How to Make heaven

How to make heaven

“Will I make heaven” or “what happens after I die”

And for those who eagerly await him, he has gone to prepare a place for us in the kingdom of his father.Hebrews 9: 27

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

 He who believes (confesses and accepts Christ into their lives as Lord and Saviour, allowing His Lordship) will be a candidate for heaven but it does not end there. Jesus says except a man be born – again, turn a new –leaf, start living the new-  life, he cannot experience or enter into the kingdom of heaven. So it does not stop at confessing and accepting Christ but living for Christ (1 peter4:1-2).

This bring me to a burden, a spirit sent into the church to hinder the believer (so- called Christian) from making heaven, the spirit of carnality,

What is carnality?

Carnality is to be saved and yet living your life according to the way people of the world do. To Talk, drive, act, fight, play the way the world does.

Carnality is to be in the flesh. It has no regard for the way of the kingdom. It does not conform to how the scripture says it should be done.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12:2

The scripture above says expressly that the believe is not expected to conform (agree,) with the way the world goes, but let transformation take place by having our mind renewed (having our minds think differently) think differently how? To the ways God our father and Jesus our saviour wants us to think. Everyman’s thought begets his actions, that beget his habit which ultimately sums up his character or personality. As a man think so he (Proverbs 23:7)

 It has been a great bother to me in the last couple of months, the spirit of carnality that has taking over the church of Godparticularly in the city where I live, not certain its same in other cities of the world, we have become a people who are saved but not living our lives to please the one who have savedus. A people who live a dual life, chameleons, we are one thing in church and another outside the church.

A Yeah! Yeah! people to the promises of the bible andNo! No! to the commands of the scripture, a people who find it convenient to live in fornication and adultery, change the figures in the financial account at work and are still bold enough to bring the tithe of such church? My heart bleeds!

 

Acclaimed believers who do not see anything wrong in drinking alcoholic in the name of taking herbal bitters. Our gatherings and get- togethers’ no longer totally reflect Christ. A few religious songs and then we go wild playing and dancing to songs that do not glorify God, can Jesus be comfortable with our so called parties? Even the birthday parties organised for our kids, these types of songs follow the same trend. Jesus is no longer the special guest or the silent listener to every conversation or the unseen guest at every meal in our home compared to when we were growing up in Christian homes.

We have become victims of false prophets and soothsayersbecause we no longer take time out to seek the Lord. Each person has one, two or three “men of God” (prayer Contractors) praying for us. Many believers live their lives remoted and controlled by their spiritual leaders, whodecide what they do or not,what they eat,where they go etc. When the Scriptures wherein we believed to be saved says expressly that we “The new testament believer” is tobe led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). No wonder office romance,adultery, separationis on the increase with over 60% cases being so-called believers or do Isay church-goers.We go to Church but the Church of God that Christ bought with His blood does not reflect in us, yet the scripture calls it the Ground and pillar of truth (1Timothy 3:15). We no longer live like Christ is coming back anymore, what happened to us?

We are in Church onlyon Sunday as if it’s a ticket to heaven,many are even church workers yetits only on Sunday we say a few words of “bless-me,bless-me Lord “which we call prayers, the rest of the week is filled is some few words we mutter while in the shower or rushing off to work. Our prayers have become a “wish or gift list. We no longer pray “Lord use me, Lord what will you have me do for you, Lord, how can I please you?”. Weareonly in relationship with God for what we can get.

For many of us, the one and half to two hours’ services microwaved to get our attention is too lengthy for us yet we spend hours unend watching our favourite programmes, chatting on social media, surfing the internetetc. Complacency has set in; we are no longer concerned about the unsaved. (are we truly saved ourselves?) when last did you win a soul to Christ? yet we have household staffs, employees,clients and colleagues that are notsaved. when last did you study your bible? what did The Lord say to you the last time you were in His presence (and when was that?)

Carnality is being in Church and living in the world and by the world’s standard, I think it’s better we stay off church then! Church has become a façade, a meeting place for friends and business contacts. We are impatient for church service to come to an end so we can turn the place of encounter into a clubhouse. God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7), He can’t be fooled, He knows everyone and the intents of our hearts. Elijah the Prophet of God has this to say:

And Elijah came to all the people and said “How long will you falter between two opinions? if the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” but the people answered him not a word. – 1 Kings 18:21

If we want to follow God, lets follow Him all the way! not just the promises but His commands, interestingly you cannot live in the full reality of God’s promises without obeying Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) and if we like and still enjoy the world’s way, gratifying the flesh, then go it all the way (but you can be sure that journey will end in disaster). Christianswere first called so by pagans in Antioch meaning ‘like Christ” Are we like Christ? .walking with God must be total!,All the way.

To be Carnal is to claim Christ and yet eat with the devil, taking such actions thatdoes not bring glory to God but brings pleasure to our flesh. These things ought not to be so!

  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. –Romans 8:5-8

To be Carnally minded, thinking or paying more attention to worldly matters and less or insignificant attention to the things of God will only bring death, whatdeath? (eternal death) for such an individual will not please God; He or she cannot be a candidate for heaven. Heaven is for those who have made God their choice and have decided to do and are doing those things that are pleasing in God’s sight.

 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. - 1 John 3:22,24.

Here what Apostle Paul says to you and I (the believer in Christ) in Galatians 5:19-21)

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

These verses explains some of the characteristics of carnality (or living by the flesh). My prayers in the last couple of weeks has been “Lord, deliver your church fromcarnality, Lord, let your fire of revival by the Holy Ghost descend on your Church, set us ablaze in the Holy Ghost, O Lord let your church (the body of Christ) in our nations be a spiritual church”

HOW TO OVERCOME CARNALITY AND MAKE HEAVEN

Be spiritually minded!You ask “just like that?Is that all?”

 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace – Romans 8:6

·        Ask and allow the Holy Spirit of God to guide and direct you. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. - John 16:13

He will lead you always into the truth, He will never lead you astray, letting you know what to do, thesteps, actions and decisions you must take to please God and I strongly advice, do what the Holy Spirit says to do.(check previous blogs for the article (“Holy Spirit our guide”).

·        Never do things that are contrary to the word of God. Only do what God has commanded especially the New Testament, they are the instructions given to the spirit-led believer. Don’t follow popular opinion. The fact that many are doing in a particular way does not mean it’s right (Proverbs 14:12).

·        Pray every day, Pray in the spirit (Pray in tongues), always askGod for fresh fire of revival upon your life.

·        Ask God for grace to please Him always, grace to obey Him, grace to love and serve Him more and more.

 

 You will not miss Heaven in Jesus’ name.

-Pastor Ibukun Williams