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Programme: |
Believers Convention Prayer Meeting 2021 (Week1, Day2) |
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Date: |
June 15th 2021 |
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Powered by: |
Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry (EGFM) |
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Minister: |
Rev. Kayode Oyegoke |
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“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.” (1 Cor. 2:1). The testimony of God in this scripture speaks of the testimony of Christ. The person of Christ is clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 1:24 as “the power of God” and “the wisdom of God”. In the same way, Christ is the “testimony of God”. The word “of” in the New Testament has two meanings. Firstly, it talks about the offspring of a thing or what leads to a thing. Secondly, it talks about the very composition of a thing. There is the testimony of Christ that leads to a higher testimony called the testimony of God.
One who has the testimony of Christ preaches the cross of Christ. On the other hand, one with excellency of speech appeals to flesh. There are ministers with eloquence and good dictions but they are not meeting the spiritual needs of the flock. This is not the attitude of a true shepherd. “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2). Ministers of God must be determined not to know any other thing among the flock except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Some ministers preach Jesus and exempt His crucifixion. When you remove crucifixion from a message, it is no longer the message of the cross.
“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.” (1 Cor. 2:3). A cross bearer is one who is not dependent on his strength. Men of testimony are always weak. They also tremble so much because they know that the more they tremble, the more access they are granted into the message. You cannot bring out the cross from the testimony except you are one who trembles.
The cross is a mystery. To preach the cross is to preach the wisdom of God. When you preach the actual wisdom of God, souls will be redeemed. To preach the cross is not to preach good conduct; it is to unveil or x-ray the evil that is in the world. When the cross is truly preached, no flesh will gracefully embrace it because it comes against the flesh. No man can escape the edge of the cross because the cross goes after what a man holds as life.
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption…” (1 Cor. 1:30). These provisions are the things that make up Christ and it is wisdom that guards all these things. As such, these things will not be unveiled without wisdom. God made Christ wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and concluded Him in redemption. These four provisions are pastures for the flock who will become Christ. The flock must have an impartation of wisdom. They will become wise when they eat wisdom. This is because the flock are supposed to be wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). Righteousness is another dimension of wisdom or judgement in Christ Jesus. This is followed by sanctification and ultimately redemption. These provisions are the tools of the cross; they are the power of God. When these things are being taught, what is being taught is Christ and Him crucified.
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:5). The “faith” here speaks of Christ or the power of God. One’s reliance should not rest on the ability of flesh but in the power of God. The word “power’ speaks of how God gets things done. A whole lot of people can hear faith but may not yet have the power. People who stay in the power of God can be known through their stand in times of trials.
The “wisdom of men” speaks of the counsel of the ungodly. Such men speak so well but they do not touch Christ. Some men think that the gospel is not just about teaching or preaching but that was the same pattern God used from the beginning. In Genesis 1, God spoke things into being. The power to bring such things into reality was activated by words. God's design is that without preaching via words, there cannot be power.
Man’s wisdom is the power that men use or engage. This is how men live by the wisdom of this world called the power of Satan. However, you unteach the wisdom of Satan in men when you teach Christ. When you teach righteousness, you unteach the unrighteousness that has been wrought by Satan in men. This is what it means to teach redemption which means freedom. As such, you are delivering people from the captivity of Satan when you teach redemption. To teach redemption is to release men from the hold and the captivity of Satan. Although, Jesus held captivity captive (Eph. 4:8), we must still be taught to be delivered from the captivity of Satan (Eph. 4:11-13).
Christ is the wisdom that leads to God’s wisdom. This wisdom of Christ is the making of the spiritual man. The purpose of this wisdom is to unwind you from the hands of evil spirits who are intentionally crafty and very smart. Nothing astounds the world of principalities and powers in heavenly places but wisdom.
What makes scripture weighty is understanding. Understanding is a demonstration of the Spirit; it is not a gift of the Spirit. Wisdom, counsel and might are also demonstrations of the Spirit. Understanding is a weighty matter in the spirit and spirits do not joke with one who has understanding.
“For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isa. 66:2). The man whom God will look upon is one who trembles at His word. Every trembling is an access to a testimony. The wisdom of God is an ingredient in the spirit; it can make a man spiritual. However, the church is currently not learning this wisdom. What the church is currently learning are teachings of motivational speakers. This is the wisdom of Satan to keep the church under its reign. Such teachings are dung in the spirit.
“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought…” (1 Cor. 2:6). It is one who is Christ (the perfect man) that God will teach this wisdom. God will never teach anyone who is not Christ this wisdom. One who has been crucified with Christ is a perfect man who is ready to be taught God’s wisdom (1 Cor. 2:2). This perfect man who is crucified with Christ constitutes the flock of God ready to receive glory. Therefore, God will teach such a man His wisdom.
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9). These things are pastures for them that love God. However, you must have practiced love towards your brother to be able to love God. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (1 John 3:14). There is a way you will practice fervent love and you will pass from death to life. This love of the brethren is the last love in the Holy Place that qualifies one to go further into the Most Holy Place. You are meant to love the brethren into the Most Holy Place the same way Jesus loved His own to the end (John 13:1).
The flock of God are the ones set for the demonstration of God’s wisdom by the Head of the church. These are the sheep that Jesus is fully involved with in the area of shepherding; they follow Him wherever He goes (Rev. 14:4). This does not mean other sheep do not follow Him but they do not follow Him to the extent that these sheep do.
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9). According to this scripture, the sheep will go in twice. They will "go in and out" to find the pasture. The going in talks about going into the Holy Place. The going out talks about one who is expected to step out of the Holy Place and go further into the Most Holy Place to be fed. This means going out according to this scripture does not mean going back to the Outer Court; it is to go further into the Most Holy Place to find pasture. This is how the Shepherd will give us Eternal Life. Jesus never leads us backwards; He leads us further and deeper. We cannot retrogress as long as we are following Him.