Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry (EGFM)
Programme: Writing the Vision (November Edition)
Date: Saturday, 19th November 2022
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” (Heb. 10:1). The truth that we are receiving are things pertaining to God; they are the things that will bring us to God (John 13:3). ‘Good things to come’ are the things that pertain to God which are the things that will make us perfect. They are also the things that will end up seeing to it that many whom God has numbered amongst this company will be taken from amongst men. This subject matter started when God began to speak about the calling to take us from among flesh.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch not the unclean thing; And I will receive you…” (2 Cor. 6:17). The word ‘them’ in the verse above refers to flesh or the world. When this calling has been actualised, a separation has taken place and such a person can be received as a priest. The essence of the teaching of the everlasting gospel is to accelerate the pace at which a company of believers can come to the full age of Christ, or have the covenant of life and peace. A Christ company refers to people who have kept the commandment of faith till it peaked in charity.
The reason God took the children of Israel through the process in the wilderness was to craft a way in their hearts (Duet. 8:2-3). When Jesus was responding to Satan at the temptation at Jordan, He was not just quoting scriptures, He was responding with a construction of a life that He had fetched while living by this scripture.
‘Way’ refers to a nature or a formation. The ways of the Lord are the things that are encapsulated in His name or nature. All the declarations of the name of the Father are so that His ways can be constructed in us. When His ways are in us, God can come to us. The Lord starts the business of separation for the purpose of constructing a way for Him to come.
Heaven’s relationship with the earth has always been a business of separation from arrangements against the ways that the Lord would take to raise a priest out of a soul. It is a priest that can see salvation because he has been taken from amongst the world and flesh. God is still taking some out of the estate of flesh, where they judge by the sighting of their eyes, the hearing of their ears, and the use of their carnal minds. When this takes place, we would see a person who is spiritually-minded and can mind what the High Priest has to say. This is what will lead such a person to be taken from among men.
A work was done in Jesus that constructed a way in Him known as the highway of holiness (Isa. 35:8). This way was what made His soul naturally entertain God’s appearance unto salvation. It was this way that Jesus was using to respond to God. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days. Forty is a prophetic number. As Jesus profited from the forty days in the wilderness, God was ascertaining in Him, nature that He would use to respond to the elders (spirits) of hell.
Moses was also in the wilderness for forty years. The children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years so that a way would be constructed in them. This way would enable them to dwell in the land that God had promised them. God wanted to judge death in them because it is death that separates men from God. God wanted a company of men on earth in whom death would have been judged. Then, He would through such men, judge the nations of the earth.
“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Matt. 24:40). This is the day when men will race into the ark, that is, salvation. These were two men with different professions. One of them was already considering the Apostle and High priest of the profession of faith. He was on course to being taken from among men. It is because we have considered the Lord that we have been taken from flesh and are now considering the Apostle and High Priest of the profession of faith. In a matter of time, we are going to be numbered among those who have been taken. Anyone who considers the Apostle and High Priest of the profession of faith will be able to make his calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:10). He would come to a season where God will be able to admit him with an abundant entrance.
We do not know that we have infirmities. It is those who have been equipped with love and forebear with us that know we have infirmities. The Lord wants to leave us with a conviction that will enable us to do likewise. Then, when we see people with imperfections, we would see them as an opportunity to fulfil a commandment, so that we can appreciate in love. It is these works of love that we will keep until we get the everlasting covenant.
When we see people’s imperfections, we should use them as an opportunity to grow and acquire ways. We can tell the season of growth we are in by the calibre of imperfect men we are surrounded with. Our parents in the Lord have used the imperfections of many to grow to a place where heaven now wants to take them from among men. Many of us have missed out on many opportunities. We are quick to brand the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters. We are quick to judge, and that is why Jesus said we should not judge (Matt. 7:1-2).
The secret of Jesus’ growth was the infirmities in the lives of His disciples. After the temptations at Jordan, Satan departed from Jesus so that he could come to Him through men. We should not avoid our brothers and sisters who have infirmities, but rather, we should draw them closer. Jesus was not bothered by the faces of those men. He was bothered about what the face of the Lord was saying concerning everyone whom Satan was speaking through. Jesus used the Pharisees and Sadducees to grow. He kept the commandments that governed His relationship with them until He came into the everlasting covenant. If God can raise persons like this in our midst and wants to take them, then it means God has charted a path for us to also be taken.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. [2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. [3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them…” (Matt. 25:1-3). The consequence of not keeping the commandment of love is that some will be left behind while some will be taken. For the virgins to be wise, it means they were not flesh. They were like those men whom the High Priest had to come to address their infirmities, minister to their weaknesses, and purge them of their sins and iniquities. The five wise virgins had profited with the previous appearance. This was why they could entertain Him as a groom.
