Citizens of two nations, comparing Nigeria (or whichever country you came from) with heaven: one passed properly for a nation, and the other one passed better as a kingdom.
Amen.
This is because nations are generally defined by the people. Even so, in a kingdom, rulership forms the basis for the definition. For nations, we have citizens, and for kingdoms, we have subjects.
Citizens can aspire to become a president, a king, or a leader of a nation, but subjects cannot become the king unless they are from the family of the ruler. But for the purpose of the message this morning, I will go with the word “nation.”
Let’s assume that you can call heaven your nation and you can call Nigeria your nation, so that we can have a proper and better understanding in the mighty name of Jesus.
By the grace of God, I have divided this message into four small parts so that I can help our understanding and also help me to manage my time better. I will be looking at:
1. The reality of our dual citizenship
2. The purpose and timing of our calling
3. Navigating the hostile nature of the world
4. Our response on how to access the kingdom of God
This is within the same context of being citizens of two nations.
Now, it is possible for you to live in America while you remain a citizen of Nigeria. We call it dual citizenship. Or, let’s imagine the ambassador of America living in Nigeria. His allegiance is to the government of America.
But physically, he resides here in Nigeria. Amen.
But let’s assume he is an ambassador from England. He cannot come to Nigeria and drive on the left lane, can he? He cannot.
Even though his allegiance is to the government of the United Kingdom—amen—he draws his salaries from there. He is being instructed on what to do here.
He is in constant communication with them. They dictate what he does in this place. Are you listening to me? But yet, while here, he cannot drive on the left lane just because he is from the UK or because he is an ambassador from the UK.
He has to comply, so this is the exact spiritual reality of every born-again believer. Our allegiance is to God. Our commitment is to God.
But while we are here, we are expected to live responsibly as citizens of this nation.
And as we listen to the word of God this morning, God will grant us wisdom and the grace to be able to navigate the conflict that exists.
The Lord will give us the grace to comport ourselves appropriately as citizens of heaven and as residents of our nations.
In Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, the Bible declares that our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So brethren, we have dual citizenship. Physically, we are citizens of Nigeria, but spiritually, our true home is heaven.
First Peter chapter 2 verse 11 says, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims…” Sojourners and pilgrims.
We are encouraged to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our soul—but that is not my emphasis right now.
Because we are pilgrims, we must view the earth not as our permanent home, but as a transit camp. We must not view the earth as our permanent home.
We must know that we are going back home. And that is the way we are supposed to live.
I happen to be working outside of my base. You need to see where I am living. You need to see the small room where I am living. And we are not doing anything permanent there. As you buy a piece of equipment, you are thinking of how you are going to take it back with you when you are going back home.
You want to buy a generator for example, you think, “Ah, this generator is good and fantastic for the work, but when I am going back, how will I carry it?” It becomes a factor in every decision that you take.
I pray the Lord will give us the grace to be able to operate like that, even as children of God, in the mighty name of Jesus.
In John chapter 17 verse 18, the Bible says, “As thou hast sent me”—that is the word of Jesus—”as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Amen.
Even though He is not praying for God to take us out of this world, he has left us with a mandate, a divine mandate. Amen. So brethren, we are here for a purpose, and the Lord will grant us the grace to be able to fulfill that purpose in the mighty name of Jesus.
We are admonished in Romans chapter 13 verse 7 to render therefore to all their dues. When you are supposed to pay taxes, you must do what? You must pay taxes. And when a leader has been appointed over you, whether in your local government or even your office, wherever, you are bound to do what? To obey and to honor them.
However, the Bible in the book of Acts chapter 5 verse 29 properly admonishes us that as you navigate your way through the earth, a point will come when God’s position will run in conflict with what is being demanded of you.
In that case, what should you do? Praise God. Apostle Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts chapter 5 verse 29. We ought to obey God rather than men.
In our walk, when we come to that spot, we will be tested. Times will come when you will need to take a position; you cannot run away from it. May God give you grace to be able to decide for God when that time comes, in the mighty name of Jesus.
I value our time at the Alheri camp, and I used to go always. Back when I was working at British American Tobacco, during one particular year—I do not know whether it was a convention or an assembly—I worked very hard to make sure I cleared my table.
But as soon as I finished one task, my boss would bring another one.
