Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry (EGFM)
Programme: Writing the Vision Prayer Meeting Day 3 (WTVPM Day 3-September Edition)
Date: Wednesday, 21st September 2022
Generally, the Church has been living below the standard of the New Testament and what it entails. Although the Church has seen moves of the spirit, there is a demonstration of the Spirit that the present-day Church is yet to come into. The early Church journeyed fast to a good degree. The understanding that was brought to them was a heavy download, for it was a season of the download of Christ. The true Testament of Christ is found in everlasting life. This means the season of the declaration of everlasting life is the New Testament.
When one has inherited the conversation of Christ – Faith, Hope, and Charity – he is ready for the New Testament. The testimony of Christ begins by teaching us to deny ourselves; to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Tit. 2:12). Ungodliness and worldly lust have their roots in self, and the doctrine of Christ is the instrument for dealing with self. The doctrine of Christ prepares us for the journey into the fullness of salvation because, without Christ, we cannot see God.
The first-century church could journey well because of the download that heaven gave Paul. Paul was a man that the Lord completely took over. The Lord encountered him this way because he was a man of strength (Gal. 1:13-14). The Lord weakened him so that he could have an entrance into the gospel the way he did. Another man who also had this manner of strength was Jacob, but God weakened him because He needed to bring forth a testament through him. Hence, it is evident that the testament is of no effect without the death of the testator (Heb. 9:16). Another example of such men was Moses.
The Old Testament comprises the law and the prophets, also known as Moses (2 Cor. 3:15). This testament had a mediator –- one who stands in between. By God’s instruction, Moses used the blood of goats and calves (Heb. 9:19) but in himself, he was the mediator. The blood of the goats and calves was only a figure of his own blood or his life. The offering of his blood was the offering of his life.
Before this time, Moses was a man of strength. He was a warrior who led a notable war in the history of Egypt against the Ethiopians. But just like Paul, God arranged circumstances around him to deliver him from self. He lived in the house of his father-in-law and served him. Through that process of service, everything he had acquired in Egypt was taken from him. When God wants to end an epistle in a man, He brings him through the wilderness.
The wilderness is not a place where a man can prosper. It is an unpalatable experience because it is dry, empty, and lacks inspiration. All things die in the wilderness. The only things that can thrive in the wilderness are spirits. The wilderness is where a man can be made weak and brought to his end. God uses the wilderness to weaken one who would be a mediator. Unless the mediator of a testament is weakened, such a person will use the testament for himself. By virtue of his dealings, Moses could mediate effectively between God and the people of Israel. He could intercede on their behalf when God wanted to destroy them.
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Heb. 9:15). There also exists a Mediator of the New Testament – our Lord Jesus. The strength of a testament is seen in the extent of its lastingness; that is, how much the life it offers will last. No life would last if it cannot deal with death. Before the testament of Moses, there was the testament of Abel, which is the testament of the living soul. This testament lasted for a while until death proved its strength. However, the New Testament that is in God is the everlasting testament, and it can deal with death.
The transgression of the first testament (the testament of the living soul) was the legal ground that death had over it. Death is the testament of a cherubim, so it was higher than the testament of the living soul. It was a testament of life that was corrupted and turned into death. Those who were under the first testament had to be redeemed from the transgression which held them bound to death. When one is redeemed, he is called to receive a promise of Eternal inheritance.
“For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” (Heb. 9:16). Abel became the mediator of the testament of the living soul, not Adam. This was because he captured a conversation when he offered a more excellent sacrifice (Heb. 11:4). Hence, the Bible compares the blood of Jesus with that of Abel (Heb. 12:24). Besides Abel, there were some other men who bore the testimony of a living soul. These men were a figurative description of what would happen to us. One common characteristic of all testators was that their lives were taken; Moses, Abel, and the men mentioned in Hebrews 11 were testators and they were slain to testify or bear witness of a life (conversation).
“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. [32] And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. [33] He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.” (John 3:31-33). The strength of a testament is in its weakness. What comes from above is a life and this life is above all. This means that this life is the highest testament. We come to live in the New Testament when we embody the testament; this is God’s desire for us. Jesus has a testimony in that He has seen and heard God’s testament. The evidence of one who has seen God is that such is a Son of God. One cannot be a Son of God without having His Testament.
To see God is to see and receive His testament, which is His life. No man can receive this testimony because it is high; only Christ can. Hence, it is said that Christ is the preparation for receiving the New Testament. We can not come into the seal of the true God without receiving Everlasting Life, which is the New Testament. The reason for the New Testament is to receive the seal of the true God (John 3:33).
