EVENING SESSION I
PASTOR BOLA BELLO
PHILIPPIANS 3:10-14:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”;
MATTHEW 22:29-; EPHESIANS 2:1-3
The High Calling is not about the Ministry Gifts. It is a throne that we must sit on. To know God is to interact with Him so much that His nature becomes our nature. To be conformed is to fall in line with the image and stature of God, not breaking ranks. We err because we do not know scriptures as well as the power of God. An accurate knowledge of God and His power will aid our walk a great deal. Resurrection is not just about dying and waking from the dead. We can be resurrected without dying bodily. There is a need to constantly fellowship with God because you are sure to become like the one you commune with. The word of God conforms every hearer to His very image. God is the God of the Living not the dead. He is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because they were quickened even while they were still alive. Spirit and flesh cannot relate. We cannot fellowship with God if we are dead. Only the living can commune with Him. So, we have to be quickened to relate with God.
I JOHN 1:1-3:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”;
REVELATION 1:2:
“ Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”;
When we commune with God, we will manifest His life without stress. The Apostle John was a firsthand beneficiary of God’s love and a recorder of divine events. He literally fellowshipped with eternal life. One way to fellowship with the Father is to fellowship with those who fellowship with Him. We can get to a point where we own the Gospel, having fellowshipped so much with the Father. The resurrection is not an event, it is a person. When we fellowship with Him, we will also become resurrection and life like Him. You cannot see the resurrection until your eyes have been anointed with eye salve. There has got to be a superposition of the spiritual eyes over the physical eyes. Resurrection is meant for people who do not love their lives even unto death. It is not meant for people with a hedonistic disposition. The gospel of convenience will not get us to the place of the High Calling. The fellowship of his sufferings’ indicates that the sufferings are numerous. To attain unto the High Calling, we must brace up for sufferings. Sufferings are not palatable but we need them to end well.