Christian Living

COME UP HIGHER

by Ezekiel Olukolajo
05/05/20
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COME UP HIGHER!

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”.Revelation 4:1; 

INTRODUCTION

Your level in life determines the things that are attracted to you; your level also determines what happens to you as a man. For instance, if a man finds himself in a pit, it should not be surprising that trash and garbage are attracted to him. The reason is simple. A valley is a place where flood washes all sorts of things and unwanted materials to; trash normally gathers into the pit. That is why you cannot afford to dwell in the pit of sin. In Revelation 4: 1, John the beloved saw a significant vision where God gave him a great invitation.

Certain things are noteworthy in this revelation that John saw. Firstly, he saw “a door was opened in heaven”. The significance of this open door is that there are no restrictions, limitations, barriers or wall preventing access. After the open door comes the invitation “COME UP HIGHER”.

It has always been God’s desire that all His children come up to, and operate at His own level. In fact, the provision the Almighty God made for each and every one of us is that we operate in the level of ‘gods’. Psalm 82:6 says “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High”. God’s mind and earnest desire is that we operate at the highest level of power, authority and dominion just like Him. That’s why He Himself calls us gods!

What does the invitation “COME UP HIGHER” mean for us as believers?

INVITATION TO SEEK AND KNOW GOD INTIMATELY: PHILIPPIANS 3:10;

“COME UP HIGHER” is an invitation to seek and know God intimately. Christianity is not a religion that you practice; Christianity is a call to intimacy and deeper relationship with the Almighty God through Jesus Christ. You need to realize that all that you have ever experienced or known of God, amounts only to a ‘taste’. Psalm 34:8 says “O taste and see that the LORD is good”. God is eternally good. The goodness of God that you’ve ever experienced in your life is only a taste; you should not be satisfied with a taste because a taste is never meant to fill or take away your hunger. In fact, taste is never meant to get you satisfied, but to arouse your hunger and craving for more. 

So many believers are living a common life because they are casual in their relationship with God. What distinguishes you as a believer is the level of your intimacy with God. Everything you have received till this present level of your life and walk with God amounts to only a ‘taste’. God is much bigger than you have ever seen; God is much deeper than you have ever known; God has much more than you have ever imagined or received. If you want your life to be distinguished as believer, go for more of God, answer the call “COME UP HIGHER”. Casual seekers never discover the greatness of God. There’s an emptiness in you that only God can fill. There’s a question in your mind that only God can answer, go for God! You don’t need a middleman to seek God for you; you don’t need a prophet to hear or know God; you don’t need a seer to see God, God has made Himself accessible to you. He has given the invitation to “COME UP HIGHER”, you cannot afford to remain in the pit of sin, laziness, complacency and apathy. Those who run after God never run after things. Seek God for who He is, not for what He gives. The more you seek God, the more He fills you with Himself. The more God fills you, the more of His authority and power is made available to you.

INVITATION TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY: HEBREW 5:11-14; 6:1;

“COME UP HIGHER” is an invitation to spiritual maturity. The problem with most believers is that they’re not growing up. They have spent so many years in the Lord but have no commensurate results or character to show for it.

Growth is not an event, it is a process. As believers, God is calling us all to grow up to maturity, so we must be deliberate about our growth. You can never be celebrated if you don’t grow up, there’s a glory that comes with every level. As you move up in your walk with God, the level of glory upon your life increases. That’s why you must never be satisfied with the level you are today, you must continue to climb the ladder of growth in Christ every day.

Spiritual growth happens through consistent reading and meditating on the word of God, praying, fasting, preaching the gospel and putting your faith to work. The major proof that you’re growing as a believer is how much of Christ your life reflects. Demonstration of gifts of the Spirit is good, but is necessarily not a proof that you are mature as a believer. It is manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit and nature of God in your life that is the true test of maturity. You become what you behold. 2 Corinthians 3:18. Your growth is your personal responsibility; you can’t delegate it to someone.

When a believer solely relies upon and looks for prophets to see vision for him or her, it’s a sign of immaturity. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying God cannot send a message to you through His servants or prophets, but you need to understand that you have equal access to God, and can seek Him personally to know His mind and plans for your life, just like any prophet or God’s servant.

