By Tom Shanklin

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1, 2, KJV.

You were ordained for greatness! You have been called to a plan and a purpose ordained of God. But you will never fulfill your destiny by living in a low level of Christianity. You must come up to the high places of God. Today is the day! Rise up!

The scripture says, “Seek those things which are above … Set your affection on things above …” These are things that YOU need to do. God has done HIS part. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins. He raised up Jesus from the dead to give you a whole new life. He poured out His Holy Spirit and He gave you His Word. He did all the heavy lifting, but now you must do your part.

Seek! Set you affection! Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Get a hold of your heavenly calling.

God never intended your salvation to be just a fire insurance plan. Salvation is not only about escaping hell and going to heaven after you die. It’s also about knowing and experiencing God in your life today. Praying to His heavenly Father, Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3, KJV.

Eternal life IS knowing God!

Eternal life IS knowing God! It is experiencing His presence TODAY! Eternity will be a just a continuation of that fellowship, on a greater level and a higher realm.

The way has been made through the cross and resurrection. Jesus died to cancel our sins. He bore them in His body on the tree. Then He rose again and ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God. When we receive Him as Lord and Savior, we are given new life. We are born again. As the scripture says:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:4-6, KJV.

He made us to sit together with Christ. Where? At the right hand of God. When? Now. Not way off in the hereafter some day. Now! Seated with Christ at the right hand of God.

This is life! This is fellowship! This is ruling and reigning with Christ! This unveils the true purposes of God—that you might live in the high places of God.

It’s already done! Jesus has paid the price and made the way. It’s not hard, and yet, if we live in the flesh, we can miss it all. We cannot have our affection on earthly things and experience the heavenly blessing. We need to wait upon the Lord. Then we can mount up with wings as eagles. Then we will run and not be weary, walk and not faint. (Is. 40:31)

Paul talked about His desire for the higher life:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 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. 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:10-14, KJV.

Paul had great revelation and wisdom in the knowledge of Christ. And yet, he said, “I have not attained. I have not apprehended. I want more of Jesus. I want that resurrection life of Christ NOW, in this life.” (paraphrase)

We must have Jesus!

We must have Jesus! We cannot be satisfied with religious tradition. And we cannot be satisfied with only the doctrine of the Gospel, we must have the life and reality of the Gospel. Now, you can fellowship God. Now, you can walk in His presence. Now you can hear His voice and experience His power. Come up to the high places of God!

I took some steps toward God when I was 9-years old. I heard the Gospel and answered an altar call. The Gospel message became real to me, and I responded. But my life did not change. I did not surrender my heart to Him … and I did not experience the reality of His life and power. But when I was 27 years old, I heard the Lord say, “Turn from the things of the world!” I said, “Yes Lord. I will!” And my life has never been the same. At that moment, I tell you, I experienced God. He came into my life. His power flooded me and overtook me.

Since then, His presence has been an everyday reality for me. He has never left me. And yet, like Paul, I want more. I want to apprehend that which I have been apprehended for. I want to lay hold of my destiny and be all that God called me to be in Christ.

God has so much more for all of us! We all need to press toward the mark of the high calling. We need to press in to be like Jesus and to fulfill our part in the great plan of God. The world needs all of us. Your part is not like my part. Each of us is different.

It is especially important for Gospel ministers to press in and move with God in this hour. We must lead the way. God has given us gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill our particular office of ministry. We must ask ourselves. Am I using all the tools that God has given me? Am I pressing in to all He has?

When I traveled to Nepal in 2014, with our friends, Ray and Wilma Phipps. I was impressed by God that we should be sensitive to the Him concerning the word of knowledge, that the Lord wanted to use this gift in a special way on this trip. I shared this with Ray and Wilma and we agreed to keep our spiritual antennas up to hear from the Lord as He desired to speak.

There were a number of instances on my part of the operation of the word of knowledge concerning ailments in people’s bodies. The Lord used these along with gifts of healings to demonstrate his love and power among the people.

I remember seeing Ray in prayer in the living room of a home where we were staying. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be in another place. He was in the high places of God, getting instructions from the Lord.

Later, in an open air meeting in a remote village, Ray shared a word of knowledge with the people. He called for someone named “Gita” to come forward. As he mentioned her name, unfamiliar to our English-speaking tongues, people began to point to a lady back in the crowd. They brought her forward, and Ray began to minister to her. She was tormented by demons, and Ray discerned a spirit of suicide. She had a small baby with her, but she was so harassed by demonic power that she was about to take her own life. But God’s love was ministered to her that day, and hope was given … all because of a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and the operation of the word of knowledge.

At the end of that meeting, the village chief gave glory to Jesus Christ and a dozen families where added to a newly-formed church. Praise God!

These are the kinds of things that will change villages, change churches, change communities, and change nations, It is God showing up on the scene through His people.

So, I want to encourage you, come up to the high places. Leave low-level, earth-bound Christianity behind. Start flying high with God, and enjoying the rich things that can only be found where Christ sits on the right hand of God.

This message was originally posted in January 2017. It seemed to be a good word of encouragement to Christians as we ponder the resurrection of our Lord and what it means to us today. Happy Resurrection Day!