Die to Live

Abeiku Okai ministering on the street with demonstration

Man is created to live but after Adam all men are born to die. However, it is needful to note that while we are born to die we must also die to live. In fact, death gives room for life. Without dying living is impossible. Those who are living so well today are those who have died so much yesterday. If you cannot endure death you cannot enjoy life.

You must be ready to die for your dream in order to live for it. Martin Luther said, “If a man has not discovered something he will die for then he isn’t fit to live.”

I Died Before

I was praying in 2013 and the Spirit said to me, “I gave you life when your father died.” I did not understand it. I went to my grandmother and asked her about my childhood and she said, “When your father died in December, 1985 and your mother brought you and your siblings to Ghana the following year for the funeral, you fell sick and also died. Your grandfather and I refused to bury you because we just couldn’t accept that fact. We prayed and prayed. We were advised to give up and bury you but we just couldn’t see your widowed mother going through the pain of losing her child also. So we kept praying. Finally, around 12:00am on the third day, while we slept off, you woke up and requested for water. A great joy returned to us.”

I have tried to summarise the story as grandma told me. Indeed, this is a great testimony. I was too young to know about it. But the Spirit of the Lord whispered its substance into my ears and grandma confirmed it. My mother also told me I was suffering from asthma and that was what took my life away. Now, as a result of this grace to live after death, I have found greater passion to live for Christ in all my way. Thus my death in childhood has given me greater passion to live well in adulthood. Whenever I remember the fact that I have died before my spirit is ignited to live a more meaningful life. Until you taste death you cannot eat the bread of life.

Kenneth E. Hagan imparted his generation so well that till the end of the world, his voice will keep ringing in the ears of many believers in Christ. But his life in Christ sprang up when he narrowly escaped death as a young boy. In fact, he was already a dead boy just lying in bed waiting for his final breath when the Holy Spirit touched him to live again through Mark 11:23-24. He shared this testimony almost always because that death he faced gave him reason to live to the ultimate. He taught so much on faith because nothing apart from faith in God’s Word resurrected him from a dying condition. God’s Word is made practical by those who have tasted death. Apostle Paul who made a great impart in the body of Christ is a good example of the benefit of dying. He even asserted that he did not die once but was always delivered unto death and so death was constantly working in him.

For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,

that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:11-12)

Notice the phrase: we which live are alway delivered unto death.  Those who don’t face death are those who are not alive. And those who have not died before are those who have not conquered death. Jesus never conquered death until he died and resurrected. So have you died before? If not then you are not living with a purpose. Find the opportunity to die.

You must not always see death in the form of leaving the body – physical death. For while we are in the body, we must face death daily in order to overcome life and master it. Dying to live means more than physical death. It has to do with committing the crime of killing your comfort, your dignity, your pride, your appetite, your luxury, your extravagance, etc. in order to live fully well in the future. If you don’t die in your present you cannot live in your future. Come to the grave where you can bury yourself from pleasures and comfort until your dream comes alive, and then you resurrect from death.

 I believe when Nelson Mandela walked out of prison after twenty-seven years he was walking out of death. For he had declared, “I am not afraid to Die.” Being not afraid to die, he stood his ground, refused to compromise or quit his dream. All that moment he was dead. But what seems like thousands of years finally came to pass with him not only walking out of the grave but becoming the first black South African president. His death, which is the prison, also gave birth to the freedom from Apartheid for his people.

Until you die you will keep living for yourself. It is only after you die and resurrect that you can bless many lives, feed many mouths, mend many broken hearts, heal many sick, open the eyes of many blind, and cause many cripples to walk. Jesus said in John 12:24-25

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,

it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it;

and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  (John 12:24 -25)

As long as you have the seed of greatness within, you must die to bear fruit. Until you die your seed can benefit only you and probably your family – which I doubt. Death has several benefits. It makes you immune to things that detract you from your dream and keep you focus. This is known from some characteristics of a dead man.

1.       A dead man knows no shame  - When you die you don’t care what is shame. You just go forward without fear of being disgraced. As a result, you enjoy the adventures of life.

2.       A dead man knows no pain – The title of this book says No Pain No Gain. It is the dead man who does not feel any pain. No matter what you do to a dead man he won’t care. When you die you don’t care how much affliction you face. You just go ahead into your dream.

3.       A dead man does not worry – When you die you don’t worry about life. Life is full of so many head aching situations. If you don’t die you will be worrying all your life. Those who are so concerned and troubled about life are never living to the full.

4.       A dead man stands only before his maker – When a person dies his journey is towards heaven or hell. This means his face is no more toward the world but towards His maker. Thus, anybody alive but does not have God as his only focus has not died yet. He needs to die to the world and to sin so as to live fully in Christ.

5.       A dead man does not sin – The moment a person dies sin leaves hold of him. That is why it is essential to die with Christ. Those who make a practice of sin have not truly died with Christ. And if sin is your delicacy then you are not going to achieve any dream for God.

6.       A dead man has nothing to do with materialism – A dead man no more lives in the body so material things have no value to him. As a spiritual being, you must live in the spirit constantly so that the god of materialism would not be your master. Those who have achieved material things have not yet succeeded until they obtain immaterial heritage with the Father of our Lord Jesus.

7.       A dead man is not limited and restricted by the body – The body restricts the movement of the spirit. The spirit is actually trapped in the body. When you die it means your body has no more control over you. It is your spirit that is in control and as far as your spirit is in control you have no limit to the extent you want to go in life. Money, education, people, etc., cannot restrict or limit you.

8.       Only dead men have hope of resurrection ­– Resurrection is not for the living. All who die in Christ have the hope of resurrection. You may be dead to the pleasures, fashion and functions of today. But surely in the future you are going to resurrect to enjoy better pleasures, fashion and functions. This is why it is useless for people to criticize rich pastors. Do you know how many times he died when he started the ministry? Do you know how many pleasures he had to sacrifice just to come this far? If you criticise the rich vainly it means you are not ready for riches – and you will remain in poverty. I respect rich men because I never dream of welcoming poverty.

9.       A dead man is not moved to cry with the mourners - When a person dies people mourn him. But he would not cry with them. People who are dead don’t join mourners. There are too many mourners and complainers. When you die it means you don’t live on complains. You go ahead silently in the midst of storm. No wonder Jesus slept when the storm arose.

10.   A dead man knows no beauty and decoration – We find pleasures in overly decorating the dead. But he who is dead neither sees nor appreciates those unnecessary decoration and beauty. When you die it means that you are not living for the praise of men. And your purpose is not to gain fame and be seen by all men as blessed or most affluent. You would rather want to bless others in all your getting.