Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry EGFM
Programme: Writing the Vision (September Edition)
Date: Saturday, 24th September 2022
To come into a state of godliness and divine nature, one must go through all the processes involved. These processes are to undo the things the enemy has done in man. In previous times, the enemy had used different ways to work in man. However, in this season, the enemy is moving further into evil.
“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor. 1:24-25). One cannot access the wisdom and power of God without going through processes that will interpret the wisdom and power of God in one's life. “Men” in this scripture refers to all men, including men of the heavens; and it refers to the different soul grades.
The foolishness of God, as displayed by Jesus during His earthly sojourn, is referred to as the sacrifices of God. The Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12) are the things that God receives; they are the sacrifices of God that enable a man to inherit the Kingdom. They are the sacrifices of God that open the gates into the different measures of life – the provisions of life and peace and Eternal Life.
The everlasting covenant is based on everlasting sacrifices. The weaknesses of God are His sacrifices; His vulnerabilities are His sacrifices. Men despise the foolishness of God and His weaknesses. His foolishness and weaknesses are grounds from which His life flows. It takes weakness for a woman to bring forth a new life and she requires a lot of help. This shows us that even in nature, there is no access to life without being made weak.
To make a vine bring forth much fruit, it has to be pruned; and to yield abundance (John 15:2), a corn of wheat has to fall to the ground (John 12:24). There is no life without this pattern. This pattern follows anybody that comes into life and peace and into Eternal Life; every passage from one dimension of life to another requires this. The book of Psalms describes this as the sacrifices of God (Ps. 51:17). There are sacrifices of God that are required for transitioning into the various levels of life.
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor. 1:25-26). Satan preyed on the weakness that he saw in Adam and Eve. He thought that he could take advantage of that weakness. He did not realise that the weakness was the strength of God which He was hiding. The princes of this world did not recognize that Jesus was hiding God’s strength, or else they would have not crucified Him (1 Cor. 2:8).
Our calling is embellished in foolishness because it is through the foolishness of preaching that we will be saved and through weaknesses that we will be brought into salvation. To find entrance into the high calling of God, we will be brought into the foolishness and weakness of God. Our calling is tied to these things and our salvation is laid in them. This is so that the enemy will be avenged.
If God faced Satan with His full strength, the enemy would accuse Him of being stronger. This is why He is bringing forth His weakness against the wisdom of the enemy. This is so that when the victory has been wrought, we may see that the enemy was destroyed by the weakness of God.
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33). God’s foolishness and weakness are His ways. To fulfil our calling, we must be ready to be led in the path. We are going to be led through many foolish things. Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). The wisdom of man does not understand this pattern but thinks it takes gathering to be made rich. However, the wisdom of the Lord teaches that scattering abroad makes riches.
The foolishness of God will touch our finances, material life and marriages. The weaker vessel in marriage, which is more honourable, speaks of life everlasting (1 Peter 3:7). The weaker vessel is a soul that has obtained the incorruptible nature.
“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; [2] while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.” (1 Peter 3:1-2). The first sign of a weaker vessel is that it remains in subjection (1 Peter 3:1). Therefore, one who is not in subjection is a strong vessel. In marriage, men and women find out the weaknesses of their spouses. Because of what Sarah knew, she bore the weakness of Abraham.
The type of woman in 1 Peter 3 will generate something that can go against the formation of her disobedient husband, even while being a weaker vessel. There was something God hid in that weakness. Satan did not know that God hid a wisdom in Eve who was the weaker vessel. Eventually, it was the seed of the woman that was ordained to bruise the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Satan took advantage of her vulnerability by going to her instead of Adam. Unknown to him, that weakness was her strength. Therefore, our sisters should not be ashamed of their weaknesses.
Fear is another attribute of weakness (1 Peter 3:2). Jesus, in the days of His flesh, offered up prayers in fear (Heb. 5:7). Fear is a sacrifice and we need it to depart from evil, else we would love evil.
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel…” (1 Peter 3:3). This verse was not referring to the outward appearance. What God wants us to adorn ourselves with is a manner of man. That man is a hidden man that cannot be easily seen by the devil. That man is hidden from the face of the present because he is too little. It takes the hidden wisdom of God to raise such a man. It speaks not of the outward man but of the heart and sacrifices (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Sacrifices, weakness and vulnerability are properties of the heart. These allow God to have a way in our hearts by taking resistance away. The kind of heart that cannot be corrupted is a heart that is in subjection; it is this heart that is a weak vessel. In our weakness, we will attain a state where nothing can corrupt us. A baby cannot be tempted by bands of money because it is weak, therefore incorruptible.
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1 Peter 3:4). God wants to bring us to a state where we are incorruptible. This requires being made weak. To attain incorruptibility, we have to be made weak. To be of great price in the sight of God is ‘so great salvation’ (1 Peter 3:4). This arrangement of heart that is in subjection to one’s husband is of great price.
The husband of the unmarried is Christ and we must all be in subjection to Him. Also, when we move to the realm of the Son of God, we must be in subjection to the High Priest. Dealings will be arranged to make us subjected to Him. The seven spirits of the Lord will orchestrate dealings for us to be made weak. We must allow ourselves to be subject to such dealings for conversations to be brought forth.
