Come Up Hither : Time To Grow Up
The prevailing message in the body of Christ today seems to nurture victims rather than believers equipped to dominate as God intended. Yet, in Luke 19:13, Jesus commands, “Occupy till I come.” This instruction is a call to walk in dominion until His return. However, many believers today appear weak, defeated, and far from fulfilling this mandate.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30, “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have fallen asleep.” This weakness and lack of spiritual vitality result from failing to discern God’s Word and hear His voice for our generation.
The Vision of the Sword
I once had a vision while praying for people to enter the gates of Heaven. In this vision, I saw a realm in the Spirit designed to empower believers with greater resources, favor, and authority. Yet, only a few were able to walk through these gates unassisted. Many lacked the faith and revelation necessary to enter. Some appeared crippled, and when I asked about their condition, it was revealed that these disabilities were caused by their lack of faith and understanding of God’s Word.
This reminded me of the account of Jonathan and Saul in 1 Samuel 13:19-22. While Jonathan and Saul each had a sword, the rest of Israel was unarmed because the Philistines had removed all the blacksmiths, leaving God’s people defenseless.
This story reflects the modern church. The blacksmiths—representing the teaching ministries that mature and equip believers (see Ephesians 4:11-13)—are scarce. Instead of being empowered to wield their own spiritual swords, many Christians depend solely on their leaders to pray, exercise faith, and hear from God on their behalf.
An Unhealthy Equation
This over-reliance on men and women of God has created an unhealthy dynamic. Leaders are exalted while the rest of the church remains weak and unequipped. But just as the beauty of a tree is found in its branches and not just its trunk, the true strength of the church lies in all believers walking in dominion—not just a select few leaders.
As 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Every believer is called to take their place in God’s kingdom with authority and power.
A Call to Discernment and Growth
Many in the body of Christ remain weak and sick because they fail to discern the Lord’s body. To overcome this, we must grow in our understanding of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15) and embrace our individual call to live victoriously in Christ.
It is time to mature, to move away from dependency, and to walk boldly in the dominion God has already given us. As Ephesians 6:17 instructs, we must take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Let us rise as believers, fully equipped with the Word, discerning God’s voice, and fulfilling our mandate to occupy and dominate until Christ returns.
