Programme: School of the Spirit (SOS)
Date: Thursday July 27, 2023
God in His mercy has been speaking to us through His servants in meetings leading up to this year's Believers’ Convention. Though some may not be connected, this rain from the Lord is pouring greatly on us. This rain of God's measurements is coming alongside the other teachings that have come to us. God, in His mercy, is bringing words for the purpose of measuring.
The last two weeks of prayer meetings revealed to us that we are all being measured. This is not from a doctrinal aspect that has come to us in this season. Much more, we are also being placed on the scale of God's expectations by teachings that the Lord has caused to come. From the understanding we have gotten this season, one can tell that we are being measured. Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom were measured. He was placed on a scale and after the measurements, he was found wanting (Dan. 5:27).
Daniel 5:25-28
“And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN . [26] This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE ; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. [27] TEKEL ; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. [28] PERES ; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
God has measurements according to different seasons; the measurements in a season might not be the same in another. In the Old Testament times, there was a manner of measurement – the Tabernacle of Moses was an apparatus of measurement. But in the New Testament, we reverted to an older order of measurement, which is the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. The priesthood after the order of Aaron was not the exact measurement that God used.
Measurement is not limited to the outward designs of the tabernacle. Measurements are more about what those outward patterns are to achieve in a person who has received them, as they are spelt out by precepts. God had measurements in the Old Testament. Prior to Moses, there was a measurement that God used to measure men who walked with Him. There was a measurement in Eden and, after man fell out of favour with God and was moved out of Eden, God brought forth another measurement.
In subsequent chapters of Genesis, we then saw other measurements. For example, in the times of Abraham, God condescended to another measurement – a measurement of the ordinance of God's expectation of what man should know about Him, and how this knowledge should generate a life of pleasure to God. At the time of Moses, God brought forth an elaborate measurement in a manner which He had never done. Prior to that time, this measure was given in codes amongst a people within a particular lineage, as seen in Genesis 5. They held a secret of precepts and ordinances of God’s pattern out of which pleasure should go to God. In the times of Moses, God made it known to a whole nation, through Moses, so the entire nation would look into it.
After the time of Moses, kings like David and prophets were desirous to understand how these precepts and patterns should turn into pleasure. The original intent for which God gave it to Moses was for pleasure but they, save a few, fell short of it. Then God began raising prophets who were interpreting the patterns, also known as precepts.
The giving of the specifications on how to build, the knowledge that God gave to Moses, were all precepts, and in them are lines but they were not obvious. Lines are defined in many ways; Lines are life. They are pleasures that precepts ought to produce in the heart of anyone who holds precepts rightly and allows for the dealings of the Spirit of God, so that precepts would bear fruits of lines. Another word for lines is measures.
Isaiah 28:9-10
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. [10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little…”
In the law of Moses, we would find words like ordinances, precepts, laws and commandments, which are all different ways of referring to patterns.
Hebrews 8:5
“who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
Everything about the tabernacle is either a law, statute or commandment. They are patterns of things in the heavens and those things in the heavens, which the tabernacle is a copy of, are also laws, commandments, and ordinances. There are beings in those realms of the heavens – angels in the Outer Court, Holy place and in Most Holy place – that bear fruits out of their precepts.
Precept is the knowledge of a thing. Commandments, laws and ordinances, though technical, are generally knowledge that can be written in a book or known with the mind, but they are not life or lines. God only measures ‘lifes’. What counts as a miracle to God, which pleases God and commands His reactions from His creatures, are ‘lifes’. God gives the revelation and we do not know it in the original form in which He has it. In the best of our accuracy, we still fall short of how it is in Him. We cannot know the knowledge of truth as God knows it, just as no minister can know the truth as Jesus knows it. All knowledge is given by God, but it is a miracle to God when we bear the fruits of life. Whenever God sees men do the unthinkable and extraordinary in bearing fruits out of knowledge, He is happy. God measures.
1 Samuel 2:3
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed.”
