Programme: Writing the Vision (February 2023)
Date: Saturday 18th February 2023
Transcript Summary
1. The way of the Spirit is the way of meekness. There are realms in God that can only be accessed by meekness; this is why we must embody meekness to the fullest. There are various degrees of meekness. Meekness is not just displayed towards higher authorities but also to those who are lower than us, and then to all men. We must become nothing, having no reputation, so that we can enter into higher realms of God. When we become nothing – not having a reputation – a lot of things would go smoothly, and we would gain entrance. It is a law in the realm of the spirit. As we climb higher in God, we must ascend in meekness.
2. What must characterize this year is our ascension in the spirit. We must be built this year; we must go up. There is no spiritual building without a way; this means there is no spiritual growth without a way. The essence of the 'way' is so that we can move from where we are to where we ought to be. There is no prosperity without walking in God's way. Our walk this year would affect everything about us, both spiritual and natural. Growth comes by walking in ways that God reveals to us. This way is being revealed and allocated to us according to our soul configurations. Everlasting life is all about changing configurations ‒ breaking down one configuration and moulding another one.
3. (2 Corinthians 3:18). We must change from the wrong formation or configuration we have in us. The glory we are beholding is an image, and we are to change into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). The reason for the ministration of everlasting life is to bring about the formation or change of nature in us. God comes against the formation of darkness by light and understanding.
4. (Psalms 1:1). The blessing in this verse is not the blessing of silver and gold (that is, natural substances); it is the blessing of growth and stature. Sinners have their own way according to Psalm 1. To stand in this way is to be settled and established in the way of sinners. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2). This law referred to here is not the ten commandments. Laws come as a result of revelation. In the realm of Christ, law refers to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Everlasting life also has laws. There are laws in the realm of Christ and the realm of everlasting life. A man is blessed when he meditates on these laws day and night.
5. The reason for meditation is so that we can do these laws. As Christ is being revealed to us, the laws that are in Christ would be revealed to us by the Holy Ghost so that we do not just have knowledge but also come into the way that configured Christ. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3). There is a “becoming” we attain when we walk in the way. This is a man that engages in the law of Christ. There is a becoming we attain when we engage the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
6. (Ephesians 2:1-2). The prince of the power of the air is in charge of the course of this world. Satan knows that when one walks in a kind of course, one would become a certain kind of person depending on how one walks. So Satan crafted a course for men to walk in, the end of which is that men would become children of wrath. The end of a man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly is that he would become like a tree that is planted by the riverside (Ps. 1:3). A tree is a stature. We must walk in the course of life so that we can become the right entity. Our walk (in the spirit) will result in our raising. This is why it is paramount that we walk this year. God is counting on us to walk. We rise and increase (in stature) by walking (in the spirit).
7. (Colossians 2:6). We start receiving Christ when He is revealed; this does not happen when we become born again. At the point of being born again, we believe in Jesus Christ and our spirits were quickened. When Christ is revealed and we agree with the revelation, we are receiving Him. As we receive revelation and theunderstanding of doctrine, we must walk in Him. (Coloss. 2:7) As we receive knowledge, we would be built up. God is interested in our building this year more than ever before. We cannot be built if we do not walk. We receive Christ Jesus by teaching, and we must walk in what we are taught. We need to be built because Zion is a building. Zion is built by obedience to the revelation of Christ to the peak. Zion is the foundation, so there is still another building that Zion will take. Zion must be built. We are built by receiving revelation and being committed to obedience.
8. We must take heed to ourselves and the doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16). Salvation has to be going on in a minister. As ministers, we must give ourselves to growth. Ministers must not accrue to themselves grounds that they have not covered in the spirit. Ministers must not ordain themselves because spirits fight them. Those who want to go to nations must be built against the spirits of those nations because spirits fight against nations.
9. Meekness is the only way we can beat spirits. Those evil spirits prosper in our ways because we are not meek. We must be shown a way to bring evil spirits down. We must not take more than our grace can handle. Ministers must know that it is not everyone they can minister to. The realm of the spirit is a realm of order. When you come out of that order, you have come to a place where evil spirits can prey on you. It takes humility to stay in alignment. Evil spirits tell us what we are and what we are not, and so many of us take laws into our hands and are consumed later. It is better and safe to underestimate ourselves and be confirmed by a higher authority later.
10. Everlasting life is the beginning of the realm of God. In the realm of God, They do not live for Themselves; what operates there is the law of selflessness. What brought about the trouble on earth is selfishness; Lucifer desired to be worshipped and this selfishness is what our personalities are woven around. He was obsessed with himself. "I will" is the root of selfishness (Isa. 14:13-14). In Christ, we start learning how to prefer one another. It is the "law of Christ" that prepares us for the "everlasting way". Christ deals with us so that we can let go of ourselves (that is, our natures). An angel (Lucifer) who was supposed to serve God turned because he was selfish; he was obsessed with his person and instead of worshiping God, he wanted to take worship (Ps. 103:20). Lucifer turned and became a seeker of self. Every sin can be traced to 'self'. We get angry, envious, jealous, bitter, etc because of self. It is the sin of the beginning.
11. (Matthew 16:24). If anyone will follow Jesus, he must forsake himself. The reason God would take a man through dealings is to take away 'self'. Our formation is not really of us; it is Satan's and it will stop us from getting God. To get God, we must follow Jesus (Jn. 14:6). So we must forsake ourselves by obedience to the doctrine of Jesus and follow the Lamb. The path of the Lamb is the path of selflessness all through. Selflessness is the law of the realm of God. We must be selfless, even in little things. The doctrine of Christ gives us the growth to be able to relate with the judgment of everlasting life. A carnal man cannot understand the commandments of selflessness. The doctrine of Christ would help us to accept the commandments. And instead of complaining, we should ask for grace.
12. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:24-25). The second ‘it’ used in verse 25 above is Jesus’ life, not the man’s. Understanding makes us know that the life we are keeping is not useful, so we ought to place value on the life of the Lord. Without that understanding, you will keep your life. When we hear teachings and preachings, we may not be able to say the things or even remember everything, but the Spirit of the message would go with us and begin to work in us.
13. It is growth that can make a man stand and live for others. We often do not like ourselves to be used by others. Satan was tired of being used by God and so he broke away and died; he lost his life (Matt. 16:25). The way of life is being painted to us, and it is a highway of holiness. Holiness is selflessness. Selfishness is unholiness. The Lord will raise us. The way of holiness is to deny ourselves. The more we grow, the lesser 'self' should manifest in our decisions and actions. Going higher is by aligning with judgment. Exaltation in God comes by aligning in ways and paths.
Blessings!