- We are strangers and pilgrims on earth. We must always keep this in view all the time, not some of the time. Heaven is our real home. 1 Pet. 2:11, says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”. There is always that conflict of attention and conflict of worship; the flesh or the spirit. Unfortunately, man started putting the wrong foot forward right from the Garden of Eden when he decided to satisfy flesh above the spirit. You are either building your spiritual muscle by feeding on the right spiritual diet which is the word of God undiluted or satisfying a carnal apetite. Remember that we are pilgrims so don’t lose your pilgrim character. Pilgrims don’t tabernacle, if you do, you will lose your pilgrim character. That is the problem of the Church today. The Church has become so friendly with the world that she is losing her pilgrim’s character. Pilgrims don’t carry excess baggage; they travel light. Pilgrims have an urgency in their heart, they are always like homing birds who have a home but only here on an assignment. That is how we should live. May you not lose your pilgrim character in the cacophony of voices that are speaking in this world in the name of Jesus. The essence of the cacophony of voices is to derail the purpose of God for your life. Nobody is s success who has missed heaven, no matter your achievements here. The absolute dominion over darkness is to make heaven at last. Many people are saying ‘yes’ to the things they should say ‘no’ to. If you accept that thing, will you still make heaven? It is very easy to derail. If you don’t define where you are going, you will end up anywhere. Do you dream about your home in heaven? Jesus said, “in my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). Phil. 3:20 says, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ”. Heb. 3:1, “wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus”. How can you do this? By looking at the life of Christ. Jesus is the real pattern Son. He showed us how to live as pilgrims; he showed us how to live a purposeful life here on earth; he showed us how to walk in dominion, he also showed us how to have comprehensive success. If you look critically at the life of Christ, you will do well to take note of the following:
- Divine dependence. Jesus depended on his Father. As pilgrims here, we need to learn to depend more on our heavenly Father.
- The perfect will of God. This is related to divine dependence. Jesus lived pleasing his Father and doing his Father’s will in absolute terms. He said, “my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”. John 4:34.
- Universal benevolence. Because you have made proper vertical connection to heaven, something will flow through you to influence your environment. Light will shine through you from heaven to begin to touch others starting from your house to your neighbourhood, to your environment and even to your country. You are literally an ambassador of Christ. Although you are here on earth, your headquarters is in heaven. This is the pattern.
TO BE CONTINUED.