He is a God of knowledge and we are not. We only know the knowledge of God by knowing things which He reveals to us, but He is a God of knowledge. No amount of knowledge can thrill Him. God has seen a gazillion of angels teaching knowledge that He put in them. He has also seen many ministers teach knowledge of an emphasis in different ways. The Cherubims have knowledge in their realm, seraphims do not have it in their measure. God knows knowledge, He does not measure it. He births knowledge. At every breakthrough in knowledge, God is pushing out of Himself. Knowledge does not wow God, though He gives and appreciates it.
God is craving for His knowledge to turn into pleasure. This is the mystery of the heart and this is what makes it unique. God measures hearts because He is looking for wonders. He is looking for men who would take the knowledge that He is giving and turn it into life. One man (Jesus) got God rejoicing every time in the days of His walk because this man was doing something with precepts; He was converting precepts into fruits that God cannot deny. God has an apparatus of weighing (1 Sam. 2:3). The apparatus of weighing actions is Himself. He gives knowledge and uses Himself as the yardstick to weigh actions. He is the line that is used to measure us.
God is the apparatus for measuring. Angels in the Old and New Testaments come with a measuring rod.
Revelation 21:15
“And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof ”.
This angel had something given to him by God. The angel cannot use his measurements for the city of God, so God must have empowered him to tell if the structure is according to that which God has put in as a standard. Revelation is given with the intent of measurement being belched out of our souls. When a minister stands to teach, revelation knowledge is being administered. Knowledge is different from doctrine (life), though it can be seen as such at a level. Doctrine is the point of understanding what knowledge is intended to produce. The point of understanding doctrine is the one of knowing the expected measurement— what God expects as a result of knowledge.
2 Corinthians 12:7
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
Though the revelation was abundant in Paul, the measurement was not as abundant as the revelation. Exaltation exists in measurement. Knowledge may exalt one before men but definitely not before God and men that have walked with Him. These are men who have taken a journey with experience, who know that with much knowledge, certain habits would be made evident with sincere appraisal of one's self. Some habits remain with much knowledge and heavy anointing, and that is why we know that knowledge is not necessarily the answer to nature, but it is the beginning of the prescription. Knowledge should get to the point of measure which doctrine (spirit) paints. We can know knowledge and understand doctrine.
Doctrine is meant to be understood; knowledge is to be known. Revelation is spiritual, glorious, and powerful. Without revelation, the bridge is broken. But the Lord is emphasising through our parents that, while knowledge has gone ahead for an intent, we are meant to use it to the point where we begin to understand doctrine. It is at the point of understanding doctrine that we begin to understand both the usefulness and the spirit of the knowledge that is meant to open our eyes, to see that which we ought to be and do with knowledge; because that is what God comes to measure. God does not weigh knowledge, He measures life and does so on the basis of the spirit of the knowledge, which is what doctrine is, that He has given. It is possible for one to understand knowledge but not understand doctrine.
Doctrine comes from the root word ‘to doctor’. It is like a treatment that makes one well. Though there is the knowledge, there is that which it is meant to produce and this is what we understand. At some points, knowledge comes by anointing and revelation where scriptures align. When such happens, one can be full of the spirit and of joy. Though that is beautiful, if such a person ends there, he would be the least in the kingdom.
The teachings in this season are a lot of doctrine. Though we may have heard them before, they are coming with the spirit of doctrine. In some meetings, the Spirit of God may not be able to push knowledge to the point of doctrine and in some, knowledge can be pushed to the point of doctrine. In some other meetings, doctrine may continually be founted. Such meetings are not of excitement but of soberness, and it is a blessing to be in such meetings.
There are dynamics to spiritual things: God may be giving knowledge in a meeting while some people in the same meeting are hearing doctrine. This however depends on the way people hear and the level of work on their hearts. Likewise, a minister could be teaching doctrine while some people can only hear knowledge. During word ministrations, certain impressions come to our hearts that cannot be left unattended to. Such impressions are spirits; they are measures of estates in God to us. He shows us who is and one can only see that measurement because of the level of knowledge in such.