Then it was time for my boss to give me permission to go, but he said, “We are expecting visitors.” He just did not give me permission.
Wednesday passed, no permission. Thursday was passing, and he had still not released me. I was like not happy
I was very angry, and I made up my mind: I was going to go, whether I got permission or not.
So that evening, I cleared my table. I had nothing left in the office. You know, preparing just in case. In case the thing flipped the other way, it would be bye-bye. That day, I gave up that job in my mind but God intervened.
I went to speak with the person next in rank to my boss, and he said, “Oh, go.”
That was when I had my liberty to travel. But I know between me and God that I had already laid that job on the table.
So I arrived Kaduna Camp, that Friday. I barely met the power nights, so I was not happy. I was not happy. So on my way back, I was making some pronouncements. That I break the yoke of my boss over my life.
I began to make some pronouncements, but I didn’t know what happened. By the time I resumed work, he was no longer my line manager. I had a new, younger, vibrant, more understanding line manager.
So when you take decision for God, it will never be a loss. It might look like that, but that is what you have to take. That’s the decision you have to take all of the time.
But please, don’t ever be found in the wrong. Don’t ever be found in the wrong. And I pray the Lord will help us. He will help you. He will help us as we navigate this difficult terrain of where we live. In Jesus’ name.
And Jesus reminds us in Matthew chapter six, verse twenty-four, no one can serve two masters. In the context of dual citizenship, a nation may demand allegiance, but you as a believer, your ultimate devotion belongs exclusively to God. Hallelujah. And the Lord will give you grace to do that. In Jesus’ name.
Declarations:
And so I declare today that your primary identity is rooted in heaven. In the mighty name of Jesus,
I declare today that you will not let the temporary systems of this world define your worth or dictate your destiny. In the mighty name of Jesus.
Can you say that after me? Say, “I declare that my primary identity is rooted in heaven, and I will not let the temporary systems of this world define my worth or dictate my destiny.” In the name of Jesus.
Say this again. Say, “I declare that I am a responsible, law-abiding citizen of my acclaimed nation, yet my ultimate allegiance belongs exclusively to Jesus Christ.” Hallelujah. Amen.
That defines the reality of our dual citizenship. How did we get here? Do we just suddenly become citizens of two nations? We became citizens of two nations at redemption. Hallelujah.
I want you to say this prayer: Say after me, “Lord Jesus, thank you for redeeming me out of darkness and translating me into your marvelous kingdom.” Hallelujah.
Just pray in the spirit a little. Lord Jesus, I thank you for redeeming me out of darkness and translating me into your marvelous kingdom. In Jesus’ mighty name, we are free.
Say this: “Holy Spirit, ignite my heart with a passion for the ministry of reconciliation, that I may actively seek the spiritual and physical welfare of the world around me.”
Father, we thank you. Oh Lord, ignite our hearts with a passion for the ministry of reconciliation, that we may actively seek the spiritual and physical welfare of the world around us, in the mighty name of Jesus.
You see, brethren, the physical and the spiritual realms exist side by side. Did you get that? If you stay outside of this building, you are looking at the dimension of this building. But when you enter inside, you see something different. Is that not correct? Good.
As we are now occupying space physically, there is a spiritual reality around this environment. So when Jesus said that when two or three are gathered together in my name, that I am there in the midst of them, don’t be asking yourself and wondering how.
He is right there with you in the other dimension. Are you following me now? That should not be difficult for you to grasp. All these occult people that say, “Hey, I went to pour something on the road to cause an accident,” they know what they are talking about.
Because it’s a reality in the realm of the spirit. Is God here? Yes,
But that’s the truth.
But at the same time, there is what the Bible calls the kingdom of this world. It also exists, in the spiritual realm. I have good news for you.
The truth and the reality is this: when the presence of God or light approaches or shines into a region where spiritual darkness dominates, that darkness has a technology of leaving the space.
It has an inbuilt technology to do what? To excuse itself. And we must be very conscious of this.
So when you are born, you are trapped in that other kingdom. Your access into the kingdom of the world required no effort on your part; that is what you were born into.
But a time must come in the life of a man when he will be translated into the kingdom of light, into the kingdom of God.
So that is your entrance. Where you got born again was when God translated you into his own kingdom. Praise the Lord. And unless you have done that, what I’m talking about today does not concern you. It’s for those who are born again.
