Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry (EGFM)
Programme: Believers’ Convention 2024 (Day 5 - Morning Session)
Date: Thursday, 22nd August, 2024
Speaker 2: Reverend Gabriel Esrom
Topic: Serving the Lord with All Your Heart
Transcript Excerpt
One of the major things God is doing in this Believers’ Convention is that He is purging us to raise us. God wants us to be obedient to His words. His words are His covenants; which means there is no covenant without words. When God wants to build a greater relationship, He enters into a covenant with man.
When God came to Abraham, He caused Abraham to leave His village (Gen. 12:1). Covenants last and outlive every man that God makes it with, even up to generations. God made a covenant with Abraham and he prospered. For any man to enter into such a covenant with God however, He would first take such a man through a lot of dealings. This is not necessarily because of a lack of trust, like in the case of Job. God comes to us sometimes to know what is in our hearts. God came to Abraham several times, and he made steady progress in walking with God. But when God wanted to take Abraham to a higher ground, He asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac, whom he loved (Gen. 22:2).
For God to take us to the next level, He has to take what we love. This is so that nothing in our hearts would compete with Him. Abraham sacrificed Isaac in his heart; he gave him up in his heart. This shows that what God is looking out for is the heart. God judges the heart. If we serve the Lord without our full hearts, we would not obtain the promise.
There are several church activities that can keep us away from God, such that we would be too busy. God has a way of breathing upon His people. When we give ourselves outside of the confines of God, we would lose strength and there would be nothing to keep us in the day of adversity. So, we must keep ourselves within the confines of His promise.
God loves us so much that He will reveal the end of a matter in a measure to us so that we will be able to run towards it. He shows us the landscape so that we will be able to run. He did it to the children of Israel when He took them out of the land of captivity. He told them that the land He was taking them to was one flowing with milk and honey, and He said He had given them the land.
When some people went to spy the land, they saw giants and feared (Num. 13:33). They saw giants because their hearts had not journeyed, so they did not see what the Lord had done. However, Joshua and Caleb held on to what God had said. They knew that the Lord had given them the land (Num. 13:30).
It is what we see that determines what we become. If we see ourselves as grasshoppers, God will not be able to help us. It is what we see that God will work with. Jesus healed the eyes of a man and that man saw men walking as trees (Mark 8:24). God then gave him a second touch. If Jesus were too busy, He might have not given him a second touch. Jesus is moving.
The woman with the issue of blood only needed one touch to get healed. Most times, it is our unbelief that makes Jesus give us a second touch. Jesus already lost a disciple (Judas) and was not ready to lose another, so after resurrection He came to show Himself to Thomas, so he could touch him. To save his soul, He came so He would be touched again. However, not everyone will have the opportunity of a second touch.
This opportunity we have is right before our eyes and it is going. The convention will soon be over and we will not gather again until next year. We all have to make up our minds to not miss what God is bringing at this time. If we think He is coming, we have missed it; this is because “He is come”. He is already here.
A new wine cannot be put in an old wine skin (Matt. 2:22). God has come in a new way because there is something new He is doing. It is not about the revelation, rather it is a walk. We have heard and received so much. It is now time to walk. Power is given to as many as received Him (John 1:12). We need power to become, and this is not the spectacular power that was prevalent in the old days. There is a depth we need to get to that will take us beyond the natural, else we would be unable to handle what is being talked about. God is doing a quick work and we have to be ready.
We should take heed to what we hear because it is what we hear that we become. We have to give attention to the sayings of the Lord. These sayings are coming to us, lines upon lines, precepts upon precepts. Evil days are coming and what will keep us standing are the things we will have within us.
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. [2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; [3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; [4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? [5] For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” (Heb. 2:1-5). There is something God has given to us. We should not lose them. We are gathering manna – food of salvation. We are gathering seeds and blessings, and we should not let them slip. When we go back to our respective places, we should not let them slip. We should keep them until they bear fruits.
Blessings!