Knowledge is the template or base ground for doctrine. Doctrine springs out of knowledge. It is doctrine that determines our exaltation. There is the measure, which is everlasting life, but there is something above that measure. The measure begins from Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Paul had his eyes on the measure but evil spirits showed up. If we allow them, evil spirits would never let us see revelation because they know that our ambition would grow if we see revelation. When God gives revelation, He will bring doctrine, provided we wait on the coming of knowledge. It is also good to not be too quick to teach revelation. People who are given the privilege to teach know the boundary of what they ought to teach. Whenever they teach, they only give a small portion of what they know because the other things they know may not be useful revelations to us. However, they are apparatuses of balance that make the sail of knowledge successful without shipwreck.
Evil spirits fight people from coming to places like this. If this place were to be a miracle center, people will troop in mass. But because this place is a place of knowledge, evil spirits would hinder people from coming. If this were a place of bread and milk, both angels and evil spirits would bring people. Our eyes being opened is injurious to Satan’s business. After our eyes have been opened, we need to trust God in the place of waiting, praying and more hearing, for the Lord to give doctrine.
Knowledge will always precede doctrine. Doctrine is spirit; it is the way knowledge behaves. Doctrine is animating knowledge. Knowledge in itself is like a cadaver. When we are learning the tabernacle, we learn a rather static law. The tabernacle is a body of laws. In knowing the tabernacle, we are knowing God in a regard. However, doctrine is particular about how God behaves in the different parts of the tabernacle.
When we are hearing knowledge and we begin to receive instructions, it means that doctrine has begun to come. When doctrine comes, it is accompanied by grace and a spiritual knowing of how to do the doctrine. The Spirit of God knows that there are some doctrines of the devil within us. Doctrine is not always positive as there is also the negative side to it; it is a spirit. The heart has its conversations, and they are deep and mysterious. Any time doctrines (or instructions) come to us as a result of knowledge, it is because God wants to remove a measure in us. Somewhere, we all measure up to the devil in different regards. As Satan goes to and fro the earth, he always measures men. When Satan and evil spirits see that a man is ascending, they concentrate on him until he is hacked down.
Measure is life. The Lord wants us to bear fruits of certain measures. We all have the potential to fully become like the devil. The seed came into our souls through the tree Adam ate of. However, these capacities may not be unveiled in us until the knowledge of a realm is open to us. That is why we can see pastors having some infirmities that the younger ones do not have. God will not allow us to be tempted more than what we can bear, which means that what we can bear is tantamount to how much revelation we have. God would not expose things of Satan’s measures in everlasting life to a person that is still in Christ. Therefore, such a person would be quick to think they have outgrown some infirmities. However, we grow into our infirmities; we grow to discover our darknesses. If God has not brought the knowledge of a particular realm to us, He closes the darkness of that realm until we come there. This shows that, if our darknesses are revealed at a particular level, it means mercy has come to us.
There is something Satan worked in us that makes us give inaccurate reactions when our hearts are revealed. Our parents and pastors have been helped to be able to give accurate reactions to their heart estates. It is a work of Satan that makes us give inaccurate reactions. That work does not want darkness to be discovered. Most times, when the Lord shows measures, everybody pretends to be okay. This is an insincerity that forms the veil that covers our darknesses.
For the Lord to bring forth measurement through ministers, He grinds them. The Lord has to measure a minister before his measurement can be obvious. There is a spirit of repentance upon us. God is going in the direction of measurement because He wants to come. If He does not deal with us in that manner, we may limit His coming. Lines must be well-laid. The more lines that are being drawn out of us and in us – which is tantamount to increase in measure – the more our head can draw near to Jesus so that He would draw near to us.
The Lord wants to come but there are certain things that need to be put in order. Though all the lines may not be put in order in one day, if hearts make adjustments and the grace for it is in the house, then certain lines will be put in order now.
1 Peter 1:13
“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…”
These virtues are lines and settings that the Lord expected to be in the people that Peter was writing to. They were told to gird up the loins of their minds or barricade their minds because, in expecting the Lord, the mind should not be wandering. Satan can fight a technical warfare by ensuring that our minds are going everywhere. A person who feeds from too many streams at once can be a problem to the community. Not girding up our minds makes us exposed. The Lord needs our minds for His coming. Also, the community needs it.
