Living From the 4th Dimension

by Sanyade Okoli

God has such a sense of humour. I had resigned myself to the fact that there would be no blog post this week as I didn’t have anything specific laid on my heart and I wasn’t about to make something up. I try to remind myself regularly that Just As I Am is not about me “pumping out posts” but about sharing what I believe the Lord would have me convey. And then, Gbam! The facilitator of my School of Prophets* group asked each of us to share what we had taken from today’s class. As I scribbled and scribbled the penny dropped – this is today’s blog post! Here goes! This one is Bible study o; but if you catch it and allow it go from your head to your heart, it will transform your life. Therefore, please read it prayerfully and meditatively.

Made, Created, And Formed

During today’s class, the speaker, Tomi Arayomi, woke me up to the fact that there are different words used in reference to human beings coming into existence. Upon further study, I learnt that there are three Hebrew words: • Asah – To make (Genesis 1:26) – To make or do something and can be by God or man. • Bara – To create (Genesis 1:27) – Usually by

God and mostly refers to the act of creation out of nothing. • Yatsar – To form (Geneses 2:7) – Best understood as the process of pressing clay together to form an object and can be by

God or man. I can’t lie for you; I don’t yet have a good understanding of the import of God using these different words but what is clear is that it is significant, and I need to do further study to get to the bottom of it. God is not haphazard so if He uses three different words, He must have done so intentionally. Our role is to “search out the matter” and apply it to our lives. What I do take from it, however, is that God first created us in heavenly realms (His thoughts and words have creative power), then formed our shell here on earth, before going on to breath His life into us. Therefore, we have the very essence of God in these our earthly vessels. Pause.

Our Multi-Dimensional Nature

In class, an analogy was used of a music album – the CD is the format whilst the sound is the content. With this in mind, God is the content within us, and our being forms are simply the format, the container or vessel which the spirit of God inhabits. Just because the content isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Of what use is the CD if it doesn’t “release” the content, its music? We can choose to live life and operate in this world based on our content or based on our format, the Spirit, or the flesh. Truly we are all multi-dimensional beings – in addition to our physical lives here on earth, there is a spiritual dimension to us. Too few people live with this understanding, and fewer still do so to the glory of God. Which one am I? Pause.

Seated In Heaven

From Ephesians 2:6 and Ephesians 1:20-23 we understand that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places far above all principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness in this age and the age to come. Essentially, by virtue of our position in Christ, we straddle heaven and earth (i.e. multidimensional). We can therefore either live from heaven to earth, or from earth to heaven. From what direction am I living? Pause. Our Dominion Nature We were made for dominion (Genesis 1:28) and we can only truly operate in this capacity when we live from a heavenly perspective. Bottom line? It’s all down to choices – our choices. Our decision to either live from the place of our true identity – one made in the image of God with His very life in us (i.e., a heavenly perspective), or from a worldly, carnal perspective (what men and the systems of this world say about us and how they define us). Whose definition of me am I basing my life on? The Lord’s or the world’s? In reality, a heavenly perspective on things will always supersede an earthly view. Pause.

Operating From A Higher Dimension

If in order to exercise our dominion, we need to operate on a higher dimension, what does this look like? • Aligning my thoughts with God’s • Aligning my words with God’s • Only doing what I see the Father doing. But then, how can I align my thoughts, words, and actions with His if I don’t know what He thinks, says and does? How would I know what He thinks, says and does, if I don’t spend time with Him – in His Word and in His presence? Not merely coming to Him to inform Him of how I feel and what I want but, instead, sitting at His feet to hear His heart – how He feels and what He wants. God so desires that of us. We truly need to have a deep revelation of who God is, who we are, and who He is to us in order to be and do all God has purposed for us. So, what does He want to say to me today, if I would only linger with Him a little? What does He want to say to others through me, if I would only take time to listen and hear? Pause.

Go Deeper To Live Higher

It all boils down to going deeper. Going deeper to go higher. We need to go deeper in the things of God in order to operate from a heavenly dimension. This reminds me of a seed which must first die before it can live. To live, we must continually die. We must be able to truly say, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT). Christ living within us gives that added dimension to our lives. The extent to which Christ lives within us, determines the extent to which we operate in the fourth dimension, and we have dominion here on earth. May we daily align with the words, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NKJV) Pause

Decision Time

Therefore, going forward, let us choose to live from the place of our true identity – ones made in the very image of God with His Spirit dwelling within us. Let us purpose to live as our true selves – ones seated in heavenly places with Christ, exercising dominion on earth. Any thought contrary to this is a vain imagination and must be pulled down – day after day, after day! Reflections

• What has the Lord been saying to you as you have prayerfully read through today’s post. Please journal it. • Ask Father God what He wants you to know today about your identity. • Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine His torch on the thought patterns you have which contradict all what the Lord has spoken to you today. • Ask Him where you learnt those limiting thought patterns and who you need to forgive. • Forgive the relevant person(s) and hand the limiting thoughts to the Lord. • Ask the Lord for His truth on the matter(s).

Sanyade Okoli is the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha African Advisory Limited, a financial advisory business based in Lagos, Nigeria. She has over 25 years of financial advisory; private equity; corporate, commercial and management finance; and auditing experience. Sanyade is in the inner healing ministry and recently started an inspirational blog, www.justasiam.ng. She is particularly passionate about helping women to fulfil their potential. Sanyade is married with four children.