LIFE
You can't live this higher life on your own.
God created men for himself. When God is in any equation, it can never be equal to zero.
This higher life is a life of God's class.
It's life on God's dimension. God designed us to be looked up to. He created us too loaded to be lowered.
The higher life is an everlasting life.
It's a life with no expiry date, as long as the believer keeps walking alongside God. You don't have to die to start enjoying the everlasting life. God wants us to start living in heaven, even on earth.
The higher life is a life of general possibility.
Mark 11:23 says all things are possible to them that believe. This means that all things are possible to believers.
As a believer, anything your hand touches prospers. You have the power to cause a change. You are different, and your life is different.
Try to picture what God will do if he was on earth. That is exactly what you should be doing now. Let your life give transformation to the life of others. Your life must be enviable. Everyone wants to reflect God, so if you're among the few reflecting him, you ought to be enviable.
THE HIGHER LIFE IS A LIFE OF WEALTH
The higher life is a life of wealth. Poverty is not spirituality in any sense. In fact, it is spiritual immaturity not to handle God's wealth.
Every believer is entitled to an inheritance in Christ. Don't let anyone make you feel you're not worthy to live a good and comfortable life. A poor man's voice is not heard.
God called us "The light of the world", but a poor man's light is not seen. If people are not talking about you, it's because you don't matter and one major reason that people don't matter is because of poverty. Even poor people don't talk about themselves.
The higher life is high life on every side.
If Jesus is seated in heavenly places, as a joint heir with him, you're not permitted to be seated in low places. You're not permitted to be among the average people in any institution.
The higher life ensures that you're not stoppable by the devil.
You just keep on succeeding because the best revenge against the devil is success.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE HIGHER LIFE
- People believe that the higher life is the life of challenges.
It's the challenges that make the life interesting. You don't meet challenges to hinder you, but to announce you.
"Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms". (Jeremiah 51:20)
The way we live the higher life is by conquering. If you're not violent, you can't live this higher life. It's a life of fighting. The higher life is a life filled with the Holyghost.
- People believe that the higher life is a work-free life.
No! This belief is untrue. You must work! Any Christianity that tells you not to work is an irresponsible one. Grace doesn't eliminate work. It makes it perfect. Grace empowers you to work.
A life of Grace is a higher life.
- That the higher life is a free life where you can do just anything you like.
Man was made to be dependent. You must always depend on God. The Love of God is what should control you.
WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE THE HIGHER LIFE
- Lack of Knowledge:
If so many know what they have, they'll live and operate differently. It's what you don't know that is more likely to kill you, not what you know as the world thinks.
Darkness is a realm of ignorance. People fail and perish because they don't know.
- Sin:
Sin is a reproach but righteousness exalts - as the Bible tells us. The fact that Jesus died and paid the price doesn't mean that you should live like whatever you do doesn't matter.
You can't be living a life of sin and righteousness at the same time.
- Inability to properly utilize ones mind:
The problem with a lot of believers is they don't utilize common sense at times. For instance, as a student, the fact that You have the Holy Spirit doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare well for your exams. Some believers just fail to utilize common sense.
Make a decision to use your mind. You can make and destroy nations with your mind
HOW TO LIVE THE HIGHER LIFE
- There's no higher life without a relationship with God:
What so many call a relationship with God is just neighborhood relationship. They talk to him once in awhile and when they are less busy. 'Relationship' means knowing God intimately.
God knows them that are his.
- The attitudes of Christ must be in you:
The higher life is impossible without God. Having the gifting and ability to work miracles doesn't mean you're living the higher life.
The life flows outside from inside. In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees could manifest power but attitude made him different.
In conclusion
As believers, we must learn to prioritize on living this kind of life - radiating God's glory and being an instrument of His graces.