“For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands.” (1 Peter 3:5). One who is of a meek and quiet spirit is of the incorruptible nature. They are the sacrifices of God and are attributes of a weak vessel (Psalm 51:17). Also, they are adornments for holy women (1 Peter 3:5).
We must first become holy to use such adornments; that is, we must first be Christ (spiritual). These adornments are repulsive to a carnally-minded man. The mind of a feminist cannot accept such things. The world does not accept weakness or vulnerability. It takes holy women to adorn themselves. If wives are not holy, they would not be able to subject themselves to their husbands or Christ, and neither will they be able to couple subjection with fear. This is not fear for a man, but the fear of disobeying God. We must recognize that not doing these things is disobedience against God.
Another characteristic of weaker vessels is that they trust in God (1 Peter 3:5). Jesus was buried trusting in God because it was possible that He would not return from death. For a woman to be in subjection as she ought to, she must trust God. The earth teaches men not to trust but to be suspicious. Satan fights trust. The popular saying "trust no man but God" is satanic advice because no one can trust God without being able to trust the saints.
“Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” (1 Peter 3:6). We cannot obey unto everlasting life if we are not being made weak. Sarah obeyed Abraham, a man, and called him “lord”. Some of us cannot accept such because we do not have trust. This is how to do well in continuance, as we seek for glory, honour, immortality and Eternal Life (Rom. 2:7).
We are all daughters in our souls (2 Cor. 6:18). Daughters have the attributes of obedience, and subjection to the Lord coupled with fear and trust in the Lord. We must do well and not be afraid. When we become weak, our fear is taken care of (1 John 4:18). All of mankind has been brought under the bondage of the fear of death. We can spend our lifetime in service of fear (Heb. 2:15). The only way one can be delivered from that fear is by being made weak.
If we are not made weak, we will remain under the bondage of fear and serve the fear of tomorrow, of men and of uncertainty. The world is moving to uncertainty; nothing is sure and mankind will be held under that bondage. However, God has promised deliverance from that bondage for our lifetime to be spent in service to God because He will deliver us from all our fears.
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7). Husbands are to dwell with these kinds of women with knowledge. Dwelling with them without knowledge can lead to trouble because God will fight for them. We need to honour such women because they are of great price in the sight of God. This requires discernment and judgement, which is what the knowledge of God provides. They need to be treated with a divine sense.
The weaker vessel is subject to her husband, coupled with fear, and has an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. These types of women may seem vulnerable and spirits would think they can easily be ridden upon. It may seem foolish but it is the wisdom of God.
As the Lord begins to stir our hearts, we must not see these things as grievous but as beautiful. It is beautiful to be weak. As such, it should be our holy ambition. Jacob became the Israel of God who had power both with God and man (Gen. 32:28). However, Jacob had to be broken to come to that level. This is a season for conversations and heaven will give us the grace to respond to dealings and yield to them. We are not going to seek a quick way out but will endure the discipline and chastening of the Lord.
Blessings!
Summary
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To come into a state of godliness and divine nature, one must go through all the processes involved. These processes are to undo the things that the enemy has done in man.
-
The everlasting covenant is based on everlasting sacrifices. The weaknesses of God are His sacrifices; they are the grounds from which His life flows.
-
To find entrance into the high calling of God, we will be brought into the foolishness and weakness of God. Our calling is tied to these things and our salvation is laid in them. This is so that the enemy will be avenged.
-
Fear is an attribute of weakness (1 Pet. 3:2). Jesus, in the days of His flesh, offered up prayers in fear (Heb. 5:7). Fear is a sacrifice and we need it to depart from evil; else we would love evil.
-
God wants us to adorn ourselves with the hidden man (1 Pet. 3:3) that cannot be easily seen by the devil. It takes the hidden wisdom of God to raise such a man.
-
Sacrifices, weakness and vulnerability are properties of the heart. The kind of heart that cannot be corrupted is a heart that is in subjection. It is this heart that is a weak vessel. It is in our weakness that we attain incorruptibility.
-
God wants to bring us to a state where we are incorruptible and this requires us to be made weak. To be of great price in the sight of God is ‘so great salvation’ (1 Pet. 3:4). The arrangement of the heart of a wife that is in subjection to her husband is of great price to God.
-
One who is of a meek and quiet spirit is of the incorruptible nature. They are the sacrifices of God and are attributes of a weak vessel (Psa. 51:17).
-
If wives are not holy, they would not be able to subject themselves to their husbands nor Christ; neither will they be able to couple subjection with fear. This is not fear for a man, but the fear of disobeying God. We must recognize that not doing these things is disobedience against God.
-
If we are not made weak, we will remain under the bondage of fear and serve the fear of tomorrow, of men and of uncertainty. God has promised deliverance from that bondage for our lifetime to be spent in service to God.
-
Husbands are to dwell with these subjective women with knowledge (1 Pet. 3:7). We need to honour such women because they are of great price in the sight of God. This requires discernment and judgement, which is what the knowledge of God provides.
-
The weaker vessel is subject to her husband, coupled with fear; and has an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. This woman may seem vulnerable and foolish to man but exhibits the wisdom of God.