Excerpts

The Lighthouse Apostolic Centre

School of the Spirit

9th, September 2022

The Ideal Man in the Heart of God Pt.1

Pastor Ayorinde Fakunle

Interpretation Of Tongues 1

"My thought, I give you My thought; fear not, I give You My thought to be spoken. I have laid it on your tongue, even coals. Speaking of turning to turn men, to turn to look again. For hearts must turn to behold again, so I give you coals to burn up veils that eyes may turn and see and see the Son of God again; to see Him again. Fear not, My thoughts are on your tongue," saith the Lord.

Message Begins

Psalm 80:1-3

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

The psalmist in this scripture called God the Shepherd of Israel. God is not the shepherd of Egypt or Babylon, neither is He the God of Syrians; He is the shepherd of Israel. Joseph was an Israel. It is very clear from the above scripture that the kind of people God can shine His face upon are Israels.

Psalms 80:3

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

‘Turn us again’ means we are in a different direction from the direction of His face. This means we are not setting the Lord before us. A man who has not set the Lord before his face cannot be led by God; God leads by the shining of His face.

Something must happen for a people to be turned. There is a turner; there is that by which God turns a man. When a man backs God, he is an enemy of God; until such a man faces God, he is not God's. A proof that one has become God's is that such a person is facing God. To face God means we are departing from another face that we have once faced. When Adam left the garden, he became exposed to a face. A face was cast upon man, so by default, every man lives by the outshining of that face. By default, if man is left the way he is naturally, he is headed for destruction because there is a face he is facing (Proverbs 14:12).

The first thing God does at new birth is to change the direction that the soul has once faced. When man turned away from the garden, he walked away from God's presence and the moment that happened, he ceased to be a man in the sight of God.

The only man that once existed before our Lord Jesus Christ came was Adam (1 Cor. 15:45). A man is not reckoned as a man if he is in a pathway outside of God. At new birth, we are not automatically turned. If we were automatically turned at new birth, there wouldn't be a reason for the teaching of repentance from dead work, or reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

God cannot work on any other creature but man. What can become the image of God is man so there needs to be a man first, before the image can be made. Before God can lay hold on anything to be His image, such must first be man.

There was the first man who was the old man; he was disqualified from the process of image making.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

The scripture above means all have sinned and become condemned from the progress to glory, or all have sinned and become disqualified because the glory of God begins with everlasting life.

In Adam, all have sinned and are disqualified from the eternal agenda of God for mankind. Irrespective of all the mighty works man could do, it was recorded in the scriptures that no man has seen God at any time. Man ought to see God.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. 

This means it never happened that any man saw God at any time. This is a confirmation that man has been disqualified. Man could have encounters, prophesy, raise the dead yet God did not reckon with them as man.

Who is a man according to God?

It is expedient that we come into a good grasp of where we are, so that we will not make assumptions.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

‘Child’ here refers to when he became born again, not when he was born. He was referring to the season when he was going through the curriculum of a child. Apostle Paul was once carnal. Carnality is a state; it is not derogatory. There was a season when Apostle Paul became a man and this was when he started talking about beholding the glory of God. It is a man that can behold the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Psalm 80:3

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

It is not enough to pray ‘Lord, shine Your face upon me’ outside being turned; our Lord will not shine His face at our backs.

Psalm 17:8

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings 

For us to become the apple of God's eye, He must be the apple of our eyes. If we have not turned, the Lord cannot shine His face upon us and if His face does not shine upon us, there is no salvation.

2 Timothy 2:16-19

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 

The seal is ‘the Lord knoweth them that are His’. When God builds His foundation, he put the seal upon it and the seal is that the Lord knows them that are His. There are two inscriptions upon the seal or upon the foundation of God: the first is 'the Lord knoweth them that are His’; it means a person has come to a place where the Lord can acclaim him and say 'you are Mine'.

In the ancient days, seal was an emblem, it is a signet; a signature. Signature means a sign of nature. A seal is the signature of a king and whoever a king gives his signature to, wherever such person goes; he carries the ambience and glory of that king.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 

God has a foundation. We cannot say we are the Lord’s, it is the Lord that will say, ‘we are His’. No man can say he is the Lord's when the Lord had not said, "you are Mine",  to do so is a costly assumption.

Matthew 7:22

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mark 16:17

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

They assumed that by virtue of what they did, they were the Lord’s.

Matthew 7:23

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We cannot be the Lord’s if He doesn't know us (John 10:14). It is possible to be hearing the word of the Kingdom and still not be the Lord’s.

Matthew 7:24

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

The emphasis here is doing the words, not teaching it to men.

Luke 6:47-48

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

We cannot find the rock on the surface, we must dig into the earth to find this rock. If we have not digged the earth, we cannot find the rock.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The foundation of God is of utmost importance if we will make any progress in God. Until this foundation is laid, we are not yet called ‘man’. It is when foundation is laid that we become man.

Colossians 3:8-10

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

It is the new man that can progress to image. The light of the face of God will not shine on anything but the new man; it is the new man that has an open face. A man without an open face cannot receive the outshining of the knowledge of the glory of God which is in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18)

We are to cancel all assumptions and look at how to labour again with the Lord to ensure that foundation is well-built. The Lord in His heart wants to make a people 'man' in His own image but He has to form man.