So many believers still behave like babies. They want to be carried, pampered and curdled at all times like babies, when they’re supposed to care for other people who are weak. When a brother or a sister that is supposed to look out for other people, visit, pray and encourage them, begins to stay back from church because the pastor has not visited him or her, it’s a sign of immaturity. A time should come in your life that you become encouragement to others, rather than you always waiting to be carried by others; a time should come in your life that you become a solution provider, rather than solution seeker; a time should come in your life that people should up to you, rather than you always looking up to others for help. Grow up!

God wants each of us to leave the elementary level, and grow up to higher heights of spiritual experience. When you’re born again, it’s like you’ve just being awarded a “BA” NOT Bachelors of Arts, but “Born Again” (BA). You must progress to “MSc.”  “Masters of Situation and Circumstances” (MSc.). After this, you need to progress to “PHD” –“Power over Hosts of Darkness” (PHD). It is at this level you can demonstrate your full potentials as a child of God. Don’t stop, don’t relax, don’t go down, don’t give up, “COME UP HIGHER” says the Lord!       

INVITATION TO ACCESS DEEP SECRETS AND MYSTERIES OF GOD: DEUT 29:29; PSALM 25:14;

“COME UP HIGHER” is an invitation to know the mysteries and secret things of God. There are deep secrets and mysteries about God that even eternity is not sufficient to unfold! When secrets and mysteries of God are downloaded into your spirit, you’re clearly ahead of others. Do you know that God actually desires to reveal deep things to you as His child? But the secret things of God are not cheap to come by; it’s available only to those who are incurable seekers of God.

One revelation from God is all you need to change your life and catapult you to greatness. You remember Joseph? It was only one revelation that lifted him from the prison to the palace. He had access to the mind of God, and was able to reveal the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream by God’s wisdom and insight. What of Daniel? He became the third ruler in the great kingdom of Babylon, even as a captive, all because God revealed the secret of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that no astrologers, magicians or soothsayer of Babylon could interpret (Daniel 2:19-22). God desires to reveal secrets and deep things that you’ve never known, but this cannot happen if you remain at the level of ‘bread and butter’ Christianity. You need to be lost in seeking and loving God.

The Almighty God, who reveals secrets and deep things, is still alive! He can reveal so many secrets and deep things to you, including the secret of your problems, things yet to unfold, the paths and His purpose for your life etc. God is NOT respecter of persons; He will reveal Himself to as many that are ready to “COME UP HIGHER”. He says in Rev. 4:1b, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”. If you don’t “come up higher”, you can never see. To see, you must stand on the mountain, not in the valley. There’s a place you stand, and it’s completely impossible for you to see beyond your nose. God is challenging us all as His children to move up in our relationship with Him, so He can show us great and mighty things.

IN RESPONDING TO THE INVITATION “COME UP HIGHER”, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO THE FOLLOWINGS:

1. You must have a deep hunger and desire for God. Psalm 27:4; 

2. You must be ready to let go of certain things that the bible describes as “weights”. Hebrews 12:1. Sin, transgressions, unrighteousness, evil thoughts and imaginations etc. You can never sit in sin and go up. Nothing sinks a man like sin! Sin stings and sinks; lay aside every garment of sin and go up. The pleasure of sin is only for a moment, but the punishment is for eternity!

3. You must let go of certain association and relationship. 1 Corinthians 15:33. There are people you need to drop off your life if you want to make progress and go up as a believer. You can’t be a believer and keep some association, it’s not convenient. Those whose interests are evil, immorality and unrighteousness cannot be your best friends as a believer, they will drag you down, they will ruin your life. Proverbs 13:20 says “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”.

4. Never relax, never give up. “COME UP HIGHER” is a daily invitation. You must keep climbing and going up in seeking and serving the Lord no matter the challenges. Remember, when you stop climbing up, you start declining; when you stop growing; you start dying!      

God’s invitation to “COME UP HIGHER” is to your advantage, it is for your benefits. If you want to live a significant life as a believer, you cannot afford to ignore God’s invitation to “COME UP HIGHER”. Will you die as an ordinary man and be remembered for nothing? Don’t be satisfied with ordinary life, your life can be significant and be celebrated, “COME UP HIGHER”!

Shalom!

By Ezekiel Olukolajo
Contact: [email protected]