Dearly Beloved,
It may interest you to know that what inspired my periodic writing some 6 years ago was a burden I caught when I saw how via ministrations that crept into churches, “gold” was being substituted for “brass” (2 Chron. 9-10) and how this was limiting the Lord from blessing believers with Himself; with His riches (Eph. 1:3). This has been an EARTH-BOUND, MAN-CENTERED HOPE that has been handed to believers over the decades, and now a few of these has been with a “form” that lacks God’s power (1 Tim. 3:5). It has been branded as MOTIVATIONAL/SUCCESS MESSAGES, it has a hope that aligns with this fallen life (1 Cor. 15:19), it’s eternally different from the HOPE OF THE GOSPEL (Col. 1:23) that was HIDDEN IN GOD FOR AGES (Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:26).
“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” (1Cor. 2:4).
As far as the heavens is from the earth, so far is the difference in content of many MESSAGES today from THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS (1Cor. 2:1).The actual Gospel was so weighty that the Lord couldn’t unveil it during His walk on earth but declared it in parables (Matt. 13:34) and later prayed to the Father to send the Holy Ghost whom alone can enable a believer to UNDERSTAND HIS PARABLES, DISCERN CHRIST AND HIS GOSPEL. The unveiling of Christ is not the primary focus of such meetings and hardly would you ever find the manifestations and demonstrations of the Spirit and of Power (1 Cor. 2:4) there. To be taught the actual gospel, believer must start by coming under the auspices of the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and Revelation (Eph. 1:17, Isa 11:2a-b).
The singular motive of the Gospel of Christ is to ultimately grant believers access to partake of the Righteousness of God (Rom. 1:16), the Peace of God (Rom. 3:17, Rom. 14:17, Isa. 32:17) and the Joy of the Lord (Neh. 8:10, Ps. 16:11, Jn. 16:24, Heb. 12:2), but none of Jesus audience including his disciples could clearly comprehend or transact with these weighty promises (Heb. 5:11, Jn. 16:12-13). They were at the mercy of having encounters with the person of the seven Spirits of the Lord (Isa. 11:2, 61:1, Rev.1:4) who is the administrator of everything that has to do with the receiving of the Kingdom (Rom. 14:17, Heb. 12:28, Rom. 5:6g).
When the church was born in Acts chapter two, all the apostles started out as Apostles of The Sincere Milk of The Gospel, and we see the ephemeral Provisions of God's Hand through exploits of miracles that reached unbelievers. The apostles doctrines (Acts 2:42) gave young/carnal believers a Foundation of Faith (Heb. 6:1c-d/2) and this was advertising somethings that remained hidden (mysterious), i.e. Eternal Provisions of God’s Face Which Was Later Kept in the Custody of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6, 3:18, Num. 6:25-27).
A later time came, when the disciples made apostles, who initially KNEW JESUS IN THE FLESH (2Cor. 5:16), exhausted the provisions of the milk of the gospel and couldn’t relate with the MINISTRY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (2Cor.3:8, 9b) which was needed to skillfully handle and communicate the WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Heb.5:13b) and ESTABLISH THE SAINTS IN THE GOSPEL (Rom. 16:25-26). They divinely located a vessel, formerly known as Paul of Tarsus (Gal. 2:9), and because he encountered CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT (Gal. 1:15-16a, 2Cor. 5:16), He was in a position to instruct them his revelations of Christ (spiritual wisdom - 2Pet. 3:15).
“Now to him that is of power to Establish you according to My Gospel, and the Preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the Revelation of The Mystery, which was Kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the Commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the Obedience Of Faith..” (Rom. 16:25 – 26).
- Simply put, the VEILED scriptures of the prophets including Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah etc contained Spiritual Understanding of Salvation that needed to be UNVEILED to the church (1 Pet. 1:10-11)
- Obedience to Faith here is to the elementary faith described in Mk. 11:22 or Eph. 1:15 as ‘Your Faith’ but rather, the faith that was later revealed In Christ (Acts. 26:18e, Phil. 3:9d)
“Of which Salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace That Should Come Unto You: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the Glory that should follow…” (1 Pet. 1:10 - 11).
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the Grace That Is To Be Brought Unto You At The Revelation Of Jesus Christ (i.e. of his gospel)..” (1 Pet. 1:13).
While other Apostles later aligned with the Ministry of Revelation needed to migrate from Believing In Christ unto Knowing Christ, Apostle Paul was the first saint to comprehend the parables/gospel of Christ which:
1. Employs the skillful use of The word of Righteousness (Heb. 5:13b) to communicate purely spiritual meals that pertains to The Righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), which was IMPUTED to the human spirit at new birth but has to be IMPARTED to the soul as we journey from Faith to Faith (Rom. 1:16).
2. Explains the FAITH OF GOD'S OPERATION (Col. 2:12b) as an eternal power that raised Jesus from the dead
3. Explains the three fold kind of kingdom compliant companies as Children (1Jn. 2:12, 13d), Young Men (1Jn. 2:13) and Fathers (1Jn. 2:13a, 14a)
4. Carries the eye salve that should anoint the eyes of our heart/understanding to discern the difference between The Promises/Good Reports of Heb. 11:2-39b and The Promise of Heb. 10:36, 1Jn. 2:25, 2Pet. 1:4, so we can seek such while it may be found (Isa. 55:6)
5. Calls upon all nations to escape spiritual corruption by Acquiring Knowledge of Our Inheritance In God (2Pet. 1:3-4) as we journey from the BELIEVING EXPERIENCE OF FAITH (1Tim. 2:4a, 2Tim. 1:12, Heb. 6:1c-d, 6:2) to the OBEDIENCE EXPERIENCE OF FAITH (1Tim. 2:4b, Pet. 1:2c, Rom. 1:5, 16:26c, Heb. 5:9)
The day a believer begins to marvel daily like Apostle Paul did in Rom. 11:33 about the depth of the wisdom of God, and how unsearchable His riches are, that confirms such a one has started Sighting The Kingdom and is being prepared for an Entrance Into The Kingdom (2 Pet. 1:11).
Father Abraham longed to see the day we presently live in (Jn. 8:56, Jn. 8:56, Eph. 5:8b, 2Pet. 1:19); the day which he typified by his faith to faith walk; the day when men would receive God not just in their Spirit, but also in their Souls and Bodies. May we be foolish enough before the world (1Cor. 3:18) to embrace the actual gospel of Christ while it is available to us, amen.
Bless You!
Tayo Fasan