We are not only to gird our hearts, but to gird it up because it is for up-things. This is a good season to listen to messages, so that our minds will subconsciously carry the waters of this season. Our minds should carry revelation, hold doctrine and be full of instructions. We should let the water of the word be full in our minds. We ought not let anything unrelated to the coming of the Lord to be in our minds, for the Lord wants to come. We need to expect the coming of the Lord in Believer’s Convention and we must remind ourselves of this. When it fills our minds, there would be things we would no longer give attention to.
The feeling of inferiority that comes when our brethren are doing well is an expression of shame. Jane Leade’s prophecy said that Christ shall appear in certain chosen vessels. The gloriousness of the people who would turn to the sayings of the Lord is becoming manifest. The goal should be that we be among this kind of people.
It is not God that makes us sober; we have to be sober ourselves. We need to deal with excitements that can puncture the workings of the Spirit around us. Soberness does not mean lack of joy. Not being sober is a fleshly attitude. Being sober is a state of the heart that is not excited to miss the Lord. Peter was telling them to be sober so that they would know what can disconnect them in the spirit. True soberness cannot be independent of our spirits. Sometimes, when we want to make decisions or do somethings, we get checked on our inside as a result of the spiritual atmosphere over us.
Soberness protects us from what can kill us; for some, it could be too much talking. In such instances, we often get checked by our spirits but we rarely heed to it, and that leads us to end up further in flesh. Such things can spiritually paralyse our faiths. There is no rule around soberness. What counts for soberness on one day may not in the next. Soberness is a posture of heart we carry to remain in the Spirit and be connected to a frequency that the Holy Ghost is speaking from. The demands for soberness can even be contrasting at different times.
Soberness in itself is a maintaining of measure. If we can increase in measure, then we can also decrease in it, else it would be impossible to die spiritually (spirit and soul). So soberness can help us maintain the estate of what God has done in us.
1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…”
We need to be sober and be vigilant because sobriety is needed to tell when the devil is around. We need soberness to know when either the Lord or the adversary is coming. The adversary wants to eat up the life we have in our souls. Soberness will tell us what not to watch or read so as to keep the atmosphere over us. This is not a time for anyone to be disconnected for more than two days because one word in this season counts for much understanding. Soberness is a prerequisite to discerning the Lord when He comes (1 Thess. 5:2). Whether He is coming through meetings or any other way, we need to see Him as He comes.
The essence of this charge is to stir up passion in us concerning what the Lord wants to do in the remaining days of Believers’ Convention Prayer Meeting. We need to hope. Sometimes, Satan eats up and people come to meetings without expectation. We ought to expect change and revelations in meetings. Just being in the atmosphere of meeting opens doors to Scriptures. When we gather together, as opposed to staying in the comfort of houses, there is a lot of manpower: angels, clouds, authority of the set man and the presence of the Spirit paralyse evil spirits, jam signals of darkness, and open vistas of light.
When we come for meetings, we ought to hope. That the Lord is coming is a prophecy. The instruction to hope was a conscious instruction that Peter gave to the church. To hope to the end is to hope perfectly or have a craving. If the Lord is coming, then we should want to receive Him. We should not be passive about it because we have heard of His coming before. There are different kinds of comings; this one is a convocational coming and we can tell by the visitation and the level of emphasis in recent meetings.
God has been bringing spirits over us by reason of the words that are being spoken and that will be spoken, but we must hope. The coming Peter was talking about is not an ordinary coming. There can be revelational and occupational comings, but this coming is a unique one. We know this because the Lord has said several times that there is something peculiar about this year’s convention.
We should hope and desire the coming of the Lord. This is what should fill our hearts. We should not be bothered about what we would wear in convention at the expense of what should happen to us. Some of us are not paying attention to the premium things. 1 Peter 1:13 is admonishing us to hope. We need to pray so that the Lord would adjust our hearts to make sure we hope, at least, up to the level of the coming of the Lord, not beneath it.
One way to show that we are humble towards God is to be humble towards spiritual authority. How we receive God is in how we honour His workings through His servants. We need to pray for God’s servant that God will show mercy. There is an obvious expectation that he ought to come into.
Blessings!