So Colossians chapter one, verses thirteen to fourteen declares, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of His own dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Praise the Lord.
One may want to ask, “God has translated you into his kingdom and heaven is your goal, so what are you still doing here?” What are you still doing here?
The Lord has a purpose for you. The Lord has a purpose for me to remain here. He has a mandate for us to fulfill. Amen.
So having brought us into his own kingdom, he has now made us ambassadors. He has made us ambassadors. So that we can reconcile other people unto him, so that we can help other people get translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Shout hallelujah! Shout hallelujah!
Second Corinthians chapter five, verse twenty says, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” That’s our role.
And God has also given us the role of a priest. Amen. He called the children of Israel in the book of Exodus a kingdom of priests.
In the book of First Peter chapter two, verse nine, he said, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people,” with a purpose, “that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
So God has made us priests. God has made us priests. And the role of all of us is as priests, amen, because we have access to God. And what we are supposed to do is to show forth his praise. Now, what that means is this: it is to put on display the excellences of God. To be a witness that God’s power can make things happen.
Each time you relate with heaven and the word of God takes effect you have done something. You have put on display what is possible. Hallelujah.
You have put on display what is possible, and that’s where the word of God becomes very vital and very important. You are not here to run your own errand. You are not here to do your own will. You are not here to satisfy your own purpose.
You are not here to fulfill your own ambitions. Amen. You are supposed to act and operate based on instructions that you receive from heaven. That is where the power and the results are, because that is exactly what God wants to put on display: possibilities in him. Hallelujah.
You cannot do it effectively running your own show, setting your own goals, and leaving God aside. No, it will not work.
What will work is when you begin to do what God instructs you to do. Even faith will not work if it is not anchored on the word. Amen. And God will give us the grace to be able to connect properly in the mighty name of Jesus.
The way Jesus operated when he was here, he did just whatever he saw the Father do. That is what we should be doing here. And you see, God loves us too. This thing I am saying is not cast a stone; it is flexible.
Why do I say it is flexible? If you have a desire or a plan, what did God ask you to do? Commit it into his hands, and he made a promise that he will fulfill it.
But do not run ahead of him. If I want something, I can start praying about it, but do not move until God gives the go-ahead. I do not know whether you connect with what I am saying.
But by all means, whatever you are pursuing or running with, let it be heaven-sanctioned. That is when the power of God will be there effortlessly.
The Bible says whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. When you are aligned with God, when you are one with him, and when your purpose is united with him, it says that it is easier for this whole world to pass away than for his own word not to be fulfilled.
So if you are planted and rooted in God, that thing that can uproot you does not exist. They will try and they will move. You can be shaken, but you can never be uprooted. And you will be able to say boldly, “I am more than a conqueror.” Shout hallelujah!
So we have to take our priesthood very seriously. And I pray the Lord will grant us the grace to do that in the mighty name of Jesus.
Now, how do we go about our lives in this hostile environment? You know the world hates us; yes, they do. Psalm two declares that the kings of the world take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed.
That is where we find ourselves. The Bible says when we are in conflict, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. They are just against us.
They just do not want us. But we must overcome. Praise the Lord.
When you look at the book of Ephesians chapter six, verse twelve downwards, talking about the whole armor, when I look at those pieces of armor one by one, I see that embedded in each one of them is the word of God.
It is like an army that is on the war front. They are not there by themselves. The commander is wherever he is, whether at the base or at the headquarters, directing the actions of the soldiers. The foot soldier should be on the field, but when the foot soldier is disconnected from the command center, he is no longer working in consonance with what the nation is doing on the war front.
He is confused. He does not know what to do or how to approach the battle.
You will not be disconnected from heaven. You must do everything to make sure that you are connected with heaven and getting instructions.
That is what will ascertain your victory and ensure your success here.
Take the breastplate of righteousness; how do you know the right thing to do? From the word of God. Take the belt of truth; how do you know the truth? From the word of God.
Are you talking about faith? Take the shield of faith that has the potency to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy, all without exception.
There must be the word of God in faith, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Shout
That word of God is the substance of faith. When you say faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, you do not see it truly, but you have a word.
You do not see it truly, but you know heaven is backing you. Amen. You need that word to operate faith. That is the thin line that divides presumption from faith: that substance.
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