Programme: Writing the Vision (February Edition)
Date: Saturday, 18th February 2023
Transcript Summary
1. The emphasis of the Lord this season is the bringing forth of His way in the hearts of men. Sin corrupted the way of the Lord (Gen. 6:12). The way of the Lord is not external; it is written in the heart of man. The way of the Lord exists in every creature (Prov. 30:19). A way is an embodiment of laws located on the inside of a being. The breath of life is also called the way of life. Adam and Eve were awoken into a way when God formed Adam and breathed into him the breath of life — they did not need to learn the way. The breath of God gave them inspiration on how to live (Job 32:8). It was the breath that gave them the understanding of life.
2. We cannot please God without the ways of the heart. Ways are impartations. As we journey by the leading of the Spirit and give our hearts to the instructions of the Spirit, ways will be imparted into our hearts. Ways do not come only by knowledge, but we need knowledge and understanding to bring forth instruction. It is when a man obeys this instruction that a way is configured in his heart.
3. What we call “personalities” are configurations of ways. Why people are different from one another is because of the different ways in which they were raised. Immediately Adam and Eve disobeyed God by the breakthrough of understanding that Eve came into via the preaching of Satan, a way was communicated. Satan preached for a long time till Eve saw that the tree was good for food. Satan, by the reason of prophecy, is a corrupted horn. Horn is known for strength. When David exclaimed “the Lord is the strength of my life”, what he meant is that the Lord is the way of my life (Psalm 27:1).
4. (Eph. 2:1-2). To “walk” means to live. Ways are responsible when a man is Gentilic in nature (Eph. 4:17). The vanity of the mind is a way in the heart. Vanity is beyond having a preference for good clothes; it is a way and a formation that has taken place over time. A dark understanding is the opposite of a way of understanding. Understanding is a way or a perception that is riveted in the heart of man. Darkened understanding are ways we were taught by the rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12). The entire design of our upbringing is to install ways in us through thoughts.
5. The ignorance in Ephesians 2 is also a way. Ignorance is a way in the mind and heart that has configured our persons (Heb. 5:1-2). Beyond the purification of habits and characters (evidence of us becoming new) by reason of our obedience, the spirit of our minds is renewed (Eph. 4:23), and the law of "faith of the Son" of God is formed in us through the discipline of waiting on the Spirit. This helps our hearts not to be hasty in responding to flesh. Christ trains our hearts in the things of the new man. This training of faith and hope is for a renewing of our minds and hearts.
6. (Eph. 2:2). Disobedience is an impartation of spirits. The word “spirit” means "nature". The nature of disobedience are ways. This means if disobedience are ways, obedience are also ways (of God). God wants our obedience to come by ways (or doctrine). The law of disobedience raises men who are ignorant of God in their minds.
7. (Prov. 22:6) Being born again does not guarantee the removal of the ways which the spirits of the world have wrought in man; there is a need to be trained up against the propensities of a negative way within us. Ways can be traced to our speech. Speaking as a child is a way; it is the nature of the soul (1 Cor. 13:11). To put away childish things is to put away childish ways. The ways of children are carnal natures. To change this manner of life, we need to be trained. Nothing breaks the formation of ways in us except the way of life. It is difficult to change the personalities of men because of some things that are inherent in their nature.
8. Ways linger for generations. The Lord spoke concerning Abraham who trained his children to keep the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19). The ways of the Lord were transferred in the generations of Abraham; that was how God became the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exo. 3:15). Abraham was a Gentile Syrian ready to perish (Deut. 26:5) – He was on the path of death but God encountered him and led him (Gen. 12:1). In the Old Testament, Abraham was led out of his physical location and kindred; but for us in the New Testament, our leading is the way of God we ought to live in. Civilisations are ways of life. Unknown to us, spirits intend to culture ways in us and perpetuate themselves in men. As long as their ways are in men, these spirits would be in the air (Eph. 2:2).
9. (Job 22:21-22). To be at peace is the covenant of life and peace. Understanding doctrine is understanding ways (Isa. 28:9). The essence of knowledge is to give strength to our hearts. This is because we need strength to go against the arrangements we have inside of us, in order to walk in the way of the Lord.
10. (Jer. 31:34). The law interprets how we live; it interprets the way of life to us. We are built up by law (Job 22:23). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is needed to build a new man who has the way of charity (Rom. 8:2). When a man is in charity, contention is taken away from his life. A contentious man will contend with the truth; he is prone to be in contention with the doctrine and the demand of the Spirit. A man must obey the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus to do away with contentions.
Blessings!
Ruth Emem - 1 year ago