We gather oil whenever we keep the commandment of love. Our parents have fetched oil over the years from our imperfections and now, heaven wants to take them. We too have to keep some commandments. If we place the right premium on commandments, then we should be excited when we see people’s imperfections. If we love commandments, then it means we love the way. It means we want to be taken at the appointed time ahead.
There is a time when the Lord will express some works but by then, some other works should have also been completed in us. We should have been adorned and our feet beautified. We must have used our ‘forty years’ in the wilderness to acquire the state that the Lord Jesus and His disciples later did. We are being separated from a nature and cleansed from a way when we keep commandments. Then, another way, which the Lord will give, would be installed in us.
Every man has ways. The way of unbelievers is where Satan passes through. An unbeliever who can manifest the world to a particular degree has a measure of the construction of a way in him. But the beast is the one whom Satan has completed the construction of his way within so that he can walk freely in the way. But right now, God is constructing a way in us, even as we continue to keep the commandments of this season. It is by virtue of keeping this commandment that we will be separated from that manner of life we find in ourselves.
“Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end…” (Deut. 8:16). When Moses had completed his course of forty years in the wilderness, God had made known His ways to him. This is why the covenant was established with him. It was when Jesus and John the Baptist had profited with the wilderness curriculum that they could handle public ministry. This is because it is in public ministry that Satan is found. We really need that age of ‘forty years’, and we can fetch it in the wilderness. We need the covenant of everlasting life to do anything public. This is because Satan usually shows up when we are doing such things. But it is our response in accordance with what is written that will please the Father at such times.
At Jordan, Jesus was a trembler. It was out of His trembling that He was able to capture what was written and respond with the dictates of the way. We become mindful of the covenant by the promises being dangled before us. These promises serve as motivation for us to keep some charity work until we become Christ. After becoming Christ, we should be taken from among men. Then, another covenant that comes from the gospel of God will be dangled before us. We will then become living or beloved sons.
“And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. [18] But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut. 8:17-18). When men have prospered with the dealings of the way and have embodied the nature of His name, they will have a covenant. If our parents are to be taken, then it can happen to us, if only we do not despise those dealings that we want to naturally judge by our human senses. If we can respond to those experiences that may seem unpleasant, then it is only a matter of time for us to also be taken from among men.
Blessings!
Summary
1. The truth that we are receiving are things pertaining to God (Heb. 5:1). They are the things that will bring us to God (John 13:3). "Good things to come" are the things that pertain to God, and they are the things that will make us perfect (Heb. 10:1).
2. The word ‘way’ refers to a nature or a formation. The ways of the Lord are the things that are encapsulated in His name or nature. All the declarations of the name of the Father are so that His ways can be constructed in us. When His ways are in us, God can come to us.
3. The children of Israel, like Moses, were in the wilderness for forty years so that a way would be crafted in their hearts (Deut. 8:2-3). This way would enable them to dwell in the land that God had promised them. God wanted to judge death in them because it is death that separates men from God.
4. When we see people’s imperfections, we should use them as an opportunity to grow and acquire ways. We can tell the season of growth we are in by the calibre of imperfect men we are surrounded with. Many of us have missed out on many opportunities to grow up spiritually because we are quick to brand the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters. We are quick to judge by default, and that is why Jesus instructed that we should not judge anyone (Matt. 7:1-2).
5. We should not avoid our brothers and sisters who have infirmities; rather, we should draw them closer. Jesus was not bothered by the faces of the men through whom Satan came to Him. He rather kept the commandments that governed His relationship with them until He came into the everlasting covenant. We gather oil whenever we keep the commandment of love. When we have gathered enough oil, we can entertain the Lord (Matt. 25:1-4). If we place the right premium on commandments, then we should be excited when we see people’s imperfections.
6. When men have prospered with the dealings of the way and have embodied the nature of His name, they will have a covenant (Deut. 8:18). If we can respond positively to those experiences that may seem unpleasant, in a matter of time we would also be taken from among men.