God’s intention is that we should also become testators. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Testament and one cannot receive His testimony without being a testator. A testator is a witness. It would only take a witness to effectively minister that testament. If the testament is in a man, it demands that the life of the testament must be expressed. Therefore, the life of the testator has to be taken. The process of taking the old life is what makes the testator weak and it begins with the tutelage of Christ. The entire journey of Christ entails the denial of one’s life, but it does not end in denial. This is because there is still the possibility of taking on the old life, even after denial has lasted for a while.
After the process of denial, there will come a time when that life will be demanded from one. It is at this point that the life of the testament can come into force. This process takes place internally. Before one can be a witness, he must have come to a place where he is written upon, having been apprehended by the Lord. After that comes the dedication of the testament, which is the shedding of the life of the testator. When the testator is being written upon, he is being made a book (that can be read of men).
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: [16] To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:15-16). A savour is a sacrifice that can produce a smell that will be pleasing to God. When we have been written upon, we are empowered to emit a sweet smell and be a savour everywhere we find ourselves. The life of a testator is to be written on the man and if a man does not allow his life to be taken, he would write his own life on others. As such, Jesus did not yield to self but waited on the Father before doing anything.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20). We can not be testators when our lives are still intact. Our lives have to be the blood used to dedicate the testament. Saviours that would arise from Zion (Obad. 1:21) are not just prayer warriors, they are those who have been given the ink of the living God to write on men. Such men are savours to God. We are set on fire so that we can give fragrance and praise to God.
“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19). There is a weakness that is demanded of everlasting life; our Lord Jesus got to this point. Jesus could of himself do nothing. Even if he wanted to do so, He could not. This is weakness and this was what Jesus used to bring down the prince of this world (Satan). Satan is very strategic, for he was a son also. We cannot experience a life without experiencing the weakness of that life (1 Cor. 15:43). Meekness would allow the power of the New Testament to be unleashed in us.
When everlasting life is activated, we would live better. Many times, commandments are not understandable, like in the case of Abraham. But we must obey because there is something at stake — God wants to give us Himself. It is as we keep statutes and judgements that we would qualify for Eternal inheritance.
Eternal Life is everlasting life multiplied, while everlasting life is the learning of Christ that has been stretched to the point of being everlasting. Then, it becomes multiplied. But there would not be a multiplication for a seed except it falls and dies (Jn. 12:24). God wants to bring everything to the level of Eternal Life. The key to attaining this is meekness. We need to be weak so that we can be saved, for through weakness, we are being given speed. This is the wisdom of God.
Blessings!
Summary
1. A testament is of no effect without the death of the testator (Heb. 9:16). One common characteristic of all testators in the scriptures is that their lives were gradually taken from them. This is why men like Moses, Abel, Jacob, Paul, Jesus and the men in Hebrews 11 were led in the path of weakness called death.
2. The wilderness is where a man can be made weak and brought to his end. This is why God uses the wilderness to weaken one who would be a mediator.
3. The strength of a testament is seen in the extent to which the life it offers will last. No life would last if it cannot deal with death. The New Testament that is in God is the everlasting Testament that can deal with death.
4. We are living in the New Testament when we embody the Testament; this is God’s desire for us. The only man who can receive this testimony is Christ. The tutelage of Christ prepares us to receive the New Testament (everlasting life).
5. God’s intention is that we should also become testators. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Testament and one cannot receive His testimony without being a testator. A testator is a witness. It would only take a witness to effectively minister that Testament.
6. Before one can be a witness, one must have come to a place where he is written upon, having been apprehended by the Lord. After that comes the dedication of the Testament, which is the shedding of the life of the testator. When the testator is being written upon, he is being made a book (that can be read of men).
7. A savour is a sacrifice that can produce a smell that will be pleasing to God. When we have been written upon, we are empowered to emit a sweet smell and be a savour everywhere we find ourselves (2 Cor. 2:15-16).
8. The life of a testator is to be written on a man; but if the man does not allow his life to be taken, he would write his own life on others. As such, Jesus did not yield to self but waited on the Father before doing anything.
9. We cannot be testators when our lives are still intact (Gal. 2:20). Our lives must be the blood used to dedicate the Testament. Saviours that would arise from Zion (Obad. 1:21) are those who have been given the ink of the living God to write on men.
10. There is a weakness that is demanded in everlasting life; our Lord Jesus got to this point – a place where He could do nothing of himself (John 5:19). This is the weakness that Jesus used to bring down the prince of this world (Satan).
11. We must obey commandments even when they are not understandable because there is something at stake – God wants to give us Himself. It is as we keep the statutes and judgements of God that we would qualify for eternal inheritance.
12. We cannot experience a life without experiencing the weakness of that life (1 Cor. 15:43). There would not be multiplication for a seed, except it falls and dies (John 12:24). We need to be weak so that we can be saved. Through weakness, we would be given speed for growth. This is the wisdom of God.