Galatians 4:19

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

'Until Christ is formed' is until we become a man. When Christ is formed in us then we are called a man and it is such a man that God can now make (Genesis 1:26). God won't make a child, He will make a man.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

We must all in this season run to ensure that Christ is fully built, and laid in us. Nobody should assume that because he is a member of TLAC community; he has automatically finished Christ; it is not so, we heard the message so that we can do it; the works need to be done. If the work is not done, we cannot be done for God to lay hold on us and receive us unto Himself to acquire His image. It is not every human being upon earth (newly born again) that is the Lord's.

The name of Christ is the seal and signature of the foundation of Christ. The proof that one 'nameth the name of Christ’ is that he has departed from iniquity. A man is one who has stature to depart from iniquity. No one is called a man if he is like a grass that can be tossed to and fro.

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This is an operation in the church; it is the church that is receiving the rain of doctrine. Anyone who is not built enough to take a stand against iniquity is not yet called a man. We don't take this stand by being stern but by building.

Titus 2:11

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

The ‘all men’ as we have been taught refers to the elect; those within the curriculum of Christ.

The way to depart from iniquity begins with denying ungodliness.

Psalms 1:1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Ungodliness is the counsel of the ungodly. A man denying ungodliness has been taught to be able to refuse the counsel of the ungodly. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and teaches us how to live. This man has also been raised to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world and this is a man that can be made in God's image.

Acts 20:28-32

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

The word of His grace has an ability. Every word, every seed from God has abilities. It is after we have been built up that we can receive the inheritance. The word of His grace builds a man up by teaching.

If the requirements to gain admission to study Medicine are 5 credits in Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, a score of at least 250 in UTME and 70 in post-Jamb, the prayer point will be to receive grace to pass these exams and not to receive admission.

The Lord has been merciful enough to let us know what He is looking for. It is not enough to try; we must be a new man in our soul because it is the soul They want to make in the image of God. It is not enough to have the new man in our spirit; we must put him in our soul. Our souls must be so baptised into Christ that when our souls are brought out, we are fully ghosted. A ghosted man is a Christ; a spiritual man that God can work on.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There are three things mentioned to be in Christ Jesus:

2 Timothy 2:10

Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

2 Timothy 3:15

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

There is faith in Christ Jesus, there is salvation in Christ Jesus and there is eternal glory in Christ Jesus. The gateway into 'in Christ Jesus' is faith and this faith is the faith of Christ which is the word of His grace. This faith is a manner of a word.

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The just is the man that lives by faith. It is not all men that are in Christ Jesus; those who are in Christ Jesus walk after the Spirit and not the flesh.

Romans 8:2

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The law of the Spirit of life is the faith; the truth which is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

These are those who walk not after the counsel of the ungodly but after the teaching of grace which is the counsel to make man godly.

Romans 8:5-7

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The carnal mind is a believer whose mind is still carnal because of the darkness of his heart.  The law of God is the perfect law of liberty which is the law of everlasting life.

Romans 8:8-9

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Such a man who has not the Spirit of Christ is not part of them that are Christ's. Such a man is not a Christ man, he is not the ideal man in the heart of God because he has not come to the measure of what can be called man in the sight of God.

1 Peter 1:9-11

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

We cannot dive into the things of salvation if the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in us. It is the Spirit of Christ that can begin to run a search; the same way no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God which is in Him. It takes the Spirit of God which is the perfect law of liberty to begin to search into the things of eternal glory.

They must form this law by inscription - by writing.  It must be scribbled upon the soul of a man who will make progress with God because it is a partnership; a fellowship between God and man.

Isaiah 66:2

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

God needs a man that can be able to take steps into the place where He is. God is looking for men, not just any Christian or church goers or hearers alone. God is looking for a man. The shout of God all through the Old Testament is that ‘I am looking for a man’. Men have devised all kinds of ways to get God but God is saying ‘I know the man I am looking for and when I see Him, He will get Me.' The day we become the new man, it will be clear to us that we need salvation and we will cry out for an image as the new man. If we are not yet crying for image, we must go back to our foundation.

Psalms 17:15

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

It is man that God finds. Everyone that God has not found is still lost. It is possible to be in church and still be lost. We are brought to church so we can be found. Foundation is what makes us found.

Exodus 33:22

And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

God will not locate us if we are not on the rock. A work must be done in us which we must respond to. It is not what we say and claim.

1 Corinthians 2:16

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Apostle Paul was speaking of himself here as one who has the mind of Christ.

Philippians 3:10-11

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Philippians 3:12

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Jesus died a death; it was a progressive death that culminated on the cross. It was first of all death of His soul before His body.

'Perfect' in the above scripture is salvation.

Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Things that are behind are things we have turned away from. A Christ will set the Lord always before Him.

Philippians 3:14-15

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

‘Perfect’ here speaks of Christ - the matured.

Colossians 1:28

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Every man must be presented perfect to the everlasting Father before they can be formed in His image.

Prayer

Lord we pray that Christ will be fully formed in us; we receive grace to cooperate with the formation of Christ fully.

For some of us, our greatest struggle is assumption. The fact that we can connect thoughts around everlasting measures of judgment doesn't mean we should conclude that we are in everlasting life because when it's time to make progress in the curriculum of everlasting life, we won't be able to make progress because we have already assumed we are there.

Message Ends